Penguin Brothers Shiina Ayumi Until we met you, we were birds who could not fly… <> Hina : Kyou-chan! Kyou-chan! Hey, you good-for-nothing! You didn’t come home until morning again, did you? <> Hina : Is this any way to start life in a new city? It’s already past noon! You’re already 30, so do you think you could settle down a little? Kyouichi : I’m still only 29. Hina : I’m going to school, so take care of things here. Kyouichi : I thought you weren’t starting school till tomorrow. Hina : They called me in because they had various things to explain to me. Kyouichi : Hina! <> Kyouichi : This time, don’t cause any problems! Hina : Since this is the 8th time I’ve changed schools, I get used to the new environment quickly, and not much surprises me. But this school seemed to be in a class by itself… Wow… <> Hina : It’s huge! This is my new school, the largest private school in the prefecture, Tokiwa Secondary Academy. <> Hina : Huh? Hirayama : I’ve heard a lot about your ‘heroic exploits,’ Mishima Hina. <> Hirayama : So you’ve changed schools eight times…is that because you’ve been kicked out for causing trouble? Hina : Not at all! The uncle I live with has wanderlust, and I just go along with him. Hirayama : I’ve heard about him; he’s that famous young artist, isn’t he? The principal seems to be a big fan. Our school doesn’t accept transfers normally, but he made an exception for you. Hina : Is that the reason I got into this school? Hirayama : Well, since you passed the tests, it’s all right. Hina : But this really is an amazing school. It’s so big and modern. I don’t think you can explain it all to me in a day! <> Hina : Oh, sensei! I heard that this wasn’t a school with uniforms, so I don’t have a uniform…what should I do? Hirayama : Actually, there aren’t uniforms. Hina : But then why’s everybody…? Hirayama : I’ll explain it to you later. First let me show you around the school. Hina : Everybody’s wearing either a white blazer or a black uniform…and they’ve been staring at me strangely… Ah! <> Hina : Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention! Isshiki : It’s all right, don’t get upset. Hina : Here, this is all of them. <> Isshiki : Hina… <> Hina : How do you know my name? Kousuke : Is something wrong, Isshiki? Hey, you! <> Kousuke : You must be the new “Gray.” What’s your name? What grade and what class are you in? Hina : Huh? “Gray”? If you mean “Glay,” I like Jiro! [Glay is a Japanese pop group…] Kousuke : No, not Glay… Hina : I’m the new transfer student, Mishima Hina. I’ll be in 10th grade, class 3. Kousuke : So it’s you! <> Kousuke : We’re on the student council, and we’ve heard a lot of gossip about you lately. I’m the vice president, he’s the president. You must be an excellent student for the school to let you transfer here. Hina : No, not really! Kousuke : That’s the kind of student we want in our group, right, Isshiki? Isshiki? Hirayama : Hey, Mishima! Hina : I’m coming! The student council president was looking at me strangely… does he know my name because of the gossip about me? <> Kousuke : What’s wrong with you? Hirayama : Here’s the auditorium… Hina : Wow… Hirayama : Here’s the gymnasium… Hina : Wow… Hirayama : The lunch room, and the computer lab. --Ew, a ‘Black’ came in. <> --Leave, if you’ve got a problem with it. --Someone stupid like you can understand computers? Don’t make me laugh! --You want some? --Ooh, I’m scared. Hirayama : Stop that! --Don’t sit so near us! --This is the “White” space! --Just because you said so? <> Hina : Sensei, is there something strange about this school? Hirayama : Ah, you’ve noticed. Hina : Anyone would notice… --Hirayama-sensei, do you have a second? Hirayama : Yeah. You have a look at the club activities in the schoolyard for a while. Hina : OK. What’s with everybody having these elementary-school fights? Tetsuta : Don’t move! This is the real thing, put your hands up! <> Hina : What is this, a hold-up? Testuta : Don’t move! Hina : In a school like this? Tetsuta : Ack! <> Hina : You want another kick? Tetsuta : That was great! Do you do Budou? Mishima…how do you read this? Youna-chan? Akina-chan? <> Hina : It’s “Hina,” now give that back! Tetsuta : Hina! All right! Your nickname will be Piyoko! Hina : Don’t give me such a weird nickname! What is this guy, nuts? Are you a student here? Tetsuta : What? You don’t know me, the nicest guy in the school? Hina : I’m a transfer student, and you’re the first person I’ve seen here wearing normal clothes. Tetsuta : A transfer student! I see! <> Tetsuta : I didn’t think that any more people would decide to become “Gray.” Hina : If you mean “Glay,” I like Jiro. Tetsuta : No, not Glay… Hina : Somebody told me that before, but what does it mean? Tetsuta : OK, I’ll explain it to you! In this school, people like me who wear normal clothes are called “Gray.” <> Tetsuta : You’ve probably seen the two kinds of uniforms. The people wearing white ones are called “White,” and the people wearing black ones are called “Black.” You choose one when you come into the school. “Whites” think of themselves as