plus manga volume 4
Chapter Ten: Yume no Tsuzuki o Sagashite
Editor's note: Yume no Tsuzuki o Sagashite was a song release by E.M.U which formed their penultimate single release before the splitting up of the band. The song in this chapter that Takagi writes upon realising how important his friends' contributions are is probably meant to be the same song. What did I say about Takagi, song titles and chapter names...??
M is officially born! This chapter leads on from the end of the previous volume (which is actually rare in Sotsugyou M manga) and catalogues the boys as they begin to work on being a band in order to enter the Young Artists' Contest (the date of which is running ever closer). Arai digs out his bass guitar, Mikimaro and Yuusuke get all excited when they're told they're going to play drums and guitar respectively (remember, in the manga, Mikimaro plays guitar and Nakamoto plays keyboard, unlike in the real life band set up/drama CD appearance of M). Takagi, however, is taking this pretty seriously. Music is, after all, his number one dream and he's very intense about it. He doesn't want them to play a cover track, but instead he intends to write them a song particularly for the concert.
He plays to them a song he wrote called "Last Dance" (probably the song he wrote for/about Riza in the earlier volume, and likely it's intended to be the actual mini-disc release "Last Dance") and they're suitably impressed, although Arai objects to it being a ballad, and that that's not what they're going to try and do this time around. Takagi agrees, and says he'll write a rock track for them to play at the contest - in the meantime, they need to get down to work. (They have much to do!).
Of course, the others begin to lose their shine a little when they realise that Takagi intends them to do nothing but practice every day between then and the contest (no games for Mikimaro, etc). He's also putting himself under a lot of pressure, by trying to write the perfect song and yet somehow not being able to do it.
Things get progressively worse in band practice, as Takagi becomes more and more impatient with his companions and the fact they don't seem to be moving along as fast as he'd like them to be. He criticises Yuusuke for making the same mistake over and over again, he tries to shift around people's instruments and positions, commenting that Arai can sing and he's not bad looking so he might make a good front man, etc. Eventually he reaches breaking point and lets slip the true motive behind his angst - that he feels he has to beat Horikawa, no matter what. At this, Arai flares up and lashes into him, telling him that they're not here to be his tools for winning or losing competitions, but to help him do something that was important to him. He says that he's ready to quit, and Nakamoto and Mikimaro back him up. Takagi finds himself left alone in the studio...whoops.
Later that day, Takagi is in his room when there is a knock at the door. It's Yuusuke. (Brace yourselves, Yuusuke is about to do something perceptive and insightful. (gasp).) Takagi is surprised, especially when Yuusuke drags him off to the gym and starts shooting hoops. But then the point of Yuusuke's intervention becomes clear. He tells Takagi that in some ways he understands how he feels - that when he plays in competitions he wants to win against the opposition no matter what. But he then says that it's a more important competition than that - that truly the competition is a more personal one. The person that he's always competing with is himself, to better his own skill - not to prove himself to other people. Takagi is struck speechless, and Yuusuke pushes his point home - that in the end, that's what matters most.
Takagi takes this on board, and returns to his room where at last he has inspiration for the song. He decides to go and give it one more try with his friends, to see if they can do this the proper way, not just as a means to win the competition. He goes and grovels to them, and eventually even Arai gives in and agrees to give M one more chance. Takagi plays the song to them, to help them understand where he's coming from, and they set down to learn to play it.
The day of the contest comes, and they play, to a great reception. As the winners are announced, however, M don't feature among them - the band Horikawa fronted has won the competition overall. However, as they're about to head off in disappointment, an additional announcement is made - that for their spirit and potential, M have won a special award. (Yes, M are special. Aw). This makes Takagi happy, and even more determined to follow his dream...it also makes the others happy because they've done something fun as a team and come through it well.
Chapter Eleven: Fallin' Angel
This is maybe the most sobering chapter of all of the M chapters - and I mean that. It's hankies at the ready time.
Arai has fallen off his bike, and wound up being dragged by Nakamoto to his father's hospital just to make sure he hasn't done anything serious. Arai thinks its a waste of time, and hates hospitals anyway, but Nakamoto has still forcibly managed to bring him there (somehow!). After establishing that his injury isn't serious, Arai doesn't want to wait around for the results of his tests so he goes out for a walk in the hospital grounds. There he catches a young girl climbing out of the window of her room. This girl doesn't seem at all worried at having been seen, instead asking Arai to help her get out of the grounds without being seen. His curiosity piqued, Arai agrees, and they slip out of the hospital grounds together.
