02x04 - Fried Chicken Wings

[bunniefuu]

When people finish their day
and hurry home,

my day starts.

My diner is open from midnight
to : in the morning.

They call it "Midnight Diner."

Do I even have customers?

More than you would expect.

MIDNIGHT DINER: TOKYO STORIES

FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

Fried chicken wings,

are they popular recently?

I see them at restaurants around town,
so I tried my hand at them as well.

-It's like eating crab.
-What?

Wings are good, but the bones...

Yeah, they're difficult to eat.

And your hands get so greasy.

They ruin your lipstick, too.

But they make us
feel like eating meat, right?

I'm telling you, there are no good men
at parties in Nishi-Azabu.

He said we'd get married

at The Ritz-Carlton
and get a Harry Winston ring.

To think he was cheating.

He has money, right?

I was his fourth girlfriend.

There are no honest men among the rich.

Accept that it was just a fantasy
and move on.

I'll be next year.
I'm running out of time.

That woman, the one
gobbling up the chicken wings...

You mean Chizuru?

She works at a club in Kabukicho, right?

Recently, she's been coming after work.

-That's her side job.
-What?

She's a gravure model.

I knew it! That's Chizuru Morino!

Ten or so years ago,

she would pop up here and there
in the magazines sometimes.

So she's still at it.

You shouldn't gossip.

Especially as a regular.
No one will want to come here.

-Right.
-You're one to talk.

I'm saying it to myself, too.
Right, Master?

Yeah. I'd be very grateful for that.

He doesn't believe me!

Hello?

Come in.

-Excuse me.
-Hello.

Miyako, about that
pachinko poster girl job...

-Yes?
-You got it.

Really?

The CEO is crazy about you.

-Do your best.
-Thank you very much.

Any news about the audition?

You didn't get it.

I had something else for you.

There are plans for a photobook.

But there are conditions.

I won't do nudes.

Chizuru, what is it you want?

You say you won't do this or that, but...

-You're now?
-I'm .

Excuse me, I'm going home.

-See you.
-Thank you for your work.

Miyako.

About your upcoming schedule...

I'm running out of time, too.

There's a party for rich CEOs
in Roppongi tomorrow. Wanna go?

, yen for two hours.

No way. I'm short on money,
and I don't have the energy.

You wouldn't pay, you would be paid.

This is so good!

You know Miyako?

She got that job
from a CEO she met at a party.

Just talk with them,
and it'll be over before you know it.

Nice to see you!

Miss Chizuru Morino?

Yes?

I bought all of the magazines you were in.

Your pictures at Shimoda beach...

They're amazing.

Thank you.

I haven't thought about Shimoda
for a long time.

Actually, I'm from Shizuoka.

When I cycled past there from school,

I'd think, "Chizuru Morino was here."

Just thinking that...

really excited me.

Excuse me.

The host is a friend from university.
I had no choice but to come.

Is that so?

I can't believe
I'm meeting Chizuru Morino.

Excuse my rudeness.
I mean, Miss Morino.

THREE WEEKS LATER

Is he the one we talked about?

Toru Kanzaki.

He's the head of an IT company
and said to be worth millions.

I heard on TV that he was a big name
in the Internet society.

There're a lot of people
who say that about themselves.

Here you go.

Mr. Kanzaki said he absolutely had to try
the chicken wings here.

I see. I hope you like them.

Delicious.

-Are you having any?
-I'll have a salad.

I have a sh**t coming up.

You're so professional.

I'm impressed.

It stands out, right?

I haven't liked it since I was little.

But...

I'm keeping it.

I want to be my natural self.

This mole is proof of that.

-"Your natural self"?
-Yes.

A few years ago,
I wouldn't have been able to talk to you.

But now, to be honest,

I've gained some confidence.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

What's wrong?

I see...

Got it. I'm on my way.

I'm sorry,
there's a problem at the office.

-Is everything okay?
-Yes, it's nothing serious.

The check, please.

-Sorry, we only accept cash.
-What?

In that case...

Take this instead.

Don't worry, Mr. Kanzaki.
I have cash. Please go ahead.

I'm sorry.

Master, five more chicken wings, please.

I thought you were dieting, weren't you?

Eating chicken wings isn't a good look.

Okay, then.

Those big-name IT CEOs
are a little strange, don't you think?

You have to be
to survive the competition, I guess.

I guess there are honest men
among the wealthy.

Weren't you the one
who said there weren't?

I was wrong.

Maybe my heart
had succumbed to bitterness.

He's on his way to Sapporo now.

Surely there aren't any flights this late.

He's going by private jet.

"I'll be done with work in the morning.

Why don't you take
tomorrow afternoon's flight to join me?

I want you to come for my birthday."

What? What should I do?

I can't go empty-handed.

What should I get as a gift?

-Don't know.
-No idea.

Me, neither.

Really, what should I do?

Shouldn't you be your natural self?

Yes?

Mr. Kanzaki, we've brought up the gift.

May we come in?

Sure. The door is open.

Thank you.

-Excuse us.
-Thanks.

Happy birthday!

I'm trying to be festive.

Did I...

go too far?

I've never had anything like this before.

You came...

as your natural self.

Honestly...

my high school self...

is crying in joy right now.

Thank you.

Here you go.

You never leave any meat behind.

I have four siblings,

and we always fought over chicken wings.

If we didn't eat all the meat off,
Mom yelled at us for wasting food.

I see.

But I won't eat them
when I'm with Mr. Kanzaki.

I don't think you have to put on an act.

I don't want him to dislike me.

Hey...

Do you have a measure?

A measure?

A measure for knowing how happy you are.

I've never even thought about it before.

I don't have one.

I've done my best as a model,

but it's always been
others who decide my worth.

Since I met Mr. Kanzaki,

I feel like I want to
become someone he could like.

Are you okay with that?

What?

As long as you judge yourself
using someone else's measure,

you'll never find your real self,

no matter where you look.

Three months passed after that.

That CEO is amazing.

It says the stock price has sh*t up again.

-Miss Chizuru, are you quitting modeling?
-What?

I haven't seen your pictures lately,
and I'd love to see them again.

Sorry to disappoint you.

-Chizuru is quitting modeling soon.
-What?

-Are you tying the knot with the CEO?
-No, not yet.

But we've all been saying
it'll probably happen soon.

He's been so busy,
he barely has time to talk.

Actually...

I'm a little worried.

Good evening. Hi.

Good evening.

Please sit.

That girl Yukari Tendo, she's been
in a bunch of commercials recently.

Welcome.

She said she wanted to have
some good chicken wings.

Could we start with five?

Right away.

This kind of place is nice sometimes.
Don't you think, Miss Yukari?

Yes.

Mr. Kanzaki,
you sure do know all kinds of places.

Chizuru, let's go.

Your mole...

Actually...

I've moved up to the next level.

"The next"?

I'm sorry for being so messy.

Do you mind me being like this?

I like you the way you are.

But...

two years ago,
I would've been too shy to talk to you.

The truth is...

I have a little more confidence now.

Excuse me.

Look at him saying the word "truth"
many times.

Hey, you!

Yes?

Don't you think
you're being insensitive to Chizuru?

You shouldn't mess around
with people's feelings!

Mess around?

I don't get it.

If you see something better, you take it.

I think that's normal.

You did the same thing
when you met me, right?

Yes.

-Hold on, Chizuru!
-It's okay.

I just gave him a present.

Maybe I wasn't my natural self.

I was just pretending to be.

Thank you, Mr. Kanzaki.

No, thank you.

Even if it was just a temporary dream.

Master, I'm heading out.
Put it on one check.

Here you are.

I found my measure.

I see.

Let's go.

Jeez!

I'm sorry about that.

Don't worry about it.

I can't keep up.

Soon after, Chizuru released
a nude photobook showing her pubic hair

and quit her job as a model.

MORINO GIFT WRAPPING CLASS

You did all these yourself, Chizuru?

I got certified in gift wrapping
and opened a class in Minami-Aoyama.

I have a lot of students.

What a change of scenery.

But isn't the rent expensive?

Yeah, I had to use
all the money from the photobook.

Here you go.

This! This is what I've been wanting!

It's been a long time.

Being your natural self
suits you much better, Chizuru.

I agree.

Yeah.

I realized...

there's something you can never wrap up.

What's that?

Yourself.

You can't give that to others, right?

That's right.

Making cuts in the front and back
of the wings with a Kn*fe

help the flavors soak in better.

Master, what are you looking at?

Is that Chizuru's?

Did you buy it yourself?

Thanks for the food!

THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION