Back in Tokyo as students greet Toko "Good morning!" on the way to school, Eiki comes up to her "Good morning..." Toko ignores him, not missing a stride & Eiki continues "Kanazawa, thanks...had a lively discussion about you with Detective Ujou & your old classmate Sakota...but for the most part it was speculation...Ujou even said that there was a possibility that you could be a terrible murderer..." Toko carries on walking without bothering to reply. Eiki, waiting for a reaction from Toko & not getting any, says "I heard from the staff at the Marina that the day after Hisamatsu cancelled the insurance contract, you went to Kanazawa...to prepare for the wedding or something?" Toko remembers being on the cruiser with Hisamatsu as he kisses her. Toko says curtly to Eiki "That's correct, on a day trip..." "While cruising out on the sea, you were told by Hisamatsu that the contract had been cancelled?" "If that was the case, so what?" "No, looks like you don't know...it's about Ikenaga...generally whenever you went to Kanazawa, she'd go there in turn..." Toko stops on learning this news. Eiki looks at her saying "On top of that, it was to meet Hisamatsu...Ikenaga had something to say to Hisamatsu & showed up again in Kanazawa. Hisamatsu also had something to ask Ikenaga. The day after that, Hisamatsu died. Then one week later, Ikenaga also died in an accident. I think there's some connection point between the 2 of them. Your fiance Hisamatsu & your colleague Ikenaga had some secret discussion. What sort of discussion did they have?" Toko looks at him & with a "I don't know..." walks on. Eiki persistently follows "Really?" Toko enters the school building ignoring Eiki's question, leaving him staring behind her...

Eiki goes looking for Hiyama's former colleague "Sorry to disturb you when you're so busy..." "It's ok, you've seen this photo book haven't you..." "Yes..." In the studio looking at the book, Eiki says "There are people who say that Hiyama going to North Ireland was the same as committing suicide..." "At the time, Hiyama was with an English film crew filming the attack...his friend was filming on the spot action for compilation & editing..." Eiki says "Then the final moments..." "Would you like to see it?" "You have it?" asks Eiki in shock. Putting in a tape into a machine & turning of the lights, images of the war in Ireland are thrown up on the wall. "The film crew got information that the IRA's secret store weapon store was going to be attacked by the military...ah, this is Hiyama..." Eiki takes a second look to see Hiyama snapping photographs amidst images & sounds of soldiers fighting & shooting going on. With a grim expression & swallowing, he watches in silence. "...This is Hiyama's final photo..." Eiki continues watching the intense fighting & sees Hiyama looking back into the camera, saying something. The next moment, a shot sounds & Hiyama is hit. Eiki flinches & Hiyama's colleague grimaces, watching people dragging Hiyama's body away. "2 days after he died, an airmail letter arrived. Said that if anything happened to him, to hand over a letter to his fiancee...I passed the letter I received to Egi Toko..." Eiki asks "What was written?" "I don't know...when she heard that his last moments were recorded, said to me that she wanted to see this video..." "So she's also seen this video..." "Yes...did you not notice? Before going over that heap of rubble, he said something..." Eiki replies "Yes...what did he say facing the camera?" Replaying the video "We got a professional to lip-read...Hiyama said this...Toko, you have to go on living (for me)..." Eiki staring at Hiyama turns around in shock, looking at the guy. "That's why I don't think it was suicide, he wanted to take the best shot for his fiancee..." Eiki watching the images repeats "Toko, you have to go on living...Toko, you have to go on living (for me)......"

Coming back into the police station Ujou goes to his desk & takes a package from his tray. Kanbara says to him "The report for the case of theft in Nagamachi is done..." handing Ujou the documents but Ujou merely takes it & puts it on his desk. Ujou says "The next room is empty isn't it..." & walks out. Kanbara takes the document muttering "Read this..."

