Suki. Dakara Suki Chapter 2 Manga by CLAMP Translation by Kristin [not for profit!] Key: () = hand-written text (not printed) ** = action/description [] = clarification {} = editorial comments pg. 45 Picture: Hina walks down the street, smiling, wearing a bulky hooded jacket, baggy shorts, and boots. {Gangsta Hina? ^.^} pg. 46 [Narration.] A sudden "liking." A lot of "liking." I'm really glad that "liking" is fun. pg. 47 Morning at Hina's house. Waka and Tono are perched on the breakfast table. Hina [singing in the kitchen]: (Let's grill us some pancakes!) (Golden-brown like this.) (Golden-brown looks tasty, doesn't it?) (If that's true, I wonder if foxes taste good--)* {* The word for golden-brown is kitsuneiro: fox-color. Hina is punning. Be afraid. ^_^;} Hina: All done! She sits down at the table, still wearing her Piffle Princess apron. Hina: Let's ea-at! pg. 48 She lifts Tono's paw. Tono [Hina]: Okaaay! Hina: *munch munch* Mmmhmm-- I've gotten good at making pancakes! She gazes out the window. Hina: I wonder if Neighbor-san has already eaten breakfast. Hina [narration]: On that snowy day, he moved into the house next door that I love. She holds open her hand and looks at it. pg. 49 Hina [narration]: On the first day I met him, he held my hand. The next day, he shared his umbrella and walked home with me. She blushes. Hina: I want to hold hands again. pg. 50 She puts on her coat and heads for the door. Hina: I'm off! Once outside, she throws her arms wide open and smiles. Hina: (Woohoo, woohoo, the weather's great!) (Let's go to school in a good mood again today!) (Something exciting might happen!) (I wanna hurry and see everybody--!) She pauses and peers at the house next door. Hina: He's already gone, huh? (I guess teachers do have to get up earlier than students, after all.) She hears the noise of a door shutting and races toward it. pg. 51 Asou turns. Hina: Hey, Neighbor-san! Asou: *with perhaps a slightly resigned expression* ... Sensei. Hina: *blinking* (Huh?) She smiles sheepishly. Hina: Good morning, Sensei! Asou: ... Morning. His stride is longer than hers; she hurries to catch up. pg. 52 Hina [thinking]: My neighbor, Asou Shirou-san. Our new homeroom teacher. It's an amazing coincidence for my neighbor to be my teacher. Asou's hand touches her shoulder. Hina: Eh? He gently pushes Hina to his opposite side, so that he is between her and the street. Hina: (How come? Why put me over here?) (??) She blinks. Hina [thinking]: Because the passing cars might be dangerous? pg. 53 She gazes up at him; his face reveals nothing. She smiles. Hina: Thanks! She frisks along beside him. Hina [thinking]: He's a person who does all kinds of things that I like. pg. 54 They arrive at school. Hina: (Oh. We're here.) Asou ruffles her hair with his hand. Asou: You study hard, now. Something occurs to him. Asou: Ah, has your record been good? He turns and walks away. Hina reaches up toward her hair. pg. 55 Hina: *skipping off* I love having my head patted!! She reaches the crowd of other students. Student: (Morning, Hinata!) Student: (Hey! You're feeling good again today, aren't you?) Student: (Yeah, Asahi's got energy.) Student: (Hina's perky 'cuz it's early morning, isn't she?) Student: (Morning.) Hina: (GOOD MORNING--!) Student: (Morning, Hina--) Hina [thinking]: Why does Sensei do so many things that I like for me? Somehow my heartbeat gets loud and I'm floating and I feel so happy-- She jumps into the air with pure irrepressible giddiness. Hina: I LIKE HIM!! pg. 56 She arrives at her classroom. Hina: MORNING--! Students: (Morning, Hinata.) (Morning!) Emi: Ah, Hina! Good morning! Touko: Morning. Emi: You look perky again today. Something happen? (You're all shiny and happy.) Hina: Yeah! He patted my head! Emi: Who did? Hina: My neighbor-san-- um, I mean, Sensei! Touko looks like her dog just died. Emi: (AHAHAHAHAHA! Patted you, huh. That is such a kid's reaction.) Hina: Touko-chan, what's wrong? pg. 57 Touko makes an effort to look normal. Touko: Oh, it's nothing. Hina: (You looked kinda sad.) Lately