What's wrong?
I just got a little dizzy.
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
Once I get home, I'll text message you.
I don't know what it is, but somehow I felt apprehensive.
I'm going to Germany!
Germany?
The Claus International School of Music has asked me to come.
That's awesome!
That's right.
It was my dream!
That's great! Congratulations.
You'll come with me, right?
How long would we be away from Japan?
It would be three years, at the least.
I see.
There's still time, so take your time to think about it.
I love you!
I love you.
Yes?
Good morning.
Good morning? It's so early...
Like 7 in the morning?
They're still playing the morning program.
Am I bothering you?
No.
I couldn't sleep last night.
I thought that summer would come, then autumn,
then winter, and spring again...
And things would end without anything happening.
What would?
Us.
Wait just a second.
Let's go out somewhere, like to a kiosk or something.
I don't think any of the kiosks are open yet.
Good morning.
Good morning!
Please come in.
We're making breakfast now. Why don't you join us?
Idiot!
We can't talk about our future over natto.
Here's the usual, and your change.
Sae-chan...
Sae-chan!
Hey!
Sae-chan, over here!
Sae-chan!
I'll go buy some coffee and treats at the convenience store.
Do you have money?
Here's some.
That's my wallet!
See you guys later!
Be careful.
Got it.
I'm going to protect her.
I mean, since she's in that state.
I'll protect her too.
What?
Whatever you protect, I'll protect too.
She's really cute.
But her leg's like that.
That doesn't make a difference.
However, if there was a problem...
it'd be her hairstyle.
Her hairstyle?
Wonderful!
She said you played wonderfully!
Thank you.
Let's have some tea now.
I had heard from your mom... So I learned some sign language.
It was so hard!
Am I pretty good?
You're good!
That's so? I'm glad...
But I was surprised to hear the news. You must've been through a lot.
I was in Germany, so I had no idea.
You know, Haruki-kun plays the piano at Claus International School of Music.
Wow! That's where mom's going to go!
That's right.
He said that even when we go to Germany, he's going to take good care of us.
You two haven't seen each other in a while, have you?
You played together so much when you were young.
You'd make secret plans.
Sae would say that she was going to marry Haruki-kun.
Stop it, that was a long time ago!
Oops, sorry.
Haruki-kun is taking some time off to come back to Japan,
so he's going to stay here during that time. Be good to him.
Thank you ahead of time.
Likewise.
Wow, look at that cake! It looks so good!
Why did you have to come along?
Wow, there are so many nice stores!
Stop it. You look like a country girl who just came to the city!
What should I do? Hey, where should I go in first?
Hey, why don't you cut your hair?
Huh, where?
The place I always go to...
It's right over there.
I'd love to go!
Oh, I should've brought them!
I've been collecting these magazine clippings. I wanted to get my hair cut like Nacchi's.
However, your face is different!
You can stay in this room.
Got it.
Sorry, for not knowing about your hearing, and not being able to do anything about it.
There are some advantages.
Advantages?
Like what?
For example, I can study even in noisy family restaurants.
I can't hear the voices of the loud girls at the next table.
Oh, I see. I got it.
Ah, I'm happy to see that you haven't changed.
That smile hasn't changed from back when we were children.
What do you think?
I think she has potential.
That's amazing...
It's hard to believe that she's lost her hearing from the way she plays.
Actually, she can hear very little, some high pitches.
Apparently, she depends on those as she plays.
All right, later.
What is it? Go to sleep.
I will.
Even though it's still early...
Hey, Shohei...
That girl is a good person, huh?
Yeah.
You know, she smelled good too.
Huh?
If only someone like that had been our mother.
Good night.
Are you jealous?
No, I'm not.
Why not? We promised to marry each other.
Back when you were five.
I don't get jealous over something like that.
Why not? Because you trust me?
I guess I've come to feel too at ease, to worry anymore.
Hey, did you know?
When I close my eyes, I really go into total darkness...
Because I can't hear anything, you know?
I can't see, and I can't hear...
But, I know you're there.
Why?
Your heart is close by.
That's what I sense.
