Original subtitles

(English radio broadcast)

(Male voice, English) The Eta Aquariid meteor shower has peaked

June is the best time to see the night sky over Tekapo!

Along with Namibia and the Ibera Peninsula

Tekapo is said to be one of the world's three greatest stargazing spots

Looks like astronomy fans will be flocking here again this year

(Ako) I wish all these stars were just mine

(Kei) They are yours, Ako

You make choices every day, you live your life—

and this sky is waiting for you at the end of all that

That's why I think, even if two people stand in the same spot and look up—

no two people ever really see the same sky

(Ako) I really wish we'd timed this during the long weekend

We couldn't exactly do that, not when we left Kaji covering everything

Have a little consideration

(Ako) Ahh... back in high school I used to look at the stars every single night

Ah... you've officially started running away from real life

We promised back then we'd search for a comet together, remember?

But we both got busy and somewhere along the way we just... forgot

(Kei) Yeah...

(Ako) Hey, are you even listening?

(Kei) Hmm?

(Kei) Ha ha... (Ako) You weren't listening at all

(Kei) I was, I was!

(Ako) Hey hey hey hey, Kei-chan!

There's this big fancy sheep over there with curly twisted horns

Well of course there's all kinds of sheep

This country has more sheep than people, after all

(Ako) Look— (Kei) Hm?

Isn't it cute? Doesn't it remind you of Kaede?

You think so?

I mean, there's a resemblance, but... not quite, right?

It's fine

This is the New Zealand Kaede

The New Zealand Kaede?

Yeah, the New Zealand Kaede

(Ako) Kei-chan, we'd better hurry before it gets dark

(Kei) Yeah, I know

(Ako) Wow, amazing!

Hey, hey, a lake! Look!

It really is milky blue!

Haha, it's so beautiful!

(Kei) Hey, don't fall in

(Ako) Are we almost there?

(Kei) Yeah, just a little further

(Ako laughing)

(Sheep bleating)

Ako

(Ako) Hmm?

Hey, I...

(Ako) Yeah?

I've been meaning to tell you something...

(Sound of a car approaching)

(Crash)

(Ako) Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

(Ako) Kei-chan

Can you help me?

(Kei) Sure

(Kei) Natto? (Ako) Yep

(Kei) Okay, pass me the green onions

(Ako) Here you go~ (Kei) Thanks~

(Ako) There

(Sound of chopping)

(Ako) Hm?

(Kei) Nothing (Ako) What?

(Kei and Ako laughing)

(Kei) Alright then

(Ako) Let's eat, let's eat~

Here

(Kei) Alright

(Ako) Ready— (Kei) Yep

(Both) Itadakimasu

(Ako) Oh hey— (Kei) Hmm?

(Ako) Want to make a bet? Loser scrubs the bath this week

(Kei) Oh! No loanwords allowed? (Ako) Yep

(Kei) Alright then, let's go!

(Ako) Oh! Wait— (Kei) What?

I might have left the simmered pumpkin on the stove

Go on ahead

(Kei) It's fine, it's fine—I already turned off the flame and switched off the gas

(Ako) Gas~ (Kei) Ah!

(Ako) Got you!~ (Kei) Oh no...

(Ako) Yes! Yes! (Kei) You got me

(Both laughing)

(Kei) Don't forget, best out of three

Now, round two!

(Ako) Alright, I'm starting with a 15-point lead

(Kei) 15 points? This isn't tennis

What!

(Ako) Cat~

(Kei) Cat~

(Ako) Cat~

(Cat meowing) Here kitty, here kitty kitty, come here

Here kitty, here kitty kitty, come here

Come here

(Kei) Oh! (Ako) Oh!

Lately she only eats from your side

You haven't been rubbing catnip on yourself, have you?

(Kei) Actually, I've quietly been upgrading the fish sausage quality

(Ako) That's so sneaky!

(Kei) No, it's not sneaky

It's a communication strategy

(Ako) Okay, swap! (Kei) Hey, wait—

(Kei) What!

(Ako) Here, kitty~

There you go— oh, she's eating it

(Both) Hehehe...

(Ako) She's eating! Is it yummy?

