Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

User talk:Seaghyn16

2012-12-15T03:03:18Z

Seaghyn16: /* Miscellaneous Stuff */

Feel free to leave a comment about whatever may be on your mind. I have the page divided into sections so it will be easier for you to find the right place to post. --[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 05:50, 1 August 2008 (PDT)

== [[PuiPui|PuiPui! Section]] ==

Congrats on getting this project to the sidebar, and on completing the 1-st chapter ^_^

--[[User:Salv87|Salv]] 22:30, 11 Oct

[[User:Seaghyn16_pp_pvsa|PuiPui! Passive VS Active Discussion]] (Sorry, my Page is getting filled with this, haha.)

Lol, Akira, you are like an English super person :). I considered myself okay, but man, I'm learning stuff and I finished High School....O_o. Anyway, yes, if there is something you think would sound better edited for Active/Passive, you've already proven yourself more than capable. Please go for it. As for Ojou-sama over school idol....here's the literal translation. "O" followed by a noun means the noun is "more polite." "Jou" means female, and "sama" is a polite honorific. "to show how polite, "Kami-sama" means God in japanese. So it's (politely) Miss (female). More like "Miss" than anything else in English...and because her maids and butler says it, they mean "Miss" while Yuuya means it as "Princess" kinda...it's a complex word, and all the times it would have to be edited in context. If you want to do that, then I'm okay with it, it's just a bit hard to do...so I've been putting "Ojou-sama" because it's good for any time it's used :)

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 09:21, 27 September 2008 (PDT)

Oh, I know about honorifics; kun, san, dono, etc. I was just running under the faulty assumption that Ojou-sama was always going to be used in one context. I'm just going to leave it as Ojou-sama, because if I do change it, a bunch of fanboys will cry foul ;) Thanks for the vote of confidence. I won't let you down.

--[[User:Akirasav|Akirasav]] 09:50, 27 September 2008 (PDT)

Hey Krikit. I left some questions in the Chapter 2 discussion section. Thanks.

--[[User:Akirasav|Akirasav]] 08:40, 17 December 2008 (PDT)

== Miscellaneous Stuff ==

Hey Krikit, do you know of any light novels with Furigana? Or is that for children's books only? Thanks.

--[[User:Akirasav|Akirasav]] 17:12, 25 June 2009 (UTC)

You there man?

--[[User:Akirasav|Akirasav]] 03:20, 30 June 2009 (UTC)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Q: Hi, are you the admin of the "Dragon Crisis" Proyect??
A: I don't know...I did a little bit of the translation a few years back, and it was an interesting series...but I'm not really available to translate at the moment...why?

Chapter 1 – First Period - The Strangeness of Alice Teaser

2011-06-24T15:10:29Z

Seaghyn16: Created page with "Alice continued walking disparringly. ---Ah geez, why do I always end up like this. Without giving a proper thank you, she had actually yelled something negative. It was too c..."

Alice continued walking disparringly.

---Ah geez, why do I always end up like this.

Without giving a proper thank you, she had actually yelled something
negative. It was too cruel.

---It's because of things like this that everyone calls me strange-chan. I
have to do better.

She was in the mood to pound her head.

Being lost in the fear of being groped, and the feeling of security after
having being helped, and the self-dislike at her embarrasement, many feelings
had mixed together, and she had yelled that she hated him...

Her face was still burning. Her cheeks must be really red.

She trudged forward, her gaze directed towards the ground.

Even if a shining tomorrow awaited, Alice could only feel the irony of her
selfloathing.

"Alice-chin, morning!"

"Kyau!"

Slapped on the back Alice had nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, Yuka. Morning."

Yuka Tajima. A lean, tall figure, and a smile that showed she could tolerate
anything. She was Alice's close friend, and somewhat of an older sister to
her as well.

"You're late today."

"Yeah. You think we can make it?"

"No problem, we'll definitely make it. It's going to be close though."

Panicking, she had taken the East Exit, resulting in her taking the longer
route.

The usually student filled street to Motochiba High was now nearly empty,
resulting in a severe decrease in the amount of white from the uniforms one
could see.

"What were you making all those faces for?"

"Uhm...ehh...n, no reason really!"

There was no way she could say she had been groped.

Having her bottom touched was too embarrasing.

The fact that Suzuki-kun who had helped her had looked like a prince was
something she could never mention.

"Hmmmm. It was probably because you were busy reading one of those Saphire
novels, and nearly missed getting off the train."

Alice's already scarlet face deeped further.

Safire novels were books written for girls that depicted acts beyond kissing.
In the sparkling world of a prince and princess, these romantic scenes were
added compared with other novels.

Alice had reading one of the Safire novels in the train. It had happened
right as the Prince had pulled the Princess close and kissed her.

That's when she had her bottom touched.

---It might be all my fault.

Because she had been reading a slightly erotic girls novel, a special aura
had developed, and that might be the reason things had turned out the way
they had.

Trying to run away from her embarrasment had only created more embarrasment,
and had led to her shouting the word 'hate'.

"That's not it, I really did get off alright."

"Don't look like your about to burst out in tears. Ah, geez, it's because
you're so cute Alice. When you start to get flustered, you say a whole bunch
of stuff that doesn't make any sense."

Yes. That was exactly right.

In a panic, she would say things she wouldn't mean. She had yelled something
really extreme.

"That's why I'm always called strange-chan huh..."

"What's wrong? You're pretty dark today. Your good point is that you're
always pretty easy-going."

Alice was easy-going. Because of that she wasn't able to match the world's
rythm. She always tried her hardest to be a part of it, but she was always
one beat off.

She was always thinking of her own fancies, and would say things that didn't
match some situation, which had led to her being called strange-chan.

"You don't have to try and match, just be yourself, and we'll follow you."

Yuka's words were very soothing.

Alice hugged Yuka tightly, causing the area of her uniform covering her
breasts to rub against Yuka's.

"Yuka is like my older sister! Gee I just love you...!"

"Ahn, okay okay you're cute! I like you too."

Yuka rubbed Alice's head.

The other students on the road watched the rare romantic scene unfolding
before them.

*

Masayoshi was erasing the blackboard on which had been written all manner of
rumors and the like. He wanted to have the blackboard clean before class
started.

Erasing the blackboard was a daily assigned job, but somehow Masayoshi had
become the one in charge of erasing.

The morning sun streaming in brightened the room and softly lighted all the
students who were passing time in their own ways.

"Haha, that so?"

A laughing voice could be heard. It was Azekura Alice and Tajima Yuka as well
as Sasaki Kaori were all laughing happily together.

"Haha, No way. geez Kaori..."

The combination of easygoing Alice, tall, older sister Yuka, and the quiet
Sasaki who didn't speak much, was strange, but they all enjoyed each others
company and were good friends.

Alice lifted her face.

Her eyes met Masayoshi's.

"Hauu..."

Alice let out a strange sound, and took a sharp breath.

Her pupil had become as large as her eye.

He wanted to avert his gaze but couldn't.

Even while thinking this was bad, he couldn't help it. Alice's face lowered.

"Eguu..."

When she lifter her face, tears were streaming down it.

It's not like he was trying to glare down at her, but just like with an
elementary school kid a while back, she was crying after looking him in the
eyes. Tajima held Alice while Sasaki patted her on the back.

"Suzuki-kun, why are you making Alice cry?"

Tajima's voice was sharp and piercing.

The classroom which had been lively until now suddenly turned silent.
Everyone stared intently at Tajima, Masayoshi and Alice trying to find what
was going on.

"What? What's happening?"

"Seems Suzuki's been bullying Alice."

Whispering had broken out in the room.

Masayoshi replied softly.

"I didn't do anything."

"Don't lie, you were glaring at Alice. She's scared."

"I wasn't glaring."

"Then why is she crying?"

"Tajima, let's stop there."

Perhaps it was due to the silver glasses she wore, but the girl who spoke
looked full of knowledge.

"I didn't see Suzuki-kun do anything wrong, and Tajima you should know as
well."

The clear voice one would expect from the Student Body President had the
affect of silencing Tajima Yuka who had been acting to protect her friend.

"Azekura, what you're doing isn't right either. Don't you feel bad for
Suzuki-kun?"

The Student Body President addressed Alice as though she were giving a
lecture.

Alice hiccupped lightly, turning to face Atsuko.

The classroom became even quieter.

Wrapped in nervousness, somewhere not too far off a chime rang.

Alice stood up abruptly, causing the chair to make a great deal of noise as
she did. She turned her head this way and that frantically. Her lightly dyed
hair flew back and forth. The scent of her floral shampoo filled the air.

"I was just crying from remembering something is all. It has nothing to do
with Suzuki-kun. I'm so sorry! Hwaaaaaaah!!"

Alice's voice resounded loudly through the room.

It seemed everyone was willing to accept that response.

"She is strange-chan after all."

No matter how one looked at it bursting out in tears was a rare occurance,
but it seemed to be accpeted as part of the strange girls personality.
Laughing out loud all of a sudden and staring off in to space, causing the
teacher's question to be answered off the mark were aspects of who Alice was.

She was off beat with the rest by just a small margin. Yet it matched her
strangeness and surrounding atmosphere that it had all but become a matter
that took a little forgiveness because she was cute.

She wasn't an existed that shone brightly, instead she was a pretty girl who
was enjoyable to watch. The schools hidden idol.

That was the standing of Azekura Alice.

Glad that he was able to unlock his gaze from hers, Masayoshi returned to
vigourously erasing the remaining remarks written on the blackboard.

Atsuko released a deep breath, and returned to her seat.

"We're starting shortened homeroom everyone!"

The classroom door slid open with a rough shaking sound, and thee homeroom
teacher Sadou entered.

Masayoshi returned the eraser to its place on the blackboard, and returned to
his seat.

"Woooah! Azekura, what happened?! Why are you crying?! Someone wasn't
bullying you were they?! Or are you crying from remembering something!?"

The classroom boiled over. After all, Alice's sobbing had come from her
remembering something.

"I, I'm going to go to the restroom."

"No, it's okay Kao-chan. Thanks though."

"Use this."

Tajima held out a tissue.

"Thanks. I'll be back soon. Mr. Sadou, excuse me."

"Make sure you return before overtime."

"Shouldn't it be before class ends?"

With someone's weak attempt at a joke following her, Alice exited the
classroom, the sound of her shoes on the floor revealing the speed at which
she left.

---Ah~, why did I cry...I can't believe me...!

Alice was vigorously scrubbing her face at a sink in the girls bathroom. As
class had already started, there was nobody in the restroom, which meant
Alice was alone in the silence.

To her burning face, the cold water came as a welcome relief.

When she and Masayoshi had locked gazes, she had recalled everything that had
happened in the morning train, filling her with embarrasement and causing her
to burst out into tears.

The way she had cried was just as if the wall to a flood gate had burst.

"All of a sudden crying like that really isn't good."

It was just as the student council president had said.To not just refrain
from saying a word of thanks to someone who had helped her, but to go so far
as to yell loudly that she hated him and run away was the worst possible
thing she could have done.

Differing from the time she was in midle school, she had friends now who
would cover for her when she did something odd, so her eccentricity was able
to be played down somewhat, but it's not as if her friends would always be
there.

If things continued the way they were, there was no guarnatte things wouldn't
become a repeat of her middle school days.

When she had been groped, when something bad she didn't like happened, she
had wanted to be able to say "stop it."

When she had been helped, when someone had shown her kindness she wanted to
be able to say "thank you."

If she could only change little by little, if she could just become a little
bit more positive, she should be able to stop doing things like bursting out
in tears all of a sudden, and getting separated from the rythym of everyone
else.

--I'm definitely going to tell Suzuki-kun. Courage, Alice!

"I can do this!"

Alice clenched her hands into fists beside her, and shook them vigourously
back and forth.

She was determined to say "thank you" and "I'm sorry" to Masayohi. By the end
of the day at all costs. It's still morning, so if she continued following
Masayoshi, she should be able to talk to him when he's alone.

--That makes me wonder, Suzuki-kun. Why were you erasing the blackboard? Ah,
it's because you're the class rep, right?

Suzuki-kun is that kind of person...Alice, her eyes reeling from shock,
continued to watch Masayoshi.

During the break after first period and before second. After promptly erasing
the blackboard, he moved to the back of the classroom.

Taking out the trash bag lining the garbage bin, Masayoshi then carefully
replaced it with a new one.

He took the bag full of gargage, and walked out into the wallway. He returned
back to the classroom just as the chime signaling the next class sounded. He
must have gone to the school's disposal facility, as when he returned he did
so empty-handed.

During second period.

Going to the staff office to retrieve a printout the teacher had forgotten
and asked him to retrieve, Masayoshi had picked up a piece of trash and upon
returning to the classroom quickly threw it into the bin.

During the break between second and third period.

After erasing the black board carefull to make sure nothing was left, he
cleaned the blackboard eraser.

During the break between third and fourth period.

Having Handed out the notes for the Language class, which the teacher had
requested of him, he erased the black board before returning to his seat.

--I had no idea...Suzuki-kun did this much of the classroom cleaning. Is it
because he's the class rep? That just can't be it. Erasing the blackboard is
the job of the one who's day it is, and throwing out the trash can't be one
of the dutys of the class representative.

To Alice, Masayoshi was a classmate with long hair who had a rather dark
atmosphere about him. Nothing more, and nothing less. Masayoshi's family
being associated with a Yakuza gang was famous, and so Alice had heard it of
course, but had never really given it any thought.

She had only spent a single day watching him, and already the scales were
falling from her eyes.

The true form of the so-called protligate son with a frightful dark demeanor
was actually a boy who would make an excellent bride.

The scales that had clung to Alice's eyes had been so thick that she couldn't
help but be totally taken aback.

"You know, Suzuki-kun is always doing the classroom jobs nobody else wants
to."

Eating her fried egg home-made lunch, Alice tried bringing him into their
conversation. The lunch she hand-made everyday was colorful and looked truly
delicious.

Masayoshi took a bento-like box wrapped in cloth, and holding it close to his
chest, left the classroom.

She actually really wanted to follow him and continue her observations, but
lunch time was a time for her to be with her friends, so she couldn't.

"Huh? Really?"

Yuka said, continuing to eat her meatloaf.

"Isn't it because he's the class rep?"

"Nah...It's like he's doing things beyond his duty as the class rep, or you
could say it's like he'll make a good bride..."

"Hah, a bride...?!"

Kao-chan said laughing, as she ate a sandwich from a convenience store.

"That's right. Alice you started crying after he glared at you. There's no
way love has blossomed is there?"

Yuka said, poking fun at her.

--Love has blossomed?

The coooled crab cream croquet she had been holding with her chopsticks
dropped to the ground.

Alice remained spaced out, oblivious to the fact.

"Alice, you dropped your croquet."

"Heh? Ah! My croquet...! It was my favorite and I dropped it..."

Tears again began streaming down her face.

"Don't cry over a croquet! I'll give you mine, okay?"

"Alice, don't go on a trip while eating your bento."

It was a lively moment the group of friends shared.

Masayoshi must be eating his bento around now. Perhaps with his friends, at
the school cafeteria or maybe even on the roof.

--It couldn't be, not with...his girldfriend?

--I wonder if Suzuki-kun has a girlfriend?

--Ah, geez! What's wrong with me? Why am I so concerned about Suzuki-kun?

Before her eyes there was an explosion as of a balloon popping.

Kao-chan had clapped her hands in front of Alice's face.

"Geez, Alice. You're all spacy today. If you going for a trip, do it after
you've eaten your lunch. Otherwise you'll miss out and won't be able to eat."

Kao-chan said in a worried tone.

"Ehh...you're right. Yuka, Kao-chan, thanks."

Alice began moving her chopsticks in a flurry.

Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent:Prologue

2011-06-24T15:09:20Z

Seaghyn16: Created page with "* Gripping the overhanging safety handle, Masayoshi Suzuki gazed out from the train window at the passing scenery. Because the train for commuting to school was always overcrowde..."

* Gripping the overhanging safety handle, Masayoshi Suzuki gazed out from the
train window at the passing scenery. Because the train for commuting to
school was always overcrowded, it was a view he was quite fed up with.
Besides those taking the train to their offices in Tokyo, along the Uchibou
Line there are a large number of High Schools and Universities, as well as it
being part of the Keiyou Engineering Area, the morning rush wasn't something
to take lightly. He could hear the conversation of a group of office ladies
nearby.

"That looks like a groping"

"Really? Which girl?"

"By the window with the curly hair, and the white sailor uniform."

"Ah, it is. Poor thing, she's shaking like a little bird."

The white sailor uniform was the designated uniform for Motochiba High
School. Thinking "Eh?" to himself, he turned his head towards the door and
saw waving, lightly dyed hair.

He couldn't make out the face without squinting, but he could make out some
color distinction around her collar. Her ears and cheeks were flushed red,
and he could tell she looked about ready to cry.

The girl with the small build was Alice Azekura from the same class.

---She was a strange one.

Alice was someone who really stood out.

Just short of being an celebrity singer she was otherworldly beautiful, and
wore her classically designed uniform such that all the girls would think of
it as a fashionable piece. Her large dark eyes and long eyebrows stood out,
and when she smiled it reminded one of Alice in Wonderland from the Disney
animation.

She was often called the hidden Idol of Motochiba High. She was undeniably
someone who would be sought out as a target for groping.

The university-like student who stood just behind her had a strange smile on
his face, as his arm moved strangely up and down. His sordid expression made
it hard to draw a conclusion.

"Poor thing, she's crying..."

People were whispering quietly, but nobody said anything, nobody did
anything.

The train was ruled by a certain type of nervous atmosphere, as it continued
on unslowing to the next station.

"Excuse me, please let me through."

As Masayoshi proceeded through the crowd of people, he twisted his body
before Alice. The office worker he displaced looked annoyed with the action.

"Suzuki-kun..."

With her eyes brimming with tears, Alice looked up at Masayoshi. Keeping her
covered with his back, he whispered to her.

"Stay behind me, and I'll protect you."

Masayoshi glared at the university student. He didn't say any cool lines like
"Stop groping," but just moved his school bag behind him, and continued to
stare intently at the groper.

---This is scary after all...Ah, I'm freaked...Dang I'm sweating...
---Don't shake...Don't shake, me...

Telling this to himself, he surpressed the shaking that was welling up deep
in his body.

"Wh, what is it, jerk?"

The universtiy students voice came out weak and studdering. The perverted
smile from a moment ago had vanished, replaced with an expression that
reveiled his nervousness.

Masayoshi knew how others thought of him.

Of average build and normal height. The collar on his uniform wasn't popped,
but kept neat. His face was nothing special. His grades showed he was good at
the sciences, but was weak in the liberal arts. He preferred track-and-field
to sports where a ball was used. In otherwords he was just an ordinary
student like anyother.

However, if one thing could be said of his differences, it is that his hair
was of unusual length proceeding past his shoulders, and his bangs covered
his eyes, causing him to be called dark or creepy on occasion. Rumors of his
parents only added to the scariness, and were like spurs to a horse.

So taking his impression in a different direction, he should be able to help
out his classmate without resorting to physical means.

"Hey, ain't that Suzuki?"

"Yeah, isn't he the son of a Yakuza member?"

"Aah, I've heard that. He's a punk around here right? His old man is shaved,
and called Boss or Teacher."

"Also Suzuki's mother wears a kimono everywhere, is called Big Sister and is
crazy strong."

With inexplicably good timing, the students at Motochiba High started voicing
the rumors about him. Usually upon hearing these rumors he wouldn't feel
pleased in any way, but just this once he felt thankful for them.

The university student turned a shade of deep green. It seemed he really
thought the long haired youth in front of him really was the son of a Yakuza
gang leader.

The train stopped suddenly, and the door slid open. It was Motochiba Station.
Extremely nervous and fearful, Masayoshi hadn't noticed the train decreasing
in speed.

Pushed out by the crowd he exited onto the platform.

"Kyaa!"

He grabbed ahold of Alice just before she fell.

"You okay?"

The hand was small yet warm.

"Waaa!"

The university student had disembarked simultaneously, and letting out a
small cry he lept back into the train. Masayoshi noticed his face was pulled
back and pale.

The doors closed, and the train holding the terrified university student
headed off to Chiba Station.

Alice, who's face was redder than a tomato, turned her head downward, and
with a face tearing up, sniffed quietly.

"You okay?"

Upon hearing his question a second time, Alice blew her nose, and scrunched
up her face. Tear drops continued to drip from her eyes. Masayoshi had an
epiphany that a cute girl looks cute no matter what.

"So....Na.....I..."

"Heh?"

"Suzuki-kun, I hate you.....!"

Her sharp voice lashed out, and she shook her fists violently. Averting her
gaze, she turned on her heel and ran off. The direction she chose wasn't for
the Station's West Gate, which most of the students exited by, but the East
Gate. The East Gate was farther away, so what kind of reason could she have?

Her attitude was just as if he had bullied her, which caused him to feel a
pain in his chest.

He took a deep breath.

---Whatever, it's no big deal. I'm used to this kinda thing anyway.

It seemed his act of kindness had been unwarrented. Human relations is such a
difficult topic. But, Masayoshi thought to himself, it didn't really matter
because he hadn't helped her while hoping for gratitude in return.

There was no one he could really call a friend. Nearly a floating existance
in the classroom, he wasn't really connected, but he still knew what people
said about Alice.

"It can't be helped. After all, she is strange-chan."

Masayoshi shook his head, causing his hair to wave around. Giving out one
more deep breath, he ejected his melancholic mood, then proceed off towards
the West Exit.

At this time, practically all of those exiting the station are Motochiba High
students. The road that led to the school was filled with students wearing
the dull colored, standard school uniform.

"Kyaa...!"

As though his feelings were cnoveyed through a dark aura surrounding him, a
first year girl walking beside him let out a faint scream.

There was another student with a concerned expression on her face watching as
the long haired boy walked off.

It was a girl wearing silver glasses and giving off an impression of deep
wisdom.

Atsuko Yuzuki. The Student President of Motochiba High.

She wore her uniform per code, and her scarf was evenly balanced to the left
and right.

She had just been about to call out to Masayoshi when she had been tapped on
the shoulder by a friend. After talking light heartedly with her, she turned
again to the station exit, but Masayoshi had already gone.

Her lips formed the words, "Sorry."

Are Alice and Masayoshi Indifferent?

2011-06-24T15:06:56Z

Seaghyn16: Created page with "Cover art. '''''Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent''''' (ありすさんと正義くんは無関係? / Alice to Masayoshi ha Mukankei Desuka?) is..."

[[Image:Alice.jpg|thumb|300px|Cover art]].
'''''Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent''''' (ありすさんと正義くんは無関係? / Alice to Masayoshi ha Mukankei Desuka?) is a light novel by Wakatsuki, Hikaru.

==Story Synopsis==
Suzuki(16) is a boy who is feared for his appearance and various rumors, sadly keeping him from having any close friends. It was the first time he had ever made a girl cry, even though he had helped her on the train. But for some reason that girl, Azekura, Alice uses it as a turning point and begins to learn about Suzuki's differences.

==Translation==

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

=== Feedback ===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=4443&p=89670#p89670 Discussion thread] and give the project a rating or review.'''

== Updates ==
*June 25, 2011 - Teaser page created. Forum translations by Krikit uploaded.

==''Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent''==

=== [[Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent|Novel illustrations]] ===

=== [[Alice and Masayoshi are Indifferent:Prologue|Prologue]] ===

=== [[Chapter 1 – First Period - The Strangeness of Alice Teaser]]===

[[Category:Teasers]]

File:Alice.jpg

2011-06-24T14:56:28Z

Seaghyn16: alice and masayoshi are indifferent

alice and masayoshi are indifferent

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

2011-03-09T03:54:13Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 5 */ text aded

[[Category:Hosted Projects]]
[[Image:Ore_no_imouto_novel_v1_cover.jpg|170px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

The ''Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Tiếng Việt|Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)]]
*[[Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Español|Español (Spanish)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)
----

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai (俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない, My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute) is a Japanese light novel series written by Tsukasa Fushimi, with illustrations by Hiro Kanzaki. From August 10, 2008 to January 10, 2010, five volumes have been released.

Volume 1 is currently being released by [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi], which we are hosting. Be sure to thank them accordingly.

==Story Synopsis==

17-year old high school student Kousaka Kyousuke was at a cold-war with his little sister Kirino. They seldom talked and never had a proper conversation these past years. One day, Kyousuke accidentally found a DVD case of a childish anime program titled "Stardust-Witch Merle." What surprised him more was the fact that inside the case was an R-18 Ero-game
CD ROM. Things looked bad since the obvious suspect for having a pornographic material such as that was HIM. (He did have some, but they were all magazines) He didn't want to think what would happen if his mom or his scary father found out about that. Later, he learned that his little sister owned the DVD case (AND the CD ROM inside). She confessed to him that she liked, er, loved Imouto characters with great passion, enough that she'd bought tons of Imouto Ero-games and other Imouto-related items. To put it simply, he learned that she was an Imouto-only Otaku. Kyousuke had hard time believing that a "typical girl nowadays" such as his sister would turn out to be an Otaku. Now, Kirino wanted Kyousuke to have a "Life consultation" with her, which put an end to the peaceful life that Kyousuke was having.

== Updates ==
*16th July 2009
** Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai teaser project initiated.

*6th April 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 1 uploaded.
** Volume 1 Chapter 2 uploaded.

*8th April 2010
** Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai becomes a full project.

*25th April 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 3 uploaded.

*15th October 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 4 uploaded.

*08 March 2011
** Volume 5 Chapter 4 completed.

== Translation ==

=== [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Registration|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand via the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=2575 forum].

'''Translators please [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Registration|register]] for chapters they want to work on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_no_Im%C5%8Dto_ga_Konna_ni_Kawaii_Wake_ga_Nai ''Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai''] series by Tsukasa Fushimi==

===Volume 1 [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1|(Full Text)]] (Hosted Volume from [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]) ===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]

===Volume 2===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 3===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 4===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]] (partial ~13%)
*Chapter 4
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]] (small percentage)
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 7===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute Previous Day Tale===
*House-sitting in a Thunderstorm

===Drama CD Insert Commissioned Short Story Booklet===
*Chapter 1: At A Certain Maid Cafe
*Chapter 2: Recollections of Valentine's Day
*Omake

===Volume 1 Teasers (Presented for Archival Purposes)===

*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Teaser1|Teaser 1]] (16.3% of chapter 1) by [[User:Trabius|Trabius]] 

*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 1.2|Teaser 2]] (~50% of chapter 1) by [[User:Trewth|Trewth]] 

'''You can still tell us how you liked the teasers here at this [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2950 Feedback Thread] but the real project thread is located [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=2575 here].'''

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Saganatsu|Saganatsu]]

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* (External) Himatsubushi at [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]
:* [[user:larethian|larethian]]

===Editors===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* (External) EvilLinkz at [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]

==Series Overview==

*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない (August 10th, 2008, ISBN 978-4-0486-7180-4)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈2〉(December 5th, 2008 ISBN 978-4-0486-7426-3)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈3〉(April 9th, 2009, ISBN 978-4-0486-7758-5)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈4〉(August 10th, 2009, ISBN 978-4-0486-7934-3)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈5〉(January 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0486-8271-8)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈6〉(May 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0486-8538-2)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈7〉(November 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0487-0052-8)

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

2011-03-09T03:53:19Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 5 */ added chapter 1 page

[[Category:Hosted Projects]]
[[Image:Ore_no_imouto_novel_v1_cover.jpg|170px|thumb|Volume 01 cover.]]

The ''Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Tiếng Việt|Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)]]
*[[Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai Español|Español (Spanish)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)
----

Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai (俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない, My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute) is a Japanese light novel series written by Tsukasa Fushimi, with illustrations by Hiro Kanzaki. From August 10, 2008 to January 10, 2010, five volumes have been released.

Volume 1 is currently being released by [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi], which we are hosting. Be sure to thank them accordingly.

==Story Synopsis==

17-year old high school student Kousaka Kyousuke was at a cold-war with his little sister Kirino. They seldom talked and never had a proper conversation these past years. One day, Kyousuke accidentally found a DVD case of a childish anime program titled "Stardust-Witch Merle." What surprised him more was the fact that inside the case was an R-18 Ero-game
CD ROM. Things looked bad since the obvious suspect for having a pornographic material such as that was HIM. (He did have some, but they were all magazines) He didn't want to think what would happen if his mom or his scary father found out about that. Later, he learned that his little sister owned the DVD case (AND the CD ROM inside). She confessed to him that she liked, er, loved Imouto characters with great passion, enough that she'd bought tons of Imouto Ero-games and other Imouto-related items. To put it simply, he learned that she was an Imouto-only Otaku. Kyousuke had hard time believing that a "typical girl nowadays" such as his sister would turn out to be an Otaku. Now, Kirino wanted Kyousuke to have a "Life consultation" with her, which put an end to the peaceful life that Kyousuke was having.

== Updates ==
*16th July 2009
** Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai teaser project initiated.

*6th April 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 1 uploaded.
** Volume 1 Chapter 2 uploaded.

*8th April 2010
** Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai becomes a full project.

*25th April 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 3 uploaded.

*15th October 2010
** Volume 1 Chapter 4 uploaded.

*08 March 2011
** Volume 5 Chapter 4 completed.

== Translation ==

=== [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Registration|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand via the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=2575 forum].

'''Translators please [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Registration|register]] for chapters they want to work on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ore_no_Im%C5%8Dto_ga_Konna_ni_Kawaii_Wake_ga_Nai ''Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai''] series by Tsukasa Fushimi==

===Volume 1 [[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1|(Full Text)]] (Hosted Volume from [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]) ===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]

===Volume 2===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 3===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 4===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]] (partial ~13%)
*Chapter 4
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 4 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 5===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 5 Translator's Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

===Volume 6===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===Volume 7===
*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
*Chapter 1
*Chapter 2
*Chapter 3
*Chapter 4

===My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute Previous Day Tale===
*House-sitting in a Thunderstorm

===Drama CD Insert Commissioned Short Story Booklet===
*Chapter 1: At A Certain Maid Cafe
*Chapter 2: Recollections of Valentine's Day
*Omake

===Volume 1 Teasers (Presented for Archival Purposes)===

*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Teaser1|Teaser 1]] (16.3% of chapter 1) by [[User:Trabius|Trabius]] 

*[[Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai:Volume 1 Chapter 1.2|Teaser 2]] (~50% of chapter 1) by [[User:Trewth|Trewth]] 

'''You can still tell us how you liked the teasers here at this [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2950 Feedback Thread] but the real project thread is located [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=2575 here].'''

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Saganatsu|Saganatsu]]

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* (External) Himatsubushi at [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]
:* [[user:larethian|larethian]]

===Editors===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* (External) EvilLinkz at [http://hmtbs.wordpress.com/ Himatsubushi]

==Series Overview==

*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない (August 10th, 2008, ISBN 978-4-0486-7180-4)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈2〉(December 5th, 2008 ISBN 978-4-0486-7426-3)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈3〉(April 9th, 2009, ISBN 978-4-0486-7758-5)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈4〉(August 10th, 2009, ISBN 978-4-0486-7934-3)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈5〉(January 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0486-8271-8)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈6〉(May 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0486-8538-2)
*俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない〈7〉(November 10th, 2010, ISBN 978-4-0487-0052-8)

9S

2010-06-23T13:48:51Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ percent update

[[Image:9S2.jpg|200px|thumb|Touma and Yu]]
9S <Nine S> (ナインエス) Project Page. Everyone is Welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

The '''S'''ecurity '''S'''ystem that '''S'''eals the '''S'''avage '''S'''cience '''S'''martly by its '''S'''upreme '''S'''agacity and '''S'''trength

9S is set in an age of science, but in a too distant future. The Mad Scientist, Mineshima Yujiro, dissapeared several years previous to where the story begins. The inheritance he left behind, the technology and objects he had created, were given the codename 'Legacy', and are highly sought after by government agencies and terrorists, for reasons both good, and...not so pleasant. One of these 'objects' he left behind was his daughter, imparted with a mental calculating capacity that dwarfs supercomputers, combined with her physical body, which makes for a devastating combination.

== Translation ==

=== [[9S:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[9S:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==

*June 18, 2010: Project Page Created & Prologue Uploaded

== 9S <Nine S> Series ==
'''Teaser'''

'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3395 Feedback Thread] or in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3393 Discussion Thread]'''
=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[9S:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]] - Complete
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]] - 12%
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[9S:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
*9S
*9SII
*9SIII
*9SIV
*9SV
*9SVI
*9SVII
*9SVIII
*9SIX
*9SX

[[Category:Teasers]]

9S

2010-06-23T13:48:07Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */

[[Image:9S2.jpg|200px|thumb|Touma and Yu]]
9S <Nine S> (ナインエス) Project Page. Everyone is Welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

The '''S'''ecurity '''S'''ystem that '''S'''eals the '''S'''avage '''S'''cience '''S'''martly by its '''S'''upreme '''S'''agacity and '''S'''trength

9S is set in an age of science, but in a too distant future. The Mad Scientist, Mineshima Yujiro, dissapeared several years previous to where the story begins. The inheritance he left behind, the technology and objects he had created, were given the codename 'Legacy', and are highly sought after by government agencies and terrorists, for reasons both good, and...not so pleasant. One of these 'objects' he left behind was his daughter, imparted with a mental calculating capacity that dwarfs supercomputers, combined with her physical body, which makes for a devastating combination.

== Translation ==

=== [[9S:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[9S:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==

*June 18, 2010: Project Page Created & Prologue Uploaded

== 9S <Nine S> Series ==
'''Teaser'''

'''If you enjoyed the teaser, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3395 Feedback Thread] or in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3393 Discussion Thread]'''
=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[9S:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]] - Complete
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]] 12%
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[9S:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
*9S
*9SII
*9SIII
*9SIV
*9SV
*9SVI
*9SVII
*9SVIII
*9SIX
*9SX

[[Category:Teasers]]

9S:Volume1 Chapter1

2010-06-23T13:42:16Z

Seaghyn16: 12% of chapter 1

"Warning. Energy consumption levels have passed their specified limit. Warning. Energy consumption levels have passed their specified limit."

Being warned by an electronic female voice, Sakagami Touma could only feel discouraged. Gazing at the underwater monitor, it seemed as though the equipment he was transporting would fall off the manipulator.

''-I guess I shouldn't mess with it.''

Making an intelligent decision, Touma removed his hand from the Manipulator's control device. In the process, the equipment leaned precariously, but somehow managed to resist topling over.

Red letters had appeared in a corner of the screen, indicating the recommended energy consumption for the Manipulator, and the amount of energy Touma had wasted. The value was more than double the recommended amount. Yet the work that needed to be completed was still but half finished. It was quite discouraging. This was a task he was supposed to complete before the end of the day, but the only confidence he had was that he would be unable to complete the job in time.

Sighing deeply, he looked out the window for a change of mood. Even though he looked out, it wasn't a field that greeted his eyes, but part of the large scale research facility modeled after earth, with a diameter of 520 meters.

The name of the research facility was Sphere Lab. It was Research Facility, completely enclosed with it's own ecosystem for self-sustainability. Were this experiment to succeed, it would be a facility dependent from all outside resources, where a human being could live and work. It was said to be the first hope of ushering in the Space Age. According to one extreme rumor, after the self-sustaining ecosystem was perfected, as long as it was a place where the sun's energy could reach, the system could be released anywhere in space.

Previously, Russia and America had performed similar experiments, but those had ended with the failure of the system.

Differing from the previous experiments, Sphere Lab incorporated an elite computer system with biotechnology to monitor the conditions of the system, and half a year had already passed since the opening of the project.

Most of the staff and their families, like Touma, lived together in the research facility. It could also be said they were like a small town community. Beyond the experiment itself, direct contact with the outside was kept to a minimum. That said, the laboratory was surrounded by a vast ocean.

At the time the project had been made public, the mass media, not to mention the world as a whole, had gone crazy over the concept. However not until recently, apart from one science magazine, had there been much information released to the mass media.

Touma himself had only started working here as of ten days previously. He had taken it as an excellent part time job over his spring vacation, with necessities like food and clothing already provided for. Even so, since coming to the facility, there was a huge workload he had been given, and so many things he was unfarmiliar with it made him want to laugh.

Especially since at the time of the announcement, details of the supercomputer LAFI's complete system control were not the same as they had been made out to be.

He asked himself repetitively if it was natural for a seventeen year old to spend their spring vacation in a place like this. Touma's thoughts were filled with ways to escape from the error messages constantly appearing on the monitor.

It was during one such moment of contemplation, that a man whose personality was as carefree as the laugh he entered with, appeared beside Touma.

“Ha ha, no matter how many times you do this, you just don't improve, huh."

“Please don't laugh at me so much, Mr. Yokota."

The man approaching Touma did hold back his laughter, but that didn't stop a wide grin from remaining fixed upon his face. The impression he gave off was that of a man around his thirties, with an expression that gave away his every emotion, and a beard he was too lazy to keep trimmed. Even so this man was the one in charge of the Sector One facility.

His appearance was just like that of a unkept wild creature. More than a year had passed since Touma had known him, yet the impression he got of the man never wavered, in fact it had actually solidified. He had been the one who had misleadingly told Touma that the job of operating the Manipulator was possible if one just gave it a shot.

“How many times does this make today? The third try?"

Silently Touma lifted up four fingers.

Laughing again, Yokota put on a more serious expression, rubbing his beard.

“Well, we can't have that now, can we. Even without sense, there should be a limit, shouldn't there."

“It's just too complex! How is someone like me supposed to operate a machine when all seven wheels need to be controlled simultaneously? Besides, don't you find it rather confusing that while the objects attached were about to fall off, before they did, there was a warning about the energy consumption levels?"

“You don't need to mention that. After all, Sphere Lab has a daily limit on how much energy we can use. There's only so much energy Mr. Up Above and the ocean currents can provide, and that has to power this mammoth of a place. Let's use the resources mother nature gives us carefully."

The last sentence Yokoto spoke was a catch phrase. Here in Sphere Lab, it was said by the staff more as a way to end sentences, than because it held any real significance to them individually. Though it was true to a sense because Sphere Lab was a self-sustaining system, a miniature earth.

“That's right. Let's take the energy you've wasted through your attempts to operate the Manipulator, and compare it with a place on land. Let's see...hmmm...yeah, the amount of energy you used could be compared to three times the amount of energy required to power the entire city of Tokyo for a day."

“Are you kidding me? It's that much?"

“Just by being here at Sphere Lab, you feel how important natural resources are, don't you? Well, acting based on that might be just a dream within a dream though."

As though he had remembered something, Yokota looked at his watch.

“It's about time for the Honeybees. I'll be heading out now then. Have you had anything to eat?"

Stretching, Touma followed Yokota out of the room. They entered out into a large thicket. It wasn't something one would expect to see inside of a building. However, this thicket was only one of six held within the 525 meter in diameter Sphere Lab. Just one of these places provided the oxygen required for the air that was contained within Sphere Lab. However perhaps to ensure there were no problems dealing with the required amount of oxygen, all of the plants in the facility had been genetically engineered to produce even higher levels of oxygen.

The two proceeded hurriedly down the path which meandered through the trees.

“Ah, geez. It's all ready time. Let's run."

Looking at their watches, the two broke into a sprint.

From the ceiling black specs began to descend, coming together above their heads, in such a way as to be reminiscint of ink dissolving in water. At this point it became hard to distinguish what the black specs were, but if the two could see them, they would be looking at robotic systems the size of one's fingertip, called Honeybees.

In order to cover the massive oxygen requirement for Sphere Lab, the vegetation was all arranged in the area known as the Plant Sector. It was these mechanical Honeybees that were performing the system management for all the vegetation within Sphere Lab. The reason they were called Honeybees, was because thier function and responsibilities, as well as their appearance of flying in the air with four wings, was very similar to their biological counterparts.

“It's a kind of uneasy scene, isn't it."

Running besides him, Yokota gave a hearty laugh at Touma's comment.

“You don't seem to have any nerve. But don't worry. They don't have any kind of aggressive behavior. They check on the physical condition of the plants, carry pollen and make honey. So they aren't dangerous, and without them there's no way we humans could do with our hands what they do. You'll hurt their feelings being cruel you know."

“But people are chased out when the Honeybees are active."

“Look, it's not that it's dangerous to people, it's just that when people are aimlessly meandering, and so get in the way of the Honeybee's flight, they have to exert more energy to avoid us, the obstacles. Okay? So let's hurry up and get out of here before we get in their way."

Continuing hurriedly down the winding path, the door eventually came into sight. They practically flew in, such was the speed of their movement.

“Mr. Kenichi Yokota, Mr. Touma Sakagami, you are exceeding your specified energy consumption levels."

As the door closed shut behind them, an electronic female voice spoke to them. Meeting each others gaze, Touma and Yokota broke out into laughter.

“Geez they can really calculate our energy levels down to point one percent. Just as you'd expect of something created by Mineshima. But it's a little annoying, wouldn't you say? I wonder if this is what a mother-in-law is like?"

“I wouldn't know, even if you ask me."

On the opposite side of the window, the mechanical Honeybee's flew about as though rushed.

It was a rather strange scene, yet within Sphere Lab such peaceful days continued on.

“Don't you think we could loosen up on the energy consumption observance system? Hasn't today's work been rather tough?"

Shifting his gazae from one of the room's monitors, Koganei swiveled around in his chair, nodding his agreement with his coworker. The upper section of the monitor revealed that there had been over two-thousand reports from the Energy Monitoring System. There were 573 Research Staff, 150 Security Personel and 320 others who lived in Sphere Lab, such as family members of the staff and personel. This brought the total to 1413 people living in Sphere Lab. There was on average two reports per person on Energy over-consumption.

“There's going to be a trial experiment in the Lab tomorrow right? It seems that is going to take an enormous amount of energy. So that may be why the monitoring has been so strict."

“Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem wierd to have a Lab facility inside this place we call Sphere Lab?"

“Not like I care."

The man who responded yawned widely.

At any given time, taking into account the scale of Sphere Lab, there were no more than five people in the Situation Monitoring Room. Even so that was still a large number. This number was decided upon by the vigilant Super Computer, LAFI, but it still left those in the room in a very bored state.

"Do you think we will end up using the energy output from the central sector? If it is below normal values, impossible situation right?"

“Who knows. Wouldn't it be helpful if we could simply know beforehand how much energy really needs to be supplied?"

“In reality there should be a thirty percent leeway, so will you ask if we can use some of the reserve energy? We're only going to get chewed out if things remain the way they are."

At that moment a knock from outside could be heard on the door. Everyone turned their gazes simultaneously towards to the video of the survellience camera outside the door.

“Oh, if it isn't this here's Madona, Miyane Ruriko herself!"

With similar sentiments to Koganei who was opening the door, the other members expressions betrayed their now high spirits.

“You're pretty happy aren't you."

“Ooh, do I detect some jealousy?"

Koganei's coworkers sighed in amazement. It was at that precise moment when he was beckoning Ruriko inside after having opened the door, that the noise was heard. Outside the glass wall reflecting light to highlight a faint rainbow color, a transport helicoptor had appeared.

“What's that?"

If you tried to sum up Sphere Lab into one statement, it would have to be that it was a glass ball with a diameter of over 500 meters. This glass ball was floating atop the ocean's surface.

Attached to Sphere Lab was a large, flat platform. It was a small port, in other words the gate to Sphere Lab.

Kanda approached the helicopter that had just landed, with a wary expression. A large number of his subordinates followed behind.

Kanda had the job of Head of Security. Sphere Lab was a facility known throughout the world. Mineshima Yujiro's Over-Technology was incorporated with many other technologies. To company spies or other countries, it was what one might call a mountain of treasure.

This was the reason his stance was that anything remotely suspicious was never accepted. A few people detached themselves from the helicoptor, and began working on taking down a large container.

“Hold it right there. The reports we've received were that the materials were to be delivered next week."

Kanda lifted his voice to a man that seemed to be the center of the group.

“Eeh, what did you say?"

Perhaps unable to hear due to the loud sound of the rotar blades, a man with very dark eyes asked to hear the question again.

