Episode 1

**"The Teenage Girl Beneath the Lamplight"** (電柱の下の女子高生, *Denchuu no Shita no Joshikousei*) is the first episode of the *Hige wo Soru. Soshite Joshikousei wo Hirou.* anime television series.

## Summary

Yoshida is a 26-year-old salaryman working for an IT company. One weekend, he confessed his love to Airi Gotou, a senior at work. But his confession was rejected and he ended up with a broken heart after five years of unrequited love. Yoshida got drunk at an *izakaya* while pouring out his frustration to his colleague Hashimoto. On his way back home, he met a high school girl named Sayu who was squatting down under a telephone pole. Yoshida was so drunk that he decided to let the runaway girl, Sayu, stay with him for the night. She asked Yoshida what he wanted her to do for him as a thank you for the accommodation. In his sleep, he expressed the pain of his broken heart and muttered, "I want to drink miso soup made by a woman..." without thinking twice. Next Sunday morning, Yoshida woke up to the aroma of miso soup made by Sayu. This is how the mysterious life together between a salaryman and runaway high school began.

## Plot

Late at night, 26-year old salaryman Yoshida, takes his senior Airi on a date to a fancy restaurant. Airi thanks Yoshida for taking her to the place and Yoshida, musters the courage to ask her to accompany him back to his apartment. However, as it turns out, Airi confesses to Yoshida that she's already seeing someone, thus ending Yoshida's unrequited love for his senior.

Afterward, Yoshida vents out his frustration over Airi's rejection of him to his close friend and colleague Hashimoto at a cheap bar. As it starts to get late, Hashimoto leaves the drunk and livid Yoshida who Later walks home while cursing Hashimoto. Yoshida then spots a young school girl sitting under a lamppost. He then approaches the girl and asks what she's doing there at that time of night and that she should go home. The young girl answers that all of the trains have stopped running for the night. This starts a brief debate of where the girl will stay for the night and the girl then asks, if she can stay at his house. Initially, Yoshida is against this and suggests she stay at either the train station, internet cafe, etc., however, she doesn't have any funds to stay in any of those places. As a compromise, the young girl offers "herself" as payment for being able to stay at his place. Astonished by the offer, Yoshida tries to process the situation and refuses to have his way with the young girl. Therefore, the young girl asks to stay at his place for free.

At Yoshida's Apartment, the young girl notes hows dirty the place is and Yoshida claims that what 1-bedroom apartment is clean. To that point, the young girl claims that she's seen ones that are clean, which perplexes Yoshida. Brushing off that comment, Yoshida assures himself that she's not his problem and that he'll kick her out the following day. Right when Yoshida settles into his bed, the young girl tries to seduce him, but he flatly rejects it. When asked by the young girl of what he'd want, Yoshida mutters that he wants miso soup that was made by a woman.

The following day, Yoshida awakens in a haze, smells a strange smell, and is astounded that a young girl was in his apartment. The young girl explains to Yoshida that he allowed her to stay there for the night. Curious to know if he violated her in anyway, the young girl gives Yoshida a scowl accompanied by a pregnant pause causing him to grow sweaty with anxiety. However, The young girl answers that she was teasing him and assures that she wasn't violated in anyway by him. She did, follow through with a request for some home made miso soup that he wanted. Served it, Yoshida states that the young girl shouldn't have made it for him in his house, even though the young girl argues that he requested it. Sick and tired of being called "Old man", Yoshida asks for the girl to leave and the young girl reminds him of what he said when they first meet under the lamppost. On the other hand, all he recalls is the black panties she wore. The young girl then asks Yoshida for his name and he answers it and by the request of the young girl, tries the miso soup that she made. Complimenting its delicious taste, the young girl then states how she knows about how Yoshida was rejected by Airi as he was muttering about it as he slept. Once again, the young girl tries to seduce Yoshida which leads into a conversation about cup sizes. As the conversation progresses, the young girl embraces and states how weird Yoshida is as all of the men that she's stayed with always asked for something from her and he hasn't. Gently, Yoshida grabs not too long ago by the shoulders and asks for her name. She answers that its Sayu and Yoshida asks for her student ID. The ID reveals Sayu's full name and that she's from Hokkaido. Sayu also states that she ran away from home for about 6 months. Stating how her parents must be worried about her, Sayu claims that they aren't. This brings up the big question that Yoshida has since he has no interest in her body, what would Sayu do if he would kick her out of his place. Sheepishly, Sayu claims that she'd manage to find another place to stay, but Yoshida inquires specifically how. Giving no answer, Yoshida claims that Sayu should get a job to support herself, however, due to the fact that what she'll earn won't be enough to support her. Yoshida allows Sayu to stay at his place while contemplating that she should be living a normal life with someone of her age. Declaring her first job be that she tidy the apartment up so that it's not only more presentable, but also so that it's more livable for the two of them. Stating how Yoshida is heavily insinuating that he intends to allow her to stay at his place forever, he corrects her that it's only until she decides to return to Hokkaido. Reflecting how his opinions about Sayu and states that she can stay until she stops being a "spoiled brat", but also imposes that she is to never seduce him or else she'll be kicked out. With that settled with, a new chapter opened for Yoshida as he a 26-year-old salaryman is living with the young Sayu.

Within the break area of the company that Yoshida works at, Yoshida confines to Hashimoto about his new "roommate". As it turns out, there is no records of a missing girl that matches Sayu's description. That night, as Yoshida walks home from work, he recalls Hashimoto's words to send Sayu back to her parents before it becomes a problem. Although Yoshida agrees with that notion, he also considers Sayu's side as well.

Returning home, Yoshida is greeted by Sayu who calls him "daddy", which annoys him. Even though, she made miso soup again, Yoshida brought home some bentos. Opening his closet to put away his suit, Yoshida notices that Sayu ironed all of his clothes, noting how good she's at with chores. After they finish eating their bentos, Yoshida asks where the ashtray is and Sayu reveals that she cleaned it with the plates. Yoshida then takes the ashtray to smoke outside, even though Sayu is alright with it, but Yoshida isn't. It's then that Sayu confesses all of the men she stayed with smoked in her presence. Hearing that agitates Yoshida who then claims that Sayu should have "standards" for herself and Sayu understands.

Outside on his balcony, Yoshida enjoys his cigarette while considering that he's acting like a guardian of sort towards her. Furthermore, Yoshida thinks that the people she associated with up until now were disingenuous scumbags. However, in a matter of speaking, he's no better because he's spoiling her by giving her shelter in his apartment.

The next morning, Yoshida's phone alarm awakens the two and later Yoshida reads an article of a man who was arrested for abducting a young minor girl. Because of the topic raised about how Sayu only has her school girl outfit, Yoshida takes Sayu to the mall to purchase some new clothes for herself and a new futon. With Sayu notably hesitant to not only get new clothes, but also a futon to sleep on, Yoshida deduces that Sayu is simply worried on how she'll be able to repay him for all of that. It's then that Yoshida assures her that he's doing it as thanks for her hard work up until then. Appearing to be rather hesitant, Sayu agrees to Yoshida's offer.

Back at home, Sayu embraces her new futon and offers Yoshida to sleep with her. This causes Yoshida to do a spit take and make Sayu laugh as she didn't ask for anything "perverted" like Yoshida put it. To that, Yoshida details that Sayu looks cuter when she laugh, making Sayu flustered.

Around lunch time at work, Hashimoto states the dramatic changes surrounding Yoshida as per said by the girls of the company. Hashimoto, on the other hand, knows why Yoshida has changed so much is because of the runaway girl that he took in. Late that night, on his balcony at his apartment, Yoshida reflects about why Sayu ran away in the first place.

For breakfast the next day, Sayu prepares a sumptuous meal for them and asks why Yoshida rarely shaves. In the end, Yoshida decides to shave the stubble growing from his chin.

## Characters

List of characters in order of their appearance:

* Yoshida
* Airi Gotou
* Hashimoto
* Sayu Ogiwara
* Yuzuha Mishima (cameo)