Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
On the way home from school,
I went to a town a bit away
to buy a study book.
Good.
I made it in time.
Um, did you drop this?
Whew!
If you hadn't found this,
I would have left it there without realizing it.
Glad to help.
You in high school?
Yes.
What year?
Second year.
Then one year younger...
Can you take me to your school?
I want to see the person who this letter belongs to,
but I don't know what school they're at.
If you take me there, I'll find them myself.
Can you help me out?
A Day That Will
Someday
Come
What is it?
I was just thinking you're a really nice guy.
What's your relationship to the letter's owner?
Childhood friend.
Is that true?
It is.
I don't lie.
I'm Aoi.
Who are you?
Natsume...
You're honest.
Is that a problem?
No, just...
I was just thinking how my childhood friend was really stubborn.
Aoi-san had kind of a strange air about him.
Okay, see you tomorrow!
Yeah, bye!
Listen, if you cause trouble with one of our students, I'll knock you flat.
With those match-like arms of yours?
No way.
I'm pretty strong.
So am I.
Don't worry.
I'm just looking for my friend. That's all.
Of course,
even if I do find my friend, at this point...
Am I stupid?
What am I doing?
Is your childhood friend a girl?
Yeah.
Is that a problem?
No.
Natsume.
Nishimura.
You just leaving?
Yeah.
Almost time for practice exams.
Anyway, why are grinning out here all by yourself?
Nishimura can't see him?
So he's a youkai, huh?
You finally noticed?
You're a little dense.
Shut up!
What's wrong, Natsume?
No, um...
When someone mistakes you for a human, tell them.
If they realize later, they feel a little sad.
I see.
I'm sorry.
What's your friend's name?
Sonokawa Kaoru.
I think she should be in her third year.
Sonokawa Kaoru.
I don't know anybody in third year.
I don't think she went to your school.
If someone at your level was in the same school,
she would've made contact with you.
Kaoru can see youkai, too.
But she can only see youkai who sometimes match her wavelength.
Maybe she matches mine very well, because she could see me easily.
But something happened and we broke things off.
What happened?
Well...
Natsume.
Thanks for talking to me.
Yeah.
We broke things off.
That letter freaked me out so much, I almost went to see her.
I guess I'm leaving.
What did the letter say?
This?
This isn't a letter.
Inside it is...
Hey, Natsume!
They say that the new Nanatsujiya pastry has white bean jam filling!
A giant raccoon!
Nyanko-sensei!
Sensei?
Who's that crow-looking boy?
You know him?
Yeah.
My brothers said white raccoons are near the level of divine beings.
Aoi-san, calm down.
And look more carefully at this creature.
I, um... I am training to be a forest protector at Kagomedake.
I've heard that Kagomedake has a delicious sake spring.
The task of protecting the spring lies with my master, Doutaka-sama, and his students.
I like you!
Come have some tea at our place!
One of Doutaka's kids.
He's not with his flock, so this is a great chance!
I'll get even with you for all the misery you've caused!
Get back, Natsume.
Wimp.
Busy day.
Well, Forest Protectors probably get a lot of people hating them.
So that was the white raccoon's true form?
Call me Nyanko-sensei.
Thank you for driving it off.
Please, let me thank you.
Aoi-san, don't trust him!
I'm a bird-like youkai that used to live in Kakeiwayama forest.
That's the mountain on the other side of the next town over, right?
Yes.
I grew up in a flock, but I hurt my wings.
I left the flock and was alone.
And that was when I met Kaoru.
You're always up in the trees.
Are you from around here?
At first she didn't seem to realize that I was a youkai.
I see.
You're a youkai, huh?
I'm glad.
I'm so glad I have the power to see youkai.
After that she kept coming to the forest
and telling me about the world of men.
One day, several years later,
I went to town, just once.
I wanted to see the town where she lived.
And I realized...
Even in middle school, she was still coming to the forest all the time.
She was prioritizing me over her friends and relationships.
To everyone around her, she was a strange girl.
And then I realized we should separate.
But I kept putting it off,
and by the time she was in her second year of middle school,
she started to fall in love with me.
And so you ran?
Yes.
As embarrassed as I am to say it.
We couldn't live together.
At some point, our times would start to diverge.
As long as she was in love with a youkai,
she probably couldn't fall in love with a human.
And that would be a waste.
That was enough to convince me.
I ended my relationship with her and became a student of Doutaka.
I have fairly strong power,
so my older brothers have a high opinion of me, you see.
I see.
Yeah.
I was so busy with my training that, until a while ago, I forgot about Kaoru.
He said that,
but it looked to me like he was saying he'd put so much
effort into his training in order to forget about Kaoru-san.
What's that envelope?
Let me see what's inside!
Congratulations
Congratulations?!
An invitation to a wedding?
And it's in three days?
Kaoru-san's getting married?
But I don't know that high schoolers usually don't get married.
What?
I'm too smart to have messed up the math...
I'm too smart...
Sensei, is it possible that Kaoru-san is a lot older than we think?
Yeah, who knows when this letter was even sent?
It was in the mailbox at an abandoned house.
Mailbox?
I used it to communicate with Kaoru.
I hadn't gone to see it since I cut things off with her.
But there was a lull in my training,
and I went to take a look.
I didn't want to read it,
but the envelope on top caught my eye...
So I opened it.
You can read human language?
Yeah.
She...
Can I read it?
Aoi-chan, are you doing well?
I'm okay now.
I was lucky enough to meet someone who really cares about me.
So I won't wait for you anymore.
This is my last letter.
If you can really forget about me,
then at least come to say congratulations.
You can laugh if you want.
I came not for Kaoru, but for me.
I want to say congratulations, and this time, forget about her.
Sorry, Natsume.
You were a big help.
Let's look for her, Aoi-san.
No, I...
Not for your sake.
I want to meet her.
Yeah.
This is the last time.
Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
Sonokawa Kaoru?
There's someone by that name at my cram school.
She's a year older than me
and in a different school, so I've never talked to her.
Nishimura, is she getting married soon?
Married?
After school, Nishimura was heading to his cram school,
so I decided to go with him and meet Kaoru-san.
That's her.
Thanks, Nishimura.
That's a big help.
Sure.
So that's her, huh?
Yeah.
S-Sensei?!
What are you doing here?
I saw you going.
Please, don't talk.
Um, are you Sonokawa-san?
Excuse me?
She looks like a normal teenage girl.
I'm Natsume.
Do you know a boy named Aoi...
Where did you meet Aoi-chan?
Are you a youkai?
Is he somewhere nearby?
He's not here.
I just came to see you for myself...
R-Really?
Aoi-chan... Really...
Did you put a wedding invitation into the mailbox of an abandoned building?
Then he read it, right?
Yes.
Good...
He fell for it!
That invitation was a trap.
To see him again.
No...
A trap to catch him.
I was really little when I first met Aoi-chan.
Hey, hey!
Want to play?
I'll give you some candy.
Candy?
Yeah, it's sweet!
No, thanks.
There are snakes and dogs down there,
so everybody said not to go down unless I need to.
Everybody?
Who's everybody?
You're always alone!
After that, no matter how often I talked to him, he wouldn't respond.
I must've said something to upset him.
Today I'll apologize and we can be friends!
What? Wings?
They're so pretty...
No!
What are you doing?
What? You again?
It's dangerous! Come down here!
You can't fly with those toy wings!
Did you insult my wings, stupid girl?
Fine!
Let's have a duel!
I was worried about you!
Come get me, then!
Take these off!
Oh, no!
What have I done?
I'm so sorry!
Does it hurt?
I'm sorry!
I just wanted to be friends!
You're so kind.
You could've just left me alone.
I already hurt them.
It's not your fault.
And wounds heal someday, everybody said.
After that, he started to play with me more and more.
And stopped talking about "everyone."
Hey, where've you been this last week?
I wanted to see the fireworks with you.
Yeah.
I could see them a little from the mountain.
