Hey! She left again!
Yep, she said she was going to visit a friend.
Are you incapable of listening when people talk?
It's her fault for going out! She never does that!
Well, this just goes to show how much a part of this household she's become.
She's got Kyo thinking, "Where has our belle gone?"
"Soma"
Wh-What a big place.
I came here without telling Soma-kun and the others,
just as Hatori-san instructed, but...
Hallo!
Tohru!
You came right on time.
Welcome to the Soma estate!
Th-Thank you.
Harry's house is this way!
It's very quiet.
Almost like no one lives here...
This atmosphere is making me even more n-nervous!
Welcome.
"Nervous Exhaustion"
Was the walk here that exhausting?
No, no.
Well, come in.
Momiji, bring us something to drink.
Ja!
Thank you for inviting me.
I'd almost forgotten what it was like to always have you with me
You were always by my side
Giving my life meaning
Goodbye until we meet again
I'll say thank you with a smile
Oh please, keep being the person closest to me
My heart only needed you to be strong
I know that my path to tomorrow
Is right here with you again
It's kind of surprising to see a woman's photograph on his desk.
He comes off as a very stern person, and his words always seem angry somehow...
Could he have called me here to s-scold me for one of my many shortcomings?!
Tohru?
Are you sick? Should Harry give you a checkup?
N-N-No, I'm absolutely fine!
Well, go ahead and have a seat!
Um, Hatori-san, did you have to take off work at your clinic for me?
No. I don't treat anyone outside the Soma clan. I'm the family doctor.
About half of it consists of babysitting Akito.
Constantly getting sick is Akito's specialty.
Plus, all of the Somas are super busy today, so nobody will come for an exam.
Huh?
They're getting ready for New Year's!
It's a big event, so outside people help, too, not just inside ones.
Outside? Inside?
Yep! See, we call the main family "inside."
Remember the tree-lined road you walked down to get here?
We call the people who live there "outside."
I think there are about einhundert... a hundred of them.
And about 50 on the inside.
All 150 of us are Somas!
Th-That's amazing.
The only people who can live "inside" are zodiac members like us
or people who know our secret.
Shii-chan and Yuki used to live inside, too.
Kyo was outside, though.
To put that another way: even among the family,
only a small number of people know the zodiac secret.
It's outrageous for a complete stranger like you to know it.
Ordinarily, I would wipe your memory right away,
but Akito didn't order me to, and even permitted you to live among us.
Do you have a fun life at Shigure's house?
Yes, very much.
I recommend that you move out.
Stay away from the Somas from now on.
Our possessed family isn't fun and games like you think it is.
We're monstrous. Loathsome.
Cursed.
Leave before you regret ever associating with the Somas.
Akito is trying to use you.
Wait here a moment.
What did he mean by "cursed"...?
Tohru...
Harry's almost blind in his left eye.
He used to have a girlfriend. Her name was Kana.
She was really nice.
They even got engaged.
But Akito got angry.
Super angry. Akito said they weren't allowed to get married, and then got violent...
...and injured Harry's eye.
But you know what? Harry never blamed Akito.
Kana blamed herself instead.
She said it was her fault that he got hurt.
She blamed herself so much it turned into a mental illness.
So...
...Harry ended up erasing Kana's memories.
He couldn't stand to watch Kana fall apart anymore.
So he erased her memories of when they were in love.
Kana left.
Harry was crying.
But, even then, he didn't blame Akito.
Why not?
Because that's the curse.
Harry doesn't want there to be any more people like Kana.
He doesn't want you to get hurt like Kana did.
Wait, are you crying?
Did I make you cry?!
I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.
It's not that.
It's just that Hatori-san is so kind...
I'm glad I met all of you.
Even if I have the life I do now because I'm being used for something,
I want to say "thank you" for it.
The only thing I know I'll never do is regret meeting Soma-kun and the others.
I'm who I am now thanks to them.
And me?
Are you glad you met me?
Of course.
