01x12 - Neverending Dream

[bunniefuu]

♪

[indistinct chatter]

[KIZUKI]

Mizuho!

[SHIN]

Mizuho!

Uh?

Ah?

You've gotta be thirsty!

Here, take this!

It's freezing.

You should really

be wearing a jacket.

♪

[both growl]

SHIN

KIZUKI

We're eating lunch together.

We'll be sharing a bento.

After school's out,

she's all mine.

I'll be helping her

with homework.

[KIZUKI] What?

Well, fine.

Then I'll help her

with cleaning duties!

[SHIN]

Whatever.

Did I mention we're walking

Shinshin together?

-[KIZUKI] Then I'll just--

-[SHIN] No, you won't just.

[KIZUKI]

What's your deal, dude?

[SHIN]

What's yours?

Stop planning out

my life for mee!

SHIN

KIZUKI

[sobbing]

♪

[indistinct chatter]

[CHIKA]

Are you doing okay?

You look like

you've aged ten years.

How about a collagen drink?

[MIZUHO]

I'm over this.

I wanna go back home

and curl up with a manga.

Just me, myself, and I.

[CHIKA]

Y'know, it was a real shock.

[MIZUHO]

Huh?

Seeing a small flicker

of warmth

from Kashiwagi the ice king.

I guess love really

does change people.

Funny, huh?

[giggles]

I think it's anything

but funny!

You should be thankful

that this is happening.

Uh?

I mean, you can't write shojo

without any

romantic experiences.

Can you?

Hey, whoa!

That one stings!

[gasps]

So, Monthly Haruka

is out today.

[gasps]

[TOGETHER] The Newcomers'

Manga Competition results!

[birds chirping]

NEWCOMERS' MANGA

COMPETITION

[KIZUKI]

I guess she's not here.

[SHIN]

But her bag is.

[birds chirping]

MIZUHO WAS SMILING, BU

I THINK THE NEWCOMERS'

MANGA COMPETITION

RESULTS SHOCKED HER.

[SHUGO] Ugh, I wonder

where she's gone off to.

[KIZUKI]

I'll go find her!

Hold up.

Just a hunch, but I think

I know where she is.

[TOGETHER]

Huh?

Just leave this to me.

ANYWAY, I'M FALLING

IN LOVE WITH YOU

[birds chirping]

[crow cawing]

[panting]

[birds chirping]

[panting]

♪

[grunting]

[coughs]

♪

[DELINQUENT 3B]

Don't be so c*ck, Airu.

♪

[groans]

Just 'cause Toya

took an interest in you.

You think

you're something special?

Huh!

♪

[DELINQUENT 3B]

Newsflash!

You've never been one of us.

Not for one single minute.

So, you can stop pretending

like you belong here already.

How pathetic.

The poor baby doesn't have

anywhere to go back to!

[laughs]

Let's bounce.

[laughs]

[DELINQUENT 3C]

That'll show him.

-[all laugh]

-[DELINQUENT 3A] What a loser!

♪

[panting]

♪

#12 NEVERENDING DREAM

[Mizuho panting]

[crickets chirping]

[running footsteps]

[panting]

[MIZUHO]

Airu!

I knew you would be here!

[crickets chirping]

What happened to your face?

Are you okay?

You need a doctor.

Your family is worried,

so am I and the others!

[crickets chirping]

[gasps]

Mizuhobe my girlfriend.

Huh?

[AIRU]

II hate myself

so much right now.

I don't belong anywhere.

But

I think things

could be different

if I could have you by my side.

[crickets chirping]

-That's stupid.

-[gasps]

[MIZUHO]

Be honest.

You don't have any romantic

feelings for me, do you?

♪

So, you and I shouldn't go out

but I'll stay

right by your side.

[gasps]

♪

[MIZUHO]

I'll always be your ally.

You belong with me.

Don't forget.

♪

[panting]

♪

[running footsteps]

♪

[chuckles]

[AIRU]

Olly olly oxen free.

Hey, you.

Airu.

[chuckles]

♪

[AIRU] After all these years,

this is still our secret spot.

♪

Sorry about the Newcomers'

Manga Competition.

♪

[MIZUHO] Sorry you guys put in

so much effort to help me out.

That's what friends are for.

♪

[MIZUHO]

You know, I've been applying

since elementary school

and I still haven't debuted.

Seems pretty clear

I'm just not talented enough.

♪

NEWCOMERS' MANGA COMPETITION

It's time to stop dreaming.

[inhales deeply]

I should focus on preparing

for my college entrance exams.

♪

[AIRU]

Don't talk like that.

♪

I will always be your ally.

♪

Back when I was spiraling

in middle school

your words really

saved my life.

I'll never forget

what you did for me.

[gasps]

♪

So, now it's my turn.

No matter what,

whether you're a manga artist,

an office worker,

or a fashion model

I'll always be here

by your side.

♪

[MIZUHO]

Airu.

Though, being a model

is off the table!

-Shut up!

-Whoa!

[both laughs]

♪

[crickets chirping]

[footfall]

Go get some beauty sleep, 'kay?

Yeah.

Welp, bye!

-Airu!

-Uh?

Ah?

Thanks for today.

Mm-hm.

Ah?

Should have known.

I told them I had it handled.

Not that this bonehead

has ever been known to listen.

[crickets chirping]

[MIZUHO]

What are you doing here?

See you tomorrow!

Have a good night!

[crickets chirping]

♪

[AIRU]

This is where I belong.

♪

With her and with him.

They're my people

both of them absolutely

mean the world to me.

Why are you waiting

outside in the dark?

I figured Airu would have

no trouble tracking you down.

ButI really wanted

to see you.

Why's that?

[KIZUKI]

Here.

Your notebook?

I drew that for you

way back in elementary school.

♪

It's my treasure.

[gasps]

[KIZUKI] Mizuho, I love

how you work hard

and chase after your dreams.

♪

Don't quit.

Never stop dreaming.

♪

[MIZUHO]

No fair.

[crying]

Hearing you

[sniffles]

say stuff like that.

[sobbing]

It makes it harder

for me to give up!

[sobbing]

[KIZUKI]

You don't have to give up.

Keep trying.

When you feel lost or sad

I'll always be here

to dry your tears.

[sobbing]

[footfall]

[door opens]

[SHUGO]

Too easy!

Thought I told you to raise

the difficulty level for me!

[SHIN] Hey, man.

Welcome back.

NEXT TIME FOR SURE:

NEWCOMERS' COMPETITION!!

[MIZUHO] You guys!

Stop distracting me!

Next time, I'm definitely

gonna debut as a manga artist!

♪

[pencil scratching]

♪

[chuckles]

[airplane engine whirring]

[tires screeching]

[indistinct chatter]

Uh?

[indistinct chatter]

[airport PA pinging]

[ANNOUNCER 12A]

The boarding gate

for passengers has been changed

to five-one.

All passengers on this flight,

please proceed

to gate five-one.

Thank you for your cooperation.

[MIZUHO] Looking forward

to our meeting tomorrow!

BOW

I really appreciate you

meeting with me today.

I hope you'll give the new

project some consideration.

READ / 3 DAYS AGO

[indistinct chatter]

[AIRU]

Mizuho!

Airu!

[ANNOUNCER 12A]

This is the final boarding call

for flight 22,

all passengers please make

your way to the gate.

I repeat, this is the final

boarding call.

-Mm-hm.

-Hm?

Yeah, leave it to Mizuho

to show up to the airport

in last season's makeup!

Hey, leave it to you to dye

your hair like cotton candy!

Pink and purple!

Cute, right?

[MIZUHO] I didn't think you'd

come home for summer break.

[AIRU] There's

an exhibition in Hong Kong

I wanted to check out,

before my classes

in London are back in session.

