This might get laughed off as a mere fairy tale.
As a fantasy that couldn't possibly happen in the real world.
But believe me, this most definitely is the story of my mother's life.
The man she fell in love with...
was a werewolf.
Wolf ren\alpha&HFF&\t(2231,3775,\alpha&H00&)}Ame and Yuki
My mother was a student at a national university in the outskirts of Tokyo.
She covered the tuition fees with a scholarship,
and raised money for her living expenses by taking on multiple part-time jobs.
Men highly esteemed for their wisdom
certainly do possess great knowledge about their crafts and other miscellaneous topics.
However, they know nothing about reality, virtue, beauty or areté.
On a certain day in early summer,
my mother spotted my father in class.
He was wearing a t-shirt with a very loose collar,
didn't have a textbook on hand,
and was earnestly jotting down notes with all he had.
She said he looked completely different from the other students.
Please wait a second.
This is an attendance ticket.what?}
You'll be marked absent if you don't fill this out and turn it in.
So—
I'm not a student here.
If you find me an eyesore, I won't show up anymore.
Who's that?
Wait.
I don't care if you're a student or not,
but I think that lecture would be a bit hard to understand without a textbook.
Want to look over it together?
Welcome.
It'll be ready on Friday.
Thank you very much.
Thanks for waiting.
Oh, welcome.
This way.
The three plaintiffs in this case were Meletus the poet,
Anytus the politician,
and Lycon the orator.
Meletus was the representative,
but it is said that Anytus was the one pulling the strings.
What do you enjoy doing the most?
What type of food do you like?
What kind of people have you fallen in love with up until now?
Why "Hana"?
Are you talking about my name?
Yeah.
I was born at a time when cosmos flowers were blooming in our backyard.
Not ones that we'd planted, but those that had grown naturally.
Looking at that gave my father the idea, or so he said.
I was given this name in the hope that I'd grow up to be someone whose smile never went out.
He told me to keep smiling through tough or painful times,
even if I had to force myself to do it,
because I'd probably be able to get through them if I did.
That's why, during my father's funeral, I had a smile on my face the entire time.
My relatives got really mad at me, though,
saying I was being "thoughtless."
Well, I probably was being thoughtless.
You weren't.
That's a relief.
Even though each apartment is in the same complex, the people who live there are nothing alike.
There are rich homes,
poor homes,
homes with big families.
Ones with only a single resident.
Homes with babies.
Those with only senior citizens.
How nice it'd be to have a home.
I'd say "I'm home" when I got in,
take off my shoes, wash my hands and face,
and sink into my chair.
It'd be great.
I'd make a bookshelf.
And when it couldn't hold any more books, I'd just make another one.
I could do whatever I want, because it'd be my home.
I'd welcome you home, then.
Hana.
Yeah?
There's something I need to tell you.
Go ahead. You can say anything.
The truth is...
I'll save it for tomorrow.
Okay.
Hana.
I'm sorry, Hana.
My bad.
I've never told anyone about this.
I was scared.
I was afraid you'd run away.
But I should've told you much earlier.
No, I should've shown you.
Shown me?
Close your eyes for a bit.
A bit longer.
Can I look yet?
Hana.
What do I look like?
She found out that those stories about transforming at night during a full moon
and attacking people were all just myths.
"The world is full of things I don't know about,"
is what my mother thought at the time, apparently.
Shocked?
Never want to see me again?
You're trembling, though. Are you scared?
I'm not scared.
Because it's you.
My father was a descendant of the Japanese Wolf, considered to have gone extinct a hundred years ago.
He was the last one to inherit the blood of both wolves and humans.
His parents taught him about their history when he was still young,
told him not to speak of it to anyone else, and then passed away.
Afterward, he was taken in by relatives who didn't know a thing,
and had a difficult childhood.
He moved to the city in search of a job once he got his driver's license.
No one knew about him or paid him any attention.
He lived his life almost like he was in hiding.
That's what he said, or so I heard.
Easy on mind and body
m 473 511 l 496 528 l 561 500 l 560 337 l 496 317 l 483 325
My mother gave birth to me in that tiny apartment.
It was snowing that day.
They didn't go to a hospital, or even hire a midwife.
They handled it all themselves.
My mother was worried it'd shock the living daylights out of the doctors if,
by chance, she gave birth to a child that looked like a wolf.
Thank goodness she was born safe and sound.
There's still a long way to go.
Will she grow up to be a gentle and kind girl?
Maybe she'll grow up to be smart.
I wonder what she'll grow up to be.
A nurse, teacher, or baker...
I want to let her be whatever she wants to be.
I want her to grow up healthy, without facing any hardships.
Let's watch over her until she does.
Yup.
My brother was born the next spring.
It happened on a rainy day.
Suddenly, my father all but disappeared.
No one knows what went through his mind on that day.
His natural instinct to hunt for his newborn baby might've come into play,
or maybe he wanted to provide my mother, who'd just given birth to a child, with nourishment.
"Take good care of the kids."
That's what my mother thought she heard him say.
Yeah. Leave them to me.
I'll raise them well.
My mother went through some tough times after that,
but I don't remember it at all.
Momma!
I'm making it now.
Wait a bit, Yuki.
Momma!
Just a bit longer.
Momma!
