Common route
Ritsu wants to inherit her parents’ restaurant, but as woman in the 1930s she cannot inherit and doesn’t really feel like marrying. Nevertheless her father engages her with the eldest son of an old friend, but shortly after the son calls to cancel the engagement again. But as that man was such a good old friend of her father, she yet travels to the capital to at least talk to that gentleman. She finds Yajima Kouta terminally ill. His eldest son Kousuke shall inherit the restaurant, but he wants to turn it into a hotel. By giving him a wife and teaching him about the value of a family restaurant Kouta wanted to change his son’s mind.
Ritsu also meets the cold Yuusuke the second son, who she stumbles upon and falling down showing more skin than appropriate. Sousuke only cares about stars and needs women to stay away at least three steps. Only Kyousuke is kind to her and cooks for her and they immediately understand each other.
Having missed the last train back, she stays for the night and decides to clean their house, as no one else feels responsible for this task.
On her way out she is met with the critical eyes of the fan club of the youngest haughty son Shunsuke.
But as Kouta gave her a document which entitles her to become the next owner of the restaurant, she agrees with Kouta to work for them for a year in order to assess her abilities as a restaurant manager.
But already the first day cannot be called a success, as women in general and even less as a shop manager are not respected and Kousuke is no real help either.
Only Kyousuke continues to support her and wants her to share her troubles with him.
The eldest daughter of the house is even more mean, bullying her and wanting her to leave. By the whole family she’s treated as a servant, cooking and cleaning for them and eating alone in the kitchen. Again it’s Kyousuke who joins her and sometimes even Shunsuke, who already teases them about dating.
As she’s sent out to buy cream puffs, she looses her sense of direction, but Yuusuke helps her out and event prevents the eldest sister, Rinko, from crushing the freshly bought cream puffs.
Also at work in the restaurant it’s again Yuusuke saving her from being molested.
And if the day couldn’t become even worse, she’s also bullied by Shunsuke’s fan club for living together with him.
The only friend she finds is a nice geisha, Kiryuu, who was sold by her poor family into serving as a geisha. They sometimes meet, go to a café and she also visits at the restaurant from time to time.
At night she stands at the bridge, staring at the river, wondering what to do next. This causes rumours to spread about a girl wanting to kill herself. Kousuke rushes to the bridge to find her unharmed. Yet he proposes a bet: If she stays for a whole year at the restaurant, he will give up on his plans to turn it into a hotel.
Also Kyousuke offers his support, feeling they are alike in not being able to leave troubled people alone.
But even though she tries, all she does is fail in her job. So much that her father comes to take her home again. But he leaves again, as he understands she wants to try giving her best for the next year and help out that family.
Rinko still can’t stand her, so she tackles her, but is luckily caught by Shunsuke. He is startled himself, why is body moved to catch her.
The other ally she meets is an old friend of Yuusuke, Jirou. He’s a friendly flirt with a heavy kansai dialect.
And at least she can get slightly closer to Sousuke, talking to him watching stars, and he appreciates her for making him dinner.
May
The family of Hanayaka Nari Waga Ichizoku comes to dine at the restaurant. Rinko is eager to lure them in and kicks Ritsu so that she spills sake over them.
Kousuke takes her to the hotel, where he used to work, to explain that choosing one’s own path can be painful. He gives her a symbolic 1 yen payment, which he is strangely happy about.
Seeing heavy rain, Rinko takes another chance to bully Ritsu again, sending her out to buy peaches for ill Yuusuke. But Yuusuke actually runs out in the rain with his high fever to take her back. Neither does he want her to fall ill, nor leave the family, as he would feel lonely without her. As soon as they arrive home he collapses from his high fever and Ritsu tends to him.
The next day the nice aunt Ayano takes Ritsu to one of Sousuke’s classes, who has a sweet dedicated fan club of middle-aged ladies. They would love to see him married, but he of course is not interested due to his illness, that whenever a woman comes closer than three steps he feels like he suffocating. Nevertheless he falls asleep on Ritsu’s shoulder on the way home.
