An elementary school teacher hides being lost?
Takes her student to see UFO?
For several days after the article was out, I was really depressed.
I couldn't help it,
because if I hadn't talked so much,
no one would ever have known about that night.
I'm sure the principal and the others at the main school...
really scolded Miss Ryoko about what happened that night.
Dad and Aunty seem to think...
I'll get more depressed if they talk about it, so they don't.
But,
even a kid will notice and...
I'm the naive one, so when they avoid...
the subject, it hurts me more.
Kita no kuni kara
Episode 20
Jun, Dad went out again.
What about it?
He's been going to Furano a lot.
So what about it?
Haven't you noticed anything?
What.
When he came back the other morning, he smelled like lavender.
-He went to the lavender fields, huh? -No! He smelled like soap!
Soap?
Like the kind of soap Mom used to use a lot.
So what!
I think he has a lady friend.
He does?!
-I have that feeling. -How do you know?
Intuition.
Your intuition is usually right.
So what happens if he has a lady friend?
-Will he get married with her? -Shh!
I don't know.
-I wonder what she's like? -Like I know.
Prettier than Mom and Aunty Yukiko?
I don't think he cares.
-Dad should just marry Aunty. -He can't do that.
What if someone really intense like Tsurara comes to live with us?
Why don't you ask Aunty...
if she wants to marry Dad?
She doesn't.
You think so?
Because Aunty has Sota.
Idiot! That's a one-sided love on his part.
I think she likes Dad better.
I doubt it.
Shall we ask?
Let's.
-Say it roundabout. -Right!
You do it.
No, you do it.
Rock Paper Scissors!
One more time.
I ended up losing.
Aunty?
Do you... um...
Are you going to live here forever?
Yes, I am.
Until... you're really old?
I'd like to.
Which means....
You'll get married here, too?
Maybe.
Do you... have...
anybody in your mind?
I don't know. Why?
'Cause I'll miss you if you get married and move out.
You will?
Of course I will.
What a sweet boy.
I'll fix you an extra egg tomorrow morning.
So... why don't you stay here with us?
I'd like to, but I can't.
Why not?
You know why, Jun.
Dad and I are...
not even related anymore.
That's just it!
Why don't you get married?
To Dad.
You don't like Dad?
It's his looks, isn't it?
You think he looks bad?
Maybe to someone who's not family.
Why don't you...
get together, then?
I think it'd be a good idea.
Or haven't you...
ever thought about it?
It doesn't matter...
that you're Mom's younger sister.
-I guess I should tell you this. -What?
I'm not going to be at this house much longer.
Why not?
When the new log cabin is built,
I'm moving out.
Why?
I'm considering renting a place and living on my own.
Does Dad know about this?
I haven't talked to him about it.
-That'll be hard for Dad. -That's right, 'cause...
I think your Dad wants that, too.
-Why? -Because...
look at the plans for the log cabin.
There's no room for me.
I was shocked.
I've been wondering about it too, but,
there were definitely only 3 beds.
Dad came home late again that night, too.
I had been waiting for him to ask him about Aunty Yukiko,
but Dad didn't seem to be in the right mood.
Sorry. Did I wake you?
Why do you have the lamp on in the middle of the night?
I'm reading this Kaiko Ken book.
Don't waste oil.
Sorry. I'll go to sleep now.
Besides, can you even understand a book that hard?
I'm not that stupid.
-Even I-- -You said my book was hard.
The next day was Sunday.
In the morning, Dad left to work alone on the log cabin.
What's next?
Salt!
Here.
-A dash of pepper. -That's right.
Lunch time, Jun.
Hotaru made lunch today.
Hotaru did?
Good. All done!
-Is it done? -Yup.
I'll go deliver it to Dad.
He'll be so happy.
Are you sure it won't make him sick?
Don't worry. It's the best kind of lunch.
It's hanging out.
Because Hotaru didn't say anything,
we didn't know anything about it.
The next day, a neighbor brought over the man from the Tokyo TV station.
Tokyo TV station?
-He wants her to be in the news. -Hotaru?
Why?
This way please.
Hotaru! Hotaru! Big news, Hotaru!
A TV station!
A TV station?
They want Hotaru to be on TV.
Isn't that cool? On national TV!
What for?
To talk about the UFO Hotaru and Miss Ryoko saw!
I don't want to.
Why not?
I just don't want to.
It sounds like fun.
Still...
If you don't want to, turn them down.
But they're coming to film tomorrow!
Think it over tonight.
If you still don't want to, turn them down.
A minute, Hotaru?
-Why not! -I just don't feel like it.
It's national TV! Do you understand that?
You'd better think it over again!
That show has been on a long time and Mom used to watch it a lot.
I'll bet she still does, so--
Jun?
I saw.
What?
A woman. She was with Dad.
Where?
She was at the log cabin site yesterday.
Did he introduce you?
I hid.
What was she like?
I couldn't tell.
What was Dad doing?
He looked like he was having fun.
Aunty?
What's wrong?
Do you think...
I should go on TV?
Turn them down if you don't want to.
But Jun said...
it'll be on national TV and...
Mom may see it.
You think it'll make Mom happy if she sees it?
I think it will.
Aunty.
Do you think...
Mom will get remarried?
And Dad, too.
Will he get remarried someday?
Why do you ask that now?
What's wrong, Hotaru?
So Hotaru did decide to go on TV.
I figured if Mom did happen to see it in Tokyo,
she'd be happier if she saw me too.
I guess, that was just an excuse.
I tried my best to get into camera range.
Little boy.
Yes.
Will you move to the side?
Damn it.
Moving on to the next news...
The interview aired 3 days later at lunch time.
Hotaru!
-Congrats! -Quiet, please.
If you go about 20 km or so from Furano, there's a village called Nunobe.
It happened in the mountain is in the village.
Recently, a local teacher and her 9-year-old student say they saw a UFO.
Please watch our interview.
There she is!
Hotaru!
I saw Jun!
Quiet!
-Teacher told me. -She did?
-Yeah, she can call it. -She can?
-She can communicate with the UFO. -How?
-She shouts. -What does she say?
"From your friends on Earth to our friends from space. Please give us an answer."
Then, lights flashed in the windows of the spaceship and...
flying saucers came out of it.
Really?
Yeah. Really fast.
-You really saw that? -Yeah.
-Weren't you scared? -No.
There were so pretty, it was like a dream.
What time was it?
About 9:30, I think.
It turns out that the teacher...
You did a good job.
...got lost on the way home.
If she's that familiar with UFOs, she should've asked them for help.
It was past midnight by that time and the whole village...
was thrown into an uproar. Even the police were called out.
Fortunately they were found.
She had caused all this trouble, but hadn't even told...
the school about the incident.
We asked her for an interview,
but she says she doesn't like to be on TV.
-She doesn't? -No.
What's your opinion about this, Mr. Takegami?
How old was the child?
-She's 9 years old. -9 years old...
In Tokyo, that's almost an adult.
Have you ever seen sleepwalking symptoms like this, doctor?
-I have not. -Perhaps she's confusing dreams with reality.
Or she was hypnotized.
By the teacher?
-It's odd that the teacher refused to be interviewed. -I agree.
It's wrong for an elementary school teacher to...
talk about something unscientific like flying saucers.
One possible explanation is...
she wanted to become the center of attention by saying she saw an unusual sight.
That girl was talking about it very proudly.
I don't know if you noticed,
but the child's story was almost perfect.
How dare they!
I assume she already told that story to many people.
If you tell a story over and over, you start to believe it's real.
I see, just like somebody.
One more point.
I'm not saying this is the case, but she was pretty.
Pretty girls can be like that.
She wants attention, so--
-Don't! -Shut up!
But I saw it.
I really saw it.
I wasn't lying.
Hotaru!
I didn't know what to say to her.
But I was mad.
I was...
so mad.
The whole country saw that.
Mom may've seen it in Tokyo.
Keiko?
What those rotten folks...
said about Hotaru...
Hotaru!
I...
That night,
Dad came home very early.
He brought some pork pieces from Nakahata's pig shed.
