The episode begins with Shigeyuki narrating his life story so far. He speaks of his brother Shinichi being better than him at everything, and how this made him develop an inferiority
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The episode begins with Shigeyuki narrating his life story so far. He speaks of his brother Shinichi being better than him at everything, and how this made him develop an inferiority complex. The aloofness of his parents and his lack of friends at school did not help either, and after a particularly unpleasant incident in which he embarrassed himself in class, Shigeyuki became a shut-in. That is, until the home tutor Yoshimoto Koya arrived and took over Shigeyuki’s after school studies. Noting the tutor’s unconventional teaching methods, which include making Shigeyuki face head-on the ugly truths of his family’s indifference and his lack of close friends, Shigeyuki ends his soliloquy on a thoughtful note, pondering on his teacher’s motives for interfering with his life.
Shigeyuki is then shown in the present, in school, as he is being bullied by the usual suspects. His not-so-new friend, Sonoda, who had turned against him previously but is not back on his side, attempts to defend him against the villains, to no avail. Despite being physically beaten, however, Shigeyuki and Sonoda laugh at their injuries, and appear not to be terribly bothered about being picked on.
In the Numata residence, Shinichi, Father, and Yoshimoto the Home Tutor are having a serious discussion about the possibility of Yoshimoto’s tutoring services being provided for the older son of the Numatas as well. Shinichi vehemently opposes this, but Father interrupts his protests by bringing up worries of his son not being able to enter Tokyo University. He then cites the remarkably progress Yoshimoto has made possible for Shigeyuki’s grades, apparently seeing it as enough reason for him to become Shinichi’s tutor as well. Behind Father’s back, and without anyone except Shinichi looking properly, Yoshimoto raises pictures of Shinichi’s documented wrongdoings: pictures of him shoplifting, puncturing bike tires, and raising a cutter blade in front of his peers. Under the threat o