It's President Maki.
She's always so perfectly put together.
She's like a work of art.
She seems rather down today, though.
Still, Princess Fuji is beautiful that way, too!
Nyobittsu!
Princess Fuji tripped so impishly!
And what's with all the apples?
Those apples must be necessary for some important student council work.
She looks so confused!
What's wrong, Maki?
Did you trip?
Are you okay?
Riko...
You don't usually make actual mistakes.
One Hand on Another
Y-You're right...
But, why the apples?
W-Well...
I accidentally took these instead of my paperwork...
Is it even possible to make that kind of mistake?
I thought you were going to use these for some kind of love lab.
N-No!
Huh?
W-Well, we're about to become very busy,
so let's hold off on labs for a while.
Oh, right!
I need to go to the faculty office!
Thank you, Riko.
See you later!
Bennyogo!
She's not used to making honest mistakes, so she's making weird noises...
Anyway, something's definitely up.
Maki wouldn't suggest holding off on love labs herself...
Did she overhear what I said back then?
I don't know for sure yet.
It's Maki we're talking about.
She might resume the love labs like nothing ever happened.
Hey, Maki.
What is it, Eno-senpai?
What do you mean, "what"?
What's today's love lab?
The underground paper's going to start printing soon.
We can't take things too easy.
We still have all these requests for advice Ichikawa-senpai brought us
for later issues of the paper.
Well...
Um, some student council work has been piling up
since we began work on the underground paper,
so I was thinking of taking a break from love labs and taking care of this.
Oh...
Did we have that much work piled up?
If Maki says so, it must be true.
More importantly...
Something seems off...
Your calculation is wrong here.
What?!
Oh, you're right!
Thank you, Sayo-senpai.
No problem...
But this isn't like you.
I-I'm practicing being a girl who shows weaknesses.
Oh, no!
I accidentally wrote a challenge letter instead of a love letter!
Seems like you'd be done for if you showed any weakness.
Hey, Mak—
She totally jumped out of her skin.
And then she fell.
How did that happen?
Isn't it funny?
We haven't had a single love lab since then...
This is too depressing!
If things are going to be this awkward, I should just...
I have to call her.
It might seem kind of unfair, but...
Hey!
You shouldn't call people so late at night!
Your calls are always so long, besides!
B-But it's really important!
Even more reason to talk face-to-face tomorrow instead of calling on the phone.
You're right...
I should face her when I tell her...
I'm so pathetic.
Riko?
More!
Get angrier at me!
What?!
Yell and curse at me more!
Call me worthless and kick me!
Stop saying things the neighbors will misinterpret!
I'm going to tell her today...
M-Maki...
Listen, I... um...
What is it?
It's you?!
What's with the wig?
Eno and Suzu had something to do in the faculty office,
and I was bored, so I searched the room.
This place really is a mess.
What is she going to do, throw a party?
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
I need to figure out how she spent the budget...
What is she going to use this for?
She's so stupid sometimes, I can't understand her.
Moboge!
H-Hey, Maki?!
"Moboge"?
I-I'm okay.
I just wasn't paying attention.
Maki, um... I want to talk—
I-I'm sorry.
I have a special extra lesson at cram school today,
so I can't stay!
Goodbye.
Ma—
She's so fast!
Stare...
I'm not in the mood to come up with a retort to a half-baked gag right now...
You've been acting weird lately.
You still haven't told her?
I'm not ready to...
I know!
Put on that wig you had before.
I'll practice with you.
What?
I'll treat you to something sometime.
I'm not feeling this.
I be Maki!
You ruined her character with a single sentence!
I'll have the boys' heads today!
It's "head over heels," idiot!
Your glasses are bothering me! Look that way!
Try to talk like Maki, too!
You're asking for a lot.
Riko, what did you want to talk to me about?
This is more than just similar!
Well, um, I...
Please hurry up. I'm getting annoyed.
It's like finding crunchy bits of the clams in miso soup.
You be quiet!
And you're making jokes about clams again?!
The first issue of the underground paper is almost complete.
Yes.
Now that the storage room in the student council room is empty,
the newspaper association can finally move in.
Myagonma!
"Myagonma"?
It's Maki!
A-Are you okay?
I'm... fine...
