Original subtitles

So, why do you want to help her so badly?

[Yoko] Don't tell me you've fallen in love with Misaki, have you?

It must be love.

I don't really understand feelings like that.

[Akira] Since she helped me, I just want to do what I can for her.

Also,

for the first time ever, I feel like I truly want to help someone.

And...

I don't like it when she cries.

When she smiles, I feel happy too.

Is there anything I can do?

I'm her friend too, after all.

[Akira] Mm...

[Yoko] But just this once though.

Just this once.

[♪ theme music playing]

The Fable

The Fated Day

[squawking]

[Akira] Hey now, this isn't food.

This is waterproof sandpaper.

I use it to remove my fingerprints.

[♪ exciting music playing on TV]

-[Jackal] Jackal wet tissues! -[faucet squeaks]

Hunts wicked germs!

Destroys 99% of germs!

[amazed gasp]

This stuff hunts evil germs!

I'll destroy those darn...

[exclaims]

What? My hand is made of germs?

How come it's destroying me too?

-Refills also available. -[Akira snorting]

[snorting continues]

Jackal is really doing his best.

I'm back.

Um, I bought some dried squid to go with our beer.

[exhales deeply]

[Kojima] Tomorrow's the crucial day.

So, what do I do tomorrow...

This is how things will go.

Me and that baldy Sunagawa will talk.

We'll be negotiating over Misaki.

You keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't escape.

If negotiations go well, then we'll just leave.

But if there's a disagreement, then somebody will definitely get hurt.

She'll be a call girl and a hostess for three months, right?

I can't imagine Mr. Sunagawa agreeing to that...

She won't make much in that time...

[exhales deeply]

Eventually, I intend to work her to death at a brothel.

Then, using that as my footing, I'll start an even bigger business.

[gasps]

-[♪ tense music playing] -[gunshot]

[breathing heavily]

Takahashi, you like sex?

-Bang. -[panicked scream]

Don't get so worked up.

-It's a model gun, moron. -[breathing heavily]

[Kojima] Since things moved so fast, I couldn't get a real one.

You take it.

Bring it with you tomorrow just in case.

It's good enough to threaten and scare people with.

Whether that model gun looks like a real one all depends on you.

[breathes heavily]

[scraping]

Hmm... I can't be sure if these will even fly straight.

[phone buzzing]

Running woman

It's Misaki.

Hello?

[Misaki] Sato? Sorry to call so late.

Were you sleeping?

[Akira] I was just lying on my futon.

-[Misaki] I see. -What's up?

[Misaki] Uh, actually, I'm not feeling so well.

When the prez comes back tomorrow, could you tell him I'm taking the day off?

I see. All right.

[Misaki chuckles softly over phone]

-Uh, Misaki? -[Misaki] Yeah?

When we first met,

when I got beat up and was crying...

[Misaki chuckles] Oh, that time?

Yeah, I remember that.

[Akira] When I think about it now, everyone else just ignored me.

But you tried to give me your handkerchief,

-even though you didn't know me. -[♪ soft music playing]

[Misaki] But you said you didn't want it.

What you did may have been trivial to you, but I never told you thank you for it.

[Misaki] There's no need to now. It's all right.

You also got me that job.

So now I'm happy with my life.

And since you had me draw those pictures, I got a 100-yen raise.

When I get paid, I'll treat you to a meal.

[Misaki] You don't have to do that.

If you treated me, your raise would be wasted.

I want to show you how I feel, my thanks and appreciation.

[Misaki] Um...

I do have one favor to ask.

Yeah.

-What is it? -[Misaki] Draw a picture of me.

I really like your drawings, Sato.

All right. I'll bring it over tomorrow night.

[Misaki] Tomorrow?

I'm busy tomorrow night.

Sorry. I don't think I'll be home until the next morning.

Misaki,

don't you worry.

You'll be home soon.

I'll give it to you tomorrow.

[Misaki breathes nervously over phone]

-[door opens] -[Akira] Good morning.

-[gulping] -[door closes]

Oh, Sato.

Sorry for making you worry.

Are you okay?

What happened?

Huh? I was totally drunk.

All I remember is bumping into a postbox

and getting beat up by two guys.

What ticks me off is I can't drink liquor for a while.

That's why I'm drinking 100% orange juice.

I wish I could have 100% alcohol though.

[gulping]

You'd die if you drank 100% alcohol.

Oh, right. Prez.

I got a call from Misaki last night.

She said she has a fever, so she wants the day off today.

First I'm injured, and now Misaki's got a cold.

Is Misaki all right?

What's this?

A device that emits a mosquito tone.

You'll be talking with Kojima first, right?

Yeah.

I want to find out what happened

to the lackey who ran the call-girl business.

[Sunagawa] So, what'll you do with this mosquito tone?

The tone is set at 16 kHz.

On average, only people 25 and under can hear it.

I see.

So Kojima can't hear it.

This pen is rigged so it can trigger it remotely.

When you have nothing else to talk about, signal me with this.

-[high-pitched ringing] -[♪ tense music playing]

I heard the click, but can you hear anything?

Yes, very clearly.

-I'll get rid of Kojima in five seconds. -[ringing stops]

I see.

[Sunagawa's hire] You called?

I heard the mosquito tone.

You can hear it too?

But you're obviously over 30.

This guy will make sure Kojima's lackey can't do anything.

[Sunagawa] In other words,

at my signal, you kill Kojima and take out Kojima's lackey.

I like it. I like it.

I love this kind of trick.

Mom.

Yeah, I'm fine.

No, I don't have a cold.

I found a good job.

I think we can pay off Dad's debts next year.

No, I'm not pushing myself too hard.

Mom, you're the one who shouldn't overdo it with work.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm just fine.

Okay. Bye.

-[phone buzzing] -[gasps]

[♪ tense music playing]

Hello?

[Kojima] I'll come pick you up in an hour.

Make sure you're wearing a sexy outfit.

If you're wearing jeans, I'll have you stripped naked.

[Misaki] Okay. I get it.

-Ah. -[door closes]

Oh.

Nice work.

Yeah.

I only did it because you asked me to.

Anyway, I made two of the things you asked for.

I took apart fireworks

and packed the gunpowder into these plastic balls.

Nice. Well done.

What are these?

Boss always told me

to use what I've got on hand to make what I need.

He said you can use smarts and innovation to overcome most things.

Huh? Is that right?

I'm going to take a shower.

Is that okay with you?

[Akira] Go ahead.

My hands are filthy!

Even under my nails is filthy!

Hurry it up.

There's probably not much time.

-[Yoko grunts annoyedly] -[phone buzzing]

-[♪ suspenseful music playing] -[Akira] Takahashi's on the move.

He's left the area I marked out.

Then Misaki's on the move too?

They're probably going to meet up.

I'll go get ready too.

What?

I want to take a shower.

Deal with it using smarts and innovation.

Fine.

I'll think about it while I shower.

[door opens, squeaks]

[♪ suspenseful music continues]

Whoa.

[Kojima] Nice.

You're a lot sexier.

You'll make a great prostitute.

Get in.

He's on the move.

They must have met up.

Next, they'll meet with Sunagawa.

Wouldn't it be faster to rescue Misaki now?

It's better than letting him get with Sunagawa

and dealing with two groups.

It would be fastest if I could kill them all

including Kojima and Takahashi.

But Misaki could get caught up in things, then it would cause big trouble.

Oh, right.

But if it's somewhere Sunagawa uses for underground deals,

whatever happens can be kept under wraps pretty well.

You'd better be careful though.

That also means if you and Misaki get killed,

it can also be kept under wraps.

Yoko.

[engine starting]

You still don't understand me.

[engine rumbles]

It's about time to go.

[engine rumbling]

[engine rumbles, revs]

Taihei Municipal Hospital

[snoring]

-[visitor] Ebihara. -[footsteps approaching]

Who's there?

[visitor] You don't need to get up. Stay like that.

I heard you had a catheter put in. Glad you're doing well.

-I just came to have a little chat. -[♪ tense music playing]

-[grunts] -[visitor] I know everything.

Why'd you get Sato involved?

I thought you made a promise.

You'd let Sato live a normal life,

and you wouldn't get involved with each other.

Are you...

[♪ suspenseful music playing]

[Takeshi] Are you Fable?

I don't like that nickname.

But since I can't give you my real name,

then you'd be right to call me Fable.

Yamashita Factory

You sure brought a lot of people.

Yeah, to make sure you can't kill me easily.

Oh, come on now. We're here to talk about business, right?

How could you think things will get rough?

I've known you a long time.

There's no way I'm letting my guard down.

-[Sunagawa's lackey grunts] -[gasps]

Hey!

I'm just patting you down.

A woman's got a lot of places to hide stuff.

Hey, punk.

That woman's our merchandise.

Hands off her or I'll kill you.

-[scoffs] -Now, now. Don't get so hostile.

[Kojima] Who's that guy?

I've never seen him before.

He's not a member of our group.

But he's like a candidate, you could say.

How old are you?

If you're thinking of joining the yakuza after 30 in these days,

then you should rethink it.

[chuckles] That's for sure.

Me and Kojima will talk alone.

Everyone else go wait on the second floor.

You.

While you're waiting, make sure that woman can do the job.

Sure.

[breathing shakily]

Misaki, give me your bag.

[Kojima] Use just your body to do your job.

Also, I'm taking Takahashi with me when we talk.

I'm not letting you shoot me from behind when we're alone.

[Akira] Yoko, I've found the location.

Yamashita Factory

It's a two-story ironworks.

[Yoko] Roger.

Ebihara.

Why'd you get Akira involved?

I'm in a tight spot.

If you know everything, then you know.

If you say I've broken our promise, then I've got no excuses.

But Boss Hamada isn't involved.

I've done this all on my own.

What's the punishment for breaking our promise?

Will you kill me?

[Takahashi grunts nervously]

Come on, just relax, would you?

That's a nice woman you've brought.

She'll make us money for sure.

Ah.

Use her until she's wrecked.

[soft chuckle]

[Sunagawa's lackey grunting]

Come on! Get walking!

-[Sunagawa's lackey] Get in there! -[Misaki breathes shakily]

[Sunagawa's lackey] You guys wait over there quietly.

But feel free to watch if you want to.

I'm the type that gets turned on by that.

[spits]

[annoyed grunt]

[Sunagawa's lackey chuckles] Okay.

For both of us, this is just work.

You're lucky I'm your first customer.

[Yoko] I'm waiting about 100 yards behind your location.

How are things there? Can you get inside?

[Akira] Not through the first-floor entrance.

I'll go in through the second floor.

[Boss] I heard you asked Akira to investigate and report back to you.

Do you know what Akira's doing now?

[gulps nervously]

Well, let's just say it was unavoidable.

While you couldn't act because of your surgery,

the situation kept evolving.

What happened?

Do you know?

Okay, Kojima, I know what you're trying to do.

You know you can't use those forceful tactics forever.

No matter what means I use,

the group will be satisfied if I rake in the cash.

That's what the yakuza do, right?

It's not like a gangster movie.

[breathing nervously]

Anyway, as for the call-girl business,

the prez of the call-girl business I ran has gone and disappeared.

Yeah. I heard.

I thought you might know something about that.

Why would I know?

How the heck would I know?

[♪ tense music rises]

I wouldn't be so sure about that,

Kojima.

[♪ foreboding music playing]

Hey, get over here and do it.

Come on! Undo my zipper and take off my pants.

Do it!

-[breathing shakily] -[♪ suspenseful music playing]

Hurry up and do it!

That'll be your job from now on, right?

Huh? Are you crying?

-Snap out of it, damn it! -[yelps]

[Misaki sobbing]

Then I'll take off your clothes.

-[Sunagawa's lackey chuckles] -[gasps]

You remember this.

In real life,

it's the bad guys who win.

I envy that guy.

If he finishes quick, maybe he'll let me do her too.

Don't be an idiot. You saw her face, right?

Yeah. She's totally pretty.

And she's got a nice figure.

Moron! Don't you feel sorry for her or anything?

You sure are kind.

If you feel sorry for her, then go rescue her.

It's ticking me off because in my situation, I can't.

Then you should feel sorry for yourself too.

[Sunagawa's hire] You're getting paid for work you don't want to do either.

It's the weak who are the hypocrites.

[annoyed grunt]

Come on! Hurry up and get on with it, you idiot!

[breathes shakily]

[chuckles]

-[Sunagawa's lackey grunts] -[Misaki gasps]

[Sunagawa's lackey] Come on!

Are you just going to cry?

-You can shout if you like! -[screams] No!

I told you, I'm just doing my job, right?

The bad guys win, you know!

[Misaki screams] No!

[shushes]

[gasps, breathes shakily]

Oh, well, whatever.

Let's get on with this. [chuckles]

[breathes shakily]

[whimpering]

-[Sunagawa's lackey grunting] -[gasps]

[Sunagawa's lackey groans]

[body thuds]

He's got it wrong. The strong win.

[♪ closing theme music playing]

Next Episode There's Always Someone Better

Translated by Brian Athey