Episode 1

Synopsis
Orphaned brothers Ryuuichi and his little brother Kotaro arrive at Morinomiya Academy, where the chairwoman agrees to be their guardian under the condition that Ryuuichi joins the school's Babysitting club.

Long Summary
Ryuu looks at a map of the Morinomiya Academy buildings while Kotaro stands beside him and a cat walks along the campus. He slowly walks towards the chairwoman's office as he observes that the school is huge. Kotaro stops walking, and Ryuu bends down, asking if he is tired and can still walk. Kotaro merely nods, and Ryuu wonders what he means. Ryuu picks up his little brother and assures him that the chairwoman must be really nice, as she has agreed to take in two strangers like the two of them.

As the two walk towards the building, Ryuu sadly recalls that their parents were "free spirits" and hardly came home. One day, they got into a plane crash, so now they will never come home. He remembers that before they could process what just happened, a man named Saikawa met with them on his employer's behalf. His employer, the chairwoman of Morinomiya Academy, had lost her son and daughter-in-law in the same plane crash and is offering to become Ryuu and Kotaro's legal guardian. Ryuu stands before the door to the chairwoman's office and composes himself, telling himself that he should make a proper introduction and offer his condolences. He knocks on the door and hears Saikawa telling them to enter. Before Ryuu can say anything, the chairwoman glares at them, saying that she has been impatiently waiting for them for ages. The chairwoman takes Ryuu by surprise, and Kotaro points to her hair and calls it fluffy. Ryuu immediately covers his brother's mouth and apologizes. He introduces himself as Kashima Ryuuichi and his brother as Kotaro. The chairwoman notes the allusions to dragons and tigers in their names.

Ryuu begins to express his condolences, but the chairwoman cuts him off, informing him that she did not call them over to become her new sons or out of a sense of sympathy. After confirming that Ryuu can take care of infants and toddlers, the chairwoman instructs Saikawa to lead them to the daycare center. She then slams her hands on the desk and stands up, declaring that give-and-take is the law of the world. She points at Ryuu and tells him that in exchange for looking after his needs, he will spend all of his time outside of school as the school's babysitter.

Saikawa closes the door behind him, Ryuu, and Kotaro. He once again introduces himself and asks them to follow him. Ryuu solemnly looks at the door, wondering if the chairwoman does not want them here. Saikawa addresses the two as "Ryuuichi-sama" and "Kotaro-sama" and kneels down, offering a piggy-back ride as a joke, which surprises Ryuu. On their way to the daycare center, Ryuu asks if the chairwoman has grandchildren of her own, which Saikawa declines. The chairwoman looks at a picture of her son and daughter-in-law as Saikawa explains that she no longer has any family. Ryuu then asks what she means by "babysitter," and Saikawa shows him the daycare center. He informs him that he has been instructed to look after the children of the school's employees. He explains that the facility was created to assist the female teachers here, but there has been insufficient funding. The chairwoman's son and daughter-in-law attempted to form a babysitting club, but none of the students were willing to join, and the club was never formed. Ryuu sees that the chairwoman had called him here so he could start the club, and Saikawa apologizes for the encumbrance. Ryuu resolves to do what he can and asks Saikawa to tell the chairwoman that he is grateful for the invitation. Saikawa removes his glasses and wipes his eyes, stating that his nobility has moved him to tears. Saikawa wishes him luck before excusing himself. Kotaro wakes up in Ryuu's arms, and Ryuu tells him that the two of them should make a proper introduction this time. He opens the door, and the children immediately stop moving. They stare at Ryuu as he says that he and Kotaro would like to be their friends. When Ryuu asks where their caregiver is, they immediately run over to a sleeping pink-haired man. One of the toddlers yanks on the man's ear, causing him to wake up and protest from the pain. The baby next to him wakes up crying. Ryuu immediately apologizes for waking him up and begins to introduce himself as the new babysitter. The man replies that he has heard of the two. He holds the baby in his lap as he incorrectly calls them "Ryunosuke" and "Torakichi," and Ryuu quickly corrects him. He stands up and holds out his hand, introducing himself as Usaida Yoshihito, a graduate of this school and the only staff member. Ryuu introduces himself as well as Usaida calls him a lifesaver, as he cannot look after the children when he is looking after the baby. Ryuu thinks to himself that he had just seen him sleeping. The children hold onto Usaida's legs as they ask if they can play with them. Usaida instructs them to say their names, and they immediately and excitedly shout their names. Usaida tells them that they should for the "naming train," and the children line up as they introduce themselves through a cute song. Ryuu then places Kotaro down, and Taka waves a sword at him, labeling him as a monster. He then tells the other children to beat the monster up, and Ryuu panics. He nervously steps in, volunteering to be the monster, and the children eagerly attack him. Kotaro sees that they are bullying his brother and attempts to save him, but his efforts are in vain, as he is simply knocked back each time he tries to enter the moshpit. Ryuu tells Kotaro to play elsewhere for a little while and assures him that he is fine.

