Run As You Are is the last episode of Michiko to Hatchin.
Plot[]
The episode begins with an unknown woman washing cooking something in her house and gets burnt when trying to get soemthing out of the frying pan and cuts back to Michiko and Hatchin escaping authorities. The duo start off strong, but are cornered by Ricardo, who proceeds to arrest Michiko. Atsuko steps in and says she must be Michiko. However, Michiko tells Atsuko that she found Hiroshi and the latter lets Michiko go. The duo subsequently catch up to Hiroshi at a train station. Michiko immediately embraces Hiroshi and is evidently glad to see him, however Hatchin is disgusted to see him and Michiko notices. As Michiko arranges a plane for the two, Michiko asks Hatchin why she's upset and she tells Michiko she doesn't want to leave her. Michiko however assures her it isn't goodbye as Hatchin and Hiroshi fly off. Hatchin breaks down thinking she won't see Michiko again. Michiko turns herself in to Atsuko subsequently.
Years later, Hatchin reveals that she now works as a cook in Perola and lives in a small aprtment with an infant son named Fulio since Hiroshi ditched Hana and ran off with a new woman not long after their reunion and the father of her son also abandoned her after three months. One day, Hatchin starts receiving odd packages of risqué lingerie with bras too big for her. Eventually, Hatchin pieces together that the packages form a route and she suspects it leads to Michiko. She takes her son and heads for the place. After a while Michiko shows up and the two embrace as Hatchin asks how far they they go this time.
Trivia[]
- The cooking girl at the beggining who gets burnt frying something is a clear reference to Hatchin, who gets burnt cooking omelettes in the first episode.
- The ending leaves many questions unanswered like whether Michiko ran away or escaped prison, the meaning behind the tattoos that Michiko, Hana and Hiroshi had, who was the father of Hatchin's son, etc.
- Hana becoming a cook was hinted at in Starting Line Downpour, where Rita Ozzetti tells Hana that she should become a cook while enjoying a meal made by Hana.