“I said the reports we received were that the delivery would be next week."

“Even if you complain to us, there's nothing we can do about it. We were just told to bring it here today, at this time."

“What's in the container?"

“Ah, a terrorist set."

Kanda knitted his brows at the humorless joke.

9S

2010-06-18T13:43:32Z

Seaghyn16: /* Updates */

[[Image:9S2.jpg|200px|thumb|Touma and Yu]]
9S <Nine S> (ナインエス) Project Page. Everyone is Welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

The '''S'''ecurity '''S'''ystem that '''S'''eals the '''S'''avage '''S'''cience '''S'''martly by its '''S'''upreme '''S'''agacity and '''S'''trength

9S is set in an age of science, but in a too distant future. The Mad Scientist, Mineshima Yujiro, dissapeared several years previous to where the story begins. The inheritance he left behind, the technology and objects he had created, were given the codename 'Legacy', and are highly sought after by government agencies and terrorists, for reasons both good, and...not so pleasant. One of these 'objects' he left behind, was his daughter, imparted with a mental calculating capacity that dwarfs supercomputers, combined with her physical body, which makes for a devastating combination.

== Translation ==

=== [[9S:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[9S:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==

*June 18, 2010: Project Page Created & Prologue Uploaded

== 9S <Nine S> Series ==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[9S:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
*9S
*9SII
*9SIII
*9SIV
*9SV
*9SVI
*9SVII
*9SVIII
*9SIX
*9SX

9S:Registration Page

2010-06-18T13:42:04Z

Seaghyn16: 9S registration page

9S

2010-06-18T13:39:39Z

Seaghyn16:

[[Image:9S2.jpg|200px|thumb|Touma and Yu]]
9S <Nine S> (ナインエス) Project Page. Everyone is Welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

The '''S'''ecurity '''S'''ystem that '''S'''eals the '''S'''avage '''S'''cience '''S'''martly by its '''S'''upreme '''S'''agacity and '''S'''trength

9S is set in an age of science, but in a too distant future. The Mad Scientist, Mineshima Yujiro, dissapeared several years previous to where the story begins. The inheritance he left behind, the technology and objects he had created, were given the codename 'Legacy', and are highly sought after by government agencies and terrorists, for reasons both good, and...not so pleasant. One of these 'objects' he left behind, was his daughter, imparted with a mental calculating capacity that dwarfs supercomputers, combined with her physical body, which makes for a devastating combination.

== Translation ==

=== [[9S:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[9S:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==

*June 18, 2010: Project Page Created

== 9S <Nine S> Series ==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[9S:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor:

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

== Series Overview ==
*9S
*9SII
*9SIII
*9SIV
*9SV
*9SVI
*9SVII
*9SVIII
*9SIX
*9SX

9S:Volume1 Prologue

2010-06-18T13:36:06Z

Seaghyn16: prologue of 9S volume 1

The room was her prison. There were no windows. The floor and walls were made of thick iron, and the only door to the room looked as if it were made to resist being opened. In a corner of the cold-permeating room, she sat hugging her knees.

For some reason, she did not appear to be affected by her surroundings. Even though the cold of the floor was transfused into her body, her eyes were unwavering, focused intently upon the floor.

With a composed expression, she looked as though in reality, she were a pretty, innocent Japanese-made doll, in a pitiable state, with no one to comfort her. She was the only one in the room.

How long had time passed idly by? The sound of a machine broke through the stillness surrounding the girl who was sitting as though made of ice. A part of the ceiling high above opened, letting light stream down into the room.

If she had looked above her head, she may have made out five or six silhouettes against the background of light. But she did not move even a muscle. She was still submerged in the depths of tranquility.

Within the light was a man of roughly middle-age, wearing a business suit. His appearance showed no concern for the situation of the girl, instead he looked down at her unsympathetically.

“One wonders if she's even alive.”

With a pounding noise one of the men struck the glass forcefully, awaiting the girl's response. Yet contrary to his expectations, her gaze remaned fixed upon the floor. He tried striking the glass more forcefully, with only the same result to show for it.

“She’s like this again today too? Will she even be usable?”

Shrugging his shoulders another man spoke.

“Shouldn’t we just dispose of her? If she won’t be of any use, all the more so.”

“No, we can’t just throw away all that information she has in her head.”

At that moment another make spoke up.

“She can be used when such a situation necessary of her comes.”

“That’s worrisome. What if she were to escape from this prison 1200 meters belowground?”

“But you really think ‘that’ will be useful? Isn’t ‘it’ the same as a cripple?”

“That’s not all that could become a problem. What happens if another country finds out the Japanese Government is holding her?”

“In that case we just change her location. If it comes down to it, we can abandon this base.”

“Are you saying you can dodge the American and European Nations?”

“Isn’t that your job? How much do you think I’ve struggled coming up with estimates on…”

“Wait a minute!”

Through the glass, one of the men was indicating the girl hunched in a corner of the room.

Upon looking, the girl who was supposed to be squatting showed a change. Her blank gaze had gone from the floor to the men standing beyond the glass window.

“It seems she’s alive after all.”

The man who had first tapped on the glass let out a pained sigh, fingering his lapel.

“Could she hear what we were just talking about?”

“Unthinkable. The room is completely soundproof. Isn’t that right, Kishida?”

A well-built man in a white research coat, who gave off the sense of a researcher, responded with a weak “That’s right.” Dabbing the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief only strengthened the image of timidity.

“Uhm, everyone please be more gentle. She’s only a seven year old child.”

“What in the world are you saying?”

“Child or whatever it doesn’t matter, she’s the daughter of 'that man' you know.”

“Is it all right? For this guy to be the one responsible for this facility?”

Being showered with such outspoken accusations, the man called Kishida bit his lip.

“Hey, it looks like it’s saying something.”

The girl’s lips were moving listlessly. It seemed she really was saying something, but the near perfect sound proof room prevented the men from hearing what it was. Though even if the room were not sound proof, her voiced seemed as though it would be swallowed up before it even reached their ears.

“It really seems as if she’s saying something. Is there any possibility of using a mic?”

Shortly thereafter, the girl’s words were picked up from a mic within her prison. However it was still hard to make out the meaning of her words.

“Isn’t she merely delirious?”

“Isn’t there a way to amplify her voice?”

After raising the volume of the speaker, the girl’s voice finally reached them.

“Isn’t there…a way to…amplify…her voice?”

Her words were monotonous. At first, the men had no idea what it meant. Yet after they realized that her words were the same as the man who had spoken previously, their expressions changed.

“Wait, wasn’t the room supposed to be completely soundproof?”

“Ye, yes…it is.”

Professor Kishida’s face also showed he had no idea how this could be happening. There should be no way for their voices to have been heard in the soundproofed room. Even the man who had tapped on the glass in the beginning, was supposed to have performed a wasted effort.

“Wait…wasn’t the room…supposed to be…completely soundproof?”

The mic again picked up the girl’s voice, proving that she was somehow able to pick up what they were saying.

“That settles it for me, she’s another one of Mineshima Yujiro’s ‘Legacy.’

The moment Mineshima Yujiro’s name was mentioned, fear was added to the unsettled feeling the men held.

“Just what happened? There was no report of any kind of an ability like this.”

“The Legacy of Mineshima Yujiro. After all, it really should be destroyed.”

“It’s not too late yet. Let’s just kill it.”

The fear grew, spreading as though it were a wildfire through the men. To them, Mineshima Yujiro’s Legacy was nothing other than the unknown, which was what lead them to their fear.

The girl looked at them in an absent-minded manner, before moving her lips, indicating she was speaking.

“In what way would you perform the disposal?”

After hearing her words the mic had picked up, the man's voice grew heavier. The man who had spoken those words, for a moment, had no idea what was going on. The other men, in their confusion, also had not realized what was actually happening.

“'''Hey, what I just said…'''”

The next words also took on new weight. It seemed the men around had finally realized.

“'''Just now, your words and those words…'''”

Another man had spoken out, but cut off his sentence mid-way. Because as he was speaking, the girl’s words heard from the speaker, were the same as his, spoken in unison. There wasn’t even the slightest difference in the timing when she and the man both stopped speaking.

There was no one else who would speak. Swallowed up in a fear they couldn’t understand, they looked down at the girl. They were met with an emotionless expression, gazing back up at them.

“We were careless. To have that conversation here in front of her, that is.”

As the fear of the men reached a critical point, a relaxed voice came from behind them. When they turned around, standing before them was a man in his mid-thirties, with a very calm expression on his face.

“Date, I presume? What do you mean by careless?”

One of the men spoke out to Date, but quickly stifled his words. However the girl’s voice couldn’t be heard from the speaker, causing the man to feel a great relief. Date drew close to the men with a rythmatic step.

“Date, that is after all Mineshima’s Legacy. We’re not sure how, but she knows what we are saying.”

“A reading technique?”

“No, there was no report of that from the research.”

“That Mad Scientist’s Reasearch can’t all have been discovered, right?”

The men once again fell into disorder.

“It’s not like ‘that’ can actually read peoples' minds. It’s just a type of reading one’s lip movements.”

Date’s two statements brought calm to the disorder.

“Reading lips?”

“Exactly. Among my subordinates, there are quite a number with this ability. Of course they can also perform similar behavior to what we have also seen previously."

One man spoke up to Date, who had his chin out indicating the girl.

“Yeah but she was speaking at the same time as I was. How do you explain that?”

“Experience with lip reading. If you listen closely, there is the slightest difference in timing, right? At least that is what I heard. What do you think?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it...”

“That’s exactly how it must be.”

“If you understand it, it really is not such a big deal.”

To the common sense presented by Date, all the men reached acknowledgement.

“As long as we proceed with extreme caution, this kind of situation can be predicted. The one in that cell is only a young girl, who is just playing around, making fun of us.”

With that Date switched off the mic to the room. With eyes devoid of light, the girl continued to stare up at him.

“By the way, how is your unit doing? It’s about time they get out into some real action don’t you think?”

“From here on out those criminals and organizations after Mineshima Yujiro’s Over Technology will only continue to increase. I think it’s been half a year too long for the Legacy crime prevention unit, Legacy Counter, to start operations.”

In the midst of the men who were calming down, only Professor Kishida maintained his dangerous expression. He was the only one who noticed the falsehood in Date’s speech.

Only Date and Professor Kishida had been able to quickly recognize the girl’s actions. However, the ability she had just displayed wasn’t some ability she had as one of Mineshima’s personal creations, or a mind-reading technique. It wasn’t an ability that other humans couldn’t possess. Yet upon contemplation, it really was quite a troublesome ability.

–''These guys don’t actually know a thing.''

Date laughed at the men silently, revealing none of his emotions. But turning his gaze to the girl on the other side of the glass, he felt a tightening in his muscles.

– ''The ability ‘that’ possesses to be feared isn’t the enourmous information her mind contains. Its her intelligence, and keen sense of observation which can utilize that information.''

One such derived ability he had just been shown. She had observed their conversation, analyzed their personalities and thinking patterns, and had created the perfect strategy for dealing with them under those circumstances. Those men come to this place often. It was undoubtedly through those times, those interactions that she had analyzed them.

If this were a basic pattern for specific circumstances, it was easy to conjecture what could happen. First to read lips, in so doing create confusion among the men, and limit their conversation. After the conversation is limited, reading the next words becomes easier for the girl.

– ''Mind reading? Impossible. If there was an ability like that, we would be in serious shit. You were all deceived by that.''

Date and the other men turned their backs on the girl, leaving the room. Professor Kishida gave a final, troubled look at the girl, before leaving the room after Date.

A thick, metal door closed shut behind him. The girl was of course left alone in the ensuing silence.

Before our story truly takes place, still another ten years are necessary.

9S

2010-06-18T13:14:58Z

Seaghyn16: 9S project page created

[[Image:9S2.jpg|200px|thumb|Touma and Yu]]
9S <Nine S> (ナインエス) Project Page. Everyone is Welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

The '''S'''ecurity '''S'''ystem that '''S'''eals the '''S'''avage '''S'''cience '''S'''martly by its '''S'''upreme '''S'''agacity and '''S'''trength

9S is set in an age of science, but in a too distant future. The Mad Scientist, Mineshima Yujiro, dissapeared several years previous to where the story begins. The inheritance he left behind, the technology and objects he had created, were given the codename 'Legacy', and are highly sought after by government agencies and terrorists, for reasons both good, and...not so pleasant. One of these 'objects' he left behind, was his daughter, imparted with a mental calculating capacity that dwarfs supercomputers, combined with her physical body, which makes for a devastating combination.

== Translation ==

=== [[9S:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[9S:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==

*June 18, 2010: Project Page Created

== 9S <Nine S> Series ==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[9S:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[9S:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]

File:9S2.jpg

2010-06-18T13:03:17Z

Seaghyn16: 9S light novel volume 2 cover image

9S light novel volume 2 cover image

User:Seaghyn16

2010-02-01T11:17:26Z

Seaghyn16: /* Seaghyn16 ・ Krikit */

== Seaghyn16 ・ Krikit ==

“Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife.”

User:Seaghyn16

2010-02-01T11:17:00Z

Seaghyn16: /* Seaghyn16 */

== Seaghyn16 ・ Krikit ==

“Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife.”
<math>Insert formula here</math>

User:Seaghyn16

2010-02-01T11:10:57Z

Seaghyn16: Replacing page with '== Seaghyn16 == “Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife.”'

== Seaghyn16 ==

“Truth is the daughter of time, and I feel no shame in being her midwife.”

Talk:Bungaku Shoujo:Volume1 Prologue

2009-08-19T11:56:10Z

Seaghyn16:

Fixed some parts in the very beginning "Black Sheep" section of the prologue to match with the Japanese version a little better.

1) 羊 (Sheep) is used in the text as opposed to 子羊 (Lamb)

2) "同じものを食せず" in "Can't eat the same things," as opposed to the Chinese rendition, "Can't feel the same hunger."

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 11:55, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Bungaku Shoujo:Volume1 Prologue

2009-08-19T11:55:12Z

Seaghyn16:

Fixed some parts in the very beginning "Black Sheep" section of the prologue to match with the Japanese version a little better.
1) 羊 (Sheep) is used in the text as opposed to 子羊 (Lamb)
2) "同じものを食せず" in "Can't eat the same things," as opposed to the Chinese rendition, "Can't feel the same hunger."
--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 11:55, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Bungaku Shoujo:Volume1 Prologue

2009-08-19T11:54:37Z

Seaghyn16: starting the discussion page for edits and what ever.

Fixed some parts in the very beginning "Black Sheep" section of the prologue to match with the Japanese version a little better.
1) 羊 (Sheep) is used in the text as opposed to 子羊 (Lamb)
2) "同じものを食せず" in "Can't eat the same things," as opposed to the Chinese rendition, "Can't feel the same hunger."

----

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1 Chapter1

2009-08-14T12:50:54Z

Seaghyn16: /* 5 */ fixed a sentence leftover in Japanese

===Chapter 1===
__NOTOC__
==1==
The lunch break on that day wasn't any different from the usual lunch breaks.

I was eating lunch and chatting with a few classmates that I was close to (Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa, more commonly known as the three idiots) in the 2-1 classroom of the private high school Hakujo Academy. The topic of conversation would probably induce suicidal thoughts in other people.

"That's why I think that the female sports uniform should have bloomers, anyone who wears [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_shorts Bermuda shorts] that reach down to the knees isn't human. Anyone who's opposed to this motion isn't a citizen of Japan."

"That's right, I think so too."

"You're absolutely right."

Ogawa and Takenami nodded their heads vigorously in agreement with Nagai's opinion.

"Yuuto, what do you think?"

"Hmm? Well, I'm alright with anything I guess."

I really was alright with anything that the girls wore, which was why I answered the way I did.

"Alright with anything? It's because of your sitting-on-the-fence attitude that Japan has been brought to its current state of affairs. You're always like this, not taking sides on anything."

"Ayase, that's what you are. You don't have your own opinion on anything, you always cross the bridge only when you bump into it, you'll be sorry one day if you continue like this."

"That's right, you can't carry on like this!"

The three of them took turns to take shots at me, but they were merely meddling in other people's affairs. I don't deny that I'm an irresponsible and insensitive guy (though it's rather embarrassing that I say that about myself), but even I don't want to hear such criticism from three guys who discuss bloomers with perfectly straight faces.

"Alright, let's do this! You can listen to our respective arguments before deciding which side you're on. We'll start with the visual impact of bloomers."

Gosh, they really are the 'three idiots'.

I sighed soundlessly while casually looking around the classroom. Everything was normal, as the students were eating lunch while chatting with their friends, making up the familiar lunchtime scenery.

The spot in the classroom that attracted me the most was that seat next to the corridor. Because in the classroom that is so messy that it would make even the monkey closure look tidy, only that particular spot had a soothing and comforting aura around it.

In this place, there's a beautiful girl endowed with the nickname "Nuit Étoile".

She's my classmate, Nogizaka Haruka.

She had probably finished lunch already, as she leaned slightly backward and was concentrating on the book that she held in her left hand. The way she flipped the pages of her book with her fingers looked like a scene straight out of a painting. Colloquially, it means that she's too cute to describe. Or perhaps I should say that she's the very embodiment of a perfect and beautiful lady. Anyway, it seems as though all traces of corruption could be washed away just by looking at her.

[[Image:NHnH vol01 021.jpg|thumb]]

I stared, mesmerized at Nogizaka Haruka with my mouth stuffed with bread (while completely ignoring the discussion between Nagai and the others). Yes, the psychological wound received a few moments ago had already been healed. The feeling of pure bliss would probably be something like this, right?

I immersed myself in the joy of watching her while fantasizing.

But after a few short minutes, this feeling of bliss was abruptly ended.

I heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the corridor. It wasn't a very loud voice, but it would probably take up a lot of my time, since it's probably Nobunaga. I sighed soundlessly again; here comes another idiot.

"Is Yuuto here?"

Just as I expected, a familiar face appeared at the entrance of the classroom. He's a petite pretty boy with light brown hair whom others would mistake as a girl from afar. This fellow started shouting the moment he saw me.

"Ah! There you are! Yuuto, did you catch the anime that aired late last night? I recorded it as I watched because I feel that that's the best way to appreciate it."

The volume of his voice attracted some attention from the other students in class, but after everyone saw that it was from Nobunaga, they resumed whatever it was they were doing immediately. I don't know how to put it, but either way, my classmates have gotten used to his presence after he's been coming over to talk to me since the start of the school year.

"You didn't watch it? Yesterday's 「The Shy Triangle」 will air its last episode next week, and the climax of the entire series is when the good friend of the protagonist...Ah, the DVD seems to be going on sale soon, I'll definitely go and buy it, since it's going to be limited edition and will come with a figurine of the protagonist 'Clumsy girl Aki-chan'..."

The guy who ran into my classroom and started talking about a topic that one would find hard to associate with based on his appearance is Asakura Nobunaga. I've known him since kindergarten, which is why you could use the phrase 'hellish bonds of friendship' to describe our relationship, though he's still a good friend of mine, since he doesn't get me into any trouble. Honestly speaking, he's still quite a cheerful and sociable person, which is why he can strike up a conversation with almost anyone. His academic results are extremely good, with Physics and Mathematics being his best subjects. From his earlier actions, you can tell that his hobby is rather extreme, a form of otaku-ism...which is what we all know as the 'Akihabara clan'. The man whose name is a combination of the names of two imperial generals has a weak looking exterior and a hobby which does not fit the names of a warring general nor his appearance. In conclusion, he's a guy with complicated characteristics and hard to place into any category.

"Yuuto, you've really missed out by not watching. This anime series was adapted from a manga, but is something like a tale prior to the story, explaining why the protagonist and his best friend turning against each other......"

"Ah------ I got that already!"

I had to do something to shut him up or he'll eat up my entire lunch break. I took this course of action precisely based on past experience.

"It's not nice of you to be such a wet blanket when I was just getting into my rhythm!"

"It's not nice of you to suddenly run into someone else's classroom to spam him with your personal hobby!"

"Is that so? But doesn't everyone like to talk about these kind of things?"

"Please do not think that everyone is like you!"

"Hmm, but, you like these kind of things, don't you?"

"Don't I always say that I don't have any special inclination?"

I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. I don't agree with it, but I don't disagree with it either. This is my stance regarding this fellow, and the rest of the Akihabara clan. No, to be more precise, it's more of 'I don't really understand them'. In short, I'm still quite mystified regarding the age-old question of 'why are people at this age still so interested in cartoons', and even more surprising, I'm actually good friends with someone like this.

"Hmm...But I've always thought that you have the right attributes."

What kind of attributes?

"That's the highest level of praise that I'll give to anyone, you know. Hmm...let's not talk about this anymore. Yuuto, I've got big news for you!"

"Big news?"

I felt that what this fellow was going to say probably won't be anything serious and wholesome, but...

"I've been looking for a certain magazine all this while, haven't I? Our school's library finally bought this old issue! Our library's the best, I can import in any rare book that I want by just filling in an application form. The school can afford to buy all these books because of the extremely generous donation they have been receiving. Their funds seem limitless. Money really makes the world go round indeed, yah~"

Nobunaga grinned widely as he babbled on and on about this big news.

Magazine? I seem to remember him asking me to help look for a magazine with an extremely strange name a while back. Looks like the school had approved his application form.

"......Wait a minute, did you fake an application form?"

I looked at him suspiciously.

"That's rude, I would never do something like that."

Nobunaga shook his head as he gave a 'you're totally wrong' expression, and then answered with a perfectly straight face, "I merely threatened them."

That's even worse.

But that fellow completely ignored my reaction.

"「INNOCENT SMILE」 is an extremely famous magazine! The original manga of the anime that aired yesterday night was serialized in this magazine. It wasn't too long ago, so you probably should have some memory of it. It caused quite a stir when its first edition came out."

Just as Nobunaga went into his extremely long-winded debate mode, there was a huge noise in the classroom.

Our position was in the middle of the classroom, while the sound came from the opposite direction. To be more precise, it came from the second-last seat from the corridor, which was the place that held my attention before Nobunaga came in. From a certain perspective, that was the one place in class that would never be associated with loud and jarring noises.

But right now, Nogizaka-san was standing there with her eyes trained on the two of us, a chair lying face-down beside her feet, the source of that loud noise.

The classroom suddenly became extremely quiet. Nogizaka-san, who always wore an expression of peaceful serenity, now had a disturbed expression on her face.

"No...Nogizaka-san, what happened?"

"I...I don't know, we didn't do anything weird did we?"

"She seems to be looking at Ayase-kun..."

Murmurings were heard in the classroom.

Did we do something wrong?

Even though I felt that we hadn't done anything, the sharp gaze that Nogizaka-san threw at us was that of a policewoman who has just caught a molester in the act on a crowded train. Under a gaze of that nature, Nobunaga and I really looked like we had done something against the welfare of society, and the looks of the rest of the class seemed to ask the exact same question, 'What did the two of you do?'.

"Yuuto, what do we do? Everyone's looking at us."

"Ye......Yeah......"

I thought that the most probable reason would be that Nobunaga's voice was way too loud, disturbing Nogizaka-san's reading. Even though I was already used to it, Nobunaga's voice would naturally become extremely loud when he talked about his hobby. It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if that had disturbed Nogizaka-san.

Which would mean that we had really done something wrong. So we should properly apologize.

Under the watchful eyes of the rest of the class, I walked towards Nogizaka-san's seat.

"Erm......I'm sorry for disturbing you with our loud conversation."

I bowed deeply as an apology, Nogizaka-san's expression then seems to have regained herself.

"Ah, that's not it, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to blame the two of you or anything, so you don't have to apologize to me."

"?"

But, weren't you glaring at the two of us just a few moments ago?

"It's nothing, so, it's nothing......I'm sorry for troubling everyone."

After saying that, Nogizaka-san politely bowed to the rest of the class as she righted her chair and sat down as though nothing had happened.

However, this left us extremely confused.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know...... Wasn't it because of the noise you were making?"

"I'm not noisy!"

I ignored Nobunaga's contradictary loud shout to defend his stand that he's not loud, but instead I stared at Nogizaka-san like someone who has been played around with by a fox spirit. On the regal face of the "Nuit Étoile", a trace of uneasiness could still be seen... there has to be some reason for that.

Deviating from the topic at hand, from the time when Nobunaga rushed into the classroom to when Nogizaka stared at us, Nagai and the other two were still heatedly debating on the topic of bloomers. Should that be called concentration, or just plain stupidity?

I think the correct answer should be the latter.

Actually, I don't really care if they're idiots or not.

The fifth and sixth periods ended without incident. After class had ended, I walked towards the library only because that Nobunaga told me......

"Yuuto, I'm really sorry, but could you help me return this book to the library? Since you're free after school anyway, while I have to rush back to finish the walkthrough for One Face--"

Oh, the nerve of him to ask me to do something like this! One Face could be the sacrifice he makes to his dog for all I care! Even though I seem to recall that this guy only has a cat......If it's like this, then he should have just returned it yesterday! But I still agreed to help him, just like I always do (like lending him my textbooks when he forgets his, repairing his computer when his breaks down......etc), oh well, since I really had nothing to do after school.

And this was why I came to the library, a place where I almost never set foot in.

It was said that the rate of usage for our library was unbelievably low, because, yours truly included, the number of people who've actually used the library could be counted on one hand. To increase the rate of usage of the library, the school had even set up an electronic lending system, renovated the library to be an extremely comfortable place for reading, and had bought books of all genres. But to the modern generation of children who're far disposed from printed products, all these measures were for naught, as nothing had changed. With me as an example, other than using the library for a good place to nap during lunch break, I've almost never utilized the resources available here.

Anyway, because of the pitiful number of users, I shouldn't need much time to return a book.

I walked towards the computer terminal and started to tap the keyboard. One has to use the computer to borrow or return books, which was rather tedious (Nobunaga said that once you get used to it, computers would definitely be faster than human processing). Oh well, if I felt that something as simple as this was tedious, then I probably won't be able to survive in modern society. The man who doesn't learn will never get to eat. I entered the reference code of the book and my student identification number......OK, that's it. I only have to return the book to its place on the shelf (By the way, the title of the book is 「Pretty Girl Models Collection III --- The History of Ball Joints」). Our school really does buy everything. Mission accomplished, I can go home now.

Just as I prepared to walk towards the exit.

"..."

I spotted a suspicious character.

How should I put this? Mm, this was an extremely suspicious character, for that person who seemed to be a female student was hiding her face with her schoolbag while attempting to move stealthily behind the bookshelves like a ninja or assassin . It would be strange not to classify this kind of situation as suspicious. What was that person trying to do? She seemed to be trying to conceal her movements, but her actions were merely serving to highlight them.

In any case, it would be better not to come into contact with someone like that. Disaster strikes from the mouth, so it would be better to rein in that curiosity of yours before you die an unpleasant death. Just as I decided to pretend not to see anything and get out of the library---I saw the face of the suspicious character behind the bookshelf.

At that moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I thought I was hallucinating due to the rejection reaction of my brain towards this library that I almost never step into.

"......"

Why would I think that way?

Because I was extremely familiar with that face.

"That's......"

Nogizaka-san?

As unbelievable as it sounds, that suspicious person really was Nogizaka Haruka. I would never miss that beautiful face of hers even if I was a mile away. But, why was she behaving so strangely?

I was bursting with questions, but Nogizaka-san didn't notice me as she ambled up to the computer terminal beside me with the air of a 15-year old girl who's preparing to steal a motorcycle in the middle of the night and began to type. I saw a magazine beside her, so she was probably planning to borrow it.

Tap, tap, I heard the sound of fingers on the keyboard.

She had probably finished borrowing the book, as Nogizaka-san lifted her head from the terminal with the smile of a German expert. Just as she prepared to walk towards the exit......

Our eyes met.

"..."

"..."

At that moment, time stopped.

"..."

"..."

"...Erm...What brings you here?"

That was what I wanted to ask her, but it wasn't surprising that Nogizaka-san would look at me as though she was looking at that legendary giant monster Uma, because the probability of meeting me in the library was lower than meeting a yeti.

"Since when have you been standing here?"

"For a while now."

"You...You saw it?"

"?"

Saw what?

"You...You saw the book that I borrowed..."

"No, I didn't see it..."

"Oh, is that so? Hoo!"

Nogizaka-san's expression was reminiscent of a middle-aged manager who just found out that he wasn't on the list of retrenched personnel. What's happening?

"?"

"Ah! It...It's nothing, Ayase-kun, please don't think about it, I'll be going now."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly nodded to me as she strode towards the exit. Maybe because she was disturbed by my presence, but she totally didn't notice that she was walking towards a reading table and chair set.

"Ah...Nogizaka-san, that's......"

"Hiiee!?"

And then!

Smash!

In the midst of the noise of falling furniture, Nogizaka-san, who'd tripped over a chair, fell onto her back. This was a breathtaking set of actions that one would be hard-pressed to produce.

"Ou...Ouch! Why would there be a chair here..."

Things were becoming stranger, those chairs have always been there, and the serenely-peaceful Nogizaka-san would actually do something out of character. Just what was happening? Perhaps this was what 'even the most complete strategy could fail' was referring to?

Whatever the case, I couldn't possibly just leave her there, so I helped Nogizaka-san up. From a certain perspective, Nogizaka-san probably brought it upon herself! But it would have been ungentlemanly of me not to help a girl who has just fallen down in front of you (especially if that girl is Nogizaka Haruka), and I have a National Gentlemanly Conduct Grade 2 certificate......Even though I say so myself.

"Ah......Thank you! I'm so sorry!"

After helping up the almond-eyed Nogizaka-san, I turned my eyes to her personal belongings that were scattered all over the place.

It was really a mess, but just as I was going to help her pick up her things...

"No...You can't!"

That scream was unbelievably loud, the kind that you hear when a bedroom scene suddenly shows on the T.V. when you're eating with your family. I can't? What does she mean? Is she saying that I'm not allowed to touch her personal things with my dirty hands......? No, I don't think Nogizaka-san would think that way.

"?"

Although I didn't know why Nogizaka-san wanted to stop me, I still reached out to help her pick up the magazine.

"No, don't do it!"

Nogizaka-san reached out towards the magazine at my feet like a depraved bandit.

But...

"Ah?"

On the path of her trajectory, there was a mathematics notebook!

"Ah? This...!?"

She stepped onto that notebook with one hundred percent accuracy!!

"Ehhhhhhh!?"

The foot that had all the force of her body weight behind it, was set free from its contact with the ground by virtue of the friction (or lack thereof) between the notebook and the floor of the library!

"Kyaaaaaa!"

And then, her body flew into the air, while directly in front of her......was a bookshelf.

Smash! Boom!

In the midst of an even louder crash, the bookshelf toppled over from Nogizaka-san's spinning attack. And then, the toppled shelf hit the one beside it, and the one beside it toppled over onto another shelf......the bookshelves toppled one by one like dominoes.

In the space of a few short seconds, all the bookshelves had toppled over.

"..."

In mere instant, the library had become ground zero.

Erm......

What just happened? I frantically tried to piece together the chronology of events.

What I see now is a library floor that's completely covered with books, making it look like a library from hell, and Nogizaka-san, who's never gotten into a fight her whole life, but had boldly smashed her way towards the bookshelf, plus her personal belongings that were spread out all over the floor.

What am I doing here?

Though I had blanked out for a moment there, I suddenly remembered what I was doing when I looked at all the things on the floor. That's right, I was trying to help Nogizaka-san pick up her personal belongings.

Nogizaka-san didn't seem to be hurt, so I wanted to help her pick everything up. And the first book that I picked up was that magazine by my feet!!!

---I finally found out the reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

"..."

"..."

There was an anime-style picture with a girl who had hair the color of the sky, something that could never be achieved through natural genetic inheritance, and a pair of biologically impossible large and sparkling eyes. The girl was smiling as she grabbed the hem of her skirt lightly with her fingers.

Below the picture was an overly photoshopped caption which read 「INNOCENT SMILE」 in bold and think yellow letters.

"This..."

I was speechless for a moment. This...was definitely the magazine that Nobunaga was talking about. But, why would Nogizaka-san want to borrow this book...

I had no time to continue my line of thought before a surprising voice entered my ears.

"Sob...sob...I've been seen, I've been seen!"

I only realized that the situation was serious when I saw that it was the sound of Nogizaka-san crying.

Due to the commotion, a few students from the art room had already gathered at the library.

"It's all over......sob..."

Nogizaka-san was still crying.

Actually, in this kind of situation, I felt that I should be the one that it was 'all over' for.

The stares from the surrounding students were sharp and piercing, turning the library into a much more dangerous place. Though there were only four or five students from the art room at the scene, their looks made me feel like I was the kind of contemptible man who extorted money from his girlfriend until she couldn't take it anymore and wanted a break-up, whereupon I bullied her until she cried. That kind of look was extremely uncomfortable to bear.

"What's happening? Aren't those two dating? -whisper whisper-"

"They are? But the guy looks like he doesn't really care about what's happening? -whisper whisper-"

"Was he the one who pushed down all the bookshelves? -whisper whisper-"

"Isn't he Ayase-kun of class 1? -whisper whisper-"

Listening to the contents of the whisperings, the only bright spot was that they hadn't realized that the crying girl was Nogizaka Haruka.

"The girl must have been begging him not to abandon her when he pushed her into the bookshelves."

"How could he! That's despicable!"

"Enemy of all women!"

"Detestable man!"

They were really going overboard here.

But from an objective point of view, it really did look like I had made Nogizaka-san cry, because that was practically the only possibility that could be inferred from the situation in the library, so I couldn't really blame the whispering students either.

In a nutshell, one thing was certain.

And that was, if I continued to stay at the scene of the crime, my bad reputation will be the talk of the entire school by tomorrow morning.

That's why...

With reference to the wisdom passed down by our ancestors, it was time to make a retreat! Therefore I picked up the stuff scattered all over the floor at breakneck speed, grabbed the hand of Nogizaka-san, who was still crying, and ran for dear life!! In truth...

We really were running for our lives!! From the library that is. From behind us...

"Ah! They've escaped!"

"He's kidnapping her?"

"They're eloping?"

"It should be the former, it's obvious that it's the former."

Those few lines were slightly better. But, why must they see me as the villain? I haven't done anything wrong.

Even I felt like crying, but while a woman's tears are like pearls, a man's tears are merely salt water. Other than the ability to melt slugs, salt water was practically useless.

But...why did it turn out like this?

I sighed deeply as I tried to look for a place where we wouldn't be seen. My feelings right now were heavier than a meat-cow that was being sent to the slaughterhouse.

Because of this...

I, who had been accused of breaking the law and of being a detestable man, finally made it out of the library with Nogizaka-san in tow, coming to a stop on the roof of the school. To someone without a corporate  brain like me, this was the only place I could think of which could let us talk in peace and not be seen.

Nogizaka-san had already stopped crying...but right now, she still wore a blank expression as her shoulders continued to shiver, giving an impression that was completely different from the perfect 'Nuit Étoile', as she appeared to be infinitely delicate. I had never noticed that Nogizaka-san was actually so petite.

There was only one reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

And that was the copy of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 that I held in my left hand.

Because everything happened so fast, I had no time to organize my thoughts. But after calming down and thinking about it, I understood why she was in such a panic.

Which is to say...

"Nogizaka-san...You're an otaku..."

Nogizaka-san gave a start at my words. Bingo! Looks like I was right!

Which means that the incident at lunch break was only her reaction to Nobunaga's reference to 「INNOCENT SMILE」. But no, now is not the time to be calmly analyzing her actions.

Nogizaka-san was extremely depressed.

Looks like Nogizaka-san was extremely bothered by the fact that someone knew that she was an otaku, but it was indeed extremely surprising.

Normal people would be more condemning with regards to the different hobbies of a small group of people, but there were so many of such things in Nobunaga's room that it made you want to vomit (literally), so I don't really mind these kind of things.

"Erm, Nogizaka-san..."

I decided to move on.

"...Mm?"

A flash of fear suddenly cut across Nogizaka-san's dull-looking eyes.

"Erm...I've already forgotten everything that I saw today."

"Huh?"

Nogizaka-san, who was looking like a wilted flower, finally perked up a little.

"I'm not saying that I don't care about you......but you seem to be extremely disturbed about this incident, right? So I'll forget everything that has happened today, I won't tell anyone about this, and I won't mention it in front of you either, so you don't need to worry."

"..."

After listening to my long sentence, Nogizaka-san had a stunned expression on her face, looking like a deer that was going to be shot by a hunter. Did I say anything weird?

"..."

For a while, Nogizaka-san stopped moving. Hmm...this looks bad, and it could become even worse if I don't try to cheer her up. Just as I started to think of ways to do that...

"Ayase-kun, please do not take me for an idiot, and please do not look at me with such a strange gaze."

Nogizaka-san spoke.

"Strange gaze? What do you mean?"

"Well......Because......most people are openly disapproving of this kind of hobby. So..."

Maybe she had thought of something, which was why Nogizaka-san would say this kind of thing. Openly disapproving? Though there was some truth in that, but...

"I understand what you're trying to say, but...even if you have that kind of hobby, a normal person is still a normal person, a strange person is still a strange person. That's why I don't believe in judging a person by their hobbies."

Nobunaga is the best example. He's the perfect embodiment of an otaku, and though he is a bit...strange, he's definitely not a bad person, or I wouldn't have been his best friend for more than ten years.

"But...But..."

Nogizaka-san still had a worried look on her face. Hmm...How should I explain this?

"What I mean is, even if you have this kind of hobby, but you're still you, right? That won't change, so you don't have to think about it so much."

"I'm...still myself?"

Nogizaka-san stuttered a reply.

"That's right! To be honest, being an otaku is just another hobby. In the end, I just think that it's an accompanying gift of a person's character. Because the nature of that gift differs from one person to the next, it's merely a small part of a person's character. A person's most important part shouldn't be here, should it? And..."

"...And what?"

"Hmm...I don't really know how to say this. But when I found out that you have a side that no one else knows about, I felt that it was really interesting..."

"Huh..."

"Or maybe I should say that I feel that I've gotten a little closer to you, so I'm happy..."

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red.

Although my words seemed to be nonchalant, it was a true reflection of my feelings.

But Nogizaka-san seemed to be seriously listening to my words.

"You're probably the first person to say this to me."

Probably? If not for this chance encounter, I didn't think I'd say something like this to the 'Nuit Étoile' either.

"Anyway, that's how it is, so I don't think you need to be too bothered by it."

Seeing that Nogizaka-san had calmed down, I passed the magazine to her, patted her lightly on the shoulder, and left the roof of the school building. I walked down the stairs, changed shoes at the lobby, and walked out of the school gate, finally able to move freely again.

I lectured Nogizaka Haruka.

I actually lectured Nogizaka-san with a mountain of extremely weird talk. Something which I really regret doing now, because I actually lectured a classmate with whom I had barely exchanged two sentences with before. Looks like I'm the weird one here. But it was all over now, and there was no point thinking about how I regret doing it.

In conclusion, my relationship with Nogizaka Haruka should probably stop here shouldn't it?

No matter how you look at it, she's the prettiest girl in school, she's an extremely smart girl with brilliant academic results, and also the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Japan, while I'm an average common citizen. Even if I do know that Nogizaka-san has her panicky moments, even if that has brought me closer to her, to be honest, we're still two people from completely different worlds. Today's incident was merely an accidental crossing of two parallel lines.

At least, that was what I had thought at that time.

==2==

Over the next few days, nothing of particular importance happened.

Nogizaka-san was still the school's most unattainable girl, while I continued to stumble through school. Rushing into class before the first bell rang, fighting against the sleep demon during lessons, chatting with Nagai and the others for a few minutes after lessons, either going to the arcade or listening to Nobunaga's endless fountain of otaku knowledge after school. I didn't have any goal in life, and I've never had a lifelong dream either. Though my everyday life was boring, it was extremely stable; it was the average life that I loved.

But within these unchanging days, I realized that one thing had changed.

And that was...

From that day onwards, the times which my gaze settled on Nogizaka-san has increased. In the classroom, I suddenly realized that I was staring at her. Hmm...Just what is happening?

"About that, I think that's called love."

"Argh!?"

Nobunaga's idiotic face suddenly appeared from the side.

"Yo! Yuuto! Let's eat lunch together!"

"When...When did you get here?"

I didn't feel his presence at all.

"Heh heh, stealth is one of my 48 special abilities!"

I've known this fellow for more than ten years, and still do not know everything about him...oh well, not like I want to anyway.

Going back to the main topic.

"Love? Nobunaga, what do you mean?"

"Gaining and losing, unable to differentiate between what's true and what's not, that's a person in love."

I know that, but my situation's not like that.

"I would advise you not to have any ideas about the 'Nuit Étoile'."

Nobunaga ignored my response as he pulled up a chair from a neighboring table to sit in front of me while he began to speak.

"How should I put this...For someone like you, she's in another league. Hmm...it's just that your social statuses are different!"

"Hmm."

"Yuuto, I don't think you know this, but in the little more than a year that she has entered this school, the number of people who have confessed their love for the 'Nuit Étoile' is, 78 guys and 16 girls, 94 people in total, about 20% of our school's population, while the number of people who have been rejected is also 94, which means that there is a 100% chance of getting rejected. An extremely scary statistic isn't it!"

My god...I know that Nogizaka-san was popular, but 16 girls? What's the meaning of that? Girls! And why would this guy have such detailed information on his hands?

"This kind of information gathering is one of the mandatory skills of the modern man. I could also tell you the basic personal information of the 'Nuit Étoile', hmm...Nogizaka Haruka, 16 years-old, born on the 20th of October, 155cm tall, excels at every subject, does not have a weak subject, has a grandfather, her parents, and a sister that's 3 years her junior in her immediate family..."

Nobunaga read off a notebook-like contraption that he fished out of his pocket...when did he become a stalker?

"Hey, don't look at me like I'm some kind of pervert, that's really rude of you! I'm not interested in real-life girls, for 2D girls are better, the most special of them being the cat-maid with a tail......"

I didn't even ask him about that kind of thing, so even if I were to retort, it would be obvious that we were on a different wavelength.

"And in such an information-laden time, anyone would be able to find out such information. This is a digitalized society, though there's a law regarding the protection of personal privacy, as long as one has the will, it's extremely easy to extract such information. Just tell me if you need information regarding other people. I know just about everything about everyone in school."

Nobunaga told me as he smiled generously.

...This person's dangerous! I've got to avoid having him my enemy!

"This is just my personal opinion! It's lamentable, but if you were to attempt to woo the 'Nuit Étoile', I think your chance of failure is 99.9%. According to my sources, even the basketball team captain, Sasaoka-senpai, was one of the rejected. He's actually a man-made hunk who had gone for plastic surgery, so if even someone like him got rejected, you..."

"...Don't look at me with that pitying glimmer in your eyes!"

"No, I'm not saying that you're not good or anything, it's just that you've chosen the hardest opponent of all. I just wanted to warn you that the 'Nuit Étoile' is the strongest opponent in our school."

Nobunaga shrugged as he smiled,

"But, no matter what you decide to do, I'll support you since we're childhood friends."

It's really disgusting to be described as 'childhood friends' by another guy. No, that's not the point.

"...I've never thought of wooing Nogizaka-san."

"Really?"

What are you so suspicious about! I've never told anyone about this from the start.

"Since you said it, let's not talk about this anymore. But, have you heard this phrase before?"

Nobunaga had a wise expression on his face as he continued,

" 'To start to care is to start to fall in love!' BY Asakura Nobunaga."

Just where did he get that from! I've never heard that!

I don't know if it was the influence of Nobunaga's words, but the frequency with which I looked at Nogizaka-san actually increased after that conversation. During lessons, after lessons, after school, as long as I had the chance, I would look for her. This is bad, I seem to have contracted some serious disease.

A few more days passed after that.

This incident happened one morning two weeks after that day.

==3==
"We're going to conduct a personal belongings check now, so please take out everything from your bag!"

The form teacher's, Tanabe Shigeo (38 years-old, male, single), words caused a stir in the classroom. While it was a mandatory check, the students were still understandably unhappy about it.

"Be quiet! I'll be checking the guys, while Kamishiro-sensei will be checking the girls."

Kamishiro-sensei is our assistant-form teacher, and a light music teacher who had only just graduated from an all-girls university last year. She didn't put on any airs, was well-liked by her students, and was also extremely pretty. She's pretty, cute, and her figure's......Hmm? I seem to have deviated from the main topic.

Speaking of which, I immediately thought of one thing when I heard that there was going to be a check.

It can't be that much of a coincidence can it? Nogizaka-san can't be holding that book right now, right?

The time limit for borrowing a book from our school library was two weeks. If she had really held the book until the last day, then she would have to return it today. No, she can't be that unlucky!!

I nonchalantly looked behind me, and saw that Nogizaka-san's face had gone ashen, looking as though she was the victim of a murder.

....Ah, she must be holding the book right now.

"Please endure the check for a while more, it's finishing soon."

As per the instructions of Kamishiro-sensei, the female students began to place their personal belongings on their desks, as Nogizaka-san could only do the same with a helpless look in her eyes. I seemed to have caught a glimpse of the magazine that I had seen two weeks ago hidden among the textbooks and music scores on her table.

What should I do?

I thought about it, and I shouldn't do anything, since it's not like I'm not obliged to help her or anything.

But...

The image of Nogizaka-san crying from two weeks ago suddenly flashed across my mind. Even though I've already seen her uncontrollable sobbing, if that were to repeat itself in front of the entire class, just what kind of situation would it result in? Hmm...I didn't even dare to imagine it, but I know that it wouldn't be pretty for the pampered daughter of a wealthy family like Nogizaka-san to react to this kind of sudden event. She probably wouldn't even know what to do.

Was there really no way around it? No matter if it was a mud boat or the Titanic, she had already boarded the vessel, so I should be doing something to help her. But just as I realized that the opponent was Kamishiro-sensei, I couldn't think of any plan of attack. Two negatives make a positive, there must be a way, I can't miss this opportunity!

God, why is my brain so slow to react in the morning!

I raised my hand to speak.

"I...My stomach really hurts, may I make a trip to the washroom?"

"What's wrong? Did you eat too much for breakfast? Never mind, since you've passed the check already, you may go."

The 38 year-old Tanabe Shigeo obnoxiously said something which implied that he didn't care about his students at all. As he made his way around the desks of his students, I thought that the reason behind the fact that he still hasn't gotten married was due to his character...Oh well, it's not like it's any business of mine. I pretended to be in pain as I slanted my body while walking towards the exit of the classroom, passing by Nogizaka-san's seat in the process.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

After saying that to Nogizaka-san, who was on the verge of tears, I pretended to trip on a bag on the floor as I deliberately fell towards her table.

"Eh? Ah!"

The table fell over as the textbooks, scores and other stuff that were on it flew onto the floor as well. Together with Nogizaka-san's low scream, her surroundings descended into chaos.

"Nogizaka-san, are you alright?"

"Ayase, get lost!"

"All you do is to get in the way of others! You better get away from Nogizaka-san this instant!"

My classmates started shouting at me from all corners of the classroom. How could it be that not even one of them cared about my condition?

"Ayase-kun. What are you doing!?"

Kamishiro-sensei walked over. She probably didn't see it.

"Sorry, I was trying to get to the washroom as soon as possible when I tripped."

"You're always so rash. Alright, just carry on and leave this to me."

"Sorry to trouble you."

I nodded towards Kamishiro-sensei, who had a conspiratorial smile on her face, and hurried out of the classroom.

I walked along the corridor to the washroom, clutching my stomach with one hand.

There shouldn't be a stalker hiding in the men's toilet right now, but for the sake of secrecy, I confirmed that there wasn't anyone else in the washroom before taking out a rectangular object from the inside of my uniform. No prizes for guessing the correct answer, of course it was the 「INNOCENT SMILE」. The blue-haired girl on the cover was still smiling happily. Phew, at least I successfully smuggled it out!

"This is..."

Just as I was congratulating myself, I suddenly realized that there was something else beneath the magazine, an expensive-looking green book. This is a book of musical scores, one of those that was on Nogizaka-san's table. Looks like in my hurry to smuggle the magazine out of the classroom, I had taken something else out along with it.

"Composed by Franz Liszt. Erster Mephisto-Walzer No. 1, S514"

Such a resounding name for a piece. The Waltz of Mephisto. I flipped the book open, only to find that its interior was covered with musical symbols which I didn't understand. Wow.

She's too brilliant! I don't know anything about playing the piano. But in that moment, I already knew that this wasn't a piece that an average high school student could play. Which was why I could only stand there in awe of Nogizaka-san's piano prowess.

I carefully closed the thick score that once again reminded me of how perfect Nogizaka-san is.

At that moment, something strange loomed up in the corner of my vision.

"..."

This is a drawing right? A horrific-looking villain with the eyes of a bloodthirsty bear was drawn in one corner of the piano score. He was holding a conductor's baton in one hand, while in a speech bubble beside him, 'please remember not to play at too fast a tempo at this part♪' in pink ink. In the stark contrast between the picture and the contents of the speech bubble, the reminder appeared to be extremely impish.

But the bear really wasn't drawn very nicely, as it also looked like a man-eating wolf, or a large bloodhound, or a failed clone of Godzilla. As for the object that it held in its hand, it looked like a saber, a police baton, or even an ill-designed lightsaber.

To be honest, that drawing was extremely bad. So bad that a kindergarten kid with a little bit of talent in the arts would be able to draw something better.

"...I'll just pretend that I didn't see it!"

After mulling it over, I felt that this was the wisest course of action. There are a lot of things in the world that are best left hidden and not known to mankind. See no evil.

After looking at it for a while more, I quietly closed the score.

After school, Kamishiro-sensei called me to the office.

She seemed to have seen through my act in the morning.

"You hid something at that time didn't you?"

Kamishiro-sensei crossed her legs in a way that would desolate the eyes of innocent youths as she asked. Against this sort of opponent, that the ill-conceived trick would be seen through shouldn't be much of a surprise. So I thought about how best to answer the question.

"Hmm...I admit that I hid something, but I assure you, it wasn't anything contraband. It was an object that would bring great distress to a teenage girl, which was why I took such drastic and rash measures to solve the problem.

I just gave an answer that even I didn't understand, but Kamishiro-sensei gave a devilish smile as though I just sold my soul to her.

"I believe you. You were trying to protect Haruka, right?"

"No, about this..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Ugh..."

It seems like...she's seen through everything. It's true that aged ginger is more pungent, so I should just keep my mouth shut for now.

"Alright you don't have to give me the details, so let's just put this matter behind us. Mm...it must be nice to be young and so full of energy. The exuberant youthfulness of the E generation, if only I was five years younger!"

Kamishiro-sensei's eyes sparkled with an unearthly light, she seemed to be rather happy. Though she seemed to have misunderstood something, but any attempts to explain the situation would probably fall on deaf ears, so I decided not to act rashly.

"It's true that one should experience every type of situation while one's still young, like dating two girls at once or a triangular relationship, anything goes! If you don't play your cards properly, you could even get into a 6-way relationship..."

And this was how I spent the next five minutes.

After Kamishiro-sensei finally snapped out of her own world, she uncrossed and crossed her legs again before continuing our conversation.

"Hmm, I don't have anything else to say to you, you can go now...Ah, wait a moment, I remembered something. Yuu-chan, do you know where my cellphone is? I lost it after I went to borrow some music scores during lunch break."

"How would I know the location of your cellphone..."

"Really? Actually, I was thinking that you had hidden it! Good boys also have times when they want to play bad, it's the special psychology of teenage boys..."

"I categorically deny that."

"If you say it so seriously, onee-san will be sad you know..."

"..."

I retorted softly.

"Ah, such a cruel retort, but I'm not bluffing...I really forgot where I put it, it's really strange. Oh well, I'll just continue looking for it, I'll think of something else if I really can't find it."

"You really do know how to act blur..."

Though I'm hardly one to say that, but,

"Really? Hmm! Haruka and you...To be honest, the two of you are a surprising couple."

"No, we're not dating..."

I retorted immediately, she really had misunderstood our relationship.

"It's alright, there's no point hiding it, onee-chan knows everything already."

[[Image:NHnH vol01 060.jpg|thumb]]

"It's not a question of hiding it or not...she's the 'Nuit Étoile'! I'm not good enough for her, so this is all a misunderstanding."

However.

"An inter-caste love relationship! So touching..."

God, this person isn't absorbing anything I'm telling her.

"...You haven't changed one bit, Yukari."

As expected of my sister's friend, for people who aren't dense enough will never be able to make friends with my sister...But why am I surrounded by such dense people! Nobunaga, the three idiots, Yukari, and my sister. Is this what they call 'birds of a feather flock together'? I really don't want to go down that line of thought.

"Hey, please call me Kamishiro-sensei when in school."

In that moment, I remembered that I had the habit of calling other people by their given names.

"I'm alright with anything, Sen---sei."

Under the influence of the pleading brown-colored eyes of Kamishiro-sensei, I lost the power to retort. Oh well, since this incident's over, I can go back to the classroom. But just as I prepared to walk back to my classroom, Yukari suddenly put on an expression that middle-aged obasan's have when they're preparing to sexually harass their female colleagues and happily told me,

"Saito-sensei's out on official business today, and the bed in the infirmary is empty! Work hard! Young man!"

I just walked out of the teacher's office when I saw Nogizaka-san standing there.

She stood there quietly, like the only lily in a garden full of tulips, though a little conservative, but still different from the rest.

"Ah..."

Nogizaka-san fiddled with her white hairband when she saw me as she stepped forward, looking as though she had something to say.

She stood there for a while before finally making up her mind,

"Umm...Ayase-kun..."

Her pink lips parted to say something, but...

"Ah! Isn't that the 'Nuit Étoile'?"

A voice rudely interrupted her.

"Where?"

"Look! There!"

On the other end of the corridor, there were a few guys who were pointing in our direction and talking among themselves.

"It's true, and some guy is trying to flirt with her."

"What!? A guy?"

One of the guys gave a murderous shout.

To be honest, after so much had happened, I had almost forgotten that Nogizaka-san was a famous person in school. A famous person like her talking face to face with a serious-looking guy (me) outside the teacher's office was extremely noticeable.

"What!? The 'Nuit Étoile'?"

"And a guy?"

"What's the matter? Just what is happening?'

Other than the loud voices of the group of guys, even the other students who were passing by had stopped and were looking at us curiously, some even moving closer to get a better look. In a few moments, the two of us had been completely surrounded by people.

Hmm...

The popularity of the 'Nuit Étoile' was extremely scary, so much so that we couldn't even hold a conversation in peace in public.

For the first time in my life, I realized that personal privacy was actually so worthless and meaningless. Though it's not my place to give out such lamentations,

Because 120% of those guys' interest was on Nogizaka-san and not on me.

Just as I was thinking of that, more and more people started to arrive. I looked around me...about twenty or even thirty people had already gathered, just where did all these people come from?

Anyway, it would be suicide to continue staying here. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, we won't be able to speak to each other properly.

Since it has come down to this, there was only one way of resolving this.

"Nogizaka-san, let's go."

"Ah?"

I pulled Nogizaka-san, who had a dazed expression on her face like a duckling who has just been born away from the scene. It's so strange! Why am I always running whenever I'm together with Nogizaka-san?

"Hey, that fellow actually dared to flirtatiously drag the 'Nuit Étoile' by her hand!"

"What!? By her hand?"

Just as we ran through the layers of human walls around us to escape, angry shouts sounded from the surrounding crowd.

"Damn! Don't run away!"

"Unforgivable..."

"Damn it, I've remembered his face! The next time I see him, I'll tie him up and hang him upside down from the roof!"

My god, those are such extreme words, I even started hallucinating, as I thought I saw a group of people putting on red headbands that read 'Protect Haruka-sama~ The Nuit Étoile Protection Force~'.

......Those should be the hallucinations generated by my own mind.

Once again, we came to the rooftop.

The only difference was that this time, Nogizaka-san wasn't the one crying, though I felt like I was going to. Looks like the legendary secret fan club really exists, I should get Nobunaga to dig up some information on them. I do not want to be the public enemy number one of these people, for if I don't take the appropriate actions, I might really be hung upside down from the rooftop.

As I thought about the fanclub members, all of whom had looked at me murderously, I felt extremely depressed.

I finally understood the extent of Nogizaka-san's popularity. It was rumored that Nogizaka-san's fan club membership was a three digit value, and it looked to be true. In the context of our school population, a three digit value would be equal to roughly a quarter of the entire school population. In other words (including girls), of every four students in our school, one is a supporter of Nogizaka-san. That's a bit too terrifying isn't it?

Due to fatigue, Nogizaka-san was panting loudly beside me, no surprise given the long distance that we ran to get here.

After Nogizaka-san's breathing had become more even, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Did......Did you have something to say to me?"

Actually I could already guess what Nogizaka-san would want to say.

"Yes I do, about this morning's incident......"

After she stopped panting, Nogizaka-san finally lifted up her head.

As I expected! That would be the only reason why Nogizaka-san would come looking for me.

Even though it's a bit sad to say that, but......

"Ah, I'm really sorry for lunging at you so suddenly in the morning."

As I said that, Nogizaka-san became a little nervous.

"Eh? That......That was very nice......No! It wasn't nice, but......"

So was it nice or was it not nice?

Nogizaka-san suddenly lowered her head like a dove, her slightly messy hair moving along with the movement of her head. At this point in time, the soft and silky fragrance of her hair was blown over.

"I'm really grateful to you. That time.....You were helping me, weren't you?"

"It's nothing!"

You could say that I was helping her, or you could say that I just couldn't leave her like that, because I know Nogizaka-san's secret!

Nogizaka-san giggled.

"Ayase-kun, you're a really nice guy."

"Nice guy..."

Normally, by saying that the guy is a nice guy, the girl usually means 'you're a hopeless nice guy', so it wasn't anything to be happy about. But since it came from Nogizaka-san, she probably doesn't mean it that way!

"Anyway, I want to thank you for helping me. I'm grateful for you helping me keep the fact that I borrowed the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 a secret...And I'm really sorry......Because of me, you got called to the teacher's office."

She bowed her head in apology again.

"It's nothing, don't think too much about it. It was Kamishiro-sensei who called me to the office, so it's nothing!"

"But..."

"It's alright, I wasn't scolded or anything!"

Finally convinced after my repeated explanations, Nogizaka-san finally raised her head again.

"Ayase-kun, thank you for all your help."

Nogizaka-san gave me a shy smile. Hmm......If she continues in this vein, I'll start to feel embarrassed too.

Which was why I decided to change the topic.

"Oh right, I gotta return this to you."

After checking to make sure that no one was around, I took out 「INNOCENT SMILE」 and the music score.

"Ah, Ayase-kun, you even took away the music score."

"I used too much force when I was trying to hide 「INNOCENT SMILE」! This piece of music looks really difficult, are you able to play it?"

I asked Nogizaka-san who was for an instant slightly embarrassed.

"Yes... it's the piece I'm currently practicing, so I'm almost able to play the entire piece."

I nodded. So she can play it after all. As the name of the piece, 「The Waltz of Mephisto」 suggests, this wasn't a piece that normal people would be able to play, but she could.

Just as I was filled with awe at her piano prowess, Nogizaka-san suddenly thought of something, and abruptly looked up at me...

"So......could it be that you looked inside?"

Nogizaka-san's voice carried a tinge of uneasiness, as though saying that I saw something.

"I......Didn't I draw a lot of drawings in it?"

She looked up at me.

"Ah......That's right......"

That man-eating bear who looked like it just killed two of three people! Because the visual impact was too jarring, I remembered that drawing in exquisite detail, the drawing which would bring at least three days of nightmares to anyone who looks at it.

"I'm sorry, but I saw it...or rather, it ran into my line of sight, I merely glanced at it."

"S..so, you saw it?"

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Hmm...that really was something that I shouldn't have seen, it was forbidden fruit! Just as I was frantically trying to think of a way to get over this awkward atmosphere, Nogizaka-san surprised me with her next sentence.

"What do you think of it?"

"Huh?"

What do you mean?

"That is......it's quite nice isn't it? It's the first time anyone has seen my drawings"

Nogizaka-san's eyes sparkled when she said that, her expression showing the confidence she had in her drawing skills. Don't tell me......that she's asking for my opinion? I never thought that things would turn out like this.

'The main source of nourishment of that bear seems to be humans'...That doesn't sound like a compliment. 'The bear's eyes make it look like it's sniffing drugs'...that's definitely not a compliment. 'If we were to put that bear into a hot pot, it'll probably be very delicious'...I really didn't how I should phrase my answer.

After mulling it over...

"The bear's gaze is extremely evil...no, or rather, it's very piercing. Everyone's perspective is different, so I suppose some people would find it very cute..."

In the end, my polite and invincible compliment was shattered by Nogizaka-san's response.

"...Hmm? Bear? But that's a cat!"

Nogizaka-san tilted her head as though asking, just what are you talking about.

"..."

"..."

"...Ah, you're absolutely right, it's a cat."

A cat?

I honestly didn't know that it was a cat. Because a normal cat wouldn't have fangs would it?

"Umm...Uh...It's really creative to let the cat hold a conductor's baton!!"

"...It's supposed to be a cat toy!"

"..."

"..."

"Ah, that's right, it's a cat toy."

The book is a music score, and adding those two things sure add a new perspective.

Luckily, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to have heard my soundless murmurings.

"It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I'm rather confident about that piece of art!"

Nogizaka-san continued.

"..."

Is she serious?

I stared at Nogizaka-san.

The look in her eyes was extremely serious.

There was no look in the world that could be more serious than that.

"..."

Well, no point picking out her faults, no one's perfect after all!

"...Hmm, that's a really creative and outstanding piece of work, I like it! I think I see a hint of Picasso's 「Guernica」 in it."

すごく腕曲的に感想を述べた。というか、それが限界だった。

"Really? I'm so happy!"

Looking at the joy expressed on Nogizaka-san's innocent face, I felt a sense of guilt weighing down on me. At least I wasn't lying.

"I'm really really happy! I'm glad I asked for your opinion!"

"Righ......Right......"

I'm glad she didn't ask somebody other than me.

"Well......then please take good care of me in the future!"

"?"

What?

"I think I'll improve faster if I show it to other people. I've always been practicing alone, but its hard to improve like this...Of course, only if you have the time..."

"..."

Was she planning to show me these satanic drawings that bring nightmares and summon demons on a regular basis?

"What......What do you think?"

"...About this......"

"You don't want to?"

I didn't give an immediate answer and Nogizaka-san's expression immediately turned to one reminiscent of a puppy that had been abandoned by the roadside. That expression is a banned technique, for no one can reject the 'Nuit Étoile' or let the 'Nuit Étoile' put on such an expression. Furthermore, that Nogizaka-san would implore me like this is because I'm the only one who knows about this hobby of hers......I don't have a choice, for I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I really think that I've boarded the Titanic.

"If you don't mind, I'm willing to discuss it with you anytime."

I deliberately pitched my voice higher so as to impress upon my sincerity.

"Really!"

Nogizaka-san gave a blissful smile. God, I think I'll lose a hundred days of my life everytime I see this smile in the future...oh well, no point thinking about that now.

After that, for a long period of time (at least 30 minutes), I was listening to Nogizaka-san talk about her passion for drawing.

"I have to go now, thank you very much for today. After I finish some new drawings, I'll show them to you again. I'll be going first."

Because of her piano lesson, Nogizaka-san left first. She was in extremely high spirits, humming the tune of 「Für Elise」 as she walked.

Looking at her receding figure, I couldn't help but murmur to myself.

"...Have I acted too rashly...?"

==4==
That night, I was studying in my room when an exaggeratedly loud voice came from downstairs.

"Hey! Yuuto! You've got a call!"

I was slightly miffed at being interrupted just as I was getting into the rhythm of my English-Japanese translation homework, but my sister was in a worse mood, ready to explode at any moment.

"I said, you've got a call!!!"

She kicked the door to my room open!! She even took down one of the door hinges along with her kick!! And then she stomped into my room.

The tall person who entered my room.

"Ruko..."

My sister (A karate second-dan holder, but often abuses her martial arts skills. In the Ayase household where my parents are rarely at home, she has the highest authority) appeared to be extremely unhappy, like an Asian black bear woken up from its slumber during winter time.

She only wore a white shirt on top of her underwear, such a disgraceful appearance.

"How could she wake me up from my sweet slumber! I don't know who she is, but you better teach her a lesson and tell her not to call in the middle of the night!"

Middle of the night? It's only ten! Though it wasn't early, but it wasn't that late either. And what did she mean by 'teach her a lesson'? Shouldn't she say lecture or something!

I knew that retorting was useless, but I still gave it a try.

"Whatever makes you happy, since both mean 'input' in one way or another."

Those two phrases are completely different! They have totally different meanings!

But to Ruko, who was even lazier and more perfunctory than me, those two phrases really weren't that different. She gave an irritated expression as she glared at me.

"...You're really annoying! Just answer the phone will you! I'm so sleepy.......I'm going to sleep now, so you better remember to unplug the phone after you finish your conversation! "

Ruko threw the phone over to me before going through the door that was swinging on only one of its hinges.

For the love of God! Who'd have believed that she's actually the secretary for the CEO of a top-class firm, which goes to show that anything can happen in this society of ours. It was indeed the state of affairs that beautiful women would always have their way. Though my sister is pretty, but I don't really want to comment on her character. For a society that is perpetually harping on equality, we're extremely unfair.

I thought of all this as I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

And then...

"Ah, hello? Is this Ayase-kun? It's Nogizaka."

A surprising voice came from the other end of the line, the female voice that had the power to calm anyone who hears it, one that I've been hearing quite a lot of recently. But right now, this voice sounded extremely serious, nothing like the cheerful one I had heard in the day. Something must have happened.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. Umm...I would like to ask for a favor from you, Ayase-kun..."

A favor? My heart beat really fast at that word.

"...I'm really embarrassed to say this right now. But I know I'll regret it for life if I don't say it now."

The seriousness in that voice was mixed with a heavy dose of embarrassment. Could it be that? No, Nogizaka-san would never ask me to do something as absurd as imitating the way crickets walk upside-down.

"Erm......Are you listening?"

"Ah, of, of course I'm listening."

I had no reason not to be listening.

"That's great...Ayase-kun, could you come out and meet me now?"

"Huh..."

After a second of lightning-quick analysis......

"Meet up...just the two of us?'

"That's right."

To meet up at this time......She can't be planning to have a secret date with me can she? The two of us sitting on a bench in the park. Time has stopped, and then the two of us......No, I can't continue fantasizing! I'll start to think about contents similar to the plot in a third-grade novel if I continue fantasizing.

I shook my heard violently. Got to stay calm, got to stay calm, I have to keep my cool.

To return my heartbeat to normal, healthy levels, I mentally recited the multiplication table. At this time, Nogizaka-san continued,

"Actually...I would like you to accompany me to school."

"School?"

The school in question...would obviously be the Hakujo Academy that we both attend. Why would she pick such a time to go to school when there wasn't a late night dare challenge of any kind going on......

"......The magazine...I forgot to return it."

The soft and hesitant voice cut off my line of thought.

"I had planned to return it after meeting Ayase-kun, but as I was feeling extremely happy after our conversation, I felt that I could return it a bit later......and I forgot to return in the end."

"You're talking about......that magazine?"

「INNOCENT SMILE」

"......Yes."

"..."

The situation......was really serious. The basic rules of our school were rather loose, but our school was extremely strict regarding the usage of school facilities. If a book that was borrowed from the library wasn't returned by the due date, the school would publicly remind the student through the PA system.

Of course, the public reminder would also include the student's name, year, and the name of the borrowed book.

"If I'm mentioned, I'll...sob..."

Probably thinking about what would happen if the book that she borrowed was publicly announced to the entire school, Nogizaka-san was whimpering slightly.

"Th, that's why I thought I'd go return it instead. *sniff* Bu, but going alone to school when it's this late...it's scary. So, I thought I'd ask somebody to go with me...B, but..."

Nogizaka-san said in a tearful voice.

So that's how it is. About this, I was the only one whom she could turn to for help. Because if she was to look for someone else, she'd have to show them 「INNOCENT SMILE」, bringing her hobby to the knowledge of one more person.

"Sob......Is it too much to ask? I'm really sorry to always bother you like this, but..."

It wasn't her fault. And......only a demented man would abandon a crying Nogizaka-san, right?

Therefore.

"Hmm...Let's just meet up at school now, alright?"

"Sob...Ah...?"

A surprised exclamation came from the other side of the line.

"You're willing......to go with me?"

"Yup, since I've got nothing to do right now anyway."

It was decided. Though I haven't finished my English homework, that's not important at a moment like this! I would like to avoid both Nogizaka-san's tears and the scolding given by my English teacher (forty-two years old, characteristic: Extremely annoying), but I don't have the time to deliberate any further on this.

"Thank you......sob......Thank you so much"

And that was how I decided to sneak into school at such an unearthly hour.

The campus was extremely creepy at night.

The thirty-something year-old white cement campus looked as thought it was floating in the sky in the dark, and from an angle, it really looked like an abandoned mansion, giving any observers a severe case of the creeps. This atmosphere was like the one in the supernatural shows on television where the spiritually-inclined guest appears and declares to the audience that 'an extremely evil aura can be felt here', whereupon the audience painfully wrestles with their inner-selves whether to continue watching or not. Nogizaka-san, who was standing next to me, was looking at the campus with exactly the same expression on her face, looking as though she was about to burst into tears any moment.

Now, how should we go about infiltrating the campus?

Of course the main gate wouldn't be open at this time, so perhaps we should try going by the staff entrance. Since it's the staff entrance, it should be near the teachers' office. But we'd have to be extremely careful if we were to go in by the staff entrance so as to avoid getting caught by a patrolling teacher. Or should we break a window and reach in to take the key, use a power tool to break the lock of the main gate, or just smash our way through the gate with a metal pole. Just that...all the above-mentioned methods were illegal.

Isn't there any way that's quieter? (Even though no matter how quiet an act of infiltration is, it's still an illegal act) Just as I was trying to come up with a better idea...

"Ayase-kun, this way."

Nogizaka-san pulled on my arm.

"We can get in by the back gate."

"Back gate......why?"

"Because I have a backup key."

"A backup key?"

Why would she have something like that?

"The key was in my father's study, so I just borrowed it for a while, because I thought it might come in handy!"

So it was from her father's study...I seem to have understood something, but why would her father have a backup key of the school?

"I'm not very sure about the specifics...but it seems like my father donated a large amount of money to the school, and to prepare for emergencies, he asked for a backup of all the keys in the school."

Investment...Right, I've heard this before. Ever since Nogizaka-san came to study at this school, ninety percent of all the money donated to Hakujo Academy came from the Nogizaka family. So it probably wouldn't be surprising if Nogizaka-san had a backup copy of all the keys in the school......right?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing......"

Now's not the time to voice my questions, but since she had the backup copies to all the keys in the school, she'd surely have the key to the main gate. Wouldn't it be much better to just go in by the main gate? But I didn't say that out loud.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!'

Because the library was on the second story, we walked in the direction of the stairs.

Not surprisingly, the interior of the school was also empty, and as silent as a cemetery.

"It's really creepy..."

Nogizaka-san said as she looked around the deserted corridor. She gripped the sleeve of my shirt tightly, not daring to let go for even a second.

"If this was a game, a zombie should be jumping out from this corner."

"Ah!!!"

I had played this game where you had to fight off hordes of zombies, giant spiders and other monstrosities while attempting to escape from a western-style building. For the first ten minutes of the game, you would probably feel like you're about to be devoured by two of three zombies, but...

Never mind, forget I said it, now's not the time to think about something like that.

"Ayase-kun, do you know about the seven mysteries of our school?"

As we neared the stairwell, Nogizaka-san suddenly mentioned that. The seven mysteries of the school, though I'm not exactly sure as to the actual number of the mysteries, but there should be quite a few of them. Like...

There's the 'Thirteen steps of death to the rooftop'.

As for the others, I only know of the 'Dancing human figure in the science classroom', 'The self-playing piano in the music room', 'The self-bouncing ball in the empty gym'.

"There's still 'Hanako-san, who lives in the toilet' 'The big mirror in the infirmary that reflects the death of the user', and...'the dead book-reader'."

Nogizaka-san filled in the gaps.

"..."

An extremely bad premonition filled the air after hearing such rumors.

This was my first time hearing about 'The dead book-reader'. Since it has to do with a book-reader, it should be connected to the library right? And we just had to be going to the library at this time.

"..."

Should we just head back?

"Don't...Don't leave me behind!"

[[Image:NHnH vol01 084.jpg|thumb]]

My arm was held in a vice-like grip by Nogizaka-san, who had tears rolling about in her eyes. Looks like I wouldn't be able to perform the 'great escape'.

During the time when I was struggling with myself about whether to run away or not, we reached the library in question. The wooden door that looked so normal in the day now looked like the gates to hell.

It was a really bad feeling.

"So...What's the story behind 'The dead book-reader'?"

I asked Nogizaka-san.

"A long long time ago, when the campus was still made of wood, there was a student who really liked to read. Because he was crazy about reading, so this student would go to the library every day, until one day, where he passed away after getting into an accident on his way to the library. But it's rumored that for the sake of reading, this student would still report to the library everyday, which is why in the dark and silent library, footsteps and the sound of a book dropping onto the ground can be heard, and the shadow of a reading figure can also be seen at the window."

"You really know a lot about that."

"We're going off track here, but I heard that someone really came down to the library in the middle of the night, and that book-reader really did appear in front of that person."

"..."

"I only heard this story the day before yesterday. So now......I kind of regret hearing it..."

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Even if she regrets hearing that story, it was already too late...

"...It'll probably be even worse if this story was told to someone who's never heard of it before."

"You're right......It would be worse."

"I've never heard this story before."

"Huh...you..."

Nogizaka-san placed a finger at the edge of her mouth as she lapsed into deep thought.

"...So you're saying that...You just heard the story for the first time from me?"

"That's right."

"..."

"..."

The surroundings were deathly silent.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that."

Nogizaka-san apologized with a horrified expression on her face, just like a puppy who did something wrong and was getting scolded by its master. I believe that no one would be able to grumble even a word more after seeing her like this.

"Ah, it's alright, since you didn't do it on purpose."

And I was the one who was asked for the details in the first place.

"But, if you meet the dead book-reader and get murdered by him because of my words..."

Nogizaka-san's face was terribly pale as she fervently prayed that I would not become the victim of a supernatural murder!

"It'll be alright! The dead book-reader won't run out just because of your story! And my only redeeming feature is that I'm really tough, so I probably would be able to survive a supernatural attack without much effort."

Because I have been forced to accept Ruko's rigorous training since I was young.

"But...the attack of a spirit...isn't a physical attack, but a mental one, like curses..."

"That's alright too."

Regarding mental attacks, besides Ruko's training, I've also been on the receiving end of a lot of training from Yukari. So my defensive ability against mental attacks would probably be even higher than my defensive ability against physical attacks. I am not proud of this inhuman defensive capability of mine, but it's the unfortunate truth.

Nogizaka-san smiled as she squinted slightly, probably hinting that she accepts my answer?

"......You're really kind."

"No......I'm not that kind......"

Why would she suddenly say something like this?"

"Hehe!"

"No...That's..."

I wanted to deny it, but couldn't find the right words. To mask the fact that I was blushing, I turned my gaze to the direction of the library.

"Cough, though I can't deny that this library's really creepy...we still have to go in don't we?"

Once I said that, Nogizaka-san immediately nodded her head furiously with a serious expression on her face.

"Let's...Let's go!"

Even though Nogizaka-san was the one calling for us to go, she didn't move at all as she looked at me as if trying to send me some kind of telepathic message...she probably wants me to lead the way. Alright, let's do it!

I pushed open the gigantic wooden door to the library, the wooden frame creaking under the force exerted by my hands before it opened. On the other side of the door was...an empty library. If this was a horror film, then at the exact moment where the door was opened, we would have gone face to face with 'the dead book-reader', a worst-case scenario that I wanted to avoid at all costs. The atmosphere in the empty room seemed to be extremely sinister, as though a ghoulish white face would appear from behind the black-painted shelves any moment.

"You can't leave me. Please don't leave me alone, I'm begging you."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my arm tightly as she whimpered, a flowery smell making its way to my nostrils. In fact, she needn't have been so worried, since she was grabbing me so tightly that I wasn't even able to move.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly let go of me, my body finally regaining its freedom of movement. But for some reason, I suddenly felt a trace of regret.

"Let's just maintain this position. Please don't leave me alone alright?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me as she requested me to stay by her side while she held on to my arm. I nodded as we made our way towards the book-returning counter.

It was about fifty meters to the counter, and we carefully made our way over.

During this short journey, Nogizaka-san's beautiful face almost touched mine a couple of time. Her alluring amber eyes, her exquisitely white skin, and her pink lips all made my heart beat faster after every close encounter...Is there a problem with the regularity of my heartbeat?

"Kya!"

Nogizaka-san seemed to have tripped over something...it should be the reading chair again, right? She lost her balance, but fortunately, she broke her fall just before her face was about to come into contact with the floor. That was close!

"Why is there a chair here..."

How could you say that when the chair's always been here, and you've already tripped over it once before already?

"I've embarrassed myself again, I'm so clumsy!"

She smiled embarrassingly before continuing to walk, but promptly tripped over another chair, and fell flat on the floor this time.

"..."

I was thinking, she can't be...

Nogizaka-san's a little...no, extremely dense.

"...I've been tripping over or knocking into things since young."

Nogizaka-san answered the question in my mind.

"I would be able to fall down even when walking on flat ground, and I've even walked into electrical poles and parked cars."

"You're not good at sports?"

But I had thought that she does quite well during physical education classes.

"Hmm......I don't think this has got anything to do with physical ability."

"...I think you're right."

Was she really like this? I've never seen her trip over something or knock into something at school though.

"I'm usually extremely careful...but maybe it's because Ayase-kun has already seen me trip over something that I probably subconsciously let my guard down, leading to me to trip over more things."

Nogizaka-san smiled abashedly. Looks like she's been putting in a lot of effort to maintain her public image.

"...Ah, what have I been saying! We should quickly return the book!"

The red-faced Nogizaka-san suddenly remembered our mission and walked towards the book-returning counter, this time not tripping over anything. After reaching the counter, Nogizaka-san immediately turned on the computer, which powered up with a whir as the monitor displayed the operating system.

"Hey, I suddenly thought of something."

"Thought of what?"

"Even if the book was returned now, won't the data be stored in the computer?"

It's a computer specially designed to handle the borrowing and returning of library books. Which is why the date and time of all transactions would definitely be recorded in the computer. To be more precise, in the hard-disk of the computer. It'll definitely show that on the twenty-second day of April, at 23:08, book number 1203 (INNOCENT SMILE) was returned to the library.

"..."

Nogizaka-san froze for five seconds.

"...I never thought of that."

Hey, Hey!

"Hmm...There's got to be a way. Let's think logically. Since no one in their right minds would return a book at this time, I would expect the librarian to assume that there's a problem with the data. People always look for a reason to explain such small and insignificant inconsistencies."

Maybe she's right. But I would never have guessed that she had this careless side to her.

"Please wait for a moment while I return the book."

Nogizaka-san concentrated on the computer in front of her after saying that.

I had nothing to do, so I couldn't help but look at Nogizaka-san, who had both eyes on the monitor.

Sleek, black hair, snowy white skin, under the weak light of the moon and the reflection of the light from the screen, her body was bathed in a bluish white light, making her look as mysterious as the Goddess of healing magic in legends. She's the beautiful, clever, dignified and musically talented 'Nuit Étoile'. But the string of compliments didn't seem to fit the girl standing in front of me.

Because my impression of Nogizaka-san isn't like this.

Before this, I had thought of Nogizaka-san as a calm and collected lady. And I'm sure the rest of my classmates would see her in the same way.

But right now, I finally understand why we can never judge a book by its cover.

Which daughter of a wealthy and powerful family would illegally infiltrate her own school just to return an otaku magazine?

And even crying while tripping over numerous things in front of another in the process, embarrassing herself by being extremely clumsy...

But, compared to the normally perfect Nogizaka-san, I felt that the Nogizaka-san that I was seeing right now was more 'human'. A much better feeling. But I guess I should keep such thoughts to myself! Because Nogizaka-san probably won't be happy with that, even if I thought this side of her was better.

"Nogizaka-san."

"Yes?"

Nogizaka-san didn't turn her gaze as she continued to operate the computer.

"Why did you start this hobby...I mean, how did you become an otaku?"

I finally asked that question! God, what have I said! I had already promised Nogizaka-san not to speak of this anymore.

"Hmm, how..."

Surprisingly, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to mind it at all as she answered my question.

"Actually, I'm not very sure myself, by the time I realized it, I was already an otaku. Just that...I'm quite sure that 'that' set off this whole hobby of mine."

She place a finger on the edge of her mouth as she thought about what 'that' was.

"This happened about six years ago. Because I quarreled with my parents over all the skills that I had to learn, I ran to a park near my house to cry. The reason for that quarrel should have been...I had promised some friends to go and play together, but it clashed with my Japanese dance class so I couldn't go. That was the first time anyone had invited me out to play, so I was extremely happy, but I had to reject their invitation because my parents had enrolled me in Japanese dance classes...I was really upset, so I ran out to the park to cry my heart out. I ignored the stares of people passing by and just wailed. I think I probably wanted someone to come over and comfort me, but this world wasn't as caring as I had thought it was. More than a few people walked past me, but they all ignored me, since a crying kid is really annoying. But...there was one person, just one person came over to talk to me."

Nogizaka-san had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was looking at a distant place.

"Although he was a bit rough about it, he tried his best to comfort me. I still remember what happened as though it was yesterday. At that time...He let me read the first edition of 「INNOCENT SMILE」."

Nogizaka-san continued in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"Before that, I had never read manga before, so it was a refreshing experience for me...In the flash of an eye, I was enraptured by the magazine. People who read manga would feel very happy, and I was probably deeply attracted by that kind of atmosphere...And in the end, I even asked that person to give that first edition to me."

Nogizaka-san laughed.

Wow! What a touching story! How did that guy even think of using the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 to comfort a primary school girl! This guy was incredible.

"That's probably the beginning of my hobby. After that incident, whenever I thought of that happy atmosphere, I would hide and read manga...which is why, even to this day, 「INNOCENT SMILE」 has a special place in my heart."

So that's why she was willing to take the risk to return this book to the library. Even Nobunaga had said that old editions of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 were priceless books, I think I finally understand why Nobunaga would do anything to achieve his goals.

"Phew...I'm finally done."

I heard the sound of the ENTER key being depressed. Looks like our mission was complete.

Nogizaka-san finally noticed my gaze. Just as she stretched in front of the computer screen, she suddenly stopped moving, like an electric toy dog that had run out of batteries.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red due to her embarrassment, a reaction that I would never see in the classroom.

"No...I just think that you're a strange daughter of a wealthy and powerful family."

I told her my honest opinion.

"Hmm...I think it's really rude to say that to the person in question..."

Though she said that, Nogizaka-san didn't look angry at all. On the contrary, I thought she looked rather happy.

"In my opinion...Ayase-kun's much stranger than me. Yes, you're so strange that I can guarantee you'll win any All-Japan weirdo competition that there is."

"Thank you for the compliment."

What kind of competition is that!

"..."

"..."

For a moment, all was quiet.

"...Hahahaha!"

"...Hahahaha!"

In the next moment, both of us looked at each other and laughed. At the stroke of midnight, male and female laughter coming out of the empty library! If anyone hears that, there'll probably be a new version of the seven mysteries of the school. That'll be 'The terrifying maniacal laughter of a spirit couple in the library at midnight'.

I don't long how long we stood there laughing.

After our laughter had subsided, Nogizaka-san suddenly spoke rather seriously.

"I had thought......that everything was over." She began to talk about such a thing abruptly.

"Everything was over?"

"Yes."

Nogizaka-san nodded her head furiously.

"At the time when Ayase-kun saw that I had borrowed 「INNOCENT SMILE」, and also saw me trip and fall...I thought that everyone would know that I have this kind of hobby, and then everyone will look at me with strange looks and make fun of me. I really thought that it was going to turn out like that."

She's right. Although I didn't do it because I come into contact with such material on a regular basis through Nobunaga, there were many people in society who looked down on people with such hobbies. If anyone knew that the 'Nuit Étoile' was an otaku, that person would probably announce it to the whole school without hesitation.

Wait a minute, Nogizaka-san's tone seems to be suggesting that...

"Nogizaka-san, did you think that I would go around telling everyone that you're an otaku?"

Could it be that she thinks I'm that kind of person?

Nogizaka-san looked away embarrassedly.

"I'm...I'm really sorry! Because I didn't know what kind of person you are! So I couldn't deny that there was a definite possibility of that happening. And I've almost never talked to guys before...So I was a little afraid...of you."

"Never talked to..."

Nogizaka-san? The 'Nuit Étoile'? Now I would have never known that!

"For some reason, guys are always extremely stiff around me, unable to relax like they do around other girls. It seems that only Ayase-kun's able to talk to me normally."

I think it's because Nogizaka-san's too cute and perfect. But...I don't have to be like the other guys!

Nogizaka-san continued,

"Which is why I really thought that everything was over, so much so that I even thought about running away to a faraway place...But the truth has proven that I was wrong, because Ayase-kun kept his promise and didn't tell anyone about my hobby, and even after knowing about my hobby, you didn't make fun of me. You treated me like a normal person....and even helped me. If not for you, I really won't know what I would have done...I think I'm really despicable to doubt you in the first place, I really want to shout out how much of an idiot I am. I really......really want to thank you, Ayase-kun."

Nogizaka-san stood in front of me as she gave a curtsy to me to express her gratitude.

"Thank you......Thank you so much for everything you've done!"

That posture was extremely similar to one I had seen in a certain magazine a few days ago, but now that Nogizaka-san was the one doing it, it was probably the cutest pose of the century...

Just as I was about to lose all sense of reason...

Shuffle, shuffle!

"!?"

A sound came from behind the shelves.

"What...what was that......sound?"

Nogizaka-san grabbed me with lightning-quick reflexes. This kind of speed is the type that would only appear when one's caught in a fire...no, it should be an inhuman display of fleet-footedness, right? Whatever the reason as to Nogizaka-san's unnatural display of power, the point is, my arm came into contact with two soft orbs...

"It...It seems to have come from the other side of the shelves, could it be the 'dead book-reader'...

"Spirits don't exist in this world..."

They don't exist...Or rather, I hope they don't exist.

"What do we do?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me anxiously. There are three courses of action available to me right now. One, under the influence of my considerable curiosity, I go over to check it out. Two, remain calm and run away. Three, pretend to be frightened and take advantage of the situation to hug Nogizaka-san. Personally, I hope to choose number three, but...No, it's merely my personal fantasy, I could get charged for sexual harassment.

Logically, I should choose option two, since we've already done what we set out to do, there's no need to find out about anything that doesn't concern us.

"Ah, Ayase-kun..."

"I'll go and take a look, wait here for me."

She hugged me tightly around my waist.

"I'm going with you."

"But, you may see something scary..."

"I'll be even more afraid if I were to stay here by myself."

She's right.

"Then, let's go over together?"

"Al...Alright..."

The two of us started to walk towards the direction in which the strange sound had come from.

"I think...that sound came from the shelve with the music scores."

"Music scores?"

We even have music scores in our library? I only thought that it was weird they had 「INNOCENT SMILE」, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise if they had music scores as well.

"It's around here."

Under the guidance of Nogizaka-san, just as we neared the corner of the shelf in question...

Dangdangdang.......

We heard a different sound from just now.

Shuffle shuffle...

And then we heard the sound of a book dropping onto the floor.

"Kya..."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my hand while covering her ears with surprising agility.

"I think..."

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"It must be the 'dead book-reader'...Ayase-kun! I think we should run!"

