Slow Start (スロウスタート)

It's finally summer vacation!

That's a happy occasion, but...

Potted morning glories...

A swimsuit bag and lunch bag...

Are you an elementary school student?

Oh, your jab makes it worth lugging them home!

Tama, is that why you're doing it?

You've got a lot of energy.

After all, we're on summer vacation now!

How could you not be happy?

I am happy.

But we won't get to see each other much during the break.

Hana, are you hungry?

Does your tummy hurt?

S-Sorry. I'm fine.

I just felt lonely all of a sudden.

We're so loved!

We're loved.

Love.

Don't worry. We made plenty of plans to see each other, didn't we?

Yeah!

Like the summer festival at the shrine tomorrow!

Th-That's right!

Why don't we all go in yukatas?

I'll help you put it on!

That'll be a big help! Hana, do you have a yukata?

Yukata...

Yeah!

I have one!

Then bring your yukatas over to my castle tomorrow!

- Okay! - I'm gonna invade!

I see.

Even without school, we can have a lot of fun together!

TOMATO FESTIVAL

It's good, huh?

It moisturizes a dried-out body.

You look kind of tired recently.

Is it tough studying?

No problem there.

No problem?

The summer course at the prep school starts soon.

So when I think about joining a batch of shiny, youthful high school students...

So that's what's got you stressed out.

When high school student luminaries get close, how should I handle it?

I've been running simulations all this time,

but there aren't any hiding places in the prep school, so I'm stumped.

Is it necessary to hide?

I've got it!

Ms. Hannen, why don't we go to the summer festival together?

Summer festival?

There'll be so many shiny people at the fest that prep school will be like nothing!

So think of it as a dry run!

That makes sense!

Fight fire with fire, right?

It'll be fun.

It'll be good virtual training!

I'll prepare a yukata for you.

I see! Camouflage, huh?

Please don't hide or I'll lose sight of you!

Um, I'm sure it was right here.

There!

You're going to bring your yukata, aren't you?

I don't need it. I won't have a chance to wear it.

I bet you will.

It'll be fine.

Shion can help you put it on.

I wonder if it looks good on me.

Wahoo! Welcome to the station nearest to my castle!

You're even hyper in the morning?

Can you keep it up until the festival?

I'll show you that I can maintain it!

G-Good morning, Tama.

You must be tired from carrying all that.

How about a plum to relieve your fatigue?

Thank you!

Me, too!

Here you go! Here you go!

Sour!

That woke me up.

It's really good!

I pickled it myself.

You're a jill of many trades, Tama!

MOMOCHI

Wow! A traditional Japanese-style house!

It's Japanese style... Wafu...

Wahoo.

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

W-Wahoo!

I'm back!

Welcome home, Tama.

And Tama's friends, welcome.

Nice to meet you. I'm Eiko Tokura.

Tama's a good friend.

I'm Kamuri Sengoku.

H-Hello! I'm Hana Ichinose! Nice to meet you!

It's a pleasure to meet all of you.

They're all cute girls, aren't they?

They sure are!

I know, right?

All of my friends are adorable!

We're the cream of the crop.

If you do say so yourself?

Tama, you're going to leave your things here and then go shopping, right?

Huh? Are we?

Will you come with me?

Is there a supermarket near here?

I guess you'd call it an "indie greengrocer."

Indie?

Ta-da!

TORETATE VEGETABLE FARM FRESHLY PICKED VEGETABLES

Here it is!

A direct sales place!

It looks good.

Kamu, you're too close.

Everything does look good!

Tama, good morning!

Hey, good morning!

I'll take a basket of tomatoes!

Sure thing. I'll throw in a few as a bonus, too.

Thank you!

- Want to eat one here? - Yep, yep.

You can use the sink.

It's shiny!

What is this? It's so sweet!

Delicious.

Yeah, right? That's because they're freshly picked!

And it feels good getting to eat it outside.

It's like a feeling of freedom!

Hana, yikes! Your white outfit is gonna stain!

Look, this way it won't spill on you!

Yeah, this catches everything.

I know, right?

But there's no feeling of freedom this way!

I know, right?

How can you guys eat without making a mess?

I guess as I bite into it, I suck up the juice.

Chomp and slurp!

Yeah, like that.

Free of any other thoughts.

A-All right!

We're like if the Three Wise Men were the Three Stooges.

What does that mean?

Acqua pazza!

It's like a restaurant!

Another helping!

You haven't eaten the first one yet.

Thank you for the meal!

Delicious!

This is really good!

Another helping.

A-Are you sure?

- The festival's in the evening! - Plenty of time.

That's our Kamu!

All of you, fill up!

It's so delicious that I'm gonna eat too much.

I may not be able to tie my yukata closed.

I know!

Oh, Tama!

To be honest, I was going to boil the fish in soy sauce,

but the vegetable seller gave me so many free tomatoes

that I tried an Italian dish!

Buono!

You suddenly changed the menu and made something this incredible?

You're amazing, Tama!

Tama is amazing.

She's good at cooking and doing it on a budget.

Speaking of cooking, remember that time Tama was in elementary school?

Yes, that was hilarious! Listen...

I thought this was my castle, but it's really enemy territory!

If you use two cords around the waist,

it's easier to adjust the bottom.

I see. I'm learning a lot here!

Yukatas and kimonos look better when you flatten out your body.

So that's why a towel is wrapped around the chest, huh?

That's right.

In other words, I don't need this towel.

Tama,

you're not done growing yet.

Here you go.

Thank you, Eiko.

Tama was right. You really are considerate.

Oh, is that what you said about me?

A-After all, it's true, isn't it?

She always says how cute you are, Kamuri.

Let Tama hold you in her arms once in a while, Kamuri.

When what I say in the privacy of my home gets blurted out,

of course I'm going to be embarrassed!

I wonder what she says about me at home.

- Hana... - Y-Yes?

We hear you're a really funny girl.