02x02 - Dilemma of a Winter's Night

[bunniefuu]

CAKE

December 25th, on the night of Christmas.

TAIRA

POPURI

Who's even going to buy
the leftover Christmas cakes

at a convenience store whose main
selling point is its huge parking lot

for long-distance drivers?

Hey, why are you saying that?

Ah.

Look, they're selling cakes.

We just had one.
How many cakes do you want?

Geez, what's wrong with it?

They used me as a prop...

At work, when I'm not that busy,

OUR RECOMMENDATION!
I end up remembering all kinds of things.

GET A BETTER DEAL WITH THE CAKE & CHICKEN SET!
I end up remembering all kinds of things.

Like how back in my first year
of high school...

Taira-kun.

Huh?

He looked at us!

Are they talking to me?

Look, he's confused.

People are always saying
you look cool, right?

Yeah. You're tall and handsome.

Huh?

M-Me?

N-No! Not a chance...!

Please stop it!

AZUMA
Azuma is listening!

AZUMA

Aww.

He's embarrassed.

So cute.

What's going on here?!

IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Um, that's my seat.

IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Huh? Creep.

PSST PSST
He just started talking to me.

PSST PSST
He should know his place.

That's what middle school was like...

I never imagined starting new
in high school would have gone this well.

I'm scared to think about what Azuma
might be thinking, though...

Despite my worries...

...people started treating me
differently gradually.

HERE YET?

JUST GOT OFF THE PLATFORM

Welcome.

Please place your order.

It's my first time visiting
one of these places...

Which one do you want?

Huh? Umm...

GAH

MORE THAN JUST A STAPLE FOOD - DRINK
It's so expensive!

GYUDON 600 YEN

Sorry, Taira.

You're just different than I expected.

Even if my appearance
has changed a little,

at the end of the day,
I'm still the same person at heart.

I should've known it
wouldn't be that easy.

For a while, the girls' hushed
giggles were mostly about me.

So, how'd it go with
"three-quarter sleeves"?

Geez! Stop bringing up my dark past!

Three-quarter sleeves!

They're calling me
"three-quarter sleeves"...

And so, I came to realize...

Ugh, I ran into him in the hallway just now!
I can't believe it!

Why don't you just go talk to him already?

What?! No way!
I'm too nervous!

I'd die if he thought I was annoying!

All the thoughts and feelings
directed toward me...

were different from the ones people
direct at those they look up to.

I was less important.

Ever since, I've kept remembering

the old me who got excited after taking
what people said to me seriously.

Remembering how stupid I was...

GAH
Remembering when I would just say

MORE THAN JUST A STAPLE FOOD - DRINK
the first thing that came to mind...

SNRK SNRK
Feeling like they were making fun of me

SNRK SNRK
and laughing at me the entire time.

Even if I change my appearance...

...I can't stop being afraid
that people will laugh at me...

...because of the "lameness"
that's at my core.

Aren't you cold?

Of course I am!

What are you doing here?

On my way home from winter cram school.

What? At a time like this?

So, since you said
you'd be working today...

Huh?

...I came by to tease you.

...I came by to tease you. You're starting
to take after Suzuki in really stupid ways.

You're starting to take
after Suzuki in really stupid ways.

That Santa suit looks good on you.

You're making fun of me, aren't you?

No, you look cool, really.

Stop laughing at me!

Taira!

Yamada.

Wait, Tani's here too!

Why're all of you
coincidentally showing up?

I've driven past here several times
while making deliveries today,

and you were always out here.

For real? I didn't notice you at all.

More importantly,
that cosplay looks so cool!

You're making fun of me too, aren't you?

No, I'm serious!

The fabric on mine is way thinner,
and I don't have a beard or a hat!

I'm kinda jealous...

I-I see...

And you stop silently laughing!

Taira-kun, you can come in now.

Ah, okay.

'Aight, I'm outta here.

Sure, go change and come back out.

Huh?

It's cold, so we'll wait inside.

What did you come to buy, Tani?

Nothing, really.

Oh...

POPURI

What?!

TA-DA

They were going to throw it away.

Let's eat it.

For real?! This is awesome!

THANK YOU...
Thank you for your purchase, Taira-kun!

