Original subtitles

Let's take our time.

Next time, for sure…

TENTEN MEISTER AWARDS CEREMONY

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Shuichi Yamazaki, congratulations on winning the Meister Award!

Well done, Yamazaki!

You're the first salesman to win!

And he's the youngest to ever win!

- You're a legend! - Genius!

- Thanks. - I'm so proud of you.

Do you want anything?

You get a reward, Yamazaki! I'm so jealous!

Oh, then transfer me to the research and development department.

I'll think about it! Okay?

What is this "Meister Awards Ceremony"?

Once a year, employees who have particularly contributed to the company

are recognized as Meisters.

Mr. Yamazaki sure is amazing.

Usually, the winners are all old dudes.

Even still, that Lazy-mura is getting way too excited.

He's acting like he won it himself.

Boss, have you ever won it?

- No. - That's the life of an accountant.

If numbers match, it's normal. If they don't, we've failed.

We get blamed, but we never get praised or thanked.

No, there must be ways for accounting

to be praised and thanked too.

I will become the Accounting Meister.

- Do your best. - I will.

You two have been getting along lately, huh?

Oh? Is that right?

I'm handing over the production accounts.

We're doing it before Mr. Takura goes on vacation tomorrow.

Right, Ms. Asabuki is taking over the production accounts.

Oh, what? I thought you two would make

a cute couple. You know?

- Right, Ms. Moriwaka? - I cannot agree with you.

Boss, that is clearly sexual harassment.

Right, of course.

All I'm trying to say is that I simply

wish for Takura's happiness.

It's rare for you to take multiple days off.

Are you going somewhere?

No, I just thought I'd use up my annual leave before it gets busy.

I'm sorry, but please manage without me for two days.

It is your right as an employee to use annual leave.

Wow!

Tatsuhiko Tomeda is coming.

- What? - He's coming for the awards ceremony.

Sendai factory's Tatsuhiko Tomeda.

The Mr. Tatsuhiko Tomeda

who's won 20 years in a row?

That's the one!

I can't believe we get to see

the legendary Soap Meister.

He's not a kappa for crying out loud.

I know that.

Is he that much of a big name?

He's super famous in this company.

But up until now, he's never attended the awards ceremony

and has never done any interviews.

So he follows the soap recipe that was created

by development and mass produces them.

What makes him a "Meister"?

Mr. Tomeda's in charge of kettle-boiling.

Kettle-boiling?

We make our soaps in two ways, the traditional kettle-boiling method

and the more efficient neutralization method.

If you're in charge of production, you should remember.

Don't call me that.

Compared to the neutralization method,

where every aspect is quantified and anybody can produce reliable quality,

the kettle-boiling method

requires a craftsman's intuition.

A craftsman's intuition?

Yes. And the person with incredible intuition

is Mr. Tomeda.

The same recipe can turn out different based on

atmospheric temperature, humidity, and slight differences in ingredients.

So you have to fine-tune the machine and timing,

or you can't get the same quality.

But if you quantify those adjustments,

can't anybody use that as a reference?

Apparently, they tried that once. But it's not

as cut-and-dried as, "Do this when humidity rises 1%,"

or "Do this when the temperature goes down."

He says it's more of a "feeling".

A corporation shouldn't be relying on a single person's intuition.

If we can't quantify kettle-boiling, why not stick to neutralization only?

What if he's purposely being

uncooperative with quantifying the method so he can monopolize the skill?

You're too jaded.

I mean, what do you even mean by an unexplainable "feeling"?

That's what makes him a Meister, probably.

Tatsuhiko Tomeda is coming?

Yes! Everyone is freaking out!

What is going on?

I know, right? All these years, he never wanted to attend.

Make sure we're prepared, so everything goes smoothly.

From what I hear,

he's very stubborn and particular.

- Make sure-- - Make sure you don't upset him.

- Yes! - Yes!

Yes.

Contact the Sendai factory to get an interview with Mr. Tomeda.

But he never does interviews.

Even more so, we can't let this chance go to waste.

