Is today's customer the mailman?
The mailman?
The customer from You&You is a regular, right?
The mailman is a customer of Mariko's
My regular customer is JR.
I see.
So, Mariko told me about you lending her money.
I heard that you lent her 30,000 yen?
It's really unbearable
What do you mean by that?
A callback?
I heard that you used to be a famous novelist, is that true?
I heard that you won an award and your book sold well and made a lot of money.
It's because of that money,
even in a place like this, you can live comfortably.
That's what the boss said.
I mean, how much of what the boss says can be trusted?
A little.
Then only a little bit of it is true.
You're not answering?
I don't recognize the number.
Tsuda-san, which little bit is true?
At least answer the phone!
How many times are you going to let me call you before you pick up?
Stand up, Tsuda.
What did he just say?
-He said he's not Tsuda. - That hurts.
Try calling him.
It hurts.
Tsuda, who do you think allowed you to do business here?
What do you mean?
I'm not happy that an outsider is spreading his wings on my property.
If you want to live longer, roll up and get out of here.
Or I'll throw you into the sea and feed you to the fish.
-I'm just a driver. - Then have your boss see me.
I just get orders to pick up the girls.
I'm just a part-time driver.
- I'm just a part-timer. - Really?
-Tsuda. - I've never met the people above me either.
-Tsuda. - It stinks.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
Okay, okay.
Hey, let's go.
It hurts!
What? Are you in trouble again because of women?
Or is it because of money?
Why didn't you help me out when you saw it?
I'm an old man, what can I do to help?
Come on!
-Money. - What?
30,000.
I lent you 30,000, didn't I?
What, now?
Can't pay, eh?
What do you think?
If this is the case
About this price
Thank you.
-I have more at home. I'll bring them over next time. - Okay.
-Let's go. - Yes.
You're giving out 10,000 yen for these old junk books.
Didn't you say you're closing the store next month and will be living on your pension?
Is your pension enough?
You don't need to worry about my financial situation.
My wife has left me a sum of money from insurance.
Then give me a few more days, and I'll pay you back.
Tsuda Shinichi is in such a bad situation.
He owes me a mere 30,000 yen, and he keeps making me wait.
"I'll find a way."
That's the kind of thing you usually say when you owe a lot of money.
You're at least a novelist.
You have to learn how to use words and phrases.
Peter Pan and Wendy.
This kind of book...
Stop reading and go write.
When will Tsuda Shinichi's new novel come out?
Then lend me $300,000 and I'll buy a new computer.
A computer? You write in pencil, just pencil.
It's a leap year.
Extra things happen on extra days.
Welcome.
- I'll have a coffee blend. - Okay.
Leap Year February 29th, 3:00AM
Enjoy!
Is it okay if I sit with you?
I see you're always reading late at night.
I haven't seen another male reader in the six months I've been here.
- Did you move here from somewhere else? - Yes.
I got into a fight with my girlfriend who works in real estate.
I had to get away and reading helps.
"What's going on now?"
"You're saying that I'm self-centered when I'm living a normal life?"
"You mean I'm selfish and self-centered?"
"You mean you have to work at night, so I shouldn't wake you up, right?"
"Did I misunderstand?"
"You don't even have a real job, how can you call me selfish?"
"Self-centered is such a convenient word."
"I guess novelists are good at using convenient words."
Novelist?
Don't worry about that detail.
Anyway, once a woman like this gets angry, she'll never stop.
Novelist?
I used to be...
-Can you show me your book? - Yes.
It's a habit of mine, as a bookmark.
The main character in this book is said to be similar to me.
I guess novelists are good at using convenient words.
You're exactly like Peter Pan.
If you're a novelist, you must have read "Peter Pan and Wendy".
Hey, say something!
Is it a compliment to say you're like Peter Pan?
A book is not the same as an animation.
From what I've read now
First of all, he is a person who does not think, always forgetting everything.
He is proud and arrogant, and always speaks out of turn.
At this rate, Peter Pan will end up being a man who is very good at playing with women.
Are you single?
I have a wife and a four-year-old daughter.
If you have a wife and a young daughter.
wouldn't you be sleeping under the same covers with your two loved ones.
Then why aren't you at home?
Is it because you don't want to wake them up?
You don't look like you just got back from a night out.
And if you're working at this hour, is it the liquor business?
I came here to read until dawn so my family could get a good night's sleep.
Am I right?
Is it a novelist's habit to start imagining people as soon as you see them?
You can make reasonable connections from existing facts.
If you keep thinking like this, you'll naturally see the hidden truth.
The hidden truths...
Is this book not interesting?
Because "fact is stranger than fiction".
"Things that should not have happened, happened."
That's what my wife told me today.
It doesn't sound like a good miracle.
A miracle?
No, it is a miracle.
I'll take that as a miracle. A miracle.
A novelist's wordplay is so subtle.
When I met my wife.
-She was pregnant. - What?
-That's... - No, don't worry about it.
That's a miracle, too.
As you said.
A lovely wife and young daughter sleeping at home.
Do you need a refill on your coffee?
Who wants a refill when the coffee's so bland, Numamoto?
My name is Numoto. Remember that!
Hey, I don't know what your life is like to make a face like this.
Your name is written as Numamoto, but it's pronounced as Numoto.
You're too close.
-Look at this, isn't it well written? - Where?
You have not experienced this?
You can't do anything about it.
But you hope a miracle will happen.
The book of this loser.
-Did you buy it at a bookstore in Boushu? - Yes.
I'll look for it next time.
No, no, don't give that old man any business.
I'll lend it to you.
