A golden bowl, on the right hand.
A silver bowl, on the left.
Never equal without both.
Those two bowls in each of us,
those two invisible bowls.
The golden bowl, filled with happiness...
shines with a warm radiance.
The overflowing love I've felt since I met you...
couldn't be held in the golden bowl.
A golden rapture,
a silver sadness.
Let us lay down everything that has passed,
So that only you may be held, So that only love may be held,
Let us empty those twin bowls.
Who are you?
A five-minute instance in a forgotten childhood,
Of course there's no one who would remember such triviality.
From beyond that low fence, holding a crimson scoop in dirty hands,
you asked me, looking at me with those lovely eyes,
Who are you?
Bye-bye! Please come again!
Come back soon!
It only took five minutes.
It all happened on a rainy day, long time ago.
But if you, perhaps, have even the tiniest memory of it,
one day, definitely,
I'll tell you that I remember it as well.
Who are you?
Nanako, what are you doing?
You're going to be late if you don't hurry!
I'm coming!
Ouch!
Don't tell me you plan on wearing that to school?
Huh? Why?
Even though the school does have a standard uniform, it's not required to wear one.
Students may wear their own attire, as long as it is suitable for school.
See, it says so in the student handbook.
There won't be anyone wearing their normal clothes at the entrance ceremony.
But...
If you think about it and really still don't understand the etiquette, ask your father.
You always say that...
Good morning, Dad!
Nanako, that looks really good!
You look like a genuine high-schooler now.
It's very cute. It's splendid!
Dad, you're always exaggerating...
I'm leaving!
Brother, my dear Brother,
Starting today, I'm a high-school student!
Of course, I'm not so naive
To think that moving up from middle school to high school
Will change my life completely!
After all, this year's cherry blossoms will be just the same as last year's.
But... but still, Brother...
Can you hear it?
My heart is racing so much.
Episode 1 The Dazzling People
I barely made it...
Good morning, Tomoko!
Hey, that uniform suits you!
You too.
What happened to our little agreement?
You too.
Aren't you supposed to be wearing your favorite clothes?
Well, mom's so old-fashioned, you know.
The same with me.
It's not that she's strict, but her lectures are just too much.
Mine too. Something about plain clothes at the entrance ceremony not being proper.
What?
My mother said the exact same thing!
I chose Seiran High because they allow us to wear our regular clothes.
But, he said I look cute.
Huh?
He says it looks very good on me!
What the...
You're such a daddy's girl!
So what?
Brother, to be honest,
Dad isn't my real father.
When I was five
My mother took me and remarried my father.
This bus is bound for City Hall, passing through Seiran Girl's High School.
The next station is Park Entrance.
But now I love dad so much.
He's so affectionate, yet logical...
Ah, I'm sorry.
Uh...
Excuse me...
What a pretty...
Bracelet...
Seiran Girl's High School Front Gate.
Excuse me, excuse me, I'm getting off!
Please, excuse me, I need to get off!
Ah, I'm sorry!
I'm still not used to riding the bus...
Here. You dropped this, didn't you?
With a burst of fresh air and dazzling light, just like echoing chimes,
cool, serene, yet surprisingly clear,
that time, her voice resounded deep in my heart.
Wow, shocking! There's no one in uniform!
Really...
Which class are you in? I'm in A. How about you, Nanako?
Me... I'm in B...
To bad we aren't in the same class.
We've been in the same class since elementary school.
- Sad? - A bit
Everyone, please assemble in the auditorium. The entrance ceremony will begin soon.
Then... see you later!
Good luck for both of us!
You, you're from another junior high school, right?
Huh?
Those in uniforms are usually like that.
Students from our affiliated junior high don't wear such things.
Anyway, since you came from other school, you must be smart, right?
Here, look at this... It's a secret.
Huh?
I only polished my thumb nail! It's red. Isn't it pretty?
You, you're cute and have a great energy!
Let's be friends!
Are you... in Class B?
Huh? Yeah...
I just knew it! Me too. How wonderful!
I'm Shinobu Mariko. And you?
Misonoo Nanako.
Hm, such a difficult name.
You must be using that herbal shampoo. I love it too.
It's going to start. Let's go!
Prince Kaoru!
Look at that!
Hey, it's true! She's here, Kaoru!
So she didn't quit school after all...
Udaisho Prince Kaoru?
Prince Kaoru, what a relief!
Are you feeling all right now?
We were afraid you were going to leave just like that.
Starting from today, I'll be a freshman, just like you.
Please take care of me.
Are you going to continue with your club activities?
Of course.
Full name, Orihara Kaoru. She's in Class B with us.
Let's have a seat, girls. The ceremony's going to start.
Actually, she's our upperclassman.
But she's been on a sick leave since Junior High.
You two over there, sit down quickly!
Ah, yes!
Brother, I'm still not sure, but
somehow the cherry blossoms this year
might be a little bit different from last year.
Following the guests' congratulatory address
We will have a welcoming message from the student council president.
You might not believe it, but
her lips
were gleaming, moistened like glittering wet grapes.
Did you see that? You saw?
She's Ichinomiya Fukiko,
our princess.
And right behind are the girls in the Sorority Members.
Princess? Sorority Members?
It's my dream. I'm definitely getting in to the Sorority!
Oh, my heart is pounding!
It's been my dream since coming to this school.
I'm confident I'm going to be a candidate!
Uh... What's Sorority?
It's a social circle common in American universities.
Your heritage, education, looks, and health
are all taken into account by the senior members before you're accepted.
For a long time, our school has permitted plain clothes, and the Sorority system.
And upon entrance to our school,
you are eligible to become a candidate for Seiran Sorority Members.
Should you be formally accepted,
You can join extravagant parties, be friends with elite seniors of the school,
join group study activities,
receive advice on how to become more and more beautiful,
and get introduced to wonderful men.
Your school life will fully blossom!
That's why all these pretty girls from upper societies
are madly desperate
to get close with the Members.
This year, from amongst you,
we upperclassmen
shall choose appropriate candidates
and invite them to a final selection party.
Finally, we are planning to take ten candidates this year.
- Ten?! - Did they say it's ten people this year?
Wow... The sound of this piano...
It's Saint-Just!
It's Saint-Juste of the Flowers!
- Saint-Just! - Saint-Just!
Saint-Just of the Flowers?
There are three beauties in our school literally worshiped by every student.
Prince Kaoru.
Ichinomiya Fukiko, the Princess.
and, Saint-Just of the Flowers.
She's in the music room. You should go!
You've got to know as well, just in case.
There
It's her!
So... who wants this lucky red flower?
Sorry, Tomoko.
You're late!
- You know, I saw her. - Saw who?
- Lady Saint-Just of the Flowers. - What?!
The person I met on the bus this morning.
Hmm
- She's a wonderful pianist! - So?
No, I was just...
It's Prince Kaoru.
The Prince?
We're in the same class.
They say she was sick and took a year off, but
she looks quite healthy. What could have made her so ill?
Let's hurry. It's going to rain.
Ok...
It's a spring rainstorm.
Cherry blossoms are going to fall.
Most likely... in this rain...
- It's always the rain. - What?
Up until now, it's rained on every single important day of my life.
Come on, it's not that bad. I like the rain.
Is it just my imagination?
It wasn't raining on that day.
That day?
Huh?
But wow, I was so surprised!
That the Sorority only takes 10 out of 150 students.
The competition's even tougher than the school application!
My classmates are already crazy over it!
Mine too, the Sorority's the talk of the day.
There are daughters of a CEO, a senator, an ambassador,
and even daughters of famous college professors are in our class.
At least your father is also a college professor!
My dad would laugh if he heard that.
Those girls live in a different world from us.
We need to start thinking about what we're going to wear to school starting tomorrow.
Yes, of course.
Misaki, you're definitely going to be the top candidate.
Your father is a lawyer, too... And you're the top in every single aspect...
We'll see. Everything depends on how the upperclassmen see me.
Is she...?
Yes, she's in our class.
Saint-Just! Saint-Just of the Flowers!
Why is she called Saint-Just? What's her real name?
Girls from other schools like you are so unaware of things going on.
She's Asaka Rei, in the 11th grade.
Asaka... Rei.
The princess is going home!
How can I possibly compete with those people?
You're the girl I met on the bus...
Uh, excuse me... Please use this...
Nanako, Nanako, Hey, Nanako!
What's wrong? You suddenly spaced out.
I'm going home. Let's go.
It's 15 minutes until the next bus comes.
We haven't even got an umbrella. You know that.
Oh, you got another letter from that girl?
So, why'd you suddenly want to see me?
I need a break from working on my thesis.
Why don't we have a drink together?
Sure. Let's go, then.
Right, before drinking... I have to go shopping for something.
Shopping?
Yeah, I need to buy a present for her.
So she's in high school now... Finally...
Yeah.
And Seiran, huh? What a big small world.
Yeah.
Are you going to let her know that the present is from you?
Huh? Well...
Are you sure?
If you write your name, her parents are going to figure out it's from you.
But...
Brother,
My dear brother,
This is how my first day of school ended.
Surrounded by beautiful upperclassmen and my mature classmates...
It's with a sense of wonder and bewilderment,
That I now see my Junior High years fading into the past.
It was such a great day!
A spring rainstorm! I couldn't say I don't like it so much.
I saw an awesome dream last Sunday
But when it saw you,
Surprised, it just flew away
I would never lose
So just for you
I have rushed and tried so hard
This feeling of love, staying in my heart
bewildered by the mischievous fairies' game
dances to and fro, always capricious