"It was a mid-winter trip." "Freezing cold, I remember." "So we had some hot noodles." "And, uh... a chocolate-covered banana?" "We borrowed this car." "All the punks staring at us made me real nervous." "The aquarium." "It was closed." "The seaside." "A seashell." "A busted light-bulb." "Man, this takes me back!" "The love hotel we stayed in." "It was her idea, not mine." "Um..." "Oh, that book..." "Josée was always reading it." "'In a Month, In a Year'..." "How many years has it been?" "Hey, 'Brother'..." "Sit in for me, will you?" "Uh, sure." "Boss, can I sit in here?" "We don't mind, do we?" "Sony." "I've got the runs." "She sure is one weird old lady..." "Yeah!" "I see her all the time." "About dawn, when I'm going home." "This old lady shuffling along pushing this falling-apart old baby carriage." "It gives me the creeps." "What's she got in the baby carriage?" "A grand-kid, maybe?" "What are you talking about?" "She's been doing it for ten years!" "A mummy, then." "A mummy?" "Her grand-kid, who died ten years ago." "And then she lost her mind." "You're crazy." "That old lady?" "She's a messenger." "They say she runs stuff for some crime syndicate." "Is that true?" "!" "That's the rumor." "She's carrying something?" "Yeah?" "Cash." "No, drugs." "You're kidding!" "I should go check her out." "Where does she walk?" "Thanks, man." "What?" "What's going on?" "'Earthly Hand' and '13 Orphans'..." "A perfect hand..." "The first time I've ever had one." "Why when I was just sitting in?" "Tsuneo!" "Don't let any stray mutts getnearhen" "Mimi's a virgin, you know." "Yeah, yeah..." "And don't you go taking her to a hotel yourself." "Yeah, right!" "Kumiko!" "Kumiko!" "Kumiko!" "Young man see if she's all right." "Kumiko!" "No!" "It wasn't him!" "That low-life!" "That thug!" "You've come out of your way." "The girl's legs are bad." "She can't walk." "Cerebral palsy, one doctor said." "Then another doctor said it wasn't." "We never did find out." "But still she wants me to take her out for walks." "For me I don't want people knowing I have a grand-daughter like this." "That's why I always go out around this time so not many people will see her." "We live here." "Will you eat?" "Sony?" "Breakfast." "Uh, well, you know..." "'No, thanks'?" "It's just that..." "I'm kind of at work." "Thank you." "Oh, I couldn't..." "Thanks." "Thank you." "Uh this omelette's great." "Sure it is." "I made it." "Nothing I make tastes bad." "But you might get sick later." "There's chicken shit on the eggshells." "Salmonella." "Salmonella?" "Salmonella causes 40 per cent of all food poisoning cases." "You're in university and you don't even know that?" "Screw-ups?" "They happen all the time." "Oh, damn..." "The senior was looking all over for it and here I was going, 'Hey, man, don't look at me!" "'" "You're funny." "Yeah?" "Have you got time later?" "Why?" "I need to ask about something." "Me?" "Why?" "Why not?" "Here, Tsuneo." "The tapes you lent us." "Thanks." "Yeah, thanks a lot." "Sony to keep them so long." "These aren't mine!" "Wait, wait!" "Keep still!" "Wait, I said!" "So what was it all about?" "What was what about?" "Kanae." "She wanted to know if she should become a social worker." "Aw, isn't that sweet!" "She would, wouldn't she." "So what did you tell her?" "I said I thought it was a great idea." "Why'd you say that?" "Well, you know... she's cute." "I just had to tell her she was a sweetheart." "Out comes the secret weapon." "What's that?" "She looks up at you, tilts her head 45 degrees and says, 'I'd really like to talk to you about something.'" "There isn't a guy I know who could resist that." "She broke up with her boyfriend." "Now she's playing the field." "You could fuck her." "Yeah?" "And she's got big tits." "What are you grinning about?" "Nothing." "Don't look so happy!" "Tits, huh..." "I didn't touch the baby carriage." "I just went to look in it and the old woman let go." "Causing trouble again!" "What was in it?" "I don't know." "Now I want to see even more." "Sounds like he's after the money." "I'd be careful." "You might come out worse than you even do at mah jong." "Look what are you old farts talking about?" "!" "I'm just making small talk!" "Next time he'll attack her." "Tell the old lady to watch out." "You ate there, didn't you?" "The food was great." "Who's there?" "It's me." "Me." "It's me." "The guy who had breakfast with you the other day." "What do you want?" "Did somebody go after you again?" "Was it a young guy?" "An old one." "Not a young guy with a thick face?" "A fat little old man." "What?" "Who's he?" "But I fought back with my knife." "I drew blood, and he took off as fast as he could." "You told the police?" "The police?" "Maybe you should stop taking those walks." "I can't do that." "Why not?" "There's things I have to see." "Like What?" "Flowers..." "And cats." "Flowers and cats?" "Don't laugh!" "But flowers and cats?" "Your poor Gran!" "What the hell?" "!" "I got down." "You ought to think of a better way to get down." "Who's that?" "Uh, hello..." "He's back for another meal." "Oh, it's you again." "I like cucumber." "It's not pickled yet." "That smells good." "She keeps diving onto the floor." "Diving?" "It's true!" "Like it was a mosh pit at a rock show." "I'm afraid she'll break her neck one day." "You were thinking about social work so I came to you." "I'm glad you did." "Anyway the handicapped should have their homes made barrier free." "Handrails, no steps and the bathroom floor raised to level." "I don't think they have any money." "There's government assistance." "The amount varies from person to person." "Is she registered as being handicapped?" "What's wrong?" "Huh?" "Uh, nothing." "Is she registered?" "I don't know." "I'll check things out." "You will?" "Thanks a lot." "You got hurt, didn't you." "In second year." "Yeah." "Was it hard to quit rugby?" "I don't know..." "it wasn't that important." "But you liked it, didn't you?" "I don't know..." "I don't brood over what I can't change." "It just makes you tired." "No..." "I can't." "I'm going." "See you." "I wish Mom wouldn't send all the food to my place." "She knows I'd just let it rot." "This devil's-tongue's great." "Pollack roe!" "Excellent!" "I wrapped it for you." "Keep it in the fridge." "Aw, ain't that nice!" "Want some carrots?" "Nah." "Wait a minute... give me some." "Why?" "You don't cook." "Divvy up all the veggies." "Aw, man!" "Takashﬂ" "Aren't you done yet?" "Just about!" "Don't you ever go back to your place?" "You're wasting rent." "I can't be bothered." "All my clothes are here, too." "Oh." "No!" "My parents sent me all this stuff." "Vegetables, miso paste..." "You can have it if you want." "I don't really cook." "It's really good stuff." "Make lots of rice." "You've got your nerve!" "Slice that leek." "Yes, ma'am!" "Don't worry." "I washed the blood off." "You stabbed him with this?" "I'll be in trouble if they do a Luminol test." "A 'Luminol test'?" "A criminal might clean up the bloodstains." "But if the police lab puts down Luminol it reacts with blood traces to give off a blue light." "You sure know a lot." "By the way, what's your name, anyway?" "Josée." "No, your real name." "'Josée', like I said." "Your Gran called you 'Kumiko'." "Why did you ask if you already knew?" "'JoséeK"" "'Josée'... it's got a ring to it." "What?" "Taste it?" "Thanks." "It's great." "Really good." "Thank you!" "I'm stuffed!" "Gran gets them for me out of the garbage." "All of them?" "Your neighbors read some weird things." "I've read them so often I've memorized them." "That's why you know all those weird things." "Tell me could I buy a Tokarev pistol somewhere?" "What for?" "Self-defence." "No, you couldn't." "'The Chinese-made version is now so common... the black-market price has fallen more than 50 per cent.'" "I'm sure I could find one." "No, you couldn't!" "Are you sure I couldn't buy a Tokarev?" "'By Francoise Sagan'..." "You know Sagan?" "!" "Just the name." "There's a sequel to this book." "Do you know the title?" "No." "Oh." "You want it?" "I've been waiting for someone to throw out a copy." "But no one has." "Sagan..." "Sagan..." "Sagan..." "'The Wonderful Clouds'." "Deleted" "Oh... it's out of print." "You can't buy it?" "'Fraid not." "I see." "I don't know if you'd have any luck..." "You'd have to check out the used-book stores." "It says right here... 