This week we know more about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Noguchi, and how and why Nishizaki and Mrs. Noguchi fell in love...what pulled them together.
I have a feeling that Takno's mute wife holds a key to the murder incident. It is not clear how Naruse Shinji came to be inolved in the incident. There seems to be a lot of things we still don't know.
(Spoiler)
This episodes starts with Andou Nozomi's testimony made in a police station in 2004.
According to Andou, he went to Noguchi's apartment before the promised time. He called Noguchi Takahiro from downstairs and was told to wait in the lounge on the top floor as Noguchi wanted to discuss matters related to their work.
Andou waited in the lounge, but Noguchi did not show up. Andou then went to Noguchi's apartment, and pressed a button on the inter-phone at the door. Sugishita Nozomi answered the phone and told Andou not to come in. Feeling there was something wrong, Andou went inside the apartment, and saw Noguchi Takahiro and his wife on the floor in a pool of blood and Sugishita, Nishizaki and Naruse standing next to Noguchis. Immediately after that, police and fire department came.
Andou claims he doesn't really know what happened there because nobody at the scene explained him.
In 2014. Takano, a retired policeman from Aokage Jima goes to see Sugishita Nozomi. They talk about the two incidents; the fire that burned down Naruse Shinji's parents' restaurant and the murder of Noguchis. Sugishita tells Takano that she got to know that Naruse worked in a restaurant, and told Noguchis about it. That's how Noguchis started to frequent the restaurant.
Sugishita: "If I didn't tell Noguchis about the restaurant, Naruse would never have been at Noguchi's place at that time (of the murder."
Takano answers, "You always protect Naruse Shinji, don't you?"
Sugishita concludes that Naruse "happened to" be there on that night, and so did she. Takano is not convinced, though.
Back in 2003 at Nobara Apt. Mrs. Noguchi comes to see Sugishita Nozomi, but Sugishita is not home. Nishizaki Makoto invites her into his room as it is raining hard outside. Mrs. Noguchi happened to read Nishizaki's manuscripts. It's a novel based on his childhood days. Reading the manuscripts, Mrs. Noguchi understands that the novel was about physical abuse Nishizaki got from his beloved mother.
Naruse Shinji is caught by the police for his involvement in a scam operation. Takno goes all the way from Aokage Jima to Tokyo to get Naruse out of the police station as his guardian. After leaving the police station, they go to have dinner together. In the restaurant, Naruse apologizes Takano for what he has done.
In 2004. Two Nozomis, that is Sugishita and Andou, visit a shrine on the New Years Day to pray for each other's happiness for that year. Sugishita has been trying hard to look for a job after graduation. Andou is getting ready to leave Nobara Apt. and move into a dormitory owned by the company he is going to work for.
One early morning when it's still dark, Andou takes Sugishita to a window cleaning gondola. Sugishita wanted to work on a gondola, but her boss told her she's too skinny to work there. Andou knew Sugishita wanted the job, and wanted to help her.
Two Nozomis see a beautiful sunrise, and a sea horizon. It makes them feel how large the world is. A strong wind blows and Sugishita loses her balance and hangs onto Andou. Sugishita asks him if she can hold onto him from now on. Andou answers affirmative, holding her hands. Sugishita thanks Andou for taking her there.
After being on the gondola, Sugishita changed the outlook on her life. She no longer keeps a lot of food in the fridge as she decided to cook what she wants when she wants. She's no longer scared of what is going to happen to her. She's not going to let her horrible past take control of her.
Naruse Shinji quits college and starts working in a restaurant.
Andou Nozomi starts working for a large trading company.
Sugishita Nozomi and Mrs. Noguchi go out together to have tea together. On their way to a tea house, Sugishita sees a dresser in a store which reminds her of her difficult days in Aokage Jima. Seeing Sugishita, Mrs. Noguchi misunderstands that Sugishita wants the dresser. Later on Mrs. Noguchi buys the dresser and sends it to Suishita as a present. Sugishita doesn't really want it, but she accepts the gift anyway.
Nishizaki Makoto and Mrs. Noguchi see each other whenever Mrs. Noguhi comes to see Sugishita who is not home most of the time. They find out they have scars of physical abuse. Nishizaki was abused by his mother and Mrs. Noguchi is abused by her husband. They show each other their scars and bruises, holding each other. They start to love each other.
Andou and his coworkers receive an anonymous e-mail message that Mrs. Noguchi is having an extramarital affair in the broad daylight.
Sugishita can't get hold of Mrs. Noguchi on the phone. Sugishita only hears a recorded message, "This number is no longer used...."
Sugishita and Andou go to Noguchi's apartment to see how Mrs. Noguchi is doing. When they are at the door to Noguchi's apartment, they see a door chain lock put outside the apartment. A door chain lock is usually put inside so that nobody can enter the house/apartment. In the case of Noguchi's, nobody can leave their apartment as the lock is outside.
Mrs. Noguchi seems frail and mentally not stable. Mr. Noguchi takes two Nozomis to the lounge. He uses the chain lock from outside so that Mrs. Noguchi would not go out.
In 2014. Andou tells Takano about the door chain outside. Takano tells Andou that according to Naruse Shinji, the door chain lock was not used on that night. Andou answers that the lock must have been on so that nobody could get out of the apartment which led to to the incident. While Takno thinks about what he heard from Andou, his mute wife looks at him.
Andou meets Sugishita. He tells her his speculation that Nishizaki was at Noguchi's place in order to get Mrs. Noguchi escape. He also tells her that on the night of the murder he was going to give her a ring and asks her to marry him. He shows her the ring.
Sugishita invites Takano to her apartment. She tells him that she had an operation three years ago for stomach cancer. Her cancer came back and she was told she has only one year to live. She quit her job because of her cancer and it has nothing to do with Nishizaki.
Sugishita is now ready to tell Takano the truth about what happened on that night. She wants to do it only because she wants to use her remaining time to protect her precious person......
N no Tame ni Ep.5
N no Tame ni Ep.4
N no Tame ni OST
N no Tame ni Ep.3
N no Tame ni Ep.2
N no Tame ni Ep.1
