I Wouldn't Say That

Shigure engineers a surprise holiday at the Sohma summer house by the lake, roping in Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, and Hatori. Beneath the light comedy of a made-up bear and sibling bickering runs a quieter purpose: Shigure wants to lift Hatori's spirits after the wound of Kana's wedding.

Shigure maneuvers everyone into the trip and rattles Tohru and Kyo with tales of a fearsome forest bear named Jason. On a walk through the woods, Tohru grows anxious at Yuki and Kyo's silence and tearfully apologizes, sure she has upset them. When Kyo trips over a huge footprint and Tohru loses her balance, both boys grab for her and transform into their zodiac forms. Their squabbling over who is clumsier relieves Tohru, who laughs, and they admit they were only feeling unwell and never angry with her.

At the house, Hatori sees through Shigure's cover story and makes him confess he arranged the trip partly to torment his editor. Hatori then realizes the true aim was to check on him after Kana's recent marriage. The next morning Ayame appears, to Yuki and Kyo's dismay, and offers Hatori a wedding photo obtained from Mayuko. Ayame bristles at how easily Kana moved on and swears Hatori will one day be far happier than she is. His renewed attempts to bond with Yuki fail once more, and the episode closes on Mayuko at her desk, a photo of herself and Kana beside her.

The title is taken from a line of Hatori's. Adapted from two chapters, the episode adds and trims numerous small details: Hatori's exasperation at Shigure manipulating the boys and the cemetery clips during the quiet forest walk were created for the anime, while a beat of Shigure hesitating over whether he holds a driver's license was cut. Many flashbacks fleshing out Kana and Hatori's romance were newly added, and a hinted, failed past relationship between Shigure and Mayuko has its dialogue reworded from the source.