Woman
Episode 9: "I Want to Live! At Least For 10 Years"
"When there is a donor who matches your daughter's blood type..."
"...a bone marrow transplant will then be chosen."
If it's between fried ginger and Saikyouzuke... (fish pickled in a sweet, Kyoto-style miso)
...I think the fried ginger is the better one...
...but Saikyouzuke can be put in a Shao-mai, too. (steamed Chinese pork dumpling)
What's in the fried ginger?
It's pickled, only.
I'm confused.
Still, fried ginger, huh?
Then, how about this? If I ask for some Saikyozuke, then Aoyagi-san can...
- Aoyagi-san?! - Are you okay?
Sorry... I may not be able to have lunch with you.
You have no symptoms of infection...
...and your fever's going down, so I could discharge you right away.
Eh? I don't have a fever, right?
I want to get home by 6.
I need to get home and make dinner.
Aoyagi-san, what hobbies do you have?
Shogi, reading...
...and badminton.
Our Ouchi here's been hoarding some paperbacks under his desk, so I'll bring those to you.
As for Shogi... Were you in a Shogi club?
- I was in the badminton club. - Badminton's out of the question.
Truth is, I want you to rest here for the next 3 days, but I'll give you a freebie and make it just 2.
No, no...
Sawamura-sensei, um...
Rest.
No, wait... I want to go home...
Ah, no. I don't want you to tell the children.
Yes...
No, no, it's just fatigue.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah...
- Yeah, yeah... - Yeah, yeah...
OK.
Nozomi-san, it's your mother.
- Mom. - Nozomi?
I won't be able to come home until the day after tomorrow.
Because of your work at the bar?
No.
Um...
There was this how-much-can-you-eat hot dog tournament.
Eh!
1,000 people entered...
...and those 1,000 people spilled ketchup and mustard all over their shirts.
- Eh... That must have been terrible! - It was terrible.
So now I have to do the wash on all those 1,000 shirts.
- You have to do them alone, Mom? - Yeah.
Because everyone else is doing the other washing.
Nozomi...
Until I can come home...
...can I ask you to watch over Riku for me?
I'm turning off the light.
Yeah.
Yes?
Ah, have you gone to the bathroom?
- Yes. - Ah, I see...
You two aren't lonely?
No.
Ah... I see.
- Good night. - Yeah, good night.
Um...
- Um, if there's anything I can help out with... - No.
Good night.
It's heavy.
- Cut it back a little. - Just carry it.
Sacchan, it'd be best if you went and showed your concern, right?
After all, today's your day off, isn't it?
I'll go.
I'll go, but...
You already wiped there earlier.
Hurry and get going!
Ah, we're always under your care.
This is just something boring for all of you.
Yes, here.
Ah, you're here, you're here.
Thank you.
I'm very sorry.
Both Nozomi-chan and Riku-kun are doing well.
Thank you very much.
Ah, this is from Sacchan.
Sacchan'll be taking care of watching over Nozomi-chan and Riku-kun today.
That's a big help.
No, no...
Whaa! Awesome!
Say look, there's the Ferris wheel.
Huge, isn't it?
Ah! Whaa!
A boat!
- Yes, say cheese! - Excuse us.
Riku, come, come.
It's a mammoth's bone.
It's incredibly big, isn't it?
You're right. It is big, isn't it?
I wanna take it back home for Mom.
Because this is something meant for everyone, we can't take it home.
He's disappointed.
Riku, Yuka-chan here came from Russia when she was 10 years old.
Ehh... 10 years old?
But. she was 10 years-old 39,000 years ago.
- It's a bit complicated, isn't it? - Complicated, isn't it?
Are you okay with riding the Ferris wheel?
But...
Huh? What is it?
If we do two fun things on the same day...
...we won't know which was the fun one anymore, will we?
I only want to think about the frozen mammoth for today.
I see.
Did you want to ride it?
You're just like your mother, aren't you?
Really?
You have that sort of feel to you.
"The Man Who Became a Shogi Master"
Have you gone to the bathroom?
Yeah. I went earlier.
I wasn't asking you.
Then I'm turning off the light...
Eh? We're going to bed already?
- Isn't it early? It's such a waste, right? - Calm down.
Yes.
Continue.
Yes.
Anyhow, long ago, Koharu would always just chat away...
...using her funny imagination.
She entered grade school three weeks after that.
On her way back home from school...
...she threw away all her textbooks.
Eh?!
I scolded her, asking why she had done such a thing.
And she said, "I think there is..."
"...another me out there in the world."
"So starting today, I'm going to go look for her."
I was shocked.
I told her, "What are you talking about?! Go back and get your textbooks!"
And then she said...
"I don't want to read any textbooks or books that aren't interesting."
"There's not one interesting thing at school whatsoever."
"I want to find things that are much, much more interesting."
"My being here was a mistake..."
"...so I need to switch with them," she said.
Mom was hopeless, wasn't she?
She was selfish, wasn't she?
I thought that girl would be...
...an outrageous person once she became an adult.
I was worried and used to think I should make a proper child out of her...
"Used to think"?
I thought that...
...but I shouldn't have worried like that.
You guys ended up with a wonderful mother.
She surely has found the most interesting thing of all.
I don't think she wants to switch with anyone anymore.
"Uesugi Sachi"
"The Ugikuku Children"
Aoyagi-san?
Ah... Hello.
Eh?
Don't I look good in it?
What is Aoyagi-san ill from?
I can't tell that to someone who's not a relative. What is it?
Ah... here.
How's Shunsuke?
He's fine. My parents are watching him right now.
Is your Mom doing well?
Is she still chasing after visual bands?
Was that all? Then...
Just a minute.
Then... Is this for always?
Are you going to keep Shunsuke there always?
That's right.
Well children...
...who've had both a father and mother from the start...
Why...
Why do you only say things that were written somewhere else?
Eh?
You're like some government official.
I AM a government official.
There.
Where are you going?
What is it?
I'm going to the hospital.
Koharu-chan said she didn't need to be picked up.
As a donor... I'm going in to have an exam.
Eh?
Kyaa!
Since it seems the possibility is higher for those related by blood...
This is fate.
It was for this that you were reunited.
Don't worry. Koharu-chan will be saved.
After all Sacchan...
...this will be your atonement for these last 20 years...
I think she's the one who hates this the most.
I think more importantly than any atonement, that...
That's not true.
This isn't something that can compensate for that.
You're mother and daughter.
You're family!
When everyone in a family...
...joins their powers together, they can surely overcome anything.
I might be useless for that sort of thing.
But Shi-chan could be.
She was listening to this.
She's been listening to it all this time.
This was Shin-kun's favorite song.
Eh?
I'm very sorry.
"Request for Care Rejection Notice"
This Kawasaki-san was turned down for permission to receive payments?
Yeah.
We got a report about her from one of residents of the Ward.
Seems she was buying flowers.
Ah... About that.
Since it was her mother's 80th birthday, you could say they were just to celebrate that.
Flowers for that are okay, aren't they?
Why are flowers no good?
What's wrong?
Just what is...
...this work?
Are you still thinking such things?
It will take about a week until we get the results back.
I think Aoyagi-san is still in her room...
...but what will you do? Would you like to speak to her?
No thank you.
This is a mammoth.
That's a cute mammoth!
"It was a little scary, but a whole lot of fun."
- I did have fun. - The boats were big, weren't they?
Not boats, sailing ships.
Sailing ships, huh?
Is that right. And what's that?
- Welcome back. - Welcome back.
I'm home.
There aren't any tusks.
You don't have tusks here.
Thank you very much.
How's your health?
Here? Who is this here?
Where was this?
At the Sumida River, wasn't it?
The fireworks display, huh?
That brings back memories.
Would an exam at 2pm tomorrow be fine?
Yes, I understand.
- Uesugi Sachi-san. - Yes.
This way.
"The Ugikuku Children"
Since today is Sawamura's day off, he's asked me to inform you.
Ehh...
You aren't a match.
Huh?
You aren't compatible.
It's essential that the donor at least match on A, B, DR...
...as well as the 3 HLA.
Well besides, ideally we'd include C and DQ for an exact match...
...but for you and your daughter, Uesugi-san...
...only half of them...
...including A, B and DR match.
Therefore, you cannot be a marrow donor for her.
"Say, what happens to them? Where do they go, Mom?"
"Please stop thinking about such things."
"I was going to not think about it..."
"...but I was so worried about it, I couldn't sleep."
"They become a star."
Mom's Mom!
Let's go, let's go.
Whaa!
Ah, I'm sorry. I'll finish up right away.
No. Go ahead first.
I've started up the bath just now, so the kids...
Yes.
The other day when I asked them if they wanted bath salts and gave them some...
...those two didn't disolve it in the water but just stared at it the entire time.
Ah...
Children are like that.
Yes.
Ah, the children told me, "We want to eat the food Dad had for dinner here."
The ones you told me about the other day.
You know them?
A hard-boiled flounder.
Yes.
A salad of cucumbers and chicken breast with vinegar.
Eggplant and lotus root...
Boiled.
Beans and rice along with an Asari miso soup.
- Yes. - Yes.
Ah, a strainer.
Thank you very much.
The quantity is fine.
Ah, may I?
That doctor wasn't in today.
Eh?
That doctor at the hospital.
Ah... Sawamura-sensei. The one with the slight perm.
Yes, yes.
Another doctor was there in his place...
One a little older...
Is that right.
I should go check on the water.
Needs a little longer.
Ah...
Eggplant.
I don't have the eggplant and lotus root.
Could I ask you for some beans?
I'm sorry. It turned out impossible for me.
Yes.
Did you know?
They say if you soak eggplants in water, that takes away the harsh taste...
...but it doesn't seem to mean much.
The people at the factory were saying so, but I don't if it's true or not though.
I'm sorry.
After all, those people also say it's okay for a person to swallow gum.
I'm sorry.
Please stop.
I couldn't even give birth to a sound child.
Truly, please stop.
I'll go turn off the bath.
Nozomi, Riku, time for your bath!
Yes!
Where are you going, so smartly dressed?
Eh? I haven't decided.
You can't decide!
Ah, Uncle!
- I'll put your change of clothes here. - Ah, that's pointy!
- Is it cute? - They're not listening to me.
It's not cute.
Next I'll do a monster; a monster.
A monster? A pointy monster?
You're good at that.
I boil fish a lot.
Those children have eaten mackerel.
They say boiled fish is food for the elderly...
Eh?
That's the image it has.
And grilled fish has the image of young people?
Well...
What about Nanbanzuke? (pickled vegetables with red peppers)
Eh? I don't know...
...but it's said to be appropriate for them.
That matches the children's taste.
It's delicious.
Yellow...
When I say yellow, did you have a bright golden-yellow apron?
Did you have one?
Ah... I did have one.
You remember that?
Somehow or other.
That's true.
You would hang around me while I would make meals.
Ehh...
You had read a book on how to make cat's cradles.
Cat's cradles?
You did.
When it was dinner, you would come and say, "Here, take this."
I did, huh?
Like, "here's a suspension bridge."
"Suspension bridge."
Or, "here's a rice paddy."
A "suspension bridge" is like...
Huh? Try that again once more.
Yeah...
Know it?
- Is that a "rice paddy"? - Yes.
"River"?
- A "boat"? - A "boat"!
Let's see, like this is...
- A "rice paddy." - Yeah.
A "diamond"!
You would ask the strangest, most ridiculous questions.
Like, "if the air conditioner and the stove are both on..."
"...would it get hotter? Would it get colder?"
And, "when I pull out one piece of tissue paper..."
"...why does the next tissue pop out right away?"
- And you would ask them all at once. - I didn't...
When you threw away all your school textbooks, you said...
"Somewhere in this world there is another me and I'm going to meet them."
- I didn't... - You did.
I told that story to Nozomi-chan the other day.
Please stop that.
It's amusing, isn't it?
I don't remember that.
Thinking back on it now...
...you were an amusing child.
Nozomi-chan is becoming like you...
...and I'm happy about that, too.
What I do remember asking you was...
"What happens to people when they die?"
I would... think really hard about that every night.
And I answered you, "They become a star."
If I asked that now, what would you answer?
- Eh? - What happens to them?
Where do they go?
Such a thing won't happen to you.
Such a thing...
...absolutely won't happen.
You said this earlier, didn't you?
When I was a child I said...
..."Somewhere in this world there is another me..."
"...and I'm going to go meet them."
I really wish for that now.
That there is another me; one who is healthy...
...and I would say to them...
..."Tag," and let them take charge of the children.
I'd want the healthy me to take my place.
Well, since I'm an adult, I know there just isn't such a person.
I'll...
...give you my answer.
To what?
If I didn't have the children...
...I think I'd feel not particularly okay about it.
This is my answer.
Yeah.
I can't forgive you.
Not you...
...not your daughter...
I just can't forgive you.
Yeah.
Not for...
...life...
...my entire life!
Yeah.
I also can't forgive myself for having to rely on such people.
Yeah.
Right?
Yeah.
Right?
Yeah.
I hate it.
Yeah.
I just can't forgive it.
Yeah...
Save me.
Yeah.
I can't forgive you, you know.
Yeah...
Save me!
Yeah.
Right...
Yeah.
Mom.
Mom...
I will not become a star.
I absolutely won't.
But...
...because I absolutely can't become one...
Mom...
Mom!
Coming!
- Can we get out now? - It's okay. Is it hot?
It's hot. I was feeling dizzy.
Feeling dizzy, feeling dizzy.
Dad, you look good in a hat.
Thank you.
There aren't many people who look good in one.
Did you come from nearby?
Yeah... well...
It's comfortable here, isn't it?
Over there's the ocean and something's over there...
- Do you come here a lot? - Yeah. Every day.
- Do anything else? - I watch TV...
Like what?
There are these polar bears I feel sorry for.
I see...
What are you going to do from here on?
I'm still going, "should I do what I haven't done?"
- "What I haven't done"? - Just ordinary things I haven't done.
I still haven't dated a man yet.
I haven't done anything these last four years.
Such as working... A job.
And then, with the first money I get, I'll buy you a hat, Dad.
What kind of hat would you like?
"I need to apologize properly to Koharu-chan."
You've been listening to this all along...
...and that's what you've been feeling, isn't it?
Let me see your hat.
Do you understand what it is to atone?
Things will be different if you can do that.
That atonement.
- Shi-chan! - Polar bears?
When the water warms and the ice melts...
Global warming?
That'll be really sad.
Shi-chan.
Come back home.
Onee-chan is there.
I'm thinking of selling the shop and house.
With the money from the sale, I'll hand it over to Koharu-chan...
...and then me and Sacchan and Shi-chan...
...would look for an apartment somewhere.
I'll work and Sacchan'll work...
...and Shi-chan'll work, too.
I don't know if we can repay her.
We may not ever be able to repay her.
But, even so...
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about atonement here.
Shi-chan, I'm not saying anything amusing.
Shi-chan, do you understand? Are you listening to my voice?
What you did to a person's life, Shi-chan... Do you understand?
The worst person there is in this world...
...is the one who doesn't realize what they've themselves have done.
That's true for me, too; I didn't know anything.
Shi-chan, you know nothing about where you are or what you've done.
Understand? You took a life, right?
A tiny, thoughtless feeling...
...took away someone important...
It took away the life of someone who was important!
Do you know how to reflect on that?
Do you know how to repent for that?
Do you know how to compensate for that?
Shin-kun didn't get to celebrate Nozomi-chan's 4th birthday.
He never got to see Riku-kun's face.
Understand?
This hand...
...cut off his life.
You cut it off mid-way through!
Shi-chan, come home with me.
Shi-chan!
Nozomi, what's the matter?
It's nothing...
What is it?
It's nothing...
It can't be nothing, now can it? What is it?
- Mom... - What is it? Here.
Nozomi, what's the matter?
Mom, are you sick?