Natsume Yuujinchou
San
Living through these meaningless days, I let out a sign
I've lost sight of my true self
Even if I strain my ears I can't hear your voice
So I keep walking trying to catch up
The things I couldn't tell you form into a chrysalis over time
Spreading wings, they take flight
The one, the one precious thing I'll never forget
Someday, that warm emotion
I'll do what little I can
Little by little, to get through to you
A cake?
Yes, it's Shigeru's birthday today.
Takashi, could you buy one on your way home?
What kind do you want?
Let me think...
since it's his birthday, strawberry shortcake would be great.
Get three slices.
Okay.
Make it four!
Cats can't eat sweets, you know.
I'm not a cat!
I'm a Lucky Cat, and I love sweets!
These are calm, quiet days.
False Friend
The chef studied in France, or something.
It's really good.
Here you go.
Supermarket
Forest of Cuteness
Forest of Cuteness?
That's one heck of a name.
It looks like it's near Kitamoto's house.
This is it?
It's as cute as the name suggests.
That's why we're here, right?
It's hard for a guy to go in there alone.
I can't do it.
It's too much for me.
You always carry that cat everywhere, so what are you embarrassed for?
Just go.
You want to give your folks a nice cake, right?
That's right.
Okay.
Natsume.
You're Natsume Takashi, right?
I've finally found you.
Who's he?
Oh, you know Natsume?
I've never seen that uniform around here before.
Um...
Oh, so he's made friends here.
Hey, what's that supposed to mean?
Oh, sorry.
I'm Shibata from Sakaki West High.
I was in Natsume's elementary school for a while.
You don't remember, do you?
No.
Well, I remember.
You were a bit of a weirdo.
Can you come with me for a bit?
Natsume, let's leave.
I can say it here, if you want.
Sorry, Nishimura, Kitamoto.
See you later.
Hey, Natsume?
How far are we going to walk?
You used to say some pretty weird stuff.
Like how you could see things that everyone else couldn't.
Was that true?
Liar!
He's lying again.
We should stay away from him.
Liar!
No way.
Your face changed color.
Are you serious?
It was just a joke when we were little. Nothing serious.
I'm going home.
I'll come back again.
You don't want your new friends to find out about it.
I know that.
I'm not as good at lying as I used to be.
Oh, right.
Do you have any money?
Hey, where are we going, really?
Shut up. Just be quiet and come with me.
There are mosquitos out here.
What are we doing?
She's here.
Over there.
Do you see something?
A girl?
What kind of girl?
A normal, long-haired high schooler.
Really?
She's really a human, right?
Don't laugh!
You can tell whether they're human or not, right?
She looks totally normal!
Why are you asking that?
Shibata?
Murasaki?
What are you doing there?
Is this a friend of yours?
Yeah. Natsume.
An old friend.
Liar.
Hey, play along!
You're good friends, huh?
And then, for a short while,
the girl named Murasaki talked with Shibata, and then went home.
The two seemed close.
Shibata seemed to be in love with her.
Sorry for being so weird.
You really helped me, Natsume.
What did you need me for?
Did you think she was a ghost?
Yeah.
I was acting weird.
What?
You think I'm an idiot, right?
No, I'm not making fun of you.
Look, it's already gotten pretty late.
If I don't hurry...
The cake!
What?
What's wrong?
It's so pretty!
Are these cakes good enough?
Yes, thank you.
I went around to all the local cake shops,
but each one was out of shortcake.
If I had been alone, I never would have found it.
I found it, Natsume!
Shibata looked for it with me.
This is really good.
Takashi bought it for us.
Thank you, Takashi.
Eating something sweet after something salty is really nice.
Natsume, go get me another one of these.
I'm tired.
It's hopeless.
I can't open my eyes.
Where did you go?
You've got a spirit's smell on you.
A spirit?
No, she was a girl.
Huh? Where am I?
It's that girl.
She's eating something.
Shibata!
Why did you you come here again?
It's because you said something weird.
I'm worried.
I think it was around here.
I'll look around.
I didn't notice yesterday,
but this is a pretty creepy place.
That sound...
You smell delicious.
So, you really are a demon.
That's right.
I can eat you instead of him.
A white pig is biting me!
Master Nyanko!
Ow.
Curse you, human!
If you dare tell anyone who I am,
I'll follow you forever and eat you!
You brat!
He's my emergency ration!
She's a spirit from one of the flower trees around here.
She's pretending to be human to deceive other humans and eat them.
Then, she's deceiving Shibata.
Spirits who act that obvious end up making mistakes.
That kid probably came to you because he felt something was wrong.
Hey, did you see that guy at the gate?
Yeah, who do you think he's waiting for?
He's not from our school.
Shibata.
I thought it was you.
What are you doing heー
That's the ugliest cat I've ever seen!
Get lost, you ugly cat!
Oh, Shibata, this ugly cat is mine.
Oww!
What the heck?
What did you come all this way for?
It's about that girl from yesterday...
Yeah... I really feel bad for what I said.
I met her in that park.
The first time we met, she appeared by chance when I was alone.
After that, I started seeing her every now and then.
But she wouldn't tell me her name, her phone number,
or what school she went to.
I thought she didn't like me.
But her eyes made me feel like she really liked me.
Hey, Shibata.
That girl...
It's cold.
