Original subtitles

Aoshima, wait -

Don't "Aoshima" me.

Did you really think I'd be serious about an older woman like you?

I can't believe you were thinking about marriage.

Then why? Why pursue a relationship with me?

To kill time.

What?

Farewell.

No wait, Aoshima!

Farewell. Farewell. Farewell...

Aoshima!

A dream...

That was way too real.

I blame this on our conversation at the bar.

Oh, I'm not thinking about marriage.

Huh?

It was just a throw-away line. Nothing serious.

But what did he mean by that?

[Aoshima-kun is a Bully!]

If I run into Aoshima now, I'm afraid I'll say something extreme.

And I certainly don't want to come off as overbearing...

Good morning.

Morning.

Is something the matter?

I have to go submit something, and fast.

See you around.

She's worrying about something, again.

Today marks the start of our co-development project for this, "Black Strong Coffee".

Can I count on you both to be our reps for General Affairs?

Yes, sir.

Do us proud, you two.

I, Tanizaki, vow to bring honor to our General Affairs name.

It's an honor to work with you, Ms. Katsuragi.

Ready to give it our all?

You can count on me.

- Say... - Yes?

According to the rumor mill,

I hear you know this "Fujiwara" from the Osaka branch?

Katsuragi. Long time no see.

Yes, we joined the company at the same time.

Right, of course. But, well...

I hear you two have some other... history?

No, sorry. I shouldn't pry.

My apologies for overstepping.

I've got to learn to read the room...

Yes, we used to date each other.

I see...

He's married now, though.

Oh...

- I see. - Yes.

Just your ex-boyfriend, nothing special.

- Katsuragi. - Hey, Fujiwara.

I look forward to working with you again.

Yeah, it's nice knowing you're on the team.

Likewise.

How're you feeling?

Better, thanks. Have you seen these already?

Yeah, I did my review back in Osaka.

Aoshima.

You're better off not knowing...

No! Maybe you ought to be informed.

About?

That's Fujiwara, from our Osaka branch.

He's an associate of Ms. Katsuragi, and also her ex-boyfriend.

- What? - But luckily, he's a married man!

They're just working together on this project, that's all!

Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep my eyes on them.

Welcome all, to our first co-development meeting.

Let us all strive to make this coffee as much of a raging success

as our "Blue Punch" was.

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

I apologize for being late.

I'm Aoshima, the rep for our Systems Engineering team.

Aoshima?

I'll be replacing our original representative,

as they are currently under the weather.

- Alright, take a seat. - Yes, sir.

That face tells me he's up to something.

And honestly, this is super awkward.

Isn't Aoshima dating Ms. Katsuragi over there?

Yeah. Talk about awkward...

This project hinges on developing a new system for the company to run on.

And from what I hear, Aoshima especially excels in this field.

I believe he'll prove to be the right man for this role, no?

Shall we get started then?

Yes, sir.

Although new products are certainly eye-catching,

many also prefer the reliability of the old.

As for packaging...

I personally think this flyer is especially striking.

Fair point.

What's your opinion on this, Katsuragi?

[To: Ms. Yukino] [You're too close]

Aoshima, what made you want to join in on this project?

There's no why, this is my job.

Why ask?

Huh?

Should I not have volunteered to work on this project?

No, that's not it...

Aoshima.

Nice to meet you. The name's Fujiwara.

I look forward to working with you.

The pleasure's mine.

The boyfriend and ex are duking it out!

Say, Katsuragi. How about we discuss those flyers over a drink later?

Sure.

Tanizaki.

Come with me to Ms. Reiko's place tonight.

S-Sure thing.

Then if you'll excuse us.

[Snack Bar Reiko]

This Fujiwara guy is the best salesman we've got in all our Western Japan branches.

He's a seriously capable guy.

- Not to mention he's got the looks to back him up. - Oh my!

He's a dandy man, through and through.

And because Yukino is out working with this capable man,

our little Mizuki is sulking?

- Cute. - So cute!

Jealousy is just the spice any romance needs.

It is?

Speaking of spice, your curry is especially good tonight, Reiko!

Really? I didn't measure anything, so it's not happening again.

- What? - No way.

So sorry, you two.

Her ex is a guy of the past.

I'm the one dating Ms. Yukino now.

You never know with relationships.

Ms. Katsuragi has been acting strange recently.

It's like she's avoiding you, dude.

Aw, don't get depressed.

Do you suppose it's because of, you know.

The whole "not thinking of marriage" thing?

Maybe. But it's not our business to butt in.

This is between Mizuki and Yukino.

If I were Yukino,

I'd grab Mizuki by the collar and start interrogating without hesitation.

For many women, marriage is a touchy subject to ask about.

Hey, I'm here for you, alright? I promise.

[Manraitei Izakaya]

So he's not thinking about marriage, eh?

Wonder what he meant by that.

Your towels.

- Boss, could we get two beers? - Coming up.

I don't know.

But I don't want to ask, and stress him out. He's only 26.

Besides, I don't want to come off strong this early in our relationship.

Do you want to get married?

Honestly, that's the biggest unknown I'm facing right now.

I'll need to get my own feelings straight before asking Aoshima anything.

You sure do worry yourself thin.

- Your beers. - Thank you.

- Cheers. - Cheers.

Until a while ago, I thought I was over romance.

Marriage, too.

Oh, how people change.

The fact that you're not confiding in Aoshima just proves you're serious about him.

Unlike you, who I have no filter around.

That's because I mean nothing to you.

Yeah.

Sorry, that's not entirely true.

So it's still true in part? Ouch.

He passed out.

Won't he feel hot?

- You think? - Yes.

- Hot... - See?

I suppose you're right.

- How's that? - Cold...

Now he's cold.

So which one is it?

Hello?

Alright.

I'll head on over.

Did she call again?

Yeah.

Good night, you two.

I'll visit again.

It seems she contacts him more often now.

You know he can't say no to her.

For all the attitude he has, he's a kind boy at heart.

I only hope he doesn't let her take advantage of his kindness...

Good evening.

Welcome.

Aoshima.

Remember how you said you weren't thinking about marriage?

Well, that remark has been weighing on my mind.

If it's not much, could I ask what you meant by that?

No, I can't do this.

Because, in the worst case scenario...

Farewell.

My nightmare may become reality.

Isn't this...

I believe what is most important of all,

is to acknowledge that this is your life to live.

I wish I had that conviction.

I need to fix this flaw of mine.

I can't keep avoiding these important questions.

Ms. Katsuragi, I'll be heading back to our office now.

- Sure. See you there. - See you.

Even though I lack any conviction or resolve,

this is still bugging me.

Aoshima.

Yes?

Do you have time after work tonight?

"There's something I need to ask you."

Why?

- There's - - Aoshima, could we have a minute?

Sure thing.

No, it's nothing.

See you around.

Whenever I see Aoshima...

I feel my tongue freeze up.

If I lose Aoshima...

No, that's a scary thought.

Feel free to ask me anything at all regarding this project.

I'll do my best to help.

Thank you.

Here's to our success.

Have a good one, sir.

I believe that should do it.

Thank you.

Aoshima.

Hey there.

Hello.

Perfect timing. I had a question for you.

Yes?

What's your end goal in your relationship with Katsuragi?

I believe that is none of your concern, sir.

Oh? So you're serious about her.

I'd be doing Ms. Yukino wrong if I wasn't.

Then why say that to her?

Why did you tell her you weren't considering marriage?

It's not Katsuragi's style to reach out.

She tends to get caught up in her own worries.

She's never one to be honest and upfront either.

I know you're still young, and this may fly over your head.

But be considerate of her, yeah?

She's more sensitive than you may think.

That's all from me.

See you around.

I have a bad feeling about this.

You have reached our tech support desk.

We are currently busy...

Please hold.

They're not going to put me through for a while.

Yeah, not happening.

What do I do...

It's not Katsuragi's style to reach out.

She tends to get caught up in her own worries.

She's never one to be honest and upfront either.

I know all that already.

[Ms. Yukino]

Hello?

Sorry to call you over so late.

It's fine.

Did it black out without any warning?

Yeah.

I'll look into it back at my place.

For now, you can use my laptop.

Thank goodness he's acting normal.

Thank you. I couldn't get through to tech support at all.

Seriously, you're a lifesaver.

Is that all?

I have work to do.

Right. Then I'll see myself out.

Hold on.

Are you... mad about something?

Maybe.

Maybe?

Tell me about it, I'm no mind reader.

You stole the words right from my mouth.

Why did I have to hear you were worried about marriage, from Fujiwara of all people?

Well...

It's not exactly an easy topic to talk about, especially with you.

Aoshima, I'm already 35.

And that means I have to seem stable, so other people don't worry for me.

I have to plan for a future five, ten years in advance.

If you're not even thinking about marriage,

I certainly can't tell you about everything else.

You'd think I was being overbearing, wouldn't you?

I suppose our age gap does make quite the difference.

Ms. Yukino.

Why would you ever think you'd be overbearing?

You're someone I cherish dearly.

Since we've begun dating...

there have definitely been times I've been reminded of my age.

But I've always been prepared to accept anything you have to throw my way.

That's how much I love you.

For the first time since we've met, I'm realizing our nine year difference.

Ms. Yukino, you're the one who doesn't believe in us.

Aoshima...

- Thank you. - Of course.

There have been two times I felt like Aoshima really asserted himself.

I've fallen head over heels for you. And this time, it's no joke.

That's how much I love you.

I'm sure he was speaking from the heart.

Don't ever hesitate to tell me what's on your mind, okay?

He's always been honest with me, and yet...

You're the one who doesn't believe in us.

You're right.

I didn't.

What are you doing down there?

Aoshima?

I was in the convenience store, when I saw you trip.

What's gotten into you?

People are staring.

I'm so glad I found you.

I wanted to apologize.

When you said you weren't thinking about marriage...

it honestly shook me, badly.

Seems like...

I was still obsessed with the idea of marriage after all.

Even though spending time together...

makes me plenty happy already.

Ms. Yukino.

I'm choosing not to hold back anymore.

I feel like I've finally caught you.

Mizuki.

What are you doing out here?

Ms. Kumi.

Ms. Kumi?

Is she an acquaintance of yours?

She's the person who gave birth to me.

What?