"Eternal Midnight"
On mornings that I can't see you
Spicy mint tea
For brunch, a marmalade muffin
For its bitterness matches my mood
My sighs are stardust
Just like our own Milky Way
I can never catch up to your back
Look, the twilight is sneaking up on us
The distance to get to you
Is like an eternal midnight blue...
Wh-Wh-Why is it on the floor again?
Anyway, don't read it!
Don't sneak up on me, Twilight!
I hate you... dummy... sigh... stardust!
Don't read things without permission!
Hey, guys!
Let's go to the beach!
Where'd that come from?
Well, you know, summer vacation's almost here, right?
Sure, there are incidents and all,
but you gotta have fun in the summer, or it'll go to waste!
Well, good point. And we did just get our licenses, right?
Yes. I'd like to take a long trip!
Right?
We can ask Risette, too, when she's all better.
Good idea.
You should come with us, too, Marie-chan!
Well, why not?
I've never been to the beach.
Hey, dude, seriously?
Shut up, old guy.
O-O-Old guy?
Then you've got to go, okay?
But do you mind that place being your first-ever beach?
It should be fine.
The important thing is not where you go, but who you go with, right?
Who are you, Mr. Cool?
Hey, Marie-chan!
If you've never been to the beach, does that mean you don't have a swimsuit?
Swimsuit?
Don't have one.
Yes!
Okay, okay!
You don't have to worry about a thing, Marie-chan!
All right!
Let's enjoy our day at the beach, guys!
Right!
The ocean!
All right!
It's so pretty!
I'm getting to the beach first or bust!
Please tune in!
They're gonna beat us to the beach!
Hey, you! Hold up!
Ah, youth.
- I'm getting goosebumps! - Not yet? Not yet?
Senpai!
Yes!
Yeah!
You guys were waiting for us?
W-Why are you still here?
You should've gone into the water first!
Summer is...
great!
Surrounded by all these adorable mermaids...
this just might be my chance for a summer fling!
Oh no, it's not!
What's up with this outfit?
Could it have less cloth?
Yes!
My choice of swimsuit was on the money!
Why, you...
there you go again!
Who could this cool beauty be?
That's Marie.
By any chance, is she your girlfriend, Sensei?
Man, you really get around, you bad boy!
What is this? It's moving.
Plus, it's talking.
What is it made of?
Half of me is made of gentleness.
Yes, indeed!
Then what about the other half?
Teddie fur, that's what!
Gentleness and fur?
Who is that girl?
Risette, that girl is Marie-chan, and she's with Yu...
With him?
I know this person.
Margaret told me all about her.
"Impossible, don't like her, too rebellious..." That one.
That sounds about right.
You're wrong!
You're such a drag!
Senpai!
Dude... what's up with that?
Black is in, didn't you know?
I don't mean the color! It's too graphic!
It totally makes your mind go places it shouldn't!
Hey, I'm not seeing anything.
You're the only one saying that!
Oh, shut up! Anyone can see that it's messed up!
Hey, Sensei, let's leave those guys and hit the water first!
Wait, Kanji, why aren't you getting a nosebleed over me?
Good idea.
Okay, I'm going on ahead!
Why would I do that?
Let's mermaid!
Woo hoo!
Hey, wait for us!
Wait! We have to stretch first!
Let's go, too.
Uh, okay.
No fair!
Hey! No jumping the gun!
All right!
Let's go!
Man, I'm starving.
Let's have lunch when those guys come out.
Yeah, let's do that.
My strings are coming undone!
Hey, Teddie! What do you think you're doing?
Don't be so stingy!
Just be bold and let it fall off...
That Teddie...
Hey, I caught a stylish mermaid!
What do you think you're doing, damn you?
Oops, I messed up!
What are they doing, for Pete's sake?
Senpai! You're not gonna believe this...
This stupid bear...
H-Hey... Hey... Hey!
What the hell do you think you're doing?
Your boys are...
My boys?
Hey, I'm the one who's flashing!
That's what you're modest about?
Cover up down there!
Oh, right.
Hey, stop squirming!
If I lose you, I'm a dead man!
Nooooo!
I can't take it anymore!
Marie-chan, you can really hold your breath.
Hey, there's something weird in the water.
Something weird?
A sea slug?
Oh, man...
I can see the Pearly Gates...
Don't die, Teddie!
Hey, Teddie, don't wilt like that!
We've got to cover it up with something...
Senpai!
Oh crap, they're all coming back!
Wh-What am I gonna do? Dammit...
This is all your fault, you know. Gimme your trunks, dammit!
No, no, please stop! Forgive me!
C-Cut it out, Kanji!
Or we'll really be headed for disaster!
Kanji!
Take this!
What are you guys up...?
This is... You see...
It's the Birth of Venus...
Just kidding.
I-I really will be born, dammit!
Pervert!
Did that work out?
Anyway...
I'm itchy.
Thanks for waiting!
Sorry to keep you waiting...
Let's dig in!
Yummy!
Senpai, I didn't know you were a great cook!
This is delicious!
I knew I made the right call, leaving it to you!
M-Marie-chan, do you cook?
No, I don't.
Come to think of it, we still haven't asked you about yourself, Marie-chan.
You're Yu's friend from his old school, right?
So are you the same age as us?
What school did you go to?
What school?
Did you say you lived around here now?
How did you get here today?
What? How did I...?
You guys, listen...
Anyway, "Marie" sounds like a foreign name, doesn't it?
What's your last name?
I want to know more about you, Marie-chan!
Who cares about that kind of stuff?
Marie-chan...
I'll go after her.
You think we fired too many questions at her?
None of them mean any harm.
They just don't know about your memories...
You don't have to tell me that...
Is it so wrong not to have any memories?
Even if I don't have any memories, it's fun to go around seeing things with you all.
Like today...
But...
Listen...
I'm sorry.
Yu!
Marie-chan!
Sorry about that.
Asking you all those questions.
It's because this one has no derriere!
I think the word is delicacy!
Kanji's butt is one big derriere!
D-Don't gimme that crap!
Have you ever seen my butt?
That's what it means not to have any delicacy!
A derriere with no delicacy...
Amagi-senpai...
And there she goes with another laughing fit!
Yep.
A lot happened today, but it sure was fun!
Yeah, like the Birth of Venus.
Don't remind me, bro!
I'm still itchy.
Well, hey, that's part of this page from our youth, too!
Youth?
Hey, what's youth?
Huh? Uh...
Hanging with everybody like we did today...
Confiding in each other about what's bugging us.
Why do you experience youth? Because you have nothing to do?
No...
I mean, it's fun, you know?
Being with people who see the real you.
The real you...
Why am I getting all philosophical?
Nah, nothing wrong with that, right?
I have fun hanging out with you guys, too.
I mean, I even came to the beach, which is so not me.
Yeah, you're right, you're not the beach type, are you?
But it actually might be more fun to do stuff that's out of character.
Yeah, maybe.
After all, "character" is like a wall you throw up yourself.
Well, but I'm sure it's easier to just stay inside that wall.
Right.
Easy and fun are two different things.
Oh, man! I'm totally baring my soul, aren't I?
Bare it to your heart's content.
What makes me different from those people?
Is it because... I'm getting off easy?
I'm sure you noticed it yourself.
That they were all facing who they really are.
I saw that.
But is that really necessary?
Then why don't you ask them yourself?
Myself...
Hey, Marie-chan, what is this?
What does it mean to face who you really are?
You trying to get me to bare my soul again?
What do you think of the phrase "Pure Disappointment?"
I don't think anything of it!
Hanamura, stop fooling around and do your homework, or you'll miss the fireworks!
I know, I know!
Anyway, I was wondering why you needed a video camera.
So this was it, huh?
That's a display model, by the way, so handle it with care!
What does it mean to face who you really are?
Whaaat?
D-Don't think about it! You gotta feel it!
Just kidding.
Is meat-flavored gum really good?
You better believe it is!
Here, a special bonus for a beefsteak lover!
What does it mean to face who you really are?
Let me see... That's a hard one...
What are you making?
As you can see, it's somen noodles.
