Maison Ikkoku - (c) Rumiko Takahashi Translated from the Hunter Comics Chinese manga by Andrew Chen, 10/93 Volume 8, part 4 -- "Grave of Spring" (Hunter Chinese manga vol. 9, part 7) Kyoko and Ichinoce are in Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko is on the phone. Kyoko It's okay if you don't come. Kyoko I know you are very busy. Kyoko This year I'm only inviting close relatives... Kyoko Although mother is a close relative... Kyoko But, it's not necessary to force her. Ichinoce .... Kyoko takes her ear away from the phone as sounds pour out. Kyoko Fine. Kyoko I'll see you tomorrow at one. Kyoko (click) Phew--- Ichinoce Is tomorrow Souichiro's remembrance day? Kyoko Yes... It's already been four years. Ichinoce Was that your mother who just called? Kyoko Yup. She says this year she wants to go sweep the grave... Kyoko Coming to sweep the grave is only an excuse. She must want to come and tell me to get married again. Ichinoce Don't you intend to marry again? Kyoko Obviously. But thinking like this before Souichiro's grave, wouldn't that be disrespectful to him? Narr The next day-- Kyoko I'm leaving. Godai Travel carefully. Ichinoce Bye. Godai Why is Kyoko dressed up this beautifully? Kyoko, relatives from both families, and a monk stand before Souichiro's grave. Kyoko [....] Kyoko [Last year she started preaching on the subject of grandchildren...] Kyoko [This year I don't know if she'll again...] Kyoko kneels to light incense and pray. Kyoko [It doesn't help to say anything.] Kyoko [I absolutely will not compromise.] Mother Four years have passed... Kyoko [Here it comes!] Mother (to Otonashi) This year the weather is very good. Otonashi Yes indeed... Mother .... They all go back to the Souichiro house. Mother Isn't that right? So... Kyoko [What idea is she trying to push? She hasn't said one sentence about re-marrying...] Kyoko's parents leave. Mother Good bye. On the train. Father You're unusually silent this year. Mother This is my plan. Mother She's very hard to convince. Mother Saying more would actually only make her more opposed. Kyoko returns to Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko [I still feel a little strange about it...] Godai You're back! Kyoko Yes. Godai How was it? Kyoko What? Kyoko My parents? Kyoko They didn't say anything. Godai Really? That's good. Kyoko Yes. I was nervously waiting to deal with them. Kyoko [Godai... was he waiting outside for me because he was worried?] Kyoko and Ichinoce talk. Ichinoce Oh? Isn't that good? Kyoko Yes. Very good. Ichinoce What did they say? Kyoko Huh? They didn't say a word about getting married again... Ichinoce No. I asked you what Souichiro said. Kyoko .... Ichinoce If your parents were not only quiet but silent, you must have been able to talk with him well. Kyoko (gulp) Kyoko I told him a lot of things. Ichinoce Wonderful. Kyoko [Oh! I was too worried about my mother bringing up the matter of re-marriage... I forgot about Souichiro!] Kyoko goes outside to hang up clothes. Kyoko [Four years...] Kyoko [I should have forgotten Souichiro by now.] Kyoko [But...] Godai I'm leaving. Kyoko Walk carefully! Kyoko playing tennis... Kyoko [Recently I've been feeling...] Mitaka Wait a little bit, then we'll go have some coffee. Kyoko Okay. Mitaka and Kyoko having coffee. Kyoko [I haven't been thinking much about Souichiro.] Kyoko [Can time be diluting my memories?] At Ikkoku-kan, Kyoko watches the looney squad partying. Kyoko [They are happy every day.] Akemi is using the sink. It's broken and spraying water everywhere. Kyoko [I'm so busy that I don't have time to think about things.] Akemi The faucet's broken. Kyoko Right. Kyoko alone in her room. Kyoko [I should be very happy.] Kyoko [But... have I compromised?] Kyoko sweeping outside. Kyoko [Are things good this way?] Godai looks out from a second floor window. Godai [....] Godai [What's wrong