Hatsukoi Limited 5

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Hatsukoi Limited
Chapter 5: Secret...
[side text: Do you hate athletic girls?]

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[insert text: Continuing from last week... it's the athletics festival!!]
[sign: 2007 ATHLETICS FESTIVAL]
Announcement: And next up, we have the second-year girls' 100-metre sprint!
[sFX: WHOOSH]
[sFX: whoooooo!!!]
Girls: Ahhh, Doba-chan's so fast!! // All right! Get us another first place~!! // Dobashi-senpai's so cool!! // Yeah, and she's more handsome than most of the guys around here, to boot!!
[sFX: whoosh]
[bottom text: This week, it's Dobashi-san's story.]

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Ayumi: [aside]I got first place, too~![/aside]
[banner: Class 3]
Announcement: Dobashi Rika-san of Class 2-2 takes an easy first place for the third time in a row!! Let's see what the Captain of the track-and-field club thinks about that!
Captain: Man, that really was some impressive running! I'd be honoured if she wanted to join our club any time!!
[sFX: glance]
[sFX: pant]
[bottom text: Last issue: An unbridgeable gap between Enomoto-san and Kusuda-kun...]
[TN: Uh, taking liberties with the translation there... Not really sure what the "fukaku" is doing.]

4
[sFX: turn]
Terai: (.........)
Yokoyama: Maaan! That was some glare she just gave Terai!
Guy2: Well, Dobashi's Terai's "natural enemy", isn't she... He's gonna be in trouble if he can't pull out some serious results in the guys' 100-metres now!
Terai: Hahah...
Yokoyama: But man, that Dobashi, she's just not cute at all, is she? / I mean, her face is all right, but she's just not the kinda girl you'd want do go out with... is she, Terai!
Terai: Mm... // (I don't think... // ...anybody knows...)

5
Terai: (...what there really is between Dobashi and I...)
[box: ...Two months earlier...]
[sFX: thwack]

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Coach: TERAI!! // Dammit, how can you be so completely useless even on a little court like this?!! // Even the first-year ball-girls on the next court are laughing at you!
[sFX: hehe / hehe]
Terai: I - I'm sorry...
Coach: And then on the other hand...
[sFX: thwack]
Coach: You've got that second-year girl over there. / That Dobashi, she got fourth place in the recent all-Kanto tournament, didn't she? With a star like that around here, the club's been getting plenty of new members, the third-years don't have to worry about keeping the numbers up any more.
Terai: (Dobashi-san... // She's really incredible... / Even with a cute face like that...)

7
[sFX: thwack]
Coach: Right, Terai, Yokoyama, switch out!
Yokoyama: Okay!
Rika: You must be thinking about giving up on this, right?
Terai: Huh?!
[sFX: ?!!]
Rika: Hah, sounds like I hit the sweet spot with that one. / Well? If you're not, how'd you like to train with me a bit? I could take a closer look, give you a few pointers, at least.
Guy2: Ahh! Lucky you!! Don't go easy on him, Dobashi!
Terai: Ahh... but... I...
Yokoyama: Why don't you take the opportunity to get her to "take a closer look" at your personal life, too?!!

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Rika: And you can shut up, idiot Yokoyama!
Guy2: Well, see you tomorrow then!
Girls: Bye-bye, Doba-chan!
[sFX: smack]
[sFX: gah!]
[box: And so the others went home...]
Rika: ...Recently I've just been focusing on the prefectural tournament...
[sFX: ahh...]
[box: ...and somehow I ended up spending five minutes alone with Dobashi-san...]
Rika: But from now on, I'll be giving you my full attention.
[sFX: ka-thump ka-thump etc.]
Rika: And I should warn you, I won't go easy on you!
Terai: O - okay...
[box: And just like that... / I started having private lessons with her.]
Rika: [aside]All right, I'm gettin' really pumped~![/aside]
Terai: [aside]Aahh...[/aside] // (But she's still pretty scary...)

9
Rika: Ahh, can't you even hold the thing properly?!
[sFX: lecture, lacture, lecture]
[top of sheet of paper: PROBLEMS]
[sFX: Ahh!]
[sFX: flutter]
Rika: You've gotta hold it perpendicular to the ground! // And don't stretch out your pointer finger like that! // You've gotta grip it with the whole length of your palm! // Whew, I'm tired! // We've finally got you managing some proper rallies!
[sFX: twist]
Terai: Y - yeah...
[sFX: KA-THUMP]
[sFX: whoosh]

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Rika: Hmm?
Terai: Ah - no - I - / I was just thinking, I really have improved... [aside]you know...[/aside]
[sFX: thump thump thump thump thump thump]
Rika: Yeah, you really have. The summer holidays will be over soon... You'll be able to go back yo your regular training.
Terai: Huh?
Memory!Rika: You did really great today!
[Text: Really... // The reason I've been able to try so hard is to see that smile when I manage to do something well...]
Terai: But in that case, maybe I shouldn't have tried so hard after all... // Because then... I'd have been able to keep on training with you like this...

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Rika: Say whaat?
Terai: Although I'm sure you're only hanging around with me like this out of pity or something... // And... you've been really tough on me...... but... // With you putting so much effort into teaching me, you... I mean... I... // Umm... / Hm? // What am I even saying...
Rika: Well, then... // Why don't we hang around together properly sometime?

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Terai: N - No way?!!
Rika: Well, if you're going to be like that, maybe not, though...
Terai: [aside]No, not at all, I'd love to![/aside] // (W... was it really okay to actually come out and say that...?)
[sFX: fwip]
Rika: Well, then, training's over for today...
Terai: A - ahh! / Wait up, Dobashi-sa... // (Th - that's right! // This is where I have to grab her hand with all my might...)

13
[sFX: shift]
Terai: (Huh?!)
[sFX: twitch]
Girl: Hey, Doba-chan! / You finished over there too?
[sFX: walk walk]
[sFX: aaagh]
Rika: Ah, yeah... I'm gonna be hanging with him tomorrow, though.
Girl: Ehh, really?
Terai: ("Why don't we hang around properly sometime?" / Perhaps I have failed to grasp the proper usage of this phrase...)
Guy2: [aside]Hey, Terai![/aside]
Terai: No, no way, right?! Usually that would mean, like, a date or something, right...? // Well, we'll be alone together on the way home, at least, so I can use that chance to ask her properly...

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Terai: (Well, I say that... // ...but... // Somehow it seems like the distance between us has increased... // [aside]Ahh...[/aside] I just don't know what I should say...)
Rika: Well, then, see you.
Terai: Hm? Ah, yeah, see you. // (Even though we only have... / ...those five minutes alone together now... // But after all, I'm still just the hanger-on of the tennis club...)
[sFX: whoosh]
Terai: (Whilst Dobashi-san is the great second-year ace...)
[sFX: fwoosh]

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[box: Maybe once my tennis gets a little better, I'll be ready to grab her hand... // Maybe when I'm not so physically useless, I can ask her on a - on a date or something...]
[sFX: one, two... one, two...]
[box: Just that bit further... / ...but I just can't seem to go that bit further... // For now, I just have to at least try and put on a good showing in this athletics festival!]
[sFX: crowd roaring]

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[Text: For you, Dobashi-san!!]
[sFX: bang]
[badge: 3rd / Well done!]
Terai: In the end, this is the best I could do, huh...
[sFX: whimper whimper]
Rika: Hey! / Heading home? Pretty late, huh...
Terai: Dobashi... san...

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Terai: Ah.. ahahahahah... // I... came in third, did you see? Even though I was really trying my best back there... // You always come in first place... I guess I'm just not...
Rika: Terai. // You're always too hard on yourself! // I do know, okay? In last year's hundred-matre sprint, you came in last place, didn't you?! To go from that to third place... that's incredible!
Terai: (I made her lecture me again...)
Rika: Even if you can't ever seem to be proud of yourself... / I at least know how hard you've been trying, so...

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Rika: Here's a little prize from me, for your effort.
[sFX: KA-THUMP]
[Text: Do -]
[sFX: thump thump thump thump etc.]
[sFX: ahhhhhh...]
Rika: Well, I'm heading home!
[Text: Dobashi-san...]
Terai: (Th - that's right! This is the moment to grab her hand...)
[sFX: reach]
Terai: (Ahh!!)
[sFX: walk walk]
[Text: ...I guess for the moment, it looks like I'm just at Dobashi-san's mercy...]
Terai: (Why is it that I can't seem to get near her...? / I mean, she does like me! You do like me, right, Dobashi-san...?)
[insert text: Is this distance a cover for his embarrassment...?!]
[bottom text: Next issue, "The Worrying Brother"!]