Aki comes home to hear her mother and grandmother laughing about something, which was really unusual. But as soon as she comes in, Natsu gives her the cold shoulder and goes straight to bed. At the Fishing Co-op the next morning, the Ama-sans find it boring without Aki around and wish that Natsu will forgive her already. Meanwhile, Aki and Yui are talking. Yui shows a bitter side of her that Aki has never seen before. "Aki-chan talking in our dialect sounds fake and unnatural, I feel like you're making fun of us." But Yui apologizes right away and reiterates that she does not like the countryside and wishes to leave for Tokyo as soon as possible. "I can't see the way you see my hometown." She also reveals that she wants to be an idol someday. At the Tourism Office, the list of Miss Kitatetsu candidates are finalized and among them are Yui and Kurihara Shiori (Secretary at the Tourism Office). The winner will represent the railway line and help promote it. Then, Hiroshi comes in, for he was hired at the Tourism Office, with the help of Daikichi. Hiroshi is tasked to make the town's tourism webpage. Hiroshi makes it so that people can vote for the candidates by clicking on their pictures on the website. They also ask Hiroshi, "Who did you nominate?" and he replies, "Aki-chan," which was greeted with exclamations of surprise ("Jejejeh!"). At school, Yui tells Aki that she has decided to accept the candidacy for "Miss Kitatetsu" even though she thinks it's embarrassing and lame. "It sounds like being an idol of train otakus during the early days, it's not a past that I want people to find out." But for now she has no choice but to accept it, as a favor for Daikichi's help in finding work for Hiroshi. "If he (Hiroshi) stays unreliable, I couldn't leave home... Well, since I'm in it, I might as well aim for the top prize." Aki admires Yui's confidence and determination. At night, Aki could not sleep and for some reason, gets up and goes to the second floor of the hou
