March
(This is Kohinata)
(Sorry to bother you again)
(How about that dinner?)
Good bye
How troublesome
It’s troublesome
What's the matter?
For the first time in a while,
we've been assigned a pupil for training.
I owe them a favour,
so I can't turn them down.
Ah, it's the training season.
The big law firms probably take in many such apprentices
Our pupil is a woman
and our firm, with its female boss, is deemed suitable for her.
There are more women in our profession now
And, as a result, more sexual harassment cases involving pupils.
Which is why...
Kakei-sensei, if you please.
But based on what you've just said,
wouldn't it be awkward for a man to mentor her?
Nevertheless, that won't do at all.
It'd be ridiculous
to be prevented from working with men just because you're female.
There should be no sexual discrimination at work
And with Kakei-sensei in charge,
I've got no worries on that point.
Does that mean...
they've found out that I'm gay?
In that respect, men may also feel discriminated against.
Not all men view women in that way.
Most men treat women with respect
Please be proof of that
If that's the case,
very well.
(As for next week,)
(I'm available on Tuesday and Friday evenings.)
I sense a heap of trouble heading my way
But I'm sorry for your pupil
Why?
Because
her mentor is an older gentleman,
an outstanding lawyer, and single.
For a young woman,
it would feel like destiny calling.
Except that the man is gay.
Nothing is more sad than that
I'm in awe of your ability to think like a young lady
But the fact is, people don't bring ideas of romantic relationships to their workplace.
Everyone is usually rational, surprisingly.
You're the same
It's indeed difficult to have a relationship at work
Hence it's important to have a partner
That's true
- Here - Got it
But even though you have no romantic intentions,
the girl might be the one to make the first move.
Next Tuesday, I'm meeting some friends from my beauty academy days,
so I won't be home in the evening.
Listen. Even if she invites you to dinner,
- you mustn't go. - I won't.
Shiro, you must be more careful.
Caught off-guard, you'd be eaten alive.
What am I, a small animal?
- It won't happen - It's dangerous
Thank you for your trouble
I'm Nagamori Yumi. Pleased to meet you.
Likewise. I don't know if I have anything to teach you.
I'm sure you do. Uemachi-sensei says
you're an excellent lawyer.
I'm certain I'll learn a great deal here
I'd be most grateful for your guidance.
This is going to be a problem. She is a very nice girl.
Let's leave immediately for the Tokyo District Court
Ok
The civil suit was initiated to seek compensation for damaged equipment
The first hearing is today
- We're on the plaintiff's side - Yes
- We're off - We're off
- It's 20 minutes by train. - Ok
Kakei-sensei, don't you get around by car?
I don't drive
Public transport schedules are more precise
And our profession has given me a fear of getting into traffic accidents
Are all lawyers like this?
No, there are many who drive.
All the ones at the top drive very nice cars
It's just me who is tight-fisted and faint-hearted.
Is that so
Wha... what's that smile for?
Oh no. Don't tell me she's impressed by my plain speaking.
This is troublesome
How awkward
I'm so sorry
It's my fault. Are you ok?
I'm fine
Let's go
(Sorry to bother you again. This is Kohinata.)
(I'd really like the two of us to meet sometime)
I seem... to be in great demand.
What did you eat yesterday? Episode 6
(Court)
Disappointed? All we've done today is to set the schedule.
No. Sorry.
Don't worry, there'll be other more challenging cases.
You'll be able to learn a lot from them.
I'll try to be less of an imposition on you,
and work harder.
This is bad. Bad.
Oh it's Kenji
(Our party is really kicking off, so I won't be home till late.)
(Got it)
(You haven't gone out with that girl, have you!?)
(No I haven’t)
What's with this weird sense of guilt,
when I haven’t even done anything wrong.
Good evening
Oh, hello.
Sorry for requesting this meeting so persistently
Not at all
Anyway, Wataru's behaviour is getting more and more outrageous.
That time when we were going on holiday: on the morning of our departure,
the clothes he wanted to wear were still at the dry cleaners.
He started bawling
If we didn't leave within 30 minutes,
we'd miss our flight.
Oh
Sorry
If they were open, I'd go immediately.
But it's 8 in the morning. They're closed.
Excuse me!
- You went? - I did.
Could someone let me in
Open up!
But of course nobody came
So, up to the time of our departure,
I was frantically trying to placate him.
Thanks to my profuse apologies,
we managed to catch the Narita Express.
That must have been difficult
- Kakei-san - Yes?
I also feel that I've reached my limit
Kakei-san, do you remember when we first met?
Yes
I don't know why, but I started
to complain to you about Wataru.