"No, wait a moment..."

The sound of books dropping onto the floor stopped, but another sound took its place. Dingdangdangdingdangdang...It sounded familiar. Ah...could it be 'that'!

"Ah, Ayase-kun!"

I went up to the shelf and saw my conjecture validated.

"...It's a cellphone."

There was a white object on the shelf with the music scores, the white object was vibrating as it knocked into the music scores on the shelf. Because it's a cellphone that's receiving a call.

"...I seem to have seen this somewhere."

There was a keychain on it with YUKARI spelled out in English. Ah! Didn't that person say that she lost her cellphone? It looked as though she left it here when she came to borrow music scores. She really knows how to create a stir! I decided to return it to her tomorrow as I turned off the power to cut off its annoying ringtone.

"Nogizaka-san, it's alright, I've found the source of the sounds."

I called out to the ashen-faced, shivering Nogizaka-san who was hiding behind the shelf. Probably because the strange sounds had disappeared, Nogizaka-san seemed to have relaxed a little as she slowly made her way towards me.

"You know what was causing those sounds?"

"Yes, this is the source of it all"

I showed the white cellphone that had the opposite color to its owner's heart to Nogizaka-san, as she slumped down onto the ground as though her soul had just been sucked away.

"Ah, I feel weak now that I've loosened up ."

Nogizaka-san seemed to have been scared witless. This was the first time I've seen someone who's been scared to that extent, and that person was the 'Nuit Étoile'...It was a scene straight from the world of slapstick comedy.

"Hah..."

I couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that I was laughing at her, Nogizaka-san puffed out her cheeks.

"What...What are you laughing about! What's so funny? It's not like I did it on purpose, it's because...because it was too terrifying!"

She was retaliating, but soon stopped.

"You're......really a strange person."

"Same to you to!"

And then we looked at each other and started laughing again, laughing so loudly that even the people staying beside the school would probably be able to hear us.

Maybe a new version of the seven mysteries of the school would be heard in school tomorrow?

==5==
We finally completed our mission.

As we walked out of the school gate, Nogizaka-san bowed deeply to me.

"Thank you so much for today, Ayase-kun, you saved my life. Maybe...Today's actions wasn't legal, but I was very happy."

It was fun. Yeah, that expression was pretty improper, but it wasn't without its merit. That's why I could respond with a large smile.

"You're welcome, I enjoyed myself too."

Those were my true feelings.

"You...can just call me Haruka."

Nogizaka-san requested timidly.

"I'm saying that, you can just call me by my name. It feels like I'm an outsider if you keep calling me Nogizaka-san. No, I am an outsider, ah, I don't mean it that way...sob, I'm really bad at this...anyway, I wish that you'll call me Haruka and not Nogizaka-san."

She was serious about that.

Hmm...I don't know why she would be so flustered, but since she was the one who requested me to call her by her name, I don't think there should be any problems. To be honest, I felt that it would be an honor to be able to call her by her name.

"I got it, so I'll just call you...Haruka."

"Yes!"

Nogizaka-san nodded her head happily...No, I should refer to her as Haruka now. Right now, Haruka looked extremely cute.

"Then you should also call me Yuuto, all my good friends call me that."

For some reason, I suddenly felt embarrassed as I purposely looked away from her.

"Good friends..."

Haruka mumbled before smiling again, an honest smile straight from the heart that I've never seen before in the classroom.

"I got it, Yuuto, please take care of me from now on."

And thus, the relationship between Nogizaka Haruka and I began.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1 Chapter1

2009-08-10T16:19:20Z

Seaghyn16: fixed one of the lines left in Japanese text

===Chapter 1===
__NOTOC__
==1==
The lunch break on that day wasn't any different from the usual lunch breaks.

I was eating lunch and chatting with a few classmates that I was close to (Nagai, Takenami, and Ogawa, more commonly known as the three idiots) in the 2-1 classroom of the private high school Hakujo Academy. The topic of conversation would probably induce suicidal thoughts in other people.

"That's why I think that the female sports uniform should have bloomers, anyone who wears [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_shorts Bermuda shorts] that reach down to the knees isn't human. Anyone who's opposed to this motion isn't a citizen of Japan."

"That's right, I think so too."

"You're absolutely right."

Ogawa and Takenami nodded their heads vigorously in agreement with Nagai's opinion.

"Yuuto, what do you think?"

"Hmm? Well, I'm alright with anything I guess."

I really was alright with anything that the girls wore, which was why I answered the way I did.

"Alright with anything? It's because of your sitting-on-the-fence attitude that Japan has been brought to its current state of affairs. You're always like this, not taking sides on anything."

"Ayase, that's what you are. You don't have your own opinion on anything, you always cross the bridge only when you bump into it, you'll be sorry one day if you continue like this."

"That's right, you can't carry on like this!"

The three of them took turns to take shots at me, but they were merely meddling in other people's affairs. I don't deny that I'm an irresponsible and insensitive guy (though it's rather embarrassing that I say that about myself), but even I don't want to hear such criticism from three guys who discuss bloomers with perfectly straight faces.

"Alright, let's do this! You can listen to our respective arguments before deciding which side you're on. We'll start with the visual impact of bloomers."

Gosh, they really are the 'three idiots'.

I sighed soundlessly while casually looking around the classroom. Everything was normal, as the students were eating lunch while chatting with their friends, making up the familiar lunchtime scenery.

The spot in the classroom that attracted me the most was that seat next to the corridor. Because in the classroom that is so messy that it would make even the monkey closure look tidy, only that particular spot had a soothing and comforting aura around it.

In this place, there's a beautiful girl endowed with the nickname "Nuit Étoile".

She's my classmate, Nogizaka Haruka.

She had probably finished lunch already, as she leaned slightly backward and was concentrating on the book that she held in her left hand. The way she flipped the pages of her book with her fingers looked like a scene straight out of a painting. Colloquially, it means that she's too cute to describe. Or perhaps I should say that she's the very embodiment of a perfect and beautiful lady. Anyway, it seems as though all traces of corruption could be washed away just by looking at her.

[[Image:NHnH vol01 021.jpg|thumb]]

I stared, mesmerized at Nogizaka Haruka with my mouth stuffed with bread (while completely ignoring the discussion between Nagai and the others). Yes, the psychological wound received a few moments ago had already been healed. The feeling of pure bliss would probably be something like this, right?

I immersed myself in the joy of watching her while fantasizing.

But after a few short minutes, this feeling of bliss was abruptly ended.

I heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the corridor. It wasn't a very loud voice, but it would probably take up a lot of my time, since it's probably Nobunaga. I sighed soundlessly again; here comes another idiot.

"Is Yuuto here?"

Just as I expected, a familiar face appeared at the entrance of the classroom. He's a petite pretty boy with light brown hair whom others would mistake as a girl from afar. This fellow started shouting the moment he saw me.

"Ah! There you are! Yuuto, did you catch the anime that aired late last night? I recorded it as I watched because I feel that that's the best way to appreciate it."

The volume of his voice attracted some attention from the other students in class, but after everyone saw that it was from Nobunaga, they resumed whatever it was they were doing immediately. I don't know how to put it, but either way, my classmates have gotten used to his presence after he's been coming over to talk to me since the start of the school year.

"You didn't watch it? Yesterday's 「The Shy Triangle」 will air its last episode next week, and the climax of the entire series is when the good friend of the protagonist...Ah, the DVD seems to be going on sale soon, I'll definitely go and buy it, since it's going to be limited edition and will come with a figurine of the protagonist 'Clumsy girl Aki-chan'..."

The guy who ran into my classroom and started talking about a topic that one would find hard to associate with based on his appearance is Asakura Nobunaga. I've known him since kindergarten, which is why you could use the phrase 'hellish bonds of friendship' to describe our relationship, though he's still a good friend of mine, since he doesn't get me into any trouble. Honestly speaking, he's still quite a cheerful and sociable person, which is why he can strike up a conversation with almost anyone. His academic results are extremely good, with Physics and Mathematics being his best subjects. From his earlier actions, you can tell that his hobby is rather extreme, a form of otaku-ism...which is what we all know as the 'Akihabara clan'. The man whose name is a combination of the names of two imperial generals has a weak looking exterior and a hobby which does not fit the names of a warring general nor his appearance. In conclusion, he's a guy with complicated characteristics and hard to place into any category.

"Yuuto, you've really missed out by not watching. This anime series was adapted from a manga, but is something like a tale prior to the story, explaining why the protagonist and his best friend turning against each other......"

"Ah------ I got that already!"

I had to do something to shut him up or he'll eat up my entire lunch break. I took this course of action precisely based on past experience.

"It's not nice of you to be such a wet blanket when I was just getting into my rhythm!"

"It's not nice of you to suddenly run into someone else's classroom to spam him with your personal hobby!"

"Is that so? But doesn't everyone like to talk about these kind of things?"

"Please do not think that everyone is like you!"

"Hmm, but, you like these kind of things, don't you?"

"Don't I always say that I don't have any special inclination?"

I don't like it, but I don't hate it either. I don't agree with it, but I don't disagree with it either. This is my stance regarding this fellow, and the rest of the Akihabara clan. No, to be more precise, it's more of 'I don't really understand them'. In short, I'm still quite mystified regarding the age-old question of 'why are people at this age still so interested in cartoons', and even more surprising, I'm actually good friends with someone like this.

"Hmm...But I've always thought that you have the right attributes."

What kind of attributes?

"That's the highest level of praise that I'll give to anyone, you know. Hmm...let's not talk about this anymore. Yuuto, I've got big news for you!"

"Big news?"

I felt that what this fellow was going to say probably won't be anything serious and wholesome, but...

"I've been looking for a certain magazine all this while, haven't I? Our school's library finally bought this old issue! Our library's the best,I can import in any rare book that I want by just filling in an application form. The school can afford to buy all these books because of the extremely generous donation they have been receiving. Their funds seem limitless. Money really makes the world go round indeed, yah~"

Nobunaga grinned widely as he babbled on and on about this big news.

Magazine? I seem to remember him asking me to help look for a magazine with an extremely strange name a while back. Looks like the school had approved his application form.

"......Wait a minute, did you fake an application form?"

I looked at him suspiciously.

"That's rude, I would never do something like that."

Nobunaga shook his head as he gave a 'you're totally wrong' expression, and then answered with a perfectly straight face, "I merely threatened them."

That's even worse.

But that fellow completely ignored my reaction.

"「INNOCENT SMILE」 is an extremely famous magazine! The original manga of the anime that aired yesterday night was serialized in this magazine. It wasn't too long ago, so you probably should have some memory of it. It caused quite a stir when its first edition came out."

Just as Nobunaga went into his extremely long-winded debate mode, there was a huge noise in the classroom.

Our position was in the middle of the classroom, while the sound came from the opposite direction. To be more precise, it came from the second-last seat from the corridor, which was the place that held my attention before Nobunaga came in. From a certain perspective, that was the one place in class that would never be associated with loud and jarring noises.

But right now, Nogizaka-san was standing there with her eyes trained on the two of us, a chair lying face-down beside her feet, the source of that loud noise.

The classroom suddenly became extremely quiet. Nogizaka-san, who always wore an expression of peaceful serenity, now had a disturbed expression on her face.

"No...Nogizaka-san, what happened?"

"I...I don't know, we didn't do anything weird did we?"

"She seems to be looking at Ayase-kun..."

Murmurings were heard in the classroom.

Did we do something wrong?

Even though I felt that we hadn't done anything, the sharp gaze that Nogizaka-san threw at us was that of a policewoman who has just caught a molester in the act on a crowded train. Under a gaze of that nature, Nobunaga and I really looked like we had done something against the welfare of society, and the looks of the rest of the class seemed to ask the exact same question, 'What did the two of you do?'.

"Yuuto, what do we do? Everyone's looking at us."

"Ye......Yeah......"

I thought that the most probable reason would be that Nobunaga's voice was way too loud, disturbing Nogizaka-san's reading. Even though I was already used to it, Nobunaga's voice would naturally become extremely loud when he talked about his hobby. It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if that had disturbed Nogizaka-san.

Which would mean that we had really done something wrong. So we should properly apologize.

Under the watchful eyes of the rest of the class, I walked towards Nogizaka-san's seat.

"Erm......I'm sorry for disturbing you with our loud conversation."

I bowed deeply as an apology, Nogizaka-san's expression then seems to have regained herself.

"Ah, that's not it, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to blame the two of you or anything, so you don't have to apologize to me."

"?"

But, weren't you glaring at the two of us just a few moments ago?

"It's nothing, so, it's nothing......I'm sorry for troubling everyone."

After saying that, Nogizaka-san politely bowed to the rest of the class as she righted her chair and sat down as though nothing had happened.

However, this left us extremely confused.

"What just happened?"

"I don't know...... Wasn't it because of the noise you were making?"

"I'm not noisy!"

I ignored Nobunaga's contradictary loud shout to defend his stand that he's not loud, but instead I stared at Nogizaka-san like someone who has been played around with by a fox spirit. On the regal face of the "Nuit Étoile", a trace of uneasiness could still be seen... there has to be some reason for that.

Deviating from the topic at hand, from the time when Nobunaga rushed into the classroom to when Nogizaka stared at us, Nagai and the other two were still heatedly debating on the topic of bloomers. Should that be called concentration, or just plain stupidity?

I think the correct answer should be the latter.

Actually, I don't really care if they're idiots or not.

The fifth and sixth periods ended without incident. After class had ended, I walked towards the library only because that Nobunaga told me......

"Yuuto, I'm really sorry, but could you help me return this book to the library? Since you're free after school anyway, while I have to rush back to finish the walkthrough for One Face--"

Oh, the nerve of him to ask me to do something like this! One Face could be the sacrifice he makes to his dog for all I care! Even though I seem to recall that this guy only has a cat......If it's like this, then he should have just returned it yesterday! But I still agreed to help him, just like I always do (like lending him my textbooks when he forgets his, repairing his computer when his breaks down......etc), oh well, since I really had nothing to do after school.

And this was why I came to the library, a place where I almost never set foot in.

It was said that the rate of usage for our library was unbelievably low, because, yours truly included, the number of people who've actually used the library could be counted on one hand. To increase the rate of usage of the library, the school had even set up an electronic lending system, renovated the library to be an extremely comfortable place for reading, and had bought books of all genres. But to the modern generation of children who're far disposed from printed products, all these measures were for naught, as nothing had changed. With me as an example, other than using the library for a good place to nap during lunch break, I've almost never utilized the resources available here.

Anyway, because of the pitiful number of users, I shouldn't need much time to return a book.

I walked towards the computer terminal and started to tap the keyboard. One has to use the computer to borrow or return books, which was rather tedious (Nobunaga said that once you get used to it, computers would definitely be faster than human processing). Oh well, if I felt that something as simple as this was tedious, then I probably won't be able to survive in modern society. The man who doesn't learn will never get to eat. I entered the reference code of the book and my student identification number......OK, that's it. I only have to return the book to its place on the shelf (By the way, the title of the book is 「Pretty Girl Models Collection III --- The History of Ball Joints」). Our school really does buy everything. Mission accomplished, I can go home now.

Just as I prepared to walk towards the exit.

"..."

I spotted a suspicious character.

How should I put this? Mm, this was an extremely suspicious character, for that person who seemed to be a female student was hiding her face with her schoolbag while attempting to move stealthily behind the bookshelves like a ninja or assassin . It would be strange not to classify this kind of situation as suspicious. What was that person trying to do? She seemed to be trying to conceal her movements, but her actions were merely serving to highlight them.

In any case, it would be better not to come into contact with someone like that. Disaster strikes from the mouth, so it would be better to rein in that curiosity of yours before you die an unpleasant death. Just as I decided to pretend not to see anything and get out of the library---I saw the face of the suspicious character behind the bookshelf.

At that moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I thought I was hallucinating due to the rejection reaction of my brain towards this library that I almost never step into.

"......"

Why would I think that way?

Because I was extremely familiar with that face.

"That's......"

Nogizaka-san?

As unbelievable as it sounds, that suspicious person really was Nogizaka Haruka. I would never miss that beautiful face of hers even if I was a mile away. But, why was she behaving so strangely?

I was bursting with questions, but Nogizaka-san didn't notice me as she ambled up to the computer terminal beside me with the air of a 15-year old girl who's preparing to steal a motorcycle in the middle of the night and began to type. I saw a magazine beside her, so she was probably planning to borrow it.

Tap, tap, I heard the sound of fingers on the keyboard.

She had probably finished borrowing the book, as Nogizaka-san lifted her head from the terminal with the smile of a German expert. Just as she prepared to walk towards the exit......

Our eyes met.

"..."

"..."

At that moment, time stopped.

"..."

"..."

"...Erm...What brings you here?"

That was what I wanted to ask her, but it wasn't surprising that Nogizaka-san would look at me as though she was looking at that legendary giant monster Uma, because the probability of meeting me in the library was lower than meeting a yeti.

"Since when have you been standing here?"

"For a while now."

"You...You saw it?"

"?"

Saw what?

"You...You saw the book that I borrowed..."

"No, I didn't see it..."

"Oh, is that so? Hoo!"

Nogizaka-san's expression was reminiscent of a middle-aged manager who just found out that he wasn't on the list of retrenched personnel. What's happening?

"?"

"Ah! It...It's nothing, Ayase-kun, please don't think about it, I'll be going now."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly nodded to me as she strode towards the exit. Maybe because she was disturbed by my presence, but she totally didn't notice that she was walking towards a reading table and chair set.

"Ah...Nogizaka-san, that's......"

"Hiiee!?"

And then!

Smash!

In the midst of the noise of falling furniture, Nogizaka-san, who'd tripped over a chair, fell onto her back. This was a breathtaking set of actions that one would be hard-pressed to produce.

"Ou...Ouch! Why would there be a chair here..."

Things were becoming stranger, those chairs have always been there, and the serenely-peaceful Nogizaka-san would actually do something out of character. Just what was happening? Perhaps this was what 'even the most complete strategy could fail' was referring to?

Whatever the case, I couldn't possibly just leave her there, so I helped Nogizaka-san up. From a certain perspective, Nogizaka-san probably brought it upon herself! But it would have been ungentlemanly of me not to help a girl who has just fallen down in front of you (especially if that girl is Nogizaka Haruka), and I have a National Gentlemanly Conduct Grade 2 certificate......Even though I say so myself.

"Ah......Thank you! I'm so sorry!"

After helping up the almond-eyed Nogizaka-san, I turned my eyes to her personal belongings that were scattered all over the place.

It was really a mess, but just as I was going to help her pick up her things...

"No...You can't!"

That scream was unbelievably loud, the kind that you hear when a bedroom scene suddenly shows on the T.V. when you're eating with your family. I can't? What does she mean? Is she saying that I'm not allowed to touch her personal things with my dirty hands......? No, I don't think Nogizaka-san would think that way.

"?"

Although I didn't know why Nogizaka-san wanted to stop me, I still reached out to help her pick up the magazine.

"No, don't do it!"

Nogizaka-san reached out towards the magazine at my feet like a depraved bandit.

But...

"Ah?"

On the path of her trajectory, there was a mathematics notebook!

"Ah? This...!?"

She stepped onto that notebook with one hundred percent accuracy!!

"Ehhhhhhh!?"

The foot that had all the force of her body weight behind it, was set free from its contact with the ground by virtue of the friction (or lack thereof) between the notebook and the floor of the library!

"Kyaaaaaa!"

And then, her body flew into the air, while directly in front of her......was a bookshelf.

Smash! Boom!

In the midst of an even louder crash, the bookshelf toppled over from Nogizaka-san's spinning attack. And then, the toppled shelf hit the one beside it, and the one beside it toppled over onto another shelf......the bookshelves toppled one by one like dominoes.

In the space of a few short seconds, all the bookshelves had toppled over.

"..."

In mere instant, the library had become ground zero.

Erm......

What just happened? I frantically tried to piece together the chronology of events.

What I see now is a library floor that's completely covered with books, making it look like a library from hell, and Nogizaka-san, who's never gotten into a fight her whole life, but had boldly smashed her way towards the bookshelf, plus her personal belongings that were spread out all over the floor.

What am I doing here?

Though I had blanked out for a moment there, I suddenly remembered what I was doing when I looked at all the things on the floor. That's right, I was trying to help Nogizaka-san pick up her personal belongings.

Nogizaka-san didn't seem to be hurt, so I wanted to help her pick everything up. And the first book that I picked up was that magazine by my feet!!!

---I finally found out the reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

"..."

"..."

There was an anime-style picture with a girl who had hair the color of the sky, something that could never be achieved through natural genetic inheritance, and a pair of biologically impossible large and sparkling eyes. The girl was smiling as she grabbed the hem of her skirt lightly with her fingers.

Below the picture was an overly photoshopped caption which read 「INNOCENT SMILE」 in bold and think yellow letters.

"This..."

I was speechless for a moment. This...was definitely the magazine that Nobunaga was talking about. But, why would Nogizaka-san want to borrow this book...

I had no time to continue my line of thought before a surprising voice entered my ears.

"Sob...sob...I've been seen, I've been seen!"

I only realized that the situation was serious when I saw that it was the sound of Nogizaka-san crying.

Due to the commotion, a few students from the art room had already gathered at the library.

"It's all over......sob..."

Nogizaka-san was still crying.

Actually, in this kind of situation, I felt that I should be the one that it was 'all over' for.

The stares from the surrounding students were sharp and piercing, turning the library into a much more dangerous place. Though there were only four or five students from the art room at the scene, their looks made me feel like I was the kind of contemptible man who extorted money from his girlfriend until she couldn't take it anymore and wanted a break-up, whereupon I bullied her until she cried. That kind of look was extremely uncomfortable to bear.

"What's happening? Aren't those two dating? -whisper whisper-"

"They are? But the guy looks like he doesn't really care about what's happening? -whisper whisper-"

"Was he the one who pushed down all the bookshelves? -whisper whisper-"

"Isn't he Ayase-kun of class 1? -whisper whisper-"

Listening to the contents of the whisperings, the only bright spot was that they hadn't realized that the crying girl was Nogizaka Haruka.

"The girl must have been begging him not to abandon her when he pushed her into the bookshelves."

"How could he! That's despicable!"

"Enemy of all women!"

"Detestable man!"

They were really going overboard here.

But from an objective point of view, it really did look like I had made Nogizaka-san cry, because that was practically the only possibility that could be inferred from the situation in the library, so I couldn't really blame the whispering students either.

In a nutshell, one thing was certain.

And that was, if I continued to stay at the scene of the crime, my bad reputation will be the talk of the entire school by tomorrow morning.

That's why...

With reference to the wisdom passed down by our ancestors, it was time to make a retreat! Therefore I picked up the stuff scattered all over the floor at breakneck speed, grabbed the hand of Nogizaka-san, who was still crying, and ran for dear life!! In truth...

We really were running for our lives!! From the library that is. From behind us...

"Ah! They've escaped!"

"He's kidnapping her?"

"They're eloping?"

"It should be the former, it's obvious that it's the former."

Those few lines were slightly better. But, why must they see me as the villain? I haven't done anything wrong.

Even I felt like crying, but while a woman's tears are like pearls, a man's tears are merely salt water. Other than the ability to melt slugs, salt water was practically useless.

But...why did it turn out like this?

I sighed deeply as I tried to look for a place where we wouldn't be seen. My feelings right now were heavier than a meat-cow that was being sent to the slaughterhouse.

Because of this...

I, who had been accused of breaking the law and of being a detestable man, finally made it out of the library with Nogizaka-san in tow, coming to a stop on the roof of the school. To someone without a corporate  brain like me, this was the only place I could think of which could let us talk in peace and not be seen.

Nogizaka-san had already stopped crying...but right now, she still wore a blank expression as her shoulders continued to shiver, giving an impression that was completely different from the perfect 'Nuit Étoile', as she appeared to be infinitely delicate. I had never noticed that Nogizaka-san was actually so petite.

There was only one reason behind Nogizaka-san's panic.

And that was the copy of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 that I held in my left hand.

Because everything happened so fast, I had no time to organize my thoughts. But after calming down and thinking about it, I understood why she was in such a panic.

Which is to say...

"Nogizaka-san...You're an otaku..."

Nogizaka-san gave a start at my words. Bingo! Looks like I was right!

Which means that the incident at lunch break was only her reaction to Nobunaga's reference to 「INNOCENT SMILE」. But no, now is not the time to be calmly analyzing her actions.

Nogizaka-san was extremely depressed.

Looks like Nogizaka-san was extremely bothered by the fact that someone knew that she was an otaku, but it was indeed extremely surprising.

Normal people would be more condemning with regards to the different hobbies of a small group of people, but there were so many of such things in Nobunaga's room that it made you want to vomit (literally), so I don't really mind these kind of things.

"Erm, Nogizaka-san..."

I decided to move on.

"...Mm?"

A flash of fear suddenly cut across Nogizaka-san's dull-looking eyes.

"Erm...I've already forgotten everything that I saw today."

"Huh?"

Nogizaka-san, who was looking like a wilted flower, finally perked up a little.

"I'm not saying that I don't care about you......but you seem to be extremely disturbed about this incident, right? So I'll forget everything that has happened today, I won't tell anyone about this, and I won't mention it in front of you either, so you don't need to worry."

"..."

After listening to my long sentence, Nogizaka-san had a stunned expression on her face, looking like a deer that was going to be shot by a hunter. Did I say anything weird?

"..."

For a while, Nogizaka-san stopped moving. Hmm...this looks bad, and it could become even worse if I don't try to cheer her up. Just as I started to think of ways to do that...

"Ayase-kun, please do not take me for an idiot, and please do not look at me with such a strange gaze."

Nogizaka-san spoke.

"Strange gaze? What do you mean?"

"Well......Because......most people are openly disapproving of this kind of hobby. So..."

Maybe she had thought of something, which was why Nogizaka-san would say this kind of thing. Openly disapproving? Though there was some truth in that, but...

"I understand what you're trying to say, but...even if you have that kind of hobby, a normal person is still a normal person, a strange person is still a strange person. That's why I don't believe in judging a person by their hobbies."

Nobunaga is the best example. He's the perfect embodiment of an otaku, and though he is a bit...strange, he's definitely not a bad person, or I wouldn't have been his best friend for more than ten years.

"But...But..."

Nogizaka-san still had a worried look on her face. Hmm...How should I explain this?

"What I mean is, even if you have this kind of hobby, but you're still you, right? That won't change, so you don't have to think about it so much."

"I'm...still myself?"

Nogizaka-san stuttered a reply.

"That's right! To be honest, being an otaku is just another hobby. In the end, I just think that it's an accompanying gift of a person's character. Because the nature of that gift differs from one person to the next, it's merely a small part of a person's character. A person's most important part shouldn't be here, should it? And..."

"...And what?"

"Hmm...I don't really know how to say this. But when I found out that you have a side that no one else knows about, I felt that it was really interesting..."

"Huh..."

"Or maybe I should say that I feel that I've gotten a little closer to you, so I'm happy..."

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red.

Although my words seemed to be nonchalant, it was a true reflection of my feelings.

But Nogizaka-san seemed to be seriously listening to my words.

"You're probably the first person to say this to me."

Probably? If not for this chance encounter, I didn't think I'd say something like this to the 'Nuit Étoile' either.

"Anyway, that's how it is, so I don't think you need to be too bothered by it."

Seeing that Nogizaka-san had calmed down, I passed the magazine to her, patted her lightly on the shoulder, and left the roof of the school building. I walked down the stairs, changed shoes at the lobby, and walked out of the school gate, finally able to move freely again.

I lectured Nogizaka Haruka.

I actually lectured Nogizaka-san with a mountain of extremely weird talk. Something which I really regret doing now, because I actually lectured a classmate with whom I had barely exchanged two sentences with before. Looks like I'm the weird one here. But it was all over now, and there was no point thinking about how I regret doing it.

In conclusion, my relationship with Nogizaka Haruka should probably stop here shouldn't it?

No matter how you look at it, she's the prettiest girl in school, she's an extremely smart girl with brilliant academic results, and also the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Japan, while I'm an average common citizen. Even if I do know that Nogizaka-san has her panicky moments, even if that has brought me closer to her, to be honest, we're still two people from completely different worlds. Today's incident was merely an accidental crossing of two parallel lines.

At least, that was what I had thought at that time.

==2==

Over the next few days, nothing of particular importance happened.

Nogizaka-san was still the school's most unattainable girl, while I continued to stumble through school. Rushing into class before the first bell rang, fighting against the sleep demon during lessons, chatting with Nagai and the others for a few minutes after lessons, either going to the arcade or listening to Nobunaga's endless fountain of otaku knowledge after school. I didn't have any goal in life, and I've never had a lifelong dream either. Though my everyday life was boring, it was extremely stable; it was the average life that I loved.

But within these unchanging days, I realized that one thing had changed.

And that was...

From that day onwards, the times which my gaze settled on Nogizaka-san has increased. In the classroom, I suddenly realized that I was staring at her. Hmm...Just what is happening?

"About that, I think that's called love."

"Argh!?"

Nobunaga's idiotic face suddenly appeared from the side.

"Yo! Yuuto! Let's eat lunch together!"

"When...When did you get here?"

I didn't feel his presence at all.

"Heh heh, stealth is one of my 48 special abilities!"

I've known this fellow for more than ten years, and still do not know everything about him...oh well, not like I want to anyway.

Going back to the main topic.

"Love? Nobunaga, what do you mean?"

"Gaining and losing, unable to differentiate between what's true and what's not, that's a person in love."

I know that, but my situation's not like that.

"I would advise you not to have any ideas about the 'Nuit Étoile'."

Nobunaga ignored my response as he pulled up a chair from a neighboring table to sit in front of me while he began to speak.

"How should I put this...For someone like you, she's in another league. Hmm...it's just that your social statuses are different!"

"Hmm."

"Yuuto, I don't think you know this, but in the little more than a year that she has entered this school, the number of people who have confessed their love for the 'Nuit Étoile' is, 78 guys and 16 girls, 94 people in total, about 20% of our school's population, while the number of people who have been rejected is also 94, which means that there is a 100% chance of getting rejected. An extremely scary statistic isn't it!"

My god...I know that Nogizaka-san was popular, but 16 girls? What's the meaning of that? Girls! And why would this guy have such detailed information on his hands?

"This kind of information gathering is one of the mandatory skills of the modern man. I could also tell you the basic personal information of the 'Nuit Étoile', hmm...Nogizaka Haruka, 16 years-old, born on the 20th of October, 155cm tall, excels at every subject, does not have a weak subject, has a grandfather, her parents, and a sister that's 3 years her junior in her immediate family..."

Nobunaga read off a notebook-like contraption that he fished out of his pocket...when did he become a stalker?

"Hey, don't look at me like I'm some kind of pervert, that's really rude of you! I'm not interested in real-life girls, for 2D girls are better, the most special of them being the cat-maid with a tail......"

I didn't even ask him about that kind of thing, so even if I were to retort, it would be obvious that we were on a different wavelength.

"And in such an information-laden time, anyone would be able to find out such information. This is a digitalized society, though there's a law regarding the protection of personal privacy, as long as one has the will, it's extremely easy to extract such information. Just tell me if you need information regarding other people. I know just about everything about everyone in school."

Nobunaga told me as he smiled generously.

...This person's dangerous! I've got to avoid having him my enemy!

"This is just my personal opinion! It's lamentable, but if you were to attempt to woo the 'Nuit Étoile', I think your chance of failure is 99.9%. According to my sources, even the basketball team captain, Sasaoka-senpai, was one of the rejected. He's actually a man-made hunk who had gone for plastic surgery, so if even someone like him got rejected, you..."

"...Don't look at me with that pitying glimmer in your eyes!"

"No, I'm not saying that you're not good or anything, it's just that you've chosen the hardest opponent of all. I just wanted to warn you that the 'Nuit Étoile' is the strongest opponent in our school."

Nobunaga shrugged as he smiled,

"But, no matter what you decide to do, I'll support you since we're childhood friends."

It's really disgusting to be described as 'childhood friends' by another guy. No, that's not the point.

"...I've never thought of wooing Nogizaka-san."

"Really?"

What are you so suspicious about! I've never told anyone about this from the start.

"Since you said it, let's not talk about this anymore. But, have you heard this phrase before?"

Nobunaga had a wise expression on his face as he continued,

" 'To start to care is to start to fall in love!' BY Asakura Nobunaga."

Just where did he get that from! I've never heard that!

I don't know if it was the influence of Nobunaga's words, but the frequency with which I looked at Nogizaka-san actually increased after that conversation. During lessons, after lessons, after school, as long as I had the chance, I would look for her. This is bad, I seem to have contracted some serious disease.

A few more days passed after that.

This incident happened one morning two weeks after that day.

==3==
"We're going to conduct a personal belongings check now, so please take out everything from your bag!"

The form teacher's, Tanabe Shigeo (38 years-old, male, single), words caused a stir in the classroom. While it was a mandatory check, the students were still understandably unhappy about it.

"Be quiet! I'll be checking the guys, while Kamishiro-sensei will be checking the girls."

Kamishiro-sensei is our assistant-form teacher, and a light music teacher who had only just graduated from an all-girls university last year. She didn't put on any airs, was well-liked by her students, and was also extremely pretty. She's pretty, cute, and her figure's......Hmm? I seem to have deviated from the main topic.

Speaking of which, I immediately thought of one thing when I heard that there was going to be a check.

It can't be that much of a coincidence can it? Nogizaka-san can't be holding that book right now, right?

The time limit for borrowing a book from our school library was two weeks. If she had really held the book until the last day, then she would have to return it today. No, she can't be that unlucky!!

I nonchalantly looked behind me, and saw that Nogizaka-san's face had gone ashen, looking as though she was the victim of a murder.

....Ah, she must be holding the book right now.

"Please endure the check for a while more, it's finishing soon."

As per the instructions of Kamishiro-sensei, the female students began to place their personal belongings on their desks, as Nogizaka-san could only do the same with a helpless look in her eyes. I seemed to have caught a glimpse of the magazine that I had seen two weeks ago hidden among the textbooks and music scores on her table.

What should I do?

I thought about it, and I shouldn't do anything, since it's not like I'm not obliged to help her or anything.

But...

The image of Nogizaka-san crying from two weeks ago suddenly flashed across my mind. Even though I've already seen her uncontrollable sobbing, if that were to repeat itself in front of the entire class, just what kind of situation would it result in? Hmm...I didn't even dare to imagine it, but I know that it wouldn't be pretty for the pampered daughter of a wealthy family like Nogizaka-san to react to this kind of sudden event. She probably wouldn't even know what to do.

Was there really no way around it? No matter if it was a mud boat or the Titanic, she had already boarded the vessel, so I should be doing something to help her. But just as I realized that the opponent was Kamishiro-sensei, I couldn't think of any plan of attack. Two negatives make a positive, there must be a way, I can't miss this opportunity!

God, why is my brain so slow to react in the morning!

I raised my hand to speak.

"I...My stomach really hurts, may I make a trip to the washroom?"

"What's wrong? Did you eat too much for breakfast? Never mind, since you've passed the check already, you may go."

The 38 year-old Tanabe Shigeo obnoxiously said something which implied that he didn't care about his students at all. As he made his way around the desks of his students, I thought that the reason behind the fact that he still hasn't gotten married was due to his character...Oh well, it's not like it's any business of mine. I pretended to be in pain as I slanted my body while walking towards the exit of the classroom, passing by Nogizaka-san's seat in the process.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

After saying that to Nogizaka-san, who was on the verge of tears, I pretended to trip on a bag on the floor as I deliberately fell towards her table.

"Eh? Ah!"

The table fell over as the textbooks, scores and other stuff that were on it flew onto the floor as well. Together with Nogizaka-san's low scream, her surroundings descended into chaos.

"Nogizaka-san, are you alright?"

"Ayase, get lost!"

"All you do is to get in the way of others! You better get away from Nogizaka-san this instant!"

My classmates started shouting at me from all corners of the classroom. How could it be that not even one of them cared about my condition?

"Ayase-kun. What are you doing!?"

Kamishiro-sensei walked over. She probably didn't see it.

"Sorry, I was trying to get to the washroom as soon as possible when I tripped."

"You're always so rash. Alright, just carry on and leave this to me."

"Sorry to trouble you."

I nodded towards Kamishiro-sensei, who had a conspiratorial smile on her face, and hurried out of the classroom.

I walked along the corridor to the washroom, clutching my stomach with one hand.

There shouldn't be a stalker hiding in the men's toilet right now, but for the sake of secrecy, I confirmed that there wasn't anyone else in the washroom before taking out a rectangular object from the inside of my uniform. No prizes for guessing the correct answer, of course it was the 「INNOCENT SMILE」. The blue-haired girl on the cover was still smiling happily. Phew, at least I successfully smuggled it out!

"This is..."

Just as I was congratulating myself, I suddenly realized that there was something else beneath the magazine, an expensive-looking green book. This is a book of musical scores, one of those that was on Nogizaka-san's table. Looks like in my hurry to smuggle the magazine out of the classroom, I had taken something else out along with it.

"Composed by Franz Liszt. Erster Mephisto-Walzer No. 1, S514"

Such a resounding name for a piece. The Waltz of Mephisto. I flipped the book open, only to find that its interior was covered with musical symbols which I didn't understand. Wow.

She's too brilliant! I don't know anything about playing the piano. But in that moment, I already knew that this wasn't a piece that an average high school student could play. Which was why I could only stand there in awe of Nogizaka-san's piano prowess.

I carefully closed the thick score that once again reminded me of how perfect Nogizaka-san is.

At that moment, something strange loomed up in the corner of my vision.

"..."

This is a drawing right? A horrific-looking villain with the eyes of a bloodthirsty bear was drawn in one corner of the piano score. He was holding a conductor's baton in one hand, while in a speech bubble beside him, 'please remember not to play at too fast a tempo at this part♪' in pink ink. In the stark contrast between the picture and the contents of the speech bubble, the reminder appeared to be extremely impish.

But the bear really wasn't drawn very nicely, as it also looked like a man-eating wolf, or a large bloodhound, or a failed clone of Godzilla. As for the object that it held in its hand, it looked like a saber, a police baton, or even an ill-designed lightsaber.

To be honest, that drawing was extremely bad. So bad that a kindergarten kid with a little bit of talent in the arts would be able to draw something better.

"...I'll just pretend that I didn't see it!"

After mulling it over, I felt that this was the wisest course of action. There are a lot of things in the world that are best left hidden and not known to mankind. See no evil.

After looking at it for a while more, I quietly closed the score.

After school, Kamishiro-sensei called me to the office.

She seemed to have seen through my act in the morning.

"You hid something at that time didn't you?"

Kamishiro-sensei crossed her legs in a way that would desolate the eyes of innocent youths as she asked. Against this sort of opponent, that the ill-conceived trick would be seen through shouldn't be much of a surprise. So I thought about how best to answer the question.

"Hmm...I admit that I hid something, but I assure you, it wasn't anything contraband. It was an object that would bring great distress to a teenage girl, which was why I took such drastic and rash measures to solve the problem.

I just gave an answer that even I didn't understand, but Kamishiro-sensei gave a devilish smile as though I just sold my soul to her.

"I believe you. You were trying to protect Haruka, right?"

"No, about this..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Ugh..."

It seems like...she's seen through everything. It's true that aged ginger is more pungent, so I should just keep my mouth shut for now.

"Alright you don't have to give me the details, so let's just put this matter behind us. Mm...it must be nice to be young and so full of energy. The exuberant youthfulness of the E generation, if only I was five years younger!"

Kamishiro-sensei's eyes sparkled with an unearthly light, she seemed to be rather happy. Though she seemed to have misunderstood something, but any attempts to explain the situation would probably fall on deaf ears, so I decided not to act rashly.

"It's true that one should experience every type of situation while one's still young, like dating two girls at once or a triangular relationship, anything goes! If you don't play your cards properly, you could even get into a 6-way relationship..."

And this was how I spent the next five minutes.

After Kamishiro-sensei finally snapped out of her own world, she uncrossed and crossed her legs again before continuing our conversation.

"Hmm, I don't have anything else to say to you, you can go now...Ah, wait a moment, I remembered something. Yuu-chan, do you know where my cellphone is? I lost it after I went to borrow some music scores during lunch break."

"How would I know the location of your cellphone..."

"Really? Actually, I was thinking that you had hidden it! Good boys also have times when they want to play bad, it's the special psychology of teenage boys..."

"I categorically deny that."

"If you say it so seriously, onee-san will be sad you know..."

"..."

I retorted softly.

"Ah, such a cruel retort, but I'm not bluffing...I really forgot where I put it, it's really strange. Oh well, I'll just continue looking for it, I'll think of something else if I really can't find it."

"You really do know how to act blur..."

Though I'm hardly one to say that, but,

"Really? Hmm! Haruka and you...To be honest, the two of you are a surprising couple."

"No, we're not dating..."

I retorted immediately, she really had misunderstood our relationship.

"It's alright, there's no point hiding it, onee-chan knows everything already."

[[Image:NHnH vol01 060.jpg|thumb]]

"It's not a question of hiding it or not...she's the 'Nuit Étoile'! I'm not good enough for her, so this is all a misunderstanding."

However.

"An inter-caste love relationship! So touching..."

God, this person isn't absorbing anything I'm telling her.

"...You haven't changed one bit, Yukari."

As expected of my sister's friend, for people who aren't dense enough will never be able to make friends with my sister...But why am I surrounded by such dense people! Nobunaga, the three idiots, Yukari, and my sister. Is this what they call 'birds of a feather flock together'? I really don't want to go down that line of thought.

"Hey, please call me Kamishiro-sensei when in school."

In that moment, I remembered that I had the habit of calling other people by their given names.

"I'm alright with anything, Sen---sei."

Under the influence of the pleading brown-colored eyes of Kamishiro-sensei, I lost the power to retort. Oh well, since this incident's over, I can go back to the classroom. But just as I prepared to walk back to my classroom, Yukari suddenly put on an expression that middle-aged obasan's have when they're preparing to sexually harass their female colleagues and happily told me,

"Saito-sensei's out on official business today, and the bed in the infirmary is empty! Work hard! Young man!"

I just walked out of the teacher's office when I saw Nogizaka-san standing there.

She stood there quietly, like the only lily in a garden full of tulips, though a little conservative, but still different from the rest.

"Ah..."

Nogizaka-san fiddled with her white hairband when she saw me as she stepped forward, looking as though she had something to say.

She stood there for a while before finally making up her mind,

"Umm...Ayase-kun..."

Her pink lips parted to say something, but...

"Ah! Isn't that the 'Nuit Étoile'?"

A voice rudely interrupted her.

"Where?"

"Look! There!"

On the other end of the corridor, there were a few guys who were pointing in our direction and talking among themselves.

"It's true, and some guy is trying to flirt with her."

"What!? A guy?"

One of the guys gave a murderous shout.

To be honest, after so much had happened, I had almost forgotten that Nogizaka-san was a famous person in school. A famous person like her talking face to face with a serious-looking guy (me) outside the teacher's office was extremely noticeable.

"What!? The 'Nuit Étoile'?"

"And a guy?"

"What's the matter? Just what is happening?'

Other than the loud voices of the group of guys, even the other students who were passing by had stopped and were looking at us curiously, some even moving closer to get a better look. In a few moments, the two of us had been completely surrounded by people.

Hmm...

The popularity of the 'Nuit Étoile' was extremely scary, so much so that we couldn't even hold a conversation in peace in public.

For the first time in my life, I realized that personal privacy was actually so worthless and meaningless. Though it's not my place to give out such lamentations,

Because 120% of those guys' interest was on Nogizaka-san and not on me.

Just as I was thinking of that, more and more people started to arrive. I looked around me...about twenty or even thirty people had already gathered, just where did all these people come from?

Anyway, it would be suicide to continue staying here. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, we won't be able to speak to each other properly.

Since it has come down to this, there was only one way of resolving this.

"Nogizaka-san, let's go."

"Ah?"