YOU AND I ARE POLAR OPPOSITES SEASON 2

I've never eaten
Christmas cake like this before.

Well, a goody-two-shoes like you
would never eat so impolitely.

What's that supposed to mean?

Taira, do you often grab snacks
with your coworkers after work?

Don't go talking about
things that don't exist.

This is yummy!

Doesn't Suzuki complain about you
having cram school on Christmas?

Not really.
I saw her yesterday, too.

Tch. I see.

But you're the one who asked...

She's meeting up with her friends
from her middle school club today.

Oh, so you mean Sato, Nakao, Mito-chan,

Furukawa, Sekine,

and those kinds of members?

I don't know that much.

Quit rattling off a bunch of names
we don't know.

Thank you for the food!

WE'RE JUST FINISHED~
Suzuki-san sent me a picture.

Are these your friends too, Yamada-kun?

Oh, yeah! I know them!
That brings back memories!

But there are a few I can't recognize
because of their makeup and hairstyles.

She reports in to you that often?

Yeah.

Oh...

What?

She's just trying to
put your mind at ease.

Huh?

It does seem like you
get jealous or doubtful quickly.

What are you going on about?

Is it true?

No.

Whether it's true or not...

You're waffling.

I don't think that's it.

Pictures are portable
hard drives for memories!

I think she just wants to ensure

she saves the memory
by sharing it with other people.

Are you talking about AI?

You're overthinking it.

There's no deep meaning
behind every little thing.

Humans aren't that robotic.
They're emotional beings.

Don't bring stuff up like
that half-heartedly.

Don't say different things
at the same time to me.

Hello there!
- Oh, my! Welcome, Aoi-chan!

It's been a while, Aunty.

AOI-CHAN
Oh, gosh! You sound so adult now!

You're growing into such a lovely young lady!
And you look so cool today!

Mom, you say that every time...

As energetic as ever.

These manga were pretty
heavy, right? Sorry.

It's fine.

My brother said, 'If I lend them a volume
at a time, I lose track of who has what.

So it's better to just
lend it out all at once.'

Guess someone ever had someone borrow
his manga and never give them back.

Just lying around like this does make it
feel like it's the end of the year~

It's not like you're usually
that busy anyway.

By the way,
what's Tani-kun up to today?

My, oh my. Do you really think
I know his entire schedule?

He told me he was gonna hang out
with some boys from his class today.

So you do know it.

The boys have started to figure out
how fun it is to mess with Tani-kun.

I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS...
He's pretty unique, so I could see that.

I wanted to watch Tani-kun
have fun with everyone too...

Are you his guardian?

Well, if something funny happens,

he'll tell me about it
next time we meet up.

BY THE WAY, THE OTHER DAY...
he'll tell me about it next time we meet up.

BY THE WAY, THE OTHER DAY...
Tani-kun's not like those teachers who love

BY THE WAY, THE OTHER DAY...
telling funny stories every chance they get.

We have to cultivate our love and our
topics of conversation while we're apart~

YOU JUST EXPECT ME
You're just talking nonsense...

TO JUST PROVIDE PUNCH LINES FOR YOU...
You're just talking nonsense...

That said, I bet you're actually
secretly messaging him.

TWCH

BULL'S EYE

YUSUKE TANI

What's this?

YUSUKE TANI


From Tani-kun?

GRIN

YUSUKE TANI
Yeah. He sent me a video.

IT'S MORIMOTO
Yeah. He sent me a video.

A video of Morimo.

A video of Morimo?

Break a leg now!

Go, go!

Whoa, he's so fast!

No way!

He got the top score?! How?!

Guess he's got good reflexes!

He must be a power type!
Like punching machines!

Wait, you recorded that?

Heck, yeah!

Too close!

That looks so fun.

They're such idiots.

THAT MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD

MORIMO'S AWESOME

EEEE

WITH SATO

Don't run away to your phone.

I'm not...

Dude, you're suck!

I'm having fun.

Oh.

And since I'm having fun...

I wanted to share it.

SPORTS FESTIVAL, 2ND YEAR
T-Tani-kun...

Look here! Say cheese!

Yaay! You too, Tani-kun!
Say, "Yaay!"

I won't do that.

THEY'RE NOT DATING YET

O-Okay, me too...

SUZUKI
I'll send you the photo later...

SUZUKI
So, could I have your number?

SUZUKI
Sure.

GOOD WORK FOR TODAY!

I didn't get it at first.

GOMAPON'S T-SHIRT TODAY
HAS A RICE BALL PATTERN!

GOMAPON'S T-SHIRT TODAY HAS A RICE BALL PATTERN!
How should I reply?

THE CAFETERIA HAS STARTED
But I guess this isn't

SERVING CHILLED CHINESE NOODLES!
a conversation that needs a response.

WHAT WAS OUR MATH HOMEWORK?

WHAT WAS OUR MATH HOMEWORK?
To me,

I FORGOT TO TAKE NOTES
To me,

I FORGOT TO TAKE NOTES
it was easier when she needed something,

P40-45
it was easier when she needed something,

SO FAST
or had a question for me.

THANK YOU

I FOUND A CAT

I FOUND A CAT
Why is she sending this to me?

CUTE

That was a blast.

But over time,

I started to understand.

You're overthinking it.

There's no deep meaning
behind every little thing.

Humans aren't that robotic.
They're emotional beings.

They said completely different things,

but they were both right.

My heart was just moved,
and I felt like sharing that with someone.

So cold.

Ah!

Snow!

How rare!

Whee!

And among all the possible someones...

Since then, whenever I feel
a brisk fwoosh like this,

it always makes me think,
"Ah, this year's culture festival is over!"

...there's one who comes to mind first.

I wonder what she would have said today?

So cold! Like that day
we took our private school tests!

You should have stayed the night, Sato.

I can't just sleep over
without any prior notice.

Ah, Azuma wanted to come over here
to do her New Year's shrine visit.

Huh? She's not going
to do it near her home?

Hmm, guess not.

Let's make plans, then!

Oh, though Nabe will probably complain
since she's at her grandma's house.

Huh?

Snow! It's snowing!

Guess I'll take a photo
and send it to Tani-kun!

It's probably snowing near him too.

You're right.

For some reason...

No matter what I'm thinking about,
Tani-kun will just pop into my head.

Am I going crazy?

Going? You've already
been crazy for a long time.

Huh?

Meanwhile...

These tsukitama are delicious!

MUNCH MUNCH
Hey, Manami,

MUNCH MUNCH
you can't just eat all of those yourself!

MUNCH MUNCH
...there were others who chose

MUNCH MUNCH
not to share their happiness.

Let's rewind to Christmas Day,
beside the convenience store...

You're overthinking it.

There's no deep meaning
behind every little thing.

Just as he says himself, Yamada usually
doesn't mean anything deep by what he says.

If he wants to say it, he says it.
If he wants to ask it, he asks it.

And if he wants to send it,
he sends it.

He's a simple human.

YAAY
Ah!

THIS STAMP IS CUTE, SO I DOWNLOADED IT...

Is that the person
"you're on your way to liking?"

I'm on my way to liking her!

That's right!

Tani, you're pretending
not to be involved,

but you're actually
listening to everything.

I mean, I genuinely like her now.
She's so cute.

He just says whatever
he wants to say, huh...

Oh, right. You got her contact info
before summer break, right?

It's been a while since then.

Huh?

Despite how he tends to act, he's pretty
careful about getting close to people.

Now that you mention it, you're right!

You just noticed?

Just so you know,
I'm not trying to rush you or anything.

Seriously? What?

Are you listening? Hey.

NOT LISTENING
Has it really been that long? This is scary...

OH! THAT'S COOL

I sent him a weird stamp
and he stopped replying...

Did I overdo it?

Unlike Nishi, who tends to worry

HE'S JUST DRIVING
Unlike Nishi, who tends to worry

HE'S JUST DRIVING
and assume the worst about everything,

Yamada hadn't really felt
nervous about it until now.

WE TALKED

WE WENT OUT

WE'RE MESSAGING TODAY

WHICH MEANS IT'S GOING WELL...
But...

Maybe things won't change
unless I tell her how I feel?

Well, I guess that's obvious...

