"I'm a novelist." "I live under the same roof with five women." "The women suddenly started showing up at my house six months ago and paying me one million yen in rent every month for some reason." "I have no idea who they are... or why they're here." "I do know one thing." "Each of the women received an invitation from someone and came to my house." "Thanks to these women, my life will change a lot." "Tatsuyuki Michima." "That's your father, isn't it?" "In the novels that I write, nobody dies." "It's because my father" "is a murderer." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "What are you doing?" "Don't move!" "Five years ago, my father took the lives of three people." "My mother, Kayo Michima." "My mother's lover, Mamoru Doi." "A police officer, Hiroshi Mizuguchi." "Mr. Mizuguchi was the same age as me." "Put it down!" "Oh, I see." "It won grand prize!" "Your debut novel will be published!" "Three days after my father committed murder, the novel that I had submitted to a contest won grand prize." "I'd always wanted to be a novelist, but the moment I became one..." "I wasn't the least bit happy." "I couldn't forgive my wife or that man." "My father confessed to everything, and was sentenced to death at his first trial." "Since he didn't appeal... his death sentence became irrevocable." "Have you lost weight?" "EPISODE 2 VALUES" "No." "I haven't changed at all." "Oh." "Shin... have you been going to Mr. Mizuguchi's home?" "Yes, I have been." "I see." "I'm sorry that I've caused trouble for you too." "But, to be honest as for your mother" "and Mamoru Doi," "I still don't regret what I did." "However," "I do regret what happened to Mr. Mizuguchi." "Every single day no matter how much I think about it" "I can't find a way to atone for what I did." "My life won't bring back his life." "I cannot fathom my father's regret." "But just because you have a reason, is that justification for killing someone?" "MIZUGUCHI" "These are delicious dorayaki ." "I'm glad you like them." "Thank you for always being so conscientious." "It's no trouble." "You're the same age as Hiroshi, aren't you?" "Yes." "It's been five years since then... so you must be 31." "Yes, that's right." "I'm sorry." "Please, no more "I'm sorry."" "Nobody will get angry at you for growing older." "There's no need to live life so timidly anymore." "Well, I think I'll be going now." "Goodbye." "Hold on a moment." "Actually..." "Here." "Please take these." "I can't eat them all by myself." "Thank you." "You're always so kind." "Also..." "Take these too." "TATSUYUKI MICHIMA, TOKYO" "Tell him to stop." "I don't read them." "To be honest, even if I read them, nothing will change." "You must understand." "Your mother was killed as well." "There's nothing you can do with these feelings." "When is Michi coming back?" "I wonder as well." "Cat!" "Come here and drink with me." "No, you don't." "It'll get sick if it drinks milk." "It'll be fine." "Isn't that right?" "Don't you have work?" "Why are you lying around?" "Because I don't want to work." "Since I have free time, maybe I'll invite Michi on a date." "You know you can't do that, Nanaka." "Why not?" "That's not in the rules." "It's okay, isn't it, Cat?" "It ran away." "Do you think that cat came here by accident?" "Of course it did." "It didn't say anything about a cat coming in my invitation." "I wonder who sent them to us." "Hey, Midori." "Hey!" "I gave you money the other day." "Yeah, but the life I live costs a lot of money." "How much?" "Let me see." "Fifty thousand's enough." "Fifty thousand." "You have tons!" "Give me 100,000!" "Don't push your luck!" "This is the last time." "Thank you!" "See you around." "You were amazing today, Sensei." "You were like a different person." "Did something happen?" "Is there anyone in your life you can never forgive, Hotaru?" "I forgot." "Why?" "I was wondering how people forgive someone else." "I wonder too." "It depends on the person and circumstances." "Yes, that's true, but..." "Wait for a second." "Okay." "It depends on the person..." "Really? "The voice of our thoughts"?" "Is this guy successful?" "He sure is." "He's the number one novelist right now." "He's pretty handsome, after all." "He's treated completely differently than Shin." "Enough." "Enough." "Mr. Sakurai, it's dinnertime, so put away the magazine." "Sorry." "Are you jealous, Michi?" "Of course not." "It's unbecoming." "He has no talent." "The meat will get tough." "Is he angry?" "He's like a child." "This sukiyaki looks delicious." "Let's eat!" "Let's eat." "Let's eat." "Yeah!" "Looks delicious." "What do you want?" " Shirataki ." "Here, shirataki ." "By the way..." "Mr. Michima, have you chosen a title for your novel?" "No, I haven't." "There's still time, right?" "Yes." "Just decide on one by the time you're finished." "Okay." "This is delicious." "SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE REMEMBERING!" "Did you see this, Michi?" "I saw it a while ago, Nanaka." "You saw that I saw it, right?" "That's not what I mean." "The stuff after that." "It really ticks me off." "This guy writes mean stuff about you by name." "Really?" "MORIGUCHI'S SHREWD COMMENT" "This guy totally pisses me off." "I'll read it." "You will?" ""Yuzu Hanaki