Grove by Fuji Tamaki 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 - or example, panel one is -1 ### Unless otherwise noted, panel and text balloon flow is from upper right to lower left —343 -1 Grove —344 -1 Occasionally My childhood friend drops by my house With it’s brutal atmosphere from our civil engineering business, From her neighboring house with it’s pretty little grove. Ding Dong Halloooo! Kinoshita Civil Engineering ### building -2 sfx- Knock knock knock Nachi-chan! My mom told me to bring over some yuzu from our garden. ### yuzu is a citrus fruit -3 Hey! Nachi-chan! What’s with all this stuff? -4 Yo. You talk like a dude, Kazumi-chan. Same as always. —345 -1 Hey, I played soccer and picked it up there. My arms and legs are stocky and my skin’s all tan, so… …’suppose it’s ok. Fits you. -2 Well, from where I sit If she was to put on a little makeup -3 She’d fit my script perfectly. She’d have a striking presence as a beauty on the stage. -4 Are those costumes from your drama circle? You throwing them away? -5 Yeah, They’re stacking up. Gotta get rid of some. —346 -1 No place to store them. My dad won’t get off my back. sigh -2 You graduated from college already! Give up the stage and getcher butt back in reality! -3 If you’re not workin’, save yer money! If you don’t got work, work fer me! I’m hirin’ for civil projects! Like hell I’m gonna do that! sfx- Grrrrr I’m a director! Lay off, old man! -4 This is how it is Women’s University ### banner Like feeling that I’m losing sight of All the dreams from my college days? Leaving behind the early days where I could breathe easy For the suffocating concrete jungle? (The old one) ### Referring to the original movie. The days were I’m going to have to work are closing in… —347 -1 Hey… With these clothes -2 Do you think I could be a little more lady-like? -3 Eh? What all this now? Why are you interested in this, Kasumi-chan? -4 Kasumi-chan, my childhood friend from next door. Four years younger. We’d often play together as kids. Over time, I became a literary kid. She was all sporty, getting into soccer. -5 Recently, the amount of times we hang out like we used to Has gotten fewer and fewer, but… —348 -1 …of course you can. But if it was up to me… -2 I’d make you into a crossdressing dandy. I’d write you a leading part… How ‘bout it? ### handwritten sfx- cough -3 What’s crossdressing? -5 Ergh… Yeah, yeah, you jock. sfx- Psst It’s fine. Forget about it. -6 C’mon over here and I’ll do you up. Eh —349 -1 Ok, get them clothes off! Kyaa Let’s get that hair done! sfx- Whish Whoosh Plop a wig on her head -2 sfx- Whish zing zoom Makeup to lighten her skin -3 Lay on heavy pure black mascara -4 Eh, whaaat? I’m not gonna look good! I wanna rip this off! -5 Stop that! You look fine! —350 -1 So embarrassing… Mirror… mirror… Uwaah 2- No way! Not until we’re done! sfx- Hyaa -3 What the hell! Get you a fluffy cape. Get you in something with high slit. Get the sequin’s all sparklin’ Aarrgh This is so weird! -4 God, this is going to be so weird! -5 Trust me on this! -6 Get the nail decorations going. Get you some bright red lipstick. -7 Hey! —351 -1 See? -3 Look! You’re a woman! Anybody’d think you're a beautiful woman. —352 -2 Well, as far as I’m concerned I wanna dress her up as a hot guy in drag. -4 Ah, this is a real problem now… I thought it was going to be impossible… -5 I mean I’ve never put on make up, and I don’t have any clothes beyonds sweats… -6 Shall I give you some? Heheheh My mom would be thrilled. -7 No, no She wouldn’t be thrilled by these clothes. And the others are worse… ### handwritten -8 Well, you see… —353 -1 Nachi-chan, my dad… -2 His business went bankrupt. -3 Our finances are really tight. Not gonna be able to move on with school. I got a sports recommendation, but our situation’s not gonna let it happen. -5 And so… -6 My cousin’s Onee-san works at a hostess club… Seems like a good place with no funny stuff. She said, she’d give me an introduction, and mom’s thrilled. —354 -1 That’s how it is, Nachi-chan. But I’ve never dressed like a girl before, y’know? -2 Well, I was thinking it’s about time to drop out of high school. I know it sounds stupid, but… -3 But, you know… -4 As far as getting an unqualified young girl some work goes It’s not a bad job, but… I think that some girls suited for it… I know I’ve got to go to work, but… -5 You know, I’ve never once Worn a skirt. sfx- Scrub -6 A hostess club? What a joke. —355 -4 Since we were kids -5 Kazumi-chan Has been a beautiful child. -6 Sweet. Bracing. A girl like a grove of trees. I wanted to write a story About a girl like her. —356 -1 The seed of a longed for dream world. -2 I’m sorry for falling apart. I’m too weak… sfx- Sniff -3 You’re not too weak. Having to work is serious business. -4 I mean, I’m four years older and my dad is always getting on me about that. I’m more immature than you on that count… -6 But, y’know… I may be more suited for that kind of thing, maybe? …yeah? —357 -1 Got an evening delivery. It’s all packed up. Okaay! -2 sfx- Tmp tmp tmp -4 sfx- Slam -5 Nachi-chan! What’s with your hair? -6 Oh! Kasumi-chan. Got it straightened! Leaving now? -7 When you’re done, drop by the theater office. I wanna introduce you to someone there. I scouted someone from work! -8 Whaaa? Too embarrassed… Maybe if I feel like it, ok? -9 What’s with that? I’ll see you there! -10 And so… —358 -1 The dream I though was dead Hangs on by the skin of my teeth. -2 But as far as I’m concerned Even if the dream dies, I think I’d be ok. -3 Since now There’s a fresh wind blowing. -5 And something precious is nearby.