I didn't get much sleep.
Are you okay?
Yeah. Oh, that was scary!
Yeah.
Akari! Where have you been?
We were worried!
I was stargazing on the beach and fell asleep.
What the heck?
Watanabe-san's pretty free-spirited, isn't she?
Seriously?
Yeah.
Yakuin?
Jiro-kun was at the beach, too?
What percentage does "like" have to hit before you can call it "love"?
It's criminal to be so shy
Intelligence and wild fancies, tick tock, just pick a mood
A drizzle from a patch of blue sky
No less than supreme
A maiden's heart zigzags, cute and invincible
The wild ringing of bells
What percentage does "like" have to hit before you can call it "love"?
Hold me so tightly that I fall asleep
A daydream that seems like fiction
Give me a kiss that breaks the expectant silence of the play
Give that indecision a tight embrace, too
My heart hurts and hurts,
racing unpredictably with joy and excitement
It's TRUE FOOL LOVE! Hold me tight!
Be brave, my darling
It won't all be happy and fun
It's all up to us
ONCE MORE SMILE, TWICE MORE CHIME
Please look my way, darling
Please notice my pure love for you
For some reason, I couldn't really sleep.
Oh! Morning.
Morning. Are you on your way to brush your teeth?
Yeah. Are you on your way back?
Whoa. The sight of Shiori in her pajamas really hits hard.
Tenjin sees this every day, doesn't he? Damn.
H-Hey, Jiro-kun...
Nothing! Let's give it our best in the kitchen again today, okay?
Yeah.
Hey, if it isn't Jiro! Morning!
Yeah... Morning.
What? Did something happen? You seem kinda down.
Not really.
Could it be that you can't help remembering...
what happened last night?
Hey, come on! That's gross!
That's a secret between husband and wife, okay?
Damn it.
She'll be treating me like a pushover for a while.
I'm glad she just laughed it off, though.
Things'd still be awkward otherwise.
That's her way of being considerate of my feelings, right?
I need to get it together, too!
Oh, by the way, are you gonna be doing the thing tonight, Shiori?
The recreational activity? I am.
Talk about cliché, right? I heard it's a test of courage.
Wh-What do I do, Jiro-kun?!
I'll never make it through that!
Whoa, hang on!
I was on a bench at the beach last night...
And I heard voices! I just know there's something here at this beach!
You must have imagined it!
I just don't know what to do.
I'm going to cause so much trouble for whoever I'm paired with.
I-It'd be nice if we were paired up together, wouldn't it?
I already know that you scare easily,
and it's no trouble for me.
You wouldn't need to explain anything.
Yeah. Thanks, Jiro-kun.
You know, I really love that kind side you have.
Huh?
Wh-What I... What I meant was...
No, I know! It's just that I don't get called kind very often,
so it took me by surprise.
Sorry for just blurting that out!
I'll go take the trash out now!
Sh-She said "love." Does that word have other meanings?
My kind side...
I wuv it!
You scared me!
Why are you the only one having a nice, green springtime, damn it?!
What? How long have you been here?
Since you tried to entice her out tonight with that lewd look on your face!
That phrasing is misleading! And you should've said something!
I read the room and waited so I wouldn't interfere
with the springtime of my buddy's youth!
Thank you for that.
Don't go getting a big head over this, you hear?
It wasn't you that Sakurazaka-san said she loved!
It was your personality!
Personality
I know that.
Do you want...
the power?
Huh?
You're saying you don't want the power to pair up with Sakurazaka-san?
Who do you think you're dealing with here?
I'm the younger brother of the guy who hired you!
That didn't sound cool!
The test of courage is the biggest event of this part-time job.
Test of Courage
According to my brother, the suspension bridge effect...
Suspension Bridge Effect
may or may not have taken things in a good direction for pairs in the past.
A Good Direction
Which is it?
And every year, those pairings are chosen by lottery.
An act as simple as tampering with that lottery
would be child's play for me, the little brother.
30 Gem Pulls SSR Guaranteed
Sakurazaka ShioRi
For the cost of thirty gem pulls!
