Kinou Nani Tabeta/ What Did You Eat Yesterday? Episode 4 (Recap)
I would like to thank kinounaniresource for subbing this
drama. It really is a boon to have someone do quality subs for a Japanese show,
especially because subs are so few and inconsistent. Remember how there were no
subs last week, and I thought I’d be able to catch up? Well our fantastic
subber actually subbed two shows this week, so it looks like I will remain a
week behind. Sorry to people who want recaps at the same time as episodes get
subbed.
We open with Kenji coming into the darkened living area to
find Shiro scrubbing a pot in the kitchen. It’s clearly the middle of the
night, so he looks worriedly Shiro.
Shiro just comments that the bottom of a
pot was scorched, so . . . but when Kenjie reminds him that he needs rest
because his dad’s surgery is the next day, we know why Shiro is up. He clearly
can’t sleep from anxiety. Kenji convinces him to go lay down, but before Shiro
goes to bed, Kenji gives him a small towel to give to his mother.
He says he
thinks of all the times she will need to wash her hands in the hospital and
wanted her to have something nice. Shiro is speechless, and Kenji thinks maybe
he’s pushed too far. But Shiro convinces him otherwise, thanking him sincerely.
The next day finds us at the hospital while Shiro and his
mom say goodbye to their dad as he’s going to surgery.
His mother looks really strained. The surgery
is planned for ten hours, and his dad has reserved a private room. His mom
looks happy about it now although she admits that she thought the whole idea of
a private room was pretentious when she first heard about it. They sit together in silence.
The following scene is both sad and funny. Sad because his mother
is so worried and scared that her husband is going to die. She even asks Shiro
to stop working and pray for his dad to any god he cares to; it doesn’t matter.
It’s funny because she keeps popping up like a bunny with her mini freak outs,
and Shiro is so surprised by these. I get the feeling that she never acts like
this. She talks about how this illness has made her really think about the fact
that he could die and she’d be alone. Shiro goes to give her tissues, and she
thanks him, saying that she usually carries a handkerchief with her but today
of all days she has forgotten. She just doesn't feel like herself.
He remembers the
towel and gives it to her saying that someone gave it to him for her. [Someone,
Shiro? Grr.] I think his mom usually would probe more, but she is only focusing
on her husband and thanks him telling him to thank that person.
What also seems to be a revelation to him is how
much his mother loves his dad. The look on his face seems to denote how he must
have never really thought about it.
We get the opening credit here and come back Shiro and his
mom talking to an exhausted doctor. He tells him about the difficulties of the
surgery because they had trouble finding a good intestine to use to transplant
from the one place to another. However, he says they have found one and that it
will take four more hours.
At first Shiro’s mom is annoyed by and fearful of
the doctor’s attitude, But Shiro has to remind her that the doctor is probably
tired and frustrated, too (a ten hour surgery?!?!) but that the message they
have to hold on to is that his dad will be ookay.
We next see them at home. They seem to be taking a break
from hospital. His mother looks at her husband’s empty chair and talks about
how seeing her husband’s favorite place makes her think about him not being
there anymore and how living together with someone makes that person special to
us. We can see how this conversation is really making Shiro think, but I don't believe that his mind is just on his parents.
Shiro’s father comes out of surgery, and the first thing he
says is that he slept well. They get him settled and take some time to eat
something. Shiro’s mom talks to him about the recovery and asks him to come
visit. She promises to make tempura again for him, but Shiro reminds her that
his dad isn’t going to be able to eat oily foods for awhile. He does ask her
what her secret is to her tempura. He loves it, but he can’t make it like hers. I love the way she thinks she thinks about it; you can tell that Shiro gets the way he thinks about food from her.
Then finally, she says the secret is spontaneity. She also indicates
that he probably can’t make it because he doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in
his body. I love Shiro and Shiro’s look at this insult, but I’d have to agree with mom
about this.
Shiro goes home to find Kenji bringing in the clothes that
were drying outside. Kenji immediately starts ironing while Shiro goes into the
kitchen to put away the groceries he brought.
He notices all the recyclables
bundled and the clean dishes in the sink and realizes that Keni spent his
whole day off cleaning. He comments on this to Kenji who just says that no one
wants to come home after a hard day to a messy house. Aww, Kenji. He really is
a bundle of love and very thoughtful. He hesitantly asks Shiro about his dad
and looks so pleased when Shiro tells him that his dad slept well.
I don’t
think it’s just about the good news but that Shiro actually tells him. I hope
Shiro relies on him more.
It’s Christmas Eve, and Shiro’s colleagues discuss the
holiday. Osamu complains that Christmas is no longer fun after having kids
because it just feels like an obligation. His mother says that she enjoyed
writing to him as Santa when he was young, but he swears that the only people
who actually enjoy the holiday are single people. They all turn to Shiro, who is
working and minding his own business—most likely trying to finish everything so
he can go home promptly at six. They ask him if he’s planning to go somewhere
special since it’s Christmas Eve, and he looks so nice. They are so eager that
he’s embarrassed and responds that he isn’t. None of them buy it, and each of them probably has an answer to Shiro's mystery life persona in their minds.
Shiro goes to the market and is pleased that canned tomatoes
are on special. He clearly has something special in mind for dinner. When he
leaves, he sees children playing with a man dressed up like Santa. He thinks
about his mom talking about how living with someone makes them special to you
and her comment about him not being spontaneous. He smiles to himself,
thinking, “I was spontaneous that day.”
We get a flashback to three years ago. Shiro is at a gay
club telling a friend that he’s never been to a gay club before. It’s obvious.
He doesn’t look nervous or anything like that. He’s actually smiling more than
usual. It’s just that he also doesn’t fit in. He’s dressed like it’s business
casual Friday at work. He’s talking to his friend about this and says that he
never went to a club because he wouldn’t know what to say if someone tried to
hit on him, but his friend pretty much tells him the harsh truth: No one is
going to hit on him because he just doesn’t seem to be the type.
Shiro looks
surprised and looks like he’s about to ask about this when some other guys show
up to talk to his friend, Maa-Chan, and tells him that a Kenji is around. This makes Shiro's friend excited, so he tells Shiro that he'll be back. Shiro looks around the club and himself, noticing for the
first time that he really doesn’t fit in and wishes he was at home.
His friend
shows up with Kenji, who is clearly tagging along to meet this friend's boyfriend. He says he can't wait but will pick him out because he knows this guy's type. Kenji sees Shiro and clearly
falls fast but restrains himself because he realizes that Shiro is his friend’s
boyfriend. I swear that surprised me because Maa-Chan and Shiro did not exhibit the dating vibe at all. In fact, Kenji and Shiro have more chemistry, although I don't think Shiro is aware of it, when they meet than he has with his boyfriend. Shiro's voice over states that the way they met was ordinary. He remembers that Kenji complimented him on his award shirt. However, we can see that Kenji has stars in his eyes meeting Shiro, but who wouldn't at that smile?
They don’t see each other again for several months until
Shiro goes in for a haircut and gets a new stylist, Kenji. Kenji is clearly
very happy to see him. He asks how he’s been and asks about Maa-Chan because he hasn’t
seen him in awhile.
They seems to be have been hanging out for awhile when we see Shiro coming into
the shop to get a haircut and listening to Kenji talk about having to stay with
his boss because his apartment is ruined. The people upstairs let their tub
overflow, which soaked through the ceiling. All of his things are ruined as
well, and he doesn’t have enough money to rent a new place. He feels bad staying with his boss. Shiro comments on the bad timing being so close to Christmas. While talking about how he really doesn't know what he's going to do, Kenji leans Shiro back to wash his hair and covers his face. Thus,
Shiro doesn’t see Kenji's expression when Shiro suggests coming to stay at his place. Kenji
is shocked and looks like he’s going to have a stroke. I don't blame him for that either.
Present day Shiro's voiceover says
smugly that in that moment he was spontaneous. Take that, Mom! 😁
That was three years ago, and we see Shiro walking home but
gazing through the snow into the window of the hair salon at Kenji laughing
with a client.
He is making a feast for Christmas Eve. We get three recipes
for this episode. We get to watch him make sauce for lasagna,
assemble the lasagna
and make the herb-crusted chicken
as well as the Mentaiko-sour cream dip that Kenji loves to
spread on French bread.
When Kenji comes home, he is really excited to see dinner
and the fact that Shiro added wine and isn’t concerned about calories. He
brings home a cake to share for dessert as well. I have to say that I would
LOVE to cook for Kenji because he really appreciates the food so much.
As I’ve
said before, he really notices how everything goes together and the care
involved. He loves looking at the full table of food.
Shiro asks him is it okay that hey have this meal again when
they had the same thing last year. Kenji replies that he likes the idea of tradition, and this meal makes him think of Christmas. Shiro just smiles, but we are taken
back to their first meal in the apartment together. Turns out that this meal
was the welcome meal that Shiro made for Kenji when Kenji first moved into the
apartment; we even see his luggage to the side. Kenji can’t believe that he
cooked all of these dishes himself. Now we know why Kenji picks this meal every
year.
While Kenji cleans up after dinner, Shiro calls his mother.
They talk about his dad for a bit, and then Shiro takes a deep breath and then awkwardly tells her that the towel he gave her is from his boyfriend. Finally. He
even tells her his name—a big deal since she’s clearly known that he has been living with said boyfriend. She says his name thoughtfully, but her
expression is unreadable.
We close the episode with the two of them beginning to eat
the cake and Shiro trying to convince Kenji that they should split only one of
the slices and save the other to eat later.
Comment
No wonder Kenji feel insecure. If I was dating someone for
three years and knew that his family didn’t even know my name . . . I would
feel insecure, too.
Also, now I know why Kenji said in previous episode that he
wouldn’t like if Shiro were hanging out with gay men because this was how they
got together—just hanging out and now they are something more. He fell for Shiro nearly immediately. Why wouldn't others? I mean, look at that face!
I did empathize with Shiro at the club though. I'm that person. I know how to dress for official events, but I always seem dressed wrong for what cool adults do, and when some friends tried to give me pointers about how to flirt and mingle in such a setting, I just look like I have tourettes. It's painful for everyone involved.