Azuki Azusa/Story

==Childhood==
Azuki Azusa is child to a moderate family and was raised by kind parents. Her mother and father are a magazine editor and a medical doctor respectively.
Azusa has been shy since her childhood and struggled with making friends. In kindergarten, she became close with Maimaki Mai, whom she knew as "Ma-chan" at the time. After graduation, they promised to keep in contact via letters. However, this means of communication was cut off when Mai's family moved and the postal service failed to forward her letters, causing them to eventually grow apart.
==Meeting Youto==
Azusa transfers to the same school as Youto after her friends at her previous high school, Morii and Moriya, played a prank on her, resulting in her going to the wrong destination for her field trip. After Youto's wish to the Cat God to lose his inconvenient facade, Azusa inadvertently becomes its recipient. Driven by a fear of rejection, she assumes the persona of a rich lady. In order to support such a lifestyle despite her modest upbringing, she begins heavily overworking herself at multiple part-time jobs, ranging from being a maid at an animal cafe to physically-intensive construction jobs.
Her facade helps her attract the attention of many boys, to the point where confessions become a daily occurrence. Azusa's harsh rejection style is popular among male students and is referred to as "Azuki Azusa's reward time." She first meets Yokodera Youto during one such morning rejection session: passing by the commotion, Youto, without his facade, loudly blurts out honest remarks on her small chest. Angered and embarrassed, she pulls Youto aside to settle their business in private, but is interrupted by president of Youto's track-and-field club, the Steel King.
Having both suffered unwanted consequences after sacrificing their previously unwanted traits to the Cat God, Youto and Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko form an alliance to get back what they lost. Tsukiko, observing Azusa's behavior, soon deduces her to be the recipient of Youto's facade. Learning this, Youto directly confronts Azusa, demanding the return of his facade. His passionate and unfiltered outburst is misconstrued as a romantic confession. Azusa, caught off-guard, agrees to let Youto stay close to her as her "pet."
Youto, Tsukiko, and Azusa spend a day at a game center, hoping to bond and help Azusa embrace her true self. The trio stop to take a break, where Youto brings up friendship and causes the mood to shift. When Azusa excuses herself to the restroom, the Steel King catches Youto slacking off. Furthermore, the Steel King and her younger sister, Tsukiko, are currently in a strained relationship. Youto and Tsukiko flee the game center to avoid further conflict, leaving Azusa behind momentarily. Returning from the washroom, Azusa finds Youto and Tsukiko gone, and is instead confronted Morii and Moriya. Although a mere coincidence, Azusa believes Youto to have staged the whole day and she runs away crying, upset and feeling betrayed.
Over the next few days, Azusa locks herself up in her room, refusing to go to school or interact with anyone else. She remains hostile towards Youto when he comes to visit, accusing him of manipulating her, mocking her intelligence, and using her as a pawn in his plan to reclaim his facade.
Frustrated and unsure of how to proceed, Youto later visits the hill where the Stony Cat resides, where he meets Tsukiko. Tsukiko encourages Youto to act on his feelings rather than overthink his actions. She emphasizes the importance of speaking honestly, even if it risks regret.
Determined to resolve the situation, Youto visits Azusa's house again the next morning. Her mother warmly welcomes him. Youto uses a coin to unlock Azusa's bedroom door, finding her curled up in pajamas, disheveled and teary-eyed. Ignoring her protests, he carries her out of the house, insisting she gets fresh air despite her embarrassment.
Boarding a taxi, Youto gently confronts Azusa about her reliance on her facade to protect herself from emotional pain. He connects her actions to her love of Princess Gamera, a manga about a strong, independent character, revealing how Azusa modeled her noblewoman act after the story. Azusa initially denies needing others, but eventually begins to open up.
At the Stony Cat shrine, Youto lays out the truth about the statue, his facade, and Azusa's choker, explaining the supernatural nature of their situation. Azusa accuses Youto of lying and using her, but he apologizes sincerely, admitting his actions were selfish and hurtful. He asks Azusa to be his friend, unrelated to his quest for his facade, but also acknowledges he still wants it back.
