Original manga volume 2
"Boku-tachi no jikan"

Chapter Three: All Systems Go!
This chapter is really about Arai and somewhat about Takagi. Arai's father is coming home and Arai's none too pleased that he wants to meet up. He even pretends to Nakamoto that his dad is an ex-con (which poor Nakamoto falls for, being the serious guy that he is!). Though Arai's playing around, it's clear that his opinion of his father is not a really good one. Arai Yoshiki is a fashion designer who looks like a girl with a stuck on moustache and his idea of father-child interaction is a bit strange. Arai is resentful towards him because he's always away and that he broke a lot of promises because of his work when he was small. They're very different people - Yoshiki even says at one point that their lives seem to have nothing to do with one another.

Yoshiki appears at the school but does not come to see Arai. Instead he has scouted Takagi as a model - which is a cause for some anger on Arai's part when he realises what has happened. (He's indignant that his father came to the school to speak to them about Takagi, but didn't bother to meet with him).

Takagi, for his part, has skipped off from school on that particular day because it seems to be the anniversary of his mother's death and he wants to visit her grave. We already know that Takagi's mother was English (her name seems to be something like Charlot Foster although the gravestone is not 100% clear). We also now discover that Takagi doesn't know his father's name...and that he's being 'fostered' by a friend of his mother's, Mitsuse Junichirou. However his mother's connection to this man is also a little bit oblique. (The answer to Mitsuse Junichirou's role in Takagi's life is explained in more detail in Volume 2, Chapter 5 of the M+ manga.)

When Yoshiki picks Takagi up at the school, Mikimaro oversees it - but decides it's better not to tell Arai because of Arai and Takagi's occasionally dodgy relationship. (This whole scene in the classroom is actually hilariously funny. Not only do the boys have classmates who apparently have the surnames "Okiayu" and "Ishikawa" (!), when the teacher asks where Takagi is, Yuusuke expresses the opinion that he's gone to the toilet. Mikimaro disputes this (since Takagi has been gone for a LONG time) and a loud discussion ensues about reading manga in the toilet and how it's a good way to kill time. The teacher is unamused...lol!

When Arai heads off to visit his father, his pals (minus Takagi) decide to come along (Yuusuke wants to meet pretty girls...). They're met and picked up by a girl called Sayaka who kisses Arai. Her connection to him seems to be old friend, however, not current lover. A dispute between them winds up with Arai stopping the car and making his companions walk to the Arai home (which is an impressive property). When Arai discovers Takagi is in his front room, another row ensues in which Arai walks out. For some reason this doesn't seem to concern his parents, who sit down to dinner with the remaining confused students. Arai winds up in the local park, mulling things over bitterly, and even Sayaka's company is unwelcome :P

The main thrust of the story involves Arai and his father and their botched relationship. Yoshiki wants Arai to take part in the fashion show he is organising along with Takagi and (so it transpires), Yuusuke and the others. Arai angrily refuses, but when he discovers that despite his absenteeism his father has always kept a photo of his son in his watch, he changes his mind and decides he might play along. (Another fun Nakamoto and Mikimaro moment here when Nakamoto says something to the effect of "Even Arai has to one day wake up and take responsibity for his own actions" and Mikimaro tells him he sounds like a shrink...)He also goes to make peace with Takagi - these two are amusing in that they fight like cat and dog in public, but Takagi has no problem letting Arai into his room. Arai sees the picture of Takagi's mother and asks about his family, and Takagi remembers his conversation with Yoshiki about his lack of a father and his mother having passed on. This irritates Arai since he's gone all silent, but Takagi isn't willing to reveal his secrets just yet.

Yoshiki also has something up his sleeve yet. It transpires that he wants Takagi to wear women's clothing, and that he has particular ideas for the others, too. Nakamoto winds up playing what looks like "Mozart" or something, although he is forced to not wear his glasses and have contacts instead (much to his chagrin!). Mikimaro gets to play "Kids Corner" and dress as a rabbit, whilst Yuusuke uses his sportsmanship to play basketball on stage. Arai is the only one who isn't altered, and he plays Takagi's escort onto stage. Takagi is some babe ^_^. Arai teases Takagi about what a pretty girl he makes, and makes a good deal out of the resultant magazine articles that ask who the 'mysterious woman' was in the shoot. Takagi is unamused. Erm...they're fighting again? The others also appear in the magazine, Arai alongside his father. (The ages for Yuusuke, Mikimaro and Arai are given as sixteen at this point, proving they are still second years.)

In the final analysis, Arai decides that maybe there's some common ground he can find with his father - and that even though he's away again (he pretends not to be at all interested in that fact), the next time he comes home he might well be able to welcome him properly. (Aww.).

Chapter Four: Play A Waiting Game
This chapter focuses mostly on Nakamoto (yay!). And Yuusuke is hardly in it (Is it wrong to be happy about that, too?)
It's Summer Holiday at the Seiryuu Academy and the boys are getting ready for different types of summer break. Yuusuke is going home to his family's hotel for a family reunion. Takagi's mysterious guardian has given him the key to a hotel room - although despite his asking, Mitsuse will still not tell him all he wants to know

Meanwhile Nakamoto has collapsed with a fever. His would-be nurses are Mikimaro and Arai - yes, Arai - who both seem to be staying at the school for summer break. Nakamoto's fever is a case of Summer Flu brought on by his overworking his body and lowering his defences against disease, but he is quite sick, and so his home is contacted. His stepmother - Kyouko - dutifully arrives to see him, but Nakamoto is asleep and unaware of her visit. It must be said that Nakamoto's stepmother is very young and very pretty. And strangely enough she seems to already know Takagi in some way (a fact which Arai decides is better kept from Nakamoto at the moment). Kyouko also reveals to Arai and Mikimaro things they didn't know about Nakamoto before - that he's a precious part of the Nakamoto-ke because he is his father's heir and because he has to work to meet such high standards, in order to go to the right university and follow in Masakazu's footsteps. At last, Nakamoto's overly zealous studying is laid clear to his classmates!

