Hey, Riki...
Hmm?
We're a couple now, right?
Yeah.
What do couples do?
Well...
Lots of things, I guess...
There are lots of things?
Sure.
Then, what do they do first?
Hmm, let's see...
I'll be waiting until you think of something.
Going for tea together, going to the library...
Oh, yeah! And movies!
I guess that, from now on, I'll be seeing lots of different expressions on Rin's face...
In homeroom, volunteer yourselves.
"In homeroom, volunteer yourselves."
Our final trial...
Does whoever sends these letters mean to tell us the secret to this world?
There is a secret to this world.
Morning!
Is everyone taking the day off?
Kurugaya, Kud, and Mio as well.
Huh?
What are you doing?
Homeroom is starting!
Yep, yep.
Inspection
Tomorrow, members of the prefectural assembly will be conducting an inspection at our school.
I'll need two volunteers from this class to show them around.
Anyone who'd like to volunteer, please raise your hand.
This must be what "In homeroom, volunteer yourselves" meant.
In homeroom, volunteer yourselves.
Once again, whoever sent that note foresaw what would happen!
Inspection
No volunteers?
I need one boy and one girl.
Natsume, what are you doing?
Are you raising your hand,
or does your armpit itch?
I'm raising my hand, dumbass!
All right, we have our girl.
How about the boys?
No one? Well, so it goes.
Then we'll have the class rep—
Sensei!
Oh, Naoe... You'll do it?
Yes.
Okay, Natsume and Naoe it is.
After school, I'll meet with you, and tomorrow, you'll be doing your duties.
Now, I'd also like to verify our field trip schedule one more time.
Oh? You and Rin are going to show the big-shot around?
It just turned out that way.
Wow! Clap, clap, clap!
Can you really do it, Rin?
I'll be f-fine.
You don't look fine at all.
Do you even know how to speak formally, Rin?
Of course... I canacan't can!
Huh?
I canan't!
Eh?!
Rin, we won't be mad. Just say it normally.
Like hell I can!
Well, this is a problem...
Then, can't Rin just stand there and smile, without saying anything?
That's right... Smile, Rin-chan!
S-Smile?
That's pretty bad.
Sorry... I know I suggested it, but let's scrap that.
Rin can't fake a smile...
Until recently, whenever she met someone new, she'd hide behind me.
But she isn't the same Rin-chan as before.
Komari-chan...
Rin-chan, when you think you can't do it,
you just need optimistic magic!
O-Oh, yeah. Optimistic magic...
Like this.
All right!
All right...
Yes! That's the way!
You can do it, Rin-chan!
I know you'll be just fine!
Pleased to meet you... I'm Naoe.
Today, I hope you'll enjoy touring our school.
Yes, thank you.
And who's this?
I'm Natsume, f-from class 2-E!
Pleased to enjoy your visit!
She mixed it up!
Thank you.
An interesting girl.
R-Right this way... We'll show you around.
Innocent as a newborn babe
And the dorms are this way.
Do you two live in the dorms?
Yes.
I live with Riki.
Oh, I misspoke...
Riki's in the boys' dorm, and...
Not "Riki."
Huh? Um, what was your last name?
Naoe!
Nao—
That's way too hard to say...
A-Ah... By Riki-kun, I meant Naoe-kun.
We live in the girls' dorm.
N-No, um...
Natsume-san lives in the girls' dorm, and I live in the boys' dorm.
Living in the dorms isn't always easy, but it's fun.
I believe it's because all the residents help each other, not only roommates.
Oh, really?
How about you, Natsume-san?
Yes! It's very fun!
Thank you for all your help today.
Thank you, as well.
And the same to you, Natsume-san.
Y-Yes!
This may be rude of me to mention, but you seem a bit uncomfortable.
Still, I can see that you're quite cheerful.
Why do you look so happy?
Because I have all my friends!
I see...
I wish you the best from now on.
You did a great job, Rin.
I wonder if that really was okay...
All right.
I'm sure it was.
No, you should've emphasized your muscles more! Like this!
Like this... Like this...
Oh, Komari-san! Where's Rin?
Well...
She's in the faculty office.
The faculty office?
The teacher said he wanted to talk to her...
What happened? Did Rin do something bad?
Rin!
What did the teacher say to you?
He asked me to go to a different school.
Huh? A different school?
What does that mean?
It sounded sort of complicated...
What did he say?!
What's with you, Riki? Chill out.
It's basically a student exchange program.
A student from our school temporarily trades places with one from another school.
That's what it was about.
An exchange? Why?!
It's actually a pretty serious situation.
During a bus trip, some students
from the other school were involved in an accident.
Only two survived.
I saw that on the news!
The other students had an unfathomable shock.
It's left them heartsick...
Even now, the grief that hangs over the school is oppressive.
That's why this plan was proposed.
They hope that an influx of new students with healthy hearts
will kindle a spark of life at the school.
The intent is to help mend their students' hearts.
But why would they choose Rin?
It seems the prefectural assembly guy here earlier took a liking to her.
Kyousuke, how do you know all this?
Have you known about this all along?
No, I heard a rumor and looked into it.
