Sweet Bean (あん)

An

You want to go to high school?

Studying doesn't put food on the table.

Hello?

We're eating dorayaki.

- Who is it? - Dorayaki.

- Stop fooling around. - I wanted to talk.

Sorry, I've got noisy friends.

Who's noisy? That's mean.

- Keep it down. - Why should we?

Be quiet, really.

I'm talking.

She's blushing. Very fishy.

I'll call you back.

- It's an incident. - It is.

Sorry. Bye-bye.

- She hung up. - She'll call back.

I didn't hang up, so stop.

She'll call back.

- Don't try to hide it. - Fishy.

Very fishy.

- Our teacher? - Why in the world?

I'm only interested in Sentaro.

- Did you date him? - No way.

That older boy?

- I didn't. - But Sentaro is glum.

- On such a beautiful day. - Hold it!

This is a cherry blossom.

There's a blossom in my dorayaki.

What have you done, Sentaro?

A foreign substance.

It's contaminated.

Awful.

I'll give you these, if you leave.

- Great! - Thank you!

- Thanks. - Cheer up!

- See you! - Bye-bye!

- Bye, Sentaro. - Oh, Wakana!

Hello.

Here you go.

Here.

Umm...

Hello.

I see your notice for part-time work...

Is there really no age limit?

Yeah.

I...

Do you suppose I could?

I've always wanted to do this kind of work.

How old are you?

I'm 76 this year.

We don't pay much.

Just 600 yen.

Oh, 300 yen an hour is plenty.

- 300 yen is fine. - 300 yen?

Yes!

Well…

I don't think it's possible.

My name is Tokue Yoshii.

You'd hurt your back.

It's harder...

It's harder than it looks.

Have one.

Ah...

It's on me.

Please.

Do you know...

this cherry tree,

who planted it?

I'm not from around here...

Thanks, I'll come again.

Sonny...

- The rejects. - Thanks.

That part-time work,

could I do it?

Well... when you start high school.

I might not go to high school.

Please consider me.

Thank you.

No, Marvy.

You have to be quiet.

Hello...

What is it?

Hi!

This is how I write my name.

But I can't hire you. I'm sorry.

As you can see, my hands are a bit crippled.

So...

it could be less, 200 yen is fine.

- For what? - The hourly pay.

That's not the problem.

Do you make your own bean paste, sonny?

Well, that's...

a corporate secret.

What do you mean "corporate"?

In this tiny place?

Well, I...

I tasted your dorayaki.

I thought the pancakes were not bad.

But...

the bean paste was...not so good.

Bean paste is not easy.

Have you ever made it?

I've made it forever. For 50 years.

50 years?

Yes. A half century.

Bean paste is all feeling, sonny.

I can't hire you, I'm sorry.

Here, have a taste of this.

What is it?

What is this?

Chunky bean paste.

Excuse me.

Are you coming in?

Hello!

Good evening.

What?

Pardon me.

You came to eat?

Yes.

A bottle of beer and...

the tempura meal.

I'll have the tempura too.

Tempura.

And an ashtray please.

Here you go.

Is he a friend?

Yes. He was in my club at school.

He's in high school now.

Here's your beer to start with.

The woman who stopped by,

wanting to work...

She came back later.

She brought some chunky bean paste that she made herself.

It was incredible.

I was surprised.

Why was that?

The taste. The fragrance.

Totally different from what I use.

You should let her try.

She wanted to work.

Oh, hello.

Nice to see you.

The blossoms have all fallen.

Yeah, they have.

They're waving their hands.

Hi, hi, hi.

Hi, hi, hi.

Your chunky bean paste was delicious.

Oh, you tried it?

So...

if you don't mind, could you help me out?

Have a seat.

Well, wow...

Boss...

Wow, boss.

- Thanks. - Not at all.

Please...

Can you lift the pots? It takes strength to make bean paste.

I'll let you lift the pots.

That's right.

I'm sorry to ask, can you handle a spatula?

Yes, of course.

You said the other day, your hands are a little...

They're not really a problem, except how they look.

All I ask is that you make the bean paste.

Wow, really...

I'm going to be able to work here!

Thank you.

Write your phone number, or your cell phone.

My phone...

I don't have one. I get by with letters.

I won't be late for work. I get up before the birds.

It's not that...

Well, then...

Thank you.

I was wondering...

Do you make your own bean paste?

Well, uh...

I tried many times.

But it's hard to do.

It had a burnt taste, or it was thick.

It's hard for me...

For me...?

The bean paste...

The shop opens at 11. I start preparing at 9.

And the bean paste...

What's this?

- Bean paste? - Yes.

This is it.

Bean paste.

What!?

- Bulk order. - Bulk order?

Why? How could you?

We've always gotten it this way.

Always?

Bean paste is the soul of a dorayaki.

How could you treat it so lightly?

They deliver as soon as we order it.

You have to make your own bean paste.