Both of you...
If I asked you for details, I have a feeling it would get confusing,
so just answer with a yes or no.
Are you two dating?
- Yes. - Yes.
Okay, then... You really like each other?
- No. - No.
I can't understand if you just answer yes or no!
HOWL AT TOMORROW
My mom just went crazy. Dating sure is tough.
Oh, come on, it's not tough on you, Miyakoshi.
You just get treated all the time.
Have you talked to your parents about it, Higashida?
My parents don't interfere.
Although it seems my little sister told them about it.
HANAKO
Then you'll name your daughter "Hanako," okay?
That's right. She's "Hana," so "Hanako" would be perfect!
Hanako! Hanako! Hanako!
Giving 10,000 light years of ground and leaving aside the fact for now
that it's playground talk, I'm curious why they're so hot on
"Hanako" with the more graceful "Hana" than "Hanako" with the more flamboyant "Hana."
HANAKO (Graceful Nuance)
HANAKO (Flamboyant Nuance)
Have you heard, Naga?
Those two are even talking about having a kid already.
Y-Yeah.
Are you shocked?
I would say more like...
Higashi...
Higashi, you didn't notice!
I'm not Naga. I'm Miri in disguise.
I couldn't tell you were in disguise!
Miyakoshi, is your loveless relationship with Higashida going well?
Yeah, it's okay, since I'm not making any real effort.
And recently, my eyes have been opened to kindness!
Kindness?
When I have Higashida treat me the day before payday
and he gets this really sourpuss look on his face, I feel a little guilty about it!
What?
It doesn't mean anything if you feel guilty but still make me treat you.
In fact, that makes you even nastier.
You waking up to the virtue of kindness... It really is the 21st century.
You got that right.
I heard Adachi and Muranushi are dating, too or something,
but aren't you going out with anyone, Kamakura?
No, I'm not.
Why not? There are a lot of advantages to it.
I see! You've already got money!
That's right! It's because I've already got money!
All right, my lady.
Your shift is over.
Y-You struck me, Saitou! You just struck your employer!
Your father is my employer.
It's the same thing! I'm your superior!
Committing violence against a higher-up or co-worker is a big deal!
Getting fired doesn't even begin to cover it!
You can fire me if you want, but we're going home.
She's got a point. Hitting or harming your boss or co-workers is wrong.
Miyakoshi, take a look in the mirror.
Setting that aside, Kamakura and the man in black sure do get along.
That may be astute, coming from you.
When Saitou is around, Kamakura becomes very expressive.
I know, right?
I want Shiho to grab her own happiness instead of tormenting me.
She and Saitou can become a couple, have about three kids
and live as a happy family in that needlessly huge house.
And then I hope they go bankrupt and the family breaks up!
What happened to her happiness?
I'll reduce the amount of your debt.
By...
By 500 yen.
Get a hold of yourself, man! Don't be fooled!
That was just the whim of a demon, a once in a century occurrence!
Wh-When you think about how she's treated you, 500 yen is nothing!
Stand your ground! I can survive for a long time on 500 yen, but don't waver!
God of poverty, give me negative power!
Give me negative power so I won't have a mental breakdown!
Shindou, no worries on that score.
You've been in the breakdown stage for quite some time now.
It's okay. I'm okay. I can still fight.
All right, in order to amplify my negative power,
I'll go over all of the torment I've suffered. Dog food...
I can't let you see this.
In the first place, why...
If you and I get married, that debt could be wiped out.
No, thanks.
I can't remember, why did I blow her off like that again?
Oh, that's right. That one time...
Days before Shiho confessed her feelings to me...
Yuuta, bye-bye!
She's really gotten attached to me.
Yuuta walked home with a girl again!
This is what's really annoying, so I wish she wouldn't lay it on so thick.
That was the rich girl, Kamakura!
We're poor, but if he marries a rich girl, we'll be rolling in dough!
Not to mention, dear old Dad's debt will be forgiven, right?
- That sucks. - I feel bad for Yuuta.
