#sohoku really is the best team every year

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 805: Sohoku's morale

Pag 1

1: The banking angle is like this

2: It's like putting the weight on the very edge of the round part of the tire

3: Keep braking at a minimum

4: Right before the curve, switch one gear lower while braking

7: While taking the curve without decelerating as much as possible...

Pag 2

1: push as hard as you can when moving up!!

Pag 3

1: Shorten it....!!

2: The eight minutes distance...!!

To a four minutes distance!!

3: I can go further!!

4: Let's go!!

With everyone's strength!!

5: Woah, is that the selected team!? They passed me

Six people... no, it's seven people!?

Kyofushi joined them at the very back!!

6: Until the “lead” ahead of us....!!

Pag 4

1: The cyclists are here, there's the pack!

Do your best!

They're so colorful!

So fast!

These is the Inter High's.....

Pag 5

1: lead!!

Pag 6

2: Amazing!

They're so fast..!

They caused the wind!

Fighting!

Gooo!

Pag 7

1: The ones in the lead pulling the pack is....

2: the local from Kyushu, Fukuoka Josei!!

Kumadai is there too!!

4: So your best....!!

They looked here and smiled at us

Take the finish line ahead!!

Mokkosu!!

Pag 8

2: The finish line, huh!!

3: Yeah!!

4: The race is already turning to its final stage

5: Also this is the assembly stage now

A small climb... or after that? When Hakogaku will raise their pace and slip through the locals who are now pulling...

(Fukuoka do your best!

Kumamotoo!

They looked this way and smiled!)

Pag 9

1: the real battle for the finish line will start!!

2: It's gonna be a fight we absolutely cannot step back from!!

3: Step back? Not even a millimeter!!

4: You'll be pulling until then

Danchiku!! Kaburagi!! Team SS duo!!

Yessir!!

Yeah!!

5: I'll pull, horuaa....

6: But

7: Will Onoda-san be alright? He's exhausted for all the work he did on the mountain

Uh!! Danchiku is so considerate!! Also,this is a problem!!

Pag 10

1: Aaalright, me too

That's right!! Onoda-san

2: is basically at death's door!!

This guy...

The way he said it...

3: So-sorry... yeah...

I'm.... alright... I rested while on the long downhill earlier

4: What, are you really okay?

Oi, Issa, you're being too direct!

5: By the way, uhm.... we were in a rush when I joined you again... so I couldn't say it

7: I couldn't.... say it properly...

Pag 11

1: I'm sorry....

I lost....

4: He lost!?

We saw it on the sign board!!

5: Even though it was just around 20cm... even though I pedaled with my strength...

6: I didn't take... the mountain prize

Even though... everyone

7: sent me off

Pag 12

1: What are you talking about!! Onoda

What are you apologizing for!! Onoda-kun!!

Pag 13

1: Ima.... izumi-kun...

3: Naruko-kun....

5: I'll buy you some juice later

Ju-juice?

Kakaka!! That's not a big deal!!

Ah, but...

We

6: were fully happy that we got to send you off, Onoda-kun

Pag 14

1: You could run with Manami with all your strength, and that's good enough

3: Well, when you came back to the team all worn out and we saw the distance on the sign board, I knew that it had come true!!

5: You were even annoyed by Doubashi-san!

Ah, so that was for the mountain prize, I see

6: It raised the team's morale

That's enough

Pag 15

1: Teeh...!!

2: Yeah

Right now, the thing that will raise the morale more than anything

3: it's probably them

5: You're right, now there's

6: the water station

Pag 16

2: Onoda-san is in a pinch!!

Onoda-san is in a pinch!!

He's feeling weak, teh!!

3: I have to do something, teh..!!

Kinaka-kuuun!!

4: Onoda-san's ina pinch, teh!!

Give me all your food supplements and bottles, teh!!

Pag 17

1: Rokudaiii!!

Huh!?

So many!?

Why so much stuff!!

2: I thought you would say that, so I got ready, Rokudaii!!

Pag 18

3: I'll leave the senpai to you, Rokudai!!

4: Goooo!! Rokudaiii!!

What... that's an absurd way of delivering it

So much, on!!

What's with this guys... he delivered such a huge weight of supplies in one go!!

Pag 19

1: Ou- teh!!

2: They're perfectly in sync

Amazing

3: ….. Toji-san

4: This year's finish line...

Yeah, it's further away after the mountain stage than it usually is

From here on, after a few hills it goes on with an up-and-down

Pag 20

1: Then they'll enter a long downhill of around 5km

2: After the coastal national away they'll turn right

3: and they'll enter the town where the first day's finish line is

Pag 21

2: There are probably 10km left...

3: and after that

4: the race for the finish line will start

Pag 22

1: And those who are most likely to win will move!!

There's still more

Th-thank you

That must be heavy

6: There are 12km left until the finish line

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 2/1/20

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 18 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | VIZ Media – It took a while for me to get into Anonymous Noise, and I still wouldn’t call it a favorite exactly, but it must be said that this final volume made me verklempt on a few occasions. I particularly liked that Nino and Momo getting back together is not the main focus, because that was so not what I was most invested in with this series. Instead, we get Nino telling Yuzu she wants to sing his songs forever, and him realizing that means even more than winning her heart. There are some awesome concert scenes—that full-page image of Yuzu singing!—and a sense of joyous confidence as they contemplate their musical future together. Too, I appreciated that the final appearance of Yuzu and Nino wordlessly confirmed that, yes, he did eventually grow taller than her. I think I might miss this series now that it’s over. – Michelle Smith

Giant Killing, Vol. 18 | By Masaya Tsunamoto and Tsujitomo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – The second half of the season has begun! Tatsumi’s strategy going forward is to foster bettter communication and flexibility, so he’s been having the players swap positions, giving chances to non-regulars, etc. The best thing about this series is how Tatsumi has truly earned the players’ trust, and now the team feels more cohesive, each player secure in the knowledge that Tatsumi is looking out for them on an individual level and will help them to improve. Well, mostly everyone. Tsubaki is getting frustrated with his “terrible” playing and is pretty much useless after making a poor decision (while playing an unfamiliar defensive role) that leads to an ETU player’s injury. I really like that, even if they lose, they’re not a high school team trying to reach Nationals, so there’s still hope for the season. Have I mentioned lately how much I love Giant Killing? Verily, I do. – Michelle Smith

Haikyu!!, Vol. 36 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – I think I forgot to review the 35th volume of Haikyu!!. No doubt it was very good and also filled with volleyball. As is this 36th volume. It is a credit to the author that he has kept the games interesting, and I can easily distinguish between the major adversaries, which is more than I can say for some manga. There’s a few more flashbacks, some really killer moves… a lot of people jump high in the air… I may have to wait till the game finishes to review another volume, though, as I just can’t keep typing up “this was really cool volleyball” over and over again without stretching things out like I’m a contestant on Just a Minute. At least the series is ending in Japan in a week or two, so we’ll soon catch up. -Sean Gaffney

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 | By Gege Akutami | Viz Media – I forget where I first heard of Jujutsu Kaisen, but the general impression I’ve garnered from others has largely been positive. Now having read the first volume myself, I can honestly say that I enjoyed the manga. However, it’s clear that the series still has some room to grow before it truly distinguishes itself. Jujutsu Kaisen is Akutami’s first long-form work which may partly explain why the series comes across as being so heavily influenced by other manga. But even while its ideas aren’t particularly new and the tropes that are used are well-worn, the specific and sometimes seemingly disparate combination of them in Jujutsu Kaisen has a sort of quirky charm—which is admittedly kind of a strange description for what is essentially a horror manga about demon hunting. There is darkness, seriousness, and drama in Jujutsu Kaisen, but many of the characters tend to be likeable goofballs. – Ash Brown

MabuSasa, Vol. 1 | By Nanase | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – With its cute cover and male lead who looks like a scary delinquent but who is actually kind, I thought MabuSasa was going to be a sweet love story akin to Honey So Sweet. I was very wrong. It’s not advertised as such anywhere that I could find, but this is actually a 4-koma manga. True, there aren’t titles for the strips, but the page layout fits, as does the sensibility. Mabuchi is indeed a sympathetic character, but he’s surrounded by one-note caricatures. Most infuriating is Akira Sasagawa (the Sasa of the title), our fujoshi heroine who absolutely refuses to listen when Mabuchi swears that he’s not in a relationship with his best friend, Sota Ando. She concocts BL scenarios at every opportunity, even when Mabuchi meets and plays with her little brother. All of this is meant to be funny, I’m assuming, but I didn’t smile once. – Michelle Smith

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 13 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Sheesh, the Inter-High still isn’t over in this volume. It literally takes 300 pages to go 3.5 kilometers! In that time, there are a couple of big matchups. The first is Imaizumi versus Midousuji, where the former is bolstered by the power of friendship while the latter pulls off new and even more nightmarish contortions while scoffing at the notion that friends are anything more than useless. Imaizumi emerges victorious but a crack in his bike’s frame means that Sohoku’s hopes now rest with Onoda, who goes head to head with Manami. Probably my favorite parts were the reactions of the Sohoku third years to the announcement that Onoda is still in the running to take the whole thing. 500 meters remain at the end of the volume. Next time for sure, right? – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[toumakibangs]

More High [English version]

@suzuka-nitta‘s prompt was: “In my defence, I thought this would go a lot more smoothly” and I personally think they nailed it (THANK YOU FOR SIGNING UP!) - let’s follow our favourite couple through a day-long date at an amusement park! Or better, THE amusement park! XD

You can read the original version (in French) here.

