Shinobu reminisces about his father when he was younger. Some students are preparing to submit their projects to Shinobu's father, however he decides to leave home early. He shows Shinobu and Kaoru one of his inventions, then they all eat curry for dinner. In the present, both Yūta and Hagu shows appreciation for art, wanting to do more with their art. At the Fujiwara Design Office, Takumi tells Nomiya, Miwako, and Yamazaki that Rika is in Spain participating in the design competition, working with another architect. Rika contacts Takumi to come to Spain. After Ayumi finds out the news, Nomiya catches up with her and consoles her. Shūji tells Shinobu that he needs to talk to Hagu, not to lose her as a friend. However, Shinobu refuses. Kaoru reminisces about his father when he was younger. His father paid more attention to Shinobu than to Kaoru, due to Shinobu's artistic talent. The next day, Ayumi plans everyone to go to the beach.

Miwako discusses about Ayumi's work in pottery, complimenting on her work. They go to a spa and resort to celebrate her accomplishment. Ayumi later notices that Miwako was trying to cheer her up, causing her to cry. Nomiya becomes worried that she is staying at Miwako's house. The next day Yūta is infuriated that Shinobu out his bread. However, Hagu offers to share some of her bread with him. Yūta declines, and Shinobu eats her bread instead. Soon after, Shinobu receives a call from Kaoru. Kaoru asks Shinobu to do one more job, which he hesitantly accepts. Yūta wants to get driver's license as soon as possible in order to work full-time with the carpenters he had met from his journey. Yūta asks Takumi why he still lives at the apartment, and Takumi says he is saving money for Rika. Ayumi waits in the Fujiwara Design Office for Miwako, but Nomiya unexpectedly visits. Ayumi starts to develop feelings for Nomiya.

Hagu starts hiccuping and Shūji helps her stop, using a technique, but fails. However, Morita shows up, causing her to repeatedly and rapidly hiccup a lot. Takemoto arrives to help her, using another technique, and Hagu's hiccups stop. Yamada turns in a project to Professor Shōda, which delighted him. Yamada and Rika then celebrate for completing the project. Mayama, showing hospitality, allows Yamada and Rika to spend the night. The next morning, Kaoru meets up with Morita. Kaoru isn't satisfied to see Morita at the art school, even though Morita enjoys being there. Shūji explains to Yamada that Rika talks less to people she like, giving examples of Mayama and himself. As Rika tells Yamada that she should work full-time in pottery, Rika begins to hiccup. She tries using Shūji's technique, but fails. Later on, Mayama shows her another technique, stopping her hiccups. Mayama, Yamada, Rika have dinner together. Yamada tries to take her mind off of her love for Mayama.

Takemoto reminisces about his life when he first went to art school. He recalls about rooming with Morita and Takemoto, and about meeting Hagu for the first time. Memories of Mayama and Yamada's feelings for each other are displayed. Memories of Hagu and Morita's feelings for each other are displayed as well. Flashbacks of Mayama's jealousy of Nomiya are depicted. Flashbacks of Yamada's jealousy of Rika are also depicted. Scenes of Takemoto's journey of finding himself are shown. Takemoto gets his driver's permit, showing it to all his friends.

The art exhibition has begun again. Shūji thinks back to when Hagu decided not to submit her paintings in the previous art exhibition. Shūji tells Hagu of when he went to an art exhibition and purchased a postcard of a painting of the moonlight reflected on the sea. It reminded him of how Rika's husband died and how Rika got severely injured on the beach under the moonlight. Shūji reminisces about his feelings for Rika. Takumi goes on a train with Rika to Sapporo, surprising her. After they both take a shower, they both go to sleep for the night. Once they have arrived, Takumi and Rika drive north to a barren land. Rika visits her father's gravestone, then she visits her dog's gravestone. She thanks Takumi for coming with her to Sapporo. Rika tries to sneak out of the hotel, making Takumi angry, but then he begins to sob, not wanting to lose sight of her. Takumi goes on an airplane back to Tokyo, while Rika goes on an airplane to Spain.

Hagu views Ayumi's snow globe collection, given to her as souvenirs. Tamazaki discusses about Nomiya's feelings for Ayumi. At the Harada Design Office, Rika receives a fax that she will participate in a design competition in Spain for an art museum, which then agitates Takumi. Rika explains that Takumi will also participate as well. However, it would take a long time to sort out the paperwork needed to participate, so they are not able to go. Later, Takumi explains to Ayumi that Rika checks the weather forecast on her home town, Sapporo, since she hasn't been there in a long time. Nomiya calls Ayumi to ask how she is. At the Fujiwara Design Office, Miwako tells Nomiya that Ayumi went to Tottori to see him. The next day, Yamazaki takes Ayumi around town. Nomiya arrives, only to fall asleep in front of her. Nomiya takes Ayumi to see sand dunes in the morning. Nomiya expresses his love for Ayumi.

An unusual transfer student arrives at the art school Takemoto attends and attracts the attention of Morita, causing him to go on a photo-taking spree on her. Mayama, Takemoto and Yamada soon discover her artistic talents.

Morita's motive for his terrible treatment on Hagumi is revealed in his website, and the stressed out Hagumi is enraged by what but he did. However, Morita soon repays her for her troubles.

Takemoto, Morita and Mayama are invited over to the Hanamoto's for a dinner party after Hagumi brings back some soba from her summer vacation in Nagano. However, Morita and Mayama fail to attend. Takemoto offers to help Hagumi with something but soon finds that he has taken on more than he can chew. And Mayama's job puts a serious strain on Yamada.

Mayama's love life still remains difficult. Hagumi feels the stress of being different from everyone. And Morita organises a Christmas party for the Christmas Eve.

Takemoto reluctantly returns home for the New Year and meets Kazuo, his step-father. In the second part of the episode, the gang takes a road trip to a hot spring using the money won from a lottery ticket.

The group visits a rather eerie zoo. Shuuji reveals to Mayamoto his history with Rika and her husband. In the second half of the episode, the students are hard pressed to complete their final term art work especially Morita.

Shuuji Hanamoto has to be away for a year for a job assignment and he worries about whether he should bring his niece, Hagumi, along with him. Intending to give her uncle a good luck charm for his trip, Hagumi searches for a four-leaf clover.

Hagumi and Ayama hold a dinner party and invite the guys over but it soon turns out that it's a special day for one of them. And in the second part of the episode, Hagumi has to spend a night alone in the apartment when Ayama has to return home to her family.

Everyone is working late preparing their exhibits for the school festival including Hagumi, who has trouble with her wax work. She later finds a white broach that someone had made for her. The broach is quite similar to the one she had doodled on her notebook. Hagumi also gets a job to help Yamada sell Christmas goodies at her family store but they have to compete with a new supermarket that has opened nearby.

The five friends decide to take a ferry ride over the Sumida river and visit the Kasai Seaside Park.

Shuuji returns unexpectedly from Mongolia. And Hagumi goes on a shopping trip with Morita.

It's the sakura season and the gang are absorbed in the array of activities celebrating the sakura festival. Hagumi catches one of her wisdom fevers. And Takemoto meets Morita's brother, Kaoru, and learns of news regarding Morita.

The episode starts with Takamoto feelings about what he wanted Hagu to answer for her wanting Morita to come back or not. But her stern and straight forward answer before was really hurt him. The story mainly talked about Yamada and her feelings later on. To save money, Mayama asked Yamada to help making some cases for his firm's project. This fact connected her to his work and helped the story develop.

Mayama dreamed of Rika-san. His co-worker said when one dreamed of another, that was because the person in the dream wanted them to meet so much that the soul escaped the body and came to the dream. Mayama was doubt about that but on the way came back from a conference, he and his co-workers passed a park where Rika-san was just behind a fountain watching him passing by. Mayama didn't notice until later on. But when he ran back to the fountain, she was not there anymore.

Mayama's work is going well, but he still misses Rika-san. Her current assistant suddenly has health problem and needs to stay in hospital. Mayama meets Rika-san in hospital and asks her if he can come back, but she rejected. Nomiya at the same time wants to meet Yamada and really gets his eyes on her. Mayama tried to protect Yamada from him (much like a mother) as he says he wants her to meet a guy who treasures and don't just hook her up for fun. Takamoto was searching for jobs and doing his final project, which later on was given name by Hanamoto-sensei. This name made the idea become clear and his work masterpiece.

The firm Mayama was about to be apart. For some intentional purpose, his boss put him into the group of people who have to leave Tokyo to another place. At the same time, Rika-san's assistant was is hospital and she hasn't been able to find a replacement. Hence, Mayama decided to leave the firm and came back to work for Rika-san, without much of asking for her permission. Yamada acknowledged about this through Nomiya (Mayama's boss) and she was really depressed after that. After that, she was proposed by four guys from the shopping arcane (they were friends since small) but she ran away. Hanamoto-sensei later on explained for her that the situation of her and Mayama was similar and in that case (loving someone who doesn't love you), people could just choose either "make some effort or give it up" and advised her to tell those guys her true feelings. After Yamada left, Hanamoto-sensei's thinking revealed that there is a third choice, but he would never speak it out.

Having lost Mayama from the Fujiwara Design Office, Miwako expresses her depression by buying a massage chair for their new office. Yamada, who was brooding over the proposal of her childhood friends, confronts them and turns them down properly, later wishing for their own happiness while selling cakes with Hagu. Meanwhile, Takemoto is being depressed from the fact that he has not realized yet what his goal in life really is, giving him trouble on his job applications. He then took down the artwork he made for the art exhibition, much to a surprise for the others. His...

On his first new project, Takumi must collaborate Fujiwara Design Office - the design company where he just resigned. When he visits the office for a meeting, he is surprised to run into Ayumi. He learns that she has been working with Nomiya. This working relationship bothers Takumi because he knows about their past...

Mayama arrives at the Fujiwara Design Office, only to found out that Yamada is there. After she leaves abruptly, Mayama mistakes Nomiya's business interest with Yamada for his love interest. Mayama then goes to the apartment to meet up with Takemoto and Morita. When the three gather to eat dinner prepared by Morita, Takemoto reminisces over the time when Morita departed to America. The following night, Mayama meets up with Takemoto, Morita, Yamada, Professor Hanamoto, Yamazaki, and Miwako at the annual school festival. Later after the festival, Yamada agrees to go ...