Cotton 1a

[comments in brackets like this]

Page 000b Panel 1

Where did that unsolvable irritation, that straight forward rage that I used to have back then, where did it go?

2-1 Living Things 119
Morning Children 135
Letter 145
Remaining Summer 155
Afterword 177

4-1 Yeah

For example,
something soft and
nice to the skin
like cotton

I want to wrap up that

Naked
shivering
child

In something gentle
like that

5-5 If it's ok with you, I'll share while we wait for the signal

7-6 Here
You can have it

8-2 Take it

9-1 sfx: clap clap clap

9-4 Onee-san was really pretty, huh?

Aw geez, okaa-san, you're crying too much

9-5 You don't have to tell me that

Come on, hurry up and fix your makeup

9-6 Well, Nae is now taken care of too
Next, it's your turn Natsuki

10-1 Unfortunately, that's not in the cards for a while

10-2 Oh that's right... I didn't know that the groom's family had a younger daughter

Michiko-chan? I met her for the first time today as well

She's pretty far apart in age from her older two siblings

10-3 They said she's in her first year in high school.

whoa

She's half the age of the groom

10-4 She seems to be a somewhat difficult child
She stays home from school a lot

10-5 Onee-san will be living over there
I hope she doesn't have any problems as the sister-in-law

11-1 Ok, I'm going back

11-3 Whoa

Michiko-chan

Speak of the devil

11-5 Pretty girl

sfx: nod

12-1 Her facial features are perfectly formed

Enough to make me, a girl, pause

12-2 Umbrella

13-1 I've kept your umbrella 'til now

Natsuki-san

13-2 Eh?

13-3 You're not wet today, mm?

13-4 Blush

14-1 What an amazing coincidence
I was really surprised to see you at the reception hall

14-2 No way

14-3 D-don't worry about the umbrella
I gave it you after all
Don't worry about it

Why now?

14-4 I had completely forgotten about it

Later

14-5 To think

14-6 She was that high school student

15-1 I just can't do bad things

15-2 What's with you? Have you done something to earn a guilty conscious?

I was just talking in generalities

15-3 It's a pretty small world

15-4 But anyway,

Onee-chan's got a pretty thick skin to be seen like that

I wouldn't have the guts to send a postcard like this

15-5 Ding-dong

15-6 Natsuki, can you get that?

Yeah

16-1 Yes?

16-2 Hello

16-3 Michiko-chan

Why?

16-4 Here

17-1 Eh?

17-2 You didn't have to give it back

17-3 It's gross to have a stranger's things in your house

17-5 Natsuki?

Who is it?

17-6 Oh, Michiko-chan

bow

18-1 I just came by to return the umbrella I borrowed from Natsuki-san

18-2 Umbrella?

18-3 Goodness, well thank you for going to all the trouble
Hey Natsuki, have Michiko-chan come in

Gross

18-4 Please excuse me

I'm going to go buy some cake
...It's ok
But we don't have any snacks to go with the tea

She just dropped in [handwritten]

Don't bother about me

19-1 As I figured

It's just me and the high schooler

19-2 Michiko-chan you are a high school student, right?
Is today a holiday?
Saturday [above bubble]

What can we possibly talk about?

I'm cutting

19-3 ...uh

Not

19-5 Natsuki, how old are you?

"Natsuki"...?

She's not using "-san" [handwritten]

20-1 Whoa
You don't look it

I thought you were closer to me

20-2 What am I supposed to say to that?

20-3 Why were you crying?
Back then

20-5 Get dumped by a guy?

21-1 No way? Serious?

21-2 It was just a shot in the dark

21-3 Nope
Not that

21-4 Even if it was
It's none of your business, Michiko-chan

21-5 Why?

"Why"?
You're a stranger

21-6 I'm not a stranger

Younger sister.

22-1 You said yourself that we're strangers!

22-2 Ah
That bothered you?

22-4 sfx: heh

You get flustered, mad or turn red like that so quickly

22-5 You're busy girl, Natsuki

23-1 That's why you look so young

23-2 Brat

23-3 Brat

Brat

Brat!!

24-1 Wham

24-4 That's why you look so young

Pisses me offfffff

24-5 Why the hell do I have to put up with a high school student seven years my junior saying that crap to me!?

25-3 Yeah, that's right

Ah, wait, she just got out

Natsuki

25-4 The phone

It's Nae

25-5 Onee-san?

25-6 I heard all about it!

You knew Michiko-chan from before?

26-1 It's not like I know her or anything

26-2 She was talking about you so happily
About returning the umbrella she borrowed from you

26-3 It's a relief

26-4 She's got, um, a difficult temperament... should I say
She doesn't usually talk or smile much

I'm at a loss
To figure out how to deal with her

Doesn't smile?

27-1 Mm, well

Certainly that's more of a smirk than a smile

27-2 She almost never talks about
Things at school or about her friends

So I was surprised today!

27-3 I wonder if the two of you are suited to each other

Stop it

27-4 Natsuki, I think
You could be someone that Michiko-chan can really talk to

28-1 I'm goin' to bed

28-2 Coming on deck, it's Matsui...

28-5 Whoomp

28-1 ah

30-1 About 164-5 cm

Not so tall

Established as the beautiful girl

I can't draw beautiful girls very well

150 cm

Or maybe not quite that

Small and slender

Baby-faced

32-1 I saaaaw you
Kariya! [her last name]

32-3 Breaking up with your boyfriend - that was a lie!

32-4 I so saw you. Sunday, walking arm in arm.

32-5 ...me?

33-1 Don't be so standoff-ish. If you went back to him, just say so

I've been worried about you

34-2 You must have seen someone else. I didn't go back
I haven't see him since then

Eeh? But I saw...

34-3 Was it me? Really?

34-4 ...ah
Nnn....

Well, it was from a distance

34-5 Small and slender [handwritten]

But the posture, the clothes, the attitude, even the hair...

Huh? Come to think of it, maybe the hair was a little more reddish

35-1 But come on, are you sure it wasn't you, Kariya?

No way
Don't tell me that was why you broke up as well

35-4 Isn't that just a little...

35-6 Yeah. He totally sucks

36-1 I was just the same as a car he fancied or some name-brand good he was choosing

36-2 But

36-5 There, there. Cheer up!
I'm cheerful

I'm not an accessory for him

36-1 Ok, I'm going home

Good job

37-2 Michiko-chan

37-3 Eh? Why are you here?

I was just in the area

37-4 Natsuki, what kind of work do you do?

Eh...
Office work and stuff

Hmm

38-1 I get the feeling she's just going to make fun of whatever I say

38-2 I've been waiting

For a call from you

38-4 Wh...
Whatever...

Normally, you don't call unless you have a reason, right?

Tell me your cell phone number too

38-5 I don't have one

38-6 Don't like them

39-1 Look, what're those things they throw in the Westerns? Lassos?

Aren't they like that?
They can catch you no matter where you go

39-3 It's a little constraining, or...

39-6 I knew it. In some ways, there's not an adult bone in your body, Natsuki

40-1 She's smiling

I take the bus, so...

40-4 Hey,
Do you know where's the school that Michiko-chan goes to?

40-5 Ummmm
Well, it's a private school
Pretty much just little rich girls

Eiwa Girl's school, was it?

40-6 No way! That's completely the opposite direction!
Opposite?

...nothing

41-4 That's a cute dress

41-5 Today too...?

Just happened to be in the area?

Is it a problem?

42-1 Not really, but...

I'm thirsty, so let's find someplace to get tea [asking to have tea is a classic pick up line in Japan. Obviously it's not meant that way here, but nice subtext]

42-3 She's got, um, a difficult temperament... should I say

It would probably be prudent

42-4 Michiko-chan, are you going to cram school somewhere?

If I were to choose my words carefully

No, I'm not

43-1 Why?