Okay, everyone! Come draw lots!
Mine's a heart.
What is this? A bear?
These drawings are so bad! Mine's a yacht.
What's yours, Shiori?
A sunflower, but...
Are you still worried?
I just feel like I'll cause trouble for whoever I'm with.
It'll be fine. Some of them are dull, but no one here's a bad guy.
They'll take the lead for you.
But...
It's going to be fine.
Girls Ohashi → Yacht Takamiya → Bear Watanabe → Heart Sakurazaka → Sunflower Hamano → Bunny
Shiori said hers is the sunflower.
Thank you so much!
This is perfect!
Hey, can I ask you something?
Yes?
You said this was to grant Yakuin and Shiori's wish,
but is that really all?
Uh, yeah, that's all. Why?
Then couldn't you have marked two of the lots and had them draw those?
Was there really any need to use me?
Oh, well... Jiro-chan is one thing,
but I thought Sakurazaka-san might object to a trick like that.
And worst case, if Sakurazaka-san didn't draw the marked lot because of that,
I don't think I'd be able to help Jiro through the depression it'd cause.
For Sakurazaka-san, at least, I want to make it seem like a coincidence.
You...
Yes?! Have I done a bad thing?
No. I didn't expect it, but you're a pretty decent guy.
Huh? Aw, well...
You're doing this for your friend, too, aren't you?
You're doing all you can to help me out!
I see. If that's how it looks, then I'm glad.
No mistakes, okay? Good luck!
O-Okay!
Seriously, don't call me a good person.
I'm just a jerk who's using your friend.
Whew. I thought she'd caught on.
Hey, can you make other pairs besides just me and Shiori?
Huh?
For Akari...
Could you pair her up with Tenjin?
What? Why, though?
Please! I'll pay for double the number of gems.
J-Jiro-chan...
She's been stressing out a lot, too.
And we've been going through all this saying we'd try our hardest together.
If I'm the only one who gets a chance... it just feels wrong.
I don't want to leave her behind on her own.
Sheesh.
When you look at me like that, I can't bring myself to take double the gems.
But is this really the right thing to do?
And so!
We will proceed with these pairings!
Glad to be paired with you.
N-No, the pleasure's all mine.
Looking forward to it, Watanabe.
Y-Yeah.
Hey, my lottery luck is super bad, huh?
Are you trying to pick a fight here, you jerk?
I'll be counting on you, Glasses-kun!
Ow, ow, ow! I'm sorry!
Of course!
You're gonna break it! You're gonna break it!
So I'm just thrown in with the odds and ends, huh?
I've left colored cones at four sites.
Please head to your respective starting points!
We're over there. Shall we head over, Watanabe?
Yeah.
Come on, Jiro. You two get going, too!
I hate this! I wanna go back already!
I never would've guessed you'd scare so easily.
Does this help? Or is it better not to hold hands?
H-Holding hands is... better.
Let's stay like this, then.
Th-Thanks.
So this is Minami-kun's hand.
Even though they're both guys, it's a little different.
Jiro's hand is more...
Wait, Jiro has nothing to do with this!
What is it, Watanabe?
Uh... N-Nothing!
Just thinking about something, kinda.
Oh, right! The chat! Let's see how the other teams are doing!
Huh?
I think... I might've dropped my smartphone.
The 8th Test of Courage Competition
Goal
Huh?
Welcome back!
Mei-chan!
I was so scared!
There, there. You did great.
Jiro-chan, any developments?
Shiori was constantly terrified, so it wasn't really the time.
I figured that might happen.
Still, Akari's taking a super long time, isn't she?
Yeah, she is.
Akari's not back yet?
Considering Tenjin's with her, she's taking way too long.
I'll try calli—
Leave it! Just leave it!
What if they're in the middle of... enjoying themselves?
That's right. Out in the dark with no one around, just the two of them...
They have no choice but to do things!
I hate seeing you talking with those other girls all the time.
They wouldn't do that! They wouldn't...
What's her deal? After she said all that to me...
And why am I irritated?
