My wife Michiru was an ordinary woman who lived in a small town in Nagasaki.
Here's 5,000 yen. Buy me 16 tickets.
She was asked by her colleagues at work to buy lottery tickets. One of those tickets somehow...
Congratulations.
First prize, 200 million yen!
What...?
The fact of hitting the 200-million-yen jackpot stirred all the wrong feelings in my wife's heart.
Sis won't be coming back home, right?
Nowadays, disconnecting the phone is like cutting off family ties.
Having left her hometown and renewed herself, Michiru was on the verge of starting a new life.
- Cheers! - Cheers~
However...
It's an guy I don't know.
Your boyfriend?
It can't be...
aozorasubs
Life Story of
Bookstore Clerk Michiru
What now... What should I do...?
Episode 5: Cleaning Up
Michiru-chan! It's me.
Maybe we shouldn't open the door.
Let's wait until senpai gets back. Okay?
No... Takei shouldn't meet him.
And why is that?
I just feel like it.
Please! Open the door!
It's okay. He's not the violent type.
Michiru-chan!
Hey!
Michiru-chan...
I'm glad I could meet you...
Come in.
I'm glad I could meet you.
Kyutaro.
From whom did you get this address?
Who's she?
My friend.
Are you living together?
I live here alone.
Hey, Kyutaro.
From whom did you hear about this place?
Answer me.
Michiru-chan, sit down.
Let the two of us talk properly.
Say...
We've been dating for a year already, right?
Why do you not tell me everything?
'Everything'...
Even though until now, I've told you about anything I could.
Hey...
Am I that unreliable?
But...
But I somehow got the full picture.
'Somehow'?
But, I...
I'm ready to accept them all.
Um... If it's the lottery tickets, I've sent them all back.
Lottery tickets?
What's that about?
No, nothing.
Father told me...
"Take care of Michiru".
Father?
He consulted me to help in finding you.
His daughter's been missing the whole time.
Don't you realize how much you've made us worry, Michiru-chan?!
I'm sorry.
Michiru-chan, don't underestimate adults.
Excuse me, but could you leave us alone?
I'm her friend, so I'll stay here.
Tsk.
Michiru-chan.
Tell me the things you were unsatisfied with.
Was it because we dined at a family restaurant on your birthday?
Was it because I gave you fishing rods as a present?
We're getting married, right?
It's already...
That...
...we're related that way already.
That's what everyone thought.
Everyone, that is.
What...?
That surprised me...
Though we're jewelers, we're dealing with repairing watches and selling 20-30 thousand-yen rings.
But even so, I don't plan to cause you any hardship!
I'm planning ahead properly!
I've even gotten hold of routes to bring in cheap second-hand branded watches to sell!
No... Tell me whatever it is that's no good!
Kyutaro...
What in the world do you know about me?
Are you trying to make me speak instead?
Isn't that too cruel...
My wife had never seen Kyutaro smoke, until that time.
That time, had not Kyutaro smoked...
...such a terrible thing as that might not have happened.
That's what my wife said much later on.
Yes.
Hello.
It's Tateishi.
Are you at home?
No, I'm at work.
Oh, great. Fine to talk?
Well, yeah. I'm working right now, though.
Kazuki-san, did I not cause you trouble?
Yeah?
Well, Furukawa-san's boyfriend went there, didn't he?
Hey~ Give me a break!
He even came to my house... I'm beaten.
As I thought, I caused you trouble. I'm so sorry!
I don't get the point.
Why would she be connected with me?
That's true.
You won't have anything with that girl... Right?
That's impossible, right?
Yeah...
Well, I said "I don't know anything", and told him to just go home.
I'll be making up next time. Till this month's end, then.
Bye.
It's... Koujunsha's Toyomasu right?
That guy's also bothered.
You met him?
Yeah...
I see.
Just for this intended trivial affair...
You even troubled yourself to rent a place just to stay here in Tokyo. It's a bother to the guy, too.
He said that?
He won't but...
He told me we should go back home for your sake and gave me this place's address.
That's a lie.
Don't lie!
You're such a kid!
He's probably even dating Tateishi-san, too.
That can't be...
Please stop it already.
It's over.
And since it's over... Let's forget it.
Nowadays, an affair or two...
...can still be fixed.
It should be forgotten as soon as possible...
I won't think about it anymore.
Anyway...
Let's go back to Nagasaki.
No... wait!
Okay? Come back with me!
I don't want to!
Father's waiting for us!
Stop it!
Come home, Michiru-chan!
Let go of me!
Let's go home, Michiru-chan!
Kyutaro, stop it!
Let's go home!
Stop it-
Kyutaro.
Kyutaro?
Kyutaro!
I thought I had to save Michiru-san...
Kyutaro!
Chiaki-chan!
Good evening.
Has Furukawa contacted you?
I can't reach her phone.
I see...
Your father's worried, isn't he?
Yes.
Actually...
Furukawa told me about her new number.
Is that so?
Wanna try calling her now?
Yes.
Hatsuyama-san, that's enough.
If she really is in trouble, she'll call.
Well, that's true.
But tell me when you need to contact her, okay?
Thank you so much.
I'll go ahead.
Good evening.
Michiru-chan, it's dangerous not to lock the door.
Sorry for disturbing.
Senpai! I didn't mean to do it!
What happened?
Takei.
Call an ambulance, please.
Call quickly.
Kyutaro will die...
Kyutaro?
That time...
This person had been taking Michiru-san away forcefully...
So... with this, I...!
I had to save Michiru-san! I didn't mean it!
Calm down.
It's not your fault.
I know you won't hit people for nothing.
Takei...
Take him to the hospital, please...
What can be done bringing a dead person to the hospital?
Dead person...?
Then, the police...!
What would you do upon calling the police?
"What would you do", what?!
Michiru-chan, calm down.
Let's try and think it through.
To think that person used my precious present as an ash tray...
To think he can't even tell a fruit bowl from an ash tray...
At this time, what would you have done?
We should call the police...
It would bring us trouble if we let the police know.
What do you mean by 'trouble'?
Think it through, Michiru-chan.
What happened here tonight?
That person hit Kyutaro with the frypan...
...and he died.
Isn't that self-defense?
Takakura-san hit that man to protect you, didn't she?
But...
But the police...
Once the police knows, it will be awful trouble.
The police will come, then the media, the newspapers, the magazines...
It will be known as "The Frypan Murder Case" or something...
...and will cause an big uproar.
You can imagine that, right?
But that can't be helped...
The police will investigate thoroughly.
Who is that man?
Where did he come from?
How is he related to Michiru-chan?
Why did he come?
Why is Michiru-chan in Tokyo?
What started it in the first place?
What's in Michiru-chan's rucksack, from this to that...
It will be investigated mercilessly.
To Michiru, it was a breathless moment, as if the whole world had stopped.
Even so, everything else of the night flowed on.
Hatsuyama-san said Sis has made contact.
I see.
Huh? Aren't you worried?
Kyutaro-kun will take her back anyhow.
What?
This evening, he made a call from Tokyo.
Kanbayashi Jewelry Shop, they're good.
I asked him to.
I see.
The summer vacation's over.
Kyutaro-kun will end it for her.
Eighth prize, 4 tickets.
Hatsuyama-san withdrew, so the 2 of us will split the prize.
We each get 600 yen, I see.
We each get a 4,200-yen loss.
Say, how long has it been?
Hmm?
Around 10 years, I guess.
Haven't you considered things like marriage?
Sure, I have.
But even before this, my mother's body was already weak. So I think it's decided.
But, well...
Getting married doesn't mean you'll become happy, right?
Sometimes, I feel like running away.
Oh... surprising. Sawada-san too?
If I could leave everything as it is and disappear, I wonder how much I would be at ease.
But I can't leave my mother.
Ugh~! If only one of these had been the jackpot ticket~
What's up?
Honey?
Did the guy this morning come back again?
Your card bill has arrived, and somehow it looks weird.
You haven't gone to Oohama Hot Springs on the 22nd of July,
have you?
Oh... um.
Oh, just a moment. I'm in a meeting right now, I'll talk to you later.
Yeah. So sorry~
This is bad.