Up until now, he just didn't want to leave

the factory, so he has no excuse now.

Okay. When will you be back again?

In two days. I'll be back on the morning of the awards ceremony.

- I'm counting on you. - Okay.

HUSBAND

DECLINE

Hey, is this Accounting?

Yes.

Tacchan, over here.

- Hurry! - Um…

I heard that I could exchange

my receipts for cash here.

Are you talking about "expenses"?

Yeah.

Excuse me, but who are you?

I'm from the Sendai factory.

Sendai factory?

Tacchan got so excited and ended up spending

- all his money, isn't that right? - Don't tell them that, Ai!

- Hilarious. - Here they are.

RECEIPT FOR MEAL

103,500 yen?

More like, we came here way too early.

The ceremony's in three days.

Ceremony?

SAKURANBO HOSPITAL TATSUHIKO TOMEDA

Tacchan, you're dropping things!

- Oh, thank you. - Tacchan?

Are you perhaps…

Are you Mr. Tatsuhiko Tomeda?

Yeah, that's me.

- The kappa. - Hey!

The legendary Soap Meister!

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT TATSUHIKO TOMEDA

I'm sorry,

but you can't expense these like this.

- What? - You need to write down the purpose

and who you were with

on the back of the receipt

- and get your boss' approval-- - That's so confusing.

Tomorrow, our factory manager will be here.

Can you tell him instead?

Hey, Tacchan!

- Maybe you can expense that thing? - No, I don't think so.

- Yes? - Well, it's this.

The pancakes we ate together just now.

Really? What was he like?

He does not seem like a Meister at all.

Huh? Why?

Would a legend go around eating pancakes with a girl

who calls him Tacchan?

Just because your preconceptions didn't match the reality,

it's not fair to be disappointed in him.

But still, that was a bit…

Don't you agree, Ms. Moriwaka?

You're putting on a lot of lip balm lately.

A… Am I?

I've seen you put it on seven times today.

Stop counting, please.

Oh, I use that too! Momo.

Me too! It's nice, isn't it?

The first of Tenten Corporation's organic series,

the Momo Lip Cream.

Of course, I use it too.

You sounded like a super cheesy commercial.

Employees should be using their company's products, after all.

I use Momo Soap and Momo Hand Cream as well.

Although, honestly, Momo Soap is not that great.

It dries me out.

I noticed that too. It makes you dry, doesn't it?

Recently, I haven't heard good reviews about it either.

Really? I thought it was just me.

The product testers who used the samples loved it,

and it did well when it first was sold.

Does that happen often?

Did they change the ingredients?

If research and development changed the ingredients,

accounting would know,

since it affects the budget.

So it might be an issue with the fine-tuning

that Master Takura was talking about?

But the one in charge of Momo Soap

is Mr. Tomeda, the Meister.

MR. TOMEDA…

Sorry to make you wait!

You like bikes, Ms. Sanako?

- Not really. - You were taking a really close look!

I was not!

Here.

Want to hold hands?

What?

Thank you!

Taiyo?

- Juna? - What a coincidence!

How long has it been?

Who?

My junior from university.

Your girlfriend?

Yes.

She's so pretty!

Look at you! Is she older?

- Yeah. - Really!

Well, see you.

Taiyo,

- what do you do right now? - Sales for Tenten Corporation.

- That soap company? - Yeah.

I know that company! That's amazing!

She's touching him?

- Sorry to bother you on your date. - No worries.

- You still use your old number? - Yeah.

Then I'll contact you later.

I'm so happy I got to see you.

- She's touching him a lot. - Bye!

- Sorry about that. - Girlfriend?

- No, she's really nothing but my junior. - Girlfriend…

- I was your girlfriend? - Oh, that?

- Huh? - I mean…

You are, right?

Which means, we can message each other, like normal, right?

Sorry, I got carried away.

Not during work hours.

Thank you!

- Ms. Moriwaka, do you have a moment? - Yes?

About Momo Soap that we were talking about yesterday…

If the users are talking about the decline in quality,

I think we should take it seriously.

But that's not accounting's job.

The thing is, that's not exactly true.

- Huh? - Excuse me.

- It's actually been bothering me too. - Mayu?

My mother was also saying

that our soaps don't really work for her anymore.

- Momo Soap? - No, Premium.

What?

Premium Soap is Mr. Tomeda's most famous product, isn't it?

Yes.

Not that I believe in such

vague things as intuition,

but if we assume that there is no issue with the fine-tuning,

there must be another reason.

So I checked if anything was suspicious from an accounting perspective.

This is the Sendai factory's expense graph.

It's been increasing since three months ago.

The raw material, utility,

and miscellaneous expenses have all increased by 5%.

Maybe this has something to do

with Momo Soap's bad reputation?

But the numbers don't quite match.

Numbers?

The kettle-boiled soaps take three months to make.

- Oh, right! - Three months?

- That long? - So the soaps

made during the three months when the expenses went up

have not been sold yet.

The soaps that are on sale right now that have a bad reputation

were made before this.

Oh, that's what it is!

Excuse me.

Hello. I'm the factory manager of the Sendai factory. My name is Sumiya.

Like a moth flying into the flame.

Manager.

- Do you have a moment? - Yes.

No, you don't.

Factory Manager Sumiya, I'm Moriwaka from accounting.

- Are you here for Mr. Tomeda's receipts? - Yes, that's right.

- I have them here. - Thank you.

He's a craftsman to the core, so he's no good with this stuff.

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT MITSUO SUMIYA

Whoa! 100,000 yen?

Do you know about the details?

I'll talk to him and have him write it.

I'm Mika Asabuki, in charge of the production department.

The name "Asabuki" represents a fresh breeze blowing through linen.

The name "Mika" means beautiful and elegant.

- You don't have to remember that. - Now then, Factory Manager Sumiya…

- Ms. Asabuki. - The companion

listed on Mr. Tomeda's

business trip application is Ms. Ai Fujimi.

What is her relationship with Mr. Tomeda?

She's a Sendai factory employee.

She started as a part-timer, but was hired

full-time three months ago.

- Three months ago? - Three months ago?

Is she the one who came here yesterday

with Mr. Tomeda? The young and cute one?

Ms. Fujimi was with him?

It's pretty rare

to take an employee as a companion.

Yeah, I told him that too.

I said people usually take their family,

but Mr. Tomeda said he really wants to take Ms. Fujimi.

I wish he was able to bring his wife,

but only one companion is allowed.

Well then, I'll get going now.

What floor is the research office on?

- The third floor. - Thank you.

- What business do you have there? - Huh?

Um, I wanted to ask them about some components and ingredients.

Is it related to the fact

that material and utility expenses

have increased 5% in three months?

Don't look so flustered!

We're almost coming out with a new organic series.

So Mr. Tomeda is testing new things out.

Don't look so suspicious of him!

Excuse me.

What do you think, Boss?

It's a gray area.

- Boss! - Boss?

Ms. Asabuki,

didn't I tell you to mind the TPO?

There was nothing wrong with my question if he had nothing to hide.

He did look very suspicious right now.

I'll go to the research office.

- Why? - To tail him.

- Um… - You shouldn't go.

That's right.

You stand out too much.

- Oh! - That's not what I meant.

Being beautiful and elegant

is so troublesome sometimes.

Listen to me.

The person who stands out the least is…

WHY

Why? Why am I doing this?

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

Excuse me.

Hello.

Oh…

TAILING ENDS

TEST RECORD

A quality inspection for Momo Soap?

Yeah, and for the Premium one too.

In other words, the soaps that Mr. Tomeda is in charge of.

But Mitsuki, you're in charge of bath salts.

- I asked her to do it. - Why?

You can trust Moriwaka. I vouch for her.

I feel like the quality of Mr. Tomeda's soaps

has gone down.

Is that based on marketing results?

That too, but I personally feel it too.

Huh?

I've had sensitive skin since I was small.

My skin gets irritated with low-quality soaps.

