01x09 - Episode 9

[bunniefuu]

-What's the matter, Izumi?
-Ko, Aoba...

has been taken away!

By the police?

-For Ms. Miku's case?
-They said there was a witness...

There's no way...

he'd do this.

I can't imagine
how Aoba is feeling right now.

Are you okay, though?

-I'll come back right now.
-I'm okay.

There's nothing we can do
until we hear back from the police.

Focus on your work, Ko.

How careless of you.

To leave your door open like that.

-Don't mind us.
-For the time being,

want to have some snacks?

There has to be some kind of mistake!

There's no way that the kind Aoba

would push his good friend,
Miku, to her death.

A week has already passed
since the accident.

Isn't it weird for a witness
to appear at this time?

Exactly.

If we can identify the witness,

we can save Aoba.

I thought of that too
and approached the police.

But they wouldn't tell me anything.

At this rate, Aoba...

What should I do?

If that's the case,
let's find the witness ourselves.

What? How?

Allow me to apologize.

Unfortunately, with my ability,

I was not able to find the witness.

SAE ASAMI

I understand.

Thank you for your help.

Mrs. Sae, is there anything else you need?

I came to inquire about the identity
of the witness in question.

-Why is that?
-Aoba has been arrested!

If there's been a mistake...

AYAKA KUJO

Mrs. Sae, do you love your daughter?

What?

If you save Mr. Aoba,

then suspicion will fall on Ms. Ruri.

If possible,

I want to k*ll Miku with my bare hands.

The only ones who can save Ms. Ruri

are you and me.

I advise you to think carefully

before you act.

"The dark rumors between Teito Hospital

and the Ministry of Health,
Labor, and Welfare."

The Ministry aided the hospital
in its data falsification cover-up!

TETSUTO NIKAIDO - RYUTARO NATSUME

How did the information leak?

It could be a whistleblower
from a manufacturer

or from someone at the Ministry...

-Or!
-That's a false accusation!

It was you who said our hospital
would never falsify data.

TAKASHI OKOCHI

If there really is fraud involved,

you should correct it!

What are you saying? Are you trying
to destroy Teito Hospital's reputation?

Asami, you too. Please tell him.

Dr. Minamisawa...

-I'm on your side.
-Eh?

The first priority of a doctor

should always be a patient's wellbeing.

I heard about your son's situation.

You shouldn't be wasting time here.

I'll excuse myself then.

Asami, what's gotten into you?

I regret my actions.

I prioritized protecting
Teito Hospital and my own career

by sacrificing my own daughter.

I understand how you feel,
but there's no time for regret.

We're accomplices, remember?

He's right.

I'm searching for witnesses.

A week ago?

Anything is fine,
even the most trivial of things.

At the outdoor stairs of the public tower?

Yes, do you know anything?

Witnesses?

-I'm sorry I couldn't be of assistance.
-I see.

I'm sorry to bother you.

Excuse me...

We've been searching for the whole day.

It's challenging.

If Aoba is innocent,
doesn't that mean that the witness

gave a false testimony
to incriminate Aoba?

If that's the case, the person who
benefits from that would be the witness.

Are you perhaps suspecting Mrs. Sae?

Well, with the arrest of Aoba,

Ruri is now saved.

-She's also a through and through liar!
-We can't just speculate.

I don't want to think that either!

But she hasn't been answering my calls!

Isn't that strange?

YOKOHAMA SAIJO POLICE STATION

Don't worry.

We'll definitely get you out of here.

What did the police say?

AOBA MINAMISAWA

Someone saw me and Miku arguing

on the outside stairs of the public tower.

That's according to a witness.

But that's not true!

So, you had no physical contact
of any kind with Ms. Miku?

The mock questions
prepared by Ruri's exam tutor.

Why are the questions so accurate?
Because...

-Stop.
-Take your hands off of me.

When I had a small dispute
with Miku in the party room,

maybe some of my skin got under her nails.

You had a dispute with Ms. Miku?

Why did that happen?

She tried to show everyone
a video on her phone, so I stopped her.

What video?

It showed the secretary of Ruri's tutor

exchanging envelopes
with our homeroom teacher.

Exchanging envelopes?

The reason why Ms. Kujo's
mock questions were so accurate

was because they were sold
to her for cash.

If that was to be exposed,

things might blow up.

But Miku refrained
from doing so in the end.

And yet she...

I'm sorry, Aoba.

I can't do anything for you.

I've failed as a mom.

Don't say that.

You're an amazing mom.

Your concern for me...

gives me the strength to keep hanging on.