'deleted'." ""'One day you will not love him any more "..." "Bernard said softly." ""'And one day, doubtless, I will not love you any more, either." ""'And we will be alone once more, and in that be alike." ""'And another year will have gone by."" "' "I know," said Josée.'" "So Josée's the heroine of those books?" "She's not listening." "You found it in a used-book store?" "I thought I'd try to find it, and I did." "Only 50 yen." "'How old had she been?" "'Fourteen or fifteen, perhaps?" "'She had often lain beneath that poplar... her feet up against the trunk... gazing up at its numberless leaves swaying above her in the breeze." "'A high wind still blew as if to carry away... the slender trees that bowed their heads in unison before it. '" "Hey..." "She smiled!" "Magic marker..." "Thanks." "Get in." "You go, Tae." "OK?" "It's the old pervert!" "Yeah, the pervert!" "Don't call me that or I'll touch your titties." "Look out!" "It's a pervert!" "Call him names!" "Pervert!" "Go away!" "Pervert!" "Look." "You mean now?" "Gran won't like it if I go out now." "She's asleep!" "Come on!" "How's basketball?" "Good." "How did the team do in the tournament?" "We got through the qualifying round." "Like it?" "This is fun!" "Go!" "Go!" "No bicycle's going to beat us!" "VVhOOps!" "Josée?" "Josée?" "Are you all right?" "Are you OK?" "!" "Do you want to kill me?" "Did you hit somewhere?" "Are you hurt?" "You know, I'd really like to take that cloud home with me..." "Here?" "His name's Koji." "Go get him." "Who is he?" "My son." "Son?" "How's it going?" "Where's the old lady?" "Not here." "She dead?" "She's alive." "At home." "It'd be no loss if the old bitch kicked off." "Your eczema better?" "No." "Mind your own business." "Is that any way to talk to your mother?" "I've got a mother and it isn't you, dumb-ass!" "Listen you know what a Tokarev is?" "Huh?" "A Tokarev?" "Made in China." "How would I know, dumb-ass?" "Aren't they Russian?" "The magazine said Chinese." "He's right." "They're Russian." "You shut up." "Don't talk to him like that!" "Shut up!" "I'll kick your ass!" "You shut up!" "Who the fuck are you?" "No one." "Just a friend." "Sony." "A fine mess you could have gotten us into!" "What if the neighbors saw her?" "We didn't see anyone from the neighborhood." "Just who do you think you are?" "You're damaged goods." "What's damaged will never be made whole." "I'm sorry, young man, but I'd like you to leave." "When a girl who's no use to anyone starts acting like she was normal there's trouble!" "The granny from hell!" "What are you looking at?" "!" "I'll kick your ass!" "Hey, aren't you the guy that was with Kumiko?" "That girl's nuts in the head." "Years ago she just started calling herself my mother." "Why?" "I don't know!" "To piss me off." "We were in the same orphanage when we were kids." "I just got so sick of hearing that word..." "Mommy!" "'Mommy!" "Mommy!" "Mommy!" "'" "All those assholes" "The only ones who didn't keep calling their mothers were me and her." "I had enough so I decided to get out of there." "I took her with me." "Hey..." "I'll be your mother." "What are you talking about?" "!" "I'll smack you in the head!" "I'll kick your ass!" "Don't piss me off!" "The renovations are free, I tell you!" "The city pays for it." "You apply, and a month later it's done." "I really think you should." "It's free!" "It's too good to be true." "I'm not fooled." "OK, I'll apply for you, all right?" "Gran!" "Gran!" "Isn't it great?" "Things'll be so much easier." "It seems like an awful waste forjust one old lady..." "Where's the grand-daughter?" "Hiding, probably." "The old lady doesn't want people to know." "Three days to do all this?" "You work fast." "We're right on schedule." "You said you were graduating this year, didn't you?" "Yes." "I was just thinking how impressed I was with your willingness to volunteer like this." "I wouldn't call it that..." "What?" "Were you here all along?" "Yeah." "What's that?" "A textbook?" "Yeah." "From the garbage?" "When the new school year starts, everyone throws out last year's texts." "Gran always goes and collects them." "I didn't go to school." "'Kanai Haruki'..." "A guy who lives around here, I guess." "'Modern Japanese'..." "that takes me back." "What's this?" "!" "It was with his textbooks." "What is Kanai Haruki reading?" "!" "He's only in high school!" "He probably graduated." "He might be in university now." "He's an idiot, though." "His writing's full of mistakes." "Show me..." "He mixes up the 'show' radical and the 'clothes' one." "And the three strokes in 'visit' slant the wrong way." "'Visit'..." "Oh, these three strokes..." "Yeah." "And then..." "Hello?" "What's going on?" "Sony to barge in." "I thought I might come and observe." "Oh, I see." "'Observe'..." "How do you do." "I'm studying social work." "Come in and look around." "All right." "Ask what you like." "Thank you." "She's observing." "Let her look around." "Sony to bother you." "Your girlfriend?" "Huh?" "She's gorgeous!" "It's not like that..." "Words fail me." "I found out a lot." "Yeah?" "Oh, hello." "That's the girl?" "The one with all the energy?" "Uh, yeah..." "The one who dives everywhere?" "That I'd like to see." "You going to 3rd period?" "Yeah." "Who is it?" "Me." "Is someone there?" "What do you want?" "Uh, nothing..." "I bought some octopus dumplings." "Josée?" "Shut up!" "Kumiko!" "Stop it!" "Kumiko!" "Hello?" "Josée?" "Gran!" "Open the door!" "Hello?" "Gran?" "Gran..." "Young man!" "Young man, please don't come here any more." "The girl is damaged goods." "She's not someone a man like you can do anything to help." "Goodbye." "All the best to you" "Aren't they cute?" "Take some dog food, too." "What's with the tie?" "Job interviews." "Here you go." "My kid's going to love this!" "I appreciate you taking him." "You have to find them homes?" "The puppies are easy." "It's the mother who's the problem." "Yeah, your boss doesn't love her any more." "Only virgins for him." "No wonder he's never gotten married." "KiSSy-kissy!" "Aren't you a sweetie!" "A dog's life, huh?" "There's a barbecue on Saturday..." "Yeah?" "You want to go?" "Saturday..." "Sounds like fun..." "I have but two nipples!" "Take one!" "Take one!" "Pull it right off!" "These frosh are nuts!" "I'm glad you could make it." "These new kids are crazy!" "You find a girlfriend?" "Of course not!" "And now Kanai Haruki will show you his armpit hair!" "'Kanai Haruki'?" "Where have I heard that name?" "It's the Kanai Armpit Show!" "Kanai!" "Kanai!" "Hey, you!" "Come here!" "What is it?" "Are you Kanai Haruki the bondage freak?" "Who told you?" "You read bondage magazines in high school?" "Yeah!" "I'm a 'top'." "I tied up ten girls in high school." "You're crazy!" "But those uniforms, man!" "There's nothing like it!" "What?" "Are you a top, too?" "What?" "You want to tie me up, maybe?" "You want to tie or be tied?" "Why are you here?" "What?" "I'd forgotten her!" "Hey, what's the matter?" "Kanaﬂ" "Let go of me, damn it!" "L6tgQ!" "Hey, you're all dressed up!" "Good to see you again." "It's been a while." "Sony to be so sudden..." "Don't worry about it." "Sit down" "Well..." "It's a small company, so it won't take long to look around." "So if you can stand to work here..." "I wouldn't put it that way." "No?" "No." "Well, I'm very happy you remembered us." "I've put the word in with Personnel." "I guess it was in the cards." "Thank you." "That crippled girl was quite something." "How is she?" "Uh I haven't really..." "Well, with her grandmother gone..." "What?" "!" "You didn't know?" "She died not long ago." "It was very sudden." "The Welfare people tell me the girl's having trouble coping." "I mean, how does she shop?" "I'm sorry." "The stores are so far away..." "Excuse me." "Huh?" "What's going on?" "Don't you want to look around?" "Josée..." "It's me." "Your Gran died?" "Can I come in?" "The neighbors took care of the funeral for me." "It was so sudden..." "I