Episode Title:
Under the Fir Tree.
Episode Description:
While all of the students are decorating the school gymnasium for the party, Ami tells Ryūji that he should reconsider his unnatural relationship with Taiga, akin to a paternal bond between father and daughter. After the final exam, Ryūji helps Taiga mail a bunch of presents to her parents and some orphaned children. Later, all of the students work together to assemble a large artificial Christmas tree topped with Taiga's precious glass star. However, a stray softball crashes through the school gymnasium window, knocking over the Christmas tree and smashing the glass star. Minori enters the school gymnasium with deep regret, forcing it upon herself to glue the broken glass star back together, but Ryūji helps her out despite her protests. Once the glass star is fixed and the Christmas tree is reassembled, Minori apologizes and leaves after declining another invitation to the party, due to feeling unwelcome after the accident, but Ryūji promises her that he will wait for her.
