Am I still a little brother to you?
Mizuho?
No.
You're my boyfriend.
From this point on, you're my boyfriend!
Your happiness is bursting out of you.
That's because Mizuho's always been looking my way.
That's why I'm so happy that my feelings were able to reach her!
I want to see Mizuho all of a sudden—
Mizuho's not the only one that's been looking your way, Kizuki.
Airu
Answer Call
Hello?
Hey, Mizuho.
Did Shin treat you to something good?
Sorry for making you go to the fireworks festival on your own.
I'll also make it up to you somehow.
It's no big deal.
Did something happen, Mizuho?
You sound like you're forcing yourself.
I saw Kizuki on the day of the fireworks festival.
Are you okay?
Uh-huh.
It's weird, isn't it?
It was all supposed to be over, but...
I'm at our secret place right now.
What?
I've told you before, right?
No matter what decision you choose,
I'll be your ally forever.
I'll be by your side.
Oh? Are you tearing up over my kindness?
Am not!
But, thank you.
Those were the very words you told me when you saved me.
Mizuho's not the only one that's been looking your way, Kizuki.
That realization became clear to me
when we had our class trip back in sixth grade.
You think so too, right? Airu?
What?
Kobayashi from Class 3! She's cute, right?
Uh-huh. She's the cutest girl in our grade.
If I were to go out with anyone, it'd be Kobayashi!
Nuh-uh. How about Miyamoto from Class 2?
Oh, uh... Yeah.
Hey! It's past curfew!
Shoot! Pretend to sleep!
Hide!
Jeez. Go to sleep already!
Y-You're too close!
Go over there, Kizuki!
Everyone else liked girls.
But I was interested in...
Hey, Mom?
You love Dad, right?
Hmm?
But why Dad?
Huh?
You're right. Why him?
He's weak at fighting and his conversations are hella boring.
It pisses me off how responsible and nice he is.
But...
Maybe it's cuz he was never biased towards me, even though I'm a gyaru.
Wait, what's this about, Airu?
Something on your mind?
Nothing!
I couldn't tell anyone that I liked Kizuki.
Graduation Koigahama Municipal Elementary School
Did you get everything, Kizuki?
I dunno.
It's because I knew that Kizuki's always had his eyes on Mizuho.
You sure?
What about your P.E. uniform?
Huh? Check for me, Mizuho.
For crying out loud...
Airu-kun? Dunno.
He hasn't been here since first period.
I see. Thanks.
Skipping again?
Is it just me, or has he been acting weird lately?
He hasn't come by Mizuho's house either.
What's Airu doing, and where?
Finished already?
You started the fight in the first place.
Let's play some more, big guys.
This guy's bad news! He's messed up!
You may be right.
I'm "messed up."
Just who exactly am I?
Such a pain.
Oh.
What a coincidence.
Well, if it isn't our class prez, Amon-kun.
You headed to cram school?
I-Izumi-kun...
What are you doing? Skipping class again?
Quit nagging.
Can you lend me some money?
I used all of mine.
Huh? No way.
Let go of me!
Come on. Just a little—
Airu!
Sorry! So sorry!
Airu!
A-Amon-kun.
Do you know where Airu went?
He...
Hazawa-kun's gone now.
May I say something?
I know that you and I live in completely different worlds.
And that we'll have nothing to do with each other for the rest of our lives...
But I knew immediately that you're holding back your true self.
Shut up, Amon.
What are you blabbering about?
My apologies. But...
I'm just like you.
Someone who has to hold myself back for now.
I knew immediately that you're holding back your true self.
Shut up.
Shut up. Shut up!
My "true self"? Whatever.
Disappear already!
Go home.
Toya-san!
This isn't the kind of place for middle schoolers like you to play around in.
This brat!
What are you doing to Toya-san?!
I'm not going home.
I've got nowhere to call home.
I want to go somewhere that's not here.
Take off your shirt and sit over there.
Are you in high school?
Yeah.
You live in this huge place by yourself?
My mother left with some guy.
My old man told me to graduate high school, and that's it.
He rarely comes home because of work.
You stupid or something?
Normally you wouldn't invite someone you just met to your own house.
