Original subtitles

Yamazaki Shuichi, congratulations on winning a My Star Award!

Well done, Yamazaki!

You're the first My Star winner from the Sales Department, and the youngest ever winner!

What a legend! - A genius!

Thank you. - I'm so proud of you.

Is there anything you want? - A reward, Yamazaki? I'm jealous!

In that case, please transfer me to R&D.

Just think about it. Okay?

What is the My Star Award?

Once a year, employees who have made a particularly great contribution to the company get the My Star award.

Isn't Yamazaki amazing?

The winners are usually a bunch of old men.

In any case, Loophole-mura is enjoying himself too much.

It's not like he won the prize.

Have you ever won it, boss?

No.

Of course, the Accounts Department never wins.

If the figures match, it's normal. If they don't, we failed.

We get criticised, but never praised or thanked.

No, we should be able to do accounting work that gets praised or thanked, too.

I'll aim to win a My Star Award for accounting.

Do your best. - I will.

Yu and Asabuki are getting along well lately.

Oh, are they?

I'm handing over the Production accounts.

Takura is going on leave tomorrow, so we've had to work fast.

Right, Asabuki is taking over for the Production Department.

What? I thought Takura and Asabuki suited each other, like that.

Right, Moriwaka?

I can't agree.

Boss, that's clearly sexual harassment.

Oh, it is? But I just wanted Takura to be happy...

It's unusual for Yu to take more than one day off. Are you going somewhere?

No, I just thought I'd use up my paid holiday before our next busy period.

I'm sorry, but please do your best without me for the next 2 days.

Employees are entitled to paid holiday.

Wow!

Tomeda Tatsuhiko is coming. - What?!

He applied for travel expenses for the award ceremony.

Sendai plant, Tomeda Tatsuhiko.

You mean the man who's won the award 20 years in a row?

Yes! I can't believe I'll finally get to see the legendary "My Star" of soap.

Mr Tomeda isn't a river demon.

If he was, I couldn't see him.

Is he really such a big name?

He's very famous within the company.

But he never comes to the awards ceremony,

and he always refuses to be interviewed.

But if he just follows R&D's recipes for large-scale production,

what's the point of giving him a My Star Award?

Because Tomeda is in charge of the hot process. - Hot process?

We have always made soaps using both the hot process

and by neutralisation, which has greater productivity.

As the Production accountant, you should know that much at least.

Yes, master. - Don't call me that.

Compared to the neutralisation method, where everything is calculated and anyone can make it with reliable quality,

the hot process requires a craftsman's intuition.

A craftsman's intuition? - Yes. And the man with the best intuition

is Tomeda. - Even if you follow the recipe,

slight changes in temperature, humidity or raw materials can lead to big differences.

So without fine-tuning the machines and the timing,

you won't get the same quality of soap.

But couldn't you quantify the fine-tuned parameters so that anyone could do it?

Apparently they did try that once.

But it's not like "if the humidity goes up, this happens,"

or "if the temperature goes down, that happens".

You need intuition, and so Tomeda...

Nonsense! A business can't rely on the intuition of one special person.

If the hot process can't be quantified, why don't we switch to just using neutralisation?

Or are we deliberately refusing to quantify it so that we can monopolise the market?

Don't get so irritated. - But what is it?

This inexplicable intuition...

That's why he's "My Star" is, I'm sure.

Tomeda Tatsuhiko is coming?! - Yes! Everyone's freaking out already!

I wonder what's going on... - Right?

He's never attended a single time before.

Let's make sure there are no careless mistakes.

I hear he has a craftsman's temperament, very set in his ways.

So let's... - Let's make sure not to offend him.

Yes! - Yes!

Call the Sendai Plant right away and ask to interview Tomeda.

But he's always refused so far.

That's all the more reason, isn't it? Don't lose this chance.

He refused because he didn't want to leave the plant just for that, but that's not the case this time.

I see. When will you be back? - In two days.

I'll be back on the morning of the ceremony. I'll leave this to you. - Okay.

Husband

Hey, is this Accounts? - It is...

Tacchan! It's here, it's here! Hurry up!

Um... - I heard I could exchange my receipts for cash here.

Are you talking about expenses? - Yes.

I'm sorry, but who are you?

I'm from the Sendai Plant. - Sendai?

Tacchan got over-excited and spent too much money,

so he ran out, didn't you? - Don't say that, Ai!

Hilarious. - Here.

Oh...

103,500 yen.

He came too early, anyway! The award ceremony's not for 3 days.

