I'll be the one
I guess you were lost when I met you
Still there were tears in your eyes
So out of trust and I knew
No more than mysteries and lies
There you were, wild and free
Reachin' out like you needed me
A helping hand to make it right
I am holding you all through the night
I'll be the one. I'll be the one
Who will make all your sorrows undone
I'll be the light. I'll be the light
When you feel like there's nowhere to run
I'll be the one
I'll be the light
Where you can run
To make it alright
ON A SNOWY NIGHT
You're lying!
It's a lie, right...?
M... My name is on it!
Well, it is your present after all.
Th-This can't seriously be from Dad...
But... last Christmas, Dad...
Apparently your old man fell from the bridge while holding on to that.
But, since the bag flew away, it didn't make it into your hands.
What a klutz.
So, he became a ghost and gave this to you?
The thing that I'd really wanted...?
Yeah.
So... you're saying Dad bought this or me a year ago, on that day?
How should I know if it was on this day or that day?
I'm not your dad, and I'm not the glove shop.
The glove shop?!
If we go to the sporting goods store that sold this, we may find something!
Look, the name is printed on here!
Well, I don't know if they'll still remember something from last year, but...
I hope they remember.
If they do remember, then will you believe me?
Nope. I don't believe in ghosts.
Oh, fine then.
Maru Sports Goods
I believe it was bought last year, on the 24th of December.
A year ago yesterday, on Christmas Eve, right?
Takahito... Takahito...
Oh, yes!
The guy who ran the soba shop!
That's the one!
Oh, that guy...
I remember him well.
He's the guy who for years and years would come by every so often
to stare intently at the gloves in our window.
For years and... years?
And last year, he finally came to buy one.
Yeah, he placed the order a whole month in advance.
It was a name engraving order too, and so we forgot to do it.
On the night of Christmas Eve, he rushed in with his last installment, just as we were closing up.
I told him I would add the name onto the glove the next day.
But he begged and insisted that we do it that night.
He said that he absolutely needed it on the morning of the 25th.
He wanted to surprise him by leaving it by his pillow in the morning like Santa Claus.
And boy, was he happy talking of his plans.
He said he wanted to play catch with his son once he bought the glove.
He was worried if he'd be all right at it since he'd never played catch before.
That's right.
And you told him, "You must be the only person in all of Japan who's never played catch,
so you'd better do it soon."
That's right, that's right.
That's...
That s... my dad.
My...
dad.
Is... Is that so?
You're his...
Is your father doing well?
You idiot.
How could you ask that?
But... you wouldn't normally think that he died.
And on that day too...
I see...
So today's his death anniversary.
So, that became his final memento then...
Aren't you glad, Takahito?
Now you know that it belongs to you.
I'm really glad too.
I finally got rid of the paper bag.
I guess your dad wanted to be Santa Claus.
When I was a kid...
I used to really believe in Santa Claus too.
Since I knew our family didn't have a lot of money,
I couldn't ask my parents.
So I'd ask Santa for everything.
Santa Claus got stuff for free.
So I'd wanted the glove from Santa.
Why a glove?
I was really into baseball then.
Soba Shop
It's kinda funny when I think about it now, but...
the night of Christmas Eve was the one time of the year I had a serious conversation with God.
Glove...
Glove, glove, glove!
Soba Shop
Every year, little presents would be stuffed into our stockings.
It wasn't a glove!
Santa's really cheap.
Don't ask for too much.
Santa has to give presents to all the kids in the world.
Dad, once I get the glove, you have to play catch with me.
It's a promise.
Catch, huh?
Then you have to teach me how to play, Takahito.
Yeah.
Even so, I was happy since I believed that Santa had given it to me.
But on the Christmas of my second year in elementary school...
Brother, brother!
The only thing in our stockings was...
half a sweet dumpling.
That year, I realized that Santa Claus was our parents.
The previous day, our parents had been to a funeral service in the neighborhood.
Those dumplings were served at the funeral.
Santa-san was cheap this year too!
Good morning, Takahito.
Santa-san didn't come through this year either?
Nope, I didn't get it.
Maybe it's cause I thought of eating something sweet just before falling asleep.
Brother you are idiot!
It'll come someday.
And then we'll play catch.
I think more shocking than the fact that Santa didn't exist...
was the realization that we were really poor.
This was no ordinary poor.
