Hatsukoi Limited 12

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Hatsukoi Limited
Chapter 12: I Want To Say It, But I Can't...
[insert text: Those words, those feelings, they won't go away, I can't take them back. // But I don't even know what it is that I really wanted to say...]

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[Top text: Last issue: A woman's heart operates in reverse...? Enomoto said something she would regret to Kusuda-kun...]
Kei: [aside]ahhh...[/aside] // Ahh, it's so cooold!!
Girl: Enomoto-san, g'morning!
Kei: Brrr... g'morning...
[sFX: Ah...]

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Kusuda: ...Hmph.
Kei: G - good morning. / ...... // H - hey, you know, Kusu - // Ah!
Kusuda: Hm?

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[sFX: po~~ke]
Kusuda: Guahh!!
[sFX: shuffle shuffle shuffle]
Kei: H - hahahaha...
Kusuda: Hahahahahahahahahahah...
[sFX: scuff scuff scuff scuff]
Kei: Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!
[sFX: DASH!]
Kei: Ah, Kusuda - ! // Aw, that was a perfect chance to apologise for yesterday... // That thing with the sock was just terrible timing...!

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Kei: (But still... // At least he wasn't ignoring me or anything. // Well, I say that, but... it doesn't seem like things are back to normal, either.)
Flashback!Kei: Look at you with those ridiculous gloves... you really think any girl would want to be given those?
Kei: (Why did I have to go and say something horrible like that? / Now that I think about it, those gloves were pretty cute, really...)
[sFX: ahh...]

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Kei: (I really ought to make sure I apologise to him...)
[sFX: dash dash dash]
Kusuda: [aside]whooo~[/aside]
Kei: (Well, it's all very well thinking that...)
Mamoru: Kusuda-kun! Give my test back right now~~~!
[sFX: dash dash dash]
Kei: (The longer I leave it, the harder it is to bring myself to actually do it... // And soon... // It'll be Christmas already.........)
Rika: Enomoto! // What're you looking all down for recently, huh?!!
[sFX: smack]

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Kei: Owwwww~~! / What d'you think you're doing, Dobashi?! You she-Hulk!!
[sFX: throb // throb]
Rika: Hah, so you can still come out with your snappy comebacks. // It's not like you, the little high-strung princess, to act all worried like this, you know.
Kei: I - // I'm not really worried or anything...
Rika: ......
Kei: ......
[side:]
Character introductions
Dobashi-san: Middle-school second-year. It's hard to tell whether she's "going out" with Terai-kun or not...
Terai-kun: Middle-school second-year. He really likes Dobashi-san, but he's worried because he's not very good at showing it.

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Kei: ...Oh, it's no big thing... / I'm just wondering whether spending Christmas with those guys was a good idea... or something.
Rika: Christmas, huh...?
Kei: ......Huh? / Don't tell me there's something bothering you too...?
Terai: DOBASHI-SAN!!
Kei: ?!

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Terai: *pant* / *pant* // *pant* // I - I'm sorry to intrude while you're with your friend...! / But there's something I need to talk to you about before Christmas arrives! // So I was wondering... could I have a moment...?
Kei: ...? Who's this?
Rika: He's a guy from my club. // Well... sorry, but I'll be walking home with him, okay?

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[sFX: dash]
Kei: Huh? // Oh, okay... // ? / I could've sworn I saw her skip a little as she ran over to him... // (More importantly, what do I do about the Christmas party...?)
[sFX: whoosh]
Kei: (As things stand, I don't even want to go...) // So cold...

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Guys: So, how were your results...? // You tell me and I'll tell you!
Ayumi: Kei-chan, Kei-cha~~n!
Kei: What?! If it's about my grades, you're not seeing them!
Ayumi: Oh, come on, it's not about that... // Listen! / Have you decided what clothes you're going to wear to the Christmas party?
Kei: ...Not yet, why?
[sFX: clatter]
Ayumi: Well, yesterday, I just bought this totally cute pink dress! / 'Course, I'm hoping to wear it to the Christmas party...

