Episode 2

**"Cell Phone"** (携帯, *Keitai*) is the second episode of the *Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.* anime television series.

## Summary

Yoshida intends to get a cellphone for the reluctant Sayu, who notes that Yoshida is the nicest person she's encountered. Eventually, Yoshida has a heart to heart with a subordinate of his Yuzuha who also claims he's a nice man. Airi, the person who rejected Yoshida's feeling asks him out to eat at a restaurant and inquires if he's in a relationship now.

### Plot

At the mall again, Yoshida purchases Sayu a pricey moisturizer for her. Going down an escalator, Yoshida asks if Sayu has a cell phone, to which, she answers that she threw it in the ocean. Her reason being is that she kept getting calls from her friends back in Hokkaido. Although Yoshida is insistent that Sayu gets a cell phone for communications purposes, Sayu dissuades him noting her content with the orange scented moisturizer. Sayu then gives a smile to Yoshida who notes that she's making the smile again that feels wrong in a way. It makes Yoshida consider whether or not Sayu is smiling sincerely.

Around dusk, the two manage to return to Yoshida's Apartment and Sayu is relieved as the bags they were carrying were heavy. Even though Yoshida claims that Sayu shouldn't complain about carrying plastic bags, he complains that the heavy paper bags he carried would cause his arms to fall off. Asking whether nor not, he'll read all of those books in the future, Yoshida informs Sayu that he will overtime and offers her to read some as well. All he asks is that she doesn't spoil anything that he's reading himself. Sayu agrees to do that, but tries to ask what is Yoshida so, but stops short and dismisses the question. Yoshida then notes that once again, Sayu is smiling that smile, making him think it's a facade she's putting up and states that while she's living there to drop it. After he sits on his bed, Sayu brings up about why is he so nice, mentioning that out of all of the people she's ever encountered he's the nicest. So, in respect Sayu promises not to say no when he's offering her in as a token of kindness or stop smiling insincerely as well. However, Sayu sits on Yoshida's bed with him and confesses that her smiles are a habit an it'll take time for her to break. Being understanding with Sayu, Yoshida states that Sayu should follow his advice to raise her standards. On the other hand, Sayu grasps Yoshida's hand and states that nobody has ever given her so much freedom or many choices. Therefore, she promises to make Yoshida be thankful of her presence there. The comments make Yoshida laugh making Sayu think she's said something weird. Yoshida then claims that he's uncertain whether it was weird, but claims that she's nice herself and guesses that she'll put more effort in her chores now as well as good food too. Pleased, Sayu promises Yoshida that she will.

Within Yoshida's company, he reprimands his subordinate Yuzuha for her buggy code and that she should fix it as the deadline to the related project is the following day. Worried that Yoshida would be fired over that, he claims that it wouldn't be enough to have him fired, but he'd be kicked off the project and someone else would be assigned to train her. In light of that Yuzuha promises to immediately fix the problem. Later that night, Yuzuha finishes the buggy code, and Yoshida arrives with some food. The two then talk and enjoy it together while chatting with each other. One of the topics of their chat is that Yuzuha claims that Yoshida is a nice person as people would normally give up on people who perpetually fail at their job, but Yoshida only gets angry at him. To that point, Yoshida states that it's because she never learns and Yuzuha then notes that he's been shaving his face everyday and asks if he has a girlfriend now. Her question stems from rumors that she's heard and Yoshida believes that they started from Hashimoto. From there, Yoshida confesses that he confessed to Airi, but was rejected. Relieved to hear that, Yuzuha tries to cheer up Yoshida who thinks that she's giving him some cheap pity, which she denies. Finished eating, she thanks Yoshida for the food and offers to take him out for some beer sometime, and Yoshida hesitantly agrees to.

Back at his apartment, an upset Sayu huddled underneath the blankets notes that Yoshida is not only late, but also she made dinner for him as well. Yoshida apologizes, however, this was just all an act by Sayu who was just really teasing Yoshida, but hopes he eats what she made the following morning. Served a beer and some tofu, Yoshida notes that he needs to find a way to get a hold of her.

During his lunch break, Yoshida and Hashimoto go to a phone store. Hashimoto states that Yoshida should buy a phone with her, but Yoshida states that she'd refuse to have one if she's offered. Amused by the answer, Hashimoto notes that Yoshida really likes her, because he could just buy any old phone that he can grab for her. On the other hand, Yoshida states that Sayu is a teenager and that any old phone won't do. Hashimoto then notes that while it's nice that Yoshida cares for Sayu, he should consider how he'll deal with her going forward and if he falls in love with her too. Denouncing that notion as he states his woman of preference, Hashimoto laughs and suggests that safe colors to choose from are either black or white. Returning to their workplace, Yoshida is fidgety because he wants to gift Sayu her present, which is noted by Hashimoto. Airi then approaches Yoshida and asks to talk with him after work and he agrees to it. Hashimoto also states that when you're rejected, that's when the true magic begins.

Later that night at some restaurant, Airi and Yoshida enjoy yakiniku and beer together. Yoshida raises the question as to why Airi invited him to a restaurant to eat after she rejected him. So, Airi proposes they him down by asking the each other a series of questions. Yoshida then asks why she invited him there, to which, she asks whether or not he has a girlfriend and he answers that he doesn't. However, Airi refutes that statement, claiming she knows him better after working with him for over five years, noting his work algorithm and appearance as evidence. Airi then states that he's been close with Yuzuha as of late and Yoshida refutes the assumption that they're a dating. This leads Yoshida to confess that for 5 years he's always loved Airi and that he still does. But what surprises Yoshida the most is that Airi cares since she rejected him. Airi confesses that him being with a younger girl had her worried, but Yoshida reassures Airi that there's nothing between him and Yuzuha and that he doesn't have a girlfriend. Allowed one last question, Yoshida asks what size cup Airi is and she answers it to a flustered Yoshida.

Riding the train home, Yoshida contemplates why Airi took him out to dinner in the first place. At home, Sayu reproves Yoshida for coming home late again, and notes that he's looking rather off, which he brushes off as nothing. Succumbing to Sayu's leering, he admits that he went out to eat with Airi and although he enjoyed himself, his body language speaks otherwise. Sayu then gives Yoshida a hug to make him feel better, but then has him take a bath as he reeks of yakiniku. Afterward, Yoshida is served some miso soup and then he gives Sayu his present to her, a white cell phone, for communication purposes and it comes with a matching color case. They then add each other numbers to their phones and as they do, Yoshida recalls Hashimoto's notion that he'd fall in love with her, but he rejects that thought.

## Characters

List of characters in order of their appearance:

* Yoshida
* Sayu Ogiwara
* Hashimoto
* Yuzuha Mishima
* Airi Gotou