So Asahi wakes up, with perfect hair and this time with shirt, if i may add! He looks at the table and there is Part2 DVD! He comes to the Beer Queen to unfortunately do his morning routine! I hoped he would skip this part! Then he remembers when he first time brought Katsumi there and she was astonished how big it is and smiled like crazy! She said it is somehow strange to see it and he is worried that she doesn't like the add! But of course she does! Omg, actually she joked about him greeting that sign every morning! That routine looked pitiful but now its kind of sad! Asahi in the present is standing right where they were holding hands, he bows to the Beer Queen and turns to go but sees Natsuki standing near not believing what she just saw! She doesn't waste a
chance to needle him about it, he lies that he was greeting diver woman who happen to be near and again wants to go! She stops him by asking what was that "not possible" thing last night! Did he, not return DVD? He says it is not that simple! But she will not have it, you go to video store and give it back! How is it not simple? If it is does she think he wouldn't return it by now! What she did with that ring is worth respect, tough! With that and hair flipping while putting sun glasses, he is off, this time for real and Natsuki is left thinking what he ment!
In Minatoku Hanae cant hide her happiness telling Kenji about Asahi wanting to honor his promise! Kenji is happy for her though when she counts how she has to think which pose to use he jokes that she is not Paris Hilton! Lol! She is really concerned about location and Kenji says he can help her, he knows good place! She wants one with "nice ocean biev"! Ha! And he says it has "Very nice ocean view"! Toda Erika is so cute trying to talk in english but it is great that Takahashi Katsunori san can speak with almost no accent! Also Hanae is sporting little bit different hair style! Hanaes' lil bro is in Aoyama, eating again, and talks with Natsuki how happy Hanae is! Takashi comes, again in surfing suit! Bro makes him pay for his meal and goes leaving Takashi with Natsuki! She uses opportunity and asks how long he knows Asahi, from high school! He wants to talk more but she doesn't listen and asks why the hell is Asahi keeping that DVD! He says that even if it is 99% sure girl won't come, as long as there is that 1% he will keep it! Even if it is 3 years? That is how important she is to Asahi! Takashi continues to say that Natsuki to him is... but she again doesn't listen to him! HA! She apologizes thinking that he was talking about baseball and he has a plan: he will bring Asahi to return DVD! She can't believe it and thanks him! Though, as a reward he wants a date with her! Bold! Me like!
Hanae goes to renal place and takes note that Asahi still didn't return Part2! Interestingly she is not sad about it and takes huge bunch of movies to rent for pose practice! Of course she informs Hikaru that Asahi will redo her picture all the while giggling like crazy! They walk to the Beer Queen and Hanae asks her to let her try again! She then asks Hikaru if he think she can win and after a pause he says she is always winner for him! She again thinks he is just saying that to please her but his expression says otherwise!Takashi has the movie but Asahi won't let him return it and chases him! Couldn't you wait till Asahi is out of the house? Takashi tries with "oh it is Katsumi over there!", and, go figure, it works! Not long enough, though! In the end Takashi pleads because he wants to go on the date but is unsuccessful! Natsuki is with Hanae, who is choosing outfit for picture! She carefully informs her that Asahi didn't return DVD and Hanae says calmly that she knows! She was at the shop today so she saw! She doesn't mind! If something goes wrong "foreign helper" will be there! Natsuki is confused till Hanae explains that was ment for her and it is baseball reference! Natsuki is frustrated with all people talking with those! Takashi tries to sweet talk Asahi into returning DVD because he didn't even saw the damn thing! Asahi wants to return it when he thinks moment has come! Takashi asks if it didn't came for last 3 years and asahi says that it came yesterday and flew away just like that when he heard song he and Katsumi listened often! Takashi had it! He points that 3 years have passed! SHE IS NOT COMING BACK! It is time for change! Thank you Takashi!!! Asahi says that they didn't actually end anything! I would shake his head violently right now but Takashi says he is going to sleep! Leaving Asahi to think how his heart still doesn't give up because girl like Kasumi will not apear! Yeah, we figured that!
Next day Hanae is checking places for shooting! I pressed replay button to see her sayin' "nice ocean biev" more than few times! She is that cute! And she made map on which she marks places she likes! Aww! That model Aoi is bugging old owner about job and he asks Asahi if they have any! Asahi is not interested and says it is rare to have job that requires model! Then he is of to the work leaving Aoi to pout to Owner about Asahi being uncooperative! But owner says that she should make him interested! She has idea! Natsuki gets a message from Hanae and few funny pictures are attached! Later Asahi comes to Minatoku and is negatively surprised to see Aoi! Is she a stalker now? Kenji asks how are they related and Aoi says Asahi asked for her number! Asahi protests but this girl won't listen! Then Asahi asks for Hanae and gets answer that she is prettifying herself for pictures! He again starts to say that is not like that but Aoi ask if she is his girlfriend! He says she is not and doesn't want to answer if he has girlfriend! Lucky for him that Natsuki enters! Or maybe not because she immediately starts to tell Kenji about this morning when she saw Asahi greeting Beer Queen! Aoi gets into the conversation with Natsuki and finds out that Asahi is "wierd"! If that will remove her of Asahis' tracks, then i am all for them being friends! Asahi then says she should stop making Takashi return DVD! She says he is doing it on his own but Asahi knows she promised him date! She firmly says she is just doing it for the sake of fulfilling promise he gave to Hanae! Period!
Next day Hanae calls Asahi to see when he will take her picture! He excuses himself by saying he has job to do and can't stop now and she complains to Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday! Cute and aww! She is so going to feel awful when finds out! Those two students are in shock when they see that in the pictures of them in window display, girly Kyoko is replaced with Aoi! Oh dear! She asks boy Haluo what is the meaning of this! He insists that this is the first time he saw it! She trows bunch of papers in his face saying that he should openly tell her if he wanted to brake up and runs off! He grabs bunch from the ground and runs screaming her name! These two are cute! Aoi came in the Aoyama and Natsuki asks for her friends and family! She says she doesn't have any, she lived abroad and doesn't have relatives! Natsuki apologizes and Takashi comes again in his swim wear! Aoi says she will come again and leans on Takashi to say that he should remove protective vinyl of board! Takashi is of course seeing her with hearts in the eyes and right away asks Natsuki who is she! Natsuki on the other hand wants to know what happened with the DVD! He apologizes, it was after all not possible! She comments how once again she is hearing such stupid thing, she compares it with "that camera man"! Takashi all serious says that she can't understand what Asahi went trough so she better back off! But then he returns to his usual smiley self saying how he was too serious! I think she got the message!
Hanae all happy meets Asahi in front of the Beer Queen and shows him the map she made saying that if he wants to take pictures tomorrow or now it is ok with her! He apologizes and says he will not redo her pictures! She wants to know why and he thinks it is not fair to her because Katsumi will be the one he will take pictures of while Hanae was in front of him! Crap! Couldn't you have invented something? He apologizes once more and walks off but she stops him asking why Katsumis' picture makes him so happy and her he doesn't care for? Does he hate her that much? Girl on billboard doesn't speak, greet him or make him feel better when he is sad but that billboard STILL makes him happier! She doesn't understand it and walks of! You go girl! It is about time you get angry! Also that last shot where Asahi is standing and Katsumi is blurry in the background is absolutely beautiful! Later in Minatoku, Natsuki is screaming how unforgivable is what Asahi did, Hanae is livid on the chair and Lil bro is of course eating! Kenji tries to say that Asahi is like that and Natsuki is like: so
what, then i am bad person! Lil bro blurs that waiting is only thing he can! Natsuki takes note of it and goes out behind him! She wants to know what he knows! Inside Hanae comments how she lost again to Beer Queen! Kenji says that she didn't lost still and that last standing always win! She smiles saying that he sure win his battle and he counters that he couldn't even hope to marry Setsuko! Hanae once thought Katsumi was good girl! She and Kenji remember the day at Minatoku when ball broke glass near Katsumi and it injured her a little! Asahi got mad and ran out to confront the baseball player but Katsumi praised guy for trowing home run ball and wanted him to sign it for her! Guy was trilled and Asahi looked at Katsumi with hearts in the eyes and big smile on his face! Now Hanae thinks she is being fool for even try any more! Kenji tries to tell Hanae that she has her qualities and should stop comparing herself with Katsumi! Hanae thanks him but thinks he is just being nice and she doesn't want that! Asahi is at home thinking about moment when after that home run he and Katsumi were listening baseball game on the radio and guy that signed her ball scored or what ever you do in the baseball! I am sorry i do not know much about the game! Someone knocks on his door and he goes out to see Natsuki! She right away asks him why he doesn't want to fulfill his promise! He says she is sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and she stubbornly continues saying that his girl is not coming back! He insists that she is the one that doesn't know anything! But Natsuki says with straight face that she heard it! We see the continuation of her conversation with Lil Bro where he says Katsumi came to ask their father to change billboard! Then we have flashback in flashback when Lil Bro remembers how he stopped her asking why she wants it removed and she says that if billboard is there Asahi won't be able to forget her! Lil Bro asks if she is not coming back smiling like it is absurd but Katsumi just says goodbye and walks on with her suitcase! Natsuki now says it is certain, girl is NOT coming back, there is no 1% possibility! He thanks her with robot voice for telling him that! She asks if he is ok and he honestly says that he of course is not, then enters leaving her alone!
