The Matsugane Potshot Affair (Matsugane ransha jiken)

The story that is about to begin

took place halfway through the 1990s.

While a bit of dramatizing is an occupational vice and can't be helped,

we inform you that the story is based on true events we ourselves witnessed.

On a country road, in winter...

Kotaro!

Kotaro!

The phone.

Who?

Tachihara.

Tachihara.

Yes...

I'm awake...

Yeah...

Yeah... where?

You serious?!

Yes... Yes...

Someone's lying on the road nearthe elementary school.

Really?

It snowed last night.

Okay, Grandpa, let's go have a pee.

It's cold...

Oh, Hikari!

What're you doing?

Be careful. I cracked up the car.

Early shift?

No, it looks like someone collapsed.

Really?

The Matsugane Potshot Affair

This side first.

All right.

Oh.

The ice pick.

It was in a bag lying near her body.

She was probably carrying it.

Could've caused that.

Show me.

It's over here.

Excuse me.

Ah, Tachihara?

She's alive.

Huh?

She's alive.

Huh?

"Suzuki Dairy"

"Fuji Box Lunches"

That man's hopeless.

C'mon, Yoko

Your poorfather, calling him "that man"!

He was in a state yesterday.

How's that?

The Mama at Eden Club told me.

She said he got plastered,

grabbed her, saying how lonely he is.

She really can't stand that.

But really, it's hard to imagine...

not being allowed to see your granddaughter.

It's not a matter of allowing him to see her or not.

It amounts to that.

You know...

Yoko could be more...

It's not Yoko... well, it's Yoko too,

but think of her mother. Herfeelings matterthe most.

Hey, Hikari.

Hi.

Quit dragging about!

Hurry and eat!

Stay away from the melon.

It smells bad.

Did you hear? Somebody died today.

Out past White Vegas, nearthe school.

An accident?

I'm not sure. It was a women, young.

Oh, a suicide.

Why suicide, if it's a women?

What are you doing?

Tsurukichi, what are you up to?

She asked me to have a look.

Is that true, Haruko?

Yes.

- You're lying. - Yes.

C'mon, pull up your pants.

Yes.

Tsurukichi!

It's not that, maybe.

Enough. Let's go.

- Yeah. - Maybe, it's not what you think...

Pull up your pants!

Yes.

Haruko, what did Tsurukichi do?

He looked and put it in.

Put what in?

A mechanical pencil.

Let's go!

Hurry!

Why did you drop your pants?

Well...

He said I look like Aratama Michiyo.

Who's Aratama Michiyo?

Never heard of her.

And when you turned around, the carwas upon you?

That's right.

Were you walking in the field, Ms. Ikeuchi?

Orwere you walking on the road?

The field?

That's right.

- The road? - That's right.

Oh...

Ms. Ikeuchi...

It really doesn't matter, does it?

Of course it matters, ma'am,

you're the victim of a hit-and-run.

Well, I'm not dead, so who cares?

That's not the issue here.

It was a hit-and-run, so the circumstances...

What is it you want from me?

Tell me how the accident happened.

I don't remember!

What do you expect?

I was the one who was hit!

Yes, of course...

So, then...

Now, now, Ms. Ikeuchi...

What?

Here, this, and this...

Was this all you had?

That's right.

An ice pick... an ice pick.

- What about it? - Well...

Ordinary people can't buy ice picks?

You're imagining things.

Well, it's not that...

I'm the victim here.

That's right.

How come you bully me? I'm defenseless.

I'm not bullying you.

You are too.

Ms. Ikeuchi, I'm not bullying...

Now, now... I'll put them away. See, I'm putting them away.

See, I put them away.

Ms. Ikeuchi!

If you happen to remember anything, just give me a call...

Oh, it's pointless!

"Welcome to Matsugane" "Home of the Wild Boar Legend"

An experienced flenser, or whale butcher, accompanied the survey,

He carved the whale into small pieces,

A veteran knife carver with more than 30 years experience,

his is a skill passed down across the generations,

Ouch!

Ah!

Ouch!

- Ow! - What were you up to?

I was hit by a car. I spent a night in the hospital.

This is too much!

That hurts... not there...

That's not the spot...

That's too hard...

What is that there?

Wild boar meat.

They announced it, free forthe taking.

You got it forfree?

What were you thinking!?

You got it, now who'll cook it? Where are you going to cook it?

Mice again?

Yeah...

Here...

Oh, thanks.

They've got a way of getting in here.

Yeah...

It was a hit-and-run.

What was?

The accident yesterday.

Oh...

She regained consciousness.

When you think about it...

Yeah?

It could have been more interesting.

Yeah. Just a hit-and-run.

Right...

Coming back from the dead was a good start...

You really shouldn't say that.

Huh?

Welcome!

The Special.

Okay.

Ow!!

We'd live at your mother's house?

Yeah.

That a promise?

Not really...

But, there's Hikari...

I don't mind, but he might be uncomfortable...

I wouldn't want that.

Ahh...

And I want a baby before I'm 30.

Yeah...

Do you like that?

I like that.

Let me inside.

No.