It's morning!
Yunocchi, come out and play!
Oh, it's Miya-chan.
It's still six!
Yunocchi!
Coming.
Wow! Everything's white!
It snowed all night.
All right, Yunocchi.
Go ahead and take the commemorative first step!
No, you do it, Miya-chan!
No, you should.
Miya-chan!
Good morning, Yuno-san, Miyako-san.
This is a lot of snow!
youki ni kuchibue fuite
Whistling a cheerful tune
madobe no kotori to sesshon
I join the birds chirping by the window
suima ga yatte kite
When fatigue strikes
atama ga danshingu
My imagination runs wild
nan demo kan demo waraeru nichijou
Everything in life makes me smile
okimari na kishoutenketsu
Nothing really new takes place
demo demo tama ni wa piritto supaisu
But sometimes it's exciting to spice things up
aozora peintingu
Let's paint it on the blue sky
doko ikou
Where should we go?
koko ni iyou
Let's stay here
sore wa nani
What's that?
are yaritai
I wanna try that!
ima ni tokubetsu na shirushi
Let's make this moment count
tokeibari no mawashikata watashi shidai kamo
How fast my clock moves is all up to me
shiki oriori iro toridori
With a rich palette of colors from the four seasons
nonbiri na everyday
Our laid-back everyday lives can be
pasuteru bibiddo metoro
Any blend of pastel, vivid, and metro colors
jibun dake no karaaringu
Anyone can create their own coloring
sono tokidoki mune doki doki
So when your heart races in excitement
hachamecha na taiyou ni oegaki
Just draw a sun at the top
tobidasu aatishizumu
And let your inner artist take you from there
gyutto shite ii kana
Can I hold your hand tight?
suki suki suki wo sukecchi
I've been sketching everything I love
nijiiro ni somete iku yo
And painting them in rainbow colors
sore ja ittekimasu
All right, I'm off to have some more fun!
December 2nd, An Educational Snowball Fight
Sorry I took so long.
The weather got so cold overnight!
Yeah, a huge wave of cold swept over us!
Huh?
You're not wearing a coat?
I do have one my big brother sent me.
Oh, then you should put it on!
But he's kind of a big guy.
Yunocchi, you wanna try it on too?
I have to wear it like this to keep it off the ground.
It looks like a headdress!
G-Good morning!
I dressed up as a snow-woman spirit today!
But it turned out to be a little too cold!
B-But since I had it on already, I wanted to show it to you all.
So I endured it!
Put some effort toward something that's actually important.
Since there's a lot of snow outside,
Classics
let's take a look at this verse.
"'Tis not blooming snow
drifting in the tempest's breath
'round the garden court
that withers and falls away.
It is only I."
I like how they use "'tis" in old poems.
It has a nice ring to it.
I composed a tanka!
"A sound with no end
resonates in my stomach,
a thundering groan.
This is what I want to eat:
'tis a large, fried tofu, please.
Miya-chan, that's not what I had in mind.
I'm like a snow-child spirit!
Right, Kuwahara-sensei?
Yoshinoya-sensei, please go warm up somewhere else.
Kuwahara-sensei, I have a class next period, so may I borrow this?
You may not!
During the week before exams, club meetings may not be held after school.
Students, please don't stay on campus and return to your homes.
Yunocchi, let's hurry up so we can have a snowball fight!
Yeah! I'm not gonna lose, though!
Hey, you girls!
Did you not hear the announcement just now?
Principal!
Well, um...
There's this popular thing called educational snowball fights!
I had no idea such a study method existed.
Teach me how educational snowball fights work!
Please!
Sorry!
Yunocchi, wait!
We're going to start the demonstration now!
Now...
Yu
No
Ka
Ra
De
Ma
Ka
Se
Hi
da
ma
ri
Apt
Well, now we have to do it since we told the principal that we would.
Huh? You mean an "educational" snowball fight?
Yeah!
Take!
Took!
Taken!
Go!
Went!
Gone!
Come!
Came!
What are you doing?
Oh, Norisuke-san.
Would you like to join us?
Do you mean playing in the snow or studying?
What were you doing, Nori-chan?
I was... studying.
Nori-tan, I'm impressed!
Yeah, I hadn't even planned on beginning until after sunset.
I was going to study, but I ended up wasting time on the Internet,
so I have yet to actually get started.
I might as well join them.
It'd be a shame to not join in the fun when there's all this snow around.
Yeah, Nori-chan.
Leave no regrets!
That just inspired me!
Here's a tanka about Nori-chan!
Huh?
"Nori-chan is here
"No
ri-
ch
an
is
here
so she leaves no regrets on
as
to
leave
no
reg
rets
this snow-ridden day."
on
this
sno
wy
day."
And the last two lines?
Let's see...
"Hey, nobody's as naughty as Nori!"
I don't even know where to start with her.
I have to do well on the exams this time.
I didn't do too well last time, so I want to give my parents good news.
They're paying my tuition and rent so I can attend Yamabuki.
I gotta focus on studying.
I really want to play with you, but I'll have to pass this time.
A... A hole!
We need to dig a hole and bury ourselves in it!
Nori-chan, whatcha doing?
I'm studying.
E-J Dictionary
Did you want to hang out with me, Nazuna?
No, I'm here t-to study.
"Nazuna-dono,
seeing the piles of white snow,
wants to play in it.
But Norippe must study
to pass her exams.
Hey, Hiro.
We're studying together like it's nothing special now,
but I don't think it's something you can do with just anyone.
It has to be someone you can get along with.
And we met each other here,
which was really lucky, at least in my opinion.
Just saying.
Sorry for saying weird stuff out of nowhere.
Sae?
"Sae and Hiro.
While they are supposedly
on the same wavelength,
it turns out that Hiro-san
wasn't even listening."
Miya-chan?
Have some hot milk.
Thank you, Hiro-san!
It's nice to watch the snow fall at night.
Makes me want to recite another tanka.
Oh, classy.
We went over one in class today.
"'Tis not blooming snow drifting in the tempest's breath 'round the garden court..."
Oh.
That's not a poem about snow, though.
I thought you went over it in class.
How is it?
Are you making progress with your studies?
Oh, well, um...
Nori-chan, is it actually hard for you to study while I'm around?
All I do is ask you questions.
No, not at all.
Answering them helps me review too,
and it keeps me from getting distracted by the Internet.
That's a relief.
Oh yeah, it's pretty easy to get sidetracked when you're studying alone.
Yeah, if Yunocchi hadn't invited me to her study session,
I might have composed a Hidamari tanka anthology.
You've composed that many already?
'Tis Heaven under the kotatsu!
Hey, Miyako!
It's so cozy!
I wish our desks at school had kotatsus installed too.
Yeah, that'd be nice.
And on the side, there should be mandarin oranges!
During afternoon classes, when everybody is full,
they could take a nap!
It's something we've all fantasized about.
I want to carry the kotatsu on my back to school.
Miya-chan, you'd be like a turtle!
Time for a verse!
"Although 'tis snowing,
Hidamari's lights
still shine through the panes.
Listen closely and you'll hear
the girls laughing merrily.
December 2nd
The End
To Be Continued
Cat
Hey, Hiro.
Chika might be coming over today.
Huh?
Even if she does come, you don't have to put out food or anything like that.
O-Okay.
I woke up this morning and saw a text from her about it.
On such short notice, too.
Maybe we should have another big gyoza party.
Hiro, were you listening to me at all?
I'm here~!
How come you're not
in your room?
Whoa, seriously?
There you are!
I almost thought you were pretending not to be home.
Long time no see, Chika-chan!
Hiro-san, it's been a while!
What's going on?
Want to come in and have some tea?
Oh no, I'm here as a messenger today!
As much as I'd like to have tea with you,
my duties come first!
I'll be borrowing my sister for a bit.
