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. FRIED CHICKEN WINGS
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9. Fried chicken wings,
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10. are they popular recently?
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11. I see them at restaurants around town,
so I tried my hand at them as well.
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12. - It's like eating crab.
- What?
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13. Wings are good, but the bones...
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14. Yeah, they're difficult to eat.
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15. And your hands get so greasy.
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16. They ruin your lipstick, too.
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17. But they make us
feel like eating meat, right?
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18. I'm telling you, there are no good men
at parties in Nishi-Azabu.
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19. He said we'd get married
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20. at The Ritz-Carlton
and get a Harry Winston ring.
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21. To think he was cheating.
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22. He has money, right?
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23. I was his fourth girlfriend.
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24. There are no honest men among the rich.
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25. Accept that it was just a fantasy
and move on.
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26. I'll be 26 next year.
I'm running out of time.
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27. That woman, the one
gobbling up the chicken wings...
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28. You mean Chizuru?
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29. She works at a club in Kabukicho, right?
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30. Recently, she's been coming after work.
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31. - That's her side job.
- What?
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32. She's a gravure model.
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33. I knew it! That's Chizuru Morino!
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34. Ten or so years ago,
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35. she would pop up here and there
in the magazines sometimes.
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36. So she's still at it.
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37. You shouldn't gossip.
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38. Especially as a regular.
No one will want to come here.
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39. - Right.
- You're one to talk.
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40. I'm saying it to myself, too.
Right, Master?
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41. Yeah. I'd be very grateful for that.
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42. He doesn't believe me!
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43. Hello?
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44. Come in.
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45. - Excuse me.
- Hello.
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46. Miyako, about that
pachinko poster girl job...
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47. - Yes?
- You got it.
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48. Really?
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49. The CEO is crazy about you.
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50. - Do your best.
- Thank you very much.
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51. Any news about the audition?
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52. You didn't get it.
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53. I had something else for you.
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54. There are plans for a photobook.
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55. But there are conditions.
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56. I won't do nudes.
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57. Chizuru, what is it you want?
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58. You say you won't do this or that, but...
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59. - You're 35 now?
- I'm 34.
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60. Excuse me, I'm going home.
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61. - See you.
- Thank you for your work.
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62. Miyako.
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63. About your upcoming schedule...
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64. I'm running out of time, too.
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65. There's a party for rich CEOs
in Roppongi tomorrow. Wanna go?
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66. 12,000 yen for two hours.
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67. No way. I'm short on money,
and I don't have the energy.
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68. You wouldn't pay, you would be paid.
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69. This is so good!
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70. You know Miyako?
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71. She got that job
from a CEO she met at a party.
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72. Just talk with them,
and it'll be over before you know it.
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73. Nice to see you!
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74. Miss Chizuru Morino?
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75. Yes?
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76. I bought all of the magazines you were in.
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77. Your pictures at Shimoda beach...
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78. They're amazing.
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79. Thank you.
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80. I haven't thought about Shimoda
for a long time.
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81. Actually, I'm from Shizuoka.
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82. When I cycled past there from school,
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83. I'd think, "Chizuru Morino was here."
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84. Just thinking that...
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85. really excited me.
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86. Excuse me.
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87. The host is a friend from university.
I had no choice but to come.
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88. Is that so?
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89. I can't believe
I'm meeting Chizuru Morino.
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90. Excuse my rudeness.
I mean, Miss Morino.
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91. THREE WEEKS LATER
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92. Is he the one we talked about?
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93. Toru Kanzaki.
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94. He's the head of an IT company
and said to be worth millions.
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95. I heard on TV that he was a big name
in the Internet society.
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96. There're a lot of people
who say that about themselves.
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97. Here you go.
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98. Mr. Kanzaki said he absolutely had to try
the chicken wings here.
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99. I see. I hope you like them.
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100. Delicious.
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101. - Are you having any?
- I'll have a salad.
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102. I have a shoot coming up.
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103. You're so professional.
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104. I'm impressed.
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105. It stands out, right?
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106. I haven't liked it since I was little.
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107. But...
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108. I'm keeping it.
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109. I want to be my natural self.
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110. This mole is proof of that.
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111. - "Your natural self"?
- Yes.
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112. A few years ago,
I wouldn't have been able to talk to you.
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113. But now, to be honest,
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114. I've gained some confidence.
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115. Sorry.
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116. Thank you.
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117. Excuse me.
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118. What's wrong?
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119. I see...
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120. Got it. I'm on my way.
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121. I'm sorry,
there's a problem at the office.
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122. - Is everything okay?
- Yes, it's nothing serious.
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123. The check, please.
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124. - Sorry, we only accept cash.
- What?
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125. In that case...
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126. Take this instead.
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127. Don't worry, Mr. Kanzaki.
I have cash. Please go ahead.
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128. I'm sorry.
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129. Master, five more chicken wings, please.
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130. I thought you were dieting, weren't you?
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131. Eating chicken wings isn't a good look.
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132. Okay, then.
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133. Those big-name IT CEOs
are a little strange, don't you think?
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134. You have to be
to survive the competition, I guess.
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135. I guess there are honest men
among the wealthy.
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136. Weren't you the one
who said there weren't?
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137. I was wrong.
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138. Maybe my heart
had succumbed to bitterness.
