Was that Nishizono-san?
Wait, she was absent today.
There's no way she'd be...
And...
She didn't have her parasol.
presented by UTW-Mazui!
hitori ga tsurai kara futatsu no te wo tsunaida
It was too hard for one to do, so two of us held hands
hitori ga tsurai kara futatsu no te wo tsunaida
It was too hard for one to do, so two of us held hands
futari ja samishii kara wa ni natte te wo tsunaida
But two would be too lonely, so we all came together in a circle and held hands
futari ja samishii kara wa ni natte te wo tsunaida
But two would be too lonely, so we all came together in a circle and held hands
kitto sore ga ikusen no chikara ni mo nari
I'm sure that will be strength in itself,
kitto sore ga ikusen no chikara ni mo nari
I'm sure that will be strength in itself,
donna yume mo tateru ki ga surunda
Enough to end any dream we have
donna yume mo tateru ki ga surunda
Enough to end any dream we have
takaku tobe takaku sora he
Fly high, high into the sky,
takaku tobe takaku sora he
Fly high, high into the sky,
takaku kere takaku koe wo age
Jump high, and raise your voice high,
takaku kere takaku koe wo age
Jump high, and raise your voice high,
itsuka kujiketa sono hi no mukou made
Until you can move on past the day we'll have died
itsuka kujiketa sono hi no mukou made
Until you can move on past the day we'll have died
kimi no koe wasurenai namida mo wasurenai
I'll never forget your voice, and I'll never forget your tears
kimi no koe wasurenai namida mo wasurenai
I'll never forget your voice, and I'll never forget your tears
kore kara hajimaru kibou to iu na no mirai wo
The future, what we call "hope", begins now
kore kara hajimaru kibou to iu na no mirai wo
The future, what we call "hope", begins now
sono ashi wa arukidasu
Those legs will keep on moving forward,
sono ashi wa arukidasu
Those legs will keep on moving forward,
yagate kuru kakoku mo
Even in the face of the oncoming grief
yagate kuru kakoku mo
Even in the face of the oncoming grief
Nishizono-san hasn't come to school these last few days.
No one even talks about her absence.
It's almost like she never existed in the first place.
Naoe-san, what's wrong?
Are you thinking about something?
I was wondering how Nishizono-san's doing.
I sent her a few texts, but she hasn't replied.
Maybe she's still feeling unwell?
Was Nishizono-san sick?
Oh, right...
Oh, sorry. You're right.
Yeah, she was.
Sorry.
I wonder why I forgot.
Seriously, we can't practice in this rain.
Nishizono-san left her thermos here.
Who's Nishizono?
Nishizono-san!
She's the Little Busters' manager!
We wrote tanka together!
Oh, right...
Did we?
Something wasn't right.
I couldn't explain it, but something was off.
It felt like the world itself was dreaming.
Like Nishizono-san's existence was slowly fading.
Everyone had begun to forget that she existed.
Nishizono-san!
Thank goodness!
Are you feeling better?
I thought about going to visit you,
but it's hard for me to get into the girls' dorm.
You'd come to see me?
Did you want to see me sleeping that badly?
You wanted to force yourself on me while I was sick.
Your ulterior motive, I presume.
You shameless man.
U-Um...
You brute.
No, I had no intention of...
I just...
I'm just kidding.
I-I see.
That's a relief.
I was pretty worried about you.
I had this feeling you might suddenly disappear.
If I were to disappear from this world,
everyone would forget that I once lived.
I wouldn't remain in anyone's memories.
Of course you—
Me feeding the birds under the tree...
Me reading my favorite book so much that it's all worn out...
Poems by Wakayama Bokusui
It'll all disappear as though it was an illusion.
Poems by Wakayama Bokusui
But it's fine.
Poems by Wakayama Bokusui
Nishizono-san...
I'm sure you've noticed, Naoe-san.
These last few days, everyone has been forgetting about me.
You must've felt that something might happen.
What exactly is going to happen?
Here.
Could you hold on to this for me?
But you said this book was you yourself.
You'd give me something so valuable?
You can forget about me if you'd like.
But don't forget this poem.
That way, I might be able to believe there's a reason why someone as insignificant as me was born.
Wait!
Where are you going?
Are you going somewhere?
Somewhere far away?
I'm going to where the end begins.
Where the end begins?
If you wouldn't mind, could you accompany me there?
Can you feel the sound of the waves making you calm and sleepy?
Yeah.
It's like a lullaby.
Is this where the end begins?
Naoe-san.
I have a request.
Could you tell me about the Little Busters?
Please.
Tell me about your childhood.
Where should I start?
I was physically weak when I was a kid.
I had narcolepsy, and there was also the shock of losing my parents.
I was hospitalized too.
But every time I felt down, they would all come to see me.
We were always together.
We'd step on each other's shadows, kick stones,
and look for four-leaf clovers.
Masato, Kengo, Rin, and I could never find any.
But...
We were always together.
It's the reason I can be who I am now.
Those must be very warm memories.
Yeah.
I planned on coming here sooner.
But you talked to me, and I met all the Little Busters.
You shook my resolve.
If only I could live my life with your circle of friends...
Thoughts like that grew ever so slightly in my heart.
What's wrong with that?
Nishizono-san, you can just—
What's about to happen here cannot be changed.
It's something I've wished for since long, long ago.
Does not a white bird feel within her heart forlorn?
The blue of the sky, the blue of the sea; neither stains her.
I've wanted to become a white bird.
Like a white bird untainted with the blue of the sky or the sea,
alone, proud, beautiful, and connected to nobody else.
That's what I had thought.
So we finally meet.
Nice to meet you.
Actually...
We've already met twice, right Riki-kun?
First in town, and then during the storm.
Long time no see, Mio.
How long has it been, Midori?
Yeah, how long?
I've forgotten too.
C'mon, let's go.
Go where?!
Come on, Mio.
Sorry, Midori.
Let me stay here just a little longer.
By the way, Mio.
How long are you going to keep holding onto that parasol?
Are you that afraid of letting Riki-kun know?
It's no use, you know.
No, stop—
See?
Now you know exactly why Mio always has her parasol open.
She has... no shadow?
Please...
Don't look...
That's Mio's secret.
Mio's and my secret.
You finally awake?
G-Good morning.
Morning? What time do you think it is?
It's the middle of the night.
Drink this.
Whoa!
You okay, Riki?
They found you by the sea and brought you back.
What were you doing there?
I don't... remember.
Were you with anyone?
I can't remember anything...
Hey, you okay, Riki?
Good grief.
When I heard that they had to carry you back, I thought you were done for.
Of course not.
Well, you look fine, at least.
Why did I go to the sea?
Well, sleep for the rest of the night.
I'm sure you'll feel much better once you wake up.
Yeah, that'd be best.
Yeah, I will.
The peaceful, unchanging days continued to pass.
But something was bothering me.
Something's missing.
Someone isn't here.
But who is it?
Look at these muscles! Ain't they awesome?
Look at my muscles!
Is that all you talk about?
Yeah—
Wait, what do you mean by "all"?
Y'know, my muscles talked to me recently.
What's wrong, Riki?
Nothing, I just thought it might feel pretty good to read a book under that tree on such a fine morning.
Let's go.
Quick, the bell will ring soon!
I know!
What's wrong?
Whose book is this?
Does not a white bird
Feel within her heart forlorn?
The blue of the sky,
The blue of the sea. Neither
Stains her; between them she floats.
Please.
Don't look.
Nishizono-san.
Masato, what happened to Nishizono-san after that?
Did something happen to her?
Where's Nishizono-san?
Where?
In the classroom, I guess?
Hey, have you seen Nishizono-san?!
Nishizono-san?
Look, there.
There she is!
Morning!
Morning, Nishizono-san.
Good morning!
Good morning, Riki-kun.
Midori...
Huh, Riki-kun? What was that?
That's not my name.
Yeah, that's Mio-chan!
Hey, Mio!
Yeah? What's up?
Hey, Rin-chan.
Hey, look at this.
Wow!
I got the same one as you!
It's really cute.
Yeah!
I bought a new one.
Hey.
Masato, I'm going to ask a weird question.
Do you think that's Nishizono-san?
Yeah, that is a weird question.
Of course that's Nishizono.
Nishizono Mio, the girl who recently became the Little Busters' manager.
Her name isn't Midori?
Midori?
Who's that?
Nishizono-san's supposed to be really quiet.
Not lively like that.
Really?
I don't really get it, but she doesn't seem any different to me.
Yeah, she's always been really active.
Everyone other than me thinks that Midori is Nishizono-san.
I'm taking this.
What's your problem?!
Give it back!
What the hell are you doing?!
I was just taking the food on your plate.
But that's mine, damn it!
I didn't know what to do.
I was starting to forget.
Hey, wanna go check out that shop?
Let's go tomorrow.
But we have class tomorrow!
Oh, we do?
Am I the one who's mistaken here?
Was Nishizono-san like this from the start?
Poems by Wakayama Bokusui
No.
This book belongs to the girl who fed the birds under this tree.
It belongs to Nishizono Mio!
Riki-kun.
Hup!
Midori...
Oh?
So you're the only one who can tell me and Mio apart.
I guess this means you still remember Mio.
But everyone else calls me Mio.
So it'd be nice if you called me that too.
I can't do that.
How come?
Because if I call you Mio, I'll forget about the other Nishizono-san.
Where is she?
What did you do to her?!
That's not nice.
You're making it sound like I'm at fault here.
I didn't do anything.
Tell me.
What are you?
I was waiting for you to ask.
Who do you think I am?
Are you...
Nishizono-san's missing shadow?
Bingo!
Though that's not entirely correct.
About 80 out of 100, maybe?
You see, I don't have a shadow either.
Nobody's noticed, though.
But Mio cared way too much about it.
People don't normally stare at your feet, you know?
But she always has her parasol open and gets nervous.
It's so dumb.
And in the end, everyone's going to forget about her.
Stop it!
Don't—
You say that now, but you'll forget about Mio soon as well.
That won't happen. Ever.
Oh?
You think so?
But you've forgotten her already.
You wouldn't have remembered her without this.
Over here!
Give that back!
Here! One, two!
Stop!
Though...
I don't need to do this.
A little more time, and you'll...
I know.
You're desperately trying to hold on to your memories.
But it's only a matter of time.
Your memory of Mio is slowly disappearing.
It's getting more and more difficult to remember her.
Just a little longer, and you'll see me as Mio too.
Episode 13
Where the End Begins
akaneiro no kumo
The clouds, lit bright orange,
akaneiro no kumo
The clouds, lit bright orange,
omoide mo futatsu
And two of our memories
omoide mo futatsu
And two of our memories
tooku nagareteyuku yo
Floating far into the distance
tooku nagareteyuku yo
Floating far into the distance
hibiku kane no oto
The sound of the bell echoing,
hibiku kane no oto
The sound of the bell echoing,
kakera kimi to hitotsuzutsu
Those pieces we shared, one each
kakera kimi to hitotsuzutsu
Those pieces we shared, one each
ashita wa tenki ni nare
I hope tomorrow will be sunny
ashita wa tenki ni nare
I hope tomorrow will be sunny
hoshi no mukou ikeru kana
Can we go beyond the stars?
hoshi no mukou ikeru kana
Can we go beyond the stars?
sora mitsumete aruku hitohikari
Walking, looking at the sky, a single light
sora mitsumete aruku hitohikari
Walking, looking at the sky, a single light
tsuki no ue hitori demo
Even alone, on the face of the moon,
tsuki no ue hitori demo
Even alone, on the face of the moon,
rasen no hate he kaketeyuku yo
Run right past the end of the circle
rasen no hate he kaketeyuku yo
Run right past the end of the circle
kimi wa naita ato waraeru
You'll be able to smile after you cry,
kimi wa naita ato waraeru
You'll be able to smile after you cry,
hazu dakara tte ittan da
I said that because I know you can
hazu dakara tte ittan da
I said that because I know you can
bokura no tabi wasuretari shinai yo
You'll never forget our journey, even for a moment
bokura no tabi wasuretari shinai yo
You'll never forget our journey, even for a moment
nakusanai you ni mahou kakete
I'll cast a little magic so you never lose it,
nakusanai you ni mahou kakete
I'll cast a little magic so you never lose it,
sayonara wo tsutaenai
And I won't say good-bye
sayonara wo tsutaenai
And I won't say good-bye
arukidasu yo mata itsuka
You'll start walking again one day
arukidasu yo mata itsuka
You'll start walking again one day
Everyone's forgotten Nishizono-san.
But if I forget her too, she'll really disappear.
I can't forget her!