First is the confirmation.
Michiru-chan, did you know this man was coming today?
Did he contact you himself or something?
Contact...
Kyutaro doesn't know my new mobile number.
He came alone, right?
About 1 hour ago, he came here by himself.
Then...
Can't we go back an hour and pretend like nothing has happened?
What do you mean?
Only the 3 of us know this man came here.
If we act like nothing happened,
there shouldn't be a problem at all.
Another person...
...the guy who gave him this place's address is that publisher right?
Named Toyomasu or something.
Yeah...
Michiru-chan, you mustn't confide in him anymore.
It's definitely not doing you any good, Michiru-chan.
What're you doing?!
It's okay with that.
What?!
To make it as though he hasn't come here before,
he wouldn't have to go out, with his shoes on as well.
I don't understand what you're saying...
We'll put his shoes back on and carry him outside.
Michiru-chan, you wouldn't want to live with a dead body forever, would you?
What're you planning to do with Kyutaro?
We'll let him disappear in the deep forest.
We'll send him in halfway, though.
In this kind of situation, generally, we'll bury him.
But you see, that's a very shallow way of thinking, actually.
It is the thought of trying to hide him by burying that criminal intent becomes obvious.
It's okay if we just throw him away.
Even if they found his bones in the forest...
He might have just fallen or committed suicide.
His bones might not even be found at all.
That would depend on our luck.
Takei, stop kidding me.
Are you out of your mind?
A person had died, you know?
That's why I'm thinking.
So Michiru-chan can live with peace of mind from now on...
...we'll let that man disappear in the woods.
青木ヶ原の樹海 = forest at northwest base of Mount Fuji; famous for suicides
Shall it be in the Sea of Trees?
We'll transport the body with my part-time's van.
You'll use that van from the tutoring school?
Not that, Michiru-san.
Senpai quit that tutoring part-time a long time ago.
Now, he's working as an assistant in cooking classes.
Michiru-chan...
You really have no interest in me.
But, you see...
From now on, you'll have no choice but to rely on me.
Since I will always be your ally.
That night, Takei Teruo was like a different person.
He was nothing like the man who served her with a soft demeanor.
He did the job with so much composure as though it was planned.
As if she was a possessed doll,
Michiru couldn't do anything but watch them clean up.
To be continued
I want to move out of that place.
You better not do that.
Don't forget
Unnaturalities
get
This is the shape of your fortune right?
Last Sunday... Kanbayashi-kun? He came here, right?
Where did we cross paths, I wonder?
Doko de kake chigaeta no darou
どこでかけ違えたのだろう
What in the world are you talking about?
Something hidden
I don't get it even now
ima to nareba wakaranai
今となれば分からない
First prize is 200 million yen, it seems.
Samayou you ni Step out mou atomodori wa dekinai
Like to wander about and Step out, but can't go back anymore
彷徨うように Step out もう後戻りはできない
What?! 200 million yen in this town?
Step out
Michiru-chan, are you perhaps... hiding anything from me?
You were holding onto something that moment, down, down, down, down
Kimi wa sono toki nanika wo daite down, down, down, down
キミはその時 何かを抱いて down, down, down, down
Translator: yuizaki_libra/Ruu
down,
down
Furueru sono mi wo okizari ni shite doko e mukau
Leaving that trembling body behind, where are you headed for?
震えるその身 を 置き去りにして どこへ向かう
Timer/Typesetter: Ruu
Karaoke Timer/FX: Mitsu
Naze unmei no mama saigo no KAADO wo kazasazu
Why while in fate, you didn't hold out your last card?
なぜ運命のまま 最後のカードをかざさず
QCs: SacredCultivator, Ruu, Jess
That shows the shape of your fortune
You're in a state where you can't believe
Shinjirarenai mama
信じられないまま
Encoder: SacredCultivator
Is it Ace of Spades or the only Joker
The future that connects to hope has also Run out
Kibou wo tsunagu mirai mo Run out
希望をつなぐ未来も Run out
Like this forever, ever, and evermore You're alone
このまま ずっとずっとずっと You’re alone
Kono mama zutto, zutto, zutto, You're alone