Nana Shinozaki, age 17. A second-year high school student.
Hospitalized for a tibial shaft fracture.
Post-operation recovery has been excellent.
Just physical therapy now.
No major problems, it seems.
Nana Shinozaki
Good morning, Shinozaki-san!
My name is Karen Minazuki. I'll be your attending physician.
Glad to be with you!
Shinozaki-san? I'm Minazuki.
Nice to meet you.
Yeah, I heard you.
You'll be in the rehabilitation room this morning, so I'll perform my examination afterwards.
Are you able to sit up?
No!
I'm not going.
♪ Around me, the world is glittering ♪
♪ Because that's what I've decided on ♪
♪ Unto beaming smiles, the light scatters once more ♪
♪ But this is not for anybody else ♪
♪ I'll keep on dancing for myself, see? ♪
♪ These exciting days of mine will never end! ♪
Kibou no Chikara Otona Precure '23
♪ Even if you don't love everything in this world ♪
♪ It doesn't mean that your heart is bad ♪
♪ Your tears will surely form a new dream ♪
♪ But this is not for anybody else ♪
♪ I'll keep on dancing for myself, see? ♪
♪ These exciting days of mine will never end! ♪
Memory of the Heart
Ehh!?
— You transformed? — Into a Precure!?
Yep, I sure did...
I know. Pretty shocking, ain't it?
What happened, exactly?
Was it that "shadow incident" out in the plaza yesterday?
Wait, you know about that, Komachi-san?
Everyone on social media is talking about it.
Those weird black shapes that started attacking people, right?
Yep, those are the ones.
Out on the streets, people are calling those weird black things "Shadows".
She tried to stop them from causing havoc, and...
I did a little transformation!
You say it like it's nothing, but that's major news!
I can believe it though, coming from Nozomi.
— Totally!
Please, tell me every detail!
Oh? Switched right over into novelist mode, I see!
The details, huh...
Let's see...
I got one! See, the craziest part of the whole thing was...
Was...?
She reverted back to her middle school body!
— Ehh!?
Yeah! My body felt super light!
What about your skin?
Smooth as silk.
I'm jealous!
You became young again?
Is your body okay, after all that?
Karen.
Oolong tea again?
Yes...
You gotta go back to the hospital after this?
No, I don't, but...
Something wrong, Karen?
Eh?
It's just a particular patient I'm a bit worried about.
Worried?
But everything is fine. I'm dealing with it.
Hmm...
Just don't overwork yourself, okay?
Sure. Thank you.
Thank you for your work!
Is it time for Shinozaki-san's physical therapy?
Oh, Minazuki-sensei! Well, about that...
We managed to get her to sit in a wheelchair,
But she won't move an inch. She's been throwing quite a tantrum.
We've given up for now.
Shinozaki-san? As I've explained multiple times now,
If you don't move your muscles and joints, they can start to atrophy after just a few days.
So it's very important to exercise your entire body through this physical therapy.
Only ten minutes until physical therapy, we should hurry along.
You're recovering well post-operation...
Ah. Shinozaki-san, you're on the track-and field team?
I see, you enjoy athletics.
Everything will be fine!
You'll be able to run again, as long as you do your physical therapy.
Let's do our best, and aim for one year from now!
One year from now...
There's nothing "fine" about that at all!
I keep telling you people!
Shinozaki-san...
Get out, get out, get out, get out, get out!!
I understand.
Ahh, that one.
She's still acting like that?
Um, "still"...?
Yeah, she was making a big fuss, even before the operation.
I explained that it was a routine surgery, and she's still young so she'd be just fine, but...
You're right.
I wonder if she has some other reason she's rejecting everything so forcefully?
Who knows...
Some patients you just can't get along with.
Nothin' you can do about it. Happens to every doctor.
If you don't like it, then don't worry.
I'll take over for you on Shinozaki-san.
Oh, no! Let me continue attending to her, please!
Huh... Really?
I wonder if I should have let Sensei take over, after all.
Hm?
No! I cannot just leave my responsibilities half-done like that.
There must be something I can still do. Pull it together!
Karen!
Huh?
Kurumi!
Lucky! Let's go get some dinner together!
Dinner?
Huh? Aren't you hungry?
Now that you mention it, I missed lunch today.
Can you believe this? Our section chief suddenly came up with this crazy new rule.
Now we gotta show up an hour before work starts, all of us lined up in front of the door,
And greet the president, every single morning!
Eh? That's ridiculous!
The president even said "you don't need to do that" too.
The section chief just loves crummy outdated human customs like those!
Sounds pretty exciting over here!
Ah, this is...!
Yay! A Big Apple!
Ahh~ That hits the spot!
Is it really that good?
Yep. Delish!
I could down a dozen of these!
Hey, you alright Kurumi?
Tanks fer havin' me over~!
Welcome home.
Ahh, it's Jiiya-san!
I'm back.
Sorry about this.
Kurumi said "I'm staying at your place!", and she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Oh no. Not a problem in the slightest.
Jiiya-san... yer so nice...
Oh!
Hugs!
Heel!
Now don't move. Or I won't be able to get it all off.
I'm not moving...
Yes, you are!
Okay, all done.
Thanks.
I'm sleepy-miru...
Good night.
Karen.
Huh?
Do you know why I love Big Apples so much-miru?
Eh?
A long time ago...
You took care of me one time, when I was sick-miru.
I'll never forget that apple flavor from back then-miru.
Also, I love you, Karen.
She fell asleep.
That day, I could only think of how much I wanted to help Milk.
That was the moment my dream was born.
I didn't know anything at the time.
I was just doing everything I possibly could, for Milk's sake.
I have plenty of knowledge now. And some experience as well.
However...
You wanna tag along during Shinozaki-san's physical therapy, too?
Yes!
Ehh?
Please let me!
Hah... Minazuki-sensei is such a pain...
Huh?
Who is it?
Shinozaki-san.
If it's about physical therapy, I'm not going.
Sure. You don't have to go today.
I brought these for you.
Dreamchaser by Akane Tanpopo
Ta-da! Some of my personal recommendations.
If you'd like...
Has anything caught your attention in particular?
That one has "Minazuki" written on it.
Yes! Those are my parents.
Huh?
Though, young people probably don't have any interest in classical music.
It's kinda weird to bring your own parents' music, you know.
Huh!?
Eh? I see. Yes, you're right.
I just love this sound so much...
Sounds like a happy family.
Y-yes, that's true.
I don't get to meet them very often, however.
They're always traveling the world, from one concert to the next.
I used to hate that. I was really lonely.
Huh... Doesn't seem like that'd faze someone like you.
That's quite keen of you.
I also thought I would be just fine.
I've always been seen as that stereotypical calm and composed character.
Totally. You've got "StuCo President" written all over you.
Eh? How did you know that?
Ehh? You mean you really were?
Yes! But...
Because I was the student council president, I needed to pull myself together.
I kept a lid on my feelings, and prevented any distress signals from leaking out.
So I could never move forward.
So, what happened?
My juniors rescued me.
I could finally accept who I wanted to be, from the bottom of my heart.
What a nice breeze.
Wanna go out?
'Kay.
T-the way I just said that was weird, wasn't it?
Nah, don't sweat it.
I'm just talking casually too. No need to be proper.
Ehehe.
Sensei, you were using a wheelchair earlier, weren't you?
Eh? You were watching?
Why?
Because I wanted to understand.
I found a world I have never known.
However, I still don't understand how it must feel to go through rehabilitation in a wheelchair, like you are, Nana.
Even so, I wanted to learn!
You're pretty weird.
I was a prospect for the next track-and-field team captain. I worked so hard to make that come true.
I kept thinking how I needed to work harder, I needed to pull myself together.
But I pushed myself too far.
Just like you, Sensei...
So, on that day...
I knew that something in my leg didn't feel right.
But I waved it away. I figured I'd be just fine.
And now look where I am.
I can't return to the track-and-field team.
Even if I can run again a year from now, I'll be graduating by then.
And I worked so hard, too...
Nana-chan...
Night shift with Minazuki-sensei, huh...
She's hard to deal with...
Hah... What a pain.
Huh?
Her range of motion is improving. At this rate, she'll be just fine.
Thank goodness.
What a bother... what a pain...
This is...!
Hah~! This soup Jiiya-san gave me is just the best!
Something's there!
What's the matter? Are you alright?
I can feel a pulse.
Sh-shadows!?
This way!
Over here!
Stop right there!!
I don't know what you are!
But!
Doctor Karen...
You will not harm anyone else here!
I will not allow it!
Pretty Cure Metamorphose!
The Blue Spring of Intelligence, Cure Aqua!
Too many of them!
N-not good...!
Kurumi!
What do you think you're doing?
Karen is trying her best to move forward!
Don't you dare get in her way, you jerks!
Sky Rose Translate!
The blue rose is the symbol of secrets.
Milky Rose!
Here we go, Milky Rose!
OK!
Precure! Sapphire Arrow!
The sparkling rose shall bloom and envelop your evil heart!
Milky Rose Metal Blizzard!
Huh? Oh man, did I fall asleep?
Good morning!
Hm?
Morning.
Yeah, I heard you.
Physical therapy.
Eh?
Let's go, Doctor Karen!
Yes, Nana-chan!
Ehehe. You still like the same stuff, ever since middle school.
Yeah, but you just can't beat a good chocolate cornet!
Anyway, that's not what I mean.
See, wheat can taste different depending on what kind of soil it grew in, obviously.
So, if you change where the dough is made, I figured maybe that'll have the same kind of effect on the bread itself!
— Ehh!? You transformed?
Uhm, you mean...
Yep, into Precure!
— P-precure!?
B-but... why?
But of course, it was because I wished to protect everyone there.
That kinda Precure-like emotion, ya know?
— Excuse us... Are you...
— Could it be...!
— I knew it!!
♪ When I awake, these eyes will have grown stronger ♪
♪ Spilling a single drop of light ♪
♪ (Drops of hope, The power of hope) ♪
♪ I used to think adults could do anything they like ♪
♪ I imagined how fun it must be to be free ♪
♪ Everyone had a childhood of their own ♪
♪ I want to keep protecting this fantasy ♪
♪ Swirling around, we lose sight of things ♪
♪ And there are days where no answers come ♪
♪ Don't let them all dry up ♪
♪ Those tears quietly confronting it all ♪
♪ When I awake, these eyes will have grown stronger ♪
♪ Spilling those unstoppable drops of light ♪
♪ All my feelings are held within those tears ♪
♪ Those eternal dreams of mine, and my friends ♪
♪ Overflowing drops of Precure ♪
Kibou no Chikara Otona Precure '23
Saki-chan, Mai-chan! What a coincidence!
Welcome to the Precure drinking party!
Precure...
I know Mai's work schedule can get crazy busy!
But Mai actually asked me out for once!
Everyone is deep in their own thoughts and worries. Making their own decisions.
Am I not a normal person?
Next time, Episode Four: Wings of Doubt
Wings of Doubt