Hey!
What brought you here all of a sudden!?
I went to Nemuro for my job. I stopped by here on my way home.
What a surprise!
How are you?
I'm fine. How is everyone in Furano?
Same old.
You've heard that Sota's father, Seikichi died last year, haven't you?
Yes.
How is my dad?
He's recently into charcoal making?
Charcoal making?
Do you remember Kanji Nakatsu, the big brother of Chinta?
Oh, Kanji.
To help his organic farming,
your dad makes compost and charcoal.
Speaking of which, Kanji's going to be married.
In fact, the bride is Chinta's ex.
Chinta's ex!?
Yeah, he had his girl friend stolen again!
By his brother, of all people! It's the worst!
Is Jun still working as a garbage collector?
Yeah, he's now an expert.
How are things going between Jun and his girl friend?
You mean Shu? They are getting along.
She asked him to meet her parents, but he's so scared that he is avoiding it with all kinds of excuses.
I see.
How about you?
Me?
Yeah, are you still living with Jun?
Yeah.
Not yet?
What?
Marriage.
I have no one.
I'm always by myself.
Hotaru
Yeah?
Are you planning to remain here forever?
Will you not come back to Furano any more?
Jun!
Wow!
This is the wedding gift for you. The dressing table you wanted.
I'm so glad!
Thank you so much!
Please put it here for now.
OK.
Umph!
Huh?
I'm preparing tea for you.
Yeah.
What're you doing?
Oh, I fell asleep.
Are you off today?
I had the night shift, yesterday.
Hey,
How dare you stay overnight in the house of a newly-married couple, even though it's your brother?
Hold back a little more!
She was supposed to be married with me!
It's too late for you to say!
So unfortunate! I'm really unfortunate!
Jun
Yeah
Here is the tea.
Thank you.
I had my girlfriend stolen even by my bother.
My life is without any hope!
Sota gave us the clock.
So flashy...
His farm is great.
With the stock farm and the vegetable farm combined, his property is now 78 cho (1 cho is about 10000 m²)
What is he going to do with such a big farm?
Sota is quite able. He's buying more and more lands from those who quit farming.
He advised me to enlarge the farm as much as possible.
It seems like many quit farming last year.
12 families only in this neighborhood.
How large is your land now?
About 30 cho.
Actually, it's too much.
I borrowed money to acquire new pieces of land.
Are you increasing organic fields?
Yeah, it's thanks to your dad.
But Sota scolded me. He says organic farming is outdated.
Come here.
This is your dad's idea.
We are burning charcoal directly on the field. We are using the covering technique.
This changes the soil quit a lot.
After your dad did this for three consecutive years,
our field is now completely free of pesticides.
Recently, my dad seems to be appreciated much
among organic farmers.
Let me help you.
Thank you, Sota.
Combining horse dung from Sota's farm,
wood shavings from Nakahata Timber Cooporation
and kitchen garbage from the neighborhood,
my dad are making compost.
In addition, he's been enthusiastic
about making charcoal since last year.
It's not like he is making neat pieces of charcoal.
What he's trying to make is
a kind of charcoal used to improve the quality of soil.
and the wood vinegar produced during the process of charcoal making.
To do that, he tries various way of making charcoal,
and keep failing at it.
I failed again.
Oh my...
I made it the other day, though.
Kanji was really glad as well.
Jun, to make someone glad is
not something you can buy with money.
You can't but it with money.
I thought he was absolutely right.
I am recently starting to understand why Dad's doing what he's doing.
It's been three years since I started working as a garbage collector.
I often got sick of my job and doubted what I was doing.
I almost gave up the job.
Still, I could continue this job
because people coming to throw away trash
express their gratitude to me.
What kept my heart from breaking off
was the idea that I'm being appreciated by others.
Shokichi.
Yes?
I finally go there this Sunday.
Where?
Kami-sunagawa
Kami-sunagawa?
I told you! Shu's parents live in Kami-sunagawa.
To do what?
Do you need to ask?
To propose to her?
No way! It's too soon!
Then, to do what?
To do..., you know, how can I put it...
To get to know them.
Oh, to get to know..
Yeah, that's right.
In this case, what am I supposed to say?
Oh, to begin with...
"Nice to meet you."
Oh, "Nice to meet you."
Then,
"My name is Jun Kuroita."
"I'm not a shady person."
Wait, am I shady?
To them...
of course you are!
What are you going to wear?
Normal clothes. Don't they work?
What you consider normal doesn't work.
At least you should put a shirt and a tie.
A tie? I have no such thing.
I have one. You can use it.
It's a tie from the Self-Defense Forces, but I think no one cares.
I need a jacket as well?
Buy one jacket or two for this occasion!
How much is it?
Go to Asamitsu. There you can buy a suit for just over 2000 yen.
Asamitsu is originally a maker of work clothes.
So the price is exceptionally low here.
They have some suits, too.
How is it?
