Episode 9

"Love, among all emotions is the most ridiculous"

	Shuichi visits his father's grave. There he prays that his father would grant him this wish, "I want you to give Takumi my legs".
	Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Takumi asks Aya if she had seen Shuichi lately. When Aya says no, Takumi calls her a liar. Takumi accuses her of seeing Shuichi behind his back. That Aya was here only because Shuichi had asked her to look after "poor Takumi".
	Takumi says, "I'm sure of this, Aya, you don't love me ... Now or ever ... ... it's the same with me ... I don't love you". Aya is a little startled. She asks, "... really?" Takumi reaffirms "I really don't love you"
	Turning away from Aya, Takumi says to himself, "I refuse to be your puppet". Aya is saddened by what Takumi has said to her. She tries to tell herself that Takumi was just in one of his moods again. But her eyes could not hide her sadness.
	Shuichi prays earnestly, "... give everything I have to Takumi ..." (A.N. "everything" may have included Aya's love). Main theme is played.
	Shuichi visits Takumi. Takumi scorns at him "why are you here? Aya isn't home yet". Takumi accuses Shuichi of pretending to give Aya to Takumi but at the same time seeing Aya and laughing behind Takumi's back. Shuichi replies to Takumi, "you're pathetic ... Aya is living for you ... You and I are different, I have a bad habit of keeping my emotions to myself, since I was a boy ... but you (Takumi) will open up to anyone and confront their feelings honestly and clearly. There were times when your honesty hurt me ... I envied the way you loved people ..." Tears emerge from Shuichi's eyes. Shuichi tells Takumi of their mother's death. Shunmin is at Yoshihiko's restaurant. While serving him, Aya tells him that he can't drink alone, and to drink with a duplicate of himself, "you have, but are unaware of a self that is kind". Shunmin replies, "then, there's another you who is full of hatred?" Aya, after some thought, says "... maybe so".
	Shuichi continues, "mother hoped more than anyone that you'd be a doctor, she loved the man wearing the white coat ... that's why Aya was trying to return you to practice." Takumi shouts "what do you expect of me!?" Takumi tells Shuichi that he can't operate, because, probably due to some nerve damage, his hand trembles at times, that's why he can't operate. (A.N. I think that Takumi's hands tremble because he doesn't have the drive and confidence to be a surgeon at this point. He's still in darkness. Who says there's symbolism exists only in Shakespeare ! ) Before Shuichi leaves, Takumi asks him, "why didn't Aya tell me about mother?", Shuichi replies "... must you ask?"
	Shuichi returns home and find Rika waiting outside his door. During their conversation, Rika says that she would like to be the mother of Shuichi's child. But Shuichi tells her "I won't get married for the sake of my son ... " that he plans to remain single for the rest of his life. Takumi tells Aya that Shuichi had told him of their mother's death. When asked how she died, Aya tells Takumi that his mother hung herself in her cell.
	Aya get the letter (from Takumi's mother, addressed to Takumi) and gives it to Takumi. She leaves Takumi to cry alone.
	The next morning, Takumi thanks Aya for visiting his mother in his place, "Shuichi cried ... because I didn't trust you ... I'm really .. really sorry ... please forgive me" Aya with teary eyes, smiles at Takumi and nods, yes. In a sudden burst of determination, Takumi tells Aya to bring him to the hospital, "I can't operate but I can put Maki's mind at ease".
	Takumi and Aya visits Maki at the hospital. Shuichi tells Maki that Takumi will operate on her. Takumi then tries his best to cheer her up.
	Aya goes to Shuichi's office. Shuichi gives her the monthly "allowance" check. He apologizes to Aya for telling Takumi about their mother's death. Aya tells Shuichi "perhaps you know him better than me, I didn't think that his mother's death will bring him around, but you knew". With hesitation, Shuichi tells Aya that Takumi had put up a brave act in front of Maki, the fact is, Takumi's hands tremble at times, thus Takumi can't operate. He cannot be a surgeon. Aya is in disbelief.
	Takumi and Keiko meet outside the hospital. Takumi apologizes to Keiko for seeking comfort in Keiko when he was angry with Aya. Keiko is clearly disappointed.
