Kotoko crashes into Naoki kissing him. He says he dislikes stupid girls. Kotoko's house burns down. Naoki's mom takes Kotoko and her dad in. Kotoko blackmails Naoki into helping her study. She passes the test entering the top 100.
Kotoko starts training to run in school relay race. She challenges Irie to join. He agrees if she'll leave their house if she loses. She twists her ankle, and loses, but Irie admits she tried hard, and lets her stay.