The fateful meeting: Sakurako and
  Osuke at the "doctor's" gokon.

Winter 1978, Toyama: It’s cold and snowing very hard outside. Inside a run-down hut, Jinno Sakurako (Matsushima Nanako) is eating dinner with her brothers, and they are clearly living in poverty. As they’re bickering over the food, her father comes home and accidentally drops some coins. Sakurako watches her brother squabble over the coins scattered on the floor and thinks to herself, "I hate poverty…"

Summer 1991: Sakurako is now 18 years old, having just graduated from high school. She goes home and gets her bank book, and makes the decision to leave her home and her past behind her. She goes to Tokyo, where she makes her transformation: first getting her hair cut stylishly, and then picking out new clothes for herself. As the new attractive Sakurako walks in the streets of Tokyo, she wonders where she will find her rich man. She sees a plane pass overhead, and looking up, she says to herself "there…" She becomes a flight attendant.

It’s now the year 2000. Sakurako is working on a New York-Tokyo flight. The other cabin crew watch her as she swings into action, zeroing in on her "chosen target", and marvels at her action. As they land in Narita airport, Sakurako is checking her phone messages, and arranges "gokon" (group date). Listening to her conversation, the other three cabin crew – Shiota Wakaba (Yada Akiko), Okuyama Nami (Sudou Risa) and Budou Aya - remark on her active social life, and makes slightly derogatory remarks about it. But as she turns back to them and says "so you girls don’t want to come", they say in unison that they do!

At the gokon, as the guys are commenting on their luck in having a gokon with flight attendants, Sakurako tells them how she is just an ordinary girl like any other and looking for "true love". She tells them that she has a feeling she will find her destiny tonight…

In the same restaurant (Nobu), Nakahara Osuke is delivering fish behind the counter. He gets a call from his friend Tamehisa Sakuma (Nishimura Masahiko), who is also his mother’s doctor. He tells Sakuma that he will have the hospital fees for his mom by next week, but Sakuma says he is calling for a "more important reason" and Osuke agrees to go to Sakuma’s house tonight after work.

Meanwhile, at the gokon, Sakurako is busy eyeing the men. She has this established routine where she picks her guy by the evidence of his riches, and then spills a hot drink on his hand while pretending to pour it for him. As she lovingly caresses his wounded hand, she asks him if it still hurts and then arrange to see him home… The others time her action, and marvels at how it only took her 1 hour 45 minutes this time.

Osuke delivers fish nightly to the Sakuma household and is greeted by his wife, Mariko. Later as they’re settled down at the dinner table, together with another friend Kasuya Shinichirou (Kakei Toshio), Sakuma hands over his o-miyage from NY to Mariko, and she jokes how he’s such a cheapskate, as there is a two-pack version which is actually a better buy. (In fact, he gave the other scarf to a nurse at the hospital!)

After dinner, Sakuma gets rid of his wife, saying he has important business to discuss, and then tells the other two how he’s set up a gokon with flight attendants. Kasuya is over the moon about this, but Osuke isn’t interested, saying they’re too old for it, but Sakuma tells him that gokon girls nowadays don’t care about the age of the guy so long as he’s rich. But he still refuses to go, even after his friends give him a hard time over it. Mariko overhears them and says lightly, "gokon? Sounds like fun…" which embarasses Sakuma and he tries to cover up by saying that he’s only doing it for Osuke, to help him get over his broken heart. Mariko says that time should help heal Osuke’s wounds and that he’ll meet his destiny one day, but Osuke is cynical and says the women will be all married by then and anyway, he’s not interested in marriage anymore.

On his drive home, Osuke reflects on their words and thinks back about what his ex-girlfriend has said to him during the break-up about not being able to marry him because she can’t envision him in ten years time.

Sakurako is being dropped off near where Osuke is, and as she gets out from the car, she gets a call from her boyfriend, Higashijujou Tsukasa (Azuma Mikihisa), and arranges to meet him. His car comes by and he’s obviously very rich. He asks her where she’s been and she says that she was eating with her cabin crewmates, and he asks, half-jokingly, "gokon?" and she says of course not! He explains that it’s only because that’s how they met that made him think of that. Sakurako looks at him and says in a very sincere way that she doesn’t need to go to another gokon because she’s got him and she’s glad that they met and he’s her "final" gokon.

Osuke thinks back to his time in Boston, in 1993, when he was studying at the university there. He recalls the scene when his girlfriend comes over to his house and tells him that they’ll only hurt each other if they continue the relationship as he doesn’t have any concept of how to love or marry, and repeats the line about not being able to see what he’ll be like in 10 years…

At Narita Airport, the crew is getting a pre-flight briefing, and Sakurako takes out Sakuma’s namecard and muses on the upcoming gokon. She thinks about how he must be almost 40 years old, and is on the verge of cancelling the gokon. Meanwhile, her crewmates are saying that she will get in trouble with all her gokon arrangements one day and wonders why she bothers when she has such a brilliant catch as Higashijujou. But Sakurako says that she may meet someone even wealthier at a gokon one day.

As the cabin crew walk out, Sakurako asks them what sort of man they’re looking for and they answer someone handsome and preferably in the same (airline) business. Sakurako muses that a captain’s not a bad choice, but then advises them to raise their standards. She states that the guy must definitely have his own house and must have money, that’s the main consideration. Wakabe then questions if they’re still talking about "love"… and Sakurako answers that it’s true, she hasn’t met her love yet. She tells them she’s looking for someone who has "the pin"… she’s talking about the Jockey pin of a voting club member at the Jockey club. Only horse-owners can have this pin and it’s a sign of immense wealth. Her man of choice must also make over 50 million yen a year, and must have a beautiful mansion. So far, she’s only found one person fitting all the criteria and he was 89 years old! But she refuses to give up her search. She says there are many men out there, some who are handsome but in debt, others who are fat but rich… so which do they think will give them happiness?…

At the Keimei University Hospital, Osuke is visiting his mom who’s recuperating there. She is worried about him, as he’s already 35 years old and she says he should start thinking about marriage. She comments on how he’d given up his studies to take over his father’s fish shop business after his dad passed away, and that she’s been a burden on him as well, being ill and needing care. She then tells him that he should take a rest and go to the gokon tonight. So Sakuma must have told her! Sakuma and Kasuya comes in and together, they persuade him to go – with Sakuma lending him a horse tie to wear so he’ll look more respectable.

Wakabe, Nami and Aya are getting ready for their gokon in the bathroom, and Sakurako shows up, looking really good in a Balengi white suit, together with expensive shoes and purse that she bought to go with the outfit. They marvel at the enormous expense and energy she has devoted to this gokon, and she tells them she has 90% confidence in bagging her guy tonight!

Meanwhile, the guys are settling down in the restaurant. Sakuma has included one of his young kohei doctors, Hanabusa Reiji (Oshio Manabu), at the gokon as well. This is supposed to be a doctor’s gokon, but other than Sakuma and Hanabusa, the other two are imposters. It’s also Osuke’s first gokon ever, and he’s really nervous and wants to leave. A mobile phone rings, and it’s a call for Osuke from one of his fish clients, saying that their delivery has not yet arrived. He decides to leave, and as he gets up to go, Wakabe, Aya and Nami comes in and exclaims that it’s too bad he has to go. But as Osuke walks out, he runs into Sakurako coming in, and is struck by her appearance. (In fact, she looks identical to his ex-girlfriend!) She asks if he has an emergency and has to leave because of a patient, but he’s dumbstruck by her looks and ends up following her back into the room!

During dinner, they comment on how little Osuke is eating (he’s too stunned by Sakurako to respond much!) and that he must be very tired. Sakuma says Osuke never has enough sleep, and Osuke says it’s true – and they ask if it’s b/c of the late shifts at the hospital – and he says unwittingly, no because of fishing… Luckily, Sakuma covers quickly for him, changing the word to a surgical term and praising Osuke for his brilliance in completing a difficult surgery in only 4 hours. The girls are of course all very impressed to hear this!

During the gokon, Sakurako sees the Jockey pin on Osuke’s tie and immediately decides that he’s her guy! (In fact, the pin was left at his shop by one of his really affluent clients.) She does her routine with him, and spills hot soup on his hand and offers to take him home to get it taken care of, apologizing for how it would affect his surgical work the next day. As she ushers him out, the others watch in amazement, and Wakabe blurts out "uso! o-mochi kaeri?!…" (you’re kidding! take-out?!…)

In the taxi, she writes her number on his hand as she’s checking the wound, but he doesn’t notice and asks the taxi to stop when he sees it passing by his client’s place. This is his rich client, the one who called earlier about the non-delivery and he asks to be dropped off there. Sakurako mistakes the mansion as being his own, and as she watches him go in, she decides that he is the one for her, before going off in the cab.

Osuke’s rich client greets him at the door, and he tries to return the Jockey pin that he’d left behind at the shop the last time but the wife asks him to keep it, saying that they have no use for it now since her husband will not be gambling on horses anymore. As Osuke leaves, finally he notices Sakurako’s phone number on his hand!

Back at Sakuma’s house, they’re all incredulous that Osuke managed to get Sakurako and does not believe that the number on his hand is a real one, saying that girls are never serious at gokons. (They’re jealous of his success!)

Sakurako is out with Higashijujou and he asks her why she has never taken him back to her place and she tells him it’s too messy. He then proposes to her, giving her this huge diamond engagement ring. She is taken back by the unexpected situation and asks for more time to consider. She goes off to one side and calls Osuke, and they arrange a date for the next day.

Her call proves that the number is real, and at Sakuma’s house, they’re all envious and warns him to be careful, saying that she’s probably just playing with him, and will dump him when she realises he’s just a poor fish shop owner and not an affluent doctor. Osuke says he wants to see her, and will tell her the truth about himself the next time they meet. He tells them that she looks exactly like Yuko, his ex-girlfriend – and they find that hard to believe as well!

Higashijujou drops Sakurako off at this fancy apartment block, but after he drives off, she vaults over the fence and goes to this run-down building where she really lives. Wakabe is there to drop off her flight schedule and they go inside, where Sakurako tells her about Higashijujou’s proposal – but Sakurako seems more preoccupied with her upcoming date with Osuke. Wakabe doesn’t understand this, but she then tells her about his Jockey pin and says she will make up her mind about the proposal after she sees Osuke tomorrow.

The next day, Sakurako is waiting for Osuke to show up and sees him arrive by bus, which surprises her. He tells her his car has been borrowed and asks her if she’s interested in going out to sea. She thinks he’s got a fancy yacht but they go out in a rented fishing boat instead! She puts on a good face and tells him that she likes fishing too. She says that she once read in a book that a man who fishes and lives off his fishing (i.e. being self-sufficient and earning his keep by his own hard work) is someone who is very sincere. As they fish, he tries to tell her the truth about himself but they get distracted by her catching a big fish and in the excitement, he doesn’t get the opportunity. Later, she tries to get him to talk about his horse-racing hobby and he finally realises that she must have been mislead by the Jockey pin.

Higashijujou calls Sakurako on her mobile to ask about her decision and she refuses him, saying that she has can’t marry him because she has finally met her destined man.

As they’re walking back that evening, Osuke tries to tell her the truth again but instead, she tells him how she’s just refused her boyfriend’s marriage proposal because of him. She says he gives her a feeling she has never had before, and then starts talking about how magnificent his home must be. He says he doesn’t have a really fancy house, but when she comes over to eat her catch, he’ll do his best to make a really good fish dinner for her. He says that sincerity is worth more than money… and this upsets her, and she tells him that it’s only because he’s never experienced poverty that he would say something ridiculous like that. She says that nothing matters more than money and she hates poverty! He’s taken back by her ferocity, and she realises she has over-reacted and tries to downplay it. She says she has been looking for someone like him all her life and asks him to leave the unhappiness behind and build a new future together.

He asks her if she can see him in 10 years time… and she says, yes, in 10 years, 20 years… and they kiss.

After the kiss, he is totally overwhelmed and has totally abandoned his original intention to tell her the truth. So when she asks about him having to perform surgery tomorrow, he rises to the occasion and says, yes, there’s a lot of the "most unlikely" surgery waiting for him and he’ll do his best because it’s his duty as a surgeon. As they continue to walk off, she asks him about the patient he was going to see when they first met at the gokon and he continues to cover up, saying the patient is all recovered now. She responds by saying, oh good, it must be all because of you…

- End of Episode One -