-Yes, hello. -Hello.
-Hello, Shirota-kun? -Boss.
-I have something important to tell you. -I have something important to tell you.
-Ah? -Eh?
Hello, good morning! This is Keihin Child Counseling Center....
Yep, what is it?
Recently, you've been...
...acting strangely?
Lately, I've noticed...
...Boss has been acting odd?
Still you've become quite active lately and that's good.
But your clothes... and your manner of speaking...
...can be violent sometimes.
Boss, we know that by nature you are a great and capable man.
But in order to ensure your position as our next President...
...we should not give a chance for Ajisawa to have an advantage on it.
Could it be that Shirota-kun's real personality...
...is something impossible for us to deal with?
This kindness to children that you've shown, what has been influencing you to do it?
Am I gonna get in trouble because of our lie?
Will I get punished for our secret?
You see, I want to honestly tell you that I'm worried about something.
Actually, I know and I've seen how much you wanted to work here...
But there's something completely different about you.
You don't need to tell me the whole story... Just...
...anything you may wish to share, Boss.
And in case, I'll be ready when Nee-san asks me about it next time.
Chief... actually...
Yes?
Hyodo-san... actually...
Yes?
♪Para lograr felicidad♪ *To achieve happiness*
♪Hay que reir tambier cantar♪ *You have to laugh and sing*
♪Vamos asi hasta el final♪ *Let's continue this way until the end*
~ DON QUIXOTE ~ ♪Tu corazon te hara vibrar♪ *Your heart will make you shake*
Translation and fine timing: earthcolors
Raw provider and retiming: furransu
Special thanks to: hina_camui
::Story 5:: "Close Call Baby"
Oi, what did Hyodo say?
What did the Chief want to talk about?
She was like "You're acting strangely lately ...What's wrong?" that kinda stuff.
-I was asked the same thing. -I see. That was a close call, eh?
Oi, don't tell me you told him the truth?
You didn't say you're Sabashima-san, did you?
Of course I didn't!
Anyway, if I said that, she'd think I'm some kind of a fool.
Just like what happened in the hospital, huh?
But we can't risk making them feel suspicious about us anymore...
...so we both gotta act like each other. -You're certainly right.
I know.. maybe we should watch clips of our original selves, huh?
Actually, that's what I was thinking, too.
I see... so it's decided then...
-Uh... I want ya to bring that thing. -'Thing?'
Uh, you know... that thing.
-What thing...? -That thing, I said!
Sabashima-san... what is this?
Well, it's the best performance of my life.
I see what you mean.
What about you... what's yer clip?
Oh... mine is from the dvd clip from my best friend's wedding.
It's my friend-of-the-groom speech.
"At that time, it's because of my Alex..."
"...and Benjamin, our groom Koichi-kun's snake..."
"...that we started to hang out together."
"Oh, by the way, Alex is not just a lizard..."
"...he's a gecko actually."
"Uh, excuse me...
"...Does anyone know how lizards do their courtship?"
Hey, this clip of yers got cut off in the middle.
No, uh... it's because Koichi-kun's wife hates lizards.
Listen, if you wanna get more of the guests' attention, ya gotta give 'em more 'pow!'
Your speech was just too lame, ya know.
Well, here.. ya better look at mine.
Okay.
"The gangster of all gangsters..."
"Mr. Ya...ku...za."
"Sabashima Jin... And his way of life..."
"Pow~!"
"Thwak~!"
"Bangbang~!"
"Ya guys!"
"Ya wanna join us?!"
"The highly acclaimed... Sabashima Group... Gangsters, apply now."
That was good, ain't it?
What was that about?
That, you see, was my promotional video.
Is there anything else.. something that shows you as a normal person?
That's what ya want? I'm supposed to reserve this...
...for last but I'm gonna show it now.
"And the Special Jury Award goes to..."
"The pair of Sabashima Jin and Ayumi!"
"-Ayumi! -Darling!"
"Sabashima-san, can you say a few words please."
"I'm very surprised, ya know..."
"We never expected we'd get this awesome award..."
"Well, I bet..."
"...it's because of me and my wife's passionate dancin', eh!"
"Thanks, man!"
