Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 09/93 Revised 12/93 Volume 12, part 6 -- "Discovered" (Chinese manga vol. 14, part 8) Nighttime outside the cabaret. Godai Come, Come! Everyone come and see! Right now this store is better than ever! The others approach. Ichinoce Look! He's over there! Akemi That smiling face routine has a good tempo. Master Godai, they're back again! Yotsuya No need to care about us. We will drink properly. Godai Who would care about you!? They sit in a booth inside. Waitress Wow! You've come again. Waitress2 What do you want to drink tonight? Akemi Bring some beer. Ichinoce Actually, Godai invited us. Godai and Master still outside. Master How can you do this? Every night they come and extort you... Godai I... Master Do they have something that would embarass you in their hands? Master These untrustworthy types, it's better if you just break your relations with them as soon as you can. Godai I think so too... Meanwhile, Kyoko is in her room. Kyoko [Godai has started to act strange lately.] Kyoko [Also, Akemi and the others have been going out every day.] Kyoko [And Godai also...] Kyoko [Doesn't come back until very late.] Noise comes from the hallway. Kyoko Oh! Kyoko .... (*1) Everyone comes in. Akemi We're back. Ichinoce Brrr! It's cold. I should go drink some more. Kyoko Why did you all come back together? Ichinoce Kanrinin-san, why haven't you gone to sleep? Kyoko Godai, you still haven't returned your lunch-box to me. Godai Oh... Godai Right. I almost forgot. Yotsuya What! Yotsuya You're still letting her make lunchboxes for you? Godai This... Akemi Face-less (*2). Ichinoce Godai, everyone is very poor. Don't be so outrageous. Kyoko Huh? Ichinoce Oh, nothing. Akemi She drank too much. Kyoko .... Nikaido (opens his door) What's up? Kanrinin-san? Kyoko Nikaido! Kyoko (to Godai) Do you know what happened to them? Godai I don't know. Godai and the looney crew are in #5. Voice Don't say it! Voice2 What are you afraid of? Inside Ichinoce It doesn't matter! Kanrinin-san doesn't have super-hearing. She can't hear us. Ichinoce Godai was fried cuttle-fished by the nursery!! Godai Aaaaa! Ichinoce We're only talking in here. She still doesn't know. Nikaido enters. Nikaido What are you talking about? Yotsuya Did you hear it? Nikaido Hear what? Ichinoce (to Godai) It's good that he didn't hear it. Godai What are you talking about?! Nikaido Kanrinin-san said she thinks you're all hiding something from her. Ichinoce Is Kanrinin-san becoming suspicious? Akemi What do you plan to do? Yotsuya There will be more and more people who know... Nikaido What in the world is going on? You can tell me secretly! Akemi We don't have any stealthy affairs. Yotsuya You have a big mouth, so we aren't telling you. Ichinoce Things are still fine. There are only three of us who know. Godai Nothing is fine at all! The next morning, Godai is leaving. Kyoko Godai, lunchbox... Godai Oh! Godai Kanrinin-san, starting tomorrow, please don't make lunchboxes for me. Kyoko Huh? Kyoko Why? Godai (sweat) Because... I don't have money to pay for lunchboxes. Kyoko You're talking about money? Your mother... Kyoko ...already had someone send money to you. Kyoko (smile) Also, I'm very happy to help you do the lunchboxes! Kyoko Oh. Recently, why haven't you been coming back until very late? Godai (retreating) Its... Ichinoce Because he has some business that he can't do during daytime. Godai Hanae--! Godai (exiting) I'm going. Kyoko Uh... Kyoko (to Ichinoce) What did you just say? Ichinoce Nothing. In a back room at the cabaret. Godai is eating lunch. Master Godai, this afternoon you need to go to the train station to hand out flyers. Godai Okay. Master You bring a lunchbox?! Master Hmmm! Master Wow! Master Crab-shaped pork chops! Master (happily beating up on Godai) You're really lucky. Godai You'd even hit me when I'm like this?! Master It must be your good friend making lunchboxes for you! Godai Aah- I can't breathe... let me go... Master Good child, you have something this good and you aren't sharing your good fortune with us? Master If this isn't a 'love lunchbox', what could it be? Master Want some tea? Godai Aargh! Godai I should be happy, but I'm still disappointed. On the street. Master After work have a drink! Be as happy as the gods! Godai Also, there are