Hitoribocchi no Chikyuu Shinryaku 22

I can't really find anything to complain about here. I mean it was wordy but the end was well worth it. Even when this series doesn't feel like it's going anywhere it's still doing pretty important things I think.

See you on or around November 15th.



Also I have a plurk now, so feel free to friend me there and stuff.

{On the morning of a certain day, a strange customer visited.}
Koichi: Um...welcome in...?
Chapter 22: Soul of the homesick.

002
Guy: All alone are we?
Koichi: Wh—what do you...
Big Guy: Little man, Are you Hirose Koichi?
The Shaman from Mashefski intro'ed me to this place...
Koichi: Eh?
Big Guy: I'm not an Earthling.
{A strange customer indeed.}

003
Big Guy: I'm here to make a request of the port's manager as well..
{Though in the scheme of things...}
Nozomi: Hirose-kun, I'd like another!
{I guess he's really not all that strange around here at all...}
Koichi: Ah...well for now..
There's a parking lot in the back, so please park over there.
Big Guy: Ah.

004
Big Guy: My name is Voitek. A pleasure to meet you.
I come from a planet called Sharia.
Do you know of it?
Nozomi: I don't, no.
Rico: M—Me neither...
It's been some time...already about a century....
Since I went on an interstellar trip and me and my ship ended up becoming worse for wear. I ended up wandering space for some time before I ended up on this planet.
It took some time, but I was somehow able to repair my ship...however an unseen power disallowed me from actually launching from this planet.
When I was in trouble the Shaman of Mashefski made me aware of the existence of something known as a 'Port'.
I'd really like to return to my home planet –my motherland.
So I hope I can ask a favor of the port's manager to allow me passage from this planet...

005
(Handwritten- I see...)
Rico: So he's lost...
Nozomi: No can do.
Koichi: But why?!
Nozomi: Take a minute to think about why this planet was sealed off in the first place.
What would happen if this person is actually a spy? And even if he is truly a traveler, there's a good chance that before he managed to make it back home that enemies will capture him and then he'll give them information.
Koichi: 'Enemies'...
Ayla: Hold on a moment.
You were sent here by Grandmother to introduce yourself right?

006
Ayla: Let me see your letter of introduction then.
Voitek: Ah That's right.
Here it is.
Ayla: Understood. We'll give you permission to return.
Koichi: What's written on that I wonder...?
Ah!
Nozomi: However there is one condition.

007
Nozomi: We cannot allow you to return with anything from this planet in your posession.
Voitek: Nothing at all?
Nozomi: Right. Nothing.
Your clothes are fine.
Your date of departure will be next Sunday night.
You should be prepared to leave with nothing but your memories of this place.

008
Koichi: Here.
Voitek: Ah! Thank you!
Mm. Sipping on Ginger Ale when it's hot like this is the best.
Rico: Koichi made this himself!
Voitek: Oh?
Rico: I'm no good with coffee since it's nasty, but I like this a lot!
It's sad to drink it all right away I think.
Koichi: A hundred years is a long time. I can't even begin to imagine it.
Voitek: Heheh. Really it is..
A lot has happened...and I've met a lot of people.
Some of them bad as well.
People who swindle, people who commit suicide, people who speak of how unfortunate they are but don't realize that happiness is in their grasp...

009
Voitek: But that isn't all...I met many good people and made plenty of friends. I've had many pleasurable encounters.
But now I have to say farewell to everyone...
The time I've spent with Earthlings just seemed to flow on by so quickly...
To leave all of them behind like this is a bit lonely.
A person like me who has no roots also has no home to call his own..
Just the memories I can't abandon from my heart as I return home.
Though I guess I do have this too...

010
Koichi: A girl in a kimono....
This picture is pretty old.
Voitek: Would you...
Take this from me?
Koichi: Eeeh?!
Isn't that important to you?
Voitek: Consider it payment for the Ginger Ale. If you want you can sell it to a curio shop, and I believe you'll get a decent price for it.
I can't return home with it anyway.
Koichi: This picture....
Voitek: Ah, that's an old friend.
Since I ended up all the way here in Japan, I figured I might be able to meet her one last time..
But it seems I can't...

011
Voitek: Ah..
I don't suppose I could have more Ginger Ale on Sunday?
Though I suppose the taste will be extraordinarily spicy then...

012
Koichi: Um...
Ayla: If you're looking for Nozomi, she disappeared somewhere...probably to prepare the port.
It might be a good opportunity for you to learn more about the ports and how they work...
Koichi: Ayla-san, I need your help!
Ayla: Huuh?
Koichi: Voitek-san has some leftover business on Earth...
Do you think you could help me find the woman in this broach?
Ayla: Ah...nah. Sounds like a pain.
Koichi: Please? I'm begging you!

013
Ayla: Do you think i'm the sort of person who just willfully peeks at the memories of others?
To look into the past of a harmless alien who will soon leave this place...
I just don't feel like doing it, nor is there a point.
I refuse.
Koichi: Says the person who used her ability to cheat...
Ayla: It is my policy to face forward and forget the past.
(Handwritten- I can't hear you.)
Ayla: Besides that woman might have already died...
Koichi: But I feel like hanging on to this broach has no meaning.
At least I'd like to return it to her family....

014
(TN- Dunno why but Ayla's face in the first panel is hilarious to me.)
Ayla: There's a chance that the memories we see won't be pretty...
Koichi: If that time comes then...
I'll take responsibilty.
Ayla: Okays~.
I'd like some Ginger Ale too.
Something sweet.
Koichi: Gotcha!

