Episode 8

Synopsis
Ryuuichi receives his first love letter, much to his surprise, and Kotaro begins to notice his brother's strange behavior. The Kamitani brothers invite Ryuu and Kotaro to the summer festival, but Taka loses his favorite toy sword.

Act One
Ryuu opens his shoe locker and finds a pink envelope. He looks at the envelope and sees his name while Usokawa demands to know if it is a love letter. He shakes his head and panics, complaining that it is not fair that Ryuu has received a letter. He asks who the sender is, as he has never seen a love letter in a shoe locker before.

Kawata and Ushimaru watch the scene, and when Usokawa mentions Ushimaru, Kawata asks if Ushimaru wrote the letter, but Ushimaru firmly denies this. Ushimaru turns around in despair, wondering if Inomata wrote the letter. Hayato takes the envelope and sees that there is no name on it. He suggests that it is simply a prank. He waves the letter around and asks why a girl would use such an old-fashioned way to confess.

Ryuu blushes and snatches the letter from him, telling him that he will check it himself, so he does not have to open it. Hayato states that he does not open things that do not belong to him. Ryuu is still in disbelief that this is a love letter, claiming that girls do not like him. Hayato and Usokawa ask themselves how many girls he has ignored to believe such a thing. Ryuu opens the letter, but Inomata interrupts him, telling him that dawdling in front of the lockers is a nuisance. Ryuu hides the letter behind him and assures her that they will be leaving soon. Usokawa takes the letter from Ryuu's hand and starts to read it.

As Usokawa reads the letter, Ryuu and Inomata freeze. The sender of the letter admits her crush on Ryuu and asks if he would be willing to meet her tomorrow morning behind the school building before clubs meet. Usokawa smiles when he sees the name and class of the girl on the letter, which stun Inomata and Ushimaru.

Usokawa exclaims that it really is a love letter, and he thinks to himself that he is jealous, but this means that he can have Ushimaru. He looks over at Ryuu and asks him what he will do, but Ryuu's face has turned completely red, and Ryuu is covering his mouth with his arm. Hayato asks Usokawa why he is blushing as well. Ryuu stutters as he explains that this has never happened to him. He takes the letter from Usokawa and quickly puts it back in the envelope as he plans to think of a response. He swiftly walks towards the exit when Hayato reminds him that he still has his indoor shoes on. Usokawa and Hayato watch Ryuu stumble on his way to the daycare center. Hayato asks why Ryuu is so flustered by a girl's confession, angering Usokawa.

Kawata notices that Ushimaru and Inomata are aghast, so she puts her hands on their shoulders and tells them that they can vent to her. She suggests that they stop by somewhere on their way home and invites Inomata along. Inomata asks why she is invited and points out that making detours on the way home is inappropriate, but Kawata tells her to do it anyway. At the daycare center, Usaida and the children surround Ryuu. Usaida notices Ryuu's red cheeks and asks if he has a cold and offers a thermometer. Ryuu stutters and lies that he had simply run to the daycare center after school. Kotaro grabs a blanket and puts it on Ryuu's lap, but Ryuu pats his head and assures him that he does not have a cold. Ryuu tells himself to calm down, but Kotaro notices the nervous look on his face.

Throughout the day, Ryuu's head is clouded with thoughts about the confession. He holds the picture book upside-down when he reads to the children and only notices when Kirin points it out. Ryuu drops the container of baby powder as he is changing Midori's diaper. On the children's walk towards the Baseball Club, Hayato reminds him that he has once again forgotten to change his shoes. Ryuu admits that he feels happy that someone likes him and figures that perhaps he really is interested in these romantic things. At dinner, Saikawa congratulates Ryuu as he holds a bowl of red rice. The chairwoman asks if there is something worth celebrating when she sees huge containers of red rice on the table, and Saikawa explains that Ryuu has received his first love letter today. Ryuu panics and quickly denies this, confusing the chairwoman. Ryuu sits down and tries to change the subject, stating that the red rice looks delicious. Kotaro looks at his brother's red cheeks and then at his bowl of red rice. The chairwoman asks Ryuu if he has a cold and instructs him to take a bath and go to bed early. Ryuu sits on his bed after his shower with a towel around his neck. Kotaro looks at all the picture books on the floor, and Ryuu tells him to quickly choose a book before he gets chilly from his bath. He leans over and props his head on his arm. Kotaro holds out a book to his brother, but he sees that Ryuu is red and in a daze.