Kyousuke teaches her new cooking techniques. And though he got promoted the day before, he now feels down because of something he cannot talk about. But talking to her about how he fought his way up and proved himself as a male cook, despite what society might think, makes him cheer up again.
Some time later Ritsu gets bullied by Shunsuke’s fan club again, who cannot believe she is not in love with Shun-sama and even dares to be friends with a low geisha. They encircle her and hit her so hard her arm starts bleeding. Luckily Shu hears the commotion and princess carries to a doctor, yelling at his fan club and cutting all ties with them. He apologises honestely to Ritsu.
But Ritsu’s injury is so bad, she is not able to cook or work for a few days. So the youngest daughter Kikuko defies the commands of Rinko and offers to help out instead.
Meanwhile Rinko got divorced and as punishment has to work as a servant in her own house if she doesn’t want to be disinherited.
For the upcoming summer shrine festival at first Yuusuke orders a yukata to be tailored for Ritsu, but everyone else secretly orders one as well.
After the good experience sleeping on her shoulder Sousuke grabs Ritsu’s hand and drags her to his lecture again. He thinks his illness could get better with her help, but later falls sick again. For him his aunty fan club buys a yukata to give Ritsu for the festival.
Also Shun’s friend Akiichi acts very familiar with her. Similarly Jirou invites her to a date and tells her about the upcoming restaurant ranking contest. He encourages her and wants her to have self-confidence.
FESTIVAL EVENT – depending on the character you choose
Again the Hanayaka family appears, this time on a closed day, so Ritsu improvises and they serve them at the festival. This way she makes everyone proud as a restaurant manager.
And Jirou writes and article about her and the restaurant.
Somehow rumours start about Yuusuke being in love with Ritsu at first sight, which he heavily denies.
One day Shun finds a sea shell in her room and remembers, that he made a promise with her as a kid to marry each other one day. But though they both remember now, they don’t talk about in any further.
The first results of the restaurant contest are published and their restaurant dropped from third to 11th place. Though Kouta trusts her and Kyousuke tries to push her to stay, by threatening to turn the restaurant into a hotel, she feels like quitting and running away. Everyone signs a letter that they accept her as the restaurant manager. Also Sousuke unintentionally stops calling her “fake star” and starts calling her just by her name.
Everything seems to take a turn for the better, as they also find a way to treat Kouta’s illness.
In the restaurant Kousuke speaks up for Ritsu increasingly and officially leaves the restaurant to her. Though that causes half of the staff to quit, at least the family supports her now.
Sousuke as well asks his fan club aunties to support the restaurant and keeps practicing with Ritsu to cure is illness and even hugs her in front of everyone to prove that he’s improving. This makes him receive a ton of love letters later on.
Yet again there are some violent guests at the restaurant. This time it’s Kyousuke saving her and even taking a hit, while staying all calm an friendly.
Though Kousuke is still angry at the restaurant for stealing his dream of his own hotel, he still is happy she is the manager now.
Even Yuusuke observes he is getting used to her.
August
HANABI EVENT – depending on the LI you choose
As now suddenly the mother of the family, Ume, is to become the new manager, Ritsu almost runs away again. But everyone looks for her so she silently returns.
Kousuke even buys her a new kimono, fitting for a tenshu, to make her muster up her courage and they send a letter to her parents that she won’t return for the next year.
It turns out Ume only acted like becoming the manager to test Ritsu’s strength. Finally Ritsu now also earned the support of Ume. Ume doesn’t think that the decline in place was Ritsu’s fault alone.
Playing with a wind chime in her room, Ritsu almost fell out of the window, but Kouske catches her. Her whispers, from up close she really looks like a country chick and such a troublesome girl.
Meanwhile a lieutenant is killed.
Shunsuke seems to hide something and left the family without a word during the holidays.
