"That the shop located at an old shopping street on the fringe of Tokyo...
...was where he was born and raised."
Uncle. Aunt. I'm home.
- Welcome home. Shoko-chan, as usual you are looking cute. - Yeah, yeah.
"Yeah, yeah"... A yes would have been sufficient, no?
- I'm home~. - Welcome home. Here. Take this to the cleaners.
- Ehh~. So troublesome. - Troublesome?? Just go.
- I'm on my way~. - Good job. good job.
- Welcome. - Aunt. Here you go. Dango from my Mom.
-Ehh~ Sorry for the trouble. - Hello.
"That shop was opened by his father."
"His mother left when he was a child."
"Seems he has no memories of her."
"The earliest memory that he has...
...is that of looking at his father's back as he manages the coffeeshop by himself."
"While he was serving time in prison, his father...
... passed away."
Why did I get a sudden craving for the hot coffee here?
Your dad once said.
A cup of coffee can sometimes change one's life.
Dear...
This is your husband, right?
Why? Why?
The suspect had turned himself in.
Suspect...
- Letter? - Yes. Tens to hundreds of them.
- You didn't read them, right? - How did you know?
If you had, I think you will feel differently.
What is that man doing now?
He was released from prison six months back. The lawyer had contacted me about him wishing to meet me.
I think it will be good for you to meet him.
Why? He is the criminal that killed my husband.
After all these time...
It's true that he had messed up your life.
But if you meet him now, your life will once again be changed.
Us human, we are very interesting.
Someone may say a certain person is truly evil.
Yet someone else may say that the same person is very kind.
Same goes for you and me. And I am sure, for your late husband too.
We change according to whom we come in contact with.
That man, I wonder what he is really like?
"A coffeeshop on some street...
... I had decided to go there to check it out myself.
The man who killed my husband...
...Soda Kosuke, what kind of man is he."
"He doesn't know what I look like."
Welcome.
Have a seat.
Welcome.
This fella, he wanted to check something out. He'd asked me to stand behind the counter.
He wanted to know what it looks like from the other side.
It's this person
- Do you live around here? - No.
Although it's a little late, the florist on this shopping street, Aruru?
I am the Rep Director of that shop, Shimaki at your service.
The real power lies with his wife. He is just a submissive husband.
You don't have to say unneccesary things. Ah~ What would you like?
- Well, how about Colombian? - Colombian?
Mild of milds. The mildest of the milds. But, very rich in flavor.
It is the choice of people who love full-bodied coffees.
- OK. A colombian then. - Thank you.
- Have you ever been to Colombia? - No. - Neither have I.
Hmm. When we speak of coffee, it is like wine.
Each year, the beans turn out differently.
That is why we perform a sampling daily, and day by day, we get closer to the taste of Dad's coffee.
That is the routine of of a coffeeshop.
Smooth talking, trying to show off.
It is not your routine is it? It is Kosuke's.
Have you ever been to this shop before?
- No. - Eh?! Is that so?
It's rare. For someone as beautiful as you...
... to be able to find this shop in these alleys. - Somehow or other!
It happens, no? That one is suddenly assailed with a craving for coffee.
So it does~.
Sorry to have kept you waiting.
"These hands...my husband..."
Welcome. The usual?
- The usual... is that good? - Huh? Yup.
A neighbor's wife. The cleaners.
- I see. - What? Moto-san, what's wrong?
Did you overeat? Must be. You had 30 Kohada's again didn't you?
Look, the light...
My husband... he seems to be having an affair.
- Ehh?! Who? - As I said... my husband!
- Amano-san? - No way!
Yes!
Next time, when it's stained, bring it over immediately.
- Got it. - Thank you. - Thank you!
- Where are you going? - Er... Hmm..
- Today's collection and deliveries are over, right? - Well... ah. Here.
- What's this? For cleaning? - Yes.
What's this...
¢To Love again£c”
- Eh?! And by that you conclude he is having an affair? - Yup.
It's a love story. Who will he watch it with? The Tofu shop's Shozo-san?
The liquor shop's Tetchan? It isn't possible, right?
Isn't is suspicious? He frequently goes out without telling me.
There is such a thing called misundertanding.
- Don't look down on a woman's instincts. - Right!
That Naomichi-san, there isn't a single attractive thing about him.
He isn't playful, nor does he have the looks.
A serious and boring man working steadily; His obedience is his only merit.
- What you say is true. - Therefore, it is not in him to be unfaithful!
He is just an ordinary old man. Not attractive to women at all.
But nowadays... there are people with weird fetishes.
- Ugly fetish, fat fetish and old fetish. - There is no accounting for taste, though.
- You're terrible! That's too much. - Right!
So, just for argument's sake, even if he is truly unfaithful?
