And then gods took him away.
It must have been cattle mutilation.
My grandpa went to sleep at night and never woke up again.
The cause of his death was unknown.
Gods are evil, they take more than organs when they come for you.
Grandpa had a nice body.
Gods are aliens?
Yes. Gods are aliens.
That's why a lot of things are beyond your control.
Episode 8
『Tsiolkovsky's Prayers』
ni-nensei baka wa hitori
２年生 バカは一人
2nd year of high school, there is an idiot,
koko no machi no sora miageru
ここの町の 空見上げる
Looking up into space from this.
sabori gakusei pajama kiteru
サボり学生 パジャマ着てる
A truant student wearing pyjamas,
natsuyasumi ga kozu ni chuutai
夏休みが 来ずに中退
Not waiting for summer break, the student quits school.
chikyuu de uchuujin nante adana demo
地球で宇宙人なんてあだ名でも
Even being nicknamed an alien on Earth,
uchuu no machiawase shitsu ni wa motto hen na anata ga ita no
宇宙の待ち合わせ室にはもっと変なあなたがいたの
in the waiting room in space, an even weirder you was there.
jushin shiteru kana to setsuzoku shite miru to
受信してるかなと 接続してみると
I wonder if you are receiving this; I thought I'd try connecting.
minna ga sakeru naka de pachikuri miteiru anata ga ita kara
みんなが避ける中で ぱちくり見ているあなたがいたから
Because while everyone else was avoiding it, you were there watching.
telepathy kimochi ga denpa ga chigakutemo
テレパシ気持ちが 電波が違くても
Even if these feelings I am transmitting telepathically are the wrong wavelength,
kitto ne nanika tsukande kureteru
きっとね 何か掴んでくれてる
I'm sure you will catch something.
anata no koto ga suki
あなたのことが好き
I love you.
jushin shite kureru no kana to, shinpai mo shiterun desu
受信してくれるのかなと心配もしてるんです
I wonder if you will receive this from me; I'm starting to worry.
nandakanda de soba ni ite kureteru
なんだかんだで側にいてくれてる
You're with me no matter what happens.
anata ga suki
あなたが好き
I love you.
kitto anata shika jushin dekinai no
きっとあなたしか受信できないの?
I'm sure you are the only person that can receive this.
June 6th
The muscle fatigue from two days ago finally caught up to me.
Today is Meme-chin's birthday.
I don't want to be doing laundry or cleaning!
I don't want people to know I have muscle aches,
so I guess this is the way to go.
I'm learning from my own daughter.
I guess I am...
...really, really young!
I think and think about troublesome things,
but I've become an adult who lives on without solving them.
I really am 40 now, aren't I?
June 7th
Heroin!
Cocaine!
The next morning, my brother called me,
so I also asked him how to befriend animals.
Notice of Closure
Open your mind, you know?
Here you go!
June 8th
Hm?
Take care.
I will.
I've heard that Erio wants to get a job.
I'll let him deal with most of that.
What I need to think about is the future.
I need to think about how my daughter is going to be able to work.
Good morning!
Good morning, Manager.
It's been three days.
Yup.
And to me, it's been three days since seeing you, Komacchan.
I don't really get it, but it feels even.
You always make me wonder why you don't ever get depressed with logic like that.
Was that a praise?
It was a huge praise.
Yay!
Is this your newest creation?
You look pretty tired for someone who doesn't work.
Are you all right?
I'm totally fine.
I'm still not gonna work, though.
Marvelous!
Well then, I'll get going.
Come back before snack time!
I'll be serious and start working next month.
I'm counting on you!
Tamura Corner Store
I was just thinking of getting up.
What is it today?
I came to see you, Granny.
Heh, always saying the same thing.
I'm going to wash your clothes.
Stupid!
If you want to take care of someone,
you should be getting them to work.
Do you want to take a bath?
I'll do it later.
Right now...
Hey, talk about something.
My tongue is a bit thick today.
Lately, there seem to have been a lot of animals disappearing suddenly.
I already heard that about a week ago.
They say it's still happening!
Is it the cattle mutilation?
Are you excited?
About what?
The aliens!
They might be somewhere in the city.
Even if they do exist, you probably couldn't see them.
I bet they're next to me right now.
Then, if I start raging violently in this room,
maybe I can knock a few out.
Soon, it will be my turn.
Hey, Granny, when you turned 40, what did you think?
40?
Oh. It was your birthday last week, wasn't it?