Yuki!
I'm told I frequently let my hair stand on end and turned into a wolf when I got mad or agitated.
Jeez, what do I do with you?
Eat some biscuits or something.
Tasty.
I'm also told I was a glutton and kept crying out for food all day and night.
A large contrast from my light-eating and frail brother, Ame.
My mother had to take leave from college and quit her part-time jobs so she could raise us.
That was close!
What little my father had saved up was all that supported us.
Huh?
That was close!
My mother said it looked like the two of us were having trouble deciding which life to lead—
That of a human, or of a wolf.
They got me...
Given that she couldn't ask anyone else for help or advice,
my mother had no choice but to learn how to raise us using books.
We had to be breast-fed once every two hours, regardless of whether it was day or night.
When we were unwilling to drink from her nipples,
she resorted to soaking cotton in breast milk and letting us suck on that.
But at times, we'd refuse to drink any milk at all and simply kept crying.
Not knowing what to do,
the only thing she could do was to keep caressing our backs all night.
That wore her out in the blink of an eye...
It's all fine.
And due to that, she picked up the ability to fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
Mom.
What?
The biggest problem was when we got sick.
Yuki?
Yuki!
She didn't know whether to take us to the pediatrics or the vets.
My kid accidentally ate some desiccant.
She's two years old.
Yes, she threw up.
There was no blood mixed in.
It says it's silica gel.
Um, is it especially harmful?
Huh? Appetite?
I'm hungry!
I see.
So she'll be fine.
She regretted not asking my father how he grew up.
Walk!
Yuki, that's...
Walk!
You were sick just the other day. So...
Walk!
Got it. I get it already, sheesh.
Come on, pull in your ears.
Good. Let's go for a walk.
Oh, come on! Your ears! You brought them out again.
Okay!
Hello. They're cute.
He says you're cute. Isn't that great?
I-I'm sorry.
It's okay...
However, that's not all of the problems she had to face.
What time do you think it is?!
Make 'em shut up already!
I'm extremely sorry.
You're too noisy night in and night out, dammit.
I'm really sorry.
Tch. At least teach them some discipline!
There, there. It's all right.
I thought the contract clearly stated that pets were prohibited here.
I don't have any.
Pull the other one.
I know full well that you do.
Now, listen up. If you're just going to do as you please,
you'll leave us no choice but to ask you to do it someplace else.
Child Consultation Center?
Indeed. We're very worried about your kids.
What are you talking about?
We looked it up and found out that both siblings have never undergone any periodic checkups or vaccinations.
It's all right. They're fine.
In that case, could you please let us take a look at them?
No, that's...
Just a peek is fine.
We only want to confirm that you're telling the truth.
I'm sorry. I can't!
At this rate, you could be suspected of child abuse or neglect!
Please leave.
Wait! Wait for me!
You're slow!
Wait!
Come on, wait for me!
You're slow!
Hey.
What is it, Mom?
What do you want to do from now on?
Do you want to be humans? Or wolves?
Hmm?
I'm thinking of moving.
So that you have the freedom to make a choice.
Ever since we started real estate referrals at the town hall,
we've occasionally gotten people who say they want to live in the country.
But they don't last.
Because there's nothing here, as you can see.
The nearest elementary school and hospital are thirty minutes away by car.
And the middle school needs a two and a half hour bus and train journey, one-way.
That's a five hour round-trip!
That's a bit too much, even for someone who really wants to raise their kids in a decent environment.
I think it's a lot more convenient to live in town.
It's huge...
Well, yeah, the rent here is pretty much zero,
but the amount it'd cost to repair this place is probably nothing to sneeze at.
I say this is more like...
Oh, you can come in with your shoes on.
This is more like an abandoned house than a vacant one.
Though, well, it does get electricity,
the mountain stream hasn't dried up,
and you can use whatever's in the shed over there.
Is that a farm?
Yeah, but you can't count on being self-sufficient in this place.
Animals frequently come down from the mountain and mess up the fields.
Even if you put in a lot of effort to grow vegetables, they'll all get eaten up.
The reason there are a lot of vacant houses around here
is because it's the humans that've been driven out.
What about the neighborhood, then?
Neighborhood?
You won't run into a single soul unless you go down the mountain.
Guess we should check out some other places.
We'll probably find something a bit better by the village—
I'll take it.
Huh?
I'll take this house.
Why?
Wow! Where are we?
Our new home.
Yay!
It's all tilted!
Hey there, ants!
Whoa! What the heck is that?
Geronimo!
Help!
Well?
Do you like it?
I love it!
Let's go home already...
She said she wanted a place with nobody living nearby.
I guess she's a bit eccentric...
What about her husband?
No clue.
Her income?
No clue.
How is she going to provide for her kids and herself, then?
Oh, hey, Mr. Nirasaki!
Be nicer this time!
Three... two...
Look, Mom! Look!
Ta-dah!
Nooo!
Over here.
Come on—
Come here.
Yuki 5 yrs old
Ame 4 yrs old
Thank you very much.
Come again.
Good evening.
Evening.
Hey...
Is that the rumored...
Better be as frugal as possible from now on.
Frugal?
I was thinking we should at least grow our own vegetables.
I'll help!
Wait here, okay?
Okay.
I'll take these.
Sure.
These too.
Hey, Yuki!
Yuki, Ame, the fact that the two of you are wolf children is our own little secret.
Yep.
You'll scare everyone if you turn into wolves all of a sudden.
So you shouldn't turn into wolves in front of other people.
Promise me, okay?
Okay!
Also, one more thing.
If you run into any animals near the mountain,
you shouldn't act arrogant in front of them.
Why?
Because that will make Dad sad.
Got it?
Got it!
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
"We won't let you get away with this!" The angry villagers started chasing after the wolf with guns in hand.
"I'm sorry! I won't do it anymore," cried the proud wolf as it ran away.
Hmm...
Yay!
Yahoo!
Oh no!
Why?
Why, indeed.
Um, excuse me!
Huh?
Can I take fallen leaves from the woods?
Say what?
The fallen leaves!
Nobody asks if they can take those!
Thank you!
I wonder how long she'll last.
She's gonna start whining about how there are no convenience stores or karaoke places soon enough.
You can say that again.
This time, for sure...
Mom...
Hm?
Ame! What happened?
It was a calico cat.
He's being targeted because he's so weak despite being a wolf.
They're just scratches. It's nothing.
He's not gonna last very long if he stays that way!
Yuki.
Tell me it's all fine.
It's okay. It's all fine.
I wouldn't even lose to wild boars!
You saw one?
I did!
I saw a monkey and a serow too!
But they're not scary at all!
It's funny how they run away when you chase after them. Also—
Yuki.
Also, if I pee—
Remember what I told you.
You shouldn't act arrogant in front of animals.
But...
Please.
'Kay.
Thanks.
Tell me it's all fine again.
It's okay. It's all fine.
But really...
How on earth do wolf children grow up?
Wait, Yuki.
Piggyback.
Already?
You're slow. Hurry up!
Wolves start hunting four months after they're born.
They learn how to hunt small animals like mice at the start,
and then form teams with adult wolves as they grow.
Team!
Don't wanna.
Fine, then.
Don't go too far.
Okay.
Let's go home.
Look, Ame.
Do you think this wild grass is edible?
Um...
Gotcha!
There!
Gotcha!
Look at that, Ame.
It's okay. It's all fine.
Look, Mom!
It's a Great Cormorant!
I found it by the stream over there.
Shh.
Mom.
Why are wolves always the bad guys?
The bad guys? Are you talking about the picture book?
Everyone hates them, and they're always killed at the end.
So I...
don't wanna be a wolf.
You're right, but...
I like wolves.
It doesn't matter if everyone else hates them.
I will always be on their side.
Mom!
What's wrong?
They've withered again.
What?!
A disease? All of it?
No way...
Mom.
What's going to happen to us?
I'm hopeless, aren't I?
I have to study more.
Will you help me out again?
Sure.
Thanks.
Go inside.
Okay.
Good evening.
I was thinking of coming over to greet you, but things got all hectic before I could.
Growing your own food is difficult, isn't it?
I do exactly what the textbook tells me to, and yet I keep failing every single time.
This is such a nice place, though.
There's so much nature here.
"Nature," my ass.
There's no way you're going to reap tomorrow what you sow today.
Huh?
No matter how many times you try, the result's going to be the same.
Don't you agree?
Th-That's...
Don't you smile.
Why would you smile?
You're not going to be able to do anything unless you wipe that smile off your face.
He's scary.
No.
It's my fault for being completely ignorant.
Even though you're an adult?
I wish I'd asked your dad about a lot more things.
Man, this is awful.
Hello.
Um...
Here, take this.
What is it?
Seed potatoes.
Seed potatoes? You mean the ones you plant in a field?
What else could you use them for?
I hear the old man said something to you, but don't let it bother you.
That's just how he is.
No, it was my fault.
Hey there!
I'm sorry...
Nah, don't worry about it.
Here we go.
Mr. Nirasaki...
Thank you very much for the seed potatoes.
Good lord. Are you planning on wasting them?
You're going to redo all of this, starting with the soil.
That's not how you're supposed to dig.
I'm sorry.
Um, what about manure?
Did you add in the dry leaves?
I did.
Then you don't need anything else.
Once you're done there, plow this area as well.
It doesn't have to be that big.
All I need is enough food for my kids and myself.
Did you not hear me the first time?
Okay.
Make some ridges.
Okay.
Leave some more space between them.
Okay.
That's too low. Make them taller.
Okay.
Plant these one week from now. Make sure the cut ends are on the bottom.
And don't bother watering them. Leave them alone.
Thank you so much for teaching me all of this—
Are you okay, Mom?
Oww.
Hello.
Come here a sec.
Huh?
Just come here for a second.
Huh?
Just come here.
Hey, listen up.
O-Okay.
Planting chamomile along with cabbages keeps the insects away, and helps make them tastier as well.
Don't listen to him.
Everyone else knows that you've gotta plant celery with cabbages.
But that's wrong. Beginners need to start with this...
No, no, no!
Chamomile ain't gonna satisfy no hunger.
You've gotta plant them shallow, at around this—
Nah, you have to water the hole first—
Nope. The water comes later.
You've gotta plant 'em first.
You're totally wrong!
You only need to sprinkle a little bit of fertilizer, like this.
