Marmalade Boy Volume 3, Chapter 4 pages 121-154 Written and illustrated by Yoshizumi Wataru Translation & editing by : Craig Nishida Additional translation by : Paul Hirose Yutaka Sasagawa Additional editing by: Daniel Lee Jeanne Hedge Last revision : 03-29-96 Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Please send them to: mboy-trans@soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu --------------------------------------------------- p 121 1 narration: It was at the time of our junior high entrance ceremony that I first met Meiko. narration: With good looks, and an expression that seemed like a grown-up's. narration: Among the many new students, Meiko stood out. 2 Miki: (Wow-w-w. A beautiful gir-r-rl... I wish I could become friends with such a girl...) --------------------------------------------------- p 122 --------------------------------------------------- p 123 1 narration: Because I admired Meiko at first sight... narration: When we ended up in the same class... And on top of that, when we became close enough that I could call her a great and dear friend... narration: ...I was really, really happy... 2 narration: Meiko didn't talk much about herself... But she always listened kindly to me and gave me advice. narration: And so, no matter what it was, I talked it over with Meiko, and could always turn to her. 3 --------------------------------------------------- p 124 1 narration: Meiko, who was always smiling gently and accepting me for what I was... narration: But... 2 Miki FX: Miki: I wonder if I really was just a nuisance. Was I a pest...? 3 Miki: (MEIKO...) --------------------------------------------------- p 125 1 dish/chopstick FX: Miki: Thank you for the meal... 2 Rumi: Aren't you eating any more? You hardly finished. Miki: My appetite's gone... Chiyako: Are you feeling ill? Miki: No, but... 3 Youji: You're depressed, huh. Did something happen? 4 Chiyako: If you're worrying about something, why not try and talk about it? We might be able to help... Jin: That's right. Whatever it is, talk it over with us. We worry when you're feeling down like this, Miki. 5 Miki: Everyone... Miki heart FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 126 1 Rumi: Wha-a-at?! She did it! Meiko-chan! 2 Rumi: "Natchan" is Namura-sensei, the homeroom teacher, right? He's kinda cute... That boy. Chiyako: Uh-huh. A good-looking young man, hm. Jin: Re-e-eally? He looks wimpy. Meiko-chan is too good for this guy. Rumi: That's because you're a Meiko-chan fan, Jin. caption with arrow: Group photograph taken at the school entrance ceremony. ---> 3 Rumi: How sweet... That's something I've dreamed about... The forbidden love between a teacher and student! But there wasn't a single cool-looking teacher at my school. Rumi FX: 4 Chiyako: If it were me, I'd wish for the opposite... Chiyako: To become a teacher at an all-boys school, and, with a student... 5 Rumi: Ahh, that's gre-e-eat! Rumi/Chiyako FX: Chiyako: Isn't it?! Rumi/Chiyako FX: Youji: Ohh, that reminds me... When I was in 2nd-year high, staying after school with a music teacher who was fresh out of college... Youji FX: Jin: Eh?! What, what?! What happened?! --------------------------------------------------- p 127 1 2 Rumi/Chiyako/Youji/Jin FX: Yuu: You never learn, do you... Can't you read them by now? Their thought pattern. Miki: (...... SHIT-T-T.) Miki: Shouldn't have spoken... 3 Ginta: I wonder why it's wrong. When it's a teacher and a student... 4 blonde short-haired girl: There seem to be stories that this often happens at girls schools... blonde short-haired girl: But, after all, isn't it something you keep secret while in school? Ginta: Being seen by a parent would be bad, huh. Though it wouldn't be a problem if you weren't discovered until graduation. --------------------------------------------------- p 128 1 Ginta: Miki, you went to Meiko's place yesterday, didn't you. How was she? 2 Miki heartbeat FX: Miki: Y-yeah... door FX: 3 Namura-sensei: Class is starting!! Everyone, take your seats! 4 class chairs/desks FX: class: Natchan!! 5 Namura-sensei: To tell you the truth, just now... I tendered my resignation to the principal. 6 --------------------------------------------------- p 129 1 student: Then, you're moving to another school?! Namura-sensei: No, it's not like that. 2 Namura-sensei: I've given up being a teacher... I'm heading home to Hiroshima, and I'm going to succeed my father in his real estate agency. 