Hibi Chouchou [Chapter 36]

While walking home, Kawasumi meets up with Ryosuke who plans to go to his house. Ryosuke asks how it was. Kawasumi didn’t answer. Ryosuke asks what’s up with that miserable expression. Then, they are surprised to see Atohira’s friend swinging a baseball bat. The two look nervous. Atohira calls out that Kawasumi has returned. Ryosuke tries to leave but Atohira asks Kawasumi how is his girlfriend’s foot. Ryosuke whispers to Kawasumi if he had met up with Ato-chan and Ichi-bro. [Ah, the Ichi is guesswork from ‘一’ there are many ways to call it based on the kanj. I’m not too sure if Ichi is Kawasumi’s older brother.] Ryosuke becomes nervous when Ichi tells to eat dinner together with them. Soon, Kawasumi’s mother serves a meal of pork steak[/looks like katsudon to me] for the four guys. Ryosuke tries to say something about the weather on the television but Ichi promptly changes the program with the remote control. Ryosuke immediately start praising Kawasumi’s mother for the katsudon which is delicious and does she need any help. Kawasumi’s mother is happy to hear that and she asks if there is no problem. She asks what Atohira’s opinion is. Atohira says that it is soft like a mochi. While Kawasumi and Ichi are quietly eating, the mother says that it is because her son[/s] don’t say anything but then, this is the first time since junior high school that they ate together and usually after karate club, they would come to her house. Ryosuke tells her that only him and Kawasumi are in karate. Kawasumi’s mother says that it is a waste that the other two give up during junior high. Glancing at Atohira, Kawasumi says that Atohira is obviously very strong. Atohira thanks him and it is because he finds it troublesome and Ichi is concentrating on baseball. Ryosuke mutters that he thought that Ato-chan and Ichi-chan would go to the same school. Atohira seems to say that a famous school is troublesome. Ichi sternly complains about using ‘chan’ when calling a senpai. Atohira is fine with it.

Then, Atohira asks Kawasumi what he ate with his girlfriend. This promptly made Ryosuke spit out his drink. While Kawasumi is blushing and silent, his mother gives a rag to apologetic Ryosuke. Then, she mutters, girlfriend? Embarrassed Kawasumi shouts at Atohira. His mother asks if he already has a girlfriend. Kawasumi shouts that it has nothing to do with her. Then, he and Ryosuke looks nervous when Ichi darkly mutters about how he had unexpectedly using that tone towards his[/their] parents. Atohira asks who had confessed. Ryosuke says that it is Kawasumi. Kawasumi’s mother says that Kawasumi has grown up. Atohira asks what Kawasumi thinks is good about her. Ryosuke asks what he is saying, she is their high school’s ‘unattainable flower’[/takanenohana]. Kawasumi grabs Ryosuke’s collar and tells him to shut up. Atohira says that she’s an ‘unattainable flower’. Ryosuke shouts that her character is also not bad. While Ichi stands up to put his dishes on the kitchen, Atohira says that even if her character is good but he cannot see her compatibility[/suitable] to Kawasumi. Kawasumi looks surprised. Ryosuke angrily shouts what’s up with Atohira since a while ago. As Atohira stands up to put aside his dishes, he comments that perhaps, they would break up very soon. Kawasumi’s mother looks surprised and asks if Atohira is a person who would say those things. Atohira casually says no, he just says if he wants to say something. While walking upstairs, Ryosuke tells Kawasumi not to mind what Atohira just said. Kawasumi goes to his bedroom to see Atohira reading manga on his bed. Kawasumi mutters why. Atohira says that there is manga here. Ryosuke tells Atohira that his phone is ringing. Atohira finally answers it. The other party angrily says that he finally picked it up and he ditched today’s goukon[/group date]. Atohira apologizes but the other party doesn’t believe his serious about his apology. The other party says that s/he’ll pass the phone to a girl. The girl tells Atohira-senpai that she always like him. Atohira tells the girl that she obviously hasn’t talked with him so he hopes that she doesn’t easily say the word ‘like’. Then, Atohira hangs up. Sitting up, Atohira says that he is also the world’s carefree person. He tells Kawasumi not to give up on love half-way[/have a half-hearted love] or else, if something happens to karate, in the very end, he’ll come to hate it.

Closing the manga, Atohira says that it is because there’s Kawasumi, he gave up on karate. Kawasumi looks surprised and he exchange glances with Ryosuke. Ryosuke say that a lot of things had happened and in the end, Atohira gave up on karate because of this when he obviously always idolizes Kawasumi. They look at a picture of all four of them and others in a karate group picture. Kawasumi starts recalling the times when Atohira is inquisitive over his love affairs. Suddenly doing a karate pose, Kawasumi shouts that he’ll grab [them] with both hands. [<- karate and love?] Ryosuke is startled by that and tells him not to do that suddenly. Atohira[?] says that it will be Christmas soon so how about buying a magazine on ‘introduction to dating plans’. Embarrassed Kawasumi says that he won’t buy. On the other side, Suiren is already lying on the bed. Recalling the day’s events, she thinks that she went on a date today and she is truly going steady with Kawasumi, he is her boyfriend. When they just knew each other, he totally won’t look at her side. Then, she recalls the times when he faced and talked with her directly. She wonders when he started to like her. She is amazed with herself for unexpectedly thinking of these things. Was it during the fireworks festival, when they walk home together, when is it? She wonders what she has that made Kawasumi like her. She isn’t good with talking, and even with him, she doesn’t become an amusing[/fun] person for him so is it really okay for him to treat her as his girlfriend. Suiren is horrified for she couldn’t think of any good point about her so why her? She looks out the window. She wants to know what it is that he likes about her, and that will be her life’s honor. At school, Suiren tries to see Kawasumi but her fanboys are blocking the view. Later on, Suiren and Yuri see the boys from the window. Kawasumi gestures to his foot and is saying something to her. Suiren thinks that he is asking about her foot. She nods and opens the window to say, gambatte[/do your best].. Ryosuke teases Kawasumi that it is the second ‘gambatte’. Kawasumi shouts back to Suiren, okay. To Ryosuke’s shock, Kawasumi says that it is the third. Narration: “But, I’m quite afraid to ask Kawasumi about it. Even if I’m a bit afraid, but there will be a day, I will become the me, who can speak out and ask.”

Comment: It seems that Atohira is more concerned about Kawasumi’s concentration in karate now that he is going steady with someone. From what they’ve mentioned, it seems like they are pinning some sort of hope on Kawasumi in terms of karate. I do wonder what the history behind them is especially why Ryosuke really fears Ichi. Okay, maybe Ichi beat him up in karate before or it isn’t good to make him angry. =P As mentioned above, I’m not sure if Ichi is Kawasumi’s brother but he seems to be the same silent type. Anyway, it seems that Kawasumi is going to do both – romance and karate. I guess Atohira would be giving some romance tips to Kawasumi and he is quite serious about love, given how he immediately turned out that girl whom he hasn’t talked with. The issue that might be addressed later on would be what they like about each other. But in the meantime, they keep things as is while there are some hindrances like the fanboys. Since Christmas date is mentioned, that’s something to anticipate in the future chapters ^^ Scans by 419漢化组 PS. This is a new Chinese scanlator and I’m not too sure of its accuracy since there are some vague things here.

Quote of the day:

Optimism is the foundation of courage. ~ Nicholas Murray Butler