Yeah.
I'll give you a present.
You can take any one piece of candy you want for free.
Those were good times.
Normally, I'm able to walk.
It's just today that I'm not doing so well.
Yeah, I know.
She's so light that my sore muscles don't hurt at all when I carry her.
Are you tired already?
Granny.
Don't tell me to get off.
I'm going to fight it.
Your laziness?
No, that's my pet.
Hey, I'm thinking of sending out a certain wonderful person.
What if Erio were to work here?
I don't think it's a bad idea.
June 12th
Yay!
It's finished!
Whoosh!
Test Plane June 12th had been constructed.
The time for a test flight has arrived.
I know where I'm going to take this.
Notice of Closure
Lately, there's been a person doing this kind of thing.
Excuse me!
Nice to meet you!
My name is...
"Nice to meet you"?
Yes?
Meme... I mean you're Touwa, right?
I used to live in the city until middle school.
Are you possibly...?
Yamamoto-kun?
Even though you added the "kun", you're way off.
But I remembered most of it.
I can't believe you can't remember my name.
When did you come back?
Last month. I quit my job and came back here.
By the way, I'm single.
What's that supposed to mean?
What are you here for?
Oh, that's right!
I wanted you to help me launch this.
Here.
Oh, sure.
It's finished.
Three.
Two.
One.
Launch!
It's faster than a salamander!
What's that supposed to mean?
Hey!
Touwa!
Touwa, why did you make a rocket?
Could it be that maybe...
Oh, just a hobby?
I'm preparing to fight.
Eh?
Fight what?
Aliens.
With plastic bottles?
Yep.
I'll bring more, so please help me.
Oh, sure.
Also...
I have another request.
Yeah, what is it?
If it's a request from you, I can fulfil it.
Leave it to me!
Pssst pssst pssst...
What is that?
You can't?
Well, I guess I can.
Yay!
Thanks!
And... what happened to Elliot?
He's not in the city.
He went off somewhere.
All right.
I'll see you again!
Touwa!
I mean...
Meme-chan.
No, -san!
Yes?
Um, you see.
Say the two of us... Well, to be direct...
What's wrong, Yamamoto?
I'm telling you, I'm not Yamamoto!
Then what's your name?
I'm telling you!
Please... marry me.
June 12th.
I was proposed to by someone with an unknown name.
W-What?
28 years ago
I've never seen you around here.
What does your family do for a living?
We work at a flower shop.
Our family makes fireworks.
Did you see the fireworks that my dad put together at last year's festival?
Elliot was a foreigner who was the same age as me.
At first, I thought he was one of the aliens my Grandma and Grandpa talked about.
It was my first love.
Maybe I'm next.
Next for what?
Cattle mutilation.
No!
You can't see God with your eyes, so there's no avoiding him.
Then, I'll try to do something about that!
Well, what are you going to do?
I don't know.
Giving up already?
I don't want Granny to go away.
I just don't want you to!
Thank you.
Well, if you want to do something about it, keep thinking.
Even an idiot will eventually think of something.
Why don't you just fight them off?
After running away from the proposal,
I found myself in the bathtub.
Please marry me!
Seriously?
Sheesh, should I turn him down?
I mean, do I even want to get married?
And to whom?
I've been living with Erio all this time,
so I'm not confident I can make space for someone else in this house.
Mako-kun is like my own child.
I'm really reluctant to accept someone who's unrelated as a family member.
I have to come up with something.
I probably should've taught Erio how to think of a solution back when she was wrapping herself in futons.
Then she might've stayed in school.
My life is filled with regrets, and I can never be truly satisfied.
June 19th
For the following week, so I wouldn't run into Yamamoto-kun...
I secretly fed the animals,
and made Erio an employee at the Tamura Corner Store.
There, I met a girl whose cheeks would pop if I were to poke them,
and succeeded in delivering cola.
The most annoying part of making a plastic bottle rocket is preparing the actual rocket.
He's probably looking for me.
Ah, well, I need to go now!
Have fun.
Why don't you just fight them off?
How do you fight them off?
Only faith can touch the invisible.
Faith?
Yup.
And for that you need some things.
And they are...
...prayer and rituals.
So that I can look up at the sky without worry tomorrow.
Hey, Shuugoro!
What, I'm that Yamamoto now?
TL Note: Yamamoto Shuugoro is a famous novelist.
Get away from Yamamoto!
Okay.
