The Long Excuse Page #3

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No, we haven't.

Uh...her father and I are...

He's Daddy's cousin.

Cousin?

Sachio.

I'm Yoichi Omiya's cousin Sachio.

Oh.

Hello.

Please remain seated until the bus comes to a full stop.

Why 'cousin'?

You don't look the same.

Who doesn't?

You don't look anything like Daddy.

They wouldn't believe 'brother'.

I'm amazed she came out with that on the spur of the moment.

The laundry might be getting wet.

Take care, then.

Hurry up!

I'll be late for cram school.

Stop being so selfish!

Akari!

Not only am I going to be late...

Don't kick me!

But at the store...

Stop it!

...she started arguing.

OK! I'll boil some rice.

No!

You said it had to be curry!

I want chickie-face curry!

That was a one-day special at the store, I told you!

Stupid!

Don't say 'stupid'!

I'll do it! It's OK!

You get going, Shinpei.

Your bus'll be leaving.

Akari! Akari!

Let's have curry.

We've got some.

Off you go.

We'll have curry.

Stupid!

Will you help?

No!

No? The poor rice!

Want to try?

Is that how you do it? OK.

Like this?

The water's getting whiter.

Really white!

When it gets white, you pour it out.

You pour it out, huh?

There's a mark!

Up to 5.

That should be right.

Perfect.

Five?

I'll raise the lid.

Can you reach?

Great!

Is that OK?

Right!

Not yet!

Rolly!

I'll eat them!

I'll tear them in pieces and chomp them down!

No, Octo!

People don't eat octopuses because they hate us.

I don't care!

I won't eat any more little fishes or shrimps!

If you're set free, Mom,

I won't eat them!

How's that? A little more?

A little more.

Two pieces of carrot.

And I'll have some, too.

That's good.

We'll save that for seconds.

Well, shall we eat?

Bless this food!

So how's it going to be?

It's good!

With the towels, first, you do this.

You spread it right out...

Then fold it over.

Now it's half.

Don't fold it wrinkled!

That's OK!

Here's another one.

Whose is this?

That's Shinpei's, isn't it?

Shinpei!

That's his, too.

This is mine.

I'll take care of Shinpei's, then.

My helmet's not done up.

Careful.

OK.

Are you sure you're OK?

You're weaving!

It's OK.

You don't have to hurry.

Sheesh!

Huh?

Shinpei!

Shinpei!

Shinpei!

Hey!

Shinpei!

Wait! Hey!

Sorry.

Shinpei?

Shinpei?

You OK?

What's wrong?

I'm tired...

That's OK. Don't worry.

Come on.

Sorry.

It's like...

...I can't keep up.

After the last test,

I got dropped back a class.

That's only natural.

You were away.

You've still got six months.

I'll help as much as I can.

Tell me what you need.

I'm here, after all.

From you?

So...what can I do for you?

Don't tell Dad I was crying.

Is that all?

He cries all the time!

It's important?

I won't say.

It's a promise.

Let's go home!

There.

Bye!

Go, go, Sachio!

Go, go, Sachio!

Go go go go go!

Go!

I don't believe this!

Could your mom really ride up this hill?

Yes.

She never got off once?

No.

Really?

Shinpei, about that Question 4...

Why did you think it was (B)?

I thought it might be (C)...

'The grief and isolation that comes when you lose faith in others...'

This is deep. Do you understand 'deep'?

'Deep' like 'deep in the ground'.

Yes, like that.

Down here, like that.

Your heart sinks, right to the bottom.

It's not emotional, it's a quiet...

There's a 'deep heart'?

There most certainly is.

Do you have one?

No.

You don't?

Then what about 'conscience'...

Hi, Daddy!

I'm back!

Akari!

Hungry?

Starving!

We made some stir-fry.

You did?

I'll have some of that!

I'll heat it up.

It's a treatment for a TV show about how you've coped.

The whole world's a mess.

How you've managed to cope...

...will resonate with people who've lost loved ones...

...and fallen apart after natural disasters.

Stop distorting things.

I'm not like someone who's been in a natural disaster.

'I'll get milk...

'...near the station.'

What's that all about?

'Milk'?

This?

The boy went on a school trip and bought me this 'sleeping cat'.

Meow!

The girl made this.

But why do you have to be there?

Because he came crying to you?

That, uh...that guy?

'That guy'?

Your wife's friend.

You mean Yoichi?

Yeah, that's the guy.

He didn't come crying to me.

Is this to write?

Is it material for a book?

Eventually, I guess.

It's fertilizer for one.

But no, Kishimoto.

It's not that.

They're in trouble.

They can't get by without a mother.

All he can do is drive a truck.

You think looking after children doesn't suit me?

No, it suits you.

It's running away.

Raising kids is a great way for a man to indulge himself.

One's four, and one came last year.

They cancel out everything.

They make me forget what an a**hole I am.

What are you saying?

What do you want from me?

Sensei...

...have you really cried since you lost your wife?

Even once?

Is it a problem whether I've cried or not?

You came here to get me to cry on TV?

I don't really know.

It's OK to avoid the issue.

It's just...

...the longer you do that, the longer you'll suffer.

Go, go, Sachio!

Go, go, Sachio!

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!

'Jumpin', jumpin', jumpin'...

'Jumpin' over big waves, jumpin' over small...'

Shinpei?

It's OK.

That was a surprise!

Yeah.

You've got something to protect.

I envied that.

I was scared shitless.

There's times I've thought it'd be a lot easier without them.

Then I could get killed tomorrow and I wouldn't care.

Bullshit.

You live for those kids.

Yeah, but still...

You're crazy.

Aw, damn it.

Now I'm happy.

Huh?

Now I've finally met you...

...why couldn't Natsuko be here?

Daddy!

Yeah?

Is this the same hermit crab as last year?

He was crying again.

Still...

...it's not because he's weak.

Your dad's really strong.

When a strong man...

...loses someone important...

...he faces up to it.

He grieves, and he cries.

I didn't cry at Mom's funeral.

The tears just wouldn't come.

'You're OK with this?' he said.

Your dad?

I'm not OK with it.

I know that.

I know.

Hello, Kishimoto?

About that TV thing...

...I'm thinking I might accept it.

All right.

I'll call them.

Don't you want to know why?

Not particularly.

I won't need a make-up artist.

Your hair's a mess.

A mess?

It's all grown out.

I don't care.

I'll be fine.

More to the point, is it cold up there?

It's up in the mountains.

I'm told it gets warm during the day.

Let's see... what else?

Oh, and prayer beads.

Prayer beads?

Just in case.

Just in case, huh?

All right.

We meet at Shinjuku?

At 7:
30am.

7:
30. OK.

I'll see you there.

Notepad

To Sachio

I don't love you any more.

Not one bit.

More to the left.

Mr Tsumura! Move left!

A bit more.

A bit more!

And cut.

Move the flowers left.

Mr Tsumura, do you usually stand when you pray?

I was thinking more 'squat'.

Squat, like that.

Well?

No, let's do it standing.

Sorry. Stand up.

And...action.

And Mr Tsumura...

...when you've prayed, could you look out at the lake?

Can we get a shot of you looking deeply pensive?

'Pensive'?

Yes. Looking over there.

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