Suika

Motoko Hayakawa, a credit union employee trapped by society, and Kizuna Kameyama, a manga artist in her late 20s, meet at a boarding house. They meet an ageless professor, an upbeat young landlady, and a fugitive as they take steps forward.

Motoko is shocked when a tabloid offers ¥50,000 for a photo of Mariko and realises her album could be worth a fortune. After learning Umeko already sold one for cheap, she angrily leaves home. Meanwhile, Kyoichi surprises Kizuna with a birthday cake.

When asked what she wants as a housewarming gift, Motoko can't decide. Later, she's hurt after reading an article mocking her inability to break open her coin savings jar, calling her someone who can never move forward.

After accidentally throwing away her uniform, Motoko skips work for the first time. Meanwhile, Kizuna quits manga and starts a restaurant job, only to get fired immediately. A detective later encourages Motoko to find something that truly frees her.

When it's revealed that Kizuna's father is wealthy, the boarding house erupts in excitement. Motoko writes a company newsletter profile about Kizuna but fills it with idealised lies, upsetting her.

During Obon, Kizuna learns her late twin sister once planned to run away for love, realising she too had wanted freedom. Meanwhile, Natsuko reflects on a promise from a lover 30 years earlier who said he would return for her someday.