Hungry Joker 5

Sorry for the tardiness this week, the head of our little joint project was MIA so the whole process was slowed down a little and I received the PR'ed version of my script only just now.

I hope the contents of this chapter will make up for that. It's a great week, really enjoyed myself here despite some nasty long ass dialogue parts!

Bring me next week's chapter already!!

EDIT: It appears there's been a mess up in some BB Code tags. Should be fixed now.


Page 1
HUNGRY JOKER
Box: There’s an old and timeworn // hammer. // It seems like what caused the sound that eventually led the mathematician Pythagoras from Ancient Greece, // famous for his Pythagorean Theorem, to discover the “Pythagorean Scale”, // the oldest musical scale one could also call the base of music, // was the hammer a blacksmith wielded back at that time. // And at present…

Tabata Yuuki
case.5 – The Man from the Museum

Side line: Off to pursue the next clue, the “Pythagorean Hammer”! The scene is a museum in the UK…!!

Page 2
Box: the man who stands up to watch over that exact same hammer // is me, Alan Blackman! // I wonder what’s so interesting about the thing / it lures an onrush of visitors to this royal museum day after day.
Visitor 1: What’s with that curator…? He’s, like, wearing headphones…!?
Visitor 2: Not to mention how scary he is! Just look at that glance!

Page 3
Box: If there’s one thing I hate, it’s noise! // Usually, you'd assume a museum to be a quiet—
Visitor/Boy: Whaaaa--!! // The curator is listening to music~~! / You mustn’t be so sloppy at work!
Box: And I also hate little brats!
Alan: Shaddup, // I’ll kill you!
<sfx: *glare*>
Visitor/Boy: What the he~~~~ll!? // I’m a bloody visitor--!
<sfx: *dong*>
<sfx: *shake, shake*>
<sfx: *flap*>
<sfx: *beep, beep, beep*>

Page 4
Visitor/Boy: Waaah— turning up the volume just like that!? // Don’t ignore meee----!!
Alan (thinking): …in the end the only thing that really calms me down // is the crying of a herd of goats in the plains…
Goats (in picture): Baaaaahhh / Baaaaahhh
Alan (thinking): When will this working day finally be over…!? // Today’s just like yesterday. Always the same, day in and day ou---…
<sfx: *sigh~…*>
<sfx: *bustle, bustle*>
<sfx: *glitter, dazzle* x 2>

Page 5
Chitose: Doctor-! // Please stop it, this is embarrassing!
<sfx: *whisper, whisper*>
Chitose (in picture): Even continuing in London…
Haiji: Hm, / there’s no shame in what I’m doing.
Chitose: The children might imitate you--! // And more importantly, everybody is looking at you!!
Boy (in picture): Wah--
Chitose: Cut it out--…
<sfx: *glare, glare*>
<sfx: *slip*>
<sfx: *stroke*>
Chitose: ! Hiii // Doctor! There’s a scary staff member looking at us---!
<sfx: *whisper, whisper*>
Haiji: Hmph…
<sfx: *fwmp*>

Page 6
Haiji: Now then, Chitose, go negotiate things so they’re willing to give me that hammer.
Chitose: Whoot!? // What are you saying!? / It’s a national treasure! // It’s obvious they’ll never agree to this--!!
<sfx: *whisper, whisper, whisper*>
Haiji: Figuring out a way to persuade them is up to the assistant. It’s your duty!
Chitose: There’s not a single assistant in the world who could pull this ooo~~ff!!
<sfx: *slip*>
<sfx: *clatter*>
Chitose: Kyaaa
<sfx: *panic*>

Page 7
Chitose: Pleeaaase!
<sfx: *patch*>
<sfx: *screeee~ch*>
People: Oohhh~~
Chitose: Th- tha- / that was close……!
<sfx: *wheeze, wheeze*>
<sfx: *thump, thump*>
<sfx: *drop*>
<sfx: *clonk*>
<sfx: *clatter, clang*>
Girl: That big sis broke the hammer~~
Boy: Ohhh, true! It’s broken!

Page 8
<sfx: *grab*>
Haiji: Hm.
Boy: They got taken away!
Mother: Don’t look!

Page 9
<sfx: *grumble*>
Alan: I’m the one in charge of that hammer. // Leave this to me. You guys get back to your normal duties.
Chitose: I- I- / I’m so sorryyy~~~!! // Even when I was telling the doctor to watch out--… / In the end it was me who… oh my god, what have I done~~~~
Chitose (in picture): Aahhh
<sfx: *bow, bow*>
Alan: There’s but one thing I want to ask you…

Page 10
Alan: What did you come here for?
Chitose: Tha-… you see, that is… / um… well, it’s~~
Haiji: I want to use the Pythagorean Hammer for my research. / Hand it over!
Chitose (in picture): Pffffffft!
Chitose: What are you saying there all that bluntly~~!? // And what’s worse, I accidentally broke the hammer already, didn’t I!? // I’m so sorry~ so sorry~~
Chitose (in picture): Aaahh
<sfx: *bow, bow*>
Haiji: Nah, you’re wrong.
Chitose: Huh?

Page 11
Haiji: That hammer was a forgery! // The real one… // is in this man’s possession……! // I found it slightly suspicious for the Pythagorean Hammer // to be displayed with such convenient timing. // Now if this happened to be a trap to lure somebody out… / the possibility of the original item being displayed would be rather low. // But now… / even though it might be unfitting for me as a scientist to say this…

Page 12
Haiji: …more than reason, // it was my gut telling me this. // In that exhibition hall there were signs of a “Eureka” being present, // but I didn’t have irrefutable proof whether it was that hammer or not. // Well, that was only until it got demolished that I was convinced it is not.
Haiji (in picture): Hahahaha
Haiji: That’s your achievement! // And now, / with you standing right before my eyes like that I understand: // the Eureka is in your breast pocket--…!
<sfx: *lift*>
<sfx: *thud*>

Page 13
Alan: Same goes for you!
Chitose: Ah-…
Alan: As expected, you’re the guy who awakened Newton’s Apple-- // I’ve heard about you… // Thank you for all your precious explanations… // but they make my ears hurt. [TN: Alan uses the term kakuseisha (jap. 覚醒者), that literally means “Awaker” or “Awakened Being”. I still cannot be sure how the term will be used throughout the series so I decided to put it like this for the moment, rather than as a proper noun or title.]
<srx: *rustle*>
Haiji: That’s a real shame. / There are still many, many more…

Page 14
Alan: Shaddup, // I’ll kill you!
<sfx: *stroke*>
Chitose: The Pythagorean… // Hammer---…!!
Alan: …so this workday’s finally over…
<sfx: *phew~*>

Page 15
<sfx: *pliiii~nk*>

Page 16
<sfx: *iii~nk*>
<sfx: *bzzz, bzzz* [vibrations]>
Chitose: Doctor…! What’s this…!? / Looks like we’re facing a real predicament here--…!
<sfx: *oohhh*>
Haiji: …hmph, // getting killed would indeed be quite troublesome, now wouldn’t it!?
Chitose (thinking): He took a bite before we got detained / and held it in his mouth all this time--…!
<sfx: *gulp*>

Page 17
<sfx: *whoosh*>
Haiji: At any rate, I’m still but in the middle of investigating the truth about my identity… // so would you mind not butting in!?

Page 18
Girl: WEEEEEHHHH!
Haiji: Hm.
Chitose: A child…!?
<sfx: *silence*>
<sfx: *flip-flop*>
Girl: Juuu~st kidding ♪

Page 19
<sfx: *tap, tap, tap*>
Girl: Da hell, Alan!?
<sfx: *THUD*>
Girl: You can’t do anything that has nothing to do with the mission!
Alan: …what are you talking about!? I just wanted to see a little sample of his powers…
<sfx: *flabbergasted*>
Chitose: What-… is going on…!?
<sfx: *turn around*>
Girl: Haiji-kun~ // How would you like to join us, “White Joker”, // in our task of saving the world?
Girl (in picture) Aha~

Ending caption: A sudden proposal! / Next issue, the “Crisis” and the “Underground” of this world become clear!!