And now for my second favorite background music. Very peaceful. Chiyo's bedroom window is open, and the curtains are blowing outward. Mr. Tadakichi is on Chiyo's bed. The clock beeps repeatedly, and the dog wakes up. Apparently, Chiyo has her clock set for 6:27. She shuts off the alarm, stretches, and rubs sleep from her eyes. Mr. Tadakichi, who's jumped down, barks. Chiyo says "Good morning" to him, and gets out of bed. Narrator Chiyo tells us the dog's name, and says he's always by her side. He's lived with them since she was 5. They walk down the stairs. They were about the same size when they met, but he passed her. Chiyo stands in front of the mirror and puts her hair into her usual pigtails. "Smile!"
She cooks her lunch: asparagus wrapped in bacon, salad (very... cauliflowery?), and an omelette. Then she goes to wake up her parents. Not that we see them; our point of view is inside their room looking out. Then, she eats breakfast. Looks like... toast? Can't tell what's in the mug...
Now she's in her summer uniform, and finishes putting on her shoes to go outside. She has her case. She announces her departure, and closes the door. She walks her usual path to school. Narrator Chiyo tells us that it feels good when the weather's nice, but notes that her parents bought her a new umbrella, so she wouldn't mind a bit of rain.
She hears someone calling her name, and stops and looks. A couple of girls roughly her age are standing at the intersection. They are Miruchi and Yuka, a couple of Chiyo's old classmates from before she skipped 5 years. The one with long wavy hair notices her uniform, and the other one says it's the first time she's seen the one for the summer. (How could this be? Does their path not intersect the high schoolers'?) Chiyo calls it cute, but says the skirt length is the same regardless of season. Narrator Chiyo tells us they're in 6th grade, while she's a 2nd-year in high school. (I notice she seems to be taller than the short-haired one.
Chiyo asks them what's popular, and they say jump rope. Not only is it fun, but everyone can play. It brings back memories for Chiyo. The wavy-haired girl asks what's popular in high school. While Chiyo's thinking about it, Miruchi points at that, as a high schooler, Chiyo doesn't play anymore. Chiyo remembers Tomo striking somesort of pose while Osaka has an alien mask or something on top of her head. She says they play around sometimes, but not jump rope.
Sakaki walks along the path, and sees Chiyo with the other two. After the three make their goodbyes, Chiyo stands there watching. Narrator Chiyo reiterates Miruchi and Yuka's educational status, and her former status. Three younger children run by, excited that they have swimming. Chiyo watches them. Two fade, and the background turns yellow, then the remaining child is replaced with a younger Chiyo running. Present Chiyo smiles, and looks in the direction of travel of her educational peers. Narrator Chiyo affirms her present educational status. A greeting alerts Chiyo to the presence of Sakaki, who asks about the girls she was talking to. They share a brief chuckle at the fact that she can say that. They proceed down the path together.
The gray cat with the bear trap teeth leaps along a wall with fell intent.
High School Friends
Chiyo relates what her old friends said about jump rope. It's been a while for Sakaki. Narrator Chiyo tells us her name, and that they live in the same neighborhood. Chiyo recalls her own prowess at jump rope. Sakaki spots the cat. It hides its teeth. Narrator Chiyo tells us Sakaki is big but quiet, and listens to what she says. Chiyo says swimming starts today. She's excited for it, and hopes to be as good at it as Sakaki. As she says this, however, she notices that Sakaki isn't there. She looks around, thinking she'd disappeared. It's a mystery to her.
Chiyo encounters Tomo at the shoe cubbies. They greet each other, and Tomo also greets Yomi, who's behind Chiyo. Yomi asks Tomo if she remembered to record a program for her. As Yomi had thought, she completely forgot. Yomi calls herself stupid for asking, prompting Tomo to repeat "Stupid!" over and OVER until Yomi finally grabs her face. Chiyo gets her Indoor Shoes on, and goes on. There's a shot of the sky with a couple of birds as Yomi calls Tomo stupid.
There's a brief interlude with some boys running around a track, and the coach telling them to move it, and that slacking off will hurt them.
Inside, Kimura-sensei is talking about the word shitari.
It's time for Yukari's class for Chiyo's homeroom, but Yukari isn't there. (One student calls her "Yukari-chan" in the sub, interestingly.) Tomo wonders if something's going on. Yomi thinks Yukari overslept, but Tomo speculates that today must have been the release date of the limited edition box of a video game. Yomi thinks it's a dumb theory, but Tomo calls her the dumb one, leading to more face-grabbing.
A pair of bandaged hands are seen, belonging to Sakaki. Her arms and face got it too. She's thinking about how to get close to cats without being bitten. She has the idea of becoming one of them. (Because, obviously, cats never fight each other, right?) However, her mental image of herself, scares the hypothetical cat. She then imagines Chiyo in a pink cat costume with bell, and her brain stalls a bit. Kaorin notices, and looks back and forth.
Suddenly, the door opens with Yukari shouting that it's not study hall. Chiyo tells us who she is, and her subject. Yukari says she was going to get a video game — looks like Tomo knows her Yukari — but there was a huge line, which Yukari thinks must be college students with free time. Chiyo tells us she's unconventional.
Another interlude with a bunch of exhausted boys. The coach is telling them to get plenty of fluids.
Chiyo considers her present classes more fun than the grade school ones. Yukari calls her up to write something on the chalkboard. Chiyo brings up her chair, stands on it, and writes. "Impressive as always," reports Yukari.
The sound of falling school supplies directs their attention to Osaka. She gathers her stuff and picks it up. Yukari cheerily asks her if she slept well. Osaka says "Oh, not very" before realizing that she just admitted to sleeping. We hear Yukari hit her on the head. Chiyo tells us Osaka often sleeps during class, and wonders if she's a night owl.
The episode dividers feature Kaorin and Sakaki.
Lunch
In Kimura's class, Kagura reads a section. Chiyo tells us that in high school, they have a different teacher for every subject, so they have all kinds of teachers. Kimura stops Kagura at some point, and starts to look around for another reader, but then decides class is a good place to relate that his met a teacher from a girls' high school. He's apparently learned that if they have P.E. first hour, then they get to wear their P.E. clothes to homeroom, and when there's swimming, swimsuits. (That school probably wouldn't let him near the application forms, let alone hire him.) He starts crying about it. Chiyo reiterates that they really have all sorts of teachers.
Chihiro passes a note to Chiyo, which suggests they have lunch on the roof. There's a drawing of Tomo and a crumpled-up Yomi with two cranial eruptions. They signal to each other that it's a go. Chiyo tells us some things haven't changed.
Yukari rides furiously.
Chiyo tells us they don't have school lunch, so they bring it, buy bread (some sort of catch-all for things like sandwiches and filled buns) at the co-op, or eat at the cafeteria. Osaka compares the situation to the post-war. Yomi says they are in the post-war. Tomo returns with fried noodle subs. Osaka wanted melon bread, but Tomo got what she did because fried noodle subs are harder to come by.
Yukari rides back, having forgotten her wallet.
Up on the school roof, they enjoy the view and the breeze. Osaka says it feels like you could fly away if you jumped off. She looks down and sees a worried Chiyo holding her by the sleeve. Chiyo tells us she thinks Osaka might try it for real. Tomo calls them over to eat.
Yukari rides back to the store... only to find that her desired item has sold out.
Tomo and Osaka eat their subs, while Chiyo and Yomi eat from bento boxes. Chiyo thinks it was a good idea, eating on the roof. Tomo says it tastes better when you're high up. Osaka looks at the ladder near the doorway. Chiyo holds Osaka's sleeve again.
Yomi thinks Tomo's sub looks good, and asks for a bite, since she always lets her copy her homework. Tomo says that's her line, but Yomi says it belongs to her. Tomo chomps away at her sub, and Yomi falls away from the pain of denial. The sub finished, Yomi asks if it was good; it was really good, by Tomo's estimation. More facial grabbage. Osaka says they have a lot of energy. Chiyo tells us they've been together since grade school, so they always seem to have fun together. ("Seem to" may be the operative word.) Chiyo stretches, making her top show the top part of her bellybutton. She tells us how great the rooftop feels as we pan up to the sky. Yomi gets one last "You are so..." before the scene changes...
Afternoon
...to a shot of the pool. Kurosawa-sensei announces the end of warm-ups. We pan up to see Kurosawa facing a bunch of students. Then we pan up Chiyo's (School Swimsuit - clad) torso to her face. She tells us that fourth hour is P.E., and they have swimming today. Kurosawa sets the goal at four 25m laps, and allows the use of a kick board for anyone who can't swim. Yomi asks Chiyo if she's going to use a kick board. Chiyo intends to swim all the way to the middle without one. Kagura encourages her. Chiyo tells us who she is. Yomi cautions Chiyo about the depth of the middle. Tomo grabs two kick boards... revealing the face of Kimura-sensei without noticing. He moves to another location.
Chiyo stands atop the starting block. Yomi has taken one of the kick boards and is keeping it away from Tomo, saying she doesn't need two, to protests from Tomo. (I mean, seriously. Tomo doesn't need one, I don't think, but I can see her being lazy enough to try to use one. But what on earth is she going to do with two?) Kagura gets on the block, and dives off at the sound of a whistle. Chiyo tells us that Kagura is a member of the swim team, and is therefore better at swimming than anyone else in the class, even holding her own against the boys. Chiyo is impressed, and suddenly looks determined... except that the block suddenly seems four or five times as tall as it actually is. She gets onto one of the lower steps and jumps in, floating adorably. Yomi encourages her. Chiyo positions herself against the block by holding that bar that's built into it, then takes off. Chiyo tells us she can go about 10m freestyle; to improve on this, she maybe have to master breathing to the side. She lifts her head for air... and is promptly run into by Tomo's kick board. She says she hit something. What, ya think, Tomo? And shouldn't someone have told her the lane's not clear when she went to go, if she couldn't tell on her own? Kurosawa is too shocked to do anything but get on all fours and scream... but the next cut shows all three on the side, Chiyo coughing up water, Kurosawa looking relieved, tired, and exasperated, and Tomo apologizing for ramming her. She explains that Chiyo's size made her hard to see. Kagura cautions her, reminding her that Chiyo isn't tall enough to reach the bottom. She brings up the risk of death when swimming. Which is true, even if you can reach the bottom. That reminder jolts Chiyo. She can't wait to get tall...
Yomi claps erasers in time with the BGM. It's time for cleaning. Chiyo is moving a desk. She likes cleaning because of the end result. She notices dust drifting, and sees Tomo swinging the broom in a circle so it brushes the floor without actually bringing them closer to their goal. Chiyo tells her she can't sweep like that. Yomi throws an eraser at Tomo's head, stopping her. Chiyo wishes Tomo would be more serious. Osaka's sweeping dust into a dustpan, but you know how that goes: there always seems to be some significant percentage of the dust you're sweeping that stops at the edge of the pan without going in, so you back up, sweep some more, back up, sweep some more... Without noticing it, Osaka backs into the hallway and keeps going down the hall. Chiyo tells us Osaka's serious about cleaning, but is not good with a dustpan. Some students are standing aside to let her through. (Does the boy in the background have a "nice" view?)
They leave school. Chiyo and Osaka are walking together. Chiyo says it was another busy day. They said their goodbyes at the intersection where they part, and head down their separate paths.
At home, she says she's home, but there's no one to say "Okaeri". She tells us high school lets out late; when her homework is finished, it's already evening. (Yeah, by the time she finishes her homework.) Looks like 5:04 or so. She looks at Tadakichi-san, who wags his tail.
Sakaki runs past her gate shortly before Chiyo walks Tadakichi-san out the door built into it. They find Sakaki standing on the other side of a pole. She joins them, as has been happening lately, as she seems to like him. (No, not that way.)
Jump Rope
Chiyo has the idea of going through the park, so they do. Tadakichi-san drinks from a spigot. Five young children start playing jump rope a little ways off. Chiyo watches them. Sakaki looks at Chiyo, then at the kids. One of them messes up, so it's time to switch. Speaking of time, a nearby clock plays a tune that maybe somebody out there recognizes. It alerts them to the fact that it's 5:30, and one of them says she'll be late for cram school
, so they disperse. Sakaki offers to play jump rope with her for a bit, even though they're in the middle of their walk.
Tadakichi-san holds one end and Sakaki the other, while Chiyo jumps it. The two humans involved chant a jump rope song. Tomo runs up near the end and, finishing off the song, jumps into the middle of it, landing squarely on the rope and jerking the ends from their holders. Tomo gives the V-Sign and a greeting from the ground with the rope wrapped around her midsection and legs. Yomi is nearby as well, saying jump rope brings back memories. Osaka remarks that they don't even do it in P.E. anymore. Osaka is there to see Tokyo earthworms. (Probably Family Lumbricidae.) Yomi isn't but happened to run into her.
Tomo challenges Chiyo to jump rope. Yomi says she lost already. Tomo says you have to do three rounds with this sort of thing. She gives Yomi the one end and has Osaka hold the other. Osaka asks what they're singing. Yomi figuring it'll be whatever Chiyo knows. Tomo gives her challenge again, this time saying "Chiyosuke" or "Master Chiyo". Chiyo accepts, and they jump rope under the stars. We see a series of stills as we go: Chiyo; Tomo; Tomo getting hit in the face with the rope; Yomi; Osaka; Osaka falling forward; Sakaki and Tadakichi-san watching; Chiyo again, with the sound of her laughing; the sky.
Now it really is nighttime. Chiyo reads a book called "HCUU" for a bit. Chiyo gets sleepy very quickly at night, she tells us. She sometimes envies her classmates when she hears them talking about late-night programs. She presses something on her clock. It's 9:12. She turns off the lamp and lies down in bed, closing her eyes. She finds that staying up late isn't a problem as you grow older, and she can't wait for that. She says good night to her dog.
Yomi is up studying.
Tomo is up watching TV and eating Potefu(?) chips.
Osaka is relaxing in the tub. (All we see is head, shoulders, arm, and knee, so don't get too excited. Unless you're into that sort of thing.)
Kagura is playing some sort of video game with a tank. (The assault vehicle, not the archetypical MMORPG class role.) It explodes, to her disappointment.
Sakaki is reading a book with cats, and has stuffed toy cats nearby.
As in-story Chiyo sleeps (aww!), Narrator Chiyo tells us goodnight.
Next time: Episode 13!
