night. the foursome practice in the dark. mikami tells them to stop, but they don't.

then haruka drops by and tells them to stop. cos matsuzawa is in big trouble. matsuzawa calls up yokomori to apologise, but she's so upset she hangs up on him

haruka tells them to quit. imoto throws the ball to haruka.

imoto: then, you join us.

kato and ozu at home. kato feels ozu was too harsh with yokomori regarding such a minor issue. too old-fashioned.

ozu: don't make me more old than you

kato: you must be 20 years older

ozu: how old do you take me to be?

kato: at least 50

ozu: look closer at me

kato: 40?

ozu: no

kato: 30?

ozu: guess

kato: 32?

ozu: am i that young?

kato: so you're 50-something!

ozu: of course. do you believe everything anyone says?

kato: you always do this to me. what were we talking about?

ozu: enjoying the wine and cheese

kato: that's right... no... wait a minute! that's not it!

ozu: you always take the other person for his word

kato: we were talking about your harsh comments

ozu brings up kato's past. he had committed an offense, similar to yokomori's situation. a student had come to seek kato's advice, and ended up becoming infatuated with him. one sunday, she went to his place. he explained to her that he does not share the same feeling. so she reported him to the school that he had seduced her. so kato had to leave.

being a teacher, there's a conflict. you need to be close to reach out to them, but you can't be too close either.

haruka's still with imoto and matsuzawa. it's her first night out, late. matsuzawa tells her it's a lot more fun than staying at home. she then leaves.

matsuzawa to imoto: she likes you

matsuzawa asks if he can stay over at imoto's place. and envies him for having only a mother. he wonders why his dad has to come to school and make trouble.

imoto asks him why he wanted to ask the teacher out? no reply.

the next day, the list of absentees in class are: imoto, matsuzawa, mikami and miaku. to ozu's surprise, even haruka's absent! yet another surprise, akimoto's studying hard!

akimoto says he's going to listen to teacher, so that he can continue to play basketball. ozu is so unused to it.

haruka, imoto and matsuzawa are playing truant. playing street basketball.

matsuzawa: it would be great if you played in our team

haruka: so what's with you and the teacher?

imoto: have you told your dad?

kato, ozu and ashikaga in school.

ashikaga: what happened to haruka? it's the first time she's skipped classes

ozu tells them to leave it alone, they will return by themselves

ozu stops a girl along the corridor. he asks if she's interested in playing basketball. the student's not. but ozu persists in asking her to come for tryouts at the gym after school.

kato: she's a girl

ozu: i know

kato: then it's useless

ozu: i want her to be the manager. she's pretty

ashikaga: what are you thinking?

ozu: the team manager is an important position. a female manager's the rose among thorns.

he goes after another pretty girl.

kato grumbles to ashikaga about ozu's attitude.

ashikaga: i'm sure he has his reasons

kato: he's just a lecher.

matsuzawa's dad is angry with yokomori, even though it's his son who initiated it. despite the teachers' assurances, he wants to take his son out of school. the principal tells him his son is a member of the basketball team and is playing well. still no use, he wants out.

sano asks shikamatsu to prepare the school-leaving documents.

yokomori tells them to persuade the father to let his son continue. she will resign. sano tells her she doesn't have to. it's not a major issue.

ozu looks for yokomori in the arts room.

yokomori: if matsuzawa were to be taken out, the basketball team will be even more worse off.

ozu: that's ok. we can manage

yokomori: still say it's fine, when you are having a hard time finding a replacement.

ozu: i can do it.

yokomori: i know. that's why i want him to stay. but you have to treat me to champagne.

ozu: champagne, i have. but i do not wish to see you resign over this matter.

yokomori: don't worry about me. it's alright. no great loss. i'm single, i can always find another school.

ozu: kato has shared with me the difficulty of maintaining the relationship between teacher and student

yokomori: i always reject his calls. lately, he has been calling everyday.

ozu: you were also at fault. for not setting up clear parameters of association.

yokomori: you are right. i... i have never managed to express myself. cos when i was small, i was always punished for telling it as it is...

ozu: abused?

street basketball. yokomori catches a loose ball and bounces it.

yokomori: if i wear a (school) uniform, would i look like a student? i will quit as a teacher. i am going to be a student.

matsuzawa: what are you saying?

yokomori: today's my last day as a teacher. as my last instruction, go back to school

matsuzawa: you're resigning?

yokomori: your father is very concerned about you

matsuzawa: because of that night?

yokomori: please return to your father.

matsuzawa: it's all my fault

yokomori: you're not listening to me

so the 4 of them return, with ashikaga waiting at the entrance.

imoto takes the blame for leading the rest astray.

ashikaga says that while they were absent, yokomori had to suffer, and so does matsuzawa. miaku blames mikami for blabbing to sano in the first place.

imoto sees ozu: matsuzawa is leaving?

ozu: that's his father's decision.

imoto reveals that matsuzawa's parents had never cared about him. they just want him to study and do well. the burden of their expectations is very great.

imoto: i don't have a father, and cannot understand it. no one has ever pressured me to study. yes, he should not have tried to date a teacher, but he's not bad.

yokomori submits her resignation to the principal. and asks him to persuade matsuzawa's dad to reconsider, now that she's leaving. the principal wants her to stay, so they come up with a plan. (what plan?)

ozu: me?

shikamatsu: we don't want neither yokomori nor matsuzawa to leave. so my father suggested we make an apology to matsuzawa's father and ask him to reconsider. as kato is his form teacher, so you have to go too.

kato: i'll do it

ozu: it's none of my business

shikamatsu (boldly): my father wants you to go, so go

ozu: you've become more assertive

shikamatsu (smiles, losing her stern look): just a little bit.

the 3 teachers go to matsuzawa's dad's company. ozu advises kato not to reveal his thoughts too freely.

matsuzawa and his dad are in the office. matsuzawa's dad tells them he will be studying at home to prepare for university.

kato and yokomori apologises to him, and asks him to give the school another chance. matsuzawa's father says it's no use.

ozu now apologises, as matsuzawa's basketball coach. he explains that without matsuzawa, the team will be down to 3 players.

matsuzawa's dad asks if they are just making selfish requests.

ozu replies in the affirmative.

matsuzawa's dad then asks if ozu has children.

ozu: yes. in high school

matsuzawa's dad: then you understand my feelings

ozu: yes

matsuzawa's dad: i have high expectations for him to enter the university. never expected him to hit a teacher (in his previous school) i don't know what's going on with him.

dad to son: your mother will be very disappointed. all this while, she thought you were busy studying. instead, you played truant. we have done all we can to help you do your best. instead, you have chosen otherwise. we wanted so much for you, but you have disappointed us.

dad to teachers: this is a parent's heart, if you can understand it. but instead, you associate with students (in affairs). what will they learn? they will only end up as a burden to society.

matsuzawa's crying.

dad to son: it's too late for tears. i really wish i could recover all the money i had spent on you. do you know how hard i had to work to give you the opportunity?

ozu to dad: he knows. he sees it all too clearly. he has followed in your ways, and grown up. he is exactly like you. he is your image. he fought the teacher (who only reprimanded him) in order to break the mold. because he does not want to become like you.

matsuzawa's dad (kena scolded by ozu! 'kena' is malay for 'got'): you...

ozu: what's wrong with meeting a teacher? as a father, don't make a mountain out of a molehill! this kid just wants someone to talk to. right now, he's saddened by the loss of his friends (taken out of school). i think you won't understand. all caught up with work, you will never know. you're so successful, you can't see the other people, nor hear what they are saying. because you do not care for others, you're no better than if you weren't present. to put it plainly, you don't exist. you're a ghost.

matsuzawa's dad: ghost?

ozu: yes. you and i are 2 big idiots.

he walks off, the office workers stunned at his criticism of their manager. as he goes, he advises them on stock tips. kato and yokomori leave too.

kato: how can you say that?

ozu: i was saying it to myself.

dad asks son: what's your phone number for your school? i want that teacher (ozu) dismissed. jun (son's name)!

matsuzawa gets up

dad: stay here!

son: don't call the school

dad: why?

son: i won't associate anymore, never (just let me stay in school)

dad: you don't have to go to that school

son: i want to

dad: i'll be the judge of that!

son: no. it's my decision.

shikamatsu wonders if the apology would work. principal says ozu won't apologise.

yokomori's report. ozu defended the student. she asks the principal to protect ozu, to warmly embrace him.

yokomori: i don't understand it, but i am beginning to understand more of ozu's way. i want to stay and teach.

principal: carry on, then

gym practice. imoto and haruka are being punished by ashikaga. to run 100 rounds the court.

matsuzawa turns up and runs with the 2 offenders.

miaku makes mikami apologise, but he is defiant and asks the boys to go and have fun. they ignore him and continue to train.

ozu throws a ball at mikami, who catches it with ease.

ozu: if you want to play, play here. (not street basketball, where you mix with the drug dealers, etc)

mikami: huh?

ozu: you want to play

mikami: what?

ozu: your shooting skills are excellent

miaku: how can that be? he missed so badly (at the tryouts)

ozu: he can, even 3-pointers

flashback to the tryouts. each time, mikami missed at exactly the same spot. the consistency indicates accuracy and skill.

kato: is that so?

mikami: ok. consider it my apology for having revealed the secret (between yokomori and matsuzawa). i will help you guys. but i have some conditions. between dating and practise, dating comes first.

ashikaga is angry with his arrogance

mikami: another thing. i want to be captain

akimoto: you're too much, mikami.

mikami: don't you want to win?

he turns, and shoots a 3-pointer with ease

ozu thinks: okubo, we finally have a 5-man team