It's ready!
Eat! This'll be delicious.
Hotaru, give me your bowl.
-Hotaru, some radish? -It'll be good.
Good.
Take some, Jun.
Let's eat then.
Let's eat!
Good... This is so good!
Delicious!
It's hot.
-It's hot. -It is.
Hotaru.
Don't stew over it.
Just forget it.
You know what you saw was real...
and that's what you said.
It doesn't matter what other people say or think.
Just believe in yourself.
I believe you.
Aunty Yukiko does.
And so does Jun.
Right.
So do Mr. and Mrs. Nakahata, Sumire...
Nakagawa, and Kuma.
Everyone that was there today believes you.
Many people believe you.
That's good enough.
So forget it.
Forget all about today.
Now,
we won't talk about this anymore.
We're going on a picnic tomorrow.
Picnic?
To a secret place I found.
We'll cook there.
-Really? -Yeah.
-Someone is preparing it already. -Who?
Someone in Furano.
Is the Nakahata family coming, too?
No.
Not tomorrow. Just us.
Ya-hoo! You can come too, right, Aunty?
I can't. I have to work.
Why?
Maybe next time.
-But... -It's all right.
I'll go next time.
This part looks good, Hotaru.
The next morning, after Aunty left for work,
Dad suddenly started to get really excited.
♪Rabbit's dance.
♪Ta-ra... Mm?
We'd never seen him like that before.
What's going on? He's acting strangely.
Jun! Hotaru!
Shall we go?
That's when I saw her standing in front of the house.
This is Hotaru.
This may be a momentous occasion,
so I'll note the exact day and time.
It's August 5, 1981...
and 9:13 am.
75 points.
55 points.
Looks good. You're a good cook.
I cooked this before... Ah!
I forgot to put in salt. Salt.
It's good! Really good!
Really?
It's good, isn't it?
I haven't eaten anything this good in a while.
Do you know what this is?
It's called Spaghetti Vongole.
Vongole!
Listen,
this is from Italian food.
Spaghetti Italian. You know.
I used to think...
the hollow kind like macaroni was spaghetti.
Do you know the difference, Jun?
How about you, Hotaru?
Here.
Thank you.
Don't be shy and eat a lot.
I will.
Eat more, Hotaru.
Oh, I forgot to tell you.
Kogomi used to live in Tokyo.
In Shin-Okubo.
Dad talked and laughed non-stop.
The word " insincere" was perfect to describe him.
And that was clear proof to me that...
Dad liked this Kogomi lady.
Dad,
please don't be so insincere.
Hotaru and I are supposed to respect you.
What're you doing?
Don't waste food.
The fish will be happy.
I guess, but it's still a waste.
-Spaghetti is human food. -That's all right.
You're a kind girl, Hotaru.
Anuty Yukiko is a very good cook.
She cooks us really delicious food every day.
You're right.
But--
I'm going to look for crayfish, Jun.
Hotaru!
Aren't you going to eat anymore?
What's up with her?
I think I kinda knew...
how Hotaru felt.
She was thinking about Aunty Yukiko,
who couldn't come on this picnic today.
I'm done, too! It was good!
Hey Jun!
They're hopeless.
We got caught in an evening shower on the way home.
Almost as if the rain chose to fall...
only where we were.
August 7th is the day of the Tanabata star festival* on the old lunar calendar.
Celebration of two lovers in the sky who only meet once a year.
The custom in Hokkaido is for children to use empty cans to make lanterns and...
-pay their respects at every house. -Jun!
I just heard that Miss Ryoko's going to be transferred!
They're sending her somewhere very far, not the main school!
They said it's because they blame her for getting lost in the mountain with Hotaru.
Jun! Where're you going?
My whole body was...
shaking.
Miss Ryoko.
It was me.
It was my fault.
If I hadn't talked so much....
I'll go and search around back!
Miss Ryoko.
Miss Ryoko....
Give us your candles.
If you won't, we'll scratch you.
And we'll bite you too.
Give us your candles.
What's wrong, Jun?
I'm getting the chills.
Do you have a cold?
