What? It isn't time to take you for a walk yet!
Snow?
It would've been nice if it had stuck.
Definitely no winter wonderland.
It's too bad! I wanted to play in the snow!
In that case...
Manager?
Why don't we go to a place where we can play in the snow?
I LOVE YOU!
It's freezing!
Snow!
Yahoo!
Kaho sure is excited.
Young girls are full of energy.
Stupid brats, too.
Make one with me, Maika!
Um...
Idiot! What do you think you're doing?
This shows the difference between adults and teenagers.
Got a problem with that?
No.
You ruined it.
That's enough snowmen.
Wait, did you make them with your bare hands?
I forgot my gloves.
But my hands are already numb, so the cold doesn't bother me.
Are you crazy?
Give me your hands then.
Mafuyu, your hands are so warm!
Don't snuggle here.
I love how warm a child's body is.
If you're not careful, she'll use that for one of her porn stories.
Akizuki, you read my mind.
Then I get to make my zine debut?
How are you going to use me in the story?
Will it be a story where the pigs make me breathe heavily?
You're kind of a scumbag.
The thing that would be fitting for you, Hideri...
is a bellypunching fetish.
DASH
Hideri!
Sorry to keep you waiting!
Kaho!
Where's everyone?
I'm the first one here.
Those braids look adorable on you, Maika!
I love your hair, too, Kaho!
So we can choose between snowboarding and skiing?
Akizuki...
Have you two decided which you're going to do?
No. Actually, I can't make up my mind.
Boarding is more the hipster thing to do, right?
Just now, I saw a really good snowboarder, and it was breathtaking!
So I guess maybe snowboarding?
MAGICAL GIRL FRILL
Who's that?
He's approaching us.
That's the board I saw before!
Manager!
Aren't you guys going to do it? It feels great!
There was a time lag before I realized it was the manager!
Dammit, me, too!
What kind of reaction is that?
Snowboarding is cool, although I'm a beginner.
I wish I could do it like you, Manager!
Gotcha!
I'll be your patient teacher, Maika!
Really?
Thank you!
Not at all! It'll be fun!
That's not fair! Manager, teach us, too!
Sure. You can tag along.
I feel so wanted.
Huh? Miu...
Mafuyu!
Aren't you going to snowboard?
No.
I'm going to stay here and gaze at the slope.
I enjoy people-watching!
There are so many situations I can probably use for my stories.
I don't even want to imagine how they would be used.
There you go! You're doing well!
When you stop, you want to fall on your butt.
Snowboarding plus foreigner...
Okay!
equals unconditional coolness.
Even though he's usually an otaku chicken.
Akizuki...
Is that short snowboarding female...
Mafuyu?
What the hell? Our otakus are too talented!
Wow!
M-Mafuyu! Teach me how to snowboard!
Me, too! Please!
You're really good, too, Mafuyu!
I-I'm teaching you, so you'll soon be able to snowboard like that, Maika!
Really?
I'm looking forward to it!
Yes, of course—
Oh, it's true!
M-Maika! Stop! Stop!
Ouch!
I'm Hideri, the swooping klutzy angel of the ski slope!
Hot guys, this is your cue to extend a hand!
Are you okay, cutie?
Maika! I'll stop you!
Manager!
Sorry! Are you okay?
I'm fine.
You're not fine!
HAVE SOME SELF-RESPECT!
WOMEN
MEN
BATH
That was a lot of snowboarding!
And I gathered a lot material for my stories.
Why would that be your focus when you come to a ski resort?
I guess everyone enjoys things in their own way.
All righty!
Maika, can you snowboard now?
Yes, the manager was a very good teacher!
From what I could see, he was definitely a hands-on teacher.
The manager really took good care of me all day today.
I'd like to give him something to thank him!
Seriously?
You're gonna confess your love?
Lower your voice, Akizuki!
Let go of me!
Jeez. So that's what you're so hyped about!
I am not hyped! How am I hyped?
A confession of love, huh?
While on a trip and even better, a ski slope...
A confession of love...
Seems like you set this whole plan up just for that!
She might get turned off if she found out.
Wouldn't it be better to wait for a more natural moment?