It's not like it matters, right?
What? It's raining!
Ugh, seriously?
Oh, it's Mikkun.
Hello?
What?
Okay, got it. So you're turning back, then?
Did something happen?
Watanabe-san dropped her phone, and while they were looking for it, they got separated.
What?
Are they gonna be okay?
Akari...
This area is privately owned, so they're in no danger.
You guys can head back to your rooms.
Yuck! It's really raining hard!
Take care of Akari for us, boss!
Leave it to me!
Jiro-kun, we'll get soaked.
Let's go back.
Sorry, Shiori.
I'm going to go look for Akari.
Jiro-kun!
What am I gonna do?
I can't find my phone, and now it's raining.
This seriously sucks!
Should I head back to the cottage?
I just let Minami-kun lead me around, so I have no idea which way to go!
Akari! Akari!
The route from the station to the resort, too...
I had Jiro look all that up for me.
All I do is rely on other people.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
Jiro?!
Minami-kun?
This is Akari's.
Where are you, Akari?
I'm so glad you're safe.
Minami-kun...
I'm sorry we got separated. Are you okay?
There's an azumaya gazebo over that way. Let's move there for now.
Yes. We'll head back once the rain lets up a little.
I'm very sorry. Thank you.
Are you feeling better?
Minami-kun, I'm seriously so sorry for causing you so much trouble!
I just went off on my own and...
No, it's okay. I failed to notice that you were gone, too.
Just sit down and rest for now.
Okay.
Oh, and...
Sorry I wasn't Jiro.
Huh?!
Your face!
I-It's not like that! That was just...
Please listen! Stop laughing, Minami-kun!
Sorry! It was just way more of a reaction than I expected.
I see. So it's Yakuin, huh?
Jiro has nothing to do with this!
Your face is way too red. You're not convincing at all.
No, just listen!
The person I love is...
But it does make me feel a little sad.
Huh?
Crap. There's just so much rain!
Jiro-kun!
Jeez, Jiro-kun! I've been looking for you!
Shiori...
Listen! They found Akari-chan!
What? For real?
Minami-kun found her.
They're taking shelter from the rain right now.
They'll head back once it lets up.
Isn't that great? It's such a relief!
Yeah.
It's great.
You came all the way out here just to let me know?
Well, you weren't reading your messages.
I was worried.
Sorry.
It's okay.
I know that's just how hard you were looking for her.
You were truly worried about Akari-chan.
I was freaking out all on my own and getting nowhere.
If Tenjin was going to find her anyway,
I should've just stayed and waited where I was.
I'm such a loser.
You are not a loser!
You're very kind...
And since the practical started, you've become really cool.
Akari-chan knows a Jiro-kun that I don't know.
I envy her just a little bit.
What are you talking about?
The "me" you've seen all this time is the same "me" I am now.
But I've never seen the husband side of you.
I keep thinking you must be different like that.
You think so?
I don't think anything really changes just because you're married.
And it's not like Akari and I are actually in love with each other.
Jiro-kun...
Even that expression you're making right now is one I don't know.
And anyway, what about you? With Tenjin, I mean.
Huh?
You know, um...
That thing we did before... Practicing. What happened after that?
Huh? Really? You and Tenjin...
N-No! Nothing happened!
But you seem really shaken right now.
It's not that! I just remembered kissing you, and...
Um...
I haven't done anything like that since then.
Oh.
My first was you...
but was it different for you?
Um... Well, I mean...
Of course! Sorry for asking such a weird question!
And for getting so flustered all on my own.
Shiori?
The rain's let up now, so...
You'll get soaked.
You've been beside me all this time, and now I feel so lonely!
Once we grow up, being childhood friends won't be enough to keep me by your side.
I'm so sorry. I just... Akari-chan is...
If Akari-chan isn't special to you,
then will you show me...
a part of you that
Akari-chan doesn't know?
Minami-kun, um... What did you mean when you said you felt sad?
Hmm... It's like...
how an older brother feels getting introduced to his little sister's boyfriend?
Little sister?
Yeah.
Oh. I get it.
