Hourou Musuko 42

So did my editor.

I think it might have been my fault...

Shi

Author's Comments

002-1 Yuki-san reads Hourou Musuko and brings us up to date

Character Introductions

Nitori Shuuichi

It's like looking at me when I was a boy. The biggest difference is that I didn't have friends back then. Girls tease him because they're envious of how cute he is. Boys pick on him and tease him too....
Well, the story is mainly about that. Ah, he also like to bake goodies. That's another way he's different from me. I'm not good at cooking. Well, it's more that I hate it.

Takatsuki Yoshino
Oh my, I don't need to re-read the story, I remember it like yesterday. I thought to myself "well, there's a cute little boy" and started talking to him before I thought about it. After that, all sort of people criticized me "what were you intending, talking to a boy like that". However, no matter what your expectations are, isn't it simply manners to greet cute kids like that? Well, Shi-chan often scolds me about that stuff. But, it's all good, right?

Chiba Saori
She sure seems like an eccentric girl, doesn't she? Maybe because she isolates herself? I can't bring myself to hate awkward kids like this. Oh, my my my.... I see. She loves Shuu-kun and hates Yoshino-chan, hmm? I've learned something pretty important here. Well, no more excuses. My ability to not hate her is slipping. I hope she gets along with them, but looking at what she's done up 'till now - well...

003-1 Ariga Makoto
I used to work in a bar with someone who reminds me of him. Takes me back... Well, what's past is past. Shuu-kun's best "male friend". Shuu-kun has lots of nice friends. Yeah, that makes me pretty jealous.

Sarashina Chizuru

Shirai Momoko
She came to the school's opening ceremony wearing a boy's uniform. That took guts! I was pretty unassuming in junior high, so I'm sure I would have hated someone who stood out so much. But she seems like a nice girl, so that makes me feel better. I bet it would have been fun to have these two as friends back then. ...oh my, I must seem like I've been complaining a bit, huh? Sorry. But I'm ok now. Don't worry about me.

Seya Riku
Let me just get it out there. I really love kids like this.

Ah, don't tell Shi-chan, ok?

Nitori Maho
Shuu-kun's big sister. Mmm, how should I put this? She seem to be the kinds that wields a lot of power. I wonder if that's how Shuu-kun became so quiet?
I have an older brother, but he never teased me like that. Well, my older brother is pretty weird.

Sasa Kanako
Of course I remember her. She's the one who was so energetic and came over to say hi, right? She often gets stuck between a rock and a hard place because of interactions between Shuu-kun's friends. Don't make her cry! Shuu-kun and Yoshino-chan must be happy to have such a good friend like her. But when she has to think hard, her head "get's itchy". What does she do when finals come around?

Shi-chan
Shi-chan was my classmate, however...
But we never had the kind of relationship that Shuu-kun and Yoshino-chan have. Shi-chan had lots of friends, and I was always by myself.
Ah... But I hung in there! Some day, I'll tell the whole story, so forgive me for now. Shi-chan was the one who grabbed Yoshino-chan's crotch. Don't you think he also does some pretty reckless things?

004-1 The start of summer vacation
The middle of summer vacation
The end of summer vacation
Party preparations (1)
Party preparations (2)
Party preparations (3)
It's a party! Everyone Assemble!! (Part one)
It's a party! Everyone Assemble!! (Part two)
Bonus manga

005-1 The start of summer vacation

007-2 Ding Dong

007-3 I guess they're not here...

Seems that way...

007-2 Summer Vacation just started, so I thought they'd be here...

Anyway, let's leave invitations for them

007-3 slide

007-4 To Yuki-san and Shi-chan
We made you invitations to our culture festival. Please come.

Nitori. Takatsuki.

sfx: clunk

007-5 What should we do now...?

Ice cream!

008-2 Ok, so we can have two each!

Yeah

008-3 Mm

008-4 Mm

008-5 MMmmm!

009-6 As a guy, do you like the female Takatsuki-san?

010-1 Or do you want
To become a girl, and have Takatsuki-san love you like that?

010-4 Eh...
Um, Well

010-5 When you put me on the spot like that...

011-1 But that's your real desire

011-2 Becoming a girl
And having a male Takatsuki-san...

011-3 Your desire drove you to write that story, right?

011-4 I wanted you to be Juliet, so I wrote it like this

012-1 Chiba-san, you're pretty cute, huh?

What!?

012-2 I thought you would make more trouble for Nitorin

012-3 So you *can* control yourself [make that word italics]

012-4 I'm impressed

You want me to smack you one?

012-5 Whoa. Scary.

013-2 That's your real desire

...yeah

013-3 Chiba-san nailed it on the head!

Shuu-kun, phone!

013-4 Yuki's place?
Of course I want to go

013-5 Let me have a bite of the strawberry

014-1 Have a bite of the cheese cream

Ah, thanks

014-4 Um!

014-5 Takatsuki-san

Do you want to play Romeo?

014-5 Ah...
This is about the play we're writing, ok?

Ah

015-1 I don't care what role I get

Sarashina-san might be good, huh?

015-2 I want you to play Romeo, Takatsuki-san...

015-3 And I want to play Juliet

015-4 I do

Hmm....

015-5 You're into it, huh...

015-6 If we're gonna do it, I'd like a detective story.
That'd be pretty cool

016-1 No, not that

016-3 I want

016-4 I
I want you to see me as a girl

016-5 I do

017-2 I
Think of you as a guy, so...

017-3 For me, this play is not just a play

017-5 You and me
Playing the leads...

018-2 That's my desire

018-3 You, as a guy

Me, as a girl

018-5 A story with a happy ending for everyone...

019-1 I'm sorry!

019-2 You've really thought about this, Nitori-kun

D...

Don't
Bow your head! Please!

Hey...

019-3 I just thought it was some play

019-4 Uh
Well

Sorry...

What are those two doing?
Yeah

019-5 Grab

020-1 Let's try it!

Absolutely!
We'll make it a success!

Y-yeah

021-1 Pardon us

Working over summer vacation? That's great!

sfx: glug glug

021-2 ...here's some barley tea

Somehow
We got fired up and all of us came...

021-3 Oh no, will this roll cake be enough?

That's okaaaay

021-4 We'll just cut it thin and share!

Ahahaha

021-5 Chiba-san, you mom is really nice

Yeah!

022-1 He likes you, that's why he came over

I couldn't care less if I was dead

No, really! You're very beautiful

Him

023-2 Sspshhhhhhh

023-3 Splish slash

023-4 Shhhh

023-5 Can I help?

024-1 ...don't bother. You're a guest

Huh?

024-2 There's nothing to wash

024-3 I'm scrubbing the sink!

024-4 I'm sorry she gets so angry

No problem

024-5 Scrub Scrub

024-5 Are you mad?

I'm not mad

024-6 ...do you think the two of them will get chosen?

025-1 Squeek

As Romeo and Juliet

025-2 ...ah
Who knows?

sfx: Sshhhhh

025-3 Up till now, they've voted for it

025-4 I'm going to put my name forward too

025-5 You?

026-1 You'd better vote for me

What? You threatening me?

026-2 But you'd be good as Romeo too

Ah, they seem to be getting along

Crap

026-4 Bye bye

027-2 I'm home

027-3 Whoa, that's rare
You've got some energy in your voice

Eh?
R-really?

027-5 ...what time do you need to get up?

028-1 To tell the truth, I'm relying on you

Come on already, get up by yourself!

028-2 It'd be great if when I open my eyes, we'd already be at grampa's house
Right?

028-3 I like riding trains

Hmph
Goodnight!

028-4 Goodnight