"It was good, wasn't it? It was good."
"Boss got the honorable mention award, let's ask Aniki for his thoughts."
"Aniki! Wadda ya say about the win?"
What the hell is that?
"Oi, Yasu, wadda ya doin' here?"
Apparently, there's something more to it, huh?
"-I'm cutting it off now. -Ya idiot!"
I'm gonna kick that Hyodo's ass!
Sabashima-san please calm down... You see...
...your 'boiling point' is too low, you got to be more gentlemanly.
'Gentlemanly?' Wadda ya know about it, ya greenhorn bastard.
'Greenhorn bastard?' Nowadays, we don't use such language.
Fine, doncha have anythin' more to show me?
Oh, I do.
This was our off-line meeting* last summer. [*RL meeting of people who often chat online]
"He certainly has a rare color... what's his name?"
"It's Benjamin. He's a hybrid from.."
"...a corn snake and the king of snake."
"What does Benjamin eat?"
"Mice. I buy them frozen..."
"...then warm them up before I give them to him. Right, Benjamin?"
"I see what you mean."
"What should I do before I touch him?"
"-This space..." -Ah!
That's nuff. Don't wanna watch anymore.
But there's still 8 minutes and 43 seconds more.
I know already... what ya keep sayin' anyway...
...it's 'Oh, I see what you mean'... that's all there is to it, ain't it?
At least, I'm not saying silly words.
'Oh, I see what you mean.'
Well, yeah... that's good enough.
And mine would be...
Pow... thwak... bangbang... something like that.
C'mon, man... put more force into it...
I'll show ya...
Pow! Thwak! Bangbang!
Like that?
Yeah, not bad. That was kinda good.
That ain't bad.
Oh, it's from Ayumi-san!
Listen... try to sound more like me.
Yes.
Hello.
Darling? The girl I worked with in the club before...
...Asakura Maki... do you remember her?
Who knows?
What?
I mean... a bit.
The landlord from the apartment complex where she lives...
...has called me.
Ok... whatta 'bout it?
Ever since yesterday, I could hear a baby crying inside...
I visited the apartment many times but she's not there...
Even if I call her on her mobile phone, she doesn't answer.
Since you're her guarantor, I decided to call you.
Maki, are you there? Open it, Maki!
Maki?
Ah! So filthy. What happened here?
Darling! Quick, call an ambulance!
Uh, yes!
What the heck did she do?
Boss, I'll carry that fer ya.
-Yeah, go ahead. -Yes.
Good thing you found him. When he's all better, he can be discharged soon.
-Yeah, thanks, Doc. -If you'll excuse me now.
It was a good thing we found ya in time.
Oi, he's cryin'... what should I do?
-Maybe ya need to hold him? -I see.
Oi oi... doncha cry, doncha cry.
Here... up ya go~... up ya go~.
Huh? He's smiling...here.
-Boss, what will I do? -Just try it...
Here...I brought his milk.
-Yes, Nee-san. -Alright, give him to me.
You didn't mind his scary face at all, now did you?
Alright, here's your milk.
That's it, take your time.
Don't rush it... drink slowly.
Nee-san, you do that so well.
Long ago, when I was working as a mama-san* at a hostess bar club in Ginza... [*proprietress of the club]
I used to sometimes watch over the kids of my girls.
Excuse me.
Nee-san, I just heard from Ken that the husband of Maki...
...had died 6 months ago from some illness. -What?
She has since then been moving from one club to another.
Considering the circumstances, it's probably a case of neglect.
-'Neg-?'... 'neg-?'... what's that? -That baby's been left on his own.
If there ain't no parental care for a child, then that means it's neglected.
A kid like that left alone by its parent will die, won't it?
Lately there has been a growin' number of parents like that.
Boss, you seem awfully familiar with it.
Then, what should we do with the child?
In cases like this, there is the Child Counseling Center.
'Child Counseling Center?'
-Good morning~! -Shirota, what happened?
You're back to your former clothes?
It's good, right? Well...
Because Chief made me notice how different I've become lately.
-I see. -That attitude and style of speech suits you better.
I understand.
-He looks refreshing, doesn't he? -Yes.
