Wataru meets Nippori at his Saturday job on the weekend. They go to the arcade and play Dance Dance Revolution. Nippori wins, not because he's particularly good but because Wataru finds it hard to have rhythm without a routine that he knows. After winning him a Horsea plush Wataru takes him to a value for money, family restaurant that he has a voucher for. They spend their time talking and the atmosphere is intoxicating, neither of them can keep a straight face. Every little thing makes them laugh, the chemistry is unreal. Nippori offers to split the bill. It was two for one so Wataru insists his meal is paid for. Both his pride and knowledge of Nippori's financial situation help to dictate his actions. For some reason, Wataru's character changes slightly and he becomes a gentleman. They get ice cream, which is once again, Wataru's treat.

This is strange... I get that he likes to take care of me but this is familiar... He recognises the behaviour is similar to the top from the film, so he confronts him.

"Where did you learn to act like this?"

"What's wrong? I found out about dates properly last night... This is what the man's supposed to do..." He muses trying to make sense of Nippori's reaction. "I watched a drama with my mother…" He realises what he just admitted and tries to explain. "Just the first twenty minutes to get research for the date."

Oh no! I know that he was unsure on Thursday night, but now…

"What happened?" He prefers to gain knowledge rather than jumping to conclusions. They take a seat on the bench overlooking the waterfront, ice cream in hand.

"Well, it was narrated by the girl..." He pauses, trying to get the story straight in his head.

Girl? So it was straight?… What makes me the girl!?... Forgetting what happened last night... I'm just as much of a man.

"And she had some kind of tick list in her head. Where he has to be really nice and pay for everything… And my mum was all like 'Take note that's what a real gentleman does, you have to be nice if you want to win someone's heart,' So I started to take note and she laughed at me and said 'Not literally just follow his example'. "

"So the drama had a boy and a girl?"

"Yeah… Weird, right…? Maybe they were just two friends on a date… Who knows?"

"No, boys can like girls the same way we like each other it's called straight."

Eeeeeehhhh? That Shigeo guy always did get on my nerves... No wonder he's so helpful!

"Oh!... Now biology makes a tiny bit more sense, with all that courtship nonsense. I didn't think they loved each other, though, I thought it was just for offspring or whatever... I don't properly remember the work from last year."

That's what revision is for… But that's a topic for another day, let's stay on the subject.

"No, animals are different to people, you were right before, don't write about love in your Biology exam."

"That really does make sense now, though, I wanted to question it but the whole class seemed to understand so I just kept my mouth shut, like with meiosis and whatever it was about protein."

Though, that kind of does change my whole world view.

"If I wasn't worried about graduating I probably wouldn't have even turned up, it's not like I learn anything either way."

So, he just lets himself get used to not understanding!? I don't get the logic in that… Speaking of logic!

"Ok, back the drama!... Why am I the girl?"

"I don't know... My mum said to follow the man's example, I thought that sounded about right, since I'm a man too. I didn't really think about it."

"But I'm a man too." He retorts. Wataru can't help but grin. "I'm serious."

"You're not quite there yet."

"I'll show you!... Fight me!" He says it with so much conviction, Wataru can't help but burst out laughing. Nippori puts the rest of his ice cream in the bin and crouches with his back to Wataru, clutching his knees and tracing dramatically dark characters in the sand (Pain, sadness, death, dark, deceit, etc.) A stormy purplish cloud starts to form again. Wataru crunches the last of his cone and tries to approach as sensitively as he can.

"Don't touch me!" He warns. Wataru stays at a distance."I'm not a girl and I never will be."

"No, no, no, where did all this come from? It's not like that, we're both male."

"I'm glad you know that." He continues to sulk. "But we're equal. Why won't you fight me? I'm not that weak."

People need to stop deciding what I'm capable of, for me.

"Are you upset because I won't accept your fight challenge?" He nods.

How can I explain that I'm stronger, without calling him weak?

"Let's Race!" He starts which spurs Nippori into motion. Unbeknownst to Wataru this is the battle to see who is the 'girl'. It's part of Nippori's internal struggle. He doesn't like the thought of having to fit into the tick box of a role just because that's what everyone assumes. Why should same sex relationships be modelled after straight relationships? Nippori sees his chance to avoid compromise and takes it. He is trying with all his effort, while Wataru behaves like rubber band-AI, sensitively matching his pace whilst being just out of reach. Unfortunately, Nippori trips and face-plants in the sand.