Sun, Jul 13, 1997
Kaito and Hiromi convince Sakura and Fujiko to come stay at Diamondhead. We learn from Fujiko that Hiromi used to be a top swimmer with Olympic medal hopes, but got injured just before, and had been taking time off ever since. Kaito asks Masaru why he'd opened Diamondhead, and Masaru says it was just something he wanted to do. "Simple is best." Masaru remains adamant that he is going to close the B&B, so Sakura and Fujiko head back to Tokyo. Kaito, upset, starts chopping wood. Masaru tries to stop him, but Kaito explodes at him pointing out that Masaru had done exactly wanted to do with his life, but was now trying to force Makoto to do something she did not want to do, i.e. leave her friends. Masaru asks Haruko Maeda for advice. Haruko says that parents who divorce have only themselves to blame. Makoto is walking home from school when her classmate Yuusuke suddenly tells her to leave it to him. He storms up to Masaru demanding that Makoto be allowed to stay, and they all break out laughing. Masaru finally reveals that Makoto can stay, and Diamondhead will stay open.
Sun, Jul 27, 1997
Kaito's former boss, Oozaki, shows up at Diamondhead, quite determined to convince Kaito to come back to work. Kaito phones Sakura asking her if he was wrong to quit, and she says of course he was wrong, but that she understands that working at Diamondhead is something he wanted to do. She had moved to a new apartment overlooking the ocean, so she could feel closer to him even though they were apart. Makoto meanwhile discovers that Masaru had asked Hiromi to take her to see her mother, but when she asks Haruko for support, Haruko slaps her. Haruko tells Hiromi and Kaito that she has a son, who she is waiting to hear from, but his letter never comes. Masaru tells Makoto to apologize to Haruko. Kaito asks Hiromi to buy top quality ingredients for a breakfast feast for them all. Mrs. Oozaki reveals that her husband always wanted to open a B&B. Oozaki tells Kaito to follow his dream, and fail, so that years later, he will be filled with regret, but it becomes obvious that Oozaki envies Kaito, and wishes he had done the same thing. They part as friends.
Sun, Jul 6, 1997
Hiromi Sakurai wakes up in the back seat of his car, finding that it has been impounded. Earlier he had been kicked out by his girlfriend Fujiko who he'd been sponging off of. Meanwhile, Kaito Suzuki on his balcony recalls a business project gone sour. Hiromi asks a gas station attendant where he should go, and he suggests the beach. Kaito tells his girlfriend Sakura he is going to take time off work. As Kaito rides the train headed for the beach, he catches sight of Hiromi in his car. The train and car race, but Hiromi's car runs out of gas. Masaru Izumi returns to Diamondhead B&B from the hospital greeted by his granddaughter Makoto. Kaito hails a cab, but stops to help Hiromi push his car. They lose control of the car, and it crashes into the ocean next to Masaru's B&B. Hiromi asks Masaru for a job, while Kaito tries to book a room, but he has lost his wallet, and so ends up sharing the helpers' quarters with Hiromi. Hiromi is excited to have made a new friend, but Kaito at first denies all interest. Masaru gets a letter from Makoto's mother, Keiko, and then tells them he is going to shut down Diamondhead, so that Makoto can return to Tokyo to live with Keiko. Hiromi and Kaito return to Tokyo, but they both find themselves missing Diamondhead, and soon head back there.
Sun, Jul 20, 1997
Kaito returns to his job in Tokyo where he works overtime to revive the project he had masterminded to completion. Makoto finds a poem that Kaito had written under his bed. Masaru sends Hiromi to Tokyo to deliver his income tax forms. On the way though, Makoto pops out having stowed away in his car. They go to Kaito's company, but Kaito doesn't notice them at first, so Makoto shouts out the poem, an ode to the sea. Kaito gets Sakura to take Hiromi and Makoto back to his apartment. Hiromi explains to Kaito that Makoto thinks Kaito wants to return to Diamondhead. Masaru asks Hiromi to take Makoto to see her mother Keiko. Hiromi asks Makoto if she dislikes her mom, but she says no. She just doesn't want to shunted around at other people's whims. She'll go to see her mom on her own terms. Hiromi opts not to take Makoto to see Keiko. Kaito finally finishes his project at work, sheds his suit for a t-shirt and jeans, and heads back to Diamondhead. Hiromi feigns displeasure, but then excitedly calls everyone to tell them that Kaito has indeed returned.
Sun, Aug 3, 1997
Hiromi Sakurai gets a call from Fujiko, apologizing for something. Then Shimizu shows up at the B&B explaining that his name is no longer just Shimuzu, but rather "the Shimuzu who only got to compete in the Olympics because Sakurai got injured." Yuuko overhears, and spreads the news around town, so now everywhere Hiromi goes he is showered with free gifts from worshiping fans. Shimizu tells Kaito that going to the Olympics had always been his dream. Shimizu had gone to the hospital to visit Hiromi, but he could tell that Hiromi was supporting him, making it harder to hate him. Shimizu says Hiromi was a natural, a true champion. Shimuzu challenges Hiromi to a swim off, and the whole town gathers at the high school swimming pool. Everyone waits to see what Hiromi will do, until he finally has to explain that swimming had never been his dream. Masaru tells him to go face Shimizu in a race, to settle things. Hiromi goes, and apparently tries his best, but Shimizu wins. The local cab driver offers Shimizu a ride to the station for free, perhaps the first time he has been treated with respect. Fujiko finally shows up, and Hiromi drags her into the ocean. Haruko finally realizes that Makoto has a crush on Hiromi.
