Ben-To (ベン・トー)

It was the night of April sixth,

in the year twenty-eleven AD.

That's when... I died.

Hey Mama, how come this guy isn't movin'?

I didn't miss it, did I? The half-price bento.

What happened?

Looking back, I can't help but

question my purpose in life.

I came into this world fifteen years ago and

I've spent the last fourteen of 'em playing Sega games.

I had a normal childhood.

I mean, I've had my share of screw ups, like any other kid.

Like when I was little, I nearly blew myself up at my dad's work,

and I didn't know you had to pay to

get on the train until a few years ago.

Other than that, my life's been pretty boring.

Especially compared to my pal Ishioka from junior high.

That guy's got enough material for a primetime

TV show that'd sell millions of DVDs.

Aw, not again.

I guess you can't die on an empty stomach

or I'd be a goner.

How did I get beat up at the freakin' grocery store?

Damn it.

Perfect.

Thank you. Have a good evening, sir.

Yeah thanks, you too.

I wonder what she was she tryin' to say.

Was it.... "I love you"?

Wait, she loves me?

Hold me.

I'm just a high school kid;

my feeble mind can't handle that kinda fantasy!

Believe it or not,

all that happened on my first day of school.

It's the second day of school and

I'm walking there from the ER.

Man, I can't remember a thing from last night.

Um, Saito?

'scuse me, Saito?

Who, me? My name's actually Sato.

Yo Sato.

Oh my goodness, how embarrassing!

Sorry about that! Sato not Saito.

I'm just so glad you're okay. I was awfully worried about

you after the craziness that went down last night.

Wow! Look at all your bruises!

I can't believe you sprained your

left arm and your right ankle.

That takes talent! Did you break any bones?

Maybe a few ribs?

Thankfully I wasn't hurt that bad.

That's good, I guess.

Although I was kinda hoping you broke out of the hospital.

The nurses were all like,

"You should be hospitalized, just to be safe."

But when they called my parents, my dad said,

"If the boy can walk,

then toss him out on his ass!" and he hung up on them.

So in other words,

"I ain't gonna pay the kid's hospital fees!" Screw him.

I guess the nurses let me stay overnight

because they took pity on me.

You weren't admitted but there's no

mistaking that you were injured, right?

I'll try to hold back.

Okay.

If only your injuries were more visible,

then I'd have a better idea of your current physical condition.

I remember going to the supermarket last night

'cause I was really hungry and I was hoping they might have some

half-price bento or somethin' but I have no idea

what happened once I got there.

Are you telling me that you don't remember anything at all?

Not even meeting me?

Uh. You mean we've met before?

Huh.

[Oshiroi cries out and then sobs]

Oh, crap! What've I done?

What the hell is wrong with you, Sato?

You just started high school and you're already makin' girls cry?

Not cool, man! So not cool!

What's not to like?

If you don't remember meeting me,

then that means you must've lost your memory!

You're a lonely man who's abandoned his tortured past!

My creative juices are flowin' now, Saito!

Hey, if you were at the supermarket last night,

then why dontcha be a pal and fill me

in on the details about what happened--

Oh, it was nothing!

Don't worry your pretty little head about it!

Hey. She looks familiar.

Let me see.

Where've I seen her before?

Yeah, that's it! I remember now!

She was at the supermarket, too,

and she kept staring at me and trying to say something.

I think it's pretty obvious that she's in love with me.

Huh? Where'd she go?

Is that for me?

Well, take it. Don't just stand there, help me.

The red tie means she's a sophomore.

Sweet, an older woman.

So, uh, looks like all this trash

is nothin' but empty bento boxes.

Yeah, today's the day for plastic recycling pick up.

I'm just surprised to see so many of 'em, y'know?

That's because our club forgot to take

out the trash before break, and this is the first plastic

recycling pick up day we've had since school started.

Geez, how many bento

do you go through in a day?

Can't you throw out a little at a time

so it doesn't pile up like this?

Don't you understand how the

waste system works in Japan? Or have you been Americanized?

Plastic recycling is only collected once a week.

Oh yeah, believe me, I know.

Unfortunately, I'm the only one in

my club who ever takes the trash out.

What kinda club are you in anyway? You're the one who

was staring at me from outside the store yesterday, aren't you?

Don't come to the supermarket again.

Alright, who's ready to chow down?

So, what do you wanna do for lunch?

I left these fish cakes in the hospital's

fridge overnight, but now they're all warm and gross.

Whatever, it's sustenance.

I vaguely remember buying them for

dinner last night, but that's about all I've got.

Everything else is a complete and total blank.

Um, hello? Who are you?

My name is Shiraume.

Hang on. I know that name.

Oh yeah!

Yesterday, our homeroom teacher said,

"You need to elect a class representative!"

which I thought was weird

'cause none of us really know each other yet, but then--

I'll do it.

You volunteered yourself and became

our class representative on the spot.

It's very nice to meet you all.

Yeah, that's right. You're Ume Shiraume!

Indeed.

No offense, but that's kind of a weird name.

When the teacher wrote it on the board yesterday,

I thought, "That's Ume squared."

Ya mind if I call you that?

Yes, I mind.

Stop fooling around or I'll get angry.

You're not now?

If you know what's good for you,

you'll stay away from Hana Oshiroi.

Oshiroi?

Don't play dumb.

I know you were out with her yesterday

and you walked to school together this morning.

This morning? Oh!

That girl with the glasses who's been following me around?

Hey, if you're so "in-the-know," then what did we do yesterday?

I warned you, don't make me angry.

Huh?

Hey, did I miss somethin', Uchimoto?

If I'd known Karasuda Private High School

had its own dorms,

I would've thought twice about transferring here.

Somehow I just knew my old man

would make me move in to be closer to school.

The problem is the dorm only serves breakfast,

so you're on your own for lunch and dinner.

I get that they wanna teach

their students to be independent,

self-sufficient adults, but living on your own seriously

sucks when you don't know the first thing about cooking.

One month's allowance is twenty-five-thousand yen,

and subtracting other expenses,

I'm left with a daily food budget of--

If I eat light at lunch,

then I can stretch my dinner budget to--

Don't come to the supermarket again.

I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice.