TL;DR Version:
While Sakura and Aoba are spending more time together, Sakura gets melancholic from time to time. Their friends wonder why they aren’t dating yet. Meanwhile, the teacher reads Nana’s apology letter and they talk. Finally, Sakura admits it’s getting more and more painful to him that she can hear and he can’t, and he really wants to hear her voice.
Recap:
Sakura is Aoba’s, looking at her CDs. She has the wrong CDs in cases, which she tries to blame on her brother but he remembers she used to do. He plays with her hair when she does dishes, and when she mouths at him to stop, the world goes slow and silent and he seems sad. He also stares at her earbuds and watches her talk to her brother on the phone.
Sakura brings the younger brother something he forgot, and the brother invites him to hang out later. Meanwhile, Sakura’s younger sister shows up at Aoba’s work to thank her for Sakura coming home again and seeming happier.
The teacher finally opens his letter from Nana, which is an apology. She didn’t like feeling their differences back then, but now sincerely apologizes.
Nana is at Aoba’s when she gets a text from the teacher. Aoba suggests they become a couple, but Nana explains the love was one-sided. Nana wants to just be friends because it’s too hard on her that he can hear. There are just her feelings though, not everyone’s.
Sakura waits for Aoba at a coffee shop and sees her take out her earbuds and adjust her bangs. She wants to video chat with him some time but disparages her signing ability. He compliments her and asks if she speaks when she signs, which she does.
Aoba’s brother has Minato over, fixing his computer. He asks Minato about Sakura and Aoba dating and just wants his sister to be happy. Minato finishes with the computer and the brother says he wants to marry Minato.
While they’re walking, Aoba tries to hold Sakura’s hand. He pulls away and says it’s hard to sign, but she looks hurt. They part at the rail crossing, sending sad longing looks that the other doesn’t see.
Aoba’s brother asks what makes Minato happy, and guesses he’s happier giving than receiving. On Minato’s way out Aoba comes in, but she won’t tell him why she looks unhappy.
Nana meets up with the teacher and complains about his favorite bar. Nana asks about his choice to learn sign and work with Deaf people. Originally, he wanted to understand how Deaf people felt, but he discovered signing is only a way to communicate. Understanding words is not understanding feelings. Deaf people are all different, and Nana is unique. He asks generally if people want to communicate or understand.
Aoba’s friend has come over, and also asks why she’s not dating Sakura yet. Aoba says Sakura’s still not telling her something.
Minato enters the bar and recognizes Nana, leaving the teacher interpreting them both asking each other if they’re Sakura’s friends. Nana then asks about Minato dumping Aoba and calls Minato an idiot for making everything happen. The teacher refuses to translate. She then thanks Minato for helping her find the teacher again.
Without the teacher’s help, Nana makes it clear to Minato she’s calling him an idiot, and orders him a beer. Minato thanks her with a sign he learned from Sakura.
Later, Minato and Sakura hang out. Aoba texts while they’re together and Sakura doesn’t answer. Minato doesn’t need him to be careful of his feelings. Sakura explains that Aoba thinks nothing has changed but his ears, but Sakura feels too many things have changed. Sakura points out Minato cut ties with Aoba because it hurt too much, and that was why Sakura cut ties too.
Mintao says, unlike Sakura who ‘gave’ Aoba to him, he doesn’t care what happens between Sakura and Aoba. But if Sakura vanishes on Aoba without a word again, he’ll never forgive him.
Sakura is at Aoba’s for a sudden visit. He fixates on her earbuds again, putting them on and turning her music up so loud she can hear it. He’s teary and won’t tell her what’s wrong, just wants her to say his name. He asks about her voice.
Aoba gets close and asks him to tell her what’s wrong because he promised earlier to be honest. He signs that he can’t remember her voice. Since she didn’t understand at the time, he explains what he signed outside the station after their first meeting, that he broke up because he couldn’t call her and listen to music with her.
Aoba wants to confirm that’s how he was feeling then, not now. He signs that he was happy that being together was enough, but the more time they spend together the more he’s reminded of how he’s changed and the more it hurts.
A flashback to High School shows him deliberately muting his music so that when Aoba called his name at him he could really hear her.
Present day Sakura cries, Aoba is crying too, and he says he wants to hear her voice. If he’s doomed never to hear her voice again, he should have never fallen in love again.
Thoughts:
Aahhhhh! It’s going to be a long week waiting until next week to see what happens.
Personally, I want to believe that love can overcome obstacles if both people want to be in the relationship. I also can’t quite see the point of a show that presents two people who have gone through such a change being unable to make it work and parting again. Certainly, such stories exist and I know some (other) people like them and get something from them. I don’t really think that’s what they’re going for here. But I’m nervous.
What the teacher said about communication and understanding seems to be the thesis of the show and what moves me so much about it. It’s easy to see, in real life, all the places where people fail to understand each other or worse, aren’t even interested. The internet is an excellent place to see that kind of interaction. It’s part of the reason I’m hoping there’s a positive ending to this show because otherwise, it would imply something larger about being unable to understand others that I don’t want to believe.
Other, silly little things I’m hoping for the final episode:
Will the teacher finally meet Sakura?
Will we understand what Aoba’s brother feels for Minato? Typically it’s not my style to imagine characters have romantic feelings they haven’t expressed, and I’m sure Minato was a big part of his life as his sister’s boyfriend, but his attention to Minato has felt so conspicuous this entire time and now he’s mentioned marriage. I don’t expect much in this last episode, and the brother could just exist to give the Minato character someone to talk to, but I’m curious.