Short Program 10

Short Program, Volume 2, Chapter 10 (pp. 7~41)


<7>
GWUU—SH

=Oops.


<8&9>
Before Spring Comes...


<10>
=Snow?

=No wonder it's so cold.

BAM

=—Well Father.
=Watch and be amazed by Wakaba's work during your absence—

=Whoa—!
VROOM

SCREECH

=Yeah yeah.
=R for Reverse, D for Drive,//I know I know.


<11>
[sign]Moriyama Detective Agency

=Your homework assignment during my absence. Track this man.

=You seem disgruntled.
[bubble]AH
=Well, I would prefer to take on a slightly more dangerous-looking assignment—


<12>
=A locked room mystery.//A series of mysterious murders.//A decapitated body of a beautiful girl, even though you can't tell 'cause there's no head.
=Yeah, that's more like it.

=Quit dreamin'!

=The Japanese police do excellent work!//Nowadays, detectives only solve murders in TV shows and movies!

=Anyways, stick to this man and don't leave his side until I get back!
=Every waking moment of the day, understood!?

=K—ay.


<13>
=I've rented a room across the street from his apartment.

=Spend the nights there—

=I'll give you double the usual.//But stick to this man at all times!//Understood!?
=Yeah yeah.

=But gee,

=I don't see any drama happening with this fellow.


<14>
=You alone, miss?


<15>
=Huh?
=How about a ride in my old-model Prelude?

=Oh,//I'm working, so don't disturb me.

=Oh c'mon,//You don't need to make such an obvious excuse just 'cause I'm so handsome—
GRIP

WHACK


<16>
[bubble]EEK—

=—Oh, just a magazine editor who can't get any action.
=Whaaat!?

=Am I wrong?
=Exactly as you say sir.

=Wh-Who's he?
=I don't know.

=Oh,//Dang it!

VROO—M


<17>
SPLASH

VRRR—

=Stick to him at all times!
=Yeah yeah.

=Looks like he's done for the day.

=—Then I shall follow suit.
FLASH
[bubble]*yawn*


<18>
=Hey, what's this.
=Some late-night house cleaning!?

=What is he...

—Blood!?

=Did he get a nose bleed while he was asleep?
=Maybe he wants to get some action.


<19>
=Oh my.

=He may not look it, but he's got good taste.//I totally wanted to see this movie—
=It's a deductible expense, anyways.

DUM DUM DUM
BOOM BOOM BOOM
[sign]No Smoking

DA-DUM—


<20>
=Don't make a sound.
=Uck!

=W-What!?
=You're comin' with us.

=But it was just getting to the good part—
=Hey, mister.

GACHUK

=What are you doing!?//Who are you guys!?

=Right, let's go.
=Yup.


<21>
=Oh.
=Hey.
VRRR—

HE—Y

=They don't look like magazine editors, do they.
RRR...

=Huh?

=Ah.


<22>
[sign]Akao Hardware Store

Thank you very much—

=Does he have a carpentering hobby?

=But who where those men from yesterday...?

=And what of the man with the sunglasses—?

=Actually, he was kinda cute...

=Hup,//Time for work.


<23>
=Uck!

=You're not gettin' away this time.
=C'mon!

=HICK!
THUCK

=Wha!?


<24>
WHACK
=Uck!

=Sunglasses—

=Oh.

=Huh?

=We'll be back—!


<25>
=Detective!?

=Shh—

=You helped me out, so I just thought I'd owe you an explanation.//Don't tell anyone, okay?
=Okay.

=Well, danger is second-nature to a detective.//Stuff like that happens all the time.//So don't make a big fuss about it.

=Wow—
=Wow—

=That's awesome—I love reading detective novels and stuff.//Is there anything I can do to help!? Please, let me help out.
=—Geez,//Freakin' amateurs.


<26>
=Wait, there is one thing.
=What's that?

=Go buy me some warm Oolong Tea and a pork bun.//With your money.
=Wha—?

WHIRR—

=Brrr, cold.

=Wish those spring flowers would start coming in.


<27>
=Guess I'd better find a love seedling or two, or else//It's going to be another empty spring for me—

=No no,//Can't choose a man just on his looks.

=But getting desperate would be rude.
TRRR...

=Hello, Ms. Wakaba!?//It's Yamada.

=Oh, I'm not desperate just yet—
=Huh?


<28>
=So I thought about it and came up with a deduction of my own.//That guy across the street is definitely suspicious!

=—Geez,//Freakin' amateurs.

=Please, just hear me out!
=Yeah yeah.

=I think that guy already knows everything.//About you tailing him and keeping watch on his room—
=Oh—
=—And?

=—So you see, he did something before he learned about all that!
=Like what?

=I don't know!//But he thinks you saw him!
=And he's eliminating witnesses!


<29>
=Listen,//Take it easy on the novels.

=What part of him makes you suspect,

=That he would need to kill someone for—

=...Doing,

=Something...

[x2]GWIISH


<30>
=I know a good way to make sure!
=Huh?

=Exit the room immediately and take off with your car!
=At this point, he's the one watching you.//If I deduced correctly, that guy will definitely come chasing after you!

=No way...

BAM

VROOM


<31>
=Ahh—//He's after mee—

SCREEECH


<32>
BE-BEEEEP

=Oh,//Sorry 'bout that.
VRRR..

=Huh!


<33>
=See, I was right, wasn't I!?
=Yeah.

=Hold on a sec. Lemme find out who requested this guy's investigation.

TRRR...

=Hello!
KACHUK

=Oh, Dad!


<34>
=Wakaba! What are you doing at there!?//I called the apartment and you didn't answer, so I thought maybe—!

=That's not important,//I'm in big trouble right now!

=What about your work, Dad?//When are you coming back?
=My work here is done,//I'll be back tomorrow afternoon.

=Forget about that, Wakaba. Hurry back to that apartment!
=Look—

=Don't leave that man's side!

=I see you've completed your assignment.


<35>
=Wh-Who are you!?
=You're going to hand that report to us.//In exchange for your adorable little daughter.

=We can't have you release something like that to the public.
=Don't you dare try anything with Wakaba!

=Then we shall—

KONK


<36>
=Huck!
WHACK

[x2]=Hello!?


<37>
=Not to worry,//I made it in the nick of time.

=You were supposed to keep watch on me more carefully,//Miss Detective.

=Ah.


<38>
=Bodyguard!?//That person—?

=Didn't I tell you?//Stick to him and don't leave his side.

=This case was indeed very dangerous.
[headline]Bigwig Nabbed

=There was a good chance you would be taken hostage.
=—But it was a job I couldn't turn down.


<39>
=So you wouldn't be worried about me, and to keep you from snooping around.//Two birds with one stone.

=Then,//What about—!?

=Just a little something extra.//I ordered him to engage in suspicious activities now and then so you wouldn't get bored.
HAH-HAH-HAH
=What an obnoxious thing to do!

=So he was keeping watch on me this whole time, huh?
=He's also a first-rate investigator.
[paper]Wakaba Moriyama//Report

=He says you should eat more nutritious foods, even if it is during a stakeout.

BAM
=And when you're changing, keep the curtains more—


<40>
VRR—

=Huh.


<41>
=Hey—//That movie's not here anymore—

=Dang,//I missed out on the second half.
=That was totally gonna be the best part!

=I wonder,//Did their love remain unrequited?

=Or did they...
VRR—

Before Spring Comes... (END)