-Lend it to me? -That's right.
-Then lend it to me the next time we meet. - Okay.
If they met somewhere else, they would be happy.
In that case, we should let them meet somewhere else.
What?
That way, they can be happy.
Goodbye.
What are you doing, Numamoto?
Wasn't it because you suddenly turned around?
Look what you've done!
-It's an old book. - Don't worry about it. Go away.
The man who likes to read.
He's sat in this seat many times so far reading his book.
And this moment is the last time he sat in this seat.
Because that man
disappeared with his beloved family.
The main character of this novel is also Tsuda, right?
That's right.
This man, Kouji Hideyoshi, who worked in the liquor business...
He disappeared with his wife and four-year-old daughter.
The ordinary family is suddenly nowhere to be found one day.
The local people said they were spirited away.
Is this a mystery novel about a man named Tsuda who drives a call girl to solve a missing case?
Do you want to read on?
Are you not interested?
What happened to the man named Hideyoshi before he came here?
This is a fictional story, right?
If you want to read on, give me 50,000 yen.
It's a bargain to see the novelist's original draft before he publishes it.
Tsuda-san.
Do you remember what you did to me three years ago?
How dare you ask me for money?
50,000 yen.
Let's be clear.
This novel is a fiction, right?
Of course.
Where have you been for the past three years?
Who knows.
It's so windy today.
My ears hurt.
My ears are itching
It's been three years since you've been able to continue writing.
Why don't you quit your job as a bartender and focus on writing?
After all, you've won the Naoki Award.
Are you looking down on bartenders?
That's right. You're still an editor who earns a living from words right?
Sorry.
-By the way, what's the title of the novel? - I haven't decided yet.
I'm off. I'll come back next time to see what's next.
Next time I'll charge 200,000 yen.
Before I met Tsuda.
Kouji Hideyoshi said something on the phone to two people.
Hey, Akane-chan, it's your father who's picking you up today.
Hideyoshi! Hideyoshi!
It's Hideyoshi who's picking you up today.
My wife is not feeling well today.
If it's serious, you can send Akane to my house.
I'm sorry.
Hello.
It's Sano.
- What's up? - Sorry, boss.
Can I get an advance of 30,000 yen?
I have a bill that I have to pay today no matter what.
Okay, I'll think of something when I get to the store.
Thank you. Bye.
I'm sorry, I have to deal with one of my staff.
It's not easy. Business has been tough lately.
Why don't you let Akane come over to my house and play?
- Yeah. - Come on.
It's me.
Hideyoshi.
I have something for you to keep.
I'll deliver it to the store tonight.
When you get it, keep it safe.
Okay.
I'll pick it up tomorrow.
I understand.
How are you feeling?
Not too good.
I sent Akane to Shinkai's house.
She said she can stay for dinner, so I agreed.
So, just pick her up when you've had enough sleep.
If you need anything, call me.
Thank you.
The book plot is finally starting to unfold.
I'm going out.
- So. - What?
I'm pregnant.
I see.
Is that all?
Are you unhappy?
Have you seen the doctor?
What are you talking about?
Are you sure you're pregnant?
No doubt about it.
Our baby is finally here.
No, that's not my baby.
What are you talking about?
Whose baby is it this time?
Of course it's yours.
Why?
You, Akane and me, a family of three.
Wasn't that enough?
Why did you...
Hello, this is the High Bar.
Sorry, Iwanaga.
Can I ask you to watch the bar tonight?
I'm counting on you.
Thank you.
You've been a big help looking after her.
How are you doing? I heard you're not feeling well.
Actually, I'm pregnant.
Really? Congratulations.
I just told my husband today.
Your husband must be very happy.
Come say goodbye.
-Thank you. - Bye.
Come back next time.
-Take care. - Thank you.
Good night. - Bye-bye.
It's cold. It's cold.
-Good evening. - Good evening.
My name is Kaga Mariko. Please take care of me.
-Mariko. - Shall we take a bath together?
- Can we? - Sure.
I'm looking forward to it.
I'll do it for you.
Please go ahead.
See you next time, Mariko.
See you next time.
I hope to see you again.
Bye, bye.
Hello.
- Tsuda-san, did Mariko contact you? - No.
She didn't show up at work and didn't answer her phone.
If she calls you, tell her to call me right away.
Okay.
The boss is angry because he can't get in touch with you.
Tsuda-san, I have a favor to ask you.
I'll pay you back in a few days if you want.
It's not that. I've got 30,000 yen ready.
Can you come to my house now?
I'd like you to take an acquaintance of mine to the station.
He wants to catch the last train.
But he couldn't get a taxi because of the snow.
Sure.
Why don't you take the phone call from the boss first?
I understand.
Thank you.
Here you go. I'm sorry it's so late.
Is this the money you're giving to the boss?
No, it's not.
Tsuda-san, please don't tell anyone about what happened today.
No one, including the boss, can know.
You mean about the friend I'm taking to the station?
And that you saw me.
Tsuda-san, his name is Haruyama-san.
Thanks for doing this.
Hello?
Boss, someone named Okudai called several times.
Oh, that thing.
What time is the last train?
-Please keep going past the station. - What?
- Go straight on the national highway for 5 or 6 kilometers.
There's an unmanned station there.
- Hey Haruyama. - Hmm?
The express train doesn't stop at unmanned stations, right?
I have something to do there.
Aren't you going to take the express train?
Hello.
Tsuda-san, did Mariko contact you?
No.
Damn. Where are you now?
I'm heading towards the station along Suzuka-dori.
Do you know Applegrimm? It's the one in front of the station.
Nope.
Then look to the left of the road and you'll see
There's a woman waiting there.
I had an appointment with her for a meeting at 9:30.
But I forgot all about it.
She must have gotten tired of waiting and probably went back.
The problem is that she's still waiting there.
She didn't have her cell phone, so I couldn't talk to her directly.
She called the office several times instead.
The woman's name is Okudai.
- Did you get it? - Okudai, right?
You can give her dinner money and send her home.
Do you really want to do that?
Specific circumstances call for specific actions. This is a special case.
You'll know when you see it. I'm counting on you.
- Haruyama. - Yeah?
-Do you know Applegrimm? - Yes, I do.
Then tell me when you get there.
You heard me? There's a woman waiting there.
And?
We're going to pick her up.
Let her wait a little longer.
Why don't you drop me off at my destination and come back to pick her up?
That's not possible. That's an order from the boss.
On the left, don't miss it. Tell me when you see it.
- You've already passed Applegrimm. - What?
What happened to your face?
You got beaten up, right? It looks like it hurts.
Mr. Driver, this is it.
Welcome.
I couldn't find the girl named Okudai at the location.
I'm Okudai.
I found her.
You're Okudai?
From yesterday.
I'll take you home.
Thank you.
We're going home.
- Thank you. - Get in the car.
Okay, thanks. Come on, get in the car.
Sit on mommy's lap.
Thank you.
- Where is your home? - In the neighborhood.
It's in Shinjou.
Shinjou eh...
Thank you.
Do you really want to work for this boss?
Let's go.
We're home now. It's really late.
Something very important has happened in this moment.
And I didn't know anything about it.
I didn't know that I was going to get involved with some shady stuff since the bookstore.
I didn't know that I would be afraid of the name Kurata Kenjiro.
I didn't know I was going to flee to Koenji in Tokyo to join Kanako-senpai.
I didn't know that I would write this story while working as a bartender.
And of course, I didn't know about the disappearance of Kouji Hideyoshi's family.
I didn't know that there was a young man named Haruyama involved in this.
I didn't know that this was both their story and my story.
I didn't know that people's lives were at stake, and I was in the middle of it.
I didn't even know that a three-feathered dove had flown out to the snow.
I still don't know anything.
Two hundred thousand yen.
Let me check the story first.
This man, Haruyama.
He was a regular customer of the deli-health* worker Kaga Mariko, right?
*Deli-health are legal sexual services without intercourse
Mariko was really in love with this regular customer.
But Haruyama, the mailman, had already met her last summer
He was already dating another woman he met on his way to deliver goods.
Another woman?
You'll find out afterwards.
You said he met her last summer.
What year is this last year?
- Now. - Which now?
- It's now, today, right now. - Wait a minute.
- You're talking about the novel, right? - Yes.
The kindergarten child, Akane, is not Hideyoshi's child?
She's fathered by a villain named Kakehata.
Kakehata?
Five years ago, Nanami got pregnant after sleeping with Kakhata.
The pregnant Nanami met Kouji Hideyoshi and they fell in love and got married.
What about the villain?
After Hideyoshi and Nanami got married,
before that, he was already missing.
- Killed? - Yes.
- What about the scene of the murder? - Didn't write that. It's TMI.
Too Much Information
It would be too much and too specific.
It has little to do with the main story.
Is this a mystery novel about solving a family's disappearance?
The story doesn't end here.
There will be another important plot.
Tsuda-san.
I just want to make sure.
Did you write something that you can't write again?
What can't a novelist write?
Don't do what you did before.
Your previous novel was true.
What if someone sues you for damaging their reputation if the secret is exposed?
Getting sued is one thing, but if someone dies because of it...
The previous story was only about a wife's affair.
This time you're writing about a missing family.
If it is the truth, then it's over
This is a fact that can happen on the basis of the existing reality
Leap Year Spring
Store for sale
Wait...wait...stop. What if someone sees this?
No one is watching.
There must be someone watching from somewhere on this street.
- Then let's go inside. - Stop it.
I heard that you were beaten up by someone you don't know.
I may be overthinking it, but that guy...
Who, your estranged husband?
Don't worry, the guy who beat me up was a young punk.
I know.
He's not the kind of guy who would personally beat someone up.
The old man is a real bummer.
He said he'd go out after closing the store
And then he died before he got out to the street.
- What's hat? - Old stuff. Boushu-san asked me to give it to you.
What's in it?
I don't know... books, I guess. It's an old bookstore after all.
Life is so boring, isn't it?
I guess.
I'm not talking about Boushu-san.
Don't you know?
There's a girl in kindergarten and her parents have disappeared.
It's said they were spirited away and they're on the front page of the newspaper.
I don't read the news.
That girl and my son were classmates.
One day
One day, her mother said she wasn't feeling well, so her father came to pick her up.
Her father suddenly got a call from an employee
I saw that he was too busy, so I helped him take care of his daughter.
Then her mother came to pick her up at night and we talked for a while.
She said she was pregnant and had just told her husband about it.
I thought what a happy family.
But I didn't realize that after that night, the whole family disappeared.
The little girl's name was Akana-chan.
She would call her mother Mama.
But she called her father Hideyoshi.
There was a rumor that there was something else going on.
I gotta go.
Annoying.
555...
A leap year
The old man said
February 29th is the birthday of his deceased wife
It unlocked.
Why did the old man give this to me?
Seriously?
Two, four, six, eight, ten...
Thirty million
Thirty million and
thirty thousand.
It's rare you're here at this time.
You clean up nice.
Something unexpected happened.
