01x05 - Change

[bunniefuu]

Up until now, I thought I was the type
who gets along with everyone.

Minato.

But…

Hey, Hikawa.

My conversations
with her are always a little awkward.

We just finished morning practice.

Let's see, what is there to talk about?

By the way, Igarashi was here yesterday.

CRACK

Sheesh, that face.
Did I just step on a land mine?

WE HAD NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER

Right, they don't seem all that close
and Igarashi looked a bit intense.

DIDN'T EXPECT THAT GORILLA TO GO
TO THIS SCHOOL - FOUL-MOUTHED?

Maybe she didn't vibe with him…
I messed up.

Or maybe middle school is
a topic I need to avoid entirely.

I should've been more tactful.

I'm sorry.

Maybe we should give middle school a rest.

No, that was awkward.

This isn't going the way I'd hoped.

We're getting nowhere.

It's like the more I talk,
the deeper I sink…

Huh?

Was I always like this?

WARM AND TOASTY

That cool air feels nice.

Koyun--

Why must you stick your nose
into other people's business?

I don't get it…

I thought I could hear…

You disgust me.

…the key to her heart locking me out.

Minato, what just…

Wait, what happened?

Yota, I think…

Just don't go getting close
to Koyun for weird reasons.

…Miki might k*ll me.

What?

THE RAMPARTS OF ICE

EPISODE 5
CHANGE

NURSE'S OFFICE

GLOOMY

Good golly.

KOYUKI IN THE NURSE'S OFFICE

There you go, eating sweet bread
and calling it a meal…

Noriko, is there a way to not get mad?

Wait, even someone like you gets mad?
- Hot… Chilly…

I do.

Did you get into a fight?

Well, everyone gets upset sometimes.

You don't have
to deal with things on your own.

It'd be easier if I could lash out
and get it out of my system,

but I'm not like that.

I know that about myself, but…

Actually, I end up regretting
saying something at all.

I HATE MYSELF

She's a handful.

I don't know what happened,

but it's important
to communicate how you feel.

You have to use your words
if you don't like something.

Communicate?

No.

At that moment, I lost my temper…

You disgust me.

…and I meant to hurt him.

Not only that, I lashed out at him
without hearing him out first.

The lingering frustration

and regret for my own actions
keep spinning in my head.

YUM-MELON

All I want is peace.

SIGH

What're you saying?
You're still in your teens.

There you are.

Koyun! I'll eat here too.

Good grief,
when'd my office turn into a café?

Want some, Koyun?

No, thanks…
- Sheesh.

What brings you here?

Well, this morning,

I overheard the conversation
between you guys by the entrance.

I'M HERE
I NEED YOUR NAME AND CLASS

Clean up your own mess
before you head out.

Will do.
- Okay.

MAKING ROUNDS - PLEASE COME
TO THE TEACHER'S ROOM

Say, Koyun.

Minato doesn't understand personal space,
can be overbearing, has a big ego

and is surprisingly childish.
- Hey…

He thinks the world revolves around him,

but he's not a bad guy.

Also, I need to come clean.

Minato and I have known of you
since middle school.

What?

Though, we didn't know your name.

It hit me when you mentioned
you were in the basketball club.

Basketball club? How…

Miki told us about how you were bullied.

Morning, Koyun.

For once, I got here with time to spare…

What… the heck?

Forget you saw anything.

What do you mean, "Forget it"?

Since when?

Good question. The entire time?

I can't wait for all this to end.

Miki told you two…

Please don't be angry with her.

She was worried sick about you back then.

Yeah, I understand.

Miki told us that she didn't realize
her friend was struggling.

That she couldn't help her friend at all.

I keep thinking, "Why didn't she tell me?

Am I that unreliable?"

It makes me a little sad.

It's not about you being unreliable.

Maybe your friend
simply didn't want to worry you.

You think so?

SOB

But I wish she was open with me!

Miki!

So…

That's how it made her feel…

I didn't confide in Miki because…

Go, Miki!

Nice!

Gimme five!

…Miki took club activities seriously

while I only attended practice

out of the fear of quitting.
It felt like we were polar opposites.

It was never about trust
or her being unreliable.

Minato must've pieced it together
when he saw the two of you.

That you're the girl in the basketball
club Miki mentioned before.

That must be why
Minato was concerned about you.

So that's it.

I'm sorry.

Maybe we should give middle school a rest.

That's why Amamiya said that…

I completely misunderstood him, and I…

PARANOID - SELF-CONSCIOUS

How embarrassing!

Koyun?

No, I must give him a sincere apology.

A sincere apology? That's a bit heavy.

Want me to be the messenger?

No. I must express my apologetic intent.

Apologetic intent?

I guess he isn't too bothered.

Don't worry about it.
Besides, it's only Minato.

Hey, Amamiya!

Sorry. Over here.

Hello?

What? Are you mad, Amamiya?

Sorry, I was spacing out.

What?

You surprised me.

I thought you were upset
for a second there.

Idiot. Minato's got a resting cranky face.

Why must you stick your nose
into other people's business?

Did she say that
because I was talking with Igarashi?

But is it that big of a deal?

They say, "Don't do unto others
what you wouldn't have them do unto you."

But the opposite isn't necessarily okay?

I don't understand.

Or rather…

we're too different.

We've got completely different values
and outlooks on life.

What's right to me…

and what's right to her are too different.

So no matter what I do for her,
it ends up upsetting her.

So trying to help makes me sanctimonious?

Is it, Miki?

If we're talking about sanctimonious,
then she is too.

She draws a clear line between the people
she likes and those she doesn't.

She accepts Yota and Miki.

Meanwhile, I'm a reject.

MIFFED

It's starting to make me upset.

BOINK
WHOA - BAM

What's the matter?

All right.
I won't bother with her anymore.

It doesn't benefit either of us,
and it's not worth worrying about.

GRADE 1 CLASS 5

Yota.

Where were you during lunch?

The bathroom?

That long?

The day's over, but I couldn't find
the right time to apologize.

Wait, is there such a thing
as a good time to apologize?

GOOD TIME TO APOLOGIZE

I hope I can catch him tomorrow.

See you, Minato.

Bye.

This whole time, not once,

have I given him a fair chance.

I made assumptions based on
what happened in the past

and decided from the start
that we don't vibe.

I rejected him
without ever getting to know him.

I did something I'd hate to go through
to someone else without a thought.

That expression…

It's the face she makes
when her guard is up.

I thought we'd be friends in time,

but that was just my ego talking.

I was arrogant.

To her, I was just a nuisance.

Maybe it was better
if I never bothered her to begin with.

Amamiya!

Huh?

I'm sorry.

Can we talk for a minute?

Do you have time right now?

Yeah. I've got time
to k*ll before my club starts.

So…

What do I even say? I'm ashamed.
I'm ashamed about everything.

MISUNDERSTANDING
PARANOID - SELF-CONSCIOUS

Sorry I was terrible to you.

Okay.

When you mentioned middle school,

I was worried how you knew
what happened in middle school.

Just thinking Igarashi told you
made my stomach churn.

But Yota told me during lunch today
that it was all just a misunderstanding.

Yota did?

The bathroom?

That guy…

I…

got ahead of myself,
and behaved poorly towards you.

I…

I… I…

Words overflow in my mind,

but I can't ever find
the right way to get them out.

I WANT TO GIVE A PROPER APOLOGY
I WANT TO CHANGE

FOR SELF-SATISFACTION?
FOR WHOSE SAKE?

I WANT TO TELL HIM
TELL HIM WHAT?

When words race through my mind,
when I try to get them out,

they get mixed up in my throat.

All these feelings I can't put into words

try to escape by turning into tears.

WHOA…!

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!

Why do I always…

I owe him an apology. I can't cry.

ONLY TEARING UP

Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in!

Hikawa.

It's all right.

You don't have to apologize profusely,

and besides, I'm the one who troubled you.

As if. I was upset until a moment ago.

Why am I the one consoling her?

You can let it out. What…

TEARS FALLING

When someone is kind
as I'm holding back tears,

it all comes out at once…

TEARS STREAMING DOWN

She's crying.

FRAYING - PILLING

HIDE…

I…

IT ALL COMES FLOODING OUT
BAWLING

I lied when I said
I don't have a connection with Igarashi.

What?
- Rather, it's the opposite.

We don't get along anymore.

Where are we carrying these to again?

Turn left, then go straight.

THEY'RE ALONE - CRYING

BOUND TO BE MISUNDERSTOOD

Hikawa.

It's heavy.