Hello
Hello, I'm Nanako Dojima.
I don't think that's a question for grade schoolers.
What does it mean to face who you really are?
What the hell...
I'm concentrating right now, so hold up a second!
Yay!
Is that the birth of a masterpiece?
Right, birth...
Birth! Birth!
Hey! Don't remind me, dammit!
What does it mean to face who you really are?
Whaaat?
Excuse me, but could you go through my agency for interviews?
Not happening... bad news... you're such a slacker!
No, that's "not happening... I hate you... what a drag!"
What does it mean to face who you really are?
Yes, well, I'm very keen on the quality of the material.
Glasses must be flexible enough to withstand violent movement, after all.
Would you call that your pride as a glasses craftsman?
It's not so much pride as conviction.
If you compromise on glasses, then you get what you paid for...
Done with my homework!
That's not what you get when design is the focal point.
I'm done, too!
Everybody, good job!
It was our pursuit of functionality that led to the addition of a protector
All right!
Let's go see the fireworks!
to guard the area around the nose and mouth.
Nanako-chan, I'll help you put on your yukata.
Good glasses equal functionality, you see.
How did it go?
You don't mind?
You're getting all dressed up, huh, Nanako-chan?
Do you know where your dad put away your yukata?
I don't know...
Yes!
Tamaya!
Kumaya!
No, no! Don't let it rub off on you!
You guys, don't party all night, okay?
Nana-chan... bye-bye!
Bye-bye!
Good night!
See ya!
Bye-bye!
I don't know...
Feels like summer's over now, huh?
Please don't say stuff like that...
Summer vacation was really fun this year...
I had a feeling it might come to this!
Teddie!
Ta-da!
Let's start making our last memories of summer vacation!
Who forgot this?
How do I turn this thing off?
Dad! How do I get this yukata off?
Oh, hey, hang on a second!
I know, I know!
Anyway, I was wondering why you needed a video camera.
So this was it, huh?
That's a display model, by the way, so handle it with care!
Who I really am, huh?
You know, I have a feeling this is gonna get a little embarrassing again...
Before I got to be friends with these guys, living in the sticks was so boring and annoying...
I had to tiptoe around other people... and I was spinning my wheels...
But if you don't acknowledge that that's who you are, too, you can never change, right?
I think I would've rotted away without ever realizing that this is a great place, and everyone here is awesome.
Even though she's a friend I love dearly,
the truth is, deep inside me, there were some pretty ugly thoughts...
But now that I know that it exists,
it seems like I can be more confident about how I feel, you know?
I always thought I was a loser for not living my own life.
But now I believe that the worst thing you can do is
not to decide yourself whether you're going to live that life or not.
Even if you say, "But you're a guy!", this is who I am, okay?
I'm not planning on changing who I am anytime soon, either.
Want me to make you a knitted doll too?
I became an idol because I hated my drab, gloomy self.
But now I want people to see the real me, not the idol.
In the end, I think I was always running away from myself.
But...
No matter who I am, that's the real me.
As for me...
I just don't know who I really am.
You don't know who you are either, right?
I see...
It's scary, huh? It makes you uneasy, huh?
But I'm sure it'll be all right.
Because we've got Sensei and the others.
Neither you nor I are alone.
So I'm sure we'll both find our real selves someday!
Summer vacation will be over tomorrow, guys.
Wanna go skiing over winter break?
You're already talking about winter?
How impatient are you?
You should come with us, too, Marie-chan!
Sure... I'll go.
I'm looking forward to it.
Hey, Marie-chan, you're really into this!
I'd better come up with a killer plan, then!
Let's go grab something to eat!
Meat!
But the ingredients...
Hey, listen.
Maybe I'll try to remember...
My memories.
Yeah. I'll help you.
Yes, will you?
Because I don't know what to do.
Hey!
You two! We're gonna leave you behind!
We'll be right there!
I'm counting on you, okay?
What do you guys think you're doing?
Why did you have to bring that one up all of a sudden?
Marie-chan, are you sure you don't mind?
It's just the first day.
No need to panic.
Let's try hard tomorrow, too.