Suki. Dakara Suki Chapter 1 Manga by CLAMP Translation by Kristin [not for profit!] Key: () = hand-written text (not printed) ** = action/description [] = clarification {} = editorial comments pg. 2-3 Picture: Hina in pajamas, surrounded by teddy bears. pg. 4 [Narration.] To "like." To "like" something. To "like" someone. What does it mean to "like"? pg. 5 Nighttime. Snow is falling. A sliding door to the balcony of a large, modern house opens. Hina: Wowww. It really is snowing. A girl with short, dark, tousled hair steps out onto the balcony. She is cute in the way a small child is cute, and is holding a dark-colored teddy bear. Hina: I thought it'd be cold! pg. 6 She looks downward. Hina: The snow's already piling up next door! Her puffs of breath cloud the winter air. Hina: It's really nice, isn't it, the house next door. Nobody's lived there for a long time. She smiles wistfully down at the house, which appears to be in traditional Japanese style. Hina: It is nice. I wanna live in a house like that. Startled, she notices that the porch light is on next door. pg. 7 Hina: (Huh?) The lights are on!? Beneath the overhanging porch roof, a person's feet and coat become visible. Hina: Somebody's there!? She straps the teddy bear to her back. Hina: Let's go see! pg. 8 A tree stands near the balcony; Hina climbs into it and begins to descend, then slips on a snowy branch. Hina: AAAAA!? She falls... ...and closes her eyes to brace for a crash that never comes. pg. 9 She has landed on a tall, dark-haired man in a dark coat. He stares at her in astonishment from behind small, thin-rimmed, oblong-shaped glasses. Hina stares back, equally surprised. Hina: Huh? pg. 10 Hina: (Is this next door??) Man: Anyway, could you get off me? Hina: (Ah, it is, it is.) She moves away and bows. Hina: I'm very sorry! Thank you! The man looks at her, a bit darkly. Hina: Are you here looking at the house? pg. 11 Man: ...Sort of. Hina: At midnight? Man: ...Well, doing this and that. Hina: *arms crossed* (What kind of this and that?) Man: More to the point, what are you doing at this hour? Hina points skyward. Hina: Watching it snow! Man: With a bear on your back? Hina: Yep! Since the lights were on next door, I wondered what was going on. *cheerfully* (I was in the tree, and then as I was climbing down, I fell.) Man: (So I was your landing pad? *sweatdrop*) pg. 12 Hina: Are you going to live here? The man stands and brushes himself off. Man: For the time being. Hina: *joyful* Then you'll be my neighbor! Lucky! You should live here! Man: Your house is much bigger, isn't it? Hina: Yeah. But I've wanted to live in a house like this one. pg. 13 Still sitting on the ground, she begins to write something in the snow with her fingers. Man: ............ Hina: I'm Asahi Hinata! (It's written like this.) (And the bear's name is Waka.) The man looks at her, his breath clouding the air. pg. 14 He holds out a hand to her. She looks at it, and then at him. Man: Or would you rather sit? Hina: (Well, it's okay, but it is kind of cold.) Man: Then get up. Hina: ... Can I take your hand? Man: Would you rather get up by yourself? pg. 15 Hina: *blushing* No. Their fingers touch. He helps her up. Hina: I'm glad! Man: What? pg. 16 Her fingers are still curled around his. Hina: It's warm. He pulls back. Man: Your temperature's higher, isn't it? (You're a child, after all.) He turns and walks away. Hina: *startled* (Ah!) With his back to her, he pauses in the doorway of the house. Man: You and your bear hurry up and take your bath and go to bed. The door closes loudly. pg. 17 Hina gazes after him for a moment, looking small. Then she takes Waka off her back and begins to smile. Hina: A neighbor, huh. She touches her hand. Hina: So warm... She hugs the bear tightly. Hina: I like holding hands! pg. 18 Morning of the next day. Hina bounces down the street in coat, scarf, and gloves. Hina: Woohoo--! The snow's all piled up!! She passes by the Japanese-style house. Hina: I wonder if he's gone already. (My neighbor.) She holds up her hand for a moment and smiles. Hina: Off to schoooool--! pg. 19 Reaching the building, she goes to class 1-D. Hina: GOOD MORNING--! A girl with long, pale hair smiles and waves. Hina heads for the desk next to hers. Touko: Hi, Hina. Hina: Morning, Touko-chan! pg. 20 Touko: Something exciting happen? Hina: Yep! She sits down at her desk and practically vibrates with eagerness. Hina: Do you wanna hear? Touko: *winking* I suppose I'll listen. Hina: Someone moved in! To the house next door! Touko: The vacant one? Hina: And he held my hand! Touko: ...I'm confused. The sound of loud footsteps approaching interrupts them. Voice: HEY! DID YOU HEAR!? pg. 21 Another girl with hair in a wavy, chin-length bob appears and takes Hina's hands. Emi: Morning, Hina! Touko! Hina: (Ah, it's Emi-chan!) Touko: You're hyper because it's morning, aren't you? Emi: Touko, you're way too straight-arrow. (Just 'cuz you're older.) Hina: What is it? Emi: It looks like we're getting a new homeroom teacher! Touko: Right away? Emi: The one from before, Maeda-sensei, is pregnant. It'd be hard for her to do a job where she has to stand all the time. Hina imagines a flying stork with an infant in tow. Hina: She'll be having the baby soon, won't she? (Lucky... I wanna hold one...) pg. 22 Touko: So, a maternity leave teacher. Hina: (Maternity leave?) Emi: (Right.) It looks like it'll be a guy this time! *grinning* I hope he's easy on the eyes! Touko: *dubiously* Easy on the eyes, huh. Emi: Well, come on! This is a girls' high school, isn't it!? She strikes a tragic pose. Emi: No matter where you turn, left and right, it's nothing but women! The occasional men we do see are all old geezers! If only we had a frisky male teacher to satisfy our souls...!! pg. 23 Hina: A male teacher? What's wrong with a female teacher? Emi: Come on. A man would be better. Hina: Why? (I thought Maeda-sensei was really nice... she satisfied my soul.) Emi: (Hah!) Because you're still a kid. Where on earth is the man who can make Hina's heart flutter!? Hina: *seriously* There is one. pg. 24 Emi: *shocked* WHO!? Touko: *growling* (WHAT?) Hina: I don't know his name. Emi: I suppose you're going to say you don't know what he looks like, either? (Is he imaginary or something?) Hina: I know what he looks like. Oh, and where he lives, too. Emi and Touko both stare. Emi: (Hmm...) What kind of guy is he? Hina: Well... The door to the classroom opens... pg. 25 ...And the person who walks in is Hina's new neighbor. Hina stares blankly. Hina: ......... That kind. pg. 26 He speaks from the podium at the front of the room. Man: I'm Asou Shirou. During the time that Maeda-sensei is on leave, I'll be taking charge of first-year class D in her place. The main course I'll be teaching is chemistry. Hina [thinking]: So my neighbor is a teacher. Not only that, my homeroom teacher. She stares dreamily. Hina [thinking]: What a coincidence. Asou turns to leave the room. Emi: *standing up and waving* HANG ON A SEC!! Give us a little more than that, please, Sensei! Nearby Student: Yeah, really! pg. 27 Asou: *pausing* Eh? Emi: First of all, you have to write your name on the board! How is it written? He turns and does so, in miniscule kanji. Emi: (*sweatdrop* That's really small.) And how old are you!? Asou: Thirty-two. Emi: Are you married? Asou: No. Class: (WAAA--! ) (Woohoo!) (Woohoo!) (Lucky--!) Asou: *sweatdrop* (Why are they going "waaa" about it?) He turns to leave again. Emi: Where did you teach before you came here? pg. 28 Asou: That's private. Emi: (Ehhh? Was there some kind of a problem?) Students: (Kyaa! Kyaa!) Asou: *leaving the room* That's all for today. Student: (But Sensei! We still have questions--!) Student: (Yeah, say, do you have problems with girls?) The door closes. Hina jumps up from her desk. Touko: Hina? Hina dashes out to the hallway and runs after Asou. Hina: Sensei! Question! pg. 29 She jumps and lands in front of him with a flourish. He observes this with no particular expression. Hina: Do you remember my name!? Asou: ...Asahi Hinata. Hina: THAT'S RIGHT! He turns and walks away. Hina: (Huh?) pg. 30 Later, outside the school. Hina, Touko, and Emi are hanging out by a tree, with Hina perched on a low branch. Emi: So Asou-sensei is your neighbor? Hina: Yep! Emi: Well, it's a small world, ain't it? (A developing drama plot, huh?) Hina: (Is it?) Emi: Anyway, you'd better not tell everybody that Asou-sensei is living next door to you, okay? Hina: How come? Emi: Well, they might think he's doing you favors because he's your neighbor. (On tests or something.) Hina: (Favors?) Emi: But heck, even without favors you get a hundred percent, anyway-- Hina: (???) pg. 31 Emi hugs her cheerfully. Emi: It's okay, it's okay! Except for about schoolwork, you're still a kid, after all! She turns to one side and frowns. Emi: *muttering* ...Crap. How is it that someone who's so unbelievably smart can be so clueless? Does studying stunt emotional development? (Not to mention common sense...) Hina: (???) Emi: (It's just her natural purity and innocence.) Right, Touko? Touko looks troubled. Emi: (Something wrong?) Hina: Touko-chan, what is it? Touko: *frowning* You know, Hina... Hina: (?) Touko: That teacher... pg. 32 Hina: *clueless* Sensei? (Huh?) Touko looks at her, then shakes her head quickly. Touko: Ah... never mind. Hina flips upside-down on the tree branch and waves her arms in frustration. Hina: What, what is it!? Did I do something weird again!? Touko: *patting her head* No. Emi: *grinning* But he's not bad, is he? Asou-sensei. (Although the lab coat and the glasses are kind of iffy.) pg. 33 Hina: (Iffy?) Emi: *grinning* Since we don't have a lot of young guy teachers, I bet he'll be popular! Touko: (What are you smiling about?) Emi: (I like 'em either way younger or way older.) How about you, Hina? Hina: Me? She smiles dreamily. Hina: When I look at Sensei, somehow my heart feels like it's turning over. Emi: (Must be heartburn. AHAHAHA--) Touko looks dismayed. pg. 44 Evening has come; it is snowing again. Hina is on her way home. Hina: *singing* (Snoo-ww, snoo-ww, when it snows I remember--) (Watching the snow, I wanna eat daifuku--) (Let's eat! Let's eat!) (The snowflakes melt when I eat them--) She stops, startled by something ahead of her in the road: a small black cat. The cat looks at Hina. Hina looks at the cat. She pounces. It flees. pg. 45 Hina: *watching the cat scuttle away* Awww, not again-- The cat is suddenly scooped up into the arms of a tall figure ahead: Asou-sensei. He and the cat turn and look at Hina. Hina: AMAZING! She runs toward them. Hina: That cat has never ever let me catch him! You're amazing, Neighbor-san! Asou: ...Sensei. Hina: Huh? Asou: Asou-sensei. pg. 36 Hina: *blushing slightly* (Oh, that's right, that's right.) You're amazing, Sensei! She leans toward the cat. Hina: This one is the boss of the neighborhood! Whenever I decide I'm definitely gonna catch him, he always gets away! Asou: It's not that it's impossible, Asahi... Hina: Hinata! Or, I like to be called Hina! Asou: Hina... huh. Hina: *waving her arms* (Lucky, lucky, you got to hold him--!) pg. 37 The cat is suddenly tossed into her arms. Hina: Huh? Asou: You wanted to, didn't you? (To hold the cat.) Hina: *blushing* Yeah! Asou turns and walks away. The cat snuggles into Hina's arms as she watches him go. Asou: ...What are you doing? pg. 38 Hina: *clueless* ("What"? I'm standing...) Asou: We're going home the same way, aren't we? Hina: *wide-eyed* Is it okay for me to come with you? Asou: Hurry up. Hina: Waaaa! She runs to catch up, carrying the cat happily. Asou's umbrella shields both of them from the snow. They reach their destination. Asou: This is it, isn't it? Your house. Hina: ...Yeah. pg. 39 They look at each other. Asou: So hurry up and go in. Hina: Okay... He turns to leave. Hina: HEY, NEIGHBOR-SAN! pg. 40 Asou: *growling* ...Sensei. Hina: Sensei! I'll see you again, right!? Asou: As long as you don't skip school. Hina: Okay! I'll be there! pg. 41 She goes inside. In the entry corridor, two stuffed bears await her. Hina: I'm ho-ome! Waka! Tono! Still wearing her coat, she dashes to the kitchen and opens the fridge. pg. 42 The cat laps up the milk she has poured into a bowl. Hina sits on the floor, smiling down at him. Hina: You want more? She gazes out the window at the drifting snow. pg. 43 Hina: Asou-sensei, huh. Hina [narration]: The person who has moved into the house I love next door. He held my hand, let me hold the black cat, shared his umbrella with me, walked home with me. All of those things are things that I like. pg. 44 Hina: Somehow, something in my heart turns over. Somehow, it feels warm... this kind of thing... She blushes. Hina: I think I like him. Next to her, the cat has curled up and fallen asleep. [To be continued.] Back. [1]