Silent Poor (サイレント・プア)

Drama 10

Café Salon

Heiwa Fansubs Presents

Silent Poor

Episode 5: "30 Years of Loneliness" (of 9 episodes)

Café Salon

Satomi

At Neighborhood Council Chief Sonomura's home

To be continued

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Episode 6: "A Tiny SOS"

Community Social Worker.

Have there been any changes for you?

No.

For those suffering from poverty or isolation while being trapped in the gaps between institutions...

Mom!

I... am happy!

...it's our job to make a support system and search for those in our region...

...who don't have a voice to call out for an SOS.

And so I, Satomi Ryo, am running around this town again today.

Satomi-san.

Ah, Kinoshita-san. Good morning!

Kinoshita-san, how is your health?

Thanks to you, I'm in good condition.

Truly, thank you very much.

Ah, since we started this salon below here, has it gotten too noisy for you?

No. It's nice and lively.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Hey! You'll be late if you don't hurry! Hurry up, hurry up!

Yes!

Yes!

Sonomura-san, good morning.

Why do you let a homeless person live on the main street of this shopping district?

Moreover, what's this being said about you gathering those who have withdrawn from society...

...with the goal of making them independent?

Hmm... I find that very difficult to understand.

Mitchii, 'morning!

Ah...

You're ending up at more and more shops, aren't you?

Good morning.

Thank you for your hard work delivering papers in the mornings as well.

No.

There are plenty of morning tea drinkers who come in here.

Here you go.

Yes.

You put that very politely.

No...

He goes to the import goods shop in front of the station...

...and stocks up on cheap but delicious coffee beans.

Ehh...

Senpai!

Did the Neighborhood Council Chief come here?

Ah... I met him.

It seems he doesn't like this salon.

I thought so...

Come to think of it, he was around yesterday as well.

When I was handing out these flyers.

It seems he's keeping an eye out on us.

It was Sonomura-san who was making the biggest fuss over Kinoshita-san, wasn't it?

Oh... Then me and my wife are going be expecting, Manager?

Right, right, right!

Just have her place a sakura hairpin right around here and she'll say...

..."Oi, Yasu-san, wait."

"The baby inside me is saying, just wait a little longer."

That's great!

We should do that together.

Um... Could we do this more efficiently?

Council Chief.

If we have to do this, it makes more sense that we pass the time enjoyably.

Right, right.

Ah... about that shop the Council of Social Welfare wants to open...

...how about it being a takiyaki shop?

Ah, that would be good, right?

It would be.

Ehh... hold on... Please wait a moment. Just a moment, please.

Thankfully, even after I retired...

...I've been keeping busy as well.

That's why, I can't afford to waste time.

I've said this many times, haven't I?

Our Neighborhood Council has been sponsoring the Sakura Festival here in Kankodori for many years, hasn't it?

What kind of person is our new Council Chief?

It's said he was the Director of a Credit Union.

His son is a great person too, isn't he?

I heard he studied overseas and has been a great business success.

Then, Council Chief!

Be sure and get some good ideas from your shrewd son as well.

My son?

Well, my son...

...isn't in Japan.

Well then, let's continue shall we? Okay?

Oi, Ken'ichi!

Do you intend to do this forever?

Oi!

Answer me!

Oi!

By all of us discussing our feelings...

...we can, little by little...

...grow accustomed to working and can move forward together.

Then, um... since this is the first time for all of you...

...shall we talk about what you want to do with this shop?

Okay?

What would be good?

That was a very splendid greeting you made.

Is... is that right?

Hello.

This is the Welfare Division's Section Chief Yamakura.

This is Goda Mitsuyushi-kun.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

He's come to see the salon that all of you have started.

Thank you very much

I hear it will be in the form where each of them works only hours reasonable to them and at 250 yen an hour.

Yes.

You guys have come up with a good idea.

It's an intermediary step towards actual work for these guys.

Okay.

I'll work to get a budget together from the government office to support it.

Really? Thank you very much!

You'll only have eat-in meals?

Wait! How many times to I have to say this?

At fifty, aren't you ashamed as a man to be living like this?

Give me your answer!

Are you okay with this sort of life?!

You're trash!

Trash!

Ah...

Um...

Satomi-san! Satomi-san!

The Neighborhood Council Chief was...

Eh?

Sonomura-san!

Did you come to take a look?

I only happened to be passing by.

You're just in time. Please, come have a look.

You say that all of them had withdrawn from society?

Yes.

It's hard to believe...

Eh?

How did you get them to come out?

Eh?

What made you feel like coming out? Eh?

What was it that made you come out? Eh?

Sonomura-san, could you speak slowly to them?

And have some coffee here, too.

You, too?

What about you?

Sonomura-san.

Whatever happens from here on, we'll do something.

What "something" is that?

Please don't rush us.

The speed...

...at which we live is a little...

Ohh...

The speed of your life?

That's naive!

Sonomura-san.

That's just your own selfishness!

Are you okay?

Sonomura-san!

Sonomura-san!

Could we talk for a little while?

What on earth sort of work is it that you do?

We are called Community Social Workers. Regional problems...

No, not that.

I want to hear why you are so concerned about people such as them.

Because I believe.

That people, whatever the time or place, can repair their lives.

The Division Chief rejected it?

Yeah.

I figured he would...

I had a feeling it would turn out that way.

"Where on earth are we to get the budget for a salon that supports those who withdraw from society?"

"Even the posts for who's in charge of the Welfare, Teaching and Labor Divisions haven't been decided upon."

"What's more, we haven't known anyone with a specialty in financing for over ten years."

And about that salon...

...we don't know if those young men really will become independent.

Thing is, why is it you've been swayed by Satomi-san's suggestions recently?

Eh?

Somehow...

...it's like you've changed, Section Chief.

Have you read the flyer?

There are guys just like you in the shopping district.

It's said... that all of them have gotten work.

Oi! Are you listening?

This might be your final chance.

Both I and your mother... will die someday.

And in the none-to-distant future.

Ready?

You won't be able to live on your own like this.

Don't...

Don't make me say such a shameful thing.

What are you saying... at this late hour?

Isn't it the same for you?

What's that?

Outta the way.

Who do you have to thank...

...for you getting to this age without ever having worked?

Do you have any idea just how much time...

...I've spent thinking about you?!