Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 09/93 Revised 11/93 Volume 12, part 5 (Chinese manga vol. 14, part 7) Morning at Ikkoku-kan. Godai and Yotsuya are about to leave. Godai I'm leaving. Kyoko (comes running) Godai, your lunchbox. Godai Oh! I forgot. Ichinoce Is Kanrinin-san making lunchboxes for Godai? Kyoko Godai's grandmother asked me to do it. Kyoko (smile) Today I tried making dried fish lunchbox. Godai Wow! Those kids have something to be excited about again! Yotsuya What's for me? Kyoko Nothing. Godai [The fact that I've been fired by the nursery...] Godai [Again, I can't say it.] Yotsuya (leaving) Kanrinin-san is really unfair. Kyoko Walk carefully. Kyoko Hurry up, otherwise you'll be late again. Godai Right! I should leave now. Godai Hey! Sakamoto enters, smoking a cigarette. Saka Good morning! Godai Sakamoto, what the hell are you doing? Godai Why did you come here this early? Saka Ha ha... Saka Godai, lend me some money. Godai What? Godai Are you still asleep? Saka Last night I played Mahjong and lost. I'm broke. Saka Lend me some. Anything. Godai Right now I'm JOBLESS-- Godai freezes when he remembers Kyoko is behind him. Kyoko .... Godai I'm saying... my job... already... Do you understand? Saka I don't understand. Kyoko I have some here. Kyoko I'll lend you some first, okay? Saka Really? Kanrinin-san! Wow! I'm saved! Today I have money for food! Godai You can't do that! Don't lend to him! Kyoko I'll go get it for you. Kyoko (handing money to Sakamoto) This is all. Saka Thank you! Saka After a few days I'll return it to him. Godai I'll return you the money immediately! Godai (pushing Sakamoto out) We're leaving. Saka Thank you! Kyoko Be careful! Ichinoce Is it okay for you to do this? Lending money to him? Kyoko I'm only advancing him the money. At a food-stand. Saka How did you get fried cuttle-fished? (*1) Godai Shhh! Lower your voice! Saka Doesn't Kanrinin-san know? Godai I haven't told her. Godai You've already used up all the money you just borrowed. Saka It was only a little money. Saka Why didn't you tell me earlier? Saka I can help introduce you for a job! Godai .... Saka My senpai from high school has a job opening (*2). Saka I really wanted to take that job myself. Saka It's a national chain of stores. It's advertising department is short of a public relations worker. Godai Is it an advertising company? In a restaurant. Saka (on the phone) Sempai? I'm Sakamoto. Today I'm taking a a day off. Waitress (to Godai) Enjoy. Saka (phone) The advertising department job from before... Saka (phone) Oh! It's still vacant! Godai [Excellent!] Godai [Advertising company...] Saka So I'm no longer their road salesperson. I just arranged things with sempai. Godai Really? I never thought you were this good of a person. Saka When friends are in trouble, I always try to help! Saka You're paying for this meal. Nighttime. 'Bunny' cabaret. Master Although Sakamoto introduced you here, I still can't give you special treatment. Godai (dressed in cabaret uniform) Yes. Please continue to instruct. Master You speak too softly!! Godai Please continue to instruct! Master You want to welcome guests with a smile, it's best to show some teeth! This is how we do it! Godai Y-yes. Master Now come out with me and learn by practice. Godai Yes. Godai [I want to kill Sakamoto, that fool!] Outside the cabaret, two businessmen are walking past. Master Mister manager! Today our service will certainly satisfy you gentlemen! The man looks reluctant. A swarm of waitresses come to drag them in. Master Quickly come and greet them. All Welcome! Master Okay, now you try it! Godai Yes. Master Hurry up and get out there! Godai Sir... Man Eh? Godai Today at our bar... We can let you... Man No thanks. Master (grabs Godai) What were you trying to do with him!? And also, your face looks like a bitter-melon... Godai Sorry... Back at Ikkoku-kan. Godai is in his room, the others are partying behind him. Godai [He was telling nonsense. What kind of advertising department is this!?] Godai [Temporarily I'll work a few days, then slowly look for other another job.] Next morning. Kyoko Be careful on your way! (hands him a lunchbox) Godai Sorry to keep on troubling you (for making lunches). Narr [It's not possible to keep deceiving her.] Narr [This morning Godai goes to look for work.] Voice Recently we just got one. Voice2 Oh. Narr Night time... Master You speak too softly! Godai Please come in! Please come in! Late night at Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko You're back, Godai. Godai Uh... Kyoko Recently you've been coming back very late. Is the