Episode 10: Glow of the Firefly & Nocturne Bath

As another summer day begins, NieA awakens to the realization that the “sayonara” mystery has even entered her dreams. She heads up to the roof to study the mother-ship in the early morning mist, hoping that she will be receive some revelation, or perhaps another broadcast from the mother-ship. Nothing comes to her, however, and she decides to let it go.

When she comes down off the roof, Mayuko is back from her newspaper route—and what’s even better, she’s made breakfast for both of them! NieA is delighted, but when Mayuko refuses to give her seconds she starts berating her. Mayuko takes it in good humor; it seems their relationship has been fully repaired and is back to as normal as it will ever get.

Later, while Yoshioka and Mayuko are enjoying some barley tea in the kitchen, Kotomi arrives. While she tries to put on a good face, both of them can see that she seems tired and withdrawn. After Kotomi goes to sit with Momo Enoshima, Yoshioka mentions to Mayuko that he thinks the bleak financial state the bathhouse is starting to wear Kotomi down.

At Karuchie’s European Restaurant, however, things are starting to really look up, as Mayuko learns when she arrives for work: The restaurant has been developing a good reputation, and now it has been booked for a dinner party so that day’s profits are locked in. The drawback is that Shuhei doesn’t have enough supplies because he hadn’t imagined that he would be serving a large crowd, so he asks Mayuko to pick up groceries at the supermarket by the train station. Chie grabs the shopping list, declaring that she will go, too. Mayuko, seemingly oddly hesitant, merely smiles.

On the bus-ride to the station, Chie discusses her father and how it makes her happy to see him happy. Her embarrassment over having the restaurant named after her is once again made clear when she asks Mayuko not to remind her of it.

When the girls arrive at the supermarket, the reason for Mayuko’s hesitation at Shuhei’s instructions beome clear … she has never been inside a supermarket before. Mayuko goes from being awestruck at the volume and variety of food in the store, to amazed at way Chie can tell one brand from the other while known which brands are good for use in the restaurant and which aren’t. She is further astonished by the adeptness with which Chie haggles with the store’s staff to secure discounts. And she is shocked when Chie, out of the blue, asks if Mayuko would think about becoming her stepmother. When Mayuko reacts with some horror, Chie quickly covers herself by stating she was only kidding.

The two complete the shopping and split a popcicle by the fountain outside the store. Mayuko, unfortunately, does not eat hers fast enough and it melts off the stick. Chie comments what a shame that is while Mayuko reads the legend printed on the popcicle stick: You Lose.

The dinner party at the restaurant is a success, and Chie and Shuhei follow Mayuko back to the bathhouse to take their baths. As they are returning home, they come upon a surprising sight—a field full of fireflies. Chie has never seen fireflies before, and Shuhei tells her that they used to be common in the area but that this is the first time in many years he has seen any. He also says that Chie’s mother used to love watching fireflies. This prompts the girl to want to catch some, but he urges her to leave them be because they are fragile and won’t last long.

Meanwhile, has spent the evening on the bathhouse roof, contemplating her hunger and the “sayonara” puzzle while listening to records. Then, suddenly, she has a realization. As understanding dawns, she gazes toward the hazy form of the mother-ship on the horizon. Her pupils start dialate as the mothership starts to communicate again.

Elsewhere, Mayuko finishes her bath and heads into the residential area. She finds Kotomi in the kitchen, with several empty beer cans and an ashtray filled with cigarette butts. The bathhouse owner seems as if she wants to discuss something about the establishment with Mayuko, but backs away from it and instead lights another cigarette. Mayuko watches the dejected-seeming Kotomi for a moment, but they realizes that she had completely forgotten to arrange for NieA’s dinner. She runs up the stairs, prepared to make an apology, but finds their room dark and deserted.

Mayuko notices the sound of NieA’s records playing on the roof, but when she climbs up there, she she finds the roof is deserted as well, the only sign of NieA being the record; the stylus is skipping in a scratched groove, so it’s impossible to say how long it’s been sitting there. Mayuko thinks to herself that it’s just like the irresponsible NieA to wander off and leave the record player running unattended and decides not to be concerned. After all, NieA will resurface when she gets hungry.

But NieA does not come home that night…