is the voice of this generation's thoughts." "His novels are most exquisitely written, occupying the space between reality and fantasy." "On the other hand, there is the author Shin Michima." "He writes of mundane everyday life in mundane prose." "He is a mundane author."" "That's what he says." "You read the whole thing." "Michi." "did you do something to this guy... to make him hate you?" "I've never met or even seen the guy." "This really ticks me off." "So, Michi, what kind of story have you been writing lately?" "How can I put it?" "A story where nothing happens, I guess." "What?" "Is that a novel?" "Probably." "Michi." "For your next book, you'd better write a best-seller." "I'll do my best." "That's why we're here." "What?" "Just kidding." "Good night." "Put away the milk for me, Michi." "Bye-bye." "She seems like a kind mother." "Yes, she does." "I think she was kind." "But I didn't even notice that she was having an affair." "If I had noticed..." "I wonder if things would have been different." "Even if you had noticed" "I doubt there was anything you could have done to change it." "I'm going to take a bath now." "Okay." "Even if it could be..." "What's so funny?" "I'm envious of your talent." "It doesn't look at all like you're writing those inspired passages." "Well, it's not so difficult to do." "By the way." "This." "I read it." "As usual, it was a very apt review." "It was just my honest opinion." "Thank you." "By the way, who is this guy you really tear into?" "Oh, Shin Michima?" "He's an ordinary person that you needn't bother about." "Do you have a history with him?" "I simply don't like him." "I was disgusted by his debut novel." "Really?" "If you say so, then it must have been horrendous." "Novels should be exactly what your novels are." "Works that convey thoughts and a message by means of apt writing." "That's right." "His writing goes against that." "They don't even look like novels." "I can't stand that kind of fake pro." "Really?" "There are all kinds of people in this world." "...one circuit surpasses another, and looks down on us..." "Novel." "You look depressing." "I do?" "Get to writing." "It's your job, right?" "It's not that easy to write, you know." "Are you in a slump?" "Don't act like an artist when you're really just a hack." "Don't you have work, Minami?" "Mind your own business." "I don't need your lip." "Novel." "What?" "Get changed." "Why?" "I'll treat you to a look at the work I do." " Evening." " Good evening." "I'm Mr. Sunako." "Nice to meet you." "I'm Mr. Michima." "What kind of work do you do, Minami?" "If you don't want to die, don't tell a soul about what you see." "Oh, okay." "You know this girl, right?" "Sorry, but I don't." "She's Ayane Hirokawa." "She's a member of a nationally famous girl idol group." "She's cute and likable." "She's always voted the most popular by her fans." "You know a lot, don't you?" "Are there girls as good as her at the whorehouse you go to?" "What whorehouse?" "Did you think we didn't know?" "That's shocking!" "Minami, can you at least tell me where we're going?" "Everyone in this world has a different set of values." "You'll learn that... when we get to our destination." "What's this place?" "This is my office and where the girls wait on standby." "On the surface, this is where Sunako lives." "Hello, Ms. Minami." "Evening." "Is he a new staff member?" "This is my husband." "What?" "Huh?" "Really?" "You're married?" "I live with this good-for-nothing husband, four conceited girls and a cat." "Keep it a secret." "That's a lot of kids!" "You've worked hard, haven't you, sir?" "Ayane, please get ready." "Okay." "Do you get the picture?" "Yes, pretty clearly." "She's that idol I saw earlier." "Right." "She's going to a premium hotel suite now to sell her body." "What?" "You see..." "She works in the call girl club that I run while she does idol work." "Oh..." "Why do you do this work?" "Questions aren't allowed." "Did you forget that?" "Okay, I'm going now." "See you later." "Take care of her." "Yes, ma'am." "Goodbye." "How much do you think it costs to have her for a night?" "I wouldn't know." "Ten million yen." "Really?" "Would you pay ten million yen for her?" "I don't think I would." "That's too expensive?" "Yes, I think so." "But, you know what?" "Guys all over Japan want to fuck her." "There are tons of guys that prefer popular chicks over quality ones." "Especially in this country." "LONG-AWAITED DEBUT OF AYANE HIROKAWA" "Why do you think I brought you here?" "Because I'm not able to write?" "Because you have unstable values." "It might have to do with your past." "I kiss pretty good, right?" "Quit messing with me." "I don't kiss for fun." "The girls that work for me know their value." "They also know their value can change." "What are you..." "What're you doing?" "What are your values?" "My values?" "So, Novel." "Do you want to fuck?" "Minami." "THIS DRAMA IS FICTIONAL." "ALL CHARACTERS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN IT ARE FICTITIOUS." "So, you're the type that easily does that kind of thing." "Aren't you Nanaka Hiraki?" "What kinds of secrets does this house hold?" "The women you bring are lowlifes too." "What?" "Midori?" "Subtitle translation by Brian Athey"