original story by: Watase Yuu
English translation by: Tetris no Miko

from Shocomi magazine, issue #17…

=page 1=
Erika: …Kouki-san…please come home….
Tanpopo: a ring…on her ring finger…. *dokun, dokun*. …who is she…? She couldn’t be….she couldn’t be…

=page 2=

Tanpopo: *dokundokundokun* Um…you couldn’t’ be…Kugyou-kun’s….MOTHER, COULD YOU?!
Saionji/Aoi: WHERE THE HELL’D YOU GET THAT FROM??
Tanpopo: Nyooooo, I was just trying to lighten up such a serious scene!!
Saionji: I shall ask you in her place. What is Kouki-san to you?!
Erika: I…I am his…
*click*
Kouki: Yamazaki and the others are here, you say?!

=page 3=

[Kouki comes in out of breath…and very cute ^v^]
Aoi/Tanpopo: ah!
servant: Master Kouki! Welcome home!
Erika: *gasp*
Tanpopo: Ku…
Erika: Kouki-san!!

=page 4=

[Erika runs into Kouki’s arms]
Saionji: AAAAH!
Erika: ….where were you?! I was…I was so worried about you…!! *squeeze*
Kouki: …Erika…

=page 5=

[Kouki puts his hands on her shoulders]
Erika: I thought you had gone off and left me…
Kouki: No way! I would never do something like that!
Tanpopo: *dokin* what a gentle smile…
Kouki: Your fever’s rising again, right?…go back to your room. After I deal with my visitors, I’ll come see you.
Erika: *nod*
Tanpopo: The only time I’ve seen him smile like that was when he looks at flowers…

=page 6=

Erika: [leaving the room] *bow*
*slam*
Aoi: I get it, Kugyou! What a good gardener you are! THE TRUTH IS, THAT GIRL IS A PROJECT OF YOURS, RIGHT!! COULD YOU PLEASE TELL THE AUDIENCE HOW YOU USED YOUR TROWEL TO SEDUCE HER!!
Saionji: Silence, Kireta!!
Kouki: …By the way, why’re you guys here?
Saionji: You don’t know why?!
Tanpopo: …we were worried about you!

=page 7=

Tanpopo: this was the first time you’ve ever been absent, so we were really worried about you…
Kouki: Yama…
Tanpopo: And, uh, was it really…because of your brother?

=page 8=

Kouki: Yamazaki! Sorry but could you just drop it?
Aoi: Hey, hey, Kugyouuuuu, Yamazaki realllllllllly cares about you! and sorry, but I’ve already heard about your brother myself.
Saionji: Actually, I have, too…only little rumors, though.
Tanpopo: Nyo, nyo, so you both knewww?!

=page 9=

Kouki: …Okay, I’ll talk…but let’s change the scene first…
*BOOM!*
[they’re in a huuuuuuuuuge greenhouse ^_^]
Aoi: DAMN, this place is huuuuge! [my thoughts exactly ^_^] a greenhouse?
Kouki: It’s my "secret garden" of sorts. This house is my parents’ "vacation home", so they’ll never find it anyway.
Tanpopo: don’t tell me there’s ANOTHER house..

=page 10=

Tanpopo: …are those flowers? They sure look weird.
Kouki: Those are Sarasenia! In flower-language, it means "slightly strange person"
Saionji: What about those flowers?
Kouki: Trikabt! In flower language it means "hate". And these herikonia’s almost died last winter. In flower language, it means "unique personality".
Aoi: Okay, we get it, already, stop buying time!
Tanpopo: *glance* flowers…huh…when should I give him the dandelion?…
Kouki: …So what exactly did you hear about my brother? Saionji.

=page 11=

Saionji: "The first born son of the Kugyou family has become a foreign exchange student, but what really happened was that he ran away from home and is now missing" or something like that…
flashback: Did you find your brother yet?
Kouki: *humph* that’s pretty accurate…that what you heard, too, Kyougoku?
Aoi: No, my rumor went more like "The first born son of the Kugyou family has moved to Morocco to have a sex change operation"…
Kouki: That’s bullshit!!

=page 12=

Kouki: [looks away and then looks back again] Probably bullshit!!
Tanpopo: What do you mean "probably"!!
Kouki: …I just don’t know for sure. He just left 2 years ago…I don’t know where he went or what he’s doing….he didn’t leave a note behind…or anything. I got a report in this morning…that someone saw my brother…
Tanpopo: AND?!