You took that too literally!
I'm fine with Yamamoto!
So please don't run away from me!
Oh, um, the launching of the rockets...
Yes, I came here to decline that, too.
Huh?
Oh, you see...!
I was just kind of panicking!
I-I'm sorry!
No, it's fine,
but I'm declining.
What do you mean "declining"?
Wait, hold on!
Could you at least let me explain myself?
Go ahead.
I'm still declining.
I've liked you ever since I was a kid.
Well, that's about it, but...
...when I came back to this city after quitting my job,
I saw you.
Seeing you riding the bike the same way you did when we were kids.
Your eyes and your soul kind of swept me away.
Well, I see you have no intention to marry.
Nope, none at all!
That's a shame.
I mean, you're really beautiful.
I'm living with a daughter plus one, and I'm happy enough with that.
I don't need a husband in my family.
I didn't marry Elliot, so I'm thinking of pulling through single.
I see.
All right.
Let's just start off as friends.
Oh?
Weren't we friends to begin with?
Of course.
I started launching plastic bottle rockets to show to your daughter.
Oh, I see.
But why?
I heard she was the type of girl who was interested in space.
Oh, is that some sort of way to get me near you?
Spot on.
That earring, too?
I thought you would like the cattle mutilation angle,
but it's obvious that wasn't the case.
Your daughter is pretty tall, isn't she?
Huh?
She's at least 180cm!
What part of Erio measures 180cm?
Her three sizes?
Or something else?
I wonder who he's talking about.
A girl with a height of 180 cm...
Yamamoto-kun.
I guess that's my nickname...
Anyway, yes?
That's not my daughter.
What?
Isn't she the one who works at the candy shop, always wearing weird costumes?
That's one of my employees!
I asked some people around the city!
They told me it's the one with the weird outfit.
That was true until April...
April?
You came back around May, Yamamoto-kun,
so I guess you haven't seen Futon-Erio.
That's too bad.
You're joking.
I wanted to get to know her, and I even paid her for work.
I asked her to help me get this plastic bottle rocket thing going.
What am I supposed to do with that many...
A massive amount of rockets.
That's perfect!
The ritual needs to be large-scale to make a grand show.
Yamamoto-kun!
Yep.
Yamamoto I am.
The things I asked for last time, are they ready?
Yeah, since you asked for it, I worked hard on it.
Oh?
Thank you.
I guess you really are the best domino for me.
I'm back.
Welcome back!
That evening,
I asked Maekawa-chan to help Mako-kun and Erio make plastic bottle rockets.
Well, we're off!
What are you going to do by making rockets?
Obviously, we're going to launch them,
with our prayers,
into the far and deep space.
It's fine Granny, you can sleep.
Shut up!
I want to sit.
What's with you this late?
Granny, want to go to the beach tomorrow?
Huh?
We can't go to the beach now!
Is your health not good?
Stupid, I just don't have confidence in my body.
Don't act like your were sexy before, old lady.
Don't get carried away just because you have smoother fat than me!
Besides, I'm going to be taken away from this world soon.
There's no point in doing anything.
It's because you have that kind of attitude...
...that for 28 years, I've been...
Could you just hang out with me for one day?
Please?
That really brings back memories!
Huh?
Whenever Shouji was with a woman he loved, he always said that.
"Only one day, only one day."
That's true; my older brother was always like that.
It's funny how you remembered that all this time.
Of course I would remember!
You were the one who told me.
You were always praying.
I'm not too sure what you're up to, but sure, I'll come along!
Thank you.
I'll get going.
Okay.
Meme.
Be careful on your way back. You're a mother now.
Thanks.
Well, I'll see you tomorrow!
Just wait, Alien.
Sure is hot!
My nose is going to dry out.
What's with that toy?
Well, let's get this going!
Yamamoto-kun~!
I entrust you with this!
Did you catch it?
Somehow, yes!
I'll get started!
I've heard that voice before.
Really?
Are you ready?
Not yet!
I've heard that one, too...
You sure know a lot of people.
Are you ready?
I don't think just yet.
It's Shouji's son!
Are you ready?
Not quite yet.
I haven't heard that one before.
I've introduced a new character into your life.
Are you ready?
We're ready now...
What's going on?
Are you ready?
We're all ready!
All right!
Let's do this!
But wait, there's more!
Which one of you made that thing?!
Granny, are you watching?
Oh, this...
It's the next batch!
Look! Look!
