Ma cherie La Poupee...
Saint-Juste-sama...!
Saint-Juste-sama...
She looks like you!
Look! She looks just like you...
Ma cherie La Poupee.
My dear, cute little Poupee.
Saint-Juste-sama...!
12. The Scar
Along a ridge in the rolling hills...
...there is a cobblestone road.
A little horse-drawn carriage traverses the path.
Ko ton, ko ton, kotokoton...
...I hear it bumping over the cobblestoned road.
Ah...
...finally it passes over the third hill...
Ko ton, ko ton, kotokotokoton...
I think I've always known my final destination...
...there, the top of the fifth hill.
I can see you there... at the top.
So... aren't you hungry yet?
I can make apple juice! It's good for you...
...and it's quick and easy... if you want...
If you have eggs and milk, I can make custard pudding...!
If there's cornstarch, I can make manju too -- mine's really good!
I'll fix something. Please give me a few minutes.
Oh -- also, I called Kaoru-no-Kimi.
Kaoru?
She should be right over!
This won't turn on...
My Dear Brother...
There was no fruit, and not even milk or butter...
...just a little bit of old frozen food...
Totally alone...
All the windows closed,
...in this room filled with mirrors...
Returning each day from school to this dark, ice-cold room alone...
...with nothing here to eat... How on earth can she live?
My dear brother, I... I...
I'm sorry I called you like this...
...but I didn't know what to do.
How's her fever?
Still very high.
Qu'est-ce que vous faites ici, mademoiselle? What are you doing here, Miss?
A pretty high fever...
I like it that way...
Are you a masochist?!
Look at this! Look at this!
You're STILL wearing it!!
Give it back to me! Give it back!
Why?? Why must you wear this?!
Give it back to me!
This thing is a curse you've placed on yourself!
Give it ba...
This is the curse of Miya-sama!
As long as you wear this, you'll stay trapped under her curse!
I'm going to throw it into the bottom of the canal!
Damned thing...!
Nothing will change!
Nothing will change while you wear that!
You know that, so why won't you take it off!
Rei!
Kotokoton...
What?
Ko ton, ko ton, kotokotokoton...
Please, take care of Saint-Juste...?
OK.
Please, forget what you saw today.
Please pretend it was all a dream.
The scar.
That scar, hidden under the bracelet...
...I tried to avoid imagining what could have caused it.
But it kept coming back to me, that hidden scar!
I couldn't help but think... Suicide?
I don't know her past...
But, knowing her now, it could be possible.
I have a favor to ask of you.
Can you go to the elm tree?
Maybe... she is there...
Why are you still talking like that!
You had to wait in the rain, and caught this fever!
Why are you so obsessed?
I can tolerate such a thing, myself, easily...
But it's different if it is HER getting wet in the rain...
I could not tolerate such a thing.
Please go to the elm tree.
Enough!
I'm going to lose my temper with you!!
I'm... I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
You can be so difficult!
Leaving the cram-session right in the middle...
I was worrying about you!
Yes. Everyone's already gone home.
May I come by to pick up my bag?
I gave your bag to Shinobu-san.
You can get it from her tomorrow.
Oh, then... the umbrella you loaned me...
Tomorrow's OK....
I'm truly sorry...
Well, I'll say goodbye...
What happened?
Something must have happened to you...
...when you went to school to get your notebook?
Oh! No... nothing really! Not at school...
The rain -- it was the rain!
So I got wet... and felt a bit ill... so...
So... I rested at a friend's house...
Tomoko! Arikura Tomoko, she's in Section A...
I understand.
If you felt ill, then that was the only thing to do.
Yes. I'm sorry!
Good-night.
This is the curse of Miya-sama!
As long as you wear this, you'll stay trapped under her curse!
All right, now!
Well!
I'm surprised!
Isn't it early for you to be up already?
Yes, I suppose...
We're having a cram session at the Sorority House this morning!
Well! A sandwich...?
Sure. We'll have breakfast after the study session.
You never liked tomatoes before...
I've come to like them...
I need my vitamin A.
