Kaoru is invited to a Christmas party that some other kids are throwing. At first he says no but when he finds out that Ritsouko isn't going he agrees to go. Ritsouko and Sentaro are going to a church function that day. Kaoru doesn't have much fun at the party. On the way home he runs into Ritsouko. She drops her bag and her knitting supplies come falling out. She is embarrassed. She doesn't want Kaoru to know she is knitting him something. He guesses that she is knitting a gift for Sentaro, but he doesn't exactly come out and say that.
Ritsouko throws the yarn and the knitting needles in a trash can on the way home. Once she gets back to the record store she finds Sentaro waiting for her. He gets on his knees and begs for her forgiveness. He is about to say something when she starts laughing. She has figured out what is up. She sees him as a brother and tells him that. He seems very relieved.
Ritsouko runs out to find the knitting supplies she threw away. Yurika sees her digging through a trash can and offers to help. Together they find the yarn. They talk for a bit. Yurika wants to know who Ritsouko was knitting for. Ritsouko won't say but she decides then and there that she is being too passive. This probably isn't the way she put it but she resolves to be more open about how she feels going forward.
About halfway through this episode I thought it was just okay. It felt like it was drifting but there wasn't a lot happening. That changed in the second half.
Junichi receives a letter from a friend and decides to return to Tokyo. His friend is starting a publishing business and wants Junichi to join him. He starts to say his goodbyes. Kaoru tells Sentaro about Junichi's plans after seeing Junichi on the street. Sentaro acts very nonplussed. He is only interested in playing some music with Kaoru. Kaoru slaps him when he doesn't show an interest in the news about Junichi's plans. Sentaro's only response is to walk away.
Later, possibly the same day, possibly the next day, they are back in the music room beneath the record store. It looks for a second like Junichi and Sentaro are going to get into a fist fight but they are more interested in playing music together, at one another. This was the only the second musical moment in the episode, the other being at the party.
Yurika defies her parents and goes to see Junichi off to Tokyo. She has questions. She doesn't understand why he doesn't want her to come with him or why he never tried to get very far with her. He answers her questions and gets on the train alone. When he sees her crying on the platform and spies her parents looking for her he pulls her onto the train just before it pulls away.
The episode ends with Kaoru finding a pair of gloves waiting for him on the piano keys. They are made of the same color yarn that Ritsouko was using earlier in the episode.
So much happens in this episode. I didn't think it was all that much until I started writing it down. I wish there had been more music in this one. I wonder if that is the last that will be shown of Junichi and Yurika?
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