But Mr. Tomeda's Premium Soap was the only one that worked.

Working here,

I learned how difficult it is to maintain

consistent quality in soaps.

I was able to use Premium Soap without any worries up until now

because Mr. Tomeda was here, I realized.

But a little while ago, my skin started getting irritated even with Premium Soap.

To make sure, I used some we had left over from last year, and I was fine.

It's within the margin of error,

but the numbers don't look good.

That's never happened with Mr. Tomeda.

Is this related

to the fact that the material and utility expenses

have gone up in three months?

We've been discarding more.

Ones with air bubbles or the wrong color, scent, or texture.

‪DISCARD

Three months ago, we started seeing

more of those defects.

What's going on?

Personally, I think it's because of Ai Fujimi.

Huh?

She started working part-time half a year ago, which was when

we started making the poor-quality soaps.

That's also when Mr. Tomeda

started taking half days and full days off.

And the moment she became a regular employee,

we started discarding more.

Why was she able to become a regular employee?

It was Mr. Tomeda.

He recommended her.

Just trust me!

Honestly, she didn't seem very capable.

It's just that

Mr. Tomeda has never said anything like that before,

so I thought there was a reason.

But…

Ever since she became a regular employee three months ago,

Mr. Tomeda stopped taking half days off.

But instead, he started slacking off

and hanging out

with Ms. Fujimi after work, going to places

and eating together.

Since when?

Sorry, I tried stopping her.

So he's too preoccupied with a young girl that he's slacking off work?

They're in a relationship?

It's actually more like he's doting

on a daughter or a grandchild.

I've heard that Mr. Tomeda lost his daughter

when she was small.

Maybe that's why.

But it's a problem if it's affecting work.

I've tried telling Mr. Tomeda that I want to send her

to a different factory,

but he got so mad and said

that he'd quit if I did that.

But looking at the quality inspection, I've made up my mind.

I will send Ms. Fujimi to another factory.

This might be selfish of me,

but I want a genius to stay a genius.

Sorry, please keep this between us.

Oh, that's right.

Please try using these.

It's our upcoming product, Sakura.

It's the second organic series.

This is also Mr. Tomeda's work?

Yes. The product testers gave it rave reviews.

I hope this helps Mr. Tomeda come to his senses.

It smells so nice.

My skin feels so smooth.

TAIYO YAMADA

Tomorrow, I have to wake up at 5:00 for a business trip.

Please go to sleep soon.

Will you call me in the morning?

If I can wake up.

Yes!

ADD AN ALARM

I'M KIND OF HAPPY

- Good morning. - Good morning.

- Did you use the Sakura Soap? - Yes.

Wasn't it amazing?

It smells nice and left my skin smooth and hydrated.

I agree with everything you said. It'll be a hit.

This scent…

Sorry, is it too much?

I thought it'd be fine, since it's a light scent.

No problem. It smells nice.

- It might work as aromatherapy. - I agree.

The scent of soap just gives you a soft feeling, doesn't it?

I'm so happy.

Anybody here?

Good morning, Mr. Tomeda, Ms. Fujimi.

Sorry to bother you, but how did it go?

The receipts?

Your factory manager hasn't put it in the system.

What did she say?

Mr. Sumiya hasn't inputted it.

What the heck, Factory Manager!

I don't have money.

I said you can borrow from me.

I can't do that.

It's fine. I'll charge you interest.

What!

It's fine, right?

Mr. Tomeda, this is so nice!

- Oh, Momo? - Huh?

So hilarious! Tacchan made

a joke and nobody laughed at it.

A joke?

Obviously, it's Sakura!

It's so pink and smells like Sakura.

I am sorry I didn't catch your joke.

Oh, jeez!

I know.

I understand that feeling well.

You were here?

I was here the whole time.

Oh, are you using Momo Lip Cream?

Huh? Oh, yeah.

I use that too! It's so nice, isn't it?

How did you know?

Oh no, we'll be late for our pancakes.

- Oh no, that won't do! - Let's go.

- Let's go! - Hurry, hurry!

