Heaven

Episode 2. Heaven

Yukimura Sato is thinking about Mariko Nose because he is the only one beside her to protect her. He defended her against Tsuyoshi Tateiwa, whom he begged to withdraw his business proposal for the cosmetics branch of the Velel brand. The proposal had been copied from Mariko’s with a fraudulent partnership, which Yukimura threatened to expose. Tateiwa refused and instead beat up Yukimura.

Yukimura has memorized Mariko’s morning routine—when she arrives at the office, the time she swipes her ID at the gates, and when she gets on the elevator. He races the elevator to their office floor to catch her greeting the office workers, watching how she sits at her desk and wipes her laptop before checking the company’s status. He perfectly times delivering a cup of her favorite coffee just as she is about to rise and get one herself.

Some managers are jealous of the approval Mariko received for her new cosmetic product proposal to her father, Ginjiko Nose, the company president. Mariko and her secretary, Izumi Takeda, overhear the men talking about this preferential treatment, but she remains unfazed. She thinks dating is harder than getting a job because men are actually more interested in her father.

Izumi asks about the date her grandmother, Akiko Nose, set up with a civil servant. Mariko says nothing has happened since.

She meets her father in the lobby, who reminds her of the golf game with the CEO of Keihin Department Store. Yukimura overhears this and remembers that Mariko started golfing to entertain guests. He readies his golf clubs.

President Nose asks his secretary, Gota Asai, if he has spoken to Tateiwa. He says no.

Police Chief Sakura Taisuke meets with President Nose and informs him that Director Tsuyoshi Tateiwa was found dead at 10:00 p.m. He asks when they last met, and Nose replies two days earlier. Sakura proceeds to ask if Tateiwa had enemies. Nose says he received an anonymous email the day before about Tateiwa misappropriating company expenses and other funds. This was the same day police estimated his death, and Sakura requests to check his desk.

Ryoko Hashimoto rushes to Mariko’s office to inform the group about police detectives investigating Tateiwa’s murder. Yukimura hears this.

Mariko recognizes Sakura as he exits the building, while Yukimura leaves his desk at the office.

Meanwhile, Mariko’s stepmother rushes to Tateiwa’s house to remove data from his laptop, pack her clothes and cosmetics, and leave in a hurry.

Yukimura arrives at the Drip & N:ote Café in time to catch Tomoya Sagara, the cashier, conversing with Mariko about Futasubishi University, where both he and Yukimura graduated. Mariko says she attended the same school. Tomoya apologizes to Yukimura later, saying he would not have told Mariko that Yukimura had loved her for 25 years because it would have creeped her out. He assures Yukimura not to worry, as he wouldn’t steal her. He asks who Mariko’s closest friend is, and Yukimura says Izumi and notes that Izumi is three years older than Mariko but is a trusted subordinate with whom Mariko can be herself. Izumi does not take leaves unless accompanying Mariko’s grandmother in London.

Tomoya is unsettled when Yukimura mentions the fireworks across the Thames. He senses the fatal attraction when Yukimura says he knows everything about Mariko and understands her completely.

Yukimura impresses Mariko’s father at the golf course with his perfect shot. Mariko is surprised, recalling that she used to play at the same Koto Golf Club too. She thanks him for joining her on short notice. His dream of playing golf with her had finally come true—he was in heaven. He coaches her through the game, and she is appreciative.

Business talk about keeping the death of the Velel Director out of the news is exchanged between President Nose and Jinno, the Department Store owner. Mariko expresses the need for support for the new product, and Jinno offers an independent counter at his department store. He is impressed with Mariko’s competence and mentions that she is a splendid successor to President Nose.

Mariko offers Yukimura a ride back to the office. He asks when she started drinking coffee, and she says although she tried her mother’s coffee in elementary school, she only enjoyed it as an adult and began frequenting cafés. He tells her he likes cafés too, for the independent space they offer. Like apartments, people quietly share time through each single space in cafés—a sense of romance, Yukimura describes. She nods in agreement, mentioning they have a lot in common.

He slips when he says that losing an exam ticket was not a big deal because she passed the entrance exam. She is stunned that he knew about this, since only she and the woman who picked it up knew. He goes on to say that her passing the exam and getting the job at the company were based on her effort, not luck. He apologizes for being a know-it-all.

