Q & A 4

Q&A, Chapter 4 (Monthly Shounen Sunday, September 2009)


<1>
=I'm back in my hometown for the first time in 6 years.

=The fond memories are everywhere...

=The people are full of kindness,
=Here,//One extra meatball.

=My childhood friend—

=Has matured into a beautiful girl,

[left margin]Mitsuru Adachi breaks new ground with this new series, already in its 4th installment...!!


<2>
=My friends of old,//Are my friends of today—
At-ku—n!

=Blessed with good people,//Blessed with a good environment,

=I, Atsushi Ando,//Am a high school freshman starting this spring—

=I shall gab with friends, fall in love,//Study hard and play sports,
=I shall sing the praises of youth with all my might. This is the springtime of my life.


<3>
=For my deceased brother, too—

=*grin*

=Hey hey,//Stop changing the story to suit yourself.

=You gotta give an accurate summary of what's happened so far,//Or else you're gonna confuse the readers.

=RAAGH!


<4&5>
Mitsuru Adachi
Chapter 4: He's Late
"Short Program: Girls Type" & "Cross Game" Vol. 1~15
In stores now!!
[above title logo] A story of ghosts and adolescence!!
[page left]With his high school enrollment right around the corner, what's in store for Atsushi Ando in the coming days—!?


<6>
=Just give it up already,//You gotta accept reality as is.
[x2]MUNCH

=How am I supposed to do that!?
=It's the middle of the day, and there's a ghost in my room eating crackers and reading manga!

=This is a dream!//A dream, I tell you!
=Man, shut up.

=Oh,//That reminds me.

=I found this thing in the bag that Yuho returned the manga in.

[video title]Rakugo
[left box on cover]Masters
[note]Rakugo; A traditional form of Japanese comedy, usually involving an extremely long and complicated narrative recited by a single individual. Typically enjoyed by people of older generations. Similar to stand-up comedy in concept, except the performer recites his lines sitting down on a mat, as shown on the cover of the video.

=Yuho's big bro probably put it in there by accident.
=He might be looking for it, so you better return it to him right away.


<7>
=Well well,//It's been a while since I read this, but man. This is an awesome series.
=I'm sure his newest work, "Cross Game," is just as good.

=Try to keep the advertising to a minimum.

=Rahh!

THUD


<8>
=Hi-yah!
WHACK

=Heh-heh...
=How many years has it been since I looked forward to the school starting...?

=—Actually,//I've never looked forward to it!
=Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk!

=First, we gotta hold our annual training camp to welcome the new team members.
=Annual?
=Training camp?

=A one-night stay at an outdoor hot springs hotel. How's that?

=By how, you mean...?


<9>
=Maybe the absentminded manager can reserve a hotel that only offers mixed bathing.

=No way...
=That's a little too—

=Did you say something?//Absentminded manager.
=Huh?

=We don't have to go through all that trouble.//Why don't we just put a two-way mirror in the girls locker room!
[bubble]HEE

=Idiot!//That would count as a crime!
WHAM

=—Wait a sec,
=How 'bout this?

=Once the girls go into their locker room,//The mischievous club member switches the sign with the guys locker room.
[sign under arm]Girls Locker Room
[sign held up]Boys Locker Room


<10>
=Then I come walking by as the innocent bystander,//And open the door.

=Wouldn't it be locked?

=Obviously, we make sure it's broken beforehand.//—Right? Mr. Mischievous club member.
=I don't see how that wouldn't be counted as a crime too...

=Oh well,//We've still got plenty of time.

WHACK

=Time to look after Ando's kid brother,//Too.


<11>
=Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk!
WHAM
THUD

[sign]Maezawa

=What's this?

=I told you, it was in the bag that you returned the other day, and—


<12>
=Oh.

=Oh,//Yeah!
=Man,//Thanks a lot.

=I was wondering where it went.
=I see,//So it got mixed into that bag, huh.

=...Yep.

=Did you watch it?

=Huh?

=—This.


<13>
=Oh, no.//I'm not really interested in rakugo.

=Oh,//Okay.
=Well yeah,//That's normal.

=That's quite a collection//Of rakugo DVDs.
=Huh? Ohh.//I guess so.

=I see,//A high schooler, eh?
=That At-chan...

=I remember,//You were always scurrying behind Kyu-chan trying to keep up with him.

=By the way,//Didn't you always carry around a big box of tissues with you?

=Yes,//I used to have nasal allergies.
=But they're gone now.


<14>
=You two were real good friends,//Weren't you...

