Kimizero – 12 (Fin) – Their First Time*

* No, not that first time.

Runa and Ryuuto are once again inseparable, with Runa loudly proclaiming her feelings for him to everyone around. Honestly, I wouldn’t be embarrassed. She speaks the truth! When talk turns to Christmas Eve, Ryuuto considers if Runa may actually want to have sex. But she has a new project in mind: setting up a surprise dinner for her and Maria’s parents.

While an extraordinarily bad idea that could easily blow up in her face, it’s classic Runa: she loves both her parents and wants them to be happy. Back at school, Isshi returns after a lot of time off and has transformed due to weight loss. Now he looks jut like Akari’s favorite K-pop idol but she daren’t ask him out lest she look like a pathetic loser.

Nisshi tries to hit on Nicole, who instantly calls him out on it, but he rightly says that nothing will happen if he just sits back and does nothing. But Nicole hasn’t given up on Sekiya, so she tells him “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.” While asking someone out right after a breakup can work, I fear the difficulty level is far to high for someone with no courtship experience.

As for Runa and Ryuuto, both are nervous about the impending dinner. They have every right to be, as it ends up blowing up in Runa’s face. Because Runa didn’t tell her dad her mom would also be at the dinner, he brought a date. And because Runa is going to introduce him to her boyfriend, he thought he’d introduce her to his new fiancée.

Poor Runa! Ryuuto takes her home, and her dad told her he’d be out late, so they’re alone. Ryuuto, who at least realizes the mood just isn’t right to stick around, prepares to leave, but failed to grasp how much Runa wanted him with her, especially this night when she feels so alone.

Runa “wants Ryuuto to have [her]”, but there’s a problem: Runa is a little redder and breathing a little heavier than she should be, even under these circumstances. When she virtually passes out in his arms, Ryuuto takes her temperature (102 F!) gets her into bed, puts a washcloth on her forehead, and stays by her side through the night.

Meanwhile, Nisshi is somewhat creepily hanging around Nichole’s workplace, wanting to more directly ask her out even if it means getting rejected again. But he hesitates, and in those hesitant moments, Nicole runs right past him to the cram school.

She blows by the receptionist, opens every door to every room until she finds Sekiya, then tells him she’ll wait for him until he’s through his exams, even if he tells her not to. She then runs off, but Sekiya chases her down and puts his scarf around her. Even this gesture brings tears to Nicole’s eyes. There is truly no one else in her heart but this guy. He’d better effin’ step up!

Ryuuto eventually falls asleep beside Runa, so they technically spend the night together. In the morning, Runa’s feeling right as rain, and particularly happy to be spending Christmas morning with Ryuuto. They exchange gifts: he gives him a slew of good luck charms (not just for studying), he gives her moonstone earrings to match her ring.

In an extra florish, Ryuuto dresses up as Santa, which is the same thing Runa’s dad used to do. But now she realizes she has “a new santa”—a new source of happiness, in Ryuuto.

That night Runa chats with Nicole, who is still riding the high of having sucessfully re-bagged herself a Sekiya. Runa asks if it’s weird that Ryuuto didn’t try doing anything dirty with her last night. Nicole correctly posits that it was due to her having a fever.

Nicole, who could make a great therapist if she hadn’t already chosen a dream, thinks Runa’s disappointment in the lack of on-gettin’ is a sign that she may finally want have sex with Ryuuto. That makes it the first time she’s actually wanted to have sex with someone, as opposed to feeling obligated. If and when they do do it, Runa and Ryuuto will be sharing firsts.

In the epilogue, Runa takes Ryuuto to a print club where she cosplays as a maid and does a shoot with Ryuuto. In keeping with her new policy of being direct about her feelings, Runa tells him she wants to turn him on, probably because she’s coming around to wanting to be physical with him.

With that, she plants a smooch on his cheek for the final photo captioned “I love Ryuuto,” and we close the book on Kimizero. While it never knocked my socks off in any particular aspect, this was an all-around solid rom-com exploring an experience gap that turned out to be mutual: Ryuuto’s inexperience in sex, and Runa’s inexperience in love.