4 Walking, straight ahead. Never straying from the path. Never wavering or doubting. Always, and forever. Forever? (plink plink) 5 I can barely play at all anymore... the sound's totally off. (plink) (plink) Do you wish you'd gone to music college? Where's this coming from, Mom? Well, you have always loved the piano, Minato. Maybe that's the road you really wanted to go down? What? Sure, I like it, but... it's just a hobby! I never even studied it seriously. 6 Really? Yeah! I never even considered music college. Well, I suppose it's fine then... I'm just grateful I got to go to college at all. I know we don't have much money. Ah! Sorry, I shouldn't have been standing around talking... I'm late for work. What!? Don't tell me you're going dressed like that!? Isn't that a little plain? You don't want to wear something a little... brighter? Urgh... always the worrier... You won't make a bad impression coming in your first day like that? I-... it's fine. Nobody even sees what you come in. I'll change to my uniform as soon as I get there. What about that one-piece I bought you before? It's so adorable, but you never wear it... (slide) Ehmm... sorry, I gotta go! 7 Oh, yeah! Once I'm done work, I'll come back to pitch in here. Thanks for always helping out, Minato. I'm so lucky to have such a good kid. (Ah ha...) What are you saying, after all this time? It's just you and me in this family, Mom. Bye, now! 8 When I was in third grade, my parents divorced. At this point I don't even remember my father's face anymore. Since then my mother has raised me on her own, running a restaurant out of our house at the same time. I'm a 22-year old working adult... I can at least decide what to /wear/ on my own. (Some cutesy one-piece is out of the question...) Of course I'm grateful that she cares so much about me, but... Just not making problems for her, not causing her any worry... That's the life I've become accustomed to. Sometimes it all... feels a little heavy. 9 Error!? Paper jam!? Eegh... what do I do about this... First step is... open it up... (clunk) Just a second, Shimada-san. What do you think you're doing!? You're not finished yet? Ah! P... please forgive me! 10 Eeghh... Somebody scary showed up!! My boss, Oota-san! If you don't hurry up and get it fixed, you'll be making /me/ stay overtime! Um... yes, of course. So... how exactly do you fix...? What!? You don't even know that!? You've been here more than a month, and are /still/ asking questions like that!? You know you're being paid for this, don't you!? Am I getting through to you?? Hyeegh...!!! Pardon me. 11 If the employees aren't learning, that would be the supervisor's fault. Anyway, hurry up and get it done! (Phew...) (gasp!) 12 Um... thank you very much. Er... I believe this is Asami-san, from my department. I wouldn't mind getting home on time myself, and I've got an urgent copy to make. Step aside and I'll fix it. Ahm... is it all right if I watch from the side? Wouldn't want to run into this situation again... Do what you like. Of course... The world's a cold place. (whirrrrr) And that's how it's done. 13 Turn the power back on, and you're set. (beep) Ooh, you fixed it! I'll be using it first. (whrrr whrrr) I learned a lot! Thank you very much! (bow) You're welcome. She was a bit curt, but she still went through all the steps for me... maybe she's actually really nice? One thing's for sure... she certainly is pretty... Have you gotten used to working here? Yes, one way or another... (whrrr whrrr whrrr) That harpy treats all the newcomers like that. I got the same when I started out. Huh!? Even you, Asami-san!? 14 But she left me alone once I talked back to her. What!? You talked back!? If I hadn't, I wouldn't have survived here long. I'm not going to put up with that nonsense... Why not kick up a fuss yourself, Shimada-san? Eh... (snicker) Maybe not. Hey, Asami... 15 What are you doing over here? Not picking on the rookie, are you? 'Scuse me? That's not it! Asami-san was just showing me how to fix the copier! (whirl) Pardon me, but I'm in a hurry. Hope that didn't foul up her mood... she was being so nice to me, too... You all right? Minato! H- H- H- Haruto! ...I mean, Mase-san! Not too cute, is she? That Asami. Brushing everybody off, out the door the minute the day ends... Nothing like our hard-working Minato. (pat pat) 16 Ooh, right! I'll be stopping by your place after work today, 'kay? Uhm... Uhm, hey, Haruto? We agreed you wouldn't call me "Minato" at work, didn't we? Oh, did we? You don't remember? Really? In the office we're supposed to be strangers, just two co-workers. But that's just unnatural! I mean, we've known each other 20 years at this point. Unnatural or not... it's what we've got to do. 17 They're already so rough on me just for being a newcomer. What do you think they'd say if they knew I only got the job because of /you/? What's the problem? I referred you, but Human Affairs are the ones who hired you, nothing to do with me. Why worry? Oh, I'm worried... You don't know how cruel a woman's world is, Haruto. (slump) Well, the bosses /are/ all pretty strict... Oota-san, for one... Hey. Minato! Hold it in a little, would you? Haru-kun's the one watching out for you. Thanks so much for everything you've done for her, since she was little. I hope I can continue to count on you! Leave her to me, auntie! I plan to keep on looking after her my whole life. Hey, hold up! What do you two think you're saying!? 18 Aw, what's the problem? I'm just making sure we're set for the future. Don't decide that yourself! No one in the world knows more about taking care of Minato than I do. Picking her up from nursery school... Even taking baths together... Haruto, age 10 Minato, age 6 (Hold still!) (Uegh!! I hate shampoo!) Jeesh, cut it out! Don't dig up that ancient stuff!! Minato-chan! Two more draughts, this way! Haruto is my childhood friend, 4 years my elder. And as you see, he comes pre-approved from my mother. But approved or not, to me he's a dependable big brother more than anything. I've never had what you'd call romantic feelings toward him. Coming right up! (Sorry for the wait) Still, he's been with me all this time. 19 Will things just keep going on like this? What was /with/ that guy? Calling you "Minato-chan!" Stay away from guys like that, Minato. They're bad news when they're drunk. He was just a customer. You're the one who drank too much, Haruto! Are you really okay? We /do/ have work tomorrow. No no, he was definitely angling for you, Minato! He was looking at you different! I can tell!! Yeah, yeah. I'm not a kid anymore, so I can watch out for that stuff myself. Thanks to you hanging over me worrying all the time, I've never had a boyfriend in my life! I'm your childhood friend! I have a duty to protect you! Geez... what are you even saying? But that's how it is. What I said earlier... wasn't necessarily a joke. 20 I want to look after you the rest of my life. I hope you'll give that some real thought. Eh... Good night! What!? 21 Whoo, that startled me... What he just said, that was... a proposal, wasn't it. So Haruto's... really had that on his mind? Well, what do I do now? I've never considered it in any kind of concrete way... And I only just started working... I know Mom would be all for it, though. I have to give some kind of answer. 