"A Fated Reunion"
Good afternoon, little goat!
I am Sunny!
Long time no see, Keito!
I'm Sonoda Nako.
I'm not giving it to you.
None at all.
You don't even have a single friend.
What a disgusting person.
Oh? Keito-san?
Are you so astonished that you've frozen?
Nako-san, a word please.
Geez, really, it's been such a long time that I'm overwhelmed!
I mean, the reason I aimed for this world was because Keito was here!
We promised,
"Let's always be best friends!"
Well then, this sure is a touching reunion, isn't it?
Keito-san, do you have anything to say?
Keito!
Hey, you remember, right?
I don't remember.
Please stop.
Stop.
Keito!
Thank god!
Then, I'll be your number one friend!
I'm hopeless.
Let's do our best. Let's do our best together.
You don't even have a single friend.
What a disgusting person.
As expected, huh?
This is where I thought you'd be.
School master.
Everyone was going up the stairs together, so I thought something might have happened.
Are your classes alright?
Today, no students came at all, so I had too much free time on my hands.
It's fine if you're here, but...
Don't butt in with weird disruptions.
Keito.
What was that just then?
Maybe I should ask...
Did something happen between you and Sonoda Nako?
Something did.
A long time ago.
But...
Nako may have already forgotten.
I may be the only one who remembers it grudgingly.
And then, I...
talked about it for the first time.
About everything that happened between Nako and me.
What the hell is that?!
She's the worst!
I'm definitely not gonna watch the TV dramas that Nako's in anymore!
I won't buy her magazines either!
I wonder...
I don't think that Nako woman
was especially cruel.
What the hell are you saying, Kouichi?!
I mean she said she was her friend!
That girl, you know,
wanted to beat Keito no matter what.
Even in soccer,
tripping someone when the ref isn't looking,
or doing the opposite and pretending to trip in order to take a foul.
There are a lot of things you'll do for the sake of winning.
It's not only fair play.
But if you easily shrug those things off...
If you don't get over things, you can't call yourself number one.
Why are you turning this into a soccer conversation?!
Keito was a ten year old child!
Even though she was a child,
she was a pro, right?
If that's the case, then like a pro...
she should have argued with dignity.
You're horrible, Kouichi!
Even though Keito can finally tell this story to people...
Even though she's gotten over it, how many years do you think it's taken?!
With such a simple words,
don't say things that make it seem like you're looking down on us!
My seven years after that were...
as if I was wandering around in a world of darkness.
I never...
want to return to those days.
Nako spent seven years wrapped in light...
I wonder how it was?
The next day,
Nako-san, Nako-san!
Nako showed up at the school.
Ah, really?!
May I have your autograph? - Yeah.
Keito...
I'm really sorry about yesterday.
I was called in by the producer and had no idea what was going on.
Huh? You and Keito were friends?!
That's right!
We had a double cast in a musical.
We ate lunch bentos together a lot, huh?
Trading the side dishes and stuff.
Amazing!
Ah, but that was a really long time ago, huh?
But I can't believe you were friends...
How did you find out about this place?
The TV staff followed you.
"We can't do a TV show like that."
Those people, you know...
are persistent, aren't they?
But,
I told them to not make that project a TV show.
I begged them, and they promised me, so...
Could you forgive me?
Yeah.
Thank goodness!
Then,
You're pleased about...
meeting me, right?
Yeah.
It has been a long time.
Thank goodness!
Ah, oh yeah. Want to exchange e-mail addresses?
You know, I always-
Keito.
I'm going to the PC room to make a game, so
come help.
Ah, I'll go.
What? You have a PC room?
Is it alright if I come too?
Nope.
You're a bother.
Thanks
for saving me.
You know,
don't force yourself to smile.
Exactly
who the hell are you smiling for?
By the way,
If something is unpleasant, then
clearly say so.
I got it.
Pretty soon you need to...
get over it, alright?
I mean we're also here.
I got it.
Hey, Kouichi! Did you know?
That Sonoda Nako came here!
I told her to get out and threw my umbrella at her!
M-m-m-me too.
Right!
Gouta too. He went and practiced, then threw his sweat drenched towel at her.
Nako made a face like "Gyaaah!"
We're already at the status of loyal pigeons.
She made a dumbfounded expression then left!
You guys!
That's overdoing it.
But come on!
"Aa yuu ah schudento?"
That pronunciation isn't gonna work at all!
It's fine.
I like them.
The school master's classes.
Huh?
Keito!
There's a cute shop over there!
Let's go!
Morning!
Ah, morning.
Morning!
How nice.
A date this early in the morning?
No, an errand.
There's stuff that'll run out if I don't go to the store at this time.
Our team is going to be in a big game.
That's why we've got a fighting spirit in the morning too, right?
I see.
Well, do your best.
Yeah.
Momiji.
On the way back, let's go to that cute shop you mentioned.
(Do your best!)
Yeah.
Keito!
Are you alright?!
Yeah.
I just got a little excited.
I'm totally fine.
Really?
It's just
when I see those kind of things, my chest hurts a little.
That's all it is, but
But...
I'm not the old me anymore.
I see.
Taiyou's doing is best, huh?
I have to, too!
Even though I say that,
I don't know what I should do my best at, you know?
Thanks for the other day.
Aoyama-san.
Ah, yeah.
What?
Who's he?
Here you go.
Thanks.
Here, Keito.
Ah, thanks.
I realized after that, you know.
"Oh yeah! That was Aoyama Keito, right?!"
And because of that, you came all the way here...
So, I have a request.
Yes?
Since I'm a novice, I don't have that much work,
I'd be really grateful if you'd let me use you for practice when I don't have anything to do.
Hey,
Do you really have no intention of working in entertainment from now on?
Like in TV and movies...
That's completely impossible.
A long time has passed since when I was a child-actor.
I wonder?
I think the current you is cute
and attractive, you know?
Cut!
I'm coming in!
Nice that it started at once, huh?
Hurry up, it seems like filming is going on.
I met Aoyama Keito before I came here.
She not that big of a deal, is she?
I mean she doesn't seem to have any intention of returning to show business.
Honestly, I don't understand why you care so much about her.
But, well...
She did have a good face, you know.
A good face?
No...
As an actress it's not trendy looking,
It's honest as if she doesn't have any evil thoughts.
I'm sure she's satisfied with her life right now.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Is that Yasuda-kun and Tanaka-san?
Huh?
Eh?!
Don't they look like they're getting along well?
I wonder if they're going out by any chance?
No way! Didn't Yasuda-kun have a girlfriend that was in college?
I heard he was going out with the manager of the basketball team.
Right, Ayumi?
I'm home!
Hey, Chika, it's already time for you to study, right?
Turn off the TV.
'Kay.~
It's fine.
Don't pay any attention to me.
If you want to watch it, then do so.
"My dream is to become an actress."
Even though you were a child, you were a pro, right?
You can do something people can't, right?
Mom.
What is it?
Do you have the Sunny video from when I was a child-actor?
The rehearsal video?
I have it, but...
I want to see it.
I want to see how I was when I was a kid.
It will...be born from hope!
Stand up! Get up! - Get up!
Mom...
What?
Wonderful, isn't it?
I always cry when I watch your videos.
You're probably in pain, though.
No.
For some reason, it doesn't seem like it's me.
It's a strange feeling.
Even though it's not myself, on my own...
I'm really giving it my all, and
am being lively.
Singing and dancing.
I wonder if I had talent?
You did!
I always said so, didn't I?
But,
I don't think about wanting you to star in plays and stuff anymore.
You'd have a hard time if I thought that.
Friends are great, aren't they!
Friends are wonderful, aren't they!
I'm not alone anymore,
The thing I hated
wasn't the work of an actress.
It was that in that type of work,
you have to compete with overpowering people.
Even though I never thought about wanting to win.
Keito!
Don't run away.
I don't have any make-up on today.
There's no TV crew, also.
No one's watching, so I'm not going to act.
Won't you have a talk with me for the first time in a while?
The free school seems fun.
It's fun, but...
It's a gathering of weaklings, right?
Weak people gathered for protection, so they can lick their wounds.
I'm sure it feels great, right?
While you were in your comfortable withdrawn existence,
I've always been fighting by myself.
No matter what I do, people are watching.
I'm being beaten down.
Everyone around me is an enemy.
That's the kind of place I am.
That's right.
I think you're admirable.
Since that time,
you've had the guts that I don't.
You can't make it just with that in this world!
What the hell is with you?!
You collapsed from someone being just a little mean to you.
If you don't have talent, then you don't have willingness.
You have nothing at all, do you?
Why only me?
Why do I have to suffer so much...
Nako...
This is way too much...
Kouichi.
Do you know the address of Nako's agency?
Right,
I can find out real fast.
Taitou District, Shinmachi?
That's pretty close, huh?
What's wrong?
I'm coming with you.
She's your natural enemy, right?
