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Kimagure Orange Road episode 12
Foreign Study in America! Sayonara, Madoka.
The episode opens with Madoka's sister getting married in a western style wedding. As the bride and groom come out of the church, the guests, including Kyousuke and Madoka, are cheering them on. Madoka is a tad embarrassed when she catches the bouquet. For some reason that Kyousuke can't explain, he has a bad feeling at this time. The next day, at Abcb, Kyousuke is reading a newspaper. ``Mr. & Mrs. Ayukawa's daughter gets married. Will Mr. & Mrs. Ayukawa live in America permanently? Their eldest daughter's wedding gives them the chance...'' He's worried since Madoka's parents are world famous violinists. Hikaru can't believe that Madoka is going to America. Master says that she's going over with her parents. They stopped by yesterday. She told him to keep it a secret, probably to hide her sentimental side. He figures she's planning on saying good-bye just before she leaves, ``but then, you guys won't forgive her if she does, right? Besides, don't we want to hold a good-bye party?'' Kyousuke is going home, climbing The Stairs, depressed, remembering the first time he met Madoka here. The conversation at Abcb also echoes in his head: Madoka is leaving this Sunday, which is only three days away. It begins to rain, and Kyousuke sits down on a step, dejected. The theme Janina starts playing. Madoka is at home packing and playing the piano. A plane ticket and passport are lying out on a table. She remembers her mom describing the advantages to living with them in America, and apologizing for leaving her alone for this long. She ends in a dissonant cord and the eyes on her doll close. The rain continues to pour down outside. Kyousuke couldn't sleep at all that night, and shows up tired at school. He meets Yuusaku who looks a bit the worse for wear. It turns out that Yuusaku ran into a couple of bikers on the way to school who started bad-mouthing Madoka and saying how good it is that she's leaving. Of course, Yuusaku defends her name and this was the result. He comments to Kyousuke, ``Hikaru will be lonely. But that doesn't mean you can get too close to her!'' In class, Kyousuke is trying to get Komatsu and Hatta to come to Madoka's good-bye party. She walks into class, and they exchange ``good-morning''. He thinks that she seems more aloof than usual today; she didn't even glance at Kyousuke all morning. Madoka is alone in the music room, sadly playing her saxophone. Kyousuke is listening outside the door. The scene shifts to a swallow flying around school feeding her young, as a background band joins Madoka. A wind comes in through the open window and blows the sheet-music in the room around like dry leaves. Finally, Kyousuke can take it no longer and runs off. Somehow Madoka knows that he was listening. At lunch, Hikaru is dragging Madoka up the stairs to the roof, even though Madoka brought her own lunch. Hikaru has prepared a special one for her. On the roof, we see that Hikaru has gone all-out on the meal. Kyousuke, Yuusaku, Kurumi and Manami are all there. Hikaru remarks that they will do this everyday: today, tomorrow, the next day, and, and... Kyousuke steps in and seats Madoka at this point, commenting that they don't know how long Hikaru's whim will last. Everyone offers to help in making these lunches. Overhead, three planes fly over leaving contrails, and one of them splits off. Hikaru and the rest have a good laugh over a stupid comment of Yuusaku's. Kyousuke notices Madoka's not laughing and diverts the subject by starting the meal. Kyousuke and Madoka are both subdued at the meal. She notices that he even has to make an effort just to eat. This is really effecting him deeply. The days pass. Madoka pours out her heart through her saxophone at the top of The Stairs. Kyousuke sits thinking in his room holding the Red Straw Hat, thinking. Hikaru sadly prepares another special lunch. Do her tears only come from the onions she is chopping? Madoka remembers talking to Master at Abcb. He tells her that he understands about Kyousuke, he's been in love before. She begs him, ``Please... I've already made up my mind.'' The wind carries off a dead ant that had landed on her fingers. That Saturday, Madoka doesn't even show up at school. She stayed home with her mom to pack. Everyone is waiting for her at the farewell party at Abcb; she hasn't shown up there either. The group speculates on why this is. Komatsu and Hatta try to get an early start on the cake Manami's holding, but Yuusaku effectively puts a stop to their stealing, asking them if they want to go to the hospital. A passing emergency vehicle changes the direction of conversation. Master suggests that they look for Madoka in the likely places. Yuusaku is worried that maybe she ran into the same punks he did earlier and they tried to settle a score with her. They go out to search the city for her; Yuusaku and Hikaru going as a pair, and Kyousuke going off by himself. The three are looking through the crowds downtown. As he is searching Kyousuke start's thinking to himself, ``Maybe it's as Yuusaku said, but what if Ayukawa is doing as much as I am. No, maybe even a bit less. I wonder if she's thinking about me...'' Madoka is waiting at the door of the Kasuga apartment. It looks like she's been waiting there for a while. Finally, at 8:00 she gets up and leaves, saying to herself, ``I'm late... I can't even be obedient... It's because I'm so self-centered.'' She goes to the park at the top of The Stairs. The wind is blowing in her hair. With a sad expression on her face she says, ``Good luck... Sayonara.'' The sound of Kyousuke climbing The Stairs, counting, brings a surprised smile to her face. ``You miscounted again'' she tells him, and they share a laugh. ``I thought I could find you here,'' he says. They sit down on the swings there and she asks, ``What is it that you like about this town? You're so weird Kasuga-kun. Its a pretty common average city. On the other hand, America has New York, L.A., Hollywood, Beverly Hills. There are so many different people and there are so many fun things waiting.'' He gets up, stands behind her, holding her swing and tells her, ``I... I like this town best, ever since I came here... ever since I counted those steps, this town is the best.'' The wind stops blowing, he sits down, and continues, ``We're weak at grown-up's business, aren't we?'' Madoka starts laughing as a plane starts taking off for America. ``Oh come on Kasuga-kun. Were you seriously thinking that I'd go to America? I never even thought seriously about going to America. I just wanted to get you folks a little.'' This really surprises Kyousuke. At the airport, Kyousuke Madoka Hikaru and Yuusaku are seeing a plane off. Madoka says a bit sadly, ``so, they're gone,'' then smiles at Kyousuke. Hikaru snuggles closer to him, which prompts Yuusaku to retaliate against his foot. As he jumps around in pain, Madoka has a good laugh at the antics. Kyousuke is just glad that she's staying. (So too, it would seem, is Madoka.)
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