"The Kiss, Part III:" "Women's Ways" "Clinical Specialties:" "Internal Medicine Pediatrics" "Clinic appointments 09:00-19:00 House calls: 14:00-17:00" "Closed Sundays and Holidays Kaneda Clinic" "Hello." "Yes, this is the Kaneda Clinic." "Yes?" "Yes, I see." "Yes, he'll be there right away." "Dear, the Tanabe's grandfather has collapsed in the street." "Collapsed?" "Who?" "Like I said, old man Tanabe." "They want you to come there right away." "Kiyo-chan, get my stuff ready for a house call." "I'll give you the prescription later." "Thank you very much." "I'm sorry, but there's a patient who needs my attention right away." "I see." "If it looks like I'll be out for a long time, I'll give you a call." "Take care." "I'm sorry." "I hope you don't mind waiting." "I think he'll call soon." "Don't worry." "This was just getting interesting." "Oh, I'm sorry." "We're lucky to be having such sunny weather now." "If you dry out the futons, they'll be nice and fluffy, and you'll sleep better at night." "Maybe I should dry Kiyo-chan's futon for her." "You should." "She's kind of careless about things like that." "What are you talking about?" "That's stupid." "What?" "Why should I have to put up with insults from such a weird looking woman?" ""I wonder who is prettier, me or the Mrs." "I hope it's me." "After all, she has all those nice clothes and fancy kimonos and I have hardly anything to wear."" ""Mr. and Mrs. Kaneda had a fight." "Mr. Kaneda called her stupid and she smacked him." "She started bawling like a kid, but somehow Mr. Kaneda ended up apologizing to her." "When I see them like this, I think marriage is kind of funny, but I would still like to try it time." "It seems to me that Mr. Kaneda can't stand up to his wife." "Oh, I'm so lonely ...Doctor, doctor..." ""Doctor, doctor"?" ""I like Dr. Kaneda." "I don't think it's right to like a man who's married, but I can't do anything about my feelings." "Please forgive me, Mrs. Kaneda."" "Oh." "Sorry to drag you here." "It looks like you put on a bit of weight." "Brother, I don't have much time." "I just want to ask you something." "Then I'm going to have to leave." "You're telling me to keep quiet and listen?" "What will you have?" "Iced tea." "Iced tea." "So who is his mistress?" "What are you saying?" "He hasn't gone that far yet." "But it's the nurse at the clinic." "Well how about that, a doctor and a nurse." "You're making me mad." "I trust my man." "That's not what your face is telling me." "It was by accident." "I didn't think it was right, but I read her diary." "Hmm, so she's the one who's interested in him." "Where was she before she came to your place?" "She's just off the farm." "She came to our place right after nurses' training." "Is she pretty enough to make you worry?" "She's good-hearted and up front about things." "We give her 3,000 yen a month and every month she deposits 2,300 yen into her savings account." "I was a little surprised to see how much she saved." "It doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about." "But she wrote "It's a tragic love triangle." "There's no way I can give up on the Doctor." and "Love is holy."" "Do you two fight?" "Sometimes." "Well, if you're fighting, you'll probably be alright." "But you know, no matter how well we get along, there's nothing I can do to stop someone else from liking him." "That makes me think that a woman can never really know where she stands with a man." "Even so, you might be the one to cheat on him someday." "You're not taking me seriously." "Don't get too worried about this." "Just keep an eye on him for a while." "But what if I react too late?" "From what I can make of this, this is nothing more than a young woman getting excited about the man closest at hand." "It's like a schoolgirl getting excited about her teacher." "It's not real love." "I hope you're right." "Just find her a lover as soon as you can." "Love is like a cold." "It hops from person to person." "Tomoko, the bath is nice and hot." "You should get in." "I will." "Umm, Mother..." "What is it?" "Do you think he's acting a little strange lately?" "Who?" "IKUZ" "Hmm, well, come to think of it, he hasn't seemed to lively lately." "I wonder if something is bothering him." "Maybe it's his stomach." "He's always staying up so late." "The love scene I saw in that movie the other day was really wonderful." "If I was in love as deep as that, I think that even I would choose to die." "Yes, I would." "What is it?" "You startled me." "What were you thinking about?" "Mr. Tanabe's vital statistics aren't looking too good." "He even seems to be getting a little worse." "What's happened?" "I think he'll be alright, but I'll go see him again tomorrow morning." "Was there something you wanted?" "No, not especially." "It does sound difficult, though." "Well, I'm done anyway." "Shall we have a cup of tea?" "Yes." "You know, I was just talking to Mother before." "About what?" "Kiyo-chan is going to be twenty-two next year, isn't she?" "Twenty-two?" "Yes." "It's about time to start looking for a husband for her." "Hmm, well, how about Seikichi at the greengrocer's?" "Seikichi?" "Yes, they seem to like each other." "What's so funny?" "Nothing." "Hi there, Mrs. Kaneda." "Seikichi, may I have a moment with you?" "What is it?" "Do you need something?" "I was headed to your place just now." "Could you bring us some potatoes later?" "Gotcha." "Thanks for your business." "Don't be in such a hurry!" "I have something else