We were so poor that we got funeral food for stocking stuffers.
Rock-bottom poor?
Yep, that's it.
But thanks to that, I figured it out.
Santa Claus doesn't come for free.
Right then, I gave up on ever having a glove of my own.
You're such a nice kid, Takahito...
I don't think I could do that.
The following year, as Christmas was nearing...
Sannobashi Elementary School
Christmas...
All of you have been in an uproar over Christmas lately.
But Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ.
So why are you receiving presents for someone else's birthday?
Society leads us by our noses and every year the uproar grows bigger.
It makes your teacher really sad.
Does anyone here feel the true spirit behind celebrating Christmas?
I thought that was it!
Is that what Hakkaku-sensei said?
That's right.
That's what he said.
Talk about a realistic teacher...
Yeah, he's destroying the children's dreams.
Apparently a few mothers are protesting this.
So you're not going to ask Santa for a glove this year, Takahito? •
Note: Hakkake [ 歯つ欠 ] - missing teeth.
Nope, Mr. Hakkake's broken all my dreams.
I mean, I can play baseball even without a glove.
And I'm specializing in batting anyway.
Oh? Is that how it is?
Yep. That's how it is.
That's not how it is, right?
Baseball, that is...
Dad had been working at the soba shop ever since he was a kid.
All he'd ever done was work.
So he really didn't know much about school or play.
Let alone baseball rules...
After that, the custom of giving presents at home disappeared.
And I was relieved.
Now Mom and Dad wouldn't feel the extra burden.
Boy, you're such a good kid, Takahito.
Good kids have it hard...
Not really. I didn't really have time to worry about gloves back then.
Once I got into the upper grades,
we were required to go to far-off places for matches on weekends, or practice all day.
Before long, I wasn't able to keep up with the team.
During weekends I had to stay home and take care of my younger brother and sister.
I had to help out in the shop too.
I used to read a lot while minding the shop.
I'd always liked books and it sure beat doing nothing while minding the shop.
Good kids have it hard...
But while we may have been poor...
we still had fun.
And last year...
The Christmas of my last year in elementary school...
Eh? A match?
Yeah.
We thought we'd have a fun match for Christmas this year instead of a party.
The coach said that he'd give a high-quality glove to the MVP.
A glove?!
You should come too, Takahito!
You might be able to get it!
The MVP award.
This time, I really had a shot at getting a glove for free.
I honestly thought that I might become the MVP.
But on the morning of the day of the match,
Mom had to take Grandma to the hospital.
And I chose to give up baseball and mind the shop instead.
Whoa! You're an angelically good kid!
But on that day, no one came to the store.
And I couldn't help but feel that I should've gone to the match.
That if I'd gone, I might have gotten the glove.
I was a little irritated and...
I'm back.
Boy, we're really empty.
All our customers seem to have been stolen by the new Western food store.
Can't be helped.
Christmas is a Western festival after all.
Hey, Takahito.
Why don't you go play baseball?
But I have to mind the shop.
I doubt we'll be having any customers today.
There's no point in going now.
There was a match today.
It's too late now.
What's with that face?
Just go quickly.
Dad!
What are you doing?!
This belongs to the library!
We'll have to pay for damages!
What's that about damages?
A man shouldn't talk about money.
I'll fix that for you.
So just go and hit a home run or two.
There's no point in going now!
You don't know anything about baseball!
Wh-What is it?
Is it something to cry over?
I hate you, Dad!
Just die!
Oh boy...
When I came back home that night...
we had a cake!
We got it from a regular customer of ours.
No!
Only after Dad comes home.
There, there.
You just have to wait a little more.
But it started getting late and Dad still hadn't come home.
That's strange.
I wonder if he's been caught up somewhere and is drinking or something...
Let's eat it up without him then.
Is that all right?
Yep, sure.
It's his punishment for being late.
Outside, the rain had turned into snow.
And yet Dad was still not home.
I was planning on apologizing. to Dad that night...
But the next morning...
- But the next morning... - Nakajima-san!
Nakajima-san!
It's terrible, Nakajima-san!
Dad!
Dad went away without even making up with me.
Dad, you moron!
The last thing I said to my dad was, "I hate you, Dad. Just die."
You want me to comfort you?
No, it's fine. I just wanted to say it to someone.
Then I'll just say one thing to you too, Takahito.
I say those words to someone almost every day.
