"MANJI" "If I could only write a little better..." "I'd like to pen a sort of novel and show it to you." "But I know I'm incapable, that's why I've come here today." "I'm afraid I'm bothering you." "You really don't mind?" "Let me see..." "After leaving the university, my husband opened a law office in Osaka." "Last year, in February, I think it was." "I imagine it embarrassed him to be financed by my family." "I didn't want to stay at home doing nothing." "I found an art school for ladies." "It's a small private school, and I began attending classes..." "Original Story by Junichiro Tanizaki Screenplay by Kaneto Shindo" "Photography by Setsuo Kobayashi" "Film Editor Tatsuji Nakashizu" "The Cast" "Ayako Wakao Kyoko Kishida" "Eiji Funakoshi Yusuke Kawazu" "Kyu Sazanka Ken Mitsuda" "Directed by Yasuzo Masumura" "There were classes in Japanese and European art." "We were sketching the Goddess of Mercy." "The principal came in one day." "Yours doesn't look at all like this model." "What was your model?" "I felt myself blushing." "I hadn't noticed it, myself, until then." "What he said quite surprised me." "I hadn't realized it but I was drawing Mitsuko Tokumitsu." "Please look." "A textile company president's daughter." "Mrs. Kakiuchi, who is your model?" "Really?" "Doesn't it look like the model here?" "And you think it does?" "Yes, but I'm not very talented, so I could be wrong." "No, you draw very well." "But I just think the face looks like someone else." "Oh, just the face, you mean?" "I drew my ideal face." "Then who is your ideal?" "It's just an ideal, there is no real model." "To show the spirituality of the Goddess of Mercy." "Is that wrong?" "I don't quite understand you." "If there's a resemblance or not, it's for art, for art's sake." "I don't think that's wrong." "If it does resemble someone, be so good as to tell me who." "My arguing with the principal made people talk." "Soon, there were rumors." "It was whispered that Mitsuko and I were lovers." "It was all so silly." "I wasn't even angry." "But I thought perhaps..." "Mitsuko would be upset by all the fuss." "I'd look in on her class." "One day, I ran into her in the powder room." "Mrs. Kakiuchi..." "Some people are trying to trap us." "Please be careful." "Who would that be?" "This is hardly the place to talk." "Shall we go somewhere else?" "Certainly." "I'd be pleased to." "Listen, the principal started those rumors about us." "Why would he do that?" "I'm supposed to marry into a very rich family." "I'm not too anxious, but the boy is." "A city assemblyman's daughter wants to marry him." "So we've become rivals." "Her father bribed the principal to spread gossip about me." "How dreadful!" "What a mean thing for a teacher to do!" "You're not even married yet." "Be careful not to let people like that ruin you." "I don't care what's said about me." "I don't care, either." "Mrs. Kakiuchi, let's become friends and then we'll show them." "That's an excellent idea." "I'd like to see the principal's face." "Let's go to Nara on Sunday." "What a sensation if we're spotted!" "Yes, let's!" "Let's do it!" "I must thank you for something." "What?" "I don't have to marry the man I don't love." "The gossip about us obviously worked." "The assemblyman's daughter must be happy." "We should both be grateful to you." "How secluded it is." "I wouldn't dare come here alone." "But how nice with someone you like." "I'd love to stay, just like this." "Me, too." "Your husband doesn't mind?" "He never interferes." "And I've told him all about you." "What did he say?" "If you're so beautiful, he'd like to meet you." "It's finished." "Take a look at it." "I can hardly believe you did it." "It's because I tried so hard." "Is this that Mitsuko?" "She really looks like this?" "Enough to cause a sensation." "But she's really far more sensual." "A masterpiece." "Have it framed, why don't you?" "Have her come and see it after it's finished." "If it's to be framed, do it over again." "It's very good, of course." "The face is like mine, but the body's quite different..." "In what way?" "It's not that simple." "I can't explain it very well." "Then perhaps if I could see your naked body..." "I don't mind but..." "At your place then." "It's private here." "What a lovely room!" "Such a nice double bed!" "Marriage must be wonderful." "Yours will be far better than this." "Isn't this your marital bed?" "Won't your husband scold you?" "What does it matter?" "You're special." "The