Sakura Second Middle School Entrance Ceremony
Hitori Bocchi
Today, I finally start middle school.
Get rid of school!
New friends? A new life?
This was the start of my middle school life all alone.
My
My First
My First Confession
Why do we have this system that makes us change schools?
Can't elementary school just last nine years?
New Students * Meet your homeroom teacher in your classroom, and— * Introductions * Receive Your Textbooks
Introductions...
Introductions!
Hey, are you all right?
Oh, uh, I...
A-Are you really all right?
I'm fine!
Are you all right?!
The reason I didn't want to become a middle schooler so badly
was because of a promise I made
with the only friend I had, and I'm bad with people.
Listen, Bocchi.
We're going to be in different middle schools,
Yawara Kai (Childhood Friend)
so you need to make an effort to make other friends.
But...
So to help!
I've decided to cut ties with you
until you befriend everyone in your class while you're in middle school.
Huh?! That's impossible!
It's not impossible!
Promise me.
Promise that you'll make lots of friends, so we can be friends again.
Kai-chan...
I'll give you this do-your-best fairy!
Kai-chan, it's impossible for someone like me to make friends.
So...
Strategy Notebook I'm going to be her friend again!!
I created strategies to fulfill our promise without making any friends!
"Number one..."
Get Rid of Middle Schools
"Get rid of middle schools."
That failed.
"Number two..."
Oh, this strategy might work!
Our promise was to befriend everyone in my class.
Class size doesn't matter, though.
Which means if I have zero classmates,
Class 1, Year 1
Hitori Bocchi
End
Class 1, Year 1 Hitori Bocchi End
then I can say I've befriended everyone in my class!
New Year 1 Class Assignments
Class 1 is certain to be big.
So please don't let me be in Class 1.
Please don't let me be in Class 1.
1 Kawai Ino 2 Tsuyoshi Nozomi 3 Minagawa Rau 4 Sunao Nako 5 Hitori Bocchi 6 Ooichi Shiki 7 Inakana Mari
Please don't...
1 Kawai Ino 2 Tsuyoshi Nozomi 3 Minagawa Rau 4 Sunao Nako 5 Hitori Bocchi 6 Ooichi Shiki 7 Inakana Mari
I'm in Class 1.
Twenty-nine people...
It's calming back here.
Wait, this isn't the time for that.
What's this?
This time, it'll work!
The entrance ceremony just ended, so no one's come here yet.
Notice: Class 1 Abolished Class 1 has been abolished, so we kindly ask that you all transfer schools.
I'll have everyone else move away.
Then...
I'm Hitori Bocchi!
I've become friends with everyone here!
Perfect.
What's this poster?
"Class 1 Abolished"?
What's this?
Someone's prank?
This is crazy!
I got carried away!
Was that a crime? Will I be arrested?!
Looks like this is going to be a fun class.
Seems fun, yeah.
Oh, "Class 1 Abolished"?
Are we going to become Super Class 1 or something?
I'm excited!
Huh? They're all okay with it?
What is this?!
Looks like there's someone fun in Class 1.
No, this isn't...
I'm shy, so I'm glad this class is going to be fun.
I'm shy, too.
Nice to meet you.
This isn't good at all!
Opposite
Effect
Strategy number three failed, too.
Even worse, it's strengthened class unity.
Kai-chan, I can't do this anymore.
Strategy four,
four is...
My final strategy!
Strategy! All of humanity is my friend! So I'll be fine!
"All of humanity is my friend!"
I'm finished.
This is the one I wrote while feeling good last night.
I'll uphold my promise with Kai-chan and become friends with her again! Do your best, do your best!
"I'll uphold my promise with Kai-chan and become friends with her again!"
It'll be all right.
I believe in you.
After all, you've never once broken a promise!
Kai-chan...
I think.
Kai-chan, you just said that in the moment, didn't you?
This notebook was a mistake.
My promise was to befriend everyone.
I really do just have to give it my best try!
I'll open this door and give a big greeting to everyone.
That's where I'll start!
Right here!
I just can't do it.
I've never even seen someone greet everyone at the door in a drama!
I'm shy!
That girl's shy, just like me.
So I guess I shouldn't call out to her!
Morning!
Whoa, we just met and you're so close!
That girl isn't shy like me.
So I guess I shouldn't call out to her!
There are all kinds of people here.
A foreigner?
What a pretty girl.
Sunao Nako
Sunao-san, huh?
Okay, is everybody here?
Well, now that the entrance ceremony is all over,
let's start off with introductions.
This is it!
I'm Minagawa Rau.
I hope this proves to be a fun class.
Nice to meet you.
Introductions are an important first step to making friends!
Very important!
Thank you.
Next up is...
Hello. I'm Sunao Nako.
Sunao Nako
Nice to meet you.
Yes, thank you.
Now, next is...
Y-Yes!
Cheerful, now! Cheerful!
I-I-I-I-I...
Hitori-san?
Blegh!
Introductions are impossible for me.
Talking to someone else is already torture as-is.
For now, though, I need to try talking to the person in the seat in front of me.
Sunao-san, was it?
She's kind of scary, but I need to speak to her.
My leg cramped!
Five seconds!
I'll rest five seconds, then try speaking to her.
One, two, three, four...
Five!
Six, seven, seven, eight...
Ah, I went too far!
What is it, Barf?
Barf?!
But more importantly!
She spoke to me!
How long has it been?
Since I conversed with someone my age...
Sunao-san...
She's such a nice... person.
What on earth?!
My great-grandmother said
this is good for your throat.
G-Grandmother...
Who are you calling grand—?
I... I'll give you one.
Do you want to be a gofer or something?
Gofer?
I don't really understand those kinds of ideas, so could you go try someone else?
Gofer...