Don't worry. I promise we're not using Tohru-kun.
--Shigure-san! --Shii-chan!
Haa-san here just phrases things way too dramatically.
What brought you here?
My gut! It told me to come, Tohru-kun!
We authors need to have a keen sixth sense.
Stop lying. You only came to check on the New Year's prep.
The common folk are so quick to envy geniuses. Tragic, really.
--Stop drifting aimlessly and grow up.
--They don't act it, but they're BFFs. --Stop drifting aimlessly and grow up.
Haa-san, you'll go bald one day if you keep being such a worrywart.
I keep telling you Akito-san means no harm to Tohru-kun,
but you never believe me, and now you've scared her.
What if she actually moves out?
I'm okay, really. Thank you so much for worrying about me.
But I plan to keep living with--
That reminds me. I should give this to you before I forget.
It's the camera from the culture festival.
Why?
That was our deal.
I told you that if you came here, I'd give you that camera.
I trust you know what will happen if you don't show up.
Th-That's not what you said!
--What's in the camera? --Hatori-san is just as much of an "I do it my way" person as Shigure-san.
--Be quiet, you hack novelist. --Hatori-san is just as much of an "I do it my way" person as Shigure-san.
Come to think of it, I haven't introduced you to Akito-san yet.
It's all right, I don't mind. So, Hatori-san, you're one of the zodiac?
What year are you?
Great question! It's hilarious, really--
I'll call up some publishers
and tell them every embarrassing thing you've done since you were four.
Sorry, can't tell you.
I'm... sorry for today.
Apparently, I do nothing but make people cry.
Okay, Tohru-kun, I'm going to go take a peek at the New Year's setup.
And I have to go to the dance rehearsal!
Dance?
It's like an annual ritual for us.
Hatori, you're not allowed to do anything pervy to Tohru-kun.
--Time to go. --R-Right!
Bis bald!
I'll see you later!
Er, Hatori-san, are you and Shigure-san "BFFs"?
"BFFs"...
Huh?! Um, I mean, Momiji-san told me that!
I'm stuck with him, that's all.
Maybe he doesn't like that word?
Oi, watch your feet.
Oh, no--
A... A-Are you all right, Hato-- Eep!
H-Hatori-san?! Water! Wait, does he need salt water or fresh water?!
Which one, Hatori-san?!
This brings back memories. Honda Tohru's reaction is the same as hers.
It's nice to meet you.
My name is Kana Soma.
I plan to work hard as your new assistant.
Right.
It's strange that we've never spoken to each other before
despite being part of the same clan, isn't it?
You're quite popular on the outside, by the way. Everyone says "Hatori-san is cool."
Let's start work--
It's snowing!
I figured we'd get snow.
Say, can I ask you a question?
What comes of snow when it melts?
Water, obviously.
Bzzzt!
Spring comes.
Spring is my favorite season.
She was my spring.
I was snow. I'd frozen somewhere along the line in my dark cage...
...and she was a fresh, bright spring.
I fell in love like it was a logical necessity.
And then she found out.
Hatori?!
Water! Wait, does he need salt water or fresh water?!
Which one, Hatori?!
Just so you know,
putting a real seahorse or seadragon in the bath would kill it.
Oops.
But now I finally know. I'd wondered why you won't hold me in your arms.
But this makes sense. It's scary, huh?
Of course you wouldn't want people to know.
Of course you'd keep people at a distance.
Especially someone you loved.
But don't be scared.
Don't reject me.
I'm glad I met you, Hatori.
Falling in love with you brought me happiness.
I want to be with you.
I wept.
For the first time in my life, I felt somehow forgiven--somehow saved.
Like a river of snow melted by the breath of spring,
the tears wouldn't stop flowing.
Then, for just under two months, life was like a good dream.
She smiled and said it was like I'd condensed decades' worth of happiness.
The dream came to its end the day we begged Akito to let us marry.
--You think I'll give him to someone like you?!
--Akito! Wait, calm down! --You think I'll give him to someone like you?!