Prototype June 17th is flying really well!
How boring!
Wait!
It disappeared.
Elliot, you big moron!
This is it: the final product!
Just a bit more.
Just a bit more!
Reach. Reach. Reach!
Hit the aliens!
Reach and hit the aliens!
Yamamoto-yan!
Here we go!
Elliot, I did it.
I tried my best.
Do you think we won the battle?
Hurray!
Hey, you...
Did you feel alive for once?
Has the alien known as lethargy in Granny died off?
It was enough to make me realise how stupid so many things are.
We lured the aliens out with dummies,
and then we killed them with the final rocket.
A special rocket made by the son of a fireworks maker, Yamamoto-kun!
Oh, so the voice I heard before was Ashiro.
So that was his name.
That's it?
Yup, that's it.
This is what you've been thinking about?
This is what I've been thinking about.
For that long?
For that long.
So we defeated them.
So God won't take you away for a while.
Heh, what do you know about aliens?
His potential is ridiculously high for a son of Shouji's.
What was your first impression of Mako-kun?
When he came over with Erio for the first time, I thought it was Shouji who came with you.
I thought my life was flashing before my eyes!
You're such a pessimistic grandma.
I've been like this ever since Grandpa passed away.
I had such a low expectations for everything because I didn't have enough energy to regret my actions when things went wrong.
I just kept on hating the gods and accepted the unfairness of life.
They're an invisible enemy, after all.
There's no way to relieve my stress and hatred.
That's how I coped with this whole fate thing.
It made me pessimistic, and it was painful, but I can accept it and live on.
Even if my husband and daughter died,
even if I was the only one who lived long enough to see my great-grandchild. Yet...
I'm sorry.
It's nothing to apologize for.
Idiots just do unexpected things.
Are you the one who taught her about being wrapped in futon?
No. She came up with it on her own.
That was Grandpa's old habit.
He always ran into a futon whenever he was under pressure.
It runs in the blood!
Humans can be weird creatures, huh?
We're bound by things like blood and fate.
We're all linked like dominoes,
and it's impossible to resist it,
but sometimes I think we can at least change the direction the dominoes fall.
I'm giving that shop to Erio when I die.
Geez...
Well, it's not like I'm going to give out anytime soon.
Hey, Granny.
Will you join me for a detour on the way home?
Sure, why not?
The store's closed for the day, anyway.
There's nothing wrong with playing with your grandkids!
I'm going to visit Grandpa's grave with her now.
I already know the first thing I'll say when I get there.
I'll report that I am still living on,
even after parting with many people.
I've turned 40 years old.
kaze hiku no, kaze hiku no
風邪引くの 風邪引くの
I'll catch a cold; I'll catch a cold.
ofuton nakute samui
おふとんなくて寒い
It's cold without a futon.
ofuton hagasarete samui
おふとんはがされて寒い
It's cold when the futon is pulled off.
yoake ni anata ga kuru
夜明けにあなたが来る
In the morning, you come.
anata ga waratteiru
あなたが笑っている
You have a smile on your face.
kitto boku ni wa mienai to omotteiru
きっと僕には見えないと思っている
You must think I can't see you.
sotto te wo nobashite
そっと手を伸ばして
You slowly extend your hand out.
ittai nani wo suru tsumori?
一体何をするつもり?
Just what are you trying to do?
kaze hiku no, kaze hiku no
風邪引くの 風邪引くの
I'll catch a cold; I'll catch a cold.
netafuri wo shite sugosu
寝たふりをして過ごす
I pretend that I am asleep.
sukoshi dake atatakaku naru
少しだけ暖かくなる
It's become just a bit warmer.
tonari de anata ga nemuru
隣であなたが眠る
You are sleeping next to me.
urusai negoto wa mushi shite
うるさい寝言は無視して
I ignore your annoying sleep talk.
kasanaru odeko ni kisu shite
重なるおでこにキスして
I put my lips to your forehead and kiss it.
Muscle pains (Ouch!): -1
Wanting to work: +3
Granny being depressing: -2
Starting work at the Tamura Corner store: +2
Getting proposed to: -1
Celebrating a birthday at the beach. Both my cousin and I: +3
Finding happiness in reaching 40 years of age: +5
Today's total society points: +8
Today's happiness points: +1
『The Restricted Area Alien Incident』
Next time: The Restricted Area Alien Incident
Erio, aren't you forgetting something?
Oh?
Cousin's total adolescence points: +2