"A SHOCHIKU FILM" "Excuse me... but aren't you Mr. Hamajima?" "I am." "I'm Yoshida, do you remember me?" "I used to live in Chikura, Chiba." "Oh, yes." "I've been looking at your face, thinking it must be you." "But I wasn't sure, since it's been so long." "I see." "Well, nice to see you." "I'm getting off at the next stop." "Please, take my seat." "I get off at the stop after that." "Oh, then we live rather close." "Excuse me." "I take this bus on my daily commute." "I do, too." " Is that right?" " Next stop is Kitaharamichi." "That's my stop." "Excuse me." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." "We're ready to go." "Our next stop will be Sasaoyama." "YUKIO  KEIKO HAMAJIMA" "Off to a meeting about opposing the price increase of milk." "There's sashimi for you in the fridge." "Oh, you're home." "Sorry I was out." "It's okay." "Here, let me." "I had seven pupils in my class till 5:00." "I wanted to finish up early to go to the meeting, but Mrs. Yamauchi and Mrs. Takei just couldn't get the hang of things." "And the klutzier people are, the more they complain." "Do you know how complex the milk distribution system is?" "It's amazingly complex and simply maddening." "I ran into someone unexpected today." "Oh, really?" "Someone from my hometown." "Well, she only lived there for about three years." "Yasuko Yoshida." "Well, she must be married, so her last name may have changed." "THE SHADOW WITHIN" "Produced by YOSHIHARU MISHIMA SHIGEMI SUGISAKI" "Based on a Story by SEICHO MATSUMOTO" "Screenplay by SHINOBU HASHIMOTO" "Cinematography by TAKASHI KAWAMATA" "Production Design by SHIGEMORI SHIGETA" "Music by YASUSHI AKUTAGAWA" "Sound by SHUJURO KURITA" "Lighting by REI MIURA Edited by YOSHIYASU HAMAMURA" "Starring:" "SHIMA IWASHITA." "GO KATO" "MAYUMI OGAWA, YUSUKE TAKITA KANEKO IWASAKI" "YOSHIO INABA, YOSUKE KONDO" "AKIKO NOMURA ATSUKO KAWAGUCHI" "HISATO OKAMOTO, AZUSA KOYAMA" "SHINSUKE ASHIDA" "Directed by YOSHITARO NOMURA" "Hello, this is Nippon Travel Agency." "Yes?" "Tickets for the bullet train on the 21st, departing at 9:00 a.m.?" "How many do you need?" "Four, okay." "Your phone number, please." "Yes." "56... all right." "I'll check if the tickets are available and then give you a call back." "Everything is booked up in Rendaiji." "Are you sure Hotel Minami-Izu is available on October 10th?" "I am." "But call the hotel to double-check." "All right." "Thank you for waiting." "Welcome." "I'd like an excursion ticket for Kyushu." "Will it be crowded there in October?" "Well, it shouldn't be too bad, so long as you have hotel reservations." " Do you want to make a reservation?" " Yes." "Here are some pamphlets on different parts of Kyushu." " We'd like to take a car trip." " A car trip?" "Yes, a one-day car trip." "Is there someplace nice near Tokyo that's still relatively unknown?" "So, a one-day car trip to a relatively unknown place?" "Well, let's see..." "Hey!" "Return tickets on Japan Airlines to Fukuoka, right?" "Yeah." "I envy you for travelling so grandly." "Not really;" "I'm tagging along with my boss." " Is a check okay?" " Yeah." "Welcome." " One coffee." " All right." "How's your work?" "Nothing much to speak of, but just really busy." "How's your wife?" "Well, the same as usual." "You're a lucky man." "Your wife works like a bee." "You must have a lot saved up." "Well, yeah." "But I feel like there's no spark left in our marriage." "Hey, cheer up." "You sound like a middle-aged man." "You've been married for 10 years?" "Yeah." "Have some kids, already." "Kids, huh?" "Right." "Right." "How strange that we suddenly keep bumping into each other." "It really is." "I've been taking this bus for four years, ever since I moved to Sasaoyama." "Then we must have missed each other, because my hours are a little irregular." "Do you work?" "Yes." "Is your father well?" "No, he passed away." "He died after we moved to Maebashi, before reaching retirement, so it was in the winter of 1954." "Is that right?" "I have many fond memories of Maebashi, but my memories of Chikura are even fonder." "I spent my most sensitive years in middle school there." "Old houses lined the streets." "There was a faint smell of the sea in every part of town." "There was a creek that ran between Sakashita Street and Nakazato Street." "And beyond that was - what was it called?" "What?" "I remember there was a bus stop called Shioiri." "Your father's government quarters were a Western-style building rare in Chikura." "At the Fishermen's Association nearby, a lot of fish were spread out to dry." "There was a creek flowing in front of it." "There was a sake shop at the end of the street, and your family's shop was near the corner." "Your mother worked busily by herself, everyday." "Listen..." "Won't you stop by my house, since we live close together?" " Well..." " Next stop is Kitaharamichi." "Please do." "I really have fond memories of Chikura." "Excuse me." "Wait a moment here." "Welcome." " I'd like half a pound of this." " All right." "TSUKUSHINO LOTS FOR SALE." "VISIT INFORMATION OFFICE." "I'm sorry; it's about a 15-minute walk from the bus stop to my house." "Are you sure I'm not inconveniencing you?" "Not at all." "You don't have to worry about that." "This is a very lonely road." "After dark, you must feel uneasy." "I've gotten used to it." "But lately, this area has become unsafe." "Does your husband come down to walk you home?" "My husband passed away four years ago." "So now I live with my child." "You have a child?" "Yes, a six-year-old son." "I see." "Then he's a first-grader." "Yes." "I'm home, Ken." "Welcome home." "Did you watch the house like a good little boy?" "Please come in." "Hi." "Say hello, Ken." "Hello." "Please come in." "You're a smart boy." "How old are you?" "Six." "I'm sorry it's messy, but please have a seat." "What did you draw?" "Mom." "What did you study at school today?" "Arithmetic, science and Japanese." "I see." "Did you finish reading "Ten Little Pigs"?" "I did." "Recite it to me." "Ten little pigs crossed a river." "They counted themselves, to make sure no one was missing." "One pig, two pigs, three pigs, four pigs, five pigs, six pigs, seven pigs, eight pigs, nine pigs, nine years old " "Ken, stop playing with that." "One pig was missing." "Shoo!" "Is that right?" "I assumed your mother was living with you." "Well, she has aged, but she's still hale and hearty." "You're sweating." "Do take off your jacket." "Anyway, she'd feel cramped living in my tiny apartment." " In the future, I plan to live with her." " I'll take the jacket." "Oh, thanks." "But she prefers to stay in Chikura for the present." "I see." "Ah, this reminds me of..." "Right." "Delicious daikon radishes used to grow in Kawado, remember?" "Since I was motherless, our maid used to make pickles with them." "I see." "I haven't had them for years." "These are really good." "My mother gives me pickled daikon every time I go see her." "But they soon start tasting different in Tokyo, for some reason." "Because of the pickling paste?" "Yes, the trick seems to be more in the pickling paste than the daikon." "It must be tough to get by." "Well..." "I never thought about it when my husband was still alive." "But it's not easy for a woman to make a living." "My son is all I live for." "As I'm a single mother, I'm trying not to spoil him too much." "But he's becoming less obedient lately." "Every child is like that at his age." "He'll grow out of it before long." "Excuse me, an ashtray?" "Oh!" "I'm sorry for not noticing." "Here, please use this for now." "By the way, where do you work?" "I work for Tokyo Life Insurance." "I see, an insurance company." "It's not what you think." "I do door-to-door sales of policies and collect premiums." "Mr. Hamajima, would you like to buy a policy?" "Then, we're being deceived?" "Uh-huh." "I see." "The problem in distribution lies between the milk company and the agent." "In that case, we should talk directly with the milk company." "Yes." "I have my classes in the afternoon, so I'm available in the morning." "All right, talk to you soon." "Good-bye." " Today..." " You had dinner?" " Yes, I did." " Okay." "Today," "I had to go see a customer about a trip." "I'll get it." "Hello?" "Oh, Mrs. Takei." "Mrs. Ota called me just a minute ago about the issue of milk from the co-op." "We decided to bypass the agent and talk directly with the milk company." "Yes, so..." "As of the 20th, we've met 60% of our goal... for the month of September." "But as we near the end of the month, you'll also have to collect premiums." "Therefore, we're concerned that we might not meet our goal." "TOKYO LIFE INSURANCE" "Let me look it up." "Let's see." "There was a cancellation for a flight from Nagoya to Miyazaki, so we secured it for you." "Shimoda will be crowded over the long holiday weekend." "But in the western part of Izu, Toi or Heta..." "Welcome." "I'll take this." "Next stop is Kitaharamichi." "Is anybody getting off at the stop?" "Hello, are you going home?" " I'm a