Cut it out. People will see.
Give us candles.
If you won't, we'll scratch you.
And we'll bite you too.
Give us--
Miss Ryoko!
Miss Ryoko, is it true?
You'll be transferred?
-It's true. -Why?
Go on. You'll get left behind.
-You will stay here, right? -Wait for us!
What's wrong, Jun?
Miss Ryoko.
I...
need to talk to you.
What is it?
I have to apologize to you.
For what?
If I hadn't...
told them about the UFO that night,
Hotaru wouldn't have gotten hurt and ...
you wouldn't...
have been transferred, too.
It's all...
my fault.
-My transfer had nothing to do with that. -No...
That was my fault.
No...
If I had kept my mouth shut...
It's not your fault at all, Jun.
I'm more worried about Hotaru.
Eh?
You saw the TV show, didn't you?
Yes.
But...
Dad told Hotaru that...
no matter what anyone else said,
he believed in her and...
that should be enough.
So she's fine now.
Did you believe Hotaru, too?
Yes.
No.
Actually... not at first...
It's hard when no one believes you.
I did a bad thing to Hotaru.
Now go on, or you'll get left behind.
Please take me, too, Miss Ryoko.
-Where? -Please show me a UFO, too.
-What should I do? -I promise I won't tell anyone.
I won't cause any trouble for you.
-Do you really wanna see? -I do. So please!
I'll never tell anyone.
Then...
Come to the starting point of the trail into Genji Filed tomorrow at 3:00.
-3:00? -Yeah, 3:00 PM.
During the day?
You can see UFOs any time of day when you set your mind to it.
It doesn't need to be night.
A UFO will come whenever there's a person that believes.
Then, I'll be there at 3:00.
Promise?
I'll be there at 3:00.
And I won't tell anyone.
This time...
I really won't tell anyone.
That night,
I got a slight fever.
I guess I caught a cold.
My head hurt.
But,
the fever was down the next morning.
Still I took some medicine and stayed in the bed all morning.
I just had to get to the start of that mountain hide by 3:00.
I dreamed all kinds of dreams.
But Keiko,
they were all good dreams.
Jun!
Hotaru!
Finish your food or you won't get better!
Spaghetti again!
-It's Vongole! -Run!
Where're you going, Jun?
You are supposed to stay in bed all day!
It was almost 4:00 by the time...
I got to the entrance of the hike.
Miss Ryoko wasn't there.
Shoot...
She's not here.
I promised to be there at 3:00.
Miss Ryoko must've gotten mad and gone without me.
Miss Ryoko...
Miss Ryoko!
Miss Ryoko...
(Singing Suizenji Kyoko's 365 Steps March)
That's when I saw it.
Miss Ryoko was in a tree and...
right over it, coming down really slowly was a...
a huge spaceship.
And Miss Ryoko...
disappeared into the light.
Miss Ryoko.
Keiko,
I really...
saw it.
I don't remember much of anything after that.
They said...
I came home, white as a ghost and soaking wet that evening.
That night,
I got a really high fever and couldn't get out of bed for 5 days after that.
By the time I was well enough to go to school,
a week had passed.
Mister?
Is the teacher for this school gone?
She's gone.
When did she leave?
When?
It was about a week ago.
The day we had that terrible thunderstorm.
I knew it.
Why?
Nothing.
So it did happen.
That day...
I saw Miss Ryoko get on that spaceship...
and go away.
I don't think anyone will ever believe me.
So I'll never tell anyone about it.
But Keiko,
I saw it.
It suddenly got cool starting from that day.
It was only the middle of August,
but you could feel the winds of autumn starting to blow through Furano.
But,
I didn't know anything about a rumor...
that started blowing around from a bar there.
A girl from Rokugo?
Right.
He'd met her before.
And he ran into her at a Turkish bath* in Susukino?
A kind of brothel
She pointed her finger at him and couldn't say anything. He did the same.
Where is Rokugo?
I don't know.
But I hear she used to work at the co-op there.
What's her name?
I don't know her real name,
but they call her...
Yukiko.
Subtitled by Chuks Edited by Phoenix