Only Yesterday Page #4

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It's your fault.

Finish it yourself next time.

You three are so selfish.

Father, buy me an enamel purse.

Yaeko won't give me hers.

You said you didn't want it.

Yeah, but...

You said it, you have to do it.

Hurry up and get ready.

I'll wear these!

Why is Yaeko coming?

You said it was just the three of us.

Because I finished my homework.

Is that a problem?

It's Chinese food.

The more the merrier.

Grandma's not coming.

She doesn't eat oily food.

If you don't want to come, stay here.

We're going Taeko.

Come on slowpoke.

I don't have a purse.

Lend her that enamel one.

Here.

Ouch.

Let's go.

I'm not going.

Okay. Let's go Mother.

Stay with Grandma then.

Not coming Taeko?

No I'm not.

We're off then.

I'm coming too!

No shoes!

Father please.

A button came off.

We didn't go out, of course.

My face was swollen and a cold towel...

...didn't stop the stinging.

That night I couldn't sleep...

...wondering why it was always me.

Figuring I must've been adopted...

...I cried myself to sleep.

Was it the first time he hit you?

Yes, the first and only time.

Dad slaps me often... well, sometimes.

Maybe that's easier.

When it's only once,

you can't stop thinking why.

It's hard to imagine you

a selfish brat.

A spoiled brat.

I wasn't just fussy about

onions, either.

Now I don't feel like I'm that bad.

Wait a second!

Your poor Mom.

I shouldn't encourage you.

I'm giving up on the Pumas.

Good girl.

Maybe I'll slip you some pocket money.

Hooray!

Hey!

100 yen each.

Taeko...

Tomorrow...

Let's go for a drive to Zao.

- Zao?

- Yes.

You went to Yamadera

last year, right?

The family said it was okay.

The views at Zao were beautiful.

But Zao had become famous

and touristy.

How come you're not married?

Do you find that strange?

Well, no, not really.

Lots of women work now.

Most of my friends are single.

Oh, is that right?

That's right.

I see.

It's true.

Right.

Really. It's very common.

Toshio?

In elementary school, could you

divide fractions?

When they said reverse the numerator

and denominator, could you do it?

I don't remember.

I wasn't bad at math though.

I see.

Lucky you.

I bet you don't remember

'cause it was easy.

Maybe.

Why do you ask?

It seems that people who could do it...

...went on to have easy lives.

One girl, completely average

...not even good at math,...

...always could do it

perfect right away.

She grew up really normal...

...and now is married with two kids.

I was no good at it.

Not smart enough to know when to quit.

Room 5, Taeko Okajima, 25 points

Before the test...

...we had art class.

And... um... we did blow pictures.

Blow pictures?

Yes. We drop paint on the paper...

...and blow patterns in it.

And?

You blow like this,

really hard, right?

Yes?

So, I got a headache.

From blowing so hard.

That's why you did so badly?

That's right.

I see.

Do you know the answers now?

The correct answers?

Well...

Have Yaeko help you with them.

Yaeko?!

That's right.

Or Nanako, whichever.

I'll ask Nanako.

Nanako's not back yet.

Can I wait 'til after dinner?

I'll ask Yaeko...

Mother!

Mother! Mother!

What is this?!

How on earth...?

Please teach her.

She doesn't seem to get it.

But this is beyond belief!

That's why I'm asking you.

Is she alright in the head?

Just help her.

Normally this is easy.

But that child's not normal!

Taeko, your sister's going to help.

You had a headache from blowing,

didn't you?

Sit.

Say your times table from the top.

I know that.

I'm in fifth grade already!

Then why so many mistakes?!

It's dividing fractions.

Just flip the top

and the bottom and multiply.

They taught you that, right?

Then why do you get it wrong?

Yaeko, one step at a time.

What's dividing a fraction

by a fraction anyway?

Two-thirds of an apple

divided by a quarter means...

...how would this divide...

...between four people, right?

So, it's one, two, three,

four, five, six...

...one-sixth each, right?

No, no, no, no. That's multiplication.

How come it's less when you multiply?

Two-thirds of an apple

divided by a quarter...

Anyway!

Forget about apples...

...just remember to inverse and multiply.

Is her sister in Takarazuka?

No, S.K.D.

- She got "D" in math.

- "D"?

Yes, and just barely.

If she got half right,

it'd be worth scolding her.

Right.

Should you get her IQ checked?

They said it was fine

when she started.

Maybe she turned dumb?

Remember she fell downstairs

as a baby?

Right, in her walker!

I thought she was dead.

It was just a bump.

It's affecting her now.

That's it!

Nonsense.

She's just no good at math.

She chats too much in class.

If she'd just listen;

even an idiot can do it.

It's only two more years

until Junior High.

Two-thirds of this apple,...

...divided by a quarter...

I can't even picture it.

Two-thirds of this,...

...into a quarter makes it.

Even now, dividing fractions

is difficult.

We farmers give up too easily.

We just yield to the flow and

follow what they do in the cities.

Let's rethink the real

meaning of prosperity.

Return to the old ways of farming.

Wow...

So, that explains the organic farming?

I'm just quoting my friend.

But I agree with it.

It's great the way you hold onto

your memories of math class.

It wasn't meant to impress you.

People say you work

in a great place

but I could never give myself

up to it completely.

I really admire

your devotion to farming.

You're being sarcastic?

Of course not!

There aren't many people like you.

Farming's in total decline, right?

So we can't just carry on as normal.

We've got to think about the future.

We help each other out,

cheer one another along,

otherwise we can't keep it up.

Taeko do you ski?

I've been with friends a few times.

Come next winter.

I'll teach you.

Are you good?

No, but I'm an instructor here.

An instructor?

You must be great.

All my friends are too.

At last, we're in the

middle of nowhere.

"Nowhere" huh?

Sorry. I didn't mean it like that.

Interesting point though.

City people see the trees and rivers...

...and are grateful for "nature".

But what you see here

is all made by man.

By man?

Farmers.

- That wood?

- Yes.

- Those trees?

- Yes.

- That stream?

- Yes.

Every bit has its history,

not just the fields and rice paddies,...

...someone's Great-Great Grandpa

planted it, or cleared it,...

...gathered firewood

or picked mushrooms there.

I see.

Mankind battles nature

and receives from it.

They evolve together,

and create this scenery.

So without man, this wouldn't exist?

Farmers can't exist without nature.

So they've always taken great care

to give her a helping hand in return.

A collaboration between

man and nature.

That's the heart of country life.

That's why I feel so at home.

I didn't grow up here,

but somehow always felt...

...my soul was at home here.

So that's it.

My back aches.

What's so great about organic farming?

Only the theory.

Like I said...

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