Using too much will only attract insects.
That ain't enough. Gimme that.
You need a lot more.
Nah. Just a little bit's enough.
Things will definitely go wrong if you listen to him—
If she listens to you, you mean!
What'd you just say?!
Wood vinegar?
Yeah. It's a condensed liquid of the smoke generated by charcoal production.
There's some poultry manure too.
The instructions are in the bag.
Thank you so much for all this.
Don't mention it.
I'm sure we surprised you by showing up all of a sudden.
Not at all.
It's probably a lot of trouble living in such an unfamiliar place, isn't it?
No, I learn something new every day.
Most people who move here from urban areas get disillusioned and leave immediately.
Have any other young people moved here?
Nah, it's always the old men who've reached mandatory retirement age.
It's laughable how frail they are mentally.
I should be the last person to be saying this,
but this isn't the easiest place in the world to live in.
The drainage is poor...
...and it snows a ton out here.
We've got to help each other out.
I thought you weren't one to socialize with your neighbors.
There are very few young mothers out here, so it's very reassuring that there's another one of us here now.
Feel free to ask anything.
I'll take you up on your offer, then.
What?! You're living off your savings?
Yeah, but I'd better start working soon.
Finding work's going to be a massive pain, y'know.
We all leave our kids at a nursery school, and travel a long way to go to work,
don't we?
What's a nursery school?
Huh?
Why don't me or Ame go to one?
Well, that's because...
I wanna to go to one too!
You can't!
I will!
You can't!
I will!
I wanna go to a nursery school!
Hurry up and eat, Yuki.
I know it's supposed to be a secret!
But I'll manage!
But, you know...
I'll manage...
Y-Yuki...
Did you get a new pet dog, Hana?
Uh, um... well...
Wait, isn't that a wolf?
Huh?
Look, dear. Isn't that a wolf?
Don't be stupid! There are no wolves in Japan in this day and age.
That's gotta be a crossbreed of a German Shepherd and something else.
Did I get it right, Hana?
Huh? The dog's gone.
Hello, Mrs. Nirasaki.
Hey there, Yuki.
You're being quite friendly today.
Oh, so you and the dog are wearing matching clothes, eh?
That is so cute.
Y-Yuki...
What's wrong, Hana?
Hello.
Hello!
I wonder where Mr. Nirasaki is...
Yeah, this is quite the harvest.
Thanks to all of you.
Our crop got thoroughly messed up, so this is a lifesaver.
Messed up? By what?
A wild boar.
Here, take these with you.
This much?!
Those damn wild boars.
Oh, right. Thanks for these.
So yeah, that damn boar dug up everything early in the morning, and did it without making a single sound.
I hear they even came down to as far as Sakai's paddy fields this year.
Here, have this in return. It's heavy.
Only your field hasn't fallen prey to the animals.
How it hasn't is a mystery, considering it's in such a mountainous area.
What's your secret trick?
I don't have one.
Everyone wants to know.
What's a secret trick?
Pee time!
She's so lively, that Yuki.
Could it be?
What?
No, it's nothing.
Thank you so much.
Don't mention it.
It's in return for the potatoes.
It's been a while since I last had eggs.
I'm glad I got you some, then.
Tell me once you run out of them.
Oh my, how cute!
Huh?
I couldn't possibly accept something this big!
Don't be so reserved.
This was just lying out in the shed, anyway.
What? But...
Take it.
Grandpa will yell at me if we take it back.
"The old man"?
You're all he talks about.
He's fallen for you.
He's ninety years old, you fool.
I mean, he was the one who asked all of us to take good care of her.
You idiot! You were told not to bring that up!
So that's what happened.
I finally understood why the field had to be bigger.
I can't stand it.
Why do you always have a smile on your face?
Don't laugh!
What's so funny?
I thought I moved here in order to stay out of people's sights.
But before I knew it, I'd been helped out by the people in the village.
It was really hard at the beginning,
but now I think I can manage, I guess.
Wow!o this whole fucking scene. this fucking bgm}
M-M-Mom!
Ame!
Mom! Ame's...
M-Mo—
M—
Ame!
Mom...
Ame!
Mom...
Ame...
Ame!
Open your eyes, Ame!
Open your eyes!
Ame!
Open your eyes...
Ame...
Mom, that hurts.
Ame!
You know,
I found a kingfisher.
A really pretty kingfisher.
I felt like I could catch it today.
I don't know why, but I felt completely different than usual.
I wasn't scared.
Suddenly, it felt like I could do anything and everything.
And then—
Why're you crying?
What are we doing here?
My mother later said that it was the scariest moment of her life.
From that moment on, Ame became a completely different person.
Yuki 6 yrs old
Ame 5 yrs old
Yuki 5 yrs old
Ame 4yrs old
Around when the long winter ended, and when spring was drawing near...
I wanted really, really badly to go to elementary school like everyone else.
In order to persuade my mother,
I did everything she asked of me.
Thanks to that, I was finally able to go.
However.
No matter what happens...
...I won't turn into a wolf.
I know already. Jeez.
It's a promise, okay?
I'll be careful.
Repeat after me, then. "And then there were three presents, and three octopuses."
The heck?
It's a spell that will keep you from turning into a wolf.
A spell?