Would being a gofer count as being friends?
Huh?
I want to be friends...
With you.
But I don't know how to become one.
I'm sorry for bothering you.
I'm finished.
Now Kai-chan and I will never...
Huh? That's Sunao-san's...
Do you want to be a gofer or something?
W-What do I do?!
Okay.
Well, class starts tomorrow, so I hope you'll all get along and do your best.
Yes!
Get along...
Rain, huh?
I forgot my umbrella.
Hey...
Take mine.
I'm not doing this as a gofer.
It's just, you were coughing.
Also, take this.
You mustn't follow the downward spiral!
Ah, hey! What does that even mean?!
I ran. I ran.
In the end, I ran!
Kai-chan, I don't think I'll be able to keep our promise after all.
Hey!
Sunao-san was a nice person.
She actually spoke to me.
Wait!
Barf!
Even after I threw up...
Come on, I asked you to wait!
Sunao-san?
I'm sorry!
Why are you apologizing?
Oh, umm, because you were swinging the umbrella with an awful look on your face.
Huh?
Oh, I guess you're right.
If you only have one umbrella, then we can just share it.
Also, this is for the juice, okay?
Sunao-sa—
Also!
Yes!
You should call me Nako.
Huh?
Well, umm...
I was happy when you said you wanted to be friends.
Huh?
So you don't need to fret over me.
Listen, Bocchi.
The trick to making friends is to start liking the other person.
Start liking...
Making Friends for Dummies
Liking, liking...
What do I do to start liking her?
Chat?
A good chat first starts with a bright greeting.
Bright, bright...
Good morning, Nako-chan!
Ow!
What was that for?!
Oh, I was trying to give you a bright greeting.
Really?
Morning.
M-Morning, Nako-chan.
Is this on purpose?
It's not...
Then step back a bit.
Huh?
I said to get away from me.
Does that mean you hate me now?
No.
How did you reach that misunderstanding?
You want to greet me, right?
Yes!
Then move away from me.
More.
Yes, right there!
Good morning, Nako-chan!
Good morning.
That doesn't feel silly to you?
I'm happy!
I see.
Umm, Nako-chan?
Hmm?
Uhh, I know!
Q: You always seem to be fiddling with your phone, Nako-chan, but what are you doing on it?! A: Texting -> To Right Hand A: News -> To Left Elbow A: Funny Videos -> To Right Ankle Q: Would it be possible to get your contact information?
I prepared several daily conversations for a moment like this!
Conversations for Friendship
Encounters are once in a lifetime!
Uhh...
You always seem to be fiddling with your phone, Nako-chan.
She's starting on something...
But what are you doing on it?!
Gaming.
Gaming?
Uhh, uhh, uhh...
I didn't include gaming in my options, so can we skip past that?
What are you trying to do?!
Uhh, I don't really use my cell phone much.
Because I don't have any...
have any... friends.
Oh, does she want to exchange contact info?
So?
I don't have options for that, so can we skip—
Don't skip it!
I told you, didn't I?
You don't need to fret over me.
But...
It's fine.
If you want to say something, just say it.
Then...
Would it be possible to get your contact information?
Nope.
When I get home, I'm dying.
I was kidding!
Contact Info Exchanged
Say something!
Right! I need to chat with her more!
Uhh, to chat more, I should...
Please talk about something interesting.
That's the worst pass-off.
What are your favorite foods?
Sweet things. I don't like spicy stuff.
You're like a different person through text, Nako-chan!
Stuff it!
U-Umm...
No,
I'm sorry.
I'd like to use pictures like you do, too.
You mean emoji?
You can pull them up by typing 'emoji'.
Oh, you're right!
Hold on.
A whole body?
Click click
Tap tap
Click click
Tap tap
Click click
Tap tap
Click click
Tap tap
All done!
Well, time to go home.
Oh, yes.
Thinking on it, our only proper conversation was this morning.
Is it okay to leave things like this?
Would you stop fiddling with your phone while you're walking already?
Nako-chan...
Hmm?
It's fun chatting over the phone, isn't it?
You okay?
Yes!
Hey!
Hold off on the phone until you get home, okay?
Well... what are your favorite foods?
Another one of your options?
And this is the second time on that one.
Oh, that was my second time using that question.
What a pain!
Then... do you have any dreams?
There are still more?
I have one, but it's a secret.
You have one, but it's a secret?
W-What?
Nako-chan!
Hmm?
It...
looks I've started liking you!
Huh?!
So...
So will you be my friend?!
Are you telling me you thought we weren't friends already?
Huh?
But I haven't gotten a "yes" from you yet.
You really are a bit of a weird one.
Huh?
You're eccentric, awkward, and kind.
I-I'm sorry.
It's not like I'm mad.
But I haven't been able to talk well.
I feel like I've been saying nothing but strange things.
That's why I said you're eccentric, okay?
But that's the nice thing about you.
Umm, you mean...?
Do I have to make it obvious for you to understand?
It's okay.
We can be friends.
I mean, we've already been friends since what happened yesterday, dummy.
I'm really...
really...
glad!
This is because you're happy, right?
Oh, is this...
What is it this time?
I'm walking home together with
a friend for the first time since starting middle school, aren't I?
Weren't we together yesterday, too?
We weren't friends yet then!
I wasn't mentally prepared to go home with a friend yesterday!
Mentally prepared?
Yes.
Uhh, so...
Umm!
Hmm?
I made a friend!
Me, right?
Yes!
You wanted to say that to somebody?
Yes.
You don't have anyone other than me to say that to?
No!
Come on, let's go, Bocchi.
Yes, Nako-chan!
New friends? A new life?
This is
the start of my middle school life.
Next Episode:
Actually, Thank You
Next episode: "Actually, Thank You."