 Kyouko leaves. Outside, Kyouko meets with Takagi and asks him into her car. They talk and it becomes clear they are somehow acquainted in the past. Takagi is then dropped at his hotel where he is apparently 'working' - in his hotel room, he appears to be stripping naked so that he can be measured for some clothing. No comment :P He still seems to be working for Yoshiki, even despite the drag scenario. And you get the feeling he's not so worried now about the dressing like a woman idea. He actually says - "I'm not really happy about it, but to be a model I have to do what I have to do"...or words to that effect. He's a weird one..he really is.

 Mikimaro and Arai head out to buy food so that Arai (!) can cook for Nakamoto. (It's so very funny seeing Arai in such a protective role, LOL). He and Mikimaro discuss Takagi's knowing Kyouko and Mikimaro admits that he's heard that Takagi used to work as a "host" (for this, read escort, or even...gasp...male...prostitute...) and that he's suspicious of Takagi's knowledge of Kyouko - Even...possibly...that they are more than just acquaintances. Arai is more determined than ever that Nakamoto should not know, and Mikimaro agrees to keep his mouth shut.

Arai and Mikimaro return to the dorm and Nakamoto is just rousing up. He is surprised to discover that Arai has been taking care of him - he actually says that he'd had an impression of Arai as a cold person, but in fact he's really quite kind. Arai's a bit perturbed by the way in which Nakamoto says it - not quite sure if he's praising him or insulting him! (And I especially liked Mikimaro's slightly tactless advice to Nakamoto whilst Arai was out of the room - "don't be sarcastic with him, but thank him properly". Mikimaro seems to have Nakamoto's measure and is determined to bring him into their world!)

Arai's cooked what seems to be risotto, and it reminds Nakamoto of risotto made by Kyouko. Conveniently Kyouko turns up at that moment, and is glad to see Nakamoto (she calls him Shou-san, I think she might be the only character to ever use his first name so liberally) is awake. She asks him to come home with her, but he refuses. He says he's staying at the school and Kyouko says he didn't come home for winter or spring holidays either. Nakamoto is firm, however...and Kyouko leaves, alone. Arai asks Nakamoto why he won't go home and Nakamoto says that he has to take care of the cats. Arai is not fooled...and tells him he's too passive about things...that running away never solved anything.

The next morning Nakamoto is better, so Mikimaro convinces him and Arai both to go to see a movie. Afterwards, Arai decides he's off to Roppongi to (er) drink and hang out at a club there. He doesn't really want Mikimaro and Nakamoto with him, and Nakamoto is none to keen to go - but Mikimaro has other ideas and they all wind up at the club together. (Mikimaro seems to be taking personal responsibility for Nakamoto's involvement in life, since he reminds his new friend that when they were at Arai's house, Yoshiki gave him some advice about living life. I think he's worried since Nakamoto studied himself into a fever...)

Mikimaro is distracted by some girls who introduce him to sake (they think he's cute because he looks so young...sake and Mikimaro are a bad mix). Nakamoto and Arai are left to discuss why Arai finds this kind of thing 'fun'.

At this point, Takagi enters. With Kyouko. And they both see Arai, who also sees them and is a little bit ticked. Then Mikimaro, very drunk by this time, also sees them and yells out their names from across the club. And Nakamoto sees them. And...it's the last straw. He yells at them that he's had enough, and storms out. Kyouko runs after him, and although he doesn't want to be stopped, she brings him down by throwing her shoe at him (!). (At least I'm pretty sure that's what happens...).

Meanwhile back in the club, a furious Arai has challenged Takagi and is getting pretty rough with him, demanding to know what's going on. He accuses Takagi of being Kyouko's lover, but Takagi denies this and says they're just old friends and that Kyouko had asked his advice on how to patch up her sketchy relationship with Nakamoto.

Meanwhile, outside, Nakamoto and Kyouko are talking for the first time. Nakamoto tells her some story about cats and kittens when he was four, and then defending a girl in the playground from bullies which wound him up in trouble. He admits to her that because he had such a negative involvement on those occasions, he became afraid to take a proactive stance and even calls himself a coward. Kyouko tells him that she'd only been looking for Takagi's advice on how to stop Nakamoto hating her. Nakamoto is taken aback and says he doesn't hate her - but Kyouko says that people back home feel its that way and that that's why Nakamoto won't come home. They continue to talk for a while, and then Nakamoto agrees that he will come home after all.

Back in the dorm, the next day, Mikimaro is in Arai and Nakamoto's room, very hungover. He can't remember any of the previous day. Arai and Nakamoto are also both there. Arai teases him somewhat about it, telling him he was a lot of trouble for them, but Nakamoto said it all ended up all right and that he's going to go home later on and see how things are. Arai then decides he's going to take off home. Mikimaro wants to go with him/wants him to stay, but Arai is already gone. Mikimaro is left to Nakamoto's tender mercies.

We don't see Nakamoto's father in any of this. The strict doctor has not yet entered the building (lol).