=page 13=

[Kouki shakes his head]
Tanpopo: Oh…but I’m sure you’ll find him!
Kouki: …yeah, I’ll find him, all right….I’ll find him, and then I’ll fucking KILL him. He shoved all his responsibility onto me and ran off!

=page 14=

Kouki: After a year passed and he didn’t come back, dad made me the heir in his place. His company….his fame, everything of "Kugyou"! My brother messed up my life by his own selfishness!! ….and yes…! even Erika…
Tanpopo: [remembering when Erika had hugged Kouki] *dokin* That reminds me…
Saionji: [smashing Tanpopo] YES!! JUST EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF RELATOINSHIP DO YOU TWO HAVE?!

=page 15=

Kouki: …..she’s my…
[Kouki glances at Tanpopo, who’s staring at him and blushing]

=page 16=

Kouki: My…fiancee.

=page 17=

Kouki: …after I graduate from college…we’re gonna get married. [he stands up glumly and slips by Tanpopo]
Aoi: Hmmm…so she’s also a hand-me-down?
Kouki: Yanahara Erika’s family also has a lot of power and…
Saionji: ISN’T THAT AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE?! HOW CRUELLLL!
Aoi: look who’s talking, Saionji.
Kouki: ….but I’ve got no choice, have i.
servant: Kouki-san!

=page 18=

servant: Erika-san wants to see you!
Aoi: …I can’t believe they’ve still got arranged marriages in this day and age! Must suck to be rich, huhhhhh.
Saionji: …I’m shocked…I can’t believe there is a woman who got to him ahead of me…
Aoi: Hey, Tanpopo, don’t you get upset, too!!
Tanpopo: ….oh….No, that’s not it…I’m just surprised! I heard so much I didn’t know before…

=page 19=

Tanpopo: Well, see you guys tomorrow! Yeah….I was just surprised… *rattlerattle* [Tanpopo’s riding home on her bike]
flashback-Kouki (what he was just saying but wasn’t written out earlier): "Erika…has been having emotional problems ever since Aniki left and has gotten frail…"

=page 20=

flashback-Kouki: "they were friends ever since they were kids, and she had her heart set on being his bride…after she learned she was going to marry me instead….she finally settled down. so if I run away, too….she might never be well again. If I…"

=page 21=

flashback Kouki: "if I’m not with her, she can’t live."
*SCREECH*
[Tanpopo stops her bike by a fence.]

=page 22=

flashback-Kouki: "I’ll let you keep it."
[Tanpopo takes the dandelion out of the scarf]
Tanpopo; …I’m so stupid. I went through all the trouble to bring him this dandelion….but I chickened out…

=page 23=

[Tanpopo blows the seeds off the dandelion]

=page 24=

[Tanpopo stares at the seeds as they fly off]

=page 25=

[back home…]
Poplar: Kon!
Tanpopo: I’m hooooome! Poplar! Sorry I’m so late! *clunk* [she sets the dandelion down]
*rrrrrr*
Tanpopo: Okay, I’m coming… [she answers the phone]
Kouki: …Yamazaki?

=page 26=

Tanpopo: Kugyou-kun
Kouki: …I’ve been trying to reach you all night…you’re sure home late.
Tanpopo: …Oh! I was at 7-11….what is it?
Kouki: well…I’m sorry about what happened today.
Tanpopo: What?
Kouki: you came over but I didn’t see you home.
Tanpopo: Oh! Is that all it was?
Kouki: and on top of that…you had to listen to a bunch of serious things…

=page 27=

Tanpopo: Don’t worry about it! we’re friends, aren’t we!
Kouki: [surprised and then slightly disappointed] …Yeah, that’s right…in that case…then I’ll see ya at school. Thanks for what you did today.

=page 28=

[Kouki hangs up]
Tanpopo: …Ah [she’s crying]

=page 29-=

Tanpopo: Nyo…? *drip, drip, drip, drip* Now how did that…what…?
flashback-Kouki: "She’s my fiancee"
Tanpopo: I can’t…stop crying….

[close up on the petal-less dandelion with Tanpopo crying in the background.]