(part 2 from Shocomi #9)
//page 2//
//flashback//
Tanpopo: "I'll become friends with you!"
//page 3//
[tanpopo is brushing her teeth]
Tanpopo: hizh hat hai hed, hut...("is what i said, but...")
//brush, brush, brush//
tanpopo: well, what should i do...
[tanpopo pours some water on the dandilion she rescued yesterday that she is growing in a pot ^_^] tanpopo: come on, danlilion! come back to life!
dandilion: //willllt...//
//page 4//
tanpopo: even so...
[flashbacks of Kouki in the two different situations]
"They are precious friends who can teach you anything."
"Friends don't exist."
tanpopo: I wonder if that was really the same person?
//snap// [tanpopo finishes putting her uniform on.]
tanpopo: Nyooooooo!!! i'm late!! Poplar, i'm leaving you in charge!
Poplar: Kon!
//page 5//
//shaaaaa// [bicycle noises as tanpopo rides to school]
tanpopo: i don't know who that is, but it looks like a pretty rich asshole!
[she rides by and notices Kouki in the backseat of the rich car]
tanpopo: Kugyou Kouki!! Hi...
kouki: step on it.
//page 6//
[the car whizes way ahead of tanpopo]
tanpopo: Heyyyy!! hey, at least say good morning!
//shakashakahsakashakashaka// [bicycle sounds as tanpopo speeds to catch up with him.]
//page 7//
tanpopo: [covered in sweat] hel..LOW?! [they speed away]
[they make it to school. kouki casually steps out of the car as tanpopo collapses onto the ground.]
driver: have a nice day, kouki-sama.
tanpopo: owww... hey!...
//whoosh// [kouki ignors her]
kids: you look happy today, yamazaki tanpopo! or rather, "weed"!!
kids: you think you're so cool messing up our entrance ceremony yetserday.
//page 8//
tanpopo: KUGYOU-KUN! HIIIIII!!
kid: hey, listen to me!! don't you get it? there's no way you can become kugyou-san's friend!
tanpopo: huh?! why?!
kid: what's your family line? are they of royal blood?
tanpopo: ...i wonder if we even have a family line...
kid: then your property? do your parents hold any power?
tanpopo: ...i think they mentioned something about it being hard getting my tuition payed off!
kid: then your IQ? are you gifted?
tanpopo: i guess you could say i'm in the middle...after all, i WAS accepted here only to fill a vacancy...
kid: i rest my case!!
kids: a commoner!!
//page 9//
kid: which means, you fail!!
tanpopo: ...what, was that a test or something?
kids: you, who got into here by mistake, think that you can become friends with the man next in line to the kugyou estate?
kids: don't forget your place, "weed"!
tanpopo: ...so, that means that you guys are kugyou-kun's friends?
kids: Yeah...so you'd better kiss up to him, too!
tanpopo: hmph, ...is that really what a friend is?
//page 10//
tanpopo: well, i won't let that bother me! we're in the same class; i have a chance.
[tanpopo walks into the classroom cheerfully]
tanpopo: Ohhaaa! [i kept this in japanese because it's just toooo cute ^_^ cuter girls, and children, will say "o hhaaa" in place of "ohayo". you have to say the "o" part really short, leave a pause, and then say "ha", stressing the "a" part of the "ha". i often use this greeting ^_^ when i don't use "o ssu", that is...]
//whisper, whisper, whisper//
//page 11//
tanpopo: nyo? where's my desk?! [obviously, her desk is missing ^_^]
//whisper, whisper, whisper//
teacher: good morning!
[tanpopo frantically looks for her desk]
//page 12//
tanpopo: where are you, desk?? [looking in the garbage can]
teacher: hey, yamazaki!! can't you find your own desk?!
[tanpopo finds it outside the classroom]
kids: //whisper, whisper// ...it's okay for weeds to stay outside.
kids: yeah, no matter how much you step on them, they continue to live.
kids: //giggle giggle// i guess you could say they're raised differently.
teacher: yamazaki! get it at once!
//page 13//
tanpopo: [happilly] okaaay!
[tanpopo cheerilly goes out and gets her desk]
kids: ...what IS she??
//rattle, rattle//
kids: she's SMILING?
kids: i knew she was weird...
//clunk//
[tanpopo puts her desk right up next to kouki's]
tanpopo: hi, kugyou-kun!
teacher: not there!!
//page 14//
teacher: go where you belong!!
tanpopo: okaaaaay...damn
[a girl trips tanpopo]
Saionji: ah!
kid: are you okay, Saionji-san?!
saionji: uh...yes...
kid: watch your step, weed!
tanpopo: sorry, Saiyuuki-san!! [i believe some of you know about Saiyuuki, a popular manga series ^_^ i have yet to read it, though...ahhh! don't kill me, Rence!!]
saionji: that's saiONJI.
teacher: yamazaki!!