(Ako) Alright, work hard today

(Kei) Yeah, heading out. You take care too, Ako

(Ako) Mm-hm

(Kei) See you later

(Hiyori) Good morning~!

(Hiyori) Good morning~! (Manager) Morning~

(Hiyori) Good morning~

(Ryo) Morning

(Hiyori) How come you always show up 30 minutes early?

Wait— we're living in the same time zone, right?

(Ryo) Well, call time is 9

(Shutter click)

(Ryo) Mm...

Yeah, nice

(Hiyori) You see it? (Ryo) Yeah

(Shutter click)

(Ryo) Nice (Hiyori) Oh yeah, that's good

(Ryo) Get more in (Hiyori) Got it!

(Hiyori) Overall— (Ryo) Yeah

(Sound of spray)

(Hiyori) There we go~

(Shutter click)

(Hiyori) Ooh~ (Ryo) Nice

(Shutter click)

(Boss) Isn't this too much for you?

Watching you, it looks really tough

Oh... no, I'm fine

I'm sorry

(Boss) Don't apologize, it's totally fine

It's just... Ako-chan—

maybe you should consider trying out a position in sales

(Sound of rain)

(Door opening)

(Staff) Good work today— take this home with you

(Hiyori) Really? Thanks so much! (Staff) Here you go

(Staff) Oh, it started raining

(Hiyori) Thanks for the food!

(Ryo) I'll be right there (Hiyori) Mm~!

(Hiyori) Just to confirm something—

(Ryo) Yeah?

(Hiyori) You've been bringing a lunch box lately—

you made it yourself, right?

(Ryo) Yeah

(Hiyori) You even cut the sausages into little octopus shapes?

You did that?

(Ryo) Yeah... well

This is what they call communication, you know?

Before I get hurt—

like, around the time when you're starting to think you might like someone—

report, inform, consult

(Ryo) Anyway... calling your senior colleague by their first name like that—

(Hiyori) Oh... then you pick

Option 1: Sunaga-kun

Option 2: Ryo-san

Option 3: Ryo-kun

Option 4: Sunaga-san

(Ryo) Four

(Hiyori) No, four sounds weird

We've come full circle— it's "Ryo-kun"

(Ryo) Fine

(Yusuke) "Fukushi"—

as in the kanji for multiple and the kanji for vision?

(Ako) Yeah

Things look doubled

I see two of you right now, Yusuke

(Yusuke) What? Where?

(Customer) Excuse me— (Ako) Ah, sorry— I was exaggerating

(Ako) Ah, sorry— I was exaggerating

That's more or less the gist of it

(Yusuke) Huh...

So this double vision—

is it from the accident in New Zealand?

(Ako) Most likely

Apparently it'll get better with treatment

(Yusuke) Right

Pomodoro

Is Kei doing okay now?

(Ako) Yeah, he's fine now

(Yusuke) Come out with us again sometime

(Ako) Sure

New Zealand, huh...

The only image I have of that place is that there are more sheep than people

Hold on, hold on— it's in the Southern Hemisphere!

The Southern Cross is shining up there, which you can barely see from Japan

Even from Ishigaki Island, you can only just catch it hugging the horizon

But down there, it just hangs in the southern sky all night without setting

(Sound of typing)

(Sounds of movement)

(Kajino) That part goes in the plate holder

And you align it to the center, right?

(Ryo) Oh, this one

Then tighten the tube lock screw...

There

Is this wrong?

Don't forget to balance the axis

(Ryo) Got it...

Axis— right!

Like this, right? Oh...

(Kajino) After that, pick up a copy of "Hoshi Navi" and learn the rest

(Ryo) "Hoshi Navi"...

(Ryo) I'm home~

Hm?

(Ryo) Oh

(Ako) Welcome back~ (Ryo) Hey

(Ako) Hehehe...

(Ako) Look— (Ryo) Hmm?

Tonight we're having the gooiest tuna melt you've ever had

(Ryo) Oh wow~

(Both laughing)

(Ako) What do you want to drink? (Ryo) Hmm, let me think...

(Ako) Yeah?

What?

