Mintna Bokura (We are Mint) Chapter 4 [Version: Jan'97] Translation by Dimitri Ashling All rights held by the authoress, Wataru Yoshizumi. Special thanks again to Masatomo (for checking my translations), and Karen Duffy (for showing me this story in the 1st place) Prelude (Pretty picture of Sasa and Noeru together) Noeru: Sasa. Sasa: Noeru. Kanako: They've started calling each other by their first names, looks like they're really in love. Couples rarely stay together all the time. At school, everyone usually hangs out with their own gender. Maria: Who cares.. Page 1 (Girl's dorm, Noeru smiling) Noeru: Whether I have a friend or not makes all the difference in the world to my feelings. I even feel ready to do this disgusting homework. Page 2 At my last school, I naturally had lots of friends, but... this time, I realized having a friend is important. So.. Let's do math homework! That's odd, where'd my pencil go? (I wonder if it fell under the desk) Yep, there it is. (Sees something in the light) A cockroach!! Page 3 Oh, it's dead.. it's just that it was under the light. Oh, that scared me. Maybe I should clean more often.. (Noeru looking around, sees Miyu sitting) (And gets an idea) Page 4 Sneak, sneak, sneak. Put. (Muffled laughing) This'll surprise Makimura-san, even though she's usually pretty cold. I'll see when she gets upset. (Talking): Say, Makimura-san, what's that on your right shoulder? (Thinking): Just kidding. Miyu: Yeah.. (sees the bug) Page 5 EEEK!! Girl 1: What was that!? Girl 2: Who screamed!? (Arrow pointing to Noeru: Really shocked) Miyu: EEEK! Get it off me! Get it off me!! Page 6 Noeru: (Actions w/sound FX): Grab. Open window. Throw it out the window. (Talking): It's off. I took it off and threw it out the window. Calm down! (Knock Knock) Sensei: Makimura-san, Minamino-san!! What's wrong!? Noeru(thinking): Oh no. It's a teacher from the dorm's staff. (talking): Sorry, we just had a cockroach in here. Sensei: I see.. Noeru: We're OK now. I got rid of it. Sorry for the racket. (Shuts the door) Page 7 (Miyu's crying with pastels in the background) Noeru(thinking): Oh no, she's crying! U.. um, Makimura-san, I... Miyu (w/pastels): Thank you.. (2 daggers & an arrow pierce Noeru's poor little heart) Page 8 I know, we'll feel better if we have something to drink. I bought some sodas at the store and put them in the fridge. I'll be back in a sec! (Everyone shares the refigerator in the floor's lounge.) Looks like it was a little too much for her. I just meant to frighten her a little. I didn't think a cockroach would make her cry. Page 9 Girls get scared so easily.. Miyu: I can't stand bugs. Even saying their name's disgusting! Oh, I wish they'd all just disappear. Noeru(thinking): I'm sorry, Makimura-san!! I'll surely make it up to you someday!! Somehow!! Miyu: Minamino-san, you're fine with bugs? That's great. Page 10 Noeru: I've got no problem with bugs, but I can't stand snakes!! Miyu: Snakes? I've never seen wild snakes, so it doesn't ring a bell.. Noeru: Back in 3rd grade in elementary, my class went on a field trip and I saw a big one curled up. Since then, it doesn't matter if it's real, in a photo, or on TV. They're disgusting! Miyu: Is that so. Noeru: Oh, she smiled... Page 11 (talking): This is the first time I've seen you smile! Miyu: Really? Noeru: Yeah! It's the first time we've chatted more than necessary since we met, too. Miyu: Sorry.. I'm a little shy. I need time to get to know people.. So, at this school I don't have any friends. I like being alone, so that's been all right, but... Noeru: Do you like being alone? Miyu: Yes, kind of. Noeru: But friends are precious! I just realized that recently. Page 12 We're roommates, so we're getting used to each other. From now on, let's get along better. Maria's called Minamino-san, too. Since that's confusing, call me Noeru. And I'll call you Miyu. Miyu: Sure! Noeru: Ah. She smiled again. So that's it. She was just feeling a little shy. After talking to her, she seems like an ordinary girl. What a relief.. Page 13 (Noeru talking to Sasa) Since then, I've been talking more with Miyu, little by little. She still doesn't smile much, but... Oh! A game center. Sasa, let's go get a Printclub photo! (Printclub is popular with girls in Japan, it takes a picture w/a choice of different frames (or backgrounds), and gives you a set of