3 class FX: 4 Ginta chair/desk FX: Ginta: It doesn't suit you... Something like that. Don't quit, Natchan!! 5 class FX: student 1: That's right. Just because something like this... student 2: Please don't quit!! --------------------------------------------------- p 130 1 Namura-sensei: Thank you... But I've already decided. Namura-sensei: From before, it's been my parents' wish that I--the eldest son--succeed to the family business... I opposed that and became a teacher, but... With this as a start, I've finally decided. 2 Namura-sensei: I think I've put you all through a lot of trouble, and I'm really sorry. It is my regret that I can't keep an eye on you until you graduate, but... Namura-sensei: Everyone... Good luck, and do your best! 3 --------------------------------------------------- p 131 1 2 3 door FX: housekeeper: Ojousama.* <*Commentary: A title of "young lady" or "miss" with the high honorific <-sama> attached.> 4 Meiko: What is it? housekeeper: Um... I was told by Madam not to connect you... But I'm sure you'd like to talk, ojousama... 5 caption: Shin'ichi Namura Horoscope: Pisces Bloodtype: A caption: Natchan's full name is "Namura Shin'ichi"... (I decided just now.) --------------------------------------------------- p 132 1 housekeeper: It's a phone call. From Namura-sensei. 2 3 Namura: Meiko? Meiko: Sensei!! Namura: I'm glad we could talk. 4 Meiko: I'm sorry, sensei! It's my fault and... Namura: It's not your fault. *I* couldn't protect you, so... I'm sorry. 5 Namura: But your suspension will be cleared away soon. Meiko: What about you, sensei?! What was your punishment...? Namura: I've... --------------------------------------------------- p 133 1 Namura: ...quit being a teacher. I'm going home to Hiroshima and work in the family business. Namura: I leave tonight. 2 Meiko: You can't...!! No! Hiroshima--that's too far awa-a-ay! Namura: Meiko. Listen to me. 3 Namura: I was truly... In love with you. But... Namura: I can't make you happy. I don't have that power... 4 --------------------------------------------------- p 134 1 Namura: You're still a high school student, and a young lady from a very good home. There'll be many more suitors turning up now who are far more worthy than me. Meiko: SENSEI!! 2 Namura: I pray for your happiness. Namura: Farewell... 3 Meiko: Sensei!! Wait, sen-- phone receiver FX: 4 5 6 phone FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 135 1 2 3 narration: If Natchan ends up going to Hiroshima, what will become of those two? narration: A long-distance love seems awfully difficult... 4 doorbell FX: Miki: (Oh, someone's here... Well, that's okay. Yuu will get it.) narration: On top of that, I'm sure Meiko is being opposed by her folks... She said her parents are the type who worry about appearances. I hope they aren't terribly angry about her suspension... ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (5): 21-28 June '93. I went on a trip to Switzerland and Paris with my parents. The pleasurable part of the trip was, sure enough, shopping. Even so, I wasn't really hunting for brand-name stuff, but rather, I like finding all sorts of cute things at stationers, general stores, bookstores, art supply stores, post offices, supermarkets...etc, etc. <--- <--- (The real thing looks cuter.) I found them at a Swiss kiosk, and they're very lovely, so I went and bought 10 and handed them out to my friends. <--- In a Swiss art supply store. I wonder what I'll draw? This is also red ---> The color is absolutely beautiful. The upper one has sky-blue letters on a white background, the lower one has red letters on a light peppermint background. --------------------------------------------------- p 136 1 narration: I wonder... If they're going to break up... door FX: Yuu: Miki! 2 Yuu: Are you sleeping? It's a visitor! Akizuki! 3 Miki FX: 4 Miki: narration: (If it's that kind of friendship, then I don't want it.) 5 door FX: Yuu: Miki?! --------------------------------------------------- p 137 1 Yuu: Hey, Mi-- Meiko: It's okay, Matsuura-kun. 2 Meiko: Miki. You don't have to come out. Meiko: Just stay there and listen to what I have to say, please. 