Sakuko hangs up. She doesn't cry. Instead, she opens her laptop and searches: "Aromantic" – "Asexual" – "No romantic attraction" – "Koisenu futari" (the two who can't fall in love).
She declines politely, saying she's not interested in dating anyone right now. Kameda is confused but backs off. That night, Sakuko lies in bed, scrolling through social media, seeing friends post engagement photos, pregnancy announcements, and memes about "the agony of being single." She doesn't feel agony. She feels broken. The next day, Sakuko visits her mother, Yoshiko . The conversation quickly turns to Kameda (her mother already heard through the neighborhood gossip network). Yoshiko sighs dramatically: "You're 28. If you keep rejecting everyone, you'll end up alone. Don't you want a family? Don't you want to be happy?" Sakuko tries to explain: "I'm not unhappy. I just don't feel romantic love. I never have."
Sakuko looks at the package of sushi in her hand, then at Kazu's earnest, non-romantic smile. She nods. "Okay. Let's do it." The two of them walking side by side out of the supermarket, not holding hands, not making heart eyes. Just walking. Equal. Free. koisenu futari eng sub ep 1
Her mother dismisses it as "just a phase" or "not meeting the right man yet." The final straw: her mother shows her a brochure for a matchmaking party (konkatsu). "Just try it," she pleads. Sakuko, exhausted, agrees only to stop the argument. But inside, she feels invisible and invalidated. While buying groceries for a solo dinner, Sakuko overhears a conversation in the next aisle. A man, Kazu Takahashi (played by Yuya Yagira), is talking to a female store clerk who has just given him a free sample of a new dessert. The clerk, blushing, says: "It's my homemade recipe. Maybe you could come over sometime, and I'll make it fresh for you?" Kazu, completely missing the romantic subtext, replies cheerfully: "Oh, that's okay. I'll just buy the mix. Thanks!" He then turns to Sakuko, who has been awkwardly frozen while pretending to examine canned tomatoes.
She admits: "I thought something was wrong with me. Like I was a defective woman." Sakuko hangs up
Sakuko is intrigued but hesitant. "Does such a thing even exist?"
He then reveals his dream: to create a – a shared living space for people who don't want romantic relationships, where they can support each other without pressure, jealousy, or the expectation to pair up. She declines politely, saying she's not interested in
She finds blogs, forums, and a small but real community. For the first time, she sees words for what she is. She smiles, tears forming, but not from sadness. From relief. The next morning, Sakuko goes to the supermarket again. Kazu is there, buying instant ramen in bulk. He sees her and waves. "Hey. I meant what I said yesterday. The community house... I found a potential property. It's an old shared house near the river. Cheap. Spacious. Needs work." Sakuko: "And you want me to move in?"
Sakuko is stunned. "How did you...?"
Kazu points to her face: "You had the same look I get. The 'oh no, another romantic approach' face. It's like a survival instinct." They end up sitting on a park bench, eating the sushi Sakuko bought (which is now slightly warm). Kazu explains himself bluntly: "I don't fall in love. I never have. I don't get crushes, I don't want to kiss anyone, and the idea of 'romantic destiny' feels like a script I never learned. I've been told I'm 'cold,' 'immature,' or 'just scared.' But I'm not scared. I just... don't feel it." Sakuko's eyes widen. For the first time in her life, someone is describing exactly how she feels.
Kazu: "I want you to help me build it. Not as a couple. As partners. In life. Without romance. Just... two people who understand."