Kokoro Connect Episode 8

is the eight episode of the anime series.

Character Appearance

 * Yaegashi Taichi
 * Nagase Iori
 * Inaba Himeko
 * Aoki Yoshifumi
 * Kiriyama Yui [mentioned]
 * Yaegashi Rina (Taichi’s Younger Sister)
 * Gotō Ryūzen
 * Fujishima Maiko
 * Watase Shingo

Synopsis
Taichi finds Himeko at the school gate and tries to apologize for what he said to her earlier. Himeko tells Taichi that it is fine, but she thinks that it may be best that she don't meet Yui for a while. Himeko wants to be alone for a while so she is planning not to attend the StuCS clubroom as well. After Taichi fails to convince Himeko that she should be with her friends, Taichi tells Himeko that she can rely on Taichi and her friends to come help her if she needs them. Himeko then left while trying to hide the tears on her face from Taichi.

Taichi, Iori, and Yoshifumi gather at the StuCS clubroom after school to talk about the absent of the other two members. Iori worries if there will be a problem with Yui’s attendances, however Yoshifumi explain that she was only absent from school for a week, so it should not be too big of a problem yet. Iori had tried to visit Yui earlier before, but she would not meet her. Taichi believe that the current situation is bad for Yui, but Iori and Yoshifumi remind him that it could be worse for her if she assault someone after she come outside. Even so, Taichi still believes that it will better to get her to come out. This angers Yoshifumi as he starts pointing that Taichi is only cares about solving Yui’s current problem and not the problems that may come after.

An intense argument soon broke out between Taichi and Yoshifumi, both disagreeing on their approach to helping their friends. Yoshifumi yells at Taichi, criticizing him as he thinks that his “selfless nature can once again save the day”. Whereas Taichi reminds Yoshifumi how he was useless in the previous phenomenon by Heartseed. Iori tries to intervene between their argument, but Taichi’s desire to ‘not let Iori interfere’ was unleash and he shove her, where she then hit her head hard onto the metal cabinet. Just then, Yoshifumi declares to Taichi that he only cares about saving the person and would ignore the people that will get hurt along the process. When everyone finally calm down, they apologize to each other for what they said.

Later that night, Taichi was at his room and replaying in his mind about when he apologizes to Iori; whom now has a bandage on her head. He was self-loathing the fact that his argument and the harsh things he said to Yoshifumi were not triggered by his ‘unleash desire’ but by his own volition. His sister: Rina was worried about her brother’s well-being and came into his room. Rina ask if he had a fight with his girlfriend, Taichi allow her to think is so she will spare him this conversation. When Rina left the room, Taichi lay on his bed and starting hating even more for making his sister worrying about her.

The next day in school, Taichi start wondering if he should even attend school. He enter his classroom with the ignore everything but studying in the classroom, even talking to his friends. Soon most of the StuCS members except Iori try to avoid one another and this continue on the following days. Until one day, the class representative: Fujishima announces the field trip that the class will soon be going on. She inspires the students in the class to form into group of five (with at least two guys, two girls and one extra) with the idea of obtaining love on the field trip. Taichi pair up with the male classmate who was near him: Watase and they both soon join into a group with Fujishima, Himeko and Iori. Himeko was against the idea, but she was overpowered by Fujishima’s personality.

Later the day, Iori tries the talk with Himeko but could not. Seeing Taichi, Iori tell him that she will be waiting at the StuCS clubroom. Taichi stay behind at the classroom until his homeroom teacher: Mr. Go enters the room. Once he notices Taichi, Mr. Go gets him to help with exchanging the lecture podium for a new one. After arriving at the store house, Mr. Go has Taichi help out again with cleaning the store house as it was a mess. While cleaning, Mr. Go talks with Taichi about the relationship known as friendship. While returning, they encounter Fujishima and Mr. Go asks her to help Taichi with his friendship situation.

Fujishima listen to Taichi’s problem to see if she can help. She ask Taichi that do he rather “not hurt that person by not talking to them” or “talking to them so something will happen”. Fujishima then tell Taichi that everything will click to place if he has the conviction to make it happen. Fujishima later receives a phone call, she ask Taichi if he have anything else and then left. With this new revelation, Taichi ran into the clubroom and find that Iori is not there. He soon finds her message on the board saying that she went to try to see Yui and apologizing for leaving early. Taichi then smile and also left a message stating that ‘the best defense is a good offense’.