friend of your wife's." " Hello." "Excuse me." " You're getting off here?" " I'm taking a walk." "I'm sorry, give me another 10 minutes." "This won't take long to cook." "Well, I dropped in on you without warning." "Thank you for bringing such a nice treat." "To tell you the truth, it was a gift from a customer." "The meat looks delicious." "Really?" "I'm glad to hear that." " Next time, I'll get some gazami crabs." " Gazami crabs?" "Yes, I saw very fresh ones at a shop near the station." "Really?" " You like them, don't you?" " Yes, I do." "But I thought they were a specialty of Chikura." "How unusual." "Isn't it?" "Ken, you're working hard." "Let me help you." "It's okay." "He's used to doing that." "Let me have the ax." "I've considered using propane gas, but it can be surprisingly costly." "Besides, dry wood is abundant around here." "...4,300 yen, 4,320 yen, 3,800 yen, and 4,060 yen add up to?" "The total is 274,830 yen." "The amount matches perfectly." "Thank you so much!" "You finished it much more quickly than I can." "Well, but it's unsafe to carry so much cash every day." "Usually, I take the collection to the office before 5:00." "But today, I made more rounds." "How many customers do you visit?" "I'm in charge of about 250 customers." "So many?" "We're still in the middle of the month, so collection isn't going full tilt." "At the end or the beginning of the month, I make rounds till 10:00 or 11:00 p.m." "My, that must be tough." "But collecting is routine." "What counts is signing up new customers." "My base salary is only 15,000 yen, so I need commissions from new sales." "I already have a policy." "I'd recommend switching over to this plan." "ASK US ABOUT THE WORLD'S FAIR" " JAPAN TRAVEL AGENCY" "Thank you very much." " Welcome." "May I help you?" " An excursion ticket for Towada." "Wow, this is one big gazami crab!" "This is great." "Thank you for a nice treat, always." "Please, don't mention it." "I should be thanking you for today." "It was nothing." "Your friend Mr. Ishikawa was very interested." "Oh, did he buy a policy?" "Well, not yet." "He's interested in a company plan, rather than an individual one." "So, he has to follow some procedure." "I see." "In that case, in addition to my friends, I'll make a list of my customers for you." "Oh, I'm so glad." "That would be great." " Have some sake." " Thank you." "Turn the lock." "And turn this lock." "'Tips for Everyday Life' will start at 7:30." "'The Doris Day Show' will be on at 8:00." "Wanting a strong father capable of winning a child-parent team race, brothers Billy and Toby set their sights... on the deputy sheriff of the town." "Bewildered, Doris gets into a tizzy, and trouble ensues once again." "At 8:25, on Comedy Theater we present tonight..." "You're a good boy, Ken." "You always do the dishes when your mom is late?" "Yeah." "I'm sorry for putting you out like this." "Staying so late." "It's no trouble." "He's been busy with group tours, and he'll be late tonight, too." "Oh, is that right?" "Your husband is such a nice man." "I ran into him on the bus the other day." "He got off at Kitaharamichi, to take a walk." "At Kitaharamichi?" "Oh, that was on the day of my class." "He was taking his time getting home." "Really?" "It would do him good if he joined our chat, don't you think?" " Thank you." " Enjoy." "But he's not the gregarious sort, unlike your husband." "Dad's thinking is wrong." "That's right." "It's old-fashioned to bring up filial duty." "Ken, are you sleepy?" "Should I lay out your futon?" "Your mom will be late tonight." "She's making the collection rounds." "Put yourself in Kimiko's shoes." "She's only 20." "Why don't you concentrate on the match-making you received?" "Are you accepting it?" "Here, change into this." "You came to walk me home?" "It was getting so late." "And it's unsafe after dark, so I was worried." "So, my wife and I are not on the same wave length." "We have nothing in common." "It's not at all my wife's fault." "But it's not my fault, either." "It's like we're living together out of habit, or we simply fell into a set of routines." "It just feels empty." "I can't leave her right away, but I will, in time." "I understand." "I'm glad." "But..." "What is it?" "I don't mind staying the way we are." "No." "I don't want you living this way, though I can't start over with you right away." "It's okay." "Because I have my son to consider." "I don't mind staying the way we are." "There was blood all over the place." "Just so horrible!" " Did