01x04 - Episode 4

[bunniefuu]

CAREFUL - NARROW ROAD

Diane?

What?

-Chloe.
-Emma.

Hear me out, Simon.

TRADITIONAL CAFÉ PARIS

Chloe's so mean to me.

What's the matter?

Yesterday, Chloe gave me
some foreign snacks.

Guess what she said
as she handed them over?

"It tastes terrible.
Miss Emma, it's yours."

Usually, you'd only gift food
you like, right?

But she gave me something she didn't like.
Is she mocking me?

She may not have liked it,

but maybe she thought you would.

That's what she said too.

When I bit into it,
it tasted like toothpaste.

Really now.

To begin with,

I absolutely hate throwing food away.

I hate gossiping.

But because she gave it to me,

I have to be the one to throw it away.

She's making me do an unpleasant task…

-It spoils the vibe.
-…she was supposed to do herself.

What do you think?

Then bring it to me.

It may be nasty by itself,

but that may not be the case
if it's paired with something else.

It could spice up
the overall flavor profile.

You're so kind, Simon.

But Chloe

would never give you food
if she thought it was terrible.

She looks down on me, I just know it.

Come on, that's not true.

At the end of the day,

she has all the resources in the world.

She wouldn't understand
how someone like me feels,

even if she meant no harm.

-Welcome in.
-Welcome in-- sh**t.

sh**t?

You sound like you've been up to something
behind the owner's back.

I was not.

Coffee, please.

Coming right up.

Miss Emma,

I told you from the start to wash
the underwear separately.

What? I do.

No, you don't.

I noticed you only run
the washer once, so I looked today.

You toss all the laundry into one wash.

I put the underwear in a laundry net.

That doesn't count.

In your mind,
using the laundry net was enough.

That's right.

It's technically separate, right?

That's not the point.
Please run two separate cycles.

Okay then.

Listen…

Hey.

-Welcome in.
-Welcome in.

What's this?

Choshu, Handa,
you're sitting separately today?

-One coffee, please.
-Okay.

A cafe au lait for me.

Of course.

That's "café" au lait.

You're annoying me.

One "café" for me.

-Hear me out, boss.
-Yes?

It's like he thinks he's better than me.

He won't quit nagging me

to learn how to use
a messaging app and stuff.

That's because you said
you finally bought a smartphone.

I'm only teaching you out of kindness.

I only need it to make calls, that's it.

How aggravating, huh?

Look at you,
dragging others into it again.

Zip it.

Please calm down, you two.

Welcome in.

Matthew?

Miss Chloe, thank goodness you're here.

Did you need to talk to me?

I wanted to talk to you about something.

I was hoping you could
perform a fortune reading.

Sorry, she only reads fortunes on Sundays.

Oh, right.

Are you off today, Matthew?

Yes, it's Saturday.

But sometimes I work over the weekend
if I have a meeting with a client.

Thank you.

I'll at least hear you out.

Will you really?

So, it's about Diane.

Diane?

Yes.

I spotted Diane
on the way to the office today.

I thought, "Huh, we're closed today."

Then, a parked car's door swung open.

Before I knew it, they grabbed her.

Then the car sped away.

Sounds like trouble, right?

That's an incident.
You don't need a fortune teller.

Yes, that's true.

It could be an incident.

This is bad news.

Trouble's stirring.

I--Is it an incident?

It absolutely is.

What?

What kind of car was it?

Do you remember anything,
like the license plate number?

It all happened so quickly.

I didn't see the perpetrator
or the plate number.

I think it was a black van, though.

Where was it headed?

I chased it for a bit on my bicycle.

It was headed toward Hachioji.

I see.

Okay, you were riding a bicycle.

Cho, is that relevant?

-No?
-No.

Have you tried contacting her?
Like, did you try texting?

I called, but she didn't pick up.

You called her?

If she's been kidnapped,
do you think she can pick up?

That's a good point.

I'll send her a message now,
just so we can rule it out.

They were headed to Hachioji…

That's toward Okutama, right?

Okutama…

Okutama!

The Okutama serial kidnapping and k*lling
of women everyone's talking about.

A woman who was taken
in a van was found dead.

