Star Children 2

If you want to scanlate this, contact me first.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for such stories. Couldn't stop myself from translating this. Although I really hope that another translator picks this up, because I actually don't really have the time. T_T

1
p1
top right: Kida Masashi
box: Kagoshima Prefecture, Tanegashima
The 2nd installment of this new series also has a big development in 42 pages!!
Star Children
bot right: Yuuto has landed in a place that's closest to space...

p2
Tanegashima Space Center

p3/4/5

2
Star Children
#2 Core Space
left vert: Core Space Academy!!
Etched in the heart, the first step!!
box: {story so far etc, screw it}

3
p1
Kousei too was trained here, graduated
And became an astronaut...

p2
Kousei... I've come to Core Space as well

p3
...But still
"If it's just enrolling, anyone can do it"
That's what he'd probably say

p4
...But it's fine
Say what you will!!

p5
In the end, this place is the starting line!!

4
p1
Wait for me, Kousei!!
I... will become an astronaut no matter what!!

p2
What's that, is there something to look at!?
No clue

p3
You're... from the AS department?

p4

p5
E... Eies!?

5
p1
AS, as in the first letters in AStronaut
Ahhh, I see!!

p2
But how did you know that I'm in the Astronaut Department?

p3
That pose just now, it was Amami Kousei, wasn't it?
So I thought, could you be by any chance...?

p4
So you're a fan of Amami Kousei
Eh, yeah, well...

p5
Ah, my name is Subaru Yuuto
Nice to meet you

p6
I'm Makime Jun
Likewise, pleased to meet you

6
p1
But you got here early, Subaru-kun, didn't you?
The AS dept entrance ceremony starts at 1500, there are still four hours left
The ones riding in the shuttle bus were all students from other departments, those whose entrance ceremony is before ours

p2
I wanted to be the first one here from the AS dept, so I came early

p3
Well--- I just accidentally woke up early this morning

p4
Ahaha, I know!!
Me too!!

p5
But now that we got here early
I wonder what we should do before the entrance ceremony...

p6
Alright, then we should go to the dorm
The dorm?

7
p1
I was also thinking I'd get here early and complete the procedures for moving into the dorm
I see
//There are procedures for moving in too

p2
I've been strangely nervous since the morning
I forgot something I have to do

p3
Thank you, Makime-kun!!
We help each other when in trouble

p4
By the way, Subaru-kun, are you by any chance a relative of the Jupitneer project leader Subaru Daichi-san?

p5
Uh err...
I'm... his son

p6
Ah!
//I knew it, right?
truck: Dinner Time

9
p1

p2
Thank you for your work

p3
Likewise
Thank you, Space Academy, for giving us something to do every year on the day of the entrance ceremony

p4/5

p6
My room is 412
Mine is 308

p7
See you
Yeah, later

9
p1
Right, the guys who get into the space academy are really mature

p2

p3
So the dorm has two person rooms...
I'm worried about who my roommate might be...

p4
Well, if he's a student at the space academy, he wouldn't be someone weird

p5
Here it is!!
Room 308

p6
Beep

10
p1

p2
Wha...
What the hell is this!?

p3
Room 308...
...Yeah, looks like it

p4
What's going on here!?
Is this room being used as a warehouse or a storage closet?

11
p1

p2
Hmm!?
Who are you?

p3
What do you want?

p4
Well, it's not like I want something...
Wow, funky hair

p5

p6
Doooh!!
Uwaaah!!

12
p1
I caught a thief!!
Who are you calling a thief!!?
Ouch!

p2
I'm Subaru Yuuto who'll be living in this room!!

p3
...Subaru Yuuto!?
Really?

p4
Well~~~ Sorry, my bad
I really thought you came to steal my collection

p5
You mean, all of this is yours?

p6
Yup!!
The room of someone aiming to be an astronaut has to be like this, right!!?

13
p1
I'm going to live in this room too
The name's Fujino Gaku!!

p2
H... Hello
So there are guys like this at the space academy too...
//And he's my roommate on top?

p3

p4
A Jupitneer poster
Ohhh!!

p5
This poster is a limited edition item!!

p6
Actually!!
I'll show you something even better

14
p1
Tadaaa!!
//The Jupitneer 11's Amami Kousei's photo shoot!!
And it's autographed too!!
//It's not digital, it's analog!!

p2

p3
That's not Amami Kousei's autograph
Whaaat!!?
Kousei's autograph is not as smooth and it's in hiragana
tl note: Hiragana is one of the phonetic alphabets that can be used to write any Japanese word. It's also used by children until they learn kanji.

p4
Nnnngwaaaah, I got cheated!!
And it was expensive too!!
You bought it, huh...

p5
But how do you know that this is a fake!?
Eh!?

p6
Don't tell me, Subaru, you...

