Hell Teacher Nube 117

Ritsuko Takahashi has been a teacher who has confronted many fears and cowered in the face of them. But when Nube's latest exorcism brings him to the point of breakdown, the one who may end up facing the spirit threat is...her!?

#117: Do Your Best, Ritsuko-sensei!

70.
SFX: Ki—n..Ko—n…Ka—n…Ko—n…
Voice: …Not here…Not here…either…
SFX: Goso goso…
Boy: Hey, it’s already time to go home. The gate is shut.
“Voice”: I don’t have my red-and-white hat…this will make the teacher angry…
Boy: Eh
Boy: Hey hey, you dummy. Look on your head. Isn’t that your red-and-white cap?
“Voice”: Wrong…it is…

71.
“Youkai”: Your head---!!
SFX: Kushi
Nube: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan!
SFX: Byu
“Youkai”: !
SFX: Bashu
Nube: S**t, did it get away!

72.
Nube: Hold on. I’ll take you to the hospital immediately.
Boy: Uuuh…
Nube: S**t… (Haa haa)
Voice: The “Red-and-White Cap” has appeared. Long ago, there was a scary phys-ed teacher at a certain school and a forgetful child who lost his red-and-white cap before this teacher’s class. That child was scared of angering their teacher and jumped from the 3rd floor, committing suicide…since then, they’ve been searching for their red-and-white cap. “Red-and-White Cap” is severely deranged and seems to attack without discrimination the people that it meets…
(TN: Just like “The Red Vest”, “Red-and-White Cap” is staying in English as opposed to Japanese due to it being a specifically mentioned attribute of clothing. “Red-and-White Cap” in Japanese is simply “Akashirobou”)
SFX: Hiso hiso hiso
SFX:Fura—fura—
Kyouko: Morning Nube…wa, you’re extremely hot!
Nube: I have a cold.
Miki: You should have taken off and yet.
Nube: I can’t do that; I’m partway through an exorcism.

73.
Boy: Wow, amazing: the water in the wash basin froze.
SFX: Gabo
Sign: Staff Office
SFX: Ju~~~ | Zubu zubu…
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei, you’re being unreasonable with your body and shouldn’t have come to school…
SFX: Gapo
Nube: I can’t…there’s a dangerous spirit in Doumori Elementary now…
Ritsuko: Ah, that’s become a rumor now…
Nube: I can’t rest until it’s been exorcised. This is for the students…this is for that miserable spirit…

74.
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei……
SFX: Gaku
Ritsuko: I do…like you after all…as a teacher…as a man…
Ritsuko: Somehow I want to give what will become power to Nueno-sensei…
SFX: Gon | Juu—
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei, please leave work early. The rest will be done somehow by the other teachers.
Nube: Huh? But…if this isn’t me
Ritsuko: You can’t!
SFX: Puri~~n (squish)| Bu!

75.
SFX: Ju~~~Doro—doro—
Ritusko: Kyaaa!!
Ritsuko: It’s stupid how it came to that.
Kyouko: In the end, Ritsuko-sensei did cause this but
SFX: Pi—po—pa—po—
Ritsuko: Well, Hiroshi and the others, I do have a bit of a request but
Hiroshi: ?
Kyouko: ?
Miki: ?
SFX: Wao----n…
Hiroshi: Ritsuko-sensei came to this because she’s doing night watch.
Miki: She’s going to possess Nube’s exorcism equipment so, it can’t be she’s going to exorcise it?
Miki: But Ritsuko-sensei is the most scared in the school~~this can have a bit of anticipation— (Kishishi…)
Kyouko: What are you?

76.
Miki: Huh? She’s not here.
Hiroshi: Ritsuko-sensei—
SFX: Goto
Ritsuko: Thank you…for coming…
SFX: Sususu…
Ritsuko: Welco—me
SFX: Goro goro goro
Kyouko: He…hey, Ritsuko-sensei? You’re in that form for the moment because you’re the manga’s Madonna…
Hiroshi: If you do that gag too much, your face will crumble and you’ll be like Miki.
Miki: That’s not bad—
Ritsuko: But I was waiting alone and was scared.

77.
Miki: But then—why are you exorcising this in place of Nube?
Ritsuko: Eh? But I am a teacher. Protecting students is my duty!
Miki: We—ll, she has false courage!
Kyouko: Well this is a brave position for Ritsuko-sensei---…
Ritsuko: I can’t do my best in place of Nueno-sensei.
SFX: Zuru---zuru---
Hiroshi: That’s scary.
Kyouko: Youkai Yadokari-Onna…
(TN: The “Yadokari-onna” is mostly just set up like the names of the typical youkai, translating into “Hermit-Crab Woman”)
SFX: Zuru---zuru---
SFX: Zuru—
Voice: Kekeke…

78.
Miki: Kekekekekeke…
Miki: Ke~~~kekekeke
Ritsuko: Kya—
SFX: Suppo—n
Kyouko: Miki—did I tell you that you can’t be doing that---!?
SFX: Dopyu~~
Hiroshi: Ritsuko-sensei! (She’s naked again…)
Miki: Kekeke, I’ve been practicing for this sort of day.
SFX: Fuyo fuyo
Narrator: Let us explain! With an incomplete erethral body separation Miki can stretch just her head like a Rokurokubi!
Caption:
Top: Erethral Body Head
Bottom: Real Head
Box: Refer to Manga Vol. 4
Kyouko: What have you—done!
Miki: For the moment, shall we go search for Ritsuko-sensei?

79.
SFX: Goto
Hiroshi: Wh…what was—that sound now…the Red-and-White Cap?
Kyouko: It’s from the direction of the Cooking lab…
SFX: Goto
SFX: Gatsu gatsu | Gubigubi | Musha musha

80.
Kyouko: What are you doing, Nube!
Nube: Huh? It’s because I’m hungry. If I have an exorcism, I’m going to school.
Hiroshi: And your cold!?
Nube: That thing? It was cured with one injection.
Miki: Such a simple body~~
Miki: There’s something more terrible than that; Ritsuko-sensei is…
Nube: Eh!? She’s running around in the school in her panties!?
Kyouko: We suddenly don’t have to explain it from here!!
Nube: What’s that, Ritsuko-sensei’s doing an exorcism!? Why is she doing that absurd thing again…come! We’re going to save her!
SFX: Gata gata gata…
Ritsuko: Why have I come to be alone…it’s cold…and I’m scared…

81.
Ritsuko: !
SFX: gasa…goso…shiku…shiki…
Voice: ……Not here…not here…either…
Ritsuko: …Who is it? In this place…at this time…
“Red-and-White Cap”: I can’t find it…I can’t find iiit.
SFX: Goso…shiri…goso…shiri…
Ritusko: What can’t you find?
SFX: Kuru…

82.
Red-and-White Cap: My red-and-white cap~~~~
Ritsuko: Kyaaaaa!!
Ritsuko: Kyaaa
Nube: !
Hiroshi: That shriek.
Nube: Ritsuko-sensei!!

83.
Red-and-White Cap: I…I…
Red-and-White Cap: I don’t have my red-and-white caaap. He’ll be angryyy~~
SFX: Shaaa shaaa
SFX: Kura…
Ritsuko: No one…will be angry…that scary teacher isn’t here anymore.
Red-and-White Cap: Uuuh…
Red-and-White Cap: He’ll be angryy~~

84.
Nube: !
Ritsuko: You’re pitifully…are frightened like this…attacking without caring who it is like this. You becoming this spirit was the duty of we teachers. It’s fine: you won’t be scolded by anyone anymore.
Ritsuko: It’s best you don’t search for it anymore, because you are a really good boy. Therefore…well, take a rest…

85.
Kyouko: It’s resting in peace…that heart of compassion towards the spirit gave a similar effect to a sutra.
SFX: Shuuu…
Miki: Should we call it the booby-exorcism?
(TN: Miki does literally call it a “booby-exorcism”, which in Japanese was “oppai jorei”, with “oppai” for “tits”, “boobies” or “breasts”)
Ritsuko: Haa…haa…
SFX: Gaku
Nube: Ritsuko-sensei!
Nube: That was magnificent…but why has an unusually scared teacher do an exorcism…
Kyouko: A skirt, a skirt
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei…
Ritsuko: I…wanted to be useful to you, even a bit. I…still…had that thing…
Nube: !!

86.
Nube: Ritsuko-sensei…but…I…
Ritsuko: I understand…that girl is still in your heart…
Ritsuko: That day…you ran towards your girlfriend without hearing even my stopping. And then, she died…I well can say that I can’t win even in a race of love with a person who has died but
Ritsuko: I’m fine either in winning or losing. I like you…therefore I want to always be by your side and give you what will be your power.
Ritsuko: Besides…this was taught to me by that girl. If I continue to feel a love that won’t seem to come true—it will certainly reach the partner…therefore, I can’t give up.

87.
Ritsuko: Even if you see me like this, I’m quite a strong woman when I get serious.
Nube: Ritsuko-sensei.
Hiroshi: Oh—oh—in front of the students…
Kyouko: That heated thing…
Ritsuko: So then, how about I treat you to a meal?
Nube: Ya—y, yes--!
Kyouko: He’s being treated by a woman~~~that fool.

TN: I think when looking back on Nube, this chapter is going to be known for one thing. That one thing should actually be that Ritsuko-sensei finally seems to get major development changing her for the better. It should be her acceptance of everything Yukime did last volume and understanding how to approach Nube with everything that's been going on. It should be her feeling for understanding of her role as a teacher in a weird school like this and standing up even against things that may seem scary or weird. But...sadly, the thing this chapter won't be remember for any of those things. Nope: the thing the chapter will be remembered for...is...well, technically two.

Yeah, it's the scene where Ritsuko-sensei's boobs literally melt Nube into nothing.

It's hard to say why it's going to be that scene...but it's sort of obvious. Sure this chapter is probably a massive and important turning point in this character who has been around from the beginning, scorning Nube's advances and trying to survive all the weird things happening in and around Doumori. In some ways, you would never really expect this sort of moment to happen to her even now, with how she had been more two-dimensional with some of her actions prior to here. Of course, with the way the Yukime story has gone up to now...well, OK, it's really tough to say with the whole Yukime matter as it stands considering it just feels like Ritsuko wants to live in an oblivious world of blind faith. Think about it: Yukime had a longing for Nube at a time no one else cared, even her. Yet now she cares, he actually may care and want Yukime...which means if she returns, Ritsuko will have no chance but still have a desire to keep hoping and holding on to something that will eventually go her way. Sure there is hope in case Yukime doesn't come back but who knows what will happen on that front.

There is also the factor of Ritsuko-sensei finally facing her fears and realizing that maybe she needs to toughen up in the face of the supernatural just like she does with other matters being a teacher. She is still scared and still has a lot of problems with her fear but at the same time knows from seeing Red-and-White Cap running amuck with no end that she has to do something even if she is afraid. If Nube can't do it with all he has (and no one else is around), she has to take responsibility for herself in handling the problem in her own way. The scene where she confronts the spirit and calms it down until it finally comes to terms was a sad but beautiful one, showing that Ritsuko can handle the youkai herself if driven to it, even if she knows she's scared and knows that there will be problems regardless with the supernatural no matter what happens. Even she's growing up regarding this matter and has finally changed in some way to accept and deal with the problems.

But...forget all that other important and meaningful stuff. Because that one panel of squishiness making Nube go bonkers is probably all we're going to remember this time. Yeah all the other stuff is more meritorious and important and actual character development, but the insanity of that whole sequence (well OK, it's that and her running around in her panties for half the chapter thanks to Miki remembering her Rokurokubi power) that probably will remain the moment people will remember for this chapter. But who knows...maybe we'll remember the important and character stuff too...nah.