02x08 - Episode 8

[bunniefuu]

[Kimura] Excuse me.

{\an8}KAZU-KUN [29]
HOST CLUB OWNER

{\an8}There is something important
I need to tell you all.

{\an8}Wait, what? What's happening?

{\an8}ASSUN [30]
ENTREPRENEUR/HOSTESS

{\an8}[Kimura] A school rule has been broken.

{\an8}Seriously? My heart is pounding.

{\an8}HA-CHAN [27]
FIGHTER/SPORTS TRAINER

{\an8}[Kimura] I need a moment to speak with you
about the violation that has occurred.

{\an8}TAI-CHAN [22]
HAIRSTYLIST

-[Nagano] Who did it?
-[Awich] Who was it?

HIKARU [23]
HOSTESS

[Kimura] Assun.

Yes.

-Please come to the classroom, alone.
-Okay.

{\an8}-[Nagano] What?
-What?

{\an8}It was a girl? What did she do?

[tense music playing]

[Awich] Wait.

[Megumi] What?

[door opens]

{\an8}[Nagano] What happened?

{\an8}ARI [29]
RAPPER/MODEL

{\an8}My hands are shaking.

{\an8}MARIRIN [25]
BAR WORKER

[Ruru] Something happen in the room?

No.

[Ruru] If they're bringing it up today,
it must have happened yesterday, right?

LEO [25]
BAR OWNER

[Ha-chan] This is freaking me out.

{\an8}BO [27]
COMMERCIAL PAINTER

[Nagano] Did she do something
to break one of the rules?

[opening theme song playing]

A YANKII DATING REALITY SHOW
WHERE LOVE LIVES ON THE EDGE

RAPPER FROM SAGAMIHARA
SPITTING LYRICS OF PURE LOVE

ARI

KAWASAKI'S IT-GIRL HOSTESS
OUT TO FIND A REAL MAN

HIKARU

KYOTO BAR OWNER
GOING ALL-IN FOR HIS WOMAN

NANIWA'S BARROOM BEAUTY
LOOKING FOR TRUE LOVE

MARIRIN

KURUME YANKII
WHO GREW UP BEHIND BARS

BO

EX-YAKUZA MMA FIGHTER
LOOKING FOR HIS RIDE-OR-DIE

MA-KUN

NAGOYA'S NO.1 HOSTESS
WHO PUTS MEN IN THEIR PLACE

ASSUN

FACE-TATTOOED STYLIST
WHO LOVES HARD

TAI-CHAN

AN HONEST MODEL
IN SEARCH OF LOVE

RURU

BRING ON THE FIGHTS
BRING ON THE LOVE

NO FILTER KICKBOXER
FROM MIYAGI

HA-CHAN

EX-NO.1 HOST
CHASING TRUE LOVE

KAZU-KUN

Assun, I'm afraid you've done something

that violated our school policy.

-Mmm.
-[Nagano] What was it?

[Kimura] Alcohol was only allowed
on specific occasions,

after the Jump Rope Challenge,
for example.

And even then, permission had to be given.

Now, yesterday,

no such permission had been given.

Right.

[Kimura] But despite that,
Assun, you were drinking, weren't you?

Yes, I was.

[Kimura] You had it in the tumbler?

[Assun]
Yes, I took shochu from the kitchen.

[liquid sloshing]

[Kimura] We'll explain how we found out.

Okay.

[woman] Last night, Hikaru,
who cannot drink any alcohol,

accidentally picked up your tumbler
and drank from it.

[Awich] What?

[woman] Unfortunately,
Hikaru is extremely allergic to alcohol.

[Nagano] Whoa.

[woman] After drinking it,
she developed severe symptoms,

and she repeatedly vomited.

We want every participant
to be able to make it through

this school experience
as safely as possible.

Right.

[woman]
But your actions put someone at risk.

We don't know for sure
if she's getting expelled.

[Ha-chan] I'm still nervous.

Yeah, um…

I mean, I did put alcohol
in my tumbler, you're right.

But when Hikaru ended up drinking it
and getting incredibly sick…

[woman] Mmm-hmm?

…I realized
I'd done something super dangerous.

[woman] She didn't want it to look like
she was ratting you out,

so she did her best
to deal with it on her own.

This didn't come from her.
She didn't tell us.

We want to make sure
that you understand that.

Okay.

This is a clear violation of school rules.

We've decided

not to expel you for this.

Instead, you'll be suspended.

We asked you to come here
to offer you an opportunity

to deeply reflect on your actions.

Okay.

I'm very sorry.

Yeah, um…

-First of all, Hikaru, I'm so sorry.
-[Hikaru] I know.

-[Megumi] Good, she apologized first.
-[Nagano] Mmm.

We're only allowed to drink alcohol
at certain times while we're here.

But I was drinking alcohol yesterday.

Yeah. I poured some booze into my tumbler.

And so, I broke a rule just by doing that.

And then, unfortunately, Hikaru drank it.

And she's allergic to alcohol.

So she had an allergic reaction.

It turned into a pretty serious situation.

And for that,
I'm incredibly sorry, Hikaru.

And so, because I violated school policy…

I'm suspended.

-I wasn't expelled.
-Huh? Oh, thank goodness.

I'm gonna take a few days
to reflect on my actions.

I'm so, so sorry. Truly.

I shouldn't have been drinking from it.

-It's good she's not getting expelled.
-Yeah.

-[Bo and Ma-kun] Mmm.
-[Ruru] I'm relieved it wasn't worse.

I kinda figured
that's what this was about.

[Ma-kun] Yeah.

Yesterday, I drank from hers
without realizing it.

Then, while I was throwing up,
Maririn came to check on me.

She was like, "We need to tell the staff."

"You're obviously having
an allergic reaction."

She took me to them right away

so that I didn't end up needing
to go to the emergency room.

I think you were throwing up
for almost an hour and a half.

Yeah, but, I mean, I gotta be honest.

Sure, it's a relief
that Assun didn't get expelled.

But saying it out loud,
in front of Hikaru…

You know,
this could have been so much worse.

So saying you're glad in front of Hikaru
just doesn't sit well with me at all.

Honestly, it sounded pretty insensitive
if you ask me.

That's how I feel at least.

So I'm not exactly
in the mood to smile about it.

-[Ma-kun] Yeah.
-I'm sorry.

-Me too.
-[Ma-kun] I'm so sorry.

-Our bad, Ari.
-[Ruru] Yeah.

You're right.

-I'm sorry.
-[Ruru] Sorry.

[Ma-kun] Yeah, me too.

I'm sorry, Hikaru.

It's okay.

I mean,
I didn't want Assun to get expelled.

I want to be here with all of you.

So, honestly, I was relieved too.
For sure.

[Nagano] Mmm.

-Okay. So, yeah.
-[chuckles]

-In an unexpected turn…
-[Nagano] Definitely.

…we now have a situation where Assun
has been suspended from school.

You know, I do feel bad saying this,

but my first thought was,
"Thank goodness she wasn't expelled."

-Same here.
-[Megumi] Yeah.

[Nagano] Not to minimize
what happened to Hikaru, of course.

{\an8}But the fact that it was a girl
sneaking booze like that?

{\an8}Seriously,
have you heard of that? [laughs]

{\an8}-[laughs]
-[Megumi] I was honestly shocked.

{\an8}Shocking, for sure,

{\an8}and it's kind of embarrassing,
don't you think?

{\an8}It is, for sure.

{\an8}And seeing her there at the fridge,
pouring it into the tumbler,

-being all sneaky like that?
-[Nagano] She looks so shady.

-[Megumi] She does.
-[Nagano] So sneaky.

[Megumi] Look at that.
She's even shielding it with her body.

{\an8}But imagine it from Hikaru's perspective.

{\an8}-It was so dangerous.
-[Awich] Yeah.

{\an8}But she didn't say anything, right?

{\an8}-She didn't tell on her.
-[Megumi] That's correct.

{\an8}-She didn't want to be a snitch.
-[Megumi] Right.

{\an8}Delinquents understand
you should never snitch.

{\an8}-"Snitch"? She didn't want to snitch.
-Snitching.

{\an8}-You get it?
-[Nagano] That's the technical term.

{\an8}-It is, right?
-"Technical term."

{\an8}-To "snitch," yeah.
-Yeah. To "rat out."

{\an8}-Rat someone out.
-Someone else.

{\an8}To tell on someone.

{\an8}-You're never supposed to snitch.
-[Nagano] Got it.

{\an8}-They all understand that.
-[both] Right.

{\an8}So Hikaru didn't want to do anything
to get Assun in trouble.

{\an8}If I were Hikaru,
I'd be snitching nonstop.

{\an8}-Seriously.
-[Megumi] Instantly.

{\an8}I'd even snitch to the Japan office
running this show.

{\an8}-Going straight to the top. I see.
-[Nagano] To the top.

{\an8}-I'd even snitch to the global HQ.
-Oh, even global HQ.

{\an8}-By email?
-[Nagano] Yeah.

{\an8}-Call me Mr. Snitch. I don't mind.
-[all laugh]

{\an8}HA-CHAN [27]
FIGHTER/SPORTS TRAINER

{\an8}[Ha-chan] I've been thinking a lot.
I'm not quite sure what to do.

I'm thankful for the opportunity
to participate in this

because it's made me feel more grateful
for my stepmom.

I'm very thankful for that.

-Ah.
-[Awich] Yeah.

[Megumi] I see. Her stepmom.

Seriously, for ten years,

it was so bad,
we couldn't even enjoy a meal together.

I though it'd be that way
for the rest of my life.

I've never hated anyone else in my life.

Seriously. Some people
I don't click with, of course.

She was the only person I truly hated.
I just couldn't forgive her.

My dad's been sick for a while,
and at one point, I said,

"I'll be the one
taking care of your grave, not her."

"You know that, right?"

That's how little
I actually trusted that woman back then.

Not "that woman." I meant "Mom."

Yeah, my stepmom.

That's awful, isn't it?

Mmm, I guess
I just had zero respect for her back then.

Yeah, I don't think
I respected her at all.

I mean, I honestly hated her so much.

But when I heard about how
she was always running around for my dad,

it made me feel
so incredibly thankful to her,

for showing up like that for my dad.

And it made me want to talk to her
and say, "I'm sorry."

[Nagano] Wow, she's changed so much.

[line beeps]

[line ringing]

-[woman] Hello?
-Oh, hi, it's Hazuki.

-Oh, hi.
-Hey, is this a good time?

Yeah, it's fine.

So, right now, I'm doing this show

that's kind of based around
what it was like being in school.

Right.

And we had this class, you know,
kind of like an ethics class.

Mmm-hmm?

And I got the chance to talk about
my past, my family history,

and my background, stuff like that.

And, you know,
Dad's been going through a lot, right?

-Mmm.
-And he's having big feelings about it.

[both laugh]

But, you know,
even when I wasn't around to help,

you were still running around,
looking for hospitals and all that.

Yeah.

[voice shaking] Honestly,
if you hadn't been there for him, Mika,

he might not be with us right now.

Mmm. Mmm-hmm.

-I believe that.
-Mmm.

-And…
-Mmm-hmm?

…you don't often get a chance
to talk about things like this

to people who don't know you very well.

-I see.
-But I got to do that here.

-Oh, you did?
-Yeah.

And after I told them about my life,
they told me they were jealous of my dad.

Yeah?

That he was
so loved and cared for like that.

Mmm.

They said he was so lucky
to have met a woman like you

and that you were
such an amazing wife and person.

Mmm. Mmm, mmm.

And I had never looked at it
that way before, you know?

[both laugh]

I'd never thought about it enough
to get there.

-[Mika laughs]
-[Ha-chan chuckles]

Mmm. Yeah.

And I think that's because I'd always felt
exactly the opposite about you, Mika.

I see. Mmm.

-It took so long to say this, but…
-It's okay.

-I hope we keep--
-You know what?

Honestly, just being able
to have this conversation

makes me happy.

A few years ago, I never would've thought
this talk could happen for us.

Right now,
I feel nothing but appreciation for you.

-I just respect you as a person, so much.
-Aw, thank you.

Working so hard, barely sleeping.

Yeah. [laughs] No sleep at all. [laughs]

So I just wanted to say thank you,

-and I'm sorry.
-This has been such a lovely phone call.

-I think I'll have sweet dreams tonight.
-[both laugh]

-Thank you.
-I hope you have sweet dreams.

-I know you have a busy day tomorrow.
-Yeah.

-Good night.
-Okay. Bye.

{\an8}Her mom must be so happy.

{\an8}Oh, I'm sure it made her happy.

{\an8}Especially if they had
a tough relationship for so long.

{\an8}-And especially since she's her stepmom.
-[Megumi] Yeah.

