Hatsukoi Limited 4

1
Hatsukoi Limited.
Chapter 4: Unbalance?
[insert text: She may not look it, but she is a pretty serious girl...]

2
Guy: ...I want you to marry me.
[sFX: click]
Guy: In these two years since I single-handedly established the company, I have managed to achieve a great deal of success. // I can promise you that I can offer you a life of security... and so... / If the two of us together could build a warm and loving home together...
Kei: Like, you know... // What do you even mean, "marry me"?! I'm still only fourteen years old!! // Stop messing around here!
[sFX: clatter]

3
[side text: Last issue: Enomoto (senior) is so very cruel...]
Guy: It's only two years! I can wait two years for you...!
[box: My name is Enomoto Kei. I'm a little developed for my age, but I'm still only fourteen. [aside]Just a little...[/aside] / To be blunt, I'm pretty popular. Maybe even exceptionally popular.]
Yuu: Ah! Kei-chan, no way!!
[TN: Yuu, STOP being so damn cute. *steals Yuu*]
[box: But I guess the right guy is something that's pretty hard to come by... (And so I've never actually even had a boyfriend.)]
Kei: (But still, that shrimp yesterday was pretty damn tasty...)
Mamoru: Right... the participants for each of the events in the upcoming athletic festival have now all been decided, so... / I think the last thing we have to do is choose one boy and one girl to lead the audience in cheering on our athletes!

4
Kei: (Ahh, that nasty little job... I wouldn't want to do that...)
[TN: Murphy's law is a powerful force when applied to manga, Enomoto-san. If you even think "I don't want to", you're going to end up doing it.]
Rika: Yes! // I'd like to nominate Enomoto as the female candidate!
Kei: !!! // Do - Dobashi...!!!
[sFX: clatter]
Rika: I mean, you're great at giving people orders, Enomoto! / Besides, you went and nominated me for a ton of the actual events!!
Kei: But that's just because you're so quick on your feet -
Nao: Ah... I'm in the art club, so I could help you out if you needed any banners making or anything...
Ayumi: Me too! I'll do anything you like to help out, Kei-chan!
Koyoi: Uh-huh! Kei-chan, you could totally, like, take charge and make everyone into cheerleaders or something...! [aside]It'll be so fun...![/aside]

5
Kusuda: Cheerleaders...?!
[sFX: WHOOSH!]
Mamoru: Ku - Kusuda-kun?!
Kusuda: It - It looks like nobody really wants to do this, right? / Ahh, at this rate, we'll be stuck here forever trying to decide...! I guess there's nothing for it... I'll have to step forward and take one for the team! I'll volunteer to be the male leader... though it really kinda sucks... yeah, totally sucks...!!
Mamoru: ...Looks like the prospect of cheerleaders struck a chord with him...
Mamoru: Well, in that case, everyone give a big hand to Kusuda-kun and Enomoto-san...!
[sFX: clap clap clap]
Kei: W - Wait a minute...! / Aghh, you'd better help me out with this too, Dobashi...!!!

6
Kei: So Chikura-chan, I'm putting you in charge of the banners! I can rely on you to sort out what everyone's doing there, right?
[sFX: briskly, briskly]
Kei: Okay, everybody who's left can work on making megaphones for the whole class, and I'll go over the...
Rika: See, what did I tell you? She's a natural at this stuff. // But hey... are we really going for the whole "cheerleader" thing?
[sFX: snip]
Rika: Hey...
Kusuda: FOOL! Of course that's what we're doing!!! / They give out special points for the quality of the support the class gives to the participants, you know! We've gotta do everything we can to win this competition!!
[sFX: LEAP!]
Rika: [aside]Ah...[/aside]

7
Kusuda: L - O // V - E
[sFX: shake / shake]
Kusuda: LOVE~~ // LY~~~~
[sFX: wiggle / wiggle]
Kusuda: KUSU~~DA!! // Whaddaya say to that?!
[backgroundtext: yeah yeah!!]
[sFX: grr...]
Rika: Why are you cheering for yourself...?!
Kei: (Ugh, this is horrible... // How did I end up working with an idiot like that...?)
[sFX: snip]
Kei: I mean, he looks like some kind of demon... / And his head's always just packed full of perverted stuff... // Studies, sports, music, art, I've never heard of him doing particularly well at anything...!!
[sFX: squeeze squeeze]
Ayumi: Kei-chan! You're talking out loud! You're saying it out loud! [aside]your internal monologue...[/aside]
Kusuda: Shaddup!! Hell, it's not like I'd want to see you as a cheerleader anyway...!!
Kei: Silence, kappa-face!!
[TN: I *think* the insult she uses here, "kappa-dzura", must be a reference to the water-imp from Japanese folklore... I can kind of see a resemblance ~_~]
[sFX: thwack]
Koyoi: [aside]Ahh...[/aside]
Rika: [aside]Just ignore them...[/aside]

8
Kei: What was with you back there, sticking your hand in the air like that?! / I know what this is... it's proof of bad upbringing... [aside]Heh...[/aside]
Rika: Wh - what did you say...?!!!
Kei: Aghh, I just can't STAND that guy! / I try to relax for a single second, and that Kusuda idiot's right there pissing me off again!
Koyoi: There, there!
Kei: I can't take it any more, working with him, I just can't!!
Rika: And he's not even good-looking or anything. [aside]heheh...[/aside]
Kei: Tell me about it! / If he at least had the looks to go with his attitude, maybe it wouldn't piss me off quite as much!!

9
Kei: Like I always say, a guy is only as good as his face! / Damn him... How dare that stupid kappa-guy piss me off... [aside]He won't forget this![/aside]
Rika: ......Well, sorry for the bad timing... / ...but I've got club activities of my own starting tomorrow, so I won't really be able to help you out with this too much.
Kei: Huh?! What's with that, you traitor?!!
Rika: Hey, you can say that, but we've got a tournament coming up...
Koyoi/Ayumi: Same here, we have a big contest coming up... [aside]so~rry...[/aside]
Rika: If you really hate that Kusuda guy so much, why don't you just go to your club too? [aside]the handicrafts club, wasn't it?[/aside]
Kei: Don't be so ridiculous! // If I missed the sessions too, the whole thing would end up in ruins!
[Label: Strong sense of responsibility]

10
Nao: I - I'll be there to help you out, Kei-chan!
[Label: Also has a strong sense of responsibility]
Kei: Thanks for that, Chikura-chan... / But the banners are a completely separate part of the activity... [aside]Wahhh...[/aside]
[box: After school the following day]
Artypeople: Hey, pass the yellow paint over here... // This part's blue, right?
[sFX: chatter chatter chatter]
Kei: ...
[sFX: Ughhhh...]
Kei: W - we should think up some lyrics for everyone to sing.
Kusuda: ...Yeah...
[sFX: scratch scratch scratch]
Kei: ... // (It's true that he was annoying the hell out of me yesterday... // But I guess I did say some pretty harsh stuff to him...)

11
Kei: (Hey, maybe he's a pretty reliable guy after all...) // [aside]hehe...[/aside]
Kusuda: COMPLETE!!
[sFX: WHOOSH]
Kei: Really? Let's see...!
Kusuda: Ta-daaa! / Check it out! These are the cheerleader outfits I've come up with!!
[sFX: boom]
[Picture: top-right: "by Kusuda"; on the panties: "2-2 / good / luck!"; label: "panties"]
Kusuda: Pay attention to the bikini tops -
Kei: I WAS AN IDIOT TO CHANGE MY OPINION OF YOU!!
[sFX: KA-THWACK!]
Kei: And why exactly am I not included in the picture?!
[sFX: thump]
[sFX: fwip]
[sFX: yoink]
[box: The day after that]
Ayumi: Ahh... this design really is a little...
Koyoi: [aside]Mm...[/aside] // Yeah, at this time of year, we'd catch our death dressed up like that...
Rika: [aside]THAT'S your issue with it...?[/aside]