But when should I tell her?
The next time we meet up?

No, no, no...

That's too sudden, right?

Now he was overflowing with anxiety.

I should maybe throw out
a few more jabs first.

Yamada has never confessed
to anyone before.

FINISH YOUR HOMEWORK ALREADY?
WANNA DO IT TOGETHER?

SHORE! - SURE!K
PLEASE IGNORE THE K

CALM DOWN
WHEN ARE YOU FREE?

NISHI DELETED THIS MESSAGE

COMMUNITY CENTER AND LIBRARY

STOMP STOMP

STOMP STOMP
Yamada-kun!

Sorry to keep you waiting.

STAAARE
She seems different...

FWIP

WSH

Why are you running?

Hey!

The heck?!

I couldn't help it...

Ah, it's no good...

I really wanna go out with her!

COMMUNITY CENTER AND LIBRARY
I shouldn't have chickened out

COMMUNITY CENTER AND LIBRARY
and used homework as an excuse...

I should've just asked her
to go somewhere nicer.

Crap!


Um, if you want to focus on studying,


the study rooms will be useful.


But we can't eat or talk there.

MULTI-PURPOSE ROOMS - MEETING ROOMS
If you wanted to talk,

MULTI-PURPOSE ROOMS - MEETING ROOMS
we could use the free-space desks.


Let's do that.

Do you come here often?
You seem to know a lot about it.

Yes. I use the study rooms pretty often
because I can focus better there.

Wow, how studious.

Are you good at studying
at home, Yamada-kun?

Not at all.

DO THAT IN YOUR ROOM
I always spread my papers out

DO THAT IN YOUR ROOM
in the living room instead of my room,

UGH...
so I get scolded all the time.

I'd rather have someone
watching me than just do it all alone.

I think I get that.

So that's why you invited me
to do homework.

HEH HEH
No, it was just an excuse.

Ah.

Huh?

Oh... Okay...

Did I creep her out?!

Waah, you're so good!

By the way, do you ever come here
with your classmates?

Are you okay if they see us?

Oh, yes.

I haven't seen anyone I know here
for days, so I think we'll be okay.

I see.

HM?

Wait, so you come here every day?

JOLT
Eh?

And look at your book!
Isn't that way past the pages we're on?!

Wah!

You're way ahead!

Um, the truth is...

I already finished my homework...

What?! I don't believe it!
You're a good student!

Sheesh, if you'd told me that,
we could've gone somewhere else.

Huh? But...

If you haven't done your homework yet,
you really should do it.

FAIR
Fair.

Tch.

Also...

I wanted an excuse too...

Hey, let's go out.

...that's what I want to say!

But...!

Today is definitely not the day.

Where are you going?!

Ah, right!

You cut your bangs!

Eh?

So abrupt...

Um, yes...

I knew something felt different today.
It's because we kept making eye contact.

Eh? That was what you were feeling?

Is it weird...?

No, not at all.

You're the cutest.

FWP FWP
It's not weird. Not at all.

FWP FWP
It's not weird at all.

FWP FWP
Uhh... That's making me more nervous...

FWP FWP

But it'd be really embarrassing...

Now it's easier for us
to look at each other.

You don't usually look me
in the eyes, after all.

...if he started thinking I get hung up
on every little thing he says...

Wait, is it because...
Nah, no way.

Seeing Yamada so quiet today
was kind of refreshing.

If I'm gonna say it, I need to say it
in a better place, with a better atmosphere!

And so, Yamada found himself
with some words he wanted to say...

...but just couldn't quite get out.

BONUS
Bonus!

Learning from what happened
on their last trip to Yokohama,

Nishi bought a pair of shoes
to wear with casual clothes.

But...

I have nothing to wear!

If I put on a sweater over this, maybe he will
notice it's the same outfit as last time...

Wait, I don't even have a big bag
except my worn-out school backpack.

STOMP STOMP

STOMP STOMP
And the shoes turned out

STOMP STOMP
to be bigger than she expected.

STOMP STOMP
Huh?

STOMP STOMP
They felt like the perfect fit at the store...

STOMP STOMP
Trial and error! Hang in there, Nishi!

SEE YOU NEXT EPISODE...