Episode #15: Meiko no Himitsu. Hanashite Hoshikatta

Meiko's Secret. "I want you to share your feelings.."

Miki is in her room trying to write on the diary. She thinks about Arimi telling her that she, Arimi, loves You. She also thinks about You and Ginta and Miki tells herself that she's going nuts. She calls Meiko's house but the maid tells her that Meiko isn't home.

The next day, Miki quickly leaves for school. Chiyako asks if she wants breakfast but Miki says no. The parents are talking about it and You comes in telling them that she'll regret not eating during homeroom. Miki tells us that she left early because she doesn't want to walk with You.

The school bell is ringing and Miki sees that Meiko isn't at her desk. She wonders if Meiko is OK but as the last bell rings, Meiko comes in, followed by Na-chan seconds later.

At lunch time, Miki can't wait to eat her lunch but she notices that Meiko isn't in class. Miki thinks that maybe she's in the library. You then hits her on the head with her lunch. She gets mad but realizes that she forgot her lunch because she was in such a hurry to leave. She thanks him and blushes a little.

Meiko is in the library alone. She hears the door opening and is happy. She thinks it's Namura but its Miwa. She's disappointed. "You don't look like you're waiting for me..." he says. And asks her if she's waiting for a boy or a girl. Meiko smiles at him and walks away to leave. She tells him that she'll leave it to his imagination.

Miki is done with her lunch but still no Meiko. She hears Chigusa, Keiko and Mari talk about Arimi and You. Miki looks at You who is talking to some guys and tells him unconsciously that rumors are spreading about him but he's unconcerned. Miki thinks about what Arimi had said again. She notices that You doesn't have any close friends. But that at least he and Ginta were getting along after the tennis match.

Ginta motions for Miki to come with him. They talk at the roof. He tells her that he decided to wait. "Until you see that I'm better than him... I'll wait but there's no guarantee I'll wait forever. SO MAKE UP YOUR MIND!" He says to a startled Miki. "I'm confident that I love you more than he does." He reminds her that You kissed a girl after he already broke up with her.

Miki blushes and she and Ginta are speechless. Their eyes turn into little dots. A second later, a normal Ginta tells Miki that he's been watching her during tennis practice and that he and everyone else noticed that her legs were getting thicker. (This is way funnier in the Manga. It cracked me up!) Miki gets mad. "MY LEGS ARE STILL SLENDER!" ( I guess most Aries are real hot heads aren't they?) Miki says that it's no wonder the men's tennis club is getting weaker. It's because they watch more that they play. Ginta gets mad at her for saying that. They argue but it's all for fun. Miki flashes a cute smile at Ginta.

~Toryo's PTA staff are knocking on the Principal's office. ~ The scene cuts to the tennis court where and Ryouko and Namura are coaching the club.

Ryouko thinks about what happened last night ~ about Namura refusing to come up to her apartment. She sighs heavily. She turns her attention to Namura who is asked by the assistant principal to come with him.

In the Principal's office, the Principal tells Namura the PTA members came...Ryouko is outside the office walking. She hears the Vice-Principal asking very loudly that why would Namura-sensei do such a thing? ~ Back in the tennis field, the three girls, Mari, Keiko, and Chigusa congratulate Miki because she's been doing great. Miki's happy because she's finally releasing her tension. Unconsciously, she says..."But all that happiness will soon fade away because of the shock that I'm going to hear..."

It's the next day. Miki is quiet happy to get to school. As she walks through the hallways however, she hears people whispering. She wonders what's going on as she gets inside her homeroom. Ginta asks her if she knows about Meiko. Mari tells her that Meiko and Na-chan are dating. Miki says that she doesn't believe it. Chigusa tells her that parents who lived by Na-chan saw Meiko coming out of his apartment yesterday morning. The PTA is already having a meeting and that Meiko was sent to the Principal's office. Miki remembers when she tried to call Meiko the other night. She wasn't home...

They all look at Meiko's briefcase on her desk. Two girls are gossiping badly about Meiko and Na-chan. That it was "That WAY" with them. Ginta angrily tells them to stop it. "Don't gossip that way."

Meiko comes in as everyone stares. She picks up her briefcase and heads for the door. Miki calls out to her. Meiko stops by the door frame and tells her and the whole class that she's been suspended. She says a good-bye and smiles. Miki runs after her and calls her name but she can't finish. She watches Meiko leave. Meiko meets Miwa on the stairs. "This is the reason..." She tells Miwa as she continues walking down the stairs.

"That's why my efforts were useless." Miwa tells her.

Miki runs to tell Na-chan what happened. Ginta runs after her. You watches them leave. He's unmoving, looking like he doesn't care. He already knew about it long before hand anyway. Miki runs into the Vice-Principal, Kyoto-sensei, who is a real stern looking cold as ice, bitch. Miki wants to see Na-chan... but she corrects herself. She wants to see Namura-sensei. Kyoto-sensei tells Miki that she can't see him and she should get back to class. She tells her that she, Kyoto-bitchy-sensei, will be taking over his classes.

Namura is in the teacher's office with Ryouko sitting behind him. She is again thinking back to last night when he refused. It now makes sense. She is watching Namura who is in deep thought. She puts her memories aside and walks up to him and tells him that she has to tell Kijima-san about the situation. "He'll be jealous of you dating a high-school student." Namura smiles. Ryouko leaves. We see her looking sadly out the window.

Miki is running down the stairs of the school. Ginta stops her and asks if she's going to Meiko's because he wants to go too. Miki says that it's better if she went alone. Miki arrives at Meiko's house and is impressed by the mansion and because of that, she's even afraid to use the intercom. But to her surprise, Meiko is there to greet her. Meiko tells her that she saw Miki from her window. She apologizes about making Miki worry. She suggests that they should walk.

The two are in the park. Miki asks her if she really is dating Na-chan. Meiko says 'yes'. She asks if Meiko was in his apartment. Meiko says, 'yes'. But everyone has the wrong idea about it. She tells Miki about the night her parents were fighting. She went to Sensei's apartment and he comforted her. When she slept, he held her hand. Miki asked if she had told the story to the principal. Meiko says 'yes' and that the Principal did believe her but since she was dating a teacher, she had to get punished. "I don't care if he suspends or expels me...but I don't know what to do if he fires Sensei... I made a mess of things... but that night, I didn't know where else to go."

Miki asks her unconsciously. "Why Meiko, didn't you go to me? Why?" She offers the crying Meiko her handkerchief.

The two are now sitting on a park bench very far apart. Miki asked how long she and Na-chan had been dating and Meiko says when she was in 9th grade.

Miki: So long ago? I didn't notice at all. I'm surprised... I wish you trusted me with this, before everyone else knew, I mean. You kept this all to yourself but I wouldn't have told anyone. I thought we were best friends. That you'd keep this from me of all people...it's a bit of a shock.

Meiko: Do I need to tell you everything because we're friends? (She stands up with her back to Miki) Does "best-friends" mean that you share all your troubles and comfort and depend on each other? If that's what you think, I don't want that kind of friend.

Miki quickly runs away. Meiko calls to her but she just watches Miki leave. When Miki arrives home, she runs through the stairs and into her room. You knocks on her door concerned. He asks if she's all right. Miki doesn't answer. She starts to cry because Meiko's words had left a sting..

----->Episode #16