Seeing with the Heart (盲目のヨシノリ先生〜光を失って心が見えた〜)

I think anything can become a milestone in a person's life.

- Please bring samples next week. - Thank you very much!

Hello?

Of course!

For me, that was...

when my child was born.

I was overwhelmed with feelings when this little fragile kid grabbed my heart.

Also my parents...

I met so many people and done so much in my life.

When I kept recalling this,

I remembered this feeling of gratitude

and I remembered my teacher.

Hey-ho!

What a good girl, she didn't cry at all!

It's where these people are standing.

It was my middle school football coach.

Arai Yoshinori-sensei.

I was in junior high at the time...

Onosakiiii! Hey!

Let it all out! O! No! Sa! Ki!

I don't get it.

You were sent to the bench

and that depressed you, right?

You're also stuck with your studies

Oh, and weren't you dumped?

All three combined, it's a triple punch!

It's not funny!

Don't sulk, laugh it out!

I mean, the Sun goes down and then gets up again, right?

But not in this sense...

What he literally said was "the sun gets depressed".

Our teacher, who looked up to Kinpachi-sensei, was noisy and shining with cheerfulness.

Kinpachi-sensei is a 1979 drama of a 3rd year junior high school class in Japan.

Indeed, he was like the Sun.

- He had his one favorite phrase. - This Yoshinori-sensei?

"You'll forget about me when you graduate!"

"Even so, visit me one day."

Visit me one day.

Happy things, sad things, it all starts now, doesn't it?

When you reach a certain milestone in your long life,

maybe you'll remember me in that moment.

When you do, come see me.

Teachers are always teachers to their students.

Got it, Onosaki?

Whenever it is, come see me.

I laugh my way through life.

Isn't it here?

Right.

Wait here, I'll surprise him.

Right

Good morning, is this Arai Yoshinori-sensei's house?

Do you know him?

- Daddy. - Dad?

Right! You're his daughter.

Is your dad home? Onosaki's asking.

Excuse me.

Sorry for intruding...

Your dad is...?

Your dad...

Sir? Yoshinori-sensei?

I couldn't believe it.

Who are you!?

Mommy!

- Who are you? - No, I mean...

At that time, my favorite teacher,

Yoshinori-sensei, had changed and was falling deeper and deeper into depression.

Original air date: August 27, 2016

Blind Yoshinori-sensei: invisible hope and visible passion

- Morning! - Good morning!

Ah, new students! Nice and shiny uniforms!

The warbler is chirping.

Can you hear it?

They practice in the fields, only to go back to the mountains.

They're still young, yet they do their best.

It's the same with you, 1st year students.

Akiba, you're sporting a perm again? - It's puberty!

You're just brazen, not growing up!

Good morning.

- Thanks for the other day. - Ah, the opening day meeting! Thank you.

No problem!

I have some worries about teaching, so I'm counting on your help.

- I'm looking forward to be working with you. - Same here.

Cherry blossoms are pretty, aren't they...

Yeah, very pretty...

Cherry blossoms...

Yoshinori-sensei had a crush on the music teacher, Mayumi-san.

But this story unfolded after my graduation.

They got married, had children,

helped and supported each other all the time

both worked and took care of the house.

I put it in the entrance.

Your hat, Rina!

- You too, Yuki. - Coming!

Let's go, let's go!

- Their soccer match is next week. - OK.

I have a choir competition next month.

- Do your best. - Got it.

Pass it over! Pass it!

Pass it!

Alright, gather round!

What is it?

Today those little flies are pretty persistent.

Seriously... This is not normal.

Sir, there are no flies here.

Strange...

How long are you going keep sleeping? Wake up!

My right eye won't open, I see pitch black.

What are you saying? It's open.

It's open, you don't see anything?

- I don't like it. Go to the hospital. - It's my day off!

- Go to the ER. - I'm fine, I slept too much.

Dear...

The nightmare has begun.

They happily reconciled.

The afternoon nap?

Finally fell asleep here.

- What about Miki and Rina? - In the park with grandpa.

How did it go at the hospital?

I'll have to quit teaching soon.

What do you mean?

Is it about your eye?

Retinal detachment, they said.

Retinal detachment?

It happens when the retina separates from the layer underneath.

I may not be able to see.

It may lead to blindness.

I have to undergo surgery.

It may get difficult once it gets worse.

I don't want to... It'll hurt.

Right? It'll be painful.

He underwent emergency surgery.

It took about two hours,

and after that he stayed home. Then, in the hospital,

he heard the verdict.

Yoshinori-sensei really believed it would get better from now on.

Dear?

Although...

Hey.

- Dad. - Can you see?

- Yoshinori. - Mom.

Yoshinori-san.

You're here too, mother.

- How are you? - I'm fine.

Yoshinori-sensei's vision in his right eye was still fuzzy.

Then... take care.

Ah, Mayumi.

You want to hear dad's input on this?

The "Since you've left home, you're an Arai now" one?

Yes.

Whatever happens, you can never come back.

With that being said, he told me to give you an allowance.

Eat something tasty, right?

- So little! - That's what you think?

This is my allowance.

Just joking. Thank you.

That's all.

Yoshinori-sensei struggled with his teaching duties while having impaired vision in his eye.

You were close.

You missed it.

You wrote it strangely!

Damn it!

And just when he thought it wouldn't get worse...

What is it?

It's dark.

Dark spots...

The retina in his right eye continued to detach.

He underwent another surgery but it only got worse, until he finally lost vision in his eye.

Nice. Yamazaki, don't forget about that area.

Sir, could you help us?

Yamano-kun was fooling around and he tossed my shoe up there.

Yamano get down, it's dangerous.

I'll do it.

Huh?

Really?

That's okay, I'll do it.

What is that? You can get it.

It still hasn't healed.

I have trouble assessing distance with one eye.

That's why you can't work in such a condition.

Can't work...

Coaching the soccer club is out of the question.

Clubs have to be supervised by capable teachers.

I made this decision after getting complaints from parents.

Aren't you just saying I became useless?

- Even with one eye I still can- - This is for your sake.

Please take care of your eyes now.

One, two. One, two.

- Yoshinori-sensei! - Here!

OK, OK! One more!

Call me "Yoshinori-sensei."

YO! SHI! NO! RI!

What is that? Just wait until lunchtime!

I'm sorry.

DAMN IT!

DAMMIT!

Right, they fired you.

They didn't fire me, they made changes.

It was done in order not to burden Yoshinori-san.

He was transferred to the Elementary School.

He'll be able to go back.