You're the one that I like.
You don't have to give me an answer right away.
I just wanted to let you know...
that there's somebody here who's in love with you.
You changed me so much I don't remember what I was like before we met.
The breeze caresses our cheeks.
Lullaby of Birdland...
As we run down the slope,
our flimsy shadows extend.
It's like a neverending summer vacation.
It feels like when we snuck into the pool.
Yeah, let's swim with our clothes on. Jump in!
It's an intense spiral of temptation.
A beat pierces my heart. A strange one.
It vanishes after a quick spark.
Even on bad days, I dress up
and dance to some swing. The music quickly surrounds me.
What is this dance exactly? I can't stop it.
Don't leave me. It's stuck in my head, and I can't get it out.
The melody...
is like love.
Richie, you stopped again.
Be quiet. I'm gonna jump back in with a cool improv.
It don't mean a thing if you don't actually play.
Looks like you're havin' a good time, Sen-boy.
Mind if I sit in?
Jun!
Oh, you're early!
Actually, I already mentioned this to the old man,
but I've got some good news.
Would you cats be up for playing in front of an audience?
The bar I used to work for asked us to do a Christmas performance.
It's a foreigner bar for U.S. troops stationed here, so if we're gonna do this,
we'd better put some spunk into it.
Well? Wanna give it a shot?
Yes!
Yeah!
Good!
Christmas is only a month away, so we don't have much time.
What'll we play?
That reminds me, Sen.
Isn't your birthday on Christmas?
Yeah. I'm almost sixteen!
We need to put on a good show.
Let's start out by makin' some noise.
Outta sight! This'll be our first session together since summer vacation!
One, two, a one-two-three!
Richie, ain't you gonna play?
What's wrong, Kaoru?
This guy just freezes up every now and then.
Kaoru has a classical background, so maybe he's shooting for perfection.
Don't think you need to do anything complicated at first.
All you really gotta do is hit the keys.
That's plenty lively for an improv.
Remember how it felt when you jumped in and went wild last summer.
You said it, Jun! Right on!
Go for broke, Bill Evans!
Oh, he looks like 'im!
Never thought I'd meet Bill Evans in a place like this!
Now I think we can expect you to play great!
By the way, what were you doing the other day with Yurika?
Huh?
In the back of the art room.
Y-You saw that?
So you two have already, uh... gone that far?
What do you mean?
Don't play dumb.
You can't tell me nothing happened when you were dressed like that!
No, you idiot! She just asked me to model for her painting.
No! Tilt your head more!
Give it a loving gaze!
I didn't get what it was about, but it was over before I knew it.
That's all?
Huh? Why am I so relieved?
Oh, that must be it.
Actually, she asked me to model for her every week from now on.
Oh? Sounds like there's hope for you yet.
What will you do...
if she does something like that next time?
Why, you...! What the hell do you think you're doin'?!
Get back here!
Just who is that Nishimi guy?
Maybe the "secret boss"?
I heard your nephew was at the top of the class on his finals.
That's wonderful! And he can play the piano on top of that!
Yes, well, I don't like how he's been coming home so late these days, though.
Oh, you worry too much!
After all, he's the only male heir in the Nishimi family.
I have to make sure he keeps his grades up so he can make it into med school.
Dad... Hurry home, would you?
Even though I'm surrounded by people... I'm always alone here.
Furuya Musical Shop
Yamaha Pianos, Electones
That reminds me, Sen.
Isn't your birthday on Christmas?
I don't see him buying a new pair for himself.
Maybe I'll get them for him, one jazz musician to another.
K-Kaoru?
Ri...
U-Uh, oh. It looks like we had the same idea.
Oh, no, this is...
Sentaro's a lucky guy.
Oh, I know! We'll each buy one stick and give them to him as a pair.
Let's do that, okay?
This is a strange development.
Maybe it's okay if things stay this way?
I wonder what she thinks of me.
Are you okay? Do you have a cold?
No, winter in Kyushu is just cold.
I wouldn't be surprised if it started to snow.
Oh, it's not that cold!
It rarely snows here in December.
Look.
Kaoru, how did you know?
This is amazing!
Just like a movie!
It's beautiful!
Oh. It melts right away.
This won't stick.
Look, Kaoru!
It's...
M-Merry Christmas.
Cut it out, Kota! You're gonna pay for that!
Ri'ko!
Who're you?
How dare you make Ri'ko cry!
Watermelon boy!
Oh, what're you doin' here?
N-Nothing.
Bro! He just made Ri'ko...
What about Ri'ko?
It's a misunderstanding.
He's the last person I wanted to see right now.
Bro, I have to pee.
All right, how 'bout we all race home then?
The winner gets the biggest piece of cake!
Ready? Go!
Wait up!
Look at 'em go.
Wanna join us for some cake?
Of course not.
Oh yeah, your family is rich.
Bet you have a fancy one waitin' for you.
Shut up.