43-2 ...we bump into each other a lot, so I thought you might have cram school around here

43-3 Do I have to have a reason to be here?

43-5 Almond orange

43-6 Blend

43-7 Have you decided?

44-3 That girl's here again
Your younger sister? The two of you are close, hm?

You went home together the other night too, right?

44-5 She's waiting for you, Kariya-san. That's cute.

Nice!

You're mistaken
I'm being stalked

44-6 It might be strange to take a high school girl so seriously, but...

44-7 Rear door

45-2 Somehow

She's scary

45-4 Hello, Kariya residence

Natsuki!?

46-1 Onee-san?

46-2 Aaah, Natsuki, you've got to help me
Can you come over right away?
Machiko-chan's...

46-3 Eh? Now?
Right now?

46-4 Smash

th-thump

46-5 Please! If it's you, Natsuki, maybe...
If it's you, certainly she'll...

47-3 Onee-san...

I'm sorry, Natsuki-san, at this time of night

It's ok

48-1 Where's Michiko-chan?

48-4 Flinch

49-1 Thank you for taking care of this

49-2 Shiver

49-5 Natsuki...

Okaa-san, can you run the bath?

50-2 Michiko-chan
I'm putting a change of clothes here, ok?
Sorry, but it's just some of mine

50-4 Michiko-chan?

50-5 I'm coming in

50-6 We're both girls, so it's ok, right?

50-7 Machi...

51-1 Right here

There's a storm

51-2 That inhabits me

51-3 It's raging even now
Blowing me apart

Why

52-1 Am I
Weird?
Abnormal?

52-2 I'm not normal

52-3 I can't stop the storm

55-1 Morning

55-3 Aren't you hungry?
I've only got simple-to-make stuff, though

55-4 I thought we could eat breakfast together
But, it's already noon

56-3 Michiko-chan

56-5 Michiko-chan, you've got pretty large breasts, huh?
Even though your so thin. That's nice

56-6 How about yours?

Eh?

56-7 Petite

57-1 Petite?

57-2 Flat-chested

57-3 You're horrible!

Owowow

58-2 Sometimes
I'm drowned in loneliness

58-3 Even with two people...
There are times when you are lonely all the more

59-1 So that's why you were crying, Natsuki

59-2 Eh?
Well

59-3 That was because you glared at me with that scary face

59-4 Really! No, Really!

59-5 That asshole...

If I found his heart forgotten in the middle of the Sahara
I wouldn't waste a single drop of water on it

59-6 But anyway

At that time

60-1 You need to at least acknowledge people! At first I didn't think you had any attractiveness at all

60-2 But, while I was looking at this face of a high school girl who did'nt bother to hide her displeasure
I became nostalgic
It became painful

60-4 I bet I used to have that kind of expression back then

Like I always has this rage stored up deep inside my body

Back then
That unsolvable irritation, that straight forward rage

61-1 Where did it go?

61-2 Thanks

61-4 That day
I'm glad I could cry

62-4 Kariya-san
You have a visitor

62-5 Visitor?

63-1 What's this now?

63-2 Ah, that's Kariya-san's younger sister, right?

63-3 It's the first time I've seen her close up. She's an amazing beauty.

63-4 Oh, that's the lecher in you, Mashibo

64-1 ...wierd
Why should I get all worked up over that?

What is this kinky feeling, I wonder?
It's like I've sneaked a peek at a secret garden

64-2 Secret garden?

Wah!

64-3 Finished?

Yes. I'm sorry. Thanks for letting me take that, even though it was personal

64-4 What were you talking about?

I don't want to say

64-5 Hey hey
Let's go to that new place on the corner for lunch

65-6 Sorry, I've got an appointment today

66-1 Well then, I'll let you treat me!

Who said anything about treating you?

66-2 Oh Natsuki... Eh? Mariko-chan?

Mariko-chan left the house at her normal time today

Yeah, I make her lunch for her everyday

I make it at the same time I make Yoshiyuki-san's

Is something wrong...?

