Ichigo no Houseki - Part 1Ichigo no Houseki (Strawberry Jewel) – Part 1
By MIZUSAWA Megumi
October 2001
Version 1.0   
9/01 Notes: As is with all my Japanese ones, I’m back to my hybrid 
summary-translations.  I mainly chose to do Ichigo no Houseki because it was 
relatively easy ^_^;; plus, I really like the Hime-chan no Ribon anime and 
figured this would be another cutesy, happy-go-lucky manga (Mizusawa-sama did 
Hime-chan).  So here we go, enjoy, comments and corrections are always a nice, 
large help 8D. 
< > Thoughts or narration
italicized text  the side comments
;; sweatdrop
Japanese words everyone should know:
   Un: sound effect meaning “okay”
   Hai:  multiple uses ^_^ usually “yes”
   Itadakimasu:  no good translation in English; used before eating
   Gochisousama:  no good translation in English: used after eating
   Sensei:  teacher

Suzu: <The class’s number one fly guy, KATAGIRI Shuuya-kun is> <tall, smart, 
athletic, and all-mighty>  <I, SONODA Suzu,> <am completely infatuated with 
him.>   
Suzu: <But>
Minori:  KATAGIRI~  Look look, I found this puzzle book in my house.  Can you 
figure this one out?
Minori explains the directions, that only two matchsticks can be moved to form 
the designated design.  KATAGIRI solves it immediately.
Minori: That was fast!  Wow~ well it’s expected, since you’re so smart!
Suzu:  <The class’s number one fly girl, KONISHI Minori-chan is also> probably 
<has a crush on KATAGIRI-kun.> 
Minori:  Ooh, so what about this one?  Can you figure it out?
Suzu:  <Minori-chan sure is amazing, talking to him so easily.> <Me, I can’t 
even say 5 words to him.> 
Suzu Narration: <KATAGIRI-kun was a transfer student>  <4 months ago, June>
Classmate:  Lucky~ Suzu-chan, you get to sit next to him!  He’s so cool!!  And 
so tall~
Suzu:  ..... <Doesn’t seem like a talkative guy~> <Though he is cute…> 
Suzu:  <We have Home Ec fourth period… I wonder if KATAGIRI-kun knows> <Ah, an 
idea!>
Suzu asks him to write something (maybe it’s a schedule, feel free to clear this 
up anyone ^.^;;), when Minori interrupts and…
Minori:  It’s hard transferring in the middle of the school year, so I can show 
you the ropes!  C’mon, come with me!
Suzu:  <Minori-chan…> <I forgot; she knows all the rules of the school.> <But 
they’re pretty irrelevant to me…> <I’m so… ;;>
Mako:  Suzu~ hurry, let’s go!
Suzu:  Un~ 
Classmates: Good morning KATAGIRI~!  Morning~!
KATAGIRI:  Good morning
Classmates:  Kyaaa~ “Good morning”, he said!  How cool~!!  Even his greetings~  
When he comes back, let’s say “bye-bye” too~!
Mako:  …wow, KATAGIRI already has such a following.
Suzu’s friend says how the two of them are kind of different.
Waitress:  Party of 4, please come this way.
Mother:  It’s been a long time~ since we’ve gone to a restaurant altogether. 
Suzu:  <KATAGIRI-kun!!>
Mother:  What to eat~?  It’s kind of hard to choose…
Suzu:  Everything looks pretty good to me~
<sound FX: heart beating>
Suzu:  <KATAGIRI-kun’s here with his family too~>  <Ah… strawberry cake…>  
<That’s unexpected…>  <He doesn’t seem like the type to like sweet foods.> 
Shiny bubbles form as Suzu watches him eat and smile.
[Translator’s note: shoujo manga can be pretty silly, nee? ¦D ;;>  
Suzu:  <Now I know for sure…>  <that I like him…>  <and the food looks really 
yummy>  <Strawberry cake…>
Suzu Narration:  <It was then when somehow, KATAGIRI-kun began to mean a lot to 
me…>  <How>  <his smiling face looked at that moment…> 
Sign:  Basketball gym
<sound FX: dribbling>
Classmates:  Nurse, over here~ Here too!
Suzu: Ha~i!
Classmate:  You sure look busy, Suzu!
Suzu:  Un!  Did you want to see Nightingale?
[Translator’s notes: I have no clue what that means, although the translation 
should be right o_O.]
Classmates:  C’mon , 2B~  Go KATAGIRI~ 
Suzu:  <Cool…>
Minori:  Nice shot KATAGIRI~!!  You look great~!!  That was perfect!!  Wonderful 
face, super smart, and a fantastic athlete, too!!  You don’t find a guy like him 
every day.  I’ve decided!!  This Christmas, I’ll be spending time with him as 
his girlfriend!!
Classmate:  Wow~!!  Great, Minori!  That’s some decision!!
Classmates ooh and ahh over Minori about her statement, and also as she plays 
b-ball.  Suzu watches and her self-confidence deflates…

Suzu:  <But I’ve got to try harder, too!!>  <Like my role as a the class 
nurse!!>
Classmate:  Nurse~ can you come here a sec~
Suzu:  Hai!!
<FX:  a fierce sparkle>
Classmate:  Uwa!  This isn’t the sterilization stuff, it’s bug spray!~!
Suzu:  Eh!?  Aa~!! S-sorry!!
Suzu catches KATAGIRI looking, and he quickly turns away.
Suzu:  <KATAGIRI-kun…>  <He was watching~>
<FX: Oh no~>
Suzu’s friend talks about how she finds KATAGIRI cool but not mind blowing, then 
turns around and…
Mako:  But Suzu, you like him, right?
Suzu:  Eh!?

Suzu:  Ah… Eh… Ah… Um… Aa… I…
Mako:  Seriously~ Aaw~ Suzu, how cute~  Sorry sorry~  Making you admit it 
aloud~!!
Suzu:  But… I don’t have any special qualities…
Mako:  Suzu, that towel isn’t clean ;;
Suzu:  Whereas Minori…  she’s pretty, smart, good at sports, and always 
cheerful…  If I had to compare to her, I would definitely lose.
Mako:  Suzu, that’s not true!  You have a lot of good qualities!!
Suzu:  Really!?  Where!?
<5 seconds>
<10 seconds>

Suzu:  …knew it.  None.
Mako:  There are, there are!!  Of course there are!!
Suzu takes out her burned cake and wonders what went wrong, when her mom asks 
why she grilled the cake ;;.  Suzu explains that she wants to bake something for 
Christmas, but then her mom reminds her that it’s only October.
Suzu:  But  I want it to taste good.
Mom:  Sponge cake is hard.  In all my 42 years, I’ve never even made it once. 
Father:  Mother, this hamburger is really charred…
Brother: The misoshiru is way too strong~
Mother:  Just eat it slowly and no problem!
Suzu:  <I hope bad cooking isn’t genetic…>
Suzu decides to try her hand at cooking, in hopes that KATAGIRI goes for 
domestic girls. 
Suzu:  <And then>  <Maybe someday, I can make a delicious strawberry cake for 
KATAGIRI-kun…> 
Minori:  KATAGIRI!  Can I talk to you for a sec?
KATAGIRI:  What?
Minori:  Because~  Just come, anyway.
Suzu: .....
Classmates:  Uwa~ Minori!  She’s really going to do it! 
Classmate:  She said she would confess her feelings for him today!
<sound FX: heart beat>
Mako: ..... Suzu…
Suzu:  <Minori-chan’s going to…>  <What now?>  <Minori-chan’s>  <cute and 
cheerful…>  <a ton of guys like her…>  <KATAGIRI-kun probably likes her too…>  
<OK… what should I do…?>  <Oh no…>  <Oh no…> 
Classmates:  Ah, you’re back!  Minori!!  How did it go, how did it do!?  Did you 
confess!?
Minori:  His answer…  Eheheh~  His answer was~
Classmates:  Just tell us already~  Your face says it was an OK~ right?
Minori makes an “X” with her arms.
<FX: No way!> 
The class clamors as Suzu is relieved.  Minori says it’s embarrassing, but it 
just makes KATAGIRI all the cuter.
Minoru:  But I won’t give up!  I said “by Christmas”, so I’ve still got 2 
months!!  By then, for sure!!
Suzu:  <Minoru-chan’s so cool…> 
Suzu:  <Why…>  <did he refuse her?>  <The two of them would look good together…> 
 <What if he’s already god a girlfriend…>  <That would be so bad!  I could do 
without this thought!>  <I wonder what type of girl he likes…> 
Mako:  Thank goodness!  You must have been worries, Suzu!!
Suzu:  Nn… but why was Minori-chan rejected?  What’s wrong with her?  What 
didn’t he like?  It’s so strange!
Mako:  …did you _want_ them to get together or something?
Then her friend talks about his cold personality, and that maybe she does like 
him since she has a weakness for aloof guys.  But then she brings up how Suzu 
has a chance to talk to him the next day in cooking.
Suzu:  Un… you’re right.  I’ll give it my best!! 
The blackboard lists different types of foods.
Sensei:  Go through and think about the recipe as you prepare.
Classmate:  Sensei~ the guys are horsing around~
More general class sounds.  Somebody comments on Suzu’s neat slicing.
Suzu:  KATAGIRI-kun sure look cute in that apron…  Ehehe
Classmate:  SONODA.  Oi.
Suzu:  Eh!  What?
He asks her on whether or not to add eggs.
Suzu:  yup, like this 
Suzu then tastes her food and finds out that it’s gross.
Suzu:  What should I do?
Sensei:  Okay, we’re out of time~ so clean up, people.  We’re in a hurry.
Suzu:  Wa~ what should I do what should I do~ 
After the food is prepared, the guy that asked for Suzu’s help earlier takes his 
food.
Classmate:  Geh!  What’s up with this oyakodon?  It tastes bad~
[Translator’s note: Oyakodon directly translates into “parent child” bowl… well 
anyway, it’s a type of food ^-^;;]
Suzu:  No way…
Classmate:  Uwa, no kidding!  This is gross!
The teacher helps Suzu figure out where she made a mistake in the food.
Sensei:  Well, next time.  Ah, this looks great!  Un, and it’s delicious, too.  
Good job!
Classmate:  Yay, Minori!
[Translator’s note:  Am I the only one in thinking the classmates are completely 
brainless and/or infatuated with Minori?  ¬_¬  mou.] 
Suzu:  <This is the worst…>  <I tried my best at cooking but…>  <KATAGIRI-kun 
doesn’t have an expression…>
Classmates:  No way, I’m finished.  Me too.  Gochisousama.
KATAGIRI:  Gochisousama. 
Suzu:  <He ate…>  <everything…>  <KATAGIRI-kun…> 
Mako:  Suzu…  what are you doing!!  Don’t be so hard on yourself, Suzu.  Okay?  
Hey, recipe-bug!  Don’t be such a jerk when you can’t even cook by yourself!!
Suzu:  It’s fine, Mako-chan, stop.
Mako:  But it makes me mad!  He made you cry!!
Suzu:  <You’ve got it wrong…>  <These are tears of happiness…>  <Turns out>  
<KATAGIRI-kun’s>  <Not the cold person he comes off as> 
Suzu:  <KATAGIRI-kun is>  <kind…>  <and I like him so much…>
[Translator’s note: aheh, there are a lot of these this time around ^^;;.  Just 
saying that I won’t ever use “love” for “suki” in shoujo manga until it finally 
evolves past crush-stage!  The word is used too lightly in translations, I think 
: \.] 
Suzu:  <I really, really like him…>
The teacher comes in and lightly reprimands Suzu for forgetting to do something.
Suzu:  <I’ve been thinking about KATAGIRI-kun too much> 
Suzu:  <Ka…  KATAGIRI-kun!!>
<sound FX: heart thumping>
Suzu:  <I…>  <I guess he forgot something…>  <What now??  This is my chance to 
say something…!!>  <I can say “bye-bye”>  <But if he isn’t leaving, then that’d 
be strange>  <I know!!>  <I can thank him for what he did in cooking class!>  
<”Sorry about earlier!!”>  ~um, 
<sound FX: clatter clatter>
Suzu:  <GYAA~  I’m such an idiot!  That did not just happen~!!>  <I’m so 
embarrassed>
KATAGIRI:  Here, this too.
Suzu:  Hyaa  Aa… thank you… sorry…
KATAGIRI:  ..... 
Suzu:  <WAA~!!!>
Paper:  KATAGIRI-kun is so cute…  KATAGIRI Shuuya…
Suzu:  <I’m such an idiot~!!!>  <Why me…!!>  <He saw it…>  <What should I do>  
<KATAGIRI-kun saw it!!> 
Suzu:  …aa… ehm…  uh…  I… I like you, KATAGIRI-kun!!  <Oh no, I said it!!> 
Suzu:  <Minori-chan…!!>

~End Ichigo no Houseki Part 1~