My Fav Buzzer Beat Instrumental Pieces

It's Monday...but I'm walking around aimlessly...because Buzzer Beat is over...sigh.

I thought about rewatching all the episodes but figured that would really be a waste of time, so instead I listened to the OST all over again. Have also just upload 2 of the instrumental pieces to share under my [box net] music player. Feel free to download if u like it too if u dont already have it.

Hapi Mari Chapter 7 is released!

Yeah!!! manga Fans, the new chapter 7 of Hapi Mari has been released by Aerandria..finally after such a long wait. I have something to read over the weekend now..Yipppeee!

buzzer beat special episode - buzzer beat 11

for those dying to watch the special episode [episode 11] of buzzer beat and can access veoh, here it is. watch veoh video ep 11 . those who cannot access veoh, try pandora video here
[note- pandora quality isnt as good but still watchable]

buzzer beat episode 11 summary

The starting is a recap basically of last week's parting between naoki and riko.
Before riko set off, she terminated her mobile line without informing naoki either. She told mai that she wants to concentrate on her music when mai asked her if it was really ok. Meanwhile, naoki heard about riko's coming departure [the next day] from shuji and tried to call her mobile but heard the disconnected message instead. naoki felt a little lost....

meanwhile at the bookstore, riko finished her last day of service. As she was thanking her boss, he wished her all the best for her violin. just then, a lady appeared asking about some books and boss excused himself to get it. Mai was telling the lady could be their boss's 2nd wife to riko and stopped when she saw the lady looking at them. The lady recognised riko as the girl who had previously played a mini concert at the mall. The bookstore appeared and asked what is it and naoki sister explained that last summer, she recalled naoki seemed to have bought a sunflower to present to one of the concert performer, but in the end, he didnt manage to and gave it to a little kid instead. The bookstore boss good naturedly commented that is indeed naoki's style and both mai and riko got a shock. mai asked if he knew naoki, the boss turned ard and asked how did she know naoki instead. riko meanwhile was dazed from the new info about the sunflower and recalled her past conversation to naoki about receiving the sunflower.

In her excitement, she had wanted to ring naoki immediately but realised she no longer have her mobile. Mai followed a panicked riko and asked what happened. Riko turned to grabbed mai and said ''mai, i dont have my mobile. naoki's number...'' Mai calmed riko down, saying she will get it from shuji. However before she could ring shuji, Riko immediately stopped her again and said no, she shouldnt afterall...

''if that sunflower is indeed from naoki, then i should even more work harder. naoki has been supporting me [violin playing] all the way since back then, and has given me the courage to take the first step towards my dream, so its alright for now.'' riko explained.

'really. is it really ok.'' mai asked refering to not making the call as she signaled her phone to riko. riko reaffirmed with a nod and thank mai.

back home, riko finished packing and stared at the sunflowers longingly for a while. in the living room, mai commented that riko has always been lousy at picking out guys since way back. shuji joined in and asked if its really so. mai nodded and suddenly rem something. she presented riko with a 'relationship timeline'' that she had rushed thru the nite making. riko asked what was that for but mai explained on their last nite together, she had wanted to recall all the times she had spent with riko. shuji enquired about the crosses and mai explained it was those bad relationships riko had where the guy cheated on her. as they go thru the timeline, shuji commented mai seemed not to have any romantic past and was hushed by mai. mai continued to point out the date they had picked up naoki's mobile and meeting coach tomoya, naoki and shuji. shuji cheerfully commented the start of his ''era'' but quizzed why was naoki's name written all over the end of riko's love timeline. Mai cut him off saying she would explained later and asked him to be quiet for now and he volunteered to go make some coffee instead. The two gals continued to chit chat and commented how everything started after they moved to this place. Mai said maybe its the house that brought the love charm into their lives. riko smiled and added she has shared so much with mai this summer.

éven though its only a short 6 months, but to live with riko and shared so much love topics, to cry and laugh together, i am truly happy'' mai fessed to riko. an emotional riko voiced her agreement and they both started to cry. mai cried and asked riko not to go as she turned to hug her. riko returned the hug and commented she doesnt want to go to. ''then dont go....stay here'' mai whined...shuji joined in and said he is feeling sad too...and started crying with the girls.

naoki got home and was welcomed by his mum, saying that natsuki had dropped by earlier with some health supplements, beneficial to his foot recovery. ''she is indeed a great girl.'' his mum added wistfully. his sister chimed in asking why did they break up but naoki told her to go study for her exams indeed which she dutifully obeyed.

between the two of them, his mum commented she has hopes both naoki and natsuki will patch back. naoki instead asked his mum about her love relationship with his dad instead. '' take for u as an example, you started off being in love with dad, but ended up parting ways. love is so complicated...'' naoki lamented.

''what's wrong with u naoki'' his mum asked cheerfully, ''indeed there will be some failures, but i have never regretted about being in love, because i have always gave it a 100 percent.'' with that the mum laughed got up and walked off saying its indeed unimaginable discussing such things with naoki.

naoki commented he is already 24yrs old. his mum agreed saying that he should know by now love is not some fantasy at this age. naoki then said ''well... i have found it. which is what mum you have said earlier, the girl that can make my heart feel at ease. however, she is also chasing after her own impt dream, and of course i too wanted to support her, but i really dont want to part with her, and yet i cannot let her give up her dreams because of me. ''

his mum commented that this girl must be very important to naoki, to which he nodded. ''well then, trust your own instincts. it is easy to give up when u feel the pain when in love, but if u preserve and continue on with faith [strong belief], perhaps only then can the person see something bright and dazzling'' his mum said.'''something dazzling.'' naoki asked. ''yeah, didnt naoki said since he was young that in basketball, one must never give up till the final moment. if one believe he can win, he will definitely win.' naoki nodded as he hears his mum's words of encouragement.

at the basketball court, naoki looked towards riko's flat and recalled riko words that she will never give up even as an old lady. he walked towards the poster and stare at the words.

next morning, riko woke up and look out of the window. to her surprise, she saw a writing from naoki. ''work towards your dream. from your number one fan'' riko laughed to herself and said no way...and started to cry. ''thank you naoki'' she uttered and smiled as she look at those words. as she was leaving, she went to the court one more time and took a picture of the words. she saluted to the words and turn to leave....

the new basketball competition season begins.

in 2010 early summer.
riko was practicing with her team in the concert hall.

as riko was sitting alone in the park watching at the kids play, a guy walked past and commented ''french toast'. did you make it.' riko said yes and offered some to the guy and he took a piece saying it was delicious.

Back to the courts, mai was cheering the team on.
while strolling on the streets to the celebration for the team qualifying into the semi-finals matches, naoki stopped in his track when he heard someone playing a familiar violin tune. he searched ard trying to locate the source but was interrupted by natsuki calling him.

''somehow, this moment felt exactly like last year. last year, you even proposed to get marry if the team won. the feelin now doesnt feel any different from then.'' natsuki cheerfully [Ms. rhino skin] shared with naoki.

back at the bar, shuji was shocked to hear rumours that natsuki had patch back with naoki. the teammate said it was only rumour but then it wont be strange since for the last half year, natsuki had been helping naoki wholeheartedly in his therapy recovery. someone else commented that even when others were injured, she wasnt that intent. the senior [team captain ] listened on silently looking sad. while some commented the two were rather compatible afterall, the poor senior also commented [somewhat with hidden sadness] yeah its great for them. shuji muttered ''oh no this is not good at ALL..i must report to mai immediately..''

natsuki and naoki entered the room and everyone cheered to winning the coming matches. yoyogi and naoki also cheered together. natsuki walked off by herself looking out and recalling back to the time when naoki had proposed to her. the team captain congratulated her for patching back with naoki. she laughd and asked about his match making instead. the senior confessed 3 years ago he had fallen for this girl since but has always been one sided. natsuki expressed surprised and it must be tough but said she must be very fortunate.

meanwhile mai received a call that riko is back in tokyo and mai welcome her back to stay at their place for the short duration. after the call, riko was walking up the stairs and in shock thought she heard naoki's voice. she froze and saw shuji and naoki and rushed out. Her eyes widen when she realised it was really naoki and he was boarding the bus. this time, she ended up chasing after the bus while naoki and shuji were chatting away. unfortunately, riko did not manage to catch up to the bus..

at home, mai shared shuji has made it to the team to play in the match even if it was shirt time. mai also updated on naoki's performance and commented why isnt the matches aired on tv. then mai asked how was riko and riko showed some pictures to mai. at a couple shot, mai enquired who was the cute guy and riko said its her senior but clarified they are not dating. riko said she is now only in love with past composers such as mozart etc.

''so. naoki is working hard.'' riko said. mai passd her the match schedule and asked riko to call him since its already half a year. riko commented that their paths should not have a chance to cross again. Riko put the schedule away and instead said that she felt like performing with mai again.

that noon, riko walked to the court and stared at naoki's message and said ''i'm working hard.'' she then walked to the stadium and recalled the conversations she used to have naoki about the stadium and hosting 300 over audeince. just then, she passed the coach.

the coach said if they win this match, they would be in the grand final. the coach asked isnt she coming to watch but riko said she love to but she had training lessons. The coach added he had heard that riko had terminated her line and working hard by herself in kazewa. ''naoki is also working hard. This season, he is in good condition and very focus in the game. '' the coach shared.

''at that time, if i had heard naoki's voice again, i prob would not have set off, and would have forgo my dream, which is why i terminated my mobile line. i am very weak. i hate that about me.
but after setting off, i found out that i still love playing violin very much. its tough but i feel blessed every day. '' riko shared to the coach. is that so, well that is great then, the coach said, adding ''if it had been me, i would have told you to give up violin and stay by my side, so that i can keep you here.''

''i am happy that naoki told me to go ahead to fulfil my dream and stop contacting me. not hearing my voice for half a year, perhaps he has forgotten me. '' ''perhaps so. as someone who had some experience, the probabilty for two people to be destined lovers is even lower than 1/4 of winning the match back from the opponent before the whistle blows.''
[ok next few parts is about basketball games, i wont elaborate]

the coach joked about the possiblity of riko being infatuated with him and riko laughed saying unlikely. the two laughed and the coach thanked her for a lovely time catching up and riko expressed likewise.

''by the way, i had promised u before that i will never lie to you, so just one more thing to add. Naoki still thinks of you. '' the coach said to a surprised riko.

at the match, naoki was performing beautifully together with yoyogi. by the end, the team made it to the finals. while practising alone, natsuki said she can finally believe in naoki's dream. ''at that time, i had angrily said you would not fulfil your dream and hurt you. however, i believe it now ruly. i still like you. can't we be happy together. ''

''natsuki u will be blessed, but not with me. U are a great woman, and i still want to be that good man in your mind. I had wanted you to find me dependable, even when i was lacking confidence, i struggled to protect my pride, i had only thought abt myself, and not your worries, i am sorry for the times then. but, i .... '' naoki said.

a rejected natsuki immediately turned her ugly face to naoki and sacastically digged at naoki' ''well there... you sure are kind, or a tate too kind which is precisely why i would lie and cheated on u. '' natsuki ranted to a surprised naoki [ at her utter change in attitude] ''but that woman would never do that would she. '' she grabbed the ball from naoki and continued ''riko once told me, naoki will definitely fulfil his dream. you should look for her.' then next time, i should try making french toast, that's the only thing i cannot succeed. oh by the way, i lied. i dont have any feelings for naoki anymore.' natsuki suck in her tears and turned ard and said he must win but for anyone else but for his own pride. when naoki thanked her and left, her tears finally fell as she realised she was completely rejected and lost naoki forever. at that moment, the senior entered the scene and asked what happened. she got up and regain her composture and tried to change topic saying all he does is practice which is why people thought he is gay. at that, he confessed and ask her to date him instead, to eat cake with him [sounding like date him]. she laughed and said ok and she knew a stall. they both smiled.

at home, shuji wanted to propose to mai and was practising to himself without confidence. at dinner time, shuji asked if naoki and riko is really over. mai said she really know. mai said, shuji if u win, i will marry u, so u must finish the katsudon. shuji went into shock and then started to cry and said yes, he will finish it, win the match and ask mai to marry him.

while jogging, naoki said, he will go get riko. the coach smiled and urged him on. with the address, naoki arrived at kaizawa looking for riko. he was informed riko was off practising for a concert everyday and prob be back late. then she showed the poster to naoki.

at nite, naoki with the sunflower went to look for riko again but stopped to look at the poster. but he rem the woman saying about how rare it is for riko to be perfoming in this upcoming concert..and abandon his plan to meet riko.

on way back, riko and naoki missed each other completely. when riko got back, the woman told her that 'her fan' was here and handed the sunflower to riko. knowing who it was, riko ran but stopped when she got out of breath. in the room, she looked at the match schedule, picture of naoki's message and calendar.

naoki saw shuji practising at the court. naoki said he was surprised at such a late time training and shuji said he have to work hard to get married, but quickly said naoki is his idol.
then shuji innocently went on saying yeah you had a chance to play last year but u really sucked.,.. and naoki went óooooi', do u have to be so blunt and both started laughing.

naoki then added there is something quite bad, that is going all the way to kaizawa but not meeting riko in the end. ''riko is wokring hard and closer to her dream, knowing this is enough for me. '' when i first move here and read this, its true isnt it.'' shuji said, ''i dont know but, i will work hard. next round is on me.'' naoki said.

during practice, riko lost concentration and stopped. the conductor and the director asked her what is wrong. she stood up saying she has to go. she explained someone impt to her is facing a critical moment, and she has to go cheer him on. ''i have to go see him now.'' riko said. the director gave a big sigh, the conductor asked her ''do you really love the young man.'' riko replied with conviction that she does and very much. '' then its ok. love makes you strong. '' he said to her. she thanked him and ran off to the station.

at the match, mai, naoki's family was cheering the team on.
naoki continued to score much to his mum's delight. As the match progressed, riko was running as fast as she could to the stadium with all her might. nearing the end at 81 vs 87, naoki mum said she has to leave [as she thinks she will jinx the score].

when it was naoki's turn to do a penalty score, riko rushed in in time and yelled ''wait a min, hey that number 8, i am back, your number one fan is back to cheer u on, so you better win, you hear me you idiot.'' Mai was chuckling thank goodness its not live telecast while the mum wonder if that is the impt woman to Naoki. Naoki smiled and said ''í am strong'' and threw the ball. the ball entered the loop and everyone cheered esp riko.

near the critical ending, yoyogi caught the ball and yelled as he passed the ball to naoki. naoki threw the ball and scored as the buzzer horned. the ARCS team won!! as everyone was cheering, naoki walked towards riko. ''you didnt even say it has been a long time and yet the first thing u said is calling me an idiot! but because of riko, i have become stronger.'' with that, he hugged riko and added ''i wont let u leave me again.'' and kissed riko full on the lips and grinned as he kissed her again.

afterthoughts
hmmm..while i kinda anticipated the happy ending, but somehow it didnt climax as much as i like. plus the buzzer beat score was not the last score so it was kinda weird. plus with riko yelling, i thought it was just stretching the show and nothing new since its just copying what she had done before...so it didnt garner new emotions for me. i didnt feel esp touched or high.
even the last kiss, i thought it was a little weak and just going with the flow kinda feeling. i couldnt really feel the passion or joy. plus after such a long match, he was all clean and dry...what happen to the sweat...ok i am nitpicking.

still no matter, i love most parts of the show, even if the romantic parts are not always bull's eye. i will miss this though. will take another few weeks to get use to not seeing my naoki and riko...sigh.

buzzer beat 10 review and summary

omg omg... its out its out. I waited till 5am but nothing was posted and finally its out.
meanwhile for those who can access veoh, here is the video link to watch.

buzzer beat episode 10 synopsis
ブザー・ビート 10話：最終章・別れ

Naoki bumped into the coach who was leaving the apartment. Seeing the expression on his face, naoki chased after him. Naoki started to apologise for falling for riko. ''i am sorry. I have fallen for riko but its not her fault. we started out just as friend, but i cannot control my feelings, so...''

The coach cut him off.
''naoki. did u know what happened in the room between me and riko earlier. because of u, i had tenderly hugged a crying girl tightly. i dont think you can protect her.'' the coach said.

''no i disagree. i want to protect her. maybe i am not strong enough yet, and always lacking self confidence, and filled with inferiority complex, but she knew that me and accepted it, my basketball and way of life, as long as i have her by my side, i can become stronger. she is a very important person to me, so i need to protect her carefully and cherish her. i want us to chase after our dreams together. so, i am truly sorry.'' naoki shared as he bowed politely to the back of the coach in apology and added', ''but i will never let go of her.''

the coach gave a weak smile to himself before turning ard to say in jest. '' u are both indeed a detestable couple. earlier, riko has said exactly the same thing to me.''

the scene replayed when riko was explaining to the coach that naoki is the one she liked after all but it is not his fault. even though they had agreed to be just friends, ''but i was unable to control my feelings. when i am with kamiya kun, i would become good spirited, he is someone impt to me, so...i want to support his dream but because of my own uneasy feelings, i had reprimanded him. I should have trusted naoki more.'' the coach smiled and teased her abit and brought riko back from her own thoughts. riko apologised once again and returned the ring to him. ''i am truly sorry but i cannot accept this.'''

'ahhh... the heartfelt confessions of young people these days are truly hurting... forget it, both of you which are of the same kind should get along well with each other. i shant get involved with u two anymore. however, you must let me witness, how strong you can be, and to what degree can riko chan's love transforms you. Convey it to me via your basketball game.'' naoki replied with a firm yes and thank him again.

After the conversation where the coach waved bye with the proposal ring box in hand, naoki look up and saw riko standing by the window

The next scene oh sooo sweet... Naoki and Riko has made peace.
''for every thing, i am sorry its my fault.'' naoki expressed.

Riko shared that she was kinda sad that she didnt know naoki's feet is so serious that it may require a surgery. naoki asked where did she heard it from but she said she is not telling. Riko asked if his foot is ok and he assured her it is. Naoki explained he didnt want her to worry. ''Men in general dont usually want their woman to see the weaker side of them.'' naoki explained. riko laughed and said it is strange. Naoki in turn said that he was kinda sad [lonely] too since he didnt know about riko's loss of part-time violin job. This time Riko replied she didnt want him to worry and naoki went ''There u see...'' and Riko realised how ironical it was and smiled and apologise. naoki whipped out the sunflower and riko exclaimed she is really happy as she like sunflower best. then she mentioned about the sunflower at the shopping mall concert too, but naoki didnt say it was from him but instead he said ''Hey, I only like riko, so please, believe in me.'' Riko looked at him pretended to pout but broke into a beautiful smile and thanked him for his assurance.

Back at home, mai asked riko if she was serious about returning to her hometown. Riko explained she was also a little loss as there isnt any violin job either. Mai shyly asked if her relationship with shuji might have played a factor, riko laughed and assured her not but she might feel envious at times. Mai cutely laughed and said she love riko best and hugged her. Just when the 2 best friends were hugging, the unknown call came thru again and riko answered...

Meanwhile at training, as natsuki stared at him, she recalled the conversations with riko where riko had told her off for underestimating naoki's dream, and how naoki had told her he is starting his own path. While playing against yoyogi, naoki twisted his foot and incur the onset of the nezumi problem.

At the doctor, while naoki had INITIALLY REJECTED as he didnt want to miss the key game. The doctor went on to explain if he have the surgery and rehab, he can still make it for the later half of the season. however, naoki was agitated and insisted not as this is the only chance he have to work hard. natsuki interrupted, ignored naoki and insisted that he should have the operation immediately. Naoki demanded how could natuski make that decision for him. Natsuki retorted she did it for his sake as it would be worse if the injury relapse during the game, what sort of problem he will add to the team. ''i know this season is impt to u and precisely so, you cannot engage the competition in this condition. sorry, if i had been by your side still, i would have made this decision much earlier. '' with that said, natsuki turned and walked off.

at the meeting, riko realised with shock she was meeting with the man who had critised her at her previous workplace. the assistant explained they are the backing foundation for concerts, and riko realise the man was a director to the musical foundation. the man started with an apology for the last incident, but that is also partially resulting from her. The emotions rise and fall rapidly with each time she played, which means she did not possess a professional mentality. He started to bombard her with a series of questions with the last asking how often riko practised. Riko replied haltingly that she practiced about 3 hrs a day. the man said no wonder, she will never play well with so little practice, he added that he ask her for one week of her time starting tomorrow. he explained he is short of one violin player in the concert commencing in one week's time. ''If you practice hard enough, perhaps u can make it for the concert. think abt it and call me' he said. as he left, riko called out to him and asked timidly i dont have to undress rite.....'' the man replied her ''i am sorry, i have no interest in your naked body.'' riko smiled and thanked him. the man knew exactly who riko was refering to...and said to the assistant that she has much potential after much coaching.

Riko called naoki immediately abt the good news on the possible opportunity. ''this is all thanks to naoki. because u said someone will hear me play.'' naoki encouraged her on to work hard.

To avoid worrying riko, naoki did not tell his problem to riko immediately as he knew she had to train hard to ''qualify'' to be a candidate to perform at the concert.

at practice, riko was critised by the coach she had played badly.

that nite as they were chatting was one of my fav scene. below are some more teaser screen shots to get you excited... riko commented that this is the first time they are meeting outside the park and it seems like a date. naoki said aint we already in a date. riko laughed. naoki almost wanted to tell her about his feet injury but stopped himself and changed the topic to her training. riko commented she had so much mistakes that she is almost depressed, feeling she is pretty lousy and prob wont make it as a candidate. To naoki surprise, Riko confessed she almost thought abt returning to her hometown, and that her mum had asked her to give up her dreams to return. She too thought she has reached her limits but now she wants to give it another shot and try harder. Naoki said its true that she should work hard since there is a chance. ''moreover, naoki is by my side.'' With that said, she bumped naoki.

Naoki hugged Riko and Riko playfully ''signal'' for a chaste kiss... it was soooo sweet. [I LOVE THIS SCENE. My goodness, when naoki grinned and smiled at riko, he was sooooo cute i JUST have to capture the moment down to share ....i am swooning, fluttering butterflies all over....the whole moment felt soooo magical.... i want to kiss him too damnit.... ;p ]

After this moment, shit it gets depressing towards the end.

Riko's practice seem to go well.

In the court, Naoki talked to yoyogi. He apologised for the sudden bashing the last time. yoyogi asked if he is gg for the surgery now, Naoki said yes and then added tips to yoyogi. yoyogi asked why is naoki saying all that and naoki replied its all counting on Yoyogi now if ARCS wants to win, so please trust your teammates more. Yoyogi said he doesnt need to hear Naoki preaching but Naoki asked didnt Yoyogi come here to win. As Naoki was walking away, yoyogi said ''nezumi is no big deal, so quit preaching and hurry back to rejoin the team after ur recovery.'' naoki smiled at the fact both of them had made peace.

On riko's end, she passed the audition. The man made some comments about her playing but that he will have faith in her to play in the concert and so she should practiced harder for the concert in 4 days time.Rriko was overjoyed and promise to work hard. Unable to reach Naoki who was in surgery, so she messaged him. as Riko shared the good news with mai, mai told her about Naoki's surgery.

Hearing that, Riko rushed down to the hospital but stopped in her tracks when she saw natsuki in the room caring for Naoki. She overheard naoki said it was thanks to her that he finally decided to go for the surgery. Natsuki was happy to hear that and help to tuck him to bed.

Naoki's family arrived and Riko hid herself but Natsuki spotted her. knowing riko is outside, Natsuki deliberately make a dramatic action of apologising formally to Naoki's mum, saying its because they split and hence she wasnt able to care for Naoki well that's why he ended up like that. She later cried, calling Naoki mum as 'mum', confessed pitifully that she still like Naoki alot and cannot forget him blah blah like how much she regretted, and how much she realise what she has lost, that she only have naoki left...its ok even if she is now harboring one sided love but its good enuff even like this to be in the same team as him, staying by his side. she declared she will always be by Naoki's side to protect him, until Naoki realised he needs her too. naoki's mum who has always like natsuki hugged her and comfort her that she would support her too much to dismay of riko... as Riko left,Natsuki knew Riko had witness the whole scene and overheard her ''undying love' confession.

Meanwhile, Naoki was estatic about riko's recruitment news. he texted her that he is happy for her, and about his surgery and he is only telling her after her critical test moment so as not to worry her. he explained the surgery went well, but he will miss partial match and it was regrettably Riko couldnt see him play. However he is better able to see the strength and weakness of the team and adjust his play.Sso he asked her not to worry for him and he look forward to her concert. Riko replied asking him not to overexert himself and she love him.

even with clutches, he dressed up in suit to attend her concert bringing along a huge bouquet of sunflowers for her.

After Riko's successful concert, naoki congratulated Riko on her success. she was happily sharing about a invite to join the musical foundation in another place. It will starts the following week, with long training hours, so she decided not to go because she wont be able to be by naoki's side and cheer him on in his basketball. However, Naoki became quiet as he suspect riko may say no to the invitation as she wanted to stay by naoki side. ''but...'' Naoki wanted to comment but Riko added ''I want to stay by Naoki's side, to be nearer than anyone else, and never want to leave u. I feel so blessed, even if its just this once in my lifetime, to perform in such huge concert and having Naoki to attend it. Just being so, i feel really blessed already. from now on, i will stay by naoki's side, and continue to work part-time, attend exams, and practice harder.'' Naoki listened on quietly with a heavy heart, and made a decision....

at home, Mai asked her if it is really ok, for her to reject the invitation. Riko confessed she has no confidence, that being apart, she can still be with Naoki, and that person Natsuki will be close to naoki all the time. Mai said its pointless to worry about his past but Riko said she really fears about parting with Naoki, so its really ok.....

that nite the couple reunite at the basketball court. naoki commented he like riko's face without makeup the most. riko recalled that was how it is when they first met as well. naoki said that was also the first time he had heard riko played her violin. riko said today is like a dream.

''at that time, everything didnt go well. ''Riko commented.

Naoki said same goes for him. ''Me too, I kept telling myself i am fine, i am strong but i suck in reality, it seems all my dreams are crashing down soon. that nite, I met Riko for the first time, obviously someone who knows nothing about basketball yet proclaim she will be my first fan, a Riko who had complimented my skills, a Riko who yelled at me and said I was strong. the person who has been supporting my dream till now is you riko, so,Ii hope for Riko to accept the invitation [to go kamizawa]. I wish for Riko to continue to pursue her dream too.'' Riko objected but Naoki added ''Its ok, even if we are in different places, I will always cheer u on. iIam also riko's number one fan. so work hard. Even if we had reach an age where we should not dream anymore, to an age where we must face reality, we must never give up till the end.'' Riko cried and said she understood.

Before she left, she gave the mug to Naoki. ''if i had known we are going to be saying this, i would have prepared an even better present.'' Naoki said he is happy with this. 'i will never give up until its is the very very very end. this is our promise to each other.'' Riko said. ''with just thoughts of Riko, i will become stronger.'' Naoki said and Riko said same for her. she will become strong too she said. ''if we meet again, parting will be even more painful. so ...goodbye.'' Riko said. ''goodbye'' Naoki said.

That very nite, with great sorrow and sadness, the two went their separate ways in tears....

AFTERTHOUGHTS
how can this season ''last episode''end like that...i wanted to scream and rant.
thank god they will be following up with a 75mins special episode....

i dont want them to part....please be together......they look too good together. i hope the episode next week will end in a better note. this is too depressing for me....

Manga - Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume

Just been reading another manga which i thought was rather cute, or rather i like both of the lead male characters.

Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume is a light entertaining read. It doesnt have much story plot unlike skip beat but its definitely one of those that will make u grin at those cute scenes. Some scenes make me laugh at the loveable drawings.

I like to see in the end if there is a conclusion to the nice little blossoming friendship between the 3. I kinda like jirou the little brother too...as a side character.

Story synopsis

Takamura Uru takes her mother’s remarriage as an opportunity to strike out on her own and begin a part time job. Filled with the thought of “If only I could make someone happy…”, she begins working at Café Bohneur, a shop famous for cakes; but the employees, Ichirou-kun and Shindou-san, turn out to be incredibly unsociable. These two, though frightening at first glance, begin to change something inside of her. This is the start of a romance about Uru’s search for happiness.

Korean boyband SS501's Kim Hyun Joong down with H1N1

if u have not already heard...i hope he recovers soon but i am sure he will make full recovery...afterall, it really isnt all too different from other bug strain unless one is already bed ridden with other virus and illness that makes it more dangerous...

Korean boyband SS501's Kim Hyun Joong down with H1N1
Posted: 09 September 2009 1134 hrs

SEOUL : Kim Hyun Joong of popular South Korean boyband SS501 has been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus and is currently hospitalised in Tokyo, said his agency.

The “Boys Over Flowers” star who was in Japan to promote the hit drama series over the weekend, was down with a fever and a headache, and was forced to miss promotional activities on Sunday.

According to a statement by agency DSP Media, Kim was scheduled for a noon flight back to South Korea on Monday and had made it through immigration without any problems. But the singer was later taken to the emergency room when his health took a turn for the worse.

The 23-year-old was diagnosed with Influenza A (H1N1) and will remain in Japan for further observation.

Kim’s agent said other band members are well and will continue working on a new album which will be released in Japan.

Buzzer beat 09 review and summary

just finished watching buzzer beat 09. watch veoh, pandora

what can i say, another great episode...this is the fastest i have ever caught the vido on a monday night instead of tues..however..its so sad that misunderstanding is building up between riko and naoki. naoki lied that he was late because of extended practice. after natsuki's deliberate misleading phonecall, riko was affected and despite naoki saying he is fine, she shooed him home on pretext that he should go get a hot bath back home after being drenched. When she found out from shuji by chance that practice actually ended early and naoki had lied to her, riko was even more depressed.

of course, naoki found out yoyogi and natsuki are over. natsuki was so thick skin trying to hint on getting back with naoki and that she and yoyogi are over... in this whole epi, i just want to slap her...

the coach is back and surprised riko at her place. riko tried to return the ring to him, and she confessed that she liked naoki blah blah blah. sigh...then she had to go kinda spill her ''problems'' that she doesnt understand naoki very well and started shedding tears. of course the coach would go and hug her right.... of all people, why him.... then poor naoki of course at this moment was cycling with his full might to riko's place and even bought a sunflower for her...but not knowing what is to come... i simply cannot believe next week is last epsiode...ahhhhhhhh. ok it is 3.30am my time and i should sleep. more detailed summary later.

buzzer beat 9 summary

the episode starts with recap of shameless natsuki holding on to naoki tightly. naoki gently reached to her hands and took it away from him. he turned ard and ask natsuki ''what is it'' and then he said he has something to attend to. natsuki beat a hasty retreat and claim nothing is wrong and told him to be on his way and nothing is wrong. she asked if he has dated someone and he replied yeah a friend and have to leave. natsuki said she is really alright and ask him to go ahead. naoki passed the towel and brolly to her and told her not to catch a cold before dashing off in the rain to meet riko.

meanwhile, naoki realised hsi phone was out of battery and rushed to to meet riko. he thought riko would be waiting at home. to naoki's surprise, he learnt that riko had missed the bus as she had really wanted to see him. she explained she will take the train the next day. meanwhoile, he lied to riko that he was late due to training meeting. he then discovered the french toast riko made and ate it despite riko's protest. naoki teased her that he will have to teach her personally from scratch..and but then admitted it was delicious and he was just joking. ''truthfully i was a little afriad, thinking maybe that you wont come, so i was afroaid.'' naoki replied that if he had made a date with her, he would surely come. riko wistfully added ''what if you had met someone else you like along the way, or maybe what if you thought abit more and realise you dont really like me all that much..hmmm what should i do...''why would i think that way.'' naoki asked her and tenderly ask her if she was worried. she shook her head. then the bitch natsuki called.

natsuki asked if naoki is with her. riko went ''eh'' and natsuki went ''oh as expected since he had said he was meeting a friend and so i thought it must be riko.'' natsuki ''apologised'' and that it was her fault saying that she forgot her umbrella and he chased after her to pass her towel and brolly. then she faked kindness and said its all her fault. and then stated that he has competition coming up and make sure he doesnt catch a cold. riko was affected by the call and doubts rise within her.

''naoki u better go back early or u will catch a cold.'' riko said to naoki. naoki said he was fine but riko insisted and said that an impt match period is coming up and he had better head home for a hot bath and warm up to feel better. naoki was a little surprised at riko tone and reluctantly returned home.

at home, mai and shuji was surprised riko was still home instead of at her parents place. shukji let slip that practice ended early and so they had already gone and had noodles. riko was shock that practice ended early. riko was more depressed as more questions surfaced. mai asked if she was alright and riko said nothing was the problem. meanwhile, naoki alone at home was in deep thoughts. At that time, it wasnt riko's smile that flashes into his head but it was natsuki's small frame from the back...

back at changing room, he received the bag of towel and brolly returned from natsuki. as he took and smell the towel, he muttered to himself ''such a familiar [nostalgic] smell'' before putting the towel away.

meanwhile, mai fessed up to senpai about her relationship with shuji. senpai said he was relieved. mai asked why and if he liked the coach. senpai laughed and said of course not though he was often misunderstood. senpai said he liked a girl but she already has someone. [side note.i wonder if its natsuki since he was always chatting with her...hmmm]

at home, mai told naoki riko is collecting sticker again to redeeem a mug for naoki. naoki informed mai that until the coach come back, and that he has a proper chance to explain his relationship to the coach, he requested mai not to tell shuji and the rest about their relationship for now... mai said she understood. and if riko liked him, she wants things to go well too for her but she hasnt been feeling all that great esp her job and all. naoki was surprised. mai asked didnt riko shared with her about her being fired from the part time job. then she added if he made riko unhappy, she would not forgive him. naoki was in deep thoughts at the new info and tried to call riko but she was sound asleep and didnt answer the call.