=Going back to that house brings back lots of memories, doesn't it?//About Kyu-chan...
=Huh?

=Oh,//Well,
=No,//Not really...

=It doesn't really feel like he's dead...

=Yeah.//You're right.
=Kyu-chan's spirit is gonna be with you forever.
=Oh, well,//Actually...

=Kyu-chan loved his little brother.//He's probably keeping an eye out for you up there in heaven.

=Right...
=I wish he were doing it from heaven...


<15>
=Ghosts...

=Huh?

=Oh,//You believe in them, right?
=As a horror novelist, you believe ghosts must be—

=Hah.//No way.

=Huh?

=The reason people can write all kinds of things about 'em and still get away with it,//Is because they don't actually exist.

=Besides, they only show up when there aren't that many people around.//If all you need is a witness or two, mistakes and assumptions can make them spawn out of just about anything.


<16>
=They can show themselves in front of a crowd of 50,000 at the Koshien if they wanna prove me wrong!

=I'm not gonna take any convenient excuses about how only certain people can see them!
WHAM

=Oh.

=What's wrong?

=Well,//I forgot I was writing a story that uses the exact same convenient excuse.
=Hah-hah!


<17>
RATTLE

=Big bro!//You hid my laundry again, didn't you?!

=Whaddya mean again!//Huh?!

=The clouds were looking a little threatening, so I brought them inside just to be nice—!

=Where do you see threatening clouds!//That's about as clear a sky as you'll ever see!

=Hey!


<18>
=—Gosh!

=Yuho,//Go get At-chan something to drink.

*turns!*
=Oh,//Please get him something to drink.

=—Here,//I'm returning this.

=It's been washed, as promised.

=Oh, what's this?//You two are in that kind of relationship already?

=Sharing sweatpants with each other, eh? I'm sooo jealous.
[bubble]HEE

=You need to get your brain checked up.


<19>
=Hey!//That's no way to speak to your own brother!

WHAP

=—Man!//Her underwear's the only thing that's gotten more lady-like.

GRR—

=Hey, At-chan.

=Huh?
[x2]SNIFF


<20>
=Oh,//I'm gonna get going now.
=Alright,//Thanks for coming by.

=Good luck with your novel.
=Righto.

CLICK

=Hey.


<21>
[label]KAN Coffee

=Oh,//Shoot!

=I forgot to ask if he had a book on exorcism.

=Oh,//Well.


<22>
=He—y,//Ando!

=C'mere for a sec!
=Why?

=Just c'mon!//I'll show you something nice.
=Huh?

[sign]Ken-chan's Place


<23>
=H-//How did you get all these?!
=Cool, huh.

=Someone left them at the garbage collection site this morning. Almost like they were trying to hide them.

=But taking them without asking...//Isn't that a bad thing to do?!

=So you don't wanna watch them?
=Now that would be even worse,//Wouldn't it!

=—Alright!
=Then you wanna check this one out first?

=Very good, sir.

[bubble]PIP

WHIRRR


<24>
GRR—

HO—NK

=Now lemme pass it on to the next man up.


<25>
=Huh?//That's weird.

=Alright,//Next.
[bubble]PIP

[x2]DUM DUM

=Ehh—//Here's another silly one for you folks out there.

CAW...


<26>
=See ya.

=Oh, you're gonna head home?
=There's still 2 of 'em left...

=—Man!//You gotta be kidding me.
=What did I do to deserve being forced to watch rakugo DVDs till this late!?

=Big bro—!//Wait up—!

TICK TICK TICK...

SPLAT

WAHHH—


<27>
AHH—
=What're you doing?
=You okay?

=I'm bleedi—ng!
=Don't cry!//It's just a little scratch.

=Here, c'mon.//I'll carry you on my back.

=You better hang on to that ball.
=Yeah.

=Run, big bro!
=Don't get carried away, stupid!

GONK
[sign]Garbage Collection Site


<28>
[sign]Garbage Collection Site

[sign]Maezawa

=*yaaawn*


<29>
=Man, I'm tired.

=—Alright,//Guess I could use a little break right about now...

=Maybe watch a routine,//From my favorite rakugo DVD—

=WEE HEE HEE

=I'm back in my hometown for the first time in 6 years.

=The fond memories are everywhere...


<30>
=My childhood friend has matured into a beautiful girl.

=My friends of old,//Are my friends of today—
=Hyuk-hyuk-hyuk!
THUD
WHACK

=—And,

=Man,//Atsushi's late.
=At our beloved home is...

It would kill him to admit it,
But he's always looking out for his little brother...