And thanks to @liesmyth (who literally saved my life this week), you can read it in English under the cut! Thank her for the best parts of the translations, blame me for anything that might be incorrect! 

[About this, @suzuka-nitta: if you see anything that needs to be corrected, do not hesitate to message me and I’ll edit accordingly!]

Jinpachi Tôdô had impression he was living the best day of his life. Even if he already said it during his last date with Makishima. Every new day spent in the company of the climber of Sohoku made him full of joy. He couldn’t sleep for the excitement. In his bed, he mentally organized his ideal day, the clothes he should wear, the pick-up lines. Nothing was left to chance when it came to spending time with his boyfriend. And, as always he had been being a pain the ass of his team mates for the whole week. The latter had finally learned to ignore him while shaking their heads to let him believe they were paying attention to his words. It was easy to do so when you realized that in his monologues, Tôdô was too busy thinking about his rival or focusing on himself to even consider the opinion of others. It was no secret that the best climber in Hakone had feelings for his main opponent, and he was not shy about it. So much assurance worried a few people. His closest allies who had been following him for three years. After all, not everyone was open about homosexuality. Some cadets could not see a boy like him as vice-captain. But Jinpachi had a natural charisma and a talent for climbing highly recognized. And above all, he was protected by Fukutomi’s serious glances, by Arakita’s frowning ones and Shinkai’s demoniac ones, who discouraged everyone from bad-mouthing him when he spent too much time on the phone. He had never noticed his guardian angels. The two climbers had started hanging out regularly during their second year of high school. Even if Makishima proclaimed that a casual encounter in the same race couldn’t be considered a date, Tôdô treated it as such.

After all, every moment spent with the man he loved was a blessing. Whether it was on a race, at his place or the other’s, or like today, in the famous Tokyo Disney Park. The Inter-High had been over for two weeks, and the return after the summer vacation was approaching. It was the perfect opportunity for a romantic date. They hadn’t foreseen that some of their respective teammates, who had decided to enjoy the end of their summer vacation as well, would have come too. It seemed that all the third year students of Sohoku and Hakone had made an appointment, as was Manami who had been forcibly brought along.

- He hasn’t been feeling well since the end of high school, - Fukutomi has said.  - We put a lot of pressure on him. He must relax before school starts and put up his best face.

- Look who's talking – stammered Arakita.

He was sure that in terms of “best face”, Fukutomi was far from being at the top of the charts. He and Kinjo stared at each other as if they were assessing each other before a race. Everyone felt the pressure emanated by the two captains with the exception of Arakita, who compared them to two strangers embarrassed to have farted in the elevator. Apart from this group, Manami seemed elsewhere, so discreet that we would forget his presence. And on that hot day, the young climber looked more like he wanted to ride his bike or take a nap in the shade of a tree.

- Your team is not complete, - Kinjo pointed out to his rival. - Your second sprinter is missing.

- Izumida didn’t want to come. He is busy polishing up all the club's weight machines before school starts – explained the blond.

- Where are your kohais? The keys to the success of your team?

Indeed, the three young recruits of Sohoku, who had distinguished themselves so much during the Inter-High, shone for their absence. It wasn’t bad, thought Tôdô. Onoda's presence would have made Manami uncomfortable. He liked little Glasses, but he could not help but feel the discomfort of his kohai when someone mentioned the winner of the Inter-High. And then, Onoda might have glued himself to Makishima, so it was better that he was not in the game. Tôdô wanted to spend time alone with his boyfriend, disappearing as soon as possible from the group and take him where his program planned.

- Onoda is attending a unique event in Akihabara, he preferred to go there and try to win something, - Kinjo explained. – As for Imaizumi and Naruko, they spent the summer challenging each other, and that's what they were still doing today. There’s no way to stop them. But we brought two other important members of our club.

Indeed, Teshima and Aoyagi were part of the expedition. The poor eliminated from the Inter-High were delighted to spend a day with their senpai Tadokoro after failing to ride with him on the race they had dreamed about since their first year.

Although disappointed by the presence of so many people, Tôdô kept a good face. It was quickly necessary that the group separated so that he could enjoy his boyfriend. Each seemed to have different expectations for the park so it would be easy to disperse. He could then run away with his Maki-chan, and finally steal his first kiss of the day. Makishima ended up accepting hugs in public. He especially understood that it was useless to dissuade Tôdô, who wanted to scream his feelings to the whole world. However, the spider still refused to kiss him in front of other people, even if it was his team, who he trusted. None of them seemed to be disturbed by their relationship, and it seemed totally obvious to them how they had evolved together. It was not the same for society in general who could not see two men kissing each other at an amusement park. Tôdô was totally indignant with this system. His meetings with his boyfriend were so short and precious that they did not want to waste time looking for a place to hide. His lips itched, so he cut right into the chase. He took the hand of the green-haired boy and exclaimed out of the blue.

- Let's meet at the entrance at 7 pm. Have a nice day.

And immediately he fled, carrying, despite himself, the spider, who let out a long "sho" of surprise. Tôdô insinutated himself without any problem into the park, discreetly passing between the different families like the ninja he embodied on his bike.

- Tôdô, where are you taking me?

- I have a sudden urge," he said, turning towards the bathrooms.

- You do not need me for that sort of thing, - lamented the green, who had been pulled inside one of the stalls.

As soon as the door closed, Jinpachi pressed hard against Makishima in a tight hug. The receiver stiffened before relaxing. All the time, he had to be able to anticipate this kind of attention coming from his touchy boyfriend.

- Maki-chan – whispered the dark-haired man, then raised his head asking for a kiss.

Makishima met his expectations. He wanted to kiss him too. This was one of the reasons why he wasn’t happy with the choice of destination. The presence of his team didn’t bother him, but to be out in a place so crowded, even more during the summer holidays, was the worst way to jeopardize their privacy. They didn’t have the opportunity to see each other every day, and Makishima enjoyed savouring the time spent with Tôdô. He loved him sincerely, but at the same time he didn’t often say it. That wasn’t the case for his partner, who never failed to remind him during his daily calls, and even more when they made love.

- I love you, Maki-chan, - he whispered between kisses. - You’re the only one I want for me. The others can manage very well, and I entrusted Manami to Shinkai. Arakita doesn’t inspire me much confidence, Fuku has a unique chance to let go. It's not easy at all to be our captain. He must already be worrying while we are still on vacation. But Shinkai has a little brother, I guess he'll do well.

The red sprinter looked really friendly. As for his own teammates, Tôdô was right about the fact that they would be able to cope very well. Basically, he wasn’t very unhappy that the handsome brunet had brought him by force. The place was not romantic, but he ignored that, focusing on the beautiful man who was still clinging to him. Purposefully, he leaned over to offer him another kiss, his long green hair hiding their faces, while his hands slid on his partner's back, making him shudder.

- Mmh, - groaned Tôdô, when he felt the fingers go under his shirt and touch his skin. - Maki-chan, it's not the best place to do this.

Makishima silenced him with another kiss. He didn’t intend to indulge in a place like this. Despite the frustration between each of their separation, they had never lost themselves to such primitive instincts. Tôdô's dream was to convince Makishima to let himself go in the open, but Makishima was too modest and anxious to be discovered and he’d always refused.

- So, what did you plan to do? - asked the green when he finally loosened his embrace, but without releasing the two hands that held his.

- I just want to spend time with you. We did not have the opportunity to celebrate our birthdays together this year, with the Inter-High”

The two lovers occupied important spots in their respective team, as climbers. They’d had very little free time in recent weeks. Mornings, evenings and rest days were devoted to their training. During July, in particular, their schedule had become extremely busy. The Inter-High was held in early August, just before Jinpachi's birthday. They’d both wanted the victory of their own team, and knew it would have been difficult to meet and have fun together shortly after the defeat of one of them. Even though Makishima had been more than happy about his team’s victory, he also knew that Tôdô and the entire Hakone team had mourned their second place. Including Manami, whose behaviour had changed from a careless joyful teenager to a tortured boy, which greatly worried his senpai.

Tôdô felt guilty for not caring for him, but Makishima was a priority. They had hardly seen each other during the summer, it was too much for him.

- Are you thinking about your kohai? - asked Makishima, who had noticed the pensive look of his companion.

