Q & A 3

Q&A, Chapter 3 (Monthly Shounen Sunday, August 2009)


<1>
Chapter 3: Pink, Right?


<2>
Maezawa Pharmacy


<3>
PLOP

=Ack!
[x2]SCRATCH

=Kousei Maezawa (age 25)//Big-time mystery & horror novelist.
=—Is his goal. He's still living off his parents. Eldest son of the Maezawa Family.

GWUU—SH

[x3]GATHUNK


<4>
=What are you,//Doing over there—?

=Hmm.
STARE—

=I'm having trouble coming up with an opening.
GWU—

GWU—

[bubble]BEEP//BEE—P


<5>
=Yuho?
GACHUK

=Don't you know how to knock!?
=Sorry.//Cliché scene, you know.

=So the Ando Family is back, huh?

=So what if they are?

=Well—I never got to return these to Kyu-chan.//Manga volumes.//Go return these to his little brother At-chan for me.

=Why me?!
=I'm in big trouble unless I come up with an opening for my novel before tomorrow.


<6>
=Trouble?//For what?//With no deadlines?//And no plans for getting a serial?
=That's exactly why!

=If I don't make it big, I'll be single forever!//And turn into a brother who sells borrowed manga volumes to used bookstores just to get some allowance!//You're okay with that!?

=I see,//So you're afraid you might go and sell these if you don't hurry up and return them.
[bubble]UCK

=Anyways, I'm counting on you, alright?

=—Gosh.
GACHUK

=Oh, by the way.//Your panties were dry so I brought 'em in for you.

=Die!//Idiot brother!
BLAM


<7>
="Die,"//"Idiot brother..."

=—Alright!//Guess I'll start off with the appearance of the hero's dead brother.

[sign]Ando

[bubble]=WUF


<8>
=Oh,//Yuho-chan.

=Come on in, the door's open.

=Hup. Hup.
[x3]FLAP

=Are you okay?
=My gosh!//I wish Atsushi would hurry up and unpack on his own!

=Whoopsie.
CRASH
=Oh,//Would you like some help?


<9>
=I'm ho—me.
CHUK

=Oh, I didn't know that.//Wow—
=Isn't that so silly?

=What are you doing?


<10>
=Can't you see?//She's helping out because you can't clean up on your own.

=Oh,//Thanks Yuho-chan. You can stop now.
=Oh, but...//I'd hate to leave this half-finished.

=Then come downstairs when you're done.//I'll make you some tea.
=Yes ma'am—

TAP TAP TAP..

=So,//Why are you here?
=Came to return some books.//My brother asked me to.

=Your brother?

=Ohh—//The college student—?
=6 years ago.//Couldn't stand it if he still called himself a college student.


<11>
=I'm leaving this junk over here, okay?

=Oh,//Sure.

=Hey—!

=What?

=Oh,//I'll take care of this!
SCRAMBLE SCRAMBLE

=You sit over there.//It's dangerous if you stand up.
=What?


<12>
=It's pink today.//Pink.
=Ahhh!//Shaddup!

=Hey!
=What do you mean,//Shaddup?!

=Oh,//I was talking about,
=This junk...
[x2]RATTLE

=Two shot.

=Die! Idiot brother.

=...Oh wait, he's already dead.
=—So,
=What's he up to now?

=Huh?
=Oh,//Your brother. The former college student.

=Ah.//Ahh—


<13>
=Big-time mystery & horror novelist.
=Wow—

=—Is his goal. He's still living off his parents.

=Wow—

=He just sits around all day.//Surrounded by weird books about spirits and devils and stuff.

=Does he have any books on exorcism?

=Huh?

=Hey hey,//What are you interested in reading up on that?


<14>
=Horror novelist, huh...?

=That reminds me,//He liked taking the kids in the neighborhood over to the shrine to tell scary stories back then,//Didn't he?

=You were there?//Back then...?

=Sure I was.
=She probably didn't notice 'cause you were scared and hid behind my back the whole time.

[x2]BWHUP
=What are you doing?

=Oh, nothing.//I haven't gotten much exercise lately.


<15>
BWHAP..

=She dropped it on purpose...

=Really...

=He was amazing at everything, wasn't he.//Kyu-chan...


<16>
=He's the same age as Jin, so...//He would've been a high school senior this year.

=He'll be in elementary school this year and the next.

=He could've been a huge track star by now.
=You don't see that kind of speed everyday.

=Wait,//It's not like Kyu-chan influenced you,
=To start track.//...Is it?

=It's...
=Possible.

[x2]NUDGE


<17>
=What've you been doing?//These past 6 years.

=Huh?

=Oh,//Never mind.
=Not interested.
=Huh?

=Hey... Wait.
TAP TAP TAP

=Well well,//We finally got this room cleaned, huh?


<18>
[x2]=TAP

=Jinno-san—!


<19>
=Why are we running—?
[bubble]HEE
[bubble]HAH

=Idiots!//Did you forget I'm on the track team!?
=And I'm the almighty captain!

=Sure you are, but you haven't gone to practice at all these past two years...

=And you're only captain because you threatened the other members and forced them to—

GONK

=I'm going to practice every single day once I become a senior!

=Ohh—//Right.
=Yuho Maezawa's entering high school.


<20>
=That's not all.

=Girls track uniforms are pretty sexy these days.
GONK
=That's not all!

=Ando's little brother.

=Huh?

=I'm gonna force him to join the track team.

=The Meika High School track team is famous for its tough workouts...
[bubble]GWE-HEH-HEH
=Tough workouts?
=Famous?

BWHUP
=Oh, it's famous!
=It's super famous!


<21>
=In-school violence wouldn't be a smart idea,//But the school should be willing to overlook a little hazing during practice sessions...
=Right!?
[bubble]Y-//Yes sir

=Heh-heh... My last year of high school...
=Looks like I'm gonna be having some fun.

=And girls track uniforms are pretty sexy these days.
=HEE-HEE.
=We've covered that,//Already.

GONK
=EEK!


<22>
PLOP

=Hmm—
=You think I should insert a sexy scene right around here?

[x2]=CHIRP

[bubble]WOOF


<23>
WHOOSH

SPLISH

[x2]SHUFF

=He—y,//Dang it!

=Gotta wash it all over again.

GACHUK


<24>
GONK

=Wha?!
BATHUMP


<25>
=What are you doing?

=Ohh—//Yuho-chan spilled a glass of water on her skirt.
=It was strange, it spilled even though she hardly even touched it.

=Are Atsushi's sweatpants okay?//Don't worry, they've been washed.
=Sure,//Thank you.

=That little—!


<26>
GACHUK

=See?//Pink, right? Just like I said.

SWOP

[x2]SWOP

=A bit slow, aren't you.//I told you last chapter too.//You can't touch me.

[x2]=HUFF


<27>
=Don't worry, it's not that big a deal.//Yuho's no stranger—

=To perverted guys...
AH-CHOO

=Atsushi—//Yuho-chan's going home.

=Oh,//Sorry about before...
=Ask her not to wash the sweatpants before she returns them.
[bubble]WEE-HEE

GONK

=What are you doing?
[bubble]OO—F


<28>
=You don't have to walk me home.
=Oh no,//No problem.

=My brother is unable to leave the house until evening... (See previous chapter).

=Serves you right.

=What was that?
=No,//Nothing.

=Well, I've returned those manga volumes my brother borrowed from Kyu-chan.//Don't you forget.
=Oh,//Right right.

=See ya.

=Good luck,//With the track stuff.


<29>
=Kyu-chan always brags,//About how you started track because of him.

=Oh, Kyu-chan appeared in a dream and told me!
=I'm serious!

=These sweatpants.
=Huh?


<30>
=I'll wash them before I return them,//So not to worry.
=Oh.

=Well,//No.
=You don't need to wash them...

=—Actually,
=I'd rather you—

HO—NK

=Is this story,//Really that interesting...?