Episode 13: Spring Breeze... Again

The episode begins with a flashback of previous episode, when Miyuki and Tsuyoshi were at the park hut. Then, Tsuyoshi wakes up violently, as if it was a nightmare. "But Miyuki is Ai-chan's best friend" says Tsuyoshi to himself.

Tsuyoshi arrives to Dogeza, where he finds Miyuki chatting with Master. After Miyuki greets Tsuyoshi, she blushes slightly. Master tells Tsuyoshi that Miyuki has asked them, after closing time on New Year Eve, they could go the temple (hatsumoude).

Outside the apartment complex where Tsuyoshi lives, Ai is walking forth and back, undecisive if to enter or not. When she finally decides to go in, Tsuyoshi calls her name. Ai had came to ask Tsuyoshi if he can go with her to the temple on New Year. Tsuyoshi says yes, and runs away. However, before she ran too far, she recalls she didn't tell Tsuyoshi when or where to meet her. So, she walks back to his apartment. After knocking the door, Ai gives up, as Tsuyoshi may not be there. Then, she leaves a note, slipping it through the door. "Please call me."

Ai is walking back to her home, when she runs into Miyuki. Although they are not unfriendly toward each other, they do not seem to want to talk too much either. Miyuki asks Ai if she wants to join them to the Temple New Year visit. "Them? Do you mean the people of Dogeza?" asks Ai. Miyuki says yes, and that Tsuyoshi will join them. Ai is taken aback when Miyuki says it. "You could come with us...." began saying Miyuki but stops when she notices Ai's reaction. "Can it be that Ai and senpai..." says Miyuki to herself. Thinking it is better not to mention anything else, Miyuki walks away, saying good bye.

Tsuyoshi arrives home after buying some stuff from the grocery. [The note Ai slip in falls to the ground, over another pair of snickers, totally unnoticed to Tsuyoshi.] He prepares a cup of noodles, and remembers that Ai didn't tell him when they will meet. Before he can think anything further, the phone rings. It is Miyuki, who asks if Ai knows of their visit to the temple on New Year. Tsuyoshi does not say if yes or no, but Miyuki just apologizes for minor details.

At Minamizato residence, Ai wonders if Tsuyoshi has seen her note. She suddenly is happy when she hears the phone rings, only to find that the call isn't for her. She worries, then, for what Miyuki said.

At Dogeza, Tsuyoshi asks where and when they will meet for the temple visit. Before Master can reply, a customer calls them. When Tsuyoshi finishes attending the customer, Master tells Tsuyoshi to do some errands. Outside Dogeza, Master is sweeping, when Minoru arrives. Master tells Minoru that Minatsu isn't there at the moment, but will meet each other for the temple visit. Tsuyoshi, who was changing, walks out the Cafe and runs to do the errands Master told him to do.

Inside the Cafe, Master serves a drink to Minoru who wonders why all the sudden rush, as it is not time to do errands. Just then, Ai enters the Cafe, but Master tells her Tsuyoshi left, but will be back shortly. Ai decides to leave, but Minoru wants to ask her something. At the train station, Tsuyoshi wonders why Master send him there. When he notices some girls calling somebody in a public phone, he decides to call Ai... But nobody is home. Back at Dogeza, Minoru tells Ai to go with them to the temple. Ai is reluctant, even when Minoru tells her Tsuyoshi will be there, too. [Master, by the way, while cleaning a glass, is looking at Ai.] Ai apologizes and leaves. When Ai leaves, Master looks through the glass...

At Iijima residence, somebody rings the doorbell and it is Miyuki who opens to door to find Ai... Miyuki is not entirely happy to see Ai there, but is surprised when Ai asks Miyuki when they will meet to go to the temple. Miyuki tells it will be that night at 11 o'clock. Ai thanks and leaves, even when Miyuki shouts that Tsuyoshi will be there.

Ai is back at her home confused. She says to herself she must have been stupid to ask Tsuyoshi to make such a promise to go with her to the temple. Tears appears, but she wipes them quickly. Ai looks to the phone, hoping it will ring... Meanwhile, at the train station, Tsuyoshi calls to Dogeza. He asks Master when they will go to the temple, but before Master can say something, the speakers of the station begins to make an annoucement and a train runs behind Tsuyoshi, making it impossible for Tsuyoshi to hear anything of what Master says.

Back to Dogeza, Master makes a drink for Minoru and Miyuki. Minoru says they should be on their way to the temple already. Miyuki offers to stay to wait for Tsuyoshi, but Master says it will not be neccesary, as he will leave a note. Tsuyoshi finally arrives at night, to find Dogeza closed. He enters with a spare key he has, and finds a note. Master wrote to meet Ai at 11 o'clock. Tsuyoshi wonders why he wrote such a note...

Eyecatch time!

Ai is leaving her home, hoping to find Tsuyoshi. A moment after she leaves, Tsuyoshi is calling her home. By then, Ai arrives at Dogeza, with doubts about Tsuyoshi, but quickly dismisses any doubts. At the same time, Tsuyoshi arrives at Ai's house...

Ai decides to go to the park (episode 2), hoping to find Tsuyoshi there, but Tsuyoshi has returned to Dogeza... seating alone. [Between those scenes, we see people at the park, Minatsu, Master and Minoru visiting Kamiyama temple, Miko's father making blessings, and Miko selling a charm to Mizuho, and Mayumi walking with her boyfriend.]

"Where could she be", says Tsuyoshi to himself. The door opens, and Tsuyoshi is eager, hoping to meet Ai. But it is not Ai, but Miyuki who shows up. Tsuyoshi can't let escape his expression, as he was expecting Ai, not Miyuki. When Miyuki hears him calling her name, she understands... They talk for a moment, and Miyuki ask Tsuyoshi about Ai...

Ai is at the park, waiting for Tsuyoshi. She thinks she should go to Dogeza to wait for him, but on second thought, it is a better idea to wait for him there. But it is getting cold and the wind is blowing lightly.

"Where is Ai?" asks Miyuki to Tsuyoshi. "I don't know" is Tsuyoshi's answer. "Have you phoned her?", "Nobody picks up the phone." Tsuyoshi begins to get nervous as he starts biting his nails. This worries Miyuki. She begins a struggle to if should she tell or not to tell Tsuyoshi where is Ai. As she watches Tsuyoshi gets more nervous with each passing minute, Ai gives up. She says to find Ai at the park as she is waiting for him there. At first, Tsuyoshi is reluctant, as they should wait for Master and the rest. Miyuki tells Tsuyoshi he should not worry about them, they will be fine; she says he should go look for Ai. Tsuyoshi is worried about Miyuki, but she thanks for all the moments: the first "date", the double date and the time at the beach. Finally, Tsuyoshi gives up and is ready to go. When opening the door, Tsuyoshi begins to speak, but Miyuki cuts him short. "Go quickly! It is getting colder!" So, Tsuyoshi leaves. Miyuki stays for a moment more, and, when she takes her coat, a notebook falls down. It has a photo they took together (episode 12). She cries... And the first tear falls just on the photo...

Tsuyoshi runs to the park, looking for Ai, and finds her seating, on the opposite site of a bench. Tsuyoshi asks Ai if she has been waiting for him all the time, and she says she had. When Tsuyoshi takes Ai's hand, he feels her hand cold, meaning she indeed had been all the time outside with the chilling winds. Ai blushes when she guesses Tsuyoshi knew she was there all the time. Tsuyoshi tells Ai, she should not have stayed so long out on the cold. But Ai says she believed in him and would have stayed there long enough to wait for him. Ai begins to cry... Tsuyoshi takes his jacket out, and covers Ai's head, embracing her...

At Tsuyoshi's apartment [Ai's note is still on Tsuyoshi's shoe, unnoticed...], Ai is seating beside Tsuyoshi, playing with a mikan (a mandarin, a fruit similar to an orange). Ai says that Tsuyoshi is about to graduate, but adds she will be lonely the next year, since she is still a year far from her graduation. As Ai says that, the mikan falls to the ground. Both, Ai and Tsuyoshi goes to take it, ending up Tsuyoshi's hand over Ai's. "I will there for you", says Tsuyoshi and kisses her.

Ending: Ruretto Kyandoru by Pure - Adachi Mari and Sayama Riko (Yuuki Mizuho's seiyuu). It begins when Ai graduates, but still needs a bit of pushing by Miyuki. Ai runs to Tsuyoshi, but trips. Fortunately, Tsuyoshi manages to catch Ai. After that, flashback of previous episodes, in shades of gray, are shown, as well as what each character is doing after graduation. Mizuho is going to college; Ryoko is a painter; Mahoko is playing tennis; Miko is a maiden at the temple; Reiko is "working" at a top corporation (and Sagaoka still as chauffer); Miyuki is a top athlete and, finally, Ai is seating on a club.

Miyuki visits Master. Master is surprised with such a visit, and shows Miyuki a little something that just arrived. A photo of Ai and Tsuyoshi married.

Note: All images and characters are copyright of Elf, KSS Studios, and Pink Pineapple. They are being used without permission.