Azusa, moved by Youto's honesty, prays to the Stony Cat to give up her facade, returning it to Youto and marking the start of a new friendship. She quits her multiple grueling part-time jobs, only continuing to work at the animal cafe, enjoying time with cats and dogs. During this time, she saves up for a trip to Okinawa, hoping to go together with Youto and make up for the field trip.
==Trip to Okinawa==
Instead of going on the trip with Azusa like she wanted, Youto instead visits Morii and Moriya at their part time job daily and convinces them to accompany Azusa instead, as an opportunity to make up with their former friend.
However, the trip is not what they imagined: Azuki Azusa finds herself unable to shake the thought of Yokodera. She picks flower petals to find out whether Yokodera will come, but it never stops at "he will come." Morii tries to convince her to stop, but she does not listen.
The hungry pair eventually force Azusa into a cafe, where Azusa constantly checks her phone and displays uncharacteristic anxiety. A discussion arises about her feelings for Youto, and despite embarrassment, Azusa passionately declares Youto to be the "coolest person in the universe" followed by a long and detailed explanation, revealing her deep affection for him. This confession leads Morii and Moriya to speculate about discrepancies in their understanding of Youto's relationship with Azusa, concluding mistakenly that Youto must have an older brother.
At the beach, Azusa's choice of a revealing swimsuit and her recounting of "dates" with Youto further highlight her infatuation. Her detailed accounts of visits to unconventional places like a bridal shop and a gynecologist, as well as "normal" outings with Youto and Tsukiko, create further misunderstandings among her friends, who now believe she is already integrated into Youto’s family.
As events unfold, Morii feels a growing distance between herself and Azusa, a sentiment intensified by her own insecurities. Zoning out on the beach, she is knocked unconscious by a large wave. Though their trip is cut short by the accident, their reconnection deepens as Azusa and Moriya care for Morii at a nearby inn. The following morning, Azusa and Morii share a heartfelt conversation, apologizing for past misunderstandings and reconciling their friendship.
With this matter settled, Azusa leaves Morii and Moriya to call Youto, expressing her frustration at Youto's neglect. She mentions the swimsuit she purchased, which she believes Youto, as a supposed pervert, isn't appreciating as much as he should. Youto understands her as being upset swimsuit didn't fit Azusa as she had hoped and suggests that they "work together" to resolve it, frustrating her further as she struggles to articulate her emotions. Youto eventually ends the conversation as his bus arrives.
By the time night falls, Youto finds himself stranded within the Tsutsukakushi household due to a worsening storm. Taking shelter in the storehouse, he finds a giant statue of the Cat God, speculating that it grants wishes in unintended ways. He attempts to formulate a wish to test his theory, initially intending to ask for Tsukiko's expressions back. However, he is distracted by the thought of Azusa, and instead mutters a wish for Azuki Azusa to make it home safely.
With a thud behind him, Youto turns to find Azusa sitting on his bed in a bikini, having experienced appears to be a sudden teleportation. She immediately starts bawling, explaining that she was in the middle of showering after a swim in Okinawa when the world went black, and she found herself transported to the storehouse.
Youto explains that the teleportation was the result of the Stony Cat's powers, and Azusa tests out a wish of her own. A pair of handcuffs appears in Youto's hands, who uses them to tie Azusa down to the bed and begins to remark on her attractiveness. Azusa cancels the wish, the handcuffs disappear, and Youto comes to his senses. 
Due to the storm, Youto decides that having Azusa stay over will be the safest choice. Entering the kitchen, they Tsukiko preparing a meal while dancing and humming, clearly in a good mood. She cheerfully recites Youto's earlier praises of her cuteness, revealing how much his words means to her, a sight that Azusa is glad to see.
The group, including Azusa and Tsukushi, gathers for dinner in the banquet hall. Tsukushi, executing her ongoing plot of seducing the "evil twin Yokodera" and separating him from Tsukiko, begins to exhibit unusually affectionate and flirtatious behavior toward Youto, prompting Azusa's jealousy. Azusa, initially quiet, reaches her breaking point as Tsukushi feeds Youto directly. She slams her chopsticks on the table, accusing Tsukushi of unfairly monopolizing Youto's attention. Her anger leads to a fierce verbal confrontation with Tsukushi, with both girls competing for dominance in the situation.