{\an8}-They're not related by blood, of course.
-Right.

{\an8}-But despite that, there's this deep bond.
-Mmm-hmm.

{\an8}[Awich] And the fact
they were able to create this bond

{\an8}is so heartwarming,
to know they found that with each other.

{\an8}-Biological ties are important, of course.
-Mmm-hmm.

{\an8}But it reminds me
that family isn't always about blood.

Actually, I have
quite a few stepchildren myself.

-Oh, you do?
-From my late husband.

Oh, you do, that's right, of course.

-I have five bonus kids.
-[Nagano] I see.

[Megumi] That many?

When they were younger,
they'd give me such a hard time,

and they'd say things like,

"My mom and dad will get back together,
so we don't need you at all."

-[Nagano] Really?
-[Megumi] Wow.

But now, we're super close.

-Oh, that's amazing.
-I even brought them to Japan.

-Yeah.
-[Megumi] Great.

-So I truly empathized with that.
-[Megumi] Of course.

I know that if my stepchildren
ever said something like this to me,

-I would be incredibly happy to hear it.
-[Megumi] Sure.

[boy on PA] Today,
the guys will compete against each other

to test their mettle
and win an overnight date.

[suspenseful music playing]

You'll compete in the Dead Hang Challenge.

[Tai-chan] I'm done.

All right.

-[Ruru] They look so tense.
-[exhales heavily]

[Ruru] This feels totally different
than our tug-of-w*r.

[boy on PA]
The last man hanging gets to ask out

whichever girl he's interested in now.

-[Tai-chan] Huh?
-You're not doing it, right?

-Of course I'm not doing it.
-We figured you wouldn't.

I didn't think so.

Because Asuka's not here.

It'd be rude to everyone if I competed.
Besides, I get way too competitive.

So I'm sitting this one out. Make sense?

-Yeah, sure.
-All right.

-Kazuma, how hungry are you to win?
-I'll do my best.

[Ma-kun] Yep.

-I'll fight hard.
-[laughs]

[Ma-kun] Good.

I'll be the lone survivor.

-Yes!
-[women exclaim]

-[Ma-kun] And Ari?
-I'll do it.

-[Ha-chan] He's nervous.
-[Ma-kun] You worried?

-[women laugh]
-[Ma-kun] Leo?

Ruru! We're going on a date!

-[Ha-chan] Ooh!
-Good luck! [laughs]

-Wait, my hands are sweaty.
-[women laughing]

-[Hikaru] For real?
-[Ma-kun] Here we go.

Ready?

Go!

[upbeat music playing]

[Ma-kun] Ten seconds.

Twenty.

One minute.

Hold on, my hands are slipping.

What? [laughs] For real?

-Ah… [exclaims]
-Come on, Tai-chan.

[Nagano] Leo!

-[Ma-kun] One minute ten.
-[Hikaru] Ari's doing great.

-[Nagano] Bo looks totally relaxed.
-[Awich] Bo's still there. Hanging on.

-I'm losing grip.
-[Nagano] Ari's in danger.

-Oh no.
-[Awich] Oh no, Ari's out.

[Nagano] Ah, who's it gonna be?

Oh, hold on.

I can't.

[Nagano] Whoa, Kazu-kun!

-[Ma-kun] Ninety seconds.
-[Ha-chan] He could've gone longer.

[Ma-kun] Okay, Kazuma's the winner.

Congrats.

Who do you choose?

Ruru, let's go.

-Let's do it.
-[Kazu-kun] Right.

Kazuma, Ruru, have fun.

-Good luck!
-[Ha-chan] Have a great time.

-[Ruru] We're off.
-[Hikaru] Enjoy yourselves.

-An overnight trip is huge, yeah?
-It definitely is.

An overnight trip's a big deal. Mmm.

-[women chuckle]
-[Ha-chan] He keeps saying that.

Huge deal. Mmm.

I totally sucked at that.

My hands were sweating. I was nervous.

It was super frustrating.
Also, I wanted anyone but Kazuma to win.

I knew he'd pick Ruru. For sure.

When he picked Ruru,
I was seriously devastated.

Like, "I'm cooked."

I mean, I woke up and got ready
before everyone else

because I thought,
"Oh, I have to pack for tomorrow too."

But it was all for nothing.

-That's cute.
-[Awich] Adorable.

[Megumi laughs] He's so sweet.

I'm going to make sure that Ruru's arrow
points 100% towards me.

I'll share what I feel
so she'll only think about me,

even when we're back.

Mmm.

"If you won't sing, I'll make you sing,
my Ruru bird."

I hope to deliver on that promise.

I will.

Oh, my God. What if we bang?

-No response?
-[all laugh]

I wish you would.

You should just be yourself.

Even if you do it, you could be like,
"Hey, Leo," and it'll be fine.

Sure, it would actually be kind of funny
but also totally shitty of me.

I mean, yeah, I guess you're right.

-Because it'll be like you cheated on him.
-Yeah, yeah, for sure.

-That would gross him out.
-But Leo knows that.

If he accepts you after that,
then he's a man, for sure.

[Ha-chan] But you saw Leo's face, right?

Even though you aren't dating yet,
he looked heartbroken.

-[Nagano] Yeah.
-[Megumi] True.

-[Nagano laughs]
-[Megumi] Of course that's how he is.

Because he promised her
he'd take her out on a date.

[Ruru] You know,
that suitcase is packed to the brim.

I overthink things a lot.
I put a ton of stuff in it.

-[Leo] Ruru!
-[Ruru] Gosh.

-[Tai-chan] Zuma!
-[Ruru] You scared me.

-[Kazu-kun] You can't come.
-What?

Shut up. Let me just give her this.

-[Ruru] Wait, what's that?
-It's my necklace.

-What?
-[Megumi] Wow.

-Kazuma. No sexy time.
-[Kazu-kun] Hmm?

-We won't be doing sexy time.
-Be good, okay?

[Kazu-kun] We won't.
It'd be wild if she thinks we would.

-[laughs] For sure.
-You gonna go buck wild?

-Okay, I'll stop. Yeah?
-[laughs]

Is it on?

I messed up and put it on wrong.

[Kazu-kun] He's not the smooth type.

-What's that?
-[Kazu-kun laughs]

-My mind's a mess right know.
-[all chuckling]

-I'm off.
-See ya.

-Bye-bye.
-Hmm.

Kazuma, you understand?

-[Ruru laughs]
-No sexy stuff.

-Don't do it.
-I said we won't. Go inside.

-I'll beat you up.
-[chuckles]

They're gonna do it. [laughs]

-They'll find the camera's blind spots.
-They will, right? Yeah, somehow.

-They seem like they'd do it covertly.
-They'll be sneaky.

-[Ma-kun] Did you see her off?
-[Leo] Yeah.

Do you want to borrow my chest
to cry on today?

-[Ari] You can lean on me too.
-It's okay to cry.

I'm fine. I trust her.

-[Ma-kun] Yeah.
-[Ari] We know.

[Ma-kun] For sure. We know that.

-Thinking about it won't help.
-Yeah.

No point in dwelling on something
you can't control.

-True. That'll only bring me down.
-[Ari] Exactly.

[bell chiming]

[boy on PA] Those remaining in school
will help out the local community.

The beaches of Okinawa
are littered with large amounts of debris.

You'll be working together
to clean up the beach.

-[Ari] Off-campus bonding?
-We're picking up litter?

-Cleaning the beach.
-Yeah.

[Ha-chan] Let's pick up trash.
I see some. [laughs]

[Hikaru] Let's do this!

I'm so ready for this.

-I'm committed.
-It's so dirty.

-Yeah, it's filthy.
-[Tai-chan] There's so much trash.

-[Bo] What the heck?
-[Tai-chan] It's covered in it.

-[Ha-chan] There's some here.
-[Ma-kun] So much of it.

[Bo] This is insane.

-You've never done this, have you?
-Take this.

[gasps] Look!
I found a huge pile over here.

It won't fit.

My bag's already full.

[Megumi] Leo's quietly working as usual.

-[Nagano] Puts his heart into everything.
-[Megumi] Yeah.

[Awich] So beautiful.

[Nagano]
The ocean in Okinawa's so beautiful.

[Megumi] It's so gorgeous.

[Ruru] This is it.

Wait, what? Hold up.

-[Kazu-kun] What?
-[Ruru] This is insane.

-[Kazu-kun] Amazing! Whoa!
-[Ruru laughs] It's crazy!

Seriously? Wait, is this for real?

-It's incredible!
-[Kazu-kun] Look, there's a pool.

