Episode 4: The man closing in
Nakano Yumi is told by Yohei that his wife’s death two years ago was a suicide and cannot hide her shock at this news. A passerby found his wife lying on the ground after she jumped from the verandah. By the time Yohei rushed to the hospital, she was dead. He says no one saw her when she jumped and the police told him it could have been an accident.
Yumi does not understand why Yohei calls it a suicide. Yohei blames himself for his wife’s strange behaviour several days before she died. She regretted marrying him, which was to be expected since he came back late every night because of work and pushed all household matters to her. He thought his wife understood that he was working for the family. Now he ruefully wishes that he had put this into words and thanked her while she was alive. When Yumi asks for the date of death, Yohei tells her that his wife’s third death anniversary falls four days later on 21 April. The estimated time of death was around 4.00 p.m. in the afternoon before Ami came back from playschool. Did his wife take leave from her part-time job that day, Yumi blurts out without thinking. This surprises Yohei, and Yumi quickly covers for her slip by saying that Ikuko had talked about it. He replies that his wife was on leave that day and stayed at home the whole time. Maybe she took her own life on impulse.
After that, Yohei sends Yumi home. On the way back, he formally asks if she will date him with a view to marriage. While it may seem thoughtless of him after what he had said earlier, he wants to let her know. Yohei tells her that Ami has had to grow up more than she should because her mother died early and he feels sorry for her. Today is the first time in ages that he has seen his daughter in high spirits and he has Yumi to thank for that. No matter how much he regrets his wife’s death, she will not come back. So he has resolved to move forward for Ami’s sake. Yumi asks him to let her think about it.
Back at home, Yumi wonders why she and Tamura Yumi are connected through their dreams. Is it because they have the same name? They have the same habit? A loved one who has died? Or because she may become a family with her and Ami?
On the other hand, Tamura Yumi, who has seen what happened in her dream, is shocked to find out that she committed suicide. In the morning, she marks the date 21 April on the calendar in the kitchen. There are four more days to the day of her death. Hearing that Yohei will probably be back late again today, Yumi sincerely thanks him for working hard for her and their daughter as she hands him a bowl of rice for breakfast. This uncharacteristic behaviour makes Yohei stare at her in surprise. She apologises and turns back to her tasks. Yohei grumbles about feeling disgusted, but turns around to look at her and smiles to himself.
Even as Yumi questions whether she will commit suicide and leave Ami behind, she begins to treat Yohei and Ami with a sense of resignation about her death. On this afternoon, she teaches Ami how to make hamburger steak after picking her up from playschool. Then she takes out the book in which she has written many of her own recipes, and shows it to Ami. Ami wants to know if it also contains the recipe for her favourite cookies, so Yumi suggests that they will make cookies together tomorrow.
In the midst of this, Yohei returns home and Ami rushes to the door to greet him. Noticing that she has an apron on, he praises her for helping her mother. Yumi is surprised since she was expecting him to be home late. When Yohei says he decided to give the drinking session a miss, she wonders if it is a good idea. While her back is to him, he takes out a bouquet of flowers from a paper bag and awkwardly says that he got it for her as a present. Thrusting it in her direction, Yohei tells her thank you. Yumi is overcome with emotion as she holds the bouquet, causing Ami to misinterpret that her father had made her mother cry. But Yumi corrects her that these are tears of joy. Yohei catches himself grinning and quickly tries to keep a straight face.
That night, the three of them have dinner together for the first time in a long while. As Yumi watches her daughter sleep later, she ponders for a reason why she would commit suicide.
Nakano Yumi, who wakes up with a message from Tamura Yumi, calls Yohei out. At the cafe, she asks if he feels that his wife’s death was a suicide. This time, Yohei says that he does not think so. When Yumi asks why, he tells her that he came home with flowers several days before his wife’s death and having a meal together with the family after such a long time. He cannot conceive why she would commit suicide when she appeared to be happy. At this, Yumi reminds him what he had said yesterday. With a frown, he remarks that he had completely forgotten about it until now, leading Yumi to wonder if the past has changed. Yohei is curious to know why she is so interested in his wife. She claims that it is because he said that his wife fell from the verandah. An explanation which he readily accepts. Then, Yohei suddenly confides that the person he was dating before his wife died in an accident. Reflecting that maybe nothing good happens to people related to him, he calls his proposal yesterday shameless and asks that she forget about it. However, Yumi tells him that he is wrong and that her fiance died too. This is why she is so concerned about his family. Embarrassed that he is not aware of this, Yohei apologises for focusing on himself and asks Yumi to tell him about herself when she comes to make cookies next time, if she does not mind. She smiles in response.
Yumi returns to work in good spirits after that. Just as she is about to enter the office building, she sees Ikuko. Ikuko apologises for what she had said previously, explaining that she came on a bit too strong because of the motherly instincts she developed while watching over Yohei and Ami these two years. She has heard from Yohei that things are going well between them and suggests that they have a hand-rolled sushi party next time. A troubled Yumi asks Ikuko if it is true that Tamura Yumi fell to her death from the verandah. When Ikuko confirms it, Yumi tries to find out if she knows anything. At her insistence, Ikuko recalls that Tamura Yumi had said that she was being followed by a strange man who might have been a stalker. Although she had told Yohei and the police about this, she did not have proof. Ikuko leaves Takata Design after promising to inform her about the details of the party. As Yumi watches Ikuko from the second floor window, she notices a man walk down the stairs opposite the building. Realising that it is Tatsuno, her eyes widen in alarm.
Meanwhile, Tamura Yumi starts her morning peering down from the verandah and gets a fright when Yohei comes up behind her, curious to know what she is doing. Noticing that she seems out of sorts, he asks with concern if something has happened. She looks as if she is about to confide in him, but in the end, she says nothing and just tells him to work hard before he leaves the house. On the way to work, Yumi seems to sense someone walking behind her. Whirling around, she spots Tatsuno several steps behind her. He comes to a stop as they come face to face. Fear registers on Yumi’s face and she turns to run … …
Nakano Yumi wakes up to this terrifying dream in the morning. At Takata Design, she immediately corners her boss to pester him for more information about Tatsuno because Tatsuno appears to be the acquaintance of an acquaintance. She says that she wants to know what Tatsuno was doing two years ago and asks if he can get in touch with former classmates or Tatsuno’s family. However, Hayashi tells her that if Tatsuno would not personally say anything to him, it means that there are things he does not want known. Adding that people at this age have many things that they do not want others to know, he expresses discomfort at probing on his own. Hayashi guesses that Yumi must have reasons for asking but she says no. He apologises for his harsh words. Once she is left alone, Yumi groans in frustration at not being able to learn anything more about Tatsuno.
It is dark outside by the time Yumi finishes a meeting with Ikuko for the design competition and leaves the office for the day. Just as she starts to wheel her bicycle, a male voice calls out her name. Hearing footsteps behind her, Yumi turns around to see Tatsuno walking towards her. Her legs give out on her and she falls to the ground. Tatsuno just keeps coming closer while she desperately tries to back away from him. Finally, she summons the strength to scramble to her feet and flee. Yumi does not know why Tatsuno approached her. Could it be because her destiny is to be killed by the same man as Tamura Yumi?
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