What if you're attacked?
I don't think she's going to attack me, though.
It's an unexpectedly small place, huh?
Excuse us...
I'm terrible sorry.
Yes, do you think you could possibly wait a little longer?
Right now, she's in the middle of an examination at the hospital.
I'm sorry.
Yes.
Aihara, did you call her house?
Yeah, countless times. Her mother said she didn't have a clue.
Her cell is out of range, too.
What are we supposed to do, god dammit?!
Um, excuse me.
Is Nako here?
She's not here!
Unauthorized people can't come in here!
You're...
Aoyama Keito-san, right?
Yes...
That's right...
I heard about you from Nako.
You don't know where Nako is?
Yeah...
That girl suddenly disappeared from her apartment and abandoned all her work.
- Hold on a second!
It's a phone call from Nako!
Nako?!
Nako,
where are you, right now?
You know, right?
Today's Kaggra's music video filming
It's a new bands music video.
Do you intend to blow it off?
I don't know!
I'm already exhausted!
Damn it all.
Nako!
Aoyama-san, sorry, come here for a second!
Me?
Talk to Nako.
You were Nako's best friend, right?
She might listen to you.
Anything is fine, just persuade her!
Hello? Nako?
Keito?
Why are you there?
I thought I'd give you back your money.
That coffee before wasn't 5,000 yen.
You're such an idiot.
Are you really an idiot?
You haven't changed at all since then.
Come back.
Your manager's worried.
With work, you know...
You shouldn't abandon it.
Don't fucking make me laugh!
Abandoning your work...
That's what you're good at, right?
If you're gonna say so much, then
you can just try going in my place!
Check it out.
Huh?
Gossip about Sonoda Nako.
"No matter what she does, I see her in the same role."
"Isn't it about time she quit already?"
[Is it true she's going out with that one producer?]
[That happens a lot in show business. It's to get work you know~]
[Affair]
This kind of world's pretty harsh, huh?
Yeah.
Aoyama-san.
I have a request.
Just today is fine.
Could you go in Nako's place?
Me?
The other girls are all popular.
Everyone already has work.
And also, we're a small agency, so
if we're penalized for missing a person, we don't stand a chance.
But if it's you.
Since the name Aoyama Keito is well known,
we may be able to get the consent of the director.
But...
I'm don't know if I...
Please!
Think about saving Nako.
If going to do this to save someone,
then quit.
If you think you're doing it for yourself,
then you should.
Alright, drop it!
I'm terribly sorry.
I'm terribly sorry, director!
Today, Sonoda caused you so much trouble.
Um, I brought a replacement.
This is Aoyama.
You know of her, right?
She was a child-actress.
Aoyama Keito?
There was a girl with that name.
Aoyama-san.
Please.
[Sonoda Nako]
Just now,
where were you about to go?
Are you going to run away?
Just like that for your entire life?
Are you...
prepared?
Yes.
Nice to meet you. We're Kagrra. Nice to work with you.
You read the lyrics, right?
The subject of the song is a new life, so the theme is a girl living by herself.
The band's in a different scene, and the length is about three minutes.
Yes.
Lonely, but with just a little hope.
At her new place her only friends are the potted plants on the veranda.
I guess that's pretty much the catch phrase.
You get it?
Yes.
There's a scene where they want you to cry, so
Make-up!
Get the eye drops ready!
Ah! Um...
I don't need any eyedrops.
I don't really need to explain the set, right?
After we start, just move around freely.
Since it's a performance, we can pause the filming.
Yes.
Alright, let's start!
Alright!
They just randomly brought that kind of girl along, huh?
We're going to have to postpone today's filming, huh?
I heard the star pro Hoshi Sayuri is free tomorrow.
That's great! Schedule her immediately.
We can do the filming again tomorrow. We'll make a reservation.
Ready!
Start!
Yes, hello?
It's Maasa. Did you watch the DVD I sent you?
I'm watching it right now.
It's brand new footage.
It's still two weeks before it goes on sale, but I think-
I don't want to listen to your opinions!
1 Month Later
Wait. Wait a second.
Time's up!
Hey, hey!
Keito's music video was being shown on the electronic store's giant TV!
I knew it was great!
I fell in love with it again!
That's right, it's great, isn't it? It's really popular, right?
Hey, the match.
You weren't trying to make me forget about it, were you?
No...
Hey, Keito,
are you going down that path after all?
Huh?
In other words, you know...
Are you going to become an actress?
No way.
That was just by chance.
