I wonder whether you should know the reason why...
The surgery, you see. They had to remove one.
Five years... When a relapse occurs within five years... there isn't really any hope...
That's why we broke up.
That's why I left the man I loved.
I don't know whether I have a long life left before me or not...
I don't want to be a burden in my loved one's life.
I felt that, because I loved him, I had no choice but to let him go.
I feel that it was for the best.
I don't regret it at all...
I'm sorry...
I see that I should never have told you all of that...
Still... it's strange, isn't it?
You aren't related by blood, but...
...the two of you seem alike, somehow.
What...?
I felt like I could talk to you about this because you're Takehiko-san's little sister.
S... sister?
Little sister? You mean...?!
You didn't know...!!
I- I'm sorry!
I'm...
You mean... I'm really my brother's little sister...?!
37. Merry-Go-Round
I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...
You were writing letters to him and all, so I just thought that you must have known...
I didn't know! I didn't know about it at all!
Well you see, Takehiko-san...
Papa... Mama...
What?
She's a bit late, don't you think?
Yes...
Hmm...
Shall I pour you some fresh tea?
No... I think I'm going to take a little walk.
Down to the station?
Ah... er, no...
Goodness, dear. Don't worry about her. I'll call Tomoko-san in a little bit.
Ah... OK. Could you, please?
She'll be just fine.
Yes... Yes, OK.
Earlier...
...I received a call from Takehiko.
It seems he's decided to study abroad in Germany.
Germany?
Has he, now...
I wonder if he's leaving it up to me...
Maybe the time has finally come.
I think it's about time for Nanako to learn about everything.
If that's what you feel is best, dear.
My dear brother...
...I didn't know what to do...
I felt so mixed up inside...
Saint-Juste-sama's death...
Kaoru-no-Kimi's love - and the scars, both physical and emotional...
And on top of that, there is the matter between the two of us...
It's like the whole world has turned upside down on me.
I... I...
Nanako, may I come in?
Nanako?
I'm coming in.
Takehiko-san is Professor Misonoo's son by his previous wife.
Dear...?
No... I think that Nanako might be hurt to learn of it now.
She's such a kindhearted girl...
If she were to learn that I abandoned Takehiko and his mother, she would really be hurt.
You didn't abandon them...
Regardless of the circumstances, that's what it amounts to in the end.
Dear...
Or maybe I just don't have the courage to do it.
Maybe I'm just afraid that Nanako will hate me for it.
I'll talk to her.
No... no, that won't do.
Papa! Good morning!
Hey there. 'Morning.
I'll go get in the paper.
Ah, OK...
At any rate... at any rate, I've decided to ask him.
I'll ask Papa about the truth; I figure that I'll have time to think over it more after that.
Papa...
Want to go for a walk, Nanako?
Eh?
Uh, sure...
It was right here...
This was the place, Nanako. Do you remember?
Yes... yes, I remember.
This is where you and I first met, Nanako.
The place where Papa and I first met...
The first time you saw me, you looked like you were afraid of me.
Well, you were just standing there looking at me like that.
You didn't even say hello.
But... well...
From that point on, you were my daughter.
My one and only daughter...
My dear, precious Nanako... your Papa has only ever once told you a lie...
Or rather, there was something I never told you, which amounts to the same thing.
The truth is... I have a son.
I had a child with the woman I was with before I married your mother.
He's about seven years older than you. He is your step-brother.
I'll be honest with you, though...
...even though it's been thirteen years since I saw him last...
...I love my son every bit as much as I love you.
He is in my thoughts always, just as you are.
I'm so sorry, Nanako.
Aside from this one thing, I truly feel that I've been the Papa that you always considered me to be.
Nanako...
Do you want to see him again, Papa?
Henmi Takehiko-san...
Nanako!
I'm happy! I'm so happy!
Papa, if... if you had said that you didn't love my brother...
...if you had turned out to be that sort of person...
...I don't know what I would have done!
Nanako!
Papa!
Papa... Papa...
Nanako...
My dear brother...
...it was so sunny in the morning, but it turned rainy in the afternoon.
Even so, I went out.
I went out; I just couldn't stay put.
I wanted to see you, no matter what.
I just had to.
Coming!
Hey.
Er... what happened? You're totally soaked.
That day, when it snowed!
Eh?
I said it that day, when it was snowing!
That snowy day...
The last class day of the cram school course...
OK everyone, you have five minutes to work this problem.
Ahh!!
You had been teaching us.
It was our last day together.
I had made up my mind to say it.
I knew it was silly; I was really nervous.
Have a question? OK. Which page?
P... pl- please...
Please be my big brother!
Not a lover, or even a friend...
...just... I thought... if you would just read my letters...
Yes, that's right.
I remember it well.
May I say it one more time?
Eh?
Please be my big brother!
Because... you really are my brother!
That was so mean of you, really!
Papa told me, you know. "Takehiko knew all along that you were his little sister."
That wasn't very nice of you, really.
Sorry.
I did intend to tell you, eventually.
When? Well, when?
Er... well, ah...
So cruel of you, really...
That's why I said I'm sorry.
If... if I hadn't ever found out...
...if I had just continued writing to you like this, then eventually...
...eventually... the letters alone wouldn't have been enough...
If... if I'd really fallen in love with you...
...what would you have done about it, then?
Eh?
I haven't ever actually dated a boy yet, but...
...if I were to do so, I imagine that he'd find me to be the persistent type.
But... I knew from the start that you were my younger sister, so...
We're not related by blood, though.
So, if I'd started feeling that way, it wouldn't have mattered.
Ah... er... but...
What? Oh, come on!
You really had me going there...
It's raining again.
Raining...?
Yes... Once again, it is raining...
Every day that's important to me somehow, it ends up raining.
It seems that way, anyway.
The rain, eh...?
Come to think of it, it was raining on that day, too...
Eh?
Ah... nothing...
It was raining that day, too...
I was hoping to catch a glimpse of my father, who had left me and my mother to remarry.
I was standing there, in the rain...
And then, I saw you for the first time.
You looked so very precious...
Who are you?
You had dirt all over your hands, and you were holding a little red shovel.
You gazed at me with those lovely eyes as you spoke...
Who are you?
That was it, no more than five minutes...
Bye-bye! Come see me again!
Come see me again!
That faraway day... that rainy day...
You may have forgotten, but I remember.
Misonoo Nanako...
From that day forward... I had a little sister.
Who are you? Who are you?
"Nanako..."
Eh?
Ah... no... could I call you "Nanako-kun" from now on?
I'd be happiest if you called me "Nanako".
OK.
My dear brother...
...you really were my brother. Henmi Takehiko-sama.
A really, truly wonderful brother...
Longed after by Fukiko-sama...
Loved by Kaoru-no-Kimi...
Those enchanting, dark brown eyes, sparkling now just as they did in that day so long ago...
My dear brother... I'm glad that I am your sister.
I think that it's a good thing, really.
After all, no matter how wonderful you may be...
...as my brother, you could never really love me in a romantic way... unfortunately...
I'll keep writing letters to you, the same as before.
No, I'll do my best to write even more, as many and as often as I can!
And then, sooner or later...
...sooner or later, I'm sure, we'll run across one another again.
I don't know where yet, but I'll see those dark brown eyes of yours again someday...
Heh heh heh!
I've been able to write it all down, through happiness and heartache...
...through confusion and uncertainty, all my bittersweet trials...
...everything, in my own way...
P.S. Of course, I can't send you this letter.
Nope, I won't do it!
Yeah, Henmi here...
Hello?
It's you, isn't it.
I'm sorry.
No trouble. What's up?
I only called because I have something that I need to apologize to you about.
Well, I have quite a few things that I'd like to talk to you about.
I thought that she knew, and so inadvertently told Misonoo-san that she is your younger sister.
I'm sorry; I did something that I shouldn't have.
Kaoru -
I want to see you...
Rei... I want to see him...
Rei... Rei!
The carousel!
Let's ride the carousel again!
Can you see it?
What?
I can!
I can see it!
Out beyond the carousel...
...out past the spinning sky-planes...
...I can see it. I see it!
What is it? What can you see?
My future! Everything from here on...
With one turn. I see myself tomorrow...
The second time around, I see myself the day after that!
On the third pass...
Well then...
...this "future you," what's she like?
She loves Takehiko-san even more tomorrow than she does today!
The day after that, she loves you even more!
With each passing day, she loves you even more than the day before!
All right, then!
I'd better stop that carousel before we get carried away!
You'll never get it to stop! Never!
Sounds like I'm in trouble, then!
But now, Rei...
...no matter how many times the carousel goes around...
...I don't see anything on the other side.
Professor, the gentleman with the appointment is here to see you.
Show him in.
Yes, sir.
Please, come in.
Thank you.
I know you must be busy today; thank you for having the time to see me.
So you've have decided to study at the University of Schellenberg.
Yes, sir.
You need a letter of recommendation and a guarantor's voucher, I suppose?
Yes, if you would be so kind, sir.
I understand.
I'll get them to you as soon as possible.
Will that be all right?
Yes, sir. Thank you very much.
Sure.
Sir...
Ah!
If that will be all, then...
Ah... yes, OK...
Truly, thank you so very much, sir.
No, it's all right...
Sorry to have bothered you.
To the station...
Shall we walk together as far as the station?
Sure!
OK! Well, let's get going, then.
So, what's it up to now, anyway?
Sir?
Your height.
185 cm.
Is it, now...
Yes, sir.
Yes... you've grown so much in the thirteen years since I last saw you...
Well... I have to go off that way now, so...
OK.
Goodbye.
Takehiko!
Do your best!
Yes, Father!
In the next episode...
Kaoru continues to obstinately refuse Henmi's love, thinking only of his future.
Fukiko tries to convince Kaoru that Saint-Juste wanted her to keep thinking of living - to live her life to the fullest.
Next time: Yes
My dear brother... there is no end to my tears...