Kimagure Orange Road episode 43

Broken-Hearted Hikaru! Chase Me to Winter Beach

Aired:
Feb 1, 1988
Synopsis by:
George Robbert
Kyousuke narrates, ``It started midway through the third term of the last year of junior high.''

--- Cubic Game ---

Kyousuke and Kazuya are downtown. They spot a billboard advertizing a musical festival. It's a ``1/30th New Year Gig'' for amateur bands. Kazuya suggests that they do a rock band for this. Kyousuke thinks he's got to be kidding, there's no way he could, but then, you never can tell what kids, especially Kazuya, are thinking.

Madoka and Kyousuke are working behind the counter at Abcb. Kazuya and Hikaru are sitting there. It turns out that the two of them have signed up for the music festival. ``I wrote down Darling's name as the band leader,'' says Hikaru, having unlimited confidence in him. Kyousuke is not too pleased about them doing this without even consulting him. However, not wanting to hurt Hikaru, he agrees after exchanging a glance with Madoka, ``but I'm not going to be responsible.'' Hikaru is overjoyed. She's already chosen a name for the band, ``Pikkaru's,'' a combination of the word for shiny and her name.

In a warehouse near the harbor, the gang starts practicing. Shuu's band also does so here, and in fact he's helping. Kyousuke is sitting off to one side, listening, with Kazuya. He gets up to get a breath of fresh air. At the door, he meets Yukari. She comes into the hall and walks up to Shuu. He calls a break, hands the drumsticks to Kyousuke, and walks out with Yukari. Kazuya, being his nosy self, peeks out the door after them. Kyousuke comes over and tries to get him to stop, but they witness Yukari slapping Shuu.

--- Overnight Aroma [ Elation ]---

Kyousuke and Madoka are walking home afterwards. She reassures him that Shuu and Yukari will be ok, ``They're mature, so they'll make up.'' Talk turns to the band. Madoka says they better work hard; also Shuu said he's going to write a song for them. They say goodbye and Kyousuke walks off.

On his way home, Kyousuke finds Yukari talking on a pay phone, and she ends up inviting him to her apartment. She gives him a beer, but he only takes a sip, ``I'm still in junior high.'' They watch TV for a while, and Kyousuke narrates that is what he spent the rest of the night doing. Later on, he wakes up on Yukari's bed, with a wrinkled shirt and shorts on. He wonders where he is, and thinks the worst. He hears a shower, and goes to look. When Yukari steps out, wearing a towel, he's very embarrassed, excuses himself, and leaves immediately.

On his way home, Kyousuke is feeling guilty about what other people will think happened between him and Yukari. The sun hasn't risen yet, so he tries to sneak back home, but finds his sisters waiting for him. Kurumi thinks it's great that he did something and had to come home in the morning. Manami demands to know where he was.

--- Believe Me ---

Kyousuke is intensely practicing on the drum. He is trying to get his mind off of last night, but failing, and ends up dropping the drumsticks.

He remembers today at school. He's in the hall with his sisters, and Hikaru has found out he came home in the morning. ``Madoka told me you said goodbye to her around 10. What were you doing?'' Kurumi doesn't make it any better by suggesting he was doing something dirty with Madoka. Kyousuke comes back with the story that he was practicing the drum all night. This makes Hikaru happy, ``You're so serious about winning the festival.'' She's looking forward to it.

Kyousuke stops practicing and goes out to get a breath of fresh air. His sisters and Hikaru are coming down the stairs, but he passes them without a word. The girls ask Kazuya, who was there watching Kyousuke, what happened. He says nothing, but Kurumi comes down, gives him some chocolate and asks, ``You know something, don't you?''

Kyousuke goes and buys a magazine at a convenience store. When he comes back, Hikaru asks him if he spent the night with Yukari last night. She doesn't want to believe it but... Kyousuke begins to answer, ``Actually...'' Since he doesn't say ``no'' immediately, she gets the idea he did and runs off, crying. Kazuya runs after her. Hikaru runs away through crowds of people, her face full of pain.

--- Orange Colored Noise ---

The band is back practicing in the warehouse, but not getting along very well. Everyone is treating Kyousuke as an outcast. Kazuya asks him, ``Something happened, right? Why did you have to lie?'' Kurumi comments that she wishes she could come home in the morning like that. Yuusaku comes in, not pleased, ``What did you do to Hikaru?! You!!'' He steps in and gives Kyousuke a good punch, which he just takes. Yuusaku's ready to continue pounding him, but Madoka tells him to, ``Stop! He said nothing happened, so let's make an end of it. You guys are crazy.'' However, she turns her back on Kyousuke too. Yuusaku, without Kyousuke to beat up, goes to look for Hikaru. The rest of the band decide to go search too.

Now that everyone except Kyousuke and Madoka have gone, Kyousuke wonders out loud, ``Why did we end up like this? We shouldn't have started the band like this.'' Madoka turns and slaps him for what he's done, asking, ``If nothing happened, why did you have to lie like that?'' She met Yukari this morning and Yukari said to thank Kyousuke for last night. Shuu was with her at the time.

Just then, Kazuya shows up at the door. ``Hikaru... (sniff) It's something bad.'' This gets their attention. Kyousuke figures that she's run off to the beach. Madoka runs off to find her, and the two follow. Halfway up the stairs, Kyousuke stops and turns back, confusing Kazuya. Hikaru is taking a train out to the beach. Kyousuke stands looking at the band practice room.

--- Cry Cry Cry ---

Hikaru is sadly wandering around the festival grounds. Madoka's words come back to Kyousuke. ``If nothing happened, why did you have to lie like that?'' A sad discordant tune plays to images of Hikaru in the mist and Kyousuke practicing the drums. Kazuya looks in to the dark practice room. The various pieces of the drum set are being tossed around, they land on the sandy beach. Hikaru finds Kyousuke on the beach with the drum set scattered behind him.

--- Eden ---

The sun is shining on the ocean. Hikaru wonders how Kyousuke knew she would be here. She then apologizes, adding, ``You really were practicing, weren't you?'' Until just a moment ago, she hated him, but she heard the sound of the drums, and saw him so... Kyousuke promises to play at the festival. They find Madoka also standing there by the drums. Kyousuke apologizes to both of them, ``I should have been more clear...'' Madoka is concerned that Hikaru is ok now. Hikaru then runs off, back to her usual cheerful self, telling them, ``I feel so good.'' Kyousuke grabs Madoka's hand and they run down the beach with Hikaru, their friendship restored and strengthened.