Welcome back, Kaede.
I'm finally back in Maebashi.
The 1:09PM Miracle
A lot's been going on, but things seem to have settled down.
That just leaves the matter of my nephew. And that's for me to handle.
I have to imagine your parents aren't thrilled.
You'd be surprised.
You and I both know my brother was the prodigal son.
It might make things awkward when I visit them in the fall, though.
After all, I was his surgeon.
Are you seriously worried about that?
That's unlike you.
I already explained it all to them, and it's not like they're stupid.
They feel nothing but gratitude.
You're a famous surgeon from Gunma University Hospital. Stop being silly.
So Niigata was a lot of fun, huh?
It sure was.
Usually, when I go to Grandma's house, it's with my parents,
so without them there, it was totally different.
In other words, you had Kanata-san all to yourself for four whole days.
Well, uh, technically, I guess?
Sorry.
Oh, I took a bunch of funny pictures.
I snapped him sleeping, and playing with a huge dragonfly.
I'll show you later.
For real?
I don't care when my summer ends now. Zero regrets.
Don't say that. My summer's been a total bust so far.
Let's go to the beach, yeah? It is summer, after all.
There's just one thing I'm worried about.
I don't really like wearing a swimsuit around other people.
Excuse me? Aren't you an MFG Angel?
Those costumes are way more risqué than most swimsuits.
Ask yourself: why do girls like us change into swimsuits?
It's not to show off to other people.
We do it purely to get a suntan, to go swimming, and to enjoy life!
It's 100% a selfish act!
Worrying about what anyone else thinks is stupid!
You're totally right.
I don't often hear compelling arguments from you, Wakana.
It shows how right I am.
You take charge on this one, Ren, and pick a date.
I'll invite Yuka, too, so you invite Kanata-san.
We're inviting Kanata?!
Of course!
Why do you think I bought a cute swimsuit?
So what you're saying is you're a hypocrite.
You wanted to show off all along.
Niigata was that much fun, huh?
Glad to hear it, Kanata.
I had such a good time, it all feels so surreal looking back.
And the rice in Niigata is amazing.
It was like every individual grain glistened like jewelry.
It had such a sweet aroma, too.
I feel I may have gotten a glimpse at the true depths of Japanese cuisine.
That sounds impressive. Even I've never eaten anything like that.
Ren's grandmother was so brilliant and lovely.
Despite her size, she came across as really big and strong.
Everyone in Ren's family is so kind and amazing.
And with all of those people around her to love her,
it's no wonder Ren turned into such a lovely young lady.
That sure makes it sound like you're in love with her, man.
Even if she is still a bit spoiled.
I know what you mean. She'll just hit you out of the blue.
Huh? It's Ren.
Hello.
Uh, swimming at the beach?
You're inviting me? I'm not sure.
I took four days off to go to Niigata, so I can't take any more time off this week.
They're going to the beach?
Next week, maybe? Wednesday or Friday would be fine.
Okay, I'll plan for Wednesday.
Anyway, Kanata, where are you? At Ogatacchi's place?
You can invite him, too. It's better to have a few guys around.
It'll keep the nanpa artists away.
See ya.
You're going to the beach with Ren-chan, one of the Angels?!
Personal space, Ogata-san.
Ah, I'm so jealous!
Some of her friends are coming, too, so she asked me to invite you along.
Say what?! I get to go, too?!
Please come. I can barely even talk to girls who aren't Ren.
I might seem sociable at my job, but that's just being in work mode.
Of course I'll come. But why invite me?
Something about "nanpa" artists.
What's "nanpa," anyway?
Well, it's when guys go up to girls and it's obvious they only want one thing.
It's a real playboy thing.
I see. A girl hunt. They do that in England, too.
Going for a swim with a bunch of nubile schoolgirls?
Ah, it's so good to be alive!
This might be the first bittersweet summer of my entire life!
Ah, Ogata-san! I think your life might be in danger! That's an awful lot of blood!
Honey! Honey, where are you?
What is it? Did you run home in this heat?
I've got bad news.
I just got a call from Kaede-san.
Katagiri Ken died at Gunma's university hospital just last month.
Oh, no.
What are we going to tell Kana-chan?
It'll be tough, but I'll tell him when he gets back.
Um, it's just...
My head is a mess. I don't know what to think.
I'm so sorry we weren't able to track him down sooner.
Forgive me, Kanata-kun. I wasn't much help at all.
That's not true. Please don't say things like that, Papa Saionji.
You did your best. I'm truly grateful to you.
Kanata.
Your father had a much younger sister.
Katagiri Kaede-san works at the university hospital in Gunma.
