"To my sister, Satsuki:
I was happy to see you at the Great Cherry Blossom Banquet the other day.
I'm glad that you still aspire to become a priestess.
Also..."
Konohana Kitan
Episode 4 Raft Bridge of Dreams
What was that scream?
Nacchan, you idiot!
Pervert!
What have you done to me?!
What are you even talking about?
It's way too early in the morning for this.
Take responsibility for this!
We've been sleeping in the same room together every day.
It's obviously your child!
Wait, wait, wait!
I mean, I'll take responsibility, but...
You will?!
No, that's not even the problem.
An egg?
It won't come off.
What kind of egg is that?
We can find out if we let it hatch.
In any case, you can't work like that.
Y-You can't be serious!
Do you really plan to attend to guests like that?
Why should I have to sit on this mystery egg?
Hang in there until it weans off of you.
Besides, Ren, whatever this egg is,
if it grew inside of you, it's as good as ours.
Oh, Ren's taking the day off?
Yes.
She's in bed, saying she has a bellyache.
I hate how she does it so naturally.
Poor Ren, too.
I'm going to work hard to fill in for Ren-chan.
For the baby she's carrying, too.
Yeah.
But don't say that to anyone else.
Satsuki!
Perfect timing.
This gentleman here saw the Great Cherry Blossom Banquet the other day.
I see.
That priestess, Hiiragi, who was dancing in the middle, was spectacular.
Do you know of her?
Of course I do.
Hiiragi-san is Satsuki's older sis—
Are you okay?
Excuse me.
Did I say something wrong?
There's a history between her and her sister.
It's something we may never understand.
Where am I?
Who are you?
Nacchan.
Why are you dressed so silly?
It's over between us, Ren.
I'm actually a prince of the stars.
So I can't stay here any longer.
Goodbye, Ren.
No! Wait!
I'll eat your carrots if you hate them so much.
I won't get mad at you for tossing in your sleep.
So please, don't go anywhere!
Don't worry.
I'm not going anywhere.
Ren!
Are you okay, Ren?
You were having a nightmare.
Hey, the egg fell—
How are you feeling, Ren?
Why is it stuck to me?
Damn it! It won't come off.
It seemed to come off Ren-chan by itself after she was asleep for a while.
That's crazy!
I can't skip work for this nonsense!
Stop!
You need to treat your body better when you're expecting.
That body doesn't belong to you alone anymore, you know.
Quit being so suggestive!
What's going on? It's awfully noisy in here.
I see.
All right.
Let's give it a night and see what happens.
Take the night off, Satsuki.
Hey, tell me when you go into labor.
Stop saying things like that!
Hey, Ren, which room is this dinner for?
Why did this happen to me?
The Akebono room.
I just served that room.
Which room is it, then?
Oh! I'm sorry!
I'm way too distracted to sleep.
Are you okay?
I'll bring a rag.
Look out!
I'm sorry!
Just what is your purpose?
Are you okay?
Satsuki.
Look. It's my new kimono.
Do I look good?
You're dauntless and good-looking,
and you make everyone happy, like a large flower.
We'll send Hiiragi to serve at Konohanatei.
But dear, everyone expects Hiiragi to become a priestess.
Indeed.
Then let's send Satsuki instead.
What do you think, Satsuki?
I...
If it doesn't matter either way, they'd rather have my sister become one.
That's what everyone wanted.
So...
So?
So you're telling me you gave me your spot?
You hid yourself away, and now you're blaming me for it?
No.
It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
It wouldn't matter what I said.
I would just hurt you and our parents.
How do you feel?
I could never bring myself to say this.
If it didn't matter which of us would become a priestess, if it didn't matter who,
then why couldn't it have been me?
What the...
It does matter who.
It has to be you, Satsuki-chan.
We need you. Konohanatei needs you.
You're needed here.
It can't be anyone else.
Satsuki-chan!
Are you all right?
You were having a nightmare.
Yuzu...
I'm fine.
I was having a dream.
The egg...
What's going on?
What is that?
Konohanatei
Is it a pig?
It has fur, though.
It's a melon boy, then.
[An "uribou" is a wild boar piglet; the compound consists of the kanji for "melon" and "boy"]
Your name is Urinosuke.
I'm just glad that's all over.
Can you get back to work right away?
Sure.
Thank goodness.
Work just doesn't get done without you around.
Kiri-san's so useless.
Well, sorry, jeez.
Ow, ow, ow!
Come say hi sometimes.
I'd like to meet your friends, too.
See you soon.
Hiiragi.
By the way, were you having a bad dream or something?
Yeah.
I think it started off as a nightmare, but I can't remember.
It turned into a good dream, and...
Me, too. I can't remember the bad part, either.
Good thing it was the bad part you forgot.
So what kind of good dream was it?
I forget.
But you just said...
Drop it!
I said I forgot!
Sorry.
Speaking of dreams, isn't there a beast god that eats nightmares?
Baku
What was it called again?
Dunno.
It's me, Yuzu.
I'm back from shopping.
Yuzu! Thank goodness you're here!
Make this baby stop crying.
Which guest does it belong to?
There, there.
There doesn't seem to be a guest who could be a mother.
Don't do that, Urinosuke.
Looks like he's not interested in the baby.
Urinosuke's totally settled in.
I think that's fine.
The boss hasn't said anything about it.
Someone gave me this steamed bun while I was out on errands.
I gave it to the baby, since it has teeth.
All right, let's find its mother while it's not crying.
I bought thread and fabric.
What a beautiful kimono.
It's for a three-year-old's Shichi-Go-San celebration.
I hope Shino will like it.
Shino-san?
I wonder if that's her granddaughter.
Long ago, children were said to belong to the gods until they were seven.
To the gods?
They finally become human if they survive for seven years.
That's what Shichi-Go-San celebrates.
That's beautiful.
I'm sure Shino-san will love it.
Satsuki-chan.
Where did that baby go?
I took my eyes off of it for a brief moment, and now it's gone.
I'm sure the mother found it and took it back.
I hope that's what happened.
Did something just pass by?
First a baby, and now a lost kid?!
Wait, Satsuki-chan.
That kimono...
Her name is Shino-chan.
I just spoke with her grandmother.
That's a relief.
Let's take her...
Damn it! Today is cursed.
Mommy?
I don't remember giving birth to you.
Don't make her cry, Satsuki-chan.
I-I didn't!
Shino-chan, come over—
Merlion!
Oh, good... She's laughing.
You can wear this yukata until your kimono is dry.
Shino-chan!
Bye!
Don't you "Bye" me.
Damn it, she's making so much work for me.
Satsuki-chan's smile is so adorable.
What are you grinning about?
Nothing!
My, Shino.
Where did you leave your kimono?
Whatever shall I do with you?
It's so nice out.
What are you up to?
Oh, your ball's stuck in the tree.
You can't be too rambunctious.
You're going to get your pretty kimono all dirty.
Um...
Th-Thank you, Onii-chan.
I'm an onee-chan, actually.
My, what's the matter, Shino?
Do you want to grow up faster?
Sure.
I'll make you a furisode next,
so that you can grow up to be a lovely lady soon.
Why are you crying?
My mother made me a furisode.
Oh, that's great.
But my mom's taste in fashion is so old!
I don't want to wear this!
How's that?
You can't just complain.
You're a girl. You have to think of your own ways to be stylish.
Do you think I can become pretty like you, Onee-chan?
Wh-What are you talking about?
I-I suppose you could.
Maybe not as pretty as me.
Ren, have you seen my pajamas?
The ones you tossed on the floor?
I washed them for you, since you never will.
That's my Ren! You're so kind!
N-Natsume, you idiot!
People are watching!
Huh?
She's gone.
Who was that girl?
I don't know.
She's probably a guest's child.
I wonder if she's her older sister.
Pardon me, ma'am.
I brought thread and fabric.
Come in, Onee-san.
I'm sorry it's such a mess here.
I'll go make some tea.
Um, I...
Another new kimono?
That's right, Mother.
Shino grows so fast, I can't keep up.
She's going through her growth spurt.
It seems she's fallen in love, too.
Oh, don't tell Jirou-san about this.
That man is so attached to his children.
He'll become jealous, I'm sure.
Right, Shino?
This is our secret, right?
Excuse me.
Yuzu, you were raised by humans, weren't you?
Yes.
Then have you heard about this tradition?
A mother who'd lost her daughter young
would dress a doll in wedding clothes in her place,
so that the daughter would marry in the afterlife.
What do you think, Yuzu?
Do you feel sorry for that lady, spending time with people who aren't here?
If that's what the guest wants, then the world she sees is the true world.
Guests are gods, after all.
What's the matter?
You look down.
There you are, you tanuki.
I'm not a tanuki.
I'm a fox.
I don't care either way.
Stop deceiving my mom, please.
You're in your rebellious phase.
You couldn't have chosen a more complicated age for a human to be.
When are you going to set her free from this place?
Konohanatei
Our guest came through our entrance of her own free will.
I can't kick her out.
Why don't you enjoy your time here, too?
How can I?
This is all a dream.
You're just going to make her even more miserable when she wakes up!
But, young lady,
the fleeting dreams you have here at Konohanatei,
the entirety of your human lives...
To us foxes, it's not much different.
"Ah, what a nice dream that was."
Isn't that good enough?
At the very least, our guest doesn't mind that it's a dream.
Don't tell anyone what I just said.
I keep embarrassing myself in front of the people here.
That's what it means for a person to grow up.
Embarrass yourself often, regret all kinds of things,
and please, become a beautiful woman.
She's such a pretty bride.
Which room is she staying in?
The Kasumi room.
Are you all right, little attendant?
Thank you.
Her final kimono was finished this morning.
What a nice day.
A perfectly clear spring sky.
Just like the day you were born.
You look beautiful, Shino.
You said I was the child of a god.
But I've always been your daughter.
I've lived a truly fulfilling, dream-like life.
Thank you,
mother.
Thank you, miss.
The attendants have helped me feel very happy during my time here.
It truly was like a dream.
It wasn't a dream.
You'll always be with your daughter from now on.
For much longer than the few decades that you've been kept apart.
What a wonderful day today is.
Lunch is served, ma'am.
Our guest has just departed.
To where her daughter awaits.
Really?
She must have been in a hurry.
I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't see her off.
Speaking of which, she wanted to thank us.
She said the past few days were like a dream, thanks to us.
Now, then, we have a banquet tonight.
It's going to be a huge job, Yuzu.
Be ready!
Yes!
Next Episode: The Spring Rains Bring With It