ＳＨＩＮＳＥＫＡＩ
ＹＯＲＩ
Saki, why are you so spaced-out?
I was just thinking about something.
Let me guess.
Is it about Ryou?
Ryou?
No need to hide it.
You worried about whether he'll pick you, right?
Don't worry.
I know he will.
He likes you, you know?
Isn't Ryou in Group Two?
Why would he pick me?
Come on, is your memory going?
That was ages ago!
We've been a team ever since he joined Group One!
That happened because Group Two used to have six members, while Group One only had four.
Why weren't there enough members to begin with?
Saki?
Are you okay?
You seem out of it.
Stop that...
See? Now you feel better.
I wasn't asking you to do that.
I think I know whom you would've preferred.
That's totally not what I was thinking!
You two get along so well.
Hey there, Ryou.
We're living out our love here.
Jealous?
Yeah, a little, to be honest.
Of whom?
Both of you, I guess.
You liar.
Do you have a minute, Saki?
I'll get out of your way.
Enjoy!
Mamoru was watching the whole time.
When you came in first in the preliminary poll by a wide margin, it really shook his confidence.
Being too popular just isn't good, is it?
Let's go somewhere more quiet.
All right.
That winter, all students were divided into groups of two to serve on duty.
On the surface this merely encompassed day-to-day duties and various ceremonial preparations.
However, a pair would only form if a boy and girl chose each other, so it was none other than a formal declaration of love.
Episode Eleven
Winter's Distant Thunder
Wait.
I don't want to go over there.
Why?
I... What do you want to do over there?
Nobody will disturb us here.
It just leads to the inner yard.
The inner yard...
Don't you want to go outside instead?
The weather's so nice.
All right. Let's do that.
I'm going to nominate you as my duty pair partner.
Thanks.
That's all?
What do you mean?
Who will you nominate?
I...
I'm sorry.
I haven't decided yet.
Is there someone else?
Not really, but...
Why would you nominate me, Ryou?
Isn't that obvious?
I've been watching you all this time. For me, you're the only one.
All this time?
Since when?
I don't really remember.
You can't really put your finger on something like that, right?
But if I had to decide, I'd say since we spent time together during summer camp.
What's your favorite memory?
All of it!
When we were rowing together...
Remember? You were so busy looking at the scenery you almost fell into the river.
I quickly took your hand and kept you in the boat.
Did that really happen?
It was a lot of fun.
The look in Satoru's eyes gave me goosebumps.
What I saw there could only be described as pure confusion.
They were the eyes of someone who had seen something completely irreconcilable with common sense.
Have you forgotten about me already?
I'm sorry.
I just can't remember, even if I try.
I see.
That's okay, then.
Where are you?
Let me see your face.
I have no face.
You should know well what I look like, though.
I don't know.
I can't remember.
It's not your fault.
Someone chiseled off the lettering on the gravestone they put above me.
Someone?
Why would they do that?
Look there.
We are all the same.
A mirror?
Don't be afraid.
There's no danger.
It's not your own gravestone.
Then whose is it?
Take a good look at it.
You will understand then.
Yoshimi
Duty Pair Vote
And then—
Hey. Big day today.
I've got something to talk about.
Sure.
Want to go somewhere?
Anywhere works.
It won't take long.
There are a few things I want to ask you.
Sure.
Ask away.
When we were in the canoe together, at night...
Oh... That again...
You taught me something fundamental about night rowing.
Do you remember what it was?
Don't look at the fire.
Why?
It's a basic tenet of night rowing.
You have to let your eyes get accustomed to the darkness.
Otherwise you won't be able to see anything for a while.
That's so long ago.
I don't really remember.
What was it?
Was it about steering clear of the rocks?
That's all right.
Let's talk about something more recent, then.
Why did you break up with Satoru?
I... Does that really matter anymore?
But you two used to be so close.
I guess...
Okay, last question.
It's about summer camp again.
All right. That's fine.
It's about Rijin...
Do you remember how he died?
Who's Rijin?
He died? What are you talking about?
Never mind.
It really wasn't you, I guess.
What do you mean?
I won't put your name down for the duty pair nomination.
But... Why?
I'm really sorry.
I thought it would be good manners to tell you first.
Are you going to choose him?
No way I would.