they hang her?" " No, that's not..." "Is it about the Sharon Tate murder?" "She was eight months pregnant." "She was killed with her old boyfriend." "She was having an affair?" "No, they were having a swingers party." "Oh, I see." " And her husband?" " He was away." "That sort of party seems to be popular." "Her husband directed..." "What was that film?" " Rosemary's Baby." " That's right." "Everybody, tea is ready." " Great." " Thank you." "Now listen, about the 300 million yen robbery..." "The robber will be caught." "They'll trace the stolen bills back to him, for sure." "Listen..." "I'm going out for a walk and then seeing the dentist." "You're going for a walk and then to the dentist, okay." "Your husband is nice, and he's quiet." "Quiet means he won't amount to much, after all, doesn't it?" "I didn't mean that." "He's been working for 12 years, since he got out of college." "It's still a long way off, but when he retires in 20 years, he'll only have become a department chief." "Still, he'll then receive a good retirement package." "We don't know that." "Come on." "But a husband who works hard and doesn't fool around... is better than a flashy, go-getter type." "Yeah, I agree." "It doesn't look like we'll have kids, so for our future, we'll both work while we can." "And save a lot of money." "Maybe a little money, not a lot." " Don't tease." " Are you sure?" "Oh." "It's still early." "Don't worry." "I won't be missed at home." "Are you sure it's okay?" "What excuse did you use?" "Can you stay for dinner?" "Yeah, but I can't stay too late." "Then I'll go grocery shopping now." "You don't have to." "Ken!" " What are you doing?" " Making a swing." "A swing?" "You can use some help, can't you?" "Let me give you a hand." "He ignores me completely." "He refuses to warm to me." "What strange boy." "Actually..." "I understand his feelings very well." "There was one thing I liked about my uncle." "To win the heart of a child like him, it's best to share in activities." "In time, he'll take to me." "I'm home." "Mom, look at my swing." "Oh!" "What a nice swing!" "We made it together, didn't we?" "Is that right?" "How nice." "Shoo!" "Meow!" "We have a lot of rats." "It's not surprising." "You're surrounded by fields." "Ken, rats don't only chew on things in the house, but also on the roots of vegetables in the fields." "They chew on the roots of the trees on the hill, too." "Really?" "You know all about it." " They make crackers these days." " What crackers?" "Crackers with rat poison." "But only this traditional way using buns works for our rats." "You can't beat the tried-and-true traditional way, you know." "I guess so." "Ken, do you know what will happen when a rat eats this bun?" "Stop fooling around." "My, you're acting like a child." "I see." "I expect it'll be quite packed on the 25th." "We'd like to leave in the morning." "In the morning?" "Then, if you left around 10:20, you would get there around 1:10." "Let me look it up." "You haven't been to a doctor in years, have you, dear?" "He really looks healthy." "Thank you." "A lot of people tend to ignore getting a physical, but this is a good opportunity to have it done." " Isn't that right, Doctor?" " Yeah." "The door in the back opened, and the king entered." "The king looked at Anders's..." " Hat." " Hat, and he smiled and spoke to him." "Good." "Ah-ha, you..." "You pronounce this "ah"." "Ah, you're wearing a nice hat." "Good!" "You read very well." "Now, practice writing what you just read." "Here you go." "Uh-uh, not yet." "You can build that when you're done with your studying." "Paste it here." "Yes, paste that one there." "Do it carefully." "Ken, that's very nice." "An SST aircraft?" "It looks very fast." "Yeah." "An SST can fly to America in only three hours." "Really?" "Only three hours to America?" "Mankind has made it to the moon, so I suppose it's not surprising." "Your industry will only grow more." "Well, I don't know about that." "But my work will definitely get busier." "Ken is gradually becoming attached to you." "Yeah." " Next time, I'll take him for a drive." " A drive?" " Yeah, this Sunday." " You will?" "I have a driver's license." "Driving to work was inconvenient, so I sold my car." "Then how could we go for a drive?" "You don't know much about my job, do you?" "What do you mean?" "We'll rent a car." "I see!" "You should just rent the car you like when you need it." "Oh, no!" "Ken, stop!" "Oh, dear." "You have to dry yourself well, or you'll catch cold." "Ken is..." "I'm glad that Ken is taking to you, but I'm worried he might start thinking you're his father." "It's okay." "If that happens, then I will..." "You're home late." "You want some tea?" "No, I want water." "My grandmother isn't doing well." "It'll be odd if I pay a visit on my own, so I'd like you to come with me this Sunday." "This Sunday?" "Aren't you off this Sunday?" "You have other plans?" "Nothing in particular." "But what about your class?" "Well..." "I have my hands full with my pupils on Sunday." "I guess a weekday would be better." "We'll meet near Shibuya Station after you get off work." "Yeah, that will be better." "Listen, it seems like Taeko will be having her baby soon." "She called me today about the maternity hospital she chose." "We have to give a gift again when the baby is born." "Well, we can't ignore the custom." "We gave her a baby-birth gift just awhile ago." "Barely a year has passed since then." "We're childless, though we've been married for more than 10 years, yet she's having another baby." "Listen, maybe I should consult an OB-GYN." "I think we've convinced ourselves that we can't have a child." "We're going to spend the rest of our lives together, so not having a child makes me worry about our future." "Honey." "Why can't we make a baby?" "Honey." "Honey." "Ken, watch your step and don't trip!" "Ah, thud!" "I want a rice ball!" "You're going to eat more?" "He's a growing boy." "My, two more?" "It's all right." "The fresh air gives him an appetite." " Hey!" " There!" " He's full of energy." " He sure is..." " Ken, careful not to slip." " Be careful." "Mom!" "Come here, hurry!" "I found a crab!" "Look over here." "Really?" "I see it." "Hold this." " Here, let me catch it." " There's a crab?" "Yeah, right here." " Hurry!" "Catch it!" " It went that way." "Ken, are you sleepy?" "He's tired, from having too much fun." "Why don't you change seats with your mom?" "You can lie down in the backseat." "Mom!" "Mom!" "Stupid dope!" "You creep!" "Oh, he's fast asleep." "He's tired." "I've never seen him as excited as he was today." "Children are no different from adults." "We need to get away sometimes from school and work." "You're right." "A child needs a father, no doubt." "I'll look it up first." " All right." " Let me check for January 12th." "Welcome." "Is Gero Hot Springs a lively place?" "You'd like to go to Gero, near Takayama?" "Yes, we'd like to take a bullet train leaving around 1:00." "Departing around 1:00?" "Let me check." "Sis." "The insurance lady is here." "I'm sorry." "Pull yourself together." "There's business we must attend to." "I'll be direct." "How do we go about collecting the insurance?" "This is the death certificate form." "This is the claim form." "I'll read out letters from our viewers." "The first letter is from Megumi." "Megumi, I'm reading your letter." "She writes "I love Master Nikaku"." "How sweet." "But she must be a weirdo." "There are a lot of weirdos, you know." "Especially my fans." "It's true." "Ken, it's time to study." "Your mom will be home late tonight." "You must study and then go to bed." "Ken, it's time to study." "Come on, I'll help you with it." "I'll read the next letter" "Nikaku, are you well?" "I'm well myself." "What is this?" "Well, you studied in school, so it's okay to take a break." "Let's watch TV." "But this show isn't suitable for children." "A lumberjack called Tasuke..." "Look at this can." "A viewer sent it to me as a gift." "The contents are a mystery Let's open it and find out." "The sponsors of the show are as follows..." "Ken!" "Ken!" "Why is this broken?" "Ken." "I'm home." "Is he asleep?" "He's becoming more and more attached to you." "One of the relatives at the funeral... said the deceased should have bought a 10 million yen policy." "I had strongly recommended it over a cheaper plan, but the deceased wouldn't listen." "Well, it's not surprising." "Nobody thinks that they will die soon." "That's true." "But it was odd, the way his wife carried on weeping." "I wonder if that's how it is, losing a spouse." "I didn't cry like her when my husband died." "I will..." "I will cry harder than that wife if you should die." "Because..." "I won't be able to touch you if you're dead." "That will be so sad and unbearable." "Ken has become attached to you, so what you said the other day..." "Honestly, I want it to happen." "I want you all to myself." "Welcome." "Will this sweater suit a man who's about 35?" "The colour is perfect for that