hardly realized what was happening." "Are you eating right?" "Sure I am." "But how are you doing your shopping?" "Someone from Welfare comes a few times a week." "I'm fine for now." "Yeah?" "There's a pervert who lives next door." "After Gran died he came snooping around offering to do things for me." "The other day he said, 'I'll put out your garbage if you let me touch your tits.'" "He did?" "!" "Then What?" "I let him, and he takes my garbage out every day" "What are you talking about?" "!" "What?" "Why did you do that?" "!" "It's a long way to the garbage pick-up." "Get the Welfare person to do that!" "They come around noon." "That's too late for the garbage truck." "Yeah, but..." "And who cares?" "It's none of your business." "Who are you to be telling me about my garbage?" "It..." "It doesn't concern you!" "Go away." "Go away!" "You're really going?" "You said to." "Then gQ!" "If you're going 'cause I told you to, then go!" "Go!" "Go away!" "I don't mean it." "Stay with me." "Don't leave." "Stay here." "Forever." "OK." "Forever?" "Yeah." "I'll be here." "Hey..." "It's OK." "What is?" "Doing it." "Yeah, but..." "I don't know..." "Why?" "I'm different from the pervert next door." "You are?" "Yeah." "How?" "Oh, man..." "I feel like I'm going to cry." "Say something." "Hm?" "I'm scared." "Sony." "Too busy." "There's a bug here." "I love you." "I love you, and everything you do" "It's like a nightmare!" "You said you wanted to see it." "I always thought if I ever fell in love ...I wanted to go and see all the things that scared me most." "If I'd never met anyone I'd never have seen a real tiger." "L'd've accepted that." "But now I've seen one." "Be grateful." "Who, me?" "Anything else?" "Just the heavy stuff now." "Yeah?" "Amazing!" "A real handicapped person." "I've never talked to one before." "Nor had I." "Kanai Haruki..." "Hey why does that girl keep grinning at me?" "You're just imagining things." "It's hilarious." "You've got Tsuneo saying things like he can't leave you alone and he's the only one who'll stay with you." "He's not that noble a guy, you know." "I envy you the weapon you have." "You really think that?" "Yes, I do." "Then cut off your legs and see what it's like." "One Year Later" "The devil's-tongue's great." "Eat it while it's fresh." "Tsuneo..." "Are you really bringing her when we go home for the memorial?" "Hm?" "Oh yeah..." "It's nice to have a younger brother who's so concerned." "No, it'll be cool to bring a handicapped girlfriend home." "Mom and Dad'll love it." "Yeah, but..." "Hello?" "Can you help me?" "What?" "Anyway, go for it." "I'll back you up." "TakashL"" "See you there." "We're back." "She peed twice!" "She did?" "Hey, are you throwing this out?" "Yeah." "Why?" "It's busted." "Big Brother'll fix it." "He says he can't." "New Mistral Lites, on sale next month!" "This is our on-street introduction campaign." "Come and get your free sample pack." "Yeah, I know that." "Every construction job's different." "But you can't just give them everything they want." "There's our side to it, too." "Sure, you've got to be nice to them but you can't let them have everything their own way." "We're in business, too." "What's the matter?" "Uh, can I catch up with you?" "She didn't tell you?" "What?" "About how I hauled off and slapped her." "I mean, how could I let that happen?" "Some handicapped bitch stealing my boyfriend?" "What's up with that?" "I was so mad I could've killed her." "I hit her twice and left." "After that I didn't care any more." "About you... or a job" "This is awful." "Why did you have to come down that street?" "We were out making sales calls." "You're the last person I wanted to see me dressed up like that." "It's fine." "What is?" "It's cute." "I took a pack, and I don't even smoke." "OK, I'm here to lend you my very own car." "You're going home with that jerk?" "Say something, will you?" "Look after the dog, OK?" "Watch it or I'll kick your ass!" "You fuck all day!" "Why getting married now?" "Married?" "That's what it means when you meet his folks." "Fool!" "What?" "That's not