I guess that makes her your aunt.
She said she'd like to talk with you.
Will you go to Gunma to see her?
I will. I'll go anywhere if it means getting answers about my father.
Are you going to be okay on your own, Kana-chan?
Papa could go with you if you want.
No need to worry, Mama Mayuko.
I appreciate the sentiment, but I'll go on my own.
Anyway, Papa Saionji has work,
and you have art classes to teach. You should both focus on those.
That's right. Go to work, Dad.
I'll go. I'll make the trip to Gunma with Kanata.
But...
No, Ren might be perfect for this.
Let's leave it to her.
Do you mind Ren coming along, Kanata-kun?
I'm worried. I'm not sure how much help Ren can actually offer him.
That wouldn't be any different if I went.
But having someone with him who he trusts and can talk to...
In that sense, Ren might be the better choice.
I know we like to think of her as a child still,
but before we realized it, she's grown up quite a bit.
It's nice to meet you. I'm Katagiri Kaede.
You must be Kanata. I could tell at a glance.
Seeing you up close, you look a lot like Katherine.
But from a distance, you looked exactly like my brother.
When he was young, he had the same body language and way of carrying himself.
It's funny how blood ties work.
Um, I'm Saionji Ren.
I came with Kanata.
Oh, it's nice to meet you. You must be Saionji-san's daughter.
What a cute companion you have.
I'm so sorry. I know you came all this way, but I don't have a lot of time.
Takasaki Station East Entrance
Let's go talk at a café nearby.
My brother had cancer.
And by the time he was hospitalized, it was too late for effective treatment.
He was past the point of surgery doing anything for him.
Considering how advanced it was, his symptoms must have been severe.
But instead of listening to the warnings from his body,
he buried his head in his work.
That's just how he was. So stupidly stoic.
What kind of work did my father do?
He was a busshi. Do you know what that is?
They're artists who make statues of Buddhist figures.
I see. Impressive.
My father didn't know I was in Japan, did he?
No, he did.
I'm sorry.
I tried more than once to convince him to contact you,
but he wouldn't listen.
I think he didn't know what to say to you. And I can understand why.
He left when you were still young,
and felt in no position to call himself your father.
But he still watched your races and cheered you on.
From the hospital bed for the first and second races.
But when qualifying for the third race got underway, he was already in a coma.
He actually passed away on the day of the race.
If you could, I'd like to know the exact time my father died.
It would've been at 1:09PM on July 16th.
That was when I was in the middle of the Manazuru race.
At around the start of the third lap.
Could it be?
And if something happens and you need help, I bet she'll be there.
Kanata?
It was my father I could feel back there.
The one helping me during the race.
Don't cry, Kanata.
Um, did he leave any kind of message or letter? Anything at all for Kanata?
Not to my knowledge, no.
I'm so sorry. My brother treated you awfully.
I'm glad I got to meet you.
This might be presumptuous of me, but would you be willing to meet my parents?
I think they'd be thrilled,
considering you're their only grandchild at the moment.
His ashes and memorial portrait are at their house, too.
If you lit incense for him, I bet he'd rest easier.
I'd like for you to see some of his pieces, too.
I can't bring myself to ask him to forgive you.
But I could sense a deep sadness from that boy.
That's something for you to be proud about, Ken.
Kanata-san doesn't resent you the way you thought he would.
Using the Katagiri family name proves that more than anything.
In movies or on TV,
there's always some kind of final message to the protagonist from the deceased.
But that's just a convenient dramatic device to make people cry.
Despite knowing that, I still wish it happened for real.
Because Kanata came to Japan to meet his dad.
He was reaching out this whole time, hoping to make contact.
Both of my parents are gone.
I guess I really am alone now.
Don't say that.
You're not alone, Kanata.
We all love you. Mom and Dad, in particular.
And I do, too!
I'm here for you! I'll always be there for you!
So please cheer up.
Why is she so sad?
And for my sake, not her own.
But there's something so warm about it.
Even though my shirt is wet with her tears, it doesn't bother me at all.
When I take a deep breath, I can smell the sweet scent of her dark hair.
It's almost enough to catch in my throat.
I'm really glad you're here with me right now, Ren.
MF Ghost.
Gunma Prefecture Mount Akagi
I wanna know what the difference is between me and the three at the top.
Please give me a hint, boss.
Fair enough. Hop in the passenger's seat, Sena.
It's been a while, but let's go for a ride.
Hold onto this for me, Matsumoto. Thanks.
Close your eyes, Sena.
But then I won't be able to watch you drive, boss.
Don't try to watch.
I'm saying shut them because visual information will get in the way.
