Original subtitles

What was your relationship with Asuka Aizawa?

Asuka and I

would often chit chat on our way home from school.

Is there any conversation that you remember particularly well?

One day in October

Asuka said to me, "Would you like to go somewhere with me?"

When I agreed

she walked happily into the backroads.

She pulled me by my hand saying "this way, this way."

The small field

smelled strongly of tea olive flowers.

It looked as if someone had laid down a golden carpet of flowers.

We sat at the base of a big tree

and she talked to me about her dreams.

Looking downward

and looking a little bit embarrassed...

"I want to be a school teacher."

Forgive me.

I really liked that girl.

I loved her for how she dreamed of her future, so full of hope.

Did Asuka ever give any indication that she was thinking about suicide?

No she did not.

She would have no reason to think about suicide.

Besides, I knew her better than anyone.

I still feel the same way.

I see.

So from your point of view,

Asuka never indicated suicidal tendencies, is that correct?

Yes.

What I wanted your advice about, concerns Riku Kaneyoshi.

Kaneyoshi himself was the one who made the allegations against his father.

He even confessed to bullying Aizawa and Yamada.

But the plaintiff, because of the lawyer's personal policy,

refuses to bring that to light in the courtroom.

I can't decide whether or not we should report it to Vice Principal Ameki

I mean...what are we supposed to say?

I don't know either.

I thought we should discuss it with the vice principal.

I'm sure she would understand.

I think she will recognize that students were being bullied at the school.

If we all tell her!

All of us?

Would you support us?

Is everything you said during the main examination,

regarding Asuka's dream, the truth?

It is the truth.

If you thought so highly of Asuka, how could you have lost her vandalized textbooks?

The fact that I lost the textbooks

and my responsibility to her while she was alive

are separate issues, are they not?

In any case, we believe the vandalism on those textbooks

was due to Asuka herself,

designed to get the attention of her homeroom teacher, Mr. Kaji

and was a scheme to make him worry.

However,

Akiko Misawa had reported to you that Riku Kaneyoshi, whom we regard as..

the ringleader bully, was burning Asuka's textbooks by the riverbank.

Did you ever consider that the vandalism and that report were related?

The truth of Ms. Misawa's report is dubious.

- However... - Supposing

that Ms. Misawa's report was not malicious,

it is probable that she was being fooled by Aizawa's lies.

Regarding Moichi Kumazawa's testimony,

which related the fact that Asuka's shoes had been hidden...

What do you think about it?

It is one of Asuka's schemes.

When Asuka's gym clothes were thrown away, was that Asuka's scheme too?

Yes.

Was it a scheme when there were thumbtacks left on her chair?

Yes.

It was all Asuka's lies?

Yes. Lies.

You are just trying to blame everything on Asuka's lies.

In other words, do you mean to say

"Dead men don't talk"?

Your Honor!

The plaintiff's questions are inflammatory.

Mr. Kumazawa, will you support us?

Eh? I thought of all people, you would back us up, Mr. Kumazawa!

What was that testimony?

I testified for my own edification.

I informed Mr. Kaji about Yamada,

I can't agree to agree to anything that will make the situation worse.

Anyway, no matter what we do,

the vice principal won't change her mind.

What about you, Nozomi?

Didn't you say that you had a feeling some kids were being bullied?

But I...

I'm not good at that sort of thing.

Isn't it a teacher's job to just teach the classwork?

Besides, they never taught us anything else when we got our teaching licenses...

You, Mr. Yahata?

Nevermind.

Asuka had two faces.

Perhaps multiple personality disorder...

A very delicate and sensitive side,

and a side bent on satisfying her desires

by lying to and hurting other people.

By only looking at her good side

and putting so much unfounded faith in her,

aren't you the one refusing to really understand her?

Kids have together an innocence and cruelty,

and they will sometimes tell lies.

Seeing through these

and embracing both their good sentiments and bad

with all of our body and spirit...

that is who we teachers are.

- Riku Kaneyoshi -

I want to talk to you.

This is not the courtroom.

- Not as plaintiff and defendant... - The witness examination is over.

[profession greeting]

Vice principal,

Riku Kaneyoshi confessed.

He admitted that he was bullying Aizawa and Kazuko Yamada.

He's saying that now it's his turn.

If you don't acknowledge it, the bullying will only continue.

If you don't tell them clearly that what they're doing is hurtful,

the bullying won't end!

We have to prevent future mistakes!

I have never made a mistake.

Why won't you accept it?

Kaneyoshi himself admitted it!

Why...

Is this what it means to protect the school?

There is some other reason she won't...or can't accept it.

Masumi Ameki's oldest son stabbed a classmate with a knife once.

The day before the incident, Otoya, the oldest son

revealed his motives to a friend.

"I will be the executioner."

"I will execute the heartless bully."

Otoya Ameki...

- I wonder if I could meet him.

He might be holding the key to Vice Principal Ameki's secrets.

Our Textbook Part 11

The lawsuit is at a critical stage.

Untrue rumors are bound to spread both among the faculty and the students.