nursery very busy? Godai Right... Outside the cabaret, at night. Narr Ten days later-- Master Please come in! Welcome! Godai Mister Executive! Inside we have beautiful girls! Master You're doing pretty well. You're putting a lot of strength into it! Godai Ha... Godai [When a person is drowning, his body can't control itself.] Godai Mister! You have to come here and drink and sing! Our rates are low! The man turns around... It's Yotsuya. Yotsuya What? Godai retreats. Yotsuya What are you doing? Godai Nothing. Master Stupid! Can't you invite guests to come in? Yotsuya Take me inside. Inside the cabaret. Voice Are you Godai's friend? Voice Then you get special half-price. Yotsuya (to Godai) Aren't you working at the nursery? Lady It's really sad to talk about. He was fried cuttle-fished. Yotsuya Really? (Godai in distress) Yotsuya (to Godai) Then today I'll let you be the host. Godai What!? Yotsuya Otherwise I want to tell Kanrinin-san. Lady Wow! You can really drink! Lady2 Have a piece of fruit. Yotsuya Okay! Anyway, Godai's paying for it. Godai .... Later that night, Godai and Yotsuya go back. Godai Yotsuya, we agreed that you can't tell Kanrinin-san... Yotsuya Don't worry. I am true to my words. They return to Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko You're back. Kyoko Did you two come back together? This is really unusual. Yotsuya It's because while I was coming back, Godai was... Godai Yotsuya! Yotsuya Caviar is really delicious. Kyoko What? Kyoko Are you drunk? Yotsuya Yes. Godai Thanks for the lunchbox. It was really delicious. Yotsuya Where did you eat it? Godai Obviously at the nursery! Godai He's hopeless, completely drunk. (pushing Yotsuya away) Good night! Narr The second day... Voice Come take a seat! Mister! Voice Today's the last day of our special! Voice2 (from off-screen) There's good liquor and... Voice3 (from off-screen) What's this? We've run into a familiar person. Godai Please come in... Yotsuya, Ichinoce, and Akemi approach. Akemi Oh! Isn't he Godai? Ichinoce What the heck are you doing in this kind of place? Godai Yotsuya, you sold me! Yotsuya Don't worry! I haven't said a word to Kanrinin-san. Inside the cabaret, Ichinoce does her drunken dance. Yotsuya is singing (!), Akemi drinks. People Great! Wow! Master (to Godai) Take them somewhere else. Godai Yes... Ichinoce Godai, come and drink! Godai Who's paying the bill today? Akemi (to waitress, drunk) Your uniform is pretty cute. Akemi Really. Voice Table number six...! Akemi Coming! Man Miss, what is your age? Akemi (pouring) 18. Akemi Godai, I'll come here to work too! Waitress I'm the waitress here! Godai Akemi, don't be so reckless! Godai (outside) [Damn stupid!] Godai [Things are really falling apart.] Godai [If Kanrinin-san knew...] Godai [No. I can't let ker know.] Narr Your lunchbox. (Image of Kyoko forms in sky.) Narr At the nursery you need to work hard! Godai [If she trusts me this much, I can't disappoint her.] Godai [If I let her be disappointed...] Akemi (leaving) The guests are leaving. Ichinoce After work, come back quickly. Godai You people... Godai Don't tell Kanrinin-san. Ichinoce Is that okay? Akemi What if we said it? Godai Why can't you tell her?! I'm looking for an suitable opportunity, then I'll tell her myself. Akemi Hanae, then we won't say anything. Ichinoce Okay! Then every night I'll come and be your guest. Godai .... Godai You want to hit me every night? Akemi Don't get angry! Yotsuya Right now we're protecting our friend's secret. You should have more harmonious feelings toward us. They leave. After work, Godai goes to a bar. Godai Ridiculous! Godai (drunk) I... Godai I have always worked seriously. Bartender Yup. I know. Godai You don't know! Bartender Right. Godai Why is it that only I get stuck in this kind of situation... Godai Everywhere I go I run into walls. Bartender Right. (pours) Godai Do you agree? Bartender Agree. Godai .... Godai I want to go back now. Bartender Altogether, seven bucks (*4). Godai Money... I don't have enough. Outside on the street. Godai Please come and have a seat! The food is great! Sir! Please come in! Man Okay. Man2 Let's go try it. Bartender [This kid really knows how to talk...] Bartender Hey! you still have two bucks to pay off! Notes: (1) "Fried cuttle-fish" is a way of referring to someone being fired. The other references to fish are playing off of this. (2) Japanese: Senpai, Chinese: xue2 zhang3, meaning: leader of a group of students. (3) A more literal translation is, "When a person is in a river or lake, his body can't control itself." (4) 180 New Taiwanese dollars, to be exact :). (fin)