01x12 - I Bestow Unto You My First Kiss

[bunniefuu]

You look stunning!

Yume-chan, you're gorgeous!

A walking firework blooming

before our very eyes!

This year's show is gonna be a total flop!

Er, that's enough, Madoka-san.

Why, you ask?

Because everyone's eyes will be on you!

Are you making fun of me?

Nonsense! I'm speaking from the heart.

Doesn't she look cute, Chikuma?

Yeah

Oh, Mizuto-kun's here.

Well? Whaddya think, Mizuto-kun?

Isn't she beautiful?

C-Can

Hmm?

Can I Can I get a picture?!

Huh?

Okay! One picture coming right up!

Huh?

Make sure to get a good angle, Mizuto-kun.

Er, no I didn't mean of me.

Enter Password

Huh?

H-How did you know my password?!

My Stepmom's

Daughter Is

My Ex

I Bestow Unto You My First Kiss

What made you come with us?

Don't you hate big crowds like this?

Madoka doesn't have anyone else, you know?

She makes a point of dragging

me here every year.

I've given up trying to resist at this point.

I could ask you the same.

Don't you hate big crowds too?

I suppose I don't have good memories of them.

We're back!

The restrooms were packed,

so it took us a bit.

Why don't you two hold hands too?

That way, you won't get separated.

We're not children.

Besides, even if we did get separated,

I'd just head back home—

What are you doing?

This is normal between siblings.

Huh?

It's my responsibility as your

older sister to keep you close.

Exactly!

Couldn't have said

it better myself, Yume-chan!

Have you forgotten?

I'm the older brother, remember?

Fine by me. Doesn't matter either way.

All the same, it's your responsibility

as the older brother to keep her close.

Fine.

All I have to do is hold your hand, right?

Look at you, doing as you're told.

Shut up.

I feel so much lighter after

crying my eyes out yesterday.

It's like I finally let go of all the

needless baggage I was carrying around.

Is there anything you guys want to eat?

Granny gave us plenty of spending money,

so feel free to go wild, okay?

Festival stalls are always

so expensive, though.

I feel like we should just go

to the convenience store.

Don't get your hopes up.

We're in the countryside.

You're not gonna find one around here.

sh**ting Gallery

Bull's-eye!!

Oh, look! They have a sh**ting game!

Wanna try, Chikuma?

Y-Yeah.

All right!

Y o - k a i Q u e s t

Yo-kai Quest

Let's aim for the big prize

together, you and me!

Maybe a little more to the right.

D-Do siblings normally

get that close to each other?

That's too much, too much!

All right, Chikuma, hold it steady

Here goes!

Y o - k a i Q u e s t

Yo-kai Quest

Yo-kai Quest

Yo-kai Quest

Y o - k a i Q u e s t

Aw, too bad.

Yeah

sh**ting Gallery

Bull's-eye!!

We can't let it end like this.

You're up, Mizuto-kun!

Avenge Chikuma, would you?

All right, one shot and that's it.

Go help him, Yume-chan.

As his big sister.

What? Um, but

What's this now?

You'd just be holding your

little brother from behind.

What could you possibly be flustered about?

Hey

H-Hey! Quit looking at me

and focus on aiming!

Aren't you a little off to the right?

No, I'm not.

Yes, you are!

Quit nagging me. Is this better?

You're too far left!

More to the right.

Yeah, just a little more

Th-This is bad

I don't think my legs can

hold out much longer.

A-At this rate, my chest is gonna

This is it.

Doesn't suit you one bit.

Have you no concept of the

phrase "keep it to yourself"?

Here.

Th-Thanks.

Wasn't that nice of him, Chikuma?

How did you know he wanted it?

It's a character from the game

he's been playing recently.

Really? I'm surprised you

noticed something like that.

To think you're this socially

awkward with kids too.

What do you mean "too"?

When have I ever been socially awkward?

I'm starting to feel resistance to the idea

of letting you be the older brother.

Better that than letting you

be the older sister.

Speaking of, did you do

that on purpose earlier?

N-Never in a million years!

That's a relief.

I'm glad my stepsister

isn't a complete pervert.

Perv—?!

Wh-What's got you so hot

and bothered about it anyway?

I thought you'd be used to it

after hanging out with Higashira-san.

She comes at me without a second thought,

but when you do it,

I can tell you're nervous.

Try to relax for once.

Wha—

Y-You're making it sound like

Higashira-san's better with boys than I am!

Okay, okay!

Time to get a move on, you two!

Oh, look over there!

It's Uncle Mineaki and Aunt Yuni.

Who are they talking to?

What was her name again?

We used to be pretty big in

town back in the day, you see.

So lots of older folks

around here know the family.

Yume! Mizuto-kun!

Perfect timing.

Kedouin-san, this is my daughter.

I'm Irido Yume.

My goodness. What a pretty young lady you are.

I see Mizuto-kun finally has someone

to call family other than his father.

When I heard what happened from Natsume,

I was worried sick.

I'm sure you have your hands full

getting used to your new lives,

but do remember to look after Mizuto-kun.

Of course.

How strange

She makes it sound as if he can't survive

without someone there to watch over him.

We've reserved the perfect viewing

spot for the fireworks for you all.

I can take you there, if you'd like.

Thank you as always.

The fireworks show starts at eight, right?

Yeah.

We still have some time before the fireworks.

What would you all like to do?

Oh? Where'd Mizuto-kun go?

What?

Uh-oh, he's run off on his own again, has he?

Mizuto-kun always disappears

right before the fireworks every year.

I see That explains it.

I get it now.

Mizuto was probably

uncomfortable in that setting.

So that's why

Sure. Thanks, kid.

His dad must have been thanking him

for coming along anyway.

But it's not that Mizuto

is uninterested in his relatives.

If he were completely indifferent to them,

he never would've thought

to give Chikuma that toy.

I'm sorry, but I can't go out with you.

I'm selfish.

I can't be attentive to more

than one person at a time.

And the one slot that I have

It's already occupied by someone else,

even though she doesn't deserve it.

It must be pretty windy out, huh?

Oh Yeah.

Ayai?

Hmm?

Never mind.

Actually, my battery's getting pretty low.

Why couldn't we talk

while his phone was charging?

August 22nd (Sat)

That wasn't it.

August 12th (Sat)

I didn't know.

The person I was two years ago didn't know

that he'd be visiting his

relatives this time of year

and trailing around the local festival.

When we were just classmates

When I was his girlfriend

And ever since we became family

I've gotten to see many facets of Irido Mizuto.

They fit together like puzzle pieces,

one after another,

forming a three-dimensional image of him.

One I never knew.

A picture of him I never would have seen

if I'd stayed just his girlfriend.

But still

I'm going to go find him.

Yeah, go get him.

The Siberian Dancing Girl

I wanted you to stop me from leaving.

"I wanted you to stop me from leaving."

My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex

For as long as I can remember,

nothing's ever felt real to me.

Like I was living someone else's life.

Like I was living in a fictional world.

Everything about the

"wonders of life" people speak of

seemed like a faraway fantasy

that only existed in my TV.

And I wasn't just pretending

to be the guy from No Longer Human.

I genuinely couldn't identify with anyone.

It's a miracle you were born safe and sound.

It must be so hard growing up

without a mother.

I never understood why

they pitied and praised me

for simply existing,

for simply breathing the air around me.

I didn't get it. I didn't understand.

And because of that,

a hole begun to grow within me

until everything passed right through

me without so much as a sound.

But despite that, the one and only

thing that ever felt real to me

The Siberian Dancing Girl

was the world of the written word.

I will never forget the impact

of reading my great-grandfather's

"The Siberian Dancing Girl"

for the very first time.

My soul glimpsed the world

as reflected in its pages.

And for once, I felt connected to it.

The Dancing Girl

Foam on the Waves

And three other tales

Mori Ogai

"The Dancing Girl" taught me

how weak people can be.

"Rashomon" taught me about the human ego.

"The Moon Over the Mountain"

taught me about pride.

And Kokoro taught me

about the human experience.

In my mind, the world of fiction was reality,

while the real world was a fabrication.

That's why

meeting Ayai Yume was just

as insignificant to me at first.

I merely approached her on a whim.

But when we went on our

first date at the summer festival,

something stirred deep within me.

How could such a weak person exist?

Someone so weak that she'd

practically forget how to breathe

if there were no one else around

If I abandoned her here, I thought

she'd be doomed to weep eternally

in absolute solitude.

"Oh, you poor thing"

That thought that arose within me

was the exact sentiment

others had thrown at me my whole life.

Ayai

From that point on,

you were etched into my heart.

More intensely than any story I'd ever read.

To me,

you felt more real than anyone I'd ever met.

Irido Mizuto has always struggled,

forever keeping the world at arm's length.

But then

One day, he stumbled

upon his salvation, Ayai Yume.

To him, she was the key to reversing

his sentence of a pitiful life.

But he lost that key.

You shouldn't pity him

for not having a mother.

You should pity him because he lost

the one thing that meant something to him.

And that was

You sure like dark and dingy places, huh?

A wimp trying to turn over a new leaf, perhaps?

Have you just come to ridicule me?

To tell me I'm a loser who can't even

interact with his own family?

Don't be ridiculous.

I figured that much out ages ago.

It'd be pointless to dredge up.

Remember our first date

at the summer festival two years ago?

I got lost and called you up in tears.

Huh?

I wonder how many days

had passed after that

when you called me up

out of the blue that one night.

I remember it.

I could hear the faint rustling

of trees in the background.

You were here, weren't you?

You know

You must have really liked me, huh?

Say, do you remember

the date of when we shared our first kiss?

October 27th, wasn't it?

It was exactly two months

after we had started dating.

I knew you'd remember.

And how's that?

You were able to unlock my phone, were you not?

You shouldn't be using a date

as a password, you know.

You say that

but the fact that your

instinct was to type "1027"

must mean you used it

yourself at one point, no?

That's right

We'd been dating exactly two months.

I felt that if we didn't do it then,

I'd have to wait a whole month to try again.

So I was a little frantic at the time.

I was sure you'd fallen for some dodgy

advice you'd read online or in a magazine.

I might have perused a few articles,

but it was purely for research purposes.

Either way, it's you we're talking about.

There's no way you'd have

done something so bold

without reading about it first.

Well, sorry for being so "by the book"!

You could at least praise

your girlfriend for being so courageous!

You were very brave.

You must have really practiced

that kissing face too.

How did you know?

I knew the moment I saw it.

There's no way you'd pull something

like that off on your first try.

You jerk!

I'm pretty good at improv from time to time.

Only because I'm usually the one

backing you up after the fact.

Oh, you're always so condescending.

Don't you realize you'd be a better

catch if you'd just bite your tongue?

What reason do I have to try to adhere

to your taste in men now?

You're right.

There'd be little point in it.

It'd just end in disappointment

for the both of us.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Say

What?

Why did you decide to go out with me?

I probably would've been fine with anyone.

What?!

It was all just a twist of fate.

A mere coincidence, wouldn't you say?

Suppose I were to have met

Higashira before I met you.

In that case, we never would have dated.

But the reality is

you're the one I met.

In a simple game of musical chairs,

whoever gets there first wins.

If you're looking for a simple answer,

that's the one I'd give.

Are you satisfied?

Yeah.

It's almost time.

Hmm?

For the fireworks we never saw two years ago.

We finally get to see them together.

Hey look at me.

Not as Ayai Yume, but as Irido Yume

I bestow unto you the second first kiss of my life.

I assure you I will vanquish

the girl who's seized

that one slot in your heart.

No matter how much you may love Ayai Yume,

I, Irido Yume, vow that I will

win you over in the end.

Hey, tell me already! How'd yesterday go?

I think we made a big step forward, at least.

Let's go!

If anything ever happens, call me, okay?!

You have my full support—

O-Ouch!

Wh-What was that for, Chikuma?!

Is this your rebellious phase?!

Chikuma-kun?

Wait, seriously? Is that what's going on?

Um, how do I put this delicately?

My condolences, I suppose.

I can't thank you enough, Yume-chan.

Take care of Mizuto for me, will you?

He's very capable,

so I'm sure he doesn't need my help.

But it would be my pleasure.

You wouldn't know it,

but he gets quite lonely sometimes.

What were you talking about with Granny?

Take a wild guess.

Why are you acting so weird?

Don't worry about it.

We're stepsiblings, after all, Mizuto-kun.

Talk about stating the obvious, Yume-san.

What is the meaning of this, Mizuto-kun?!

Who is this flagrant playboy?!

What the hell's going on, Irido?!

Who's the chick with the massive jugs?!

You stupid horndog.

I'm your only friend, right, Mizuto-kun?!

Right?!

To think you'd go fooling around with this

chick when you already have Irido-san

I'm disappointed in you.

I thought you were better than that!

Kawanami, this is Higashira Isana.

She's just a friend I met recently

and hit it off with.

A friend you met recently and hit it off with?

Higashira, this is Kawanami Kogure.

He's just a classmate who declared himself

my friend and insists on following me around.

Someone who insists on following you around?

Now I get it.

He's your stalker, isn't he?

Now I get it.

She's a succubus who's chosen you as her prey.

How did you arrive at those conclusions?

Did you think he'd be an easy target

just because he's a nerd?

Well, too bad for you,

but Irido isn't that shallow.

Why don't you give up the charade

before you take a hit to your pride?

H-How could you so thoughtlessly

prod at an open wound?!

Oh dear, so you already got the rug

pulled out from under you, did you?

Serves you right—

Ow, ow, ow, ouch!

There's nothing going on

between her and Irido-kun, okay?

They're just good friends.

The fact that you suspect funny business

is your sick little mind at work.

You hear me?

I'd rather not take lip from

the chick with the sickest mind of all!

What was that?

Mizuto-kun and I just really click!

It's because of love-obsessed

wannabe players like you

that I can't stand extroverts!

You're not convincing anyone while

glued to each other like that.

Hands off for one second!

I'm happy you finally made friends,

unlike back in middle school,

my dear little brother.

And I'm thrilled you actually got

something out of reinventing yourself,

my dear little sister.

Irido

Looking back, I can only describe

it as youthful indiscretion.

Saekano:

How to Raise a

Boring Girlfriend

But from my second to third

year of middle school,

I had what you might call a girlfriend.

But from my second to third

year of middle school,

I had what you might call a boyfriend.

The End Credits of The Fool

Honobu Yonezawa

We can never go back to how things were.

Goodbye

Osamu Dazai

We can't bring back the happiness

we felt back then.

And yet

My feelings from that time

are still etched into my soul.

For now, I'm okay with that.

We still haven't fully moved on.

But it's fine.

Irido

Because I No, we

We have a chance to weave a new tale.