You must not take them seriously.

That's all.

Ms. Ooshiro?

Yes.

This concludes the faculty meeting.

The public is so fickle.

They say don't hide the bullying,

but many of the schools that acknowledged it

received a bashing that they could never recover from.

[headlines about bullying in Hokkaido]

We must protect the school.

Well...the public is founded upon sacrifices of one kind or another.

Are you saying that some amount of bullying is inevitable?

No, if I said that, there'd be a public outrage.

Although, perhaps Ms. Ameki is of that opinion.

Umm...

- I... - Ms. Tsumiki?

Aren't you Tamako Tsumiki?

I saw you at court.

So you're the mother of the girl who committed suicide?

Hmm.

You even did your homework about me.

I'm flattered.

There was a second incident.

2 years ago.

When you were 20

you got into a fight with a group of high schoolers in the business district

and stabbed one of them with a knife, causing him serious injuries.

And I spent a year in jail.

This incident and the one from when you were 14...

they both have something in common.

The two you stabbed

were both offenders in cases of bullying.

Exactly.

You had stated:

"I will execute the heartless bully."

One other thing.

The two incidents have one other thing in common.

Let's go.

What is the other thing in common?

Otoya...

After the incidents, there was no more bullying at either school.

Thanks to me, the bullying problem was resolved.

Mother tried to solve the problem at first by publicizing the cases of bullying.

But all that did was promote bashings against the school.

It wasn't a solution at all.

And then mother realized

that my way was the right way.

Mother

really hated whoever was bullying Asuka.

She wanted to kill him.

But she didn't have the courage so she turned a blind eye.

It's okay now.

It's all in the past.

I've carried out my sentence; I'm reformed.

I got a job.

Let's go home.

Ms. Ameki!

I think bullying is a result of a complex interplay of circumstances.

I want you to tell me what happened,

not just from your point of view, but a comprehensive one.

When did you start bullying Aizawa?

In the 2nd semester, around October.

Was there a reason?

I heard a rumor.

Rumor?

That Aizawa

was telling everybody that my father was soliciting.

Was there any sort of trouble between you and Aizawa before that?

No.

Did you ask Aizawa first,

if she was really spreading those rumors about you father?

No.

I was told once before

that Aizawa couldn't have been spreading such lies.

By whom?

It was Ms. Ameki.

You and Ms. Ameki had a discussion about bullying?

Yes.

I think she must have talked to Aizawa about it too.

How do you know?

When I took stuff out of Aizawa's desk,

I saw a letter in her pencil case.

A letter?

The letter was addressed to Aizawa from Ms. Ameki.

Where is that letter now?

I'm sorry...

I buried it... under a tree on the river bank.

You don't remember where?

I don't remember.

What are you doing here so late?

I'm sorry, I forgot something.

Mr. Kaji,

Hmm?

Please talk to the class about me.

Please tell everyone in the class that I was bulling Aizawa.

Won't that change something?

Kaneyoshi...

Good night.

Umm...

What are you doing?

That's Kaneyoshi's notebook.

I know.

He's a bully, right?

Don't you think someone like that deserves the death penalty?

I don't.

Why not?

Why not?

Kaneyoshi found the courage to talk about it.

Kaneyoshi, who's sure to be in a much more difficult position than we are,

is saying he will confess!

Why can't we do the same?

Today, our class is going to have a discussion with Kaneyoshi.

What Kaneyoshi and the entire class did...

the fact that there are definitely cases of bullying at this school...

we're all going to talk about it.

The problem of bullying isn't any one person's problem.

It's a problem for each and every one of us.

We all have to resolve it individually.

Please arrange for your class to have study hall.

You will spend the day in the conference room preparing a report for me.

Why!?

The rest of you, please, on to your classrooms.

I'm going to my classroom!

I'm going to class and conducting homeroom.

Are you defying me?

I cannot obey.

What you are about to do is not based on any hard evidence;

it will only end up upsetting the tranquility of the school!

There's no such tranquility!

The mission of a teacher is to safeguard the tranquility,

provide a stable environment, and teach the students academically!

Any teacher who cannot follow the institution of the school is unqualified!

Mr. Yahata,

Please go to Kaji's class and inform them that they will have study hall in place of homeroom.

Ms. Yoshikoshi,

I will go.

Vice principal!

Please acknowledge the bullying problem!

Please.

Please.

Please admit it!

Please.

Please.

Please.

Please.

Our school...

At our school, there's no bullying!

To think about other peoples' feelings

is something, I think, that's easy to say, but difficult to do.

But...I want you to take time to think about it.

Kaneyoshi...

What I want you to understand more than anything,

is that this isn't just somebody else's problem.

It concerns everyone here.

If all of you ask your hearts...

It's something you all have to ask your own hearts.

What you, I, you

have been doing.

What you haven't been doing.

I've been thinking these past couple of days

about how terrible it was for me to do what I did to them.

How they must have been feeling the whole time.

I thought about everything one by one.

What it's like to lose your textbook.