The girl introduces herself as "Akina" and Arai - who has had enough of the hospital - agrees to hang out with her in town for a while. They go to a local park and (erm) imitate the Titanic (Leo Di Caprio eat your heart out) with the whole scene on the bridge with the girl and the guy (I haven't seen the film, but I can't imagine anyone alive doesn't know what scene I mean...) Akina seems to have a strange obsession with death and doing daredevil things, including jumping in front of a lorry (from which Arai saves her, kind of ticked off at her risk-taking). It turns out that she's only fifteen, but she definitely has a preoccupation with the fact that life ends and that it should end in an exciting way. Their antics make Arai's leg bleed again from his earlier injury, and Akina offers to tend it for him. As she does, Arai sees her bag is full of medicine and he asks her about it, half thinking they're illegal drugs of some sort. Akina tells him that she doesn't like taking medicine but that she has to - if she doesn't, she'll die. Arai apologises for his suspicions, and Akina shrugs and tells him that it's not a big deal to her. They go to a pizza place and Akina wants to order everything on the menu. This makes Arai angry ,as he thinks she only wants to spend time with him to use his money, but Akina gets upset at this and tells him that it's not like that at all. In the end, Arai relents and they exchange cell numbers.
The next day, Arai gets a call on his cell from Akina and agrees to meet up with her. Despite the fact it's a school day (as Nakamoto points out), he skips off to go hang out with her in the city. They talk about birthdays and things - Arai knows what starsign he is, which is scary, as it turns out he and Akina have the same one. They also have the same blood type (spookiness). They head off to the beach on Arai's bike...
Meanwhile, back at school, his friends are concerned about him skipping off a class...again. Nakamoto even mentions that there's a risk of him failing and having to repeat if he doesn't pull his act together. Nakamoto also says something quite cryptic at that point, along the lines of, "Maybe even I'll have to..." but when Mikimaro asks him what he means, he grins and says it's nothing, turning the subject back to Arai. (This is the first clear clue as to what Nakamoto's doing, more of which is clear in the next chapter).
Arai and Akina go to a florists, and while talking about the flowers Akina mentions how beautiful they are but how short their existance is before the petals scatter. Arai is irked that she's talking about death again, and wants to know why it is she's so obsessed with it. They argue, and Akina pushes him away, running off. For some reason, this leaves Arai pretty shattered...
He doesn't hear from Akina for a further week, but when he does, he's in class (answering his phone in class, again, and he just walks out without listening to the teacher yelling!) She asks him to take her somewhere private that they can be alone. Arai takes them to his family home (evidently everyone's out of the country at this point!) and they settle down in front of the fire. What begins as an innocent enough sitting and chatting situation becomes a kiss, and then...(ack, Arai-kun, she's still only fifteen!) it gets a little bit more than that. Akina is self-conscious because of the firelight and she hides her face, but Arai tells her she shouldn't because she's really pretty. Akina tells him noone's called her that before, and asks him to say it over again, so he does. And again. LOL :) He also tells her he loves her (this guy has some major issues when it comes to his emotional attachments!). The subject comes around to death again, and Akina then tells him she's frightened - she's crying. Arai tells her that she shouldn't think of those things and that he'll make all her doubts go away (er, at this point, fade to black...?)
When he wakes, Akina is gone, and try as he might, he cannot get in touch with her on his phone. Days go by and he hears nothing. Eventually, desperate, he asks Nakamoto for help, remembering that it was his father's hospital that he first encountered the girl. Nakamoto is reluctant at first, especially when Arai says all he knows is that her name is Akina and nothing more, but when he realises how desperate Arai is he agrees, telling him he'll do what he can.
When they next speak about the topic, Nakamoto has some information, but...it's not all good. He's discovered who the girl is - her full name is Takahara Akina. However it turns out that she was in hospital with a serious medical condition that required a transplant that she had not been able to receive. Consequently the girl had passed away - the day before. Arai is distraught, unable to believe it, and he runs off, despite Nakamoto trying to call him back.
Arai goes to Akina's funeral, still not fully believing what's happened. There he encounters her mother, who tells him that before she died, Akina kept saying his name "Tougo" over and over again. Arai is particularly struck by this fact, and as he goes out to the grave, he is in full floods of tears (poor, poor Tougo!). Finally understanding the girl's preoccupation with death, he goes back and takes flowers to her grave some days later, where he imagines that he can hear her voice on the wind, asking him once again to call her beautiful. He places the flowers on the grave, inwardly resolving that even though he only knew her for a few days, she made a mark on him and he's never going to forget her, and that he feels she's still there with him, somehow. And then, as if she was really there in front of him, he says it one last time...
"You're beautiful".
Chapter Twelve: Oretachi no Sotsugyou
Or not, as the case may be. Since in the manga canon, only three of the five boys actually manage to make it to graduating.
This is the concluding part to the M story - tying everything up into a nice neat (heh) bundle. Yet it actually starts in the Kusanagi Palace, with Kusanagi drawing cards to see what his future holds. Apparently by drawing the joker he decides that this means he's going to make Arai his (lets not even go there - poor, long-suffering Sugita has another problem on his hands).
Back in the school, preparations are beginning for graduation, as everything is beginning to wind down for the end of term. But when Arai and Nakamoto discover they've been left out of some of the Graduation stuff, questions start to be asked - not least by them. Nakamoto, although he hasn't said anything directly to any of his classmates since his fight with his father, is inwardly worried that his drastic actions may have been too drastic in the end - we discover here that since his argument with his father he's basically abandoned all exams for all classes, submitting blank sheets as a form of protest against his father's iron will. (I said he was stubborn, didn't I?) Although he acknowledges to himself that it might have been childish, he's realised that if he doesn't do it now, he'll never be able to break out and establish himself as an individual. But he's a bit worried that he's gone too far and accidentally managed to fail his third year. (Whoops. Miscalculation overload).
At this point we discover Yuusuke is all excited because apparently he's been called by the NBA (er, well, remember, he might be an idiot but he IS good at basketball) and that he might end up playing pro in America (remember what I said about manga and anything going?) Mikimaro is horrified because he'd pictured them all going on to Seiryuu's University together as a group of five after High School graduation. Then Takagi breaks the news that he's going to Los Angeles to pursue his musical studies, because it's the best place for him to be. Mikimaro is even more upset by this, even to the point of tears.
Nakamoto and Arai are then called to the teaching lounge to discuss the situation with their teacher. He confirms Nakamoto's suspicions - Arai's attendance issues and Nakamoto's er...interesting exam technique have led to them both failing their third year, making them "ryuunen" (repeat year students). Although the teacher is sympathetic to Nakamoto - he says that submitting blank sheets is still unacceptable and that because of this situation neither one of them can take part in the graduation festivities. Instead they'll both have to just do their best next year.
Back in the dorm, Arai asks Nakamoto if he's all right, and Nakamoto admits he'd already suspected that the situation was that way. Arai owns that he has, too. He says that his own family won't care too much, but remembers that Nakamoto's family have high expectations (so apparently Nakamoto has confided somewhat in Arai, after all!). Nakamoto says that he's "dragged his family's name through the mud" now by not achieving his father's dreams and going straight to the top medical school (name eludes me) to become the next member of the illustrious medical family.
At this point Mikimaro bursts into their room to demand if the rumour is true and that they've both failed. Nakamoto tells him its true, that both he and Arai are "ryuunen" and so can't take part in any of the graduation things because of this. Mikimaro admits that he isn't surprised by Arai failing, but that Nakamoto has is a big shock. He asks what happened, and Arai tells Mikimaro that Nakamoto had various situations that were responsible, without being specific. Mikimaro is upset he didn't know that there were things going on, and Arai tells him that it's Nakamoto's business, not anyone else's. Mikimaro objects, saying that "we're all friends, aren't we?" Arai gets quite heated at him, and Nakamoto has to tell him to calm down. Mikimaro flees the room in tears, upset that even Arai doesn't understand how he feels.
In the grounds, he encounters Kawazoe (who has been called there by Kusanagi to be involved in his evil master plans in some way), and winds up telling him everything (that Arai has failed, that he likes Arai and that had he known, he would have failed too so he could stay with him.) Kawazoe tells him not to be foolish - and that he has to accept that life is about meeting, parting and meeting again. He tells Mikimaro that he needs some space to work out the truth for himself about his life and his future, and that he's not going to force Arai to fit into Mikimaro's wishes. (This is so ironic, considering...). Kawazoe then goes to the dorm to speak to Arai, who is surprised to see him. They head outside to talk, and Kawazoe asks him about the ryuunen thing. Arai admits it, and Kawazoe mentions that Arai won't be able to stay in the dorms after this. Arai confirms that, and Kawazoe suggests Arai comes to live with him instead. Arai is taken aback, and says that the idea would make him happy, but that he can't abandon Nakamoto to his own devices since he feels partly responsible for Nakamoto's failing. He says that he wants to "stick by his side" until the day comes when he's reached his own conclusions/understanding about what he can do. Kawazoe accepts this, commenting on how he's become thoughtful of other people all of a sudden, but says that if he needs to talk about things, he can come talk to him. Arai looks very happy about this ^_^.
