Episode 23

## What Should We Do Now?

**What Should We Do Now?** (これからどうしよっか, *Kore kara Dō Shiyokka*?) is the twenty-third episode of the A Couple of Cuckoos anime series.

## Plot

On the day Nagi, Erika, Sachi, and Hiro are to return home, Nagi and Hiro decide to stay behind to collect a shrine stamp from the local temple. However, become of this, their train ride home is canceled due to the stormy weather, thus forcing them to stay at a local inn where things get strangely intimate.

## Summary

Outside of the beach house, Nagi and the group wait outside for their ride, and Sachi asks Erika how her and Nagi's search for her brother Sousuke went. To Erika's disappointment, they couldn't find him, even after they went and retried their search earlier that morning. Hiro, however, mentions that it was good for her to learn that he's still in Japan, while Nagi believed him to be overseas somewhere. Despite this dilemma, Erika was glad that she still has Nagi in her life and would continue her search for Sousuke.

Just then, their ride home arrives, and before Nagi can enter the car, Hiro stops him and tells Erika and Sachi that she and Nagi will be taking the train home. As for a reason, Hiro claims they'll be checking out something, and Nagi hesitantly agrees, following Hiro's wink that she gave him. Perplexed by this, both Erika and Sachi go along with Hiro's claim, and later, Hiro and Nagi visit a local temple called the Maoka Shrine. The purpose of the trip was to collect the temple's stamp, and Hiro believes that it was pre-destined that they arrive there. After giving their prayers to the shrine, the two receive the shrine stamps, and Nagi cogitates on things they could do after this, but Hiro prepares to leave and catch the next train home.

Meanwhile, on their drive home, Erika reveals to Sachi that Hiro asked her if she could have Nagi. The question leads Sachi to believe that Hiro has feelings for Nagi and reluctantly agrees, but backtracks on it as, at the time, Hiro was "half-asleep". Both of them then opine on why Nagi is not only a lousy match for Hiro, but also his personality flaws. Returning to Hiro and Nagi, they discovered that the Sanpa train station was closed due to the heavy winds. Although Nagi momentarily freaks out, he regains his composure and suggests they stay calm and look for another train. On the other hand, Hiro notes that it's Nagi who should stay calm and that there are no buses to Tokyo and it's too expensive for a taxi. At that moment, it starts pouring rain, and the two of them become drenched in rainwater. Sheltering themselves underneath the train station's roof, Nagi contemplates how to remedy the situation given their circumstances, and Hiro asks him what they should do now.

At the house, Sachi informs Erika of Hiro and Nagi's situation, as the two stay the night at an inn called the Seigenkan. When one of the inn workers asks them to fill out the accommodation form, Nagi becomes flustered as they'll be kicked out due to their age. However, Hiro fills it out for them, fibs about their age, and Nagi offers to pay for their stay there while internally thinking he'll ask for money from the hotel king. Inside their room, Hiro complements its quaint style and lies to the worker about her relationship with Nagi. Once the worker leaves, Hiro apologizes to Nagi for lying about their relationship as he's already engaged to Erika. Smugly, Nagi notes his disbelief that Hiro, an honor student, would lie so much, but Hiro retorts that Nagi is an accomplice. Laughing this off, the two take a bath, and after they return to their room, they discover they'll be sharing a futon. Eventually, they get snacks and play a word game together, escalating into an intimate moment between them. Hiro comments that they've done many "bad things" that day and asks Nagi if they should continue. Back at the house, Sachi talks disdainfully about Nagi staying with Hiro, while Erika brushes it off as they're doing it to avoid the rain storm happening in that area. Returning once again to the inn, Nagi asks Hiro what exactly she meant about "bad things", and she answers by giving him 10k yen and claims they should have some sake. Nagi then chastises her as an evil villain and internally notes how painful it was that Hiro toyed with his emotions. Chuckling at Nagi's refusal to get some sake for them, Hiro then asks him if she's too "bad" for his tastes. To her surprise, Nagi claims that Hiro is and denotes his reasons why, but he still likes her bad side.

Just then, the police arrive outside their room, and after a hypothetical what-if situation that they're arrested, Nagi suggests they escape. As Nagi undresses himself to get into his old clothes, the police bust in, and it turns out that it was Erika and Sachi dressed as police officers. A scene between the two groups occurs where Erika and Sachi are left distraught by a half-naked Nagi and a covered-up Hiro. Afterward, the group takes a taxi home, where Hiro vaguely explains what happened between Nagi and her to Erika and Sachi.

## Characters

* Sachi Umino
* Erika Amano
* Nagi Umino
* Hiro Segawa
* Sousuke Amano (Mentioned)
* Souichirou Amano (Mentioned)