Rokudenashi Blues 80

Chapter 80: Shourinji

1
Fujio: They won't suspect me if I'm in yer room! // Stand lookout for dad, Taison. // If he finds me, I'm dead.

Maeda: Oh...ok...

Fujio: Where'd Youkou go?

SFX: *click*

Maeda: D...dunno... // He went off ta play or somethin'...

Fujio: Ya gotta watch out for 'im. // He runs ta dad for frickin' everythin'. Like his l'il stooge or somethin'.

2
Maeda: ....

Fujio: whew...

Maeda: D...does it taste good, nii-chan?

Fujio: Ya want one?

Maeda: Ok...

SFX: *flick*

Maeda: whew... // *cough *cough* // What the...?

Fujio: Hahaha, yer still too young!

Maeda: Ain't ya a delinquent if ya smoke?

Fujio: Moron. // This is the shit that's important in life. // Taison... // I'm gonna go ta Tokyo one day.

3
Maeda: Uh...

Fujio: If yer a gigolo, women'll just GIVE ya money! // It's frickin' awesome.

Maeda: W...wait, then I gotta be stuck with dad's job!

Fujio: Dontcha have Youkou? // What kinda man don't do what he wants? // I ain't gonna become like that. // You been watchin' Watanabe Jiro on TV, right? Dontcha wanna become a boxer? // He's gonna be world champion, and you could do it, too! // Youkou's got no dreams.

Maeda: C'mon...he's just a kid!

Fujio: And yer only a year older than 'im, so don't talk like that!

4
Fujio: Ya can tell by lookin' at 'im. // He's the kinda guy who's always hidin' from his own shadow and worryin' about what dad and everyone else thinks.

Maeda: ...

Fujio: Where's that cigarette ya lit?

Maeda: Dunno. // I think I dropped it... // Aah! It's burnin!

Fujio: Put it, ya moron! Ya can't let dad find out!

Maeda: Hm...

SFX: *crackle* *crackle*

Youkou: GWAAAAAHHHHH!

Maeda: Aah! Youkou!

Fujio: You were sleepin'!?

5
Youkou: My head...my head!

Maeda: It's ok, nothin' happened... // !!

Youkou: Owww! // Aah! A cigarette! // I...I'm tellin' dad!

Fujio: Youkou!

Maeda: Arghh...

Katsuji: So your dad found out?

6
Maeda: Yeah. // I was just a kid, so I only got three headbutts, but aniki got that and a piledriver.

Katsuji: Whoa...your dad's terrifying...

Maeda: Might be the strongest man in the world...

Katsuji: Are you sure he's sick?

Maeda: Not really... // Youkou definitely called me back home for revenge. // The attacking me with hair clippers thing made it pretty clear.

Yoneji: So he wants to shave you, Maeda-san?

Katsuji: Why's he suddenly freaking out now? // If he's so pissed about his hair being uneven all he has to do is shave it all off!

Maeda: Uh...

7
Maeda: He's not mad because of the bald spot, his head is shaved...

Yoneji: Why's his head shaved again?

Maeda: Don't you get it? // It's the proof that he's getting stuck with Shourinji!

Kazumi: Oh my god! Shourinji? You mean the Shaolin temple?

Katsuji: Kazumi!

Maeda: Gh...did...did she hear us?

Kazumi: Oh, I totally get it! Maeda-kun's family runs a Shaolin

martial arts dojo! // THAT'S why your dad's so strong!

Maeda: Uh...no...

Chiaki: ....

Kazumi: Why is he trying to hide it? // Isn't that SO like him?

Chiaki: Y...yeah...

Maeda: ....

8
Maeda: G...guess I couldn't hide it. // Yeah, it's true.

Katsuji: Uh...

Kazumi: I knew it!

Chiaki: Aren't you meeting your brother, Maeda-kun? It's already past two.

Maeda: Oh...oh, yeah... // He doesn't know about Youkou. // I gotta tell him that dad's alright.

Waiter person: Welcome! // Please watch your step!

Maeda: Huh?

Waiter: It's a little slippery...

9
Maeda: He said he'd be at this table... // Huh? // He left me a note? That's weird!

Note:

Taison,
When I called the house, mom picked up and told me dad was sick after all. I'm leaving first. Get there quick!

- Fujio

Yoneji: What...what the!? It says he's sick after all?

Katsuji: What does that mean? Isn't this just one of Youkou's plans?

Chiaki: ....

Maeda: ....

10
Katsuji: Wh...what do we do, Maeda-san? // Th...this might just be another plan...

Yoneji: Are...are you going?

SFX: *crumple*

Katsuji/Yoneji: Maeda-san!

Chiaki: Maeda-kun!

11
Maeda: I told you guys not to come!

Kazumi: But...Chiaki and I are worried!

Maeda: You don't have to worry!

Kazumi: Ok, we won't go in. We'll just take a look at the dojo and then go. // Okay!?

Maeda: NO! // It's not what you think.

Chiaki: Uh...

Katsuji/Yoneji: Hahahaha....

Maeda: Quit laughing, dammit!

Chiaki: ....

12
Kazumi: Huh? Why'd we stop here? // This is a temple!

Katsuji: ....

Kazumi: Hey...

Maeda: ....

Kazumi: What is it, Chiaki?

Chiaki: Something's written here... // Uh...

Maeda: Shourinji.

Kazumi: Wait...

13
Kazumi: Shourinji's...

Chiaki: Your house is...

Kazumi: A TEMPLE!? // No way...

Maeda: Ch... // Oh, well. // Let's go in.

Chiaki: Oh...ok...

14
Kazumi: Wow...your own graveyard... // You don't have an archway! Or those lion-dogs!

Maeda: It's a temple, not a shrine! // Dad always said he'd die in front of the Buddha... // He should be in there... // Huh? // GAAHH!

15
Maeda: Gwah!

Katsuji: Wh...what the hell...

Maeda: He's...

Yoneji: Maeda-san!

Maeda: !! // Hgh...

Katsuji/Yoneji: Aah!

Katsuji: Who...what is he!?

16
Dad: So yer back, Taison!

Maeda: Dad!

Everyone: HUUUH? // That's his father!?

Maeda: You're not sick at all! // Why...

Fujio: T...Taison...

Maeda: Aniki!

17
Maeda: Wait, what the hell is this!?

Dad: Heheheh...

Fujio: That note... // Dad made me write it...when he caught me at the coffee shop...

Maeda: H...how did he find you there?

Fujio: It was Youkou! He's been following me around since I got here! // Both of them were planning something with that newspaper thing!

Maeda: ....

Dad: Hahaha...looks like I had ya worried about me! // Right, Taison?

18
Fujio: I told you...he's like dad's little stooge!

Maeda: We were freaking tricked...

Youkou: YA STILL DON'T GET IT!

Maeda: ! // Youkou!

Youkou: I don't wanna become a monk! // I got other dreams! // But dad was all like "Yer the only one left" and shaved my freakin' head!

Dad: Don't talk about me like that!

Youkou: I thought callin' ya back would gimme a chance, so I agreed!

19
Maeda: D...Don't take out that thing!

Katsuji: Can't we just talk!

Youkou: L... // Look at this! // I don't care if ya inherit or not, Taison-nii-chan, I'm shavin' yer head!

Maeda: Hey! // H-hol-hold-the-hold the fuck on!

Someone: Gyaah!!

END

Translator's notes

pg. 3: Watanabe Jiro was, obviously, a boxer; less obviously, WBA super flyweight champion of the world from 1982 to 1986.

pg. 7: Kazumi misunderstands Shourinji as 少林寺 instead of 尚輪寺, aka, the Shaolin monks' temple, or the temple in every kung fu movie ever made. Just to add the confusion, the chapter title (and when Maeda says it) is written in katakana, which can be read either way. Oh, joy.

pg. 12: The kanji in Shourinji - 尚輪寺　- at least the first one, are slightly archaic, literally meaning "noble ring temple". So Chiaki would have a little trouble reading it.

pg. 14: Kazumi confuses shrines, traditionally Shinto, with temples, traditionally Buddhist.

pg. 16: Everyone switches to calling Maeda's dad　the more formal お父さま otousama instead of Maeda and Fujio's usual おやじ oyaji.