22 "I'm so lucky to have such a good kid." My mother, sacrificing herself to raise a kid on her own. "I want to look after her the rest of her life." Haruto, with his sincere and earnest concern for me, every since I was little. 23 I have to... honor their expectations. It feels... hard to breathe, somehow... 24 Haruto's out all day... That's lucky. After yesterday, I wouldn't know how to face him... Shimada-san. Bind these materials up, just like the sample shows. We'll need 50 copies. We're using them first thing in the morning on Monday. It shouldn't take long, right? Hopefully you can at least manage this quickly. Yes... of course! This much work, right at the end of the day... guess I'm looking at overtime... (Sample) (Hoo, boy...) Looks like they've buried you under another real pile there. Asami-san! 25 Should've turned it down. It wasn't fair to just dump it on you like this. Turn it down...? I can't do that. With that attitude, you'll always just be dancing on other people's strings. I'll help you out. N... no, that's all right! There really... seemed to be some bite in her words. If you try to do this yourself, who knows when you'll finish? I'm fine. And... "dancing on strings?" I mean, this is our job... Oh. Sorry, did I offend you? 26 You just always seem so constricted, Shimada-san. Ooh, there you are! Har-... Mase-san. Huh?? Why is he here!? Can I have a second? Oh... sure... What's up? Working overtime? Yeah... but weren't you going straight home, Haruto? 27 Well... I couldn't get yesterday off my mind, so I came back, hoping you'd still be here. Eh... I was hoping we could get things decided quickly, I guess... I think that would be best for you too, Minato. We wouldn't have to hide anything here at work, either. Ahm... What do I do... I have to say something... Should we bring your mother in and all have a talk tonight? Wai... wait just a second, Haruto... Hm? Oh, I can just kill time until you're finished work. We can still go home together. N... No, that's not... It's only been a day! I haven't had time to think at all! I... (tap) 28 Um... Pardon me, Mase-san. She and I had plans to go out drinking after this. Ooh, prior engagement? And with Asami? That's rare. It's a girls-only gathering at my house, so I hope you'll understand why I can't invite you. (So cold...) 29 Um... thanks so much. Your intuition really saved me there. Still, I never imagined Mase-san was your childhood friend, and almost your fiancé. Well, why not get married? He's serious and successful, probably headed for good things. You'd have security. (Plus he's fairly good-looking) Don't just come out and say it... It's just like you said, Asami-san! (slam) I'm just dancing on other people's strings! I'm constricted!! But people love you. That's not happiness? I know that! And I know I'm being awful to Haruto by running away like this! Oh? Am I... drunk? But somewhere along the line... The words are really just... spilling out... I got caught up thinking... am I really okay with this? 30 I'm from a single-parent household, so I've always had my mom looking after me... always had Haruto protecting me... Maybe my world is just too narrow? Like everything's beginning and ending inside that little bubble. If I get outside it, maybe I could see something different. There might be all kinds of possibilities I never knew about. 31 Eeek!! Th... that's /cold/!! What are you, some spoiled little kid? 32 What a happy little situation you've got yourself in. You want possibilities? You want to see something new? Yet you've been surrounded by good people all your life, and can't do a thing on your own. People like you should just snuggle down nice and warm in your safe, comfortable burrow and keep quiet. I- It's not like... I do these things because I /want/ to! [I'm not sure what specifically she's referring to here] 33 I just feel like... this is the best way for everyone. Even now, I don't really think I'm wrong about that. Then quit complaining. What is this... Why do I have to talk about this stuff with /her/? And I bet you've never once in your life had something /you/ wanted to do? To the point that you're causing problems for other people? I have! I did! But... 34 I knew we didn't have that kind of money! So I couldn't say... I wanted the piano to be /more/ than a hobby! I'm going home. See? You /can/ say it. 35 It might not get you anything, but things are so much easier when you can say it out loud. I'm sorry for taunting you like that. But you seemed to be suffering so much. I wanted to release you. 36 Huh!? Wha!? What are you /doing/!? I wanted to lick you. (Your tears) Wh... I... I have no idea what you're talking about!! 37 No. I guess not. I got your clothes wet. I'm sorry. (Huh...? Hey!!) I'm all right! I can do it myself, you don't have to... Asami-san! Ouch! 38 Want to stray off the path a bit? Huh? If you're in for a little infidelity, I'm game. No... what? Infidelity? What are you talking about? You're... a woman, Asami-san... 39 You said you wanted to see something different, didn't you? If you've only known men, it might be a fresh experience. Known men...? No, I've never... Hey, are you drunk...? No, I'm not drunk. If you want me to stop, I will. 40 When you don't like something, just thrust it away. [assuming this line is meant to have wider implications] The smell of tobacco... and a lot of alcohol. 41 A bolt of the extraordinary... piercing my world. I couldn't... thrust that away.