Sprout || Episode #10

 **SCREENCAPS COMING SOON** So Miyuki is missing… And that’s where the episode picks right back up as Miku let’s everyone know at the boarding house that she never went home last night. Meanwhile out and about doing a street search we see Souhei peddling like crazy on his back as he begins to check places that she likes; his mind flashing back to his promise he made several episodes back now.  You remember, this one: “I won’t go anywhere.  I’ll always be by Miyuki’s side.”

Breathless he hits the soccer club locker room and asks Arata and Takeru if they’ve seen her at all.  The boys are surprised, and automatically begin helping in the search.  They check everywhere in the school from classrooms to the rooftop.  Meeting up with Souhei they tell him that the school security guard said he saw her in regular clothes earlier – so she must be in the area somewhere.

It’s here when Arata asks him if there was any place memorable for the two of them.  Souhei looks down, he’s got an idea.  Before long he’s off the roof with Takeru and Arata yelling after him as his mind reads: “Even though I decided that we would always be together.”

Calling Hayato, Miku tells him she still hasn’t heard any news about Miyuki and that Souhei had said they’d had a fight.  Hayato however instantly flashes back to the day before when he saw Souhei and Miku talking on the picnic table.

With his lead, Souhei rides to temple and low and behold.  There she is.  He rushes over to her and embraces her however it’s not returned at least not away.  Still catching his breath Souhei asks what she was doing and she tells him she was waiting for him.  Though she really believed he wouldn’t be able to find her.

Relieved Miku walks into Hayato’s part-time job and tells him the good news.  He offers her a drink and she accepts carefully taking a seat at a table.  However she comments how relieved Souhei must be.  Hearing her comment Hayato’s mood shifts slightly as he asks: “So the one you were worried about was Souhei?”

Panicked by his reaction she says that’s not true, but he cuts her off and leaves.  Back at the temple, we learn that the place is important for the two because it was where Souhei took her for their very first date.  The two reminisce about it as they walk along and we even get to see a flashback!  In the flashback the two are making wishes as the temple – when asked what he wished for Souhei tells her that his wish came true.  It was for them both to attend the same high-school and for her to go on a date with him. Back in the present the two are repeating their first time here by making wishes.  However, this time it’s Souhei who asks her what she wished for.

Miyuki tells him, “I wished to have my previous wish forgotten.”

Not leaving it be as the two walk away Souhei continues to ask her and Miyuki finally tells him.  Her original wish was to be with him forever.  But she took it back now.  Hearing that Souhei automatically jerks his head over towards her as he asks “Why’d you take it back!?” (haha.  His reaction was just too priceless.  Like seriously Souhei?  You have to ask her that?)

Miyuki stops and says, “Sou-chan, let’s break up.”

Meanwhile at the café Miku is taking her leave, but before she does she asks Hayato when they’ll be taking their trip to Tokyo Tower, since summer break if coming to an end.  He glances at her and just says, “I’ll contact you.”

Souhei rushes after Miyuki once again as he tells her she can’t just decide things like that on her own – the two of them are a team together.  However, she doesn’t budge in her decision as she walks on; Souhei pleading with her on how hard he’ll work to get her to like him again.

Fighting back tears, Miyuki comes to a stop as she tells him, “You don’t need to work hard.” From there she goes on to tell him that she doesn’t want him to force himself to be with her, it’s not right.  However Souhei once again is just not understanding what she means and continues to ask why.

“You were just trying to keep your promise to stay by my side forever, weren’t you?” she asks him as she continues on, “You didn’t want to betray me, so you threw away your own feelings.”  Souhei looks over at Miyuki knowing that everything she’s saying now is the truth.

She turns away and adds with a smile, “That’s stupid.  You’re like an idiot. But… I liked that Sou-chan.”

As their conversation continues Miyuki concludes that starting now, she’s going to stand on her own two feet and live a life where she doesn’t need to depend on him. A life without Sou-chan.

Miyuki: “Our time together wasn’t a waste, right?”
Souhei: “Yeah.”
Miyuki: “I’m glad.”
Souhei: “Miyuki, I’m sorry.”

At that the relationship ends as Miyuki begins to cry and Souhei clutches his pants.  Once the two have composed themselves, they get one more scene to bid-farewell and because I kind of like how they did this I’m using quotes again…

Miyuki: “Let’s part with a smile.”
Souhei: “I think it’s impossible.”
Miyuki: “This is where you should force yourself.”
Souhei: “You’re right.”

At the boarding house, Miku is just arriving home at the same time as Souhei.  She greets him and asks about Miyuki.  He apologizes for making her worry and reports that she’s doing fine.  Just as he’s about to go inside, Naohara appears and Souhei gives a lame comment on his yellow shirt.  After that, we see Souhei sitting down as Naohara approaches him with some games.  He tells him that right now he reminds him of his best friend in the game Love Rocket.  And that he’s just pretending to be fine even though he just broke up with his girlfriend.  Hearing that Souhei decides to borrow the games; which Noahara comments that if he was an adult he would’ve taken him out for a beer instead.  Smiling a bit Souhei tells him that it’s alright and instead if he can just listen to him for a bit. Which our little Otaku does.  However, he’s not alone – since Miku emerged and began eavesdropping too.

Souhei: “Even though I promised her. I wasn’t lying.  I really thought I’d never change. Even if I was forcing myself, I wanted to keep my promise.”
Naohara: “Souhei-kun, if people can’t change, they can’t move forward. In order to change, we get hurt and hurt others. We take in that pain and overcome it. That’s the adventure. In other words, it’s life. I learned that from Rurika.”

With that said, Souhei begins to cry after holding back his tears all day long, while Naohara pats his shoulder.  Crying herself Miku blinks her tears back and decides to leave the boys be,

The next morning we get to see Souhei and Miku coming out of their rooms stretching.  The two greet once another and just as Souhei is about to walk away, Miku offers to go somewhere with him. Including Naohara and Kiyoka.  Souhei automatically asks what’s up since Miku doesn’t normally invite him to do things with her and she confesses to eavesdropping.   Souhei teases her a bit before telling her that it’s alright, that he’s fine.   Their conversation is cut short though when his cell phone rings.  It’s his mom.

She wants him to come back and leave the boarding house!

What do you all think will happen?