- Thank you for your hard work. - You too.

It takes three months until a soap is complete.

The poor-quality soaps that are being sold right now

were made somewhere between three to six months ago.

She started working part-time half a year ago,

which was when we started making the poor-quality soaps.

That's also when Mr. Tomeda

started taking half days and full days off.

Don't chase the rabbit.

TATSUHIKO TOMEDA

ATTENDANCE RECORD

TUESDAY - HALF DAY OFF THURSDAY - HALF DAY OFF

Oh, Momo?

Obviously, it's Sakura!

It's so pink and smells like Sakura.

SAKURANBO HOSPITAL TATSUHIKO TOMEDA

Tacchan, you're dropping things!

Oh, thank you.

Is this rabbit…

What?

This is…

WHY

TAIYO YAMADA

Ms. Sanako, where are you?

The bus stop.

Do you have any plans?

Not really.

Really? My bullet train will arrive

at Shin-Yokohama at 7:20.

Can you come and meet me?

I have souvenirs for you.

Wait for me at Wheat Cafe by the station.

Okay.

Mr. Yu?

Ms. Oriko?

OH NO, I SAW!!

Why?

Ms. Oriko has a husband.

I arrived! Heading to the cafe now.

Sorry, I can't go.

Did something happen? Are you okay?

I'm okay.

I'm here.

Are you creeped out?

I'm sorry.

I was worried.

LEMON CAKE, KAPPA PICKLES

Mr. Tomeda

really is a genius, isn't he?

Mr. Yamazaki is the same way.

I asked him how he does so well in sales, so I could steal his tricks.

There isn't really a "trick".

- You just feel it. - "Feel"?

Like when you should push and when you should back down.

- It's their aura. - "Aura"?

- Aura? - He's such a genius.

- I'm so relieved. - Huh?

I was worried that coming to your house

out of the blue would creep you out.

Under normal circumstances, I think I would be.

So something did happen?

If you don't want to,

you don't have

to tell me.

Say you really look up to someone

and trust them,

but you kind of

see a side of them that ruins that image.

What would you do?

Ruins their image

in a bad way?

It depends.

Generally, I'd be happy.

- Happy? Why? - Yeah.

I'd realize that they were human too.

You look up to someone

because they're good at something, right?

You felt impressed.

You were impressed

and

you felt happy, right?

That won't go away.

No matter what.

It'll always be a treasure

that stays with you.

It won't change, no matter what happens.

Was that not the point?

Right now, I thought,

"I really like this man."

I…

- really-- - Wait!

Don't just drop a bomb like that.

Bomb?

I also

like you a lot, Ms. Sanako.

Thank you.

- Wait! - Sorry!

- You're fine. Just wait. - Okay.

- I'm ready! - Wait…

Wait a second!

What?

You're too cute! Are you trying to kill me?

- Good morning. - Good morning.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Do you have a second?

About yesterday…

Mr. Yu.

I…

really look up to you.

That won't change, no matter what.

You may already know,

but I'm not very talkative.

I'm not interested in gossip either.

Let's get back to work.

Today, we have the ceremony too.

Thank you.

No worries.

Keep going. Keep going.

Keep going.

Keep going. Stop!

Thank you for coming.

Manager Niijima, what are you doing?

Please line those up over there.

Thank you.

EXPENSE REPORT

This entertainment expense lists quite a lot of people.

- Are they clients? - Yeah, I suppose.

Equipment and mold manufacturers

and material suppliers.

What do you mean "I suppose"?

If something is bothering you,

please tell us now.

When we find discrepancies later on,

they become a bigger deal.

Mr. Tomeda hates doing things like business dinners with clients.

Especially with this many people. It's hard to believe.

A part of me

thinks that Ms. Fujimi just invited her friends.

Did you ask Ms. Fujimi?

She said she's meeting up with a friend

and has been gone since the morning. Who knows what she's thinking?

She looks like she has lots of friends.

If there is suspicion,

I cannot accept this expense claim.

And lying on the receipt is counterfeiting private documents.

