Roundabout, the Shortest Distance Is Round (2019) - full transcript

I didn't have any friends during high school.

My teacher would often worry about me.

The shortest distance is to go by a roundabout way.

SIX MONTHS AGO

Mind if I sit here?

Mr. Aoyama was the newly
appointed Japanese language teacher.

What are you reading?

Sorry. That was a nosy question.

Was it?

I wouldn't appreciate being asked that either.

I don't mind. It's nothing suspicious.



You're reading noir?

You're up here a lot, huh?

I don't have any friends.

I see.

I was the same.

I can't wait to read it.

It's nothing special.

Fancy exchanging diaries with me?

Huh?

He probably offered because he
was concerned about me being alone.

I never had a problem with being lonely, but

his old-fashioned idea of exchanging diaries seemed attractive to me.

What's more, we seemed quite alike which further piqued my interest in him.

"Today Mom told me she'd take on a part-time job. She got married at 29, had me at 30, then divorced at 31.



Most sons would wanna help out, but I see her as a foolish woman who got married too soon.

Is my way of thinking wrong? Maybe that's why I can't get on at school..."

Three months had passed since
we started exchanging diaries.

I got a fever, and took the day off school.

Haruto!

Mr. Aoyama came out of his way to pay you a visit.

Hi. How you feeling?

Mr. Aoyama, forgive me. I have to leave for work.

Please, take your time.

Well?

It's come down, but I still have a fever.

You should probably keep resting then.

What the...?

What the hell are you doing!?

I've written another diary entry, so...

I ain't interested!

- Haruto!
- What's your problem!?

Get out! Now!

Get outta my house!

Now!

Are you deaf or something!?

- I'm sorry.
- Get out!

I reported him for sexual harassment.

He was fired by the school soon after.

I went on to graduate without ever seeing him again.

Mr. Aoyama...

I...

THREE YEARS LATER

Though it's been three years, I still
have the same dream every day.

Seeking a different life, I became a host.

Hey, Yuki...

Open wide!

Yuki was my host name.

Taste good?

One more bite!

I've had enough!

I'll create a scene if you don't eat up!

Tell me Minami, how
much can you spend tonight?

Around 200,000 yen?

I see...

Actually, I have a favor to ask of you.

Such as?

Can you give me a million yen directly?

You're the only one I can ask!

My client ran off without paying.

She owed 3 million yen.

Why should I foot another woman's drink bill?

Because you're the only one I can ask!

I'll be fired if I don't get it back. I won't ever see you again!

Is that what you want?

If I give you the money,

what will you give me in return?

I'll make sweet love to you all night.

You mean that?

Ryoma, welcome back!

Welcome back!

Yuki, you can't make deals in private.

That's a no-no.

How did you know?

A customer named Minami filed a complaint.

Says you wouldn't sit with her
despite giving you a million yen.

Allow me!

Well, that'll be a million yen fine,

plus the million she gave you.

Also, an extra million for damages.
That's 3 million total by the end of the month.

Oh, I forgot. You still owe me 3 million.

6 million total.

I can't pay that!

Don't you try running away either.

Let me show you what'll happen if you do.

Wake him up.

Hey, get out here!

Come on, move!

Meet Yoshiki. A former host who tried pulling the same shit you did.

No matter where you run, we'll find you, and fuck you up even worse.

I ran away the following day.

I had no money, and no place to go.

I spent several days sleeping under this bridge.

It wasn't the continuation of my dream, though.

Mr. Aoyama?

I'm really...

sorry for what I did.

That's all in the past.

Unable to find anywhere willing to hire a teacher charged with obscenity,

Mr. Aoyama chose to hide himself from the world.

I also told him about the events that
lead me here after graduation.

Here, take this.

That's 2 million yen.

It's not enough, I know.

I can't accept this much money!

These past 3 years...

I never once forgot about you.

Don't you hate me for what I did?

Hate you? What for?

If I hadn't reported you to the school,

you wouldn't have ended up like this.

I'm glad you did.

If you hadn't,

I might have taken things too far.

Even so, I'm not accepting this!

Do you remember writing this?

I still read it from time to time.

It's my treasure, after all.

Maybe the two of us...

were destined to meet.

The following day, Mr. Aoyama went into town to sell his empty cans.

That 3 year period definitely changed me.

Though I wasn't sure if it was for the better.

Found you!

Hey, quit running!

- Get back here!
- Give him what for!

Okay, okay!

Oh, what an adorable face!

Now get your ass back here!

Quit fighting, you little punk!

Get your hands off me!

Shut up and keep walking!

I got him!

You've got money after all!

Really!?

Okay, let's go!

Yuki, I could do without this bullshit.

Forgive me.

What did I tell you?

You can run, but you can't hide.

I was gathering the money.

I have 2 million yen.

Are you fucking with me?
This ain't nearly enough!

Ryoma, please!

I'll work hard to get the rest!

Finding your ass costs money!

Now you owe me 10 million.

You can't be serious!

I guess we'll remove your organs in China.

Ryoma, please! Anything but that!

I know a place you can earn back what you owe.

"I'm sorry. I took your money.
I swear I'll pay you back."

Most of our clientele are distinguished gentlemen

with high social status and influence.

Such clients always seek the company of young men who are both beautiful and sexually attractive.

Each of our members enroll by paying a fixed amount.

Furthermore, they are closely vetted to ensure that nobody suspicious joins.

So I'm to sell my body to other men?

Our club simply provides a meeting place for our customers.

I know my stuff.

You're sure to be a hit among our clients.

Much like Ryoma was.

He came to me in search of work.

He had a strong desire to make money and go into business for himself.

He was hugely popular, and with the help of a powerful client, he finally realized his dream.

Yuki, do you have any experience with men?

No.

I see. Please get undressed and show me your body.

What, right now?

I wish to check if you're appropriate for our club.

Let me give you a hand.

You have a beautiful body.

Have you ever kissed a man before?

That's a yes.

Are those tears?

Nothing turns me on more than seeing a man cry.

You're hard.

Now, part your legs.

Relax your body.

As I suspected. You have potential.

Does it feel good?

I'm gonna cum.

I'm gonna cum!

How nice. You're still clenched tight.

I really wanted to see Mr. Aoyama.

Meet Seiya, our number one boy.

Nice to meet you.

I'm Yuki.

He came to pick up his earnings for the month.

This is just his salary.

He gets far more from his clients.

- Be seeing you, boss.
- Thanks for the hard work.

Best of luck.

Take a seat.

Like you, Seiya was also a
struggling host until a year ago.

He came here to pay off his debts,
and became an overnight success.

For boys like you, our clients are
like knights in shining armor.

They will save you from hell.

In return however, there's one
rule you must always uphold.

What is that?

To always remain beautiful.

We promise to pay you 30% of each engagement.

The more you have, the bigger the cut.

In return, any tips given to you
by the client are yours to keep.

However...

Private deals are off limits.

You know what I mean, right?

Yes.

There's a spare room upstairs.

Please live there until your debts have been paid off.

Our clients may request you at any hour.

Please be ready at all times.

That's when I vowed to become a knight in shining armor,

and save Mr. Aoyama from his own hell.

I was born on a small island off Kyushu.

We had a lot of goats on our family farm.

I'd begrudgingly help my dad look after them, but

there was one male goat who only seemed to like me.

I hated looking after those dirty, smelly beasts, but that one goat was special.

We never named our livestock, but I called him Shiro and adored him no end.

Shiro and I were always together.

But, when I came home from
school one day, I went into his pen

and caught him mating with a female.

When I saw that, I was overcome by a strong emotion I'd never felt before.

Losing my temper,

I grabbed a nearby shovel and
bludgeoned them both to death.

My father asked why I did it,
before beating the crap out of me.

I couldn't tell him, though.

Who could blame me? I could never tell him I was jealous of a female goat.

Twenty years have passed,
and I have a wife and kid now.

But, I've never loved anyone more than Shiro.

I still see him sometimes.

He appears in my dreams

as a young man.

Shiro had beautiful fur.

His red collar suited him, too.

Shiro!

Shiro!

Oh, Shiro!

You were such a big goat!

I stayed focused until it was over...

thinking only of Mr. Aoyama.

Shiro!

Thanks.

I finally fulfilled my 20 year old dream.

Thank you.

Seiya...

Turn around.

I hear Yuki's been getting more requests lately.

That's right.

He's quite the hit.

What's so good about him?

Why would you ask something like that?

Well, it's only natural to feel concerned.

Is that jealousy I hear?

It's rivalry.

If you're so keen to learn about him,
why not sleep with him yourself?

You're not one of our members, but...

you have my permission.

Don't be ridiculous!

That evening, I was called to a private room in Roppongi

owned by a young IT director.

Just so you know, I ain't gay.

I've slept with dozens of models and cabin attendants,

but never with a guy.

I'm told they're better than girls, so figured I'd give it a go.

I'm not gay either, so I can't guarantee your satisfaction.

I'm actually kinda relieved to hear that.

I probably would've run a mile if you were a massive fag.

People wanna try stuff when they've got money.

Like sailing around the world on a luxury cruiser, or riding a rocket into space.

I'm not like that, though.

I wanna explore the interests hidden in my
subconscious mind that I haven't noticed yet.

I understand.

Wow, you've got me hard.

Can you stroke mine, too?

Can you suck mine, too?

Give or take. Which do you prefer?

I've come this far, so I'll try taking it.

I'll need you to relax a little, so lift your ass up.

Okay, here goes.

I'll start thrusting.

Wow!

My gut feels like it's gonna explode!

I can't hold back!

We're not finished yet.

Stop!

I'm spent!

How nostalgic.

I used to live here too.

I know.

Mr. Yazaki told me.

He told me a few things, too.
I hear you're a hit with the clients.

Screwing guys is hell when you're not gay.

I had my reasons, though.

I did anything for money.

I'd lick their assholes, even drink their piss.

I thought of dying many times.

I completely changed after a year, though.

How so?

There's something about you that's attractive to men.

Are you offering to buy my services?

Yeah.

I've already cleared it with Yazaki.

Okay.

I knew from the start what Ryoma was after.

Guys who want to fuck me all have the same eyes.

I've wanted to do this ever since you came to my club.

Yuki!

Yuki!

Stop!

That's enough!

Before I could realize...

I stopped dreaming of Mr. Aoyama.

You don't seem as busy these days.

I'm aware of that!

My clients are requesting Yuki instead.

Even so, you're still our number one.

Please try giving them more bang for their buck.

I thought about what you said...

I want to sleep with Yuki.

Very well. I'll speak with him.

When I was a host...

I used to come here to get away from it all.

You know what they say...

Doing what you love for a living is a bad idea.

I became a host because I love women, but I loathe being around them now.

Can I ask you something?

Why me?

I'm the number one choice at our club.

It won't be long before you overtake me, though.

Not that I care.

I'm getting tired of the job anyway.

Your clients all tell Yazaki the same thing.

They say you bring a seriousness that exceeds technique.

How is that possible for a straight guy like you?

I wanna find out for myself.

You know about me and Yazaki, right?

The club's number one automatically becomes his partner.

They get a much bigger cut of the earnings, too.

Naturally...

they get introduced to the wealthier clients as well.

I'm past caring about the money, though.

I've earned more than enough!

I just...

can't bear the thought of losing Yazaki!

That's why...

I wanna stay number one!

A hotel worker came to my aid,

and I was hospitalized for a month.

The loss of blood was so severe, that another 10 minutes on the hotel floor

would have cost me my life.

Are you okay?

Furthermore...

I lost my penis in the process.

I paid Ryoma the remainder of your debt.

What happened to Seiya?

I don't know where he is.

If the police catch him and he talks about his job,

I will be implicated too.

The club will close down, too.

Here's 5 million yen for your
medical and living expenses.

What's more, should anything happen to me,

I've got a friend managing the club's finances.

I'll tell you his address, so please remember it.

I've erased all record of you being at the club.

You won't have any further trouble.

That was the last I saw of Yazaki, too.

ONE MONTH LATER

After leaving hospital, I went to the
river to fulfill my promise to Mr. Aoyama.

This is my house now.

Yazaki's club had also gone.

I visited the address he gave me.

Haruto, I'm glad you came.

Come in.

So then, where shall I start?

Tell me everything.

I haven't a clue what's going on.

I'm sure you don't.

I've been watching over you...

since the very beginning.

What do you mean?

From the moment you graduated and became a host.

What will you give me in return?

I'll make sweet love to you all night.

You mean that?

So, shall we go somewhere after this?

Anywhere you want.

There's a hotel I wanna check out...

My being homeless was just an act to get closer to you.

It was also me that told Ryoma where you were hiding.

Hello, Ryoma?

Yeah, it's me.

Understood.

I'll send the boys right away.

I also got Ryoma to threaten you, and introduce you to Yazaki's club.

How do you even know Yazaki?

He and I go further back.

After losing my teaching job, and having nowhere to go...

I got a job in Shinjuku's gay district.

It was essentially...

a bar for rent boys.

Yazaki was a customer...

and he chose me.

Please take me from behind.

Yazaki took a shine to me,

and asked me to contractually become his lover.

I quit working at the bar, moved into this apartment, and began managing his club finances.

I slept with him many times, but...

I only ever thought about you.

Where is he now?

The world you escaped is all connected.

Yazaki, Seiya, Ryoma...

even me.

The moment I heard you started work at Ryoma's bar,

I knew it was destiny.

How much of this was your doing?

It was me who hired that girl at Ryoma's bar.

I did it to get you in debt.

Was it to...

take revenge on me?

Don't misunderstand me.

I just wanted you for myself.

You piece of shit!

Thanks to you...

I'm no longer a man!

I'm truly sorry.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

Seiya got what he deserved.

What's that supposed to mean?

Right now he's...

napping at the bottom of the sea with Yazaki.

Aoyama...

I bit off Yuki's cock.

Yeah...

You'll let me joint-manage the club now, right?

Right.

Understood.

Hey, let go!

Just who are you anyway?

A devoted man who loves you dearly.

Yazaki has more than 100 million stashed away.

I wanna...

make up for what you've been through.

Let's leave this place...

and live together overseas.

Hold it right there.

Here's the money I took from you.

Thank you.

I can't please you sexually.

That's not true at all!

If only I had listened to my heart...

We definitely took the long way around.

But, it was time we both needed.

Which is why...

we'll always be together!

Haruto!

Haruto!

Mr. Aoyama!

The shortest distance is to go
by a roundabout way 【noir】

English subtitles by Brendan Wimsett

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