Love Lab Season 1 Episode 9

That Smile...

Sayori returns to the Student Council room and reveals her sudden resignation from the Council due to the exposure of her illicit relationship to the teachers thanks to Nana's photo. Left in a state of shock, the girls try to deal with this revelation in their own way before Riko gathers the Council including Momoka and Nana to brainstorm ideas that would save Sayori, with Natsuo devising an ingenious plan involving her "Makio" persona. At the teachers intervention the next day, Makio unexpectedly bursts into the meeting along with Riko and co. and much to Sayori's shock, the girls begin weaving a web of lies built on some already established truths that the teachers were aware of. Yuiko shows them the fake love request submitted by Nana and explains that an anonymous student misinterpreted their previous radio broadcast. Riko continues that since Natsuo was not a person to turn away from a student's request, she dressed up like a boy to try and fulfill it with Sayori's help due to contact with actual boys being forbidden by the school. The girls then guilt the teachers into thinking they'd accept Sayori's confession without conducting a proper investigation and Natsuo strengthens this idea by claiming responsibility for the radio broadcast of which Ms. Sakagami wrongly blamed Riko, before threatening to quit the council. Believing that the teachers were wrong, Ms. Sakagami folds and lets the Student Council off with minor repercussions. Afterwards, as the Student Council reaffirms their friendship and success with their own unique expressions, Momoka thanks Ms. Sugihara for her help in getting the camera and remarks that she is happy with the state of their association as long as Nana regained her confidence. Finally, as Yuiko and Sayori walk home, the former fondly recalls the moment they accepted each other's friendship back in grade school.