The fourth episode of the TBS drama series "Until My T-Shirt Drys" (Fridays at 10 PM), starring Yu Aoi, aired on July 31st. A remark made by Naoto Yano, an employee of the coffee shop "Hikouki" played by Fumiya Takahashi, sparked controversy.
◇The following contains spoilers.
Naoto secretly communicates with Mitsuru Seo (Kenichi Matsuyama), who went missing in a bus accident, over the phone. When he reports on Sakiko's (Aoi) current situation, he tells Mitsuru, sounding irritated, "If you're so worried, why don't you just come back, Seo-san?"
One night, as Kaneda (Masato Ibu), a regular customer of the shop, was leaving, Naoto was told, "I heard the manager (Mitsuru) still hasn't been found? He's so young, it's a shame." Naoto didn't reveal Mitsuru's situation and simply said, "Thank you, I'll come again," as he saw Kaneda off.
The moment he was alone in the shop, Naoto let out a big sigh and muttered sullenly, "The one who's really pitiful is Sakiko..."
On social media, some people believe that Naoto has feelings for Sakiko, while others speculate that he might be in love with Mitsuru. Comments such as, "I think Naoto likes Sakiko," "Does he like Mitsuru or Sakiko...?", "I'm not sure anymore which 'Seo-san' Naoto has feelings for," "Naoto is as mysterious as ever," and "How much does Fumiya Takahashi really know?" are spreading.
The drama is an original story by screenwriter Miku Ubukata, known for hit works such as "silent" (Fuji TV), and this is her first time writing for a TBS drama. It depicts the "love" and "secrets" of two couples whose lives are turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events following a traffic accident.
