Potechi Page #3

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You pretended to ask for his help

so you could trick him.

Oh, I don't need any of this!

Your schemes are so easy

to see through.

Anyone who messes with my

Ozaki messes with me!

We just did it for fun.

He took himself way too seriously.

As a serious sportsman, it's completely

natural to try and help a girl!

We didn't know he was a ballplayer.

What team was he with?

What was his position?

- He hasn't retired.

- I bet he sucks. - Shut up!

Every day Ozaki prepares himself for

a chance that may never come!

How dare you... put Ozaki down!

Easy...

What's wrong?

I don't know what to do!

What's going on here?

Anyway...

Have we made ourselves clear?

Leave Ozaki alone.

It's you who should be

explaining yourselves.

Stop this, or I'll kick your ass!

So? Did you talk sense

into those kids?

Well, I guess so...

but Tadashi acted up when

they bad-mouthed Ozaki.

Sharing a birthday is fateful,

but aren't you overdoing it?

Mr Kurosawa...

- What am I supposed to do?

- What's wrong?

Life is too... painful.

I see. Painful, is it?

I can't deal with it.

You're quite a guy.

No, I'm not.

What are you two talking about?

What should I do?

You don't have to do anything.

I'll give you a ride...

I live around here.

We ate too much!

What the...?

I'm a friend of that young man

from earlier...

- Oh, gimme a break!

- Maybe he let you off, but...

I won't be so easy.

- This is too much...

- Let's go for a ride.

- No. - To a village on

Yamagata's border.

Whenever there's a disaster,

a villager is chosen...

and locked in a cave, as an

offering to the mountain god.

- What the hell? - They'd do

anything to protect their rice yields.

Droughts, earthquakes, floods...

Any natural calamity calls

for a sacrifice.

It's an ancient ritual

that still continues.

- No way! - The cave is

pitch dark inside...

The sacrificed villager can't

tell night from day.

He's hungry and anxious as he

waits for death.

Then villagers then questioned using

their own people as sacrifices.

They decided...

to use outsiders as offerings.

They have connections with

criminals and gangsters.

There's a demand for human sacrifices...

Many people want to get

rid of someone.

It's a good business.

- Bullshit. - I just got a phone call

from their leader...

about that huge quake.

He wants offerings for his god,

so it won't happen again.

He wants more than one.

His order is one man

and one woman.

But according to the calendar,

and my horoscope,

I should be nice today.

So, I have a plan to

save your asses...

Mom!

Hi, nice to meet you!

Likewise!

Stop talking about what

I did wrong.

Why can't you talk about

the good things I did?

I would, if there'd been

anything good!

Your late father could drink all night;

his genes must have skipped you.

What's so great about a man

who can drink a lot?

Did he play baseball as a kid?

He wasn't that into it, but he played

at elementary school.

- Was he a slugger?

- No! He kind of tip-toed around.

That's like him.

But because he's so earnest,

he got fairly good.

I can see that, too.

- Has he always been a fan

of Ozaki? - Ozaki...?

- Oh, you mean the ballplayer?

- Yes, that's him.

He rooted for him.

Ozaki's a local hero...

and he's Tadashi's hero, too.

His 'baseball hero'

His baseball hero?

- That's right.

- And they share a birthday.

Oh, that's right!

Same day, same hospital...

But they're so different.

Pardon?

Ozaki's mother used to live

in my town...

and she gave birth there.

I don't know her well.

I learned this much later, but...

while I was in labour and groaning,

Ozaki was born in the next room.

I heard that his mother died

of heart failure last year.

Are you staying here,

Mr Kurosawa?

There were 32 cases

between 1957 and '71.

Excuse me?

That's the acknowledged number

of babies switched at birth.

Oh, right.

Home births were once common.

In the 50's, women began giving

birth in hospitals.

They were understaffed during

the baby boom.

In the chaos,

the babies got mixed up.

But Tadashi was born much later.

The baby boom was later in his town.

I hate the word 'coincidence'

but I guess that's what it was.

How did he figure it out?

From his blood type.

At the check-up!

He'd never known his blood type.

He realised that it was inconsistent

with his parents.

So he consulted me...

What about?

I'm a part-time private detective.

Oh, you are?

I followed it up and my findings

led me to Ozaki.

Are you sure about this?

DNA tests confirm it.

I have contacts who helped me out.

We set up fake check-ups...

for those born at the

hospital on that day.

The result was...

Tadashi's mother is Ozaki's

biological mother.

Let's go up to the room.

Do we have to go to

the room to talk?

Ladies and gentlemen,

we present the Sendai Kings

cheerleaders.

There they go!

I love it here;

it's like being at a fair.

I hope you don't mind me

dragging along...

- Wakaba, I thought you

didn't like baseball. - Well...

It's just that I happened

to get some free tickets.

Oh, you're the one behind this!

Imagine Tadashi knowing

a gentleman like you!

I'm not a gentleman.

Mom, there's another man who's

been very good to me...

- I wish you could have met

him, too. - Mr Nakamura?

Yes, CEO Nakamura.

He wouldn't come here.

He hates baseball.

Right. He missed too many

fly-balls.

I bet Ozaki won't get

a chance to play...

Mom, you want to see him play?

Sure, he's our local hero.

More than you want to see me?

What are you talking about?

Would you have liked your son

to be a star?

A star for a son, huh?

He might play tonight.

- Who?

- Ozaki.

Really?

Mr Kurosawa's hunches

are often right!

Um...

Isn't there somewhere else

we can talk?

I'm bad at empathising with people.

I have no idea what they care about.

When I learned that Tadashi

was switched at birth,

I didn't think it would mean

so much to him.

So I just reeled off

what I'd learned.

Knowing him, I thought he'd

say, "Really? Oh, wow!"

And that would be the end of it.

You really thought so?

Yes.

But he was devastated.

By what?

I can't understand it.

Why is he devastated?

He wouldn't mind not being

related to his mom.

I agree.

He wouldn't want to find

his biological mother.

- Then what's so devastating?

- It's hard to tell...

But maybe he felt sorry

for his mother.

Maybe he thought,

"Mom could have had

a better son than me."

Maybe you're right.

I need your help.

- What do you want me to do?

- Is the flash on?

- Just keep snapping.

- Keep snapping?

Oh, it's the manager!

What are you doing here?

Who are you?

Use Ozaki as a pinch hitter tomorrow.

What?

Choose the right time for him.

So he turns the game around.

Give him a chance.

It won't cost you money,

or your pride.

Just say, "Pinch hitter Ozaki."

Is he behind this?

At bat is Yamada, Shortstop.

Oh, come on!

At bat is Ninomiya, Second baseman.

We have a substitute batter.

Ninomiya steps away.

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