On the morning I was born, snow covered the town
Tiny small hands reached for the blue sky
Like a girl next door we'd always known
With one ear, I hear the graduation song
Even alone, I am OK, turning the pages of my own story
I want to blame someone It hurts, no I hate it.
In sadness I cried, and the bud disappeared
Autumn comes, then winter, and I am another year older
You can run far away, but your story never ends.
Grinning from ear to ear, I'm such a coward. I can't stand it.
You may step over me, but I will follow and cling to you
I try to fill the hole in my heart Without a doubt, I can't stand it.
I'm such a coward. I can't stand it. It hurts. No, I hate it.
What's the matter, Hagu?
Oh.
Shu…
What's the matter, Hagu? The hiccups won't stop?
All right.
I'll show you how to stop them.
They'll stop if you drink water from the opposite side of a cup like this.
It's a secret technique a great friend of mine taught me
when I was a student!
I-I'm scared. Shu.
Now, give it a try.
Come on, stretch your neck more…
and put your mouth on the opposite side.
Right, right.
Oh, you went and did it sure enough, huh?
The problem is that it's a bit hard to do.
Oh. come to think of it.
Rika spilled a lot too, didn't she?
Oh, right.
Hagu, wait a second. I'll get another cup of water.
Let's try again.
Oh? What-what?
You've got the hiccups?
Hey, do you know…?
It seems you die if you hiccup a hundred times in a row!
What will you do?
100.
Wh-What…? That's a lie…
99.
I-I won't die…
98.
97! Uh-oh. 96 left in your life!
What…?!
96.
Here, Hagu. Try again.
Hey…
What? She's gone…
61. 60. 59!
That should do it.
Now what's left is…
50.
49.
Nooo!
48.
Hm? Is that a hiccup? Oh, well, 47.
- 46. Uh- oh! 45 left in your life! - Good grief…
Shinobu!
Oh, Yuta…
Hagu.
You okay? What's the matter?
Yuta, M-Morita said… I'd… die if I hiccup…
a hundred… times… in a row…
Man…
Here, Hagu.
Now what's left is…
Now try drinking from each spot in order
while holding these chopsticks with your hand.
Right, right. Just take it slow…
Slowly…slowly.
So?
They stopped…
They stopped!
See? My dad taught me. Hiccups usually stop with this.
Really…?
Oh.
Hmm?
Thanks.
Bye.
Hagu…
I love you.
Ever since then.
Hagu for some reason stopped coming near me.
It just slipped out of my mouth before I knew it.
Even though I knew what her answer would be…
Maybe I shouldn't have said that.
But I don't regret it at all.
I thought all the while that I'd regret it if I said it.
And yet, why?
I glance up at the sky, and…
It's very beautiful…
Beautiful.
Gee, this is good!
This simple form.
This abundant presence while focusing on setting off the flowers!
And most of all…
It's huge. This is nice! Good job!
Th-Thank you very much.
I'm honored that you like it.
Was it a little too big?
It's okay. It seems he was very pleased.
He spoke so much even though he's kind of a difficult person.
I was also very pleased.
It's thanks to the flowerpot you made. Thanks.
Oh, oh no, Rika. I don't deserve your praise.
Help yourself.
Okay, thank you.
I wonder what this person…
looks like in Takumi's eyes.
Does he gaze at her heartbroken,
wanting to touch these shoulders and these white cheeks?
What kind of sound does…
Takumi's heart make at that time?
What kind of feelings does he have being in that office?
Always, always just the two of them.
Good work today. Welcome back.
Here's a towel. And some paper towel.
Please ball up the paper towel and put it in your shoes.
And… here. Some hot tea.
Yay. Thank you.
You're kind of like a mother. Takumi.
Hm? That kind of doesn't really make me happy.
Oh, Rika, please go rest in the bedroom once you've finished your tea.
Why?
We're waiting on Mori's check
and a call will probably come past 11:00.
But…
Please rest. You didn't rest at all last night, right?
I rested enough.
You were drafting plans in your room until morning, right?
I heard your computer desk chair.
So Takumi was eavesdropping the whole time below Rika's room.
If things go as they have thus far.
Mori will send the data close to midnight.
Rather than just waiting around doing nothing, please rest.
I'll wake you up on your cell phone if something urgent comes up.
I understand…
Then I'll rest a little.
I'm sorry, Ayumi.
Next time will be on Wednesday. We'll go over things again then...
Oh…
Ayumi and I will make that file, so it'll be okay.
Okay, good night, Rika.
Yeah, good night.
Now then…
Shall we order dinner before getting to work?
What do you want, Ayumi?
There's soba, Chinese. and I guess pizza.
Hmm… Pizza!
That's right. A magnum deluxe triple large.
Yes. Thanks.
Say, Takumi. What do you always talk about?
Huh?
With Rika.
What…do we talk about…?
L-Let me see.