You say "And then there were three presents, and three octopuses."
And then there were...
...three presents, and three octopuses.
And then there were three presents, and three octopuses.
Hurry up!
And then there were three presents, and three octopuses.
That was the first time in my life I was surrounded by so many people.
I'd wanted to go so badly,
but once I actually did,
I got really worried wondering if I actually could manage at that place.
That didn't last long, though.
I'm off, Dad.
I'm off!
See you later. Be careful!
Okay!
Good morning, Shino!
Morning, Yuki.
I saved you a seat.
Thanks.
1st grade
So who knows the answer?
Me!
Hey! Don't run down the stairs.
Yuki!
You can do it, Yuki!
You're so fast!
That was awesome!
I knew you could do it!
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
Jobs
Sorry to keep you waiting.
This...
Niikawa Natural Park ants
My birthplace's nature
Thanks for waiting. Shall we?
I'm Tendou, the park ranger.
Welcome to Niikawa Nature Park.
Pleased to meet you.
Protecting nature isn't a park ranger's only job.
Providing environmental education, doing field surveys and the conservation of flora and fauna.
These are our three main duties, which we perform with the help of volunteers.
Our activities cover a lot of ground,
so one needs to be a specialist, and a jack of all trades at the same time.
Anyway, we're looking for people who will serve as assistants to those busy park rangers.
But to be perfectly honest, the wages are extremely low.
What we offer can only be called an internship stipend for those who wish to become park rangers in the future.
Even the hourly wage a high schooler earns at his part-time job's probably much higher than this.
Will you still...
take the job?
Um...
I heard you had a wolf here.
It's a timber wolf.
He's so quiet.
Well, he is quite old.
Chairman, could you...
I'll be right back.
Pleased to meet you.
I came here because I wanted to ask you something.
He's a wolf.
His father, a werewolf, passed away.
I'm his mother, but I know nothing about raising a wolf.
How did you grow up?
Could you please tell me how you grew up in the wild?
Sorry about that.
A certain wealthy person got special permission to keep and raise it,
but once they passed away, he was brought here because no one else wanted to take him in.
He was apparently born in a zoo in Moscow.
So he's not a wild wolf?
You won't find many wild wolves in zoos.
Most of them are born in one zoo and then taken to another zoo soon after.
Apart from this, a lot of wounded wild birds or animals like raccoon dogs are brought here.
We take them in, give them medical treatment and after...
I'll have to travel all this way from now on,
but you'll come with me, right?
I'll learn a lot about mountains and nature while on the job,
and I'll teach you about them as well.
That was the first time I saw a real one.
A real wolf?
Was Dad like that too?
No, not at all.
Good.
Why?
Because that one seemed a bit lonely.
I wish I could've met Dad.
Me too. I wish I could see him again.
And that's how my mother found herself a job.
Around the same time, I was having quite the shock.
You're so good, Bunko.
So are you, Keno.
I found a four-leaf clover!
Me too.
Yuki!
Did you find anything?
Yep!
Look!
I found out that no other girl would wrap a rat snake around their arm for fun, like I did.
Look, I got this from my mom!
Wow, so pretty!
I had my parents buy this for me on my birthday.
How nice.
Show us your treasure chest too, Yuki.
Sure.
Let's see.
Here you go.
I found out that no other girl would happily collect the bones of small animals or moulted reptile skin.
I was so unbearably embarrassed when I realized other girls didn't do things like that.
So I made a resolution.
A resolution that I'd conduct myself in an as graceful and girly manner as possible.
Hey, don't laugh!
I'm seriously distressed here, you know!
Why don't you just be what you wanna be?
I don't want everyone else to think I'm a weirdo.
Guess I don't have a choice.
Huh?
I remember being really happy that my mother made me a new dress.
Thanks to that, I stopped feeling left out in class,
and got along a lot better with my friends.
Good morning.
Morning.
Oh wow, Yuki. Your dress is really cute.
It's wonderful!
How nice.
I couldn't even begin to tell you how much this dress saved me.
Let's go!
Yeah!
The year after that, it proved to be really difficult to get Ame to go to school.
Listen up.
It's "And then there were three presents, and three octopuses."
The school's this way!
Congrats on &}years
Getting H754064&}well 2nd years
Full of c&H9CAF64&}1st years
Very &H4EDAF0&}ndly 2nd years
Well- d 6BF&}years
Flock 7EDE2&}gether 4th years
Independc&H2C84D1&}thought 3rd years
Good morning.
Oh hey, Ame. Is school off today?
No.
So you're playing hooky?
Yeah.
You're always welcome here.
Thank you.
And this here's the pond.
If you go now, you'll be able to see mountain frogs with tails.
Help us out for a bit, Hana!
Sure thing.
Can I have your attention please?
This is the new transfer student,
Fujii Souhei.
Introduce yourself.
I'm Fujii. Pleased to meet you all.
Pleased to meet you!
Hey, do you have a pet dog at home?
What? Why?
Well, you kinda reek of fur.
No, we don't have one.
Huh? That's weird.
I was dead certain you had one.
What's up?
Nothing. It's just that there's this smell.
Smell? Of what?
Never mind. Maybe I'm just smelling things.
Which one could it be?
I know! This one!
No way! For real?
Oh, Yuki.
