Help Papa?
Is Papa in trouble?
I'm home!
What's that? What book?
"MIYAGI Playground Guide" (*Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi prefecture.)
"SENDAI - Shopping" (*Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi prefecture.)
Papa!
I want to go here!
Mama said she wants to go here!
Mie-chan?
But...
(This time, I think you're definitely wrong.)
(You always said to me...)
(Why do you always decide things yourself, as you like?)
(What am I here for, then?)
(You said that to me, right?)
(Right?)
(Then, let me ask you, what am I here for?)
(Am I that unreliable?) / No.
(You're right. If we stay here,)
(it would be easier and safe for us,)
(but we won't be happy.)
(The three of us have to stick together no matter how troubled we are.)
(Or else, I won't be happy!)
Mie-chan...
(Any objections?)
Objections, you said?
Mama won! / Heyy!
Hey...
Why did you make such a big decision on your own like that?!
We can't do anything about that.
But Sendai is so far! Right??
Well, I guess you won't be able to pass by our house coincidentally again.
What an annoying boy.
Mieko-san.
Are you really okay with this?
He will take you too, Chi-chan?
Of course!
Just asking!
So, it's Sendai...
Father, let's get commuter tickets!
For the Shinkansen, please prepare it! / Yes, yes...
Don't just say "yes, yes", do something about it!
I can't.
Mieko-san, we'll do our best!!
Chi-chan, Grandma will be so lonely. / Chizuru too.
I see. So you've decided.
Yes, sorry to worry you. / No, no.
Do your best!
By the way, you'll take Chizuru too, right?
No... just asking.
What's that, Father! Of course, they'll take her too.
Hello!
So, Mie-chan will go to Sendai, too?
Yeah, we've decided to go together.
I see...
Hey...
What do you think Mieko-chan and Naoko-chan are doing now?
Dunno...
Perhaps some of that girl talk.
Really.
Nakata, don't be discouraged!
Okay.
(There are many hard things we had to face,)
(but... Naoko,)
(I think,)
(compared to normal married couples,)
(we communicate a lot more.)
(Normal married couples would probably stop talking to each other as time passes by, right?)
(They'd stop looking at each other's faces...)
(But we won't be like that...)
(Because if that's the case... we'd understand nothing about each other.)
(If we keep talking face to face,)
(we'll be able to keep understanding each other.)
(Our feelings will also never be apart.)
(If we talk face to face,)
(we'll be able to solve most problems.)
(Go for it!!)
(It's gonna be alright! During childhood, you never lost to me in a fight, right?)
Naoko-chan?
Please be good to me...
Yes!! Yess!!
That's great!!
And so we moved in a hurry.
Compared to Tokyo, Sendai seems so relaxing, somehow..
Unexpectedly, this city might be an easy place for me to live.
That idiot...
Nobe-kun, let's go!
At first, I was nervous around the neighbors.
But I know them well now.
I don't know why we worried so much before coming here.
I'm home!!
I'm home!
Mama, I played dodgeball today at school.
With a ball, like this...
Really?? Mama, you were good at that?
Me?
Yeah, I always ran away. But it was fun.
So, I shouldn't run away?
What relieved me the most is the fact that Chizuru immediately blended in with her new surroundings.
Seems like she's having fun at school too. She tells me everything that happened at school so noisily everyday.
This is what relieved me the most.
I didn't notice that at this moment, Chizuru's little heart
had already started to feel pain.
I'm home. / Welcome home.
Chizuru, I'm home. / Welcome home.
Where should we go tomorrow Sunday?
Where should we go tomorrow?
But, I'm scared.
Maybe a part of me wants Chizuru not to run away but to face it.
Don't run away!
Chizuru, do your best!
Oh, no!!
Yay!! I hit Papa!
How mean!
"Parents' Day Notification" (*the day when parents may observe their children in class)
(I'm so happy! What class will I be able to see?)
Japanese language class.
Thanks for the meal!
Parents' Day!
That's cool! I want to go too!
Too bad, I have work.
Japanese class? Chizuru, how are you doing in this subject?
I want Papa to go.
I want Papa there.
Papa, please come! I want Papa to come.
What's wrong, Chizuru?
Papa, please come.
I'm sorry, but I have to go to work.
You'll have Mama there, anyway, right?
The others will have their Mamas come too, right?
No! I want Papa!!
It has to be Papa!
What's wrong, Chizuru?
Why does it have to be me?
Come on, tell me.
Chizuru?
If Mama comes, the others will stare.
They will laugh at me.
That's why, I want Papa to come.
What are you saying, Chizuru!!?
Did someone say something to you at school?? Lift up your face!
Someone said something to you, right??
Answer me!
Chizuru, answer me!!
Chizuru!!
Chizuru!?
Are you alright?
Ever since Chizuru was born...
someday...
I knew this would happen someday.
A part of me always knew.
Someday...
(Poor Chizuru...)
Chizuru's face when she answers me cheerfully, when she greets me,
and when she reads a textbook,
came into mind.
Normally, I never thought of it.
Why am I thinking this now?
I want...
to hear Chizuru's voice.
What kind of voice does Chizuru have?
What's her laughing voice like?
What's her angry voice like?
What kind of voice does Chizuru have?
So you're here to visit your grandchild? / That's right!
I don't look like a grandmother, right?
I don't, right? / No, you don't!
That's right.
That's Chi-chan!
Sorry, please stop!
Stop the car!
Your mom is weird! / Say something!
Nobe's mom is so weird! Why is she talking with her hands??
