Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 09/93 Revised 12/93 Volume 12, part 7 (Chinese vol. 14, section 9) "Gomen ne lunch box" - "Lunch box apology" It's nighttime. Godai is at work, standing outside the cabaret. He doesn't know that Kyoko and Mitaka are standing right behind him. Kyoko [Godai...] Godai (sigh)... Kyoko recalls... Nikaido ...wearing a cabaret uniform... Nikaido ...looks like he quit his job at the nursery. Kyoko [Why did he...?] Kyoko [....] (*1) Mitaka (to Godai) Uh... Voice (from inside) Waa! Happiness! Happiness! Voice Tonight is really a delight! Ichinoce, Akemi, Nikaido, and Yotsuya come out. Akemi Godai, we'll go back before you. Ichinoce Don't forget our agreement! Kyoko hides herself and Mitaka behind a signboard. Mitaka What are we doing? Kyoko! Kyoko Shhh. Nikaido Do you really want to tell Kanrinin-san tonight? Godai Yes! Yotsuya Then... Yotsuya We will cheer for Godai's bravery. Y,I,A Long live! Long live! (*2) Nikaido If you don't have courage to say it, I'll say it. Mitaka and Kyoko, in his car. Mitaka I didn't know anything about Godai changing jobs. Mitaka We should have greeted him when we saw him. Kyoko No, Kyoko I think... Kyoko He probably didn't want to be seen by anyone. Mitaka Really? He seemed to fit that job well. He does a good job! Kyoko [Why? Godai?] Kyoko, sitting at the table in her room. Kyoko [You wanted to get credentials to be a kindergarden-teacher, you said it yourself...] (*3) Kyoko [Deceiving others...] Kyoko [Why do you have to do that kind of work?] Flashback: Godai Kanrinin-san, the lunchboxes you make... Godai ... the kids at the nursery love them! Kyoko [And you still told me those kinds of lies!] Kyoko [What in the world are you doing?] Kyoko [After this, what do you plan to do?] It's late night. Godai is walking back after work. Godai Aargh. Godai [Should I tell her as if nothing important happened?] Godai [But that would be a bit strange.] Godai [Being more serious might be better.] Godai [What should I do?] Scenario One: Godai Kanrinin-san, I have something important to- Kyoko Oh? what's so important? Godai A-Actually... Kyoko What? You were fired?! Kyoko Something this important, why didn't you tell me before?! Godai (kneeling) I-... sorry... Godai [....] Godai [This...] Godai [It's already too serious of a matter. The result would be too harsh.] Scenario Two: Godai (cheerfully) Ha, ha... I got fried cuttle-fished (*4) Kyoko (laughing) Wow! That's sad! Godai This way is a bit better. Godai returns to Ikkoku-kan. Godai .... He goes to Kyoko's door, but decides not to knock. Kyoko watches his shadow from inside. Godai .... Kyoko .... He puts the empty lunchbox in front of the door and starts to walk away. Kyoko comes out quietly. Godai [This won't work. If I go back to my room like this,] Godai [they'll definitely laugh at me.] Godai envisions: Ichinoce Again you didn't say it! Akemi When will you finally tell her? Nikaido Really despicable. Godai No! The others come from around the corner. Akemi When do you plan to say it? Nikaido Really despicable. Ichinoce Again you didn't dare to say it. Godai Be quiet! Godai Right now I'm going to Kanrinin-san-- Kyoko (from behind him) I'm here. Kyoko What's the matter? Godai (gulp) Because I... Godai I... Akemi What a weakling. Do you want me to say it for you? Kyoko I already know. Kyoko Starting tomorrow, you don't need to take a lunchbox. Kyoko I won't make one for you. (goes to her room) Godai Wait! Godai Kanrinin-san... (SLAM!) Ichinoce Who told Kanrinin-san? Nikaido I didn't say it! Godai Kanrinin-san? Kyoko (inside) .... Narr The next day, around noontime. Godai I'm going. Akemi This is a good time to be working. Yotsuya I hope you will have another pleasant night. Ichinoce You need to yell as loud as you can!! Godai Will you stop bothering me?! Godai [She didn't come out to send me off.] Kyoko (eating in her room) .... Godai and the Master are in the back room of the cabaret. Godai is eating a sandwich. Master Eh? Master Today why didn't you bring a lunchbox? Godai Uh... Godai Nobody wanted to help me make it. Master .... Master Your good friend ran away? Master Yes, I understand. (smokes a cigarette) Kyoko and Ichinoce talking. Kyoko When did all of you find out? Kyoko Why did everyone hide something this important from me? Ichinoce Because Godai didn't let us say it. Kyoko Godai, again it's Godai's fault. Kyoko 'I want to be a kindergarden-teacher.' Kyoko He said that too... Ichinoce Maybe something unfortunate happened at the nursery. Kyoko Huh? Ichinoce Maybe he was being improper toward the other teachers, or he stole money... Kyoko How could that be?! Kyoko He probably tried something slick. Kyoko He really lacks patience. Ichinoce Could be! So, now he has a chance to take classes... Ichinoce Actually, he's doing pretty well right now. Kyoko You really don't know why? Kyoko Tell me the truth about everything, now! Ichinoce If you make lunchboxes for him again... Ichinoce Then, even if he doesn't want to say it, he will regret this. Kyoko Is that so? Kyoko Yesterday, was I too cruel? Ichinoce No. Ichinoce Yesterday he wanted to say it, but he didn't have the courage. Kyoko recalls... Godai Uh... Kyoko When you're working you have to be earnest. Godai Actually... Kyoko You're going to be late. Kyoko .... Ichinoce leaves, Kyoko calls the nursery. Teacher This is The Nursery. Kyoko I'm Godai's friend. Hello, Mrs.... . Kyoko I'd like to know, did Godai find work at another nursery? Teacher No, he still hasn't. Kyoko I see... Kyoko Also, I'd like to know... Teacher Hmmm? The reason he was fired? Kyoko Oh... The nursery had to reduce its staff? Kyoko Oh... So it was only because of this? Teacher Right, there were no other reasons. Teacher Actually... Teacher Godai did very well, but didn't have credentials. Although we didn't want to lose him, there was nothing we could do. Kyoko Do you know what he's doing now? Teacher Uh, he still hasn't found suitable work... Kyoko [This kind of situation...] Kyoko [Why did he want to hide it from me?] Kyoko [Was it because...] Kyoko [Being fried cuttle-fished made him feel miserable, so he didn't want to speak?] Flashback Godai You don't need to make lunchboxes for me. Kyoko Its no problem! Kyoko [That day...] Kyoko [Stupid! If you told me, things would be fine.] Kyoko [Except for this, I don't blame you.] The next morning, Godai is leaving. Godai I'm going. (walks outside) Kyoko Godai, wait a minute. Kyoko comes out. Kyoko I hope... Kyoko You can explain things to me. Godai I- Godai I'm very sorry. Kyoko Actually, no matter... Kyoko Whatever you did, I don't blame you. Kyoko .... Godai .... Kyoko This is for you. (hands him a lunchbox) Godai This-? It's another cute animals lunchbox, with the word "shi-tsu-ka-ri" ("work hard") written inside. Godai eats lunch at the cabaret... Godai I'm not worthy of you, I'm not worthy of you. Lady What's with him? Master Probably his good friend came back to him! 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 "Wan4 sui4" = "Ten-thousand years", like "Long live the king!" 3 Godai's profession is something between 'kindergarden-teacher', 'nurse', and 'caretaker'. I tend to switch between these terms. 4 "fried cuttle-fished" refers to someone being fired. (fin)