What do all of you want to be in the future?
I'll become a star beautician!
I'll become a school teacher!
How about you, Mayuri? You'll follow something to do with music, right?
That's my hope.
How about you, Kasumi?
I'll get married at twenty.
At twenty?!
In this, my last Drama, I hoped to write...
...a scene where each of the characters...
...are shown becoming independent.
But I won't be able to write that anymore.
We used to talk a lot on the roof, didn't we?
About what all of us would be doing ten years later...
...or about how many children we wanted.
The most important thing to me is Kouta.
I'd do anything so that boy wouldn't be unhappy.
Say Mizue, I knew something was off.
It's ridiculous returning a toothbrush that's been used even just once.
Because all I make are bad decisions...
...and because I can't even find a job...
...then I should have stayed behind to be beaten by my husband?
It's fine for you to stay here until you've found a job.
Since you do have an obligation to help me, don't you Suzune?
I don't know who did it, but they've put us into a terrible situation.
You have all the things I don't...
I've run away from home...
She doesn't like that!
I'm worried about both my wife and son.
Mizue. You aren't divorced, are you?
A key to my work office? Wait... You had a duplicate key of that made?!
Since you so easily trust other people.
Mama isn't bad.
This is for the best, isn't it...
What do you think I was going through that made me run away from him?!
You don't know anything!
Okay... Sit here.
Here.
He's taken Kouta...
And... the reality I am living in now...
...isn't the beautiful one, full of hope...
...I had imagined for myself back in high school.
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Haburashi (Toothbrush)
Women Friends
Premium Drama
Final Episode "Hope"
Here you go...
Thank you.
Mizue made a duplicate key to my work office.
Eh?
At first I thought she was a friend I could trust...
...but all she would do was lie and even uploaded that photo to the internet...
But... after seeing Mizue get so distraught like that...
...I really have no idea just what the truth is anymore...
I wonder what it is I should do...
That's the sort of thing I love about you.
Even while saying you hate her, you nevertheless think seriously about her.
Furusawa-san came to visit you because she knew that too, didn't she?
I promised to give this to Kouta, but the timing just didn't work out.
Cub Fox Konta's Bakery
If you wouldn't mind, could you deliver it to him?
Onee-chan, please! Help me!
But you said if you could get divorced you'd leave Kouta with Masa-san, didn't you?
I never said such a thing!
It's cold outside, isn't it? Couldn't you talk inside?
We'll be done right away.
Really?
You went and took off without telling anyone, so don't go acting insolent now.
Mom died worrying over you and Kouta!
You killed her!
As his mother, you should be thinking hard about what's best for Kouta.
Umemori
Yes?
Ah... good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
Um... Kouta-kun forgot this.
Ah... thank you.
And then...
Ah... so this is where it was, huh?
Thank you very much for this. Huh? You came all the way out here just for this?
Ah... no. I got a call about my mother again...
...so I just decided to come home...
Ah... is that right. Must be tough for you.
Ah, where's Kouta-kun?
Ah... a friend of his came by earlier and they went out to play.
Have you had any contact from Mizue?
Ah... no. Nothing at all.
Ah, um... Then please give Kouta-kun my regards.
I will. Sorry you had to come all this way.
Not at all. Excuse me.
Kouta?
Kouta...
Mama!
Shh!
Kouta, you come with me.
Yeah.
Here.
There.
Long time no see.
Mama...
Let's go home.
I forgot about it...
It's cold outside, right? So I'll prepare something warm for you. Okay?
Don't want it.
The three of us are back together as a family at last. Yeah.
Ah, I know. Shall we go out for something good to eat?
We can make arrangements for Kouta to enter school, too.
Kouta, we can go buy you a new school bag and some shoes, okay?
What is it?
Registration for Divorce
How many times do we have to go over the same thing?
I'll write it as many times as it takes until we're separated.
What would happen to you if we divorced? You have no money; no place to live.
Do you think you could gain custody of Kouta like that?
I've gotten a job. I have a place to live.
There's someone I've been discussing it with and...
Huh? Lying again? All you tell are lies, don't you?
Oi. Even your own brother says so.
He's on my side! Understand?!
Ah...
Ah, sorry... Sorry, sorry. Sorry. I'm sorry.
Um... let's the three of us start over. Okay?
Since that would be happier for Kouta.
What is that? Okay? What is that?!
Oi! Pay attention when someone's being nice to you!
Oi! Oi!
Stop it!
You go upstairs!
Don't bully Mama!
I told you to get upstairs, didn't I?!
Don't lay a hand on Kouta!
What is this? Eh?
What is this? Oi! Oi!
Kouta.
Mama...
Kouta, run away!
What's that? What are you doing?
Kouta, oi! Kouta!
Run away!
Someone!
Someone help me!
Ah...
Ah... Hey, oi...
You understand, right? I love you.
Us getting a divorce would be a mistake. Okay?
Ah.
Um... is there something?
Ah... um...
Suzune, run away! Take care of Kouta, please!
Wait... Wait, um... Ah... Um...!
Since you were the one making all that fuss...
And besides, you were just putting my feelings for you to the test. Okay?
Kouta-kun!
Kouta-kun! Sorry about this. Kouta-kun, are you okay?
Onee-chan...
Save Mama!
I will. So it'll be okay now, Kouta-kun.
Miyabe-san.
I'm sorry for making you come all the way out here.
Are you okay?
Where's Furusawa-san?
She hasn't been found yet...
For now Kouta-kun is staying with Mizue's brother...
I knew I shouldn't have handed Kouta-kun over to him...
If only I had believed what Mizue told me...
This isn't your fault.
Back in high school... Before Mizue moved away...
Probably at the time when we last met back then...
If you need help with anything, you can count on me.
I did say to Mizue...
...."you can rely on me," like that.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
That saved a...
You knew where to find me, didn't you?
Yeah.
What's happened with Kouta?
Your brother and his wife came to pick him up.
I see...
They said your husband will be okay.
Eh?
They said it wasn't a life-threatening injury.
You were telling the truth... about your husband's violence.
I didn't particularly think you'd believe me.
Back then I thought the Music Room was tiny and hard to use.
But it was this big...
I was at my happiest when I was here singing with everyone.
We'd all desperately protect our throats just before a competition, wouldn't we?
That's why were were called the "Mask Corps"...
Yes. We'd always put candy in our pockets...
I wonder where it was I went wrong...
Where was it that I slipped up...?
And I wonder why...
...I wanted to get married when I was twenty?
However hard I think though, I can't remember why.
No doubt I was just copying what someone had said on TV...
But back then... that was my dream.
I wasn't able to make it come true though.
Even I couldn't make mine come true.
Thinking back on it now, there was just no way I could have become an opera singer...
...but back then I felt that was something within my reach.
None of our dreams came true.
I feel... really sorry about Kouta.
Seems the one and only thing I could do for him as his mother...
...was to protect him from Umemori.
And so now my role for him is over.
Just now I came up with... a new dream for myself.
To get married before I'm sixty.
What's your dream, Mizue?
I don't...
Just say it!
Anything is fine!
I want to go to Kouta's school entrance ceremony.
There's no way that could happen, though...
That might be possible by the time he enters middle school.
You can make the one dream that won't be granted to me come true.
You're the one and only Mama that Kouta-kun loves most in this world.
In my 37 years of life...
...there hasn't been anyone who's needed me that way.
So please...
...don't say that your role with him is over!
I'm sorry, Suzune...
Thank you...
Mizue...
I'm going.
We'll be waiting.
"Drowned Lover"
そんなの別に欲しくはないと Son'na no betsuni hoshiku wanaito When things don't go according to how I want
Then we'll ask you to write the first draft.
先回りしてあきらめる癖 Sakimawari shite akirameru kuse I've gotten into the habit
Understood.
いつのまにかすっかり身に付けた Itsunomanika sukkari mi ni tsuketa Of just giving up on them all too soon
Hello there.
Oh, it's been awhile, hasn't it?
On your way to work?
No. I was just in a meeting.
Ehh... What's the story about?
無邪気なまま愛される人を Mujakina mama aisa reru hito o I'm certain my smile that mimics a person in love
A muddled love affair.
真似る私の笑顔はきっと Maneru watashi no egao wa kitto In all of its innocence
Looks like you're back to normal.
I wonder...
隠せないくらいに軋んでた Kakusenai kurai ni kishin deta Is creaky enough not to hide anything
That makes me feel relieved.
So long. I should be getting back at my job now.
