I would like to say that this is the first time ever in watching this show where I actually wanted Michiru to stop listening to Ruka and actually help Sousuke. I don’t know why, I guess because Sousuke just seemed so pathetic that he even had me thinking that he may need more attention than we should give him — Too bad I was wrong by the time Sousuke reverted back to his old crazy ass self.
Michiru does help Sousuke in the first half of the episode, but constantly reminding him that she is helping him and that she’ll never go back to him unless he changed his ways. They part ways, after when Sousuke actually allowed Michiru to live her life. Yes, he actually let her go. He never called her, never waited for her outside the store, and did not go looking for her.
She returns “home” where she lets everyone know she’s returned back to her job. With little apprehension from Eri and Ruja, Takeru supports her and Eri presents her with a key to the share house. I have a feeling this key will play a major point in this drama….
Then, like a Stockholm Syndrome, Michiru is feeling alone. Yes, she has the share house, but its like she lost something. She looks outside the window of her job that she finally came back too expecting him to be there, yet he’s not. She checks her cell phone for the countless messages he leaves but there’s none there. Finally, on one of her breaks, a few days later she calls the children’s welfare department of the government ward asking for Sousuke. The lady lets her know that Sousuke has not came in for quite some time (man, what a nice job he has).
This gives Michiru reason to actually go and visit Sousuke without feeling guilty for doing so. She wants to check up on him, why is that so bad? No one answers the door, so she uses her key to enter the apartment. Its dark, as if no one is living in there. She calls out his name and she hears him, he’s still bed ridden. He hasn’t changed his clothes, and it doesn’t look like he’s even taken a shower.
Michiru checks up on him. His fever is down but he tells her he hasn’t eaten anything nor did anything since she left. She tells him to stop it and that she’ll make him a dish. As she’s feeding him he mentions to her that he’s sick because she isn’t within him. Michiru basically doesn’t want to feed into his nonesense and he doesn’t want to accept her reluctance. He wraps his arms around her tightly and pulls her onto the bed, against his body burrying his face in her neck.
Michiru tells him to let her go but he doesn’t. She tells him that this isn’t the time or place to do this but he doesn’t listen and she forces herself out of his hold. Sousuke leans back into the bed, frowning, as she looks down at him, near the window.
Michiru: I’m sorry. I’ll be leaving
Sousuke: Why must you be like this?
Sousuke mentions to Michiru that she’s acting like this because of that “Ruka-thing” but Michiru yells at him saying ” It isn’t like that! “, that she basically doesn’t feel safe around him anymore but Sousuke is now angry and yells at her, throwing the rice bowl at the wall and it shatters everywhere. Ruka cowers, yelling stop it, but he jumps out the bed, grabs her and throws her on the bed and jumps on top of her, forcing himself on her.
The camera pans down and we don’t know what happens next —
Except that we’re back at the share house and Michiru comes back happy, hiding the fact that she went to Sousuke and that he hurt her.
That triggered Sousuke to continuously call her, asking for her to come back but she refusing to.
Then, at Michiru’s next race, Sousuke keeps calling her. This scene basically shows the confliction within her. Who is she devoted to? She has someone who’s sick and cries out to her and you have someone who is trying to save you. Yet, she answers the phone, giving in:
M: Yes?
S: Where are you at?
M: Motorcross race
S: I want to see you. When can we meet?
M: Sousuke….
S: I really need to see you
M: I can’t…. This is a very important race to Ruka
Sousuke tries to put the guilt trip on Michiru, but Michiru ends the call. Later, that evening, after Ruka places 1st in the race, Sousuke calls again:
M: Hello?
S: Michiru/
M: Sorry about earlier. I can see you, just wait.
S: Don’t bother
M: Why?
S: I am going to kill my self. I am going to die now. Goodbye.
Michiru freaks and runs out the bar, startling everyone and Ruka confronts her. She tells her that Michiru isn’t being strong, that she’s losing everytime she runs to him. That he isn’t worth it but Michiru mentions that Ruka is strong and that she has a strong family… that it just isn’t that simple.
M: Right now, I need to be by his side. I’m so sorry
Michiru runs away in tears and Takeru walks up to Ruka to comfort her but Ruka quicky shoves him away
R: Don’t touch me…. don’t touch me!
And the episode ends.
—
A good episode, and of course, the pace of the drama is slowing down since we’re half way there. The preview for this episode, last week, was really a go getter because it had you excited for a whole mess of drama which in this episode took more a sullen pace. I noticed they’re dragging out Sousuke’s suicide attempt, which by watching the preview isn’t going to happen.
I think the writters are successfully writing a villian here. Even he has me sometimes at his toes sympathizing with him in this episode. I think Sousuke knows what he’s doing and he knows if he plays this game Michiru will come back to him. The expression he gives her when she walks alway, after visiting him, is clearly evident.
As for Eri, its obvious she is dependent on people despite the fact of living a “single woman” life. When Ogurin leaves her for an attempt to patch up with his wife, she becomes drunk and tries to find someone else to cure that hole in her heart. I thought that it was more evident that Eri doesn’t want love she wants companionship. Whoever can make her feel wanted is good enough for her. I thought it was interesting that when Eri eluded to the fact that Takeru maybe gay he just simply confirmed it despite the fact that he’s not. I guess to make sure that Eri doesn’t do it again.
As for Ruka, she’s suffering… but I can see why she suffers. She wants Michiru, she wants to love Michiru, but she knows she can’t. I think because of this she is hurting herself more than needed, and in a way, I can see that she’s obssessed with her as well. She gets defensive as much so as Sousuke when it comes to protecting her. I think this is why Ruka is losing Michiru — Because like Sousuke, Ruka doesn’t let Michiru breath. I can see why Michiru is leaning towards Takeru… because Takeru allows her to breath, to make her mistakes, to find her self. But it seems in the next episode Takeru chews her out.
Screencapsssssssss coming soon.