Come play with us. Souhei's really funny.
Sorry, I have to return this book to the library.
What's with her?
She's not always like that, though.
Hey, Yuki. Listen up.
Listen up, Yuki.
Hey, Yuki!
Yuki!
Hey, Yuki!
Just tell me what it is!
What is what?
Have I done something to piss you off?
No, you haven't.
So you can't stand me because I transferred here?
That's gotta be it.
No, it's not.
Why're you avoiding me, then?
But I'm not!
And then there were three presents, and three octopuses.
And then—
Hey!
Wait up!
And then there were three presents, and three octopuses.
Don't come any closer!
You...
Stay away from me!
What's wrong with you?
Don't touch me!
Yuki! Yuki!
Call for you, Hana.
Okay!
Hello.
Sorry we had to call you at work.
Do you have any idea how much he bled from his head?
From my ear, you mean.
Yuki.
She hasn't answered any questions at all.
Did you really hurt him?
Did you apologize?
Apologize.
Apologize, now!
I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
That's how it is, Mrs. Fujii.
The school's insurance policy will compensate you for the medical bills.
Don't tell me you think you can get away with this just by lowering your head.
What if he'd gone deaf in the ear?
Parents have to take responsibility for their children's actions!
Will you make up for this, even if you have to go into debt and sell your house?
Well, this isn't the place for—
I have to find out where they stand on this, or else—
A wolf.
Huh?
A wolf did it.
It was a wolf that did it.
Souhei? What are you on about?
Souhei.
Souhei?
Don't just jump to conclusions.
But she has been acting weird lately.
Yuki would never do something like that!
It was obviously her.
Sir.
So it was...
Where's Souhei?
He went home.
Why?
Because he got hurt.
Why'd he get hurt?
You see...
Who hurt him?
Uh...
Yuki!
I knew it.
I wonder what happened.
So it was her.
Hell yeah, we're Scotland Yard.
Shut up.
Quiet! Settle down, everyone!
It didn't work.
The spell didn't work no matter how many times I tried.
Will I...
Will I be chased out of school?
Will we be unable to live in that house any longer?
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry!
Mom, I'm so sorry!
It's okay. It's all fine.
Souhei?
Handout. Souhei.
Souhei.
Owww.
Souhei.
She's gone over to Shino's place today.
That so.
Wait, hold on.
This place is really far, isn't it?
Thanks for coming everyday.
Well, I don't want Yuki to stop coming to school.
Hey, at the time, you said "a wolf did it", didn't you?
What did you mean by that?
That was... uh...
You might not believe me,
but I saw a wolf for a second back then.
And when I came to, I was injured.
So I'm sure it was a wolf that did it.
Not Yuki. That's what I meant.
Nobody believes me, though. They ask me if I've gone crazy.
I see.
Can I ask you one more question?
Do you hate wolves?
Not really, no.
Me neither.
Hey...
Do you wanna see this?
Wha—
Oww!
Cool, huh?
Wanna touch it?
Doesn't it hurt?
It's a bit itchy.
Let's go.
I'm off.
Where are you going?
Master's place.
Master who?
Master... Master.
Fine. Will you be okay going alone?
Yeah.
Take care.
Okay.
Don't stay out too late.
Okay.
Where's Yuki?
Back at school today.
Isn't that a relief. What about Ame?
He goes sometimes.
And that's fine.
Guys who stop going to elementary school are very promising.
Like Edison and myself, for example.
Where do you get off spouting irresponsible stuff like that?
By the way, does sometime live up on the mountain?
The mountain?
Ame said he was going to his master's place.
I thought he was talking about Mr. Nirasaki.
Who knows?
I don't think there's anyone who'd enter the mountain in this busy farming season.
Master knows everything.
Everything about the mountain.
Never thought you'd get friendly with someone older than you.
Bring them home sometime.
I want to thank them. Also...
Master won't meet humans.
He doesn't come down to the village like those bears and boars.
But maybe he'll see you.
Master's in charge of this entire area.
Thank you for taking care of Ame.
My birthplace's nature
The bath's ready.
You should have Master teach you too, Yuki.
You'll get much better at hunting.
There's a trick behind running through the forest at full speed, you see.
There's also a way to read terrain.
It really helps.
You can learn how to find streams, or notice subtle changes in the climate.
And also about territories and how to properly interact with one another—
I'm not going. No way.
Why?
Right back at you. Why aren't you coming to school?
The mountain's more interesting.
It's full of things I don't know.
You don't need to know.
Why?
Just come to school!
Don't wanna.
Why?
Because I'm a wolf.
Human, you mean.
No, we're wolves.
I decided never to turn into a wolf again.
Why?
Tell me why.
Because I'm human!
Get that? Because I'm human!
And I'm asking you to tell me why.
Enough of your whys already!
You're a wolf. How can you call yourself human?
Shut up! You don't know a thing about me!
And what's there to know?!
You'd better come to school tomorrow!
Don't wanna!
You'd better!
Don't wanna!
You wanna go?
What? What's all this noise?
Yuki, Ame!
Stop it, you two!
Stop it, Yuki! Ame!
Yuki!
Ame!
Ame?
Yuki and Ame have both started to walk their own paths in life.
This is supposed to be what I wanted all along,
so why am I so worried?