66-3 Ah no, Nothing's wrong

Sorry to bother you about this

66-4 Thanks for the other day. You really helped us out.

It must have been a bother for your parents too
Please tell them thank you for us again

Ah, that's ok

66-1 Ok, talk to you later

Make personal calls short! [sign]

66-3 Do you like Simon and Garfunkel?

66-4 Eh? Why?

66-5 You use that song to wake up to

Ah, that one

67-1 That song works the best. My body starts moving as some sort of conditioned response

Pavlov's dog

67-2 Your body moves...?

My workplace uses that as BGM for stretching

It's just an arrangement, but...

67-3 They use "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for exercise music?

Well, It's like the morning stretches on NHK radio

67-4 They do it in front of work? Everyone?

Yeah. In their suits. The old guys, the young guys.

67-5 Weird...

Then laugh about it
Hey, don't look

68-1 Suggestions for improvement?

They make us turn something in once a month

68-2 You work seems interesting

Exercises. Homework.

68-3 Ever since I was little
I've never been able to imagine what I would be like as an adult

I always had the feeling that I wouldn't live to 20

68-4 Adults always ask you "what's your dream?"
I hate that

68-5 Umm... so are you sick or something?

Nope. Healthy.

Then the odds are pretty good of you making 20

69-1 Yeah. When I look at you, I think being an OL isn't so bad [OL is Office Lady, the secretary like women workers in most Japanese companies]

69-2 Ahhh, come on!
I can't concentrate

69-3 Ah, right... Michiko-chan, do you want to read something? You like books?

Not at all

69-4 But if it's something you've read, I'll read it.

...oh really?

69-5 This one should be easy to read. It's short stories.

I like this book.

69-7 whew

70-1 sniff

70-2 sniff sniff

70-3 You suckered me

70-4 Yeah
I cried too at that

You end up crying when they meet in the first story

70-5 You too?

70-6 You cried too?

Yeah

Right here in this room

...yeah

I think... [handwritten]

70-7 When you're not causing your own tears, it's somehow easier

71-1 Let's rent a bunch of weepy movies and have a movie party

I want horror movies

72-1 Huh? Onee-chan, you're here

Morning

What are you all wrinkled for?
Did you sleep in your clothes?

72-3 We were up late watching movies

Where's Michiko-chan?

Still sleeping

72-4 We've cleaned up breakfast already

You didn't seem like you were going to wake up

Sorry

72-5 Natsuki, here

My in-laws also really appreciate it
Really, thank you very much

73-1 I didn't do it for this...

Oh go ahead and take it
Just think of it as allowance

Yeah

73-3 Michiko-chan... does she have problems at home?

73-4 You must be kidding me! Youngest daughter, right?

She's separated in age from her older brothers

So they have really, really, showered her with affection

73-5 Could it be that they have spoiled her?

Absolutely

She stays home from school and stuff...

74-1 Michiko-chan

74-2 Mi...

75-4 Slam

77-3 Hellooo? Are you awake?

What are you spacing out for?

77-4 If you work like that, you'll end up making mistakes

...yeah. Right

78-4 This will wake you up. Super Ultramint.

78-5 Thanks

78-6 It's been about 3 weeks

Since then

79-1 Sometimes I'm drowned in loneliness

79-2 Ow
Ow ow ow ow

79-3 Kariya?

79-4 My wisdom tooth has been hurting since morning

I've about had it

80-1 What the hell am I doing?

Leaving work early to come play stalker

80-3 And what's more, there's no way to tell if she's come to school

81-1 Michiko-chan

81-3 Mi...

81-4 Michiko-chan
Um

81-5 Michi...

82-1 giggle giggle

what is she doing?

Weirdo

82-3 Wait, wait!

82-4 Hey, Michiko-chan!

82-5 Eager, aren't you?