What it's like when someone hides your shoes.

What it's like when someone hides your gym clothese.

There is something I would like Mr. Seri's opinion on.

I will be there in a moment.

I thought it was a lie.

Everything you said on the stand about your memories with Asuka...

I thought it was all a lie.

But...

it was true, wasn't it.

It's the letter you wrote to Asuka.

I took the liberty.

In this letter, you...

I don't know anything about that letter.

- You acknowledge the bullying. - I wouldn't know!

It's written right here!

You also knew about Riku Kaneyoshi.

You're mistaken.

You tried to cheer Asuka up!

"I am definitely going to help you."

"I will make him stop bullying."

You wanted to help Asuka.

That's why you even met with Kaneyoshi personally,

and worked on him.

But

it was too late.

Why was it too late?

Perhaps

after the criticisms you received at your previous school,

and the incident concerning your son,

you didn't know what to do about it anymore.

Like your son said,

the only way to stop the bullying

is to remove the bully.

You were afraid that you would start to believe it.

That fear dulled your actions.

Isn't that right?

That's just a story.

Even if you submitted that as evidence...

I'm not talking about evidence!

What I want to know

is how you felt about Asuka.

You must have done the best you could for Asuka.

It must have been hard.

Even so, I can't forgive you.

You...

You

called Asuka a liar.

That day,

under that tea olive tree,

Asuka really did tell you, didn't she.

'I want to be a teacher.'

That she wanted to be a teacher like you, Ms. Ameki.

I want to be a school teacher.

I want to be a teacher just like you, Ms. Ameki.

Asuka looked up to you.

Asuka loved you.

Please tell me.

Did Asuka

ever lie?

No...

Ms. Tsumiki,

Yes.

My thinking will not change.

If I acknowledge the bullying,

it will destroy the school.

But...

I can say this:

Asuka Aizawa was

not the kind of person who would lie.

Yes.

I'll give these back.

Why did you hand over such an important thing to the plaintiff?

I couldn't bring myself to cause her anymore grief.

You might as well have admitted to the bullying!

This is a problem.

The position of Nishi Tama-shi has to be united.

How could we admit to such a thing?

I understand.

Then Ms. Ameki,

we have to take you off this case.

From today on,

you do not have to appear in court.

Please leave.

I'm home...

- Riku Kaneyoshi -

Tomorrow, the schedule for the semester exams

and the topics covered, will be release.

Everyone concentrate and do your best.

You still have two weeks...

Your Honor,

I would like to submit new evidence.

The textbooks that belonged to Asuka Aizawa.

They have been unaccounted for and were not discovered during evidentiary investigation,

but I finally managed to obtain them, and I submit them as evidence exhibit B45.

Nishina...

Let me...

please let me testify!

Tomomi Nishina is a classmate of Asuka's.

If you wish to request her as a witness, it must be for the next session...

I can't wait!

It has to be now!

Aren't you supposed to be at court?

Mr. Kaji, where is Riku Kaneyoshi?

He's on clean up rotation so he should still be here.

What's wrong?

Kaneyoshi?

Otoya...

I will allow the plaintiff's request.

Tomomi Nishina will be summoned as a witness.

Main examination will get 20 minutes and cross examination will get 30 minutes.

Well then, Ms. Nishina, please come forward.

Otoya!

I'm not moving.

Mother, tell them I'm not kidding around.

Collect all the cell phones.

- Otoya! - Shut up!

Run!

Kaneyoshi, run!

Kaji!

Kaji!

Kouhei!

Kouhei!

Counsel for the plaintiff, please begin your examination.

Yes.

Ms. Tomomi Nishina,

I...

...when Asuka died

I

was there in the classroom.

If I could move the world with one small lie, Chiisana uso de sekai ga, furimukuno nara

then I'll be a liar. usotsuki ni naro.

If I could make you cry by writing you a letter Anatani kaita tegami de, naitekurerunara

then I'll write a million nanmantsuu mo kakou

I'll write both truths and lies arukoto naikoto kakou

I'll even write by moonlight. tsukiakaride demo kakou.

A flower standing in a scorched desert, Kawaita sabaku ni, rin to tatsu hana wa,

screams out don't let me dry, water water me. karasanaide to, sakebuno WATER WATER ME.

if my hurt and pain will be healed Kizo mo itami mo, ieteyukunonara,

I don't mind being doused, so water me. zubunere de ii to, dakara WATER ME.

Everyone was craving freedom Dareshimo jiyuu ni ueteta

in the formless corner of the classroom. mohan nado nai kyoushitsu no sumi

Smile, my crying friend with defeat on your face akiramegao de naiteta tomoyo, hohoende

and let me give you this water kono mizu wo ageyou

and let me give you this pen kono pen wo ageyou

Let me give you a single truth. hitotsu no honto wo ageyou

What was your relationship with Asuka?

Nobody come in here!

Aren't you teachers?

If you were teachers, you'd die for your students, wouldn't you!

Don't get in my way!

It's okay.

If it was me, no one would be sad.