01x03 - Episode 3

[bunniefuu]

For the curtain,

you will choose between these.

-Correct.
-Understood.

We'll bring the revised layout next time.

Thank you.

I'm a little hungry.

There's a dish
I can whip up really quickly.

You're invited to have some too
if you're free, Diane.

-Are you sure?
-Of course.

-Thank you.
-Don't mention it.

Here you go.

Is that an omelet?

It's my family's recipe.
We call it "om-ham egg."

Om-ham egg?

That's right. Thinly sliced pieces
of ham wrapped with egg.

It's my mother's recipe,
and I gave it a name.

Oh, yes. The other day,

I watched a program on TV where they paid
a visit to Shingetsu Nathan's mansion.

The fortune teller with the catchphrase
"Soar, dragon!" right?

Haven't heard that in a while.

So he lives in a massive estate.
He practically owns an entire mountain.

But what surprised me was his food.

His bar snack
looked just like my om-ham egg.

-Really.
-Wow.

For someone so wealthy, he's got
such a cheap preference for his snack.

This was my family's side dish.

Sorry. I'd give this a 10 out of 10
as a side dish.

Thanks for the food.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

Yum.

How's the flavor? Not too cheap?

Come on.

Taste of home is different for everyone.

By the way, ours was
ramen with uncooked mozuku seaweed.

Uncooked mozuku seaweed.

The unseasoned kind.

Guess mozuku seaweed
is just as bland as someone I know.

What was that?

This isn't my parents' recipe,

but we cook tomato in our oden soup.

Your ex-husband
is a professional chef, after all.

There you go again,
blabbering on about her personal life.

I thought it'd be fine
since they're already split… Sorry.

Thanks to you, I know a lot
about everyone's personal lives.

Taste of home. Huh.

My family didn't have one.
Our food tasted like the maid's cooking

and the recipes my mother learned
from her cooking studio.

In a sense, you grew up
with restaurant-level home cooking.

So this is what they call

"the taste of home."

Hello. Everyone.
I'm Ichikawa of Icchi Channel.

Icchi breezy!

Today's content is…

"I confronted a sketchy business!
Episode three."

That's right, episode three!

This is Fortune-Telling House, Sort.

Here we are, folks. What do you think?

Look at this shady mansion.
How do I put it…

Are you the rumored fortune teller?

-Hey, what's up?
-Can you stop recording?

Oh, what? But I don't see any signs.

Nothing says "No recording."

-Yes, but…
-Is there?

-It's fine, yeah?
-No, it's not fine.

Shall we go inside? Let's go, guys!

-Let's go, let's go!
-Seriously, please stop!

What is this place?

-Is this the reception desk?
-Okay, seriously…

Look at these mystical books
about divination.

While we don't have a sign up,
for privacy reasons, you can't…

-Wait, wait. But wait.
-I'm serious. Stop.

-There's no client, so it's okay, right?
-Come on.

It's not okay.

Don't worry about my privacy.

-Seriously, don't.
-Hey, hey…

-Watch out, watch out.
-You can't be in here. Please!

-Look at these never-before-seen…
-Stop it!

-…curiosities lying about.
-Let's settle down.

I reported you to the police
for obstruction of business.

Please standby until the police arrive.

The police?

This is big.

We're gonna go viral! Hell yeah!

The police are comin'!

-Hold on, hold on.
-Wait, wait!

-Seriously!
-A mysterious lady came.

-Stop it!
-Okay, okay!

-Chloe.
-Emma.

-Chloe et Emma.
-Chloe et Emma.

I'm done drying your hair.

Thank you.

What an exhausting day.

I can't believe
we had to get the police involved.

Hey.

I've thought this for a while, but
haven't things been kind of off lately?

What?

We've been getting more male clients,

and it's like they don't take
fortune telling all that seriously.

We don't have a website
or a social media account.

How do they hear about us?

I knew it.

Look at this.

Someone listed my business on Maps.

On top of that, they left a review.

You're right.

"Molly."

"At this shop, a beautiful,
android-like girl wearing a gaudy dress

throws cards in the air.
It's a total sham.

SORT - MOLLY

The fortune telling is nothing special.

Actually, what the hell
are Chronicle cards?

Lol."

That pisses me off to no end,
but nothing they said is wrong.

The info about my appearance
breaches my privacy,

and calling my fortune telling
a sham is libel.

This has affected our client base.
It's been a real problem.

We even had to call the police.

Can't you get this review taken down?

Let's see…

"Create a business account,

and register as a business owner
to request the removal of a comment."

