Tune in to the Midnight Heart (2026) s01e10 Episode Script

1
No, she got overtaken!
Those guys are way too fast.
Aw, she finished last.
Luck of the draw, I guess.
We have to bid farewell
to everyone who lost.
Winners, please move
to the waiting room.
It's still amazing that she got an invite
from such a big-name VTuber.
Yamabuki-kun helped her out, apparently.
He sure loves to poke his nose
into everything.
He sent me like ten pamphlets
for voice acting schools, too.
He also scheduled
my street performance without asking.
With that kind of zeal,
he could be a stalker.
Don't say that.
Aww.
FURIN HIGH SCHOOL
The lunch broadcast will have
a new segment starting this week.
I can't wait!
I should clean my ears.
Gross!
Good luck, Shinobu!
Thanks.
I'm looking forward to the new segment.
I'll make sure it's fun.
Won't you eat, Nene-chan?
I'm dieting.
You can do it, Nene-chan!
Break a leg!
Inohana-senpai.
Have some cookies.
Snack on them during the broadcast.
Thanks.
Iko-chan, the broadcast is about to start.
Wonder what's for lunch today.
Dad went all-out, so I'm excited!
Yikes, my stomach might rumble.
Maybe I'll just eat a rice ball.
You were smiling in your sleep.
Did you have a nice dream?
Not telling you.
BROADCASTING ROOM (TEMP)
This is the broadcasting club
with your lunch broadcast.
Exciting news! We're using
brand-new equipment today!
Did any of you notice?
There should be much less static now.
We'll keep updating our content, too.
Look forward to it.
Let's kick off our new segment:
Four Friends Give Love Advice!
Our first message is from someone
with the pen name "Nekko-san."
Yeah, this is easier on the ears.
So soothing.
"I think my boyfriend's been cheating,
but I'm too scared to confront him."
What a bummer of a topic to start with.
Just dump him.
Hack into his phone and look through it.
Cheat on him as payback.
How spiteful can you be?!
Hmm, well
Peek at his phone, and if he is cheating,
get a new boyfriend and dump him!
You're the most spiteful one here!
That's what makes Shinobu-chan great.
Aren't you going to join them, Yamabuki?
I don't happen to be
an expert on romance.
Even if I were there,
I'd just be their hype man.
Talk about first-world problems!
I'd kill to be Shinobu-chan's hype man!
Besides, I can't walk them
through everything.
Those four need to be able to
do this on their own.
Thank you for this meal.
Let me go buy some dessert.
Big eater, much?
Now
On to our next message.
It's from "Itachi-san."
"There's someone I'm interested in.
Whenever we make eye contact,
they bashfully turn away.
Does this mean I've got a shot?"
Wow, how bittersweet! Puppy love!
Th-That's naughty!
What do you think, Shinobu?
Turn away, huh?
Well
You've got a shot, all right.
Why are you blushing, Shinobu?
I think you're jumping to conclusions.
Itachi-chan.
Keep us posted, okay?
BROADCASTING ROOM (TEMP)
THE NEXT DAY
Thank you for all your
messages today as well.
Let's start with "Itachi-san."
"We made plans to go out for dinner.
What should we get?"
Wow, making good progress!
You were right about having a shot.
They're going out for dinner already?
That's kinda naughty.
Doesn't the love interest
seem sleazy?
What would be a good choice for dinner?
You need to show you have good taste.
What's your pick, Iko?
If it were me, hmm
This is my first time eating
okonomiyaki at a restaurant.
The thermal energy
of the griddle's scaring me.
You just need to flip it over
and sauce it up.
Okay, I'll flip it over.
Be careful.
This is hard.
You're so silly, Iko.
Listen, you can't be too rough with it.
Gently caress it like this.
Okonomiyaki, I guess?
That's a surprise.
Good idea, though.
It has entertainment value, too.
Iko-chan likes okonomiyaki, huh?
I'd love to go get some with her.
We've received another
message from Itachi-san.
"We've got the perfect mood
going right now.
I'm so close!
What should I do to seal the deal?
I'm so nervous! I can't speak!"
Right now?!
That's so hype!
They're doing something naughty
somewhere in this school!
How to seal the deal, huh?
Sounds like asking them out
will do the trick!
Too nervous to speak, remember?
You've got it in the bag.
I bet my fried chicken on this going well.
The next move is a no-brainer, then.
Easy-peasy.
Just
- Just go for a hug.
- Just go for a kiss.
- Huh?
- Huh?
You can't just kiss someone, Nene.
Have you lost all sense of social norms?
Wha? Just so you know,
I'm talking about a kiss on the cheek.
And you, jumping right to a hug?
Do you randomly cling to people
like a bitch in heat?
Hugging is how people greet
each other in the West.
Same for cheek kisses.
Shinobu, let's turn the mic off.
I sense a catfight incoming.
Agreed!
Calm down, you two.
This is getting a bit out of hand,
don't you think?
We can't give advice on stuff
we have no experience with.
- I do have experience, though?
- I do have experience, though?
What?
Well, um, sorry about that.
Way to fold, Shinobu!
My hug was effective.
So was my kiss!
Hey, you like hugs more, don't you?
You prefer a kiss, right?
Which
do you prefer?
Tell us!
Say, Yamabuki-kun.
What makes you happier? A kiss or a hug?
She's still not backing down?!
No need to be shy.
We've turned the mic off.
Uh
The mic is still on, actually.
I knew Inohana-san and Himekawa-san
would have the experience.
I want Rikka-chan to hug me!
I want a kiss from Nene-chan!
Sorry, I hit the wrong switch.
Shinobu, you big dummy!
Yikes, way to tank my image!
Let's end the broadcast.
But what about our advice
for Itachi-chan?
Probably doesn't need it.
Ugh, what a disaster.
Huh? What a pleasant surprise, Lemon-chan.
Would you let your beautiful
teacher vent for a minute?
Don't fix your makeup in our clubroom.
You know Samejima-sensei?
What, that muscles-with-limbs monster?
We've been making more eye contact lately.
I kept turning away,
but he suddenly invited me out
for okonomiyaki yesterday.
I went, because free food, but he got
this idea he had a real shot with me.
When we were alone
a few moments ago
he tried to kiss and hug me all
at once, so I kicked his ass.
Dude, you were Itachi-chan?!
By the way, your broadcast
was really something.
I never knew you girls
were so experienced.
Don't get the wrong idea!
That was all lies!
Inohana isn't denying it, though?
Why aren't you saying anything, Rikka?!
Maybe they do need me around.
KISS OR HUG
FURIN HIGH SCHOOL
Today's broadcasts
were all a work of fiction.
Any resemblance to actual persons,
groups, or events is purely coincidental.
Well, we hope you have a good afternoon!
There.
Well, I don't really care
if you tank your image or not,
but keep the romance
talk on the down-low.
Yikes.
It's raining.
Oh, wow.
Right, I forgot.
Do you have a minute, Iko?
Let's plan out your next stream.
Okie-dokie.
Is it just me, or is the errand boy
calling her "Iko" lately?
Nope, it's not just you.
Those two have been pretty close lately.
Quite literally, yes.
Next time—
Hey, errand boy?
My name is Yamabuki.
How come you're calling
Iko by her first name?
Oh, sorry. I didn't really notice.
We've spent much time together lately,
so I'm more casual around her.
Time together?
Forgive me, Kirino.
It was rude of me to use your first name.
Not really.
I don't mind.
Is that so?
I'll keep calling you Iko, then.
It's easier.
I'll allow it.
Yeah, yeah, okay, okay.
Fine, I'll make
a special exception for you.
What is it?
I'll let you call me N-Nene, too.
Why?
Because it's easier to say, too!
Himekawa is four syllables,
while Nene is only two!
You'll save so much time!
O-Okay.
Nene.
Hey, Inohana. What's gotten into her?
Rikka.
You can call me Rikka, too.
If you say so.
Try it out.
Rikka.
That tickles the ear.
What is going on here?!
Don't get flustered, boy.
I am not!
The way this is going, should I call you
by your first name too, Uzuki?
I think I'll pass.
It's too embarrassing for me.
All right.
Aww, look who just got rejected.
Stop that, Nene.
Your face is all red. Do you have a cold?
Should we cancel today's study session?
Nah, I'm fine.
Okay, I'll see you at the usual diner.
Shinobu's been getting you to tutor her?
