Original subtitles

Isn't my cat adorable?

She passed away recently, at 12 years old.

I cried more than I did when my husband of many years died.

It made me feel heartless, like a terrible person.

And I felt even more depressed.

I don't think tears can truly measure someone's sadness.

Maybe it wasn't that you were sadder about losing your cat,

but rather that you were coming to terms with your husband's passing.

You're right.

I still can't believe he's gone.

It just feels like he hasn't come back from work.

I keep expecting him to open the door and say, "I'm home."

I'm scared that if I cry, it'll make it real.

Do you have any other family?

Being around others helps at times like this.

To be honest, I haven't really kept in touch with them.

But lately, my kids have been visiting with the grandkids,

thinking I must be lonely.

And yet, it's bothersome…

No, not bothersome, exactly.

I just don't know how to act around them.

Even with family,

relationships take practice.

Practice…

Practice…

CHEF KENJI GAVE ME YOUR NUMBER.

I'M SORRY I WAS LATE. YOU FORGOT YOUR COAT.

SORRY FOR MISSING OUR APPOINTMENT AND REPLYING SO LATE.

HIRO

Hello?

Oh, hello?

Um, we were supposed to meet at Cielo on Valentine's Day.

Yes.

I know.

Sorry for all the messages.

So, I still have the coat you left behind.

Oh.

If you don't mind, I'd like to come get it.

Oh, then are you free on Wednesday around lunchtime?

Yes.

Let's meet on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m.

at Cielo.

Okay.

What am I thinking? There's no way I can go!

Ugh, I'm such an idiot!

JERK

Yes?

Oof, you sound grumpy from the get-go.

What is it? It's my day off, you know.

Well, uh,

I was wondering if you'd like to practice tomorrow.

Practice?

How about we go out for lunch?

What?

I think it's better if we eat separately.

Oh.

There's a restaurant I've been curious about.

I finally managed to get a table.

It's called Cielo.

Cielo?

-I'll hang up if you're not interested. -No, no!

Sounds great.

Cielo it is!

Let's practice, yeah!

BONBON SAKURA

Are you ready to order?

Oh, I'll have the chef's choice.

The same for you?

-That's all. -Certainly.

Thank you.

Right?

What do you mean, "Right?"

Don't you feel comfortable with me in front of you?

This face is the only one in the world you can look directly at, after all.

Sure, but it's not a face I want to see.

Then picture the man you said you like.

Excuse me.

I need to use the restroom.

I'm not even giving a presentation. Why am I sweating so much?

Can I

practice one more time?

Sure.

I don't mind.

Excuse me.

What am I doing?

Sorry about that.

I thought maybe you'd left.

Of course not.

You kept disappearing though.

Yeah, well,

I have my reasons.

Mr. Fujiwara.

-Sorry. -My apologies.

-Sorry for startling you. -It's fine.

-I was just with your father. -Huh?

Good afternoon, sir.

This is Mr. Sasaki from Quick Mart Holdings.

Nice to meet you. I'm Sosuke Fujiwara from Futago Confectionery.

I'm Sasaki.

Pleasure to meet you.

Oh!

Nice to meet you, sir.

Nice to meet you.

She's currently working as my assistant at Le Sauveur--

Mr. Sasaki.

-Thank you for your time today. -Likewise.

I'm sorry. Did I overstep?

Not at all. I appreciate it.

Who knew having a meal would be so hard for us?

I know.

Who'd want to go on a date

with someone like me?

Well,

when you're with someone you like, those things wouldn't matter, right?

Just sitting quietly together like this is enough.

Maybe, but…

Nah. It'd still be too hard.

If, unlike you,

they were handsome, kind, and smelled nice,

I'd be so nervous.

W-Wait, what?

Hold on.

So, compared to the guy you like,

I'm ugly,

unkind,

and smelly?

Obviously.

I'm not smelly!

Maybe a little.

What?

I'm not smelly. Come on!

Maybe that person also has sides you don't know about.

Seeing him from afar might be different from meeting him in person.

Hmm. You think so?

Hey.

You've got something.

Hm?

Here.

Right here.

Oh, right.

Sorry, are you okay?

Absolutely…

not okay.

This sure isn't easy.

Doesn't this feel like a date scene from a romance series?

You skip the fancy restaurant

and end up eating burgers in the car together.

But somehow, they taste even better.

It feels like it's just you two, alone in the world.

It wasn't like that. Don't stretch the truth.

And before you knew it, you'd fallen for her.

Huh?

She's already in love with someone else.

That's why we're practicing.

I really do hope she ends up with that person.

Wait, so it's a love triangle?

Hey.

Wow, this is getting exciting!

"If our liqueur is truly necessary, I'd like to meet the new president."

It sounds polite, but it's basically a threat.

What should we do?

Does it have to be me?

Naoko Hosen.

She's the proprietress.

Oh, boy.

Sorry to interrupt, Chief. I just received this letter.

What is it?

What can you tell me about Gabriel Blossom?

I hear their president's pretty tough to deal with.

She's strict and intimidating,

and when choosing partners, she grills you like in a job interview.

I only heard about her from Chef Kenji.

Fail to answer her questions, and she won't sign with you.

It's like an actual interview.

She asks about history, world geography,

and even environmental issues, apparently.

Don't worry, everyone.

He has the credentials of a top university graduate.

Does it have to be Gabriel Blossom's liqueur?

-Yes. -Yes.

Got it. Thank you.

CIELO 12:00 P.M.

Chef Kenji,

wish me luck.

I'll try to be brave.

TABLE MANNERS FOR ADULTS

The only natural spring water liqueur in Tokyo.

It was founded in 1965…

WILL YOU COME TO GABRIEL BLOSSOM TOMORROW WITH ME? YOU'RE FREE, RIGHT?

I'M NOT. I'VE GOT PLANS.

THAT'S PRETTY COLD.

Oh, nice color.

Yeah, so bright.

I thought I bought a skirt.

I was wondering when I'd ever wear this.

This one?

Or this?

This one?

-Welcome. -I have a reservation under Takada.

We've been expecting you. Right this way.

What are you doing?

Mr. Fujiwara?

Come with me.

What?

Let's go to Gabriel Blossom together.

I told you, I'm not going.

You're free, aren't you?

I'm not. I have plans.

Get in, quickly!

Huh?

You're holding up traffic.

Hurry!

Ugh, fine!

You can't just drag me along like this.

Sorry. I just couldn't go alone.

There's no one else I can ask.

-What about Chief Motomi? -She scares me.

-Your secretary? -He's at HQ today.

Why today of all days?

Aren't you happy to help Le Sauveur?

Still, why today of all days?!

Are your plans really more important than Rainbow Palette's crisis?

Ssagaji.

-What? -Pull over for a moment.

You want me to go instead?

I know I could cancel over the phone,

but I've already stood him up once, so I feel terrible.

I know it's a lot to ask…

Well,

that would be overstepping into your personal life, so I can't.

You're the only one I can ask.

Please, Doctor.

I just have to go say hello and pick up the coat, right?

What's he like? How will I recognize him?

You'll know when you see him.

He's handsome

and probably smells amazing even without showering for days.

You don't meet people like him often,

so you'll know right away.

It seems like your heart is starting to open up to me, Darth Vader.

As thanks for showing your face for the first time,

I'll go in your place.

Really? Thank you so much!

Oh.

Ssagaji.

Cheap.

"Cheap"?

Ssagajiro.

To go buy.

That scared me.

Let's get going.

Is everything okay?

Wait.

Are you wearing makeup?

What if I'm not okay?

You rushed me earlier, saying, "Get in! You're holding up traffic!"

Now you're acting all concerned.

Okay, then. Let's go.

No way.

May I help you, ma'am?

No, uh…

Okay.

DR. IRENE: I'M SORRY. I CAN'T MAKE IT AFTER ALL.

What's wrong?

What do I do? This is the second time now.

He's going to hate me.

What happened?

Didn't you cancel earlier?

This is all your fault!

What now? How are you going to fix this?!

Hey! Your phone's ringing.

HIRO

If it's someone that important to you, you should've given them a call.

Please do it properly.

If we lose this deal, I'll be furious.

Absolutely furious!

Oh.

Take a look.

It's like snow.

Huh?

Wow.

It's beautiful.

A cedar ball!

GABRIEL BLOSSOM

Please wait here.

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Thank you very much for coming all this way.

Please, have a seat.

I'm from Futago Confectionery…

I'm Sosuke Fujiwara from Le Sauveur.

Pleased to meet you. I'm Kiyomi Hosen.

You were probably expecting to see my mother.

Uh, yes.

Is she here?

I'm very sorry.

My mother, who founded this place,

passed away.

What?

About two years ago.

She left two instructions in her will.

First,

when a business partner changes president, request them to come at once.

You see, she had this peculiar, difficult test.

That's why we brazenly asked you to come all this way.

The second instruction

was to not tell anyone about her death

for at least three years.

Otherwise, rumors would spread quickly

that the flavor has changed or that the place has gone downhill,

even if nothing's different.

So we were told to wait three years

before announcing that she had passed away.

If no one said anything by then,

it would mean that we had won.

Impressive.

But frankly, I'm exhausted.

I'm thinking of closing down Gabriel Blossom.

What?

It's hard, isn't it?

Succeeding a great founder, that is.

It feels like…

fighting a battle you can't win.

At best, it's a draw.

Perhaps

you feel the same way at Le Sauveur now?

That's true.

But--

I think I've grown tired of dedicating my life

to preserving tradition.

Um…

I think the flavor you changed recently

is excellent too.

Huh?

It's different from your mother's recipe, isn't it?

Most likely,

you altered how the aroma's extracted.

You noticed that subtle difference?

Yes.

Compared to the original,

I think the new flavor

is richer and even tastier.

Do you really think so?

Yes.

It's tangier, and…

Hmm, how should I put it?

It tastes like spring has arrived.

That makes me happy.

I'm so glad.

Even though I knew it was the right move,

changing my mother's recipe still made me

feel guilty.

It was so painful.

Maybe I'll keep going with my own approach a little longer.

You had a petal on you.

What do you think that flower is?

Huh?

My mother used to enjoy asking this little riddle.

Of course, they're not… cherry blossoms, are they?

Most cherry blossoms have no scent, so you can't draw flavor from them.

Right.

Um…

The answer is…

Apricot.

-Huh? What? -The answer is?

Well…

She'll tell you.

So, what is it?

Well, uh…

Surely you didn't order our liqueur without knowing its key ingredient?

Uh, no…

Here's a hint.

It's on the bottle of liqueur you're holding.

A-pri-cot.

A-pri-cot.

A-pri-cot?

You pass!

So, what's the name of the chocolate shop you're opening?

Oh, it's Le Sauveur.

Come here.

To thank you for your help,

would you be our very first customer?

Wow!

Oh…

So, they weren't cherry blossoms.

They were apricot blossoms.

The taste of the chocolate Chef Kenji gave me as a child

became an unforgettable memory for me.

For a kid, a gift of chocolate is the ultimate happiness.

Now then,

since it wasn't Mr. Fujiwara, but his staff member who got it right…

I've decided. You pass!

We're truly grateful.

Thank you very much!

I'll also support the new traditions of Le Sauveur.

Thank you.

I knew bringing a devoted fan was the right call.

I'm glad it worked out,

but thanks to you, my love life's a complete mess.

Oh, is that so?

If there's anything I can do…

There isn't.

Um…

But earlier,

I realized…

you have an incredible gift, Hana.

You have the ability to convey your true feelings.

Just without eye contact.

Even sitting next to you, I was moved.

What?

Uh…

So, if you tell him how you feel, I'm sure he'll understand.

As long as they're not a ssagaji like me,

but someone good.

I wonder if I can.

Gobaek.

In our last session, we shared our feelings of loss.

This time, I'd like for us to share the positive feelings of love.

Mr. Luxury Tuna.

If you've felt love recently,

would you like to share?

Feelings of love…

I've never felt anything like that.

What? No way! Really?

Poor thing.

Are you okay?

Thanks for today.

Mr. Marumaru, will you be at the next session?

Of course.

Great. Me too.

Ms. Lucky Cat.

Please take this, if you'd like.

I thought chocolate might help spark conversations with your grandkids.

For kids, a gift of chocolate is the ultimate happiness.

Please enjoy them when they visit next time.

They're Le Sauveur chocolates, with seven different flavors.

Le Sauveur?

Oh! If that's a bother--

Not at all. I'll gladly accept.

For the kids and for me,

I'm sure this will be a wonderful gift.

Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

I'm so glad.

Gobaek.

Confession.

Uh, um…

Excuse me. C-Can I talk to you for a moment?

I'm sorry I missed our appointment the other day.

I'm really sorry for standing you up again and again.

Um…

There's something I want to tell you.

I…

For a long, long time…

I've always…

I've always liked you!

Huh?

What do I do?

Subtitle translation by: Yuki Asami