being really elite, and “Blacks” are the worse students. The two groups fight meaningless fights with each other day and night. And then there are people like me, who don’t want to belong to either group or get mixed up in their fights, so we don’t wear uniforms. Hina : And that’s “Gray”? <> Hina : Why to you separate yourselves when you go to the same school, even going so far as to have uniforms? Tetsuta : Nobody knows the reason, it’s just the custom of this school. Hina : Why don’t you see any Grays around here? Wouldn’t you think there’d be more? Tetsuta : You’ll find out the reason soon, but you might not like it. I’m Koshiba Tetsuta. Let’s be friends! <> Tetsuta : It’s nice to meet you! Hina : What do you think you’re doing!? <> Tetsuta : Owww… Hina : What a jerk! Are all the people in this city like this? I’ll just think of it as a dog bite and forget it! Huh? Where’s my handkerchief? <> Hina : Oh…thanks. He really has a pretty face…he looks so refined, he must be really popular…not the kind of guy you find in the country, although the same could be said about that pervert from before. Thanks, I’ll wash this and give it back to you. You’re Isshiki-kun, right? What class are you in? <> Isshiki : I’m Isshiki Shoui. Hina : Right, what class? Isshiki : Isshiki Shoui. Hina : Huh? Isshiki : Isshiki Shoui! Hina : I know your name already! Isshiki : Don’t screw with me! <> Hina : What? Did he just say what I think he just said? Isshiki : Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. I haven’t forgotten it, not even for a day. You’d better remember by tomorrow, you idiot! Hina : Idiot? <> Hina : Now I’m getting called an idiot by someone I’ve never seen before in my life! This school is full of weirdos! Do I know him? No, I don’t remember anyone named Isshiki at all. The way he looks on the outside sure is different from who he is on the inside. Tetsuta : What were you and Isshiki-kun talking about? <> Tetsuta : What was that for? Hina : Don’t get within a 5-metre radius of me! Tetsuta : You shouldn’t be so upset. Unless it was your first kiss or something… Look at this. I just discovered something cool. If you write our names together… If you take the last kanji in “Tetsuta” and the first in “Hina,” they make the word for “sun.” That means we’re a sunny combination! Hina : Don’t decide something like that by yourself! <> Tetsuta : I might strike you as a little wild, but I think we’d really make a good couple. Hina : Why? Tetsuta : You smell the same as me. Tetsuta : She really is an airhead! <> Tetsuta : Well, I’ve got one piece of advice for you! Hina : It’s none of your business. Tetsuta : Don’t get involved with Isshiki Shoui. Hina : Why not? Tetsuta : The Whites and the Blacks each have a leader, and the other students listen to every word they say. He’s the leader of the Whites. --Aaaaaahhhh! <> Hina : What’s that? Another fight? --Forgive me! I’ll never do it again! Someone, help! Hina : You’ve got to stop him! Tetsuta : What can I do? Hina : You may be little, but you’re still a man, aren’t you? Tetsuta : Don’t call me little! This kind of stuff happens every day, it’s best just to leave them alone. Hina : What!? Tetsuta : It’s all right, he’s not going to die…hey! <> Hina : Stop it! If you beat him with that, he’ll die! Nishizaki : Who the hell are you? <> Nishizaki : Stay out of this, it’s none of your business! --Help! <> Hina : You! Tetsuta : Yeow! Hina : Are you OK? Nishizaki : Who’s this monkey, Koshiba? Hina : Monkey!? Nishizaki : A new Gray? Tetsuta : She’s a transfer student, Nishizaki-kun. I like her, so you better not touch her. <> Nishizaki : I pity you for coming to this school. I’ll tell you the rules since you seem not to know, transfer student. When you belong to either group, you follow the leader absolutely. Don’t stand out, don’t talk back, don’t go against the flow. That way, we can have a nice, peaceful school life. <> Nishizaki : Next time you get in my way, I won’t let you off so easy. Answer me if you understand. Hina : You idiot! <> Hina : Who decided on these rules anyway? This school’s building is so modern, but all the people inside it are living more than 50 years in the past! You fight meaningless fights daily, and not one person questions it! You’re all just weird! <> Isshiki : Ah, so you’ve said what no one’s been able to think or say. Nishizaki : I don’t feel well, Isshiki. I don’t want to see your face. Isshiki : The feeling’s mutual. <> --It’s the leaders of the Blacks and Whites! --It’s unusual to see them together! Hina : So he’s the leader of the Blacks…he seems really dumb. Hey, Koshiba, to the Grays have a leader? Tetsuta : No, everybody’s pretty much…individualistic. <> Hina : Then I want to be a Gray! I don’t want to be involved in this feud, and I don’t want to follow some leader. Nishizaki : Ha ha ha ha ha! <> Nishizaki : If you don’t listen to people’s warnings, you’ll regret it, transfer student. Hina : I will not! --And so, a new Gray is born. But how long will she last? Let’s bet on how many days it’ll be before she leaves the school.