Neighborhood Story

If only I can be frank... (1x21)

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Yuusuke arriving to offer Mariko a ride home after finishing a euphoric diurnal engagement of karaoke with her girlfriends quickly becomes the preamble for Yuusuke questioning his value to Mariko that ignites a divergent concourse that ends with Yuusuke ejecting Mariko off his bike before racing off. Mariko reminisces about her recent furlough to Yokohama to visit Shuuichi while Yuusuke reflects upon his prologue with Mariko; while Yuusuke reverses course to search for Mariko after realizing how abrasive he was with her, a self-conscious Mikako is appraising herself with the hairbands Tsutomu bought for her when an ecstatic Ruriko bursts into the room with the news that her manga is going anime. Even as Mariko acknowledges her fallibility with her earlier chauffeur remarks as Yuusuke transports her home, Mikako's frustration at her difficulty in resolving her issues causes her to lash out at P-chan during gym class. While comparing notes about preparing for the next Akindo flea market engagement, Mikako again lashes out to hide her inability to acknowledge her feelings for Tsutomu. The deus ex machina to ultimately resolve things lies in Mariko exhorting transportation of Yuusuke to enjoin against his harsh tone of voice while Kuro getting entangled in the thread jolts Mikako into synthesizing the outfits she plans to sell at the flea market.