Melty Black by Tsutsui 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 //401 /1 So glad I checked the weather forecast! sfx: Sshaaaaa /2 And it was so nice through the afternoon! /3 Ah, but did I leave my laundry out? Crap ### handwritten /4 It happened that evening, with the rain pouring down /5 Huh? /6 sfx: Drip Drip /7 Is someone in front of my house? //402 /1 yhc “Smile at the Jackpot” Popular Story on Sale Now!! What was waiting in front of my door was… ### vertical text And Adult And a Child And Love ### vertical text Melty Black Making a re-appearance in the big volume with a Fantastic 52 page one shot! //403 //1 A Junior High Student. Wet down to her shoulders. //404 /1 Um… Uh Can I help you? /2 That’s my home you are in front of, so… /3 Eh? That’s weird… /4 sfx: Drip “204”. Ah, this is 203. You’re right. Sorry. It’s over here. /5 sfx: Squelch /7 Um You’re gonna catch cold. Do you want to come in and dry off? //405 /1 Vwhooooooo /3 Thanks so much, Onee-san! This is a big help! ### Onee-san is “older sister”, but also used to address unrelated young women who are older than you. Since it was clear this morning, I didn’t bring an umbrella. Glad to hear it. /4 Yeah, there was a male college student living next door, as I remember it… Do you belong to the family next door? Lose your key? /5 Mn… Onee-san, Do you live alone? At your age? /5 Well, I live alone, but… Ignoring my question? And I haven’t said anything about my age… sfx: Pissed /6 Office worker? More or less. //406 /1 sfx: Rustle /2 I let her in without thinking. /3 I wonder what’s going on with her. /4 Seems like she has something to do next door… /5 When her clothes and hair are dry, and if she seems ok, I’ll have her go on over. I don’t want any problems by having minors in the house. I mean, I don’t even know the name of this kid. So your name’s Yui-chan. That’s a cute name. ### It’s rude for someone younger to call someone old with the suffix -chan. //407 /1 Ah Don’t just open up my wallet! Where did you get that? ### small Hmm Ikegaki Yui-chan. /2 Employee Ikegaki 1993 Heisei 4 ### Same as 1993 in the Japanese calendar Tokyo 24. Working at X corp. Hot shot, huh? /3 Gimme that! sfx: Nab I didn’t steal anything. Just looked at your company ID. Even so, stop it! /4 Hey, Yui-chan, When did you start living here? February of this year, I guess… /5 “Yui-chan”? /6 Oho? Well then, Got a boyfriend? sfx: smirk ///409 /1 …Don’t have one I knew it! /2 What with that!? Just the vibe you give off. The vibe!? /3 The fact that you're living in an apartment like this at 24. sfx: Uggh /4 This girl… She seems so adult on the outside, but better be careful of her. Is it really ok I let her in my apartment? /5 Well, I made coffee. Do you want some? Or would cocoa or tea be better? I’ll have some! Coffee is great! /6 Milk? Sugar? Don’t need any. /7 Ah, I’m Konatsu. Maekawa Konatsu. It’s Konatsu with “Little” [小] and “Summer” [夏]. Konatsu [小夏]. //409 /1 The guy living in 204, Kikuchi-kun I’m his girlfriend. /2 Wha sfx: Boom So it’s great that his neighbor is so nice. Saved me from getting a cold. /3 Kikuchi-kun is a part time cram school instructor, so he gets home late. I… I see. Umm… In the first place, a college student with a high school girl is a crime I think…? ### background But, it’s not good for female high school student to be out late at night… A female high school student is a college boy’s place? Who lives alone…? Uh, I’m a member of society and I just let a high school kid in my home. But, I was only thinking it would be awful if she caught a cold… ### background But Kikuchi-kun won’t give me a spare key. /4 sfx: Sip Mm! //410 Yui-chan, your coffee is sooo good! sfx: Beam Can I come over again sometime? /2 Uwha? sfx: Chills /3 So So S…s…s…so… //411 /1 Cute!! sfx: Clackita clackita click clack /2 How is it possible for a high school kid to be so cute!? When I was that age, there were no kids that cute around anywhere! Is that college kid next door gonna monopolize that cutie? I can’t let that happen! sfx: Glitter Shine “Can I come over again sometime?” “Yui-chan” “Yui-chan…” “Yui-chan…” (etc.) Ugh sfx: Stab /3 If she were to come over sometimes… sfx: Hmmph /4 To be honest, I was a little scared at first… sfx: Click /5 But now Yeah, it’s healing. sfx: Floof /6 It’s like I picked up a puppy abandoned in the rain //412 /1 Loooove College Student But she’s going out with college student… /2 