Episode 3

## Blurb

*"In the letter, it says Kakeru won't join the soccer club, but in reality, he does. This difference between the letter and reality fills Naho with hope, as she believes it may mean that the future is starting to change for the better."*

## Characters

* Naho Takamiya
* Kakeru Naruse
* Hiroto Suwa
* Azusa Murasaka
* Takako Chino
* Saku Hagita
* Rio Ueda

## Plot Summary

Naho is given instructions from her future self to make sure Kakeru joins the soccer team. However, while waiting in a classroom with Chino and Murasaka, Kakeru and Suwa enter classroom 6 with news that Kakeru has agreed to join the soccer team. While watching Hagita try to demonstrate something to Kakeru, Ueda walks by the classroom and pauses briefly and is spotted by Murasaka. After Hagita comments on her beauty, Kakeru reveals Ueda has been watching the soccer games. While walking between classes, Naho is contemplating how she can really change the future for Kakeru. Kakeru later catches up to her and wonders why she looks so happy and asks if something good occurred. Naho replies with a yes, and Kakeru reminds her to look forward.

While still happy from the encounter, she hears Ueda call out Kakeru's name. Ueda tells Kakeru that she will be watching his practice again and walks past Naho. Naho wonders if Ueda is interested in Kakeru. While walking up the stairs, Kakeru asks Naho to do a wake-up call for his morning practice at 5:00 in the morning.

While in her bedroom, Naho reads another event from the letter. This event tells her that Ueda will ask out Kakeru four days after the upcoming half-day. In the future, it is revealed they will start to date. At 5:00 am, Naho is seen calling Kakeru to wake up. After practice, Kakeru spots Naho carrying a heavy box and offers to carry it for her. While walking together, Kakeru asks Naho if she likes any boys. This makes her flustered, and Naho answers no. Kakeru has no visible reaction. Naho follows up with the same question. Kakeru answers no, but Naho asks about Ueda, and Kakeru reveals he only likes her looks. Naho is shown to be visibly relieved.

Despite being relieved Kakeru only likes her looks, Naho still is jealous of Ueda's looks and wishes out loud in front of her friends for plastic surgery. The group plays rock, paper, scissors to see who will grab everyone drinks, and Kakeru loses. While at the vending machine, Kakeru is approached by Ueda. She leads away from sight under a tree. When Kakeru goes back to his friends to give them their drinks, he is questioned if Ueda asked him out. He replies with yes but Kakeru will give Ueda his answer after the break. Naho is visibly distraught.

Naho is shown reading another event from the letters from her future self and goes through with the event. Kakeru forgot his pencil case, and Naho lends a pencil and eraser. While Chino is reading for the class, Naho wonders if Kakeru will go out with Ueda and selfishly wished Kakeru will not date Ueda. When Kakeru returns the eraser, Naho is instructed by her future self to open the eraser and read the message from Kakeru.

Kakeru promptly forgets about the eraser because of a classmate reminding her of cleaning duty. After cleaning, she finds the message from Kakeru asking if it is okay if he starts dating Ueda. Like the message says, she tells Kakeru the truth by leaving a message in his shoe. The next day, Kakeru and Ueda are seen under a tree. Naho later sees Ueda leaving the tree smiling. Murasaka yells down to Kakeru about his answer, and Kakeru answers back yes, much to the dismay of Naho. Naho leaves the classroom. Suwa later follows her and asks Naho about her feelings for Kakeru. On the brink of tears, Naho runs away from Suwa.

Kakeru opens his locker and sees the message too late. Naho goes to her room and recites the letter events and is very sad. The only thing she drinks is the orange juice and describes it as sweet, sour, and sorrowful. The scene changes to the friends in the alternative timeline reading their letters to their future selves. These letters are ten years old and tell of what their high school selves wanted to be in ten years. See sections below for each character's letter besides Kakeru.

After everyone else reads theirs, Murasaka asks about Kakeru's letter. Suwa then reads it for everyone. Instead of listing his dream, Kakeru addresses everyone in the future. See below for his message. After the letter was read, Murasaka asks about what Kakeru says about his future. Suwa angrily replies that there is nothing left and to go ask Kakeru. Murasaka then falls to her knees crying, and everyone else soon cries with her. Hagita is the first to point out that since Kakeru purposely did not mention his future, Kakeru knew he did not have a future. Suwa then mentions an accident that is assumed to have taken his life. Suwa then draws the conclusion that Kakeru died by suicide.

They are seen crying together wondering what could have happened and saddened over the fact that Kakeru's vision of the future for them did not come true (for them to laugh and be close friends again). Then they all agree to go visit Kakeru's house to celebrate his birthday. The episode pans out with Naho promising that if she had the chance, she would watch him more carefully and make sure Kakeru survives.

### Kakeru's Letter

After greeting everyone ten years in the future, Kakeru then writes to each individual friend of his. He greets Suwa by telling him that he admired his looks and regrets not joining the soccer team. He then speaks to Murasaka, telling her that she was always so cheerful and had a way of making him feel better. When greeting Hagita, he talks about how, while he did not understand Hagita's rules of comedy, Hagita always made him laugh. He then addresses Chino, telling her about how she was super manly and scary, but she would always defend Naho and Murasaka. He thought this was super cool. The last person he addresses is Naho. He highlights her modesty and her ability to put others before herself.

## Letters

### Takamiya

In her letter, Takamiya expressed her desire to be married to a handsome husband and have a child. Her dream job was to be a nursery teacher. Murasaka teases her that the married and child aspect was spot on, but the handsome husband was not met.

### Suwa

Suwa stated in his letter that he wanted to marry an actress and become a famous soccer player. Murasaka tells him he should have written "married to Naho," and he counters that by saying it would be embarrassing if it did not come true.

### Murasaka

Murasaka's letter revealed her aspiration to marry a rich guy and ride the "gravy train." As of this episode, not much is known about her life in this stage, but it is revealed she did reach it.

### Chino

Chino expressed her ambition to model on the world stage. As of this episode, not much is known about her life in this stage, but it is revealed she did not reach it.

### Hagita

Hagita's letter simply stated his goal to become a doctor. As of this episode, not much is known about his life in this stage, but it is revealed he did not reach it. He states that everyone aimed too high for their goals to be reached. Murasaka teases Hagita that if he did not switch to contacts, he would have become a doctor.

## Reception

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