What are you doing?
Ah, I bet you're practicing being a clumsy girl.
It's been so long, you couldn't resist going all out.
As long as you're doing it, let's all do it together.
We can get good advice from Riko-senpai.
I can't believe Riko's stuck with you for so long.
She's always dragged along when you get out of control.
Just kidding!
O-Oh, no.
My mouth doesn't close all the way lately, so I'm drooling.
I'm taking a break from the student council today.
It's drool!
I lied when I told you I'm popular with boys, but I didn't mean any harm...
I was just being stubborn, and the lie grew bigger than I expected...
Weak excuses from a sore loser.
It's like the adductor muscle that's hard to cut out of a clam shell.
Stop talking about clams!
That's just your breakfast!
You're not my friend anymore.
You're a Ri-clam.
D-Don't even joke about that!
It's thinking things will change between us that scares me!
Listen...
Are you the only one who's scared of that?
Over-thinking with that unfortunate brain of yours
is preventing you from acting when you need to.
Sayo-senpai...
Yes, like a dud clam that doesn't open when cooked.
Stop talking about clams!
When we held that meeting...
Huh?
When we hijacked the broadcast room...
When I tried to quit the student council...
What were you thinking then?
I was...
It's an emergency!
It's Maki!
She's acting weird and crying drool!
No, she's drooling tears!
That's certainly weird.
What's wrong with Maki?
Come to think of it, you've been acting off lately, too.
No wonder I'm starting to feel weird.
Th-That's not...
It is so. I mean...
You haven't made any retorts to Maki!
Huh?
Well, maybe it's because Maki hasn't done anything silly lately...
You're both acting too normally.
I... I...
I like you the way you usually are!
Riko-senpai and Maki-senpai without silly gags and retorts aren't the same!
Just what do you think we are?
But...
Sayo-senpai,
Eno-senpai, Suzu...
I'll make things right with you all, too...
So I'm skipping student council today!
Later!
Yes, that's it.
That's how you should be.
Kurahashi must be struggling behind the scenes.
I hope your friendship isn't an assumption, too.
I can't even bring myself to go to cram school...
Huh? Maki-san?
Nagino-kun.
Oh, man.
This feels so good.
Aren't you going inside?
W-Well...
Oh, are you waiting for Riko?
Huh?
Did something happen between you two?
Hey, it's Nagi.
I haven't seen you since the last game.
Yeah.
I'm starting at this cram school today...
I'll kill you!
You've got the wrong idea!
She's Riko's friend!
Riko's?
You know Riko?
W-We went to elementary school together...
Is she really friends with that rough man-girl?
I really am!
Really?
Her roughness will rub off on you if you hang around her.
She isn't just unfeminine, she's a dude.
But Riko is so cool, kind, and boys love her...
Boys love Riko?
What, did she tell you that?
The girls at Fuji Girls' sure are naïve.
Maki!
Huh?
Riko, you go to this cram school, too?
You shouldn't lie to the nice young lady.
Well, I'm surprised she believed you, but that's a Fuji girl for you.
What the hell's so funny?!
See?
This is the kind of girl she is...
Just so you know, I'm the only bad one at Fuji Girls'!
She trusted me...
but I hurt her.
I made a huge mistake!
Maki...
Maki didn't do anything wrong!
It's all...
all my fault...
It's me!
Well, I wouldn't call it a lie.
I used to like Riko.
What?! Seriously?!
She rejected me, though...
Maki-san only said those things because she knew about that.
You should apologize to her.
Come on.
S-Sorry!
Maki...
Riko...
What?!
Humiliation
What's up? A fight?
Where? Where?
I can't see!
I-I'm sorry!
M-Maki!
Ow!
This is so embarrassing...
All because of this stupid girl...
Uh, um...
Just so you know, I only did it because I felt bad for Maki-san!
It wasn't for you!
You idiot!
Loser!
Now that you know that...
Go after her.
Y-Yeah.
Nagi!
You really are a great guy!
Thanks!
Sorry for embarrassing you!
Later!
Ah, she ran away.
What?!
Did she reject him again?
Humiliated again
Poor guy.
Hey, great guy.
Y-Yan-san! Did you just...
Don't call me Yan-san.
I can't believe she rejected you.
