Influence (インフルエンス)

Ms. Oikawa, have you decided on the theme of your next series?

I'm still thinking.

Why not do something dramatic so we can make it into a movie?

You know that's not my principle.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

Oh, right.

Here are the materials you asked for.

And... I brought your fan letters we received.

One of them wants to meet you, but don't worry about it.

- Someone wants to meet me? - Yes.

"I'm writing to you because I want you to listen

the story about my friends and me."

"About the relationship, I and two of my friends have had for 35 years."

Here.

She thinks her life is so interesting that she wants you to novelize it. We get that often.

It's usually not very interesting.

Anyway, please think about making your novels into movies.

You are the Yuri Totsuka?

Yes. Nice to meet you.

Certainly.

I didn't think you would agree to meet me.

There surely are a lot of people who ask me to hear their life story

I usually turn down that kind of request.

But you don't want to talk about your life story.

It's about you and your friends, right?

Many of your work is about the relationship between women.

So, I thought you would be interested.

You said in the letter that one of your friends has pancreatic cancer.

- Is it true? - Yes.

That's why I wanted to meet you as soon as possible.

Before she passes away.

Even if you are asking me to write a novel about it, I can't promise anything.

I'm an entertainment novelist and I only write fiction.

That's all right. I just want you to listen.

May I?

Please.

As I wrote in the letter, what I'd like to talk about

is the relationship I've had with

two of my friends for 35 years.

In order to protect each other, the three of us...

killed someone.

It all started when we were 16 years old.

Back then...

I hated myself more than anyone in the world.

- Sorry. - It's okay.

- Rinako, are you all right? - Yeah.

I despised myself more than anyone in the world.

That's when the three of us met.

Maho Sakazaki and...

Satoko Hino.

That day was the beginning of

the chain of murders.

- Don't be fascinated by her. - I'm not.

Who is she?

- She is a transfer student from Tokyo. - Yeah?

Hey.

Aren't you going to buy that?

I'm not.

I'm sorry.

It'll be 370 yen.

370 yen it is.

Thank you.

I'm a faster reader. Do you want to borrow it when I'm done?

What?

You don't want to read it?

I do.

Then, wait while I read it there.

What? Now?

Here you go.

You really do read fast.

Did you move into the complex?

Yes, Building 2.

I see. I live in Building 13.

Yeah. I've seen you.

I knew we lived in the same place and go to the same high school.

- Aren't you going to read it? - Right.

That part was funny.

The earlier works of this manga artist are more interesting.

You can borrow these.

And... these novels, too.

Thank you.

Is orange juice okay?

Yeah.

What?

I've never seen a person who makes fresh juice at home.

Store-bought juice has additives, so...

I hear you've been hanging out with the girl who moved into Building 2.

Mrs. Eguchi next door saw you two together.

Did you visit her place?

I did. Why?

I bet their furniture looked expensive.

How do you know?

Mrs. Yoshikawa in Building 2 told me.

She saw movers were carrying gorgeous furniture when they moved in.

I told you that, right?

What? They are rich?

Well, it's just the mother and the child.

Her husband was the president of a company in Tokyo,

but she came back to her hometown after the divorce.

I heard she got a large amount of alimony.

I guess the reason for the divorce was the husband's affair.

It's just a rumor, right? Don't say that.

She said so herself.

She was giving out expensive sweets to her neighbors when she moved in.

And told them she was getting a lot of child support payment.

She brought in expensive furniture to show off,

but she lives in this shabby complex after all.

It's good to be the same, Yuri.

People look at you with curious eyes when you stand out.

So, it's better to do the same with the others.

Isn't that right?

I thought she was beautiful and I liked her at first,

but she is different.

Different?

You better stay away from her, too.

Maho.

Let's go home together today.

Why did you come to our school?

You could have gone to a better school.

I wanted to go to a school within walking distance.

I was groped on the train before.

I had so many lessons after school before I moved here.

English, piano, and ballet.

I liked ballet, so I didn't want to quit.

I see.

You didn't laugh.

- What? - At the park.

You saw me practicing ballet, right?

It was beautiful.

I was happy.

My mom doesn't like to admit defeat.

She has her hands full protecting her pride,

and she can't care about my feelings.

So, I have to fight on my own.

I don't want to change myself because others don't accept me for who I am.

I don't want my fate to get the best of me.

Oh, Yuri. You're back.

You two have become friends, I see.

I heard your mother got a job.

It must be hard for her since she'd been a stay-at-home mom.

Where does she work?

Where?

At the supermarket near the station? I know they were hiring.

It's good to be the same...

I guess what my mother was trying to say was

you can't be accepted otherwise.

I understand.

It's not limited to housing complexes and schools.

In such closed communities,

people try to eliminate those who are different.

But I think Maho was lucky.

Because you had the courage to talk to her.

That's not it.

I talked to her instead of turning away from her,

because I had regrets.

Regrets?

Once before,

I had abandoned my friend

and left her to die.

That is my other friend.

Satoko.

- I feel sorry for him. - I know, right?

They're bullying someone again.

Do you know her?

We grew up together in the same complex.

We used to play together when we were in elementary school.

Pineapple.

Ruby.

- Can I go to your place today, Yuri? - Sure.

Oh, my mom said she would get me a cherry stick.

Yuri! Let's play together.

Welcome!

Yuri, Satoko is here.

What's wrong?

That's Yuri's grandpa. He's visiting us.

So, you are Satoko.

Thank you for being friends with

Yuri.

Are you sleeping here tonight?

Ah... Thank you, I will.

You are sleeping with your grandpa, Yuri?

Hm?

She's not sleeping with me.

When grandpa is staying, Yuri sleeps with me.

But girls are supposed to sleep with their grandpa.

Girls are?

Do you sleep with your grandpa, Satoko?

Because Mom said a girl should sleep with her grandpa.

Is that...

By sleeping with, do you mean in the same room?

Or in the same bed?

In the same bed.

Because girls sleep with their grandpas.

That's what I was told.

No way. You are overthinking.

But she repeated it many times.