https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=RpapoBaka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]2026-04-10T10:07:02ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.43.1https://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=587010Golden Time2026-03-28T17:55:51Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
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[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (60% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=587009Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-03-28T17:55:20Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 206 & 207 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=60}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
"Okay, Banri, get ready!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, waaait! Ah, no! Waaaaaah!"<br />
<br />
Three balls were aimed at Banri, one from Tanny and two more from the outfield. He screamed, "Nooo!" and stepped back, look for some way to escape. Wasn't he as good as dead? These guys were that terrible. They had suddenly thrown Banri, who didn't remember a thing, into the game without even explaining the rules.<br />
<br />
From the start he was surrounded, and it gave the impression of a surprise attack, though looking back it now, he thought they had been a bit shy about it. Being told by one after another, "Wow, it's Banri!" "It's been so long." "Your face looks a little different." "Eh, you haven't changed much, have you?" "You've gotten taller!" and so on, Banri having no idea what to say back to them, for the time being settled for just apologizing to the guy he'd suddenly called an old man.<br />
<br />
"No problem, I've had an old man's face for a while now. Here, put this on."<br />
<br />
He was handed a sort of red vest with a number tag on it. On a piece of fabric attached with a safety pin was written by hand, "Banri." Looking around, he saw that everyone was wearing a red or blue vest with their first name, their surname, or their nickname written on it. Even Linda, who was wearing a blue vest with "Linda" on it.<br />
<br />
"I thought it would be inconvenient if you didn't understand their names right away."<br />
<br />
When the old man with the red vest -- or rather, "Koichirou" -- said this to him, and Banri replied, "Th-Thank you...!" and felt something slowly catch in his throat. At that moment he finally realized his mistake, feeling like he'd been tossed into the middle of a storm of rejection.<br />
<br />
They were located just a little in from the gate, about halfway down a row of cherry trees leading to the school building.<br />
<br />
More than thirty classmates had gathered here and waited for Banri, a guy who had no memories of them, and had even made a vest for him with his name on it. They had thought up a way to communicate with him without causing him trouble. If they had been trying to reject the changed Banri, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing something like this. Everyone was trying their best to accept Banri as he was now. Banri once again realized how mistaken and narrow-minded he had been in fearing them and speaking ill of them based on one-sided assumptions. He felt frankly ashamed of himself. He said once more, "Thank you very much!" as loud as he could as he put the vest with his name on it. Now he matched everyone else.<br />
<br />
Linda, however, looked puzzled and asked, "I think it's a nice idea, but why have numbers?"<br />
<br />
"We've decided to finally settle the score from two years ago! Now finally... Banri has returned. Today it is time for the showdown!"<br />
<br />
Suu, wearing a red vest, took one step forward. As if he had understood,<br />
<br />
"...Oh! Now I get it!"<br />
<br />
Linda blinked. But, Banri still didn't quite understand how the story was unfolding. Settle the score? What the heck was all that about? As Banri tilted his head in confusion, Suu said passionately, "Hey Banri, remember what happened two years ago!?" He had no choice but to reply, "No, I don't remember anything."<br />
<br />
"Oh yeah, that's right! Sorry! When we were in our third year, out class was divided into two teams, East and West, and we duked it out!"<br />
<br />
According to Suu, the traditional ball games held once a year at this school involved all classes dividing into East and West teams, playing three different games and adding up the points. Volleyball, basketball and,<br />
<br />
"The final event was dodgeball. The last event was chosen by lot. It turned into a showdown between our class's East and West teams, but the result was something that has come back to bite us. At that point, the West team was in the lead by four points. A win would give five points, a draw would give each team three points. So as long as the West team didn't lose, they would end up winning easily."<br />
<br />
"This was where you caused a problem, Banri."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly became serious, leaving Banri confused and making questioning noises.<br />
<br />
"We blues were the East Team. You reds were the West team. The game was a twenty-minute match, and the winner was decided by how many people remained at the end. We were going back and forth for a long while, but just before the end, you got hit by my ball. It hit you hard on the shoulder. And yet you said, ‘That was on the face, so I'm safe!' and for some reason the referee accepted it. In the end you were declared safe, and the game ended in a draw."<br />
<br />
"We, the West Team, won, of course! Yea!"<br />
<br />
When Suu shouted, the guys in the red vests erupted into cheers, clapping and whistling. Linda shot back, "No way! It was absolutely on the shoulder!" and the guys on the blue team chimed in, "Yeah, it was the shoulder!" Then here and there some people started saying things like, "No, it definitely was the face." "No, it was definitely the shoulder!" "But the judges said it was his face, didn't they?"<br />
<br />
"But the east team really did win!" "Just accept reality!" "We can't accept that at all!" ...and so on.<br />
<br />
Not knowing what to do, Banri, with a dopey look on his face, stood in the middle and nodded at what each team said as if he were some sort of yes-man. "Hmmm!" "Hmm, I see!" "You have a point!" "That I understand too!" But,<br />
<br />
"Has that been your intention from the start!? That really ticks me off!"<br />
<br />
With a demonic expression the likes of which he had never once witnessed in all their time together, Linda, who had been so kind up to now, his childhood friend "Linda-sempai", known for her poker face, closed in on Banri, looking as if she were about to grab him by the scruff of his neck. But even if he were to say something like that,<br />
<br />
"No, I honestly don't remember a thing, so..."<br />
<br />
Suu sidled up to him, slung an arm around his shoulder decisively and whispered, "It's all right. None of this is your fault. It's these guys from the East Team still picking fights, even now. They're truly the vindictive ones. Hmph!"<br />
<br />
Linda let out a screech, violently twisting her body and gritting her teeth in bitter frustration. True to form as the Gorilla's younger sister, she expressed her frustration with such sheer intensity that her comrades in the East Team began to mirror her sentiments. As if to rub salt into their wounds, though he really should have known better, Suu spoke up.<br />
<br />
"Right? Do you understand, Banri? This is how a foolish loser harbors such needless resentment. And so, we of the West Team, in the name of justice, shall once more beat these scoundrels to a pulp!"<br />
<br />
The West Team roared.<br />
<br />
"Don't mess with us! Now's the time to right these wrongs and seize victory back into our own hands!"<br />
<br />
In response, the East Team raised their voices like the earth rumbling. Across from Banri, who was still confused and couldn't keep with what was going on, come to think of it, there was one girl wearing a yellow vest. She had a petite stature that reminded him of Chinami Oka, a cute, fair-skinned face and long, flowing, silky black hair reaching down below her chest. She had a whistle hanging around her neck and the name "Meiko" written across her chest. Raising both her hands,<br />
<br />
"I am the referee. There will be no time limit. It will be a deathmatch ending only when one side is entirely wiped out. That match, starts now!"<br />
<br />
Crossing her arms overhead, she blew clumsily on the whistle. Her lung capacity was insufficient, but with nobody daring to point that out,<br />
<br />
"Huh!? What!? Where are you going!?"<br />
<br />
Whoa! Just like that, everyone took off running somewhere at full speed. Even Linda, having lost all sense of reason, appeared to have completely forgotten any promises she had made, like "I'll follow up on everything." And just like that, she left Banri behind and dashed away. Having no clue what was going on, he had no choice but to simply chase after everyone; for the first time in ages, Banri, too, ran at full sprint. The group of thirty-odd people dashed all at once beneath the rows of cherry trees, then burst through a gap in the shrubbery and onto the sports field. He could see that dodgeball lines had already been marked out there in white paint. It immediately dawned on Banri that a game was about to take place right here; what he couldn't figure out, however, was why three balls had been placed in the center of the field, right between the two zones separated by a line. The frontrunners who had rushed in scrambled for the prizes on a first-come, first-served basis; driven by sheer intensity, the East Team secured two of them, while the West Team claimed one.<br />
<br />
"Three balls!? We're playing dodgeball with these!? What kind of rules are these!?"<br />
<br />
"Don't you belong over there!"<br />
<br />
Linda, who had followed him without thinking, was pushed to the opposite side of the field. Suddenly, the ball began to spin around in circles in the outfield and within the field at an incredible speed.<br />
<br />
"You're gonna be the first to die!"<br />
<br />
As if events were flowing in the most natural way, he was caught in a pincer attack. Suu, who had amassed far too much ill-will by this point, was the very first to be struck. That ferocious, all-out throw, followed by a heavy whack sound, followed by screen of pure agony. Banri shuddered, "Are they kidding!?", but they weren't kidding. Every one of these young people was in earnest here.<br />
<br />
From that point on, the game proceeded at the East Team's pace. The West Team, distinguished by their red vests, found themselves almost completely deprived of possession; one after another, they were struck by the ball and sent out to the sidelines. To Banri, who could do nothing but run around in circles, Koichirou said, "We have to somehow get the ball and pass it to the outfield, or else the ones who've died won't have any way to come back to life!" Right after he said that, Linda's fastball came hurtling over to their side with the blunt, unvarnished remark, "You don't actually have to show them!" Thump! With a heavy sound, the ball slipped from Koichirou's hands… he had failed to make the catch… and went rolling away. Meiko declared in a listless voice, "Koichirou, you're out." Wearing a sorrowful, middle-aged face, Koichirou sheepishly headed to the outfield. By this point, the West Team, Banri included, had dwindled to a handful of survivors; the East Team, in the meantime, still swarmed with ten members, led by Linda. Lined up side by side, generously spaced, they formed a line, and, moving with the disciplined coordination of a living organism, they fluidly shifted back and forth within their territory. And so they gained control of the three balls.<br />
<br />
"All right then, Banri, don't you think it's about time this coward met his end?"<br />
<br />
Banri shuddered at Linda's words. He was being targeted.<br />
<br />
"You're saying something like that!? Weren't we close, you and I, senpai!?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, and I've got five hundred yen! Don't you forget, right now I'm just plain Linda. Got it!?"<br />
<br />
She was coming for him again.<br />
<br />
She truly possessed astounding athletic ability. He already knew from past performances that she was very light on her feet, and he had even seen her execute a magnificent somersault that would put a gymnast to shame. But seriously, wasn't this just a little too incredible? Every single soft pitch was caught as if it were magnetically drawn to her hands, while the fastballs hurled with full force by the boys were (astonishingly) effortlessly dodged with a one-handed cartwheel. At Linda's command, the three balls spun wildly at high speed—twirling as if they were living creatures... and the Western Team was being unilaterally toyed with. If she wasn't the Devil, then what was she?<br />
<br />
Linda took out Moa, leaving the West Team with only three members left, including Banri.<br />
<br />
The East Team had Banri in their sights from three directions: a pincer attack from the flanks, plus Tanny bearing down from the front. Seeing the three of them winding up to throw, aiming right at him, Banri flinched, thinking, "It's over. I'm going to die." The two teammates he had left, fully aware that Banri had been sole target for some time now, let out screams (albeit in a surprisingly explanatory tone): "It's the first time we've seen you since last year's graduation!" "Banri, we finally got to see you again after so long!" But, it was a terrifying trap.<br />
<br />
Two heavy thumps in succession weren't from Banri, but from the two guys on either side of him. Each of them taking a hit near the knees, they collapsed to the ground with looks of utter astonishment. "Huh!? Why did I get hit!?" "Why did I get hit when they were aiming at Banri!?"<br />
<br />
It was an extermination operation masquerading as a targeted strike and aimed solely at Banri. He was the very last one. To the trembling eyes of Banri, everything unfolded in slow motion. Right in front of him, grinning evilly, was Linda's face. Trailing slightly behind, with his timing deliberately offset, Tanny leaped high into the air and shouted, "See you later!" As he did so, he began the motion to unleash the ball, this time aimed squarely at Banri. But at that moment, Banri had already sprung over to the side. A ball bounced off another person and soared into the air. Banri leapt high into the air and caught the ball before it could touch the ground. The ball had bounced, so he would have been safe anyway. Tanny gave a sharp grunt and stopped his motion. If you target the one holding the ball, it meant instant death. The ball, released from Tanny's hand, traced a lazy, high-arching trajectory. One of Banri's teammates, judged to be released when Banri caught the ball, effortless caught the slow ball thrown by Tanny. While he was at it, Banri also picked up a ball lying within their territory and tossed it out to the outfield; with this, the West Team had secured control of all three balls.<br />
<br />
Perhaps rattled by the sudden crisis, the East Team uncharacteristically allowed their formation to fall apart. The absolutely straight horizontal line began to fray and unravel. The obvious target here was the mastermind: Linda the Demon. If Linda died, the rest would turn out okay. Without even saying anything, all three players holding balls must have been thinking the very same thing. Banri locked his sights on Linda and entered into his killer pitching motion. The feeling that it was a sure thing was coursing through his entire body.<br />
<br />
"Hold on a minute! Banri, isn't it me!? Your senior in the club!? Have you forgotten everything I've done for you, watching over you all this time!?"<br />
<br />
"Begging for your life like that... you are just, Linda!"<br />
<br />
Just die already!<br />
<br />
First, two balls, one from the outfield, one from the infield, sandwiched Linda from before and behind. Linda evaded the two attacks, both aimed low, with a desperate, soaring leap... yet even this was something Banri had long since anticipated. Before Linda could land, he unleashed the ball with full force, aiming right around her thigh. The ball flew straight toward Linda's thigh, exactly as intended, and just as he thought she would be out... that was the moment it happened.<br />
<br />
Showing tremendous physical ability, Linda spread her legs wide like a dancer, landing from her jump in a low, flat position. The ball, which had been aimed at the lower half of her body, slammed hard into her face.<br />
<br />
"Waahh!"<br />
<br />
Banri shrieked involuntarily. ''Wham!'' The ball, having bounced straight up high into the air, slowly tumbled and rolled deep into the East Team's territory. Meiko didn't blow her whistle.<br />
<br />
"That one hit the face, so she's safe."<br />
<br />
"......Banri......"<br />
<br />
Linda stood up, swaying. The ball was clutched in her hand. On her uplifted face, the imprint of the ball was clearly visible. Banri let out a frightened squeak and recoiled.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~60% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 36 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586990Golden Time2026-03-22T19:34:25Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
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<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (57% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586989Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-03-22T19:34:13Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 204 & 205 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=57}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
"Okay, Banri, get ready!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, waaait! Ah, no! Waaaaaah!"<br />
<br />
Three balls were aimed at Banri, one from Tanny and two more from the outfield. He screamed, "Nooo!" and stepped back, look for some way to escape. Wasn't he as good as dead? These guys were that terrible. They had suddenly thrown Banri, who didn't remember a thing, into the game without even explaining the rules.<br />
<br />
From the start he was surrounded, and it gave the impression of a surprise attack, though looking back it now, he thought they had been a bit shy about it. Being told by one after another, "Wow, it's Banri!" "It's been so long." "Your face looks a little different." "Eh, you haven't changed much, have you?" "You've gotten taller!" and so on, Banri having no idea what to say back to them, for the time being settled for just apologizing to the guy he'd suddenly called an old man.<br />
<br />
"No problem, I've had an old man's face for a while now. Here, put this on."<br />
<br />
He was handed a sort of red vest with a number tag on it. On a piece of fabric attached with a safety pin was written by hand, "Banri." Looking around, he saw that everyone was wearing a red or blue vest with their first name, their surname, or their nickname written on it. Even Linda, who was wearing a blue vest with "Linda" on it.<br />
<br />
"I thought it would be inconvenient if you didn't understand their names right away."<br />
<br />
When the old man with the red vest -- or rather, "Koichirou" -- said this to him, and Banri replied, "Th-Thank you...!" and felt something slowly catch in his throat. At that moment he finally realized his mistake, feeling like he'd been tossed into the middle of a storm of rejection.<br />
<br />
They were located just a little in from the gate, about halfway down a row of cherry trees leading to the school building.<br />
<br />
More than thirty classmates had gathered here and waited for Banri, a guy who had no memories of them, and had even made a vest for him with his name on it. They had thought up a way to communicate with him without causing him trouble. If they had been trying to reject the changed Banri, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing something like this. Everyone was trying their best to accept Banri as he was now. Banri once again realized how mistaken and narrow-minded he had been in fearing them and speaking ill of them based on one-sided assumptions. He felt frankly ashamed of himself. He said once more, "Thank you very much!" as loud as he could as he put the vest with his name on it. Now he matched everyone else.<br />
<br />
Linda, however, looked puzzled and asked, "I think it's a nice idea, but why have numbers?"<br />
<br />
"We've decided to finally settle the score from two years ago! Now finally... Banri has returned. Today it is time for the showdown!"<br />
<br />
Suu, wearing a red vest, took one step forward. As if he had understood,<br />
<br />
"...Oh! Now I get it!"<br />
<br />
Linda blinked. But, Banri still didn't quite understand how the story was unfolding. Settle the score? What the heck was all that about? As Banri tilted his head in confusion, Suu said passionately, "Hey Banri, remember what happened two years ago!?" He had no choice but to reply, "No, I don't remember anything."<br />
<br />
"Oh yeah, that's right! Sorry! When we were in our third year, out class was divided into two teams, East and West, and we duked it out!"<br />
<br />
According to Suu, the traditional ball games held once a year at this school involved all classes dividing into East and West teams, playing three different games and adding up the points. Volleyball, basketball and,<br />
<br />
"The final event was dodgeball. The last event was chosen by lot. It turned into a showdown between our class's East and West teams, but the result was something that has come back to bite us. At that point, the West team was in the lead by four points. A win would give five points, a draw would give each team three points. So as long as the West team didn't lose, they would end up winning easily."<br />
<br />
"This was where you caused a problem, Banri."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly became serious, leaving Banri confused and making questioning noises.<br />
<br />
"We blues were the East Team. You reds were the West team. The game was a twenty-minute match, and the winner was decided by how many people remained at the end. We were going back and forth for a long while, but just before the end, you got hit by my ball. It hit you hard on the shoulder. And yet you said, ‘That was on the face, so I'm safe!' and for some reason the referee accepted it. In the end you were declared safe, and the game ended in a draw."<br />
<br />
"We, the West Team, won, of course! Yea!"<br />
<br />
When Suu shouted, the guys in the red vests erupted into cheers, clapping and whistling. Linda shot back, "No way! It was absolutely on the shoulder!" and the guys on the blue team chimed in, "Yeah, it was the shoulder!" Then here and there some people started saying things like, "No, it definitely was the face." "No, it was definitely the shoulder!" "But the judges said it was his face, didn't they?"<br />
<br />
"But the east team really did win!" "Just accept reality!" "We can't accept that at all!" ...and so on.<br />
<br />
Not knowing what to do, Banri, with a dopey look on his face, stood in the middle and nodded at what each team said as if he were some sort of yes-man. "Hmmm!" "Hmm, I see!" "You have a point!" "That I understand too!" But,<br />
<br />
"Has that been your intention from the start!? That really ticks me off!"<br />
<br />
With a demonic expression the likes of which he had never once witnessed in all their time together, Linda, who had been so kind up to now, his childhood friend "Linda-sempai", known for her poker face, closed in on Banri, looking as if she were about to grab him by the scruff of his neck. But even if he were to say something like that,<br />
<br />
"No, I honestly don't remember a thing, so..."<br />
<br />
Suu sidled up to him, slung an arm around his shoulder decisively and whispered, "It's all right. None of this is your fault. It's these guys from the East Team still picking fights, even now. They're truly the vindictive ones. Hmph!"<br />
<br />
Linda let out a screech, violently twisting her body and gritting her teeth in bitter frustration. True to form as the Gorilla's younger sister, she expressed her frustration with such sheer intensity that her comrades in the East Team began to mirror her sentiments. As if to rub salt into their wounds, though he really should have known better, Suu spoke up.<br />
<br />
"Right? Do you understand, Banri? This is how a foolish loser harbors such needless resentment. And so, we of the West Team, in the name of justice, shall once more beat these scoundrels to a pulp!"<br />
<br />
The West Team roared.<br />
<br />
"Don't mess with us! Now's the time to right these wrongs and seize victory back into our own hands!"<br />
<br />
In response, the East Team raised their voices like the earth rumbling. Across from Banri, who was still confused and couldn't keep with what was going on, come to think of it, there was one girl wearing a yellow vest. She had a petite stature that reminded him of Chinami Oka, a cute, fair-skinned face and long, flowing, silky black hair reaching down below her chest. She had a whistle hanging around her neck and the name "Meiko" written across her chest. Raising both her hands,<br />
<br />
"I am the referee. There will be no time limit. It will be a deathmatch ending only when one side is entirely wiped out. That match, starts now!"<br />
<br />
Crossing her arms overhead, she blew clumsily on the whistle. Her lung capacity was insufficient, but with nobody daring to point that out,<br />
<br />
"Huh!? What!? Where are you going!?"<br />
<br />
Whoa! Just like that, everyone took off running somewhere at full speed. Even Linda, having lost all sense of reason, appeared to have completely forgotten any promises she had made, like "I'll follow up on everything." And just like that, she left Banri behind and dashed away. Having no clue what was going on, he had no choice but to simply chase after everyone; for the first time in ages, Banri, too, ran at full sprint. The group of thirty-odd people dashed all at once beneath the rows of cherry trees, then burst through a gap in the shrubbery and onto the sports field. He could see that dodgeball lines had already been marked out there in white paint. It immediately dawned on Banri that a game was about to take place right here; what he couldn't figure out, however, was why three balls had been placed in the center of the field, right between the two zones separated by a line. The frontrunners who had rushed in scrambled for the prizes on a first-come, first-served basis; driven by sheer intensity, the East Team secured two of them, while the West Team claimed one.<br />
<br />
"Three balls!? We're playing dodgeball with these!? What kind of rules are these!?"<br />
<br />
"Don't you belong over there!"<br />
<br />
Linda, who had followed him without thinking, was pushed to the opposite side of the field. Suddenly, the ball began to spin around in circles in the outfield and within the field at an incredible speed.<br />
<br />
"You're gonna be the first to die!"<br />
<br />
As if events were flowing in the most natural way, he was caught in a pincer attack. Suu, who had amassed far too much ill-will by this point, was the very first to be struck. That ferocious, all-out throw, followed by a heavy whack sound, followed by screen of pure agony. Banri shuddered, "Are they kidding!?", but they weren't kidding. Every one of these young people was in earnest here.<br />
<br />
From that point on, the game proceeded at the East Team's pace. The West Team, distinguished by their red vests, found themselves almost completely deprived of possession; one after another, they were struck by the ball and sent out to the sidelines. To Banri, who could do nothing but run around in circles, Koichirou said, "We have to somehow get the ball and pass it to the outfield, or else the ones who've died won't have any way to come back to life!" Right after he said that, Linda's fastball came hurtling over to their side with the blunt, unvarnished remark, "You don't actually have to show them!" Thump! With a heavy sound, the ball slipped from Koichirou's hands… he had failed to make the catch… and went rolling away. Meiko declared in a listless voice, "Koichirou, you're out." Wearing a sorrowful, middle-aged face, Koichirou sheepishly headed to the outfield. By this point, the West Team, Banri included, had dwindled to a handful of survivors; the East Team, in the meantime, still swarmed with ten members, led by Linda. Lined up side by side, generously spaced, they formed a line, and, moving with the disciplined coordination of a living organism, they fluidly shifted back and forth within their territory. And so they gained control of the three balls.<br />
<br />
"All right then, Banri, don't you think it's about time this coward met his end?"<br />
<br />
Banri shuddered at Linda's words. He was being targeted.<br />
<br />
"You're saying something like that!? Weren't we close, you and I, senpai!?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, and I've got five hundred yen! Don't you forget, right now I'm just plain Linda. Got it!?"<br />
<br />
She was coming for him again.<br />
<br />
She truly possessed astounding athletic ability. He already knew from past performances that she was very light on her feet, and he had even seen her execute a magnificent somersault that would put a gymnast to shame. But seriously, wasn't this just a little too incredible? Every single soft pitch was caught as if it were magnetically drawn to her hands, while the fastballs hurled with full force by the boys were (astonishingly) effortlessly dodged with a one-handed cartwheel. At Linda's command, the three balls spun wildly at high speed—twirling as if they were living creatures... and the Western Team was being unilaterally toyed with. If she wasn't the Devil, then what was she?<br />
<br />
Linda took out Moa, leaving the West Team with only three members left, including Banri.<br />
<br />
The East Team had Banri in their sights from three directions: a pincer attack from the flanks, plus Tanny bearing down from the front. Seeing the three of them winding up to throw, aiming right at him, Banri flinched, thinking, "It's over. I'm going to die." The two teammates he had left, fully aware that Banri had been sole target for some time now, let out screams (albeit in a surprisingly explanatory tone): "It's the first time we've seen you since last year's graduation!" "Banri, we finally got to see you again after so long!" But, it was a terrifying trap.<br />
<br />
Two heavy thumps in succession weren't from Banri, but from the two guys on either side of him. Each of them taking a hit near the knees, they collapsed to the ground with looks of utter astonishment. "Huh!? Why did I get hit!?" "Why did I get hit when they were aiming at Banri!?"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~57% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 34 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586966Golden Time2026-03-14T21:11:23Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (53% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586965Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-03-14T21:11:07Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 202 & 203 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=53}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
"Okay, Banri, get ready!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, waaait! Ah, no! Waaaaaah!"<br />
<br />
Three balls were aimed at Banri, one from Tanny and two more from the outfield. He screamed, "Nooo!" and stepped back, look for some way to escape. Wasn't he as good as dead? These guys were that terrible. They had suddenly thrown Banri, who didn't remember a thing, into the game without even explaining the rules.<br />
<br />
From the start he was surrounded, and it gave the impression of a surprise attack, though looking back it now, he thought they had been a bit shy about it. Being told by one after another, "Wow, it's Banri!" "It's been so long." "Your face looks a little different." "Eh, you haven't changed much, have you?" "You've gotten taller!" and so on, Banri having no idea what to say back to them, for the time being settled for just apologizing to the guy he'd suddenly called an old man.<br />
<br />
"No problem, I've had an old man's face for a while now. Here, put this on."<br />
<br />
He was handed a sort of red vest with a number tag on it. On a piece of fabric attached with a safety pin was written by hand, "Banri." Looking around, he saw that everyone was wearing a red or blue vest with their first name, their surname, or their nickname written on it. Even Linda, who was wearing a blue vest with "Linda" on it.<br />
<br />
"I thought it would be inconvenient if you didn't understand their names right away."<br />
<br />
When the old man with the red vest -- or rather, "Koichirou" -- said this to him, and Banri replied, "Th-Thank you...!" and felt something slowly catch in his throat. At that moment he finally realized his mistake, feeling like he'd been tossed into the middle of a storm of rejection.<br />
<br />
They were located just a little in from the gate, about halfway down a row of cherry trees leading to the school building.<br />
<br />
More than thirty classmates had gathered here and waited for Banri, a guy who had no memories of them, and had even made a vest for him with his name on it. They had thought up a way to communicate with him without causing him trouble. If they had been trying to reject the changed Banri, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing something like this. Everyone was trying their best to accept Banri as he was now. Banri once again realized how mistaken and narrow-minded he had been in fearing them and speaking ill of them based on one-sided assumptions. He felt frankly ashamed of himself. He said once more, "Thank you very much!" as loud as he could as he put the vest with his name on it. Now he matched everyone else.<br />
<br />
Linda, however, looked puzzled and asked, "I think it's a nice idea, but why have numbers?"<br />
<br />
"We've decided to finally settle the score from two years ago! Now finally... Banri has returned. Today it is time for the showdown!"<br />
<br />
Suu, wearing a red vest, took one step forward. As if he had understood,<br />
<br />
"...Oh! Now I get it!"<br />
<br />
Linda blinked. But, Banri still didn't quite understand how the story was unfolding. Settle the score? What the heck was all that about? As Banri tilted his head in confusion, Suu said passionately, "Hey Banri, remember what happened two years ago!?" He had no choice but to reply, "No, I don't remember anything."<br />
<br />
"Oh yeah, that's right! Sorry! When we were in our third year, out class was divided into two teams, East and West, and we duked it out!"<br />
<br />
According to Suu, the traditional ball games held once a year at this school involved all classes dividing into East and West teams, playing three different games and adding up the points. Volleyball, basketball and,<br />
<br />
"The final event was dodgeball. The last event was chosen by lot. It turned into a showdown between our class's East and West teams, but the result was something that has come back to bite us. At that point, the West team was in the lead by four points. A win would give five points, a draw would give each team three points. So as long as the West team didn't lose, they would end up winning easily."<br />
<br />
"This was where you caused a problem, Banri."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly became serious, leaving Banri confused and making questioning noises.<br />
<br />
"We blues were the East Team. You reds were the West team. The game was a twenty-minute match, and the winner was decided by how many people remained at the end. We were going back and forth for a long while, but just before the end, you got hit by my ball. It hit you hard on the shoulder. And yet you said, ‘That was on the face, so I'm safe!' and for some reason the referee accepted it. In the end you were declared safe, and the game ended in a draw."<br />
<br />
"We, the West Team, won, of course! Yea!"<br />
<br />
When Suu shouted, the guys in the red vests erupted into cheers, clapping and whistling. Linda shot back, "No way! It was absolutely on the shoulder!" and the guys on the blue team chimed in, "Yeah, it was the shoulder!" Then here and there some people started saying things like, "No, it definitely was the face." "No, it was definitely the shoulder!" "But the judges said it was his face, didn't they?"<br />
<br />
"But the east team really did win!" "Just accept reality!" "We can't accept that at all!" ...and so on.<br />
<br />
Not knowing what to do, Banri, with a dopey look on his face, stood in the middle and nodded at what each team said as if he were some sort of yes-man. "Hmmm!" "Hmm, I see!" "You have a point!" "That I understand too!" But,<br />
<br />
"Has that been your intention from the start!? That really ticks me off!"<br />
<br />
With a demonic expression the likes of which he had never once witnessed in all their time together, Linda, who had been so kind up to now, his childhood friend "Linda-sempai", known for her poker face, closed in on Banri, looking as if she were about to grab him by the scruff of his neck. But even if he were to say something like that,<br />
<br />
"No, I honestly don't remember a thing, so..."<br />
<br />
Suu sidled up to him, slung an arm around his shoulder decisively and whispered, "It's all right. None of this is your fault. It's these guys from the East Team still picking fights, even now. They're truly the vindictive ones. Hmph!"<br />
<br />
Linda let out a screech, violently twisting her body and gritting her teeth in bitter frustration. True to form as the Gorilla's younger sister, she expressed her frustration with such sheer intensity that her comrades in the East Team began to mirror her sentiments. As if to rub salt into their wounds, though he really should have known better, Suu spoke up.<br />
<br />
"Right? Do you understand, Banri? This is how a foolish loser harbors such needless resentment. And so, we of the West Team, in the name of justice, shall once more beat these scoundrels to a pulp!"<br />
<br />
The West Team roared.<br />
<br />
"Don't mess with us! Now's the time to right these wrongs and seize victory back into our own hands!"<br />
<br />
In response, the East Team raised their voices like the earth rumbling. Across from Banri, who was still confused and couldn't keep with what was going on, come to think of it, there was one girl wearing a yellow vest. She had a petite stature that reminded him of Chinami Oka, a cute, fair-skinned face and long, flowing, silky black hair reaching down below her chest. She had a whistle hanging around her neck and the name "Meiko" written across her chest. Raising both her hands,<br />
<br />
"I am the referee. There will be no time limit. It will be a deathmatch ending only when one side is entirely wiped out. That match, starts now!"<br />
<br />
Crossing her arms overhead, she blew clumsily on the whistle. Her lung capacity was insufficient, but with nobody daring to point that out,<br />
<br />
"Huh!? What!? Where are you going!?"<br />
<br />
Whoa! Just like that, everyone took off running somewhere at full speed. Even Linda, having lost all sense of reason, appeared to have completely forgotten any promises she had made, like "I'll follow up on everything." And just like that, she left Banri behind and dashed away. Having no clue what was going on, he had no choice but to simply chase after everyone; for the first time in ages, Banri, too, ran at full sprint. The group of thirty-odd people dashed all at once beneath the rows of cherry trees, then burst through a gap in the shrubbery and onto the sports field. He could see that dodgeball lines had already been marked out there in white paint. It immediately dawned on Banri that a game was about to take place right here; what he couldn't figure out, however, was why three balls had been placed in the center of the field, right between the two zones separated by a line. The frontrunners who had rushed in scrambled for the prizes on a first-come, first-served basis; driven by sheer intensity, the East Team secured two of them, while the West Team claimed one.<br />
<br />
"Three balls!? We're playing dodgeball with these!? What kind of rules are these!?"<br />
<br />
"Don't you belong over there!"<br />
<br />
Linda, who had followed him without thinking, was pushed to the opposite side of the field. Suddenly, the ball began to spin around in circles in the outfield and within the field at an incredible speed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~53% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 32 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586934Golden Time2026-03-07T21:43:20Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (50% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586933Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-03-07T21:43:07Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 200 & 201 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=50}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
"Okay, Banri, get ready!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, waaait! Ah, no! Waaaaaah!"<br />
<br />
Three balls were aimed at Banri, one from Tanny and two more from the outfield. He screamed, "Nooo!" and stepped back, look for some way to escape. Wasn't he as good as dead? These guys were that terrible. They had suddenly thrown Banri, who didn't remember a thing, into the game without even explaining the rules.<br />
<br />
From the start he was surrounded, and it gave the impression of a surprise attack, though looking back it now, he thought they had been a bit shy about it. Being told by one after another, "Wow, it's Banri!" "It's been so long." "Your face looks a little different." "Eh, you haven't changed much, have you?" "You've gotten taller!" and so on, Banri having no idea what to say back to them, for the time being settled for just apologizing to the guy he'd suddenly called an old man.<br />
<br />
"No problem, I've had an old man's face for a while now. Here, put this on."<br />
<br />
He was handed a sort of red vest with a number tag on it. On a piece of fabric attached with a safety pin was written by hand, "Banri." Looking around, he saw that everyone was wearing a red or blue vest with their first name, their surname, or their nickname written on it. Even Linda, who was wearing a blue vest with "Linda" on it.<br />
<br />
"I thought it would be inconvenient if you didn't understand their names right away."<br />
<br />
When the old man with the red vest -- or rather, "Koichirou" -- said this to him, and Banri replied, "Th-Thank you...!" and felt something slowly catch in his throat. At that moment he finally realized his mistake, feeling like he'd been tossed into the middle of a storm of rejection.<br />
<br />
They were located just a little in from the gate, about halfway down a row of cherry trees leading to the school building.<br />
<br />
More than thirty classmates had gathered here and waited for Banri, a guy who had no memories of them, and had even made a vest for him with his name on it. They had thought up a way to communicate with him without causing him trouble. If they had been trying to reject the changed Banri, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing something like this. Everyone was trying their best to accept Banri as he was now. Banri once again realized how mistaken and narrow-minded he had been in fearing them and speaking ill of them based on one-sided assumptions. He felt frankly ashamed of himself. He said once more, "Thank you very much!" as loud as he could as he put the vest with his name on it. Now he matched everyone else.<br />
<br />
Linda, however, looked puzzled and asked, "I think it's a nice idea, but why have numbers?"<br />
<br />
"We've decided to finally settle the score from two years ago! Now finally... Banri has returned. Today it is time for the showdown!"<br />
<br />
Suu, wearing a red vest, took one step forward. As if he had understood,<br />
<br />
"...Oh! Now I get it!"<br />
<br />
Linda blinked. But, Banri still didn't quite understand how the story was unfolding. Settle the score? What the heck was all that about? As Banri tilted his head in confusion, Suu said passionately, "Hey Banri, remember what happened two years ago!?" He had no choice but to reply, "No, I don't remember anything."<br />
<br />
"Oh yeah, that's right! Sorry! When we were in our third year, out class was divided into two teams, East and West, and we duked it out!"<br />
<br />
According to Suu, the traditional ball games held once a year at this school involved all classes dividing into East and West teams, playing three different games and adding up the points. Volleyball, basketball and,<br />
<br />
"The final event was dodgeball. The last event was chosen by lot. It turned into a showdown between our class's East and West teams, but the result was something that has come back to bite us. At that point, the West team was in the lead by four points. A win would give five points, a draw would give each team three points. So as long as the West team didn't lose, they would end up winning easily."<br />
<br />
"This was where you caused a problem, Banri."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly became serious, leaving Banri confused and making questioning noises.<br />
<br />
"We blues were the East Team. You reds were the West team. The game was a twenty-minute match, and the winner was decided by how many people remained at the end. We were going back and forth for a long while, but just before the end, you got hit by my ball. It hit you hard on the shoulder. And yet you said, ‘That was on the face, so I'm safe!' and for some reason the referee accepted it. In the end you were declared safe, and the game ended in a draw."<br />
<br />
"We, the West Team, won, of course! Yea!"<br />
<br />
When Suu shouted, the guys in the red vests erupted into cheers, clapping and whistling. Linda shot back, "No way! It was absolutely on the shoulder!" and the guys on the blue team chimed in, "Yeah, it was the shoulder!" Then here and there some people started saying things like, "No, it definitely was the face." "No, it was definitely the shoulder!" "But the judges said it was his face, didn't they?"<br />
<br />
"But the east team really did win!" "Just accept reality!" "We can't accept that at all!" ...and so on.<br />
<br />
Not knowing what to do, Banri, with a dopey look on his face, stood in the middle and nodded at what each team said as if he were some sort of yes-man. "Hmmm!" "Hmm, I see!" "You have a point!" "That I understand too!" But,<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~50% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 30 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586918Golden Time2026-03-02T23:05:52Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
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<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
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<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (47% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586917Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-03-02T23:05:40Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 198 & 199 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=47}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
"Okay, Banri, get ready!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, wait, waaait! Ah, no! Waaaaaah!"<br />
<br />
Three balls were aimed at Banri, one from Tanny and two more from the outfield. He screamed, "Nooo!" and stepped back, look for some way to escape. Wasn't he as good as dead? These guys were that terrible. They had suddenly thrown Banri, who didn't remember a thing, into the game without even explaining the rules.<br />
<br />
From the start he was surrounded, and it gave the impression of a surprise attack, though looking back it now, he thought they had been a bit shy about it. Being told by one after another, "Wow, it's Banri!" "It's been so long." "Your face looks a little different." "Eh, you haven't changed much, have you?" "You've gotten taller!" and so on, Banri having no idea what to say back to them, for the time being settled for just apologizing to the guy he'd suddenly called an old man.<br />
<br />
"No problem, I've had an old man's face for a while now. Here, put this on."<br />
<br />
He was handed a sort of red vest with a number tag on it. On a piece of fabric attached with a safety pin was written by hand, "Banri." Looking around, he saw that everyone was wearing a red or blue vest with their first name, their surname, or their nickname written on it. Even Linda, who was wearing a blue vest with "Linda" on it.<br />
<br />
"I thought it would be inconvenient if you didn't understand their names right away."<br />
<br />
When the old man with the red vest -- or rather, "Koichirou" -- said this to him, and Banri replied, "Th-Thank you...!" and felt something slowly catch in his throat. At that moment he finally realized his mistake, feeling like he'd been tossed into the middle of a storm of rejection.<br />
<br />
They were located just a little in from the gate, about halfway down a row of cherry trees leading to the school building.<br />
<br />
More than thirty classmates had gathered here and waited for Banri, a guy who had no memories of them, and had even made a vest for him with his name on it. They had thought up a way to communicate with him without causing him trouble. If they had been trying to reject the changed Banri, they wouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing something like this. Everyone was trying their best to accept Banri as he was now. Banri once again realized how mistaken and narrow-minded he had been in fearing them and speaking ill of them based on one-sided assumptions. He felt frankly ashamed of himself. He said once more, "Thank you very much!" as loud as he could as he put the vest with his name on it. Now he matched everyone else.<br />
<br />
Linda, however, looked puzzled and asked, "I think it's a nice idea, but why have numbers?"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~47% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 28 of 60 pages --><br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586901Golden Time2026-02-22T22:06:54Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (43% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586900Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-02-22T22:06:38Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 196 & 197 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=43}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
"I'm a classmate too... so I'm not an old man... so I was walking to the meeting place when I saw someone with Linda and thought, 'Oh! Tada Banri! Aah!' and then suddenly... like this..."<br />
<br />
As he said all that with a sad-seeming, old looking face, he gently squeezed both his hands.<br />
<br />
He apologized for any concern he might have caused. He was completely healthy now. But his memory had not returned and he was afraid he might do something rude. He apologized over and over again. He had managed to take part in the class reunion, and he was truly happy. I'll be interrupting your fun time for a while, so please be considerate... the empty comments which Banri was unable to actually say a single word of, continued to repeat silently in his mind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
''Swish!'' The ball came flying towards his thigh, and by a miracle he narrowly managed to avoid it. Banri thought Linda was a demon. No more screaming, no more complaining. Why had the gods given this woman such athletic ability? Failing to knock Banri down, she clicked her tongue and saying "Almost!", in the next instant catching a nice ball from the outfield with one hand, she stepped forward with a battle cry. The ball she had avoided went off to the outfield. From the outfield to Linda again, then Banri was targeted once more. She was probably aiming for a moment when he had lost his balance and still unable to recover, but somehow, without so much as a grunt, he managed to avoid it by rolling over, and Moa, who was standing behind him, was unfortunately hit. Linda's merciless, serious fast-ball hit her right on the side of Moa's frilly tank-top, making her cry out. The whistle blew to signal 'out', and Banri hurried to pick up the ball, which had rolled out to the other team's territory. Even though some of his team-mates had been sacrificed, he had the ball for the first time in a while.<br />
<br />
She'd had her way with him up to now, but now it was time to get back for Moa! He immediately held out the ball and aimed for Linda, but,<br />
<br />
"Oops! Isn't it against the rules to aim at somebody with the ball?"<br />
<br />
"Whaaat!? I didn't hear that!!"<br />
<br />
"If the one holding the ball gets hit, they die instantly! If you have any doubts, just try it!"<br />
<br />
He stomped his foot from being laughed at. In Linda's hand was a ball passed to her by the her outfield teammates. Linda and Banri glared at each other, each holding a ball in their hand. Behind Banri, another ball was quickly being passed from one outfielder to another of the east team. The moment he was distracted by that,<br />
<br />
"Make sure to follow the five-second rule, okay!?"<br />
<br />
Linda's ball flew unexpectedly further into the east team's outfield. Another ball was thrown across Banri's West Team. Realizing he was the target of a pincer attack, "Banri! 3, 2, 1!", a countdown began according to the demon's rule that the ball could not be held for more than five seconds. "Whoa!" He panicked and threw the ball towards the outfield, but it was easily caught by the tall Tanny in the East Team's territory.<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~43% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 26 of 60 pages --><br />
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[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (40% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586886Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-02-15T22:33:06Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 194 & 195 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=40}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
Linda didn't say a word and seemed to be quietly listening to what Banri had to say. Even Banri could tell that she was listening carefully as she gripped both his hands. The feeling of the palms was both reliable and gentle. The warmth gradually built between their hands.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder if I can change?"<br />
<br />
He had wound up just a little spoiled. He was sure that she would tell him that he could change.<br />
<br />
However,<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
There was no answer. Banri was taken aback. Even if she was just listening quietly, it would be nice if she said something now. A little suspiciously,<br />
<br />
"...Linda? You're listening, right?"<br />
<br />
He said quietly, his right ear asking.<br />
<br />
"Hm? Ah? Hmm? What?"<br />
<br />
Strangely, he thought he heard Linda's voice slightly behind him. She had been right in front of him holding his hand, so why? Now he was clearly suspicious.<br />
<br />
"That's you there, aren't you? This is Linda, right?"<br />
<br />
He tried tugging on the hand clasping his. But again there was no reply. The silence continued for a while, and then, after a considerable delay, "...Ah, what's wrong?" Strange. Something was strange.<br />
<br />
Before his eyes, this hand gripping his should be Linda's. So he believed... but it couldn't be. Banri opened his eyes wide. Sure enough, there was...<br />
<br />
"......Ah!"<br />
<br />
Ah, it wasn't. Some old man he didn't know was there. A thin old man Banri had never seen before was gripping his two hands and walking backwards, gently guiding him forward. Linda was standing a good distance away, whispering something to some guy he didn't know and said, "Oh no, I've been discovered. Sorry, sorry." He was now in front of the school gate. Grrrr.... Banri felt as if his face was being drawn in, stretched out and divided into thirds, filling the entire vertical frame. That final touch before the ending of '<span class='plainlinks'>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devilman Devilman]</span>'. As this was happening, the man who had been holding my hands without my knowing said, "Umm, long time no see~"<br />
<br />
"Aren't you... an old man!?"<br />
<br />
His most passionate confession, his most heartfelt, had been stolen by a middle-aged man... Banri suddenly realized just how pretty Kouko had been the other day (and in that case, the older man was a blood relative) and jumped back in surprise. Before he knew it, Banri was surrounded by a group of strange men and women, and face, face, face, face, another face and face, then the back of somebody's feet... no, skip that, another face. He finally realized they were definitely classmates. The old man still holding his hands,<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~40% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 24 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586863Golden Time2026-02-08T22:22:42Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (37% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586862Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-02-08T22:22:28Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 192 & 193 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=37}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
When his hands were suddenly and gently grasped, he let out a soft, almost Michael Jackson-like sound at the cool, soft touch. Linda was taking him by the hand. If by some chance Kyoko were to see this scene from somewhere, she might attack him and try to beat him to death while wearing pantyhose on her face. But with his anxiety at its peak, he felt he had no choice for now but to rely on those trustworthy hands. Besides, if Linda were to say, "Calm down, Kouko. This isn't cheating. It's caregiving!", even Kouko would probably lower her fists and admit, "Caregiving? In that case..." She would say, "You know, I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite understanding when it comes to elder care," and would even take off the pantyhose she was wearing over her head.<br />
<br />
Having nothing to do with Banri's ridiculous imaginings,<br />
<br />
"I'll take you there like this, so don't think about anything unnecessary and just keep your eyes closed. Okay, let's go. Walk slowly."<br />
<br />
Linda was incredibly, even overwhelmingly kind. The hands that touched his were soft and smooth, slender, yet surprisingly, her fingers were firm, making them strangely pleasant to hold.<br />
<br />
"Hmm..."<br />
<br />
Losing the ability to speak at the same time he lost his sight, Banri, trembling and hesitant, entrusted his entire being to the hand that was guiding him.<br />
<br />
For certain, he was so worried, having been in a hurry to see the future, and that may have made him even more scared. As he tightly closed his eyes so he couldn't see anything, and entrusted everything to Linda's kindness as she held his hands, his heart surprisingly regained its composure. Taking alternating steps, Banri was led along like an old man, receiving instructions such as, "There's a step there," "There's a caterpillar, so let's avoid it," "We're turning," "There's a pitfall," "I can see magma," and "Just kidding!"<br />
<br />
"We'll be there very soon now."<br />
<br />
He felt that keenly.<br />
<br />
The soft tone of Linda's voice, filled with a smile, really touched his heart. He felt incredibly grateful from the bottom of his heart. And whatever happened, he wanted to express that now,<br />
<br />
"...Linda. Just a second."<br />
<br />
Banri, his eyes still closed, spoke without embarrassment or pretense.<br />
<br />
"I'm repeating myself, but really, really, really: thank you. Thank you very much. Seriously, for having done so many things for my sake, thank you. And it's not just about today."<br />
<br />
He realized that expressing the feelings that welled up in his heart honestly in words wasn't as difficult as he thought.<br />
<br />
"And I'm sorry for having been a bother up to now. ...I said earlier that I wanted to pretend that the past never happened, but I truly regret having said that now. I regret it terribly. I wonder why back then I couldn't simply be happy we had the chance to meet again. That's why I wanted to change myself, and that's why I decided to come here today."<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~37% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 22 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586782Golden Time2026-01-31T21:53:02Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (33% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586781Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-01-31T21:52:45Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 190 & 191 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=33}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
Had everyone already gathered...? Banri stood on tiptoe, awkwardly stretching to try and get a better look at what was beyond the fence, and was met with surprised stares from people coming from the opposite direction. From an outsider's perspective, it certainly looked like he was just a pervert trying to peep at high school girls, and sure enough, Linda grabbed his shoulder from behind and said, "Hey!"<br />
<br />
"What're you doing, stalling like that!?"<br />
<br />
"N, no... I was wondering if I couldn't see inside from here... but it's really, really scary... ah, what should I do, what should I do...?"<br />
<br />
"Have you gone back to that again!? Are you kidding!? Didn't we go through all that already!?"<br />
<br />
"We went through it all, but now we've gotten close to it! Oh geez it's scary!"<br />
<br />
"I mean, you keep saying it's scary, but what in the world is it you're scared of?"<br />
<br />
"Everything! The atmosphere! The mood!"<br />
<br />
"Be more specific."<br />
<br />
"...The dagger-like stares! The feeling of 'you aren't him'! Because I'm... like this! I have no memories! I don't know anyone! People will be thinking, 'who is this guy?'!"<br />
<br />
"I told you, everyone already understands that."<br />
<br />
"What's this guy doing here? You shouldn't be here... that sort of thing!"<br />
<br />
"Everyone is so excited to finally meet you."<br />
<br />
"But I'm not the Tada Banri that everyone wants to meet, am I!?"<br />
<br />
Masculinity, zero. Having completely abandoned all sense of shame or self-respect, Banri openly showed his distress. Linda, true to her promise, remained kind to him.<br />
<br />
"Jeez. There's nothing can be done now... you're probably overthinking things too much. Well, I can't say I don't understand your feelings completely, though."<br />
<br />
Furrowing her brows as if she were worried, then put her fingertip to her mouth in a thoughtful pose. As if an idea had just occurred to her, she held up that finger.<br />
<br />
"Let's do this instead. Banri, close your eyes."<br />
<br />
"Eh? ...Like this?"<br />
<br />
As instructed, honest to a fault, he closed his eyes. Apart from the light he could feel through his eyelids, he couldn't see a thing.<br />
<br />
"You think too much, and try to predict strange things, which is why you panic. So, it would be better if you didn't see anything at all."<br />
<br />
"Ah... oh..."<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~33% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 20 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586765Golden Time2026-01-25T23:00:19Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (30% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586764Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-01-25T23:00:03Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 188 & 189 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=30}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
"You guys really act like senior and junior! Like a skit from school club! Banri, don't let Linda boss you around! That's Linda we're talking about!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla-faced Bro may have the same surname Hayashida as her seemed to call her "Linda", but,<br />
<br />
"Linda is Linda, of course! I know that, and that's perfectly fine!"<br />
<br />
For some reason, Banri replied rather confidently, puffing out his chest.<br />
<br />
"And I am Tada Banri, through and through! For me, with Linda as my senior right now, she was my best friend before, and I hope she'll be my best friend from now on. I was lucky to meet her, she's special, and she's incredibly fun to hang around with. She's someone I trust, and she makes me want to be the kind of guy who she can trust in return! That's Linda. And if that is what Linda is, then I'm perfectly fine with that!"<br />
<br />
Bro groaned softly, looking back at Banri through the rear-view mirror.<br />
<br />
"What are you? I don't really understand it, but anyway I felt an incredible power of persuasion just now..."<br />
<br />
"And Bro is Bro! Whether you're a gorilla or a human, you're fine!"<br />
<br />
"No, I'm not a gorilla."<br />
<br />
Linda caught that and burst out laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The gorilla dropped his sister and Banri off at the intersection in front of the high school, waved his enormous hand from the driver's seat window, and drove away.<br />
<br />
The street was scorching hot in the early afternoon sunlight, an indication that it was still summer. "It's kinda hot," said Linda, wearing a T-shirt and shielding her eyes with her hand.<br />
<br />
"There sure was a lot of traffic. What day of the week is it today? When you get a long break, you lose track of what day it is. I meant to get here early, but before we knew it we arrived just on time."<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go!?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"..."<br />
<br />
"Ah, let's walk. Is something wrong?"<br />
<br />
Having been dropped in the middle of the intersection, Banri stood there standing, frozen like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benkei Benkei]</span>. Having Linda there was reassuring... but, of course, no matter what,<br />
<br />
"...I got here... I got here, finally...!"<br />
<br />
He was scared. Anxious. Nervous. Incredibly so. He'd come, once more. Anew.<br />
<br />
The high school grounds, covered with brick and greenery, are elevated above the road, and the view inside is obstructed by a black iron fence. The meeting place was supposed to be the school gate, but perhaps because the school grounds weren't a perfectly rectangle, they couldn't see anything resembling a gate from where they were standing. Beyond the flowerbeds, a long row of cherry trees with lush green leaves stretched out, and he could just make out the school building far in the distance, deep within the expansive grounds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~30% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 18 of 60 pages --><br />
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==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla, who had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, suddenly laughed out loud.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~27% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 16 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586732Golden Time2026-01-18T22:04:23Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (27% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586731Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-01-18T22:04:10Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 186 & 187 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=27}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
From that point on, he would try to be pleasant, read the room and behave himself. Above all, he must not cause problems for Linda. In the worst case, he just needed to stick to those lines. He had dramatically declared that he wouldn't run away from his past anymore, but in any case, he'd only just started. He hadn't thought it would be easy. He would just have to get used to things, little by little.<br />
<br />
However, but,<br />
<br />
"Ah... what should I do?"<br />
<br />
For now, of course, he was nervous and scared. He let out a long sigh of relief. Since he was aware that they had avoided contact with him up to now, the awkwardness was immeasurable. He gazed through the car window at the rustic countryside. In truth, he often thought to himself, "I'm really here!" He'd had plenty of opportunities to escape, yet he'd managed to hold out this long.<br />
<br />
"What a face. Stop being so nervous and stressed out. Try to relax a little."<br />
<br />
Turned around and looking at him, Linda laughed and slapped her knee.<br />
<br />
"There's no point in getting scared now that you've come this far. I'll be there to help you out if something happens, so you'll be fine. I was the one who brought you here, so I take full responsibility and provide you with the support you need."<br />
<br />
"...Thank you very much."<br />
<br />
With such desperate thoughts, he bowed his head to Linda. Because this person was with him like this, he was able to be there. He could steel himself and be determined to do his best and not to run away.<br />
<br />
"Nonetheless, if you really don't feel like staying, you can leave any time you want."<br />
<br />
"...Yes."<br />
<br />
Her bright eyes were narrowed gently.<br />
<br />
As a so-called person, he had once tried to drive away someone who looked at him with such eyes, by saying terrible things and pushing them into a realm of complete irrelevance. The moment he thought that, he felt a chill down his spine. He was horrified on his own foolishness. And then, not saying a thing, he realized once more the profound depths of Linda's heart as she acknowledged and accepted Banri's attempts to correct his mistake. He also realized how fortunate he was to have met such a person twice.<br />
<br />
He was truly a lucky person. He had been blessed with incredibly fortunate encounters. He was so glad to be alive and here, and to be able to realize that. What incredible luck!<br />
<br />
At last, Banri was able to lift his head and smile back at Linda. Seeing this, Linda smiled even more broadly.<br />
<br />
"...I will try to do my best!"<br />
<br />
The gorilla that had been listening to the conversation between them from the driver's seat, "Gyahahaha!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~27% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 16 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586724Golden Time2026-01-16T22:39:11Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
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<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (23% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586723Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42026-01-16T22:38:54Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 184 & 185 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=23}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Bro'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Bro'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Bro grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bro asked as he drove, "Why in the world are you guys meeting up at a time like this? It's still broad daylight!"<br />
<br />
Linda answered from the passenger seat, "I don't really get it myself. At first, they had planned a normal barbeque party in the evening, but since it turned out Banri would be coming, it seems the organizers got excited and started planning all sorts of activities."<br />
<br />
As it happened, Bro's body was too big for the car. Gripped by hands so big they seemed to have gloves on, the steering wheel looked like one of those macaroni wheels you sometimes found in salads. As it happened, though this is irrelevant, it seemed that whenever Bro went past the gorilla enclosure at the zoo, all the gorillas would greet him with a whistle and a bow. If even his actual younger sister said this was true, it probably was. Well, from the start there had been no reason to doubt.<br />
<br />
It seemed the car with three people in it was headed for the high school that Linda and Banri had graduated from. As for Banri, he only remembered having gone there to get some documents he needed for his college entrance exam. It was a brief event that didn't leave much of an impression on him: a white-haired man that looked like an office worker had simply handed him through a window the documents he had requested by phone beforehand.<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what they're really going to do? Will they have some sort of amazing plan...?"<br />
<br />
"Are you perhaps feeling nervous?"<br />
<br />
When Linda turned around, Banri nodded deeply from the back seat. He spread his arms wide at the same time. His hands were drenched in a cold sweat. Linda was startled by how incredibly nervous Banri was.<br />
<br />
That made sense. It couldn't be helped. They were about to touch upon the very core of the matter, something they had been avoiding all this time. They were heading at 40 km/hr straight towards the very people who knew the past version of Banri, the version he didn't even know. While he was staying at his parents house, he had the cat as a way to escape reality, but now that things had come to this, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Banri clenched his damp hands and lowered them to his denim-clad thighs, trying to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible. Closing his eyes, he quietly repeated inside his head the lines he had memorized. He did, at least, think about what he would say at the very beginning.<br />
<br />
First, "I apologize for causing you concern." And then, "I am perfectly healthy now. But my memories have not yet returned, so I think I may offend you. I am truly sorry for all the trouble I have caused." He would adopt an extremely humble attitude and say, "I am truly happy to be able to attend today's reunion. I will be intruding on your enjoyable time for a little while, but I hope you will bear with me." ...And that was it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~23% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 14 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586649Golden Time2025-12-26T22:50:46Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (20% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586648Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-12-26T22:49:41Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 182 & 183 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=20}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
Linda got out from the passenger side and said something rather heartless and insensitive.<br />
<br />
"I'm sorry, Banri. This isn't a gorilla. He's my older brother."<br />
<br />
"He isn't a gorilla!? Eh!? Br, brother!? ...You've got to be kidding."<br />
<br />
Banri stared in stunned silence at the still-crying gorilla, it's ears bright red... or rather, Linda's brother. Could there be anyone on earth less resembling brother and sister? He couldn't believe it. Because the one side wasn't a gorilla. Images of peas and fruit flies flashed vividly through his mind. Could science even explain this?<br />
<br />
"Since he's my older brother, you can just call him 'Ani'. Jeez, get up already you big ape!"<br />
<br />
So in the end he's 'Ani'. Not a gorilla?<br />
<br />
"I'm not a gorilla! You won't find any gorillas that can speak this clearly! ...That is, sorry already, it's just that I'm sorry, when I saw your face it all welled up inside... Oh I give up, ah, Banri... how're you doing? How're things lately!?"<br />
<br />
Banri couldn't quite understand what he was saying as he stood and wiped his face, but anyway. He clearly realized that he'd been causing this person a good deal of worry for a long time. Taking a big step forward, Banri replied in a loud voice, "Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine! I'm in tip-top shape! Everything's just perfect!"<br />
<br />
"Really...!?"<br />
<br />
Upon hearing Banri's answer, Ani grinned happily. Seeing that face, Banri finally understood that this man was indeed Linda's brother. Though their faces and body types were different, their way of laughing was exactly the same.<br />
<br />
"Well then, shall we go? ......Hold on a moment."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly saw the sandals on Banri's feet.<br />
<br />
"I forgot to mention, but I was told we should wear comfortable shoes to the gathering today. Did you bring any shoes apart from sandals?"<br />
<br />
"Y, yes I did. Just like yours."<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze flickered briefly up to Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"Five hundred yen?"<br />
<br />
"...I was wearing the ones you gave me the other day... so I have them!"<br />
<br />
"Safe! Well done. We still have time, so go change into them."<br />
<br />
What does it mean to wear comfortable shoes to the class reunion? Although he found it quite strange, Banri did as he was told and went back in the house, took out a pair of socks from his luggage in his room, put them on, changed into his shoes, and then ran out of the front door again.<br />
<br />
When he got back to where the car was parked, Banri snorted when he heard his mother (standing like a scarecrow, still holding the cat) ask Linda if she'd just gotten a haircut. This wasn't the time or place to laugh. After all, they had only twenty minutes left.<br />
<br />
As the car pulled away, Banri turned and looked back. Mother was still standing there by the street in front of the house, holding the cat, watching Banri, who was now settled in the back seat, for a very long time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~20% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 12 of 60 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586635Golden Time2025-12-23T22:59:44Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
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<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (17% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586634Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-12-23T22:59:18Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 180 & 181 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=17}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
Linda was in the passenger seat, smiling and waving, and he could see her lips saying, "Oh! A cat!"<br />
<br />
"Oh? Is that Linda-chan? You've changed quite a bit in appearance. I thought your hair had always been really long, but now it's been cut short."<br />
<br />
"She's always looked like that since I met her in college."<br />
<br />
"Eh? What a waste. You were so pretty... but I can't believe you two are back and hanging out together again. I was really surprised."<br />
<br />
It seemed that Mother knew that Banri and Linda attended the same college, but it seemed she didn't know they were in the same department. When he explained yesterday at dinner that they not only attended the same school, but were now in the same club and hanging out together again, she was truly surprised. And now, looking at her son's face,<br />
<br />
"You're some kind of stalker, aren't you...?"<br />
<br />
Saying things like that so casually. So rude! It was disrespectful to him, let alone to real stalkers. Right, Kouko? He pictured an image of his beloved in the clear blue sky. (I'm keeping an eye on things from above, Banri.) ...The woman, whose image lingered in his memory, was stalking Banri on the earth below with opera glasses.<br />
<br />
The driver's side door opened and from within,<br />
<br />
"Banrii! Uvoy!"<br />
<br />
A gorilla got out.<br />
<br />
He had the face of a gorilla. The body type too. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was a gorilla. This gorilla was so perfectly average that it was like you lined up a hundred gorillas and averaged out their appearances – this is what you'd get. The balance between the upper body and the lower body was exactly like that of a gorilla. He looked surprisingly like a gorilla, even though he was wearing a track-suit and a T-shirt. Those bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to burst through the neckline of the T-shirt. Those arms, as thick as logs, looked like they were about to burst through his sleeves. Because a gorilla is a gorilla. The gorilla's behavior was so intense that even Banri was taken aback. But why was there a gorilla in Shizuoka in the first place? For the moment, to ensure he knew he wasn't an enemy, he shouted "Avoy!" in response, but<br />
<br />
"Banriiiiiii...!"<br />
<br />
At that moment, the gorilla grew a human heart. It suddenly burst into tears, a massive stream of tears gushing from both eyes, then covers its face and crouched down. It said, "Are you okay?" and "I didn't know a thing at all." And so on.<br />
<br />
Behind Banri, who was bewildered by the sight of the uncontrollably sobbing gorilla, his mother was saying "I wonder if we have any bananas..." He thought this guy must be a gorilla in Mother's eyes as well... <br />
<br />
"I'm getting really annoyed by that! Banri's in trouble, isn't he!? Seriously, can't you stop!? I mean, didn't I tell you to stop!?"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~17% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 10 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586611Golden Time2025-12-18T21:55:33Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (13% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586610Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-12-18T21:55:17Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 178 & 179 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=13}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
"I don't know the time, so I'll call. Oops, the bathroom!"<br />
<br />
"Wait, Banri. Your back too. Come here."<br />
<br />
The cat, still seated perfectly still, let out a long meow. It had the nuance of, "But I'm over here!" In contrast,<br />
<br />
"Not you," said Mother. Of course it was a shame. While giving off the impression he didn't want it at all, he let her run the lint roller over his entire back, then headed off to the bathroom.<br />
<br />
He quickly finished his business, rinsed his mouth at the sink while washing his hands, and even fiddled with his hair a little with his fingertips. He'd gotten his hair cut back in Tokyo before coming home, but he felt as if they had cut off a little too much. Well, it was better than it being messy and unkempt. At this point, there was little that could be done about his face.<br />
<br />
When he got back to the living room and checked the clock, he found it was 2:34. In other words... the class reunion would start in twenty-six minutes. There was no longer time to escape reality by fussing over the cat.<br />
<br />
Had it already started?<br />
<br />
He felt a sudden heaviness in the vicinity of his stomach, where he had put away cold noodles about an hour and half before, but he deliberately pretended not to notice, and ignored it. He had decided to go, and it was as simple as that.<br />
<br />
Clearing his mind as best he could, wiping his mind as if thinking no more, Banri shoved his cell-phone into his back pocket.<br />
<br />
"...I'm leaving!"<br />
<br />
Slipping on his beach sandals, he opened the unnecessarily wide glass entry door. The sky was clear and bright blue. The sunlight was dazzling, but it no longer had the intense, powerful force of mid-summer.<br />
<br />
Mother came to see him off, saying "Take care!", but for some reason she followed him carrying the cat wrapped in her arms.<br />
<br />
The area in front of the Tada family's entrance was landscaped with fruit trees and other trees, a hobby of their now-deceased grandfather. Beyond that, there was an old well that looked like something out of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ring_(franchise) The Ring]</span>, and a pond enclosed by a wire fence—it was a quintessential rural house. The property had a garage that could accommodate a small pickup truck and two passenger cars, a home vegetable garden that his mother tended to as a hobby, and a large, dome-shaped azalea bush that is taller than he was, beyond which was the road. And all around, of course, were tea plantations as far as the eye could see. Vast stretches of vibrant green stripes, interspersed with tall frost-protection fans, extended endlessly into the distance.<br />
<br />
"How, how far are you going to follow me?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay. Isn't this my own house, so I can do whatever I want to? It's your mother's prerogative, right Ban... Hana-chan?"<br />
<br />
"Whatever you want, I suppose..."<br />
<br />
He felt a little embarrassed that Linda might see this. As he turned around repeatedly to look at his mother holding the cat, he stepped onto the road, just as a silver compact car, its turn signal flashing, was pulling up in front of the Tada family's house. Yes, she saw his mother with the cat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~13% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 8 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586586Golden Time2025-12-12T21:55:08Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (10% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586585Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-12-12T21:54:46Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 176 & 177 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=10}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
Since returning home in the morning the day before, Banri had been constantly cuddling the cat. The cat didn't seem to mind, either, and even came into his bed at night. Waking up to the sound of rumbling vibrations, but it was clear that Banri not only wasn't bothered by it, but in fact quite enjoyed it. You could even say it relaxed him. He was being overwhelmed by an intense love for cats. He wished he had paid more attention to that high-class cat in Kouko's house. He would love to visit that magnificent mansion again... but preferably when her father wasn't home.<br />
<br />
Then, his cell phone rang from where he had set aside on the rug. Thinking it was a note from Kouko, he and the cat sat up. When he looked and saw it was from Linda, so he quickly picked it up.<br />
<br />
"What? Is it time already?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be a bit early. Is it already if I come over already?"<br />
<br />
"It's okay! I mean, I'm sorry to have made you come to pick me up, Senpai."<br />
<br />
"It's fine. I'm leaving in three minutes. And by the way, you are not allowed to call me 'senpai' today. Seriously, I'm gonna charge you 100 yen... no, 500 yen every time you do."<br />
<br />
"Roger that, sir!"<br />
<br />
"Even being so polite sounds awkward..."<br />
<br />
"Roger that...!"<br />
<br />
"Oh, you held back."<br />
<br />
"...Sir!"<br />
<br />
"Almost! NOT."<br />
<br />
After laughing a while, Banri hung up the call. Actually, it was kinda tough with only three minutes. He lifted the cat off his stomach, stood up and shouted, "Whoa, amazing...! Mom, the roller!" The black T-shirt he had bought for this occasion, with a map of Mexico printed on it, was completely covered by white cat hair! Though of course, even it's shed fur was cute.<br />
<br />
"You're leaving already? Isn't it early?"<br />
<br />
His mother appeared in the living room with a lint roller in her hand, looking up at the clock with a puzzled expression. The cat approached her and rubbed it's body against her ankles. Just how cute can that cat be?<br />
<br />
"Linda is coming to pick me up in her car, and should be here any minute now."<br />
<br />
"Really? A car? Be careful!"<br />
<br />
"There's no point in telling me to be careful. I won't be the one driving. She said her older brother has somewhere to go, so he'll take us both. Hand it over, hurry."<br />
<br />
When he took the lint roller and quickly used it to remove the cat fur from his T-shirt, Mother (Mieko) continued to stare at him with the same puzzled expression. "What?"<br />
<br />
"You musn't have another accident, okay? How are you getting home?"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~10% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 6 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"<br />
|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586576Golden Time2025-12-10T23:06:08Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (7% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586575Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-12-10T23:05:23Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 174 & 175 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=7}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
But something seemed suspicious. Banri saw that both his parents called the cat "Banri" when he wasn't present.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, when it was time to feed her, he heard his mother tapping the plate with the cat-food and calling "Hana-chaan, food~, Ha~na~, ...Banri~." The cat would come eagerly when called, and when his father came home late from drinking, he would sit down cross-legged, pick up the cat, and say enthusiastically, "This guy dances. Come on, Koro-chan, look! Weird old man, there, weird old man, do it like you always do, Koro-chan, Banri." And when he said, "Dance", he would simply grasp the cat's front legs from behind and shove them backwards and forwards.<br />
<br />
While he watched him making the cat dance, Banri tried to ask about it.<br />
<br />
"You know, it's not particularly important, but this cat... aren't you calling it ‘Banri'...?"<br />
<br />
"No I'm not, no I'm not!"<br />
<br />
His parents both denied it in unison. And while denying it, "It's just, well, look... it just sort of showed up on the porch... right, Father?" "Yes, yes. It's face... all of a sudden. Sort of."<br />
<br />
It seemed that somebody had suddenly noticed this previously unseen and unknown stray cat and in a moment of compassion, recklessly gave it something to eat. Eventually, there came a rainy day when he suddenly came into the house. Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is. Making a face like that, it seated itself nonchalantly and confidently in the seat, stopped moving and ceased being a stray cat. They said its face at that time reminded them a little of the family's only son.<br />
<br />
What was the meaning of this...?<br />
<br />
It had returned home casually and with dignity, and planted itself on top of the low chair, which bothered Banri a bit. He would have to make time to ask about this, fair and square. Am I not the true son of this house!? Much to his surprise, they had found a boy who had lost his memories, and out of compassion they'd declared, "We are your parents," and he was recognized as family. When at length he was released from the hospital, and had come back to the house, "Eh? This is my home, right? It's okay, right? Because it surely is." Making an expression like that... that's exactly what it is, right!?<br />
<br />
Anyone would have quite the identity crisis if something like that were to turn their world upside-down, but that aside,<br />
<br />
"......Crap! It's so cute...! Why can't I have a pompom tail!?"<br />
<br />
The cat was cute.<br />
<br />
Everything about him was irresistibly cute: the way he stared blankly with a vacant expression and half-closed eyes, and the warm, heavy feeling of his stomach. Even the sound of its breathing was cute. It had a slightly stuffy nose, and it was adorable when it opened its mouth every now and then to breathe. Banri was beginning to understand the feelings of cat lovers around the world.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~7% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 4 of 60 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586488Golden Time2025-11-21T23:03:40Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
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[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
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== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (3% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586487Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-11-21T23:03:28Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 172 & 173 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=3}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 172.jpg|thumb]]<br />
Long time, no see, Shizuoka.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected class reunion.<br />
<br />
And then the unexpected... cat.<br />
<br />
Banri sat at an angle in a chair in the living room, on the verge of slipping off, staring fixedly at the creature. It was stretched out lazily, enshrined on his belly. Before he knew it, several months had passed since he'd last been home, and the only Tada son had no idea that more living things had appeared. That was this guy. A cat.<br />
<br />
"...How does this sound? 'Pom-Tail'"<br />
<br />
It's tail was short, and the tip looked like it'd been broken (when he first saw it, he thought it was broken, but it seemed there were such cats). Since it looked like a pom-pom on its butt, he thought 'Pom-Tail'.<br />
<br />
But the cat hardly reacted, and it remained sitting on Banri's stomach, eyes half-closed and unmoving. Not good, Pom-Tail.<br />
<br />
Wanting to give the cat a name it would agree to, Banri had already come up with several ideas, but they had all been rejected like this. He'd started with "Tama", the ordinary "Shiro", the inoffensive "Nyan-Dog", then bit by bit "Mochi", morphing to "Norimochi", then one more "Yogorimochi", then reluctantly "Tarashimochi", then running out of ideas, "Bandai Namco", had enough of "Nya-Purin", then for some reason called it "Nyanyamura-kun", "Mountain Lion Boy", "Nennenyan", "Bring-it-on Boy", "Dog"... and by the way, his gender was indeterminate. He'd already been fixed.<br />
<br />
He gently stroked it's narrow forehead with his middle finger. The cat, whose name had not yet been decided, looked back at Banri with its calm, khaki-colored eyes. As if to say, "A cat is a cat."<br />
<br />
It was an ordinary cat, not at all like that luxuriously beautiful fur-ball that belonged to Kouko's house. It was fully grown, no longer a kitten. Its basic color was a sooty white, and there was a pattern as if somebody had spilled India ink on top, though if you looked closely, you could see it wasn't pure black, but had faint, blurry stripes. The pattern was scattered unnaturally from the back of the cat's head to its face, and Mother called the cat "Bogger-Nose-chan." As for Father, he called it "Hitman Koro-chan." Its upward slanted eyes looked like just like those of a professional killer.<br />
<br />
Mother said, "No way! Hitmen are scary!" and Father said, "Wouldn't having a booger in her name be unfortunate?" They were not in agreement at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~3% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 2 of 60 pages --><br />
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<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter3&diff=586472Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter32025-11-16T22:10:16Z<p>Rpapo: Added link to next chapter.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 3==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 098.jpg|thumb]]<br />
That town's station was far from Banri's normal stomping grounds, but according to the map was still barely within city limits. But as Banri left the ticket gate the word "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima Dejima]</span>" welled up in the back of his mind like the scum on a hot pot made from cheap pork, forever unable to disappear. This place, its appearance, its culture and everything else about it seemed to have been taken over by its neighboring prefectures. The black and brown heads of the people meandering before him as far as he could see all along the straight riverbank. Desolate fields. The black shadows of apartment and condominium towers. The white lights of electric lamps in every direction. A gas tank so large it made one nervous for no reason.<br />
<br />
Shouting "Me! Right now! I'm in Tokyo!" with all his might, he jumped up, as if his head was hitting the ceiling of "localness" and punching straight through. This was a trap that many young people heading up to Tokyo fell into. Even though he should have been excited to come to Tokyo, he always found the area around his hometown railway station to be visibly more prosperous.<br />
<br />
He returned his gaze to his hand. Checking the time on his cell phone, Banri stood impatiently alone in the middle of the hustle and bustle. No sooner had he stepped off the train on to the platform and had been swallowed up as if by a swirling mass of people crowded together, his steps turned slow and sluggish. Had he known it would be so crowded, he would have given himself more time. It seemed he had not taken a few things into account.<br />
<br />
Just outside the ticket gate, a banner for this evening's fireworks display hung overhead, several young station employees, sweating so much they seemed to have been doused in water, were directing people to the exit with a loudspeaker. "It will be very crowded today because of the fireworks display! If you are coming to the venue, then go to the left of the ticket gate! Please go to the left! ...It seemed virtually everyone was going to the left. But whether the exit was blocked, or the occasional person was jostling to go to the right, the neither spacious nor impressive station was even more crowded than during rush hour.<br />
<br />
A dangerous weapon zipped past Banri's nose, which was on the edge of oxygen deficiency. Right before his eyes, a group of girls was laughing noisily and imitating the station worker's way of speaking, "Wow! This is sooo good!" "Bwah hah ha!" They were dressed in yukatas and the pins stuck in their dumpling buns of hair were aimed straight at his eyes. Having no choice, he fought back using his cell-phone as a shield. But then "Ugh!" his feet got stepped on. "Oof...!" by beach sandals. The other one was wearing clogs.<br />
<br />
He had a bad feeling about this.<br />
<br />
Shortly after sunset, the train Banri was on was already packed with groups of young people in yukata and parents with children. With all the excitement, the train cars were like a tea-house for wild animals, filled with a deafening roar, and this wasn't even the main event yet. The posters inside the cars were all about the fireworks display. At that point, as he finally wondered (no way...), almost everybody on board got off the train at this station, the same station as Banri was going to. Naturally, the station premises were crowded. And every few minutes more and more people arrived from other places, and he was sure they would keep on coming in large quantities.<br />
<br />
There was no point in complaining, as they were all in the same boat. Banri headed slowly with everybody else taking their time heading for the exit stairs. He was just managing to escape from the station, but as for the surface of the road, the crush of people on top of it, the straight path leading to the venue on the riverside was so crowded with people that one could not even see the markings on the road. Head after head, a single butt-crack, no, that was another head.<br />
<br />
In amazed wonderment, the word "incredible..." escaped his mouth without his meaning it to. Do you guys like fireworks that much? That much? You like it that much? Fireworks.<br />
<br />
Before Banri's impatient eyes, a group of rough-looking middle and high school girls all dressed like men in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> deployed themselves in a beautiful fan shape, blocking his way. "What!? My phone's got no signal!" Their faces looked demonic as they made a horrible racket. Then there was that couple over to the side, the two of them wearing disgusting yukatas made of a strangely thin and glistening cloth, like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam%C3%A9_(fabric) lamé]</span>. At the launch of a shell, Boom!, perhaps because they were already excited, when they walked together their butts wrinkled in unison. The woman had put so much effort into her long, red fingernails that they looked just like five hot peppers on display. The man's five fingers were digging excessively into the knot of the sash around her yukata. Banri couldn't stand the sight of it.<br />
<br />
At first he'd been told to meet up at the train station exit, but in the afternoon he'd received a message from Kosshi-senpai, and it was changed so they would meet up separately at the destination. Banri thought that was the right thing to do. Even if they had met up there, the members of Omaken would probably have spent an eternity meeting up and separating, being pushed and shoved over and over again for no good reason.<br />
<br />
Eventually, beyond the human wave, he could see the gate leading to the steps up the riverbank. The stalls, painted in bright colors and emitting almost violent smells, were lined up all along the steps and down the slope, with signs of "Takoyaki", "Yakisoba", "Beef Skewers", "Ikayaki" and "Explosive Monja (what in the world is that...?)". Here and there were clearly unsavory types, with all sorts of designs seemingly etched into their bodies, with dark, evil eyes and menacing voices calling out, "Hey, you there, come over here!" "I'm gonna kill ya, suckaa!" It was not a deception to call it a 'fireworks display,' but it was entirely a festival. It wasn't just a great gathering. It was a festival. And festivals were the natural occasions to which to summon the Omaken.<br />
<br />
His ears deafened by the noise and the sound of generators, pushing through as if dividing the people flowing along the stalls, Banri finally tumbled out of the maelstrom. Once he walked one street in from the one right along the levee, he came out to a street lined with tall, skinny <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_tower pencil-towers]</span> and old buildings where he could finally walk normally. People could be seen here and there, mostly on the outside of the buildings and on the balconies, waiting in anticipation for the fireworks to start.<br />
<br />
Many of the bars and restaurants along the street had signs saying “Full” or “Reserved”, but before long he spotted the name of the place he was looking for, and gently opened the glass door.<br />
<br />
The waiter told him that the whole floor had been reserved for the day, but when he replied that he was part of the Japanese Festival Research Club, he was directed to go up to the roof using a narrow staircase at the back of the restaurant.<br />
<br />
Up to the third floor, it all seemed to be for customers, but after that, with beer cases and mops here and there, it was suddenly all business. But he’d been told to go to the roof, so he guessed it was all right. Immediately feeling uneasy, he climbed the stairs, the soles of his flip-flops sometimes sticking strangely, he felt a bit like a cockroach climbing the steps.<br />
<br />
When put his weight against the heavy iron door to open it, there he was, outside. The space opened out and he felt the soft wind caressing his cheeks.<br />
<br />
He had come out on the roof of the building.<br />
<br />
The space, concealed by a simple fence, was fairly large. The view of the riverbank was entirely unobstructed, with a large expanse of hazy deep blue sky in front of him that had yet to darken. When he considered how many spectators were crowded below, this place was indeed close to paradise.<br />
<br />
A breeze smelling a bit like fish, perhaps due to the river right in front of him, blew quite comfortably over his sweaty T-shirt. It was still summer in the daytime, but it cooled off as the sun set, and it definitely seemed like the change of season was underway.<br />
<br />
There were a few tables placed together on the concrete floor, and a few small chairs, most of them still stacked on top of one another.<br />
<br />
It seemed that most of the senior members of Omaken were already there. As first year novices, this situation should not have happened.<br />
<br />
But the seniors all had their backs turned to Banri, bent over in front of the fence working on something, and seemed to not have noticed him. For some reason they were holding a miniature light bulb cable like those used for Christmas decorations. Even though it was a special place from which to view the fireworks, they seemed to be trying to brighten up the rather bleak space by fixing crawling flickering lights to the fence.<br />
<br />
Trying to make up for having arrived late as if he were the boss rather than the lowest man on the totem pole,<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that! I'm late! But I'm here to help!"<br />
<br />
He approached them half at a run, and spoke the loudest he could. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"Ah......"<br />
<br />
An older female student turned around and when she saw Banri, raised her voice in a strange way. Squatting shoulder to shoulder, the older students, who had been working together happily until then, turned at the sound of her voice, noticed Banri, and suddenly fell silent.<br />
<br />
Inside of 0.3 seconds, Banri could guess why. This atmosphere. The averted gazes. The senior's lips wanting to say something... gathering information. Complete. Thought. Yes, understanding. QED. A 19-year-old's body has lightning reflexes. Banri's right hand immediately responds to a command from his brain and shoots downward. He grabbed his crotch with a speed and boldness that would make even the most experienced teacher of the exhibitionist arts shudder. It was more important to fix the situation than to be shy about it. How's that for judgement? And it was cool. If it had been a better time, he would have imparted this knowledge on all the world... resolution first, shame later! He was a man of the world! But,<br />
<br />
"...What the?"<br />
<br />
Not touching with his right hand the warm space he had expected, rather he felt the metal fixture that had been well and properly closed. Running his fingers over it, he mouthed, "What... the?" as he ran his fingers over his crotch again and took a peek down there.<br />
<br />
The zipper he had thought was open was closed quite securely. "Am I... an idiot!?" Then why are the seniors looking at me like that!?<br />
<br />
"Eh!? What is this...!?"<br />
<br />
There was no answer to Banri's question. And then he noticed that Linda's face was not among those lined up along the fence. There were only the seniors, staring at Banri with unreadable expressions.<br />
<br />
Those eyes... were they pitying him? And yet somehow... were they half showing kindness? What's more, was that a spoonful of "Hey, why'd that guy touch his crotch just now?" ...were they disgusted...?<br />
<br />
N, no! It's not like that! Banri panicked.<br />
<br />
"I didn't just touch my crotch! I, I was just checking if my zipper was open! I mean, what is...?"<br />
<br />
In the end, no one answered.<br />
<br />
"Really, what is it!? Why are you all looking at me like that when it's not even unzipped!?"<br />
<br />
But no matter how far you go, it was one person against many. Worse, a first year against all the second and third-years together. Before them, he was far too inferior.<br />
<br />
Banri lost all judgement and his cool, and simply freaked out. No matter in which era he had been born, even were he royalty, he would never attain even the level of roadside grass, a tiny existence not edible, useless as fodder, and having no use save it be as an ordinary roadside backdrop. He would be very difficult to point out or even make a fuss about...<br />
<br />
"Nah, never mind..."<br />
<br />
The senior who first looked at Banri and said something strange turned to him and smiled awkwardly. Standing up with an electric cable in his hand, he was dressed in a beautiful yukata, perhaps because he was going to be wearing it for the Awa Odori dance. All of the other seniors were dressed in colorful yukatas. And then, with a gentle manner he had not seen from them before,<br />
<br />
"Come here, Tada Banri."<br />
<br />
"We'll all do it together. Let's install this perfectly before the fourth-years get here!"<br />
<br />
"Don't forget these lanterns!"<br />
<br />
Saying, "He he heh..." "Look, look..." "Come here, come here..." they beckoned him to come. He was as nervous as if he were going down a road deserted of everything but ghosts, his sweat soaking the back seat of a taxicab.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, with the sole exception of Kouko, the women were called "giants" behind their backs. The word "giants" means a group of greedy, arrogant and unscrupulous people. Omaken consisted of men, Giants and one golden robo-girl. The giants were ghosts already, frankly.<br />
<br />
"...No way!"<br />
<br />
And,<br />
<br />
"That's scary!"<br />
<br />
"Why...?"<br />
<br />
When they approached him, dragging the electric light cable in their hands, Banri automatically said, "Look now! Now I'm scared! That's scary!" and tried to run away. But the shop's roof wasn't wide enough for him to escape, and he was easily surrounded.<br />
<br />
"Y, you're not usually like this! There is got to be something wrong with you!"<br />
<br />
"There's nothing weird about us... right..."<br />
<br />
"Hey... this is fun, isn't it...?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, its fun... the Omaken is fun, yeah..."<br />
<br />
The upperclassmen cheerfully wrapped electric lights around Banri's paralyzed body. The captured Banri turned into an stupid, round, illuminated man. Wrapped all the way to his forehead like Christ with his crown of thorns, the gathered lights shone annoyingly through his eyelids. In addition, he was made to hold in each hand an original Omaken red and white lantern. He wondered when they were made, as they were magnificently done.<br />
<br />
"Okay now, please sit here..."<br />
<br />
"It's the best seat in the house..."<br />
<br />
He was invited to sit in one of the seats lined up against the fence, or more precisely, he was half thrown there as he twinkled. It came to him in a flash. <br />
<br />
"Huh... Could this be some sort of trick...!?"<br />
<br />
The countdown suddenly starts. He wondered whether his chair would explode when it reached 'zero' and he would become a firework that blossomed in the night sky one step ahead of the others? He wondered if body parts violently scattered by an explosion and falling on the heads of innocent people gathered for the festival would be classified as a practical joke. He wondered if they would laugh at that.<br />
<br />
That, or, at "Zero!" would he plunge forwards from the chair, the only clothes he was wearing be snagged by a hook and left behind, and he be thrown out into the crowd completely naked under the shining illuminations, blooming in a fireworks hall of shame? If he fell the wrong way he would become a laughing stock, but for now, should he run away before the countdown starts?<br />
<br />
Unable to imagine any other possibilities, the frightened and blinking Banri's shoulder,<br />
<br />
"Hey you! Whatcha been up to lately!?"<br />
<br />
"Eeek...!"<br />
<br />
Only his first word was in Kabuki style, then after that like from some refreshingly trendy drama, the smiling Kosshii-senpai suddenly embraced him from behind. Behind him were smiling third-year senior guys. Even in this gathering dusk, everyone was strangely dark and shiny.<br />
<br />
"......La, lately... well, I've been... kind of like that...!"<br />
<br />
"Like that!? ...Is that sooo!? Yeeaah!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai, while bathing in Banri's idiotic light and flashing his idiotic darkness, stretched deliberately like a bad actor whose script said, "Senpai / One big stretch." Then he leaned his back against the fence, in front and to the side of Banri, who was facing the riverbank. "Senpai / Lean against the fence and smile." He held a plastic bag containing a big box of something in one hand, but Banri was not interested in it at all.<br />
<br />
"Oh, this? That's right, I forgot. It's for you,"<br />
<br />
Kosshi-senpai acted all theatrical, coldly turning his gaze away while suddenly sucking in his cheeks, he scratched the resultant hollow with his index finger while pushing it out from inside with his tongue,<br />
<br />
"Let's do this!"<br />
<br />
Intoning something like "Kaan''CHI''!", he suddenly threw the box at Banri. He was relieved from the bottom of his heart that no more words followed, but on the contrary, that was all he could be relieved about.<br />
<br />
If this had been a television drama, it would have probably been enhanced with computer graphics, showing the box describing an arc through the air and landing neatly in Banri's hand, but unfortunately, this was reality. Caught by surprise, unable to move, both of his hands caught by the paper lanterns, the cardboard box came flying surprisingly fast at him. Aaaah! It hit him on the jaw as he was ducking down.<br />
<br />
"Agh......!"<br />
<br />
What fell into his lap with a bounce was Okinawan sea-salt flavored <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinsuk%C5%8D chinsokou]</span> . Fifty-two pieces to the box (a lot). ...Oh, I see, he went there. Something to do with the third-year volunteers.<br />
<br />
"......Kosshii-sempai, that, that hurt!"<br />
<br />
"Well, what can I say?"<br />
<br />
He wasn't listening. At all.<br />
<br />
"Tada Banri and Robo-girl, isn't that what you are to us? Kinda like a fertilized egg!"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
He truly, from the bottom of his heart, had no idea what to make of that. He felt as if he had turned to stone. A stone unable to understand what was spoken to it, unable to reply back, a stone from which water spilled from a crack. What the water wrote on the surface of the rock, he could not tell.<br />
<br />
While dripping water from such a rock in his psychological inner world, Banri was deeply disappointed that Linda was not there. If only she were here, she could probably keep Kosshii-sempai in check and get some sort of resolution to the situation, but she wasn't here, and was perhaps delayed.<br />
<br />
The Okinawan shortbread still fallen in his lap, Banri blinked stupidly. As he was blinking,<br />
<br />
He repeated weakly, "Fe, fertilized egg...?"<br />
<br />
"It's sort of like two lifeforms becoming one. It's always like you two come as a set!"<br />
<br />
But this guy, Kosshii-senpai. Was he always unreasonable like this?<br />
<br />
"........ Why isn't Linda-senpai here...?"<br />
<br />
"Let's forget about her for now! She said she was on her way here from her parent's house, but she said the Toukaidou Shinkansen got delayed and now their schedule is all messed up, so let's set that aside for now!"<br />
<br />
"Eh, from Shizuoka? She went home?"<br />
<br />
"I told you to forget about her! I'm talking about you! Don't go running away!"<br />
<br />
Somehow a thought came to Banri's mind. Had everything about his accident and what happened afterwards been leaked to the upperclassmen? No, but there was no way. Denying it, his head tilted more and more to the side. There was no way it was possible, and even if it were, he would never understand why.<br />
<br />
"......Umm, I really don't understand it all, but isn't it about time you explained the reasons for this situation?"<br />
<br />
"We don't really need an explanation. Right, guys!? We don't need one!"<br />
<br />
Having left a single freshman behind as scenery, glittering in the wide open sky, the seniors loudly raised their voices and nodded to each other. They gave each other meaningful glances, and anxious glances in Banri's direction, but nobody said anything definite. He really didn't understand why. What in the world had come over the Omaken all of a sudden? Why were the seniors suddenly treating him with this kind of strange attitude?<br />
<br />
The last time the members got together was in August, in that hot hellhole that was Saitama. We performed the Awa Odori, and once that was safely done and over, they'd passed the bottle around and he'd excused himself a bit early... maybe he'd done something careless that time?<br />
<br />
Having approached right in front of Banri without him noticing, Kosshii-senpai suddenly grabbed his tee-shirt at the shoulders with both hands. Taken by surprise in his recollections, Banri was shaken. His brain was shocked, and he could not think.<br />
<br />
"Anyway, what I want to say is, you and Robogirl both, we all... want to wrap our arms around you both! That's all! Gently, warmly, as if we were pie-dough, we of Omaken want to wrap you two freshmen up! This pie crust would be soft, but would never crumble! We might be nice and crunchy, but we would never crumble! Do you understand!? Understand!"<br />
<br />
When he replied that he didn't understand, Kosshii-senpai backed away, a little irritated.<br />
<br />
"You don't understand!? You're an idiot! So, anyway, there it is! ...You know what I mean!"<br />
<br />
He didn't know... he gotten accidentally tongue-tied and had become a real idiot.<br />
<br />
"Huh!? Jeez, you're really stupid...! So... look at this!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai looked away once and licked his lips. He looked around at the other members' faces for a moment, then they nodded to each other in a small, tense way. He was going to have to say something difficult. He would say it. He would say it all. Raising his eyebrows in a sign of readiness rising plainly from his entire being, he looked at Banri, sucked in his breath and,<br />
<br />
"......Things really get awkward whenever someone quits! Such things shouldn't happen!"<br />
<br />
He struck Banri lightly on the shoulder as if to cover up something. Ouch, but rather than saying "ouch", his mouth already hanging open, Banri tilted his head with a foolish look on his face.<br />
<br />
"You two are ingredients in the pie we call Omaken! You are already one with us! And even if you are no longer a couple, it doesn't mean you will lose the bond of being friends in Omaken! Right!? That's how it is! Everyone!"<br />
<br />
Oooh! Their voices rang out once again, more certain than before. "Let's cheer up Tada Banri!" they said, and applauded him, which naturally turned into rhythmic clapping. "Taada!" cheered one side. "Banri!" cheered the other. "Taada!" "Banri!" "Taada!" "Banri!"...... The Omaken were always prepared for this sort of call and response.<br />
<br />
"......Huh? Broke... up? What're you talking about?"<br />
<br />
Banri still hadn't made the connection. He was forced to blink by the illuminations he was wrapped up in, but finally, little by little, belatedly, "Huh..." it came to him in a flash. As if a chisel were continually pounding the words "split up" into a crack in the rock and had finally broken through to the soft, half-living core, Banri understood what was going on.<br />
<br />
By some chance.<br />
<br />
Had these people come to the conclusion that he and Kouko... had broken up? Was this what their mysterious tension was all about? Were they afraid they were about to lose their only first-years? "Ah, I see!" he nodded without thinking, nodding in understanding. This this wasn't some sort of prank after all, and this chair wasn't going to explode, nor fly forward while stripping off his clothes. Well then, we're good... no, no, no! Confused and shaking his head,<br />
<br />
"......That's no good! What is this!? Why have you suddenly started talking like this!? There's no way we're breaking..."<br />
<br />
It was with that perfect timing.<br />
<br />
The sound of the knob being turned on the door leading to the stairs inside the shop made everyone turn their heads. The heavy door squealed as it finally, somewhat hesitantly, opened.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me! I wound up running late... uff, this thing is heavy......"<br />
<br />
Losing her battle against the door's weight, the door slammed shut. Her voice quickly faded out, but it was certainly Kouko's voice.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!? Are you okay!?"<br />
<br />
Banri tried to stand up, but the lanterns in his hands and the electric cords wrapped around his body made it difficult for him to move quickly. And he still hadn't been able to clear up the misunderstandings of the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"It's Robogirl...!"<br />
<br />
"That was Robogirl just now!"<br />
<br />
"Aah! That Robogirl's back from the heart repair shop!"<br />
<br />
"Hey guys! Let's all give a warm welcome to our broken Robogirl!"<br />
<br />
"Whoaa!"<br />
<br />
The seniors all raised their fists high one time, left where they were and dashed for the exit door. Because Banri had been comforted sufficiently, and the chisukou cookies already turned over to him, then they'd probably made up their minds. Banri had been left behind, but he staggered along, blinking in the cheerful illumination, but he still managed to get up and follow the upperclassmen's backs.<br />
<br />
"I said you're wrong! Our break-up..."<br />
<br />
Just as he was about to clear up their strange misunderstanding, the door opened wide. Kosshii-senpai pulled the heavy iron door open from this side.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the open door,<br />
<br />
"Th, thank you Senpai! I'm really sorry for showing up so late! I got swept up in a wave of people and wound up coming here!"<br />
<br />
Kouko......? But? ......She's here......?<br />
<br />
Everyone was a loss for words. Banri moaned too, unable to say anything... summer (was over).<br />
<br />
On the rooftop, which had been noisy the whole time, there suddenly fell a moment of silence. Only the sound of the wind and the clamour of the world below was alive and noisy, as there had been some mistake.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? Umm......? What? Is this place... all right? Ah, Banri... eh? What? What is it?"<br />
<br />
Several seconds passed, Kouko tilting her head much like Banri had a few short moments before, nobody able to say anything, when finally,<br />
<br />
"......Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai sank into a crouch as if for leg stretching exercises, his face composed as if posing for a camera. The right half of his body was pulled back, the left half extended forward. He greeted her formally. Th, that was it. Nothing else. One by one the other seniors said, "Please restrain yourselves!" "Please restrain yourselves!", and even Banri, like an idiot still in the twinkling lights repeated, "Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Having received a formal greeting from a dozen or so members of Omaken, a woman resembling Kouko stood there, frozen in the doorway with a bewildered look on her face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh, what should I do? ......Please restrain yourselves......?"<br />
<br />
For the moment, she followed Kosshii-senpai's example, extending one hand more or less as he had. For his part, he was in superb form, not moving in the slightest.<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much for having behaved yourselves! I am Koshino, and my nickname is Kosshii. With all due respect, Miss Robogirl, the young man that follows you around has something to say!"<br />
<br />
With the hand that was not extended, he signaled to Banri behind him to move. Strangely enough, Banri had no problem understanding what Kosshii-senpai was trying to tell him. He gulped it down freely, like water streaming from the rocks or <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_tofu mapo tofu]</span> stuffed into a fat man's mouth. Still with his legs spread wide (as the Illumination Man, no less) Banri stepped out before the upperclassmen and sticking out his chest in a pose like Michael Jackson, with his lower lip sticking out towards that Kouko-like person,<br />
<br />
"You are not a Yakuza lady!"<br />
<br />
He said it loudly.<br />
<br />
"Whaa...!?"<br />
<br />
That wasn't it. Really. He couldn't diss her!<br />
<br />
Kouko appeared there in a yukata, looking like a gangster's wife. She was wearing heavy, old-fashioned thick makeup that made her look like she was going to pick up a pistol at any moment. Her face was painted with pure white greasepaint, with frighteningly dark shadows. Her black eyebrows looked as if they had been drawn with a brush. The silver bridge of her nose rose in the middle of her face with a tremendous three-dimensional effect, and her lips were drawn in the style of the Showa period with blue, purple and pink rouge. Prepare yourself!<br />
<br />
She was wearing a stylish linen yukata, probably a high-end item, with the collar open in a daring way impossible for an amateur to get away with. Her excessively soft hair was swept fully back and tied way down low. What an airhead! If you're going to shoot, then shoot!<br />
<br />
Holding her hair back from her nape with her fingertip with the air of a forty-something person, Kouko said, "It's all a lie!"<br />
<br />
She said it without shame or hesitation. Whether lying or not, as she acted the part of the gangster lady to the utmost.<br />
<br />
"I mean, they had thought that we had broken up."<br />
<br />
"Whaaa!?"<br />
<br />
Her second denial was muffled when a strong wind slammed the door shut. <br />
<br />
"That's how rumors spread."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, that surprised me! To think they thought we had broken up."<br />
<br />
Setting aside her showing up all at once in heavy makeup from the Showa period,<br />
<br />
"Well, actually, yesterday was a close call."<br />
<br />
"No it wasn't, no it wasn't!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shook her head, saying she wasn't in that much danger. As she shook her head, she was trying to tear off some paper packing tape from her fingertip. Not knowing how to remove it, she used all her strength, tearing off the altogether too long, sticky, disgusting tape wrapped around her arms up to her elbows, then wrapping it around the fence railing.<br />
<br />
"...And with that, you're all set."<br />
<br />
The section so wrapped looked too big, turning into what looked like a praying mantis egg sack. The feeling she'd done a bad job was so strong that Banri instinctively wanted to tear it all down and redo it, no questions asked. But one of the upperclassmen happened to pass behind them, saying "What? Are you guys still doing that? Aren't you out of time?" He panicked, and quickly said, "Excuse me, I'll hurry up!" and started working on the next part. Banri would place the string of lights in place on the fence and hold them down, and then Kouko would tape them in place. The two first-years were both late, and their work so slow and useless, they were in quite a fix.<br />
<br />
It seemed that the fourth-year students had been told ahead of time to arrive late for the get-together. Preparations were moving ahead quickly to get the place ready before then. This rooftop space was apparently not usually open for guests and was too bleak even for Banri's eyes. But what do we do now? By the hands of the active Omaken members, the fence was wound about with twinkling lights (a work still in progress), and Omaken lanterns were hung around the tables (though they were just decorative cables hung from coat racks borrowed from the restaurant). While it was kind of cheap, it was also dazzling and mysterious, creating a unique atmosphere like a night stall in Bangkok (though he had never seen one before).<br />
<br />
And above all, there was the view. In just a few moments, the fireworks display would be unfurled in the unobstructed night sky. The bustle of the street below seemed to increase as the start time approached, and the noisy buzz reached this rooftop on the fourth floor.<br />
<br />
Many things had happened to get to this point, but as he crouched down and let the cool breeze ruffle his hair, Banri's heart frankly leapt. Best of all, Kouko was there by his side. ...Putting mantis eggs on the fence again and saying things like "Yeah, all right, we did it!", anyway, she was here. She was certainly lively.<br />
<br />
At that moment you could hear the upperclassmen cheering from over by the tables. Apparently, it had taken several people from the shop to bring in a huge container. The container, which was the size of a storage bin for clothing, could be seen to be packed full of ice, into which bottles of beer had been inserted to cool them down. Soft drinks had been brought to the tables earlier in plain, boring all-you-can-drink pitchers. It was such a busy day, they were on the rooftop, and the beer probably had some strange flavor along those lines... but the seniors had resigned themselves to many things.<br />
