Ah, Muranushi...
How are you doing?
I see. Then I'd better not schedule shifts for you yet, huh?
No, not at all. For now, think of your health as number one.
We'll make do somehow with the staffers we have on hand.
Um... The only thing is...
The super...
The supernatural events...
I mean, super-attendance award...
Oh, that's right.
There is no attendance award at work! What am I talking about?
Calm down.
This is just awful.
WE'RE ALL ILLING
Yeah, it's like this whenever Muranushi is on an extended absence.
Recently, we're being tormented by some unseen thing.
Maybe it's angry because we can't communicate with it.
I don't know...
but the person who caused her absence has been safe
because of Muranushi's mother's talisman. Isn't that probably it?
I-I said you can have the talisman...
No, you keep it.
Lose that and you'll be murdered by Muranushi's customer.
Well, you know, right?
Where you should go and what you should do, Adachi...
Yeah. Go to Muranushi's house and ask—
If you say "Ask for more talismans,"
I'll put this cigarette through your eyeball.
I was gonna say "Ask after her health"!
Adachi!
I have to leave early today.
I heard!
You're going to visit Muranushi, right?
Oh, yeah. That's where I'm heading now.
Jeez. You're so inconsiderate.
You were gonna go there empty-handed?
Sweets?
Isn't it customary to bring fruit for a get-well visit?
Come back in one piece!
Coming here was easy, but will she agree to see me?
Adachi, you really are...
...a fool.
Yes?
Excuse me.
I'm Adachi, a co-worker of Sayuri Muranushi.
My sister is so sick...
that she doesn't really leave her room.
Her little brother?
He's got a hand on his shoulder!
You're that Adachi. You came just like Mom said you would.
Please, come in.
Thank you.
Mom, Adachi is here!
Even though he caused Sayuri's health to fail,
he came without shame.
Just like you said he would, Mom.
I'm having second thoughts about this!
Hang in there, me!
Long time no see, Adachi.
I'm surprised you've come.
I know I have no business coming here,
but I'm hoping that you'll let me see your daughter.
Oh, I just meant that I'm surprised you knew our address.
But either way, I'm afraid I can't let you see Sayuri.
I'm sorry.
Sis needs her rest.
P-Please, can't you do something?
After all, she has a 40-degree fever.
40 degrees?
40 degrees is really high!
Nothing you need to worry about.
It seems she's just not herself lately.
She'll be fine after an exorcism.
SICK
So she's not sick but possessed?
POSSESSED
Sayuri, open up.
You need to let me exorcise you.
You'll die otherwise.
Forget it.
Come on. You'll never get better until the cause of your illness is removed.
In the first place, the cause of this is you, Adachi.
So if I defeat you, Sayuri will be cured.
Stop it.
Only Adachi can come in here.
M-Muranushi...
Yes.
Muranushi!
I did what I wanted to do.
So I'm done with you. Go home.
Muranushi! Do you have a cold? Are you okay? Did you see a doctor?
Don't come near me.
It's obvious, isn't it?
I'm not okay and I haven't been to the doctor.
You haven't?
When it's gotten this bad, you won't get better unless you go to a doctor.
I can't even muster the energy to go.
C-Can't you have your family take you?
Scientific establishments rub me the wrong way.
Fine, Mother. Go away.
After all, they stab you with needles.
They're scary!
Anyway, we can't talk like this.
Get dressed.
I'll take you to the doctor.
Get out of here.
I won't, Muranushi!
Get out of here.
Muranushi!
I'm telling you to get out so I can put some clothes on.
You're flushed. Have you caught her cold?
No.
A-Are you okay?
If I were okay, I wouldn't be going to the doctor.
Sayuri, are you sure you won't let me perform an exorcism on you?
After all, you're acting strange.
You come staggering home from work,
then take a shower which is a careless mist.
it can only mean you're possessed by something.
Unless maybe you were shocked at work about something?
Muranushi!
I'm sorry! Would you please go somewhere else?
Even though this is my house...
M-Muranushi...
Um, uh, about last time...
Th-That was, uh...
Express yourself in no uncertain terms.
I told you to go away!
Muranushi...
Um...
Man, if I don't take her to the doctor soon, she'll get even worse
and we won't be able to talk, so I need her to come out.
But if we don't talk about what happened last time, nothing will be solved.
But what can I say to express the way I feel clearly and concisely,
and get her to come out?
Would you...
g-go out with me?
She came out!
Yeah, um, so...
our relationship is unclear in various ways,
so I was thinking maybe we should go out with each other to straighten it out.
Why...
did you wait until now to bring that up?
40-DEGREE FEVER
Good point!
I'll go out with you.
Adachi...
I can't hold back anymore.
Right now, take me...
...to the doctor.
Right, of course!
And so...
w-we're going out.
I got better after going to the doctor.
He made a sick person...
...agree to go out with him.
Hey!
WHISPER WHISPER WHISPER WHISPER
Muranushi!
I see.
So those two are finally going out, too, huh?
GRUMBLE RUMBLE
I mean, I'm hungry.
But I don't have any money.
I wanna put something in my tummy.
Hime... I appreciate it, but I can't take food from a growing child.
By the way, Kisaki...
- Huh? - Are you lactating?
STOMP STOMP
I-I didn't mean...
I was just thinking that if you smoked, breastfeeding would be bad for the baby!
But I wasn't implying that you should feed me with it! Ow!
Either way, that was sexual harassment, wasn't it? I'm sorry!
I'm just so hungry that I can't control my thoughts!
So give me something to eat! Ow!
Shindou, there's no point in begging Kisaki for food.
I'll give you the leftover sweets from my seminar.
Want my rolled sushi?
It's from my bento.
God and Goddess!
Come to think of it, your family runs a sushi shop, doesn't it?
That's right, but so what?
If you two get married in the future and you take over the sushi shop,
can I come over to eat the leftovers?
Huh?
Adachi...
That long "Huh?" just now meant you don't want to take over the sushi shop?
Or you don't want Shindou coming over to scavenge for leftovers?
Or you don't want me to be your wife?
Which is it?
No, you've got the wrong idea...
Tell me, tell me, tell me...
I'm sorry!
Yay, rice! Yay, sweets!
Hey there!
Saitou, the gloomy former NEET and my family's current bodyguard
who's been moping around for years after Muranushi smiled at you...
That's too damn long! What do you want?
I hear Muranushi and Adachi are dating! Lost love for you!
Yeah, yeah.
Kondou told me.
You say lost love, but that was a long time ago.
In fact, right now, I feel disconnected from reality like I married Satan.
Don't cry!
I was looking forward to tormenting you while you were grieving over a lost love.
Stop crying!
I'm a little late.
I think Yanagiba is at the restaurant, but...
HIGASHIDA
Higashida?
Nagata...
Higashida, what's wrong?
Yanagiba is down with a cold.
Wh-What should I do? Pay her a get-well visit?
Higashida, do you know where Yanagiba lives?
Where she lives? You don't need to go there.
What? That's not a nice thing to say!
It's cold of you, Higashida.
She's resting here at the restaurant.
Ahem! Ahem!
That's no good, Yanagiba!
Ahem! Ahem!
I kind of overdid it that last time at the Okinawa commodity exhibition.
That may have been the cause.
Ahem! Ahem!
Yanagiba...
Sorry, Higashida. I insulted you.
It's fine. I'm just happy you came over, Nagata.
H-Higashida... You mean...
You want me to look after her?
If I did it, I think I would eventually punch her.
But you didn't kick Yanagiba out,
which tells me you're worried about her, too!
Miss! Feel free to relax here until you're better, okay?
Higashida! Does this situation call for porridge?
Should I give this customer some porridge I've made?
No.
Higashida, why did you think it over for a moment?
Yanagiba...
Maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems like it's more than just a cold.
Naga, you can go home.
But...
I should bring you some water, right?
Um, excuse me!
A normal person? What should I do?
He seems to be an unnaturally normal person for this place!
U-Um, could I have some water?
As you can see, she's laid up with a cold.
If possible, a pitcher.
A-And I'll order something later, but for now...
Don't ever come back again!
There, he's strange after all!
PHEW!
What is it about this restaurant that attracts them?
Hey Saiki, I heard you talking earlier to that high school girl who's here a lot.
Did you get through to her?
I think, somewhat.
They were talking about a cold or water or something like that.
So I told them, "Don't ever come back again!"
Wait a minute.
You know that means "Don't come here ever again," right?
What?
But didn't you say that to a customer the other day?
Well, he's a different story.
It's rude, so just don't say it to a customer again.
But the customer you said it to looked really happy for some reason.
That's because...
How am I supposed to explain this in English?
Shaiki grew up abroad, so he can't really speak Japanese.
Really? No wonder...
I hope he understood what I said before.
Thank you for your patience.
Good. It looks like I got through.
Thank you for the water...
...and magazine?
You... murder time!
Ah, to kill time! Thank you!
Nagata's been through a lot,
so Saiki's butchery of Japanese doesn't rattle her.
I kind of feel guilty about that.
- Higashida... - Yes?
Your friend, Saiki, is interacting with customers, but is that okay?
It seems she isn't bothered by his linguistic missteps, so I guess it's all right.
Is that right?
Shaiki, read this magazine.
I don't mean about Saiki making Japanese mistakes.
Yanagiba, you shouldn't ask the workers to do things like this.
It'll help him study Japanese, so it's ok—
"Special feature, female friends.
Readers write in for advice.
I have a female friend who kind of likes a guy.
I was hoping that I could use her to get closer to him.
But the boy got a different girlfriend,
so while I'm still friends with that girl,
to be honest, I'm a little tired of her.
What should I do?"
"For your own sake, break off the friendship right away!"
Why did he read that part so fluently?
Th-That problem sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?
But that one's different, right?
Yeah.
If Higashi hadn't called you before, I bet you wouldn't have come, Naga.
I-Is that why she's gloomy?
You've got it wrong, Yanagiba!
I was late coming here because of school!
You've got the wrong idea, Yanagiba!
Yanagiba!
She's better!
Oh, I better clean up!
Y-Yanagiba, come out!
Nagata...
Did something happen with Yanagiba or Saiki or both?
Higashida...
actually...
I can't say it.
It's okay! This is between women!
Between women?
Those regulars are incredible!
They were talking normally to Saiki!
You still aren't able to talk to Saiki, Miyakoshi?
Even if the language is different, you could at least greet him.
You're incorrigible. This is why you're so...
I can't say it. Never mind.
Damn you, Higashida!
I'll conquer him with Japanese!
Saiki!
In the end, my girlfriend has even lost the ability to speak Japanese. Jeez...
Um, Yanagiba, certainly, I came because Higashida asked me to,
but I think this is a nice place to just chill out,
and though you're not the least bit interested in going to school,
I have a pretty good time coming here!
I'm not tired of you!
I mean, recently,
it's like I've even forgotten that I came here for Higashida.
- Naga... - Y-Yes?
Is that any way for a young girl in love to behave?
Wh-What are you telling me to do?
F-For now, let's put that aside.
Look at me, Yanagiba!
We're friends, aren't we?
Yanagiba!
Good.
I was worried.
After Higashi and Hana-hana started dating,
I thought maybe you didn't really want to come here anymore, Naga.
Yanagiba, you were being considerate of my feelings.
But I had nothing to worry about, huh?
That's right, Yanagiba! That has nothing to do with anything!
Then it shows that you don't really like Higashi all that much, Naga.
It's hard to dispute that right now with an "Of course I do."
I worry about Higashida recently.
It looks like things are going from bad to worse for him.
And it seems like he's going through a lot of problems,
so I want him to become happy.
Higashi has been irritable because of stress.
He even gets the urge to kill me, all because of misdirected anger.
That's not misdirected.
He's directly angry at you, Yanagiba.
Anyway, it's bad for his mind and body,
so Higashida should give up that deadly chocolate and loveless relationship.
You're kind to a fault, Naga.
I think if he and Miyakoshi had mutual love for each other,
it would be a decent relationship, but...
Mutual love...
Bonk!
Sorry, darling! I messed up another meal!
You're a screw-up, Hana!
I'm dying as we speak!
A decent relationship...
Either way, it's insane.
Anyway, Higashi...
Yanagiba, before anything else, you need to get rid of that cold.
Right. Although I feel a lot better already.
Thank you, Naga.
I don't know what's going on, but I'm glad you two have patched things up!
Yeah...
Was my care package of sweets the deciding factor?
My mother threw it into my room.
Huh?
Those are the sweets Adachi left here yesterday.
No sense in letting them go to waste, right?
SHADY
They're from a shady character, so I'm purifying them first.
All right, let's eat them.
I don't want any sweets that had to be purified first.
They won't kill you. Eat.
You say it like they're just a couple of days past the expiration date.
And so, I've recovered from my cold,
and I'm off to visit Naga who caught it from me.
Aside from going to school, you're an active person, huh?
Tell her I said to get well soon.
Roger that.
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
And so, I'm Kouno, in charge of saying silly things.
I'm Saiki, in charge of saying silly things.
Saiki?
Next time, "Howl at the Moon."
HOWL AT THE MOON