We're talking about infidelity here, right? Men are always attracted to younger women.
- It gets worse as one ages. It's like trying to find what one has lost...
- ... they look so sparkly and beautiful. - I guess that is true.
- That's why... - Sorry that you have to listen to such a weird conversation.
But I don't think it applies to somone as beautiful as you.
- I am jealous of your husband. - I am single. At the moment...
- Single? - Yes.
- It's tough to be in the laundry business, right? - That's because it requires a lot of manual labor.
It's easy for you to get tendonitis, right?
That's right. For the creases, it is not just about using the iron, right?
It requires the iron to be really hot and it needs steam too. We also have to consider the type of fabric?
Some of them require just the lightest touch of iron.
- Eh... with that big industrial iron? - It strains both the shoulders and arms.
You have it tough.
Here you go.
Thanks.
- Kosuke-kun. - Yes?
- Shall we tail him together? - Ehh?!
- Tail? - Eiji-san, share some tailing tips with us.
- You are an ex-cop right? You are a pro at it, right? - Well...
- ...It has been a while. - Why not?
You will be able to put your suspicions to rest. Kosuke, do it. I will cover you for the shop.
Ko-chan! Please!
Humans are such curious creatures.
They want to know the truth all the time.
You're right. And that is the root of unhappiness.
It also marks the end of peaceful days...
Right? Oh yeah, what's your name?
Shimaki! Don't be carrying your curiosity too far.
- It's Kashiwaki - Kashiwaki-san.
I think it is a good idea.
That someone asks a favor of me, or depend on me...
... such things, I have never experienced in my life.
To live is to have our lives intertwined with others.
Once we die, we won't be able to do it.
I'm done.
Hmm? You are leaving now?
- Although it sounds weird, all the best. - Thank you.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
Today, I went to see him.
I wanted to know what kind of person he is, so I went to take a look.
Is that so?
This person had killed my husband.
That person, if he knew that I am the wife of the man he had killed...
... I wonder how he would feel? The me who hasn't read a single one of his letters...
...nor met up with him till now, if he knew that I am right before him...
Why do I have to tell you such things?
I just happen to overhear it. Is it a rumor? A lie?
Huh? Tell me, why do I have to tell you if I am extorting money?
- And if I am not, why do I have to tell you either? - If you are not, then just say you are not.
Why do you refuse to tell me? That's suspicious.
- I've had enough. You're such a pain. - Keiji!
What?
- Keiji - F*ck off! - You really have the guts!
- You had told the coffeeshop, "What?" - Coffeeshop?
That man used to train our trainer, Ono-san.
Who cares? So what?
That person, he killed someone before.
- Ehh?! - Seems like he was jailed over 10 years.
Excuse me. Can you spar with me?
Aah... I only do this for a workout. Sorry.
I see.
- Kosuke-san? - Unn?
You are not interested in teaching boxing again?
Not really...
Kosuke!
Yo!
- You've started going to the gym again? - Yes.
Boxing is nice. It helps you to forget it all.
It's good. It's good that you have boxing.
I wish your Dad can see you now.
Frankly, you're such an idiot. Really... Why didn't you file an appeal?
You may have gotten away with involuntary manslaughter.
I did have intentions to kill.
Even though it was for a moment, it is true that I had wanted to kill him.
However, Kosuke. You call it murder, but it sure looked like an accident.
The president of the plant where you were working, he was driven to suicide over those threats?
That is what's called murder, no?
14 years ago
- Madam. - Please stop it!
Are you feeling resentful?
To be a guarantor without thinking it over...
... please resent your husband for that.
Aah... that's right. It filled me with glee to see your husband cry.
If he had asked you, Madam, to pay the bank interest with your body?
I had said to your husband.
How about putting your own life on the line to pay off the money?
You're not human!
You're not human! You're not human!
You look great, even in mourning clothes, Madam.
Stop it! No~!
Who are you?!
That person had family.
He had a wife.
She refused to meet me.
I think she hasn't read any of my letters either.
I guess that's a given.
Shall we go for some drinks?
My wife will be fine. Eat some food, dry off your body.
Heal your bedsores. Hahaha. I had come out for a walk.
I also need a breather now and then. Come!
Welcome.
Mama, it was a great meal.
- Thank you! - Chika-san, what are you doing here?
I am in the midst of renewing "Aruru"'s homepage with Shimaki-san.
We're checking through it. Look!
Chika-chan is great! Her photography skills are very good too.
Since we got Chika-chan to do it,
We have been inundated with orders from all over the country for our flower arrangments.
- Our sales have doubled. - That's great.
- Well... - Here you go.
- How do you do. I'm Yuko. - Ah, Thanks.
- Eh? Your first time here? The old lady that used to run this place?
Yuko-san here is her niece.