あふれる街の雑音 私の声はどこにも Afureru machi no zatsuon watashi no koe wa dokoni mo Into the overflowing noise of the city, my voice calls out
What is it?
There's something I feel I should have told you but didn't.
What is it?
届かずに消えてゆくだけ Todokazu ni kiete yuku dake And disappears, reaching no one
I enjoyed being with you.
Those heated debates we'd have in the night; those fights we'd have in the city...
眠れない夜にこぼれ落ちた Nemurenaiyoru ni koboreochita Memories of unmanageable pain
I enjoyed all of it.
手に負えない痛みの記憶 Tenioenai itami no kioku Rain down on me on these sleepless nights
Thank you.
Yeah.
I was crying in the dark いつかきっと I was crying in the dark Itsuka kitto I was crying in the dark, surely someday
So long.
許しあえる 信じあえる Yurushi aeru shinji aeru Wondering if the day will ever come
そんな日が来るのかな Son'na hi ga kuru no kana When we could forgive and trust in one another
Here. On the house.
Huh? What's this for?
For all the bother I put you through.
I'm still crying in the dark
In the end, I've decided to live together with him again.
Hmm...
Hello. Sorry for having troubled you.
分かって欲しい言葉はいつも Wakatte hoshii kotoba wa itsumo Forever putting away all the words
Not at all.
His dream is to play ball with his son.
全部引出しにしまいこんで Zenbu hikidashi ni shimai konde I wanted you to understand away into some drawer
It is?
どうでもいい話なら得意だよ Dou demo ii hanashinara tokuida yo That's the sort of trivial talk I'm good at
It's a little late for him to be telling me that, isn't it?
If that was the case, he should have told me about it a long time ago.
When you think about it, "marriage" is a strange thing, isn't it?
光はいつも影を作って Hikari wa itsumo kage o tsukutte Just as light is always making shadows
Though you start off as strangers...
かき集めたプライドはいつか Kakiatsumeta puraido wa itsuka Someday my pride will turn into
...after ten years of living together, you should know everything there is about your partner.
自分を縛る鎖に変わってく Jibun o shibaru kusari ni kawatte ku The very chains that bind me
Well, I don't have a clue as to what marriage is.
So I've got to save up money for that from here on.
Eh? You?
ビルの風に吹かれ 歩き続けてたら Biru no kaze ni fuka re aruki tsudzuke tetara Blown about by the wind of the buildings
Ah, geez! Can't you serve it more neatly?
I don't think it's that bad, though...
No, no, no...
どこへ辿りつけるのだろう Doko e tadoritsukeru nodarou I might arrive at wherever if I just keep on walking
Wait, this gap right here is...
Don't do that. Stop it!
Let go. We'll have to get out tomorrow.
We can't do anything without money!
Stop being a thief!
I don't even need hamburgers!
Or cake or books or even a school bag!
Kouta...
I'm happy with just you, Mama!
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry for being like this...
I don't need anything more than you either, Kouta.
Mizue was charged with inflicting bodily injury.
If her husband's abuse of her was confirmed, it might help lighten her sentence.
Kouta-kun, get going!
I'm off!
Yeah! Get going!
I'm off!
Kouta-kun said to tell you he's going to school cheerfully.
I had him send me that, too.
Suzune.
I've... found one more dream for myself.
What is it?
That someday... even if it's just a small one...
...I want to create a restaurant where I can serve delicious food.
That'd be great! If it's you, I know you can do it!
I'm glad we're friends.
We can't go back to that place anymore.
We can't go back to that time and start all over again.
I'll get married at twenty!
How about you, Mayuri? You'll follow something to do with music, right?
That's my hope.
眠れない夜にこぼれ落ちた Nemurenaiyoru ni koboreochita Memories of unmanageable pain
The dreams that once shown so brightly for us...
...are now so distant...
手に負えない痛みの記憶 Tenioenai itami no kioku Rain down on me on these sleepless nights
I was crying in the dark いつかきっと I was crying in the dark Itsuka kitto I was crying in the dark, surely someday
Coffee's ready.
Yeah.
許しあえる 信じあえる Yurushi aeru shinji aeru Wondering if the day will ever come
...but our lives will be going on from here.
そんな日が来るのかな Son'na hi ga kuru no kana When we could forgive and trust in one another
I'm still crying in the dark
Final Episode "Hope"
END
Haburashi
Women Friends