But…

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Apparently, as long as the post
reflects the poster's actual experience,

it won't be taken down, even if it's
negative or intended to harm the business.

Say what?

"An honest review of a bad experience
won't be removed."

Also, this poster's profile
is set to private.

They're playing it safe.
This won't be easy.

What's the matter?

Opening up the client registry.

Based on the posted date…

Found him.

Must be this guy, Yukio Obayashi.

YUKIO OBAYASHI

But trolls like this
may have used an alias.

The account name on Maps is Molly.

His real name
must include "Mori," or "forest."

That's why his alias contains "bayashi,"
meaning "the woods."

Molly, you!

"An honest review of a bad experience…"

I see.

In that case,

an eye for an eye,
a bad experience for a bad experience.

REPLY

DEAR MOLLY

You wrote this, Chloe?

Did anything sound off?

The phrasing may be polite,
but what you pointed out is harsh.

The last few sentences especially sting.

"A sincere question

gets a sincere answer in fortune telling.

But a sloppy question will be met
with an answer that's just as sloppy.

Only people with sincere hearts

ask sincere questions.

Should you ever sincerely
seek guidance from fortune telling,

I will be glad to help you then."

Don't pick a fight with a business
that has no interest in turning a profit.

Is this okay?
What if you poured gasoline on fire?

With all this taunting,
he just might show his face again.

What?

I think I'll have the security company
that handles the main house

install security cameras
in the reception area.

We'll sort it out one way or another.
Good night.

I'm getting scared.

Security camera. Huh.

Okay.

I have to do what I can.

Welcome.

Hello. This is my first visit.

The consultation fee is 3,000 yen.

Please fill out this form.

Yes.

Oh, before I forget.

Here. Take one.

It's complimentary. One piece per guest.

Sure.

Hey, Chloe.

I think he's here. Molly.

It's just a hunch, though.

Sometimes your hunches are right.

I prepared candy
as a gesture of our hospitality.

What? That's lame.

I got the candy you liked.
The popping, carbonated ones.

KOMORI YUKIO

Look at this name. It has to be fake.

Komori Yukio.

Is he a warlord, or what?

If he read my reply and still came,

then this may not be hopeless.

APRIL 25TH, 1988

Komori Yukio, 37 years old.

Is this really the name
you're proceeding with?

What's that supposed to mean?
That's my given name.

Komori Yukio…

Yukio Obayashi…

Molly…

Come again?

I see. Komori Yukio, huh?

I have no idea what you're getting at.

Can you explain it to me
since this is my first session?

On websites or in books,

fortune telling is as simple
as entering your information.

But that's not the case
with an in-person reading.

Things I perceive from you
will directly alter the outcome.

That's why the same cards can yield

different interpretations
depending on the client.

Really?

But that's more like mind reading
and using mentalist techniques,

not actually reading fortune, right?

You're free to interpret it
however you wish.

My job is to read your fortune.

I don't use tricks,

and I would never attempt
to induce a reaction from you.

Also, the reading
may not always be accurate.

So you're putting out a disclaimer

that your predictions
don't always come true.

What do you have to say about that?

Fortune telling does not provide
an accurate prediction.

Your action will determine your future.

However…

at times, fortune-telling
reaches beyond my reading.

It can pinpoint the heart of the matter.

Either way,

it's up to you to find
the sincere question

tucked somewhere in your heart.

Well then,

what brings you in today?

My worries.

Your worries…

Is that correct?

Understood.

Let's see what the future holds
for your concern.

Oh,

mon…

Dieu!

The first card.

It represents your current situation.

February, reversed.

Card of Solitude.

We are all lonely souls.

But it's reversed.

Your loneliness
is taking you down a dark path.

Your heart is in the right place,

but because of your loneliness,
you've become twisted.

Is that really what the card says?

Or is that what you think of me?

Yeah, I get it.

You're pointing out what's wrong with me.

Next card.

It represents something from
the past that continues to affect you.

November, reversed. Card of Fairness.

There was something…

that made you deeply feel
that life is unfair.

I see a connection to the first card.

You have a twisted sense of justice.

No good…

ever comes to my life.

C'est la vie.

The third card. The inner self.

July, upright. Card of Passion.

There's a fire burning inside you.

Silence. Meditation. Emotion. Freedom.

Silence?

You're telling me to shut up?

Why not write instead of speaking out?

However, your writing
should be carefully thought out.

What? Come on,
I didn't leave a bad review.

The fourth card. The outer world.

Wednesday, upright. Card of Incident.

Arrogance. Flaming.

Hospital. Lightning strike.

It could be either physical or emotional.

You may get involved in an incident.

You're kidding.

It's upright,

meaning this incident
will benefit you in the end.

But you may want to brace yourself
so it doesn't catch you by surprise.

What?

Like what, I'll get backlash online?

Are you gonna start a fight online
because you're upset about the review?

You've basically admitted you're Molly,

Yukio Komori.

The cat's out of the bag.
You even dug up my real name.

I will take appropriate measures
against someone who causes me harm.

However, when clients
come to me sincerely seeking guidance,

I face them hoping to steer them
in the right direction.

That's why you're here, right?

That's why, although reversed,

you gave me your real name.

Right, Komori Yukio?

The final card.

It represents an event in the near future.

June, upright. Card of Crossroads.

The cards representing
your past and present were reversed,

but those representing
your inner self, outer world,

and near future are upright.

You'll soon stand at a crossroads.
One that will better your life.

However…

However?

…as I said at the start,

your actions determine your future.

Be careful that you do not direct
your sincerity,

sense of justice, and passion
to the wrong cause.

Even if you face backlash online,

you'll find a way
to make something good out of it.

Um…

Is the backlash part definite?

Card of Crossroads
may refer to electronic devices.

So I'd say yes.

No way.

Now, your lucky color is light green.

I don't own anything in light green.

INSECT SPRAY

Don't worry, I won't bite.

I hope you had a good reading.

I won't write negative reviews anymore.

Okay.

Did you take one?

I'm good. Not a fan of candy.

Light green.

Cream soda candy.

It's pretty good.
I've been obsessed with it.

Then, I'll take it.

Thank you.

Phew, I'm wiped.

Great work in there.

Can I have a piece of your cheap candy?

Here you go.

Nice going. You vanquished Molly.

I wouldn't say vanquished…

Here's how I'd describe him.

He can't resist pitching in his two cents.

His heart's in the right place,

but he's ashamed to show it.
It's like he can't help it.

Like, by hating on my candy,
calling it cheap and stuff?

This wholesale candy
comes individually packed.

All candy from wholesale bags are cheap.

Sorry, I'm back.

Where'd you get this candy, Miss?

I thought it was just regular
popping candy, but it's good.

Right? Isn't it delicious?

I looked up the brand.
Apparently, it's discontinued.

Really?

I found it in the clearance section
of the pharmacy by the station.

Thank you. I'll go check it out.

-Thank you.
-My pleasure.

Molly might be more sincere than you are.

TRADITIONAL CAFÉ PARIS

It's been on my mind
since Emma pointed it out.

I… choose who I hate on.

Like, I'd never have an attitude with you.

Of course,

there's the power dynamic between
an employer and an employee.

But more importantly,

I want to be seen as a good older sister.
I don't want you to hate me.

You're like a wonderful
older sister to me, Chloe.

Also, like…

what if I'm too nice to Emma,
and she overstays her welcome?

That's why

I deliberately draw a line.

I think that's what it is.

TWO WEEKS LATER

You're saying…

Molly went viral because of this candy?

Yes.

That's exactly it.

This cheap candy is trending
on social media.

The viral post is by an account
named Snow Tail.

Molly's alias was Komori Yukio.

"Yuki" meaning "Snow"
and "O" meaning "Tail."

In other words, "Snow Tail."

SNOW TAIL - THOUGHT THIS CANDY
WOULD "SUCK," BUT IT'S GOOD

He spammed his account

with the love for the cheap candy
and store links to buy them.

Apparently, this candy was widely loved.

His post got over 10,000 likes.

That's amazing.

I thought the reading said
he would face backlash.

That's the thing.

I looked at the reposts.
He got some hate comments.

What is it?

Molly deleted his account.

I wonder if something happened to him.

Sounds like someone got attached.

But that's not all.

I already tracked down his personal blog.

This again?

Seems like I'm not
the only one who got attached.

Or are you just curious?

His latest post is about the backlash.

Let me see.

"The backlash I faced
over the cream soda candy

led me to delete my account."

I wanted to write down my take
on this situation

in my blog.

"It all started when a business I visited
gave me complimentary candy.

The cream soda-flavored candy
was out of this world."

I'm such a sucker.

You know, as in candy.

I thought it'd be a simple
soda-flavored candy,

but the hardened part itself
is milk-flavored.

The core

is a melon gummy
with a powerful popping coating.

I instantly became a fan of this gimmick.

