“Join our band.”
After the absolutely beautiful piece at the end of the last episode, these were the words that slipped out of Ritsuka’s mouth. The answer “No.”
Which is totally not what anyone expected, Ritsuka didn’t expect it most of all. So the episode from there can be summed up into Ritsu trying to get Sato to join the band. Of course, he spends the entire first episode of the episode slamming his head against a brick wall because he’s only thinking of himself and not showing any empathy for why Sato would say no in the first place.

God, Haruki and Kaji are such good parental figures to them. You could say they’re like older brothers, but i basically see them as the ‘dad’s’ of the band. Even though they aren’t that old.  Guiding Ritsuka on learning about communication and how it’s important in all aspects of life.

Meanwhile, Sato following up on the conversation in the previous episode about picking up a part time job goes in for an interview. He doesn’t tell Ritsuka, but he tells Haruki. He interviews and secures a job at a music venue, it seems like a sort of nice place. It’s nothing too big, but it’s got a stage and a bunch of tables and chairs to sit at. A bar and a concessions stand.
I vaguely recall going to a venue kind of like this once during college with my roommate, it’s the kind of place that books acts that are trying to get off the ground. On his way out, Sato and Ritsuka meet and Ritsuka is determined to talk to him properly about the band and why he’s refusing to join it.

When someone who recognizes Sato interrupts them. He seems to know him from the past, and questions if that’s ‘Yuki’s’ guitar that he’s holding. Sato runs, unable to know how to react and Ritsuka follows after. We get a lot of small hints about what went on in the past. A funeral, people being sad but Sato not knowing how to handle his emotions.
Which is why he doesn’t want to join the band. He has been told and thus believes that he often looks like he isn’t thinking anything. That he’s not good at emoting in front of other people, and performing is all about showing emotions in front of other people.

God, i’m sorry if I sound like a broken record bringing this up every review. This show is beautiful, like the facial animations in this show are so damn good. The look on Mafuyu’s face as Ritsuka checks to see if he is crying. There is something bone chilling about it.
Ritsuka calling Sato by his first name for the first time as he chased him was also an important moment for their relationship. As well as Ritsuka trying to make actual conversation and ask questions about how Mafuyu was feeling and what his thoughts were. Then he gets angry when Mafuyu tells him, god bless him. Then again, he had a reason to get upset. A reason to get worked up, because the reason he asked Mafuyu to join the band in the first place was because of how emotionally struck he was when he heard Mafuyu sing.
So he can express himself, he can perform. He asks Mafuyu to sing it to him again, that favorite song of his and after Mafuyu does. He agrees to join the band.

Kaji witnessed the entire chase down and the singing and I think he might actually know a little more about the situation then the series wants us to know.

Wow, just wow. Every episode of this show floors me. I do know who Yuki is through spoilers, I won’t say here obviously. I think the show is doing a wonderful job though, just dropping enough hints here and there to leave some intrigue. I’m not sure what I think of the guy who came and began talking to Mafuyu, I can’t recall his name. Him and another guy talk at the end of the episode, i’m not sure what I think of either of them yet or how they’ll fit into this story. It’s clear that they are people from Mafuyu’s past.
That’s all we know for now though. Probably friends of Yuki’s.