At the beginning of my new life, I suddenly wanted to meet you, Numamoto.
I'm Numoto.
I'm just being polite. I'm waiting for someone.
How dare you meet another woman in front of me?
I'm being polite too.
But what's with the 10,000 bill as a bookmark?
It's so funny after what happened yesterday.
What happened yesterday?
The coffee stain from that day...
What happened yesterday?
"While we're alive"
"There's always something amazing going on around us..."
"And for a short time, we were unaware, we knew nothing."
- What's that? - Exactly that.
Sorry for making you wait.
- You're waiting for a man. - Can't it be a man?
Is this your friend? Here's my card.
Here. Please accept it.
Boss-san?
You are Numamoto-san?
If you want a part-time job that pays well, call me.
- I'm always happy to help. - Aren't you going to correct him? Numoto?
A night club for actresses?
I think I can call you Yoko.
Yoko?
The boss likes to watch movies, so he uses the names of actors and actresses.
Keiko, Hideko, Kaga Mariko, etc.
And Yoko, right?
Which Yoko?
Any Yoko is fine.
I'm Yoko, if you need a refill, call me anytime.
Correct him, it's Numoto.
So what do you want to talk about?
I just got a call from Maeda at the barber store. You went there, right?
Yesterday.
After you came back, the police went to the store.
The police?
I need a favor again.
I'm about to win. Please lend me some more.
Her sister-in-law is a pachinko addict.
Maeda was used to it, so he gave her 10,000 from his income that day.
After borrowing 10,000 from Maeda
She went back to the pachinko parlor and put the money into the machine.
But no matter how many times she tried, the money was always spit out.
-Why didn't it go in? - What happened, please?
This bill wouldn't fit.
The clerk used the store's money detector and found it to be counterfeit.
So the pachinko parlor called the police.
Can I ask you a few questions?
Then Maeda, who lent her the money, was also taken away.
It was on the news. Didn't you see it?
And then?
- The $10,000 you used yesterday was fake. - What?
What? You should thank Maeda.
He didn't give your name to the police.
Wait a minute... counterfeit money?
Before that woman borrowed the money.
There were only three other customers to get their hair cut.
Of the three, only you used a 10,000 yen bill
Where did you get this dangerous stuff?
Every time I withdraw money from the bank.
I put it in an envelope and give it to you right away.
So there can't be any fake bills in the paycheck I gave you.
It looks real.
But I can't tell if I don't check it with a money detector.
Maeda told the police that
the counterfeit money was taken out of the money received at the store.
He don't know which customer it was from.
But after that
Two young men from the bookstore gang came.
Can we find out more about the $10,000 counterfeit bill?
- You better come clean. - You understand?
You'd better come clean or you'll regret it.
Even so, Maeda didn't say anything.
That's who he is.
A bookstore gangster?
That means he knows about it too.
That man?
Kurata Kenjiro.
Who is he? Someone related to counterfeit money?
Whether it's the counterfeit banknotes or the mysterious incident involving the three of them.
Everything that happened here is related to him.
Let's go.
What about this guy?
Kurata-san wants us to come over.
Tsuda-san.
If your body is burned to ashes and found at the garbage disposal next week,
I'm sure he's involved.
The garbage disposal plant.
Tsuda-san, if you know where you got the counterfeit money from.
I won't ask you where you got it or how much you got.
But don't use them anymore.
Don't use a single one of them.
It doesn't matter how many you have left.
It doesn't matter if it's ten or a hundred.
The most important thing is that the rest are probably counterfeit.
You don't want to go to the garbage disposal yet, do you?
Seriously...
How could this...
You should have handed it over to the police.
If you don't hand it over to the police, you should dispose of it.
Why would you burn the counterfeit money?
Although it's true that you were warned not to use it.
But I don't know if that's what Kurata wanted.
Kurata?
What will Kurata do after this?
Before that, was Kurata involved in the disappearance of the Kouji Hideyoshi family after all?
What's the connection between these two events?
I don't know yet.
You don't know?
You don't know what the connection is between the counterfeit money and the disappearance, that is to say...
That is, is this incident still ongoing or something like that?
Although it's important to know if this novel is a fictional story...
Tsuda-san, are you sure you're okay?
If this Kurata is after you...
Here.
I'm sorry. Please take it out of my salary.
Don't use that money.
Then take this money and get going.
Send Mariko to Acapulco.
I haven't seen Mariko lately.
She's hooked up with a mailman named Haruyama.
Thanks for doing this.
Bye.
But that guy was with another woman.
The day the family disappearance happened.
As long as she gets back to work.
Then I'm off.
- I have a favor to ask you. - What is it?
- Please help me get rid of this. - What is it?
If you keep this, do you think its owner will come back for me?
Don't you think?
Take it to the garbage disposal and burn it for me.
They can burn cats and dogs there.
I heard that they burn them even if someone just dumped them there silently.
- Don't come here every day. Aren't you busy? - Shut up and bring your wallet.
-That's not the attitude to borrow money. - Please.
Where's the $20,000 you put in the book?
- I'm not answering this question. - What?
I need a handcam right now.
My old man had one of these cameras.
Old man? Shouldn't you call him Dad or Father?
Why can't I?
Then I'll borrow it from your father.
Is that the right attitude to ask for something?
I'm begging you.
This is your father's Sony handcam.
The charger is also inside.
The old man said I can borrow it.
But you have to put the pictures on the memory card.
-I have a memory card. - What do you want to shoot?
- Nothing. - Huh?
I want to see what's on the card.
- What's on it? - I'll have to see it first.
What's in this bag?
