Capeta 3

p144
Hey.

What's up, boss?

He's here again.

Oh yeah, Shige's kid.

What's he find so interesting?

He comes here straight from school, just to stare ahead of him in that thing.

No, I promised.

p145
Say, Capeta

Why don't you stop driving the kart on the road now.

It must be hard because you like it so much, right?

Huuuh? Then, where can I drive this?

Thats…

Thing is, it's not really finished yet...

When it is, dad'll take you to a place where you can drive it all you like.

p146
Okay? Just try to have a bit more patience

It's a promise, Capeta!!

Cacchaaan!

Monami, Nobu.

Nobu looked stuff up about karts on the internet!

Look, Capeta!

AWESOME!!

p147
An engine?

Yeah, an engine!

This is where you put it.

This is probably what pops meant by saying it's not finished yet!!

p148
They drive these at an exclusive karting circuit!!
(it's looks just like a real car)

Kids of roughly the same age as us, using those engines!!!

Engines…

Circuit…

p149
W… Wow…

Woooooow!!!

p150
First kart Run Necessities:
(prices in yen)
- kart, 270.000 yen
(new, complete kart)
- Helmet & racing suit, 53,000 yen
- Gloves & shoes, 10,000 yen
- kart stand
- Portable gas tank

- repair parts, 10,000 yen
(chain)
- micals, 5,000 yen
390,000 yen
* in case of second hand: 270,000 yen

p151
Thing is, it's not really finished yet…

I give up--

How am I gonna break the news to Capeta...

I have no idea how to get a hold of one, if I told him about the engine, he might get his hopes up for nothing…

p152
Even though I was so set on buying one...

After my countless hours of overtime this month, I didn't even get to use the money I earned…

Welcome home.

p153
You probably wanna eat, right dad?

I'm starved myself.

(whipe whipe)

Capeta, you…

You've probably figured it out, right…

You…

Want to drive the kart,

Right?

The engine…

Ah…

It's what you want, right?

…Euhm.
Yeah.

But it's fine.

Huh?

p156
Yeah...

It's not that he doesn't want to drive it,

But, why...

Yeah. But it's fine.

p157
You're really helping me out here, Capeta.

Yeah. But it's fine.

Yeah. But it's fine.

Sorry Capeta! Dad has to work all sunday again. You're gonna be fine, right?

Up until now…

No matter what…

He's never even once lost his patience, has he!?

Yeah. But it's fine.

p159
"You're really helping me out here."
"It's cause you're such a good kid."

No matter what, he's always brushed things off.

I've had things pretty easy…

Up until now, always…

I…

Since he was a baby, he's never once given me trouble…

p160
He's never once lost his patience.

The introductory KT-100SC.

Holy…

120.000 yen!!

Shit. We really have no choice but to wait till next month…

Hm?

p161
"Originally Japanese karts ran using FHI's Robin or Tohatsu all purpose engines."

* Fuji Heavy Industries

"Even in modern days, there are karts that use GX-160 class dynamoes found in farm tractors and snow plows…"

A tractor dynamo…

p163
This is it!!!

… a tractor dynamo?

Yep! Please boss, can I have one!?

I'll pay it back to you in segments.

Right!? Do we have a deal!?!

Enough already!!!

p164
Shige, I've overlooked your hammering away at work, but this…

WHAT THE HELL!?

You want a beat up tractor dynamo to use as an engine for a frickin go-kart!?

I have raised this company from a single farm tractor, that I bought from the US military.

(there he goes again)
(how many times have I heard this speech)

The tools at work have been sheltered by the gods!

Besides, I don't like giving no kid no fancy new toy to play with…

p165
I DON'T CARE ABOUT NO OTHER KIDS!

BUT IT'S NECESSARY FOR HIM!!

WHAT'S FANCY ABOUT THAT!

p166
Can't be helped then.
(christ)

p167
Fine, you can have the one in storage room.

I'm giving it to you!!

Kids of employees

are like grandkids to me, right? Dumbass!!

Boss…!

(now now, don't get all mushy on me)

(slam)

p168
Capeta, I did it!

Uh...

Thank you!

p169
Boss, thank you so much!

Capeta, let's go to the garage and install that engine right now!

Yeah!

(slam)

Thank you… huh?

I said it well, too.

Like grandkids... huh...

(i wonder if i was cool)

Hey, Shige!

You still have work left to do!!!

p170
Capeta!

Did you really get your hands on an engine!?

Wow!

Is this it!?

Hey Capeta, let me do something too.

Pops, I brought lunch!

Onigiris I made with my mom!

No matter who was going to drive it,

The very first team, was that of a parent and close friends.

A machine we built together.

Capeta's first machine,

(what's with that monami)

made its first cry at a tiny garage.

p173
We've made it this far.

Now we can drive it at a karting center.

We'll go tomorrow... that's thursday.

Huh?!

Dad, what about work!?

D… don't worry! If it's just one day, I'll...!

p177
Yo, you came.

Ah, mister manager! Please let allow us to drive our kart today!!

Whoa, from that pile of trash?

Nicely done!

p178
Hm?

Hey, what's this. You've got one rain tire?

Huh? Rain!?

I thought I got lucky to get one with grooves…

...Are you out of your mind?

You can't drive with 1 tire that's different from the rest.

Generally a rain tire's diameter is much smaller.

p179
Can't be helped then. Lend him a tire.

Bring the 83 rear.

Okay, let's prep this thing.

For now, these two will…

Bring them over here.
(i'll give you some suits)

p181
When you're entering the course, go like this. Raise one hand, to signal.

Until you're used to things, make sure to keep driving on the right lane.

That way you won't be bothering the other cars.

Alright then, who's first.

p182
Y… You go first, Capeta.

After you!!

p183
An engine!

Alright, go for it Capeta!

I can't believe it.

I'm in a car!

p184
NOT SO HARD, YOU FOOL!

p187
I'm driving! I'm driving!

p188
Capeta's doing it!

W-
W-

Whoa!

Woooooooow!

p189
I bet...

I bet he's got a huge smile on his face, under that helmet…
(so happy)

p191
Go Capeta!!

Cacchan!

p193
Hey! If you're spinning, raise both hands to signal!

That's it.
You can drive now.

GO GO CAPETA!

Cacchaaaan!

Damn.
Dammit.

Wow…

p194
Aaaaaah!

Cacchan!

p195
Why's he keep spinning round and round--?

What a dunce!

Hey, you. Was that kart properly alligned?

Huh?

What? Allyned...?
(ally what now)

Figures.

Hmph. You're not supposed to go spinning at that speed.

I thought it was strange when I saw him start.

That is, his 4 wheels weren't equally on the ground.

p195
If the front of your kart starts floating, you won't be able to make the next turn.

p197
Waaaaaah!

We'd better call him in.
(no matter the speed)

Hey now, you can't drive that thing!!

p198
Can't drive.

Hey! Come back here!

Stop driving! Stop!!

The kart we made together…

p199
Everyone's hopes and wishes…

Singlehandedly driving for the hopes of everyone affected…

Kid, that kart aint no good.

I'm sorry, Capeta.

And so…
(huff) x5

Huh?

p200
I'll show them the results.

This is where driving a formula 1 car, and a kart don't differ,

in the 100-year history of motor racing.

It is the race driver's destiny.

*** CAPETA Volume 1 END ***

p201
Bonus manga
Why "Capeta?" Masahito Soda

I had to start thinking of a name for the main character of my new serialization, around the fall of 2002.

(capeta) x3

When I woke up in the morning, "Capeta" came to my mind.

Somehow I felt like I wanted to use an italian-sounding name. (could this name become popular with the tifosi in the future?) I like to believe I received this name from the gods of manga.

Ah, this is just like how "Yesterday" suddenly came to Paul McCartney.
(idiot)

paper: Kappeita

Since Japanese people always have kanji in their names, I wrote it KA PEI TA.

On the other side, Monami came from the word "Mimosa".
(what the heck)
If you talk about Ferrari (Modena), a "Mimosa flower" comes to mind, right?

Writing down the alphabet letters, I just took the initials form the kanji characters. But K became C, because it was cuter.

This should do fine for the title!

p202
What!? Seriously!?

The week after that, I got a very pleasant surprise!!
My editor looked the name "Capeta" up, and it seemed to be Portuguese!
Turns out it means "young prankster", "naughty boy", or "devil king", and so on. What a shock!!

What an amazing name! Cacchan!!
(I like to call him this, instead of Cacchan)
(with Schumacher!!)

If you think about it, you'd need a "devil king" to defeat the "Red Baron."
… But then… no one would expect a "young prankster", to do so.

Alright, enough with the naming already! But the contents of the manga itself is super serious! So from here on out, please enjoy Capeta!!!