You don't have a girlfriend now, right?
I heard that your only love is ramen, and you don't have a girlfriend.
Jeez, what should I do?
Hey! What're you doing?
This here is my girlfriend!
So, I'm sorry, I can't go out with you.
Yow! That's hot!
I put my hand right in the pot!
CLOSED FOR PREPARATION
It started about a month ago.
Just before closing she... Yukari...
I don't know why, but she was crying while she ate her ramen.
I wanted to cheer her up somehow.
So I gave her a free soft-boiled egg.
Here. It's on the house.
That's all?
The next day
she said, "Please be my boyfriend."
I turned her down, but she won't give up.
But even so, why did you lie like that?
That's not like you at all, Issei.
But lately Yukari's been phoning our house,
and waiting for me outside.
She was waiting out front when we came to prep.
At prep time? That's 5 a.m.!
If things get any worse,
I won't be able to concentrate on work.
Then why don't you flat out reject her?
Yeah, that's right, Issei.
It doesn't matter if she ends up hating you.
You've got to keep telling her until she understands.
Yukari...
she tells me that our ramen is really delicious.
I can't be so cold to a customer that says good things about our ramen.
Issei!
You are truly my son! You're the real Evening Star!
Father!
Uhm...
-Oh, wait. -Huh?
-I beg you! -What?
While you're here at the shop...
No, just while Yukari is here,
please act like you're my girlfriend.
Please!
Don't do that.
When you bow down to me like that,
it feels so wrong.
Oh, yeah.
You're right.
Huh?
The money you owe for the broken dishes is $12,000.
Who's letting you secretly pay that off in installments?
Wait a minute!
That has nothing to do with this!
What are you whispering about?
Oh, nothing.
At any rate, I've already got a proper boyfriend.
I can't deal with you guys.
Hey! Wait for me, Uehara!
EVENING STAR
You're OK with that, Uehara?
I can act the part of another guy's girlfriend?
I don't care.
-You're just faking it, right? -Well, yeah, but--
Anyway, it's really cold. Let's go home!
What's with him?
Darn him!
We can't go in now.
I told you, we can't go in now!
-Let's go, Tetsu. -Yeah, let's.
That's the first time I've seen a real live kiss.
And right in front of us, too!
Jeez! Who want's to see that?
I guess that's normal.
An elevator is pretty isolated.
You see it all the time in movies.
But it's not like I want to kiss here too
just because it's isolated.
What the heck are you mumbling about?
You're supposed to be Issei's girlfriend?
Yeah. And what's worse,
Issei tried to blackmail me with the money I owe for the broken dishes.
But it's just while that woman's at the shop, right?
-Yeah. -What's wrong with that?
Oh, sorry.
Sheesh! What a pain!
Huh? What is it?
Just because I didn't text him for a while yesterday, he's all jealous.
From: Mitsuishi I tried contacting you all day yesterday!
Mitsuishi's worried about you.
It wasn't like a group date! We were just doing karaoke.
Yeah, some guys were there, but he's getting way too possessive.
-I wish Uehara were more possessive. -Huh?
That's so much more boyfriend-like.
What are you talking about?
You're the one with the boyfriend that everyone wants.
Is he really my boyfriend?
I can't deal with you guys.
Anyway, it's really cold. Let's go home!
-One Miso Ramen! -OK!
I'll take care of this, Nao. You get them.
OK.
Here's your water.
I told you, I came right home after the karaoke.
But you still could have texted me, right?
Jeez! Quit being so nosy!
I'm not being nosy!
OK, you two! Enough! This is on me.
-Really? -Thanks!
Would you two make up already?
-How is it? -Yum! Good!
Nao, that woman's been glaring at you for a while.
Huh?
She's been here since this morning.
Since this morning?
Is that Issei's stalker?
Thanks! That was great!
Yeah.
Oh, you're supposed to act like the girlfriend--
Shh! She'll hear you! She'll hear!
Dang, what a negative attitude she's got!
Hey, Nao. Clean up the counter.
Uh... OK.
Oh! Oh!
How about... How about some water?
Here's some water.
-You're a liar. -Huh?
You and Issei aren't a couple. That's a lie, isn't it?
Oh... No...
No, that's not...
-Issei! -Yes?
Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?
What?
I'm not giving up until you go on a date with me.
What are you talking about?
I've got a girlfriend.
Isn't that right?
Give it up. You can't fool me any more.
We're not trying to fool you.
If you're going together, then why aren't you friendlier to her?
Well, uh... because we're working.
Isn't that right, Nao?
Yeah...
And you never ever touch each other.
That's not true!
Uh... yeah...
