Marmalade Boy Volume 8, Chapter 5 pages 133-161 Written and illustrated by Yoshizumi Wataru Translation & editing by : Craig Nishida Additional translation by : Paul Hirose Additional editing by : Jeanne Hedge Last revision : 98-02-10 Comments? Corrections? Suggestions? Please send them to: mboy-trans@soyokaze.biosci.ohio-state.edu --------------------------------------------------- p 133 1 [Eyes closed, Yuu and Miki rest their foreheads against each other's.] narration (Yuu): When we get home, let's talk to our parents about us. narration (Miki): Huh-h-h? narration (Yuu): We know that we're siblings, but I'll explain exactly that we can't be apart, and get them to give their permission. narration (Miki): I wonder if they'll give their permission. narration (Yuu): It's those four people who lack common sense we're talking about, so they could surprise us and simply give us an okay! narration (Yuu): After all, the whole cause of the problem was that they were hiding something about the past... narration (Miki): But, what if they don't give their permission...? --------------------------------------------------- p 134 1 [Exterior view of the Koishikawa-Matsuura residence.] narration (Yuu): Then... We'll elope or something. Yuu: [off] We have something to tell you. 2 [Yuu and Miki's pov of their 4 parents, seated at the dining table. All four look up from their snacks and drinks to stare back at us with perplexed looks.] 3 [The four's pov of Yuu and Miki, who stand, holding hands.] --------------------------------------------------- p 135 1 Chiyako: Something to tell us...? Jin: What's going on? Holding hands like that... Rumi: What's wrong? 2 Yuu: We're... ...thinking we'd like to get married someday. 3 [Stunned and sweating, the four rise to their feet.] Jin: EHHH?! Chiyako: WHA... Youji: M-MARRIED?! chairs FX: --------------------------------------------------- p 136 1 [Miki drops her gaze, sadly. Yuu addresses the four off-panel.] Yuu: We're well aware that we're blood-related siblings. It isn't something that the world will forgive. Yuu: But we've decided to live together! 2 [Chiyako sweats and all grow wide-eyed.] Chiyako: Siblings? Youji: What are you talking about, Yuu...? Miki: [off] You don't need to hide it anymore. We know all about it. 3 Yuu: When I was in the 6th grade, I saw it by accident. Grandmother's letter to Father. Yuu: It said, "Can you deal with getting married to a woman who is giving birth to another man's child?" 4 [Youji portrait. He's stunned.] Youji & Chiyako: !! 5 [Chiyako, likewise.] --------------------------------------------------- p 137 1 Miki: And inside the graduation album we found the pictures of you four during your days as students. That you made your acquaintance on the Hawaii trip was a lie... Actually, when you were in college, you were going out as you're paired today, weren't you?! Yuu: My real father is Jin-san, isn't he?! 2 [The four stand speechless.] 3 [View of the scene from overhead. Yuu and Miki stand side-by-side in the middle of the room. The four parents remain standing where they had risen from their seats at the dining table.] Yuu: By the time we knew we were siblings, it was already too late. We had fallen unbearably in love with each other. We tried to give up, but...we couldn't. --------------------------------------------------- p 138 1 [A white panel.] Yuu: [off] Could it be that you kept silent 'cause you thought I'd receive a shock if I found out the secret of my birth? That can't be helped... I won't blame you. 2 Yuu: But in return for that... We'd like you... Yuu: ...to give your permission...and approve of the marriage. 3 [Tears well in Miki's eyes.] Miki: Please. Miki: I love Yuu...! 4 [Miki clenches her eyes shut and turns towards Yuu. Yuu puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder.] 5 [Chiyako watches them off-panel.] --------------------------------------------------- p 139 1 [Isolated shot of Chiyako's lower legs and house slippers.] Chiyako: You're mistaken. Chiyako: You misunderstand. 2 [Yuu and Miki turn in surprise towards her. This is Chiyako's pov.] 3 [A blank panel.] Chiyako: [off] We have indeed kept our past from you. But it's not because of something like the secret of Yuu's birth, or that the two of you are siblings... 4 Chiyako: Yuu... You are the true son of Youji and me. ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (9): During my vacation, I went on a trip to New York for about 10 days. My fellow traveler was "Sailor Moon's" Takeuchi Naoko-san. One day in August, on the phone with Takeuchi-san... [Panel 1. Smiling brightly, our manga-ka sits and talks on the phone.] Takeuchi Naoko: [off, phone] Are you traveling somewhere during your vacation? Yoshizumi Wataru: Yeah, I'm thinking of going to New York. My older sister and her husband are transferring there in August, so I'll see them with my nieces... [Panel 2. Yoshizumi Wataru's face falls in response to what she hears. Does Takeuchi Naoko REALLY talk like a kid???] Takeuchi Naoko: [off, phone] Ehhhh?! How lucky! Naoko wanna go, too-o-o! [Panel 3. Yoshizumi Wataru stands, sweating.] Yoshizumi Wataru: Huh...? Then, you're coming with me? caption with arrow pointing at Yoshizumi Wataru: Is at a loss over the unforeseen response ---> Takeuchi Naoko: [off, phone] SURE! Yoshizumi Wataru: But... Though I'm on vacation, you're in the middle of your series... [End of comic strip.] Even though she's so-o-o busy...! She's a powerful person. I want to be like her... --------------------------------------------------- p 140 1 [Miki and Yuu stare wide-eyed at Chiyako off-panel.] Miki: ! Yuu: But... 2 Chiyako: I'll explain it all from the beginning. 3 [View of the other 3 parents, who all wear serious looks. Jin nods his head.] 4 [Isolated shot of a clock tower. Chiyako narrates the flashback sequence.] narration: The four of us made our acquaintance when we were in our first year in college. narration: From a different women's college, Rumi and I took part in the tennis circle of the college that Jin and Youji attended... 5 [Younger versions of the 4 chat amiably. All wear tennis whites. Youji and Rumi sit together on a bench while Jin and Chiyako stand behind them.] narration: And in the summer of that year, 2 couples had been formed. narration: The 4 of us always played together... And every day we spent really happy times. --------------------------------------------------- p 141 1 [A blank panel.] narration: 4 years passed by in a flash... And then it came time for us to graduate and go out into the world. narration: We thought that nothing would change between us even if we all got jobs and were able to meet each other less often... narration: But it didn't go that way. 2 [Exterior view of a building.] narration: I got a job at an architectural office. narration: It was worthwhile work, but there was also a lot of business trips and overtime, and it was very hard. 3 [Chiyako works at a desk in an office.] narration: It was all I could do to keep up, and so I ended up hardly able to take time to see Jin. 4 [Jin walks down the sidewalk, dressed in a business suit and carrying an attache case.] narration: Then one day... 5 [Something off-panel catches Jin's eye.] 6 [His pov of Chiyako and another man. As you recall, this is Satoshi's father.] 7 [Jin's expression turns grim.] --------------------------------------------------- p 142 1 [Chiyako shouts into a phone.] Chiyako: You're wrong! He's Miwa-san, the office chief. Chiyako: He's just my boss! 2 [Likewise, Jin.] Jin: You went so far as to cancel a date with me to have a date with your boss? Chiyako: [off, phone] That was to talk about work... Jin: If he's just your boss, why was his hand around your shoulder! 3 [Chiyako's eyes grow wide.] Chiyako: ......... That... 4 [A white panel.] Chiyako: [off, narrating] It was no wonder Jin got mad. To be sure, since Miwa-san had revealed friendliness to me, I should have flatly rejected him! 5 [Back to the present. Chiyako drops her gaze as she speaks.] Chiyako: It's difficult to be hard on a boss you look up to, and thinking that a meal is just part of work, I allowed it to have priority over Jin... I was to blame. --------------------------------------------------- p 143 1 [Chiyako's view of Yuu and Miki who stare raptly back at us.] Chiyako: [off] But I had something to complain about, too... Anyway, around that time, we both had jobs and had no time to spare for our feelings for each other... Chiyako: [off] And then our conversations got worse... We ended up in a huge fight. 2 [Return to the flashback. Isolated shot of a cafe sign.] 3 [Inside, Chiyako and Youji sit across from each other at a table.] Youji: Leave it to me! I'll intercede with Jin for you. Chiyako: Youji... Youji: He's just being stubborn. It's all right! We can patch things up right away. ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (10): I've kept company with Takeuchi-san ever since I was introduced to her several years ago, when, clinging to a friend, I went to have fun at a Kodansha party. (In those days, I was still writing "Handsome Girl," and she was writing "Cherry Project.") In spite of her slim appearance, she really is a powerful person, and even though she works an awful lot she also resolutely manages to have fun, too. Sometimes she invites me with a "Let's go eat!", coming to pick me up in her beloved Porsche, and takes me along to a good restaurant. (This makes me--the stay-at-home type-- very happy.) She's a very delightful friend. In N.Y., we stayed at my sister's home, and went to art galleries. We shopped in Soho and on 5th Avenue. 10 days wasn't enough... (We spent it at a fairly easy pace...) How I want to go again in the near future... --------------------------------------------------- p 144 1 [Chiyako smiles.] Chiyako: Thank you. 2 [Youji smiles.] 3 [A blank panel.] narration: Youji cheerfully gave me advice, and showed a lot of kindness for us. Somehow, he would do his best to clear up Jin's misunderstanding. I presumed upon Youji's kindness completely. 4 [Angry, Rumi confronts someone off-panel.] narration: But, this time, that resulted in making Rumi angry... Rumi: You're terrible, Chiyako! You have an affair with your boss, and next, with Youji?! 5 [View pulls back. Rumi is facing Youji and Chiyako on the sidewalk. The two are apparently returning from the cafe. Youji sweats.] Youji: What are you saying? Aren't Chiyako and Jin our dear friends?! And so, I'm... Rumi: You carry things too far! Neglecting me for Chiyako! --------------------------------------------------- p 145 1 [Rumi clenches her eyes shut, tears dripping from the corners.] Rumi: I don't care anymore, Youji! Rumi: It's okay already! 2 [Youji's pov of Rumi, who has turned and run away from them.] Youji: [off] Rumi...! 3 [Chiyako looks very concerned, watching Rumi leave. Youji stares disbelievingly.] Youji: ~~~~~~~~~ Why is it turning out this way?!! 4 [A blank panel.] narration: We were getting angry, too, at Jin and Rumi not believing us. And so, we decided not to keep in contact for a while, and have a cooling-off period. 5 [Back to the present. Chiyako's eyes are closed.] Chiyako: Some weeks passed... Chiyako: And I became aware that I was pregnant. Of course, with Jin's child. 6 [Yuu stares at his mother off-panel.] --------------------------------------------------- p 146 1 [Flashback. Chiyako, hair disheveled, rests her left hand against her forehead.] Chiyako: (I have to talk to Jin. But he's sure to doubt me, saying that it's Miwa-san's child...) narration: I suffered over it for a while. But I couldn't very well remain silent. narration: When I called Jin's company to arrange to meet him... 2 [Chiyako holds the phone, sweating, eyes wide.] Chiyako: Huh... Transferred?! Chiyako: To London?! 3 [Portrait of Jin and Rumi together.] narration: Deciding to study business abroad, Jin had already left. On top of that, he took Rumi... 4 [View looking down upon Youji and Chiyako, who sit upon a park bench.] narration: Rather than taking me, who was working as hard as I could in my own job and couldn't sympathize with Jin, he took Rumi, who was at Jin's side as he worried about studying abroad. --------------------------------------------------- p 147 1 [Chiyako shows little expression.] Chiyako: I'll give birth to this baby and raise it alone... 2 [Youji turns towards her.] Youji: Chiyako! 3 [She stands, preparing to leave.] Chiyako: Instead of me, Jin chose Rumi. I can't talk about this child now, to those happy two. Chiyako: But to think of aborting it... I couldn't possibly kill a new life. 4 [Isolated shot of treetops and the top of a lamppost.] Youji: [off] That's too much! Chiyako: [off] It's all right. It'll turn out okay. I'll try and give it my best. 5 [A look of grim determination comes over Youji's face.] 6 Youji: Let's get married! I'll become that child's father. [Chiyako turns to stare at him.] --------------------------------------------------- p 148 1 [A blank panel.] Chiyako: [off] Wha... What are you saying? You can't do that. I can't put you through that kind of trouble... Youji: [off] It's no trouble! 2 Youji: I can't leave you alone. I want to be at your side and protect you. Youji: Marry me... 3 [Chiyako is clearly touched.] Chiyako: Youji...! 4 [Profile view of the two who stand and gaze into each other's eyes.] Chiyako: [off, narrating] In spite of the opposition all around us, we decided to get married. 5 [A grey panel.] Chiyako: [off] But... Persuading our families and relatives... The preparation for the wedding... On top of that, our work which was as difficult as ever... Chiyako: [off] I was beaten in mind and body, too. --------------------------------------------------- p 149 1 [Back to the present. Chiyako still has her eyes closed.] Chiyako: Just before the ceremony... I had a miscarriage. 2 [Miki is stricken.] 3 [Yuu, likewise.] 4 [Flashback. Looking morose, Chiyako sits upright in a hospital bed. Youji sits at bedside, also downcast.] Chiyako: Now there's no reason anymore to have you marry me... 5 [She forces a weak smile at him. This is Youji's pov.] Chiyako: Your feelings made me happy, Youji... Thank you. Chiyako: Let's break off the engagement. Chiyako: I'm all right. You don't need to worry about me. --------------------------------------------------- p 150 1 [Tight shot of his hand coming to rest on hers.] 2 Youji: My feelings won't change. I want to marry you. 3 Youji: [smiling] Hurry and get well. Youji: It's only a little while until the wedding. 4 [Tears well in Chiyako's eyes.] 5 [They embrace.] 6 [A blank panel.] Chiyako: [off, narrating] And then we got married... And the next year, you were born, Yuu. --------------------------------------------------- p 151 1 [Back to the present. Chiyako opens her eyes and smiles gently at Yuu off-panel.] Chiyako: Yuu... You are the child whom Youji and I... Chiyako: And Miki-chan is the child whom Jin and Rumi... Chiyako: ...gave birth to, and love from the bottom of our hearts. 2 [Yuu looks back at his mother off-panel, wide-eyed.] 3 Jin: Many years passed by... And when that love had gone back to something close to friendship... Jin: ...the four of us met again on the trip to Hawaii. 4 [Flashback. The four meet at an airport, with luggage in hand. They stop and stare at one another.] Jin: [off, narrating] The misunderstanding was completely cleared. The racing hearts from long ago came to life again. Jin: [off, narrating] We fell in love once more with our former sweethearts. --------------------------------------------------- p 152 1 [End of the flashbacks.] Rumi: As a result of the many talks we had, it was decided we'd swap partners and do things all over again. Rumi: The four of us decided to re-foster our love and friendship. 2 [Yuu and Miki stare raptly.] 3 [Yuu's attention turns to Youji.] Youji: Yuu. 4 Youji: Ever since reading the letter back in the 6th grade... You've thought that your real father wasn't me? 5 [Yuu can't meet Youji's eyes.] Yuu: ......... --------------------------------------------------- p 153 1 [Youji gives Yuu's face a slap.] Youji hand FX: 2 [Chiyako and Rumi stare in surprise.] Chiyako: Yo... 3 Youji: How stupid. You kept silent and suffered alone for that long? ===Sidebar=== FREE TALK (11): There was something I almost forgot to write. I received letters from readers of the July issue that say, "If it's true that Jin and Rumi were in London for 3 years, and were there until Miki was 1 year old, and Miki and Yuu are in the same school year, so isn't it baffling for Jin and Chiyako to be having a child together?" so I'll explain a bit. If one assumes that Miki was there until exactly 1 year old, then that's true, but "until 1 year old" means "until before becoming 2 years old," so, for example, if one assumes that she was there until 1-1/2 years old, then 1 years, 6 months + 10 months (Yuu was born 10 months earlier than Miki) + 9 months (the period during which Chiyako is pregnant with Yuu) = 3 years, 1 month, and so that is why it's possible that it's fully more than 3 years. It's an explanation that's very difficult to understand, but what it boils down to is that it's been fully thought out, so don't worry... So then, thank you for rooting for me for so long!! And now, there are also bonus pages at the end of the book, so please read them, 'kay? --------------------------------------------------- p 154 1 [Youji smiles at Yuu off-panel.] Youji: You are my son. Youji: You're my precious, one and only, son. 2 Yuu: ......... Father! 3 [Youji and Chiyako stand on either side of Yuu, holding him and smiling at him.] 4 [Tears of joy come to Miki's eyes.] --------------------------------------------------- p 155 1 [Miki realizes that her own parents have approached her closely.] Rumi: Sorry for keeping silent... It was hard to talk about it. 2 Rumi: Childish jealousy and misunderstanding and... On top of that, that the course of events led to something like this... Jin: And there was also the feeling that, as 4 people who had forgotten about the past and were newly reacquainted, we wanted to break off to a new start. 