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139. He's on his way to Sapporo now.
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140. Surely there aren't any flights this late.
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141. He's going by private jet.
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142. "I'll be done with work in the morning.
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143. Why don't you take
tomorrow afternoon's flight to join me?
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144. I want you to come for my birthday."
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145. What? What should I do?
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146. I can't go empty-handed.
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147. What should I get as a gift?
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148. - Don't know.
- No idea.
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149. Me, neither.
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150. Really, what should I do?
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151. Shouldn't you be your natural self?
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152. Yes?
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153. Mr. Kanzaki, we've brought up the gift.
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154. May we come in?
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155. Sure. The door is open.
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156. Thank you.
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157. - Excuse us.
- Thanks.
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158. Happy birthday!
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159. I'm trying to be festive.
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160. Did I...
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161. go too far?
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162. I've never had anything like this before.
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163. You came...
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164. as your natural self.
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165. Honestly...
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166. my high school self...
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167. is crying in joy right now.
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168. Thank you.
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169. Here you go.
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170. You never leave any meat behind.
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171. I have four siblings,
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172. and we always fought over chicken wings.
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173. If we didn't eat all the meat off,
Mom yelled at us for wasting food.
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174. I see.
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175. But I won't eat them
when I'm with Mr. Kanzaki.
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176. I don't think you have to put on an act.
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177. I don't want him to dislike me.
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178. Hey...
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179. Do you have a measure?
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180. A measure?
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181. A measure for knowing how happy you are.
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182. I've never even thought about it before.
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183. I don't have one.
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184. I've done my best as a model,
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185. but it's always been
others who decide my worth.
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186. Since I met Mr. Kanzaki,
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187. I feel like I want to
become someone he could like.
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188. Are you okay with that?
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189. What?
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190. As long as you judge yourself
using someone else's measure,
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191. you'll never find your real self,
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192. no matter where you look.
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193. Three months passed after that.
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194. That CEO is amazing.
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195. It says the stock price has shot up again.
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196. - Miss Chizuru, are you quitting modeling?
- What?
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197. I haven't seen your pictures lately,
and I'd love to see them again.
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198. Sorry to disappoint you.
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199. - Chizuru is quitting modeling soon.
- What?
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200. - Are you tying the knot with the CEO?
- No, not yet.
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201. But we've all been saying
it'll probably happen soon.
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202. He's been so busy,
he barely has time to talk.
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203. Actually...
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204. I'm a little worried.
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205. Good evening. Hi.
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206. Good evening.
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207. Please sit.
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208. That girl Yukari Tendo, she's been
in a bunch of commercials recently.
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209. Welcome.
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210. She said she wanted to have
some good chicken wings.
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211. Could we start with five?
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212. Right away.
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213. This kind of place is nice sometimes.
Don't you think, Miss Yukari?
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214. Yes.
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215. Mr. Kanzaki,
you sure do know all kinds of places.
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216. Chizuru, let's go.
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217. Your mole...
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218. Actually...
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219. I've moved up to the next level.
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220. "The next"?
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221. I'm sorry for being so messy.
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222. Do you mind me being like this?
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223. I like you the way you are.
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224. But...
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225. two years ago,
I would've been too shy to talk to you.
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226. The truth is...
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227. I have a little more confidence now.
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228. Excuse me.
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229. Look at him saying the word "truth"
many times.
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230. Hey, you!
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231. Yes?
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232. Don't you think
you're being insensitive to Chizuru?
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233. You shouldn't mess around
with people's feelings!
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234. Mess around?
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235. I don't get it.
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236. If you see something better, you take it.
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237. I think that's normal.
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238. You did the same thing
when you met me, right?
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239. Yes.
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240. - Hold on, Chizuru!
- It's okay.
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241. I just gave him a present.
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242. Maybe I wasn't my natural self.
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243. I was just pretending to be.
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244. Thank you, Mr. Kanzaki.
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245. No, thank you.
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246. Even if it was just a temporary dream.
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247. Master, I'm heading out.
Put it on one check.
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248. Here you are.
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249. I found my measure.
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250. I see.
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251. Let's go.
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252. Jeez!
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253. I'm sorry about that.
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254. Don't worry about it.
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255. I can't keep up.
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256. Soon after, Chizuru released
a nude photobook showing her pubic hair
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257. and quit her job as a model.
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258. MORINO GIFT WRAPPING CLASS
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259. You did all these yourself, Chizuru?
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260. I got certified in gift wrapping
and opened a class in Minami-Aoyama.
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261. I have a lot of students.
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262. What a change of scenery.
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263. But isn't the rent expensive?
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264. Yeah, I had to use
all the money from the photobook.
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265. Here you go.
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266. This! This is what I've been wanting!
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267. It's been a long time.
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268. Being your natural self
suits you much better, Chizuru.
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269. I agree.
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270. Yeah.
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271. I realized...
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272. there's something you can never wrap up.
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273. What's that?
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274. Yourself.
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275. You can't give that to others, right?
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276. That's right.
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277. Making cuts in the front and back
of the wings with a knife
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278. help the flavors soak in better.
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279. Master, what are you looking at?
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280. Is that Chizuru's?
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281. Did you buy it yourself?
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282. Thanks for the food!
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283. THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION
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