For you!

Swank lipstick.

Really, thank you!

Bet it's cute.

Let's just hope

that I can pull it off.

Hmm.

Poor thing, you're moping.

-Huh?

-Spill it.

I don't have anything to spill!

I'll wear my new

lipstick tomorrow.

[chuckles]

Thanks, again.

Hmm.

All right, let's get

some pricey airport food.

That sounds fun!

I've been craving

real Japanese cuisine.

[MIZUHO]

Good choice!

How about tempura,

since it's been a while?

Hm?

[footfall]

♪

[indistinct chatter]

TEMPURA

[trembling]

This broth!

It's exactly

what I've been missing!

[slurps]

[sighs]

Finally feel like

I'm back home again.

♪

There's sushi in London,

but they make all this

weird stuff

I've never heard of.

You've always been

so cool, Airu.

Hm?

[MIZUHO]

You wanted to study abroad

and you made it happen.

Now you're a real jetsetter.

[sighs]

Big deal.

I was just modeling

because I lived

from one compliment

to the next.

It's only recently that I had

an absolute meltdown

and went back to school

to study makeup

and fashion from the ground up.

[airplane engine whirring]

Your turn.

How's the editing job?

Uh, I mean

NEW SERIES PROPOSAL

THEME: LOVE AND ADOLESCENCE

Not good.

To say the least.

I'm so jealous of you.

Mizuho, you've been

working hard

as long as I've known you.

Before every

manga-competition deadline

your hair was dreadful

and your clothes

were always wrinkled.

[gasps]

That's not true!

[sighs]

-[AIRU] I looked up to you.

-Hm?

I never let myself

give in to fear.

I knew I had

to keep running, trying.

You've always been

such an inspiration to me.

♪

[chuckles]

[chuckles softly]

Huh?

[phone vibrating]

MEGU KAWAGUCHI INCOMING

CALL

[gasps]

-[MIZUHO] Sorry, just a sec!

-Huh?

[phone vibrating]

Hey, Kawaguchi?

[KAWAGUCHI]

I've been thinking.

My freshman year I used

to compete with a guy

to see who could get

the highest test scores.

Huh?

[KAWAGUCHI]

Looking back, I'm pretty sure,

I liked him that whole time.

I'm thinking

of writing a new series

inspired by those

old memories of mine.

In fact, I just emailed you

a rough outline for the story.

[running footsteps]

[indistinct chatter]

Mizuho.

[running footsteps]

DOWNLOADING

Uh.

[sighs]

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE

OPEN

[gasps]

NISHINO-SAN

[MIZUHO] [gasps]

This opening scene is iconic!

Huh!

[MIZUHO] And the love

interest is so cool!

Hm.

All right,

I'm gonna need a plot

and character sheet, stat.

You're so talented, Kawaguchi

and I know you can

write amazing stories.

You've gotta believe

in yourself!

I'll be supporting you

in any way that I--

-[KAWAGUCHI] You're annoying.

-What?

NEW SERIES PROPOSAL

THEME: LOVE AND ADOLESCENCE

But

the theme of "love

in my teenage years."

It's what inspired me

to think of this story.

And it turns out

I've experienced youth, too.

I just didn't know it.

Bye.

♪

[footfall]

Mizuho?

♪

Airu!

♪

[chuckles]

♪

[MIZUHO] I know that

I turned out very different

from the person I thought

I'd grow into back then.

♪

20 DAYS UNTIL NEWCOMERS'

MANGA COMPETITION

But those fun memories.

♪

Along with the bitter ones.

♪

They're all part of me

and make me who I am.

♪

[COWORKER 12A] You're always

dropping this thing.

Here.

[KIZUKI]

Thanks.

Glad the business trip's over.

So, how about dinner?

Or do you have plans?

You promise

to visit your girlfriend?

[KIZUKI]

No plans.

♪

No promises.

ANYWAY, I'M

FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU