Match Girl 3

[p079]

bottom: Chapter 3: "True Thoughts"

[p080]

Box: Mine's the best.

Box: It's an easy victory.

Reiko: Kishida-san,

Reiko: well done.
Reiko: You're very skilled.
(Box):
Oil painting course instructor
Fujita Reiko (25)

[p081]

Box: See? Even the teacher acknowledges it.
Box: In this fine arts school,

Kishida: Thank you very much.
(Black box):
Toto Fine Arts High School, Art Section 1st year
Kishida Yuuko (15)
Box: I, Kishida Yuuko, am the most talented of all.

[p082]

Reiko: Alright, keep working, but listen up.

Reiko: There is still a month left until the Toto Exhibition,
Reiko: and this will be the 1st years' first experience with one.

(Kishida): I know that already.

Box: It will be the first test of my skills as a fine arts student.
Vertical boxes: Toto Exhibition
Box: First place is my goal.

[p083]

Reiko: I am also entering under the general category, so I'm working on a piece, too.

Kishida: A-
Kishida: Aren't you a professional, sensei!?

Reiko: The Toto Exhibition is open to all skill levels.
sign: Toto Exhibition
Reiko: That makes us rivals, Kishida-san.

Voice: Ah, the Toto Exhibition.

sign: Fujita Reiko

[p084]

Kishida: My work's gonna end up being compared to sensei's!!!

Girl: Apparently Fujita-sensei wins just about every year.
Kishida: Woah, seriously?

Girl: But you're pretty good too, Kishida-chan.
Kishida: Eh?
(Kishida): I know that already.

Box: Fujita-sensei's got skills. So this is what a professional can do, huh.
Box: I want to get even better
Box: and be composed and confident.

Box: Strength is kindness, after all.

[p085]

Kishida: I'm definitely gonna take first place!!

Kishida: Ack, sorry abo...

Girl: It's nothing, okay!!
Kishida: Er.
Kishida: Even if you say that...
(Kishida): She's a 2nd year, if I remember right...

[p086]

(Box):
Art Section, 2nd year
Takahashi Yuka (16)

Girl: Geez, Takahashi-san. Don't go sitting on the floor like that.
Girl: I totally almost kicked you.

Girl: Uwaah~
Girl: Your picture's been all slashed up again? It's in tatters.
Girl: Kyahaha!
Girl: You totally can't submit this!

[p087]

Girl: Haah? What's with that glare, Takahashiii?
Girl: I've told you like, a thousand times that we didn't do this, y'know!
Girl: If you're still convinced it was us, then where's the proof!

Kishida: Hey, now!
Girl: Kishida-chan!

Girl: You really shouldn't get involved with Takahashi-senpai.
Girl: It won't bode well for you.

Taka: But I don't have any...
Box: You'd need to read their minds to find such a thing.
Box: Those two are rotten to the core, no doubt about it.

[p088]

Box: They knock others down to raise themselves up.
Box: That ugliness is their vice.

Box: They're the type I hate the most.
Box: I'd like to take a peek at their thoughts.

text: I want to see into their minds.

[p090]

sfx bubble: Nhaa.♥

right circle: That culprit sure is diligent.
left circle: The culprit beat me to the punch again. Next time, I'll slash it up too.

Rin: It would appear that neither of those two is the "culprit."

[p091]

Rin: The fantasy may seem a bit old-fashioned,
Rin: but the retro look is quite stylish.

Kishida: Eh?
Kishida: Um...

Rin: While one of these is lit, it will give concrete form to your thoughts.
Rin: In other words,

[p092]

Rin: these fantasy matches will make your fantasies
Rin: into reality, Kishida-sama.
paper, upside-down, inside box: 1 year of life

Rin: I am Rin, the match-seller.
Rin: Thank you for your patronage.

Girl: What the hell're you looking at, first year!

Kishida: Eh?
Kishida: Eh?!
Kishida: Wha??

[p093]

Girl: Don't play dumb. You were glaring at us.
Kishida: No, there are these things on the ground...
Girl: Haah?

right circle: That culprit sure is diligent.
top circle: The culprit beat me to the punch again. Next time, I'll slash it up too.
(Kishida): She can't see them?
(Kishida): Then these are...

Kishida: I don't get this.
Kishida: I don't get it at all, but

Kishida: "The culprit beat me to the punch again. Next time, I'll slash it up too."
Kishida: Just what sort of things are you thinking?

Girl: Wh-

Girl: What's with her! That's creepy!
Girl: We're outta here!

(Kishida): That really was what she was thinking.
canvas: The culprit beat me to the punch again. Next time, I'll slash it up too.
(Kishida): I was able to see inside her mind.

[p094]

(Kishida): With these, I can find the culprit.
(Kishida): I absolutely can't forgive the sort of weak-minded person who would slash a painting someone worked so hard on.

Girl: Takahashi-san, I heard somebody like, did it agaaain?
Girl: That's so totally sad!
Girl: Are you gonna be able to finish in time for the Toto Exhibition?

Taka: Ah. Well...

Taka: There's still two weeks left until the exhibition, so
Taka: I should be fine...

Girl: Two weeks...
Girl: left?

[p095]

top circle: Takahashi and the culprit are both a huge pain.
right circle: I wanna cut it up too!
small text: Kishida-chan's totally more skilled anyway.
bottom circle: Break Takahashi's arms instead of her paintings, geez.

Kishida: So it wasn't one of those three either.

Kishida: Takahashi Yuka is a modest girl who's always fidgety.
Kishida: Apparently she's been bullied since her first year, but
Kishida: she's hated an awful lot.
Kishida: I wonder why...

Kishida: Hm?

[p096]

text on white: Kishida-chan's totally more skilled anyway.

text: Kishida-chan's totally more skilled anyway.

Kishida: Huh.

[p097]

sfx bubble: Ahhn.

right circle: Mio's gotten really good all of a sudden.
bottom circle: Oikawa seriously sucks at this.
top circle: I love how stylish Oikawa-chan is!!
left circle: Kaga-kun's color choices are gross.

Kishida: Haha, interesting.
Kishida: All of their true thoughts are so unexpected.

Kishida: So, how do they feel about my painting...?
left of bubble: Hehehe...

[p098]

Rin: I assume you have already located the culprit, Kishida-sama?

Teacher: Quiet down over there, Kishida!
Kishida: Wha? But...

Kishida: Why isn't anyone bothered by it?

Rin: Mayhaps you are more concerned with others' assessment of you than with the culprit?

Kishida: Haah?
Kishida: It's plain to see what people think of me.

[p099]

Rin: You are only looking at the surface.

Kishida: Eh?

Rin: Oh dear, that's not good.

Rin: Would you care for a toasted sandwich?
Kishida: No, um...

Rin: It has cheese and ham inside,
Rin: and the bread is imprinted with a bear image.

Rin: Ah.
Rin: Please don't look at the underside.
Rin: I'm afraid it is burnt.

[p100]

Rin: The bear underneath has also been charred black.

Kishida: Huh? What're you even saying?

Teacher: Hey, Kishida!! What're you doing, eating during class!

Kishida: This kid gave it to-

Kishida: She's gone!

[p101]

Kishida: Sensei?
Teacher: Yeah?

Kishida: Sensei,

Kishida: what do you think of Takahashi-senpai?

circle: I can't stand Takahashi.

[p102]

Kishida: Woah... even sensei hates her.
sfx: Huh...

Kishida: Come to think of it,
(Rin): You are only looking at the surface.
Kishida: what about underneath?

black circle: I'm jealous of her.

Box: He's jealous.
Box: Huh?
Box: Whaaa?
Box: Geez, what's with that.

[p103]

top sign: Toto Exhibition
bottom sign: Toto Art Gallery

Reiko: Alright, each of you take your piece.
Box: In the end, someone continued to slash Takahashi-senpai's paintings until the exhibition,

Box: and I still couldn't find the culprit.
Girl: I feel so bad for Takahashi-san.
Girl: She's not coming today, is she?
Girl: It'd not like she can...

Reiko: Kishida-san.
Kishida: Ah.

Kishida: Yes!
Box: Still, I'm

[p104]

Box: really patting myself on the back.
Kishida: Yup.
Kishida: I'll probably take first place with this.

(Kishida): Woah, mine's next to sensei's?!

(Kishida): She really is skilled.
(Kishida): But mine's better, right?
(Kishida): It totally is.

Kishida: Say, sensei.

[p105]

Kishida: I'd like to
Kishida: hear your honest opinion.

Taka: Um... Can I
Taka: still submit a piece?

Reiko: Takahashi-san...

circle (partially cut off): So she painted one at home despite having that much of a setback.

[p106]

Reiko: Of course you can.
right circle, upside-down: Dammit!!! I'll slash it up again afterwards.
left circle, upside-down: So she painted one at home despite having that much of a setback.

Box: It was sensei?
Box: No way.
Box: How...
Box: Why?

[p107]

Box: Ah.
Box: I get it now.

Box: All of the harassment aimed at Takahashi-senpai

Box: wasn't bullying at all.

black circle: Takahashi truly is amazing.

[p108/109]

Box: Her painting was outstanding.
Box: A subtle masterpiece.
painting label: Takahashi Yuka
Box: No one could tear their eyes away.

Box: They hate her out of frustration,
black circle: I'm absolutely no match for her.
Box: hiding their true feelings deep in their hearts.

white background text: no match for her.
Box: If they acknowledge her, it will mean they're inferior.

[p110]

right top circle: The texture's amazing.
right circle: That's some talent.
Box: It's jealousy, plain and simple.
bottom right circle: To think she even constructed the frame, how sly.
(canvas circles left of box):
That painting looks so cool. / That's great. / Wow, she's talented. / She has good taste.
She's a genius. / It's overwhelming!
How'd she get so good?
I wanna paint like that too. / So cool!

Kishida: But-
Kishida: But...

Kishida: It's about the same level as mine, isn't it?
Kishida: It's not really all that impressive, you know?

[p111]

circle: I feel bad for Kishida-san's hanging next to it.

Girl: Ah, but
Girl: Kishida-san's is definitely the best.
Girl: Yup, definitely.

circle: Kishida's just conscientious.
Box: That
Box: means I'm skilled, right?

circle: It's like the grand prize is all she's after.
Box: I put in a lot of effort and created a good painting, didn't I?

Kishida: Oh.
Kishida: That's right, ahaha.

Kishida: This means they're jealous of me, too.
Kishida: I see.
Kishida: So if I turn it over to see what they really think...

[p112]

Kishida: They're

Kishida: blank?

Kishida: No... I have it.
Kishida: I know I have talent.
Kishida: I'm...

[p113]

Bubble: Average.

[p114/115]

Box: No way.

Box: I'm

Box: the best.

painting label: Takahashi Yuka

Box: Ah.
Box: I ended up acknowledging her skill.
Box: I don't want
Box: to lose.

Box: Perhaps the competition didn't turn out so well

[p116]

Rin: because
Rin: it wasn't a matter of their paintings at all.

ribbon text: Minister's Award
(plaque):
"Envy"
Takahashi Yuka
left: Chapter 3 / End