02x06 - Threshold of Spring

[bunniefuu]

Congrats!

I'm so happy for you!

Wishing you happiness together!

Yay! Yay!

Thank you.

Yamada got himself a girlfriend.

Who's the girl? Is it someone I know?

Who said it first?

What number date were you on?

Hey! Calm down!

He's really getting grilled.

Girls really love hearing about other
people's love lives, don't they?

Why is that?

Why ask me?

It's not just love life stuff.

Your hearing's way too good.

We just want to get excited
about good news!

And join in.

That's jumping on the bandwagon.

The life essence obtained from
romantic gossip rejuvenates the heart.

Are you a witch?

Who doesn't wanna celebrate
a pal's happiness, though, right?

Why are you talking like that?

And don't all answer in a row like that!

Taira, your Prince Shotoku-style
retorts are on point again today.

I never agreed to that role!

Did you get a Valentine's gift?

Yeah!

I'm jealous!

Yamada-san, nice work!

Sounds nice! Very nice!

To be honest...

I thought I'd feel a lot
more conflicted about this.

But since I watched the
process unfold...

I'm honestly glad for him.

Yamada, I'm happy for you.

You're saying that now?!

I'm curious. What's the girl like?

I have a photo.

Your phone screen's busted!

She works library duty with Tani. Right?

Huh? Tani, you know her from before?

Yeah.

So that's what was going on.

Once again...

I was a scared victim of a delusion
created by my own misunderstanding.

Hey, Taira...

You tend to hold back laughter, don't you?

Huh? Why the sudden question?

It might seem sudden...

but I've low-key
noticed it for a while now.

I saw you make a sort of squishy,
smiley face a few times today,

and realized that I haven't really
seen you burst out laughing.

And it turns out... that pudding
was my older brother's!

The way he laughs is so creepy.

He shouldn't eavesdrop
on people's conversations.

My friends are coming over,
so stop laughing like that.

What?

It'd be weird for me to
laugh a lot, wouldn't it?

What?

Do you think you're the cool type?

No, I don't.

I...

have a creepy laugh.

Huh? Is that something
you'd know yourself?

People told me a long time ago.

A girl in class, and others...

It was in elementary school,
and that's all they said.

But that's when my habit of
holding back laughter started.

Wait, why am I...

Ever since elementary school?

A deeply stubborn habit!

That was years ago now, though, right?

That must be exhausting.

Huh?

So, every time something
makes you laugh,

you get a flash of a bad memory?

That's gotta be rough, right?

Oh... No, it's just a habit now,
so it doesn't bother me.

Really?

Why did I tell her that
when I didn't have to?

No, it still bothers me! What do you
mean, you have a creepy laugh?

People are better off
being able to laugh!

It's fine already!

What's her problem?
Whoever said that...

If it was Nabe, I'll hit her
with a cinder block!

Does she have a history
of saying stuff like that?

See? The train's angry, too.

No, it's not.

The emergency stop button has been
pressed, so the train has come to a stop.

Seriously?

Azuma, do you have work today?

It's fine. I don't have work today.

What else? Don't you have
any more complaints?

I know you do. Bring 'em on out.

Stop assuming that I do!
Why are you doing this all of a sudden?

Taira, you know, before...

you got angry for my sake and said
I was the only one getting worn down.

- Please forget all that...

- Y-Yeah.

- The thing is, before you said that,
I'd never even considered it.

But once you did say it,
I realized that you were right.

I tried thinking back on stuff,

and those times when
I shouldn't have just let things slide.

I've gotten better and better
at recognizing them.

I feel a little bit better.

It's a sense of progress, right?

Huh? What was I talking about again?

I messed up the landing.

So, um, basically...

I'll listen to whatever
you've got, you know?

That summary is so sloppy.

I appreciate the thought.

Yeah?

Thank you.

Sure.

Oh, we're moving.

Hey, is it okay if I sleep?

Will you wake me up
when we get to the station?

Sure.

A sense of progress.

Unlike in the past, I have friends I can
honestly celebrate the good stuff with.

And I have someone I can open up
to about my weaknesses.

Right now, that's the environment I'm in.

And for me, that's progress.

Or rather, I get
the feeling that it isn't.

The way I overthink things
and recall a bunch of stuff...

It's like a habit for my head to
just overflow with all of that.

It isn't that I'm working hard
to resolve anything.

I lucked out by having these
people around me right now,

but my own nature hasn't changed at all.

Azuma is digging through her past...

and using it to change her present.

While I drag it out
to provide an reason

for why I am the way that I am.

I take all the unpleasant
things from my past

and position them where
it's easy for me to recall them.

I link them together within myself

to pretend I understand my present.

I'm just staring at
the wounds in my heart.