to talk to you about." "Sorry." "Was there something else you needed?" "How would you like to get married?" "What?" "Don't try to scare me!" "I'm serious." "You're going to get married sometime, right?" "It's too much trouble." "A wife would just get in my way." "Wait, wait." "How can you say that a wife just gets in the way?" "Having a wife is a great thing, you know." "Wives are gentle and nice." "She would take very good care of your every need, even have your babies." "Can you think of anything better in this whole wide world?" "You just say that because you're a wife and a woman." "That's true, I am a woman, but you know," "Mr. Kaneda has been worried about you, too." "Well then, maybe I will have you find me a wife." "What do you think of Kiyo-chan." "She's a really hard worker!" "Kiyo-chan?" "She's not bad, and she's always talking about you." "Right." "She's always calling me an idiot." "Of course not." "Do you like Kiyo-chan?" "How should I know?" "Mrs. Kaneda, you're awful." "I'm leaving." "Kiyoko" "I have some good news for you." "Ah, I know what it is." "We're going to have stuffed cabbage for dinner tonight." "Don't be silly!" "Well, what is it then?" "You see, Seikichi at the greengrocer's seems to be quite interested in you." "But Mrs. Kaneda, a greengrocer?" "But he's a really good person!" "I don't think so." "Besides, I already have someone I like." "Not that he knows it yet, but..." "Who is that?" "I can't tell you;" "it's my secret." "Seikichi will be disappointed." "They live fairly well over there, too." "But Mrs. Kaneda, I don't want to be eating the vegetables that didn't sell for the rest of my life." "He's quite manly, don't you think?" "Yes, and his eyes are...charming." "And he's got a lot of energy and is up front about things." "That's true." "Now that you mention it, he does have a few manly features, doesn't he." "I ran in to him in town." "He was talking about you." "He was probably saying that I was funny-looking." "No, not all." "He looked lonely." "He was saying that an unrequited love would be fine with him." "So, Kiyo-chan" "Is dinner ready yet?" "Mother is hungry." "I think you're the one whose stomach is growling." "What are you two doing in here?" "Kiyo-chan, will you help me?" "Sure." "G'day!" "I brought your potatoes." "Would you give me something to put them in?" "They won't fit in such a small basket!" "It was a great day today, wasn't it?" "Those potatoes sure look old." "Those must be the ones you couldn't sell." "You think potatoes ever go unsold?" "We're not talking about women, you know." "Go ahead." "I know no one wants me." "That's pretty red for a potato." "That's funny." "I think it must have gotten the colour because of the great weather we've been having." "Oh well, it's for you." "I don't want you to get any ideas just because I took this apple from you." "Don't be so full of yourself!" "I'm going to tell your father about this." "If you've finished your business, please leave." "We're busy here." "Of course I'm going to leave." "That's what you want isn't it?" "Thank you for your business." "Was someone here?" "The greengrocer." "Look at those potatoes." "They look pretty tasty." "He said they were from Hokkaido." "Kiyo-chan!" "Don't call me like that!" "Hey, you know" "The apple you gave me was really terrible." "There was nothing to it." "That can't be." "Those apples cost fifty yen a piece." "The variety is called "Delicious"." "You know, to tell you the truth, I like Asian pears better." "You sure are pushy!" "Seikichi!" "You're not here to look at women's asses!" "I should have studied to be a nurse." "Maybe I should do that now." "Men and women don't like each other if they have to spend all day stuck with each other." "Oh." "Why is that?" "That's just the way it is." "Hello!" "You're here early today." "What is it?" "Um, I brought these." "What are they?" "Asian pears." "Asian pears?" "I think you've made a mistake." "No, they're for Kiyo-chan." "Oh, I see." "She's not back yet." "I'll tell her you were here." "Mrs. Kaneda, has Kiyo-chan said anything lately" " I mean, about me?" "She called you an idiot." "What?" "No, just kidding." "You have to be careful, you know." "If you're too nice to her now, you'll pay later." "What?" "I see." "Thank you!" "There sure are a lot of these." "Maybe I'll have one myself." "It's just like you said." "These days all she ever writes about in her diary are things about Seikichi." "But I think you should stop reading her diary.," "Yes, I suppose I should." "It's getting a little too hot and heavy." "In other words, she wanted to get married and have kids." "Make sure she doesn't make any mistakes." "Yes." "I met Seikichi's father yesterday." "It'd be great if they got along." "I'm sure they will." "Kiyo wrote in her diary that she has to learn how to keep Seikichi under control from watching me." "If I were to become your wife, I'd end up eating the tips of carrots and rotten radishes, stuff that no one wanted to buy." "Don't be silly." "It'd be beef every day." "I'd buy you some every day." "It would be the cheap cuts I bet." "No, no, the best." "Some of my family is in the meat business." "I wonder how much the promises you make before you get married are worth?" "Besides, who could afford to eat beef every day." "It's too much of a luxury." "Well, if you think so, we could eat the vegetables once in a while." "See, it's just like I said." "You'll be feeding me rotten radishes." "You're