Later, in Minatoku, Hanae fell asleep on the bar and Natsuki covers her with blanket! Setsuko comes in and quietly explains that Kenji told her and she was worried for Hanae! Natsuki says that happenings made her so mad that she even went to confront Asahi! Setsuko remembers how Asahi was after Katsumi left, he stood in front of the add whole day and though they tried they couldn't move him! Every free moment he spent there! But then started evading going there and Hanae wanted to ask her father to remove it but Asahi plead not to and he returned there! Poor girl, the longer Katsumi was not there, the more Hanae liked Asahi! That is because they spend more time because she stayed by his side every time he was in front of the add! She was happy just being with him! My, this part got me more than i expected! It is just so bitter-sweet! Natsuki calls Asahi and he answers in english! He is obviously drunk and blames her for that, then cuts her off when she asks where he is! Hanae wakes up and girls go to find Asahi drinking beer in front of the Beer Queen! He turns around to greet them and laughs saying how awful he is for drink in front of the billboard! Natsuki wants to take his drink but he doesn't allow! He says that he does understand
Katsumi is not coming back but can't make himself to believe it! He tried to forget but it is not possible! How can he when she is the greatest woman he ever met! That is why he can't give up on her! Natsuki says she didn't understand him and now she thinks what he did was awesome! That is why she wants for him to be happy! She was the same thinking that her ex will come back, but she realized he will not that is why she trow ring! That is why she thinks his happiness is not with that Beer Girl! Asahi screams that she doesn't understand it! He was so happy taking that picture, being with Katsumi... People keep telling there is a lot fish in the sea but for him there is only Katsumi! Time with her was when he was the happiest, that is why he can't give up! While he is talking we can see Katsumi smiling and Asahi and Katsumi happy moments, holding hands, walking, laughing! Quietly Hanae sits by his side with beer in her hand says that it is ok if he doesn't give up! They should drink! She takes a sip and comments that it is been loong time! Asahi just stares at her and remembers all the time she sit by his side, eating noodles, drinking, and just being his company till deep into the night!*sniff* One tear falls as he asks if she was always there! She confirms modestly saying there was nothing else she could do! He hangs his head! Hanae calls Natsuki to join them! They cheers and drink night away!
Next day we see Asahi going somewhere! Hanae comes to return movies she rented! She is little bit disappointed but brushes it off! While going out she casts a glance more from a habit to the DVD rack and stops shocked! Hikaru confirms it: Asahi came that morning and RETURNED DVD!!!*sound of popping a champagne* Hanae can't speak and starts to cry with big smile! Hikaru looks like he will punch someone! Asahi bikes past Beer Queen without giving her a look! That is how i like you! Hanae is at Aoyama telling Natsuki happy news when man himself shows up! Natsuki sends him and Hanae to Minatoku saying she is done for today! They go but Asahi stops and asks if Hahae is free at Monday because that day he wants to redo her pictures! He made the promise after all! She looks at him not sure if he is serious and he smiles! She playfully pushes him and when he turns around he catches Natsuki mid-spying! She pretends that she is cleaning! He orders her to go and she says she will right away! They all smile and Natsuki looks as pair goes!
I think if you want to rewatch this episode we could make drinking game of flashbacks or every time someone says that she is not coming back and if someone has any other idea i will gladly listen!
Plot in this episode was better than i hoped! Asahi already decided to move on which is great, i was afraid they will drag it a little more! Now we can concentrate on other great stuff like falling in love! As much as i do understand that Asahi was happy with Katsumi and that she was nice lady i do not understand that you can be so fixated on living in the past! We all had relationships that were hard to forget but you eat tons of chocolate, feel miserable for some time, got very drunk(hide phones before start) AND THEN MOVE ON! Except if you have 12-14 and it is your first love, in that case do not try last of here written things! Better replace it with: call your friends and fry their brain with talk!
Hanae did more for Asahi than i imagined! When Setsuko told Natsuki how bad it actually was and after when Asahi remembered i could cry! She was happy in his company knowing all along that he is thinking about other girl! Wow! This girl really deserves to be happy! The thing i like is that they showed how good she knows what Asahi needs! Not someone who will push him or drag him, but someone who will share his sorrow!
Natsuki probably doesn't know her feelings for Asahi and i hope she won't be in denial for too long! I mean come on, she is meddling too much in Asahis' affairs and they already searched for each others' company so it is matter of time when they will realize! I think she will have bigger problem to accept it because of her friendship with Hanae! But that is just what i am looking forward to!