It's like time spent in self-harm.

I'm aware of that, and I'm still doing it.

Forget making progress...

I'm moving backward.

That's how it is.
I haven't accepted myself,

so I can't imagine anyone else
accepting me as I am.

Unless I break this habit
of digging up the past...

Next stop, Yamaneko Station.
Yamaneko Station.

Azuma, the station is coming up.

Morning.

Why?

Huh? Why what?

Oh, this?

If you shut out the light,
you can sleep for real, right?

Wait... What was I thinking about again?

If I were alone, I'd look suspicious, but
you were here, so I figured it was fine.

It's not fine. Don't lay your
suspiciousness on me.

Taira, people might've thought you're
a suspicious person's companion.

Why am I the companion?

That's a lot of laughing.

It's just... Taira, the angle of
your reaction is funny.

What does that even mean?

Now you're starting to laugh, too.

He's right. The way
he laughs is pretty unique.

What happens in March: Number 1...

Graduation!

Well, to start with,
a graduation ceremony is...

The third-year upperclassmen
have graduated.

Every March feels a little lonely.

Huh? Why? Suzuki, you have
your birthday, don't you?

Yeah, but it's also a season of...
goodbyes? Or change?

Graduation and changing classes...

And my birthday's during spring break.

Oh, that's true.

When I see the now-empty second floor,
I feel this sort of pressure.

Really?

I just thought, "Next year,
we'll finally be on the second floor."

That means fewer stairs to climb.

I didn't think anything at all.

Wow.

Do you understand?

One more time!

What happens in March: Number 2...

Okay, that's time.

Pass your answer sheets up to the front.

Hey, give it up.

End-of-year exams.

They've died.

All kinds of stuff is coming to an end.
It makes me feel lonely.

I'm glad exams are over, but it's sad
that we're changing classes, right?

Yeah.

Oh, what an honest reaction.

Well, I've made some good friends, so...

Including me?

You're in a different category.

You're the one who brought it up.
Don't get so embarrassed.

- STARE

- Oh.

This is for White Day.

Yay!

Thank you! Can I open it?

Yeah.

When I saw the... packaging?
I thought it was something you might like.

I like it! I like it!

It's so cute! I'm so happy!

To be honest, I don't know
how the candy inside tastes.

I mean, that's just the way
these things are, right?

When I imagine Yuusuke-han picking
this out, I just can't stop grinning.

Please stop.

There's more in here!

It's candy!

You're giving me two things? Thank you!

Did you get both at the same shop?

No, I got the candy later.

Really?

White Day Candy Meaning

Wait!

Don't trouble yourself...

to look it up.

There's no need.

You're totally panicking!

Actually, that means you looked into
this stuff in advance for me, right?

BDMP BDMP BDMP BDMP

BDMP BDMP BDMP BDMP

Hey!

What gives?

I didn't think you'd come
from that direction.

I felt like if I took the same route
as you, I'd probably catch up.

Oh, I see.

Hey, you know what?
I got all my exams back.

Do you think it's good news or bad news?

Oh, um...

He's so easy to read.

Good news!

Bingo!

Repeating a year avoided!
Advancement guaranteed!

That's great! I'm so happy for you!

Yamada-kun, I wasn't sure what I'd do
if you became my underclassman.

Seriously, for real.

I don't even wanna think about watching
everyone else graduate without me.

At our graduation ceremony, we've gotta
take a picture together with our diplomas.

What?

Yeah.

Oh! Hang on a sec.

Ta-dah! For White Day!

My older sister buys these sometimes,

and they're really good,
so I wanted you to try some, too!

Your face is so red!

I hadn't even imagined us
a year from now, so I was surprised.

Let's graduate in a way
that's not precarious, okay?

White Day...

It was kind of unexpected for you
and Tani to have return gifts.

Huh?

And Yamada's a whole other thing.

Hey, stop classifying people.

But, I mean, in terms of
personality, right?

That doesn't actually work
as a follow-up comment.

But, to be honest, since it was squeezed
into the testing period, I almost forgot.

I get it. Same here.

Also, Tani and I didn't discuss
everything in advance, okay?

- I didn't want to be the only one empty-
handed, so I brought stuff just in case.

- Ala La-no Biscuit Family Pack

- Senbei

- But he remembered how many he
received, so he's far more conscientious.

- There's no need to put
yourself down like that.

But Suzuki's smug smile
was pretty funny, wasn't it?

Isn't she supposed to feel jealous
or something? Not that I really know.

Azuma.

Will you... accept these?

Huh?

What? I can have all of these?

Why? Did you have extra?

She's been helping me out
since we were first-years.

But I only started thinking of
it that way recently.

And it wouldn't make sense to suddenly
thank her for all of that now.

Um...

I just... wanted to do
something for you, Azuma.

Yeah?

"Giving thanks" is probably less about
what the other person thinks,

and more about processing
your own feelings.

March.

There are endings,
and there are also beginnings.

It's sad, but also exciting.

It seems like nothing will change,
and also that everything has changed.

And so, it's nearly spring.

Oh! They're about to bloom!

This all ends today, huh?

What is this I'm feeling?

Emotional?

That.

I wish I could've petted
the cat at Tani's place.

That's got nothing to do
with the school year.

Can I go to your house?

Sure.

I'm going, too!

I'm scared to get my report card back.

I'm sure it'll be fine.

Hey, did you watch SudaKen last night?!

You mean in the drama?

Yeah!

I watched the preview commercial.

I watched the promo.

I wouldn't call that "watching."

My mama likes it,
so she's been watching it.

Azu-mama!

I honestly really like that bad boy
character SudaKen is playing.

Yes! Exactly!

When he said, "Look only
at me," that was crazy!

Exactly!

I think I might not like him.

Yeah, probably not.

Headstrong guys like that really do
tend to make my heart skip a beat.

So, you are still like that, huh?

Grrr...

No. In Naoya's case, he's
not simply an assertive character.

It's the forms of kindness that he's shown

that make him cool.
It's different, see?

- His rough nature on top of all that
makes him even more amazing.

- Why are they talking
about this on the last day?

- You can understand
his awesomeness.

Well, to begin with, spring break is...

Well, good work this year.

This is our last time.
Aren't you being too casual?

I'll take a photo of you two sitting
next to each other for the last time.

Thanks!

Actually, we've been like this ever since
we changed seats before summer.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about it.

Hey.

Hey, teacher! Let's take a picture!

Smile!

Expressionless.

Well, we've got club stuff, so...

Okay! Work hard!

Later!

Everyone's scattering.

It makes me so sad!
I wanna hang out some more!

Who's free after this?

Yeah!

- SQUEE SQUEE
YAY YAY YAY

- Let's all do photo booths together!

- Can we fit this many people?

- There's that run-down
arcade near the station.

- It still has some machines that
can take large groups, right?

- Whoa, that brings back memories.
What's the name of that place again?

- SQUEE SQUEE
YAY YAY YAY

- Taira-kun, do you have work today?

- I don't have work today.

It's so hot!

I don't think we can fit this many people.

Three, two, one!

What're you looking at?

This.

It's a sticker-print machine. The fact
that it sent a video makes no sense.

That bothers you?

What's it matter? Besides, you won rock-
paper-scissors, so you kept the sticker.

I'm not complaining out of an
overwhelming desire for the sticker.

He says that, but he put it
away very carefully.

Our lives as second-year
students are over.

Bye, then.

Hey, um...

Want to go get something to eat?

I mean, it's not so much that I'm hungry.

It's more of an, "Are you
free for a little longer?"

I don't want to go home yet.

I get it.

"I get it"? Why did I give
such a weird answer?

So I came, but...

This is my neighborhood.

There's no one I know here, right?

What's wrong? Someone needing
a cinder block to the face?

Phrasing.

No, there's no one in particular.

Even if you do spot someone,
just act confident.

There's no need for you to feel anxious.

I mean, you're right, but...

Look only at me, okay?

That sounds like what SudaKen
said in the drama last night.

Sorry if I made your heart skip a beat.

You didn't.

I mean... Actually, I'm fine now.

Yeah?

It's just...

If nothing changes whether
I'm bothered or not,

then I need to be able to control
myself so I'm not too bothered.

In my case, the problems are ones
that I create within myself,

- so I've realized that there's nothing
that can be done about them and...

- Excuse me!

- Hey!

Sorry. I'm listening.
I'm totally listening.

That's what people say
when they're not listening.

Not that you need to listen.

There are no servers here.
Do you think they're short staffed?

Oh.

There's a touch panel right there.

And you totally had your hand raised.

Actually, wouldn't you usually
use a call button?

Oh, you're right! That's crazy!

What's so funny about that?

Don't go logical all of a sudden!

Bye, then.

Yeah.

Hey, you know...

In your next class, if anything annoying
happens, I'll listen to your complaints.

So, can I come and talk
to you about stuff again?

Yeah. I'll be counting on it.

What kind of face is that?

My face has always looked like this.

This connection...

I didn't want to lose it.

- He isn't the type
I like in that way at all.

- Easy to understand Strong Dependable
[Someone who's a little rough]

- Complicated Sensitive A lot
of work Worried about him

I worry about him.

He can be a hassle.

He's easier to be around
than other people.

When there's distance
between us, I feel lonely,

and when he's close, I feel happy.

This restless feeling I have right now...

I wonder which feeling it could be.