1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,000 Stop! Stop! This isn't working! 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,000 Aiyah, I need a break. 3 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Hey, don't smoke in here! 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Why? 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Because Kai will smell it. 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,000 Here, just lean out the window. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:30,000 Thank you, Zoe. You're easily my favorite. 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,000 How come you like Zoe so much, but it seems like you hate me? 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Because she has two feet! 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:41,000 By the way, Adam, where is Kai? Is he still avoiding us? 11 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:47,000 Well, we didn't talk much this morning, other than him saying he was headed to an eye appointment. 12 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,000 But I mean, it wasn't that big of a thing, right? 13 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 I mean, I doubt he's still super pissed off at us. 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Kai is sitting in the waiting room of the eye hospital in the middle of a phone call. 15 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,000 God, I'm still super pissed off at them. 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,000 Yeah, I know. I know, Mom, but I- 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,000 Kai Takahashi? 18 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:15,000 Sorry, can I call you back? They're ready to see me. Love you too. Bye. 19 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:20,000 The optometrist will see you shortly. Go ahead and sit in that chair. 20 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:25,000 What?! 21 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,000 Metal clamps suddenly pin Kai's wrists to the arms of the exam chairs. 22 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,000 What the hell? 23 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,000 Relax. Those are just part of the exam. 24 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,000 Is this really necessary? 25 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:44,000 It's part of our new method of procedure. It's unorthodox, but the results are far more accurate. 26 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 Okay, but why do I need to be restrained? Will it be painful? 27 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:55,000 Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Doctor Medicine. 28 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Yeah, nice to meet you too, but why are you restraining me? 29 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:05,000 I won't lie to you, Kai. I was looking over your file, and there is a lot to catch up on. 30 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Okay, yeah, it's been a while. 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,000 It isn't wise to neglect things until they build up into larger problems. 32 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Sure, but I still have to ask. Will this be painful? 33 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:24,000 There's no time to waste. The exam will start off like usual. I'll show you some slides with letters on them, and you will read them back to me. 34 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,000 Slide number one. Go ahead and read these aloud, top to bottom. 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:35,000 Fine. A-E-D-C-B-H-J-K-F-O-T-M. 36 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,000 Good. Next slide. 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:49,000 A-S-C-A-R-E-D-C-H-I.....I-L-D. 38 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,000 Okay. Next slide. 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,000 Having trouble seeing it? 40 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,000 No. It's a picture of a coffee shop. 41 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:16,000 Not just any coffee shop. It's Japaccino, the most successful chain of coffee houses in the country, founded by Kazuo Takahashi in 1996. 42 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:21,000 Did you know that he was only 23 years old at the time? 43 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:27,000 Yeah, I know. Stories like that will really make you feel behind in life. 44 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:35,000 Ah, I just realized. You two share the same name. You wouldn't happen to know one another, would you? 45 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,000 He's my father. 46 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:48,000 My, my. What a coincidence. It's such a small world that we live in. Are you ready to move along? 47 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Yeah. 48 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:53,000 Is that...? 49 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 Go ahead and tell me what you see. 50 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,000 How do you have this picture? 51 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,000 Tell me what you see on the slide, Kai. 52 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 It's my father in the jungles of Yirgacheffe. 53 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:18,000 You weren't born yet, but your mother told you all about it. How your father braved the wilds to better understand the origin of his life's work. And where better to search than Ethiopia, the coffee cradle of the world. 54 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,000 How do you know all of this? 55 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:26,000 What happened in that jungle all those years ago? How did your father get that scar? 56 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,000 A lion attack. 57 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:35,000 Before anyone could react, it was already on top of him, biting down on his head. 58 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:41,000 The others were armed with rifles, but they were afraid to take the shot and hit your father by accident. 59 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:53,000 Its teeth were clamping down, tighter and tighter, but for a brief moment, the animal let go. It probably wanted to reposition itself to your father's neck. 60 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:01,000 They prefer to sever the spinal cord to kill their prey, you see. But in that small window of time, your father took action. 