age." "Hey, you shouldn't do that." "Take your shoes off." "Take them off for me." "You're hopeless." "Hi, are you alone?" "What a good boy." "I brought you a gift." "It's a plastic model." "Ah, you were studying?" " Then build the plastic model later." " Okay." "I have a treat for you." " You like sweet buns?" " Yeah." "Here you go." "Is it good?" "This dark spot concerns me." "What could it be?" "We'll have to do a complete check-up on him one more time." "Oh, no." "I persuaded this man to buy a policy since his wife bought one last year." "Won't you help me out, Doctor?" "Well, one of your customers died just awhile ago." "He's buying a large plan." "Please help me out." "I wish I could help you, but I have a suspicion that the spot is an aneurysm." "In any case, you should have him get a complete check-up again." " Put this here." " Can I put this?" "Okay, that goes here." "And then, pull all this out." "Ken, I'm a bit hungry." "Can you bring me some sweet buns?" "This goes here." "Attach this one here." "Thanks." " Now, insert No. 20 into the stem." " Okay." "This is no good." "You weren't paying attention, were you?" "It's her first time, give her a break." "Twist it around with your right hand, like this." "Your left hand just holds it." "Hey, squeak!" "Come on, squeak!" "Squeak!" "Come on!" "Ken..." "Mom went shopping?" "Yeah." "What are you doing?" "Look." "Here." "STAR-TWINKLING CHRISTMAS" "Your donations will be used... for food and gifts for the needy on Christmas and New Year's Days." "Please make a donation to help our charity work." "Just eat, sleep and watch TV." "But it's nice to relax like this for a change." "Here you go." "This year, I'm thinking of changing our lifestyle a little." "Honey, is there something wrong with you?" "You haven't had an appetite since the end of the year." "You seem more tired than usual." "No, I'm feeling fine." "We both should change our lifestyles." "You and I have kept ourselves busy with work." "Don't you think we've allowed work to take over our lives?" "We should go out to dinner or take a trip sometime." "A little change will do us good, without overhauling our marriage." "Well, that's how I feel now, but when the holiday is over, we'll probably return to our old ways." "Here you go." "Coming!" "Happy New Year!" "Oh, Happy New Year!" " I hope for our continued friendship." " Likewise." "Please come in." "No, we'll leave you alone with your husband today." "Are you sure?" "This is a small gift." "Oh, thank you very much." "And this is a little something from me." "When will your class start again?" "Want more rice cake?" "No, thanks." "Ken, do you have any wishes for this year?" "I want to go swimming in the sea and also skiing." "Swimming in the sea and skiing, huh?" "Yeah." "I'm done." " You've had enough?" " Yeah." "Don't get your kimono dirty." "Please hold on a moment." "Mr. Hamajima, a phone call." "Hello, Hamajima speaking." "Sorry to call you at work." "I want to see you." "Please." "Okay, I'll come meet you right away." " One coffee." " All right." "You haven't been to my house since the new year began." "Has your wife found out about me?" "No, she hasn't." "Then what is it?" "My intuition tells me... it's not because you don't love me anymore." "There's some other reason." "I want you to tell me what it is." "I have to know." "To be honest, it has to do with Ken." "Ken?" "Yeah." "How should I put it?" "The way he looks at me." "It's as if he's aware of everything and accusing me of it." "Did something happen?" "Well, no." "So was that the reason?" "Ken is shy around strangers." "But he was growing very attached to you." "You don't have to worry about him." "The other day," "I asked him if he'd like to have you become his father." "Then he said, "Yeah", without hesitation." "He did?" "Yes." "Ken is my son." "If he didn't like you, I'd be the first to notice it." "I don't know what happened, but you must have imagined it." "You think so?" "Yes." "I'm sorry, but you can be very timid and sensitive." "Well, I guess..." "You may be right." " You must be right." " I am right." "But I just have this feeling... that I'm doing something very sinful, and that Ken knows about it." "Is what we're doing so sinful?" "No, that's not what I meant." "I'm just imagining it that way." "Listen, can you do what I asked you over the phone?" "Yeah." "I'll do it this Saturday." "Can you really do it this Saturday?" "I can." "Don't worry." "Coffee is ready." "Okay." "Why are you so excited?" "'Cause I'm