It was in my mailbox this morning.
I'm going to kill you
What should I do?
I'm scared, even at home...
Both of my parents are out right now...
What's to discuss? We have to call the police.
I mean, with something like this...!
Y-Yeah!
Right...
Wait, Sawa-chan.
Switch, 14 years old Spring
Episode 25: Switch Off
The police can't do anything until an injury is inflicted.
Then what are you saying we should do?!
Self-defense is the only thing to do.
Self-defense?
For now, always walk home with a friend, Sawa-chan.
And I want even a little information on that man.
Ideally, we would catch him, but that's dangerous...
I know!
A crime prevention goods store
just opened on the street behind the station.
Let's buy self-defense stuff there!
I think that's a good idea!
Like a spun gun...
You mean "stun gun"...
Will you take me there, Bro?
Yeah, let's go there right now.
I'll protect Sawa!
Except...
Certainly, a stun gun only immobilizes someone for a moment.
It doesn't have enough power to knock the person out.
Even if you did carry something like that in the first place,
would you really be able to use it in an emergency, Sawa-chan?
But it's better than nothing!
Yeah. But against a stalker, I think it would be better to have
something like a personal alarm that would make a loud noise.
They even have ones in the shape of mascot characters,
so you can attach it to your bag and feel relieved.
I think I would!
You're so smart, Switch!
Nice advance!
You mean advice...
I feel a little better now.
This is no good...
Well, that's good.
I can't protect Sawa...
All right! Let's go, Bro!
Actually...
I have plans today.
Switch, go with her.
What's that about?!
Before, you said you'd take me there!
What's the difference? Just go with Switch.
What's wrong, Bro?
Sawa-chan's in a pinch here, so...
That's right...
Bro...?
What am I doing?
Look...
Shut up.
Switch, you can be counted on more than me...
Stop it, this is petty...
I'm saying you're more cut out for this than me.
Stop it!
Just get going!
Got it. Let's go, Sawa-chan.
Bro...
Stop calling me that!
I'm not your brother!
I'm disappointed in you.
I've always been able to count on you before...
But the way you are now...
I don't like you like this.
Neither do I.
Oh, the two of you are going out?
What about lunch?
Sorry. We'll eat when we get back.
Some urgent business came up...
Urgent business?
Which one of us do you want to marry, Sawa-chan?
Mmm... Bro!
That's incredible, Switch!
Maybe I'll marry Switch...
What, did Sawa forget her phone?
That's...
Sawa's friend...
I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop by.
But Sawa-chan isn't answering her cell...
Sawa's out shopping.
Did you want to talk to her about something?
Yes. Kind of...
Um... Maybe she told you...
About the stalker...
Did something happen with him?!
Well, I got a little information on him,
so I thought I'd let her know...
Information?
What kind?
That boy...
His name is Mikami Shinji.
Apparently, he injured a classmate with a knife back in middle school.
In the end, some people hushed it up,
so it didn't become big news...
He stabbed someone with a knife?
But I don't think you should get involved with him.
I'm sure if you leave him alone, he'll eventually give up on her...
Sawa!
Is the store Bro was talking about this way...?
We're just not having any luck finding it, huh?
With a knife?!
Yeah. He sounds like a really dangerous character.
Got it. We'll be careful. Thanks.
Oh, and Switch...
About before...
Switch! Over there!
Isn't that it on the corner?
You're right!
Um, what is it, Bro?
Nothing. Talk to you later.
Bro...?
I was just talking to my little brother.
I was able to warn them, anyway.
Good.
Huh? Sawa-chan is with your brother?
Yeah, they're on the street behind the station...
Shopping together, like good chums...
I'm sorry! I jumped to conclusions...
Then you aren't going out with Sawa-chan?
No, no... Nothing like that.
In fact... those two are going out.
I see.
Why is this happening to me?
Did I do something to bring on a grudge?
There are all kinds of people in the world.
But that aside, you're popular, Sawa-chan, so...
Flatterer...
Say, Sawa-chan, do you remember that fireworks display,
the one in the photo?
Remember, the two of us got lost...
What should we do?!
Sawa-chan...
Hey, you guys!
You're not supposed to wander off by yourselves!
Bro!
You came looking for us?
Well, duh. Of course!
I'm your big bro, aren't I? Of both of you...
Yeah!
Bro hasn't changed since then...
Even now, he's our big bro.
So don't worry about what he said before.
Okay...
I'm worried.
I'm gonna try to find those two...
Sure...
Is something wrong?
That guy?!
Don't tell me he...
Don't!
Stop, Mikami!
Bastard even came to her house on a day off...
You're not gettin' away, stalker!
He's got a knife...?!
You're Mikami Shinji, right?
What were you doing over there?!
Tell me!
H-How do you know my name?
That's neither here nor there!
You've got a knife, don't you?!
Give it to me!
W-What?!
Don't play dumb with me!
Not here...
You've got the wrong idea about me...
I'm no stalker!
Liar!
Do you deny you were following Sawa-chan?!
That was...
It's true I was tailing her.
But I just wanted to tell her that I liked her.
I was going to ask her out.
Huh?
But those two always walk home together,
so I never have the chance...
Don't try to talk your way out of it!
I heard you stabbed a classmate when you were in middle school!
Th-That's ridiculous!
Is that what Yukino told you?
Wait, what? You know her?
Yeah...
Know her, heck, I used to go out with her.
What?!
On the day of our middle school graduation ceremony,
Yukino asked me out...
What are you talking about...?
In the first place, I broke up with her, soon after...
Normally, she's a nice, quiet girl,
but she sometimes gets like, overly emotional...
What's he saying...?
It was awful when I broke up with her.
Screaming, crying, she wouldn't listen to me...
Maybe part of it was wanting to get away from her,
but I secretly fell in love with Sawa-chan,
one of the more popular freshman students, at first sight...
I-I want to tell her how I feel!
I understand. Fine, I'll break up with you.
But ever since that day,
Yukino's been at Sawa-chan's side!
I'm sure she cast me as a stalker
so I wouldn't be able to talk to Sawa-chan.
W-Wait a second!
Then what about what she said before, about the knife incident?
That's what Yukino did herself,
in the second year of middle school!
Anyway, she overreacts to everything,
so it's possible she holds a grudge against Sawa-chan over me!
Look!
Then she came to Sawa-chan's house to...
This is a coincidence!
Yes, what a coincidence...
I wanted to warn her about it, so...
Shit!
Get away, Sawa! Switch!
Is it raining?
What's wrong, Yukino-chan?
On a nice little date here with your boyfriend?
What a pleasant day off...
Huh, what?
Even though he dumped me over you...
We're friends...
So I didn't want him to tell you...
I tried to make it so you would never find out...
But it's all come out!
It's over.
There's nothing left for me...
Nothing, nothing, nothing...
Sawa-chan!
Sawa!
Switch!
No...
No!!!
Switch!
Kazuyoshi... Masafumi is...
Masafumi is dead!
Kazuyoshi...
We questioned Hirai Yukino...
It seems she originally intended to harm Sawa-san...
But she said something to the effect
that when you want to hurt someone,
it's better to hurt something precious to them.
In other words...
In other words, she apparently had the mistaken impression
that Masafumi-san was Sawa-san's boyfriend.
What...? What's he talking about?
She's stated that she didn't mean to kill him...
But she's still not completely coherent,
so we haven't been able to get much more out of her...
In fact... those two are going out.
I see.
Kazuyoshi! Kazuyoshi!
It's me...
What do you know? It's my fault...
Because I said something stupid, Switch was...
Masafumi was killed...
Kazuyoshi-chan, I'm so sorry...
Yamauchi-san, where's Sawa?
I'm sorry.
Even though she should be here more than anyone...
But she's still in shock...
Bro, look at this!
My little brother had talent...
The world needed him...
He would've made a name for himself in the future...
Unlike me...
I kinda like my nickname, "Switch"...
Switch isn't here?
He doesn't exist in this world anymore...?
That's ridiculous...
Because of something I said...
Why am I alive?
Cut short?
Huh, that's unusual for you, Usui-kun,
since you usually like it at this length.
Has something changed in your life?
Yes... Or, actually...
I want to kill myself...
What was that?
Good afternoon!
I'm home...
Kazuyoshi! What is this?!
I swapped out the lenses, so they're just for show...
Do I look good in them?
What did you do that for?!
Wearing his glasses won't make Masafumi come back!
Take them off!
Are you trying to tell me that you'll become Masafumi?!
That's crazy, Kazuyoshi!
I'm not...
I'm not trying to become Switch, especially...
It's just that we can't afford to lose Switch...
I wanted to at least keep his presence here, that's all...
Is there something wrong with that?
It's stupid.
You're gonna become Switch, Bro?
What'll happen then?
I don't know...
You're punishing yourself, aren't you, Bro?
That's the kind of person you are...
But why?! Don't blame yourself! Blame me!
See you around, Sawa.
Moving Center
Yeah... I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry...
I'm not strong like you, Bro, so...
Strong?
Me?
Take care.
You too.
I knew that we would never meet again...
I loved you...
Me too...
Another person disappeared...
And I was alone...
Did he change his image?
There was nothing wrong with Usui's eyes, was there?
I hear his younger brother passed away...
Yeah, I heard that.
When I said something to him before, he told me to call him "Switch"...
I guess that was his brother's nickname.
Yeah, I know what happened,
but he's the spitting image of his brother now.
What's the deal with that? It's kinda creepy...
I went to the funeral, but Usui-kun didn't shed a single tear...
He seemed a little weird then, too.
I heard they were really close.
He's probably in shock.
I went to school in the morning...
I slept when it got dark...
In the morning, I went to school...
And when it got dark, I slept...
Thank you for breakfast.
I'll be home later.
Is something wrong?
No. I'm fine.
See you later.
'Morning!
Hey!
Did you get much sleep last night?
I slept like a log!
What am I doing?
I'm going home.
I don't like you like this.
That wasn't really me, Switch...
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have been like that...
Hey, Switch, look at my computer.
What'd you score on that test?
I never figured something like this could happen...
Did you read that book?
It's really funny.
I wanna talk to you more, Switch...
What do you wanna be when you grow up?
There's so much I wanna talk to you about...
The breeze that was coming in gave me a chill,
so I closed the window.
In fact... those two are going out.
I stopped speaking...
Bro, let's go see fireworks again sometime, the three of us!
Yeah. Sometime...
Sometime...
Switch...
Kazuyoshi, I'm just going to leave your dinner right here, okay?
I'm Switch. Can you tell it's me?
Yeah, I can tell.
H-How's this?
Yeah, that's fine.
Who am I?
That window was forced open
and the helping hand held out to me was...
But I haven't gotten to that yet...
Will you see the stars if I bury you underground?
Usui Kazuyoshi, 17 years old Fall
S-Seriously?! That's seriously Liberty Maji's voice!
Don't take it too seriously, little brother!
I never would've guessed
my big brother was a pal of Liberty Maji!
Indeed.
As a matter of fact, Momoka-dono here is my best pupil.
Who's your pupil?
I mean...
I know, I know, but maybe do Shinzou...
Make the kid look good!
If you say so, nee-san...
Hey! What am I, chopped liver?!
Oh, shut up, Bossman!
Miss!
It's an honor to meet you!
Please, make me your underling!
I'll follow you to the end of my days!
Huh? That's just my...
Hey, what are you smiling to yourself about?
Stop being by your lonesome and get over there!
None of your business...
Switch! Do something with this kid!
Shall I, a veritable font of information, share with you?
How about her measurements and embarrassing secrets?
Yes, sir!
Cut it out, Switch! Don't you dare!
Actually, I wanna know too!
Me too!
Punks!
Get too cocky and I'll bury every last one of ya!