As he leaves, he's accosted by Kusanagi, who also has plans for him - he suggests that Arai and Nakamoto move into the Kusanagi Palace for their ryuunen year, and Arai is a leeetle bit put off by the hidden motives in his senpai's attitude. So he refuses, heading back to the dorm.
Back at the dorm room, Nakamoto and Arai discuss their position. Arai asks how Nakamoto's family took the news, and Nakamoto admits they're at an impasse, since neither he nor his father seem likely to give way on what they want. He says he's not going to make any apologies, so things have pretty much stalled. He asks about Arai, and Arai admits that his family have more or less given up on him, so it's not a big deal to them. Nakamoto mentions that they have to quit the dorms and is talking about all the things he needs to plan now - finding a room to rent, a part time job to pay for it and his school fees, etc. Arai says that with the two of them, they'll manage it, and Nakamoto stares at him, surprised that Arai is thinking in terms of them doing it together. Arai tells him he's not going home, and that they'll help each other out...and Nakamoto grins, and agrees.
Graduation day comes closer and Arai decides that even as ryuunen, they're not going to miss out on it. The others apparently feel the same, turning up at Arai and Nakamoto's room - as Takagi says, they'll be split up soon enough, so they might as well do one last thing together. Consequently, Nakamoto and Arai (particularly Arai) crash the graduation address for "M" to play one last song - ironically entitled "Oretachi no Sotsugyou" (Our graduation).
Editor's note: Oretachi no Sotsugyou was E.M.U's last single release, and although it is generally thought of as an E.M.U release, it's credited to the characters of "M". The lyrics to it - or at least, part of it - are the closing finale to the final chapter of the M+ manga.
Editor's note: Yume no Tsuzuki o Sagashite was a song release by E.M.U which formed their penultimate single release before the splitting up of the band. The song in this chapter that Takagi writes upon realising how important his friends' contributions are is probably meant to be the same song. What did I say about Takagi, song titles and chapter names...??
M is officially born! This chapter leads on from the end of the previous volume (which is actually rare in Sotsugyou M manga) and catalogues the boys as they begin to work on being a band in order to enter the Young Artists' Contest (the date of which is running ever closer). Arai digs out his bass guitar, Mikimaro and Yuusuke get all excited when they're told they're going to play drums and guitar respectively (remember, in the manga, Mikimaro plays guitar and Nakamoto plays keyboard, unlike in the real life band set up/drama CD appearance of M). Takagi, however, is taking this pretty seriously. Music is, after all, his number one dream and he's very intense about it. He doesn't want them to play a cover track, but instead he intends to write them a song particularly for the concert.
He plays to them a song he wrote called "Last Dance" (probably the song he wrote for/about Riza in the earlier volume, and likely it's intended to be the actual mini-disc release "Last Dance") and they're suitably impressed, although Arai objects to it being a ballad, and that that's not what they're going to try and do this time around. Takagi agrees, and says he'll write a rock track for them to play at the contest - in the meantime, they need to get down to work. (They have much to do!).
Of course, the others begin to lose their shine a little when they realise that Takagi intends them to do nothing but practice every day between then and the contest (no games for Mikimaro, etc). He's also putting himself under a lot of pressure, by trying to write the perfect song and yet somehow not being able to do it.
Things get progressively worse in band practice, as Takagi becomes more and more impatient with his companions and the fact they don't seem to be moving along as fast as he'd like them to be. He criticises Yuusuke for making the same mistake over and over again, he tries to shift around people's instruments and positions, commenting that Arai can sing and he's not bad looking so he might make a good front man, etc. Eventually he reaches breaking point and lets slip the true motive behind his angst - that he feels he has to beat Horikawa, no matter what. At this, Arai flares up and lashes into him, telling him that they're not here to be his tools for winning or losing competitions, but to help him do something that was important to him. He says that he's ready to quit, and Nakamoto and Mikimaro back him up. Takagi finds himself left alone in the studio...whoops.