//page 15//
teacher: for that, you get to clean the school courtyard for a week!
tanpopo: nyo?
teacher: i might have let the entrance ceremony slip by, but you seem to keep causing trouble! normally, we have a janitor clean the courtyard, but...
tanpopo: huuuuuh?? the students don't ever have to clean?? all right!! [in japan, students clean the school every day. i think it's a good idea myself ^_^] teacher: LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT!
//whisper, whisper, giggle, giggle//
kid: ...kugyou-san!!
//page 16//
kid: are you going to the diner?
kid: you don't have to bother! we'll buy you something!
kid: yes, that's right. what would you like?
//pita// [kouki stops walking]
kouki: you guys are going through so much trouble...are your parents making you kiss up to me that much?
kids: //doki// [they look very scared]
kouki: ...ah, never mind. tell your parents i said hi.
kids: ah... [a sigh of relief ^_^ ]
kouki: i just...want to go by myself today.
[he walks away.]
//page 17//
kouki: and you, too...didn't you hear? yamazaki tanpopo!
tanpopo: //gulp!//
tanpopo: [showing herself] ehehe...did you catch me?
kouki: are you really stupid? ...stay away from me!!
tanpopo: but i'm your friend.
kouki: WHO IS?
tanpopo: you don't have to hold back...
//page 18//
kouki: who's holding back? and what was that yesterday...about "my first friend"?!
tanpopo: you laugh together, cry together!! you talk about things taht are bothering you, and sometimes you are strict with each other. and you also support each other!! i guess
kouki: ...well, then, that's different from the way i think. standing up for yourself...that's a "friend".
//page 19//
kouki: you can't be my friend...understand?
[he starts to walk away]
tanpopo:....hey, kugyou-kun, do you have a twin brother? a guy who speaks in kansai-ben...
kouki: no!
tanpopo: okay, then do you have a split personallity?
kouki: DO I?!!
tanpopo: but...i guess he is different...
//ding dong, ding dong// [school is out]
//page 20//
students: //zawazawa// [talking noises]
tanpopo: unyoooooo...i have to clean THAT?! [the courtyard is VERY big]
//rattle rattle// [people dump trash on her]
tanpopo: nyo?!
kid: sorry 'bout that, Weed-chan.
//page 21//
kid: we hear your're the chick who messed up yesterday's entrance ceremony.
kid: you're pretty stupid to reach out to THAT kugyou kouki.
tanpopo: huh...i guess the i have a reputation even with the older students...
kid: hey, hurry up and clean it, Weed!
tanpopo: Okay, i WILL!!
//page 22//
tanpopo: [as she cleans] ...what was that all about...dumping trash everywhere...the bully-network is flawless here. but what a cold school...i wonder if everyone is really okay without friends? //pita...// [tanpopo stops walking]
//page 23//
[kouki is kneeling on the ground where the dandilion was torn out]
tanpopo: Kugyou-kun?!
//page 24//
tanpopo: that's where the dandilion was pulled out.
[kouki takes on an apologetic tone]
kouki: ...i'm sorry...
[he suddenly notices tanpopo behind him.]
//page 25//
tanpopo: ah-ha! i KNEW you were the same guy!
kouki: i don't know what you're talki...//clang// [his trowl falls to the ground.]
tanpopo: I knew it was you, Trowl-kun!!
[kouki rushes away with a VERY cute pouting face, stuffing the trowl in his shirt]
watase: who knows where he put it
//page 26//
tanpopo:wait, kugyou-kun! hey, why are you acting like that? you're really a nice guy! hey, you actually like flowers and plants, right? then why did you pull it out?! that dandilion...
kouki: SHUT THE HELL UP!! [his kansai-ben emerges! ^v^]
//page 27//
kouki: WHAT THE HELL COULD YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT ME?! don't just assume you can talk to someone you know nothing about!! that's the kind of person i HATE!!
//page 28//
kouki: all the people around me showing me "friendly faces" are just like that!! even though they know nothing about me, they kiss my ass because i'm a kugyou! if i laguh, they laguh! if i get mad, they get mad!! is that a friend?! ...if that's what one is, i don't need one!!
//page 29//
tanpopo: //smile//...i'm glad!
kouki: huh?
tanpopo: ...you're right, i don't know anything about you...but i want to!
//page 30//
tanpopo: but you were able to talk to me about your true feelings, so it's kind of like your first step! being able to talk about anything is part of being friends.
kouki: //blush//
tanpopo: so...i want you to learn a lot about me, too!!
//page 31//
kouki: DUMBASS!!...i know what YOU'RE all about now!! do as you please. i don't care!! [he walks away]
tanpopo: i've gotta find some way to bring the real kugyou-kun out one more time...
//page 32//
//rustle// [someone is watching her from outside]
tanpopo: oh yeah...okay, i'll try that!! oh no! i still have to clean!!
[the person watching her is saionji-san]
//end of part 2//
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13