What do you think? Is it nice?
Quiet, I'm busy.
Hello?
Hey, it's me. My wife, Ayumi, wants to speak to you.
Here you go.
I'm the wife of Sabashima, my name is Ayumi.
Yes?
Oh, Nee-san... where's the pediatric ward?
-Just turn right in that corner. -In the right corner, eh?
What's up with you, Shirota-kun?
I'm just naturally concerned with the welfare of the children.
-I see. -Oh, this way, right?
Oh, he's laughing.
Excuse me, I'm Shirota of the Child Counseling Center.
Oh, we've been waiting.
Omori-san, sorry to bother ya.
Uh, no, it's ok.
Excuse my rudeness the other day.
I just heard of the noble work you've been doing.
Nah, it's ok.
I am Sabashima Ayumi.
Yeah, I know a lot about ya.
Pardon?
Oh, I mean Sabashima told me a lot about you.
We still can't contact his mother.
If we can't find her... what will happen to him?
Please help him somehow. Please.
Don't worry.
This boy will be alright, I'll stake my honor for it...
I'll definitely find a way to make this child happy!
-Thank you so much! -Please leave it to me!
-I'm counting on you! -Yes!
We'll place him under our care.
Thank you for your help.
-Let's go. -Yes.
Hold on please.
Shuhei-kun, I hope they'll take good care of you there.
If he gets impatient, please give him lots of milk.
-Yes, bye-bye now. -Bye bye.
Hello? Asakura-san? This is the Child Counseling Center.
Chief, is this ok?
-Yup! -Yep!
Here, drink up... it's good ain't it?
...I made it, ya know. -Shirota-kun, what happened to you?
-Eh? -You seem so enthusiastic, aren't you?
I'm a child welfare caseworker, ain't I? So it's just natural, amirite?
Say, have you made contact with the mother?
I've left many messages on her voice mail but no reply yet.
What is his state, Doc?
For less than a year old child, he suffers from poor nutrition.
And also I found rashes on his body more likely they're heat rashes.
Is it because he hasn't been given a proper bath?
Not only that... his diaper rash is terrible.
He was pretty much cared for by someone who is irresponsible and uncaring.
-This is no doubt a case of neglect. -What about the father?
Nah... He died from some illness.
She's also behind the apartment rent for 3 months now.
The mother probably couldn't handle the stress of raising a child on her own.
It's also possible that she may be suffering from post-partum depression.
Anyway, it's a good thing he was found.
We should inform the mother that we're giving temporary protection for her child
...and take him to an Infants Home for custody.
Actually, I would really want to talk to the mother
...before we resort to that. -Should we ask the police?
No, I don't think there's a need for that.
Anyway, let's just keep on contacting her.
Wait now.. Aren't ya being too laidback on this?
This child was left in the apartment all alone.
Ya know, if it hadn't been for Sabashima-san of the PTA group...
...this baby woulda been dead by now!
-Isn't it 'NPO?' -What? Oh, NPO it is.
Even while we're looking for the mother...
I think it's still ok to put him under temporary custody.
Child safety should be ensured first.
Where's my child? Hey, where is Shuhei?
-Oi, oi...! -Wait, please calm down.
-Are you the mother? -That's right so give me back my son now!
-We have to talk to you first. -Yeah!
Where have ya been?
I was out looking for a job.
And ya left your baby behind?
Got no choice, I have no money, we can't survive without it, can we?
What a great mom ya are, huh?!
If yer baby died, what will ya say for yerself?
Shirota-kun.
Yes...
Oka-san, I'm sure you're having a tough time.
Caring for Shuhei-kun had been difficult for you, right?
Well, yeah.
How long have you left Shuhei-kun?
2 days.
2 days?
Ya left the baby behind for 2 days?
It's just 2 days! Besides, I left the air-conditioner on anyway.
That ain't the problem here!
Oka-san, we are placing Shuhei-kun under temporary protection here.
Temporary protection?
It was your act of child abandonment that made us decide on this.
As someone from a child counseling center, we simply cannot overlook this matter.
Wait a minute! He is my child!
You can't just freely decide on that!
There are laws to protect and ensure the personal safety of a child like Shuhei-kun.