We were together as much as we could.
We would make love, hold each other, make up for the voice that couldn't reach,
make up for the voice that couldn't be heard, and overcame it.
This person will introduce himself now.
His name is Kato.
He came from Niigata, and his blood type is O-type.
Because we were weak alone, together, we swore to become stronger...
At least, that's how I felt.
Japan National Piano Competition.
Why don't you try it out? I think you can do it.
Haruki-kun thinks so as well.
If you're interested in it, I'll teach you piano.
For real?!
For real.
That's actually the reason I learned sign language.
You have talent, the talent that I didn't have.
How about it?
Which one? Which one are you talking about?
Professor Yoshida.
Oh hey, Keita.
Which one are you talking about?
Ahem.
Thanks for last time.
What?
Ayumi's really happy. She said all the guys are hitting on her now.
That's great.
Why don't I treat you out, to say thank you?
No, it's okay. Don't worry about it.
Don't you get it? I'm asking you out on a date!
Wooo.
Woohoo.
He asked her out.
Yo, Keita! How about you?
C'mon...
Oh, the piano competition!
Coincidentally, a friend of mine in the music industry, received surgery for the same illness.
What happened to him?
It wasn't 100%, but he got some of his hearing back.
Really...
Oh, don't tell Sae about that.
It's not that we haven't thought about that option before,
but she's sort of apprehensive towards surgery.
When the time comes, I'll talk to her myself about it.
Understood.
Competition?
I'm thinking of trying it out.
What do you think?
Do you have to compete?
Contests are about competing against others, right?
I was wondering if it wasn't enough to just play.
I want to test it out.
I want to test my skills, how far I can go.
I understand.
Roger.
I'm against it!
That's what I thought you'd say.
Then what's there to talk about now?
However, mom broke up with her boyfriend, and is alone now.
That's why she wants to come back to live with us.
She's left on her own, why should I care?
I think she feels lonely on her own.
What are you saying now?
I'm thinking of living with her.
What's wrong with your head?
She's been switching guys and might be coming back because she got dumped!
She was on her way to some guy's place when you chased her. That's why your leg was hurt!
I went after her because I love her...
Because I love mom, I ran after her.
Idiot, I don't see any use talking to you!
Here, play more softly and flighty, like a newborn bird in flight.
I'll show you.
Like when a newborn bird is flying?
Right.
Cautiously, but then boldly.
Step on these pedals like you're stepping on bicycle pedals.
It'll get more and more fun! If you keep pedaling,
you may even fly up into the sky, like E.T.!
Huh? Did I say something funny?
It just feels so fun.
I feel like I'm going to go whirling into the sky with my piano.
That's right! That's the kind of piano that you perform!
Sorry, I got a little too excited.
You have that spontaneity and freedom,
the piano performance that you envision within your mind has power.
You have great imagination!
Are you praising me?
Of course!
If I could, I'd like to teach you like this my entire life.
Sorry, I shouldn't hit on you while I'm teaching you.
How about you play from here?
You made a mistake.
I'm sorry.
Yes?
Is something wrong?
I'm sorry that I came so suddenly.
What's wrong?
I can't put up with it anymore.
Isn't it customary to ask me to come in for tea or something?
Oh yeah, it's just that it seemed like you weren't yourself.
Come on in.
Shohei-kun...
I want to hold you.
Can I?
All right.
Hey.
What?
What do you think is going on in the world right now?
The Dragons won yesterday,
and the Neet and the Linear Comet kind of came...
No, no... I mean in narrower terms.
Like, what's been going on in the Orange Society?
You know, this is how I see it.
College students have a lot of time on their hands, and they're young.
When they have a girlfriend or boyfriend, nothing stops them.
They behave like a dog or cat in heat.
Stop talking about this kind of stuff...
So Kai, why are you alone here?
She's busy with her piano lessons, preparing for the competition.
Ah, but Shohei and Akane seem to be doing...
You don't need to say beyond that. Don't finish that sentence, ever, all right?
What?
I was just wondering if you were crying about it.
I'm not crying anymore.
Ah, I see. Then how long were you crying over it?
Back to Sae, I wonder if the competition's more important than you, Kai.
Let's stop this, Keita.
Yeah, you're right.
If the two of us, who are left alone, start fighting, it's just too sad.
Don't call us sad.
I'm home.
What is it?
What do you mean?
Are you ignoring me or something?
I just thought I should pretend not to see you coming home
after staying at a girl's place overnight.
It's happened before, what's the big deal?
There's something different about the air around you...
Or maybe more like you've been in a field of flowers.
I was just joking, but I guess I hit the spot.
Iwasaki Photography HQ
Yes, hello?
Oh, Sensei. It's been awhile.
Tibet?
Yeah.
From Tibet, we'll go around Nepal, and through Cambodia.
It'll be about three months.
I've been thinking about going back there since I returned to Japan.
How about it?
Are you interested? You're graduating soon, aren't you?
Boss.
I overheard you talking to a colleague once,
that the only reason you hired me was because the models liked me.
Yeah.
You don't really acknowledge that I have any real talent, do you?
Yeah, I don't acknowledge it.
I don't acknowledge it, but I haven't rejected the possibility of you having talent.
What am I saying?
What I'm trying to say is that you're still at zero point, a blank piece of paper.
However, you obediently do as you're told.
You're a fast learner and always arrive on time.
I trust you in the fundamentals. Good or bad, that's how it is...
But you know, a zero can become a one or two at any time.
It all depends on you.
That's how I think of you.
Next entry number 22, Heisei Academy College's Sae Hagio.
The piece of choice is Chopin's Polonaise 6, Opus 53.
Stay calm. Play as you would normally.
I'm sorry! Once more!
One more time, please!
One more time.
Here, one more time! Play!
Here!
Play once again, Sae!
From the beginning! Come on!
Sae, play once more! Sae!
What's wrong?!
Mother.
It's no use anymore.
Sae, let's stop this.
Hey.
What?
Were you against me going to the competition because you knew something like this would happen?
I was against it?
You weren't very enthusiastic about it.
To tell the truth, I thought you'd be shocked if things didn't go well.
Hey.
I'll treat you to some good hot chocolate here.
Is this the place you said had good hot chocolate?
It's good, isn't it?
Yeah, it is.
It was sudden.
It was as if suddenly, I couldn't hear anymore.
Usually, I can't hear most things,
but I can hear some high pitches, just a little.
It's hard to explain, but it's like...
It's like being underwater, while being called by people above.
It's like I'm playing the piano underwater.
That's how I hear things, it's very faint, but there's sound.
However, at that moment, I lost all of it, even that faint hearing.
While I was playing...
But that was the first time I've experienced something like that,
so I panicked...
I do poorly when it counts the most, I felt so nervous.
I feel like a failure.
I just want to see her smiling face.
I wanted to give her back her confidence.
I understand.
I must be like a monster.
That's not how Sae thinks of you.
Give me back that daughter who could talk!
Where did the girl who laughed out loud go?
The girl who would talk normally to me.
What's wrong?
I left my music sheets back there. Give me a minute.
I'll go with you.
I'll be fine by myself.
Are you sure?
I'm sure, I'll be fine.
Excuse me, sorry. Excuse me.
If I were the judge, you'd get the grand prize...
You are the one chosen by God.
One more time.
What, one more time?
I want that orange, no matter what.
Like when you gave me that orange after hearing me play the violin, when we first met.
I understand.
Stay out of the way.
Ouch! Ow...
Are you okay?
It should be okay.
Not the orange, you, Kai!
I'm all right...
Hey.
Tell me the truth.
This isn't the first time that you've completely lost your hearing like that, is it?
Looking at this data, although gradually, she's losing more of her hearing.
If things continue like this, I'm afraid that she will lose all her hearing completely.
That can't be...
She can still hear a little now, can't she?
Isn't there a way to retain that?
The only way is surgery.
I can't say her hearing will be completely restored,
but if things go well, she'll regain some of it.
And if things don't go well?
She will completely lose her hearing.
What?
I know of the option of surgery.
Normally, it's not that difficult of a surgery.
