A Star Brighter than the Sun (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

All right, everyone,
do the faces look familiar now?
Now, let's get started with introductions.
Boys first. Student Number 1?
My name is Yota Ayukawa.
I commute to school from the dormitory.
My hobby is Let me think.
Maybe shogi?
Nice to meet you.
Hey there, the name's Yushin Izawa.
Not sure if it counts as a skill,
but singing's my thing lately.
So my goal for this semester is
to hit karaoke with everyone in class!
Anyone got any questions?
My favorite color is
Izawa, we've got more people to go, okay?
Ayukawa, Izawa
All right, next.
Oh, right.
I'm Koki Kamishiro from 2nd Junior High.
I'm planning to join the soccer club
in high school.
Dazzling
I'm not very good at English,
and I'm shy around new people,
but I look forward to getting to know you.
I had no idea.
Kamishiro's shy around new people?
And he's not good at English?
I didn't know that.
Next column, starting from Iwata.
She's huge.
I wonder how tall she is.
I'm Sae Iwata from 2nd Junior High.
Nice to meet you.
Iwata.
EPISODE 2, CALL MY NAME
I think your skirt is torn.
When I caught her!
Oh, this is so embarrassing!
Wrap this around if it helps.
Oh, thanks.
Don't worry, I don't think anyone noticed.
I mean, Kamishiro was the one person
I didn't want to spot that, you know
Sae, your skirt. I've fixed it.
Thank you.
Really, what did you do?
Oh, and that thing
You still have the kohaku manju box?
You should throw it away.
Oh, it's not trash, Mom.
Then what is it?
R-Room decor?
He looked so cool
in his high school uniform.
We're classmates
and sit close to each other
It's a good chance,
but I can't do anything.
I got his number, but I couldn't find
a good reason to text him.
I brought his hoodie with me, but
Kamishiro is never by himself.
-Please join the baseball club.
-Isn't that crazy?
-They're recruiting a team manager.
-Um
-If you join us, Koshien is guaranteed!
-Wow.
-I mean, Onodera's cute.
-I don't know much about baseball.
Yeah, she's definitely cute.
That caught me off guard.
They really do stuff like club scouting?
High school is something else.
Iwata!
Iwata!
You heading home? Bye-bye!
Kamishiro's by himself!
Wait a sec!
I can return his hoodie!
Whoa, sorry!
I thought you called me.
No, I'm the one who should apologize.
I just wanted to return this Thank you.
I feel like I always mess up,
especially when I'm around Kamishiro.
Iwata.
Thank you for saving me
on the day of the entrance ceremony.
Oh, sure You're Onodera, right?
Yeah, you remembered?
Koki, let's go!
I'm off.
Okay.
Guess the boys and girls
at your junior high were close, Iwata.
That's nice.
At my junior high, the boys and girls
didn't really talk to each other.
Kamishiro's really cool, isn't he?
So everyone thinks that
in high school, too.
But wasn't that self-introduction
a bit too wily?
What?
About being shy around new people and all.
That was definitely a lie.
Well, maybe because
you're easy to talk to, but still.
I feel the same.
You're really easy to talk to, Iwata.
Oh, can I get your number?
No way
I don't think he's that kind of person.
-SURE
-YAY
The first event
where you all should unite as a class
It's tomorrow's
trash pickup around the school!
Come on, where's the energy?
Get into mixed-gender groups of six,
in the order of your student numbers.
I'm in the same group as Kamishiro.
Choose a team leader.
Oh, I don't mind being the team leader.
Are you sure, Izawa?
That sounds a bit formal.
Why don't we pick nicknames?
Call me Yushin.
As for Kamishiro
How about Mr. Handsome?
Huh?
Hmm, Iwata can be
How about something like Hachiro?
It gives off a big and powerful vibe.
I'm a nickname master!
Well, um
Hachiro is a beautiful story, isn't it?
Am I really going to be Hachiro
starting today?
Iwata, people called you Iwa
back in junior high, right?
Why not go with Iwa?
Yeah? Then Iwa, it is.
