Tokyo Bachelors (東京独身男子)

TOKYO TEIWA BANK

I'm with the enterprise research division.

My name is Taro Ishibashi, senior analyst.

We analyze international industrial trends based on reliable information

to provide your company with a sure growth strategy.

ENTERPRISE RESEARCH DIVISION

You mean Ishibashi?

I'm sorry, he's already got his hands full.

A real ace, he is.

EARNINGS FORECAST IS...

Not to be vain or anything,

but we three are, as society would say,

A-ranking men.

-Emergency meeting! -Yes?

Gather here at this party, tonight.

I'll be there.

-That was fast. -Come on.

I just got back in the game.

I need to socialize.

Doctor.

-Room C, please. -Okay.

COSMETIC DENTIST REIYA MIYOSHI (37), DIVORCED

He and I have been friends since we were students.

He got a divorce six months ago and is back in the dating market.

He's a double-A, on the rise.

Good. Meet you at the venue five minutes before.

CIVIL CASES CASEBOOK

Kazuhiko Iwakura is a partner at a law firm.

He's like our big bro. The man.

A triple-A, the best out there.

Sorry, count me out.

Huh? Why?

Always trying to act cool like that.

It's not like that.

Socializing just tires me out these days.

That's what I'm telling you.

You seem all nice and kind, but you're twisted somewhere.

Pretending like you like being alone. You're gonna be an old geezer real soon.

I'm not reading all that.

But people in IT will be there.

You do realize what's important in order to succeed, don't you?

Yes, networking!

Yup, that's right. Networking.

Networking, huh?

I may not be as great as these two,

but I'd say I'm a good stable A plus.

Yet for some reason, I'm still single.

No... Was that...?

Sorry to break it to you,

but I only invited you for one reason.

Because I needed you to fill in for others.

I know that.

Yeah, it's the day of.

Thanks, dude.

Thanks.

Thank you.

My colleagues were supposed to come today.

One just remembered his wedding anniversary.

Had to go home to celebrate so his wife wouldn't get mad.

Like any married couple.

The other's child got sick.

Had to go home to help so his wife wouldn't get mad.

His wife is gonna get mad either way.

Try to help out around the house, and she'll be, "Don't touch that!"

Reserve a nice restaurant, and it's, "Who did you come here with?

She'll use your money like it's limitless.

Is it the money, huh? Am I an ATM?

-There he goes again. -About his ex-wife.

I'm telling you.

Marriage...

gives woman freedom and takes freedom away from man.

Excuse me. May we join you?

-Sure. -Of course.

You're a lawyer, right?

Are you all colleagues?

No, they're my friends. I invited them.

You all must be models.

Oh, not at all.

Drinks here, please.

I like that shop, too. We've got the same taste. Yeah!

Yeah!

Yeah.

Me too.

Yeah!

There you go again.

I'm not doing anything.

No, I saw you assessing them.

They're all cute, aren't they?

I'll tell you why then.

I sense it.

The way they check us up and down and if we have wedding rings.

Then they come in for the kill.

Yeah, they're all pretty.

But the way they casually show their skin.

The way they nod like crazy.

And those decked out nails.

I can feel them grabbing at my throat.

They look like tigers hunting prey.

Look what love has done to you.

I know.

I get scared sometimes.

That I might never fall in love again.

Then it was that girl, huh?

Mai.

The tour guide, was it?

Tour coordinator.

She attended to us at our training camp.

The one time I made a move on someone.

The one time you were actually close to getting married.

I saw her today.

Well, to be precise,

I think I did. And look.

I checked her social media.

"I'm back from London.

I'll be working in Japan."

She's back.

Mai's back.

Mai?

Mai Takeshima, was it?

You bought another kind of salt again?

A real BBC boy.

Perfection in everything.

Here, it's done.

That looks so good.

Not for you.

Come on, I helped you move in.

Just kidding, here you are.

All right.

Pretty much finished, huh?

What are you doing?

This used to be my training room.

Thanks for letting me rent this.

Yeah, I'm moving up to the top floor.

Wow, that looks so good.

-Okay. -Extra cheese on mine.

Let's eat.

This is way too good. You're a god.

Taro, I bow to you.

Yeah, I know.

But this room.

I was supposed to get to live here.

Why did you let him rent it instead?

Who wants a kid sister in their flat when they can have a buddy?

A buddy? Oh, come on.

You three BBC boys, hanging out together all the time.

You'll never be able to get married.

What is that BBC boy thing anyway?

Bachelor By Choice boys.

Hence, BBC boys.

Every workplace has one.

Nobody knows why they're still single.

They have girlfriends,

but they're such perfectionists, they've got really high standards.

Lots of men in their forties are like that.

We're far from being boys now.

Marriage, huh?

We might, we might not.

I'm not.

I know this isn't politically correct,

but there is no suitable age for men to get married.

-Wrong. -Right.

-There is a suitable age for men. -No.

-There is! -There isn't.

Look at yourselves.

You're just hanging out together to avoid facing reality.

You think you're above everyone else.

Listen here, Kazuna.

We actually are.

You shouldn't say that out loud.

They'll hate you.

You can say that to us, but not outside.

Hey, guys. So anyways.

She's back? Mai Takeshima, was it?

"An acquaintance referred me to a new job. We're having a spring fair."

-Are you going to go meet her? -Of course not.

Listen here, Taro Ishibashi.

Once a girl closes the door on a guy, she'll never open it again.

Don't even think about getting back together.

I'm not. It's just, that day...

-The rain... -Rain?

Three years ago.

The day when I last met her.

To London?

There's an opening at a travel agency for Japanese travelers.

They want me to come.

What do you think?

Did she want me to say something?

Should I have stopped her?

It was as if the rain were the tears Mai couldn't cry.

So, you know.

I just want closure.

Because I feel bad.

For not marrying her.

I think Mai learned a lot from me.

Values, outlooks on life, the basics of a human being.

Why is he being so condescending?

-There he goes again. -He's going to see her. Just wait.

I was just worried that she might still have a thing for me.

I'd feel bad.

That's it, really.