going to a hot spring." "What time is your train leaving?" "It leaves from Ueno at 10:00 and arrives at Aizu Wakamatsu at 3:00." "Then a 15-minute drive to the hotel in their minibus." "You're back when?" "Well... so I'll be on a guided tour from the morning." "So, I expect I won't be home till the evening." "Tomorrow's Sunday, so I'll be busy with my evening class." " So can you eat out?" " Yeah, I'll do that." "It's a bit early, but I'll get going." "Well, all hotels there are full." " How about a hotel out of the area?" " Is it very far away?" "Let's see, we'll have a confirmation from the hotel by 3:00 tomorrow." "So, come back at 4:00 tomorrow." " Okay, I'll do that." " Thank you." "Mr. Yoshida... your first name is Minoru?" "And may I have your telephone number?" "Be careful." "It's done, Mom." "What next?" "Okay, go help Mr. Hamajima." "You're good with heating the bath." "The bath will be ready soon." "Ken, you wanna take a bath with me?" " No." " Uh-oh." "Why not?" "Come on." "Here." "It's a rat again." "Meow!" "Shoo!" "Go away!" "Enjoying your bath, Ken?" "Okay, you're clean." " Ready to get out?" " Okay?" "Here you go." "Come here." "Did you have a nice soak?" "Wasn't it nice to take a bath with Mr. Hamajima?" "I'll leave a change of clothes here." "There's so much snow, you see." "Now, when you climb the trail, you'll reach this mountain lodge." "Is it cold there?" "Yeah, it's cold there." "And now..." "It's upside down!" "I put the slide upside down." "Where is this place?" "That's a ski resort." "Come and look, Mom!" "It's a ski resort!" " Really?" " A lot of people are there, huh?" "What's this?" "That's the lift terminal." "You take the lift to go up the hill." " Everybody looks happy." " A lot of people, see?" " Ken's never been to a ski resort." " No." "Look, he's skiing." "That must feel great." "Why don't we go skiing... at the end of this month, or the beginning of February?" "On a weekend." "But all the hotels must be full." "I know some tricks of the trade." "I'll secure a spare room for us." "But neither Ken nor I know how to ski." "Don't worry." "Kids can learn to ski in no time." " Right, Ken?" " Yeah!" " Are you sure?" " I can!" "Ken, copy the skiers." "Try it." "Hold the poles like this, and then push and ski!" "This goes here, right?" "That's right." "What's next?" "The next one must be white." "This goes this way." "That's the roof." "This goes here." "The front part is still unfinished." "Ken, are you finishing it already?" " It's an ambulance, right?" " Yeah!" "It's past 10:00." "Time to go to bed, Ken." "Just a minute, I'm almost done." "Okay, I'll help you." " Come on, it's late." " No, I'll do it by myself." "You wanna do it by yourself?" "All right." "I'm glad." "I'm really glad." "But I'm sorry for putting you out." "It's okay." "I wanted to do this one time." "Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night." "Ken is sleeping beside me." "But you're not." "And I feel so lonely and sad that I can't go back to sleep." "I feel the same way." "I wish you'd be lying next to me when I woke up." "But what I feel is much more intense than what you feel." "Because your wife is lying in bed with you." "I don't know what kind of woman she is, but she shares your bed." "When I think about that, I feel something that's very intense." "That's why..." "I wanted you to spend a night with me." "I'll wait three, five, or even 10 years, until you can leave your wife." "But I don't want it to look like I stole you from her." "I know." "I've thought it over too." "I don't want it to look like I'm leaving her... because of our love affair." "So even after I leave my wife, I can't marry you right away." "We need to wait a little." "That's why I said I'll wait three, five, or even 10 years." "Actually, it's not just a matter of time." "You'll have to be there for me faithfully." "I will be there for you, and Ken will too." "Ken too?" "Yes!" "We'll both be there for you." "When you came out of the bathroom, the boy was standing with an ax in his hand." "The boy tried to kill you with the ax, so you lunged at him." "It only takes about 15 minutes to walk from the crime scene to your clinic?" "That's about right, as my clinic is just by the Kitaharamichi bus stop." "The boy's mother came to ask for your help." "You put her in your car and rushed over to the crime scene." "So you arrived there 20 to 25 minutes after the incident." "No later than 30 minutes?" "That's right." "What was the boy's condition when you