You even tended to my injuries.
I could rob you and leave, you know?
You wouldn't do that.
Getting close to someone to take their money...
Looking down on someone to control them...
Getting rid of things that get in their way to live freely...
I can tell people apart like that.
Wear this and sleep.
What?
Feel free to take a bath if you want.
Hey.
You can read people by just looking at them, right?
Does that include me?
I... seem to be attracted to men.
It's weird, right?
Laughable.
You're not weird.
I thought you looked like you were in pain when you were fighting.
That's why...
I couldn't ignore you.
Go to sleep soon.
You're not weird.
Rather than the wounds from when I punched others,
Toya's voice seeped into my whole body.
That night, I slept soundly all the way until morning.
Those guys are seriously way over their heads.
They're messing with us.
Let's shut down those guys from Kenzaki for once.
Don't get involved with them.
But...
96 Missed Calls
Mom At Least Tell Me Where You Are...
Kizuki Everyone's Worried About...
Hey, Airu.
Your phone's so loud. Even at midnight.
Answer it.
Your parents must be worried.
Anyway!
Hey, what do you think about this?
Ta-da! Piercings!
I liked yours, Toya, so I decided to copy you.
Now, we're matching.
Get on.
Okay!
Wahoo!
Hell yeah! This is great!
Don't get carried away, Airu.
Stop being so bold-faced just because Toya-san's taken a liking to you.
We've never once considered you one of us.
You don't belong here.
But I guess you've got nowhere to go home to anyway.
Let's go.
So damn cocky.
How do I make it disappear?
112 Missed Calls
Mizuho Come to the Whale Park Today...
Airu!
Thank goodness you came.
What's with those injuries? Are you okay?
Let's go to the hospital!
Your mom and everyone else are so worried about you!
Mizuho.
Go out with me.
What?
I hate myself so much right now.
I don't belong anywhere.
But...
I feel like I could change if I went out with you.
If I fall in love with Mizuho, just like Kizuki, maybe I could...
I won't go out with you.
You don't love me romantically, right, Airu?
Even if I'm not your girlfriend...
I'll be by your side, Airu.
I'll always be your ally.
You belong right here, Airu.
Mizuho...
I want to go home.
But I don't know what to do.
That face was hilarious.
Where is he?
Dunno.
Who are you guys?
Excuse us.
Do you happen to know Airu Izumi?
Someone said they saw him here, and we're looking for him.
Friends of his?
Please tell us if you know!
Airu hasn't been home for so long...
Why should we care?
He won't tell us why he hasn't come home...
We don't know what to do anymore.
If...
Hey, Kizuki—
You guys.
Yes!
What are you to him?
Airu's... a very important childhood friend to me.
I see.
Um!
Dunno.
I haven't heard anything from him.
But looking at you three, I get the gist.
He's scared.
He loves and cares for you guys so much, and that makes him afraid.
A fight between a number of young men.
Several of them have already fled the scene.
Hey! Stay there!
Which way did he go?
You understand?
You live in a different world than the rest of us.
So stop pushing yourself.
Go home to your friends.
What are you saying?
They're the ones who decided to pick a fight with those guys from Kenzaki.
I just wanted to call you over, Toya.
And now the cops are here.
You're not part of any of this.
Yes I am!
I'm going, too!
Can you still say the same thing after this?
I'm not going to do anything.
Don't worry. I'm not going to lay my hands on you.
You like that guy, Kizuki, don't you?
Then face it head on.
He's the type to not run away when confronted, right?
Stop trying to brush away your fears.
Wait! Toya!
Don't come near us ever again.
He's the type to not run away when confronted, right?
Mizuho's not the only one that's been looking your way, Kizuki.
I love you, Kizuki.
Sorry to shock you.
Airu?
Forget it.
Don't say anything.
I can't go out with you, Airu.
Because I love Mizuho.
But...
You're someone who's very important to me, Airu.
I want to keep going to school with you tomorrow.
And go to the beach with you again.
And talk about a bunch of things and laugh with you.
Can I continue to be by your side?
I'll always be by your side, Airu.
A-Airu?
Yeah.
I'm done thinking about erasing it...
My true self.
# 16 A Miracle