Episode 1

望(のぞ)み叶(かな)え給(たま)え

#### **July**

Hanabi is absentmindedly daydreaming of Kanai-sensei alone in a classroom after school when she's interrupted by Kanai-sensei himself. They briefly admonish each other for being too casual with each other's name while on school grounds (which amuses Hanabi) before they are interrupted by Minagawa-sensei. Upon her arrival, Hanabi immediately deflates while Kanai-sensei beams. Hanabi silently excuses herself when Kanai-sensei abandons her in favor of talking with Minagawa-sensei. She walks into Mugi directly outside the classroom, who comments on her interestingly calm demeanor. The two retreat to a secluded place behind the outside of the school, where they nonchalantly kiss.

#### Flashback to April

Hanabi's excitement about Kanai-sensei's recent instatement at her school as her homeroom teacher is quickly dashed once she observes him happily engaging with Minagawa-sensei, the new music teacher. Much to her disappointment, she soon realizes that Kanai-sensei has feelings for Minagawa-sensei.

Later, at Hanabi's house, Kanai-sensei is eating dinner with Hanabi and her mother. Although Kanai-sensei is enjoying himself, Hanabi is certainly not despite Kanai-sensei complimenting the food, which Hanabi specifically helped make just for him. As Hanabi is walking Kanai-sensei home that night, she recalls a memory from when she was in elementary school:

It's field day at school and since Hanabi doesn't have a father, Kanai-sensei is running the three-legged race with her, which frustrates her peers, especially one pigtailed girl named Noriko. Hanabi retorts on the unfair nature of Noriko's running shoes, which draws enough attention away from Hanabi for her to escape. Kanai-sensei looks for her and finds her silently sitting alone in a shady spot behind the school. To cheer her up, they eat the lunch Hanabi's mother packed for them. As they're wrapping up their meal, they commiserate over the mutual nature of having but one parent and how they'll be able to be there for each other when they're lonely.

Back in the present (still April), Hanabi and Kanai-sensei have arrived at his house, parting ways, which brings Hanabi to tears.

At school one day, Hanabi accidentally walks into Minagawa-sensei, falling to the floor and scattering several pieces of her sheet music. As she's seething over this unfortunate encounter, Mugi steps in and picks up Minagawa-sensei's papers. Hanabi observes them interact and quickly recognizes a kindred spirit, which sparks a relationship in which they acts as comrades for one another, allowing them to mutually mope over their parallel circumstances together.

#### Flashforward to June

Hanabi and Mugi's relationship has progressed; they frequently spend time together. One day, while at Mugi's home after school, Hanabi suddenly embraces him, surprising Mugi. They simultaneously formulate a mutually beneficial idea to begin a friends with benefits relationship in which both of them can imagine the other as their subject of unrequited love; Kanai-sensei for Hanabi and Minagawa-sensei for Mugi. They experiment with this idea with Hanabi, who finds herself pleasantly surprised with the electricity of the fantasy. Mugi asks if she wants to cement this as a regular thing between them, but Hanabi doesn't answer yet.

#### In the Present (July)

Hanabi harshly rejects a confession from a suitor and afterwards, ponders the new relationship she has with Mugi. She recalls returning to his place with her answer: The two made the experiment official by promising to break it off if either of them is successful with their love interest or if either of them falls in love with each other; the only thing the other can have is their body. They secured the agreement with a pinky promise and planned to tell people they're dating if anyone should ask.

## Gallery

クズの本懐 第4話予告-0