015

016
{Sunday.}
Voitek: Hello.
Hey there Koichi-kun.
Koichi: Vo—Voitek-san..
I'm sorry...
We tried to look into the lady in this picture but this is the best we could do...!
Ayla: I can't...my head hurts...
Koichi: Her name is 'Igasa Sachiko', and we know at the time of this picture she was living in Paris...
But after that her parents who were merchants ended up moving frequently due to work and she ended up in Britain and America...
It was there that she met and married a Japanese man who was a diplomat in the area, and with him moved to Qatar Spain....

017
Koichi: But by the time we had researched that much we were already out of time!!
Ayla: My power is at it's limit...
Koichi: I can't take looking at this register of names anymoooore!!
Voitek-san, I'm sorry but I just can't take this watch...!!
Koichi: I dunno what to do....
Voitek: Um...
Sachiko-san lives in the neighboring prefecture of Anadoshi...
Though I'm not quite sure if she's still alive...
Both: Whaa?
Voitek: Before I came to Japan and saw the Mashefski shaman, I had a fortune told to find out her address.
I thought to myself that I should return this watch as well..

018
Koichi: But you said 'I cant meet her'....
Voitek: That's...
Because going alone to see her is just too embarrassing...
Ayla: I had thought it was really weird that Grandmother wouldn't lend us any help...
'If you want to investigate, do it on your own' she said...
So from the veeeeeeeeerrry beginning we were in the palm of her hand...!!
Nozomi: Hello...um, what's the fuss over?
(Handwritten- Moreover this was because of you Koichi...!!)
(Handwritten- Aaaagh!!)
Ayla: Koichi this was your idea wasn't it? Then go, get moving and confirm this memory!!
(Handwritten- Do it for me!)
Hamsterface: Ah, Koichi-kun, are you going out?
Koichi: Yeah, I'm going....could you watch the store for a bit Taki-san?
(Handwritten- Kaaay)
Taki: Ah, Hey Ootori-san!
Do you have a little sister?
Nozomi: Hm?

019
Nozomi: I don't....
Taki: Ah is that so?
In town today, I saw a girl who looked just like you from the back...even the atmosphere around her was the same...
It felt as if...
I was looking at a mini version of you Ootori-san.

020
Koichi: Abeebebebeeee
Voitek: Ah, I feel so much more assured with you coming along!
It was just so embarrassing to go alone that I couldn't make myself do it!
After all it's been seventy-seven years since I saw her.
Koichi: Ababaababa...
Voitek: I remember it like it just happened...we met in a Paris cafe, under clear and beautiful Fall weather....it felt great.
Even that day...
Koichi: Agh.

021
Voitek: I was riding this motorcycle.

022
Nozomi: Welcome back.
Koichi: Glad to be back....where's Ayla-san...
Nozomi: She said her head hurt and she went home.
It's already late night now...I'm about ready to start. Is that okay?
Voitek: Yup!
I've got no leftover regrets.
Then toward the nearby river bed...

023
Koichi: Um, here's the Ginger Ale I promised...
Voitek: I don't suppose I could have two cups could I?
I wanted to imitate a farewell ceremony an old friend of mine taught me a long time ago.
Though really we used Vodka back then...
One cup is a prayer for a safe journey!
Koichi: Wow.

024
Voitek: The second cup is for everyone's good health!
And the third...
Is for eternal friendship!
I wasn't able to see Sachiko-san, but I was able to return her brooch.
(Grave- Yoshida's grave)
Voitek: I won't forget these positive feelings ever...
I'm overjoyed.
Thank you Koichi-kun...
Thank you...

025
Voitek: I'm ready to go.
Goodbye to you both.
Koichi: He's not going to return on a ship? That's just a motor--
Nozomi: If you have your doubts...
Then quietly grasp his shoulder.
I think you'll see something quite interesting.

026

027

028

029

030
Koichi: Ugh...
Wha..?
Nozomi: Welcome back.
Hirose-kun you two adapted far too easily. I almost thought you were going to go with him.
Koichi: Voitek-san flew over the city into space...!
Nozomi: Yup, He left.

031
Nozomi: This little guy's shape might have been left behind, but in reality it went with him.
It won't run again.
Koichi: Well...what do we do with a motorcycle that won't run anymore?
Nozomi: About that...
Did the alien known as Voitek actually ever exist?
Koichi: Huh?
Nozomi: He's no longer here on Earth's surface...he doesn't exist.
The proof that he was ever 'here' is our memories and nothing else.
And if we, the ones who remember him disappear someday...
Then both tangible and intangible evidence of his existence will all cease to exist.

032
Nozomi: However, as the stars continue to exist a strong memory will remain in remmberance and this 'existence' will continue to remain.
It is there that fragments of memory will poke out.
This little guy will become a 'memory of the stars' too.
That is what the introductory letter given to us by Grandma stated...it was a formal contract.
In the end this is what I get to take.
Koichi: Voitek-san...
Is here!
Nozomi: Of course.

033
{I wonder where Senpai is going to take that motorcycle...}
{She hasn't come back...}
Koichi: At the very last moment, Voitek-san was crying...
I guess I'll head back too...

034

035
Koichi: It was just a figment of my imagination...

036
Koichi: I almost thought that this thing too was a space ship.