Sket Dance 24

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[right: Campus Times]
[Top: Student Council Executives On Top]
[beside picture: Spiders' Association Destroyed]
[insert text: The glorious deeds from last issue! The Student Council assembled!!]
Bossun: Da-da-da~h-da-la, da-da-da-da-la-da, cha-ta-ta-ta, cha-ta-ta-ta, cha-la-la-la-cha, HEY!!
[Label: Rock-style school song]
Himeko: Man, he's in a bad mood...
Switch: He just can't stand being one-upped by the Student Council.
Bossun: But seriously, ma~n... ain't it just awful? We've re~ally gotta find something big to pull off and one-up them back...
Himeko: You said it! There's been nothin' to do recently...
Switch: In that case... apparently there have been a series of bag-snatching incidents occurring near the school over the past few weeks. If we caught the culprit, would that be sufficient?
Bossun: That's it!!

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Sket Dance
Chapter 24: The Sket-Dan Manga Project
Bossun: Let's go catch the guy right now!!
Himeko: Yeah!!
Bossun: Huh?
Hinohara: Ah... // DO you have a moment?
[insert text: Hm? Is this......... Shinohara? (No, it couldn't be...)]
Bossun: A MANGA-KA?!

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Bossun: The hell... When you said "collecting data", I figured you must be a reporter for some magazine or newspaper. // But a manga-ka...? Hmm... pretty shady if you ask me.
Himeko: Yeah, you never hear good things about them. / "No common sense"... "They're all weirdos and freaks"... // "They're just unemployed optimists"... // "By the time they finish a manuscript, they're all shaggy beards and shiny faces"...
Bossun: Stop that!! Where the hell do you get that stuff?!!
Hinohara: Ah, yes, well, the thing is... I'm planning on writing a school-based manga, and I thought I should talk to some actual students to help me with the flavour.
[box: Manga-ka: Hinohara Enta]
[TN: Yes, he's a blatant parody of the author of Sket Dance, Shinohara Kenta.]
Hinohara: And of course, if I happen to meet any likely characters, I can use them as a sort of model! // So first of all, I went to see this school's Student Council... / They really are an interesting lot, aren't they!
Bossun: The Student Council?!
Hinohara: They each have their own distinct identities and traits... I couldn't help but become something of a fan! // They've given me a TON of ideas for my manga! // [aside]Hey, check it out! // I got myself a photo of Unyuu-san and Daisy-san together![/aside] // To tell the truth, I was thinking of making them into my main characters, and having them solve issues around campus!! / Though I'm not completely sure just yet... // But yes, they are absolutely wonderful people, just wonderful!
Bossun: Shaddup already!!! / If you love them so much, whaddaya need us for, eh?!!! / Why don't you just go home and write your stupid manga!! / Though I bet it's gonna really suck!!
Hinohara: Whaat?! / Oh... well... the truth is...

4
Hinohara: The Student Council referred me here!
Flashback!Soujirou: If you're looking for interesting guys, I know just where you should look. How about you go and check them out?
Hinohara: I hear you're in the problem-solving business? That's not the kind of club you see every day! // If you happened to turn out to be even more interesting than the Student council... // I thought I might use you as my character models instead!
Bossun: You'd use us... / ...as the character models... // ...for a real manga?
[box1: Sket Manga Begins]
[box2: Big Hit, Becomes Anime]
[box3: Did You Base Your Characters On Real People?]
[box4: I WIN BIG!!]
Bossun: I'm so very sorry... / ...about our earlier conduct.
Hinohara: Hm?! / Is... is that so?
Bossun: Himeko, go get the guy some tea!! / We've got some of that good stuff Yabasawa-san gave us, right?!!!
Hinohara: Well, then... / Manga are really all about the characters. // So the main thing I'm interested in is what you're all really like as people. // And of course, the leader would make the best main character...

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Hinohara: So, er... the leader would be...?
Bossun: That's me!!! / It's me!! I'm the leader!! // (My time has finally come!)
Himeko: Yeah, Bossun's really somethin'. / He'd make a great main character, no doubt about it.
Hinohara: Great! / Well, then... // Do you have any kind of special skill?
Bossun/Himeko: Special skill? // ............ // Y - yeah... / A special skill... // .............................. // Just wait a little, okay? // Special........................ skill............ // ...........................Special skill?
Himeko: Hey!! / What about that?! You know, with the goggles?!!
Bossun: Oh, yeah!!
Himeko: You think?
Bossun: Of course, that's it!! I can't believe I forgot all about it!!
Hinohara: Hm? // What's all this?

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Bossun: I have the power... // ...of incredible concentration.
Hinohara: Concentration............... ...Concentration? / What the heck?
Bossun: Don't give me that!! It's an awesome power, okay?!!
Hinohara: Really? / Are you sure that even counts as a "special skill"? Isn't it a little off?
Himeko: Man... this guy just doesn't get it, does he... You better show him.
Bossun: Yeah, I guess.
Hinohara: Show me...?
Himeko: When Bossun puts on those goggles, he gets this awesome concentration-type power!! Just watch!!

7
Bossun: Whew!!!
Himeko: Are... are you okay?
Bossun: Yeah... // Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan... // Haven't used that for a while... // Tired me out... // Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew... // Maaaaan...
Hinohara: ...............
Bossun: Whew... // I re~ally......... // ...concentrated hard there...
Hinohara: ON WHAT?!

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Hinohara: You call that a special skill?!!! // It's just so boring! How could I possibly use that in a manga?!!!!
Bossun: Huh?! Huh?! Whaat?! No, no, you're wrong!!! / You have no idea how hard I was concentrating just now!!! // I guess it's not something you can understand just by watching, huh?
Hinohara: That's why it's so useless!!!
Himeko: Yeah, I guess he isn't really gonna get it unless you actually use it FOR somethin'.
Bossun: Fine, then. Just wait a moment, and I'll put this thread through the eye of this needle!
Hinohara: What kind of shonen manga main character would do THAT?!!! / It's ridiculous! / What good is that going to do?!!! // This is useless. I think I'll make a manga about the Student Council after all. / Sorry to bother you.
Bossun: Ah - / Ah - / Wait a minute!!! // A weapon!!! / I have a weapon!!!
Himeko: A weapon?
Bossun: That's right! / A weapon that uses my concentration power!!
Himeko: Ahhh!! // That's right, you DO have one! / Yeah, yeah, show him that!
Hinohara: A weapon that uses your concentration power? // You don't mean... // Something like charging up your ki?! // Is that it? Something like that?
Bossun: .........

9
Bossun: Er... well... // It's called my "Slingshot"... / ...yeah... // I shoot pachinko with it... // I'm good at it...
Hinohara: Secondary, maybe tertiary...
Bossun: Huh?
Hinohara: Maybe a secondary or a tertiary character, okay?! Just maybe, okay?!! / But a MAIN CHARACTER who wields a slingshot?! A pachinko-firing slingshot?! / Never!!
Bossun: ............... // There's more!! I have another special skill!!!
Himeko: Of course!! Tell him!!
Hinohara: ...Fine, I'll listen. / Go ahead, I don't even care any more.
Bossun: Well... / Yeah...
Himeko: Oh, come on, let him have it! / Have some confidence!
Hinohara: I'm waiting... are you going to tell me or not? // It had better be something truly befitting of a main character...

10
Bossun: ...I can draw really well.
Hinohara: LOOK HERE!! // How many times to I have to tell you?! I'm talking about the main character of a shonen manga!!! // You're just coming up with rubbish!!!
Bossun: Maybe... maybe you're right... / Yeah, you're right...
Himeko: Oh, crap!! / His confidence has drained away!
Hinohara: Okay... let's just forget about special skills. // How about your personality?
Bossun: Personality? // Personality... // Yeah... my personality...
Himeko: You're kind! // You're kind, aren't you, Bossun?
Hinohara: That's just too ordinary, it'll never do.

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Hinohara: Calling yourself nice, or cheerful... those sort of things just don't cut it in this day and age! // We need something really stunning. Something that really sums up the core of your character in a single word! / Now, give me a word!
Bossun: ............ // My personality... / ...in one word... // S - Spineless.
Hinohara: WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MAIN CHARACTER IS THAT?!! // Ugh! That's it! I'm going home right now! Sorry to have bothered you!!
Bossun: Okay... / Sorry to trouble you like this...
Himeko: BOSSU~~~~N!!! / Don't you give up now!!! // YOU WAIT RIGHT THERE!!!

12
Himeko: HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT BOSSUN, YOU LOSER?!!! / THIS IS THE GUY WHO CREATED THE FREAKIN' SKET-DAN!! // IF YOU HALF-ASS THIS THING, I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN!!!
Hinohara: .........
Bossun: ...Hime-neesama...
Hinohara: You... / What's your name?
Himeko: Hm?!
Hinohara: Do you mind if I just ask you a few questions?
Himeko: Everyone calls me Himeko...
Bossun: Wait just one minute!!! / Why're you so interested in Himeko all of a sudden?!!! // We're talkin' about the main character of a shonen manga!! Himeko's a GIRL!!
Hinohara: True... but her outburst just now just blew my mind! She's an incredible character!
Bossun: No, no!! Trust me, she's a totally one-dimensional character, no depth at all!! / She's just got a short fuse, so she loves picking fights even though she's a girl! Hell, she fights with a hockey stick! What the hell d'you call that?!!
Himeko: Grr...
Bossun: She used to be this legendary hooligan, the "Onihime", so people are just scared of her, that's all! She's just a stupid Osaka chick who likes disgusting lollipops!!

13
Bossun: How could an idiot like that possibly be a model for a main character?!
Hinohara: It's perfect!! / Absolutely perfect!!! // Himeko-san, would you care to join me for a meal in the cafe?
Himeko: Hm? What's that? You'd like to treat me to a drink?
Bossun: WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!! WHERE THE HELL DID THE TENSION VANISH OFF TO?! / YOU PUSHING ME TO THE SIDE AGAIN?! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!!!
Switch: Ah, but you know... it is simply impossible to understand Bossun's charms from a simple interview such as this.
Hinohara: Hmm?!
Bossun: Hey... wait a minute! Don't just butt in like that, you hear?!!! / Stop it!!!
Hinohara: Hm? What's this? / What was that voice just now? Are you a ventriloquist?
Switch: No, it's an artificial speech synthesis program. Something wrong with that?
Hinohara: But why?
Switch: Because I don't feel like speaking. Something wrong with that?
Hinohara: ...............

14
Hinohara: Could I perhaps ask your name?
Switch: People call me Switch.
Hinohara: Are you free right now?
Switch: I AM FREE RIGHT NOW.
Bossun: Whoa!! Stop right there!!! // You just don't get it, do you?!! This guy would make an absolutely terrible main character!!! // People may make a fuss of him for being handsome and smart, but when you get right down to it, he's just a plain otaku, okay?! / He always butts in and acts like an idiot at the worst times, but he's really just a stupid geek under all the pretence!! // He only looks cool because nobody can tell what the hell he's thinking!! He knows too much about everything! He makes weird gadgets! And he has terrible writing style when he sends emails!!
Hinohara: I HAVE TO USE HIM!!!
Bossun: GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Hinohara: Would you mind accompanying me to a restaurant, so that we may talk as we eat?
Switch: I AM FREE RIGHT NOW.
Himeko: Aww, man... I wanna go too...!
Bossun: THAT'S ENOUGH!! This session is OVER!! // You go home and write some stupid boring manga about the Student Council!!!

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Hinohara: Well, then... // It was nice meeting you all... // I guess I'll have to write that Student Council manga after all...
Bossun: .....................
Hinohara: Owww...!! // Ugh...... // Hm? // Wha - ?!
Bossun: There something wrong?
Hinohara: My bag's gone!! / Somebody snatched it!! // That bag has all my precious story drafts in it!!!
Bossun: Whaaat?!!

16
Hinohara: Give that back! All my precious work!!
Bossun: Stop! You'll never make it!!! // Just step aside one second. // Himeko... go get him.
Himeko: All right!
Bossun: There's a strong wind!!! / Switch!!!
Switch: A south-south-westerly wind, 11.6 metres per second.
Bossun: (Calm down... // Okay... I've got it. // Just a little to the right... // NOW!!)

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Thief: Owww!!!

18
Thief: Guaaahh!
Himeko: Gotcha!
Thief: Ungh!!
Hinohara: Oh, dear!! You really saved my ass there!!
Bossun: That stuff means a lot to you, right?
Hinohara: Yes... my drafts are everything to me. // I really must thank you. // But you certainly showed some incredible teamwork back there! / It all happened so quickly, it was quite stunning! // I'm very impressed by you all! // I suppose this is the true power of a campus support group!
Bossun: That's right! // And don't you forget it! // 'Cause we're...

19
Bossun: The Sket-dan!!!
Hinohara: Woooow... // Hahah... / You just gave me a great idea! / I'm sure it'll make a brilliant manga!!
Bossun: Wow! That's great!! / We're really happy to hear it!!
Hinohara: All right...!! I'm gonna work like crazy!!!
[Text: And so, a short while later...]
[The new series "We're the Student Council!" made its debut!]
Himeko: WHAT THE HELL?!!!
[insert text: So he went with them in the end...?!!]