Kamishiro called me Iwa!
It just happened in the flow, but still
Let's see
I'd rather not be called by a nickname.
Just call me Kagawa.
This is awkward
Onodera, how about
we go with Hisui for you?
You know,
your first name fits your image better.
Huh? Yeah, sure.
Oh, that's what this is about?
You can call me that, too, Iwa.
Or just Sui if that's too long.
You too, Kagawa.
If you don't mind
using nicknames for others.
I don't mind at all.
Let's have bento together.
Hey, is Kamishiro the kind of guy
who snaps surprisingly easily?
I've never seen him snap.
There's something cool
about guys who snap, right?
What? How is that cool?
Was Kamishiro popular in junior high, too?
Sorry, I don't know much about it.
How did your English quiz go today?
Is this part of the school grounds?
It looks like a mountain.
I hope there aren't any brown bears.
Brown bears are scary.
Maybe you could beat them, Iwa.
They might think you are one of them.
I don't know You think I can?
Of course not.
You shouldn't take the mountain lightly.
All right then.
Boys this way, girls that way.
Hey, hold on. I'm the team leader!
Even in high school,
I'm still seen as the big one.
And everyone sees Kamishiro
as the cool one.
You picked up loads, Iwa.
You really did, Iwa.
Are you all right?
Sae!
You don't need to help him,
he can climb back up by himself.
Don't be a baby, Yushin!
"Sae"?
"Sae"?
What? Didn't I call her Iwata just now?
You definitely didn't. You called her Sae.
Sorry, Iwata!
I turned into a grade schooler
for a moment.
Hey, Team Leader!
Where are you sneaking off to?
Team Leader! Hey!
Is Kamishiro short-tempered?
Isn't it rude
to suddenly go first-name only?
I was totally put off.
No
Sae!
I know.
He runs to me, helps me, and smiles at me.
Um, Kamishiro is not the kind of person
who gets angry for no reason.
And
I was happy to hear him
call me by my first name!
We were close in elementary school,
but I thought I was the only one
who still considered us friends.
We barely talked in junior high,
I thought maybe he'd forgotten those days.
You're overwhelming me
So I was happy he remembered!
You were?
Izawa got carried away
and said some stuff he shouldn't have.
I can't go into details,
but I don't blame Kamishiro for snapping.
I felt better, too.
What happened?
Like I said, I can't tell you.
Hey!
All the other groups
have gone back already.
Let's go back.
Seriously?
Let's go.
Isn't it kind of mean not to come get us?
It's not like I can suddenly change
in high school.
I haven't even mustered the courage
to text the number he gave me.
But, no matter how dazzling he is,
I won't look away!
Want to join the volleyball team?
Let's start with the things I can do.
First, I'll try to talk to him
as much as I can.
I wonder if Kamishiro likes comedy.
Tell me
what tomorrow's quizzes will cover.
Math 1, Eng 1, Eng C.
In ten minutes!
Huh? Ten minutes?
Was Kamishiro always like this?
Um, I think it was somewhere
MATH 1: PP12-19, ENG 1: PP 12-19,
ENG C: PP 1-12
In ten minutes
IWATA?
I'M SORRY
I MISTOOK YOU FOR KINOSHITA
He meant to send it to one of his buddies.
I had a feeling something was off.
This is embarrassing.
No worries!
Good luck to both of us on the tests.
Are you just starting to study?
I didn't know he could be a bit careless.
YES!! TRAINING STARTS NOW!!
Hey, we're classmates now.
Looking forward to it.
Feel free to text me anytime,
even if it's by mistake!
Every little thing fills my heart,
but little by little, at my own pace
-YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE
-OH, IT'S SUI.
IT'S ME, SUI. MY LEGS FEEL SO HEAVY.
DOES KAMISHIRO HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?
SAE IWATA:
I DON'T KNOW
Got it. Thanks anyway!
When a girl confessed her feelings
to Kamishiro,
I think almost everybody knew about it.
Everyone gossips, you know.
I knew
I knew a girl who seemed to have a crush
on Kamishiro, too.
I knew her very well.
So he didn't have a girlfriend?
Really? Not at all?
But isn't it a little too soon?
No. At least not in our school.
I wouldn't know if it was someone
from another school.
Another school? That's possible.
Sui, we're in the classroom.
Kamishiro's not here,
but someone else might hear us.
Back at my school, the boys and girls
didn't even look at each other.
Some people did ask others out and all,
but if you left any trace, you'd get
dirty looks. You had to be like a ninja.
I gave it a try, too,
but the place we agreed to meet was
covered in cobwebs, so I gave up.
But I want to get married in my twenties!
She talks so fast. Wait a ninja?
My junior high was awful,
so I came here determined to have
a love story like the ones in dramas.
But when those guys showed up looking for
a team manager, I didn't know what to do.
This is too much information
Kamishiro's perfect,
except for that snaggletooth.
But that's what makes him charming.
Uh, Iwa, you're not really interested?
Huh?
Maybe it's just that
some people aren't really into girl talk?
Right, I'm sorry.
I love it, so I couldn't help myself.
No, I'm the one who should be sorry.
Sui didn't do anything wrong,
but I ended up making her apologize.
Izawa, can I borrow
your electronic dictionary?
Sure thing, I've got one on you now.
If girl talk is off the table,
I don't have anything to talk about!
Then, how about some romantic poetry
from Hyakunin Isshu?
"Though I strive to hide it,
my love blooms upon my face"
I thought it was too soon, but it was
love at first sight for me, too.
Just because I can't tell him how I feel
doesn't mean I have the right
to stop others from falling for Kamishiro.
Iwa
Iwa!
Iwa
Iwata, are you interested
in starting a judo club?
You're so strong, Iwa.
Sorry, are you okay?
You're not hurt anywhere, are you?
No, I'm okay
It's Kamishiro!
Kamishiro!
Iwa beat everyone in judo.
Huh? You threw everyone?
No
She didn't throw us,
more like ground techniques?
Did I crush you?
No, it felt like
you were handling us with care.
You placed us gently on the mat
and held us softly.
LIKE THIS
She's kind, isn't she?
No wonder everyone falls for him.
Iwata, weren't you going to join
the tennis team?
What?
Club activities have already started?
I can see the tennis court from the soccer
field, so I noticed you weren't there.
Koki!
Coming.
See ya.
Maybe I should join the tennis team, too.
I'm going to turn in my registration form.
Want to come with me to check it out?
Yeah!
-I'm serving!
-Nice.
-Okay!
-Let's go!
-Okay!
-Nice.
Put your hand out like
you're shaking hands and That's right.
Wait a sec, let me watch Kamishiro kick.
What?
-There you go!
-Coming your way!
Sui is straightforward and has
a natural way of getting close to others.
Just because I've had my eye on him longer
doesn't make me better. But
Iwata, where are you going?
Club practice.
Wednesday is a day off for all clubs.
Really? I messed up
Iwata, you did well
on the Math 1 chapter test, didn't you?
I caught a glimpse of it from my seat.
You got a lot right.
I'm glad it was the one I did well.
If you're not busy today,
can you help me study?
I just barely passed.
How can I teach in a way
that's easier to follow?
Having you help me study feels like
we're back in elementary school.
You helped me in other ways, too.
Did I?
Back then, I was smaller than you,
so you used to carry
the heavy stuff for me.
Oh
I'm a lot bigger now,
so I kind of want to get revenge.
What? Revenge?
Not revenge, I meant to return the favor.
I see.
So that's why he's being nice to me.
I was happy I could help Kamishiro.
Even Kamishiro as a high schooler.
You're so smart, Iwata.
No surprise you got into this school.
We go to the same school.
Yeah, but I put in quite a bit of work
to make it here.
You did? That's amazing.
It's not amazing.
That means I just barely made it.
Both my school transcript
and mock exams were a mess.
I'm the type to play it safe,
so I admire people who push themselves
and take on challenges.
Why play it safe?
Maybe I'm scared.