Mariko complains about the talk that she only gets to see clients because of her father’s backing. She apologizes for ranting.

July 25 is the day when all of Yukimura’s wishes of being with Mariko come true. He plays golf with her and finally feels a connection. He records this day in his diary. He is alarmed by the release of Mariko’s kidnapper, Satoru Hatano, from prison after 25 years. The serial kidnapper killed one of the five children he abducted when the child tried to escape. Hatano’s attempt to kidnap Mariko was thwarted when Yukimura rang the doorbells of nearby houses and asked for help.

Yukimura’s research reveals that Mariko’s father and the kidnapper were old school friends, a fact her father covered up.

Meanwhile, Mariko is preparing her proposal for the independent cosmetic counter at Keihin when she sees a notification that an exclusive interview with Hatano is airing. She panics and closes all the curtains in her house.

Hatano reads the newspaper and comes across an article about a man found dead on the street in Shinagawa.

Tomoya delivers coffee and snacks from Drip & N:ote when he notices Izumi and tries to flirt with her in the elevator. He points out a sticker on her coat, and the attention tickles her.

Word spreads that Yukimura made a good impression on President Nose at the golf course, and his officemates talk about a possible promotion. Mariko overhears the conversation and withdraws on her way to the office lounge. When Yukimura enters the office, he is surprised by Mariko’s cold response as he greets her. She suddenly walks out, leaving everyone stunned.

Mariko walks along the garden and begins to run, thinking she is being followed. Sakura Taisuke startles her when he touches her shoulder. He introduces himself properly as a Detective of the Metropolitan Police Department with 20 years of service. Mariko tells him he should have admitted immediately that he was a policeman and not a civil servant. Sakura goes on to say that he is single, wants to know her more in his private life, and would like to have dinner with her sometime.

Yukimura overhears this and becomes jealous. At home, he intensely sharpens his pencils with a blade before writing in his journal.

Mariko argues with her father about the independent counter at Keihin Department Store, insisting that it should not be lumped in with other Nose Brand counters. Her father says it would attract new customers for their existing products. Mariko insists that Velel has a different target demographic and that placing it side-by-side with other brands would erase its distinction. She asks if he approved the project because she was his daughter, if she became manager because she was his daughter, and even that she was kidnapped because she was his daughter.

Yukimura overhears this exchange and tells Tomoya that Mariko has been fighting forever. He recalls how she insisted on walking to school after the kidnapping attempt, even though she was hurt, because the culprit was in jail. She was always optimistic, moving forward with her own will and strength, never relying on her family. He says no one truly understands Mariko. Tomoya replies that knowing this doesn’t change the fact that Yukimura has been watching her from a distance for 25 years, and only recently has she become aware of him. Tomoya asks what Yukimura plans next.

Late at night, Yukimura works at the office.

Mariko finds him asleep at his desk at 9:30 p.m. with a new PR campaign for the product. He explains that marketing it at train stations might give the product slow but steady exposure, which goes against her father’s wishes. Mariko is surprised and admits she misunderstood Yukimura’s intentions, thinking he only wanted her father’s approval. She apologizes, saying she failed to see his pure motives. She agrees with the PR plan for the Velel brand. Yukimura says he wants to take her side and work hard. He assures her that being in the department has made him the happiest in his life. She says he is exaggerating but thanks him.

Yukimura’s obsession with being useful to Mariko and making her life pleasant is reinforced by her appreciation. He recalls how she once dropped her entrance exam admission ticket and how he sent someone to chase after her so she could take it. He investigates Ginjiro Nose’s connection to Satoru Hatano and discovers they were classmates, realizing the kidnapping wasn’t a coincidence. He vows not to let anyone interfere with Mariko’s happiness, anticipating that something is bound to happen.

At the police station, Sakura reviews CCTV footage from the crime scene and notices a figure walking behind Tateiwa. He recognizes Yukimura. They go to Yukimura’s house to question him.

When Yukimura sees them, he imagines holding Mariko’s head, thinking she need not know anything—he just wants her to be happy.

 

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