High School! Kimengumi (2026) Episode 12: Episode 12

Uru Chie and Kawa Yui, two schoolgirls in yellow, walk down a quiet street. Construction blocks their usual route, forcing them to take an older, less-used path. This detour stirs a sense of nostalgia in them, prompting them to reflect on the past. The simple act of changing a familiar routine opens a door to memory.

The girls arrive at a small park, but Uru Chie is struck by how tiny it seems now. She remembers it as vast in her childhood. Kawa Yui agrees, noting how age and perspective can distort even the most familiar places. What was once grand now appears merely quaint.

A flashback reveals Uru Chie, Kawa Yui, and the Kimengumi boys sitting together on a rooftop. They discuss the park, sharing fragmented, often comical, memories. The boys recall strange things, like seeing the Kuchisake-onna, while Kawa Yui expresses a wish to have been part of those shared childhood experiences.

Back in the present, Ichido Rei suddenly remembers a television show about children running errands. He reveals his own father filmed him for a similar home video. The idea sparks immediate excitement among his friends, who are eager to see their usually composed leader as a child.

Rei's father, proudly displaying his archived DVD, accidentally plays a rather racy swimsuit competition video first, much to everyone's embarrassment. Once the correct disk is found, young Rei is introduced, along with his stern-looking mother and baby sister Kiri. The striking family resemblance is not lost on the Kimengumi boys, who find it both amusing and a little unnerving.

The home video shows young Rei trying to buy cigarettes for his father, only to be politely refused by a confused clerk. He later mistakes a girl's lollipop for a cigarette, causing an angry outburst from her. The day continues its comedic descent when Rei eats the cake he was meant to deliver and then crashes through a sake store door. His father, ever the determined filmmaker, tries to guide him through these escalating mishaps.

Young Rei is sidetracked from his errands, captivated by a red balloon floating away. He then decides to take a 'shortcut' through a junior high school, which predictably leads to him and his baby sister, Kiri, getting lost. The scene reveals that their fathers, including Rei's own, are both filming their children's 'errands,' much to the bewilderment of a local police officer.

The red balloon, now stuck, attracts the attention of some intimidating delinquents who try to extort money from young Rei. Just as things look bleak, a cool teenager, remarkably similar in appearance to an older Rei, steps in to defend the child. He swiftly dispatches the delinquents, embodying a surprising act of selfless heroism.

The troublesome red balloon appears again, this time snagged high on a power line, seemingly out of reach for good. Despite the earlier chaos, young Rei is later shown performing a small act of civic duty, diligently picking up litter from the street and disposing of it properly. It's a small, quiet moment of responsibility amidst the larger comic disasters.

All the children of the Kimengumi group, as youngsters, gather to retrieve the persistent red balloon. They form an ambitious human pyramid, with young Rei at the very top, stretching desperately. Though he manages to grab the balloon, it tragically deflates in his hands, leaving baby Kiri distraught and in tears.

Faced with Kiri's tears, the children huddle together, determined to right their wrong. They link hands, their faces glowing with a peculiar blue light, and collectively blow into the deflated balloon. Miraculously, it re-inflates and floats gently into the sky, restoring Kiri's smile. It is a moment of pure, innocent magic born of friendship.

The home video concludes, leaving the Kimengumi boys emotionally overwhelmed and in tears. Their sentimentality is short-lived, however, as they quickly realize the footage was largely shot from behind Rei's head, making it difficult to truly see his childhood expressions. Kawa Yui, ever the optimist, remains utterly delighted by the experience, finding joy in the glimpse into Rei's past.

Inspired by the day's nostalgic journey, Kawa Yui encourages the others to join her in making new, joyful memories. The Kimengumi boys, led by Ichido Rei, burst out of their classroom, leaving a flustered teacher in their wake. They tumble chaotically down the hallway, eventually forming a human airplane that soars through the school walls and over the city, a testament to their boundless energy and friendship.