beautiful waitresses! Godai (softly) Aarrgh... Master (to Nikaido, passing by) Come and take a look! Master (to Godai) Why are you just standing there?! Godai I'm sorry. Nikaido turns around and sees Godai's back. Nikaido .... Godai It's the best place to go after work! Dance floor and bar! Nikaido returns to Ikkoku-kan and talks to Kyoko outside. Kyoko What? He looked a lot like Godai? Nikaido He was wearing a cabaret uniform... Kyoko How could that be? Kyoko At that hour he should still be at the nursery! Nikaido Is it possible that he already quit? Kyoko Could that be? A stream of water comes from above and drenches Nikaido. Yotsuya and Akemi are at a second-floor window, Yotsuya holding an empty bucket. Yotsuya I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional. Nikaido marches inside and goes upstairs. Akemi whacks him as he enters. Nikaido What do you two mean by that? Akemi You uncooperative person, may your fortune and dreams disappear! Outside. Kyoko [But...] Kyoko [Every day he leaves on time, and he also takes a lunchbox...] Kyoko [I'll call the nursery and ask, then I'll know.] She uses hall phone. Kyoko [Busy...] The phone in the manager's room rings. Kyoko I'm Kyoko. Kyoko Oh! Kyoko Mitaka? Mitaka I haven't seen you for a long time. Mitaka Let's go and eat together, okay? Kyoko But... okay. Mitaka I'll go to pick you up in thirty minutes. (click) Kyoko calls the nursery again. Kyoko [It's busy again.] Kyoko [Things are also fine this way.] Kyoko [I'll ask Godai to explain things tonight...] Outside the cabaret. Master Hey! Sir! Please come here! Godai Everyone come! There are countless beautiful sights! (*3) Yotsuya, Nikaido, Akemi, and Ichinoce approach. Nikaido So this is the reason. Akemi Now you know! Godai You... Godai How can you bring Nikaido here? Ichinoce Why does that matter? Akemi To be proper, you should be thanking us! Mitaka and Kyoko at a restaurant. Mitaka I'm really sorry to force you to come out. Mitaka You don't have any other things do do, right? Kyoko No... only... Kyoko Mitaka, recently you've been fine, right? Mitaka No! If we can't see each other often, I'm afraid later we will become unfamiliar. Kyoko Oh... Kyoko Then... you and the lady you were arranged... Mitaka (BIG laugh) You worry about her that much? At the cabaret. Voice Stupid! You're really stubborn. Nikaido But Kanrinin-san is very pitiful. Akemi There are some things in this world that you're happier if you don't know about. Ichinoce Also... Ichinoce Godai also said that he wanted to tell her himself. Yotsuya How long will we have to wait for that? Yotsuya It's really a big pile of trouble. Ichinoce In fact, the car fare to come here isn't cheap either. Godai Then don't come any more, and you'll be better off! Nikaido I don't need to keep the secret. Akemi Godai, there's someone who wants to say it. Master (to Godai) It's hard to buy the hearts of these kinds of friends. Godai Okay! Godai Everyone! Godai I swear that tonight... Ichinoce Yeah? Godai Tonight... Godai I will tell everything to Kanrinin-san. A moment of silence, then... Ichinoce Today is the last night of these magnificent gatherings! Yotsuya Tonight we must drink all we can! Master It's still better that you decided things as soon as possible. Godai Aargh! Outside on the street. Voice Looks like there's nowhere to park around here. Voice2 Oh... Mitaka The standard of living for people around here isn't very high. Kyoko .... Guy Hey! Over here! Young man! Kyoko [Is that Godai? Is he really working at a bar?] Kyoko [I must be mistaken.] Kyoko [I don't believe it, but once again it seems like it's for real.] Godai is standing outside of the cabaret. He's facing left and standing still. Godai [....] Godai [The situation is forcing me. I must say it, but how should I say it?] Godai [Kyoko...] Godai [She'll definitely be shocked by it.] Kyoko .... Godai [Oh boy...] End picture: Godai is still motionless. Kyoko is standing behind him silently, Mitaka is standing behind her. Notes: 1 Takahashi uses dots (shown as '....') instead of words in some places. In addition, the Chinese translator seems to have added some dots of his/her own. 2 "bu2 yao4 lian3" = "Don't want face" = shameful. 3 "chun se4 wu2 bian" = "spring colors without boundaries", this phrase may have other meanings or connotations. (fin)