<br />
Glasses had been placed upside down on the tables, saucers and chopsticks were set in order. Next, there were three plates of salad piled high, three plates of fried potatoes, and three plates piled sky high with fried chicken. The volume of the dishes, which were piled almost desperately high, seemed to suggest that the shop wanted us to just eat quietly for a while so we wouldn't be coming and going very often.<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai stared at the left-over salad with a raised eyebrow, saying "Won't that dry up...?" Seeing him with both hands above the lettuce, some senior girls carrying chairs shouted at him, "Kosshii, get to work!" <br />
<br />
This guy was very probably the source of the rumor that Banri and Kouko had broken up. The muscular Koshino-senpai, their best male dancer, was relied on by all for everything from organizing the drinking parties to negotiating for off-campus activities.<br />
<br />
The first-year couple had not replied together to their invitations to attend. From that fact alone, Kosshii-senpai (Eh? These guys...) had jumped to conclusions.<br />
<br />
The pair of them, who had perfect attendance so far at every club event, seemed very vague. And Kouko, for her part, had been completely unreachable. Strange. Something must have happened, he thought.<br />
<br />
It seemed that from the moment they'd heard that the two of them had officially started going out, not only Kosshii-senpai, but all the members of Omaken had been feeling somewhat uneasy. Relationships between men and women were always fraught with trouble, so sooner or later they would part ways. Kosshii-senpai would say, "Will that breakup bring the unhappy end of Omaken, perhaps?" The other upperclassmen would nod in agreement as they heard those words.<br />
<br />
To the older members, there was only the two of them. They had finally snagged somebody, but it was only the two freshmen. If something happens between two people, and one quits, there is only one left. And a freshman alone is as good as gone. The next thing you know, it is no longer a club, the next generation ceases to exist and Omaken begins to end. It would be a miracle that a first-time relationship between freshmen could last for so many years, and from the outside looking in, it seemed that the two of them had so little in common that it would not be surprising if they were to have an awkward breakup at any moment.<br />
<br />
...Hearing that explanation, Kouko protested "We're not like that!", but Banri quietly thought, (Ah, the upperclassmen have no idea how stubborn Kouko is...) For that matter, he had come to realize he was pretty stubborn himself.<br />
<br />
And so, as Kosshii-senpai waited for a reply to his e-mail, he was very, very, veeery worried that something might have happened between the two of them. Banri's reply, saying he would be going, finally arrived the day before, but he said that he didn't know about Kouko, and that he thought she would be contacting him... not very informative!<br />
<br />
One monkey-faced junior, a guy who had been a high school basketball player and had only 10% body fat, seemed to shiver when he read that e-mail. He thought that the situation they had feared had finally come to pass. And then, as if to support that idea, no reply ever came back from Kouko. Kosshii-senpai became convinced that the two of him had come to nothing.<br />
<br />
So today, without telling Banri nor Kouko, the sophomores and juniors had gathered a little bit earlier. When Kosshii-senpai announced the breakup of the freshman couple, a tremor ran through the Omaken stalwarts. After many rambling discussions, the only thing that was clear was that they would do their best to treat them both warmly and care for them so that they would not quit the club. They all seemed to think of Banri as a nice, warm, soft, not too hard wrapper, kind of like a pie crust. Suddenly there appeared a face with ghastly makeup, showing up like a cursed face emerging from the darkness. Kosshii-senpai was truly astonished. Then upon realizing that what he believed was a misunderstanding, Kosshii-senpai was so relieved that he cried out "It's you! Thank God...!" and then grunted and slumped to the ground in a heap then and there.<br />
<br />
Kouko, on the other hand, said she had thought that Banri had contacted them all to say they would be participating.<br />
<br />
Yesterday. Her father had finished up his ramen and was just starting to wash up the dishes when Kouko finally woke up.<br />
<br />
Banri was just about to leave when Kouko called out with a low, husky voice, "Are you leaving?" When he answered, "Yes, I am," she said "...are things back to normal?" "Yes, they're back to normal," he answered back. When she said, looking off to one side, "Are you mad?", "Do you hate me?" and "I'm sorry about everything," he said, "I'm sorry too." That was all they said, but the words were enough. The words that would have followed were not spoken, and in the end, they would have been nothing but words. In the darkness behind Banri's eyelids, pink and white lights were flickering, and for a long time he saw a very dowdy Kouko there. The many overflowing emotions were simply there, and he wanted them to stay there.<br />
<br />
Folding the borrowed apron and setting in the low table, he tried to ask, "What will you do tomorrow?" He planned on participating, and if Kouko felt inclined to do so also, he said he'd be happy to go together with her. After all the back and forth up to now, knowing full well that Kouko's mental health had only just returned from the brink, he felt he shouldn't pressure her too hard to go. So he just said, "Think about it."<br />
<br />
In reply, Kouko gave him a vaguely dirty look and nodded. Banri thought that meant she would only think about it. But in reality, it was a cockeyed "Then I'll go." For the first time in a while, he felt his mind invaded by a bit of good, wholesome sleepiness. In that part of his mind, Banri decided he must inform the upperclassmen of his decision to participate. Because he was Banri. Because he was the boyfriend. Because he was the guy who made ramen for her father.<br />
<br />
And then Kouko decided to rejoin human society. She managed to reconstruct her battered feelings, ate a good meal that evening, took a bath and washed her hair. For the first time in a while she returned to the life of a young woman. She sent off e-mails to Mitsuo and Two Dimensions, and called Chinami on the phone. All of fifteen minutes after she hung up, she received replies from both the guys. Feeling exquisitely light, but at the same unable to hide a heaviness and wanting to cry, Kouko fell on to her bed and the next thing she knew, for some reason it was morning already. She had fallen fast asleep... and to her dismay, the dazzling light revealed an utter disaster under her chest. When she had thrown a pillow at the devilish expression on Banri's face, two bottles of body lotion had fallen and broke. Able to sleep after acting so violently, convinced there was nothing strange about that at all, Kouko quietly put them in order.<br />
<br />
Then she got her yukata ready and sent Banri an e-mail saying, "I'm going to wear my yukata!" So far, so good, but she hit a roadblock when she tried to get appointment with a salon to get outfitted. She refused to accept that they refused her an appointment, but when she called other salons she found herself utterly defeated. She had no choice but to go to the first salon she could find on the internet.<br />
<br />
It was a strange, dimly lit salon. A very old woman... no, a grandmother ran it by herself. She noticed the overwhelming smell of "grandma" the moment she entered, but it was too late. And then putting on her outfit, the old lady was strangely scary, and when she tried to twist her body a little to see herself in the mirror, she would get her butt slapped.<br />
<br />
When it was finally done and she was about to pay the bill, she was told that she had to get her makeup done right and was made to sit on a bench in front of the cash register. Powder was smashed onto her face with such force that it made her gag, and she was sent out of the shop without knowing what had been done to her. Already almost out of time, she hailed a taxi and flew on her way. Unexpectedly, the roads having been restricted because of the fireworks display, she had no choice but to run in her geta, and so arrived at the restaurant all out of breath. And she had been made to look like some idiotic yakuza wife.<br />
<br />
"......I wonder if my hair looks okay?"<br />
<br />
Kouko was still a little worried, touching her bangs with her fingertip.<br />
<br />
A little bit ago, the older girls thought it was all too much and took Kouko to the bathroom, makeup pouches in hand. In the ten minutes it took them to return, they had returned "Kaga Kouko" back to her normal self.<br />
<br />
With most of the makeup removed and a thin layer of powder patted back on, a translucent blush and a plump gloss, a beautiful woman had returned to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_era Heisei]</span> era. Her hair and bangs had also been braided. Her bun had been redone in a loose, youthful style. And it seemed they had redone how her clothing to make her look more mature, and yet exposed the nape of her neck.<br />
<br />
"You're okay, you're okay. Your hair and face are perfect. Even your yukata suits you."<br />
<br />
When Banri said that, Kouko broke out in a broad grin. A look... of perfect smugness. Crouching down and making more praying mantis egg-sacks, while also looking really happy, shaking her head from side to side. She seemed to be saying, "How do I look, how do I look?" As for that triumphant look, she had such a beautiful modern face, impeccably well done up, there was no way one could allow such wonderfully overflowing <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Gosha Gosha-ism]</span> be looked down upon. Banri was rather impressed by the old lady at the salon. Or rather, wasn't her technique amazing?<br />
<br />
Even with packing tape in her hands, Kouko looked truly stunning in her yukata. The dark gray dyed linen looked great against her translucent, pure white skin. The obi was a cool white color with a light blue <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)#Accessories_for_women's_obi obijime]</span> fastened to it. The antique-style obi clasp was a deep purple colored stone, and if you looked closely, you could see that it was shaped like a rose. And of course, since it was for Omaken, there was a yes-no fan hung from the obi. All the yukata giants were like that: Banri had one too.<br />
<br />
"You see, this yukata was made this year. When summer started, I told myself that I would definitely go with Banri to see the fireworks! No, I decided we would go, and so I had it made special express order. I'm glad I had the occasion to wear it."<br />
<br />
Once more tearing off a wasteful length of packing tape, Kouko fixed in place a cable Banri was holding as she gazed up towards the sky.<br />
<br />
"Why don't they just start?"<br />
<br />
That child-like, innocent way of speaking filled Banri's heart all at once with genuine anticipation. It was mostly likely due to having been without Kouko for a whole week, but with his own feelings on top of that, and it all being shoved down his throat all at once. It was so sudden he could barely keep himself from crying out loud.<br />
<br />
Saying only, "...Isn't it about to start?" Banri laughed.<br />
<br />
The sky was not yet completely dark, and only a pair of huge gasoline tanks across the flood plain were entirely black. Seeing them lined up, the smiling Kouko suddenly pointed at them.<br />
<br />
"I hope they don't catch fire."<br />
<br />
She grinned. Banri said nothing.<br />
<br />
She said it as innocently as a child. It was genuinely ominous. It wasn't "Aaah! The fireworks will start soon, and that will catch fire, and I wonder if all this area will be blown to bits! Look! (lol)", but rather "Aah, I shouldn't say ‘I wonder if there is a chance the fireworks will make that catch fire?' I'm an idiot (lol)," he believed, ignoring it. Ignored. Getting back on track,<br />
<br />
"Well, really, what to say... I'm glad. For now. I was able to come and be here with you."<br />
<br />
Though Banri had muttered something unintentionally sincere, Kouko nodded deeply too.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. I'm glad. Really."<br />
<br />
If they had made some sort of mistake in yesterday's awful bit of theatre, then around now the two of them really would have wound up in a situation just like Kosshii-senpai's misunderstanding. With this in mind, Banri tried to ask.<br />
<br />
......If by chance we had broken up, do you think they would have tried to follow up and recover us in the way they did before? I would hope we would not wind up retiring from Omaken."<br />
<br />
As she continued energetically making praying mantis eggs, Kouko shook her head side to side and at once said, "There's no way."<br />
<br />
"You don't think so?"<br />
<br />
"No, I don't. First of all, I would not even have come here. Then I would never see the seniors again. I mean, I would never have gone outside again. I would have hidden myself in my room. I would have quit the university and its clubs. My hair would grow out long, greasy and sticky. I would become hairy and fat, and would never take a bath. I would be a beast unable to talk. I would turn into a truffle pig. How would you say it, it would be what's it called... what's it called... what's it called..."<br />
<br />
She looked at Banri's face for a bit, then "......Ah, I lost it! Even though I only just got here!"<br />
<br />
Ruefully pointing at his throat, he was squirming with regret over the probably useless, but surely lost "what's it called?" The one regretting was Banri.<br />
<br />
"......Are you growing a beard!?"<br />
<br />
"You can grow one, can't you? It may be peach fuzz, but if try your best it will turn into a nice fluffy beard."<br />
<br />
He rubbed around his chin with his fingertip. At that moment, as Banri was trying to show her how they moved, his chest filling once more with heartfelt regret, the announcement from the fireworks venue came to his ears.<br />
<br />
The other upperclassmen seemed to notice, and saying "What'd they say?", "Ugh, I couldn't hear it... are they starting?", "Are they starting already?" they strained their ears, but the sound simply echoed between the buildings in a weird way, and the tumult and the wind blocked it, and they could not understand clearly what was being announced.<br />
<br />
Then all of a sudden, Kosshii-senpai said, "Oh, wow! Everyone stop what you're doing, gather around and listen to me!"<br />
<br />
Cell-phone in one hand, he called everyone to gather around him. Banri and Kouko stopped what they were doing too and hurried over to the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to read a text I got just now from my senpai! 'Kosshii, you're always the same! You're really handsome and cool, and you're built too...'"<br />
<br />
He passed it around the circle.<br />
<br />
"Sorry, excuse me, pardon me! 'Kosshii, always the same! I'm on the way from the station right now. Only Hosshii isn't with us, but we think he'll be dressed up shortly. By the way, it looks like Hosshii finally got a job offer.'"<br />
<br />
"You're kidding, seriously?" Voices arose from the circle of seniors. Even Banri clenched his fists.<br />
<br />
So far this summer, all of Omaken's fourth-year students had been struggling to find jobs. Suddenly, as if a hold had been lifted, job offers were being made in rapid succession. The younger students were naturally happy and congratulatory, but only Hoshino-senpai, a.k.a. Hosshii, the leader of all omaken, had not yet received a job offer, so it was natural to imagine his inner impatience, and he had yet to openly celebrate.<br />
<br />
So now, at long last, that was settled.<br />
<br />
"She said, 'Hosshii, you said you weren't coming today if your final interviews didn't work out, but you came! I'm so glad!'"<br />
<br />
"Ya-hoo!" Kosshii-senpai raised his fist high in a very determined pose, and the circle of people surrounding him spontaneously applauded. The fourth-years who should have been getting the applause had not yet arrived, and as much as they would have loved to receive it, they could not. Banri was clapping his hands as hard and furiously as he could too.<br />
<br />
As for the fourth-year seniors, they all shouted "Wonderful!" from the heart. If Hosshii-senpai's informal job offer worked out, they would be feeling especially good for him. Around when Banri first met him, he was already tired of job hunting. He was in a constant state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. When they met, he was so wretched he was falling apart. And he would not have been surprised to see his future self in the same state. Kouko seemed to feel it too, smiling and clapping with packing tape stuck to her fingertips. <br />
<br />
Just then, the fourth-years made their appearance, one after another... all but Hosshii-senpai. As soon as the door opened their faces lit up with smiles as they said "Wow!" and "What's this? Isn't it something!?"<br />
<br />
"Congratulations!"<br />
<br />
Naturally, their voices were mixed with those of the younger students greeting them. The applause turned into a loud, rhythmic beat, and everyone formed a ring around the fourth-years. Facing each other, they clasped their hands and raised them high, making a tunnel of arms to greet those that had returned proudly from the front lines of the job search. As they clapped loudly together, Banri truly regretted that he had not entirely finished his preparations. Oh he wished he could have greeted these people with a more perfect setting...!<br />
<br />
"Wow, this is so nice! Wait a little more, eh, no way, this sort of thing, you've moved me... I'm going to cry..."<br />
<br />
One senior, overcome by emotion and wiping the corner of his eye,<br />
<br />
"......Hey!"<br />
<br />
He'd been dead tired like this since noon. But he could really jerk that chin of his. It was amazing how far he could move his chin and stretch his face. And just like that, the fourth-years all at once cried out "Hey!", then one after another "Hey!", with evil eyes "Hey!", with their eyes closed "Hey!", and when they saw it, all the younger students naturally grunted as hard as they could.<br />
<br />
"Ngh...! Ngh...! Ngh...!"<br />
<br />
It was their privilege to back them up. To help their seniors feel better, bent down as if they were casting fishing nets, not caring if the hems of their yukatas got messed up, they grunted so hard it was like they were about to rip their bodies apart. Everyone: the guys, the giants, even the golden robo-girl, were moving furiously together in the Omaken tradition of twisting their whole bodies like crazy. Over there,<br />
<br />
"Oh, yeah! Are you doing it!? Hey! Hey! Heeey!"<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai was that sort of person, expressing himself with amazing poses, strangely light movements and amazing triple turns. "There he is! Hosshii's divine pirouette!" "A perfect arabesque!" "He doesn't move at all!" "Hey, he's standing en pointe!" ...To Banri, the other senior's echoing words sounded like nothing less than an incantation, but anyway he understood how the super high-energy Hosshii-senpai looked. Of course the guy who got the interview was different! Besides, this was the first time he'd seen Hosshii-senpai looking like that!<br />
<br />
Bravo! All around the posing Hosshii-senpai, praising him, the first, second, third and fourth years, all the Omaken members here rushed him, cheering. It was not unlike how people would rush to gather around <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinpachi-sensei Kinpachi-sensei]</span> of Class 3B ("Third Years, Class B!"... "Kinpachi-sensei!").<br />
<br />
The events of the next thirty seconds would come to be remembered as the "Thirty Second Whiteout" in the history of Omaken.<br />
<br />
Zero seconds.<br />
<br />
The first thing to happen was the huge chorus of "Hosshii, congratulations on the tentative offer!" This was followed by the fourth-years shouting as one, "Now we'll all get job offers!" ...They all jumped up in excitement and shouted "Hurray!" They were stupid college students. Unable to handle the excitement in their hearts, they couldn't help themselves. For now, they all shouted and leapt into the air. Almost everyone landed at the same time, and the impact caused all the towers - salad, potato, and karaoke - to collapse at once.<br />
<br />
Three seconds.<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai muttered, "......Eh?"<br />
<br />
Five seconds.<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see......"<br />
<br />
Eight seconds.<br />
<br />
......I'm sorry. ...I haven't received the job offer yet. ...I went to the very last interview the other day, but even that was with me praying. ......I'm sorry. Sorry, everyone. ...I thought I needed a change of pace, and so I wound up coming in spite of not having received a job offer. Society has no need of me, but I came anyway. Sorry."<br />
<br />
He bowed his head.<br />
<br />
Thirteen seconds.<br />
<br />
Nobody could say anything. In the blank silence, Hosshii-senpai danced round and round with amazing energy, backing off little by little from the distance they'd all closed around him. You could think the air was one in which all the atoms in the world had been made to stand still.<br />
<br />
Fifteen seconds.<br />
<br />
With a clang, the entry door opened, and directly in front of Hosshii-senpai there appeared a bizarre, teary-eyed, luminous figure.<br />
<br />
It was a figure in a sleeveless white cotton blouse, three-quarter length slim jeans and sandals. "Is that Linda?" said someone, sounding stupid. They weren't sure if she'd grown her hair out or lost weight, but anyhow something was different. She looked so beautiful and fresh, and even her aura seemed to have been whetted.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Something feels off."<br />
<br />
Eighteen seconds.<br />
<br />
"I mean, I mean, I mean..."<br />
<br />
Both of Linda's eyes caught sight of Banri and Kouko. And then suddenly, she walked up, placed herself in front of them and declared forcefully but with uncertain meaning, "I mean!" Her wide-open eyes sparkled as always, her pupils looked deep and perfectly clear, and together with her skin, which looked transparent to the extreme, she was strangely beautiful. For a moment, Linda's moist lips opened and closed as her finger alternated pointing at the two faces lined up before her.<br />
<br />
Twenty seconds.<br />
<br />
And then suddenly it started. It was the great fireworks display.<br />
<br />
Linda was still saying, "I mean", "I mean", but naturally, the fireworks started. That's why we were all gathered together. It would be even more a case had they not started. So naturally, up there in the sky, it started on schedule. But if you called it "normal", a normal fireworks display would start, for example, with "Boom! ...Pop pop pop..." "Wow, how pretty!" "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumidagawa_Fireworks_Festival) Taamaya!]</span>" --- that was the sort of thing that Banri and the other members thought. But in reality,<br />
<br />
''Zuddaan zzuddan zzuddaan zzuddaan ddoan ddoan ddoan ddoan dandandan zudaddan~ barubarubaru~ zudadada~~ nzzudoan ddon ddan ddon ddon doun doun donu!, boon nuu donma! Zudadan zuddab zudadab zubabababa!''<br />
<br />
......ngh, this. This, isn't this some sort of mistake?<br />
<br />
Suddenly, he wondered if they weren't overdoing it.<br />
<br />
Is it okay like this?<br />
<br />
I mean, it's scary.<br />
<br />
What is this?<br />
<br />
There was a series of colorful outbursts that seemed to have gone crazy. With awful random bursts in the night sky, there were suddenly violent explosions all over the place. Suddenly there were too many and too loud, anyway they were somehow too much. It was a huge explosion of fireworks taken to the extreme. The fireballs were still rising one after another through the dense trails of smoke. One after the other, with such desperate determination that it's almost painful, they explode without hesitation: big, medium, small, big, medium, small, big, medium, small, high, low, high, low. Incredibly huge explosions, lines of flame spreading in all directions, stretching long like tentacles, riding and dripping and invading the night sky, overlapping and coloring them. And then there was the loud rumble shaking him from the soles of his feet to the pit of his stomach. The smell of gunpowder was so thick it hurt his nose. Banri was ashamed. He found that when one is in the presence of a big explosion, one gets ashamed. He was being made fun of for no reason, could not defend himself, and was being made a public laughing stock: a long hungered for buffet entirely consumed. All he could think of was running away. But probably everyone else felt the same, tens of thousands of blushing faces looking up, silent and still like the other Omaken from the very start of the opening round of the tremendous fireworks show.<br />
<br />
Twenty-eight seconds.<br />
<br />
Banri looked at Kouko's face. Kouko looked at Banri's face too.<br />
<br />
All sorts of thoughts came and went in their hearts, but they could not say anything to each other. First, "The fireworks are too much," no, before that "What'll we do about Hosshii?", followed by "What's wrong with Linda?"<br />
<br />
Yesterday they were on the verge of breaking up. But now here they were, standing together in the middle of turmoil and embarrassment, ...so, ...there wasn't anything particular to say.<br />
<br />
For the moment they were holding hands. Without knowing why they raised them high, and Banri opened his mouth. Kouko followed suit, and with exactly the same timing breathed in. They were a couple, after all. One heart. Face to face, (ready, set,)<br />
<br />
" "Is it a good time for a waltz!?" "<br />
<br />
......Waltz! Banri. Shall we dance? Kouko.<br />
<br />
All that in 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As the one guilty of spreading false information twice already today, Kosshii-senpai was condemned to slavery of his own free will. He went around and poured drinks for the other seniors and even the younger members, and if there were additional orders, he had to run down the stairs to the kitchen to tell them. "Kosshii! Fritters!" "Ah, yes sir!" "Kosshii! Get me water!" "Yes, yes!" "Kosshii! Change your name!" "Yep, I'm Chousshii!" "Chousshii! Rhyme it!" "...Um... Chicken I give you, fireworks I give you, myself I give you, I give you..." "Chousshii! Reflect on what you've done!" ......He quietly answered, "...I'm sorry!" under the booming fireworks in the night sky, behaving ridiculously like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doraemon_characters Gouda Takeshi the Giant]</span>.<br />
<br />
The special chairs lined up against the fence were occupied by the women, of course, and they were enjoying the powerful fireworks before them, oohing and aahing over them excitedly. The other members were enjoying the event in their own ways, taking seats at the most appropriate tables or moving their chairs so they could see better. Even Hosshii-senpai was looking calm and collected, sometimes playing the part of the slave and occasionally laughing lightly at the right times. He frowned for a while after the toast, but as the drinks started glowing he didn't seem to care anymore.<br />
<br />
The smell of gunpowder and the noise of the fireworks were carried to them by the end-of-summer night breeze. They launched a series of fireworks looking like smileys and the women tried to take pictures with their cell-phones, shouting "Night mode!" and "Flash!?" A petite waitress came staggering under two large plates with yakitori, one in each hand. Kosshii and another third-year student hurriedly ran to lend a hand. "Like this!" "Like this?" "Like this!" "Like this?" For some reason, the fourth-year students stood up in a row and suddenly started spinning on one leg in a spectacular fashion. "Ugh, my drink is spinning!" ... or so it probably seemed.<br />
<br />
And just what seemed to be the darkest thing in this fun and noisy drinking party right now?<br />
<br />
"...And that is how I wound up disappearing for a whole week..."<br />
<br />
Kouko, that's who.<br />
<br />
"...I really thought I would just disappear that time..."<br />
<br />
And just like that, she bowed so deeply it looked like she was planting her face in the ground, turning the back of her head completely towards the long awaited fireworks. In her hand was a glass of oolong tea with the ice all melted. As if his dark and gloomy state had been juxtaposed against the night sky's gaudy excitement. The fireworks burst one after another, punching them in the stomachs. They twinkled going from green to red, faded from red to yellow, then vanished to a momentary darkness.<br />
<br />
"You're an idiot."<br />
<br />
With unchanging excitement, they were punched once more. But, when you multiply zero by zero, in the end it is still zero. The phrase "You're an idiot," which never contained any anger or scolding to begin with, turned into just four invisible words and melted away into the noisy atmosphere of the drinking party. Still looking wistfully over at Linda, Kouko was still nodding her head.<br />
<br />
Linda and Kouko, and then Banri making three, moved their chairs a little apart and got to talking. Having heard that Kouko had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving Banri and the others and gotten into an accident, after which they'd lost all contact with her, Linda rounded on them once the drinking part had started and angrily said, "You mean something happened!? Are you okay!?" The source of the information was probably a piece of crap... well, let's set that aside for now. Anyway, Linda seemed truly worried, so Banri and Kouko took formation and explained to her the whole situation.<br />
<br />
Perhaps matching Banri and Kouko, Linda had an oolong tea in one hand too. As she started to speak, Kouko's expression got darker and darker, as if some sort of muddy color was getting mixed with it. Linda didn't interrupt, but kept a serious look on her face and listened until the end of the long, boring (and frankly not funny) story. When in the end Kouko's expression had become completely dark, Linda shot an invisible "You're an idiot," twice at the tip of her nose.<br />
<br />
"If there was nothing else, then anyway that was good. I had only heard parts of the story, and was really scared, wondering what on earth had happened. As an outsider, and didn't understand the situation, I was rather hesitant to try and contact you... ah, what a relief. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."<br />
<br />
She grinned and laughed.<br />
<br />
Her smile was so bright and honest.<br />
<br />
When Kouko at long last raised her head, even Banri could see the look of obvious relief in her eyes. This was probably the first time that Kouko had ever seen someone so genuinely happy about her safety. Her father being who he was, he had not taken pleasure in the fact that in spite of her obvious blunders, his daughter was safe. Kouko was hit, scolded and blamed, and not even that was enough. She got angry at herself, blamed herself, could not forgive herself, she refused to accept the consolation of the good friends she had put into danger, and her mind remained unbalanced...<br />
<br />
"......Phew......"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, she made a sound as of air escaping from her. Then scrunching her face up as hard as she could, she pressed her face into Linda's shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Oh... my."<br />
<br />
Tapping Kouko on the head lightly so as not to mess up her hairstyle, resting her cheek against the top of her head, Linda called out "Hey" to Kouko twice. But Kouko didn't raise her face, so Linda stayed still for a while, and then took a long, gentle breath. As she did so, she looked gently at Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"You're okay too, right?"<br />
<br />
"You're asking me!?" said Banri, giving her a vigorous thumbs up. From his temples, from his arm muscles, and from his armpits, his criss-crossing veins were bulging like crazy. Linda looked like she hardly keep from laughing at the sight of such a full power thumbs up, her eyes curled up like cute fishcakes. And then, with a heavy Kyuushu accent,<br />
<br />
"All right, gotcha. This is boring!"<br />
<br />
Of course, Linda had nothing to do with Kyuushu.<br />
<br />
"When I found out, I figured it was worth coming all the way from my parent's house. I was worried the Shinkansen would run late, but I got here just on time. And I got to see Kosshii-senpai playing the part of a slave. But that guy's awful. How will he turn out? What sickness will he pretend to have?"<br />
<br />
When Kouko finally raised her head, "Hehe", looking a little embarrassed, she quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Then, as always, she gave Linda an energetic, pretty and perfect smile.<br />
<br />
"Senpai, you went back to Shizuoka?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Last week, no, I've been back at my parent's place for a while now, and I wasn't planning on coming back for a while yet. I had some things to take care of there. So actually, I intended on skipping today too, but I heard about the accident and couldn't calm down, so in the end I came back. After this I'll be taking the Shinkansen back home."<br />
<br />
"Wow, you did that because of me!? I'm, I'm sorry... I made you worry."<br />
<br />
"No, no, I was the one worrying on my own. If Kouko's good, then Banri's OK!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine, so fine I'm sorry."<br />
<br />
Bouncing around looking genuinely apologetic, her head popped up as if spring-loaded when an old-fashioned weeping-willow shell blew up with a bang, sparkling as it burst and slowly stretching down, hanging down like a long stream. As he blinked, captivated by the sparkling, Banri sighed in his thoughts. Come to think of it, had he ever seen such a huge firework spreading across the night sky before? If he had, he wondered who he had seen it with, and what did he think? He wondered what memories he had been thinking of on those late summer nights?<br />
<br />
He watched until the weeping willows melted into the blackness of the night and the last speck of fire had been extinguished, then,<br />
<br />
"...Fireworks sure are pretty things, aren't they?"<br />
<br />
It seemed that Kouko had heard him mumbling something to himself.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Is this perhaps the first time you've seen fireworks, Banri?"<br />
<br />
"Perhaps. At the least, my present self has no memories of them."<br />
<br />
"I see. Then how about hand-held fireworks? Have you ever done that?"<br />
<br />
"No, no. I know what they are in general, but I have virtually no experience with them."<br />
<br />
"Whaa... then you have to do it! You're Japanese, so you have to play with <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_snake_(firework) Black Snakes]</span> (and feel the vibrations of things that don't live long!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Banri and Kouko start talking normally, Linda casually looked over towards the table where the second-years were making a lot of noise. Banri saw this out of the corner of his eye. As if she had waited for just the right moment to join in on the conversation at the table, Linda quietly began to stand up. Banri hesitated, but thinking it was his last chance, he glanced over to Kouko's eyes. Kouko gave him a confused look. Let's go, thought Banri as he steeled himself. He had promised, so he would go.<br />
<br />
And then,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, have you set off fireworks in the past?"<br />
<br />
That was bold.<br />
<br />
As if she were startled, Linda opened both eyes wide. She could see that Kouko was also leaning over slightly and holding her breath.<br />
<br />
Caught by surprise, Linda's poker face crumbled, but stiffened once more in the light of the fireworks which began exploding in rapid succession.<br />
<br />
...It wasn't like he wanted to cause any trouble for this person. That wasn't it... Banri was troubled as well and forgot entirely what he was about to say. In an instant, silence fell.<br />
<br />
Now he wished he had never said he was pretending that his past had never happened. He wanted to do it over right, but for the time being is was just winging it. But, of course, it wasn't something he could do smartly, and there were still awkward silences happening. That was all there was to it... perhaps it was a troublesome challenge for Linda to try and minimize such things.<br />
<br />
Banri really didn't have much of a plan to back it up with, so he could only stay quiet.<br />
<br />
Linda looked back at Banri with a troubled expression, blinking her eyes silently. ...At a time like this, of course, he wondered if she had lost some weight. Her features looked slimmer, and her two cool eyes were crazy large, moist and sparkling. She looked a little different from before. She looked much prettier.<br />
<br />
Time seemed to stop and a silence fell between the two former classmates.<br />
<br />
"......Senpai, were you in the same class with Banri all three years in high school?"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, somebody started talking strangely clear.<br />
<br />
"I heard from Banri you were in track and field! Senpai, you must have a really fast runner. Somehow, that makes sense. By the way, I was in the ESS, the English Speaking Club, but I was so caught up in stalking a certain childhood friend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year that I had no spare time, so I was only an imaginary member through my graduation. Aha! I guess I really was!"<br />
<br />
The only person completely out of touch with her surroundings and unable to read the room. It was Kouko, of course.<br />
<br />
When Kouko showed how clueless she was like this, Linda's confusion became even more apparent as she blinked more quickly. She could be seen looking even more sharply at Banri's eyes. ...Weren't you supposed to pretend that never happened? What's going on with you guys? Those eyes seemed to be saying that. The fireworks reflected off her wide open eyes, sparkling.<br />
<br />
(Sorry. I'll do it over. Please let me do it over. I made a mistake.)<br />
<br />
Banri replied with only his eyes, and held his breath as if he were praying.<br />
<br />
If Linda were to walk away pretending she saw nothing, if the subject were never brought up again, he felt like he would never be able to take on a challenge like this again. Please, please let me try again. Linda. Please. I'm asking you, so please remember. Let the me I don't even know come to life in this world once more. Please prove that I existed. I'm begging you, so once more...<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see."<br />
<br />
Her cheeks relaxing, Linda lowered herself back into the chair. She sat down once more, then relaxed, stretching both her sandaled feet out before her.<br />
<br />
"Last year a typhoon struck at just the wrong time, so we didn't do it. You see, Tada Banri, Shimada has a fireworks display every year."<br />
<br />
Linda.<br />
<br />
Gulp, a feeling as of a lump rose in his throat, but he swallowed with an innocent look on his face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? No way, I had no idea!"<br />
<br />
"It looks like they did some just this year. Well, this is much more amazing, of course. ...In any case, you've played with hand-held fireworks too. You asked if you'd ever done it? Take a look at the shin of your left leg."<br />
<br />
Banri rolled up the bottom of his jeans and looked at his left shin as Linda told him to. Kouko came and peeked too, and said, "Ew, leg hair..." Of course he had leg hair. He was alive after all.<br />
<br />
Even so, amongst leg hair somewhat sparse for a man of his age, there was a slightly raised, faintly purplish scar. It wasn't particularly noticeable, and he hadn't paid it much attention up to now.<br />
<br />
"That is a burn mark. During summer camp in our second year in high school, we all set off fireworks. You and I from a little ways away lighting some simple incense sticks, but just then a rocket firework headed straight for us and fell with a bang. When I realized, I shouted 'Ahh!'"<br />
<br />
"Huh!? That... hold on!?"<br />
<br />
''BANG!'' Banri suddenly stood up. An image flashed through his head. Linda screaming. Watch out! He jumped sideways automatically in a cool move... yeah, he had to have. Turning around to face Linda and Kouko, Banri stiffened his expression and pointed at his temple with the index finger. ''BANG!''<br />
<br />
"I might just remember that episode! It came back to me clearly here! So, it's got to be, I got injured while trying to protect Linda-senpai...! Ah, I finally remember!"<br />
<br />
"Huh? You got it wrong."<br />
<br />
Linda cooly shook her head.<br />
<br />
"I ran away quickly, but you were too slow. Then boom! You got hit by the rocket, got burned, and there was a huge commotion. That was a mess. The coach was white as a sheet, you panicked like you'd lost your leg, and since then our club's summer fireworks tradition has been scrapped.<br />
<br />
"Ah... that's how it went?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that time, I was the only one who ran away."<br />
<br />
"......It's all right, really..."<br />
<br />
Banri quietly lowered the fingers which had been making BANG! He wondered how many people had lost sight of their index finger of destiny like this in history. When Columbus began to regret, he must have been pointing his finger in a more definite direction. This finger of his was already somebody else's index finger. No, a mysterious index finger. ...Enough already, may such an embarrassing finger explode from the first joint. From now on he should just live with the rough marks of an explosion as his fingerprints.<br />
<br />
"......Pfft!" Regarding what she spouted out, "Were you trying to make something up just now? You were, weren't you?"<br />
<br />
Kouko couldn't help but chuckle. With no intention of hiding her malicious intent, Kouko looked up from below at the now-standing Banri's face. Shut up... you got it wrong... he insisted with face turned away from her. "You were trying to make up a story, right? You were trying to look cool?" Pf, pfft! ...I wonder if this guy isn't really my friend.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous, Linda-senpai. Please be strict with Banri so he doesn't go making up stories about his past to suit his own convenience."<br />
<br />
"So it seems, fabrications..."<br />
<br />
......Heh heh. Not good, he thought. Casually lowering her head, Linda let out a small chuckle too. Banri's cheeks instantly became hot.<br />
<br />
"I, I'm not making it all up! ...In my case, it's hard to tell where my memory ends and my imagination starts!"<br />
<br />
"'It's hard to tell where memory ends and imagination starts'! What a great quote! Amazing! I'll have to start using that one myself."<br />
<br />
Finally, Kouko broke out laughing loudly. As if caught up as well, Linda started laughing, her shoulders shaking.<br />
<br />
"...Jeez! Just say what you want to say! If you want to laugh, then laugh!"<br />
<br />
Banri sulked, his face red. Now he was sulking! He was sulking because he was being laughed at! He was completely aware of that, and sulked with all his might. Seeing him sulking, Kouko said, suddenly lowering her voice and turning serious, "In other words, Banri." Wondering what she would say,<br />
<br />
"Banri, don't you think that you ought to go home like Linda and show your parents you are doing okay? I think they would be worried over the matter of your accident, and if they don't see for themselves, they'd just cross the line between worry and imagination, just like me."<br />
<br />
She said that with a bright, beautiful smile. So timid just a moment ago, she suddenly got like this now that it was her turn to play. Still feeling a bit sulky, Banri slumped back down into his chair.<br />
<br />
"Hey, even if you hadn't told me to, I'll be going back home soon. My parents even told me to."<br />
<br />
Besides, he'd decided not to run from his past anymore. Upon hearing Banri's half-sulky reply, Kouko turned to Linda with a smile and said,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, if you have the time, could you please go over to Banri's house and pay them a visit?" <br />
<br />
"Could you do that for us?" she said, bowing to Linda and Banri by her side as if they were an up-and-coming idol and her manager. Banri instinctively followed suit. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"...Hey. Hold on."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly stopped laughing.<br />
<br />
"I didn't really mean to say this but... I mean, is it okay to say it?"<br />
<br />
Even if somebody had asked Banri or Kouko what they were confused about, they wouldn't be able to say. When they reflexively looked at each other, Linda crossed her sandals slightly and shook them restlessly,<br />
<br />
"Didn't I say just now that I have something to do there?"<br />
<br />
Apparently it was okay to say it. Looking up at Banri's face,<br />
<br />
"Actually, we have a high school class reunion this week." She said, "Well, I thought you had no intention of coming, and I thought it would be rude to force you to come, so I was just keeping quiet about it. But... what if you want to? What if, even for just a moment, if you feel like it, would you mind showing up?"<br />
<br />
As expected,<br />
<br />
"......Eh?......"<br />
<br />
He gulped. That was the only sound that escaped him. Class reunion? With this timing? Banri froze as he was, forgetting even to breathe.<br />
<br />
He had firmly decided to stop running from his past. He was decided. But it was a decision he had only just made... was it a bit too high a hurdle to suddenly face at such an early stage? Wasn't it all too sudden? It was as if Teruo Eda (T/N: a famous jockey) were there waiting for a dripping wet foal that had only just stood up.<br />
<br />
"No, I wouldn't force you, of course not! It's only hypothetical."<br />
<br />
Watching Banri's expression change as soon as he heard the expression "class reunion", Linda hurriedly shook her hands from side to side and smiled at him.<br />
<br />
"Just, for now... because everyone has been worrying about you for so long, if you came and showed them how you are, I think they would be truly happy. I won't tell you to come. But I wanted to tell you that one thing."<br />
<br />
...About you for so long.<br />
<br />
Still unable to breathe, Banri hung his head as if Linda's words were going back and forth inside his head, over and over again. Worrying... This whole time, about him?<br />
<br />
A whole week until yesterday, unable to get ahold of Kouko, he had been feeling truly depressed. No matter what he did, he felt anxious and uneasy, kept on imagining strange things, and he was just so scared. When he thought about it, he'd been doing the same thing to his friends for a year and a half.<br />
<br />
Had he been doing such an awful thing?<br />
<br />
But. How should he approach going there? He was well aware that he was no longer the Tada Banri his classmates hoped to see, and it would be like showing up in the middle of an away game. After making so many people worry, he would come out as an entirely different person. He would surely betray their expectations and cause them as much disappointment as were their worries. Just imagining himself in the middle of that surging mass of disappointment, with a stupid, grinning look on his face... he felt an icy trickle of sweat dripping down the surface of his heart. They were lined up in a row with disappointed looks on their faces. This guy's not him. Away with you. Have some shame. You don't belong here. And so on.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, with a loud bang, everything in Banri's field of vision was washed out by fireworks exploding again. Bright streaks of flame spread clearly across the night sky with a strange three-dimensional effect.<br />
<br />
"Senpai. Banri will be participating."<br />
<br />
"Eh!" exclaimed Linda. For a moment, what Kouko had said didn't make sense to Banri.<br />
<br />
"...Eh!?"<br />
<br />
He was surprised for a full three seconds. "Eh?" Kouko turned around right away. Just how many "eh"s does this situation plan on having?<br />
<br />
"You'll do it? Eh? Or not?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? You'll do it...?"<br />
<br />
"I'll do it? I will!"<br />
<br />
Kouko faced Linda, flashed a bright smile once more, and declared that Banri would be taking part. When he asserted this without hesitation, even Banri thought to himself, "Is that so?" Yes, that's right, he would participate. In the reunion. To be riddled with bullets of disappointment.<br />
<br />
Linda looked silently and worried in Banri's eyes. At that, Banri gave a single nod.<br />
<br />
"...Yes. I will go. I will participate in the class reunion."<br />
<br />
Oh well, he thought. Thanks to Kouko, he was able to accept it.<br />
<br />
And if he wound up being turned into a honeycomb, then so be it. Should he not get a taste of being an adult honeycomb? That's who he was. He was the kind of guy who shows up and disappoints people. No matter what you do, you can only be yourself. No matter how hard you try to run away from yourself, in the end it is you who is running away. Therefore, you must accept your fate and live your life as you are. It is much better if you can live without running, and without stress.<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze wavered as if she were confused, but at length she quietly stopped moving. She looked Banri straight in the eye and said in a low, short voice, "This is going to be a mess."<br />
<br />
"Got it. Well then... come on."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Banri and Kouko were so tempted by the "Bakuretsu Monja" (Explosive <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monjayaki Monjayaki]</span>)) that was being sold at a food stall that they excused themselves from the drinking party and left together.<br />
<br />
The fireworks were just reaching the climax of the second half, and he thought that the audience would be really into watching and the food stands would be empty, but it seemed he was wrong. When they left the shop, the streets were overflowing with people dressed in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata yukata]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> and other casual summer styles, covered with sweat, crowding noisily around the dazzling food stands, with long queues forming in all directions. In their hands were cans of beer, bottles of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune Ramune]</span>, cotton candy, yakisoba, yakitori and corn. Banri was in no position to criticize the people with dreamy looks on their faces were walking from shop to shop, but it was the perfect example of preferring food to flowers.<br />
<br />
"Ah! Look at that Banri!"<br />
<br />
"Wow! Seriously!?"<br />
<br />
Over where Kouko was pointing, "Explosive Monja" was written on the eaves. Affixed to this, "Sold out in Japan!" was written in big letters. In the deafening roar of the fireworks and the hot, humid crowd, the two of them had no choice but to stop and look at each other in surprise. Kouko, disappointed, looked up and stomped her feet childishly.<br />
<br />
"No way, no way, no way! This just makes me even more worried!"<br />
<br />
Grabbing Banri's hand and shaking it, she threw a tantrum. Kouko had spotted this food stall on the way to the shop and wondered what it was. She decided that afterwards she would have to go there with Banri! Even so,<br />
<br />
"It's sold out…! I wonder if it really was that good?"<br />
<br />
"It isn't regular Monja! It, is, something, explosive! Ah, but I can't imagine it!"<br />
<br />
"For now, I'm feeling a little frustrated!"<br />
<br />
"I'm frustrated too! Frustrated, Banri!"<br />
<br />
"The next time we find it, we'll have to try it!"<br />
<br />
"That's right! We won't let it get away from us next time! We'll chase it to the ends of the earth and eat it!"<br />
<br />
Behind the two making such strong vows, a group of three yukata-clad girls whispered, "Those guys are disappointed they couldn't eat Explosive Monja," "Eh? What's that? It's so delicious," and "Wow, I'm curious!" In fact, this was the start of the "Explosive Monja" fad that would later sweep Japan, though for now nobody knew that.<br />
<br />
The two of them began to wander aimlessly past the street vendors. If they just stood there, they would be blocking traffic, and since they'd come all the way here, they wanted to soak up a bit of the festival atmosphere. But even though they weren't particularly hungry, enveloped in the rich smells, walking along peeking and pointing at this and that food stall lined up, they suddenly found themselves breaking away from the crowd.<br />
<br />
Entering into a residential area, the noise of the venue fell away as completely as if it had never been, and it felt like any normal evening. Even though the heavy sounds of the fireworks echoed around them, the view was blocked by the buildings along the riverfront, and from here all you could see was the night sky, which now and then lit up.<br />
<br />
"Shall we try going this way? We can't see the fireworks, but for now it isn't crowded, and if might be easier to get back to the shop."<br />
<br />
Kouko nodded in agreement as Banri said this, and lightly wiped her thoroughly sweaty forehead.<br />
<br />
"Let's do that. There are way too many people here. And it's gotten hot."<br />
<br />
As she put the handkerchief away in a small basket-bag, Banri noticed that Kouko had taken one of her geta half-way off, and was dangling it from the tip of her foot. He frowned.<br />
<br />
"Sorry I walked so fast. Are your feet hurting from walking around in those <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear) geta]</span>?"<br />
<br />
He wondered if it was a bit inconsiderate of him, accompanying a woman dressed in a yukata and wearing geta. But Kouko shook her head with a smile, saying "No, no."<br />
<br />
"No, they don't hurt. They're just tired. I thought I was in pretty good shape from the Awa Odori, but this is kind of heavy after all."<br />
<br />
"Oh, that's it. ...Well then, come on! I'll carry you on my back!"<br />
<br />
Banri turned around right there in the middle of the street, bent over and said, "Come on!", giving a manly jerk of the chin.<br />
<br />
"No, no, no! It's okay, I'm heavy, maybe even heavier than you! I'm okay! Don't worry about it!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shuffled backwards, looking like a panicked crayfish trying to escape. There was no way she was heavier than him, but he wasn't going to chase after her, catch her and force her on to his back, not when she was so reluctant.<br />
<br />
"Well, at the very least."<br />
<br />
Banri took off one of his flip-flops, caught hold of it by the thong with one of his toes, and held it out to Kouko as if to say, "Here you go."<br />
<br />
"Let's switch them at the shop. It'll probably be easier that way. Not great, but there wouldn't be anybody watching."<br />
<br />
"Eh? But that's no good. You'll wind up with sore feet."<br />
<br />
Taking both sandals off in front of the hesitating Kouko, he was shortly barefoot. If Kouko wouldn't take off her geta, he would simply walk barefoot. Even Kouko was defeated. She took off her geta and put on Banri's beach sandals.<br />
<br />
"Wow! My legs feel so light!"<br />
<br />
Released from the weight of her geta, Kouko hopped around in place.<br />
<br />
"I'm tall!"<br />
<br />
Banri suddenly became tall enough to look down at the top of Kouko's head, a fresh perspective. Normally, he was always the same height as Kouko, who always wore high heels. The two of them, having exchanged footwear, as if naturally drawn to each other, linked hands and walked down the night street.<br />
<br />
In the quiet, separated from the tumult, Banri thought it really had been a long time since he and Kouko had been alone together. Just now they had been with the upperclassmen, yesterday they'd been with Brave Leader (!!) Ramen Dad and for a while before that they hadn't been able to get together at all. Thinking about it, was it ever since they went to have fun at the beach? No, even at the beach everyone else was there, and so to be precise, the last time they had been alone together was when they were waiting together at the meeting place. Come to think of it, the atmosphere between them back then was quite awkward, and to make matters worse, they were at the entirely the wrong place, and when Two Dimensions found them he was quite angry, honking his horn like crazy...<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"......It's nothing."<br />
<br />
The memory suddenly made him want to break out laughing, but Banri quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hold it in. The scene shouldn't have made him grin, but he found it oddly amusing.<br />
<br />
No, this was not the time to be caught up in some strange obsession all by himself. Collecting himself, he gazed over at Kouko's profile, which was much lower than usual. Now that they'd finally managed to get some alone time like this, he wanted to have a more meaningful conversation. But even though that was what he thought,<br />
<br />
"What's that?"<br />
<br />
"...It's, nothing..."<br />
<br />
When he saw Kouko's face, smiling and turned up, he felt strangely embarrassed and looked away.<br />
Even though he had so many things to say, but now that the moment had come, why could he not find the words? And now, after all that, he was getting shy about it? Even though they'd been dating for months, and had seen each other's lace underwear and panty-hose clad faces?<br />
<br />
"...Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo..."<br />
<br />
"Ba, Banri? What, was that?"<br />
<br />
"Humming... Queen..."<br />
<br />
"Queen? What's that?"<br />
<br />
"Eh!? You don't know Bohemian Rhapsody!? That's impossible! ‘Mamaa!' ...look! You had to have heard it before!"<br />
<br />
"...?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? Am I the only one tone-deaf?"<br />
<br />
"I do know about things like this."<br />
<br />
While Kouko walked along, slapping the flip-flops on her feet, clapping her hands, slapping, clapping... though he generally understood what she wanted to do, from the awkward sound of her footsteps he wound up tilting his head and looking at her.<br />
<br />
It was right at that moment. From the night sky, from a place hidden from them by the buildings came the echoing sound of fireworks fired to the rhythm of the tune Kouko had been unable to imitate, "We Will Rock You." The two of them looked at each other's faces in surprise. There was no mistaking it, a faint melody was playing in the background. And it was "Queen", of course. It was a program where they launched fireworks in time with the music. What a coincidence in timing, but...<br />
<br />
"I, I want to see it...!"<br />
<br />
At Banri's words, Kouko nodded too.<br />
<br />
"I want to see this!"<br />
<br />
In flip-flops and geta, the two of them took off running. From where they were, all they could see was the rim of the night sky lighting up in time with the music. They wanted to return to their special box seats, or at least somewhere where they could see the fireworks! But however far they went, they remained in the shadow of the buildings, and when they thought on how short the song was, it would probably be over by the time they got there. While she ran, Kouko pointed a little further ahead.<br />
<br />
"Banri, look at that! We might be able to see from there!"<br />
<br />
Before that finger was a little park for children. He could see that in the empty park there was a jungle gym. But even if he could see it... "Huh, wait a sec!" Not waiting for Banri's reply, Kouko lifted the hem of her yukata and nimbly jumped over the bike rack at the entrance. He was surprised. Could the latest androids really move so smoothly? While Banri, wearing ill-fitting geta and finding it hard to move right, was thinking of such idiotic things, Kouko went straight to the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!?"<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 165.jpg|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Taking off the sandals and tossing them aside and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she climbed all the way up.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous!"<br />
<br />
Without listening to Banri's pleas for her to stop, she leapt to the top with surprising agility, as if she were a little monkey.<br />
<br />
"Ah! I can a little of the fireworks! Banri, hurry over here!"<br />
<br />
She released both hands and tried to wave them, but then her bare feet slipped and she nearly fell forward. Seeing this, Banri paled.<br />
<br />
"Hurry, hurry! It's almost over!"<br />
<br />
Having no choice, Banri threw off the geta and climbed up the metal rods of the jungle gym. He climbed barefoot up to the rather high top, sat down next to Kouko, straddling one of the iron bars.<br />
<br />
They could definitely see the fireworks from there, but only the upper half, more or less. For a while the two of them pointed at the multi-colored fireworks launched with great force (the upper half), exclaiming "I can see them!" "I can see, I can see!" side by side, catching their breath after running. But as they were panting,<br />
<br />
"Ahhh... it's ending. ...It's over!"<br />
<br />
"We saw... about ten seconds, didn't we?"<br />
<br />
"...I wonder, was it even ten seconds...?"<br />
<br />
It had ended suddenly.<br />
<br />
In the brief silence before the start of the next program, the sounds of their breathing overlapped dimly. Bathed in the white light of the electric light, they looked at each other for a moment. Freddy Mercury left them far too early, leaving the two of them all alone at the top of the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
But,<br />
<br />
"Hey, about just a bit ago."<br />
<br />
Showing no signs of alighting from the jungle gym, her clear eyes quietly shining, Kouko peered into Banri's eyes.<br />
<br />
"......About the class reunion earlier. I'm sorry for having decided on my own that you would go. I've wanted to say this for a while, but it just wouldn't come out... Have I caused you problems?"<br />
<br />
Was he the only one who could not say what he wanted to say?<br />
<br />
"It's okay. I'm fine."<br />
<br />
In order to support Kouko's body, which to him seemed to be fragile and unsteady, he had in fact been in an rather awkward and precarious position for a while now. While he was using his arm as a support by placing it around Kouko's back, Banri nevertheless shook his finger from side to side with a calm look on his face.<br />
<br />
"I'd already decided to stop running away from my accident. I'll go."<br />
<br />
Upon hearing that, Kouko's cheeks softened into a gentle smile.<br />
<br />
"...It was surprised when you asked Linda-sempai about the past."<br />
<br />
The next program started. This time, rather simple fireworks the color of flames were launched into the night sky. Boom! Boom! With each shot huge flashes of light spread out. They reflected in Kouko's eyes and hair, looking truly beautiful and dazzling.<br />
<br />
"I was really surprised, but then right away I thought, "I see... That's how it was... Banri was serious..."<br />
<br />
While nodding deeply, she answered without hesitation.<br />
<br />
"Oh. I was serious!"<br />
<br />
And he had been serious for a while now.<br />
<br />
Or rather, he thought he was too late. For a year and a half, he'd been wandering around, acting like a fool, averting his eyes from things he didn't want to see and running away. He thought he would actually get away with it. He didn't understand anything at all.<br />
<br />
It took that accident happening, and then having that argument with Kouko, for him to finally understand. Only after going through all that did he finally become ready to seriously confront himself. It was like taking the long way around, or maybe it was just that fools talk too much... but after much effort, finally, at last, he'd reached the starting point.<br />
<br />
He supported Kouko's weight with his arms while they looked up at the fireworks exploding in the night sky. They followed the streaks of light as they flowed straight down into the depths of darkness, watching them until they disappeared from sight.<br />
<br />
"...Linda-senpai was surprised too. She was frozen in place at first."<br />
<br />
"Yes, she was. She was frozen for a while. It was like she had 'Huh?' in big letters behind her."<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what she was thinking? I wonder if she thought I was weird?"<br />
<br />
"I wonder. At first she was surprised, thinking 'Huh?', but I wonder if in the end, she was happy? She had the feeling that you were trying to change, and was happy for that, which is probably why she told us about the class reunion."<br />
<br />
"I hope so."<br />
<br />
"Otherwise she wouldn't have told us. It makes me feel... I don't know what. Really, really happy. ...I finally feel like I can meet the real Banri."<br />
<br />
He looked over at Kouko beside him. Kouko was looking at him too, her sparkling eyes smiling gently at him.<br />
<br />
"I think I never really accepted you for who you are. I only recognized the version of you that was convenient to me. Perhaps all I was really looking for was whether or not you would fit into the image that I had created for myself, by myself. When you fit, I thought I loved you. And when you didn't fit, I hated you and cried."<br />
<br />
Kouko's eyes subtly shifted, and she looked up at the night sky where fireworks were bursting in a multitude of colors.<br />
<br />
"...Besides, I couldn't accept that there existed people who knew things about you that I didn't. It seemed like a defeat, I felt frustrated... I wonder if it was jealousy. In short,"<br />
<br />
He noticed as it were a slight, quavering sigh in her voice. Taking his eyes off her profile, Banri looked down at his own feet.<br />
<br />
"But you know, yesterday, didn't you say you would do your best? And you said you would stop running away from yourself too. And so, I would try to not get down from the car. ...I realized, 'I really love Banri.' With confidence, with all my power, and with all of me I love him! ...And that's okay."<br />
<br />
Sitting side by side, supporting each other with their shoulders, their bare feet lined up next to each other on the iron bar. Banri's feet were a little bigger. The feet with slender toes and pretty nails were Kouko's.<br />
<br />
"I love you, Banri."<br />
<br />
As if she were joking, Kouko lightly stepped on Banri's toes.<br />
<br />
"I love you because you are you. I am happy because you are your real self. If I am in a world with you in it, that alone makes me happy. I want to see everything in this world with you, experience every moment in this world with you and shout "I love you!" to it all. Even the parts of you I don't know, or the parts I don't like... it is all fine. If it's you, I'm fine with it. If it is purely and completely you, then it is the best thing for me, the only thing for me. <br />
<br />
Sighing, Banri said, "...But, what really hurts is that I've completely lost sight of what I am."<br />
<br />
He was surprised by the words had come out of his own mouth. After he finished speaking, he even added "Huh?"<br />
<br />
Painful?<br />
<br />
It was so painful... no, the pain didn't hurt? He had suffered the whole time. But he was surprised how easily he was able to describe his current life situation as "painful" and convey that to Kouko. He had felt that it was painful, but it was perhaps the first time he'd been able to say that to somebody. And then he was surprised at himself for being surprised by that. Was he trying to pretend that he wasn't suffering? What's more, he was afraid that others would realize how painful it was for him to have lost all 18 years of memories since he was born.<br />
<br />
It was painful, even thinking about it. It really hurt; it hurt a lot. He didn't know what to do about this pain. As far as he was concerned, no-one could help him. The pain would not go away. It wouldn't go away. This reality hurt. It was hard to look at it directly. Suddenly he felt as if he had fallen into darkness, and the hand that had been around Kouko's back let go. Trying to use that hand to brush aside his bangs, <br />
<br />
"......ngh"<br />
<br />
It was grasped as if it was being scooped up.<br />
<br />
Kouko grabbed Banri's hand in both of hers, pulled them to her stomach, and brought her face close to his. Surprised by how close she was, Banri held his breath.<br />
<br />
The smiling Kouko said, "You are yourself, even if you lost yourself."<br />
<br />
She didn't hesitate. Planting her feet firmly, she held Banri's hands, which had just been supporting her, firmly in her grip.<br />
<br />
"The you that you cannot reach right now is also you. And so, you're okay."<br />
<br />
The sound of that voice gentle and clear without a doubt, so he could believe he really was okay. Amazingly and without a doubt, Banri was able to calm his breathing and think, "Yes, I am okay." Just as it seemed he was about to tumble down, he felt he was being stopped in his tracks.<br />
<br />
"Every Banri is Banri. I love them all. I love him. So go and see him. Go and see the with your own eyes the part of you that you have lost sight of. And then I would like you to think. Of the you that you were before we met, and of the you I will never be able to meet. I would like you to tell me as much, as much as you can."<br />
<br />
Without closing her eyes, Kouko slowly moved her face closer and pressed her lips to Banri's. They were meltingly soft and frighteningly hot, making the hairs on his back stand on end. <br />
<br />
She stayed like that for several seconds, their eyelashes nearly touching as they gazed into each other's eyes. He looked at Kouko. Kouko looked at him. There was nothing separating them anymore, and it felt like he was looking out to space. There were no fireworks, there were no stars, no atmosphere, nor anything, just the sky. Vacuum. If there was anyone out there, they were probably the gods.<br />
<br />
Or maybe it was you?<br />
<br />
...Can I believe that you are there? Can I entrust everything to you? Can I really give you everything I have, for the rest of my life?<br />
<br />
Even though he wasn't feeling sad at all, Banri voicelessly spoke into the depths of Kouko's eyes, "I want to cry, I want to cry out loud." I want to cry! I want to cry... But of course without an answering voice, nor anything like it, he simply tried with all his might to show his need to cry from inside his eyes. Over and over again. His vision blurred, until the universe itself began to shake.<br />
<br />
If he raised his voice like a newborn baby, and cried with all his might, screaming his presence to the world... would that be the start of something?<br />
<br />
<br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
| Forward to [[Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter4&diff=586471Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter42025-11-16T22:09:22Z<p>Rpapo: Started chapter four.</p>
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==Golden Time 6: Chapter 4==<br />
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===Chapter 3===<br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586470Golden Time2025-11-16T22:07:27Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
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<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]] (0% complete)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586469Golden Time2025-11-16T22:07:05Z<p>Rpapo: Added link for chapter four.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:_Updates&diff=586468Golden Time: Updates2025-11-16T22:02:36Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>Volume 1:<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Jan 09, 2011 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Apr 13, 2011 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Aug 21, 2011 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Nov 24, 2011 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Jan 28, 2012 - Translation of chapter five completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - First spinoff completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 2:<br />
*Apr 15, 2012 - Translation of Volume 2 started.<br />
*Apr 25, 2012 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Aug 08, 2012 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Nov 03, 2012 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Feb 03, 2013 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Mar 21, 2013 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 3:<br />
*Apr 8, 2013 - Translation of Volume 3 started.<br />
*Apr 24, 2013 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2013 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Nov 13, 2013 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Nov 26, 2013 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 4:<br />
*Jun 6, 2013 - Translation of Volume 4 started by [[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]].<br />
*Feb 10, 2014 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Apr 28, 2014 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Dec 30, 2014 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Apr 09, 2015 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 5:<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Translation of Volume 5 started.<br />
*Dec 09, 2015 - Postscript completed by [[User:fukukaze|Fukukaze]]<br />
*Jan 08, 2016 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Jun 30, 2016 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Jul 30, 2017 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Dec 24, 2018 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 6:<br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Translation of Volume 6 started.<br />
*Sep 20, 2020 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Oct 03, 2021 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Mar 06, 2023 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Nov 26, 2025 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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</noinclude></div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586467Golden Time2025-11-16T22:01:16Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter3&diff=586466Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter32025-11-16T22:01:01Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 166 to 171 done. Chapter 3 complete after years.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 3==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 098.jpg|thumb]]<br />
That town's station was far from Banri's normal stomping grounds, but according to the map was still barely within city limits. But as Banri left the ticket gate the word "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima Dejima]</span>" welled up in the back of his mind like the scum on a hot pot made from cheap pork, forever unable to disappear. This place, its appearance, its culture and everything else about it seemed to have been taken over by its neighboring prefectures. The black and brown heads of the people meandering before him as far as he could see all along the straight riverbank. Desolate fields. The black shadows of apartment and condominium towers. The white lights of electric lamps in every direction. A gas tank so large it made one nervous for no reason.<br />
<br />
Shouting "Me! Right now! I'm in Tokyo!" with all his might, he jumped up, as if his head was hitting the ceiling of "localness" and punching straight through. This was a trap that many young people heading up to Tokyo fell into. Even though he should have been excited to come to Tokyo, he always found the area around his hometown railway station to be visibly more prosperous.<br />
<br />
He returned his gaze to his hand. Checking the time on his cell phone, Banri stood impatiently alone in the middle of the hustle and bustle. No sooner had he stepped off the train on to the platform and had been swallowed up as if by a swirling mass of people crowded together, his steps turned slow and sluggish. Had he known it would be so crowded, he would have given himself more time. It seemed he had not taken a few things into account.<br />
<br />
Just outside the ticket gate, a banner for this evening's fireworks display hung overhead, several young station employees, sweating so much they seemed to have been doused in water, were directing people to the exit with a loudspeaker. "It will be very crowded today because of the fireworks display! If you are coming to the venue, then go to the left of the ticket gate! Please go to the left! ...It seemed virtually everyone was going to the left. But whether the exit was blocked, or the occasional person was jostling to go to the right, the neither spacious nor impressive station was even more crowded than during rush hour.<br />
<br />
A dangerous weapon zipped past Banri's nose, which was on the edge of oxygen deficiency. Right before his eyes, a group of girls was laughing noisily and imitating the station worker's way of speaking, "Wow! This is sooo good!" "Bwah hah ha!" They were dressed in yukatas and the pins stuck in their dumpling buns of hair were aimed straight at his eyes. Having no choice, he fought back using his cell-phone as a shield. But then "Ugh!" his feet got stepped on. "Oof...!" by beach sandals. The other one was wearing clogs.<br />
<br />
He had a bad feeling about this.<br />
<br />
Shortly after sunset, the train Banri was on was already packed with groups of young people in yukata and parents with children. With all the excitement, the train cars were like a tea-house for wild animals, filled with a deafening roar, and this wasn't even the main event yet. The posters inside the cars were all about the fireworks display. At that point, as he finally wondered (no way...), almost everybody on board got off the train at this station, the same station as Banri was going to. Naturally, the station premises were crowded. And every few minutes more and more people arrived from other places, and he was sure they would keep on coming in large quantities.<br />
<br />
There was no point in complaining, as they were all in the same boat. Banri headed slowly with everybody else taking their time heading for the exit stairs. He was just managing to escape from the station, but as for the surface of the road, the crush of people on top of it, the straight path leading to the venue on the riverside was so crowded with people that one could not even see the markings on the road. Head after head, a single butt-crack, no, that was another head.<br />
<br />
In amazed wonderment, the word "incredible..." escaped his mouth without his meaning it to. Do you guys like fireworks that much? That much? You like it that much? Fireworks.<br />
<br />
Before Banri's impatient eyes, a group of rough-looking middle and high school girls all dressed like men in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> deployed themselves in a beautiful fan shape, blocking his way. "What!? My phone's got no signal!" Their faces looked demonic as they made a horrible racket. Then there was that couple over to the side, the two of them wearing disgusting yukatas made of a strangely thin and glistening cloth, like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam%C3%A9_(fabric) lamé]</span>. At the launch of a shell, Boom!, perhaps because they were already excited, when they walked together their butts wrinkled in unison. The woman had put so much effort into her long, red fingernails that they looked just like five hot peppers on display. The man's five fingers were digging excessively into the knot of the sash around her yukata. Banri couldn't stand the sight of it.<br />
<br />
At first he'd been told to meet up at the train station exit, but in the afternoon he'd received a message from Kosshi-senpai, and it was changed so they would meet up separately at the destination. Banri thought that was the right thing to do. Even if they had met up there, the members of Omaken would probably have spent an eternity meeting up and separating, being pushed and shoved over and over again for no good reason.<br />
<br />
Eventually, beyond the human wave, he could see the gate leading to the steps up the riverbank. The stalls, painted in bright colors and emitting almost violent smells, were lined up all along the steps and down the slope, with signs of "Takoyaki", "Yakisoba", "Beef Skewers", "Ikayaki" and "Explosive Monja (what in the world is that...?)". Here and there were clearly unsavory types, with all sorts of designs seemingly etched into their bodies, with dark, evil eyes and menacing voices calling out, "Hey, you there, come over here!" "I'm gonna kill ya, suckaa!" It was not a deception to call it a 'fireworks display,' but it was entirely a festival. It wasn't just a great gathering. It was a festival. And festivals were the natural occasions to which to summon the Omaken.<br />
<br />
His ears deafened by the noise and the sound of generators, pushing through as if dividing the people flowing along the stalls, Banri finally tumbled out of the maelstrom. Once he walked one street in from the one right along the levee, he came out to a street lined with tall, skinny <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_tower pencil-towers]</span> and old buildings where he could finally walk normally. People could be seen here and there, mostly on the outside of the buildings and on the balconies, waiting in anticipation for the fireworks to start.<br />
<br />
Many of the bars and restaurants along the street had signs saying “Full” or “Reserved”, but before long he spotted the name of the place he was looking for, and gently opened the glass door.<br />
<br />
The waiter told him that the whole floor had been reserved for the day, but when he replied that he was part of the Japanese Festival Research Club, he was directed to go up to the roof using a narrow staircase at the back of the restaurant.<br />
<br />
Up to the third floor, it all seemed to be for customers, but after that, with beer cases and mops here and there, it was suddenly all business. But he’d been told to go to the roof, so he guessed it was all right. Immediately feeling uneasy, he climbed the stairs, the soles of his flip-flops sometimes sticking strangely, he felt a bit like a cockroach climbing the steps.<br />
<br />
When put his weight against the heavy iron door to open it, there he was, outside. The space opened out and he felt the soft wind caressing his cheeks.<br />
<br />
He had come out on the roof of the building.<br />
<br />
The space, concealed by a simple fence, was fairly large. The view of the riverbank was entirely unobstructed, with a large expanse of hazy deep blue sky in front of him that had yet to darken. When he considered how many spectators were crowded below, this place was indeed close to paradise.<br />
<br />
A breeze smelling a bit like fish, perhaps due to the river right in front of him, blew quite comfortably over his sweaty T-shirt. It was still summer in the daytime, but it cooled off as the sun set, and it definitely seemed like the change of season was underway.<br />
<br />
There were a few tables placed together on the concrete floor, and a few small chairs, most of them still stacked on top of one another.<br />
<br />
It seemed that most of the senior members of Omaken were already there. As first year novices, this situation should not have happened.<br />
<br />
But the seniors all had their backs turned to Banri, bent over in front of the fence working on something, and seemed to not have noticed him. For some reason they were holding a miniature light bulb cable like those used for Christmas decorations. Even though it was a special place from which to view the fireworks, they seemed to be trying to brighten up the rather bleak space by fixing crawling flickering lights to the fence.<br />
<br />
Trying to make up for having arrived late as if he were the boss rather than the lowest man on the totem pole,<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that! I'm late! But I'm here to help!"<br />
<br />
He approached them half at a run, and spoke the loudest he could. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"Ah......"<br />
<br />
An older female student turned around and when she saw Banri, raised her voice in a strange way. Squatting shoulder to shoulder, the older students, who had been working together happily until then, turned at the sound of her voice, noticed Banri, and suddenly fell silent.<br />
<br />
Inside of 0.3 seconds, Banri could guess why. This atmosphere. The averted gazes. The senior's lips wanting to say something... gathering information. Complete. Thought. Yes, understanding. QED. A 19-year-old's body has lightning reflexes. Banri's right hand immediately responds to a command from his brain and shoots downward. He grabbed his crotch with a speed and boldness that would make even the most experienced teacher of the exhibitionist arts shudder. It was more important to fix the situation than to be shy about it. How's that for judgement? And it was cool. If it had been a better time, he would have imparted this knowledge on all the world... resolution first, shame later! He was a man of the world! But,<br />
<br />
"...What the?"<br />
<br />
Not touching with his right hand the warm space he had expected, rather he felt the metal fixture that had been well and properly closed. Running his fingers over it, he mouthed, "What... the?" as he ran his fingers over his crotch again and took a peek down there.<br />
<br />
The zipper he had thought was open was closed quite securely. "Am I... an idiot!?" Then why are the seniors looking at me like that!?<br />
<br />
"Eh!? What is this...!?"<br />
<br />
There was no answer to Banri's question. And then he noticed that Linda's face was not among those lined up along the fence. There were only the seniors, staring at Banri with unreadable expressions.<br />
<br />
Those eyes... were they pitying him? And yet somehow... were they half showing kindness? What's more, was that a spoonful of "Hey, why'd that guy touch his crotch just now?" ...were they disgusted...?<br />
<br />
N, no! It's not like that! Banri panicked.<br />
<br />
"I didn't just touch my crotch! I, I was just checking if my zipper was open! I mean, what is...?"<br />
<br />
In the end, no one answered.<br />
<br />
"Really, what is it!? Why are you all looking at me like that when it's not even unzipped!?"<br />
<br />
But no matter how far you go, it was one person against many. Worse, a first year against all the second and third-years together. Before them, he was far too inferior.<br />
<br />
Banri lost all judgement and his cool, and simply freaked out. No matter in which era he had been born, even were he royalty, he would never attain even the level of roadside grass, a tiny existence not edible, useless as fodder, and having no use save it be as an ordinary roadside backdrop. He would be very difficult to point out or even make a fuss about...<br />
<br />
"Nah, never mind..."<br />
<br />
The senior who first looked at Banri and said something strange turned to him and smiled awkwardly. Standing up with an electric cable in his hand, he was dressed in a beautiful yukata, perhaps because he was going to be wearing it for the Awa Odori dance. All of the other seniors were dressed in colorful yukatas. And then, with a gentle manner he had not seen from them before,<br />
<br />
"Come here, Tada Banri."<br />
<br />
"We'll all do it together. Let's install this perfectly before the fourth-years get here!"<br />
<br />
"Don't forget these lanterns!"<br />
<br />
Saying, "He he heh..." "Look, look..." "Come here, come here..." they beckoned him to come. He was as nervous as if he were going down a road deserted of everything but ghosts, his sweat soaking the back seat of a taxicab.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, with the sole exception of Kouko, the women were called "giants" behind their backs. The word "giants" means a group of greedy, arrogant and unscrupulous people. Omaken consisted of men, Giants and one golden robo-girl. The giants were ghosts already, frankly.<br />
<br />
"...No way!"<br />
<br />
And,<br />
<br />
"That's scary!"<br />
<br />
"Why...?"<br />
<br />
When they approached him, dragging the electric light cable in their hands, Banri automatically said, "Look now! Now I'm scared! That's scary!" and tried to run away. But the shop's roof wasn't wide enough for him to escape, and he was easily surrounded.<br />
<br />
"Y, you're not usually like this! There is got to be something wrong with you!"<br />
<br />
"There's nothing weird about us... right..."<br />
<br />
"Hey... this is fun, isn't it...?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, its fun... the Omaken is fun, yeah..."<br />
<br />
The upperclassmen cheerfully wrapped electric lights around Banri's paralyzed body. The captured Banri turned into an stupid, round, illuminated man. Wrapped all the way to his forehead like Christ with his crown of thorns, the gathered lights shone annoyingly through his eyelids. In addition, he was made to hold in each hand an original Omaken red and white lantern. He wondered when they were made, as they were magnificently done.<br />
<br />
"Okay now, please sit here..."<br />
<br />
"It's the best seat in the house..."<br />
<br />
He was invited to sit in one of the seats lined up against the fence, or more precisely, he was half thrown there as he twinkled. It came to him in a flash. <br />
<br />
"Huh... Could this be some sort of trick...!?"<br />
<br />
The countdown suddenly starts. He wondered whether his chair would explode when it reached 'zero' and he would become a firework that blossomed in the night sky one step ahead of the others? He wondered if body parts violently scattered by an explosion and falling on the heads of innocent people gathered for the festival would be classified as a practical joke. He wondered if they would laugh at that.<br />
<br />
That, or, at "Zero!" would he plunge forwards from the chair, the only clothes he was wearing be snagged by a hook and left behind, and he be thrown out into the crowd completely naked under the shining illuminations, blooming in a fireworks hall of shame? If he fell the wrong way he would become a laughing stock, but for now, should he run away before the countdown starts?<br />
<br />
Unable to imagine any other possibilities, the frightened and blinking Banri's shoulder,<br />
<br />
"Hey you! Whatcha been up to lately!?"<br />
<br />
"Eeek...!"<br />
<br />
Only his first word was in Kabuki style, then after that like from some refreshingly trendy drama, the smiling Kosshii-senpai suddenly embraced him from behind. Behind him were smiling third-year senior guys. Even in this gathering dusk, everyone was strangely dark and shiny.<br />
<br />
"......La, lately... well, I've been... kind of like that...!"<br />
<br />
"Like that!? ...Is that sooo!? Yeeaah!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai, while bathing in Banri's idiotic light and flashing his idiotic darkness, stretched deliberately like a bad actor whose script said, "Senpai / One big stretch." Then he leaned his back against the fence, in front and to the side of Banri, who was facing the riverbank. "Senpai / Lean against the fence and smile." He held a plastic bag containing a big box of something in one hand, but Banri was not interested in it at all.<br />
<br />
"Oh, this? That's right, I forgot. It's for you,"<br />
<br />
Kosshi-senpai acted all theatrical, coldly turning his gaze away while suddenly sucking in his cheeks, he scratched the resultant hollow with his index finger while pushing it out from inside with his tongue,<br />
<br />
"Let's do this!"<br />
<br />
Intoning something like "Kaan''CHI''!", he suddenly threw the box at Banri. He was relieved from the bottom of his heart that no more words followed, but on the contrary, that was all he could be relieved about.<br />
<br />
If this had been a television drama, it would have probably been enhanced with computer graphics, showing the box describing an arc through the air and landing neatly in Banri's hand, but unfortunately, this was reality. Caught by surprise, unable to move, both of his hands caught by the paper lanterns, the cardboard box came flying surprisingly fast at him. Aaaah! It hit him on the jaw as he was ducking down.<br />
<br />
"Agh......!"<br />
<br />
What fell into his lap with a bounce was Okinawan sea-salt flavored <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinsuk%C5%8D chinsokou]</span> . Fifty-two pieces to the box (a lot). ...Oh, I see, he went there. Something to do with the third-year volunteers.<br />
<br />
"......Kosshii-sempai, that, that hurt!"<br />
<br />
"Well, what can I say?"<br />
<br />
He wasn't listening. At all.<br />
<br />
"Tada Banri and Robo-girl, isn't that what you are to us? Kinda like a fertilized egg!"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
He truly, from the bottom of his heart, had no idea what to make of that. He felt as if he had turned to stone. A stone unable to understand what was spoken to it, unable to reply back, a stone from which water spilled from a crack. What the water wrote on the surface of the rock, he could not tell.<br />
<br />
While dripping water from such a rock in his psychological inner world, Banri was deeply disappointed that Linda was not there. If only she were here, she could probably keep Kosshii-sempai in check and get some sort of resolution to the situation, but she wasn't here, and was perhaps delayed.<br />
<br />
The Okinawan shortbread still fallen in his lap, Banri blinked stupidly. As he was blinking,<br />
<br />
He repeated weakly, "Fe, fertilized egg...?"<br />
<br />
"It's sort of like two lifeforms becoming one. It's always like you two come as a set!"<br />
<br />
But this guy, Kosshii-senpai. Was he always unreasonable like this?<br />
<br />
"........ Why isn't Linda-senpai here...?"<br />
<br />
"Let's forget about her for now! She said she was on her way here from her parent's house, but she said the Toukaidou Shinkansen got delayed and now their schedule is all messed up, so let's set that aside for now!"<br />
<br />
"Eh, from Shizuoka? She went home?"<br />
<br />
"I told you to forget about her! I'm talking about you! Don't go running away!"<br />
<br />
Somehow a thought came to Banri's mind. Had everything about his accident and what happened afterwards been leaked to the upperclassmen? No, but there was no way. Denying it, his head tilted more and more to the side. There was no way it was possible, and even if it were, he would never understand why.<br />
<br />
"......Umm, I really don't understand it all, but isn't it about time you explained the reasons for this situation?"<br />
<br />
"We don't really need an explanation. Right, guys!? We don't need one!"<br />
<br />
Having left a single freshman behind as scenery, glittering in the wide open sky, the seniors loudly raised their voices and nodded to each other. They gave each other meaningful glances, and anxious glances in Banri's direction, but nobody said anything definite. He really didn't understand why. What in the world had come over the Omaken all of a sudden? Why were the seniors suddenly treating him with this kind of strange attitude?<br />
<br />
The last time the members got together was in August, in that hot hellhole that was Saitama. We performed the Awa Odori, and once that was safely done and over, they'd passed the bottle around and he'd excused himself a bit early... maybe he'd done something careless that time?<br />
<br />
Having approached right in front of Banri without him noticing, Kosshii-senpai suddenly grabbed his tee-shirt at the shoulders with both hands. Taken by surprise in his recollections, Banri was shaken. His brain was shocked, and he could not think.<br />
<br />
"Anyway, what I want to say is, you and Robogirl both, we all... want to wrap our arms around you both! That's all! Gently, warmly, as if we were pie-dough, we of Omaken want to wrap you two freshmen up! This pie crust would be soft, but would never crumble! We might be nice and crunchy, but we would never crumble! Do you understand!? Understand!"<br />
<br />
When he replied that he didn't understand, Kosshii-senpai backed away, a little irritated.<br />
<br />
"You don't understand!? You're an idiot! So, anyway, there it is! ...You know what I mean!"<br />
<br />
He didn't know... he gotten accidentally tongue-tied and had become a real idiot.<br />
<br />
"Huh!? Jeez, you're really stupid...! So... look at this!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai looked away once and licked his lips. He looked around at the other members' faces for a moment, then they nodded to each other in a small, tense way. He was going to have to say something difficult. He would say it. He would say it all. Raising his eyebrows in a sign of readiness rising plainly from his entire being, he looked at Banri, sucked in his breath and,<br />
<br />
"......Things really get awkward whenever someone quits! Such things shouldn't happen!"<br />
<br />
He struck Banri lightly on the shoulder as if to cover up something. Ouch, but rather than saying "ouch", his mouth already hanging open, Banri tilted his head with a foolish look on his face.<br />
<br />
"You two are ingredients in the pie we call Omaken! You are already one with us! And even if you are no longer a couple, it doesn't mean you will lose the bond of being friends in Omaken! Right!? That's how it is! Everyone!"<br />
<br />
Oooh! Their voices rang out once again, more certain than before. "Let's cheer up Tada Banri!" they said, and applauded him, which naturally turned into rhythmic clapping. "Taada!" cheered one side. "Banri!" cheered the other. "Taada!" "Banri!" "Taada!" "Banri!"...... The Omaken were always prepared for this sort of call and response.<br />
<br />
"......Huh? Broke... up? What're you talking about?"<br />
<br />
Banri still hadn't made the connection. He was forced to blink by the illuminations he was wrapped up in, but finally, little by little, belatedly, "Huh..." it came to him in a flash. As if a chisel were continually pounding the words "split up" into a crack in the rock and had finally broken through to the soft, half-living core, Banri understood what was going on.<br />
<br />
By some chance.<br />
<br />
Had these people come to the conclusion that he and Kouko... had broken up? Was this what their mysterious tension was all about? Were they afraid they were about to lose their only first-years? "Ah, I see!" he nodded without thinking, nodding in understanding. This this wasn't some sort of prank after all, and this chair wasn't going to explode, nor fly forward while stripping off his clothes. Well then, we're good... no, no, no! Confused and shaking his head,<br />
<br />
"......That's no good! What is this!? Why have you suddenly started talking like this!? There's no way we're breaking..."<br />
<br />
It was with that perfect timing.<br />
<br />
The sound of the knob being turned on the door leading to the stairs inside the shop made everyone turn their heads. The heavy door squealed as it finally, somewhat hesitantly, opened.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me! I wound up running late... uff, this thing is heavy......"<br />
<br />
Losing her battle against the door's weight, the door slammed shut. Her voice quickly faded out, but it was certainly Kouko's voice.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!? Are you okay!?"<br />
<br />
Banri tried to stand up, but the lanterns in his hands and the electric cords wrapped around his body made it difficult for him to move quickly. And he still hadn't been able to clear up the misunderstandings of the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"It's Robogirl...!"<br />
<br />
"That was Robogirl just now!"<br />
<br />
"Aah! That Robogirl's back from the heart repair shop!"<br />
<br />
"Hey guys! Let's all give a warm welcome to our broken Robogirl!"<br />
<br />
"Whoaa!"<br />
<br />
The seniors all raised their fists high one time, left where they were and dashed for the exit door. Because Banri had been comforted sufficiently, and the chisukou cookies already turned over to him, then they'd probably made up their minds. Banri had been left behind, but he staggered along, blinking in the cheerful illumination, but he still managed to get up and follow the upperclassmen's backs.<br />
<br />
"I said you're wrong! Our break-up..."<br />
<br />
Just as he was about to clear up their strange misunderstanding, the door opened wide. Kosshii-senpai pulled the heavy iron door open from this side.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the open door,<br />
<br />
"Th, thank you Senpai! I'm really sorry for showing up so late! I got swept up in a wave of people and wound up coming here!"<br />
<br />
Kouko......? But? ......She's here......?<br />
<br />
Everyone was a loss for words. Banri moaned too, unable to say anything... summer (was over).<br />
<br />
On the rooftop, which had been noisy the whole time, there suddenly fell a moment of silence. Only the sound of the wind and the clamour of the world below was alive and noisy, as there had been some mistake.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? Umm......? What? Is this place... all right? Ah, Banri... eh? What? What is it?"<br />
<br />
Several seconds passed, Kouko tilting her head much like Banri had a few short moments before, nobody able to say anything, when finally,<br />
<br />
"......Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai sank into a crouch as if for leg stretching exercises, his face composed as if posing for a camera. The right half of his body was pulled back, the left half extended forward. He greeted her formally. Th, that was it. Nothing else. One by one the other seniors said, "Please restrain yourselves!" "Please restrain yourselves!", and even Banri, like an idiot still in the twinkling lights repeated, "Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Having received a formal greeting from a dozen or so members of Omaken, a woman resembling Kouko stood there, frozen in the doorway with a bewildered look on her face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh, what should I do? ......Please restrain yourselves......?"<br />
<br />
For the moment, she followed Kosshii-senpai's example, extending one hand more or less as he had. For his part, he was in superb form, not moving in the slightest.<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much for having behaved yourselves! I am Koshino, and my nickname is Kosshii. With all due respect, Miss Robogirl, the young man that follows you around has something to say!"<br />
<br />
With the hand that was not extended, he signaled to Banri behind him to move. Strangely enough, Banri had no problem understanding what Kosshii-senpai was trying to tell him. He gulped it down freely, like water streaming from the rocks or <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_tofu mapo tofu]</span> stuffed into a fat man's mouth. Still with his legs spread wide (as the Illumination Man, no less) Banri stepped out before the upperclassmen and sticking out his chest in a pose like Michael Jackson, with his lower lip sticking out towards that Kouko-like person,<br />
<br />
"You are not a Yakuza lady!"<br />
<br />
He said it loudly.<br />
<br />
"Whaa...!?"<br />
<br />
That wasn't it. Really. He couldn't diss her!<br />
<br />
Kouko appeared there in a yukata, looking like a gangster's wife. She was wearing heavy, old-fashioned thick makeup that made her look like she was going to pick up a pistol at any moment. Her face was painted with pure white greasepaint, with frighteningly dark shadows. Her black eyebrows looked as if they had been drawn with a brush. The silver bridge of her nose rose in the middle of her face with a tremendous three-dimensional effect, and her lips were drawn in the style of the Showa period with blue, purple and pink rouge. Prepare yourself!<br />
<br />
She was wearing a stylish linen yukata, probably a high-end item, with the collar open in a daring way impossible for an amateur to get away with. Her excessively soft hair was swept fully back and tied way down low. What an airhead! If you're going to shoot, then shoot!<br />
<br />
Holding her hair back from her nape with her fingertip with the air of a forty-something person, Kouko said, "It's all a lie!"<br />
<br />
She said it without shame or hesitation. Whether lying or not, as she acted the part of the gangster lady to the utmost.<br />
<br />
"I mean, they had thought that we had broken up."<br />
<br />
"Whaaa!?"<br />
<br />
Her second denial was muffled when a strong wind slammed the door shut. <br />
<br />
"That's how rumors spread."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, that surprised me! To think they thought we had broken up."<br />
<br />
Setting aside her showing up all at once in heavy makeup from the Showa period,<br />
<br />
"Well, actually, yesterday was a close call."<br />
<br />
"No it wasn't, no it wasn't!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shook her head, saying she wasn't in that much danger. As she shook her head, she was trying to tear off some paper packing tape from her fingertip. Not knowing how to remove it, she used all her strength, tearing off the altogether too long, sticky, disgusting tape wrapped around her arms up to her elbows, then wrapping it around the fence railing.<br />
<br />
"...And with that, you're all set."<br />
<br />
The section so wrapped looked too big, turning into what looked like a praying mantis egg sack. The feeling she'd done a bad job was so strong that Banri instinctively wanted to tear it all down and redo it, no questions asked. But one of the upperclassmen happened to pass behind them, saying "What? Are you guys still doing that? Aren't you out of time?" He panicked, and quickly said, "Excuse me, I'll hurry up!" and started working on the next part. Banri would place the string of lights in place on the fence and hold them down, and then Kouko would tape them in place. The two first-years were both late, and their work so slow and useless, they were in quite a fix.<br />
<br />
It seemed that the fourth-year students had been told ahead of time to arrive late for the get-together. Preparations were moving ahead quickly to get the place ready before then. This rooftop space was apparently not usually open for guests and was too bleak even for Banri's eyes. But what do we do now? By the hands of the active Omaken members, the fence was wound about with twinkling lights (a work still in progress), and Omaken lanterns were hung around the tables (though they were just decorative cables hung from coat racks borrowed from the restaurant). While it was kind of cheap, it was also dazzling and mysterious, creating a unique atmosphere like a night stall in Bangkok (though he had never seen one before).<br />
<br />
And above all, there was the view. In just a few moments, the fireworks display would be unfurled in the unobstructed night sky. The bustle of the street below seemed to increase as the start time approached, and the noisy buzz reached this rooftop on the fourth floor.<br />
<br />
Many things had happened to get to this point, but as he crouched down and let the cool breeze ruffle his hair, Banri's heart frankly leapt. Best of all, Kouko was there by his side. ...Putting mantis eggs on the fence again and saying things like "Yeah, all right, we did it!", anyway, she was here. She was certainly lively.<br />
<br />
At that moment you could hear the upperclassmen cheering from over by the tables. Apparently, it had taken several people from the shop to bring in a huge container. The container, which was the size of a storage bin for clothing, could be seen to be packed full of ice, into which bottles of beer had been inserted to cool them down. Soft drinks had been brought to the tables earlier in plain, boring all-you-can-drink pitchers. It was such a busy day, they were on the rooftop, and the beer probably had some strange flavor along those lines... but the seniors had resigned themselves to many things.<br />
<br />
Glasses had been placed upside down on the tables, saucers and chopsticks were set in order. Next, there were three plates of salad piled high, three plates of fried potatoes, and three plates piled sky high with fried chicken. The volume of the dishes, which were piled almost desperately high, seemed to suggest that the shop wanted us to just eat quietly for a while so we wouldn't be coming and going very often.<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai stared at the left-over salad with a raised eyebrow, saying "Won't that dry up...?" Seeing him with both hands above the lettuce, some senior girls carrying chairs shouted at him, "Kosshii, get to work!" <br />
<br />
This guy was very probably the source of the rumor that Banri and Kouko had broken up. The muscular Koshino-senpai, their best male dancer, was relied on by all for everything from organizing the drinking parties to negotiating for off-campus activities.<br />
<br />
The first-year couple had not replied together to their invitations to attend. From that fact alone, Kosshii-senpai (Eh? These guys...) had jumped to conclusions.<br />
<br />
The pair of them, who had perfect attendance so far at every club event, seemed very vague. And Kouko, for her part, had been completely unreachable. Strange. Something must have happened, he thought.<br />
<br />
It seemed that from the moment they'd heard that the two of them had officially started going out, not only Kosshii-senpai, but all the members of Omaken had been feeling somewhat uneasy. Relationships between men and women were always fraught with trouble, so sooner or later they would part ways. Kosshii-senpai would say, "Will that breakup bring the unhappy end of Omaken, perhaps?" The other upperclassmen would nod in agreement as they heard those words.<br />
<br />
To the older members, there was only the two of them. They had finally snagged somebody, but it was only the two freshmen. If something happens between two people, and one quits, there is only one left. And a freshman alone is as good as gone. The next thing you know, it is no longer a club, the next generation ceases to exist and Omaken begins to end. It would be a miracle that a first-time relationship between freshmen could last for so many years, and from the outside looking in, it seemed that the two of them had so little in common that it would not be surprising if they were to have an awkward breakup at any moment.<br />
<br />
...Hearing that explanation, Kouko protested "We're not like that!", but Banri quietly thought, (Ah, the upperclassmen have no idea how stubborn Kouko is...) For that matter, he had come to realize he was pretty stubborn himself.<br />
<br />
And so, as Kosshii-senpai waited for a reply to his e-mail, he was very, very, veeery worried that something might have happened between the two of them. Banri's reply, saying he would be going, finally arrived the day before, but he said that he didn't know about Kouko, and that he thought she would be contacting him... not very informative!<br />
<br />
One monkey-faced junior, a guy who had been a high school basketball player and had only 10% body fat, seemed to shiver when he read that e-mail. He thought that the situation they had feared had finally come to pass. And then, as if to support that idea, no reply ever came back from Kouko. Kosshii-senpai became convinced that the two of him had come to nothing.<br />
<br />
So today, without telling Banri nor Kouko, the sophomores and juniors had gathered a little bit earlier. When Kosshii-senpai announced the breakup of the freshman couple, a tremor ran through the Omaken stalwarts. After many rambling discussions, the only thing that was clear was that they would do their best to treat them both warmly and care for them so that they would not quit the club. They all seemed to think of Banri as a nice, warm, soft, not too hard wrapper, kind of like a pie crust. Suddenly there appeared a face with ghastly makeup, showing up like a cursed face emerging from the darkness. Kosshii-senpai was truly astonished. Then upon realizing that what he believed was a misunderstanding, Kosshii-senpai was so relieved that he cried out "It's you! Thank God...!" and then grunted and slumped to the ground in a heap then and there.<br />
<br />
Kouko, on the other hand, said she had thought that Banri had contacted them all to say they would be participating.<br />
<br />
Yesterday. Her father had finished up his ramen and was just starting to wash up the dishes when Kouko finally woke up.<br />
<br />
Banri was just about to leave when Kouko called out with a low, husky voice, "Are you leaving?" When he answered, "Yes, I am," she said "...are things back to normal?" "Yes, they're back to normal," he answered back. When she said, looking off to one side, "Are you mad?", "Do you hate me?" and "I'm sorry about everything," he said, "I'm sorry too." That was all they said, but the words were enough. The words that would have followed were not spoken, and in the end, they would have been nothing but words. In the darkness behind Banri's eyelids, pink and white lights were flickering, and for a long time he saw a very dowdy Kouko there. The many overflowing emotions were simply there, and he wanted them to stay there.<br />
<br />
Folding the borrowed apron and setting in the low table, he tried to ask, "What will you do tomorrow?" He planned on participating, and if Kouko felt inclined to do so also, he said he'd be happy to go together with her. After all the back and forth up to now, knowing full well that Kouko's mental health had only just returned from the brink, he felt he shouldn't pressure her too hard to go. So he just said, "Think about it."<br />
<br />
In reply, Kouko gave him a vaguely dirty look and nodded. Banri thought that meant she would only think about it. But in reality, it was a cockeyed "Then I'll go." For the first time in a while, he felt his mind invaded by a bit of good, wholesome sleepiness. In that part of his mind, Banri decided he must inform the upperclassmen of his decision to participate. Because he was Banri. Because he was the boyfriend. Because he was the guy who made ramen for her father.<br />
<br />
And then Kouko decided to rejoin human society. She managed to reconstruct her battered feelings, ate a good meal that evening, took a bath and washed her hair. For the first time in a while she returned to the life of a young woman. She sent off e-mails to Mitsuo and Two Dimensions, and called Chinami on the phone. All of fifteen minutes after she hung up, she received replies from both the guys. Feeling exquisitely light, but at the same unable to hide a heaviness and wanting to cry, Kouko fell on to her bed and the next thing she knew, for some reason it was morning already. She had fallen fast asleep... and to her dismay, the dazzling light revealed an utter disaster under her chest. When she had thrown a pillow at the devilish expression on Banri's face, two bottles of body lotion had fallen and broke. Able to sleep after acting so violently, convinced there was nothing strange about that at all, Kouko quietly put them in order.<br />
<br />
Then she got her yukata ready and sent Banri an e-mail saying, "I'm going to wear my yukata!" So far, so good, but she hit a roadblock when she tried to get appointment with a salon to get outfitted. She refused to accept that they refused her an appointment, but when she called other salons she found herself utterly defeated. She had no choice but to go to the first salon she could find on the internet.<br />
<br />
It was a strange, dimly lit salon. A very old woman... no, a grandmother ran it by herself. She noticed the overwhelming smell of "grandma" the moment she entered, but it was too late. And then putting on her outfit, the old lady was strangely scary, and when she tried to twist her body a little to see herself in the mirror, she would get her butt slapped.<br />
<br />
When it was finally done and she was about to pay the bill, she was told that she had to get her makeup done right and was made to sit on a bench in front of the cash register. Powder was smashed onto her face with such force that it made her gag, and she was sent out of the shop without knowing what had been done to her. Already almost out of time, she hailed a taxi and flew on her way. Unexpectedly, the roads having been restricted because of the fireworks display, she had no choice but to run in her geta, and so arrived at the restaurant all out of breath. And she had been made to look like some idiotic yakuza wife.<br />
<br />
"......I wonder if my hair looks okay?"<br />
<br />
Kouko was still a little worried, touching her bangs with her fingertip.<br />
<br />
A little bit ago, the older girls thought it was all too much and took Kouko to the bathroom, makeup pouches in hand. In the ten minutes it took them to return, they had returned "Kaga Kouko" back to her normal self.<br />
<br />
With most of the makeup removed and a thin layer of powder patted back on, a translucent blush and a plump gloss, a beautiful woman had returned to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_era Heisei]</span> era. Her hair and bangs had also been braided. Her bun had been redone in a loose, youthful style. And it seemed they had redone how her clothing to make her look more mature, and yet exposed the nape of her neck.<br />
<br />
"You're okay, you're okay. Your hair and face are perfect. Even your yukata suits you."<br />
<br />
When Banri said that, Kouko broke out in a broad grin. A look... of perfect smugness. Crouching down and making more praying mantis egg-sacks, while also looking really happy, shaking her head from side to side. She seemed to be saying, "How do I look, how do I look?" As for that triumphant look, she had such a beautiful modern face, impeccably well done up, there was no way one could allow such wonderfully overflowing <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Gosha Gosha-ism]</span> be looked down upon. Banri was rather impressed by the old lady at the salon. Or rather, wasn't her technique amazing?<br />
<br />
Even with packing tape in her hands, Kouko looked truly stunning in her yukata. The dark gray dyed linen looked great against her translucent, pure white skin. The obi was a cool white color with a light blue <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)#Accessories_for_women's_obi obijime]</span> fastened to it. The antique-style obi clasp was a deep purple colored stone, and if you looked closely, you could see that it was shaped like a rose. And of course, since it was for Omaken, there was a yes-no fan hung from the obi. All the yukata giants were like that: Banri had one too.<br />
<br />
"You see, this yukata was made this year. When summer started, I told myself that I would definitely go with Banri to see the fireworks! No, I decided we would go, and so I had it made special express order. I'm glad I had the occasion to wear it."<br />
<br />
Once more tearing off a wasteful length of packing tape, Kouko fixed in place a cable Banri was holding as she gazed up towards the sky.<br />
<br />
"Why don't they just start?"<br />
<br />
That child-like, innocent way of speaking filled Banri's heart all at once with genuine anticipation. It was mostly likely due to having been without Kouko for a whole week, but with his own feelings on top of that, and it all being shoved down his throat all at once. It was so sudden he could barely keep himself from crying out loud.<br />
<br />
Saying only, "...Isn't it about to start?" Banri laughed.<br />
<br />
The sky was not yet completely dark, and only a pair of huge gasoline tanks across the flood plain were entirely black. Seeing them lined up, the smiling Kouko suddenly pointed at them.<br />
<br />
"I hope they don't catch fire."<br />
<br />
She grinned. Banri said nothing.<br />
<br />
She said it as innocently as a child. It was genuinely ominous. It wasn't "Aaah! The fireworks will start soon, and that will catch fire, and I wonder if all this area will be blown to bits! Look! (lol)", but rather "Aah, I shouldn't say ‘I wonder if there is a chance the fireworks will make that catch fire?' I'm an idiot (lol)," he believed, ignoring it. Ignored. Getting back on track,<br />
<br />
"Well, really, what to say... I'm glad. For now. I was able to come and be here with you."<br />
<br />
Though Banri had muttered something unintentionally sincere, Kouko nodded deeply too.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. I'm glad. Really."<br />
<br />
If they had made some sort of mistake in yesterday's awful bit of theatre, then around now the two of them really would have wound up in a situation just like Kosshii-senpai's misunderstanding. With this in mind, Banri tried to ask.<br />
<br />
......If by chance we had broken up, do you think they would have tried to follow up and recover us in the way they did before? I would hope we would not wind up retiring from Omaken."<br />
<br />
As she continued energetically making praying mantis eggs, Kouko shook her head side to side and at once said, "There's no way."<br />
<br />
"You don't think so?"<br />
<br />
"No, I don't. First of all, I would not even have come here. Then I would never see the seniors again. I mean, I would never have gone outside again. I would have hidden myself in my room. I would have quit the university and its clubs. My hair would grow out long, greasy and sticky. I would become hairy and fat, and would never take a bath. I would be a beast unable to talk. I would turn into a truffle pig. How would you say it, it would be what's it called... what's it called... what's it called..."<br />
<br />
She looked at Banri's face for a bit, then "......Ah, I lost it! Even though I only just got here!"<br />
<br />
Ruefully pointing at his throat, he was squirming with regret over the probably useless, but surely lost "what's it called?" The one regretting was Banri.<br />
<br />
"......Are you growing a beard!?"<br />
<br />
"You can grow one, can't you? It may be peach fuzz, but if try your best it will turn into a nice fluffy beard."<br />
<br />
He rubbed around his chin with his fingertip. At that moment, as Banri was trying to show her how they moved, his chest filling once more with heartfelt regret, the announcement from the fireworks venue came to his ears.<br />
<br />
The other upperclassmen seemed to notice, and saying "What'd they say?", "Ugh, I couldn't hear it... are they starting?", "Are they starting already?" they strained their ears, but the sound simply echoed between the buildings in a weird way, and the tumult and the wind blocked it, and they could not understand clearly what was being announced.<br />
<br />
Then all of a sudden, Kosshii-senpai said, "Oh, wow! Everyone stop what you're doing, gather around and listen to me!"<br />
<br />
Cell-phone in one hand, he called everyone to gather around him. Banri and Kouko stopped what they were doing too and hurried over to the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to read a text I got just now from my senpai! 'Kosshii, you're always the same! You're really handsome and cool, and you're built too...'"<br />
<br />
He passed it around the circle.<br />
<br />
"Sorry, excuse me, pardon me! 'Kosshii, always the same! I'm on the way from the station right now. Only Hosshii isn't with us, but we think he'll be dressed up shortly. By the way, it looks like Hosshii finally got a job offer.'"<br />
<br />
"You're kidding, seriously?" Voices arose from the circle of seniors. Even Banri clenched his fists.<br />
<br />
So far this summer, all of Omaken's fourth-year students had been struggling to find jobs. Suddenly, as if a hold had been lifted, job offers were being made in rapid succession. The younger students were naturally happy and congratulatory, but only Hoshino-senpai, a.k.a. Hosshii, the leader of all omaken, had not yet received a job offer, so it was natural to imagine his inner impatience, and he had yet to openly celebrate.<br />
<br />
So now, at long last, that was settled.<br />
<br />
"She said, 'Hosshii, you said you weren't coming today if your final interviews didn't work out, but you came! I'm so glad!'"<br />
<br />
"Ya-hoo!" Kosshii-senpai raised his fist high in a very determined pose, and the circle of people surrounding him spontaneously applauded. The fourth-years who should have been getting the applause had not yet arrived, and as much as they would have loved to receive it, they could not. Banri was clapping his hands as hard and furiously as he could too.<br />
<br />
As for the fourth-year seniors, they all shouted "Wonderful!" from the heart. If Hosshii-senpai's informal job offer worked out, they would be feeling especially good for him. Around when Banri first met him, he was already tired of job hunting. He was in a constant state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. When they met, he was so wretched he was falling apart. And he would not have been surprised to see his future self in the same state. Kouko seemed to feel it too, smiling and clapping with packing tape stuck to her fingertips. <br />
<br />
Just then, the fourth-years made their appearance, one after another... all but Hosshii-senpai. As soon as the door opened their faces lit up with smiles as they said "Wow!" and "What's this? Isn't it something!?"<br />
<br />
"Congratulations!"<br />
<br />
Naturally, their voices were mixed with those of the younger students greeting them. The applause turned into a loud, rhythmic beat, and everyone formed a ring around the fourth-years. Facing each other, they clasped their hands and raised them high, making a tunnel of arms to greet those that had returned proudly from the front lines of the job search. As they clapped loudly together, Banri truly regretted that he had not entirely finished his preparations. Oh he wished he could have greeted these people with a more perfect setting...!<br />
<br />
"Wow, this is so nice! Wait a little more, eh, no way, this sort of thing, you've moved me... I'm going to cry..."<br />
<br />
One senior, overcome by emotion and wiping the corner of his eye,<br />
<br />
"......Hey!"<br />
<br />
He'd been dead tired like this since noon. But he could really jerk that chin of his. It was amazing how far he could move his chin and stretch his face. And just like that, the fourth-years all at once cried out "Hey!", then one after another "Hey!", with evil eyes "Hey!", with their eyes closed "Hey!", and when they saw it, all the younger students naturally grunted as hard as they could.<br />
<br />
"Ngh...! Ngh...! Ngh...!"<br />
<br />
It was their privilege to back them up. To help their seniors feel better, bent down as if they were casting fishing nets, not caring if the hems of their yukatas got messed up, they grunted so hard it was like they were about to rip their bodies apart. Everyone: the guys, the giants, even the golden robo-girl, were moving furiously together in the Omaken tradition of twisting their whole bodies like crazy. Over there,<br />
<br />
"Oh, yeah! Are you doing it!? Hey! Hey! Heeey!"<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai was that sort of person, expressing himself with amazing poses, strangely light movements and amazing triple turns. "There he is! Hosshii's divine pirouette!" "A perfect arabesque!" "He doesn't move at all!" "Hey, he's standing en pointe!" ...To Banri, the other senior's echoing words sounded like nothing less than an incantation, but anyway he understood how the super high-energy Hosshii-senpai looked. Of course the guy who got the interview was different! Besides, this was the first time he'd seen Hosshii-senpai looking like that!<br />
<br />
Bravo! All around the posing Hosshii-senpai, praising him, the first, second, third and fourth years, all the Omaken members here rushed him, cheering. It was not unlike how people would rush to gather around <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinpachi-sensei Kinpachi-sensei]</span> of Class 3B ("Third Years, Class B!"... "Kinpachi-sensei!").<br />
<br />
The events of the next thirty seconds would come to be remembered as the "Thirty Second Whiteout" in the history of Omaken.<br />
<br />
Zero seconds.<br />
<br />
The first thing to happen was the huge chorus of "Hosshii, congratulations on the tentative offer!" This was followed by the fourth-years shouting as one, "Now we'll all get job offers!" ...They all jumped up in excitement and shouted "Hurray!" They were stupid college students. Unable to handle the excitement in their hearts, they couldn't help themselves. For now, they all shouted and leapt into the air. Almost everyone landed at the same time, and the impact caused all the towers - salad, potato, and karaoke - to collapse at once.<br />
<br />
Three seconds.<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai muttered, "......Eh?"<br />
<br />
Five seconds.<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see......"<br />
<br />
Eight seconds.<br />
<br />
......I'm sorry. ...I haven't received the job offer yet. ...I went to the very last interview the other day, but even that was with me praying. ......I'm sorry. Sorry, everyone. ...I thought I needed a change of pace, and so I wound up coming in spite of not having received a job offer. Society has no need of me, but I came anyway. Sorry."<br />
<br />
He bowed his head.<br />
<br />
Thirteen seconds.<br />
<br />
Nobody could say anything. In the blank silence, Hosshii-senpai danced round and round with amazing energy, backing off little by little from the distance they'd all closed around him. You could think the air was one in which all the atoms in the world had been made to stand still.<br />
<br />
Fifteen seconds.<br />
<br />
With a clang, the entry door opened, and directly in front of Hosshii-senpai there appeared a bizarre, teary-eyed, luminous figure.<br />
<br />
It was a figure in a sleeveless white cotton blouse, three-quarter length slim jeans and sandals. "Is that Linda?" said someone, sounding stupid. They weren't sure if she'd grown her hair out or lost weight, but anyhow something was different. She looked so beautiful and fresh, and even her aura seemed to have been whetted.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Something feels off."<br />
<br />
Eighteen seconds.<br />
<br />
"I mean, I mean, I mean..."<br />
<br />
Both of Linda's eyes caught sight of Banri and Kouko. And then suddenly, she walked up, placed herself in front of them and declared forcefully but with uncertain meaning, "I mean!" Her wide-open eyes sparkled as always, her pupils looked deep and perfectly clear, and together with her skin, which looked transparent to the extreme, she was strangely beautiful. For a moment, Linda's moist lips opened and closed as her finger alternated pointing at the two faces lined up before her.<br />
<br />
Twenty seconds.<br />
<br />
And then suddenly it started. It was the great fireworks display.<br />
<br />
Linda was still saying, "I mean", "I mean", but naturally, the fireworks started. That's why we were all gathered together. It would be even more a case had they not started. So naturally, up there in the sky, it started on schedule. But if you called it "normal", a normal fireworks display would start, for example, with "Boom! ...Pop pop pop..." "Wow, how pretty!" "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumidagawa_Fireworks_Festival) Taamaya!]</span>" --- that was the sort of thing that Banri and the other members thought. But in reality,<br />
<br />
''Zuddaan zzuddan zzuddaan zzuddaan ddoan ddoan ddoan ddoan dandandan zudaddan~ barubarubaru~ zudadada~~ nzzudoan ddon ddan ddon ddon doun doun donu!, boon nuu donma! Zudadan zuddab zudadab zubabababa!''<br />
<br />
......ngh, this. This, isn't this some sort of mistake?<br />
<br />
Suddenly, he wondered if they weren't overdoing it.<br />
<br />
Is it okay like this?<br />
<br />
I mean, it's scary.<br />
<br />
What is this?<br />
<br />
There was a series of colorful outbursts that seemed to have gone crazy. With awful random bursts in the night sky, there were suddenly violent explosions all over the place. Suddenly there were too many and too loud, anyway they were somehow too much. It was a huge explosion of fireworks taken to the extreme. The fireballs were still rising one after another through the dense trails of smoke. One after the other, with such desperate determination that it's almost painful, they explode without hesitation: big, medium, small, big, medium, small, big, medium, small, high, low, high, low. Incredibly huge explosions, lines of flame spreading in all directions, stretching long like tentacles, riding and dripping and invading the night sky, overlapping and coloring them. And then there was the loud rumble shaking him from the soles of his feet to the pit of his stomach. The smell of gunpowder was so thick it hurt his nose. Banri was ashamed. He found that when one is in the presence of a big explosion, one gets ashamed. He was being made fun of for no reason, could not defend himself, and was being made a public laughing stock: a long hungered for buffet entirely consumed. All he could think of was running away. But probably everyone else felt the same, tens of thousands of blushing faces looking up, silent and still like the other Omaken from the very start of the opening round of the tremendous fireworks show.<br />
<br />
Twenty-eight seconds.<br />
<br />
Banri looked at Kouko's face. Kouko looked at Banri's face too.<br />
<br />
All sorts of thoughts came and went in their hearts, but they could not say anything to each other. First, "The fireworks are too much," no, before that "What'll we do about Hosshii?", followed by "What's wrong with Linda?"<br />
<br />
Yesterday they were on the verge of breaking up. But now here they were, standing together in the middle of turmoil and embarrassment, ...so, ...there wasn't anything particular to say.<br />
<br />
For the moment they were holding hands. Without knowing why they raised them high, and Banri opened his mouth. Kouko followed suit, and with exactly the same timing breathed in. They were a couple, after all. One heart. Face to face, (ready, set,)<br />
<br />
" "Is it a good time for a waltz!?" "<br />
<br />
......Waltz! Banri. Shall we dance? Kouko.<br />
<br />
All that in 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As the one guilty of spreading false information twice already today, Kosshii-senpai was condemned to slavery of his own free will. He went around and poured drinks for the other seniors and even the younger members, and if there were additional orders, he had to run down the stairs to the kitchen to tell them. "Kosshii! Fritters!" "Ah, yes sir!" "Kosshii! Get me water!" "Yes, yes!" "Kosshii! Change your name!" "Yep, I'm Chousshii!" "Chousshii! Rhyme it!" "...Um... Chicken I give you, fireworks I give you, myself I give you, I give you..." "Chousshii! Reflect on what you've done!" ......He quietly answered, "...I'm sorry!" under the booming fireworks in the night sky, behaving ridiculously like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doraemon_characters Gouda Takeshi the Giant]</span>.<br />
<br />
The special chairs lined up against the fence were occupied by the women, of course, and they were enjoying the powerful fireworks before them, oohing and aahing over them excitedly. The other members were enjoying the event in their own ways, taking seats at the most appropriate tables or moving their chairs so they could see better. Even Hosshii-senpai was looking calm and collected, sometimes playing the part of the slave and occasionally laughing lightly at the right times. He frowned for a while after the toast, but as the drinks started glowing he didn't seem to care anymore.<br />
<br />
The smell of gunpowder and the noise of the fireworks were carried to them by the end-of-summer night breeze. They launched a series of fireworks looking like smileys and the women tried to take pictures with their cell-phones, shouting "Night mode!" and "Flash!?" A petite waitress came staggering under two large plates with yakitori, one in each hand. Kosshii and another third-year student hurriedly ran to lend a hand. "Like this!" "Like this?" "Like this!" "Like this?" For some reason, the fourth-year students stood up in a row and suddenly started spinning on one leg in a spectacular fashion. "Ugh, my drink is spinning!" ... or so it probably seemed.<br />
<br />
And just what seemed to be the darkest thing in this fun and noisy drinking party right now?<br />
<br />
"...And that is how I wound up disappearing for a whole week..."<br />
<br />
Kouko, that's who.<br />
<br />
"...I really thought I would just disappear that time..."<br />
<br />
And just like that, she bowed so deeply it looked like she was planting her face in the ground, turning the back of her head completely towards the long awaited fireworks. In her hand was a glass of oolong tea with the ice all melted. As if his dark and gloomy state had been juxtaposed against the night sky's gaudy excitement. The fireworks burst one after another, punching them in the stomachs. They twinkled going from green to red, faded from red to yellow, then vanished to a momentary darkness.<br />
<br />
"You're an idiot."<br />
<br />
With unchanging excitement, they were punched once more. But, when you multiply zero by zero, in the end it is still zero. The phrase "You're an idiot," which never contained any anger or scolding to begin with, turned into just four invisible words and melted away into the noisy atmosphere of the drinking party. Still looking wistfully over at Linda, Kouko was still nodding her head.<br />
<br />
Linda and Kouko, and then Banri making three, moved their chairs a little apart and got to talking. Having heard that Kouko had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving Banri and the others and gotten into an accident, after which they'd lost all contact with her, Linda rounded on them once the drinking part had started and angrily said, "You mean something happened!? Are you okay!?" The source of the information was probably a piece of crap... well, let's set that aside for now. Anyway, Linda seemed truly worried, so Banri and Kouko took formation and explained to her the whole situation.<br />
<br />
Perhaps matching Banri and Kouko, Linda had an oolong tea in one hand too. As she started to speak, Kouko's expression got darker and darker, as if some sort of muddy color was getting mixed with it. Linda didn't interrupt, but kept a serious look on her face and listened until the end of the long, boring (and frankly not funny) story. When in the end Kouko's expression had become completely dark, Linda shot an invisible "You're an idiot," twice at the tip of her nose.<br />
<br />
"If there was nothing else, then anyway that was good. I had only heard parts of the story, and was really scared, wondering what on earth had happened. As an outsider, and didn't understand the situation, I was rather hesitant to try and contact you... ah, what a relief. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."<br />
<br />
She grinned and laughed.<br />
<br />
Her smile was so bright and honest.<br />
<br />
When Kouko at long last raised her head, even Banri could see the look of obvious relief in her eyes. This was probably the first time that Kouko had ever seen someone so genuinely happy about her safety. Her father being who he was, he had not taken pleasure in the fact that in spite of her obvious blunders, his daughter was safe. Kouko was hit, scolded and blamed, and not even that was enough. She got angry at herself, blamed herself, could not forgive herself, she refused to accept the consolation of the good friends she had put into danger, and her mind remained unbalanced...<br />
<br />
"......Phew......"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, she made a sound as of air escaping from her. Then scrunching her face up as hard as she could, she pressed her face into Linda's shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Oh... my."<br />
<br />
Tapping Kouko on the head lightly so as not to mess up her hairstyle, resting her cheek against the top of her head, Linda called out "Hey" to Kouko twice. But Kouko didn't raise her face, so Linda stayed still for a while, and then took a long, gentle breath. As she did so, she looked gently at Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"You're okay too, right?"<br />
<br />
"You're asking me!?" said Banri, giving her a vigorous thumbs up. From his temples, from his arm muscles, and from his armpits, his criss-crossing veins were bulging like crazy. Linda looked like she hardly keep from laughing at the sight of such a full power thumbs up, her eyes curled up like cute fishcakes. And then, with a heavy Kyuushu accent,<br />
<br />
"All right, gotcha. This is boring!"<br />
<br />
Of course, Linda had nothing to do with Kyuushu.<br />
<br />
"When I found out, I figured it was worth coming all the way from my parent's house. I was worried the Shinkansen would run late, but I got here just on time. And I got to see Kosshii-senpai playing the part of a slave. But that guy's awful. How will he turn out? What sickness will he pretend to have?"<br />
<br />
When Kouko finally raised her head, "Hehe", looking a little embarrassed, she quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Then, as always, she gave Linda an energetic, pretty and perfect smile.<br />
<br />
"Senpai, you went back to Shizuoka?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Last week, no, I've been back at my parent's place for a while now, and I wasn't planning on coming back for a while yet. I had some things to take care of there. So actually, I intended on skipping today too, but I heard about the accident and couldn't calm down, so in the end I came back. After this I'll be taking the Shinkansen back home."<br />
<br />
"Wow, you did that because of me!? I'm, I'm sorry... I made you worry."<br />
<br />
"No, no, I was the one worrying on my own. If Kouko's good, then Banri's OK!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine, so fine I'm sorry."<br />
<br />
Bouncing around looking genuinely apologetic, her head popped up as if spring-loaded when an old-fashioned weeping-willow shell blew up with a bang, sparkling as it burst and slowly stretching down, hanging down like a long stream. As he blinked, captivated by the sparkling, Banri sighed in his thoughts. Come to think of it, had he ever seen such a huge firework spreading across the night sky before? If he had, he wondered who he had seen it with, and what did he think? He wondered what memories he had been thinking of on those late summer nights?<br />
<br />
He watched until the weeping willows melted into the blackness of the night and the last speck of fire had been extinguished, then,<br />
<br />
"...Fireworks sure are pretty things, aren't they?"<br />
<br />
It seemed that Kouko had heard him mumbling something to himself.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Is this perhaps the first time you've seen fireworks, Banri?"<br />
<br />
"Perhaps. At the least, my present self has no memories of them."<br />
<br />
"I see. Then how about hand-held fireworks? Have you ever done that?"<br />
<br />
"No, no. I know what they are in general, but I have virtually no experience with them."<br />
<br />
"Whaa... then you have to do it! You're Japanese, so you have to play with <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_snake_(firework) Black Snakes]</span> (and feel the vibrations of things that don't live long!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Banri and Kouko start talking normally, Linda casually looked over towards the table where the second-years were making a lot of noise. Banri saw this out of the corner of his eye. As if she had waited for just the right moment to join in on the conversation at the table, Linda quietly began to stand up. Banri hesitated, but thinking it was his last chance, he glanced over to Kouko's eyes. Kouko gave him a confused look. Let's go, thought Banri as he steeled himself. He had promised, so he would go.<br />
<br />
And then,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, have you set off fireworks in the past?"<br />
<br />
That was bold.<br />
<br />
As if she were startled, Linda opened both eyes wide. She could see that Kouko was also leaning over slightly and holding her breath.<br />
<br />
Caught by surprise, Linda's poker face crumbled, but stiffened once more in the light of the fireworks which began exploding in rapid succession.<br />
<br />
...It wasn't like he wanted to cause any trouble for this person. That wasn't it... Banri was troubled as well and forgot entirely what he was about to say. In an instant, silence fell.<br />
<br />
Now he wished he had never said he was pretending that his past had never happened. He wanted to do it over right, but for the time being is was just winging it. But, of course, it wasn't something he could do smartly, and there were still awkward silences happening. That was all there was to it... perhaps it was a troublesome challenge for Linda to try and minimize such things.<br />
<br />
Banri really didn't have much of a plan to back it up with, so he could only stay quiet.<br />
<br />
Linda looked back at Banri with a troubled expression, blinking her eyes silently. ...At a time like this, of course, he wondered if she had lost some weight. Her features looked slimmer, and her two cool eyes were crazy large, moist and sparkling. She looked a little different from before. She looked much prettier.<br />
<br />
Time seemed to stop and a silence fell between the two former classmates.<br />
<br />
"......Senpai, were you in the same class with Banri all three years in high school?"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, somebody started talking strangely clear.<br />
<br />
"I heard from Banri you were in track and field! Senpai, you must have a really fast runner. Somehow, that makes sense. By the way, I was in the ESS, the English Speaking Club, but I was so caught up in stalking a certain childhood friend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year that I had no spare time, so I was only an imaginary member through my graduation. Aha! I guess I really was!"<br />
<br />
The only person completely out of touch with her surroundings and unable to read the room. It was Kouko, of course.<br />
<br />
When Kouko showed how clueless she was like this, Linda's confusion became even more apparent as she blinked more quickly. She could be seen looking even more sharply at Banri's eyes. ...Weren't you supposed to pretend that never happened? What's going on with you guys? Those eyes seemed to be saying that. The fireworks reflected off her wide open eyes, sparkling.<br />
<br />
(Sorry. I'll do it over. Please let me do it over. I made a mistake.)<br />
<br />
Banri replied with only his eyes, and held his breath as if he were praying.<br />
<br />
If Linda were to walk away pretending she saw nothing, if the subject were never brought up again, he felt like he would never be able to take on a challenge like this again. Please, please let me try again. Linda. Please. I'm asking you, so please remember. Let the me I don't even know come to life in this world once more. Please prove that I existed. I'm begging you, so once more...<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see."<br />
<br />
Her cheeks relaxing, Linda lowered herself back into the chair. She sat down once more, then relaxed, stretching both her sandaled feet out before her.<br />
<br />
"Last year a typhoon struck at just the wrong time, so we didn't do it. You see, Tada Banri, Shimada has a fireworks display every year."<br />
<br />
Linda.<br />
<br />
Gulp, a feeling as of a lump rose in his throat, but he swallowed with an innocent look on his face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? No way, I had no idea!"<br />
<br />
"It looks like they did some just this year. Well, this is much more amazing, of course. ...In any case, you've played with hand-held fireworks too. You asked if you'd ever done it? Take a look at the shin of your left leg."<br />
<br />
Banri rolled up the bottom of his jeans and looked at his left shin as Linda told him to. Kouko came and peeked too, and said, "Ew, leg hair..." Of course he had leg hair. He was alive after all.<br />
<br />
Even so, amongst leg hair somewhat sparse for a man of his age, there was a slightly raised, faintly purplish scar. It wasn't particularly noticeable, and he hadn't paid it much attention up to now.<br />
<br />
"That is a burn mark. During summer camp in our second year in high school, we all set off fireworks. You and I from a little ways away lighting some simple incense sticks, but just then a rocket firework headed straight for us and fell with a bang. When I realized, I shouted 'Ahh!'"<br />
<br />
"Huh!? That... hold on!?"<br />
<br />
''BANG!'' Banri suddenly stood up. An image flashed through his head. Linda screaming. Watch out! He jumped sideways automatically in a cool move... yeah, he had to have. Turning around to face Linda and Kouko, Banri stiffened his expression and pointed at his temple with the index finger. ''BANG!''<br />
<br />
"I might just remember that episode! It came back to me clearly here! So, it's got to be, I got injured while trying to protect Linda-senpai...! Ah, I finally remember!"<br />
<br />
"Huh? You got it wrong."<br />
<br />
Linda cooly shook her head.<br />
<br />
"I ran away quickly, but you were too slow. Then boom! You got hit by the rocket, got burned, and there was a huge commotion. That was a mess. The coach was white as a sheet, you panicked like you'd lost your leg, and since then our club's summer fireworks tradition has been scrapped.<br />
<br />
"Ah... that's how it went?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that time, I was the only one who ran away."<br />
<br />
"......It's all right, really..."<br />
<br />
Banri quietly lowered the fingers which had been making BANG! He wondered how many people had lost sight of their index finger of destiny like this in history. When Columbus began to regret, he must have been pointing his finger in a more definite direction. This finger of his was already somebody else's index finger. No, a mysterious index finger. ...Enough already, may such an embarrassing finger explode from the first joint. From now on he should just live with the rough marks of an explosion as his fingerprints.<br />
<br />
"......Pfft!" Regarding what she spouted out, "Were you trying to make something up just now? You were, weren't you?"<br />
<br />
Kouko couldn't help but chuckle. With no intention of hiding her malicious intent, Kouko looked up from below at the now-standing Banri's face. Shut up... you got it wrong... he insisted with face turned away from her. "You were trying to make up a story, right? You were trying to look cool?" Pf, pfft! ...I wonder if this guy isn't really my friend.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous, Linda-senpai. Please be strict with Banri so he doesn't go making up stories about his past to suit his own convenience."<br />
<br />
"So it seems, fabrications..."<br />
<br />
......Heh heh. Not good, he thought. Casually lowering her head, Linda let out a small chuckle too. Banri's cheeks instantly became hot.<br />
<br />
"I, I'm not making it all up! ...In my case, it's hard to tell where my memory ends and my imagination starts!"<br />
<br />
"'It's hard to tell where memory ends and imagination starts'! What a great quote! Amazing! I'll have to start using that one myself."<br />
<br />
Finally, Kouko broke out laughing loudly. As if caught up as well, Linda started laughing, her shoulders shaking.<br />
<br />
"...Jeez! Just say what you want to say! If you want to laugh, then laugh!"<br />
<br />
Banri sulked, his face red. Now he was sulking! He was sulking because he was being laughed at! He was completely aware of that, and sulked with all his might. Seeing him sulking, Kouko said, suddenly lowering her voice and turning serious, "In other words, Banri." Wondering what she would say,<br />
<br />
"Banri, don't you think that you ought to go home like Linda and show your parents you are doing okay? I think they would be worried over the matter of your accident, and if they don't see for themselves, they'd just cross the line between worry and imagination, just like me."<br />
<br />
She said that with a bright, beautiful smile. So timid just a moment ago, she suddenly got like this now that it was her turn to play. Still feeling a bit sulky, Banri slumped back down into his chair.<br />
<br />
"Hey, even if you hadn't told me to, I'll be going back home soon. My parents even told me to."<br />
<br />
Besides, he'd decided not to run from his past anymore. Upon hearing Banri's half-sulky reply, Kouko turned to Linda with a smile and said,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, if you have the time, could you please go over to Banri's house and pay them a visit?" <br />
<br />
"Could you do that for us?" she said, bowing to Linda and Banri by her side as if they were an up-and-coming idol and her manager. Banri instinctively followed suit. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"...Hey. Hold on."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly stopped laughing.<br />
<br />
"I didn't really mean to say this but... I mean, is it okay to say it?"<br />
<br />
Even if somebody had asked Banri or Kouko what they were confused about, they wouldn't be able to say. When they reflexively looked at each other, Linda crossed her sandals slightly and shook them restlessly,<br />
<br />
"Didn't I say just now that I have something to do there?"<br />
<br />
Apparently it was okay to say it. Looking up at Banri's face,<br />
<br />
"Actually, we have a high school class reunion this week." She said, "Well, I thought you had no intention of coming, and I thought it would be rude to force you to come, so I was just keeping quiet about it. But... what if you want to? What if, even for just a moment, if you feel like it, would you mind showing up?"<br />
<br />
As expected,<br />
<br />
"......Eh?......"<br />
<br />
He gulped. That was the only sound that escaped him. Class reunion? With this timing? Banri froze as he was, forgetting even to breathe.<br />
<br />
He had firmly decided to stop running from his past. He was decided. But it was a decision he had only just made... was it a bit too high a hurdle to suddenly face at such an early stage? Wasn't it all too sudden? It was as if Teruo Eda (T/N: a famous jockey) were there waiting for a dripping wet foal that had only just stood up.<br />
<br />
"No, I wouldn't force you, of course not! It's only hypothetical."<br />
<br />
Watching Banri's expression change as soon as he heard the expression "class reunion", Linda hurriedly shook her hands from side to side and smiled at him.<br />
<br />
"Just, for now... because everyone has been worrying about you for so long, if you came and showed them how you are, I think they would be truly happy. I won't tell you to come. But I wanted to tell you that one thing."<br />
<br />
...About you for so long.<br />
<br />
Still unable to breathe, Banri hung his head as if Linda's words were going back and forth inside his head, over and over again. Worrying... This whole time, about him?<br />
<br />
A whole week until yesterday, unable to get ahold of Kouko, he had been feeling truly depressed. No matter what he did, he felt anxious and uneasy, kept on imagining strange things, and he was just so scared. When he thought about it, he'd been doing the same thing to his friends for a year and a half.<br />
<br />
Had he been doing such an awful thing?<br />
<br />
But. How should he approach going there? He was well aware that he was no longer the Tada Banri his classmates hoped to see, and it would be like showing up in the middle of an away game. After making so many people worry, he would come out as an entirely different person. He would surely betray their expectations and cause them as much disappointment as were their worries. Just imagining himself in the middle of that surging mass of disappointment, with a stupid, grinning look on his face... he felt an icy trickle of sweat dripping down the surface of his heart. They were lined up in a row with disappointed looks on their faces. This guy's not him. Away with you. Have some shame. You don't belong here. And so on.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, with a loud bang, everything in Banri's field of vision was washed out by fireworks exploding again. Bright streaks of flame spread clearly across the night sky with a strange three-dimensional effect.<br />
<br />
"Senpai. Banri will be participating."<br />
<br />
"Eh!" exclaimed Linda. For a moment, what Kouko had said didn't make sense to Banri.<br />
<br />
"...Eh!?"<br />
<br />
He was surprised for a full three seconds. "Eh?" Kouko turned around right away. Just how many "eh"s does this situation plan on having?<br />
<br />
"You'll do it? Eh? Or not?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? You'll do it...?"<br />
<br />
"I'll do it? I will!"<br />
<br />
Kouko faced Linda, flashed a bright smile once more, and declared that Banri would be taking part. When he asserted this without hesitation, even Banri thought to himself, "Is that so?" Yes, that's right, he would participate. In the reunion. To be riddled with bullets of disappointment.<br />
<br />
Linda looked silently and worried in Banri's eyes. At that, Banri gave a single nod.<br />
<br />
"...Yes. I will go. I will participate in the class reunion."<br />
<br />
Oh well, he thought. Thanks to Kouko, he was able to accept it.<br />
<br />
And if he wound up being turned into a honeycomb, then so be it. Should he not get a taste of being an adult honeycomb? That's who he was. He was the kind of guy who shows up and disappoints people. No matter what you do, you can only be yourself. No matter how hard you try to run away from yourself, in the end it is you who is running away. Therefore, you must accept your fate and live your life as you are. It is much better if you can live without running, and without stress.<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze wavered as if she were confused, but at length she quietly stopped moving. She looked Banri straight in the eye and said in a low, short voice, "This is going to be a mess."<br />
<br />
"Got it. Well then... come on."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Banri and Kouko were so tempted by the "Bakuretsu Monja" (Explosive <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monjayaki Monjayaki]</span>)) that was being sold at a food stall that they excused themselves from the drinking party and left together.<br />
<br />
The fireworks were just reaching the climax of the second half, and he thought that the audience would be really into watching and the food stands would be empty, but it seemed he was wrong. When they left the shop, the streets were overflowing with people dressed in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata yukata]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> and other casual summer styles, covered with sweat, crowding noisily around the dazzling food stands, with long queues forming in all directions. In their hands were cans of beer, bottles of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune Ramune]</span>, cotton candy, yakisoba, yakitori and corn. Banri was in no position to criticize the people with dreamy looks on their faces were walking from shop to shop, but it was the perfect example of preferring food to flowers.<br />
<br />
"Ah! Look at that Banri!"<br />
<br />
"Wow! Seriously!?"<br />
<br />
Over where Kouko was pointing, "Explosive Monja" was written on the eaves. Affixed to this, "Sold out in Japan!" was written in big letters. In the deafening roar of the fireworks and the hot, humid crowd, the two of them had no choice but to stop and look at each other in surprise. Kouko, disappointed, looked up and stomped her feet childishly.<br />
<br />
"No way, no way, no way! This just makes me even more worried!"<br />
<br />
Grabbing Banri's hand and shaking it, she threw a tantrum. Kouko had spotted this food stall on the way to the shop and wondered what it was. She decided that afterwards she would have to go there with Banri! Even so,<br />
<br />
"It's sold out…! I wonder if it really was that good?"<br />
<br />
"It isn't regular Monja! It, is, something, explosive! Ah, but I can't imagine it!"<br />
<br />
"For now, I'm feeling a little frustrated!"<br />
<br />
"I'm frustrated too! Frustrated, Banri!"<br />
<br />
"The next time we find it, we'll have to try it!"<br />
<br />
"That's right! We won't let it get away from us next time! We'll chase it to the ends of the earth and eat it!"<br />
<br />
Behind the two making such strong vows, a group of three yukata-clad girls whispered, "Those guys are disappointed they couldn't eat Explosive Monja," "Eh? What's that? It's so delicious," and "Wow, I'm curious!" In fact, this was the start of the "Explosive Monja" fad that would later sweep Japan, though for now nobody knew that.<br />
<br />
The two of them began to wander aimlessly past the street vendors. If they just stood there, they would be blocking traffic, and since they'd come all the way here, they wanted to soak up a bit of the festival atmosphere. But even though they weren't particularly hungry, enveloped in the rich smells, walking along peeking and pointing at this and that food stall lined up, they suddenly found themselves breaking away from the crowd.<br />
<br />
Entering into a residential area, the noise of the venue fell away as completely as if it had never been, and it felt like any normal evening. Even though the heavy sounds of the fireworks echoed around them, the view was blocked by the buildings along the riverfront, and from here all you could see was the night sky, which now and then lit up.<br />
<br />
"Shall we try going this way? We can't see the fireworks, but for now it isn't crowded, and if might be easier to get back to the shop."<br />
<br />
Kouko nodded in agreement as Banri said this, and lightly wiped her thoroughly sweaty forehead.<br />
<br />
"Let's do that. There are way too many people here. And it's gotten hot."<br />
<br />
As she put the handkerchief away in a small basket-bag, Banri noticed that Kouko had taken one of her geta half-way off, and was dangling it from the tip of her foot. He frowned.<br />
<br />
"Sorry I walked so fast. Are your feet hurting from walking around in those <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear) geta]</span>?"<br />
<br />
He wondered if it was a bit inconsiderate of him, accompanying a woman dressed in a yukata and wearing geta. But Kouko shook her head with a smile, saying "No, no."<br />
<br />
"No, they don't hurt. They're just tired. I thought I was in pretty good shape from the Awa Odori, but this is kind of heavy after all."<br />
<br />
"Oh, that's it. ...Well then, come on! I'll carry you on my back!"<br />
<br />
Banri turned around right there in the middle of the street, bent over and said, "Come on!", giving a manly jerk of the chin.<br />
<br />
"No, no, no! It's okay, I'm heavy, maybe even heavier than you! I'm okay! Don't worry about it!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shuffled backwards, looking like a panicked crayfish trying to escape. There was no way she was heavier than him, but he wasn't going to chase after her, catch her and force her on to his back, not when she was so reluctant.<br />
<br />
"Well, at the very least."<br />
<br />
Banri took off one of his flip-flops, caught hold of it by the thong with one of his toes, and held it out to Kouko as if to say, "Here you go."<br />
<br />
"Let's switch them at the shop. It'll probably be easier that way. Not great, but there wouldn't be anybody watching."<br />
<br />
"Eh? But that's no good. You'll wind up with sore feet."<br />
<br />
Taking both sandals off in front of the hesitating Kouko, he was shortly barefoot. If Kouko wouldn't take off her geta, he would simply walk barefoot. Even Kouko was defeated. She took off her geta and put on Banri's beach sandals.<br />
<br />
"Wow! My legs feel so light!"<br />
<br />
Released from the weight of her geta, Kouko hopped around in place.<br />
<br />
"I'm tall!"<br />
<br />
Banri suddenly became tall enough to look down at the top of Kouko's head, a fresh perspective. Normally, he was always the same height as Kouko, who always wore high heels. The two of them, having exchanged footwear, as if naturally drawn to each other, linked hands and walked down the night street.<br />
<br />
In the quiet, separated from the tumult, Banri thought it really had been a long time since he and Kouko had been alone together. Just now they had been with the upperclassmen, yesterday they'd been with Brave Leader (!!) Ramen Dad and for a while before that they hadn't been able to get together at all. Thinking about it, was it ever since they went to have fun at the beach? No, even at the beach everyone else was there, and so to be precise, the last time they had been alone together was when they were waiting together at the meeting place. Come to think of it, the atmosphere between them back then was quite awkward, and to make matters worse, they were at the entirely the wrong place, and when Two Dimensions found them he was quite angry, honking his horn like crazy...<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"......It's nothing."<br />
<br />
The memory suddenly made him want to break out laughing, but Banri quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hold it in. The scene shouldn't have made him grin, but he found it oddly amusing.<br />
<br />
No, this was not the time to be caught up in some strange obsession all by himself. Collecting himself, he gazed over at Kouko's profile, which was much lower than usual. Now that they'd finally managed to get some alone time like this, he wanted to have a more meaningful conversation. But even though that was what he thought,<br />
<br />
"What's that?"<br />
<br />
"...It's, nothing..."<br />
<br />
When he saw Kouko's face, smiling and turned up, he felt strangely embarrassed and looked away.<br />
Even though he had so many things to say, but now that the moment had come, why could he not find the words? And now, after all that, he was getting shy about it? Even though they'd been dating for months, and had seen each other's lace underwear and panty-hose clad faces?<br />
<br />
"...Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo..."<br />
<br />
"Ba, Banri? What, was that?"<br />
<br />
"Humming... Queen..."<br />
<br />
"Queen? What's that?"<br />
<br />
"Eh!? You don't know Bohemian Rhapsody!? That's impossible! ‘Mamaa!' ...look! You had to have heard it before!"<br />
<br />
"...?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? Am I the only one tone-deaf?"<br />
<br />
"I do know about things like this."<br />
<br />
While Kouko walked along, slapping the flip-flops on her feet, clapping her hands, slapping, clapping... though he generally understood what she wanted to do, from the awkward sound of her footsteps he wound up tilting his head and looking at her.<br />
<br />
It was right at that moment. From the night sky, from a place hidden from them by the buildings came the echoing sound of fireworks fired to the rhythm of the tune Kouko had been unable to imitate, "We Will Rock You." The two of them looked at each other's faces in surprise. There was no mistaking it, a faint melody was playing in the background. And it was "Queen", of course. It was a program where they launched fireworks in time with the music. What a coincidence in timing, but...<br />
<br />
"I, I want to see it...!"<br />
<br />
At Banri's words, Kouko nodded too.<br />
<br />
"I want to see this!"<br />
<br />
In flip-flops and geta, the two of them took off running. From where they were, all they could see was the rim of the night sky lighting up in time with the music. They wanted to return to their special box seats, or at least somewhere where they could see the fireworks! But however far they went, they remained in the shadow of the buildings, and when they thought on how short the song was, it would probably be over by the time they got there. While she ran, Kouko pointed a little further ahead.<br />
<br />
"Banri, look at that! We might be able to see from there!"<br />
<br />
Before that finger was a little park for children. He could see that in the empty park there was a jungle gym. But even if he could see it... "Huh, wait a sec!" Not waiting for Banri's reply, Kouko lifted the hem of her yukata and nimbly jumped over the bike rack at the entrance. He was surprised. Could the latest androids really move so smoothly? While Banri, wearing ill-fitting geta and finding it hard to move right, was thinking of such idiotic things, Kouko went straight to the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!?"<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 165.jpg|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Taking off the sandals and tossing them aside and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she climbed all the way up.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous!"<br />
<br />
Without listening to Banri's pleas for her to stop, she leapt to the top with surprising agility, as if she were a little monkey.<br />
<br />
"Ah! I can a little of the fireworks! Banri, hurry over here!"<br />
<br />
She released both hands and tried to wave them, but then her bare feet slipped and she nearly fell forward. Seeing this, Banri paled.<br />
<br />
"Hurry, hurry! It's almost over!"<br />
<br />
Having no choice, Banri threw off the geta and climbed up the metal rods of the jungle gym. He climbed barefoot up to the rather high top, sat down next to Kouko, straddling one of the iron bars.<br />
<br />
They could definitely see the fireworks from there, but only the upper half, more or less. For a while the two of them pointed at the multi-colored fireworks launched with great force (the upper half), exclaiming "I can see them!" "I can see, I can see!" side by side, catching their breath after running. But as they were panting,<br />
<br />
"Ahhh... it's ending. ...It's over!"<br />
<br />
"We saw... about ten seconds, didn't we?"<br />
<br />
"...I wonder, was it even ten seconds...?"<br />
<br />
It had ended suddenly.<br />
<br />
In the brief silence before the start of the next program, the sounds of their breathing overlapped dimly. Bathed in the white light of the electric light, they looked at each other for a moment. Freddy Mercury left them far too early, leaving the two of them all alone at the top of the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
But,<br />
<br />
"Hey, about just a bit ago."<br />
<br />
Showing no signs of alighting from the jungle gym, her clear eyes quietly shining, Kouko peered into Banri's eyes.<br />
<br />
"......About the class reunion earlier. I'm sorry for having decided on my own that you would go. I've wanted to say this for a while, but it just wouldn't come out... Have I caused you problems?"<br />
<br />
Was he the only one who could not say what he wanted to say?<br />
<br />
"It's okay. I'm fine."<br />
<br />
In order to support Kouko's body, which to him seemed to be fragile and unsteady, he had in fact been in an rather awkward and precarious position for a while now. While he was using his arm as a support by placing it around Kouko's back, Banri nevertheless shook his finger from side to side with a calm look on his face.<br />
<br />
"I'd already decided to stop running away from my accident. I'll go."<br />
<br />
Upon hearing that, Kouko's cheeks softened into a gentle smile.<br />
<br />
"...It was surprised when you asked Linda-sempai about the past."<br />
<br />
The next program started. This time, rather simple fireworks the color of flames were launched into the night sky. Boom! Boom! With each shot huge flashes of light spread out. They reflected in Kouko's eyes and hair, looking truly beautiful and dazzling.<br />
<br />
"I was really surprised, but then right away I thought, "I see... That's how it was... Banri was serious..."<br />
<br />
While nodding deeply, she answered without hesitation.<br />
<br />
"Oh. I was serious!"<br />
<br />
And he had been serious for a while now.<br />
<br />
Or rather, he thought he was too late. For a year and a half, he'd been wandering around, acting like a fool, averting his eyes from things he didn't want to see and running away. He thought he would actually get away with it. He didn't understand anything at all.<br />
<br />
It took that accident happening, and then having that argument with Kouko, for him to finally understand. Only after going through all that did he finally become ready to seriously confront himself. It was like taking the long way around, or maybe it was just that fools talk too much... but after much effort, finally, at last, he'd reached the starting point.<br />
<br />
He supported Kouko's weight with his arms while they looked up at the fireworks exploding in the night sky. They followed the streaks of light as they flowed straight down into the depths of darkness, watching them until they disappeared from sight.<br />
<br />
"...Linda-senpai was surprised too. She was frozen in place at first."<br />
<br />
"Yes, she was. She was frozen for a while. It was like she had 'Huh?' in big letters behind her."<br />
<br />
"...I wonder what she was thinking? I wonder if she thought I was weird?"<br />
<br />
"I wonder. At first she was surprised, thinking 'Huh?', but I wonder if in the end, she was happy? She had the feeling that you were trying to change, and was happy for that, which is probably why she told us about the class reunion."<br />
<br />
"I hope so."<br />
<br />
"Otherwise she wouldn't have told us. It makes me feel... I don't know what. Really, really happy. ...I finally feel like I can meet the real Banri."<br />
<br />
He looked over at Kouko beside him. Kouko was looking at him too, her sparkling eyes smiling gently at him.<br />
<br />
"I think I never really accepted you for who you are. I only recognized the version of you that was convenient to me. Perhaps all I was really looking for was whether or not you would fit into the image that I had created for myself, by myself. When you fit, I thought I loved you. And when you didn't fit, I hated you and cried."<br />
<br />
Kouko's eyes subtly shifted, and she looked up at the night sky where fireworks were bursting in a multitude of colors.<br />
<br />
"...Besides, I couldn't accept that there existed people who knew things about you that I didn't. It seemed like a defeat, I felt frustrated... I wonder if it was jealousy. In short,"<br />
<br />
He noticed as it were a slight, quavering sigh in her voice. Taking his eyes off her profile, Banri looked down at his own feet.<br />
<br />
"But you know, yesterday, didn't you say you would do your best? And you said you would stop running away from yourself too. And so, I would try to not get down from the car. ...I realized, 'I really love Banri.' With confidence, with all my power, and with all of me I love him! ...And that's okay."<br />
<br />
Sitting side by side, supporting each other with their shoulders, their bare feet lined up next to each other on the iron bar. Banri's feet were a little bigger. The feet with slender toes and pretty nails were Kouko's.<br />
<br />
"I love you, Banri."<br />
<br />
As if she were joking, Kouko lightly stepped on Banri's toes.<br />
<br />
"I love you because you are you. I am happy because you are your real self. If I am in a world with you in it, that alone makes me happy. I want to see everything in this world with you, experience every moment in this world with you and shout "I love you!" to it all. Even the parts of you I don't know, or the parts I don't like... it is all fine. If it's you, I'm fine with it. If it is purely and completely you, then it is the best thing for me, the only thing for me. <br />
<br />
Sighing, Banri said, "...But, what really hurts is that I've completely lost sight of what I am."<br />
<br />
He was surprised by the words had come out of his own mouth. After he finished speaking, he even added "Huh?"<br />
<br />
Painful?<br />
<br />
It was so painful... no, the pain didn't hurt? He had suffered the whole time. But he was surprised how easily he was able to describe his current life situation as "painful" and convey that to Kouko. He had felt that it was painful, but it was perhaps the first time he'd been able to say that to somebody. And then he was surprised at himself for being surprised by that. Was he trying to pretend that he wasn't suffering? What's more, he was afraid that others would realize how painful it was for him to have lost all 18 years of memories since he was born.<br />
<br />
It was painful, even thinking about it. It really hurt; it hurt a lot. He didn't know what to do about this pain. As far as he was concerned, no-one could help him. The pain would not go away. It wouldn't go away. This reality hurt. It was hard to look at it directly. Suddenly he felt as if he had fallen into darkness, and the hand that had been around Kouko's back let go. Trying to use that hand to brush aside his bangs, <br />
<br />
"......ngh"<br />
<br />
It was grasped as if it was being scooped up.<br />
<br />
Kouko grabbed Banri's hand in both of hers, pulled them to her stomach, and brought her face close to his. Surprised by how close she was, Banri held his breath.<br />
<br />
The smiling Kouko said, "You are yourself, even if you lost yourself."<br />
<br />
She didn't hesitate. Planting her feet firmly, she held Banri's hands, which had just been supporting her, firmly in her grip.<br />
<br />
"The you that you cannot reach right now is also you. And so, you're okay."<br />
<br />
The sound of that voice gentle and clear without a doubt, so he could believe he really was okay. Amazingly and without a doubt, Banri was able to calm his breathing and think, "Yes, I am okay." Just as it seemed he was about to tumble down, he felt he was being stopped in his tracks.<br />
<br />
"Every Banri is Banri. I love them all. I love him. So go and see him. Go and see the with your own eyes the part of you that you have lost sight of. And then I would like you to think. Of the you that you were before we met, and of the you I will never be able to meet. I would like you to tell me as much, as much as you can."<br />
<br />
Without closing her eyes, Kouko slowly moved her face closer and pressed her lips to Banri's. They were meltingly soft and frighteningly hot, making the hairs on his back stand on end. <br />
<br />
She stayed like that for several seconds, their eyelashes nearly touching as they gazed into each other's eyes. He looked at Kouko. Kouko looked at him. There was nothing separating them anymore, and it felt like he was looking out to space. There were no fireworks, there were no stars, no atmosphere, nor anything, just the sky. Vacuum. If there was anyone out there, they were probably the gods.<br />
<br />
Or maybe it was you?<br />
<br />
...Can I believe that you are there? Can I entrust everything to you? Can I really give you everything I have, for the rest of my life?<br />
<br />
Even though he wasn't feeling sad at all, Banri voicelessly spoke into the depths of Kouko's eyes, "I want to cry, I want to cry out loud." I want to cry! I want to cry... But of course without an answering voice, nor anything like it, he simply tried with all his might to show his need to cry from inside his eyes. Over and over again. His vision blurred, until the universe itself began to shake.<br />
<br />
If he raised his voice like a newborn baby, and cried with all his might, screaming his presence to the world... would that be the start of something?<br />
<br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586212Golden Time2025-11-01T22:32:37Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]] (~92%)<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter3&diff=586211Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter32025-11-01T22:32:20Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 162 through 165 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=92}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 3==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 098.jpg|thumb]]<br />
That town's station was far from Banri's normal stomping grounds, but according to the map was still barely within city limits. But as Banri left the ticket gate the word "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima Dejima]</span>" welled up in the back of his mind like the scum on a hot pot made from cheap pork, forever unable to disappear. This place, its appearance, its culture and everything else about it seemed to have been taken over by its neighboring prefectures. The black and brown heads of the people meandering before him as far as he could see all along the straight riverbank. Desolate fields. The black shadows of apartment and condominium towers. The white lights of electric lamps in every direction. A gas tank so large it made one nervous for no reason.<br />
<br />
Shouting "Me! Right now! I'm in Tokyo!" with all his might, he jumped up, as if his head was hitting the ceiling of "localness" and punching straight through. This was a trap that many young people heading up to Tokyo fell into. Even though he should have been excited to come to Tokyo, he always found the area around his hometown railway station to be visibly more prosperous.<br />
<br />
He returned his gaze to his hand. Checking the time on his cell phone, Banri stood impatiently alone in the middle of the hustle and bustle. No sooner had he stepped off the train on to the platform and had been swallowed up as if by a swirling mass of people crowded together, his steps turned slow and sluggish. Had he known it would be so crowded, he would have given himself more time. It seemed he had not taken a few things into account.<br />
<br />
Just outside the ticket gate, a banner for this evening's fireworks display hung overhead, several young station employees, sweating so much they seemed to have been doused in water, were directing people to the exit with a loudspeaker. "It will be very crowded today because of the fireworks display! If you are coming to the venue, then go to the left of the ticket gate! Please go to the left! ...It seemed virtually everyone was going to the left. But whether the exit was blocked, or the occasional person was jostling to go to the right, the neither spacious nor impressive station was even more crowded than during rush hour.<br />
<br />
A dangerous weapon zipped past Banri's nose, which was on the edge of oxygen deficiency. Right before his eyes, a group of girls was laughing noisily and imitating the station worker's way of speaking, "Wow! This is sooo good!" "Bwah hah ha!" They were dressed in yukatas and the pins stuck in their dumpling buns of hair were aimed straight at his eyes. Having no choice, he fought back using his cell-phone as a shield. But then "Ugh!" his feet got stepped on. "Oof...!" by beach sandals. The other one was wearing clogs.<br />
<br />
He had a bad feeling about this.<br />
<br />
Shortly after sunset, the train Banri was on was already packed with groups of young people in yukata and parents with children. With all the excitement, the train cars were like a tea-house for wild animals, filled with a deafening roar, and this wasn't even the main event yet. The posters inside the cars were all about the fireworks display. At that point, as he finally wondered (no way...), almost everybody on board got off the train at this station, the same station as Banri was going to. Naturally, the station premises were crowded. And every few minutes more and more people arrived from other places, and he was sure they would keep on coming in large quantities.<br />
<br />
There was no point in complaining, as they were all in the same boat. Banri headed slowly with everybody else taking their time heading for the exit stairs. He was just managing to escape from the station, but as for the surface of the road, the crush of people on top of it, the straight path leading to the venue on the riverside was so crowded with people that one could not even see the markings on the road. Head after head, a single butt-crack, no, that was another head.<br />
<br />
In amazed wonderment, the word "incredible..." escaped his mouth without his meaning it to. Do you guys like fireworks that much? That much? You like it that much? Fireworks.<br />
<br />
Before Banri's impatient eyes, a group of rough-looking middle and high school girls all dressed like men in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> deployed themselves in a beautiful fan shape, blocking his way. "What!? My phone's got no signal!" Their faces looked demonic as they made a horrible racket. Then there was that couple over to the side, the two of them wearing disgusting yukatas made of a strangely thin and glistening cloth, like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam%C3%A9_(fabric) lamé]</span>. At the launch of a shell, Boom!, perhaps because they were already excited, when they walked together their butts wrinkled in unison. The woman had put so much effort into her long, red fingernails that they looked just like five hot peppers on display. The man's five fingers were digging excessively into the knot of the sash around her yukata. Banri couldn't stand the sight of it.<br />
<br />
At first he'd been told to meet up at the train station exit, but in the afternoon he'd received a message from Kosshi-senpai, and it was changed so they would meet up separately at the destination. Banri thought that was the right thing to do. Even if they had met up there, the members of Omaken would probably have spent an eternity meeting up and separating, being pushed and shoved over and over again for no good reason.<br />
<br />
Eventually, beyond the human wave, he could see the gate leading to the steps up the riverbank. The stalls, painted in bright colors and emitting almost violent smells, were lined up all along the steps and down the slope, with signs of "Takoyaki", "Yakisoba", "Beef Skewers", "Ikayaki" and "Explosive Monja (what in the world is that...?)". Here and there were clearly unsavory types, with all sorts of designs seemingly etched into their bodies, with dark, evil eyes and menacing voices calling out, "Hey, you there, come over here!" "I'm gonna kill ya, suckaa!" It was not a deception to call it a 'fireworks display,' but it was entirely a festival. It wasn't just a great gathering. It was a festival. And festivals were the natural occasions to which to summon the Omaken.<br />
<br />
His ears deafened by the noise and the sound of generators, pushing through as if dividing the people flowing along the stalls, Banri finally tumbled out of the maelstrom. Once he walked one street in from the one right along the levee, he came out to a street lined with tall, skinny <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_tower pencil-towers]</span> and old buildings where he could finally walk normally. People could be seen here and there, mostly on the outside of the buildings and on the balconies, waiting in anticipation for the fireworks to start.<br />
<br />
Many of the bars and restaurants along the street had signs saying “Full” or “Reserved”, but before long he spotted the name of the place he was looking for, and gently opened the glass door.<br />
<br />
The waiter told him that the whole floor had been reserved for the day, but when he replied that he was part of the Japanese Festival Research Club, he was directed to go up to the roof using a narrow staircase at the back of the restaurant.<br />
<br />
Up to the third floor, it all seemed to be for customers, but after that, with beer cases and mops here and there, it was suddenly all business. But he’d been told to go to the roof, so he guessed it was all right. Immediately feeling uneasy, he climbed the stairs, the soles of his flip-flops sometimes sticking strangely, he felt a bit like a cockroach climbing the steps.<br />
<br />
When put his weight against the heavy iron door to open it, there he was, outside. The space opened out and he felt the soft wind caressing his cheeks.<br />
<br />
He had come out on the roof of the building.<br />
<br />
The space, concealed by a simple fence, was fairly large. The view of the riverbank was entirely unobstructed, with a large expanse of hazy deep blue sky in front of him that had yet to darken. When he considered how many spectators were crowded below, this place was indeed close to paradise.<br />
<br />
A breeze smelling a bit like fish, perhaps due to the river right in front of him, blew quite comfortably over his sweaty T-shirt. It was still summer in the daytime, but it cooled off as the sun set, and it definitely seemed like the change of season was underway.<br />
<br />
There were a few tables placed together on the concrete floor, and a few small chairs, most of them still stacked on top of one another.<br />
<br />
It seemed that most of the senior members of Omaken were already there. As first year novices, this situation should not have happened.<br />
<br />
But the seniors all had their backs turned to Banri, bent over in front of the fence working on something, and seemed to not have noticed him. For some reason they were holding a miniature light bulb cable like those used for Christmas decorations. Even though it was a special place from which to view the fireworks, they seemed to be trying to brighten up the rather bleak space by fixing crawling flickering lights to the fence.<br />
<br />
Trying to make up for having arrived late as if he were the boss rather than the lowest man on the totem pole,<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that! I'm late! But I'm here to help!"<br />
<br />
He approached them half at a run, and spoke the loudest he could. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"Ah......"<br />
<br />
An older female student turned around and when she saw Banri, raised her voice in a strange way. Squatting shoulder to shoulder, the older students, who had been working together happily until then, turned at the sound of her voice, noticed Banri, and suddenly fell silent.<br />
<br />
Inside of 0.3 seconds, Banri could guess why. This atmosphere. The averted gazes. The senior's lips wanting to say something... gathering information. Complete. Thought. Yes, understanding. QED. A 19-year-old's body has lightning reflexes. Banri's right hand immediately responds to a command from his brain and shoots downward. He grabbed his crotch with a speed and boldness that would make even the most experienced teacher of the exhibitionist arts shudder. It was more important to fix the situation than to be shy about it. How's that for judgement? And it was cool. If it had been a better time, he would have imparted this knowledge on all the world... resolution first, shame later! He was a man of the world! But,<br />
<br />
"...What the?"<br />
<br />
Not touching with his right hand the warm space he had expected, rather he felt the metal fixture that had been well and properly closed. Running his fingers over it, he mouthed, "What... the?" as he ran his fingers over his crotch again and took a peek down there.<br />
<br />
The zipper he had thought was open was closed quite securely. "Am I... an idiot!?" Then why are the seniors looking at me like that!?<br />
<br />
"Eh!? What is this...!?"<br />
<br />
There was no answer to Banri's question. And then he noticed that Linda's face was not among those lined up along the fence. There were only the seniors, staring at Banri with unreadable expressions.<br />
<br />
Those eyes... were they pitying him? And yet somehow... were they half showing kindness? What's more, was that a spoonful of "Hey, why'd that guy touch his crotch just now?" ...were they disgusted...?<br />
<br />
N, no! It's not like that! Banri panicked.<br />
<br />
"I didn't just touch my crotch! I, I was just checking if my zipper was open! I mean, what is...?"<br />
<br />
In the end, no one answered.<br />
<br />
"Really, what is it!? Why are you all looking at me like that when it's not even unzipped!?"<br />
<br />
But no matter how far you go, it was one person against many. Worse, a first year against all the second and third-years together. Before them, he was far too inferior.<br />
<br />
Banri lost all judgement and his cool, and simply freaked out. No matter in which era he had been born, even were he royalty, he would never attain even the level of roadside grass, a tiny existence not edible, useless as fodder, and having no use save it be as an ordinary roadside backdrop. He would be very difficult to point out or even make a fuss about...<br />
<br />
"Nah, never mind..."<br />
<br />
The senior who first looked at Banri and said something strange turned to him and smiled awkwardly. Standing up with an electric cable in his hand, he was dressed in a beautiful yukata, perhaps because he was going to be wearing it for the Awa Odori dance. All of the other seniors were dressed in colorful yukatas. And then, with a gentle manner he had not seen from them before,<br />
<br />
"Come here, Tada Banri."<br />
<br />
"We'll all do it together. Let's install this perfectly before the fourth-years get here!"<br />
<br />
"Don't forget these lanterns!"<br />
<br />
Saying, "He he heh..." "Look, look..." "Come here, come here..." they beckoned him to come. He was as nervous as if he were going down a road deserted of everything but ghosts, his sweat soaking the back seat of a taxicab.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, with the sole exception of Kouko, the women were called "giants" behind their backs. The word "giants" means a group of greedy, arrogant and unscrupulous people. Omaken consisted of men, Giants and one golden robo-girl. The giants were ghosts already, frankly.<br />
<br />
"...No way!"<br />
<br />
And,<br />
<br />
"That's scary!"<br />
<br />
"Why...?"<br />
<br />
When they approached him, dragging the electric light cable in their hands, Banri automatically said, "Look now! Now I'm scared! That's scary!" and tried to run away. But the shop's roof wasn't wide enough for him to escape, and he was easily surrounded.<br />
<br />
"Y, you're not usually like this! There is got to be something wrong with you!"<br />
<br />
"There's nothing weird about us... right..."<br />
<br />
"Hey... this is fun, isn't it...?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, its fun... the Omaken is fun, yeah..."<br />
<br />
The upperclassmen cheerfully wrapped electric lights around Banri's paralyzed body. The captured Banri turned into an stupid, round, illuminated man. Wrapped all the way to his forehead like Christ with his crown of thorns, the gathered lights shone annoyingly through his eyelids. In addition, he was made to hold in each hand an original Omaken red and white lantern. He wondered when they were made, as they were magnificently done.<br />
<br />
"Okay now, please sit here..."<br />
<br />
"It's the best seat in the house..."<br />
<br />
He was invited to sit in one of the seats lined up against the fence, or more precisely, he was half thrown there as he twinkled. It came to him in a flash. <br />
<br />
"Huh... Could this be some sort of trick...!?"<br />
<br />
The countdown suddenly starts. He wondered whether his chair would explode when it reached 'zero' and he would become a firework that blossomed in the night sky one step ahead of the others? He wondered if body parts violently scattered by an explosion and falling on the heads of innocent people gathered for the festival would be classified as a practical joke. He wondered if they would laugh at that.<br />
<br />
That, or, at "Zero!" would he plunge forwards from the chair, the only clothes he was wearing be snagged by a hook and left behind, and he be thrown out into the crowd completely naked under the shining illuminations, blooming in a fireworks hall of shame? If he fell the wrong way he would become a laughing stock, but for now, should he run away before the countdown starts?<br />
<br />
Unable to imagine any other possibilities, the frightened and blinking Banri's shoulder,<br />
<br />
"Hey you! Whatcha been up to lately!?"<br />
<br />
"Eeek...!"<br />
<br />
Only his first word was in Kabuki style, then after that like from some refreshingly trendy drama, the smiling Kosshii-senpai suddenly embraced him from behind. Behind him were smiling third-year senior guys. Even in this gathering dusk, everyone was strangely dark and shiny.<br />
<br />
"......La, lately... well, I've been... kind of like that...!"<br />
<br />
"Like that!? ...Is that sooo!? Yeeaah!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai, while bathing in Banri's idiotic light and flashing his idiotic darkness, stretched deliberately like a bad actor whose script said, "Senpai / One big stretch." Then he leaned his back against the fence, in front and to the side of Banri, who was facing the riverbank. "Senpai / Lean against the fence and smile." He held a plastic bag containing a big box of something in one hand, but Banri was not interested in it at all.<br />
<br />
"Oh, this? That's right, I forgot. It's for you,"<br />
<br />
Kosshi-senpai acted all theatrical, coldly turning his gaze away while suddenly sucking in his cheeks, he scratched the resultant hollow with his index finger while pushing it out from inside with his tongue,<br />
<br />
"Let's do this!"<br />
<br />
Intoning something like "Kaan''CHI''!", he suddenly threw the box at Banri. He was relieved from the bottom of his heart that no more words followed, but on the contrary, that was all he could be relieved about.<br />
<br />
If this had been a television drama, it would have probably been enhanced with computer graphics, showing the box describing an arc through the air and landing neatly in Banri's hand, but unfortunately, this was reality. Caught by surprise, unable to move, both of his hands caught by the paper lanterns, the cardboard box came flying surprisingly fast at him. Aaaah! It hit him on the jaw as he was ducking down.<br />
<br />
"Agh......!"<br />
<br />
What fell into his lap with a bounce was Okinawan sea-salt flavored <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinsuk%C5%8D chinsokou]</span> . Fifty-two pieces to the box (a lot). ...Oh, I see, he went there. Something to do with the third-year volunteers.<br />
<br />
"......Kosshii-sempai, that, that hurt!"<br />
<br />
"Well, what can I say?"<br />
<br />
He wasn't listening. At all.<br />
<br />
"Tada Banri and Robo-girl, isn't that what you are to us? Kinda like a fertilized egg!"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
He truly, from the bottom of his heart, had no idea what to make of that. He felt as if he had turned to stone. A stone unable to understand what was spoken to it, unable to reply back, a stone from which water spilled from a crack. What the water wrote on the surface of the rock, he could not tell.<br />
<br />
While dripping water from such a rock in his psychological inner world, Banri was deeply disappointed that Linda was not there. If only she were here, she could probably keep Kosshii-sempai in check and get some sort of resolution to the situation, but she wasn't here, and was perhaps delayed.<br />
<br />
The Okinawan shortbread still fallen in his lap, Banri blinked stupidly. As he was blinking,<br />
<br />
He repeated weakly, "Fe, fertilized egg...?"<br />
<br />
"It's sort of like two lifeforms becoming one. It's always like you two come as a set!"<br />
<br />
But this guy, Kosshii-senpai. Was he always unreasonable like this?<br />
<br />
"........ Why isn't Linda-senpai here...?"<br />
<br />
"Let's forget about her for now! She said she was on her way here from her parent's house, but she said the Toukaidou Shinkansen got delayed and now their schedule is all messed up, so let's set that aside for now!"<br />
<br />
"Eh, from Shizuoka? She went home?"<br />
<br />
"I told you to forget about her! I'm talking about you! Don't go running away!"<br />
<br />
Somehow a thought came to Banri's mind. Had everything about his accident and what happened afterwards been leaked to the upperclassmen? No, but there was no way. Denying it, his head tilted more and more to the side. There was no way it was possible, and even if it were, he would never understand why.<br />
<br />
"......Umm, I really don't understand it all, but isn't it about time you explained the reasons for this situation?"<br />
<br />
"We don't really need an explanation. Right, guys!? We don't need one!"<br />
<br />
Having left a single freshman behind as scenery, glittering in the wide open sky, the seniors loudly raised their voices and nodded to each other. They gave each other meaningful glances, and anxious glances in Banri's direction, but nobody said anything definite. He really didn't understand why. What in the world had come over the Omaken all of a sudden? Why were the seniors suddenly treating him with this kind of strange attitude?<br />
<br />
The last time the members got together was in August, in that hot hellhole that was Saitama. We performed the Awa Odori, and once that was safely done and over, they'd passed the bottle around and he'd excused himself a bit early... maybe he'd done something careless that time?<br />
<br />
Having approached right in front of Banri without him noticing, Kosshii-senpai suddenly grabbed his tee-shirt at the shoulders with both hands. Taken by surprise in his recollections, Banri was shaken. His brain was shocked, and he could not think.<br />
<br />
"Anyway, what I want to say is, you and Robogirl both, we all... want to wrap our arms around you both! That's all! Gently, warmly, as if we were pie-dough, we of Omaken want to wrap you two freshmen up! This pie crust would be soft, but would never crumble! We might be nice and crunchy, but we would never crumble! Do you understand!? Understand!"<br />
<br />
When he replied that he didn't understand, Kosshii-senpai backed away, a little irritated.<br />
<br />
"You don't understand!? You're an idiot! So, anyway, there it is! ...You know what I mean!"<br />
<br />
He didn't know... he gotten accidentally tongue-tied and had become a real idiot.<br />
<br />
"Huh!? Jeez, you're really stupid...! So... look at this!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai looked away once and licked his lips. He looked around at the other members' faces for a moment, then they nodded to each other in a small, tense way. He was going to have to say something difficult. He would say it. He would say it all. Raising his eyebrows in a sign of readiness rising plainly from his entire being, he looked at Banri, sucked in his breath and,<br />
<br />
"......Things really get awkward whenever someone quits! Such things shouldn't happen!"<br />
<br />
He struck Banri lightly on the shoulder as if to cover up something. Ouch, but rather than saying "ouch", his mouth already hanging open, Banri tilted his head with a foolish look on his face.<br />
<br />
"You two are ingredients in the pie we call Omaken! You are already one with us! And even if you are no longer a couple, it doesn't mean you will lose the bond of being friends in Omaken! Right!? That's how it is! Everyone!"<br />
<br />
Oooh! Their voices rang out once again, more certain than before. "Let's cheer up Tada Banri!" they said, and applauded him, which naturally turned into rhythmic clapping. "Taada!" cheered one side. "Banri!" cheered the other. "Taada!" "Banri!" "Taada!" "Banri!"...... The Omaken were always prepared for this sort of call and response.<br />
<br />
"......Huh? Broke... up? What're you talking about?"<br />
<br />
Banri still hadn't made the connection. He was forced to blink by the illuminations he was wrapped up in, but finally, little by little, belatedly, "Huh..." it came to him in a flash. As if a chisel were continually pounding the words "split up" into a crack in the rock and had finally broken through to the soft, half-living core, Banri understood what was going on.<br />
<br />
By some chance.<br />
<br />
Had these people come to the conclusion that he and Kouko... had broken up? Was this what their mysterious tension was all about? Were they afraid they were about to lose their only first-years? "Ah, I see!" he nodded without thinking, nodding in understanding. This this wasn't some sort of prank after all, and this chair wasn't going to explode, nor fly forward while stripping off his clothes. Well then, we're good... no, no, no! Confused and shaking his head,<br />
<br />
"......That's no good! What is this!? Why have you suddenly started talking like this!? There's no way we're breaking..."<br />
<br />
It was with that perfect timing.<br />
<br />
The sound of the knob being turned on the door leading to the stairs inside the shop made everyone turn their heads. The heavy door squealed as it finally, somewhat hesitantly, opened.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me! I wound up running late... uff, this thing is heavy......"<br />
<br />
Losing her battle against the door's weight, the door slammed shut. Her voice quickly faded out, but it was certainly Kouko's voice.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!? Are you okay!?"<br />
<br />
Banri tried to stand up, but the lanterns in his hands and the electric cords wrapped around his body made it difficult for him to move quickly. And he still hadn't been able to clear up the misunderstandings of the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"It's Robogirl...!"<br />
<br />
"That was Robogirl just now!"<br />
<br />
"Aah! That Robogirl's back from the heart repair shop!"<br />
<br />
"Hey guys! Let's all give a warm welcome to our broken Robogirl!"<br />
<br />
"Whoaa!"<br />
<br />
The seniors all raised their fists high one time, left where they were and dashed for the exit door. Because Banri had been comforted sufficiently, and the chisukou cookies already turned over to him, then they'd probably made up their minds. Banri had been left behind, but he staggered along, blinking in the cheerful illumination, but he still managed to get up and follow the upperclassmen's backs.<br />
<br />
"I said you're wrong! Our break-up..."<br />
<br />
Just as he was about to clear up their strange misunderstanding, the door opened wide. Kosshii-senpai pulled the heavy iron door open from this side.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the open door,<br />
<br />
"Th, thank you Senpai! I'm really sorry for showing up so late! I got swept up in a wave of people and wound up coming here!"<br />
<br />
Kouko......? But? ......She's here......?<br />
<br />
Everyone was a loss for words. Banri moaned too, unable to say anything... summer (was over).<br />
<br />
On the rooftop, which had been noisy the whole time, there suddenly fell a moment of silence. Only the sound of the wind and the clamour of the world below was alive and noisy, as there had been some mistake.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? Umm......? What? Is this place... all right? Ah, Banri... eh? What? What is it?"<br />
<br />
Several seconds passed, Kouko tilting her head much like Banri had a few short moments before, nobody able to say anything, when finally,<br />
<br />
"......Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai sank into a crouch as if for leg stretching exercises, his face composed as if posing for a camera. The right half of his body was pulled back, the left half extended forward. He greeted her formally. Th, that was it. Nothing else. One by one the other seniors said, "Please restrain yourselves!" "Please restrain yourselves!", and even Banri, like an idiot still in the twinkling lights repeated, "Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Having received a formal greeting from a dozen or so members of Omaken, a woman resembling Kouko stood there, frozen in the doorway with a bewildered look on her face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh, what should I do? ......Please restrain yourselves......?"<br />
<br />
For the moment, she followed Kosshii-senpai's example, extending one hand more or less as he had. For his part, he was in superb form, not moving in the slightest.<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much for having behaved yourselves! I am Koshino, and my nickname is Kosshii. With all due respect, Miss Robogirl, the young man that follows you around has something to say!"<br />
<br />
With the hand that was not extended, he signaled to Banri behind him to move. Strangely enough, Banri had no problem understanding what Kosshii-senpai was trying to tell him. He gulped it down freely, like water streaming from the rocks or <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_tofu mapo tofu]</span> stuffed into a fat man's mouth. Still with his legs spread wide (as the Illumination Man, no less) Banri stepped out before the upperclassmen and sticking out his chest in a pose like Michael Jackson, with his lower lip sticking out towards that Kouko-like person,<br />
<br />
"You are not a Yakuza lady!"<br />
<br />
He said it loudly.<br />
<br />
"Whaa...!?"<br />
<br />
That wasn't it. Really. He couldn't diss her!<br />
<br />
Kouko appeared there in a yukata, looking like a gangster's wife. She was wearing heavy, old-fashioned thick makeup that made her look like she was going to pick up a pistol at any moment. Her face was painted with pure white greasepaint, with frighteningly dark shadows. Her black eyebrows looked as if they had been drawn with a brush. The silver bridge of her nose rose in the middle of her face with a tremendous three-dimensional effect, and her lips were drawn in the style of the Showa period with blue, purple and pink rouge. Prepare yourself!<br />
<br />
She was wearing a stylish linen yukata, probably a high-end item, with the collar open in a daring way impossible for an amateur to get away with. Her excessively soft hair was swept fully back and tied way down low. What an airhead! If you're going to shoot, then shoot!<br />
<br />
Holding her hair back from her nape with her fingertip with the air of a forty-something person, Kouko said, "It's all a lie!"<br />
<br />
She said it without shame or hesitation. Whether lying or not, as she acted the part of the gangster lady to the utmost.<br />
<br />
"I mean, they had thought that we had broken up."<br />
<br />
"Whaaa!?"<br />
<br />
Her second denial was muffled when a strong wind slammed the door shut. <br />
<br />
"That's how rumors spread."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, that surprised me! To think they thought we had broken up."<br />
<br />
Setting aside her showing up all at once in heavy makeup from the Showa period,<br />
<br />
"Well, actually, yesterday was a close call."<br />
<br />
"No it wasn't, no it wasn't!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shook her head, saying she wasn't in that much danger. As she shook her head, she was trying to tear off some paper packing tape from her fingertip. Not knowing how to remove it, she used all her strength, tearing off the altogether too long, sticky, disgusting tape wrapped around her arms up to her elbows, then wrapping it around the fence railing.<br />
<br />
"...And with that, you're all set."<br />
<br />
The section so wrapped looked too big, turning into what looked like a praying mantis egg sack. The feeling she'd done a bad job was so strong that Banri instinctively wanted to tear it all down and redo it, no questions asked. But one of the upperclassmen happened to pass behind them, saying "What? Are you guys still doing that? Aren't you out of time?" He panicked, and quickly said, "Excuse me, I'll hurry up!" and started working on the next part. Banri would place the string of lights in place on the fence and hold them down, and then Kouko would tape them in place. The two first-years were both late, and their work so slow and useless, they were in quite a fix.<br />
<br />
It seemed that the fourth-year students had been told ahead of time to arrive late for the get-together. Preparations were moving ahead quickly to get the place ready before then. This rooftop space was apparently not usually open for guests and was too bleak even for Banri's eyes. But what do we do now? By the hands of the active Omaken members, the fence was wound about with twinkling lights (a work still in progress), and Omaken lanterns were hung around the tables (though they were just decorative cables hung from coat racks borrowed from the restaurant). While it was kind of cheap, it was also dazzling and mysterious, creating a unique atmosphere like a night stall in Bangkok (though he had never seen one before).<br />
<br />
And above all, there was the view. In just a few moments, the fireworks display would be unfurled in the unobstructed night sky. The bustle of the street below seemed to increase as the start time approached, and the noisy buzz reached this rooftop on the fourth floor.<br />
<br />
Many things had happened to get to this point, but as he crouched down and let the cool breeze ruffle his hair, Banri's heart frankly leapt. Best of all, Kouko was there by his side. ...Putting mantis eggs on the fence again and saying things like "Yeah, all right, we did it!", anyway, she was here. She was certainly lively.<br />
<br />
At that moment you could hear the upperclassmen cheering from over by the tables. Apparently, it had taken several people from the shop to bring in a huge container. The container, which was the size of a storage bin for clothing, could be seen to be packed full of ice, into which bottles of beer had been inserted to cool them down. Soft drinks had been brought to the tables earlier in plain, boring all-you-can-drink pitchers. It was such a busy day, they were on the rooftop, and the beer probably had some strange flavor along those lines... but the seniors had resigned themselves to many things.<br />
<br />
Glasses had been placed upside down on the tables, saucers and chopsticks were set in order. Next, there were three plates of salad piled high, three plates of fried potatoes, and three plates piled sky high with fried chicken. The volume of the dishes, which were piled almost desperately high, seemed to suggest that the shop wanted us to just eat quietly for a while so we wouldn't be coming and going very often.<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai stared at the left-over salad with a raised eyebrow, saying "Won't that dry up...?" Seeing him with both hands above the lettuce, some senior girls carrying chairs shouted at him, "Kosshii, get to work!" <br />
<br />
This guy was very probably the source of the rumor that Banri and Kouko had broken up. The muscular Koshino-senpai, their best male dancer, was relied on by all for everything from organizing the drinking parties to negotiating for off-campus activities.<br />
<br />
The first-year couple had not replied together to their invitations to attend. From that fact alone, Kosshii-senpai (Eh? These guys...) had jumped to conclusions.<br />
<br />
The pair of them, who had perfect attendance so far at every club event, seemed very vague. And Kouko, for her part, had been completely unreachable. Strange. Something must have happened, he thought.<br />
<br />
It seemed that from the moment they'd heard that the two of them had officially started going out, not only Kosshii-senpai, but all the members of Omaken had been feeling somewhat uneasy. Relationships between men and women were always fraught with trouble, so sooner or later they would part ways. Kosshii-senpai would say, "Will that breakup bring the unhappy end of Omaken, perhaps?" The other upperclassmen would nod in agreement as they heard those words.<br />
<br />
To the older members, there was only the two of them. They had finally snagged somebody, but it was only the two freshmen. If something happens between two people, and one quits, there is only one left. And a freshman alone is as good as gone. The next thing you know, it is no longer a club, the next generation ceases to exist and Omaken begins to end. It would be a miracle that a first-time relationship between freshmen could last for so many years, and from the outside looking in, it seemed that the two of them had so little in common that it would not be surprising if they were to have an awkward breakup at any moment.<br />
<br />
...Hearing that explanation, Kouko protested "We're not like that!", but Banri quietly thought, (Ah, the upperclassmen have no idea how stubborn Kouko is...) For that matter, he had come to realize he was pretty stubborn himself.<br />
<br />
And so, as Kosshii-senpai waited for a reply to his e-mail, he was very, very, veeery worried that something might have happened between the two of them. Banri's reply, saying he would be going, finally arrived the day before, but he said that he didn't know about Kouko, and that he thought she would be contacting him... not very informative!<br />
<br />
One monkey-faced junior, a guy who had been a high school basketball player and had only 10% body fat, seemed to shiver when he read that e-mail. He thought that the situation they had feared had finally come to pass. And then, as if to support that idea, no reply ever came back from Kouko. Kosshii-senpai became convinced that the two of him had come to nothing.<br />
<br />
So today, without telling Banri nor Kouko, the sophomores and juniors had gathered a little bit earlier. When Kosshii-senpai announced the breakup of the freshman couple, a tremor ran through the Omaken stalwarts. After many rambling discussions, the only thing that was clear was that they would do their best to treat them both warmly and care for them so that they would not quit the club. They all seemed to think of Banri as a nice, warm, soft, not too hard wrapper, kind of like a pie crust. Suddenly there appeared a face with ghastly makeup, showing up like a cursed face emerging from the darkness. Kosshii-senpai was truly astonished. Then upon realizing that what he believed was a misunderstanding, Kosshii-senpai was so relieved that he cried out "It's you! Thank God...!" and then grunted and slumped to the ground in a heap then and there.<br />
<br />
Kouko, on the other hand, said she had thought that Banri had contacted them all to say they would be participating.<br />
<br />
Yesterday. Her father had finished up his ramen and was just starting to wash up the dishes when Kouko finally woke up.<br />
<br />
Banri was just about to leave when Kouko called out with a low, husky voice, "Are you leaving?" When he answered, "Yes, I am," she said "...are things back to normal?" "Yes, they're back to normal," he answered back. When she said, looking off to one side, "Are you mad?", "Do you hate me?" and "I'm sorry about everything," he said, "I'm sorry too." That was all they said, but the words were enough. The words that would have followed were not spoken, and in the end, they would have been nothing but words. In the darkness behind Banri's eyelids, pink and white lights were flickering, and for a long time he saw a very dowdy Kouko there. The many overflowing emotions were simply there, and he wanted them to stay there.<br />
<br />
Folding the borrowed apron and setting in the low table, he tried to ask, "What will you do tomorrow?" He planned on participating, and if Kouko felt inclined to do so also, he said he'd be happy to go together with her. After all the back and forth up to now, knowing full well that Kouko's mental health had only just returned from the brink, he felt he shouldn't pressure her too hard to go. So he just said, "Think about it."<br />
<br />
In reply, Kouko gave him a vaguely dirty look and nodded. Banri thought that meant she would only think about it. But in reality, it was a cockeyed "Then I'll go." For the first time in a while, he felt his mind invaded by a bit of good, wholesome sleepiness. In that part of his mind, Banri decided he must inform the upperclassmen of his decision to participate. Because he was Banri. Because he was the boyfriend. Because he was the guy who made ramen for her father.<br />
<br />
And then Kouko decided to rejoin human society. She managed to reconstruct her battered feelings, ate a good meal that evening, took a bath and washed her hair. For the first time in a while she returned to the life of a young woman. She sent off e-mails to Mitsuo and Two Dimensions, and called Chinami on the phone. All of fifteen minutes after she hung up, she received replies from both the guys. Feeling exquisitely light, but at the same unable to hide a heaviness and wanting to cry, Kouko fell on to her bed and the next thing she knew, for some reason it was morning already. She had fallen fast asleep... and to her dismay, the dazzling light revealed an utter disaster under her chest. When she had thrown a pillow at the devilish expression on Banri's face, two bottles of body lotion had fallen and broke. Able to sleep after acting so violently, convinced there was nothing strange about that at all, Kouko quietly put them in order.<br />
<br />
Then she got her yukata ready and sent Banri an e-mail saying, "I'm going to wear my yukata!" So far, so good, but she hit a roadblock when she tried to get appointment with a salon to get outfitted. She refused to accept that they refused her an appointment, but when she called other salons she found herself utterly defeated. She had no choice but to go to the first salon she could find on the internet.<br />
<br />
It was a strange, dimly lit salon. A very old woman... no, a grandmother ran it by herself. She noticed the overwhelming smell of "grandma" the moment she entered, but it was too late. And then putting on her outfit, the old lady was strangely scary, and when she tried to twist her body a little to see herself in the mirror, she would get her butt slapped.<br />
<br />
When it was finally done and she was about to pay the bill, she was told that she had to get her makeup done right and was made to sit on a bench in front of the cash register. Powder was smashed onto her face with such force that it made her gag, and she was sent out of the shop without knowing what had been done to her. Already almost out of time, she hailed a taxi and flew on her way. Unexpectedly, the roads having been restricted because of the fireworks display, she had no choice but to run in her geta, and so arrived at the restaurant all out of breath. And she had been made to look like some idiotic yakuza wife.<br />
<br />
"......I wonder if my hair looks okay?"<br />
<br />
Kouko was still a little worried, touching her bangs with her fingertip.<br />
<br />
A little bit ago, the older girls thought it was all too much and took Kouko to the bathroom, makeup pouches in hand. In the ten minutes it took them to return, they had returned "Kaga Kouko" back to her normal self.<br />
<br />
With most of the makeup removed and a thin layer of powder patted back on, a translucent blush and a plump gloss, a beautiful woman had returned to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_era Heisei]</span> era. Her hair and bangs had also been braided. Her bun had been redone in a loose, youthful style. And it seemed they had redone how her clothing to make her look more mature, and yet exposed the nape of her neck.<br />
<br />
"You're okay, you're okay. Your hair and face are perfect. Even your yukata suits you."<br />
<br />
When Banri said that, Kouko broke out in a broad grin. A look... of perfect smugness. Crouching down and making more praying mantis egg-sacks, while also looking really happy, shaking her head from side to side. She seemed to be saying, "How do I look, how do I look?" As for that triumphant look, she had such a beautiful modern face, impeccably well done up, there was no way one could allow such wonderfully overflowing <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Gosha Gosha-ism]</span> be looked down upon. Banri was rather impressed by the old lady at the salon. Or rather, wasn't her technique amazing?<br />
<br />
Even with packing tape in her hands, Kouko looked truly stunning in her yukata. The dark gray dyed linen looked great against her translucent, pure white skin. The obi was a cool white color with a light blue <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)#Accessories_for_women's_obi obijime]</span> fastened to it. The antique-style obi clasp was a deep purple colored stone, and if you looked closely, you could see that it was shaped like a rose. And of course, since it was for Omaken, there was a yes-no fan hung from the obi. All the yukata giants were like that: Banri had one too.<br />
<br />
"You see, this yukata was made this year. When summer started, I told myself that I would definitely go with Banri to see the fireworks! No, I decided we would go, and so I had it made special express order. I'm glad I had the occasion to wear it."<br />
<br />
Once more tearing off a wasteful length of packing tape, Kouko fixed in place a cable Banri was holding as she gazed up towards the sky.<br />
<br />
"Why don't they just start?"<br />
<br />
That child-like, innocent way of speaking filled Banri's heart all at once with genuine anticipation. It was mostly likely due to having been without Kouko for a whole week, but with his own feelings on top of that, and it all being shoved down his throat all at once. It was so sudden he could barely keep himself from crying out loud.<br />
<br />
Saying only, "...Isn't it about to start?" Banri laughed.<br />
<br />
The sky was not yet completely dark, and only a pair of huge gasoline tanks across the flood plain were entirely black. Seeing them lined up, the smiling Kouko suddenly pointed at them.<br />
<br />
"I hope they don't catch fire."<br />
<br />
She grinned. Banri said nothing.<br />
<br />
She said it as innocently as a child. It was genuinely ominous. It wasn't "Aaah! The fireworks will start soon, and that will catch fire, and I wonder if all this area will be blown to bits! Look! (lol)", but rather "Aah, I shouldn't say ‘I wonder if there is a chance the fireworks will make that catch fire?' I'm an idiot (lol)," he believed, ignoring it. Ignored. Getting back on track,<br />
<br />
"Well, really, what to say... I'm glad. For now. I was able to come and be here with you."<br />
<br />
Though Banri had muttered something unintentionally sincere, Kouko nodded deeply too.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. I'm glad. Really."<br />
<br />
If they had made some sort of mistake in yesterday's awful bit of theatre, then around now the two of them really would have wound up in a situation just like Kosshii-senpai's misunderstanding. With this in mind, Banri tried to ask.<br />
<br />
......If by chance we had broken up, do you think they would have tried to follow up and recover us in the way they did before? I would hope we would not wind up retiring from Omaken."<br />
<br />
As she continued energetically making praying mantis eggs, Kouko shook her head side to side and at once said, "There's no way."<br />
<br />
"You don't think so?"<br />
<br />
"No, I don't. First of all, I would not even have come here. Then I would never see the seniors again. I mean, I would never have gone outside again. I would have hidden myself in my room. I would have quit the university and its clubs. My hair would grow out long, greasy and sticky. I would become hairy and fat, and would never take a bath. I would be a beast unable to talk. I would turn into a truffle pig. How would you say it, it would be what's it called... what's it called... what's it called..."<br />
<br />
She looked at Banri's face for a bit, then "......Ah, I lost it! Even though I only just got here!"<br />
<br />
Ruefully pointing at his throat, he was squirming with regret over the probably useless, but surely lost "what's it called?" The one regretting was Banri.<br />
<br />
"......Are you growing a beard!?"<br />
<br />
"You can grow one, can't you? It may be peach fuzz, but if try your best it will turn into a nice fluffy beard."<br />
<br />
He rubbed around his chin with his fingertip. At that moment, as Banri was trying to show her how they moved, his chest filling once more with heartfelt regret, the announcement from the fireworks venue came to his ears.<br />
<br />
The other upperclassmen seemed to notice, and saying "What'd they say?", "Ugh, I couldn't hear it... are they starting?", "Are they starting already?" they strained their ears, but the sound simply echoed between the buildings in a weird way, and the tumult and the wind blocked it, and they could not understand clearly what was being announced.<br />
<br />
Then all of a sudden, Kosshii-senpai said, "Oh, wow! Everyone stop what you're doing, gather around and listen to me!"<br />
<br />
Cell-phone in one hand, he called everyone to gather around him. Banri and Kouko stopped what they were doing too and hurried over to the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to read a text I got just now from my senpai! 'Kosshii, you're always the same! You're really handsome and cool, and you're built too...'"<br />
<br />
He passed it around the circle.<br />
<br />
"Sorry, excuse me, pardon me! 'Kosshii, always the same! I'm on the way from the station right now. Only Hosshii isn't with us, but we think he'll be dressed up shortly. By the way, it looks like Hosshii finally got a job offer.'"<br />
<br />
"You're kidding, seriously?" Voices arose from the circle of seniors. Even Banri clenched his fists.<br />
<br />
So far this summer, all of Omaken's fourth-year students had been struggling to find jobs. Suddenly, as if a hold had been lifted, job offers were being made in rapid succession. The younger students were naturally happy and congratulatory, but only Hoshino-senpai, a.k.a. Hosshii, the leader of all omaken, had not yet received a job offer, so it was natural to imagine his inner impatience, and he had yet to openly celebrate.<br />
<br />
So now, at long last, that was settled.<br />
<br />
"She said, 'Hosshii, you said you weren't coming today if your final interviews didn't work out, but you came! I'm so glad!'"<br />
<br />
"Ya-hoo!" Kosshii-senpai raised his fist high in a very determined pose, and the circle of people surrounding him spontaneously applauded. The fourth-years who should have been getting the applause had not yet arrived, and as much as they would have loved to receive it, they could not. Banri was clapping his hands as hard and furiously as he could too.<br />
<br />
As for the fourth-year seniors, they all shouted "Wonderful!" from the heart. If Hosshii-senpai's informal job offer worked out, they would be feeling especially good for him. Around when Banri first met him, he was already tired of job hunting. He was in a constant state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. When they met, he was so wretched he was falling apart. And he would not have been surprised to see his future self in the same state. Kouko seemed to feel it too, smiling and clapping with packing tape stuck to her fingertips. <br />
<br />
Just then, the fourth-years made their appearance, one after another... all but Hosshii-senpai. As soon as the door opened their faces lit up with smiles as they said "Wow!" and "What's this? Isn't it something!?"<br />
<br />
"Congratulations!"<br />
<br />
Naturally, their voices were mixed with those of the younger students greeting them. The applause turned into a loud, rhythmic beat, and everyone formed a ring around the fourth-years. Facing each other, they clasped their hands and raised them high, making a tunnel of arms to greet those that had returned proudly from the front lines of the job search. As they clapped loudly together, Banri truly regretted that he had not entirely finished his preparations. Oh he wished he could have greeted these people with a more perfect setting...!<br />
<br />
"Wow, this is so nice! Wait a little more, eh, no way, this sort of thing, you've moved me... I'm going to cry..."<br />
<br />
One senior, overcome by emotion and wiping the corner of his eye,<br />
<br />
"......Hey!"<br />
<br />
He'd been dead tired like this since noon. But he could really jerk that chin of his. It was amazing how far he could move his chin and stretch his face. And just like that, the fourth-years all at once cried out "Hey!", then one after another "Hey!", with evil eyes "Hey!", with their eyes closed "Hey!", and when they saw it, all the younger students naturally grunted as hard as they could.<br />
<br />
"Ngh...! Ngh...! Ngh...!"<br />
<br />
It was their privilege to back them up. To help their seniors feel better, bent down as if they were casting fishing nets, not caring if the hems of their yukatas got messed up, they grunted so hard it was like they were about to rip their bodies apart. Everyone: the guys, the giants, even the golden robo-girl, were moving furiously together in the Omaken tradition of twisting their whole bodies like crazy. Over there,<br />
<br />
"Oh, yeah! Are you doing it!? Hey! Hey! Heeey!"<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai was that sort of person, expressing himself with amazing poses, strangely light movements and amazing triple turns. "There he is! Hosshii's divine pirouette!" "A perfect arabesque!" "He doesn't move at all!" "Hey, he's standing en pointe!" ...To Banri, the other senior's echoing words sounded like nothing less than an incantation, but anyway he understood how the super high-energy Hosshii-senpai looked. Of course the guy who got the interview was different! Besides, this was the first time he'd seen Hosshii-senpai looking like that!<br />
<br />
Bravo! All around the posing Hosshii-senpai, praising him, the first, second, third and fourth years, all the Omaken members here rushed him, cheering. It was not unlike how people would rush to gather around <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinpachi-sensei Kinpachi-sensei]</span> of Class 3B ("Third Years, Class B!"... "Kinpachi-sensei!").<br />
<br />
The events of the next thirty seconds would come to be remembered as the "Thirty Second Whiteout" in the history of Omaken.<br />
<br />
Zero seconds.<br />
<br />
The first thing to happen was the huge chorus of "Hosshii, congratulations on the tentative offer!" This was followed by the fourth-years shouting as one, "Now we'll all get job offers!" ...They all jumped up in excitement and shouted "Hurray!" They were stupid college students. Unable to handle the excitement in their hearts, they couldn't help themselves. For now, they all shouted and leapt into the air. Almost everyone landed at the same time, and the impact caused all the towers - salad, potato, and karaoke - to collapse at once.<br />
<br />
Three seconds.<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai muttered, "......Eh?"<br />
<br />
Five seconds.<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see......"<br />
<br />
Eight seconds.<br />
<br />
......I'm sorry. ...I haven't received the job offer yet. ...I went to the very last interview the other day, but even that was with me praying. ......I'm sorry. Sorry, everyone. ...I thought I needed a change of pace, and so I wound up coming in spite of not having received a job offer. Society has no need of me, but I came anyway. Sorry."<br />
<br />
He bowed his head.<br />
<br />
Thirteen seconds.<br />
<br />
Nobody could say anything. In the blank silence, Hosshii-senpai danced round and round with amazing energy, backing off little by little from the distance they'd all closed around him. You could think the air was one in which all the atoms in the world had been made to stand still.<br />
<br />
Fifteen seconds.<br />
<br />
With a clang, the entry door opened, and directly in front of Hosshii-senpai there appeared a bizarre, teary-eyed, luminous figure.<br />
<br />
It was a figure in a sleeveless white cotton blouse, three-quarter length slim jeans and sandals. "Is that Linda?" said someone, sounding stupid. They weren't sure if she'd grown her hair out or lost weight, but anyhow something was different. She looked so beautiful and fresh, and even her aura seemed to have been whetted.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Something feels off."<br />
<br />
Eighteen seconds.<br />
<br />
"I mean, I mean, I mean..."<br />
<br />
Both of Linda's eyes caught sight of Banri and Kouko. And then suddenly, she walked up, placed herself in front of them and declared forcefully but with uncertain meaning, "I mean!" Her wide-open eyes sparkled as always, her pupils looked deep and perfectly clear, and together with her skin, which looked transparent to the extreme, she was strangely beautiful. For a moment, Linda's moist lips opened and closed as her finger alternated pointing at the two faces lined up before her.<br />
<br />
Twenty seconds.<br />
<br />
And then suddenly it started. It was the great fireworks display.<br />
<br />
Linda was still saying, "I mean", "I mean", but naturally, the fireworks started. That's why we were all gathered together. It would be even more a case had they not started. So naturally, up there in the sky, it started on schedule. But if you called it "normal", a normal fireworks display would start, for example, with "Boom! ...Pop pop pop..." "Wow, how pretty!" "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumidagawa_Fireworks_Festival) Taamaya!]</span>" --- that was the sort of thing that Banri and the other members thought. But in reality,<br />
<br />
''Zuddaan zzuddan zzuddaan zzuddaan ddoan ddoan ddoan ddoan dandandan zudaddan~ barubarubaru~ zudadada~~ nzzudoan ddon ddan ddon ddon doun doun donu!, boon nuu donma! Zudadan zuddab zudadab zubabababa!''<br />
<br />
......ngh, this. This, isn't this some sort of mistake?<br />
<br />
Suddenly, he wondered if they weren't overdoing it.<br />
<br />
Is it okay like this?<br />
<br />
I mean, it's scary.<br />
<br />
What is this?<br />
<br />
There was a series of colorful outbursts that seemed to have gone crazy. With awful random bursts in the night sky, there were suddenly violent explosions all over the place. Suddenly there were too many and too loud, anyway they were somehow too much. It was a huge explosion of fireworks taken to the extreme. The fireballs were still rising one after another through the dense trails of smoke. One after the other, with such desperate determination that it's almost painful, they explode without hesitation: big, medium, small, big, medium, small, big, medium, small, high, low, high, low. Incredibly huge explosions, lines of flame spreading in all directions, stretching long like tentacles, riding and dripping and invading the night sky, overlapping and coloring them. And then there was the loud rumble shaking him from the soles of his feet to the pit of his stomach. The smell of gunpowder was so thick it hurt his nose. Banri was ashamed. He found that when one is in the presence of a big explosion, one gets ashamed. He was being made fun of for no reason, could not defend himself, and was being made a public laughing stock: a long hungered for buffet entirely consumed. All he could think of was running away. But probably everyone else felt the same, tens of thousands of blushing faces looking up, silent and still like the other Omaken from the very start of the opening round of the tremendous fireworks show.<br />
<br />
Twenty-eight seconds.<br />
<br />
Banri looked at Kouko's face. Kouko looked at Banri's face too.<br />
<br />
All sorts of thoughts came and went in their hearts, but they could not say anything to each other. First, "The fireworks are too much," no, before that "What'll we do about Hosshii?", followed by "What's wrong with Linda?"<br />
<br />
Yesterday they were on the verge of breaking up. But now here they were, standing together in the middle of turmoil and embarrassment, ...so, ...there wasn't anything particular to say.<br />
<br />
For the moment they were holding hands. Without knowing why they raised them high, and Banri opened his mouth. Kouko followed suit, and with exactly the same timing breathed in. They were a couple, after all. One heart. Face to face, (ready, set,)<br />
<br />
" "Is it a good time for a waltz!?" "<br />
<br />
......Waltz! Banri. Shall we dance? Kouko.<br />
<br />
All that in 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As the one guilty of spreading false information twice already today, Kosshii-senpai was condemned to slavery of his own free will. He went around and poured drinks for the other seniors and even the younger members, and if there were additional orders, he had to run down the stairs to the kitchen to tell them. "Kosshii! Fritters!" "Ah, yes sir!" "Kosshii! Get me water!" "Yes, yes!" "Kosshii! Change your name!" "Yep, I'm Chousshii!" "Chousshii! Rhyme it!" "...Um... Chicken I give you, fireworks I give you, myself I give you, I give you..." "Chousshii! Reflect on what you've done!" ......He quietly answered, "...I'm sorry!" under the booming fireworks in the night sky, behaving ridiculously like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doraemon_characters Gouda Takeshi the Giant]</span>.<br />
<br />
The special chairs lined up against the fence were occupied by the women, of course, and they were enjoying the powerful fireworks before them, oohing and aahing over them excitedly. The other members were enjoying the event in their own ways, taking seats at the most appropriate tables or moving their chairs so they could see better. Even Hosshii-senpai was looking calm and collected, sometimes playing the part of the slave and occasionally laughing lightly at the right times. He frowned for a while after the toast, but as the drinks started glowing he didn't seem to care anymore.<br />
<br />
The smell of gunpowder and the noise of the fireworks were carried to them by the end-of-summer night breeze. They launched a series of fireworks looking like smileys and the women tried to take pictures with their cell-phones, shouting "Night mode!" and "Flash!?" A petite waitress came staggering under two large plates with yakitori, one in each hand. Kosshii and another third-year student hurriedly ran to lend a hand. "Like this!" "Like this?" "Like this!" "Like this?" For some reason, the fourth-year students stood up in a row and suddenly started spinning on one leg in a spectacular fashion. "Ugh, my drink is spinning!" ... or so it probably seemed.<br />
<br />
And just what seemed to be the darkest thing in this fun and noisy drinking party right now?<br />
<br />
"...And that is how I wound up disappearing for a whole week..."<br />
<br />
Kouko, that's who.<br />
<br />
"...I really thought I would just disappear that time..."<br />
<br />
And just like that, she bowed so deeply it looked like she was planting her face in the ground, turning the back of her head completely towards the long awaited fireworks. In her hand was a glass of oolong tea with the ice all melted. As if his dark and gloomy state had been juxtaposed against the night sky's gaudy excitement. The fireworks burst one after another, punching them in the stomachs. They twinkled going from green to red, faded from red to yellow, then vanished to a momentary darkness.<br />
<br />
"You're an idiot."<br />
<br />
With unchanging excitement, they were punched once more. But, when you multiply zero by zero, in the end it is still zero. The phrase "You're an idiot," which never contained any anger or scolding to begin with, turned into just four invisible words and melted away into the noisy atmosphere of the drinking party. Still looking wistfully over at Linda, Kouko was still nodding her head.<br />
<br />
Linda and Kouko, and then Banri making three, moved their chairs a little apart and got to talking. Having heard that Kouko had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving Banri and the others and gotten into an accident, after which they'd lost all contact with her, Linda rounded on them once the drinking part had started and angrily said, "You mean something happened!? Are you okay!?" The source of the information was probably a piece of crap... well, let's set that aside for now. Anyway, Linda seemed truly worried, so Banri and Kouko took formation and explained to her the whole situation.<br />
<br />
Perhaps matching Banri and Kouko, Linda had an oolong tea in one hand too. As she started to speak, Kouko's expression got darker and darker, as if some sort of muddy color was getting mixed with it. Linda didn't interrupt, but kept a serious look on her face and listened until the end of the long, boring (and frankly not funny) story. When in the end Kouko's expression had become completely dark, Linda shot an invisible "You're an idiot," twice at the tip of her nose.<br />
<br />
"If there was nothing else, then anyway that was good. I had only heard parts of the story, and was really scared, wondering what on earth had happened. As an outsider, and didn't understand the situation, I was rather hesitant to try and contact you... ah, what a relief. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."<br />
<br />
She grinned and laughed.<br />
<br />
Her smile was so bright and honest.<br />
<br />
When Kouko at long last raised her head, even Banri could see the look of obvious relief in her eyes. This was probably the first time that Kouko had ever seen someone so genuinely happy about her safety. Her father being who he was, he had not taken pleasure in the fact that in spite of her obvious blunders, his daughter was safe. Kouko was hit, scolded and blamed, and not even that was enough. She got angry at herself, blamed herself, could not forgive herself, she refused to accept the consolation of the good friends she had put into danger, and her mind remained unbalanced...<br />
<br />
"......Phew......"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, she made a sound as of air escaping from her. Then scrunching her face up as hard as she could, she pressed her face into Linda's shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Oh... my."<br />
<br />
Tapping Kouko on the head lightly so as not to mess up her hairstyle, resting her cheek against the top of her head, Linda called out "Hey" to Kouko twice. But Kouko didn't raise her face, so Linda stayed still for a while, and then took a long, gentle breath. As she did so, she looked gently at Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"You're okay too, right?"<br />
<br />
"You're asking me!?" said Banri, giving her a vigorous thumbs up. From his temples, from his arm muscles, and from his armpits, his criss-crossing veins were bulging like crazy. Linda looked like she hardly keep from laughing at the sight of such a full power thumbs up, her eyes curled up like cute fishcakes. And then, with a heavy Kyuushu accent,<br />
<br />
"All right, gotcha. This is boring!"<br />
<br />
Of course, Linda had nothing to do with Kyuushu.<br />
<br />
"When I found out, I figured it was worth coming all the way from my parent's house. I was worried the Shinkansen would run late, but I got here just on time. And I got to see Kosshii-senpai playing the part of a slave. But that guy's awful. How will he turn out? What sickness will he pretend to have?"<br />
<br />
When Kouko finally raised her head, "Hehe", looking a little embarrassed, she quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Then, as always, she gave Linda an energetic, pretty and perfect smile.<br />
<br />
"Senpai, you went back to Shizuoka?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Last week, no, I've been back at my parent's place for a while now, and I wasn't planning on coming back for a while yet. I had some things to take care of there. So actually, I intended on skipping today too, but I heard about the accident and couldn't calm down, so in the end I came back. After this I'll be taking the Shinkansen back home."<br />
<br />
"Wow, you did that because of me!? I'm, I'm sorry... I made you worry."<br />
<br />
"No, no, I was the one worrying on my own. If Kouko's good, then Banri's OK!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine, so fine I'm sorry."<br />
<br />
Bouncing around looking genuinely apologetic, her head popped up as if spring-loaded when an old-fashioned weeping-willow shell blew up with a bang, sparkling as it burst and slowly stretching down, hanging down like a long stream. As he blinked, captivated by the sparkling, Banri sighed in his thoughts. Come to think of it, had he ever seen such a huge firework spreading across the night sky before? If he had, he wondered who he had seen it with, and what did he think? He wondered what memories he had been thinking of on those late summer nights?<br />
<br />
He watched until the weeping willows melted into the blackness of the night and the last speck of fire had been extinguished, then,<br />
<br />
"...Fireworks sure are pretty things, aren't they?"<br />
<br />
It seemed that Kouko had heard him mumbling something to himself.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Is this perhaps the first time you've seen fireworks, Banri?"<br />
<br />
"Perhaps. At the least, my present self has no memories of them."<br />
<br />
"I see. Then how about hand-held fireworks? Have you ever done that?"<br />
<br />
"No, no. I know what they are in general, but I have virtually no experience with them."<br />
<br />
"Whaa... then you have to do it! You're Japanese, so you have to play with <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_snake_(firework) Black Snakes]</span> (and feel the vibrations of things that don't live long!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Banri and Kouko start talking normally, Linda casually looked over towards the table where the second-years were making a lot of noise. Banri saw this out of the corner of his eye. As if she had waited for just the right moment to join in on the conversation at the table, Linda quietly began to stand up. Banri hesitated, but thinking it was his last chance, he glanced over to Kouko's eyes. Kouko gave him a confused look. Let's go, thought Banri as he steeled himself. He had promised, so he would go.<br />
<br />
And then,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, have you set off fireworks in the past?"<br />
<br />
That was bold.<br />
<br />
As if she were startled, Linda opened both eyes wide. She could see that Kouko was also leaning over slightly and holding her breath.<br />
<br />
Caught by surprise, Linda's poker face crumbled, but stiffened once more in the light of the fireworks which began exploding in rapid succession.<br />
<br />
...It wasn't like he wanted to cause any trouble for this person. That wasn't it... Banri was troubled as well and forgot entirely what he was about to say. In an instant, silence fell.<br />
<br />
Now he wished he had never said he was pretending that his past had never happened. He wanted to do it over right, but for the time being is was just winging it. But, of course, it wasn't something he could do smartly, and there were still awkward silences happening. That was all there was to it... perhaps it was a troublesome challenge for Linda to try and minimize such things.<br />
<br />
Banri really didn't have much of a plan to back it up with, so he could only stay quiet.<br />
<br />
Linda looked back at Banri with a troubled expression, blinking her eyes silently. ...At a time like this, of course, he wondered if she had lost some weight. Her features looked slimmer, and her two cool eyes were crazy large, moist and sparkling. She looked a little different from before. She looked much prettier.<br />
<br />
Time seemed to stop and a silence fell between the two former classmates.<br />
<br />
"......Senpai, were you in the same class with Banri all three years in high school?"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, somebody started talking strangely clear.<br />
<br />
"I heard from Banri you were in track and field! Senpai, you must have a really fast runner. Somehow, that makes sense. By the way, I was in the ESS, the English Speaking Club, but I was so caught up in stalking a certain childhood friend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year that I had no spare time, so I was only an imaginary member through my graduation. Aha! I guess I really was!"<br />
<br />
The only person completely out of touch with her surroundings and unable to read the room. It was Kouko, of course.<br />
<br />
When Kouko showed how clueless she was like this, Linda's confusion became even more apparent as she blinked more quickly. She could be seen looking even more sharply at Banri's eyes. ...Weren't you supposed to pretend that never happened? What's going on with you guys? Those eyes seemed to be saying that. The fireworks reflected off her wide open eyes, sparkling.<br />
<br />
(Sorry. I'll do it over. Please let me do it over. I made a mistake.)<br />
<br />
Banri replied with only his eyes, and held his breath as if he were praying.<br />
<br />
If Linda were to walk away pretending she saw nothing, if the subject were never brought up again, he felt like he would never be able to take on a challenge like this again. Please, please let me try again. Linda. Please. I'm asking you, so please remember. Let the me I don't even know come to life in this world once more. Please prove that I existed. I'm begging you, so once more...<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see."<br />
<br />
Her cheeks relaxing, Linda lowered herself back into the chair. She sat down once more, then relaxed, stretching both her sandaled feet out before her.<br />
<br />
"Last year a typhoon struck at just the wrong time, so we didn't do it. You see, Tada Banri, Shimada has a fireworks display every year."<br />
<br />
Linda.<br />
<br />
Gulp, a feeling as of a lump rose in his throat, but he swallowed with an innocent look on his face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? No way, I had no idea!"<br />
<br />
"It looks like they did some just this year. Well, this is much more amazing, of course. ...In any case, you've played with hand-held fireworks too. You asked if you'd ever done it? Take a look at the shin of your left leg."<br />
<br />
Banri rolled up the bottom of his jeans and looked at his left shin as Linda told him to. Kouko came and peeked too, and said, "Ew, leg hair..." Of course he had leg hair. He was alive after all.<br />
<br />
Even so, amongst leg hair somewhat sparse for a man of his age, there was a slightly raised, faintly purplish scar. It wasn't particularly noticeable, and he hadn't paid it much attention up to now.<br />
<br />
"That is a burn mark. During summer camp in our second year in high school, we all set off fireworks. You and I from a little ways away lighting some simple incense sticks, but just then a rocket firework headed straight for us and fell with a bang. When I realized, I shouted 'Ahh!'"<br />
<br />
"Huh!? That... hold on!?"<br />
<br />
''BANG!'' Banri suddenly stood up. An image flashed through his head. Linda screaming. Watch out! He jumped sideways automatically in a cool move... yeah, he had to have. Turning around to face Linda and Kouko, Banri stiffened his expression and pointed at his temple with the index finger. ''BANG!''<br />
<br />
"I might just remember that episode! It came back to me clearly here! So, it's got to be, I got injured while trying to protect Linda-senpai...! Ah, I finally remember!"<br />
<br />
"Huh? You got it wrong."<br />
<br />
Linda cooly shook her head.<br />
<br />
"I ran away quickly, but you were too slow. Then boom! You got hit by the rocket, got burned, and there was a huge commotion. That was a mess. The coach was white as a sheet, you panicked like you'd lost your leg, and since then our club's summer fireworks tradition has been scrapped.<br />
<br />
"Ah... that's how it went?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that time, I was the only one who ran away."<br />
<br />
"......It's all right, really..."<br />
<br />
Banri quietly lowered the fingers which had been making BANG! He wondered how many people had lost sight of their index finger of destiny like this in history. When Columbus began to regret, he must have been pointing his finger in a more definite direction. This finger of his was already somebody else's index finger. No, a mysterious index finger. ...Enough already, may such an embarrassing finger explode from the first joint. From now on he should just live with the rough marks of an explosion as his fingerprints.<br />
<br />
"......Pfft!" Regarding what she spouted out, "Were you trying to make something up just now? You were, weren't you?"<br />
<br />
Kouko couldn't help but chuckle. With no intention of hiding her malicious intent, Kouko looked up from below at the now-standing Banri's face. Shut up... you got it wrong... he insisted with face turned away from her. "You were trying to make up a story, right? You were trying to look cool?" Pf, pfft! ...I wonder if this guy isn't really my friend.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous, Linda-senpai. Please be strict with Banri so he doesn't go making up stories about his past to suit his own convenience."<br />
<br />
"So it seems, fabrications..."<br />
<br />
......Heh heh. Not good, he thought. Casually lowering her head, Linda let out a small chuckle too. Banri's cheeks instantly became hot.<br />
<br />
"I, I'm not making it all up! ...In my case, it's hard to tell where my memory ends and my imagination starts!"<br />
<br />
"'It's hard to tell where memory ends and imagination starts'! What a great quote! Amazing! I'll have to start using that one myself."<br />
<br />
Finally, Kouko broke out laughing loudly. As if caught up as well, Linda started laughing, her shoulders shaking.<br />
<br />
"...Jeez! Just say what you want to say! If you want to laugh, then laugh!"<br />
<br />
Banri sulked, his face red. Now he was sulking! He was sulking because he was being laughed at! He was completely aware of that, and sulked with all his might. Seeing him sulking, Kouko said, suddenly lowering her voice and turning serious, "In other words, Banri." Wondering what she would say,<br />
<br />
"Banri, don't you think that you ought to go home like Linda and show your parents you are doing okay? I think they would be worried over the matter of your accident, and if they don't see for themselves, they'd just cross the line between worry and imagination, just like me."<br />
<br />
She said that with a bright, beautiful smile. So timid just a moment ago, she suddenly got like this now that it was her turn to play. Still feeling a bit sulky, Banri slumped back down into his chair.<br />
<br />
"Hey, even if you hadn't told me to, I'll be going back home soon. My parents even told me to."<br />
<br />
Besides, he'd decided not to run from his past anymore. Upon hearing Banri's half-sulky reply, Kouko turned to Linda with a smile and said,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, if you have the time, could you please go over to Banri's house and pay them a visit?" <br />
<br />
"Could you do that for us?" she said, bowing to Linda and Banri by her side as if they were an up-and-coming idol and her manager. Banri instinctively followed suit. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"...Hey. Hold on."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly stopped laughing.<br />
<br />
"I didn't really mean to say this but... I mean, is it okay to say it?"<br />
<br />
Even if somebody had asked Banri or Kouko what they were confused about, they wouldn't be able to say. When they reflexively looked at each other, Linda crossed her sandals slightly and shook them restlessly,<br />
<br />
"Didn't I say just now that I have something to do there?"<br />
<br />
Apparently it was okay to say it. Looking up at Banri's face,<br />
<br />
"Actually, we have a high school class reunion this week." She said, "Well, I thought you had no intention of coming, and I thought it would be rude to force you to come, so I was just keeping quiet about it. But... what if you want to? What if, even for just a moment, if you feel like it, would you mind showing up?"<br />
<br />
As expected,<br />
<br />
"......Eh?......"<br />
<br />
He gulped. That was the only sound that escaped him. Class reunion? With this timing? Banri froze as he was, forgetting even to breathe.<br />
<br />
He had firmly decided to stop running from his past. He was decided. But it was a decision he had only just made... was it a bit too high a hurdle to suddenly face at such an early stage? Wasn't it all too sudden? It was as if Teruo Eda (T/N: a famous jockey) were there waiting for a dripping wet foal that had only just stood up.<br />
<br />
"No, I wouldn't force you, of course not! It's only hypothetical."<br />
<br />
Watching Banri's expression change as soon as he heard the expression "class reunion", Linda hurriedly shook her hands from side to side and smiled at him.<br />
<br />
"Just, for now... because everyone has been worrying about you for so long, if you came and showed them how you are, I think they would be truly happy. I won't tell you to come. But I wanted to tell you that one thing."<br />
<br />
...About you for so long.<br />
<br />
Still unable to breathe, Banri hung his head as if Linda's words were going back and forth inside his head, over and over again. Worrying... This whole time, about him?<br />
<br />
A whole week until yesterday, unable to get ahold of Kouko, he had been feeling truly depressed. No matter what he did, he felt anxious and uneasy, kept on imagining strange things, and he was just so scared. When he thought about it, he'd been doing the same thing to his friends for a year and a half.<br />
<br />
Had he been doing such an awful thing?<br />
<br />
But. How should he approach going there? He was well aware that he was no longer the Tada Banri his classmates hoped to see, and it would be like showing up in the middle of an away game. After making so many people worry, he would come out as an entirely different person. He would surely betray their expectations and cause them as much disappointment as were their worries. Just imagining himself in the middle of that surging mass of disappointment, with a stupid, grinning look on his face... he felt an icy trickle of sweat dripping down the surface of his heart. They were lined up in a row with disappointed looks on their faces. This guy's not him. Away with you. Have some shame. You don't belong here. And so on.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, with a loud bang, everything in Banri's field of vision was washed out by fireworks exploding again. Bright streaks of flame spread clearly across the night sky with a strange three-dimensional effect.<br />
<br />
"Senpai. Banri will be participating."<br />
<br />
"Eh!" exclaimed Linda. For a moment, what Kouko had said didn't make sense to Banri.<br />
<br />
"...Eh!?"<br />
<br />
He was surprised for a full three seconds. "Eh?" Kouko turned around right away. Just how many "eh"s does this situation plan on having?<br />
<br />
"You'll do it? Eh? Or not?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? You'll do it...?"<br />
<br />
"I'll do it? I will!"<br />
<br />
Kouko faced Linda, flashed a bright smile once more, and declared that Banri would be taking part. When he asserted this without hesitation, even Banri thought to himself, "Is that so?" Yes, that's right, he would participate. In the reunion. To be riddled with bullets of disappointment.<br />
<br />
Linda looked silently and worried in Banri's eyes. At that, Banri gave a single nod.<br />
<br />
"...Yes. I will go. I will participate in the class reunion."<br />
<br />
Oh well, he thought. Thanks to Kouko, he was able to accept it.<br />
<br />
And if he wound up being turned into a honeycomb, then so be it. Should he not get a taste of being an adult honeycomb? That's who he was. He was the kind of guy who shows up and disappoints people. No matter what you do, you can only be yourself. No matter how hard you try to run away from yourself, in the end it is you who is running away. Therefore, you must accept your fate and live your life as you are. It is much better if you can live without running, and without stress.<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze wavered as if she were confused, but at length she quietly stopped moving. She looked Banri straight in the eye and said in a low, short voice, "This is going to be a mess."<br />
<br />
"Got it. Well then... come on."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Banri and Kouko were so tempted by the "Bakuretsu Monja" (Explosive <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monjayaki Monjayaki]</span>)) that was being sold at a food stall that they excused themselves from the drinking party and left together.<br />
<br />
The fireworks were just reaching the climax of the second half, and he thought that the audience would be really into watching and the food stands would be empty, but it seemed he was wrong. When they left the shop, the streets were overflowing with people dressed in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata yukata]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> and other casual summer styles, covered with sweat, crowding noisily around the dazzling food stands, with long queues forming in all directions. In their hands were cans of beer, bottles of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune Ramune]</span>, cotton candy, yakisoba, yakitori and corn. Banri was in no position to criticize the people with dreamy looks on their faces were walking from shop to shop, but it was the perfect example of preferring food to flowers.<br />
<br />
"Ah! Look at that Banri!"<br />
<br />
"Wow! Seriously!?"<br />
<br />
Over where Kouko was pointing, "Explosive Monja" was written on the eaves. Affixed to this, "Sold out in Japan!" was written in big letters. In the deafening roar of the fireworks and the hot, humid crowd, the two of them had no choice but to stop and look at each other in surprise. Kouko, disappointed, looked up and stomped her feet childishly.<br />
<br />
"No way, no way, no way! This just makes me even more worried!"<br />
<br />
Grabbing Banri's hand and shaking it, she threw a tantrum. Kouko had spotted this food stall on the way to the shop and wondered what it was. She decided that afterwards she would have to go there with Banri! Even so,<br />
<br />
"It's sold out…! I wonder if it really was that good?"<br />
<br />
"It isn't regular Monja! It, is, something, explosive! Ah, but I can't imagine it!"<br />
<br />
"For now, I'm feeling a little frustrated!"<br />
<br />
"I'm frustrated too! Frustrated, Banri!"<br />
<br />
"The next time we find it, we'll have to try it!"<br />
<br />
"That's right! We won't let it get away from us next time! We'll chase it to the ends of the earth and eat it!"<br />
<br />
Behind the two making such strong vows, a group of three yukata-clad girls whispered, "Those guys are disappointed they couldn't eat Explosive Monja," "Eh? What's that? It's so delicious," and "Wow, I'm curious!" In fact, this was the start of the "Explosive Monja" fad that would later sweep Japan, though for now nobody knew that.<br />
<br />
The two of them began to wander aimlessly past the street vendors. If they just stood there, they would be blocking traffic, and since they'd come all the way here, they wanted to soak up a bit of the festival atmosphere. But even though they weren't particularly hungry, enveloped in the rich smells, walking along peeking and pointing at this and that food stall lined up, they suddenly found themselves breaking away from the crowd.<br />
<br />
Entering into a residential area, the noise of the venue fell away as completely as if it had never been, and it felt like any normal evening. Even though the heavy sounds of the fireworks echoed around them, the view was blocked by the buildings along the riverfront, and from here all you could see was the night sky, which now and then lit up.<br />
<br />
"Shall we try going this way? We can't see the fireworks, but for now it isn't crowded, and if might be easier to get back to the shop."<br />
<br />
Kouko nodded in agreement as Banri said this, and lightly wiped her thoroughly sweaty forehead.<br />
<br />
"Let's do that. There are way too many people here. And it's gotten hot."<br />
<br />
As she put the handkerchief away in a small basket-bag, Banri noticed that Kouko had taken one of her geta half-way off, and was dangling it from the tip of her foot. He frowned.<br />
<br />
"Sorry I walked so fast. Are your feet hurting from walking around in those <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear) geta]</span>?"<br />
<br />
He wondered if it was a bit inconsiderate of him, accompanying a woman dressed in a yukata and wearing geta. But Kouko shook her head with a smile, saying "No, no."<br />
<br />
"No, they don't hurt. They're just tired. I thought I was in pretty good shape from the Awa Odori, but this is kind of heavy after all."<br />
<br />
"Oh, that's it. ...Well then, come on! I'll carry you on my back!"<br />
<br />
Banri turned around right there in the middle of the street, bent over and said, "Come on!", giving a manly jerk of the chin.<br />
<br />
"No, no, no! It's okay, I'm heavy, maybe even heavier than you! I'm okay! Don't worry about it!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shuffled backwards, looking like a panicked crayfish trying to escape. There was no way she was heavier than him, but he wasn't going to chase after her, catch her and force her on to his back, not when she was so reluctant.<br />
<br />
"Well, at the very least."<br />
<br />
Banri took off one of his flip-flops, caught hold of it by the thong with one of his toes, and held it out to Kouko as if to say, "Here you go."<br />
<br />
"Let's switch them at the shop. It'll probably be easier that way. Not great, but there wouldn't be anybody watching."<br />
<br />
"Eh? But that's no good. You'll wind up with sore feet."<br />
<br />
Taking both sandals off in front of the hesitating Kouko, he was shortly barefoot. If Kouko wouldn't take off her geta, he would simply walk barefoot. Even Kouko was defeated. She took off her geta and put on Banri's beach sandals.<br />
<br />
"Wow! My legs feel so light!"<br />
<br />
Released from the weight of her geta, Kouko hopped around in place.<br />
<br />
"I'm tall!"<br />
<br />
Banri suddenly became tall enough to look down at the top of Kouko's head, a fresh perspective. Normally, he was always the same height as Kouko, who always wore high heels. The two of them, having exchanged footwear, as if naturally drawn to each other, linked hands and walked down the night street.<br />
<br />
In the quiet, separated from the tumult, Banri thought it really had been a long time since he and Kouko had been alone together. Just now they had been with the upperclassmen, yesterday they'd been with Brave Leader (!!) Ramen Dad and for a while before that they hadn't been able to get together at all. Thinking about it, was it ever since they went to have fun at the beach? No, even at the beach everyone else was there, and so to be precise, the last time they had been alone together was when they were waiting together at the meeting place. Come to think of it, the atmosphere between them back then was quite awkward, and to make matters worse, they were at the entirely the wrong place, and when Two Dimensions found them he was quite angry, honking his horn like crazy...<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"......It's nothing."<br />
<br />
The memory suddenly made him want to break out laughing, but Banri quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hold it in. The scene shouldn't have made him grin, but he found it oddly amusing.<br />
<br />
No, this was not the time to be caught up in some strange obsession all by himself. Collecting himself, he gazed over at Kouko's profile, which was much lower than usual. Now that they'd finally managed to get some alone time like this, he wanted to have a more meaningful conversation. But even though that was what he thought,<br />
<br />
"What's that?"<br />
<br />
"...It's, nothing..."<br />
<br />
When he saw Kouko's face, smiling and turned up, he felt strangely embarrassed and looked away.<br />
Even though he had so many things to say, but now that the moment had come, why could he not find the words? And now, after all that, he was getting shy about it? Even though they'd been dating for months, and had seen each other's lace underwear and panty-hose clad faces?<br />
<br />
"...Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo..."<br />
<br />
"Ba, Banri? What, was that?"<br />
<br />
"Humming... Queen..."<br />
<br />
"Queen? What's that?"<br />
<br />
"Eh!? You don't know Bohemian Rhapsody!? That's impossible! ‘Mamaa!' ...look! You had to have heard it before!"<br />
<br />
"...?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? Am I the only one tone-deaf?"<br />
<br />
"I do know about things like this."<br />
<br />
While Kouko walked along, slapping the flip-flops on her feet, clapping her hands, slapping, clapping... though he generally understood what she wanted to do, from the awkward sound of her footsteps he wound up tilting his head and looking at her.<br />
<br />
It was right at that moment. From the night sky, from a place hidden from them by the buildings came the echoing sound of fireworks fired to the rhythm of the tune Kouko had been unable to imitate, "We Will Rock You." The two of them looked at each other's faces in surprise. There was no mistaking it, a faint melody was playing in the background. And it was "Queen", of course. It was a program where they launched fireworks in time with the music. What a coincidence in timing, but...<br />
<br />
"I, I want to see it...!"<br />
<br />
At Banri's words, Kouko nodded too.<br />
<br />
"I want to see this!"<br />
<br />
In flip-flops and geta, the two of them took off running. From where they were, all they could see was the rim of the night sky lighting up in time with the music. They wanted to return to their special box seats, or at least somewhere where they could see the fireworks! But however far they went, they remained in the shadow of the buildings, and when they thought on how short the song was, it would probably be over by the time they got there. While she ran, Kouko pointed a little further ahead.<br />
<br />
"Banri, look at that! We might be able to see from there!"<br />
<br />
Before that finger was a little park for children. He could see that in the empty park there was a jungle gym. But even if he could see it... "Huh, wait a sec!" Not waiting for Banri's reply, Kouko lifted the hem of her yukata and nimbly jumped over the bike rack at the entrance. He was surprised. Could the latest androids really move so smoothly? While Banri, wearing ill-fitting geta and finding it hard to move right, was thinking of such idiotic things, Kouko went straight to the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!?"<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 165.jpg|thumb]]<br />
<br />
Taking off the sandals and tossing them aside and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she climbed all the way up.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous!"<br />
<br />
Without listening to Banri's pleas for her to stop, she leapt to the top with surprising agility, as if she were a little monkey.<br />
<br />
"Ah! I can a little of the fireworks! Banri, hurry over here!"<br />
<br />
She released both hands and tried to wave them, but then her bare feet slipped and she nearly fell forward. Seeing this, Banri paled.<br />
<br />
"Hurry, hurry! It's almost over!"<br />
<br />
Having no choice, Banri threw off the geta and climbed up the metal rods of the jungle gym. He climbed barefoot up to the rather high top, sat down next to Kouko, straddling one of the iron bars.<br />
<br />
They could definitely see the fireworks from there, but only the upper half, more or less. For a while the two of them pointed at the multi-colored fireworks launched with great force (the upper half), exclaiming "I can see them!" "I can see, I can see!" side by side, catching their breath after running. But as they were panting,<br />
<br />
"Ahhh... it's ending. ...It's over!"<br />
<br />
"We saw... about ten seconds, didn't we?"<br />
<br />
"...I wonder, was it even ten seconds...?"<br />
<br />
It had ended suddenly.<br />
<br />
In the brief silence before the start of the next program, the sounds of their breathing overlapped dimly. Bathed in the white light of the electric light, they looked at each other for a moment. Freddy Mercury left them far too early, leaving the two of them all alone at the top of the jungle gym.<br />
<br />
But,<br />
<br />
"Hey, about just a bit ago."<br />
<br />
Showing no signs of alighting from the jungle gym, her clear eyes quietly shining, Kouko peered into Banri's eyes.<br />
<br />
"......About the class reunion earlier. I'm sorry for having decided on my own that you would go. I've wanted to say this for a while, but it just wouldn't come out... Have I caused you problems?"<br />
<br />
Was he the only one who could not say what he wanted to say?<br />
<br />
"It's okay. I'm fine."<br />
<br />
In order to support Kouko's body, which to him seemed to be fragile and unsteady, he had in fact been in an rather awkward and precarious position for a while now. While he was using his arm as a support by placing it around Kouko's back, Banri nevertheless shook his finger from side to side with a calm look on his face.<br />
<br />
"I'd already decided to stop running away from my accident. I'll go."<br />
<br />
Upon hearing that, Kouko's cheeks softened into a gentle smile.<br />
<br />
"...It was surprised when you asked Linda-sempai about the past."<br />
<br />
The next program started. This time, rather simple fireworks the color of flames were launched into the night sky. Boom! Boom! With each shot huge flashes of light spread out. They reflected in Kouko's eyes and hair, looking truly beautiful and dazzling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~92% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 67 of 73 pages --><br />
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| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
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|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586199Golden Time2025-10-28T22:09:16Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]] (~88%)<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:Volume6_Chapter3&diff=586198Golden Time:Volume6 Chapter32025-10-28T22:09:02Z<p>Rpapo: Pages 160 & 161 done.</p>
<hr />
<div><noinclude><br />
{{Incomplete|percentage=88}} <br />
==Golden Time 6: Chapter 3==<br />
</noinclude><br />
===Chapter 3===<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time vol06 098.jpg|thumb]]<br />
That town's station was far from Banri's normal stomping grounds, but according to the map was still barely within city limits. But as Banri left the ticket gate the word "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima Dejima]</span>" welled up in the back of his mind like the scum on a hot pot made from cheap pork, forever unable to disappear. This place, its appearance, its culture and everything else about it seemed to have been taken over by its neighboring prefectures. The black and brown heads of the people meandering before him as far as he could see all along the straight riverbank. Desolate fields. The black shadows of apartment and condominium towers. The white lights of electric lamps in every direction. A gas tank so large it made one nervous for no reason.<br />
<br />
Shouting "Me! Right now! I'm in Tokyo!" with all his might, he jumped up, as if his head was hitting the ceiling of "localness" and punching straight through. This was a trap that many young people heading up to Tokyo fell into. Even though he should have been excited to come to Tokyo, he always found the area around his hometown railway station to be visibly more prosperous.<br />
<br />
He returned his gaze to his hand. Checking the time on his cell phone, Banri stood impatiently alone in the middle of the hustle and bustle. No sooner had he stepped off the train on to the platform and had been swallowed up as if by a swirling mass of people crowded together, his steps turned slow and sluggish. Had he known it would be so crowded, he would have given himself more time. It seemed he had not taken a few things into account.<br />
<br />
Just outside the ticket gate, a banner for this evening's fireworks display hung overhead, several young station employees, sweating so much they seemed to have been doused in water, were directing people to the exit with a loudspeaker. "It will be very crowded today because of the fireworks display! If you are coming to the venue, then go to the left of the ticket gate! Please go to the left! ...It seemed virtually everyone was going to the left. But whether the exit was blocked, or the occasional person was jostling to go to the right, the neither spacious nor impressive station was even more crowded than during rush hour.<br />
<br />
A dangerous weapon zipped past Banri's nose, which was on the edge of oxygen deficiency. Right before his eyes, a group of girls was laughing noisily and imitating the station worker's way of speaking, "Wow! This is sooo good!" "Bwah hah ha!" They were dressed in yukatas and the pins stuck in their dumpling buns of hair were aimed straight at his eyes. Having no choice, he fought back using his cell-phone as a shield. But then "Ugh!" his feet got stepped on. "Oof...!" by beach sandals. The other one was wearing clogs.<br />
<br />
He had a bad feeling about this.<br />
<br />
Shortly after sunset, the train Banri was on was already packed with groups of young people in yukata and parents with children. With all the excitement, the train cars were like a tea-house for wild animals, filled with a deafening roar, and this wasn't even the main event yet. The posters inside the cars were all about the fireworks display. At that point, as he finally wondered (no way...), almost everybody on board got off the train at this station, the same station as Banri was going to. Naturally, the station premises were crowded. And every few minutes more and more people arrived from other places, and he was sure they would keep on coming in large quantities.<br />
<br />
There was no point in complaining, as they were all in the same boat. Banri headed slowly with everybody else taking their time heading for the exit stairs. He was just managing to escape from the station, but as for the surface of the road, the crush of people on top of it, the straight path leading to the venue on the riverside was so crowded with people that one could not even see the markings on the road. Head after head, a single butt-crack, no, that was another head.<br />
<br />
In amazed wonderment, the word "incredible..." escaped his mouth without his meaning it to. Do you guys like fireworks that much? That much? You like it that much? Fireworks.<br />
<br />
Before Banri's impatient eyes, a group of rough-looking middle and high school girls all dressed like men in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> deployed themselves in a beautiful fan shape, blocking his way. "What!? My phone's got no signal!" Their faces looked demonic as they made a horrible racket. Then there was that couple over to the side, the two of them wearing disgusting yukatas made of a strangely thin and glistening cloth, like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam%C3%A9_(fabric) lamé]</span>. At the launch of a shell, Boom!, perhaps because they were already excited, when they walked together their butts wrinkled in unison. The woman had put so much effort into her long, red fingernails that they looked just like five hot peppers on display. The man's five fingers were digging excessively into the knot of the sash around her yukata. Banri couldn't stand the sight of it.<br />
<br />
At first he'd been told to meet up at the train station exit, but in the afternoon he'd received a message from Kosshi-senpai, and it was changed so they would meet up separately at the destination. Banri thought that was the right thing to do. Even if they had met up there, the members of Omaken would probably have spent an eternity meeting up and separating, being pushed and shoved over and over again for no good reason.<br />
<br />
Eventually, beyond the human wave, he could see the gate leading to the steps up the riverbank. The stalls, painted in bright colors and emitting almost violent smells, were lined up all along the steps and down the slope, with signs of "Takoyaki", "Yakisoba", "Beef Skewers", "Ikayaki" and "Explosive Monja (what in the world is that...?)". Here and there were clearly unsavory types, with all sorts of designs seemingly etched into their bodies, with dark, evil eyes and menacing voices calling out, "Hey, you there, come over here!" "I'm gonna kill ya, suckaa!" It was not a deception to call it a 'fireworks display,' but it was entirely a festival. It wasn't just a great gathering. It was a festival. And festivals were the natural occasions to which to summon the Omaken.<br />
<br />
His ears deafened by the noise and the sound of generators, pushing through as if dividing the people flowing along the stalls, Banri finally tumbled out of the maelstrom. Once he walked one street in from the one right along the levee, he came out to a street lined with tall, skinny <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_tower pencil-towers]</span> and old buildings where he could finally walk normally. People could be seen here and there, mostly on the outside of the buildings and on the balconies, waiting in anticipation for the fireworks to start.<br />
<br />
Many of the bars and restaurants along the street had signs saying “Full” or “Reserved”, but before long he spotted the name of the place he was looking for, and gently opened the glass door.<br />
<br />
The waiter told him that the whole floor had been reserved for the day, but when he replied that he was part of the Japanese Festival Research Club, he was directed to go up to the roof using a narrow staircase at the back of the restaurant.<br />
<br />
Up to the third floor, it all seemed to be for customers, but after that, with beer cases and mops here and there, it was suddenly all business. But he’d been told to go to the roof, so he guessed it was all right. Immediately feeling uneasy, he climbed the stairs, the soles of his flip-flops sometimes sticking strangely, he felt a bit like a cockroach climbing the steps.<br />
<br />
When put his weight against the heavy iron door to open it, there he was, outside. The space opened out and he felt the soft wind caressing his cheeks.<br />
<br />
He had come out on the roof of the building.<br />
<br />
The space, concealed by a simple fence, was fairly large. The view of the riverbank was entirely unobstructed, with a large expanse of hazy deep blue sky in front of him that had yet to darken. When he considered how many spectators were crowded below, this place was indeed close to paradise.<br />
<br />
A breeze smelling a bit like fish, perhaps due to the river right in front of him, blew quite comfortably over his sweaty T-shirt. It was still summer in the daytime, but it cooled off as the sun set, and it definitely seemed like the change of season was underway.<br />
<br />
There were a few tables placed together on the concrete floor, and a few small chairs, most of them still stacked on top of one another.<br />
<br />
It seemed that most of the senior members of Omaken were already there. As first year novices, this situation should not have happened.<br />
<br />
But the seniors all had their backs turned to Banri, bent over in front of the fence working on something, and seemed to not have noticed him. For some reason they were holding a miniature light bulb cable like those used for Christmas decorations. Even though it was a special place from which to view the fireworks, they seemed to be trying to brighten up the rather bleak space by fixing crawling flickering lights to the fence.<br />
<br />
Trying to make up for having arrived late as if he were the boss rather than the lowest man on the totem pole,<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that! I'm late! But I'm here to help!"<br />
<br />
He approached them half at a run, and spoke the loudest he could. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"Ah......"<br />
<br />
An older female student turned around and when she saw Banri, raised her voice in a strange way. Squatting shoulder to shoulder, the older students, who had been working together happily until then, turned at the sound of her voice, noticed Banri, and suddenly fell silent.<br />
<br />
Inside of 0.3 seconds, Banri could guess why. This atmosphere. The averted gazes. The senior's lips wanting to say something... gathering information. Complete. Thought. Yes, understanding. QED. A 19-year-old's body has lightning reflexes. Banri's right hand immediately responds to a command from his brain and shoots downward. He grabbed his crotch with a speed and boldness that would make even the most experienced teacher of the exhibitionist arts shudder. It was more important to fix the situation than to be shy about it. How's that for judgement? And it was cool. If it had been a better time, he would have imparted this knowledge on all the world... resolution first, shame later! He was a man of the world! But,<br />
<br />
"...What the?"<br />
<br />
Not touching with his right hand the warm space he had expected, rather he felt the metal fixture that had been well and properly closed. Running his fingers over it, he mouthed, "What... the?" as he ran his fingers over his crotch again and took a peek down there.<br />
<br />
The zipper he had thought was open was closed quite securely. "Am I... an idiot!?" Then why are the seniors looking at me like that!?<br />
<br />
"Eh!? What is this...!?"<br />
<br />
There was no answer to Banri's question. And then he noticed that Linda's face was not among those lined up along the fence. There were only the seniors, staring at Banri with unreadable expressions.<br />
<br />
Those eyes... were they pitying him? And yet somehow... were they half showing kindness? What's more, was that a spoonful of "Hey, why'd that guy touch his crotch just now?" ...were they disgusted...?<br />
<br />
N, no! It's not like that! Banri panicked.<br />
<br />
"I didn't just touch my crotch! I, I was just checking if my zipper was open! I mean, what is...?"<br />
<br />
In the end, no one answered.<br />
<br />
"Really, what is it!? Why are you all looking at me like that when it's not even unzipped!?"<br />
<br />
But no matter how far you go, it was one person against many. Worse, a first year against all the second and third-years together. Before them, he was far too inferior.<br />
<br />
Banri lost all judgement and his cool, and simply freaked out. No matter in which era he had been born, even were he royalty, he would never attain even the level of roadside grass, a tiny existence not edible, useless as fodder, and having no use save it be as an ordinary roadside backdrop. He would be very difficult to point out or even make a fuss about...<br />
<br />
"Nah, never mind..."<br />
<br />
The senior who first looked at Banri and said something strange turned to him and smiled awkwardly. Standing up with an electric cable in his hand, he was dressed in a beautiful yukata, perhaps because he was going to be wearing it for the Awa Odori dance. All of the other seniors were dressed in colorful yukatas. And then, with a gentle manner he had not seen from them before,<br />
<br />
"Come here, Tada Banri."<br />
<br />
"We'll all do it together. Let's install this perfectly before the fourth-years get here!"<br />
<br />
"Don't forget these lanterns!"<br />
<br />
Saying, "He he heh..." "Look, look..." "Come here, come here..." they beckoned him to come. He was as nervous as if he were going down a road deserted of everything but ghosts, his sweat soaking the back seat of a taxicab.<br />
<br />
Incidentally, with the sole exception of Kouko, the women were called "giants" behind their backs. The word "giants" means a group of greedy, arrogant and unscrupulous people. Omaken consisted of men, Giants and one golden robo-girl. The giants were ghosts already, frankly.<br />
<br />
"...No way!"<br />
<br />
And,<br />
<br />
"That's scary!"<br />
<br />
"Why...?"<br />
<br />
When they approached him, dragging the electric light cable in their hands, Banri automatically said, "Look now! Now I'm scared! That's scary!" and tried to run away. But the shop's roof wasn't wide enough for him to escape, and he was easily surrounded.<br />
<br />
"Y, you're not usually like this! There is got to be something wrong with you!"<br />
<br />
"There's nothing weird about us... right..."<br />
<br />
"Hey... this is fun, isn't it...?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah, its fun... the Omaken is fun, yeah..."<br />
<br />
The upperclassmen cheerfully wrapped electric lights around Banri's paralyzed body. The captured Banri turned into an stupid, round, illuminated man. Wrapped all the way to his forehead like Christ with his crown of thorns, the gathered lights shone annoyingly through his eyelids. In addition, he was made to hold in each hand an original Omaken red and white lantern. He wondered when they were made, as they were magnificently done.<br />
<br />
"Okay now, please sit here..."<br />
<br />
"It's the best seat in the house..."<br />
<br />
He was invited to sit in one of the seats lined up against the fence, or more precisely, he was half thrown there as he twinkled. It came to him in a flash. <br />
<br />
"Huh... Could this be some sort of trick...!?"<br />
<br />
The countdown suddenly starts. He wondered whether his chair would explode when it reached 'zero' and he would become a firework that blossomed in the night sky one step ahead of the others? He wondered if body parts violently scattered by an explosion and falling on the heads of innocent people gathered for the festival would be classified as a practical joke. He wondered if they would laugh at that.<br />
<br />
That, or, at "Zero!" would he plunge forwards from the chair, the only clothes he was wearing be snagged by a hook and left behind, and he be thrown out into the crowd completely naked under the shining illuminations, blooming in a fireworks hall of shame? If he fell the wrong way he would become a laughing stock, but for now, should he run away before the countdown starts?<br />
<br />
Unable to imagine any other possibilities, the frightened and blinking Banri's shoulder,<br />
<br />
"Hey you! Whatcha been up to lately!?"<br />
<br />
"Eeek...!"<br />
<br />
Only his first word was in Kabuki style, then after that like from some refreshingly trendy drama, the smiling Kosshii-senpai suddenly embraced him from behind. Behind him were smiling third-year senior guys. Even in this gathering dusk, everyone was strangely dark and shiny.<br />
<br />
"......La, lately... well, I've been... kind of like that...!"<br />
<br />
"Like that!? ...Is that sooo!? Yeeaah!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai, while bathing in Banri's idiotic light and flashing his idiotic darkness, stretched deliberately like a bad actor whose script said, "Senpai / One big stretch." Then he leaned his back against the fence, in front and to the side of Banri, who was facing the riverbank. "Senpai / Lean against the fence and smile." He held a plastic bag containing a big box of something in one hand, but Banri was not interested in it at all.<br />
<br />
"Oh, this? That's right, I forgot. It's for you,"<br />
<br />
Kosshi-senpai acted all theatrical, coldly turning his gaze away while suddenly sucking in his cheeks, he scratched the resultant hollow with his index finger while pushing it out from inside with his tongue,<br />
<br />
"Let's do this!"<br />
<br />
Intoning something like "Kaan''CHI''!", he suddenly threw the box at Banri. He was relieved from the bottom of his heart that no more words followed, but on the contrary, that was all he could be relieved about.<br />
<br />
If this had been a television drama, it would have probably been enhanced with computer graphics, showing the box describing an arc through the air and landing neatly in Banri's hand, but unfortunately, this was reality. Caught by surprise, unable to move, both of his hands caught by the paper lanterns, the cardboard box came flying surprisingly fast at him. Aaaah! It hit him on the jaw as he was ducking down.<br />
<br />
"Agh......!"<br />
<br />
What fell into his lap with a bounce was Okinawan sea-salt flavored <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinsuk%C5%8D chinsokou]</span> . Fifty-two pieces to the box (a lot). ...Oh, I see, he went there. Something to do with the third-year volunteers.<br />
<br />
"......Kosshii-sempai, that, that hurt!"<br />
<br />
"Well, what can I say?"<br />
<br />
He wasn't listening. At all.<br />
<br />
"Tada Banri and Robo-girl, isn't that what you are to us? Kinda like a fertilized egg!"<br />
<br />
"......"<br />
<br />
He truly, from the bottom of his heart, had no idea what to make of that. He felt as if he had turned to stone. A stone unable to understand what was spoken to it, unable to reply back, a stone from which water spilled from a crack. What the water wrote on the surface of the rock, he could not tell.<br />
<br />
While dripping water from such a rock in his psychological inner world, Banri was deeply disappointed that Linda was not there. If only she were here, she could probably keep Kosshii-sempai in check and get some sort of resolution to the situation, but she wasn't here, and was perhaps delayed.<br />
<br />
The Okinawan shortbread still fallen in his lap, Banri blinked stupidly. As he was blinking,<br />
<br />
He repeated weakly, "Fe, fertilized egg...?"<br />
<br />
"It's sort of like two lifeforms becoming one. It's always like you two come as a set!"<br />
<br />
But this guy, Kosshii-senpai. Was he always unreasonable like this?<br />
<br />
"........ Why isn't Linda-senpai here...?"<br />
<br />
"Let's forget about her for now! She said she was on her way here from her parent's house, but she said the Toukaidou Shinkansen got delayed and now their schedule is all messed up, so let's set that aside for now!"<br />
<br />
"Eh, from Shizuoka? She went home?"<br />
<br />
"I told you to forget about her! I'm talking about you! Don't go running away!"<br />
<br />
Somehow a thought came to Banri's mind. Had everything about his accident and what happened afterwards been leaked to the upperclassmen? No, but there was no way. Denying it, his head tilted more and more to the side. There was no way it was possible, and even if it were, he would never understand why.<br />
<br />
"......Umm, I really don't understand it all, but isn't it about time you explained the reasons for this situation?"<br />
<br />
"We don't really need an explanation. Right, guys!? We don't need one!"<br />
<br />
Having left a single freshman behind as scenery, glittering in the wide open sky, the seniors loudly raised their voices and nodded to each other. They gave each other meaningful glances, and anxious glances in Banri's direction, but nobody said anything definite. He really didn't understand why. What in the world had come over the Omaken all of a sudden? Why were the seniors suddenly treating him with this kind of strange attitude?<br />
<br />
The last time the members got together was in August, in that hot hellhole that was Saitama. We performed the Awa Odori, and once that was safely done and over, they'd passed the bottle around and he'd excused himself a bit early... maybe he'd done something careless that time?<br />
<br />
Having approached right in front of Banri without him noticing, Kosshii-senpai suddenly grabbed his tee-shirt at the shoulders with both hands. Taken by surprise in his recollections, Banri was shaken. His brain was shocked, and he could not think.<br />
<br />
"Anyway, what I want to say is, you and Robogirl both, we all... want to wrap our arms around you both! That's all! Gently, warmly, as if we were pie-dough, we of Omaken want to wrap you two freshmen up! This pie crust would be soft, but would never crumble! We might be nice and crunchy, but we would never crumble! Do you understand!? Understand!"<br />
<br />
When he replied that he didn't understand, Kosshii-senpai backed away, a little irritated.<br />
<br />
"You don't understand!? You're an idiot! So, anyway, there it is! ...You know what I mean!"<br />
<br />
He didn't know... he gotten accidentally tongue-tied and had become a real idiot.<br />
<br />
"Huh!? Jeez, you're really stupid...! So... look at this!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai looked away once and licked his lips. He looked around at the other members' faces for a moment, then they nodded to each other in a small, tense way. He was going to have to say something difficult. He would say it. He would say it all. Raising his eyebrows in a sign of readiness rising plainly from his entire being, he looked at Banri, sucked in his breath and,<br />
<br />
"......Things really get awkward whenever someone quits! Such things shouldn't happen!"<br />
<br />
He struck Banri lightly on the shoulder as if to cover up something. Ouch, but rather than saying "ouch", his mouth already hanging open, Banri tilted his head with a foolish look on his face.<br />
<br />
"You two are ingredients in the pie we call Omaken! You are already one with us! And even if you are no longer a couple, it doesn't mean you will lose the bond of being friends in Omaken! Right!? That's how it is! Everyone!"<br />
<br />
Oooh! Their voices rang out once again, more certain than before. "Let's cheer up Tada Banri!" they said, and applauded him, which naturally turned into rhythmic clapping. "Taada!" cheered one side. "Banri!" cheered the other. "Taada!" "Banri!" "Taada!" "Banri!"...... The Omaken were always prepared for this sort of call and response.<br />
<br />
"......Huh? Broke... up? What're you talking about?"<br />
<br />
Banri still hadn't made the connection. He was forced to blink by the illuminations he was wrapped up in, but finally, little by little, belatedly, "Huh..." it came to him in a flash. As if a chisel were continually pounding the words "split up" into a crack in the rock and had finally broken through to the soft, half-living core, Banri understood what was going on.<br />
<br />
By some chance.<br />
<br />
Had these people come to the conclusion that he and Kouko... had broken up? Was this what their mysterious tension was all about? Were they afraid they were about to lose their only first-years? "Ah, I see!" he nodded without thinking, nodding in understanding. This this wasn't some sort of prank after all, and this chair wasn't going to explode, nor fly forward while stripping off his clothes. Well then, we're good... no, no, no! Confused and shaking his head,<br />
<br />
"......That's no good! What is this!? Why have you suddenly started talking like this!? There's no way we're breaking..."<br />
<br />
It was with that perfect timing.<br />
<br />
The sound of the knob being turned on the door leading to the stairs inside the shop made everyone turn their heads. The heavy door squealed as it finally, somewhat hesitantly, opened.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me! I wound up running late... uff, this thing is heavy......"<br />
<br />
Losing her battle against the door's weight, the door slammed shut. Her voice quickly faded out, but it was certainly Kouko's voice.<br />
<br />
"Ko, Kouko!? Are you okay!?"<br />
<br />
Banri tried to stand up, but the lanterns in his hands and the electric cords wrapped around his body made it difficult for him to move quickly. And he still hadn't been able to clear up the misunderstandings of the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"It's Robogirl...!"<br />
<br />
"That was Robogirl just now!"<br />
<br />
"Aah! That Robogirl's back from the heart repair shop!"<br />
<br />
"Hey guys! Let's all give a warm welcome to our broken Robogirl!"<br />
<br />
"Whoaa!"<br />
<br />
The seniors all raised their fists high one time, left where they were and dashed for the exit door. Because Banri had been comforted sufficiently, and the chisukou cookies already turned over to him, then they'd probably made up their minds. Banri had been left behind, but he staggered along, blinking in the cheerful illumination, but he still managed to get up and follow the upperclassmen's backs.<br />
<br />
"I said you're wrong! Our break-up..."<br />
<br />
Just as he was about to clear up their strange misunderstanding, the door opened wide. Kosshii-senpai pulled the heavy iron door open from this side.<br />
<br />
On the other side of the open door,<br />
<br />
"Th, thank you Senpai! I'm really sorry for showing up so late! I got swept up in a wave of people and wound up coming here!"<br />
<br />
Kouko......? But? ......She's here......?<br />
<br />
Everyone was a loss for words. Banri moaned too, unable to say anything... summer (was over).<br />
<br />
On the rooftop, which had been noisy the whole time, there suddenly fell a moment of silence. Only the sound of the wind and the clamour of the world below was alive and noisy, as there had been some mistake.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? Umm......? What? Is this place... all right? Ah, Banri... eh? What? What is it?"<br />
<br />
Several seconds passed, Kouko tilting her head much like Banri had a few short moments before, nobody able to say anything, when finally,<br />
<br />
"......Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai sank into a crouch as if for leg stretching exercises, his face composed as if posing for a camera. The right half of his body was pulled back, the left half extended forward. He greeted her formally. Th, that was it. Nothing else. One by one the other seniors said, "Please restrain yourselves!" "Please restrain yourselves!", and even Banri, like an idiot still in the twinkling lights repeated, "Please restrain yourselves!"<br />
<br />
Having received a formal greeting from a dozen or so members of Omaken, a woman resembling Kouko stood there, frozen in the doorway with a bewildered look on her face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh, what should I do? ......Please restrain yourselves......?"<br />
<br />
For the moment, she followed Kosshii-senpai's example, extending one hand more or less as he had. For his part, he was in superb form, not moving in the slightest.<br />
<br />
"Thank you very much for having behaved yourselves! I am Koshino, and my nickname is Kosshii. With all due respect, Miss Robogirl, the young man that follows you around has something to say!"<br />
<br />
With the hand that was not extended, he signaled to Banri behind him to move. Strangely enough, Banri had no problem understanding what Kosshii-senpai was trying to tell him. He gulped it down freely, like water streaming from the rocks or <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapo_tofu mapo tofu]</span> stuffed into a fat man's mouth. Still with his legs spread wide (as the Illumination Man, no less) Banri stepped out before the upperclassmen and sticking out his chest in a pose like Michael Jackson, with his lower lip sticking out towards that Kouko-like person,<br />
<br />
"You are not a Yakuza lady!"<br />
<br />
He said it loudly.<br />
<br />
"Whaa...!?"<br />
<br />
That wasn't it. Really. He couldn't diss her!<br />
<br />
Kouko appeared there in a yukata, looking like a gangster's wife. She was wearing heavy, old-fashioned thick makeup that made her look like she was going to pick up a pistol at any moment. Her face was painted with pure white greasepaint, with frighteningly dark shadows. Her black eyebrows looked as if they had been drawn with a brush. The silver bridge of her nose rose in the middle of her face with a tremendous three-dimensional effect, and her lips were drawn in the style of the Showa period with blue, purple and pink rouge. Prepare yourself!<br />
<br />
She was wearing a stylish linen yukata, probably a high-end item, with the collar open in a daring way impossible for an amateur to get away with. Her excessively soft hair was swept fully back and tied way down low. What an airhead! If you're going to shoot, then shoot!<br />
<br />
Holding her hair back from her nape with her fingertip with the air of a forty-something person, Kouko said, "It's all a lie!"<br />
<br />
She said it without shame or hesitation. Whether lying or not, as she acted the part of the gangster lady to the utmost.<br />
<br />
"I mean, they had thought that we had broken up."<br />
<br />
"Whaaa!?"<br />
<br />
Her second denial was muffled when a strong wind slammed the door shut. <br />
<br />
"That's how rumors spread."<br />
<br />
"Yeah, that surprised me! To think they thought we had broken up."<br />
<br />
Setting aside her showing up all at once in heavy makeup from the Showa period,<br />
<br />
"Well, actually, yesterday was a close call."<br />
<br />
"No it wasn't, no it wasn't!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shook her head, saying she wasn't in that much danger. As she shook her head, she was trying to tear off some paper packing tape from her fingertip. Not knowing how to remove it, she used all her strength, tearing off the altogether too long, sticky, disgusting tape wrapped around her arms up to her elbows, then wrapping it around the fence railing.<br />
<br />
"...And with that, you're all set."<br />
<br />
The section so wrapped looked too big, turning into what looked like a praying mantis egg sack. The feeling she'd done a bad job was so strong that Banri instinctively wanted to tear it all down and redo it, no questions asked. But one of the upperclassmen happened to pass behind them, saying "What? Are you guys still doing that? Aren't you out of time?" He panicked, and quickly said, "Excuse me, I'll hurry up!" and started working on the next part. Banri would place the string of lights in place on the fence and hold them down, and then Kouko would tape them in place. The two first-years were both late, and their work so slow and useless, they were in quite a fix.<br />
<br />
It seemed that the fourth-year students had been told ahead of time to arrive late for the get-together. Preparations were moving ahead quickly to get the place ready before then. This rooftop space was apparently not usually open for guests and was too bleak even for Banri's eyes. But what do we do now? By the hands of the active Omaken members, the fence was wound about with twinkling lights (a work still in progress), and Omaken lanterns were hung around the tables (though they were just decorative cables hung from coat racks borrowed from the restaurant). While it was kind of cheap, it was also dazzling and mysterious, creating a unique atmosphere like a night stall in Bangkok (though he had never seen one before).<br />
<br />
And above all, there was the view. In just a few moments, the fireworks display would be unfurled in the unobstructed night sky. The bustle of the street below seemed to increase as the start time approached, and the noisy buzz reached this rooftop on the fourth floor.<br />
<br />
Many things had happened to get to this point, but as he crouched down and let the cool breeze ruffle his hair, Banri's heart frankly leapt. Best of all, Kouko was there by his side. ...Putting mantis eggs on the fence again and saying things like "Yeah, all right, we did it!", anyway, she was here. She was certainly lively.<br />
<br />
At that moment you could hear the upperclassmen cheering from over by the tables. Apparently, it had taken several people from the shop to bring in a huge container. The container, which was the size of a storage bin for clothing, could be seen to be packed full of ice, into which bottles of beer had been inserted to cool them down. Soft drinks had been brought to the tables earlier in plain, boring all-you-can-drink pitchers. It was such a busy day, they were on the rooftop, and the beer probably had some strange flavor along those lines... but the seniors had resigned themselves to many things.<br />
<br />
Glasses had been placed upside down on the tables, saucers and chopsticks were set in order. Next, there were three plates of salad piled high, three plates of fried potatoes, and three plates piled sky high with fried chicken. The volume of the dishes, which were piled almost desperately high, seemed to suggest that the shop wanted us to just eat quietly for a while so we wouldn't be coming and going very often.<br />
<br />
Kosshii-senpai stared at the left-over salad with a raised eyebrow, saying "Won't that dry up...?" Seeing him with both hands above the lettuce, some senior girls carrying chairs shouted at him, "Kosshii, get to work!" <br />
<br />
This guy was very probably the source of the rumor that Banri and Kouko had broken up. The muscular Koshino-senpai, their best male dancer, was relied on by all for everything from organizing the drinking parties to negotiating for off-campus activities.<br />
<br />
The first-year couple had not replied together to their invitations to attend. From that fact alone, Kosshii-senpai (Eh? These guys...) had jumped to conclusions.<br />
<br />
The pair of them, who had perfect attendance so far at every club event, seemed very vague. And Kouko, for her part, had been completely unreachable. Strange. Something must have happened, he thought.<br />
<br />
It seemed that from the moment they'd heard that the two of them had officially started going out, not only Kosshii-senpai, but all the members of Omaken had been feeling somewhat uneasy. Relationships between men and women were always fraught with trouble, so sooner or later they would part ways. Kosshii-senpai would say, "Will that breakup bring the unhappy end of Omaken, perhaps?" The other upperclassmen would nod in agreement as they heard those words.<br />
<br />
To the older members, there was only the two of them. They had finally snagged somebody, but it was only the two freshmen. If something happens between two people, and one quits, there is only one left. And a freshman alone is as good as gone. The next thing you know, it is no longer a club, the next generation ceases to exist and Omaken begins to end. It would be a miracle that a first-time relationship between freshmen could last for so many years, and from the outside looking in, it seemed that the two of them had so little in common that it would not be surprising if they were to have an awkward breakup at any moment.<br />
<br />
...Hearing that explanation, Kouko protested "We're not like that!", but Banri quietly thought, (Ah, the upperclassmen have no idea how stubborn Kouko is...) For that matter, he had come to realize he was pretty stubborn himself.<br />
<br />
And so, as Kosshii-senpai waited for a reply to his e-mail, he was very, very, veeery worried that something might have happened between the two of them. Banri's reply, saying he would be going, finally arrived the day before, but he said that he didn't know about Kouko, and that he thought she would be contacting him... not very informative!<br />
<br />
One monkey-faced junior, a guy who had been a high school basketball player and had only 10% body fat, seemed to shiver when he read that e-mail. He thought that the situation they had feared had finally come to pass. And then, as if to support that idea, no reply ever came back from Kouko. Kosshii-senpai became convinced that the two of him had come to nothing.<br />
<br />
So today, without telling Banri nor Kouko, the sophomores and juniors had gathered a little bit earlier. When Kosshii-senpai announced the breakup of the freshman couple, a tremor ran through the Omaken stalwarts. After many rambling discussions, the only thing that was clear was that they would do their best to treat them both warmly and care for them so that they would not quit the club. They all seemed to think of Banri as a nice, warm, soft, not too hard wrapper, kind of like a pie crust. Suddenly there appeared a face with ghastly makeup, showing up like a cursed face emerging from the darkness. Kosshii-senpai was truly astonished. Then upon realizing that what he believed was a misunderstanding, Kosshii-senpai was so relieved that he cried out "It's you! Thank God...!" and then grunted and slumped to the ground in a heap then and there.<br />
<br />
Kouko, on the other hand, said she had thought that Banri had contacted them all to say they would be participating.<br />
<br />
Yesterday. Her father had finished up his ramen and was just starting to wash up the dishes when Kouko finally woke up.<br />
<br />
Banri was just about to leave when Kouko called out with a low, husky voice, "Are you leaving?" When he answered, "Yes, I am," she said "...are things back to normal?" "Yes, they're back to normal," he answered back. When she said, looking off to one side, "Are you mad?", "Do you hate me?" and "I'm sorry about everything," he said, "I'm sorry too." That was all they said, but the words were enough. The words that would have followed were not spoken, and in the end, they would have been nothing but words. In the darkness behind Banri's eyelids, pink and white lights were flickering, and for a long time he saw a very dowdy Kouko there. The many overflowing emotions were simply there, and he wanted them to stay there.<br />
<br />
Folding the borrowed apron and setting in the low table, he tried to ask, "What will you do tomorrow?" He planned on participating, and if Kouko felt inclined to do so also, he said he'd be happy to go together with her. After all the back and forth up to now, knowing full well that Kouko's mental health had only just returned from the brink, he felt he shouldn't pressure her too hard to go. So he just said, "Think about it."<br />
<br />
In reply, Kouko gave him a vaguely dirty look and nodded. Banri thought that meant she would only think about it. But in reality, it was a cockeyed "Then I'll go." For the first time in a while, he felt his mind invaded by a bit of good, wholesome sleepiness. In that part of his mind, Banri decided he must inform the upperclassmen of his decision to participate. Because he was Banri. Because he was the boyfriend. Because he was the guy who made ramen for her father.<br />
<br />
And then Kouko decided to rejoin human society. She managed to reconstruct her battered feelings, ate a good meal that evening, took a bath and washed her hair. For the first time in a while she returned to the life of a young woman. She sent off e-mails to Mitsuo and Two Dimensions, and called Chinami on the phone. All of fifteen minutes after she hung up, she received replies from both the guys. Feeling exquisitely light, but at the same unable to hide a heaviness and wanting to cry, Kouko fell on to her bed and the next thing she knew, for some reason it was morning already. She had fallen fast asleep... and to her dismay, the dazzling light revealed an utter disaster under her chest. When she had thrown a pillow at the devilish expression on Banri's face, two bottles of body lotion had fallen and broke. Able to sleep after acting so violently, convinced there was nothing strange about that at all, Kouko quietly put them in order.<br />
<br />
Then she got her yukata ready and sent Banri an e-mail saying, "I'm going to wear my yukata!" So far, so good, but she hit a roadblock when she tried to get appointment with a salon to get outfitted. She refused to accept that they refused her an appointment, but when she called other salons she found herself utterly defeated. She had no choice but to go to the first salon she could find on the internet.<br />
<br />
It was a strange, dimly lit salon. A very old woman... no, a grandmother ran it by herself. She noticed the overwhelming smell of "grandma" the moment she entered, but it was too late. And then putting on her outfit, the old lady was strangely scary, and when she tried to twist her body a little to see herself in the mirror, she would get her butt slapped.<br />
<br />
When it was finally done and she was about to pay the bill, she was told that she had to get her makeup done right and was made to sit on a bench in front of the cash register. Powder was smashed onto her face with such force that it made her gag, and she was sent out of the shop without knowing what had been done to her. Already almost out of time, she hailed a taxi and flew on her way. Unexpectedly, the roads having been restricted because of the fireworks display, she had no choice but to run in her geta, and so arrived at the restaurant all out of breath. And she had been made to look like some idiotic yakuza wife.<br />
<br />
"......I wonder if my hair looks okay?"<br />
<br />
Kouko was still a little worried, touching her bangs with her fingertip.<br />
<br />
A little bit ago, the older girls thought it was all too much and took Kouko to the bathroom, makeup pouches in hand. In the ten minutes it took them to return, they had returned "Kaga Kouko" back to her normal self.<br />
<br />
With most of the makeup removed and a thin layer of powder patted back on, a translucent blush and a plump gloss, a beautiful woman had returned to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heisei_era Heisei]</span> era. Her hair and bangs had also been braided. Her bun had been redone in a loose, youthful style. And it seemed they had redone how her clothing to make her look more mature, and yet exposed the nape of her neck.<br />
<br />
"You're okay, you're okay. Your hair and face are perfect. Even your yukata suits you."<br />
<br />
When Banri said that, Kouko broke out in a broad grin. A look... of perfect smugness. Crouching down and making more praying mantis egg-sacks, while also looking really happy, shaking her head from side to side. She seemed to be saying, "How do I look, how do I look?" As for that triumphant look, she had such a beautiful modern face, impeccably well done up, there was no way one could allow such wonderfully overflowing <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Gosha Gosha-ism]</span> be looked down upon. Banri was rather impressed by the old lady at the salon. Or rather, wasn't her technique amazing?<br />
<br />
Even with packing tape in her hands, Kouko looked truly stunning in her yukata. The dark gray dyed linen looked great against her translucent, pure white skin. The obi was a cool white color with a light blue <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)#Accessories_for_women's_obi obijime]</span> fastened to it. The antique-style obi clasp was a deep purple colored stone, and if you looked closely, you could see that it was shaped like a rose. And of course, since it was for Omaken, there was a yes-no fan hung from the obi. All the yukata giants were like that: Banri had one too.<br />
<br />
"You see, this yukata was made this year. When summer started, I told myself that I would definitely go with Banri to see the fireworks! No, I decided we would go, and so I had it made special express order. I'm glad I had the occasion to wear it."<br />
<br />
Once more tearing off a wasteful length of packing tape, Kouko fixed in place a cable Banri was holding as she gazed up towards the sky.<br />
<br />
"Why don't they just start?"<br />
<br />
