My days off begin with feeding rice to small birds.
Followed by a jog.
Burnable trash.
Recyclable.
Then I go home and shower.
I clean and have breakfast afterwards, which usually concludes my activities, but today...
...Chizu-chan and Ayane-chan are coming over.
You're having friends over today, right?
They're here! What do I do?!
Daddy will answer the door for you.
Are you Sawako's dad?
A delinquent?!
I can so see the resemblance!
Where are your manners?!
You're supposed to say hi!
H-Howdy.
A-Are you two Sawako's friends?
This one seems to be fairly proper.
Although she has a lot of make-up on...
Nice to meet you.
I'm Yano, your daughter's classmate.
How many piercings does she have?!
Y-You two are her friends?
Chizu-chan! Ayane-chan!
W-Welcome!
I'm baking a cake right now!
Handmade?!
Seriously?
Guess we should have picked something else.
Cake?!
I... I should have made something salty instead!
Sorry I'm so inconsiderate...
No, I'd rather eat one that's handmade.
I can eat everything on the table!
Don't! You'll get fat!
Oh, my!
Goodness!
Why are you two just standing by the door?
Please, come in!
This is my mother.
And this is my father.
Hi.
If you'd like, please enjoy these between the two of you.
Wow!
Oh, my! Thank you so much!
This is Yano Ayane-chan and Yoshida Chizuru-chan.
I've heard you've been taking great care of my daughter!
It's true! Really!
No way! It's more of the other way around!
She was able to pass thanks to her!
Come on, Yano-chin! You're embarrassing me!
Wow, your room's a lot more colorful than I'd expected.
I just thought decorating my room in a way that doesn't suit me wouldn't exactly bother anyone...
You're so...
Okay, you're being too considerate.
Whoa, what's this? You've got pictures up here!
I was looking through photos from the field trip and found pictures with the three of us together, so...
At first, I thought these were some of those accidental pictures with ghosts in them...
Well, there's no time better than this.
Here. This is for you.
They're from the after-festival party.
Pretty well-taken, don't you think?
Wow! I'm in all of these, but they don't look like ghost pictures at all!
We're so close together!
I'm so happy...
Come on, you need to look at the rest of them, too.
W-When did I do something so troublesome?!
Yano-chin took those without anyone knowing.
A good one, right? You two look like a couple.
I-I must have been heavy on his shoulders...
Even the lowest of men should be able to support a girl's weight.
What a terrible way to put it.
Oh yeah, that's when Kazehaya noticed me.
In a single instant...
...I gained so many precious treasures...
Thank you...
Don't be satisfied with pictures!
Go confess already!
Confess what? To whom?
Love. To Kazehaya.
Love?!
I love you.
I see.
For what?
For you two to start dating, of course!
No, that's impossible.
She could totally make it happen...
It's impossible, and besides...
...how do I put it... I'm already really satisfied with our current relationship.
I can't even imagine something greater than what we have now.
You say that now, but how would you feel if someone took him away?
I wouldn't... really be able to support them...
Nor would I... be able to give them my blessing...
My bad! My bad! Sorry!
Well, you're certainly right.
Just because you like someone, doesn't mean you want to start dating them right away.
Poor Kazehaya...
What's this?
Oh, I rented those movies yesterday.
Want to watch them together?
Wow, that sounds good!
Please, anything but that!
Ryu!
Pedro...
Looks like Maru really likes you.
You really love animals, don't you?
He's so cute...
Huh? Who could it be?
Not getting that?
It's from Pin.
Oh, it stopped.
Fourteen missed calls?!
And they're all from Pin!
You're not getting that?
Nah.
I've actually been getting calls since some time ago, but haven't picked up because that'd require effort.
Hello-
What have you been doing all this time?!
I've got a life, too!
Hey...
Bring Kuronuma over here immediately.
What?!
Okay...?
Please, bring Kuronuma over here immediately.
I'm begging you.
I can't... stop shaking...
The thing is, I met her last night.
Good evening.
Are you here for research as well?
Yeah, that's right!
I'm here for research!
"Research"?
Ghost photographs?
You're renting adult videos, aren't you?
She saw right through me!
Social issues...
Documentaries...
Wow, he's renting intellectual videos for grownups...
H-Hey...
What are you looking at behind me?!
Huh?
Do you have a nasal tone?
Why are you staring at me?!
Umm... you should wash your hands once you get home...
...followed by rinsing your mouth with salt water.
Huh?
You can never be too careful.
Why are you trying to purify me?!
But I forgot everything she told me after I went home...
Note: The sake label, "Betsu-ma" is a pun on "Betsusatsu Margaret", the monthly shoujo manga "Kimi ni Todoke" is printed in. But I forgot everything she told me after I went home...
Note: The sake label, "Betsu-ma" is a pun on "Betsusatsu Margaret", the monthly shoujo manga "Kimi ni Todoke" is printed in.
That concludes my story.
Uhh...
All I got from that was the fact that he rented porn!
So please...
...I'm counting on you.
What did he want?
I don't really get it, but he sounded pretty weak.
Oh...
He asked me to bring Kuronuma.
Oh yeah, Chizuru told me she was going to Kuronuma's place today.
I wonder if she'd like to see Maru...
Is Sawako... okay?
Will she... go bad?
Oh my! Look at this, Dear!
They brought five cakes!
They had some prepared for us in the first place!
Aren't they so sweet?
Thanks for the food!
Oh my! You didn't have to bring those down!
Well, they started telling ghost stories.