That woman was snatched in Shibuya.

Your office is located
in Yoyogi-Uehara, right?

That's in Shibuya ward.

Oh, what? B-b-b-b-but…

the victim was a young woman.

So Diane can't be their target, right?

No, Matthew…

Oh, Diane responded.

She says she's okay.

DIANE - I'M OKAY

Thank goodness.

What a relief.

Seriously.

I'll ask who she's with right now.

So it's nothing sinister, right?

Sorry, I don't mean to scare you,

but what exactly did she mean by "okay"?

She might have meant,
"Don't worry about me,"

or, "I'm safe from danger…"

So, her life's not in danger,
at least for now?

Could that be
what she meant by she's okay?

Well,

I feel like she's okay.
She said so herself.

But we should also consider
the worst-case scenario.

No response.

What should we do?

I know. It's time
for your fortune-telling to shine.

I don't give out predictions
like Nathan Shingetsu.

It might help
move the situation forward, at least.

I see your point.

Let's calm down and sort things out.

Thank you so much.

Simon, let's close shop for the day.

Yes.

Well, we should get going.

Yeah.

-Thanks for the coffee.
-Yeah, thanks.

-Thank you for your patronage.
-Thank you.

Oh, mon…

Dieu!

What are you doing?

Shh, Matthew.

Miss Emma, please pick up the rest later.

Only one card today?

We're just reading her present.

This card represents
Rika Diane's current situation.

SEPTEMBER

September, reversed. Card of Reflection.

It looks like she has some regrets
about an unfavorable situation.

This card's key words.
Cardinal direction, east.

The lucky color, gray.

The location, a farm.

A farm?

That reminds me. The largest farm
in all of Tokyo is located in Okutama.

Could this be it?

It says Nishitama, which is to the west.

That's right.

But the card indicates east.

OUKEI FARM

The farm is to the west.

To be more precise,
it's northwest from here.

Not all of a card's key words apply.

It's that one of its many meanings
might fit the situation.

Then, it's up to
the fortune teller and the client

to work together
to decide how to interpret the cards.

Let's go to the police.

What? But…

After all, it's true
that Matthew saw her get kidnapped

and she stopped responding.

If this isn't an incident,

then we'll apologize
for the trouble we caused later.

We don't want to regret
not taking action sooner.

Yes. Let's go.

Shibuya ward, which means…

Shibuya Police Department?

That's where we should go, right?

Shibuya Police Department…
that's this way.

Actually, Chloe.

Will you go on without me?

Huh? Why?

Well…

I want to stop by the electronics store.

An acquaintance of yours
could be in deep trouble,

and that's what you want to do?

I mean, I'm worried about her,

but I've been wanting
a portable fan that goes around my neck.

A portable fan?

You can buy it online at any time.

I know, but…

I don't want parcels arriving
in my name when I'm boarding rent-free.

I don't know Diane the way you guys do.

I may not be much help
even if I tag along.

Emma, listen…

She's right, you know.

We'll do this ourselves.
Go run your errand, Emma.

Sorry. Thank you for understanding.

I'll join you as soon as I'm done.

Well, bye.

Seems like Emma is trying
to be considerate in her own way.

So am I.

I'm considerate of her too.

When there's a power imbalance,

I have to be careful I don't come
across as annoying or unlikable.

Still, you have to be assertive to get by.

When a tiny woman like me
is quiet, I get bulldozed over.

Speaking of,

I try too hard and end up blowing it.

Matthew, yours isn't a matter
of being considerate or not.

You're just really insensitive.

What? Come on, that's not true.

It'd be best if both of you
could be more open with each other.

You think so?

Nothing irritates me
more than inconsiderate people.

Diane must be

such an understanding person
to keep you around.

Well, but…

So what if Emma doesn't join us?

She hardly knows Diane anyway.

Still…

Still,

she may not be much help,
but she can still tag along.

Miss Chloe, you were only hoping
for Emma to stick by you.

What?

It's fine.

If you ever need someone to rely on,
you can always count on me.

That's the most unreliable thing
I've heard in all my life.

What?

Oh, it's Emma.

What is it?

"Is this her?" in all lower-case.