December 15th, Hidamari Cheer Team
You could've been nicer.
I don't want to hear that from someone who just barged in.
Is that how you're gonna treat me?
I have an important message from Mom and Dad!
Registered mail
Confidential
Exam Results Enclosed
It's about your mock exam results that were mailed to us the other day!
Registered mail
Confidential
Exam Results Enclosed
Registered mail
Confidential
Exam Results Enclosed
Registered mail
Confidential
Exam Results Enclosed
Registered mail
Confidential
Exam Results Enclosed
What did they say?
They didn't really comment on the scores,
but they wanted to ask why you have two local colleges in your list.
They were wondering if you're trying to be considerate about the family financial situation or about me.
Not at all!
You're so bad at hiding things.
Well, I guess that was a factor in my decision.
I've been living alone since I started high school, and a private one at that.
And that takes a lot of money,
whereas you just go to a public high school close to home.
You always complained that only I seem to get to do what I want.
I thought you had a point there.
The local colleges seemed pretty good too.
Chika?
You irritate me so much!
Huh?
How come?
That attitude of yours always irritates me.
You make it sound like I'm living at home and going to a public high school
even though I don't want to.
It's just that I'm not ready to live alone and go to a private school yet.
Just like you're here because you want to be.
So I find your consideration patronizing.
By the way, Mom and Dad said they don't have a problem as long as you pay them back when you get a good job.
Huh?
Oh, you all already knew Chika-chan was coming?
We were talking about how it'd be fun to have another gyoza party.
We're almost done over here,
but I wonder if Chika's gonna take longer.
Sorry, Chika.
As long as you understand.
You have talent, and you're using it well.
I think that's amazing.
I'm cheering for you.
I want you to aim for the college that you want to go to the most.
Chika...
And that's a wrap.
All that was just what Mom and Dad wanted me to tell you.
Okay.
Anyway, th-that's everything.
I'm done being the messenger!
Oh, they're ready.
Okay, I'll be going, then!
Huh? You're leaving already?
Nah, I'm throwing a gyoza party with Nori and the others!
Nori?
C'mon, I didn't come here just to see you.
They stuffed the gyoza while I took care of my job!
Oh, you wanna come too?
I don't mind.
And since Hiro-san is the only one with a hotplate,
it'll be in her room anyway.
Hiro...
Sorry we're late.
Welcome!
Aw, you all already knew?
She sent us all a text randomly last night, right?
Yeah.
I got a text last night too.
Why was I the last one to know?
I figured I'd get everyone to agree first.
So, what did Chika-chan come all the way here to tell you?
Something ugly that I'd rather not tell you about.
Huh? Why? You're no fun.
Well, I'll tell you after it all gets worked out.
Just kidding!
I heard most of it anyway because Chika-chan's voice was loud.
Yeah!
This is my first time making gyoza!
Wow! Thanks, Nazuna!
Chika, Nazuna made the ones with the weirdest shapes!
These must be Nazuna's, then!
No, I made those.
Huh? What shape are they supposed to be?
Goldfish?
Taiyaki!
You haven't improved since the last gyoza party, have you?
Really?
Okay, let's start frying them!
Add some potato starch to the water around the gyoza like this.
All right!
The winged gyoza are done cooking!
Let's eat!
It's good!
It's so hot!
Juicy!
The dough is so chewy!
I've missed this so much!
Hidamari Apartments' gyoza tastes so freaking good!
I'm glad you like it! Have some more!
I will!
What are you doing for Christmas this year?
We haven't made any plans yet, but I guess we'll be eating a cake together at least.
Yeah.
You're spending your Christmas with just girls again?
Onee-chan, you haven't managed to snag a single date during your three years of high school?
Th-There's still time left before I graduate!
And I have! I just never got around to telling you.
You did?
I didn't know either.
Hiro!
Besides, I have college entrance exams coming up,
so I can't afford to play around too much on Christmas!
Oh yeah, you seniors both have to study.
Are you trying for art schools?