Why?
I have a question for you too.
Why did you like Ryou?
Why... Uh...
I wonder...
I can't seem to remember anymore.
I know what you mean.
He's a nice guy.
He's just not fit for the role.
I'm certain it wasn't him.
He's not the one we both fell in love with.
Duty Pair Vote
What do you mean, "it wasn't Ryou"?
Because it wasn't him!
There were five of us during summer camp, but he wasn't among us!
That's ridiculous.
I remember him!
He was the one who found the haythatcher's nest first.
That wasn't Ryou.
Then who was it?
I don't know.
The name just won't come to me.
Describe him.
What did he look like?
I can't remember that either.
Come on, do you really expect me to believe that?
Aren't you just a little under the weather?
There's a part of me that feels the same, though.
I have memories of going out with that boy,
but I simply can't imagine him being Ryou.
He's... not my type.
Well, I know you've got the hots for the cute and younger-looking ones.
Like Rei, right?
But well, sometimes you don't know what you're doing.
Maybe he was just persistent enough.
I don't think so.
I was the one who had to persuade him.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure our memories have been tinkered with.
The details just don't add up.
Such as?
Ryou's... No, that's too confusing. Let's call him "X".
I remember playing a lot at X's place when I was little.
But Ryou's house looks different.
Ryou lives in the village of Outlook, right?
It's up on a hill and fairly open.
But X's house was...
In the middle of a forest!
Yeah. It was off to the north. A big, isolated house.
I remember that too, now that you mention it.
I've never been to Ryou's or X's place,
but where would this forest to the north be?
Hey, tell me the names of all the seven villages.
Huh? Are you serious?
Just do it!
Um, Oakgrove, Withertree, Whitesand, Gold, Waterwheel, Outlook, and Hayring, wasn't it?
A forest would mean Oakgrove?
But Withertree is to the north.
The buildings there are all fairly small, though.
Yeah, it's hard to imagine it being there.
Most of that area seems to be outside the Holy Barrier.
Let's go!
Where to?
To Withertree, of course!
But today's the first day for the duty pairs!
Everyone's celebrating!
Why do we have to go to some abandoned village and dwell on the past?
Any idea where the people here went?
Wasn't there a disaster of some sort and they had to resettle in the other villages?
X's house was even further north, wasn't it?
Let's go.
What on Earth happened here?
It must've been someone with really powerful Cantus.
Why, though?
I don't know any more than you do.
Was Withertree this small?
No, it wasn't.
This rope here is brand-new too.
A lake?
I don't remember this at all.
There can't be any buildings further out.
We must be misremembering.
X doesn't exist.
Then how do you explain this?
I have a feeling I know what Saki and Satoru meant.
I feel like maybe, just maybe, the boy we knew wasn't Ryou.
It's just a trick of the mind.
We grow fast these days, but not only taller.
Our looks and personalities change as well.
Hey, didn't we have another friend?
Huh?
It really is strange that only our team had four people.
X must have been in it before Ryou joined.
But we're still missing another person.
My memory is really fuzzy.
But wasn't there someone else?
There was. I remember.
Just like with X, some of my memories of that person remain.
But why doesn't anyone talk about them?
Stop it!
This isn't right!
We shouldn't poke our noses into this!
If we keep talking about this, we'll...
What will happen?
Are they going to dispose of us too?
Saki, is it just me or did we talk about that during summer camp too?
We did. I think we did.
I don't remember anything specific, though.
I hit a wall or something when I pursue that train of thought.
But I'm sure we talked about it.
Around a campfire.
X agreed with what I said then.
Stop, goddamn it!
I don't want to hear any more!
We shouldn't be talking about any of this!
We're violating the Code of Ethics!
All right!
Calm down.
Let's drop the issue, okay?
Please.
What do you think?
It looks badly made, but I think that's because the creator was a beginner at Cantus.
Yoshimi
So you're saying that your older sister Yoshimi was uh...
...disposed of by the school? Aren't you jumping to conclusions now?
They wouldn't have had to hide it if she died from a sickness or an accident.
What if they wanted to protect you from having sad memories?
Look at the characters!
Aren't they just too clumsy?
I think my sister couldn't use her Cantus well.
But that's just speculation as well.
