A Star Brighter than the Sun (太陽よりも眩しい星)

July.

Another scorching summer.

Hey, did you guys put on sunscreen?

Keep your jackets on, or you'll get sunburned.

It's like a sauna.

This feels good!

That looks fun...

I'm jealous.

Take this!

- Hey! That's too much! - Got you!

Hey!

Nope, I can't handle this!

PEEK...

The beginning of summer.

I feel like Kamishiro's been getting cooler and cooler

since high school started.

Here you go.

So hot in here, but this ice is hitting the spot.

Nothing beats ramen on a hot day.

I'm going to see a movie...

with Kamishiro.

EPISODE 8 TEN YEARS

Rocks are mainly classified into igneous and sedimentary types.

Black ones are...

- Focus. Remember April. - A curse on your entire bloodline...

THAT WAS SO LOUD...

Come on. You were asleep, too, Kamishiro. That's favoritism.

No, I was not.

That teacher's scary, I was trying really hard to stay awake.

It's the end of the first semester.

The tension from April has faded,

and we're gradually learning our way around the school.

We've gotten a sense of which teachers are strict,

and groups have started to form.

At that after-party, I got most of my classmates' names and faces down.

That's a big bento box, Iwata.

Yeah. I've got club practice today, so I brought some extra food for after.

1 LUNCH, 2 AFTER SCHOOL, 3 AFTER CLUB

Do you make your bento yourself, Ayukawa?

Peko makes it for me.

Peko?

Our dorm matron.

But her bento portions are a bit small for me.

That's not good. You should let her know.

Well...

And I've learned that Ayukawa, who sits next to me, is easy to talk to.

- I CAN BUY SOMETHING - YEAH?

What?! Isn't going to the movies basically a date?

Isn't that a pre-dating thing?

- There you go! - Is... it?

- Isn't he a little too innocent? - Aagh!

Well... but I was the one who invited him.

I would've been upset if he'd said no, so...

Maybe it's not a bad idea to make the most of your current relationship as friends?

I'M NOT DONE TALKING!!

Friendship might turn into love.

Huh... I'm looking forward to the movie...

Ugh, it's totally going to be just a movie hangout.

Sui, this is Iwa's matter.

It's not like I'm not hoping for something more.

The ball's headed for the school building!

I'll go look for it before heading home.

Could this be what you're looking for?

Oh, thank...

MESSY...

D-Did the ball do all this?

No, this is just how our clubroom always is.

IT'S A SHARED SPACE...

I was afraid the ball triggered a chain reaction.

Shogi... Club?

Go and Shogi Club. I'm the only member now.

Huh? How do you play by yourself?

I work on tsume shogi puzzles, replay title match games, and stuff.

- CAN I SEE THIS? - SURE

I see.

FUN TSUME SHOGI

MAYBE I CAN HANDLE A THREE-MOVE TSUME SHOGI?

Can you play shogi, Iwata?

I played it a bit in elementary school.

I know how the pieces move, but that's about it.

How about a game? I'll drop some pieces on my side.

I still wouldn't stand a chance. It'd be a boring game.

If you beat me,

I'll tell you why Kamishiro got mad during the trash pickup.

Then, you play with only your king.

Um, that's a little...

At least let me have my pawns and gold generals.

PAWN

Hmm...

You're comfortable with silence, aren't you?

I'm not really the talkative type,

so when the silence drags on, I usually feel kind of bad.

But I feel relaxed around you, Iwata.

Oh... I seem to give off a mom vibe, maybe that's why.

Like, more of a friend than someone you'd date.

Well...

do we need to draw a clear line?

I've never really drawn a line between friendship

and romance.

PROMOTED PAWN

KING

Ayukawa...

Am I already in checkmate?

Well, yeah...

Go ahead and take my king then!

You're supposed to say "I resign."

I don't know the rules, but what did I miss?

Ayukawa's really good.

Was he toying with you?

Yeah.

I didn't want it to end too quickly, it felt like a waste.

Oh, because you always play alone?

Yeah.

Sounds like you're good, Ayukawa.

Done with club practice?

Yeah.

I haven't been this close to Kamishiro

since that train ride home from the after-party.

Are you going home alone?

No, I'm waiting for Takuya. He's getting scolded by a teacher.

For what?

He got haircut lines.

You mean like he shaved lines into his temples with clippers?

Yeah. He claims it's not against the school rules,

and they're arguing.

It's okay as long as the ears are showing, right?

Argh!

He's right, it's not written anywhere. Not in the student handbook.

Right?

I think I'll get going now.

Whoa...

I guess I got carried away, thinking we could walk home together and talk.

Iwata.

Feel free to swing by again.

Oh, okay.

Iwata!

I'll let you know tonight when I find out my schedule.

Okay!

Over the summer break, I'm off practice every Wednesday,

and I've got some Sundays free, too.

Then, how about the first Wednesday?

Kamishiro replies so fast.

GUESS HE DOESN'T OVERTHINK

YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE

YOTA AYUKAWA HAS ADDED YOU AS A FRIEND

From the class group chat...

Ayukawa's way of thinking was new to me.

Kamishiro had always been the only one who felt special to me,

so I thought that was the only way things could begin,

but maybe I was wrong.

Oh, I didn't put the shogi pieces away!

I'll apologize to him tomorrow.

Oh, I forgot chopsticks.

The school store has them.

They do? I'll go pick some up.

Bread, please!

One? Two? How many?

Sweet red bean bun!

- Got any chocolate buns? - Wow, the school store's so crowded.

That tiny person is having trouble...

She was here first.

No, she's not.

- She's helping the others. - My bad, Kamishiro.

Hm? Have I seen you somewh...

Oh, the nurse's office! You're Koki's friend!

Koki...

What's your name?

I'm Iwata.

First name?

Sae.

Okay, Sae.

"Sae"!

Sae, squeeze in! Someone's cutting in again!

She's a type of person I've never come across before.

- She's small but mighty. - It's fine to nudge forward.

We hardly know each other, but she's treating me like her best friend.

Oh, right. You two are going to the movies, right?

Has Koki grown up at all?

I still see him as that little kid from preschool or elementary school.

I guess it's not easy to overwrite

the image you have of me from elementary school.

He used to be a wimp. Can he speak his mind now?

What the Lion wants is courage, right?

When he was like five, he was such a romantic.

He'd say things like, "You're a star, Subaru."

She's like a star that shines brighter than the sun.

I don't want to dwell on uncertainties or jump to conclusions,

but everything keeps falling into place.

I'm sorry.

He invited you to a movie in that innocent, elementary-school kind of way.

He's still such a kid.