Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 10/93 Minor revisions 12/93 Volume 12, part 9 (Chinese vol. 15, part 2) Morning at the cabaret. All of the staff are gathered together, and the manager is talking. Boss Good morning, everyone. All Good morning! Boss Now I will announce a personnel change! Boss Advertising department's Godai, please take a step forward. Boss You are now appointed-- Boss To two posts: member of the advertising department, and head of the child-welfare department. Godai Thank you! Waitress Congratulations, child-welfare department head. Godai Thank you. Godai in the back room taking care of the kids. Kid Uncle, play with me! Kids Uncle! Uncle! (*1) Godai Okay, okay! Just a minute! At Ikkoku-kan, Kyoko is hanging up clothes and Ichinoce is sitting outside. Kyoko The weather has turned warmer. Ichinoce That's right! Spring is here. Kyoko Yes. It's really great. Kyoko Let me get through (goes inside). Kyoko These clothes should all be hung outside in the sunshine. Ichinoce [Her husband's remembrance day is here again?] They sit at the table. Kyoko Time passes fast! It's already been another year. Ichinoce Right! Ichinoce Ay! This year some people have received good fortune, some people haven't achieved anything. Time is really merciless. Kyoko Who hasn't achieved anything? Kyoko This summer he will get his nurse credentials. Ichinoce Uh... Ichinoce Who are you talking about? Kyoko Didn't you... Kyoko Weren't you talking about Godai? Ichinoce Why did you think I was talking about Godai when I said some people haven't accomplished anything? You're being oversensitive. Kyoko What? I was-- They hear noises coming from the front yard. Ichinoce But, if Godai really hadn't achieved anything... Kyoko Don't say reckless things! Godai is in front of Ikkoku-kan, making play-blocks out of wood. Godai [Did I catch a cold?] Ichinoce and Kyoko come out. Ichinoce What are you doing? Voice Wooden building blocks? Godai Right. Ichinoce He's making them for the kids at the cabaret. Kyoko Wow! Godai All I have to do is nail these together, Godai then make them colorful. Ichinoce How much does it cost you to make these? Godai What? Ichinoce This counts as overtime. Godai I'm not as bold as you. (*2) Kyoko He is doing them just to let the kids be happy. Kyoko Huh? Mitaka's car screeches to a stop. He comes out with a boquet of flowers. Godai Hey! Kyoko Mitaka... Kyoko What brings you here? Mitaka (petting Souichiro-san) Hello, Souichiro-san! Mitaka Kyoko, I have wonderful good news for you. Kyoko Yes? Mitaka I'm sorry to keep you waiting this long. Mitaka I finally made things clear to Asuna. Mitaka Now I'm already free. Kyoko Uh... Mitaka The obstacles between us have already been eliminated. Kyoko Wha-- What? Godai (getting between Mitaka and Kyoko) What the heck are you doing? Godai Why are you here this early in the morning? Ichinoce Really sad. Cancelling this good of a marriage plan. Mitaka I have no regrets. Mitaka (to Kyoko) Do you have time this Sunday? Mitaka Lets go and have a meal together. Godai Unfortunately, she's busy. Mitaka Who asked you?! Kyoko Mitaka, Kyoko I'm sorry. Sunday is... Kyoko My husband's remembrance day. Mitaka .... Godai ! Mitaka That's really unfortunate. Godai .... Godai [Her husband's remembrance day...] Mitaka I'm sorry. I was too rash. Kyoko Oh, it doesn't matter. Mitaka Your husband, he... Mitaka Did he like flowers? Kyoko Huh? Ichinoce You want to go together with her to sweep the grave? (*2) Mitaka I'm just asking, that's all. Kyoko He didn't especially like flowers, but... Kyoko He did like chrysanthemums. Mitaka Chrysanthemums. Kyoko Yes. I will also prepare some food to bring there. Mitaka Isn't this too plain? Kyoko On the contrary, this shouldn't be a big event. Mitaka Then, I shall say goodbye. Kyoko Are you leaving? Mitaka I only wanted to come and tell you, it was for your sake that I broke up with the other. Mitaka But, it seems like today I have no way to get your heart, so... Kyoko .... Mitaka drives away. Ichinoce What a stinking... Ichinoce (to Kyoko) So, what do you plan to do? Kyoko What? Ichinoce In this kind of situation, nobody knows what may happen after they sweep the grave. Ichinoce (at Godai) This one has already been kicked out. Godai (hammering block) I'm doing this for... Ichinoce Now you can't say it's a triangle-relationship, eh? Godai Oh! (double meaning here: the love triangle, and the triangular block that Godai has just smashed with his hammer.) Narr Sunday. Kyoko (leaving) Please take care of the building. Godai (from upstairs) .... Ichinoce Travel carefully! Godai [She's going to sweep his grave...] Godai [Mitaka, that scum!] (*3) Image of Mitaka forms... Mitaka That is definite. Mitaka Kyoko will definitely be married to me. Godai [What's so certain?! You scum!] Godai When summer arrives, I will... Akemi When summer arrives, so what? Yotsuya Cicadas chirp. Carrying a sack full of wooden blocks, Godai goes downstairs. Ichinoce (on phone) You want to know Kanrinin-san's husband's gravesite? Ichinoce Yup! Right... (click) Godai Ichinoce, that phone call... Ichinoce You want to know who it was? Godai Was it Mitaka? Ichinoce You guessed right. Godai runs out. Godai [That rotten...!] Godai [As expected, he's going.] Godai imagines: Kyoko Wow! Mitaka, you brought that many flowers... Mitaka The matter of you and I, it should be decided before your former husband's grave. Mitaka Kyoko, will you marry me? Godai Face-less fool, I won't let you! (*4) At Souichiro's grave, Mitaka has placed flowers and incense. Godai arrives, carrying the sack of wooden blocks. Mitaka What? Mitaka Godai?? Mitaka What are you doing here? Godai And what are you doing here? Mitaka I came to offer incense for Kyoko's husband. Mitaka And to tell him that I will let Kyoko live happily. Mitaka Therefore, her husband will certainly agree. Godai You wish! (*5) Mitaka The incense is already placed. I'm going back. Godai .... Godai Were you really going to go back? Mitaka What kind of person is as improper as you? Carrying a sack and coming to this kind of place? Kyoko and family approach from a distance. Mother I'm sorry for being late. Mother It's my husband's fault that we went to the wrong coffee shop. Father You heard it wrong! Otonashi Fine. Enough arguing. Mitaka Let's get out of here. Godai Huh? Godai Uh oh! (a wooden block drops to the ground) Mitaka and Godai hide, Kyoko and family reach the grave site. Mother Oh! Kyoko Flowers... Kyoko What's that? Kyoko [A Wood block...] Kyoko [Did Godai come here?] Mother Wow! A large bouquet of chrysanthemums! Who could have sent them? Godai and Mitaka hide in the bushes behind the grave. Godai What should we do? Mitaka Hide first, then decide! -------- (1) The kids call Godai 'Uncle', a respectful way of addressing an elder male. (2) More literally, "my face-skin isn't as thick as yours", implying that Godai is more concerned about being proper than her. (3) "wang2 ba dan4" = "king eight egg", a mean thing to call someone. (4) "bu2 yao4 lian3" = "don't want face" = shameless (5) Alt. translation: "That's the way your side hopes it will be." I'm having doubts about the dots (....). They appear in different sizes, suggesting that some were not original. Anyway, they will all appear as four dots (....) in my translations. Godai calls Mitaka some pretty nasty things in this part. I'm not sure if I've translated him with enough emphasis. (fin)