- Thank you so much. - Thank you.
Thank you.
Up 'til now, I was confident I could talk to pretty much anyone.
Minato.
- Minato. - Minato.
- But... - Oh, Hikawa.
Whenever I talk to her...
I always feel so awkward.
We just finished morning practice.
Is there anything we can talk about?
Oh, by the way, Igarashi was here yesterday...
Whoa, her face...
Was that a sore subject?
Yeah, they definitely don't seem close.
And Igarashi came across as pretty intense.
Maybe she doesn't like him.
I messed up.
Maybe junior high was always off-limits and I should've never even brought it up.
Nice job, Minato.
Oh, I'm sorry.
We should just stop talking about junior high.
Jeez, could I have phrased that any more awkwardly?
Man, I'm really crashing and burning here.
The more I talk, the deeper I dig myself into a hole.
Wait...
Have I always been like this?
Ah, the cold air feels so good.
- Koyun. - Why do you have to be such a busybody?
I don't get it.
The sound of the door locking...
It makes me sick.
I think I heard it.
Did Koyun just... Hold on.
What just happened?
Aw, man. I think...
Don't try to put the moves on her or be weird!
Miki's totally gonna kill me.
Huh?
Change
SCHOOL NURSE'S OFFICE
- GLOOM - Oh, come on!
Are you just eating a sweet bun for lunch
again?
Noriko.
Is there any way to keep yourself from getting mad?
Wow, I didn't think that you ever
- got mad! - It's so hot. It's so cold.
Were you in a fight?
Uh... Mm...
Well...
It's natural to get angry from time to time, and it's important to not keep
bottling it up.
Hmm.
I wish I could just take it out on someone else to make me feel better.
But I'm just not the type of person who can do that.
I know that much about myself.
If anything, I just end up regretting whatever I said.
SELF-LOATHING
You're a difficult one.
I don't know what happened, but if you're upset, it's best to communicate
your feelings to the other person.
If you don't like something, then just say that.
Communicate...
I didn't do that.
In that moment...
I was just so upset...
It makes me sick.
I intentionally hurt him.
And I did it without even hearing Amamiya out or explaining myself.
I'm still frustrated.
And now pile onto it, the regret over what I said to him.
- I just want some peace and quiet. - Sigh.
Stop sounding like an old fart, and be a teenager.
Oh, there you are.
Hey, Koyun.
I'm gonna eat my lunch here too.
I already told you, this isn't a cafeteria.
Do you want any of this?
No, thanks.
Seriously?
Is something wrong?
Just wanted to check in and see how you were.
This morning...
I caught your conversation...
with Minato.
Ugh.
Just clean up after yourselves before you leave.
- Okay. - Okay.
NURSE IS MAKING ROUNDS
So, look, Koyun...
Minato tends to...
ego, is kinda childish, and can be
Hey, w-wait a minute.
Get too close, oversteps, has a big
- ego, is kinda childish, and can be - Hey, w-wait a minute.
But he's not a bad guy, I promise you.
And I hope this doesn't come across weird...
But Minato and I actually knew of you since back in junior high.
What?
We didn't know your name...
But the other day, when you said you were on the basketball team, I put it
- together. - Basketball.
- Does that mean... - Mm-hm.
Miki let us know what happened.
She told us about how you were being bullied back then.
- Good morning, Koyun! - Hm?
I got here with time to spare, which never happens so...
Huh?
What the... Who would...?
Don't worry about it.
What do you mean, "Don't worry about it?"
How long has...?
I can't remember.
Since forever?
I hope it all ends soon.
So Miki told you guys what happened back then.
Yeah, but don't get mad at her.
It was just because she was really worried about you at the time.
Yeah... I know.
Miki also said...
She didn't realize her friend was struggling.
And that she had no idea how to help you.
I wondered why she never told me about what was going on.
Maybe she felt as though she couldn't trust me.
It all just makes me so sad.
You're not untrustworthy.
Maybe she just didn't wanna bother you or worry you.
And nothing more than that.
Do you really think that's what it is?
UGH, UGH, UGH
I don't want her holding back just to spare my feelings.
Whoa, hey, calm down.
- So. yeah... - I had no idea she felt that way.
The reason I didn't talk to her about it...
Go for it, Miki!
- Nice! - That was awesome!
Was because she was so dedicated to her club activities.
Whereas I only kept showing up to them because I was too afraid to quit.
We were opposites.
So, no.
I never though she was unreliable or that I couldn't trust her.
Hmm.
And seeing how you and Miki interact, I guess Minato might've also picked
up on it by now.
That you and her were old friends from the basketball team.
Oh.
So that's probably why Minato was concerned about you.
That's all.
That's why.
Oh... I'm sorry.
Let's stop talking about junior high.