I pulled Nogizaka-san, who had a dazed expression on her face like a duckling who has just been born away from the scene. It's so strange! Why am I always running whenever I'm together with Nogizaka-san?

"Hey, that fellow actually dared to flirtatiously drag the 'Nuit Étoile' by her hand!"

"What!? By her hand?"

Just as we ran through the layers of human walls around us to escape, angry shouts sounded from the surrounding crowd.

"Damn! Don't run away!"

"Unforgivable..."

"Damn it, I've remembered his face! The next time I see him, I'll tie him up and hang him upside down from the roof!"

My god, those are such extreme words, I even started hallucinating, as I thought I saw a group of people putting on red headbands that read 'Protect Haruka-sama~ The Nuit Étoile Protection Force~'.

......Those should be the hallucinations generated by my own mind.

Once again, we came to the rooftop.

The only difference was that this time, Nogizaka-san wasn't the one crying, though I felt like I was going to. Looks like the legendary secret fan club really exists, I should get Nobunaga to dig up some information on them. I do not want to be the public enemy number one of these people, for if I don't take the appropriate actions, I might really be hung upside down from the rooftop.

As I thought about the fanclub members, all of whom had looked at me murderously, I felt extremely depressed.

I finally understood the extent of Nogizaka-san's popularity. It was rumored that Nogizaka-san's fan club membership was a three digit value, and it looked to be true. In the context of our school population, a three digit value would be equal to roughly a quarter of the entire school population. In other words (including girls), of every four students in our school, one is a supporter of Nogizaka-san. That's a bit too terrifying isn't it?

Due to fatigue, Nogizaka-san was panting loudly beside me, no surprise given the long distance that we ran to get here.

After Nogizaka-san's breathing had become more even, I opened my mouth to speak.

"Did......Did you have something to say to me?"

Actually I could already guess what Nogizaka-san would want to say.

"Yes I do, about this morning's incident......"

After she stopped panting, Nogizaka-san finally lifted up her head.

As I expected! That would be the only reason why Nogizaka-san would come looking for me.

Even though it's a bit sad to say that, but......

"Ah, I'm really sorry for lunging at you so suddenly in the morning."

As I said that, Nogizaka-san became a little nervous.

"Eh? That......That was very nice......No! It wasn't nice, but......"

So was it nice or was it not nice?

Nogizaka-san suddenly lowered her head like a dove, her slightly messy hair moving along with the movement of her head. At this point in time, the soft and silky fragrance of her hair was blown over.

"I'm really grateful to you. That time.....You were helping me, weren't you?"

"It's nothing!"

You could say that I was helping her, or you could say that I just couldn't leave her like that, because I know Nogizaka-san's secret!

Nogizaka-san giggled.

"Ayase-kun, you're a really nice guy."

"Nice guy..."

Normally, by saying that the guy is a nice guy, the girl usually means 'you're a hopeless nice guy', so it wasn't anything to be happy about. But since it came from Nogizaka-san, she probably doesn't mean it that way!

"Anyway, I want to thank you for helping me. I'm grateful for you helping me keep the fact that I borrowed the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 a secret...And I'm really sorry......Because of me, you got called to the teacher's office."

She bowed her head in apology again.

"It's nothing, don't think too much about it. It was Kamishiro-sensei who called me to the office, so it's nothing!"

"But..."

"It's alright, I wasn't scolded or anything!"

Finally convinced after my repeated explanations, Nogizaka-san finally raised her head again.

"Ayase-kun, thank you for all your help."

Nogizaka-san gave me a shy smile. Hmm......If she continues in this vein, I'll start to feel embarrassed too.

Which was why I decided to change the topic.

"Oh right, I gotta return this to you."

After checking to make sure that no one was around, I took out 「INNOCENT SMILE」 and the music score.

"Ah, Ayase-kun, you even took away the music score."

"I used too much force when I was trying to hide 「INNOCENT SMILE」! This piece of music looks really difficult, are you able to play it?"

I asked Nogizaka-san who was for an instant slightly embarrassed.

"Yes... it's the piece I'm currently practicing, so I'm almost able to play the entire piece."

I nodded. So she can play it after all. As the name of the piece, 「The Waltz of Mephisto」 suggests, this wasn't a piece that normal people would be able to play, but she could.

Just as I was filled with awe at her piano prowess, Nogizaka-san suddenly thought of something, and abruptly looked up at me...

"So......could it be that you looked inside?"

Nogizaka-san's voice carried a tinge of uneasiness, as though saying that I saw something.

"I......Didn't I draw a lot of drawings in it?"

She looked up at me.

"Ah......That's right......"

That man-eating bear who looked like it just killed two of three people! Because the visual impact was too jarring, I remembered that drawing in exquisite detail, the drawing which would bring at least three days of nightmares to anyone who looks at it.

"I'm sorry, but I saw it...or rather, it ran into my line of sight, I merely glanced at it."

"S..so, you saw it?"

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Hmm...that really was something that I shouldn't have seen, it was forbidden fruit! Just as I was frantically trying to think of a way to get over this awkward atmosphere, Nogizaka-san surprised me with her next sentence.

"What do you think of it?"

"Huh?"

What do you mean?

"That is......it's quite nice isn't it? It's the first time anyone has seen my drawings"

Nogizaka-san's eyes sparkled when she said that, her expression showing the confidence she had in her drawing skills. Don't tell me......that she's asking for my opinion? I never thought that things would turn out like this.

'The main source of nourishment of that bear seems to be humans'...That doesn't sound like a compliment. 'The bear's eyes make it look like it's sniffing drugs'...that's definitely not a compliment. 'If we were to put that bear into a hot pot, it'll probably be very delicious'...I really didn't how I should phrase my answer.

After mulling it over...

"The bear's gaze is extremely evil...no, or rather, it's very piercing. Everyone's perspective is different, so I suppose some people would find it very cute..."

In the end, my polite and invincible compliment was shattered by Nogizaka-san's response.

"...Hmm? Bear? But that's a cat!"

Nogizaka-san tilted her head as though asking, just what are you talking about.

"..."

"..."

"...Ah, you're absolutely right, it's a cat."

A cat?

I honestly didn't know that it was a cat. Because a normal cat wouldn't have fangs would it?

"Umm...Uh...It's really creative to let the cat hold a conductor's baton!!"

"...It's supposed to be a cat toy!"

"..."

"..."

"Ah, that's right, it's a cat toy."

The book is a music score, and adding those two things sure add a new perspective.

Luckily, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to have heard my soundless murmurings.

"It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I'm rather confident about that piece of art!"

Nogizaka-san continued.

"..."

Is she serious?

I stared at Nogizaka-san.

The look in her eyes was extremely serious.

There was no look in the world that could be more serious than that.

"..."

Well, no point picking out her faults, no one's perfect after all!

"...Hmm, that's a really creative and outstanding piece of work, I like it! I think I see a hint of Picasso's 「Guernica」 in it."

すごく腕曲的に感想を述べた。というか、それが限界だった。

"Really? I'm so happy!"

Looking at the joy expressed on Nogizaka-san's innocent face, I felt a sense of guilt weighing down on me. At least I wasn't lying.

"I'm really really happy! I'm glad I asked for your opinion!"

"Righ......Right......"

I'm glad she didn't ask somebody other than me.

"Well......then please take good care of me in the future!"

"?"

What?

"I think I'll improve faster if I show it to other people. I've always been practicing alone, but its hard to improve like this...Of course, only if you have the time..."

"..."

Was she planning to show me these satanic drawings that bring nightmares and summon demons on a regular basis?

"What......What do you think?"

"...About this......"

"You don't want to?"

I didn't give an immediate answer and Nogizaka-san's expression immediately turned to one reminiscent of a puppy that had been abandoned by the roadside. That expression is a banned technique, for no one can reject the 'Nuit Étoile' or let the 'Nuit Étoile' put on such an expression. Furthermore, that Nogizaka-san would implore me like this is because I'm the only one who knows about this hobby of hers......I don't have a choice, for I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I really think that I've boarded the Titanic.

"If you don't mind, I'm willing to discuss it with you anytime."

I deliberately pitched my voice higher so as to impress upon my sincerity.

"Really!"

Nogizaka-san gave a blissful smile. God, I think I'll lose a hundred days of my life everytime I see this smile in the future...oh well, no point thinking about that now.

After that, for a long period of time (at least 30 minutes), I was listening to Nogizaka-san talk about her passion for drawing.

"I have to go now, thank you very much for today. After I finish some new drawings, I'll show them to you again. I'll be going first."

Because of her piano lesson, Nogizaka-san left first. She was in extremely high spirits, humming the tune of 「Für Elise」 as she walked.

Looking at her receding figure, I couldn't help but murmur to myself.

"...Have I acted too rashly...?"

==4==
That night, I was studying in my room when an exaggeratedly loud voice came from downstairs.

"Hey! Yuuto! You've got a call!"

I was slightly miffed at being interrupted just as I was getting into the rhythm of my English-Japanese translation homework, but my sister was in a worse mood, ready to explode at any moment.

"I said, you've got a call!!!"

She kicked the door to my room open!! She even took down one of the door hinges along with her kick!! And then she stomped into my room.

The tall person who entered my room.

"Ruko..."

My sister (A karate second-dan holder, but often abuses her martial arts skills. In the Ayase household where my parents are rarely at home, she has the highest authority) appeared to be extremely unhappy, like an Asian black bear woken up from its slumber during winter time.

She only wore a white shirt on top of her underwear, such a disgraceful appearance.

"How could she wake me up from my sweet slumber! I don't know who she is, but you better teach her a lesson and tell her not to call in the middle of the night!"

Middle of the night? It's only ten! Though it wasn't early, but it wasn't that late either. And what did she mean by 'teach her a lesson'? Shouldn't she say lecture or something!

I knew that retorting was useless, but I still gave it a try.

"Whatever makes you happy, since both mean 'input' in one way or another."

Those two phrases are completely different! They have totally different meanings!

But to Ruko, who was even lazier and more perfunctory than me, those two phrases really weren't that different. She gave an irritated expression as she glared at me.

"...You're really annoying! Just answer the phone will you! I'm so sleepy.......I'm going to sleep now, so you better remember to unplug the phone after you finish your conversation! "

Ruko threw the phone over to me before going through the door that was swinging on only one of its hinges.

For the love of God! Who'd have believed that she's actually the secretary for the CEO of a top-class firm, which goes to show that anything can happen in this society of ours. It was indeed the state of affairs that beautiful women would always have their way. Though my sister is pretty, but I don't really want to comment on her character. For a society that is perpetually harping on equality, we're extremely unfair.

I thought of all this as I answered the phone.

"Hello?"

And then...

"Ah, hello? Is this Ayase-kun? It's Nogizaka."

A surprising voice came from the other end of the line, the female voice that had the power to calm anyone who hears it, one that I've been hearing quite a lot of recently. But right now, this voice sounded extremely serious, nothing like the cheerful one I had heard in the day. Something must have happened.

"I'm really sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. Umm...I would like to ask for a favor from you, Ayase-kun..."

A favor? My heart beat really fast at that word.

"...I'm really embarrassed to say this right now. But I know I'll regret it for life if I don't say it now."

The seriousness in that voice was mixed with a heavy dose of embarrassment. Could it be that? No, Nogizaka-san would never ask me to do something as absurd as imitating the way crickets walk upside-down.

"Erm......Are you listening?"

"Ah, of, of course I'm listening."

I had no reason not to be listening.

"That's great...Ayase-kun, could you come out and meet me now?"

"Huh..."

After a second of lightning-quick analysis......

"Meet up...just the two of us?'

"That's right."

To meet up at this time......She can't be planning to have a secret date with me can she? The two of us sitting on a bench in the park. Time has stopped, and then the two of us......No, I can't continue fantasizing! I'll start to think about contents similar to the plot in a third-grade novel if I continue fantasizing.

I shook my heard violently. Got to stay calm, got to stay calm, I have to keep my cool.

To return my heartbeat to normal, healthy levels, I mentally recited the multiplication table. At this time, Nogizaka-san continued,

"Actually...I would like you to accompany me to school."

"School?"

The school in question...would obviously be the Hakujo Academy that we both attend. Why would she pick such a time to go to school when there wasn't a late night dare challenge of any kind going on......

"......The magazine...I forgot to return it."

The soft and hesitant voice cut off my line of thought.

"I had planned to return it after meeting Ayase-kun, but as I was feeling extremely happy after our conversation, I felt that I could return it a bit later......and I forgot to return in the end."

"You're talking about......that magazine?"

「INNOCENT SMILE」

"......Yes."

"..."

The situation......was really serious. The basic rules of our school were rather loose, but our school was extremely strict regarding the usage of school facilities. If a book that was borrowed from the library wasn't returned by the due date, the school would publicly remind the student through the PA system.

Of course, the public reminder would also include the student's name, year, and the name of the borrowed book.

"If I'm mentioned, I'll...sob..."

Probably thinking about what would happen if the book that she borrowed was publicly announced to the entire school, Nogizaka-san was whimpering slightly.

"Th, that's why I thought I'd go return it instead. *sniff* Bu, but going alone to school when it's this late...it's scary. So, I thought I'd ask somebody to go with me...B, but..."

Nogizaka-san said in a tearful voice.

So that's how it is. About this, I was the only one whom she could turn to for help. Because if she was to look for someone else, she'd have to show them 「INNOCENT SMILE」, bringing her hobby to the knowledge of one more person.

"Sob......Is it too much to ask? I'm really sorry to always bother you like this, but..."

It wasn't her fault. And......only a demented man would abandon a crying Nogizaka-san, right?

Therefore.

"Hmm...Let's just meet up at school now, alright?"

"Sob...Ah...?"

A surprised exclamation came from the other side of the line.

"You're willing......to go with me?"

"Yup, since I've got nothing to do right now anyway."

It was decided. Though I haven't finished my English homework, that's not important at a moment like this! I would like to avoid both Nogizaka-san's tears and the scolding given by my English teacher (forty-two years old, characteristic: Extremely annoying), but I don't have the time to deliberate any further on this.

"Thank you......sob......Thank you so much"

And that was how I decided to sneak into school at such an unearthly hour.

The campus was extremely creepy at night.

The thirty-something year-old white cement campus looked as thought it was floating in the sky in the dark, and from an angle, it really looked like an abandoned mansion, giving any observers a severe case of the creeps. This atmosphere was like the one in the supernatural shows on television where the spiritually-inclined guest appears and declares to the audience that 'an extremely evil aura can be felt here', whereupon the audience painfully wrestles with their inner-selves whether to continue watching or not. Nogizaka-san, who was standing next to me, was looking at the campus with exactly the same expression on her face, looking as though she was about to burst into tears any moment.

Now, how should we go about infiltrating the campus?

Of course the main gate wouldn't be open at this time, so perhaps we should try going by the staff entrance. Since it's the staff entrance, it should be near the teachers' office. But we'd have to be extremely careful if we were to go in by the staff entrance so as to avoid getting caught by a patrolling teacher. Or should we break a window and reach in to take the key, use a power tool to break the lock of the main gate, or just smash our way through the gate with a metal pole. Just that...all the above-mentioned methods were illegal.

Isn't there any way that's quieter? (Even though no matter how quiet an act of infiltration is, it's still an illegal act) Just as I was trying to come up with a better idea...

"Ayase-kun, this way."

Nogizaka-san pulled on my arm.

"We can get in by the back gate."

"Back gate......why?"

"Because I have a backup key."

"A backup key?"

Why would she have something like that?

"The key was in my father's study, so I just borrowed it for a while, because I thought it might come in handy!"

So it was from her father's study...I seem to have understood something, but why would her father have a backup key of the school?

"I'm not very sure about the specifics...but it seems like my father donated a large amount of money to the school, and to prepare for emergencies, he asked for a backup of all the keys in the school."

Investment...Right, I've heard this before. Ever since Nogizaka-san came to study at this school, ninety percent of all the money donated to Hakujo Academy came from the Nogizaka family. So it probably wouldn't be surprising if Nogizaka-san had a backup copy of all the keys in the school......right?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing......"

Now's not the time to voice my questions, but since she had the backup copies to all the keys in the school, she'd surely have the key to the main gate. Wouldn't it be much better to just go in by the main gate? But I didn't say that out loud.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!'

Because the library was on the second story, we walked in the direction of the stairs.

Not surprisingly, the interior of the school was also empty, and as silent as a cemetery.

"It's really creepy..."

Nogizaka-san said as she looked around the deserted corridor. She gripped the sleeve of my shirt tightly, not daring to let go for even a second.

"If this was a game, a zombie should be jumping out from this corner."

"Ah!!!"

I had played this game where you had to fight off hordes of zombies, giant spiders and other monstrosities while attempting to escape from a western-style building. For the first ten minutes of the game, you would probably feel like you're about to be devoured by two of three zombies, but...

Never mind, forget I said it, now's not the time to think about something like that.

"Ayase-kun, do you know about the seven mysteries of our school?"

As we neared the stairwell, Nogizaka-san suddenly mentioned that. The seven mysteries of the school, though I'm not exactly sure as to the actual number of the mysteries, but there should be quite a few of them. Like...

There's the 'Thirteen steps of death to the rooftop'.

As for the others, I only know of the 'Dancing human figure in the science classroom', 'The self-playing piano in the music room', 'The self-bouncing ball in the empty gym'.

"There's still 'Hanako-san, who lives in the toilet' 'The big mirror in the infirmary that reflects the death of the user', and...'the dead book-reader'."

Nogizaka-san filled in the gaps.

"..."

An extremely bad premonition filled the air after hearing such rumors.

This was my first time hearing about 'The dead book-reader'. Since it has to do with a book-reader, it should be connected to the library right? And we just had to be going to the library at this time.

"..."

Should we just head back?

"Don't...Don't leave me behind!"

[[Image:NHnH vol01 084.jpg|thumb]]

My arm was held in a vice-like grip by Nogizaka-san, who had tears rolling about in her eyes. Looks like I wouldn't be able to perform the 'great escape'.

During the time when I was struggling with myself about whether to run away or not, we reached the library in question. The wooden door that looked so normal in the day now looked like the gates to hell.

It was a really bad feeling.

"So...What's the story behind 'The dead book-reader'?"

I asked Nogizaka-san.

"A long long time ago, when the campus was still made of wood, there was a student who really liked to read. Because he was crazy about reading, so this student would go to the library every day, until one day, where he passed away after getting into an accident on his way to the library. But it's rumored that for the sake of reading, this student would still report to the library everyday, which is why in the dark and silent library, footsteps and the sound of a book dropping onto the ground can be heard, and the shadow of a reading figure can also be seen at the window."

"You really know a lot about that."

"We're going off track here, but I heard that someone really came down to the library in the middle of the night, and that book-reader really did appear in front of that person."

"..."

"I only heard this story the day before yesterday. So now......I kind of regret hearing it..."

Nogizaka-san lowered her head. Even if she regrets hearing that story, it was already too late...

"...It'll probably be even worse if this story was told to someone who's never heard of it before."

"You're right......It would be worse."

"I've never heard this story before."

"Huh...you..."

Nogizaka-san placed a finger at the edge of her mouth as she lapsed into deep thought.

"...So you're saying that...You just heard the story for the first time from me?"

"That's right."

"..."

"..."

The surroundings were deathly silent.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said all that."

Nogizaka-san apologized with a horrified expression on her face, just like a puppy who did something wrong and was getting scolded by its master. I believe that no one would be able to grumble even a word more after seeing her like this.

"Ah, it's alright, since you didn't do it on purpose."

And I was the one who was asked for the details in the first place.

"But, if you meet the dead book-reader and get murdered by him because of my words..."

Nogizaka-san's face was terribly pale as she fervently prayed that I would not become the victim of a supernatural murder!

"It'll be alright! The dead book-reader won't run out just because of your story! And my only redeeming feature is that I'm really tough, so I probably would be able to survive a supernatural attack without much effort."

Because I have been forced to accept Ruko's rigorous training since I was young.

"But...the attack of a spirit...isn't a physical attack, but a mental one, like curses..."

"That's alright too."

Regarding mental attacks, besides Ruko's training, I've also been on the receiving end of a lot of training from Yukari. So my defensive ability against mental attacks would probably be even higher than my defensive ability against physical attacks. I am not proud of this inhuman defensive capability of mine, but it's the unfortunate truth.

Nogizaka-san smiled as she squinted slightly, probably hinting that she accepts my answer?

"......You're really kind."

"No......I'm not that kind......"

Why would she suddenly say something like this?"

"Hehe!"

"No...That's..."

I wanted to deny it, but couldn't find the right words. To mask the fact that I was blushing, I turned my gaze to the direction of the library.

"Cough, though I can't deny that this library's really creepy...we still have to go in don't we?"

Once I said that, Nogizaka-san immediately nodded her head furiously with a serious expression on her face.

"Let's...Let's go!"

Even though Nogizaka-san was the one calling for us to go, she didn't move at all as she looked at me as if trying to send me some kind of telepathic message...she probably wants me to lead the way. Alright, let's do it!

I pushed open the gigantic wooden door to the library, the wooden frame creaking under the force exerted by my hands before it opened. On the other side of the door was...an empty library. If this was a horror film, then at the exact moment where the door was opened, we would have gone face to face with 'the dead book-reader', a worst-case scenario that I wanted to avoid at all costs. The atmosphere in the empty room seemed to be extremely sinister, as though a ghoulish white face would appear from behind the black-painted shelves any moment.

"You can't leave me. Please don't leave me alone, I'm begging you."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my arm tightly as she whimpered, a flowery smell making its way to my nostrils. In fact, she needn't have been so worried, since she was grabbing me so tightly that I wasn't even able to move.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Nogizaka-san hurriedly let go of me, my body finally regaining its freedom of movement. But for some reason, I suddenly felt a trace of regret.

"Let's just maintain this position. Please don't leave me alone alright?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me as she requested me to stay by her side while she held on to my arm. I nodded as we made our way towards the book-returning counter.

It was about fifty meters to the counter, and we carefully made our way over.

During this short journey, Nogizaka-san's beautiful face almost touched mine a couple of time. Her alluring amber eyes, her exquisitely white skin, and her pink lips all made my heart beat faster after every close encounter...Is there a problem with the regularity of my heartbeat?

"Kya!"

Nogizaka-san seemed to have tripped over something...it should be the reading chair again, right? She lost her balance, but fortunately, she broke her fall just before her face was about to come into contact with the floor. That was close!

"Why is there a chair here..."

How could you say that when the chair's always been here, and you've already tripped over it once before already?

"I've embarrassed myself again, I'm so clumsy!"

She smiled embarrassingly before continuing to walk, but promptly tripped over another chair, and fell flat on the floor this time.

"..."

I was thinking, she can't be...

Nogizaka-san's a little...no, extremely dense.

"...I've been tripping over or knocking into things since young."

Nogizaka-san answered the question in my mind.

"I would be able to fall down even when walking on flat ground, and I've even walked into electrical poles and parked cars."

"You're not good at sports?"

But I had thought that she does quite well during physical education classes.

"Hmm......I don't think this has got anything to do with physical ability."

"...I think you're right."

Was she really like this? I've never seen her trip over something or knock into something at school though.

"I'm usually extremely careful...but maybe it's because Ayase-kun has already seen me trip over something that I probably subconsciously let my guard down, leading to me to trip over more things."

Nogizaka-san smiled abashedly. Looks like she's been putting in a lot of effort to maintain her public image.

"...Ah, what have I been saying! We should quickly return the book!"

The red-faced Nogizaka-san suddenly remembered our mission and walked towards the book-returning counter, this time not tripping over anything. After reaching the counter, Nogizaka-san immediately turned on the computer, which powered up with a whir as the monitor displayed the operating system.

"Hey, I suddenly thought of something."

"Thought of what?"

"Even if the book was returned now, won't the data be stored in the computer?"

It's a computer specially designed to handle the borrowing and returning of library books. Which is why the date and time of all transactions would definitely be recorded in the computer. To be more precise, in the hard-disk of the computer. It'll definitely show that on the twenty-second day of April, at 23:08, book number 1203 (INNOCENT SMILE) was returned to the library.

"..."

Nogizaka-san froze for five seconds.

"...I never thought of that."

Hey, Hey!

"Hmm...There's got to be a way. Let's think logically. Since no one in their right minds would return a book at this time, I would expect the librarian to assume that there's a problem with the data. People always look for a reason to explain such small and insignificant inconsistencies."

Maybe she's right. But I would never have guessed that she had this careless side to her.

"Please wait for a moment while I return the book."

Nogizaka-san concentrated on the computer in front of her after saying that.

I had nothing to do, so I couldn't help but look at Nogizaka-san, who had both eyes on the monitor.

Sleek, black hair, snowy white skin, under the weak light of the moon and the reflection of the light from the screen, her body was bathed in a bluish white light, making her look as mysterious as the Goddess of healing magic in legends. She's the beautiful, clever, dignified and musically talented 'Nuit Étoile'. But the string of compliments didn't seem to fit the girl standing in front of me.

Because my impression of Nogizaka-san isn't like this.

Before this, I had thought of Nogizaka-san as a calm and collected lady. And I'm sure the rest of my classmates would see her in the same way.

But right now, I finally understand why we can never judge a book by its cover.

Which daughter of a wealthy and powerful family would illegally infiltrate her own school just to return an otaku magazine?

And even crying while tripping over numerous things in front of another in the process, embarrassing herself by being extremely clumsy...

But, compared to the normally perfect Nogizaka-san, I felt that the Nogizaka-san that I was seeing right now was more 'human'. A much better feeling. But I guess I should keep such thoughts to myself! Because Nogizaka-san probably won't be happy with that, even if I thought this side of her was better.

"Nogizaka-san."

"Yes?"

Nogizaka-san didn't turn her gaze as she continued to operate the computer.

"Why did you start this hobby...I mean, how did you become an otaku?"

I finally asked that question! God, what have I said! I had already promised Nogizaka-san not to speak of this anymore.

"Hmm, how..."

Surprisingly, Nogizaka-san didn't seem to mind it at all as she answered my question.

"Actually, I'm not very sure myself, by the time I realized it, I was already an otaku. Just that...I'm quite sure that 'that' set off this whole hobby of mine."

She place a finger on the edge of her mouth as she thought about what 'that' was.

"This happened about six years ago. Because I quarreled with my parents over all the skills that I had to learn, I ran to a park near my house to cry. The reason for that quarrel should have been...I had promised some friends to go and play together, but it clashed with my Japanese dance class so I couldn't go. That was the first time anyone had invited me out to play, so I was extremely happy, but I had to reject their invitation because my parents had enrolled me in Japanese dance classes...I was really upset, so I ran out to the park to cry my heart out. I ignored the stares of people passing by and just wailed. I think I probably wanted someone to come over and comfort me, but this world wasn't as caring as I had thought it was. More than a few people walked past me, but they all ignored me, since a crying kid is really annoying. But...there was one person, just one person came over to talk to me."

Nogizaka-san had a faraway look in her eyes, as though she was looking at a distant place.

"Although he was a bit rough about it, he tried his best to comfort me. I still remember what happened as though it was yesterday. At that time...He let me read the first edition of 「INNOCENT SMILE」."

Nogizaka-san continued in a slightly exaggerated tone.

"Before that, I had never read manga before, so it was a refreshing experience for me...In the flash of an eye, I was enraptured by the magazine. People who read manga would feel very happy, and I was probably deeply attracted by that kind of atmosphere...And in the end, I even asked that person to give that first edition to me."

Nogizaka-san laughed.

Wow! What a touching story! How did that guy even think of using the 「INNOCENT SMILE」 to comfort a primary school girl! This guy was incredible.

"That's probably the beginning of my hobby. After that incident, whenever I thought of that happy atmosphere, I would hide and read manga...which is why, even to this day, 「INNOCENT SMILE」 has a special place in my heart."

So that's why she was willing to take the risk to return this book to the library. Even Nobunaga had said that old editions of 「INNOCENT SMILE」 were priceless books, I think I finally understand why Nobunaga would do anything to achieve his goals.

"Phew...I'm finally done."

I heard the sound of the ENTER key being depressed. Looks like our mission was complete.

Nogizaka-san finally noticed my gaze. Just as she stretched in front of the computer screen, she suddenly stopped moving, like an electric toy dog that had run out of batteries.

"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

Nogizaka-san's face was beet-red due to her embarrassment, a reaction that I would never see in the classroom.

"No...I just think that you're a strange daughter of a wealthy and powerful family."

I told her my honest opinion.

"Hmm...I think it's really rude to say that to the person in question..."

Though she said that, Nogizaka-san didn't look angry at all. On the contrary, I thought she looked rather happy.

"In my opinion...Ayase-kun's much stranger than me. Yes, you're so strange that I can guarantee you'll win any All-Japan weirdo competition that there is."

"Thank you for the compliment."

What kind of competition is that!

"..."

"..."

For a moment, all was quiet.

"...Hahahaha!"

"...Hahahaha!"

In the next moment, both of us looked at each other and laughed. At the stroke of midnight, male and female laughter coming out of the empty library! If anyone hears that, there'll probably be a new version of the seven mysteries of the school. That'll be 'The terrifying maniacal laughter of a spirit couple in the library at midnight'.

I don't long how long we stood there laughing.

After our laughter had subsided, Nogizaka-san suddenly spoke rather seriously.

"I had thought......that everything was over." She began to talk about such a thing abruptly.

"Everything was over?"

"Yes."

Nogizaka-san nodded her head furiously.

"At the time when Ayase-kun saw that I had borrowed 「INNOCENT SMILE」, and also saw me trip and fall...I thought that everyone would know that I have this kind of hobby, and then everyone will look at me with strange looks and make fun of me. I really thought that it was going to turn out like that."

She's right. Although I didn't do it because I come into contact with such material on a regular basis through Nobunaga, there were many people in society who looked down on people with such hobbies. If anyone knew that the 'Nuit Étoile' was an otaku, that person would probably announce it to the whole school without hesitation.

Wait a minute, Nogizaka-san's tone seems to be suggesting that...

"Nogizaka-san, did you think that I would go around telling everyone that you're an otaku?"

Could it be that she thinks I'm that kind of person?

Nogizaka-san looked away embarrassedly.

"I'm...I'm really sorry! Because I didn't know what kind of person you are! So I couldn't deny that there was a definite possibility of that happening. And I've almost never talked to guys before...So I was a little afraid...of you."

"Never talked to..."

Nogizaka-san? The 'Nuit Étoile'? Now I would have never known that!

"For some reason, guys are always extremely stiff around me, unable to relax like they do around other girls. It seems that only Ayase-kun's able to talk to me normally."

I think it's because Nogizaka-san's too cute and perfect. But...I don't have to be like the other guys!

Nogizaka-san continued,

"Which is why I really thought that everything was over, so much so that I even thought about running away to a faraway place...But the truth has proven that I was wrong, because Ayase-kun kept his promise and didn't tell anyone about my hobby, and even after knowing about my hobby, you didn't make fun of me. You treated me like a normal person....and even helped me. If not for you, I really won't know what I would have done...I think I'm really despicable to doubt you in the first place, I really want to shout out how much of an idiot I am. I really......really want to thank you, Ayase-kun."

Nogizaka-san stood in front of me as she gave a curtsy to me to express her gratitude.

"Thank you......Thank you so much for everything you've done!"

That posture was extremely similar to one I had seen in a certain magazine a few days ago, but now that Nogizaka-san was the one doing it, it was probably the cutest pose of the century...

Just as I was about to lose all sense of reason...

Shuffle, shuffle!

"!?"

A sound came from behind the shelves.

"What...what was that......sound?"

Nogizaka-san grabbed me with lightning-quick reflexes. This kind of speed is the type that would only appear when one's caught in a fire...no, it should be an inhuman display of fleet-footedness, right? Whatever the reason as to Nogizaka-san's unnatural display of power, the point is, my arm came into contact with two soft orbs...

"It...It seems to have come from the other side of the shelves, could it be the 'dead book-reader'...

"Spirits don't exist in this world..."

They don't exist...Or rather, I hope they don't exist.

"What do we do?"

Nogizaka-san looked up at me anxiously. There are three courses of action available to me right now. One, under the influence of my considerable curiosity, I go over to check it out. Two, remain calm and run away. Three, pretend to be frightened and take advantage of the situation to hug Nogizaka-san. Personally, I hope to choose number three, but...No, it's merely my personal fantasy, I could get charged for sexual harassment.

Logically, I should choose option two, since we've already done what we set out to do, there's no need to find out about anything that doesn't concern us.

"Ah, Ayase-kun..."

"I'll go and take a look, wait here for me."

She hugged me tightly around my waist.

"I'm going with you."

"But, you may see something scary..."

"I'll be even more afraid if I were to stay here by myself."

She's right.

"Then, let's go over together?"

"Al...Alright..."

The two of us started to walk towards the direction in which the strange sound had come from.

"I think...that sound came from the shelve with the music scores."

"Music scores?"

We even have music scores in our library? I only thought that it was weird they had 「INNOCENT SMILE」, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise if they had music scores as well.

"It's around here."

Under the guidance of Nogizaka-san, just as we neared the corner of the shelf in question...

Dangdangdang.......

We heard a different sound from just now.

Shuffle shuffle...

And then we heard the sound of a book dropping onto the floor.

"Kya..."

Nogizaka-san grabbed my hand while covering her ears with surprising agility.

"I think..."

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"It must be the 'dead book-reader'...Ayase-kun! I think we should run!"

"No, wait a moment..."

The sound of books dropping onto the floor stopped, but another sound took its place. Dingdangdangdingdangdang...It sounded familiar. Ah...could it be 'that'!

"Ah, Ayase-kun!"

I went up to the shelf and saw my conjecture validated.

"...It's a cellphone."

There was a white object on the shelf with the music scores, the white object was vibrating as it knocked into the music scores on the shelf. Because it's a cellphone that's receiving a call.

"...I seem to have seen this somewhere."

There was a keychain on it with YUKARI spelled out in English. Ah! Didn't that person say that she lost her cellphone? It looked as though she left it here when she came to borrow music scores. She really knows how to create a stir! I decided to return it to her tomorrow as I turned off the power to cut off its annoying ringtone.

"Nogizaka-san, it's alright, I've found the source of the sounds."

I called out to the ashen-faced, shivering Nogizaka-san who was hiding behind the shelf. Probably because the strange sounds had disappeared, Nogizaka-san seemed to have relaxed a little as she slowly made her way towards me.

"You know what was causing those sounds?"

"Yes, this is the source of it all"

I showed the white cellphone that had the opposite color to its owner's heart to Nogizaka-san, as she slumped down onto the ground as though her soul had just been sucked away.

"Ah, I feel weak now that I've loosened up ."

Nogizaka-san seemed to have been scared witless. This was the first time I've seen someone who's been scared to that extent, and that person was the 'Nuit Étoile'...It was a scene straight from the world of slapstick comedy.

"Hah..."

I couldn't help but laugh. Seeing that I was laughing at her, Nogizaka-san puffed out her cheeks.

"What...What are you laughing about! What's so funny? It's not like I did it on purpose, it's because...because it was too terrifying!"

She was retaliating, but soon stopped.

"You're......really a strange person."

"Same to you to!"

And then we looked at each other and started laughing again, laughing so loudly that even the people staying beside the school would probably be able to hear us.

Maybe a new version of the seven mysteries of the school would be heard in school tomorrow?

==5==
We finally completed our mission.

As we walked out of the school gate, Nogizaka-san bowed deeply to me.

"Thank you so much for today, Ayase-kun, you saved my life. Maybe...Today's actions wasn't legal, but I was very happy."

楽しかった。うん、確かにその表現は不穏当だが、不適当ではないな。だから俺も笑顔でこう返した。

"You're welcome, I enjoyed myself too."

Those were my true feelings.

"You...can just call me Haruka."

Nogizaka-san requested timidly.

"I'm saying that, you can just call me by my name. It feels like I'm an outsider if you keep calling me Nogizaka-san. No, I am an outsider, ah, I don't mean it that way...sob, I'm really bad at this...anyway, I wish that you'll call me Haruka and not Nogizaka-san."

She was serious about that.

Hmm...I don't know why she would be so flustered, but since she was the one who requested me to call her by her name, I don't think there should be any problems. To be honest, I felt that it would be an honor to be able to call her by her name.

"I got it, so I'll just call you...Haruka."

"Yes!"

Nogizaka-san nodded her head happily...No, I should refer to her as Haruka now. Right now, Haruka looked extremely cute.

"Then you should also call me Yuuto, all my good friends call me that."

For some reason, I suddenly felt embarrassed as I purposely looked away from her.

"Good friends..."

Haruka mumbled before smiling again, an honest smile straight from the heart that I've never seen before in the classroom.

"I got it, Yuuto, please take care of me from now on."

And thus, the relationship between Nogizaka Haruka and I began.

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|-
| Back to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Talk:PuiPui:Volume2 Chapter1

2009-08-09T09:37:32Z

Seaghyn16: saying thanks

Thanks Trabius for the translation. I'm going to get started in September translating Volume 3, but until then I'll be a little booked. I enjoy reading your translation as always, and hope to see more :)

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 09:37, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

PuiPui

2009-08-05T10:41:19Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ completed!

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*May 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 3 completed.
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Author's_Notes|Author's Notes]] - 40%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

User:Seaghyn16

2009-08-03T11:18:19Z

Seaghyn16: updated novels list

On my page, I will be listing the projects I am "actively" helping to contribute something to. Feel free to stop by my wonderfully organized discussion page if you want to leave a comment or ask a question.

== CURRENT TRANSLATOR LEVEL: 4/10 ==
Level 4: The ability to translate most children's/young adult books slowly, given the .txt's, or furigana for understanding most kanji.

== Current Projects: ==

=== [[Spice_%26_Wolf|Spice and Wolf]] ===
::*Editor
::*Wannabe Translator

=== [[PuiPui|PuiPui!]] ===
::*Translator

== Children's Books Under Translation ==

[[User:Seaghyn16/kitsune|The Fox of Chironuppu]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

[[User:Seaghyn16/witch|The Black Witch is Coming]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

== Hard copy of Light Novels in my possession ==
*Spice and Wolf
**Volume 1
**Volume 2
*Puipui!
**Volume 1 - read
**Volume 2 - read
*Dragon Crisis!
**Volume 1 - read
**Volume 2
*Kage Kara Mamoru
**Volume 1
*Kakure Hime
**Volume 1
*Sweet Home Sweet
**Volume 1
*Agalta Fiesta!
**Volume 1
*Tama Nama
**Volume 1
**Volume 2

User talk:Akirasav

2009-06-30T09:10:12Z

Seaghyn16: from krikit

===ZnT edits===
Good job Akira, as always. I'd like to ask something though. Is it possible to keep such a sentence structure?

Eg:
*With a seemingly anxious face, Mazarin asked.
*With ladylike fastidiousness, Henrietta muttered.

I am not sure how to put this, but this structure makes the sentence feel...more storylike? Cuz if you look at the alternative,

*Mazarin asked with a seemingly anxious face.

This sounds like stating a fact. Besides, I'm inclined to think that the author wanted to stress the first clause, ''how'' it happened, which explains why the qualifying part is placed before the verb.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]]

----
Hmm...I see your point. That fairly depends on how it is read actually. For me, my brain tells me the other way round. =P
I'd like to retain the original sentence structure, if that's okay with you. =) As for the past edits, don't bother about them. Your edit is not wrong, after all.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 23:03, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

===......===
Well yes, they do.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 22:59, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

----
ROFL. I just need somewhere to properly learn Japanese, and to relax a bit. F/Z would still be my main project though. =P

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 08:03, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

Ahhh~ I totally forgot to respond to your comment...O_o. As for novels that have furigana, ALL of the books by Aoitori Bunko, (that have the blue/white border), have furigana over all the kanji. I have 2 books from them, one I kind of liked was "7th Period UFO Research." the books are aimed at children though, but they are still really good I think...hang on a bit more and I'll look up some more. http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc/aoitori/index_main.html

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 09:07, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

User talk:Akirasav

2009-06-30T09:07:01Z

Seaghyn16:

===ZnT edits===
Good job Akira, as always. I'd like to ask something though. Is it possible to keep such a sentence structure?

Eg:
*With a seemingly anxious face, Mazarin asked.
*With ladylike fastidiousness, Henrietta muttered.

I am not sure how to put this, but this structure makes the sentence feel...more storylike? Cuz if you look at the alternative,

*Mazarin asked with a seemingly anxious face.

This sounds like stating a fact. Besides, I'm inclined to think that the author wanted to stress the first clause, ''how'' it happened, which explains why the qualifying part is placed before the verb.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]]

----
Hmm...I see your point. That fairly depends on how it is read actually. For me, my brain tells me the other way round. =P
I'd like to retain the original sentence structure, if that's okay with you. =) As for the past edits, don't bother about them. Your edit is not wrong, after all.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 23:03, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

===......===
Well yes, they do.

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 22:59, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

----
ROFL. I just need somewhere to properly learn Japanese, and to relax a bit. F/Z would still be my main project though. =P

--[[User:Zyzzyva165|Zyzzyva165]] 08:03, 21 June 2009 (UTC)

Ahhh~ I totally forgot to respond to your comment...O_o. As for novels that have furigana, ALL of the books by Aoitori Bunko, (that have the blue/white border), have furigana over all the kanji. I have 2 books from them, one I kind of liked was "7th Period UFO Research." the books are aimed at children though, but they are still really good I think...hang on a bit more and I'll look up some more.

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 09:07, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Spice & Wolf

2009-06-03T12:50:16Z

Seaghyn16: /* Series Overview */ volume 11 was released in 2009, not 2008

[[Category:Hosted Projects]]
[[Image:Ookami no Koushinryou VI.jpg|200px|thumb|A promotional image.]]

The Spice & Wolf series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Spice_%26_Wolf_~Spanish~|Español (Spanish)]]

Also known as Ookami to Koushinryou/狼と香辛料

== Updates ==
*February 07, 2008 - Project page created
*March 27, 2008 - Guidelines created
*April 01, 2008 - Volume 3: Chapter 1 Completed
*April 23, 2008 - Volume 3: Chapter 2 Completed
*May 20, 2008 - Volume 3: Chapter 3 Completed
*July 03, 2008 - Volume 1: Prologue Completed
*July 08, 2008 - Volume 1: Chapter 3 Completed
*July 25, 2008 - Volume 1: Chapter 1 Completed
*July 30, 2008 - Volume 1: Chapter 2 Completed
*August 01, 2008 - Volume 3: Chapter 4 Completed
*August 22, 2008 - Volume 3: Epilogue Completed
*August 22, 2008 - Volume 3 Completed
*August 29, 2008 - Volume 7: Chapter 3 Added
*December 25, 2008 - Volume 1 Completed
*December 30, 2008 - Volume 4: Chapters 1-3 Completed
*February 6, 2009 - Volume 4: Chapter 4 Completed
*March 12, 2009 - Volume 4: Chapter 5 Completed
*May 25, 2009 - Volume 4: Chapter 6 Completed
*May 30, 2009 - Volume 4: Final Chapter Completed
*May 30, 2009 - Volume 4 Completed

== Release Schedule ==

This novel has been licensed to a western publisher, for more information please read this thread.

[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=2340 Spice and Wolf Novels Licensed in the U.S.]

To comply with the Published [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2172 Locking Policy], each volume will be locked from all editing as they are released.

The timetable for publishing are as followed:

*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 1 | Coming December 2009
*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 2 | Coming June 2010
*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 3 | Coming December 2010
*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 4 | Coming June 2011
*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 5 | Coming December 2011
*SPICE AND WOLF Volume 6 | Coming June 2012

== Story Synopsis ==
Spice and Wolf revolves around Lawrence Craft, a twenty-five year old merchant. His main goal in life is to gather enough money to start his own shop, and he already has been traveling for seven years while gaining experience in the trade. One night when stopped at the town of Pasroe, he finds a centuries-old pagan wolf-deity girl named Horo sleeping in his cart. She appears to be a fifteen-year-old girl, except she possesses a wolf’s tail and ears. She introduces herself as the town’s harvest goddess, who has kept the area blessed with good wheat crops for many years. Despite having the responsibility to watch over the town, she desires to return to her homeland in the north called Yoitsu since she believes that the locals have forsaken their past agreement and therefore she is no longer bound to their land. She makes a deal with Lawrence to take her with him in exchange for her wisdom and supernatural abilities, but as they travel, her true nature draws unwanted attention from the church.

== Translation ==

=== [[Spice & Wolf:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.
'''Translators are asked to [[Spice & Wolf:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on''' (see [[Format_guideline#Translators|the Guideline page]] for usage rules).

=== Format Standards ===
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Spice & Wolf:guidelines|Spice & Wolf Format Guidelines]]

Please refer to the Spice and Wolf guidelines [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Talk:Spice_%26_Wolf:guidelines Discussion Page] for in depth discussion on the guidelines.

Some of these chapters are translations of the '''Chinese edition''' of the novels, which are known to have some minor differences compared to the original Japanese text. If you have access to the originals and you spot an error, '''please feel free to make the corrections yourself''' - this is a Wiki which means it's meant for anyone to fix things (and if you screw up, we can revert back your changes if all deem necessary). We can see the corrections you make, so just go ahead instead of hiding or waiting for permission. Chapters translated from the Chinese version are indicated on the Registration page.
.

== Spice & Wolf / 狼と香辛料 by Hasekura Isuna ==

To help out our readers, I am going to ask for naming conventions, and if you could follow them that would be appreciated.

Simply put a rough % of how far along you have translated, after you post a new update. This is to help readers who A) Would like to know if progress is being made, B)want to wait for the full chapter before reading, C) Just want to know where the translation is at, and how much longer, roughly to go. Thanks everyone.

===Volume 1 [[Spice & Wolf:Volume_1_Full_Text|(Full Text)]]===
:[[Spice & Wolf:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

::*[[Spice & Wolf:Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 01|Chapter 01]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 03|Chapter 03]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 04|Chapter 04]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 05|Chapter 05]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Chapter 06|Chapter 06]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume1_Epilogue|Final Chapter]]

===Volume 2===
:[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 01|Chapter 01]] - 10%
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 02|Chapter 02]] - 9%
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 03|Chapter 03]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 04|Chapter 04]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 05|Chapter 05]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Chapter 06|Chapter 06]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume2_Final Chapter|Final Chapter]]

===Volume 3 [[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Full_Text|(Full Text)]]===
:[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Chapter 01|Chapter 01]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Chapter 03|Chapter 03]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Chapter 04|Chapter 04]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Chapter 05|Chapter 05]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume3_Epilogue|Final Chapter]]

===Volume 4 [[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Full_Text|(Full Text)]]===
:[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 01|Chapter 01]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 02|Chapter 02]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 03|Chapter 03]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 04|Chapter 04]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 05|Chapter 05]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Chapter 06|Chapter 06]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume4_Final Chapter|Final Chapter]]

===Volume 5===
:Novel Illustrations
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume5_Prologue|Prologue]]
::*Chapter 01
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume5_Chapter 02|Chapter 02]] - 1%
::*Chapter 03
::*Chapter 04
::*Final Chapter

===Volume 6===
:Novel Illustrations
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume6_Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume6_Chapter 01|Chapter 01]]
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume6_Chapter 02|Chapter 02]] - 19%
::*Chapter 03
::*Chapter 04
::*Chapter 05
::*Final Chapter

===Volume 7===
:Novel Illustrations
::*[[Spice & Wolf:Volume7_Chapter 1|A boy, a girl and a white flower]] - 1%
::*Red Apple and Blue Sky
::*[[Spice_&_Wolf:Volume_7_Chapter_03|Wolf and Amber Melancholy]]

===Volume 8===
:Novel Illustrations
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 01
::*Chapter 02
::*Chapter 03

=== Volume 9 ===
:Novel Illustrations
::*Interlude
::*Chapter 04
::*Chapter 05
::*Chapter 06
::*Chapter 07
::*Chapter 08
::*Chapter 09
::*Final Chapter

=== Volume 10 ===
:Novel Illustrations
::*Prologue
::*Chapter 01
::*Chapter 02
::*Chapter 03
::*Chapter 04
::*Chapter 05
::*Final Chapter

===Volume 11===
:Novel Illustrations
::*狼と黄金色の約束
::*狼と若草色の寄り道
::*Black Wolf's Cradle 

== Project Staff ==

*Project Administrator: [[User:onizuka-gto|Onizuka-GTO]]
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Matt122004|Matt122004]]

=== Translators ===

'''ACTIVE'''
::*[[User:Barbsicle|Barbsicle]] (Chinese translator)
::*[[User:Judgment26|Judgment26]] (Chinese translator)
::*[[User:diesIupitri|diesIupitri]] (Japanese translator)

'''INACTIVE'''
::*[[User:AlephNull|AlephNull]]
::*[[User:GreyKarasu|GreyKarasu]] (Japanese translator)
::*[[User:duncan|duncan]] (Japanese translator)

=== Editors ===
::*[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]
::*[[User:Chansey|Chansey]]

== Series Overview ==

1. Spice and Wolf - 狼と香辛料 - ISBN 4-8402-3302-0 [978-4-8402-3302-6] - Released 2006.02.10

2. Spice and Wolf II - 狼と香辛料 II - ISBN 4-8402-3451-5 [978-4-8402-3451-1] - Released 2006.06.10

3. Spice and Wolf III - 狼と香辛料 III - ISBN 4-8402-3588-0 [978-4-8402-3588-4] - Released 2006.10.10

4. Spice and Wolf IV - 狼と香辛料 IV - ISBN 4-8402-3723-9 [978-4-8402-3723-9] - Released 2007.02.10

5. Spice and Wolf V - 狼と香辛料 V - ISBN 4-8402-3933-9 [978-4-8402-3933-2] - Released 2007.08.10

6. Spice and Wolf VI - 狼と香辛料 VI - ISBN 4-8402-4114-7 [978-4-8402-4114-4] - Released 2007.12.10

7. Spice and Wolf VII Side Colors - 狼と香辛料 VII Side Colors - ISBN 4-8402-4169-4 [978-4-8402-4169-4] - Released 2008.02.10

8. Spice and Wolf VIII Town of Confrontation <Up> - 狼と香辛料 VIII 対立の町 <上> - ISBN 978-4-04-867068-5 - Released 2008.05.10

9. Spice and Wolf IX Town of Confrontation <Down> - 狼と香辛料 IX 対立の町 <下> - ISBN 978-4-04-867210-8 - Released 2008.09.10

10. Spice and Wolf X - 狼と香辛料 X - ISBN 4-0486-7522-2 [978-4-0486-7522-2] - Released 2009.02.10

11. Spice and Wolf XI Side Colors II - 狼と香辛料 XI Side Colors II - ISBN 978-4-0486-7809-4 - Released 2009.05.10

PuiPui

2009-05-14T05:47:58Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ authors notes to 40%

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*May 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 3 completed.
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Author's_Notes|Author's Notes]] - 40%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui:Volume1 Author's Notes

2009-05-14T05:45:59Z

Seaghyn16: 40%

Author's Notes

I wonder if you all enjoyed this new read. Actually, as an elementary school student I had an experience with maids (?). There was this extremely wealthy classmate, Ojousama@selfish, and I was invited to her birthday party, and at her place there were actually three maids. All of them were around eighteen years old, with cute faces and white aprons, and they hand made the food for the birthday party. There was even a full course meal that was made, and all of it was hand made. And you know, when the maids bring the food to the Ojousama, she doesn't even say "thank you" you know. It didn't fit my eyes. So this is the relationship between an Ojousama and her servants, a world just like in Manga. Also, the high point was that the girl's mother had promised to dress up like a maid and come out for her birthday! Among the food there was this "Miso-like Portage Soup," which was a strange soup. In the Portage Soup, was a runny fresh egg, and I thought, "Wow, so this is what people with money eat! It's like French cousine!" I can remember being so impressed when I ate it.

PuiPui

2009-05-12T08:02:23Z

Seaghyn16: /* Updates */ chapter 3 completed

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*May 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 3 completed.
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui:Registration Page

2009-05-12T07:56:57Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ completed chapter 3

To re-iterate the registration procedure:

* "First Come, First Served": please register your intended chapters here

* The maximum number of chapters you are recommended to work on is no more then half of any given volume

* Maximum number of Translators per volume is two

* Maximum number of volumes you may be active on is one

* This is not some Binding Contract of "I must do the work I put down here". Choices put down here are negotiable between translators (including their own selves who signed up for it).

== PuiPui Series Registration ==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*Chapter 1 - [[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 2 - [[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 3 - [[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 4　- [[user:Trabius|Trabius]] '''Complete'''
::*Chapter 5 - [[user:Trabius|Trabius]]
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 2 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[PuiPui|Main Page]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

[[Category:Registration Page]]

PuiPui

2009-05-12T07:56:08Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ finished chapter 3

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-05-12T07:55:00Z

Seaghyn16: finished chapter 3!

===Chapter 3: Letter from the Desert===

On the way back home that day, Jin and Yuuya stopped by the restaurant on the back of the school, Alf Layla.

Alf Layla was a restaurant for special Persian dishes. But, because the shop was catering to the current fashionable female university students, the ethnic atmosphere wasn't as large.

Even so, the shop had not changed into just a place to go for cheap meals. There were tables, chairs, and counter seats, and above the table stood chopsticks, and on the wall there was an unskillfully written menu hanging.

“W~elcome!”

Jin and Yuuya, as they opened the door and entered the shop, were greeted by a waitress with a powerful, pleasant voice. She was a girl with darkish skin, and precisely bound golden hair. The only daughter of the shopkeeper, she was Alf Shamshir.

“The attractive shop girl Alf. Cute right? You know she's the same age as us.”

In the kitchen, the shopkeeper with dark skin and black hair was joggling the frying pan, as his counterpart, Alf, with her golden hair, was grilling some meat for shishkabobs. Directing Jin to a seat at the counter, Yuuya lifted his voice to the shopkeeper.

“Hey Unks, I'd like to put today's order on a tab, is that alright?”

“Watch it ya bloody fool. I'm young and my stomach's still small, so don't be calling me 'Unks'!”

An authoritative shopkeeper, he answered like a true Tokyoite. Yuuya sat in his seat, turning to talk to Jin.

“By the way, your little sister is still pretty cute herself you know.”

[[Image:Puipui vol01 115.jpg|thumb]]
“She's not my sister, just a kid from my old neighborhood.”

“Whatever it's all the same. If you compare them to Zadou, they're still just acorns.”

"Who are you calling an acorn!"

Alf came over, hitting Yuuya on the head with a silver tray. In a strong mood, her lips were bound together in a straight line. Pressing his head, Yuuya let out a shout.

“That freakin' hurts! That's why I said they were different, Zadou isn't as tomboyish as this.”

“You think so?”

Jin let out what he was thinking. Yuuya turned to glare at him.

“What's up with your question!”

“Ah, no. Nothing really.”

What happened yesterday was a secret. There's no way he could tell anyone. With his sense of duty, there was no way Jin was going to talk. Nearly spitting, Yuuya was shaking his fists as he dropped his claim.

“Listen up, Jin. It looks like you've got another opinion but, there's no room for you to doubt her gentle kindness. Well, there's not really any proof that she's reached perfection, but something like that is fine, isn't it? There's no dignity in dragging down such a girl. Don't you think so?”

“Nope. I've never gone out with a girl up till now after all.”

At Jin's response, Yuuya clutched his hand to his chest.

“......Ah, I see.”

“Since the past I've never really cared much about girls. It's a bit different from you, as you're always listening to music and stuff to learn more about them and stuff.”

“Nah that's...”

Struggling for words, Yuuya spoke in a small voice.

“Actually for me too......as I've never gone out with someone before...”

“Eh!? Is that how it is?”

Under Jin's shocked gaze, Yuuya grew red, turning angry.

“Don't friggin' stare at me like that!”

“What, you want me to stare at you with a fuzzy warm look?”

“Besides that, during lunch break, you taught Zadou archeology? So what kind of thing is she interested in?”

“A, ahh. That's......”

“You can tell me. There's no way it's a secret is it? If everyone in class finds out there's a secret between just you and Zadou, they'll hang you from jealousy.

“No. There's absolutely positively no way it's anything good like that.”

Jin affirmed his earlier denial. Familiar with his mannerisms, Yuuya placed his hand on Jin's shoulder, preparing to ask again.

“Well then, tell me. Even though I listen to light music to try to understand women, it hasn't worked at all. Since I'm interested in Zadou, I feel like I've got to do my best.”

“I see. It deals with the ancient silk road, and how good would be......”

“Zzzz.”

“You went to sleep pretty quickly.”

Jin looked at Yuuya, with his head lying prostrate on the counter, in surprise. At that moment, Alf came over to the place where they were, roughly setting down their cups of water.

“Look here, if you're going to sit, then place your orders already! Else the shops routine is going to be interrupted.”

Looking surprised, Jin turned his gaze up to look at Alf.

“Your Japanese is great. Just like a true Tokyoite.”

“Well that's obvious. I was born and raised here after all.”

“Hey, Young'un! It's way too early for ya to be flirtin'! If you lay a hand on my daughter, you'll be gettin' a surprise in your curry!”

Alf's father could multi-task quite well, shouting those things while still managing to keep the frying pan going. Yuuya turned to speak to Jin.

“The owner was born after his parents came to Japan. “The third generation will continue as a Tokyoite,” is something he's said as well. And that third generation is Alf.”

“You two, what are you going to do about your order?”

With her hand on her hip, Alf had asked Jin. All Yuuya could do was laugh.

“Even if you ask what we're going to do, without the menu there isn't much we can do, right Jin? Naan and shish kebab sound like some kind of incantation. With that said, two shish kebab specials please.”

After making his order, Alf responded by restating it.

“Understood, two special shish kebabs!”

Next, she began putting the servings of rice on two plates. When the meat on skewers was being grilled on the gridiron, Jin turned a curious gaze over to watch.

“So there was a Persian restaurant this close after all......”

He began looking around the shop. Just like Yuuya had said, the restaurant did indeed have a lot of cheaper dishes, and it really was full of classmates from Harusha Academy.

“The wait's over! Here's the two sets of shish kebab!”

With some force, Alf set the tray down before Jin and Yuuya. On top of the large plate, was a donburi bowl filled with a mountain of rice, on top of which was spread the beef skewers, which was spiced with a curry smell. There were even true green vegetables. There was also a tomato stew to top it all off.

“Excellent. Amazing,” is all Jin could utter in his overwhelmed state. Yuuya was already digging in.

“In the grilled chicken bowl, there's even salad and miso soup. It was the same for me when I was in middle school and a senior took me here, I was extremely nervous thinking about this place being a foreign restaurant. But since the food from the middle east is soft, you can use chopsticks to eat it.”

Jin picked up his skewer, covered with meat. The mix of herbs and spices was combined to form a miraculous flavor. After the teeth bit into the meet, the flavors in the condensed bullion were released.

“SUPERB!”

Jin screamed out his thoughts. Even though he had never seen the endless Arabian sands, the images seemed to surface on the inside of his eyelids. Due to the added smell of the salt used, it seemed to draw out a feeling of the flavor of rock salt. Standing with a caravan of camels in the desert, were the ruins of an ancient city in the sand.

''So that's the kind of place my parents are working at......'', Jin thought to himself.

''Solomon's Treasure huh...I wonder where it could be...''

Jin was thinking deeply as he savored the meal. Jin's parents were searching with many archaeologists and adventurers, but had yet to find anything. The treasure had yet to be found. The last resort he could see, was only in thinking about the birthplace of the magic lamp which was Sierra's, that, and the fact he didn't know what else to do as he couldn't contact his parents. At his wits ends, Jin could only cradle his head in his arms.

Just then, a plate was placed in front of him. It was a massive omelet with spinach inside.

“I'll be leaving this with you~”

Jin quickly tried to hand the plate of omelets back to Alf, only to have her shake her head and push the omelets back towards him.

“That's my treat. Haha, the Persian Wind Omelets.”

“Your treat.....why?”

“The spinach has a lot of nutrients in it. It's something that was carried over from Persia along the Silk Road here to Japan. Since you mentioned the Middle East, and the Japanese culture is thought to have been graced with a great deal from there.”

“But, I'm eating on credit, so how can you give me something like this?”

“It doesn't disturb the business to keep the mood in the shop bright.”

Alf puffed out her cheeks while crossing her arms. The muscles in Jin's face were twitching rapidly.

“Sorry. It's really delicious, it's just I had to think for a bit.”


“Don't worry, I'm a girl yet I couldn't explain very well. But what you said earlier, actually made me really pleased with you.”

Raising his finger to point at Jin, Yuuya smacked his head on the tray, causing Alf to turn a bit red.

“Don't say weird things to this dope!”

“Quit hitting me with each and every tray! This isn't Yoshimoto Shinkigeki!”

Rubbing his face Yuuya drew himself towards Alf, and indicating Jin's thumb, he pushed it into Jin's mouth.

“If it's Jin...You know he's a weirdo, it's like he's always looking up stuff about the Middle East. Until yesterday, our dorm room was stuffed full of book after book about that stuff. And since he likes the Middle East so much, he must like Alf too.”

“Don't say such stupid stuff! You're troubling her!”

Jin scolded Yuuya seriously. But, surprised, Alf rested her elbow on Jin's shoulder.

“Heeeh, so you've got some interest in the Middle East.”

“Not really. You say interest but......it's just thinking about if the magic lamp from Arabian Nights could have made it to Japan.”

After Jin's statement, both Alf and her Father's faces froze, followed by a stiffening expression.

“N, n, n, n, n, no way. That's just talk right? Right Dad?”

Looking a bit confused, Alf turned the direction of her speech to the shopkeeper. He also turned a cold shoulder on the conversation.

“T, t, t, t, t, that's right, bloody fool! What's up with ya? Something like a lamp from Arabia having a Genie of the Lamp come rumbling out, you believe that?”

“Jin, even though you're always thinking and studying about archeology, you're still thinking about stuff like that? Unexpectedly, you're pretty childish.”

Yuuya was bouncing around in his laughter. Jin simply put his elbows on the table, crossed his fingers, and though about how disappointing it was.

“I see...no matter how many Middle Easter people there are, they don't know after all. If it's a Japanese person, there's no way anybody would know anything about a wicked pedestal.”

“U, uhm...that there was a magic lamp in Japan, who did you hear that from?”

Calmly, Alf took hold of both of Jin's shoulders, and enquired of him with serious eyes. Because what had happened between Sierra and him was a secret, Jin could only shake his head in negation.

“It's fine. I'm sorry for asking about such a strange thing.”

“Ah, it's fine, don't worry don't worry. For us too, we're sorry we couldn't be of more use.”

Even though Alf ended it like that, Jin suddenly noticed something for the first time, and sniffed at his surroundings. Becoming a bit worried, Jin asked about it.

“You smell something?”

“Ah, no. It's nothing.”

Sniffing quickly, Alf turned to her side. Just then Jin was elbowed by Yuuya.

“You know, it's probably because off all the garbage in the dorm room, so you just smell like mold.”

“I wonder if it's an outbreak of a new life-form.”

Someone like Jin, who always cares about his manners, to be wearing dirty clothes that hadn't been washed, was completely unthinkable. Yuuya sniffed at Jin's surroundings, simply saying “Ahh.”

“Isn't this the smell from the Dorm Head?”

“Ah, you mean that whatever it's called incense?”

In the morning, when Ukyou had gripped Jin's collar, the incense he was wearing had probably been captured by Jin. Alf, who couldn't have thought of this, was taking this in stride.

“That's right. It's that smell, that smell. Ah, while I've been talking, you've already finished eating everything. You know, you eat pretty quick.”

Alf was looking at Jin's plate. There was nothing left. Yet on Yuuya's plate, there was still at least half of his meal left. Jin's reply came as he took a swig of water.

“Really, I don't think I eat all that fast.”

“It's fast, fast, yet you're still so thin even with your gluttony.”

Come to think of it, when he had gone searching for Solomon's Treasure on a day off and gone mountain climbing and excavating, he had gotten really hungry from using his stamina, so he might have to eat more than others......Thinking so, Jin pushed against his stomach. Yuuya spoke while he was still chewing a mouthful of shish kebab.

“This shop, fits you doesn't it? The food tastes good, it's not too expensive......Next time how about we challenge that extra large Persian Curry? If you can eat it within 30 minutes, it's free. That right, Alf.”

With Yuuya's statement finished, Alf had been engrossed in sniffing with her nose around Jin, when her body started to shake.

“A, Ahh. That's a delicious scent.”

“Delicious?”

Wondering what she was talking about suddenly, Jin lifted his eyebrow in puzzlement. Giving a short start, Alf proceeded to shake her head.

“Ah, no. I just misspoke.”

“Alf, you're drooling.”

Being pointed at by Yuuya, Alf quickly shut her mouth. It was kind of suspicious.

“Ah, that's right. What you said about coming to eat again, it can't be today,” said Alf as she focused her attention onto Jin.

Rubbing his stomach, Yuuya could only shake his head.

“It's alright, today's fine as it is. Anymore and we'll get fat.”

“I wasn't talking to you. So Jin, won't you come to eat again today?”

Alf's waitress side was so developed. Different from how she had curtly given him the omelets earlier, she used the voice of a cat, and a mysterious smell was coming from her body.

It would be his evening meal, so he wanted to go on eating more and more, but he couldn't eat too much on credit, he had also received quite a lot of shish kebab, so he wouldn't be able to really fit much else into his stomach. So showing his restraint, Jin shook his head.

“I'm good with today as well.”

“Well, if you say you won't eat anymore. Our Persian Curry is made with pomegranates so they will restore your energy, and you can eat as much as you'd like.”

“To someone eating on credit, to make a recommendation like that...”

“It's fine. Isn't that right Dad.”

Alf raised her voice so it would carry to the kitchen, following which a response came from the shopkeeper.

“Yep. If that's what Alf said, then eat as much as you'd like. Bloody Fool!”

“Yeah, like he said, so you don't have to show restraint. So eat to your hearts desire, and become round round fat.”

“Round round fat, what's with that?

A part of what Alf had just said was strange. Before Jin could think too hard about it, Alf had already stretched out her arms deceivingly.

“Ah, ah, no you don't need to worry about it. So, come over tomorrow for some more great service!”

Alf was laughing sweetly. For her to not smile......was unthinkable, indeed whatever it seemed, her habit was her smiling face. But there was something else besides her smiling face that Jin had become conscious of, looking like he wanted to reply, he was stuck on her chest, unable to say anything.

After returning to the dorm, Jin checked his cell phone for any messages, but in the end nobody had called.

“After all, nobody returned my call. Just where are they fooling around at.”

There were plenty of times when he would get a call and he wouldn't answer, but for them not to pick up when he wanted to call, Jin was a bit worried.

Flipping the phone shut, Jin tossed it onto the upper bunk-bed. In order for the dorm to maintain order, they had a dress code to wear gym clothes, as the dorm had chosen the uniform for the exercise club, so that's what he and Yuuya were unwillingly wearing. Unaffiliated with the exercise club, Jin and Yuuya were wearing their gym clothes. Yuuya was wearing his shorts, while Jin had on his jersey. While looking at a music score for a guitar on the bed, he lifted his gaze to the clock on the wall.

“It's five-thirty, about time for dinner, Jin, you hungry?”

“......Starving. Even though I ate so much at Alf Layla...”

“As expected of a glutton, you have quite some fast digesting skills. Anyway, what if you went on a diet for just today?”

Thinking like a stranger, Yuuya was laughing lightly. However, until breakfast the next day, it would be over 12 hours, which he didn't think he could make. There were no archeology books either, so there was nothing to read as well. He also didn't have the willpower to do his homework. Feeling a pang in his stomach, Jin let out a sigh.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Standing up from the bed, Yuuya went to answer it.

“Yes?”

Standing there was a first year middle school student. The number one lowest in regards to the Senpais, he wasn't even trembling.

“Hey, weren't you that first year handing out onigiri this morning?”

Bowing his head, the boy came into the room.

“I'm Himuro Keita. Araki Senpai, there's a letter that came for you.”

“Letter? Aah, thanks.”

Keita handed the letter to Jin, who was sitting up on his bed. With a tone of admiration, Yuuya spoke to him.

“You've got some guts to come in here not scared. Something like delivering a letter to a Senpai's room, usually people would be pretty scared, and just wait in the hallway or something.”

“But, in order to follow the dorm rules to not have something lost or stolen, all private letters and the like have to be relayed quickly to whoever they're made out to. That's what the dorm head is always saying.”

“Hah? Wait a minute...Himuro......the vice president of the student council?”

“That's right. Eriko is my older sister.”

“Ah, so that's why you've got guts.”

At that, Keita turned a stern gaze on Yuuya.

“I am not hiding or likewise taking profit from the shadow of my sister! Even though you're my Senpai, if you talk like that, I won't forgive you!”

“S, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to say something so light, so don't get so mad.”

“Well then, please pardon my intrusion.”

Once more lowering his head, Keita left the room. With that Yuuya let out a sigh.

“Geez geez, it's so hard to get along with that honor student type, their prides are so high and all. Doesn't he look like his older sister, Jin?

“I'm not sure, I don't know his older sister after all...”

“Aah, that's right it's impossible to ask you anything about girls. But I can ask you stuff about cuneiform writing can't I?”

“I'd be more helpful with something like that.”

“It's a joke. Who'd ask about that stuff.”

“The oldest cuneiform written laws were Hammurabi's Code.”

“The Student Council Vice President's name is Himuro Eriko. She's famous for holding down a job now to help cover living costs. After getting permission from the school, she goes to a part-time job after class.”

Matching himself to Jin's pace, Yuuya explained it all.

“But apart from that, what's the letter about?”

“Ah. Uhm......”

Jin turned his gaze back towards the envelope. It had a stamp from abroad stuck to it, and the address was even written in English. The paper was rough, and the quality wasn't that high, and with it's scent, it gave off a very ethnic feel. There was also 'Global Express' stuck to the paper. It's postmark date was labeled as a week previous. Written cursively and with a blue fountain pen's ink, the name [Daigo Araki] was clearly written.

“It's from my Dad!”

He had just been thinking about his parents as well, so the timing for the letter was really surprising. On the letter in the blue fountain pen ink, was definitely his Dad's handwriting.

To Jin.

Are you doing well? Since we started the excavation over here, half a month has already passed. We met up with a guide named Sawaad, and he had some reliable information about Solomon's Palace. When the preparations are done, we'll enter the excavation phase tomorrow. It seems like a place where there's no cell phone service, so for a while we won't be able to communicate, but don't worry. It was good we got the satellite phones for your mom, but with the service now she's pretty upset.

Every day your mom worries about you. She's not too sure about life at a dorm, so as to whether you're eating right or not, she's pretty worried.

For me as well, because I don't have the extra funds, I'm causing you a lot of trouble, which I'm sorry for. It's fine if you're mad at us. With all that said, currently in regards to the progress of finding Solomon's Treasure,

At that point the letter began turning into a romance play, so Jin took it, put it back in it's envelope, and put that in his shirt pocket. Suiting his own convenience, the contents of the letter just made his stomach stand on end.

“That's right, you cause me nothing but trouble. You think I wanna hear your excuses?”

With Jin in his elevated anger stage, Yuuya raised his voice to speak.

“With a mood like that, is it Haraheri's fault? Sorry if it's in Haraheri, but I'm heading to the dining hall now.”

“Already? It's still pretty early though.”

“Well, to not have my seat taken, and to get one close to the upper classmen, I can't afford to wait. Well, I'm off solo to go eat chicken soup, beef and miso, but don't feel bad.”

“Then don't give out the menu!”

With that Jin's stomach gave a hungry growl. Laughing maliciously, Yuuya exited the room. How was he supposed to live off just a cupcake.

“...Geez, what a bad personality.”

Trying to figure out what to do about his hunger, he remembered the letter. Though Jin sincerely believed Solomon's Treasure was in Japan, he couldn't help but recall the lines written that said, “We've obtained some reliable information dealing with Solomon's Palace.”

“What does that mean? That it's different from my hypothesis? Just how reliable is the information?”

Thinking to read the letter all the way through this time, he reached his hand into his pocket to take it out.

At that moment, Jin's cell phone began vibrating. Everyday between school and the dorm, there was practically no free time, so their cellphones were always set to silent mode.

''Maybe it's from my parents''... thinking that, Jin picked it up. It might have to do with something like telling him directly about Solomon's Palace. That's why, when he heard Sierra's voice, he was extremely disappointed.

“...What, it's just you.”

“[W, what do you mean by that!]”

From the very beginning Sierra was already filled with rage. With all that energy it seemed the cellphone's speaker might break. Jin let out a sigh.

“You're already in top gear.”

“[I already told you to call me! What the heck are you doing!?]”

“Don't ask for the absurd. School ends at three, and the dorm doesn't close until six, so there's no way I could call you right?”

“[I heard from your roommate Utada Yuuya, that you'd be missing dinner, so you should be alone now, right?]”

Shocked, Jin couldn't come up with a reply. She was unexpectedly sharp.

“So... did you get my phone number from him as well?”

“[You idiot, if I did that it would turn into a misunderstanding. When I saw your phone at noon break, your number was written on it, right?]”

Shocked again, Jin looked at his phone. Written beneath the LCD screen in thin magic marker was his phone number.

“[A lot of commoners do that. Because there's a lot of people who get their phone number from the company.]”

Sierra laughed with her nose. Above her intelligence was little she would overlook. She gave off the impression of someone in a secluded world, but in reality it was completely different. Another way of thinking is that she doesn't understand the world, but that's not it either. It was a misrepresentation of herself as a humble person, when it was realized how she really acts.

“...That's right. Right now I'm in the room alone, and Yuuya won't be back until seven.”

“[Since it's in a room, and there's no chance of someone seeing me in the maid uniform, then it should be safe. So hurry up and rub the lamp.]”

“The word Genie really does suit you perfectly.”

“[That's rude! Where does that fit me!]”

“It's obvious, 'evil spirit' and 'god' are what make up the symbols for 'Genie' after all.”

To not continue riding on the mood, Jin got off his bed, went over to the desk and pulled the lamp out from one of the drawers, hitting his hand in the process.

“Ah, that's right! Hey, Zadou.”

“[Don't put off calling me, commoner!]”

“More importantly, stop calling me a commoner.”

“[You need something?]”

“When you come, could you bring something with you? Is there any kind of food you could come with?”

Thinking to himself what a good idea he'd had, he asked for Sierra's help. On the other side of the phone, Sierra let out an 'I see' sound.

“[That's a good idea. I'll come soon with something made. Then I won't have to do anything, and you'll thank me tons, right?]”

“Ah, of course! I'll be sure to give you loads of thankfulness.”

It was Hell. Jin said this as he pushed his hand against the rumblings his stomach was making.

“[Then after ten minutes rub the Magic Lamp. You got that?]”

“Ahh, you've let me reach ultimate happiness today.”

Holding the Magic Lamp on his knees, Jin was unusually calm and when he turned to the clock on the wall trembling in anticipation, five minutes had already passed.

The waiting time was long, and the sounds of his empty stomach were painful to hear. And so another five minutes passed. After waiting so long, Jin took the lamp and began scrubbing it frantically. With a popping sound, a violet smoke came out from the lamp. There Sierra stood in her maid clothes, holding a bowl with an unknown number of eggs in it.

“Bow down commoner! Before the almighty Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki!”

“Yahooo!”

Even with Sierra shouting insults, before his hunger they paled in comparison. Lifting both hands Jin was about to go 'Banzai!' when he suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at Sierra in front of him.

“....uh, so where is the sukiyaki?”

“Huh?”

Sierra looked around her feet. There an iron pot was spread out with a tiny portable gas stove, but that was all.

“Wh, what's this mean? It was definitely here, the finished sukiyaki! There was also some rice definitely in here as well...”

“Well there isn't anything but ingredients and cooking tools. So to raise your magic level...maybe you have to cook yourself?”

Jin shook his head as he looked at the raw egg. Sierra stuck her fist worriedly by her mouth.

“Cooking. What a problem...”

“Don't you have any cooking practice from home economics class?”

“The people that are in my group always end up doing it for me. They keep saying since I'm an idol I shouldn't have to do that stuff.”

“Being pampered goes to show that you can't do something for yourself.”

“Well, just wait until I get started. Then I'll let you try the cooking I have pride in.”

“How can you have pride when you can't cook anything...?”

Jin raised his eyebrow at the mystery. Laughing lightly, Sierra withdrew her cellphone from out of her apron's pocket.

“Ah, hello? Yeah, it's Zadou Sierra. I was wondering if I could have the usual pizza delivered?”

“You mean it's delivered pizza!”

Heatedly Jin took the phone away from Sierra.

“Food that gets delivered is banned here, so if a Pizza Store delivered here, they'd be chased off!”

“That's fine, we can just have them deliver it through the window.”

Sierra snatched back her cellphone. With an “ahh,” Jin clapped his hands.

“You're pretty smart.”

“Isn't that obvious. Don't compare me with a commoner like you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be nice and happy when you get praised.”

“How's that supposed to be when I get praised by some commoner like you!”

“[Uhm...Is anybody there?]”

A voice could be heard from the phone's speaker. With a soft girls voice that sounded quite grown up, the speaker still seemed to be quite young.

“Ah, I apologize. Then please give me the usual deluxe pizza. Ah, and the place of delivery is different that usual. Harusha Academy's Male Dormitory, do you know of it?”

“[Tachibana....is that it?]”

“Yes yes, Tachibana.”

“[Uhm, Tachibana shouldn't have any girls allowed inside...]”

“You know it pretty well. And so I'm in a room on the second floor of the Tachibana dorm, and to not be noticed by some stranger, I would like it if the pizza could be delivered in through the window.”

“[W, window?......I don't think we can do that...]”

The operator on the other side of the phone seemed to be grinding her teeth as she talked. It wasn't unreasonable to assume it had something to do with the phone call having come from a girl in the the no-girls-allowed, all-male dormitory.

“[Well then, as for your order, if it's the same as always....that's the fourteen inch large size, with truffle, caviar, and foie grass as topings, correct?]”

“Yeah. Also...”

From behind Sierra's shoulder, Jin impatiently interrupted.

“Hey, I'm just asking to make sure but...you do have money right?”

“Ridiculous. When ordering high class food at a restaurant, 'Is there any money in the wallet?' is something only those destined to be poor would ask.”

Snickering lightly from her nose, Sierra reached her hand into the pocket of her apron.

“......eh!?”

Her hand felt only emptiness. There was nothing there at all. Turning her pocket inside out, still nothing came out.

“NO WAY! Where's my wallet!? Before I was called out I took every precaution to make sure there would be enough money to cover whatever expenses might show up!”

“So from the beginning you were just thinking of using money anyway.”

“When I passed through the lamp, my clothes did turn into the maid uniform but...that it would disappear as well! Aaah geez! What an annoyingly useless lamp!”

Sierra kicked the lamp in her fury. Sierra followed the rebounding lamp with her eyes as it fell back down. With a clang, she was beat down onto the bed after being hit in the head. Her figure upon kicking it was splendid, with her leg raised over her head. Though at the same time the skirt she was in lifted up high as well.

Jin heatedly slapped his hands over his eyes, turning himself around quickly. Screaming “Kyaa!” and sitting up hurriedly so she was kneeling with the tops of her feet touching the ground, Sierra pushed down on the skirt with one hand while using the other to hold the back of her head.

“You saw it didn't you, Commoner! My head hurts! You saw it!”

“Wh, who saw what!? You were the one who fell by yourself!”

Jin turned back around again, while still holding his hands over his eyes. The operator on the other side of the phone spoke in a worried voice.

“[Uhmm, hello...? Just now there was some kind of loud noise but, how about your order?]”

“It can't be helped. For today, you'll be the one to get it.”

Sierra said this with her finger pointed at Jin.

“Why do I have start going with what you say all of a sudden?”

“If it's a little bit it should be fine right, besides I'll return it at school tomorrow.”

“Even if you say that, right now, I've got no money.”

“You don't even have fifty-thousand yen?” 

“There's no way I'm gonna have that! Rather, there's no way one person could plan to eat that much pizza!”

With all his heart Jin was trying to relay this fact of common life to Sierra. Covering her mouth, Sierra seemed to be in distress.

“I, it can't be helped then...There's nothing to do but cancel...”

“[Cancel?]”

Even though the operator asked only for the sake of confirmation, Sierra went into a frenzy with her hair seemingly on end, as she turned to the phone.

“I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not canceling because I have no money! There's no way that would happen to someone like me!”

“[I, I didn't say anything though...]”

“To prove it I'll be ordering one-hundred pizzas tomorrow! All of them are going to be double caviar!”

While still fuming Sierra cut the call. Amazed, Jin opened his mouth to speak.

“Even double cheese is over extravagant....but to not just order caviar which they wouldn't normally have anyway, but to order double caviar...”

“Not having money really is humiliating.”

Heartbroken, Sierra fell back onto the bed. Jin clapped his hand onto Sierra's shoulder.

“You didn't actually fall too low you know. After all, there are quite a few times when people will buy too much at a super market, and have to say 'Sorry but, could you please return this and that,' at the register.”

“That's humiliating! In the end there's just no way I can stand to be poor. And for now, there's no other way than for me to raise my level as a Genie!”

“You just have to wait until we find Solomon's Treasure.”

The route was still being read but, according to the letter his parents had sent, it seemed they had uncovered some historic ruins that had a connection with Solomon. Sierra's expression and silence exceeded his expectations, though it didn't continue for long.

“That's because, there's no guarantee when we'll find Solomon's Treasure right? If we wait like that and it takes too long, I don't want to see my parents get divorced. Because of that, I have no choice but to be the Genie of the Lamp.”

Sierra was grasping him firmly. Because of the courage she showed, Jin couldn't help but stroke her head. When Aika was little, after something good happened, or after something that made her cry sadly, “Big Brother” Jin would always stroke her head like this. Stroking her head like that, Aika would always end up showing a happily smiling face. That's why he just reflexively started stroking her head...but Sierra wasn't Aika. One moment blinking in surprise, the next, not understanding what was happening and becoming angry, she turned her scarlet face towards Jin.

“What do you think you're doing all of a sudden!”

“Ah, just...”

“Even if you do that when I haven't done anything, It won't raise my level as a Genie you know! A commoner like you, don't go touching my head like that!”

“So, the satisfaction gauge won't go up if I just rub your head then?”

“That's unavoidable! Don't do useless things!

“Useless...”

“Don't you have any kind of order or something?”

Sierra spoke forcibly to Jin. In the end, with his stomach making rumbling noises, he just wanted something to eat.

“I've said it before already, that I'm hungry. But since there's nothing to eat, there's no helping it.”

“Even so, if you don't have anything to tell me to do, it's going to bother me.”

Saying that......Sierra dropped her gaze to the raw eggs she was holding.

“That's it then, it'll be fine as long as I can make an omlet! Luckily there's also a gas stove.”

“Ah, I get it. You'll fry the egg using the iron pot.”

Jin's eyes were sparking. With a similar happy appearance, Sierra took Jin's hands.

“I know I know! I might just be a genius!”

“With this, I just might be able to make it the twelve hours until tomorrow's breakfast!”

At the same time, the atmosphere turned chilly and quiet as they realized they were hand in hand. Following which they quickly let go. Jin turned to the side looking like he had done something wrong, as Sierra turned her back to him, her face deep scarlet.

“Any, anyway, today I'll have you make the satisfaction gauge go all the way up! I don't want to spend any more time than I have to each day in this dirty place!”

Setting the portable gas stove atop the bed, Sierra lit the flame with a cracking sound. ''While she's frying up the omelet, I wonder if I should take the time to read the rest of the letter...'' Jin thought, as he reached his hand into shirt pocket, preparing to take the letter out.

However,

“How would you like it fried? Medium, Rare, or Well-Done?”

Jin scrunched his eyebrows at Sierra's strange question.

“Isn't that how you would cook a steak?”

Rare is when the meat is still relatively pink, Medium is when you use a moderate amount of heat, and most of the pink is gone, while Well-Done is when there is no pink left in the meat, because of leaving on the flame for a long time. He watched as Sierra put three eggs still in their shell into the iron pot above the gas stove, to “fry” them.

“What are you doing?”

In a voice not usually used, Jin had spoken in a tone that was an octave higher than usual.

“It's obvious from watching that I'm frying eggs.”

Sierra replied in a matter of fact tone, as she began to poke the eggs.

“Idiot! Stop it! The eggs will explode, it's dangerous!”

Grabbing her shoulders from behind, Jin pulled Sierra back away from the gas stove. A girl's shoulder width was narrow, and so she fit easily between his hands. Completely dubious about Sierra's cooking method, Jin could only be suspicious.

“You don't want the satisfaction gauge to go up? Don't get in the way of my cooking.”

“Just how is this cooking!”

“Sure it's an omelet, though it may not be what you're used to, but it's actually much more difficult to make than you'd think by watching.”

“This conversation seems like something from a different dimension.”

“I am an idol, so this different dimension is because you're a commoner, right?”

“Don't try to explain it like that! This isn't an omelet, and it doesn't seem like cooking either!”

Turning off the flame of the gas stove, Jin recovered the eggs from the pot. Taking off his jacket, he put them together on the back of a chair at the study desk, leaving him dressed casually in a short-sleeved shirt.

“Listen up, if you're going to make an omelet, you first have to actually crack the egg.”

Next, Jin took the egg and cracked it along the side of the bowl and put the yoke in. Sierra seated herself on her knees, watching attentively the cooking lesson.

“You want to mix the white part and the yellow yoke together, but not too much or it will become hard, so mix lightly. Then, add some sugar for taste, heat up the pot, top it off with some oil, and then put in the eggs...”

He had sugar and oil for cooking. If it was just omelets, Jin's skill was pretty good. Impressed, Sierra clapped her hands together as she continued watching.

“Heh, you can do it pretty well.”


“Nah, that taste, you're better at it.” Jin whispered so it couldn't be heard.

“After letting the egg run into the pot, stir it with chopsticks to make sure the air is mixed evenly as well.”

“Why do something like that?”

“If you do it like this, it will come out much better. When it's half done, roll it up as it finishes hardening.”

“I didn't think you were this good.”

“When my parents were away on excavations, I was always left to watch the house, so that's why. I've even learned a lot about doing chores around the house too.”

“Even without a spatula, using just chopsticks you've done really good.”

“If you apply the oil properly, there's no problems. Put in another egg, roll it up again, as much as you like you can do it...”

“They look good.”

“Here, you give it a shot.”

Jin put the omelet he had just finished atop a plate. Cutting the omelet with a utensil she had brought from her home, Sierra ate the piece in one bite. Even though she wasn't wearing lipstick, there was still a noticeable pretty pinkness to her lips as she opened her mouth, and bit into the omelet with white teeth. With just that, Jin felt a throb in his chest.

“Wow, it's really delicious. It's so light and airy...and the layers make the omelet taste like a Millefeuille and a Baumkuchen cake. And it has just the right texture for chewing.”

“Well, you know. The omelet was the first item I learned to cook, so I've got some confidence.”

Slightly embarrassed from being praised by Sierra, Jin lifted his nose into the air. Sierra carried another bite to her mouth.

“Yep, you're really good at cooking.”

“Though you say that, I think you might be better.”

“If it's just the omelet, then the taste is worthy of letting our chef know about.”

“Th, that so...”

“Really, it was delicious. But, if it had been left on the flame for a little bit longer, it would suit my preferences better.”

“A little longer huh...I got it.”

“Well, next time do your best. I'll be waiting.”

“Thanks.”

“Then, thanks for the meal. You may bow."

“I understand, my master.”

With his head bowed, Jin began cleaning the plates. Stopping suddenly, he turned towards the satisfied looking Sierra, who was busy wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

“....This isn't right!!!”

“What is it? Is there still desert?”

“That's not it! This is backwards!”

Jin took her arm, forcing her to stand. Sierra knit her eyebrows.

“That huurts! Compensate for a girl when you use your strength, commoner!”

“What are you going to do about my satisfaction! You're the one that keeps going 'I want to raise my Genie level!'”

“Ah, ah that's right. I just, started to act like I normally do...”

“You've got this super 'Master' like aura you know. Actually, it's more like “Genie.” With that, can you really do something for somebody else?”

“Are you saying the word 'impossible' is written in my dictionary?”

“Even if you burn away your pride...”

“I can do it. I decided to do it!”

Angrily Sierra grabbed hold of the front of Jin's shirt, looking up at him. Sierra's chest pulled in closer to Jin's stomach, until they just touched. Hastily he began pulling back, but Sierra followed forward with him, and the distance between the two closed. It seemed she didn't realize what she was doing to Jin.

“Wait, why are you trying to run away! Listen when people are talking to you!”

“I'm not really trying to run away though.”

“You know, it's because you're here that's the problem! Because you're here, are you trying to interfere while I work!?”

“That's just another excuse.”

“Well I've got that trait about when people are next to me. If there's nobody there, then I can do it!”

With her hands grasping Jin's chest, she stared at him with her lips drawn back. Her cheeks were colored light red. Her frustrated expression made Jin realize she was having trouble.

From the previous results of the “Egg Roast,” he was very uneasy about leaving her alone. But, looking at Sierra with her lips trembling from frustration, Jin felt it couldn't be helped.

''Right now she's got to be frustrated not just by the Genie Level thing, but also because she's having trouble doing this...She's someone with a lot of pride who cares a lot about failing.''

Jin let out a sigh admitting his defeat.

“...I got it. It's fine if I just leave then.”

“Yeah, please do.”

With her response to Jin, she puffed herself up and gave the request in an overbearing manner. Jin gave another sigh at her lack of remorse for her attitude.

“So what's the plan then....”

“Give me thirty minutes. You can come back in after thirty minutes. Because I don't want to be in this dirty room for more than that long.”

“Okay okay.”

Sighing one last time, Jin left the room.

Even though he left the room, he didn't have any place to go. It was currently dinner time right now, so he didn't think it would happen but, if someone happened to enter the room and see Sierra, he would be chased out of the dorm with no place to go. Since it was going to be thirty minutes and he had nothing else to do, Jin thought about reading the letter from earlier, but when he tried to get it, he realized he had no pocket on his shirt. He had taken it off earlier.

“Ah...It's still in the pocket.”

He was really impatient to start reading the next part. But if he entered the room again at this point, he'd get the third degree from Sierra.

“Well, whatever. It's just thirty minutes...thirty minutes...”

Jin sat down in the corridor, and began waiting restlessly.

During that interval, he heard screams and sounds like 'BANG!', 'SLAM!' and 'CLANG!'. Worried yet helpless to do anything about what was going on in his room, while wanting to storm in, he could only close his eyes and ears to the ruckus.

After a while, the door to the room opened with a creak. Standing there with her apron soiled from the ordeal, was Sierra. Mouth agape, Jin could only stare at Sierra with her hair in disarray, while smiling triumphantly.

“Haha. What do you think? Have a look, Commoner!”

She pointed with a slender white finger to the interior of Jin's room. Cautiously, Jin entered the room.

“An omelet that you made, would be....”

Halting in mid sentence, Jin's eyes bulged as he gazed upon a delicious looking omelet resting atop his desk.

“The shape's right!”

“That's the first thing you say?”

A blood vessel pulsed on Sierra's temple. Impressed, Jin admired the omelet from various angles.

“Well that's...I didn't really believe you could do it.”

“Even I can do it if I give it my all you know.”

Sierra was acting with a little more humility than she normally would. It was most likely due to the great effort she had put in. Giving it her all to make the omelet, that was what Jin thought had made her happy. He also ended up becoming a little happy as well.

“Here, give it a taste!”

Sierra grabbed onto his shoulders, and pushed him down onto a chair. He turned to face the omelet, which he thought would be a waste to eat, as it looked so fantastic.

“A, ah...then here I go.”

He carried a piece of the omelet that Sierra had already prepared into his mouth. Standing in front of Jin with both hands clasped before her breast, Sierra waited with beating heart and closed eyes. She had looked depressed from earlier, but looking at her serious appearance now, Jin thought that what he had done earlier had really been his mistake.

''She's...really not just all talk is she. She's really competitive, but also does things seriously to the best she can.''

Putting the layered omelet into his mouth, it unraveled and crumbled with softness as he ate. The fragrance from the egg drifted up and added seasoning as it entered his nose, increasing the overall quality of the omelet by several ten's of times.

“Amazing!” Jin shouted with all his might.

“Really...it's really good?”

Jin's heart beat hard as Sierra asked, holding his arm. She really had small hands. With these small hands and fragile appearance, she had carried a heavy iron pot and portable gas stove all for the sake of letting him eat something...thinking of that, Jin felt even more that what he had done was inexcusable.

In the end the sukiyaki had disappeared, but thinking that she would make him an omelet, and that it
would turn out to be done well, no flattery added, he felt really grateful. He was simply expressing how impressed he was to Sierra.

"It's really, really good you know. It's even better than this omelet I had at a Persian Restaurant.

"Haha, Yes!"

Sierra gave a small jump from her happiness. This happiness didn't come from any connection to the
Genie of the Lamp's level, but because with her own power she was able to do something, that was what made her happy. Still impressed, Jin continued eating the omelet. Staring at him, Sierra's palms were getting sweaty as she watched over him.

"It's really amazing. I can't even see how the same person who was going to use the whole egg, ended
up making this so good.”

"F, for now, hurry up and forget about that!"

Sierra had definitely turned completely red.

"I got it. Since you're rich, you always eat good things, that suit your taste. That's why, when you
make something you think tastes good, it comes out with the most delicious taste."

With that understanding, Jin finished eating the omelet. That was better than if he had given the
best praise.

"Thanks for the meal. Really, it was great. Surprisingly good."

"That's a relief."

Breathing a sigh of relief a smile spread across her face. Jin's heart seemed to skip a beat.
Looking at his face, Sierra once again blushed deep scarlet, shaking her head furiously from side to
side.

"N, no...that's not it! Are you satisfied? Is your chest overflowing with thankfulness to me?"

As Jin Looked at the one who always speaks from a higher position's appearance after having worked
so hard, a smile somehow showed on his face. He stopped his verbal abuse, and nodded his head.

"A~h. Because you let me eat something this good, there is no limit to my thanks."

Even without thinking about being happy, a smile floated to his face. For Sierra, it was the first
time seeing his smile. She had thought him to be an ill-tempered, brazen man, but she realized his
smiling face was very kind. Becoming embarrassed, she for some reason grew angry, with a purposely
over-bearing bad mood.

"Your th, thankfulness can't be just words! Can't you even remember that by now!?"

"I got it. It's 'ChiChinPuiPui' right?"

Jin calmed down, but wasn't returning to his normal self, so instead Sierra grew angrier and even
redder.

"I...if you get it, then hurry up and rub my head!"

With her eyes downcast, the upset Sierra held her head out towards Jin.

"Then here goes. ChiChinPuiPui."

Focusing on his thankfulness, Jin rubbed her head. Suddenly, Sierra's whole body became wrapped in
light. Looking at the shining Sierra with an appearance like an Angel, Jin sucked in his breath,
watching. Sierra was also surprised with herself giving off light, and looked down at her body.

"Amazing! With this, it just might..."

Sierra took the Magic Book from out of her pocket. Opening the very first page, Arabian writing had
started to appear. Sierra lept with joy.

"Yay! I've got my first spell!"

"That's good."

"Yeah- it's thanks to you!"

Sierra said with force to Jin who had on a kind expression, causing her to return to herself. Embarrassed and with a scarlet face, Sierra again picked up her attitude.

[[Image:Puipui vol01 155.jpg|thumb]]

"N, no...It's because I went all out, so it's obvious you should be thankful. The satisfaction gauge
could have gone up more. Since your just a commoner, eating such a delicious omelet, there should
have been two or three more spells that showed up.”

"Should have."

Seeing through Sierra who had become more reserved and embarrassed, Jin couldn't stand any more. It
really seemed to him that her actions much more suited a kid.

"So, how do you read...this spell?"

Sierra asked Jin sullenly.

"A Magic Book you can't use, you're hopeless!"

"Well, how am I supposed to know Arabian! It's not J-S-J you know."

"This is read 'Lammul.'"

Jin read the Arabian letters confidently. Impressed, Sierra looked at Jin with eyes as round as
saucers.

"How come you can read it?"

"Well, because to search for Solomon's Treasure, I've read a lot of Arabian books."

"You know...you're pretty amazing."

Impressed, Sierra let out a sigh. It seemed she couldn't fully appreciate his skills. By no means
was he inferring that Sierra was praising him, he just became a bit shy and his head spun lightly.

"It's not really that...amazing. It's just, from using my dictionary I've slowly been able to
remember stuff..."

"Well, I thought the only thing I could do was just ask Papa when I get home. So, what's it mean?"

"That's..."

Preparing to reply, Jin took a deep breath. Sierra was staring intently at him. Her eyes were deep
and sparkling just like space, and seemed to be drawing in their surroundings.

It was that which really made Jin realize what it was about Sierra that Yuuya, the other guys, and
even Aika saw. It was the first time he understood that, she had a quality that anybody would find
attractive.

Feeling as though he were about to be swallowed up by Sierra, staring at her, Jin was unable to
stand. Sierra as well, could feel Jin stiffen. The next thing they both thought of was why they
didn't know why this was pleasant, and so they waited a bit, standing upright like a pole.

Just then, Jin noticed the sound sound of dripping water, and looked around.

“What's that sound?”

Searching around, Jin noticed clothes hung outside his window on hangers. The water was dripping from the clothes, and hitting the window sill.

“Are those my clothes?”

The clothes he had taken off sometime earlier and left on the bed, his shirt, pants and even his underwear had all been washed, just like at the dorm's coin laundry place. Little by little he began building up.

“W, where did you wash them?”

“At the sink over there, they were really dirty.”

“You even washed my underwear? By hand?”

Jin's face turned scarlet. At that time, he noticed that among the hanging laundry was also his jacket.

“Huh?”

Jin focused his eyes. Now that it was brought up, he couldn't recall seeing the jacket on the back of the study chair when he had eaten the omelet. Getting worried, Jin turned his gaze back to the chair. It really wasn't there. His blood pressure began to rise.

“You washed it?”

“You can tell by looking.”

“Why did you wash it?”

“It's like I said earlier, they were dirty. It was because of that mountain of books, I wasn't thinking of washing them for you, but I didn't want their dirt contaminating the omelet, so I washed them first.”

But what Sierra had said never entered Jin's ears. In order to confirm it, he went over and picked out the jacket. Reaching his hand into the pocket, he searched around before finding the letter mailed to him by his father. It had been washed as well, so the paper was all ruined. The blue ink had blended with the water, having caused it to disappear completely.

“The letter's...”

At that point, Jin stood with a mix of astonishment and terror.

“Before washing, you didn't check to see if anything was in the pocket?”

“There's no way I'd stick my hand into some Commoner's pocket, is there?”

Sierra said, full of confidence. Despairing, Jin turned his head to the side.

“Checking for pockets before washing, isn't that obvious!? You've totally destroyed what was in there!”

Jin thrust the ruined letter out under Sierra's nose. She froze. IT seemed she had just realized what she had done. Her pride was too high though to allow her to apologize.

“It's...it's all your mistake for putting something in your pocket.”

Listening to Sierra with her arms crossed blame him instead, Jin's voltage jumped a level.

“What are you saying! All I did was take off my clothes in my own room, and you went and washed them on your own! You didn't even ask!”

“W, why do I have to ask permission from a Commoner like you!”

“If you do something wrong, usually you'd apologize!”

“Why do I have to lower my head to a Commoner like you! A, all I did was get the paper a little wet!”

“This was a letter from my old man. There was a high possibility that there was something written about Solomon's Treasure!”

An interval passed after Jin raised his voice, and in that time Sierra's mouth was open in shock.

Sierra knew that Jin was searching for Solomon's Treasure, and she was looking for it for her own sake as well. But, the fact that Jin was so angry over something like this, was probably because he was lonely after his parents had left him and gone off, and Sierra, who held onto the same feelings in regards to her own parents, could somehow understand how he must be feeling. It seemed he himself wasn't aware of it, but that's exactly why he became so angry over the letter, she could understand that better than anybody.

Because she understood what had happened, she could feel the pain of it. It was obvious Jin would be angry, and her heart beat painfully, but even so she just couldn't bring herself to apologize.

“I...I didn't know.”

The best she could do was just make excuses. Jin couldn't take any more of the unapologetic Sierra, and so he took a deep breath, pushed the hair in front of his eyes away,, and spoke in a low voice.

“You'll use money to achieve something at all costs. Just go home.”

He had spoken in a distant, cold voice. Up until now this hadn't happened...His distanced appearance also seemed as if it were telling Sierra the same thing. Sierra's scared body trembled, and she squeezed her eyes tight. Just him disregarding her to this extent was enough to wound her fragile heart, is something Jin didn't think about. Until now, there had never been one person to disregard her existence, which was why this hurt so much.

After Jin gave her the order to go back home, Sierra was sucked back into the lamp. At that moment, it seemed as though there were tears in her eyes, but with the blood rushed to his head, Jin could care less.

“It would've been better had I never summoned that selfish girl. I won't summon her again.”

Jin threw the Magic Lamp into the trash bin.

Wanting to read the letter from his Father once more, he tried to open it, but it was useless.

“...it really is no use.”

Crumpling the letter into a ball, Jin tossed it into the trash as well.

Hanging from the ceiling was a black and red spider, the same one that Jin had chased out through the window the other day. The spiders onyx-black eyes glittered in the light, it had heard everything, having climbed in the window at the time the laundry had been put out.

Talk:PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-05-11T15:19:51Z

Seaghyn16: 95%

-*- I'm almost finished. 3 pages left. About 95% complete of the chapter. Give me tomorrow, and wednesday. Wednesday evening, (2009/May/13) I should have something. -*-

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 14:40, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Talk:PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-05-11T14:40:35Z

Seaghyn16: translation left - 5 pages

-*- I'm almost finished. 5 pages left. About 90% complete of the chapter. Give me tomorrow, and wednesday. Wednesday evening, (2009/May/13) I should have something. -*-

--[[User:Seaghyn16|Krikit]] 14:40, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

User:Seaghyn16

2009-05-09T14:21:07Z

Seaghyn16:

On my page, I will be listing the projects I am "actively" helping to contribute something to. Feel free to stop by my wonderfully organized discussion page if you want to leave a comment or ask a question.

== CURRENT TRANSLATOR LEVEL: 4/10 ==
Level 4: The ability to translate most children's/young adult books slowly, given the .txt's, or furigana for understanding most kanji.

== Current Projects: ==

=== [[Spice|Spice and Wolf]] ===
::*Editor
::*Wannabe Translator

=== [[PuiPui|PuiPui!]] ===
::*Translator

== Children's Books Under Translation ==

[[User:Seaghyn16/kitsune|The Fox of Chironuppu]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

[[User:Seaghyn16/witch|The Black Witch is Coming]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

== Hard copy of Light Novels in my possession ==
*Spice and Wolf
**Volume 1
**Volume 2
*Puipui!
**Volume 1
**Volume 2

User:Seaghyn16

2009-05-09T14:20:48Z

Seaghyn16:

On my page, I will be listing the projects I am "actively" helping to contribute something to. Feel free to stop by my wonderfully organized discussion page if you want to leave a comment or ask a question.

== CURRENT TRANSLATOR LEVEL: 3/10 ==
Level 4: The ability to translate most children's/young adult books slowly, given the .txt's, or furigana for understanding most kanji.

== Current Projects: ==

=== [[Spice|Spice and Wolf]] ===
::*Editor
::*Wannabe Translator

=== [[PuiPui|PuiPui!]] ===
::*Translator

== Children's Books Under Translation ==

[[User:Seaghyn16/kitsune|The Fox of Chironuppu]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

[[User:Seaghyn16/witch|The Black Witch is Coming]] : Dropped as it's been licensed.

== Hard copy of Light Novels in my possession ==
*Spice and Wolf
**Volume 1
**Volume 2
*Puipui!
**Volume 1
**Volume 2

PuiPui

2009-05-09T14:08:48Z

Seaghyn16: /* List of Sierra's Spells */

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== List of Sierra's Spells ===
*Sand Magic (Lammul): Put's sand in the target's eyes, causing them to sleep. (Sandman Story)
*Mud Magic (Tween): Creates a Golem from mud.
*Stone Magic (Hajjar): Creates something using stone.
*Rock Magic (Saffle): -Unused-
*Soil Magic (Tyuraab): -Unused-

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 72%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui

2009-05-09T14:07:21Z

Seaghyn16: added in Sierra's spell skills

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== List of Sierra's Spells ===
*Sand Magic (Lammul): Put's sand in the target's eyes, causing them to sleep. (Sandman Story)
*Mud Magic (Tween): Creates a Golem from mud.
*Stone Magic (Hajjar): Creates something from stone.
*Rock Magic (Saffle): -Unused-
*Soil Magic (Tyuraab): -Unused-

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 72%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui

2009-04-30T02:18:11Z

Seaghyn16: added a subsection for volume 10

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 72%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 25%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 10 ===

== PuiPui! Manga Text ==
===Volume 01===
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052
*PuiPui11! ''April 25, 2009'' ISBN 978-4840127615

PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-04-30T02:14:33Z

Seaghyn16: fixed a missing translation

===Chapter 3: Letter from the Desert===

On the way back home that day, Jin and Yuuya stopped by the restaurant on the back of the school, Alf Layla.

Alf Layla was a restaurant for special Persian dishes. But, because the shop was catering to the current fashionable female university students, the ethnic atmosphere wasn't as large.

Even so, the shop had not changed into just a place to go for cheap meals. There were tables, chairs, and counter seats, and above the table stood chopsticks, and on the wall there was an unskillfully written menu hanging.

“W~elcome!”

Jin and Yuuya, as they opened the door and entered the shop, were greeted by a waitress with a powerful, pleasant voice. She was a girl with darkish skin, and precisely bound golden hair. The only daughter of the shopkeeper, she was Alf Shamshir.

“The attractive shop girl Alf. Cute right? You know she's the same age as us.”

In the kitchen, the shopkeeper with dark skin and black hair was joggling the frying pan, as his counterpart, Alf, with her golden hair, was grilling some meat for shishkabobs. Directing Jin to a seat at the counter, Yuuya lifted his voice to the shopkeeper.

“Hey Unks, I'd like to put today's order on a tab, is that alright?”

“Watch it ya bloody fool. I'm young and my stomach's still small, so don't be calling me 'Unks'!”

An authoritative shopkeeper, he answered like a true Tokyoite. Yuuya sat in his seat, turning to talk to Jin.

“By the way, your little sister is still pretty cute herself you know.”

[[Image:Puipui vol01 115.jpg|thumb]]
“She's not my sister, just a kid from my old neighborhood.”

“Whatever it's all the same. If you compare them to Zadou, they're still just acorns.”

"Who are you calling an acorn!"

Alf came over, hitting Yuuya on the head with a silver tray. In a strong mood, her lips were bound together in a straight line. Pressing his head, Yuuya let out a shout.

“That freakin' hurts! That's why I said they were different, Zadou isn't as tomboyish as this.”

“You think so?”

Jin let out what he was thinking. Yuuya turned to glare at him.

“What's up with your question!”

“Ah, no. Nothing really.”

What happened yesterday was a secret. There's no way he could tell anyone. With his sense of duty, there was no way Jin was going to talk. Nearly spitting, Yuuya was shaking his fists as he dropped his claim.

“Listen up, Jin. It looks like you've got another opinion but, there's no room for you to doubt her gentle kindness. Well, there's not really any proof that she's reached perfection, but something like that is fine, isn't it? There's no dignity in dragging down such a girl. Don't you think so?”

“Nope. I've never gone out with a girl up till now after all.”

At Jin's response, Yuuya clutched his hand to his chest.

“......Ah, I see.”

“Since the past I've never really cared much about girls. It's a bit different from you, as you're always listening to music and stuff to learn more about them and stuff.”

“Nah that's...”

Struggling for words, Yuuya spoke in a small voice.

“Actually for me too......as I've never gone out with someone before...”

“Eh!? Is that how it is?”

Under Jin's shocked gaze, Yuuya grew red, turning angry.

“Don't friggin' stare at me like that!”

“What, you want me to stare at you with a fuzzy warm look?”

“Besides that, during lunch break, you taught Zadou archeology? So what kind of thing is she interested in?”

“A, ahh. That's......”

“You can tell me. There's no way it's a secret is it? If everyone in class finds out there's a secret between just you and Zadou, they'll hang you from jealousy.

“No. There's absolutely positively no way it's anything good like that.”

Jin affirmed his earlier denial. Familiar with his mannerisms, Yuuya placed his hand on Jin's shoulder, preparing to ask again.

“Well then, tell me. Even though I listen to light music to try to understand women, it hasn't worked at all. Since I'm interested in Zadou, I feel like I've got to do my best.”

“I see. It deals with the ancient silk road, and how good would be......”

“Zzzz.”

“You went to sleep pretty quickly.”

Jin looked at Yuuya, with his head lying prostrate on the counter, in surprise. At that moment, Alf came over to the place where they were, roughly setting down their cups of water.

“Look here, if you're going to sit, then place your orders already! Else the shops routine is going to be interrupted.”

Looking surprised, Jin turned his gaze up to look at Alf.

“Your Japanese is great. Just like a true Tokyoite.”

“Well that's obvious. I was born and raised here after all.”

“Hey, Young'un! It's way too early for ya to be flirtin'! If you lay a hand on my daughter, you'll be gettin' a surprise in your curry!”

Alf's father could multi-task quite well, shouting those things while still managing to keep the frying pan going. Yuuya turned to speak to Jin.

“The owner was born after his parents came to Japan. “The third generation will continue as a Tokyoite,” is something he's said as well. And that third generation is Alf.”

“You two, what are you going to do about your order?”

With her hand on her hip, Alf had asked Jin. All Yuuya could do was laugh.

“Even if you ask what we're going to do, without the menu there isn't much we can do, right Jin? Naan and shish kebab sound like some kind of incantation. With that said, two shish kebab specials please.”

After making his order, Alf responded by restating it.

“Understood, two special shish kebabs!”

Next, she began putting the servings of rice on two plates. When the meat on skewers was being grilled on the gridiron, Jin turned a curious gaze over to watch.

“So there was a Persian restaurant this close after all......”

He began looking around the shop. Just like Yuuya had said, the restaurant did indeed have a lot of cheaper dishes, and it really was full of classmates from Harusha Academy.

“The wait's over! Here's the two sets of shish kebab!”

With some force, Alf set the tray down before Jin and Yuuya. On top of the large plate, was a donburi bowl filled with a mountain of rice, on top of which was spread the beef skewers, which was spiced with a curry smell. There were even true green vegetables. There was also a tomato stew to top it all off.

“Excellent. Amazing,” is all Jin could utter in his overwhelmed state. Yuuya was already digging in.

“In the grilled chicken bowl, there's even salad and miso soup. It was the same for me when I was in middle school and a senior took me here, I was extremely nervous thinking about this place being a foreign restaurant. But since the food from the middle east is soft, you can use chopsticks to eat it.”

Jin picked up his skewer, covered with meat. The mix of herbs and spices was combined to form a miraculous flavor. After the teeth bit into the meet, the flavors in the condensed bullion were released.

“SUPERB!”

Jin screamed out his thoughts. Even though he had never seen the endless Arabian sands, the images seemed to surface on the inside of his eyelids. Due to the added smell of the salt used, it seemed to draw out a feeling of the flavor of rock salt. Standing with a caravan of camels in the desert, were the ruins of an ancient city in the sand.

''So that's the kind of place my parents are working at......'', Jin thought to himself.

(Solomon's Treasure huh...I wonder where it could be...)

Jin was thinking deeply as he savored the meal. Jin's parents were searching with many archaeologists and adventurers, but had yet to find anything. The treasure had yet to be found. The last resort he could see, was only in thinking about the birthplace of the magic lamp which was Sierra's, that, and the fact he didn't know what else to do as he couldn't contact his parents. At his wits ends, Jin could only cradle his head in his arms.

Just then, a plate was placed in front of him. It was a massive omelet with spinach inside.

“I'll be leaving this with you~”

Jin quickly tried to hand the plate of omelets back to Alf, only to have her shake her head and push the omelets back towards him.

“That's my treat. Haha, the Persian Wind Omelets.”

“Your treat.....why?”

“The spinach has a lot of nutrients in it. It's something that was carried over from Persia along the Silk Road here to Japan. Since you mentioned the Middle East, and the Japanese culture is thought to have been graced with a great deal from there.”

“But, I'm eating on credit, so how can you give me something like this?”

“It doesn't disturb the business to keep the mood in the shop bright.”

Alf puffed out her cheeks while crossing her arms. The muscles in Jin's face were twitching rapidly.

“Sorry. It's really delicious, it's just I had to think for a bit.”


“Don't worry, I'm a girl yet I couldn't explain very well. But what you said earlier, actually made me really pleased with you.”

Raising his finger to point at Jin, Yuuya smacked his head on the tray, causing Alf to turn a bit red.

“Don't say weird things to this dope!”

“Quit hitting me with each and every tray! This isn't Yoshimoto Shinkigeki!”

Rubbing his face Yuuya drew himself towards Alf, and indicating Jin's thumb, he pushed it into Jin's mouth.

“If it's Jin...You know he's a weirdo, it's like he's always looking up stuff about the Middle East. Until yesterday, our dorm room was stuffed full of book after book about that stuff. And since he likes the Middle East so much, he must like Alf too.”

“Don't say such stupid stuff! You're troubling her!”

Jin scolded Yuuya seriously. But, surprised, Alf rested her elbow on Jin's shoulder.

“Heeeh, so you've got some interest in the Middle East.”

“Not really. You say interest but......it's just thinking about if the magic lamp from Arabian Nights could have made it to Japan.”

After Jin's statement, both Alf and her Father's faces froze, followed by a stiffening expression.

“N, n, n, n, n, no way. That's just talk right? Right Dad?”

Looking a bit confused, Alf turned the direction of her speech to the shopkeeper. He also turned a cold shoulder on the conversation.

“T, t, t, t, t, that's right, bloody fool! What's up with ya? Something like a lamp from Arabia having a Genie of the Lamp come rumbling out, you believe that?”

“Jin, even though you're always thinking and studying about archeology, you're still thinking about stuff like that? Unexpectedly, you're pretty childish.”

Yuuya was bouncing around in his laughter. Jin simply put his elbows on the table, crossed his fingers, and though about how disappointing it was.

“I see...no matter how many Middle Easter people there are, they don't know after all. If it's a Japanese person, there's no way anybody would know anything about a wicked pedestal.”

“U, uhm...that there was a magic lamp in Japan, who did you hear that from?”

Calmly, Alf took hold of both of Jin's shoulders, and enquired of him with serious eyes. Because what had happened between Sierra and him was a secret, Jin could only shake his head in negation.

“It's fine. I'm sorry for asking about such a strange thing.”

“Ah, it's fine, don't worry don't worry. For us too, we're sorry we couldn't be of more use.”

Even though Alf ended it like that, Jin suddenly noticed something for the first time, and sniffed at his surroundings. Becoming a bit worried, Jin asked about it.

“You smell something?”

“Ah, no. It's nothing.”

Sniffing quickly, Alf turned to her side. Just then Jin was elbowed by Yuuya.

“You know, it's probably because off all the garbage in the dorm room, so you just smell like mold.”

“I wonder if it's an outbreak of a new life-form.”

Someone like Jin, who always cares about his manners, to be wearing dirty clothes that hadn't been washed, was completely unthinkable. Yuuya sniffed at Jin's surroundings, simply saying “Ahh.”

“Isn't this the smell from the Dorm Head?”

“Ah, you mean that whatever it's called incense?”

In the morning, when Ukyou had gripped Jin's collar, the incense he was wearing had probably been captured by Jin. Alf, who couldn't have thought of this, was taking this in stride.

“That's right. It's that smell, that smell. Ah, while I've been talking, you've already finished eating everything. You know, you eat pretty quick.”

Alf was looking at Jin's plate. There was nothing left. Yet on Yuuya's plate, there was still at least half of his meal left. Jin's reply came as he took a swig of water.

“Really, I don't think I eat all that fast.”

“It's fast, fast, yet you're still so thin even with your gluttony.”

Come to think of it, when he had gone searching for Solomon's Treasure on a day off and gone mountain climbing and excavating, he had gotten really hungry from using his stamina, so he might have to eat more than others......Thinking so, Jin pushed against his stomach. Yuuya spoke while he was still chewing a mouthful of shish kebab.

“This shop, fits you doesn't it? The food tastes good, it's not too expensive......Next time how about we challenge that extra large Persian Curry? If you can eat it within 30 minutes, it's free. That right, Alf.”

With Yuuya's statement finished, Alf had been engrossed in sniffing with her nose around Jin, when her body started to shake.

“A, Ahh. That's a delicious scent.”

“Delicious?”

Wondering what she was talking about suddenly, Jin lifted his eyebrow in puzzlement. Giving a short start, Alf proceeded to shake her head.

“Ah, no. I just misspoke.”

“Alf, you're drooling.”

Being pointed at by Yuuya, Alf quickly shut her mouth. It was kind of suspicious.

“Ah, that's right. What you said about coming to eat again, it can't be today,” said Alf as she focused her attention onto Jin.

Rubbing his stomach, Yuuya could only shake his head.

“It's alright, today's fine as it is. Anymore and we'll get fat.”

“I wasn't talking to you. So Jin, won't you come to eat again today?”

Alf's waitress side was so developed. Different from how she had curtly given him the omelets earlier, she used the voice of a cat, and a mysterious smell was coming from her body.

It would be his evening meal, so he wanted to go on eating more and more, but he couldn't eat too much on credit, he had also received quite a lot of shish kebab, so he wouldn't be able to really fit much else into his stomach. So showing his restraint, Jin shook his head.

“I'm good with today as well.”

“Well, if you say you won't eat anymore. Our Persian Curry is made with pomegranates so they will restore your energy, and you can eat as much as you'd like.”

“To someone eating on credit, to make a recommendation like that...”

“It's fine. Isn't that right Dad.”

Alf raised her voice so it would carry to the kitchen, following which a response came from the shopkeeper.

“Yep. If that's what Alf said, then eat as much as you'd like. Bloody Fool!”

“Yeah, like he said, so you don't have to show restraint. So eat to your hearts desire, and become round round fat.”

“Round round fat, what's with that?

A part of what Alf had just said was strange. Before Jin could think too hard about it, Alf had already stretched out her arms deceivingly.

“Ah, ah, no you don't need to worry about it. So, come over tomorrow for some more great service!”

Alf was laughing sweetly. For her to not smile......was unthinkable, indeed whatever it seemed, her habit was her smiling face. But there was something else besides her smiling face that Jin had become conscious of, looking like he wanted to reply, he was stuck on her chest, unable to say anything.

After returning to the dorm, Jin checked his cell phone for any messages, but in the end nobody had called.

“After all, nobody returned my call. Just where are they fooling around at.”

There were plenty of times when he would get a call and he wouldn't answer, but for them not to pick up when he wanted to call, Jin was a bit worried.

Flipping the phone shut, Jin tossed it onto the upper bunk-bed. In order for the dorm to maintain order, they had a dress code to wear gym clothes, as the dorm had chosen the uniform for the exercise club, so that's what he and Yuuya were unwillingly wearing. Unaffiliated with the exercise club, Jin and Yuuya were wearing their gym clothes. Yuuya was wearing his shorts, while Jin had on his jersey. While looking at a music score for a guitar on the bed, he lifted his gaze to the clock on the wall.

“It's five-thirty, about time for dinner, Jin, you hungry?”

“......Starving. Even though I ate so much at Alf Layla...”

“As expected of a glutton, you have quite some fast digesting skills. Anyway, what if you went on a diet for just today?”

Thinking like a stranger, Yuuya was laughing lightly. However, until breakfast the next day, it would be over 12 hours, which he didn't think he could make. There were no archeology books either, so there was nothing to read as well. He also didn't have the willpower to do his homework. Feeling a pang in his stomach, Jin let out a sigh.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Standing up from the bed, Yuuya went to answer it.

“Yes?”

Standing there was a first year middle school student. The number one lowest in regards to the Senpais, he wasn't even trembling.

“Hey, weren't you that first year handing out onigiri this morning?”

Bowing his head, the boy came into the room.

“I'm Himuro Keita. Araki Senpai, there's a letter that came for you.”

“Letter? Aah, thanks.”

Keita handed the letter to Jin, who was sitting up on his bed. With a tone of admiration, Yuuya spoke to him.

“You've got some guts to come in here not scared. Something like delivering a letter to a Senpai's room, usually people would be pretty scared, and just wait in the hallway or something.”

“But, in order to follow the dorm rules to not have something lost or stolen, all private letters and the like have to be relayed quickly to whoever they're made out to. That's what the dorm head is always saying.”

“Hah? Wait a minute...Himuro......the vice president of the student council?”

“That's right. Eriko is my older sister.”

“Ah, so that's why you've got guts.”

At that, Keita turned a stern gaze on Yuuya.

“I am not hiding or likewise taking profit from the shadow of my sister! Even though you're my Senpai, if you talk like that, I won't forgive you!”

“S, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to say something so light, so don't get so mad.”

“Well then, please pardon my intrusion.”

Once more lowering his head, Keita left the room. With that Yuuya let out a sigh.

“Geez geez, it's so hard to get along with that honor student type, their prides are so high and all. Doesn't he look like his older sister, Jin?

“I'm not sure, I don't know his older sister after all...”

“Aah, that's right it's impossible to ask you anything about girls. But I can ask you stuff about cuneiform writing can't I?”

“I'd be more helpful with something like that.”

“It's a joke. Who'd ask about that stuff.”

“The oldest cuneiform written laws were Hammurabi's Code.”

“The Student Council Vice President's name is Himuro Eriko. She's famous for holding down a job now to help cover living costs. After getting permission from the school, she goes to a part-time job after class.”

Matching himself to Jin's pace, Yuuya explained it all.

“But apart from that, what's the letter about?”

“Ah. Uhm......”

Jin turned his gaze back towards the envelope. It had a stamp from abroad stuck to it, and the address was even written in English. The paper was rough, and the quality wasn't that high, and with it's scent, it gave off a very ethnic feel. There was also 'Global Express' stuck to the paper. It's postmark date was labeled as a week previous. Written cursively and with a blue fountain pen's ink, the name [Daigo Araki] was clearly written.

“It's from my Dad!”

He had just been thinking about his parents as well, so the timing for the letter was really surprising. On the letter in the blue fountain pen ink, was definitely his Dad's handwriting.

To Jin.

Are you doing well? Since we started the excavation over here, half a month has already passed. We met up with a guide named Sawaad, and he had some reliable information about Solomon's Palace. When the preparations are done, we'll enter the excavation phase tomorrow. It seems like a place where there's no cell phone service, so for a while we won't be able to communicate, but don't worry. It was good we got the satellite phones for your mom, but with the service now she's pretty upset.

Every day your mom worries about you. She's not too sure about life at a dorm, so as to whether you're eating right or not, she's pretty worried.

For me as well, because I don't have the extra funds, I'm causing you a lot of trouble, which I'm sorry for. It's fine if you're mad at us. With all that said, currently in regards to the progress of finding Solomon's Treasure,

At that point the letter began turning into a romance play, so Jin took it, put it back in it's envelope, and put that in his shirt pocket. Suiting his own convenience, the contents of the letter just made his stomach stand on end.

“That's right, you cause me nothing but trouble. You think I wanna hear your excuses?”

With Jin in his elevated anger stage, Yuuya raised his voice to speak.

“With a mood like that, is it Haraheri's fault? Sorry if it's in Haraheri, but I'm heading to the dining hall now.”

“Already? It's still pretty early though.”

“Well, to not have my seat taken, and to get one close to the upper classmen, I can't afford to wait. Well, I'm off solo to go eat chicken soup, beef and miso, but don't feel bad.”

“Then don't give out the menu!”

With that Jin's stomach gave a hungry growl. Laughing maliciously, Yuuya exited the room. How was he supposed to live off just a cupcake.

“...Geez, what a bad personality.”

Trying to figure out what to do about his hunger, he remembered the letter. Though Jin sincerely believed Solomon's Treasure was in Japan, he couldn't help but recall the lines written that said, “We've obtained some reliable information dealing with Solomon's Palace.”

“What does that mean? That it's different from my hypothesis? Just how reliable is the information?”

Thinking to read the letter all the way through this time, he reached his hand into his pocket to take it out.

At that moment, Jin's cell phone began vibrating. Everyday between school and the dorm, there was practically no free time, so their cellphones were always set to silent mode.

''Maybe it's from my parents''... thinking that, Jin picked it up. It might have to do with something like telling him directly about Solomon's Palace. That's why, when he heard Sierra's voice, he was extremely disappointed.

“...What, it's just you.”

“[W, what do you mean by that!]”

From the very beginning Sierra was already filled with rage. With all that energy it seemed the cellphone's speaker might break. Jin let out a sigh.

“You're already in top gear.”

“[I already told you to call me! What the heck are you doing!?]”

“Don't ask for the absurd. School ends at three, and the dorm doesn't close until six, so there's no way I could call you right?”

“[I heard from your roommate Utada Yuuya, that you'd be missing dinner, so you should be alone now, right?]”

Shocked, Jin couldn't come up with a reply. She was unexpectedly sharp.

“So... did you get my phone number from him as well?”

“[You idiot, if I did that it would turn into a misunderstanding. When I saw your phone at noon break, your number was written on it, right?]”

Shocked again, Jin looked at his phone. Written beneath the LCD screen in thin magic marker was his phone number.

“[A lot of commoners do that. Because there's a lot of people who get their phone number from the company.]”

Sierra laughed with her nose. Above her intelligence was little she would overlook. She gave off the impression of someone in a secluded world, but in reality it was completely different. Another way of thinking is that she doesn't understand the world, but that's not it either. It was a misrepresentation of herself as a humble person, when it was realized how she really acts.

“...That's right. Right now I'm in the room alone, and Yuuya won't be back until seven.”

“[Since it's in a room, and there's no chance of someone seeing me in the maid uniform, then it should be safe. So hurry up and rub the lamp.]”

“The word Genie really does suit you perfectly.”

“[That's rude! Where does that fit me!]”

“It's obvious, 'evil spirit' and 'god' are what make up the symbols for 'Genie' after all.”

To not continue riding on the mood, Jin got off his bed, went over to the desk and pulled the lamp out from one of the drawers, hitting his hand in the process.

“Ah, that's right! Hey, Zadou.”

“[Don't put off calling me, commoner!]”

“More importantly, stop calling me a commoner.”

“[You need something?]”

“When you come, could you bring something with you? Is there any kind of food you could come with?”

Thinking to himself what a good idea he'd had, he asked for Sierra's help. On the other side of the phone, Sierra let out an 'I see' sound.

“[That's a good idea. I'll come soon with something made. Then I won't have to do anything, and you'll thank me tons, right?]”

“Ah, of course! I'll be sure to give you loads of thankfulness.”

It was Hell. Jin said this as he pushed his hand against the rumblings his stomach was making.

“[Then after ten minutes rub the Magic Lamp. You got that?]”

“Ahh, you've let me reach ultimate happiness today.”

Holding the Magic Lamp on his knees, Jin was in an unusually cool pose (he might have been too hungry) and when he turned to the clock on the wall trembling in anticipation, five minutes had already passed.

The waiting time was long, and the sounds of his empty stomach were painful to hear. And so another five minutes passed. After waiting so long, Jin took the lamp and began scrubbing it frantically. With a popping sound, a violet smoke came out from the lamp. There Sierra stood in her maid clothes, holding a bowl with an unknown number of eggs in it.

“Bow down commoner! Before the almighty Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki!”

“Yahooo!”

Even with Sierra shouting insults, before his hunger they paled in comparison. Lifting both hands Jin was about to go 'Banzai!' when he suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at Sierra in front of him.

“....uh, so where is the sukiyaki?”

“Huh?”

Sierra looked around her feet. There an iron pot was spread out with a tiny portable gas stove, but that was all.

“Wh, what's this mean? It was definitely here, the finished sukiyaki! There was also some rice definitely in here as well...”

“Well there isn't anything but ingredients and cooking tools. So to raise your magic level...maybe you have to cook yourself?”

Jin shook his head as he looked at the raw egg. Sierra stuck her fist worriedly by her mouth.

“Cooking. What a problem...”

“Don't you have any cooking practice from home economics class?”

“The people that are in my group always end up doing it for me. They keep saying since I'm an idol I shouldn't have to do that stuff.”

“Being pampered goes to show that you can't do something for yourself.”

“Well, just wait until I get started. Then I'll let you try the cooking I have pride in.”

“How can you have pride when you can't cook anything...?”

Jin raised his eyebrow at the mystery. Laughing lightly, Sierra withdrew her cellphone from out of her apron's pocket.

“Ah, hello? Yeah, it's Zadou Sierra. I was wondering if I could have the usual pizza delivered?”

“You mean it's delivered pizza!”

Heatedly Jin took the phone away from Sierra.

“Food that gets delivered is banned here, so if a Pizza Store delivered here, they'd be chased off!”

“That's fine, we can just have them deliver it through the window.”

Sierra snatched back her cellphone. With an “ahh,” Jin clapped his hands.

“You're pretty smart.”

“Isn't that obvious. Don't compare me with a commoner like you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be nice and happy when you get praised.”

“How's that supposed to be when I get praised by some commoner like you!”

“[Uhm...Is anybody there?]”

A voice could be heard from the phone's speaker. With a soft girls voice that sounded quite grown up, the speaker still seemed to be quite young.

“Ah, I apologize. Then please give me the usual deluxe pizza. Ah, and the place of delivery is different that usual. Harusha Academy's Male Dormitory, do you know of it?”

“[Tachibana....is that it?]”

“Yes yes, Tachibana.”

“[Uhm, Tachibana shouldn't have any girls allowed inside...]”

“You know it pretty well. And so I'm in a room on the second floor of the Tachibana dorm, and to not be noticed by some stranger, I would like it if the pizza could be delivered in through the window.”

“[W, window?......I don't think we can do that...]”

The operator on the other side of the phone seemed to be grinding her teeth as she talked. It wasn't unreasonable to assume it had something to do with the phone call having come from a girl in the the no-girls-allowed, all-male dormitory.

“[Well then, as for your order, if it's the same as always....that's the fourteen inch large size, with truffle, caviar, and foie grass as topings, correct?]”

“Yeah. Also...”

From behind Sierra's shoulder, Jin impatiently interrupted.

“Hey, I'm just asking to make sure but...you do have money right?”

“Ridiculous. When ordering high class food at a restaurant, 'Is there any money in the wallet?' is something only those destined to be poor would ask.”

Snickering lightly from her nose, Sierra reached her hand into the pocket of her apron.

“......eh!?”

Her hand felt only emptiness. There was nothing there at all. Turning her pocket inside out, still nothing came out.

“NO WAY! Where's my wallet!? Before I was called out I took every precaution to make sure there would be enough money to cover whatever expenses might show up!”

“So from the beginning you were just thinking of using money anyway.”

“When I passed through the lamp, my clothes did turn into the maid uniform but...that it would disappear as well! Aaah geez! What an annoyingly useless lamp!”

Sierra kicked the lamp in her fury. Sierra followed the rebounding lamp with her eyes as it fell back down. With a clang, she was beat down onto the bed after being hit in the head. Her figure upon kicking it was splendid, with her leg raised over her head. Though at the same time the skirt she was in lifted up high as well.

Jin heatedly slapped his hands over his eyes, turning himself around quickly. Screaming “Kyaa!” and sitting up hurriedly so she was kneeling with the tops of her feet touching the ground, Sierra pushed down on the skirt with one hand while using the other to hold the back of her head.

