Hanasaki Mai ga Damatte Inai (Hanasaki Mai Doesn't Keep Still / 花咲舞が黙ってない)

DECEMBER 2013

TOKYO DAIICHI BANK NAKANO BRANCH

It's unacceptable.

You said you'd leave it up to me.

I'm telling you to do things the way they've always been done.

Then nothing will ever change!

Banks have customary practices that must be protected.

With all due respect,

they're not customary practices, just old habits.

What?

I think it's important to take on new ideas.

However…

If I cancel now they'll charge me a cancellation fee.

-So it's okay, right? -What?

And so,

this year's year-end party will be a Christmas party at a fancy restaurant!

-Yay! -Wait!

I haven't agreed yet! Stop celebrating!

-Good evening. Wow, how lovely. -What a nice restaurant!

Good evening.

This kind of year-end party is always welcome.

-Right? -Good job, Mai.

Having to eat chanko hot pot every year was so depressing.

I'll come here with my fiancé too.

How lucky.

Damn you, Hanasaki.

Why do I have to do this?

-Nice work, Soma. -Deputy Manager.

Good news. It's not official yet, but you're being sent to headquarters.

Thank you!

Continue to do your best over there.

-Yes! -Hi, Hanasaki.

Good evening.

-Nice place. -Thanks.

-Here's your bingo card. -Thanks.

-You can choose your drinks over there. -I'm so excited!

Yes!

Hanasaki.

This is the last time you get to

treat me this way!

APRIL 2014

TOKYO DAIICHI BANK HEADQUARTERS

Did you call me?

Hey, Soma.

-Have you settled in? -Yes, thank you.

I'm sorry I made you go on inspections

for three months by yourself.

It wasn't so bad once I got used to working by myself.

I finally found you a subordinate.

She'll be arriving today.

I see.

Thank you.

I had a hard time selecting someone suitable,

but don't worry. She may be young, but she's an excellent female bank clerk.

-Female bank clerk? -Yeah.

Our bank needs to create a system that will

be more open to accepting opinions from female employees.

I think that's a great idea.

And who is this subordinate…

She was an excellent bank teller.

Bank teller?

A teller?

-Is something wrong? -No.

When I was at the branch office,

I met a troublesome bank teller.

How so?

To put it nicely, she was a free spirit.

She was fearless and once she got riled up,

even her boss couldn't stop her.

She's here. Come in.

Excuse me.

Hanasaki!

Mr. Soma.

Long time no see.

Oh? Do you know each other?

Yes, we worked together at the Nakano Branch.

Then we can skip the introductions.

You'll be working together with Ms. Mai Hanasaki.

Yes, this is Mai Hanasaki.

Thank you very much.

Being transferred to the headquarters was a big surprise.

And I get to work with you again.

This is awful.

I guess fate is pulling us together.

Stop being ridiculous.

Good morning.

Good morning.

MANAGING EXECUTIVE OFFICER TSUYOSHI SHINDO

I haven't seen you before.

I've been assigned to the Branch Managing Department.

My name is Mai Hanasaki.

I see. Having an energetic young lady like yourself will be

a breath of fresh air around here. Good luck.

Thank you very much.

Who is that?

Mr. Shindo. The Managing Executive and Head of Corporate Planning.

Candidate for the future president.

I see.

Who was that man?

-Soma from Branch Inspection. -Branch Inspection?

He's my colleague, but how can I explain it…

ASSISTANT GM OF CORPORATE PLANNING NAOKI KODAMA

-He fell off the fast track. -I see.

That female employee is a former teller who came in five years ago.

A bank teller, huh.

They're not worth remembering.

Yes.

It's all men.

By the way, what will I be doing here?

Right here.

Branch inspection?

That's when you visit branches

with problems and give them assistance, right?

Yeah. We're the branch inspectors.

I get to do such an important job?

Whoa.

It's just the two of us?

Is that bad?

No, but it seems a little lonely.

That's your desk over there.

What…

-Good morning. -Good morning.

Oh, you're Hanasaki.

-Yes. -I'm expecting a lot from you. Good luck.

Thank you.

Let's get down to business. Please head to Mukojima Branch.

Will do.

-Thanks. -Yes.

"Lost unused passbooks," huh.

Hanasaki.

-Let me make one thing clear. -What is that?

Don't say unnecessary things during the branch inspection.

What?

Think of it as a different company.

-Okay… -Let's go.

What? Wait a minute.

Oh no!

MUKOJIMA BRANCH

Therefore, please be careful to prevent such mistakes

in the future.

I'll be very careful.

But we're very busy over here.

Why would you come to give us guidance over some missing passbooks?

Give me a break.

We'll be off now.

This is the job of a branch inspector?

Have some.

Our job is to solve and supervise

those types of small problems that arise in various branches.

It's never fun for the branch offices

because they feel like they're being nitpicked at by people

from headquarters.

They hate us.

Therefore, branch inspection is a job that

everyone hates, and no one wants to do.

No way…

RESTAURANT HANASAKI

I don't believe in fortune-telling anymore.

This year was supposed to be my lucky year,

but I've only had bad luck.

Is that so?

Yeah. My favorite plate and mug broke,

my laptop constantly freezes,

my lights keep flickering,

and when I go to the bathroom, there's no toilet paper.

This morning I had a run in all of my tights.

You were dumped too.

Dad.

-Maybe I'll quit. -Stop that.

When you first started as a teller, all you did was complain.

"A client made me cry," "my boss is mean," "I'm going to quit."

It was hard, but it was also fun.

And it was a job that made people happy.

So I learned to like it over time.

But compared to that, a branch inspector

is like nitpicking errors.

I wish I could've stayed as a bank teller.

NEW MESSAGE

Oh!

Aki.

Mai, how's the headquarters?

There were lots of clients who were sad to see you gone.

I want to go back.

Oh.

Hello, this is Hanasaki.

Tomorrow is Kayabacho Branch.

Okay.

Listen up, Hanasaki. At the branch--

Don't say unnecessary things at the branch office, right?

You were a teller so you may not know

but in the world of banking,

you can never regain status you've lost.

If you cause any trouble, there will be no future

for you or me.

I understand.

-Your face says otherwise. -No, I understand.

But sometimes, I can't control what comes out of my mouth.

Let me give you some advice.

If you have something to say,

take a deep breath, and swallow it along with those words.