1. When people finish their day
and hurry home,
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2. my day starts.
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3. My diner is open from midnight
to 7:00 in the morning.
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4. They call it "Midnight Diner."
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5. Do I even have customers?
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6. More than you would expect.
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7. TOKYO STORIES
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8. CHICKEN FRIED RICE
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9. ON PATROL
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10. This is still here, not sold?
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11. I don't care if he's sold or not.
I want him to stay now.
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12. You feel attached to him.
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13. Yes, I know it's only junk.
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14. Oh, it's about time.
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15. - Thank you.
- Okay.
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16. Here you are.
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17. Exact amount.
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18. What's that?
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19. This?
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20. It's like a merry-go-round.
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21. He is lonely on his own, though.
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22. This won't sell, either.
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23. It's just walking the same spot
again and again.
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24. Like our life.
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25. Be lost in thought later.
Let's get back to work.
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26. You're right. See you.
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27. Thank you.
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28. I confirm the stolen wallet is in the bag.
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29. Yes, I will take him to Headquarters.
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30. Sorry to have bothered you, everyone.
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31. Stealing? What did this man steal?
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32. He has repeatedly stolen bags
at midnight movie theaters.
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33. A habitual offender.
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34. I see.
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35. Because the movie theater is dark.
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36. Sometimes I was so into the movie,
I forgot to steal, though.
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37. For instance, recently—
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38. I'll listen to your film reviews
at the office.
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39. Yes.
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40. Thank you. We may need to ask you
more questions later.
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41. Sure.
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42. So, can I order whatever I'd like here?
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43. If I have enough ingredients.
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44. I see.
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45. It sounds like customers are given
more choices,
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46. but decisions are actually led
by the diner.
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47. What an interesting strategy.
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48. What's the strategy?
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49. Don't know.
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50. Can you make chicken rice?
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51. Sure.
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52. I can.
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53. Also a beer, please.
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54. Okay.
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55. Here you go.
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56. Thank you.
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57. How's it?
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58. Delicious!
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59. My name is Akai.
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60. That's why you wear red?
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61. Funny. You even order red-colored food.
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62. The color red gives you power.
Some people wear red underwear, you know.
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63. Don't you like peas?
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64. I didn't when I was a kid.
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65. But now...
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66. These days, I can't find any restaurant
that serves this old-style chicken rice.
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67. Since then,
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68. it seems he liked my chicken rice,
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69. and he's been coming here sometimes.
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70. Mr. Momi, this...
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71. It's Shinichiro Akai indeed.
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72. Is he that famous?
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73. He's a super famous game creator.
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74. Just the video games, right?
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75. The game he created, Door to Door,
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76. commonly known as D to D series,
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77. is a very popular one
and is played worldwide.
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78. Who are you?
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79. Mr. Momi is my game master.
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80. Master means my teacher
not as in diner's owner!
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81. Here, another one.
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82. Thanks.
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83. Why did he leave his business card?
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84. He said he's been asked to go on TV.
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85. They will make a documentary program
about him.
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86. He asked me if it could be shot here, too.
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87. What? That's amazing!
Make sure you accept that!
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88. Anyway, I think he'd better stop wearing
those red suits.
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89. Even his name is Akai.
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90. Master, I think a man who can only make
silly jokes like that
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91. needs a walkthrough manual of life.
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92. Life, it's not like a game.
You can't reset it.
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93. Mr. Momi, you're so deep.
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94. We'll frame the paper lantern and...
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95. That's how they started shooting
a documentary here.
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96. Master.
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97. Please get ready to cook.
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98. Thank you.
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99. Like this?
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100. Okay.
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101. Mr. Akai, let's start.
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102. Sure.
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103. Set...
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104. Three, two...
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105. Excuse me.
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106. I've finished with the adjustments
you asked me to do yesterday.
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107. Quick work. Can I see it now?
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108. Of course.
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109. I'm happy with the movement of fingers,
but not the neck.
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110. The neck is important.
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111. It won't be dynamic enough
if it doesn't move like this.
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112. It won't be dynamic enough
if it doesn't move like this.
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113. It was when he was in high school
when Akai encountered video games.
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114. He says it was a means to escape reality.
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115. My husband used to be a barkeep.
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116. But he passed away five years ago.
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117. I have no children,
and as long as I don't employ anyone,
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118. I can enjoy working here.
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119. I see.
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120. I'd started it just before
the Showa era ended.
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121. - It's over 30 years, then?
- Yes.
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122. Congratulations!
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123. Thank you!
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124. Here, come on.
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125. Thank you.
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126. I heard you have fond memories
about chicken rice.
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127. When I was little, this was our main dish
for celebrations, like my birthday.
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128. Akai grew up in an orphanage.
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129. Shinichiro Akai is not his real name.
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130. The name was given to him
by the head of the orphanage.
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131. This photo was taken
after he was brought to...
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132. - Today's story is quite somber, isn't it?
- Yes.
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133. You can hear
that kind of story everywhere.
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134. That was hard for me
as I can't change my past.
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135. That's why I decided to overwrite my life,
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136. - and stop worrying about who I am.
- Ma'am.
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137. - Ma'am.
- What?
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138. Can I have whiskey and water?
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139. Sure.
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140. I, your mother...
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141. I wanted to see you so much, Shin.
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142. On the program, I said
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143. that's how I remembered
my mother called me.
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144. That's why you call me that, right?
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145. Don't be silly.
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146. You are my Shin.
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147. Can you take a DNA test?
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148. You're the son of your father's ex-wife,
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149. so I'm not your biological mother.
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150. Many women turned up
and claimed to be his mom?
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151. After watching Mr. Akai's documentary?
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152. He talked about it, laughing,
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153. but he hasn't been here for a while.
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154. I can see how depressed he must be,
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155. because he knows
all they want is his money.
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156. Master looks depressed as well.
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157. Why?
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158. What? Well...
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159. He was so worried about
running out of ingredients,
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160. thinking many viewers would rush in here
after the documentary.
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161. But it didn't happen.
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162. Master! We are here to support you!
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163. It turned out to be
nothing to worry about.
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164. It was a good thing in the end, right?
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165. - He expected more customers?
- Of course.
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166. Otherwise, he wouldn't say "in the end."
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167. Welcome.
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168. I watched the program the other day—
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169. Wow!
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170. Master, see? It attracted a customer!
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171. Yeah.
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172. Do you play video games?
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173. No way. I'm here for his chicken rice.
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174. Could I have a chicken rice, please?
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175. It looked so delicious on TV.
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176. Sure.
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177. Is this the game?
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178. Right. It'll be finally on sale.
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179. A long time ago,
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180. I used to make this dish often.
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181. For your children?
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182. Yes.
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183. Excuse me...
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184. The man who was interviewed...
Does he come here?
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185. He must be very busy these days.
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186. I haven't seen him recently.
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187. I see.
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188. I'll check the schedule now.
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189. We don't have time for this.
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190. You seem so exhausted.
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191. Because of my age, perhaps.
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192. I feel exhausted
after working through the night.
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193. She came here after watching the program
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194. because the chicken rice looked good.
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195. Is that so? I like it very much, too.
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196. I'm so sorry...
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197. Shin.
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198. Your father had...
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199. a wife...
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200. and a child.
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201. He said I could have the baby
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202. but he couldn't officially
acknowledge you.
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203. He left me in the end.
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204. I tried my best to raise you alone...
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205. But I had no skills to get a job,
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206. and it was too much to take
for a 20-year-old girl.
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207. My parents cut ties with me.
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208. I didn't have anyone to talk to.
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209. I thought about killing both of us.
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210. How selfish.
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211. Please don't get me wrong.
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212. I didn't say that,
thinking you're my mother.
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213. Then...
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214. I thought we should have good memories
before we die...
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215. and we went to an amusement park.
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216. When I was looking at your happy face...
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217. I felt scared to take your life with me.
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218. You said, "I want to get on that one."
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219. I left you there and ran away.
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220. It was on a horse of a merry-go-round.
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221. In the end,
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222. you couldn't kill yourself.
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223. That's disgusting.
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224. I don't have a mother.
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225. She can't call herself a mother, either,
because she abandoned me.
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226. You're right.
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227. I have no rights to be your mother
after all these years.
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228. Red color suits you very much,
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229. Shinichi.
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230. I could survive without having parents...
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231. I believed so.
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232. Why should I change that now?
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233. Here you go.
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