Yeah, I'm thinking about going to an art university and then becoming a teacher.
You mean you want to become an art teacher?
Yeah!
Hiro-sensei!
Art II
That has a nice ring to it!
Art II
Aim to be the second Yoshinoya-sensei!
I don't think I'll be a fun teacher like her,
but in terms of becoming an art teacher in general, yeah.
Oh, right. You're not applying for the same schools as Sae, right?
Huh, really?
Yeah, I'm applying to colleges with a literature program.
You're going to study literature?
I'm sure you'll become a great author!
That's way off in the future.
I haven't even been admitted yet.
But it's hard to imagine Sae-san and Hiro-san moving on to different schools.
It's hard to imagine you apart.
Yeah, and it's even harder to imagine you two graduating.
You'll be leaving Hidamari Apartments in just three months.
Come on, it's too early to think about things like that.
Yeah, calm down.
All right! To maintain the status quo at Hidamari Apartments, you two should repeat a year!
Rejected.
Although I get sad when I think about graduation,
we've finally found what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
So don't worry and cheer for us.
Sae-san, Hiro-san...
Then...
To help Sae-san and Hiro-san get into colleges,
let's make a Hidamari Cheer Team!
Cheer team?
Hidamari Apartment residents will become one
and do what we can to help Sae-san and Hiro-san get into college!
Yeah!
You wanna get into college or not?
We do!
Play! Play!
Sae, Hiro!
Play, play, Sae, Hiro! Play, play, Sae, Hiro!
Go for it, go for it, Sae, Hiro!
Go for it, go for it, Sae, Hiro! Go for it, go for it, Sae, Hiro!
Yay!
I appreciate the support.
Thank you.
I feel like you've given me new strength.
Yeah, let us know if there's anything we can do!
Hidamari Cheer Team will be active every day until you get your acceptance letters!
Hidamari apt
What? Every day?
Play! Play!
Hey!
Acceptance
That was a great bath!
Are you ready to go home tomorrow?
Yeah, I am.
All right, then let's get to bed before you get too chilly.
Okay!
I'm turning off the light.
Go ahead.
Chika, thanks for today.
Huh? What did I do?
Just saying.
You're not too cold, right?
I'm fine.
Feel free to join legs with me.
Yeah.
I think coming to Hidamari Apartments worked out well for you.
Yeah.
Night.
Good night.
December 15th
The End
To Be Continued
suikomaresou na gurai harebare shita asa no hi
The bright morning sun lifts my soul up to the sky
mezamashi no beru naru
When my alarm clock rings
furisosogu hikari ukete
Soaking in the sunshine
kokoro no kyoukaisen wo
I once again cross
saa kyou mo tobikoeyou
My mental boundaries
hikoukigumo sora ni mau
With vapor trails behind me
egaiteru tabi no tochuu
I find myself in the middle of a journey
omoide wa tsuzuiteru
Carrying on memories in the sky
machiawase wa mada saki e
I'm still a long way from you
mada mada mienai mukou
We'll meet far beyond the horizon
ruuru wa nai
No rules here
jiyuu ni hanatsu kyanbasu
I can let it all out on this canvas
kokoro to karada no baransu
The balance between mind and body
tenbin no ue de yureru
Keeps shifting between the two
atarashii aozora de donna yume wo miru
I can dream of anything in a clean blue sky
ima no kono basho wa
From where I am at present
mirai e tsunagaru kara
I should be able to find a way to the future
sagashiteru yumegumo
And so I continue searching for my dream cloud
doko ni aru no kana
I wonder where it could be
Next Episode
Let's get in the Christmas spirit!
Run-run-ru, Run-run-ru, Christmas!
Something sounded off.
Should we try it again?
Run-run-ru, Run-run-ru, Christmas!
Oh, that was perfect!
Sorry, I didn't sing this time.
Next time: "December 22nd, So You Were the Big Sister."
"December 21st-24th, A Song I Faintly Remember."
We'll be waiting at Hidamari Apartments, so come visit us!