I don't want to be scolded by someone with a towel wrapped around non-existent breasts!
That was refreshing.
Manager!
M-Maika!
Did you get warmed up?
Y-Yes.
Um, do you have a few minutes?
Sure.
There's something I'd like to talk to you about.
Don't tell me Maika's going to make the first move!
You don't want to talk?
No, that's not it! I have all the time in the world!
Have some coffee.
Th-Thank you.
That's my "thank you" and apology.
Thank you and apology?
You couldn't snowboard much
because you were with me all day.
This is all I can do at the moment, but I'll thank you properly later.
Please don't let that bother you!
I'm glad I was able to be with you all day, Maika!
I mean, I was lucky you were a beginner!
L-Lucky?
Ping pong! Ping pong!
There they are!
How about playing some ping pong with cute li'l ol' me—
Be quiet.
Anyway, snowboarding sure is fun.
It sure is!
It's a little cold if you go fast, but the wind feels good!
Even though you taught me, I kept falling down!
But the snow was softer than I thought it would be.
Maika in a robe, just after a bath...
Gotta keep the blood in my nose! Stay in there!
I haven't gotten this much exercise in a while either,
so between that and being excited, I'm a little...
We've got time tomorrow, too,
so I'll teach you again—
SPURT
M-M-M-M-Maika!
M-M-M-M-M...
M-M-M-Maika...
Manager...
Previously...
The Stile gang went on a ski trip.
As they all enjoyed themselves,
the manager resolved to declare his love for Maika! Whoa!
But right after a bath, Maika had a talk with the manager, and things got crazy!
Is Maika actually going to declare her love first?
What'll happen in the end?
Did we really need a recap?
It's important.
D-D-D-D-D-Don't tell me Maika means to...
No!
The man has to confess his feelings!
M-Maika, please listen!
Maika, I... actually...
I love y-y...
Um...
I love that you might have an aptitude for skiing, too!
That chicken!
No, not that!
Um, listen, Maika...
I've always l-l...
Go, Manager! Conquer your cowardice!
...loved you!
Maika...
I love you!
M-Maika?
- Sh-She's sleeping! - Sh-She's sleeping!
She just dozed off?
That guy has the worst timing.
It looks like he's so shocked that he can't accept reality.
No, I think...
AAAAAH
...he's agonizing over his lap being used as a pillow.
This is no time to be agonizing over a lap pillow!
Maika, please wake up.
If you're going to sleep, you should do it in your room.
She's deep asleep.
She's exhausted after I made her practice all day.
All right.
Guess I'll carry her to her room.
Crap!
Get back, get back!
Please open the door.
Maika fell asleep so I brought her back here.
Huh?
What's wrong? You're out of breath.
We were doing a little exercising.
That's right!
Anyway, Maika zonked out on you, huh?
Kaho!
Ouch! What was that for?
HUMPH
It's terrible to eavesdrop on a confession of love!
Don't pout like that. Our bad.
Remember, we're all rooting for you.
We have a lot of time here today, too, so look for your chance and go for it!
Forget it.
I'm not gonna tell her how I feel.
Sulking, okay, but you don't have to go that far!
It's not that.
Not being able to confess my love even under these conditions
is God's way of telling me that I shouldn't do it right now.
Manager...
I'll look for my next opportunity.
You're blaming God for bad timing?
Shouldn't you console me a little more?
Maika, Maika!
What's wrong? Your face is red.
Really?
Maika...
Come here.
Doesn't feel like you have a fever.
Actually, I had an embarrassing dream,
and that may be why I'm blushing.
An embarrassing dream?
What was it? What kinda dream?
U-Um... It was...
embarrassing...
or maybe dirty...
Dirty?
A prim and proper girl with traditional good looks has a d-d-dirty dream?
That's so hot!
I doubt her idea of a dirty dream matches up with what you have in mind.
So? So? What kinda dream?
I-I'm really self-conscious about it, s-so please don't laugh.
Yep, yep!
I-In my dream,
the manager told me he l-loved me.
Th-That's reality!
REALITY
So in your dream, did you answer him, Maika?
Y-Yes. I did.
I said, "I love you, too."