I decided to escape for a bit.
Oh, you can just leave those here!
Come on, I'll wash them!
Can I use this?
I'm really good at doing the dishes!
See? I'm fast, and I make them real clean!
Wow, you're right!
Right?
Thank you so much! You didn't have to do all this!
No no, I'm doing this to show off.
Sawako got her eyebrows, eyes, and her nose from her father.
And her outline and her mouth came from you.
Such a friendly household!
Oh.
Wow, this is rare.
Later!
Kazehaya? What's up?
They're both such kind girls...
Yeah!
What?
Fine.
We'll be there.
Yeah.
Eww, that's gross.
Yeah, it is kinda gross.
But I'm a little worried, not to mention Maru's also with me.
Maru-chan?
Kazehaya-kun?
Yeah.
Kuronuma?
Pin's not feeling too well.
He wanted your opinion on the matter, so I was thinking we should all go visit him together.
I-I knew it!
Yeah, rinsing out your mouth after getting congested may have been pointless...
Huh?
We'll be right there.
Yeah...
Please come.
I'm sure Maru wants to see you, too.
Yeah...
Was that it?
What do you mean?
Shouldn't you have said, "I want to see you, too"?
Well, it's just that I was expecting you to say it.
I wouldn't!
Today's such a great day...
On top of all this, I even get to see Kazehaya-kun...
Yo, you're here.
I'm... done for...
This place is so dirty...
What's my current condition...
It's terrible.
We have to keep you warm for now.
Must be a cold.
It's a cold.
Geez, it's just a cold.
Anyway, umm...
I brought a lot of things...
Exorcism goods?
I'll do it!
So cold!
And this is for you to eat...
I'll feed him!
And an energy drink.
And...
Why do I have to act like Pin's girlfriend?
He's so reliable!
Hey...
Think I'll make it through this?
Is this room... haunted?
What are you growling at, Pedro?
Last night, I heard a scratching noise somewhere...
Ringing in his ears from the cold!
You'll be fine.
Please feel at ease and have a nice nap.
It may take some time, but I'll clean this room for you.
I'm pretty good at stuff like that.
Cleansing malicious spirits?
I... love housework.
Hey, want me to tell you a little story while you sleep?
Huh? Sure.
So, from the knowledge I gained earlier...
This is a true story that happened around here, by the way.
Every night, the sound of a knock rings in an apartment room inhabited by a man who lives alone.
He opens the door each time, but there's no one standing there.
And in the past, in that exact apartment complex, and in that exact room...
He got all scared, but now he's sleeping like a log.
A tiny Kazehaya-kun!
I-I-I'm sorry!
I should have asked first! It's your privacy!
No, that's not it! It's embarrassing!
Because, you know... I'm crying in this.
I was bummed that we lost the match.
And Pin was making fun of me.
Can I look at it again?
No!
O-Oh yeah, aren't you going to pet Maru?
I-I didn't want to get in the way between him and Sanada-kun!
B-But you should!
O-Okay!
They should just start going out...
He's so cute...
He's sound asleep...
Yeah.
My body feels relaxed...
I guess the medicine worked.
Wow, the room feels so different!
Yeah, because we cleaned it.
You're amazing!
I'm counting on you if I get possessed again!
What, you guys were still here?
Go home already!
You're such nuisances!
We're never coming again!
Let's get outta here!
P-Please take care of yourself...
Hey, I guess to return the favor...
...I'll always be happy to listen to your worries if you ever have any.
And by the way, I know just about everything about Shota and Ryu.
If you ever want to know their weaknesses, just ask.
I hope he's not saying anything weird...
By the way, if you...
...to Shota...
Huh?!
R-Really?!
I'm positive!
If you ever need to thank him, just do that!
He'll be delighted!
Delighted...
But man, it feels so good when your body is relaxed!
What, did they forget something?
Your cake was so good, Sawako!
Today turned out to be a little weird in the end, but we'll definitely come visit again.
Yes, please do! Definitely!
We've been together all day, so it feels a little lonely to say good-bye...
The longer you're with someone, the tougher it is to part ways.
Well, my home is this way.
Everyone have a safe trip home, okay?
You'd better walk her home, Kazehaya!
Huh?!
Yeah! It's dangerous when it's this dark out!
No, it's fine!
I'll try to walk home without scaring anyone! I swear!
I'll walk you back!
I'll walk you back.
But...
Do you not want me to?
If so, just speak up.
That's not it...
If Shota's going, then I'll go, too..
Idiot!
You're coming with us!
Pedro...
Later!
Night!
Tell your parents I said thanks!
O-Okay!
Let's go.
Okay.
I do want you to...
Why wouldn't I?
Seems like our days are getting shorter.
Yeah.
I'm happy...
And I'm so happy...
...that I can't say the words even though I want to thank you.
I can't even look at your face...
Huh?!
Th-Th-That...
Th-Then what was that-
Huh?!
M-Mr. Arai told me to grab you and close my eyes for five seconds if I ever wanted to thank you!
That jerk...
Don't blame me!
Seriously... if you do it again, you can't blame me if I do something.
There's no knowing what I'll do!
If I keep hearing your voice like this...
If I keep spending time with you...
If I keep looking at your face...
See?
It really makes me sad that I'll have to leave you soon.
Please try not to look this way for a bit.
Okay...
There may come a time...
...when I'll want to tell you how I'm feeling right now.
The coming of winter.
The footsteps of hope.
Next time: Chizuru's Love.