What? That's aggravating!
I put a note in the mailbox!
Jeez.
Kaoru.
It doesn't have to be me that you do that stuff with.
You have your own life to live.
Wh-What are you saying?
You know what I'm saying, Kaoru.
This stuff isn't...
Do you not like me, Aoi-chan?
Then I can't help that, but...
Don't you understand?
I want to be with you forever.
Because... because...
I've always... always...
And then he disappeared, without saying a thing.
Isn't that awful?
Natsume-kun, I want to see him again.
Please, don't tell him the invitation was a trap.
I think this is my last chance.
I'm going to catch him, and either pound him flat or try to persuade him.
If I see him again...
And if he still cares about me...
I won't let him go ever again!
Kaoru-san's amazing.
Scary girl.
I've seen lots of youkai drawn to humans,
but they all left.
Sensei, will Kaoru-san's plan work?
Who knows?
One of Doutaka's students?
Yeah.
This afternoon, my brothers got worried about me and came to check on me.
They told me to come back, once I was done.
They said they'll be waiting.
I see.
Natsume,
can you come with me for a bit?
I'll never come back here.
I can't read these, since I can't answer them.
But I can't leave them here.
Aoi-chan, where are you?
Are you mad? Coward. Are you running away?
You dummy. Contact me already.
I'll never forgive you. Come back soon.
Why won't you meet with me?
Do you hate me now?
Why did you stop coming?
What are you doing?
Aoi-chan...
Aoi-chan?
Where are you?
Are you mad?
Coward. Are you running away?
You dummy. Contact me already.
I'll never forgive you. Come back soon.
Aoi-chan.
Aoi-chan...
I want to live my life with you.
I'm sure...
I'm sure it'll work out just fine, Kaoru-san.
It's at the building on the right at the end of the street.
Hurry up.
Are you hiding something?
I was just thinking you should be honest with yourself.
What the hell are you talking about?
As long as I can see her smiling and looking happy, that's enough for me.
I'm sure I'll be able to go somewhere else.
There you are!
We'll get you for what you did before.
Not now...
Get back, Natsume.
You get back, too, Aoi.
I guess that doesn't really work on birds.
You little wimps...
Natsume!
We'll handle them.
You get going!
If you can't go back, then say goodbye for real!
And if you really can't forget her, then tell her!
I'm sure if he goes, he'll understand.
If he sees her, I'm sure Aoi-san will understand how he really feels.
Am I at the wrong spot?
Kaoru? What about your marriage?
Let me go, stupid Kaoru!
I won't!
I refuse to ever let you go again!
Stop running and let's talk!
Let me go! I'm...
Even if you're a youkai, I still want to be with you.
Aoi-chan... Aoi-chan...
Stay with me.
There'll be even more tears later...
That's not true.
If that day comes, I'll drive it away...
You don't understand, Kaoru.
That's the problem.
That's why...
I'm sorry, Aoi-san.
I actually knew the invitation was...
It's fine.
You can laugh at me if you want.
Tell me I'm someone who can't stick to my decision.
I hate to say it for your sake,
but I'm happy.
This is from Kaoru.
It's to thank you.
Ooh, that's a box of limited-time-only Ohagi from Nanatsujiya!
Yeah.
Once we start learning the taste of human food, we can be difficult.
You've got a handful of trouble on your hands with Master Nyanko.
Fool.
You've still got the tastes of a kid.
I'm just entertaining myself and killing time.
Okay, I'll be going.
I have to say goodbye to Doutaka-san.
Live the way you want.
Once you've met that special person...
Yes.
Natsume, see you around.
Suddenly I wondered, when Aoi-san said there would be more tear's later,
whose tears did he mean?
Will I too someday be able to care more about being with someone,
than the fear of saying goodbye to them?
Yeah.
See you around.
Next time Natsume Yujin-cho Roku
What Flows
It's called Four Mask Hill
even though there's only three masks.
It flowed away somewhere...
I'm sorry.
The one who protects you
found this for you.
They were still there for me?