Way to go!
Wow, you rolled a double!
Hardly what you'd expect from a beginner, eh?
All right...
Even I should be able to score a strike or two...
Put some spirit into it!
Steady...!
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6!
Whaaaat?
Nice gutter!
Hey, what's my score at now?
Hmm... in six frames so far, you're up to 19 points.
What about Nanako-san?
68 points, and she just rolled a double!
Turkey! What a miracle!
Yahoo!
Greetings, my dear brother.
My true brother...
We're well into summer break now, although the heat has let up a bit, at least for today.
How have things been going for you?
Father was talking about you the other day.
Are you really going to study abroad?
You'll really be going to Germany?
To tell you the truth, it came as a bit of a shock to me.
I've only just learned that I really do have a brother...
...and now you are about to be going off somewhere far away.
Certainly, that's a big deal to me, but...
...there's also...
...there's also the matter regarding Kaoru-no-Kimi...
Really, at the moment, that's what is troubling me more than anything else.
38. YES....
This is Henmi.
Ah! Don't hang up!
I have something I want to talk to you about.
There's nothing that I want to talk to you about.
I want you to come meet me. I'm over by the station right now.
I'll be in the coffee shop, so come meet me there.
I can't come. Sorry.
I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes.
I'm not going to come.
I'll be waiting.
Goodbye.
Germany?
Yeah. I think I'd like to go to Germany someday.
Is that your dream, Takehiko-san?
If I keep at my current studies, then someday, I'll go there.
I think that if I go there, I'll find out whether I'm really cut out for this or not.
Takehiko-san, it sounds like your dream will soon be within reach.
I want to become the real thing. The real-thing...
...like my father...
There you go, talking about your father again.
That's wonderful.
It's great, pursuing your dream so devotedly...
So what's your dream?
Hmm... what is it, I wonder...
Hmm... yeah...
Well, for the moment anyway, I'm really into basketball...
Yeah...
But maybe... I think that a person's dream should be something really worthwhile...
Germany...
When you go there, maybe I ought to come along, too!
OK!
Let's go ride the carousel again!
OK!
What's wrong?
What's wrong, Kaoru?!
She's young...
Considering how young she is, I must say that this is unusually bad.
It spreads more quickly when they're so young...
How many years?
How many years does she have?
The surgery should be sufficient, at least for the moment.
The real problem is the possibility of metastasis.
Five years. If it hasn't come back within five years, then she should be fine.
If she has five years...
If she has five years, then she has a future before her, at least...
Absolutely.
Kaoru...!
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry, Takehiko-san...
I...
...I might not be able... to go to Germany...
I'm so sorry!
Kaoru!
I'm... I'm glad you came.
Only because you're that kind of person...
Two, three days maybe...
You're the sort who might just wait here forever.
It's official. I'm going to Germany.
Come on! Come with me!
I guess your dream has come true.
Congratulations.
Go, live your dream. Please.
Just forget about me...
My dream is to go there with you.
Find someone with whom you can share your dream.
That is my dream now.
It has to be you.
It has to be you!
Only you!
Kaoru!
Milady...
Please excuse the interruption, milady, but...
...might you know where Takashi-sama is?
There is a telephone call for Takashi-sama...
If he is not in his room, then he is most likely out in the garage.
Ah... yes.
Thank you very much.
Ah... it's all right, I'll go myself.
Brother, you have a telephone call.
Ah! Shoot...
I'm right in the middle of something important. I'm sorry, but could you handle it, please?
Yes, yes...
Are you there? I'm taking the call in his place.
Ah... er, hello... this is Henmi...
I'm sorry, I guess Takashi isn't there right now...
No... no, he's here...
He has his hands full at the moment, so I am taking the call in his place.
I'm sorry.
It wasn't anything important anyway; I'll just call back later.
Ah... er...
...that time, at Rei's funeral service...
...you helped my brother to calm down.
I wished to thank you for that.
No, it was nothing. Really, I felt pretty helpless myself...
Is that Henmi?
Thank you.
Sure...
Hey! This is pretty unusual, getting a call from you.
Yeah, right! Ha ha ha...
What? You're drunk, aren't you.
What's up?
Has something happened?
No, nothing has happened.
Nothing at all...
Liar.
It's about her, isn't it. It's not working out.
Don't try to hide it from me. I know.
Just keep trying, OK?
Somehow, you'll find a way to get her to come with you to Germany.
At any rate, I'm going to head over there now.
The usual place, right?
No, it's OK. I'm about to leave anyway.
No, wait for me.
That's why you called me in the first place, right?
OK?
Sorry about this.
OK. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.
Henmi-san is going to Germany?
Yes.
With Orihara-san?
That, I do not know.
I see.
Yes?
Nanako, do you have a minute?
Sure.
Homework?
If I don't take care of it soon, I won't have time to finish it before the new term starts.
You'll be free tomorrow, though, right?
Yes...?
Could you deliver this to Takehiko for me?
These are the documents that Takehiko needs for his foreign study program in Germany.
I'd mail them, but I think he probably wants them as soon as possible.
Did you write those for him, Papa?
Yes, he asked me if I would.
How about it? Whenever you have some free time tomorrow would be fine.
Hey now, it's too late to go tonight.
But he wants them as soon as possible, right?
I'm heading out!
