Episode 9

Atsushi goes hiking to plant a part of himself in the mountains. Rokka catches up to him and finally realizes that Atsushi is somehow inside Hazuki's body. For the time being Hazuki still remains in dream land.

Plot Summary

Rokka and Atsushi stop by a tree

Atsushi goes hiking, and is enjoying the feeling of taking steps without running out of breath. He realizes that this is thanks to Hazuki's youthful body. Rokka also goes hiking, to the place she last went with Hazuki before he was hospitalized for good, in an effort to find Hazuki, who she doesn't realize is being controlled by Atsushi. Rokka notices a particular tree and has a flashback about it: Rokka explains to Atsushi how trees are "kind" if they look easy to climb, like they are inviting people to hug and climb onto them. Rokka tells Atsushi a story her mother made up about a woman who ate a poisonous tree branch, died and was reborn as part of the tree branch. Atsushi thinks it's a silly story. Atsushi never learned how to climb trees, and also never took part in gym at school because of his health.

In dream land, Hazuki leaps into another fairy tale, this time Rokka is playing Snow White, and she is asleep being carried by seven dwarves. The dwarves are quite bumbling, but insist that they are serious. Hazuki says he will play the prince who wakes up the princess by a kiss, the dwarves leave. Before Hazuki can even get close to Rokka, Rokka wakes up and says he's not the prince, and laughs. Hazuki talks about whether he really has an advantage over Atsushi, or what kind of future he has.

Atsushi has been found out

In the real world, Rokka finally finds Atsushi, and sees him planting the snow plant. She asks if he is Atsushi, and Atsushi doesn't respond and just runs away. Rokka realizes from the weird way that he runs, that it is indeed Atsushi. When Rokka catches up to him, she starts crying. As Rokka is crying on his chest, Atsushi realizes he has let this go on longer than he intended, and he was at fault the moment he came back alive.