Award ceremony?

Ah...

Patient Registration Yamagata Prefecture Cherry Hospital Tomeda Tatsuhiko

Tacchan, stop dropping things! - Oh, thank you.

Tacchan? - Are you...

Tomeda Tatsuhiko?

Yeah, so? - It's the river demon.

The legend of soap, my star!

Production Department

Tomeda Tatsuhiko

I'm sorry, but I can't accept these for expense claims. - Huh?

Please write the purpose and who you were with on the back,

and have it approved by your manager... - I don't know what you mean.

My plant manager will be here tomorrow, so can you ask him?

Oh, Tacchan. Didn't that count as a business expense?

No, no... - It's fine, come on!

What is it? - Well, it's this.

The two of us ate pancakes together earlier.

Really? What was he like?

Volume 7/10: The secrets of soap and kissing

He didn't really seem like "My Star". - Why not?

He brought in some girl who kept calling him "Tacchan"

and that "legend" was eating pancakes!

Just because your preconceptions didn't match reality,

I don't think it's fair to be disappointed.

Well, but I...

Right, Moriwaka?

Moriwaka, you're using a lot of lip balm these days.

A-Am I? - I saw you use it 7 times today.

Please don't count. - Oh, I use that one! Peach!

Me too! Isn't it good?

The first product in Ten-Ten Corporation's organic series,

the peach lip cream. Of course, I use it too.

That was so forced. Like an advert.

It's only natural for an employee to use their own company's products.

I use peach soap and peach hand cream too.

Although the peach soap isn't that great.

It dries my skin... It's no good.

I thought so too. It gives me dry skin.

I keep hearing that the peach soap is no good these days.

Really? I thought it just didn't suit me.

The test product did really well in consumer panels,

and it was fine when it first went on sale, too.

How could this happen? Did they change the ingredients?

If R&D change the ingredients, they're supposed to inform the Accounts Department.

Because it affects the budget.

So there are fine-tuning issues at the plant, like Master Takura said?

Maybe, but My Star Tomeda is responsible for the peach soap.

Tomeda...

Sorry to keep you waiting!

Sanako, do you like motorbikes?

Not really. - But you were really staring at it just now.

I wasn't!

Here. Won't you hold hands with me?

What?!

Thank you!

Taiyo?

Juna? - What a coincidence! How long has it been?

Who is that?

She's my junior from university.

Is this your girlfriend?

Yes.

She's so pretty! Great job! And she's older than you?

Yes, well... - Wow!

See you. - What are you doing these days, Taiyo?

I'm in sales at Ten-Ten Corporation. - The soap company?

Yes. - I've heard of it!

That's amazing! - No, no.

She's touching him? - Sorry for interrupting your date.

Oh, no...

Is your phone number the same still? - Yes.

Okay, I'll message you later, then.

It was so great to see you!

She keeps touching him. - Bye!

I'm sorry. - "Girlfriend."

No, she was really just my junior.

So I'm... your girlfriend.

That's what you meant? - Huh?

I mean, you're my girlfriend, aren't you?

So normally, we would message each other.

Sorry. I got carried away.

Not during work hours.

Thank you!

Moriwaka, do you have a moment?

Yes. - About the peach soap we were discussing yesterday,

since users have also started saying that its quality has decreased,

I don't think we should overlook it.

That's not our job in Accounts.

I'm not so sure about that. - What?

Um... Actually, I keep thinking about it too. - Mayu?

My mother told me that our soap hasn't been so good lately, too.

The peach kind? - The Premium.

What? - Premium soap is Tomeda's most famous product, isn't it?

Yes.

I don't believe in things like "craftsman's intuition",

but if there's no problem with the fine-tuning, there must be another reason.

First, I checked the accounts to look for anything odd.

Here are the results. Attention please.

Huh? Huh?

These are the Sendai Plant's expenses over time.

They've gone up in the last 3 months.

Exactly.

Raw materials, utilities and miscellaneous expenses have all gone up by 5%.

Could this have something to do with the peach soap starting to go down in quality?

The calculations are a bit off, aren't they? - The calculations?

It takes 3 months to make products in the hot process series.

Oh, I see! - What?

3 months? That long?

So the soap made during the 3 months where their expenses went up hasn't gone on sale yet.

The poor-quality soap that's on sale now was made before that. - God.

Oh, I get it. Huh...

Excuse me. - Hm?

I'm the manager of the Sendai Plant. My name is Sumiya.

Speak of the devil. - Sir!

Do you have a moment? - Yes.

There's no need for that.

Mr Sumiya, I'm Moriwaka from the Accounts Department.

Is this about Tomeda's receipts? - Oh, yes. That's right.

Here you are. - Thank you.

That man is a natural-born craftsman, so he's no good with this kind of thing.

Production Department

Sumiya Mitsuo

That's expensive! 10,000...

Do you know how to categorise it? - Yes, I'll check this and then fill it in.

I'm Asabuki Mika, in charge of Production accounts.

"Asabuki" means "linen blowing in a refreshing breeze".

"Mika" is written as "beautiful" and "brilliant".

Oh... - Please ignore that.

Let's get to the point, Factory Manager Sumiya. - What?

Asabuki! - Tomeda's guest for the ceremony is someone called "Fujimi Ai".

What is her relationship with Tomeda?

Oh, she works at the Sendai Plant.

She was originally a part-timer, but we hired her full time 3 months ago.

3 months ago?

Was she the person who came in with Tomeda yesterday? That cute young woman.

Fujimi came with him?

It's unusual to bring another employee as a guest.

I said the same thing.

I told him that people usually bring family.

But Tomeda insisted on bringing Fujimi.

I wanted him to bring his wife this time.

But he can only bring one guest, after all.

Anyway, please excuse me.

Oh, can you tell me where the research lab is?

Third floor. - Thank you.

What do you need in the research lab? - What?

Um, I want to ask them something about our ingredients.

Is it related to the 5% increase in the Sendai Plant's purchases and utility bills in the last 3 months?

Ah... - Don't look so obviously flustered.

Well, the 2nd product in the organic series is coming out soon.

It seems Tomeda is working on that by trial and error.

Don't look so obviously suspicious.

Excuse me.

What did you think, boss?

It's a grey area. - Boss!

"Boss"? - Asabuki,

I asked you to consider the TPO when you speak.

TPO: Time, Place, Occasion

Unless he has a guilty conscience, what's the problem?

He really did look very guilty just now.

I'm going to the research lab. - Why?

To follow him. - Um... - You shouldn't.

Exactly! - Asabuki, you stand out too much.

Oh! - That's not it.

Being so beautiful and brilliant is a pain in the neck sometimes.

Listen to me! - Who stands out the least here?

Why?

Why? Why is this happening?

Excuse me.

Oh, hello. - Ah--

Ah.

The stalking is over

Quality testing for the peach soap?

Yes. - Yeah, and the Premium.

So, the soaps that Tomeda is in charge of.

But Mitsuki usually works with bath salts.

I asked her to do it. - But why?

Moriwaka will keep it to herself. I guarantee it.

It seems like the quality of Tomeda's soaps is going down.

Based on marketing surveys? - That too, but it's my own opinion.

Huh? - I've always had thin skin,

and my skin cracks easily if I use poor-quality soap.

But Tomeda's Premium soap was always fine.

Since starting this job, I've learned how difficult it is to keep making soap with the same level of quality.

It's all thanks to Tomeda that I've been able to keep using Premium with no problems all this time.

But recently, even the Premium soap has been damaging my skin.

Just to check, I tried some soap I had left over from last year, and that was alright.

Hm... It's within the margin of error,

but the results of my tests weren't good.

This would have been unthinkable for Tomeda before now.

Is there any link between this and your increased spending on ingredients and utilities in the last 3 months?

There have been more rejects.

Products with air bubbles, or with the wrong scent or colour.

That kind of error suddenly started to increase in the last 3 months.

Why is this happening?

I think it started when Fujimi Ai showed up.

What?

She started working part-time at our plant 6 months ago.

That's when our product quality started to go down.

Ever since then, Tomeda started taking a lot more half-days.

And as soon as she was hired full time, the number of rejects started to go up.

So then why was she hired full time?

It was Tomeda's idea. He recommended hiring Fujimi.

Just trust me!

To put it bluntly, I didn't think she was that good.

But Tomeda started saying those things,

so I thought there must be something to her.

But since she was hired 3 months ago,

Tomeda stopped taking half-day holidays, and instead he started slacking off,

and I hear he goes out with Fujimi almost every day after work, to eat and so on.

Crazy for love! - Oh!

When did you get here? - I'm sorry, I tried to stop her.

So, he's fallen for this young woman and stopped paying attention to his work?

Are they in a romantic relationship? - If I had to say,

I think he sees her more as a daughter or granddaughter, or maybe as a cute pet.

I heard that Tomeda lost his daughter when she was very young.