I thought it was just regular
popping candy, but it's good.

Unfortunately, it's been discontinued.

Most stores don't carry it.

I put so much effort into finding it.

CREAM SODA CANDY

I made a post raving about it,
and somehow, it went viral.

I was so surprised.

YOU CAN STILL BUY IT?

My notifications were popping.

Like soda pop.

He sure loves puns.

His witty puns must be why it went viral.

"But just as flies are attracted
to delicious food,

the buzz I stirred
got the attentions of gnats."

"Buzz…"

"Gnats."

There!

I grew up in the digital age.

SUCK AS IN CANDY? SO LAME
NOW YOU ACT NICE?

I know how to deal with haters.

SOUNDS LIKE HE HAS NO LIFE

I can deal with them, but the hate
comments started to open my eyes.

IS IT EVEN THAT GOOD?
I BET IT'S A PAID AD

I realized I'm a hater, just like them.

Molly…

"I'll come clean.
Recently, I left a hate comment,

and someone gave me such a scathing reply
that I ended up deleting my post."

SWEET-TOOTHED GEEZER

Like, I'm well in my 30s, but I don't
have a stable job, and I'm single.

But I have to provide for my family.
I'm the head of the household.

It's like I'm constantly dealt
the losing hand in the game of life.

To cover up my insecurity,

I respond to everything
by mocking it first.

I try to make people laugh
by tearing others down.

For the sake of my own pride,

I began ridiculing others,
and it's become who I am.

Oh, no. We should say sorry.

-But when I finally found something…
-Sorry, Mister, can you toss the ball?

-…that gave me a spark of joy…
-Here.

I got hated on
by the kind of person I used to be.

Karma's a b*tch. Ha.

These haters are just like me.

"In the end, I was the one
who got sucker-punched by life.

Get it? Like a sucker."

He kept up his puns to the very end.

Wait, he wrote some more.

Rock, paper, scissors, sh**t,
we split into teams.

sh**t.

sh**t.

Still, it was fun
to get my 15 seconds of fame.

Even celebrities shared my post,
and my number of followers skyrocketed.

Yuma!

So it wasn't all that bad.

Still, fear won out in the end.

I had more fun looking for the stores,

and it made me happy
when I found the candy in stock.

There.

It was fun to write
about something I'm passionate about,

and it made me happy
that people liked my writing.

Would you like one?

-I have the same one.
-It's good!

He has the same one.
Let's eat it together.

It's yummy.

I could eat a hundred of 'em!

-Not a hundred.
-How do I put it?

It's okay for happiness to be this cheap.

That was good.

Oh, Molly. Now I've got the feels.

He chose the right path.

Thank you for waiting.

This week, I made pop rock candy parfait.

-Thank you.
-Here you go.

The bottom layer is vanilla mousse
with lemon and mint jelly.

There's melon and pistachio cookies,

and avocado and banana mousse.

On the top is melon and carbonated jelly,

vanilla ice cream with popping candy,

and a whipped blend
of heavy and sour cream.

And of course, I added the cherry on top.

Bon appétit.

What a presentation.

-Everything is green.
-Yes.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

Ooh, it's popping.

Only the top part pops.

Everything below the melon
is normal parfait.

Please enjoy the fruits' natural sweetness
with the mousse and jelly.

Thrill is fun, but only in small doses.

I know, right?

Stability and safety
are what's important in life.

I like to see my creativity take shape.

That's what I enjoy the most.

What about you?
What do you find important in life?

Nothing.

But you have everything already.

Maybe having everything

is just another way to say…

that nothing actually belongs to you.

Just like the "taste of home."

How many eggs per person?

Just one.

Really?

Wouldn't it taste better if I used more?

I'm gonna use three.

How luxurious.

Mine never quite tastes like my mom's.

I thought she taught it to you.

Well, we never actually made it together.

Mine never turns out as fluffy as hers.

Fluffy?

Mayonnaise?

It makes the eggs fluffier.

Really?

Here.

There.

Looks delicious.

-Thank you.
-Time to dig in.

This is closer to my mom's
than what I make.

Really?

My mom must've used mayonnaise.

Thank you, Chloe.

The Emma family's taste of home
belongs to you now.

Why me?

It doesn't matter to whom
a family recipe gets handed down.

The real recipe was lost
until today anyway.

Sure.

Okay.

Guess I'll inherit the Emma family's
taste of home.

Yes!

Though, it's cheap.

That's what makes it
the Emma family's flavor.

Digging in.

THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION