Original subtitles

When people finish their day and hurry home,

my day starts.

My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning.

They call it "Midnight Diner."

Do I even have customers?

More than you would expect.

I sometimes get customers

who place orders for food that can be easily made at home.

Here you go.

Pacific saury with kabayaki sauce.

I've been looking forward to this.

I have a reputation to uphold,

so I heat the canned saury in the microwave

and serve it with sesame seeds, seaweed, and Japanese pepper.

It's delicious.

Welcome.

Beer, please.

Sure.

I got up early to queue for the new pachinko machine,

but this is all I managed to win today.

What can you make with these?

Oiled sardines, grilled Japanese style

and canned mackerel, stir-fried with bitter gourd.

This is pretty good.

-Your original dishes are the best. -Thanks.

We'd like to make a special order, too.

Canned pineapples? You should eat them from the can.

We'd like to see what you can make with that.

Will this do?

Sweet and sour pork with pineapples?

This isn't really a pineapple dish.

Well, sorry.

Let's try it.

-This is good. -Yes.

Most people don't buy canned pineapples these days.

We found it.

We're making an indie movie with our college movie club.

We went location scouting.

The heroine is killed to keep her from talking.

She comes back to life as the Goddess of Revenge.

She'd been her professor's mistress, and now she wants revenge.

But the professor escaped, and then...

I know!

The professor runs up the stairs during his escape, like this.

-What do you think? -I like that.

-Something's written here. -What does it say?

"The Road of Silk."

You mean the Silk Road?

But that's in China.

Right, and it's in the middle of the desert.

THE ROAD OF SILK

What's that?

Look.

Did someone throw these away?

Why did they stack them then?

There are so many different cans.

-When do they expire? -Cans have expiry dates?

They're still good.

I like pineapples.

I'll take one too.

I see.

But who stacked those cans and why?

Don't you think it's creepy?

You think so?

Well, now that you mention it, I guess so.

Hello.

-Cold sake, please. -Sure.

Would you like some?

Sorry, was I staring?

It looks delicious.

You can have some.

Here.

Are you sure?

Go ahead.

Okay.

It's delicious.

I like sweet and sour pork with pineapples.

-Have as much as you like. -Yes, go ahead.

All right, if you insist.

I get it.

You want to do a zombie flick.

It's not just a zombie movie.

The heroine is a dark hero, like Catwoman.

I don't mind filming in Yarimizu, but we still need a lead actress.

I have someone in mind.

Same here. I know someone who would be perfect for it.

-But she's not from our college. -Oh, really?

-Welcome. -Welcome.

That takes me back.

She's either forcing a smile or crying.

She's just like me.

Ms. Kikuno.

Yes?

Do you remember me?

You're Genki. Always in good spirits, like your name.

Would you like to play the part of the heroine in our movie?

Movie?

My college movie club is making an indie movie.

I can't act.

Don't worry, you'll be fine.

Why me?

You look lonely.

Plus, you're really pretty.

I'll think about it.

I know Yuki will be delighted to have you on the project.

Sorry, I have to go. My shift isn't over yet.

What was that about?

Oh, great. You're here!

Do you remember me?

You're Yuki. Always full of courage, like your name.

I'd like you to be the lead actress in my movie.

Is that Genki's movie?

He's the cameraman. I'm the director and scriptwriter.

Why me?

You have a melancholy aura about you, like you need someone to talk to.

Plus, you're really pretty.

I'll think about it.

I hope you'll join us.

I know Genki will be really excited to film you with his camera.

Sorry, I have to go. My shift isn't over yet.

Welcome.

What?

You told me you were going to a midnight movie today.

Aren't you supposed to be at work?

Wait, were you talking about Ms. Yukino the other day?

That's my line.

Unbelievable.

We're looking for an actress, not a girlfriend, okay?

Don't be stupid. I just want to make a good movie.

What about you? I bet you have ulterior motives.

-Hello. -Welcome.

Can you make something with this?

Let's see...

Sure.

I don't know if I can act, but I'll give it a shot.

-Really? -What made you decide to do it?

You said I was pretty.

It will be amazing, I swear. Here's the script.

You like canned corned beef?

I do. I felt like having it today, so I took a can from the offerings.

Offerings? Like from a grave?

I guess you could call it that.

What? Whose grave?

Mine.

It's my grave.

You took it from your own grave?

That's right. Isn't that funny?

Yuki, where is she?

Are you sure she's coming?

Yes.

Did she pick up the phone?

The number you have dialed is not in service.

Please check the number...

DINER

What happened to your movie?

We didn't want to look for another actress,

so we wrote her out of the story.

We wanted to keep filming in Yarimizu.

The new story is kind of like Stand by Me.

Did you say Stand by Me?

That's a movie about four friends on a journey to find a body.

-Yes. -Yes.

Did you know that Yarimizu is one of the top haunted spots in Tokyo?

Wait, really?

In 1973,

a female college student was murdered and buried there.

She had been having an affair with her professor.

The professor's villa in Yarimizu was their secret rendezvous spot.

An affair?

That's exactly like your script.

But their affair

did not stay secret for long.

The college student confessed to it in a letter to the professor's wife.

She had not thought it through, but she was desperate.

She was pregnant with his baby.

But the professor did not want to leave his wife.

He tried to break things off with his student.

But she would not let him off the hook.

So he killed her.

And then he killed himself, along with the rest of his family.

Her body had been buried in the summer.

It was finally discovered in the winter, on a cold, snowy day.

She was in a pink dress when they found her.

A pink dress?

The student and her professor ate canned food

during their trysts in the villa.

The kitchen was full of empty cans.

The gossip tabloids described it all in detail.

Now that you mention it, she did say that she offers cans to her own grave.

Wait.

Does that mean that Ms. Kikuno is...

A ghost?

Did she appear before us because we stole her cans?

-Oh, man. -What is it?

Nothing. Forget it.

Tell me!

I checked the footage we took when we were scouting the place...

We should

return the canned pineapples tomorrow.

-We should bring joss sticks too. -Yes.

Thanks for the food.

You're up early.

Are you going somewhere?

I...

I've been having an affair with my professor.

I was researching the Road of Silk.

That was how I learned about the college student and her murder.

She's just like me.

I thought to myself, "You know what?

I've never hung out with boys my age.

I should make a movie with those two

and see if that'll help me forget about my professor."

Then I read the script.

The heroine in the movie teaches her perverted professor a lesson.

Don't you want to teach him a lesson?

My professor didn't sweet-talk me into the affair.

I was the one who seduced him.

I was the one who started it, so I had to be the one to end it.

But I didn't want to be killed. I didn't want to kill him either.

I decided then that I had to take my own life.

But I couldn't do it.

What will you do now?

I'll go on a journey.

I'll look at the sea and think things over.

Don't do anything stupid.

Would you like to have breakfast?

Okay.

Here you go. Tuna mayo with rice.

Thanks.

It's delicious.

Do you believe in ghosts?

You were the one who told us that story.

I hope ghosts are real. There's someone I'd like to meet again.

Who?

The college student who was murdered.

I was in love with her.

We were in the same seminar.

But I lost her to a middle-aged man.

I was so angry with myself.

Oh, hello.

It's been a while.

Hello.

-Can I have a beer for starters? -Sure.

You look healthier with that tan.

I learned to be brave and be in good spirits.

What are you doing?

It's a new trick I learned.

Can I have a match?

Sure.

-Here. -Thanks.

Turn off the lights.

I joined a volunteer program.

As I looked out at the sea while working among the debris,

I realized that

my troubles were nothing in comparison.

I can't believe I tried to kill myself over a silly affair.

I was so ashamed of myself.

Welcome back.

Mix canned tuna with minced onions and mustard mayonnaise.

You can also add miso to it if that's what you prefer.

Serve it on rice, and you have tuna mayo with rice.

Here you go.

Master, could you make us something with this?

Anything but sweet and sour pork.

Until next time. Good night.

Good night.

TO BE CONTINUED

THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION.

Subtitle translation by Chen Li Woon