12
[sign: Textiles Room]
Kei: Look, I'll sort out the singing and the costumes and everything myself, all right?! / So you just stay out of this completely!!
Kusuda: Look, I can help you with the costumes, you know...?
Kei: I'm not letting a disgusting guy like you anywhere near them!!
[sFX: snip]
Kei: I've just got to sort this all out by myself somehow...!
[box: On the days when everybody's around, we practice the dancing...]
Cheerleaders: [aside]Go for it~~!! // Class 2, fight~~!![/aside]
[box: And on the other days, I work on the costumes...]
[sFX: snip snip snip]
[TN: okay, that's three different SFX I've translated as "snip" in this damn chapter. The one before this, I'm pretty sure about. This one seems pretty likely as well... unless it's, like, the sound of sewing, in which case I wouldn't know how to translate it anyway ~_~ The first one was probably something else really, but, hell, I don't know what :p]
[box: But still...]
Kei: It's no use... I sew and sew but it never ends... / Why did I have to go for a design with an appliqué on the chest...?

13
Kei: I think I'll try on what I've made already to give me a boost......... // There! // Yeah! This does look pretty damn good, doesn't it...? // And I'm looking in pretty good shape, too! // ...But it doesn't make any difference... // [aside]Ugh![/aside] // Arrrgh, I can't take this stupid work any more~~~! [aside]I'm so worn out...![/aside]

14
[box: Somehow I'm just so sleepy...]
Kei: Well, that makes sense... // I've even been making these stupid things at home every night, after all... // And the festival's tomorrow... // I guess everyone'll just have to wear their gym shorts instead... // I really wanted to do a great job... / ...and make sure everyone in the class had a great time...
[sFX: click click - all through the background]
[box: ......... // ...Huh? // This is the noise of the sewing-machine I've been hearing this whole damn time... // But why? I'm not even using the sewing machine right now...

15
[sFX: click click etc. again]

16
Kei: Ku - // Kusuda...?
Kusuda: Ya dummy. // Didn't I tell you I wanted to help? // I do know how to use a sewing machine, you know. We studied that in Home Ec... in which I got a grade 4, I'll have you know!
Kei: ......... / But I said all those horrible things to you...
Kusuda: We're both in charge of this thing together, you know. // What kind of guy would I be to just stand around and watch you doin' all the work?

17
[sFX: Ahhhhh...]
[sFX: KA-THUMP]
Kei: A kappa-face like you isn't going to look cool even if you say stuff like that, okay?!!
Kusuda: Shaddup! If you're awake now, why don't you try workin' as well?!!
Kei: Wh - wh - wh - what's with you, taking that self-important tone with me......?! // (No way, no way, no way!!)
[sFX: thump, thump]
Kei: (Looks are everything, a guy's only as good as his face, remember?!) // Dammit...!!
Kusuda: After all, if we don't hurry up and get these things done, I won't get to see Arihara and Bessho and that wearing them......
[sFX: grumble grumble]]
[sFX: click click click etc.]

18
Kei: Gah, I really DO hate you!!!
[sFX: THWACK]
Kusuda: Aagh!! // Well, I hate girls like you who go around playin' dress-up on their own and stuff!! / Don't try thinkin' you look cute in that getup or anything!
Kei: Sh - shut up!
Ayumi: Uhh......
Rika: Hey, Enomoto... Didn't you say you were making cheerleader outfits...?

19
Kei: I was. I even stayed up all night working on them. / But I'm afraid I only managed to make one costume. // So, I kinda figured we could put it to a different use!
Kusuda: ......Er, you know... // This isn't gonna raise anyone's spirits...
[sFX: wa ha ha ha ha]
Kusuda: But you know, you girls do look pretty damn cute in those gakuran outfits!
[sFX: fwip]
Girls: Ahh! // Nooo! Don't take pictures!! [aside]dummy![/aside]
Kusuda: Ah, crap!
Ayumi: Huh? What is it...?
Kei: I bet it's displaying some screwed-up porno pictures he's downloaded or something!
Kusuda: Ah! // Ahh!
Kei: Let me see that thing, Kusuda!!
Kusuda: D - dummy! Get away from me!!
[side text: Will they ever be honest with each other...?! // Enomoto-san and Kusuda-kun...]
[bottom text: To be continued next issue in Chapter 5, "Secret..."]