Somebody who takes being surrounded with a loving family for granted
will never understand that there are people who live in a house
but don't have a place in it!
Am I envious of him?
Because he has the one thing I want more than anything but can never have?
Go home.
Your family's waiting for you, aren't they?
Being around you makes me feel even more miserable!
Hey! Max Roach!
These are some really nice sticks.
Ri picked them out. I just laid out half the money.
Oh, so one's from Ri'ko and one's from you, huh?
That's pretty clever.
Wha...?!
Come with me!
Why should I?
Just do it!
No! Let go of me!
Ow! What are you doing?
Hurry up!
Ow!
Damn it.
Wh-What?
Ri.
Why's that kid next to her in every photo?
It's easy to tell when you see me as a little kid, right?
That I got mixed blood.
Richie, I haven't had a place in my house either...
ever since I was born.
Hey, American!
Can't you speak English?
Don't look!
Sentaro!
Mom, aren't Yasuko's things in that box?
I don't care. She's no daughter of mine.
She seduced an enemy soldier, had his child,
and eventually abandoned her shame here before running away!
I don't remember giving birth to a daughter like that!
What's wrong, Sentaro? Where's Grandma?
So you didn't see anything either, kid?
Sentaro, this is apparently a memento
your mother left behind when she went away.
Sentaro, rosaries aren't worn around your neck.
Take it off.
You're always wearin' this thing.
Let me borrow it a minute.
Don't touch it!
Hey, that's the Kawabuchi kid who went nuts yesterday.
Sentaro! You won't have any friends left if you keep getting into fights!
I didn't have any to begin with.
My dad lost his job around then and stayed home gettin' drunk every day.
He couldn't even look me in the eye.
He eventually found a job in another prefecture
and said he was gonna live an' work there for a while.
I thought it was my fault.
He hasn't come back once after all these years.
It's fun at home, never a dull moment,
but every once in a while, I start wonderin'...
if it's really okay for me to be there.
I said too much.
I'm terrible.
I was so convinced this guy had it all.
Those things I yelled at him...
It's like we're kids playing around on an organ.
Sentaro!
Yeah, what is it, Kaoru?
Let's practice some more.
Maybe even every day 'til our gig.
Dummy! That goes without sayin'!
We gotta knock the socks off them Americans!
I get it.
This is the guy that Ri loves.
My love feels so petty in comparison.
We put everything we had into practicing every day.
Time flew by, and before we knew it, the day had come.
It was our first time on stage.
Um, excuse me.
Foreign soldiers gather to drink here.
It's no place for a young lady like you.
A friend invited me to come listen to jazz.
Oh, pardon me. You're a respectable customer.
After you, young lady.
Stop calling me "young lady."
It feels like you're mocking me.
Yurika.
Ritsuko, long time no see.
All right, just start out like we practiced,
but feel free to go crazy once you get in the groove.
Hang loose and have fun.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Mukae Tsutomu Quartet.
One, two, one-two-three-four.
What's wrong with him?
He's stiff.
Is it because Yurika's watching?
Wake up!
Pipe down already!
Hey, stop! Stop it, already!
I can't stand that coon music jazz!
It sounds like a jumble of noise!
At least play something white!
What's he sayin', Richie?
He says he doesn't like black jazz and to play something by a white musician.
Huh? What kinda shit is that?
What're you tryin' to say, old man?
Don't do it, Sen-boy! Suck it in!
You can't get through to a drunk like that.
Just ignore him.
I can't play like this!
Kaoru.
Can you play that one song?
"But Not for Me."
Oh, I think so.
The party's gonna end on a sour note if we don't do somethin'.
But maybe we can at least lighten up the mood.
Just the two of us?
Don't worry. It'll be like we're playin' for fun.
They're writing songs of love, but not for me.
A lucky star's above, but not for me.
With love to lead the way,
I've found more clouds of gray
than any Russian play could guarantee.
He's amazing.
I can understand why Sentaro gets so excited every time he comes into town.
It's only natural to admire him.
Anyway, Jun really surprised me!
You saved the day, Jun!
Oh, stop pretending you don't know what I'm talkin' about!
Damn it! So frustrating!
Thanks to that jerk cuttin' in,
I didn't get to play even half of what we practiced!
But it was a good experience.
The unexpected is what makes jazz fun, isn't it?
Listen to you, soundin' off like an expert!
Cut it out!
Am I buggin' you?
Um, young la—I mean...
Yurika.
Yurika, huh?
What shall I call you?
That's right.
Life is a lot like jazz.
Sometimes it, too, goes in an unexpected direction.
I was waiting for you on that slope.
We made a promise to meet after school.
The goodbye blurred into the distance.
So weak, so twisted, so fragile
had I been back then,
but you gave me a small pair of wings.
I'm searching the sky beyond the twilight
for the faint flicker of light
because I want to tell you I love you.
I wrote a letter to you in my textbook margins,
but I could never give it to you.
It's still just there.