Mintna Bokura (We are Mint) Chapter 16 Translation by Dimitri Ashling All rights held by the authoress, Wataru Yoshizumi. Special thanks again to Masatomo (for checking my translations), and Karen Duffy (for showing me this story in the 1st place) Prelude Maria: What____ Karin!? She found out your secret!? Noel: Yeah... Page 1 Maria: W what are you gonna do? Noel: I said I'd give a good explanation, and that turned into a meeting today. Cause we couldn't go into details on the dorm's phone. That's one more who knows my secret... Oh, well. But I'm relieved it's Karin. The guys at Morinomiya don't know me too well. So I can't trust them to stop talking or something like that! Page 2 Maria: But... Noel... Noel: Oh, Sasa! I can't attend the club meeting today. Sorry, but can you tell the captain for me? Sasa: Yeah. Is it something important? Noel: Yeah, a little. Maria(thinking): I wonder if it'll be OK. I wonder if Karin'll become quiet and stop talking to him... Cause it's a weak point of the guy she loves. Maybe she'll demand something______ It looks like those things never occured to him. Noel is too gentle... Page 3 Karin: I see. So that's the reason... But to go when they only had room in the girls' dorm... I thought you had a sister complex, but you went further than that____ Noel:........ Karin: So Miyu doesn't know anything about Noel being a guy or that Toru is the same person? Noel: No. Because of that Karin, don't tell anyone else about this! I don't know what would happen. Maria's not telling Daisuke either... Page 4 Oh, yeah___ Did you know those two are dating!? I was really shocked... Karin: What should I do___ Maybe I should tell everybody the real story. Page 5 Miyu will get angry. She'll come to hate you for sure. And you won't be able to go to Morinomiya anymore. Even if you still have the chairman's permission, it'll be ridiculous. The students and parents won't have a reason to stop talking about it. So, Noel. If that happens, you'll be troubled, won't you? You've gotta break up with your girlfriend and date me. Or I'll tell it all! Page 6 Noel: .... What are you saying, Karin.... You're the kind of the person who'd do that? Page 7 (Karin blushes, and then gets tears in her eyes) (Noel's surprised) Karin: I only said it, I didn't mean it! I don't have a reason to be serious! I was just feeling a little mean. Because of me, things went great with your girlfriend. That made me angry. You don't have to look down on me. Noel, you fool! Page 8 Noel: I'm sorry Karin. I'm not looking down on you... I understand. Sorry. Karin: I was about 20% serious, though! Say. Today, you came straight from school, right? Where did you get changed? Noel: Um... In the restroom of the Station Building that's close by... Then I put the uniform and wig in a coin locker____ Karin: Then I have a favor to ask.... Page 9 (Karin waiting outside the Station building) Noel: Karin. I got changed! (As you requested) Page 10 (Karin's eyes go really wide, and then she can't keep from laughing) Karin(laughing): No way ____ It looks too good on you!! You look just like Maria__ (Kya ha ha ha ha ha ha) Noel: Don't laugh! Because you want to see me this way, I have to bear a lot of embarassment... There's a guy who's known me in this costume since the beginning, but to show an old friend is really embarassing!! (Karin's still laughing) (Gya ha ha ha ha ha ha ha) Page 11 Karin: Oh, that's a relief! That's too much for me. I don't want anything to do with a guy who's got a crossdressing hobby! Noel: I'm not doing it cause it's a hobby. Karin: That's true. In the beginning, it was for Maria. Now... it's for your girlfriend. Cause you want to be close to her, you're willing to go that far... Really, when I saw her before, I thought "Oh, this is hopeless. I lost." Cause she's a really pretty girl. Noel, you're picky! Noel: No, that's not it. It wasn't because I like her looks. She's a really pure and innocent girl. Living together with her, I rapidly came to understand that. Then... Karin: ____Yeah. She's a nice girl for sure. Cause she's the one you love. Page 12 See ya, I'm going home. Bye bye! Noel: Yeah. Karin! See you again. Karin: Yeah! See ya again! Page 13 Noel (thinking): It may take a little while to rebuild, but someday we'll again be good friends____ Page 14 Maria: So you settled the whole thing with Karin. I bet that makes you happy. Noel: Yeah, finally my worrying has disappeared and I feel relaxed! The next day we have off, Miyu and I promised to date again. Maria: Ah, I have a date with Daisuke too. Both of us are happy. Noel: Somehow, I