I'll never say it again.
I promise you, Takahito.
You're a nice guy...
It's true!
I haven't been here in a year.
I've been avoiding this bridge and baseball.
As well as playing with my friends, laughing, or doing anything fun.
Takahito...
Dad had his hands full, you see...
His kids were still young.
He also had the elderly to take care of.
He bore all the burden.
I wonder just how much it hurt him to hear those words of mine.
I'd always thought that it was me who killed Dad.
Th-That's not it, Takahito!
It was a clumsy accident.
Yeah. I'm sure that it was an accident.
I understand that now, thanks to this glove.
He must have been scheming to buy this glove, become Santa, and surprise the hell out of me.
Yeah. But he died, and then it became an even bigger surprise.
Ichiro-kun, thank you for bringing the glove to me.
Despite my saying all those mean things to you.
That's all right.
You believe me now, right?
Nope.
I don't believe in ghosts and spirits.
Do I have to... believe in them?
I don't believe in them, but...
I want to meet my dad.
Just one time...
I really want to meet him.
Even a dream is fine...
Help me meet my dad... Even if it's just in a dream.
I-I'm sorry, but I can't really control that...
I'd always, always wanted a glove.
But in the end it didn't really matter.
I didn't...
I didn't want a glove in exchange for my father!
I shouldn't have ever wanted this glove!
If Dad had stayed with us, I would never have wanted this glove!
Never wanted... this glove.
Mister...
Takahito...
Dad...
I'm sorry, Takahito.
I'm really sorry for the pain I've caused you this past year.
Dad!
Dad, thank you for the glove.
But...
But there's nothing I wanted in place of you.
If you could just... If you were here then...
Idiot.
I know that.
Is this a dream, Dad?
Are we in a dream?
Maybe.
Well, Takahito, now that you have a glove...
shall we do it?
Don't worry.
I practiced.
I prepared myself for this.
Dad, you don't have to go so far away!
I-Is that so?
All right.
Here I go.
That one didn't count.
I won't count that one.
He's worse than Souta.
All right, here I go.
Over here, Dad. Right here.
Dad, I really love you.
You don't have to tell me that. I know it
Ever since you were born...
you've always loved me.
Oh...
So you knew that...
Don't tell me all we're getting this Christmas is a cake?!
Can't be helped.
Discussing it any further wasn't gonna get us any closer to a conclusion.
So we had no choice but to get a cake this year too.
Wh-What?!
Don't decide without me!
What's going to happen to my color TV?!
I have a question for you, young man.
What time do you think it is right now?
What were you doing?!
Look at everyone's faces.
Do you know why everyone's nose is runny?
You still weren't home when it was past seven.
It was snowing and it was dark.
Everyone was out looking for you!
Yeah, these runny noses didn't come easy.
What were you doing skipping out on our annual Christmas present battle?
With Grandpa's vote in, my fishing rod actually had a chance.
There were two votes with mine and Grandpa's.
We just needed Jiro's vote to decide the matter.
But I just wanted a pair of warm long Johns...
If Jiro was here, we would've had two votes for the washing machine.
One vote for Wataru-kun.
You idiot!
My color TV!
Don't be ridiculous!
You skipped out on the battle!
And since the cake is a participation prize, you won't even get to eat that!
That's right.
Dammit! Cut the crap, you guys!
All of you just die!
Ichiro! How can you say that!
You big idiot!
Yeah, why don't you die instead?!
-Yeah! - Hey, Ichiro!
Don't pretend you're sorry
I know you're not
You know you got the power
To make me weak inside
Girl you leave me breathless
But it's okay
'Cause you are my survival
Now hear me say
I can't imagine
Life without your love
Even forever don't seem like long enough
'Cause everytime I breathe I take you in
And my heart beats again
Baby I can't help it
You keep me drowning in your love
Everytime I try to rise above
I'm swept away by love
Baby I can't help it
You keep me drowning in your love
I met a weird girl at Mount Enkiri.
And she says she's gonna be freeloading at my place.
Her name is Rinko.
It seems that she's some distant relative of mine or something,
but I don't remember hearing about her at all.
Is this really true?
And then Rinko tells me to go to Mount Enkiri in the middle of the night.
Didn't we get told that we shouldn't go there?
And what time do you think it is now, anyway?
If you come with me, I'll give you something nice.
RINKO