- Not that she resembles anything like her. - Ei-san, here you go. And this is?
Aa~ The shopping street's Coffee-ya's Kosuke. My classmate.
- From Kindergarten to Middle High. We were always together. - I see.
Since we're neighbors, please drop by anytime.
Even by yourself.
- You've never once said that to me. - Chika-chan, what about your shop?
Aah~ Soon. Today I am on the late shift. Yucks! Till morning!
- I don't wish to go ~ - Then, just play hooky.
- I don't do such wasteful stuff. - Wasteful?
If I stay here and while away my time, I don't get paid a single yen, do I?
Going to the shop is equivalent to money.
"Aruru"'s webpage sales, working part-time mornings and nights.
- Chika-chan is truly hardworking. - Morning? You work in the morning too?
- Yup. At the ice-cream parlor. -Hmm. You are working at max, huh?
Cause Time is money. Shimaki-san, your treat?
- Okay. Drop by later, ok? - Yup! I'm on my way~
- Put it in the bottle. - Yeah Yeah.
- I'm off~. - Travel safe.
You're having fun.
- Eh? - Of course it's fun.
To have such a cute young girl's company.
No, wait a minute. Chika-chan is my business partner.
- Yeah yeah. - Does Shoko-san know?
Whatever... Even my wife says she is such a great help.
Be it net sales or the shop's sales. Both have increased tenfolds.
Ah! Speaking of which, are you doing it? Tailing.
- Tailing? - Yup. You cannot just stand by and do nothing.
- Well... - Ehh! Same town same shopping street...
For the sake of the lady that is working equally hard as you?
Don't just go "Unn~". Kosuke, you've changed.
You used to be filled with a sense of justice. Remember when we were kids?
We used to go, "When Ko-chan is here, he will be able to do something".
- That was how you were to us. - Is that so?
- Yes. Me, when I was a kid,
how shall i put it? With my intelligent persona...
... I was always picked on by those bullies who thought they were so macho.
I was popular with the girls, I guess they were jealous?
There were those incidents, but then Kosuke will come charging and rescue me.
- How cool! - You used to be like that.
Yoohoo! What happened? Why are you dressed like that?
Honey, I'm off. A toast to your eyes!
-Eh? Wait a minute!
- No no! This is bad. - What were you toasting (kanpai) to?
Eh? Toast (kanpai)... sold out (kanbai) The croquettes were sold out. Ne? So disappointing. Ah! Oh yes!
- Chika-chan, why are you here today? - We are supposed to meet over the homepage.
Ahh... is that so? Well, please take good care of it.
Well, I'm off. You're cute. I'm off!
What's with the disguise?
- Ah, Ko-chan, welcome. - Please.
1, 2, 3 pieces.
And then this too.
Sorry.
- He left by the back. That Naomichi-san. - That's right.
Just as I'd thought. He is going out today.
- Oh! You're here too? Out of worry? - Ah...no.
- Ko-chan, come along too! - But...
You can't be saying no at this last minute, right?
- What? What? What? Don't you think the sunglasses make us stand out more?
It can't be helped in your case.
But even though it is conspicuous, no one can tell our identities.
- What's up, Shimaki-san? What's with the sunglasses? - Shh!
- What? Why are you shushing me? - Never mind! Let's go!
Yucky~ Oh!
- Bento shop? - What's up with that?
Crouch down...
- Let's go for barbecue meat (yakiniku). - For real? Yay!
The smokeless yakiniku is delicious.
Really really young and so very cute.
- So sorry! - Isn't he just your typical idiotic dirty old man?
"You'll know your husband inside out". Whoever spouted such nonsense?
- I am going to give him hell. - How?
That's right... I am going to snap a photo of them. Then he cannot even think of denying it.
- Photo evidence? - Of course!
Men will try to escape immediately. I must have proof to catch him.
- Ogihara-san, mealtime. - Thank you.
- You look good today. - Truly?
Today I seem to feel better. Kashiwagi-san, are you single?
- Eh? Yes~ - And you being such a beauty~
- You've never been married? - I'm a divorcee.
- Is that so? What happened? - Hmm... I guess we were just incompatible?
- That man has no taste then. - Thank you.
- I'll bring the tea now. - OK. Thank you!
Father. Mother. Hear me out.
That man, he is having an affair.
I was wondering why he was sneaking around, looks like it's to flirt with some young girl.
If you're still alive, let's go scold him together.
- I'm home. What are you doing? - Nothing.
When it comes to coffee, no matter what kind of person is brewing it, it will turn out delicious, right?
Was it delicious?
- Naomichi-san!
- Hello. Thank you for the treat. - Nothing to it.
What an idiot.
Mother! Your darling is here to pick you up.
Mother...
- Naomichi-san. I was waiting for you. - Is that so?
