A Love Prayer! Happy New Year

"A Love Prayer! Happy New Year" is the sixteenth episode in Gokinjo Monogatari.

Plot
Mariko is very nervous about meeting Shuuji. She takes her time to make sure she looks pretty but modest. A maid that works for her family walks in on half-dressed Mariko. She sees Mariko in thong and wonders to herself if those pants that Mariko wears are what people call "t-backs". The maid tells Mariko that her parents and her brother Shintaro soon will be back from Narita. Shuuji, her neighbour next door, is already at home ― his car is parked outside. Mariko gathers her courage and goes to her beloved. She remarks that Shuji's parents has bought him BMW. Shuuji encounters her at his front door. Mariko is happy to see him, but he is not alone. A girl, who is with Shuuji, introduces herself as Yuka Matsuyama. Yuka is the same age as Shuuji, but due to her childishness looks younger than Mariko. Mariko guesses that Yuka is Shuuji's girlfriend and he reluctantly confirms this. Broken-hearted Mariko gathers her things and returns to Tokyo right after that.

Yuusuke is so lovesick and worried about Mariko meeting with "her puppy love prince", he can't eat. He asks Jiro, with whom he was eating, if he doesn't know Mariko's phone number in Yokohama. Jiro suggests some girls they both are acquainted with, who might know. Yuusuke excuses himself saying he needs to go to the mini-mart to buy some cider, and runs to call those girls from the payphone. They tell him what's happened with Mariko. At first, Yuusuke runs to her apartment, but at the last minute he realizes that she probably wants to be alone. He returns to Jiro's flat after awhile with cider for himself and milk for Jiro. When Jiro asks where was the mini-mart that Yuusuke went, Yuusuke answers "in Africa". Yuusuke finally got his appetite back.

On the next day, Tsutomu asks Mikako to go with him and Yuusuke to cheer up Mariko. Mikako wonders why they want her to be there and why they care about Mariko so much. Mikako didn't like Mariko ever since they have met. But after spending all day together and talking to her, Mikako admits to herself that Mariko is polite, benevolent and open-hearted. This makes Mikako feel that nobody in this world could be completely hateful. It is New Year's Eve, so they call others and visit a shrine together. Sudden realisation that since Mariko is free again, she might try to go back to Tsutomu hits Mikako.

At the shrine, Mikako prays that Tsutomu wouldn't fall for Mariko. Tsutomu prays that Mikako will soon realize that he loves her.

Cast and character appearances

 * Jiro Nishino
 * Kuro
 * Mai "P-chan" Oota
 * Mariko Nakasu
 * Mikako Kouda
 * Risa Kanzaki
 * Shuuji Shintani
 * Shintaro Nakasu (only mentioned)
 * Tsutomu Yamaguchi
 * Yuka Matsuyama
 * Yuusuke Tashiro

Trivia
Mariko's flat's number is 701 and her apartment complex apparently is called "Samovar Jasmine Leaf".