marital bed is sacred, so they say." "So is a virgin's body." "So it's quite fitting." "Hurry and show me." "Someone might see." "Close the windows." "I'll borrow a sheet." "Am I different from your picture?" "What an exquisite body you have." "You're so beautiful." "Why have you hid yourself until now?" "It's too much!" "It's too much!" "What's happened to you?" "When I see something beautiful, I become so excited I cry." "Satisfied?" "I'll get dressed." "No, I want to see more!" "Silly!" "There's no point in keeping this up." "Yes, there is!" "You're not completely nude." "Take it off!" "I wish you wouldn't..." "I wish you'd stop it." "I thought you were my friend!" "Forget it." "We're no longer friends!" "Have you taken leave of your senses?" "I've never met anyone so cold!" "You promised not to hide anything!" "Why do you hide yourself?" "You're a liar!" "I hate you..." "Your body's so beautiful!" "I could kill you for it." "Then kill me." "Kill me!" "I want to be slain by you." "It's not fair!" "You saw my body but you won't show me yours." "It's not that..." "Yours is so beautiful, I'm ashamed of mine." "Please don't be disgusted with it." "You're just as beautiful as I am." "Don't say anything you don't mean." "I feel so small." "Please read these letters we wrote to each other at that time." "Patter patter, patter patter." "It is raining this fair night." "Patter patter, patter patter." "What doth it whisper?" "It whispers, Mitsuko Mitsu, Mitsu, Mitsu..." "Without realizing it, I had written "Mitsuko," over and over again." "From my thumb to my little finger." "Forgive me for doing something so silly." "Dearest, I'm always moody on Sundays." "Why?" "Because I can't see you all day." "I telephoned but you'd gone out with your husband." "It's cruel!" "It's too much!" "I'm crying." "I feel so lonely." "It makes me bitter!" "But I won't say any more!" "You're mean!" "It finally transpired." "What I'd been expecting finally happened." "Our stormy marital spat would've surprised you, if you'd seen it." "Please forgive me for my use of "marital"." "Kiyo, bring the tea upstairs." "Kiyo says you and Mitsuko are very intimate." "What does that mean?" "I like Mitsuko very much." "We're friends." "I know that." "But in what way?" "It's just a feeling, that's all." "There are many kinds of friendship." "I'd prefer you didn't discuss my friends!" "You find your own friends and leave me alone!" "If it's an ordinary friendship, I don't mind." "You rarely go to school now." "And you write those odd letters." "In a normal friendship, you wouldn't shut yourself up." "What a strange thing to say." "It just shows you have a vulgar mind!" "Vulgar?" "Then is your conscience clear?" "Yes!" "Love between women is like the love of a work of art." "If that's abnormal, what are you?" "Then why be so secretive?" "Why shut me out?" "And don't lie." "You're not painting." "What are you up to?" "Visit a studio." "Watch an artist at work." "He doesn't work every minute." "He must be in the mood to do good work." "And it isn't only her face." "Her body's so beautiful, I want to hold her!" "I could gaze at her for hours on end." "And she doesn't mind you looking at her naked for hours?" "Of course not." "I'm a woman, she doesn't feel shy." "Being admired isn't unpleasant." "Even between women, being naked in broad daylight is not natural." "Hasn't a nude woman ever struck you as being lovely?" "It's like a marvelous landscape, I'm spellbound." "I feel happy." "Life becomes so worth living, it makes me cry." "If you've no feeling for beauty, I can't explain it." "That's irrelevant." "It's totally abnormal!" "You're old-fashioned!" "She can't be a nice girl." "I'm sure she's not." "What did you say?" "What right have you to say that about the one I love?" "She's too pure for a human being." "She's a goddess." "Insult her at your own risk!" "See what I mean?" "No one in their right mind would say such things." "What a fossil you are!" "And when did you turn into a slut?" "Yes, I'm a slut." "You knew that, so why did you marry me?" "You married me for my money!" "Isn't that right?" "I dare you to say that again!" "I'll say it any number of times!" "You married me for my money." "You may have brains but you're a deceitful coward!" "Do you hate me that much?" "If you ever lay a hand on me, I'll tell Father!" "If you're prepared for that, go on, hit me and kill me!" "I want you to kill me!" "Kill me, I said!" "Kill me!" "You