Yeah.
Isn't it a bad taste?
Don't worry!
Bad taste is not a crime.
On Sunday, I finally left.
I put a tie for the first time in my life. I was feeling as if someone was squeezing my neck.
Shu left for Kami-sunagawa the day before and was waiting for me there.
I looked up her house on a map
which I found on the outskirts of Kami-sunagawa.
Welcome
Hello
Come in.
Yeah
Sit down there.
Yes
Wait a minute, please.
Yes, this is just a little...
Thank you.
Run, run!
This is
Jun Kuroita.
Nice to meet you.
My name is Jun Kuroita.
That is my dad.
My name is Jun Kuroita.
I'm not a shady person.
Please have some tea.
Itadakimasu
I don't remember almost anything about what happened after that.
I think I was almost unconscious.
When I came to myself, A baseball game between Daiei and Nippon Ham was on the air.
Her family was absorbed in the game ignoring me.
What?
Oh, pardon me?
You are working as a garbage collector, aren't you?
Oh, yes.
Then, are you a local government official?
Oh, actually, no.
I'm employed as a temporary worker.
Oh, I see.
Oh, shit.
Oh, yes?
Is your dad
a farmer?
Yes
How large is it?
Excuse me?
How large is it?
Oh, actually, he doesn't own land a lot.
He's making compost,
charcoal and things like that.
No flashy things...
Half unconsciously, my mind went blank.
Time went by slowly while I was in coma.
I have to excuse myself...
Please have a nice day.
Have a nice day.
Everyone was kind only when I was leaving.
I'm coming part of the way to see you off, wait a minute.
It's OK. Wait a second.
I have no idea
why I did such a thing.
I don't know if it was a kind of favor
or a gesture of resistance to her family.
Oh... Sorry, I took the liberty of...
What am I saying!?
Can you give me a ride just around the corner?
Oh, there.
You don't like to sing?
I was conscious for those two hours after that.
I was conscious but
It was as if I were having a weird dream.
Even though he was the one who invited us,
he didn't say a word to me or Shu
and sang and sang..
He didn't ask us to sing
nor talk to us, nor even give us a smile.
He sang 22 songs without a break as if he feared the music would be interrupted.
Then, he suddenly disappeared
saying "bye".
After that, I went to the ex coal mine in Kami-sunagawa
where she grew up.
He is such a weirdo, isn't he?
He's always been like that.
He worked solely as a coal miner
for 40 years
When they closed the mine, he was dismissed immediately.
But he never complained about that.
What did your family think about me?
Were you nervous?
I don't remember at all.
You were
acting nice.
Don't lie.
Will you come back to Furano tomorrow?
I don't know.
My brother says he wants to talk to me.
About what?
A little something.
As soon as I get back
I call you.
So wait for me.
Yeah
How was it?
"How was it"? Are you kidding? It was terrible!
How terrible?
You know, a lot of her relatives showed up
but all they were doing was to watch baseball!
They hardly talked to me
and just kept staring at me!
Wow, it sucks!
It totally sucks!
So, any hope?
Not at all.
But her dad is a strange persone
and invited me to karaoke after the gathering.
So you do have hope!
He invited me but
he didn't even look at my face nor try to talk to me!
I had to listen to as many as 22 songs out of tunes!
I see.
Somehow I feel like something bad will happen.
For a garbage collector,
the summer was the hardest season.
Garbage readily rot away
and started to stink.
It was almost hell
when the garbage bag was broken or tied loose.
It was even tougher for farmers.
They were completely at the mercy of
weather and premature growth of crops.
They worked until late at night
Shu hadn't contacted me after the gathering.
I called her apartment once,
but it seemed like she had not come back yet.
After that,
what was said among them
and what happened?
I had a gloomy feeling about it.
About my job as a garbage collector.
what did her family think?
But
in these years
I sometimes felt
a little bit of discrimination from others,
which hurt me
but made me stronger at the same time.
So,
even if her family
have one problem or two with that,
I'll be fine with that
as long as Shu is cool.
Yukiko
Yukiko!
What happened?
Is Daisuke here?
I'm alone.
Please come in, anyway. Please come in.
What a nice surprise!
I haven't even receive a word from you, so...
I'm sorry.
Don't worry. I'm totally fine.
Goro.
What?
Do you mind if I stay here tonight?
You don't even have to ask for permission.
I sleep down here, so you can use the room on the second floor.
Thank you.
I'm currently building a veranda.
Why don't we have a dinner on the veranda today?
It's so nice! You can see the Mt. Ashibetsu right ahead of you.
Oh, you've never tried my bath, have you? It's awesome! I heat the water for you right now!
Let me heat the water.
Goro
What?
I became alone, too.
Yukiko
Can I ask you something?
What do you mean by you became alone?
We divorced
formally.
I...
I stole him from his ex wife, didn't I?
This time, I...
had him stolen.
It seems like you are supposed to pay
for what you did...
And Daisuke?
He's
attached to his grandma.
He say he doesn't want to part from his grandma.
So he chose his dad...
I was so shocked...!
I never expected my child would abandon me.
Right after that,
I went to Haneda,
jumped on the flight
and came here.
Goro. I...
ended in the same situation as my sister's.
Goro!
A bath from this time of the evening? What a carefree life!
Goro
Excuse me!
Sota? What do you want? Sota?
What's wrong?
I saw a woman at the house of Goro!
Is there something wrong with that?
Not just a woman!
She was taking a bath!
Wasn't it just Shu staying at his house?
No! Lot older!
Her back looked much older!
Wait, how many flies there are!
Look! There she is, you see?
It's not Shu, is it?
No...
What?
Yukiko...
Yukiko!
It's so unfair of you, Goro! Why didn't you tell me!?
Oh, Yukiko, when did you come? When? Are you alone?
Where is your kid? You left your husband, didn't you?
That's good! That is so good, isn't it?
Divorce him on this occasion! And stay here forever, OK?
What's wrong with you, Goro?
Hello.
This is Shu.
Where are you now?
In Furano
I've just arrived.
Can we meet tomorrow?
It was that night
when she called me for the first time in a while.
It took long, didn't it?
Sorry
Did something happen there?
I'm so sorry
for the other day.
You came from far to see us...
Did they say something about it?
No
They don't like my job, do they?
I seems like you want to tell me something.
Go ahead.
I'm mentally tough.
Your brothers don't like me,
do they?
It's not like that.
They told me to go back to Kami-sunagawa.
My brother wants me to work in his shop.
He is the manager of a convenience store
in Kami-sunagawa.
He told me
to work there for a while.
So will you go?
Do you want to go back?
Of course, not!
But you will, won't you?
So you decided, right?
When you say it in that way,
you make me cry.
I also
resisted desperately.
What did your dad say?
My dad say nothing in cases like this.
Why all of a sudden did they ask you something like that?
In short,
they want you to part from me.
He said, "When you truly love each other,
your relationship won't change, even if you live far away one from the other."
Please, Jun
Let me do that for a little while.
It's not like we cannot see each other.
It takes just over one hour by train from Furano to Kami-sunagawa.
How long do you mean by "a little while"
Six months?
One year?
Or longer?
Junn...
Three years?
Even more?
Are you not sure you can wait?
If it's too long,
Jun
will you possibly fall in love with someone else?
How about you!?
Are you sure?
Yes!
I suppose so...
You suppose...
Jun
I...
want you to understand
I think
they are trying us.
Vexing as it is,
I think they are testing us.
So...
I...
want to show them by all means
that my feeling toward you
through such a thing
through living in different places for just a while
will not change so easily. So I think.
Will yours?
Do you think your feeling will change?
Takizato
Nokano
Kami-ashibetsu
Hiragishi
Mojiri
Kashinai
Kami-sunagawa
The scenery along the national highway from Furano to Kami-sunagawa
flitted through my mind.
That road...
to see Shu,
will I take that road many times?
Struggling with garbage from the morning,
covered with stink,
I'll be completely worn out everyday.
Where in that body,
how much energy, if any, will there be remaining?
Shu
I love you
really
so hopelessly.
But
If you now leave Furano
and start to live in a world away from mine,
both you and I will be
changing little by little without realizing it, won't we?
Like Rei did.
Jun
Aunty Yukiko!
One hokke (a kind of fish)! Two beer!
You've grown so sturdy, Jun! You look totally different!
Jun, Yukiko has decided to settle down here.
Really?
Fortunately, I found a job, too.
Really, where?
You know, the place the wife of Kanji was working until she got married.
Ningle Terrace, Cre... Cri...
Craftman?
Craftman!
She will be working in that candle shop!
Oh, there!
She also found an apartment, in Wakamatsu.
On, Aunty, if you want furniture, count on me!
TV, fridge, other home electronics, table, sofa...
I'm a genius to find those things! So count on me!
I don't have much money.
You don't need money, at all! I'll find them for free! Leave it to me!
Oh, you are with Daisuke, aren't you?
Daisuke is in Tokyo with Dad.
That Sunday, I helped her moving.
Jun
Sorry, but can I ask a favor of you?
What?
I want you to call Daisuke.
I think his grandma will answer.
Even though I told him my number,
he never calls me.
What is the number?
It's registered. Push 00.
Hello, I want to talk with Daisuke.
Ah... my name is Kuroita from Furano.
What time will he come back?
I see.
I'll call you later.
He's not home.
I see.
Thank you.
Mt. Yamabe Department Store had a variety of products as always.
The kinds of products was clearly different from those of three years ago.
The most advanced home electronics in that time started to be thrown away.
Besides, they were still usable once fixed.
They were thrown away not because they couldn't be used anymore
but because they were out of fashion.
There was a pile of such pitiful products.