on the other hand, the guy was shocked to learn that riko was fired because of his comment. he claimed that he didnt wanted that but rather had wanted her to improve which is why he criticised her. he asked his assistant to quickly look for ways to contact riko

at home, riko was happy to receive text mail from naoki about his weight gain like her.they both tried to call each other at the same time but ended up not reaching each other with the line engaged.

senpai went on a lunch date with natsuki. she said she is awlful as she wished for naoki to fail. she had hoped he would fail and be miserable after breaking up with her and regret breaking up wih her, and would run back to her claiming indeed he cannot do without her. however she knew the truth that it is impossible but yet she cannot help thinking so nor control it. i rather be hated by him than be wiped completely from his memory. senpai listened with a dismayed expression.on the streets, naoki saw yoyogi dating another girl from office.

naoki text riko he had bought the musical cd. riko called him and finally they were glad they get connected finally. riko said she hasnt heard naoki voice for sometime and ask him to chat a little more. naoki said 3 days huh. and even so, he doesnt know what to say. naoki said that they will meet tomorrow when she returned and told her to take care. as he hung up, he saw natsuki's card again and went into deep thoughts.

at home during dinner, riko parents wanted riko to give up violin as it has been 2 years and her father is retiring next year, so she should start looking for a proper job and her mum would be happier too if riko move back. riko said she would think about it...

riko went back and went to find mai at the bookstore. when mai went off, natsuki appeared and interrupted natsuki. ''isnt it great that he is coming back soon''natsuki said to a surprised riko. ''the coach. he is back day after right.'' natsuki said. ''you are not having an affair are u.'' natsuki went striaght to the point. ''with naoki. i guessed right afterall.'' natsuki said to a shocked riko.

''so the coach is being toyed with by a woman.'' natuski said. ''no i am not'' riko tried to explaine. ''no i am not blaming u. there are times when a woman also feel like straying. like me, i have hurt naoki.'' natsuki said candidly. ''u cheated on naoki.'' riko asked.

'yes.' natsuki said.'but why, since he is so nice to u.' riko asked in utter surprised.

''so what he is nice. u tell me, will there be no pain in such a sedated life/ relationship. will u be able to live happily ever happy. nothing is so simple. naoki is kind, in the past, i want to live more realistically with naoki. and not the sort of relationship you have that is licking each other wounds.'' natsuki sacastically said to riko.''licking wounds'' riko asked with indignance.

''isnt the two of you always living in carefree manner, escaping reality? isnt it nice for to fulfil our dreams. i guess naoki must be feeling good, to be with u and not feel inferior and maintain that frivolous naive attitude and relation. but how long can that last?''

Riko asked why is natsuki saying all that, natsuki added '' because i cannot stand by watching, it is detestable to see someone talking about dreams all day long. go face reality. if u have time, why dont u get a proper job? ''

riko said she is not escaping reality but natsuki asked her point blank, 'then can you dreams be fulfilled.'' she added ''do you know he has a leg injury but he doesnt want an op. obviously you are not imopt to him and so he didnt say anything impt as this to you.'' riko was silenced by that but mai overheard and stuck up for riko telling natsuki off. ''i just want to double check who is more impt to u, the coach or naoki.''

riko stopped mai from defending her and admitted indeed her dreams may count for nothing, and indeed she may be doing something considered as cheating, but..but i cannot forgive u for underestimating and underminding naoki's dream.' naoki dream is not escaping reality but will definitely come dream' natsuki froze her face with a fake smile and claimed riko is so 'kind'

mai told natsuki she is pathetic. to only be able to form relationship via hurting someone else.

''who? me pathetic?'' natsuki feign ignorance and asked with a cold sneer. mai grabbed riko and walked off. [at this moment, i soooooo wanted to trample and disfigure natsuki.]

at the locker room, yoyogi mentioned to naoki with causal disdain ''its amazing how u can be in a relationship with that woman for so long. she is indeed tiring. while she may appear as a model citizen on the outfront, she is utterly fragile on the inside. i cannot stand her horrible character anymore, irs impossible.'' naoki was stunned by that sudden speech and stopped yoyogi from walking off. ''what's so great about her. her face?'' yoyogi stopped to ask. at that provocation, naoki punched yoyogi in the face. the rest of the guys stepped in to stop the 2 from bashing up each other and naoki demanded an apology from yoyogi. yoyogi refused and stayed silent. naoki was furious and agitated and yelled ''apologise for what u said abt natsuki'' and wanted to bash up yoyogi somemore but senpai stopped him.


at home, shuji kun accidentally let slip about locker room fight. shuji went on to make rather insensitive remark that naoki and yoyogi were fighting about natsuki, and naoki prob still likes natsuki since they were pretty good in the past. mai stopped him from goging on. riko listened on and received a message from naoki that he wont be meeting her.


alone with senpai. maoki shared his thoughts and feeling why he wanted to bash up yoyogi. ''i am grateful to natsuki. she is alwats worried about my health and diet, and even thats to her i could stary in arcs. after we broke up, i realise how dependent i was on her. [what yoyogi said] that is something unforgivable. ''

senpai said. ''i understand. even so, you are not high school, you cannot fight in work place over that. think about it about natsuki naoki. she has not forgotten about u. yoyogi must have realised tha too.''

next day. naoki was playing at the basketball court. riko who has not slept the whole nite heard the bouncing balls and went to teh window. naoki stood at the court waiting for riko to come thru the window. at the court, naoki apologised yesterday and said he had a chat with senpai and asked what was wrong.

''why did u try to cover up. that rainy day, you were with natsuki. and yesterday, you fight because of natsuki. i knew it all. i know you are lying. why do u lie.'' riko asked calmly

''i didnt intentionally lie. you may mind if i told the truth.'' naoki said

''compare to me, you care more about natsuki. if not, even after she has cheated, why do u still care much about her. isnt woman who cheated a terrible person, treat your kindness as a fool.'riko said but naoki stopped her and asked why is she critising natsuki so much.

an agitated riko asked ''isnt all that a fact.'' naoki told her off that she does not understand the things between him and natsuki. riko looked pissed and naoki apologised. and added ''i dont really want riko to say such things. ''

so i see riko said outloud. ''because being with me, we can lick each others wound. you are happy with me because you dont feel inferior and can be carefree.'' with that riko started to walk off. naoki heaved a big sigh and asked ''what is it with u.''

''i would always be looking at you naoki, regardless if its a rainy night, or a clear morning. or even at my home while playing the violin. i would always be stupidly thinking of you. however u....why is it that naoki you cannot even look straight at me.'' riko asked brokenheartedly. with that, she walked off alone sadly, leaving naoki to himself sitting on the bench pondering.

riko thought about her mum request of going back home. mai said there is a call but its an unknown number and she wondered if she should pick up but then the call ended. mai advised her to call naoki and stop the cold war. riko asked mai, she is thinking if she should go back home. mai was stunned.
at the training court, natsuki pretended and excused some materials to wait for naokli. she faked concerned and apology that it was because of her, then she said she had ended with yoyogi san. naoki kept quiet. at the same time, riko waited for naoki to call.

Natsuki took the chance and wanted to patch back but before she can get the words out, naoki stopped her. ''i have someone else impt in my heart now.'' natsuki asked if it was riko and he admited to it. naoki added he is gratedul to natsuki that he can experience so many things, the difficult and the happy moments, but it is time he took his own path. With that he walked off leaving a wishful thinking natsuki to herself.

as he was riding back to riko''s place, he stopped to get a sunflower for her.

riko heard the doorbell and the coach surprised her with his early return and as promised, she is the first person he will see. riko tried to return the ring back to the coach and she apologised. she explained that she like naoki and hence she cannot accept the ring.

''so that is it, your relationship has gone well during my absence but i cannot accept, why him and not me.'' the coach asked. then he said its ok and cannot be helped when it comes to affairs of the heart and he wished her happiness. naoki is kind and he will treasure you and wont make u cry.

at that riko started to cry even though she agreed she is happy...and that she felt she is impt to him but she completely had no idea what he is thinking at all. riko started to break down. í no longer understand....'' with that , the coach hugged her with one arm when riko apologised, the coach hugged her completely and wholeheartedly. riko started crying even more....

ep 10 summary

áfter thoughts

i was so sad when riko felt so helpless and sad....its all natsuki fault for planting so many negative ideas in her head and saying all those things to demoralise her. however, i am also a little miffed that riko has so little faith in herself and so easily swayed by the bitch. i mean, she has a good friend mai to talk to, why wouldnt she confide in mai her insecurities rather than internalise what natsuki said. that to me, is a little plain stupid. afterall, why trust a woman who bloody cheated on her nice bf. riko is either too kind or too naive...

Travel log - changing of royal guards ceremony

this guard exchange ceremony is held outside the deoksugung [palace] at designated time slots.

The last session which i caught is at 3.30pm. the whole session is longer than the clip i caught on my camera but i didnt have much space left on my memory card, so this is just a short clip towards the ending of the ceremony where the guards are heading back towards the palace. However, its pretty much the same thruout. There was some korean shouout going on but i have no idea what was said.

i think the only thing that kinda ruined the effect was the fact that it is smack right in the city landscape, so its just harder to get into it when a huge dunkin doughnut signboard is hovering right behind, and the modern vehicle zooming past without a care is rather contrasting. IF this had been done inside the palace compound rather than surrounded by the tall modern structures, i think the grandness or royal solemn impact would have been greater...

travel log - Banpo bridge display

the background music comes with the PA system together with the light show... it wasnt someone playing their own music in the public ;p its quite a nice tranquil romantic spot, just sitting back relaxing and having a good chat with friends there.

travel log - pixs from seoul

ok folks... i finally found some time to upload some of the pixs i had taken when i was in seoul. its prob about 1/3 of the set of pixs i have taken but u get the idea.. ;p here's the slideshow.

Buzzer Beat full steam ahead and yeah yamapi is fine

I went to the buzzer beat official site and the news break as below.

『ブザー・ビート～崖っぷちのヒーロー～』に対し、絶大なるご支援をいただき、ありがとうございます。

９月１日に主演の上矢直輝役を演じている山下智久さんがインフルエンザA型であることが判明し、医師の指示に従って自宅療養されていましたが、無事快復され、本日９月５日（土）から撮影を再開いたしました。

現在のところ、今後の放送日時・内容等を変更する予定はありません。山下さんならびにキャスト・スタッフへの温かいメッセージ、ありがとうございます。ドラマはいよいよ終盤に差しかかりますが、皆様のご期待に応えられるよう、全キャスト＆スタッフ一丸となって制作にあたる所存です。

it was stated that yamapi was down with type A influenza strain. The doctor had instructed him to stay home and recover. Apparently he was ok now and well enough to resume shooting with the team for the drama on 5th sept. For the present, there is no change in the broadcasting schedule.

ok, the rest of the passage not too important, its just the usual courtesy thank you and support speech blah blah blah.

çomments verification

hey folks,

sorry i have to turn on the comment verification function as i keep getting those japanese sexual spams in my blog recently. Getting tired of manually deleting those undesirable comment spam.

hopefully this wont deter u from leavin comments yah...else i will be REALLY miserable... ;`[

yeah, back from seoul

kinda tired after getting back from seoul because i hardly slept. the trip was really fun and on average, i dont get to bed till like 5am. sometimes its just late nights, some times its just chitchat...

some of the cafe closed at midnite, while some places are 24hrs. so its pretty easy for time to passed by without one actually noticing it. i supposed it was better for me as i had a local friend to bring me around and check out the local haunts rather than tourist spots, for food at least.
truth be told, in terms of tourist spots like the palace, it is definitely not as spectacular as japan. then again to be fair, i didnt have chance to go on day trips outside seoul. however, the shopping and eating are pretty good for me. transport is also accessible to all places except i was a little taken back that korean people are not exactly a friendly bunch... compared to japanese, they are like heaven and earth. perhaps its my own fault to assume that korean nation will be a friendly, polite batch and hence have my expectation crushed... this statement esp applies to all the older korean folks. i really literally stayed out of their way [hair] because they sure looked grouchy to me perpetually, and always shoving people out of their way without saying anything...that's the bad thing about being mistaken as a korean i guess. i see that they dont do it to caucasians as much. sigh...

anycase, i went to everland, and tried both the theme park as well as caribbean bay which is a water theme park. it was superbly fun. in fact, i didnt realised till belatedly that it was the same park that hyunjoong went in the show 'we got married', where he had to piggy back his wifey and also took the rollercoaster ride. speaking of the rollercoaster T-express... it was OMG. IT HAS THE STEEPEST DROP EVER. i have taken a lot of rides in my lifetime and normally i aint too excited, but this one, this one is marvelous. its almost like free fall down but it doesnt end there. the ride continues with 12 ripples of drops. it was hell of an amazing ride on the wooden structure. i will talk more when i post up the pixs.

i also went to the cafe where they filmed coffee prince. it was a nice spot though they had a rather grumpy male serving staff...sigh. it was some effort before i found the place actually because it was not in the map and the cafe had no name so to speak. i had to go to four seasons house, a place where they had all the drama set of winter sonata etc to ask for directions.

the weirdest thing i must admit in korea, is how little english is spoken and used in seoul, despite all the grand effort to promite its tourism. without my friend, it would have been impossible to know which bus stop to go to grab what number bus, or where to stop. nothing was in english....

initially it was a little challenging. then to my surprise, i realised that i actually got on better speaking in japanese rather than in english. odds are, someone on the street and in restaurants will understand japanese more than english. talk about bizarre....

alright, i am dead tired.
more laterz. watch this spot.

buzzer beat episode 08 review

i just got off the plane and started watching episode 8... i thought last week was exciting but this week...omg..i was screaming even louder than last week man...