That's why Amamiya said what he said.
And I completely took it the wrong way and said all those awful things to
him.
H-How embarrassing.
Are you okay?
Not at all. I must offer an apology right away.
That sounds so... uh, formal.
Want me to just tell him for you?
No.
I must express the apology.
What?
I'm telling you, it probably didn't bother him at all.
It's fine, don't worry.
It's Minato.
Hey, Amamiya!
Hey, sorry, my bad.
Over here!
Hey. Hey, d'you hear me?
Whoa! Yo, what's up?
Are you mad or s- something?
Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.
Uh. Oh.
Dude, you scared me.
I thought you were mad at me.
No, dummy, he just looks intense when he's not smiling.
Why do you have to be such a busybody?
Was she upset because I talked to Igarashi or something?
And why would that make her so mad?
- You shouldn't do to others what you - Nice!
- Wouldn't want done to yourself, I know - Good arm!
- That. - Thanks.
- But I shouldn't do the opposite? - My turn!
- Oops. - I don't get it.
Maybe...
We're just too different.
In our values and ways of thinking.
What might work for me...
Seems to not work for her.
So whatever I do, it only ends up bothering her.
Is it arrogant of me to think I should do something for her in the first place?
Is that it, Miki?
Huh?
But, if I'm arrogant, couldn't you say the same for her?
She draws a line between people she likes and people she doesn't.
Yota and Miki are on the side of the people she accepts.
On the other hand, I'm on the side she writes off.
UNEASY
- Man, it's starting to make me angry. - Whoa!
Whoa! What's wrong?
Yeah. I'll stop getting involved with her.
It's not doing either of us any good.
So, I won't worry about it anymore.
Yota. Where were you during the lunch break?
Mmm.
The bathroom?
Forever.
School's over now, but I never found a good time to apologize.
Is there ever really a good time to apologize?
APOLOGIZE TIMING
Well, let's hope I get a chance tomorrow.
See you, Minato.
See ya.
Oh, I, um, I mean...
I'm realizing, up until now, I never made the effort to see him for who he really
is.
I assumed he'd treat me like others have.
So I wrote him off, just like that.
Rejected him without even knowing him.
I've been doing things to him that I know I wouldn't want done to me.
That face again.
The one she makes around people she keeps her guard up with.
I thought maybe we could eventually become friends.
I guess that was just my ego talking.
I was doing it for me.
And to her, I was just annoying.
Maybe it would've been better if I hadn't gotten involved with her in the
- first place. - Amamiya!
Huh?
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, but can you and I... talk?
Um...
Do you have time right now?
Yeah.
My club doesn't start for a few minutes.
So, about this morning...
What should I do?
This is so embarrassing.
Everything about this is embarrassing.
MISUNDERSTANDING, PARANOIA SELF-CONSCIOUSNES
Ugh.
I'm sorry for saying such mean things.
Sure.
In the moment, I wondered why you knew about something from when I was
in junior high.
I just couldn't stand the thought that you might've heard about it from
Igarashi.
DOESN'T GET PERSONAL SPACE ONLY WANTS TO HELP
But, Yota told me at lunch that it was just a misunderstanding.
Yota did?
Wait.
Mmm.
- The bathroom? - That liar.
I'm sorry, I...
I misunderstood things.
And I was rude.
And I...
I, uh...
I have...
I have so much I want to say.
But I can never get it to come out
WANT TO APOLOGIZE PROPERLY FOR WHOSE SAKE?
how I want it to.
SELF-SATISFACTION? WANT TO CHANGE
The more my thoughts start to pile up on me, the more everything I try to say
gets stuck in my throat.
All the feelings I can't voice try to escape as tears.
Oh no!
No, no, no, no!
Get back in there!
Oh, this always happens.
The apologizer can't cry!
Dry up, dry up, dry up!
Hikawa.
Hey, it's okay.
You don't have to apologize so much.
Look, if anything, I'm the one who made you feel bad.
Wait, hold on. I was just pissed off at her a moment ago. Why am I
trying to comfort her all of a sudden?
Seriously, you can say whatever you want to me, alright?
Don't bottle it up. Huh?
DRIP
Uh?
When someone's kind to me when I'm holding my tears back, the floodgates
just open and...
- Oh. - Tears?
LINT, LOOSE THREADS
SLIP
- You know, - Hm?
I was lying when I said I didn't know Igarashi.
- Huh? - It's the opposite.
We're actually not on very good terms.
Where are we taking this again?
Turn left here and go straight.
Tears, just the two of us...
They'll get the wrong idea!
Hikawa...
- It's so heavy, right? - Huh?
Look at this. Look.
What do you think?
- Hm? - What're they doing?
Maybe they caught a rare monster or something?
Oh, my parents are really into that game.
They like that you have to walk around doing it, so you get exercise.
Thank you for that.
- What's that? - Uh... Oh, um, that's...
My Pomeranian.
Oh, I made her laugh.
It's so cute.
I should get going now.
Oh, sorry.
Well...
I'll see ya tomorrow.
Yeah.
See ya then.
Hmm? Wait, now that I think about it...
Hikawa said she and Igarashi are on bad terms.
But when I asked him...
Oh, by the way, Igarashi, do you remember Hikawa?
Huh?
Hikawa?
Nah, there was no one by that name in our junior high.
So he said.
What's going on there?
Hmmm...
Neither of them seem to be lying.
It's the opposite.
Wait, who?
What happened between those two in the past?
Why do you have to be such a busybody?
Ugh!
Huh...
Is something wrong, Amamiya?
What?
- No, nothing. - Don't lie!
You haven't been listening to a single word I've been saying, have you?
- What are you, his girlfriend? - Or you sound like one.
Minato, if you keep spacing out, your noodles will get all soggy.
What kind of combination is that, man?
That's gross.
They're delicious.
Too many carbs.
- Huh? - Yota.
Yota told me that it was a misunderstanding.
Yota... She calls him by his first name.
The exams are over, and winter break is starting, so I'll lose any common ground.
SLURRRP
You possessed or something?
So what?
If I talk to her the next time I see her, I wonder how she'll react.
Will it be awkward for her, or will she keep her distance like she used to?
Hmm.
I don't know...
Hm?
Oh.
THUMP
Uh, hey, uh, Amamiya.
Oh, um, well, I, uh...
Hm?
Um, about yesterday.
I'm sorry for crying when I was apologizing.
It was so embarrassing.
STUNNED
And I promise, I didn't just cry because I thought it'd make you
- forgive me or something. - No.
Huh?
No problem. Sometimes people just get overwhelmed.
There doesn't have to be a particular reason.
No need to explain yourself.
Huh?
Does that happen to you?
BLANK STARE
- Of course. - Huh?
You think I don't get or express human emotions?
Oops.
Aw, that's so mean! Sniffle, sniffle, sniffle.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
I am surprised though.
Oh.
Listen, I know I may not look like it, but I'm just a big softie.
Hmmm...
What's with that look?
That's so mean.
Well, I'm heading that way.
Oh, club stuff?
Yeah.
Good luck then.
Thanks.
Ahhhh.
Wahhhhh!
I think I'm learning to stop assuming so much.
Like that people won't understand me or that they'll reject me.
Huh?
Come to my work during winter break! Kay, thanks!
It feels like something has changed a little.
Or maybe nothing has.
I'LL TELL YOTA TOO
Too soon to tell.
All I know is winter break starts tomorrow.
KAWAII CAFÉ, WELCOME, WINTER BREAK FAIR PERIOD: DEC. 24TH THROUGH JAN. 10TH
Miharu! Sora! Been too long!
- Yay! - Yay!
- So how've you been? - Haven't seen you guys since graduation.
MEETING UP WITH JR. HIGH FRIENDS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE
How's high school going?
It's been nice and quiet.
Tell me...
You got boyfriends yet?
No way.
Yeah, same here.
Wow, no hesitation.
I'm so surprised, Miki.
You dated a lot back in junior high.
Like that hot upperclassman and the volleyball player from another school.
Ugh!
Guys would just come on strong and confess their feelings...
AN UPPERCLASSMAN WITH NO CONNECTION
we'd start dating.
Then, later, they'd break up with me, saying I wasn't the person that
they thought I was. Every time.
Grr!
Like, don't fantasize about who you think I am, then get mad when I
don't live up to it.
Whoa, she switched to gorilla mode.
Sorry I mentioned it.
So I guess in the end I really can't technically say I dated them.
I promise you, though, the next time I date someone, I wanna be
the one to confess my feelings to the person I like before we start dating.
- Anyone in mind? - Nobody.
What about Amamiya?
I guess things would get awkward if I asked that now.
- And you, Koyuki? - Huh?
Do you have a boyfriend?
A boyfriend?
Don't need one.
Plus I don't really think I can handle dating, to be honest.
So I think it's amazing that you two have been with your boyfriends
for so long.
Ah, it's not that big a deal.
Do you have any pictures or anything?
Sure, wanna see?
Well, I gotta head to work now.
See ya!
- Bye-bye! - Let's hang again soon.
- I think she's making things more - Hm?
Complicated than they are.
Well, don't forget about that whole Igarashi thing.
Yeah, but to be completely honest, I've never really understood why she
ever dated him in the first place.
Like, I thought she hated his guts.
Oh my gosh, right?! So I'm not the
- only one who didn't get it! - That whole thing...
Was probably my fault.