You two don't give off a lovey-dovey aura at all.
Lovey-dovey aura?
-I love you, Nao! -Huh?
When did you two get together?
Nao... you and Issei are...
No, no, we're not, Abe!
Yes, we are!
Issei!
She's got a boy--
Boy, you sure want to eat curry, don't you?
But this is a ramen shop.
Here! Have some potstickers!
-Marina, get some soy sauce. -Here you go!
No, there's something fishy going on. You're hiding something.
No... No, not at all.
At any rate, we really are a couple.
Then prove it to me.
Show me proof that you're lovey-dovey.
Proof?
Show me all day tomorrow.
Huh? What do you mean by that?
Huh? The three of you are going on a date?
Uh-huh.
It just kind of ended up that the three of us would go together.
Really?
Issei was at a loss for what to do.
So he said if that would satisfy her, then he'd do it.
Oh, but don't worry, Uehara.
We're only doing this to convince Yukari.
But... if you really don't want me to go, I can tell them no.
Go! Go!
Yes!
Huh? Were you saying something?
Forget about it.
I'm taking a bath.
Is he really my boyfriend?
FAKE DATE DAY
Wow, what a nice day!
There's only a slight breeze. It's perfect date weather.
Don't you agree, Nao?
I'm not sure I can do this.
I'm really sorry to make you do this.
But this will be the end of it.
Just play my girlfriend for today.
I know.
I'm here.
Hello.
Thank you for letting me watch you today.
Sure, you're welcome.
Dang, computers are expensive.
This is no time to be casually flipping through a magazine.
Cut that out, you jerk.
I came here to advise you as your close friend.
-Since when are you my close friend? -Ouch!
Listen to me, and don't be too surprised.
Nao and the guy Issei she works for...
are dating!
I'm serious! I saw them!
OK, fine. Now get out of here.
I've got my own work to go to.
-Uehara! -Crap! I'm going to be late.
Jeez! You handsome guys sure don't have to worry much.
When Issei put his arm around Nao like that
it totally ticked me off, and I'm not even her boyfriend.
What should we ride first?
Probably something scary is best.
Right...
Nao?
Yeah!
Oh, that looks good.
Let's ride that. Come on.
I wish I could have come here with Uehara.
-No, not that one. -Why not?
It'll be fun.
Can you believe that the three of them are on a date together?
But why do we have to watch them?
We're doing this for Nao's sake.
How is this for Nao?
I'm calling this Operation Set His Heart on Fire!
-Oh. There they are! -I brought him.
What the heck are you guys also doing here?
We're all making sure that Nao doesn't do anything foolish.
This is dumb. Don't you have anything better to do?
Aah! Uehara! Have a look! Have a look!
-Huh? -Look! Look! Look!
Hide!
She's supposed to be acting,
but that's going too far.
I'm so worried about her.
As her best friend, I'm concerned.
What if things escalate between those two?
Just let go of everything and have a great time today, OK?
-I'm not sure I can. -Don't you like this kind of ride?
Yes, I do. It's just that...
Something is giving me a chill.
Oh, no. I'm scared, Uehara.
Get your hands off me, jerk.
I feel so guilty that it seems like I can hear Uehara's voice.
You got his approval, right?
-Yeah, but... -Uehara!
I just don't feel right about it.
With all these couples here,
it makes me think about Uehara. I wish he were here.
-That was a real surprise. -It sure was.
-That was more fun than I expected. -Yeah, it was.
-This is too much. -It's only a merry-go-round, Issei!
Have they always gone this fast?
-Look how much it's going up and down! -It sure is.
Oh! Mount Fuji!
Hey, look, Yukari! You can see Mount Fuji!
-Fuji's totally gigantic! -It's huge!
Look! Can you see it?
-It sure is pretty. -Wow!
-It's nice. -Yeah.
Hey, this is so much fun! How come you're not riding it?
See!
She's totally gotten into it now.
Look, Uehara! What cool french fries!
Shut up!
Very nice. It seems his heart's starting to catch fire.
That's kind of cruel, you know.
Who cares. I'm doing this for Nao.
You're terrible at this.
You're pretty bad too.
Wait, Issei! Wait!
I haven't been to an amusement park in a while. It sure is fun!
-Isn't it? -Yeah.
-Doing this is nice once in a while. -It is!
-Oh! -What?
Next let's do something that you want to do, Yukari.
I don't really care. Anything is fine.
Oh, come on. Since you're here, you may as well have fun.
Or, maybe, you've become convinced about us?
Oh, yeah. That's right.
I was just plain having a good time.
Yukari,
I would hope that you could still be a regular customer
-like you have been, and-- -I'm not convinced!
I still don't believe that you're a couple.
Yukari--
You want me to choose the next ride, right?
Uh-huh.
I've decided what I want to do.
Which one?
No! No! No! No!
Open the door! Come on! Open the door!
JIKYU GENERAL HOSPITAL
I can't take this!
No! No! Go away!
Uhm, is the exit this way?
Uh, this sure must be hard work.
By the way, my name is Abe Jun.
Everybody calls me Abe--
Jeez, Abe! Let's get going! Sorry about that.
How can you hit on girls in a place like this?
Jeez! That scared me!
How's this job?
I can't take any more of this.
I can even hear Marina's voice.
I must be hearing phantoms.
I'm so afraid, I'm losing my mind.
I want to go home!
-What are you doing there? -No! Leave me alone!
Quit screaming! It's me!
-Look! Look! -I'm scared.
It's me! Look!
Uehara... Why are you here?
I could ask you the same. Why are you alone?
I so wanted to be with you.
Let's go.
Come with me.
OK.
JIKYU GENERAL HOSPITAL
Nao!
Huh?
What are all you guys doing here?
Well, to tell you the truth, I happened to receive some tickets.
But we didn't want to interfere. Right, Mitsuishi?
Yeah. We didn't say anything, and did different stuff.
Who's this good-looking guy?
Oh, uh... Uehara, he's...
He's a classmate. A classmate!
-We're all Nao's classmates. -That's right.
I see.
By the way,
-there's another great ride. -What's that?
The Ferris wheel here has these four gondolas
that are completely see-through.
Wow! Cool!
And there's this rumor
that if a couple rides in one of those and kisses at the very top,
-they'll be happy forever! -Yeah!
Really?
That's so stupid. I'm going home.
Come closer.
Uehara.
Nao.
I want to ride that.
What?
I really want to ride that!
TRANSPARENT GONDOLAS
Even though I said that, it's still going to be three of us.
I'll hold back Yukari and Issei.
-Then you jump on with Uehara. -What?
I'll let you and him have the see-through one.
Get a kiss at the top! You can do it!
LOVER'S HOT SPOT FERRIS WHEEL
Marina.
It'll work out. Uehara wants it too.
I know you're on the same wavelength.
OK.
Ready? Let's do this.
Ready... Go!
Issei!
Nao!
Marina.
Uehara!
-Let's get on, Issei. -You must be kidding!
OK, Uehara and me ride together.
Get your hands off me, you creep.
Ouch!
-I mean... -Stop it!
Stop it! Stop it!
Come on! You're holding up the line!
What the... Why am I all alone in here?
Where's Nao?
Things got all messed up.
What the... How did it end up like that?
Just forget about it, would you?
How can you talk like that?
I mean, you don't have to go to all this trouble.
Things will work out between Nao and Uehara if you leave them alone.
I'm not doing this... just for Nao.
Huh?
We need a chance to make up too.
Mitsuishi...
you can see what's going on with others,
but you can't tell when things are wrong with yourself.
Wow! Oh my god!
Marina and Mitsuishi are...
kissing in the gondola!
They got there first.
We ended up as an odd pair, didn't we?
Sorry.
No, it's all right.
It's actually been a really fun day today.
Uhm, Yukari.
Why do you like Issei so much?
Well, I mean...
I don't really know you,
but you don't look like the super aggressive type.
Because he smiled at me.
Huh?
I've never been able to smile much.
I was always alone, even in university.
One day, I got my courage up and went to a group blind date.
But I couldn't join the conversation.
Everybody would stare at me, but act like they weren't.
Then on my way home...
Here. It's on the house.
Your reward for working hard today.
At that time
it felt like...
Issei was the only person who appreciated me for who I am.
So I began to wish that I could spend more time with him.
I know it was really out of place for me to do that.
No, that's not true!
This is what Issei told me.
"Yukari said good things about our ramen."
You've encouraged Issei, Yukari.
I know that his smile was just a smile for a customer.
-That's not true. -I'm convinced.
I've been convinced about you two for a while.
Huh?
I was just being spiteful.
After being with you all day today, I understand now.
If you can make Issei smile like that...
then I have to give up.
Yukari...
Sorry about
borrowing Nao today.
It's OK. She owes a lot to you.
But I bet it ticks you off, doesn't it?
Not really.
You're OK with it?
Yeah, I am.
How can you be?
It's not really my place to say this,
but when you act all cool like this,
it makes her feel anxious about you.
She's always smiling.
Huh?
She also gets angry easily,
and cries easily too.
But she always ends up with a smile on her face.
Her emotions keep her pretty busy.
