Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 09/93 Revised 11/93 Volume 12, part 1 -- "Dog Achievement" (Chinese manga vol. 14, part 3) Narr Time: New Year's Day Godai and Kyoko are eating together. Godai Thank you for your invitation. Kyoko Actually, I wouldn't be able to finish it all myself. Kyoko But... is it okay for you to not go home? Godai I can't take a vacation from work for no reason... Godai So... Suddenly the room becomes dark, then light again. Godai Eh? Why did it suddenly become pitch-black? Kyoko Maybe the electricity stopped. Someone knocks at the door. Kyoko It must be the mailman. Kyoko goes to answer the door, and returns with the mail. Kyoko This one's yours. Finally someone sent you a letter. Godai Thank you. Kyoko sorts through the letters... Kyoko [It's from Mitaka.] Kyoko [It looks like it will be a long time before we will see each other again.] Kyoko [Eh?] Postcard from Mitaka: Happy New Year! Right now I am in special training to rebuild myself anew. I hope the next time we meet, this will let you see a different me. Kyoko [What special training?] Kyoko turns the card over. It's a picture of a dog. Kyoko [What a cute dog!] Kyoko (to Godai, puzzled) This year... is it a dog-year? Godai No, it's a year of the tiger. (*1) Shun's apartment. Shun and his uncle are talking, and there's a little dog running around! (*2) Mitaka Come here, McKenroe! Mitaka Good boy! Uncle That's strange. Didn't you tell me earlier the thing you hated most was dogs? Mitaka That's right, uncle. Mitaka But, RenZhe of ancient times, in order to build his own ability leap... Uncle What does RenZhe have to do with you? (*3) Mitaka Every day he jumped over a small tree... Mitaka That small tree gradually grew tall... Mitaka After the small tree grew into a tall tree, RenZhe could still leap over it! Uncle Yes...? Mitaka So, I want to be like RenZhe. First I'll get used to being with a small dog, then approach big dogs. Mitaka Now I finally dare to be with small dogs. Uncle That's good. Uncle This way, the matter of you and Asuna will be easier to handle, because she likes dogs that much... (sparkling tooth - TM) Mitaka Don't bring her up again. I'm not like this just for her. Mitaka I have only one objective. Mitaka It's Kyoko's big dog. I want to let myself get near him and touch him. Dream: Mitaka, and Kyoko holding Souichiro-san. Mitaka is petting Souichiro-san. (*4) Kyoko What? Mitaka, don't you hate dogs? Mitaka Ha! That old habit has gone away. Now I like dogs very much. Mitaka From now on, there will never be any obstacles betweem us. Kyoko (happy tears) You took special training just for me? Mitaka I want to see if my courage has increased. Mitaka I'm going out now. Kyoko, Souichiro-san, and Godai are in the garden around a temple. Kyoko is wearing traditional dress, Godai and Souichiro-san look ordinary. Kyoko It's very lively here. Kyoko (ties leash to fence) Souichiro-san, wait here for a minute. Godai and Kyoko go to the temple to worship. Godai [I hope this year my job will go smoothly... and also that I will have the courage to ask Kyoko for marriage.] Mitaka arrives at the temple garden. Mitaka [It's the new year... I'll go to the temple and pay respect.] Mitaka [Now, although I don't fear my own dog, I don't know about other people's dogs...] Mitaka [I don't know if I'll be afraid of other dogs.] Mitaka [It's better not to trust myself...] Mitaka goes to a small statue of a lion. Mitaka [Suppose he is Souichiro-san...] He pets the statue. Mitaka I have to stay calm. Mitaka He can't bite people... People (aside) He's insane! Kyoko and Godai approach. Godai Huh? Kyoko Isn't that Mitaka? Kyoko What's he doing? Godai I don't know either. Mitaka (to Kyoko) Why didn't you call my name? Kyoko Because you were concentrating that hard, I didn't want to disturb you... Mitaka Godai, why did he come with you? Mitaka (to Godai) Hey! Are you still working at the nursery? Godai That's right! Godai What about it?! Mitaka Nothing. I thought you might have become more solid, more mature. Godai You stop making hints about me! Kyoko Oh, Mitaka, what made you think of coming to this temple? Mitaka Oh! Mitaka I was going to your home when I passed by. Mitaka Today there is something important I want to discuss with you. G & K [Something important?] Kyoko [Could it be asking for marriage?] Mitaka It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go somewhere else and talk. Kyoko Uh... okay. Kyoko Oh! Kyoko Souichiro-san is gone. Mitaka You brought him with you? Kyoko Yes. I tied his leash right here... Mitaka But he's disappeared. Mitaka I'll help you look for him. Kyoko Sorry to trouble you. Kyoko stands in place, Godai and Mitaka run in opposite directions looking for Souichiro-san. Mitaka Kyoko, wait here for me. Godai I'll go look over there... Mitaka If I run into Souichiro-san, what will I do? Mitaka sees a small boy with a dog. He approaches and pats the dog. The boy watches him silently... Mitaka Stay calm... Mitaka runs off. Mitaka No! This isn't Souichiro-san, so I still don't know! Elsewhere in the temple garden... Godai [Mitaka, that fool...] Godai [During the New Year's celebration he wants to ask for marriage.] Godai [That's going too far.] Godai [He even said I was...] Image of Mitaka laughing at Godai Mitaka You really aren't mature enough. Godai That makes me mad as hell! Kyoko, waiting. Kyoko [During the New Year, how can...] Kyoko [... this trouble occur?] Kyoko [I hope Godai can find work soon.] Kyoko [....] Kyoko [I'll also go look...] Kyoko [...for Souichiro-san.] Mitaka, searching. Mitaka Souichiro-san! Souichiro-san! Mitaka Hey! Souichiro-san is going after the snacks a lady is carrying. Lady Really awful! Lady2 This dog isn't the least bit cute! Lady It even wants to eat my food! Lady2 What an awful dog. Mitaka Souichiro-san! Mitaka Souichiro-san, come here! Souichiro-san hears, and happily charges toward Mitaka... Mitaka Souichiro-san... Mitaka waits with open arms, but Souichiro-san runs to Kyoko who is waiting behind him. Kyoko Where did you run off to? Godai sees the two from a distance... Godai Uh oh! Mitaka Kyoko. Kyoko (startled) Uh... Godai [What! In broad daylight he wants to ask for marriage?!] Godai runs and stands between Mitaka and Kyoko. Kyoko Godai... Mitaka .... With a grin, Mitaka bends down and pats Souichiro-san. Kyoko and Godai watch in amazement. Mitaka Kyoko, Mitaka Do you understand now? Kyoko Uh? Kyoko Yes... Mitaka Souichiro-san, so we see each other again. Mitaka leaves the temple and drives away. Godai What were you two talking about? Kyoko I'll tell you after we go back. Mitaka (in his car) Victory!! Notes: - Thanks to Glenn Tarigan (tarigan@sfu.ca) for comments and corrections on previous translations. They've been incorporated into the revised editions (11/93). (1) Which implies that this part was published in 1986, the most recent year of the tiger. Easy for me to remember, since I'm a tiger too :). (2) I use 'Mitaka' and 'Shun' interchangeably, since his first name in the Chinese manga is equivalent to 'Mitaka'. (3) RenZhe ("ren3 zhe3" "patient person") is a Chinese/Japanese classical tale. (4) In the Chinese, Kyoko's dog is called Souichiro, without -san. I added the -san where it seemed appropriate. (fin)