I don't know why but
in that moment, all of a sudden, the face of Shu's dad rose into my mind.
He worked solely as a coal miner
for 40 years.
When they closed the mine, he was dismissed immediately.
But he never complained about that.
To get out of the times
and be thrown away.
Come here.
Look, Yukiko, the whole place from here to there.
From that street to there, it's all mine.
There is more.
There is more, look.
The whole carrot field down here.
And this field of onions!
This is mine, too. It's about 12 cho (1 cho is about 10000 m²) in total.
Amazing!
It is, isn't it?
It took seven years to enlarge my farm to this size.
How long has your dad been dead?
One year.
But I had taken over him practically seven years ago. Sales have increased since then.
Yukiko, times have changed.
Farming is different from old days.
It's a way of making a huge amount of money with chemicals.
To do so, I borrow more and more money
and invest it, yeah.
This machine cost 23 million yen, Isn't this amazing?
I'm the only one who has this in the neighborhood.
This one machine is equivalent to the work force of dozens of people.
You can't catch up with the nature if you work slowly.
But in this way, even if you borrow money, you can readily recover the initial cost.
Our cow barn have changed a lot as well.
We are now controlling everything with a computer.
It's that kind of time.
It's different, now.
That is why I can't understand at all
what Goro has in mind and do things like that.
Compost, charcoal making and organic farming?
What is the use of that?
City people praise organic products.
But what would you do?
If, on the selves of supermarkets in Tokyo
you found worm-eaten spinach
and glossy spinach,
which would you choose?
Glossy one, of course!
Everyone would choose that one.
But they are glossy because of the pesticide.
Worms don't eat spinach fearing the pesticide.
But all city consumers choose good-looking one.
That's how it works. We are in this kind of age.
Please have some tea.
Thank you.
I asked Jun many times as well
to join me instead of continuing the garbage job forever.
But he won't listen to me, that idiot!
I'm offering him a decent job
but he keeps collecting garbage as a temporary staff.
Yukiko, please tell him from you.
He's getting similar to his dad.
At that rate, he cannot even get married.
Something suddenly came up, so I have to leave.
I'll call you.
Shu
I went to her apartment late in that night.
The light was off in her room.
The owner said she moved out in the morning.
It was around the noon
on the first day of Heso festival
when I got a news about Hotaru.
Jun
Uncle
Did Hotaru come?
Hotaru?
Yeah
Excuse me for a moment.
This morning, she called me out of the blue and we had tea at the cafe in front of the station.
Never tell your dad about this.
Yes
She asked me to lend her money.
Money?
Yeah
I asked her if she contacted you and Goro,
then she told me to tell neither of you about it.
So I asked her what was going on,
but she didn't speak a word.
She asked me to lend her money without asking her anything.
So I said I couldn't.
I said, "I'm fine with lending money, but I don't like secrets."
Then...
she said, "I understand", smiling.
Jun
She was acting strange.
Hotaru!
I'm so surprised. I didn't expect you would be living here.
Welcome!
This is pretty.
Are you making these here?
Yes
How many years has it been since we met last time?
I don't remember.
Now you live in Nemuro, right?
Until a little ago.
Not now?
Then now?
Now
Now?
Where?
In Sapporo.
Goro didn't mention it.
I haven't told them yet.
Aunty
Can you not tell Dad and Jun that I came here today?
OK
Thank you.
Listen...
how much money do you have now?
Money?
I don't have much.
Why?
Hotaru
Did something
happen to you?
You divorced that guy, didn't you?
It was right after I went back to the office
when I got a call from Shokichi.
Welcome here!
What happened?
It's been a while.
A coffee.
Certainly, sir.
Do you want me to go?
Please stay here.
What did you want from Shokichi?
No...
I'm asking you.
What's wrong with you, Jun?
We just met after a long time.
I heard you called Mr. Nakahata to meet you.
You asked him not to tell me or Dad, didn't you?
You called on Shokichi as well
to borrow money?
Jun
Please don't say anything.
How much do you want?
How much do you have?
Wait here.
I have little, too. It's in my drawer.
Please stay here!
Hotaru!
Please pay!
Excuse me!
Please pay the check!
A little more, yeah.
It was tough! But I'm glad a big baby is born.
We should keep an eye on the mother one night.
Hotaru
Hotaru! It's you, Hotaru!
What's going on, hey!
You've grown so sexy! I'm so glad you came!
Welcome back!
I'm really glad to see you.
Have you lost a bit of weight?
Are you eating well?
So what did you want to talk about?
What happend to you?
Let's sit down. Today was tough for me as well.
Three calves were born.
Sota, could you lend me money?
Sure, how much? Wonder how much I have now.
200,000 yen, if possible.
So little? Then I have.
Let me smoke one. I go get them soon.
Thank you.
Don't worry. I'm not the old Sota any more.
You can always count on me! I...
Sota, about this...
to my dad and Jun...
I know.
I won't tell them.
You don't want me to tell them, right?
I'm pathetic, aren't I?
At my age...
Why do you need money?
Sota
Never mind. Don't tell me.
You'd better not tell me. I'm a blabbermouth.
I can't keep a secret.
So you'd better not tell me. Don't.
But...to what end?
Sota, I...
I came out to Sapporo.
I've decided to start over alone in Sapporo.
What happend to your boyfriend you were living with in Nemuro?
It ended.
I see.
So it ended.
Everything has an end.
Are you working as a nurse in Sapporo?
Then what are you doing?
I haven't decided yet what to do.
But
I won't work as a nurse for a while.
But you have a licene of nurse.
In these days, nurses are much sought after, aren't they?
May I tell you?
I'm a blabbermouth.
If I tell you, will you tell others?
It depends.
Tell me.
Let it out..!
I'm pregnant.
Now..
..here in my belly
I have a baby of my ex.
What did he say?
He doesn't know.
I won't tell him.
But...
alone...
I...will give birth.
I've decided.
I'll give birth to
and raise my baby.
I...
Do you want some milk?
Drink it!
It's freshly milked.
The milk from the cow who just gave birth.
Take more nourishment.
Wait here, I go get it.
Who else knows about it?
I see.
You'd better not tell anyone.
You'd better not let Goro know about it.
Though eventually he'll find out.
How would he react
if I showed him my baby out of the blue?
Hello
From who?
Tell him she didn't come and I'm not here either.
Yeah
Jun called.
He asked if you came here.
Stay here tonight, OK?
I go back to Sapporo.
I see.
Then I drive you to Sapporo.
No, you don't have to do that.
Don't worry! It's two hours if we go fast.
I drive you.
Let me drive you.
Hotaru
Well decided.
Now I appreciate you better than before.
I won't tell Jun or Goro about it.
Whenever you have problems
ask me for help.
I'm on your side.
For past several years, we had suffered from an abnormally low-temperature and highly humide weather.
We were about to believe we would be spared that year,
when it suddenly started at the beginning of August.
Temperature didn't rise
and it rained intermittently.
Kanji
What happened?
Uncle, it's an infection.
How far has it spread?
I don't know. I just started to check.
Let's take a look over there.
Thank you, I start from here.
Don't miss anything, even one leaf.
If you miss anything, it spreads instantly.
Yes
I leave it here.
The flied in the back is probably still fine.
In the field here, some are infected on the eastern side, too.
How far?
1 cho (1 cho is about 10000 m²) on this side, 4 tan (1 tan is about 4000 m²) on the eastern side.
We have no other choice but to let all of them die before the bacteria reach the root.
I intend to do so.
What is that liquid?
It's garlic juice.
How much of this do you have?
All I have is enough only for one cho at most.
But we'd better dispose of a good margin around the infected plants, too.
If it spreads, it's over.
Kanji
Give up 2 cho.
I've already given up.
Let's use wood vinegar when the garlic juice is over.
I go get it.
Uncle
What?
Shouldn't we inform Sota?
The field next to our back one is of Sota.
If it spread to there...
If you tell him about it, he will use pesticide.
Then, the soil we spent years to improve
will turn into the former state.
It'll be alright.
It hasn't still spread to the back.
I go get wood vinegar.
An infection?
Yeah, organic field is prone to that.
That's terrible, isn't it!
It is, indeed.
Tsuyako will have a tough time with him.
Here you are.
What? Are you serious? Please turn a blind eye.
No, even if you are a friend. A law is a law.
Please be more carefull from now. Bye.
Please, I'm asking you!
It's 15,000 yen.
Jun, how are you doing?
I'm sorry that I moved out without saying anything.
I obeyed my brother
and started to work in the convenience store here yesterday.
It looks like they are feeling guilty about
forcing me to come back here.
Especially my dad is really worried about me.
Jun, I wanted to tell you one thing.
You've constantly been worried
if my family didn't like you.
That's not the case.
If you think your current job was the problem to them,
It's absolutely wrong.
Our family was formerly working as coal miners.
They are not the kind of people
who consider some types of job superior to others.
Please call me when you have time.
My phone is waiting your call
24/7.
To Jun in Furano.
From Shu, 60 km far away.
Hey, Shokichi.
Sit down.
What do you drink? You are back from work, right? Beer is OK?
One beer, please!
Oh, you don't have beer, right?
Then let's go somewhere else.
Or are you fine with coffee? Ok?
Excuse me, one coffee, please.
What is the urgent matter?
I tell you now, calm dow.
You didn't tell Jun that we are meeting here now, did you?
No, I didn't.
That's fine.
What I'll tell you from now is absolutely confidential!
Sir, please bring the coffee later.
We have an important talk now.
Listen, Shokichi.
What I'm telling you now is very important to you.
Never ever tell anyone about this.
Not even to Jun.
Promise me.
Promise me!