-[Ruru] This is unreal.
-[Kazu-kun] It's deep.

It's the perfect temperature,
like a heated pool.

-Wow, amazing!
-[Kazu-kun] Whoa.

-[Ruru] This is getting me hyped up.
-[Kazu-kun] Me too. Go upstairs?

[Ruru] Sure.

Whoa.

[Ruru] Look at that!
This is twice as good as I imagined.

Amazing.

Where's everyone else?
Maybe they're somewhere over there?

-Yeah, because we crossed that bridge.
-Yeah.

-[Ma-kun] It's heavy.
-[Leo sighs heavily]

[Ma-kun] You know?

-Looks deep, doesn't it?
-Yeah.

-It feels so good.
-It's cold.

-It feels super nice.
-This is great.

-[Ruru] It's breathtaking.
-[Kazu-kun] Yeah.

[Ruru] Truly.

-Do you have an ideal in mind?
-An ideal what?

Like, an idea of what
the perfect boyfriend might be like.

-I like somebody who can make me laugh.
-I see.

Every one of my past boyfriends
were pretty funny.

-Hmm.
-Yeah, they all were.

On top of that, we were comfortable
acting like kids when we'd hang out.

That's actually super important to me.

Well, this trip feels like
it's kind of do-or-die.

-Do-or-die?
-Yeah.

I mean, it feels like that for me.

I've been wanting to tell you how I feel.

-That's why I invited you.
-Right.

At this point,
you're the only one I'm interested in.

So you have no intention
of considering anyone else.

Right. And so,
I want to make a strong impression on you.

Mmm. Yeah.

-While we're on this trip.
-Mmm.

-In two days.
-That makes sense.

-[Tai-chan] That it?
-[Bo] All done.

-[Maririn] Looks clean.
-[Bo] Looks good.

We have to leave them here.

[Ari grunts]

-This seems like a lot of litter, right?
-[Maririn] Yeah.

-We picked up a lot.
-I feel like we did a great job.

-Way more than expected.
-Nice work, everyone.

Let's make a pile.

-Ha-chan.
-Yeah, okay.

-Wait, let me make a spot for it.
-[Bo grunts]

It feels amazing!

[sighs]

I want to play catch.

-[Tai-chan] Let's go there.
-[Maririn] Okay.

[Nagano] Tai-chan has such a gentle way
of speaking, doesn't he?

-[Tai-chan] You're good.
-[laughs]

-Ready? Catch.
-Yeah.

-Got it.
-Good catch.

I try to catch it with my bare hand.

-Yeah, that's a good approach.
-So I'm doing it right?

-[Tai-chan] It's your crush's heart.
-[laughs]

-I think I can catch that.
-Yeah.

I'm wondering where my heart is headed.

-Wait, you don't know yet, right?
-No.

Then I'll come and capture it, maybe.

-Oh, really?
-Oh, really? [laughs]

-"Oh, really?"
-[Nagano] This is nice.

-That was close.
-I made up my mind.

-[Nagano] Oh?
-You did?

-Yep, sure did.
-About what?

Well, I'm going to make a move on you.

-Wait, on me?
-Yes, you!

I'm pining for the same person
that I liked at the beginning.

-Wow, for real?
-No! Yeah. [exhales]

That's right.

-[Maririn laughs]
-It's like…

What?

It's like what?
I can't catch, I'm flustered. [laughs]

-You were saying?
-My head is spinning.

[Maririn laughs]

-Then, let it spin.
-Yeah.

[Maririn] That's natural.

[Megumi] Leo must be dealing
with some complicated feelings.

[Nagano] You're right about that.

-[Kazu-kun] Jian.
-[Ruru] Clink.

-"Clink."
-[both laughing]

-Sorry.
-[laughing]

Did that surprise you?

[laughs]

[Ruru] Have you had acai?

[Kazu-kun]
I used to eat it every day at Bondi Cafe.

Really? Is it good?

-Yeah. It's perfect.
-Yeah.

How old were you when you became a host?

-I was 19.
-19?

-That's when I started.
-And then--

I moved to Tokyo when I was about 16.

Why did you move so young?

-What made you leave?
-Outside the city, there's a hierarchy.

-Yeah.
-It was out of control.

The more rural the area,
the worse it gets.

I get that, for sure.

No matter how successful you become…

Mmm.