How is it? Thank you.
Hey! Do this later. So embarrassing...
- Well, Mio. I leave the shop in your good hands. - Yeah, yeah! Come back safely.
- I'm off! - Yeah yeah!
Wait ~!
- Here you go. Candy~. Tastes good?
- Welcome. - Can I come in?
Please.
- Colombian. - Right.
Here you go.
I was feeling thirsty and was thinking of getting some water.
But somehow I ended up craving for coffee instead.
Coffee, is a drink that will restore your balance.
- Balance? - Yes.
The bitterness in the coffee helps to offset the bitterness in life.
- Bitterness... - That's what my father used to say.
Everyone is rushing here and there.
It isn't unheard of for us to cross the line.
But sometimes with just a cup of coffee, we are able to turn things back to the way it was.
I don't look like someone who will say such things?
Hello.
Come in quick!
Why are you just standing there?
3 cups of blended coffee for now.
Now is not the time to be drinking coffee!
- This person was really having an affair. - Ah! With that young girl from the bento shop?
- Not the young girl! Her mother! - Oh my!
She is of the same age as me. Not young or anything.
Why?
I would also like to know. Why?
Answer me!
- I guess you don't really have an answer. - What about that lady's husband?
He passed away, so she is single now.
She brought up her daughter by herself. She had it tough...
- So, it's because you pitied her? - That's not the reason.
Then, what is the reason?
- What's the reason? - My shirts...
Ehh?
Although we run a laundry business, my wife always makes me wear wrinkled shirts.
If that was the case, why did you not just voice it out?
I did tell you. But you were just too busy...
You never bother to listen to what I say, no?
Don't you be criticising me all the time.
For you, you only stay with me out of habit, right?
Since we're married, there's nothing more to do now.
We were over a long time ago.
That person, she is very kind and gentle to me.
When I am with her, I feel so comfortable.
Whatever you are lacking, that person makes up for it.
That is why...
How dare you say such mean things!
You think it's a pain when a couple has been married too long?
Yes, you were neglected.
And so, that gives you the right to go to another woman?
That's too much!
It is so convenient for you to put all the blame on your wife. But that is not reasonable.
Shut up! You don't know a thing, so don't be making such statements!
You can't do it... you can't do it!
Sit down.
Amano-san.
Please have a cup of coffee.
Here you go.
My Dad used to say.
A cup of coffee can sometimes change your life.
It suddenly hit me. Motoko-san had wanted him to stop her.
That was why she came here.
If he knew that the me standing before him is actually the wife of the man he'd killed...
How will he feel? Will he think me cruel?
At first I only came to check him out. But now...
- There you go. - Okay. Thank you.
Uwaa~ Yuko-san's oden is so tasty.
- That is what Chika-chan said too. - Really?
Today you'll pay up her charges, right?
Aah... this is quite a sum...
Hi.
Ah. Welcome.
I was just saying. Kosuke-san should be coming soon.
Did you say that?
Oh yes! You've had a tough day today.
I heard from Eiji-san.
- Here you go. - Well, I'll say, you've worked hard today.
- Oh, right! About that person. - That person?
Err... you know. The one who came to the coffeeshop the other day. The beauty...
... Kashiwagi-san. She came today?
- Did you exchange contacts? - No. - What are you doing?
You, she's your type, right?
Kashiwagi-san, right? I will remember that.
- Eiji-san, Welcome. - Yuko-san, hi.
What happened with Naomichi-san?
For certain, he can't look her in the eye, now, can he?
- Is that so? - No matter how dissatisfied he was...
... it's not right of him to treat his wife that way.
Such quarrels...
I guess it is a kind of happiness to be able to quarrel with your spouse.
How's your wife?
Unn... no change.
But, she must be very happy to have her husband looking after her.
If that's the case, it's good.
- Eiji-san, thank you for you treat. - Thank you for your treat.
Shall we all head out to Chika-chan's shop?
I think I will go home to my wife...
- I see. She has been in comatose for... - It's been 3 years.
- 3 years... - Well, without me, I guess she cannot survive either.
That shop located at an old shopping street on the fringe of Tokyo...
...was where I was born and raised.
My mother left when I was a child.
I have no memories of her.
The earliest memory that I have...
... is that of looking at my father's back as he managed the shop by himself.
My father, during the time when I was away,
the time when I was in jail, he passed away.
I want to know him better.
This man who goes by the name Soda Kosuke, what kind of person is he?
I had killed someone.
You... you're out.
A broker?
I want to do it too.
You need to find a way to get a higher yielding income.
Each stick yields a profit of 30 yen.
In order to earn 300,000 yen, we'd have to sell 10,000 sticks.
And yet, by running the business that way, is how your Dad and Mom are able to raise you.