going to happen." "Why not?" "You fuck every day and now you're going to meet his folks!" "You're such a child!" "Wait a minute!" "That's the way it works!" "Bullshit!" "Bullshit!" "I'll kick your ass!" "What's all this 'marriage' shit!" "I'll bust heads!" "Fool!" "What are you looking at?" "!" "Want a boiled egg?" "Why did you make all those?" "We're on a trip!" "So?" "Gran said you take boiled eggs." "And we've got rice crackers mikans and green tea." "Perfect!" "Damn right!" "I've been checking my list for a week." "Yeah, you've never been away before." "Approximately one kilometer ahead turn left." "What is that?" "!" "A navigator." "A navigator?" "So that's what a car navigator is..." "Hey, don't touch that!" "You changed the map!" "Nakamlchi Aquarium" "Closed" "Why?" "!" "Ow!" "Why is it closed?" "!" "Because it's closed." "But I came all this way to see it!" "It can't be helped." "Yes, it can!" "Do something, will you?" "Fish!" "Fish!" "Hey, fish!" "I know you're in there!" "Come on, fish!" "Do something!" "Swim out here or something!" "Look!" "Look at how the color changes!" "Look!" "It's amazing!" "It really changes!" "If you don't mind I'm driving." "Wait..." "Let's buy a wheelchair." "No." "I don't need a wheelchair." "L do!" "I've got you to carry me." "Give me a break, will you?" "I'm going to get old one day, you know." "Yeah, there's some work came up I can't get out of." "Yeah..." "Yeah..." "Uh-huh..." "Yeah?" "Well, if it's work, it's work." "Hello." "OK." "I'll explain to Dad." "I'd appreciate it." "Tsuneo..." "Who chickened out?" "What?" "Don't look!" "What?" "Jeez!" "What are you doing?" "Distance to destination 140 kilometers." "Estimated time of arrival 13..." "Drive to the sea." "I want to see the ocean." "Is that the sea?" "Is that the sea?" "That?" "No, that's just a river." "You're lying... aren't you?" "Sony." "That's the sea." "The sea..." "So this is the sea..." "Like it?" "It's great!" "Just look at it!" "Something's shining over there." "There." "That red thing." "Where?" "That's pretty." "You planned that!" "You'll get me all wet!" "Over there!" "What?" "Just go there!" "There's something sparkling there." "That's just water." "Oh." "I'll get all wet!" "There's tons of them!" "Whoa!" "Push down and it'll focus." "Watch the birdie." "Let's find an inn with a hot spring." "Yeah..." "Hey!" "What's that?" "There!" "At 'Fish Castle'!" "There!" "You want to stay here?" "They rent rooms by the hour!" "I don't care!" "I want to stay here!" "Have it your way." "How about in return I let you do the nastiest thing in the world?" "You mean it?" "Did it hurt?" "Was that nasty enough for you?" "Uh, yeah, it was great." "I get it... 'Fish Castle'!" "There's a seashell swimming." "Do seashells swim?" "Wow..." "Hey..." "Close your eyes." "What do you see?" "Nothing." "Just black." "That's the place where I used to be." "Where?" "Way, way down at the bottom of the sea." "That's where I came swimming up from." "Why?" "To do the nastiest thing in the world with you." "I see." "You lived at the bottom of the sea..." "There was no light there, no sound the wind didn't blow, and the rain didn't fall." "Just dead silence everywhere." "Wasn't it lonely?" "Not especially." "It'd always been like that." "Nothing but time going by... very, very slowly" "I don't think I can ever go back there." "Someday, if you're not with me any more I'll be like a lost seashell all by myself just rolling, rolling, rolling along the ocean floor." "But even if that happens, it'll be OK." "We lived together for a few months after that." "Here." "A farewell gift." "Want something else?" "No." "This is fine." "Thanks." "The end was very relaxed." "Officially, there were several reasons why we broke up." "But really there was only one." "I ran away." "Sony to keep you waiting." "Shall we go?" "Are you hungry?" "Let's get something hot." "Udon noodles?" "The Yanagiya's lunch special lasts till 2." "Or I could make something." "Sony..." "Some women you can break up with and stay friends." "But not Josée." "I doubt I'll ever see her again."