EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at the precise midpoint of the 26-episode run, this episode follows directly from the events of episode 9, 'Tsumugi and Tsumugi,' where Hairi and Shizuku's search for Tsumugi deepened the emotional stakes surrounding her character. Episode 10 capitalizes on that momentum by centering the relationship between Hairi and Tsumugi as a thematic fulcrum for the season. It also lays crucial groundwork for episode 11, 'The Summer Butterfly and the Night Girl,' which introduces new narrative threads and characters that will propel the second half forward.