Dai Tokyo Binbo Seikatsu Manuaru 84

Translator’s Note: Mochi is a traditional Japanese sweet made of pounded rice dough.

P.1
[]: I wasn’t home for New Years, so on the way to getting some tobacco I picked up the mochi they sent.
Ronin: Happy New Year!
Ronin: Nowhere to go huh...I didn’t go home for New Years either.
Kosuke: Oh, so that means you didn’t get any mochi! I have some here.

P.2
Translator’s Note: “Ronin” refers to one who has failed their college entrance exam.
[]: I met this Ronin at a Ramen shop. This year will make his 5th year trying to get into college.
Ronin: Hyah, I didn’t think I’d be getting mochi this year...I’m over this way.
Kosuke: Wow, Thomas Mann! You have a lot of literature.
Ronin: I’d actually love to study literature, but I’m from a family of doctors...but I’m really bad at math...
Kosuke: Hey...isn’t this X3, not X2?
Ronin: Huh?!
Ronin: Oh, you’re right!! I see now...
Ronin: Man, this year looks bad too...

P.3
[]: He put the fried mochi into a Cup Noodle, and treated us to some “Power Soba.”
Ronin: I thought I just did badly on test days, but I guess I’m just always bad at this stuff...
Kosuke: Oh, come on now...
Ronin: I see, put X in number 3...
Ronin: Oh, I bet it’s ready.
Ronin: You want that book? I have another copy back home.
Kosuke: Ah, really?
Ronin: Hey, it’s New Years...

P.4
Ronin: I did it!!
Ronin: Kosuke, I got it, I did that problem!
Ronin: I wonder if the Power Noodles helped...
[]: They say leftovers bring luck. Maybe our leftover New Years celebration brought us luck too.