Episode 1 (2016 drama)

The first episode of Mars: Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru, subtitled "Fated Meeting of Rei and Kira; Before Them a Teacher Who Sexually Harrasses Kira Appears.." aired on January 24, 2016. In this episode, Rei and Kira first meet, and Rei saves Kira from Mr. Yoshioka.

## Plot

Shortly before the school year starts, Kira Aso is at the seaside drawing a mother and her child. Rei Kashino hops off his motorcycle and walks up to her to ask for directions, and peers over her shoulder to see her drawing. Rei loudly exclaims that it's amazing, which surprises the shy Kira. She falls backwards, and Rei quickly grabs her before she hits the ground. Rei asks if she is OK, but Kira recoils in disgust. Rei explains that he needs directions to the Hyatt Royal Hotel, and Kira quietly draws directions for him and runs off. Rei gets a phone call from someone at the hotel, asking why it's taking so long for him to arrive. Rei tells her he's almost there. He looks at the back of the map, where he notices she drew it on the back of her drawing of the mother and child. He gets back on his motorcycle and drives in front of Kira, waving the paper in the air.

On the first day of the new school term, the various students enter the class. Kira is silently reading at a desk when a student accidentally knocks her pencil case on the floor. The student apologizes, but Kira just silently picks it back up. The student is confused, but the other students tell her Kira is "emotionless". Harumi Sugihara, another student in the class, watches silently at the other girls demean her. Outside, Rei drives up to the school, and is immediately mobbed by first year girls. Rei enters the class room, and Kira is shocked to discover the same guy she helped the other day is in the same class as her. Harumi, a friend of Rei's, grabs his arm and says that them being in the same class two years in a row must be fate. Rei dismisses her and asks where his seat is. Tatsuya Kida, Rei's best friend, tells Rei it's in front of him. Rei quickly leaves Harumi to sit with him. The principal walks in the class and begins to take roll, and Rei looks to his side and sees that Kira is sitting next to him. He asks if she's the girl he met earlier, but she doesn't answer. Kira's name is called and Rei, now knowing her name, asks her how to spell it. Kira once again doesn't answer him, so Tatsuya has to tell him. Rei thinks her name is cool, and asks if she remembers him. Kira still does not answer, so Rei grabs her arm and pushes her chin towards him to get her attention. The principal calls Rei out for what he thinks is him trying to flirt with Kira, and the rest of the class starts hollering. Harumi stares at Kira from across the room, causing her to look down. In the bathroom, Tatsuya tells Rei to give up on Kira, saying that she's different. Rei, who wasn't actually flirting with her, is confused by this.

In English class, Mr. Yoshioka calls on Kira to read a line from the textbook. Kira, however, reads so quietly that no one can hear her. The other students begin to mock her, so Mr. Yoshioka tells them to behave, before asking Kira to sit back down. Rei passes a note to Kira, telling her that she left the drawing of the mother and child on the back of the map, causing Kira to loudly gasp. The rest of the students look at her, and Rei remarks that she can be loud. After class, Rei sits at the end of Kira's desk and talks about the drawing. Kira asks why he still has the drawing, and Rei tells her it's beautiful. Tatsuya asks Rei to join him and the others outside for basketball, and Rei gets up to join them, with Kira watching him from her desk. Harumi and her group of friends watch her, and one of the other girls remarks that Rei is out of her league. Harumi silently sits there and gives her a dirty look.

Outside, Rei and Tatsuya play basketball, while Kira sits in the art studio drawing a bust of the Roman god Mars. Mr. Yoshioka walks up to her and starts asking about the drawing, all while putting his hands on her shoulders and getting close to her face. Mr. Yoshioka grabs Kira's hand and begins feeling under her neck. Before he can do any more harm, Rei walks in and asks what he's doing in the art studio. Mr. Yoshioka rudely asks what Rei is doing there, as he is not in the art club. Rei says that then he'll join it. Mr. Yoshioka tells Rei an idiot like him can't draw, but Rei tells him he might have hidden talent, just like a certain English teacher who also sexually harasses his students. Mr. Yoshioka defensively asks what proof he has. Rei picks up a razor blade, which scares Mr. Yoshioka. Rei assures him he just wants to sharpen a pencil, but tells him that "it's not like I'm thinking about cutting up your face." Mr. Yoshioka runs off, and Rei puts the razor back. Rei goes to comfort Kira, and sees her drawing of the bust. Once again, he says it's amazing and looks at the bust. Kira tells him about Mars, and he kisses the bust.

The next day, Rei walks up to Kira at her locker and tries to return the sketch of the mother and child. Kira tells him that she won't need it when she finishes the painting, so Rei asks if he can have it. Kira tells him he can, and Rei gets excited. Kira tells him he can have the finished painting too in thanks for saving her earlier. Harumi walks in front of Kira to talk to Rei and sees the sketch. Rei tells her Kira drew it, and Harumi accuses her of trying to get with him. Rei tells her to not get jealous just because she can't get with him, and he and Kira walk off. Harumi angrily asks what's up with Kira. In English class, Mr. Yoshioka asks who in the class can make a sentence on the blackboard, which shocks the other students. Looking to get back at him, Mr. Yoshioka calls on Rei. Rei, who was sleeping at his desk, walks up to the board and stares at it. Mr. Yoshioka mocks Rei, saying that he's only good at sports, but Rei writes on the board that Mr. Yoshioka harasses his female students, much to the surprise of the other students. Mr. Yoshioka quickly erases it, and Rei reveals he spent eight years living in Los Angeles, and is fluent in English. Kira smiles at Rei as he sits back at his desk.

After school, Tatsuya remarks that Kira is cute when she smiles, and tells Rei something's different about him. Rei brushes it off and drives off on his motorcycle, with Mr. Yoshioka watching grimly from the window. Rei pulls on his brakes to stop for a truck, only to find out they've been cut. Mr. Yoshioka smirks from the window. At the art studio, Mr. Yoshioka once again approaches Kira and tells her to go home. Kira quickly gets up to leave, but drops a pencil. She reaches down to grab it, but Mr. Yoshioka stops it with his foot. Mr. Yoshioka tells her he's jealous of how she always bounces back, and that he "really wants to mess things up". He tells Kira that Rei won't be coming to save her this time, as he might be in the hospital. Kira angrily asks what he did, but Rei, having managed to stop his motorcycle just in time, runs in. He confronts Mr. Yoshioka, and tells him to go all out. Rei asks if he arrives by car, and tells him to be careful, and he and Kira leave. In the hall, Kira tells Rei this happened because he stopped Mr. Yoshioka earlier, but Rei tells Kira that she's strong. Rei starts to leave, and Kira runs after him.

Elsewhere in the school, two officials are talking to Masao Kirishima, who is new at the school. Masao asks if he can look around, and starts walking in the halls. Kira tells Rei that Mr. Yoshioka quit, but Rei tells her he shouldn't have harassed her. Rei tells her if anyone else tries to hurt her, he'll protect her. He begins to walk off, but Kira stops him. She asks if he can "lend his body", which Rei interprets as meaning sex. She really means that she wants him to model for her, to which he agrees. Kira and Rei part ways, and she passes by Masao. Masao looks at Rei and Kira.

## Characters

* Kira Aso
* Rei Kashino
* Harumi Sugihara
* Tatsuya Kida
* Mr. Yoshioka
* Masao Kirishima