Look, Kaoru-san!
It's...
Shop Closed Today
Richie!
What are you just standin' there for? Hey!
Ri'ko, how about openin' the door?!
It's open.
What's with her?
Huh? Ritsuko-chan?
Yurika-san!
I love the cakes here.
Do you come here often, too?
Uh-huh. This is Brother Jun's family's shop.
Oh... I had no idea...
Um... Yurika-san...
If you'd like, why don't you come over to my place to watch them practice?
Shirayuri
It's over... She hates me...
What is that, avant-garde?
Come on, Richie. Get your head on straight.
How we gonna have a session?
Everyone, Yurika-san is here!
Ri-chan, didn't your dad tell you that outsiders aren't allowed down here?
Yurika-san is our friend, so I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind.
Well, Yurika-san, enjoy.
O-Okay...
What's wrong, Kaoru-kun?
I'm just going to get a little fresh air.
Ri-chan...
Huh?
It's Richie...
Sentaro's sister... Sachiko-chan, right?
Are you playing by yourself?
Yeah. All my friends are off at cram school...
I see...
Then how about we play together?
Really?
Huh?
It's not playing? That's strange...
That thing's a relic, so sometimes it gets ornery.
At a time like this, you have to work a little magic on it.
Wow, Brother Jun. How'd that get it to work?
Beats me.
Hello, is this the Children's Telephone Counseling Office?
Oh, that's right.
See, there's this boy, Hashiguchi-kun, who's always mean to me.
He hides my slippers, pulls my hair...
What do you think I should do?
Hmm... Let's see...
You know, maybe that Hashiguchi-kun actually likes you, Sachiko-chan.
My guess is he wants to be friends with you,
but doesn't know how to express his feelings,
so he acts out like that without really thinking about it.
He does not!
Recently, I made the girl that I really like cry, too.
I want to apologize to her...
...but even if I do, I don't think she'll forgive me.
I don't forgive you.
That was my first time.
It's no good. I can't stay mad at you...
Kaoru-san...
There's something I have to tell you...
Coincidentally, I've been going to the shop for a while.
I had no idea it was your family's...
Shirayuri
The coincidences keep on coming...
Even the name is similar...
Actually, there's someone that I like...
Right now... he's the only one I can think of...
I'm flattered by the way you feel about me, Kaoru-san...
I'm flattered, but...
I understand.
Sentaro...
H-Hi... What's wrong?
You seem kinda troubled...
Here, eat this an' cheer up.
Sentaro... What should I do?
I said something terrible to Kaoru-san...
Kaoru-san might not come back here again...
Thank you.
Sachiko...
Do you...
...know who Ri'ko li...
I'm sleepy!
I'm hungry!
N-Never mind!
School starts again today...?
I-I can't ask...
It's impossible to talk about romantic stuff here in this house...
Richie! It's been too long!
Why didn't you come over for practice during winter vacation?
Oh... Sorry...
Um... The teacher told me to give this to you...
Thanks.
Dad's finally come back...
...but everything seems so bleak right now
that I can't bring myself to talk about anything.
Hey!
Sen...! What are you doing out there?!
Richie! Get outta the way!
Richie, get a jacket on!
We're gonna practice.
Forget it.
Ri'ko is lonely without you around.
Come on, all you gotta do is stop by the shop...
I'm not going back there again.
Do you really mean that?
Yeah.
Kaoru, got a minute?
I thought I heard a loud noise coming from here a minute ago.
Oh, really?
Never mind. Actually, I wanted to give you this letter.
A letter?
It's from Shizu-san, our old housekeeper, remember?
Shizu-san? Oh, that takes me back...
She wrote about your mother.
We've had our problems over the years...
...but it seems Shizu-san happened to run into your mother in Tokyo.
She got your mother's address and insisted I pass it on to you.
We split up when you were still little,
so you might not remember your mom very well...
But if you'd like to go see her, you could, maybe on your next break...
I know this is sudden and may leave you at a loss,
but whether you go or not is totally up to you.
Well, I'll let you get back to your studies.
Richie. You can bring her some sweet rice treats as a souvenir.
I never said I was going.
You're not goin'?
Right now, I'm just not up to it...
Moron!
You know where she is now, and if you lose this chance
you'll regret it for the rest of your life!
Kaoru-kun?
Crap!
What are you doing? I'm coming in!
Wait a second!
Kaoru-kun, you're hiding something, aren't you?
No, not especially...
Blue trains?
"Blue trains" basically refers to limited express trains from Asakaze on
that have dedicated blue sleeper cars.
Did you know that the design of the front and back car are different
because they have to switch off being the lead car?
I didn't know.
Come to think of it, this is my first time traveling alone.
Is it like a trip to help me get over my heartache?
Hey! You're late, Richie.
Y'know, it's a good thing I asked Maruo to get me a ticket!
W-Wait a minute...
I felt like takin' a trip to Tokyo too, so I'm taggin' along!
I only went on this trip so I could be alone and think things over quietly...
Man, travel an' frozen tangerines go together like bread an' butter!
I do have one more tangerine...
Well, much obliged!
They taste better before they thaw.
Damn that Maruo...
By the way, how can you afford this?
Oh, I had money saved up from my part-time job.
And then I sold some old records.
You don't have nearly enough...
Well, if I can make it to Brother Jun's place, I'm sure it'll work out.
What a thoughtless fool...
Here, this is yours, Richie.
Ri'ko said the food in the dining car is probably expensive,
so she made these for us.
Ain't you gonna eat it?
She's been worried about you.
W-What's with all these people?!
Is there a festival? Or a New Year's sale?!
Tokyo Station is always like this.
Why don't you go sightseeing around Tokyo?
I wanna see what your mom's like, so I'm comin' with you.
Blue Butterfly
W-What the heck?! This is some workplace...
W-Wait, maybe I got the address wrong...
It's right...
Well, let's go in an' ask.
Wait a second!
I've changed my mind about meeting her...
Richie!
What are you talkin' about?! You've come this far!
It's better if I don't see her... Even if I did, I'm sure...
Alright!
She says it's your mom's day off today.
Said she'd meet you here tomorrow afternoon.
So we'll come back then.
Alright, I say we relax a bit at Brother Jun's place!
Do you two have business with Katsuragi Junichi-kun?
Yes.
Well, there's no point in waiting for him.
He's been missing since last month.
Missing...?
Yeah. Rumor has it he got in bad with some faction and now he's in hiding.
Although it's possible he's just shacking up with some girl...
Fukahori Yurika
That guy's popular with college girls...
Yeah, that doesn't surprise me...
Right, Richie?
No, not surprised...
Have you two come all the way from Kyushu?
Well, let's make our guests from faraway Kyushu feel welcome!
With shochu and water...
Cheers!
Huh?
Water?
That's right! You wouldn't believe how stupid this guy is!
He's no end of trouble!
When I'm with him, his stupidity rubs off on me!
Good for you. You're lucky to have such a good buddy.
Buddy? Not at all!
Sounds like it's the most! Pretty rare to have a friend you can get goofy with.
Treasure him.
Unlike love affairs, friendship is for life.
Kaoru...?
Kaoru, that is you, isn't it?
Idiot! What are you standing around like a scarecrow for?!
You'll catch cold!
What are you doing?! Hurry up and come in!
W-What is this?!
I've never eaten fancy curry like this before!
Go on, don't be shy. Just eat!
Thank you!
Hot!
I like the way you shovel it in.
I've got a thing for men with a hearty appetite.
She isn't at all like I imagined her to be.
Hot!
What was that?! Mother and son perfectly in unison!
S-Shut up!
Sorry... He has no manners.
Are you friends from school?
Yeah... Or more like, we play music together.
He's a drummer and I play the piano...
Piano...
Oh, Kaoru, you used to love it when your dad played the piano.
He would play and I'd sing along...
And then, even if you were crying, you'd always stop and listen...
That's such a happy memory...
Oh, really? I don't remember at all...
And anyway, Dad never likes to talk about the past...
Of course he doesn't.
Who would want to talk about a washout of a mother like me?
Looks like the rain has stopped,
so I'm gonna take a little stroll around Ginza.
I think he wanted to give us some time alone.
But eat before it gets cold.
It's this curry...
It's spicier than usual...
Kaoru!
By the way, how's school?
Oh, it's okay...
Is there a girl that you like?
Oh... Did it not work out?
M-Mom... I'd rather not talk about that right now...
What, I'm right?
W-What's so funny?!
Well, just the idea of the baby boy in my memory
who'd say "Mama" and make gurgling noises... having a broken heart!
You're in the heyday of youth!
A broken heart! Not bad, not bad at all!
That's right! I'm lovelorn!
The more I laughed,
the more whatever had been building up inside me disappeared into thin air.
My mind emptied out.
There he is!
I thought you weren't gonna make it in time.
Mom, here!
For me?
It's a jazz record.
The song called "Lullaby of Birdland".
Listen and then try singing along to it.
I'll come back to visit you again...
...so until then, I'd like you to practice that.
But this is in English, isn't it?
I don't know the language at all...
It'll be fine. Just imitate what you hear.
Jazz is best when sung by a woman with a husky voice.
I'll come back for sure, so practice, Mom, practice!
Kaoru... Um...
Thank you for coming to see me...
I thought... I'd probably never see you again...
That's what I told myself...
Why did my mom leave me behind?
Those words that I couldn't ask flew away somewhere with this scenery...
Mom's mouth formed the words, "I'm sorry."
I shook my head, but I'm not sure she saw it.
I'm back!
That was heavy...
Ri'ko!
Where were ya?!
Welcome back, Ri-chan.