(Ryo) Nothing

Just felt nostalgic all of a sudden

(Ako) If we hadn't run into each other on the rooftop that day—

I wonder if we would have ended up together at all

(Ryo) Let me go change

Maybe wine tonight

(Ako) Ooh, yes~ (Ryo) Yeah!

(Both laughing)

(Ako) Hurry up

(Shutter click)

(Doctor) Even with the prism glasses—

everything still doubles?

Yes

(Doctor) If the medication isn't having much effect either—

then surgery is the next step

Surgery?

(Doctor) Yes

We go in and reposition the muscles attached to the eyeball—

shifting them by just a few millimeters

The inner muscle gets moved back—

and the outer muscle gets moved forward

(Ako) Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting—

flowing through me

I really love it

I love the way you shoot, Ryo-kun

I mean, the model was super nervous—

but you never push, you don't force directions—

you just hold back and wait

Like you're watching over them?

Oh, but keep that just for the photos—

when it comes to me, feel free to go for it!

Um...

So, is there anything you want right now?

(Ryo) Uh...

"Hoshi Navi"?

(Hiyori) "Hoshi Navi"?

(Sound of typing)

(Ako) Sorry to bother you

(Kajino) Oh—

(Ako) Kei-chan forgot his lunch, so—

Want some coffee?

(Ako) Sure

(Sound of coffee being poured)

(Kajino) Did you want sugar and milk in it?

(Ako) No, black is fine

(Ako) Is this the Ardy Comet?

(Kei) Yeah

Comets are named after the person who discovers them

So there are actually comets out there with Japanese names

(Ako) Wait, so if I found one, it'd be called the Ako Comet?

(Kei) It'd be your last name, actually

Your name is Kinoshita Ako, so it'd be Comet Kinoshita

(Ako) Hmm... honestly? Not bad

I kind of like the sound of it

(Kei) But these days, observatories and research facilities all over the world

are using massive automated systems—

so most comets get discovered by them first

(Ako) What! That's impossible then!

That's so unfair!

Heh... it's not really unfair—

they're trying to find asteroids that might collide with Earth

Cut them some slack

(Ako) "Cut them some slack"? What does that even mean?

(Kei) Oh, um—

It means trying to understand where someone's coming from, being considerate

Hmm~

Okay then, I'll be considerate of them

(Kei) Heh...

You're just looking through a telescope and happen to spot one—

...that's not how it works, but—

I believe it's not impossible

(Ako) I really want to find a comet

(Wadachi) I'm sure you're thinking, "I look at the night sky every day"—

but hear me out—

what you're actually seeing

is starlight that's been dimmed by city lights and pollution

What do the stars really look like at their brightest?

Let's find out together—

through this big telescope, right now!

(Children) Yeah!! (Wadachi) Yeah!!

(Wadachi) You can see a single star shining there

That's Fomalhaut— sometimes called the Solitary Star of the South

Fomalhaut...

(Wadachi) Fomalhaut is the brightest star in Piscis Austrinus—

and above it you'll find Aquarius, which you've all heard of~

(Children) Whoa! Cool!

(Whispered) One look at the real night sky and they're hooked

(Ryo) The Solitary Star...

Fomalhaut...

(Ako) Oh...

(Ryo) You okay?

(Ako) Ah...

I was staring at the stars and forgot to blink

(Ako laughs) (Ryo) Ah...

Oh—

The Great Square of Pegasus has moved a little closer to the zenith

It's really autumn now

Ako?

Oh... yeah

It's autumn

(Ryo) Yeah

(Ako) Oh, look

(Ryo) Hmm?

The real Kaede

Mm

(Hiyori) Hey, handsome— want to grab a coffee?

Or hey, why don't we just go straight to the hotel?

Just kidding— what are you doing out here?

Wearing glasses and those clothes— what's going on?

(Ryo) Oh...

What?

(Hiyori) What?

(Ryo) I think you've got the wrong person

(Hiyori) Huh?

(Yusuke) Wait— Kei-kun?

Who's Kei-kun?

You're Ryo-kun, right?

(Yusuke) Ryo-kun? No, I—

Look, Ako-san's with him

It's definitely Kei-kun

(Hiyori) No, it's Ryo-kun, I'm telling you

(Yusuke) Who's Ryo-kun?

