** Spoiler Alert!!! click to hide or show**
The story continues with Nanami, 21 years old and in her final year at S Girl's College (since she did not manage to enter J University), and already living in Tokyo. It turns out that she has not seen Yano for consecutively 5 years since the parting at the train station. Half a year into Yano's arriving at Tokyo and he completely cut off all communications with Nanami. The reason to this is unknown at this point, leaving Nanami both heartbroken and confused. It is believed that no one knows what happened to Yano.
The story follows on, with Nanami deciding to leave her feelings for Yano behind and begins dating Takeuchi. However, the latter soon confesses that he did meet up with Yano (and was probably the last person to see him) before Yano actually disappeared.
It turns out that ever since moving into Tokyo, Yano ran into a lot of problems such as financial difficulties, finding a place for his dog, Lalami to live in (thanks to a close classmate who later falls for him and even meets Nanami in the company they work at), and his mother's health problems. His mother's health deteriorates both mentally and physically (especially after Yano's dead father's wife shows up with the incline to take Yano back with her).
Throughout this time, Yano has kept his problems from Nanami, in hope that she can concentrate on her studies. Twice he made the attempt to return to Hokkaido to see her, but failed to do so because of his mother. This is unknown to Nanami, however.
Finally, Yano's mother took her own life (note that this takes place around half a year after Yano's arrival at Tokyo). Since the funeral, it is stated that Yano 'completely vanished'. It is shown that he did see Takeuchi around this time, telling the latter that he is leaving Nanami in his care, and that he has decided to give up everything from his past, even those dearest to him.
Yano seems to believe that it was his fault that his mother committed suicide, stating that 'I was the one who killed her'. Roughly half a year later, he made a phone call to Nanami's house which was then picked up by her mother. This too, was not told to Nanami until she was 21 years old. Yano's personality appears to undergo a change. He has since started dating many girls, but states that he "does not treat girls like anything important" anymore. During this whole time, Yamamoto Yuri has not given up on him.
The story continues a year after Nanami realizes the truth, with the close classmate who now works with Nanami in the same company, suspecting that she may have found Yano. Her suspicions turn out to be correct. However, though Yano is aware of Nanami's whereabouts and her relationship with Takeuchi, he makes no move to see her.
The same goes with Nanami even after realizing that their company is now working with Yano. It is shown that Yano is now living with Yamamoto Yuri, in which he later reveals that Nanami is different from Nana-san and his mother.
However difficult the situation is, Nanami will strongly continue on. Thus one can safely assume he chose Yamamoto out of pity.
On the day of Nanami's birthday, as seen from the latest chapter 50, Takeuchi proposes to her but is rejected.