Perhaps that's why.

But it's a problem if it's affecting his work.

I once spoke to Tomeda and suggested transferring her to another plant,

but he said that if I did that, he'd quit. He was really angry.

God... - But looking at these quality test results,

I've made my decision.

I'll send Fujimi to another plant.

Maybe I'm being selfish, but I want our genius to stay as a genius.

I'm sorry. Please keep this to yourselves.

Oh, right! Please try this, if you like.

Our cherry soap that's about to go on sale.

The 2nd product in the organic series after peach.

Does Tomeda make this too?

Yes. It got a pretty good response in the consumer panels.

I hope this wakes Tomeda up.

It smells really good.

My skin feels so smooth.

Yamada Taiyo

I'm getting up at 5 for a business trip tomorrow...

Moriwaka Sanako

Please go to bed soon.

Will you call me in the morning?

If I'm awake then.

Yes!!

I'm kind of happy

Good morning. - Good morning.

Did you try the cherry soap?

Yes. - Isn't it great?

It smells good, made my skin smooth and didn't dry my skin at all.

I agree completely. It's a sure-fire hit.

What's that smell? - Oh, sorry. Does it bother you?

It's not a strong scent, so I thought it would be ok.

It's fine. It smells good.

It could work for aromatherapy.

Right? It makes you feel kind of floaty, smelling this soap. I'm happy with it.

Excuse me. - Good morning Tomeda, Fujimi.

Sorry to bother you in the morning, but what about it? - You mean the receipts?

Your factory manager hasn't put it through the system yet.

What? - Sumiya hasn't submitted it yet.

That guy! This is bad, I'm running low...

I told you I'd lend you some money.

No, I can't do that, Ai.

It's fine. You can pay me back with interest.

What?! - It's fine!

Oh, Tomeda! This is great, isn't it?

Oh, the peach? - What?

Ha ha, hilarious! Tacchan played the fool

but no one realised it was a joke!

It was a joke? - This is obviously cherry!

Look, it's bright pink and it smells great.

I'm very sorry for not realising it was a joke. - Ha ha, I give up!

Right? I understand how you feel.

Oh, you're here, sir?

I've been here the whole time.

Oh! Hey, are you wearing the peach lip balm?

What? Oh, yes.

I use that too! Isn't it great?

How did you-- - Oh! We're late!

Our reservation for pancakes! - Oh no!

Let's go, let's go. - Yes, let's go!

Come on, quick!

Good work today. - You too.

It takes 3 months to make this soap.

The poor-quality soap that's on sale now

was made between 3 and 6 months ago.

She started working part-time at our plant 6 months ago.

That's when we started producing soap with worse quality.

Ever since then, Tomeda started taking a lot more half-days.

Don't chase the rabbit...

Tomeda Tatsuhiko

Attendance Record

Oh, the peach? - This is obviously cherry!

It's bright pink and it smells great.

Patient Registration Yamagata Prefecture Cherry Hospital Tomeda Tatsuhiko

Tacchan, stop dropping things!

Oh, thank you.

This rabbit is...

Huh?

This is...

Why?

Sanako, where are you?

Yamada Taiyo

Sanako, where are you?

Moriwaka Sanako

At the bus stop.

What are you doing after this?

What are you doing after this?

Nothing in particular.

Really? My train gets into Shin-Yokohama station at 7:20. Will you come to meet me? I have souvenirs!

Let's meet at Wheat Café by the station.

Okay.

Yu...

What? Oriko?

Ahh!

I didn't mean to see that!!

Why...? Oriko is married.

I'm at the station! I'll head to the café now.

I'm sorry. I can't be there.

What happened? Are you okay?

I'm fine.

Huh?

I'm here.

Is that bad?

I'm sorry. I was worried about you.

Isn't Tomeda amazing? He's a real genius.

Yamazaki said the same. I was picking his brains about sales techniques.

Techniques? It's just about feelings.

Feelings? - Like, I should press them now, or I should pull back here. Like that.

Like an aura... - An aura?

An aura? - He's really a genius, isn't he?

Hm..

But this is great! - What?

Since I just turned up at your house,

I was worried you'd be put off by that.

Maybe I would have been, normally.

So something did happen, Sanako?

You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna... I mean, "don't want to".

If you saw someone that you really respected and trusted...

How should I put it?

... doing something that wasn't like that, what would you do?

By "not like that", you mean they did something bad?

Well, it depends, but in general I'd be happy.

Happy?! - Yes. - Why?