Was I right?
Right on the money. I'll give you a prize later.
Is this other school far away?
Well, fairly far.
What's the timeframe?
I was told a semester, at least.
The students there live in dorms.
If she goes, we aren't likely to see her for a while.
Rin isn't cut out for this... Why would they choose her?!
She's the shyest person here!
Only until this past spring.
How can you say that?
You sound like you want her to go!
Calm down, Riki... I'm only speaking the truth.
If she were the same Rin she used to be, she wouldn't have been chosen.
What about you, Rin? How do you feel?
I don't like it.
Then just say you don't want to go!
I did.
They told me I could have more time, so I should give it more thought.
So...
So?
I've decided to consider it.
Riki, what good will come of worrying about this?
All you can do is wait for Rin to decide her answer.
As he walked away, Kyousuke looked so indifferent from behind, like a stranger.
He's never looked that way before!
I get the feeling you don't want me to go.
Of course I don't.
If you left, I'd miss you...
We haven't spent any time together as a couple.
We were just getting started with that...
Getting started? With what?
You want me to say it?
Well, I'm interested.
Deepening our love...
I'm a-amazed you can say that with a straight face.
When I have to, I can say those things.
Deepen our love...
Yours and mine...
I'm s-sure... That it would be fun.
Rin...
Let's stay here together, always.
If you say so, Riki.
That was right.
There couldn't be any other answer...
Hey, Masato, what do you think?
Huh?
Rin's going to refuse.
Isn't that for the best?
Sorry, but even if I had an opinion about it, I wouldn't say it.
That's been my decision all along.
All along?
Yeah.
She nodded agreement, just like a child...
I forced Rin into agreeing with me.
Rin is still a child.
She says she likes me now, but that isn't love.
It's only because I've always been there.
Rin still doesn't understand true love.
Rin's grown, one step at a time.
She isn't the same shy, timid girl she once was.
She should continue to experience new things, and move forward.
Saying I don't want to be separated from Rin...
It's selfish of me.
Maybe when Rin grows into an adult,
I won't be the person she falls in love with.
Even so, I should still support her,
and have faith that she'll come to love me.
What did you want to talk about?
Are you feeling sick? You look...
Listen, Rin...
I think you should go.
Is it me, or is that not what you said yesterday?
I had a change of heart.
You should go!
But we'll be separated.
I'll be surrounded by strangers.
I don't want that. Who am I supposed to talk to?
You'll make new friends, just like you did here.
What's with you? Are you really my boyfriend?
Do you hate me now?!
No, of course not.
I like you a lot, Rin!
But you're telling me to go far away.
You don't care if I make friends with some hot guy?
If you did, that'd be a good thing.
I might be sad, but it'd be really good!
Right now, your girlfriend is very angry!
Then you're chickening out, after all?
With your cowardly nature, there's no way you could go anyway!
Riki, you... You...
You're disgusting, you dumbass!
Riki says I should go.
I'll... I'll be your friend, no matter what happens, Rin-chan.
No matter how far away you go,
I'll be thinking about you every day.
Komari-chan...
Rin agreed to transfer to the other school.
And preparations for her move progressed quickly.
Tomorrow, Rin really is going away.
In homeroom, volunteer yourselves.
It's almost as if whoever sent this note knew that it would end this way.
Wait a minute... It all fits together too well.
We started getting these letters after we started the baseball team.
Rin was extremely shy around others.
But with each task she cleared, she grew more optimistic.
Whoever's been sending these letters...
They did it to force Rin to grow up!
In other words, Rin came all this way due to someone else's manipulation!
But...
But the only one who could have done that...
Lennon...
I should've realized it sooner.
You really are amazing, Kyousuke.
There isn't anything you can't get away with.
That isn't true.
I make mistakes, too.
But only minor ones that make no difference in the grand scheme, right?
When all the cafeteria ladies disappeared,
and when the puppet for the children's puppet show was ruined...
How did you know those things would happen?!
Looking back, it's always been that way.
Reality is pulled toward whatever you say!
Reality isn't that simple.
That's how it feels to me!
Well, then, Riki...
Why don't you tell me the answer you've discovered?
All along, you've wanted to enable Rin to stand on her own.
Because after you graduate, you won't be able to protect her anymore.
That's why, when you heard about the student exchange program,
you decided to make use of it.
It was the perfect chance to take Rin away, forcing her to become independent.
So, to ensure that she'd be chosen, you used Lennon to send her these tasks
and make her grow up.
Do you really think that's possible?
The Kyousuke I know could do it.
You even used the clever pretext of assembling members for a baseball team
to ensure that Rin made new female friends.
I'd like to say you're right...
But you're mistaking the real question here.
I was asking you if you'd uncovered the secret to this world yet.
The secret to the world?
That was just bait to attract Rin's interest!
Or is the secret to this world some philosophical quest?
Or some historical or scientific thing?
Who's out there?
Uh-oh, trouble...
As we ran, Kyousuke dragged me along by the hand.
But...
Episode 5 The Final Task
Can you endure this trial?
Episode 6 After the Escape
Next time...
After the Escape.