15
p1
You're a fanatic!?
Heh!?

p2
No... I'm not
You don't have to hide it, I can see

p3
I can say that I'm a space machinery fanatic too

p4
Alright!! I'll give you this autographed photo!!
I don't need it
Don't hold back now
This autograph's a fake...

p5

p6
As birds of a feather, we should stick together from now on!!
Eh!?
//Birds of a feather!?

16
p1
P... Pleased to meet you, Fujino-kun
Don't be so cold!!
//Call me Gaku, Yuuto!!

p2
He addresses me by name without an honorific all of a sudden!?
I got it, Fujino-kun
Gaku!!

p3
I... I got it, Gaku
Aw-right!!
Such a bother...

p4
This is an announcement for the new students of the Astronaut Department

p5
We will shortly hold the ASCAN initiation ceremony!!
The Astronaut Department new students, please assemble in the Spherical Auditorium!!

p6
Yeah, finally~~~!!

p7
Alright, let's go, Gaku!!
Yeah!!

17
p1

p2
As you know, ladies and gentlemen, space development currently finds itself in a difficult situation

p3
Especially when it concerns deep space exploration, as well as exploitation
Following the Jupitneer accident

p4
The backlash from the world has been severe

p5
However

18
p1
Was the Jupitneer accident such a failure that the world says it was?

p2
We don't think so!!

p3
Certainly, the accident was painful
The truth is that there are many points that we must reflect upon

p4
But we can't stop here and not advance further!!

p5
The ASCAN badges that all of you have received

19
p1
ASCAN AStronaut CANdidate
"Uchuuhikoushi kouhosei" in Japanese

p2
The aspirations of your predecessors are passed on to you in them

p3/4/5

20-21
The 218 new students of the Core Space Academy Astronaut Department!!
I now designate you the 31st class of ASCANs!!

22
p1
I too... Will inherit it...
I will!!

p2/3
This concludes the 31st ASCAN initiation ceremony
There will be a banquet after this at 1800, in order to deepen the friendship between departments
Fugah!?
Food!?

p4

23
p1

p2
Food!!
Where's the food!!?
They'll bring it soon...

p3

p4
Would you like something to drink?
Thank you very much
Me too, me too

p5
Puhaaah~~~!
I'm back to life
Are you a geezer!?

24
p1
Subaru-kun
Ah, Makime-kun!!

p2
Someone you know, Yuuto?
He's Makime-kun, I met him today when I got here

p3
This is my roommate Numata-kun
Hello

p4
My roommate Fujino Gaku
Nice to meet you!!

p5
But really, that's the Core Inc operated school for you
They even prepared a banquet for the students

25
p1
Speaking of that, which course are you two taking, Subaru-kun?

p2
Course?

p3
This is a conversation for the future, but in this AS dept, even though everyone aspires to become an astronaut
You have to elect the course based on the role in space

p4
Astronauts are divided by grade, from junior to top
//But also more narrowly by field of study, such as space medicine, space engineering, or space construction
There are even space artists

p5
...Also, we mustn't forget

26
p1
The special grade of astronauts, deep space astronavigators
More commonly known as "Sirius", the brightest star in the sky

p2
They're a mere 1% of all astronauts
The elite who explore the most dangerous, as yet unknown reaches of deep space

p3
All of the Jupitneer 11 were a part of Sirius too

p4
I also aspire to join Sirius
What about you, Subaru-kun?

p5
...I

27
p1
I will go to save the Jupitneer 11... Amami Kousei!!

p2
You'll probably laugh if I tell you
But I want to join Sirius too

p3
That's right
In the end, men have to aim for No. 1!!

p4
We will now begin the Astronaut Department banquet
But first, let me introduce some special guests of this banquet

p5
Guests?

p5/6/7
They've returned from Mars after
Splendidly concluding their mission, MSC-132

28
p1
They're active duty astronauts!!
Ohhhh!!

p2/3/4
Top grade astronaut Matsurino Kiyoshi-san
Likewise, top grade astronaut Urashima Noriko-san
Mid grade astronaut Saijou Nobuaki-san

29
p1
Real astronauts...
First time I see any other than dad or Kousei...

p2
This is awesome, Yuuto!!
You probably can't hold back as an astronautics fanatic
I'm not a fanatic

p3
And now, feel free to talk to the three of them, and please begin the banquet

p4/5/6

30
p1

p2
We can't get to them
Looks like we should wait a little

p3
But really
They've come back from Mars, huh...

p4
The MSC mission... the mission to build a space elevator on Mars
It's now the main project of Core Inc

p5
In other words, those three that engage in it are the elite

p6
Elite, huh...

31
p1
Hmm!? Such amazing people are top grade or mid grade?
So special grade Kousei was that amazing!?

p2

p3
What's wrong, Makime-kun!?

p4
...Well
There's something that makes me a little concerned

p5
Hey, Yuuto! Try this!! You too, Makime!!
It's really tasty!!
Yeah yeah, I got it

p6
Mmm... True
Really good

p7
Excuse me!!
Please give my compliments to the chef who made this

p8
Err... I'll pass it along
Thank you

32
p1/2/3

p4
How was it?

p5
It's as you said, Makime-kun
That astronaut nonchalantly asked questions as if probing students one by one

p6
The two other astronauts I saw were doing the same
As expected, this banquet is not just a meal with some astronauts

33
p1
It's an ASCAN test conducted by active duty astronauts!

p2
A test... What for?

p3
It's to split us up into classes tomorrow

p4
Don't they decide on classes based on academic and physical performance prior to enrollment?

p5
If that were the case, they'd announce the results today
//I've been wondering why they put it off for one day
But it makes sense if this is the last examination

34
p1
And if you're aiming for Sirius
//Of the four classes we're split into tomorrow
You have to end up in the top-most class A!!

p2
R- Really?
What-what?

p3
Five more minutes remain to the end of the banquet
ASCANs who haven't yet talked to the astronauts, please hurry and do so

p4
We have to talk to them too!!
Yeah

p5
Let us go as well!!

p6

35
p1
Kya!

p2
Uwa!

p3
Tch, you're in the way!!

p4
Uwa, it's juice
Are you alright?
Y... Yes, I'm fine

p5
Subaru-kun!!
If you don't hurry up, you won't make it!!

p6
I'll be there soon
Go on without me

36
p1
I'll help you clean up
And I'll get something to wipe with

p2
Ah, you don't have to
I'll take care of this myself, so it's fine

p3
Let's do it together
It'll be quicker

p4

p5
Th- Thank you
I've borrowed rags!!

p6

p7
Thank you very much to the three of you for today
Uh!

37
p1
The banquet is now over
Oh crap!
Eh
//The astronauts left!?

p2
What do we do, Yuuto?
We didn't exchange a word with them!!

p3
I- I'm sorry
Because of me, you weren't able to talk to the astronauts...

p4
No... It's not a big deal
Like hell it's not!!
But this and that aren't related!!

p5
I'll go talk to the superiors

p6
P- Please wait

p7
We'll be alright

38
p1
If we become astronauts
We'll be able to talk to them any time

p2

p3
What are you doing, Gaku!!?

p4
What do you mean "we'll be alright"!!? Don't try to act cool!!
We couldn't do anything, we had to help her then!!
What are you planning to do to get into Sirius!?
I'll think about that now!!
Think faster!!

p5/6/7

p8
It seems that Subaru-kun and his friend didn't get to talk to the astronauts in the end
...Yeah

39
p1
That makes two down

p2
Eh!?

p3
No...
It's nothing

p4

p5
sign: Principal

p6
Thank you so much for your efforts right after coming back from Mars
What do you think about our ASCANs this year?

p7
Yes, we've been able to thoroughly probe *all of them*

40
p1
They were the same as any other year

p2
There were a few who noticed that the banquet also doubled as an interview

p3
But as expected, there weren't any who realized that these guys weren't *real* astronauts

p4
Well, that's why the true aim of the banquet
To ascertain the "true" face of the ASCANs, is possible

p5
Finally, I will naturally take many points off the kids who pushed me aside

p6

41
p1

p2
Still, I didn't think I'd have to
Dress like this right after getting back from Mars

p3
Their performance was also pretty good
Yes

p4
Ah, but

42
p1
There were some kids who looked pretty interesting
A passing mark for being themselves!!
bot right: But, how will the class assignment go...!?

p2

p3
Thank you for your work
Please come again for this
truck: Theater troupe // Dinner Time

right: Next chapter is also expanded to 30 pages!!