Kita no kuni kara '98 jidai (1998) - full transcript
When the autumn of harvest arrived,
Hotaru came back to Furano.
The wedding will be held in January.
Hotaru will be living with Dad until then.
This was Hotaru's decision.
Dad
You left a cigarette burn on the cloth, again.
Oh, dear.
I'll be more careful.
He looked really happy.
Shokichi and I also went to his house
almost everyday to have a dinner with them.
Sometimes Aunty Yukiko joined us at dinner.
It was for the fist time after quite a long time
that my family reunited like that.
My dad seemed truly happy.
I wished Shu were here with us, too.
Sota
What?
I need to talk to you.
Sure, go ahead.
What do you want?
I just heard from Mr. Nakahata something weird.
It's about Goro's daughter, Hotaru.
What's wrong with her?
You told him something weird, didn't you?
That the baby she is expecting is not Shokichi's.
Is that true?
Let's get outside.
Don't tell anyone.
It's true.
So I planned the marriage between her and Shokichi
keeping it secret even from Goro and Jun.
Unbelievable!
I also couldn't believe it at first,
because she said she would give birth by herself.
That's not what I meant!
I can't believe you blab out to others
something so important!
I didn't blab out.
I just told Mr. Nakahata.
If you tell it to one,
the rumor spread immediately!
As a matter of fact, he told me!
Shinjuku
What?
Are you going to preach at me?
Sota, you are being strange recently, aren't you?
Hey
What?
Are you trying to pick a fight with me?
I will if you want, but I'll win!
I'm just kidding, let's talk peacefully.
No, it just slipped out.
I didn't tell anyone else.
Don't tell anyone, you either.
In any case...
I really want Hotaru to get married happily.
By the way, Shinjuku,
you built the new house of Kanji, didn't you?
Yes
Have you already collected all the bills for the construction?
No
Then hurry up to collect them all.
It would soon get uncollectible.
Why?
His farm is in crisis.
Probably at the end of this year he will go under.
The 10th October
I saw this year's first Yukimushi (a bug believed to show up right before the first snowfall).
Cold air streamed in
and the siren of frost warning echoed.
Then, suddenly the winter arrived.
I heard about it for the first time,
when I dropped by the shop of Aunty Yukiko.
Jun
Huh?
Can I ask you something weird?
What?
It's about the baby Hotaru is expecting.
When Goro came here the other day,
he suddenly told me something weird.
"Is the baby really Shokichi's?"
What do you mean?
He said
the baby might be by her ex
she was living with in Ochiishi.
And Shokichi proposed to her,
knowing everything.
How could it be...
Did my dad say that?
Yes, I laughed and said "it's impossible!",
but he didn't say anything.
Why does he say something so weird?
Why did he say stuff like that?
Jun
Yeah?
It couldn't be possible, could it?
No
Have you...heard anything like that?
No, I haven't.
It's so silly.
But...
The words of Aunty Yukiko
suddenly made a hole like a white little window in my mind.
That hole got bigger and bigeer all at once.
Hotaru's baby is not Shokichi's!
Come to think of it,
when Shokichi told me for the first time,
I felt something was a little strange.
It's true he was temporally in Nemuro for his job
before the beginning of the summer.
When he came back, he said he met Hotaru.
But from the way he told me,
I understood "he just dropped on".
It didn't sound like
that something happened between them.
Shokichi
Are you
hiding me
something very important?
It's terrible!
What?
Sota is arranging everything of our wedding
and is getting enthusiastic all by himself.
He involved Tokio and Hirosuke as well.
And he won't tell us what he's planning to do.
Though I told him many times I don't like flashy things,
he won't listen to my opinions, saying to mind my own business.
He's even practicing the speech.
Shokichi
Yeah?
Have you lately met my dad?
I ate with him three days ago.
How was he?
He began the charcoal making again. He was doing good.
Why?
Oh, I was just asking...
Sota told me about the baby of Hotaru.
She is quite bold, isn't she?
It happens, though.
She is also one of today's young people.
He doesn't know it at all, right?
Who is he?
Huh?
You mean Shokichi?
What does Shokichi not know?
Oh...I see. Nothing.
I mixed things up, never mind.
Naka...
No, I got it wrong.
Oh, I gotta go. Hey, Sir!
Naka...
Who are you talking about?
Oh, never mind.
Hey, Sir!
Sota told me about the baby of Hotaru.
She is quite bold, isn't she?
He doesn't know it at all, right?
Hotaru? Are you back?
Excuse us.
Welcome!
Uncle
How have you been?
I've been doing well.
I'm sorry if I left without any notice.
I was surprised!
You won't come back to Furano for long?
For a while.
Besides, I also quit the job.
It's so lonely...
He...
went to see your family, didn't he?
He did.
Did he behave properly?
Yes, he did!
Oh, I see.
He was nervous, wasn't he?
He toootally was!
Oh my.
So...
Is everything going OK between you two?
I suppose so.
Yeah
Here you are.
I see.
No,
then it's OK.
But...
he is shy
and always sticks to a stupid pride...
So...how can I put it...
You know...
his feelings...
like...
He can't express himself well.
So...you know...
Though he badly want to see you
he's too embarrassed, or shy
to take the initiative to call you.
But...
he...
really loves you.
I can tell that.
I can tell that.
Yeah
So...
if it's OK with you
could you get in touch with him...?
though it's not something I should ask you...
OK
Yeah
I'll get in touch
for sure.
Thank you.
Thank you!
Goro
Huh?
Even if...
Jun says he doesn't like me,
I...
never let him go.
So, don't worry.
I won't...
let you go, either!
Thank you.
Hotaru is now back at home.
Actually...
she...
is going be married with Shokichi.
Really?
Yeah, so we often eat together lately.
Congratulations!
With Shokichi!
Oh, dear!
I'm sooo glad!
Yeah
Right
I am...
truly grateful to Shokichi.
I think...
I've never been...
so happy...
So...
to want more than this
would be rude
to gods...
Yeah...
But sometimes it comes to my mind
that how I would be happy
if you were with us, too.
Jun must feel the same way.
Sometimes when I look at him,
he's spacing out thinking about something else.
At that time,
a serious drama was about to begin in a small corner of Rokugo.
But I still had no idea about it.
Where is your dad?
I'm sorry
but he cannot come.
What are you going to do
with this amount of debts?
No one here can shoulder this amount.
At this point...
it's over.
No one here who co-signed tha paper for you
is able to shoulder your debt.
Organic farming or no pesticide?
You took farming too lightly.
If you don't want to cause any more trouble to all,
leave your house and land
and get out of here empty-handed.
P...Please wait!
My...
My lands...
I can give them up all.
But...
But...
Lands of my dad...
Those we took over from my grandpa...
It's too late, Kanji.
We can't do anything any more.
Try to understand...
how we feel in the slightest...
What happened?
Kanji is in troubles.
Farmer's Association also gave up on him.
What will happen?
He has no other choice but to quit farming.
I saw the harsh side of Sota for the first time.
He told him to leave his house and land
and get out of here empty-handed
in front of his wife...
I was shocked.
Few years ago, he enlarged his land.
With the help of my dad,
he went into organic farming..
This year, he got married and built a new house.
He was always full of spirit and enthusiasm.
That Kanji...
had been driven into such a corner.
People here call it "Kumikan",
it stands for "Joint Accounting".
Under this system,
members of the Agricultural Cooperative get seeds, young plants,
compost, pesticides and every other things through the Cooperative.
The cost is put in the account book,
and is offset by the harvest at the end of every year.
If the harvest is not as good as you expected
because of various reasons like unstable weather,
the debt remains in the account book.*
When one goes into debt to the Cooperative in this way,
the Farmer's Association consisting of neighboring farmers
cosigned the paper.
So...
one farmer goes under,
other farmers suffer, too.
Chinta
I heard it. Where is my brother?
He went to see the head of the Association. Come in.
I'm still on duty. I'll come back later.
We waited for a while
but Kanji didn't come back,
so we went to the stone house of my dad.
He couldn't hide his shock
at the tragedy of Kanji's family
he had been helping out for years.
What time is it?
It's eleven.
Let's get going?
Yeah
Dad
We gotta go.
Bye
Someone's coming.
Tsuyako
Didn't my husband come here?
No
Who is it?
It's Tsuyako.
What happened?
She asked if Kanji came here.
What happened?
Kanji is missing!
What do you mean?
I keep calling everywhere,
but he is nowhere!
I see. Sorry again I called you this late.
Excuse me, then.
It's the same situation
as my dad's.
I call the police just in case.
Jun
He is in a hut over there.
Is he all right?
There are your dad and Chinta.
So he'll be OK.
Kanji had this in his hand.
It's pesticide.
He was going to drink it.
Let me use your car.
I go get Tsuyako.
That was...
what happened that night.
How have you been?
I've been doing well.
Sorry
I didn't call you at all.
I'm sorry, too.
I tried to
call you mamy times.
But...
If I had heard your voice,
I couldn't have helped...
rushing here to see you...
breaking the promise with my brother.
