Hatsukoi Limited 22

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Hatsukoi Limited
Chapter 22: Konohanasakuya 2/3 (Spreading, Blooming)
[insert text: Painting colours upon those budding feelings, and dreaming of the day when Spring will arrive.]

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[side text: Last issue: Chikura Nao, age 14, feels love for the first time.]
People: [aside]Ehhhh?![/aside] Renjou-senpai, the one who painted the sakura picture up back...! / I guess you've always been good, huh? // Could you check my painting, too?! // What are you going to do after you graduate, Senpai?
Yukito: Well...... / Right now, I'm thinking of going overseas...
People: Studying overseas!! [aside]woooow![/aside] // Renjou-senpai's really amazing............ // You lock up, okay? // Don't forget to come by again sometime, Senpai~!

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[side:]
Character Introductions
Chikura Nao... Middle-school second-year. An ordinary, warm-hearted girl. Her senpai, who she looks up to, is helping her with her art, and it makes her heart pound. It must be love...
Renjou Yukito... High-school third-year. Used to be in Chikura-san's Art club; he's the painter of a picture she always admired. Good-looking, and intelligent, too.
[/Side]
Nao: Ah - / Um, Renjou-senpai?
[sFX: thump thump thump thump thump thump]
Nao: If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you mind staying behind and helping with my picture a little more? / I - I'm sorry to be so selfish, but... // I didn't really get much done today, and...
Yukito: Chikura-san... // You don't have to look so bashful about it. // I'm the one who said we should work on it together, right? // I was thinking of staying behind and working on it, as well...

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Nao: (He must be so busy, if he's planning on going overseas... // ...He probably thinks I'm a pain, really...)
Yukito: You mind if I use that palette?
Nao: Ah - sure...
[sFX: ahhhh...]
Nao: (......Dear Lord... // I should probably look forward to the day this picture is finished... // ...but still, I pray that that day never comes...)

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Nao: (I pray... / ...that I can stay by Senpai's side like this, forever...)
Yukito: ...I think you should be able to finish up the rest on your own.
Nao: Wha...?!
Yukito: You've got your end-of-term exams coming up soon, right? // I heard that your clubs aren't going to be running for a while, starting next week, so...
Nao: I - I'll be there! // Exams are one thing... // ...But I value the time I spend with you, learning about painting, much more...!

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Yukito: Well, you can say that, but...
Nao: It's okay! I pay plenty of attention in lessons... / And I never really spend that much time revising for tests anyway...!
Yukito: Are you sure it'll be alright?
Nao: Yes!
Yukito: Well... I'll see you on Monday, then.
Nao: Okay...!
Sogabe: ...Hey, Kusuda... / I... really am a great guy, right?

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Kusuda: Huh?
Sogabe: ............Well, you know... / I'm full of the qualities that make a perfect man... // A beautifully-structured face...
Kusuda: Sogabe, have you ever actually looked in a mirror?
Sogabe: ...a brilliant mind...
Kusuda: Weren't you just saying you were getting all 2's and 3's in the second term?
Sogabe: ...a manly, eloquent personality...
Kusuda: ...No, I'd say that's actually your biggest flaw...
[sFX: raaaghhh]
Sogabe: LOOK, I JUST HAVEN'T GOT SERIOUS YET, OKAY?!!
[sFX: graaaaaaahhh]
Kusuda: WELL, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GET SERIOUS, THEN?!!
Sogabe: ...... / Come to think of it, Zaitsu is in the Art club, isn't he?
Kusuda: ...Yeah... / [aside]...not even gonna bother...[/aside]
Sogabe: Kusuda... Could you perhaps ask Zaitsu about Chikura-san from his club for me?

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[side:]
Sogabe-kun... Not very popular, the sort of guy who gets everything backwards. He likes Chikura-san. And he had somewhat deluded himself that the feeling was mutual, but now...
Zaitsu Mamoru... Going through heartbreak after the love of his life told him "sorry" to his face. Not in a state to think about anything much right now.
[/Side]
Kusuda: ...I don't know, Zaitsu's been a little... off, lately... // Ah well, sure, whatever...
Sogabe: Go for it, Kusuda~!
[sFX: gloo~~~~m]
Kusuda: Yo! / Hey there, Zaitsu~!
Mamoru: ...Ahh, Kusuda-kun... // Unhh...
[sFX: tearing up]
Sogabe: Wh - what's with him...?
Mamoru: *crying noises*
Ayumi: [aside]Zaitsu-ku~n...[/aside]
Kusuda: Apparently he was turned down by the girl he's been crazy about for 14 whole years...
Sogabe: You know, normally, I'd rather popular types like him would just vanish off the face of the Earth... / But somehow right now, I feel like I might want to be a little more friendly with him...♡
Kusuda: [aside]whoa, whoa, whoa...[/aside]

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Nao: By the way, Senpai, where is it that you're going to study abroad?
Yukito: Mmmmm... / Well, it's a small country, you probably wouldn't know it if I told you.
Nao: ? // I was thinking it might be America to study language, or Europe to study Art, or something.........
Yukito: The truth is, I'm not actually going abroad to study at all.
Nao: Huh?
Yukito: There are poor countries out there... poorer than you or I could even fathom. // And there are plenty of charities here in Japan doing what they can to help.

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Yukito: My dream is to become a member of one of those organisations and go out there to help... // ...to devote my whole life to visiting all those countries, painting pictures together with the children there.
[TN: Dear God, give this guy some character flaws already. He's too damn perfect.]
[sFX: clunk]
Yukito: Chikura-san... // Why do you love to paint?

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Yukito: I think that art can capture certain things... / ...that you can't get in a photograph. // We can paint the beautiful scenes we see today, the smiles of those we loved in the past... / ...and even the dreams we hold in our hearts... // And what I'd like... / ...is for those paintings to be able to touch the hearts of others.
Nao: (......His "whole life"......)

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Yukito: And as an artist, you can make these pictures from the most basic of things. [aside]plants, and rocks...[/aside]
Nao: (Even as I listened to Senpai's dreams and his feelings about painting... / Those were the words that really stuck in my head.)
Yukito: Chikura-san?
Nao: ...Senpai, I... // I think you're really incredible... // ...I'm getting kind of emotional......
Yukito: Ahh! / I don't think I was really saying anything all that special...
Nao: (After that... / I just couldn't seem to find anything more to say...)

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Nao: (I...)
Sogabe: H - Hey, Chikura-san...
Nao: Sogabe-kun......
Sogabe: ...I - / I've seen that high-schooler hanging around the Art room a lot recently...
Nao: Renjou-senpai? / Yeah... he used to be in the Art club here... he's an incredible painter. // And you must have seen his uniform, right?! He goes to Kaitei High! He must be an incredible student, as well... // But you know what? He's not going into further education... he wants to do volunteer work, instead... I think that's a really difficult choice for someone to make... // But...

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Nao: He probably... won't be coming back to Japan... // It's his dream... to go and visit lots of different countries.........
Sogabe: So - ! // ......
Nao: I'm sorry. / Making you walk all this way when you've got your bike and everything...
Sogabe: Oh, no, I don't -
Nao: My place is just around this corner, so... // Thank you, Sogabe-kun! // See you tomorrow!

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Sogabe: (He's tall, attractive... / ...a brilliant painter... // ...goes to Kaitei High... / ...wants to volunteer overseas... / ......... // ......Man... / ...What was I even meant to say...?
Nao: ("See you tomorrow"... // "Tomorrow"... that's right... my picture isn't finished yet. // So there's still tomorrow... // Tomorrow...)
Yukito: You know, we had our graduation ceremony at my school, today.

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Nao: Oh? Really?! / What should I say to that? Uh... congratulations...?
Yukito: Hahaha... Thank you, Chikura-san. // I'd been hoping to get it finished before I graduated, but...
Nao: We just have the sakura blossoms to work on now, and then it'll be done! / There's not much left to go, Senpai!
Yukito: Yeah...
Nao: ......Ah! // You may not have made it in time for your graduation ceremony... / But it would be nice if we could finish it before the real sakura bloom!

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Nao: Senpai... / I really respect the future that you're hoping to work towards...! // I hope you give it your all! Senpai!
Yukito: ......I don't know what to say. / The truth is, nobody ever really supported me in choosing this path before.
Nao: ?
Yukito: Not my parents... / Not my friends, or my teachers...

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Yukito: Chikura-san... // Thank you so much...

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Nao: W - Well, I'll be off, then...!
[insert text: What is he planning to do, in the Art room at night...?]
[bottom text: Next issue, a tearful, smiling farewell. To be continued in "In those memories, fully-blooming..."]