He's turning me down right now.
But I have to give it my very best.
Because I made a promise with Jiro
that we'd get to A-rank and change partners!
Minami-kun, if...
If I became your wife and we spent time together in the marriage practical,
then would that feeling of me being your little sister...
Huh?
Why am I trying so hard again?
Watanabe, I'm sorry. The truth is, I noticed a long time ago
that you were looking at me that way.
Huh?
What?!
I mean, it'd be hard not to notice.
It really made me happy that you felt that way,
but I'm in love with someone else.
It's Sakurazaka-san, isn't it?
Huh?
Hang on! You've got this way wrong!
Huh? What? You... Huh?
So that's what you thought, huh?
Please stop laughing!
Sorry. There's nothing between me and Shiori.
What? You're kidding.
Who, then? Someone in your class?
It's someone you don't know.
It's an unrequited love.
And it'll probably stay that way forever.
A love with no future is just pointless.
I know how much that hurts,
so when I think about how I've made you go through the same thing,
I just feel so bad.
That's why I was relieved when I heard Yakuin's name.
I'm happy for you.
Even if...
Even if Jiro's in love with someone else, too?
Yakuin's dating someone?
No, he isn't, but...
Then it's all up to how hard you try, isn't it?
There's still a chance that Yakuin will choose you, right?
B-But what if I tell him and it makes things weird between us?
You used to be more optimistic about stuff than that.
Are things weird between us now?
No.
I hope your love is something you can enjoy this time.
It's like I'm entrusting my hopes to you...
Because it's something I wasn't able to do.
Sorry to do this after you were kind enough to fall in love with me.
That's wrong!
Because I've had so much fun all this time!
Every time we talked, my heart raced so fast.
When our eyes met, I'd be walking on clouds.
So please don't say things like that.
I didn't fall in love with you to make you apologize to me.
Thank you, Minami-kun. I mean it.
I really loved you!
I'm the one who should thank you.
Your feelings have reached me.
In this moment when I've deceived you on a cosmic scale
I want to give love a try
I'm glad I fell in love.
I'm truly glad I fell in love with this guy.
In this night when everything begins to overflow
I match my stride to yours
Okay!
The clock hands stop, charmed by a fleeting curse
I'll give it my best!
I'll try my hardest with Jiro so that I won't have any regrets!
Being upbeat is much more like you.
The answers always slip away
I gotta hurry up and move forward, too.
All I want is to do it over again
You'll be able to find someone right away.
Thanks. I'll do my best.
If I did, would this unsettling gloom inside me disappear?
I want to know where my heart is hiding
One day this will end
It's Sakurazaka-san, isn't it?
I know that
I never imagined she'd think that.
And I know the signs of discord
Turn them inside out
And Shiori seems like she has someone she's in love with, too.
Don't let them pile up
I don't want things to stay unfinished like this
I hope it hasn't kicked off any weird rumors.
But in any case...
In this moment when I've deceived you on a cosmic scale
I hope it works out for both of them.
I want to give love a try
Everything begins to overflow
On this day when we don't know how much time is left to us
I want your thoughts to drift toward me fondly, again and again
It's my fault
It gets stuck in my throat
That stagnant, hesitant air
And turns into a thorn
When that happens, no matter how much time passes,
I'll never be able to forget it
It's your fault
That my fragile heart is so stirred into action
In this moment when I've deceived you on a cosmic scale
I want to give love a try
In this night where everything begins to overflow
I match my stride to yours
The clock hands stop, charmed by a fleeting curse
No matter what I sing, no matter what I eat
The only one I want to tell about it is you
On this day when we don't know how much time is left to us
I want your thoughts to drift toward me fondly, again and again
(Oh why)
How long are they gonna stay like that?
They should just hook up already.
You don't understand a thing!
What?
You don't understand a thing!
Natsumi!
This is a declaration of war!
Stop, Natsumi! Come back to your senses!
Get dizzy from staying in the bath too long, the lot of you.
Next Time
Done, Being Less Than Love.
Next time, "Done, Being Less Than Love."