You, too, Kaho.
And Mafuyu, Miu, Hideri and Akizuki...
I love all of you. That was my answer.
Oh...
I feel sorry for him, but it sounds like the manager doesn't have a chance.
I'm not sure about that.
Okay, try to snowboard today, using what I taught you yesterday.
Okay.
M-Maika?
Um...
Wh-What?
Maika has a weird attitude!
Did I make her practice too much yesterday after all?
I'm sorry!
Maika, you're just so kind that I got carried away.
I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate!
Th-That's not true—
Please don't hate me!
It's okay, Manager—
Please don't hate me!
No! I don't want you to hate me!
I was so bothered by that dream that it put me in a bad mood,
which is making the manager sad!
When he's going out of his way to teach me...
I have to
clear up the misunderstanding!
Why? Why am I like this?
It's okay, Manager!
Manager...
I love you!
I'm sorry!
Why are you apologizing?
I'm sorry!
Thank you for coming on Christmas, two lonely guys!
We really had a sadistic whip cracked on us this year!
Yeah, it's been awesome!
Please don't come back here ever again.
Good work, everyone!
I'm calling it a year.
Why don't we all finish the leftover cake?
Yay!
Owner!
He brought you down?
Good for you!
Hey!
If you have enough time to be jealous of a dog, help me instead.
That's cute!
He called it a "leftover,"
but I bet he really made it for this!
That's our manager!
We see right through you!
Here you go, Kaho.
This time I did it without being nervous at all!
Actually, I haven't finished my latest manuscript yet.
OWNER
The café really has gotten lively this year, huh?
Yeah.
At first it was just the manager, Akizuki and me.
You two were the opening staff?
I thought that would've included the old Loli lady...
I came after them.
Yeah.
This brings back memories.
Back when those two just started...
NOW HIRING
N-Nice to meet you.
Same here.
- Thank you, thank you, thank you. - Thank you, thank you, thank you.
THUMP THUMP
Yikes!
Actually, I've only spoken to males my age in class while collecting the handouts!
Am I gonna be okay?
THUMP THUMP
Crap! How do you talk to a real girl again?
The only females I've spoken to in two years are convenience store clerks!
- Hello. - Hello.
You two were such innocents back then.
Shut up!
After all...
I can't imagine that.
I never change, not even when I first meet someone.
They didn't speak frankly like they do now,
and whenever I was out on an errand, I take it they didn't talk at all.
Without me around, they'd never talk!
They're like completely different people now.
Who are you to talk, you coward?
Shut up! Shut your mouth!
Violence never solves anything!
The manager never has known when to stop.
Mafuyu, you were the next one hired, right?
Yes.
Scouting Mafuyu was really tough.
Excuse me, could I speak to you?
Actually...
Um...
Wait! Wh-Why? Why?
BUZZ BUZZ
The police! Call the police!
Emergency! Emergency!
I was... I was so scared!
Sorry. I just pegged you as a pesty Lolita lover.
And I was right.
You're just as cruel now! I'm not a Lolita lover!
But I'm surprised he succeeded with you in the end, Mafuyu.
How did you do it?
It was mainly a feat of strength.
We have a new friend!
Then it was a crime!
That was a lovely episode!
Now that I remember it, it ticks me off.
I had a lot of trouble with Mafuyu,
which made it nice to get okays from the rest of you after that.
No, you were pretty heavy-handed with Sakuranomiya, too.
M-Maika, that's not true, is it?
Um... Right.
I love you!
It was all very sudden,
so I was a little surprised at first.
I'm sorry.
But...
if you hadn't called out to me like that, Manager,
I wouldn't be working here now.
Besides, I'm the one who made the decision to join!
Maika...
Kaho...
Mafuyu...
Miu...
Hideri...
Yay!
Akizuki and Owner...
And Manager...
You're wonderful people,
and I've made many great memories here!
I love you all!
Hello!
Welcome to Stile!
Why did you come?
TSUDANUMA
Sorry—
Manager!
Maika!
Huh? I have a feeling...
...this has happened before.
Shall we go?
Yes!
HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOMETIME, SOMEWHERE.
Hope to see you again sometime, somewhere!