In Episode 3 of "The Summer Hikaru Died," a nostalgic flashback transports us to Yoshiki and Hikaru's carefree childhood days, where they share a laughter-filled moment, savoring watermelon and playfully swallowing seeds. Their innocent giggles turn into tears of panic as they imagine transforming into green giants and meeting an untimely demise.
Returning to the present, Yoshiki carries a juicy watermelon to Hikaru's abode, where the two rekindle their bond through playful antics and heartfelt camaraderie. However, the air is tinged with a palpable shift; Hikaru, while enthusiastically devouring the fruit in a manner reminiscent of a manga scene, finds a peculiar mix of delight and disgust within, a sentiment all too familiar to him. He ponders the weight of his solitary charade, wondering how much longer he can sustain this facade.
Amidst the scorching heat, Hikaru drifts into slumber after confessing to Yoshiki the pure joy of their simple companionship. Yoshiki's mind wanders back to their youthful days, when tears over watermelon seeds marked the same season – a time when Hikaru's father passed away, leaving an indelible mark on their lives.
Reflecting on their lengthy friendship, Yoshiki grapples once again with his deep-seated Hikaru crisis. The Hikaru he once knew now seems but a ghost of the past. Seeking solace, he reaches out to Kurebayashi, signaling his readiness to confront his turmoil.
Their meeting unfolds with Kurebayashi, the kind-hearted grocery store owner, who listens intently to Yoshiki's heartfelt revelations about Hikaru. She offers comfort, acknowledging the underlying grief in his narrative. Intrigued by Hikaru's apparent aversion to romantic entanglements, she surmises the unbreakable bond between the two friends.
Turning the conversation towards the village's eerie occurrences, Kurebayashi posits that a monstrous creature may have descended from the mountains. Assuming Yoshiki's openness to her theory, she emphasizes the urgency of addressing the situation. Her own harrowing experience resurfaces – her husband's mysterious reappearance, followed by a tragic turn that left their son scarred. She shares this story with Yoshiki, hoping he might avoid a similar fate.
On a dreary, rain-soaked school day, Yoshiki lingers behind, lost in contemplation of all he has absorbed. Kurebayashi's words echoed in his mind, urging him to move forward, yet within him lingered doubts about his ability to do so. Hikaru, eventually tracking down his friend, found Yoshiki enveloped in a melancholy haze, unresponsive to his playful antics and unwilling to accompany him. A heated exchange ensued, sparked by Yoshiki's secrecy in meeting someone behind Hikaru's back—a breach of the openness that once defined their bond. However, Hikaru was no longer the carefree soul Yoshiki once knew.
Seizing Yoshiki's arm, Hikaru's touch resonated with an intensity that mirrored their intertwined emotions, initially startling Yoshiki but gradually drawing them closer in a confusing blend of feelings. Hikaru halted his advance just before the boundary blurred too far, leaving Yoshiki crumpled on the ground as he pleaded, his voice thick with sincerity, for Yoshiki not to harbor resentment. Realizing that this entity before him was not the Hikaru of old compelled Yoshiki to recognize a shift in their dynamic.
Later, Yoshiki's friends remarked on Hikaru's absence that day and how peculiarly attached he had become to Yoshiki recently, akin to a child clinging to its mother. Driven by concern, Yoshiki rushed to Hikaru's house, where he reluctantly accepted Hikaru's apology. Seeing a hint of naivety in Hikaru's eyes, Yoshiki resolved to assist him, acknowledging that this new version of Hikaru needed his guidance and support more than ever.