--Akito! --We don't need you! You can't even lift the curse!
--Akito, calm down! --We don't need you! You can't even lift the curse!
You're not wanted!
--Hatori! --It's your fault.
It's your fault if Hatori goes blind!
--Kana-chan, get Hatori out of here! --It's your fault!
It's your fault! It's your fault!
It's your fault!
She fell ill.
No matter what I said or did, she crumbled into tears.
The curse...
She grew more and more ill.
Her heart and mind suffered.
Isn't this exactly what your suppression technique is for?
You ought to erase her memories.
You've never hesitated to with anyone else.
What's making her suffer right now are her memories with you...
Her love for you.
Isn't it your final duty to save her from her suffering?
What she really wants deep down is to be freed.
She wants
to forget.
If only
we'd never met.
Are these my just deserts?
Is this my punishment for just following orders
and stripping away people's memories, even if hurt someone or made them cry?
I never imagined I'd have to erase with my own hands
the memories most precious to me from the mind most precious to me.
I'm sorry...
...that I... couldn't protect you...
I'm sorry...
I'm sorry, Hatori.
I'm the one who owes you an apology.
And I'm the one who failed to protect you.
Thank you, Kana.
It's all right now.
You don't have to suffer anymore.
I'm glad I met you, Hatori.
God, please let her meet someone else who really can make her happy.
I'm willing to pray.
I'm willing to be frozen in snow from now until I die.
So please... please...
Hatori-san. Hatori-san!
Hatori-san! Are you all right?
I'm cold.
Th-That's because under your coat, you're... um... naked.
So you saw?
N-No! I just--
You saw my zodiac form?
E-Er, yes.
"Psychological Complex"
Huh?
I-I don't think it's weird, though!
It's very cute, and there's the surprise factor...
O-Oh, your shoes.
I'm sure they're by the stairs. I'll get them right away!
You're finally getting married, eh?
Congratulations, Kana.
Thank you.
So, what's the lucky man like?
Hmm... My heart feels calm when I'm with him.
His face isn't quite as handsome as Hatori-san's, though.
What a thing to say!
Come on, him not loving me back doesn't change the fact that he was my dream man.
I wish I'd gotten to say hi to him today.
Hey, no cheating on your honey!
No chance of that!
--I'm madly in love right now. --Two years after I last saw her,
she's grinning like she did back then.
So she found happiness, then.
Good. I'm glad.
Congratulations.
Congratulations for what?
Never mind.
Oh! It's snowing, Hatori-san!
No wonder we felt so cold today.
Yes.
Please make her happy.
I'm willing to be frozen in snow from now until I die...
What comes of snow when it melts?
Hatori-san?
Is something the matter?
No.
What do you think
comes of snow when it melts?
Let's see...
Spring comes!
No matter how cold it is now, spring will come again.
It never fails. It's mysterious, isn't it?
Yes.
It is.
Thank you for walking me to the gate.
Sorry I put you through some trouble.
What, are you still here?
Shigure-san!
Haa-san, have you been sexually harassing Tohru-kun?
What? No, nothing like...
Goodbye.
Let's see each other again soon!
It was a pain for Hatori to summon you here like that.
But he's not a bad guy, really.
I know. He was a very kind man.
Okay, let's go home. I'm hungry!
Hey, Tohru-kun, what's for dinner?
Shigure-san.
What's the "curse"?
Shouldn't I...
Shouldn't I do something to help?
You can help by being yourself.
I don't think I should tell you about it yet.
I'm sorry.
I feel like I understand
more about the Somas today...
...and also like I don't understand a thing.
It's a strange feeling.
I wonder if I'll officially meet Akito someday.
I guess it's true what they say. A kotatsu can put even a demon to sleep.
--Wake up, you two! Don't you want dinner?
--Anyway, none of it changes how much I want to cherish this.
I want to cherish each and every day I spend in this house.
"See You When You Get Back"
See you when you get back!