What's all this now...?
It's her "vitamin A".
Now now, don't get in the way...
Your sandwiches...
I seem to recall you making one for MY lunch once...
Yes... I think your mother had a cold that day.
It was really tasty!
Next time, then.
Sure... Next time...
See you later!
Vitamin A...?
What about it?
Well...
There is no cram session. I lied.
Sorry, Mom and Dad...
Strangely enough, my dear brother,
...this is something which seems to deeply touch my heart,
...and even if I have to lie or disobey someone, I must act.
Anyway, she MUST eat some nutritious food.
She must be still sleeping.
"How are you?"
"I decided to bring you a box-lunch."
"Please eat a lot and sleep tight."
"Get healthy soon."
"Very soon, please, very soon."
"I brought you a sandwich, a salad, and coffee..."
"Please feel better soon."
That should do. If she eats it...
Nanako-san!
Yes?
Here's your bag!
Thank you...
It had started to rain furiously!
A lot of time had passed...
...and you still weren't back when the session ended.
When we called the school, the custodian said there was no one there.
The thought of an accident happening to you...
...made us more and more worried!
Mona-Lisa-sama and Borgia-sama had left...
Miya-sama and I were the only ones left.
Then I had to leave myself, shortly after ten.
I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.
I called her around 10:30 and apologized.
Maybe not quite enough, though...
Was your apology accepted?
Yes. I think.
Oh good, I'm relieved.
Having Miya-sama upset at you can be VERY bad news.
So...??
What?
So what was it? What happened?
Tell me, I won't tell.
Oh!
Hmmm?
Later! I'll tell you later!
Uh... Nanako-san!
Oh no! I've got to talk to Tomoko quickly!
Tomoko!
What?
An alibi?
Yes... I'm sorry!
I happened to use you as an alibi...
I told them that I was at your place...
So, if anyone asks, can you say that?
Asked by whom?
Your father and mother?
Oh no! You're in trouble!
No, no! It's not like that!
Well.. in short, it's for the sorority.
Oh, so THAT's it!
Yes.
Sure, then.
Especially Miya-sama.
I got it! Sure!
Thanks! I'll explain later.
That's OK. You just owe me one!
Deal!
My dear brother...
the first session came and went.
Then the second.
The third session began and got to lunch time...
I worried the whole time.
I finally made up my mind.
I resolved then to return the umbrella.
Here it is. Thank you very much.
Keep it.
If you don't like it, throw it away.
Don't get too close to Asaka Rei-san
I didn't get close to her intentionally.
It just happened that I was there.
With her, in the rain.
That's all.
Ummm... excuse me...
She seems to have taken the day off...
Was she OK?
Afterwards?
She was fine. She fell asleep.
What about her fever?
I had her take some aspirin right away...
...but it wasn't too effective.
She takes too many drugs already, you know.
I see...
What is it?
Could I meet you after school?
To talk...
What is this regarding?
I'll be waiting for you.
Under the elm tree!
The elm tree?
Yes, under the elm tree...
Four forty eight and thirty seconds.
Four forty eight and forty seconds.
Four forty eight and fifty seconds.
Four forty nine and zero seconds.
It was no coincidence.
I wanted Mariko-san and Tomoko to go home.
That way I could visit Saint-Juste-sama.
I'm not sure why I wanted to...
...but I wanted to see that elm tree again.
...the one Saint-Juste stood under for so long in the rain...
Saint-Juste-sama?
What's this about?
You know already.
Yes.
This is the elm tree where Rei waited for you yesterday!
She got soaked and caught a fever!
Don't you care at all what happens to Rei ??!
It doesn't concern me.
But Rei...
But Rei is your younger sister!
Preview.
Feelings of doom, due to Miya-sama's curse,
...fill Saint-Juste with hopeless depression and cynicism.
Nanako, worried about Saint-Juste,
...goes to the clock tower to look for her.
Rei embraces Nanako...
...and whispers something in her ear.
Next episode:
A Tale of Double Suicide
Brother, Dear Brother...
There is no end to my tears...