This is a Christmas present for you
though it's a bit too early.
Oh, I'm so glad.
Can I open it?
Oh, is this a notebook?
These are my words
I dedicate to you.
I wrote every night since I went back to Kami-sunagawa.
Whenever...
I really wanted to call you,
I suppressed the urge,
and wrote down my feelings here.
So...
this is how I've been feeling since then.
Oh, you drew as well.
Yes
I've always loved drawing since my childhood.
I drew whenever I couldn't sleep.
You had a lot of sleepless nights?
Yes
Soooo many!
I too had such nights.
What were you doing in such night?
I drank.
Hotaru is back here in Furano, right?
Yes
I want to meet her.
Oh, have you ever met her?
Not yet.
She will get married with Shokichi.
I heard that!
Wait, who told you?
The other day, your dad came to Kami-sunagawa.
My dad?
He treated me to a dinner.
What? He never mentioned it!
I know, we met in secret.
Oh, I can't take my eyes off him for a moment.
Did he tell you?
Huh?
Tell me what?
I can't believe it,
but Hotaru is expecting a child.
Seven months, already!
That idiot, Shokichi!
I can't take your eyes off him, either.
I'm jealous of it...
Why?
Do you have to go back tonight?
As you wish...
Thereafter, we went to a motel in Shimanoshita.
To my surprise, the motel was so crowded
that there was a line of cars waiting to enter it.
I didn't expect to see
so many happy couples in a depopulated town like this,
which gave us a tender feeling.
I'm not sure if it encouraged me,
but suddenly,
I felt like letting out to Shu...
what was bothering my mind.
Did my dad tell you something?
Something what?
About the child Hotaru is expecting.
Not at all.
In fact,
he seems to be doubting
doubting what?
He's...
suspecting the child Hotaru is expecting...
is actually...
not Shokichi's...
What do you mean?
It could be...
actually...
not Shokichi's...
but her ex's...
What do you think?
Do you think it's possible?
If it were true,
Hotaru and Shokichi...
knowing everything,
would be deceiving us all...
Do you think it's even possible?
Shokichi...might do that.
He is...
really manly.
Somehow...I also feel that way.
He has that manly side.
Besides,
come to think of it,
I feel like he's been seriously in love with her
for a long time.
But,
even if it were the case,
would she say yes to him?
Shokichi...
must know everything.
I wonder...
how Hotaru is feeling.
After a while, we could finally make it into the room.
We became one after a long time.
Shu's body I touched after five months
shivered warmly like a little bird.
It was probably past three...
when I suddenly woke up...
and got out of bed silently
not to wake her up.
I opened the notebook with a green leather cover...
she gave me as a Christmas present.
That was...
filled with Shu's words
so passionate that almost upset me.
I want to see Jun.
I want to see Jun.
It ringed.
I want to see Jun.
I was a wind-bell.
It ringed and ringed...
Unchangeable...
I wonder...
I believe...
When I believe that...
It encourages me a little bit.
I can't think of one thing...
about Jun...
Feeling about Jun...
Because...
I can't forget him even for a second.
The same...
The same...
I want to drink the same water as he does.
I want to breathe the same air as he does.
I want to take the same sunlight as he does.
I want to laugh with him.
It was three days after that...
when Kanji's family disappeared from Furano.
The light went off...
in another farmhouse in Rokugo.
Out of 30 cho (1 cho is about 10000m²) of the land he had,
Sota took over about 10 cho...
almost one third of it.
He also took the new house,
tractors, warehouses, etc...
for next to nothing.
To tell the truth,
when we were planning about the wedding few days ago,
he recommended us that house,
saying, "It's a perfect house for a newly-married couple.
I let you rent it cheap."
I was speechless.
He also asked me...
to help his farm because he needs more workforse...
as his business is getting bigger and bigger.
He asked you many times as well, didn't he?
Yeah
He'll come to you again.
He hasn't given up.
Do you rent that house?
Are you kidding?
How can I do stuff like that?
I was feeling so sad.
Sota
What happened to you?
Since my childhood, I always loved him...
and I dreamed to be a man like him.
I don't dislike him even now.
But...
now he's enthusiastic about making his business bigger...
and all he has in his mind is to make more money.
I can't respect him any more.
Sota
Please
At this rate...
I will...
There wes furniture looking familiar thrown away.
A lot of furniture that was staying happily...
in the living room of Kanji's new house.
There was the happiness of Kanji and Tsuyako
thrown away as there was no use of it any more.
I see.
So they threw away the furniture.
But, Jun...
don't think badly of Sota.
He's just putting his all into what he thinks right.
Regarding Hotaru's wedding as well...
But I sometimes can't forgive him.
He looks down on my job and say it out loud.
He also speak ill of what you are doing...
behind your back everywhere he goes.
Jun, cut it out.
Otherwise,
you'll end up talking behind his back.
You'd better not talk behind someone's back.
What I'm doing is outdated.
I know it well.
He is right.
But..
this spring, Kanji came here
to show me an earthworm he found in his field
saying, "Earthworms have come back to my field.
Thank you, Uncle. They have come back!"
His eyes were filled with tears.
For many years,
he used the pesticides,
so the soil of his field was about to die.
From that condition,
we revived it with compost and charcoals
to that level.
He seemed really happy.
I was happy, too, of course.
But...
what made me happier than anything else
was his words,
"Thank you, Uncle."
Those words made me the happiest.
Come to think of it,
I feel sorry for farmers of these days.
No matter how much effort you put into making good vegetables,
you can't hear the words of thanks...
from those who ate them in person.
So...
I...
keep things small...
within the range where you can hear "thank you."
It was the day after that
when Sota asked me to a bar.
I appreciate your thought.
But I want to continue this job for now.
Until when?
I don't know, but...
You are a temporary staff, aren't you?
If you keep working like this, when can you get married?
I know,
but I've come to like this job.
That's fine. That's totally fine.
But listen to me...
I recently acquired more lands.
I have already 100 cho only for the stock farm.
I'll acquire more the next year.
My cows are attracting attentions.
More and more people are interested in them.
The scale is incomparable to three years ago.
This is an important moment for my business.
I need more workforce.
By workforce, I mean not day laborers,
but partners who'll be working with me for long time.
Now I have ten people, but it's far from enough.
When I acquire more lands next year,
it will be worse. Even today....
Oh, I just remembered. Jun, give me a hand tomorrow.
I have to carry the tractor of Kanji...
to a repair shop in the town.
I took it in but it's half broken.
I bought it because it was cheap but I shouldn't have.
I need a help. Give me a hand tomorrow.
No
It'll be fine after your work.＃
Give me a hand.
Absolutely no.
I refuse to move Kanji's properties.
Can I have seconds, Madam?
Certainly
I see.
I'm sorry.
Then never mind about the tractor.
I'll figure something out, but...
Sota
I recently don't understand your way.
You must be going out of your mind.
It looks like you turned into a different person.
It's admirable that you are making a success.
I agree with that.
But...
That doesn't mean...
you can do whatever you want to succeed.
To have a success is that important?
At this rate,
I might end up disliking you.
I will be...
growing apart from you.
I...
respected you.
Sorry I kept you waiting.
Here it is.
Are you talking about Kanji?
It's one of the reasons, but not the only reason.
As for the Kanji's matter, I am the victim.
The amount of money he borrowed
from the Agricultural Cooperative...
was enormous.
I warned him many times.
But he got into organic farming ignoring my advice.
Organic farming cost a lot.
It requires workforces, too.
It is at the mercy of the slightest change of weather.
With the poor soil of Hokkaido,
in a depopulated city like ours,
it's fundamentally impossible.
Nevertheless...
I don't know who infused him...
but he got hooked on it like a child.
But you acquired as many as 10 cho of lands,
from the person now you called a child!
Borrowing money!
I too increased the amount of debt a lot!
To clean up his debts...!
But my debts are different from Kanji's.
I'm borrowing money with a clear vision to make full use of it.
How do you make use of the house?
Why do you need that house?
The house, the furniture in it and the tractor you were talking about...
The tractor of which you beat the price down to as little as 5000 yen?
Who are you?
I am an acquaintance of Kanji.
You are the one who recommended him to enlarge his farm, aren't you?
And now you bleed him dry, once he failed!?
How admirable! We can never be as good as you!
Complain to the Agricultural Cooperative.
Complain to the joint accounting system.
Complain to the current system of agriculture!
I'm just following the current way!
Please stop!
Please stop...
Calm down!
We farmers...
cannot survive this era otherwise!
Please put it on my bill.
Sota!
Next day, after work, I stopped by the Terrace
to buy a Christmas present for Shu.
Aunty Yukiko's shop was crowded.
Hi, Jun. Sorry, can you answer the phone?
Hello. This is the Candle Shop of Forest.
Dad?
What happened?
Where?
I'm coming right now.
Jun
Jun!
What happened?
In Yahataoka
Sota...
was crushed...
under the track...
and died...!
He...
all by himself...
tried to carry the tractor...
It's weekend...
It's weekend...
actually, it doesn't matter but the date is not good...
Oh, you mean this one?
Yeah, I chose this one.
Then this C type...
This will be fine.
The phone is ringing!
Hello, yes...
Yes
Yes
That's right.
In the curve of Yahataoka.
No one saw it, so we are not sure about the details...
but they say the tractor was coming off the truck...
so he got out to fix it.
Then the truck tilted...
with the weight of the tractor.
Yes
Yes
No, he was alone.
He... all by himself...
He was without any assistant.
Yes
Yes
The funeral is the day after tomorrow.
At eleven.
Jun
The prayer is about to begin.
Let's...get inside.
Dad
Huh?
Sota...
asked me...
to help him...
carry the tractor, yesterday.
I said no...
I said I didn't want to...
If only I had helped him...
If...
If only I had helped him...
he...
wouldn't have...
ended...
ended like this all alone...
Let's...
get inside.
Hello
Oh, is this Shu?
Wow, Goro!
Sorry I called you this late...
Actually...
there was an accident, and...
Sota died.
What?
Jun is upset...
with what happened.
I'm afraid to ask you
but could you possibly come here now by taxi
and stay with him for a little bit?
OK, I'm coming right now.
I'm so sorry to ask you at this time of night.
Where is he?
Oh, do you know Sota's house?
Yes, I do.
Sorry
Do we excuse ourselves?
Do we excuse ourselves?
Then, we'll come again tomorrow morning.
Thank you.
Get a hold of yourself.
Yes
You should take some rest.
No, I'm fine.
Jun
This way, please.
Hotaru
This is Shu.
I'm Shu.
I'm Hotaru.
How did you know about this?
Your dad called me.
He asked me...
to stay with you.
Are you OK?
Yes
I am fine.
Thank you for coming all the way.
Did you come by taxi?
My dad drove me.
Did he go back?
He's waiting in the car.
He said, he would be sleeping in the car...
so he would be OK no matter how late I'd stay here.
Oh!
Oh, hello.
He's half asleep.
Hello
Sorry for the trouble.
How do you do?
Where is Hotaru?
She is taking a rest at the house of Sota's mother.
Yesterday,
late at night,
when I was about to shut down the shop,
Sota...
came to the Ningle Terrace alone.
We talked...
for a while in the shop.
At first,
he kept talking only about Hotaru.
He said, "I'm staking my life on her wedding."
That's exactly what he would say, isn't it?
staking his life, huh?
So...
it occurred to me...
to asked him...
like I asked you as well a while ago...
about...
the child she is expecting.
I...
had a feeling he knew something.
Unusual as it was,
he didn't answer me.
Instead of answering me,
he suddenly said.
"I want to
do something with Jun"
"Now,
Hotaru is fine."
"I left her to Shokichi,
so now I'm relieved."
"The rest is...
about Jun."
"I'm...
really...
worried about Jun."
"No matter...
how he thinks of himself...
To me...
he is...
my younger brother."
"So...
I'm...
worrying about him."
He was totally different from usual.
I thought he was crying.
So I laughed...
Jun
I'm sorry!
I shouldn't have...!
Of all times...!
Sota's funeral...
was held two days later.
The crematorium...
was near the last stop of the bus route nine,
at the entrance to the street of Yahataoaka
I always took to see him.
Sota became smoke...
Hotaru
Do you...
really love Shokichi?
What do you mean?
Never mind.
I do
because...
he is so big.
I see.
Yeah
I see.
It started to snow again from that evening.
It kept snowing in Furano for a while...
with a few moments of break.
Uncle Narita and Shinjuku...
brought up the topic
when we gathered at Sota's house
few days after the New Year.
Jun
Yes?
We have something to talk to you two.
Can you stay here for a little?
Can we have a talk later?
Jun
Huh?
We also have something to talk to you.
Yes
Do you have some time tomorrow night?
Yes
Then, at seven, at Kumagera.
OK
We wanted to...
talk about the future of this farm.
We discussed various things with Aiko, too.
I heard Sota, while alive, wanted you two
to help him with this farm.
He proposed the offer to you, didn't he?
Yes
To you as well?
Yes
Well, don't you feel like giving it a try?
We understand you'll be upset...
when we suddenly ask you something like this.
Especially for amateurs like you.
But fortunately, here we have people who know the job
like Oshikiri and Fukuro.
They'll be taking care of the practical work for the time being.
The problem is the future administration of the whole thing.
I need more workforce.
I need partners who will be working with me for long time.
We checked the account book...
with Aiko this whole week.
It's true that the performance is excellent now,
but he had enlarged the business to a terrifying scale.
Aiko was surprised, too.
To tell the truth, the amount of debt is quite large.
He borrowed money from the Agricultural Cooperative to enlarge the business.
Part of it was borrowed a few years ago with a fairly high interests.
Borrowing money!
This is an incredible amount to us.
I also increased the amount of debt a lot!
Jun
Yes
We are not telling you to take over...
all of this at once.
It would be nonsense.
We'll take care of the administration.
We will think about whether to transform it into a company or not.
But, most importantly,
this farm was made by Seikichi and Sota.
Aiko and Mrs. Masako say...
they want relatives they know well to work here.
Can you give it a thought?
So... how did you reply to them?
We haven't replied yet.
What do you think, Dad?
It's hard to say...
But...
farming is not easy.
Among other things,
it's at the mercy of weather we cannot foresee.
It's a job...
that never turns out you want it to be.
Besides,
people today, not only Sota,
try to enlarge the scale to make more money.
But it means...
the cost increases as well.
200/100 is...
the same as 2/1.
When the numerator goes up,
the denominator goes up as well.
So the risk increases as much.
The decision is...
up to you.
But...
I can at least assure you
that it's not easy.
Next day, when I arrived at seven at Kumagera,
Uncle Tokio and Hirosuke were already drinking.
What is this?
It's the scenario Sota wrote
of the wedding of Hotaru.
Scenario?
I wouldn't dare to call them characters.
You'd better not read it.
His poor handwriting brings you a stiff neck.
Yeah
We've been involved into this since last year.
He was saying, "this is a big event,
so we would throw an exceptionally falshy one, absolutely in secret."
But now that Sota ended like that,
we should realize his wish.
W...wait a moment please.
I don't think it's necessary
for us to realize his wish about this.
As you know, both Hotaru and Shokichi
don't like falshy things, so...
We can't change this plan so easily.
Actually, we also said to him it was too flashy
and we were holding him back.
But now that Sota ended like this...
We can't betray the wish of a dead person, can we?
Well, how flashy is it?
First of all, 20 sky rockets.
Sky rockets?
We've already ordered it to a maker in Asahikawa.
Please cancel it! Immediately!
Please stop it now.
We can't do that.
We've also rented horses from Banei Horse Race.
Horses?
On a sleigh pulled by the horses
the bride and her father
will have a parade from Rokugo
to Kitanomine all along the Rokugo street!
They will freeze.
If they do stuff like that in this season,
they will freeze to death on the sleigh!
He was planning to put a stove on the sleigh.
It won't work!
They will definitely freeze!
The sleigh is pulled by three horses from Banei.
It's followed by two state-of-the art tractors
and a Cadillac limousine with their go-betweens on board!
Let's go!
Are you kidding?
Jun, please!
Let them cancel it immediately!
Otherwise I won't go to the wedding.
I told them to cancel it immediately, too.
I also told them that we don't like falshy things.
But they don't give way to me at all.
They even say that if we ignore the plan
Sota put his heart and soul into...
he'll definitely curse us...
Please...please make a compromise.
But, the wish of deceased Sota was...
flaming so passionately.
We can't ignore the feelings of a deceased!
Please let us do it!
Please, I sincerely beg you!
Please let us do it!
This is to make of Sota's feelings a reality!
Please don't!
What's wrong?
A costumer brought them here.
They said Sota ordered them.
He already paid for this.
Big brother.
Please don't call me like that.
It gives me goose bumps all over the body!
Same here, but I'm doing my best!
Jun
Yeah?
If Sota...
was so enthusiastic...
about our wedding...
I think...
I can endure...
a little bit of embarrassment.
I wouldn't do it twice,
but if it's only once,
I think...
I can give in and endure it.
Of course you wouldn't do it twice.
Are you planning to get married twice?
That's not what I meant!
I can't take my eyes off you.
Lu lu lu lu lu lu....
Lu lu lu lu lu lu....
You can't sleep?
No
Don't worry. We still have time.
I will talk them out of carrying out the plan.
Jun
Yeah?
Have you given a thought to that matter?
You mean the farm?
Yeah
Have you?
I'm thinking about it everyday.
Have you found your answer?
Not yet...
But...
I feel like...
this is what Sota gave me, or...
how can I put it...
what gods gave me...
or perhaps a destiny or stuff like that.
A destiny?
Yeah
I don't know about you,
but I couldn't see...
the purpose of my life...
or something...
I can stake myself on...
until recently.
But,
now that I'm going to marry Hotaru
and I'm going to have a family,
I realized...
that I must find such things
both for myself...
and for my future family
and that I must become down-to-earth.
Shokichi
Yeah?
Are you really OK with Hotaru?
What are you saying?
I'm the one who proposed to her.
She might do...
crazy things but...
she's also...
struggling a lot in her own way.
I know.
Both I and my dad...
are feeling really...
from bottom of our heart...
grateful to you.
What do you mean?
I mean it literally.
Jun
Yes?
Once...
Sota...
clearly told me
that the Kuroita is...
the family to me.
His words
made me really happy.
Because that was...
how I'd always been feeling.
So...
don't have unnecessary worries.
Leave Hotaru...
to me.
Please take good care fo her.
I know.
Count on me.
What are you doing?
I sleep down here from tonight.
Where is the bridal kimono?
I put it on the second floor.
Do you want to take a bath?
Oh,
yeah, I take it. I got cold.
Isn't it too warm?
No, nice hot!
There are...
only three days left.
It's finally coming.
Is everything OK with the baby?
Yes, it is.
Recently it started to kick.
Oh, I see.
Finally,
I'm gonna be a grandpa.
Can I ask you something?
What?
The night when you get married with Mom,
what did you talk about?
Oh, stop it.
I forgot such old things.
Tell me.
What?
What did you talk about with Mom?
Can't you just let it go?
I want to know.
To tell the truth,
I...
made her mad.
Why?
Actually...
I...
don't know why, either.
That night,
I was over the moon...
and felt like dreaming.
So I put my hands on the rim of tatami,
and said to her, "thank you very much".
I said, "thank you for marrying me."
Then...
She suddenly got mad,
saying, "why do you thank me!?"
It's only natural.
Why so?
Why? Because...
It was...
my sincere feeling.
To a...
shabby fellow like me...
such a wonderful woman like her
became the wife...
For that,
I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thanked her.
Yeah
I still...
don't understand why she got mad.
Can I come over to your futon?
Come!
Are you OK?
Probably...
she wanted to say...
"why do you thank me!?
you are the wonderful one!"
Don't be stupid.
I'm the worst.
I'm so careless, my eyes are dropping, and...
You are...
wonderful.
Don't make fun of me.
Oh
It kicked.
Dad
Yeah?
Touch it.
Is it all right?
Come on.
Come on.
Do you feel that? It moves.
Oh yeah.
It moved!
Hotaru
Have you...
completely gotten over the doctor in Ochiishi?
Yes
I've gotten over him.
Yeah
Dad
Then it's OK.
Then it's fine.
That's fine.
It moved again.
Dad
What?
I never...
forger this cent of you.
Yeah
And finally the day arrived.
Shokichi's mother arrived at Rokugo
with the first bus from Sapporo.
Shokichi's mother arrived here
with the first bus from Sapporo.
Shokichi!
Then we went together to rent the costume of Shokichi.
So handsome!
To tell the truth, he seemed a boy celebrating Shichigosan
(a celebration for children at the age of 3, 5 and 7).
We talked a lot with Uncle Tokio and others
and they finally agreed to cancel the parade with horses.
But the fireworks had already been ordered by Sota.
To make things worse, even Mr. Nakahata and Shinjuku
got excited with it.
I have to admit it is a shortcoming of people around here
to love festivities too much.
Beautiful!
She is beautiful, isn't she?
There was a Hotaru I'd never seen before.
Dad
Jun
and Aunty
Thank you very much
for taking care of me for a long time.
I...
always had everything my own way
but not a single day...
passed by in which I forgot about you three.
Such a day...
will never come.
I truly appreciate the days...
I spent here since I was eight.
I wish...
I could become the old me...
of those days.
From today, I will be living happily with Shokichi.
Dad,
thank you very much for everything.
Then, Mr. and Mrs. Nakahata...
came to pick us up as go-betweens.
Why are you so frozen? Smile!
This is a happy day!
Mr. Nakahata let us stand in front of the stone house
and took a picture of us.
Then we headed for the wedding.
What's he doing, your dad?
Jun, go to hurry him up.
Dad, what are you doing? Hurry up!
Yeah, yeah.
This is Sota's way to celebrate you.
Oh, I have to take pictures.
Hurry up! We don't have much time.
Oh, thank you! We kept you waiting.
Today it suddenly arrived from Sapporo.
Sota arranged this, too.
Naka
Huh?
What is this, a bus?
It's not a bus, it's a high-end car.
It came here all the way from Sapporo?
Yes, this is a gift from Sota.
Are you kidding? What a waste of money!
Goro!
Is this a kind of sarcasm to me?
What?
I think I'm also doing the best of my ability
for my daughter.
Why do others have to take so much care of the wedding of my child!
Wait, Goro!
Don't start complaining to a dead person.
I've decided.
What?
I won't go.
Hey, wait! Goro!
Wait, Goro!
We don't have time!
Goro!
It was really tough to persuade him.
On such an important day,
my dad was somehow...
going completely nuts.
You two do what you want!
He quickly changed the clothes
and started to make charcoals.
Please! Calm down!
It's the wedding of Hotaru!
How can you not go?
Stop making charcoals! Ouch!
Stop it! Stop! Goro!
Jun, tell him to stop!
It took two and a half hours to persuade him.
During the whole ceremony,
he was in a sulky mood
and didn't even shed a tear.
I couldn't tell...
if it was because he was nervous
or because he was still angry.
The wedding reception...
was held in a ceremony hall in Kitanomine.
It was also arranged by Sota.
He was more and more sulky.
Well, I may have joked too much,
but these are my sincere words of celebration to them.
Congratulations again!
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
So now...
we change the taste completely.
Let me call it "Show of Fireflies",
as the name of the bride, Hotaru.
The bride and the groom are coming in!
Thank you very much.
Now...
I want to tell you something.
There was this guy...
called Sota Kitamura...
the bride Hotaru loved like a big brother
since her childhood.
To tell the truth, he was practically the person
who brought together the bride and the groom here,
and planned and arranged almost everything
of this wedding and the reception.
He was the person,
except the families of the bride and the groom,
who was looking forward to this wedding the most.
He was supposed to...
give a speech today, at the end of this reception.
But...
as almost everyone here must know,
Sota...
died of an accident without seeing this day arrive.
Let me introduce Mrs. Aiko Kitamura, the widow of Sota.
Hotaru, Shokichi
Congratulations.
I'm sorry he passed away without seeing it through to the end.
He is so irresponsible, isn't he?
But that is how he was.
But...
he was really, really happy
about your marriage.
Since last year, he practiced the speech at night.
In fact,
when I was sorting out his things a few days ago,
I found a cassete tape he recorded his voice into,
when he was practicing the speech.
Can I play it?
Though the sound is not very good...
Huh...
Shokichi, Hotaru, congratulations!
I'm so happy that you two are made up...
oh...made up is not the right word...
how can I put it...
Huh...
I'm so happy...
that you get together!
I'm so happy, I almost cry!
But...
I think, among others,
Goro is the happiest, yeah.
I think he is really happy!
Hotaru!
You should never forget.
You are living now,
become full-fledged,
got pregnant,
got a wonderful man named Shokichi
and now happier than you've ever been,
All of them are thanks to your dad.
I remember very well that day...
when I went to the Nunobe station to pick you up.
You and Jun came out with your dad.
Jun, that cheeky boy, was tiny like a bean sprout.
Hotaru, you still had an infantile figure with a potbelly.
Imagine how much effort he put into
to bring up you two all alone since then.
Once he was trying to melt the ice in the water pipe.
Next to you guys sleeping,
he was sewing...
to repair your clothes.
He would prepare bento boxes
and bring them to you.
Oh, no. Tears have welled up.
Bring me sake!
After we sent Hotaru and Shokichi off to the hotel,
we went out to drink in the town.
My dad was completely drunk and went nuts.
His cheerfulness...
looked even odd.
It seemed like he wanted to show his gratitude to all...
that he couldn't express in words,
playing the role of a clown.
So he danced like a crazy.
Or,
he might
have been trying to forget desperately
the loneliness of the night he let go of Hotaru.
Shu?
Yeah, it went well.
We made it through the day.
No
Dad went completely nuts.
He is dancing. Totally drunken.
I should have invited you as well.
I think Dad also wanted you to come.
But I just ended up holding back.
Now I'm going to drive my dad back home.
I'll stay beside him at the stone house tonight.
Rei...Reiko.
Jun
It came to my mind.
It came to my mind!
The smoke comes up from the chimney of the hut of charcoal making.
Using that smoke,
I will make a device to make smoked foods.
Smoked foods, do you understand?
I do.
In old days,
we made it with a tree hollow,
in our first...
house.
Do you remember?
In that...
deserted house..
Get up, Dad.
Jun, do you remember?
I do, I do. Dad, tell me about it tomorrow.
We arrived.
Now I prepare your futon. Wait a minute.
Dad, don't fall asleep here.
I prepare it now. You'll catch a cold.
Dad, please come here. You'll catch a cold here.
Thank you.
Translated by kameu & kumasan for d-addicts.
Hotaru came back to Furano.
The wedding will be held in January.
Hotaru will be living with Dad until then.
This was Hotaru's decision.
Dad
You left a cigarette burn on the cloth, again.
Oh, dear.
I'll be more careful.
He looked really happy.
Shokichi and I also went to his house
almost everyday to have a dinner with them.
Sometimes Aunty Yukiko joined us at dinner.
It was for the fist time after quite a long time
that my family reunited like that.
My dad seemed truly happy.
I wished Shu were here with us, too.
Sota
What?
I need to talk to you.
Sure, go ahead.
What do you want?
I just heard from Mr. Nakahata something weird.
It's about Goro's daughter, Hotaru.
What's wrong with her?
You told him something weird, didn't you?
That the baby she is expecting is not Shokichi's.
Is that true?
Let's get outside.
Don't tell anyone.
It's true.
So I planned the marriage between her and Shokichi
keeping it secret even from Goro and Jun.
Unbelievable!
I also couldn't believe it at first,
because she said she would give birth by herself.
That's not what I meant!
I can't believe you blab out to others
something so important!
I didn't blab out.
I just told Mr. Nakahata.
If you tell it to one,
the rumor spread immediately!
As a matter of fact, he told me!
Shinjuku
What?
Are you going to preach at me?
Sota, you are being strange recently, aren't you?
Hey
What?
Are you trying to pick a fight with me?
I will if you want, but I'll win!
I'm just kidding, let's talk peacefully.
No, it just slipped out.
I didn't tell anyone else.
Don't tell anyone, you either.
In any case...
I really want Hotaru to get married happily.
By the way, Shinjuku,
you built the new house of Kanji, didn't you?
Yes
Have you already collected all the bills for the construction?
No
Then hurry up to collect them all.
It would soon get uncollectible.
Why?
His farm is in crisis.
Probably at the end of this year he will go under.
The 10th October
I saw this year's first Yukimushi (a bug believed to show up right before the first snowfall).
Cold air streamed in
and the siren of frost warning echoed.
Then, suddenly the winter arrived.
I heard about it for the first time,
when I dropped by the shop of Aunty Yukiko.
Jun
Huh?
Can I ask you something weird?
What?
It's about the baby Hotaru is expecting.
When Goro came here the other day,
he suddenly told me something weird.
"Is the baby really Shokichi's?"
What do you mean?
He said
the baby might be by her ex
she was living with in Ochiishi.
And Shokichi proposed to her,
knowing everything.
How could it be...
Did my dad say that?
Yes, I laughed and said "it's impossible!",
but he didn't say anything.
Why does he say something so weird?
Why did he say stuff like that?
Jun
Yeah?
It couldn't be possible, could it?
No
Have you...heard anything like that?
No, I haven't.
It's so silly.
But...
The words of Aunty Yukiko
suddenly made a hole like a white little window in my mind.
That hole got bigger and bigeer all at once.
Hotaru's baby is not Shokichi's!
Come to think of it,
when Shokichi told me for the first time,
I felt something was a little strange.
It's true he was temporally in Nemuro for his job
before the beginning of the summer.
When he came back, he said he met Hotaru.
But from the way he told me,
I understood "he just dropped on".
It didn't sound like
that something happened between them.
Shokichi
Are you
hiding me
something very important?
It's terrible!
What?
Sota is arranging everything of our wedding
and is getting enthusiastic all by himself.
He involved Tokio and Hirosuke as well.
And he won't tell us what he's planning to do.
Though I told him many times I don't like flashy things,
he won't listen to my opinions, saying to mind my own business.
He's even practicing the speech.
Shokichi
Yeah?
Have you lately met my dad?
I ate with him three days ago.
How was he?
He began the charcoal making again. He was doing good.
Why?
Oh, I was just asking...
Sota told me about the baby of Hotaru.
She is quite bold, isn't she?
It happens, though.
She is also one of today's young people.
He doesn't know it at all, right?
Who is he?
Huh?
You mean Shokichi?
What does Shokichi not know?
Oh...I see. Nothing.
I mixed things up, never mind.
Naka...
No, I got it wrong.
Oh, I gotta go. Hey, Sir!
Naka...
Who are you talking about?
Oh, never mind.
Hey, Sir!
Sota told me about the baby of Hotaru.
She is quite bold, isn't she?
He doesn't know it at all, right?
Hotaru? Are you back?
Excuse us.
Welcome!
Uncle
How have you been?
I've been doing well.
I'm sorry if I left without any notice.
I was surprised!
You won't come back to Furano for long?
For a while.
Besides, I also quit the job.
It's so lonely...
He...
went to see your family, didn't he?
He did.
Did he behave properly?
Yes, he did!
Oh, I see.
He was nervous, wasn't he?
He toootally was!
Oh my.
So...
Is everything going OK between you two?
I suppose so.
Yeah
Here you are.
I see.
No,
then it's OK.
But...
he is shy
and always sticks to a stupid pride...
So...how can I put it...
You know...
his feelings...
like...
He can't express himself well.
So...you know...
Though he badly want to see you
he's too embarrassed, or shy
to take the initiative to call you.
But...
he...
really loves you.
I can tell that.
I can tell that.
Yeah
So...
if it's OK with you
could you get in touch with him...?
though it's not something I should ask you...
OK
Yeah
I'll get in touch
for sure.
Thank you.
Thank you!
Goro
Huh?
Even if...
Jun says he doesn't like me,
I...
never let him go.
So, don't worry.
I won't...
let you go, either!
Thank you.
Hotaru is now back at home.
Actually...
she...
is going be married with Shokichi.
Really?
Yeah, so we often eat together lately.
Congratulations!
With Shokichi!
Oh, dear!
I'm sooo glad!
Yeah
Right
I am...
truly grateful to Shokichi.
I think...
I've never been...
so happy...
So...
to want more than this
would be rude
to gods...
Yeah...
But sometimes it comes to my mind
that how I would be happy
if you were with us, too.
Jun must feel the same way.
Sometimes when I look at him,
he's spacing out thinking about something else.
At that time,
a serious drama was about to begin in a small corner of Rokugo.
But I still had no idea about it.
Where is your dad?
I'm sorry
but he cannot come.
What are you going to do
with this amount of debts?
No one here can shoulder this amount.
At this point...
it's over.
No one here who co-signed tha paper for you
is able to shoulder your debt.
Organic farming or no pesticide?
You took farming too lightly.
If you don't want to cause any more trouble to all,
leave your house and land
and get out of here empty-handed.
P...Please wait!
My...
My lands...
I can give them up all.
But...
But...
Lands of my dad...
Those we took over from my grandpa...
It's too late, Kanji.
We can't do anything any more.
Try to understand...
how we feel in the slightest...
What happened?
Kanji is in troubles.
Farmer's Association also gave up on him.
What will happen?
He has no other choice but to quit farming.
I saw the harsh side of Sota for the first time.
He told him to leave his house and land
and get out of here empty-handed
in front of his wife...
I was shocked.
Few years ago, he enlarged his land.
With the help of my dad,
he went into organic farming..
This year, he got married and built a new house.
He was always full of spirit and enthusiasm.
That Kanji...
had been driven into such a corner.
People here call it "Kumikan",
it stands for "Joint Accounting".
Under this system,
members of the Agricultural Cooperative get seeds, young plants,
compost, pesticides and every other things through the Cooperative.
The cost is put in the account book,
and is offset by the harvest at the end of every year.
If the harvest is not as good as you expected
because of various reasons like unstable weather,
the debt remains in the account book.*
When one goes into debt to the Cooperative in this way,
the Farmer's Association consisting of neighboring farmers
cosigned the paper.
So...
one farmer goes under,
other farmers suffer, too.
Chinta
I heard it. Where is my brother?
He went to see the head of the Association. Come in.
I'm still on duty. I'll come back later.
We waited for a while
but Kanji didn't come back,
so we went to the stone house of my dad.
He couldn't hide his shock
at the tragedy of Kanji's family
he had been helping out for years.
What time is it?
It's eleven.
Let's get going?
Yeah
Dad
We gotta go.
Bye
Someone's coming.
Tsuyako
Didn't my husband come here?
No
Who is it?
It's Tsuyako.
What happened?
She asked if Kanji came here.
What happened?
Kanji is missing!
What do you mean?
I keep calling everywhere,
but he is nowhere!
I see. Sorry again I called you this late.
Excuse me, then.
It's the same situation
as my dad's.
I call the police just in case.
Jun
He is in a hut over there.
Is he all right?
There are your dad and Chinta.
So he'll be OK.
Kanji had this in his hand.
It's pesticide.
He was going to drink it.
Let me use your car.
I go get Tsuyako.
That was...
what happened that night.
How have you been?
I've been doing well.
Sorry
I didn't call you at all.
I'm sorry, too.
I tried to
call you mamy times.
But...
If I had heard your voice,
I couldn't have helped...
rushing here to see you...
breaking the promise with my brother.
This is a Christmas present for you
though it's a bit too early.
Oh, I'm so glad.
Can I open it?
Oh, is this a notebook?
These are my words
I dedicate to you.
I wrote every night since I went back to Kami-sunagawa.
Whenever...
I really wanted to call you,
I suppressed the urge,
and wrote down my feelings here.
So...
this is how I've been feeling since then.
Oh, you drew as well.
Yes
I've always loved drawing since my childhood.
I drew whenever I couldn't sleep.
You had a lot of sleepless nights?
Yes
Soooo many!
I too had such nights.
What were you doing in such night?
I drank.
Hotaru is back here in Furano, right?
Yes
I want to meet her.
Oh, have you ever met her?
Not yet.
She will get married with Shokichi.
I heard that!
Wait, who told you?
The other day, your dad came to Kami-sunagawa.
My dad?
He treated me to a dinner.
What? He never mentioned it!
I know, we met in secret.
Oh, I can't take my eyes off him for a moment.
Did he tell you?
Huh?
Tell me what?
I can't believe it,
but Hotaru is expecting a child.
Seven months, already!
That idiot, Shokichi!
I can't take your eyes off him, either.
I'm jealous of it...
Why?
Do you have to go back tonight?
As you wish...
Thereafter, we went to a motel in Shimanoshita.
To my surprise, the motel was so crowded
that there was a line of cars waiting to enter it.
I didn't expect to see
so many happy couples in a depopulated town like this,
which gave us a tender feeling.
I'm not sure if it encouraged me,
but suddenly,
I felt like letting out to Shu...
what was bothering my mind.
Did my dad tell you something?
Something what?
About the child Hotaru is expecting.
Not at all.
In fact,
he seems to be doubting
doubting what?
He's...
suspecting the child Hotaru is expecting...
is actually...
not Shokichi's...
What do you mean?
It could be...
actually...
not Shokichi's...
but her ex's...
What do you think?
Do you think it's possible?
If it were true,
Hotaru and Shokichi...
knowing everything,
would be deceiving us all...
Do you think it's even possible?
Shokichi...might do that.
He is...
really manly.
Somehow...I also feel that way.
He has that manly side.
Besides,
come to think of it,
I feel like he's been seriously in love with her
for a long time.
But,
even if it were the case,
would she say yes to him?
Shokichi...
must know everything.
I wonder...
how Hotaru is feeling.
After a while, we could finally make it into the room.
We became one after a long time.
Shu's body I touched after five months
shivered warmly like a little bird.
It was probably past three...
when I suddenly woke up...
and got out of bed silently
not to wake her up.
I opened the notebook with a green leather cover...
she gave me as a Christmas present.
That was...
filled with Shu's words
so passionate that almost upset me.
I want to see Jun.
I want to see Jun.
It ringed.
I want to see Jun.
I was a wind-bell.
It ringed and ringed...
Unchangeable...
I wonder...
I believe...
When I believe that...
It encourages me a little bit.
I can't think of one thing...
about Jun...
Feeling about Jun...
Because...
I can't forget him even for a second.
The same...
The same...
I want to drink the same water as he does.
I want to breathe the same air as he does.
I want to take the same sunlight as he does.
I want to laugh with him.
It was three days after that...
when Kanji's family disappeared from Furano.
The light went off...
in another farmhouse in Rokugo.
Out of 30 cho (1 cho is about 10000m²) of the land he had,
Sota took over about 10 cho...
almost one third of it.
He also took the new house,
tractors, warehouses, etc...
for next to nothing.
To tell the truth,
when we were planning about the wedding few days ago,
he recommended us that house,
saying, "It's a perfect house for a newly-married couple.
I let you rent it cheap."
I was speechless.
He also asked me...
to help his farm because he needs more workforse...
as his business is getting bigger and bigger.
He asked you many times as well, didn't he?
Yeah
He'll come to you again.
He hasn't given up.
Do you rent that house?
Are you kidding?
How can I do stuff like that?
I was feeling so sad.
Sota
What happened to you?
Since my childhood, I always loved him...
and I dreamed to be a man like him.
I don't dislike him even now.
But...
now he's enthusiastic about making his business bigger...
and all he has in his mind is to make more money.
I can't respect him any more.
Sota
Please
At this rate...
I will...
There wes furniture looking familiar thrown away.
A lot of furniture that was staying happily...
in the living room of Kanji's new house.
There was the happiness of Kanji and Tsuyako
thrown away as there was no use of it any more.
I see.
So they threw away the furniture.
But, Jun...
don't think badly of Sota.
He's just putting his all into what he thinks right.
Regarding Hotaru's wedding as well...
But I sometimes can't forgive him.
He looks down on my job and say it out loud.
He also speak ill of what you are doing...
behind your back everywhere he goes.
Jun, cut it out.
Otherwise,
you'll end up talking behind his back.
You'd better not talk behind someone's back.
What I'm doing is outdated.
I know it well.
He is right.
But..
this spring, Kanji came here
to show me an earthworm he found in his field
saying, "Earthworms have come back to my field.
Thank you, Uncle. They have come back!"
His eyes were filled with tears.
For many years,
he used the pesticides,
so the soil of his field was about to die.
From that condition,
we revived it with compost and charcoals
to that level.
He seemed really happy.
I was happy, too, of course.
But...
what made me happier than anything else
was his words,
"Thank you, Uncle."
Those words made me the happiest.
Come to think of it,
I feel sorry for farmers of these days.
No matter how much effort you put into making good vegetables,
you can't hear the words of thanks...
from those who ate them in person.
So...
I...
keep things small...
within the range where you can hear "thank you."
It was the day after that
when Sota asked me to a bar.
I appreciate your thought.
But I want to continue this job for now.
Until when?
I don't know, but...
You are a temporary staff, aren't you?
If you keep working like this, when can you get married?
I know,
but I've come to like this job.
That's fine. That's totally fine.
But listen to me...
I recently acquired more lands.
I have already 100 cho only for the stock farm.
I'll acquire more the next year.
My cows are attracting attentions.
More and more people are interested in them.
The scale is incomparable to three years ago.
This is an important moment for my business.
I need more workforce.
By workforce, I mean not day laborers,
but partners who'll be working with me for long time.
Now I have ten people, but it's far from enough.
When I acquire more lands next year,
it will be worse. Even today....
Oh, I just remembered. Jun, give me a hand tomorrow.
I have to carry the tractor of Kanji...
to a repair shop in the town.
I took it in but it's half broken.
I bought it because it was cheap but I shouldn't have.
I need a help. Give me a hand tomorrow.
No
It'll be fine after your work.＃
Give me a hand.
Absolutely no.
I refuse to move Kanji's properties.
Can I have seconds, Madam?
Certainly
I see.
I'm sorry.
Then never mind about the tractor.
I'll figure something out, but...
Sota
I recently don't understand your way.
You must be going out of your mind.
It looks like you turned into a different person.
It's admirable that you are making a success.
I agree with that.
But...
That doesn't mean...
you can do whatever you want to succeed.
To have a success is that important?
At this rate,
I might end up disliking you.
I will be...
growing apart from you.
I...
respected you.
Sorry I kept you waiting.
Here it is.
Are you talking about Kanji?
It's one of the reasons, but not the only reason.
As for the Kanji's matter, I am the victim.
The amount of money he borrowed
from the Agricultural Cooperative...
was enormous.
I warned him many times.
But he got into organic farming ignoring my advice.
Organic farming cost a lot.
It requires workforces, too.
It is at the mercy of the slightest change of weather.
With the poor soil of Hokkaido,
in a depopulated city like ours,
it's fundamentally impossible.
Nevertheless...
I don't know who infused him...
but he got hooked on it like a child.
But you acquired as many as 10 cho of lands,
from the person now you called a child!
Borrowing money!
I too increased the amount of debt a lot!
To clean up his debts...!
But my debts are different from Kanji's.
I'm borrowing money with a clear vision to make full use of it.
How do you make use of the house?
Why do you need that house?
The house, the furniture in it and the tractor you were talking about...
The tractor of which you beat the price down to as little as 5000 yen?
Who are you?
I am an acquaintance of Kanji.
You are the one who recommended him to enlarge his farm, aren't you?
And now you bleed him dry, once he failed!?
How admirable! We can never be as good as you!
Complain to the Agricultural Cooperative.
Complain to the joint accounting system.
Complain to the current system of agriculture!
I'm just following the current way!
Please stop!
Please stop...
Calm down!
We farmers...
cannot survive this era otherwise!
Please put it on my bill.
Sota!
Next day, after work, I stopped by the Terrace
to buy a Christmas present for Shu.
Aunty Yukiko's shop was crowded.
Hi, Jun. Sorry, can you answer the phone?
Hello. This is the Candle Shop of Forest.
Dad?
What happened?
Where?
I'm coming right now.
Jun
Jun!
What happened?
In Yahataoka
Sota...
was crushed...
under the track...
and died...!
He...
all by himself...
tried to carry the tractor...
It's weekend...
It's weekend...
actually, it doesn't matter but the date is not good...
Oh, you mean this one?
Yeah, I chose this one.
Then this C type...
This will be fine.
The phone is ringing!
Hello, yes...
Yes
Yes
That's right.
In the curve of Yahataoka.
No one saw it, so we are not sure about the details...
but they say the tractor was coming off the truck...
so he got out to fix it.
Then the truck tilted...
with the weight of the tractor.
Yes
Yes
No, he was alone.
He... all by himself...
He was without any assistant.
Yes
Yes
The funeral is the day after tomorrow.
At eleven.
Jun
The prayer is about to begin.
Let's...get inside.
Dad
Huh?
Sota...
asked me...
to help him...
carry the tractor, yesterday.
I said no...
I said I didn't want to...
If only I had helped him...
If...
If only I had helped him...
he...
wouldn't have...
ended...
ended like this all alone...
Let's...
get inside.
Hello
Oh, is this Shu?
Wow, Goro!
Sorry I called you this late...
Actually...
there was an accident, and...
Sota died.
What?
Jun is upset...
with what happened.
I'm afraid to ask you
but could you possibly come here now by taxi
and stay with him for a little bit?
OK, I'm coming right now.
I'm so sorry to ask you at this time of night.
Where is he?
Oh, do you know Sota's house?
Yes, I do.
Sorry
Do we excuse ourselves?
Do we excuse ourselves?
Then, we'll come again tomorrow morning.
Thank you.
Get a hold of yourself.
Yes
You should take some rest.
No, I'm fine.
Jun
This way, please.
Hotaru
This is Shu.
I'm Shu.
I'm Hotaru.
How did you know about this?
Your dad called me.
He asked me...
to stay with you.
Are you OK?
Yes
I am fine.
Thank you for coming all the way.
Did you come by taxi?
My dad drove me.
Did he go back?
He's waiting in the car.
He said, he would be sleeping in the car...
so he would be OK no matter how late I'd stay here.
Oh!
Oh, hello.
He's half asleep.
Hello
Sorry for the trouble.
How do you do?
Where is Hotaru?
She is taking a rest at the house of Sota's mother.
Yesterday,
late at night,
when I was about to shut down the shop,
Sota...
came to the Ningle Terrace alone.
We talked...
for a while in the shop.
At first,
he kept talking only about Hotaru.
He said, "I'm staking my life on her wedding."
That's exactly what he would say, isn't it?
staking his life, huh?
So...
it occurred to me...
to asked him...
like I asked you as well a while ago...
about...
the child she is expecting.
I...
had a feeling he knew something.
Unusual as it was,
he didn't answer me.
Instead of answering me,
he suddenly said.
"I want to
do something with Jun"
"Now,
Hotaru is fine."
"I left her to Shokichi,
so now I'm relieved."
"The rest is...
about Jun."
"I'm...
really...
worried about Jun."
"No matter...
how he thinks of himself...
To me...
he is...
my younger brother."
"So...
I'm...
worrying about him."
He was totally different from usual.
I thought he was crying.
So I laughed...
Jun
I'm sorry!
I shouldn't have...!
Of all times...!
Sota's funeral...
was held two days later.
The crematorium...
was near the last stop of the bus route nine,
at the entrance to the street of Yahataoaka
I always took to see him.
Sota became smoke...
Hotaru
Do you...
really love Shokichi?
What do you mean?
Never mind.
I do
because...
he is so big.
I see.
Yeah
I see.
It started to snow again from that evening.
It kept snowing in Furano for a while...
with a few moments of break.
Uncle Narita and Shinjuku...
brought up the topic
when we gathered at Sota's house
few days after the New Year.
Jun
Yes?
We have something to talk to you two.
Can you stay here for a little?
Can we have a talk later?
Jun
Huh?
We also have something to talk to you.
Yes
Do you have some time tomorrow night?
Yes
Then, at seven, at Kumagera.
OK
We wanted to...
talk about the future of this farm.
We discussed various things with Aiko, too.
I heard Sota, while alive, wanted you two
to help him with this farm.
He proposed the offer to you, didn't he?
Yes
To you as well?
Yes
Well, don't you feel like giving it a try?
We understand you'll be upset...
when we suddenly ask you something like this.
Especially for amateurs like you.
But fortunately, here we have people who know the job
like Oshikiri and Fukuro.
They'll be taking care of the practical work for the time being.
The problem is the future administration of the whole thing.
I need more workforce.
I need partners who will be working with me for long time.
We checked the account book...
with Aiko this whole week.
It's true that the performance is excellent now,
but he had enlarged the business to a terrifying scale.
Aiko was surprised, too.
To tell the truth, the amount of debt is quite large.
He borrowed money from the Agricultural Cooperative to enlarge the business.
Part of it was borrowed a few years ago with a fairly high interests.
Borrowing money!
This is an incredible amount to us.
I also increased the amount of debt a lot!
Jun
Yes
We are not telling you to take over...
all of this at once.
It would be nonsense.
We'll take care of the administration.
We will think about whether to transform it into a company or not.
But, most importantly,
this farm was made by Seikichi and Sota.
Aiko and Mrs. Masako say...
they want relatives they know well to work here.
Can you give it a thought?
So... how did you reply to them?
We haven't replied yet.
What do you think, Dad?
It's hard to say...
But...
farming is not easy.
Among other things,
it's at the mercy of weather we cannot foresee.
It's a job...
that never turns out you want it to be.
Besides,
people today, not only Sota,
try to enlarge the scale to make more money.
But it means...
the cost increases as well.
200/100 is...
the same as 2/1.
When the numerator goes up,
the denominator goes up as well.
So the risk increases as much.
The decision is...
up to you.
But...
I can at least assure you
that it's not easy.
Next day, when I arrived at seven at Kumagera,
Uncle Tokio and Hirosuke were already drinking.
What is this?
It's the scenario Sota wrote
of the wedding of Hotaru.
Scenario?
I wouldn't dare to call them characters.
You'd better not read it.
His poor handwriting brings you a stiff neck.
Yeah
We've been involved into this since last year.
He was saying, "this is a big event,
so we would throw an exceptionally falshy one, absolutely in secret."
But now that Sota ended like that,
we should realize his wish.
W...wait a moment please.
I don't think it's necessary
for us to realize his wish about this.
As you know, both Hotaru and Shokichi
don't like falshy things, so...
We can't change this plan so easily.
Actually, we also said to him it was too flashy
and we were holding him back.
But now that Sota ended like this...
We can't betray the wish of a dead person, can we?
Well, how flashy is it?
First of all, 20 sky rockets.
Sky rockets?
We've already ordered it to a maker in Asahikawa.
Please cancel it! Immediately!
Please stop it now.
We can't do that.
We've also rented horses from Banei Horse Race.
Horses?
On a sleigh pulled by the horses
the bride and her father
will have a parade from Rokugo
to Kitanomine all along the Rokugo street!
They will freeze.
If they do stuff like that in this season,
they will freeze to death on the sleigh!
He was planning to put a stove on the sleigh.
It won't work!
They will definitely freeze!
The sleigh is pulled by three horses from Banei.
It's followed by two state-of-the art tractors
and a Cadillac limousine with their go-betweens on board!
Let's go!
Are you kidding?
Jun, please!
Let them cancel it immediately!
Otherwise I won't go to the wedding.
I told them to cancel it immediately, too.
I also told them that we don't like falshy things.
But they don't give way to me at all.
They even say that if we ignore the plan
Sota put his heart and soul into...
he'll definitely curse us...
Please...please make a compromise.
But, the wish of deceased Sota was...
flaming so passionately.
We can't ignore the feelings of a deceased!
Please let us do it!
Please, I sincerely beg you!
Please let us do it!
This is to make of Sota's feelings a reality!
Please don't!
What's wrong?
A costumer brought them here.
They said Sota ordered them.
He already paid for this.
Big brother.
Please don't call me like that.
It gives me goose bumps all over the body!
Same here, but I'm doing my best!
Jun
Yeah?
If Sota...
was so enthusiastic...
about our wedding...
I think...
I can endure...
a little bit of embarrassment.
I wouldn't do it twice,
but if it's only once,
I think...
I can give in and endure it.
Of course you wouldn't do it twice.
Are you planning to get married twice?
That's not what I meant!
I can't take my eyes off you.
Lu lu lu lu lu lu....
Lu lu lu lu lu lu....
You can't sleep?
No
Don't worry. We still have time.
I will talk them out of carrying out the plan.
Jun
Yeah?
Have you given a thought to that matter?
You mean the farm?
Yeah
Have you?
I'm thinking about it everyday.
Have you found your answer?
Not yet...
But...
I feel like...
this is what Sota gave me, or...
how can I put it...
what gods gave me...
or perhaps a destiny or stuff like that.
A destiny?
Yeah
I don't know about you,
but I couldn't see...
the purpose of my life...
or something...
I can stake myself on...
until recently.
But,
now that I'm going to marry Hotaru
and I'm going to have a family,
I realized...
that I must find such things
both for myself...
and for my future family
and that I must become down-to-earth.