Get lost, you lousy excuse for a father!
Kids, let me borrow 500 yen.
Knock it off!
After all, I need to make money from pachinko
to pay for your invalid mother's medical expenses and living expenses.
Mom got sick after working too hard because of your pachinko habit, dumbass!
Well, details aside, if you marry Shiho, all our problems will be solved.
Wha...
It's not like you hate Shiho, right?
I don't hate anyone more than you, Dad!
Then there you go!
Shiho is cute and above all...
...money is very important.
I'm painfully aware of how important money is thanks to you!
Yuuta, that hurts.
That's what Dad said?
And then he went off to play pachinko again.
Oh, that man...
He told me to have faith in the machine.
How can the man have faith in pachinko
after turning his friends and acquaintances into guarantors and loan sharks?
I wish that good-for-nothing would just blow away in the wind.
Although he's not a bad person at heart...
Dammit...
I won't be like my dad.
Yuuta, this grass is edible, too, isn't it?
Well, it does seem pretty clear that she's got a crush on me.
It's annoying when the other kids tease me,
but I have to admit, her looks and personality are on the cute side.
Plus...
RICH
Are you okay, Yuuta?
Y-Yeah.
For just a second there, I had a despicable idea.
Yuuta, um...
I hear your family owes my dad a lot of money.
Apparently.
So, um... Uh...
THUMP THUMP
If you and I get married, that debt could be wiped out.
We're poor, but if he marries a rich girl, we'll be rolling in dough!
Dear old Dad's debt will be forgiven, right?
No, thanks.
Don't get the wrong idea! Thinking about it doesn't mean I wasn't sure!
I'm against it!
U-Um...
Sorry, but the other boys are on my case about it,
so would you stop following me around?
Shiho?
Why don't you treat me with respect?
You're in debt to me, but you show no respect?
Stop stalking me.
Are you an imbecile? Know your place!
Pay me the respect I'm due! Call me "Shiho-baby"!
BABY
MS.
N-Not "Ms. Shiho"?
Even though it's all my damned old man's fault,
I regret that moment to the core of my being.
You're poor? You're poor, right?
Why? Tell me why.
I even regret feeling regret over her subsequent transformation.
She didn't have to change that much, did she?
Kisaki, a strange person has a chokehold on my life.
Is that right? Me, too. That's exactly where I'm at right now.
But good for you. Although half of it is out of your control anyway,
not marrying for money proves that you're not a brute. How admirable.
I can't buy food by being admirable!
Then tell her, "I apologize for that one time.
Marry me and please erase my debt."
Marry Shiho...
Money can't buy a person's emotions!
How admirable. Can I go home?
I don't care if she has power over me. I just wanna go back to that day.
I see. And I wanna go back to my home.
By the way, I've always been creeped out by the cloying way you say her name.
It seems Kamakura liked you better back when you had an attitude,
so maybe her sadism would be curbed if you didn't suck up so much.
Not sucking up would have that effect?
Kisaki...
There doesn't seem to be any effect at all!
The difference is I have no feelings for you, positive or otherwise.
Then would you be happy if someone you liked called you by your last name?
No.
Then if you're just mocking me, go home!
Jackass... Sorry for wasting your time. I'm going home.
Yeah, right, like not being so toadying would make her less sadistic.
Don't be too scared to find out.
All right!
Why are you so incompetent, Saitou?
You should notice it when I've left something behind.
How the hell would I know if you forgot something in the women's locker room?
Shiho!
PRACTICING
There, you see. It didn't work.
So that's what happened between the blonde guy and the boss lady.
Pretty much everyone who works here knows about it, but never brings it up to her.
That's why she kicked his ass just for shouting her name.
The young lady I know is usually mild-mannered,
but he brings out an utterly sadistic streak in her.
A sadistic streak, huh? If she does it knowing that he hates her,
I would argue that puts her in the realm of masochism.
How is it that you're only standoffish when it comes to our lady?
If only she'd grown up the way she was back then...
A new man in black? Please take good care of me!
