July Marmalade Birthday Originally appeared in Nakayoshi, July 1989. Written by Takeuchi Naoko. Translated by Alex Glover. Version 1.0, 8.99. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This morning I woke up before my alarm clock." The date is circled on the calendar. "My heart is pounding." The girl puts on a headband. "Today is my 16th birthday. Birthdays are amazing. I'm not the 15-year-old me anymore." She opens the curtains and looks outside. A boy walks by on the sidewalk below. "Oh... That's..." "Amari!" she calls. The boy stops and looks up at her. "No way!" she says. "What are you doing up this early!? I'll go with you! Wait there!" "What?" says Amari. "I'm going to school right now." "I don't believe it! The tardy boy Amari out for an early morning jog?" "I can't help it," he says. "Sakita and Honma told me to come early." "Who are they?" "Friends." "Huh? I don't know them." "There's no reason you should," he says. "Since you're in a different class." She glares at him. "Hey..." he says. "Stop doing that kind of thing. One girl among a bunch of guys... It stands out." "Do you mean... The kibasen at the May festival the other day?" [A kibasen is a mock cavalry game in which three people act as a horse and one person wearing a bandanna rides on top of them. These four face off against another four, and each rider tries to either knock the other off, or take the bandanna from the other's head.] "Don't be glad you defeated boys," says Amari. "It's shameful, and makes you look like a brat." She grimaces. "If my team didn't beat them, our class wouldn't have been able to win the championship! You're the brat! Since it's you who lost!" "I don't like hand-to-hand fights like that," he says. "That's too bad! Hmph, I'm going ahead without you. You really are slow, Amari!" She walks on past him. "When we entered high school," she thinks, "we were in separate classes for the first time. Amari, my unreliable friend since childhood..." She stops. "That jerk didn't notice... I'm wearing this headband today." She puts on the headband. "I'll take this for my 15th birthday present! While I'm at it, I want that wristband too!" "No way!" says Amari, wearing the band on his wrist. "I just bought it, and I like this one." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A fist strikes the top of her head. "Hey, Moriyama Miina! Gotta do morning practice." "Tsukamoto-senpai!" she says. "The tournament is almost here," says the boy. "Keep at it!" "A match, is it..." She fiddles with her locker. "Oh, how annoying..." She opens the locker, and sees a small jar inside wrapped with plastic. "Huh!? What? What is this...!?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- She throws open the door to the classroom. A girl looks up from her desk. "Morning, Miina. What? Why are you all flustered?" Miina shows her the jar. "This! It's Crescent marmalade!" "You got a present already? This stuff is delicious. Who's it from, who's it from?" "Well..." she says. "There's nothing written, and there's no card either. I thought for sure it was you, Yayoi-chan." "Me?" Yayoi holds out a package. "This is from me! Happy birthday, Miina!" Miina opens it and finds a stuffed teddy bear. "No way! Thank you! It's so cute!" "It's a present from me and my boyfriend, and a souvenir. We went to Disneyland on Sunday!" "I can't believe it..." says Miina. "What's enjoyable about going to an amusement park alone with a boy? There's no way I'd do it. Don't have that kind of time." "It's not like that," says Yayoi. "It's fun." "Lucky... It's spring for you all year long, Yayoi-chan." "What are you talking about? You're like this too now, Miina. You have a prince who remembers your birthday and gives you presents, don't you?" "It must be a prince..." thinks Miina. "Who would give me something like this...? Could it be Amari...?" "Hey, Miina, where are you going?" "It couldn't be..." she thinks. She walks out of the room. "Hey, wait!" "Since I was supposed to get here earlier today..." Miina opens the door to another classroom. Inside, Amari is smiling and talking to two girls. "Somehow," thinks Miina, "when he's among these strangers in a different class, Amari looks like a stranger too..." Amari glances toward her, then turns back. "Oh, he ignored me!" she thinks. "Acting so smooth, what's with that guy...!" Amari steps out into the hall. "What are you doing here?" he says. "Umm..." says Miina. "I thought I'd ask you something... This morning, did you go ahead and come to school before me?" "You came here just to ask me that!?" says Amari. "That's no business of yours." The school bell rings. "See, it's the first bell!" he says. "You should get back to your classroom." "Oh! That's not it!" says Miina. "Lend me your English book. I forgot mine today... I came to borrow yours." "It doesn't bother you to be careless, does it." She sticks her tongue out at him. "What!" she thinks. "You're the careless one!" She grabs the book and turns to leave. A girl yells out. "Wh... What...?" thinks Miina. "No way!" says the girl. "Who was that girl now? What is she to you, Amari-kun!?" "Oh no, your girlfriend?" says another girl. "Stop it," says Amari. "It's not like that. She's just some girl I was always with in junior high." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You're back," says Yayoi. "Was the marmalade Amari-kun?" Miina sits down at her desk. "He has nothing to do with me," she says. "He flaunted the marmalade." "I see..." says Yayoi. "I wonder who it was, then." Miina looks through the English book she borrowed. Various words are circled and underlined, and notes are written in the margins. "Look at all the writing!" she thinks. "Did Amari always study like this?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The school bell rings. Two girls stand by the door. "Miina, Yayoi-chan, let's go to practice!" "Practice?" mutters Miina. "Too much trouble." "Miina!! You got a present from a boy!? All right! Who was it, who was it!?" "I don't know who left it," she says, "so I don't know whether or not it's a boy." "It's a boy, for sure." "Look, it's marmalade from that Crescent by the ward office!" "No way! That cake shop that looks so expensive!?" "Hey, speaking of which," says one girl, "Tsukamoto-senpai said he just started a part-time job at that cake shop." Tsukamoto approaches them. "You girls!" he says. "Hurry and get to the court! Jeez, girls are so irresponsible. Especially you, Moriyama Miina. Always leaving your racket in the room, and never practicing at all." The two girls giggle. "That present! It must be Tsukamoto-senpai!" "Yep, yep!" They gather around Miina. "Seenpaai!" they say. "Today is Miina's birthday!" "Oh, is that why she's carrying a teddy bear?" he says. He flicks his finger across her forehead with a smile. "Like a little brat." Miina turns and runs from the room. "Hey! Miina ran away!" says one of the girls. "Hmph!" thinks Miina. "Toying with people..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miina walks around outside the school. "I wonder if it was senpai who gave me the marmalade for a present," she thinks. "Since Amari is heartless and didn't remember... But I guess somehow it's a nice birthday." She sees two boys talking. "Amari? He's not here yet. Isn't he in the library? He said he had homework to do for cram school." Miina goes to the library. She sees him sitting at a table, studying. She walks up to him, holding the teddy bear behind her. "What's this..." she says. "Do you study with that kind of vigor?" She sits down across from him. "It's useless for me, Amari... I never had the willpower." "Be quiet," he says. He grabs the stuffed bear. "You'll never know unless you try," he says. "What is this, a bear?" "Did you know today is my birthday?" He looks at her. She sticks out her hand. "What's your hand out for?" he says. "How mean! Don't you have a present? Then, walk me home today." "Why do I have to walk you home?" he says. Miina grimaces. "Talking to me like that...!" "Amari's being henpecked by Moriyama, as normal!" calls out a boy. "Shut up!" says Miina. "This has nothing to do with you, jerk!" "You're so ugly!" says the boy. "Are you really a girl?" "How dare you!" "Amari," he says. "Practice." "Amari!" says Miina. "Walk me home!" "Come on, behave yourself," says Amari. "Stop following me around. They're all laughing at what a fuss you're making." She looks at him. "Following him..." she thinks. "If it's that bad, you won't have to tell me twice," she says. "Why don't you just go off to practice." "I wasn't following him around..." she thinks. "I'm going," says Amari. "The tournament is soon, and you ninth graders are nuisances." "Amari, that pig..." she thinks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Miina, this will be an easy win for sure!" The girl walks with her toward the tennis courts. "With you on the girls' team, and Tsukamoto-senpai on the boys' team, our school might win it all!" Miina looks away. "What's wrong? You don't look well." "Miina!" calls Yayoi, running toward them. "Yayoi! How are the boys doing?" "About that," says Yayoi. "It's gotten to be quite a close match! Amari-kun was chosen to play, Miina." "What?" "He's amazing! He was winning over an eleventh grader. That guy is tough!" "I'm going to take a look!" says Miina. She runs to the court. Amari is talking to a girl there. "What!?" says Miina. "Taking it upon himself to bring a girl on the court who's not part of the team!" She sees Amari wink at the girl, who smiles. "What's so tough about that jerk..." thinks Miina. "It got so he was following me around..." "Did you see the match?" Tsukamoto approaches her. "Amari's become the best within this past year," he says. "Unlike you, Miina, he came out to practice as hard as he could every day. He's so enthusiastic, even though he didn't stand out in junior high. That Amari... He's even got himself a girlfriend. There's somebody he likes, right?" "What..." says Miina. "No way, I can't believe it." "Amari has somebody like that?" she thinks. "I didn't know that..." "So Miina," says Tsukamoto. "I hear you received some marmalade? It's from the place where I work, isn't it. I know who the owner of that marmalade is." "What!? It wasn't you, was it!?" "Tsukamoto!" a voice calls. "Okay, I'm coming," he says. Miina watches as he leaves. A boy with dark hair and glasses sits in the bleachers. "Hmph!" he says. "Annoying people. This makes me sick. Why did they put Amari in the game? That jerk." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amari stops as he sees Miina. "What are you doing standing here?" he says. "Nothing..." she says. "I know who the owner of that marmalade is." "She put on quite a show," she says. "That cheerleader of yours." Amari smiles at her. "Heheh," he says. "I'd like it if you cheered for me during the game." "No way I'm going!" says Miina. "What," she thinks. "Despite me following him around, I'm supposed to cheer for him?" "Ugly thing!" says Amari. "You come cheer for me!" "Why does he change so quickly saying that...?" thinks Miina. The boy with glasses bumps into her as he walks by. "Watch it..." she says. "Move it," the boy says to Amari. "You're in the way." "Oh, excuse--" "Is that that eleventh grader?" thinks Miina. "Don't you have better things to do with your time than flirt with girls in a place like this," says the boy. "What an attitude you've got." "Where do you get off saying that after knocking into people!" says Miina. "You're the one who's got an attitude because you're in eleventh grade!" The boy grabs her wrist, and she cries out. "What is with you!? This is no business of yours, little girl! We've got a bone to pick with Amari." Amari jumps in front of Miina as the boy swings at her. "What are you doing!" the boy says. "Protecting a girl, how about that. I hope you're happy!" The boy leaves. Miina sees blood on Amari's wrist. "He protected me...?" she thinks. Amari runs away. "Hey! Amari!" she calls. "Somehow..." she thinks. "That wasn't the normal Amari... He looked scared..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next day, Miina sees Amari jogging toward her. He runs past her. "Is your hand all right from yesterday?" she says. He stops. "I'm sorry," she says. "Why are you apologizing?" he says. "Because... It was my fault!" "It wasn't your fault!" They stare at each other. "Anything else?" he says. "Why is it always like this with us?" thinks Miina. "Umm... That marmalade..." she says. "That can't be why," he says. "Haha..." "Amari," she says. "Is there... someone you like?" "Why do you ask?" "Can't I ask!?" she says. "What about you?" "What..." she thinks. They look at each other. "It seems..." says Amari. "Our fights with each other are famous. Since I practice in the morning, it's fine if you don't come to matches to cheer for me." Her hand clenches. Amari continues jogging away. "What the..." thinks Miina. "Amari... He can run so fast." Tears form in her eyes. "You have one too, Miina," said Yayoi. "A prince who remembers your birthday and gives you presents..." "I don't need a prince," she thinks. "If Amari was by my side, that would be enough. I love him." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miina stands in her room, looking at the jar of marmalade. "Don't leave me... Being left by Amari, I'm so lonely, like a hole has torn open inside me." She takes the wrapping off the jar. "What..." A wristband sits on the jar's lid. She puts it on. "This wristband?" "I want to put that wristband on with the headband!" says Miina. "I want to have it!" "I just bought this!" says Amari. "I'll give it to you for your birthday next year. After I've used it!" She tastes the marmalade. "It's sour! What is this, it's not sweet at all. Lemon marmalade?" She feels the wristband. "Sour... Amari... It was him, wasn't it? He remembered my birthday..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miina walks toward the tennis court. "I guess I'm coming after all," she thinks. "Why does Amari's court have so many girls gathered at it anyway..." "Miina!" calls Yayoi. "You're late! Great, I thought you might not come." She runs, pulling Miina behind her. "Ya- Yayoi-chaaaan!" "Hurry, hurry, it's starting!" Amari stands on the court. "Yayoi-chan, it's all right!" says Miina. "I don't need to be so close!" "No!" says Yayoi. "We won't be able to see if we're not in front! See, look at what Amari-kun has in his hand!" "What!?" says Miina. "That's your racket he's using, Miina," she says. Amari prepares to serve the ball, with a band on his wrist. "The same wristband..." thinks Miina. "Isn't that exciting?" says Yayoi. "The person you love playing in a match using your own racket. If it was me, I'm sure I'd be moved to tears." Miina's eyes water. "This is... kind of embarrassing..." she says. "Amari..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amari buys something from the vending machine. He turns and sees Miina standing behind him. "The marmalade was sour," she says. "Well, I liked it," he says. "You lost, Amari," says Miina. "It's because of the racket..." "You know," she says. "That was cool, you being in first place until now." "Maybe because the racket was good?" "Why do you change so quickly saying that!" she says. "To torment you," he says. He brushes the ribbon in her hair. "Are you going somewhere now?" he says. "You're all dressed up." She laughs and smiles. "I just came to cheer for the one I love." The end. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naoko's note for "July Marmalade Birthday". Original manga copyright © 1989 Takeuchi Naoko. English translation copyright © 1999 Alex Glover. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Manga of Takeuchi Naoko | Miss Rain