Even a Replica Can Fall in Love (2026) s01e08 Episode Script

Nao.
Nao.
Nao.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Today's Seiryo Fest. The second day.
Right.
You helped with selling our club's zine?
I guess.
Since you sold 19 copies yesterday,
that means we have 81 left to go.
That's where we're at. Good luck today.
Thanks.
Okay, see you.
Oh.
Be sure not to flub your lines.
I'm all over it.
"Grandma. Grandpa."
"I came here from the moon."
"I want to stay with you
on earth forever."
"Yet I have no choice
but to return to the moon."
Well? How was it?
So
I'm coming to watch the play.
I can't wait to see my daughter on stage.
Hey, over here! Come this way!
It's just like a fair.
Aikawa-san.
Good morning.
I printed out more posters for the play.
I'll put up a bunch.
Thanks.
All righty. This is our final day,
so let's go for the gold.
We're gonna win the top prize!
Yeah!
Please line up against the wall.
Aikawa-san, thanks.
I'll take it from here.
I appreciate it.
Ah, there you are.
What's up?
We have enough people
for the haunted house,
so I need you to do our publicity.
When you're done,
you can go back to the lit club.
Can you do it?
Is that all? Sure thing.
Thanks a bunch.
Okay, here's your outfit.
The makeup crew
will be here in five minutes.
Bye.
Huh?
"A haunted house is
totally maid for this!"
What?
Whoa, omigod.
That's too cute, Aikawa-san.
So, um
It's such a thrill knowing
we're going to ruin this adorable maid.
Huh?
Brace yourself, Aikawa-san.
What?
Aikawa-san, your skin is so smooth.
Oh, man. Now that's a flesh wound.
Looking good.
Whoa. I don't believe it.
This makeup looks really good.
We've been training for a whole month.
Okay, come with us. Your master awaits.
Bye now.
Aki-kun.
You're laughing way too much.
We needed a Count Dracula and his maid.
You two will really add
to the atmosphere.
Does it make sense to have vampires
and maids in a "haunted" hospital?
Ah, don't sweat the small stuff.
Anyway, you two have a special assignment.
You'll need to hold signs
and pass out flyers.
What? In these outfits?
There's nothing to be ashamed of.
You two can also enjoy Seiryo Fest
together while you're at it.
Do you mind walking around
with a bloodied-up maid?
And you? Do you mind hanging out
with Count Dracula?
I'd be glad to.
Oh, yeah. You two haven't been
inside the haunted hospital yet.
You should take the opportunity to go now.
What?
Y-Yeah, um, I'm not good with dark places.
Come on now.
But you're not actually
scared of the dark, right?
Um
It's fine, really.
If it's fine, then go.
No, I mean I'm good.
I'm glad you're good with it.
Yeah, uh
"It's fine" or "I'm good"
don't really mean—
Two exclusive complimentary guests
checking in.
You could've stayed away,
yet you dared to set foot
in my haunted hospital?
If you wish to get out of here alive,
you must retrieve your medical charts
from deep in the bowels of the hospital.
If you happen to fail,
you'll be trapped in here forever!
Well, let's go.
This is just the starting point.
I can't! I can't! I'm dropping out!
Aki-kun, are you still here?
I'm here. And I haven't let go.
It'll be fine.
Okay.
No
No! Stay away!
I got the charts.
Two of them?
Yeah.
Uh, wait a minute.
Is this haunted house so big, we smashed
through the wall into the next classroom?
No, class 2-2 is selling taiyaki.
Hang in there. It won't be much longer.
'Kay.
Once we're out, we'll get taiyaki.
Sure.
I'll eat the poor things
from their heads down.
No! A gh-gh-gh-ghost!
Kill it! Quick!
That's insane.
But—
Please no more.
Come on. Stand up.
You'll be fine.
Why are you laughing?
Sorry. You're too adorable.
Sorry.
I've been keeping it together
this whole time, but I just can't anymore.
You're mean.
You jerk. You total ding-dong.
Huh?
What's wrong?
I don't think I can stand.
Your knees gave out?
Are you going to leave me?
Of course not.
I'll carry you.
Huh? But your ankle
It doesn't hurt so much these days.
Come on. Hop on.
Okay.
Am I heavy?
Kind of.
Correction: you're as light as a feather.
As if I'd believe you now.
Welcome back, you two
What?
It seems her legs gave out.
Huh? Uh, sorry that happened to you.
It's okay.
I'm fine now.
Then, you can take these.
Good luck with the play, too.
Sure.
Wait. Is there anything else
we can help out with?
We're good. In fact, look.
A whole bunch of thrill-seekers
came to check us out
because you screamed so loud.
We might even get the fest's top prize.
Haunted hospital!
Come check us out!
That haunted hospital
scared me too, you know.
Really?
But seeing you super scared
took the edge off the whole thing.
So I guess I owe you.
Well, excuse me for being a scaredy-cat.
How can I make it up to you?
I want to go on a non-scary date.
Okay.
Ricchan, thanks for holding the fort.
Welcome back—
Wait, what are you wearing?
You should see Aki-kun.
He's wearing a Count Dracula costume.
He'll be here in a little bit.