If you save Mr. Aoba,

then suspicion will fall on Ms. Ruri.

The only ones who can save Ms. Ruri

are you and me.

-It's been a while, hasn't it?
-I should be the one saying that!

Why didn't you answer my calls?

Sorry, I've been feeling
under the weather.

Hey, Mrs. Sae. Did you know
that the homeroom teacher

was selling
the test questions to Ms. Kujo?

Selling test questions?
It's my first time hearing that.

Ms. Miku had recorded a video
of the exchange on her phone.

Ms. Kujo might have a hand
in this case as well.

We may be able to find new leads
if we look in her phone.

And Aoba could be saved!

Do you know where her phone is?

The police seem

to think that the culprit got rid of it.

But that phone is crucial
for getting Aoba out!

Sorry.

I can't be of any help.

Are you hiding something from us?

If you know something,
be honest with me, please!

At this rate,
Aoba will be seen as a criminal!

Please save him!

Please, I'm begging you!

I'm sorry.

I really don't know anything.

Find Ms. Miku's phone?

-I object to it.
-It's to save Aoba.

The phone will expose her fraud.

It's going to affect Sho's exams.

The director gave me his word that
Sho will be accepted into the affiliate.

Don't waste my efforts.

Could it be...but that's
buying one's way into a school.

Do you think Sho would be happy with that?

I prioritize the exams over his feelings.

You're his mother.

Think about his future before proclaiming
your so-called righteousness?

So Dad, you think
doing what's right is silly?

I get your point.

Young people like being righteous.

But when you grow up,

you'll realize there are
more important things than that.

And that time will come.

Dad...

is always right.

You slapped me?

For how long are you going to preach that?

If you're not going to change your ways,
then we can no longer be together.

WIFE- KYOKO NIKAIDO

DIVORCE PAPER

What is the meaning of this?

This is my last resort
to protect Sho from you.

You don't have any problem
if Sho doesn't become a doctor?

Who would want to become
a doctor after seeing you?

Sho's future...

is his own to choose!

What is this?

What is going on!

You crushed Ms. Miku's phone
and threw it away?

-Why did you do that?
-I was afraid Ruri would be suspected.

So, I got rid of the traces
of the fight between her and Ms. Miku

and hid the truth
of her relationship with you.

That phone...

might just save Aoba from this situation.

I'm really starting to hate myself

for hiding and deceiving.

But there's a part of me

that's relieved.

The phone will never be found.

If Aoba isn't exonerated,
then Ruri will be safe.

-That is in one way, fate, isn't it?
-Are you

still doubting Ruri?

I know she's not that kind of person!

But I wince whenever I see Ms. Kujo.

She...

has evidence that Ruri hates Ms. Miku.

Aren't you being brainwashed by Ms. Kujo...

Ruri!

RURI ASAMI

-You heard what we said?
-But then...

Aoba would be too miserable.

Maju, you were listening too?

MAJU ASAMI

Let's help Aoba.

Don't tell me...

Why do you have this?

On the night Big Sister Miku passed away,

I couldn't sleep, so I went to her room...

I saw Mommy crushing her phone

and putting it in a plastic bag.

But I...

didn't want to lose the phone that
had memories of Big Sister Miku and me,

so I followed Mommy

and searched for the phone in the trash

and secretly brought it back.

Maju...

you have brought upon
a different kind of fate.

But it's broken, isn't it?

No, a technician

might be able to restore the data.

Then, there's hope for Aoba?

But before that, Ruri.

Ms. Miku's phone

has video evidence of Ms. Kujo

illegally obtaining test questions
from your homeroom teacher.

Ms. Kujo?

That's how she created
those mock questions.

If the police see it, the secret
behind the exams will be exposed.

You may even be expelled from school.

Since childhood, you sacrificed
everything you wanted to do

and studied hard day in and day out.

But the future that you've been
desperately trying to reach may be lost.

Ruri...

are you still okay with that?

That's...

Let me consult Ms. Kujo...

Don't count on her!

Make up your mind yourself!

This is something you
have to answer by yourself!

I can't make Aoba seem guilty

just so I can pass the exams.

If Aoba can be saved,

I'm okay with it.

Mrs. Sae.

Thank you.

I do not deserve your thanks.

I...

crushed Ms. Miku's phone, threw it away,

and hid the truth from you.

I was only thinking
of protecting my daughter,

and for that, I was even willing
to discard Ms. Miku's precious memories.

I even justified my actions
as being what a mom would do.

A mom is someone who
should do anything for her kids.

That was my belief.