with Kyoko?] Godai [These few days, it seems like she hasn't been able to cope with the loss.] Kyoko laying down at night. Kyoko [This way I am forgetting about Souichiro.] Kyoko [Souichiro...] Kyoko [Right!] Kyoko [Next Sunday...] The next Sunday, Kyoko makes long rolls of sushi and wraps them in paper. Carrying a long and thin paper package, a thermos, and a bag, she is about to leave. Yotsuya Kyoko, are you going out? Kyoko Yup... Yotsuya (examining the package) The smell of seaweed. Yotsuya Picnic? Kyoko No... Kyoko I'm going to visit Souichiro. Yotsuya talks to Godai. Godai Going to visit Souichiro!? Godai Did she really say that? Yotsuya Yes. She was in a hurry... Yotsuya And she was holding a thin, long package. Godai Thin, long package... Godai envisions a concealed knife. An image of Kyoko kneeling before the grave, holding the knife forms. Kyoko: Souichiro, wait for me. Godai Why are you this stupid!? Godai leaps up and runs for the grave site. Godai [God!] Godai [If she really...] Godai [She could have done this on his remembrance day.] Godai [Why wait until now...?] Godai [It's in this area.] Godai [I came here once, three years ago...] Godai walks past a flower shop, where Kyoko is buying flowers. He arrives at the grave site before her. Godai [Strange...] Hearing someone approaching, he hides in the bushes behind the grave. Godai [Kyoko...] Kyoko spreads a mat on the ground in front of the gravestone and kneels. She lights incense, prays, and reaches for the package... Godai [That's it...] Godai [Long and thin...] Kyoko Souichiro, this sushi is for you. Godai feels awfully dumb. Kyoko I haven't cut it... because you liked to eat it this way. Godai [What... What in the world...?] Kyoko pours from her thermos. Kyoko Please have some tea. Kyoko [I'm really sorry about last time...] Kyoko [I completely forgot about you...] Kyoko [Today... I wanted to come here to straighten out my feelings for a while.] Kyoko remembers... Young Kyoko enters the house, holding groceries. Kyoko What? Kyoko No! Kyoko No... Otonashi Go to the hospital quickly. Mother Ikuko, hurry up! In the hospital room, Kyoko looks at Souichiro. Kyoko This-- Kyoko Why? She kneels next to the bed and cries. Kyoko Why? Kyoko [Strange...] Kyoko [Before, when I thought about these kinds of things, I cried silently.] Kyoko starts to cry. Godai peeks around the gravestone. Godai [Huh?] Godai [She's crying?] Kyoko [This is the most heartbreaking thing that's happened to me,] Kyoko [And before, I didn't even cry about it.] Kyoko [Is this good?] Kyoko [Souichiro, now I... maybe I'm confused.] Kyoko [I hope to forever think of you.] Kyoko [But...] Kyoko [Living people...] Kyoko [Slowly intrude into my life...] Godai [She's been sitting there for an hour!] Godai [But she hasn't said a word yet.] Kyoko Souichiro... Why did you have to die? Kyoko If you were still living... Kyoko (crying) I wouldn't be like this... Godai [....] Godai [She still can't forget him.] Godai [It's already been four years...] Kyoko [One day I will go to heaven, and see you.] Kyoko [But...] Kyoko [Forcing myself to think of you is very painful...] Kyoko [If my memories of you become diluted by time...] Kyoko [Please forgive me.] Kyoko (wipes her tears and smiles) [These are my true feelings.] Godai [No! If things go on like this...] Godai [He must be forgotten!] Godai [....] Godai gathers his courage and stands up from the bushes. Godai Listen to me! Kyoko has already left. A monk is sweeping on the other side of the gravestone. The monk stares silently at Godai. At Ikkoku-kan... Ichinoce Godai still hasn't come back! Yotsuya When he left, he seemed to have decided something. Kyoko Well... Back at the temple. Monk Seems like you've been holding something back for a long time. Monk If you have something to say, say it! Godai No... Godai I made a mistake and was in the wrong place... (fin)