Shokichi
Yeah?
Are you really OK with Hotaru?
What are you saying?
I'm the one who proposed to her.
She might do...
crazy things but...
she's also...
struggling a lot in her own way.
I know.
Both I and my dad...
are feeling really...
from bottom of our heart...
grateful to you.
What do you mean?
I mean it literally.
Jun
Yes?
Once...
Sota...
clearly told me
that the Kuroita is...
the family to me.
His words
made me really happy.
Because that was...
how I'd always been feeling.
So...
don't have unnecessary worries.
Leave Hotaru...
to me.
Please take good care fo her.
I know.
Count on me.
What are you doing?
I sleep down here from tonight.
Where is the bridal kimono?
I put it on the second floor.
Do you want to take a bath?
Oh,
yeah, I take it. I got cold.
Isn't it too warm?
No, nice hot!
There are...
only three days left.
It's finally coming.
Is everything OK with the baby?
Yes, it is.
Recently it started to kick.
Oh, I see.
Finally,
I'm gonna be a grandpa.
Can I ask you something?
What?
The night when you get married with Mom,
what did you talk about?
Oh, stop it.
I forgot such old things.
Tell me.
What?
What did you talk about with Mom?
Can't you just let it go?
I want to know.
To tell the truth,
I...
made her mad.
Why?
Actually...
I...
don't know why, either.
That night,
I was over the moon...
and felt like dreaming.
So I put my hands on the rim of tatami,
and said to her, "thank you very much".
I said, "thank you for marrying me."
Then...
She suddenly got mad,
saying, "why do you thank me!?"
It's only natural.
Why so?
Why? Because...
It was...
my sincere feeling.
To a...
shabby fellow like me...
such a wonderful woman like her
became the wife...
For that,
I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thanked her.
Yeah
I still...
don't understand why she got mad.
Can I come over to your futon?
Come!
Are you OK?
Probably...
she wanted to say...
"why do you thank me!?
you are the wonderful one!"
Don't be stupid.
I'm the worst.
I'm so careless, my eyes are dropping, and...
You are...
wonderful.
Don't make fun of me.
Oh
It kicked.
Dad
Yeah?
Touch it.
Is it all right?
Come on.
Come on.
Do you feel that? It moves.
Oh yeah.
It moved!
Hotaru
Have you...
completely gotten over the doctor in Ochiishi?
Yes
I've gotten over him.
Yeah
Dad
Then it's OK.
Then it's fine.
That's fine.
It moved again.
Dad
What?
I never...
forger this cent of you.
Yeah
And finally the day arrived.
Shokichi's mother arrived at Rokugo
with the first bus from Sapporo.
Shokichi's mother arrived here
with the first bus from Sapporo.
Shokichi!
Then we went together to rent the costume of Shokichi.
So handsome!
To tell the truth, he seemed a boy celebrating Shichigosan
(a celebration for children at the age of 3, 5 and 7).
We talked a lot with Uncle Tokio and others
and they finally agreed to cancel the parade with horses.
But the fireworks had already been ordered by Sota.
To make things worse, even Mr. Nakahata and Shinjuku
got excited with it.
I have to admit it is a shortcoming of people around here
to love festivities too much.
Beautiful!
She is beautiful, isn't she?
There was a Hotaru I'd never seen before.
Dad
Jun
and Aunty
Thank you very much
for taking care of me for a long time.
I...
always had everything my own way
but not a single day...
passed by in which I forgot about you three.
Such a day...
will never come.
I truly appreciate the days...
I spent here since I was eight.
I wish...
I could become the old me...
of those days.
From today, I will be living happily with Shokichi.
Dad,
thank you very much for everything.
Then, Mr. and Mrs. Nakahata...
came to pick us up as go-betweens.
Why are you so frozen? Smile!
This is a happy day!
Mr. Nakahata let us stand in front of the stone house
and took a picture of us.
Then we headed for the wedding.
What's he doing, your dad?
Jun, go to hurry him up.
Dad, what are you doing? Hurry up!
Yeah, yeah.
This is Sota's way to celebrate you.
Oh, I have to take pictures.
Hurry up! We don't have much time.
Oh, thank you! We kept you waiting.
Today it suddenly arrived from Sapporo.
Sota arranged this, too.
Naka
Huh?
What is this, a bus?
It's not a bus, it's a high-end car.
It came here all the way from Sapporo?
Yes, this is a gift from Sota.
Are you kidding? What a waste of money!
Goro!
Is this a kind of sarcasm to me?
What?
I think I'm also doing the best of my ability
for my daughter.
Why do others have to take so much care of the wedding of my child!
Wait, Goro!
Don't start complaining to a dead person.
I've decided.
What?
I won't go.
Hey, wait! Goro!
Wait, Goro!
We don't have time!
Goro!
It was really tough to persuade him.
On such an important day,
my dad was somehow...
going completely nuts.
You two do what you want!
He quickly changed the clothes
and started to make charcoals.
Please! Calm down!
It's the wedding of Hotaru!
How can you not go?
Stop making charcoals! Ouch!
Stop it! Stop! Goro!
Jun, tell him to stop!
It took two and a half hours to persuade him.
During the whole ceremony,
he was in a sulky mood
and didn't even shed a tear.
I couldn't tell...
if it was because he was nervous
or because he was still angry.
The wedding reception...
was held in a ceremony hall in Kitanomine.
It was also arranged by Sota.
He was more and more sulky.
Well, I may have joked too much,
but these are my sincere words of celebration to them.
Congratulations again!
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
So now...
we change the taste completely.
Let me call it "Show of Fireflies",
as the name of the bride, Hotaru.
The bride and the groom are coming in!
Thank you very much.
Now...
I want to tell you something.
There was this guy...
called Sota Kitamura...
the bride Hotaru loved like a big brother
since her childhood.
To tell the truth, he was practically the person
who brought together the bride and the groom here,
and planned and arranged almost everything
of this wedding and the reception.
He was the person,
except the families of the bride and the groom,
who was looking forward to this wedding the most.
He was supposed to...
give a speech today, at the end of this reception.
But...
as almost everyone here must know,
Sota...
died of an accident without seeing this day arrive.
Let me introduce Mrs. Aiko Kitamura, the widow of Sota.
Hotaru, Shokichi
Congratulations.
I'm sorry he passed away without seeing it through to the end.
He is so irresponsible, isn't he?
But that is how he was.
But...
he was really, really happy
about your marriage.
Since last year, he practiced the speech at night.
In fact,
when I was sorting out his things a few days ago,
I found a cassete tape he recorded his voice into,
when he was practicing the speech.
Can I play it?
Though the sound is not very good...
Huh...
Shokichi, Hotaru, congratulations!
I'm so happy that you two are made up...
oh...made up is not the right word...
how can I put it...
Huh...
I'm so happy...
that you get together!
I'm so happy, I almost cry!
But...
I think, among others,
Goro is the happiest, yeah.
I think he is really happy!
Hotaru!
You should never forget.
You are living now,
become full-fledged,
got pregnant,
got a wonderful man named Shokichi
and now happier than you've ever been,
All of them are thanks to your dad.
I remember very well that day...
when I went to the Nunobe station to pick you up.
You and Jun came out with your dad.
Jun, that cheeky boy, was tiny like a bean sprout.
Hotaru, you still had an infantile figure with a potbelly.
Imagine how much effort he put into
to bring up you two all alone since then.
Once he was trying to melt the ice in the water pipe.
Next to you guys sleeping,
he was sewing...
to repair your clothes.
He would prepare bento boxes
and bring them to you.
Oh, no. Tears have welled up.
Bring me sake!
After we sent Hotaru and Shokichi off to the hotel,
we went out to drink in the town.
My dad was completely drunk and went nuts.
His cheerfulness...
looked even odd.
It seemed like he wanted to show his gratitude to all...
that he couldn't express in words,
playing the role of a clown.
So he danced like a crazy.
Or,
he might
have been trying to forget desperately
the loneliness of the night he let go of Hotaru.
Shu?
Yeah, it went well.
We made it through the day.
No
Dad went completely nuts.
He is dancing. Totally drunken.
I should have invited you as well.
I think Dad also wanted you to come.
But I just ended up holding back.
Now I'm going to drive my dad back home.
I'll stay beside him at the stone house tonight.
Rei...Reiko.
Jun
It came to my mind.
It came to my mind!
The smoke comes up from the chimney of the hut of charcoal making.
Using that smoke,
I will make a device to make smoked foods.
Smoked foods, do you understand?
I do.
In old days,
we made it with a tree hollow,
in our first...
house.
Do you remember?
In that...
deserted house..
Get up, Dad.
Jun, do you remember?
I do, I do. Dad, tell me about it tomorrow.
We arrived.
Now I prepare your futon. Wait a minute.
Dad, don't fall asleep here.
I prepare it now. You'll catch a cold.
Dad, please come here. You'll catch a cold here.
Thank you.
Translated by kameu & kumasan for d-addicts.