Love Me or Leave Me

Love Me or Leave Me(ラブ・ミー・オア・リーブ・ミー,Rabu Mī oa Rību Mī) is the 9th episode of the Kids on the Slope anime.

Plot
Sentarō and Ritsuko attend Christmas mass together while Kaoru decides to attend a Christmas party at Seiji's house, hoping to distance himself from them. Finally aware of her feelings for him, Sentarō apologizes to Ritsuko for not knowing how she felt, but the two end up renewing their conviction that they are just like family to each other. Junichi visits Yurika to tell her that he has accepted an offer to work for Arita's publishing company in Tokyo. Ritsuko talks to Yurika and decides to let Kaoru know how she feels. Kaoru insists that Sentarō should talk to Junichi before he departs, but Sentarō displays an indifferent attitude. Sentarō sends Junichi a letter of challenge to one last session with the band. The two duke it out to "Four" by Miles Davis. At the subway station at night, Junichi is approached by Yurika, who begs him to take her with him, but he insists that they should part ways. Just before the train starts moving, Junichi hears Yurika's parents at the station, angry at her for leaving in the middle of a matchmaking meeting they arranged for her. Junichi pulls her into the train at the last moment, and the two embrace as the train leaves the city. Back at the record shop, Kaoru opens the piano fallboard and finds a pair of blue gloves Ritsuko knitted for him.