fool!" "It's obvious." "You and I are totally incompatible!" "I've never enjoyed our married life!" "You're too willful, that's why!" "I try hard, but you don't!" "That's not true!" "You lack passion." "You've no romance!" ""The ne"xt "day, we silently glared" at each other all day long." "But that night..." "I know I may appear to be moody and cold, but inside I'm not like that at all." "I'll be a better husband." "So try to respect my wishes, too." "Say you won't see Mitsuko any more." "No!" "If you must see her, then not here, in our bedroom." "No!" "I'm asking you!" "Listen to me." "I've no wish to be bound!" "I want to be totally free." "I want to become stronger." "So strong that I won't be afraid of God, my parents or my husband." "Don't you hate me after all your husband said?" "Silly!" "We've had it out, so I'm not afraid." "I'll never give you up." "I'll throw him out if he complains!" "It's my home." "But won't your love for him bring you to hate me?" "Couples are like that." "We're no couple!" "If we must, we'll run away!" "Do you really mean that?" "I'm prepared for the worst." "So am I." "If I asked you to, would you die with me?" "I would!" "I'd die for you." "I've no child, you're all that I live for." "Why no children?" "I have a medicine that does it without an abortion." "I'd like some, too." "A friend of mine doesn't want to have a baby." "It's expensive, but I'll give you some." "I'm so glad!" "I prefer women to like me much more than men." "It's natural for men to think a woman pretty." "But I attract women to me..." "Dear Mitsuko, let us be friends all our lives." "I could die here right now, like this." "And so we became ever more drawn to each other." "My husband appeared to have given up." "Taking advantage of this, I became even bolder." "Mitsuko?" "Whatever do you want at this hour?" "It's after two." "You're all alone and lonesome?" "You can't sleep?" "You called just to say that?" "You are an impossible child!" "Come over in the morning and we'll play." "My husband?" "I'll get rid of him early." "You promise?" "Yes, I promise." "I promise." "I lost my head and became a slave to my feelings." "So what happened came as a complete surprise." "I never dreamed such a thing would happen." "Hello." "Mitsuko?" "What happened?" "Your clothes were stolen?" "Where?" "Whatever were you doing?" "I was taking a bath." "I'm at the Izutsuya Inn." "They were stolen while I was taking a bath." "Why are you at an inn?" "I had my reasons for coming, but now I'm in serious trouble." "Please help me out and send over some clothes." "Quickly." "Look, I'm awfully sorry to ask, but send some of your husband's clothes, too." "I need a man's suit." "A man's clothes?" "Why?" "Who's there with you?" "Yes, a suit." "No, you don't know him." "I'm sorry to ask so many favors, but..." "Could you also bring some cash, about 30,000 yen?" "I'd be ever so grateful." "Please!" "I beg you to help me!" "Oum, my maid, will arrive soon." "She'll escort you here." "Please!" "My heart began to pound, and my knees were shaking." "I lied to my husband, wrapped up the clothes, and took a cab with Oum." "Who is this man that she's with?" "You're with her every day." "You know." "When did it start?" "It's not the first time?" "Don't hide anything." "It's been a quite a while." "Since last April." "How many times?" "Too many to count." "Who is the man?" "I'm not really sure." "I had no idea." "I did my best for Mitsuko!" "How could she talk about her lover, the bath...?" "How could she make such a fool of me!" "That's true, but she can hardly go home without any clothes." "I would!" "I certainly wouldn't phone her!" "It's shameful!" "At a time like this, what else could she do?" " Divine punishment!" " That's right." "It certainly is." "She said she'd never shown her body to anyone else." "I'd like to see them both stark naked!" "This is it." "You wait outside." "Izutsuya Inn" "Excuse me." "Your guest has arrived." "Madame, please." "Excuse me." "You're Mrs. Kakiuchi?" "Yes." "I don't know how to apologize about this!" "Mitsuko really should make her apologies." "But she's too ashamed to see you." "And besides, she has no clothes." "Excuse me for not introducing myself." "I'm Eijiro Watanuki, Mitsuko's fiancé." "The clothes are here." "A man's suit too." "Thank you." "We really appreciate it." "I'm going home." "Give her this." "It's the money." "Please wait!" "She'll be right out." "Mitsuko feels very deeply toward you." "We fell in love last year and got engaged." "But she insisted I accept your relationship." "She says she must have us both, and that she'll never give you up." "If I refuse to allow it, then she won't marry me." "I understand you're angry about what happened here." "But please don't scold her." "Will you promise not to?" "Please understand her feelings." "Very well." "You agree?" "Thank you very much!" "We'll never forget your kindness!" "What a relief." "Mitsuko, come out." "Inside, I was absolutely furious!" "I wanted to jump on her and tear those clothes to shreds!" "And I might have, if Watanuki hadn't been there." "The more I thought about it, the angrier I became." "They'd made such a fool of me!" "How could I get revenge?" "I vowed I'd somehow get back at her." "I was so upset, I drank some wine." "A little too much." "When did you get back?" "I'm so mad!" "Yes!" "I really am!" "What is it?" "What's wrong with you?" "I'm so mad!" "Then stop crying and tell me." "I'm going to forget all about her." "Promise you'll love me forever." "I decided to turn over a new leaf." "I got up early, made his breakfast, shined his shoes..." "Aren't you going to art classes, today?" "I'm thinking of quitting." "She'll be there and it'll be hard to concentrate." "I don't want to go out." "Be mine forever." "So nothing can ever come between us!" "You go from one extreme to the other." "You don't love me enough." "I need more love." "Except for that one night," "I could never completely forget Mitsuko." "But..." "A clerk from the Nakanoshima Hospital in Osaka wishes to see you." "Hospital?" "That's strange." "Whatever can he want?" "Mrs. Kakiuchi?" "There's no mistake?" "Excuse this sudden intrusion." "You apparently gave Miss Tokumitsu some medicine..." "Yes, I did." "She gave it to her friend, a Mrs. Nakagawa." "She suffered severe complications." "What happened?" "The hospital cannot take responsibility." "You must discuss this with her." "At first I thought it was some sort of ruse by Mitsuko." "But since it involved drugs, I agreed to see her." "She arrived within 30 minutes." "My sister, are you still angry with me?" "Miss Tokumitsu, that's not what we're here to discuss." "But I'm totally unable to talk unless you forgive me, sister dear." "I wish you'd stop with that dearest-elder-sister business!" "If that's how my dear sister acts, I'll be far too upset to talk." "Frankly, the thing at the hospital..." "It isn't about Mrs. Nakagawa at all." "Well then, who is it?" "It's me." "I'm three months pregnant." "I took that medicine but it didn't do any good." "I'm having bloody discharges." "I could scarcely believe it." "Pregnant by that Watanuki and she comes to me to save her." "It's the cramps again." "Sister, get me to the bathroom." "Honestly, Sister, it really hurts!" "What's the matter?" "So painful, Sister!" "Kiyo, come here!" "Hold on!" "Hurry, the bathroom!" "It hurts, Sister!" " Sister, it's so painful." " What's happened?" "Mitsuko!" "I'm going to die." "I want you..." "to help me!" "Don't be silly." "You're not going to die." "You'll forgive me, won't you?" "Shall I call a doctor?" "No, don't." "You'd only get into more trouble." "Let me die like this." "You mustn't leave me." "I don't mind dying here, with you beside me." "It hurts!" "I'm in pain!" "Please get on my back and press down!" "Here?" "Like this?" "Such pain." "It's punishment for what I did to you." "If I die, could you then forgive me?" "I'm in agony!" "Water!" " Kiyo!" " Yes, ma'am." "The blood..." "You're bleeding?" "Get on my back and press down!" "I began to realize that it was all an act." "I knew, yet I let her fool me." "And Mitsuko knew I was pretending not to know, but she kept up her little act, to the end." "You're not angry with me now?" "The next time you do this, I'll kill you." "Is it all right for me to come here again?" "I don't know if it's all right, or not." "I lied about the baby because you wouldn't see me." "That hospital man, he's one of our employees." "I know." "I knew it." "That blood, it's just a theatrical trick." "I thought as much." "Don't say any more." "If I say I'm having a baby, then your husband, won't think we're lovers." "Then we can see each other freely." "Isn't it a good idea?" "And so I slid back into her trap, and we picked up where we left off." "I told my husband she was pregnant and we met often at that inn." "One day, while I was waiting for Mitsuko," "Watanuki came in." "Which of us do you think Mitsuko loves more?" "I wonder." "It must be you!" "That's why she's carrying my child, yet she won't marry me!" "I really was born under an unlucky star!" "The world's most unlucky man." "I don't believe that she is pregnant." "You don't?" "I think you'll find that it's all a lie." "Why would she do that?" "She told me she's definitely not." "Take my word for it." "It's true." "She's over three months." "Perhaps she's lying to you." "Afraid to lose you." "She looks so sweet, but she's really not." "She's so irresistible." "It's easy for her to fool us." "She's a terrible woman." "Let's join forces to prevent her making fools of us." "We love her differently, there's no need for jealousy." "She's too lovely for you to have alone." "Let's share her love." "Let's draw up a pledge." "Here's the pledge we made." "Read it." "As of July 18, 1964," "Sonoko Kakiuchi and Eijiro Watanuki pledge to become true kin under the following conditions:" "Sonoko Kakiuchi will become" "Eijiro Watanuki's elder sister." "This is because Eijiro will wed Sonoko's sister." "The sister recognizes the brother's love for Mitsuko, and vice versa." "Together, they will guard against Mitsuko's loving a third party." "The sister will help the brother to marry Mitsuko." "He will not object to the women's relationship after marriage." "If Mitsuko abandons one of the contracted parties, the other party must leave her." "Permission must be gained before either party runs off, or voluntarily dies with Mitsuko." "How does that sound?" "Fine." "Good." "Please sign it." "Shall I use my seal?" "This may hurt." "Just bear it." "Don't!" "A brother-sister blood oath." "It won't take long." "Keep still." "Close your eyes." "Pull yourself together!" "You partake of mine first." "Now, I'll drink yours." "Now, we're really brother and sister." "I'll look on you as my real sister." "Please regard me with your utmost favor." "As an enemy, I can be very nasty." "But as an ally, I'd lay down my life for you." "We mustn't tell Mitsuko about this." "It's our secret." "Then we used our blood to seal it." "I felt so afraid of Watanuki," "I didn't dare tell Mitsuko." "What's this scar?" "That's strange, Eijiro has one just like it." "Are you hiding something from me?" "Did you and he make a secret promise?" "You must have!" "You're hiding something, too, aren't you?" "What am I hiding?" "Something about yourself." "Your body." "He told you I'm pregnant, didn't he?" "In actual fact, he's incapable of being a father!" "What did you say?" "When he was a young boy, he had the mumps and that rendered him impotent." "Is that true?" "By the time I found out, it'd gone too far, so I continued to see him." "Then you must leave him." "He said he'd tell everything he knows." "When my marriage to a rich man came up he threatened to expose our relationship to the newspapers." "I wrote to the principal saying you and I were lovers." "You really fooled me, didn't you?" "Please forgive me!" "At first it was just a prank." "But you took it so seriously, and it became real." "I've more to confess about the stolen clothes." "Eijiro had the clerk hide them and made me call you." "He thought you'd get disgusted with me." "I see." "Watanuki is so vulgar and contemptible!" "But I can't bear to leave him." "He's wrecked my life!" "I'm so unlucky!" "Please help me." "You're the only one I can count on." "Please don't ever tire of me." "Why should I?" "I'm so glad you told me this." "To be honest," "Eijiro and I are eternally pledged to be brother and sister." "A pledge?" "Yes, to love you." "He used you so others can't have me!" "I'd rather die than marry him." "Please help me to leave him." "I hate him." "I understand, dear." "Of course I will." "I'd even die for you." "If it comes to the worst, I'll kill him!" "My dearest sister..." "So, the beautiful, predatory hawk that was Mitsuko, became a poor dove, pursued by an eagle." "I loved her so much, I felt sorry for her." "Mrs. Kakiuchi." "Your husband's here." "He wants to see you both." "What shall I do?" "My husband?" "My husband is calling on you." "What shall I do?" "Is there a special reason?" "Shall I say you can't see him?" "No, I'll see him." "I'll pad myself to look pregnant." "Good idea." "Oharu..." "Show him into the darkest room." "Please." "It has to be more prominent." "How many months am I?" "I forget." "About six or seven months, isn't it?" "I've long been thinking I should call on you, and I happened to be in the area." "Your wife is always so accommodating." "The baby is rather big." "Yes." "I'm six months." "How can I engineer a break with Watanuki?" "Before we found a way," "Watanuki got ahead of us." "Come upstairs." "I've something to show you." "Is this your signature, or is it a forgery?" "Speak up!" "Why don't you answer me?" "Then I can only assume it's genuine." "Watanuki came to the office yesterday." "Mitsuko and I are not only engaged, she's also carrying my child." "Your wife's interference has torpedoed any plans of marriage." "I want you to warn her." "Supervise her more closely." "She made me sign this in order to come between us." "You admit this is your wife's signature?" "It appears to be... but I will need her confirmation." "May I borrow this?" "If she admits to it, what are your intentions?" "She's my wife, we'll settle it ourselves." "Will you divorce her?" "That's my decision to make." "You're indebted to your wife's family." "It'd be a bad mistake." "That's none of your business!" "Is that so?" "In that case, I cannot entrust it to you." "Sorry to have bothered you." "Husbands who spoil their wives get into trouble." "I was rude." "Can we start again?" "Any number of times." "I was so absorbed in my own problems that I failed to respect yours." "Please put aside what I said earlier and understand just how distressed I am." "I'll be pleased to loan you the contract we pledged." "The thought you might divorce your wife frightens me." "That could spur her to run away with Mitsuko." "He's an odd fellow." "And you've pledged to become his sister?" "Without even consulting me?" "I demand an explanation." "There was no use in hiding it." "I decided to confess and see how things went." "So I told him about Watanuki's secret pledge." "And I explained the farce of Mitsuko's pregnancy, too." "I'm glad you told me." "You've been unusually frank and obedient today." "Now, tell me if you regret what you've gone and done." "I thought it best to appear meek, so I did just that." "I needn't tell you how wrong you were." "It's my fault, too, for not exercising more supervision." "It's our joint responsibility." "According to your version he started it, so he alone is to blame." "The pretense at sadness actually made me sad, and I began to cry." "Crying won't help." "I want to hear you say it." "Do you regret what you did?" "Will you give up that loose girl?" "I suppose my death will be apology enough!" "How can I possibly face people with this hanging over me?" "Let me die!" "I don't blame you for wanting to leave me!" "Who said I would?" "Would I scold you if I meant to?" "But if I abandoned Mitsuko, she'd have such a dreadful time!" "She'd die!" "Why would she die?" "She just would!" "She often threatens it!" "I've told her not to!" "So I'll die with her and apologize to the world!" "You fool!" "That's no way to apologize!" "If you bind me, I'll die!" "Let me die!" "But I was actually preoccupied with how to keep on seeing Mitsuko." "I was trying my best to shock him." "I wanted to make him agree about Mitsuko, so I kept up the weeping." "However, just threatening to kill myself didn't work." "So to spur him to come around quickly..." "Is that you, Mitsuko?" "Sister dear." "My husband's at the office." "Please come over." "As soon as you can." " Not a word to my husband." " Yes, ma'am." "Mitsuko." "Sister." "Watanuki's tortured me constantly since then." "I must tell you." "You both tried to betray me, so I used her husband to stop it." "You're mine alone now!" "Put your seal to this contract." "What is it?" "Mitsuko Tokumitsu and Eijiro Watanuki are forever one." "Mitsuko must follow Eijiro, even in death." "No way!" "Sign it." "Will you sign it!" "Come on, please!" "You're the only man who'd even consider such rubbish!" "You'd only use it to threaten me." "There's no reason for you to be afraid of that." "It's not like borrowing money." "You can't make people love you!" "What's your real reason?" "All I want is for you to make a change." "You can't guarantee the future." "You'll regret this." "Just do as I say." "If you don't, I'll do anything to get my revenge!" "I'll ruin you!" "If you want me to obey you, love me!" "Spiritual love is superior." "Buddha, Christ, all the great men were sexless." "I've a will of my own, too!" "I won't be used by you forever." "Try to leave me and I'll kill you!" "Kill me." "I decided to die long ago." "I will!" "Go on, kill me." "What a persistent man!" "My husband will be watching me closely." "And he'll threaten you." "Shall we run away?" "Yes, we have a cottage by the sea." "It'll be perfect." "If we take Oum, we could stay for five days." "Good idea!" "I'll get Oum to phone my husband say we took drugs and are unconscious." "That we've left letters." "It's suicide and to come right over." "That'll be interesting!" "He'll rush over." "We just act delirious for a few days, then wake up and start crying..." "In the meantime, we'll have Oum beg him to save us." "How clever you are." "We'd have to take some drug?" "Sleeping pills won't kill us." "We won't take much." "I wouldn't mind dying, if it was with you." "Exactly." "Neither would I." "Then let's do it right away." "You're both early." "I've prepared everything." "I'll phone him, you take the drug." "Is it the right amount?" "Yes, I fixed it just right." "All right." "Let's do it." "If I die, by mistake, you'll die, too, won't you?" "The same goes for you." "Did you write the letter?" "Yes, I did." "Read mine." "It's addressed to your husband." "Dear Mr. Kakiuchi..." "How can I apologize for taking your wife with me?" "Think of it as fate." "When he reads this, he'll be so touched he'll forget to hate." "Farewell Mitsuko..." "Farewell Sister." "I was unconscious for about half a day." "I opened my eyes around noon the next day." "But I didn't remember anything clearly for the next few days." "I seemed to be dreaming all the time." "At first, we slept in the middle, flanked by my husband and Oum." "They tried to move Mitsuko "to the ne"xt "room."" "She woke up." "Sister!" "Where are you?" "Give her back to me!" "Please!" "Sister." ""Ne"xt", I heard her and Watanuki" whispering to each other." "Is she really asleep?" "Don't talk." "I couldn't see them, but I knew." "How they fooled me!" "Only I was given the drug." "Mitsuko had called Watanuki." "It makes me so angry!" "Do you love me?" "I do." "Which of us?" "Her or me?" "You." "I tried to sit up but I couldn't." "My tongue was stuck." "I couldn't talk or open my eyes." "I was so angry, wondering what to do, but I fell asleep again." "Will she be angry?" "No, she'll probably be in favor of it." "Then let's be a threesome from now on." "Suddenly, Watanuki changed to my husband." "Why is he here?" "At first I thought it was just a silly dream." "But when the effects of the drug wore off... there was no room for doubt." "Your husband mistook me for you, and I was too dazed..." "Forgive us." "She called you by name and fixed your bedding for you." "And I just lifted her up, to pull her away, to sort out her bedding." "I thought her unconscious, so I wasn't careful." "When I became aware of what was happening, it was too late..." "It was weak of me." "Sonoko, please forgive me!" "I beg you!" "He was such a baby, so inexperienced in such matters." "And so I believed him." "I couldn't work out what Mitsuko was really up to." "Was she really only half-conscious, like she said?" "Or did she have an ulterior motive?" "Did she need to be worshipped by as many people as possible?" "After his first mistake with Mitsuko he repeated it, numerous times, though he did feel guilt." "I sympathized with him." "We were maladjusted." "That's why I sought Mitsuko's love." "He must have felt the same way without even realizing it." "Forgive me." "Think of it as fate and bear with it." "I want to leave Mitsuko but I can't." "You said I'm not passionate, but she proved I am!" "I forgave you, so you'll forgive me, won't you?" "Is this your way of getting back at me?" "You two will join forces and leave me out?" "You'll say we're not compatible, then you'll leave me." "I'm not wicked like that!" "I understand exactly how you feel." "I'd never make you unhappy." "Let's be a threesome." "If one of us is unhappy, let's all three of us die." "My husband visited Mitsuko's mother." "He rarely lies but he lied for love." "He said it wasn't true about her and Watanuki." "My husband said he'd handle matters, and not to trust Watanuki." "Then he paid off Watanuki with 100,000 yen." "Ostensibly, everything went well." "But in truth, our relationship had become torture." "You're back already?" "Don't come back so early." "We've barely had time to talk." "There's no work to do." "Let me in to talk to Mitsuko." "No!" "You've lots of time to be together!" "What about me?" "No!" "Go downstairs!" "Hurry up!" "But to tell the truth..." "Mitsuko phoned to ask me to hurry