- Something important. - What's important?
Something more important than life.
- More important than life? -Yes.
What's more important to a novelist than life?
Is it an original manuscript? The original manuscript of a novel that hasn't been written yet.
I won't answer that question.
But what's in the bag is giving you a headache?
Is that what you think?
Yes, that's what I'm feeling.
Do you know Kurata Kenjiro, the bookstore gangster?
Well?
No comment.
So it's not an urban legend.
I don't know if it's an urban legend.
But as long as someone believes in it, it is no different from the real thing, right?
The amount of video on the memory card
adds up to about a hundred minutes.
I think that's why Mariko destroyed the Sony handcam.
But I don't know how to describe this 100 minutes of video.
I don't know if I should write down the filthy things in a realistic way.
Or do you trade your discomfort for the satisfaction of a successful uncovering?
Or maybe it's the novelist's reflection, leaving a blank space in its place.
What are you doing?
You're beautiful, Nanami.
Haruyama's lover was Nanami?
Stop it!
The two of them see each other about once a week.
The video gradually became more than just a foreplay.
From the middle to the end, Haruyama was holding the camera the whole time.
Don't worry, Haruyama.
From now on, I will bear the pain and suffering of having the baby.
Are you really going to give birth?
Of course.
You say that so easily.
Will you accept it if I said it in a more serious way?
How are you going to explain to your husband?
Just tell him that I'm pregnant.
What? So you and your husband also...
We haven't had sex for a long time.
But we're going to do it today.
I'm going back today to have sex for the first time in a long time.
It's been a long time since we've done it, so he'll remember, right?
And then a month later, tell him I'm pregnant.
Do you think he'll be suspicious?
He doesn't even know you exist.
That's how couples are.
So you don't have to worry.
- A month later, she tells her husband she's pregnant. - I'm pregnant.
And then at 11:30.
You already know where Kouji Nanami and Haruyama are.
- Editor-in-Chief, I have something to tell you. - What's up?
Tsuda Shinichi is writing a new book.
Not possible.
It's true, but I'd like you to read it, even if it's only the climax.
He's left the literary world.
He hasn't written anything in the past three years.
After reading it, I was convinced of one thing.
The novelist Tsuda Shinichi's writing hasn't declined at all...
Haven't you suffered enough?
Leap Year Summer
Tsuda-san, it seems that what you feared is coming true.
There's not enough water?
At this rate, the dam will dry up.
But that's not what I'm here to talk about.
It's the aftermath of the counterfeit money incident.
I got a call from Maeda at the barber store late yesterday.
What did he say?
It's a sequel, but it's going to end soon.
It's about to come to a climax.
If this goes on, it'll be bad.
It's going to end up badly.
I have nothing to be ashamed of.
You're the one who used money that shouldn't be used.
The one who covered it up was Maeda.
If that's the case, just remember to keep me out of it.
Do you understand?
I had nothing to do with this.
That's it.
It's a bit sudden.
But you resigned from me at the end of last month.
Resignation money
Have you taken care of those things?
No, don't tell me.
Tsuda-san, if you want to escape, you should do it now.
Otherwise, the situation will be irreversible.
- Hey boss. - Yeah?
Did that person make an appearance in the sequel?
I can't tell you that.
Bye.
Did he come here?
What was he doing here?
What did he do?
He got a haircut, obviously.
Are you still open for business?
Please.
How would like to cut it?
I'll leave it to you.
Okay.
Do you have any novelists among your customers?
I should say, those who have written novels.
Was there?
There is someone from out of town.
Does that person have a particular book?
A book?
Peter Pan.
I don't know about that.
I see.
It's so late. Must be hard for you.
It's okay.
Keep the change.
Thank you very much.
Excuse me.
Do you need me to inform you of anything?
I mean, if the novelist is comes again.
No. That's not necessary.
He said that and then he left.
He said to keep the change.
Is the 10,000 bill real money?
Probably.
I have a hunch.
If that person was serious this time
I'm sure he would have asked about the origin of the counterfeit money.
He would have been so red-eyed and angry.
I don't know what's going on with those guys.
But at least until Sunday night.
From my point of view, that man gives out a bad feeling.
Oh...
It was really strange to bring up your case all of a sudden.
He didn't look so good at that time.
But...
If you weren't involved anymore.
That would be the end of this story.
That day, that person was sitting in your seat.
What should I do?
I heard that he's the owner of the restaurant.
Why don't you go over there and have a drink?
I casually mentioned I might be leaving this place.
And after that?
Tsuda-san, would you be interested in going to Koenji in Tokyo?
- Koenji? - Yes.
There's a shop in Koenji that's doing quite well.
They're looking for people there.
It's a bar owned by Kanako, who was my senior, when I was in high school, but she's two years younger than me.
I think it's called Olivia's.
A senior who's two years younger?
Then what should I do there?
It's a bar, so I'm sure you can bartend.
There is also a place for you to live there
Bartender?
You should get out of here.
I'll give Kanako-senpai a call.
Then everything will be fine.
What are you doing?
I just got back from my part-time job.
Here?
You're here just in time.
Thank you.
I saw it. It's not an original manuscript.
In the bag.
You.
Come with me.
Do you know this bar called Spin?
- I know what it means. - What?
- The bookmark's meaning.
It's my habit to use this as a bookmark.
What's the deal with the 10,000 bill as a bookmark?
It's so funny after what happened yesterday.
The person you talked to that night, Kouji Hideyoshi, is the owner of this store.
- Is that true? - Yes.
And Kurata is the one who owns him?
It's an urban legend.
Kouji Hideyoshi is just an ordinary man who likes to read books, right?
Why would a man like that have anything to do with the bookstore gangster?
What ordinary? His wife drives a Mercedes.
Kouji Hideyoshi's wife?
Are you interested in Kouji Hideyoshi?
Or are you interested in the big boss?
No.
They're not just ordinary owners and bosses.
They often talk about things like doves.
Doves?
Have we met somewhere before?
That's a really old-fashioned way of saying things.
I'm Ginko.
I'm Tsuda.
Let's have a drink.
That's enough. You can go home.
What?
Tsuda-chan will be here tomorrow too, right?
Tsuda-chan is going on a trip tomorrow.
Let's drink until dawn before you leave.
Until dawn? Can you still do that?
Why don't you stay at my place?
Is that alright?
I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
Who's that guy?
Who knows?
No, really?
Excuse me for a bit.
What's this trip you're going on?
A lot of things happened, so I guess this is goodbye.
Don't you feel sorry for leaving me like this?
If you want to write a novel, this is the best place for you, isn't it?
Maybe it's true.
Numoto.
Before I go, I have a favor to ask you.
What is it?
Go home, and let me be alone with her for tonight.
Come on, go home.
Go to hell, you idiot!
Do you know Kurata Kenjiro?
Ken-chan is actually a good guy, you know.
Do you know him?
- Me and Ken... - If you know him, ask him for something me.
Ro-chan.
If Yamashita-san finds out you're here, you'll be in trouble.
His wife was sleeping with someone while she was working.
If you hit Ginko...
You'll be burned at the garbage disposal.
- You'll be done for. - I know!
I'll just use my little finger.
He's coming out.
Tsuda! Tsuda, you bastard!
It hurts...it hurts...it hurts...it hurts...
Where were you last night?
I was at Ginko's.
- I knew it you bastard. - Yes, I was at Ginko's.
But nothing happened like you think.
I just wanted to talk to her about Kurata-san.
After that, Ginko went to her room.
I spent the night on the couch.
You mean Kurata-san?
That's right, the famous Kurata-san.
He's so suspicious. He's not wearing socks.
How could this guy know Kurata-san?
I don't really know Kurata-san.
But I have something he wants.
Don't be ridiculous, you bastard!
Can you call Kurata-san?
What the hell are you talking about?
You're going to regret missing out on a big job afterwards.
What I have may be exactly what Kurata-san wants.
If you miss this opportunity, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
Mayumi, go to the apartment and wake up Ginko.
What about you?
I'll try to contact Kurata-san.
- He asked you to bring it over. - Right now?
Give this to Kurata-san along with this book.
And tell him I've given up being a novelist for life.
- Kurata-san has something to tell you. - What?
He asked if you've ever seen a pair of flying doves.
What does that mean?
I don't know.
- How's it going? Did Ginko wake up?
Yes, she woke up and found a sock on her bed.
She muttered that she didn't know whose sock it was.
Just pretend you didn't see it.
Hello.
Are you Tsuda Shinichi?
Yes, that's right.
You didn't get lost somewhere, did you?
Maeda's been worried about you. He's been calling a few times since early this morning.
Ahh, you're the one from Koenji?
Saying "Ahh" doesn't make it good, you know.
Kanako-senpai?
Yes, are you coming or not?
If you're the man, tell me.
I'll be right there.
In the novel, Tsuda left the place to avoid Kurata.
At that time, Maeda from the barber store introduced him to Kanako-senpai from Koenji.
Then he started working at the bar.
This is a fictional story.
This is Koenji, and the owner of the bar is Kanako-san, right?
It's fiction.
You have to take responsibility and check it out.
Find out if the novel is fictitious or not
If I get accused again, I'll be fired.
Maeda Barber Shop
Maeda Barber Shop.
I found it.
Welcome
Tsuchihashi
Uhm...
I'd like an Americano.
As you said.
A lovely wife and young daughter sleeping at home.
Do you need a refill?
Who needs a refill when the coffee's so bland, Numamoto?
My name is Numoto. Remember that!
Do you want your coffee refilled?
Numamoto...
It's Numoto.
I'm sorry, I'd like another cup.
Numamoto, I'd like a refill here too.
Enjoy.
It's Numoto, sir. You've already had three refills.
What do you mean by that?
It's about time you came to work for us.
How about Reiko? Reiko?
Reiko? Which Reiko?
The one and only Ohara Reiko.
She's one of the top actresses on the screen.
The boss of the actress club, Kawashima.
What about Kimi?
Excuse me.
House for sale
If you're interested, please contact the real estate company.
Her husband is a bartender.
The wife is said to be an actress in a local theater company, and beautiful.
They have a 4 year old daughter.
Is it true...
Even cats and dogs can be burned here
Even if it's a human corpse
If a human body is dumped here, it can be burned.
Is it true?
Wait a minute.
Here.
He left it behind.
Have you seen this?
Yes.
Tsuda Shinichi
What?
Are you Tsuda Shinichi?
Toyama has done so many things.
You remember this, right?
What is this? A Japanese sword?
It's the first time I've seen one.
I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone.
Hey, stop!
Where did he go?
No, I gave you back what you were looking for, didn't I?
The thing I was looking for? What are you talking about?
You bastard!
How dare you do that to someone else's woman?
I'm sorry, Tsuda.
So that's what this is about?
No, I didn't know you at the time.
And if you say so, it was Ginko who seduced me first.
Why don't I cut off something?
Since it's your lower body's fault, why don't I cut off your little brother?
No, please spare me.
- Up. - Yes.
Hold on, ow, ow ow.
