May 8, 2008

Summary: Arakure (Wild Ones), Vol 4, Chp 18

This chapter starts tense, with Igarashi and Raizo facing off. "Please left me pick-up Sachie," Igarashi requests. "Pick-up?" Raizo asks. "Yes" replies Igarashi. Raizo then tells Igarashi that there is no reason to go all the way to Oosaka if Sachie will be returning in only 3 days. He will be relieved soon. Igarashi replies that that long of a wait is no good. Igarashi is beginning to fall apart. His emotions are showing as he states that he's going and then asks whether his going is unacceptable. Raizo looks a little taken aback by Igarashi's state. There is a flashback to the recent events -- Kou's phone call and Sachie pretending everything is okay. "I promised to protect you yet I let go of your hand," he thinks. Igarashi regains his resolve and continues. "It's just that I want to settle this. May I please leave," he says.

Meanwhile Sachie is under the fireworks with Kou, but she's forgotten all about Kou. Rather she is stunned and blushing and in disbelief that Igarashi is coming to get her. She calls home to confirm it and Raizo answers the phone telling her, indeed, Igarashi is coming to pick her up.

Sachie then comes back to Earth and graciously apologizes to Kou for not being able to keep her promise of a 3-day visit. While this is happening, Igarashi is buying a train ticket while thinking about how time seemed to stretch out while he was asking if he could go. Meanwhile, Sachie is stomping off to somewhere with her cellphone in hand wondering what's with Igarashi picking her up after he had wished her a safe trip.

Back at the Yakuza house, Azuma comes to see what's going on. Raizo says, "Isn't it a good thing" Azuma worries that this may cause bad relations with the Shinome family (or so I think that what he's saying). Raizo laughs it off and says something like "when it's time it's time." Azuma then insist on going to Oosaka too, but is denied and carried off by the other Yakuza at the snap of Raizo's fingers. Raizo then looks out the window with a little knowing smile on his face.

Meanwhile Sachie is looking at a voice message alert from Igarashi and wondering whether she wants to listen to the message or not. "Is he really coming?" she thinks to herself. Meanwhile Igarashi is very unsettled as he rides the train traveling towards Sachie. He's so anxious that he can't sit down despite the train's stewardess's urging. Both Sachie and Igarashi are lost in teenage angst and longing wondering how to face each other when they finally meet.

Later, Sachie is waiting at the train station platform for Igarashi. Kou comes to meet her and Sachie tries to pretend it's no big deal that Igarashi is coming to get her. Then some obnoxious drunk guys try to hit-on Sachie. Kou does his best to try to protect her. In the middle of the fray, the guys are taken out by Igarashi who has just exited the train. With a warm smile on his face he tells Sachie that he has arrived. Kou's Dad dispatches the last of the drunkards leaving Kou and Igarashi to confront one another. Igarashi tells Kou the promise is off. Sachie jumps in to say it was her decision, but Igarashi cuts her off saying the that it was his selfishness after hoisting Sachie onto his shoulder. With her in tow, he gets back on the train. The train leaves the station and Kou's father remarks that Igarashi is more attractive and charming than Kou. As they walk off, Kou's father tells young Kou not to worry because he's a child worth boasting about.

Meanwhile Igarashi and Sachie are in the train. Igarashi sets her down of the floor, but they still remain in an embrace. Igarashi asks Sachie to forgive him for his selfish action. He continues, "I should have expressed my feelings from the start instead of deceiving you."

Back to the yakuza house where Raizo is looking at a childhood photo of Igarashi. Raizo's right hand man remarks that Igarashi has a good smile in that picture. Raizo then says that since he's taken Igarashi in, Igarashi, until now, has never made one selfish request. Raizo explains how Igarashi thought that if he let anyone see his true self that he would be hated. This was the first time that Igarashi said "please" (onegai).

Back on the train Igarashi is looking rather seriously at Sachie. His hand is stroking her ear and hair. "I wonder what is the extent of this feeling," the narration reads. Sachie is looking at Igarashi and meeting his eye. The situation is intense because they are still touching. Sachie says, "let go." Igarashi replies, "I won't left you go." They falls to floor, Igarashi is fully embracing Sachie tightly. Back at the station Kou realizes that Igarashi and Sachie got on the same train Igarashi arrived upon, so instead of returning to Tokyo, they are continuing on South to Hiroshima. Back on the train Igarashi appears to leaning in for a kiss and Sachie looks like a deer in headlights.