The episode is adapted from the remaining chapters of Volume 11 and marks the end of season 2. It aired the day after the release of Volume 11.
Synopsis[]
Haruno intercepts the Service Club on their way home one afternoon and lambastes Yukino for failing to make life choices on her own despite the immense freedom the Yukinoshita family has allowed her. Yui then allows Yukino to spend the night at the Yuigahama residence until things between the Yukinoshita sisters cool down. While Komachi heads out to her Soubu Entrance Examinations the next day, Yui invites Hachiman and Yukino out to the Kasai Rinkai Park where they spend the day at the aquarium and bond over their respective personalities while observing the various aquatic life. The three then share a reaction to the bonds of a pair of penguins and Yukino makes an allusion to her strained sense of belonging. Yui eventually states the true reason she called them out and as the day draws to a close, she uses her initial Service Club request to claim responsibility for the fractured bonds between them and further requests that they continue feigning their blissful status quo. However, Hachiman interjects that it would be better to suffer in their uncertainty rather than live in a deception, and the girls decide to accept his compromise. Yukino then decides to address Hachiman's request for them to understand each other and finally confides her own request to the Service Club.
Plot[]
Yukino apologizes to the service club members for her mother's actions the other day. Yui brushes it off, saying her mother also gets angry when she stays out too late. Meanwhile, Hachiman explains that this is just what mothers do, bringing up the spat between his mother and sister due to her entrance exam.
Yui believes Hachiman is worried and asks if it's about Komachi. However, Hachiman worries that he'll ruin Komachi's reputation simply by being her brother, in the same school as her. This shocks Yui as Hachiman seems to be acting as if Komachi has already passed the entrance exam. Yukino wonders whether Hachiman is being optimistic or pessimistic in his presumption.
After this, Yukino presents some hand-made cookies, giving Yui a bag of them. She reacts happily, and thanks Yukino, but asks her why she gave none to Hachiman. Feeling somewhat pressured, Yukino brings a small plate of the cookies to Hachiman, telling him he can try one if he wishes. Hachiman doesn't hesitate, and begins eating a biscuit as Yukino returns to her seat, blushing.
As they leave the school at the end of the day, Yukino intends to give Hachiman a bag of her cookies before he heads off, but she finds herself unable to do it. Yui figures out what she was wanting to do and reacts with shock. She then begins to back off and leave, but Yukino gives her a seemingly desperate stare.
Before anything else can happen, Haruno shows up at the school gate, saying she is here to take Yukino home and stay with her for a few days, claiming she is following her mother's instructions. Yukino says she doesn't understand why her sister must stay with her, but Haruno begs to differ. Haruno begins to dig into Yukino, claiming all she does is follow in her footsteps, without thinking for herself. Hachiman steps in to break up the argument, telling them that if they must do this, it should be done somewhere private. Haruno eventually backs down, and tells Yukino that they can talk more when she gets home.
Yui sees Yukino's dread at returning to her home, so she invites her to stay around her house for the night. Hachiman was invited too, and he accepts, although he admits that he doesn't know why he went. Yukino apologizes for the trouble she caused earlier, but Yui brushes it off. Yui's mother enters the room with drinks, embarrassing Yui in front of her friends before she is quickly pushed out of the room. Yui says how irritating she finds her mother, but Yukino disagrees, saying she can see the close bond between them. Yukino starts to get up and leave, but Yui quickly suggests that she spends the night. Hachiman backs her up, saying that it will be easier for her to talk it out with her sister once she has calmed down.
Yukino agrees to spend the night at Yui's house, and calls her sister to let her know. She repeats the exact words to Haruno that Hachiman's said to her, which surprises both him and Yui. Haruno accepts her actions, but asks to speak with Hachiman. Yukino passes the phone to Hachiman, and Haruno tells him that he is a kind person.
Later on, Hachiman leaves and Yui and Yukino are lying in their beds talking. Yui asks Yukino what she plans on doing, but she doesn't answer. Yui, on the other hand, says she has already made plans. She then leans over, and tells Yukino "We're going on a date".
The new day begins with Hachiman sending Komachi off to the Soubu entrance exam, wishing her luck. He then receives a call from Yui, asking him out for a date. Hachiman reacts with surprise, but ends up going anyway.
Both Hachiman and Yukino are shocked that the two of them were invited to Yui's date. Yukino seems agitated, saying that she'll get out of the way if she's being a third wheel. However, Yui stops her, and says she wants them to go together.
They end up going to 'Sea Life Park', a large indoor aquarium. The group begins looking around the exhibits, with Yui and Hachiman acting surprisingly happy and excited. Hachiman, for once, is openly enjoying himself, taking pictures and commenting about the fish. Yukino is, at first, a little nervous, but even she loosens up, joining in with the other two. The three see a variety of exhibits, joking and chatting. They come to a penguin exhibit, but Yukino decides to go on ahead and wait for Hachiman and Yui. Hachiman looks at the information sign, seeing that the Humboldt Penguins tend to mate for life. Hachiman goes inside after Yukino, where she proclaims that she finds herself similar to the solitary fish that struggle along, blending in and following others.
After the aquarium, the trio go to ride a ferris wheel located in the park. Hachiman compares the relationship of the group to the wheel, never getting anywhere and always going in circles.
After the feris wheel ride Yui steers the group to a viewing area by the shore. Yui begins to talk about their relationship on the verge of losing control of her emotions. Yui gives Hachiman her handmade gratitude cookies to which Yukino reacts by reaching grabbing her purse and looking away with a depressed expressing, regretting not giving Hachiman her cookies from the beginning of the episode. Yui offers her answer to their problem, their "final task". She requests to maintain the status quo they have now and that they should not look into how each other truly feels which may ruin their current relationship. As Yukino was about to tearfully accept Yui's proposition Hachiman interrupts and claims that to be a facade and doesn't mind the struggle which he feels is the better choice, Yui says that she already knows that Hachiman would say something like that, with teardrops sliding down her cheeks. Yukino says that it was not the final anything, and that they still have Hachiman's request to resolve.
At the end Yukino says that she has a request and asks them to hear it, the episode and the entire season 2 ends with Yui accepting to hear Yukino's request.
Major events[]
- Haruno comes to stay with Yukino for a while to ask for her future choice.
- Yukino stays with Yui for the night, Yui asks Hachiman for the promised date and invites Yukino along.
- The group visits sea life park on a day off while Komachi goes for her entrance exam to Sobu High School.
- Yukino being considerate of Yui and vice versa while Yukino also accepts her problem in comparison to a lone fish to Hachiman.
- Yui declares herself to win the battle royale by giving a request to maintain the status quo of the club without looking into their feelings but Hachiman disagrees.
- Yukino states this not to be the end, as they still have Hachiman's request.
- Yukino presents her request to the club but the episode and the season ends before she says anything.
Character Appearances[]
Debut character[]
- Mrs. Yuigahama (Yui's mom)
Location[]
- Chiba
- Yuigahama's house
- Hikigaya's house
- Kasai Rinkaikoen Station
- Tokyo sea life park
- Shark tank
- Nursery fish tank
- Humboldt penguins enclosure
- Ferris Wheel
- Sobu High School
Trivia[]
- It is the Tokyo Sea Life Park they visit.
- The ferris wheel is the Diamond and Flower Ferris Wheel (Mentioned to be 117 meters tall in the light novel).
- "Hello Alone Yui Ballade" performed solo by Nao Tōyama (Yui Yuighama voice actress), is used as an insert song which was the ending theme in episode 12 and also in Season 1.
- It features a reanimated version of Yui's request.
- The eye catcher at the end shows Yukino offering a canned drink to Hachiman while Hachiman holds the same drink in his own hand.
Gallery[]