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Ayumi: But of course, I wouldn't want to do that if someone else is wearing pink! // And of course, I know you like pink, Kei-chan... // So I was hoping you could let me wear the pink...
Kei: ...... / Do people get the impression that I like pink......?
Ayumi: Huh? Of course they do! / I mean, Kei-chan, all your stuff's pink! Your pencilcase, your books, your scarf, your hairties... [aside]not to mention...[/aside]
Kei: (The present that Kusuda picked out... // That colour... That colour...)

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[Calendar:]
23: Emperor's Birthday
24: Christmas Eve
25: Ch
[/Calendar]
[TN: I just love the way they just completely ignore Christmas DAY in Japan :p]
[sFX: smack]
[sFX: smi~~~le]
Kei: All right, I've got to face today with a smile!! // I won't be awkward, I'll be normal, natural, casual!! // (I don't really think Kusuda would've picked out those gloves especially for me... / Not really... but...)
Guys: Whoooa... // Is that chick a model? [aside]she's so damn cute...[/aside]

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Kei: Sorry~~! / Oh, don't tell me I'm the last one here...? // (Smile, smile...!&a)
Ayumi: Nope! / Chikura-chan hasn't arrived yet.
[sFX: glance, glance]
[sFX: pang]
Kei: ...... // Huh?! / Is that my phone ringing?!
[sFX: doot de doo]
Sogabe: I - I - Is is Chikura-san?!
[sFX: beep]
Kei: Yes, hello?
Nao: H... hey there, Kei-cha...
[sFX: COUGH COUGH]

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Nao: I... I went and caught a cold... I was heading on over anyway, but...
[sFX: COUGH COUGH COUGH]
Kei: Hey... are you okay, Chikura...?
Nao: I was looking forward so much to today, as well...
[sFX: pant / pant]
Nao: But it looks like I really won't be able to make it... I'm so sorry... tell everyone sorry for me, okay?
Kei: Uh-huh... okay... take care......
Ayumi: Chikura-chan caught a cold, huh...? [aside]that's too bad...[/aside]
Kusuda: Yeah, come to think of it, we should probably go somewhere warmer or we'll catch our death, too...
Mamoru: You're right... let's get something warm to drink...
Kei: [aside]yeah...[/aside]
Sogabe: You - you all heard her coughing like that just now, didn't you...?

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Kei: Huh?
[sFX: point point point]
Sogabe: How can all of you be so thoughtless and just leave her like this?! / I'm going to go and see Chikura-san!! // I'm the only one who can save her nooooooow~~~~~~~~~~~~!
[sFX: DASH~~~~]
Ayumi: ...I guess Sogabe-kun really likes Chikura-chan, huh?
Kusuda: ...
Kei: W - well, shall we go to a family restaurant or something?
Mamoru: ?!
[sFX: topple]
Somebody: Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!
[sFX: smash]
Somebod: Santa-san has co - collapsed!!!

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[sFX: ughhhhhhh...]
[sFX: pant // pant]
Mamoru: What's wrong?! Are you okay?!
Santa: I - I suddenly felt a wave of nausea... // It must have been those oysters the shop manager recommended...
Kei: At any rate, we ought to call an ambulance...
[sFX: bip bip]
Mamoru: STOP RIGHT THERE!! // How could an ambulance reach us here?!
[sFX: fwoosh]
Mamoru: It'll be faster if I just take him straight to the hospital!!
Ayumi: Ah - it's Zaitsu's heroic tendencies bursting aflame!!
Kei: The hell is that?! // But surely there's no way you could carry a big guy like that all the -
Mamoru: This weight is nothing compared to the weight of human life at stake...!!
[sFX: Nghhhhhh....!]
Ayumi/Kei: !!!

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Ayumi: Zaitsu-kun, that's wonderful!! / Is there anything I can do to help?!
Mamoru: Well, if you could run ahead and find a taxi, that would be a great help - !
Ayumi: Okay!
Kei: ...Looks like the two of them ought to be able to handle it, huh?
Ayumi: [aside]Excuse us! // Coming through![/aside]
Kusuda: Yeah... well, it is the guy's dream to become a paramedic...
Kei/Kusuda: Ah!

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Kei/Kusuda: (...!! // How did the two of us end up alone together...?!)
[side text: Some kind of divine prank?! Where will this Christmas take their still-awkward relationship...?!]
[bottom text: Next issue, it's a heart-pounding date?! To be continued in "Colour-Changing Communication"!!]