But I'll be in trouble!
'Trouble?' What kind of trouble?
Anyway, I have a lot of it!
I understand but...
...please you can entrust him with us. -No!
-Listen you, just go home! -I'm not leavin' til you return him to me!
-Go home! -Anyway...
...from here on, let's work together to ensure proper nurturing...
...for Shuhei-kun, ok?
"What will I do? They won't return him to me."
Alright, leave it to me.
She left the baby for two days? Just one step away from danger and he could've died!
That's even worse than being irresponsible!
That's outrageous!
Hey now... please don't say it to me.
-Look... -Chief?
-Eh? -What's the matter, Chief?
Oh... when I told her I'm placing her son under temporary custody...
...she said she'd be in 'trouble..' and that she 'has a lot of it.'
I wonder what she meant by that.
'Trouble?'
Excuse me. May I speak with Shirota-san?
Yes, yes. Here I am. Please come in.
-I'm sorry to suddenly bother you like this. -No prob.
Anyway, I just wanted to check on the baby.
Oh, I see. Well, let me introduce you first.
Guys, she's the one who found Shuhei-kun...
...Sabashima Ayumi-san.
Thank you for notifying us about this case.
Oh no, actually, Chief-san... if I hadn't called you...
I wouldn't know what to do...
-Well, then, shall we talk in the other room? -Excuse me.
Guys, can ya give her some cold barley tea.
Ayumi-san, would you like something to eat?
-Well, thank you. -Arite, prepare some snacks, too.
Something tasty, arite?
Ah, sorry, I forgot to ask them to turn on the airconditioner.
That Shirota hasn't changed back at all!
Calling us 'guys' all of a sudden.
-Go ahead. -Thank you.
Go ahead.
Wai-...
Yer botherin' us...
-Oh, yer leavin? Go ahead. -Excuse me.
Are ya sure?
Err...
Do you feel somethin'?
Pardon?
Uh, nothing... Sorry.
Actually, just now... Asakura Maki came by today.
-Really? -Yeah.
Showing no remorse at all, she had the nerve to ask for her baby back.
She really is a cause for worry.
How do you know that woman?
Ever since we started working together in the same club, I had been looking out for her.
When she found out she was pregnant I told her, 'If you're going to give birth, then be prepared for it...'
...I strictly told her that. -Is that so.
Well, I think it's because she's still immature...
That's why I worry for her.
Even after I quit working at the club, I would still call on her...
Perhaps because I always nag her, she had come to dislike me.
That's stupid of her!
She did say that if she's going to give birth to the child...
...she'll sacrifice everything for him...
...Oddly enough, I feel I can't do such a thing. -I see your point.
That's why, after I got married to Sabashima...
...I've decided to never have a child.
I see your point.
What?!
I'm sure you're aware of my husband's business.
Without considering the consequences, he has a reckless, old-fashioned spirit.
That's why to fully support him...
...I've decided to give up the idea of having children forever.
It's a promise I kept in my heart.
What about him?
It's alright... I know...
...he thinks children are a nuisance.
That's why I think he won't mind not having children.
Ayumi... -san...
You do want kids, don't ya?
But I won't have any regrets.
I have Sabashima's love...
...for me, I'm already happy enough.
Oh, by the way, let's keep this a secret from him.
Uh, okay.
Excuse me.
Yes, thank you for your help.
The Infants Home has approved of his custody.
-You'll take care of it, Doc. -Yes, I'll handle it.
How long will Shuhei-kun be staying at the Infants Home?
That depends on the mom.
Yeah, but the way she had neglected him, she seems not remorseful at all.
It seems this is gonna be a difficult counseling case.
Chief, I think you should also consider suspending parental custody.
Wait a minute...
Don't you decide on such a thing so lightly.
-Sachiko-chan? -Terminating parental rights like that...
...a parent is still a parent.
You can't just deprive this child of his parent.
What's wrong, Sachiko-chan?
A parent who neglects his child can still be rehabilitated through counseling...
...it's possible for it to work out, right?
When this child grows up he'll learn that a complete stranger...
...had cut him off from his parent, you can't just...
Sachiko! Control yourself please.
-Doc, I'm counting on you. -Yes.
-Alright, we're off. -Bye.
-Yup, take care. -Off you go.
Oh, the baby bottles.
-What's this? So cute. -It's cute, right?
I know right? So cute...
...Sachiko, get me some lemon cake. -Beer chiffon cake for me.
-Okay. -It's cute, right?
Cute!
Say...
Your surname is Matsura, isn't it?
That's right.
Do you remember me?
Eh?
I knew you wouldn't remember.
I wonder what I'll try here.
Was it yummy, Alex?
Sabashima-san, are you feeling depressed?
If you have a problem, you can tell me about it.
What's wrong? Are you crying?
Are you hurt somewhere?
Listen you... aren't ya goin' back?
-Oh, alright, I'm off then. -Eh? Are ya really leavin?
Which the heck is it? I might be bothering you.
Ya know...
Yes?
I see what you mean.
Ayumi-san had been hiding her feelings.
I feel sorry for her.
But Ayumi-san is an amazing person.
Up to now, she still loves you.
Well, yeah.
Certainly, we both know...
...what Ayumi-san feels.
I myself also like to be loved like that...
Sometimes I get caught up in such a fantasy.
No, no... I don't mean it that way...
I know I'm not supposed to love Ayumi-san.
Oi, why were ya in a hurry to leave?
I wasn't in a hurry.
Oh, yeah? Then why did ya look away from me just now?
I wasn't looking away.
Listen man... if ya dare touch a finger on Ayumi's hand...
I'm gonna 'rip-rip' ya apart!
'Rip-rip?'
G'mornin.
Shuhei's mother is back.
She brought along a lawyer with her.
Please return Shuhei to me.
But...
This action you enforced by taking away her child is against...
...Asakura-san's rights of parental authority, is it not?
In accordance with the Child Welfare Act...
...a parent and his child should be allowed to live together.
Yes it is.
However, it is at the discretion of the Chief to enforce it if there is a need to protect a child.
I applied for a new job at a club yesterday, and they just hired me.
They also agreed to advance my salary.
This way... I can provide him with a proper home environment.
Still... which is better for him to grow up in - a Child Center or in the hands of a parent?
-But even so... -I will never...
...leave my son behind anymore, and make sure he'll grow up fine.
She has properly shown her feelings of remorse in front of you...
...and has also expressed commitment.
She has brought me along to serve as mediator...
You certainly should decide to return her child to her.
Kindly tell us which...
...Infants Home did you place Shuhei in?
Chief, what happened?
But Chief, ya saw how she was! That woman's eyes.
Did ya see real love for her child in her eyes?
Shirota...
She came in with a lawyer, we can't do anything but return him to her.
Yes, please wait.
Shirota-kun, Sabashima-san is on the phone.
Yes, hello.
Shirota-san, it's about Maki... we went thru some ways investigating her...
And we heard some news about her...
Well... actually...
Yes yes... Eh?! Fer real?
Yeah, I understand... Thanks for tellin us.
Oi! Ya won't believe the scoop that Ayumi-san had just dug up!
-'Scoop'? -What is it?
Everyone, gather around!
-Nishiwaki-san, let me do the explainin'. -Okay.
Asakura Maki's husband came from a family that's rich and has lotsa assets...
-So what does that mean? -Listen for awhile...
It so happens, Shuhei's grandfather died just last Sunday.
So you mean....
If the grandfather had already passed away...
...then all his wealth will be inherited by a family survivor.
But since Shuhei-kun's dad has already died...
...the inheritance will then be...
...automatically passed on to Shuhei-kun!
So probably... what this woman's really after... was the money.
So to get her hands on the inheritance, she has to get Shuhei back.
But how did they find out about it?
Ya see, this woman proudly told this to a regular customer at the club...
"Pretty soon, money will come pourin' in because of my kid..."
"And I'm gonna use up every yen I can get outta him."
-So horrible~. -Ya can say that again.
So that's why that woman wanted her baby returned.
-They thought they could get away with it. -Get away with it, yeah.
Chief, we should enter a plea for suspension of parental authority.
What's 'suspension of parental authority'?
It's like this... if it's proven that Shuhei's parent is an irresponsible kind of parent...
...someone who hurts him or puts his life in danger...
...the Family Court has the discretion to suspend...
...a parent's parental rights.
Or to forcibly cut off ties between parent and child.
I see what you mean.
-That will help out Shuhei! That's it! -Wait a minute here...
Are we gonna ask to sever ties between parent and child?
It's not a simple thing to do, is it?
And we have to think about how it will affect the child in the future.
And except for extreme circumstances, we can't just dabble with parental authority.
But this mother is using her child for money.
That's really something we can't just ignore.
Hey, guys, aren't you getting too emotionally involved here?
We should consider only Shuhei-kun and his mother's future...
...and nothing else, ok? -But Chief...
Alright, I'll just cool my head for awhile.
-What's up with the Chief? -She's been somewhat strangely quiet.
Deciding to take away the rights of a parent...
...is a heavy subject for the Chief.
What do you mean?
The Chief experienced something like it once around 12 years ago.
The child in that case was Sachiko-chan.
Sachiko-chan's mother...
...got divorced after she was born and was living on welfare.
But the mother spent it mostly on liquor...
...and did not reportedly give proper care to Sachiko-chan.
As the child welfare caseworker at that time, Chief visited them many times.
But the mother didn't seem to show any change...
...so Chief went ahead...
...and decided to place Sachiko-chan on temporary custody.
After Sachiko-chan was separated from her...
...the mother seemed to have truly reflected on her actions...
...and was allowed to take Sachiko-chan and to start over again.
But it turned out to be a big mistake.
The mother's abuse had gotten worse...
...and Sachiko-chan suffered from serious injuries and fractures.
"If the mother is allowed to be with her child any further..."
"...Sachiko-chan will die," the Chief thought at that time.
After explaining everything to the police, she filed for suspension of parental rights.
Therefore, Sachiko-chan's mother...
...was arrested on charges of physical assault, and was officially no longer her mother.
Then, Sachiko-chan was placed in a foster care facility.
But after her release...
...Sachiko-chan's mother disappeared and was not heard from since then.
What?
Then, the Chief served as her legal guardian...
...and watched over her.
But then, when Sachiko-chan turned 15, the Chief told her everything.
My mother disappeared...
...because you deprived her of parental rights?
My only real parent is gone?
You shouldn't have...
You shouldn't have taken my mother away from me!
That's why Sachiko-chan came to be like that.
So that's what she meant by a complete stranger severing ties between a parent and child.
So then everytime Sachiko-chan...
...causes problems, she would have the Chief summoned to sort it out...
She seems to be exacting revenge, isn't she?
So in other words...
...children cannot decide on their own.
-Yoshi! -Where're you going?
To decide for him! I'm gonna tell that woman that I'm pitchin in for Shuhei...
...and I'm taking him back. -No but...
If children cannot decide...
...then we have no choice but to decide for 'em.
Hey, wait a minute... Hey, Shirota!
Shirota!
Yes, got it... Ok.
Shirota-san of the Child Center wants to recover back Shuhei-kun.
-Hyodo. -Yes, Boss.
-Ayumi, let's go. -Yes.
I ask you to re-examine the case of Asakura Maki.
It seems that her son, Shuhei-kun...
...had received a large amount of inheritance which she didn't tell us about.
So what of it? Once she gets the money, taking care of her child would be easier.
That's actually a good thing, isn't it?
I'm pretty sure she'll repeat the same thing again.
Shuhei-kun may lose his life.
How do you know she'll neglect him?
I've seen this situation many times.
Sorry fer waitin'.
Yoshi! Let's do this!
Yeah.
What the hell...
-Ya gotta pull it. -Ya gotta pull it.
I knew that!
Hey! Where's Asakura Maki?
What do you want? Child Center guy.
Oi, where's the baby? Don't tell me...
...ya left him again at yer place?
I wanted to bring him but he fell asleep.
Ya think I'll believe yer crap?
Give Shuhei back to the Child Center!
Hey! Who told you you can come barging your way inside our club?
What? You...
So ya guys are a part of this, too, huh?
If you don't leave, we're gonna have to kick you out by force!
Why doncha then?