She’s feeling down. Depressed! Her saying “I’ll come again” might be just because it’s convenient. I got a little close with her and now I’m getting ahead of myself. /3 Ahh.. I wanna see her. The girl who can heal me /4 I want to see that smiling face again. /5 Hey, Ikegaki-san, boss want to see you. /6 Ah… Right. sfx: Whoosh /7 Ikegaki-san. You caused problems like this before, right? //413 /1 Why didn’t you report this mistake!? At the very least, when you make a mistake, you need to report it to the higher-ups! /2 Stop trying to hide mistakes like you’re some little kid. It’s embarrassing! sfx: Blah Blah Blah Blah /3 Even before being a company employee, you’re an adult, right? Right! I”m very sorry! /4 Adult, huh…? Just when did I hit the age to be called an adult? /5 Just where is the line between kid and adult? Ah /6 Yui-chan Heya //414 /1 sfx: sniff /2 Ko-Konatsu-chan! sfx: waaah Whoa, what’s up? /3 Is it ok? Won’t your boyfriend get mad? Mmm, It’s fine. /4 It’s his fault that he gets home late. Hmmm /5 I made coffee again. Want some? sfx: Perk You bet! /6 Thank you…! sfx: Tap //415 /1 sfx: Grab Ah /2 Yui-chan, isn’t your hand cold? sfx: squeeze E-eh? Ah, I guess so… /3 Isn’t it just that you have warm hands? I mean, you're in high school. Still a kid. Thaaat surprised me! ### in grey bubble sfx: Th-thump th-thump th-thump /4 Ah, yeah sfx: Whish But, um Konatsu, your coffee? Do you want milk or sugar? /5 Mmm No thanks. /6 sip //416 /1 So you take it black, Konatsu-chan? So adult. Mmm. /2 I can’t take the bitter… I put in both milk and sugar. sfx: Tahahah Wha? So funny! ### handwritten in bubble Like a kid. /3 …I do think that it’s bitter, but I want to hurry and grow up. /4 Why’s that? Maybe so Kikuchi-ku will treat me like an adult, I guess. Hmm sfx: Waft /5 Kikuchi-kun is your college boyfriend? College students still look like kids to me. Wha!? They’re adults! /6 I want to be a girl who can hold Kikuchi-kun’s attention. No, a woman who can. /7 I want to be a woman who can stand as an equal. //417 /1 Ah, Kikuchi-kun’s going to be home soon! /2 sfx: Beam /3 Thank you, Yui-chan. Thanks for the coffee. /4 Sure, sure. Feel free to come by anytime. /5 sfx: Ka-click I better not make a mistake here. For her, I’m just the insignificant OL living next door to her boyfriend. ### OL is an Office Lady - female employee of a company. //418 /2 Tick tock tick tock /3 sfx: Tick tock tick tock Mmnn I just can’t fall asleep. /4 ‘Cause I had coffee earlier? sfx: Tick tock tick tock /5 sfx: Rustle sfx: Tick tock tick tock /6 sfx: Tick Ah… //419 /1 Whoosh /2 That voice… From next door… /3 From room 204… /5 Konatsu-chan? //420 /1 Ahhh Ah /2 Hah Ah /3 Aaah I should have known it. /4 She goes there so religiously. Of course they’re gonna do it. sfx: Nnn No Ahh Ahh /5 sfx: Hah Phaah Ahh Ah, the guy next door’s face. Just what does he look like? I’ve been living in this apartment for two years and can’t remember his face. /6 sfx: Slide And just touching her fingertips! I can remember the heat of it so clearly! //421 /1 That girl who has such a pure smile Is getting it on with her college boyfriend. sfx: Haaah Ahn No Ahh /2 The person making these sounds is Konatsu. Haah Aahh sfx: Ah nn Nn Ah /3 Konatsu-chan sfx: Roll sfx: Haah Aaah Ah //422 /1 Breath. Voice. That thin black hair. /2 Those white thighs. . /3 The lines of her body emerging from the wet shirt stuck to her. /4 sfx: Rub… Heat /5 I can’t get any of this out of my head /6 Konatsu-chan… sfx: Nn Ah Hah No Aaahh //423 /1 Aah, I’m so /2 Dirty. /3 Me. /4 The lowest. //424 /1 sfx; Chirp chirp /6 Exhausted… //425 /1 I couldn’t meet her eyes this morning. /2 To begin with It’s a crime. sfx: Clika Clika Clika Clika /3 For a college student to call over a high school student. sfx: puff /4 So what about me? /5 Preparing coffee. Inviting her over. Even if she’s healing for me, all I’ve done is have a pleasant chat with her. If I keep it the same, I could stay in contact like this, maybe? /6 Would I be able to still see her as the girl who heals me? //426 /1 To look at her with a dirty mind I’m not qualified to be an adult. /3 Bitter… I’m so dirty. /4 If I get closer to her… /5 I’m really going to lose the adult part of me. /6 So that’s why… //427 /1 Yui-chan! /2 Yui-chan, can you do math? There a part I didn’t get a school… /3 Konatsu-chan, go home. Eh? /4 What up with that, Yui-chan? All the sudden. /5 Why… Are you saying things like that… 