I mean, the people at the company were really in trouble.
They begged me, and for some reason it didn't feel like I could say no.
Is that right?
Huh?
No, nothing.
I feel a little more relieved.
I was scared that at this rate you were going to get distant.
Gradually, more and more work comes,
and you become famous.
"Free school?"
"El Liston?"
"What's that?"
Kind of like that, you know?
There's no way that could happen!
If this place didn't exist anymore I wouldn't be able to live.
Well, that's kind of a problem.
Huh?
This is a place that will eventually be gone.
If you don't steadily leave the nest and find somewhere else to be, then...
Oh, look at the time.
Excuse me, I'll be going to my class.
I'm going home too.
I have business to do today.
You're already going home?
The schoolmaster hasn't been doing that great recently, huh?
Management problems and stuff.
seems like there's been a lot of problems.
Really?
Yeah.
I heard the free school has difficulties everywhere.
Especially recently.
That was the last day.
Kouichi...
stopped showing up at the school
Morning.
You want a muffin?
Yeah.
You bought them?
No, I made them!
You did, Momiji?
Yeah!
Seriously?
Amazing.
At first I thought it was just a whim, but
Once day.
Two days.
A week.
And then, two weeks.
Just like how a stray cat disappears,
his figure broke away and vanished.
And then,
The atmosphere around me gradually...
began to change.
I guess Kouichi isn't coming...
The guys that came until now
suddenly stop showing up, and...
and then graduate and leave.
That's a pattern that happens sometimes, right?
Graduation?
Yeah.
At the free school it's up to the actual person to decide to come or not, right?
There are people that get into college,
or find a job and leave.
Or if it's not that, then they may find some other places they want to go, you know.
In about two years, there'll be a lot of different people here, huh?
I see...
Kouichi's whimsy, so there have been times where he suddenly took a break, but...
But, this time is a little long, huh?
Um, Aoyama Keito-san, right?
Yes.
Ah, I
got a job and this is the last day I'm coming here.
As a graduation commemoration, can we take a picture together?
That Kagrra music video that's out right now sure is great!
I became your fan!
It's fine.
Thank goodness!
Hey, hey, she said it was alright!
Really?!
You and the others, too, alright?
Mika, please!
It's fine, it's fine!
The life of a star is difficult, huh?
Gouta!
Please!
Ah, yeah.
Here I go.
Ready!
Alright!
Thank you so much!
Go on!
Is it alright?!
Excuse me.
Alright, cheese!
Yay! Thank you so much!
Who did, when, where, and what, alright?
And then, the one that you can't forget: "Why?"
And
Hawaii is an island, and moai are statues.
Where is this?
Who am I?
Dismissed!
Once dirty.
How!
I'm not Michael Jackson.
Who's bad?!
Aoyama-san.
For you,
is there any need to come here?
When you're here,
it gets noisy all around, and I can't concentrate on studying, you know.
Even though I'm here seriously studying for college exams...
Um...
Since you weren't coming to school I was wondering what you were up to...
I was wondering if you were eating and stuff...
I am.
Ah, really...
When you said you were eating, you were referring to this?
Yeah.
The day before yesterday, yesterday, and today.
Where's your family?
My parents are in Dubai right now, so
it's just me.
Dubai?
My parents are bankers, so they were transferred.
You don't have pictures or anything?
None.
I can't help seeing those people's faces.
Weird letters, huh? What is it?
Software that I've been working on for about two years.
Unless I brush up, hitting the market will be...
But if everything goes well, I'll be able to make a fortune with this.
Or so I say.
It couldn't go that well, though, right?
Why did you suddenly start?
Why suddenly like "Gahh!"
Well,
some reasons, you know.
A meal.
Oh yeah.
I'll make him a meal.
Rice..?
Rice...
Ah, here it is!
Here I go!
What are you supposed to do next?
You wash it!
You don't wash rice with dish detergent.
I'll do it.
I'm...
a burden, aren't I?
I'm hopeless, aren't I?
I seriously can't do anything.
You need to...
stop saying those things, already!
"Tell me I'm not hopeless"
I hear it as you telling me to encourage you.
I too, you know.
I can't always be following by your side.
That's right...
Well then...
Good luck.
Bye.
I understand
what Kouichi wants to say.
"Don't stop."
"Don't act spoiled."
"Even alone, stick it out."
But,
I wonder if the present me has it?
That much resolution.
That much strength.
To Be Continued
Translation and Typesetting by Kakijun Get more jdrama at d-addicts Do not upload onto streaming sites!