Short Program 2

Short Program, Volume 1, Chapter 2 (pp. 43~74)


<43>
The Intersection


<44>
TUP-TUP-TUP...

TUP-TUP-TUP...


<45>
STOPS

=Spot on!


<46>
=What?
=These shoes I bought today.

=Got your part-time check, huh...

=See ya, Katsuaki!

=Don't push yourself. It's bad for your health.


<47>
=Take-chan is the type who can't say "no" to anyone...
=No way!

=I'm getting my pay next week. I'll pay you right back!
=Why do you need 10,000 yen to go on a date!?

=That's,
=HEE
=For when the time comes!
GRR..

=Fortunately, you don't have a girlfriend, so...
=Whaddya mean fortunately?

=Please!//I'll return it next week! I promise...
=Kay?


<48>
[x2]SWUSH

[bubble]BLEH

[x2]CLACK

=Anything to drink?
=Coffee.


<49>
=You know him?

=Yeah, that's Yamane-san.//He's an alumni from our cheering section.

=You don't need that face anymore, right?

=Hup.
=Why didn't you say hi or something if he's your senior?

=That wouldn't be the end of it...

=He's no good?


<50>
=He works for a "travel agency..."
=Ohh,//Boy!

=Well, thanks for this—
=This?

=He—y!

=I promise I'll give it back next week!
=W-Wait!//Damn it Katsuaki!
VROO—

=There's 15,000 yen in there—!
=Oh,//Cool.
GU—SH


<51>
=Well, I shall make sure to return with 15,000 yen...//Farewell!

=*sigh...*

=—But,//Oh well...

=I got these shoes I wanted...

=And besides...


<52>
I just imagine I'm on a date with her every day, and it never cost me anything...

=Arrrrrgh!
[x2]WHACK

=How come you're always like that!?//Oh well...//Next time...
=That kinda attitude is what's keeping you from ever having a girlfriend!

=Yeah, it's all because of this attitude.//It's not because I'm unpopular!

=I've even got proof.//Yamada's girlfriend Et-chan and Sachiko dating Sakamoto both said—
=In hindsight,//I actually had a crush on you during junior-high, Takechi-kun!
=But it didn't seem like it would work out, so I gave up!


<53>
=Arrrrrgh!
=Are you still in grade school!? Satisfying yourself with imaginary dates like this!!

=All right, I've decided!//I'm gonna talk to her!
=This time I'm gonna spit my true feelings!

=Tomorrow, usual time, usual place, I'm gonna tell her I like her!

=You watch and see!

FLASH

VROO—M


<54>
=Wait a sec...

=—Yeah,
=Even if she says yes, I don't have the money to take her out on a date!

=That would be pretty lame...

=—Which means I have to wait for Katsuaki to pay me back...

=—Yeah,
=Guess that'll have to do...

=Besides, tomorrow is a bit sudden for all this...

=I made up my mind today, so...//For now...

=—Yeah,
=That'll do.


<56>
=Alright!
=Now that I've gotten my money back from that idiot—

=Yo,//Take-chan!
=This idiot...

=Order anything you want!//My treat.
=Hah-hah...
=Oh really...


<57>
*mumble mumble*

=Well? How's it taste Take-chan...?//The beef curry I'm treating you to.
=Yeah yeah.

=Oh, Yuki-chan.//Just wait a sec, okay?

=Where you going, Katsuaki?

=Poop!


<58>
=You and Katsuki-kun always hung out together during junior-high, didn't you?
=Huh?

=You really are best friends, aren't you.

=Well...
=Not at all—!

=Oh,//Did I every tell you?
=I had a crush on you during junor-high.
BFFT

=Oh,//Really...?

=Yeah,//And I haven't told Katsuaki-kun, but actually, I still—
=Huh!?

CLANG
=Welcome—


<59>
=—Anyways, the preliminaries of the summer Koshien,

=Meisei Academy continues its struggles,
=But manages to make it to the finals...

=Lemon tea.

=Where they battle Nitta's Sumi-High...


<60>
=Ohh Takechi-kun {heart}
=Huh...

=One!//Two!//Three!

=Hah-hah...
=I win again!

=—and then,
=—you know?//Tee-hee...//Isn't that great?

=Oh Takechi-kun—
=What are you taking your sweet time for? Hurry your ass back Katsuaki—!


<61>
=Thanks for coming—!
CLANG


<62>
=Hey,//Sorry 'bout that.

=Gosh! What took you so long!?
=Poop. I told you.

=But you guys looked like you were havin' a good time.
=If I didn't know better, I'd think you guys were dating!
[bubble]IRK

=Whaat!?
HEE HEE
=Oh please!//You're getting too worried, Katsuaki!

=See ya, Take-chan.//I'll treat you again sometime!


<64>
KACHUK


<65>
=K-Katsuaki!
=Whoa,
=What's up!?


<66>
=She got the wrong idea!//It's all your fault!
=Wha?

=Every day at the same time since I first saw her—//And on that exact street, too!//Your poop took too long!//Moron!

=You left me alone with your girlfriend,//And she saw us//And thought I was dating...

=Wha?

=—Hold on...

=...That means...
=Wha?

=Huh?


<67>
=—Does that mean,

=She came to this street every single day just to see me—?

*wobble...*
=Take-chan?

=Oh no—!//It's happening all over again!

=I wanna go clear things up,//But I don't even know have a name or an address!
[bubble]Ahhhhh


<68>
=Katsuaki...
UCK

=Gimme back my money—!

=You got your check yesterday, right?//Your mom told me!
=Ah...
=Right.//Here.

=An overnight trip to Ikatsu Hot Springs?
=Yup.//15,000 yen per person.
[bubble]Spot on!

=Wha?
=H-Hey it's wasn't just you!//Here, look...
=See?

=I didn't have enough money so I even took out a loan from my parents!
[bubble]HMPH
=Who told you they wanted a vacation!?


<69>
=I didn't wanna go either!//But Yamane-san asked me to!
=That doesn't mean you have to buy one for me too!

=You're only saying that 'cause you don't know how Yamane-san//"Asks" things!

[x2]BWOOP
=Saw that? That was probably one of the guys that refused.
=Dude, look...

=Gimme his number!//I'm getting my money back!
=I wouldn't do that.//It's for your own safety.

=Just tell me!


<70>
=You're ready to die?
=Yeah,//I'm not scared of anything now!

TRRRR...
=KACHUK//—Hello, this is Yamane.
=You've got a Ginjiro-san there, right?

=Yes,//Please hold on.

=—Man, you've gotta be kidding me!

=Yo...

=Y-Yes,//About this Ikatsu Hot Springs overnight trip...
=The one that costs 15,000 yen,//Am I right?


<71>
=H-Hello?

=Who the hell are you?

=Uh,//M-My is Haruhiko Takechi.
=Y-You know...//That Katsuaki Sugiyama guy?
=The one who's tickets he also ordered—?

=—Oh, Katsu's pal, huh.//Don't worry, this isn't a scam.
=Yes,//Right...

=W-Well, you see!

=...What?


<72>
=Am I to understand that we will be commencing at 9:00 am?
=My ass you are!

=Thank you...

KACHUK

[bubble]HAH


<73>
=Hey Misato,
=You really coming to this hot springs trip...?

=Yeah,//I just feel like going somewhere...
=It's okay if it's with you, right big bro?

=Not one of my best ideas, though...
=The place is pretty crummy.//Rooms are filthy.

=I don't care.//You're paying for me anyways, big bro.


<74>
=Oh well...

=Dunno what happened,//But you haven't looked too happy these past few days...
=But maybe this'll cheer you up.

=Dear God, I have given up on that 15,000 yen.
=But please,//Please let me see that girl again...

=Watch out Take-chan—! The light's changing—!

The Intersection (END)