Original subtitles

Natsume's Book of Friends

[7]

Sometimes, I sense what's inside the minds of those around me.

It only lasts a moment, so I usually don't care.

But that day...

That day...

The great monster of Shihodani?

Yeah.

It normally keeps itself hidden, but lately it's been showing itself.

I think it might want its name back.

So you're going all the way there to give it back?

How stupid.

What's wrong with that?

There might be places with yummy snacks.

Don't think I'm going to fall for that every time.

Oh, a yamame trout.

Where? Where?

While we're here, I'd like to return names to any yokai in this area.

I'm the only one here who wrote my name onto the paper.

So you're the grandson of Natsume Reiko.

Will you return my name?

Yes.

I'll try to find the page in the Book of Friends.

No, I know where it is.

The first page.

The first page?

In other words...

This is the first yokai whom Reiko-san made write its name.

Would you tell me... about Natsume Reiko?

Very well. To pass the time.

We weren't together for long, but I'll tell you of the time Reiko came to this forest.

"What if he's a bad guy?"

"Wow, what a pain."

For a single moment, I can read others' minds.

You could say their thoughts find their way inside me.

I don't know.

I was doing everything I can to give off what-a-pain vibes.

Hearing thoughts was upsetting enough that I hid myself deep in this forest.

And then Natsume Reiko came...

Tell Me

Your

Name

Hey, did you hear?

A child of man has been wandering the forest lately!

When the guardian of the great cave tried to tease it,

it dodged like a dancing butterfly and just kept right on walking!

What a little brat!

Why don't we tease her too, if we see her?

You're being too loud.

If you keep making noise, I'll eat you.

Help us!

I wanted to live in peace,

so I drove away any yokai that found their way into my territory.

I lived at my own pace, all by myself.

And when I went back to my bed...

What?

I finally found a nice place to sleep.

Is this your bed?

Sorry.

I'll stay away from this tree.

Bye.

Huh? Uh...

And after that, I would sometimes see this child of man.

Whenever a yokai tried to bother her, she would gracefully dodge them.

And so she was always alone.

Just like me.

It feels good to be alone.

And that child of man knew this.

Hey, the child of man went to the stone cairn.

Again? Let's go see.

So, is that it?

No, I think she was more...

Hey, you!

I wondered what that noise was...

What are you doing here in the forest?

S-Sorry, I was reading...

I didn't think I was making any noise.

No. I should apologize to you.

But it's not a good idea to wander around this forest alone.

Go home.

Bye.

W-Wait!

What?

Do you not know your way home?

No, I...

Would you talk to me for a little while?

I just moved here...

No.

Now go home.

Okay... Sorry.

Total rejection.

I felt the same.

But that child of man came back the next day.

Hey, you!

Why did you come back?

I'm glad I met you again.

Sorry, I wanted to give you this.

High School

A high school badge?

I think you dropped this yesterday.

You're right.

You're too nice.

It might not even have been mine, you know.

But thanks. I appreciate it.

Bye.

Yes, goodbye.

Hey, she's back.

What am I doing?

What are you doing?

Sorry...

I just can't get used to my new home,

and I'm not fitting in at school yet.

This is such a sunny spot...

Um, I'm sorry.

There's no need to apologize.

It's not my forest.

And nobody likes having me around, either.

I like this place.

I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when you leave.

Thank you!

It felt like less that she liked the girl,

and more like she was keeping any yokai that would cause trouble at bay.

Perhaps that child of man had a heart of iron, for I never heard her thoughts.

The girl came every day, and Reiko would fall asleep next to her.

They would never talk.

The girl would wake her up when she left. That was all.

And then one day...

Hey, can I ask your name?

I'm Soko.

Morinaga Soko. It means "Azure Child."

What about you?

I don't need to tell you.

I'm...

Are you hungry?

I know. I have a piece of candy.

Want to play a game?

If you win, I'll give you this candy.

And if I win, will you tell me your name?

You're a strange girl. Sure.

I was just getting bored.

And I know I won't lose at any game.

So how about we throw rocks at that stone?

Whoever gets closest to the triangle wins.

Okay.

Okay, I'll start.

I wasn't even close!

My turn, then.

Wow!

I win!

Here's the candy.

Thanks.

Blue candy...

It's pretty, right?

It's azure, like in your name.

Thanks.

Bye.

Bye. I won't lose tomorrow, so be ready!

Hey, wait!

Okay, whoever gets to that tree faster wins!

And after that, Soko would challenge her every day to some game.

It was fun to see Reiko get annoyed, and then win.

Ready... go!

I win!

You're a lot faster than I thought!

When I was younger, I was faster than most.

You okay?

You look pale.

I'm fine.

I might've pushed myself too hard.

You're pretty frail, aren't you?

They probably sent you here for your health, right?

It's a bother if you push yourself too hard.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to. I'm sorry.

Fine, just rest for a bit.

I'll wake you up today.

Thank you.

Lately, it's been so much fun.

I'm finally used to my new house,

and the other students are starting to talk to me.

I'm thinking of planting some kind of flower in the yard.

What would be good, do you think?

Someday, please come over and see my yard.

Flowers, huh?

There's a clearing here in the forest where pretty flowers bloom.

Someday...

I'd lived in that forest a long, long time,

but I'd never heard of any such field of flowers.

But somewhere in the forest, it existed.

Thinking about it made me excited, somehow.

What kind of flowers bloomed there?

What flowers would someday bloom in Soko's yard?

What flowers bloomed in Reiko's secret clearing?

Yes... Reiko's thoughts was too closed off to sense, but I could sense Soko's, sometimes.

She was afraid of everyone becoming upset and angry because of her.

So she was searching for a place to be alone, it seemed.

But she had so much fun being with Reiko,

and wanted so badly to be her friend.

Soko loved her.

Do you feel guilt,

for sensing someone's most secret thoughts without their permission?

No.

I'm sorry.

Is it better to say what I saw, or to remain silent?

I heard at school that this place

has lots of really interesting legends and ghost stories.

There's one about a swamp with dancing skulls...

and a really scary monster named the great monster of Shihodani.

And there's also a rumor about

a strange, violent girl who lives in the next town over,

which is why it's best to stay away.

Her name is Natsume Reiko,

and she's said really scary things to some people or caused them to get hurt.

I remember the next town over is where you live.

I was worried something might happen to you, so I thought I had to tell you.

I see.

Hey, Soko, my name...

That's the first time you called my name!

Is it?

I think I said it when you gave me that candy.

You were practically talking to yourself then.

That scared me.

The rubble over there just collapsed, huh?

Let's go somewhere else.

Your fingertips are red.

What happened?

It's fine. It's nothing serious.

I see.

It's going to rain.

Head home for today.

Yes. Bye.

Oh, drat.

I was going to give her my name.

She hasn't beaten you in a game yet.

Is that important?

I don't know.

I don't know what it means to humans.

I see.

And the next day...

Can I decide the game for today?

Sure, I guess,

but it's going to rain again, I think.

We should do something that's fast.

Thanks.

Do you remember the first game we played?

Where we threw stones at the shape in that rock.

I want to do that again.

I don't mind, but... are you sure?

You couldn't even hit the rock last time.

Just watch.

I'll hit it this time.

I did it! I hit it!

I'm so glad!

Soko has been practicing throwing stones at that rock every day after you leave.

It seems she really wants to be close enough for you to call each other's names.

It's still okay, right now.

If she finds out who I am and changes how she acts around me,

I can just tell myself that's always what happens.

So while there's still time, I can...

You're going to lose deliberately?

I'm sorry.

I got so excited.

It's your turn now.

Yes.

You missed? I won?

I did it!

I finally won.

Will you tell me your name?

I want to be your friend.

Reiko.

Natsume Reiko.

Natsume Reiko?

Get out of here.

You don't look so good.

It's raining. You should go home.

I...

Go.

I'm sorry.

I thought Reiko would never come back.

But...

It was Soko who didn't come.

She didn't come the next day, either.

I suppose it can't be helped.

Why are you crying?

You're a strange yokai.

Well, whatever.

I was getting bored.

Come with me.

This is...

This must be...

Will you wake me up when the sun sets?

I have got no reason to do that.

That's true.

I figured she wasn't going to come back,

but I did have some fun.

Games are the perfect way to kill time.

Say, what's your name?

Want to play a game?

If you win, I'll do anything you ask.

But if I win, will you give me your name and be my servant,

and wake me up when the sun sets?

Soko's the one you wanted to bring here, right?

I don't mind.

It's the same view no matter who you're with, right?

Pretty things are pretty.

And boring things are boring.

Whether you're with someone else, or all alone...

And so I lost, and wrote down my name

on paper as proof that I was now hers to command.

When I woke her up, as promised, at sunset...

She thanked me and left.

I never saw her again.

But the next day... Soko came.

She was coughing,

so I assume the rain, and the presence of all those smaller yokai,

had caused her to stay in bed for a few days.

She came the next day,

and the one after it...

I told her...

that Reiko had been waiting for her the next day,

and the day after that.

I told her of the field of flowers she wanted her to see.

And how beautiful it was.

But Soko could never hear my voice.

So for days, she and I waited, side-by-side, for Reiko.

I spoke to her every day, but she never heard me.

And when the season came to an end, Soko...

I couldn't tell them.

I couldn't tell Soko that Reiko was waiting for her.

I couldn't tell Reiko that Soko had been waiting for her, too.

I couldn't tell them.

If you're her grandson, then perhaps some small fragment of Reiko dwells within you.

If that's true, then I've finally told her what I have to say.

All I did was offer my name, as promised, over a human game,

but true power is a terrifying thing.

That childish game binds our very souls.

Book of Friends

If you, her grandson, will no longer call my name, then will you return it to me?

Yes.

Thank you.

Sometimes, I sense what's inside the minds of those around me.

It only lasts a moment, so I usually don't care.

But that day...

But that day, I wished that they could know what was inside of my mind.

I wished they knew how beautiful I found those flowers.

What is this? A dream?

Reiko!

I think it was the dream that Reiko-san had,

when she was sleeping next to Soranome in the field of flowers.

Hmph! Everyone says it was forbidden magic,

but it was all just the product of a game, huh?

Sheesh. That Reiko was one scary girl.

Yeah...

Sensei, I saw the field of flowers.

There were so many flowers, and it was so quiet...

It was beautiful. So beautiful.

It was so beautiful...

I wish you could've seen it.

It was a field of blue flowers, as far as the eye could see.

Natsume's Book of Friends [7]

Preview

From the Path of Dreams

Origami, maybe?

It is my comrade on my journeys.

If you don't know what it is, just throw it away already!

The twilight is beautiful, and I want to watch it, that's all.

Farewell, Natsume.