(Hiyori) Ryo-kun is Ryo-kun—

wait, hold on a second!

(Ryo) Ako!

Wait—

Could it be...

a body double?

In this day and age? For what purpose?

(Hiyori) What!

(Ako) Hey, Kei-chan!

What's going on?

I'm sorry

(Ryo) No...

I'm sorry too

(Ryo) Let's go home

(Ako) Okay

(Hiyori) You know, there are supposed to be

three people in the world with the same face as you

(Yusuke) What?

So there are two more people out there at my level?

No way

(Hiyori) I wasn't talking about you

And apparently, if two of those look-alikes meet— they die

(Yusuke) What! How? What's the cause of death?

That's a weird thing to get hung up on

Anyway, if Ryo-kun ever meets this Kei person—

they'll die

They look that much alike

I don't know... something felt different

(Hiyori) What did?

Never mind...

(Ryo) Did you find her?

(Ako) No

(Ryo) Her morning food is still untouched

It's been three days now

Where could she have gone...

(Ryo) Well, she was a stray to begin with—

cats, when the end comes, they...

Let's look a little longer

(Ako) Yeah (Ryo) Let's go

(Ako) Over here? (Ryo) No

(Ako) Kitty~? Where are you?

Today's fish sausage is scallop flavor!

Kei-chan, did you find her?

(Ryo) No, nothing

(Ako) Kitty~

(Ryo) Kitty~

(Ako) Kitty~

Kei-chan?

Kei-chan

Kei-chan

Kei-chan...

(Ryo) Kitty~

(Woman) Oh? Long time no see

(Ryo) Oh... I— (Woman) How have you been?

(Ryo) Um, actually—

(Woman) I'm heading out, so leave the key in the usual spot

(Ryo) Oh...

(Ako) Kei-chan

What is this place?

"Comet Kinoshita..."

(Cat meowing)

(Kajino) He must have been planning to search for a comet

This whole setup was probably going to be his own little observatory

The telescope was facing east, right?

(Ryo) Yeah, I think so

He must have found a nearby spot with a clear eastern sky

(Ryo) Wait— what do you mean?

A comet shines its brightest when it gets close to the sun—

that's when it's easiest to spot

So you look to the low sky just before sunrise—

close to the sun—

and aim for that narrow window just at the edge

(Ryo) Wow—

can you actually find a comet from there?

(Kajino) Ha...

Well, if you're seriously looking for one—

you'd need to get somewhere away from light pollution

(Yusuke) You seem totally down— what kind of blue are we talking here?

Pre-op blues

Surgery's coming up soon

Can't Kei-kun come be with you?

He'll always be right there with me

Wasn't he your senior in high school?

(Ako) Yeah

And we'd never even spoken before

We met on the school rooftop the day of the choral contest

Wow... those words alone are already giving me butterflies

(Both laughing)

I'd been assigned a solo part—

I was so scared and anxious, I just wanted to run away

And he cast a little spell on me

(Yusuke) Did it work?

I don't know— heh

But I think... probably...

(BGM: ♪ "Kaede") from that moment on, I've always been in love with Kei-chan

Kei-chan was in the photography club—

and the photo he took of me that day really moved me

(Ako) That's what started it— we began talking after that

Around that time, Kei-chan had gotten into astronomy—

he was really into the stars

Even though we'd never really talked before—

the time we spent together was so much fun

Going out together to look at stars—

talking for hours about everything—

Do you want a tissue?

Even now—

whenever I feel anxious or scared—

I just do this—

place my hand on my head and say the little spell

Heh

And by the way—

Kei-chan had no memory of that at all

I want to find a comet

(Door opening and closing)

(Door opening and closing) (Ryo) I'm home~

(Door opening and closing)

Oh... sorry

Welcome home

Ako

Want to search for a comet?

Huh?

(Sound of waves)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo) We're probably getting close to the limit

We can only shoot for about an hour before sunrise

(Ako) Do you really think we'll find one?

(Shutter click) (Ako) Do you really think we'll find one?

We will

It won't be easy—

coming all the way out here every morning, keeping up the shooting— it's a lot—

but that's exactly the point

Giving up sleep, putting in the effort—

so it'll be our comet and no one else's

(Ryo) Let's look for it— our comet

We'll find it together, no matter what

(Ako) Yeah

(Ako) We're definitely finding it (Ryo) Yeah

I want to name the comet

(Party popper) (Ryo) Whoa! You scared me!

(Ako) Happy birthday!

(Both laughing)

(Ryo) Thank you~

(Ako) I've got an overnight work trip starting today—

so I had to do the birthday popper first thing in the morning

(Ryo) Ha... well, I'm wide awake now

(Ako) Heheh... (Ryo) You really got me

(Ako) Oh—

(Ako) Here (Ryo) Oh

Sorry, on your birthday of all days

(Ryo) It's okay, I have work too

Sorry

(Ako) Okay, I'm heading out (Ryo) Okay

(Ryo) Take care (Ako) Yeah

(Ryo) Hmm?

(Ako) Never mind— I'm off

(Ryo) Okay, be safe (Ako) Yeah

(Ryo) Thank you!

(Ako) Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

(Nurse) Kinoshita-san

Shall we head in?

Yes

(Hiyori) Ugh, this is heavy

I'm dying over here...

(Ryo) What? This is the same gear you always carry

(Hiyori) Well, specifically this one is really heavy

Actually, I'll just hand this heavy thing to Ryo-kun

(Ryo) This barely weighs anything

(Hiyori) Actually, that's a present

(Ryo) What?

Happy birthday, Ryo-kun

Oh...

(Hiyori) Were you surprised? (Ryo) Yeah, definitely

(Ryo) Wait, this is—

(Hiyori) And if you want next month's issue too—

you'll have to spend next month with me

And furthermore, if you date me, I'll get you a subscription

So...

please go out with me

You don't have to answer right now—

but—

there's someone I'm already in love with

I'm sorry

But... thank you

Oh... no, no— it's fine, it's fine

Please, no need to be considerate of me—

it's just that failing to communicate properly is something I genuinely regret—

(Yusuke) What are you doing here!

(Hiyori) What? Yusuke-kun—

what are you doing here?

Wait—

isn't that Kei-kun?

(Hiyori) I told you about this the other day—

he's my coworker

(Yusuke) Oh, sorry— I thought he was Kei-kun...

Cheating on Ako-san on the day of her surgery?

(Hiyori) Wait— surgery?

(Ako) Sorry, on your birthday of all days

(Ryo) Hmm?

(Ako) Never mind— I'm off

(Yusuke) What's going on? (Ryo) Oh, nothing—

(Ryo) Here, hold this for a second (Hiyori) What!

(Hiyori) Ryo-kun!

What on earth— showing up out of nowhere—

seriously, who is that guy?

(Hiyori) Hm?

(Ryo) Ako

Why...

Why did you lie about the business trip?

(Ako) It's quick—

I can't keep leaning on you for everything—

I can handle something like this on my own

(Ryo) It's okay to lean on me

I'm always going to be right here

(Yusuke) It's still bugging me, to be honest

(Hiyori) What is?

The person we saw that time was Kei-kun

The person we saw just now was Ryo-kun

(Hiyori) Right

(Yusuke) Kei-kun came into the restaurant once before—

their vibe was totally different

(Hiyori) So who was it then?

(Tapping sounds)

(Yusuke) This is it

What... what does this mean?

(Yusuke) "Near Lake Tekapo—"

"a Japanese male driving a rental car—"

"collided with a large vehicle—"

"the Japanese tourist who was driving—"

"Sunaga Kei, age...—"

Kei-kun is... dead

(Ryo) Oh...

(Ryo) Going all the way to New Zealand just to look at stars—

I'll never understand that

(Kei) You've got it wrong, Ryo-kun

It's not about the stars— it's about seeing your own sky

(Ryo) What's that supposed to mean?

(Kei) The sky you happen to glance up at belongs to everyone—

but the sky you give up sleep for, put real effort into seeing—

that's something you've claimed for yourself

It's kind of like reaching out and taking hold of it

Heh...

Hey, Ryo-kun— want to try sneaking me through immigration?

(Ryo) Ha... there's no way I could do that

(Ryo) We'd get caught (Kei) Heheh...

(Ryo) And then you'd miss your flight too

(Kei) Yeah

(Kei) Alright, I'm going

Thanks for the ride

(Ryo) Take care— have a good trip

(Kei) I'll bring you back something good.

(Ryo) Yeah

(Buddhist chanting)

(Mika sobbing)

(Kajino) Incredible

Were there always this many people in this town?

(Ryo) How does someone pull this many people together?

He really was different from me

(Kajino sighs)

His mom doesn't look like she's doing well

Go be with her

(Phone notification sound)

(Ako) Kei-chan!

(Ryo) Oh...

(Ako) I'm sorry

(Ryo) Hmm?

(Ako) I'm sorry

For causing you so much trouble all this time...

(Ryo) What are you talking about?

I was just doing what anyone would do

I've always...

just wanted to be by your side

Ako

I...

Thank you

(Birds singing)

(Hiyori) I'd like to visit someone—

(Receptionist) Of course

(Hiyori) Could you tell me which room Kinoshita Ako is in?

(Receptionist) One moment please

(Knock on door)

Come in

Sorry to bother you

Um...

I'm—

I'm Hiyori— I work with Ryo-kun

Do you have a moment to talk?

(Ako) Sure

(Hiyori) I'm sorry— this really isn't my place—

but I couldn't stand seeing Ryo-kun looking the way he did

The accident...

Yusuke-kun and I looked it up

It felt cruel

(Hiyori) You know, don't you?

Kei-san is gone

And the person who's been by your side all along is Ryo-kun

How long...

how long have you known?

(Ako) From the beginning...

(Ako sobbing)

(Ako) Hah...

(Ako) When my message got read—

I thought maybe...

maybe Kei-chan was still alive

Kei-chan...

(Ako) I felt like I could see Kei-chan one more time...

Kei-chan!

Welcome home

(Ako) Welcome home

Kei-chan...

Welcome home

(Ryo) I'm home

(Sound of typing)

She said she was sorry for all the trouble

She's going back to her family home to recover

I'll take her tomorrow

Was I wrong to do all this?

(Kajino) Why are you asking me that?

What happens from here is for the two of you to figure out

There's nothing here that I get to decide

You and Kei—

when you were little, you always blamed each other and fought constantly

"Kei's fault!" "Ryo's fault!"

Maybe that's still okay

(Ryo sighs)

(Ryo) He's dead

I can't blame it on Kei anymore

(Sound of writing)

Don't you have a life of your own to live?

I don't know the answer to that—

(Sound of paper being set down) I don't know the answer to that—

(Door opening and closing)

(Kei) What a cute puppy

(Sound of Ryo laughing from the TV)

(Mika) Come here

(Kei) He's walking

(Bitz) Woof! Woof!

(Mika) It's okay, sweetie— Ryo won't hurt you

(Ryo) Here, come here~!

(Ryuichi) When Bitz passed away, Kei said—

that his soul was still close by, so there was nothing to be sad about

He held back his tears and picked up the bones

(Mika) He's always been that way

He holds himself together— keeps it all inside

(Ryuichi) Even though they were twins, their personalities were completely different

Ryo, you just cried the whole time

But Bitz— you stayed right beside him until his last breath

you didn't sleep, you just stayed

Such a gentle heart

(Bitz) Woof!

(Mika) Hehehe...

See? He's happy

Come pet him too, Ryo— hehehe...

Isn't he sweet

(Ryuichi) Hey—

(Mika) Hmm?

(Ryuichi) Maybe one of these days we could go— to New Zealand

Like Kei always said—

his soul might still be wandering under that sky over there

drifting through the air

That would be nice

(Sound of Ryo and Kei playing from the TV)

(Mika) Oh, how lovely~

Hehehe...

(Rumbling sound)

That big thud just now—

it always sounds like "welcome home" to me

Every time I pass through here—

I get that feeling of, "I'm back home"

When I'm alone, I even say "I'm home" back to it

(Ako) Mm

(Teacher) Alright, goodbye everyone

Goodbye

(Children) Goodbye~! (Teacher) Goodbye, everyone

(Teacher) Raise your hands— okay, good

Raise your hands please

Alright, goodbye

(Distant choir singing: ♪ "Kaede")

Can you hear it?

Takes me back

(Choir continues)

(Teacher over speaker) Year 2, Class 3 rehearsal

is now complete

Year 3, Class 1 students, please make your way to the stage

When I came up to the roof—

Ako was there alone—

she said she'd been given a solo part—

and she looked like she was on the verge of tears, she was so scared

(Shutter click)

(Kei) What's wrong?

Nothing... never mind

(Kei) Oh...

Sorry

It's no use— I can't do this...

(Kei) What's going on?

(Ako) I got assigned the solo part—

but I'm scared—

I just want to run away

(Ako) I'm sorry

It's okay now

Ako?

(Ako) All this time...

you've been standing in for Kei-chan

I'm so sorry

I knew from the start—

that I couldn't do something like this to you

(Ako) I'm so sorry

I couldn't accept that Kei-chan was gone

Because...

when we're eating—

when we're looking at stars, when we're feeding the cat—

everywhere, in everything— Kei-chan is there

My life without Kei-chan doesn't exist

He isn't gone from my life— he can't be—

I needed someone to help me

That's why—

someone with the same face as him—

I'm truly sorry

But—

if you hadn't been there— I couldn't have survived it

(BGM: ♪ "Kaede")

(BGM: ♪ "Kaede") (Ako) Hey— (Ryo) Hmm?

(BGM: ♪ "Kaede")

(BGM: ♪ "Kaede") Want to make a bet on who does today's grocery shopping?

(Ryo) Oh sure, um... rock paper scissors?

Not the no-loanwords game?

(Ryo) Ha ha... right, that one

(Ako) Alright, here we go— start!

(Kajino) Did you take your coffee with sugar and milk?

(Ako) No, black please

(Kajino) Whether what the two of you are doing is right—

I honestly don't know—

but if he decides he wants to live as Ryo—

please, face that with him

(Ryo crying)

Here

Pretend it's butter

Butter melting, flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

Thank you for everything

Goodbye

(Ryo) What?

(Ryuichi) Hm

He was always chasing after the next new thing

Like this camera— same thing

He picked things up so quickly—

so he got bored just as fast

You were never that naturally talented—

but you just kept at it, stubbornly

Made a living out of photography, too

Not much beyond that, though

That's all it is

That's enough

(Sound of footsteps on stairs)

(Kei) You know—

I didn't quit photography because it was too easy

(Ryo) I know

It's because you got obsessed with astronomy, right?

(Kei) Mm... not exactly

It's a little different

When I look through a camera—

I don't think I can see what you see through yours

(Kei) I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of photos you take

Can't wait

(Shutter click)

(Sound of waves)

(Shutter click)

(Shutter click)

(Ako) It's cold...

(Sound of mouse clicking)

(Ako) The triangle roof is nice too

(Coworker) Yeah

(Coworker) The mountain cabin style ones are the cutest though—

(Ako and others) Please!

(Coworker) You doing okay?

Oh yeah, I'm fine

(Coworker) Hang in there (Ako) Thank you

(Boss) It's a lot to juggle, but—

(Hiyori) No worries! That's my strong suit

(Boss) I'm counting on you (Hiyori) Looking forward to it!

(Hiyori) Oh—

(Ako) Oh—

(Ako) So you actually went independent

(Hiyori) Did you think I was still

assisting some photographer shooting cod fillets?

(Ako) Ha... fair enough

Hehe...

Last time I shot a cod fillet, there was an anisakis worm in it

(Hiyori) Stop it, we're eating!

You know, the kind that looks like a little worm—

(Ako) Yep (Yusuke) Yep

(Hiyori) Salted cod!

The timing of bringing that up—

your sense of consideration for others is completely broken

Heh... heheh

(Yusuke) Ako-san, you've been laughing a lot more lately

(Ako) It's been three years already

Feels like it was forever ago and just yesterday at the same time

I wasn't sure whether I should bring this up—

but this is the latest issue, coming out tomorrow

(Hiyori) Apparently he's been traveling from Namibia to the Ibera region

(Yusuke) Huh? Where is that? Is that even on Earth?

(Hiyori) Listen—

Namibia and the Ibera Peninsula

are two of only three places in the world that have Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserves

If he's making his way through all of them—

then the last one would be...

(Sound of waves)

(Shutter click)

Wait!

No way...

No way! Oh my god— this is incredible!

(Phone ringing)

(Announcement) This is the New Celestial Objects Reporting Center of the National Astronomical Observatory

(Ako) I believe I may have found a new comet

The position is right ascension 19 hours, 56 minutes, 42.8 seconds—

(Phone vibrating)

Hello, this is Kinoshita

(Wadachi) This is Wadachi from the National Astronomical Observatory, New Celestial Objects division

Regarding the comet you reported—

Yes?

(Wadachi) I'm afraid—

it turned out to be a known object

We received reports from two of you—

so we had our hopes up for a moment there

I thought as much...

(Wadachi) But still— the other person—

a young man— he reported it right after you did

I was genuinely happy about that

The age range of reporters has really been going up lately—

Um, uh—

by any chance—

where was the other person reporting from?

Just as I thought... from here—

(Sound of footsteps climbing stairs)

(Mika) Come in

(Ako) Thank you

He's searching for comets remotely

(Mika) His big brother set everything up—

calling from abroad—

"do this, do that"—

whenever it rains or gets windy, me and dad are running around scrambling

He's really starting to act like him, too—

they always looked the same since they were little—

(Ako) Oh— um, Mom— (Mika) Hmm?

(Ako) This photo—

the one wearing the blazer—

that's not Kei-chan, is it?

Good eye— you're right

Why is he wearing Kei-chan's uniform?

(Sound of typing)

(Ako) In Tekapo—

right before the accident—

Kei-chan was about to say something

You know something about that, don't you, Kaji?

(Typing stops)

(Kajino) Once...

Just once—

Kei came down with a fever—

and Ryo went to school in his place

So that means...

(Shutter click)

(Kajino) It was the day of the choral contest

The photography club president was out sick— that wouldn't look good—

so he asked Ryo to cover for him

(Kajino) So...

the person Ako-chan met on the rooftop—

wasn't Kei

So that's how it was

(Students chatting)

I really love this photo

Thank you

(Ako) Kei-kun

I want to try finding one!

(Kei) Alright, let's search (Ako) Yeah!

(Ako and Kei laughing)

(Kei) Ryo-kun!

(Kajino) That guy—

he never told Ako-chan that he was the one who took that photo on the school roof

the more important she became to him—

the harder it was to say

He'd been wanting to tell her properly—

Well— is that all?

Something like that doesn't change a thing—

I was completely in love with Kei-chan

(Kajino) Ako-chan—

About Ryo—

he— in his own way—

had real feelings for you—

I'm pretty sure of that

I know

(Ryo) Pretend it's butter

When it melts—

imagine it flowing through your body—

and the anxiety just fades away

(Ako) Butter melting—

flowing through me

Butter melting, flowing through me

(Ryo) Butter melting—

flowing through me

(Ako) Butter melting—

(Ryo) Butter melting—

(Ako) flowing through me (Ryo) flowing through me

(Footsteps)

(Ako, in English) Excuse me

(Staff) Hello

(Ako) Do you know a Japanese man?

A photographer?

(Staff, in English) A Japanese photographer?

McKenzie!

Do you know a Japanese photographer?

There's a woman here looking for one.

(Staff, in English) Don't know any.

(Staff, in broken Japanese) Sorry

(Ako) Thank you (Staff, in broken Japanese) Goodbye

(Shutter click)

(English conversation)

(Shutter click)

(English conversation)

(Shutter click)

(Shutter click)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo speaking in English)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo laughing)

(Ryo) Thank you (Man) Thank you

(Ryo) Bye bye (Child) Bye!

(Ryo) Bye (Child) Bye!

(Ryo speaking in English)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo speaking in English)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo speaking in English)

(Shutter click)

(Ryo) Thank you

Ryo-kun

I finally found you

♪~

~♪