Whenever I hold her hand while we look at the flowers or the evening sun,
her hand is always so cold.
When we first met,
What would you do if I were a monster?
I know it's stupid,
but it bothered me for some reason.
And then I remembered you.
Shibata.
That girl...
isn't human.
Stay away from her.
What are you saying?
I was wrong.
She's not human.
Then, what is she?
You said she was a normal girl last time!
I...
She's...
Enough. Shut up.
Shibata.
Liar.
I knew you were a liar!
Liar!
I can't stop just because he called me a liar.
Get a grip. Right now, I have to...
Don't worry.
She won't show up for a couple of days.
Jeez.
Don't you know how to hold back?
I told you not to come in without asking!
No cake today?
No.
Anyway, about that demon.
Are you sure she won't appear for a few days?
She's not a powerful spirit like me.
She's a little wimp.
It'll take her at least three days
before she can appear as a human.
Three days...
I have some time, then.
Natsume?
He left? Already?
Yeah, through the back exit.
He ran away.
He's gone.
Thanks.
Are you sure?
He seemed worried about you.
You should talk to him, shouldn't you?
Aren't you friends with him?
No, he's...
a kid I never used to believe,
and always used to bully.
What are you going to do?
I'll watch that demon, and make sure she stays away from Shibata.
What a pain.
You don't have any reason to go that far for him.
He's kind of a jerk, but not a bad person. I think.
Oh, fine.
You owe me another slice of cake and another dried squid!
This smell...
Let me go!
You again?
Did you come to let me eat you?
Yesterday, I told Shibata that you weren't human.
No matter how long you wait to eat him, he won't come!
Give up on him!
You're lying.
I'm not lying!
Then, he didn't believe you.
If he did, then you wouldn't have needed to come here.
Well...
He didn't believe you, so you came here to do something about it yourself, right?
Too bad.
Hey, Natsume. You see her?
Let me go!
I can end this right now by eating her.
Wait, Master.
Natsume.
Wait just a bit longer.
I want to see what I should do.
Shibata really cares about her.
Natsume, you wimp!
She got away!
Chase her!
She fell!
I knew it, she's weakened.
Weakened?
Yeah. I left her alone because she didn't have much time left.
Murasaki...
Murasaki?
A wisteria tree?
It's big.
You woke up?
You two...
Don't touch me!
If you lowly humans touch me, I'll eat you!
Will you get better if you do?
I don't know.
But...
I thought I'd rather try to eat a human than just disappear.
I took a human form, but I was so weak...
When I was tired, and sat down to rest...
Shibata came to you?
I thought he'd be easy prey,
but I was too tired to even attack him.
I told him to come back in three days.
And three days later, that stupid human came back.
But his moods were so lively...
and he talked so much...
I just didn't even have time to eat him.
So, I said we should meet again.
No matter how much time passed...
No matter how many times we met...
It was fun.
And I never had the time to eat him.
To tell the truth, he came last night.
Murasaki!
Murasaki, where are you?
I didn't think I could take a human form.
Murasaki?
What are you doing here at this hour?
What if you meet a monster?
I'm fine.
Hey do you want to take a walk...
to that hill by the river?
I'd like to...
but I don't feel well today.
Can we do it some other time?
Okay.
It's a promise, Murasaki.
Yes, a promise.
By then, Shibata already knew who I was.
Murasaki!
Get away, Natsume.
If you touch her, she'll eat you.
I thought I would,
but I don't think I can.
He's Shibata's friend.
If I ate him, Shibata wouldn't like me anymore.
Just wait.
I'll get a fish.
Wait...
Shibata!
Sorry, it's not that I don't believe you, but for now...
This is a letter from Murasaki.
Murasaki?
You met her?
Where is she?
Just take it!
Could you give this to Shibata?
I wrote what you humans call a letter.
If I met him, he would always remember me.
I said my goodbyes and wrote out my feelings.
Is it because I got you caught up in this?
Because I called you a liar?
Because I didn't believe what you said?
Is that why you gave me these scribbles?
These characters...
Enough.
I'm sorry.
So...
You don't have to believe me!
Just keep this letter!
Murasaki.
Where is Murasaki?
Shibata?
Murasaki wants to see me!
This way!
Murasaki.
You shouldn't have come.
I told you I was leaving, and that we couldn't meet anymore, right?
But...
You promised me, didn't you?
Take me there, Shibata. Like you always do.
Yeah.
Shibata...
Thank you.
Shibata...
I'm sorry.
I was so mean to you.
But you still did all this for me.
Thank you, Natsume.
Murasaki would climb up to high places like this...
It's cold.
What's so funny?
Don't tell anybody about this.
About what?
About how I cried.
Yeah, I won't.
What kind of answer is that?
Jerk.
When I was little, I really wanted friends.
Whether they were human or spirit,
both light a warm lamp in my heart.
Lining up the sparks of warmth I've lost one by one
Coming to the rainbow-colored pieces of you
I crack a smile
Not even knowing how to make memories
Even when we took things too fast
We were only going with the flow
No matter where I go, even after this darkness
How many times must I say goodbye?
Shining with the flame of a young heart
Those faraway pieces of you
Next time on
Young Days
Natsume Yuujinchou
I was always alone.
I'm always alone.
That person always looked so sad and lonely.
I didn't understand then...
how I felt, or how others felt.
I feel like drinking some booze!