Now that I look at it carefully, I'm no longer so sure it's badly done.
Saki, I really understand how you feel.
But...
Please, don't stir up any more trouble.
Stirring up trouble?!
I just want to know the truth!
It's not just my sister!
We used to have another girl in our group too.
And most importantly, we used to have another friend.
I know.
It's not easy for me either.
I want to do something about it too.
But I'm more worried about the friends who are alive right now.
You don't have to worry about me.
I'm not worried about you.
You're strong.
Strong? Me?
Yes.
This is harder on you than anyone else.
But you're enduring it.
I think most people couldn't bear that pain.
How could you?
What exactly do you take me for?
Don't misunderstand me.
I'm not saying that you're heartless.
On the contrary, you're more sensitive than most.
But you're able to shoulder that pain and sadness and live on.
We aren't all as strong as you are.
I'm always the first to give an opinion and be cheeky,
but during trouble I'm also the first to run away.
But there's someone who's even weaker than Satoru or me.
You mean Mamoru?
Yes.
He's a kind and fragile spirit.
He wouldn't be able to cope with betrayal from someone he trusted.
And it's not just about people.
He needs to be able to trust the world too.
I think there are probably many things in this world we are better off not knowing.
Sometimes the truth is cruelest of all.
Not everyone can bear it.
I'm certain Mamoru would lose it if you dug up more of these frightening truths.
Okay.
Really?
I promise Mamoru will never hear another word of it.
But I won't give up until I know the truth.
If I don't, he would haunt me forever.
Do you have a minute?
You're Watanabe Saki-san, right?
And Akizuki Maria-san and Asahina Satoru-kun?
Can we help you?
You don't have to be so nervous.
We just want to talk to you.
Um, are you from the Board of Education?
No, we're working under your grandmother.
Really?
Asahina-kun's grandmother is Asahina Tomiko-sama.
She's the head of the Ethics Committee.
Please wait here. It won't be long.
What's going on here?
You never told us your grandma was the head of the committee!
You weren't spying on us, right?
Slow down! I never knew either!
You didn't know what?
That my grandmother—I mean, that Asahina Tomiko-san is the head of the Ethics Committee!
You've got to be kidding me.
There's no way that's true.
You're her grandson!
Hear me out!
Neither of you knew who the head was either!
Yeah, but...
Unlike with other jobs, the members of the Ethics Committee aren't public knowledge.
The members keep their own identities secret as well.
Wouldn't you have a gut feeling, though?
She's your grandmother!
Excuse me!
I'm sorry we kept you waiting.
We'd like to talk to you in turn, so would you please follow me one by one?
When I notified the head of the committee, she said she specifically wanted to talk to you.
We're going to her office now.
You mean Satoru's—uh, Asahina Tomiko-san?
Yes. She's kind and friendly.
No need to be nervous.
Nakisou na aoringo kakaeteru mune no oku
泣きそうな青リンゴ 抱えてる胸の奥
In my chest, I carry a green apple that wets my eyes
Korogatte tsuyogatte
転がって 強がって
I fall over yet pretend to be strong
Kyuukutsu na sora niramu
窮屈な空睨む
I glower at the sky and it seems to suffocate me
Unmei ni juujun ni
運命に従順に
Do I look like I'd wait quietly
Jukusu no wo matsu mon ka
熟すのを待つもんか
For destiny to ripen it?
Sen no kaze
千の風
The winds
Agaite sakende
あがいて 叫んで
I struggle and scream
Fuke fuke
吹け吹け
Blow and blow
Watashi wa shabondama
わたしはしゃぼん玉
I'm a soap bubble
Soredemo shinjiteru
それでも信じてる
And still I have faith
Yokisenu arashi ni
予期せぬ 嵐に
In a sudden storm
Joushou shite kakou shite
上昇して 下降して
I rise and fall
Aragau shabondama
あらがうしゃぼん玉
I fight, soap bubble that I am
Soredemo ikiteku
それでも生きてく
And still I live on
Hajikeru shunkan niji hanate
弾ける瞬間 虹、放て
I make a rainbow when I burst
May we come in?
Come in.
FROM THE NEW WORLD
There are only two things in this world we need to be truly afraid of.
Was it all part of your plan?
I saw it with my very own eyes.
It's a task only you can accomplish.