At the end of the first year, the Fenter family are on the way to a farewell party with several families in a taxi. Philip, who had suffered the most and who had missed his friends the most broached the subject of staying a second year.

Both Lora and Ken had decided that a second year would have been good, but they wouldn't push the idea if the children wanted to go home and back to their Springfield Schools.

Janelle joined her brother in asking if the family could stay. "We've done the hard part," her brother argued. "Our Japanese is good now."

At the party Ken asked their hosts how they felt about the family staying even though everyone was giving them goodbye parties. "Then we turn these parties into welcome back parties," one of the mothers said enthusiastically.

The next day after checking to see if Phil and Janelle still felt the same way they had the night before, Ken checked at the college to see if they had found replacement teachers. They had not. He asked if it would be possible to extend their contracts for another year. Lora had conditions for their staying over: a better washing machine and a dryer for example. And an improvement in salary.

All conditions were met. New contracts were signed. The family would go back to Springfield for a month to round up the children's lessons and books for the coming year, to look after their home, and see friends and return in the fall. They would be back, Mo Ichido: Once More.