Sun, Aug 31, 1997
Haruko gets a letter from Kazuki, her ex husband. He is being transferred to Singapore, but has made a reservation at Diamondhead for their son, Haruki, and her to stay to meet for the first time in years. Kazuki remarried, and has not told Haruki that Haruko is his mother. Kazuki drops Haruki off, and Kaito drives Kazuki to the city. Kazuki works for a rival company, and tells Kaito his Saudi Arabia project is taking off. Kazuki explains that his parents forced him to divorce Haruko, and he has told her she can tell Haruki that she is his mother if she wishes. Kaito returns to Diamondhead. Hiromi is furious that Haruko cannot tell her own son the truth, but Kaito says it is not that simple. Hiromi accuses Kaito of being on Kazuki's side as they are both elite, and they almost come to blows. Haruko comes down, and explains that the decision is hers, and she only wants what is best for her son. Haruki likes ships, so they help him build a huge ship sculpture out of sand, so he will remember Haruko. Kazuki comes to pick up Haruki, who still doesn't know who Haruko is. After they leave, Haruko breaks down, and gets Hiromi and Kaito to drive her to the shore, so she can yell her goodbyes to the boat Haruki is on, as it leaves.
Sun, Aug 10, 1997
Kaito is excited because Sakura is to come to Diamondhead for the annual end of summer fireworks show. Sakura's friends Akiko and Hitomi arrive, but tell him that Sakura stayed at home, because having fun, and then having to leave would be too hard. Kaito and Hiromi find out that Haruko is secretly resewing her old yukata to give to Makoto. Haruko tells Hiromi and Kaito that her ex was like Kaito, an elite businessman who'd just come to the beach for the summer. She likens the show to touching down before swimming your last lap in a race. Hiromi tells Kaito that the last lap is the key to winning a race. The day of the show it rains, so fireworks are canceled. Akiko and Hitomi head back to Tokyo early. Hiromi buys some fireworks. A package arrives for Makoto, a yukata from her mother Keiko. Haruko comes to give her own yukata to Makoto, but when she sees Keiko's, she hides her own, and offers to help Makoto put on Keiko's. At night, the rain finally stops, and Kaito phones Sakura, and asks her to watch the sky to see the fireworks he will set off. Sakura keeps saying 'impossible,' but she still looks to the sky. Makoto comes out in her yukata, and everyone is impressed at how beautiful she looks.
Sun, Aug 17, 1997
Masaru arrives back at Diamondhead with a middle-aged woman, Michie. Michie proceeds to set Hiromi, Kaito and Makoto to work cleaning up the B&B. Kaito's girlfriend Sakura arrives to find Kaito working the yakisoba stand, and she notes how he has become more outgoing. Michie sees Sakura, and sets her to work washing the floors and cooking. Sakura goes to bed early. Kaito and Hiromi realize that Michie may be bossy, but bossing Sakura around helped her feel at home. The next day Michie wakes them all early to clean the seaweed from the beach. Michie's hat blows into the water, and she cries for help. Masaru reveals that Michie's 7 year old son had drowned here many years ago. Hiromi tells Michie that her son was brave to try to swim, and she shouldn't hate the sea as that is where her son now dwelt. Michie doesn't reply, but on her way to bed, she tells Makoto that Hiromi and Kaito are good people. The next day, Sakura heads back to Tokyo, inviting Michie to teach her cooking again. Before Michie heads back, she hikes up her pants, and wades into the ocean, showing them all she is no longer afraid.
Sun, Aug 24, 1997
One evening as things wind down, Kaito asks everyone when summer ends. Haruko says when autumn comes. Makoto says when school starts, but Kaito says he meant in a literary sense. Hiromi jokes that Kaito must be writing a new poem. Yuusuke has a big exam coming, so Kaito helps him study. Yuuko sulks in the bar, whining that she wants to go to Disneyland. Masaru is fiddling around with some gadget. One night, Kaito muses to Hiromi that the time they are spending there is a precious gift. He asks Hiromi what he plans to do. Hiromi says he'll stay until he himself decides summer has ended. Hiromi asks Kaito, and he says he hasn't even written the first line of his poem "The end of summer." Makoto eavesdrops, and is relieved. On August 31st, they find Yuuko in the bar, and she convinces Hiromi and Kaito to take them all to Disneyland. They borrow Masaru's van, and head out, but when Masaru hears he laughs because the gadget he's been fiddling with is a key part of the van's engine. The van stalls out, and they are all stuck pushing it to a garage.
Sun, Sep 7, 1997
The B&B is now empty, so Masaru takes Kaito and Hiromi on a fishing trip. They both envy Masaru. He has followed his dreams, while all they can say is that Kaito's company and Hiromi's swimming were not their dreams. Makoto has a parent teacher interview coming up, so she finally phones Keiko, and asks her to come to her school. Makoto explains she wants to go to a university nearby, and Keiko says she won't object. "It's your life." Kaito, Hiromi and Masaru return, and Masaru finds his surfboard in the garage. Keiko asks Kaito and Hiromi if they plan to stay forever, but they say they are planning to stay a while longer. They ask Keiko why she left for Tokyo. She says she didn't want to become like Masaru. She felt that he must have had another dream, something else he wanted to do, and she didn't want to get stuck here. She heads back to Tokyo, but promises to see Makoto again. Masaru tells Kaito and Hiromi that this is his ocean, and they must have 'oceans' of their own to pursue. They look sad, still not wanting to think about leaving this place they have come to love.