nakushita yakusoku wa hoshi ni Send the lost promises to the stars
omoide wa tokenai My memories won't fade away
yotsuba no clover sagashinagara kimi no kao I steal a glance at you as we look for four-leaf clovers,
chirari nusumi mite wa me o sorasu But then divert my eyes
yasashii ame wa furu watashitachi no ue ni The gentle rain falls above our heads
surechigau hito no kazu dake dramatic ni naru no as it becomes as dramatic as the number of people passing by
kowareta taisetsu na mono to I wonder if we'll ever be able to
itsuka mata aeru hi ga kurukashira reunite with those precious things that were broken
nokoshita kizuato ga kienai The scars that were left behind won't go away
sorezore no basho made Now we must depart
mou ikanakucha To our own separate ways
Six-tatami room, no bath, ten minutes by foot to college.
The rent is cheaper than before at 36,000 yen a month.
A 27-year-old wooden apartment building with a refreshing draft.
My room faces east and the morning sun is bright.
Or rather... what in the world is this about?
Why are you guys sleeping in my room?!
Well, this book said that even if we didn't have enough futons, we wouldn't freeze to death if we slept together like this.
Published by Shuuei University Mountain Climbing Club How to Survive a Pinch on the Mountain
Shuuei University: a pun on the publishing company Shuueisha.
This book is for mountains!
And hey, just whose clothes are you wearing so casually?
Well, I don't have anything left to wear.
And you, Takemoto!
Why do you always go along with this man's cajolery?
Be stronger!
I-I'm sorry.
You weren't like that at all.
I'm sorry for suspecting you.
I couldn't move... all night.
Please don't cry!
It was Daddy's fault.
Morita-san, you...!
Well, you haven't been paying any attention to me lately, Mayama.
What's more important to you? Me or your job?!
The job is more important, of course!
Whoa, it stinks.
Morita-san, you haven't taken a bath in a few days again, have you?
If you're going to wear my clothes, please at least take a bath.
I don't want to. I mean, the bathhouse is expensive.
That's why I built you one that you can use for free right here!
Sign: Former location of the washing machine
I don't want to use that thing!
It'll make me freeze to death. It's in the middle of winter, you know!
And everyone outside can see you!
And why the heck does it look intentionally dilapidated?
Don't you work for a construction company?
You should've been able to make something better!
What are you talking about? I do the designs. The designs!
It was designed to be like an open-air bath among the palm trees.
Don't you get it? Sheesh.
Then why don't you use it yourself?
Well...
I can use the shower room at work.
So it is on purpose!
What's on purpose?!
I sacrificed a day off to make that for you!
And on top of that, for free!
But you didn't need to go out of your way to wind together twigs that you picked up at the park to make it!
Oh, shut up!
Honestly!
Why are you two so lively in the morning?
Mayama-san, you're going to be late for work.
Yamada-san!
Yo.
Takemoto-kun...
Hey, Morita-san, that's one of Mayama's shirts again, isn't it?
Wow, how did you know?
You know about every one of Mayama's shirts? Amazing.
That's... er...
But his clothing drawer is so nice.
It's neatly packed with clean clothes.
Mayama is a neat freak, so...
Oh, yeah. I'm also wearing Mayama's underwear. Want to see?
Y-You don't need to show me!
I'm moved! Wow, it's been a while!
Mo-Morita-san! Morita-san, get a hold of yourself!
There's a big river beyond the field of flowers.
Like I said, you can't cross it!
I wonder if Mayama is all right...
Morita-san constantly haunts Mayama's room whether it's summer or winter...
...uses his electricity, and wears his clothes.
No matter how hard he works, perhaps his pay gets sucked up by Morita-san...
Bring more sake!
I wonder if he hid his bankbook and seal properly...
Note: in Japan, a personal seal is used instead of a signature in official documents.
Ah, but I can't suspect other people so casually!
You already are.
Your thoughts are all leaking out.
Get a grip, Ayumi!
Have faith in your friends!
Believe!
I'll believe, too!
Banzai for the Iron Lady!
Believe!
But why doesn't Mayama move from that apartment now that he's finally a working man and has money?
I'm sure his pay isn't bad.
I also thought about that, so I asked Mayama-san.
And then...
Because there's something I want.
...he said.
What does he want?
I didn't ask that...
I see.
Something Mayama wants that I don't know about.
He's decided on a goal, found a way to get there, and is looking straight ahead.
That's right.
He's not afraid of becoming an adult.
That's the person I fell in love with.
And he was all "unya unya" and maudlin just a little while ago.
"Unya unya"?
Ayu! Takemoto-kun!
Hagu-chan.
What's up?
Look, look! This came earlier!
Wow, it's adorable!
You look good in a kimono. You look like a doll!
Hakata doll: a traditional Japanese doll made from clay, usually wears a kimono.
Oh no, do I really look like a Hakata doll?
And when did you take this picture?
New Year's Day.
Coming of Age ceremony is held in January of the year one turns twenty.
It was taken in Nagano for my Coming of Age ceremony.
7-5-3 (Shichi-go-san) is a festival for children who are three, five, or seven years old.
This isn't 7-5-3?
And there are other poses in this album!
Here we go.
Look at how big I've gotten!
Hey now, Morita-san!
There you go again, touching such a delicate subject without any hesitation!
Over here!
Hagutaro!
Hagutaro: a pun on Hamtaro.
Wait!
I see.
So Hagu-chan is also an adult now.
I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who thought the picture was for 7-5-3.
But...
You like sunflower seeds, right?
Yeah, she might've matured a little.
She's worked on something other than art...
...and she's challenging herself with large projects and learning one technique after another.
And remember?
At first, she only spoke with Sensei and you, Takemoto-kun.
That's true.
That's right. She's changed, too.
Little by little, but probably in a good way.
And I'm just selfish for feeling lonely because of that.
She was really quiet at first, wasn't she?
All she did was silently look at everyone from behind Sensei, like this.
That's right, just like that.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm back, Japan.
Sensei?!
You're all horrible!
No one came to the airport to welcome me back!
Wha... but...
What a surprise... But why?
And on top of that, you guys don't seem happy at all!
It's been almost a year!
But I mean, we didn't think you would come back all of a sudden.
We thought it would still be a while.
What? What?
I told you guys that I was coming back!
I wrote you guys a letter and said that even though it was sudden, I was coming back!
Here's your mail for today.
There's a letter from Hanamoto-san in Mongolia.
See?!
Sensei...
(When sending things overseas, let's make sure to give it plenty of time)
Shuu-chan?
It's really Shuu-chan!
Ha-Hagu...
Shuu-chan...
Welcome back.
Thank you for your good work.
Ha-Hagu...
What a fine adult you've become.
Eh?
That's how you're gonna react?
Have you been well?
Over there, I was always worried that you might be sick or sad.
Shuu-chan...
Hagu...
Shuu-chan!
Ha-Hagu!
She's returned to being a Korobokkur in an instant.
We have to let Mayama know.
Yeah, you're right.
And so, in celebration of the safe return of Hanamoto-sensei and Tokudaiji-sensei...
Cheers!
Thank you for the good work, Sensei.
Man, how joyous.
Thanks for the good work, Shuu-chan.
Thanks... Thanks, everyone.
Blow your nose, you idiot.
Thank you for your good work, too, Tokudaiji-sensei.
Did the research proceed smoothly?
Mayama-kun, this gathering is a celebration, so let's leave serious talk for later.
So you didn't finish.
Hanamoto, the deadline is this month.
But I'm surprised that you came back earlier than expected.
I heard that it would be around March.
Tell me about it.
He would get a fever or an upset stomach, and would talk in his sleep.
Hagu...
So we ended up coming back early.
Man, I really shouldn't have taken him with me.
Tokudaiji-sensei, you meanie!
Didn't you promise not to say that?
What? I can't hear you.
O-Oh right. I brought some souvenirs.
Wow, it's so cute!
Ayu, we match!
Del: a traditional Mongolian costume.
They're called dels.
And let's see, what else...
A doll, clothes for the doll, a hair ornament, and a bracelet.
All these?
Thank you so much, Sensei!
Thank you, Shuu-chan!
I accidentally bought too much.
And for the guys...
Stamp.
Postcard.
Rock.
Totally makeshift.
Man, I had to work so hard to find those.
Yeah, yeah.
It can't be!
Hey, don't open without asking!
Isn't this an outfit for Mongolian wrestling?
On top of that, the hat — the proof of a champion?
How did you get this?
What is it?
Aren't they cool?
Well, we really wanted them as material data, but they wouldn't give them to us.
Yeah, it can't be helped.
If it's called the proof of a champion, it'd be stupid if you could just buy it with money.
Actually, we didn't have money, either.
Then how did you...?
Well, fortunately, there was a tournament, so...
So... Tokudaiji-sensei obtained it the formal way.
So he participated... and wrested it away.
Wow, that's pretty! What is it, Sensei?
Oh, that's a morin khuur.
Morin khuur?
That's right. Give it to me for a second.
Oh, Hagu!
I see you smiling between Heaven and Earth!
Sensei! Sensei! Let me play it, too!
Sure. Don't break it, though.
Awesome! Awesome!
How...? Why can you play it?
Don't we all learn it in middle school?
We don't.
But you sure took a lot of pictures.
Sensei, why are there so many pictures of these kids?
Oh, they're the kids of the family that took care of us over there.
In Mongolia, the older sibling takes really good care of their younger siblings.
The little sister really likes her older brother and always sticks close to him, saying, "Big Brother! Big Brother!"
She sure was cute.
And weren't you the one who always stuck close to that girl?
Saying, "She looks like Hagu! She looks like Hagu!"
S-Sensei...
In the end, he broke down crying.
Sensei!
Every time he drank kumiss, he would get drunk and scream, "Hagu!" Talk about embarrassing...
Kumiss: fermented mare's milk.
Sensei! Please stop already!
Oh yeah, Morita...
How's your graduate thesis coming?
You still haven't finished it?
Professor Tange is old, you know.
Don't make him worry too much.
Understand?
Finishing your work as early as possible is key.
It's unacceptable for you to be counting how many days you have until the deadline and thinking that you're still okay.
What is it, Sensei?
Those were my exact words when you were working on your graduate thesis.
Man, I sure have grown old.
To think that the day would come when I got to see you lecturing your own student...
And you haven't finished your work on time.
You sure haven't changed since your student days.
Morita! Don't play such a reminiscent song!
Isn't it funny?
To think that Hanamoto-sensei would seem childish around Tokudaiji-sensei...
I bet they've always been like that.
After all, Sensei will be Sensei for the rest of his life.
Isn't it amazing?
Sensei was also a student here in the past.
That's right.
Sensei was just like us.
Why hadn't I thought of that before?
In about ten years, we'll be as old as Sensei is now.
What kind of adults will we be when we're in our thirties?
Even though it might still seem far from now, today is connected to tomorrow, and tomorrow to that day in the future.
We'll all become adults someday...
...and people won't even think that we were also kids once.
Such a day will come for all of us.
Mayama, can you...
...hold my hand?
P-Please stop. It's freaky.
Me too, M-Mayama-senpai.
You too, Takemoto? What's wrong?
I mean...
Aw, geez!
Get a hold of yourselves!
All right, we're all running back to the apartment!
The one who comes in last will have to use the open-air bath!
Hey, Mayama-san!
It's a penalty game! Actually, that bath itself is!
Man, an open-air bath sure is nice.
So... this bath was a form of harassment, after all, wasn't it?
No, it's a design piece.
Be more honest.
Design...
Shuu-chan?
What is it, Hagu?
I-I'm out of materials for my work.
C-Can you come with me to buy them?
What do you need?
Plaster, an acrylic board, some stained glass, a head for the burner, and a polystyrene ball.
C-Can we go, like, a day after tomorrow?
We should be done by then.
I wonder if we'll really be finished by then...
I'll go with you.
To the art supply store, right?
Come on, hurry and get ready.
O-Okay.
H-Hagu...
W-When did you become such good friends?
H-Hey, Takemoto...
Is H-Hagu f-f-friends with Morita now?
Yeah, she is.
Although I don't know how Hagu-chan feels.
Please don't ask me, Sensei.
Are you abandoning them all just because you don't want to fight?
Oh, welcome back, Hagu.
Did you buy what you wanted?
Did Morita leave already?
W-Was it fun?
I-It wasn't.
It wasn't fun at all.
It was hard to keep up with him...
...and my f-feet hurt.
And when I wanted to go to the restroom, I couldn't tell him for the longest time.
Hagu...
I couldn't even remember what I needed.
I couldn't say it at all.
I mean, the whole time, I wanted to come back as soon as possible!
I don't like that!
I'd much rather be with you, Shuu-chan!
I'd like it much better!
Listen, I'm going to be with my big brother forever!
Because I love him!
Everyone smiles at the young girl's innocent words...
...gently looking at her.
Even though everyone knows that it's a wish that will disappear like snow with the passing of time.
But because of that, they say nothing.
I don't like that.
Yeah.
I don't want to go with anyone but Shuu-chan.
Yeah.
Let's go together once my work is done.
I'm going with Shuu-chan.
Yeah, let's go.
Hagu, here. Have some cocoa.
It'll warm you up.
Yo.
Oh, Mayama-san, welcome back.
Why do you look so spaced out?
I just caught the scent of snow.
Although there's no way to stop what flows downstream...
...let's just be ourselves for now.
Just for a little while longer.
Let's pass through the town with its snowy scent on the way home and eat something warm.
And then... curl up and fall asleep.
akanai mabuta kosutte mieru I rub my heavy eyelids to reveal
pastel moyou no mirai ni A future in the shape of pastels
chiribamerareta kigou o tadoru I follow the scattered symbols
taguri yoseta hyoujou As my expressions were pulled in closer
nee nandakke sagashiteita mono Say, what was it that we were looking for again?
are wa soune itsudakke That's right, exactly when were those days
bokura ga inryoku ni sakarai nagara deatta koro When we used to meet, denying the attraction that was forming between us?
sore ga waltz no you dane fushigi sa It's like a waltz, isn't it? It's quite marveling
sasayaku youna komorebi no kousaten de We paint away sceneries
futari waltz no youni ne mawari nagara As we waltz and spin
egaki dashite yuku mono Where the whispering sunlight falls through the trees and meet.
Next episode: A sudden kiss and an unexpected parting.