	That night, the hospital informs the doctors (Shuichi, Takumi, Shunmin, and Miwa) that Maki has disappeared from her room. They find Maki on the rooftop. There, Maki tells the staff that she doesn't want to go through the operation. She expresses her fear of the operation and of the possibility of death. She thought that Takumi can't operate. Therefore she picked Takumi as her surgeon with the intention of never undergoing the operation. Suddenly, Maki experiences pain in her head and slips into unconsciousness. Shuichi calls for Maki to be operated on immediately.
	Shuichi starts the operation only to discover that the metal fragments in Maki's head were precariously positioned and that the chances of a successful operation are slim. Keiko comes in and informs the doctors that the hospital is expecting casualties from an accident. Shunmin volunteers to attend to these casualties.
	Outside the operating room Takumi asks Shunmin about the progress of the operation. Shunmin tells Takumi about the seriousness of Maki's condition and that Shuichi is trying to decide whether or not to operate. Takumi understands that, for the sake of the hospital's reputation, Shuichi wouldn't usually operate unless there are 120% chances of success. Takumi recalls Maki's words to him. He looks at his hands. And then he decides, "Aya, please dress me in my surgical gown."
	Takumi enters the operating room. He asks Shuichi to let him operate on Maki, saying that it would be cruel to let Maki live like this. Takumi takes a scalpel and to everyone's surprise, he stabs his right forearm (to stop it from trembling). His hand becomes stable. "As promised, I'll rescue you!" Takumi tells Maki. The operation begins.
	Waiting for the casualties, Shunmin asks Keiko, "are you okay with it? ... Takumi ... he's fighting his way out of darkness, clinging to the silk thread of Aya Kuramoto. Takumi will climb out of darkness with Aya's help. There won't be any room for you, not even a crack." Shunmin suggests that Keiko take Takumi and disappear from Aya's life. Keiko wonders why he's saying this, she then confronts him "you love Aya". Shunmin laughs at her "silly" idea. Keiko continues, "Aya has what you've lost, the ability to adapt, to laugh and to cry with others... You despise yet the emotions fascinate you. The self that you lost, loves Aya."
	The operation ends. Outside, Shuichi tells Aya that the operation was successful. That Takumi had faith in Maki's will to live, "he's stronger now, he came back, a stronger doctor." Aya thanks Shuichi for Takumi's comeback. But Shuichi says to Aya, "it was because you were here, you believed in and stood by Takumi, ... thank you ... really ... thank you." Shuichi then tells Aya to go to Takumi. Aya finds Takumi resting in the operating room. She sheds a tear of joy as they both celebrate the moment of triumph.
	Takumi stays with Maki in the intensive care unit. Keiko enters and congratulates Takumi for the successful operation. She asks Takumi if he needed a chance of clothes. Takumi tells her that Aya had gone to get his clothes. Aya reaches the apartment. Hidden nearby, Shunmin watches Aya as she enters the building. Meanwhile, in Shuichi's office, Rika offers to drive Shuichi home. Shuichi accepts. When asked why she had cut her hair, Rika tells Shuichi that like him, she wants to remain single.
	While Aya is packing Takumi's clothes, Shunmin enters the apartment. With a knife in his hand, he delirious says "love among all emotions is the most ridiculous... I don't posses it. If the silk thread dangles before my eyes, I'll sever it myself !" Shunmin slaps Aya hard on the face. Aya falls the ground in pain.
	In the limousine, Rika gives Shuichi the ring she had bought from Aya saying that she doesn't need it anymore. Shuichi tells her that he'll give it back to both Takumi and Aya.
	Shunmin slaps Aya. He slaps her a second time. Shunmin shouts, "I don't love you !! not a hypocrite like you !! ... I'd never love a woman like you !!!" Shunmin throws Aya to the ground. "I'll prove it" he says. Shunmin rips Aya's blouse open and starts to rape her. All Aya can do is scream ... ... (A.N. after watching this, I was not a happy man. I felt like beating the crap out of Shunmin ... )