See this? What do you think?

What're they doing?

Maybe they found a rare monster.

My parents are…

Thank you.

Who's this?

It's my Pomeranian.

She laughed.

How cute.

Well, I've gotta get going.

Sorry.

Bye.

See you tomorrow.

Okay. See you.

Wait a minute.

Hikawa said
she doesn't get along with Igarashi…

But back then…

Hey. Igarashi?

Do you remember Hikawa?

Hikawa?

I don't remember anyone
by that name from middle school.

Wait…

What does it all mean?

TODAY'S RECOMMENDATION
RAMEN FAIR

RICE - BOWLS

SPACING OUT

It didn't look like
either of them was lying.

Rather, it's the opposite.

Who's that?

What happened between them?

Why must you stick your nose
into other people's business?

SNAPPING OUT

DEFLATED

Is something wrong, Amamiya?

It's nothing.

GRR!

Liar! You've been spacing out
this entire time.

I'm listening.

Then what was I talking about? Tell me!

Aren't you a needy girlfriend.

WHAT YOU JUST SAID

Minato, your noodles will get soggy
if you keep spacing out.

What inspired that combination?
- They don't go together, do they?

They're yummy.

Gluten galore.
- What?

Yota.

Yota told me during lunch today
that it was all just a misunderstanding.

She calls him by his first name.

With the exams out of the way,
we're heading into winter break.

We'll have nothing in common…

SLURP

So what?
- In one go? You're creeping me out!

How will she react if I approach her
the next time we meet?

Will she feel awkward?
Or will she keep a distance, like before?

EPISODE ONE

I'm out of ideas.

BA-BUMP

Amamiya.

BLUSH

What?

Yesterday,

I'm sorry I ended up crying
when I was trying to apologize.

I must've been a mess.

ABSENT-MINDED

It's not that I thought
you'd forgive me if I cried.

Don't worry.

Well, sometimes, we get overwhelmed

and end up crying
for no good reason, right?

DUMBFOUNDED

It happens to you too?

So what?
- What?

You thought I wouldn't
be able to understand?

What?
- That's terrible.

SOB SOB

FLUSTER FLUSTER

To be honest, I didn't expect it.

AH

I may not look it,
but I'm a sensitive guy.

What's that face for?

You're so rude.

Well, I'm going this way.

For your club?
- You guessed it.

Good luck.

Okay.

I shouldn't assume all the time
that people don't understand me

or that they'll reject me.

MIKI - COME TO MY WORK
OVER WINTER BREAK - SEE YA

It's as if something changed
ever so slightly… or maybe not.

I'LL INVITE YOTA TOO

That's the vibe.

Winter break starts tomorrow.

KAWAII CAFE - WELCOME
WINTER BREAK FAIR

Miharu! Sora! It's been a hot minute. Yay!

Yay!

How've you been?

CATCHING UP WITH OLD FRIENDS

Haven't seen you since we graduated.
How's high school going?

It's peaceful and nice.

Well? Are you two dating anyone?

Nope.
- Same.

She didn't miss a beat.

You went through boys in middle school.

Like that handsome upperclassman and
the volleyball guy from another school.

Well, that was…

AN UPPERCLASSMAN
WITH NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER

He asked me out all of a sudden.

MIGHT AS WELL!

He grew on me, so I said yes.

Every time I go out with a guy,
they call it off

because I'm not who they thought I'd be.

GRRR!

Don't go creating an ideal version of me
and then get disappointed!

She went full gorilla mode.

Hey, sorry.

All I'm saying is,
it doesn't count as going out.

Next time I go steady with someone,

I want to be the one to ask him out.

Is there a guy you're into?

Nobody.

What about Amamiya?

Bringing him up now
will only complicate things.

What about you, Koyuki?

Any boys in your life, Koyuki?

Me?

No, thanks.

I don't think I'm cut out
for relationships.

I admire the both of you
for keeping it going with your boyfriends.

It's not that big of a deal.

Do you have any pics?

HEE HEE

Can I show you?

Gotta head off to work. See you.

See you!
- Bye bye.

Let's hang out again.

Koyuki's got it rough.

What can she do?
There's what happened with Igarashi.

To begin with,
why did she go out with Igarashi

in middle school?

I thought she hated his guts.

Yeah, it surprised me too.

I think I'm the one to blame.