September
He's the Kakei I mentioned
We met during legal training
Oh Kakei-san
Pleased to meet you. Congratulations on your wedding.
Thank you very much
My husband often talks about you.
He wasn't complimentary, I'm sure.
We were young at the time, weren't we.
If you'd met during training,
then Kakei-san, you must be Koichi's contemporary, right?
Yes
- Can't you tell we're the same age - Eh?
Absolutely not.
- Come on - What's more, he's single!
No way! Too bad I'm already married.
Hey, you should have introduced him to me earlier.
That sounded a bit like you meant it.
You're such a great couple
Where did you meet?
At a matchmaking party
- Inevitably... - Matchmaking...
Excuse me, I'm the boss of Megumi, the bride.
I'm a paralegal at Suganuma-san's office
Ah, that eminent law firm.
- Pleased to meet you - Pleased to meet you
All of you have impressive careers
- Thank you - When Megumi first joined the company,
I took very good care of her...
Thanks to me, she has found a good husband.
It was fate...
Right now, I desperately want one of those wedding rings.
Your affair has been discovered?
Yes, and by my 15-year old daughter.
At the moment, I'm seeing Sejima-san.
Sejima... you mean our client Sejima-san?
I'm the one who does her hair
When did you...
When we were in Shibuya,
we just happened to be spotted by my daughter.
Later, she started behaving strangely. My wife got worried.
Thinking there was a problem at school,
she had a talk with my daughter.
And that was when she revealed her father's infidelity?
Your poor daughter
Why, among the swarms of people in Shibuya,
did she have to spot me?
- That hurts - That's not what you should be lamenting
And then what? Knowing you, Hiro-chan,
- you must have brazened it out? - Of course I did
"What are you talking about? I was just shopping with a client."
Standing your ground: that's the most basic of all the basics.
So you've resolved the situation for now, haven't you.
But...
What?
When a conclusive split occurs, I think
it's going to be very hard.
Even so, I want to be a good father. I'm serious.
Such words mean nothing when spoken by an unfaithful husband
Stop moralising
Marriage can be miserable too
There are times when you feel terribly lonely
Finally. I can eat.
This is as good as I'd expected
I should be able to make this sauce myself
Yes we were particular about our rings, but they weren't expensive.
- We even had our names engraved on them - Look
Very pretty
Here you are
What did you eat yesterday? Episode 9
What?
It's only you that I'm confiding in, Ken-chan.
I'd never tell the youngsters at the salon
that my daughter had discovered my affair.
- Hiro-chan - What
I'm not one to gossip
When I was young, I cheated and lied too.
- And I know very well how you feel - Right?
That terrible loneliness…
Nevertheless, I must say this:
What?
I'm not completely on your side
Don't you know how fortunate you are
If you don't want to split up, you have to treasure your partner.
I'm exhausted
And hungry
In the end, I didn't get to eat much.
What shall I cook
What a drag
So troublesome
Kenji's not here today
This will go bad if it's not used up
I'll make "Neapolitan" [Japanese spaghetti with ketchup]
I'm tucking in
It's good to be able to use so many ingredients even when cooking for oneself
Delicious
This meal is much appreciated
Actually, when there's only one person,
this is generally how dinner is dealt with.
When living alone, it'd be pasta, curry or some such carb-based main dish.
And, at best, something like boiled broccoli as a side.
Ultimately, I can make
a large variety of elaborate dishes every day
only because Kenji is here.
All things considered, that guy's presence should be treasur~...
... is very good for one's health.
- I'm home - Welcome home
You're already home
It was a wedding, so I thought you'd be drinking till late.
Not really
Everyone is getting too old for that
Are you hungry?
Didn't you have dinner with your boss?
I didn't eat much
There's some leftover rice and sliced dried daikon [type of radish]
Great!
I'll wash my hands
There isn't much rice
While heating the rice,
remove the pit from an umeboshi [pickled plum].
Mash it lightly
Char some seaweed to make mominori [crumbled toasted seaweed]
Top the rice with mashed umeboshi and wasabi
Sprinkle with sesame seeds; add konbucha [infusion of seaweed]
What else have you made?
It's ochazuke [Japanese tea rice]!
And now for the mominori
Looks delicious
Don't forget there's daikon too
So good
Is it
It was so annoying today
My boss is cheat~...