It's scary to think
there might be no chance.
Right. I was scared, too.
But I had my own reasons,
and I figured
it was time to really do my best.
So even Kamishiro feels scared sometimes?
But I'm glad I took on the challenge.
Not just because I got in.
Even if it hadn't worked out,
I'd still have the me who tried.
And from there, I can move forward again.
You're so cool, Kamishiro.
What's so cool about it?
I got 39 on that test, so hearing that
from someone who scored 96 is
So you saw that
It's getting dark.
If I face my fears and give it a shot,
will I be able to think like Kamishiro?
Maybe, "Thanks for today"?
But what am I thanking him for?
Small talk is hard.
YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE
He texted me!
THANKS FOR TODAY!
And it was marked as read right away.
He'll know
I had his message screen open, right?
WANT TO BE IN THE SAME GROUP
FOR THE SCHOOL TRIP?
REPLY, EXCUSE
Reply excuse
HAVING SOMEONE I KNOW WOULD MAKE IT FUN.
The texts keep coming and they
are being marked as read instantly.
THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER GIRLS I CAN TALK TO
I need to reply!
I'll send him a sticker in the meantime.
GOOD WORK TODAY
IS THAT A BEARD?
GOOD WORK TODAY
I think it's supposed to be a rice ball,
so it should be seaweed.
OH, A RICE BALL!
YEAH
Will I be able to tell him one day?
That everything I did,
I did because I liked him.
Will I ever have the courage?
To tell Kamishiro.
Iwa, let's be in the same group!
Can I join, too?
You three in the same group?
Want to team up?
-I don't mind. How about you?
-Me neither.
How about we change the group
from the trash pickup?
I think mixing up the groups sounds good.
I bet she's after Kamishiro.
Wh-What should I do?
If it comes down to rock-paper-scissors,
I'll start with rock and then do scissors.
Okay! Then let's do rock-paper-scissors!
Group reps, gather around! Bring it on!
Huh? You're doing it?
Ready, go. Let's split
with rock, paper, scissors shoot!
Iwa!
You and Kamishiro
were being sneaky together.
You're so easy to read!
I want to get closer to him
during the school trip.
Can you help me, Iwa?
Sorry! You're not into this kind of talk.
I'll go talk to him!
Is it okay?
You've got a crush on Kamishiro, too,
right, Iwa?
What?
At the trash pickup, you were a lot more
honest about how you felt than usual.
I thought you did
because it was about Kamishiro.
He's waving.
At you, Iwa.
I've kept it tucked away
deep in my heart all this time.
Every time my feelings surfaced,
I kept them locked away.
The feelings that have grown inside me are
so precious, it's almost frightening.
I like him so much
and I don't want that to change.
So I never said it out loud.
Oh, I'm sorry! Are you okay?
I see stars.
I'm sorry
Sui, I
I have a
crush on Kamishiro, too.
Whoa! You should've told me sooner!
I would've helped you!
Since when have you
Sorry
Since when? Junior high?
Elementary school.
So long! Oops, sorry. I shouted.
From elementary school? Wow!
Was he already handsome back then?
He was small in elementary school.
But, yeah, he was cool.
The seasoned vibe!
That's a full-on serious one.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
I've just been overthinking things.
I've been holding back for so long,
always afraid it wouldn't work out.
I've finally been able
to put it into words.
So you can do girl talk, Iwa!
I've got your back!
Maybe that's what put her on guard.
But if you like Kamishiro, too, Sui
I wasn't that serious about him anyway,
so it's okay.
I was into his looks,
but I can totally fall for someone else.
Besides, I was kind of leaning
toward someone else.
You were?
I mean, Kamishiro said
there's someone he likes.
That
I really didn't know.
Subtitle translation by: Aki Tamaoka
What are you packing for the school trip?
I'm just bringing
what's listed in the itinerary.
Snacks are a must!
We're having a girls' night!
I can foresee.
All our snacks getting confiscated
-Episode 3, "No Matter How Far."
-Episode 3, "No Matter How Far."