The Year Draws to a Close (年は暮れゆく , lit. Toshi wa kure yuku)
• Shizuku Mizutani
• Asako Natsume
• Mitsuyoshi Misawa
• Sōhei Sasahara
• Seta
• Murakami
• Sako
• Terashima
• Shimoyanagi
• Haru Yoshida
• Chizuru Ōshima
• Yū Miyama
• Kenji Yamaguchi
• Joji
• Mabo
• Tomio
Synopsis
Asako reluctantly visits the batting cages to return an item she borrowed from Sasayan. While there a boy called Yana tries to hit on her, as his friends all tease the situation. Upset by their behavior, Asako leaves. Sasayan goes after and apologizes, causing Asako to tell him why she hates boys because they cause her to be shunned by other girls. She gets embarrased when Sasayan points out her contradiction in liking Mitsuyoshi. Just then, Haru shows up and obliviously tells them of a picnic Shizuku bribed him with in exchange for him to stop nagging her about cram school. Asako and Haru go to a taiyaki resturant where she remarks on her feeling of safety around Haru because he likes Shizuku.
Eventually, as the year draws to an end, everyone goes their separate ways, leaving Asako a lonely retreat to her online community. When Shizuki calls to ask for a favor, Asako is unable to contain her emotions which prompts Shizuku to invite her for a sleepover to which Haru also shows up. Haru explains to Asako that her loneliness was unnecessary because she has an open invitation to visit him whenever she wants, leaving her to ponder if she would still be able to spend time with Haru and Shizuku should they become a couple. The three of them fall asleep after dinner and are awoken by a call from Sasayan inviting them for Hatsumōde. There they meet Kenji and his friends as well as Chizuru and Yū. While hanging wishes, Asako and Chizuru talk about their feelings. Later the group goes to the roof of the batting cages building to all await Hatsuhinode. Here Asako and Mitsuyoshi talk about the difference between being in love and the blind bliss of frienship, prompting her to inadvertantly confess to him, leaving him speechless. Sasayan who had been listening to Asako's confession, walks over to Yana and tells him his plan had "backfired".
In the epilogue, Sasayan is shown to be at the shrine before midnight with his friends. He also encounters Kenji and his friends. As they leave, and the crowd counts down until midnight, he tries calling Asako, but she doesn't pick up. She is shown to be just waking up after falling asleep with Haru and Shizuku after dinner. She then uses her phone to take a picture of Haru and Shizuku, asleep on the floor.
References
| Episode 01 • Episode 02 • Episode 03 • Episode 04 • Episode 05 • Episode 06 • Episode 07 • Episode 08 • Episode 09 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 • Episode 13 | |
| Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun OVA | |