One more episode to go. We'll see why Operation N II did not go well, and why those at the murder scene lost touch with one another for 10 years. I'm hoping that Nishizaki, Sugishita, Andou, and Naruse will be freed from the burden (= secret) they have been carrying ever since the murder.
(Spoiler)
2014
Sugishita Nozomi wakes up in a hospital after collapsing on a street. She tells her doctor that she has no intention to tell her family about her sickness. She is going to a hospice when she cannot take care of herself any longer.
On Aokage Jima.
Takano shows a letter written by his wife to Naruse Shinji. In the letter, Takano's wife, Takano Natsue reveals that the fire of Shinji's parents' restaurant was started by Shinji's father.
14 years ago, Takano's wife ran inside the burning restaurant and found Shinji's father. The father asked her to leave him there because he wanted Shinji to receive his life insurance money and go to college. Obviously, he started the fire with lighter fluid.
Takano's wife took away the can of lighter fluid from Shinji's father, wiped his fingerprints, and threw it into the burning fire. For 14 years after that, she kept hiding the truth as she knew what she did was "destruction of evidence" and "enabling a criminal to escape". As a wife of a policeman, she did what she should never have done. If she confessed what she she had done, her husband would have lost his job or his social status. She kept her mouth shut to protect him.
After Shinji finishes reading the letter, Takano apologizes to Shinji for suspecting him as the arsonist.
Answering Takano's question, Shinji reveals what Sugishita whispered into his ear when he was about to be taken to a police station for questioning 14 years ago. She said, "You can do anything." It was a way to keep Shinji away from being swallowed into the criminal world. She gave him hope and protected him.
Shinji also admits to Takano that when the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Noguchi happened, his precious person was Sugishita Nozomi. However, he doesn't explain why he stopped seeing Sugishita after the murder incident.
In Tokyo, Sugishita meets Andou Nozomi. Andou takes her to his friend's BBQ party. Sugishita has a good time, and smile comes back to her. Andou is happy to see her smile again.
Nishizaki goes to see his father to say sorry to have caused him trouble because of what he had done. The father tells him he feels sorry to have left him in the hands of his ex-wife, a child abuser. He also suggests Nishizaki he repay his debt to whomever he caused trouble. When Nishizaki is about to leave, the father tells him to come back again every once in a while to see him. Very kind words from someone who didn't contact his son after leaving his wife.
Nishizaki meets Andou Nozomi. Andou still does not believe Nishizaki to be a murderer, but Nishizaki insists that he killed Noguchi Takahiro.
Nishizaki asks Andou what he would do if there is a dangerous rope bridge in front of him and Sugishita Nozomi asks him for help from the other side of the bridge. Andou answers that Sugishita will not ask anybody for help so easily. However, if she really does that, he will do anything to help her. Nishizaki admits that he feels sorry for Sugishita, Naruse and Andou because if they didn't have "that incident", everyone must be happy now.
Going back to Nobara Apt, Nishizaki remembers that night. Sugishita was talking on the intercom to Naruse, asking him to help her.
Nishizaki calls Naruse, and asks him to help Sugishita again.
Naruse goes to see Sugishita at her apartment. They go for a walk and have a chat. Naruse tells her that the fire incident of his parents' restaurant is about to be settled. He has been working in a French restaurant, but is going to quit in spring to go back to Aokage Jima. He is going to work in a French restaurant on the island. He asks Sugishita to go back to the island with him and be with him.
2004
After calling Nishizaki and asking him to come to her place on Christmas eve, pretending to be flower delivery person, Mrs. Nozaki is taken back home by her angry husband. At home, she is beaten severely and loses her consciousness. When she wakes up, Mr. Nozaki is sitting next to her, crying and telling her that he cannot control himself. He begs her to stop him.
At Nobara Apt. Nishizaki tells Sugishita about the phone call he received from Mrs. Noguchi. He is now very worried about Mrs. Noguchi, thinking her husband might kill her. Sugishita suggests they contact the police, but Nishizaki does not want that. He decides to change the plan of Operation N II.
Sugishita goes to the French restaurant Naruse works to see him. She tells him the new plan:
On December 24th at 5pm, Sugishita is to arrive at Noguchi's place and keep him in his den, playing a chess together.
At 5:30pm, Nishizaki is to arrive, pretending to be delivering flowers. He is to take Mrs. Noguchi outside to a shelter for women abused by her husband.
At 6pm, Naruse is to arrive.
Sugishita asks Naruse to come to Nobara Apt. for further discussion, but he declines. He thinks he might get to see Andou who is going to ask Sugishita to marry him. He does not see Andou.
On December 24th, 2004.
Sugishita arrives at Noguchi's place at 5pm as scheduled. She and Mr. Noguchi play Japanese chess in his den.
A bit before 5:30pm, Andou goes to a flower shop to buy flowers. However, the flower shop is full of people, standing in line to buy flowers for their loved ones for Christmas eve celebration. Andou did not expect such crowd in the shop. He panics as he is going to be late. After getting flowers, he ran to Noguchi's place.
Sugishita tries hard to keep Mr. Noguchi in his den. She is to teach him how to win the game that Noguchi is having against Andou. She pretends at first she does not know how to win that game, and waits for Nishizaki. Nishizaki does not show up even at 5:45pm. As a last-ditch effort, Sugishita tells Noguchi the moves to win the game. Noguchi is happy to be able to win the game as it means Andou is going to be working in a third world country far away. Noguchi tells Sugishita about the bet he has with Andou. Sugishita is entirely shocked to hear this as she is going to be the one to send Andou away. She gets on her knees and begs him not to send Andou away.
Then, the door bell rings. It is flower delivery.
(Narration by Sugishita Nozomi) At that time everyone was thinking about his/her precious person N and trying to protect the person.
N no Tame ni Ep.8
N no Tame ni Ep.7
N no Tame ni Ep.6
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