It was Bucky's idea,
since anchors need smarts.
Being tutored by the
errand boy must be a pain.
The answer for that is #2.
Look at the preposition again.
Oh, I see. That was careless of me.
For long questions, first try
to find where the subject is.
Ignore the terms you don't know
and read the whole passage first.
That sounds really crispy.
I got lucky with really fresh fries.
Want half?
I'm dieting, so I'll just have one.
Hold it.
If you go in with your hand, you'll get
oil all over your pen and notebook.
Here.
Whoa, seriously?
Yours truly has the cleanest hands.
I, uh, just remembered
I don't like fries that much.
You don't?
Rikka really loves the fries here.
But if you don't want them, that's fine.
Give me another one.
S-Sure.
O-Oh, that reminds me.
We all came here together once.
It sucked when Nene stole my parfait!
But Iko shared her ice cream
with me to even it out.
Is this about me calling
the others by their first names?
Not at all.
If you say so. I won't press you.
Are you sure about me not using yours?
It's fine. That would be unfair of me.
Now, why don't we call it a day?
The rain's not letting up.
Darn it! My umbrella
got wrecked earlier, too!
Sorry, you got held up because of me.
I'll share my umbrella to make up for it.
Your grades have improved recently.
Good to see you've
been hitting the books.
It's because I have a good tutor,
Yamabuki-sensei.
But of course.
If your grades keep improving,
you won't need me anymore.
You're giving me too much credit, Sensei.
You know, Yamabuki-kun
I said no to being called Shinobu
because it'd be too embarrassing earlier,
but it's really because I'd feel guilty.
I'm the only one out of the four of us
who has a different
kind of dream, after all.
Iko-chan's doing great, huh?
You can tell?
At first, she couldn't emote on stream.
That was a big problem.
Iko.
You can tell what your viewers
want to hear right now, right?
Now, go end the stream on a good note.
Forget-It-All Beam!
It was unfortunate how
that collab event ended up,
but she's trying a bunch of different
things, which will help her grow.
Nene-chan, too.
She's always business as usual, though.
Y-You think?
I mean, she went and auditioned
before I even said anything.
"I'm sorry for summoning you here."
She's practicing in secret?
A soft, pleasant voice, much like
a cat that wants some love.
"Before you leave me,
It really does feel familiar.
there is something I must tell you."
However
However, I say!
- Your acting downright sucks!
- E-Eek!
won't you tell me
that you love me once more?
I think and I think and I think
Y-Yep I love you
Her portrayal of things she's
unfamiliar with needs a lot of work.
But
when she does put in the work
I don't want to see your
stupid mug ever again.
Get out of my sight.
She's capable of acting
that chills yours truly to the bone.
I kinda want to see it.
Rikka-chan's made progress, too.
Yes, thanks to you all.
Rikka became capable of
singing her own songs again.
Yay!
Huh? Why are you all here?
Where are the other spectators?
Sorry
- Rikka!
- Rikka-chan!
You always put up a front
and never tell us anything.
You should at least vent to us sometimes.
We kinda made these sloppy last-minute,
but we'll do better when it's for reals.
Imagine we're always in the front row.
Just look at us when it gets tough, okay?
Yeah, okay.
I can't wait for her street performance.
They all took a step closer
to their dreams.
That helped them get
closer to you as well.
The gap between us and our dreams
becomes the gap between us and you.
Which means I'm dead last right now.
I mean, after all
What's wrong?
Nothing.
I'm having so much fun
studying with you every week
that I'm actually hoping
my grades won't get better,
and I can keep studying with you
instead of pursuing my dream.
What a silly thing to wish for.
Right now, "Uzuki" is good enough for me.
In return,
I want to enjoy these times
for a bit longer.
But one day
Actually, Yamabuki-kun
If I can ever hold my head high
and say I'm chasing my dream
If I can ever
If I ever manage to make big
strides towards my dream
and stand alongside those three one day
When that time comes,
will you
call me by my first name then?
BLACK CATS AND WHITE DOGS
TRANSLATION: SRIRAM GURUNATHAN
TIMING: MARIANA MARTINEZ
EDITING: WILLIAM HAGGARD
QUALITY CHECK: S BILYEU
TRANSLATION CHECK: MICHELLE TYMON