3 [Sweating and wild-eyed, Miki confronts her mother. Rumi ponders, a forefinger to her chin.] Miki: Then, Mama, that you said I mustn't fall in love with Yuu... Was that really only because it would "cause confusion within the household?" Rumi: Ahh... Come to think of it, I said something like that, huh. 4 [Miki's pov of Rumi, who looks back at us.] Rumi: C'mo-o-on. That's, well, hey... Yuu-kun is good-looking, and seems to be very popular with girls, so I thought that even if you fell in love you'd be rejected anyway... Rumi: I couldn't bear to see my daughter being ambitious and becoming disappointed in love, so I intended to head you off... 5 [Miki's expression turns sick as she contemplates her mother's way of thinking. Rumi is oblivious, happily chattering away.] Rumi: But happily, you could both become one in your hearts. It's really really great. --------------------------------------------------- p 156 1 [Rumi and Youji seem puzzled. Jin glares at us. This is Yuu's and Miki's pov.] Rumi: But, when did it turn into something like that? Youji: Though I did kinda suspect it... Jin: I wasn't aware of it AT ALL. 2 Miki: So... Is it okay... Miki: ...if we go out together? 3 [The two mothers smile merrily.] Chiyako: Of course. 4 [Tears well in Miki's eyes again.] Miki: It's... ...okay if I stay in love with Yuu...? 5 [She looks up at Yuu, who stares back at her.] --------------------------------------------------- p 157 1 [And they embrace.] 2 [View of the four parents. Rumi smiles merrily. Youji watches with amused but wide eyes. Chiyako smiles with a hand raised to her cheek. Jin appears angry.] Jin: Aaaaaaaah . Jin: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? BEFORE YOUR PARENTS' VERY EYES! HEY, YUU! GET AWAY FROM HER! --------------------------------------------------- p 158 1 [The two continue to embrace.] Rumi: [off] What's this? You suddenly seem like a run-of-the-mill father. Youji: [off] Sure enough, even Jin doesn't want his daughter to be taken away by another man. Chiyako: [off] Jin had normal dad-like feelings, too, eh. Jin: [off] Shuddup! 2 [Exterior view of the Koishikawa-Matsuura residence.] caption: A few days later... 3 [A hand holds a picture of a wedding couple--Meiko and Namura.] --------------------------------------------------- p 159 1 [View pulls back. The four parents sit around the dining table looking at pictures. Miki smiles at the head of the table, holding an envelope.] Chiyako: Wowww. How beautifu-u-ul. Meiko-chan. Youji: She finally got her parents to allow it. How great. Miki: Natchan's sincerity got through to them! 2 [Miki smiles down at the letter she holds.] letter: My only regret is that, since it was just an extremely modestly cozy ceremony, I wasn't able to have you come here, Miki... But, right now, I'm very...very happy. narration: Meiko... I'm really glad... 3 [Wide-eyed, Rumi turns to the others. Chiyako smiles at her. Jin and Youji laugh with gusto.] Rumi: Come to think of it, we postponed our ceremony, huh. Chiyako: I kinda want to wear one again... A wedding dress. Jin: How about doing an all-out wild combined one?! In Hawaii... Youji: Oh, sounds nice! How about doing it at the New Year's holidays?! --------------------------------------------------- p 160 1 [Seated at the sofa in the living room, a sweating Miki turns to look back with eyes contracted to dots. Yuu smiles.] Miki: Hawaii again?! Neglecting their children... Yuu: Oh, it's okay. In the meantime, come on over to my place, Miki. 2 Yuu: [smiling] Let's spend winter break alone together in Kyoto! Miki: Yuu... 3 [Jin's face suddenly looms over the two lovebirds. A vein pops on his forehead. Yuu and Miki, who were about ready to kiss, freeze and grow wide-eyed.] Jin FX: Jin: It's not going to be like that. 4 [With a grim look, Jin puts Yuu in a headlock. Miki's eyes contract to dots and she sweats.] Jin: At New Year's you're also coming to Hawaii. I won't allow you two to be alone together!! Jin FX: Yuu: Wahhh! Ow, ow, ow! --------------------------------------------------- p 161 1 [Miki portrait. She smiles in joy.] Youji?: [off] Now, now. C'mon, it's okay, Jin. Jin: [off] IT'S NOT OKAY! 2 [Exterior view of the Koishikawa-Matsuura residence.] caption at bottom: Marmalade Boy [8]/The End --------------------------------------------------- -------------------End of Series------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Scorecard: Miki <---> Yuu Meiko <---> Natchan Kei <---> Suzu Rumi <---> Youji ^ ^ | | Ginta <---> Arimi v v Jin <---> Chiyako ---------------------------------------------------