The teacher makes an announcement, which reminds Mariko that the school is affiliated with a junior college and that the courseload for second-year high school students differs based on whether or not they're planning to attend that college.
Later, Tamamin comments that this is the first time the three of them are having lunch together. Sugi adds that it's because Akko and Mariko (whom she calls "Mari-chin") are rarely absent, though Tamamin skips school sometimes.
Tamamin thinks to herself that it's because she has trouble getting up in the morning, then quickly changes the subject of their discussion to Akko's absence, saying it's quiet without Akko there. Sugi counters that with a "It's quiet when you're absent, Tamamin." Mariko then brings up a new topic, saying that she was surprised the three girls didn't choose the same course plan.
Sugi wants to go to nursing school or vocational school. Tamamin doesn't want to have to take a college entrance exam, so she plans to go to the affiliated junior college. Mariko plans to go to the affiliated junior college too. She comments that they'll be in a different class from Sugi next year. Tamamin points out that she and Mariko might not end up in the same class next year even though they've chosen the same course plan. Sugi says that she hasn't really worried about that, since they'll still be friends even if they're in different classes. Tamamin agrees.
Tamamin says that course plan B--which Sugi is doing--has a lot of hours of classes, so she wouldn't do that course plan even if Sugi asked her to--she doesn't like her that much! lol Sugi counters that with Tamamin and Akko's grades, she wouldn't ask them to do course plan B anyway. Tamamin asks Sugi not to compare her to Akko. lol Mariko laughs. Though the others aren't worried about changing classes next year, Mariko is--she's managed to make friends with these girls in her class, so...
Tamamin asks Mariko which option Akko chose, but Mariko doesn't know. This surprises the other girls. Mariko says she would expect Akko to tell them first, since they're her best friends. Bewildered, they exchange a glance and then ask, "Aren't you Akko's best friend, Mari-chin?"

Needless to say, this comes as a surprise to Mariko. Blushing, Mariko acknowledges that she and Akko are close, but she hasn't been friends with her as long as Sugi and Tamamin have. Tamamin suggests that the length of time people have been friends doesn't matter much. Sugi adds that she thinks that Akko thinks of Mariko as her best friend.
Mariko wonders how Akko is doing. She also wonders if she and Akko are really best friends; it might be the first time she's had one. Just then, she gets a message from Akko. Akko's nose is still running a little, but she's planning to go to school tomorrow. She's going to put on some socks and go to bed for the night.
Mariko thinks to herself that she should just come out and ask Akko about it tomorrow, instead of holding back.

It turns out that Akko completely forgot about the course plan choice. She didn't discuss it with her parents at all, and she can't find the paper about it. Mariko did have a feeling that Akko hadn't given the matter any thought.
Akko isn't surprised that Sugi is planning to go to an outside college, and comments on the fact that Sugi gets pretty good grades even though she doesn't seem the type.
Akko asks Mariko if she's planning to choose the standard course plan, and Mariko says yes. Akko seems pleased about this, commenting that they'll be in the same class again next year. Mariko reminds Akko that the classes change anyway. Mariko is secretly pleased that they'll both be doing the same course plan, though.

Mariko is shocked when Akko takes her hand, but it turns out that Akko is just trying to hide Mariko's nails from the teacher--she thinks Mariko forgot to remove her nail polish.

Mariko tells her that she just got a manicure. Apparently her brother won it in a lottery and didn't want it. She completely forgot about it, actually. Akko thinks Mariko's nails look cute--they're a shiny pink. Apparently that isn't against the rules, so Akko's going to try it sometime. Akko looks at Mariko's nails again, and comments on how pretty their shapes are.

She's envious. Mariko protests that her nails are just normal, but Akko says that they're long and pretty and they make Mariko's fingers look smaller. Akko thinks her own nails are too rounded and that nail polish doesn't look good on them. Mariko thinks it's cute that Akko's worried about something like that. Sugi pops up behind them and comments that neither of them have had their cuticles worked on. As Akko and Sugi exchange greetings, Mariko wonders what "cuticles" are. Akko shows her, and explains that when you groom your cuticles and then put nail polish on, it makes your nails look really pretty.

Sugi points out that despite Akko's explanation, Akko doesn't take care of her cuticles at all. She tells Mariko that it's good for your nails if you do it after massaging some oil into them. Tamamin comes in and asks what they're talking about. Akko comments that Sugi has really pretty nails, and Sugi says that her boyfriend has a finger fetish. Meanwhile, Tamamin is still trying to find out what they're talking about, since nobody's filled her in... poor girl.
Sugi promises to teach Akko and Mariko about nail care sometime. Akko cheers, and suggests that they stop at the Sony Plaza on their way home and pick up some implements for it.
Mariko wonders if they'll be able to hang out on breaks, eat lunch together, take detours together on their way home from school, go shopping together, etc. next year. She and Akko are looking at nail products in the Sony Plaza, and, noticing that Mariko is spacing out, Akko asks her what's wrong. Mariko tells her that nothing's the matter, that she was just trying to decide which color to buy.

Akko thinks the color Mariko's holding up is cute, and she might get some for herself too. She thinks she might be able to manage "syrup nails" (I don't know what that's called in English, but you can read a machine-translated description of the process here). Mariko says that she saw instructions for doing that in a magazine, and that it looks cute, like sno-cones.
Mariko wonders if they'll still be best friends if they end up in different classes next year.
Mariko describes the process of doing "syrup nails"--you take a thin, transparent color and put it on little by little starting at the top. You work gradually, letting it dry in between each layer.

Mariko thinks her nails look pretty; the pretty gradation really does look like syrup. She decides to take a picture before she takes the polish off, so she can show it to Akko the next day. Even if they end up in different classes, Akko will still be the first person she shows it to.
Akko--whose real name, we finally discover, is Akiko--asks her mother if she got the message she sent her about the course plan. Her mother tells her it's fine to do whichever she'd like, and apologizes for not replying to her message. She asks Akiko if she stayed home sick from school yesterday, and Akiko says yes. Akiko's mother asks her to message her the next time she stays home from school or when something happens. Akiko agrees to do that.
Akiko is going to send a message to Mariko, but decides not to because it's late and she's going to see her tomorrow anyway. Mariko thinks to herself, "Yeah, it's going to be all right. I'll be able to see her tomorrow, and the day after that, and every day after that."

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