However, they said that the shape of my ear is abnormal.
So the success rate is only 60%.
6 out of 10, you see?
Sae, why don't you have surgery?
If you get better, it'll be easier for you to play the piano.
The possibilities of your everyday life will also expand.
I'm afraid.
But you know, God only gives tribulations to those he knows can overcome them.
He has too much confidence in me.
Too much confidence in you?
"He's overrated you"?
But I'm here.
I'm also here for you.
How about that?
Thank you.
Oh, darn it.
I'll do it instead.
No, I'm fine.
3... 35!
Hello?
Oh Mrs. Hagio? Did something happen?
It's Sae. She hasn't come home.
She hasn't come home?
Yeah, they said they called the hotel where she works,
but they were told that she left quite a while ago.
What happened?
They said that Sae is missing.
Huh?!
I've been texting her mobile, but she didn't reply.
I've been messaging her several times.
Hello, sorry to intrude.
Sorry for intruding, but I thought that we could be of some help.
Yes.
Kai-kun, do you have any idea where she could be?
It doesn't matter what it is, do you know anything?
Today, we went to the hospital together.
The hospital?
About her ear.
I haven't heard about this.
What did you talk with her about?
We talked about surgery.
What?
I suggested that she give surgery a chance.
How can you say that so arbitrarily?
What?
How can a stranger say something so easily?!
But I heard that she would get better with surgery.
It's 6 out of 10! 6 out of 10 chance.
If she ends up in the remaining 4 out of 10, she'll completely lose her sense of hearing.
But there's a possibility that she'll be in the successful 6 out of 10.
You know, Sae's illness only affects one in ten thousand people.
For her to have that, I think she has pretty bad luck.
You know, after that, it get hard to believe that she's going to be in that successful 60%.
I'm scared she's going to be one of the 4 in 10 people that fail.
It might be faint, but there are still many things she wants to do with her hearing.
She can play the piano, and she can feel people approaching.
See?
No matter how much your life is in darkness, if there's light there, you can go on living.
But if she loses that after surgery, what will she have as her hope in living?
For her, that faint hearing that she has left is her only hope in life!
But now, that hearing is about to be lost too, isn't it?
What?
Even the hearing she has now is about to be lost.
Is that true, Kai-kun?
Yeah.
I'll get it.
Hello?
Yes...
Yes, I understand.
Yamashita Memorial Hospital, is it? We'll be there shortly.
What happened?
Sae-chan got into an accident with a motorcycle.
I hope it reaches you
Todoite kureru to ii na
届いてくれるといいな
In a place you don't know, I'm playing a tune of my feelings for you.
君の分かんないところで 僕も今奏でてるよ
Kimi no wakannai tokoro de boku mo ima kanadete iru yo
They are like a flower that withered before it could sprout.
育たないで萎れてた新芽みたいな音符を
Soda tanaide shioreteta shinme mitai na omoi wo
Futatsu kasanete narasu hamoni
二つ重ねて鳴らすハーモハーモニー
Put these two notes together and they make a harmony.
I repeat "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" over and over again.
'arigatou' to 'gomen ne' wo kurikaeshite bokura
「ありがとう」と「ごめんね」を繰り返して僕ら
人恋しさを積み木みたいに乗せてゆく
Hitokoishisa wo tsumiki mitai ni nosete yuku
Our longing like building blocks we stack them up.
Wazuka datte akari ga kokoro ni tomoru nara
僅かだって明かりが心に灯るなら
A small faint light burns in our hearts.
大切にしなきゃ と僕らは誓った
Taisetsu ni shinakya to bokura wa chikatta
We should treasure that which we vowed.
Meguriatta subete no mono kara okurareru sain
めぐり逢った すべてのものから送られるサイン
The signs that come from the things we've encountered.
もう 何ひとつ見逃さない
Mou nani hitotsu miotosanai
We wont miss a single one ever again.
そうやって暮らしてゆこう
Sou yatte kurashite yukou
Lets live our lives this way.
そんなことを考えている
Sonna koto wo kangaete iru
That is what I'm thinking.