Bring it on!
-It's all yers. -Eh~?!
Ya can do it.
Hyodo!
Uh, yes.
Oi, Yasu, Ken!
-Ya motherf*ckers! -Get em!
-Uwah~! -I'm pinned down here!
Maki.
Oi!
What ya did to Shuhei and whatever will happen to him...
Ya weren't even worried, were ya?
But he didn't die, did he?
Babies, you know, are surprisingly tenacious.
That's quite a remark, Maki.
"If my child is born, I will start..."
"...to give everything for my child."
Were those words just lies?!
A childless woman like you... what do you know anyway?
Ya b*tch, what did ya just say?!
Shirota-san.
Where's the baby? Hand him to me.
No, I won't hand him over to anyone. I never will!
I did it!
Oh, Chief! This way...
-Watch your step... -Oh, okay.
How dare you, b*tch!
Alright.
Alright, excuse me please.
In accordance with Domestic Relations Law Article 24...
...I have been authorized to execute this order of motion...
...to suspend your duties and rights of parental authority.
So therefore, your rights as a mother...
...are no longer valid. -What?
You can no longer be in charge of Shuhei-kun's inheritance.
No... You can't do that to me!
I'm the one who gave birth to him!
If so, why aren't you taking care of him properly?
Isn't it that parental authority may have been suspended...
...but your blood ties with Shuhei-kun will never be cut off?
If you want to have him, it is still possible but it all depends on you.
Fine, forget it!
I really didn't want to have him in the first place...
...he's nothing but a nuisance.
He costs so much money and because of him, my boyfriend run off on me...
...and I don't have time for myself... It's really the worst.
If it weren't for his inheritance...
...I wouldn't choose to have him!
At least now, I can live my life again.
I'd actually feel relieved if I'll just discard him away!
Asakura-san.
You're not discarding Shuhei-kun...
Shuhei-kun's the one who's discarding you.
Hey, lemme go!
Boss.
Give us the key to Shuhei-kun's room.
Sabashima-san, we would like to thank you for your help.
Please take care of Shuhei-kun.
Yes.
Please take him back to the Infants Home.
Oh, you're going now? Bye bye.
Hold on a minute.
Uh... for the last time...
...can ya let Ayumi-san hold Shuhei-kun before he leaves?
Eh?
Shuhei-kun, up you go.
Be a good boy, alright?
Uh, Sabashima-san.
Listen.
Tonight...
...can ya gently hug Ayumi?
What are you saying?
Just for now, do it for me.
No, I can't possibly do that.
I'm implorin' ya.
I understand.
If you say it's for you, then I will go that far...
..I'll gently hold her tight. -On second thought, don't do it!
-So which is it then? -It ain't either one!
Why do I have to be ya and you're me?
Darling! Darling, let's go home.
-Yeah... -Shirota-san, good night.
Good night.
Darling, we haven't had a drink together for a long time, have we?
Yeah, I guess.
Been so long since we had a date together.
-You like to go out for drinks? -Yeah...
Shirota-kun, you'd like some?
Uh, yes.
Thanks.
-Well, good work. -Cheers for the hard work.
The Doc told you about Sachiko, didn't he?
Yeah.
Doc told me about it and apologized.
Anyway, sorry for making you guys worry unnecessarily about it.
No need to apologize.
No one should apologize fer it.
But ya gotta wonder where that mother is right now, eh?
Sorry to make you wait.
Why? What do you want from me?
There's this book I want to read, can you help me look for it?
What? Go find it yourself.
The title of the book is 'Don Quixote' by the way.
Do you still have that book?
Who are you?
I see. You were also at the Child Center at that time, huh?
When you came, I was right away taken in by my foster parents.
So there was no way you could've remembered me.
Sorry.
By the way, what happened to your mom?
At this time, I have no idea where she is or what she does.
Say, Shirota-kun... I have a favor to ask.
Yeah...
That was fast!
Ayumi...
...I wanna kiss ya...
Translation and fine timing by: earthcolors
Raw provider and retiming: furransu
Special thanks to: hina_camui
Next on ~ DON QUIXOTE ~ ::Story 6:: "The First Time Photographer"