Ujou in the next room rips open the package & takes out a video, slotting it into the machine. The envelope says "Ishigawa Prefecture Police Headquarters". Ujou sits down in front of the television & watches the tape taken when Hisamatsu's cruiser was lifted out of the water at the marina. He sees Toko & Shogo arriving at the marina & approaching the policeman at the scene. The policeman says "You're Hisamatsu's fiancee aren't you...heard you lived in Tokyo..." "I got news that he was missing so rushed here..." "As he as caught in the propeller, his injuries are really serious..." "It's alright...let me see..." As the policeman lifts the sheet, Toko looks on without flinching. Ujou seeing her reaction is taken aback as he listens to Toko say "There's no mistake..." "He's your fiance Hisamatsu Koichi..." "Yes...it's him..." Just then there's a knock on the door. Ujou replies annoyed "What?" "I'm Shono Tsukiko from the traffic department...may I speak with you?" "Anything urgent?" "Yes, if it's alright..." Ujou irritated, switches off the video & opens the door "What?" Shono replies "Regarding Ikenaga Sonoe's case..." Ujou stares at her...

Taking Ujou to Ikenaga's apartment she tells him "Ikenaga Sonoe rented an apartment from where she could see Egi Toko's apartment. There's a possibility that she was watching Egi Toko everyday..." Going out to the veranda Shono says "Look over there, that 5 story apartment building, the 2nd floor apartment with the wind vane...use this..." Shono takes out a pair of binoculars & hands it to Ujou. Ujou looks thru it to see the apartment Shono's talking about. She adds "Also, I think a telescope on a tripod left marks behind..." Ujou bends down & fingers the marks on the floor. Getting up & going back into the apartment Ujou says half to himself "The Ikenaga Sonoe that knew Egi Toko had a boyfriend Hisamatsu went to Kanazawa, met Hisamatsu, spoke with him about Egi Toko...after that Hisamatsu died..." Shono asks "Is this of any help?" Ujou tells her "Don't speak about this to anyone..." coming back out onto the veranda. Looking thru the binoculars he says "Traffic Department's..." Shono replies earnestly "Shono Tsukiko..."

Sitting alone in the school chapel, Egi Toko hold up a pinkish crystal in the light, looking at it. Suddenly she hears Eiki's voice "It's beautiful isn't it..." Walking in he adds "Glittering...what crystal is it?" Toko ignores his question telling him "I've said so...unauthorized outsiders are not allowed to enter the school..." "Just 5 minutes..." "Leave immediately..." Eiki stares at her "Only 1 thing regarding Hiyama's death 5 years ago..." Toko with a fed up expression, gets her things to leave when Eiki says "Hiyama's friend kept a letter that was meant for you...after Hiyama's death, you must have received it...what was written in it?" Toko stares at him "It's none of your business..." walking out. But as she leaves, she recalls reading his letter while watching the video of Hiyama's last moments. As she sees Hiyama turn to the camera, back in the present Eiki's voice says "Toko, you have to go on living..." Toko stops in her tracks as Eiki says "The words continuing after this sentence must have been written in the letter..." Toko slowly turns around & looking at Eiki says "Do you know what you're doing? You've crossed the line beyond work, tramping on other people's lives & past..." Eiki nonchalantly asks "Hiyama to you, what sort of existence was it?" "Get out!" "How were you loved? In what way were you loved?" "Get out of my sight!" "If it was by getting out of your sight, & he really got out of your sight to another country, then it's a really horrifying love..." Toko come up to him & slaps him across the face. They both glare at each other without speaking. A student puts her head in 'Excuse me, Egi sensei, can we talk to you?" Eiki looks at her "Sorry to have troubled you..." & leaves. The students come in & ask her "Sensei, the upcoming test, does it include the solar system?" Toko has a flashback to the time when together with Hiyama in bed, he looks at a photograph & says a poem "We who are born of Ireland, from a narrow reflection grows hatred, from the beginning we are unfortunate, from our mother's womb, offering of souls that resonate..." Toko asks "Who's poem is it?" "I-E-TSU (Irish poet W.B. Yeats??)...Ireland's souls are said to be a horrifying beauty..." Toko says "A horrifying beauty...what kind of beauty is it..." Both of them look at the pinkish crystal as Hiyama says "I'd like to die there (in Ireland)..." Back in the present the students look at the crystal. One of them asks "Sensei, what crystal is it?" Toko turns & stares at the crystal...

During their laundry Shogo asks Nanami "How long are you going to stay here until?" "When you go back to Kanazawa, I'll go back together with you..." "If you have to stay back a year (in college) it's got nothing to do with me..." "Can I ask you something?" "I'm tired, don't ask bothersome questions..." answers Shogo taking out the laundry. Pulling out a bra he looks at Nanami who embarrassingly takes it from him "Disgusting..." & then asks "What if you find out that Toko is innocent, what do you intend to do?" Shogo doesn't reply immediately but then says "Ask her to marry me...promised her...that I'd protect her...Toko merely listened, thinking I was joking..." Shogo remembers Hisamatsu coming by to pick up Toko during college. Nanami's voiceover says "Aniki, why are you so slow doing anything? Toko becoming Hisamatsu's new bride is fine with you? I don't know how many times I said it" Shogo answers "If it was Hisamatsu, then there was nothing I could do I thought...because I owe him, Hisamatsu..." At the restaurant Hisamatsu pours a glass of wine for Shogo "It's delicious isn't it..." Shogo answers with a laugh "I don't really know..." "This delicious wine is from Spain, used my own legs (ability) to find it...sounds completely like a risk taker..." "That's a great job..." "After you graduate, deciding on which road to take, are you still wondering?" Shogo doesn't reply. Hisamatsu says "Your father will probably hand over the Kaga Yusen business to you...but even continuing that work, there's no need to live the same kind of life...work as work goes, as an interest it'll be better...that will be a more fulfilling life..." Shogo's voiceover says "Being told that by Hisamatsu, I realized everything..." Nanami adds "Life is simple & interesting, Hisamatsu didn't say that with an attitude did he..." Back in the present Shogo says to Nanami "When you were young you used to often play with Hisamatsu too didn't you..." "A special customer at our Yusen business...during summer he'd take us to the villa..." "All the money you earned part time, used it all at Hisamatsu's restaurant..." Shogo playfully bumps into Nanami & ends up dropping their bath things on the ground. "Sorry..." Nanami in a suddenly serious tone "Aniki, it'll be better if you stop (give up)..." "What?" "Toko...stop being with Toko..."Toko will make you unhappy..." Shogo replies "I never thought that you say this..." & walks on, Nanami following...

Late at night at her shop, Masako says to Ujou "Sorry, getting you to come here..." "Didn't let your father know about this did you..." Masako nods. Ujou tells her "I also want us to talk, just the 2 of us..." "I'm sorry about the other day, going to the office...giving you a high post in order to get you to listen, my father really believe it..." Ujou doesn't reply. Masako says "I have something to tell you..." Ujou looks at her "You look pale..." "I'm not feeling too well, coming to the shop is also hard..." "What's wrong?" "I'm not sick...I'm 3 months..." Masako tells him, trailing off. Ujou shocked, repeats "3 months...?" "When I was leaving, you were violent...probably then..." "Our child?" Masako takes out a piece of paper & says "I need your signature..." Ujou looks at it, it's a consent form for an abortion. Ujou looks at her in disbelief "You want to kill our child..." "The child being unhappy will be a more cruel thing..." Ujou takes the paper, scrunching it. Masako tells him "If you won't sign it, I'll ask someone else..."

Walking along a deserted lane, Ujou recalls the time Masako tries to leave him, bag in hand. Ujou asks "What's with that? You're leaving?!" Masako replies "It's no use...we can't be together anymore..." Ujou grabs her & pulls her back into the room. Masako struggles "Stop!" Ujou slaps her & she falls to the ground. With Ujou on top of her, Masako struggles "Stop it! Stop!" Back in the present, Ujou leans against the fence & lets out a scream of anguish...

