The Story Begins

The Story Begins (そして始まる物語, Soshite Hajimaru Monogatari) is the fifth chapter of the School Days manga.

Summary
Makoto tries to catch a ball, but he is hit by it instead. Sekai teases him and he expresses annoyance with her. As Sekai and their friends continue playing at the beach, he texts Kotonoha about his time there and asks her about her time with her family.

He has a flashback of walking home with Kotonoha before summer break. He suggested that he and she should go together, but Kotonoha couldn't because her family goes to their summer home around this time. She apologized, but he told her that it's important to spend time with her family, so they agreed to chat about their summer experiences together after they got back. They then hold hands before she tells him to have fun with Sekai.

In the present, Makoto is left alone to muse about Kotonoha being there, before realizing that Kokoro would probably interrupt them. Sekai calls him to play with them again. Nanami starts a watermelon-smashing challenge, with the agreement that the loser will have to pay for dinner. Taisuke is teamed with Hikari, and Nanami partners with Setsuna, leaving Makoto with Sekai. As they prepare to play, Makoto recalls how Sekai was behaving before vacation, happy to see that she has returned back to normal. He tries to hit the watermelon while blindfolded, but fails. Sekai goes next and successfully hits the watermelon. Nanami comments on their teamwork and they start to tease Hikari, saying that she is jealous while Setsuna expresses surprise.

Sekai goes to buy some drinks after they run out of their own and Makoto offers to go with her. As they walk together, Sekai teases Makoto by pointing out how the others see them as a couple. Makoto shows annoyance at this, but Sekai is quick to say she is only kidding around.

Everyone spends their remaining time together at the beach until they see the sunset. As it is getting colder, Nanami notices that Sekai is missing. Makoto goes to look for her on the other side of the beach until he hears noise from a nearby shed.

He looks to see that Sekai has been cornered by two guys who try to make her go with them. Makoto appears and pulls Sekai away from them, but they try to hold him back and ask about his intervention. He makes them leave, claiming to be Sekai's boyfriend.

Once they leave, Makoto notices that Sekai's foot is bleeding. He wraps it up with his towel and gives her a piggyback, which she refuses at first until he forces her to get up on his shoulders. They make their way back to their site and Sekai thanks Makoto for what he did back at the shed.

Along the way, Makoto tells Sekai that she should find a boyfriend of her own, as he won't always be around for her. She demands that he put her down and struggles until he loses his balance, causing her to fall on top of him. They get up and Makoto scolds her for behaving so carelessly, abruptly interrupted when she kisses him again.

Makoto stops Sekai and tells her that she has to stop kidding around. As he expresses concern about her foot, she tells him that she isn't kidding around. She then confesses to Makoto that she loves him.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Makoto Itou
 * Sekai Saionji
 * Hikari Kuroda
 * Setsuna Kiyoura
 * Nanami Kanroji
 * Taisuke Sawanaga
 * Kotonoha Katsura (flashback)
 * Kokoro Katsura (flashback)

Trivia

 * One of the men who harasses Sekai resembles Ryuuji from Summer/Shiny Days.