Cursed in Love (私たちはどうかしている)

Fifteen years ago,

I…

still can't forget that moment.

How did this happen?

Who? Who was it?

That single phrase…

Sakura's mom.

…robbed me of my entire world.

I was left…

with only one single reason to live.

KOMATSU, ISHIKAWA

SAYAMA RESIDENCE

That tea was delicious.

Thank you kindly.

I have an interesting sweet prepared today, just for you.

Interesting?

My favorite Japanese confectionery maker

is going to make it for us, right here, on the spot.

I requested a sweet to be made that's representative of you.

Of me?

Right, Nao?

That's right, Mayu. Leave it to me.

Please, enjoy this sweet.

Is that a bird? It's so cute.

A warbling white-eye, the bird of spring.

WARBLING WHITE-EYE

The warbling white-eye's chirrup

is so beautiful that it's known as the "Golden Soprano."

This sweet is inspired

by your beautiful, carrying voice.

That's incredible, Nao. Satomi is in fact a singer.

She has a competition coming up.

In that case, I'd recommend

eating this with the beak pointed in the direction of luck.

It's delicious!

A sweet made just for me!

Can you do this for anyone?

Yes. All I need is red bean paste

and an impression of that person.

That's my…

Nao Hanaoka's signature confection.

It's decided then. There's no one else I'd rather ask.

Confections for your party favors?

Is that for your upcoming wedding?

Yes.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime event.

So, of course, I want my party favors to be something I truly recommend.

That's why I want you to make it.

Such special confections…

Yes. I'd love to make them!

There's just one problem.

My husband-to-be is also the eldest son,

and he has a shop in mind that he'd like to ask.

I see.

So we've decided to have both sweet-makers

attend our next family tea party

to decide which one to go with.

Essentially, it'd be a competition.

I'm sorry to ask so much of you.

A confectionary competition…

I have a chance to win, right?

I'd love to have so many people enjoy my sweets.

Really?

Yes!

Is the other confectioner also from Komatsu?

No, it's a store in Kanazawa.

You know, the famous one,

Kogetsuan.

At that time, I still didn't know…

Kogetsuan?

…that he…

would drastically change…

my life, once again.

15 YEARS EARLIER

I first met him,

Tsubaki, in the spring, when I was five years old.

It was when my mother,

a confectionery maker, moved us to live and work

in a confectionery shop.

I'm Yuriko Okura.

This is my daughter, Nao.

Hey! It's Sakura!

Tsubaki, that's not how you read that.

It says, "Nao."

I like Sakura better. That way we both

have names related to spring!

Kanazawa, Ishikawa.

A long-standing confectionery shop

in business for 400 years,

Kogetsuan.

Sakura!

Tsubaki, an only child, was friendly

and cheerful.

Whereas I was weak and prone to illness.

He was a bright light to me.

Isn't it pretty?

A cherry blossom in full bloom?

My dad and I went to see them yesterday.

I took this picture because I wanted you to see it too!

You wanted to see the cherry blossoms too, didn't you Nao?

I'm sorry I couldn't take you.

No. It's okay.

If I have an asthma attack again,

that'd just trouble you more.

Nao.

Back then,

the world around me seemed gray.

I know!

Let's make sweets!

Sweets?

Yeah! That's something we can do inside.

Good idea. I'll teach you!

Slowly rotate it. That's it.

Gently.

That's it. Slowly.

Finished!

A cherry blossom sweet!

It's a beautiful pink.

Pink,

just like cherry blossoms…

Just like me!

It was at that moment that I began to see the world in color.

Nao?

What do you think you're doing out here?

Wow! Incredible!

Tsubaki.

Look! They're all different shapes!

None of them are the same.

Wow, Sakura!

You can make any kind of sweet.

Even when I grow up,

can I keep making them here?

Yeah! Once I take over the shop,

I'll make you the master craftsman!

Together, forever with you...

Tsubaki.

Dad.

How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my employee's room?

You're the successor of Kogetsuan.

Set a good example.

Yes.

Hey, Mom?

Will I get to stay here forever?

Can I stay here with Tsubaki

and keep making sweets?

Nao.

Show me your hands. I'll give you something neat.

Ta-da!

Confections are something you can make anywhere.

So if you want to keep making sweets,

I'd love that.

Then you'll be with Tsubaki and me forever.

Really?

Really!

The cherry blossom one is for you

and we'll give the camellia-shaped cutter

to Tsubaki.

Yeah!

Now that I think of it,

that year was the happiest one of my life.

There are moments of that morning that I can't quite remember.

But

the camellias blossoming in the garden…

and that sight…

are images that are burned into my memory.

What?

Master!

Master!

How?

How did this happen?

Is that true, Tsubaki?

You really saw her in your father's room?

Who?

Who was it?

Sakura's mom.

You're coming with us.

I…

Mom!

Nao!

Mom!

-Nao! -Mom!

Mom!

Mom!

Mom!

That day,

I was kicked out of Kogetsuan.

PRESENT DAY

IKKODO

Hanaoka,

I heard you turned down making Sayama's party favors?

What a waste.

It was a cherry blossom theme, right?

Oh, yeah. You can't use it.

That ought to be a sin as a confectioner,

to be scared of the color red…

Isn't this cutter shape so cute?

-What? -Using it to create a flower raft

would be so fantastical. Can I use it?

I thought of giving up so many times.

But…