Kokoro Connect Episode 9

is the ninth episode of the anime series.

Synopsis
Taichi send a message to Iori’s phone telling her that he is waiting at the StuCS clubroom. After receiving Taichi’s text message, Iori ran back to the clubroom and finds Taichi sitting at the desk.

As Iori seat herself at the clubroom couch, Taichi start apologizing to Iori after realizing his arrogant. He admits how wrong he was in thinking he must stay away from his friends to not hurt them. After listening, Iori starts tearing up as she thought that their group was falling apart. Afterwards, Iori ask Taichi if he is going to try getting everyone else to return by talking to them like he did just now, which he admit that he will. As Iori will try to talk with Inaba, Taichi will speak with Aoki.

After calling Aoki to come to the StuCS clubroom by text-message, Taichi apologizes to him for what he said to him the other day. However this annoys Aoki, as he was planning to apologize to Taichi first but receive his message before he could. Aoki hated himself when Iori pointed out to him that he was overly jealous of Taichi when he was able to help their friends, which Taichi admits to him that it was just by chance. Aoki then rise from his seat and apologizes to Taichi. Iori soon returns and report that Inaba had left before she could properly talk to her, and will try to talk to her again later.

While walking back from school, Taichi and Aoki lay at the grass hill on their way. Both then discuss about how to help Yui. Aoki asks Taichi about how he helped Yui before and he reply that he use their current phenomenon to their benefit after Aoki once pointed it out. From this, Aoki then got an idea on how to effectively help Yui overcome her fear of hurting the people outside.

Yui’s mother let Taichi and Aoki into the house, after she left they knock on the Yui’s bedroom door and she allow them to enter. They find Yui sitting upright on her bed, still carrying a sad face. Yui tries to tell them repeatedly to stop trying to get her to come outside when they are still curse by the ‘unleash desire’ phenomenon. Aoki starts trying to convince Yui that she can stop herself from people; however Yui told him that she cannot if her desire to hurt someone is unleash. Aoki tries to show her she can stop herself by using himself as an example; Aoki announces the idea of him and Yui spending a night at a love hotel, Aoki tries to prove to her that even though he really loves Yui, he will not attack. He claims that his ‘desire to protect Yui’ can overcome his desire for her.

As Yui was still affected by what Aoki said, it was then Taichi’s turn to try to convince Yui. Taichi start off by reminding Yui that she was a person that did not wish to do harm to people, and he believe that any of her ‘desires’ that can harm people can be overcome by her ‘desire to not hurt people’. Taichi told Yui that he had hurt Iori during one of his ‘unleash desire’. He is familiar with the pain that Yui is feeling; however he still tries to be with his friends. Taichi tells her she should believe in herself more. After hearing the encouragements from both Aoki and Taichi, Yui agrees to return to school. However Yui was still worried, so she asks them to please help her if she ever loses control, which Aoki gallantly accepts.

At the Inaba household, Iori tries to contact Inaba by her phone but still unsuccessful. Meanwhile Yui finally returns to school and is greatly welcome by Iori and her female classmates. Later on at the StuCS clubroom, Yui brought the load of snacks that she apparently brought when her ‘desire for junk food’ was unleashed while in the supermarket. Everyone in the clubroom soon start unleashing their ‘desire to eat’ and start competing each for a portion of the snacks. The next day, Yui finds Inaba as she changes her footwear at the shoe lockers. Yui came to tell Inaba that she is no longer bothered by what Inaba said to her the other day, and tells her that everyone is waiting for Inaba to return to the clubroom.

Inaba was at her room when she suddenly had a visit from Heartseed {in-Goto’s body}. After her mother left, Heartseed ask Inaba if she was checking the net on her computer, he then starts bringing up how Inaba was in her middle school days; always alone, trusting no one, establishing only a small amount of social links with other people and yet possesses no friends. Inaba interrupts Heartseed from speaking any further and confront him on his motive for visiting. Heartseed reminds Inaba that he will not allow his participants to keep hiding at their room, and praises Inaba for trying to stop him from interfering by still going to school. Heartseed announces that the current situation is not entertaining enough for him, and now he will escalates thing further.

Heartseed ask Inaba about why she was so protective of her attachment with the StuCS. Muttering that if that the StuCS were to break apart, Inaba will then lose her sanctuary. Heatseed then starts hinting Inaba about if she cares about anything more than the StuCS current status, perhaps the hidden deep feelings she has for a particular someone that she always tries to ignore. Inaba tries to stop Heartseed; however he told her that it’s already too late as she had just acknowledged her feeling in her heart. Inaba ask Heartseed if she can hit him, but he answers that it will be a futile effort that will only harm the body that he possesses. Inaba questions Heartseed if he is planning on visiting the other members which he answers no, just her. Heartseed finally left after once again warning Inaba ‘to stop hiding’.

The next day, Inaba meet up with Taichi and Iori for their class trip. They were both worried that Inaba wouldn’t show up, where she have to because she was task with bringing the vegetables. Afterwards the students of the Yamaboshi High school finally set off for their camping trip.