Golden Times/Full summary

Alice and Shino discuss how excited they are for the brand new school year as they meet with the others in high-spirited moods. Their great moods come to a hault upon finding Aya and Yoko and noticing how depressed Aya looks, she voices her concern over them being split up. Alice claims that nothing could split them up; only to learn that she and Yoko are in class C, while Shino, Karen, and Aya are in class A.

In class A, Shino and Karen are happy to be in class together but since Aya has been separated from Yoko, she's gone into shock. In the other class, Alice is the same way now that she has become separated from Shino. Yoko claims it can't be helped and asks her if she would like to go and rest in the nurses office as she lays down on a desk. They are joined by the others and Alice quickly gets up to cling to Shino. Aya struggles upon seeing Yoko though, because she wishes to approach her but she refuses to. Shino attempts to lighten the situation for Alice and Aya by saying they are only separated by classrooms, but this doesn't cheer them up anyway, even when Yoko states that it isn't a big deal and asks Aya why she's even upset since she has Shino and Karen with her. Aya instead asks Yoko if she's sad being without her, but when Yoko claims she has Alice with her and she's fine, she runs off in shock causing Yoko to assume Aya wanted to be with Alice.

In the auditorium the teachers and principle speak with the students. Alice is very depressed since she can't stand with Shino, and after the meeting she is joined by Sakura, who mentions that she will be her homeroom teacher again. Somehow this doesn't make Alice feel any better.

In Classroom A, the girls begin to discuss hair after Shino attempts to touch Karen's and Aya stops her. After it's noted that all three of them have straight hair, Aya can't help but wonder if that has anything to do with why they're in the same class before sending a rude text to Yoko. 

Yoko asks Alice if she wishes to go and hang out with the others but Alice insists that she is fine there. They are happy to be together, and while Yoko assumes that Alice is doing fine now, she spots the little doll that Alice previously used to compare to Shino, causing her to worry again.

As the school day ends the girls discuss how long the day felt, and how differently it seemed to be since before it was only Karen who was separated from them. They wait for Shino to finish writing in the class journal, and when she's ready to take it to the faculty room Alice volunteers to go with her. As they walk down the hallway Shino mentions how jealous that Alice got to have Sakura as their teacher again, but Alice feels gloomy, noticing that Shino doesn't seem to share the sentiment. Shino claims this is only because they are separated by a class, which is practically nothing in comparison to the past, so she isn't worried. These words seem to assure Alice and calm her down. 

The following day, Alice thinks about how things are now and realizes that all she has to do is learn to go with the flow in this new classroom. Compared to the other day, this doesn't feel hard anymore.

Some time later, Karen is at home when her parents tell her she's running late, having been in the middle of reading manga. It inspires her and she leaves home carrying a back scratcher and wearing an eye patch- leaving her friends surprised to find her suddenly acting cool, although Aya scolds her for this when a girl passing by laughs. They resume heading to school as Aya addresses Karen's situation as a middle school fantasy and they comment on how far Karen is taking this new idea after finding her leg bandaged and believe it has something to do with her manga. To her annoyance she reveals that her leg is bandaged because she tripped the other day.

In class, Karen explains what inspired her to dress up the way she did, only to confess that she didn't actually get to the part where the eye patch comes in- she's just really into it and only read half of the first volume. Alice continues the subject by mentioning that she understands how it feels to become inspired by a story, then brings up that she's been reading some difficult classics in hopes of learning new things by looking up what she can't understand. Shino also rubs her shoulders from time to time, due to how stiff she would get. It's then Shino decides she can help Alice by reading out loud. But when she tries, it's too difficult for her to understand and she wonders if it's a cursed book, along with Karen.

To help them feel better, Aya suggests that Alice and Shino make up a story that the two of them can read together. Shino likes the idea but she has no idea how to even write or start to make up a story. Yoko claims that it is easy and with some imagination she tells them the story about an old woman who went to wash her clothing at a river. But the other girls recognize the story as Momotaro and tell her to try harder. Karen then suggests that they fantasize people they know, but this only ends with Aya starting to picture Yoko as a prince. She comments on this and starts to call Yoko names while Shino tries it out and uses Alice as a robot she came up with. She claims there is a switch on her back, and due to how serious she looked the other girls couldn't help but try to take a peak; this upsets Alice and they try again, causing Shino to think of two, blond haired Princesses, one Alice, and the other is herself.

The two girls were good friends since childhood and one day, the blue dressed princess was brushing the others hair. Alice suggests they go out for a walk and they dance and sing about the things they treasure. But before they can get very far they are interrupted by pirate Karen, who demands they hand over their treasure. When the girls refuse, Karen has her crew take Shino away. Alice is upset by this and she stops the story to embrace Shino, but Yoko scolds her for stopping so rudely. Karen wishes to know what happened and Aya criticizes the story for having a bad ending so far.

The story continues with Shino on sea with Karen. She asks her why she captured her, and Karen sings about how much she usually collects treasure and traveling, but lately she doesn't find it very fun. Shino suggests that she keeps traveling and Karen decides she will as long as Shino stays with her. Shino agrees but asks to write a letter to a dear friend first.

Once again the story is interrupted, with a sad Alice and the other girls feeling excited. Shino asks Yoko and Aya what they want to be in the story and Yoko is quick to call Aya a mermaid, and they all think Yoko should be the prince.

Shino continues her story then, saying that the ship fell over during a horrible storm. She was saved by a beautiful mermaid, who happens to spot a ship nearby and recognizes the handsome figure aboard it. As Shino mentions that she likes this girl a lot, Aya claims otherwise. It's then the Prince Yoko approaches to speak to Mermaid Aya. She claims that she, like Aya, hasn't been able to stop thinking about her since the day she saved her. But before they can get further, Karen shows up again and demands Shino back. Yoko then tells her Pirate Assistant Sakura to get the cannons ready for battle and a fight breaks out.

After a long, tough battle, Shino attempts to make Karen stop but Aya tells her they can't. It's then a huge figure appears out of the sea, being played by Isami; a witch who lives in the depths of the water and promises to grant their wish but only if they will give her something she treasures. Shino realizes what she must do and she asks to borrow something sharp from Aya, then she cuts off some of her golden locks and asks the Witch for help. The princess lost her beautiful golden hair, and the world has lived in peach since then.

Finishing her story, the group react with shock after realizing the rest of the students in class and in the hallway are choked up by their story. Sakura gently pushes past them to announce that everyone needs to be seated, as morning announcements will be held. After everyone sits down, Alice asks Shino if the Princesses were separated forever after that happened, and Shino tells her they weren't; because they could see each other at any time and always remain friends, just like them.

It's then the past is shown to the viewer. As Alice watched the plane Shino was in take off, she began to look up Japanese schools she could attend for practice and learning. Then she went and sent a letter to Shino, to tell her of her arrival years later. This letter is shown in Shino's room and they are currently observing it when they are called to head to school and run out of the room.