OK
Good
Now I tell you what I planned.
It's the first time in my life I reflected on something so much.
So, do as I tell you.
Just obey me without talking back.
What happened? Sota?
Shokichi, get married
with Hotaru.
Mary her.
What are you saying out of the blue?
Don't laugh! It's not something to laugh about.
We don't have time to laugh. I'm serious.
Shokichi, do you dislike Hotaru?
It's not the case.
I know, you like her.
You were in love with her, weren't you?
Sota
But...Hotaru
has a partner in Ochiishi, Nemuro.
She broke up with him.
She's alone now. This is the chance of a lifetime for you.
But
there is a small problem.
In her belly
there is a baby.
She is pregnant with that bastard.
But she hasn't even told him about it.
He doesn't know.
She has an intention to give birth by herself.
No one else know about this.
Only I know that.
She confessed it to me the other day.
I was moved when she told it to me.
I was moved by her decision.
Young people in these days easily abort babies
saying they got into trouble.
Once you are pregnant, you have already another life in yourself.
However small, it's a new, brilliant life.
No matter who the father is
our cows try to raise their babies with all their heart.
That is the women.
That is how momen are.
Hotaru intends to take the women's path.
She intends to take the responsibility for a new life by herself.
So I told her I would support her.
I said I would be on her side.
But...
here we have a little problem.
It's Goro.
As you know, he raised her like that
all by himself.
To him, Hotaru is a treasure.
A treasure more important than any other things in the world.
But, he is an old-fashioned man.
If Hotaru
came back home with a baby without father.
what would happen?
What would happen to him?
I think
he would faint
from a heart attack
or a stroke.
Can you let it happen?
Can we kill him like that?
So I came up with the idea
that you marry her.
You were going out with Hotaru in secret,
and you made her pregnant.
The baby she is expecting
is by you.
Tell everyone like that.
Then everything will work out.
What do you think?
It's the best solution ever, isn't it?
But Sota...
Is it so easy...?
First of all,
who knows if she'll be OK with that.
Shokichi
What were you in the Self-Defence Forces for?
You were serving the Forces to protect the country, weren't you?
To protect the country is to protect your family.
For you, the Kuroita are the family.
The ultimate duty of you, a former self-defence officer
is to protect your family.
In that period, you took care of me.
I consider myself as your son.
Welcome back.
Tomorrow I'm going to Sapporo.
For your job?
Yeah.
Actually...
Will you stay there overnight?
No, I won't.
But...
I might go see my mom.
Oh, yeah.
Have you heard of that?
Of what?
Potato fields of Kanji got infested.
Chinta told me the other day.
His potato field...
Shokichi?
Are you listening to me?
Huh?
You are being strange.
We are so sorry.
See you tomorrow.
Excuse us.
See you tomorrow.
Oh, see you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
What a surprise...
How did you find out?
It must be Sota.
I knew it.
He is such a blabbermouth.
No one else knows.
Believe him for that.
So you know everything.
Yeah.
He told me.
That's how it is.
So?
Did you come to see how I'm doing?
No
Please marry me.
Please be my wife.
Please be together with me.
You are so strange as always, Shokichi.
You showed up all of a sudden, and now what are you saying?
Sota told you, didn't he?
I'm expecting a child.
And I'm going to give birth.
What's the problem?
We can bring up the child as ours.
You can't take it so easily.
You came here because of Sota, didn't you?
No, he has nothing to do with this.
This has been inside of me for long.
I gave a thought to it.
Actually, I didn't even give much of a thought.
I feel like I knew the answer from a long time ago.
I also went out with other girls,
but I feel like somewhere in my mind
I was always dreaming for a long time
to get together with you, Hotaru.
But...
I knew a dream was a dream
and I shouldn't pronounce it out loud...
So...
when Sota told me about this...
if only you'll be OK with this...
Shokichi, please stop.
I am glad.
Really
But...
Please don't
Please don't try to be nice.
I'm not being nice.
Loot at this.
Do you remember?
In the old days, when we were living together
in the log cabin now burned down,
in the New Year,
you and Jun received New Year's cards
but I received no card.
Then, you sent this to me.
This New Year's card.
You made me so happy.
You made me really happy.
Probably, since then, I've always been
Shokichi
Thank you.
Please not talk about this any more.
I really...
appreciate your thought.
Mom!
You know, by Sapporo's custom, you can take them
because flowers gifts are considered to bring on good luck.
It's been a long time.
So you were alive.
Stop it, stop!
Don't be so shy.
How are you doing?
I'm getting by.
How old have you gotten?
I'm almost 27.
Are you still alone?
I would have told you if I weren't.
But you are seeing someone, aren't you?
You were talking about the girl
who you said looked exactly like Cyndi Lauper.
We broke up long ago.
Oh, I see.
How about now?
You shouldn't be like that.
You have to be in love with someone throughout the year. I still haven't given up the hope in my age.
To tell the truth
I'm planning to settle down.
So you have one!
Yes
Did she say yes?
It seems like it's gonna be hard
to talk her into it.
So she hasn't fallen for you yet.
For now.
So miserable, aren't you?
Women are all waiting.
If you like her, just push, push and push.
Do you know this song? It's called "One million roses"
It's about an admirable guy who collected roses from all over the town
and sent one million of them to the girl he was in love with.
Men should be this agressive.
How much is one rose?
About four to five hundred yen, I suppose.
It's almost half billion yen, are you kidding!?
♪ One morning she saw a crimson sea of roses ♪
♪ and thought some rich guy made a joke ♪
♪ Selling his small house, a canvas and everything he had to buy roses ♪
♪ the poor painter was looking at her from under the window ♪
♪ One million flowers of roses ♪
♪ You are looking at them, you are looking at them ♪
♪ What you can see from the window ♪
♪ is a crimson sea of roses ♪
♪ The romance ended and the actress moved out to another town ♪
♪ The crimson sea of roses is her gorgeous life ♪
♪ The poor painter lived a lonely life ♪
♪ But the memory of roses never faded away. ♪
♪ One million flowers of roses ♪
♪ I give them to you, I give them to you ♪
♪ I want to fill your place I see from the window ♪
♪ with one million red roses ♪
Jun!
Hey
I brought you tomates.
Thank you.
How are you?
Our potato fields got infected.
I heard it. Is it still spreading?
We stopped it for now.
You lost a little weight, didn't you?
My dad was also worried about you. You work too hard. Take more care of yourself.
I'm fine.
By the way, have you heard of cutleaf coneflowers?
Cutleaf coneflowers?
Can you sell this flower as a herb medicine or something?
Why?
Recently Shokichi is
cutting these flowers everywhere.
Is he?
I heard from someone the rheum root is used as a herb medicine, but...
If you could make money with cutleaf coneflowers,
the fileds all over here would be a bank or something.
Cutleaf coneflowers?
No, I don't know.
Can those flowers be used in some way?
That is what I wanted to know.
By the way, Jun...
Oh, why don't you come inside?
A few days ago, I received a letter from Shu.
She is now in Kami-sunagawa, isn't she?
What happened?
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.
Nothing happened.
Her family just told her to do so.
You went to see her family, didn't you?
Yes.
Were you welcomed?
I...won't say that.
I see.
If your daughter brings a guy to your house,
you usually won't welcome him.
When I...
went to see the parents of your mother for the first time,
I was suddenly watered with a hose.
So...
are you keeping in touch with her?
It's not like the relationship is over, is it?
It's not how I think.
I see.
That's good.
That is...
good.
I wouldn't have described the situation as "good".
If we leave things as they are now,
our distance will widen and fade away. That was how I was feeling.
But my pride was keeping me
from calling her first.
All I received was one letter.
After that, I had heard nothing from her.
Shokichi!
Hey
Why on earth are you cutting things like that?
Never mind. It's my hobby. Just leave me alone.
Oh dear. He went nuts.
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♪ A poor painter fell in love with an actress ♪
♪ I want to give roses to that beloved woman ♪
♪ One day, he bought roses from all over the town ♪
♪ One million flowers of rose ♪
♪ I give them to you, I give them to you ♪
♪ I want to fill your place I see from the window ♪
♪ with one million red roses ♪
Around the time of Obon (mid-August holidays) the population of Furano inflate all of a sudden,
Because those who work in Sapporo or other parts of Japan,
come back to their homeland during the holidays.
Even farmers took day-offs only during these two days.
Shokichi also went to somewhere to spend a few days.
Recently, Shokichi is often absent at home.
I was waiting a call from Shu.
But the phone didn't ring at all.
I tried to call her many times,
but I didn't because I didn't want her to know how desparate I was.
I suffered more on day offs than on working days.
When the holidays finished, tha garbage poured out.
It was like I had to pay a large amount of bills
spent in a brief moment of family reunions in a depopulated city.
What happend?
What do you want?
I have something to tell you.
What's wrong?
It's was the night two days after Obon
when he said he had something to tell me.
To tell the truth...
I made a girl pregnant.
Is that true?
Yes
Did you check it out?
Yes
Is it sure?
Sure.
Oh, my.
No, actually, once I committed the same mistake as yours.
How many months?
Yeah
You'll get into troubles if you don't get her an abortion as early as possible.
I want to marry her.
Seriously?
I'm serious.
So...who is the girl?
In fact,
it is Hotaru.
You are kidding, aren't you?
No, I'm not.
Wait...but she has a partner in Ochiishi..
She broke up with him a long time ago.
Now she lives alone in Sapporo.
I'm so sorry.
It's my younger sister!
She is my...
only sister...
Since when?
Since when I went to Nemuro for my job...
Well, you don't waste any time, do you?
To the sister of your friend...
Is that even possible?
Who made the first move?
Of course...
it was me.
You are completely hopeless.
Let me marry her.
Let me call you "Big brother".
Stop kidding around!
I'm not kidding.
Then, is she even willing?
Willig to do what?
To marry you! Of course!
Yes
Actually, she's waiting nearby.
Please meet her.
Please
Big brother
Don't be so fresh with me!
Oh, what? What are you doing? I don't want to!
Are you serious?
I can't believe it!
We are serious.
So...
are you really going to give birth to the baby?
Yes
Oh
Oh...
Oh?
Oh...
Oh, I see.
I can't believe it at all!
How should I explain to Dad?
I'll tell him. You don't have to worry.
I do worry.
How would you explain it?
I just tell him the truth.
It's a happy thing. So don't be so nervous.
It's too happy!
It's the other way around!
You are right about it.
Hey...
how can you laugh?
This kind of things
is what people call dissolute!
You are right.
Dissolute, huh?
You have a point.
I was being almost overwhelmed.
Hotaru
In my mind,
Hotaru had always been
the small girl with her school bag running after me
like a puppy.
But...
Isn't it too cold for you?
The younger sister who is now in front of my eyes
was not Hotaru but another Hotaru.
A puppy suddenly got into a real woman
and a mother and so she was there.
I was so shocked that night and I was confused almost all the time.
First, what I did..
..was to book them a room in a first-class hotel.
When I calmed down afterwards and remembered what I did that night..
..I thought I went overboard, but...
at that time, I felt it was my duty
as their big brother...
That night he must have told her mom
because she came here the next morning.
She was completely shaken up.
Shokichi!
You! Why...!
Please stop! Aunty! Violence is not good!
I'm so sorry!
You idiot!
Please stop it.
Knowing your mother caused all kinds of troubles to Goro,
and I can't even face him,
how dare you lay a finger on his daughter of all people!
This... idiot!
I didn't know about it! I was totally ignorant!
He never mentioned he was expecting a child!
He didn't even tell me who he was going out with!
I was taken in by his words,
and collected together that stupid yellow flowers, one million of them!
This idiot! How ingrate!
You beast!
It's OK! Really, please cut it out!
Hotaru, you too!
Shokichi!
Hotaruu!
Hotaru, it's you!
Hotaruu!
Right off the tree!
I just picked them up, eat it!
It's so good! This year's corns are awesome.
How are you doing! You really surprised me!
Well...
How is your... well...
your...you-know-what?
Dad
Huh?
Shokichi wants to talk to you.
Oh yeah? I'll listen to him later! Anyway, please eat some corns!
These are organic corns I put my heart and my soul into. Eat, eat!
Uncle
Yeah?
What's wrong with all of you! Just relax!
I proposed
to Hotaru.
She accepted my offer.
I want your permission.
But...
she has... in Ochiichi...
What happened to him?
I broke up with him long ago.
Actually,
She is
expecting a child with me.
I'm sorry.
The sequence should have been the other way around.
Uncle
Please give me your Hotaru.
It's been 17 years since we came to Furano.
Probably
it was the first time
to see may dad let out his feelings so straightforwardly
to see him cry
out of joy...
Dad
Please cry.
Please
cry to your heart's content.
Now I'm seeing
for the first time in my life
that you are filled with so much joy.
Dad
Please cry to the fullest.
Then we decided to throw an unplanned party.
Drink it up! Drink up, Shokichi!
That was good! Very good!
Hotaru! Oh, it'll be all right!
Hey!
Shokichi's mom was hiding away too ashamed of herself to face my dad.
Midori!
Goro! I'm so sorry!
What's going on?
I'm so sorry!
Midori!
I'm sorry! Goro, I'm so sorry!
Why ask me sorry?
Come on, Midori! Come here, come!
No no no, I can't.
It's all right!
No it's not! I really can't!
I called Aunty Yukiko. She joined us soon.
Hotaru!
Mr. and Mrs. Nakahata came as well.
Hey!
Go for it! Shokichi!
Come up here, Shokichi.
It's OK. Don't be shy! Hotaru, you too!
Let's have a toast, everyone! Let's toast!
Cheers!
Concerns about her getting pregnant before the marriage
or about how to explain to my dad
disappeared all at once
Before the overjoy of my dad
they didn't matter at all.
Around eight, the wife of Kanji came.
Uncle!
Hey, Tsuyako! Come here! We are having a big feast!
Goro! Please come right away!
What happened?
The back field got infected! Then Sota are spilling the pesticide with his machine!
Pesticide...
What's going on?
The field over there got infected.
So I informed Sota because his field is next to mine.
He drove the tracter into our flied without any notice
and started to spill the pesticide,
saying "what if my field will be infected as well!"
It took five years
to revive the soil.
But
it died again.
It's returned to the way it was.
Then...
abruptly the autumn came to Furano.
The temperature
suddenly dropped.
Translated by kameu & kumasan for d-addicts