... I mean, my boss was complaining & I had to listen.
Couldn't get any food down
But home-cooked food is still the best
Is it
Hey Kenji
Your birthday is coming soon
Yes
What would you think if I suggested buying a pair of matching rings?
Hey Kenji! Kenji!
Are you ok?
- Eh?! - No need to shout
Are you kidding? Of course I want it! I want it so much!
But why, Shiro?
Why the change of heart?
It will ward people off at the next wedding reception
Wearing a ring is a relatively easy way to avoid trouble
Shiro. They must have gone crazy over you today.
You've misunderstood
But whatever the reason...
- ... I want it! - Do you
I want it! I want it! Please get me a ring.
All right, tell me your size and I'll go and buy it.
It’s weird for 2 men to visit a jeweller together. I'll go myself.
As for the design, something simple will do, right?
But I don't know what the size of my ring finger is
You don't?'
Do you know what your ring finger size is?
No I don't
Ok, ok, how about this:
You go to the shop first and buy the one you like,
& lend it to me now & then. One ring should settle it.
- It'd be cheaper too... - No, I can't do that.
Hey, this isn't the same as clothes.
Finger sizes are all over the place for different people
"Hmm around size 13"... that isn’t how it works!
Also, your fingers are thin.
My ring wouldn't fit you; it'd definitely be too loose.
And, for a start, it's for protecting yourself at wedding receptions, right?
If you wear a ring that doesn't fit,
it'd be useless, and might even have the opposite effect.
Women are very sharp about such things
Are they
It's decided. Next Tuesday evening, the two of us will go ring shopping.
- It's decided. - Ok
- Ouch - Back to eating
Hm? Shino-san.
Are these the only new requests for legal services this month?
Yes, though that isn't the final list.
Are there fewer cases? But we're still pretty busy.
No. It's just that all of them are divorce cases.
This month, there are no consultations about anything else.
That does seem to be the case
It is difficult to live with a person for the rest of your life, isn't it.
As someone who's considering marriage, I find such figures worrying.
No need to be so pessimistic, surely?
There are people with happy families
Kakei-sensei, sometimes I envy you.
Being single is great
Married or divorced, I think everyone should do as they like.
But... then again...
Now and then, when eating alone,
it's possible to feel a little lonely.
Is that so?
Sometimes I prefer to be home alone,
free to eat whatever I like.
Well, without family to consider, there's less stress.
Osamu-sensei, you want karaage and ramen,
and other kinds of greasy food, don't you?
No, no.
Kakei-sensei, do you have someone to eat with?
Eh? No... well, in a way...
It's wonderful, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
What to do?
Down to these two, but I still have to choose…
This one is better, after all.
- It looks very good on you. - Really?
What a dilemma!
- Hold on to this - Ok
What kind of ring would you like, sir?
Since they're matching rings,
your preferences should also be considered.
- No, I... eh? - You should try them on too
Hey, isn't this one better?
Yes, it's nice.
It is?
I'm so sorry
Can I take another look at the first one?
Of course
This one is lovely as well
This one is more gorgeous, isn't it.
But the one just now is better
It's simple, but feels elegant.
What should I do? I'm so confused.
You're enjoying this, aren't you.
Of course I am
If not now, when else would I get to do this?
- Right? - Right.
I've decided. The simple one is better.
Thank you. For dates & initials inside the rings,
we have a free engraving service. Would you be interested in it?
Yes, I'd like my birthday & our initials on the rings...
- Just the date will do - No
The initials must be there
- Please put them in - Ok
- How adorable - It's nice
You're size 20, aren't you.
- Yes - And you are size 14
Yes
Shiro, your fingers are so slender!
The rings will be ready for collection after next Friday
Ok
By the way,
do male couples usually shop here?
Yes, often.
You see? So this is perfectly all right.
And a place like this is
full of couples in a world of their own.
They won't even look at the other couples
- I get it, I get it. - I can't wait
You're in ecstasies because of a ring?
Of course
How about an occasional present for your wife too?
Idiot. Giving her a present now
would be the same as admitting my infidelity, wouldn't it.
Ah. Well, that's true.
Actually, it's difficult to think of something she'd like.
Once, I bought her some common accessories. She got angry, &
didn't even care when I returned them.
Is that so?
I'd be happy to receive any present, whatever it is.
If you were my wife, I'd be happy too.
I don't want you for a husband.
I don't want it either. That's not what I meant.
Shiro-san is lucky to have you as his partner; that's what I was saying.
- Is that so? - Yes
No rice. How could I, of all people...
Why didn't it occur to me yesterday?
Only one portion
How did this happen
Since there's no rice, I'll make pasta.
What hot soup should I make...
Yes. There's a minestrone right here.
Cut 4 rashers of bacon into small pieces
Fry on low heat till grease is released
Add a large onion that's been cut into 1 square cm pieces
Fry roughly, then put the lid on.
Chop a clove of garlic finely
Cut a carrot into 7-8 square mm pieces
Cut the celery leaves into 5 mm pieces
When covered,
the vegetables will release a lot of water.
Adjust the heat to between low & medium
The potato & cabbage will cook more easily
They can be added later
There are more & more ingredients
Finally, slice two tomatoes.
Fry them till they disintegrate
Now add two stock/bouillon cubes and 1 litre of water
Add a bay leaf for the fragrance
Skim off the foam
It will be ready in 30-40 minutes
And that's the minestrone done
Next, the turnip salad and the pasta.
Peel 3 turnips
Cut into pieces of 4-5 mm thickness
Season lightly by sprinkling with salt
Dress the turnip with a mixture of lemon juice, soy sauce, wasabi and olive oil.
The turnip salad is ready
Right. It's time for the pasta.
Put a little olive oil in the frying pan
and half a clove of garlic, crushed.
Shimeji and shiitake [mushrooms]: a pack of each.
Cut the turnip leaves & stems left over from the salad
into 2 cm pieces.
- I'm home - Welcome home
I'm going to start on the pasta, ok?
Pasta today? Great!
Gonna wash
Put all the mushrooms & a tin of tuna, with the oil, into the pan.
Season with my specialty, mentsuyu [noodle sauce].
Then some black pepper, and, finally, a little milk.
And that's how the pasta sauce is done
Season the minestrone one last time
After adding salt to taste,
put in plenty of black pepper, basil and oregano.
It's ready as well.
And then...
1-2 minutes before it's cooked, drain the pasta in a colander.
When mixed with the sauce, the pasta is still simmering.
Boiled and seasoned perfectly
A western-style dinner tonight
Like in a café. How stylish!
- Let's eat - Let's eat
Lots of mushroom and tuna: delicious.
The minestrone has a gentle taste
The season for hot soup is approaching
So many different ingredients here. It's really satisfying.
Is that so. In that case,
pasta for dinner isn't so dreary after all.
- Dreary? - No, I mean,
the other day, when alone at home, I made "Neapolitan".
I like your "Neapolitan" too
It's delicious with the crunchy onion
But it just gets eaten up in an instant
What I mean is, eating alone is a bit dull.
Nothing... Oh right!
Here you are
No! No, Shiro.
This kind of thing should be done after eating
Wait. Wait.
Let me enjoy the sense of anticipation
Or at least the feeling of the experience
The situation of being given a ring by a boyfriend
Absolutely certain of receiving it today
Pretending not to know, but during dinner,
wondering when it'd appear,
what words would be said...
Let me feel my heart racing, for goodness' sake!
As you wish
- What? Ok I'll do as I wish. - Wait, wait...
I get it. I'll do it...
Thank you, Shiro.
I love it
What a treasure
Well, one ring cost 69 000 yen,
so around 140 000 yen for two.
I did a lot of thinking before deciding to buy them
But I didn't mean the ring
Of course I'll treasure it all my life
But...
I meant that I will treasure…
Shiro
it's you I will treasure.
I'll treasure you.
- Good morning, Shiro. - Good morning
Shiro, you're awful!
Why aren't you wearing the ring?
No, wait a minute, you. That hurt!
If I wear it, there'll be no end of fuss at the office,
about when I got married, who my wife is, & so on.
So how can I wear it
That's true
In fact, your work doesn't permit rings either.
You're a hairdresser
That's true
What? So, ultimately, neither of us can wear it?
I guess not. I'm off.
"I guess not”?…. Then...
Wait a minute. Wait.
We keep the rings on at home
- No, it'd be a bother. - What bother...
How about wearing it to sleep?
No way
My father is living on welfare benefits in Chiba
It's absolutely intolerable to be betrayed by someone you cherish
Shiro, if you've been unfaithful, I...