Kotaro sits down near the bookshelves and pulls out a book about Panda-chan. He solemnly looks over at his brother as Usaida kneels down beside him. He asks if he wants his big brother back, but Kotaro shakes his head. Usaida then asks if he wants him to read the book to him, but Kotaro also shakes his head. He looks over at Ryuu and the children and pats Kotaro's head, telling him that in this room, he will not notice unless he calls for him.

Usaida calls Ryuu over and informs him that his shift is over. He notes that the chairwoman is rather stingy and is unwilling to pay him overtime. He hands Midori over to Ryuu and tell shim that the mothers should be arriving soon. He asks if he thinks he cannot handle it, but Ryuu insists that he will be able to take care of the children. As Usaida leaves, he tells himself that he would have stayed if he asked. He walks away as he comments that the two brothers are rather similar. Taka attacks Ryuu by pulling his hair and ears. Kirin asks Ryuu if he would like to eat, and Ryuu looks over to see toy food and plates. He asks her to wait a moment, so Kirin says that she will play the role of the mother and Midori, the baby. She attempts to drag Midori for a nap, but Ryuu warns her that it could be dangerous. Kazuma chases Takuma, who runs right through Kirin's neatly set up food, much to Kirin's dismay. Kazuma slips and falls, but Ryuu immediately picks him up. Before Kazuma begins to cry, Takuma pats his head and tells him that his pain has "flown away." Kirin solemnly looks at the food she set up, but Ryuu asks if she can make the meal again, and Kirin eagerly agrees. Midori starts to cry as Ryuu quickly picks her up and rocks her. As Taka continues to pull his ears, Ryuu realizes just how much energy children can have. Ryuu asks Kotaro, who is looking at a book, if he is alright, and Kotaro simply nods.

The children's mothers arrive, and the children run into their arms. Kirin's mother asks who Ryuu is, so Ryuu introduces himself as the new member of the babysitting club. The mothers then introduce themselves as well: Midori's mother is Yukari Sawatari, Takuma and Kazuma's mother is Umi Mamizuka, and Kirin's mother is Yayoi Kumatsuka. Ryuu shows them Kotaro, and the mothers are pleased to see that the children have a new friend. The mothers thank him for his hard work before leaving with the children.

Ryuu sighs as he leans against the wall next to the door. He sees that the teachers work rather late into the day, and tiredly wonders when Taka's mother will show up. Before he can finish his thought, a boy, who is much taller than Ryuu and has an intimidating glare, slams the door open and yells to Taka that it is time to go. Ryuu, surprised, looks at him, and he stares back, asking who he is. Ryuu introduces himself again and includes that he is in his third year of junior high. The boy introduces himself as Hayato Kamitani, also in his third year of junior high. He asks if Ryuu is the transfer student in his class that he has heard about and makes a proper introduction greeting. Ryuu returns the gesture and thinks to himself that he might look scary, but he is actually quite nice. Hayato apologizes for coming late, as his club kept him for long and his parent is grading papers. Taka holds onto Ryuu's leg and tells his brother that he is not going. Hayato glares at him as he sternly announces that they are going. Taka starts to shout, saying that he will play with Ryuu, and Hayato hits him on the head. Taka starts crying, and Ryuu, surprised, nervously tells Hayato that he does not have to hit Taka. Hayato stands up as he informs Ryuu that words are not enough to convince him. Taka hits Hayato's legs as he cries, but Hayato simply ignores him. Hayato suggests that Ryuu look after his own brother, as he looks lonely all by himself. Hayato excuses himself, and Ryuu thanks him.

Ryuu sits down next to Kotaro and apologizes for not spending much time with him. He asks if he would like him to read the book to him, but Kotaro falls onto Ryuu's lap. Ryuu sees that Kotaro has pink cheeks and is breathing heavily. Ryuu wraps Kotaro with his uniform as he sprints out to Hayato, who is walking with Taka. He begs Hayato to show him where the closest hospital is, as his brother has a fever. Hayato agrees, and quickly drops off Taka at their mother's office. Hayato and Ryuu run towards the hospital, and Ryuu reflects on his negligence towards Kotaro's wellbeing. He asks himself why he left him alone when he knows that Kotaro does not tend to admit that something is wrong.

The doctor tells Ryuu that he has a fever probably from stress from a new environment and that he will get better after a bit of rest. The nurse informs Ryuu that she will look after him until their parents come, and Ryuu steps out and sits on the hospital steps. He opens his phone to call his parents, but when he dials his father's number, he remembers that his parents will not come back. He hears his parents' voices in his head, but begins to cry. Ryuu reminds himself that no matter what he calls them for, they will never come. He also realizes that he is the only one who can protect Kotaro, his only family. Just then, the chairwoman places her hand on Ryuu's head, noting that he is finally crying. She recalls that during the funeral for the plane crash victims, she saw that the only ones who were not crying were her, Ryuu, and Kotaro. She tells Ryuu that those who they have lost will not come back, but that does not mean that they are alone in this world. Tears drip down Ryuu's face as the chairwoman says that he does not have to be strong all by himself. Ryuu then realizes that somewhere inside of him, he felt that his parents would come back, just like they always had. The chairwoman places her hand on his shoulder as she suggests that he go see his brother.

Ryuu steps into the hospital to hear crying. The nurse brings out a crying Kotaro, informing Ryuu that he has been crying ever since he woke up. Kotaro turns towards his brother and reaches his arms out, calling for him. Ryuu hugs Kotaro as he calls him an idiot for not calling him over sooner. Ryuu also starts crying as he wonders whether Kotaro has realized that he will not see his parents again. He reflects upon whether or not the two should have started crying sooner. That night, the chairwoman comes into Ryuu and Kotaro's room to properly tuck in their blanket. When she leaves, Ryuu tears up, noting that the blanket is warm. Ryuu sees that the chairwoman is right, that no one is truly alone.

The chairwoman calls for Saikawa and demands where the shabby flowers on her desk came from. She grumbles that if visitors saw these flowers, they would think she is running a backwater school. Saikawa apologizes and explains that these are flowers that Ryuu and Kotaro picked for her. She gasps, and Saikawa prepares to dispose of the flowers. Before Saikawa can pick up the vase, the chairwoman takes them back. Saikawa asks the chairwoman if she likes them after all, but the chairwoman blushes as she claims that she changed her mind. Ryuu's teacher introduces Ryuu to the class, and he allows Ryuu to introduce himself as well. Ryuu stutters, but when he sees Hayato looking at him, he feels more confident, and he proudly introduces himself as a member of the babysitting club. At the daycare center, Ryuu informs Usaida that Kotaro suffered from a fever, but he recovered since he went to the hospital. Hayato says that it is good that Kotaro has recovered, and Ryuu thanks him. They watch as Taka asks Kotaro if he would like to read his favorite book with him. Kotaro nods, and the other children smile in excitement. Ryuu reads the book about heroes to the children as Usaida falls asleep holding Midori.

Characters In Order of Appearance

 * Ryuuichi Kashima
 * Kotaro Kashima
 * The Cat
 * Saikawa Keigo
 * Morinomiya Youko
 * Usaida Yoshihito
 * Taka Kamitani
 * Kirin Kumatsuka
 * Kazuma Mamizuka
 * Takuma Mamizuka
 * Midori Sawatari
 * Yukari Sawatari
 * Yayoi Kumatsuka
 * Umi Mamizuka
 * Hayato Kamitani
 * Shizuka Kamitani

Changes From the Manga

 * The children only introduced themselves once simultaneously in the manga. Hearing this in the anime wouldn't be practical, an issue Usaida specifically points out. So the children form their naming train and introduce themselves again, one-by-one.
 * This also provides the Kashimas (and viewers) with an introduction to Midori, who went unnamed in her first appearance.
 * The anime provides an extended look on Ryuu's first day in the nursery.
 * The anime uses the following introductions to explicitly clarify that students and staff at school got prior notice a transfer student would be arriving.
 * Rather than small cameos, mothers Umi, Yayoi, and Yukari are presented getting formally acquainted with Ryuu and Kotaro when they arrive to pick up their children.
 * Likewise, Hayato gets a little more introduction, bringing up his involvement in club activities.
 * Rather than sending Taka to stay with Shizuka on his own, Hayato brings him to their mother himself before escorting the Kashimas to the pediatric hospital.
 * The trip to the hospital is changed from taking Hayato's bike to going on foot.