On New Year's Eve, Ko helps the Takigawas deliver soba. At the Tsukishima's, he meets Junpei Azuma, who had forgotten he is driving his brother home for a visit. When Ko is done, Akane returns a book to him, thanking him for helping her draw a good picture for a competition. Ko, Akaishi, and Nakanishi go to a shrine to pray for good luck, and Senda follows to avoid practicing with Midori but fails to find them. Yuhei Azuma returns and finds Aoba alone in the Tsukishima batting cages, the rest of the family having gone to the shrine. Junpei's wallet is stolen at the shrine, and Ko and his friends chase the thief, but he is caught by Momiji's "candidate" boyfriend. In the batting cages, when Aoba tells Azuma she will not try out for the women's national team because does not want to take time away from practicing with Seishu, to help them get to Koshien, he tells her she should try for a Koshien of her own.
光は、年越しそばで人手の足りない「そば処滝川」の手伝いをすることに。出前で行った月島家で、そのことで光は青葉に罵倒される。青葉には、光とあかねの距離が縮まることが面白くない。そんな中、光、赤石、中西の三人は初詣に出かける。そこで、純平と一葉がスリに遭い、光たちが追いかけることに…。
새해, 일손이 부족한 타키가와네 가게를 도와 메밀국수를 배달하게 된 코우. 배달지인 츠키시마가에서 아오바와 마주치고, 둘은 말다툼을 한다. 아오바는 코우와 아카네의 사이가 가까워지는 것이 탐탁지 않은 듯 한데...