Will the weather be nice tomorrow.
or will a typhoon be coming this way.
Or, what type of laptop should we get…
Uh. umm…
G-Gee, when put into words like this.
it's like all we do is talk about the weather and work.
But, she's not the type of person who talks much to start with. so…
But you've been working together now for four years, right?
Y-Yeah…
Is it strange?
What?
Is it really strange not having conversation?
No, umm… It's not really about being strange…
Sorry.
I'm kind of… no good, huh?
Takumi…
Hi.
Kaoru.
What about the job?
Uh-huh.
Good work.
There are a lot of people here.
It is a school.
So all of the people here…
become artists or try to get creative jobs, huh?
It seems unlikely there's much demand for stuff like that.
There are few people like our dad.
And few people with talent.
You should be thinking that as well.
No, you should know that…
Did something bad happen or something?
No, In a sense, things are going smoothly.
In terms of financial resources.
we've come to the point where we're just about in reach.
However, I'd like to push forward at once. Shinobu.
Shinobu.
I know.
I know. Kaoru.
Say…Sensei.
Hmm?
What would you talk with Rika about?
Huh? Why?
Oh, yeah. You're helping out at Rika's place now, aren't you?
Let me see.
When we were students.
we did nothing but talk about the books I read.
I mean. she made me talk on and on.
The lives of artists or the period when a piece was created.
Or anatomy and stuff.
When it'd become just the two of us,
it'd always begin with Rika saying, "Talk about something. "
So I had a rough time stocking up on material.
But since I liked books.
I was really glad to have someone to chat with.
Almost everyday we'd do things like scavenge the library for art books.
And we'd even be mistaken for being studious by our professor at the time…
Wonderfull Shuji, you're the model art school studentl
You're the only student who takes art history seriouslyl
Excuse me, I'm in a hurryl
Well, I'm where I am today because that kind of stuff happened.
By the way, why do you ask such a thing?
Oh. uh…
it gets really quiet when it's just the two of us.
I was wondering what to talk about…
You don't need to worry about it.
Rather, the more accustomed she gets, the less she talks.
She would hardly even talk at all when she was with Harada.
They got along really well,
but it was like she was just always close to his side…
The more Rika likes the person, the less she talks.
The more Rika likes the person, the less she talks…
Is it really strange not having conversation?
I won't tell you, you idiot.
Two of 1-A. Two of 5-C.
They said they'd love to use them in the Kamakura shop.
Let's go take a look beforehand next week.
That's awesome, Ayumi.
You could quit being an assistant at school
and make ends meet with this.
That's for sure.
No, I still have a long way to go.
I mean, I'm still using the kiln at school.
Now we just need to get the files and the rough sketches for the proposal…
by tonight…
Rika?
I wonder what's wrong with Rika.
She hasn't come back since she went into the kitchen.
I wonder if she isn't feeling well.
The hiccups?
Let's leave her alone.
Let's do that.
Listen up, Rika.
Try drinking from the opposite side of the cup.
They'll stop.
Her hiccups aren't stopping.
What should we do about the delivery?
The shop will close.
Yeah.
Takumi…
Rika, are you okay?
Oh…
What's the matter?
Your clothes are wet.
I spilled a little.
Here, please drink this.
Sugar water?
This is how we stop the hiccups in my hometown.
Please drink it just for the heck of it.
See? Didn't they stop?
How mysterious…
See?
Didn't they stop?
What is it?
No, it's nothing at all.
Thanks. Takumi.
Going to Rika's after all, huh?
You're an idiot.
You'll cry.
You'll be going to burn the image of the two of them together
into your own eyes.
But…
if you won't come to realize it unless you do that,
you should go.
The more Rika likes the person, the less she talks.
She was just always close to his side.
Hel lo. is this the Tairi kuken?
Hey. Thanks for waiting! This is the Tairikuken!
Katsudon at 11:30 at night. And all special servings.
Just this is enough for me…
Oh, Rika. You don't have to eat it all. I'll...
Can I have it?!
A-Ayumi? You okay?
You'll get a stomachache.
What's the deal?
But I need my nutrition.
I have to bear down and work.
and it's getting colder quickly.
So I can…
live without breaking no matter…
how much you care for another person…
So my heart won't get crushed…
even if I see Mayama's uneasy expression,
feeling for that person.
Is it really strange not having conversation?
The more Rika likes the person, the less she talks.
But if you won't come to realize it unless you do that,
you should go.
You should cry as much as you can.
I-I won't tel I you…
I'll…
never encourage you…
Realize it yourself, you idiot, Takumi!
Everything would be so much easier
If all these emotions would disappear
Without a word.
We each take our separate roads
And our paths part
We'll never meet again
Meeting is just too sad.
We gather the emotions we miss.
But emotions cool as quickly as they warm
We believe it can't be true
How long will we hold onto these words
How long?
Next time: "I don't want to see your tears"