//428 /1 We shouldn’t be doing this. Late at night. Here. /3 Why!? /4 Look, you’re still a high school student. And it’s late. Wandering around and coming to some stranger’s house is dangerous. /5 Hey, Yui-chan… sfx: Clench /6 Yui-chan, you’re treating me like a child too. //429 /1 Yui-chan! sfx: slam /2 This is for the best. /3 So I don’t end up hurting her. Yeah… This is definitely for the best. //430 /1 Wha /3 Shhhhhhhh /5 You’re going to catch a cold. //431 /1 …did something happen? /3 He said, I’m not good enough. sfx: Shhhhhhhhh /4 ‘cause I’m a child. //432 He said he was just playing… That it was just kid’s games… sfx: Sniff He found some other woman he likes… /2 At college, someone he likes… He said I’m not good enough… /3 He dumped me… Kikuchi-kun, he… //433 /2 Shhhhhhh /3 sfx: Blubblub I wanted to marry him! That’s how much I loved him. /4 Kikuchi-san always used to tell me he loved me. /5 Why do adults lie? Sigh /6 It’s so fucking stupid. //434 /1 He wasn’t serious about me at all. He was just playing me this whole time. /2 He must’ve wanted to keep you around with those lies, hm? /3 sfx: creak /4 Grab /5 I’m gonna forget that fuckin’ guy! sfx: spin /6 Eh? //435 /1 Wait! Hey! Ko… /2 sfx: Whump /3 Konatsu-chan… sfx: Erk /4 Whyyyy! /5 Won’t Anyone treat me like an adult…!? //436 /1 Hey… Answer me, Yui-chan. /2 Ko… /3 Konatsu-chan? sfx: slide /4 I’m an adult already. //437 /1 I can drink black coffee! I wore out my boyfriend in bed! sfx: Riiip /2 I’ve always been a good girl! A child? A child!? /3 Just what do I have to do to get people to treat me like an adult…!? /4 Don’t underestimate Adults!! //438 /1 I’m not going to fuck A child like you! sfx: Klonk //439 /1 Whatever might happen with me here Is certainly not going to do you any good. /2 You don’t become an adult like this, Konatsu-chan. /3 Fine! I get it! sfx: Yank /5 Hey!! //440 /1 Konatsu-chan! That’s right… /2 I’m the one at fault here. /3 It’s fine. /4 I won’t come back here again. //441 /1 Sorry to have bothered you. /2 Thanks for always making the coffee. /3 …I’m sorry sfx: ka-click /4 Ahhh, come on! //442 /1 You stupid brat! sfx: seep /2 I finally realized it. /3 Good morning! Are you Kikuchi-san? /4 I live next door. My name is Ikegaki. //443 /1 You’ve been bringing over a high school student, right? You sure that’s ok? It’s a crime, y’know. /2 If you don’t want to be hauled in by the police, you’d better tell me everything you know about her. Just what’s up with you…? /3 She’s a student at XX High school. /4 I-I don’t know anything more than that… Thank you. That’s sufficient. /5 Ah, right… Can you look over there, please? /6 Eh? sfx: Tense Haaah //444 /2 Wha-pish /4 Morning. The spilled coffee left a stain. //445 /1 For XX High School The shortest route is… /2 College student Kikuchi-kun didn’t know jack shit about Konatsu. Not her address, not her route to school, nothing about her family. Seems like he just met her at the cram school. /3 Even so, it’s not like I know anything about Konatsu either. /4 Pretending to worry about her… /5 I’ve only been thinking about myself. //446 /1 I haven’t thought about her situation at all. /2 Huff huff /3 Ding Dong Dang Dong /4 Huff Hah //448 /1 I’m not going to look at you as an adult right now, Konatsu-chan. No way. /2 Wanting to be comforted by me and pushing your way in… Spilling coffee, staining the carpet and leaving it like that. You’re just a spoiled brat, thinking of nothing but yourself. /3 As an adult… Let me stay near you And watch over you until you’re an adult yourself…! /5 Yui-chan, what about work…? It’s a weekday afternoon. /6 Eh Ah sfx: Whssh //449 /1 sfx: fluff As an adult…? Heheh /2 sfx: Snicker I don’t want to be preached at by someone who ditches work to come after this spoiled brat. /3 You stupid adult. /4 Looking at her face through the gaps in her fingers Her smiling face looked a bit astonished. //450 /1 Ok. Got it. I just got to clean the carpet, right? /2 In exchange, you make coffee, Yui-san. /3 Konatsu-chan, I want to drink your coffee sometime. No way. Not happening. Ok, ok… /4 We are both hopeless children. sfx: splash //451 /1 But together we are Becoming adults bit by bit. /5 Welcome home… //452 /1 Hey, hey Yui-chan. Make me a spare key. /2 Wha? Yeah, that’s fine. But I’m thinking of moving. You’re moving? There gonna be a room for me? Why are you assuming you’ll live with me? It’ll be fine.