Short Program 1

Short Program, Volume 1, Chapter 1 (pp. 7~42)


<7>
Recent Times


<8>
WU—SH

[x2]PLIT


<9>
=Sugii.

=Yo, it's been awhile.
=You been doing well?

=Hey, that's a nice sweater you got there. Hand-knitted, huh?

=Did your girlfriend make it for you?
=Moron! Did you forget Sugii's hobby is knitting?

=Oh, right right. Yeah, you were kinda weird.
=You're one to talk. You sang "Mary had a Little Lamb" with farts at the farewell party.


<10>
=—So?//how many guys said they're coming today?

=Pretty much the entire class.

=Wow—//Guess everyone's got time to kill.
=There actually isn't much to do around New Year's.

=That asshole teacher isn't coming too, is he?
=Don't worry. Teach got transferred to some mountain in Hokkaido last spring.
[sign]Happy New Year//1987

=Just us students.
=Very good. Very good.
PLIP

=But man, it's cold—
=Yeah. This might turn into snow.


<11>
=Wassup.
=Yo.

=Please sign in over here—
[sign]Booked today for//(Class of 1983)//Kitamachi Junior-High Class 3//Class Reunion

=Man, it's pretty dumb weather.//—Oh hey, you're Yamamoto.
=Sign your name on the register.//And please pay your membership fee—!
=Hey, where'd you go for high school again?

=Akashi, pay your membership fee, man.
=Oh Hattori-kun, how are you—
=Yoshimura, you bastard, give me back that record you borrowed.//Sachiko—Over here, over here.
=Akashi, membership fee!


<12>
=Yo! Liquor store's son. Well, how's business these days?

=Not good compared to that cram school you're attending
Yo

=Oh, Asako—//It's been so long.
=Hey hey//You hear about Kudo's older brother?

=Why, you look even prettier now—//When'd you get back?

=—and that's what she said.//Isn't that funny?

=Hey!//Grocery store's son.

Hey hey, did you hear about Kudo's older brother?


<13>
=Hello.

=Oh my,//Is that Sugii-kun?

=He grew a lot, didn't he?//He only came up to your shoulder during junior-high.
=You're exaggerating.

=Was I 7 cm taller?

=6.8


<14>
SHWICK

=Hey hey,//What's that car out there!?

SCRICK

=He—y!//If it isn't Higashi, our class superstar!

Toshio...

BATHUMP


<15>
=Attends a top university, lives in a mansion in Aoyama,//Plays rugby, plus he's got that car.

=He was always popular in junior-high.//But four years later, he's in a whole different league!

=Yo.


<16>
=Sugii—

=Catch!

=Hey, I never realized this was your house.//I always walk by here, but I never noticed—
=Ready to run?

=Huh?
Thief!


<17>
Wait—!

=Don't drop any.//I'll give you half.

=I don't get it.

=Huh?
=They ones you steal—//They always taste better than the ones in the store.
=CRUNCH

=Hmm—

=I don't get it.
=...Me neither.


<18>
=Hey Higashi-kun,//how long are you going to stay over?
=I haven't really decided.

=Let me ride in your Mercedes once.//Oh, me too.
=Please?//C'mon!

=Yeah yeah.

=They ever looked in a mirror?//They really think they're fit to ride shotgun on a Mercedes?
=True dat.

=Eat up, Sugii.//You're gonna waste that 5000-yen membership fee.

=Yamashita,//You went to the same high school as Higashi, right?
=Yeah.


<19>
=And Asako Takazawa—
=Yep,//Same school.

=Those two...
=Were going out, right?

=That's what a lot of people thought.
[x2]MUNCH

=Takazawa had a lot of fans in high school too.//But yeah, Higashi sort of kept all the guys away.

=Kazuhiko.

=We're gonna go grab some lunch. Come with us.
[sign]3rd Year Class 3

=Huh?//Why?
=I'm not hungry.

=She says she doesn't want everyone to think we're going out.


<20>
=That's not why.//It'll be more fun with three people.

=Right? C'mon.//Higashi-kun's treat.
=Uck.

=Oh yeah...

=You and Higashi were pretty good pals in junior-high,//But you probably haven't see each other at all after that, huh?

=Yeah...

=It happens...//When you go to different schools...


<21>
[sign]Happy New Year
[toilet paper]Shut up!

=What're you drinking?

=Oh,//It's cola.
[bubble]*tsk*
=Still a kid, huh?

=—But, it looks like you did get a lot taller.

=Yeah.
=I finally got about average after I started high-school.

=It seems I grow up a couple years behind everyone else.
=What a nuisance.

=Huh?


<22>
=Hey Yoshida,//Mitsuhashi.

=I heard you guys are dating, right?

=You guys make a good couple.//Send me a wedding invitation, all right?
=Oh...//We're not that far...

=Oh,//That reminds me.

=I think I remember getting a love letter from Mitsuhashi during junior-high—
=Sorry 'bout not responding—

=You're too old for that stuff.//Here, have some beer.


<23>
=I don't think you act old enough.
=Hmm?

=4 years... Huh.

=You were cool.
=You really were...


<24>
=Even without a nice resume and a sweet car.

=Hah,//Still posing as always.

=Man, was I fooled by that one.

=That's gotta be the most boring girl anyone could date.//She's just a looker.
=—Well,//There's tons of good-looking girls in Tokyo.


<25>
=Can you believe it?//A girl in this day and age, bawling her head off over a kiss.

=Plus, she's gotta be back home by 7:00. What a joke.
[x2]PLUCK

=You're drunk.

=You have no idea, do you!

=Yeah, you're right.//I had no idea you were such a bad drunk.
=She was brought up well, huh? That little lady.

HUFF

=Wanna know,//Exactly how well?


<26>
=The true identity of the girl headed home at 7:00—?
=Huh?
=Toshio.

=What a freakin' joke.//One hell of a lady she is!

=That girl's mother—

=Was a mistress.

=She won't tell me much,//But I heard he's a pretty famous politician. My father.
=We just tell everyone he's dead, though.


<27>
=But why are you telling...//Me...?

=Ahh—//I feel so much better now.

=I had to tell somebody.
=Keeping secrets like this just isn't good for health.//Puts too much weight on your chest.

=—But, girls talk too much,//And Sugii-kun seemed like the only one I could trust for something like this.

GRASH


<28>
=All right, bring it on!//I'll fight you.

=Who do you think you are, asshole!

=You really think you can beat me!?

=Huh!?


<29>
=Try messing with Kazuhiko again.//I won't let you off let off this easy next time!

=Cut it, Higashi!

=Let go!//I'm gonna bust this asshole!

=You're drunk.//Go cool your head off outside.
=Come//Come


<30>
=Hey,//Look.
=There.

=Snow...

=See?//I told you so.
=It really is cold today.

=Huh?//That's it?

=Yeah, well. It's my first time knitting.
=—But,//You won't make it in time for Christmas at that pace.


<31>
=Huh?

=Good.

=Barely, but we made it.//You're meeting with Toshio at 5:00, right?
=Huh?

=Don't worry,//I'm not gonna tell him I helped you.


<32>
=It's warm.
=Whoa,//It's snowing.

=Thanks...
=I'll treasure it.

=You mean—//Make him treasure it, right?

=The snow falls—
=But you don't come—

=The snow falls—
CLANG


<33>
RABBLE

=Cola...

=Gimme some.


<34>
=Have you ever thought about why,//We never saw each other during high school?

=Well, we went to different schools.//And we don't live that close either.
=I was avoiding you.

=How else would I never run into you in a tiny place like this.

=I didn't wanna see your face.

=You're the only person,//I've ever felt envious of...

=Envious?//Of...//Me?


<35>
=A little slow, aren't you.//You know there's only one reason I would ever envy you.

=You really do grow up slower.//You're still just a little brat.

=Oww.

=Are you all right?

=Hah, only 'cause I was drunk.//Otherwise, I'd never have keeled over from a punch like that.

=Right. You're on the rugby team.

=Yeah...//Being this popular is kind of a drag.

=...But...


<36>
=The only one I ever really liked,//Was Takazawa.

=Guess I need more time to really forget about her.

=Toshio...

=For now,//I'll just try and keep myself from getting slugged in the next reunion.


<37>
CLANG

=Whoa—//It stuck, it stuck!
=Okay now,//Second round!


<38>
=Sugii-kun, you're not gonna stay for the second round?

=Oh,//I've got stuff to do.

=I see...

=Well,//See you again.
=Yeah.


<39>
=Thanks...//I'll treasure it.

=You know there's only one reason for I would ever envy you.

THUD

SHUCK


<41>
[sign]Parsley

TI-TING
=Welcome.

=Oh.
=My,//you went with that sweater on?

=Yeah,//Everyone complimented it.
=Heh-heh.

=Good good.


<42>
=—Well?//What are you gonna knit for me next?
=A cardigan to celebrate our first date.

=—Oh,//That's...

=Huh?

=...Nope/
=Nothing...

=Okay,//Okay,//Keep it up.

Recent Times (END)