Hatsukoi Limited 10

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Hatsukoi Limited
Chapter 10: Reverse Boy!
[insert text: The things I know, and the things I don't. // Half-and-half sounds just fine.]

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[side text: Last issue: Watase-san, bashful in a swimsuit]
Girls: So, you know, he's, like, this third-year, in the basketball club, right...? // Oh, I know that guy! He's so cool, isn't he~!
[sFX: chatter chatter]
[Text: Let me just say this. / The girls in this school have no taste in men. // Not just this school... this country, nay, this planet is filled with women who have no taste in men!! // What truly makes a great man? His face? His stature? His wealth? His parentage? / Nay, what makes a true man is on the inside! His human nature! // Even though... // ...there is such a wonderful guy as myself right before their eyes...]

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Kusuda: Hey, did'ja hear, Sogabe? / Zaitsu has the hots for this onee-san who's in high school, right...? // And she's a total hottie! So "bouncy"! And the curve o her legs... it's just incredible -
Sogabe: And? / What should I care about this "bouncy" girl of yours...?
Kusuda: I'm just saying, you've gotta see this girl -
Sogabe: Who cares if she has a large chest? Who cares if she has beautiful legs?! / I mean, I do like them big, but... // Do you think thie "onee-san" would appreciate my delicate sensitivity and conversational skills, huh?! / These bodily features, they're all just distractions! If we allow ourselves to get caught up on such things, how will we ever find the fair-hearted ideal girls of our dreams?!!

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Kusuda: Conversational skills? Sogabe, you're barely ever even talked to a gir -
[sFX: sweat]
Sogabe: You really are a fool, Kusuda! // Tell me, do you truly wish to speak with a girl who does not truly understand you, Kusuda?! Of course you don't! / That's why I'm telling you - // Ahh!!
Nao: Ahhh!
[sFX: CRASH]
[sFX: CRASH]
Kusuda: But man, going around crashing into them... [aside]man, that's just...[/aside]
[sFX: daze~~~~]
Sogabe: ...... / Now, see here!! What kind of behaviour do you call that, charging around the halls?! You should be -
[sFX: bend]
Nao: I'm very sorry!

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Nao: You're not hurt, are you, Sogabe-kun?!
Sogabe: ......
Nao: Ahh... here are your glasses... Is... is that right? // There! // Are you okay, Sogabe-kun?
[sFX: smile]
[sFX: sweat sweat sweat sweat]
Nao: I'm so sorry to get your uniform all dirty like that!
Sogabe: A - aaaahh!!
[sFX: EEEEK]

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Sogabe: I - I'm fine! / I'm fine, okay...?!
[sFX: pant, pant, pant]
[sFX: sta~~re]
Nao: ...Well, then, I've got to go and see a teacher, so... // See you! // Bye-bye, Sogabe-kun, Kusuda-kun!
Kusuda: Bye-bye, Chikura~~! // Come on, Sogabe, you've gotta say goodbye!♡
[sFX: ka-SHOVE]
Kusuda: Guahh!
Sogabe: Did you see that, Kusuda...? / That girl... she looked me in the eye... she said my name.
Kusuda: I mean, come on, sayin' goodbye's just good manners...
Sogabe: On top of which, she was so kind, careful and considerate to me...

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Sogabe: I have finally found her!! // The girl who can truly appreciate my charms!!
[sFX: TA-DAAAAAAA]
Sogabe: That's right...! Chi - Chi - Chikura-san must be interested in me!
Kusuda: ...Isn't it really you who's been charmed by her...?
Sogabe: I have to do something to acknowledge her feelings...!!
Kusuda: Unpopular-sensei! Are you telling me you're going to confess to her?!
[sFX: whoa!]
Sogabe: Who are you calling "Unpopular-sensei"?! // You still don't truly understand the way of these things, do you, Kusuda?! // What I shall do is create a situation where she will easily be able to confess her feelings to me!! / That is my ultimate expression of kindness to her!
[sFX: fwoosh]
Kusuda: You can't pull a face like that with your glasses all wonky...

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Sogabe: It matters not! After all, Chikura-san was the one who placed them upon my face! / Ah, Chikura-san, your sense of style knows no bounds!!
Kusuda: Uhh... I really don't get you...
Nao: [aside]g'morning~![/aside] // Hm? // Sogabe-kun... you sit in the seat next to mine?!
Sogabe: Starting from today.
Kusuda: Ahhh.......!! Hey, what d'you think you're doin', sitting down in my seat?!!

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Nao: Oh, of course! Your eyesight isn't too good, so you switched to a seat nearer the front!
Sogabe: Indeed! For my eyesight!!
[sFX: stare]
Kusuda: ...Yeah, yeah, you can have it, but you owe me one, okay...?
Sogabe: (After all, being in a position where she will always see me is extremely important. // Now she will be highly aware of my presence... // Now, for the all-important first move... // Reading this difficult book with a slightly lazy air should make me appear refined. / Now, from this angle... ah, perhaps I should place my legs closer together...
[sFX: tremble tremble]
Ayumi: [aside]You know...?[/aside]
[sFX: ahahahaha]
[Label: Chikura-san isn't watching in the slightest]
Sogabe: Aaaagh, my leg cramped up!
[sFX: aaaaagh]

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Nao: ...... // Hm?
[sFX: glance// glance]
Sogabe: Ah, yes... Copernican theory, I see...
[sFX: mutter mutter]
[sFX: shuffle]
Nao: Sogabe-kun... / Sorry, but could I share your textbook for the next class?
[sFX: goggle]
[TN: dear Lord, those eyes are scaring me]
Nao: It looks like I've forgotten my Japanese textbook... // ?!
[sFX: swoosh]
Nao: You - you're giving it to me...?
[sFX: shuffle]
Nao: B - but don't you need to use a textbook too...?

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Sogabe: (A man should be silent and let his back do the talking.)
Nao: ? // ?
[TN: ...okay, Nao confused is cute. <3]
Sogabe: After all, right now, my back must be giving off a sense of manly sorrow! // Chikura-chan must be witnessing this aura and saying "Ahhh~!♡"...
[sFX: worry worry]
Sogabe: (I kept up these straightforward "PR activities", but...) // I suppose Chikura-san must just be shy. / After all, just because we're sitting next to each other now, doesn't mean we necessarily talk to one another.
Kusuda: That's why you ought to say something to her...
Sogabe: If possible, it would be best to find a situation in which the two of us would be alone together...

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[sFX: chatter chatter]
Ayumi: Chikura-chan, Koyoi-chan, let's all go home together, yeah?
Nao: Oh, I'm sorry... I just can't get used to that guy hanging around, you know...?
Chibi!Zaitsu: rargh
Koyoi: I know I can't just stay scared of him forever, but... [aside]he's so scary...[/aside]
Kei: But I haven't even seen him around much recently, isn't that right, Ayumi? / It's just a bit crazy, us all going home separately when we're all working on the athletics festival together and everything...
Sogabe: THAT'S IT!!
Girls: ?!
[sFX: DASH]
Kusuda: You idiot! What d'you think you're doing, shouting out like that all of a sudden?!! // The girls are all gonna think you're some kind of freak!
[sFX: thump thump thump]
Sogabe: I need to walk home from school with Chikura-san!! // Yes! Just the two of us!! That way, she'd talk to me... and smile at me... // But... it looks like there's one other girl who already walks home with Chikura-san... that could be a problem... // Hmmmm...
Kusuda: ...Hey, get up and run on your own!
[sFX: stumble]

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Yoshihiko: I'm telling you, my sister's way cuter than yours will ever be!!
[sFX: bicker bicker bicker]
Yuuji: Shaddup, who cares about a girl who looks like you, anyway?!!
[TN: Do they seriously never talk about ANYTHING else? Either way, between this and the talk about the athletics festival, I get the feeling we've taken a time-leap backwards with this chapter... interesting...]
[sFX: SNAP]
Yoshihiko: Waahhh?!! // Wh - wh - wh - what was that?!
Yuuji: Why'd he take a picture of you?! You're the plainest of all of us!
[sFX: DASH]
Kazuma: Hey, you, hold it!!
Kusuda: I really don't get you, you know that?!! / Why do you need a picture of Bessho's brother to be able to walk home with Chikura?!
Sogabe: I told you, I've been looking into this properly...