arrived?" "He had been revived and was breathing normally." "But he was still unconscious, so I gave him an injection of a cardiac stimulant." "And he regained consciousness." "That's right." "The mother and her man were almost crying..." "Actually, they were in tears... as they pleaded with me not to report it." "But keeping silent about such a thing could cause me trouble later." "In any case, it was an attempted murder." "You should have given us detailed information, rather than simply reporting by phone." "Yes, well..." "So anyway, I reported the incident to the police." "The boy tried to kill you, so you leapt at him and tried to strangle him, blinded by fear." "But we're talking about an innocent little boy here." "Maybe you were imagining things, being still drowsy." "No, I didn't." "I'd smoked a cigarette in the bathroom, and I was wide awake." "You smoked a cigarette in the bathroom, eh?" "You were crazy about the boy's mother." "As was she about you." "You wanted to marry her, didn't you?" "Yes." "So then, the boy became an obstacle to that end." "Was that the case?" "There was a time when I saw him that way." "But not at the time of the incident." "So you're saying... that to some degree, you habitually wished he weren't there." "You just wanted to enjoy your relationship with your woman." "The boy was an impediment to that." "So you simply decided to kill him?" "No, no." "That's not what happened." "I reacted because the boy tried to kill me." "Don't be absurd!" "The boy is only six years old!" "Do you think a boy of six could have a clear intent to kill?" "Detective..." "The boy was definitely trying to kill me that morning!" "No." "My son tried to kill him?" "That can't be true." "But Hamajima swears that he did." "There must be some kind of misunderstanding." "Misunderstanding?" "But in fact, there was an ax at the crime scene." "It's conceivable that the boy had it in his hand." "He's not like other children." "He always plays alone." "Oh?" "Sometimes when he wakes up early, he goes to the woods nearby, taking the axe with him." "Really?" "That's what he was doing that morning!" "And at the sight of my son with the ax in his hand," "Hamajima panicked, because he's a timid man!" "Stop giving me such nonsense!" "You're as much at fault for what happened." "Who do you think the greatest victim in this affair is?" "It's Hamajima's wife." "As a result of the incident, she couldn't stay in her apartment... and fled to her parents' house." "She's completely blameless, but her life is ruined now." "You and Hamajima were selfish and had no regard for others." "That was your attitude, so Hamajima was tempted to get rid of your boy." "Detective!" "There is no way he would try to kill my son!" "Then your son tried to kill him, as Hamajima claims?" "No!" "There is no way my son would try to kill him!" "Then Hamajima tried to kill him?" "No, he couldn't..." "He couldn't possibly do that." "I can't even begin to imagine such a thing." "I don't know - nobody knows... but something awful must have happened." "I don't..." "How many times... do I have to tell you?" "Why would I want to kill him?" "Isn't it about time you told me about it?" "I've already told you everything." "The boy raised the ax and charged towards me." "That's why..." "Cut the crap about reacting in self-defence against a little boy." "Why do you refuse to hear out... the most important part of my story?" "I've heard enough of it." "Episodes involving a kitchen knife, rat-poison buns and getting locked in." "All preposterous made-up stories." "You think I made them up?" "That's right, every one of them." "They are all very convenient stories, fuelled by your paranoia." "Paranoia?" "What else could it be?" "You're accusing an innocent, little boy." "It's deplorable, but too many criminals nowadays are like you." "You constantly imagine somebody is in your way." "While that person has no ill intentions, or has done nothing to you, you wilfully misconstrue his actions in relation to yourself." "You believe he harbours hostile feelings and wants to hurt you." "That's a reckless self-justification, so that you can do harm to somebody." "But in the case of your crime, such self-justification doesn't apply." "How could a six-year-old boy... have a clear malicious intent... and attack a grown man with an axe?" "That's utterly preposterous and completely implausible!" "No, it is plausible!" "It's plausible?" "How so?" "Because it is!" "Because... when I was six..." "THE END"