Don't move!
Yamashita-san!
It's Kurata-san.
Hello.
Ouch...
But...
I understand.
Today's your lucky day, dog.
Tsuda, let's play again someday.
Ginko!
Coming.
- Put him down. - Yes.
It hurts, it hurts...
What's going on here?
You're from that world aren't you, ma'am?
So you know the legend of Kurata, right?
Kurata spared my life, didn't he?
Am I safe now?
I'm not to blame for the counterfeit money.
Someone else threw it on me unknowingly.
- Is that what happened? - What?
Looks like you got caught up in some bad stuff.
I didn't do anything wrong.
I've returned all the counterfeit money and I'm fine now, right?
I won't hear the name Kurata Kenjiro again for the rest of my life.
What's going on?
This man said he wanted to see you.
You must be Tsuda Shinichi .
I'm Horino from NLH Neverland Home.
What is it?
Donation receipt
On behalf of our office
I would like to thank Tsuda-san for his noble deed.
Did I make this donation?
Yes, through your agent.
Thirty million yen.
Not 3 thousand, not 20 thousand...
It's 30 million yen.
The bank has confirmed they received that amount.
Will the money be deposited in the bank?
Of course.
- The full amount? - Yes.
The $30 million you've donated
will be used to take care of the children whose parents have abandoned them.
Children?
We have everything on the island from schools to hospitals to churches.
Thanks to your kindness.
The children will now be able to receive a good education.
We are very grateful.
By the way, can I cancel this donation?
Tsuda-san!
No, I'm just asking.
If you are serious about this, then...
It's a top priority for the foundation,
so I'd have to report it to Kurata-san.
Kurata?
Kurata Kenjiro. Why?
Well, he's acting as a proxy for Tsuda-san.
He gave us instructions to complete the donation.
Donation, via Kurata-san?
That man hates money.
He always said that people who only have money in their heads
are the most despicable things.
How much is there?
It's 30 million.
What should we do?
The money in the bag was real money
It looks like it was.
What was the old man thinking?
There are only three fake bills.
Three bills... three bills...
I used one at the barber store.
There were two bills left.
Two bills...
Two, two...
Two... two...
A pair?
One pair...
A pair of...doves
A pair of doves?
Kurata-san has something to tell you
He wants to know if you've seen a pair of flying doves.
On the 10,000 bill was a pair of ...
Phoenixes
Because it was a counterfeit, it was a... a dove?
A pair of doves?
So that's what happened.
You're still laughing?
In other words, Kurata Kenjiro and the 30 million yen are real.
And you keep saying it was fiction.
But it's all over now, isn't it? Kurata gave up the 30 million, so it's no longer my business.
Kurata Kenjiro knows where you are, right?
That man just told you, didn't he?
That's true.
I don't think it's safe yet.
Why?
Tsuda-kun, you really didn't write anything that you shouldn't have written?
Like the conspiracy of Kurata, who used fake money, or the true nature of Kurata.
That's not what I wanted to write.
Then what exactly did you want to write?
I don't know anything important at all.
I only know about a man called Hideyoshi.
I know that he has a wife and a four-year-old daughter.
And that the daughter is not his own.
I know that the clerk at Hideyoshi's store got an advance on his salary
Knowing that his wife was pregnant
Knowing that his wife was having an affair with a mailman
What else? Let's see.
I also know that the boss behind Hideyoshi's store is Kurata, that's all.
That's all you know and you wrote it in the novel.
I wrote this novel because I knew these things.
If you think about it this way, you can naturally see the hidden truth.
Is that really all there is to it?
You should have believed me.
What's the connection between the counterfeit money and the missing family?
That's why I'm telling you, I don't know!
- You don't know and yet you wrote about it? - Can't I?
How did Kurata's counterfeit banknotes get to you through Boushu-san?
$30,000 in counterfeit money and $30 million
was in the old man's bag along with the Peter Pan book.
Before meeting Tsuda.
Hideyoshi spoke to three people on the phone.
-Hello. - It's Sano.
- What's up? - Sorry, boss.
Can I get an advance of 30,000 yen?
I have a bill that I have to pay today no matter what.
Okay, I'll think of something when I get to the store.
Thank you. Bye.
I'm sorry, I have to deal with one of my staff.
You bad girl.
Hideyoshi.
I have something for you to keep.
I'll deliver it to the store tonight.
- When you get it, keep it safe. - Okay.
I'll pick it up tomorrow.
I understand.
But Hideyoshi didn't go to the store.
When he got home, he heard his wife's shocking confession.
Sorry, Iwanaga.
Can I ask you to watch the bar tonight?
Got it.
- I'm back. - Hello.
Thank you.
Sorry, Iwanaga-san.
I'll be right back.
Here you go.
Thank you.
What will you do with the money?
- Good evening. - Good evening.
My name is Kaga Mariko. Please take care of me.
Mariko-san? - Yes.
Thank you.
So, Mariko told me about you lending her money.
I heard that you lent her 30,000 yen?
Thank you.
Here you go. I'm sorry it's so late.
Is this the money you're giving to the boss?
No, it's not.
Tsuda-san, please don't tell anyone about what happened today.
No one, including the boss, can know.
You mean about the friend I'm taking to the station?
That's when the book and the 30,000 yen were connected.
If that's the case, then the book...
Tsuda-san, his name is Haruyama.
Thanks for doing this.
Come on, get in the car.
Sit on mommy's lap.
Thank you.
- Where is your home? - In the neighborhood.
It's in Shinjou...
It's so late.
Oh no, did you bring the book along?
Wait here.