At the sports complex where Shogo works, Nanami helps out her brother cleaning around the pool. Shogo stretches telling Nanami "I won't be giving you my share of the money for this..." "I'd said I'd help, be thankful!" Shogo gets back to work but suddenly notices someone watching him. Looking, he sees Eiki...

In the adjoining cafe area, Eiki says to Shogo "That's why as you were classmates, I thought that you would've heard various things about her family..." "Why don't you go ask her yourself?" Eiki touches his cheek, replies "Recently asking her anything I get beaten...we agreed not to hide anything..." Shogo laughs "There was no such agreement..." "What about Egi Toko's parents?" "Her parents, when she was in the 3rd year of junior high, died..." "Both of them?" "Yes..." "Accident?" Shogo doesn't reply & Eiki asks "Something that you have to hide? You're in a complicated position aren't you..." Shogo turns to look at Eiki "What is that suppose to mean?" Eiki explains "While you're suspicious of her, when Ujou & I are going after her, you want to protect her..." Shogo walks off not saying anything. From outside, Nanami watches...

As Eiki leaves, Nanami goes after him "Excuse me..." Looking back he sees Nanami. She says "You want to know about Toko?" As Eiki goes towards her, she says "Toko's parents committed muri-shinjuu (forcing one's partner to die with one)...house was burned..." Eiki shocked asks "Suicide?" Nanami continues "Losing her family, she was brought up by relatives in Niigata...when she entered university, she came back to Kanazawa again..." "Then school fees & living expenses were paid for by relatives?" "I don't know..." "Why are you telling me this?" "Toko's related to cases of unnatural death...if she's the murderer, I want her caught..." "You don't want your brother to be snatched away?" "If she's an unfortunate person, then one person being unfortunate is enough..." Eiki watches her leave...

At Ikenaga's apartment building Ujou speaks to the landlady "I believe you should have been contacted by the real estate company already...for the sake of an investigation, I'll be using this apartment for a month...do not tell any of the other tenants that there's police are here...I'll take these..." taking the keys to Ikenaga's apartment. Ujou sets up a telescope from inside Ikenaga's apartment & looks across to Toko's place...

At the office, Eiki does a search typing into his computer "12 years ago...muri-shinjuu...suicide by fire..." The computer comes back with the search results & Eiki scrolls down the screen, stopping when he finds what he's looking for... "House completely burned, debt troubles? Couple commits suicide by fire...1987.11.20 Kanazawa Hokuriku News...on the 19th at approximately 7.30pm at Kanazawa City's Kataya, from the place of construction worker Egi Yasuhiko age 40...the fire was discovered by neighbors in the vicinity who notified the fire department. The fire was brought under control after 1 hour but the single story building the Egi's lived in, 45metre square area was completely destroyed. Egi & his wife Setsuko age 37, both of their charred bodies were discovered. Their eldest daughter Toko age 15, in a trance, had stood in front of the house, watching the whole time. According to Kataya officials' investigations, Egi had poured kerosene from the kerosene stove into the living room & then lighting a match. The fact that Egi, husband & wife, were struggling under financial debts & thus committing suicide is also being investigated....

At the Ice Storm, Toko sits at the bar drinking alone, recalling what Eiki had told her... "I think there's some connection point between the 2 of them. Your fiance Hisamatsu & your colleague Ikenaga had some secret discussion. What sort of discussion did they have?"......Hiyama's friend kept a letter that was meant for you...what was written in it?" The bartender Ide says "Sensei...don't drink too much..." Toko replies "I'm fine...just fine..." "Can you go home alone?" "Bye bye..." Toko gets up & leaves the bar...