when naoki was hugging riko... i sooooo wanna die. and when naoki said he wants to tell the coach that he wants to date riko..i was sooo happy.
at that moment in the bed when both of them were cuddling up... sigh... i was melting.. he was soooo sweet. like the dream kind of bf a girl wanna have.

summary
the episode basically started from last week when riko yelled from the window, telling naoki not to tell her things like let's not see each other anymore. when naoki dashed up to her apartment and hugged her tightly. he apologised to her, saying that he has fallen for her. riko replied that she has fallen for him as well, and that she doesnt want to be apart from him anymore. hearing that, naoki looked at her and gave her another deep passionate kiss but riko pulled away because she heard mami's footsteps and panicked. mami asked riko why was she high in the mk middle of the nite at 3am when riko welcomed her back. meanwhile, naoki was still hiding in riko's room. he peeked out from the window and looked at the court from her perspective. at the same time, mami wanted riko to give a birthday speech.

riko said that she has a dream she hasnt given up and that is her dream to be a violinist. she is making little steps towards her dream.

next morning, after checking both roomies are asleep, riko went into her room to check on naoki who has fallen asleep on her bed. she smiled and looked at his sleeping face and gently caress her face. at that moment, naoki grabbed her hand and pulled her up to bed, calling her by her first name for the first time. 'riko. are u peeking at me.'riko smiled and called him by his name too. 'well...naoki, are u staring at me too.'naoki smiled. both of them laid there, staring into each other's eye and naoki hugged her.

'what is this. this is an unexpected feeling. it felt like the ball has bounced back to my hand. this gentle moment that is slowly approaching, makes me feel comfortable . without any room for tiny gap, i held on to her tightly.''[naoki narrates to himself]

in the morining, riko snucked naoki out of her room when her roomiues left. naoki asked if she need his help to clean up and she declined. however she said she misssed his french toast the last time as mami finished it all previouslyu.

meanwhile, naoki saw the proposal ring box on table. riko explained sit was from teh coach but that she had already told him she had someone she liked, she wanted to return the ring but he is in america now. 'when the coach return, i want find a chance to speak to him properly, that i want to date riko. but before this, we have better not be too close, and that others should not know as well. 'riko asked how. 'let;s just be as before, to talk on phone or meet in the park.'riko said ok. naoki asked if she is worried but riko said no but rather she felt so blessed that she doesnt know what to do. naoki hugged her again upon hearing that.

when mami was returning, both of them spotted naoki in the park packing his basket ball. at that moment, naoki waved bye to riko. naoki said to himself that he forgeot to ask for her email again. riko smiled and wrote her address and threw a paper aeroplane down to him, with her address on it. naoki expressed her hearing is superb indeed. as he left, mami got into high gear and wondered what happened and said let's rush back to find out. riko on the other hand was laughing to herself in her room, overjoyed at the new development.

at the office, natsuki discovered accidentally the message that yoyogi sent to her junior staff. while she faked a smile when the junior staff apologised., she indirectly coldly, questioned what the sorry is for, and why is the junior apologising. the junior retorted that she doesnt think she is in teh wrong, since natsuki was the first to be cheating with yoyogi when she was still with naoki. with that, natsuki got up camly with a smile and replied is that so, and walked off.

at the basket ball training, everyone noticed that naoki has improved leaps and bounds and that he is attacking more. naoki sent a long sms saying he felt really good when he is with riko, and so he will play well today. meanwhile, mami said she can imagine something bad will happen for example like the coach wants to go pluck a rare flower for riko but fell down and then riko will be forced to marry him being guilty.. riko exclaimed why is it such a shoujo's scene but mami said life situation often are worse than manga scenes...

naoki was teased in the changing room but he tactfully avoided any question... however, he was full of zest and energy during his run. meanwhile riko received bad news that the work place has decided to terminate her due to the customer last complaint asking her never to play violin again. as a result, the workplace felt it was better that she doesnt play for them anymore.


at home, naoki was all fired up thinking of riko. meanwhile the sister and mum were talking about naoki's good mood and the sister read the magazine article. she showed it to naoki. apparently, the article was talking the team lead, yoyogi and naoki. the coach esp praised naoki as a potential force to be reckon with and is someone to look out for this coming match. the mum was pleasedf and asked if the coach thot so highly of naoki and he nodded with conflicting feeling, partially due to his development with riko.

as he walked to the park and heard riko, he had a flashback when the coach specifically told naoki that he trust him. riko turned ard and said she is able to recognise naoki footstep and basketball bounce now. naoki asked if she wants to play catch ball and riko was all excited saying she wants to try. the two were having a good time. meanwhile, riko also told naoki abt the phone incident that she was the one who picked up the phone. naoki told her that even if he only see her for 5 mins, he would be full of spirit. riko was happy hearing that. unfortunately, natsuki was in a cab and spotted them.

natsuki is such a bitch...when she saw them together. being spiteful, she dated riko out to çhat'about naoki because she wanted to sabotage naoki and riko development... she talked about how sweet naoki was sending her text messages, calling her everynight, how naoki approached her back then and asked her to be his gf, and about how naoki will stay over at her place often and help to clean her place etc. all the intimate details kinda made riko felt awkward.

at the basketball court, natsuki deliverately said some harsh words critising yoyogi to spite him as well. naoki came in and saw them and natsuki stormed off, not before asking herself what on earth is she doing.

that night, naoki called riko. riko said she is returning to her parents place. naoki joked if he should go with her, and riko asked really but naoki said he was joking as he has training and cannot leave. naoki said he will mail and text her but riko paused, a reflex due to what natsuki had said to her.

meanwhile, riko rem the recipe that naoki had passed her and decided to make the french toast for naoki. riko had told naoki she wants to meet him tomorrow nite before she takes the late bus home and naoki said ok and he will meet her abt 7pm at the park.

during training, natsuki looked at naoki longingly. riko tried hard at her french toast.

after training, it was pouring. naoki saw natsuki without brolly and offered her shelter. natsuki tried to chat asked about his leg and naoki asked if that is why she called. natsuki said even if they are no longer friends nor lover, they are still from the same team. as naoki was leaving, he offered the brolly and towel for her. natsuki rejected and asked him not to be so nice to her but naoki said like she said, they are on the same team and that's all he thought. he also told her maybe she is not as strong as she thinks herself to be. As he turned to leave, natsuki shamelessly chased after him and hugged him, begging him not to leave, not to leave her alone and dont go. without a word. naoki slowly raises his hand and touch natsuki's hand that are wrapped about him.....

meanwhile, poor riko was patiently waiting in the rain for him still....

afterthought

natsuki is terrible and i so want to slap her. she is such a pathetic character. when she was hugging naoki towards the end, i was like 'bloooody hell'... i hope naoki fling her hand away next week, else he will be the one i want to slap since poor riko is waiting for him in the rain with her first attempt at cooking.
i want to see how natsuki continue to sabotage them...and if naoki can be braver and less whimpy. go riko go. i am rooting for u.