- I know that Manami has the abilities to recover from this defeat. The team regulars of Hakone aren’t just anyone. But I blame myself a little for abandoning him.

- If you prefer to accompany…

- No way, - cut in the brunette. - It's you I want to enjoy today. It was Shinkai who suggested taking him out of his room. He promised he would take care of it. He's a good senpai as well, just look at how devoted Izumida is. I trust him. It's just that I feel defeated when I see him so depressed, but at the same time I understand him. I wouldn’t like being in his place.

Even though he wasn’t used to taking the initiative, Makishima pulled his boyfriend against him once again before pressing a chaste kiss on his head and saying softly:

- You're a good senpai.

- And you are the perfect boyfriend - Tôdô replied, wrapping his arms around the other’s waist.

Makishima didn’t think so. He wasn’t very sociable, didn’t know how to smile, or even how to chat. All the opposite of the brunette, who could have been going out with whoever he wanted, and yet that divine being had chosen him. He was more than honoured, but of course he would never admit it out loud.

- And today, I planned to make you climb even higher than the mountains - said Tôdô smiling.

- Higher than the mountains?

- Today, I'm going to take you into space.

As he spoke he pointed his finger at the sky, which left Makishima puzzled. What did Tôdô have in mind?

- But for the moment, I just want to enjoy the day with you. Come on, let's go, I spent days memorizing the map of this park.

What a perfectionists. It was a quality that just had to be expected in the talkative climber.

~**~**~**~

If he had been able to hide, Makishima would have done so gladly. Even Mickey's Mansion seemed far less ridiculous than his current situation. Wearing a headband that sported the ears of the park’s mascot, to match Tôdô's one, he wandered around the park with this ridiculous accessory. The two of them weren’t the only ones wearing a similar outfit, but Makishima couldn’t stand the mockeries of Tadokoro, who he met in front of a restaurant window, or Arakita’s taunting as he queued with Shinkai for an attraction. He went red like the knot of the famous Minnie. How did his boyfriend always manage to put him in awkward situations?

They had also crossed paths with Kinjô and Fukutomi in the accessories shop. The two captains went on defiantly, but Goofy's ears and Donald's hat serving as headgear made them lose all credibility. Well, at least there was someone worse off than them, Makishima consoled himself.

- I have the feeling that something is missing, thought Tôdô after they had met their friends.

He held the thought for a moment before letting it go. I couldn’t be that important.

If Makishima didn’t like crowds, it was because he never went unnoticed. Children looked on intrigued at his particular style. He was used to being stared at from head to toe, but adults could be much more discreet. He hadn’t been around so many children since he himself had been one. This kind of place was definitely not for him. It was the opposite of Tôdô, who seemed totally in his element. He strode from right to left without any restraint, acting ecstatic in front of the fairy decors and threw himself shamelessly at the mascots to give them a hug. As always, he got himself noticed and dragged Makishima into his mayhem.

As excited as the other kids, he chatted with ease, debating with them the studio's feature films. Some girls even compared him to a prince, and he amused himself by kneeling before them for a kiss, making his boyfriend somewhat jealous. Noticing his confusion Jinpachi jumped in immediately by pointing at him and saying how important Maki-chan was to him. He never detailed the exact nature of their relationship. The younger children thought they were just best friends, but some older kids and parents understood the meaning of his words. Makishima wanted to tell him to stop revealing so much, but no one could deny the love the brunette felt. His violet eyes shone, filled with adoration, powerful, honest and irresistible. Makishima blushed again, realizing that he was the target of this look, admitting to himself how much he loved this boring boy. With as much as he wanted to please him, he forgave him, as always, and he smiled. A sincere smile this time, which even caught the eye of some of the women and girls. Who would have believed that Tôdô had the power to imitate that natural charm on his scary face.

Makishima was finally happy to be here. Here or elsewhere, as long as he could be in the company of the other climber. He wasn’t particularly fond of this kind of place and attractions. He had always preferred the feeling of feeling free when riding on his bike. But Tôdô spent more time looking for the mascots, taking selfies with them in front of the minimal scenery, and the day went by quickly, especially when the line for the least tour lasted between half an hour and one hour, sometimes even more. No wonder, at this time of year and with the school holidays. Everyone was impatient in these interminable tails, except for Makishima, who preferred these moments because it was a pretext to stick against his boyfriend without it seeming suspicious. In the end, the couple only made the most out of the park, and themselves. Makishima noticed that Tôdô only chose quiet attractions.

-Do not you like strong feelings?

- It's just that they may mess me up. I want to stay perfect in front of you.

- It's not so important…

- Yes, it is, -  Jinpachi cut in, very seriously - I don’t want to embarrass you.

Makishima wanted to say that rather, he was the one who didn’t feel at home by his side. Since they had started going out together, Jinpachi still placed him on a pedestal. Surely if the vain Mountain God praised someone other than himself he must be damned infatuated. Makishima just regretted never being able to return the favour. Would Jinpachi ever tire of never receiving attention in return? He knew his boyfriend was very cuddly and tactile, and he was not the type to take the initiative.

- And then in that case, I will get you to hold me against you as long as possible - the brunette ended up justifying himself.

Indeed, the attractions he chose were often held on boats or auditoriums, in darkened spaces. Jinpachi always managed to get to the back or in a corner. So that he could be close to his boyfriend in all discretion. Anyway, the other visitors were far too busy enjoying the show and watching their children to care about them.

Jinpachi insisted on carving their names on one of the slabs at the entrance of the park, in memory of that day. In exchange for tolerating his many quirks Makishima got to enjoy an ice cream, something Tôdô usually protested by singing his eternal refrain about the need for a healthy diet. He ended up choosing a sherbet as sweet as possible. Around the time they enjoyed their afternoon tea they met Tadokoro and Shinkai again, who were trying to swallow the biggest ice cream in the park. They were almost finished, followed closely by Aoyagi who was doing pretty well when it came to ingesting a tremendous amount of calories. Tôdô felt nauseous just looking at them. Fortunately, Arakita and Teshima were much more reasonable in their choice.

- I still feel like something is missing, - Jinpachi said, for the second time that day.

But no one knew what he could refer to. The day was coming to an end and Makishima wondered what Tôdô meant when he said he would take him to the stars. They were in line for a final attraction. To his astonishment, Tôdô had this time chosen a high-speed train: the mythical Space Mountain. He shrugged, not even trying to understand why he had suddenly changed his mind about this kind of attraction. Maybe because it was late and he could now afford to get his hair windblown. Tired after the long day, Makishima listened with a distracted ear to yet another story that his boyfriend shared to pass the time in these long queues. And when he got the change, he read the warning signs and safety instructions.

- An attraction that combines the words "space" and "mountain" is indisputably made for us, Maki-chan, - Tôdô finally explained. - I found out about it I wanted to do this with you. Today, we will climb higher than the mountains, into space. I would have taken you there sooner but wanted to save the best for last.

So that was what he’d meant, a simple attraction. It was just like Tôdô to take him to such a place, wanting to give him the illusion of climbing ever higher. It was awkward, but he appreciated the intention.

Once they were finally sitting in the wagon, quite naturally, Makishima removed the headband ear and tied his hair, which immediately outraged his partner.

- Maki-chan, you're supposed to keep that on all day! - the other climber shouted.

- But we have to remove it to use this ride.

- How so?

- Sir, - one of the Space Mountain managers told him - please remove and protect any mobile props that may fall. Headband, bezel, also store your phones, cameras and cameras.

Jinpachi obeyed without understanding, somewhat disappointed, at least until the huge safety strap was lowered down on his chest, tight enough to take his breath away.

- So much protection for a little dance among the stars.

- Uh, Jinpachi, do you know how this ride works? - suddenly realized Makishima who could not believe that Tôdô did not know what would happen now.

The restriction imposed on them by the harness prevented him from leaning forward to see him better. Makishima extended his arm to grab his boyfriend’s hand.

- Maki-chan! - exclaimed Tôdô, at once surprised and excited.

- It will be okay.

And before the brunette could answer, the train went off at full speed. Makishima didn’t find it very enjoyable; this kind of attraction wasn’t particularly fun. Nothing could replace the satisfaction he felt climbing on his bike. It even bothered him to have to bear the shouts of all the other passengers, those of the boy next to him mingling with the others. He squeezed his boyfriend's hand even harder, and felt him cling desperately to him. Having no other choice but to enjoy the spectacle of the scenery of the space that the attraction offered them, Makishima decided that the ensemble was well done, although the speed of the train prevented him from visualizing well. His eyes didn’t have time to take in everything. In just a few minutes they had returned to the starting point. It was only when they were released that Makishima was able to inquire about Jinpachi's condition, finding him still clutching his hand. His boyfriend seemed paralyzed, as if he had just received the biggest shock of his life.

- We must get off, Tôdô.

