Akebi's Sailor Uniform (2022)

Komichi Akebi has been accepted into Roubai Academy, the middle school her mother, Yuwa, went to. Komichi has dreamed of wearing a sailor uniform ever since she saw her favorite idol, Miki Fukumoto, wearing one. She puts on the brand-new sailor uniform Yuwa made for her and, at last, heads off to her entrance ceremony. She starts out full of hope that she can make lots of new friends, but then she notices that all the other students are wearing blazers. It turns out the school's official uniform has changed from a sailor uniform to a blazer...

Her first self-introduction to her class. Her first school lunch. To Komichi, who never had any classmates throughout her elementary school years, these were all new and fun things. As she eats lunch around joined desks with Erika Kizaki, Touko Usagihara, and Tomono Kojou, a song by Miki Fukumoto plays during the school's lunchtime broadcast. When Touko learns that Miki is Komichi's role model, she hands Komichi a tube of lip balm and asks her to imitate Miki's music video...

After Komichi completes the fifty-meter dash with the fastest time in her class, several athletic clubs try to recruit her, but Komichi can't decide which club she wants to join because there are too many things she wants to try. Following a random turn of events, she exhanges contact information with Kei Tanigawa, the brightest girl in the class, who is also having trouble deciding which club to join. Komichi still hasn't reached a decision when Tomono, who has decided to join the literature club, offers to visit all the different clubs with her. At last, Komichi makes up her mind...

Kei, who joined the photography club, asks Komichi to model for some photos. They get started right away, but Kei says the photos don't match the image she has of Komichi. That's to be expected, considering all Komichi did was copy Miki Fukumoto's poses. So as Komichi begins to wonder just what her "image" is, a certain occurrence results in her and Kei paying a visit to the Mangetsu Dorm, where Touko and many of their other classmates live. Komichi is deeply impressed by the sweets Touko makes, so with Touko's guidance, she tries to make some of her own...

Minoru Ohkuma knows a lot about animals and insects, and her fascination with living things has led her to keep a research notebook of her daily observations. That fascination has now turned toward her classmate, Komichi. Komichi knows a lot about various creatures due to her country upbringing, and she takes notes on things that interest her. After learning that they have these things in common, Minoru and Komichi decide to observe their classmates together. Minoru believes that acting in secret is important when observing living things, but Komichi, the only student at the school who wears a sailor uniform, tends to stand out and isn't the best at being secretive...

Komichi makes up her mind to invite Erika over during the weekend. But because she's never invited anyone to her house before and doesn't know how to ask, a week has passed before she realizes it. Erika, realizing that Komichi is acting suspicious, invites her to the school library to try to find out what's going on. Komichi takes an interest in the book on fishing that Erika is reading and tells her that she often goes fishing at the lake near her house with a her own homemade pole. Erika responds with a look of envy, and from there...

As classes end and students are heading to their clubs, Hebimori Oshizu, who didn't join any clubs, returns to her dorm alone. She's interested in music and bands, but the rock music playing through her headphones and the music magazines featuring her favorite artists are enough for her. But then one mistaken thought by Komichi changes her day-to-day life: "I want to hear a real guitar! Please let me hear you play sometime!"

Midterm exams are finally over, leaving some students overjoyed and others depressed, and now it's time to decide who will participate in which events at the school's upcoming athletic festival. Riri is selected as the anchor for the swimming event, but Erika nominates Komichi for the same position, so the two girls compete to determine who will be the anchor. Riri is a member of the swimming club, and once made it to nationals in elementary school, and Komichi feels no desire to compete against her as rivals. Then Riri proposes that if she wins, she and Komichi should swap uniforms...

Komichi was chosen to lead a group in buying supplies for the athletic festival. On the weekend, she joins Erika, Touko, and Tomono to shop at a large mall. As a local who's been to this mall many times, Komichi is excited to act as their guide, but Touko, who's into fashion and accessorizing, knows more than she does about the shops. They visit a bookstore, where Erika picks up a book happens to be written by an author Tomono likes. In fact, Tomono had just finished reading it on the way to the mall. So she offers to lend it to Erika, but then she realizes the bookmark she had left in it is gone...

Summer has come, marked by the switch to summer uniforms. Practices for the athletic festival have begun, and in addition to her other events, Komichi is in charge of the cheer squad. She says she volunteered for the position because it would give her the chance to watch everyone practice. Komichi has no idea what cheering entails, but after getting some advice from a classmate, she begins to look the part. Meanwhile, Erika and Shijou Riona work hard at tennis practice. Riona is a member of the tennis club, but she can't move as well as she'd like to. Then, when Komichi shows up to cheer them on...

One day, in the midst of practices for the athletic festival, Erika finds out that Komichi is going to dance at the festival's after-party. She starts to imagine what would happen if she played the piano accompaniment for Komichi's dance, but she keeps it to herself. Meanwhile, Komichi is practicing hard at volleyball, but despite the fact that it's a major team event, their teamwork is somewhat lacking. When Touko comments that it'd be nice if they could find a place where everyone could practice together, Komichi remembers her previous school, Futaba Elementary.

Roubai Academy is dyed in the colors of the sunset. The athletic festival has ended, and the students are cleaning up. Komichi changes out of her gym clothes and back into her sailor uniform in a quiet, empty classroom, preparing to take the stage and dance as the highlight of the after-party. With a push from Touko, she nervously takes the stage. As she does, a second spotlight hits the stage, separate from her own, and she turns around to see...