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Nao: And then this one time, you know Mizoguchi-sensei, right?
[sFX: peek]
[sFX: prick~]
[TN: wow, she has a Nii-chan Radar(TM). And a malfunctioning one, at that.]
[sFX: huh?]
Koyoi: Ahh! // Onii-chan?!
[sFX: dash]
Koyoi: Waa~h, wait up, onii-cha~n!!
[sFX: DASH]
Nao: Ko - Koyoi-chan!

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[sFX: ahhhhh...]
Sogabe: Just as one would expect of a plan of my own invention... [aside]absolutely flawless.[/aside]
Kusuda: HOW FAR IS THIS GIRL GONNA CHASE MEEEEEEEEE?!!!
[sFX: DASH DASH DASH DASH DASH]
Koyoi: wait u~p!!
Sogabe: O - oh, Chikura-san! Are you on your way home too?
[sFX: thump thump]
Nao: Sogabe-kun... // Yeah...
Sogabe: ............ // P - perhaps we could walk home together?! / I - I mean, you know!! I've heard rumours about scary people hanging around and stuff...
Nao: Are... are you sure? Thank you...!

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Nao: Ahh, the sunset is nice today, don't you think?
[sFX: thump thump thump thump]
Sogabe: (I... I actually ended up walking home with her... / ...Somehow Chikura-chan gives off a lovely scent... I wonder if it's a shampoo... it smell kind of... sweet and fruity...
[sFX: sniff sniff]
Nao: Sogabe-kun?
Sogabe: H - hmnh?!
[sFX: cough]
Sogabe: Ahh, yes! Very - very tasty...looking...!!
Nao: ?
Sogabe: (To be able to walk side-by-side with her like this... // I feel lke Chikura-san is truly becoming close to me...)
[TN: try talking to her then, idiot.]

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[sFX: heheheheh...]
[sFX: hm?]
Sogabe: ?! ...What are you laughing about?
Nao: ...... / I always thought you were a difficult sort of person, Sogabe-kun...
[sFX: ka-thump]
Nao: But I've started to think you're actually an interesting kind of guy...

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Sogabe: (Th... / This smile...)
Kusuda: Wh - What's with those two?! / How the heck did they end up like this all of a sudden?!
[sFX: thump thump thump thump thump thump]
Sogabe: (You must not waver! This is going exactly according to plan, is it not?! / Now's the time... I might actually be able to say that thing I've wanted to try saying to her... / Now's my chance!!)
Kusuda: (Go for it!!)
Sogabe: Ch - Chikura-san. // (I can say it!) // W - well... // S - see you tomorrow, then.

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Nao: ? // Mm... See you tomorrow.
[sFX: ahhhhhh~!]
[sFX: dash]
Kusuda: HUH?! // What's he doing running off on his own?!!
[sFX: hahahahahahah etc.]
Kusuda: What the hell d'you think you're doing, Sogabe?!! / Why'd you run away?! That was the perfect time to confess!!
Sogabe: You fool! Kusuda, do you not understand the deep significance embedded in that phrase?! / "See you tomorrow"!! A simple phrase constituting a promise to see one another and speak together once more!!!
Nao: ...I don't really get him sometimes, but... // Sogabe-kun really is an interesting kind of guy...
Sogabe: [aside]I DID IT!! TODAY'S MISSION IS A SUCCESS!![/aside]
Kusuda: Hmmm... // They did seem to be getting on much better than I'd expected...
[side text: Well, as long as he's happy...]
[bottom text: Preparations for winter! To be continued next issue in "Before the Snow Begins to Fall"!!]