What is this? More trouble.
On the pretext of discussing boyfriend troubles,
he's actually hitting on me, isn't he?
Bad. This is bad.
What's worse, he's totally my type.
No, what am I saying?
This is a mess
Kakei-san
I've sent you several invitations
I wanted to see you because...
No, Kohinata-san, you can't.
I've got a boyfriend whom I'm living with
- What? - Eh?
Dai-chan!
Wataru-kun! Over here!
Sorry I'm late
This is Inoue Wataru, my boyfriend.
I kept asking to meet you
because I wanted to introduce you to him.
Good evening. I'm Wataru.
Nice to meet you
What happened just now....
Sorry about that
It was nothing, Kohinata-san.
So, you're the beautiful youth who resembles Gilbert.
But you look very much like an ordinary young man
Dai-chan, you keep saying that.
No, I just meant that he is Gilbert to me.
What “limit” were you talking about?
I meant reaching the limit of my strength in satisfying 100% of Wataru's desires
I see
That was totally misleading
Judging by the mood just now,
you'd definitely think he was coming on to me.
And I must say Wataru doesn't seem to care about clothes at all
That's casual wear; why would such clothes be taken to the cleaners?
And he seems like a nice guy
Could he really have behaved in such an unreasonable way?
If you don't mind, Wataru-san, could you tell me how old you are?
I've just turned 30
30?
For one thing, he's no beautiful young man!
- Time flies, doesn't it - Yes, yes
- So adorable. - Right?
What's wrong with those two guys
Kenji, you're in here.
Welcome home, Shiro.
I think I drank too much
Suddenly I got an awful headache, so I left before everyone else.
Are you ok?
Yes. I had a nap and I feel much better now
Eh?
You've been drinking too
Yes, I drank a little with Osamu-sensei.
I see
Go to bed quickly. You've got work tomorrow.
Sorry
- Good night - Good night
Why did I lie?
This means I should settle out of court?
- That's the gist of it - Cut the crap!
There's no doubt that the hospital's error killed my mother
The judgment will be in my favour
I won't be satisfied till I've taken all that I can.
Ikuina-san, even if the court can prove that the hospital had made a mistake,
the demand that you've made
will not be met by the hospital...
My beloved mother has been killed!
You just think I'm a nuisance
and that the death of an 80-year-old is par for the course.
Ikuina-san, even if you win the case,
all you'd get is money.
Money is important
Yes it is
If being awarded damages that exceed the settlement payment
would make you feel better,
I'd agree that we need to proceed with the lawsuit.
But what you really want
isn't money, is it?
Our conditions for settling are: that we get
a detailed account of how your mother died
from the attending doctor,
and, as far as possible, an apology.
Those are our conditions.
Ikuina-san
The court can make the defendant pay up,
but it cannot make them apologise.
I recommend that you settle with the hospital
What a bereaved family really wants from the hospital
is the truth about their loved one's death,
and their sincere support; or so I've heard.
Well, the degree of sincerity determines the size of the payout.
That's what my peers say
Kakei-sensei, do you often handle medical malpractice lawsuits?
No, I'm not good with them. This time, we reached a settlement.
But if we don't actually win the case,
we'd get very little remuneration.
And hospitals are insured, so they won't suffer any great financial loss.
For lawyers, malpractice lawsuits
are certainly a good way to earn more money.
That's why lawyers home in on
bereaved families still raw with grief,
and instigate them to sue the hospitals.
Fewer suitable people are taking up obstetrics & paediatrics
Yes
In my opinion, the recent shortage of doctors is
partly due to lawyers' reckless pursuit of money.
Wait a minute
A forty-something lawyer who says these things...
Don't tell me that's her type?
Even so, I'm happy to handle medical malpractice lawsuits.
The payout from just one case is huge
so our cut of it would be bigger too.
Fine words are all very well,
but work involves more than just ideals.
Things are getting worse
Now I'm coming across as a mature, broad-minded person.
- Kakei-sensei - Yes?
I thought that practising lawyers
who spoke of their professional ideals
would be regarded as idiots.
But even though you're not a human rights lawyer, Kakei-sensei,
you've confronted the profession's contradictions,
while adhering to your own principles and working diligently.
That's wonderful!
Sensei, you're amazing!
What am I going to do?
I'm in big trouble. What should I do?
I should be more direct with her.
No, a cute girl like her
probably has one or two boyfriends.
She does. She definitely has a boyfriend.
Or rather, please let her have a boyfriend!
- Nagamori-san - Yes?
Do you have a boyfriend?
Damn
As she feels that she is being perceived in that way,
it would be difficult, wouldn't it, for the two of you to work together.
I'm sorry
No, it was me who was short-sighted.
After all, you're an attractive single man.
No, that's not...
From tomorrow, Nagamori-san will be mentored by Osamu-sensei instead.
Osamu is a family man. That should put Nagamori-san at ease.
I am really...
Don't let it bother you too much
Most people don't bring ideas of romantic relationships to their workplace
Of course, neither do you.
No, I don't.
However,
you might just happen to meet someone there.
Kakei-sensei
you were a little too eager, weren't you.
Yes?
What was all that about?
Rejected twice in a row by people I don't even fancy...
No. I misunderstood them, didn't I?
Wasn't it me who was too self-conscious?
I don't want to do anything today
I'll just make hotpot. Boiled chicken thighs are pretty good.
How much more is god going to torment me
Chicken wings, and it's Hinai chicken too. [Hinai: special breed of chicken]
That's expensive! 650 yen for chicken wings is totally unreasonable.
(HALF PRICE)
Oh god
To a large quantity of water, add konbu [kelp] and sake.
Place the chicken wings in the water and boil.
Skim off the foam. Before Kenji comes home,
boil at low heat for around 40 minutes.
Since it's hotpot today, I don't have to cook anything else, do I?
I'm exhausted
Sensei, you're amazing!
I've sent you several invitations. I wanted to see you because...
I'll try to be less of an imposition on you, and work harder.
You were a little too eager, weren't you.
I don't know why, but I started...
I'd be most grateful for your guidance.
No, I should make kinpira [sauted and simmered dish] too.
Put takanotsume chili, lotus root and sesame oil in the frying pan
Coat the ingredients in the oil
Add sake, sugar, mentsuyu [dipping sauce], mirin and a little vinegar to season.
Adding vinegar to lotus root kinpira
sharpens the flavours of the dish.
Next, the hotpot ingredients have to be chopped up.
Cut the Chinese cabbage and mizuna into chunks
Cut the green onions diagonally
Cut a block of tofu into 8 portions
Halve each shiitake mushroom
Making a cross-incision on each mushroom is too troublesome
Next, resume skimming off the foam in the pot.
Then wait for Kenji to come home.
I'll start cooking the harder chunks of Chinese cabbage first
- I'm home - Welcome home
- It's boiled chicken today. - Oh good, hotpot.
The weather is still a little cold
The other ingredients can go into the pot now.
For the dipping sauce, I'll just use whatever is in the fridge.
Today I'll use ponzu shouyu [type of sauce] & yuzukoshou [type of seasoning]
Smells great
Looks delicious
Shiro? Where are you?
Where are you?
Idiot. Eat up.
Ok
- Let's eat - Let's eat
Although they're a bit fiddly to eat,
the boiled chicken wings are delicious
They really are. What a discovery.
My troubles have yielded a good result
Troubles? What happened, Shiro?
Nothing. Well actually,
there was a bit of bother at work.
I see
Oi! Just because it's good doesn't mean you should stuff yourself.
Eh? Are you going to tell me to "eat till I'm 80% full" again?
There's more to come
Hot, hot, hot
Heat some rice used for gruel, and unwrap it.
Rinse the stickiness off with water
Add the rice to the remaining soup in the pot
Season lightly with salt. Finally...
Cover the pot and turn the heat off.
This is the best!
The hotpot's delicious flavour has ended up here
The rice has absorbed the chicken stock
The combination of the mild rice soup and the kinpira
makes me want to eat till I drop.
That's why you shouldn't eat too much
Eat till you're 80% full
There, you've said it.
Good
You look more relaxed now than you did earlier
You're right
I ate some takanotsume chili
It's spicy
What? A Gilbert with facial hair and bed head?
That's not Gilbert at all
Right? Even so, Kohinata-san
went to the convenience store late at night,
and banged on the dry cleaners' closed shutters.
A perfect slave
And Gilbert-Wataru was wearing
a t-shirt with a picture of a hedgehog.
What's more, it wasn't really a hedgehog,
just an ordinary mouse holding up needles, like this.
No way. That's hilarious! How weird is that!
What's up with those two!?
Then again, I'd like to meet this Kohinata-san and Gilbert-Wataru.
- I'll introduce them to you next time - Great
I’d love to meet them
What a relief. Thanks to Gilbert's impact,
I managed to hide the fact that I had dinner with Kohinata-san.
But in the first place,
I'm not the popular guy Kenji worries that I am.
- Kohinata-san is weird too - Kohinata-san...
Gilbert-Wataru doesn't eat much, does he?
What type do you like?
Me? Well...
I'd really like to learn that from you