Senpai's too good for this association!
Senpai?
Yeah! I can't understand why Senpai even joined an association like this!
Senpai?
But we're all first-years...
I'm talking about Arima Hizume-senpai!
Huh?
You're talking about Hizume?
Wait, but we're the same age.
Maybe she was held back a year?
Or she didn't get in the first time...
Stop thinking such rude things about Senpai!
I saw your performance at the park. You made so many mistakes!
Oh, so she was in the audience.
The timing on your stunts was off, and you were shaky.
When you changed formation, you couldn't keep smiling.
The heights of your front kicks were uneven,
and your pivoting foot being crooked during the side kick is just unacceptable!
Um...
Not to mention—
Thanks for observing us so carefully.
Why are you thanking me?! I'm pointing out your failures!
Anyway, just so you know, I won't accept the existence of
such a half-assed cheer association!
Ow...
I'm very sorry.
Are you all right?
Hizume!
Hizume-chan!
S-S-S...
Anima Yell!
A/V Room
Um...
If you'll excuse me!
Why is she here?
Is she a friend of yours?
Yes. She's one of the girls from my old squad.
I had no idea we went to the same high school.
Absolutely no idea.
C-Can you really call her your friend, then?
I sorta feel bad for her.
Are you her senpai?
She... Ushiku-san joined the squad after me, so she called me that.
So her name is Ushiku-san.
In that case, you're all my senpai.
Peep!
I'm finally Cheer-senpai!
Cheer-senpai... Cheer-senpai... Cheer-senpai...
Just because you started before another member doesn't give you seniority.
We're all teammates.
Y-You're right! Teammates, yeah!
You seem a little disappointed.
But I wonder what Ushiku-san wanted.
She seemed to be concerned about you, Hizume-chan.
Perhaps she came to greet me when she found out
a former teammate was going to the same school.
Maybe she wanted to join!
Uh... It sure didn't seem that way to me.
Um...
Got a sec?
Hey, it's an actual senpai!
Actual?
Episode 8: Senpai and Me
You're going to the prefectural tournament?
That's amazing!
That must mean you won the regional tournament.
Congratulations!
Thanks. So I wanted to ask you guys to cheer for us again.
Actually...
Captain! Let's ask them to cheer for us again!
We need cheerleaders!
We need cheers!
The rest of the team was thirsting for cheers.
Looks like they're hooked.
This time, we're not just asking you to cheer for us.
We'd also like you to perform before the game and at halftime,
so it'd be like cheering for all the schools participating.
Let's do it! The more people we have to cheer on, the more worthwhile it'll be!
Yeah, I figured you'd feel that way.
Concerning Basketball Team Prefectural Tournament Choreography
Here's an idea.
Why don't we try to choreograph the routine together?
I-I-I couldn't!
Choreography!
No way...
We'll be fine.
No matter what the routine may be, it won't be scary if we all do it together!
Hizume, that's not reassuring at all!
I was kidding. If you could come up with some moves,
Concerning Basketball Team Prefectural Tournament Choreography
we'll put together the best parts, and I'll make the final choreography.
She looked totally serious about it.
Question!
Is there some kind of trick to coming up with moves?
Trick...
In my case, I'll listen to a song and let my imagination go to work.
Do you have any songs you'd like to dance to?
Off the top of my head?
I hadn't thought about that.
Oh, oh! In that case...
How about this?
Hey, I've heard this song before!
I think that'd be perfect.
This sounds like it'd be easy to choreograph.
No complaints here.
Yay! Thanks, guys!
This is also just me, but I visualize someone dancing in my head
and try to objectively come up with dance moves.
Visualize someone dancing in my head and objectively...
I got it!
Huh? That was fast!
Um, um... Visualize someone dancing in my head...
I can't do this! It's too hard!
She visualized herself failing!
Why don't we take this assignment home?
Try thinking about it overnight.
Everyone's going to be dancing it, so I have to make sure it's decent!
Since I'm using my head, I need to refuel with some sugar!
The sweet taste is still in my mouth. I'll go make some black tea.