Touko-chan has seemed worried a lot. Emi: Really? I haven't noticed. Hina: Really. Emi: With you being such a primitive child, it's no wonder your instincts are good. Touko: *patting Hina's head* Thanks, Hina. (But it's really nothing.) pg. 58 Asou enters the classroom. Student: Aah! Sensei's here! Student: Kyaa! Kyaa! The girls all hurry to their desks. Asou: I'll take roll. Asahi Hinata. Hina jumps up immediately. Hina: HERE!! Touko: *staring at her* (You don't have to stand up...) Asou: ... Well, you're here, aren't you. For now. The other students giggle. Student: (Hee hee hee! Even when she stands, Hina's still short!) Emi: (AHAHAHA!) Yes indeedy, she's here! All right, Sensei, what do you see there in front of you?!! pg. 59 Hina wags her tail eagerly. {FYI, Hina often acquires dog ears and a tail in situations such as this.} Asou looks at her with no particular expression. Asou: ... A child. Emi: Ah! SO THAT'S HOW IT IS, HUH? The other students laugh and applaud her. Students: (Way to go!) (Nice timing, girl!) Emi: *accepting the accolades* (I've done research by watching TV, you see.) Students: (You should be an actor!) (Emi-chan, I want an autograph!) Hina: A child. Asou: Anyway, sit down. He continues with taking roll. Students: (Here--!) (Here!) Hina turns to Touko. Hina: Am I a child? Touko: *sweatdrop* Well, you don't really give off grown-up vibes. pg. 60 Hina looks unusually sober. Students: (Here--!) (Here!) Hina: ...A child, huh. Touko: Well, to Sensei we probably all look like kids. (I mean, he's 32, right?) Hina [thinking]: So I'm just the same as everyone? She blinks. Hina [thinking]: Huh? Why don't I want to be the same as everyone? Students: (Here!) (Here!) Hina [thinking]: *puzzled* Why? pg. 61 In gym class. The girls are playing basketball; Hina has the ball. Player: (Stop her!) Player: (Waaa! Waaa!) Player: (Hina, go on and shoot!) She shoots; she scores. pg. 62 From the sidelines, the other girls cheer. Touko merely sits and looks proud. Emi: Way to go, Hinaaaa--! Student: Yeah Hinata! Players: (Woohoo! We did it! Having Hinata on our team rocks!) (Way to go!) Emi: What a kid! She never quits, does she? She folds her arms and goes into coach mode. Emi: She's smart, she has good motor reflexes. (Kind of like a monkey, eh?) If only she had a little more plain-old common sense. Touko: Come on, a Hina with common sense would be strange, wouldn't it? Emi: (AHAHAHA!) (You said it.) I guess so. Student in background: (Thank you!) pg. 63 A flushed and sweaty Hina comes running up to switch with Touko. Hina: (You guys were laughing.) What is it? What is it? Something funny!? Emi: *handing her a towel* (Ahahaha!) Is anything else funnier than you? The teacher's whistle blows in the background. Teacher: (Next group, on the court!) Hina: GO FOR IT, TOUKO-CHAAAN! Touko kicks ass on the court. She shoots and scores in about two seconds. pg. 64 Hina: WOOHOO--! Students: (Yeaaaah! Kyaa! Kyaa! Touko's so COOL!) Emi: *looking serious for once* Touko's really pretty, she's smart, and her personality isn't bad either. (She's a bit older, but--) I wonder why she hasn't gotten herself a boyfriend. Hina: *clueless* Boyfriend? Emi: *sternly* (This is juicy, so don't repeat it.) Hina: (I won't!) Emi: She's really popular. Not too long ago she totally refused a guy from another high school who wanted to go out with her. pg. 65 Hina: Really? (Huh.) Emi: (You didn't know?) Hina: (I didn't.) Students: *watching the game* (Kyaa! Go for it!) Emi: (I knew you'd have to be told.) {This episode of Hina Fails to Buy a Clue has been brought to you by Piffle Princess (TM).