I can't imagine Mr. Tomeda doing this of his own volition.

I'm sure it's Ms. Fujimi's doing.

I shouldn't have made her an employee.

I'll transfer her next month.

Wait, please.

Will you please let me handle this case?

AWARD RECIPIENTS WAITING ROOM

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

I have a few questions

about this receipt and this soap.

Oh, Sakura?

Mr. Tomeda, please tell me the truth.

Huh?

I'm sorry for testing you.

This is not Sakura.

It's Momo.

I'm sorry.

I checked your work attendance.

From about six months ago, you've started taking

half days off twice a week, haven't you?

Every Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon.

I was wondering

why you had a patient ID card

for a hospital in Yamagata when you live in Sendai.

I did some research.

Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons

are when that hospital

is open for elderly outpatient visits.

But you stopped taking half days off

all of a sudden three months ago.

ATTENDANCE RECORD

Does it have anything to do

with the fact that Ms. Fujimi became

a regular employee three months ago?

You sure are amazing.

I can no longer hear

the soap speaking to me.

Maybe that sounds a little pretentious.

About 40-some years ago,

I also started as a part-timer.

Of course, I had absolutely

no intention of making

soap-making my life's work.

I think I was about one month

into my job when…

Huh?

Something feels different.

While they were mixing the ingredients, I felt like

something was off.

Something was off?

I can't quite explain it.

But the scent, the appearance,

the sound of the bubbles,

and the air around the kettle

all seemed different from usual.

Just in case, I talked about it

- to Mr. Kijima, a veteran worker. - I see.

- I can still remember - You can hear the soap speaking, huh?

the way Mr. Kijima looked at me.

At the time, I had no idea

why he looked at me like that.

But the next day,

the factory manager called me over.

"Mr. Kijima said

you were a soap-making genius,

and he told me I have to make you a regular employee,"

he said to me.

After that, Mr. Kijima stuck by my side

and taught me about soap every day,

both during work and after work.

It was usually at a restaurant.

Looking back at it,

I realize he was bribing me with food.

For these past 40 years,

I've dedicated my life to soap-making.

We don't have any children.

We were blessed with one once, but she got sick.

So these soaps are our children.

That's what my wife and I would say.

But you know,

all of a sudden, I stopped hearing

the soap speaking to me.

It's old age.

My eyes, my nose,

and everything have gone weak.

So you went to the hospital?

I knew that it's not something

the hospital can fix.

It's just that…

If I can't make soap anymore,

I will be left with nothing.

But more importantly,

what will happen to the soaps

that I've spent my entire life protecting?

So I held on tight, like my life depended on it.

I even tried finding a successor in a hurry.

But I just can't

explain it in words.

It felt so lonely.

But that was when…

Huh? It kinda

seems different today.

Huh?

I thought to myself,

"I must be

looking at her the same way

Mr. Kijima looked at me back then."

That was three months ago, huh?

That's when we started making Sakura.

So the reason why the quality went back to normal

with the Sakura Soap…

It's thanks to Ai.

She's a genius.

You stopped seeing the doctor?

Yeah, I stopped right away. It's a waste of time.

Mr. Kijima taught me

everything about kettle-boiling soap.

Now it's my turn to teach everything to Ai.

When I thought about that,

I felt like a child again

and couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

Up until then, I was scared for tomorrow to come.

So all the things that

Mr. Kijima did for you,

you did for Ms. Fujimi?

Man, it's not easy

to bribe people with food.

She's either on a diet

or she wants pancakes more than a meal.

Why were you discarding more soaps?

I let Ai

secretly practice making soaps.

That's also

something that Mr. Kijima did for me.

Why didn't you tell that to the factory manager?

Mr. Sumiya

is under the wrong impression.

He thinks you're not able to focus on work

because you're too busy doting on Ms. Fujimi.

He's suspicious of this receipt as well.

- What? - He said it's hard to believe

that you entertained this many clients

and that maybe Ms. Fujimi brought her friends.

Well, I don't blame him.

I see why he'd think that.

It's true that it was a really difficult job for me,

but I couldn't help it. I really wanted

to introduce Ai to them.

Please fix the misunderstanding.

At this rate,

Ms. Fujimi will be transferred to a different factory.

I'm sure Ms. Fujimi

will accept the transfer without saying a word.

After all,

she was trying her best to protect you.

Tacchan, you're dropping things!

Oh, thank you!

Oh, Momo?

So hilarious! Tacchan made a joke,

and nobody laughed at it.

Kettle-boiled soaps

are Tenten Corporation's signature product.

Annually, we make about

450 million yen in sales because of it.

If Ms. Fujimi gets transferred

and the quality goes down, leading to a decrease in sales,

it will be a big loss for the company too.

You probably wouldn't know.

Fixing this misunderstanding is…

I don't know.

I am not a genius

and not a Meister, after all.

But I am an accountant.

I can try to understand the truth behind the numbers.

Mr. Tomeda,

this entertainment expense

is proof of the trust you've built up throughout the years.

This many people

got together to see you.

FOOD EXPENSE FOR ENTERTAINING CLIENTS

Over a period of 40 years, the number of people

who have used your soaps

amounts to 52.5 million.

That includes people

who are able to use your soaps with peace of mind,

because they know it won't irritate their skin.

You gave us

peace of mind and happiness.

That will always be a treasure

that'll stay with us forever.

That won't change, no matter what.

The Tenten Meister Award

is given to employees

of Tenten Corporation who've used their excellent skills and knowledge

to develop products, produce products,

attract customers, and increase sales.

- Ms. Sanako. - These employees

- are recognized as Meisters - Ms. Sanako.

and awarded.

Tenten Corporation's Managing Executive Officer

Kyotaro Sato will now take the stage.

I'm impressed that you could tell.

- Huh? - My Momo Lip Cream.

Oh, are you using Momo Lip Cream?

I put it on hours before.

It's creepy, isn't it?

I'm like a dog.

Hey, look.

That lady wearing white in the back.

- She's Tacchan's wife. - What?

I brought her as a surprise.

She's the friend you were meeting?

Yeah, that's her.

Don't worry, I'll pay out of pocket.

Only one companion is allowed, right?

But Tacchan brought me, so…

Next up

is our company's one-and-only Soap Meister,

supervisor of the production department's soap division,

Mr. Tatsuhiko Tomeda. Please stand.

What really scared me

was not the fact that I couldn't make soap anymore.

It was my pride.

I was scared of people finding out

that I can't make it anymore

and viewing me as a worthless human being.

That's what I was scared about.

But

I was wrong

for having that pride.

Tacchan…

Please allow me

to decline the Meister Award.

What?

Mr. Tomeda…

TENTEN MEISTER AWARDS CEREMONY

I finally get it.

This is what I should be proud about.

There is nothing to worry about.

Tenten's kettle-boiled soaps

will continue to be protected

for years to come.

With the help of our capable

comrades who love soap

and…

our future Soap Meisters.

Half of what makes soap

is caustic soda.

A very strong chemical.

If you get it on your skin, it'll burn you.

But

despite being such a rebel,

when you mix it with the perfect amount of oil,

it turns into a soap that can

gently remove dirt.

Our future Soap Meister

is still

just a bratty girl

who likes pancakes

more than soap.

But rest assured

that I will definitely turn her into a professional.

After all,

I'm a pro at handling both

soap and rebels.

Just you wait.

Huh?

One day,

I will become Soap Meister and bring you here,

Tacchan.

As my companion.

I will be waiting for that.

Also, if you have the receipt for his wife's transportation,

please bring it to me.

I will put her down as his companion.

But only one is allowed.

I believe your expense

can be categorized

as a business trip for training.

Seriously?

Yes.

This is a business expense.

Reselling?

If you don't believe me, whatever.

Our new senior managing director, Mr. Kakuma Enjo.

Outsourcing?

The accounting department is included.

When I'm happy,

it makes him happy?

‪PREVIEW

You said you'd stop!

Subtitle translation by: Kiko Morita