Later that day, Takagi is in his room when there is a knock at the door. It's Yuusuke. (Brace yourselves, Yuusuke is about to do something perceptive and insightful. (gasp).) Takagi is surprised, especially when Yuusuke drags him off to the gym and starts shooting hoops. But then the point of Yuusuke's intervention becomes clear. He tells Takagi that in some ways he understands how he feels - that when he plays in competitions he wants to win against the opposition no matter what. But he then says that it's a more important competition than that - that truly the competition is a more personal one. The person that he's always competing with is himself, to better his own skill - not to prove himself to other people. Takagi is struck speechless, and Yuusuke pushes his point home - that in the end, that's what matters most.
Takagi takes this on board, and returns to his room where at last he has inspiration for the song. He decides to go and give it one more try with his friends, to see if they can do this the proper way, not just as a means to win the competition. He goes and grovels to them, and eventually even Arai gives in and agrees to give M one more chance. Takagi plays the song to them, to help them understand where he's coming from, and they set down to learn to play it.
The day of the contest comes, and they play, to a great reception. As the winners are announced, however, M don't feature among them - the band Horikawa fronted has won the competition overall. However, as they're about to head off in disappointment, an additional announcement is made - that for their spirit and potential, M have won a special award. (Yes, M are special. Aw). This makes Takagi happy, and even more determined to follow his dream...it also makes the others happy because they've done something fun as a team and come through it well.
Chapter Eleven: Fallin' Angel
This is maybe the most sobering chapter of all of the M chapters - and I mean that. It's hankies at the ready time.
Arai has fallen off his bike, and wound up being dragged by Nakamoto to his father's hospital just to make sure he hasn't done anything serious. Arai thinks its a waste of time, and hates hospitals anyway, but Nakamoto has still forcibly managed to bring him there (somehow!). After establishing that his injury isn't serious, Arai doesn't want to wait around for the results of his tests so he goes out for a walk in the hospital grounds. There he catches a young girl climbing out of the window of her room. This girl doesn't seem at all worried at having been seen, instead asking Arai to help her get out of the grounds without being seen. His curiosity piqued, Arai agrees, and they slip out of the hospital grounds together.
The girl introduces herself as "Akina" and Arai - who has had enough of the hospital - agrees to hang out with her in town for a while. They go to a local park and (erm) imitate the Titanic (Leo Di Caprio eat your heart out) with the whole scene on the bridge with the girl and the guy (I haven't seen the film, but I can't imagine anyone alive doesn't know what scene I mean...) Akina seems to have a strange obsession with death and doing daredevil things, including jumping in front of a lorry (from which Arai saves her, kind of ticked off at her risk-taking). It turns out that she's only fifteen, but she definitely has a preoccupation with the fact that life ends and that it should end in an exciting way. Their antics make Arai's leg bleed again from his earlier injury, and Akina offers to tend it for him. As she does, Arai sees her bag is full of medicine and he asks her about it, half thinking they're illegal drugs of some sort. Akina tells him that she doesn't like taking medicine but that she has to - if she doesn't, she'll die. Arai apologises for his suspicions, and Akina shrugs and tells him that it's not a big deal to her. They go to a pizza place and Akina wants to order everything on the menu. This makes Arai angry ,as he thinks she only wants to spend time with him to use his money, but Akina gets upset at this and tells him that it's not like that at all. In the end, Arai relents and they exchange cell numbers.
The next day, Arai gets a call on his cell from Akina and agrees to meet up with her. Despite the fact it's a school day (as Nakamoto points out), he skips off to go hang out with her in the city. They talk about birthdays and things - Arai knows what starsign he is, which is scary, as it turns out he and Akina have the same one. They also have the same blood type (spookiness). They head off to the beach on Arai's bike...
Meanwhile, back at school, his friends are concerned about him skipping off a class...again. Nakamoto even mentions that there's a risk of him failing and having to repeat if he doesn't pull his act together. Nakamoto also says something quite cryptic at that point, along the lines of, "Maybe even I'll have to..." but when Mikimaro asks him what he means, he grins and says it's nothing, turning the subject back to Arai. (This is the first clear clue as to what Nakamoto's doing, more of which is clear in the next chapter).
