After she returns from Asuka's house, Kumiko and her sister reconcile while making dinner, admitting that they were jealous of each other. Mamiko resolves to move out to pursue her dreams. Knowing how much her sister regretted letting their parents push her around, Kumiko appeals to Asuka after school to stay in band, mentioning that everyone wants her to stay. Asuka pushes back against Kumiko's assertions, asking if she can really say so for sure, but Kumiko says that she herself wants to play with Asuka. The two are interrupted by Aoi calling Asuka about the results of a mock exam she took. Later Asuka returns to the band for real, using the fact that she scored in the top 10 in the nation in the mock exam as ammunition against her mother. However, Kumiko realizes that Reina is now avoiding her.