} Hina is distracted by something above her. From the balcony overlooking the gym, Asou-sensei is watching. She gazes up at him. Hina: ...Sensei's here. pg. 66 Emi: (Of course he is. We're in the middle of gym class.) Hina: (Not that Sensei. THAT Sensei.) Asou looks down darkly. Hina smiles and waves. When she looks again, he has vanished. pg. 67 Hina [thinking]: Somehow I feel really happy. Later, back in the classroom. Asou: These are due by the day after tomorrow. After that, the others are due by Monday of next week. pg. 68 Asou: That's all for today. Students: (Goodbye, Sensei--!) (Yaaaaay!) (Let's go home.) (I can't, I have club!) He starts to flee. Hina: (Gee, he's fast.) Emi: *sweatdrop* Gosh, what a sociable guy. Several students spring for the door and go chasing after Asou. Students: (Wait! Kyaa!) (Sensei! Asou-sensei, wait!) (Do some more experiments!) In the hallway, Asou looks down at the girls milling around him and sweatdrops. Emi: Ehhh, I was right, wasn't I? (It's because we're all so starved for young male teachers!) Touko: *sweatdrop* (Starved for...) (That sounds sort of weird...) Hina stares after Asou-sensei, unsmiling. pg. 69 Students: (Sensei, quit being so darn friendly!) (Yeah!) Asou continues to sweatdrop. Hina continues to look dismayed. Touko: *with concern* ... Hina? Hina: Huh? Touko: What is it? Hina: *clueless* What's what? Touko: You were staring. Hina: Was I? Emi: (Ahaha!) *patting her on the head* You were. Hina: Huhhh? Emi: You're still clueless about THAT kind of stuff. Once again, Touko looks notably distressed. pg. 70 That night, as the girls are leaving school. Hina: Oh! I have to go get milk before I go home. She raises her arm victoriously. Hina: Nyanko, the boss of the neighborhood, has been coming over to my house lately! Touko: That black cat you told us about before? Hina: That's right! I never got to hold him before, but then Sensei caught him, and then he drank milk at my house, and since then he comes all the time! (He's all cozy and fluffy and soft and black--) Touko: (You mean the cat?) Emi: (I do NOT get this explanation.) Hina: Anyway, I'm gonna stop at the supermarket! (Bye! See you tomorrow!) Emi: *waving* (Okay! Take care!) pg. 71 Touko and Emi watch her leave, their faces gone sober. Emi: Is she still all alone in that huge house? Touko: ...Yeah. Emi: I shouldn't talk about people's home lives, but you know... it's way too dangerous for Hina to be allowed to live there all alone. Touko: ...Yeah. Emi: Touko, you've known her since you were both kids. Isn't there anything that can be done? Touko: I think it would be difficult. pg. 72 Emi: ...I guess so. Her dad's really rich, but I guess it shows that even rich people have their problems, huh. A short time later, Hina is on her way home from the store, grocery bag in hand. Hina: *singing* (Chi-chi-chick, chick, chick. Soft fuzzy yellow little chick-- why do you turn white when you grow up? Where does your soft fuzzy down go? It's a mystery, it's a mystery, it's a mystery--*) Comment: (*She only repeats the parts she likes) pg. 73 She halts, hearing a noise from close by. It's Asou-sensei. Hina: SENSEI! She charges. Asou: *sweatdrop* (She's quick.) Hina: Are you on your way home!? Asou: Well, yes. pg. 74 Hina: Can I come too? Asou: Makes no difference. It's the same, isn't it? (The direction.) Hina: YAAAAY! She smiles up at him. Hina: Sensei, what did you have for breakfast this morning? Asou: I didn't eat. Hina: How come? Asou: Too much trouble. pg. 75 Hina: But it's bad not to eat breakfast! I had pancakes today -- I could have brought you some. What are you going to do for dinner? Asou: Haven't decided. Hina: *with great conviction* If you don't eat properly, you won't stay healthy. If you're always hungry, you'll feel unhappy. That's why I always make sure I get plenty to eat. pg. 76 They arrive at home. At Hina's gate, Asou rustles for something in his briefcase. He pulls out a candy bar and hands it to Hina. Hina: *startled* Chocolate? Asou: (A student gave it to me.) I don't like sweet things. Hina: Is it okay for me to have it? pg. 77 Asou: If you don't want it, throw it out. (It's no use to me.) Hina: THANK YOU!! He turns and heads toward his own house. Hina stands there, smelling the candy bar. Hina: I like chocolate. I like being given things. pg. 78 She thinks of Asou. Hina: He did things that I like again. Asou Shirou-sensei. She closes her eyes dreamily. Hina: This feeling... I love it. [To be continued.] Back. [1]