Thank you for always working so hard, Tasaka. I baked you some cookies.
You know?
What?
If she'd stayed like that growing up,
this would've all been worked out peacefully. Dammit!
So what's your point?
Ow!
I have a headache. Aspirin...
Yes, I understand the reality. I'm sorry!
I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't forgive you.
If you don't know, then forgive him.
I'll get medicine myself.
And I'm going to get a breath of fresh air in the yard along the way.
Don't follow me.
Milady...
She really is dragged down by old memories.
Master Shindou...
If it's money you're after, I'm totally broke!
I know.
So what is it?
U-Um... Milady has been feeling down lately...
To come straight to the point, would you sit down and talk to her?
Wha...
After all, you are a host, Master Shindou...
Why would I do that?
Well, why don't we talk after you've had breakfast?
Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying.
Why don't you ask some other host?
Thank you for breakfast!
Oh, come on...
For Milady, it has to be you, Master Shindou.
You understand, don't you?
If Milady continues to be depressed like this,
her father will know that you are the cause, and that we were no help.
Um, I hesitate to spell it out, but...
...he'll kill us!
You spelled it out!
Well, we'll give you the particulars later on.
And of course you'll get paid for it.
I don't need it.
Poor or not, I won't accept cash for fawning over Shiho.
I don't need your money.
If it's a matter that concerns my own safety as well as yours, that's enough.
Money can't solve everything!
I-If you intended to lure me in with that bun, I'll... pay you... for...
Um, the bun was left over from my breakfast, so that doesn't count.
If it was left over, then it can't be helped.
It's great working all day on Sunday!
Great for you, working on Sunday and not having to spend any of your own money.
Milady!
Tasaka, Saitou... Where have you been all morning?
Oh, Yuuta...
Are you here directly from the host club?
"Poor men have no leisure," huh?
Is that any way to talk to an old friend, Shiho?
I wonder if Shindou has a death wish.
Does Shindou have a death wish?
Yuuta, it sounds like you have a death wish.
My lady, there's a deep reason for that.
No matter. Whether the reason is deep or shallow, I won't forgive it.
You beat the crap out of him yesterday after he yelled your name, remember?
That jarred his brain and his personality has reverted to what it used to be.
Wha...
Wh-What should I do?
I... I...
Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe a lie like that?
Therefore, I'm going to chop him in two, so fetch my sword.
Forget it.
I've already wasted enough time being nice to you, so you think I'll do what you say?
Nasty wench.
Ridiculous.
The idea that a shock could change someone's personality has zero credibility.
Don't you all agree?
Shock aside, if Shindou, despairing of his life, ingested Miyakoshi's chocolate,
it's possible his personality would disintegrate.
It's possible a hungry Shindou mistakenly ate that chocolate.
He ate that chocolate?
What kind of chocolate could change someone's personality?
Why don't we let him relax in the break room for a while?
O-Okay.
Come to think of it, I haven't made chocolate recently!
You just realized that now?
I never would've thought that Miyakoshi's chocolate would save my life.
When you sit down with her, act like your old standoffish self.
I'm a host,
but all I really do is listen to the customers gripe and have them buy me meals.
Acting standoffish would probably infuriate Shiho.
What if she murders me?
Don't worry! We'll hide the evidence!
That's not what I'm worried about!
If anything happens, we'll rush in to stop it, so don't worry.
But I think she'll be pleased, so it'll be all right.
If she was pleased by that, there'd be no need to go through all this.
What the hell? Let's do it!
Shiho, I don't know why but you beat the hell out of me just for yelling your name.
After all, I...
She really is pleased?
Jeez. This is dangerous, but all I can do is trust the men in black.
Shiho...
"After all" doesn't tell me anything!
It seems like this is working!
But what kind of role-playing game is this?
RUB RUB
This is bad! I know I'm going to pay for all of this later!
This situation... is making me nervous. No, not nervous...
I'm excited!
But is this excitement that kind of excitement?
The kind of excitement that comes when your life is in danger?
I think I'll apologize while I can still be saved.
Shi...
Shiho, I don't get why mussing your hair up a little makes you cry.
Oh, but that's right.
You used to be a crybaby back in the day.
The first time I met you, too...
Wait, how far am I gonna take this? Gotta back out!
Sh-Shiho...
Y-Yuuta... Your old self...
B-Back then, you never treated me like I was rich.
That's the Yuuta I wanted to be with, that's all,
b-but because of a stupid thing I said, i-it all went wrong.
You avoided me like everyone else and c-came to hate me.
I would bully you, hoping that would bring things back,
but it never has gone back to the way things were.
Well, how can I say this?
The second my dad incurred a debt from your family, we couldn't be equals.
So after I repay that debt, maybe we can get back to the way we were.
U-Until then, be a good girl, Shiho...
Th-That's close...
...and wait for—
Going too far.
Milady!
Saitou, that was cruel!
Swords hurt!
You oughta be thankful.
If I hadn't interceded then, you'd be beyond help by now.
I don't know what you were talking about, but you were only supposed to talk.
You weren't supposed to make her cry and then put the moves on her!
Honestly, at first, I meant to put on an act...
An act?
But it became real in the second half!
Becoming real is where you went wrong!
Milady?
Either way, you wanna get us all killed?
W-Wait, if it wasn't M-Miyakoshi's chocolate or an act...
M-Milady, calm down!
Saitou, it looks like Milady is over the blues,
but something seems wrong, so let's go!
Right.
Master Shindou, about what happens going forth...
One. Under the yoke of a heavy debt, you work yourself into an early grave.
Two. Our boss, her father, becomes furious about what happened and has you killed.
Three. You make another pass at her and end up dead.
Four. You don't do anything, she gets offended and you end up dead.
And so on. There are various patterns, so live strong and prosper.
Good luck.
But I die in all of the patterns!
A FEW DAYS LATER
I'm alive...
For now, it seems like there's no blowback from Shiho's father.
But the only thing I can see in my future is death!
Still, that evening, Shiho was pretty cu—
SHAKE SHAKE
H-Hurry up and pay back that money.
I want to pay it back as soon as possible...
for several reasons!
That was scary.
She's become even more aggressive than before.
Well, I have a feeling she's in a bad mood because I'm not saying her name.
Maybe.
But if I speak casually to her, Shiho's dad will probably kill me.
If I suck up to her, she'll probably kill me!
How is it that the tone I take with her is so tied in to death?
It's all because of that debt. The debt.
It would be so much easier if I had an unexpected windfall.
It's bad for my daughter's upbringing, so take your muttering somewhere else.
The debt is really your father's, but he disappeared, right?
Wouldn't it be faster to search for him?
Easier said than done.
My old man has a talent for disappearing.
That may be, but on the other hand, he may be nearer than you think.
Like you, he could be grazing in a grassy area.
Wha... P-Please don't mock me!
I've already covered all of the grassy areas around here for sustenance!
I'm sorry.
Jeez...
There's no way I'll be able to find my old man so easily.
There he is.
Die!
I wanted to see you, Dad.
Sorry!
How many years have you been on the run now?
Not on the run. I've been waiting for the right time.
Have you won Shiho's heart yet?
Dad...
Even after being on the lam, your way of thinking hasn't changed at all!
If you and Shiho get together, she'll be happy, you'll have a wife,
and for the sake of his daughter's happiness, the father will be like,
"Oh, what the hell?" and erase my debt. How marvelous! Everyone is happy.
You deserve to be unhappy!
Jeez.
Be a drifter for the rest of your life, you bum.
I'm done with you.
Mom is worried about you!
Get your ass home, you stupid old man!
NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW
And so, Yanagiba, I've always wondered about that...
It's my shut-in aura.
Next time,
"If Someone Hits You on the Right Cheek, Counter With Your Left Fist."
IF SOMEONE HITS YOU ON THE RIGHT CHEEK, COUNTER WITH YOUR LEFT FIST