Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4: Touko Kirishima hands out Puberty Syndromes as the Dreaming trend goes viral

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4 aired on July 26, 2025, and officially began the Nightingale Arc of the series. The latest installment shed light on the mysterious Santa Claus, revealing that she had distributed Puberty Syndromes to countless people, including Sakuta’s acquaintance, Ikumi Akagi.

Additionally, a trend called Dreaming goes viral, giving individuals prophetic abilities. While this spelled disaster for some, Ikumi took advantage to step into the role of a savior, furthering Sakuta’s curiosity about her.

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Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4: Ikumi gets affected by Puberty Syndrome and the Dreaming trend sets off chaos

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4: Touko Kirishima’s reintroduction

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4 picks up right where the previous installment left off, with the girl in the Santa Claus costume, Touko Kirishima, appearing in front of Sakuta. She revealed that, along with Uzuki, 10 million people had been given Puberty Syndromes, which were referred to as presents. Her list of targets included Ikumi Akagi.

Following this, the scene shifted to Rio, Sakuta, and Yuuma’s reunion at a restaurant. Yuuma mentioned his shift as a firefighter, where he would work for 24 hours and get the next day off. The three friends discussed their lives, with Sakuta and Rio noting that they couldn’t attend matchmaking parties like typical college students due to their girlfriends and jobs, respectively.

When Rio stepped out to take a call from a friend, Yuuma and Sakuta praised her efforts as a tutor and the influence she had on her students. The three then took a walk along the beach and snapped a selfie, with Rio agreeing to introduce her enigmatic friend to Sakuta.

Rio and Sakuta as seen in Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4 (Image via Studio CloverWorks)

After Yuuma left, Rio and Sakuta discussed Touko Kirishima during their train ride back. Rio explained that Touko had lived like a ghost for two years, with very little credible information about her. She also asked Sakuta what he planned on doing to those affected by her “presents.”

Though Sakuta had no desire to save all 10 million people, he intended to get involved with Ikumi. Just as both of them entered the premises where they worked, a teacher was being escorted out for making an inappropriate advance toward Sara Himeji. Nearby students spoke about how they had already seen this happening through Dreaming.

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Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4: Sakuta goes to a matchmaking party

The next day, as Mai drove around Sakuta and Nodoka, their conversation turned to Touko. Mai noted that the Santa Claus case was similar to her own, while Nodoka shared that Uzuki never met Touko despite having covered her song. As more questions continued to surface, Mai asked Sakuta about Ikumi.

The protagonist explained that he knew very little about her, despite being in the same class in middle school and encountering her in another timeline. Although she seemed like she wanted to tell him something during their matriculation ceremony, she held herself back.

Later in the day, Sakuta met Miori at the dining hall. The girl proudly shared how she had been socializing and was even invited to a matchmaking party by her friends. The two were then interrupted by Takumi, who invited Sakuta to a get-together with girls from the Nursing department.

Though hesitant, the protagonist was eventually convinced and got permission from Mai. Since Ikumi was also in nursing, it was a good opportunity to learn more about her.

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Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4: The Dreaming trend

Ikumi and Sakuta as seen in Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4 (Image via Studio CloverWorks)

At the matchmaking party, Sakuta and Takumi met the third boy, Ryohei, an International Commerce student. The trio sat down and were joined by two girls, after which the party got underway. The group talked about Touko Kirishima’s songs before eventually shifting to the main topic, the Dreaming trend.

It was revealed that messages posted on social media with the hashtag "Dreaming" were coming true, making them akin to prophesies. Predictions ranged from a romantic kiss to a girl getting hit by a lantern. The group then started pestering Sakuta about his relationship with Mai and how they got together.

Just as the protagonist disclosed that he had boldly confessed his love for his girlfriend in front of the entire school, the third girl, Saki, entered the room and confirmed his story. Soon after, the group parted ways, and Sakuta walked through the busy streets where everyone was dressed for Halloween.

While there, he ran into Ikumi, though she seemed to be preoccupied and paid him no mind. As Sakuta looked on, Ikumi rushed toward a young girl who was about to be hit by a lantern and saved her in the nick of time. The protagonist hypothesized that Ikumi had likely expected the event to happen due to the Dreaming post, though he wondered what she was really up to.

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Final thoughts

Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus episode 4 begins the Nightingale Arc revolving around the mysterious Ikumi Akagi. Though she had been a side character until now, her use of the Dreaming trend to save a girl from harm hints at the Puberty Syndrome she was given by Touko Kirishima.

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