taiketsu...showdown...

Shono pulls up in her car outside Toko's apartment & looks up at the veranda, the wind vane turning. In the apartment, Eiki stares at Toko as he repeats the words of Hisamatsu's letter out loud "Toko, when you read this letter, I will no longer be alive. Losing me, are you happy now?" His voice fades into Hisamatsu's. On a balcony with the setting sun, Hisamatsu writes on the back of the wine label "One day, someone who knew you well suddenly warned me 'In Egi Toko's past 2 men have died & she received money from the insurance. The next victim to be sacrificed might be you. Whether or not Egi Toko is a serial killer for the sake of insurance money, there is only one way to find out. When you heard that I made you the beneficiary for a life insurance policy, you were very surprised weren't you..."

Toko remembers looking at the insurance certificate. Hisamatsu's voiceover continues "Exchanging one's own life for money was really stupid, that's what you said. Feeling ashamed for doubting you, I cancelled the contract.

Back on the veranda, Toko continues reading the label as Hisamatsu voiceover says "But then, I had a doubt of another kind. You didn't kill those men for the sake of money..." Eiki continues "What you wanted wasn't money but something else. What this is about, you should know. I feel like you will snatch my life away after all. When you read the back of this label, my doubts were correct. When you're satisfied with robbing me of my life & have forgotten me like the other men, I am sure you will open this bottle of wine as if it were nothing & drink it all up. & then notice this letter. You might even be beside your next lover..." Toko turns around & looks at Eiki who continues in a monotone "The next man that you rob of life, what sort of man will he be?" Eiki's voice fades into Hisamatsu reading & writing his letter "What you felt for me, from this letter you know. What kind of love my love was for you, you'll finally understand." Hisamatsu holds up the bottle of wine & looks at it "I don't mind if I am killed by you. More than that, being loved by you, I think it's an honor..."

With a cold expression, Eiki says to Toko "I asked you before didn't I...what you got out of exchanging the lives of men for...in this world, more than money, position or reputation there is something more valuable by far...as long as you have that, even as treacherous as standing on thin ice, people will carry on living. You demand that from men & get it..." Toko doesn't answer, putting the bottle on the table & sitting down on the floor. Eiki stares at her & taking a seat on the sofa, takes the bottle "The answer is here..." Toko looks at him. Eiki says "You would never open your heart & any love affair. For that reason, they would be in a sorry predicament... 'why won't Egi Toko be mine? If hurts this much thinking about it, it'd be better to be dead'...all of them gave up their possessions & positions, everything & you had control, you would whisper something dreadful...although you have given up everything to me, you still have something that you haven't given me...then what would the guys do? They would use their lives in exchange for money & get life insurance policies. But then you didn't want money & so would get the insurance policies cancelled. It was also for the sake of not arousing suspicion with the police or the insurance companies. You are a woman that can only believe in the love of men who would sacrifice their lives for you. Then the men would say 'I want to die in your arms' & you'd kill them..." Toko doesn't say a word & Eiki looks at her intently "What you wanted was love...& not only ordinary love but the love that men would give up their lives for...I finally understand Hiyama's dying message... 'Toko, you have to go on living...'...the extent of my love, hold on to it tightly, never ever forget me...carry on living bound to my love...Hiyama said that didn't he...that's why he showed you his own death...you controlled everything. That's the same as driving him to commit suicide...you made it look like Shibata commit suicide & killed him, made Hisamatsu die in an accident & killed him...also hated Ikenaga Sonoe & killed her...& even at that factory..." Eiki recalls the bulldozer incident "That was you too wasn't it! You killed Sakota Nanami too! You knew that I was following you that night, you first killed Sakota Nanami at the Ryokuchi Park & then got me to go..." Toko finally asks "For what reason?" Eiki replies "That child found out about your weakness perhaps..." Toko asks bitterly "I was shut up for 2 days & treated like a criminal..." Eiki tells her "But it was only 2 days, if you could endure it, you'd never me suspected again...this you took into account from the start didn't you..." Toko answers "I don't expect that all doubts will be cleared this easily..." Eiki looks at her with sadness "If it's you, you'll win. You have that strength, I can attest to that..." Toko glares at him in anger "If that's the case then leave! You'll meet the same fate!" When Eiki doesn't answer she says "What are you doing?!"

Eiki drops the empty bottle onto the floor & with despair written all over his face replies "I want you to say I'm wrong...everything I just said, I want you to tell me it's all wrong...please..." Going down in front of her he pleads "Please Toko! Tell me I'm wrong!" They both look at each other without saying anything. Eiki finally asks "What did Hiyama write in that letter?"

Toko, tears in her eyes, whispers "I still haven't told you...I cancelled that insurance policy. Really unfortunate, you won't be able to get a single yen of the insurance money..." Toko recalls reading Hiyama's letter & watching the video tape "I love you this much but how much do you love me? From now on you'll ponder...the value of my life to you is zero...unable to change my life for money, the value of my love, you'll be wondering about it for the rest of your life...my existence will be to control you like this for the rest of your life...I love you, Toko...doing this is the only way you'll become mine..." With tears rolling down her cheeks, Toko adds "Hiyama's letter was revenge...so that I would never be able to do as I pleased...after that, I met Shibata..."

Toko recalls being in Shibata's office 4 years earlier. In tears, she listens to Shibata telling her "If that Hiyama who died in Northern Ireland hadn't left you such cruel words, you wouldn't be in this state now...a cruel act that you've had to endure...I'm here...it'll be all right now..." Toko tells Eiki "No matter how much I tried to love Shibata, it felt like it was a trial...by the love that was greater than Hiyama's, I felt like I could be rescued...but then Shibata like Hiyama tried to restrain me...when he demanded 'Love me more!' I'd push him away 'But I'm not your property! That's a selfish love...then one day Shibata presented me with a piece of paper..." Eiki stares at her "Life insurance..." Toko nods "The beneficiary of that insurance was me...Shibata intentionally did the same thing as Hiyama...unable to restrain me, Hiyama & Shibata both did the same thing..."

Flashback to when Toko looks at the insurance policy as Shibata says "This is a form of treatment...just like Hiyama did, life insurance policy as proof of love to drive you into the same situation, to get rid of the past in your heart..." Toko replies "For the sake of treatment, that's a lie...you're just in pain that's all! Cancel the contract!" Shibata tells her "If that's the case then be mine..." Toko shakes her head & Shibata asks "Why? Why won't you give me your life?!" yelling at her. Back in the present, Toko tells Eiki "We fought like that for over a year...finally Shibata agreed to my wishes & cancelled the contract. Just at that moment, he..." Toko recalls being in the morgue with Shibata "Of course I thought I was the one that killed him..." Eiki asks her "Ikenaga Sonoe's existence, you absolutely didn't know about it?" Toko replies "That she was his ex-lover, hating me & getting close to me, I never even realized it..." Eiki gets up, walking to the window "Then you met Hisamatsu..." In a half whisper, Toko says "I'd already decided that I'd never love again...I put a distance between us...but then eventually, I started wanting to be by his side, be at peace...I ended up falling in love again..." Toko recalls being in the restaurant, Hisamatsu telling her "I'll make you happy...we've taken a roundabout way but we'll never part again..." Toko says to Eiki "But the nightmare wasn't over..." Toko remembers Hisamatsu showing her the insurance certificate "I want to put my life in your hands, to say how much I love you..." Toko says to Eiki "The paper that exchanged money for lives was a lifelong curse...that's what I thought..." Hisamatsu says "It's a proof of love, can't you think it that way?" Toko tells Eiki "I desperately pleaded with him to cancel the contract. That by canceling the contract I would lose the person I loved...that dreadful fate crossed my mind, but in the end, I couldn't become the beneficiary..." Flashback to the cruiser & Hisamatsu saying "I did as you asked & cancelled the contract..." Toko asks "Buying an insurance policy & making me the beneficiary...what made you think about this suddenly?" Hisamatsu laughs "How come I wonder..." Toko asks "By any chance did someone suggest this to you?" Hisamatsu replies "I just thought of proving my love to you, that's all..."

Tiredly, Toko says "That's everything...that's everything..." With tears rolling down her face "I intended to love them in my own way...looking at his smile, cuddling up together on the grass in the park, in the sun together, eating using the same fork...in that moment, I loved them wholeheartedly. But I never game them my everything..." Eiki looks at her, trying to understand. Toko continues "I only wanted to live my life the way I pleased...isn't that allowed? Dad & mom too, loved me by giving up their lives...at that moment, I wanted to die with them that I lighted the match...but I'm the only one left behind...Dad & mom, Hiyama too, Shibata & Hisamatsu too...loving me & leaving me in front of my eyes..." Crying Toko pleads "Please...please don't disappear from me too..." Eiki looks at Toko as she tells him "I want you to live...I want you to love me by loving me..." Eiki grabs her, hugging her tightly. Toko says "...love you...I love you!" Eiki whispers "I understand...I finally understand...I'll live, I won't die...your pain...will end with me..." Looking at each other, Eiki says "Toko, let's fight together..." Nodding, Toko moves to hug him once more... Ujou brings a bouquet of roses to Masako's shop. Masako asks "What's this?" Ujou replies "It's our wedding anniversary..." "It's beautiful..." "Buying flowers for you, it's the first time huh..." Masako looks at the flowers with a smile & turning, puts them on the counter when she suddenly feels nauseous. Ujou asks worriedly "What's wrong?" With a little smile Masako answers "I'm alright..." Ujou looks at her & realization dawning "You're not...is that it? That child is..." Masako quietly answers "It's still here...I intended to have the baby & bring it up myself..." "So you lied to me?" "If I didn't say that I wanted an abortion, I'd would have wavered in my decision to break up with you..." Ujou turns Masako towards him & looks at her "I swear in front of this baby, I won't make you lonely ever again..." Hugging her, he says "Let's start over, Masako..." Masako doesn't reply, accepting the warmth & tenderness of his embrace...

At a photo studio, Eiki says to Hiyama's colleague "Sorry to disturb you when you're so busy..." "It's alright...it's true that I have all of Hiyama's negatives, there's a lot..." Eiki replies "I don't mind, would you let me see them?" Bringing them out he tells Eiki "These are all of the photos related to work...what are you looking for?" "Looking for any acquaintance of Hiyama's besides Egi Toko..." "I don't think any were taken...private photos taken with a work camera, I'm certain there's none..." Eiki pauses & then replies "I'll look..." "Go ahead..." Eiki sits down & goes true the drawers of negative film searching...

With the sun setting, Toko returns to the marina in Kanazawa with a bouquet of flowers in hand. At the end of the pier, Shogo, holding Nanami's ashes, turns around, noticing Toko "Can we go together?" Shogo looks at her "The livelier the better..." Toko turns around & looks back to see Detectives Kanbara &Yukawa. Kanbara's on the phone reporting "Yes, that's right...she's gone together with Sakota Shogo on the cruiser after the funeral service...we'll be on stand by here at the marina" watching the cruiser pulls out of the marina. Out at sea, Shogo says "Since she loved Hisamatsu that much, I wanted to let her be together with him..." As the wind blows her ashes away into the ocean, Shogo says "Nanami, be happy..." Toko throws the bouquet of flowers into the sea & puts her hands together in prayer. Shogo sees an image of Nanami on board a cruiser with Hisamatsu & says "Nanami..." Toko looks at him "I need your help...Shibata & Hisamatsu, Ikenaga Sonoe & Nanami's death...all are linked together...in order to draw the real murderer out, I need your help..." Shogo says "The real murderer...who is it?" Toko thinks "Hisamatsu received a warning from someone who knew me well...told him that he was the next to be sacrificed..." Shogo ponders "Someone who knew you well..." Toko continues "That's the real murderer...someone who hates me, who wants to take everything away from me...failed in making me the murderer but I'm sure that another trap will be set...I want to do the reverse & draw out the real murderer..." Shogo looks at her "What should I do?" on Toko's side...

