Far Away, So Close (Tooku de zutto soba ni iru)

Want a smoke?

No, I'm underage.

Is this a hospital?

Yeah.

It's pretty cold.

They should turn on the heat.

It's air-conditioned.

Air-conditioned?

In December?

No... it's July, right now.

July?!

Look.

Uhh..

Actually...

Can I?

A smoke.

To help me relax a bit.

Here.

Are you alright?

I'm fine.

I've smoked since grade 10.

But I actually hate them.

Cigarettes.

So why do I smoke them?

Far Away, So Close

She has memory loss.

The shock from her accident has affected the part of her brain that controls memories.

Based on the interview we did, she has lost all memories from 17 years of age until the accident.

Sakumi-san is fairly sure of who she is and what sort of life she's been leading.

It's just... 10 years of memories, from age 17 until now, have been lost.

10 years' worth?

Why so many...?

Well, she has suffered some trauma.

However, I don't see any clear damage or hemorrhaging in her brain.

Somehow, there's a barrier between two sets of memories.

Those before December of her 17th year, and those until now.

Would you have any idea why?

No...

Her father died, but that happened before that December.

Are her memories actually gone?

Well, she isn't saying anything to the contrary.

If she's lying, instead of a brain surgeon,

she may need psyochosomatic treatment or a psychiatrist.

Mom.

Are you alright?

Yeah.

You seem well.

As well as you can in this state, anyway.

This is Shimura-san. I mentioned him this morning.

Hello, nice to meet you.

Should I call you Dad?

Yeah.

Please do.

And this is your little sister, Mika-chan.

Nice to meet you!

Waking up to find I have a new sister feels weird!

Try speaking a little slowly.

Mika-chan's hearing is...

She can hear a little bit, though.

And she reads lips, too.

Right?

Huh? Hosomi-kun?

Listen, this is really something!

I've lost my memories!

I've heard.

I called him.

I thought you might remember him.

Of course I do, we're in the same class.

Yeah.

In grade 10.

Oh, right.

We need to go back to the shop before we go home,

so could you have Hosomi-kun take you home?

The shop?

Shimura-san is a drycleaner.

I wonder why she called you.

Let me know if the car scares you.

If you're 27... then you're an adult now.

What is your job?

Postal worker.

A government worker...

Postal workers aren't government workers.

How's that?

Postal service privatization...

Nevermind.

I like this smell!

Is it your girlfriend's taste?

Is it...

mine?

Are we... a couple?

No way!

Really?!

Who confessed first?

Me?

No, me.

What did you say?

We went camping

with people from our high school art club.

Everyone went as couples.

Only you and I were alone, so I did it there.

Because you had to?

No.

The whole camping trip was probably just to get us together.

I see.

That's how it was.

That dentist is gone!

Yeah. Long time ago.

I still have cavities...

But I guess they're already fixed.

You're going to sleep here?

What's wrong?

I had a bad dream.

What was it?

I forgot.

What about you?

Somehow...

I don't really get all this.

Being told I've lost my memories.

Getting abducted by aliens sounds more realistic.

I wonder if I will remember?

You don't need to.

Nobody remembers absolutely everything about themselves.

Okay?

Yeah.

I guess so.

I have taste.

Ooshima Kaoru...?

From class 3.

Correct!

No way!

You have a... different aura about you, now.

Because I'm taking hormone injections.

Hormones?

Yeah.

Male hormones.

You really don't remember, do you?

I'm sorry.

No, it's fine.

I'm still me.

Just my appearance has changed.

I'm still legally a girl, too.

Are you cosplaying?

No...

There wasn't anything to wear.

It doesn't suit you anymore.

Wanna go buy clothes?

I've got no money.

You forgot that, too?

You're an adult, you know.

I couldn't have Starbucks more than once a month!

And now you're drinking a Grande.

Being an adult is awesome.

Do you really not remember anything?

Seems that way.

All 10 years are blank.

Why is it 10 years?

It's like you've come from the past.

In a movie I saw a long time ago,

the protagonist traveled to the future,

and every little thing was surprising to him.

I wish I'd come from the future.

All the kids have really long legs now!

How surprising!

Shouno-san.

You've already gotten better?

Yup!

Uh... sorry, my memory is a bit... you know.

- Who might you-- - You got into an accident, right?

That must have been terrible.

Thank you.

Are your injuries getting better?

Ah, fortunately yes.

Aside from this!

Oh, I see.

How unfortunate.

Too bad you didn't die.

Something happen?

No, it's nothing.

I don't know any of these stores.

A lot has changed around here.

I heard Michael Jackson died.

Mom surprised the hell out of me with that news this morning.

I thought he wouldn't die in his lifetime.

"Not die in his lifetime" sounds strange, doesn't it?

Dennis Hopper, Imawano Kiyoshiro, and Tatekawa Danshi died, too.

Even Whitney Houston.

There was a big earthquake, a tsunami came,

and tens of thousands of people died.

You're lucky you don't remember.

Lucky?

Not unlucky?

Everyone struggles to forget the things they don't want to remember.

Your luck is really good.

Everyone in the art club said to bring you.

To celebrate your discharge, they say.

Sakumi-chan!

Come here!

The guest of honor gets the birthday seat!

This isn't about a birthday!

- Move over there! - Why?