Young Girls in Love (恋する女たち)

"Young Girls in Love"

"The friends you make in high school will be your friends for life."

The principal said it on his long speech at the high school entrance ceremony.

I came from a junior high school deep in the mountains of Hakusan.

I moved to a high school in Kanazawa without any friends, those words really hit home for me.

"To Takako Yoshioka"

But now I assure you,

My life would be so much darker if that was my friend for life.

You don't have to be so resentful.

When you're that beautiful, you became too good for this world.

I remembered when she first introduced herself to the class.

She went, "I'm Enami Midoriko".

With a name as beautiful as Midoriko,

and even herself was beautiful, I was just in awed by her.

But you know what...

What, you wanted to stay up all night with Midoriko and talk about life?

There's nothing embarrassing about that.

I'm talking about a deeper despair.

A despair that upends the whole life of a woman.

Even in the midst of her own death,

Midoriko still grieves over the cruelty of mankind.

When I think of her, I think of her unworldly genius and her beauty.

Truly, truly... With her fate as a premature death.

It was a will given by God.

For now, we can only hope to reach the seventeen years that she lived.

It was all glorious and pellucid, when we think of those days.

Let us lift our prayers together for those days.

That's a hell of a speech for someone who's terrible at Japanese.

Bet it was hard to memorize the whole thing, right?

- Did you stay up all night? - What's with the attitude, huh?

It's a solemn funeral y'know.

Today at 11 o'clock will be Tatsuo's wedding

Tatsuo?

You mean that intern?

Now that's a surprise! So that one-sided love was real?

Oh, excuse me. We love each other.

It was a short but beautiful love that burned. Midoriko will die with her memories in her arms.

I feel miserable.

That's how heartbreak works.

It's generally not.

Tatsuo-san said, "The only ones who shine the most right now are you girls."

But then he lost his mind to a female teacher at the junior high school he worked for.

Isn't it normal for a teacher to be conceited with lewd?

You guys are seriously bad at being good friends.

Would you attend the funeral of a friend who had died twice already?

Hmm?

"The first time I got a funeral invitation was around this time last year.

"During PE class, while everyone's watching me.

I got carried away on the springboard as I opened my legs.

And accidentally ripped my shorts."

"The second one was last year's final exam. Her score marks were off by a lot.

Red marks in five subjects, It was a disaster.

The headmaster told her parents, "If things go on like this, she could be held back".

That same day I received the funeral letter."

"Short Pants"

"Report Card"

Well, I appreciate how you deal with your issues and personal growth as a person.

How many of these white crosses will she have to make before she actually die?

When you become an ordinary housewife with an ordinary husband and ordinary children...

I wonder if I'll still receive those black-bordered invitations from you.

Just shut up and listen. What is it with you people?

I know that you are not the kind of friends who can comfort and encourage me.

I know that, but…

But you could at least try to have the "de" in "delicacy".

She's really pissed

On the day you get your heart broken, I'll be holding a Japanese flag on each hand

and I'll dance to "cancan" till I fall.

Oh, so did you fall down from dancing last night?

What did you just say?

You're being a real asshole, you know that?

Hey, you two! Cut it out!

You're not feeling yourself today, Otaka.

I say we go home. C'mon, let's head back.

- You sure? Won't your mother be angry with me? - Nah.

The shop doesn't open until after 7 o'clock

I'm talking about people like Midoriko.

Who is in love with someone,

You can't really trust people, who talks about their relationship lightly, can't you?

That's just something unforgivable, right?

I feel like, when you're serious about someone...

W-When you truly love someone...

I don't think you would publicly talk about stuff like that.

It's just like you to say that, Otaka.

Saying that being in love with someone is like having the greatest mistake of one's life.

And that things like that shouldn't be talked about publicly.

- Hey, Otaka... - Hmm?

Is there someone you like?

And all the sudden you're asking me that?

It's not that serious y'know.

From the way you've been talking and acting today.

Of course I'd ask something like that.

I got one, you know.

Hmm... Got what?

A guy I like.

Eh... Eh... You got a guy you like?

Don't stutter will ya.

So you got a guy you like?

But why are you telling me this so suddenly?

Because you, Otaka...

Got the "I don't care about love" look on your face.

What do you mean I got an "I don't care about love" look on my face?

Hey, Taiko, Midoriko...

Do you even know what it means to love someone?

We all live by our own rules.

In the same way, the person you love also has their own rules."

That's why... that's why... to love someone means...

That for the first time ever,

Your own rules and your loved one's rule will crash into each other.

Meaning, the way you do things in the past,

the way you think, the way you feel, the way you live, won't apply anymore.

Don't you think that's a little scary?

"Oh look, I've finally found the love of my life."

You think blabbering about stuff like that so lightly is right?

"Everyone please gather on counter no.5"

"Please enter as soon as possible! The movie is about to start in 10 minutes"

"All exits are now closed and we're going in a break."

So you're into these kind of films?

What films?

"When a man meets a woman at the right time, they don't need rules to love"

It doesn't say anything about high schoolers not being allowed to see it.

It's not the kind of film you'd watched after a funeral either.

I was back from a wedding!

What're you even doing here?

You're in high school and you're watching cartoons like "Nine" and "Touch".

And you're missing half of them.

- Well, I'm in the baseball team. - You dummy.

I'm in a hurry. Bye.

Why do I have to see him here?

This is the worst day ever.

"Masaru Kutsukake"

He's not more than an ordinary guy.

But why do I keep looking at him like this?

Half of me probably isn't even there, it all just happens naturally.

I think my eyes are unconsciously following him.

It's likely so, I guess I have to admit it.

And if you're asking me, what's it like stalking at someone.

Well, I'll have to pass on that.

Both of my parents are living at the foot of Hakusan Mountain in our hot spring inn.

My father is a self-proclaimed local tycoon who wants to be a member of the prefectural assembly.

He's also the president of the Ishikawa Ryokan Association.

He's always travelling from place to place.

So he usually ignores his own Ryokan business.

But thanks to that, my sister and I were able to stay upstairs here for free.

My sister, Hiroko, is currently in her fourth year at Kanazawa University of Education.

I want to get myself a job soon.

My parents also want me to be the hostess of my family's inn, so I've been offered the position.

I don't know what people are supposed to be doing or studying on university.

I just don't get it.

You know, I feel like someone is trying to stalk me lately.

Do you think maybe he secretly likes me?

In the transition from adolescence to young adulthood,

some people become overly sensitive to the gaze of others.

Above all, anxiety and mental strain will exponentially rise.

There will also be actions to try and withdraw from an interpersonal relationship.

These people are called anthropophobes.

Dinner's ready.

"When the child tried to grab that golden ring.

I had no choice but to let her do it, I mustn't say anything to stop her."

"She would fall each time, but I mustn't say a thing to her."

"Once the carousel stopped spinning, she'd hopped off the wooden horse

and she'd come to me."

"I'll be watching you, all I'll be doing is look at you."

"I said so to her and gave her some more money."

"Here you go, buy some more tickets."

"She then took the money

and she said, "I'm not angry at you anymore."

"I know, now come on, let's go again."

"That's when she suddenly..."

Kinuko! So it was you?

Since when did you start becoming a peeping tom?

Oh, occasionally when I skip class to a place like this

and hear a girl reading a book, of course I'll peep at her.

I didn't expect to see anyone else here during class time.

Oh, but I've always been here since last year.

Still the same as ever eh.

If you keep on skipping class and paint all the time, you'd be held back again y'know.

I don't need you worrying about my future.

- Here. - Oh, thanks.

Anyways, you've seen that Salinger movie right?

"Nine and a half weeks of lust between a man and a woman." Now that's just too much.

How did you... How did you know I saw that movie?

- Was it that damn Kutsugake? - Calm down, no need to be falsely accusing anyone.

I was just in the seat right behind you.

But you know what though...

I really love watching you wear that funeral dress to a movie like that.

- Come on, you're so dirty. - God, I love it dirty.

Hey, maybe let me paint you naked next time.

You'd look great naked.

You've got really nice skin, very supple and plump.

- Can't you keep it in your imagination? - Wait, I haven't told you before?

I've seen you twice on that eastside bathhouse.

- The eastside bathhouse? Naked then? - Well, of course.

- You don't take a bath with your clothes on, do you? - N-No, of course not.

Don't you have your own bathroom in your house?

No, we have a bathroom, but I guess I'm the communal bath type.

Hold on, don't you live in Omi-cho?

- Yup, near the Omi-cho Market. - Then why would come from all the way there...

- to the communal bathhouse on the eastside? - Well, not just the eastside bathhouse.

You know, I love going to all the public baths. It's fun... Hehe... It's fun.

Y-You... You're a damn pervert.