In that apartment complex, the Queen resided.
Toriai Apartment Complex
Yes?
Toriai Apartment Complex
Shiratori
Umm...
Shiratori
I moved into the floor below you yesterday. My name is Kobato.
Shiratori
Please wait one moment.
Shiratori
Ahh, I'm sorry.
You came all the way here to introduce yourself.
My name is Shiratori.
I am Kobato.
It's nice to meet you.
This...
Oh, you shouldn't have.
What does your husband do for a living?
Ah? He's a doctor.
My husband is quite the provider.
And I am the director of this apartment's Management Committee.
So if you have anything to talk about, don't be afraid to bring it up.
Okay...
Given our apartment's position, I usually shouldn't have to give a gift like that, but...
...I was advised to take some special precautions, because she's the Queen and all.
You know, you really would be best off to go introduce yourself...
...to the woman upstairs named Shiratori as well.
Eh? Is that so?
So I thought that would all go smoothly, but...
So... I guess I should do Ukai-san next.
The neighbor mentioned her too.
You should do it to the room above you, Ukai-san, too.
And it's probably best if you don't act too familiar with her.
If she says so... I'll just introduce myself.
Ah, so you've come at long last.
Next door to the Queen lived the Witch.
Umm...
I take it you're the woman who moved in downstairs, Kobato-san, right?
I've heard that you already introduced yourself to Shiratori-san.
Because everyone has to bow to her.
Hey. Don't say cruel and disgraceful things to everyone.
You order me around, even though you're the one who causes internal strife to try to keep everyone isolated.
Isn't that right, Kyuu-chan?
Yeah, yeah!
Kobato-san, don't get too worked up.
It just seems that the older one here has a complex towards younger people.
U-Umm...
The Witch and the Queen didn't get along.
It's strange; the human relations in this apartment complex seem complicated.
About the talk from upstairs...
It's got nothing to do with our home.
That's right.
Let's not get involved.
However, I never thought that I'd suffer such an unexpected misfortune.
Beautification
And then there's the pitiable Servant.
Beautification
Eh? This woman...
She's always cleaning...
She doesn't seem to have anything to do with the manager though...
Are you okay?
Are you sure you don't have a fever?
Yes, I'm fine.
If I don't clean she'll force me to do more.
Don't overdo it, Kamoshita-san.
Hey, Kobato-san, help her out.
Kamoshita
It's a terrible story...
Kamoshita-san moved here half-a-year ago, but...
She didn't introduce herself to that Shiratori woman, so...
9th Meeting of the Management Committee
You get the job of being the Grounds-keeper for one year. Congratulations.
Okay...
Beautification
Umm, isn't that bullying?
Beautification
Hurry and get away from here...
If word spread that you were my friend, you too would be unable to live in peace.
Well, then...
Please take care of yourself.
This is bad...
They saw that you're with me.
Y-Yes!
Good afternoon. I baked some cookies.
I thought we could share them.
Oh, well thank you very much.
Is it all right if I come in?
Y-Yeah.
You see, I'm a bit worried about you.
You seem like a friendly person...
Even if you don't want to be friends with someone, you can't say no, right?
Is she talking about the Witch and the Servant?
No, of course not... I can say no if I don't want to be their friend...
Well...
It's because of that old woman; she always has her ears open...
She's hitting the floor?
Isn't that harrassment?
No way...
I wonder if she's fallen down?
I'm going to go take a look.
Hey, Kobato-san!
Ukai-san!
It's open.
I'm coming in!
Obaa-chan!
Ukai-san!
Obaa-chan!
Are you okay?
Obaa-chan!
I may have broken a bone...
Okay, I'm calling an ambulance.
Shiratori-san, excuse me, the ambulance is coming, so can you go outside and direct them here?
She's being dramatic...
Having you call an ambulance for her is just ridiculous...
What the hell are you saying at a time like this?!
Tension!
An ambulance, here?
Who is it this time?
It came once last Fall too...
It must be...
Ah, now that you mention it, it did come...
Thank you, Kobato-san.
Don't mention it.
I was worried you'd have to leave because of me.
So, to show my appreciation...
Thanks?
Mom, what is this bird?
That's a mynah. A mynah is a Southeast Asian bird with dark feathers that can copy human speech.
It sure is ugly.
A mynah is a Southeast Asian bird with dark feathers that can copy human speech.
Can we keep it?
A mynah is a Southeast Asian bird with dark feathers that can copy human speech.
Just until she comes back.
To show my appreciation...
...I'll lend you my Kyuu-chan for a little while.
He'll definitely be of use to you.
Thanks, she says...
Isn't she just making me take care of her bird?
Grounds-keeper?
Me?
Please, Kobato-san...
We decided it at the Management Committee meeting.
You were absent, weren't you?
Absent? I never heard about this meeting...
So, please do us proud.
You don't think...
Am I being bullied?
Ahh, very nice work.
Shiratori-san...
Well, sorry about yesterday.
But running to the rescue of a person older than you who is in trouble is to be expected of you, huh?
It's regrettable that you had to yell at me.
Eh? Did I yell?
Yes, you did. In an extremely loud voice.
So this is her revenge.
I won't drop to that level...
You'd best prepare yourself.
Do you think I plan to lose?
As soon you you find those, just throw them away.
The outside of the elevator sure is dirty.
Some children drew all over the inside.
And when you're done with that, could you get the front door and step, please.
There's dog crap by the front door.
There's a red can in the flower bed.
This is harder than I thought...
Obaa-chan! Dinner!
Yes, this is Kobato...
You'd better hurry and apologize to Shiratori-san...
Huh?
Her father is a member of the city council...
Also, her husband runs a few companies...
And almost all of the people who live here are on her side.
So...
Thank you for your concern...
But, I...
I will never submit to a rotten, meddling woman like that!
She seems a little upset.
She seems to have a harder character than the previous Grounds-keeper.
Eh?
Excuse me, Kamoshita-san...
Shiratori-san...
Why in God's name are you cleaning?
Even though you're not the Grounds-keeper...
Umm... Kobato-san just said...
I can't talk...
This is rough...
Obaa-chan! Dinner!
Dinner!
Shut up already...
What? Are you imitating the ambulance?
How ominous...
Kobato-san, what's the meaning of this?
Pushing your job off on someone else... Isn't that cowardly?
Ah? A cold?
Faking an illness?
Looks like you messed up.
Even though you're supposedly so great.
Even though I want to defend myself, my voice...
Don't keep your mouth shut! Say something!
Kanishabu! Kanishabu is a japanese crab dish. It's when you replace the popular japanese beef dish shabushabu with crab.
Kanishabu!
Kanishabu is a japanese crab dish. It's when you replace the popular japanese beef dish shabushabu with crab.
Kanishabu!
Anyway, starting tomorrow, please do your job dilligently, okay?
What... All of a sudden she toned down...
Kamoshita-san...
For doing the cleaning for me yesterday...
It's okay... But because of that, you made me become the Grounds-keeper again too.
Eh? Why?
Kobato-san, feel free to take a break.
You... Even though I spoke so kindly to you...
Something's going on here...
Kanishabu!
This is it... Without a doubt...
My Kyuu-chan... He'll definitely be of use to you.
The magic word... Kanishabu!
That's the spell that seals away the Queen.
That's it! Ukai-san must have cast that spell!
Ka...
Ni...
Sha...
Bu!
Kanishabu!
Ukai-san?
She was discharged from our hospital.
Eh? But...
For the time being she's staying close by with her eldest son.
Oh yeah! She wanted me to tell you to do your best.
I wonder if she let him in on the secret?
Two people working at once makes the job go a lot easier, doesn't it?
Plus we haven't had a lot of orders.
Hey, you Grounds-keepers...
Collect up all the fliers in the mailboxes.
In a bit...
Excuse me, but... Isn't that something that everybody can do?
Just look at Shiratori-san, and laugh a bit...
But...
It'll be fine...
Okay, let's all do it.
If I can just hold out like this for a little longer...
But...
Hey, Kyuu-chan...
What's kanishabu?
Kanishabu!
That's what I am asking you, what's Kanishabu?!
Kanishabu!
Foolish me... unknowingly, I was digging my own grave.
She's completely unattractive... That Kobato...
But if she lets my secret get out... I'll be the laughing stock of this apartment complex.
Damnit. You noisy mynah!
Hey, Kyuu-chan. What's kanishabu?
What's kanishabu?
What?
Oh, I see... Kobato knows nothing...
The Queen
Ahh! We've got trouble!
Someone broke open all the garbage bags!
On top of that, the bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable waste are all mixed up...
It's gonna be a huge job to clean this mess.
Oh well, nothing we can do about it.
Good luck, Grounds-keepers...
You expect us to do it by ourselves?!
You like it, don't you? The Grounds-keepers' job...
If I say that word...
Kanishabu.
Ka...
ni...
sha...
What is kanishabu? Go ahead and say it, please.
I knew it...
I'm screwed, this is a big pinch!
What a pity.
Now, do your job at once!
The heavens have turned against me.
Ah, you're here. You're here!
Kobato-san, Kyuu-chan, how are you?
Calling in the Reinforcements.
U-Ukai-san!
What's all this fuss?
Tell me! The secret of kanishabu!
Kanishabu?
It's like my favorite thing to eat... But what about it?
That's it?
Yeah.
B-But, Kyuu-chan...
Ah, that must have been last Fall...
Delivery!
My second son up in Hokkaido had sent me a live crab.
Can you sign for this?
My second son up in Hokkaido had sent me a live crab.
Kyuu-chan! Tonight we're having kanishabu!
But then it escaped right before my eyes.
It's gone!
Oh, this is bad, bad!
Ahh, kanishabu...
Kanishabu...
Umm, it was around that time...
Shiratori-san was carried off in an ambulance.
At that time I was already the Grounds-keeper, so...
Do you have to throw up? Can you walk?
Ohh, everyone, do not worry about me...
And then I saw it...
Inside of Shiratori-san's garbage bag was the shell of a crab.
Shiratori-san, you ate it, didn't you?!
But, it was my favorite dish...
On that Fall day...
Today my husband isn't around... What shall I do for dinner?
That crab entered into my home!
Was it delicious?
It made her sick to her stomach.
So you should be thanking me.
That's right...
I wonder if the reason she got sick was because she stole the crab?
But you aren't embarassed at all, huh?
Do you plan to tell everyone this?
What are you going to do?
Well for now, you can start with this cleaning...
But because it's a lot of work for one person, how about we all help?
Shiratori-san?
Don't be foolish! I can handle it by myself.
The Queen was quite noble.
We didn't leak the secret.
I'm sorry...
I tried to help you, but...
For some reason, the residents started being nice to me.
And then the Queen suddenly...
I've built a new house away from this place.
...exiled herself.
Hey, Kyuu-chan...
What's kanishabu?
If only I had known about that crab thing, I would have defeated her much earlier on.
So that's the reason Kyuu-chan kept saying it...
It's because he's cute.
So she was just trying to get me to take care of it.
This kanishabu is delicious...
It really is a shame what happened to Shiratori-san.
The new rumor going around is that the Queen developed an allergy to crabs, and she never ate one again.
The truth is that she feels bad about it.
My wife died.
I want to cry for her, but it doesn't seem real to me yet.
The reason why is because my wife still remains in my house.
During such a time, my subordinate, Momoi-kun came to my house.
Why would a young girl like you do such things for a man like me?
Are you just sympathizing with a miserable old geezer who was left behind by his wife?
Next time on Rumic Theater:
Love Song in the Living Room.
See you there!