home." "She was angry, said you loved her more." "Is that true?" "Sister dear." "Kotaro." "You're no longer a couple." "Why do you act like you are?" "Call him Kotaro, not "Dear."" "Kotaro, you must call her Sonoko, or Sister." "Is that clear?" "Be that as it may, before she left, she brought a sleeping drug and water." "Take this and then go to bed." "If you must sleep together, I want to see you asleep before I go." "It's very strong." "Hurry up and take it." "Was I again the only one being made to sleep?" "If you two really are loyal to me, take this to prove it." "Is only mine real?" "Do you refuse to?" "While I'm asleep, do those two...?" "Why won't you take it?" "Why not?" "You're ganging up on me!" "You lied when you swore to be loyal to me!" "I'm so unhappy!" "Sonoko, wait!" "We'll just have to trust to luck." "Let's swap." "Yes, let's both take it at the same time..." "You'll take it?" "You really will?" "I'll administer it to you." "Go lie down." "Now, open your mouths." "A lot of water makes it more effective." "Wait here." "I'll go get some more." "Eat less, starting tomorrow." "It works better." "Mitsuko's little plan worked." "I can't begin to tell you just how jealous and suspicious my husband and I became." "Why are we given medicine every night?" "I wonder why." "We can't even hold hands, even though we sleep together." "Maybe she has a reason." "Have you any idea what it is?" "I don't know." "But you do, don't you?" "No, I don't." "But you must know." "I only suspect I'm being made to sleep." "I feel the same way." "Are you still awake when she leaves?" "No." "How about you?" "It's very strong." "I can't stay awake." "Then you really take it, don't you?" "Of course." "Look how pale I am." "Look at me." "But Mitsuko's always telling you to do this and that." "Because she loves you." "If she really did, she wouldn't be so cruel." "She obviously loves you more." "The medicine's getting stronger now." "I'm nauseous in the mornings, and my head is numb." "It's quite debilitating." "Yes, we hardly eat and we're always taking medicine." "It's bound to poison us eventually." "We've become shadows of ourselves." "We live in adoration of Mitsuko, our sun." "You're becoming more and more like Watanuki." "You, too." "Mitsuko thinks since we've become like this we can't sort things out." "She's desperate." "Maybe she plans to make us weaker until she kills us." "Perhaps so." "We're ghosts of our former selves." "Only Mitsuko remains healthy." "It makes me wonder." "Perhaps it's wiser to leave her." "Shall we?" "Yes, let's!" "No!" "You're only saying that to get her for yourself." "I'd rather die!" "In that case, neither will I." "You love her so much?" "Yes." "Love is everything." "I won't regret dying." "You've become exactly like me." "What I was so afraid of finally happened." "I would have been happy to have died with them!" "Look." "See what someone has sent us." "See!" "It's all about us, in detail!" "Must be that Watanuki." ""Love Triangle Scandal"" "That's the end of my career as a la"wy"er." "He tricked me." "He made copies of everything." "The end has come, hasn't it?" "Yes, this is the end, all right." "Let's die." "Watanuki has won!" "But that hardly matters anymore." "It was bound to happen." "You're right." "Yes, it doesn't matter." "I can't escape from him." "I'm better off dead!" "Let's die." "Let's the three of us die." "If you love me, die with me!" "You'll die with me, won't you?" "You will, too, won't you Kotaro?" "She wanted to leave the letters we'd exchanged as our last words." "So I kept the ones I sent, too." "The Goddess of Mercy I'd drawn so lovingly..." "We hung it in the bedroom upstairs and we all offered incense to it." "If this is Her will, I'll be happy to die." "If people name her the Goddess Mitsuko, and pray to her, we'll find salvation." "Am I finally to be the Goddess of Mercy?" "No more jealous quarrels when we die." "We must lie on either side of her, to guard her." "Yes, we'll guard the Goddess Mitsuko." "Regaining consciousness the next day," "I fully intended to follow them." "But perhaps they fooled me right up to the very end." "Did they arrange it to purposely leave me out?" "If I died and joined them, would I really be unwanted?" "If I hadn't had these doubts I wouldn't be alive today." "Even now, when I think of Mitsuko my feeling of love is greater than any hate, or feelings of bitterness." "Please forgive me for weeping like this." "The End"