Can you return this book to the person I met here?
I know, I'll leave it here.
I have something to give him anyway.
He'll be happy with the 20 to 30 thousand
I have to force him to write a book.
I guess that's what happened.
The old man once said that when his wife died, she left him a sum of money from the insurance.
Instead of using it, he left it to me.
And then the man who didn't know about it came.
Thank you for your hard work.
Where's Hideyoshi?
He hasn't come today.
Something should have been delivered yesterday.
Yes, I did.
What?
Forget it.
Hideyoshi
The dove is out of the cage.
Tsuda, if you continue to write
The reason for the family's disappearance and the culprit
You'll end up revealing it.
That's why Kurata is still keeping his eye on you.
This is the newspaper my staff brought in.
The police are also trying to investigate this mysterious incident.
The bodies of a man and a woman were found in a car under a dam.
What is the reason?
What is the reason for revealing the secrets of a deceased family?
You've written so much.
About the counterfeit money, about Kurata, about the garbage disposal plant.
Tsuda-san.
Your life will be over.
Either Kurata will kill you.
Or you'll be prosecuted and your career as a novelist will be cut short.
I don't know which one will come true.
Yeah.
I've written it all.
Thank you for your hard work.
Yesterday evening, Sano handled the register. Maybe it was her.
She told me she wanted an advance on her salary.
I said I'd think of something when I came to the store, so she...
Why did you leave it to someone else to do what I asked you to do?
I'm sorry.
Why was she not at the store last night, when she's supposed to be?
What happened?
Did that girl play you again?
Nanami is pregnant.
That woman!
She doesn't know?
I didn't tell her.
Remember what I told you when you were eight.
Families are a burden. People like us don't need them.
Sano called.
She said she had lent the advance to a friend.
Hideyoshi
Now that things are like this.
You don't think I can just forget about it like before, do you?
It's your fault that the dove flew out of the cage.
But in the end, it's that woman's fault.
Even for your sake, you should dispose of that woman to get some peace and quiet.
Akane is only four years old.
She needs a mother.
Think back on your life.
Do you need a blood relative?
Up there, how many children are being taken care of, without food or shelter?
Parents aren't necessary, and neither am I.
That's why I want family.
Nanami noticed something that happened five years ago.
I shouldn't have killed him.
Akane...
She'll never see her father again.
I'll raise the baby in her belly.
Are you serious?
Brother Ken
Can you spare their lives this time?
That...
The child in her belly and the father of the child
The man who made your wife pregnant?
Thanks to him
I have a new family.
This is to me...
a miracle.
We've located the man who took the money.
He used up the money on deli-health services.
He gave the money to a woman named Kaga Mariko at the actress club.
I found Nanami. She's meeting with a man.
Let's clean up this mess.
I remembered a conversation I had with a man.
Do you you understand your situation now?
My only regret,
is that I couldn't borrow the Peter Pan novel from that novelist.
Hey, are you okay?
That's enough!
That's enough, okay?
Stop it. You don't have to kill him.
You're obviously pregnant from that guy, but he says it's Hideyoshi's child.
You're a really a lousy actress.
Your acting skills are bad.
What are you going to do with him?
I don't have to tell you.
I know.
Five years ago, something that should not have happened, happened.
You mean...
the man who made you pregnant?
At that time...
you were the one who ran away from Kakehata.
And Hideyoshi came to your rescue, didn't he?
You were the one who wanted Kakehata to disappear,
weren't you?
The child in my belly
is not Hideyoshi's?
Hideyoshi can't have a baby.
Which one do you want to disappear this time?
Please, don't kill him.
Please let him go.
Look at your husband.
I beg you.
Why is that man
going this far?
I beg you.
Please let him go.
Don't kill him.
Please let him go.
At that moment, Hideyoshi saw the future clearly.
Haruyama, Nanami, and himself were about to be killed.
Everything was over.
What a tragedy!
I don't know...
Maybe most readers don't hope that Hideyoshi's family will be saved.
But I think that's the only way to end this story.
No more fighting!
No, no, no, no, no!
Mom?
I need you mother for a minute.
"If you believe me."
"Peter shouted at the children."
"Please applaud."
"Please don't kill Tinkerbell"
You have not experienced this?
You can't do anything about it.
But you hope a miracle will happen.
"If you applaud, the pixies will not have to die."
"Then I would feel some comfort."
"I'll try to clap next time when there's nothing I can do."
Thank you.
A family of three is missing.
In that case, we should let them meet somewhere else.
If they met somewhere else, they would be happy.
What?
That way, they can be happy.
I see.
A novelist's words can do that, right?
I'd say that's all a novelist can do.
I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
What's the title of the novel?
What should I call it?
- Thanks for the drink. - Thank you.
So.
Do you think Kouji Hideyoshi will remember the novelist who sat at his table in the cafe?
I don't know.
He remembered and came to visit him.
To this store? What for?
That's why I'm asking you.
If Kouji Hideyoshi came to see the novelist
I think he came for one thing only.
To borrow Peter Pan's novel, right?
But I don't have the book in hand.
Then, I'll get it from somewhere else and return it.
It's 30 million.
What should we do?
The customer who just left gave this to you.
He said you'll understand
The customer just now
What kind of man is he?
What kind of man...
Tsuda-san.
"While we are alive"
"there are always wonderful things happening around us."
"and for a short time we are unaware of it, and we know nothing about it."
Is that the guy?
I've thought of the title.
Dove
Really?
The Method of Repelling Doves
This story is based on real events. The characters are all pseudonyms Except for my own name
Tsuda Shinichi