mean, Kiyo." "You know that I'll work hard." "I don't want you giving discounts to the pretty women who come to the shop." "Do you think I would really do that?" "I don't know about that." "After all, you brought me an apple and some Asian pears." "That's because I liked you." "That's a lie." "You told Mrs. Kaneda that I was funny-looking." "And you called me an idiot." "I see, so you really did call me weird-looking." "I would never say that." "Oh, so did you like me from the start." "Didn't I bring you an apple?" "I'll have to watch you when you start giving away things from the shop." "It's going to be fine." "What did Mrs. Kaneda say to your father?" "She said that you had your things together, that you had a nice personality." "But lots of people are like that." "Come on just tell me." "She said that you were a nurse." "So what?" "So if someone got sick, you could take care of them." "That's not very original." "What else?" "And because you were a nurse" "Because I'm a nurse what?" "That because you were a nurse, you knew a lot about kids and giving birth." "Because I'm a nurse?" "But I do want to have children." "Two boys and a girl." "I'd raise all three of them to be strong." "Oh what's that?" "Someone's hurt?" "I have to go." "Kiyo-chan!" "I just called the head of the hospital." "DRIVER:" "Thank you, that's a big help." "I don't think there's anything especially wrong with her, but she should go into the hospital soon." "I'll tell her family about this as soon as I can." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "Where were you?" "I'm sorry." "She passed out in the bus." "We don't know who she is, but it looks like she's pregnant." "Tomoko!" "Yes." "I'm sorry about this." "You can't just leave without saying anything." "But you were in the bath, and" "I'm not saying you can't go out." "It's just that you never know when someone might need medical help." "Tomoko had to go look for you." "I'm really very sorry." "These days you've been disappearing all the time." "Where do you go?" "If you're a nurse, you have to be ready to help people who fall ill of a sudden at any moment." "You at least have to tell people where you're going." "Doctor, I didn't do anything wrong." "I" "Stupid!" "Dear!" "I ran all the way here." "If you're so concerned, why didn't you tell us where you were going?" "Sneaking in and out like a burglar!" "Doctor!" "That's too much!" "That's too far!" "Dear, you didn't have to be so mean to her." "She's a young woman and we have a responsibility to protect her." "It would be really terrible if something bad happened to her while she was here." "Isn't that right?" "That's the first time I've seen you yell at someone else." "It wasn't particularly enjoyable for me, either." "That's not what I meant." "You're completely right about that." "I was being a little stupid." "About what?" "About Kiyo-chan." "But you know, I have nothing against young women, so just because there was nothing going on this time doesn't mean there won't be in the future." "Your mother said you didn't look like the type." "You can't judge men just by their looks." "But even if you say that," "I know you can't do anything that would make things difficult for me." "Hey!" "Don't underestimate me!" "But Kiyo-chan is really something." "She's really taken with Seikichi." "Yes, I'd really like to do something to bring them together." "Yes." "Hello." "Yes." "What?" "Is that right?" "That's good." "No, no." "Good night." "Thank you for taking the trouble to call." "It looks like the woman who passed out on the bus was pregnant after all." "So that was it after all." "They got to her pretty quickly, so it looks like everything will be fine." "That's good." "This thing sure is ringing a lot tonight." "Hello?" "Yes, that's right." "Oh, hello." "Yes?" "Yes." "Yes, yes." "That's fine." "All my best." "Yes, I'll tell her." "Good night." "Who was that from?" "It was about the new bride." "New bride?" "Kiyo-chan." "Come on, stop crying." "But" "I've decided to have you quit being a nurse here." "I want you to be a good wife." "I hope you'll be happy eating the carrots and radishes that didn't sell." "You will won't you?" "Kiyo-chan, aren't you happy?" "Seikichi talked to his father and his father gave his OK." "Seikichi's father just called." "What are you waiting for?" "Go and see him!" "Seikichi!" "Ooh, ah!" "Ah!" "Ouch!" "You need to be more careful." "Are you OK?" "Ouch!" "That hurts!" "Kiyo-chan, I want something to remember you by." "Oh, but I don't have anything I could give you." "But you do." "Your diary." "My diary?" "Yes." "You looked at it?" "At first it was by accident, but then I started to read it intentionally." "I'm sorry about that, but I was worried about you." "I'm sorry." "Last night, I was thinking about leaving this place and I started reading it from the beginning." "And when I did that" "Don't worry about that." "You have Seikichi now." "I learned a lot from you." "Like how to keep your husband in line?" "I think you'll make a good wife." "I want to see you in action soon." "Tomoko!" "Yes." "The new nurse is here." "Is that right?" "Yes, she's talking to in the examination room right now." "Oh, so you're twenty-two?" "Excuse me." "Tomoko, could you come here for a moment?" "This is Matsuda-san." "She'll be helping us in the clinic." "Much obliged." "Likewise." "Would you put some tea on?" "Indian tea would be good, I think." "Yes." "Yes." "THE END translated by:" "Guy YASKO"