Protector

Episode 5. — Protector

Sota Yukimura meets Sayuri Nose and tells her that she was the one who killed Tateiwa. Sayuri asks why he claims to be Mariko Nose’s protector. On her table, she has Yukimura’s profile and reveals that their families were neighbors in Kita-Okamoto, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. She also confirms that he and Mariko were classmates from middle school through university and entered Nose Cosmetics at the same time.

Yukimura laughs at her notion that Mariko placed him beside her as a childhood friend and accuses her of plotting something within the company. Sayuri tells him that he sent the email information to President Nose about Tateiwa and the secret fund for the partnership. To blackmail him, she asks him to join her mission to bring down President Nose and take over the company, promising him a better position than with Mariko. Yukimura laughs again and explains that Mariko is a hard worker who achieves everything fairly. He warns Sayuri against scheming against her.

Sayuri is shocked that he sent the information to President Nose of his own will. She calls him a stalker obsessed with Mariko and threatens to expose his motives. Yukimura replies that she can do as she pleases since his background is easy to access, but she won’t tell Mariko because Sayuri has more to lose if she is exposed.

Inspector Sakura learns that the DNA found at the crime scene did not match anyone in their database and wonders if it belongs to Yukimura. The information sent to President Nose regarding Tateiwa’s shady deals appears to have come from someone with an IT background, which points to Yukimura. They consider bringing him in for DNA testing. However, the chief investigator shows a photograph of someone leaving Tateiwa’s house at 1:15 p.m. the day after the body was discovered, suggesting this person may have erased data from the laptop.

Yukimura buys a cactus from a store to bring to the office. Mariko asks him to check a report and leave it in the usual place if there are no issues. She acts nonchalant about the previous evening, puzzling him as to whether she realizes she is the heroine of his life. He tells Tomoya that Mariko doesn’t think of him romantically and blames him for it.

Mariko tells Izumi that Yukimura has loved someone for a long time, so he is off her list of men to pursue. Izumi advises her not to stop pursuing him just because he likes someone else, since her feelings are important and he has no girlfriend yet. Mariko admits she wants a relationship built on mutual love, not unrequited hope. She acknowledges that Yukimura is unusual but a good person, and that his love is true, though she quickly denies liking him.

Tomoya encourages Yukimura to tell Mariko that she is the one he loves, but Yukimura says he cannot admit that he has liked her for so long. Meanwhile, Izumi notices Mariko and Yukimura trying to ignore each other.

Izumi tells President Nose that it is unusual for Asai to simply send an email explaining his absence, since he rarely takes leave. President Nose worries something has happened to Asai, especially given the timing with the Tateiwa case and Mariko’s kidnapping. Izumi notes that Hatano has been featured in articles and suspects he may be targeting something. President Nose instructs her to keep an eye on Mariko and notify him of any developments. Secretary Seto overhears this.

Later, Secretary Seto meets Sayuri in the garage. She suspects Yukimura is a stalker hiding secrets. Seto defends him as a hard worker liked in the company, but mentions Izumi’s visit to President Nose and his instruction to look for Asai, which raises suspicions. Sayuri dismisses Asai’s case and insists she only wants new information about Yukimura.

While Yukimura considers confessing his love to Mariko, she thanks him for making decaf coffee. When she asks where he is from, he replies Setagaya, leading her to suspect they attended the same school.

He backs out of confessing and instead teases her about how she marks pages without using sticky notes. Later, he tells Tomoya he fears losing everything if he speaks up.

Izumi plans a double date with Tomoya, Yukimura, Mariko, and her daughter Sara at the amusement park but changes her mind.

Mariko goes on a date with Inspector Sakura. They talk about art and her mother, who loved paintings. Sakura admits he once wanted to be a painter but came from a family of policemen, so everyone assumed he would become an officer. He says he enjoys painting portraits of people he likes. When he asks if she likes someone else, he grows annoyed upon seeing Yukimura watching them.

Meanwhile, Tomoya spends time at the playground with Izumi and Sara. They discuss unrequited love, which can make people obsessed. Tomoya gives the example of a man who loved forever without asking for anything, simply wishing for the other person’s happiness. Izumi doubts this, while Sara asks to go to the amusement park, and Tomoya asks to join them. Izumi wonders if they should start dating.

At the office, Izumi tells Yukimura that Mariko is seriously considering marriage. She encourages Mariko to think about her feelings for Yukimura and invites him to join her at the amusement park. On the Ferris wheel, she teases him about being afraid of its swaying. Yukimura recalls wanting to ride amusement park rides with her when they were young. He tells her she was the one he wanted to ride the Ferris wheel with, and she embraces him. Embarrassed, she quickly pushes him away.

#SuspenseDrama #CrimeThriller #FamilySecrets #UnrequitedLove #DarkMystery #EpisodeStory #YukimuraAndMariko #SayuriNose