Episode #4 "Escape"

Aired: January 3, 1999

Note: In brief, this episode is about the fateful incident in which Kahori rents a summer house in North Kiyosumi. She wants to spend time alone with Yoshimori. Yoshimori discovers the whereabouts of his mother. Hiromu really begins to become suspicious of his wife. When his suspicions are realized, he decides to punish his wife. The end of this episode is very strong and emotional.

Synopsis
The episode begins with a replay of the Yoshimori and Kahori's passion under the stars. The scene then switches to Kahori's house. She is arriving home late, and she attempts to quietly tiptoe to her room without waking up her husband. But Hiromu is awoken, and says she's late. She tells him that she was out watching the stars.

The next morning, Miki and Yoshimori are outside the noodle shop. She tells him to stop seeing Kahori. She reminds him that his own mom also left Tadashi for another man. Miki adds that Kahori may just be playing around with him. This statement angers Yoshimori, and he turns and stares at her. The beginning credits roll.

It has been three days since Shiori went to camp, and Kahori is at the station to pick her up. Yoshimori is there, but doesn't seem to be willing to talk to her. She wants to see him more and more, saying "When is your next night duty? When can I see you again?" Yoshimori says nothing. Tadashi is tending to the garden, and he sees the two of them. Kahori asks him, "Are you scared?" Yoshimori replies that it's a small town. "Where can we go to be alone?" she implores him. The train arrives and Shiori steps out. After a brief greeting, mother and daughter leave the station. Kahori takes one look back at Yoshimori.

Shiori is taking piano lessons at home. Junichiro comes by, and tells Kahori the teacher used to be his housekeeper, but since Kahori came they don't need her anymore. After the lesson, Kahori drives the teacher home. As she's driving along the road, she passes right by Yoshimori, on his bike, paying no attention to him. That night, Kahori calls Yoshimori, but Tadashi picks up the phone. She quickly hangs up. Hiromu arrives home and sees that Kahori is just standing by the phone. She fails to properly hang up the phone. As he walks by the phone, he hangs it up.

The next morning, Shiori arrives at the station, wanting to play with him. But for some reason, he says no, because he's busy. She is disheartened. She dejectedly gives him a bag of cookies that her mom made for him. Inside the office, he opens the bag and finds a note from Kahori. She wants him to meet her at a summer house that she rented in nearby North Kiyosumi. A key to the house is included. Kahori is at the summer house already, busily preparing for lunch, which she hopes to share with Yoshimori. But Yoshimori doesn't come. Instead, he sits at the station, perhaps contemplating. That night, Shiori tells Kahori she thinks Yoshimori is avoiding her.

The next day, Yoshimori is eating lunch at the noodle shop. Miki is working at the time. Then Kahori comes in, but she and Yoshimori don't greet each other, nor do they sit at the same table. Kahori asks Yoshimori once again if he'll meet her at the summer house, but he returns the key to her, saying that he can't do it. He then leaves.

Hiromu is riding in his car. His chaffeur tells him that he saw Kahori's car at a summer house near Kiyosumi. Hiromu is quite surprised to hear this. At the station, Yoshimori plays with the birds. That night, Shiori is practicing her piano, and Hiromu keeps telling her to play again. He is not in a good mood, since he knows Kahori is now hiding something from him. After three or four times, she turns around at glares at him, then storms off. Hiromu plays the piano himself, but ends up just pounding it. "Stop taking it out on her," Kahori tells him. "Am I?" he replies.

At their house, Tadashi brings out a box which contains a bank account. The account contains money that his former wife had been sending monthly to Yoshimori for the last 21 years. He shows Yoshimori the letter the money came in, and tells him to visit her sometime. Yoshimori is upset that after all these years, his dad never told him about this matter. Tadashi has a reason for wanting to finally give the money to his son. He realizes that Yoshimori is falling for Hiromu's wife, and so he wants to send his son off to Nagano to work and take the train station management test. He tells Yoshimori that he wants him to live on his own from now on. But of course, Yoshimori doesn't want to leave now, because of Kahori and Shiori. Tadashi explains why he never went after his wife. He blamed himself for not being able to do anything to make his wife feel better after the death of their son. Instead, he lost himself in work, and therefore she ran off with another man. The similarities between Tadashi and his wife, and Hiromu and Kahori are apparent to Yoshimori. He is the other man.

Kahori is at home cleaning up. She receives a call on her cell phone from Yoshimori. He wants to see her after all at the "secret" summer house, and she is overjoyed. They agree to meet that afternoon. Kahori rushes off to the house to prepare. Back at the station, there is a train delay, so Yoshimori remains stuck at work. He calls Kahori again to tell her he'll be late. Then she receives another call, this time from Hiromu. When he asks where she is, she tells him that she's on her way home from shopping. He tells her that she needs to be home in order to give an envelope to a co-worker of his. So she rushes home. Little does she know, but Hiromu has been spying on her from the woods outside the summer house.

Back at the station, Yoshimori tells Shimizu that he's going to the post office. As he walks outside, Yoshimori encounters Hiromu. The two of them talk inside Hiromu's car. Yoshimori discovers that Hiromu has found out about Kahori's secretly rented house. He seems quite distaught, and he asks Yoshimori for help and advice. He wants Yoshimori to go with him to the cabin. He is afraid that if he goes to the cabin and sees a man, he might try to kill him. But Yoshimori tells him that he has to get back to work.

Kahori is now back at home. She gets a call from Yoshimori, who tells her not to go back to the cabin, as her husband has found out about her rented summer house. She is consumed with fear because she had expected him to go over there. She had left some keys in the mailbox, as well as some food and a note. Her fears are realized when Hiromu goes to the cabin and discovers everything. Luckily for her, she did not put Yoshimori's name on the note.

That night, Hiromu tells Kahori that he intends to send Shiori off to school in Tokyo. This would mean that Kahori and Shiori would be separated from each other. Kahori can't believe Hiromu is doing this to her. Hiromu explains that Shiori is not doing well in school, and needs to learn proper manners. And, he continues, she'll be able to see her on weekends. Kahori is distraught at hearing this. Meanwhile, Yoshimori decides to visit the summer house. He finds the interior of the house totally trashed.

Shiori awakens to find her mom crying beside her bed. Shiori thinks she's crying because she's been a bad daughter, but Kahori assures her that's not the reason. The two of them cry and hug each other.

The next morning, Shiori and her mom come to the station. Shiori is in a happy mood, dressed in bright orange, but Kahori, dressed in black, looks pale and distraught. Shiori goes to play with the birds. She thinks that her mom is taking the train to go shopping. Shiori cannot join her because she has piano lessons. Yoshimori is there, and she tells him that they can't see each other any more. Then she tells him that Shiori will go away for school starting in September. It is Hiromu's way of punishing her. Yoshimori is incredulous, as it is his belief that the most important thing is that Kahori and Shiori remain together. "No! A mother and child must not be separated!" he exclaims. Kahori actually has to go visit the principal at the new school, and as she waits to get on the train bound for Tokyo, she becomes very tearful and emotional. While this transpires, Tadashi and Miki watch in surprise. "Sayounara, ekichou san," Kahori says to Yoshimori, as she steps aboard the train, which has now arrived. She tearfully says bye to her daughter. Shiori is oblivious to what's going on, as she was playing with the birds. She just reminds her mom to buy her a book that she wants. Yoshimori displays a momentary expression of despair, and then he suddenly reacts. He turns to Shiori and swiftly walks towards her. As he does so, he drops his stick and hat. He reaches Shiori, who is still playing with the birds, and picks her up. "Iko," he says simply. He gets on board the train, carrying Shiori. Tadashi and Miki see everything, and look stunned at what is happening. Kahori, who still has a pained look on her face, quickly walks up the aisle of the train to Yoshimori and Shiori. He takes a stride forward, and boldly says "San nin de kuru zo," which means "Let's live together." As he says it, he and Shiori are looking at one another. Shiori excitedly turns to her mother. The train leaves the station, with the three of them still standing there, gazing at each other. Tadashi gives a short chase, but to no avail. Miki just looks on.