3 4 Yuu: Well, I'll head over th-- Meiko: It's okay. Please stay. 5 ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (6): At a Swiss post office, I bought postage stamps of beautifully illustrated animals, and boxes for mailing. There are a lot of post offices that sell stylish-looking envelopes and such, and so it was fun. Envelopes used for American express mail had marks like chocolate kisses all lined up, and were extremely cute. Even at the stationery stores, Japan has a far richer selection of beautifully-designed letter sets and stationery, but for business envelopes and notebooks, foreign ones are awfully stylish and cute. A stuffed bunny I bought in Paris. You can put your hand here and move the face and front paws. Elbe Chapellier Mini Tote Bag I bought a lot of them as souvenir gifts for friends. The illustration on Jacadi's baby cologne is cute. --------------------------------------------------- p 138 1 Meiko: The other day... I said something cruel... I'm sorry... Meiko: I was on edge... And I just took it out on you, Miki. I'm sorry... 2 3 Meiko: I met Namura-sensei in the high school library building. Meiko: It was May of our 3rd year in junior high... A Wednesday, after school... 4 --------------------------------------------------- p 139 1 Meiko: (Just as I'd thought, it's a wonderful place...) Meiko: (I'm glad I ventured in!) 2 Meiko: Ah! This out-of-print series! Meiko: Wow! Ama-a-azing! Old ones like these, too... 3 Namura-sensei: Huh? You're... Meiko FX: 4 Namura-sensei: ...a junior-high student, right? What are you doing here? 5 --------------------------------------------------- p 140 1 Meiko: I-I'm sorry! I heard that there were a lot of unusual books here, so I wanted to come in once and see... Namura-sensei: Uh-huh... Well, this is a high school facility, so it's a bad idea for other people to be here without permission. 2 Namura-sensei: Oh well, that's okay. In any case, few people use it... So I'll keep it a secret. Meiko: Thank you! 3 Meiko: Excuse me... Meiko: Are you a college student? 4 5 Namura-sensei: ... Actually, I'm a teacher... book: English I English Department--Namura Meiko: HUH?! Oh no! I'm sorry!! 6 Namura-sensei: Namura-sensei: I've only been out in the real world since April... So my student looks aren't gone yet, huh. --------------------------------------------------- p 141 1 narration: I thought... narration: ...his smiling face was utterly sweet. 2 narration: I heard that sensei usually prepared his lessons Wednesday afternoons in the library, and I went to visit every week. narration: I used the excuse that "I want to read books," but my real aim was sensei. 3 Namura-sensei: Carson McCullers? Huhhh. You like refined writers, don't you. Namura-sensei: I just know the name. Namura-sensei: What is it about her that you find interesting? 4 Meiko: Huh? Let's see... Umm... 5 Meiko: I'm sorry... Actually, I haven't read her. Meiko FX: Meiko: The one I like is Salinger. So commonplace, right? --------------------------------------------------- p 142 1 Namura-sensei: Ha ha... Namura-sensei: Ohh, I see. Namura-sensei: You don't have to think he's commonplace. Since it's a good work, he's popular. 2 narration: Each time I saw him, I got to like him more and more... narration: And each week I waited eagerly for Wednesday. 3 narration: But, one day... book FX: Namura-sensei: Hey! 4 Namura-sensei: Don't look at someone's notebook without their permission! Namura-sensei: Just because it was lying around. 5 Meiko: I-- Meiko: I'm sorry... 6 Namura-sensei: Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell... Namura-sensei: It's something private, so I was a little embarrassed . 7 narration: That following week... narration: ...sensei didn't come at the usual time. --------------------------------------------------- p 143 1 narration: I was hated, because I did something like that. narration: I can never get him to see me again. 2 narration: Never again... 3 Namura-sensei: Meiko? Were you still here? 4 5 Namura-sensei: There was an emergency faculty meeting, so I'm late... Namura-sensei: What is it? What's the matter?! ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (7): On July 20-22, 1993, I went to Hokkaido with Yazawa Ai. It was our goal to see the lavender plants of Furano. 7/20 (Tue.) Both of us work till the last minute, so we collapse in Haneda. We eat lunch in the train car from Chitose ---> Sapporo. (The "salmon and salmon roe rice" box lunch at the station that was praised to the skies by Ribbon editorial staffer, Miss U.) was extremely delicious. The two of us are excited, "To think that even the salmon roe inside an ordinary station box lunch is delicious--indeed, Hokkaido is different." Arriving in Sapporo, we go to the hotel after we ate corn-on-the-cob in the central park. We got tired and end up falling asleep. In the evening, we call up Takada Emi-chan and the three of us go to a sushi bar. The appears, and comes in what seems to be a sherbet glass, and we're impressed. caption with arrow pointing at sherbet glass: <--- Like this. is sea urchin roe.> --------------------------------------------------- p 144 1 Meiko: I love you, sensei. 2 3 Meiko: I love you... 4 5 Namura-sensei hug FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 145 1 Namura-sensei: ...... Meiko, how old are you again? 2 Meiko: F-fifteen... 3 Namura-sensei: 8 years difference, huh... Namura-sensei: What can I do... I wonder if I have a Lolita complex? 4 ] Meiko FX: Namura-sensei: This is no laughing matter. 5 Meiko: I'll be a grown-up soon... Meiko: So please wait for me... --------------------------------------------------- p 146 1 Meiko: I kept silent about it until now, and I'm sorry. Meiko: It's not that I don't trust you, or don't think you're important, Miki. 2 Meiko: But, to completely reveal what's in my heart to a friend that I like, no matter how much... ...is something I can't do. Meiko: Though even I'm not too fond myself of a trait like this, either. 3 Meiko: Perhaps... I was scared that if you knew about this confused and ugly part at the core of my heart, Miki, that maybe you wouldn't like me... 4 Meiko: But you aren't like me, Miki, and you talked to me about anything, without a care. Meiko: That made me awfully happy. --------------------------------------------------- p 147 1 Meiko: I really like you a lot, Miki. Meiko: Please believe me. 2 --------------------------------------------------- p 148 1 Yuu: I'll walk you to the station. Meiko: It's all right. I have the taxi waiting. 2 Meiko: Matsuura-kun... Meiko: Take care of Miki, 'kay. 3 Yuu: Wha...! 4 Yuu: Hey! AKIZUKI...?! taxi FX: taxi signs: ...Taxi Radio Number 282 5 --------------------------------------------------- p 149 1 door FX: Yuu: MIKI! 2 3 Miki FX: Miki: Wha-a-at? Coming in someone's room without asking... Yuu: Don't be such a crybaby! We're going after Akizuki!! She's at Tokyo Station! Miki: Huh...? 4 Yuu: Maybe she... Plans to elope with Natchan. 5 6 Miki: I-- I... Can't go. --------------------------------------------------- p 150 1 Yuu: WHY NOT?! Miki: Because Meiko said she doesn't need me... Yuu: Wasn't she saying just now that it's not like that?!! 2 Miki: Th-- That's not i-i-it. That was... ...because Meiko's nice. She only said that to me because she saw that my feelings were hurt... Miki: Meiko doesn't need me at all... 3 Yuu: DUMMY! You've been close friends ever since 1st year junior high, haven't you? Yuu: How could you two have been so close if she didn't need you? Have more confidence in yourself! 4 Yuu: Is it all right if you can't ever see her again?! --------------------------------------------------- p 151 1 Miki: N-- No-o-o. Miki tears FX: Yuu: Ah, c'mon... I said don't be a crybaby. Miki: Y-Yuu, you'll also... Yuu: ...come along! 2 Yuu: Let's hurry! 'Kay?! 3 Miki: ...... Uh-huh...! 4 --------------------------------------------------- p 152 1 Meiko: I came... Meiko: I left secretly, so I couldn't take much luggage... 2 Meiko: But I'm glad I was able to meet you. I didn't know what time your bullet train was leaving. 3 Meiko: I was thinking, "what'll I do if I can't meet...?" 4 --------------------------------------------------- p 153 1 Meiko: I can't just say goodbye. 2 Meiko: Take me with you, too... PLEASE!! 3 --------------------------------------------------- p 154 1 Namura: MEIKO! 2 --------------------------------------------------- -------------------End of Chapter------------------ --------------------------------------------------- Scorecard: Miki <---> Yuu ^ ^ | | v | Ginta (-?-) Arimi Meiko <---> Natchan ^ | | Tsutomu Rumi <---> Youji ^ ^ | | v v Jin <---> Chiyako ---------------------------------------------------