Ryūji decides to help Minori go after Taiga. While running to catch up, Minori shouts out that she has always liked Ryūji but held back because of her friendship with Taiga, but says that Taiga has to obtain her own happiness as well. Despite hearing Minori's voice, Taiga walks away before Ryūji and Minori could reach her. Afterwards, in the infirmary, Minori tells Ryūji about her dreams and confirms that Ryūji does like Taiga. Later, at work, Taiga finds Ryūji waiting for her and agrees to talk to him after the shift. However, after work, Ryūji and Taiga's mothers come to confront their children, and the two run away. They stop at a bridge to talk about their situations and, after Taiga tells Ryūji that he has to live on, accidentally pushes him into the river. Standing in the river, Ryūji yells to Taiga his plan of running away and marrying her. Soon after, Yūsaku has them go to Ami's house, where they and Minori meet up. Minori, Ami, and Yūsaku do not agree with their plans, but decide to support them. Soon after they leave, Minori breaks down and cries about the relationship between Ryūji and Taiga. Comforted by Ami, who reassures her that they still are only young and that they can not know what life will hold for them. At home, Ryūji finds that his mother has run away, leaving a note and his grandfather's watch. The next morning, Ryūji and Taiga get on a train, but after Taiga talks about being a three-person family with Yasuko, Ryūji decides that they will not run away. He takes Taiga to his grandparents' house, as Yasuko told him to in her note, and introduces himself as their grandson and Taiga as his wife.