The second episode of the new anime series “Skip and Loafer” just came out, and it follows Iwakura on her next adventure as the brainy high school student. In the previous episode, we saw her exhausted after she pulled an all-nighter to prepare her self-introduction for class. This episode begins the morning after as she leaves for school.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 2: Recap: Fidgeting And Wandering
The episode begins with all the students in the class giving their introductions in turns. The teacher calls out Iwakura’s name and asks her to come next. She reaches the podium and remembers her aunt Nao’s advice to smile during the speech. She tenses up while she gives the speech and tries to joke about being destined to work in the government sector as she was born to lead. The joke doesn’t land, thereby straining Iwakura. Next, we see Shima Sousuke give his introduction in a completely relaxed way. In his speech, he tells the class that his dream is to work under Iwakura in the future. His humorous tone relaxes the mood of the class.
Iwakura grows fond of Sousuke. She is ecstatic to notice Sousuke’s similarity to her pet dog. After everyone finishes giving their introductions, the class teacher asks the pupils to volunteer for the two positions open for class monitor. Iwakura immediately raised her hand. As there were going to be two monitors, a girl and a boy, and with Iwakura already selected as the girl monitor, a classmate raised Sousuke’s hand, trying to tease him. The teacher appoints Sousuke as the boy monitor.
Looking at their chemistry together, other girls, especially Egashira, get jealous of Iwakura. She tries to manipulate her. She asks the class to go to Karaoke together. While everyone agrees, she warns Iwakura she does not want to see Iwakura heartbroken if she grows too fond of Sousuke. Iwakura feigns her gratitude for Egashira’s advice but is a little disappointed by it.
The class goes to a nearby Karaoke bar. Iwakura checks the hourly rate and takes money out of her pocket to pay the price upfront. Egashira tells Iwakura that in Tokyo, one pays while leaving the Karaoke, making Iwakura a little self-conscious. Sousuke comes to her rescue and tells Egashira that it’s not Iwakura’s fault, as there are some places that ask for the payment upfront. The classmates go inside and begin singing songs. Egashira asks Iwakura if she has prepared any songs and asks her about Iwakura’s dialect. Iwakura excuses herself to go to the bathroom. She comes out and finds the aloof but beautiful Murashige outside. Murashige lets Iwakura know that Egashire is manipulating her in order to get closer to Sousuke and that she should be careful not to fall into her trap. Iwakura tries going back to the Karaoke but sees Sousuke and Egashira chatting inside. She starts feeling demotivated and reminisces about the simple life back home.
She suddenly receives a call from her friend Fumi in her hometown. Iwakura, on the verge of breaking down, puts up a front as if she is enjoying her time at her new school. Fumi calls her bluff and asks her about her true feelings. Iwakura relaxes, and they have a great conversation. A rejuvenated Iwakura enters the karaoke room and sings an obscure song. At first, her classmates are bewildered by her choice of song, but seeing Iwakura enjoy singing that song, they start to enjoy it themselves.
Next, we see Egashira pestering Sousuke for his attention. Sousuke tells her to relax, as she would enjoy everyone’s company much more if she could remain calm. He catches up to Iwakura, and she accidentally calls Sousuke by her dog’s name. Petrified at the faux pas, she fears the worst, but Sousuke is amused by it. He offers Iwakura the chance to pet him as if he were her dog.
The following day, Iwakura finds her desk burdened with the pamphlets of all the clubs available at the school. Kinomoto asks whether Iwakura has made up her mind as to which extracurricular activity she would opt for. Iwakura asks Kinomoto about her choice. Kinomoto replies that she joined the dance club. Iwakura is paralyzed by the innumerable invitations available to her.
A senior by the name of Kanechika enters and asks Iwakura to join the drama club. Iwakura goes into the school’s auditorium for the auditions. She sees Sousuke join in at the back. Seeing Sousuke leave, she follows him and sees him a little depressed. A drama club senior catches Sousuke and asks him about a show on TV but is brushed off by Sousuke. Iwakura, meanwhile, makes up her mind to join the student council.
Episode 2: Ending Explained – Why Does The Perennially Cheerful Sousuke Seem Upset?
Iwakura catches Sousuke in one of his less cheery episodes. His attitude is that of a boy who seems happy-go-lucky and doesn’t really worry about important things. That is apparently not true. While Sousuke is cheerful and optimistic most of the time, in other moments, he has regrets about compromising on important events in his life. Iwakura is drawn into Sousuke’s mysterious behavior. We can expect to learn more about Sousuke’s past in the coming episodes.
The second episode of “Skip and Loafer” is streaming now on Crunchyroll.