TL;DR Version:
Issay won’t give up on his angry group member, and with outside help brings his group back together. They put on a concert that Nekoyashiki bravely attends. Nekoyashiki won’t come to the wrap party, but he seems nearly almost ready to consider Issay’s romantic interest. Then he gets a notification that he will not be at the wall for the next convention.
Recap:
Nekoyashiki lays in bed going through BL manga, researching after his mediocre sales for new ideas for his next work.
That’s it for Nekoyashiki for now though, as we cut back to Issay and the idols. The woman he brought in is Yoshida, Tsubasa’s homeroom teacher. Tsubasa tries to get rid of her, and when Yoshida mentions a brother, Tsubasa loses it. Issay pushes back again, and the other idols are now helping him. One man handles Tsubasa and uses a boat metaphor. Yoshida, again, urges him to speak the truth.
Turns out, the dream of being an idol might have been more Tsubasa’s younger brother’s dream than his own. They attended dance practice together and were very close. But then a truck of doom left the younger brother in a wheelchair.
When Tsubasa tells a classmate he no longer wants to be an idol, the classmate disses the fantasy. Tsubasa gets physical and everyone is around to see it. Later, he tells his brother he’s giving up on it so he won’t be upset. The brother urges him to still be an idol, and he’ll be the number one fan.
After the story one of the idols is crying and Tsubasa feels like nothing has changed. Issay says that they like him more now. Everyone pats Tsubasa on the head, which he almost accepts.
In return for her help, Yoshida only wants a picture doing hand hearts with the earlier boat-metaphor idol.
At a small venue, people gather for a Shiny Smile concert, including Nekoyashiki, Yoshida, and Tsubasa’s brother. Online they issued an apology and the classmate stated Tsubasa’s innocence, but things still feel shaky. Tsubasa wants to go out alone first, but the others don’t let him. On stage, Tsubasa gives a dreary speech before Issay takes the mic and gives an unplanned one about Tsubasa’s real feelings and doing their best. The other idols and Nekoyashiki are horrified, the audience amused.
When Shiny Smile sings, Nekoyashiki looks in love, though we cut away before he can think anything more than “I love…”
After the concert Issay finds a dour Nekoyashiki waiting alone. He tries to get him to come to a wrap party but Nekoyashiki refuses. Issay gives him credit for his help and calls him a member of Shiny Smile. Nekoyashiki still refuses. Then, curling in on himself against the pillar, he says that Issay was really cool.
As they leave, Shiny Smile waves at the fans. Outside, Nekoyashiki watches in the rain. He seems to brighten thinking about Issay for a moment, deciding he’ll do his best. Then he gets flustered, yanks on his hood, and thinks that a BL manga artist and an idol will never happen.
The news guys are also there, waiting to do evil.
At his apartment, Nekoyahiki’s assistant is thrilled by his new art, but Nekoyashiki is unsatisfied. The assistant asks him if he enjoyed drawing it, and he says that drawing manga is a pain. She wishes him good luck with a small smile.
And then, he gets a text. He’s not at the wall for the next convention.
Thoughts:
Gloomy, dreary, shy, introverted Nekoyashiki is so cute. I identify with him so much. That he came to the concert, and even for a moment imagined himself with Issay in some way, feels like a lot of growth considering his nature.
But, this episode was a lot about Tsubasa and I’m never that big on episodes about side characters. Though it was nice to see the background to his motivation, and that Issay’s faith in him was not undeserved. And it was nice to see Issay gaining confidence in himself and stepping in on the stage to say what he wanted to say.
Next week the preview is teasing exactly what I want, more of Nekoyashiki working hard and Issay cheering him on.