Kimagure Orange Road "The Two Who Couldn't Go Back" Volume 18, Story 6 WB Volume 10, Story 13 Written and illustrated by Matsumoto Izumi Translation by : Tonghyun Kim (7 Nov 1992) Compilation & Additional translation by : Craig Nishida Editing and Additional help by : Paul Hirose Craig Nishida Alan Yue Bart Bonneau Last revision : 09-22-95 Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Please send them to: kor-trans@gnu.ai.mit.edu NOTE: WBp#'s are printed first, Normal manga pages in parentheses() NOTE: Translation is done from both the WB and normal manga, so there may be a few extras to those of you not having both. Example: The subtitles on page 245 (107) are only in the WBs! NOTE: The wideban version of this chapter contains 4 additional pages not found in the original manga. --------------------------------------------------- p 245 (107)--TITLE PAGE [Exterior shot of ABCB.] MAIN TITLE (at top) The Two Who Couldn't Go Back SUB-TITLE (at bottom) The Town's Little Coffee Shop That Is Stuffed Full of Memories... --------------------------------------------------- p 246 (108) 1 [View up at trees, sky and sun.] 2 [Exterior shot of a travel agency.] sign: [vertical] ...rist sign: [horizontal] Japan Tourist 3 [Manami portrait. She looks back at us, without her glasses on.] Manami: I'd like to reserve an airline ticket, please! 4 [Pov shifts. She stands at the center of a long counter, being helped by a woman wearing glasses. Manami wears a sleeveless dress with a short skirt. To her left is another girl being helped.] Manami: A round-trip to Hokkaido. Yes... It's for my father. sign: 10-day Okinawa Tour 5 [Manami looks to her left.] Madoka: [off] It's Ayukawa Madoka... 6 [Madoka stands to Manami's left and talks to the agent who is off-panel.] Madoka: To Los Angeles on the 20th. Yes... One. Manami: (Huh... Ayukawa-san...!) brochure: America --------------------------------------------------- p 247 (109) 1 Madoka: No... A one-way ticket will be fine. Yes... It's for myself. 2 Manami: Mado... 3 [Manami pauses.] narration: Hm...? One way ticket?! 4 [Madoka turns.] Madoka: Oh! Manami: ... Hello. 5 [View looking up at buildings, trees and sky.] Manami: [off] Are you taking a trip to America? 6 Manami: [smiling] Again... To see your parents...? --------------------------------------------------- p 248 (110) 1 [A view up some stairs.] Manami: [off] But, it's just a one-way ticket... 2 [Madoka stares at the ground.] 3 Manami: Is it a long trip this time?! 4 Madoka: Yeah... I might not come back at all. Manami: [merrily] C'mon-n-n! You're kidding again. 5 [Smiling and chatting, Madoka and Manami walk through the park.] 6 [Manami's pov of Madoka, who looks at the ground, pensive.] 7 [Manami's pov. Madoka looks back.] Madoka: Say... Manami-chan. --------------------------------------------------- p 249 (111) 1 Madoka: [off] About me going to America... I don't want you to tell anyone yet... 2 [Manami's pov. Madoka looks pensive again.] 3 Manami: Huh? 4 [Madoka claps her hands together before her.] Madoka: Please! Manami: S-sure! 5 Madoka: [off] School begins tomorrow! I wonder if Kasuga-kun sat in on the seminars as he should have? Manami: [off] Ah, well... Oniichan, as usual... 6 Madoka: [off] I wonder if Kasuga-kun will be able to go to college?! Manami: [off] Ah ha ha! I have no idea. --------------------------------------------------- p 250 (112) 1 [The top panels of this page and the next form a panoramic view of several buildings at Kouryou school.] narration: Summer break ended, and an incident occurred at school. 2 [View down a hallway.] narration: A teachers' meeting was hurriedly held in the faculty room... sign: Faculty Room 3 [Exterior shot of a school building.] narration: Various rumors flew about among the students... --------------------------------------------------- p 251 (113) 1 [The left half of the previous page's first panel.] 2 [Several students chatter away in a classroom.] narration: It was now the sole topic of conversation at school. 3 narration: But... 4 [Kyousuke sits at his desk.] narration: I never imagined that things would turn out like this... --------------------------------------------------- p 252 (114) 1 [Komatsu and Hatta approach Kyousuke, who is deep in thought. Komatsu turns to Hatta.] Komatsu: Hey, have you heard?! 2 Komatsu: The story is that many show-biz production people want to make Ayukawa a star, and they're turning up at school here! 3 [Kyousuke portrait.] 4 Komatsu: At any rate, it seems they have their eye on Ayukawa because of that audition back then! How awesome! Hatta: You mean the audition that never got aired on TV? 5 Komatsu: But... What's so good about a girl like Ayukawa? --------------------------------------------------- p 253 (115) 1 Komatsu: She certainly looks good, and her singing--well--it seemed like she was the best one at that audition, but... Hatta: Then she meets all the requirements. 2 [Kyousuke portrait.] 3 [Komatsu raises his forefinger.] Komatsu: But... She's a delinquent! 4 [Kyousuke portrait.] 5 [Kyousuke drops his gaze.] Kyousuke: In what way? Komatsu: Eh?! 6 [Exterior shot of a school building.] Komatsu: [off] But it was discovered that she actually appeared at the audition without school permission, and even that she was working part-time at ABCB, so now she's suspended from school. --------------------------------------------------- p 254 (116) 1 [View looking up at school building, trees and sky.] narration: Sure... Because of that, Ayukawa's now suspended from school... 2 [Kyousuke portrait.] --------------------------------------------------- p 255 (117) 1 narration: But Ayukawa wasn't the only one who entered the contest!! 2 [Kyousuke rises, eyes dropped and looking firm.] Kyousuke: I don't think Ayukawa is a delinquent! Kyousuke stand-up FX: 3 [Komatsu waves him away.] Komatsu: Well... They say the nail that sticks out is hammered.* <*Translation note (CN): Literally, Komatsu says "...the stake that emerges is struck."> 4 [Kyousuke strides out the door.] Komatsu: Where are you going, Kasuga?! 5 [He looks back over his shoulder.] Kyousuke: Well... Ah, tell the teacher I'm going home early. 6 [Komatsu and Hatta stand, dumbfounded.] --------------------------------------------------- p 256 (118) 1 [Hatta stares out the window.] Hatta: But... Lately, I... Can't imagine that Ayukawa is a delinquent... 2 Hatta: It's true she was pretty rebellious and always sort of uptight like this during junior high. She seemed forbidding and, in reality, seemed to fight a lot, too, but... 3 Hatta: Perhaps it's just my imagination, but ever since Kasuga transferred here, Ayukawa... Has somehow changed. 4 [Hatta turns to look at Komatsu.] Hatta: Ayukawa... Is actually a better person. 5 Komatsu: How come? 6 Hatta: Think about it a bit. *We* took part in that contest, too! Even so, why is it that only Ayukawa got suspended? --------------------------------------------------- p 257 (119) 1 Hatta: If it was just you and me... We'd have blabbed. Saying, out of concern for ourselves, that it wasn't only us who appeared. 2 [Komatsu thinks about this.] 3 Komatsu: All right...! Hatta, come! Hatta: ? 4 [Hikaru stares back angrily at us.] Hikaru: Should we allow this to go on, everyone?! 5 [Pov shifts. She's glaring at Manami and Kurumi.] Hikaru: Madoka-san was the only one forced to take responsibility and got suspended! Kurumi: It's not fair! 6 Manami: Yeah... We should also openly declare our names. Hikaru: All right! Then, it's settled! --------------------------------------------------- p 258 (120) 1 [Tight shot of a sign in a hallway.] Master: [off] Certainly, there is no excuse at all for her breaking the school regulation prohibiting part-time jobs... sign: Principal's Office 2 [The principal's pov of Master.] Master: But, since I was aware of that, I had a greater responsibility for having employed her, kouchou-sensei (i.e., principal)! 3 [Pov shifts. Master stands before the principal, who sits behind his desk.] Master: Please, remove her suspension immediately!! 4 [The principal closes his eyes and thinks.] principal: ...... 5 [He opens his eyes.] principal: Responsibility... How are you going to take it? 6 Master: [dropping his gaze] Something like this will never ever happen again. So that your school isn't troubled... --------------------------------------------------- p 259 (121) 1 [Master stares back with firmness.] Master: ABCB is... Closed as of today. 2 [View of the upper level of the Ayukawa residence.] 3 [Looking in through a window, we see Madoka kneeling on the floor, looking through several books.] --------------------------------------------------- p 260 (122) 1 [The books are photo albums.] photo album page FX: 2 [A picture of Madoka and Hikaru when they were very young.] 3 [Hikaru, Kyousuke and Madoka playing with a sparkler on the beach in chapter 15.2.] 4 [Kyousuke and Madoka seated together. This was interior art from volume 16 of the regular manga, also found at the back of wideban volume 10.] 5 [A photo of Kyousuke alone.] 6 [Madoka stares down at the pictures.] narration: With this, I've come to a decision... --------------------------------------------------- p 261 (123) 1 [She removes the solo picture of Kyousuke from the album.] narration: And so... I won't need this picture any more... picture FX: 2 narration: I'm... Weak-willed, after all... 3 [Madoka stares up at the ceiling. And because her feelings are bared, so is her body... Go figure...] narration: What was I expecting...? 4 [In the next 3 panels, we get various povs of Madoka sitting on the floor.] narration: That someday, something would surely change... 5 narration: ...when I wake up one morning... 6 narration: But... Even if the Almighty God were to resolve this... Even so, the simple math is... --------------------------------------------------- p 262 (124) 1 narration: Not...1 + 1 = 3. 2 [Deep in thought, Madoka hugs her knees against her chest.] --------------------------------------------------- p 263 (125) 1 [Despondent and framed in the sunlight splashing through the window, she sits on the floor in the middle of her room, still hugging her knees to her chest.] narration: I wish... I hadn't been born... A woman... --------------------------------------------------- p 264 (126) 1 phone FX: 2 Madoka: Hello...? 3 [Isolated shot of her phone.] Madoka: [off] ...... Huh? You're...?! 4 [Exterior shot of the front gate of the Ayukawa residence.] 5 [Someone presses the doorbell at the gate.] doorbell FX: 6 [It's Kyousuke.] narration: ...... No one's home. 7 [He's approached by a couple of men.] talent scout 1: Hey, you! Are you her classmate or something? 8 talent scout 1: [smiling] Ayukawa Madoka--I wonder where she's gone?! Do you know? --------------------------------------------------- p 265 (127) 1 [Another man approaches.] talent scout 2: Wait a minute! 2 talent scout 2: Ah, I'm from Sun Entertainment. talent scout 3: Hey, hey. We were here first! talent scout 1: Ah, I'm a little late, but we're from Fujisan Music... 3 [Kyousuke glowers.] 4 Kyousuke: Get outta here!! 5 Kyousuke: Ayukawa's suspended now because of you people! 6 Kyousuke: Ayukawa will never be a singer or a talent*!! <*Commentary (CN): "talent," as in "a person of talent."> --------------------------------------------------- p 266 (128) 1 [Exterior shot of a cafe.] 2 Madoka: Me...?! A singer? .......... 3 [She drops her gaze.] Madoka: ...... That doesn't sound too bad. 4 [She sits at the counter, next to former idol star Hayakawa Mitsuru. Mitsuru wears dark glasses.] Mitsuru: Really?! I was so sure I'd be turned down... So I spoke fast!! 5 Madoka: I was wondering what Hayakawa Mitsuru, the public figure, wanted with me... Did your manager ask you to...? Or... 6 Madoka: Maybe your playboy blood has begun to churn again? Mitsuru: [sweating] Hey, hey... --------------------------------------------------- p 267 (129) 1 Mitsuru: [off] I promised Shiori that I'd give up being a playboy already. What's more, I'm NOT here because someone asked me to. 2 [He sips at his drink.] Mitsuru: I guess... I'm like Salieri in the movie "Amadeus". 3 [Madoka looks over at him, without expression.] 4 Madoka: [smiling] Oh, Salieri was a more industrious and serious musician. 5 Mitsuru: [rising] Don't make fun of me... I'm talking about musical talents. 6 Mitsuru: Anyway, this is all I wanted to say, Ms. Mozart. 7 [He turns his back and heads out.] Mitsuru: It's foolish of me to encourage a future rival... But everyone in the music industry has been saying... --------------------------------------------------- p 268 (130) 1 [He casts a final glance over his shoulder.] Mitsuru: ...that they want to hear your voice once more! 2 [She doesn't turn to watch him leave.] Madoka: ...... I'll think about it. 3 Mitsuru: Thank you. I'll tell my manager. 4 [Mitsuru drives off in his sportscar.] Madoka: [off] But... Before that, there is something I must do... car FX: 5 Mitsuru: [off] I'll be waiting patiently for your reply. 6 [Exterior shot of a school building.] --------------------------------------------------- p 269 (131) 1 sign: Principal's Office principal: [off] Wait. Now calm down. You don't have to go that far, Master. 2 [The principal opens the door to his office. He and Master look out into the hall.] principal: Please look at that. door FX: 3 [Komatsu, Hikaru, Kurumi, Manami and Hatta angrily confront a teacher in the hall.] Komatsu: That's why-y-y! We also took part in that contest. So please don't suspend Ayukawa by herself!! Hikaru: That's right. Please suspend all of us!! 4 Toba-sensei: That's right. Although I'm a teacher, I watched that contest, too. Why can't students freely enjoy music?! principal: [off] Now, now. Even Toba-sensei... 5 principal: ...It's certainly true that the topic of students taking part in the contest without permission was brought up at a teachers' meeting... But no one decided on any suspension! --------------------------------------------------- p 270 (132) 1 [Hatta, Hikaru, Komatsu, Manami and Kurumi stare back, blankly.] Komatsu: Huh...!?! 2 [As does Master.] principal: [off] Ayukawa Madoka-kun phoned the school herself and said this! "I don't want to be a nuisance to the school, so please let me be confined to my home for now." 3 principal: [off] That is something we're discussing now. A student deciding something like that on her own puts us in a jam. We want her in school as soon as poss... 4 Hikaru: [dumbfounded] Madoka-san... Herself...?! 5 principal: [off] I can't very well put our school to shame like that, by suspending this many students at once... And we don't have any data just now that says grades get worse because of music or working part-time. 6 principal: [off] Especially... In Ayukawa-kun's case. On the contrary, and all the more strangely, her marks suddenly jumped to the top of her class after the spring of her 3rd year in junior high. --------------------------------------------------- p 271 (136) 1 Manami: .......... 2 [Hikaru contemplates, sadly.] Hikaru: Madoka-san... Confining herself to her home... What could she be thinking? 3 [Manami thinks.] 4 Manami: [flashback] To America...? Madoka: [flashback] Yeah... I might not come back at all. 5 [Manami portrait.] narration: If I'm not mistaken... narration: Somehow... I have a bad feeling... 6 [Sayuri stands outside on school grounds.] Komatsu: [off] Who the hell was it-t-t! Who's the one tossing around the false rumor that Ayukawa was suspended?! Sayuri FX: 7 [She stands and reads "ABC Murders," by Agatha Christie. Knowing Sayuri's character, this is pretty sinister... She stares nervously over the top of her open book.] Sayuri: .......... 8 [She smiles and returns the wave of Komatsu.] Komatsu: Oh! Hey-y-y, Sayuri-chan!! Sayuri: O-ohh, hello. --------------------------------------------------- p 272 (134**) <**The bottom three panels of this page only exist in the wideban version.> 1 [Sayuri grins at the others.] Sayuri: Hmmph! A false rumor...? Sayuri: I bet it's because she was flirting around with that Kasuga guy. Serves that girl right! Sayuri: Yeah, so I'm the guilty one! 2 [Split panel. Top, Hikaru, Manami and Kurumi stare back, blankly. Bottom, so do Komatsu and Hatta.]] 3 [Split panel. Right, Hikaru stares back. Left, Manami looks on, nervously.] 4** Hikaru: Hey, what do you mean, "*that* girl?" 5** [Sayuri portrait.] 6** [Manami looks on with apprehension.] narration: ..........! --------------------------------------------------- p 273 (**) <**This page only exists in the wideban version.> 1** Hikaru: Are you talking about Madoka-san? 2** Sayuri: [sly smile] That's right! Oh, don't you know about their *relationship*? 3** [Hikaru's expression grows dark.] Hikaru: Relationship...? What do you mean by that? --------------------------------------------------- p 274 (134**) <**The top two panels of this page only exist in the wideban version.> 1** [Sayuri tosses her hair back.] Sayuri: *Those* *two* are, y'know... Sayuri: To tell you the truth... 2** [Hikaru merely stares back.] 3 [Exterior shot of the Kasuga apartment building.] 4 sign: Kasuga 5 [Their front door.] Kurumi: [off] Please. Come in, come in! Hikaru: [off] ... Hope I'm not intruding. 6 [Manami, Kurumi and Hikaru enter the apartment. Manami is staring wide-eyed at Hikaru, who appears to be tensed-up.] Manami: !! --------------------------------------------------- p 275 (135) 1 [Hikaru and Kurumi lose their composure.] Hikaru: HEE-HEE! Kurumi: Your face back then, Hikaru-chan!! 2 [Hikaru and Kurumi hold their sides. Their faces are flushed with laughter.] Hikaru: But. But-t-t! Kurumi: Ahhhh. My sides are all sore. 3 [They sit on the living room floor.] Kurumi: Why didn't you say something, Hikaru-chan?! Hikaru: Because, instead of getting angry at her misunderstanding, I was amazed... 4 Kurumi: She didn't know that the real girlfriend was right there before her eyes! 5 Manami: .......... 6 Kurumi: To think that our oniichan and Madoka-san are a couple tied by unbreakable bonds...! --------------------------------------------------- p 276 (136) 1 [Smiling, Hikaru raises thumb and forefinger in the air.] Hikaru: Next time I'll tell Madoka-san. I wonder what sort of expression Madoka-san will make over this?!! Kurumi: Isn't it obvious? I'm sure she'll burst into laughter and her sides will ache... 2 [Manami looks stricken...] 3 [...and tears pour from her eyes.] 4 [Hikaru is surprised to find Manami hugging her tightly around the neck.] Manami: H-Hikaru-chan!! Anything but that! --------------------------------------------------- p 277 (137) 1 [Manami continues to hug the surprised Hikaru.] 2 Hikaru: Manami-chan...?! 3 [Wide-eyed, Hikaru blushes slightly.] Hikaru: What...? What's this about? Did I say something bad just now? 4 [Eyes closed, Manami shakes her head.] 5 [She visualizes Madoka.] Manami: Nothing... narration: Only... If it goes on like this, maybe... Madoka: [flashback] I might not come back at all. --------------------------------------------------- p 278 (138) 1 [Manami pulls back, takes Hikaru firmly by the shoulders and stares directly into her eyes.] Manami: Hikaru-chan! 2 [Hikaru's pov.] Manami: There's... Just one thing I want to ask you, Hikaru-chan. 3 [The view from inside Kyousuke's empty bedroom. The door slowly opens.] door FX: Manami: [off] Don't come in, Kurumi! Kurumi: [off] Meanie! Why-y-y?! 4 [Manami opens the closet door.] Manami: Whenever I clean the closet in oniichan's room, what catches my eye is... door FX: 5 [The red straw hat.] Manami: [off] ...this. --------------------------------------------------- p 279 (139) 1 [Hikaru's pov as Manami holds it up.] Manami: Is this hat yours, Hikaru-chan? 2 Hikaru: ...... Huh? No. 3 [Manami drops her gaze. Hikaru has put on the hat and is smiling merrily.] Manami: I see... Just as I thought. Hikaru: What a pretty straw hat! 4 [In realization, she looks down at the hat in her hands.] Hikaru: Huh...? 5 Hikaru: Is this... Madoka-san's? 6 [Split panel. Right, Manami looks on without expression. Left, Hikaru stares downward.] --------------------------------------------------- p 280 (140) 1 [Manami's pov of the suddenly-worried Hikaru.] Hikaru: Why?! Why does Sempai have this?! 2 Manami: How do you know...? That it's Madoka-san's. 3 [A photo of 11-year-old Madoka, wearing the red straw hat. From the title- page art to chapter 16.1, "The Happening Kiss!"] Hikaru: [off] Because, ever since I was little... Whenever I've gone, this has always been hanging in Madoka-san's room. After all, back then, it was Madoka-san's most treasured item, which she got from her first love. 4 Hikaru: [off] Come to think of it, I've been thinking I haven't seen it from some time back... 5 [Hikaru stares at the hat held in her hands.] Hikaru: As I recall, did it happen around the time you transferred to our school? This?! 6 [Manami looks back somberly.] 7 Manami: That... Has been here since the day oniichan moved in. --------------------------------------------------- p 281 (141) 1 Manami: ...... I felt sure all along that this hat was something you gave to oniichan. 2 [Flashback pic of Kyousuke wearing the red straw hat.] narration: I asked oniichan on the day he first brought it. And then oniichan got awfully embarrassed, and, as though he were joking, he said this... 3 [Manami looks up towards the ceiling.] Manami: "I fell in love with her...!" "But I don't know her name or anything else about her..." 4 [Hikaru reflects and recalls the first time she met Kyousuke. When he caught Madoka and Hikaru smoking on school grounds.] narration: Come to think of it... The day I first met Sempai is the day he transferred to our school. Kyousuke: [flashback] Y-you're the one who gave me... 5 Kyousuke: [flashback] ...the hat yesterday. 6 [Looking a bit nervous, Hikaru stares at the hat again.] Hikaru: That's right. The hat. I'm sure he said "hat" back then. --------------------------------------------------- p 282 (142) 1 [View of Kyousuke's desk.] Hikaru: [off] And then I asked Madoka-san. Because it seemed Sempai knew Madoka-san back then. 2 [More flashback panels from chapter 1.1.] narration: "Is he your friend, Madoka-san?" Hikaru: [flashback] Eh? Whaaat? Ayukawa-san, is he your friend? 3 narration: And Madoka-san said... Madoka: [flashback] I wouldn't know a guy like this! 4 Hikaru: Madoka-san... Why...? Tell such a lie?! 5 [Kurumi suddenly sticks her head in the door.] Kurumi: Ahhhh, I know! You and Madoka-san were smoking then! Manami: [angrily] Hey-y-y, Kurumi!! 6 [Hikaru covers her face in embarrassment.] Hikaru: Please don't say that! To think that Sempai... To be seen smoking by the one I love... To be thought of as a delinquent... For a girl... 7 [Hikaru stops short, pulling her hands slightly away from her face. Her expression is one of shock and realization.] --------------------------------------------------- p 283 (143) 1 [Manami turns her head aside and shuts her eyes.] Manami: You weren't the only one who thought that way, Hikaru-chan... 2-4 [Hikaru stares downward in shock.] Hikaru: ...... Can this be... Possible...? 5 [Exterior shot of the Kasuga apartment building. Rain is falling heavily.] Hikaru: [off] I'm... Leaving!! Manami: [off] Ah! Hikaru-chan! --------------------------------------------------- p 284 (144) 1 [Shot of a freeway underpass. It is night, and the skies continue to pour.] 2 Yuusaku: .......... Nice to see you came alone. rain FX: 3 [Shin'ichi stares back nervously, a band-aid on one cheek.] Shin'ichi: You, too... 4 Yuusaku: [defiantly] I'll say it once more. Give up Hikaru-chan! 5 Shin'ichi: ...... Let's get this over with fast! With this, how many times have we fought? Yuusaku: Seven times... No matter how many times we do this, the result will be the same!! graffiti: Dipshit, Die!! 6 Shin'ichi: [off] I'LL DO IT TILL I WIN!! fighting FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 285 (145) 1 [Kyousuke leaves ABCB and runs through the rain.] Kyousuke FX: 2 [Master looks up.] Master: Welcome... door FX: [off] 3 [It is Madoka, who stands a bit wobbly at the open door.] 4 [Her face is flushed.] Madoka: Sorry. For being absent several days without notice, Master. Madoka FX: 5 [She collapses against Master.] Master: Madoka-kun!! Master: What's the matter?!! To drink this much... 6 [He holds her.] Master: Hey, hey. I'm not cast for this kind of role. --------------------------------------------------- p 286 (146) 1 [He pours a glass of water.] Master: Huh? Didn't you see him? He was worried about you and was here until a moment ago... 2 Master: Kasuga-kun, that is. 3 [Madoka rests her head on the counter.] Madoka: No... I... Hid. glass FX: 4 Master: [wide-eyed] Why...? 5 [She closes her eyes and runs a hand through her hair.] Madoka: .......... I don't have the confidence. If I meet him now... If I see Kasuga-kun's face... 6 Madoka: I... Don't know what I might blurt out... --------------------------------------------------- p 287 (147) 1 [Rain continues to fall outside.] Master: [off] Ayukawa-kun... 2 Master: [dropping his eyes] I didn't hear a thing tonight. 3 [Madoka puts her head down and closes her eyes.] Madoka: Thank you... Master... 4 [She opens her eyes once more.] Madoka: Say... Master, please fire me. 5 Master: Okay... 6 Madoka: [off] That's good... Now, I'm a free person. I won't be a nuisance to you, too, Master... Master: [off] But... I didn't fire you. It's a happy retirement! 7 Master: Ayukawa-kun... Go back to school soon. Your friends and teachers, and everyone, are waiting. 8 [Madoka stares at the countertop.] --------------------------------------------------- p 288 (148) 1 Madoka: [off] Master... 2 Madoka: Maybe I'll... Quit school and have a try at music. 3 [He closes his eyes.] Master: For who's sake?! 4 [Madoka stares silently at the countertop.] 5 Master: For... Hikaru-chan's sake...? 6 [Madoka doesn't answer, nor move.] 7 Master: If that's the case, Ayukawa-kun... You're just a bit mistaken. --------------------------------------------------- p 289 (149) 1 [She closes her eyes, wearily. Her head is still cradled in her arms.] Madoka: Maybe you're right... 2 Madoka: [weakly smiling] I was just kidding, Master! C'mon-n-n... Taking me seriously... 3 Madoka: Say... Master... Madoka: Three years ago, when Hikaru first called Kasuga-kun her boyfriend... 4 [Master continues to stand behind the counter, eyes downcast.] Madoka: [off] I said... "I see. Then, do your best. I'll root for you!" 5 [Eyes still closed, she rests her head on one arm on the counter.] Madoka: I definitely... Promised... Her. --------------------------------------------------- p 290 (150) 1 Madoka: ZZZ... 2 [Master drapes his coat over the sleeping Madoka.] Master: You held up well, Ayukawa-kun... The role of big sister who's concerned for her little sister... Master: ...was long and tiring. 3 [Master steps outside to pull in the sidewalk sign...] sign FX: 4 [...and finds a despondent Hikaru sitting on the front steps, her back to the door.] rain FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 291 (151) 1 Master: [blushing, aghast] H-Hikaru-chan!! narration: O-oh no... Was she here all along?! 2 [Hikaru turns to look up at him. Her expression is angry, but her eyes are filled with tears.] 3 Master: H-Hikaru-chan... [She clutches her head with both hands, clenches her eyes shut and shakes her head.] 4 [She turns towards him, tears streaming down her cheeks.] Hikaru: Why? Why am I... I the one that everyone...!!! Hikaru: K-keeps secrets from?!!! --------------------------------------------------- p 292 (152) 1 Hikaru FX: 2 [She runs. The rain is coming down in sheets.] narration: Madoka-san, Sempai and Master, too...!! Master: [off] Hikaru-cha-a-an! Hikaru FX: 3 [She's blinded by tears and rain, yet still she runs.] narration: What am I...?! Was I merely a clown...?! narration: Was I completely fooled by everyone for three years?! Hikaru FX: 4 [Exterior night shot of the Kasuga apartment building.] narration: SEMPA-A-AI! --------------------------------------------------- p 293 (**) <**This page only exists in the wideban version.> 1** [Hikaru stands in a phone booth and holds the receiver to her ear.] phone booth sign: Setagaya Ward 1-2-10 rain FX: 2** [Pov shifts. We see her face. Eyes closed and hair drenched, she holds the receiver with both hands.] phone FX: 3** narration: Sempai... Tell me it isn't true... Sempai... 4** [Kyousuke approaches the ringing phone.] phone FX: 5** Kyousuke: Hello, Kasuga residence. 6** [Hikaru stares at the ground, face flushed.] Hikaru: ......! 7** Kyousuke: Hello...?! --------------------------------------------------- p 294 (**) <**This page only exists in the wideban version.> 1** [Hikaru holds onto the phone, unable to speak.] 2** Kyousuke: Hello...? Hello... Who is this? 3** Kyousuke: Ayukawa? Is this Ayukawa? Where in the world are you? I'm worried about you! 4** [Hikaru is stunned.] Kyousuke: [phone] Hello. Ayukawa-a-a! 5** [She hangs up...] phone FX: 6** [...and crumples to the floor of the booth, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing.] rain FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 295 (153) 1 [Kyousuke sits quietly at his desk.] rain FX: 2 [Pov shifts. He's staring down at the red straw hat which sits on his desk. Seated on the edge of his bed is Manami.] Manami: ...... I'm sorry... 3 Kyousuke: I see... 4 [Manami bows her head and closes her eyes.] Manami: I'm so sorry... 5 [Kyousuke still stares down at the hat, without expression.] Kyousuke: It can't be helped any more... It's my problem... 6 Kyousuke: And this is all... My fault. --------------------------------------------------- p 296 (154) 1 [Hikaru stands in the park across the street from the Kasuga apartment building. She stares at the building through the pouring rain.] rain FX: 2 [She closes her eyes. Tears continue to stream down her cheeks.] narration: Please...! narration: Sempai...!! Sempai, please tell me it's a lie...!! 3 [Pov from the building looking down. She stares up.] narration: That Madoka-san. That Madoka-san is the one that Sempai...!! 4 [Her pov. The lighted bedroom of Kyousuke.] 5 [Hikaru looks up with anguish.] narration: I c-can't go...!! 6 [She clenches her eyes shut and shakes her head violently.] narration: I can't go!! Even though I'm right here under his nose... Even though I want to see him...!! --------------------------------------------------- p 297 (155) 1 [She turns and races away.] narration: I just can't see him right now!! 2 [Down the street, two blurred figures appear in the pouring rain.] Yuusaku: Hey, pull yourself together. Jeez, you're nothing but a big mouth. Shin'ichi: Shut up. Lemme go. It's embarrassing. I can walk by myself. Yuusaku/Shin'ichi FX: 3 [Closeup. Yuusaku supports Shin'ichi with an arm over his shoulders. Both boys look up in surprise off-panel.] 4 [It's a thoroughly drenched Hikaru, standing silently in the rain. She stares back at them, looking rather lost.] Yuusaku/Shin'ichi: [off] Hikaru-chan!! rain FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 298 (156) 1 [Hikaru portrait.] 2 [She looks sadly at the ground...] Hikaru: I... Hikaru: ...was rejected. 3 [...and throws herself at the two boys.] 4 [She clings to them both, resting her head against their shoulders and grabbing hold of Yuusaku's tie.] Hikaru: ...... I... Think I'll cry every night for about a year... 5 [The two boys blush and look at each other blankly.] Yuusaku/Shin'ichi: H-Hikaru-chan. --------------------------------------------------- p 299 (157) 1 [The rain begins to abate. The skies begin to clear. Hikaru pulls slightly back from the two boys, who look back at her with kindness.] Yuusaku: .......... It'll still be okay with us even after that long a time. So please look our way a bit... Shin'ichi: Yeah. Even if that takes 10 or 20 years, we'll be waiting forever, fighting like this... --------------------------------------------------- p 300 (158) 1 [Kyousuke tries the doorbell at the gate to the Ayukawa residence.] doorbell FX: narration: It's already been a week since the last time I saw Ayukawa's face... 2 [He looks up at the sky.] narration: Not here... That suspension was a shock, after all... 3 [A view down the street.] narration: Where the hell have you gone, Ayukawa...?! 4 [Kyousuke looks from side to side as he walks down the street.] narration: Anyway, I have to see Ayukawa and... 5 narration: And... --------------------------------------------------- p 301 (159) 1 [Exterior view of ABCB.] 2 [Master looks up from wiping a glass.] Master: No... I haven't seen her... 3 Kyousuke: .......... I see. 4 [Kyousuke heads out the door.] door FX: 5 Master: [off] Kyousuke-kun! [He turns to look back.] 6 [Master portrait.] --------------------------------------------------- p 302 (160) 1 Master: People around here are making too much fuss. 2 [Master crosses his arms and stares up at the ceiling.] Master: She's... An 18-year-old girl. For now... I wish they'd leave her alone. 3 [Kyousuke portrait.] 4 Master: [off] But Kyousuke-kun... 5 Master: Ayukawa-kun... I leave to your care. 6 [Kyousuke portrait.] --------------------------------------------------- p 303 (161) 1 [View of some modern downtown buildings.] sign: Ladies' Shop narration: The places in this town that Ayukawa might have gone to... 2 [The entrance to a building.] 3 [Kyousuke stands out on the street, looking off-panel.] narration: All of them, I searched through. --------------------------------------------------- p 304 (162) 1 [Shot of a platform at a train station.] sign: [left] Emergency Exit 2 [View of streets under a double-decker freeway.] 3 [A busy street downtown. Night has fallen.] --------------------------------------------------- p 305 (163) 1 [The neon sign at the entrance to Disco Moebius.] 2 [The rocking scene inside.] 3 [Madoka sits alone at a table.] 4 [She puts a cigarette in her mouth.] 5 [And strikes a match.] match FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 306 (164) 1 [She removes the cigarette from her mouth and stares at it...] 2 [...and then sets it on its end on the table.] cigarette FX: 3 [Someone walks down the stairs.] Kyousuke FX: 4 [Kyousuke looks about...] 5 [...and finds himself standing before Madoka. Madoka looks up in surprise.] --------------------------------------------------- p 307 (165) 1 [View across the water towards the bright skyline.] Kyousuke: [off] I was worried. I was wondering where the heck you went, Ayukawa... 2 [Madoka profile. She stares off-panel, deep in thought.] 3 [Kyousuke watches her.] 4 [View pans back. The two stand on a pier. A night skyline lies across the water.] Madoka: I... Kyousuke: I... --------------------------------------------------- p 308 (166) 1 [Madoka portrait. She is somber.] 2 [Kyousuke stares back.] 3 Kyousuke: I'll quit being indecisive! And... 4 [Madoka looks back, quietly.] --------------------------------------------------- p 309 (167) 1 Madoka: Is it really okay for you to say that? Kyousuke: Eh? 2 [She drops her gaze.] Madoka: I decided... To go to America. ---------------------------------------------------