Now, more than ever, I need the sweet escape of TV drama as a reminder of a time when we weren’t in the throes of a pandemic. Although the past few episodes of “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” were hard to watch, this episode delivered more than enough heartwarming charm to pull me back into the show.

Kai has seemingly been doing some self-reflection since the “Case of The Costume Incident” because the next night, he sits Hana down for an honest conversation. He apologizes again for ruining her wrestling costume and admits, “I had no concept of thoughtfulness or gratitude for the people around me.” Even though he can’t replace her outfit, he promises to work hard to pay her back. Then, he adds that he would like to revisit the possibility of them becoming close again. Hana accepts his apology but she doesn’t look ready to be friends with him again just yet.

Unfortunately, even if Hana has a change of heart, she’ll be seeing a lot less of him from now on because he’s moving out of the house. After his talk with Hana, Kai goes to the boys’ bedroom, where he tells Toshiyuki and Shion about his decision to leave the show and devote himself to a career in stand-up comedy. Later, the housemates gather in the kitchen and Kai tells everyone the news. He says he wishes they were able to see a better, improved version of him, but he hopes to see them all again after he’s had some time to grow. Kai’s departure the next morning is a somber affair, and even though he gives Hana a colorful portrait that he painted of her, she can’t bring herself to hug him goodbye.