PERIOD 8

Aki didn't make the decision between Halu's right or left pocket and ran towards her boyfriend, Natsukawa. Halu didn't say a word nor go after her and left. 

At the training rink, Halu took out a spare key with a pink ribbon from his right pocket, threw it onto the ice and kicked it away, saying "Game over." But as he took out something from his left pocket, it was his own key with the same ribbon. He untied the ribbon and threw it away ...

Yamato brings Yuri to a cheap fast-food restaurant and Yuri expresses her dislike for such places. As they were eating, Yamato receives a call asking him to go to Face Off bar for a "recital".

Chika and Aki are heading towards Face Off bar and Aki is reluctant to go, not knowing how to face Halu. Chika suggests apologizing to Halu. When they reach the bar, there was a party going on there to celebrate Halu's "breaking off" with Aki. Aki looks extremely uncomfortable and tries to leave. Halu acts as if everything is normal and ups the tension by singing a "break-up song".

Yamato is sending Yuri home in Tomo's car and stops at a gas station. As he goes to get some drinks, Yuri notice a file on the dashboard and reads it and realizes that the car is registered in Tomo's name.

Halu sends Aki home as usual and apologizes for what happened at the bar. He says that he had to have such a "recital party" to let everyone know that they are officially over, so that it will not be awkward seeing each other in future, especially since their friends are still dating. However, Halu says he doesn't believe in being friends after breaking up, thus this will be the last time he's sending her home. Aki tries to apologize to him and says that everything is her fault but Halu stops her. Aki then tries to tell him that what she told him in his apartment is true, but Halu cuts her off and tells her that he is glad it is over. He gives Aki no chance to speak and continues to say that he has lots of women to choose from in the world, for him to have a game with. But sooner or later, the feeling becomes dull, like sepia and that it's the same with Aki. Aki doesn't want to believe him but Halu firmly says "sayonara" and as agreed, to say "byebye" to each other with a smile. Aki looks resigned and utterly hurt as she got off his car, asking him once again if she was the same as the rest of his girlfriends, "becoming sepia"? Halu says yes and Aki leaves. Back in his car, Halu says, "Perhaps once in a year, during autumn, the color will return", takes one last look at Aki's apartment and drives off. Back in his apartment, Halu takes off the picture of Aki in the wedding dress from his fridge and hides it.

Halu is at a playground with Wataru and Youko, making sure that Wataru minds his manners after eating. Youko comments that Halu will become a great papa and asks him about his girlfriend and he tells her to stop talking about this. Youko says she hopes to meet her and Halu says "too bad', and Youko continues to say that Aki will probably be quite tortured after this since Aki's boyfriend saw Halu at the bridge and will probably ask her about him. If she lies to him, she will feel bad. And Youko thinks Aki is somehow lying to Halu too. Youko says it may be fine for Halu, but Aki may have to lie all her life. She thinks it would probably be easier for Aki to break up with her boyfriend and that she doesn't think it's because of liking her boyfriend that she went back to him. It was more likely she couldn't trust Halu that she left.

At the coin laundry, Yamato asks Aki if Halu was shocked at the bridge. Aki nods her head and says that she herself was shocked too. Yamato is still slightly angry with Aki until Aki explains that she couldn't think straight at all that time and didn't even know what she was doing. She tells Yamato that Halu and Natsukawa are very different people. Natsukawa is a very nice man and they've never quarreled and it was comfortable being with him. But with Halu, there is a sense of giddiness and excitement but she always feels uneasy not knowing what he's going to do or say next, although she really enjoyed being with him.  But she's just a normal girl, who has her insecurities and is not confident of herself. She's glad that it has ended before Halu got tired of her. 

As they return to their apartments, Yuri appears at Yamato's doorstep and confronts him about his "wealthy status". She had asked Makoto all about it. Yamato tries to explain to her but Yuri refuses to accept his explanation and leaves in a huff, telling him that they are over. 

Makoto, Yamato and Tomo are in Halu's apartment. Yamato is a little bit drunk. Makoto goes out to buy some food and Yamato is talking drunk-talk and he asks Halu to be with him, since they are both sad from their break-ups. [Haha] Yamato also tells Halu that he heard from Aki the other day that it wasn't because she didn't like him, but because she wanted a sense of security.  Tomo tells Halu maybe it would be good for him to become drunk like Yamato sometime. Halu says he did when he sang at Face Off. Tomo says that you weren't drunk then and Halu says, "Oh you saw through it." Tomo says of course and that one just can't trust Halu. At this, Halu says that Youko said the same thing about him, that he couldn't let Aki trust him. Tomo says he can understand what Youko means and tells Halu not too be so cool about it. And that there is nothing wrong doing some embarrassing things just to win the girl back, for example like cry and begs her not to go back to her boyfriend. Halu says that's not possible becaause he's not like Tomo. Obviously Tomo does understand women better when he tells Halu that no women will accept what Halu told Aki, that "oh, we had fun but now it's over, bye!" and that the girl will definitely think that the guy had never liked her seriously. Before Tomo leaves Halu's house, Tomo tells him that if he really likes her, he shoudn't let her go so easily. And Halu chases him out of his house when he offered to sleep with Halu. [Haha, all the men are making moves on him!!] Before Halu slept, he looked at the lamp that Aki gave him and a thought suddenly struck him. He took off the lampshade and what he saw shocked him. On the lightbulb was written "Maybe, Love You". For once, he really looked like he regretted what he did by letting Aki go.

Hyoudou-coach passes a tape of The Blue Scorpions to the Green Monsters' captain, Yamamoto, for them to know The Blue Scorpions style and weakness. After Yamamoto leaves, Youko joins him and he tells Youko that he wants to bring out the best that he could in Halu.

At Aki's apartment, Natsukawa looks at the cup of coffee that Aki made for him and realizes that it was not his style of drinking it. He then asks if he could ask her about the guy on the bridge. Aki tells Natsukawa that he is a player of her company's ice hockey team and that he knows about their long-distance relationship. He pretends to be nonchalant about it and tells Aki that he won't ask more than that because it is not important as long as Aki has waited for him as promised.

Before the match with The Green Monsters, Yamamoto asks Yamato to meet him and tells Yamato that he had a date with Yuri the day before. Yamato says it is none of his business anymore but requests Yamamoto to be serious with Yuri and date her with the idea of marriage. Yamamoto laughs it off as impossible, being the heir of his dad's company. Yamoto refuses to give up and follows Yamamoto to make him agree to date Yuri seriously. As Yamamoto pushes Yamato away, Yamato falls down the escalator, hits his head and a pool of blood forms as Yamamoto runs away.

At the rink, Natsukawa comes to look for Halu.

Natsukawa: I saw you that day on the bridge, right?

Halu: Yes..

Natsukawa: I want to know about you and Aki.

Halu: You didn't ask her?

Natsukawa: I didn't probe much, because I didn't want her to think that I'm a petty little man.

Halu: *laughs* So, is the man before me big or small? *laughs again* Sorry, don't mind me, I'm always like that before a match.

Natsukawa: It's ok. Of course, I trust her..

Halu: Of course. She's a really good girl. A really rare "furuki yoki jidai no onna" (traditional girl) at this age and time ..

Natsukawa: "furuki yoki jidai?"

Halu: Nothing nothing..

Natsukawa: I feel more relieved, now that I've met you.

Halu: Relieved?

Natsukawa: You are not the type of guy that Aki likes. Sorry if I sounded rude.

Halu: It's ok, since I won't be seeing her again.

Natsukawa: That's what I'm hoping for.

Halu: Well, she was the one who dumped me.

Natsukawa: Then why did she cry on the bridge?

Halu: *stands up* Sorry I have to go for my warm-up now. *turns to leave*

Natsukawa: I still have something to say. People are afraid of loneliness, but I trust her. But Aki's a girl after all, even though she doesn't like the guy, she might make a mistake in her loneliness.

Halu: *looks Natsukawa in the eyes* Then what about you when you were overseas?

Natsukawa: That is my marriage partner you're talking about.

Halu: *thinks for a while* On her reputation, and also my own pride, I guarantee you we didn't do anything wrong.

Natsukawa: *heaves a sigh of relief*

Halu: There was only sincerity. Me and Aki, we were true to each other.

[Not very sure about the word Halu used, but from Natsukawa's expression, I assume it means that they were really close.]

At this moment, Aki is in her house. The picture of her boyfriend and her is lying face-down on the cabinet and she is holding the Halu's tooth in her hands.

Yamato is in the operation theatre, but Hyoudou-coach told the manager not to tell the team the truth in order not to affect their game. Halu appears to be a foul mood and goes out onto the rink with a ready-to-kill look. He taunts Yamamoto but Yamamoto isn't his usual self. Yamamoto tells Halu that it wasn't his fault that "he" got hurt. When Halu realizes it's Yamato he's talking about, Halu loses his cool entirely, throws down his hockey stick and attacks Yamamoto... "What did you do to Yamato???"

Surf, Mar 4, 2004.