Without letting go, Makishima took him outside. The first steps of the Hakone climber were disoriented. He decided to lead him to a bench to sit and rest.

- Why did we go if you don’t like this kind of ride?

- In my defence, I thought this would go much more smoothly.

- But the Space Mountain is very well known. You didn’t hear the shouts from outside, or see all of the  warning messages?

- I don’t know, I didn’t pay attention. I was so excited to share that with you. I thought it was a kind of planetarium. I feel ridiculous, and I'm sure I must be looking horrible. I am so stupid.

He had tears in his eyes, visibly still shaken. It was not much, of course, nothing serious. But Jinpachi was very detail-oriented. He did not want to feel so stupid in front of Makishima, whom he loved and wanted to impress so he would not lose his love. Makishima didn’t like to see it like that. Although they were still in public, he pulled him against his chest to kiss his head. Tôdô was dumbfounded, realizing that his boyfriend had not let go of his hand.

- I liked it a lot, thank you very much.

- Don’t say that just to console me. I know I screwed up on this one.

- It's not just because you brought me through the stars. I loved today. I can’t thank you enough. It's always you who organizes our meetings. You only want to make me happy, and I do nothing in exchange.

- But knowing you are happy is what makes me happy, Maki-chan.

- I think that, within a couple, we should both pull our weight, - said Makishima, pressing a simple and chaste kiss against his boyfriend’s lips. - I promise you I’ll do more, too. I love you Jinpachi.

This time there were tears of joy. Tôdô threw his arms around his boyfriend's neck in a hug that was both tender and tight, quite different from all those he’d shared with the mascots.

- Maki-chan, Maki-chan, Maki-chan, it's so good to hear you say that. I love you, I love you so much.

They remained entwined for several minutes, indifferent to other visitors who mostly ignored them. They just enjoyed this closeness, the warmth and smell of each other, the happiness of being together, quite simply. Their hearts beat in unison, beating against their chests as if they were trying to get out of their cage to join.

- Come sleep at my house tonight, - invited Makishima.

- My parents wanted me to help them tomorrow.

- Tell a lie. A train strike, an accident on the track, anything, but sleep with me tonight.

- Of course, as long as I can stay with you.

They kissed again, simply but tenderly. Ignoring the world around them and the curious eyes of the passers-by. And to think that at the beginning of their relationship, Makishima hadn’t even dared to hold Tôdô's hand. At each new meeting, they felt as though they were evolving in their connection, rising higher, always higher, like a climber who travels the hills on his bike. They loved each other madly and each day a little more. Both of them wanted to continue on this path, until they reached the summit, and even beyond.

- I just had the best day of my life - Jinpachi said.

- You say that every time.

- I think it every time.

 The day was coming to an end. They only had time to go to the gift shop. There they found all their friends. Arakita was lining up at the cash register, two plushies under his arms, each for his two younger sisters. Elsewhere in the shop, Shinkai was looking for the perfect gift for his little brother Yûto, who loved cute objects. Tadokoro, meanwhile, had purchased several baking pans shaped like Mickey's head. Teshima and Aoyagi had much simpler tastes, choosing small accessories such as pens, keychains and notepads that were totally overpriced. Everyone was surprised to find Kinjô and Fukutomi in the same position as at the beginning of the day, staring at each other, arms crossed, without even blinking. Had they enjoyed the park, if only a little?

- I definitely feel that something is missing -  proclaimed Jinpachi for the third time.

And once again, nobody could understand what he was thinking of. It was only when he took a look around the shop, observing plushies of the various characters, some decked out with angel wings, that he suddenly realized.

- MANAMI!!!

That’s what it was. He hadn’t seen his junior since the morning, when he had fled with Makishima, entrusting the young climber to his teammate.

- Shinkai, what did you do to Manami?

- Manami? Damn, since when he’s no longer with us?

- But how irresponsible! - said the handsome brunette, who had already taken out his phone to contact him.

- He was so discreet that I didn’t even notice that he was no longer following us.

- He must be sleeping somewhere, as always” said Arakita, who knew the boy's tendency to take a nap anywhere and anytime.

- He’s not answering his phone! - Tôdô panicked even more.

- Don’t worry Jinpachi, he can’t have left the park. Let's go and find him, and let someone go to the front desk to make a call - Shinkai suggested.

Meanwhile, the managers of the dolls' house saw one of their boats empty of any passenger, except for a young boy who had been drowsy for several hours.

- We should tell him to go out now. Did you hear the announcement? His friends are looking for him.

- It would be about time.

For several hours, Manami had been rocked by the songs and the sweet atmosphere of the attraction that had managed to soothe a little of his pain. The managers, seeing him alone and so peaceful, hadn’t dared to disturb him. It was not until the end of the day that another young boy, a brunette with curly hair, came to pick him up. He thanked them for taking care of him before leading the boy to the park exit. The little climber from Hakone was barely aware. He thought it might be Tôdô leading him away, but his senior did not have such curly hair. However, this head was familiar to him. Probably one of the members of the second string of Sohoku. He hadn’t slept well since the end of high school and felt very tired. He rested his head on the other boy's shoulder, an arm around his waist, and he let himself be guided, warmed more than he thought by this presence at his side. For him, it was not such a bad day. One day, no doubt, Manami would unfold his wings again to fly and rise, starting from where he had fallen. That burden on his shoulders wouldn’t prevent him from going higher, always higher.

 THE END

[norihisahyuga-archived]

Judgement issate

The black circle around his wrist has mocked him for the last decade and a half of his life; even now, in his car, Teshima Junta’s eyes are drawn to it. It had been so long since he last saw what it looked like wrapped in color that he forgets what the specific shades and hues are, but he remembers the day it reverted back to black clearly in his mind. Once you found your soulmate, it flared with colors that would make you think of them, or at least it was supposed to. The only reason it would revert back to black was if your soulmate chose to reject you.

He had been rejected; the memory makes a bitter smile curl across his face and he leans the back of his head against the car seat’s headrest, taking a deep breath to calm himself. When the letter had come in the mail, he had almost thrown it out without a second thought. Cycling had been important to him when he was in high school, but his team had failed the Inter-High he had participated in as captain and so he never went back to it once he went on to university. He traded his road racer in for a normal bicycle, figuring it would cost him less money in the long run if he never had to pay for transportation anywhere. And then he bought a car and put the bike away somewhere where he hardly ever looked at it anymore.

Loss should not have affected him as badly as it had; Hakone and Kyoto Fushimi were great teams and losing should not have been so far removed from reality that Teshima felt cruelly robbed when all was said and done. But losing the race had nothing to do with it; it had everything to do with the fact he had crossed the finish line on the final day with his mark back to black after it had been flared to brilliant color the two days before.

People had noticed. It was impossible to miss, and though he knew no one would ask questions about it or spread rumors around out of a sense of basic decency, he knew that they knew what it meant. Even if they had no idea that his soulmate was on his team with him, they would know what the black color’s return would mean in the long-run.

The team had been compromised because of that change, that shift, an argument on the night before the third day that led to both him and Kaburagi Issa not quite racing as well as they should have been able to. Issa had been having issues on the second day and Teshima’s concern had turned into a full-blown fight that the team had to split them up before it came to blows. Issa had been dishonest with them about his condition and Teshima had only been worried about him; by the end of the night, he was furious and broken hearted.

His senpai would have been disappointed with him. He can almost feel it even though none of them had ever said a word to him about it.

The letter had come from Kinjou, who had decided to set up the meet-up now that all of them had graduated from university and made lives for themselves. Most of them had not seen each other in years; Teshima had ended up at a university far away from the others, partially on purpose and partially because none of them had applied to it in the first place. It would have been too easy to throw the letter away and forget Sohoku altogether.

But Teshima has never been one to turn a blind eye to a problem, and fifteen years is more than enough time for him to straighten out his thoughts and decide that he wants to talk to Issa face-to-face and find out just why their argument had ended the way it did.

The restaurant is one he knows well as a place they had all come together more than a few times, and he sits outside of it with his eyes closed, relaxing his breathing until he can step out of his car without feeling like he should throw himself back in and go home. A glance through one of the large windows shows him exactly where his team is positioned, taking up a few tables all pushed together to make room for all of them.

“Teshima-san!” The familiar voice of Imaizumi Shunsuke draws Teshima’s attention from the window to the doorway, where Imaizumi stands, holding it open with a smile on his face. That throws Teshima off for a moment; Imaizumi’s face has softened around the edges when he used to be nothing but sharp corners. “We were worried you weren’t going to come after all.”

“No worries to be had. I’m here now.” Teshima pastes a smile on his face he does not quite feel and joins Imaizumi at the door, allowing his kouhai to lead him to the table.

The others greet him and Teshima reflects that none of them look the same now, more grown-up, more grown into themselves when they had all been awkward teenagers not quite used to the muscle they had packed on. He also doesn’t notice Issa at the table; the bright orange hair has been traded for something more muted, something Teshima himself almost misses even though he would have sworn Issa would never be able to dodge his eyes.

Dinner is a little awkward with both of them there, but Teshima pulls his sleeve over his wrist and steers the conversation expertly away from the tension. Within a few minutes, no one forgets what happened. It isn’t as though anyone can see Issa’s mark, after all; the handprint itself is on his shoulder and covered by his shirt. Teshima himself had never been able to check whether it had gone back to black or not considering the rejection was one-sided.

By the end of the night, he’s resolved not to bring it up at all and is on his way back to his car when a hand catches him around the wrong wrist and his stomach roils unpleasantly.

“Don’t do that!” He yanks his hand away from Issa, holding it against his chest. “I told you on the last day you couldn’t do that anymore because it makes me nauseous. What do you want?”

Issa looks struck at first, as if he expected Teshima to treat him more gently, but Teshima has grown out of that, and Issa is an adult now. He can take care of himself. “Sorry, I just… I forgot, I guess. It’s been a long time and I’ve tried to do my best to forget about that.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Teshima tries to keep the bitterness in his voice turned down low because he has no desire to get into a fight right now. He just wants to go home. “You must want something or you wouldn’t have followed me out to my car.”

“I just wanted to apologize. I never did, properly, and…” Issa trails off, shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and tips his head back, eyes searching the heavens; if he’s looking for a sign from God, Teshima hopes he doesn’t get one. He should have to do this himself since he chose to reject their bond by himself. “I know it messed us up bad on day three and that was your last Inter-High. And more than that, I know it hurt you a lot because you went off to university and Aoyagi-san came back to our next Inter-High, but you never did.”

Teshima swallows a knot in his throat at these words; he had circled the date on his calendar that he would have to leave by to make it there, but in the end he never summoned the courage necessary to make the trip. “I wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Wow, that’s rough!” Issa laughs a little, then shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. “But I know. I understand. I broke your heart and you didn’t want to see me anymore.”

That was putting it lightly. Teshima had considered over the years that he might even get a tattoo to cover up the mark on his wrist. It would hurt terribly because the skin there was thin, but it would save him a lot of heartbreak in the end, right? “That’s about the shape of it. I was actually going to ask you why… Why you did that. We were just talking about how you weren’t feeling well and then suddenly it snowballed into something personal.”

“I don’t hate you or anything. I just— I really thought Danchiku was going to be the one, and then it turned out to be someone who treated me like a little kid, or that’s what I felt like. I didn’t have enough respect for you.” Issa stops and takes a breath, and Teshima wonders how long it had taken him to come to this conclusion, and how much longer it had taken him to gather up the strength to talk about it. “I shouldn’t have. God, I really shouldn’t have. I said all those awful things and like, I knew it would be easy to break it, and I was upset, and I guess I just wanted someone else to be upset too. And I did something awful because of it.”

“Yeah, you did.” Teshima leans against the door of his car and scrubs a hand over his face. “I can’t just forget about it, you know. I can see the mark all the time. Other people can see it. I haven’t even wanted to try dating someone else because people always assume I just haven’t met my soulmate, and I just don’t want to have to explain that no, I have, and—”

“Understandable.” Issa reaches out to him again and Teshima flattens himself against the door of the car. “No, don’t, listen. I just… I know what I did wrong and I’m sorry. I haven’t been with anyone else either, actually. You know, I wanted to ask Danchiku, but after… I couldn’t.”

Teshima bites down on his tongue and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Well, that’s your own fault. You made the choice for both of us.”

“No. I only made the choice for me. I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you, but.” Issa grabs the collar of his shirt in one hand, twists it and yanks it down until Teshima can just see the edge of the mark on his shoulder, the purple and blue watercolor scheme there. “But I thought I should after the way dinner went. Because you deserved to know the truth. I only made the choice for me and I’ve thought about it every day in my life because you… You never—”

“It hurts, you know? It’s physically painful. It hurt me, it felt like my heart had been ripped out and my wrist hurt for a week or longer. It hurt when you touched it, just now.” Teshima touches the mark through his sleeve, rubbing it soothingly. “I couldn’t do that to you. I didn’t hate you, Issa, I never did. I didn’t even know you. I thought we could get to know each other.”

Issa fixes his shirt, running a hand through his hair. “But I ruined our chances of that by rejecting the bond right away. I’m sorry, Teshima-san. I never… I was a stupid kid and I didn’t even give us a chance and I’m sorry that it hurt you like it did.”

Teshima’s wrist throbs anew and he hisses, pulling back his sleeve to look at it properly, but he stops as soon as he sees it. The black is gone, replaced by a brilliant watercolor mixture of oranges and reds, one he hasn’t seen in fifteen years. He slumps against the side of his car and when Issa takes his wrist in hand again, the pain fades away immediately.

“Maybe we can still try,” Teshima finds himself saying, even though he knows the first time ending like it did was probably a sign of things to come. Still, he stamps down on that thought and straightens himself up, wrapping his hand around Issa’s shoulder where he knows the mark to be. “No promises it’ll work out obviously, but—”

“But we can still try,” Issa finishes. And then he smiles, and Teshima feels just a little lighter.

Maybe they can make this work. Maybe they can’t. But at least this time, they’re going to give it a serious try.

[pomnavi]

YowaPeda Vol 50 Ch. 429

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YowaPeda Volume 50 Chapter 429: The Pack's Leader

Page 1 Bu 1: Let's go! Bu 2: Surpassing all these obstacles Bu 3: Pursuing what's at the end of this path Bu 4: The goal!!

Page 2 (double page) (no text)

Page 3 (no text)

Page 4 Bu 1: Just wait for us! Onoda-san, Imaizumi-san!! Bu 2: Our collaboration, the super limited express Kaburagi train

Page 5 (double page) Bu 1: Will catch up in no time!! Bu 2: You stupid orange bastard! What "Kaburagi express train", you don't get to choose the name!! Bu 3: Haha don't sweat the details, Doubashi-kun Bu 4: Use "-san"! Bu 5: So fast!! Bu 6: Look at that drafting! Bu 7: Oh my god they're cooperating!! Bu 8: WOAH Bu 9: Last year's champions, Sohoku, and the reigning champions, Hakone, are cooperating!! Bu 10: We just saw something amazing Bu 11: How exciting Bu 12: If they have the same goal, competing teams can pool their resources and work together! Bu 13: Once they reach their goal, they'll be enemies again! Bu 14: Road races are so interesting! Bu 15: I got a good picture! I'll send it to you Bu 16: Yuki, what do you think of the guys moving behind us? Bu 17: There are several small groups and then the largest pack at the back Bu 18: On the last day of inter-high, it's easy to form a cohesive group Bu 19: What if Bu 20: they manage to unite and pursue us?

Page 6 Bu 1: ..... Bu 2: All the guys behind cooperating? Bu 3: You sure do worry a lot Bu 4: Feeling anxious about that, Touichirou? Bu 5: There was a lot of chaos about it last year. Bu 6: I want to prepare for every possibility Bu 7: My prediction is that it won't happen this year Bu 8: You need a leader that everyone recognizes is strong Bu 9: Just looking at the lineup, there isn't anyone who can do that. Bu 10: Also, since Hiroshima struggled last year, everyone is wary of them. Bu 11: They can't have just anyone as a leader, if they're too nice it's over. Bu 12: If they're too ruthless, it's still no good Bu 13: Don't worry Bu 14: Even if they manage to unite, Bu 15: That barely held together group Bu 16: Won't even last 30 minutes.

Page 7 Bu 1: They'll just fall apart Bu 2: Higo mokkosu!!** **T/n: "Higo mokkosu" is a phrase specific to the Kumamoto area. Higo is the name of an old province in Kumamoto Prefecture. "mokkosu" is a Kumamoto phrase meaning "unmoveable", "stubborn", etc. Bu 3: Oh it's the main pack! Bu 4: Mokkosu!! Bu 5: The last group made a proper peloton! Bu 6: I'm this here pack's leader, Kumadai 3rd year "Demon sergeant", Ise Shinya!! Bu 7: We'll join t'gether and show the boys up front what we're made of!! Bu 8: It's already the last day!! Bu 9: We got nothin' to lose!! Bu 10: Let's give it our all!!

Page 8 Bu 1: Yeah!! Bu 2: Up till the front...!! Bu 3: Let's do our best!! Bu 4: Y..yeah Bu 5: Since it's the last day, do as much as you can! Bu 6: We'll catch up to the front!! Bu 7: Actually... Bu 8: How far are we from the front? Bu 9: I-idiot! Don't think about that for now Bu 10: Just focus on what's in front of you Bu 11: ...Ok Bu 12: HIGOO.... Bu 13: MOKKOSU!!

