Mintna Bokura (We are Mint) Chapter 8 Translation by Dimitri Ashling All rights held by the authoress, Wataru Yoshizumi. Special thanks again to Masatomo (for checking my translations), and Karen Duffy (for showing me this story in the 1st place) SPECIAL NOTE: I'm including a .jpg file with this to show 4 little family charts that are in this Chapter. It's the easiest way for me to include the translation of those charts, I hope it helps. Page 1 Tah dah! Noel: ..what's this? Page 2 Maria (happy): My homemade cookies. It was a present for Yoshiaki, but I made a lot so I'm giving you some too! So, how do they taste? I borrowed the Home Ec. room to make them yesterday. Pop (into mouth). Munch. Munch. Noel:..? They taste a little strange... (Maria's shocked) I'm sorry! But, they're weird. What are these little bits!? What did you put in these!? Page 3 Maria: Earl grey tea leaves! Don't they smell wonderful? Kanako said they were delicious! Noel: Huh... Maria: That's it! If you're going to say bad things about my cookies, you won't get to have any more. Sasa, you want to try some? Don't they look scrumptious? Sasa: Oh, cakes and cookies make my mouth dry. I don't like them... Maria: What__!? Geez, I can't count on YOU. Sasa: (That's a selfish thing to say) Maria: But, that's OK. Yoshiaki is so kind. He spoke to my heart. "I'm very happy to eat your handmade cookies!" Oh, I wanna be carried over the threshhold pronto... (Maria all happy & in love) Sasa: Hey, do something about this runaway girl! Page 4 Noel: Maria's fever for Yoshiaki, since I accepted their relationship,is just getting higher and higher. Sine Maria was getting far way from me, I was so sad. But she looks so happy... Nah, there's nothing I can do. So I'll just give up. But it still pisses me off! Maria: Oh, that's right. Noel, I need to have a serious talk with you. Would talking at lunch break be OK? Noel: Sure... Page 5 Noel: What's up? Talk to me. Maria: ...sure. Say, do you want to return to our old school? Together. (Noel's amazed) Noel: So, that's it. I wanted to talk about that... I completely forgot about it. But why so suddenly? Maria: But look, didn't you come to this school because I met Hirobe? But now that I love Yoshiaki, the meaning of your being here has disappeared. Page 6 Noel: I guess that's true.. Maria: So, if you want to return to our old school, I think we should return together. After all, living as a girl in a girls' dorm is hard on you for sure. I like this school and enjoy living in the dorm. I want to stay here 'til I graduate but for your sake it might be better to return to our old school. Noel: Maybe so... I came here to bring Maria back, to stop her romance. Then, Maria started going around with Yoshiaki. For now, either school would be fine. But living as a girl in a girls' dorm is definitely inconvienent. I want to go back to a normal life... Page 7 We don't need to decide right now. Think about it. Maria: Sure... Oh, one other thing. Can I tell Yoshiaki you're really my little brother? I don't want to hide it from him. Noel: NO WAY IN HELL!!! Arrow pointing to Noel's hair: Still hasn't given up yet. Maria: ... gotcha. Page 8 Noel: What should I do. For now, I'll stay here 'til summer vacation. Then, I'll have been here for 2 school terms. Should I go back? I couldn't see Sasa anymore but, if we hang out on weekends, that's fine. I want to see my old school friends. Miyu: Noel. Can you get from here to Ebisu in about an hour? Noel: Miyu... I couldn't see Miyu anymore either... Page 9 (Noel gives a blank stare) Miyu:...Noel? Noel: Ah, yeah. You can handle that, right? What's up, are you going to Ebisu? Miyu: Yes. Page 10 Noel: Oh, so that's why... (She couldn't be seeing that middle-aged guy again!?) Miyu: And you promised Sasa, right? Noel: Uh, yeah. (She couldn't be.) Miyu: You've got to get ready soon. You'll be late. Noel: (not with that middle-aged guy.) Miyu: I'll see you later. (Door slams) Noel: (with that middle-aged guy______!?) Page 11 Ebisu Prize Garden (Noel looking around) Sasa:...so what now? Noel: Huh? Sasa: Don't "huh" me. We changed our plans to see Gamesoft in Shinjuku, and came to this prize garden instead. What's your purpose in coming here? Noel: Purpose.... U ummm... Page 12 Sasa: Do you want to buy something at the department store? (Noel nods no) To see a movie at the Garden Cinema? (Noel nods no) Did you want to see the Beer Museum? (Noel nods no) Then what___!? Noel: Sorry, Sasa... Let's go to Shinjuku after all. Sasa:??? (Noel starts walking off) Noel: What the hell am I doing... I came here because I had no restrictions. Now that I'm here, I don't know how to meet her. Usually I have a reason to meet people, but... (Noel's eyes go wide) Page 13 (Miyu and the middle-aged guy at a table) Noel: She came to see that middle-aged guy after all_____!! Sasa: ...what are you up to? Noel: Shhh, quiet down! Page 14 Sasa: Goodness. Just... Makimura? Your roommate. (Noels nods yes) Really. It looks like that rumour about her hanging out with middle-aged guys is really true... Sasa: ...dad. Noel: Huh? Page 15 What the heck? That's my dad... Noel: (WHA!?) Page 16 (Sasa takes off towards them) Noel: Ah, Sasa... Sasa: Dad, what the hell are you doing!! (Sasa's dad stands up) Sasa's dad: Ryuji!? Page 17 Sasa: Dating a girl in middle school in a place like this!? Smiling like that to her is so shameful. I didn't think you were like that. I'm so dissapointed!! Sasa's dad: Hey, just a minute. You're misunderstood, Ryuji. It's not what you think. This girl is my daughter. Page 18 Sasa: Huh... Noel: What!? What!? Wait a minute. Sasa's dad is Miyu's dad!? That means_____they're brother and sister!? Sasa: No. Page 19 Noel: Why!? Sasa: My real father died shortly after I was born in an accident. After that, my mother married this father. Because of that, he's not a blood relative of mine. (Noel can't figure this out). I had heard... Before this father married my mother, he had married another woman and they had a child. So that's you, Makimura...? Miyu:...yes. Page 20 (Miyu & Sasa looking at each other w/pastels in the background. Noel's looking at both of them and still doesn't have a clue.) (Stare. Stare.) Sasa's dad: Let's go somewhere else at once. Ryuji, you come along as well. It's better to explain this properly. Ummm... who's this? Sasa: That's my classmate. Miyu: That's my roommate. Noel: I'm Minamino Noel... Page 21 Sasa's dad: Miss Minamino, I'm sorry if I've embarassed you for no reason. It's a family matter... Noel: Uh, yeah. Sasa: Sorry, Noel. Go home without me. Miyu: So sorry.. Noel: Um, sure.. (Noel left at Ebisu) Page 22 (Back at the dorm, Noel pacing back and forth) (Door opens) Miyu: I'm home. Noel: Miyu___! I was waiting for you! I'm glad you came home early tonight. Miyu: I'm sorry about the day, Noel. Noel: Say, could you explain the situation to me? I don't get it at all... Miyu: Sure, I'll start the explanation from the beginning. ...my parents graduated from Morinomiya. They met at this school and got married. Page 23 Then I was born. The 3 of us lived with my grandparents on my mother's side in their house. (Chart 1) Then my mother became a popular writer. (Chart 2) I was left in my grandparents' care. She shut herself off in a hotel and had lots of work. Then my father's heart rapidly became distant... About then, the husband of my mother's little sister died in his parents' house. She moved in with us, bringing her baby along. (Chart 3) She was Sasa's mother. Then my father fell in love with her. Noel: So, your father divorced your mother then married Sasa's mother? Miyu: Yes. After that, my mother met my stepfather and they married... Now, everyone's happy in their own lives. But since my mom's best friend stole her little sister away... They still feel uncomfortable about it. The sisters never exchange correspondence anymore. That's why it appears that Sasa barely knew me at all. Page 24 (Chart 4) Noel: This illustration shows it all. All you Ribon readers got it? Miyu, when did you first meet your father? Miyu: Last year. I wanted to meet my real father, so I brought up the subject. It's been 11 years, so even though we're really father and daughter, we're really akward with each other. So if you were to see us without knowing us, it might look like I'm going out with a middle-aged guy... Noel: Yeah, it looked that way... Ummm.. so, what relation are you and Sasa to each other? Miyu: Cousins, because our mothers are sisters. Noel: Cousins... I think you're alike. You've got the same slant to your eyes. Page 25 Miyu: I've been watching Sasa for a long time. My father told me long ago, "I've got a son at Morinomiya as well." There was a boy living in my father's family.. I wondered what kind of guy he was a lot... But I didn't have the courage to start a conversation... Today was the first time we talked. Just like I thought, he's a pleasant guy! Page 26 Noel: (Throb). What the heck? What was that? Just now, a strange feeling came from the bottom of my heart... Miyu: But it looks like Sasa didn't know his father's life before he married. I wonder if he got shocked by all this. Say, Noel, what do you think? Noel? (not talking) ? Noel: What's going on? What are these strange feelings? Page 27 Guy 1: Morning. Guy 2: Morning. (Noel looks and sees Sasa & Miyu smiling at each other) Page 28 (Miyu w/pastels) Noel: (THROB.) Miyu: Ah, Noel... (Noel turns and runs away) Miyu and Sasa:? Noel: What is this? If I see Miyu smiling at Sasa, the bottom of my heart starts throbbing. It aches... Page 29 This is the first time I've felt this way. What's happening to me...!? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coments, corrections and suggestions are welcome, contact Dimitri Ashling at: pokota@teleport.com Find more Mintna Bokura translations at: http://www.swb.de/~zahara/yo/yo.html Thank-you! ^^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------