If you want to steal my technique,
you need to feel it with your whole body while focusing.
I'm gonna show you how to tackle the roads of Akagi.
This is giving me serious déjà-vu.
I've seen this play out so many times before.
Back then, it was Keisuke-san in the passenger seat, next to Ryosuke-san.
The right before the hairpin.
Hitting the Akagi Downhill is so dull by now, I might actually fall asleep.
The way the momentum shifts is so intense.
But it goes from front to rear and left to right so smoothly without openings.
He's flooring it? At a time like this, he's going all out?
Is my boss some kind of freak?
The speeds he's hitting, the way he's using his tires...
I could go for a meal.
It's totally different. We're nothing alike.
I thought I'd inherited Gunma Pride, and was proud to wear it,
but this guy's on another level.
I still have so much to learn. And it makes me feel like a piece of crap.
Do you see now, Sena?
With rear wheel drive, you have no choice but to floor it.
The foundation of "Gunma Pride"
is having the technical prowess to manage that permanent lead foot.
And in terms of downhill racing,
Fujiwara Takumi would push it even harder than I just did.
The guy was a total head case, with more than a few screws missing.
And Katagiri Kanata takes after him.
Leave a gap, and it's your funeral.
Damn, boss. I'm still shaking from how intense that was.
I gotta incorporate this into my driving while I've still got a feel for it.
I'll make it mine, no matter what.
Aw, man. I'm here visiting old stomping grounds with the wife and kid.
So what am I doing up in the mountains so late at night?
Hey, Matsumoto. I don't know if you've heard yet,
but my brother's getting married.
Really? That's great news, albeit a little sudden.
I hadn't heard anything.
He only told me about it today.
This is the kind of big news that'll turn the Gunma Connection on its head.
People are gonna flip.
Yeah. Nobody figured he'd do something as pedestrian as get married.
That other ditz got married last year, too.
Guess we're all getting older.
Even if we don't always act like it.
There's a poll on this MFG fan site about the most exciting moment of the race.
For last week's Manazuru race,
the top two moments are tied. Isn't that something?
I can't believe you ended up winning that race, Michael.
Halts Maul.
Oh dear. Looks like someone's in a bad mood. I wonder why.
My aim was to run a race that would be boring to watch,
and have a predictable outcome.
What is this? Why am I so frustrated?
When I was battling Sawatari and the young driver in the 86,
I felt a kind of excitement I'd never experienced before.
It made me feel accomplished for winning in MFG,
a motorsport I'd never taken seriously before.
How am I supposed to deal with these feelings?
Ko-kun, you should swim, too. The water's nice and cold.
This is pretty ritzy, right? A garden pool at a hotel in the city.
I bet my friends will be so jealous. I should post a pic and brag.
Sana's hips are so hot. She's a real find.
What is it? Did you get turned on by how good I look in my bikini, Ko-kun?
Wanna head inside?
Now, hang on. I'm not gonna last the day if we start this early.
After all, gotta finish what we start.
But I'll admit, thinking about it has kinda put me in the mood.
Same here.
Guess we should head inside.
He was a busshi?
The more I hear, the more a decision like that sounds just like Ken.
I met him in a sculpting class at art school,
and his works always had such intensity to them.
Hey, Mom. There's something I'm wondering about.
I promised Wakana and some others we'd go to the beach,
and Kanata was supposed to come, too...
But after everything that's happened, I don't think he'll be in the mood.
Even I'm not. Not really.
Do you think I should cancel it?
I think you should go.
How come?
Kana-chan could use a change of pace.
I honestly think you should drag him along.
But I don't want to be a bother to him.
He won't be bothered.
You know full well Kana-chan isn't like that.
If you think it'll help him, you should do it.
I wonder.
In that case, I'd better go buy a swimsuit.
Coming to Japan may have been a moment of destiny for me.
When Mum died, I lost all direction in life.
I went into my shell, and wallowed in my solitude.
In my loneliness, I may have just wanted attention.
Like a spoiled child.
I could've fallen into that same spiral after what I learned.
But that didn't happen, Mum. Does that mean I've grown some?
Here in Japan, where the people are so kind, I met a girl named Ren.
She pulled me back from the brink.
I have something important to tell you, Mum.
Dad gave me a present.
Can you believe it? It was a miracle.
Dad helped me out during a race.
I may never get the chance to speak with him now, but I'm still happy.
Because for as short of a time as it was, Daddy and I were in sync.
And I just know I felt his warmth.
You can be harsh at times, so please don't be too hard on Daddy.
I hope you two get along this time.
Next time, Turn 31: The End of Summer.