Arai and Akina go to a florists, and while talking about the flowers Akina mentions how beautiful they are but how short their existance is before the petals scatter. Arai is irked that she's talking about death again, and wants to know why it is she's so obsessed with it. They argue, and Akina pushes him away, running off. For some reason, this leaves Arai pretty shattered...
He doesn't hear from Akina for a further week, but when he does, he's in class (answering his phone in class, again, and he just walks out without listening to the teacher yelling!) She asks him to take her somewhere private that they can be alone. Arai takes them to his family home (evidently everyone's out of the country at this point!) and they settle down in front of the fire. What begins as an innocent enough sitting and chatting situation becomes a kiss, and then...(ack, Arai-kun, she's still only fifteen!) it gets a little bit more than that. Akina is self-conscious because of the firelight and she hides her face, but Arai tells her she shouldn't because she's really pretty. Akina tells him noone's called her that before, and asks him to say it over again, so he does. And again. LOL :) He also tells her he loves her (this guy has some major issues when it comes to his emotional attachments!). The subject comes around to death again, and Akina then tells him she's frightened - she's crying. Arai tells her that she shouldn't think of those things and that he'll make all her doubts go away (er, at this point, fade to black...?)
When he wakes, Akina is gone, and try as he might, he cannot get in touch with her on his phone. Days go by and he hears nothing. Eventually, desperate, he asks Nakamoto for help, remembering that it was his father's hospital that he first encountered the girl. Nakamoto is reluctant at first, especially when Arai says all he knows is that her name is Akina and nothing more, but when he realises how desperate Arai is he agrees, telling him he'll do what he can.
When they next speak about the topic, Nakamoto has some information, but...it's not all good. He's discovered who the girl is - her full name is Takahara Akina. However it turns out that she was in hospital with a serious medical condition that required a transplant that she had not been able to receive. Consequently the girl had passed away - the day before. Arai is distraught, unable to believe it, and he runs off, despite Nakamoto trying to call him back.
Arai goes to Akina's funeral, still not fully believing what's happened. There he encounters her mother, who tells him that before she died, Akina kept saying his name "Tougo" over and over again. Arai is particularly struck by this fact, and as he goes out to the grave, he is in full floods of tears (poor, poor Tougo!). Finally understanding the girl's preoccupation with death, he goes back and takes flowers to her grave some days later, where he imagines that he can hear her voice on the wind, asking him once again to call her beautiful. He places the flowers on the grave, inwardly resolving that even though he only knew her for a few days, she made a mark on him and he's never going to forget her, and that he feels she's still there with him, somehow. And then, as if she was really there in front of him, he says it one last time...
"You're beautiful".
Chapter Twelve: Oretachi no Sotsugyou
Or not, as the case may be. Since in the manga canon, only three of the five boys actually manage to make it to graduating.
This is the concluding part to the M story - tying everything up into a nice neat (heh) bundle. Yet it actually starts in the Kusanagi Palace, with Kusanagi drawing cards to see what his future holds. Apparently by drawing the joker he decides that this means he's going to make Arai his (lets not even go there - poor, long-suffering Sugita has another problem on his hands).
Back in the school, preparations are beginning for graduation, as everything is beginning to wind down for the end of term. But when Arai and Nakamoto discover they've been left out of some of the Graduation stuff, questions start to be asked - not least by them. Nakamoto, although he hasn't said anything directly to any of his classmates since his fight with his father, is inwardly worried that his drastic actions may have been too drastic in the end - we discover here that since his argument with his father he's basically abandoned all exams for all classes, submitting blank sheets as a form of protest against his father's iron will. (I said he was stubborn, didn't I?) Although he acknowledges to himself that it might have been childish, he's realised that if he doesn't do it now, he'll never be able to break out and establish himself as an individual. But he's a bit worried that he's gone too far and accidentally managed to fail his third year. (Whoops. Miscalculation overload).
At this point we discover Yuusuke is all excited because apparently he's been called by the NBA (er, well, remember, he might be an idiot but he IS good at basketball) and that he might end up playing pro in America (remember what I said about manga and anything going?) Mikimaro is horrified because he'd pictured them all going on to Seiryuu's University together as a group of five after High School graduation. Then Takagi breaks the news that he's going to Los Angeles to pursue his musical studies, because it's the best place for him to be. Mikimaro is even more upset by this, even to the point of tears.
Nakamoto and Arai are then called to the teaching lounge to discuss the situation with their teacher. He confirms Nakamoto's suspicions - Arai's attendance issues and Nakamoto's er...interesting exam technique have led to them both failing their third year, making them "ryuunen" (repeat year students). Although the teacher is sympathetic to Nakamoto - he says that submitting blank sheets is still unacceptable and that because of this situation neither one of them can take part in the graduation festivities. Instead they'll both have to just do their best next year.
Back in the dorm, Arai asks Nakamoto if he's all right, and Nakamoto admits he'd already suspected that the situation was that way. Arai owns that he has, too. He says that his own family won't care too much, but remembers that Nakamoto's family have high expectations (so apparently Nakamoto has confided somewhat in Arai, after all!). Nakamoto says that he's "dragged his family's name through the mud" now by not achieving his father's dreams and going straight to the top medical school (name eludes me) to become the next member of the illustrious medical family.
At this point Mikimaro bursts into their room to demand if the rumour is true and that they've both failed. Nakamoto tells him its true, that both he and Arai are "ryuunen" and so can't take part in any of the graduation things because of this. Mikimaro admits that he isn't surprised by Arai failing, but that Nakamoto has is a big shock. He asks what happened, and Arai tells Mikimaro that Nakamoto had various situations that were responsible, without being specific. Mikimaro is upset he didn't know that there were things going on, and Arai tells him that it's Nakamoto's business, not anyone else's. Mikimaro objects, saying that "we're all friends, aren't we?" Arai gets quite heated at him, and Nakamoto has to tell him to calm down. Mikimaro flees the room in tears, upset that even Arai doesn't understand how he feels.
In the grounds, he encounters Kawazoe (who has been called there by Kusanagi to be involved in his evil master plans in some way), and winds up telling him everything (that Arai has failed, that he likes Arai and that had he known, he would have failed too so he could stay with him.) Kawazoe tells him not to be foolish - and that he has to accept that life is about meeting, parting and meeting again. He tells Mikimaro that he needs some space to work out the truth for himself about his life and his future, and that he's not going to force Arai to fit into Mikimaro's wishes. (This is so ironic, considering...). Kawazoe then goes to the dorm to speak to Arai, who is surprised to see him. They head outside to talk, and Kawazoe asks him about the ryuunen thing. Arai admits it, and Kawazoe mentions that Arai won't be able to stay in the dorms after this. Arai confirms that, and Kawazoe suggests Arai comes to live with him instead. Arai is taken aback, and says that the idea would make him happy, but that he can't abandon Nakamoto to his own devices since he feels partly responsible for Nakamoto's failing. He says that he wants to "stick by his side" until the day comes when he's reached his own conclusions/understanding about what he can do. Kawazoe accepts this, commenting on how he's become thoughtful of other people all of a sudden, but says that if he needs to talk about things, he can come talk to him. Arai looks very happy about this ^_^.
As he leaves, he's accosted by Kusanagi, who also has plans for him - he suggests that Arai and Nakamoto move into the Kusanagi Palace for their ryuunen year, and Arai is a leeetle bit put off by the hidden motives in his senpai's attitude. So he refuses, heading back to the dorm.
Back at the dorm room, Nakamoto and Arai discuss their position. Arai asks how Nakamoto's family took the news, and Nakamoto admits they're at an impasse, since neither he nor his father seem likely to give way on what they want. He says he's not going to make any apologies, so things have pretty much stalled. He asks about Arai, and Arai admits that his family have more or less given up on him, so it's not a big deal to them. Nakamoto mentions that they have to quit the dorms and is talking about all the things he needs to plan now - finding a room to rent, a part time job to pay for it and his school fees, etc. Arai says that with the two of them, they'll manage it, and Nakamoto stares at him, surprised that Arai is thinking in terms of them doing it together. Arai tells him he's not going home, and that they'll help each other out...and Nakamoto grins, and agrees.
Graduation day comes closer and Arai decides that even as ryuunen, they're not going to miss out on it. The others apparently feel the same, turning up at Arai and Nakamoto's room - as Takagi says, they'll be split up soon enough, so they might as well do one last thing together. Consequently, Nakamoto and Arai (particularly Arai) crash the graduation address for "M" to play one last song - ironically entitled "Oretachi no Sotsugyou" (Our graduation).
Editor's note: Oretachi no Sotsugyou was E.M.U's last single release, and although it is generally thought of as an E.M.U release, it's credited to the characters of "M". The lyrics to it - or at least, part of it - are the closing finale to the final chapter of the M+ manga.