Hell Teacher Nube 145

Are there moments where what you think is a youkai...may just be in your imagination? When a boy starts having strange paranoid visions, it may be up to Nube to finally bring him back to a sane reality...

#145: Azuki-Arai and the Boy

91.
SFX: Un—n…
Voice: Wash…
SFX: Basha basha
Boy: Haa haa
SFX: Basha basha
SFX: Kashi—n
Voice: Wash, you’re filthy.
Bag: Trash

92.
“Bean-Youkai”: Wash!!
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki shaki

93.
Voice: It’s…mysophobia?
(TN: I’m not quite sure if it is the right term to use here, but the term for the trouble with our lead for the chapter is in Japanese “keppekishou”, which literally translates into a “cleanliness illness”, but also seems to be connected to the term of “mysophobia”, a pathological fear of contact of dirt, leading to an obsession in washing their hands)
Ritsuko: Yes: it seems that a student in my class…has this feeling that he’s dirty even if he washes and washes his hands…he says he must wash his hands throughout almost the entire day…
(TN: Nube, concentrate on the conversation…and just after last chapter with all his time with Yukime…)
Nube: Fu, you’re giving a discussion to me on a problem that’s other than youkai, Ritsuko-sensei.
Nube: You’re giving trust in me as an excellent teacher. (Iyaahahaha…)
Ritsuko: No! (I’m relieved)
Ritsuko: This child’s mysophobia…seems to be an act of a youkai…
SFX: Basha basha

94.
SFX: Basha basha…
Ritsuko: Murata Masakazu-kun. Masakazu-kun, talk to Nueno-sensei. Is that youkai here today too?
Masakazu: It’s there! Under Ritsuko-sensei’s feet!!
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki

95.
Ritsuko: Kyaaaaaa!!
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki
Masakazu: Ah, no good, it moved to there!
Ritsuko: Hyooooo!
Masakazu: Aah, it’s on your head.
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki shaki shaki shaki
Ritsuko: No~~no~~!!
Nube: Ritsuko-sensei~~
SFX: Boko!
Sign: Garbage shoot
(TN: “Garbage shoot” actually has a Japanese name of a “dust shoot”)

96.
Ritsuko: Ho…how about that, Nueno-sensei? Masakazu-kun’s mysophobia somehow has a youkai as a source…
Masakazu: If you’re Nube-sensei, can you see it!? It’s Azuki-Arai. It’s ordering me to wash my hands.
(TN: “Azuki-Arai” literally translates into “Azuki-Washing”, with “Azuki” referring to the azuki beans that it holds in its basket)
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki shaki
Nube: ………
Nube: There’s nothing there.
Masakazu: You’re lying! It’s here; can’t you see it? Here, it’s clear like this.
Nube: --Sorry but I don’t feel even a fragment of youki.

97.
Masakazu: That’s enough. I thought I’d be saved if it was Nube-sensei and ye!!
Ritsuko: Masakazu-kun
SFX: Da
Nube: ……
Ritsuko: Please wait, Masakazu-kun!!
Sign: Staff Office
Nube: Mysophobia…aah, it’s here. The characteristical disposition that appears comes to have a source in primarily a psychological wound. For example, failing an exam, the divorce of parents or, possibly, an accident…it’s a thing that presents maximum stress in children.
Book: Child Psychology
Ritsuko: Now that you mention it…Masakazu-kun…last year, his house caught on fire and he was left behind within the fire…he seemed to taste a cruel terror to those who helped him out of it.
Nube: Understood.
Nube: Perhaps Azuki-Arai is an illusion created in Masakazu-kun’s heart. The terror from the time of the fire became stress.

98.
SFX: Basha basha
Girl 1: Did you know? That boy… (giggle giggle)
Girl 2: Has a nickname of “The Washing Raccoon” (giggle giggle)
(TN: The nickname Masakazu has works only in Japanese considering that it is actually “araiguma”, the Japanese word for the “Eurasian badger”, also known as the “raccoon” The word for raccoon, though, does use the same “arai” as the “arai” for “wash”, with the “guma” being the “kuma” for “bear”, thus “araiguma” literally is called “The Washing Bear”. But since “araiguma” works as “raccoon” and I didn’t want to lose the “wash” part, I ended up giving him the “washing raccoon” nickname to try and work it out…though one could also use something silly like “the washing bandit”, where the whole “bandit” feeling of a raccoon could be worked in and have a similar meaning, but somehow that would be taking the joke too far)
SFX: Basha basha
Arai-Azuki: Wash. Waaash.
SFX: Basha basha
SFX: Bon!
Hiroshi: He—y, get that--!
Kyouko: Enough—I hate dodgeball after rain because it’s full of mud—

99.
Masakazu: Filthy…their hands are dirty…
Hiroshi: Hey, don’t ignore me!
SFX: Gashi
Masakazu: Don’t get near me, filthy!!
Hiroshi: What’s that!? You frail pine!!
(TN: Hiroshi uses an expression for Masakazu calling him “hyoromatsu”, with “hyoro” being “frail”, and “matsu” being in reference to a pine tree. Considering that pine trees are typically depicted as strong and sturdy, I would consider that as an insult towards Masakazu)
SFX: Don!
Masakazu: Wa…uh uh, a…aah.

100.
SFX: Dobeshaaaa!
Kyouko: What have you done, bully!
Hiroshi: I…I just lightly pushed him. He’s too slow…
Masakazu: Ah, ah, ah…
Masakazu: Hiiiii…
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki shaki shaki shaki shaki
Azuki-Arai: Wash, wash!!

101.
Azuki-Arai: Wash!!
SFX: Dobaa
Masakazu: Gyaaaa

102.
Nube: ………
Kyouko: It happened in front of our eyes.
Hiroshi: Suddenly his clothes got torn and blood came out.
Masakazu: It was Azuki-Arai. Do you believe me with this?
Nube: No…perhaps you’re wrong.
Ritsuko: Nueno-sensei, was it ultimately a youkai who gave him those wounds…
Nube: No…
Nube: I don’t feel youki, as I thought. In the first place, the youkai called Azuki-Arai is…

103.
Nube: N…look: wires were buried here. Perhaps his back was cut with these.
Masakazu: Y…you’re wrong! It’s a youkai! An act of a youkai. Why don’t you believe me?
Nube: Tomorrow is Sunday…can you meet with me?
Caption: Upper stream of the Doumori River
Ritsuko: Why…are we in this place?
Hiroshi & Kyouko: Ya—y, hiking, hiking.

104.
Masakazu: Why did you take me to this place? There are mosquitoes and filthy weeds…ah.
SFX: Basha basha
Masakazu: Filthy, filthy.
Nube: This area.
SFX: Gasa Goso
Kyouko: Wh…what are you doing, Nube: you’ve somehow taken out your crystal ball…
Nube: It is here.
Kyouko: It…?
Nube: Namu Daiji Daihi Kyuugu Kyuunan: being that is here, show yourself.

105.
(Well…it’s an Azuki-Arai…but…not evil?)

106.
Masakazu: That’s…
Nube: That’s the real Azuki-Arai. When I came here on a prior hike…I discovered it’s habitat by chance.
Masakazu: That’s a lie! It’s completely different from the Azuki-Arai I saw. That guy is a fake.
Nube: No: this youkai isn’t a bad guy from the start. What has tormented you is an illusion.

107.
SFX: Ga
Masakazu: Wh…what are you doing?
Nube: We came to an agreement: he’s going to wash your hands.
Masakazu: Stop, with that filthy old man.
Nube: Azuki-Arai’s ability is washing. But it isn’t things.
Nube: Souls…in short, he washes a person’s heart.
SFX: Shaki shaki shaki

108.
Nube: The fear of fire within your heart as well as the illusion invented by it, will be washed away.
SFX: Shuuuu…

109.
Nube: Masakazu-kun should have had the wound in his heart healed with this. It’s not a situation where the memory was erased, but the fear was erased.
Ritsuko: Masakazu-kun has greatly changed from that. Even among youkai, there are those good youkai…

110.
Commemoration of 3 years of serialization:
NUBE-SENSEI’S ACCUSATION TRIAL
Defendant: Nueno Meisuke
Nube: Me again?

(Evidence #4)
I was reading Vol. 10’s #81: “New Theory: The Tale of Priestess Happyaku” and had a question. It’s of the scene where Nube has Hayame-san get dressed in an outfit, but that outfit was somehow a sailor uniform…Where exactly did Nube obtain that uniform? Perhaps Nube likes high school girls and bought it from an unreliable store? Now that yu mention it; he’s been seeming to be keeping company with Yukime-san recently…(If she’s 16 then is she a girl’s high school student!?) Please tell me without fail!
Caption: This is the proof
Caption 2: As said, the outfit that was presented was
Caption 3: This! Where exactly did he…

Nube: Well, it’s this sort of question again…
Hayame: So, what happened? Teacher? Do you like sailor uniforms after all?
Nube: Who would!! That outfit was from when I first met you; it was what I kept in custody from you!!
Hayame: Was it?
Nube: It was! When you returned to the sea, didn’t you say to return it to the owner and leave it in my custody…? It occurred between the 3rd and 4th panel on pt. 168 of vol. 8. The manga omitted that.
Hayame: Misfortunate…but you didn’t return it to the owner. Did you ultimately want it? The sailor uniform.
Nube: Wro—ng!! After that, I became terrible at forgetting things with the power of your blood and carelessly forgot to return it!
Hayame: For the moment it meets with coherency…
Nube: It’s true! Believe me, all of you readers!

Judgment:
It was clearly spoken and it was identified from an incredibly many readers. Therefore, whatever excuse he gives, it’s guilty. We’re sorry.

TN: I didn't see any problem with Nube having that sailor fuku myself: considering the last time Hayame had it, it was bound to come in handy. But then...sometimes people do wish to clear up those types of mistakes.

As for the actual chapter...I just couldn't get into it. I mean I sort of get the chapter but...the whole presentation just felt like it was a way to further tell Ritsuko-sensei that there are good and bad youkai out there and to make some kid in her class look like a nut for a certain number of pages. I get that there are childhood traumas in lives, but I just can't see how surviving a fire would lead to an obsessive compulsion of washing hands, especially one where you imagine some imp with beans telling you over and over again to wash them when it's not the real thing. Now let me tell you that I don't usually mind the "student of the day that isn't from Nube's class" format when done right...but there are times when it's done right and there are times where it isn't. It was done right with the girl idol in vol. 3, as well as with Kazama back in vol. 8. (though in his case, it was due to Kazama's turmoil allowing for active participation of Ritsuko-sensei allowing for important character development with the whole situation that was presented) But here...it just felt so straightforward and so silly that I just sort of wished it was over and was happy that it was sort of shorter-feeling than other chapters. It felt a bit more like the one with the electric girl in vol. 12: you just don't get connected to the characters in the chapter, they're just there for Nube to solve some sort of random problem. But I guess sometimes they work...and other times you just wonder why you're seeing some imp with a basket of beans.