61 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:07,000 He shoved his left arm into the lion's mouth and used his right to press a sidearm to its head. 62 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:17,000 It was over as quickly as it began, but your father suffered several lacerations on his face and shoulder, and the tendons of his arm were dangling off the bone. 63 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:26,000 He bled profusely for the nine hours that it took to reach the nearest hospital, but he was quiet for the duration of the ride. 64 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:32,000 In fact, he was the one at the steering wheel, not one sign of pain or weakness. 65 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:40,000 Hmm, you, I'm not so sure. But your dad--now that's a real man. Wouldn't you agree? 66 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,000 The way you're talking about this, you were there? 67 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,000 You could say that. 68 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,000 Do you recognize this one? I suppose you lived it, but you wouldn't remember. 69 00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Your mother held you close in her warm embrace, just moments after they clipped your umbilical cord. 70 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:09,000 Oh, my baby, my sweet boy. Kazuo, come look at our son. 71 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:15,000 She was overwhelmed with the feelings of love and affection you'd expect from a new mother. 72 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:23,000 But your father was facing the wall, crossing his arms in an act of bullheaded defiance. 73 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:28,000 I will lay my eyes upon the boy when he can brew a fine cup of coffee. 74 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:33,000 What's happening right now? I don't want to see this. Let me out of here! 75 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Oh, I can't do that. The exam isn't finished. Besides, we haven't even gotten to the good part. 76 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Let me out of here right now! 77 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:49,000 Eight years passed, and he never once laid his eyes upon you. He was hardly ever around you. 78 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:53,000 And even when he was, he'd keep his eyelids tightly shut. 79 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,000 You entered the room and saw him there, sitting on his knees and wearing his usual hakama. 80 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,000 He heard your footsteps. 81 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Show me. 82 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:07,000 Sitting atop the saucer you were holding was a small cup of black coffee. 83 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:16,000 It was something you obsessed over for so long, desperate to perfect, and you were handing it over to your father. 84 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:23,000 You spent an hour on the beans alone, eventually settling on a batch of Sidamo Ethiopian washed coffee, 85 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:28,000 and meticulously tweaked the grind size for the perfect flavor profile. 86 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:36,000 You chose a dark roast, knowing it was his preference, and brewed it at a high temperature for a bolder and more robust finish. 87 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,000 You watched him anxiously as he took a sip. 88 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:46,000 He dashed the cup against the ground, scattering shards of porcelain around the room. 89 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:53,000 Then he sat in silence. For a moment, the only sound was your trembling. 90 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Why am I so disappointed in this? I know the answer, but I want to hear you say it. 91 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,000 I... I don't know. I... I don't... 92 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,000 I have little patience for muttering. 93 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:11,000 It appears that it falls on me to say the words aloud. Your coffee has no heart. 94 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:16,000 The flavor was unbalanced, likely the cause of the beans being ground too finely, 95 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,000 or the brew temperature being too high, causing over-extraction. 96 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:27,000 It tasted as though it was made in a frenzy. It had the stink of desperation. 97 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:33,000 You were desperate, weren't you? Desperate for something you'd never get. 98 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:38,000 Just one small shred of warmth from your old man. 99 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,000 You can't keep me here like this! I told you to let me out! 100 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Two years later, you would finally brew a cup of coffee decent enough to see your father's eyes for the first time. 101 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:55,000 But it didn't bring you any comfort. All that could be seen in them were more expectations. 102 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Expectations you'd never meet. 103 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:01,000 How about this side? 104 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:02,000 I don't care! 105 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,000 Wrong, it's an X-ray of your hand. 106 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:10,000 Your father was teaching you karate. There were fifteen cinder blocks stacked in front of him. 107 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Your senses must be keen, Kai. If you hope to get anywhere in this world, you must be strong in both mind and body. 108 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,000 Observe. 109 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Taaaaaarrrrrraaah! 110 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:30,000 You were eleven years old, small for your age, and you thought to yourself, how could I ever hope to do something like that? 111 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:36,000 Luckily, your father set up just one block for you to break, rather than his fifteen. 112 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,000 But sadly, you couldn't even manage that, could you? 113 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,000 Ah! Ow! 114 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,000 You fail because you're conflicted. Your mind needs to be clear. 115 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,000 S-sorry. 116 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,000 Again. 117 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,000 Ah! 118 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,000 Your mind is still not clear! 119 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:59,000 And how could it be? Being around your father always left you on edge. Your head was never clear. 120 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,000 Ah! 121 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,000 Enough. You've reached your limit. 122 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:12,000 And then your father walked away. Your hand was throbbing, but his disappointment in you stung far worse. 123 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:21,000 For the first time, something rose within you. A spiteful determination that pushed you to keep trying until you succeeded. 124 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:28,000 All alone, you struck the cinder block over and over until your skin was bloody and raw. 125 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:34,000 It was like you were in a trance, and the only thing that would break you out of it was succeeding. 126 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:41,000 Finally, after twenty-three tries, the stone gave way to your hand. 127 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,000 You were so happy that you raced to your father's room to tell him. 128 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,000 I did it! 129 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Show me your hand. 130 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,000 Now close it. 131 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,000 I can't. 132 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,000 It's broken. What did I tell you? 133 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:03,000 I said that you were at your limit! Now I have to take you to the hospital. 134 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,000 I'm sorry. I just wanted... I thought you'd be happy. 135 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:15,000 Happy? There is much to do around the house. And now you won't be able to pull your own weight until you've healed. 136 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,000 How can I be happy with a son who only thinks of himself?! 137 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,000 It's not like I did it on purpose! 138 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,000 You will show me respect. 139 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,000 That hurt. 140 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:30,000 Good. Maybe next time you will use that head a bit more. 141 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:37,000 So sad. You always try so hard, but fall so short. 142 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,000 Let me out. 143 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,000 Are you sure? I have more slides. 144 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,000 Let me out. 145 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,000 Are you actually crying right now? 146 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Sorry. Where are my manners? I never answered your question earlier. 147 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:05,000 Whether this would be painful. I suppose it always is. 148 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:13,000 Realizing that you're nothing special. That's right. You've known it for some time now. 149 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:22,000 You try to forget, or better yet, to prove to yourself that it isn't true. But reality always catches back up to you eventually. 150 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:27,000 Kai watches as the doctor crouches down in front of a large hatch on the floor. 151 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:33,000 The trapdoor is 8 by 12 feet, and it definitely wasn't there when Kai first entered the room. 152 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,000 He turns a wheel-shaped latch and pulls. 153 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Impossibly, the open frame leads to a dead drop above the ocean. 154 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,000 That's not possible. 155 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 I'd hold my breath if I were you. 156 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:52,000 Before he can react, his chair is kicked forward, and he falls to the sea below. 157 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:57,000 He begins to sink, his wrists still bound to the heavy chair. 158 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:01,000 He tries to break himself free, but it's no use. 159 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:15,000 The current is pulling him down deeper and deeper, and the salt burns his eyes as he watches the light of the surface drift further and further away, leaving him to be claimed by the cold, black depths. 160 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Panic gives way to a serene sense of calm as he finally relents to the water. 161 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,000 Then, it eagerly fills his lungs. 162 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:32,000 The last light of the sun shrinks to the size of a pinhole, and then closes up entirely. 163 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Why is it so peaceful? 164 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,000 That's right. 165 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,000 Because it's dark. 166 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,000 No one can find me. 167 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,000 Yeah. 168 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 I guess that means it's true. 169 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:19,000 He opens his eyes to see that he's washed up on the shore. 170 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:24,000 He stands and walks wearily from the shallows to the sand. 171 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,000 I see. 172 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,000 I can't run any longer. 173 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:48,000 Each step feels like an eternity as he slowly makes his way toward the keyboard that's waiting for him at the heart of the desolate beach.