For your mean-spirited allowance

83-1 I got caught up by it

83-2 Like I got a wild animal to eat out of my hand

83-3 I got too full of myself

83-4 It's like she's off tempo

84-1 There's nothing to worry about

84-2 She's back to not speaking
She's just back to normal

See you [handwritten]

It's a relief to me

84-3 I wish I had that kind of personality like my sis

She really thinks that there's no problem

84-4 Yeah

Just like that

Blow it off

84-5 Yeah, but

It pisses me off
It pisses me off
It pisses me off

I can't do anything about it. I wonder why

85-1 It's like it's spurring me on

I can't stand being pissed like this all the time

In any case, I'm going to stand up [handwritten. bad pun.]

85-2 That kid's jerking me around!

85-3 It's mortifying but

85-5 Hello

85-6 This voice...?

Michiko-chan?

85-7 Who is calling, please?

Ah, I'm sorry, I have the wrong number

Wait...!

85-8 Please don't hang up

86-1 It's Natsuko-san... right?

86-3 I'm really sorry about all Michiko has done

86-4 No, it's ok

But listen, um...

86-5 So why did you answer her cell?

Ah, she's always leaving it somewhere and forgetting about it

87-1 She doesn't use it much

Then she has no need for a cell phone

87-2 It was the first time I heard it ring, so I just answered it

87-3 So how are you getting along with her recently...?

Ah
Well, it seems we're having a fight right now

87-4 It's a little embarrassing to be getting into it with a high school student

87-5 Please fight with her.

88-1 We can't do it

88-2 We can't bring ourselves to hurt her

88-3 Michiko's cute, but we can't manage her

Loving her is too much for us

88-4 She can feel

Our distance, see?

89-1 Her bothers are much older and so are we

Thanks for waiting

She's always seen adults in our home

Michiko has always been a dependable child
That has not needed much attention

No way...

89-3 I have felt that we
really spoiled that child

But as for that girl herself, she's never realized how much she's depended on us

90-1 It's shameful to admit now, but

I have no idea how to deal with my own daughter

I'm always end up getting flustered
By her anger

90-2 She's clumsy

90-3 She seems expressionless, without feelings, right?

91-1 But inside her heart
There are many memories fluttering there

91-2 Sometimes, they come exploding to the surface violently

91-3 It would be easier if she were more cunning

91-4 Get it all out into words
Lies, whatever

92-1 Natsuki-san, how old are you?

I'll be 24 this year

92-2 So young

92-3 Adolescent girls being this difficult

I've lived up to this age

92-4 I mean, I went through these kind of seasons too

92-5 Why is it
That we forget?

93-2 Wow! Cute!

93-3 This was my first piano recital

93-4 Little girls are so cute

Even though they're so tiny

I can say that even though I don't have any

93-4 When I look at my mom, raising kids seems so hard

93-5 Thank you, Na-chan

It's been a while

Hey, don't we have snacks or anything?

Don't be so full of yourself! Why do you come back home so often anyway?

94-1 Why not? I can relax here and have my friends over

Natsuki, if you have free time, go buy something

94-2 Don't bother about me [small bubble]

Hey, Natsuki! The phone!

I've had it

94-3 I have the car today. Want me to take you home?

Yay! That helps!
Recently, I've been going to driving school

94-4 Eh?
"Poor reflexes" Nae is?

You're awful!

94-5 S-curves and in-line have taken me time, but
From last week, I've been out driving on roads. Rainy days are scaaary!

94-6 I think the cars in front of you have more to be scared of

Ah, give it a rest

Natsuki, who was that?
It wasn't my house, was it?

95-1 Wrong number

95-2 I'm going out for a bit

95-3 Come back safe
Buy both snacks and sweets, okay?

96-2 Michiko-chan

96-3 huff huff

96-4 Thanks

To get a call from you makes me

96-5 happy

97-1 Eh?
What?

97-2 Call history

97-3 ...ah, yeah

I talked to your mom
A little

97-4 You opportunist

98-1 Running here
Running there

How nice for you

Ahaha

Wait

98-2 ...you talking about me?

98-3 Self-consious, are we?

98-4 I...

want to understand you more, Michiko-chan

98-5 Even your mother
Is concerned about you more than you think

Thinking about you...

99-1 That's stupid

99-2 I'm me. Other people are other people.
There's no way you can understand other people

99-3 ...yeah.
Saying "no one has ever understood me"

99-4 Just pitying yourself
Feels good, huh?

100-1 When thing don't go your way
Just pin it all on "adults"

Getting carried away with your "storm" to your heart's content

sfx: slap

100-4 See?
When people score a bullseye on you, you strike out

If you have something to say, why don't you say it?

101-1 Michiko-chan, you're arrogant

101-2 You think you are the only one who gets hurt

101-3 You think you can say whatever you want to me and I'll laugh it off

102-1 Because I'm an adult

102-2 You think you can say whatever you what and it won't hurt me, right?

Arrogant

Both anger and solitude, you think they're your own special privilege

102-3 That way all you have to do is look down on other people

103-1 Michiko-chan, you're not special or anything

104-2 Natsuki

104-3 Natuski

104-4 Natsuki, your nose is running

Shut up! Leave me alone, bitch!

104-5 I hate people like you!

105-1 ...but I love you, Natsuki

105-2 I hate you, Michiko!

105-3 I love you

I said I hate you! Hate you!

105-4 Love Love Love

Hate Hate Hate

105-5 Waaaahh

106-1 Hey, ladies

106-2 No fighting, 'kay?

You make up with each other, 'kay?

106-3 ...yeah

106-4 Ok! Make-up handshake!

106-5 Thanks

We had to wipe our tears
The summer sky is

Blinding blue

107-1 The handkerchief given to me by a child I had never even seen before

Was a little dirty with mud, and smelled like kid's sweat, but

107-2 The gentle touch of cotton

Made me feel so good

107-3 I think that was the first time that I have confronted someone so frankly

That night that I cried so hard in the park, I caught a fever

108-2 Sorry
To make you work overtime with me
Right after you've gotten better

108-3 Friday, are you doing anything?

No

108-4 How about I treat you to dinner in thanks

Ya~~y

108-5 I'm choosing the place!

Don't pick something too expensive!

108-6 I heard that

Ugh

109-1 Why the hell is Mashibo only inviting you, Kariya?

We'll he's latching onto a convenient excuse

109-2 So what happened to your wisdom tooth? Get it pulled?

Geez [handwritten]
If you enough free time to chat, then help me with this!
I'm busy!

109-5 Eh? For me?
Can I open it?

Sure

110-1 It's a handkerchief

110-2 I gave the same one to that girl in the park

110-3 It might be a little plain for a young girl

110-5 I haven't used it
It's brand new

It had been on the shelf a while so I washed it once
So you can use it right away

110-7 Is it weird?

111-1 Mm-nn

It's so smooth, it's feels good

111-2 Thanks

111-4 I had thought that Michiko-chan had been pierced

By the cold, sharp splinter of a mirror

Like a snow queen

112-1 But it was

In me too

112-2 Maybe it's something that's in everyone

112-3 You washed it by hand, right?

You figured it out?
Yeah, it's has a nice soap smell

White, with a clean, gentle smell

112-4 At that time

112-5 The congealed things deep in my heart

Were washed out, along with the tears

112-6 The dust on the lens in my heart

Was also cleared away

113-7 When adults cried in front of me... teachers... my parents...
Usually it was my fault

So when I met you for the first time, Natsuki

113-2 Sudden tears

I didn't know what to do

113-3 I really wanted to know the reason why

113-4 At that moment
You fell right in here

sfx: tap

114-1 Hah!

peheheh

snort

I've never even had a guy lay a killer line like that on me!

You're over-reacting

114-2 You're mad

114-3 If our white cotton handkerchief

Gets dirty...
All wrinkled up...

We can

Always wash it again

115-1 I'm convinced that no matter how many times we wash it

We'll be able to restore this softness