That child-like, innocent way of speaking filled Banri's heart all at once with genuine anticipation. It was mostly likely due to having been without Kouko for a whole week, but with his own feelings on top of that, and it all being shoved down his throat all at once. It was so sudden he could barely keep himself from crying out loud.<br />
<br />
Saying only, "...Isn't it about to start?" Banri laughed.<br />
<br />
The sky was not yet completely dark, and only a pair of huge gasoline tanks across the flood plain were entirely black. Seeing them lined up, the smiling Kouko suddenly pointed at them.<br />
<br />
"I hope they don't catch fire."<br />
<br />
She grinned. Banri said nothing.<br />
<br />
She said it as innocently as a child. It was genuinely ominous. It wasn't "Aaah! The fireworks will start soon, and that will catch fire, and I wonder if all this area will be blown to bits! Look! (lol)", but rather "Aah, I shouldn't say ‘I wonder if there is a chance the fireworks will make that catch fire?' I'm an idiot (lol)," he believed, ignoring it. Ignored. Getting back on track,<br />
<br />
"Well, really, what to say... I'm glad. For now. I was able to come and be here with you."<br />
<br />
Though Banri had muttered something unintentionally sincere, Kouko nodded deeply too.<br />
<br />
"Yeah. I'm glad. Really."<br />
<br />
If they had made some sort of mistake in yesterday's awful bit of theatre, then around now the two of them really would have wound up in a situation just like Kosshii-senpai's misunderstanding. With this in mind, Banri tried to ask.<br />
<br />
......If by chance we had broken up, do you think they would have tried to follow up and recover us in the way they did before? I would hope we would not wind up retiring from Omaken."<br />
<br />
As she continued energetically making praying mantis eggs, Kouko shook her head side to side and at once said, "There's no way."<br />
<br />
"You don't think so?"<br />
<br />
"No, I don't. First of all, I would not even have come here. Then I would never see the seniors again. I mean, I would never have gone outside again. I would have hidden myself in my room. I would have quit the university and its clubs. My hair would grow out long, greasy and sticky. I would become hairy and fat, and would never take a bath. I would be a beast unable to talk. I would turn into a truffle pig. How would you say it, it would be what's it called... what's it called... what's it called..."<br />
<br />
She looked at Banri's face for a bit, then "......Ah, I lost it! Even though I only just got here!"<br />
<br />
Ruefully pointing at his throat, he was squirming with regret over the probably useless, but surely lost "what's it called?" The one regretting was Banri.<br />
<br />
"......Are you growing a beard!?"<br />
<br />
"You can grow one, can't you? It may be peach fuzz, but if try your best it will turn into a nice fluffy beard."<br />
<br />
He rubbed around his chin with his fingertip. At that moment, as Banri was trying to show her how they moved, his chest filling once more with heartfelt regret, the announcement from the fireworks venue came to his ears.<br />
<br />
The other upperclassmen seemed to notice, and saying "What'd they say?", "Ugh, I couldn't hear it... are they starting?", "Are they starting already?" they strained their ears, but the sound simply echoed between the buildings in a weird way, and the tumult and the wind blocked it, and they could not understand clearly what was being announced.<br />
<br />
Then all of a sudden, Kosshii-senpai said, "Oh, wow! Everyone stop what you're doing, gather around and listen to me!"<br />
<br />
Cell-phone in one hand, he called everyone to gather around him. Banri and Kouko stopped what they were doing too and hurried over to the upperclassmen.<br />
<br />
"I'm going to read a text I got just now from my senpai! 'Kosshii, you're always the same! You're really handsome and cool, and you're built too...'"<br />
<br />
He passed it around the circle.<br />
<br />
"Sorry, excuse me, pardon me! 'Kosshii, always the same! I'm on the way from the station right now. Only Hosshii isn't with us, but we think he'll be dressed up shortly. By the way, it looks like Hosshii finally got a job offer.'"<br />
<br />
"You're kidding, seriously?" Voices arose from the circle of seniors. Even Banri clenched his fists.<br />
<br />
So far this summer, all of Omaken's fourth-year students had been struggling to find jobs. Suddenly, as if a hold had been lifted, job offers were being made in rapid succession. The younger students were naturally happy and congratulatory, but only Hoshino-senpai, a.k.a. Hosshii, the leader of all omaken, had not yet received a job offer, so it was natural to imagine his inner impatience, and he had yet to openly celebrate.<br />
<br />
So now, at long last, that was settled.<br />
<br />
"She said, 'Hosshii, you said you weren't coming today if your final interviews didn't work out, but you came! I'm so glad!'"<br />
<br />
"Ya-hoo!" Kosshii-senpai raised his fist high in a very determined pose, and the circle of people surrounding him spontaneously applauded. The fourth-years who should have been getting the applause had not yet arrived, and as much as they would have loved to receive it, they could not. Banri was clapping his hands as hard and furiously as he could too.<br />
<br />
As for the fourth-year seniors, they all shouted "Wonderful!" from the heart. If Hosshii-senpai's informal job offer worked out, they would be feeling especially good for him. Around when Banri first met him, he was already tired of job hunting. He was in a constant state of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. When they met, he was so wretched he was falling apart. And he would not have been surprised to see his future self in the same state. Kouko seemed to feel it too, smiling and clapping with packing tape stuck to her fingertips. <br />
<br />
Just then, the fourth-years made their appearance, one after another... all but Hosshii-senpai. As soon as the door opened their faces lit up with smiles as they said "Wow!" and "What's this? Isn't it something!?"<br />
<br />
"Congratulations!"<br />
<br />
Naturally, their voices were mixed with those of the younger students greeting them. The applause turned into a loud, rhythmic beat, and everyone formed a ring around the fourth-years. Facing each other, they clasped their hands and raised them high, making a tunnel of arms to greet those that had returned proudly from the front lines of the job search. As they clapped loudly together, Banri truly regretted that he had not entirely finished his preparations. Oh he wished he could have greeted these people with a more perfect setting...!<br />
<br />
"Wow, this is so nice! Wait a little more, eh, no way, this sort of thing, you've moved me... I'm going to cry..."<br />
<br />
One senior, overcome by emotion and wiping the corner of his eye,<br />
<br />
"......Hey!"<br />
<br />
He'd been dead tired like this since noon. But he could really jerk that chin of his. It was amazing how far he could move his chin and stretch his face. And just like that, the fourth-years all at once cried out "Hey!", then one after another "Hey!", with evil eyes "Hey!", with their eyes closed "Hey!", and when they saw it, all the younger students naturally grunted as hard as they could.<br />
<br />
"Ngh...! Ngh...! Ngh...!"<br />
<br />
It was their privilege to back them up. To help their seniors feel better, bent down as if they were casting fishing nets, not caring if the hems of their yukatas got messed up, they grunted so hard it was like they were about to rip their bodies apart. Everyone: the guys, the giants, even the golden robo-girl, were moving furiously together in the Omaken tradition of twisting their whole bodies like crazy. Over there,<br />
<br />
"Oh, yeah! Are you doing it!? Hey! Hey! Heeey!"<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai was that sort of person, expressing himself with amazing poses, strangely light movements and amazing triple turns. "There he is! Hosshii's divine pirouette!" "A perfect arabesque!" "He doesn't move at all!" "Hey, he's standing en pointe!" ...To Banri, the other senior's echoing words sounded like nothing less than an incantation, but anyway he understood how the super high-energy Hosshii-senpai looked. Of course the guy who got the interview was different! Besides, this was the first time he'd seen Hosshii-senpai looking like that!<br />
<br />
Bravo! All around the posing Hosshii-senpai, praising him, the first, second, third and fourth years, all the Omaken members here rushed him, cheering. It was not unlike how people would rush to gather around <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinpachi-sensei Kinpachi-sensei]</span> of Class 3B ("Third Years, Class B!"... "Kinpachi-sensei!").<br />
<br />
The events of the next thirty seconds would come to be remembered as the "Thirty Second Whiteout" in the history of Omaken.<br />
<br />
Zero seconds.<br />
<br />
The first thing to happen was the huge chorus of "Hosshii, congratulations on the tentative offer!" This was followed by the fourth-years shouting as one, "Now we'll all get job offers!" ...They all jumped up in excitement and shouted "Hurray!" They were stupid college students. Unable to handle the excitement in their hearts, they couldn't help themselves. For now, they all shouted and leapt into the air. Almost everyone landed at the same time, and the impact caused all the towers - salad, potato, and karaoke - to collapse at once.<br />
<br />
Three seconds.<br />
<br />
Hosshii-senpai muttered, "......Eh?"<br />
<br />
Five seconds.<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see......"<br />
<br />
Eight seconds.<br />
<br />
......I'm sorry. ...I haven't received the job offer yet. ...I went to the very last interview the other day, but even that was with me praying. ......I'm sorry. Sorry, everyone. ...I thought I needed a change of pace, and so I wound up coming in spite of not having received a job offer. Society has no need of me, but I came anyway. Sorry."<br />
<br />
He bowed his head.<br />
<br />
Thirteen seconds.<br />
<br />
Nobody could say anything. In the blank silence, Hosshii-senpai danced round and round with amazing energy, backing off little by little from the distance they'd all closed around him. You could think the air was one in which all the atoms in the world had been made to stand still.<br />
<br />
Fifteen seconds.<br />
<br />
With a clang, the entry door opened, and directly in front of Hosshii-senpai there appeared a bizarre, teary-eyed, luminous figure.<br />
<br />
It was a figure in a sleeveless white cotton blouse, three-quarter length slim jeans and sandals. "Is that Linda?" said someone, sounding stupid. They weren't sure if she'd grown her hair out or lost weight, but anyhow something was different. She looked so beautiful and fresh, and even her aura seemed to have been whetted.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Something feels off."<br />
<br />
Eighteen seconds.<br />
<br />
"I mean, I mean, I mean..."<br />
<br />
Both of Linda's eyes caught sight of Banri and Kouko. And then suddenly, she walked up, placed herself in front of them and declared forcefully but with uncertain meaning, "I mean!" Her wide-open eyes sparkled as always, her pupils looked deep and perfectly clear, and together with her skin, which looked transparent to the extreme, she was strangely beautiful. For a moment, Linda's moist lips opened and closed as her finger alternated pointing at the two faces lined up before her.<br />
<br />
Twenty seconds.<br />
<br />
And then suddenly it started. It was the great fireworks display.<br />
<br />
Linda was still saying, "I mean", "I mean", but naturally, the fireworks started. That's why we were all gathered together. It would be even more a case had they not started. So naturally, up there in the sky, it started on schedule. But if you called it "normal", a normal fireworks display would start, for example, with "Boom! ...Pop pop pop..." "Wow, how pretty!" "<span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumidagawa_Fireworks_Festival) Taamaya!]</span>" --- that was the sort of thing that Banri and the other members thought. But in reality,<br />
<br />
''Zuddaan zzuddan zzuddaan zzuddaan ddoan ddoan ddoan ddoan dandandan zudaddan~ barubarubaru~ zudadada~~ nzzudoan ddon ddan ddon ddon doun doun donu!, boon nuu donma! Zudadan zuddab zudadab zubabababa!''<br />
<br />
......ngh, this. This, isn't this some sort of mistake?<br />
<br />
Suddenly, he wondered if they weren't overdoing it.<br />
<br />
Is it okay like this?<br />
<br />
I mean, it's scary.<br />
<br />
What is this?<br />
<br />
There was a series of colorful outbursts that seemed to have gone crazy. With awful random bursts in the night sky, there were suddenly violent explosions all over the place. Suddenly there were too many and too loud, anyway they were somehow too much. It was a huge explosion of fireworks taken to the extreme. The fireballs were still rising one after another through the dense trails of smoke. One after the other, with such desperate determination that it's almost painful, they explode without hesitation: big, medium, small, big, medium, small, big, medium, small, high, low, high, low. Incredibly huge explosions, lines of flame spreading in all directions, stretching long like tentacles, riding and dripping and invading the night sky, overlapping and coloring them. And then there was the loud rumble shaking him from the soles of his feet to the pit of his stomach. The smell of gunpowder was so thick it hurt his nose. Banri was ashamed. He found that when one is in the presence of a big explosion, one gets ashamed. He was being made fun of for no reason, could not defend himself, and was being made a public laughing stock: a long hungered for buffet entirely consumed. All he could think of was running away. But probably everyone else felt the same, tens of thousands of blushing faces looking up, silent and still like the other Omaken from the very start of the opening round of the tremendous fireworks show.<br />
<br />
Twenty-eight seconds.<br />
<br />
Banri looked at Kouko's face. Kouko looked at Banri's face too.<br />
<br />
All sorts of thoughts came and went in their hearts, but they could not say anything to each other. First, "The fireworks are too much," no, before that "What'll we do about Hosshii?", followed by "What's wrong with Linda?"<br />
<br />
Yesterday they were on the verge of breaking up. But now here they were, standing together in the middle of turmoil and embarrassment, ...so, ...there wasn't anything particular to say.<br />
<br />
For the moment they were holding hands. Without knowing why they raised them high, and Banri opened his mouth. Kouko followed suit, and with exactly the same timing breathed in. They were a couple, after all. One heart. Face to face, (ready, set,)<br />
<br />
" "Is it a good time for a waltz!?" "<br />
<br />
......Waltz! Banri. Shall we dance? Kouko.<br />
<br />
All that in 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 300%;"><center>* * *</center></span><br />
<br />
<br />
As the one guilty of spreading false information twice already today, Kosshii-senpai was condemned to slavery of his own free will. He went around and poured drinks for the other seniors and even the younger members, and if there were additional orders, he had to run down the stairs to the kitchen to tell them. "Kosshii! Fritters!" "Ah, yes sir!" "Kosshii! Get me water!" "Yes, yes!" "Kosshii! Change your name!" "Yep, I'm Chousshii!" "Chousshii! Rhyme it!" "...Um... Chicken I give you, fireworks I give you, myself I give you, I give you..." "Chousshii! Reflect on what you've done!" ......He quietly answered, "...I'm sorry!" under the booming fireworks in the night sky, behaving ridiculously like <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doraemon_characters Gouda Takeshi the Giant]</span>.<br />
<br />
The special chairs lined up against the fence were occupied by the women, of course, and they were enjoying the powerful fireworks before them, oohing and aahing over them excitedly. The other members were enjoying the event in their own ways, taking seats at the most appropriate tables or moving their chairs so they could see better. Even Hosshii-senpai was looking calm and collected, sometimes playing the part of the slave and occasionally laughing lightly at the right times. He frowned for a while after the toast, but as the drinks started glowing he didn't seem to care anymore.<br />
<br />
The smell of gunpowder and the noise of the fireworks were carried to them by the end-of-summer night breeze. They launched a series of fireworks looking like smileys and the women tried to take pictures with their cell-phones, shouting "Night mode!" and "Flash!?" A petite waitress came staggering under two large plates with yakitori, one in each hand. Kosshii and another third-year student hurriedly ran to lend a hand. "Like this!" "Like this?" "Like this!" "Like this?" For some reason, the fourth-year students stood up in a row and suddenly started spinning on one leg in a spectacular fashion. "Ugh, my drink is spinning!" ... or so it probably seemed.<br />
<br />
And just what seemed to be the darkest thing in this fun and noisy drinking party right now?<br />
<br />
"...And that is how I wound up disappearing for a whole week..."<br />
<br />
Kouko, that's who.<br />
<br />
"...I really thought I would just disappear that time..."<br />
<br />
And just like that, she bowed so deeply it looked like she was planting her face in the ground, turning the back of her head completely towards the long awaited fireworks. In her hand was a glass of oolong tea with the ice all melted. As if his dark and gloomy state had been juxtaposed against the night sky's gaudy excitement. The fireworks burst one after another, punching them in the stomachs. They twinkled going from green to red, faded from red to yellow, then vanished to a momentary darkness.<br />
<br />
"You're an idiot."<br />
<br />
With unchanging excitement, they were punched once more. But, when you multiply zero by zero, in the end it is still zero. The phrase "You're an idiot," which never contained any anger or scolding to begin with, turned into just four invisible words and melted away into the noisy atmosphere of the drinking party. Still looking wistfully over at Linda, Kouko was still nodding her head.<br />
<br />
Linda and Kouko, and then Banri making three, moved their chairs a little apart and got to talking. Having heard that Kouko had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving Banri and the others and gotten into an accident, after which they'd lost all contact with her, Linda rounded on them once the drinking part had started and angrily said, "You mean something happened!? Are you okay!?" The source of the information was probably a piece of crap... well, let's set that aside for now. Anyway, Linda seemed truly worried, so Banri and Kouko took formation and explained to her the whole situation.<br />
<br />
Perhaps matching Banri and Kouko, Linda had an oolong tea in one hand too. As she started to speak, Kouko's expression got darker and darker, as if some sort of muddy color was getting mixed with it. Linda didn't interrupt, but kept a serious look on her face and listened until the end of the long, boring (and frankly not funny) story. When in the end Kouko's expression had become completely dark, Linda shot an invisible "You're an idiot," twice at the tip of her nose.<br />
<br />
"If there was nothing else, then anyway that was good. I had only heard parts of the story, and was really scared, wondering what on earth had happened. As an outsider, and didn't understand the situation, I was rather hesitant to try and contact you... ah, what a relief. I'm glad you're safe. I'm really glad."<br />
<br />
She grinned and laughed.<br />
<br />
Her smile was so bright and honest.<br />
<br />
When Kouko at long last raised her head, even Banri could see the look of obvious relief in her eyes. This was probably the first time that Kouko had ever seen someone so genuinely happy about her safety. Her father being who he was, he had not taken pleasure in the fact that in spite of her obvious blunders, his daughter was safe. Kouko was hit, scolded and blamed, and not even that was enough. She got angry at herself, blamed herself, could not forgive herself, she refused to accept the consolation of the good friends she had put into danger, and her mind remained unbalanced...<br />
<br />
"......Phew......"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, she made a sound as of air escaping from her. Then scrunching her face up as hard as she could, she pressed her face into Linda's shoulder.<br />
<br />
"Oh... my."<br />
<br />
Tapping Kouko on the head lightly so as not to mess up her hairstyle, resting her cheek against the top of her head, Linda called out "Hey" to Kouko twice. But Kouko didn't raise her face, so Linda stayed still for a while, and then took a long, gentle breath. As she did so, she looked gently at Banri's face.<br />
<br />
"You're okay too, right?"<br />
<br />
"You're asking me!?" said Banri, giving her a vigorous thumbs up. From his temples, from his arm muscles, and from his armpits, his criss-crossing veins were bulging like crazy. Linda looked like she hardly keep from laughing at the sight of such a full power thumbs up, her eyes curled up like cute fishcakes. And then, with a heavy Kyuushu accent,<br />
<br />
"All right, gotcha. This is boring!"<br />
<br />
Of course, Linda had nothing to do with Kyuushu.<br />
<br />
"When I found out, I figured it was worth coming all the way from my parent's house. I was worried the Shinkansen would run late, but I got here just on time. And I got to see Kosshii-senpai playing the part of a slave. But that guy's awful. How will he turn out? What sickness will he pretend to have?"<br />
<br />
When Kouko finally raised her head, "Hehe", looking a little embarrassed, she quickly wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Then, as always, she gave Linda an energetic, pretty and perfect smile.<br />
<br />
"Senpai, you went back to Shizuoka?"<br />
<br />
"Yes. Last week, no, I've been back at my parent's place for a while now, and I wasn't planning on coming back for a while yet. I had some things to take care of there. So actually, I intended on skipping today too, but I heard about the accident and couldn't calm down, so in the end I came back. After this I'll be taking the Shinkansen back home."<br />
<br />
"Wow, you did that because of me!? I'm, I'm sorry... I made you worry."<br />
<br />
"No, no, I was the one worrying on my own. If Kouko's good, then Banri's OK!"<br />
<br />
"I'm fine, so fine I'm sorry."<br />
<br />
Bouncing around looking genuinely apologetic, her head popped up as if spring-loaded when an old-fashioned weeping-willow shell blew up with a bang, sparkling as it burst and slowly stretching down, hanging down like a long stream. As he blinked, captivated by the sparkling, Banri sighed in his thoughts. Come to think of it, had he ever seen such a huge firework spreading across the night sky before? If he had, he wondered who he had seen it with, and what did he think? He wondered what memories he had been thinking of on those late summer nights?<br />
<br />
He watched until the weeping willows melted into the blackness of the night and the last speck of fire had been extinguished, then,<br />
<br />
"...Fireworks sure are pretty things, aren't they?"<br />
<br />
It seemed that Kouko had heard him mumbling something to himself.<br />
<br />
"Eh? Is this perhaps the first time you've seen fireworks, Banri?"<br />
<br />
"Perhaps. At the least, my present self has no memories of them."<br />
<br />
"I see. Then how about hand-held fireworks? Have you ever done that?"<br />
<br />
"No, no. I know what they are in general, but I have virtually no experience with them."<br />
<br />
"Whaa... then you have to do it! You're Japanese, so you have to play with <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_snake_(firework) Black Snakes]</span> (and feel the vibrations of things that don't live long!"<br />
<br />
Seeing Banri and Kouko start talking normally, Linda casually looked over towards the table where the second-years were making a lot of noise. Banri saw this out of the corner of his eye. As if she had waited for just the right moment to join in on the conversation at the table, Linda quietly began to stand up. Banri hesitated, but thinking it was his last chance, he glanced over to Kouko's eyes. Kouko gave him a confused look. Let's go, thought Banri as he steeled himself. He had promised, so he would go.<br />
<br />
And then,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, have you set off fireworks in the past?"<br />
<br />
That was bold.<br />
<br />
As if she were startled, Linda opened both eyes wide. She could see that Kouko was also leaning over slightly and holding her breath.<br />
<br />
Caught by surprise, Linda's poker face crumbled, but stiffened once more in the light of the fireworks which began exploding in rapid succession.<br />
<br />
...It wasn't like he wanted to cause any trouble for this person. That wasn't it... Banri was troubled as well and forgot entirely what he was about to say. In an instant, silence fell.<br />
<br />
Now he wished he had never said he was pretending that his past had never happened. He wanted to do it over right, but for the time being is was just winging it. But, of course, it wasn't something he could do smartly, and there were still awkward silences happening. That was all there was to it... perhaps it was a troublesome challenge for Linda to try and minimize such things.<br />
<br />
Banri really didn't have much of a plan to back it up with, so he could only stay quiet.<br />
<br />
Linda looked back at Banri with a troubled expression, blinking her eyes silently. ...At a time like this, of course, he wondered if she had lost some weight. Her features looked slimmer, and her two cool eyes were crazy large, moist and sparkling. She looked a little different from before. She looked much prettier.<br />
<br />
Time seemed to stop and a silence fell between the two former classmates.<br />
<br />
"......Senpai, were you in the same class with Banri all three years in high school?"<br />
<br />
Suddenly, somebody started talking strangely clear.<br />
<br />
"I heard from Banri you were in track and field! Senpai, you must have a really fast runner. Somehow, that makes sense. By the way, I was in the ESS, the English Speaking Club, but I was so caught up in stalking a certain childhood friend 24 hours a day, 365 days a year that I had no spare time, so I was only an imaginary member through my graduation. Aha! I guess I really was!"<br />
<br />
The only person completely out of touch with her surroundings and unable to read the room. It was Kouko, of course.<br />
<br />
When Kouko showed how clueless she was like this, Linda's confusion became even more apparent as she blinked more quickly. She could be seen looking even more sharply at Banri's eyes. ...Weren't you supposed to pretend that never happened? What's going on with you guys? Those eyes seemed to be saying that. The fireworks reflected off her wide open eyes, sparkling.<br />
<br />
(Sorry. I'll do it over. Please let me do it over. I made a mistake.)<br />
<br />
Banri replied with only his eyes, and held his breath as if he were praying.<br />
<br />
If Linda were to walk away pretending she saw nothing, if the subject were never brought up again, he felt like he would never be able to take on a challenge like this again. Please, please let me try again. Linda. Please. I'm asking you, so please remember. Let the me I don't even know come to life in this world once more. Please prove that I existed. I'm begging you, so once more...<br />
<br />
"......Ah, I see."<br />
<br />
Her cheeks relaxing, Linda lowered herself back into the chair. She sat down once more, then relaxed, stretching both her sandaled feet out before her.<br />
<br />
"Last year a typhoon struck at just the wrong time, so we didn't do it. You see, Tada Banri, Shimada has a fireworks display every year."<br />
<br />
Linda.<br />
<br />
Gulp, a feeling as of a lump rose in his throat, but he swallowed with an innocent look on his face.<br />
<br />
"......Eh? No way, I had no idea!"<br />
<br />
"It looks like they did some just this year. Well, this is much more amazing, of course. ...In any case, you've played with hand-held fireworks too. You asked if you'd ever done it? Take a look at the shin of your left leg."<br />
<br />
Banri rolled up the bottom of his jeans and looked at his left shin as Linda told him to. Kouko came and peeked too, and said, "Ew, leg hair..." Of course he had leg hair. He was alive after all.<br />
<br />
Even so, amongst leg hair somewhat sparse for a man of his age, there was a slightly raised, faintly purplish scar. It wasn't particularly noticeable, and he hadn't paid it much attention up to now.<br />
<br />
"That is a burn mark. During summer camp in our second year in high school, we all set off fireworks. You and I from a little ways away lighting some simple incense sticks, but just then a rocket firework headed straight for us and fell with a bang. When I realized, I shouted 'Ahh!'"<br />
<br />
"Huh!? That... hold on!?"<br />
<br />
''BANG!'' Banri suddenly stood up. An image flashed through his head. Linda screaming. Watch out! He jumped sideways automatically in a cool move... yeah, he had to have. Turning around to face Linda and Kouko, Banri stiffened his expression and pointed at his temple with the index finger. ''BANG!''<br />
<br />
"I might just remember that episode! It came back to me clearly here! So, it's got to be, I got injured while trying to protect Linda-senpai...! Ah, I finally remember!"<br />
<br />
"Huh? You got it wrong."<br />
<br />
Linda cooly shook her head.<br />
<br />
"I ran away quickly, but you were too slow. Then boom! You got hit by the rocket, got burned, and there was a huge commotion. That was a mess. The coach was white as a sheet, you panicked like you'd lost your leg, and since then our club's summer fireworks tradition has been scrapped.<br />
<br />
"Ah... that's how it went?"<br />
<br />
"Sorry about that time, I was the only one who ran away."<br />
<br />
"......It's all right, really..."<br />
<br />
Banri quietly lowered the fingers which had been making BANG! He wondered how many people had lost sight of their index finger of destiny like this in history. When Columbus began to regret, he must have been pointing his finger in a more definite direction. This finger of his was already somebody else's index finger. No, a mysterious index finger. ...Enough already, may such an embarrassing finger explode from the first joint. From now on he should just live with the rough marks of an explosion as his fingerprints.<br />
<br />
"......Pfft!" Regarding what she spouted out, "Were you trying to make something up just now? You were, weren't you?"<br />
<br />
Kouko couldn't help but chuckle. With no intention of hiding her malicious intent, Kouko looked up from below at the now-standing Banri's face. Shut up... you got it wrong... he insisted with face turned away from her. "You were trying to make up a story, right? You were trying to look cool?" Pf, pfft! ...I wonder if this guy isn't really my friend.<br />
<br />
"That's dangerous, Linda-senpai. Please be strict with Banri so he doesn't go making up stories about his past to suit his own convenience."<br />
<br />
"So it seems, fabrications..."<br />
<br />
......Heh heh. Not good, he thought. Casually lowering her head, Linda let out a small chuckle too. Banri's cheeks instantly became hot.<br />
<br />
"I, I'm not making it all up! ...In my case, it's hard to tell where my memory ends and my imagination starts!"<br />
<br />
"'It's hard to tell where memory ends and imagination starts'! What a great quote! Amazing! I'll have to start using that one myself."<br />
<br />
Finally, Kouko broke out laughing loudly. As if caught up as well, Linda started laughing, her shoulders shaking.<br />
<br />
"...Jeez! Just say what you want to say! If you want to laugh, then laugh!"<br />
<br />
Banri sulked, his face red. Now he was sulking! He was sulking because he was being laughed at! He was completely aware of that, and sulked with all his might. Seeing him sulking, Kouko said, suddenly lowering her voice and turning serious, "In other words, Banri." Wondering what she would say,<br />
<br />
"Banri, don't you think that you ought to go home like Linda and show your parents you are doing okay? I think they would be worried over the matter of your accident, and if they don't see for themselves, they'd just cross the line between worry and imagination, just like me."<br />
<br />
She said that with a bright, beautiful smile. So timid just a moment ago, she suddenly got like this now that it was her turn to play. Still feeling a bit sulky, Banri slumped back down into his chair.<br />
<br />
"Hey, even if you hadn't told me to, I'll be going back home soon. My parents even told me to."<br />
<br />
Besides, he'd decided not to run from his past anymore. Upon hearing Banri's half-sulky reply, Kouko turned to Linda with a smile and said,<br />
<br />
"Linda-senpai, if you have the time, could you please go over to Banri's house and pay them a visit?" <br />
<br />
"Could you do that for us?" she said, bowing to Linda and Banri by her side as if they were an up-and-coming idol and her manager. Banri instinctively followed suit. Whereupon,<br />
<br />
"...Hey. Hold on."<br />
<br />
Linda suddenly stopped laughing.<br />
<br />
"I didn't really mean to say this but... I mean, is it okay to say it?"<br />
<br />
Even if somebody had asked Banri or Kouko what they were confused about, they wouldn't be able to say. When they reflexively looked at each other, Linda crossed her sandals slightly and shook them restlessly,<br />
<br />
"Didn't I say just now that I have something to do there?"<br />
<br />
Apparently it was okay to say it. Looking up at Banri's face,<br />
<br />
"Actually, we have a high school class reunion this week." She said, "Well, I thought you had no intention of coming, and I thought it would be rude to force you to come, so I was just keeping quiet about it. But... what if you want to? What if, even for just a moment, if you feel like it, would you mind showing up?"<br />
<br />
As expected,<br />
<br />
"......Eh?......"<br />
<br />
He gulped. That was the only sound that escaped him. Class reunion? With this timing? Banri froze as he was, forgetting even to breathe.<br />
<br />
He had firmly decided to stop running from his past. He was decided. But it was a decision he had only just made... was it a bit too high a hurdle to suddenly face at such an early stage? Wasn't it all too sudden? It was as if Teruo Eda (T/N: a famous jockey) were there waiting for a dripping wet foal that had only just stood up.<br />
<br />
"No, I wouldn't force you, of course not! It's only hypothetical."<br />
<br />
Watching Banri's expression change as soon as he heard the expression "class reunion", Linda hurriedly shook her hands from side to side and smiled at him.<br />
<br />
"Just, for now... because everyone has been worrying about you for so long, if you came and showed them how you are, I think they would be truly happy. I won't tell you to come. But I wanted to tell you that one thing."<br />
<br />
...About you for so long.<br />
<br />
Still unable to breathe, Banri hung his head as if Linda's words were going back and forth inside his head, over and over again. Worrying... This whole time, about him?<br />
<br />
A whole week until yesterday, unable to get ahold of Kouko, he had been feeling truly depressed. No matter what he did, he felt anxious and uneasy, kept on imagining strange things, and he was just so scared. When he thought about it, he'd been doing the same thing to his friends for a year and a half.<br />
<br />
Had he been doing such an awful thing?<br />
<br />
But. How should he approach going there? He was well aware that he was no longer the Tada Banri his classmates hoped to see, and it would be like showing up in the middle of an away game. After making so many people worry, he would come out as an entirely different person. He would surely betray their expectations and cause them as much disappointment as were their worries. Just imagining himself in the middle of that surging mass of disappointment, with a stupid, grinning look on his face... he felt an icy trickle of sweat dripping down the surface of his heart. They were lined up in a row with disappointed looks on their faces. This guy's not him. Away with you. Have some shame. You don't belong here. And so on.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, with a loud bang, everything in Banri's field of vision was washed out by fireworks exploding again. Bright streaks of flame spread clearly across the night sky with a strange three-dimensional effect.<br />
<br />
"Senpai. Banri will be participating."<br />
<br />
"Eh!" exclaimed Linda. For a moment, what Kouko had said didn't make sense to Banri.<br />
<br />
"...Eh!?"<br />
<br />
He was surprised for a full three seconds. "Eh?" Kouko turned around right away. Just how many "eh"s does this situation plan on having?<br />
<br />
"You'll do it? Eh? Or not?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? You'll do it...?"<br />
<br />
"I'll do it? I will!"<br />
<br />
Kouko faced Linda, flashed a bright smile once more, and declared that Banri would be taking part. When he asserted this without hesitation, even Banri thought to himself, "Is that so?" Yes, that's right, he would participate. In the reunion. To be riddled with bullets of disappointment.<br />
<br />
Linda looked silently and worried in Banri's eyes. At that, Banri gave a single nod.<br />
<br />
"...Yes. I will go. I will participate in the class reunion."<br />
<br />
Oh well, he thought. Thanks to Kouko, he was able to accept it.<br />
<br />
And if he wound up being turned into a honeycomb, then so be it. Should he not get a taste of being an adult honeycomb? That's who he was. He was the kind of guy who shows up and disappoints people. No matter what you do, you can only be yourself. No matter how hard you try to run away from yourself, in the end it is you who is running away. Therefore, you must accept your fate and live your life as you are. It is much better if you can live without running, and without stress.<br />
<br />
Linda's gaze wavered as if she were confused, but at length she quietly stopped moving. She looked Banri straight in the eye and said in a low, short voice, "This is going to be a mess."<br />
<br />
"Got it. Well then... come on."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Banri and Kouko were so tempted by the "Bakuretsu Monja" (Explosive <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monjayaki Monjayaki]</span>)) that was being sold at a food stall that they excused themselves from the drinking party and left together.<br />
<br />
The fireworks were just reaching the climax of the second half, and he thought that the audience would be really into watching and the food stands would be empty, but it seemed he was wrong. When they left the shop, the streets were overflowing with people dressed in <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata yukata]</span>, <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jinbei jinbei]</span> and other casual summer styles, covered with sweat, crowding noisily around the dazzling food stands, with long queues forming in all directions. In their hands were cans of beer, bottles of <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune Ramune]</span>, cotton candy, yakisoba, yakitori and corn. Banri was in no position to criticize the people with dreamy looks on their faces were walking from shop to shop, but it was the perfect example of preferring food to flowers.<br />
<br />
"Ah! Look at that Banri!"<br />
<br />
"Wow! Seriously!?"<br />
<br />
Over where Kouko was pointing, "Explosive Monja" was written on the eaves. Affixed to this, "Sold out in Japan!" was written in big letters. In the deafening roar of the fireworks and the hot, humid crowd, the two of them had no choice but to stop and look at each other in surprise. Kouko, disappointed, looked up and stomped her feet childishly.<br />
<br />
"No way, no way, no way! This just makes me even more worried!"<br />
<br />
Grabbing Banri's hand and shaking it, she threw a tantrum. Kouko had spotted this food stall on the way to the shop and wondered what it was. She decided that afterwards she would have to go there with Banri! Even so,<br />
<br />
"It's sold out…! I wonder if it really was that good?"<br />
<br />
"It isn't regular Monja! It, is, something, explosive! Ah, but I can't imagine it!"<br />
<br />
"For now, I'm feeling a little frustrated!"<br />
<br />
"I'm frustrated too! Frustrated, Banri!"<br />
<br />
"The next time we find it, we'll have to try it!"<br />
<br />
"That's right! We won't let it get away from us next time! We'll chase it to the ends of the earth and eat it!"<br />
<br />
Behind the two making such strong vows, a group of three yukata-clad girls whispered, "Those guys are disappointed they couldn't eat Explosive Monja," "Eh? What's that? It's so delicious," and "Wow, I'm curious!" In fact, this was the start of the "Explosive Monja" fad that would later sweep Japan, though for now nobody knew that.<br />
<br />
The two of them began to wander aimlessly past the street vendors. If they just stood there, they would be blocking traffic, and since they'd come all the way here, they wanted to soak up a bit of the festival atmosphere. But even though they weren't particularly hungry, enveloped in the rich smells, walking along peeking and pointing at this and that food stall lined up, they suddenly found themselves breaking away from the crowd.<br />
<br />
Entering into a residential area, the noise of the venue fell away as completely as if it had never been, and it felt like any normal evening. Even though the heavy sounds of the fireworks echoed around them, the view was blocked by the buildings along the riverfront, and from here all you could see was the night sky, which now and then lit up.<br />
<br />
"Shall we try going this way? We can't see the fireworks, but for now it isn't crowded, and if might be easier to get back to the shop."<br />
<br />
Kouko nodded in agreement as Banri said this, and lightly wiped her thoroughly sweaty forehead.<br />
<br />
"Let's do that. There are way too many people here. And it's gotten hot."<br />
<br />
As she put the handkerchief away in a small basket-bag, Banri noticed that Kouko had taken one of her geta half-way off, and was dangling it from the tip of her foot. He frowned.<br />
<br />
"Sorry I walked so fast. Are your feet hurting from walking around in those <span class="plainlinks">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geta_(footwear) geta]</span>?"<br />
<br />
He wondered if it was a bit inconsiderate of him, accompanying a woman dressed in a yukata and wearing geta. But Kouko shook her head with a smile, saying "No, no."<br />
<br />
"No, they don't hurt. They're just tired. I thought I was in pretty good shape from the Awa Odori, but this is kind of heavy after all."<br />
<br />
"Oh, that's it. ...Well then, come on! I'll carry you on my back!"<br />
<br />
Banri turned around right there in the middle of the street, bent over and said, "Come on!", giving a manly jerk of the chin.<br />
<br />
"No, no, no! It's okay, I'm heavy, maybe even heavier than you! I'm okay! Don't worry about it!"<br />
<br />
Kouko shuffled backwards, looking like a panicked crayfish trying to escape. There was no way she was heavier than him, but he wasn't going to chase after her, catch her and force her on to his back, not when she was so reluctant.<br />
<br />
"Well, at the very least."<br />
<br />
Banri took off one of his flip-flops, caught hold of it by the thong with one of his toes, and held it out to Kouko as if to say, "Here you go."<br />
<br />
"Let's switch them at the shop. It'll probably be easier that way. Not great, but there wouldn't be anybody watching."<br />
<br />
"Eh? But that's no good. You'll wind up with sore feet."<br />
<br />
Taking both sandals off in front of the hesitating Kouko, he was shortly barefoot. If Kouko wouldn't take off her geta, he would simply walk barefoot. Even Kouko was defeated. She took off her geta and put on Banri's beach sandals.<br />
<br />
"Wow! My legs feel so light!"<br />
<br />
Released from the weight of her geta, Kouko hopped around in place.<br />
<br />
"I'm tall!"<br />
<br />
Banri suddenly became tall enough to look down at the top of Kouko's head, a fresh perspective. Normally, he was always the same height as Kouko, who always wore high heels. The two of them, having exchanged footwear, as if naturally drawn to each other, linked hands and walked down the night street.<br />
<br />
In the quiet, separated from the tumult, Banri thought it really had been a long time since he and Kouko had been alone together. Just now they had been with the upperclassmen, yesterday they'd been with Brave Leader (!!) Ramen Dad and for a while before that they hadn't been able to get together at all. Thinking about it, was it ever since they went to have fun at the beach? No, even at the beach everyone else was there, and so to be precise, the last time they had been alone together was when they were waiting together at the meeting place. Come to think of it, the atmosphere between them back then was quite awkward, and to make matters worse, they were at the entirely the wrong place, and when Two Dimensions found them he was quite angry, honking his horn like crazy...<br />
<br />
"Banri?"<br />
<br />
"......It's nothing."<br />
<br />
The memory suddenly made him want to break out laughing, but Banri quickly covered his mouth with his hand to hold it in. The scene shouldn't have made him grin, but he found it oddly amusing.<br />
<br />
No, this was not the time to be caught up in some strange obsession all by himself. Collecting himself, he gazed over at Kouko's profile, which was much lower than usual. Now that they'd finally managed to get some alone time like this, he wanted to have a more meaningful conversation. But even though that was what he thought,<br />
<br />
"What's that?"<br />
<br />
"...It's, nothing..."<br />
<br />
When he saw Kouko's face, smiling and turned up, he felt strangely embarrassed and looked away.<br />
Even though he had so many things to say, but now that the moment had come, why could he not find the words? And now, after all that, he was getting shy about it? Even though they'd been dating for months, and had seen each other's lace underwear and panty-hose clad faces?<br />
<br />
"...Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo..."<br />
<br />
"Ba, Banri? What, was that?"<br />
<br />
"Humming... Queen..."<br />
<br />
"Queen? What's that?"<br />
<br />
"Eh!? You don't know Bohemian Rhapsody!? That's impossible! ‘Mamaa!' ...look! You had to have heard it before!"<br />
<br />
"...?"<br />
<br />
"Eh? Am I the only one tone-deaf?"<br />
<br />
"I do know about things like this."<br />
<br />
While Kouko walked along, slapping the flip-flops on her feet, clapping her hands, slapping, clapping... though he generally understood what she wanted to do, from the awkward sound of her footsteps he wound up tilting his head and looking at her.<br />
<br />
It was right at that moment. From the night sky, from a place hidden from them by the buildings came the echoing sound of fireworks fired to the rhythm of the tune Kouko had been unable to imitate, "We Will Rock You." The two of them looked at each other's faces in surprise. There was no mistaking it, a faint melody was playing in the background. And it was "Queen", of course. It was a program where they launched fireworks in time with the music. What a coincidence in timing, but...<br />
<br />
"I, I want to see it...!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<nowiki><~~88% Completed~~></nowiki> <!-- 64 of 73 pages --><br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Back to [[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}</div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time:_Updates&diff=586194Golden Time: Updates2025-10-26T21:00:40Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>Volume 1:<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Jan 09, 2011 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Apr 13, 2011 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Aug 21, 2011 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Nov 24, 2011 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Jan 28, 2012 - Translation of chapter five completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - First spinoff completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 2:<br />
*Apr 15, 2012 - Translation of Volume 2 started.<br />
*Apr 25, 2012 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Aug 08, 2012 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Nov 03, 2012 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Feb 03, 2013 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Mar 21, 2013 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 3:<br />
*Apr 8, 2013 - Translation of Volume 3 started.<br />
*Apr 24, 2013 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2013 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Nov 13, 2013 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Nov 26, 2013 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 4:<br />
*Jun 6, 2013 - Translation of Volume 4 started by [[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]].<br />
*Feb 10, 2014 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Apr 28, 2014 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Dec 30, 2014 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Apr 09, 2015 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 5:<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Translation of Volume 5 started.<br />
*Dec 09, 2015 - Postscript completed by [[User:fukukaze|Fukukaze]]<br />
*Jan 08, 2016 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Jun 30, 2016 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Jul 30, 2017 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
*Dec 24, 2018 - Translation of chapter three completed.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Translation of chapter four completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
Volume 6:<br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Translation of Volume 6 started.<br />
*Sep 20, 2020 - Translation of prologue completed.<br />
*Oct 03, 2021 - Translation of chapter one completed.<br />
*Mar 06, 2023 - Translation of chapter two completed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<noinclude><br />
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|-<br />
| Return to [[Golden Time#Updates|Main Page]]<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
</noinclude></div>Rpapohttps://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Golden_Time&diff=586193Golden Time2025-10-26T20:53:48Z<p>Rpapo: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{Status|Active}}<br />
<br />
[[Image:Golden Time novel cover1.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]<br />
<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is a light novel series by author [[:Category:Yuyuko Takemiya|Takemiya Yuyuko]] and illustrator Komatsu Eeji. It has an ongoing manga adaptation written by the original author and illustrated by Umechazuke. An <span class="plainlinks">[http://golden-time.jp/ anime adaptation]</span> was broadcast over two cours: fall of 2013 and winter of 2014.<br />
<br />
The series is complete at 8 volumes (with 3 extra volumes of side-stories).<br />
<br />
'''Golden Time''' is also available in the following languages:<br />
*[[Golden Time - Français|French (Français)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time ~ (Spanish)|Spanish (Español)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time (Indonesia)|Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)]]<br />
*[[Golden Time-Filipino|Filipino]]<br />
<br />
<br />
==Story Synopsis==<br />
<br />
Tada Banri, a newly admitted student at a private law school in Tokyo, found himself completely lost after the opening ceremony, trying to find his way to the freshman orientation. Just then, he ran into another lost freshman from the same school, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and they hit it off at once. As they were hurrying to their intended goal, with hardly any time to spare, there appeared in front of them a beautiful girl holding a bouquet of roses. The girl whacked Mitsuo across the face with the bouquet and handed the flowers over to him. "Congratulations, Freshman!", was all she said, and then she left. The stylish, well dressed, perfect woman that had swung at Mitsuo was his childhood friend, Kaga Kouko. As children she had promised to marry him one day, fulfilling her dreams. In order to escape from her, Mitsuo had gone out secretly and taken the entrance exam for this well known private college, but now there she was in the freshman orientation hall. She had taken the law school entrance exam too, and had caught up to him there.<br />
<br />
== Translation == <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
<br />
=== [[Golden Time:Registration Page|Registration]] ===<br />
<br />
Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.<br />
<br />
'''Translators are asked to [[Golden Time:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''<br />
<br />
<br />
'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3500 Feedback Thread]</span>'''?<br />
<br />
===Format Standards===<br />
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must confirm to the general format guidelines.'''<br />
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]<br />
*[[Golden Time:Names|Names]] - Standard translations for the characters' names.<br />
*Since Baka-Tsuki uses American English as its standard for English, in this translation (Golden Time), temperatures, weights and sizes are given in English units (degrees Fahrenheit, pounds and feet+inches). Monetary units remain in yen, however.<br />
<br />
==Updates== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
*Aug 23, 2020 - Volume 6 started.<br />
*Jul 26, 2020 - Volume 5 completed.<br />
*Jul 28, 2015 - Volume 4 completed.<br />
*Jan 23, 2014 - Volume 3 completed.<br />
*Apr 01, 2013 - Volume 2 completed. <br />
*Apr 14, 2012 - Spinoff, Chapter 1 completed.<br />
*Feb 01, 2012 - Volume 1 completed.<br />
*Oct 11, 2010 - Translation of chapter one started.<br />
*Oct 03, 2010 - Project started with teaser (the prologue).<br />
<br />
A more complete list of updates can be found on the [[Golden Time: Updates|Golden Time Updates page]].<br />
<br />
==The ''Golden Time'' series by Yuyuko Takemiya==<br />
The <span class="plainlinks">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Time_(novel_series) ''Golden Time''] series by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuyuko_Takemiya Yuyuko Takemiya]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
===Volume 1: A Blackout in Spring=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol01 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol1 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span><br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]] <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume1_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 2: The Answer is YES=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol02 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol2 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume2_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 3: Masquerade=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol03 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol3 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume3_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 4: Don't Look Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol04 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol4 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4|Full Text]] | <span class="plainlinks">[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4838&p=177511 E-Book versions]</span> <br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume4_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol05 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol5 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume5_Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 6: To Memories of Other Lives=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol06 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol6 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume6_Chapter3|Chapter 3]] (~85%)<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 7: I'll Be Back=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol07 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol7 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*Chapter 6<br />
::*Chapter 7<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume7_Postscript|Postscript]]<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
===Volume 8: Winter Journey=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Vol08 Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Vol8 Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Prologue<br />
::*Chapter 1<br />
::*Chapter 2<br />
::*Chapter 3<br />
::*Chapter 4<br />
::*Chapter 5<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Volume8_Chapter6|Chapter 6]] (15% done, last eight pages only)<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
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<br />
===Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Spinoff Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Spinoff Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Spinoff_Chapter1|Chapter 1: Mr. Two Dimensions Special]]<br />
::*Chapter 2: Love from Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Chapter 3: The Nijigen Incident<br />
::*Chapter 4: Farewell, Mr. Two Dimensions<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Extra Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Extra Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Extra_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*Chapter 1: Mitsuo's Room<br />
::*Chapter 2: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing<br />
::*Chapter 3: Summer Night Tour<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
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<br />
===Biographies: AFRICA=== <!-- Do not alter this line! The text is used in linking back here. --><br />
[[Image:Golden Time Biographies Cover.jpg|thumb|120px|text-top|Biographies Cover]]<br />
::*[[Golden Time:Biographies Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]<br />
::*AFRICA<br />
::*Your Eyes Only<br />
::*A Brief Transgression<br />
::*Postscript<br />
::*Translator's Notes and References<br />
<br />
<br style="clear:both"/><br />
<br />
==Project Staff==<br />
<br />
*Supervisor: 分からない<br />
*Project Manager: 分からない<br />
<br />
===Translators===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Rpapo|Rpapo]] (Since the beginning... I wonder if I will finish this thing before I die.)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Arrived in a blaze of fire, and then burned out.)<br />
:*[[User:GundamSFS|GundamSFS]] (Will return once becoming more fluent at Japanese)<br />
:*[[User:Larethian|Larethian]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Nura rihan|Nura Rihan]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
===Editors/Proofreaders===<br />
<br />
:*[[User:Acolyte|Acolyte]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:BladeUnderHeart|BladeUnderHeart]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:DNK|DNK]] (aka Doraneko) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Fukukaze|Fukukaze]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:L.kostas|L.kostas]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:MatrixM|MatrixM]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Pmt7ar|Pmt7ar]] (aka zell_ff8) (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:YoakeNoHikari|YoakeNoHikari]] (Retired from project)<br />
:*[[User:Z-one|Z-one]] (Retired from project)<br />
<br />
All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed, and if you understand written Japanese . . . all the better!<br />
<br />
== Publishing History ==<br />
<br />
=== Books ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1: A Blackout in Spring''', ISBN 978-4-04-868878-9, September 10, 2010<br />
* '''Golden Time 2: The Answer is YES!''', ISBN 978-4-04-870381-9, March 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 3: Masquerade''', ISBN 978-4-04-870735-0, August 10, 2011<br />
* '''Golden Time 4: Don't Look Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-886546-3, March 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Spinoff: Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', ISBN 978-4-04-886631-6, June 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time 5: The Ghost of Summer, Japanese Summer''', ISBN 978-4-04-866897-6, September 10, 2012<br />
* '''Golden Time Extras: A Hundred Years After That Summer, We're Still Laughing''', ISBN 978-4-04-891324-9, January 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 6: To Memories of Other Lives''', ISBN 978-4-04-891557-1, April 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time Biographies: AFRICA''', ISBN 978-4-04-891858-9, August 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 7: I'll Be Back''', ISBN 978-4-04-866059-4, October 10, 2013<br />
* '''Golden Time 8: Winter Journey''', ISBN 978-4-04-866414-1, March 10, 2014<br />
<br />
=== Magazines ===<br />
<br />
* '''Golden Time Mr. Two Dimensions Special''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #16, November 2010, pages 60-77.<br />
* '''Golden Time Love from Mr. Two Dimensions 2011''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #19, May 2011, pages 98-118.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (Before)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #21, September 2011, pages 100-110.<br />
* '''Golden Time The Nijigen Incident (After)''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #22, November 2011, pages 108-125.<br />
* '''NANA-senpai is dead drunk and turns into THAT ____-chan...!?''', Dengeki Bunko Magazine #24, November 2013, pages 20-35.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The first four were gathered into the spinoff book "Mr. Two Dimensions Special".<br />
<br />
=== Manga ===<br />
* '''Golden Time 1''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-886494-7, March 27, 2012 (chapters 01-06, LN v1 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 2''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891022-4, September 27, 2012 (chapters 07-12, LN v1 c4-5)<br />
* '''Golden Time 3''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891456-7, March 27, 2013 (chapters 13-17, LN v2 c1-3)<br />
* '''Golden Time 4''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-891767-4, July 27, 2013 (chapters 18-22, LN v2 c4 to LN v3 ~p50)<br />
* '''Golden Time 5''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866236-9, January 27, 2014 (chapters 23-28, LN v3 c1 to LN v4 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time Official Comic Anthology''', Dengeki Comics, ISBN 978-4-04-866296-3, January 27, 2014<br />
* '''Golden Time 6''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-866704-3, June 27, 2014 (chapters 29-33, LN v4 c1 to LN v5 prologue)<br />
* '''Golden Time 7''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-869130-7, December 20, 2014 (chapters 34-38, LN v5 c1 to LN v6 c2)<br />
* '''Golden Time 8''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-865218-6, July 27, 2015 (chapters 39-44, LN v6 c3 to LN v7 c6 1st half)<br />
* '''Golden Time 9''', ASCII Media Works, ISBN 978-4-04-892372-9, Sep 27, 2016 (to end of story)<br />
<br />
'''NOTE:''' The manga series '''Golden Time''' has been licensed and published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It is available in both printed and Amazon Kindle forms.<br />
<br />
==More Information==<br />
[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3500 The Baka-Tsuki forum topic for Golden Time].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Light novel (English)]]<br />
[[Category:Dengeki Bunko]]<br />
[[Category:Yuyuko Takemiya]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Genre - Comedy]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Drama]]<br />
[[Category:Genre - Romance]]</div>Rpapo