Early November.
Episode 5 of 'Kimi ni Todoke' aired.
Before the episode went live, fans were already buzzing in the group chats:
"It's Episode 5 already. Place your bets—do you think there'll be a confession this time?"
"I doubt it."
"Same here!"
"Maybe the confession will come because of that new girl—what's her name? Kurumizawa Ume?"
"You can tell just by looking at her—she's not here to play nice."
"They always bring in a third party to stir the pot, make the leads jealous, and then the confession happens!"
"Maybe not a confession, but can we please get some hand-holding in Episode 5?!"
"Isn't hand-holding supposed to come after the confession?"
"I'm losing it over here. Jing Yu's sweet romances make me anxious, his angsty romances make me suffer—I can't take it anymore!"
Despite the noise before the episode, once it actually aired, the chat group fell into a rare silence.
And soon enough, Episode 5 had everyone completely hooked.
As expected, the new female character introduced in the last episode—Kurumizawa Ume —got significantly more screen time.
Also, more appearances from the show's resident clown: the universally acknowledged idiot, the teacher everyone called "Slacker-sensei"—homeroom teacher to the heroine's class and friend of Shouta. His presence added levity and turned out to be key to the show's comedic and cathartic beats later on.
In this episode, Kurumizawa turned up the charm—cutesy gestures, sweet talk, and constant attempts to establish herself in Shouta and Sawako's dynamic.
She made a point of acting like she got along great with Sawako in front of Shouta.
And right when the emotional tension between the male and female leads reached a peak—when viewers thought he was finally going to confess—Kurumizawa would always barge in and ruin the moment.
Her remarks always carried veiled meanings.
She'd subtly flaunt how close she was to Shouta, doing just enough to unsettle Sawako while still seeming perfectly nice.
But Sawako? Ever the innocent. She saw none of this manipulation. She was genuinely excited to have made a new friend and started happily imagining all the fun they'd have together.
Meanwhile, the viewers were collectively:
"She's absolutely a snake in disguise!"
"Clearly textbook green tea behavior. She's pretending to be close with Shouta just to make Sawako back off—like, 'Look, he's already got a gorgeous girl like me by his side, maybe you should know your place.'"
"And pretending to get along with Sawako in front of him is a calculated move, too. She probably knows Shouta likes Sawako, so if she's friendly with her, he might notice her more."
"Ugh, now that you put it that way, I see it."
"Characters like her exist in real life. This is hitting too close to home."
"My ex-best friend pulled the same stunt. Acted all cutesy and innocent around my ex. Pretended to comfort me when we fought, then secretly badmouthed me to him. They're expecting their second kid now, by the way."
The more they watched, the more uncomfortable viewers felt about Kurumizawa.
But inside the show, Sawako, seeing this confident, pretty girl by Shouta's side, could only think:
"Kurumizawa is so cute. I'm jealous. I want to be cute too. When did I start thinking this way? I know I can't be like her… but maybe I can find my own way to be cute."
Seeing Kurumizawa be so comfortable around Shouta, Sawako's feelings finally started to awaken.
Kurumizawa would go out of her way to help Sawako, chat warmly with her in the stairwell, and flash her a comforting smile.
To Sawako, this was the birth of a new, precious friendship.
"If you're ever troubled, you can tell me anything," Kurumizawa said sweetly.
And just like that, Sawako really did tell her everything.
Back in the group chat:
"LMAO—just one 'you can tell me anything' and she spills it all. Girl, have you never worked in an office?!"
"This is hitting too close to home. Kurumizawa makes me irrationally angry."
"Two-faced and manipulative. That's exactly this kind of person."
"Ugh, she even told Sawako that Shouta only treats her nicely because he can't stand seeing others isolated. Basically implying, 'Don't get any ideas.'"
"I'm so mad. Sawako's already shy—now she's gonna tiptoe around even more."
"PFFT—Sawako's reaction though!! 😂"
"I'm dying over here!"
"Kurumizawa thinks Sawako is on level one, and she's playing 4D chess—turns out Sawako is operating in a completely different dimension."
"Sawako agrees with Kurumizawa! I can't—this is comedy gold."
On-screen:
"So when Shouta is kind and friendly, it doesn't mean anything special," Kurumizawa said, her eyes flashing.
"Ohhh, I see!" Sawako replied with sudden clarity.
Kurumizawa: 🤯
What kind of reaction is that?! You're not even a little upset?
She launched a second verbal strike.
"But you and Shouta… you two are so different. Everyone has their own place, after all," Kurumizawa said, smiling innocently.
"Ah, I see. That's why you and Shouta get along so well!" Sawako replied earnestly.
"Hehe, really?" Kurumizawa's smirk returned.
"We're similar in many ways."
"Wow, you two must be really close. That's amazing," Sawako said, eyes sparkling.
"Eh—it's nothing special. Just a normal friendship," Kurumizawa answered, trying to act modest but clearly glowing with smug satisfaction.
She could feel she was this close to crushing Sawako's confidence completely.
"Ohhh, so just a normal friendship? Then it must be the highest tier of normal friendship. That's why you two seem so natural together!"
Sawako looked genuinely awed.
Kurumizawa: "…???"
Girl, what is wrong with you?
"I get it now. If even you and Shouta are just normal friends, then it totally makes sense why I get nervous around him. That's only natural!"
"Chatting with you really helped clear my head. Thank you so much, Kurumizawa! I'm still nervous, but I'll keep trying."
"????"
Kurumizawa: Ga?!
Back in the fan chat:
"OMG I'M DEAD! This show is so funny—I can't stop laughing!!"
"When the schemer meets the pure-hearted!"
"Naïve airhead beats manipulative queen every time. You can layer your words all you want—she'll only understand them at face value."
"I'm wheezing. 😂"
"Crying actual tears from laughing too hard. Sawako is too precious."
"Poor Kurumizawa. She tried to shatter Sawako's spirit and got crushed instead."
"Sawako's like: 'I'm invincible. Do your worst.'"
"It's like she's wearing reflective armor—anyone who tries to hurt her ends up hurting themselves."
"Kurumizawa never saw it coming. She poured her heart into a carefully planned psychological assault… and Sawako came out more motivated than before."
"Tears. Snot. Full body laughter. Haven't felt this satisfied watching a drama in a long time. Jing Yu-sensei really knows how to deliver that perfect blend of comedy and romance."