…you'll always be lower
than people barely older than you.

I got pretty sick of that.

I felt like I couldn't reach
my full potential if I stayed there.

Mmm.

And I thought,

I was always pretty good
at adapting to new environments.

-Mmm.
-I changed schools a lot when I was young.

-Oh, you did?
-Yeah.

-Because of family?
-That's right.

Oh, wow.

I was sent to live
with different relatives,

-so I kept having to switch schools.
-Makes sense.

I thought I could manage on my own,
so I just left.

My mom was in Kanagawa after her divorce,
so, at first, I lived in Kanagawa

-and worked outdoor jobs.
-Mmm.

And then,

I'd go to Shibuya after work.

Gyaru-o culture
was prevalent there at the time.

I'd just ask gyaru-os to be my friend.

-Really?
-Yeah.

-I didn't know you were that outgoing.
-Yeah.

So I started making
more and more friends that way.

I see.

And then,
uh, Harajuku style became popular.

-Yeah.
-People were more interested

-in the smart model type.
-Mmm.

-Not the gyaru-o.
-Mmm.

We couldn't keep up with that,
so we hung out in Kabukicho.

That's how I started working as a host
at about 18 or 19.

Oh, I see. So you were a total gyaru-o.

-I ran with a gyaru crew.
-Oh.

-You had long hair and all that?
-Mmm.

-That sounds so Heisei.
-Yeah, super Heisei.

Oh, I'm jealous. Shibuya in the Heisei era
must have been fun.

It was fun.

-And you've been there ever since?
-Yeah.

-Wow.
-Crazy, right?

Yeah.

I love shrimp. This is delicious.

What's your favorite?

-Food, I mean.
-Eggplant.

-Did you say eggplant?
-Mmm.

-Really?
-Yeah.

-That's your favorite food?
-Yeah.

Eggplant is kind of
an unexpected choice, isn't it?

Well…

the one dish I remember
my mom making for me

was eggplant stir-fry with miso sauce.

-Oh, sounds delicious.
-Mmm.

-That's why I've always liked eggplant.
-That makes sense.

-Yeah.
-Okay.

So, it's not about
how good the eggplant tastes.

-It's more about the memory.
-So, yeah, it's about the memory.

I'd been in a single-parent household
since I was little.

And then, when I was in second grade,

my mom ran off with her new husband.

She just left me behind,
and my dad came to pick me up.

But he was very a*usive.

After that, I was sent to… [sniffles]

…live with relatives.

They looked after me for a year or two.

I graduated middle school… [sniffles]
and since then, I've been on my own.

To my mom, I'd say things like,
"You abandoned me,"

or "Don't try to act like
you're my mom now." [sniffles]

I would just blurt it out.

But when my mom started crying,

I was like,
"Oh, man, I didn't have to say that."

Now I try to do better.

I try not to badmouth my parents
if I can help it.

[Ruru] Getting to know a person's past
is super important.

I realized people are more than just
what they seem on the outside.

I thought, "He's carried a heavy burden."

"He's lived on his own
and worked hard to get this far in life."

-She has something against host workers.
-[Nagano] Mmm.

He's never opened up like this.

-No, not like this.
-Like, properly shared.

[Leo] I didn't realize
it'd be so boring without my crush.

-This is no fun at all.
-[Ma-kun] Yeah, it's boring.

[Ha-chan] This is great.

So fun!

-They're like a rehab group.
-[Megumi laughs]

-Technically, I guess they are.
-That's right.

They're here to rehabilitate
and find love.

Exactly.

[sultry music playing]

[Ruru] Oh, wait. These look delicious!

-[Kazu-kun] This is pretty fancy.
-[Ruru] Incredible. Wow, I love shrimp.

-This is amazing.
-[Kazu-kun chuckling] "I love shrimp."

Are you still interested in marriage,
after trying it already?

-I am, yeah.
-Oh, you are?

Yeah. I want kids.

I see.

But not necessarily right away.

-Like, you don't want to rush it?
-Mmm.

I want to date someone

properly, for a while.

You like relationships that are long term?

I've almost never been in a relationship.

-Because you were a host, right?
-Mmm.

-I see.
-Mmm.

Do you like to take your time

before getting serious
with a relationship?

Or do you ever just dive in?

No, I never do that.

-Usually, I know them already.
-Oh, you're already close?

-I've only dated people I was close with.
-I see.

We already knew each other
from being in the same friend group.

So I didn't have
to get to know him from scratch.

-We had a foundation.
-You knew them.

-And the chemistry came after.
-Right.

-That's how it's always started for me.
-Okay.

This school is the first time
I'm experiencing the romantic part first.

That's got to be pretty difficult, yeah?

It is, for sure.

[exhales]

[Ruru] This water temperature is perfect.

[dryer whirring]

[Ruru] So you don't like girls
who are bad drunks?

It's fine if they just get happy.
Otherwise, it's a drag.

Like, if they get rowdy?

I get rowdy when I drink.

-I'm not a good drunk, to be honest.
-I'm not either, so it's fine.

But even when you're drunk,
you still behave like an adult, right?

No, I get pretty childish.
I was told I'm kind of a baby.

Oh, you mentioned that.
I don't know if I can handle that.

[both laugh]

What does "acting like a baby"
look like? Tell me.

-I'm super selfish.
-I want to see you act like a baby.

Wait, I like people who trigger
my maternal instincts, you know?

You could bring that out in me.

If you got childish and clingy with me,
I'd be like, "Oh."

"Maybe I like him." I might think that.

Yeah? "Maybe I like him"?

I can't be clingy when you're wearing
another guy's necklace.

-[laughs]
-No way I could do that.

-[Ruru] Still thinking about that?
-[Kazu-kun] Of course.

Tell me how you really feel.

-[Ruru] Right now?
-Yeah.

You're wearing another guy's necklace

but telling me to be clingy with you.

I'm just saying
I'm curious to see that side of you.

-You don't have to test me.
-I'm not.

-It's how I feel.
-Yeah?

Then take off the necklace.

[gasps]

Oh, this? I keep forgetting about it.

-How's that possible?
-Take it off.

I wonder how he'd react
if I was wearing it.

-Would that be rubbing it in?
-Mmm, let's not.

That would probably spark a fight.

-So let's not do that.
-Okay.

-You don't like it?
-Of course not.

-You hate it.
-It doesn't feel good, no.

I see.

Put it on me.

-I'll return it to Leo myself.
-This?

-You shouldn't do that.
-[laughs]

-Seriously, you shouldn't.
-Why not?

-That would start a fight.
-Yeah?

If you're okay with a fight,
I'll put it on you.

-You're fine with that?
-No, because-- Sure.

[Ruru] It'll definitely cause problems
when we get back. You're good with that?

[Kazu-kun] Let me t*rture him.

I don't care.

[grunts softly]

[Ruru] Wait, am I feeling attached
to him right now?

What is this? I don't understand
what I'm feeling about Leo right now.

You know, I think it just feels a little…

-Like what?
-…difficult.

-Because I'm just…
-Then I can't act childish for you.

-Come here.
-[both laugh]

-[Nagano yells]
-[Megumi] Oh, look!

[Ruru chuckles]

[Kazu-kun] Your hair smells nice.

[Nagano] What?

All I can do is trust.

I trust her.

Because I poured my heart out to her.

[Awich] Watching both sides is k*lling me.

[both chuckle]

-How's this?
-Good.

-[Megumi] Oh, they're so lovey-dovey!
-Stop going back and forth!

Okay.

[clicks]

[Ruru] It's not over yet, but I feel like
it's already been a pretty great trip.

[Kazu-kun] I think so too

because I was able to open up
about how I feel about you.

The ball is in your court now.

-[laughs]
-[Nagano] What's she doing?

Isn't it crazy
I kept forgetting about the necklace?

Not at all.

-[Megumi] Whoa!
-[Nagano and Awich yell]

-[Megumi] No.
-This is huge!

-The make out.
-[Nagano] They're making out!

[Awich] Hey, stop cutting back to him!

Come on, what was that?

A make-out session.

Who was that guy with the moody lighting?

-That was Leo.
-[Nagano] Leo?

Yes, Leo.

-Is he ever that serious?
-[Awich] Doesn't look like him.

-Looks so serious.
-[Megumi] That's Leo.

So intense.

-Has anyone else made out yet?
-[Megumi] Not yet.

-[Nagano] No one?
-[Megumi] Right.

You can edit this out, but is it possible
they won't have sex after that?

-It's still possible.
-I want to watch them do it!

[laughing]

[closing theme song playing]