Our parents are no longer here.
Because of that, Asu and I have to do our best on our own.
Sometimes it’s difficult, but the two of us still pull through.
So far, we’ve managed to get by this way.
This month’s bills are going to put us in a bit of a pinch, huh?
Yes, it’ll be a pinch.
Spring, which will bring this sakura tree into bloom, is still far away,
and a harsh winter is right around the corner.
We don’t have anyone to protect us from the cold.
There isn’t anyone who understands this type of coldness.
That’s what I think.
That said…
Yes.
That said…
We won’t lose!
Onee-chan, the landlord is looking at the sakura tree.
Ah, you’re right.
Let’s try asking him for an extension, one more time.
Is it even worth trying?
We’ve already asked him so many times.
He’ll probably just tell us no again.
We’ll worry about that when it happens.
Mom went to heaven the year Asu was born.
Dad disappeared after accumulating gambling debts.
Thus, we were abandoned.
This is a 40-year-old, one-room, dilapidated apartment with no bath.
This is our home.
But, when spring comes…
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
Even though we can’t return to our memories,
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
let’s seize today and search for tomorrow.
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
Binbou Shimai Monogatari
Hi
to
ri
bo
cchi
mo
hi
to
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
ひ
と
り
ぼ
っち
も
ひ
と
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
Binbou Shimai Monogatari
I may be by myself, but I’m not alone.
Hi
to
ri
bo
cchi
mo
hi
to
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
ひ
と
り
ぼ
っち
も
ひ
と
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
Binbou Shimai Monogatari
Hi
to
ri
bo
cchi
mo
hi
to
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
Fu
ta
ri
bo
cchi
mo
fu
ta
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
ひ
と
り
ぼ
っち
も
ひ
と
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
ふ
た
り
ぼ
っち
も
ふ
た
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
Even if it’s only the two of us, we’re not alone.
Fu
ta
ri
bo
cchi
mo
fu
ta
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
ふ
た
り
ぼ
っち
も
ふ
た
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
Fu
ta
ri
bo
cchi
mo
fu
ta
ri
ki
ri
ja
nai
ふ
た
り
ぼ
っち
も
ふ
た
り
き
り
じゃ
ない
So
re
de
mo
ko
bo
re
ru
na
mi
da
no
mae
ni
そ
れ
で
も
こ
ぼ
れ
る
涙
の
前
に
Even when I’m on the verge of tears,
So
re
de
mo
ko
bo
re
ru
na
mi
da
no
mae
ni
そ
れ
で
も
こ
ぼ
れ
る
涙
の
前
に
So
re
de
mo
ko
bo
re
ru
na
mi
da
no
mae
ni
E
ga
o
de
shi
n
ko
kyu
u
de
ki
ru
no
ka
na?
そ
れ
で
も
こ
ぼ
れ
る
涙
の
前
に
笑
顔
で
深
呼
吸
で
き
る
の
か
な？
can I still smile and take a deep breath?
E
ga
o
de
shi
n
ko
kyu
u
de
ki
ru
no
ka
na?
笑
顔
で
深
呼
吸
で
き
る
の
か
な？
E
ga
o
de
shi
n
ko
kyu
u
de
ki
ru
no
ka
na?
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
笑
顔
で
深
呼
吸
で
き
る
の
か
な？
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
Even though we can’t return to our memories,
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
O
mo
i
de
ni
mo
do
re
na
i
ka
ra
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
想
い
出
に
戻
れ
な
い
か
ら
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
let’s seize today and search for tomorrow.
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
Kyo
u
wo
i
ki
asu
wo
tsu
ka
mou
Ka
ke
ga
e
no
na
i
ki
mi
no
きょ
う
を
生
き
あす
を
つ
か
もう
か
け
が
え
の
な
い
君
の
That unreachable jewel
Ka
ke
ga
e
no
na
i
ki
mi
no
か
け
が
え
の
な
い
君
の
Ka
ke
ga
e
no
na
i
ki
mi
no
ho
u
se
ki
ha
ko
ro
ni
a
ru
か
け
が
え
の
な
い
君
の
宝
石
は
心
に
あ
る
is there within your heart.
ho
u
se
ki
ha
ko
ro
ni
a
ru
宝
石
は
心
に
あ
る
ho
u
se
ki
ha
ko
ro
ni
a
ru
Mu
ka
i
ka
ze
ni
shin
ko
kyu
u
宝
石
は
心
に
あ
る
向
か
い
風
に
深
呼
吸
Face the oncoming wind and take a deep breath.
Mu
ka
i
ka
ze
ni
shin
ko
kyu
u
向
か
い
風
に
深
呼
吸
Mu
ka
i
ka
ze
ni
shin
ko
kyu
u
向
か
い
風
に
深
呼
吸
A Day of the Apartment,
Sakura, and Moving
Mr. Landlord!
Eriko!
Mami!
Ah, um… What do you want?
Um, well…
Um, can we please postpone this month’s rent payment until I get my paycheck?
Oh, sure. I don’t mind.
We’re saved.
But, don’t you think he was acting kind of strange?
Yeah. I wonder who Eriko-san and Mami-san are.
What was the landlord looking at?
Just what did he see?
I’m home!
Asu, I got my paycheck!
Welcome home, Onee-chan.
Here.
Thank you for all your work.
I also got paid for my tutoring job,
so we should have a little left over this month.
That’s great, Onee-chan!
First of all, since the landlord was nice enough to wait this long, we should take care of last month’s rent.
Also, tomorrow I have the day off. Why don’t we go somewhere together?
Okay.
Where should we go?
Anywhere is fine.
We can keep thinking about it until tomorrow.
Sure.
Asu, have you thought of somewhere you really want to go?
Nope. Have you?
Not yet.
I’m still thinking.
It seems like staying at home is the best after all.
Isn’t it?
What is it?
Over there.
Where?
Over there, over there.
Onee-chan, that’s…
Yeah, it’s blooming!
It’s already evening, Onee-chan.
So it is.
But at least today was a good chance to just relax. It was nice, wasn’t it?
Yeah, it was.
Hey, Onee-chan, let’s go to the bath early tonight.
Sure! You want to go now?
We’ll be able to take our time and relax.
Sure! Let’s go.
Bath House Hawaii
Welco—
Hmm? What’s wrong? Kyou-chan, Asu-chan!
The two of you don’t look so well.
What happened, Kyou-chan?
Oba-san, we’ve been told we have to leave our apartment!
What do you mean?
Mr. Landlord, good evening.
We’re heading over to the bathhouse right now.
I see.
That aside, you two—can you move out of the apartment?
I said, move out of the apartment.
Wh-Why?
We just paid last month’s rent yesterday!
It’s urgent, so hurry up and leave.
No way…
If you make us leave, we won’t have anywhere to live!
If you won’t cooperate with me, I’ll have to force you to leave. r, then you two will have to leave quickly.}
Contract
So that’s what happened…
Onee-chan, do we really have to move out?
We don’t have a choice. We can’t keep being a bother to the landlord.
I suppose renting a room out to two young girls ended up causing the landlord trouble.
But, hey! We’ll worry about that when it happens, right, Asu?
You’re right, Onee-chan.
The two of us just need to keep giving it our all.
There’s no way we’ll be defeated!
Right!
Next spring, we won’t be able to watch the sakura tree from this room.
I came across some news by way of a rumor.
It seems like they’re going to build a luxury mansion complex here.
What? They’re going to tear this apartment down just to build a luxury mansion complex?
That seems to be the case.
So that’s why the landlord is making us leave.
He hasn’t mentioned it to me yet, but I suppose I should start packing too.
Onee-chan, do you think this sakura tree will be cut down, too?
If they’re building a mansion, it probably will.
Now that I think about it, the landlord was gazing at this tree.
He’ll probably miss his precious sakura tree, don’t you think?
Bean sprouts for breakfast, bean sprouts for lunch, and bean sprouts for dinner.
The longer you boil the noodles, the bigger they get.
Sawa Real Estate
Asu, this house looks like it’s pretty big and comfortable.
You’re right.
Apartment for Rent
Rent: 42000 yen/mo.
Faces south, nice and sunny. Just a two minute walk to the station!
Ah, this looks pretty good too, Asu.
Faces south, nice and sunny. Just a two minute walk to the station!
Yeah.
There’re a lot of options.
Yes, and it seems like there are plenty of affordable ones with enough room for both of us.
Dining room/Kitchen
Closet
Storage
6-mat Western style room
4-mat Japanese style room
Veranda
Indeed.
Hey, you two.
If you’d like, there’re many more ads inside for you to consider.
Ah, um…
Sorry, but we’re fine for today!
Onee-chan, is there really no way to stop them from tearing down the apartment?
If that’s what the landlord has decided, there’s nothing we can do about it.
I don’t want to leave.
I want to watch the flowers bloom there next year!
It’s strange to hear Asu say something that sounds selfish.
But I feel the same way.
I suppose we’re both being selfish.
I’m not sure why,
but looking at all the newer, bigger apartments and imagining how wonderful living in them would be,
for some reason, I can’t enjoy it.
All I can think about was how nice it would be if we could keep living at our old apartment.
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
We ask for your cooperation while construction is underway, and we apologize for any inconvenience.
Construction In Progress
Onee-chan!
The landlord always seems troubled when we’re around.
We should leave.
Okay.
We need to hurry up and find a new place to live, Asu.
Kyo-chan! Asu-chan!
Hello!
You’re hauling around all that luggage!
You must be looking for somewhere to live, right?
Well, yes.
Well then, don’t look any further.
It just so happens that the second floor of my house is open.
Are you serious?
Hey now, wait a minute.
Yeah, hold on now.
Kyou-chan and Asu-chan are going to live on my second floor.
No way!
My house is bigger and cleaner!
Well, uh… I won’t even charge you rent!
What? What’s this all about?
Yeah! Just what are you thinking?
You listen here, Asu-chan and Kyou-chan will be living on my second floor, and moreover,
Somehow, it seems like everyone has heard that we have to move out of the apartment.
Um, everyone, why do you all know that we have to…
Um, eh… Well… About that…
The truth is, I was asked by Hayashi-san.
Me too.
By the landlord!?
Me too.
Why does the landlord care about where the two of us—
Hayashi-san might not say anything,
but he worries about the two of you like you were his own grandchildren.
It’s all because of what happened to Eriko-san and Mami-chan, I bet.
Those names…
Eriko!
Mami!
They were Hayashi-san’s wife and granddaughter.
We always thought the landlord lived alone!
It was a long time ago.
There was an accident.
It’s been 40 years since then.
It was a terrible tragedy.
The driver was in a huge truck.
Hayashi was never a man of many words,
but nobody has seen him so much as laugh or even smile since that day.
The three of them would always happily watch the sakura petals.
Watching the sakura petals…
That sakura tree must hold many of the landlord’s precious memories.
That’s why he would stare at the sakura tree so intently.
So that’s how it was.
If we don’t do something to stop that mansion from being built…
Onee-chan, let’s go!
Asu!
Oba-san, can you please watch our luggage for us?
We’ll come back for it soon!
Hey, w-wait, you two!
Everyone, we’re sorry, but thank you for your trouble.
Asu, let’s go back to the apartment!
All this time, I thought that you and I were all alone, Asu.
So I thought that as long as we were together, it wouldn’t matter where we were living.
Onee-chan!
But when the landlord kicked us out,
while we were looking for a new place to stay, I realized something.
I really love that apartment! When I think about it being torn down, I love it even more!
Yeah!
I want to live there forever!
Me too, Onee-chan!
They’ve already started the demolition?
Are we too late?
Mr. Landlord!
Wh-Why are you two here?
Please don’t let them tear down the apartment!
The sakura tree! Don’t cut down the sakura tree!
No way!
Mr. Landlord! Why?!
I don’t plan on having the apartment torn down, you know.
Huh? But just now—
Onee-chan, it looks like the building being torn down is the one next door.
You’re right.
As you can see, mine isn’t the one that was sold.
So the apartment is going to stay like it is?
Well then, why did you tell us to move out?!
Since next door has become a construction zone,
there’s bound to be a lot of traffic.
It’s too dangerous.
It was a terrible tragedy.
The driver was in a huge truck.
You’ve already found a new place to live, right?
Don’t come back here again.
That’s right.
The landlord is always looking out for us.
Two years ago, he was the only one who would rent us a room, even though we had no parents.
Asu.
Onee-chan.
We won’t move!
We love this apartment, the sakura tree, and you, Mr. Landlord.
B-But still…
We’ll be very mindful of the traffic.
When spring comes, I really want to watch the sakura petals together with you, Mr. Landlord!
Please!
Fine, suit yourself.
Hooray!
Ah! Onee-chan, look!
Do you see the two flowers that blossomed before springtime?
The landlord wrapped a little enclosure around them to protect them from the wind.
He really did!
We’re just like those flowers.
The landlord is protective of us.
That’s right.
The landlord is definitely protecting us.
Asu, it looks like we have a little extra money left over this month.
Is there somewhere you’d like to go?
Yes.
Where?
I want to go to our apartment and stay there with Onee-chan.
This apartment is the best.
That sounds good to me.
The spring that will bring the sakura tree into full bloom is still far away,
and before that comes a harsh winter.
Even though our parents are gone, there is still someone out there who will protect us from the cold.
There is someone who can understand that coldness.
Watching the sakura tree from the window of this apartment,
the two of us are definitely not alone.
This is what I’ve realized.
Ta
a
i
na
i
o
sha
be
ri
ga
他
愛
な
い
お
喋
り
が
Even when everyday talk
Ta
a
i
na
i
o
sha
be
ri
ga
他
愛
な
い
お
喋
り
が
Ta
a
i
na
i
o
sha
be
ri
ga
Fu
i
ni
to
gi
re
ta
to
ki
mo
他
愛
な
い
お
喋
り
が
ふ
い
に
途
切
れ
た
と
き
も
gets interrupted,
Fu
i
ni
to
gi
re
ta
to
ki
mo
ふ
い
に
途
切
れ
た
と
き
も
Fu
i
ni
to
gi
re
ta
to
ki
mo
Ko
u
shi
te
so
ba
ni
i
ru
da
ke
de
ふ
い
に
途
切
れ
た
と
き
も
こ
う
し
て
側
に
い
る
だ
け
で
all I need is you by my side,
Ko
u
shi
te
so
ba
ni
i
ru
da
ke
de
こ
う
し
て
側
に
い
る
だ
け
で
Ko
u
shi
te
so
ba
ni
i
ru
da
ke
de
A
n
shi
n
de
ki
ru
こ
う
し
て
側
に
い
る
だ
け
で
安
心
で
き
る
so I feel safe and sound.
A
n
shi
n
de
ki
ru
安
心
で
き
る
A
n
shi
n
de
ki
ru
安
心
で
き
る
O
te
ko
wo
“fu
wa
ri”
na
de
ru
お
て
こ
を
“ふ
わ
り”
撫
で
る
That kind face of yours
O
te
ko
wo
“fu
wa
ri”
na
de
ru
お
て
こ
を
“ふ
わ
り”
撫
で
る
O
te
ko
wo
“fu
wa
ri”
na
de
ru
So
yo
ka
ze
mi
ta
i
ne
お
て
こ
を
“ふ
わ
り”
撫
で
る
そ
よ
風
み
た
い
ね
is just like a gentle wind.
So
yo
ka
ze
mi
ta
i
ne
そ
よ
風
み
た
い
ね
So
yo
ka
ze
mi
ta
i
ne
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
te
to
te
wo
tsu
na
i
da
ra
そ
よ
風
み
た
い
ね
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
手
と
手
を
繋
い
だ
ら
We tightly hold each other’s hands,
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
te
to
te
wo
tsu
na
i
da
ra
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
手
と
手
を
繋
い
だ
ら
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
te
to
te
wo
tsu
na
i
da
ra
Sa
ka
mi
chi
wo
ka
ke
a
ga
ro
u
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
手
と
手
を
繋
い
だ
ら
坂
道
を
か
け
上
が
ろ
う
and run up that hilly path together.
Sa
ka
mi
chi
wo
ka
ke
a
ga
ro
u
坂
道
を
か
け
上
が
ろ
う
Sa
ka
mi
chi
wo
ka
ke
a
ga
ro
u
A
shi
ta
mo
zet
ta
i
ta
no
shi
i
ne
坂
道
を
か
け
上
が
ろ
う
明
日
も
ぜっ
た
い
楽
し
い
ね
Tomorrow will definitely be another happy day.
A
shi
ta
mo
zet
ta
i
ta
no
shi
i
ne
明
日
も
ぜっ
た
い
楽
し
い
ね
A
shi
ta
mo
zet
ta
i
ta
no
shi
i
ne
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
明
日
も
ぜっ
た
い
楽
し
い
ね
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
Let us walk shoulder to shoulder.
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
ka
ze
wo
tsu
ka
ma
e
ta
ra
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
微
風
を
捕
ま
え
た
ら
か
ぜ
I tightly hold on to that flowing wind,
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
ka
ze
wo
tsu
ka
ma
e
ta
ra
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
微
風
を
捕
ま
え
た
ら
か
ぜ
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
ka
ze
wo
tsu
ka
ma
e
ta
ra
Ryu
o
te
hi
ro
ge
to
do
ke
ta
i
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
微
風
を
捕
ま
え
た
ら
か
ぜ
両
手
ひ
ろ
げ
届
け
た
い
in order to spread my arms out and give it to you.
Ryu
o
te
hi
ro
ge
to
do
ke
ta
i
両
手
ひ
ろ
げ
届
け
た
い
Ryu
o
te
hi
ro
ge
to
do
ke
ta
i
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
a
shi
ta
mo
as
a
tte
mo
両
手
ひ
ろ
げ
届
け
た
い
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
明
日
も
明
後
日
も
We tightly hold each other’s hands tomorrow and the day after that.
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
a
shi
ta
mo
as
a
tte
mo
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
明
日
も
明
後
日
も
Gyu
tto
gyu
tto
a
shi
ta
mo
as
a
tte
mo
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
i
sho
ni
yu
ko
o
ぎゅ
っと
ぎゅ
っと
明
日
も
明
後
日
も
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
一
緒
に
行
こ
う
Shoulder to shoulder, let us walk ahead together.
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
i
sho
ni
yu
ko
o
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
一
緒
に
行
こ
う
Na
ra
n
de
yu
kou
i
sho
ni
yu
ko
o
並
ん
で
ゆ
こう
一
緒
に
行
こ
う
Binbou Shimai Monogatari
Feelings you want to share;
feelings you cannot share,
no matter how kind and gentle those feelings are.
Poor Sisters’ Story:
“A Day of Loneliness, Ginko, and Onee-sama”.
Please watch it!