Ryuu suddenly turns to Kotaro and asks if he has chosen a book. Kotaro puts the book behind his back and shakes his head. Kotaro puts the book down and reaches his arms out to Ryuu, who asks if he wants to go to bed without a story, which is rather unusual for Kotaro. Ryuu tucks him into bed and pats him, telling him that he will study for a little longer. Kotaro nods and slowly closes his eyes. The next morning, Saikawa bows to the two as they leave for school. Ryuu continues to think about the confession. He tells himself that he will politely decline; he appreciates the sentiment, but he cannot manage dating and taking care of Kotaro at the same time. He wonders if he can turn her down without being rude. Kotaro looks at his brother and then an orange tree. He lets go of a distracted Ryuu's hand and runs towards the tree. Meanwhile, Inomata angrily tells herself that she only left early to study as she walks to school. She blushes as she denies being interested in the confession. At the same time, Ushimaru walks to school and admits that she has no reason to be here so early. The two bump into each other at the school gates. Before they can speak much, Ryuu suddenly grabs onto Inomata's arm. He pants, as he had ran all the way up to her. He catches his breath and asks if either of them has seen his brother Kotaro. He explains that he was not paying attention, so he lost track of Kotaro. Inomata says that she has not seen him, so Ryuu runs down the street to find him. Inomata calls after him and tells him that there is something else he should say instead of turning pale and blaming himself. Ryuu looks at her with a confused expression, and Inomata tells him that she will help him find Kotaro. Ushimaru also offers to help since she knows the area well. As the three search in vain, Ryuu panics, wondering where his brother is. Just then, he hears Hayato call his name. He turns around and sees Hayato with Taka on his shoulder. He looks down and sees Kotaro, who is holding an orange, by Hayato's feet. Hayato explains that Kotaro had wandered into someone's yard to pick him an orange. Kotaro holds out the fruit and calls it a lemon. He also says something about the chairwoman's medicine. Ryuu remembers that Kotaro had squeezed lemon juice to make him medicine when he was sick. He recalls that Kotaro has been taking care of him as if he were sick and realizes that Kotaro had misunderstood his blushing as signs of a cold. In his head, Ryuu asks Kotaro if he had worried him that much. Ryuu kneels down and holds Kotaro's hands. Tears drip out of his eyes as he tells Kotaro that the fruit is not a reason to leave his brother behind and run off. Later, Ryuu bows as he apologizes to the girl who had written him the letter. She respects his decision and walks away in disappointment. Ryuu slowly walks away, and Hayato, who was listening in on the conversation, asks why he rejected her since he seemed rather interested. Ryuu smiles and says that Kotaro is his number one priority at the moment. Meanwhile at the daycare center, Usaida corrects Kotaro, informing him that the fruit is a tangerine, but Kotaro tightly hugs it and insists that it is a lemon. Hayato and Ryuu walk together, with Hayato telling him that his priority is not healthy. Ryuu becomes flustered and tells him to leave him alone. Ushimaru, who had been hiding in the bushes near Ryuu and the sender's rendezvous, asks Inomata, who was next to her, if this means that the two of them have also been turned down just now. Inomata insists that she is not interested in Ryuu and points out that she is actually relieved that Ryuu acted like himself. Ushimaru excitedly asks Inomata if she can call her "Maria-chan" and hopes that they can be good friends. Inomata blushes as she tells her not to call her by her first name. Ushimaru asks why, and Inomata explains that it does not feel like her. Ushimaru continues to call her "Maria-chan," causing Inomata to protest in embarassment. Later that day, Inomata arrives at Class C. Ryuu greets her, but Inomata informs him that she is not here to see him. Ushimaru asks if she is here to see her, and Inomata blushes as she denies coming for her. She explains that she was instructed to bring a stack of print-outs to this classroom. Ushimaru thanks her and calls her "Maria-chan" again. Inomata blushes and tells her not to call her by her first name. Ryuu smiles as he sees that Inomata has been making many friends lately.

Act Two
Saikawa picks up the ringing phone and greets the caller, but he only hears heavy breathing. He opens one eye in confusion and hears a loud smack. On the other end, Hayato has hit Taka, who is holding the phone, and scolds him to stop stalling and give his name, asking him if he is a pervert. Taka tears up, complaining that it was not Ryuu who had answered the phone. Hayato tells him that if he is going to get all shy, he should not have insisted on making the call himself. Taka asks him to ask for Ryuu and Kotaro, so Hayato takes the phone from him. Hayato apologizes and begins to ask for Ryuu and Kotaro, but Saikawa interrupts him and tells him that the color of his underwear is black. Hayato tells him that he never asked, and Saikawa excuses himself, citing that it was a joke. He then informs Hayato that he will get Ryuu on the line. Ryuu, who is holding Kotaro, picks up the phone and greets Hayato. Taka anxiously calls out to his brother that he wants to be the one to talk. Hayato ignores him and asks Ryuu if he and Kotaro have free time, which Ryuu affirms. Ryuu then asks him to wait a moment and asks Kotaro if he would like to speak on the phone. Taka excitedly holds the phone and shakes in nervousness, and Hayato tells him to hurry up and speak already. On the other line, Ryuu asks Kotaro, who is holding the phone in an odd way, where he is trying to listen from. Taka quickly and loudly invites Kotaro to go to the summer festival with him. Kotaro's eyes open wide as Taka proudly shows his brother that he was able to ask him. Hayato and Taka then hear a loud bump from the other end, and Hayato asks if everything is alright. Ryuu rubs Kotaro's head as he explains to Hayato that Kotaro hit his head on the phone when he nodded his head in response. Hayato calls Kotaro an idiot, and Ryuu agrees. Ryuu asks the chairwoman for permission to attend the festival. She agrees, but she warns him not to be wasteful with his money, as many vendors tend to swindle their customers. She puts her reading glasses on and claims that she does not understand people who are willing to buy trash like that. Ryuu thinks to himself that she is right: stalls encourage customers to buy things that they would never want otherwise. Saikawa presents Ryuu and Kotaro a pair of yutakas to wear to the festival and offers to help them put them on if they are unsure how. At the festival, Taka, who is wearing a yutaka, waves his toy sword around as he and Hayato wait for Ryuu and Kotaro. Hayato instructs him to stop swinging his sword, as he will get in other people's way. He scoffs and asks why he brought his sword today anyway, telling Taka not to blame him if he loses his sword. Taka insists that he will not lose his sword, but Hayato thinks otherwise.

Ryuu calls out to Hayato, who turns his head. Ryuu asks if he had been waiting long and apologizes. Hayato dismisses the concern, as they had invited him rather suddenly, but stops mid-sentence to ask why Ryuu put so much effort into his outfit. Ryuu sets Kotaro down as he explains that Saikawa and the chairwoman put a lot of thought into the outfits, so it would have been rude to turn them down. Hayato asks if Saikawa is the one with the black underwear, which confuses Ryuu. Taka grabs Kotaro's hand and starts running towards the different stalls at the festival. Ryuu calls after them, telling them that they might get lost. Hayato glares and clenches his fist, wondering if it was best to hit Taka before he causes anymore trouble. Ryuu tells Hayato that they have to keep an eye on the two. Kotaro's eyes sparkle as he looks at a concession stand worker as he spins cotton candy around the machine. Kotaro excitedly looks at his wrapped up cotton candy, and while Taka eats it immediately, Kotaro insists on saving it for later, despite Ryuu's warning that it will soon shrivel up. Taka looks over at a booth, and Hayato turns to see what he is looking at. The booth features several different toys, including a hero's transformation belt toy, attached to different strings in a lottery-type game. The stand attendant asks if Taka and Kotaro would like to try, and Taka tells his brother that he wants the belt. However, Ryuu and Hayato quickly sweep the boys away from the booth. Hayato suggests that they get something more substantial to eat, and Ryuu agrees, much to Taka's dismay. Ryuu and Hayato know that the strings are not even connected to the toys, especially the new, expensive game system. Taka immediately begins to bawl and wave his cotton candy stick around. Usaida greets Ryuu and Hayato from a goldfish booth. Ryuu asks what he is doing here, and Usaida compliments their yutakas. He asks what has happened to Taka, who is still sniffling. Taka tells him that he wants the belt, and Ryuu asks Usaida what he is doing at the booth again. He explains that he is here for a part-time job from his neighbor. Usaida hands Taka and Kotaro some goldfish scoopers, telling them to cheer up. Ryuu asks if it is alright for them to have the fish, but Usaida tells them that they still have to pay. Hayato sets down Taka and asks why he is charging them. Usaida offers to make it 200 yen instead of 300 yen just for them, causing Hayato to tell him that he is making a hard sell. Taka stamps his foot and cries, demanding to pull the string instead of scoop goldfish. Hayato warns him that if he does not shut up, he will leave him with Usaida, which stuns Taka. Hayato then asks Taka where his toy sword went. Taka looks at his hands and sees only a cotton candy stick. Ryuu recalls that Taka had brought his sword with him. Taka looks at himself and then at Kotaro, Usaida, Ryuu, and Hayato. Hayato bluntly tells him that he has lost it, and Taka looks at him with shock. Taka stays silent for moment but screeches and cries, which attracts the attention of all the festival-goers. Taka drops to his knees and bawls on the floor, causing Hayato to hit him and order him to get a grip. Much later, when the sky is becoming darker, Ryuu holds and comforts Taka. Ryuu assures him that if they retrace their steps, they can find his sword. Hayato suggests to Ryuu that he and Kotaro go off to enjoy the festival by themselves while he helps Taka. Hayato tells him that since they are not at school, he has no obligation to look after him. He also adds that Taka is a pain to be around. Ryuu replies that he genuinely wants to help him, citing that the two of them are friends. After Hayato stays silent, Ryuu gasps as he realizes that Hayato potentially does not see him in the same way. Hayato then tells him that he really is something, saying that if Taka were not his little brother, he would never spend time with him. Taka begins to cry again, causing Ryuu to tell Hayato not to make his brother cry. The four retrace their steps in an effort to find Taka's sword. Usokawa, Ebizawa, and Saginuma greet Ryuu. Usokawa asks Ryuu if he has seen any cute girls around, which Ryuu denies. Ryuu informs them that they are looking for something, and Usokawa immediately asks if they are looking for hot girls. Ryuu sighs in defeat after they search the cotton candy stand. Taka cries for his sword, but the cotton candy maker tells them that there is a lost-and-found at the festival office, so the four of them quickly rush to that booth. At the lost-and-found, Ryuu greets Yagi, admitting that he was wondering why there were so many girls around this stand. Hayato asks if this is a host club. Yagi explains that he lives in the neighborhood, so he decided to help. Ryuu tells Yagi that Taka lost his sword. Yagi looks down at Taka, who is tearing up and holding hands with Kotaro. Yagi says that it is quite awful, but he smiles and his nose starts to bleed. Ryuu asks if he is alright, but Chuukichi tells him not to worry about him. Ryuu looks over at Chuukichi and his siblings, and Chuukichi explains that he is in charge of the lost-and-found. Chuukichi instructs Suekichi and Kichi to get out all the toy swords, and they immediately comply. Taka looks at all the swords and realizes that his is not here. Chuukichi apologizes, explaining that these are the only swords they have received. Hayato tells Taka that they have searched for a long time, and it is now time to give up. Taka clenches his fist and shakes his head, insisting on continuing the search. Hayato bluntly tells him to search by himself. Ryuu protests, saying that Hayato should not be like that, but Hayato quickly tells him to shut up. He then turns to Taka and offers to take him to the lottery booth if he gives up. Hayato blushes a little bit and tells Taka to deal with it, as this is the best compromise he is getting. He also reminds Taka to thank Ryuu for helping him search. He asks Taka if he would like to look for the sword by himself. Taka looks down and remembers his sword and then quietly concedes. Hayato pats his head. The booth attendant watches Taka seriously glare at the strings, wondering which one to pull. Hayato impatiently tells him to pick one, but Ryuu stops him. Kotaro then goes ahead and pulls a string, much to Taka's surprise. On the other end of the string that Kotaro pulls is Taka's sword, which stuns everyone. Taka holds his sword and stares at it with excitement. Hayato grabs the attendant's collar and glares at him, suggesting that they talk for a minute. The attendant swears that he did not just find it, and as an apology, he gives Ryuu and Kotaro the newest game system--or rather, a piggy-bank shaped like one. At the Morinomiya Estate, the chairwoman looks at the piggy-bank, asking what it is. Ryuu awkwardly says that it is a souvenir. Kotaro stares at his deflated cotton candy in dismay while Saikawa notes that he is glad that they had a fulfilling day.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Ryuuichi Kashima
 * Usokawa
 * Ushimaru Yuki
 * Rena Kawata
 * Hayato Kamitani
 * Inomata Maria
 * Kotaro Kashima
 * Kirin Kumatsuka
 * Taka Kamitani
 * Takuma Mamizuka
 * Kazuma Mamizuka
 * Usaida Yoshihito
 * Midori Sawatari
 * Saikawa Keigo
 * Morinomiya Youko
 * Saginuma
 * Ebizawa
 * Yagi Tomoya
 * Chuukichi Nezu
 * Suekichi Nezu
 * Kichi Nezu
 * Kyouko Nezu
 * Shoukichi Nezu