Star Watching Dog (Hoshi mamoru inu) (星守る犬)

In the summer of my 10th year...

just as I'd mastered the 100m freestyle

both my parents abruptly passed away.

It was a car crash.

I was sent up north to my grandparents.

I was happy in that time.

About a year later,

my grandmother fell gravely ill.

I began visiting the library about that time.

To escape reality,

I fled into the world of books.

Grandma,, are you okay?

-Kyosuke. - Good morning.

What are you doing, Grandpa?

I'm making a veranda here.

But she's ill.

That's okay.

He's doing it for me, darling.

But Grandma...

Here I go...

Wait, wait...

Don't, it's dangerous.

Watch out.

One last view of her beloved sunflowers

and Grandma passed on her way.

Reduce a life into words and it's just another book on a shelf.

Or so I told myself.

A few days later, Grandpa brought home a puppy.

Kyosuke, Kuro is now yours.

Take good care of him.

Kuro?

Stop, that tickles.

That's how Kuro and I met.

Kuro...

-lt was years ago, now... - He is cute! Thank you, Grandpa.

"Star Watching Dog"

Kuro...

Kyosuke Okutsu

Kuro

Hello.

If you're here, it must be Wednesday.

Sorry I'm always so early. -Thank you

At this pace, you'll have read 'em all soon.

Nayoro City Hall

-Your morning tea. -Thank you.

- Good morning, everybody. - Good morning.

5 again this week? You're incredibly consistent.

Okutsu-san...

For once, won't you join our summer outing?

A visit to some limestone caves. Us and a bunch of co-eds.

I'll take a pass.

There'll be tons of pretty girls.

Books contain plenty of that sort of thing.

There goes a lifelong bachelor.

I find it easier to be on my own.

Life'll be lonely when you're old.

Look how old Yamamoto died alone.

Nobody noticed for an entire week.

Exactly. His relatives didn't care. Terrible, wasn't it?

Although Okutsu-san would say...

once a life is reduced to a report

it's just another book on a library shelf.

Good grief...

What's wrong, Nakata-san?

In an abandoned car up behind the camp ground

we found a man's skeleton.

A skeleton?

Age estimated between 55 and 60.

He's been dead about 6 months.

Didn't make it through the winter.

A dead homeless guy in a car isn't that unusual...

but so far off the beaten track...

Right. It's a damn nuisance.

Sure is...

No license or registration.

The car's plates are gone, too.

Even the vehicle i/d's been erased.

Why'd he want to hide his identity so bad?

It was probably a life of no-good.

Which ended here, totally alone.

That's his dog's grave.

We found a white Akita alongside him.

A dog?

It hadn't been dead long.

Shocked by the loss of its master...

it waited 6 months for him to get up.

Dogs will hang on forever.

Poor thing...

being kept by such a loser.

Mauni Hill...

Shop Nagasaki...

Recycle Shop Kappa...

What's that?

A clue, maybe...

Really?

Tokyo, Shinjuku Ward, Yoshio Maeda...

.July 20th, last year in lwaki at Shop Nagasaki...

to the thrift store in Tohno on the 29th...

to the restaurant in lshikari on August 17th.

They spent a month driving north,

him and the dog.

Thanks anyway.

No good.

The thrift store won't give personal info on the phone.

Shinjuku City Hall records have no-one by that name.

It'll be a false name anyway.

After all, he erased his van's i/d number.

Suppose he's a crook on the run?

Don't be silly.

Could be, though.

In any case...

we'll arrange for an unmarked grave.

Right...

Ha...

A middle-aged man and his dog hit the road.

He dies, the dog doesn't get it and remains by his side.

Kuro, run!

Good boy.

6 years have passed

since Kuro died.

To Tokyo to identify that guy?

Suddenly decided this morning.

It won't qualify as a business trip.

He's paying his own way... in that old wreck, too.

Here's his request for paid leave.

Idol singer audition

I am here!

Sorry.

Hey, where are you going?

I'm moving.

.Just a minute.

Get a move on, for chrissakes! -I'm sorry.

What the hell are you doing?

Get out of here. - Sorry about that.

Goddamn jerk!

- You idiot. -I'm sorry.

Asshole!

- ldiot! - Sorry.

Asahikawa

YM Publishing lnc.

It's hot.

Excuse me...

Yoshio Maeda doesn't live here, right?

Yoshio Maeda?

This is the address.

Maeda founded this company.

Is he still here?

He died ages ago...30 years or more.

30 years...

It's fishy...crime-related maybe.

I don't think so.

Digging deeper may just bring trouble.

Since I'm already here, I'll follow his tracks home.

Think of it as a vacation for me.

Say hi to everyone.

A weird guy's chasing me. Let me in.

Quit dithering. Hurry.

It's cramped in here...

Time to get out. The guy must be gone.

I don't think so.

He's so persistent, I can't be sure.

Maybe he's with accomplices.

Accomplices?

Don't you ever watch cop shows?

In that case, talk to the police.

That makes sense, I guess.

Oh, the pain...

I've been ill for ages... it's probably serious.

Heck, it hurts...

There's a hospital over there.

General Hospital

See you.

Can I ask you a favor?

Could you give me a lift home?

Where to?

Asahikawa.

Are you kidding?

I don't mind if you detour.

I skipped home and ran out of cash.

I promise I won't be a nuisance.

Let's put music on. It's a nice drive.

Don't go quiet, let's chat.

Shall I get in front? It's not a taxi.

It's fine like this.

Okay.

Hey...

You sit in the back.

It's fine. This is more like a road trip.

The next is the weather forecast for tomorrow.

Good afternoon, I'm Kojima...

I'll have you know, I'm about to be a huge star.

I was in Tokyo for an audition.

They were totally impressed.

Would you be quiet?

How can you be so rude?

I'm bored.

This is filthy.

Why is it there? It's un-cool.

Is it a gift from an ex-girlfriend?

Don't touch it.