No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35

At the start of the new school year, a flashy transfer student arrives at Kunikida High in a luxury car. Her name is Ayako Baba (Ryoko Yonekura), and she is 35 years old. Having dropped out of high school, she says she wants to start over and complete her education. At the request of the Board of Education, Kunikida High agrees to accept the unusual 35-year-old student. ©NIPPON TV

Principal Noda (Takaaki Enoki) installs suggestion boxes in every classroom so students can share their worries. In Class 3-A, Ayako (Ryoko Yonekura) volunteers to be class representative and is unanimously elected. After school, she and Koizumi (Junpei Mizobata) check the box and find one anonymous note among the prank messages: "Help me." ©NIPPON TV

During a break, Ayako (Ryoko Yonekura) finds Masamitsu (Masaki Suda) and his friends making noise in an empty classroom. When she asks why they are using it without permission, Osamu (Shuhei Nomura) says they have the right to. Ayako is baffled, especially when Koizumi (Junpei Mizobata) defends them instead of warning them. ©NIPPON TV

One month after transferring to Kunikida High, Ayako (Ryoko Yonekura) has made four friends: Rina (Alice Hirose), Ai (Elina Mizuno), Saegusa (Yukito Nishii), and Otake (Taiko Katono). Their carefree friendship angers top tier students Masamitsu (Masaki Suda), Osamu (Shuhei Nomura), and Ren (Mahiro Takasugi). Then teacher Saruwatari (Toshihide Tonesaku) accuses Ayako of cheating. ©NIPPON TV

With the school festival approaching, each class must choose an event. In Class 3A, Rikako (Karen Miyazaki), representing the top tier students, volunteers to lead, and the class chooses a haunted house. Preparations seem to go well as the second and third tier students follow her lead, but resentment grows when Rikako and the other top tier students do none of the work. ©NIPPON TV

Kunikida High's girls relay team is expected to reach the national championships, with Mizuki (Yua Shinkawa) and Moe (Fujiko Kojima) as its star runners. If Mizuki makes nationals, she will also secure a university sports recommendation. But Moe is injured after Ayako (Ryoko Yonekura) nearly steps on a treasured matching charm she made with Mizuki. ©NIPPON TV