feel twice as happy as you, Maria! At school and the dorm I'm Noel, Miyu's close friend. On days off, I'm Toru in love with Miyu! Page 15 The positions of boyfriend and best friend of the girl I love are all mine! Oh, I'm the best____!! Maria: Yeah, yeah. Miyu: Toru, do you like spaghetti? I know a place that makes some that's really delicious. Want to have lunch there? Noel: Sure, let's do that! I love anything that's noodles. Page 16 (The walklight just turned red) Noel: Oh. Miyu,let's hurry! (grabs her hand) (Miyu takes her hand back) Page 17 Miyu: ....Hurrying is dangerous. Let's wait for the next green light. Noel: Shu sure. (thinking): She brushed my hand away. She refused it_____!! (Bonk) Page 18 I wonder if she doesn't like letting me touch her__ I wonder if as I thought, she doesn't like me too much__ Or..... I want to hear Miyu, but if I know something only Toru should know, it'll be strange... Miyu: Say, Noel. Today I had a date with Toru. Page 19 Noel(heart beating rapidly): Y yeah. And then? Miyu: By the crosswalk, he took my hand... I unintentionally shook myself free. Noel: Because you didn't like it? Miyu: No, that's not it. Because downtown there was a lot of people. It was embarassing... Page 20 Noel: W why was it embarassing... Um, nah. You're direct, Miyu. I've never been worried about people looking or stuff like that. Miyu: Is that so. Then when you've been with Sasa, has he taken your hand in front of people? Noel: Nah, he hasn't done that... not Sasa... Miyu: I was really a little happy he took my hand. But I don't like that in front of people. I can't convey these feelings well, so I'm worried. I can't say a thing to Toru... I wonder if I hurt him... Noel, what do you think? Noel: It'll be fine! He didn't get affected that way. Would you be happy if I had a good talk with him? Page 21 Miyu: Really? I can ask you to do that? Noel: Sure, leave it to me! Miyu (smiling): I'm glad I asked you for advice. Thank you! (Thump) Page 22 Noel(thinking): Maybe I've done something really cruel? Miyu has faith in me, up to the point she appreciates me. I've been deceiving her all along___ OH, this is a sudden torture to my conscience!! Page 23 Noel: I've decided. I'll tell Miyu the real story! Maria: You're gonna tell her? Sasa: Isn't that a bad idea? Noel: I'm telling her. I've decided. Telling lies has been painful. Miyu has faith in me. I've been giving her advice about Toru. Oh, my conscience hurts so. It hurts so... Page 24 Maria: Not long ago, you said stuff like "The positions of boyfriend and best friend of the girl I love are all mine!". You were in high spirits. Noel: That was me in the past. I left that behind. Maria: .....(sweatbead) Noel: Anyway, I have to tell her someday. I except to stay with Miyu for a long time. I can't keep this quiet for a lifetime. I'll go home and get it all done. If I aplogize with all my heart, she'll forgive me for sure! Sasa and Maria (thinking): I hope so, but... Page 25 (In the girls' dorm) Noel: Miyu, I need to talk with you! (Sits down seriously) Miyu: ..... That's OK, what's up? Noel: Sure. Actually.... ....... .......... When the time comes, I don't know where to begin. Page 26 Noel: S sorry foe interrupting your reading! Is that a novel? Miyu: Yes. It's a story about how little lies are the cause of the hero's rapid fall to ruin. (Noel with several planets in the background) Noel: I... see..... Sounds interesting... Miyu: Nah, I don't think so. The hero has no charm, so he doesn't leave a good impression. After all, people who tell lies are bad. Page 27 I hate people that tell lies. (Noel gets bonked) Noel: ..But there are occassions when there's nothing else you can do... Miyu: There are exceptions of course, but I don't think lies improve the situation. Noel: That's true, but.. Miyu: People say lying is needed sometimes. For example, if you tell something true, that would hurt somebody else... Page 28 No matter what the circumstances, I'd like to know the truth. I hate being told lies the most. That hurts me worse. Noel: I... see.... (What makes it clear is something bad happened in the past.) Miyu: So, what did you have to say? Noel: U..um. Sorry, I forgot____ Page 29 Miyu(laughing): No way, Noel. You're weird. Noel(laughing): Sorry, sorry. (thinking): I...can't tell her!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coments, corrections and suggestions are welcome, contact Dimitri Ashling at: pokota@teleport.com Find more Mintna Bokura translations at: http://www.swb.de/~zahara/yo/yo.html Thank-you! ^^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------