Short Program 7

Short Program, Volume 1, Chapter 7 (pp. 203~246)


<203>
AH

=It's a shoujo manga.
=Oh.
[sign]Ciao


<204&205>
Purple


<206>
=A little shout-out to the fans.

AH


<207>
=He—y,//The paper's not here.

=Oh,//Did you get it Haruna?
=Uh-uh.
[x2]GARGLE

GULP

CLACK

=Rokuichi!

=Get outta the way.


<208>
=I knew it.

ROLL

SLAP


<209>
=Murasaki.

=I've been lookin' for ya.


<210>
SWUSH

=That little...

CRUCK

=Don't worry,//I'm just here for your answer.
=My answer?

=Join our gang.
=We need you.

=No way,//I'm not fighting with chicks.

=Idiot.//We're not counting on you to fight.


<211>
=It'll be easier for us to go recruiting if you join our gang.
=You seem to be awfully popular with the girls.

=Aota-san told me the same thing.
=What!?

=Did you...!?

=Not to worry,//I turned it down.

=I don't want to be a tool in your little political struggles.//No favorites.
=Neutral.
=You both freak me out.

=Let's go, Akashi-san.

=Listen!//Don't think I'll let you get away if you join Aota's gang.
=Yessiree.


<212>
=Why we even botherin' with that guy?
=Yeah, she's right.

=Girls who join just 'cause of him won't do us any good.
=True dat.

=They don't even stop to take a good look in the mirror,//Air-headed hoes//All the bitches who go crazy over him.

=Huh?

=Oh,//Now I get it...


<213>
=Hello Ms. Class President.
=Don't you look beautiful today—

=Aota-san, you shouldn't be wearing sneakers in school.


<214>
=Huh?
CHEW

=Sneakers?
=Th-Those—

BWUSH
=Ah!

=My—//What a cute little pair of panties.
[bubble]TEE-HEE
=A-And throw away your gum!

=Sure thing.

=Hey Yamada—Maybe I should try out some strawberry underwear tomorrow, huh.
[bubble]TEE-HEE
=Indeed.


<215>
=Gosh!//Teasing people all day like that!
BAM

=School would be so much more peaceful it it weren't for them!
[bubble]URRGH

=It's 'cause you're pretty, Minako.
=They don't even bother with me 'cause I'm such a klutz.

=So glad I'm not pretty.
=Don't be happy!
[x2]THUP

=They're still making fun of both of us.

=Oh,
=Right.


<216>
[x2]WA—


<217>
Murasaki-kun...
[bubble]HA

=Ah.


<218>
=What's wrong, Komiya?

=Ah.
=A cat fell,//From the roof.

=Don't worry.//Cats land on their feet no matter what, okay—

=—Well,//I suppose it would be a different story for a cat like you.
HAHAHA
[bubble]HMPH

=—Oh.
*lurch*

It's a cat like me...


<219>
=I wish I were a cat...

=URRGH—


<220>
PLOP

TAP TAP

=Boo hoo—//Meanie—
=Geez.


<221>
=Ack!
=He looked at me.
WHUP

=Maybe I should try and give him a wave...

=Ack!

=I'll wave my hair.


<222>
=Whoa.
=He liked it.

=All right.
[x2]BWUSH

=Oops.

=Oops,//I went too far...

=Boo hoo—
=What's wrong, Haruna?


<223>
=Oh well.

=A girl like me is just gonna have to live and die with one-sided relationships.

[x3]RABBLE

[blackboard]Michio Makihara

[sign]Mitsuru Adachi (Sensei)'s One-Frame Manga Lesson
=Just 'cause you're running low on ideas doesn't mean it's okay to use a typical story hook like the "transfer student."


<224>
=All the guys at this school//Seem really well-behaved—

=They're too well-behaved.
=The red oni and blue oni reign supreme, thanks to them
[note]Oni; Western equivalent: ogre

=Red oni and blue oni?

=The two gangs at this school.//Both their leaders are girls.
=Wow—


<225>
=Girl bullies are the worst.//They're jealous, persistent, and never let go of grudges.
=Gosh!!

=So a beautiful, intelligent, lady would be a prime target for them.


<226>
=W-What is this!?

=I don't know.//Mikami-kun had it.

=Why you—!
=I-I didn't take that photo.//I just bought it.

=Bought it—!?
=500 yen per photo from Aota's gang—

=What did you say!?
=Hey,//It wasn't just me. A lot of the other guys were there too.

=Minako—//Akashi's gang is auctioning off your gym shorts!

=All right, 1000 yen!
=We got 1200 yen!


<227>
=You guys!
=Whoops.
[poster]New shipment!//Beautiful Class President's used gym shorts

=Heh-heh-heh.
D-DASH

=Do something about it.

=Me?

=Yeah! Both of them like you, Murasaki-kun.//So if you tell them—

=Just ignore them.


<228>
=There's bullies in every school.//But here—

=It isn't so bad.//They still come to school.//They match up pretty evenly.
=At least it hasn't turned into a dictatorship.

=They're just trying to have some fun.
=You'll just be giving them more ammo if you get angry.

=Hey, Minako.//What'd you talk about?
=Hey.


<229>
=I had a crush on Murasaki-kun, didn't I?
=Huh?

=—But,//That was only up until yesterday.

=What a coward.//I hate that guy!

=Oh,
=Great.
=My biggest rival is gone.

=Ikeda-kun, remember 'bout tomorrow—
=Tomorrow?
PAT

=Oh come on, you've gotta write it down.//It's Haruna Komiya's birthday, right?
=Huh?


<230>
=I'll be waiting for my present, Kudo-kun.
[bubble]UCK
PAT

=Mikami-kun.

=Mikami-kun bought 3 pictures of Minako in her underwear!
=All right all right.//Tomorrow is a wonderful occasion.
=I'll get you something, dammit.

=Very well.
=You may go.

=I never have any trouble talking to any of the other guys, but—
=Hmph.

=—Huh!?


<231>
[sign]Tennis club

=Mina—

=Okay,//See ya.

=Oh, Haruna//Birthday's tomorrow, right?
=Don't worry, I bought you a present already.
=Good for you!//You're an awesome friend.


<232>
=My,//What a load of presents!

=You're a popular one, aren't you.
=Heh-heh.

=Am I being too greedy...?


<233>
=Minako—!

=M-//Minako!
=What's wrong?

=That transfer student—
=Makihara-kun, or something?
=Yeah.

=He called out red oni and blue oni,//By himself, in the yard—

=No way!

=You did what!?


<234>
=You told him you would go out with him if he got rid of them!?

=What were you thinking! He's not a Momotaro or anything!
[note]Momotaro; Hero of Japanese folklore, slayer of oni

=But I didn't think he would actually—

=Blue oni has a first degree black belt in karate!//Red oni has a second degree black belt in judo!

=W-//What should we do?


<235>
THUDDD
=Ahh—!

WHUCK

THUCK

=Ack!

=N-Not my face!//I'm still a girl!

=BPPT
WHAP


<236>
=Yo.

=Be over soon.

=AAAH—!

CRUSH

ZZT


<237>
=You said you'd go out with me if I did this.

=You're gonna keep your promise, Ms. President.

=W-What should we do, Haruna?//He's the real bad guy.
=...Y-Yeah.

=Now...


<238>
=This is pretty bad—

=M-Mura...

=So there were still some leftovers.

=You red?//Or blue?


<239>
=I'm purple.
[note]Recall the character's name is Murasaki (村崎). "Purple" in Japanese is also murasaki (むらさき).

=Not too shabby.

=Huh—!?

=Uck!
THUCK


<240>
=Ah!

=Guess it's been a while.
[bubble]OW

=Wup.
BWISH

=Nice try.//I got 20:20 vision in both eyes.

=So you were just trying to cover for your ugly face.

=Wha!?
WHACK


<241>
=I'm not interested in your eyesight.//They were just getting in the way.

=Huh!
WHAP


<242>
THUD


<243>
=I hated Murasaki-kun, didn't I?

=—But,//That was only up until yesterday.

=Hey,//No fair.

=Can you go call the nurse?
=Okay!

=Don't tell anyone I forgot to dot the "i" in birthday.


<244>
=Huh?

CLACK

The "i" in birthday...


<245>
=Move, Rokuichi!
[bubble]*whimper*

=C-Could it be—

Ms. Haruna Komiya

Junichi Murasaki

=I-It was...


<246>
=Rokuichi!

[card left]Ms. Haruna Komiya//Junichi Murasaki
[card right]Unfortunately, I don't know you well enough to buy you a gift, so I sent a card.//For your birthday next year however, I would like to buy you a gift, so//Best regards!
[bubble pointing to "birthday" contains the word with no dot on the "i"]

Purple (END)