Because it would show that they were human, too.

If you respect them, there's something amazing about them, right?

You were impressed by them, right?

So then, they made you happy, didn't they?

That won't go away, no matter what.

That will always be important, I think.

It won't change, no matter what.

Ah... Did I miss the point?

I just thought "I really like him".

I mean, you.

Wait! Ah... ahh! What?!

Don't just suddenly hit me with a bombshell like that! - A bombshell?

Yes. You know, I really like you too, Sanako.

Thank you.

Wait! - I'm sorry.

No, just wait a minute. - Okay.

Sorry to keep you waiting! - Ahahaha! Just-- hahaha!

Just a minute! - What is it?

You're too cute! Are you trying to kill me?

Good morning. - Good morning.

Good morning. - Morning.

Can we talk?

About yesterday... - Yu.

I really respect you.

That will never change, no matter what.

I think you know this already, but I'm no good with small talk.

I'm not interested in discussing rumours, either.

Let's go back to work. We have the award ceremony this afternoon, after all.

Thank you.

It's nothing.

Reiwa Year 1 (2019) Ten-Ten My Star Award Ceremony

Okay, okay, okay, okay... stop!

Thank you for coming today.

What are you doing, Mr Niijima?!

Go over there, sir.

Here you are.

These entertainment expenses cover a very large number of people.

Was it for a client? - Well, I suppose.

The equipment and mould manufacturers and our ingredient suppliers.

What do you mean, "I suppose"?

If there's anything bothering you, please tell us about it now.

The longer it takes to spot a problem, the bigger it gets.

Tomeda really hates group meals.

It's hard to imagine him with this many people.

I wondered if this receipt was really for Fujimi and her friends.

Did you check with Fujimi?

She's been out all morning, meeting up with a friend.

What can she be thinking? - She seems the type to have lots of friends.

If you have doubts, we can't accept this as a business expense,

and submitting inaccurate documents would be forgery.

I don't think any of this is Tomeda's idea.

Fujimi probably put it into his head.

I should never have hired her.

I'll transfer her next month.

Please wait. - What?

Would you let me deal with this?

Prizewinners' waiting room

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

I want to ask you about this receipt and this soap.

Oh, the cherry soap?

Tomeda. Please tell me the truth.

What? - I'm sorry for deceiving you.

This isn't cherry soap. It's peach.

I'm sorry, Tomeda. I checked your attendance records,

and you started taking 2 half-days per week 6 months ago, didn't you?

Every Tuesday morning and every Thursday afternoon.

I thought it was odd that you live in Sendai,

but you have a patient registration card for a hospital in Yamagata.

So I looked into it.

On Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons,

that hospital runs an outpatient clinic for elderly patients.

But 3 months ago, you suddenly stopped taking those 2 half-days per week.

Is that related to Fujimi being hired full time 3 months ago?

You're amazing.

I stopped hearing the soap's voice.

Why am I trying to sound cool?

Over 40 years ago, I started working here part time.

Of course, I had no interest whatsoever in making soap as my life's work.

It was about a month after I started work...

Huh? Something's different from usual.

I felt it while mixing the ingredients.

Something was just off, I guess.

Off? - I can't explain it in words,

but the smell, the colour, the sound of the bubbles and the atmosphere around the oven

were somehow different from usual.

I went to report it, just in case, to a veteran called Kijima.

So you can hear it? The soap's voice?

I still can't forget how Kijima's face looked back then.

At the time, I didn't understand why he was looking at me like that.

But the next day, the plant manager called me into his office.

Kijima had told him "this guy's a soap prodigy,

so you have to hire him full time".

After that, Kijima spent every day at work and after work

teaching me everything he knew about soap.

I was a big eater.

Now that I think about it, I guess he bribed me with food.

It's been 40 years since then.

I've spent my whole life making soap.

I don't have any children.

We had one, but she got sick.

So my wife and I always said that soap was our child.

But then I suddenly stopped hearing it.

The soap's voice.

It's because I'm getting old.

My eyes and my nose... Everything's aging.

That's why you went to the hospital.

And they told me it's not something that can be cured.

But if I can't make soap, then there's nothing else I can do.

But more importantly,

what about the soaps I've spent my life protecting?

I clung on desperately,

rushing to find a successor.

But I could never explain it properly in words.

It was a lonely time for me, back then.

And that's when it happened.

Huh? Isn't something different today?

Then I knew.

I must have been making the same face that Kijima made back then.

That was 3 months ago, wasn't it?

When we started making the cherry soap.

So the reason that the poor soap quality improved again for the cherry soap was...

All thanks to Ai.

She's a prodigy.

And so you stopped going to the hospital. - Yes, right away.

It was a waste of time. Now I'm teaching Ai everything that Kijima taught me about hot process soap.

Thinking about that makes me act like a child again, always looking forward to tomorrow.

Until she came along, I was afraid of tomorrow.

So you did the same thing for her.

What Kijima did for you,

you're doing for Fujimi.

But it's difficult to bribe her with food.

She's on a diet, so she'd rather get pancakes than have dinner.

And the reason for all the rejects was...

I was helping Ai practice in secret.

Kijima did that for me, too.

Why didn't you tell the plant manager about this?

Sumiya doesn't understand your relationship.

He thinks you're too fond of Fujimi,

and that she's distracting you from work.

He was suspicious about this receipt, too. - What?

He couldn't imagine you entertaining such a large number of clients,

and thought Fujimi just brought along her friends.

Ah, I get it.

I see why he'd think that.

It's true, it was very difficult for me.

But I just had to introduce Ai to everyone.

Please correct Sumiya's misunderstanding.

If not, Fujimi will be transferred to another plant.

I'm sure Fujimi would just accept the transfer without saying anything ,too.

After all, she's been working so hard to protect you, Tomeda.

Tacchan, stop dropping things! - Oh, thank you.

Oh, the peach?l - Ha ha, hilarious!

Tacchan played the fool but no one realised it was a joke!

Hot process soap is one of Ten-Ten Corporation's main product lines.

We make about 450 million yen per year from it.

If Fujimi is transferred, product quality falls again and sales go down,

that would mean a huge loss for the company too.

I guess you wouldn't understand.

I can't correct his misunderstanding.

I don't understand.

Because I'm not a genius or "My Star".

But I am an accountant.

I can work hard to learn the truth behind the numbers.

Tomeda, these entertainment expenses are proof of the trust you've built.

This is how many people came just to see you.

Over 40 years, 52.5 million people have used the soap you made.

That includes people who don't have to worry about skin damage from your soap, so they can use it without fear.

You gave us happiness and peace of mind.

That will always be important to us.

It won't change, no matter what.

The Ten-Ten My Star Award is given by Ten-Ten Corporation to employees who develop superior techniques and know-how,

develop and produce products, or increase our customer base

or sales figures significantly. - Sanako!

Let's announce our My Star award winners. - Sanako!

But first, a word from Ten-Ten Corporation's Managing Executive Officer, Sato Kyotaro.

Thank you. I'm Sato.

I'm impressed you could tell. - What?

That I use the peach lip balm.

Hey, are you wearing the peach lip balm?

It had been hours since I put it on.

Aren't I creepy? Just like a dog.

Hey, hey. You see that woman in white, at the back?

That's Tacchan's wife. - What?

I invited her as a surprise for Tacchan.

So the friend you were meeting today was... - Yeah, his wife.

Don't worry. I paid for everything myself.

He only gets one guest, after all. And Tacchan brought me.

And next,

the pride of our company, the "My Star" of soap,

Tomeda Tatsuhiko from the Production Department's Soap Production Section. Go ahead!

Not being able to make soap any more wasn't what I really feared.

That was just pride.

If everyone found out that I can't make it any more,

I thought they'd see me as worthless.

That's what I was always afraid of.

But that was wrong.

That pride.

Tacchan...

I'd like to decline this My Star Award.

Tomeda...

I finally understand.

This is what I'm really proud of.

There's no need to worry.

I will continue to protect Ten-Ten Corporation's hot process soap from now on.

With my excellent comrades who love soap.

And with the future "My Star" of soap.

Caustic soda makes up 50% of the raw materials for soap.

It's a strong poison.

If you get it on your skin, it will burn you.

But even that, if used properly and mixed with oil, will make a gentle and cleansing soap.

At the moment, the future "My Star" of soap

is a cheeky young lady who's more interested in pancakes than in soap.

But don't worry.

I will definitely train her well.

I'm good at fine-tuning both soap and reckless people.

Wait for me.

What?

One day, I'll definitely become the My Star of soap and bring him with me.

I'll bring Tacchan back here.

As my guest.

I'll be waiting.

And if you have the receipts for his wife's travel expenses, please bring them to me.

I'll process her as a guest.

What? But he only gets one guest, doesn't he?

I should be able to change your travel fees into expenses for training his successor.

Seriously?

Yes. This is a business expense.