Idola the Coward ### I’m using the artist’s own English title, but it may be more properly translated as “The Cowardly Idol”. Idola is Spanish for idol. TL by boke ### TL notes indicated by hash tags like this: ### ### Page numbers indicated by // for example, page one is //1 ### Panel numbers indicated by / for example, panel one is /1 ### Unless otherwise noted, panel and text balloon flow is from upper right to lower left //295 /1 Be in sync with others. Act your age. I thought that was “normal”. That it was “adult”. But, you showed me “my real self”. If I’m with you, I can… //296 /1 Mm…. Yeah, this sure is cute… /2 I’d love to have it… /3 C’mon! Just how old do you think you are? Act your age! sfx: Th-thump /4 A high schooler doesn’t get worked up about stuff like this! Oh, come on, you just gotta… //297 /1 Just when did “this” become inappropriate For me? /2 Yoshigaki-san I put together the alternate plan that got approved in the meeting. Can you check it, please? /3 Already!? You sure are fast. That’s so like you, Motonami-san. /4 Even though you came in midway through the project, you’ve been busting ass. It really helps out. No, this is all I can do, really… Right after your transfer ### handwritten /5 …ah, that is just like you. ### bold or italicize “is” //298 /1 Riri-san, you’re so coool! AmIright? ### there is a play on words going on here. Riri is Motonami-san’s first name, but the adjective Ririshii means “elegent/put together”. So stylish and pretty! When you talk about a woman who has it going on, here she is! That’s right! What’s with calling your senpai by her first name!? So coool ### handwritten /2 Whaaa? It’s fine, right, Riri-san? I don’t mind, but… If it’s my name… ### handwritten So nice! Just Perfect! /3 I want to grow up to be just like Riri-san. I do! Right, Chika-chan-senpai? ### riding that rude-not rude line… Right? Right? ### handwritten Don’t ask me. //299 /1 But look, Time to get back to work? Whaa? Yeah, I’m going too. ### Handwritten /2 Yeah. /3 This is how it is. /4 I’m an adult too, so Have to act like it. /5 Dress like you should. /6 Knock out the work. //300 /1 Got to go on living this life. sfx: Haaaah /2 In an age appropriate way. /3 Cough //301 Geez, this sucks! The smoke is leaking out! sfx: Cough /2 Even as an adult, don’t really like this. sfx: ka-cha /3 Huh? /4 What are documents doing here? Someone forget them? No, no Who would it be? This shouldn’t happen… /5 sfx: Whoa Hah!? No way! This…! This list! This is our project’s… So that means…! //302 /1 Ah! Whew! She’s still here! That’s a relief! /2 Aaaaaah!!! Mah goodness, it’s not here! ### Motonami-san is stressed, and switches back to her kansai accent. I’m faking it by suggesting a US southern accent. Motonami-san sfx: Jolt /3 Ah can’t believe it! /4 Oh my! This is just awful! What ah’m gonna do? sfx: Frantic sfx: Sniffle Wait ‘a moment, Where could it be? Come, on! Remember…! /5 Mo… Motonami-san? /6 This is awful! Ah just transferred in! This is ‘a disaster! Ah’ll just die! //303 /1 It’s like seeing a completely different person… Riri-san when she’s not cool… Or something like that ### handwritten Um, Is this what you are looking for…? /2 Eh!? Ah! Yah! That! sfx: Whoosh /3 Just where did you find that!? Thank goodness!! Ah thought Ah was dun for! It was left in the smoking room… /4 Whaaa!? Just what did ah do!? /5 sfx: slump …haaah Oh my… //304 /1 Thank you… very much… sfx: Gloom Oh, she went back to normal. /2 …um, I’m sure you know this, but, It’s a good thing it was me that found that. You really should be more careful, ok…? Yes, I understand how serious this is… I’m very sorry… And… From a compliance standpoint… ### handwritten /3 You have a Kansai accent! ### Kansai is the area around Kyoto Hah? /4 I haven’t heard you use it since you came here. Aha… I’m trying so hard to suppress it… /5 But it slipped out… //305 /1 It’s embarrassing when it gets pointed out… ### nothing wrong with Kansai accent, it’s just not the “standard” accent you’d hear on the news. sfx: Blush /2 Oh? Cute! In any case, you must have just set that down, right? /3 Yes, if