20 Mar 92 Ranma 1/2 Volume 21, Part 7 (Shonen Sunday #15 1992): HATUKOI chiaga-ru (First love cheergirl) Original story Copyright (C) 1992 Takahashi Rumiko/Shogakukan This English translation Copyright (C) 1992 Goddess Studio Translation by Iain Sinclair (axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au) Thanks to T. Wada (tsw4@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu) and Patrick Yip (AWOL). Starting from this story, the little SS character profiles down the sides of the page have changed (hey, some people DIE for this kind of trivia :-) This translation was on the net the day after it hit the stores in Japan, leading to complaints from certain Tokyo University students... I've kept all the romaji in this story -- the strange romanizations are Takahashi's own. Surnames are first. ============================================================================= (Ranma and his schoolmates are lounging around during a break in class.) Hiroshi: Ranma, let's go and see the girls' interschool volleyball match. Akane's on the team, y' know. Ranma (munching some nuts): How uninteresting. Still, we'll definitely win if Akane's playing. Hiroshi: Why don't you just admit that you want to see Akane wearing those tight shorts? Ranma: You're the ones who want to see it. (some of the girls in Ranma's class rush in.) Girls: Hey, something weird happened! The volleyball team has been brought down! Ranma: Hn? ------------------------ (Akane's teammates lie collapsed on her side of the volleyball court.) Akane: Hahh, haah, haah... haah... Hiroshi: What on earth happened? Daisuke: Akane is the only one left standing! ------------------------ Hiroshi: Surely the opposing team can't be that strong?! Girl: And volleyball isn't that big a deal... (The opposing team serves. Akane dives to hit the ball.) Seisyun team: Here. Akane: ugh... (Something spins towards Akane at incredible speed. Ranma flicks a nut at it, knocking it away. It flies back towards a shadowy figure in the viewing court, who skilfully grabs it. It is Mariko, a dainty, short-haired girl in a cheerleaders' outfit with a cursive "Seisyun" emblazoned on it. She looks a little like Shiratori Azusa.) Cheergirls: One more to go! One more to go! Mariko: Ohohohoho, you avoided that well. Cheergirls: S-E-I-S-Y-U-N Seisyun! ----------------------- Hiroshi: Oh, cuute! Daisuke: Ch, cheergirls... Girls: What are you doing, talking about such frivolities! Everyone in our volleyball team... ...was knocked down by that girl's baton!! Akane: huh... ------------------------ (Akane leaps to the viewing court, next to Mariko.) Just a minute, you! What was it you did just then! Mariko: O-H-E-N ohen [cheering]! I'm cheering. Akane: Do you think that we would be be beaten by this cheap trick, huh!? Mariko: Oh, the leader! Cheergirls: GO GO Seisyun! (Meanwhile, the Seisyun team is lobbing volleyballs into the home side.) Seisyun team: Take this... and this... ------------------------ Announcer: Game, set... 15 points to nil, Seisyun School Campus is triumphant! Akane: Eh..? Cheergirls: Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa! Girls: Hey, I've seen those cheerleaders somewhere before... That's right... now I remember... Announcer?: Seisyun School's goddess of victory, whose cheering girls ensure that we never lose, indomitable Mariko of the Seisyun School's cheerleading martial arts club!! Mariko: kya, I'm super-famous. Daisuke: Cheerleading martial arts...? ------------------------ (After the match, Akane and her teammates are recovering.) Akane: sob, sob, sob... ...t-terrible... Akane's teammate: Please, Akane... don't cry now. Akane: No, no.. >sob< Akane's friend: Come on Ranma, try to console her. Ranma: Uh? Akane's friend [tearfully): Hold her shoulder tenderly, say that she can cry on your chest... Ranma: I'm not doing anything like that!! (DON! Kunou appears out of nowhere.) Kunou: Tendou Akane, you can cry on my chest. (Ranma angrily kicks Kunou into the clouds.) ------------------------ (The Seisyun School Campus girls leave Fuurinkan H.S.) Girls: What's up, leader Mariko-san. Mariko: Hmmm, *sigh*... Teacher: Girls, she's always so blue after the game. Cheergirls: Oh, my. Really? Mariko: Seisyun's cheer-led victories... they are Mariko's S-A-D-A-M-E sadame [destiny]. But there is one thing missing from my youthful days. ------------------------ Mariko: It is love!! Aah, dear god... Mariko wants a special love. (Tatewaki comes flying down and crashes headfirst into Mariko.) Cheergirls: kyaaaaa, Mariko-san! Kunou: Oh-oh, a lump... (He sticks a plaster on Mariko's lump.) This is... ------------------------ my rudeness. Mariko: E, Excuse me... before you go, what is your name... Kunou: Two-year 'E' team Supreme Commander of the Fuurinkan Highschool kendo club, Kunou Tatewaki. (Tatewaki walks away.) Mariko: K-U-N-O Kunou-sama... This is the first time in my life that I received such kindness from a man. Cheergirls: H-A-T-U-K-O-I hatukoi [first love)! ------------------------ (Ranma-chan is running down a rain-soaked street.) Caption: Next morning Ranma-chan: Dammit, what a time for it to start coming down... (Tatewaki suddenly embraces Ranma-chan...) Kunou: I've been waiting to meet you, pony-tailed girl!! (Ranma-chan belts Tatewaki away.) Ranma-chan: You pick the goddamn times! (Tatewaki rushes back.) Kunou: I have something to say. ------------------------ Kunou: We, the kendo team, will go to the interschool match next week. Naturally, the pony-tailed girl will come to cheer for us. Ranma-chan: I don't think so. Ha! (Batons fly towards Ranma-chan, who shoves Tatewaki in their path.) Ranma-chan: Who is it!? ------------------------ Mariko: Kunou-sama's cheer squad, led by M-A-R-I-K-O me! Kendo team: Wa, Cheergirls! Cheergirls: Kya, kendo club! Ranma-chan (thinks): That one... is the girl who made Akane cry yesterday... Mariko (to Ranma-chan): And what is your relation to Kunou-sama? Kunou: A lover. Ranma-chan (elbowing Tatewaki): Be silent, jerk. ------------------------ Ranma-chan [to Mariko): So, what's wrong if I cheer for Kunou? Mariko: Humph... Since yesterday, you and I are mutual enemies... Ranma-chan: Ahh, I see. Oi, Kunou, I'll cheer for you. (Tatewaki hugs Ranma-chan's leg. Ranma-chan beats Tatewaki's head into the ground, and Mariko throws a pom-pom into the air.) ------------------------ Mariko: V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! (Her batons tear the pom-pom to tiny shreds, which land in the shape of a 'V' on the ground.) Mariko: The 'V' sign of victory. Ranma-chan: And that style is!? Mariko: Cheerleading martial arts, of course. (Akane is hiding behind a lamppost, and Ranma-chan is beating off Tatewaki...) Akane (thinking): Will Ranma be able to beat that girl? Kunou: I'm so glad, pony-tailed girl, that you're doing this just for me! Ranma-chan: T-I-G-A-U tigau!! [You're wrong!!]