At Eiki's apartment, Shono says to Eiki "Just like you said, Egi Toko is full of darkness..." "What about Ujou?" Shono evades his question "I don't know...looks like he hasn't found any clues..." going outside to the veranda & sitting down at the table. Eiki follows her "Knowing what's happening inside the police department, I need your ability...keep an eye on his (Ujou's) movements..." Shono looks at Eiki & asks "What am I to you?" Eiki looks at her not answering. Shono laughs but seems a little sad "8 years already, the both of us..." Eiki tells her "I've never once cheated on you, not from now on too..." Sitting down next to her he says "I'm serious about you..." Leaning over, he kisses her. Shono says "Eiki...I have ambitions..." "What ambitions?" "I'm not just killing time by working as a police officer until I get married..." Eiki doesn't reply & Shono says with a smile "I'm going home today..."

Ujou camps out at Ikenaga's apartment that night. Sitting alone in the dark he agonizes over his violence on Masako & then the consent form for the abortion, Masako saying "The child being unhappy will be a more cruel thing..." Ujou gets up, looks out the window & sees Toko coming home. The lights in her apartment come on & she slides the door to the veranda open. Ujou watches...

The following morning, Ujou tells a colleague "Should be able to receive signals from that building...so? Can it be done?" "Need to get approval from the section chief..." "This is personal..." "Wait a minute, this isn't good..." "I heard that you were the best specialist in the investigation department, look forward to it...don't worry about it...your section chief is my junior..." Going to Toko's front door Ujou tells him "Do it..." Muttering "Oh dear..." he picks the lock. Going into the apartment, the guy says "Let's get started..." Ujou looks at all the rocks on the table & then sees a bottle of wine on a shelf "Tokyo...Lamancha...Spain..." recalling Hisamatsu's restaurant. His colleague goes around the apartment "this is bad, this is bad..." putting bugs all over Toko's apartment. Ujou opens the veranda door & looks across to Ikenaga's apartment. The sunlight reflecting a brilliant glare from the window...

Back in Ikenaga's apartment, the guy puts on headphones & switches on a machine "Let's test it, make a call to that apartment..." Ujou punches the numbers into his cell phone & when the phone in Toko's apartment rings, the guy says "Heard it, it's working..." "Thanks..." "Hate to say this but this is illegal..." Ujou assures him "I won't get you into trouble..." pulling off the headphones from the guy who gets up "Then, I'm leaving..."

At the office, Eiki on the phone says "Is that real? Egi Yasuhiko & Setsuko, there's not mistake about it? It's from 12 years ago & I was thinking of giving up...could you fax it across? Yes, I'll wait for it..." Anzai comes by & says to Eiki "Still doing non-work related things?" "As expected, Egi Toko's parents bought an insurance policy...was with my former company Kujou Life Insurance, Kanazawa Branch...there's still reports from the incident..." "Then what about the other case? Are you done?" Eiki asks "Eh? Oh, it'll be done soon..." picking up the fax...

At the Ice Storm Toko & Shogo sit at the bar. Toko says "You actually called me to tell me you would be here..." "Said that I had to call...that if I came here you wouldn't?" Toko looks at him, with a hint of a grateful smile. Shogo says "But you came, I'm really happy..." Toko asks with a smile "Did you want to talk about something?" Shogo plucks up his courage "For you it might be a trifle matter but...someday I want to propose to you..." Toko looks surprised. Shogo suddenly takes a gulp of beer. Toko asks "You think that's a trifle matter to me?" "If possible, I'd like you to think it as an important matter..." "Then, moment you propose to me is the moment that all suspicion of me disappears...the next man I love & murder for money, that insurance investigator is still suspicious of me...aren't you afraid of me?" Ide Satomi looks on & Shogo answers "I've always loved you...that will never change...that feeling, I feel proud of..." "These past 5 years, a lot of things have happened...a life of suffering, in this past 5 years I've experienced it...I no longer have the confidence to love another man..." "Don't say anything like throwing away your life!" "Hey, when was our first date?" "3rd year at college, Spring..." "7 years ago?" They both remember their first date as Shogo says "Got my driver's license & went for a drive..." "At the same time we went for a boat cruise...lunch was at a drive-in having grilled clams & curry rice..." "You remember it well..." "Because I really enjoyed it..." "On the way back you brought me to where you lived when you were in Junior High...told me what happened to your father & mother..." On their date, they both go to a place where there are swings. Toko says "As if we were fleeing from Niigata, we arrived here & lived in a shanty place. The life of fleeing from loan sharks...but we couldn't escape...mom poured kerosene all over the house...from the money that my parents left behind, somehow lived until now..." Looking at Shogo she says "This is me...a mass of misfortune..." Sitting down on the swing Toko looks up at Shogo who tells her "I'll protect you...you're no longer alone...I'll protect you..." Toko looks touched & then says "What are you saying? That sort of thing I'm not expecting it from you!" smiling. Back in the present, Shogo says "That promise...even now I want to keep it..." Toko smiles...