As Rinko comes too close to Sousuke he drops his very expensive telescope. Ritsu comes to console him in his room and suddenly he falls on top of her, by standing up too suddenly. Not only that but also his hand landed on her chest. Not listening to Ritsu who wants him to let her go, he’s fascinated by the softness and finds it hard to part with her chest. Hearing the commotion all the other brothers enter the room: Kousuke holds a lecture not to attack women indiscriminately, Yuusuke seems bored by the sight and Kyousuke even gets a nosebleed.
Some days later Ritsu witnesses Kyousuke getting yelled at by Kouta. Kousuke got an engagement offer, he wants to decline, but cannot, as it is from his boss and he would lose his job. He then suddenly asks her not to marry Kousuke (as she is still officially engaged to him in order to be able to work as a manager at the family’s restaurant). As soon as he heard about the proposal, Kyousuke thought about her and wished he would have married her sooner, as he would only want to marry her. – but of course he’s just joking…but he grabs her hand firmly and would never even think about marrying a girl he doesn’t like…so he will work something out.
As the holidays end, Shun returns, but still doesn’t tell where he was. But it later turns out he passed the exam to join the navy. As Kouta goes to the hospital to get treated he also gives his approval to his son joining the navy.
In return for the kimono Ritsu wears like a uniform and feeling the support of the whole family, she gifts Kyousuke a lucky charm.
Shunsuke
Festival event: Shunsuke invites her, but Ritsu get angry as she doesn’t want a pity invitation. So he gives her the yukata to make up for it. At first she still doesn’t want to come, but finally seeing her attend the festival in his yukata makes him very happy.
Hanabi event: At the hanabi they plan to meet and talk about his plans to travel.
September
Rinko bought tickets for her, Kiku and Ritsu for a dance party with one of the most eligible bachelors. Shun says she’s boring for not wanting to go and their engagement as kids is void anyway. Yet she is the first he tells about the navy academy and invites her to the ball. As she still doesn’t want to go, he just drags her there forcibly in her normal yukata.
Nevertheless that one eligible bachelor everyone hunts for wants to invite Ritsu to dance, but instead Rinko takes his hand. Being angry of not being invited by anyone else she ends up dragging Shun on the dance floor herself.
Days later again girls from Shun’s fan club first verbally harass her and they destroy the bottle and the sea shell, she always treasured.
October
To raise her spirits Shun and Akiichi invite her to go shopping. Though Shun says he hates her, Akiichi understands he actually likes her.
Shun also makes his fan girls confess they destroyed the shell and again tries to get rid of them. They were jealous as they have never seen him smile so happily as when he danced with Ritsu. He apologises to Ritsu again.
A few days later the family goes together to a theater festival. (common event for every route)
There Shun tells Ritsu he wants to go to the navy, as he doesn’t feel like he belongs in the family as an adopted child from unmarried parents.
Later Ritsu gets asked out by the flirt Akiichi, but she doesn’t want to be used by him. Hearing this makes Shun so angry he actually hits Akiichi, but later asks Ritsu to consider Akiichi as a boyfriend.
Shun always wanted to work at the sea, like a fisherman, and their childhood promise and her words when she cheered him up as kids, made him treasure the sea so much.
November
As Akiichi even asks Ritsu to marry him, Shun is highly amused. On top of that she also gets a marriage proposal from some random guy at the dance party, but as a girl, she has no say in this. Thankfully her father helps her decline that proposal so she can continue working at the restaurant.
Though Ritsu wishes for their childhood promise to come true, Shun doesn’t plan to fall in love. He runs away to the beach where they first met. Finding him they promise to at least meet again in 10 years and hold hands on the way back. He also buys her a new bottle for sea shells.
December
Shun invites her to the ginza matsuri and almost kisses her after taking cream of her lips. He also gifts her a ring as proof that he’ll be with her, as the engagement with Kousuke is dissolved. He then gives her a little word riddle to spell suki (I like you). After that he also confesses personally, almost barging it out while all the sibling are around.
January
He again asks her if she likes him, but she thinks it’s of little consequence, as he will leave anyway and waiting for him will be too painful.
Days later she collapses of sleep deprivation, but Rinko misunderstands and tells everyone she’s pregnant – from Akiichi. Akiichi even confirms this, to make Shun stand up for his feelings – unsuccessfully. Shun thinks more painful than waiting is making his love wait.
Even Ume tries to help them by telling Ritsu how she was in love, but had to marry Kouta (what she does in every route).
As Shun notices something is off with her, he confesses and asks her to wait until his graduation.
February
That night Ritsu dreams of heaving slept with Shun.
But at the morning she gets the message that her mom is severely ill and has to return home.
After she gets back to the capital, as her mom isn’t that ill anymore, war breaks out and the military law forbids citizen to leave their house or change location. So the wait for everyone to return home begins (common event). Also the rioting officers lay their restaurant to waste and use it as head quarters.(common event) Trying to protect the restaurant she almost gets shot, but is saved by Naito, Kousuke’s old officer friend.
A few nights later Shun returns and slips into her futon, as staying away he realised he belongs here.
March
Shun is torn between wanting to protect her and also wanting to leave.
Secretly all the other brothers put money together to repair the restaurant. Kouta finally hands Shun his birth certificate and emphasises he is still his son.
This time Shun gives Ritsu the ring as a marriage proposal and asks her to wait three years to marry and kiss again.
In the meantime Akiichi fell in love with Kiryuu and tries to buy her free.
But for now Ritsu has to leave, as one year has gone by. Everyone thanks her for making them a family again and will welcome her back as a manager anytime.
Three years later her parents oppose to her becoming the manager again, but Kouta and Ume try to convince them.
At night Shun slips into her futon again. But she decides it’s a dream and goes back to bed.
He waits for her at the beach the next morning to reassure their feelings and to take her back. They feel they love each other differently and more now and she will have to accept a life with him away often. But while she struggles to explain her feelings he suddenly kisses her.
Kousuke
Festival event: Kousuke invites her in case Yuusuke doesn’t make it and tells her she looks the most beautiful in his yukata.
Hanabi: They stumble onto each other at the hanabi and talk about giving their best together. Though he is still worried, he realises she’s easy to talk to.
September
Kousuke helps her look for a gift for Kiryuu and they decide to buy a jojo.
Later Ritsu’s noisy sisters come to visit, interview the brothers and Tatsu decides she wants to marry Yuusuke.
They go write wishes together at a shrine and as he sees she wishes happiness for everyone, he changes his in only building a hotel if the restaurant doesn’t strive.
October
The owner of the competing restaurant, Tsumura Dandousai, apparently has plans to crush the family restaurant and steal their customers. Kousuke thinks it’s because Dandousai has a secret someone at the restaurant knows.
Seeing Ritsu together with Naitou makes Kouske jealous, though he can’t explain this feeling. But as she gets pushed into his arms, her heart starts to beat faster. Nevertheless Kousuke might have plans to marry someone else. Being all depressed because of that Shun takes her out. But as they bump into Kousuke, she runs away and Shun asks him whether it’s ok for him to marry her now.
Kousuke actually meets with another potential marriage candidate, but they want Ritsu to quit, so he ends up declining. He comes to her after the meeting and hugs her. He could only think about her and wants to monopolise her. Only he is allowed to make her quit.
November
Nevertheless his not-fiancee tries to make Ritsu quit.
Naitou tries to inquire the real reason why he declined that marriage offer. As he doesn’t come home Ritsu goes looking for him in the rain and bashfully he gifts her a face powder.
Due to the rain she catches a cold and he tends to her, promises not to make her go home again and apologises for the distress he caused her. But the following day he acts as if that didn’t happen and if it wasn’t him who made her rice porridge.
Later she has to leave due to her mom being in critical condition, though it turns out she is not badly ill.
During her absence he doesn’t want to miss her and even the restaurant staff misses her.
December
That goes so far that he can’t fully concentrate on work anymore.
The brothers plot to make him believe Dandousai plans on marrying her. So he rushes to her home and takes her away.
He then announces in front of the family that he intends to marry her. But as she inquires about his feelings he gets all angry again. For him marriage has nothing to do with feelings, which makes her wonder why he even wants to marry her.
They go to the Ginza festival together and she gets curious whether he’s already been with another girl. That makes him snap asking whether she’s unhappy with him now and not wanting to talk anymore.
Rinko then helps them to make time to talk things out and apologise. He only was jealous and angry he couldn’t make her happy that evening, but he will take her to every festival in the future.
January
Kousuke receives his mom’s marriage ring to finally confess his feelings properly, but he just ends up yelling and Ritsu again. He is insecure whether his feelings are enough for marriage and wants her to think about it again. But seeing her seeking advice from Dandousai’s son makes him immensely jealous.
He then forces her to finally speak her mind and she confesses and they kiss. He confesses as well saying she’s the only person who he can freely talk to.
February
Kousuke especially buys her a new bottle for her shell, but doesn’t stop her from going home again. But he finds out that it is his father, who knows Dandousai’s secret.
Again war and military law break out.
As Kousuke finally comes home they hug in front of everyone.
March
Kousuke blames himself for not noticing Naitou’s feelings and plan, as he was one the main culprits of the military coup.
Ritsu asks Dandousai to be Kousuke’s enemy. He then buys the restaurant, what makes Kousuke so angry he drives her out and doesn’t want to see her again. It is only Dandousai’s son who explains to him, she did that to free Kousuke from the burden of the restaurant he never really wanted.
Later it turns out, that Dandousai didn’t buy the restaurant, but just helped out, and Kousuke is still the heir. Though actually Ritsu is the new heir.
Dandousai’s son warns him to better marry Ritsu quickly.
So Kousuke decides to take her out, but is angry that he loves her despite her being so useless. Accepting him how he is she just happily feeds him cake and they decide to date and marry.
Yuusuke
Festival: Yuusuke makes it in time for the festival, but seems so gloomy she starts wondering why he even invited her. This question makes him angry, as he doesn’t know himself and just wants her to be herself around him and wants to spend time with her.
He starts taking an interest in her marriage prospects, but she again is confused why. He starts to feel more towards her than a mere servant, but can’t quite explain it. Because if he was in love with her, he would just snatch her away from his brother. Releasing her arm he collapses, as he suddenly found his heart pounding and difficult to breath without touching her.
Hanabi: His best plan to find out whether he’s in love is to try kissing her. But he can’t do it in the end, which convinces him he’s not in love.
September
No one knows about Yuusuke’s job for the government, where he has to spy on people.
He suddenly grabs her closely asking which job he could take at a restaurant. A few days later he becomes a gardener and Dandousai’s restaurant.
After he stepped on his glasses, which practically makes him blind, she leads him to the optician. As she would like to go to a summer festival, he accompanies her blind, because he doesn’t want other men to talk to her. While they eat dakoyaki he tries to look at her and comes closer and accidentally kisses her! Enraged she wants to run away, but can’t leave him behind helplessly.
Yuusuke is extremely frustrated with this situation. He wanted to save his first kiss for the girl he marries, just like he promised with Jirou (though Jirou of course doesn’t care about this promise anymore). Though he’s happy he kissed her, kissing someone blind is like kissing anybody. Knowing about his promise the whole family gets angry at Ritsu for stealing his first kiss.
Later there start protests against her being a female manager in front of the restaurant. She wished to be saved by Yuusuke, who only stood by watching. But he will instead look into the case and finds out the bullies lied about being customers.
Jirou plans to take Ritsu out to provoke Yuusuke to step in.
October
After Ritsu collapses from over work, Yuuske tries to analyse him and her.
Later Jirou takes her out and asks her to stay at a hotel to trick Yuusuke into thinking they stayed together. Yuusuke coincidentally picks her up the next morning and seems relieved they didn’t spend the night together.
But he gets warned by Kouta not to steal Kousuke’s fiancee.
After he writes another analysis about him and her, he comes to the conclusion he likes her, he just doesn’t know why.
As there is a little ruffle in town he desperately tries to win a kimono for her, but instead wins a bike and takes her for a little tour, where he makes her hug him tighly.
Later he decides to come clean with Kousuke: he will help him with building a hotel, if Kousuke lets him have Ritsu.
November
Timidly Yuusuke tries to inquire whether Ritsu would like to continue living here.
Sousuke makes them run into each other in the batch, which makes Yuusuke smile in worldy thoughts the next days.
It is then Kousuke who tells Ritsu about the deal with Yuusuke and that he loves her. But as Yuusuke sees them together he gets jealous. He only understands this feeling though, after Kousuke explained it to him.
Now Kiku wants to help them confess and forces Kyousuke to cross fire question Yuusuke for the reason he keeps ignoring Ritsu. Everyone gets interested, joins and drinks together.
Slightly drunk Yuusuke knocks at her door, as he wanted to be with her and hugs her. He doesn’t want her to leave or marry Kousuke. But as he is about to leave he collapses on her futon. He can’t remember anything the next morning and the family teases him for staying at her room.
In his job he finds out that Dandousai has powerful supporters and even receives black donations to support a special candidate in the next elections. Jirou actually helps Dandousai out as he wants to become a politician himself.
December
Yuusuke receives a secret message, which puts him in a bad mood and he asks Ritsu to leave.
She actually leaves but gets called back by Jirou, who wants to marry her for his political carreer. In that moment Yuusuke comes to run to her. Jirou makes clear he doesn’t really have an interest in her but just wants to use her. That makes Yuusuke so angry he punches his best friend, saying he won’t hand her over and takes her away. And of course Jirou was not in earnest, though Dandousai has an interest that she stays in the city.
Yuusuke then buys her a scarf and hugs her from behind, saying that he missed her and kept thinking about her and wants her to return where she belongs.
Thus he gives Kousuke the chance to build a hotel on an empty lot, but Kousuke decides to inherit the restaurant.
At New Year’s Eve they try to confess, but the bells are louder than their words.
Again Ritsu leaves to her parents as she doesn’t believe Yuusuke and her have a future together and wants to help out her own family.
But again he comes pick her up with an umbrella and promises they’ll work something out, as he loves her.
February
They then visit her parents together to tell them about their plans.
And war breaks out.
Yuusuke tricks a soldier and steals his clothes to quickly return to Ritsu.
March
Yuusuke continues to prepare everything for her family’s restaurant and the inheritage. But he wants her to come with him to America for his job and kisses her. Though this time a kiss is not enough.
Ritsu can’t leave her family behind and runs away to support them at home after her youngest sister is about to leave and marry.
She receives a letter that Yuusuke will return early from America and marry. She cries alone in her room, but there comes Yuuske wiping away her tears, as he came to marry her. He also arranged that Katsu’s husband will inherit her family’s restaurant.
Together they attend the next hanabi and he suggest to move out from his family to spend more time together just them two. But Ritsu wants to continue to care for his family so he just decides to move in in her room with only one futon for them two.
Sousuke
Festival: Sousuke got the yukata and a medicine to help him relax with women from his aunties. He doesn’t quite understand why he’s interested in going with her together to the festival. So at first he goes alone, but the aunties give him a push to spend his precious time with her. But as he holds hands with her as proof of the effects of that medicine, he collapses. Waking up in his room afterwards he’s frustrated that he’s only useful for watching stars and can’t even accompany her to the festival. Still he wants her to stay with him as her touch makes him calm down and he wants to enjoy the time with her.
Hanabi: Aunties bring him to hanabi, but he doesn’t feel well in the crowd of people, so he stays with her. He wants to progress his career and when he’d marry her he could more easily get promoted and not even suffer from her touch, when he touches her once a month or so.
September
After the incident when he fell on top of her he keeps staring at her breasts and treasures this fond memory.
He highly appreciates that he could feel the softness of her breasts without feeling suffocated – a perfectly normal reaction.
He even comes to the dance party as it’s name is milky way. As that famous bachelor is about to invite her to dance, Sousuke steps in. He has been studying how to dance with books to be able to dance with her now, but didn’t want to invite her before he was sure he could actually dance.
Though they had a beautiful evening, both feel lovesick afterwards. As he understands this must be because he’s in love with her, he confesses, but feels very depressed. He can’t even think of the stars anymore, as his mind is occupied with her.
October
The aunties gift him a new telescope, which turns him back into his old self.
It turns out he was bullied by his sister into dressing as a girl, as she wanted a sister, and was later bullied at school for that.
Jirou gives her the romance novel Mamoru wrote in Hanayaka Nari Waga Ichizoku.
At night Sousuke throws stones at her window to show her the meteor shower. Looking at the stars together he feels his heart raise, but doesn’t know why exactly. He figures after a confession this is perfectly normal.
Only after Ayano lectures him about love and secretly reading the romance novel Jirou gave her, he bashfully and stammering invites her to a date.
He tells her that due to his social anxieties he never had a friend and as his father bought him a telescope he could finally distract his thoughts. Ritsu wants him to be more open to the world and new experiences from now on.
After telling her about planetariums built in Germany he builds a small version himself to romantically lighten her room in the night with little lights. At the moment he leans over to kiss her, the lamp starts catching fire.
As he’s confused about the urge to kiss her, he asks Yuusuke for advice, who tells him to only kiss the girl he wants to marry.
He later sees Shun and Akiichi inspect Ritsu’s arm wound and gets all worried they want to devour her. He then confidently declares he will kiss her as soon as he’s ready to marry her and walks away.
November
Over time she got into the habit of not listening while he rambles on about stars, what makes her feel at ease and she falls asleep on his shoulder. Sitting there with her Sousuke starts to wonder why the night sky looks so different today.
As the Hanayaka family suddenly appears, the brothers try watching over her cooking, but spoil the meal terribly. Only Sousuke stays until she returns, because he thinks that would be natural behaviour after he confessed and trying to kiss her.
A letter from a German researcher makes him want to leave Japan for his research, as Japan is behind in this field of research, He’s angry he can’t really go due to his social anxiety and angry that she doesn’t even try to stop him. He only applied to study abroad in the hope she would stop him.
One night they watch the stars together on the roof, but she slips and he catches her, having to let go of his telescope. She doesn’t understand why he saved her and not the telescope, which makes him so angry, he avoids her from there on and his illness gets worse again.
December
He keeps shunning her and she runs away again. But she finally returns to apologise and confesses. He hugs her and promises not to leave her, as he felt so pathetic that he wasn’t even able to look for her due to his illness.
He then drags her to Kousuke to force him to end his engagement and announces to Kouta they are going to be lovers from now on. Kouta allows her to keep living with them as a servant but not to continue her work as a manager. Kousuke is going to become manager.
After that Sousuke goes hugging women again on the street to test whether he’s been healed and a long line forms in front of him of women who want to be hugged by this attractive man.
As soon as he hears that couples who go together to the Ginza festival will be together forever, he immediately drags Ritsu there. He wants to show his feelings by kissing her, but as she says that is not the right place he wants to go somewhere else to kiss her. But then he decides to kiss her even against her will again and again and again.
From now on he decides to touch her once a day at least and repairs the broken telescope.
January
Over time Sousuke started to call Ritsu by her name subconsciously and peeps at her wondering what she’s doing when he’s not around.
But he can’t say the word love in front of her.
So Yuusuke gives him a marriage guide book, which he studies diligently.
After her sisters visited, he asks her whether she’s still in love with him and a kiss on the cheek is his answer. He immediately wants to marry her and make her his.
February
As Ritsu sees Sousuke together with Kiryuu she runs away and starts avoiding him.
War breaks out.
Being held captive in a restaurant due the the military law, Sousuke feels helpless and realises all his knowledge about astronomy doesn’t help in this situation. He would have regretted it forever having to part with her in dispute and promises the sleeping Ritsu to always talk to her to prevent that from happening again. She also reassures him later, that he loves him, just talking about stars.
He also explains that he seeked advice from Kiryuu regarding the situation with her family’s restaurant and confesses again. But this time she laughs it off as a joke.
March
Sousuke decides to marry Ritsu and move together to her parents to help them out together, as he loves her more than the stars, but she can’t believe him and laughs at him.
In the meanwhile the aunties repair the restaurant.
As she is about to go back to her parents, he cannot go with her. He’s only good for looking at the stars in the end, but at least he learned to love her.
Some months later he visits to take her watch a sun eclipse in Hokkaido. Though he thought about her constantly, they decide to part again afterwards.
In the end Katsu’s husband will take over her family’s restaurant.
Sousuke visits as a guest to see her and write his thesis there and motivate more researchers to support their inn.
But finally their parents allow them to marry and he kisses her in front of everyone as a proof he will love an treasure her.
Kyousuke
Festival: Kyousuke asks her out bashfully as he wanted to take his chance. He is extremely nervous as it’s his first time with a girl. Both feel alike as they are not confident, yet hard working. He helps her fish goldfish from closely behind and doesn’t notice how close he his.
At work he feels alone and like an outsider, just like her, and wants her to rely on him
Hanabi: After the hanabi she brings him a chime and they talk about their jobs and how they want to quit sometimes. He jokes he would be lonely if she left.
September
At Kyousuke’s restaurant will be held a cooking contest. He has no confidence he’ll succeed but is hated by his coworkers already for receiving special treatment.
His fiance suddenly shows up and makes him go to a festival together, though he cannot stand her. Seeing this Ritsu gets jealous. He gets angry that she didn’t trust him, but both miss the chance to properly apologise.
The reason why Dandousai wants Kyousuke to leave his restaurant is, that his cooking philosophy doesn’t suit his money earning mentality.
Kyousuke only thinks about Ritsu at his engagement meeting and will only accept if he loses the cooking contest.
Later that night they finally make up over a midnight dinner.
And he actually wins, impressing the Hanayaka family with his home made food.
October
As they make up after another useless fight, Kyousuke buys her a hairpin, but his hands are all shaky trying to put it on.
After he got into a fight with his co workers and hitting one of them he gets fired.
November
As neither of them two have real friends, he asks her whether she wants to be his friend and gives her the bowl Dandousai gave him as a parting gift.
He accompanies her home to her family and ends up working at her restaurant and plans to marry her. Kyousuke is just happy to be together with the girl he likes. He is just a small cook, who wants to give his best and be together with her. Though her parents agree and want him to take over their restaurant, he doesn’t want to marry her while he is still unemployed.
December
Ritsu just wishes she were a man so she could inherit herself.
Kyousuke invites her to the Ginza festival, where he hugs her from behind and confesses and she also likes him back.
So they continue to eat together in the kitchen even on New Years Eve.
January
Dandousai closes his own restaurant and wants to take over the family restaurant thereby marrying Ritsu to his son. Kyousuke opposes, takes her to his room to ask what she really wants. All she wants is to stay with him. So he kisses her and promises to work something out.
Thus he asks Dandousai not to make her marry and he actually agrees.
February
After war broke out, she gets attacked by the rampaging officers together with Kyousuke, but they protect each other. Kyousuke takes care that she sleeps as well and wants her to return to her family as soon as possible.
March
Kousuke as the new manager pays for the damage of the officers.
As Ritsu returns to her family, Kyousuke suddenly breaks the news he will have to study in France. Because the condition for ending the engagement with his son, was for Kyousuke to study abroad. But he promises to write her letters even if she marries someone else.
Months later she actually receives a letter with a picture of him, which she always carries with her and peeks on it, when she thinks no one sees her.
But out of the blue he ends his studies, returns and marries her.
Hidden route
In the hidden route with Dandousai’s son it is revealed, that Dandousai’s secret is he lost his sense of taste and his adopted son was actually the reason for his success. And this son always wanted to have a true family, like this of the Yajima’s he coincidentally say as a kid. And as Ritsu is now kind of part of this family, he is determined to marry her (instead of one of the sister) to become part of this family and fulfill his dream.