What are you boys doing!!!
Wait a minute!! What are your names??!
Grandma...
Do they always do that to you!!?
Does Papa and Mama know about this??
Chizuru!!
Why??
Don't tell Mama, please.
Don't tell Mama.
Or else Mama will cry.
Please, don't tell her. Promise me, Grandma.
I feel bad that I have to break my promise with Chi-chan, but...
I feel so upset!
So upset...
We can find out who those boys are,
I remember their faces, too.
Mom...
I will lecture them. Don't kid me!
Why must they do that to Chi-chan...
Don't you feel upset about this??
Of course I do.
I don't care if they're just children, I wish I could hit them!
That's right.
But...
But what can we gain if we do that?
In the end, Chizuru would feel the same.
It is something Chizuru has to go through with her own strength.
Well, that's right...
Thanks, Mom.
I'm going, then!
It will only be for a night. I'll be back tomorrow.
Will it be okay, Mie-chan?
Chizuru, I'm going! / Bye bye!
I feel like I'm falling apart...
You don't have to go.
You don't have to go to school.
You don't have to go outside. Just be together with me here forever.
I feel like saying all of these.
To know that in her little heart, she is keeping so much pain,
is such an unbearable feeling.
To know that it is because of me...
I feel like...
crying my heart out.
Is that so.
I'm very sorry. Seems like I always bring bad news.
What are you saying? / Yes...
Hirofumi-san.
I feel frustrated.
It's frustrating,
that as her parent, I can't do anything.
I can't do anything.
I can't do anything for Mie-chan nor Chizuru.
Nobe-kun.
It's frustrating.
It'll be alright.
Chizuru will be alright.
She's Mieko's child!
She also... Mieko also experienced it.
When she was a child, she wore a hearing aid in her ear.
She was often mocked.
What are you wearing??
Furthermore, she went to a school for the deaf.
Different than the school the neighbors' kids went to.
She...
always cried when she came home, at first.
But, in the end... Right?
She received a reward for perfect attendance.
Amazing, right?
This is the reward medal.
She really did her best everyday.
So, she'll be alright.
She's Mieko's child, anyway. She's strong.
Chizuru will be alright.
Perfect Attendance Prize Takeda Mieko March 20, 1986. Tokyo Elementary School for the Deaf.
Naoko-chan.
Can you tell me about Mie-chan's childhood?
What kind of child was she?
It reminds me of my own childhood.
It was also very hard for me.
Why must I be the only one to suffer like this?
There were times when I thought like that.
But...
...it was about myself.
It might be harder for Chizuru.
If only I could bear the pain in her place.
What's this!! We don't understand this!
Shut up!!
Nobe's mother is weird!
Weird! Weird! Weird!
What are you doing??!
Stop it! Stop it!
What's the matter with you, Chizuru-chan!?
Stop it!!!
If you have thoughts concerning what happened today during break time, please speak up.
I think Chizuru's mother is pitiful.
That's what I think too.
I don't think we should say anything like that about a pitiful person.
We have to be kind to them.
That's right.. That's right..
We're sorry!
I'm very sorry, I didn't realize.
Please, you have to come to Parents' Day!
Everyone will read their essays. Essays.
Really?
What should we do about Parents' Day?
(I want you to go.)
Is that okay?
You want to see her, right?
Right?
Mie-chan, you want to see Chizuru in class, right?
Am I right?
I think I can take a half-day off, but...
Don't do that.
But, is that okay with you?
Alright, fine!
(What's Chizuru's voice like?)
A cute voice.
The cutest voice in the world.
(I thought so too.)
I'll go to Parents' Day.
That's better, right?
(Do your best!)
What's wrong, Chizuru?
Mama, you don't want to see me?
You don't want to see Chizuru studying in class?
"You don't want to see me?" she asked.
Chizuru wants Mama to see!!
I want Mama to see me!
Chizuru will read an essay, you know. I can read it well.
I want Mama to see me reading the essay.
Mama, you have to come!!
(Really?)
Will you come?
Mama, will you come?
I'm sorry.
Mama, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for being a bad girl.
Chizuru, I'm sorry.
I made you endure such pain. I'm really sorry.
But, hang in there!
I hope you'll be able to handle many other hard things too, from now on.
Rise!
Greet!
Good morning!
Sit.
Parents' Day is finally here!
Are you feeling nervous? / Yes.. yes..
(Is it really alright if I go?)
(Won't I just bring more sorrow for her?)
Will it bring sorrow for Chizuru?
But she's the one who wants you to come, right?
So, let's go!
She said she wants more. So she gave her a snack.
It was a very delicious cake.
The end.
Good job!
Okay, next is Nobe Chizuru-chan!
Please come forward and read your essay.
"My Mother"
by Nobe Chizuru.
My mother is deaf.
The other day, in class...
everyone said my mother is pitiful.
But I don't think my mother is pitiful.
My mother is beautiful, very stylish,
she's also very good at dodgeball and fast at running,
she's good at drawing, she's good at tying up my hair,
her cooking is very delicious, too.
When she's angry, she looks scarier than my father.
But my father loves my mother very much.
I also love my mother very much.
So, I don't think my mother is pitiful at all.
The end.
Thank you, Chizuru!
Thank you!
She read it in a loud, clear voice.
I can hear you, Chizuru!
Although I cannot hear it with my ears,
I can hear it in my heart.
Your wonderful voice.
I can hear it!
Chizuru!
subbed by yanie
edited by jenn