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"In the part where I really did it with Taiki, I imagined it..." In episode 17 of the anime "Blue Box," which began airing sequentially from January 30, Taiki Inomata (voiced by Shoya Chiba) ends up helping Hina Chono (voiced by Akari Kito) practice her role as "Snow White awakened by a prince's kiss." The partner in her confession becomes her acting counterpart, and Hina blushes as she does her best to say, "Do you really want to?" Viewers were overwhelmed with reactions like "Too cute, it's heartbreaking..." and "I could hear my emotions shattering."

The new school term began, and Eimei High School's cultural festival season arrived. It was decided that Taiki's class would perform "Snow White" with Hina as the lead. Taiki was busy with club activities, preparing for a practice match against Sachi High School, where Haruto Yusa, who defeated them in the prefectural tournament, was. At the same time, he was running around as the class representative for the cultural festival.

Knowing that Hina was seriously dedicated to the play, Taiki visited the classroom one day after school where she was rehearsing. Hina lay on the lined-up desks, practicing the scene where Snow White awakens from her slumber.

Hina was struggling to figure out what expression to have upon reviving from the brink of death. Hearing this, Taiki decided to help her practice, saying, "It's easier to imagine with someone else." However, in the script Taiki opened, there were the words "Prince (kisses)." Flustered, Taiki exclaimed, "I'm not doing it!" to which Hina replied, "I know!" but a strange atmosphere lingered between them.

Taking Taiki's advice, Hina thought about how Snow White would feel upon awakening, but she couldn't quite grasp it. As she pondered, "It's such an important scene..." Taiki expressed his admiration, saying, "Hina, you're amazing. You're seriously thinking about it and always carrying the script around to read."

"Maybe it's better to go with the flow," they resumed practicing. Taiki read the prince's lines, "Snow White, please wake up," and also voiced the stage direction, "Kissed." At this point, Snow White was supposed to rise, but Hina, with her eyes closed, didn't move an inch.

"Hina? Is that acting?" Taiki approached with concern, and Hina, covering her face with her hands, blushed deeply and responded, "No... I imagined actually doing it with you, Taiki."

At Hina's unexpected words, Taiki reflexively leaned back, exclaiming, "What!?" After another moment of silence, Hina opened her eyes, even redder, and asked, "Do you really want to?" When Hina prompted again, "Do you really want to?" Taiki calmly replied, "No, I don't."

As Hina sat up, she said, "I know! It would be weird if you said yes," while slightly lowering her gaze. Still, she bravely added, "But your heart raced, right? That's part of Hina's strategy."

On social media, Hina's series of actions prompted reactions like, "'Do you really want to?' has power," "Even as a fan of Chinatsu-senpai, I understand Hina's overwhelming impact," "Those lips are dangerous. My heart raced just like Taiki's...!!" "Hina is in an invincible state, her impact is incredible. I love her so much!" "Hina is adorable. It's painful," "She's so endearing and earnest, you can't help but root for her," "Hina wins, hands down," and many others were left overwhelmed. Others expressed surprise at Taiki's ability to resist, saying, "You should've just done it," "Isn't Taiki strange for not falling for this???" "How can he not fall for her... Taiki..." "How can Taiki withstand this?" "Normally, you'd kiss, right?!"

Anime "Blue Box" is based on the manga of the same name by Kouji Miura, which has been serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) since April 2021. Set in the prestigious sports academy Eimei High School, the story unfolds as a youthful romance between Taiki Inomata of the boys' badminton club and Chinatsu Kano, the ace of the girls' basketball team.

Episode 17: "You Want to See, Right?"
[Synopsis]
Although steadily improving in badminton, Taiki feels unable to perceive his own growth. In the midst of this, a practice match is arranged with Sachigawa High School, where Yusa, who defeated them in the prefectural tournament, plays, motivating Taiki to train even harder. Additionally, with the dual responsibilities of being a class representative for the cultural festival, Taiki finds himself busy. He also decides to help Hina practice her role as Snow White, who is awakened by the prince's kiss in the play.

(C) Kouji Miura/SHUEISHA, Blue Box Film Partners

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