Maison Ikkoku (めぞん一刻)

Line's busy.

Who's on the phone at a time like this?

Hey! Who're you talking to?

Ikuko.

What?!

Give me the phone!

Hello? Ikuko?

May I speak to your grandpa?

What?

What?

Ten more yen.

There's no need for that.

As a trustee of a school board...

Mr. Otonashi is on a trip to Hong Kong.

Huh?

When's he comin' back?

Day after tomorrow, in the morning.

What?

Ikuko hasn't heard anything about tearing down Maison Ikkoku.

Anyway, until my father-in-law comes back--

What? We just wait and see?

Well--

Whatcha gonna do if, as soon as he comes home...

he says, "Oh, yeah. That's right"?

I'm disappointed. I never thought our landlord would do such a thing.

That may not be the case.

That's right! Even Ikuko's parents know nothing about it.

Maybe the old man's acting on his own.

He wouldn't.

How can you be so calm?

The one who's gonna lose out most if Maison Ikkoku should disappear, is YOU.

Me?

Maison Ikkoku is the ONLY LINK you have to the manager!

Let's all try to find out the source of this rumor.

Great idea!

Fine.

That's all we can do.

I'll ask our real estate agent about it.

Mitsukoshi.

You help us, too, okay?

I'm sorry you just moved in, and this happens.

Please. I'm sure this is a bigger concern to you.

So let's drink up!

Yeah!

Let's!

What are you all thinking at a time like this?

Loosen up, man!

The real estate agent never heard about a demolition.

But he did say something that bothered me.

What?

You know that apartment building up the slope...

that's sort of like our place?

Its landlord passed away last year, and his son inherited it.

And the son wanted to demolish the building...

and build a bigger complex.

So someone mistook that story for Maison Ikkoku, huh?

That's strange.

According to my sources...

it was definitely Maison Ikkoku that was rumored to be demolished.

Who didja hear that from?

My co-workers.

Where at?!

That's a SECRET!

But my sources are reliable.

Even among my customers,

no one ever mentioned a building other than Maison Ikkoku.

What the hell's goin' on?

You again?

Hi again.

Wanna talk?

Here you go.

The rumor about the demolition?

I overheard people at the gas station talking about it.

Did they clearly mention "Maison Ikkoku"?

Yeah. They were talking about...

how Maison Ikkoku's property would be worth such and such.

I see.

So is the rumor true?

We don't know yet.

We have no way of verifying it right now.

H-How about the other rumor?

Ms. Oto--

That Ms. Otonashi's remarying!

Oh, that.

That's a complete lie...

is what I wish I could say, but...

So it's true?

No. I don't think so.

But...

See you later.

Oh! Welcome back.

Hello.

Mr. Mitsukoshi gave this melon to all of us.

He said his client gave it to him.

Client?

Uh-huh. Let's all have it later.

Hello?

Hi, Kozue.

Have you ever heard of "M.H.T."?

What's that?

It's a real estate company called My Home Town.

And?

Well, I've been seeing that Mr. Mitsukoshi...

go in and out of their Shinjuku office all the time.

How did you know?

It's on my way home from school... that office.

I just remembered something. I gotta go.

Godai!

What are you doing?

That man that you passed at the door--

That was Mitsukoshi.

What?

Mitaka! Let's go!

A-All right!

So Kozue was right.

Uh-huh.

So what did they say at the office?

It seemed suspicious, all right.

As soon as I mentioned Clock Tower Hill...

I sensed tension in the air.

I see.

So Mitsukoshi is a spy from MHT?

Yeah.

Let's go confront them.

What?

We know Mitsukoshi's there right now.

I think you should hold off on that.

We need to tell Ms. Otonashi first.

Do you think so?

Yes.

If she's being deceived, then she needs to know.

That can't be!

Are you telling me...

that Mr. Mitsukoshi works for that company...

and is spreading those rumors?

We don't know for sure, but don't you think something's fishy?

Mr. Mitsukoshi would never do such a thing!

He's not the kind of person who would betray others.

But he clearly has something to do with that company.

I'm sure he has his reasons.

We could be totally mistaken.

I understand your take on this. Let me ask him about it myself.

Don't worry. I'm a manager.

I can see through lies.

All right.

So until I do, please don't say anything to the others.

Kentaro! Dinner's ready!

'Kay!

See ya.

Yup.