I'm really sorry.

You don't have
to beat yourself up too much.

If I was in your shoes,

I may have done the same.

Who doesn't want
to protect their own kids?

We all do.

Let's call things even.

We'll get in touch with a technician
to restore the phone's data later.

Let's continue searching for witnesses.

But I feel like we've asked
almost all the residents here.

Hence why I'm thinking
of asking outsiders too.

Outsiders?

You're going to expose
the data falsification?

I'll take the blame alone.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION

Thank you for everything.

You're going to be the future director.

Are you abandoning that future too?

For my kids...

I don't want to be a bad example for them.

Ruri, Maju,

and Miku Asami.

That's all there is to it.

For that reason,

you plan to undermine
the prestige of Teito Hospital?

I could care less about a prestige
that's varnished with lies!

Now, now... Calm down, Asami.

You won't be the only one
they will go after.

-I'll be held accountable too.
-Director.

I've already informed the press.

Everything is ruined...

It's over.

The visitors on July 20,
the day of the incident, were...

only delivery staff, and no other records.

Did you see anyone suspicious that day?

Someone suspicious?

Anything trivial is fine.

Do you remember anything?

Nothing in particular...

Did you see that guard's watch?

Yeah, I saw it.

That's an expensive watch.

-He's fishy.
-Why do you say that?

There's a possibility that
he was bribed by the culprit.

If the guard is
the false witness in question,

he could have erased the record
of the culprit's visit.

You're fine studying alone,
without my guidance?

Thank you for all that you've done.

Why don't we meet for one last time?

-I have something to tell you.
-What is it?

About who k*lled Ms. Miku...

You know who it is?

It's someone close to you.

-What's the matter, Mrs. Kyoko?
-The investigators

forwarded me a report regarding Ms. Kujo.

This is an article from 31 years ago.

Ms. Kujo's mother attempted suicide
by jumping to her death

and was found unconscious
and in critical condition.

At that time, Ms. Kujo

was accepted into Teito Medical
University's affiliate but quickly left.


WAS IT SUICIDE?

WRITTEN REPORT

ENROLLED IN TEITO AFFILIATE
APRIL 1993

WITHDREW IN APRIL 1993

Haruto was accepted
into Teito Medical University's affiliate,

and after he declined to enroll,

Mrs. Kaori committed suicide.
Both situations are eerily similar.

-What do I need to do?
-First, you have to study hard

and pass the entrance exam
as your parents hoped.

After bestowing
the greatest happiness upon them,

you reject the admission offer.

You will push your parents
from the peak of happiness

to the depths of hell.

So, Ms. Kujo

herself once

pushed her mother to the depths of hell

and induced her to commit suicide?

And she brainwashed Haruto

and drove Mrs. Kaori
to suicide in the same way too.

What happened
to Ms. Kujo's mother after that?

She suffered brain damage
and still lives in a nursing home.

Maybe Ms. Miku's phone has been fixed.

The data has been restored!

We found the video!

There's hope for Aoba!

What's this video?

That looks like Ms. Kujo's heels?

Let's play the video.

You bribed our homeroom teacher

and got him to reveal
the test questions, right?

That's Miku's voice.

If you don't want to be exposed,

then please do as I say.

What do you want?

MIKU YAMADA

Please don't let Ruri get accepted
to Teito Medical University's affiliate.

I...

will pass the exam on my own merit.

When that happens...

If Ms. Ruri fails and you pass,

you'll receive praise and love
from your father.

If that's what you're planning,

you're a fool.

Even if you do win his affection,

beyond that,

you'll only be living
a life without freedom,

burdened by parental expectations.

I...

envy you because you're
a parentless child.

I'm not following you.

You'll have until my birthday to decide.

If I don't hear from you
to accept my terms,

I'll expose you.

Ms. Miku went that far...

to win her father's love?

And Ms. Kujo...

found out that Miku
had damning evidence against her.

Could it be...

Ms. Miku was seen as a threat, so she...

To cover up her crime, she had the guard
give a false eyewitness testimony

and framed Aoba as the culprit.

Mrs. Izumi tried to expose
Ms. Kujo's wrongdoings,

so she returned the favor.

If that's the case,

it's because of my involvement
with Ms. Kujo

that Aoba's...

Mrs. Izumi.

But why would Ms. Kujo go to such lengths

to destroy her students' family
in the first place?

It's from Ruri.

Sorry, Mommy. I'm going to meet
Ms. Kujo for one last time.

She said she knows who k*lled Miku.

She knows who k*lled Ms. Miku?
What is going on!

