The Other Side Of A Blank Page by Hamuro Kei 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. ### Sometimes my comments are snark or color, so feel free to ignore those. —123 -2 sfx- Jingle Jingle Guh… C-cold… —124 -1 A faint memory, out of reach. Newcomer busting on the scene! First appearance in this manga. ###upper left The Other Side Of A Blank Page ###left Hamuro Kei ###bottom right —125 -2 Anman again? ###see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anpan -3 Can’t believe you don’t get tired of that. Wha? it’s so good, though. -4 Shou-chan, what did you get? Gyouzaman. ###a bun with gyoza filling It’s a new product. Is it good? Yeah… Kinda like nikuman. see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baozi —126 -1 But shit! It’s cold… Why’d you wear such a thin jacket? Until I was out the door, I thought It’d be enough. -2 I’m yearning for spring. But spring vacation’s over in a flash. Ah, crap, that’s depressing. -3 Saya, you’re not going to cram school? I am, but from summer, I guess. For art, you have to go all the way to Nagoya. Hmm. -4 I’ve got to decide what I’m gonna do too… —127 -2 Huh…? -3 I don’t have my book… Wha? -4 C’mon, after we came all this way? Mm, did I leave it in the art room? Can I go run and get it? I think it’ll be open. Ok, I’ll wait for you inside. Thanks. I’ll be right back. —128 -2 Ka-cha -3 Hello. -4 Nice ’n warm. -5 More people than I would have thought… —129 -3 Maybe a college student? Kinda unusual. —130 -2 Whaaat?! So the career I’m suited for… Is construction work? You can’t be serious… ###handwritten -3 Ka-cha —131 -1 Hello… -2 Still not here… -3 Whoa! sfx- Jolt! -4 Thump -5 I’m sorry! It’s ok. I’m sorry too. -6 Ah… —132 -1 Here. T-thanks… -2 …are you a Morimoto High student, by chance? Eh? Yes… I knew it. -3 Are you here to study? No… That’s not why I’m… sfx- Ka-cha —133 -1 Shou-chan, sorry for the wait… Huh? -2 Hello Ah Hello… -3 Was your book there? Ah, yeah. I’m going to go return it now. -4 I’ll go with you. Shou-chan, you’re borrowing that? Well, since I was bored, I started reading it… —135 -1 Did you know that lady back there? Nope, not at all. She just asked if I went to Mori high. -2 That’s all? Yeah. Hmm… -4 Because I had not idea about my future plans, I was searching for hints. So once Spring vacation hit… I started to frequent the library. -6 Ka-cha —136 -2 Hello. Hello. -4 So you grew up here too, Shimizu-san. Yes. -5 I went to university in Tokyo, and work there now too. I had a bit of something to do, so I took some vacation and came back home. —137 -1 But now that I’m here, I have time to kill. Ahaha Tokyo… What university did you go to? I went to K university. And my work is near there too. ###K university is likely Keio U. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keio_University -2 Himuro-san, have you decided want to put down on your future aspirations form? Eh? -3 When we first me, you were looking at the same book. Ah… Choose from your desired profession! Choosing Your University Departments Subjects
 -4 There’s nothing really I want to do, so… My parents are pressuring me to just go to college. Even so, I can’t decide… —138 -1 Yeah, it’s pretty hard to decide, huh? Yeah, you got that right. -2 Maybe I’m the same… -4 I also… Had something I really was lost about… It’s been half a year since I came back. It’s an excuse to run away from my problem. -5 But I do know things can’t stay like this. I know that somehow I’ve got to get the resolve to decide… but I don’t have the courage… …Himuro-san? —139 -1 Himuro-san? -2 Haah? sfx- Jolt Ah, s-sorry! -2 Ahaha, my bad. Didn’t mean to lay all that on you. Huh? sfx- Th-thump Th-thump -3 Ah, right. How about we exchange contacts? Wha? -4 If it’s about your future plans, you could talk it through with me if you want. T-that makes sense. —140 -1 Got it. -3 Ok, I’m going home. -4 Ah… -5 Um! -6 No… it’s… Um… Crap… I’ve gotta say something here… —141 -1 I don’t know what you’re struggling with Shimizu-san… But I know you can do it, Shimizu-san! -2 I know I must just sound like a kid, spouting off crap, but… -3 But, uh… I… -4 Heya! sfx- Mush -6 Fufu Thank you. I’ll give it my best, ok? —142 -2 Later, I got a text saying that she was back in Tokyo. I got the feeling that somehow she got some sort of clarity that day. -4 So Shimizu-san when back, huh? Mm. —143 -1 So, Shimizu-san went back to Tokyo? Mm. You’re in touch with her, right? Mm. -2 Shou-chan, you awake? I’m awake, I’m awake. -3 The resolve to decide, huh… -4 Future Aspirations Name: Himuro Shouko #1 Choice: K University -5 And then… I got into studying in a way that surprised even myself. —144 -1 Everyone told me it was impossible. Not even I thought I’d get in. Saya was the only one who didn’t say anything, and hung in there with me instead. -2 Vrr Vrr -4 Whish -5 Inbox Shimizu-san Going for K University, huh? I’m rooting for you! If there’s something I can do -7 Scribble ###repeated —145 -5 Wow, you’re amazing! Your scores have really shot up. I’ve still only got a so-so shot at K University. -6 But now we know you can work this hard, Shou-chan. That’s was unexpected side of you. This is my true power! Eh? Ahaha —146 -1 Hey… Shou-chan. Hm? -2 Do you love Shimizu-san that much? -3 Wha…? -4 Huh? -5 You’re working so hard in order to go be close to her, right? Nah, it’s not like that… Wha? I was wrong? -6 I see. I had thought that… —147 -3 Shou-chan, you’re stupid. Wha? -4 Hey… Saya? sfx- Clomp Clomp sxf- Vrr Vrr -6 Okay, okay. Got it. Shimizu-san has nothing to do with it. After I was trying to cheer her on and stuff. But if she’s not going to tell it to me straight, then… ###upper left I get it, ok? —148 -1 Right…? Shou-chan…? You mad? ###handwritten -2 Inbox Shimizu-san It’s been a while! Sorry to share the news so late, but in August my marriage was registered! It’s still being processed ###cut off -3 My marriage -4 Ah… So that’s what it was… Marriage blues… -5 I also was hit by the blues. -6 And the day of the entrance exam came. But after losing my motivation, there was no way I was going to get a good result. Testing Place ###sign —149 -1 I fell down the rankings. Boy did I fall. K University S University T University ### These are the colleges she applied to (and failed) in order of prestige. -2 My future became pure white. —150 -2 sxf- vrr vrr -3 Hello… Saya? Ah, It’s been a while. Next week? Yeah, that’s fine. —151 -3 Shou-chan! -4 Yo. —152 -1 Thank you very much! ###handwritten Saya, you’re styling. Really? But you’re still into your anman. That has nothing to do with it, right? C’mon… -2 How’s college life? It’s fun! But yeah, nothing like home cooking when you come back. ‘Zat so? -3 How’ve you been, Shou-chan? Me? Same as always. Just helping out around the house. Doing the part time job. Ah… —153 -1 “Things can’t stay like this.” Shimizu-san said that, but… My days roll on without any big changes. -2 I thought something, somewhere, would magically change, like in some drama. But my life has been stable beyond my imagining. -3 Even after failing my exams. Even after the person I admired went far away. My days have not changed. I bet they’ll always be like this. -4 Is your anman yummy? Huh? —154 -1 Yeah. -2 I see… -3 Ahhhh! I’m gonna go travel overseas or something! But Shou-chan, you can’t speak English at all. Ok, then someplace I can speak Japanese! Then how about you and I go someplace together. Someplace domestic. ###ok, the Japanese is not *quite* as spicy, but ya gotta beat that subtext with a stick sometimes.