And She's Derailed
Hmm...
Gather materials...
What else am I supposed to do?
Please welcome today's guests, the idol group produced by YUTA-san, STAR!
Produce...
Yeah... This isn't it.
There should be moves that'll make Kohane shine even more!
Cuter! And more energetic!
She's completely forgotten the fact that she'll also be dancing this
Choreography, huh?
I wonder what kind of cheer I should come up with.
I'll include that, and... I want to do this, too.
Oh! And I definitely want to put that in!
Okay! I'm done!
Completely filled
Hizume said she'd figure it out.
Leaving all the work to Hizume
Perhaps these photos and DVDs of my old squad will give me some ideas.
Ushiku-san isn't in any of these photos.
I'm sure she was in the squad, though...
She's there
Concerning Basketball Team Prefectural Tournament Choreography
How did it go, everyone?
I finished!
I guess it'll work...
Me, too.
All right, I'll brush up your ideas,
so please practice on your own today.
Did you notice, Kotetsu?
Yeah.
She's here again.
Hey... If you're curious, why don't you just come in?
Uki, who are you talking to?
Uh...
Oh, is it Ghostie-chan? Does Ghostie-chan actually exist?!
She hasn't recognized her presence at all!
The next day
Okay, that'll be our choreography.
All that's left is to practice.
We need to do our best for the basketball team, too!
R-Right...
And the next day
Kohane-san, keep your wrists straight and horizontal.
L-Like this?
One more time! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!
I wonder if Ushiku-san has nothing better to do...
Uh, I can't argue with that...
Two, two, three, four...
A few days later
Tomorrow's finally the day.
Let's do our best so that we don't get hurt.
I'm so nervous...
We'll be fine! We practiced lots!
Y-You're right...
We should be fine.
Come forth to the roof
Curse
It's that scary handwriting again.
So you came.
Ushiku-san?
There's something I want to ask you.
Why is Senpai cheering with you guys?
You guys can't even do low-level techniques.
Her previous squad was much better.
Um... Maybe you should ask Hizume yourself.
Why are you asking me?
I mean... How am I supposed to speak directly to her?!
I'm not worthy!
I think it's because she doesn't care about
our skill levels and is just having fun.
She's softened up quite a bit.
That's...
I don't know much about her old squad,
but we—
Enough!
Stop acting like you know her!
You don't know anything!
Ow...
H-Hey! Are you okay?
Y-Yeah, I think so...
I'm used to this kind of thing because of Kohane.
Slide!
Used to it?
More importantly, why don't you try to talk to Hizume face to face?
Huh?
If you're so concerned, you should ask her how she really feels.
Everything I said is just based on assumptions.
You're right...
I guess we all visualize things differently.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure the way we visualize Hizume is way different.
Now that that's settled, let's hurry up before you change your mind.
Ow!
Ouch...
Apparently it's a light sprain.
Uki-chan?!
Are you okay, Uki?
I'm fine. If I just tape my ankle—
I told her to talk to her face to face,
but she hasn't been able to.
I-I'm so sorry!
This is all my fault! I—
Ushiku-san.
Don't tell me...
Take that!
Ushiku-san used some kind of move on Uki-san's leg?
What kind of scary situation would that be?!
No, I just fell.
I slipped on the roof.
No! She protected me when I was about to fall.
It doesn't even hurt that much. I'm fine.
I believe I understand what's going on,
but even if it's just a light sprain, we can't take this lightly.
We'll perform tomorrow with just the three of us.
Maybe we can just adjust the timing between the four of us...
There's a part where we do alternating roll-offs, too.
Um... it'd be a little hard without Uki...
Um...
Kaminoki Municipal Gymnasium
Basketball-senpai!
Hey.
Thanks for having us today!
Yeah, thanks for coming!
Wait, uh...
Did you change your look, Sawatari-san?
That'd be a plastic surgery kind of change!
Thank goodness Uki's uniform fits you perfectly.
I wouldn't say it's perfect. The area around the chest is...
Then we should make a uniform for you, too!
Why?
I'm only doing this because I'm responsible for what happened.
I can handle it being a bit snug.
Aw, come on, Ushiku-san!
Kohane, go get ready.
Okay!
Kohane, you're drinking too much water.
I'll put the towels out here.
I'll do everything I can to support you guys today.
Uki, you're sort of like...
I was just thinking the same thing.
I feel like...
I'm a wife.
A manager!
Yes! A manager! Exactly!
Did you just say—
A manager!
Wait, you totally said something different.
I said "manager"!
You're lying!
Ushiku-san.
Y-Yes?
We were only able to practice together yesterday. Will you be all right?
I-I'll be fine!
It's been a while since I've done cheer, but the routines were all pretty easy.
It's been a while? Did you quit the squad, Ushiku-san?
Y-Yes...
I kept practicing on my own, but... with the squad...
High school just got too busy.
There was no point in staying on the squad without you there...
I feel a very overbearing presence...
Wow... There are so many people!
Let's do our best today.
Y-Yes, ma'am!
Hey, let's all form a circle!
Let's group up!
I have a request...
S-So this is what an Instagram shot looks like...
Big bro strikes again, huh?
Before we begin the match,
the Kaminoki cheer association will perform.
Everyone, please give them a round of applause.
She's amazing!
Ushiku-san's movements are big and really sharp,
so she really stands out!
And...
Her performance is so energetic!
Kaminoki Basketball
Let's go, Kaminoki! Go for win!
No, no... I'm filling in for Sawatari-san!
Let's go, Kaminoki! Go for win!
I need to concentrate and do this right!
It went in!
Do this right!
Huh?
Hoshigaoka Girls
Kaminoki
It's halftime!
Make sure you all get re-hydrated.
You're back on after a quick breather.
Great job, Ushiku-san! You had the choreography down perfectly.
Yeah!
You have... a lot of energy, too...
I think you could conserve more energy if you'd shut up once a while.
Right, Hizume?
Yes.
Your moves are very clean, and your performance is wonderful.
Hey, she's relaxing a bit.
Senpai complimented me.
So this is what your cheer looks like, Ushiku-san.
This is going to sound rude,
but I don't remember much about you or the other squad members.
I was so obsessed with cheerleading that I didn't even notice
the people around me.
Everyone else... was basically potatoes in a field.
Go for win!
That's terrifying in itself.
I know this might be a little late,
but I'm really happy that I got to cheer with you today, Ushiku-san.
Senpai...
I'm the one who's happy to cheer with you.
But... all I ever did was watch you.
That's why I can tell...
She's actually having fun now, unlike before.
Also...
Her skin is softer, and her hair smells nicer.
Her upper arms even look different.
Yikes! This is getting dangerous...
But just like Senpai only paid attention to cheerleading,
I was also only looking at Senpai.
I mean, has cheerleading always been
something you do together like this?
Senpai used to always look stoic and even a little pained when she was cheerleading,
but now she looks like she's having so much fun.
That's all that matters.
If that's what makes Senpai happy...
No... No...
No!
Arrows (ya)?
I want to cheer with Senpai, too!
I want to laugh with her!
Even if I wasn't able to change Senpai,
I'd been watching her this whole time!
Wh-Whoa...
Ushiku-san's cheerleading is so full of emotion.
Cheerleading is so...
Hmph.
Is that what it's like?
Hoshigaoka Girls
Kaminoki
They did it!
They won!
Basketball-senpai, congratulations!
Thanks!
Senpai!
Please...
continue to
watch my cheerleading!
But...
We're already done cheering for the day.
U-Um, that's not what I meant...
Support!
So you're going to join us!
That makes me very happy.
Really, Ushiku-san?
Then why don't you stop calling me "Senpai"?
We're teammates, after all.
Please just call me "Hizume."
I'm Kohane!
Um... I'm Kotetsu...
Call me Uki.
Kaminoki Municipal Gymnasium
Ushiku-san fainted!
A-Are you all right?
Ushiku-san!
Hey, wake up!
Next time: "The Captain Is Chosen! Five-Person Cheer Squad."