Where's Ruri?

Where's Ms. Kujo?

If anything were to happen to Ruri,

I wouldn't stand for it.

...to the second power plus 3x is...

What's the answer?

What's the answer?

What are you doing, Ayaka? Stop!

Why?

Ayaka...

How did you know I was here?

The lady over there...

is your mother, right?

My mother thinks
she's teaching me in middle school

on how to study.

She suffered brain damage,

and time has stopped for her since then.

My mom, whose dream was to make me
a doctor at Teito Medical University,

forced me to study every day

and gave me no leeway.

Kids who are forced to live up
to their parents' ideals

have their dreams and hopes crushed,

and there will surely

come a time when they will grieve that.

Is that why you plotted your revenge?

By pushing your mom
from the peak of happiness

to the depths of hell.

But why is there a need for you
to destroy your students' families?

Tell me! Why did you put
Haruto through this?

You're speaking
as if I'm in the wrong here.

Pardon?

In order for Haruto to live his own life,

his mother was in the way.

But Haruto... regrets it.

I'm sure you...

actually want to apologize
to your mom too.

You're reading into it too much.

My mom used to live in Sky Castle.

When my dad died
and she couldn't live there anymore,

she wished for me to become successful,
so she could return to Sky Castle,

and for that, she tried to use me.

As far as I'm concerned,

you're just like her.

Your daughters' education

has just been to satisfy your own vanity.

You think of them
as accessories to glorify yourself.

You do nothing but harm your kids.

You may be right.

I'm a failure as a mom.

But I think if destroying
the relationship between your students

and their parents
is the only way you can affirm yourself,

you're even more pitiful

and foolish.

We've safely retrieved your daughter.

Thank you so much.

The guard in Sky Castle
was bribed by Ms. Kujo's secretary,

and he has confessed
that he gave a false testimony.

I take it you're willing
to accept my terms?

The secretary also confessed everything.

While trying to take
the phone from Ms. Miku,

the entanglement
led to an unfortunate fall.

Ms. Kujo.

Regarding Miku Yamada's death,
would you please come with us?

This way, please.

I knew all along.

The one who got rid
of Ms. Miku's phone was you, wasn't it?

Knowing you, I thought you'd do
anything for your daughter

and never let the phone see the light,
but it seems I gave you too much credit.

My old self

may have done so.

But...

my family and friends...

enabled me to change.

If you think you've become a good person,
you couldn't be more wrong.

The true cause of Ms. Miku's death

was due to her
not receiving love from her dad.

And you're responsible.

Let that sink in.

You too will be living
a life of endless hell.

Aoba.

Aoba.

Welcome back.

I'm back.

You're back, Aoba!

-Yeah.
-Welcome back.

How are you?

The homeroom teacher in question
was dismissed on disciplinary grounds.

The test results of Sho and his friends
who saw the mock questions were voided.

Since there won't be any more evaluations,

the exams ahead will be
tests of their own merits.

So, where are your kids aiming for?

Teito Medical University's affiliate?

Kensaku said he wants to be a lawyer.
We're changing routes.

Sho too. He said he wants to be a teacher.

Really? I doubt your husband
is going to approve of that.

I confronted him with divorce papers,
and that made him back off.

What a way to deal with it!

What about Aoba?

Because of what happened to Miku,

he wants to be a doctor

who can save as many lives as possible.

I feel Aoba would make a great doctor.

What about Ruri?

She can't seem
to think of anything right now.

It's going to take some time
for her to recover.

Hey, what about Mr. Hideyo?

He said he's going to take it slow

while helping out
at his mom's welfare facility.

By the end of this month,

we'll be moving in
with my mother-in-law's family.

-Huh?
-You're leaving Sky Castle?

If we were to remain here,
memories of Ms. Miku

would only linger in us,
and we wouldn't be able to move forward.

We decided as a family.

But what about you?

Are you really okay with that?

Isn't this the place you've always
aspired to since you were a child?

Dad!

Wait!

Dad!

I'm going to live here one day.

Back then,

dreaming about it

was what kept me sane.

But things have changed.

Right.

You're not alone now.

I want to find
a new tomorrow with my family.

I hope you're able to do so.

I know you can find it.

She's right.

This time, claim it proudly.

Thanks.

Your novel, I'm looking forward to it.

I won't let you down.

Who k*lled the mistress?

The answers may be multiple.

SKY CASTLE

And so, she departed from Sky Castle.

There is nothing more to seek
in this city that she once longed for.

Perhaps she has come to realize that
the city's brilliance is just a veneer.