photo stickers) Sasa: I've never done this before.. Noeru: Oh, really? Maria and I have done this lots of times. It's lots of fun. Say, which frame should we use? Sasa: I don't know. Anything's OK with me. Page 14 Noeru: Sasa, bend in a little. If you don't get a little closer, your face'll be cut! Don't look at my face, look at the middle of the screen. Hey, Sasa, hurry up! Look at the middle of the screen.. (The Kiss) Page 15 What the hell are you doing? (Noeru on the floor, with a VERY shocked look on his face) Sasa: No.. Noeru (What a figure!) Sorry for being so sudden. I didn't mean to, but your face was so close.. Noeru: Huh? Page 16 Sasa: Don't be surprised. You must know that I love you. Noeru (thinking): Love... love... That's OK, I love you too, but that's... That's...!! Page 17 Maria: What!? Then you ran home!? That's why I told you this was a bad idea... Noeru: What I didn't hear anything like that!! In here, I've always been a guy. I've been wearing a girl's costume, but it took a guy to tell me what that means. I never thought someone would fall in love with me. Page 18 Oh, what I am going to do!! Maria: Noeru... (Heh.) Noeru: You laughed!! Just now, you were laughing!! Maria: Sorry, didn't mean it. I'm sorry for what Sasa did to you. Up 'til now, from your attitude, I think he thought you wanted the same thing. I wonder if you hurt his feelings. Page 19 Noeru: Oh, what the hell should I do!! Maria: Not a thing you can do. (Arrow: Hey) Anyway, you've got to apologize to Sasa. You've never ran away from him before. You shouldn't just go away, because now you're a girl. You have to realize that. Noeru: Yeah... Maria: So why don't ask him to keep seeing each other as friends? Noeru: Yeah... Sasa. I wonder if we'll still be friends.. Page 20 (Noeru and Sasa looking at each other outside) Noeru: I ran because I can't see being your girlfriend. From now on, let's be friends again... Page 21 Sasa: You say I'm just a friend, but I wonder if I'm not good enough to be your boyfriend.. Noeru: NO! I like you a lot! It's just I don't want a guy as more than a friend.. Sasa: You mean you're not interested in guys? Until meeting you, I was that way too, but.. It seems like you're the only girl who can talk with me. My weakness is the way girls are. You're not like that at all.. Noeru(thinking): THAT"S BECAUSE I'M A GUY! ...but that might be a shock. Page 22 Sasa: Because of that, I'd like to date you. Noeru: I want to do things with you, too! As friends.. Sasa: If you love me, why do we have to stay friends? Noeru: Tha..that's.. Sasa: I really don't understand you. Page 23 (Noeru looking very sad) (Sasa and Noeru eating) Classmate 1: Noeru and Sasa aren't eating together! Classmate 2: Did they fight? I wonder if they've broken up. Kanako: Oh dear... Page 24 Maria (thinking): I guess it didn't go well. I can't help them much. Since talking with Sasa, Noeru has looked like he's feeling fine, but.. I can't do anything. (Noeru sitting and reading a book in his room) Page 25 (Noeru daydreaming) Sasa: Anyway, if that's what you say. From now on, we're just going to be ordinary classmates. Noeru: Ordinary... Can't we still be friends? Weren't we always friends together? Page 26 Sasa: You refused me, that's too much. See ya. (Noeru throws his book against the wall) Noeru: NO WAY. I don't want it to all to be for nothing. He's a friend. To just go our separate ways.. Page 27 NO WAY IN HELL!! Noeru: Sasa. I need to talk to you. Give me a little time after school. Sasa: But... Noeru: I beg you!! Page 28 Sasa: ..We'll be in trouble. When a guy goes into the girls' dorm, he needs to get permission first. For now.. !? (Sees Noeru undressing) Page 29 Wait, Noeru. Why so suddenly.. Sto..stop. STOP. I'd rather wait to see that. (Looks on the ground and sees the wig) ..? (A wig..?) Noeru: Sasa. Page 30 Sorry for deceiving you. I'm a guy. (Sasa with the blankest stare I've ever seen) Page 31 Noeru: So, that's it. Your stare's saying "No way". Just kidding.... (Sasa faints) Oh, Sasa!! Pull yourself together! Wake up..!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coments, corrections and suggestions are welcome, contact Dimitri Ashling at: pokota@teleport.com Find more Mintna Bokura translations at: http://www.swb.de/~zahara/yo/yo.html Thank-you! ^^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------