Nanako!
T-take a taxi, at least!
My dear brother...
Of course I wanted to get these documents to you - and see that smile of yours again - as soon as possible.
Also...
...I've been thinking quite a bit about you and Kaoru-no-Kimi.
How will it all work out when you go to study abroad in Germany?
I think that I need to ask you about it directly, my brother...
Hey.
Well, look who we have here.
Er... these are from my father...
He had too much to drink. Pretty unusual for him.
I brought him back here.
First time it's happened, really.
He doesn't normally get like this...
Sorry about this. Could you help me move him to the bed?
OK.
I'm fine... don't trouble yourselves...
I'm fine... just fine...
Henmi!
Enough, already, I'll go...
I'll go to Germany alone.
You fool, don't give up so easily!
My dear brother...!
Please come with me.
What?
Please, just come with me!
What's going on?
I'm in the middle of practice!
Come on!
Hey, wait...!
It's not like Henmi asked us to do this, OK?
Just don't get the wrong idea about that.
We want you to talk to him.
We want you to spend some more time with him!
We've talked enough already.
Consider his feelings some more!
I have! I have thought about him! That's why...!
That's why I did what I did.
I... I don't understand, but...
...I really don't understand all of this, but...
...Kaoru-no-Kimi, I know that you need to be with my brother!
More than anything!
I'm sorry...!
I'm sorry!
You... you love him, and yet you...
The more she thinks of him, the more determined she becomes to leave him.
That's just the way she is.
That makes no sense!
That just doesn't make any sense!
Papa, Mama...
Two people... suppose two people are in love...
...but the woman has a life threatening illness...
Nanako-san...
The woman believes that she has only five years left to live...
Once she knew that, she broke up with the man...
For the sake of the one she loved... for the sake of his future...
She felt that she couldn't risk ruining that future of his.
She felt that it would be best if they led their own separate lives.
Because she loved him.
She felt that she was doing it because she loved him so very much...
But is that love?
Is that really love?
Love...
Love isn't as simple as that; I don't think that we can really know whether their love is true.
You can hope to find some sign, some proof that it's real; but you can never really know whether what you see is love.
Then why suffer? Why wait?
He's waited for her for a whole year!
A year he has waited, and he still loves her!
But it still hurts him, he still suffers, and now he may be on the verge of giving up!
He may end up going to Germany alone!
Eh?
This is about Takehiko?
Er... well...
I see...
Papa...
It's real.
What?
If this is Takehiko that we're talking about, that love is most likely genuine.
It's all right, isn't it?
No matter what may come of it...
...if their love is true, then whatever happens will be for the best.
Yes...
It might not be too much longer before you fall in love with a boy yourself, Nanako.
But that will be your love, Nanako.
A unique thing, unlike anything that you have known before - a true love of your own.
That wasn't the answer I was looking for...
Well anyway, it's time to shower.
So it was you. I thought so.
You are the one who has been ensuring that the flowers are always fresh.
I'm not the only one.
Misonoo-san, Arikura-san, Mariko-san...
Two or three girls from Rei's class, too...
They all came to change the flowers, each drawn here for her own reasons...
I came here because I wanted to see you.
Is it true that you will not be going to Germany?
Yes.
Why not?
It's a personal matter.
I don't see any reason why I should have to tell you.
I have no time left.
Most likely, I would end up being nothing but a burden to him, able to give nothing in return.
Five years... no, I think that I have only four years left now...
You have four years.
You have four years!
Think of Rei - living life to its fullest, right down to the last minute, the last second...!
You still have four years left!
I want you to live!
Live it with all your heart!
As Rei did...
You have four years! In those four years, anything is possible!
After all, in one summer, in one week... you found the love of a lifetime...
To even think that you would hold yourself back...
That isn't like you at all.
That's not like you, Orihara-kun.
That's not like you at all.
Whiskey and water.
Nanako-san here said that she just had to see you.
Oolong tea, please - I'm driving.
Coming right up.
I'm begging you! Please don't give up!
Don't go to Germany by yourself...
Don't do it! You can't! You mustn't!
Did I ever say that I would?
Last time, when you were drunk, back in you room...
I see. I might have said something like that, I suppose.
Let me borrow this.
No! You can't have that!
I want to know!
What were you feeling? What were you thinking?
It's all right. I'm fine.
That's a lie!
Sometimes I get depressed and lose my resolve for a while.
Sometimes I consider just throwing in the towel.
But only for a moment. Only for a moment.
But...!
Nanako...
Do I really seem like such a pathetic guy as that?
A guy so worthless, he couldn't shoulder her pain, who wouldn't even concern himself with her life?
Is that the kind of big brother I seem to you?
No!
Don't worry.
I have finally come to understand just how painful it can be to love someone...
And I am beginning to realize just how wonderful a thing it can be, as well...
When the final day comes, I'll probably be crying out, I'll be so afraid...
When the time comes, will you hold my hand? Hold me tight...
I will, if these hands of mine are good enough for you.
Of course... after all... you're all I have...
In the next episode...
The time of youth has come to an end for Nanako and her friends.
Kaoru and Henmi have set off for Germany.
And now...
...two years later, as springtime again draws near...
...Nanako receives a letter from Henmi...
The final chapter: A Lingering Fragrance
My dear brother... there is no end to my tears...