And you embarrassed yourself protecting her.
I could never do that.
Kurahashi doesn't know what she missed out on.
Huh?
You're even worse off, though.
It's huge.
This is Maki's place?
I never thought this stupid handkerchief
I am a kind and simple girl Maki Natsuo Address: Natsuhara-shi Hayashigawa-cho 3-6-15 Phone: OXX-XOX-OOXX
I confiscated from Maki would help me get here...
Riko.
M-Maki...
Sorry about before.
I was just so upset...
Y-Yeah, I can understand.
Oh...
I'm surprised you found this place.
Yeah, I used this handkerchief.
That's...
So that strategy works, after all.
It's just a coincidence, stupid.
Sorry!
What?
Kneeling is the coward's way out!
Th-This rug smells nice...
By the way!
This seems a little patronizing...
What if I lean over?
No, now it looks like I'm relaxing!
In that case...
I need to talk to you!
Um, why don't you sit down?
Sorry!
I'm not a master of love!
I've only ever had my heart broken...
I'm a beginner at romance, just like you!
I'm sorry I lied to you and hurt you.
Is that all?
Is that all you're hiding?
Yeah...
She's mad.
Of course she is...
That's why we became friends in the first place...
Of course she can't trust me now...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I'm so stupid.
Sorry... I'm sorry.
I'll stay away from you from now on...
I'll quit the student counci—
I'll... quit...
Riko.
I'll...
I...
I don't want to quit!
I know I'm being selfish...
But I want to keep goofing around with everyone...
I want to be your friend...
Your best friend.
Now we're even.
I'm relieved...
I'd actually been feeling uneasy for a while.
I thought you had been forcing yourself
to spend time with me because of my assumptions...
Maki...
You told me not to use that handkerchief because it was dangerous, remember?
I was so happy when you did.
I just stated the obvious...
I didn't want to be friends with you forever
because I thought you were a master of love.
I want to be your friend
because you think helping people is the obvious thing to do.
When you asked me what I'd think if you were a beginner in love...
Honestly, I felt a little sad and disappointed.
But, more than that, I'm happy.
We'll get to experience all kinds of things together
and worry about things from the same perspective.
Nothing could be more wonderful than this!
So...
I hope you'll continue spending time with me.
Riko, my best friend.
Oh, Riko...
You're like a child...
S-So are you!
What? Really?
I'm really sorry I'm not someone you can look up to!
That's not why I looked up to you!
I always looked up to the W-K Riko-senpai!
The Wild Kid
It must have been difficult for you to bring up since we were always so excited about it...
Suzu...
You should be angrier!
But that's what I love about you!
You're kidding...
Really?
I'm sorry!
D-Don't be ridiculous!
You bossed us around like you knew it all!
I don't believe this!
Wh-What?
It's your own fault, isn't it?
Look, you! You'll be my underling for a while!
I'll work you hard!
I'm glad your heart's a normal size...
But that's what I love about—
I wasn't worried like you were.
After all, this place is full of idiots.
What's that?!
Sayo-senpai...
Of course, I'll make you set things right.
Suzu.
Ah, this is why you had me make this.
My super strong slapstick!
Huh?!
My, how nice.
It's big, but easy to use.
As you requested, its striking power is 1.8 times greater than normal.
I accomplished this by adding a thin veneer.
Well done.
What?
I won't hit you in the face.
W-Wait, time out...
Get her!
Hey, stop—
Ow!
Excuse us.
Oh?
Did something happen?
We were just strengthening the bonds of the student council.
Oh, could it be...
Thank you for waiting.
It's finally complete!
The life raft for young girls troubled by love,
brought to you by the student council and school paper...
The first issue of the underground paper!
Great! It's wonderful! It's fantastic!
It's not bad.
It's put together well.
Of course it is.
Momo-senpai put everything she had into this paper.
I didn't do it alone.
I had Nana-chan and the rest of the newspaper association...
And most of all, the passion of the student council.
Everyone!
We can't just stand here!
We must begin conducting love labs immediately
in preparation for the second underground paper!
I'll do my best!
I-I suppose I have no choice.
I'll help you, too.
Sure, I guess.
Riko.
All right!
Let's get this love lab started!
Yeah!