Motivated by painful memories of middle school, Futaba has taken on superficial friendships in high school. Kou refers to them as "friends-in-name-only." One day, Futaba encounters a classmate, Makita Yuuri, who is shunned by the other girls for putting on a "cutesy girl act," eating lunch alone.

Futaba asks about Kou's family when she learns that Tanaka-sensei is actually Kou's older brother. She also learns the real reason Kou didn't meet her for the summer festival back in middle school. As her 2nd year begins, Futaba vows to start from scratch in her new class... which for some reason includes Kou, despite the fact that he's supposed to be in advanced classes.

Futaba has begun to develop feelings for Kou, and Yuuri happens to learn about Shuuko's pining over Tanaka-sensei. As they bear under the weight of their emotions, the team slowly begins to grow closer over the course of the workshop. But then, the five of them get lost in the forest during orienteering.

Yuuri reveals to Futaba that she's in love with Kou. Futaba's feelings about her long-awaited friendship struggle against her budding feelings of love. Futaba decides to suppress her feelings for Kou so as not to lose her friend, but class representative work puts her alone together with Kou.