Summer Again Episode 5 Recap
> Summer Again Recap
Ni Xiaowan tearfully approached Lin Nanyi, trying to persuade him to be her dance partner for the upcoming performance. She complained about Tong Xi, stating that Tong Xi was very unhappy after Ni Xiaowan accidentally injured her own dance partner. Lin Nanyi initially declined, stating he had too much on his plate. Ni Xiaowan pressed on, claiming Tong Xi always targeted her and had said Ni Xiaowan injured her leg.
She suggested Lin Nanyi could be the substitute, making everyone happy. However, Lin Nanyi defended Tong Xi, saying Tong Xi was not targeting her but was worried about slowing down progress due to time constraints. He promised to consider being a substitute. Ni Xiaowan then asked Lin Nanyi why he had never mentioned Tong Xi before, observing that Tong Xi had left Xi Hai during elementary school and they hadn't even met.
Ni Xiaowan began to express her gratitude for his past help, but Lin Nanyi, uncomfortable with her persistent talk of the past, interrupted her, reminding her they had agreed not to mention it. He then asked her to call him by his full name and excused himself to go upstairs, leaving Ni Xiaowan to wonder if his sudden coldness was because of Tong Xi.
As Tong Xi was teaching the Waltz, she received a call from a friend, who mentioned that Ni Xiaowan (the class monitor) was looking for Lin Nanyi to be a dance partner. Tong Xi, exasperated, said she was swamped with choreography and couldn't believe they couldn't find a male student who could perform three pivot turns. The students found the choreography, especially the three pivot turns, too difficult, and wanted a simpler routine.
Ni Xiaowan seized the opportunity to complain to Mr. Jia, the teacher, highlighting her own lack of a dance partner and the students' struggle with Tong Xi's complex moves. She implied Tong Xi should have arranged a substitute earlier. Mr. Jia acknowledged that students needed practice and synchronization, urging Tong Xi not to feel pressured.
Just as Tong Xi was about to give in and apologize, Lin Nanyi stepped in, making a sarcastic remark about Ni Xiaowan having experience with marching formations. He then proposed they be given five more days, insisting their class should excel with a Waltz performance rather than settling for a marching formation. Mr. Jia agreed, giving them more time.
Later, Ni Xiaowan's friends echoed her frustration, pointing out that Lin Nanyi always seemed to side with Tong Xi, even when he objected to the marching formation that Tong Xi had almost agreed to. They questioned why Lin Nanyi and Ni Xiaowan's good relationship had soured since Tong Xi's return. Tong Xi continued her demanding daily routine, returning home late, but the Waltz training still wasn't yielding ideal results.
Meanwhile, Lin Nanyi secretly recorded the students' dance practice and diligently trained by himself at home. Her mother, initially worried about Tong Xi being absent-minded in class and questioning her late nights, became angry when she found out Tong Xi was teaching Waltz for the school sports meet instead of focusing on her studies. Tong Xi admitted she felt out of her depth, unable to motivate the class.
Her mother then took the video of the students' practice to review and offered her advice. Lin Nanyi's friend, seeing him practice, deduced it was for Tong Xi and asked why he didn't offer his help directly, as Tong Xi must be overwhelmed. Lin Nanyi replied that it wasn't the right time for him to step in personally, but he had already found her a "reinforcement."
Tong Xi's friend then convinced Tong Xi that for the new dance to succeed, she needed Lin Nanyi's help, as there were no other suitable candidates. Tong Xi, after some deliberation, decided to ask him, thinking, "He knows everything about me. Nothing to fear." She called Lin Nanyi, complaining about the heat and asking him to prepare ice water. She noted that the location he shared felt familiar.
Upon arriving, Tong Xi recognized Lin Nanyi's house as the place where they used to climb trees as children. She teased him, asking if he was "hiding a beautiful lady" in his "golden house." Lin Nanyi invited her in, but Tong Xi, eager to practice, insisted they dance outside immediately. As they danced, Tong Xi found herself drawn to his handsome face, momentarily forgetting her resolve to resist his charm.
She scolded herself internally, reminding herself that he represented her "dark history" and she shouldn't be seduced. Tong Xi then brought up a childhood memory, asking why he had called her stupid when he had once promised to marry her. Lin Nanyi was surprised she still remembered. Tong Xi listed several grievances, including her not agreeing to be his "bandit queen" and, most importantly, his failure to see her off when she left Xi Hai.
She declared it was perfectly reasonable for her to be angry because she considered him her best friend, but he hadn't even said goodbye. To make amends, Lin Nanyi promised to dance with her properly. In return, he asked Tong Xi to do him a favor: be his model. Tong Xi agreed to model for him. Lin Nanyi initially tried to guide her pose, but eventually told her to just sit comfortably.
He explained his desire to draw real people after studying plaster statues and sketches for art school, believing that human subjects offered a deeper emotional connection. He said that with good lighting, he could feel her mood and express it accurately in his art. As he spoke, Tong Xi gradually fell asleep. Lin Nanyi, seeing her asleep by the window, gently brushed her hair from her face and gazed at her with affection.
Tong Xi suddenly woke up, and they shared an intense, silent look, creating an ambiguous and intimate atmosphere. Later that night, Tong Xi retrieved some old childhood photos from under a tree. She reflected on her past feelings for Lin Nanyi, believing they were special, but acknowledged that he never came to see her off or replied to her letters, making her feel their precious childhood friendship was discarded like her old Mentha necklace.
Although she still held onto some resentment, she decided it was best to forget these old grievances. She also wondered why Lin Nanyi lived alone but quickly dismissed the thought, deciding they were just ordinary classmates and shouldn't concern themselves with each other. Meanwhile, Lin Nanyi's comic, conceptualized with Tong Xi's image in mind, received high praise from his Editor Jia Jia.
Editor Jia Jia expressed excitement over the new manga's compelling characters and story, saying it made her heart skip a beat. Lin Nanyi assured her he was diligently working on the detail drawings and would speed up the creative process. Editor Jia Jia then asked for the title of the new manga, to which Lin Nanyi replied, "Mentha." During the next Waltz practice, the students still found the choreography challenging. Lin Nanyi then walked in, and Tong Xi introduced him as their new substitute dance partner. Ni Xiaowan watched from the side, visibly consumed by jealousy.