IS THIS HER?

Could she be referring
to "Daian" the comedian duo?

They could be staging a sh**t
to buy home appliances.

She'd text about that right now?

IS THIS DIANE?

Is that…

a sumo ring?

What?

That's Diane, isn't it?

Hello? Emma?

Hello? Chloe?

I just passed by the TV section, and I saw
someone who looks a lot like Diane, in 4K.

Sumo matches are broadcasted live, right?

Right…

I'll try calling her now. I'm hanging up.

Sure.

Diane…

Hello?

She's watching sumo. She's okay.

Well, I'm glad she's safe.

Yes. Thank heavens.

Sorry for the trouble.

Ah, no.

I'm wiped.

I'm gonna blow off steam
through shopping, then I'll go home.

Sure.

Sorry about the trouble.

Emma's got it rough.

Is that how she has to be
on a daily basis?

Is something the matter?

Those two…

They do this to each other.

It's as if they've drawn a hard line
and are set on not crossing it.

And I just think…

that it's a bit unfortunate.

Unfortunate?

I wish those two could learn to get along

without having to draw a line.

I can relate.

I hate confrontations.

When a situation
becomes tense, I start pulling away.

Really?

But you have a point.

Maybe that's unfortunate too.

I hate it when the conversation drops,
and it gets silent.

I start blabbering on about people's
personal lives to fill the silence.

So that's why Chloe
called you insensitive.

Yeah, that's why.

Have you been working
at Diane's office for long?

I have.

I've worked at that office
since her father was in charge.

Wow, that long?

Both Diane and her father
must be very understanding.

What?

Huh?

That's not what I meant.

Sorry.

That was insensitive of me.

But there's one thing
Diane always says to me.

She says my personality is so intense
that it keeps things spiced up.

-Spiced up?
-Yes.

Spice, huh.

I talked about spice this morning too.

Though it was in regards to parfaits.

-Parfaits?
-Yes.

Take a strong and mild ingredient…

and find the perfect ratio
so they don't clash.

It's about making each ingredient shine.

I see.

Doesn't make any sense, does it?

No, it does.

Maybe…

that's the same with people.

Dear passengers,

there's a trespasser on the railway.

Due to safety concerns, we will
momentarily suspend our operations.

We apologize for any inconvenience
this may cause.

Please standby for operations to resume.

As in, someone
crossed onto the train tracks?

Not sure. Could be the platform.

Huh? How does that make sense?

Apparently, a groper tried to escape
onto the tracks, and trains are suspended.

What? Seriously?

This was near Mitaka station.

Mitaka, huh.

We might be here for a while.

Thank you.

Don't mention it.

If the groper ran away, is he innocent?

No, he's got to be guilty.

I'm irritated.

Sex offenders have a high recurrence rate.
They should all be behind bars for life.

Actually, thieves have higher
recurrence rates than sex offenders.

-What?
-What?

Oh, sorry to butt in.

But don't they say sex offenders
have high recurrence rates?

I heard that, and looked into it.

In regards to
recurrence rates, sex offense's

is less than half of theft's.

Huh, didn't expect that.

According to Ministry of Justice's

official 2024 report on recidivism rates,

nonconsensual sex is 2.4 percent,

molesting is 5.2 percent,

and theft is 17.1 percent.

Thank you for the information.

Sorry, I wanted to see the actual numbers.

The way she fills in is hilarious.

In the U.S., sexual offenders
are listed on an online registry.

The ex-cons become targets
of online hate comments

and even g*n violence.

Wow…

A city where sex offenders' addresses are
publicly known, and one where they're not.

Supposing both cities have
the same rates of sex-related offenses,

I wonder which city would
make you feel safer.

I can protect myself better if I knew.

I prefer a city
where sex offenders are listed.

They're ex-cons.
In other words, returning citizens.

You devil's advocate.

Why do you always side
with gropers and sexual predators?

Are you a groper?

Of course not. I'm just pointing out
the possibility of a wrongful conviction.

Say…

Here comes the lady with more info.

The groper on the run
has been apprehended.

What? Yes!

The train should start moving.
What a relief.

Thank you.

It's fine. I was browsing online anyway.

They tackled him?

Dear passengers.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

We've received information that
the trespasser has been apprehended.

We will resume operations soon.

There's no right answer, is there?

The criminals' information too.

But it's not possible
to be objectively right or wrong.

Sometimes, an answer
that felt right in the moment

may feel wrong after a while.

When it comes to things
without a right answer,

I believe you must follow your feelings.

You have to believe in yourself,
and press forward.

Thank you for your patience.
We will now resume operations.

Perhaps that applies
to fortune-telling too.

Come again?

There's no such thing as a right answer.

A single fortune-telling card

can represent various things.

We choose its meaning according
to the person and their circumstance.

The interpretation shifts

depending on the meaning we choose
and the words we use.

Fortune-telling, huh?

I find it scary.

Scary?

When someone in authority declares,

"This is who you are,"
you can't help but be aware of it.

If you're told you're diligent,
you needlessly push yourself.

The opposite is also true.

If you're told you give up easily,

you throw in the towel
before you even get started.

We get tied up by the words we use
before we realize it.

To me, that's almost like a curse.

Can't you say the same thing

about how your parents and teachers
describe you?

Yes, I agree.

It's not exclusive to fortune-telling.

Words are tricky and frightening,

but that makes them
all the more intriguing.

It's almost like magic.

I'm sorry for the trouble I caused.

No, I'm glad nothing bad happened to you.

You're right about that. Thank goodness.

Here's your souvenir,
Kokugikan sumo ring chicken.

This famous dish is made
down in the basement of Kokugikan.

Thank you very much.

Emma.

Thank you.

Join us.

Thank you.

Really, I don't know what to say.

My ex-husband got up to his antics.

I was so surprised.
They dragged you into the car.

He did that here and there
when we were still together.

I was pretty pissed off
about it this time around.

Sumo out of the blue?

Two of the regular customers invited him.

The three of them planned on going,

but one suddenly got sick,

so they decided to bring me instead.

We drove all the way to Hachioji
to get the tickets.

Could it be?

I knew it.

Everyone, from here to Ryogoku Kokugikan…

is straight east.

RYOGOKU KOKUGIKAN

It wasn't a farm.

East?

Chloe, your fortune-telling was spot-on.

Whoa.

Well then, everyone.
Thank you for waiting.

Today, I made monochrome parfaits.

-Here you go.
-Thank you.

The black-and-white gradation
is very artistic. How pretty.

From the bottom, lemon whipped cream,

angel cake, and black sesame meringue.

On the top is black sesame
and soy milk pudding,

dark cherries, and black sesame gelato.

Lastly, there's chocolate brownie
with blueberry ganache,

topped with a feather
made of dark chocolate.

Amazing.

It's a piece of artwork.

Bon appétit.

Thank you.

Yum. This is so delicious.

Yum.

This pudding is gray.
That's your lucky color.

My lucky color?

This is your auspicious parfait, Diane.

Wow.

I know. Simon.

Yes?

This is the nasty candy I told you about.

Whoa.

You're giving away nasty candy?

Right? You think so too?

Hold on, Miss Emma. What was that, a jab?

Chloe.

Then I'll tell you.

While we were all worried
about Diane's safety,

you went off to an electronics store
on your own. You're unbelievable.

We only found Diane at the sumo ring
because of me.

Besides, I wasn't that helpful.

You're lucky it worked out in the end.

To start, you're always like this.

Always like what?
Is this about the laundry again?

Laundry too.

A relationship is built

by the people in it.

Maybe my wish for them to get along

comes from a selfish desire
of wanting to feel comfortable.

The more we try to take control,
the more it becomes a struggle.

But hey,

we cracked the case
because I wanted to buy this. Right?

It's true, but…

Why don't you get it?

Miss Chloe simply
wanted you to stick together.

What? I never said that.

Huh? Is that right?

Wrong.

What? Come on, tell me the truth.

Completely wrong.

Should you have
brought him here, Mr. Shingetsu?

There's nothing else
the doctors can do for him.

I pushed you too hard, Gyo.

Has the time come…

Toma.

Yes?

Find Sho.

Yes.

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION