It’s August 26th, Ruka’s birthday. And for her birthday she wants to go on a date with Kazuya, so on a date they go. Her goal is to make her heart race as well as his, so she has Kazuya take her to the pool, she dons her first bikini, and she asks Kazuya to apply sunblock to her back and legs. It turns out to be an overload of stimulation for the both of them.
After the pool, ice cream, and a sumptuous hotel buffet feast, Kazuya and Ruka head to the beach, which both note is a place where several other couples are getting frisky. Kazuya feels guilty for continuing to lead Ruka on as her “trial” boyfriend, and tries to lay the groundwork for gently extricating himself from the relationship.
Naturally, he tries to make it about him not deserving a girlfriend as angelic as Ruka, and apologizes to her for making her go out of her way for his sake. The tack doesn’t work. She slaps his shoulder and tells him he’s not doing this for her sake, or to get one up on Chizuru. She simply had a dream of going on a fun date with her boyfriend on her birthday…that’s it!
Kazuya really is a cad for not so much as bringing a physical birthday gift, but Ruka forgives him even for this, because she wants a gift he can give her right there and then. She wants to drop the honorific and call him simply “Kazuya”, he agrees, and makes her happy beyond belief.
We’re now past the halfway point of this third season, so it made sense to re-introduce Ruka as a legitimate threat to Kazuya and Chizuru getting together, and they don’t encounter one another in the whole episode. Instead, Sumi comes with flowers for her gran, along with some much-needed words from a third party.
Sumi tells Chizuru that Kazuya worked so hard, and how many times he almost gave up, only to get back on his feet each time, all for Chizuru. She says Chizuru’s desire combined with Kazuya’s support to make something amazing together. The sentiments bring tears to Sumi, and Chizuru’s genuine smile shows that she appreciates them.
After Sumi departs after shyly saying hello, Granny Sayuri notes how Chizuru seems to have made more friends since meeting Kazuya. Unbidden, Chizuru starts talking about Kazuya, initially with irritation with how little he knew about filmmaking at first and eventually with admiration and fondness, her whole face lighting up as she remembers him falling in the drink and having to cross dress.
Watching Chizuru go on like this about someone brings a smile to Sayuri’s face, and she tells Chizuru that true love begins when you’re having the time of your life talking about them. Chizuru insists it’s not like that, as is her wont, but her blushing face suggests otherwise.
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