Could you tell me why?
My last summer as an elementary schooler was marked by multiple record-breaking downpours.
Ame started going up the mountain much more frequently.
It looked like he was really worried about the effect those downpours would have on his master
and the mountain's other flora and fauna.
Ame!
Where've you been?
You're freezing cold!
Hold on, I'll heat up some bathwater right now.
Master's... leg is injured. He can't move.
He'll probably die very soon.
Somebody has to take over his role and do what he's been doing all this while.
Ame!
Stop going up the mountain!
Listen to me.
You're only ten years old! You're just a child!
A wolf at ten years old is an adult, sure, but you're...
Please.
Please don't go up the mountain anymore.
I'm begging you.
Stay on him!
He's gonna shoot!
Shoot, Nobumichi!
Give me the ball.
Oh yeah, did you know?
Know what?
I overheard my parents talking about it.
Yeah.
Apparently Souhei's mom is getting married.
What? No way!
But why?
Because she's hot, obviously.
So Souhei's gonna get a new dad, huh?
Good for him.
But it seems Souhei doesn't know about this.
What? For real? Why?
Really?
Keep this a secret, no matter what. Okay?
All right!
It dropped! Yay!
What's the score now?
Shit!
Nice shot!
Good morning.
The weather is expected to be fine throughout the day,
but heavy rains are forecasted for the evening hours and overnight.
It's so humid today!
Yuki.
Stay at home today.
Stay with Mom.
Why?
You're going to miss the bus.
Okay, I'll get going.
You stay with her.
I'm off!
Be careful.
...clear day followed by rainfall.
Some places may experience thunderstorms as well.
In the south-west, a clear day followed by rainfall.
Ame.
Ame!
Let's go inside.
This problem asks you to calculate how much distance an unladen swallow can travel in three hours.
But first, does everybody understand what "70 kilometers per hour" means?
"Per hour" indicates how much distance can be covered in an hour.
So if the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is 70km/hr, it means it can fly 70 kilometers in one hour.
The weather front that had stagnated over the Sea of Japan has now shifted south,
causing a sudden instability in the prefecture's atmosphere.
Due to that, localized and violent thunderstorms and squalls are expected to break out very shortly.
The predicted rate of rainfall is as follows:
Upward of 70mm per hour is expected in the plains.
And more than 100mm per hour in more mountainous areas.
The meteorological observatory...
All right. Take your seats, everyone.
Due to the incoming heavy rains,
we've decided to cancel the afternoon classes.
All right!
We're currently calling all of your dads and moms in order to have them come pick you up.
Form groups according to where you live and wait for them to arrive in the gymnasium.
A blackout?
I have to go.
I understand. I'm on my way.
Ame! Let's go pick up Yuki from school.
Ame?
Ame? Where are you?
Ame!
Ame, where are you?
Ame!
Takahiro!
Mom!
Keiko?
Daddy!
The Alps are ten thousand—
Our parents sure are taking their time...
Don't worry.
But...
We can just play cards all night if we end up having to stay here.
Cards?
I'll play!
Wow, that sounds like fun!
It'll be like camp!
I'll go get them from the classroom.
Okay.
Do you even know how to play cards?
I only know how to play old maid.
Dumbass.
Hey! No fighting.
Shino.
Oh, Dad!
You're late, jeez.
Sorry. The weather's crazy out there.
Come with us, Yuki. I'll drop you home too.
Huh?
Yeah, Yuki. Let's go.
Uh... but...
Hurry up, let's go.
Thank you,
but I'm pretty sure my mom's going to get here soon.
You don't need to be so reserved.
Yeah...
It'd be a problem if we missed each other.
Yeah, you're right.
We'll be on our way, then.
Bye.
Ame!
Ame, where are you?
Ame!
Ame?
Where are you?
Souhei sure is taking his time.
Yuki?
Huh? Did Yuki leave already?
Can I have your attention please?
Those of you remaining here will be given rides home in the school car.
Pick up your shoes and assemble here!
Ame!
Wait!
Wait for me,
Ame!
Ame...
Where are you?
Whoa!
Why're you here?
Because...
You took too long.
Huh? They're gone.
Did everyone else leave?
So we're the only ones that nobody came to pick up, huh?
I wonder if something happened to Mom...
It's cold.
Let's take a walk.
Yuki!
Wait.
What do we do if nobody comes to pick us up?
We could just live in school.
That's impossible.
We could sleep in the infirmary.
And what about food?
We could eat the leftover school lunches.
And what if no one ever came to pick us up?
Would we live in school forever?
We'd just need to work.
Deliver newspapers or something.
That's impossible. Nobody'd hire us.
We can lie about my age. Tell them we're a middle schooler or something.
Do we look like it?
Nope.
Really?
I want to hurry up and become an adult.
Me too.
Ame...
I hope he's not shivering due to the cold somewhere.
I hope he's not crying because he can't find his way back home...
I...
I have to protect him...
I have to...
protect...
Hello. Is there anybody in there?
He's gone.
My heart's still beating like crazy.
Hey, why'd you hide?
Hey.
It's like an ocean out there.
Feels like we're going to sink into it.
Are we gonna live here in secret forever?
Not like we have a choice if our parents don't show up.
Why?
Your mom will definitely show up.
She won't.
Why? I mean...
My mom got married.
She's pregnant.
She says I won't be needed anymore once it's born.
But she was so worried about you back then.
I don't really have any problems with that, though.
I'll run away from home,
become a boxer or pro wrestler or something,
and live my life as a lone wolf.
How's that sound? Think I can do it?
You won't get very far.
Not with that frail body of yours.
I'll train.
I'll train and live by myself.
Souhei...
I wish I could be like you.
I want to be able to tell the truth and still have a smile on my face afterward too.
Souhei.
The wolf that hurt you that time was me.
It was me.
All this while, I've been wanting to get this off my chest.
All this while, I've been hurting.
I knew all along.
I haven't told anyone about your secret.
And I will never tell anyone about it.
So...
stop crying.
I'm not crying. These are just raindrops.
Thank you.
Where did you go, Ame?
Ame!
Ame.
I looked all over for you.
Hurry up, now. We have to go back and pick Yuki up—
Hana.
I've missed you so much.
I put you under a lot of trouble, didn't I?
I'm sorry.
I was watching you the entire time.
Yeah, I knew you were.
You raised the kids well.
Not at all.
All I did was mess up.
Nah, it's true.
Yuki and Ame both grew up well.
Nah, I mean...
Ame's...
That's right. Ame's missing.
Ame!
Ame will be just fine.
But...
It's okay. He's an adult now.
An adult?
He found a world of his own.
Ame...
Ame!
Are you going to leave?
But...
I still haven't done a single thing for you.
I still haven't...
and yet...
Wait!
Ame!
Ame...
Ame!
Take care...
And live strong!
Take care of yourself.
"I won't ever forget about what happened that morning,"
was what my mother said.
Those freshly-washed beech leaves,
those freshly-washed spiderwebs,
and that freshly-washed sky.
Each and every single thing was glittering in the sunshine.
To my mother,
it felt like the entire world
had been reborn overnight.
The year after that, I moved out of our home and into the middle school dorms.
Looking back at those twelve years she spent raising us,
my mother said they'd passed her by in the blink of an eye, like it was a fairy tale.
And she said it with a smile on her face.
One of complete satisfaction.
And she said it while looking at faraway peak.
That smile of hers makes me...
extremely happy.
To this day, my mother still lives peacefully in that mountain home.
m 0 650 l 0 721 l 1281 721 l 1281 650
I prayed that we would meet, though I could not see you yet
Presented HFF&\t(1272,2648,\alpha&H00&)\fs50}: arsfugal™
Wolf ren\alpha&HFF&\t(2231,3775,\alpha&H00&)}Ame and Yuki
So I prayed as I stroked my belly
I wondered what you would look like
I wondered what you would sound like
Now I see myself in your big eyes
Tears run down your cheeks
Come on, dinner is ready
Come on, let us take a walk
You've cried enough and hug your knees
I ask your problem, and you tell me everything
Don't worry, I'll stay with you
I will be with you, whatever may come
I love how you laugh
You cheer me up when I need it
Come on, let us sing
Come on, let us purr
Don't rush growing up
Run through the snow, count the clouds, play in the rain and wind
Let us play the flute in a bed of flowers, with four or two legs
A new dawn
A new wind
They're there for you
A new dawn
A new light
The world is there for you
A new dawn
A new rainbow
The world is full of mysteries
I would probably gaze at you from afar as you pick a path to walk
Is there really nothing else
I can do for you?
Someday, when you set out on your journey, I'll see you off with a smile
Perhaps it will feel a bit sad
Please, live a good life
m 0 75 l 0 721 l 1281 721 l 1281 75
Madaminu anata aemasu you ni
Onaka wo sasuri itsumo negatta
Fu-u-u fu-u-u donna kao shiteru ka na
Fu-u-u fu-u-u donna koe wo shiteru no
Ookina hitomi watashi wo utsusu
Namida no tsubu ga hoho ni hajikeru
Manma manma oide gohan dekita yo
Ta-ta-ta ta-ta-ta oide sanpo ikou yo
Nakiharashita me de hiza wo kakaeru
Wake wo kikasete subete hanashite
Daijoubu dokoemo ikanai yo
Nani ga atte mo issho ni iru yo
Anata no waratta kao ga suki yo
Uchikondeite mo genki wo kureru
Ru-ru-ru ru-ru-ru oide uta utaou yo
U-o-on u-o-on oide nodo narasou yo
Ki-ra-ra ki-ra-ra nobinobi sodatteoku de
Yuki wo kake kumo wo kazoe ame ni asobi kaze ni fukarete
Hana ni umore kusabue narasou yonhon ashi de nihon no ashi de
Atarashii asa
Atarashii kaze
Anata no tame ni junbisareta no
Atarashii asa
Atarashii hikari
Sekai wa anata no tame ni aru
Atarashii asa
Atarashii niji
Sekai wa fushigi ni michiteiru
Futatsu no michi no dochiraka erabi haruka kanata mitsumeru manazashi
Shite agerareru koto
mou nanimonai no kashira
Itsuka anata ga tabidatsu toki wa kitto waratte miokutte ageru
U-u-u u-u-u demo chotto samishii ka na
U-o-on u-o-on onegai shikkari ikite