I think that's what's so great about her.
Yeah.
I'm sorry.
Maybe I didn't have to worry.
It feels to me now like she and I are family.
When she first came to our shop, she was totally hopeless.
Every day she broke dishes and confused orders.
But she told me that she couldn't let her parents find out,
and she worked her butt off every day.
You know, Nao has a kind of mysterious power.
I lied.
-I lied to you. -Huh?
I'm not OK with this!
Jeez, dude.
Oh, Marina and Mitsuishi said they're going home.
They were really lovey-dovey.
-Why don't we go home too? -OK.
I'll leave you guys here.
I'll say bye to you now.
I like Evening Star ramen, but...
I won't go there again until I can get over you, Issei.
Yukari--
Thank you for everything today.
Thank you for all the good food you've made for me.
Wait, Yukari!
I can't let it end like this.
Nao.
Yukari has been very frank about how much she likes you, Issei.
So you need to be frank with her too.
What are you talking about?
I'm very sorry, Yukari.
I...
I'm sorry!
I lied to you.
To tell you the truth...
she's not my girlfriend at all.
I didn't want to hurt you, Yukari.
So I made this all up.
But I know that was way more cruel.
I'm terribly sorry, Yukari.
You see, Yukari--
That's enough.
-Huh? -They need to settle this on their own.
-But-- -This has nothing to do with us now.
"Us"?
Hey! Wait!
Sorry, Issei and Yukari!
Wait! Wait! Yukari!
I'm really glad I was able to talk with you.
I mean it. Really!
I understand what you're telling me...
but it still doesn't make sense.
Everything is my fault.
I forced her to do this.
That's not what I mean.
Were you actually acting?
Huh?
Are you sure you really have no feelings for Nao?
Well, I mean, she's got Uehara.
And besides, to me, she's just a co-worker.
Let's face it, ramen is my only love.
Or to put it another way, ramen is my girlfriend.
So, you won't even acknowledge it yourself, huh?
Huh?
Nothing.
I thought you were more of a man than that, Issei.
What?
Good bye.
Huh? Hold on!
What's that all about?
-Issei. -Huh?
-Oh, it's just you. -Did you just get dumped by your stalker?
No!
Where the hell were you, anyway?
-Let me tell you what happened to me. -Huh?
I was just... dumped by a ghost.
-What? -Oh, I have an idea!
How about you and me swap sob stories?
Hey! I did not just get dumped!
-Yes you did. -Shut up, you jerk.
What are you grinning about. It's creeping me out.
Well, you came and found me.
Found you?
When I first met you,
I could never tell what you were thinking.
You would never pay attention to me either.
But to me at the time, that was enough.
In fact, it's like a miracle to me that we've ended up like this.
So I've decided to enjoy myself now, no matter what happens.
You sure are on top of the world.
Also, I was really happy today.
About what?
Because you found me in the dark at the haunted house.
It was like you could sense me, and feel my presence.
That's how you found me, right?
Oh, you!
Hey... Wait!
It sure is taking long.
Nao.
Huh?
I want you to quit.
What?
Quit that job.
Why?
You can get a job somewhere else.
Like a cafe with just women.
What's with you?
I was...
I was just thinking how boyfriend-like that was.
You're goofy.
Hold the elevator!
Sorry. Let me squeeze in here.
Sorry.
Young people these days.
CLOSE
THREE WEEKS LATER THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
I'm so happy that I can hardly stand it!
I never thought I'd be with you and Mitsuishi our senior year too.
I'm so happy!
I'm super happy too!
We can complain about our boyfriends every day now.
Then wouldn't it be better if I wasn't here?
Hey! I'm with you guys this year too!
Oh, but Uehara is still in a different class.
Yeah, but I'm perfectly fine with that.
He promised to be with me at lunch and when we go home.
You're acting like you've got it made.
Did you two get closer over spring break?
Yeah, I guess.
Is Yoshikawa Nao in here?
-Do you know her, Nao? -No.
I've never seen her before, but she's a real cutie.
She sure looks pissed off though.
Huh?
Do you know who Yoshikawa Nao is?
That's her over there.
What's going on?
-Oh, she's coming! -She's coming over here!
Oh, dear! Oh, dear!
Are you Yoshikawa Nao?
Yes.
Come with me for a minute.
"Come with me"?
I'm Kitaura Nozomi.
Kitaura?
I transferred in here this spring.
Oh... you're a transfer student.
No wonder I've never seen you.
So, what did you want to talk to me about?
Is it true...
that you're dating Uehara Hisashi?
Huh?
Uh... well...
THIS IS A FICTIONAL DRAMA.