When last we left our conman and lawyer, they suffered a setback in court and Shiba learned that his conman is his nemesis’s son.
Shiba thinks that Haruto isn’t coming home
He’s at home staring at nothing and blaming himself when he gets a message from Haruto. He’s joined the environmental group!
Haruto thinks this will be a big gift to Shiba. Shiba can’t believe Haruto is still working on the project. These two don’t always understand each other but they love each other, so that’s nice.
After the meeting, Haruto uses candy to fake a lawyer lapel pin, a thing I didn’t know existed but is very cool. The man admits to taking bribes from Arisuinbo.
Outside messages Shiba but should have kept walking because he gets jumped. Shiba receives the text and thinks Haruto is on his way home.
Haruto is beaten and taken to a sinister-looking building
He thinks about Shiba and then imagines his mother stroking his forehead.
Unfortunately, reality is Arisuinbo walking in. Haruto gives his “dad’ a mocking casual “ 久しぶり/hisashiburi”, basically long time no see.
It’s night again? Why did Haruto need to be gone overnight to infiltrate the group? I guess poor Shiba spent all day depressed at home. But here’s Kazama to do his chaos magic.
He’s been given Shiba’s case but wants Shiba to get it back. He tells him not to throw his career away over fleeting emotion. Shiba knows he’d regret breaking up with Haruto for the rest of his life. If he loses a case, doesn’t get promoted, or quits being a lawyer, as long as he has Haruto, he doesn’t care.
Kazama is amazed by how love changes people. I agree. Except. Shiba is a man of extremes. He’s showing Haruto the same dedication that he showed the law. He hasn’t changed that much.
Meanwhile, Arisuinbo tells his thugs to poison Haruto
Shiba is oblivious, cutting vegetables. He looks at the clock, it’s 9 but whatever. Shiba cuts his finger, it’s an ill omen!
Then Haruto walks through the door. Shiba cleans his wounds and won’t listen to his teasing. He asks if Haruto’s Arisuinbo’s son. Haruto doesn’t answer and Shiba apologizes for dragging him into a fight against his dad.
Haruto never considered Arisuinbo his dad. We flashback to him breaking free of the thugs and holding the poison over Arisuinbo’s mouth. He stops short of killing him and says he’ll get him with the law. Also, do not touch his partner. Then he shoves a handkerchief in his mouth, more on that later.
Back in the living room, Haruto explains that his mom was Arisuinbo’s mistress but they were poor and she had fragile health. She tried to use Arisuinbo’s shady business against him to force him to pay child support. Arisuinbo sent thugs instead, and one of them stabbed Haruto.
Not long after his mom died by suicide, but Haruto thinks Arisuinbo killed her. No one would help him. He got close to Shiba because he was curious about lawyers, but fell for him. He didn’t tell him he was Arisuinbo’s son because he thought Shiba would hate him.
Shiba calls Haruto stupid because he’d never hate him for that, he’s his precious lover. Shiba is the best. Haruto asks Shiba to take down Arisuinbo with him. Shiba has his hand on Haruto’s shoulder but this moment needs a hug.
Shiba wants to get the case back
His soon-to-be-ex-boss isn’t into the idea. Kazama bursts in to say something nonsensical about poison neutralizing poison. What? I don’t think that’s a thing. Is Shiba the poison doing the neutralizing? Or the power of love?
Shiba shocks them both by saying his partner is Arisuinbo’s son.
Back home, our guys are in suits and Shiba puts the ring on Haruto’s finger. They fist bump and vow to win the case. Shiba mentions doing something after the case but backtracks. Haruto thinks he’s ready to propose.
We’re back in court with Hachisuka and his glorious mane. Shiba’s first witness is Haruto! Or Haruhara Kento, his real name, Arisuinbo’s son. They used that handkerchief he shoved in Arinsuinbo’s mouth to do a DNA test for proof.
Haruto accuses Arisuinbo of killing his mother. Hachisuka objects and Shiba is told to stick to the case. Shiba has Haruto present evidence that Arisuinbo paid the environmental group.
Next, Hachisuka’s flowing locks question Haruto!
Predictably, he gets Haruto to admit to being a paid informant and tries to use that to smear Shiba. But Haruto says he researched Arisuinbo on his own. He reminds everyone that gathering this info is not clearly illegal for civil cases.
Shiba is proud of Haruto. And he has another witness! The fisherman again. He admits that he lied and has evidence. He also says Hachisuka promised he wouldn’t be prosecuted for perjury. Shiba calls out Hachisuka for this unethical behavior.
After the trial, Hachisuka supplicates for Arisuinbo, who calls him a dog. He wants to make Shiba his dog too. But Shiba is getting his job back and using this success to get more pay and a better title.
At home, he and Haruto clink glasses, and the succulents squeal. Haruto turned the place into Christmas. Shiba has a present for Haruto, a giant law book. He wants Haruto to pass the bar exam and officially become his partner.
Haruto didn’t think this was possible with his past, but Shiba gave Kazama payment for a settlement. Once Haruto is a lawyer he can pay Shiba back, take his dad on in court, and do more for his street kids.
Haruto gives Shiba a big hug. They declare their love and we get another kiss. Shiba knew his love for Haruto was poison. The succulents squeal because our guys are no longer shy around them.
Shiba VOs that the poison will never wear off. Haruto still wants a proposal.
This show is simple but satisfying
Hachisuka and Arisuinbo are cartoony villains and they’re not completely defeated. However, it makes sense that one case can’t take them down. Also, will we get a season 2? I’d watch.
Never mind our long-haired villains, I’m here for our lead’s transformations thanks to the power of love.
With their first case, Haruto sat in the audience, basically a dirty little secret Shiba didn’t want to share. In this final episode, Haruto is on the stand for everyone to see, talking with Shiba’s encouragement. Shiba never treated Haruto poorly, but he went from hiding Haruto as his weakness to displaying him as a strength.
And Haruto, without Shiba, would be in jail for the scams or for killing his father. Shiba always appreciated Haruto’s talents and encouraged him. In doing so, he gave Haruto a real way to escape where he’d become stuck. And also a way for him to help others.
It’s got the mellow, simple feeling of a Japanese BL while featuring unusual main characters with real arcs. While they could have made things deeper and more complex, I’m satisfied with its simplicity. Two people meet, learn about each other, and fall madly in love. Something that simple gets screwed up all the time, but here they get it right.
I love it.
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