So anyway, how are sales?
Surprisingly good.
We've sold 33 copies so far
between today and yesterday.
It's thanks to Mori-senpai's poster,
and a whole bunch of people
who know you guys.
Wow! We're really making progress.
But it's not nearly enough, I'm afraid.
The real battle is after the play.
It'll literally be our first and only real
opportunity to sell in numbers.
Yeah.
Nao-senpai.
So this is just a hypothetical question,
but if they do shut down
our club, will we still—
Ricchan.
No negativity allowed.
Yeah, you're right. Sorry about that.
We won't lose the literature club
and we'll still be friends, Ricchan.
You got it.
And if we do get shut down,
we'll just find an empty classroom.
Make up your mind!
You ready?
Uh, yeah. I'm a nervous wreck right now.
Me, too.
Aw, shoot.
My costume.
It's just water. It won't leave a stain.
You sure?
Let's go, Aki-kun.
Did ya hear? The teacher
congratulated me again.
He did? For what?
For my test score.
It was that good?
Nobody else had my score.
Dude, did you get 100?
I got a zero, which nobody ever gets.
He wasn't congratulating you!
But he was all smiles.
He was laughing at you!
He said there's nowhere to go but up.
Thanks for waiting.
Ah, you're here.
Let's get you in makeup, pronto.
Sure thing.
I'll do your makeup, Aikawa-san.
Okay, thanks.
The other day, I gave our classmate
Morie-san a letter.
Oh, the cute one?
She said, "Thank you!"
You asked her out? Really?
And she said yes?
The letter said, "We thank you
for your consideration in this matter."
"The parent-teacher conferences
are scheduled for these days."
That's just a handout from the school!
I'm done.
Thank you so much.
I should touch up mine, too.
Mori-senpai?
Should we step outside?
You can't be alone with her.
You worry too much.
Nao.
If anything happens, I'll call you.
Let's go.
Are you okay now?
I really convinced myself
I could handle the pressure.
Huh?
But I'll do it. I'll make it work.
I mean, I'm supposed to.
Can you tell me about yourself?
If you want, I mean.
It may take a load off.
Do people often say you're a bit weird?
I was created when Suzumi was only five.
She made me right before
she had to act in a play in kindergarten.
Suzumi wanted me to play her role
of the evil stepmother.
I did what I was told and
went with her mother to school.
But
But Suzumi ended up following us.
That woman Her mom looked at me
and started panicking.
I don't blame her.
She'd seen someone who looked
exactly like her daughter.
And she knew she hadn't
given birth to twins.
So her mother knew about you
from the start.
Yeah. Her dad did, too.
They separated me from Suzumi
and sent me to live with
her grandparents in Fujinomiya.
That happened 13 years ago.
I didn't see Suzumi once
in all those years.
Not even a single time?
Right.
What about you?
Sunao summons me whenever she needs me.
She's been letting me
go to school this entire month.
Except for yesterday. That was her.
I see.
Did you know
that you don't need a birth certificate
to attend elementary or middle school?
I couldn't go to high school,
but I had my grandparents,
and I could study well enough at home.
Then, why are you
It's Suzumi. She's in a vegetative state.
During summer break,
she accidentally hit her head.
The next day, she slipped into a coma.
She was hospitalized at first,
but she started receiving treatment
at home since the end of August.
That woman came to Fujinomiya
at the end of August, too.
She looked straight at me,
a freak she couldn't stand the sight of
before, and pleaded with me.
You must pretend to be Suzumi
and go to school for her.
Otherwise, her attendance
will suffer beyond repair.
She studied so hard
for her college entrance exams.
But it'll all go to waste.
I beg you. Please help my daughter.
Oh, that's right.
Don't you see?
You came out of nowhere that day
precisely for this reason.
How could she?
She brought me back here and
got me to attend her school this term.
But I don't have a clue
what Suzumi's like now.
I've tried my best to fool people,
but I'm just not as smart as her.
I should get a medal for getting
a five on a high-school test
with a middle-school education.
I've really done everything I could.
I became Suzumi, Moririn,
the student body president,
and even Princess Kaguya.
I've done everything for her.
But I'm just buying time and messing up.
I'm not helping Suzumi at all.
When I met you,
I thought I'd found a ray of hope.
But I hadn't.
A replica can't give her life
to save the original, right?
Why would you want to sacrifice yourself?
Yeah, it's so weird.
Why are we replicas so stupid, anyway?
You must've noticed it yourself by now.
We must be messed up in our heads
if we're willing to sacrifice so much
of ourselves for our originals.
Honestly, I didn't want to play
the evil stepmother, either.
But I went along with it anyway,
thinking in my heart of hearts
that I had to do it for Suzumi.
Don't
I hadn't seen Suzumi in 13 years.
Yet I still want to do everything for her.
I want to bring her back to health.
So I'm perfectly willing
to do anything for her.
I'm sure you know exactly how I feel.
You see?
Isn't it bizarre?
On the outside, we're made to look
exactly like the original in every way.
But on the inside,
there's something very wrong with us.
We're just puppets on a string
with no will of our own.
Come on. Our audience awaits.
Senpai.