Page 9 Bu 1: We need to increase our speed!! Bu 2: Even more!! Bu 3: Ise!! Bu 4: ! Bu 5: Fukuoka Jousei's Oohori!! Bu 6: Hey nobodies Bu 7: Let's switch! You'd be a lifesaver. Help raise the speed!! Bu 8: Especially since you're one of the First Result candidates.... Bu 9: Sorry, I strained myself too much on the 1st and 2nd days Bu 10: Since the morning my legs... they haven't been performing!! Bu 11: I'm feverish too...Even though we're both from Kyuushuu and I want to assist...sorry. Bu 12: I can't!! Bu 13: ..... Bu 14: C- Bu 15: Can't be helped! Too many people have gotten injured on the 3rd day of Inter-high...!! Bu 16: Ok, just stick to the inside of the pack Oohori!! Bu 17: There's no air resistance on the inside Bu 18: You can stay there until you recover!!

Page 10 Bu 1: Don't worry, we'll manage somehow!! Bu 2: Since I'm the leader, we ain't leavin anyone behind!! Bu 3: Listen up everyone! Anyone who's injured or not feeling well Bu 4: Gather at the center to rest!! Bu 5: The guys who are injured... Bu 6: Ise-san!! Bu 7: What is it Fujiwara Bu 8: Um... Bu 9: The guys inside the pack are complaining!! Bu 10: ! Bu 11: If we go at this pace Bu 12: They're wondering if we'll even catch up to the front Bu 13: going at this slow pace Bu 14: Iwasaki is dealing with those guys right now Bu 15: Let's raise the pace even more!! Bu 16: Uh, from now we'lll Bu 17: Will we even catch up at this rate, Kumadai!! Bu 18: Uh...

Page 11 Bu 1: What the heck is the leader doin'!! Bu 2: The famous Hakogaku is at the front!! Sohoku is there too Bu 3: They're super fast!! Bu 4: We definitely won't catch up at this rate Bu 5: Should some of us just push ahead? Bu 6: That'd be too hard Bu 7: ..........It's time Bu 8: Anyways, what the hell does "Higo Mokkosu" mean Bu 9: It's from Higo, I think it means stubborn. Bu 10: Why have we been yelling that! Bu 11: He's not in control at all! Bu 12: Get it together, Kumadai! Bu 13: We've been pulling the whole time! Bu 14: Their discontent...we can't unite... Bu 15: If we keep going like this... Bu 16: This pack is gonna...

Page 12 Bu 1: What's wrong, Kumadai? Bu 2: Ah Bu 3: You alright? Bu 4: Hiroshima!! Bu 5: What, did you overexert yourself Bu 6: Kumadai? Bu 7: Did you just stagger a lil'? That's dangerous Bu 8: If I don't support you now Bu 9: You could fall and get hurt!! Bu 10: naha!!* (T/n: This is his weird laugh)

Page 13 Bu 1: Even though you finally gathered the group and started chasing the front Bu 2: Hiroshima!! Bu 3: Ise-san Bu 4: I'm staggering...? I see, thanks for the help. Bu 5: But..Hiroshima, you guys betrayed us last year. Bu 6: Oh, no need to thank me, naha!! Bu 7: However, it's true that Ise-kun has become a great leader. Bu 8: You're even looking after the others Bu 9: !? Bu 10: Yesterday, you even pursued the front and delivered actual results Bu 11: Everyone recognizes your abilities Bu 12: I asked for your cooperation yesterday Bu 13: But you guys turned us down Bu 14: Kumadai started kickin! Bu 15: The whole team! Bu 16: They intend to catch up to Hakogaku!! Bu 17: Will you work with us, Kumadai!! Bu 18: We can help pull, let's reach the front together!! Bu 19: No way!! Especially not you guys!! Bu 20: We'll catch up by ourselves!!

Page 14 Bu 1: That sure made me sad Bu 2: If we had worked together back then, maybe the results would have been different. Bu 3: !! Bu 4: After that... you challenged Kyofushi in the mountains and raised your pace Bu 5: But your team dwindled Bu 6: .... Bu 7: !! Bu 8: I'm sure it was hard Bu 9: We sure regretted it Bu 10: !? Bu 11: Why was it back then.... Bu 12: That I was being so pushy about coordinating with you guys

Page 15 Bu 1: We were full of regret.... Bu 2: Kyofushi, Hakogaku, Sohoku...and Kumadai's "4 Strongest", we wanted to win against all of you. Bu 3: That's what Machimiya-paisen wanted at least... Bu 4: Well... Bu 5: Let us make amends? Bu 6: For our sins? Bu 7: Could you please believe us? This year, we're a cozy Bu 8: and friendly team. Bu 9: Are these guys actually friendly this year...!!! Bu 10: "Making amends"....!! Bu 11: We'll help out a little Bu 12: With the pack Bu 13: It's fine if Ise-kun is the leader Bu 14: I'm sure it's fine to let us support you Bu 15: Instead of simply coordinating, we'll cooperate and lend our full strength. Bu 16: ......

Page 16 Bu 1: Of course!! Bu 2: Our leader Ise-kun just gave his permission!! Bu 3: Huh? Bu 4: Uh Bu 5: Hiroshima? Bu 6: Shiono!! Satozaki!! Bu 7: Yeah! Bu 8: Yup!! Bu 9: Go up front and pull Bu 10: We'll help too!! Bu 11: yeah Bu 12: We need to catch up to the front Bu 13: Pull at full speed!! Bu 14: Okay!!

Page 17 Bu 1: Okay! Also, the injured guys Bu 2: And the guys not feeling well should stay back!! Bu 3: Even the ones who only feel a little off Bu 4: Eh Bu 5: Ah... Bu 6: Huh? Bu 7: Gather up at the back Bu 8: We're going to start speeding up Bu 9: Eh? Bu 10: At the back? Bu 11: Why? Bu 12: !? Bu 13: The back? Bu 14: There were guys who complained we were going too slow Bu 15: Everyone, let's work together Bu 16: K? Bu 17: Will you cooperate?

Page 18 (double page) Bu 1: They broke away!! Bu 2: Huh? Bu 3: EH Bu 4: Hiroshima pushed forward... Bu 5: Damn Bu 6: They suddenly increased their pace!

Page 19 Bu 1: Hiroshima... They just strangely Bu 2: Pulled forward so efficiently!! Bu 3: Ah! Bu 4: What.. What's going to happen with us... Bu 5: Huh!? Bu 6: Were we left behind!? Bu 7: We were left behind!! Bu 8: Fukuoka Jousei's Oohori!! Bu 9: What!? Bu 10: They broke away!! Bu 11: If you increase the people in the pack, you can increase the speed overall Bu 12: But if you have weaklings, you can't achieve max speed Bu 13: You really intend to cull the herd, Hiroshima Urakubo! Bu 14: I won't let you!! Bu 15: I'm the limitless sprinter,

Page 20 Bu 1: Fukuoka Jousei's Oohori Jouji!! Oohori sfx: *pant* Bu 2: Ura- Bu 3: -kubo... Bu 4: You're lookin' pale Bu 5: Ugh.. Bu 6: Ooooo Bu 7: Don't overdo it

Page 21 Bu 1: The guys who were all in bad shape or injured.... Bu 2: Wha- Bu 3: Oohori! Bu 4: What are you doing, raising the pace all of the sudden!! Bu 5: What the hell are you plannin' Urakubo!! Bu 6: Did you want to increase our speed? Catch up to the front? Bu 7: This is how I'm helping. Bu 8: I got rid of the useless ones. Bu 9: We'll speed up this way Bu 10: W- Bu 11: I made sure to warn them? Bu 12: That we'd be accelerating

Page 22 Bu 1: It's no good to just speed up without telling anybody Bu 2: But I made sure to tell them "We're speeding up so get behind us" Bu 3: They didn't think what'll happen when they start heading back while we push forward Bu 4: The ones who complied lack imagination Bu 5: You...You... Bu 6: I wanted...to properly take everyone..that was the purpose of this pack... Bu 7: Calm down "Mr. Leader" Bu 8: There's no way we could have taken everyone to the front. Bu 9: This guy...! Bu 10: Shiono, Satozaki!! Speed up even more! Bu 11: Are you taking over this peloton!!

Page 23 Bu 1: Let's get along, Leader~ Bu 2: .... Bu 3: You're counting on me, arent you? Leader? Bu 4: Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself Bu 5: I'm Bu 6: the man who sinks his teeth into his prey and never lets go Bu 7: Also known as Bu 8: The Land Shark of Kure

[pedaldemon]

Pedals trivia from Watanabe-sensei’s sign event (17 April)

This is a quick translation of some trivia answered by Sensei at today’s event that I’ve seen going around on twitter. There’s probably a lot more I’m missing, so I might add to this post if something else crosses my twitter feed. For now, here we go:

Sohoku

If Imaizumi were to go pro, he would go abroad, but which country or team is undecided. Sensei said, “wherever he got his contract”.

Teshima has had one-on-one practice with Makishima in the past, and tried desperately to make conversation as they rode, but because Makishima is so bad at carrying a conversation, he only gave answers like, “Huh,” and “Really,” and Teshima was at a loss.

Makishima only replies to one of every ten messages Toudou sends him, and none of his letters.

Makishima won’t go back to England immediately after this summer’s IH is over, but will stay a short while.

Hakone Gakuen

Toudou pierced his ear.

Toudou only takes his headband off when he’s going to get in the bath at the end of the day.

As a child, Toudou was taught mainly penmanship and traditional Japanese dance.

Kuroda is an older brother (he has a younger sister).

The new HakoGaku third years are all in different classes.

Q: “It feels like Arakita is a lot more relaxed at Yonan.” A: “I think it’s like he was able to let go of something.” (Sensei literally says, “as if he was released from something”, but it’s positive).

Toudou is working part-time at an izakaya (Japanese tavern/bar). This trivia is exploding on twitter, but somebody reported that Sensei said “Toudou is working as a home tutor” to somebody else, so it might be something he came up with in that moment.

Shinkai Hayato works part-time at a café.

Yuuto’s image colors are yellow & black (hornet colors).

Yuuto can cook. His specialty is pasta. (This is so cute. When the poster asked Sensei what Yuuto’s best dish was, Sensei replied, “Hold on, I need to do a search inside my head” and thought about it while drawing their request before replying that it’s pasta.)

Ashikiba is hard for Sensei to draw, but he likes drawing him.

Kyoto Fushimi

Mizuta’s birthday is on January 3rd. (Sensei seemed to come up with it on the spot, according to the poster)

Other

The Spare Bike volumes that are planned for the future are, in order: Tadokoro, Kanzaki Tooji, Machimiya, Hiroshima, Fukutomi.

Q: “Do you draw races already knowing who is going to win?” A: “Yes, for the most part, I draw the race with that outcome in mind, but in the end, sometimes someone tries very very hard and ends up winning instead.”

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 784: The first day's mountain

Pag 1

3: We're passing through the riverside road

4: I see it

6: Kaka

7: Ah!!

8: Teh!

9: It's the first day's

Pag 2

1: “mountain”!!

Pag 3

2: As we “promised”!!

Pag 4

3: It's the “first day's mountain stage”!!

4: A year ago

6: Manami-kun said it after the finish line, on the third and last day of the Inter High, when both of us were all worn out and barely still on our bikes

Pag 5

1: But having our race at the end on the final stage is too much pressure

2: Next year, if we both have the chance to run in the Inter High....

3: …. yeah

4: Let's race for the mountain stage on the first day

Yeah

5: Like Toudou-san and Makishima-san last year

Onoda!!

Manami-san!!

Pag 6

1: Manami!!

Manami-san!!

2: Onoda!!

3: He collapsed!!

Manami!! Take off his helmet

It's okay, I caught him

Onodaa!!

Onoda-san

Do we have a towel?

Danchiku, water!!

4: Next year... the mountain stage on the first day.... yeah

5: Got it....!!

Pag 7

3: When you run along a river....

4: the water only flows if there's a difference in elevation, either uphill or downhill!!

5: Here it's definitely uphill!!

Even if it looks like a flat at first glance, it's gradually climbing!!

Pag 8

1: Toward that mountain!!

Reading the map, it says that it's 5km until the base of the mountain!!

2: 5km!!

3: Don't lose sight of it like last year!!

Yes!! Sorry!!

4: Hold on tight!!

5: 'Cause I'll carry you all the way to the foot of the mountain!!

Pag 9

1: Thank you!!

2: “Positioning”....!!

3: When going from a flat to a climb you need to “position” yourself

Each team accelerates from the flats in order to bring their climbers to a good position

4: It's the so called “mountain's launching pad”!!

5: There will be a difference of several hundred meters in the first stage between a climber who was launched near the front of the group and a climber who was made to run up from the back of the group

Pag 10

1: Bring Onoda to the best possible position, Naruko!!

Oh-

Sohoku is moving up!!

Pag 11

1: -ruaaaagh

Ugh!! Sohoku's Naruko is so fast!!

2: I get what you're tryin to say, Hotshot!!

I'll take him!! Definitely!!

3: That's why I left the first result to Kabu!!

4: On that winter day, with an apologetic face

5: Ah....

6: Ah- uhm, I have something to tell you, but

Onoda-kun, who told us like it was difficult to say....

Pag 12

1: Ah the stove? You can just turn it off, we're the last ones

Yeah, please. Woah, look outside, it's snowing

Seriously? It must be cold

2: That's not it!!

3: Th-th- this morning... I got a text

4: What was that, an acceptance letter?

The proficiency exam?

5: It's a reply to the text I sent....

6: Three months ago!!

7: Uhm... really, I was worried that back when we made that promise it was right after the race and we were tired, so I thought maybe he had forgotten

Three months?

It was a long wait

So I sent him a text to ask him if he remembers?

Pag 13

1: And I received it this morning

Must be the proficiency test

Shut up!!

What are you whispering idiot

“Back when”, when was it?

No idea

2:He said only one word, “of course”

4: So, uhm... this time

5: Is it okay if I run for the first day's mountain stage during this summer's Inter High?

7: Is that so? Kakaka

Onoda-kun's eyes, like he couldn't contain his excitement...

Pag 14

1: I haven't forgotten it!!

2: I can't forget it!!

3: Onoda!!

Onoda-kun!!

Pag 15

1: 2km left until the foot of the mountain!!

2: Do your beeest....!!

Aren't they climbing at an amazing speed!? Each team is getting in line!!

Yeah, you're right!!

3: Every team is trying to “position” themselves for their climbers!!

“Position”!?

4: Also, look closely

Right now, the cyclist in the second position in the ranks

Pag 16

1: is the one who will race in the mountain stage!!

Pag 18

1: Oi, are you kidding me? Hakogaku is sending Manami?

From the first day!?

Manami is in second place

2: He's the “final boss”....!!

3: My dream of getting the red bib has been destroyed even before reaching the foot of the mountain....!!

4: Oi, look over there, that's not all!!

For Sohoku....

5: Naruko is pulling the “King of the mountain”!!

Wa- we're done for!! Completely!! My mountain prize!!

Pag 19

3: Manami-kun!!

4: Sakamichi-kun!!

Pag 20

1: It's time for our promise!!

We're almost at the foot of the mountain!!

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/28/19

Creature Girls: A Hands-On Field Journal in Another World, Vol. 1 | By Kakeru | Seven Seas – This was another “I’ll get the first volume, how bad could it be?” sort of book. The answer is pretty bad, at least for readers of my taste. That said, for those in the market this is aiming for, Creature Girls must be a dream come true. A monster girl story with actual coitus, as well as deep down analysis of the girls’ bodies, almost to the point of parody. The plot is the standard “guy transported to fantasy world” stuff, and there’s a few mentions made of battles against enemies that he helps them with. But the target reader is not here for that. He is here to see monster girls show off their boobs, swear they’re 18, and get screwed. This book gives that to you, in spades. I’ll pass on future volumes. – Sean Gaffney

Haikyu!!, Vol. 32 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Oh boy, more full volumes of volleyball. They sure do (punches fist in air) PLAY that volleyball, huh? OK, OK, let me see… the twins’ backstory was quite good, and I enjoyed the end, where we see more of Hinata’s growth to the point where Tsukishima even praises him, as much as Tsukishima is ever going to praise anyone. And credit to the author, 32 volumes in, for continuing to find ways to not make volleyball boring. There are great poses and a fast pace which reminds you why this is such a popular series. The pace is not fast enough that the game is over, though, and I’m fairly sure that the next volume will have me groping for words once more. It’s a good series, though. – Sean Gaffney

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 4: Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 1 | By Hirohiko Araki| Viz Media – Ten years after the final battle between Dio and Jotaro in Cairo, the fourth part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure returns to Japan. In the first volume of Diamond Is Unbreakable, Jotaro has come to the town of Morioh to investigate a series of crimes and to search for Josuke Higashikata, his uncle and the illegitimate son of his grandfather Joseph Joestar. When Jotaro finds Josuke he discovers a high schooler with a very powerful Stand and a hair-trigger temper (both literally and figuratively) to go with it, a potentially dangerous combination. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure continues to be a violent and grotesque series—the human and animal cruelty present will be too much for some readers—but I continue to love it for its strangeness, over-the-top action sequences, and ridiculous characters. Josuke in particular is one of those delinquents with a heart of gold that brings me tremendous delight. – Ash Brown

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, Vol. 3 | By Waco Ioka and Midori Yuma | Viz Media – I’m wondering how much of this series is going to be Aoi healing people’s hearts through the power of delicious food. Oryo spends most of the volume sick (well, the impression is she’s also hiding), but even she will eat Aoi’s food. We also get backstory on Suzuran and Akatsuki, and take a trip back to Japan so that Suzuran can pay her respects to the late Shiro, and also stay behind. It’s a perfect opportunity for Aoi to stay behind as well, something her captor knows only too well, but she chooses to return anyway. This series looks pretty slow burn, so I think the food may outweigh the romance for a while yet. But I’m OK with that. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss & White Lily for My Dearest Girl, Vol. 9 | By Canno | Yen Press – Half this volume is Yukine and Ayaka, who are coming to realize that “winning” or “losing” is not the be-all and end-all of their relationship. Good thing too, as Ayaka finally wins. Elsewhere, we see a girl who’s a repeater (she was injured and couldn’t get attendance credits), so is something of a loner, but also a cosplayer. She ends up falling for a younger, puppy-dog sort of girl, but it’s hard to get over putting people at a distance, so they end up breaking up quickly. But is it really over? This volume frames the “main” pairing right in the middle, with the ‘volume’ pairing as a bookend, and it woks very well. Next volume is the last, so I suspect it will be all Ayaka and Yukine. – Sean Gaffney

Little Witch Academia, Vol. 3 | By Trigger, Yoh Yoshinari and Keisuke Sato | JY – The spinoff comes to an end here, and there’s no real climactic finale—they have to win a flying contest against another school, but Diana is ill, so Akko tries her hardest (and mostly fails) and succeeds in the end, because she’s just that plucky. In the end, I think this spinoff probably works best for the groups it’s marketed for—kids and those who watched the anime. I wasn’t as fond of it as I was the other ones, as it’s clear that any character development is going to be in the main series. But as an advertisement for the main series, it’s excellent—I certainly would like to see more of everyone. Something to get your niece for her birthday—at three volumes, it’s even affordable. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 16 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – Every new volume of the series after its first “ending” seems to be designed to annoy me—something that also befell the very similar Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, if I recall. As the cover might give away, this volume doubles down on the teacher-student romance between Akari (who has at least appeared a lot) and Sakurada, best known as the least developed one of Those Three Guys, who looks much older than he is, which I guess is supposed to take the curse off the creepiness but doesn’t. Elsewhere, there is still some good comedy—I particularly liked the chapter with the supermarket sale—but more and more it appears this should have ended with the mutual confession. – Sean Gaffney

One-Punch Man, Vol. 16 | By ONE and Yusuke Murata | Viz Media – Still far too serious, and now faced with Saitama barely being in it. Certainly if you like cool fights it’s a good read, but I can get that from a dozen other manga titles. I read this for silliness, and that’s in short supply here. I did like the idea of the superhero “Megane,” who is pretty much just a guy with glasses. There’s also some good development from Garo, whose analysis is top tier, but who sadly is a bit too focused on the wrong things. But then again so are the A-rank heroes—there’s a fair bit of hypocrisy here. At least Genos knows what’s what, and we also get the return of Bang, who has a grudge of his own. It looks like Saitama will show up soon, and thank goodness. Who needs a totally serious One-Punch Man? – Sean Gaffney

Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 15 | By Fumi Yoshinaga | VIZ Media – Revolution is approaching as the most senior of Iesada’s ministers signs a trade treaty with America without waiting for Imperial approval. This fellow silences his detractors with harsh punishments and winds up assassinated by the end of the volume for his trouble. Meanwhile, the pregnant Iesada has evidently been gotten out of the way by somebody, but it’s unclear who, leaving her bereaved consort Taneatsu in the dark about her demise for a full month. Now he’s doing his best to guide her clever successor, who has just been married to an Imperial prince. She was concerned about deceiving the emperor, since the shogunate’s part of the deal was to oust foreigners, but a big reveal in the final pages proves they’re the ones who’ve been deceived. Still great, if sad. Poor Taneatsu. – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 3 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The danger is ramped up a lot more in this volume, which also comes with the return of a familiar face from the Progressive series. When it comes to “NPCs can surpass their programming,” no one’s done it more often than SAO, with the current Alicization arc being all about that. Kizmel was (storywise, at least) first, though, and it’s heartwarming to see Kirito and Asuna reunite with her, even if she doesn’t know who they are. That said, this side story is still all about Premiere, who has a role that she is clearly there to fulfill… and also there’s more than one of her? Not for casuals, but SAO fans should find this a lot of fun. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 11 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The joy of our whole team of six catching up with one another is tempered by the reminder that there can be only one winner of this race… and that the others are going to drop back and fail. It’s a hard lesson for Onoda to absorb, and by the end of the book he’s still struggling to. The rest of the book is filled with the most manly cycling ever, fortunately, and I have to say pound-for-pound this series even manages to out-shonen the Jump titles. That said, holy hell, this is a long race, and we’re still not done. Sports manga go on forever, and nothing says that better than this omnibus, which equates to vols. 21-22 of the original. I hope Sohoku eventually wins. And by that I mean Onoda. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/12/18

Again!!, Vol. 4 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – Just as the ouendan members are beginning to communicate and share ideas for how to set their cheering apart, Imamura falls down the flight of stairs again and finds himself back where he started, temporally speaking. What follows is a neat split timeline, with Imamura in 2014 trying to figure out whether what he experienced was real or a dream, and Fujieda in 2011 watching everyone gradually forget Imamura and his influence in their lives. It’s still not 100% conclusive that it is real, or whether Imamura’s actions will in any way affect the present, but he’s still determined to try. Armed with knowledge of how Usami ends up causing a disaster and dropping out of school, an accidental plummet from a window sends him back again. This was an exciting volume, and a big improvement over the previous one. – Michelle Smith

Arakawa Under the Bridge, Vol. 4 | By Hikaru Nakamura | Vertical Comics – As always, I’m grasping at straws to avoid having every review be simply “this series is really weird but pretty funny,” and this time around it’s noticing that despite living under the bridge mostly involving Rec playing the straight man, it’s actually pretty much been a good thing for him, both in terms of his physical and mental health. Rec was the sort of person who was headed for an early nervous breakdown, and while one can argue that he has about ten of these in this omnibus alone, he’s also maturing in a weird way by being immature. He’s also a good fit with Nino, who gets a rival in a huge Amazon this time around but is otherwise power-faced. Best read in bits, but still great fun. – Sean Gaffney

Chio’s School Road, Vol. 1 | By Tadataka Kawasaki | Yen Press – Although Chio is a high school student who would rather not draw too much attention to herself, somehow the complete opposite always seems to happen. She can’t even make it to school on time without something astonishingly absurd happening first–thus the title and premise of the series. Chio’s School Road can be incredibly funny. The titular heroine repeatedly finds herself in over-the-top situations which she unintentionally makes even more outrageous due to a potent mix of exceptionally creative problem solving, a nearly complete lack of common sense, and an obsessive love of video games. While not as overly-sexualized or fanservice-laden as it could be, Kawasaki’s background as a hentai artist is readily apparent in Chio’s School Road, mostly in how characters’ facial expressions are portrayed during times of intense physical exertion. Some of the humor is a bit lewd or risqué as well, but some elements are more innocent. – Ash Brown

D-Frag!, Vol. 12 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – It’s been almost a year and a half since the last volume of D-Frag!, and I’ve honestly forgotten half the cast. But that’s fine, as the reader will quickly get back into the spirit of things, as the premise remains the same—gags happen, and they are funny. Much of the volume involves the main cast going to a festival held at the Girls’ Private Academy they’ve occasionally battled, and no prizes for guessing that they have to play games there. And there’s also many, many jokes about Takao’s breasts, which remain nearly invincible (in fact, the fact that they can come to harm is a gag all to itself.) D-Frag! is never going to have a serious plotline or any character development, but it’s dumb fun. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 12 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – First off, I get the feeling that the manga really is going to go for the teacher/student relationship with Akari and Sakurada, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, though it would at least stop the old maid jokes. The best part of this volume, though, is Youko and Asahi’s first date, which is absolutely adorable despite a bit of ominous foreshadowing near the end, which seems to imply that Youko’s vampire tendencies may actually be tied to her lust for her boyfriend. We also start a new year, and thus have new freshman, including Asahi’s sister, who I’d forgotten existed, and Momochi, an over-the-top ninja who seems to fall in love at the drop of a hat. Dragging on a bit, but still good. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 9 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – Day two of the inter-high continues! The teams from Hakone and Sohoku make their triumphant return to the head of the pack, much to the consternation of a hothead on the Kyoto-Fushimi team. Midousuji insists all is within the scope of his simulations, however, and employs various tactics to ensure his victory. It’s initially satisfying watching Midousuji be thrown off by just how strong Fukutomi and Kinjou really are—I was particularly amused when he called them “sewer gnats!!”—but once he gets a tragic backstory, I felt a little less gleeful about it. Fukutomi and Kinjou have a very healthy rivalry born of mutual respect that leads to greater heights, whereas Midousuji has nothing like that. Watanabe-sensei, I can’t believe you made me feel bad for Midousuji. Well done! – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown