Episode 3

The third episode of the Stars Align series. It premiered on October 24, 2019.

## Plot

Maki has Toma, Yuu, and Mitsue come over for dinner. During that time, Toma explains to Maki about how soft tennis is played in doubles, with a front and back player. Later, Maki’s mother joins them for dinner when she returns home.

The next day, before the club’s activities session, Maki notices that Itsuki is not changing with the rest of the team. Toma explains that Itsuki has something to do and will join the team later. In the tennis court, Toma proposes for a practice match where he and Maki paired up against all the other pairs in a 3-set match.

The match is a one-sided game where Maki and Toma outperform all the other pairs. After the matches are finished, Maki tells all the Boys’ soft tennis club members that their skills are very inadequate despite having played it for a year. Just when Tsubasa and Shingo are about to yell at Maki, Toma throws his racket angrily to the ground as he agrees to what Maki said and abruptly leaves the practice ground. Toma skips club activity for the next couple of days, heading straight to his home after school is finished.

The next morning, Maki and Yuu meet Rintaro at the library to discuss the pair selection process among club members. Rintaro tells them that each member should decide the pairs on their own. The club advisor agreed without putting too much notice on the matter. Maki then tells Rintaro that the current pairs are not made with tennis in mind, but rather they’re just pairs of “leaders and lackeys”.

While Toma is in his room, Ryoma enters and asks him why he hasn’t attended the soft tennis club activities. Toma tells him that he is the reason for the club's poor performance, saying that as the leader of the club he has not achieved anything. Toma then adds that he feels so useless, and that even his mother tells him how worthless he is. Ryoma tries to cheer him up and tells him that he shouldn’t think about it too much because it’s just an issue of compatibility between him and his mother.

In Toma’s absence, the boys’ soft tennis club is concerned about the situation, realizing their risk of disbandment due to their inability to play accordingly. As they’re contemplating on the school grounds, Maki observes the girls’ soft tennis club practice session.

During that time, two school bullies approach the club and start insulting Itsuki about his family situation and cursing to his face. Angered with the insults, Itsuki approaches them and hits Nakao, one of the bullies, in the head with his racket. The scene shocks the rest of the boys as blood started pouring out of Nakao’s head. Shingo, Taiyo, and Tsubasa immediately help Nakao and bring him to the infirmary while Rintaro tries to calm Itsuki down. Moments later, Maki arrives at the scene and speaks with Itsuki to calm him down.

Sakurai-sensei then calls Itsuki and Rintaro to the teacher's office. He then tells Itsuki that the act is understandable but he condemns the violence. At the locker room, the team tells Maki the reason why Itsuki didn’t want to change with them. After the meeting with Sakurai-sensei finishes, Rintaro walks outside the school with Itsuki. In his personal opinion, he tells Itsuki that the bully deserved it. Itsuki meets up with his sister Namie in front of the school and they walk back home together.

Later that evening, Toma receives a phone call from Maki. Feeling dissatisfied with Toma’s decision to quit the group, Maki repeatedly tells Toma not to quit the soft tennis club. He tells Toma that he won’t acknowledge his decision and affirms that the team is better with all of them together. Toma then realizes his selfishness and apologizes to the rest of the club the next day. Later, Maki reveals that the current pair combination is the reason why they were performing poorly. He then proposes the team to change all of the pair combinations.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Yuta Asuka
* Kanako Mitsue
* Toma Shinjo
* Maki Katsuragi
* Aya Katsuragi
* Shingo Takenouchi
* Taiyou Ishigami
* Itsuki Ameno
* Nao Tsukinose
* Rintaro Futsu
* Tsubasa Soga
* Toma's Mother
* Ryoma Shinjo
* Nakao
* Takayuki Sakurai
* Namie Ameno

## Quotes

* You guys are plain awful, what have you been doing until now? - ***Maki Katsuragi***
* (*Throws his racket*) What have you been doing? How the hell do you lose to someone who’s never played tennis?! You guys are plain awful. Either that or plain idiots! – ***Toma Shinjo***
* (*To Rintaro*) To be frank, they're not pairs made with tennis in mind. It's pairs of leaders and lackeys. – ***Maki Katsuragi***
* (*To Ryoma*) I finally realized today how utterly pointless it is. The club is awful because of me, the captain. They're bad because I'm worthless. Even mom tells me how worthless I am. – ***Toma Shinjo***
* (*Maki to Itsuki after hitting the bully with a racket*) Just hearing it pissed me off. Because I'm the same. Though I only have a mom at home. But still, Don't hit people with a racket, It's a waste to break it. – ***Maki Katsuragi***
* (*To Toma*) If the boys' soft tennis club gets disbanded, I won't get my money. That's a problem for me. So, you're not allowed to quit the soft tennis club. Absolutely not. No way. I won't allow it. I won't permit it. I won't acknowledge it. – ***Maki Katsuragi***
* (*To Toma*) You, me, and the rest of the team are better together. We need to stick together. – ***Maki Katsuragi***
* I figured out what makes you guys awful, it's your pair combination. We just have to change them up, all of them. - ***Maki Katsuragi***

## Trivia

* During the practice match, Yuuta managed to take notes of each pair and maps out their playstyle.
* During Nakao’s confrontation with Itsuki, he threw some cruel words. Due to regulations, the terminology is forbidden to be said on TV, so it was muted out.