Under pressure, Azusa blurts out that Youto is her "private pet." Though clearly a desperate attempt to assert her connection to him, the declaration embarrasses both her and Youto. Azusa doubles down, claiming her bond with Youto involves "discipline" and a list of commands he obediently follows. Her antics amuse Youto but frustrate Tsukushi, who struggles to maintain her composure. In response, Tsukushi ups the ante by offering Youto almond gelatin, daring him to lick it off her hand. Azusa reacts with equal fervor, pulling Youto towards her and commanding him to obey her instead, creating a tug-of-war over his allegiance.
The typhoon outside continues to worsen, even breaking the storm shutters and flooding the house. Youto would later realize that the typhoon is caused by a supernatural force, eventually deducing its root cause, being Tsukiko's fear of separation. Despite holding a grudge against Tsukushi, Azusa is asked to distract her while Youto confronts Tsukiko, eventually stopping the typhoon.
Promising Tsukiko a visit to his house together with everyone, Youto decides that it's time to clear a misunderstanding that Tsukushi has — that he has a younger brother. However, when shown his family register, Tsukushi completely misunderstands the situation, believing Youto to be the younger brother who has been rejected by his family. Determined to help the younger Yokodera and give him a family, Tsukushi promises to marry him, and dramatically kisses Youto on the cheek. Just arriving, Azusa is shocked to witnesses the scene.
==Possessed by the Cat God==
After witnessing the kiss, Azusa somehow ends up at the Tsutsukakushi family's storehouse. Desperate, she makes a wish to the Cat God, asking to become a new version of herself. In its mischievous nature, the Cat God would "grant her wish" by possessing Azusa, turning her into a tool for its forthcoming schemes.
As a part of the Cat God's plan, Emi, an Italian girl that Youto had met a long time ago, back to Japan. Due to a certain childhood sacrifice, Youto has extremely poor memory, and does not remember his past bond with Emi nor his promise to take her to his school's sports festival. The Cat God grants Emi a cat plush, through which she can communicate her wishes. After their reunion, Emi is allowed to wreak havoc within Youto's school, causing effects such as the school transforming into an Italian-themed wonderland, the students wearing swimsuits as their uniform and hailing Youto as a prince.
Azusa alone remains unaffected by these wishes, though the misunderstanding created by Tsukushi's kiss haunts her, making him afraid to approach or talk to Youto. Youto notices this and leaves a letter in Azusa's locker. However, the Cat God proceeds to dispose of the letter as it would have disrupted its schemes, prolonging the misunderstanding until Youto manages to confront her directly.
Throughout the chaos caused by Emi, Azusa remains unaffected and helps Tsukiko and Tsukushi realize the oddity of the situation. Despite Emi's continued efforts, she reaches her limit upon realizing that Youto had truly forgotten their promise. She cancels her wishes, but the Italian transformation yet remains. At this point, he also learns that Tsukushi has suddenly been accepted as a transfer student to Italy.
Youto later finds a disheartened Emi atop a bell tower, preparing to take revenge against him. Making his way up, he attempts to reconcile with Emi and form a friendship anew, but they are then confronted by the Cat God, once again possessing Azuki Azusa's body. It reveals to Youto that the Italian school is actually a result of his own wish. Yokodera has the option to cancel the wish, but in order to do so, the Stony Cat had to bring Emi over to Japan. This means that once he cancels the wish, Emi will be forced to go back to Italy. To further add to the fine mess of the situation, the Stony Cat corners Emi with its words, and Emi "wishes" for it to "get away from her." The Stony Cat grants this wish by slowly walking towards the balcony. Yokodera is forced between choosing to cancel the wish, saving Tsukushi from going to Italy and Azusa from jumping off of the balcony, but losing Emi, or doing nothing and watching while Azusa falls.
In a desperate measure, he cancels the wish, but before Emi is sent away, he kisses the possessed Azusa. The Stony Cat, confused and shocked by this action, runs away, leaving the real Azusa, who is just as confused, but happy at the same time.
==Start of the Rivalry==
Azusa is shaken after the Italian school incident, but her affection for Youto only grows stronger, and she resolves to overcome her hesitation and take the initiative in their relationship. Azusa begins a ritual of calling Youto every night for brief 15-second updates on her day. When Youto proposes a longer conversation or a date, she hesitates but ultimately agrees, deciding not to make him wait forever.
Azusa selects a theme park, "Giant's Daily Life Land," for their date. Upon arrival, she surprises Youto by embracing the couple's discount. Throughout the date, Azusa is composed and confident, radiating the poised beauty she once displayed when they first met, even without Youto's facade aiding her.
The date takes an unexpected turn when Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi joins them, here for children's welfare club activities. Wanting to keep Youto to herself, Tsukiko immediately clings to him with a possessive air. Azusa, appearing unbothered, invites Tsukiko to play together.
They arrive at a restaurant, where Tsukiko learns that Youto and Azusa bought the couple's ticket. Youto explains that it is a form of rebellion against societal trends, and Azusa says it's only to save money with no deeper meaning. Their explanations naturally do not satisfy Tsukiko. 
Youto sits down in a corner seat, and Tsukiko immediately moves to claim the seat next to him with inhuman speed, but then hesitates before sitting down. Azusa, noticing the hesitation, insists that Tsukiko takes the seat, masking her control. After some back and forth, Tsukiko reluctantly accepts. Azusa then treats Tsukiko with a teasing affection, poking her cheeks and calling out her reluctance. 
Throughout their interactions, Azusa emits a confident, dominant aura. Tsukiko asks Azusa if something good happened, prompting her to cryptically share that she had a dream where she had her first kiss, further irritating Tsukiko.
When Azusa leaves the table to get everyone's salad, Tsukiko seizes the moment to confront Youto directly. She sits on Youto's lap, her hands gripping his shirt and tugging at his bangs like a form of punishment, as she quietly asserts that she has known him the longest and their bond is the most significant.
==Field Trip==
Since the date at the amusement park, Azuki Azusa becomes increasingly clingy. She regularly appears at the track-and-field club, acting like Youto's personal cheerleader, her over-the-top disruption drawing annoyance from other club members.
Determined to group with Youto for an upcoming field trip, Azusa enthusiastically attempts to recruit members but faces difficulties due to Youto's infamous reputation as "The Hentai Prince" and her unconventional field trip activity ideas, such as visits to an insect swarm museum and a caterpillar botanical garden. Even Youto's childhood friend, Ponta, declines, citing an emotional rift caused by Youto's perceived transition to a different "world" due to her current closeness with Azusa.
The grouping session concludes with the field trip committee having to assign two additional group members: Planning their group activities proves difficult, with vastly differing interests: Maimaki Mai, the vice president of the track-and-field club, and the president of the swimming club, nicknamed "Cozy-sama" by Youto. Planning their group activities proves difficult, with vastly differing interests: Mai expresses disdain for Youto, Cozy-sama proposes extreme activities like swimming across Lake Suwa, and Azusa remains fixated on her animal park ideas.
Youto meets with Tsukiko on the weekend, who tallies a "point system" based on Youto's interactions with other girls. Azusa is a significant factor in this system, with head pats from Youto earning an astronomical 700,000 points, underscoring Tsukiko's jealousy.
The day of the field trip arrives. The group's first destination is Zenkou Temple, where Azusa walks together with Youto, holding hands and spending an enjoyable time. When they make it halfway up the mountain, they unexpectedly encounter Emi, dressed up as a magical girl. Azusa tries to engage with her, but Emi dodges her affection and runs away, traumatize from the interaction involving the Cat God during the Italian school incident.
Realizing that he forgot the camera, Youto returns to the parking lot to retrieve it but encounters Tsukiko, who has secretly followed them on the trip. Youto attempts to smuggle her out in Azusa's souvenir bag but fails, prompting the other girls to misinterpret the situation as a kidnapping, with only Azusa believing in his innocence. However, overwhelmed by Tsukiko's cuteness, the girls collectively decide to let her stay.
The next afternoon, Tsukiko invites Azusa to the hot spring. There, she confronts Azusa under the guise of discussing a hypothetical love triangle between "A Girl-chan," "B Boy-kun," and "C Beauty-san," claiming her place as "number one" in Youto's life. Despite not recognizing Tsukiko's true intents and mistaking it as discussion about a shoujo manga, Azusa counters by questioning the validity of Tsukiko's rankings and emphasizing that love should stem from mutual acceptance rather than possessiveness. Azusa's calm reasoning leaves Tsukiko flustered and struggling to respond. Completely unaware, she delivers a final, devastating blow, suggesting that Tsukiko's feelings for Youto may not even be genuine, leaving her in emotional shock. Tsukiko collapses under the weight of the discussion, and Youto helps carry her back to their room.
Azusa remains unaware of the impact her words have on Tsukiko, instead blaming herself for being too talkative. However, upon her later discovery that Youto and Maimaki Mai had switched bodies for the day, Tsukiko spirals further into despair. Deeply ashamed of the superficial nature of her love, she makes an anguished wish resulting in her swapping bodies with a cat. Though the situation is eventually resolved, the experience leaves Tsukiko questioning her love for Youto and afraid to face Azusa. She begins distancing herself from both of them as she tries to understand the true meaning of love.
==Reconciliation With Tsukiko==
Azusa invites Youto to a Christmas party at her place. They also attempt to invite Tsukiko, but she declines, as she has not yet sorted out her feelings.
When Youto arrives, Azusa excitedly shows off her Santa outfit before introducing him to her father. Azusa's father is a man of massive, muscular physique, which initially intimidates Youto, but they manage to bond over a baseball board game.
At dinner, Azusa's mother comments that Youto feels like one more family member, and jokingly suggests starting a baseball team, asking for Azusa's thoughts. Azusa grows bright red, protesting in embarrassment.
Later, Youto and Azusa run an errand together, during which Azusa opens up about her family. She reveals that her father always wanted a son and often tried to get her interested in baseball, but she preferred spending time with her neighborhood friend, "Ma-chan." Azusa mentions how happy her father seemed during the party and jokingly suggests that if Youto was her father's son, they could see him that way every day.
Azusa comments on Tsutsukakushi's absence, expressing her wish that she could have joined the Christmas party. She proposes organizing a grand celebration for Tsukiko's upcoming birthday. Youto admits that Tsukiko has been avoiding him since the field trip, and Azusa offers comfort, saying that sometimes friendships require patience and persistence. She compares waiting for a friend to "standing in place like a blind sheep," emphasizing that true friends are willing to wait no matter how long it takes.
When new year arrives, Azusa goes on a shrine visit with her friends, unexpectedly running into Youto and Tsukiko together. Not ready to face Azusa yet, Tsukiko abruptly runs away, leaving behind a book of Shakespearean sonnets in her panic. Azusa stays with Youto while her friends chase after Tsukiko, attributing their strained relationship to her unintentionally insulting Tsukiko's favorite character back at the hot spring, still unaware of what truly transpired.
As winter break ends, Azusa takes the initiative to plan a surprise birthday party for Tsukiko in secret with the other members of Tsukiko's children's welfare club. When she informs Youto of the plan and introduces him to the club members, all of them panic, fearing that the "Hentai Prince" is here with malicious motives. Azusa tries to explain that Youto is simply misunderstood, which does little to calm them until she eventually explodes, commanding the girls to stop their panic with a fierce tone.
In an unprecedented rage, Azusa forces ear mufflers onto Youto's ears before questioning the girls what kinds of rumors they have heard about Youto. After they recite the rumors, Azusa switches to a kind yet resolute tone, telling them that they should not judge a person they haven't met based purely on hearsay. The girls, though reluctant, eventually lower their heads and apologize.
Later, Azusa leaves for her part-time job, and Youto follows, prompting curiosity from the other club members about their relationship. They suspect a romantic connection, but both Azusa and Youto deny it. Shortly after, Tsukiko unexpectedly appears, forcing Youto and Azusa to awkwardly conceal their plans. 
The following day, Youto and Azusa visit the children's welfare club's clubroom again, only to find Tsukiko there alone. Tsukiko casually deduces that they are planning her birthday party, expressing her preference for a planned celebration over a surprise one.
Taking Azusa's hand, she places it back into Youto's palm as she walks away, sulking. An invisible tug-of-war occurs, as Azusa tries to make Tsukiko hold Youto's hand instead. Tsukiko then proposes practicing a puppet theater performance for the club's event, bringing out two puppets — a pig and a sheep. She instructs Azusa, the sheep, to simply respond with "Baa" as she, the pig, narrates a story:
The pig and the sheep lived in a certain place. They had a mutual interest in being eaten, so they fed themselves lots and became fatter and fatter. However, the pig thought it was more delicious, and in its evil nature, itdtried to outwit the sheep with all kinds of unfair acts, while the sheep danced through the sky without a care.
But one day, when the pig went to a hot spring with the sheep, it was utterly defeated with no means of retaliation. On top of that, the kind wolf that wanted to help the pig was actually shot down by a hunter. Reflecting on this, the pig started to hate itself, and decided to become an adult. The pig read lots of books, and was moved by a sonnet collection that described love as a lighthouse in the storm. But no matter how hard it tried, it cannot copy the book because of its own selfishness.
At this point, the immersion starts to break as Tsukiko begins using "I" instead of "the pig," confessing to a strong desire for control and her unfair treatments towards the "sheep." Embarrassed by its own pathetic nature, the pig could no longer face the sheep, but the sheep wouldn't get angry no matter what, acting like a true adult. The sheep's effortless perfection only fueled the pig's jealousy and self-hatred further.
Eventually, Tsukiko plainly admits to being a pig. Fully breaking the fourth wall, she adds that despite all this, the pig would force the sheep to hold hands with the wolf, and wanted them to get along with a smile, which she struggles to understand.
An uncomfortable silence ensues. Youto suggests that they leave off the play for now, but Azusa remains frozen in place. A few moments later, Azusa proceeds to put the ear mufflers back on Youto's ears as she continues the play, declaring that contrary to the pig's beliefs, the sheep isn't lying about anything. Mixing "oink" sounds into her sentences, Tsukiko questions whether Azusa is truly sincere, or if she simply gave up from the start. Azusa defends that she's not giving up anything, but Tsukiko continues to challenge her on whether she's accepting the idea of being second.
The pig pushes the sheep to the corner of the stage. Azusa confesses to having her own flaws, like skipping PE class or selfish thoughts while spending Christmas with Youto, and confesses that she only tries to hide her bad sides. The sheep and pig both forcefully bump into each other, neither of them backing down. Tsukiko argues that Azusa's facade in itself is cunning and unfair, which leads to an incoherent series of back and forth arguments about who is actually the cunning one.
Youto notices the rest of the club members who have arrived some time ago but dared not interrupt. He tries to explain the situation away, but Tsukiko and Azusa simply continue fighting. They speak their own feelings, not listening to the other party in the slightest, continuing on and on. Ultimately, the argument is ended by the school bell without either of them backing down or accepting Youto's attempts to mediate.
Tsukiko manages to cool down by the next day. In a display of maturity, she invites Azusa to her home with the intention of making up. When she arrives, Tsukiko asks Youto, who is also there, to leave them alone as they work to address their strained relationship. Though the details of their conversation are unknown, Youto later finds Tsukiko and Azusa sitting together on the porch, casually chatting about their experiences with Youto despite their earlier animosity. When asked about their conversation, they call it a secret. Though they deny fully making up, their closeness indicates significant progress. Following Youto's suggestion, they attempt to address each other using nicknames, "A-chan" and "Tsu-chan." The moment is awkward and hesitant, yet it marks a crucial step towards their friendship.
Tsukiko's birthday arrives. Despite knowing Tsukiko would likely see through their plans, Youto, Azusa, Emi, and the children's welfare club members coordinate an early arrival and a dramatic surprise greeting. The event transitions into a collaborative celebration with everyone cooking together, aligning with Tsukiko's expressed preference for shared preparation. During a game of twister, Tsukiko and Azusa bond even closer, engaging in a playful competition which turns into teasing banters. The gift she prepares for Tsukiko is a Blu-ray of a zombie movie, knowing Tsukiko's unexpected love for the genre. The party ultimately concludes in great success.
After making up with Azusa, they agree to "share" Youto by spending time with him on alternating days.
==New Timeline==
Some time later, the world becomes trapped in a mysterious time loop, involving a familial "curse" that has begun to surface, causing Tsukiko's older sister, Tsukushi's health to rapidly decline. Tsukiko would be the only one to retain her memories across loops thanks to the notes she kept, thanks to a wish she made to remember everything in Youto's stead after previously discovering the true reason behind Youto's bad memories. However, despite Tsukiko's efforts, each time loop would end with Youto sacrificing his remaining lifespan to save Tsukushi's life.
In the third loop, Tsukiko reveals the truth of the loop to Youto and desperately pleads to Youto to not repeat the same tragedy. He later asks Azusa for her opinion on whether he should be himself or a hero who saves everyone. Azusa, though confused, suggests him to follow his heart. When Youto adds, "what if someone disagrees?", she answers that either way, she will respect Youto's decision — once Youto sets his mind to something, there is nothing she can do to stop him. However, she too expresses her desire to at least understand Youto's decision. Likening Azusa to the swallow in the story of The Happy Prince, Youto invites her to walk with him. After an ensuing conversation of which no detail is unknown, Youto would once again repeat his sacrifice.
Tsukiko grows disheartened due to Youto's stubbornness, but as the time loop continues, the two of them eventually reconcile. Combining their efforts, they manage to find the cause of the time loop and break out of it by once again returning to the past, with the intent to rid the lineage of the "curse" from its root.
Regressing to his six-year-old self and living with the Tsutsukakushi family, Youto meets a young Azusa at the bathhouse when he faints from the heat and is briefly taken care of by Azusa's mother. When he wakes up, he spots Azusa, and mutters her name in surprise. Believing him to be a friend of Azusa's, Azusa's mother expresses happiness, acknowledging that Azusa doesn't have many friends. She asks if he was "Ma-chan," a name which Azusa frequently brings up. Youto goes with the flow and answers yes, prompting Azusa, who has never interacted with Youto in this timeline, to frantically shake her head.
Tsutsukakushi Tsukasa, Youto's caretaker at the time, rushes over. Tsukasa scolds him for getting separated before deeply bowing before Azusa's mother, apologizing for the trouble. Azusa's mother gently rebukes that she needs to keep a closer eye on her children before she heads out with Azusa. Feeling bad for Tsukasa, Youto chases after Azusa's mother, admitting to her that everything was his own fault, asking her to scold him instead. She is taken aback but responds affectionately, assuring him that he will become a proper man in the future.
Continuing to live as a six-year-old, Youto also encounters the young Maimaki Mai by chance. Realizing that Mai and Azusa are in fact the "Ma-chan" and "A-chan" they previously mentioned, he takes Mai to the Azuki household. Welcomed warmly by Azusa's mother, Youto introduces Mai as Azusa's childhood friend, Ma-chan. Initially hesitant, Mai attempts to reconnect with Azusa, expressing concern over their lost communication. When Azusa shyly hesitates to respond, Mai assumes she has been a bother and turns to leave. However, Azusa suddenly leaps at Mai, pinning her to the ground in an emotional, tearful embrace. Azusa's mother explains that their letters never reached each other due to confusions with the postal system after Mai's family moved.
The misunderstanding cleared, Azusa and Mai reconcile. They resume frequent hangouts, joined by their new friends Tsukiko and Tsukushi. Despite challenges, Youto and Tsukiko succeed in finding the root cause of the "curse" — a belief held by Tsukasa in order to cope with her own declining health, which manifested in Tsukushi due to an inadvertent wish made as an expression of love for her mother. They also learn why Youto grew acquainted with the Tsutsukakushi family during his childhood — it was the result of Tsukasa's wish for a family in her most desperate and lonely times, which separated him from his actual family.
Due to both wishes being cancelled, particularly the second one, Youto grows distant from Azusa and the rest of his acquaintances as he becomes busier with his own family, while Azusa's bond with Mai, Tsukiko, and Tsukushi remains strong. During high school, Azusa, retaining her love for animals, starts an animal training club. She engages in "animal time" every morning, where she chases a puppy on all fours, wearing dog ears. It is also around this time that Tsukiko, guided by her "Yokodera-kun Notes," helps Youto rekindle his relationship with Azusa.
At one point, Azusa finds herself mysteriously transformed into a dog. She encounters Youto in her dog form, who takes her home and bathe her. However, as she regains clarity, she becomes overwhelmed with embarrassment and flees Youto's house. Observing her appearance in a car mirror, she sees a small, apricot-colored toy poodle. Azusa makes her way home via public transit, but her parents fail to recognize her.
Dejected, she wanders aimlessly, eventually finding herself in a deep forest. Believing this to be a typical body swap, she is almost ready to face a tragic end where she never sees the light of day, as another Azusa must have taken her place. Then, Azusa encounters Emi, who is possessed by the self-proclaimed Cat God. The Cat God offers cryptic explanations, asserting that Azusa's transformation is not a typical body swap but a manifestation of subconscious desires — to be loved, cared for, and belong to someone. The Cat God identifies the collar around Azusa's neck as an otherworldly object, which carried Youto's facade in their original timeline. Despite the wisdom she offers, the Cat God admits to having no power to reverse Azusa's condition.
Resting beneath the shrine floorboards, Azusa reflects on Youto's kindness and his ability to change those around him, acknowledging her own admiration for him. The next morning, Azusa witnesses the real Emi performing a ritual dance in shrine maiden attire, attempting to appease the gods. Worried that the god might possess her again and further exploit her, Azusa barks and tugs at Emi's clothes, trying to stop her. Emi reassures her, revealing her willingness to serve as the god's vessel out of compassion for the lonely deity. 
As the ritual resumes, the Cat God once again enters Emi's body. The god addresses Azusa with sharp comments, questioning her adjustment to her new form and attempting to probe her conversation with Emi. Despite her dismissive tone, the god's eyes betray subtle anxiety. Azusa stays silent, which unsettles the god further.Their conversation is interrupted when Youto arrives, displaying his characteristic perversion at Emi's shrine maiden outfit, much to the god's panic.
Later that night, Azusa encounters Maimaki Mai under the moonlight. Overcome with joy, Azusa instinctively jumps from the shadows but stops herself, realizing she cannot approach Mai in her current form. Mai does not walk away and instead seems rooted in place, confused but intrigued. To Azusa's surprise, Mai recognizes her voice and asks if she is Azusa, her trusted childhood friend. Azusa howls in response, confirming her identity and explaining her hesitation due to her current form.
She reflects on the second summer of high school, when she noticed an unspoken connection between Yokodera Youto, Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko, and Maimaki Mai. Azusa admired this invisible bond, even though it was out of her reach. She recognizes that the collar around her neck as containing facades and emotions, represents an entire world of feelings she never fully accessed, a world where she was saved by Yokodera Youto's hands. She finds herself longing to understand and accompany the Youto of that world, just like a swallow flying next to a prince. Though this feeling is akin to love, she finds herself unable to accept it as such due to her lack of self-confidence. She describes herself as a "monster" shaped by her cowardly desires and internal contradictions, torn between self-doubt and her longing for emotional connection.
Azusa bids farewell to Mai, asking her not to tell anyone about what happened, especially Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko or Yokodera Youto. As she's ready to give in to the darkness, she finds herself unable to leave, her legs grabbed by Mai. Calling Azusa an idiot and throwing insults at Youto, she insists they face her problems together, stating that she wants to take responsibility as her friend and be there to take care of her even if Azusa remains a puppy. Azusa hesitates, worried about the inconveniences that her life as a dog may create. Mai however dismisses these concerns, offering to clean up after her.
Mai offers hope, suggesting Azusa’s transformation could be reversed if her mood improves, and even if it doesn't, they can just live together forever. Relieved, Azusa feels her body relax and lies down. Together, they look ahead on the street, reflecting on the importance of focusing on the path ahead rather than clinging to completed stories.
Mai invites Azusa to return home with her, and Azusa joyfully agrees. Encouraged by their bond, Azusa resolves to try her best and find her place in this world.
After a week of staying over at Mai's, her parents become worried. Thankfully, she soon turned back to normal, after which she tells Youto about what happened, though the details of the conversation are unknown.
After graduating high school, Azusa pursues her passion and studies to become a veterinarian. Since her university is far from home, she often stays at Youto and Tsukiko's new rented home on weekends, even being given her own bed. Tsukiko initially suggests getting a king-sized bed so the three of them sleep side-by-side, but they settle for a bunk bed after Azusa vehemently opposes the idea. Even as a university student, Azusa still has poor sleeping habits. Her groggy, half-asleep state in the morning provides Youto with rare opportunities for skinship, such as giving her throat rubs, which she responds to by licking his fingers like a puppy.
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