At Hiyama's old studio, Eiki continues the arduous task of going thru each negative. Suddenly, he sees something that catches his eye & taking a closer look, shock registers on Eiki's face. Recalling Hisamatsu's letter "One day, someone who knew you well suddenly warned me..." As Eiki leaves the studio & walks along the street, he has flashbacks of everything that has happened...

At the Ice Storm, Eiki sits at a table with a strip of film negative in his hand, deep in thought. He hears Ide says "Welcome..." & footsteps approaching & quickly puts the negative away in his pocket. Toko says to Ide "The usual..." & walks up to Eiki. Taking a seat she says "I met with Shogo...what about your end?" Eiki merely mutters "Uhm..." Toko asks 'Did you find you anything?" Eiki looks at her "No, looks like it will take some time...I'll bring it to the office tomorrow..." Toko half whispers "It's finally time..." Quietly they sit without speaking when Eiki suddenly says "Ah, & this..." He takes out a ring & looking at Toko, puts it on her finger...

Eiki enters a restaurant looking around when his boss Hirase greets him "Hirokawa..." Sitting across the table from him, Eiki shows him the insurance application "She finally agreed to become the beneficiary of a hundred million yen insurance policy...please check this..." Hirase looks at Eiki in disbelief "Egi Toko's the end game! She's just been arrested for that murder case at Ryokuchi Park isn't she!" Eiki replies "Insufficient evidence so she's been released..." "Just insufficient evidence. That woman is all darkness...from the company standpoint, there's no reason for refusing the application but whether or not your & Egi Toko's contract has anything doubtful, I will search with care...first of all, whether or not you are really engaged to her..." Eiki looks at him "I look forward to it. Please meet with her yourself tomorrow..." "Hirokawa..."

The next morning, Hirase & Ansai call at Eiki's apartment. Sitting down at the table in awkwardness, Hirase asks Toko "Is that the engagement ring?" Toko touches the ring on her finger "Yes..." Eiki puts a wedding invitation on the table "This is just hot off the press..." Ansai looks at it "January 18th...which day is it..." fumbling around with his diary. Eiki tells him "I'll send one to you..." Hirase says to Toko "May I ask you something?" Toko smiles "Yes..." Hirase asks with difficulty "Being the beneficiary of a life insurance policy of your fiance, are you happy?" Toko looks at him & answers with a smile "Yes..." Both Hirase & Ansai look uncomfortably at Eiki...

At the police station, Kuramoto puts down the phone & announces to everyone "Just got a call from the insurance company...appears that a contract has just been signed with Egi Toko as the beneficiary...the life insured of the sum of one hundred million yen is Rose Life Insurance's Hirokawa Eiki..." Shono looks up in shock, as well as Kanbara & Yuikawa. Kuramoto walks up to Shono "Since when did Hirokawa Eiki & Egi Toko develop that sort of a relationship?" Shono replies "Recently... Kanbara ponders "& then get the contract cancelled..." Yuikawa adds "The same fate as Shibata & Hisamatsu..." Kuramoto says "This time we'll nab Egi Toko in the act of committing the crime...if we can detain her for 3 weeks, we'll definitely make her confess..." Shono asks "Arresting her in the act...are you saying, making Hirokawa Eiki the bait?" Kuramoto doesn't reply, merely walks away...

At the Ice Storm, Eiki sits alone at the bar when Ujou walks in. Looking at Ide, he orders a drink "Gin Tonic..." & then taking off his coat sitting next to Eiki he says "I've heard...that you've bought an insurance policy making Egi Toko the beneficiary..." Eiki replies "I guess it's about time that the information got to the police..." Ujou asks "Walking the same road as the men in her past, why?" Eiki tells him "To say that it's proof of one's love is useless perhaps...but it's the extent of giving up one's life & loving her. Even you have loved a woman to that extent haven't you..." Ujou reluctantly admits "For my wife & child, maybe I'd be able to do that..." Eiki surprised "Child?" Ujou lights a cigarette "Going to have a new family soon...then, doing that to prove your love, what did she say?" Eiki replies "At first she rejected it, said that life insurance brought back a lot of bad memories...but in the end I managed to persuade her, got her to sign the contract as beneficiary..." Ujou asks "When are you going to cancel it?" Eiki tells him "I'm not thinking about canceling the contract..." Ujou says "Every case that surrounds Egi Toko, no matter how I think the one thing I don't understand is the meaning of the cancellation of the policies. Canceling the contracts, she never got a single yen. The meaning of getting those insurance contracts come to nothing..." Ide puts a drink in front of Ujou & taking a gulp, continues "But then, at long last, I can see the meaning...when the contracts are cancelled, all of the men in Egi Toko's past have the same thought...unable to get her love without giving up their lives, thy realize the love is all a fabrication...that's to say, when the contracts are cancelled, the men realize & wake up to the real love...that's the moment when Egi Toko & the men reach the apex of their love...after that, like a rule, all the men die after canceling the contracts...Egi Toko left alone, suddenly falls from the apex into hell...this is the real murderer's motive..." Eiki thinks of the person captured in Hiyama's negative..." Getting up & putting his coat on he says to Ide "The check..." Ujou says "You're intending to become the murderer's target aren't you..." Eiki doesn't reply, just settles his bill. Ujou getting agitated tells him "Just looking at Sakota Nanami's case, the real murderer knows your & Egi Toko's every move..." Ignoring Ujou & turning to move, Ujou suddenly grabs Eiki by the shoulder stopping him "The enemy is close by!" Eiki merely nods & starts walking away. Ujou unable to control himself shouts "Hirokawa!" Eiki stops in his tracks without looking back. Ujou says "I won't let you die..." Eiki touched, turns around & looks at Ujou "When the case is solved, how about a drink together again? Goodnight..." walking out of Ice Storm. With Ujou standing there not saying anything, Ide suddenly says "I don't think Toko will let him die either..."

Walking out of the Ice Storm, Eiki suddenly stops & looks back in the opposite direction. There leaning against the fence is Shono. Silence & distance between them, Eiki turns around & continues walking away...

Back in his apartment, Eiki starts cleaning the white board with a sigh. His cell phone rings & taking it out of his coat pocket answers it "Yes, hello..." A digitized voice answers "You're Hirokawa Egi aren't you..." Eiki shocked asks "Who are you?" "I got the company to tell me your number...regarding your fiance Egi Toko, I have something to tell you..." Eiki remembers Toko receiving a phone call the night of Nanami's death & asks "Why use this voice to call?" "Your fiancee is a woman that is cursed. I will tell you her real appearance..." Eiki walks to his window, looking out as the voice continues "Can you come out alone?" Eiki replies "I can't...I'm being watched by the police..." "It'll be alright...if you do as I say..." Eiki asks "What should I do?" "If you don't want to be killed by Egi Toko, first cancel the contract...for the time being, you won't be killed for the sake of insurance money...her real appearance, you should know..." Eiki finally replies "For sure....we'll meet..."

At a bridal salon, Toko, dressed in a white wedding gown steps out in front of Eiki. Looking at her he says "Beautiful..." Outside watching from their car, Kanbara says to Yuikawa "Looking at it from here, looks like they're really a happy couple..." Yuikawa says "Being surrounded by suspicion, it'll be surprising if they're receive any blessings..."

Toko looks at herself in the mirror with a smile & Eiki, standing next to her says "I won't let anyone touch your live anymore...that person..." Toko realizes Eiki's discovered something & turns around to look at him in shock "You're not saying...that you already know?" Eiki's expression speaks volumes & Toko says "You know don't you! The murderer! Who is it?" Eiki doesn't look at her, not replying. Toko asks worriedly "Why are you keeping silent? Eiki!" Eiki looks at her & finally says "Will you wait for me? Until I make sure with my own eyes...wait for me" Looking at each other, Eiki slowly leans forward & kisses her. 

Thru the glass window watching in the distance, expressionless, is Shono....