As they both leave the Ice Storm Shogo says to her "You going to be ok alone?" "I'll be fine...see you..." Toko starts walking & then stopping, turns around to look at Shogo "If you come here again, call me..." "ok..." Eiki arrives just in time to see the both of them leave in opposite directions...

In Ikenaga's apartment, Ujou suddenly hears noises & looks thru the telescope to see Toko arriving home. Toko opens the door to the veranda & then turns on the tv. Ujou mutters "Welcome home..." Toko gets up & shuts the door, drawing the curtains closed. Unable to see anything, Ujou looks around & is taken aback to see Eiki wondering around the apartment block. Ujou mutters "Gokurosama..." In the middle of the night, all of a sudden Ujou hears a scream. Toko gets up out of bed, shaken, coming out onto the veranda. Ujou looking thru the telescope says "What sort of dream did you have?"

Eiki goes to Eiwa Jogakkan & going to Toko's room, sees the door ajar. Entering, he sees no one there & proceeds to look at the rocks in the cabinet. He looks up suddenly to see Toko standing at the door watching him. He says "Hello..." & Toko enters the room, walking right by him to her desk. She picks up the phone "General Affairs office..." Toko says "This is Egi Toko's room, there's an unauthorized..." Eiki walks forward, grabbing the phone from her, hangs up. Staring at Eiki, Toko says "What are you doing? Even if I sued you it wouldn't be strange..." Eiki stares back "1987 November 19th...a couple in Kanazawa committed suicide in a fire. At the time of the incident, the passers-by that reported this to the fire department said that in front of the burning house a young girl was just standing there watching...no sign that she dialed 119, the young girl merely stared at the scene watching her parents die in the fire. The couple had loan troubles...that appears to be the truth..." Toko doesn't say anything & Eiki continues "According to his will, the father's insurance money was used to pay off his debts...however, the mother had also bought a life insurance policy, the insurance money was received by the young girl 70 million yen!" Eiki holds out the policy in front of Toko saying "For a girl to enter high school & then to university, it was an amount more than enough! For a young girl, exchanging human lives for a stack of notes & being transformed...that was the first taste...am I wrong?"

Toko remembers back to when she was 15, in her home, someone pouring kerosene in the room. Her mother holding onto her father crying "Toko, please!" Young Toko takes up a box of matches from the floor... Back in the present Eiki presses on with his questions "Your parents, did they really commit suicide?" Quietly Toko looks back at Eiki & says "No..." Flashback to young Toko about to strike the match, Toko in the present says "On the sea of oil, lighting the match that killed them...was me..." Flashback to young Toko dropping the lighted match onto the oil at her feet, quickly spreading to all parts of the house, setting her parents on fire. Back in the present Toko says to a stunned Eiki "Are you satisfied?" Eiki stares back at her, unable to say anything. Toko asks "What's wrong? You wanted to hear this didn't you...these words..." Both of them stare at each other, Eiki an expression of stunned horror, Toko a cool  expression of ice....

The scene changes to one of young Toko standing in front of a house engulfed in flames.........

江木塔子：

いいえ、油の海に火の点いたマッチを
放ったの、殺したの．．．私が．．．

これで満足？
どうしたの？
聞きたかったんでしょう、
この言葉が．．．