Taichi gets curious about Maya after seeing her and Kouhei being close. Turns out Kouhei is actually her tutor and she is deaf. Taichi feels hurt that Kouhei didn’t tell him he had been tutoring part time.
Kouhei’s mother buys a new set of flasks that came in pairs and Kouhei feels awkward when she gives it to him. Meanwhile, Taichi is confused concerning Kouhei because he never tells him things that are important. He doesn’t even know if he’ll still remain his note taker this year as they haven’t discussed about it. His friends sense that their relationship is in a crisis and asks how they resolved their problem before. He blushes after remembering their kiss. His friends quickly note how his ears became red and tease him as he hides his red face.
Later, him and his friends are strolling when they come across Kouhei reading a book at the school garden. One of his friends Yoko pushes Taichi to go talk to him. Kouhei is startled when Taichi suddenly appears in front of him. Just as Taichi is about to talk, Maya suddenly appears. Yoko immediately gets infatuated by her beauty and asks her name. Kouhei explains that she’s deaf. Still, Maya introduces herself and Yoko asks her to join them all for dinner.
During dinner, Kouhei gets jealous seeing Taichi enjoying a discussion with a girl called Matsuda so he interrupts their conversation and starts talking to Matsuda instead.
Kouhei and Maya are exhausted on their way home from trying so hard to hear the conversations around them. Maya asks Kouhei if he likes Matsuda but he asserts that he is a twisted person who feels uneasy if someone discovers how great a person Taichi is. Maya can’t understand him and Kouhei doesn’t explain.
Taichi is heading home with his friends but gets upset when they mention how Kouhei will abandon him now that he has become more confident and has someone who is just like him by his side.
The next day, Maya surprisingly meets Taichi at the garden and gives him the notes he took for Kouhei. She criticizes his careless writing and accuses him of not taking his job seriously. Just then, Yoko invites them both for another outing and Maya deduces that Yoko lives life anyhow he likes, like someone who hasn’t suffered but Taichi gets angry and defends his friend telling Maya not to judge people. But Maya turns on him saying he isn’t as great as Kouhei portrays him and that he only uses Kouhei for his own benefit.
Kouhei suddenly appears but Maya pulls him away so he doesn’t talk with Taichi. Taichi feels the distance between him and Kouhei is only getting wider.
In the next episode, Kouhei is advised to change his note taker because his courses have become more advanced. Maya deduces that he is trying to hard just so he can fit into Taichi’s world but Kouhei denies it.
Maya starts becoming a hindrance in Taichi and Kouhei’s relationship finding ways so that they wouldn’t be able to talk to each other. He even ends up nearly getting in an accident while driving Yoko’s faulty bike just to get to Kouhei and Maya. Maya scolds him for nearly running into them but when she gets distracted by Kouhei’s other friend Yasu’s merchandise, she completely forgets about Taichi and Kouhei as she and Yasu talk about their love for collecting the merchandise.
Taichi is about to ask Kouhei about note taking when he gets distracted by another group of friends who suddenly meets them. However, Taichi soon notices that Kouhei feels left out and tells him the conversation they had. But they are too close while talking and get awkward when they notice their proximity to each other.
As Taichi leaves with his friends, Maya notices how Kouhei gazes longingly as he goes.
The outing is scheduled. Turns out Kouhei can’t come as he is assisting his mother with her cooking class so Maya finds herself spending time with Yasu.
Kouhei suddenly brings the food he prepared to Taichi’s home not expecting he would be home early thinking he would have gone to the outing. He tells him he only wanted him to taste the food. Feeling awkward, Kouhei tries to leave but Taichi makes him stay.
Kouhei watches him enjoy the food. He had thought he wouldn’t eat it considering they haven’t been close in recent times but Taichi explains it’s because Maya keeps ostracizing him. Kouhei defends that she is only trying to protect him.
Taichi suggests Kouhei could be a professional chef or open a cooking class like his mother but Kouhei isn’t confident in his skills and adds that he wants no one else but Taichi to eat his food. Taichi gets flustered and nearly chokes on his food. Kouhei apologizes for his unpleasant words but Taichi assures him that his words are not unpleasant and that he is happy he came to see him. He forbids him from ever apologizing again, making Kouhei happy.
Kouhei then asks him to be his note taker again even though it may be more difficult and Taichi quickly accepts glad that Kouhei has faith he will do well. Kouhei is happy he wasn’t rejected as he only wants Taichi to be the one to help him. He can’t help himself as he touches Taichi’s hand and thanks him. They are both looking at each other deeply but awkwardly seperate when Taichi’s grandfather suddenly enters.
That night, Taichi scolds his grandfather for eating the food leftover and in return, his grandfather teases him for being a glutton and tells a story of when he was a kid and did something wrong. He cried when his grandmother forced him to give his grandfather his cake as an apology. Kouhei laughs and Taichi gets embarrassed. While they are lighting firecrackers, Taichi’s father asks them if it feels good to have a friend. Kouhei becomes sad, realizing they can only ever be friends.
