www.anime-avatar.net #anime-avatar@irc.rizon.net
Encoded by Winterbird
Line's busy.
Who's on the phone at a time like this?
Hey! Who're you talking to?
Ikuko.
What?!
Give me the phone!
Hello? Ikuko?
May I speak to your grandpa?
What?
Ten more yen.
There's no need for that.
As a trustee of a school board...
Mr. Otonashi is on a trip to Hong Kong.
Huh?
When's he comin' back?
Day after tomorrow, in the morning.
What?
Ikuko hasn't heard anything about tearing down Maison Ikkoku.
Anyway, until my father-in-law comes back--
What? We just wait and see?
Well--
Whatcha gonna do if, as soon as he comes home...
he says, "Oh, yeah. That's right"?
I'm disappointed. I never thought our landlord would do such a thing.
That may not be the case.
That's right! Even Ikuko's parents know nothing about it.
Maybe the old man's acting on his own.
He wouldn't.
How can you be so calm?
The one who's gonna lose out most if Maison Ikkoku should disappear, is YOU.
Me?
Maison Ikkoku is the ONLY LINK you have to the manager!
Let's all try to find out the source of this rumor.
Great idea!
Fine.
That's all we can do.
I'll ask our real estate agent about it.
Mitsukoshi.
You help us, too, okay?
I'm sorry you just moved in, and this happens.
Please. I'm sure this is a bigger concern to you.
So let's drink up!
Yeah!
Let's!
What are you all thinking at a time like this?
Loosen up, man!
The real estate agent never heard about a demolition.
But he did say something that bothered me.
What?
You know that apartment building up the slope...
that's sort of like our place?
Its landlord passed away last year, and his son inherited it.
And the son wanted to demolish the building...
and build a bigger complex.
So someone mistook that story for Maison Ikkoku, huh?
That's strange.
According to my sources...
it was definitely Maison Ikkoku that was rumored to be demolished.
Who didja hear that from?
My co-workers.
Where at?!
That's a SECRET!
But my sources are reliable.
Even among my customers,
no one ever mentioned a building other than Maison Ikkoku.
What the hell's goin' on?
You again?
Hi again.
Wanna talk?
Here you go.
The rumor about the demolition?
I overheard people at the gas station talking about it.
Did they clearly mention "Maison Ikkoku"?
Yeah. They were talking about...
how Maison Ikkoku's property would be worth such and such.
I see.
So is the rumor true?
We don't know yet.
We have no way of verifying it right now.
H-How about the other rumor?
Ms. Oto--
That Ms. Otonashi's remarying!
Oh, that.
That's a complete lie...
is what I wish I could say, but...
So it's true?
No. I don't think so.
But...
See you later.
Oh! Welcome back.
Hello.
Mr. Mitsukoshi gave this melon to all of us.
He said his client gave it to him.
Client?
Uh-huh. Let's all have it later.
Hello?
Hi, Kozue.
Have you ever heard of "M.H.T."?
What's that?
It's a real estate company called My Home Town.
And?
Well, I've been seeing that Mr. Mitsukoshi...
go in and out of their Shinjuku office all the time.
How did you know?
It's on my way home from school... that office.
I just remembered something. I gotta go.
Godai!
What are you doing?
That man that you passed at the door--
That was Mitsukoshi.
What?
Mitaka! Let's go!
A-All right!
So Kozue was right.
Uh-huh.
So what did they say at the office?
It seemed suspicious, all right.
As soon as I mentioned Clock Tower Hill...
I sensed tension in the air.
I see.
So Mitsukoshi is a spy from MHT?
Yeah.
Let's go confront them.
What?
We know Mitsukoshi's there right now.
I think you should hold off on that.
We need to tell Ms. Otonashi first.
Do you think so?
Yes.
If she's being deceived, then she needs to know.
That can't be!
Are you telling me...
that Mr. Mitsukoshi works for that company...
and is spreading those rumors?
We don't know for sure, but don't you think something's fishy?
Mr. Mitsukoshi would never do such a thing!
He's not the kind of person who would betray others.
But he clearly has something to do with that company.
I'm sure he has his reasons.
We could be totally mistaken.
I understand your take on this. Let me ask him about it myself.
Don't worry. I'm a manager.
I can see through lies.
All right.
So until I do, please don't say anything to the others.
Kentaro! Dinner's ready!
'Kay!
See ya.
Yup.
Big Brother Godai!
That's just a rumor, right?
Of course. Ikuko's grandpa would never do such a horrible thing.
Yup!
Ma! Let's eat!
I wish I could believe my own words.
Yotsuya!
Were you expecting a tofu delivery man?
NO!
He's late...
Godai! I thought you were goin' to the toilet!
I'll be right there.
Don't use our first floor bathroom.
You'll use up our toilet paper!
Geez!
Hello!
Hi.
It looks like rain.
Yes.
Aren't you going? Upstairs?
Huh? Yes. I'll be going.
This is for you all.
Octopus puffs.
T-Thanks.
Oh, welcome home.
Hello.
Um... I need to speak to you.
Sure.
I-I'll take this to the gang.
I see. Caught in the act.
Yes. I wanted to get this cleared up.
Otherwise, you'll feel uncomfortable here.
I see.
It's true I've been frequenting that office.
But as a client.
To tell you the truth, I was born there.
In the olden days, that area was lined with tenement housing.
A local train line ran in front of my house.
There's no trace of it now.
When I think of my home...
that used to stand where that building is now...
it brings back memories.
Do you believe me?
Thank you very much.
Oh... Please.
Please stay as long as you want.
Yes.
What a great place this is.
It's a really great place.
Yes.
No way! That sounds too convenIent!
But I don't think he was lying.
I'll ask him myself!
Hey!
What'cha two doin' here?
Godai! No fair!
Come here and party!
I have to talk to Mitsukoshi about--
NO!
Where is he, anyway?
Mitsukoshi! You're gonna miss out on the octopus puffs!
Mrs. Ichinose, Mr. Mitsukoshi went to the bath house.
Oh. Let's start without him.
Next morning, a telegram arrived for Mitsukoshi
From an unidentified sender.
It read: "report to the office immediately."
Mitsukoshi!
Are you in there?
There's a telegram for you!
Do you hear anything?
Not at all.
I don't see anything from the window.
Let's open his door.
Y-Yes.
A barrel of sake.
How cool.
So that demolition rumor is--
Of course it's not true!
I would never think of doing that...
without consulting you first, Kyoko!
Why would such a rumor spread?
I was surprised when I heard it from Ikuko.
In any case, as long as I'm around...
I'd never tear down Maison Ikkoku!
So he was a spy from that company!
No, he wasn't an employee of that company.
He was one of those agents contracted to seek out ideal locations
on which to build new residential buildings.
He looked like he couldn't even hurt a fly.
Yeah. I could see Yotsuya doin' that sorta thing.
I only do things that make people happy.
Whatever.
You know, Manager, from now on...
you have to be more careful about the tenants you accept.
We were so nice to him and look what happened.
Was he so bad?
Maybe he came to do his job, but I'm sure he had his reasons.
Besides, there was no harm done.
That's what's so strange.
Strange?
Apparently, that company received a call from Mitsukoshi.
They told me he hung up after saying "I'm pulling out."
Pulling out? From Maison Ikkoku?
They were livid... those people at that company.
So that telegram...
He can't go back there... to that company.
When something new is born...
something old disappears.
That may be inevitable...
but we should not forget what has disappeared.
What brings this up?
That's what Mitsukoshi said.
That's what he said to me.
Really?
Yes, at a nearby park.
Mitsukoshi said that, huh?
That sake looked awfully good.
Shall we drink it?
Sounds great.
We can, can't we, Manager?
S-Sure.
Yay!
Godai, we're goin' to your place.
Two nights in a row!
Ma! What about dinner?!
Make yourself some instant noodles!
Aren't you going?
No.
He seemed like a nice man that Mr. Mitsukoshi.
Yes. We have lots of nice people here.
Whaddaya doin'? We're waitin'!
Get your butts up here! You snooze you lose!
Hey! Don't drink it all! Yotsuya!
That's my sake!
I enjoyed it!
It wasn't yours!
Are those "nice" people?
I want to drink, too.
Will you join us, Mitaka?
Why not? How about you, Ms. Otonashi?
Sure. Go ahead.
I have to take care of the fire.
Okay.
Let's go.
Four years? How time flies.
Forget Soichiro? Never!
Next: "Forgive me, Soichiro! Kyoko's Painful Decision to Marry Again!"
Spring breeze blows, petals fly Awaken from a dream And my heart still soars