Episode 10

* How the Contest Ends
* To Stay Best Friends...

**How the Contest Ends / To Stay Best Friends...** is the tenth episode of the anime series.

## Summary

### How the Contest Ends

Standing outside with Jun along with their classmates, Tomo pumped for their annual school marathon. Tomo and Jun mention how hard they've trained for the event, and Jun raises a wager that whoever loses owes the winner a week's worth of juice, which Tomo agrees to. Also in the crowd, Carol and Misuzu talk, Tatusmi tries to catch Misuzu's attention, but she intentionally ignores him.

Moments later, P.E. Teacher Hanao starts the marathon and encourages Carol and Misuzu to run rather than walk.

Afterward, while running on the track with Jun, Tomo claims that he hasn't hung around her lately, which she figures is because he's been training for the marathon. Right after the two debate on who'll win and lose, they're surpassed by Hanao riding on a scooter, which infuriates them as they chase her.

Eventually, they come close to the Girl's Turning Point, damping Jun's mood a bit, but was surprised that Tomo completely disregards it. To Tomo, she was more interested in continuing to compete against Jun, which he had no arguments against.

Further back on the tracks, Kousuke, along with a couple of other students, run together, and Kousuke is impressed by how strong he's become. However, he's immediately humbled by Jun and Tomo, who run past them after they've passed through the turning point.

Switching back to Jun and Tomo, who were far ahead of Jun, she collapses on the ground. When Jun checks up on her, he learns that Tomo has a high fever and is told by her that she practiced for the marathon late that night. Left with Tomo passing out on him, Jun decides to carry Tomo on his back to school.

Later that day, Tomo awakens in one of the school infirmary beds where Carol slept soundly next to her, and an anxious Misuzu details that Tomo has a cold. She also learns that Jun carried her there and is disappointed that their marathon ended so abruptly. Jun arrives with Tomo's belongings, and before Misuzu leaves with Carol, she suggests that Tomo take advantage of her situation.

Alone with Tomo, Jun gives Tomo a bottle of water. They briefly chat, but before Jun can leave after announcing her mother will pick her up later, Tomo requests that Jun carry her to her mother's car. Under Tomo's pressure, Jun agrees and carries Tomo to her mom's car. After he does, Tomo's Father Goro arrives holding a leek in each of his hands and frantically asks Jun where Tomo is. Jun then points her in the direction she went with her mom, and Goro pursues them.

Jun visits Tomo in her room the following day, where she has already completely recovered. There Tomo thanks Jun for what he did the other day and returns his handheld game console to him.

### To Stay Best Friends...

A flashback depicting Tomo and Jun before they entered middle school shows how Jun managed to land a point against Tomo in her father's dojo lesson. Although Tomo brushes it off, Goro comments that her defeat against Jun had occurred sooner than expected and that Akemi had said that Tomo has a natural talent in whatever sports she competes in. However, in martial arts is where her natural talent won't shine.

On the first day of middle school, Jun walks down the school hallway and expects to see Tomo dressed in a boy's uniform; however, she is in a girl's one, which perplexes him. Tomo would later inform Misuzu of this encounter, and Jun, in his classroom, reflects on his relationship with Tomo to that point. Just then, a student asks Jun if he's dating Tomo, which shocks him. He later tries to visit Tomo in her classroom, but witnesses two female students stand by Tomo's desk asking her if she's dating Jun. However, she flatly denies the claim, noting Jun doesn't consider her a girl. On the other hand, Jun overhears this, hurting his feelings.

Eventually, Jun catches Tomo talking with a couple of male students. When Tomo tries to catch his attention, Jun completely ignores her and considers why he did that.

A year passed, and Jun never apologized to Tomo for how he acted toward her, and his level of friendship with Tomo degraded to acquaintances. Misuzu also had her reservations about Tomo, who she considered was becoming far too strong for her to hang around with. Nearby, Jun sat at a bench and had an epiphany that he should get a girlfriend as a way to reconnect with Tomo, and then Misuzu appeared and sat beside him.

Jun and Misuzu then catch up with each other, and Misuzu suggests that Jun stop wallowing in self-pity and makeup with Tomo. Before Misuzu leaves, Jun asks to become his girlfriend, and Misuzu sinisterly agrees.

After school, they walk home together and discuss their newly formed relationship, understanding that the circumstances behind them weren't of love. Misuzu then suggests that they hold hands, which psyches Jun up, but later Misuzu asks that they stop as his hands have become sweaty. Before they part ways, Misuzu asks that Jun address her on a first-name basis. At their respective homes, they each interpret their relationships with the other.

For the next couple of days, Jun would take Misuzu on a couple of dates, leaving her heavily exhausted.

The next day, Misuzu was approached by Tomo, who noticed how tired she looked. Misuzu then apologizes and admits she won't be able to continue being Tomo's friend. Shocked by this, Tomo drags Misuzu outside, where they have a heart-to-heart on a bench. Misuzu confines to Tomo how inadequate she feels with Tomo as she can't play sports with her, but such a thing doesn't matter to Tomo. From there, Misuzu and Tomo reconcile with each other, and that afternoon, Misuzu had intended to break up with Jun, who instead did that to her.

Soon afterward, Jun catches up with Tomo at the shoe locker area and asks to walk home with her. They do, and after Jun, who is too caught up in his thoughts, ignores Tomo after she calls for his attention, she socks him in the face. Tomo then demands to know why Jun had wanted to speak to her after ignoring her for a year. Jun tries to respond soundly, but notes that she was crying, causing him to get punched in his stomach. Tomo then demands to know why he ignored her for so long, and Jun admits that people believed they were in a relationship and he didn't want her life to become complicated, so he ignored her. In light of that, Tomo proclaimed that it didn't matter and asked what he wanted to do now. Elatedly, Jun answers he'd like to continue again how their relationship was before, and Tomo allows it, but only as friends. Happy with Tomo's response, Jun puts his hand over her shoulder.

In the present, Jun ponders how he can stay with Tomo forever, and when he meets with Tomo outside the gate to his house, he realizes how really cute she is to him.

## Characters

* Tomo Aizawa
* Junichirou Kubota
* Carol Olston
* Misuzu Gundou
* Tatsumi Tanabe
* Hanao
* Chiyomi Ogawa
* Naoko Mifune
* Kousuke Misaki
* Akemi Aizawa
* Gorou Aizawa