Hell Teacher Nube 187

Beauty, wealth, success: there are many desires that one may wish to obtain...but to do so, a price must be paid. For a young actress whose fortunes are on the decline, they all may be tied to a peculiar youkai she once knew...

#187: Ryuuguu Douji
(AKA: Long Cung Dong Tu)

28.
SFX: Pasha
SFX: Pasha
Photographer: Hm~~m
Photographer: Um~~~can’t you show your t*ts much more, Ochime-chan? Since this is a photo album that won’t seem to sell under normal circumstances…

29.
Yuuko: I am not Ochime! Ochibe Yuuko!!
(TN: There is a slightly crucial pun regarding the “naming” of the female lead in this chapter: her name is “Ochibe”, which is actually close to “Ochime”, a term that literally translates into “a decline in one’s fortunes”…and considering that she has fallen to the point of nude photos, you can sort of see that she has hit quite a fall)
SFX: Poro
Yuuko: Really! I’m not doing this work, manager! Why must a great actress like me pose nude?
Manager: You are quite right; however, well, Ochime-chan.
Yuuko: I’m Ochibe!
Manager: This is a bother~~doesn’t a girl like her understand her own situation--? She did once have five regular programs but…now they’re not even calling her for the late night shows. What a decline.

30.
Yuuko: Why? Why has it come to this? I was in great demand on TV and magazines until quite recently and yet
Sign: “Even Ochibe has one”
Yuuko: That day…if it was just him…just him……
Sign: Doumori Elementary
Yuuko: Are you Nueno-sensei? I’ve heard rumors. You’re a specialist in youkai and spirits…
Sign: Principal’s Office

31.
Yuuko: In truth…I want to look for a youkai.
Nube: Eh?
Miki: Do you know who that is? She appeared on a drama before! She hasn’t appeared recently. She’s not popular.
Kyouko: Her name truly was, u—m, Okame…
(TN: Another weird pun regarding Ochibe’s name due to being mispronounced: “Okame” is “to be looked on by an outsider” or just “outsider” or “bystander”, who is what Kyouko and Miki are currently doing)
SFX: Piku
Yuuko: My name is Ochime! No it isn’t: Ochibe Yuuko!
SFX: Kuwa
Yuuko: Right, you want the autograph of a great actress. So, that’s fine.
SFX: Guri guri
Foreheads: Ochibe
Nube: So? What were you saying about searching for a youkai?
Yuuko: Well, actually.
SFX: Kaki kaki (write write)

32.
Yuuko: It was…when I was still in grade school…
Bully: He—y, dullard—simpleton—
Yuuko: I at the time was ugly and clumsy, to the extent that it can’t be compared to now……
Bully: What—did you do? You broke all the pots for the morning glories—clumsy, stupid, blockhead.
(TN: The “morning glories” mentioned here refers to “Asagao”, which is Japanese for the species of “Ipomoea nil”, also known as the “Japanese Morning Glory” or the “Ivy Morning glory”)
Yuuko: I…I’m sorry…
Bully: As punishment, you’re standing on the morning-assembly stand stark naked.
(TN: The “Morning Assembly Stand” or “Choureidai”, is a stand usually used at schools or companies where one stands on top of to be higher than their fellow workers and give the announcements of the morning)
Yuuko: Stop it~~
Bully 2: Keke, no one will be delighted—even if they see the nude of this ugly—

33.
“Voice”: Stop! What are you doing to that girl?
“Voice”: Are you alright?
SFX: Wa~~hi~~
Yuuko: He was…surely like a prince riding on a white horse.

34.
Douji: I’m Ryuuguu Douji. Nice to meet you.
(TN: We’re going to find more about Ryuuguu Douji later in the Supplemental, but his name literally translates into “boy of the Dragon King’s Palace”, with “Ryuuguu” referring slightly to the palace that is best known in the legend of Urashima-taro, where he stayed for 3 days their time but 300 years in the time of the real world)
Nube: Hoo…Ryuuguu Douji…
Yuuko: Ara…you know of him after all.
Yuuko: From then on, I became friends with the mysterious handsome youth. I didn’t even know where he lived but
Yuuko: Douji would always wait at the school gate.
Yuuko: I who was a mass of complexes with being ugly and clumsy, almost didn’t have any friends…but Douji was extremely kind to that me. Before I knew it, we had become like we were embracing the faint awakening of love mutually…

35.
Nube: Ke! What’s with the lovey-dovey? Really. (Don’t do that—)
(TN: “Lovey-dovey” here was the best translation I could give of “noroke”, a term of “speaking fondly for a loved one”)
Kyouko: Nube, it’s a tale of when she was in grade school.
Yuuko: From here is the strange part.
(TN: Yuuko actually says “fushigi na hanashi” or “the strange tale”, but since it’s the same tale, I made it “the strange part”)
Yuuko: It was about a half year since I met Douji…
SFX: Gusun gusun
Douji: What’s wrong?
Yuuko: Douji-kun has been kind but…the boys in the class have been teasing me as ugly freckles.
Douji: What, it’s about that? Come to my side for a bit.
Yuuko: Eh?
SFX: Doki
SFX: Katsu

36.
Yuuko: !
Yuuko: My freckles have…disappeared…
Douji: It’s my youryoku. I have the power to grant people’s wishes and make them happy.
Yuuko: Amazing! Douji-kun! Bring much, much more happiness to me! And then get married to me!!
Douji: Re…really?

37.
Yuuko: From then on, I made requests to Douji and my various wishes were granted.
Yuuko: I became smarter and passed into a first-class middle-school…
Yuuko: I improved my reflexes and appeared even in the national track-and-field meet.
Yuuko: I was grateful to Douji; even if he was a youkai, I truly planned to marry him. However…
Douji: Hey, Yuuko-chan, where are we going today?
Middle-School Girls: Giggle giggle…eww~~what is that guy…

38.
Yuuko: Douji-kun…you’ve been dirty lately. Clean yourself much more, it’s embarrassing!
Douji: I…I’m sorry…
SFX: Gusugusu
Yuuko: Huh…Douji-kun has that weird face…
Douji: Let’s go to the game center in the next town.
Yuuko: Time came to pass and it became much more serious. I was certain he was a youkai who became ugly as he grew up.
Sign: Umino Senior High School
(TN: There is no real “Umino” anywhere in Japan, but it does literally translate into “Sea Plain”)
Boy: She’s so pretty~~Ochibe-san took first place in a beautiful girl contest.
Girl: Her results are always the top; I’m envious~~
Douji: Hey, where are we going today?
Girl: But her boyfriend is that~~~ (Kusu kusu…ahaha…)

39.
Yuuko: Even so, I kept company with Douji and he granted my wish: I became an actress of my heart’s desire…
SFX: Pachi pachi pachi
Yuuko: Afterwards, I was greatly active in movies and dramas with Douji’s power.
Sign: MHK Streaming Drama: Hell Teacher Nu
(TN: Um…yeah…)
Yuuko: However…we finally came to the limit…
Newspaper Headline: Actress Ochibe Yuuko Detected in a Passionate Love with a Super-Ugly Man!?
Yuuko: …Hey…Douji-kun…
Douji: Yes?
SFX: Gehi gehi
Yuuko: I think it’s best that we shouldn’t meet anymore. We can’t keep company at any time anywhere.
SFX: Kusu kusu…
Douji: Wh…what are you saying?

40.
Douji: Wait! You were going to marry me…
Yuuko: You’ve become so dirty that it isn’t a joke, I can’t kid around with that! Don’t come near me!
Douji: Ah.
Yuuko: Farewell.
Douji: Uaaa~~~
Yuuko: That was the end. At that limit…I haven’t met with Douji…
Yuuko: However, it’s come that it hasn’t gone well in whatever I do after that. I don’t want to believe it, but ultimately Douji’s power was great. I’ve come to not have work now…I’ve been dealing with having to do nude gravure…
Yuuko: Please, teacher, find Douji! I want to have a comeback in the seat of a star once again!

41.
Yuuko: Teacher!
Nube: …………
SFX: Bashi
Yuuko: !?
Nube: What are you doing…you’ve spoiled Douji’s whole life.
Yuuko: But, he’s a youkai…further, that dirtiness and ugliness…I couldn’t endure it.
Nube: Why has Ryuuguu Douji become ugly…read this.
Book: Youkai Encyclopedia
Yuuko: Ryuuguu Douji: at first, he appears in the form of a beautiful boy in front of a person. And then, he grants that person’s wishes and makes them happy. However, every time he himself grants a wish, the youryoku which is his life whittles away and he becomes ugly. And thus, Douji, which becomes ugly, is driven away by that person. Douji, which has lost his youryoku, dies before long…

42.
Nube: Do you understand? Douji granted many of your wishes and became ugly. It’s all the fault of your greed.
Yuuko: That’s…
Nube: ……It’s there.
Yuuko: !!

43.
Chef: Filthy, don’t come in here, shoo shoo!
SFX: Doka gara gara
Yuuko: Dou…ji-kun…
SFX: Da
Yuuko: I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Douji-kun! It’s my fault…my fault!
Douji: Auu…
Yuuko: Teacher! Please, save Douji-kun!
Nube: It’s too late…he doesn’t really have youryoku left anymore. This is Ryuuguu Douji’s fate…
Yuuko: Noooo~~
SFX: Shuuu

44.
Yuuko: God…! I…don’t want anything. Beauty, fame, money…return it all to Douji-kun! Therefore…therefore…!!
SFX: Paaa
Nube: Huh? Ryuuguu Douji’s youki is rising…!
Douji: Yuuko-chan.

45.
Yuuko: D…Douji-kun…th…that’s…?
Douji: You dummy…I’m glad if you’re happy and yet
Yuuko: Yes…this is my happiness.
Nube: Oh brother.
Kyouko: They’re burning up—really.

46.
Nube-sensei’s
(Useless) SUPPLEMENTAL EXPLANATION

#27: Ryuuguu Douji

The tale of Ryuuguu Douji is handed down to the present in the legend of “The Snot-Nosed Kid”. It’s a bit different in its establishment from this chapter, but I’ll introduce it.

Long ago, there was a poor flower-vending man. He peddled flowers during the day and when he had flowers that were unsold, he would dump them into the river and they were given to the god of Ryuuguu (The Dragon Palace) which was at the bottom of the river.

One day, when he was dumping flowers into the river on his way home from work like always, a beautiful goddess appeared from within the water and spoke to the flower vendor.

“Thank you for always giving pretty flowers. In thanks, I give you this child.”

And thus, the boy he was given was a dirty child from seeing how he wore rags and snot dribbling down, but the flower-vendor man raised him valuably.

And thus one day, the man casually muttered “I’m getting up there in age and want a bride.” The boy, who heard that, loosely slurped the snot one time. Upon doing so, a beautiful woman appeared and said please make me your bride.

From then on, whenever the man said he wanted something, the boy would wipe the snot away and grant the wish. An imposing palace, treasures of gold and silver. As such the flower-selling man became the greatest millionaire in town before he knew it and in a little while lived happily, but the dirtiness of the snot-nosed kid became an eyesore. Even when he said “make yourself much cleaner” or “wear nice clothing”, he wouldn’t hear what was said at all. Before long, the man couldn’t bare with it any further.

“I don’t want to see the face of a dirty brat like you. Go disappear to somewhere!” he burst out. With a slightly sad face, the boy loosely and greatly slurped his snot one time. At that moment, the palace and treasures all disappeared and the man sat dumbfounded all alone in his seedy miserable shack as long ago.

TN: First of all, a little bit of music to lighten the mood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzica7fUTys (Trust me, I was really seriously thinking of using this song back when Izuna did her Kenshin impression back in vol. 19, but I think it fits better now than it did then...)

Second: for those keeping track, this is finally the "Long Cung Dong Tu" chapter I keep mentioning over and over, like back when we hit the number but not the chapter itself in vol. 17. I don't know how it matches up compared to what is already scanslated but that's for you to know if you are willing to read both.

As for the chapter itself...I've got to ask this obvious question: since when are freckles ugly? I get that Yuuko didn't think they looked pretty on her as a little girl, but they gave her character...heck, when she regained them after restoring Douji at the end, she became even cuter still! Yeah her best appearance was when we saw her in high school but think of her with those freckles then...come on, she wouldn't have been that bad looking, would she? I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder but considering she was a little girl when she had those problems, she wouldn't have known or understood how to manage her possible beauty and just ended up as she was when she met Douji. She probably just needed better friends to have better self-esteem...considering that the whole scenario mutated into a weird fusion of "Cinderella", the old "Fisherman and his Wife" folktale, and "The Picture of Dorian Gray". (well...OK, the last one was a stretch but the aspect of Douji getting uglier and more horrific with each wish made and with Yuuko becoming less humble and more arrogant with her fame...it just gave me a feel of that story as if Douji's own decrepitness reflected how horrible her heart was becoming...though it really doesn't work because she still was somewhat the same but just let the fame and money get to her head as opposed to the promise she made) All in all this was a good chapter...maybe some could say it reflected "that community" with aspects of age progression of Yuuko, but that is more or less due to growing up with the whole connection with Douji behind her being happy with how she was becoming even as he himself became...well, that. (I didn't think he looked that bad as a monster...better than as a bishonen, that's for sure but sometimes I just see faults and weirdness in looks as more interesting than some stupid pretty boy...) Though...you do sort of wonder what would have happened to Yuuko growing up if Douji wasn't around...sure she wouldn't have been a star but...