Young Girls in Love

Takako is a senior high school girl. She lives in Kanazawa with her older sister, Hiroko, who is in college. She has three companions at school, Midoriko, Teiko and Kinuko, who are rather strange. Teiko is the smartest student in the class, but no one can keep up with her. Kinuko, who spends most of her time painting, has been held back a year in school.

Midoriko holds a funeral each time she has a shocking experience. Takako has attended these ceremonies twice before. The present funeral is for Midoriko’s broken heart. After the funeral is over, Teiko tells Takako about her love for an older man. Takako experiences a strange stirring in her heart after Midoriko and Teiko told her about their feelings for the opposite sex. She has been in love without knowing it, and these two friends have made her begin to realize what her feelings mean. The boy whom she has feelings for, Masaru, is a classmate of hers and member of the school’s baseball team. However, Masaru likes someone else. To him, Takako is just like one of his male friends.

When she begins to realize she loves Masaru, Takako also starts to notice that someone else has been admiring her. It is Kanzaki Motoshi, a younger student, whom her sister once tutored. It is a very strange experience for her. Not only is she in love for the first time, but someone is in love with her too. She does not know how to deal with it, and is driven more than one to resort to extreme measures.

One day when Takako is back visiting her parents in the country, Kanzaki shows up. He came all the way to ask her for a date. She sees in Kanzaki an ability to express his love outwardly, and her feelings toward Masaru begin to change in a subtle manner.

On the night of Hiroko’s graduation party, Masaru’s girlfriend leaves him. Takako witnesses thescen, and before she knows it, she is on her way to Kanzaki’s house. She seeks his affection in tears. Through the window of Kanzaki’s room, the two see Kanzaki’s father and Hiroko parting. Takako feels she now understands a little of what it means to love someone.

Takako, Midoriko and Teiko hold a Japanese tea ceremony at the beach. Each girl, who experienced love in her own way, seems to have advanced a step toward womanhood. (Contributed by Alex Evangelista-Philippines)