A Boy's Summer in 1945

A Rumble Fish Production

A BOY'S SUMMER IN 1945

August 1945, Kirishima, Miyazaki Prefecture

You there...

What are you here for?

- For pulmonary infiltration. - Huh?

Pulmonary infiltration.

- Huh? - Lungs... for the lungs.

Oh, lungs? Lung infiltration?

Yes.

I see.

Maybe someone bears a grudge against you?

Look at the old lady's back.

Her smoke is rising straight up, but yours is swaying all over the place.

Don't move.

I don't know what to do about you.

Maybe...

What if your soul

hasn't fully settled into your body yet?

I'll be leaving first.

- Reporting back, sir. - Good work.

Today marks three months

since we arrived here.

Redeployed from the Soviet-Manchurian front,

we are stationed here in Kirishima for one reason only.

As you already know, regrettably, Okinawa

has fallen to enemy American forces.

Their invasion of southern Kyushu is now imminent.

The battle for the survival of our homeland

has already begun.

Our mission is to draw enemy landing forces

from the Hyuga-nada Sea here, and annihilate them.

With an honorable death in mind,

and determination, take your position in the hole,

and kill each one of those demonic American soldiers!

With firm confidence in ultimate victory,

I want you to steel your resolve and fight to the very end.

Thrust!

Back into position!

Thrust!

The Third Platoon will move there.

Natsu.

Haru.

Can you give me a push?

- The bicycle... - Isn't this Yasuo's bicycle?

It was lying on the road, so I've been pushing it all the way here.

Natsu, come on!

Can't you ride properly?

Do it right.

Haru, push a little more.

More...

Red-spotted Apollo butterfly.

Can you make an exception?

I'm begging you.

But it's a fact that we're short of male labor, you know.

I know Minoru is expected to come,

but isn't he just a child?

What child? Isn't he sixteen already?

He's about the right age to start.

Besides, Natsu's already under our care.

Yes.

And I really apreaciate that.

Don't come crying to me now saying you can't grow rice.

'Scuse me for that...

Didn't you come bowing your head in apology last year, too?

Saying, "'Scuse me, 'scuse me."

'Sc... 'Scuse me.

Well, I'll discuss it with the ward head.

Go home for now.

Yes.

'Scuse me.

- Yasuo. - Yes.

You...

What are you holding the soup bowl in your left hand for?

Yes.

You've been holding onto the soup bowl this whole time,

and keep going back and forth with the chopsticks held in your right hand.

- Oh. - Don't just say "Oh."

First, put down the soup bowl, then use the chopsticks held in your right hand.

How often must I tell you?

I am sorry.

- Sit up straighter. - Yes.

Sharp!

Yes.

And also, that room of yours doesn't look appropriate for studying.

Anyway, enough with the Jesus picture.

- Understood? - Yes.

A letter arrived. It's from Manchuria.

- Really? - Good for you.

Uh-huh.

- It's "yes," not "uh-huh." - Yes.

Good evening!

Oh, Uchiko.

- Good evening. - What brings you here?

Setsuko came back

and said she wanted to visit Grandpa Hidaka's place.

- So, I brought her over. - I see... Setsuko did?

Good evening.

Oh, good to see you're well. So, you came back from Nagasaki?

- Yes, today with the noon train. - I see...

- Oh, come on in. - But you were about to have dinner.

No, we're almost finished now.

- Natsu, bring them something... - There's no need.

We just stopped by to say hello.

At least, have some tea.

Grandpa, there are so many soldiers around.

Will the American troops make it all the way here?

Well, who knows.

Is that the way it's done?

What do you mean by that?

They were digging holes.

What do holes have to do with war?

It's obvious. They hide in the holes,

lure the enemy tanks in, and blow them up with bombs.

Is that so? But is that safe?

Setsuko, you don't need to worry about such things.

If America makes it this far,

it means Japan is basically done for.

Now, even you're saying things like that?

You know, these days around here, Grumman planes

fly over firing their machine guns.

Mr. Yoshinobu, who was walking his cows,

got mowed down like ratatatata.

That's what I heard.

Indeed.

Thank you for the meal.

- Yasuo! - Yes.

You have nothing to say to your aunt?

- Please make yourself at home. - Sure.

- You don't want? - Huh?

- To eat some yokan . - I do.

Then, come eat.

Can I eat it over there?

- Over there where? - Yasuo's room.

Huh? Why?

Because it's been a long time since I saw that room.

The station master is an acquaintance of my father's,

so I'll be working here as a ticket gate attendant.

I see.

"It's better than staying in Nagasaki and being mobilized to a shipyard,"

my father said, so I came back.

Hm...

- Won't you have some yokan ? - No, thanks.

- Then, can I eat it all? - Uh-huh.

Yasuo, you were also mobilized in middle school, right?

Uh-huh.

- Are you going? - I'm not going.

Why not? You have to go.

- Your mother didn't tell you? - She didn't.

- I'm ill. - Really?

- Pulmonary infiltration. - Hm...

- Aren't you going home yet? - What? You want me to go home already?

Well, I didn't mean it like that, but my illness might be contagious.

Is it that bad?

Yeah, I guess. I sometimes get a slight fever, sometimes not.

- Maybe it's a stress fever? - What are you talking about?

You,

who used to only read Norakuro, have even such pictures hung up.

You've grown up as well, I see.

Hurry up and go home already.

You've gotten better at speaking our dialect.

Hm, you think so?

I was the one who taught you. You ought to be grateful.

Uh-huh, I can't help but be grateful.

That's a strange answer.

Shouldn't you go home already?

You know, I got a boyfriend in Nagasaki.

Is that so?

- Surprised? - Not at all.

Couldn't you at least act a little surprised?

Why should I act surprised for no reason?

Didn't you say you liked me before?

Huh? What are you talking about?

He's a medical student, one year older than me.

My boyfriend in Nagasaki.

Hm...

He's four years older than you, Yasuo.

- So what? - Doesn't that upset you?

- Not really. - You should be upset.

So, you came all the way here just to say that?

Couldn't even join the student mobilization. That's the same as being unpatriotic.

Don't say that.

It's because his physical condition is still bad.

There's nothing wrong with him.

Why did he think going off into the woods would solve anything?

When it comes to Yasuo, he instantly gets in a bad mood.

He really is a handful.

That boy has also been feeling quite lonely, you know.

I heard that during the air raid at the factory in Miyakonojo the other day,

that's when it happened,

when many of his classmates died.

If that were the case, it'd be the same for the others.

But they say the others are already doing fine working at the next factory.

It's not like Yasuo is the only special one. Right?

Good evening.

Yes?

Good evening. Please, come in.

Pardon the intrusion.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

If only the Master had an heir.