it was in the smoking room… Ok, I’ll pretend this didn’t happen. I’m heading home. What about you, Motonami-san? /4 Thanks for your work today. Ah… Yes, good work. /5 Aww, her Kansai accent was so cute. Seems like she’s reverted… //306 /1 Why doesn’t she just talk that way all the time? /2 That’s ‘cause ah’m just no No NO good! /3 I see… It’s just like yah said, Yoshigaki-san! It’s th’ real me! ### handwritten I get it. I get it. /4 Y’all won’t believe just how bad Ah’m at stuff… Ever since then, we’ve gotten a little closer. Sometimes we grab a drink on the way home. /5 When Ah speak like back home, Mah real self slips out. And then Ah get all sloppy ’n stuff… So Ah try to buckle down. Ahh… I see… ### handwritten //307 /1 But we’re not at work right now, So how about laying off the formal speech? ### she’s talking about politeness level here. After all, we joined at the same time. ### If you join the company at the same time, you are equals. Otherwise, the sempai/kohai dynamic exists. Oh, that’s right! Certainly! It’s been since the entrance ceremony, so my memory has become a little fuzzy. Me too. Haha… /2 But, formal speech! Aha… Mah bad. /3 But… /4 I think that You’re cute when you’re loosened up. It’s not what you’d expect. /5 Really? //308 /1 Ah feel that most people have been disappointed… /2 Ah seem put together on the outside, right? But… ‘cause of that, Ah just got dumped. /3 They got tah know the put together side ‘a me, Then after we dated for ‘a while Ah think they didn’t like me much after all. When Ah transferred, they were all “let’s end this”. /4 I see… I’m going to touch up my makeup. Whaaa? You’re just going home, right? Ah’m impressed! /5 Just my lipstick. Ah //309 /1 That pouch is so cute. Lovely! ### handwritten Eh? Really…? It’s kind of childish. Not the kind of thing a woman of my age should use. /2 So embarrassed ### handwritten Wha? Why? /3 You look good with it. Cute things are cute. So why not? /4 R… //310 /1 Really…? For sure! sfx: clench /3 I didn’t expect her to come out with that. /4 Riri-san is so cool. Like the epitome of what an adult should be. And I’m just a… /5 You look good with it. Cute things are cute. So why not? //311 /2 And… /3 Just when I was feeling moved, I come back and you’re all passed out? /4 What the hell? sfx: Snoore //312 /1 Hey! C’mon! Wake up already, Riri-san! Uuuuhn Time to go home! sfx: Shake Shake /2 Nnya Sorry… sorry. Did Ah fall asleep? I’m gone for just a few minutes and you’re sleeping like a log! Walk, already! Seriously, We’re cutting the last train close! ### handwritten Hookaay! /3 Here! Drink some water! You’re ‘a saint ### handwritten Thank you Nfufu Chika-chan, you’re so nice, huh? Sure, sure. /4 Such ‘a sweet mommy Ah’m gonna get spoiled! Nn… /5 C’mon! Hey, you drunk! Your train line is over there! Don’t you fall asleep! Make sure to get home! Hookaay, mommy! Stop with the mommy stuff! //313 /1 Ok, take care Ho ho ho /2 Chika-chan /3 Eheheh ### handwritten Ah so love you! /4 Geez! Shut it! Go home already! Bye bye /5 sfx: Turn That drunk! Is she going to make it home…? /6 This is no good //314 /1 This is no good! /2 I’m getting carried away. Even if she’s suddenly all like that… It’s different. Even if I fall in love, /3 My love is… No good. Wha? Really? //315 /1 Chika, You’re such a good girl! Thank you! Hehe /2 Chika, you should just date me! /3 …yeah /4 I want to date you I love you, Saya-chan. /5 Uum… Just what do you mean by that? /6 I… //316 /1 I mean that if I was a guy, I wouldn’t be able to leave you alone! If I was a guy, ok? Sorry to get you all confused. What the? Don’t surprise me like that. /2 It wasn’t like that. /3 My “love” won’t be accepted. /4 You’re not a newbie. You must have been slacking off to make this mistake. /5 I’m sorry… //317 /1 Sigh /2 And look All this cute stuff is fine and all But make sure to focus on work, ok? Follow Motonami’s example, ok? You’re not a kid anymore. You’re an adult. /4 Bucho! That has nothing to do with… ### bucho = department chief My apologies. /5 It was completely my fault. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen in the future. /6 That was going too far, right? /7 sfx: Pissed That had nothing to do with it! sfx: Shake Hmph! ### small sfx I know saying it now won’t help They can hear you ### handwritten Thanks, Nishina, but I’m ok. //319 /1 Ouch. That hit me where it hurts. Be-ba-deep /2 Riri-san Do you want to go out to eat /3 Um, hey, Is it ok that you only go out to eat with me? /4 What’s all this now? You sick ‘a me? ### handwritten sfx: Fretting Fretting No… look… You seem like you’d be popular, Riri-san. Seems like you’d get lots of invites… Yes, but… Going out drinking with you is more fun, Chika-chan. /5 Ugh But you invited me out intending to comfort me, right? Are you a saint, Riri-san? You’re too nice, I’m shedding some tears! You perfect!? /6 Thanks for trying to cover for me today. I wanted to throw it back in his face, but chickened out. //319 /1 I’m different from you, Riri-san So different… /2 Well, y’see… Ah’m not all that interested in being invited out. Eh? Ah'm talking about guys! /3 You still have a thing for your ex-boyfriend? Oh, back to that topic ### handwritten Nnn… That’s over and done with, but… How do Ah put it… /4 Ah was dating ‘a girl. Sorry tah spring this on ya But Ah thought if it was you, it’d be ok //320 /1 How did… How you start dating? Mm… She was someone who ended up getting close to me, so I confessed… /2 Riri-san, you’re amazing! That takes so much courage! That takes even… Even more courage than normal! /3 Ah guess so… Right now Ah’m taken with you, so maybe I put my guard down. But I also… /4 Even if were to I fall in love She’s someone who could accept it, maybe… You also…? /5 But //321 /1 Really? /2 Even if Riri-san is ok with girls Accepting me? Accepting the things I love? There’s no way. Ah No, that’s… /3 I’m caught up in my own hobbies And that makes me… uneasy. Hobbies? /4 I’ve always loved cute things since I was a girl. But those things are only for little girls. /5 Whoa, That’s embarrassing! //322 /1 That lady is a bit old for that, right? /2 Just how old is too old I wonder? ### thought balloon Even if I liked it /3 Even if it was something that was ok before. I think I’m afraid of getting made fun of… I can’t just love it? Someday I want to be able to do what I want /4 Or that people won’t accept it… ### in balloon I can’t tell anyone about what I love /5 And now I made the mood all weird. //323 /1 Hey, look… Ah’m sorry, ok? Eh…? /2 Sorry to dump something weird on you. Must be gross to hear, huh? /3 Why are you making that kind of face? /4 Please, just forget it… /5 Why? //324 /1 No! I love you Riri-san! /3 Chika-chan? It’s not just because you’re into women. //325 /1 I thought I shouldn’t love you. I thought it might be no good. Thought all sorts of things. /2 It got all messed up… I got scared. /3 But You were the one who should’ve been scared. But even so, you shared that with me. You shared… //326 /1 So let me share this with you, please. Seeing all sides of you - The Riri-san who is so cool at work. /2 The Riri-san who wants to be spoiled after drinking. And the Riri-san who has to cover up mistakes. /3 It made me think that I really love you. //327 /1 I love you, Riri-san. //328 /1 Aargh Chika-chan-senpai, help please! I’m not gonna finish this! If you have the will to finish, you’ll finish. That’s not helping! Waaah! /2 Ah Riri-san Help me, please! Hey! Don’t just go leaning on others! /3 So how far have you come with this? Yay! I knew you’d help, Riri-san //329 /1 If you try, you can do it! Give it your all! sfx: Pump /2 All you are doing is listening…? Aaaah /3 Spare the rod, spoil the child, right, Yokogaki-san? That’s right. Nishina, if you try, you’ll knock it out. Somehow… /4 You two sure seem to have gotten close. Or more like each other? ### Chika is wearing the hair clip she walked away from at the beginning of the story. sfx: Stare sfx: Erk R-really? /5 Hey, Riri-san, I think Chika-chan-sempai has gotten cuter recently. Do you know anything about that? sfx: Roll Roll I’m guessing she found some sweetheart. Hey! Just wait a…! /6 Hmmm? //330 /1 That’s a secret. Right? sfx: Whump