[Takes out Megaphone] SAE AND KOKI ARE SO FREAKING CUTE!!! They are really two peas of a pod! Hilariously, they are both stuck on the same concern, where they think the other is fixated on their younger self from their elementary days, and now both are experiencing the same jealousy over misinterpreting a relationship and the air between a person they happen to be close to!
Without a doubt, this is definitely my new favourite episode! And go figure, because look at Sae go! She has really come out of her shell and has stuck to her commitment proactively pursuing her feelings. Her first big step forward was boldly asking if she could tag along with Koki to a movie he’s really excited to see. Though she’s completely unfamiliar with the series, she just really wanted to go with him, and hearing that made him so incredibly happy. Naturally she did her part of catching up to the previous instalments of the movie so knows what’s going on. Though it came as no surprise that due to her insecurity, she couldn’t help but wonder if the female character in the movie series was Koki’s type. But thanks to mustering the courage to ask him what he likes about the movie, she learns not only he doesn’t really think too deeply about it, but if he had to name one thing, it’s the male lead that inspires him. Koki always wanted to become stronger to protect the ones he cares about, and it’s understandable why he feels like at times, Sae still thinks of him as the little boy from their elementary days.
It’s funny because to some extent, it is true that she does think about that side of him, but she does that while acknowledging how much he has grown and changed. What’s also rather endearing is that she feels he’s actually doing that to her! Gosh, they are so in sync with their progress of pursuing their feelings for each other, it’s really adorable!
Another moment I was really proud of Sae for was when she finally stood up for herself to Yuushin’s rambling on about things that could result a misunderstanding. She can be patient, but not for that kind of shit where people gossip about how she and another guy should start dating. I was like, ” GO GIRL!” when she straight up told him she won’t tolerate that kind of teasing and was able to actually intimidate simply by her tone. Yuushin already gotten away with saying so much shit towards her, so I’m VERY happy to see her put him in his place. Just because someone is nice doesn’t mean they will tolerate being subjected to these so-called “teasing”.
But what I really loved about this episode was how Koki had so many great moments where we saw how much he cared about Sae. When Sae fell off the stage while shielding Sui and silently calling out the third years trying to film up her skirt, Koki dropped everything to prioritize Sae’s care. The play be damned, first and foremost he wanted to make sure Sae was okay. And really, it did prove to be a significant moment because Sae was clearly distressed of suddenly finding herself in the spotlight. She’s already self conscious about her body image, and having hundreds of eyes on her just makes a bad situation worse.
Second time Koki came to Sae’s defence, was when he and Sui passed the third years who were complaining how Sae (the “big one” as they put it) intervened with their plans to film up Sui’s skirt. I’m sure he was rightfully furious on Sui’s behalf, but without a doubt, what prompted him to actually choose to punch them (and unfortunately get caught in a brawl as result of it) was the fact they touched on Sae’s biggest insecurity. Nobody’s allowed to slander her like that, especially jerks like them.
The ending of the episode was probably my favourite bit because I felt like that was the first time in a long while (even after their practice together), where the two of them were just so relaxed with each other and were simply enjoying each other’s company. Another bit I loved about it was how Koki’s insecurity came out then too, where he was started second guessing whether she wanted to go to the movies wih just him, or would prefer to go as a group with their friends. It was an invaluable moment since it allowed Sae to reassure him that she absolutely wants to see it just the two of them together! SO IT’S A DATE!
Ugh my heart, so wholesome! I love it!
Last thing before I wrap it up, we did get some clarification on how the girl we’ve been seeing from time to time is related to Koki. I always figured she was related to him, but for some reason it never occurred to be that she would be his cousin! But that didn’t make Sae feel much better at first though, because she was convinced that Subaru was surely the star Koki had mentioned. In her eyes, Subaru seemed so perfect, talented in academics, gets along with the teachers, small and beautiful… but thankfully Koki quickly cleared that up when Sae had said she wished she could be like her. The way he shut that down so fast by telling her that’s just her public persona, when in fact she has always been bullying him since they were kids. So he doesn’t want Sae to be like her, he just wants her to keep being herself!
And then there was Youta. I will admit, I do like the vibe between Sae and Youta , they are just so chill and similar to each other that it makes sense why they’d click so well as friends. I think the most unexpected common ground we discovered between them though was how Youta too has deep insecurities about his body image. He doesn’t like how he has a scrawny build, and even outright chose their school specifically because it didn’t have a pool. But it’s nice that he’s becoming friends with Koki and Sae, because he comes from a town out in the middle of nowhere, so he’s living at the dorms and doesn’t have anyone he knows in the area. I just hope for his sake that this doesn’t become some unrequited love triangle, because he definitely deserves better than that!