“You saw it didn't you, Commoner! My head hurts! You saw it!”

“Wh, who saw what!? You were the one who fell by yourself!”

Jin turned back around again, while still holding his hands over his eyes. The operator on the other side of the phone spoke in a worried voice.

“[Uhmm, hello...? Just now there was some kind of loud noise but, how about your order?]”

“It can't be helped. For today, you'll be the one to get it.”

Sierra said this with her finger pointed at Jin.

“Why do I have start going with what you say all of a sudden?”

“If it's a little bit it should be fine right, besides I'll return it at school tomorrow.”

“Even if you say that, right now, I've got no money.”

“You don't even have fifty-thousand yen?” 

“There's no way I'm gonna have that! Rather, there's no way one person could plan to eat that much pizza!”

With all his heart Jin was trying to relay this fact of common life to Sierra. Covering her mouth, Sierra seemed to be in distress.

“I, it can't be helped then...There's nothing to do but cancel...”

“[Cancel?]”

Even though the operator asked only for the sake of confirmation, Sierra went into a frenzy with her hair seemingly on end, as she turned to the phone.

“I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not canceling because I have no money! There's no way that would happen to someone like me!”

“[I, I didn't say anything though...]”

“To prove it I'll be ordering one-hundred pizzas tomorrow! All of them are going to be double caviar!”

While still fuming Sierra cut the call. Amazed, Jin opened his mouth to speak.

“Even double cheese is over extravagant....but to not just order caviar which they wouldn't normally have anyway, but to order double caviar...”

“Not having money really is humiliating.”

Heartbroken, Sierra fell back onto the bed. Jin clapped his hand onto Sierra's shoulder.

“You didn't actually fall too low you know. After all, there are quite a few times when people will buy too much at a super market, and have to say 'Sorry but, could you please return this and that,' at the register.”

“That's humiliating! In the end there's just no way I can stand to be poor. And for now, there's no other way than for me to raise my level as a Genie!”

“You just have to wait until we find Solomon's Treasure.”

The route was still being read but, according to the letter his parents had sent, it seemed they had uncovered some historic ruins that had a connection with Solomon. Sierra's expression and silence exceeded his expectations, though it didn't continue for long.

“That's because, there's no guarantee when we'll find Solomon's Treasure right? If we wait like that and it takes too long, I don't want to see my parents get divorced. Because of that, I have no choice but to be the Genie of the Lamp.”

Sierra was grasping him firmly. Because of the courage she showed, Jin couldn't help but stroke her head. When Aika was little, after something good happened, or after something that made her cry sadly, “Big Brother” Jin would always stroke her head like this. Stroking her head like that, Aika would always end up showing a happily smiling face. That's why he just reflexively started stroking her head...but Sierra wasn't Aika. One moment blinking in surprise, the next, not understanding what was happening and becoming angry, she turned her scarlet face towards Jin.

“What do you think you're doing all of a sudden!”

“Ah, just...”

“Even if you do that when I haven't done anything, It won't raise my level as a Genie you know! A commoner like you, don't go touching my head like that!”

“So, the satisfaction gauge won't go up if I just rub your head then?”

“That's unavoidable! Don't do useless things!

“Useless...”

“Don't you have any kind of order or something?”

Sierra spoke forcibly to Jin. In the end, with his stomach making rumbling noises, he just wanted something to eat.

“I've said it before already, that I'm hungry. But since there's nothing to eat, there's no helping it.”

“Even so, if you don't have anything to tell me to do, it's going to bother me.”

Saying that......Sierra dropped her gaze to the raw eggs she was holding.

“That's it then, it'll be fine as long as I can make an omlet! Luckily there's also a gas stove.”

“Ah, I get it. You'll fry the egg using the iron pot.”

Jin's eyes were sparking. With a similar happy appearance, Sierra took Jin's hands.

“I know I know! I might just be a genius!”

“With this, I just might be able to make it the twelve hours until tomorrow's breakfast!”

At the same time, the atmosphere turned chilly and quiet as they realized they were hand in hand. Following which they quickly let go. Jin turned to the side looking like he had done something wrong, as Sierra turned her back to him, her face deep scarlet.

“Any, anyway, today I'll have you make the satisfaction gauge go all the way up! I don't want to spend any more time than I have to each day in this dirty place!”

Setting the portable gas stove atop the bed, Sierra lit the flame with a cracking sound. ''While she's frying up the omelet, I wonder if I should take the time to read the rest of the letter...'' Jin thought, as he reached his hand into shirt pocket, preparing to take the letter out.

However,

“How would you like it fried? Medium, Rare, or Well-Done?”

Jin scrunched his eyebrows at Sierra's strange question.

“Isn't that how you would cook a steak?”

Rare is when the meat is still relatively pink, Medium is when you use a moderate amount of heat, and most of the pink is gone, while Well-Done is when there is no pink left in the meat, because of leaving on the flame for a long time. He watched as Sierra put three eggs still in their shell into the iron pot above the gas stove, to “fry” them.

“What are you doing?”

In a voice not usually used, Jin had spoken in a tone that was an octave higher than usual.

“It's obvious from watching that I'm frying eggs.”

Sierra replied in a matter of fact tone, as she began to poke the eggs.

“Idiot! Stop it! The eggs will explode, it's dangerous!”

Grabbing her shoulders from behind, Jin pulled Sierra back away from the gas stove. A girl's shoulder width was narrow, and so she fit easily between his hands. Completely dubious about Sierra's cooking method, Jin could only be suspicious.

“You don't want the satisfaction gauge to go up? Don't get in the way of my cooking.”

“Just how is this cooking!”

“Sure it's an omelet, though it may not be what you're used to, but it's actually much more difficult to make than you'd think by watching.”

“This conversation seems like something from a different dimension.”

“I am an idol, so this different dimension is because you're a commoner, right?”

“Don't try to explain it like that! This isn't an omelet, and it doesn't seem like cooking either!”

Turning off the flame of the gas stove, Jin recovered the eggs from the pot. Taking off his jacket, he put them together on the back of a chair at the study desk, leaving him dressed casually in a short-sleeved shirt.

“Listen up, if you're going to make an omelet, you first have to actually crack the egg.”

Next, Jin took the egg and cracked it along the side of the bowl and put the yoke in. Sierra seated herself on her knees, watching attentively the cooking lesson.

“You want to mix the white part and the yellow yoke together, but not too much or it will become hard, so mix lightly. Then, add some sugar for taste, heat up the pot, top it off with some oil, and then put in the eggs...”

He had sugar and oil for cooking. If it was just omelets, Jin's skill was pretty good. Impressed, Sierra clapped her hands together as she continued watching.

“Heh, you can do it pretty well.”


“Nah, that taste, you're better at it.” Jin whispered so it couldn't be heard.

“After letting the egg run into the pot, stir it with chopsticks to make sure the air is mixed evenly as well.”

“Why do something like that?”

“If you do it like this, it will come out much better. When it's half done, roll it up as it finishes hardening.”

“I didn't think you were this good.”

“When my parents were away on excavations, I was always left to watch the house, so that's why. I've even learned a lot about doing chores around the house too.”

“Even without a spatula, using just chopsticks you've done really good.”

“If you apply the oil properly, there's no problems. Put in another egg, roll it up again, as much as you like you can do it...”

“They look good.”

“Here, you give it a shot.”

Jin put the omelet he had just finished atop a plate. Cutting the omelet with a utensil she had brought from her home, Sierra ate the piece in one bite. Even though she wasn't wearing lipstick, there was still a noticeable pretty pinkness to her lips as she opened her mouth, and bit into the omelet with white teeth. With just that, Jin felt a throb in his chest.

“Wow, it's really delicious. It's so light and airy...and the layers make the omelet taste like a Millefeuille and a Baumkuchen cake. And it has just the right texture for chewing.”

“Well, you know. The omelet was the first item I learned to cook, so I've got some confidence.”

Slightly embarrassed from being praised by Sierra, Jin lifted his nose into the air. Sierra carried another bite to her mouth.

“Yep, you're really good at cooking.”

“Though you say that, I think you might be better.”

“If it's just the omelet, then the taste is worthy of letting our chef know about.”

“Th, that so...”

“Really, it was delicious. But, if it had been left on the flame for a little bit longer, it would suit my preferences better.”

“A little longer huh...I got it.”

“Well, next time do your best. I'll be waiting.”

“Thanks.”

“Then, thanks for the meal. You may bow."

“I understand, my master.”

With his head bowed, Jin began cleaning the plates. Stopping suddenly, he turned towards the satisfied looking Sierra, who was busy wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

“....This isn't right!!!”

“What is it? Is there still desert?”

“That's not it! This is backwards!”

Jin took her arm, forcing her to stand. Sierra knit her eyebrows.

“That huurts! Compensate for a girl when you use your strength, commoner!”

“What are you going to do about my satisfaction! You're the one that keeps going 'I want to raise my Genie level!'”

“Ah, ah that's right. I just, started to act like I normally do...”

“You've got this super 'Master' like aura you know. Actually, it's more like “Genie.” With that, can you really do something for somebody else?”

“Are you saying the word 'impossible' is written in my dictionary?”

“Even if you burn away your pride...”

“I can do it. I decided to do it!”

Angrily Sierra grabbed hold of the front of Jin's shirt, looking up at him. Sierra's chest pulled in closer to Jin's stomach, until they just touched. Hastily he began pulling back, but Sierra followed forward with him, and the distance between the two closed. It seemed she didn't realize what she was doing to Jin.

“Wait, why are you trying to run away! Listen when people are talking to you!”

“I'm not really trying to run away though.”

“You know, it's because you're here that's the problem! Because you're here, are you trying to interfere while I work!?”

“That's just another excuse.”

“Well I've got that trait about when people are next to me. If there's nobody there, then I can do it!”

With her hands grasping Jin's chest, she stared at him with her lips drawn back. Her cheeks were colored light red. Her frustrated expression made Jin realize she was having trouble.

From the previous results of the “Egg Roast,” he was very uneasy about leaving her alone. But, looking at Sierra with her lips trembling from frustration, Jin felt it couldn't be helped.

(Right now she's got to be frustrated not just by the Genie Level thing, but also because she's having trouble doing this...She's someone with a lot of pride who cares a lot about failing.)

Jin let out a sigh admitting his defeat.

“...I got it. It's fine if I just leave then.”

“Yeah, please do.”

With her response to Jin, she puffed herself up and gave the request in an overbearing manner. Jin gave another sigh at her lack of remorse for her attitude.

“So what's the plan then....”

“Give me thirty minutes. You can come back in after thirty minutes. Because I don't want to be in this dirty room for more than that long.”

“Okay okay.”

Sighing one last time, Jin left the room.

Even though he left the room, he didn't have any place to go. It was currently dinner time right now, so he didn't think it would happen but, if someone happened to enter the room and see Sierra, he would be chased out of the dorm with no place to go. Since it was going to be thirty minutes and he had nothing else to do, Jin thought about reading the letter from earlier, but when he tried to get it, he realized he had no pocket on his shirt. He had taken it off earlier.

“Ah...It's still in the pocket.”

He was really impatient to start reading the next part. But if he entered the room again at this point, he'd get the third degree from Sierra.

“Well, whatever. It's just thirty minutes...thirty minutes...”

Jin sat down in the corridor, and began waiting restlessly.

During that interval, he heard screams and sounds like 'BANG!', 'SLAM!' and 'CLANG!'. Worried yet helpless to do anything about what was going on in his room, while wanting to storm in, he could only close his eyes and ears to the ruckus.

User:Seaghyn16

2009-04-28T07:44:48Z

Seaghyn16:

PuiPui

2009-04-28T07:37:00Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*April 26, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 4 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 72%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy]] - 11%
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== PuiPui! Manga Text ===
====Volume 01====
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052

PuiPui:Volume1 Chapter3

2009-04-28T07:35:55Z

Seaghyn16: update to 72%

===Chapter 3: Letter from the Desert===

On the way back home that day, Jin and Yuuya stopped by the restaurant on the back of the school, Alf Layla.

Alf Layla was a restaurant for special Persian dishes. But, because the shop was catering to the current fashionable female university students, the ethnic atmosphere wasn't as large.

Even so, the shop had not changed into just a place to go for cheap meals. There were tables, chairs, and counter seats, and above the table stood chopsticks, and on the wall there was an unskillfully written menu hanging.

“W~elcome!”

Jin and Yuuya, as they opened the door and entered the shop, were greeted by a waitress with a powerful, pleasant voice. She was a girl with darkish skin, and precisely bound golden hair. The only daughter of the shopkeeper, she was Alf Shamshir.

“The attractive shop girl Alf. Cute right? You know she's the same age as us.”

In the kitchen, the shopkeeper with dark skin and black hair was joggling the frying pan, as his counterpart, Alf, with her golden hair, was grilling some meat for shishkabobs. Directing Jin to a seat at the counter, Yuuya lifted his voice to the shopkeeper.

“Hey Unks, I'd like to put today's order on a tab, is that alright?”

“Watch it ya bloody fool. I'm young and my stomach's still small, so don't be calling me 'Unks'!”

An authoritative shopkeeper, he answered like a true Tokyoite. Yuuya sat in his seat, turning to talk to Jin.

“By the way, your little sister is still pretty cute herself you know.”

[[Image:Puipui vol01 115.jpg|thumb]]
“She's not my sister, just a kid from my old neighborhood.”

“Whatever it's all the same If you compare them to Zadou, they're still just acorns.”

Alf came over, hitting Yuuya on the head with a silver tray. In a strong mood, her lips were bound together in a straight line. Pressing his head, Yuuya let out a shout.

“That freakin hurts! That's why I said they were different, Zadou isn't as tomboyish as this.”

“You think so?”

Jin let out what he was thinking. Yuuya turned to glare at him.

“What's up with your question!”

“Ah, no. Nothing really.”

What happened yesterday was a secret. There's no way he could tell anyone. With his sense of duty, there was no way Jin was going to talk. Nearly spitting, Yuuya was shaking his fists as he dropped his claim.

“Listen up, Jin. It looks like you've got another opinion but, there's no room for you to doubt her gentle kindness. Well, there's not really any proof that she's reached perfection, but something like that is fine isn't it? There's no dignity in dragging down such a girl. Don't you think so?”

“Nope. I've never gone out with a girl up till now after all.”

At Jin's response, Yuuya clutched his hand to his chest.

“......Ah, I see.”

“Since the past I've never really cared much about girls. It's a bit different from you, as you're always listening to music and stuff to learn more about them and stuff.”

“Nah that's...”

Struggling for words, Yuuya spoke in a small voice.

“Actually for me too......as I've never gone out with someone before...”

“Eh!? Is that how it is?”

Under Jin's shocked gaze, Yuuya grew red, turning angry.

“Don't friggin stare at me like that!”

“What, you want me to stare at you with a fuzzy warm look?”

“Besides that, during lunch break, you taught Zadou archeology? So what kind of thing is she interested in?”

“A, ahh. That's......”

“You can tell me. There's no way it's a secret is it? If everyone in class finds out there's a secret between just you and Sierra, they'll hang you from jealousy.

“No. There's absolutely positively no way it's anything good like that.”

Jin affirmed his earlier denial. Familiar with his mannerisms, Yuuya placed his hand on Jin's shoulder, preparing to ask again.

“Well then, tell me. Even though I listen to light music to try and understand about women, it hasn't worked at all. Since I'm interested in Zadou, I feel like I've got to do my best.”

“I see. It deals with the ancient silk road, and how good would be......”

“Zzzz.”

“You went to sleep pretty quickly.”

Jin looked at Yuuya, with his head lying prostrate on the counter, in surprise. At that moment, Alf came over two the place where they were, roughly setting down their cups of water.

“Look here, if you're going to sit, then place your orders already! Else the shops routine is going to be interrupted.”

Looking surprised, Jin turned his gaze up to look at Alf.

“Your Japanese is great. Just like a true Tokyoite.”

“Well that's obvious. I was born and raised here after all.”

“Hey, Young'un! It's way too early for ya to be flirtin'! If you lay a hand on my daughter, you'll be gettin' a surprise in your curry!”

Alf's father could multi-task quite well, shouting those things while still managing to keep the frying pan going. Yuuya turned to speak to Jin.

“The owner was born after his parents came to Japan. “The third generation will continue as a Tokyoite,” is something he's said as well. And that third generation is Alf.”

“You two, what are you going to do about your order?”

With her hand on her hip, Alf had asked Jin. All Yuuya could do was laugh.

“Even if you ask what we're going to do, without the menu there isn't much we can do, right Jin? Something like a shishkabob sounds like some kind of incantation. With that said, two shishkabob specials please.”

After making his order, Alf responded by restating it.

“Understood, two special shishkabobs!”

Next, she began putting the servings of rice on two plates. When the meat on skewers was being grilled on the gridiron, Jin turned a curious gaze over to watch.

“So there was a Persian restaurant this close after all......”

He began looking around the shop. Just like Yuuya had said, the restaurant did indeed have a lot of cheaper dishes, and it really was full of classmates from Harusha Academy.

“The wait's over! Here's the two sets of shishkabob!”

With some force, Alf set the tray down before Jin and Yuuya. On top of the large plate, was a donburi bowl filled with a mountain of rice, on top of which was spread the beef skewers, which was spiced with a curry smell. There were even true green vegetables. There was also a tomato stew to top it all off.

“Excellent. Amazing,” is all Jin could utter in his overwhelmed state. Yuuya was already digging in.

“In the grilled chicken bowl, there's even salad and miso soup. It was the same for me when I was in middle school and a senior took me here, I was extremely nervous thinking about this place being a foreign restaurant. But since the food from the middle east is soft, you can use chopsticks to eat it.”

Jin picked up his skewer, covered with meat. The mix of herbs and spices was combined to form a miraculous flavor. After the teeth bit into the meet, the flavors in the condensed bullion were released.

“SUPERB!”

Jin screamed out his thoughts. Even though he had never seen the endless Arabian sands, the images seemed to surface on the inside of his eyelids. Due to the added smell of the salt used, it seemed to draw out a feeling of the flavor of rock salt. Standing with a caravan of camels in the desert, were the ruins of an ancient city in the sand.

“So that's the kind of place my parents are working at......” Jin thought to himself.

Solomon's Treasure huh...I wonder where it could be...

Jin was thinking deeply as he savored the meal. Jin's parents were searching with many archaeologists and adventurers, but had yet to find anything. The treasure had yet to be found. The last resort he could see, was only in thinking about the birthplace of the magic lamp which was Sierra's, that, and the fact he didn't know what else to do as he couldn't contact his parents. At his wits ends, Jin could only cradle his head in his arms.

Just then, a plate was placed in front of him. It was a massive omelet with spinach inside.

“I'll be leaving this with you~”

Jin quickly tried to hand the plate of omelets back to Alf, only to have her shake her head and push the omelets back towards him.

“That's my specialty. Haha, the Persian Wind Omelets.”

“Specialty.....how come?”

“The spinach has a lot of nutrients in it. It's something that was carried over from Persia along the Silk Road here to Japan. Since you mentioned the Middle East, and the Japanese culture is thought to have been graced with a great deal from there.”

“But, I'm eating on credit, so how can you give me something like this?”

“It doesn't disturb the business to keep the mood in the shop bright.”

Alf puffed out her cheeks while crossing her arms. The muscles in Jin's face were twitching rapidly.

“Sorry. It's really delicious, it's just I had to think for a bit.”

“Don't worry, I'm a girl yet I couldn't explain very well. But what you said earlier, actually made me really pleased with you.”

Raising his finger to point at Jin, Yuuya smacked his head on the tray, causing Alf to turn a bit red.

“Don't say weird things to this dope!”

“Quit hitting me with each and every tray! This isn't Yoshimoto Shinkigeki!”

Rubbing his face Yuuya drew himself towards Alf, and indicating Jin's thumb, he pushed it into Jin's mouth.

“If it's Jin...You know he's a weirdo, it's like he's always looking up stuff about the Middle East. Until yesterday, our dorm room was stuffed full of book after book about that stuff. And since he likes the Middle East so much, he must like Alf too.”

“Don't say such stupid stuff! You're troubling her!”

Jin scolded Yuuya seriously. But, surprised, Alf rested her elbow on Jin's shoulder.

“Heeeh, so you've got some interest in the Middle East.”

“Not really. You say interest but......it's just thinking about if the magic lamp from Arabian Nights could have made it to Japan. After Jin's statement, both Alf and her Father's faces froze, followed by a stiffening expression.

“N, n, n, n, n, no way. That's just talk right? Right Dad?”

Looking a bit confused, Alf turned the direction of her speech to the shopkeeper. He also turned a cold shoulder on the conversation.

“T, t, t, t, t, that's right, bloody fool! What's up with ya? Something like a lamp from Arabia having a Genie of the Lamp come rumbling out, you believe that?”

“Jin, even though you're always thinking and studying about archeology, you're still thinking about stuff like that? Unexpectedly, you're pretty childish.”

Yuuya was bouncing around in his laughter. Jin simply put his elbows on the table, crossed his fingers, and though about how disappointing it was.

“I see...no matter how many Middle Easter people there are, they don't know after all. If it's a Japanese person, there's no way anybody would know anything about a wicked pedestal.”

“U, uhm...that there was a magic lamp in Japan, who did you hear that from?”

Calmly, Alf took hold of both of Jin's shoulders, and enquired of him with serious eyes. Because what had happened between Sierra and him was a secret, Jin could only shake his head in negation.

“It's fine. I'm sorry for asking about such a strange thing.”

“Ah, it's fine, don't worry don't worry. For us too, we're sorry we couldn't be of more use.”

Even though Alf ended it like that, Jin suddenly noticed something for the first time, and sniffed at his surroundings. Becoming a bit worried, Jin asked about it.

“You smell something?”

“Ah, no. It's nothing.”

Sniffing quickly, Alf turned to her side. Just then Jin was elbowed by Yuuya.

“You know, it's probably because off all the garbage in the dorm room, so you just smell like mold.”

“I wonder if it's an outbreak of a new life-form.”

Someone like Jin, who always cares about his manners, to be wearing dirty clothes that hadn't been washed, was completely unthinkable. Yuuya sniffed at Jin's surroundings, simply saying “Ahh.”

“Isn't this the smell from the Dorm Head?”

“Ah, you mean that whatever it's called incense?”

In the morning, when Ukyou had gripped Jin's collar, the incense he was wearing had probably been captured by Jin. Alf, who couldn't have thought of this, was taking this in stride.

“That's right. It's that smell, that smell. Ah, while I've been talking, you've already finished eating everything. You know, you eat pretty quick.”

Alf was looking at Jin's plate. There was nothing left. Yet on Yuuya's plate, there was still at least half of his meal left. Jin's reply came as he took a swig of water.

“Really, I don't think I eat all that fast.”

“It's fast, fast, yet you're still so thin even with your gluttony.”

Come to think of it, when he had gone searching for Solomon's Treasure on a day off and gone mountain climbing and excavating, he had gotten really hungry from using his stamina, so he might have to eat more than others......Thinking so, Jin pushed against his stomach. Yuuya spoke while he was still chewing a mouthful of shishkabob.

“This shop, fits you doesn't it? The food tastes good, it's not too expensive......Next time how about we challenge that extra large Persian Curry? If you can eat it within 30 minutes, it's free. That right, Alf.”

With Yuuya's statement finished, Alf had been engrossed in sniffing with her nose around Jin, when her body started to shake.

“A, Ahh. That's a delicious scent.”

“Delicious?”

Wondering what she was talking about suddenly, Jin lifted his eyebrow in puzzlement. Giving a short start, Alf proceeded to shake her head.

“Ah, no. I just misspoke.”

“Alf, you're drooling.”

Being pointed at by Yuuya, Alf quickly shut her mouth. It was kind of suspicious.

“Ah, that's right. What you said about coming to eat again, it can't be today,” said Alf as she focused her attention onto Jin.

Rubbing his stomach, Yuuya could only shake his head.

“It's alright, today's fine as it is. Anymore and we'll get fat.”

“I wasn't talking to you. So Jin, you won't come to eat again today?”

Alf's waitress side was so developed. Different from how she had curtly given him the omelets earlier, she used the voice of a cat, and a mysterious smell was coming from her body.

It would be his evening meal, so he wanted to go on eating more and more, but he couldn't eat too much on credit, he had also received quite a lot of shishkabob, so he wouldn't be able to really fit much else into his stomach. So showing his restraint, Jin shook his head.

“I'm good with today as well.”

“Well, if you say you won't eat anymore. Our Persian Curry is made with pomegranates so they will restore your energy, and you can eat as much as you'd like.”

“To someone eating on credit, to make a recommendation like that...”

“It's fine. Isn't that right Dad.”

Alf raised her voice so it would carry to the kitchen, following which a response came from the shopkeeper.

“Yep. If that's what Alf said, then eat as much as you'd like. Blood Fool!”

“Yeah, like he said, so you don't have to show restraint. So eat to your hearts desire, and become round round fat.”

“Round round fat, what's with that?

A part of what Alf had just said was strange. Before Jin could think too hard about it, Alf had already stretched out her arms deceivingly.

“Ah, ah, no you don't need to worry about it. So, come on over tomorrow for some more great service!”

Alf was laughing sweetly. For her to not smile......was unthinkable, indeed whatever it seemed, her habit was her smiling face. But there was something else besides her smiling face that Jin had become conscious of, looking like he wanted to reply, he was stuck on her chest, unable to say anything.

After returning to the dorm, Jin checked his cell phone for any messages, but in the end nobody had called.

“After all, nobody returned my call. Just where are they fooling around at.”

There were plenty of times when he would get a call and he wouldn't answer, but for them not to pick up when he wanted to call, Jin was a bit worried.

Flipping the phone shut, Jin tossed it onto the upper bunk-bed. In order for the dorm to maintain order, they had a dress code to wear gym clothes, as the dorm had chosen the uniform for the exercise club, so that's what he and Yuuya were unwillingly wearing. Unaffiliated with the exercise club, Jin and Yuuya were wearing their gym clothes. Yuuya was wearing his shorts, while Jin had on his jersey. While looking at a music score for a guitar on the bed, he lifted his gaze to the clock on the wall.

“It's five-thirty, about time for dinner, Jin, you hungry?”

“......Starving. Even though I ate so much at Alf Layla...”

“As expected of a glutton, you have quite some fast digesting skills. Anyway, what if you went on a diet for just today?”

Thinking like a stranger, Yuuya was laughing lightly. However, until breakfast the next day, it would be over 12 hours, which he didn't think he could make. There were no archeology books either, so there was nothing to read as well. He also didn't have the willpower to do his homework. Feeling a pang in his stomach, Jin let out a sigh.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Standing up from the bed, Yuuya went to answer it.

“Yes?”

Standing there was a first year middle school student. The number one lowest in regards to the Senpais, he wasn't even trembling.

“Hey, weren't you that first year handing out onigiri this morning?”

Bowing his head, the boy came into the room.

“I'm Himuro Keita. Araki Senpai, there's a letter that came for you.”

“Letter? Aah, thanks.”

Keita handed the letter to Jin, who was sitting up on his bed. With a tone of admiration, Yuuya spoke to him.

“You've got some guts to come in here not scared. Something like delivering a letter to a Senpai's room, usually people would be pretty scared, and just wait in the hallway or something.”

“But, in order to follow the dorm rules to have something lost or stolen, all private letters and the like have to be relayed quickly to whoever they're made out to. That's what the dorm head is always saying.”

“Hah? Wait a minute...Himuro......the vice president of the student council?”

“That's right. Eriko is my older sister.”

“Ah, so that's why you've got guts.”

At that, Keita turned a stern gaze on Yuuya.

“I am not hiding or likewise taking profit from the shadow of my sister! Even though you're my Senpai, if you talk like that, I won't forgive you!”

“S, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to say something so light, so don't get so mad.”

“Well then, please pardon my intrusion.”

Once more lowering his head, Keita left the room. With that Yuuya let out a sigh.

“geez geez, it's so hard to get along with that honor student type, their prides so high and all. Doesn't he look like his older sister, Jin?

“I'm not sure, I don't know his older sister after all...”

“Aah, that's right it's impossible to ask you anything about girls. But I can ask you stuff about cuneiform writing can't I?”

“I'd be more helpful with something like that.”

“It's a joke. Who'd ask about that stuff.”

“The oldest cuneiform written laws were Hammurabi's Code.”

“The Student Council Vice President's name is Himuro Eriko. She's famous for holding down a job now to help cover living costs. After getting permission from the school, she goes to a part-time job after class.”

Matching himself to Jin's pace, Yuuya explained it all.

“But apart from that, what's the letter about?”

“Ah. Uhm......”

Jin turned his gaze back towards the envelope. It had a stamp from abroad stuck to it, and the address was even written in English. The paper was rough, and the quality wasn't that high, and with it's scent, it gave off a very ethnic feel. There was also 'Global Express' stuck to the paper. It's postmark date was labeled as a week previous. Written cursively and with a blue fountain pen's ink, the name [Daigo Araki] was clearly written.

“It's from my Dad!”

He had just been thinking about his parents as well, so the timing for the letter was really surprising. On the letter in the blue fountain pen ink, was definitely his Dad's handwriting.

To Jin.

''Are you doing well? Since we started the excavation over here, half a month has already passed. We met up with a guide named Sawaad, and he had some reliable information about Solomon's Palace. When the preparations are done, we'll enter the excavation phase tomorrow. It seems like a place where there's no cell phone service, so for a while we won't be able to communicate, but don't worry. It was good we got the satellite phones for your mom, but with the service now she's pretty upset.
Every day your mom worries about you. She's not too sure about life at a dorm, so as to whether you're eating right or not, she's pretty worried.

For me as well, because I don't have the extra funds, I'm causing you a lot of trouble, which I'm sorry for. It's fine if you're mad at us. With all that said, currently in regards to the progress of finding Solomon's Treasure,''

At that point the letter began turning into a romance play, so Jin took it, put it back in it's envelope, and put that in his shirt pocket. Suiting his own convenience, the contents of the letter just made his stomach stand on end.

“That's right, you cause me nothing but trouble. You think I wanna hear your excuses?”

With Jin in his elevated anger stage, Yuuya raised his voice to speak.

“With a mood like that, is it Haraheri's fault? Sorry if it's in Haraheri, but I'm heading to the dining hall now.”

“Already? It's still pretty early though.”

“Well, to not have my seat taken, and to get one close to the upper classmen, I can't afford to wait. Well, I'm off solo to go eat chicken soup, beef and miso, but don't feel bad.”

“Then don't give out the menu!”

With that Jin's stomach gave a hungry growl. Laughing maliciously, Yuuya exited the room. How was he supposed to live off just a cupcake.

“...Geez, what a bad personality.”

Trying to figure out what to do about his hunger, he remembered the letter. Though Jin sincerely believed Solomon's Treasure was in Japan, he couldn't help but recall the lines written that said, “We've obtained some reliable information dealing with Solomon's Palace.”

“What does that mean? That it's different from my hypothesis? Just how reliable is the information?”

Thinking to read the letter all the way through this time, he reached his hand into his pocket to take it out.

At that moment, Jin's cell phone began vibrating. Everyday between school and the dorm, there was practically no free time, so their cellphones were always set to silent mode.

(Maybe it's from my parents)... thinking that, Jin picked it up. It might have to do with something like telling him directly about Solomon's Palace. That's why, when he heard Sierra's voice, he was extremely disappointed.

“...What, it's just you.”

“W, what do you mean by that!”

From the very beginning Sierra was already filled with rage. With all that energy it seemed the cell phone's speaker might break. Jin let out a sigh.

“You're already in top gear.”

“I already told you to call me! What the heck are you doing!?”

“Don't ask for the absurd. School ends at three, and the dorm doesn't close until six, so there's no way I could call you right?”

“I head from your roommate Utada Yuuya, that you'd be missing dinner, so you should be alone now, right?”

Shocked, Jin couldn't come up with a reply. She was unexpectedly sharp.

“So did you get my phone number from him as well?”

“You idiot, if I did that it would turn into a misunderstanding. When I saw your phone at noon break, your number was written on it, right?”

Shocked again, Jin looked at his phone. Written beneath the LCD screen in thin magic marker was his phone number.

“A lot of commoners do that. Because there's a lot of people who get their phone number from the company.”

Sierra laughed with her nose. Above her intelligence was little she would overlook. She gave off the impression of someone in a secluded world, but in reality it was completely different. Another way of thinking is that she doesn't understand the world, but that's not it either. It was a misrepresentation of herself as a humble person, when it was realized how she really acts.

“That's right. Right now I'm in the room alone, and Yuuya won't be back until seven.”

“Since it's in a room, and there's no chance of someone seeing me in the maid uniform, then it should be safe. So hurry up and rub the lamp.”

“The word Genie really does suit you perfectly.”

“That's rude! Where does that fit me!”

“It's obvious, 'evil spirit' and 'god' are what make up the symbols for 'Genie' after all.”

To not continue riding on the mood, Jin got off his bed, went over to the desk and pulled the lamp out from one of the drawers, hitting his hand in the process.

“Ah, that's right! Hey, Zadou.”

“Don't put off calling me, commoner!”

“More importantly, stop calling me a commoner.”

“You need something?”

“When you come, could you bring something with you? Is there any kind of food you could come with?”

Thinking to himself what a good idea he'd had, he asked for Sierra's help. On the other side of the phone, Sierra let out an 'I see' sound.

“That's a good idea. I'll come soon with something made. Then I won't have to do anything, and you'll thank me tons, right?”

“Ah, of course! I'll be sure to give you loads of thankfulness.”

It was Hell. Jin said this as he pushed his hand against the rumblings his stomach was making.

“Then after ten minutes rub the Magic Lamp. You got that?”

“Ahh, you've let me reach ultimate happiness today.”

Holding the Magic Lamp like he would a visa, Jin was in an unusually cool pose for being so hungry, and when he turned to the clock on the wall trembling in anticipation, five minutes had already passed.

The waiting time was long, and the sounds of his empty stomach were painful to hear. And so another five minutes passed. After waiting so long, Jin took the lamp and began scrubbing it frantically. With a popping sound, a violet smoke came out from the lamp. There Sierra stood in her maid clothes, holding a bowl with an unknown number of eggs in it.

“Bow down commoner! Before the almighty Matsusaka Beef Sukiyaki!”

“Yahooo!”

Even with Sierra shouting insults, before his hunger they paled in comparison. Lifting both hands Jin was about to go 'Banzai!' when he suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking at Sierra in front of him.

“....uh, so where is the sukiyaki?”

“Huh?”

Sierra looked around her feet. There an iron pot was spread out with a tiny portable gas stove, but that was all.

“Wh, what's this mean? It was definitely here, the finished sukiyaki! There was also some rice definitely in here as well...”

“Well there isn't anything but ingredients and cooking tools. So to raise your magic level...maybe you have to cook yourself?”

Jin shook his head as he looked at the raw egg. Sierra stuck her fist worriedly by her mouth.

“Cooking...what a problem...”

“Don't you have any cooking practice from home economics class?”

“The people that are in my group always end up doing it for me. They keep saying since I'm an idol I shouldn't have to do that stuff.”

“Being pampered goes to show that you can't do something for yourself.”

“Well, just wait until I get started. Then I'll let you try the cooking I have pride in.”

“How can you have pride when you can't cook anything...?”

Jin raised his eyebrow at the mystery. Laughing lightly, Sierra withdrew her cellphone from out of her apron's pocket.

“Ah, hello? Yeah, it's Zadou Sierra. I was wondering if I could have the usual pizza delivered?”

“You mean it's delivered pizza!”

Heatedly Jin took the phone away from Sierra.

“Food that gets delivered is banned here, so if a Pizza Store delivered here, they'd be chased off!”

“That's fine, we can just have them deliver it through the window.”

Sierra snatched back her cellphone. With an “ahh,” Jin clapped his hands.

“You're pretty smart.”

“Isn't that obvious. Don't compare me with a commoner like you.”

“I thought you were supposed to be nice and happy when you get praised.”

“How's that supposed to be when I get praised by some commoner like you!”

“[Uhm...Is anybody there?]”

A voice could be heard from the phone's speaker. With a soft girls voice that sounded quite grown up, the speaker still seemed to be quite young.

“Ah, I apologize. Then please give me the usual deluxe pizza. Ah, and the place of delivery is different that usual. Harusha Academy's Male Dormitory, do you know of it?”

“[Tachibana....is that it?]”

“Yes yes, Tachibana.”

“[Uhm, Tachibana shouldn't have any girls allowed inside...]”

“You know it pretty well. And so I'm in a room on the second floor of the Tachibana dorm, and to not be noticed by some stranger, I would like it if the pizza could be delivered in through the window.”

“[W, window?......I don't think we can do that...]”

The operator on the other side of the phone seemed to be grinding her teeth as she talked. It wasn't unreasonable to assume it had something to do with the phone call having come from a girl in the the no-girls-allowed, all-male dormitory.

“[Well then, as for your order, if it's the same as always....that's the fourteen inch large size, with truffle, caviar, and foie grass as topings, correct?]”

“Yeah. Also...”

From behind Sierra's shoulder, Jin impatiently interrupted.

“Hey, I'm just asking to make sure but...you do have money right?”

“Ridiculous. When ordering high class food at a restaurant, 'Is there any money in the wallet?' is something only those destined to be poor would ask.”

Snickering lightly from her nose, Sierra reached her hand into the pocket of her apron.

“......eh!?”

Her hand felt only emptiness. There was nothing there at all. Turning her pocket inside out, still nothing came out.

“NO WAY! Where's my wallet!? Before I was called out I took every precaution to make sure there would be enough money to cover whatever expenses might show up!”

“So from the beginning you were just thinking of using money anyway.”

“When I passed through the lamp, my clothes did turn into the maid uniform but...that it would disappear as well! Aaah geez! What an annoyingly useless lamp!”

Sierra kicked the lamp in her fury. Sierra followed the rebounding lamp with her eyes as it fell back down. With a clang, she was beat down onto the bed after being hit in the head. Her figure upon kicking it was splendid, with her leg raised over her head. Though at the same time the skirt she was in lifted up high as well.

Jin heatedly slapped his hands over his eyes, turning himself around quickly. Screaming “Kyaa!” and sitting up hurriedly so she was kneeling with the tops of her feet touching the ground, Sierra pushed down on the skirt with one hand while using the other to hold the back of her head.

“You saw it didn't you, Commoner! My head hurts! You saw it!”

“Wh, who saw what!? You were the one who fell by yourself!”

Jin turned back around again, while still holding his hands over his eyes. The operator on the other side of the phone spoke in a worried voice.

“[Uhmm, hello...? Just now there was some kind of loud noise but, how about your order?]”

“It can't be helped. For today, you'll be the one to get it.”

Sierra said this with her finger pointed at Jin.

“Why do I have start going with what you say all of a sudden?”

“If it's a little bit it should be fine right, besides I'll return it at school tomorrow.”

“Even if you say that, right now, I've got no money.”

“You don't even have fifty-thousand yen?” (Translator's Note: This is about $500 USD)

“There's no way I'm gonna have that! Rather, there's no way one person could plan to eat that much pizza!”

With all his heart Jin was trying to relay this fact of common life to Sierra. Covering her mouth, Sierra seemed to be in distress.

“I, it can't be helped then...There's nothing to do but cancel...”

“[Cancel?]”

Even though the operator asked only for the sake of confirmation, Sierra went into a frenzy with her hair seemingly on end, as she turned to the phone.

“I'll tell you one thing though, I'm not canceling because I have no money! There's no way that would happen to someone like me!”

“[I, I didn't say anything though...]”

“To prove it I'll be ordering one-hundred pizzas tomorrow! All of them are going to be double caviar!”

While still fuming Sierra cut the call. Amazed, Jin opened his mouth to speak.

“Even double cheese is over extravagant....but to not just order caviar which they wouldn't normally have anyway, but to order double caviar...”

“Not having money really is humiliating.”

Heartbroken, Sierra fell back onto the bed. Jin clapped his hand onto Sierra's shoulder.

“You didn't actually fall too low you know. After all, there are quite a few times when people will buy too much at a super market, and have to say 'Sorry but, could you please return this and that,' at the register.”

“That's humiliating! In the end there's just no way I can stand to be poor. And for now, there's no other way than for me to raise my level as a Genie!”

“You just have to wait until we find Solomon's Treasure.”

The route was still being read but, according to the letter his parents had sent, it seemed they had uncovered some historic ruins that had a connection with Solomon. Sierra's expression and silence exceeded his expectations, though it didn't continue for long.

“That's because, there's no guarantee when we'll find Solomon's Treasure right? If we wait like that and it takes too long, I don't want to see my parents get divorced. Because of that, I have no choice but to be the Genie of the Lamp.”

Sierra was grasping him firmly. Because of the courage she showed, Jin couldn't help but stroke her head. When Aika was little, after something good happened, or after something that made her cry sadly, “Big Brother” Jin would always stroke her head like this. Stroking her head like that, Aika would always end up showing a happily smiling face. That's why he just reflexively started stroking her head...but Sierra wasn't Aika. One moment blinking in surprise, the next, not understanding what was happening and becoming angry, she turned her scarlet face towards Jin.

“What do you think you're doing all of a sudden!”

“Ah, just...”

“Even if you do that when I haven't done anything, It won't raise my level as a Genie you know! A commoner like you, don't go touching my head like that!”

“So, the satisfaction gauge won't go up if I just rub your head then?”

“That's unavoidable! Don't do useless things!

“Useless...”

“Don't you have any kind of order or something?”

Sierra spoke forcibly to Jin. In the end, with his stomach making rumbling noises, he just wanted something to eat.

“I've said it before already, that I'm hungry. But since there's nothing to eat, there's no helping it.”

“Even so, if you don't have anything to tell me to do, it's going to bother me.”

Saying that......Sierra dropped her gaze to the raw eggs she was holding.

“That's it then, it'll be fine as long as I can make an omlet! Luckily there's also a gas stove.”

“Ah, I get it. You'll fry the egg using the iron pot.”

Jin's eyes were sparking. With a similar happy appearance, Sierra took Jin's hands.

“I know I know! I might just be a genius!”

“With this, I just might be able to make it the twelve hours until tomorrow's breakfast!”

At the same time, the atmosphere turned chilly and quiet as they realized they were hand in hand. Following which they quickly let go. Jin turned to the side looking like he had done something wrong, as Sierra turned her back to him, her face deep scarlet.

“Any, anyway, today I'll have you make the satisfaction gauge go all the way up! I don't want to spend any more time than I have to each day in this dirty place!”

Setting the portable gas stove atop the bed, Sierra lit the flame with a cracking sound. (While she's frying up the omlet, I wonder if I should take the time to read the rest of the letter...) Jin thought, as he reached his hand into shirt pocket, preparing to take the letter out.

However,

“How would you like it fried? Medium, Rare, or Well-Done?”

Jin scrunched his eyebrows at Sierra's strange question.

“Isn't that how you would cook a steak?”

Rare is when the meat is still relatively pink, Medium is when you use a moderate amount of heat, and most of the pink is gone, while Well-Done is when there is no pink left in the meat, because of leaving on the flame for a long time. He watched as Sierra put three eggs still in their shell into the iron pot above the gas stove, to “fry” them.

“What're you doing!”

In a voice not usually used, Jin had spoken in a tone that was an octave higher than usual.

“It's obvious from watching that I'm frying eggs.”

Sierra replied in a matter of fact tone, as she began to poke the eggs.

“Idiot! Stop it! The eggs will explode, it's dangerous!”

Grabbing her shoulders from behind, Jin pulled Sierra back away from the gas stove. A girl's shoulder width was narrow, and so she fit easily between his hands. Completely dubious about Sierra's cooking method, Jin could only be suspicious.

“You don't want the satisfaction gauge to go up? Don't get in the way of my cooking.”

“Just how is this cooking!”

“Sure it's an omelet, though it may not be what you're used to, but it's actually much more difficult to make than you'd think by watching.”

“This conversation seems like something from a different dimension.”

“I am an idol, so this different dimension is because you're a commoner, right?”

“Don't try to explain it like that! This isn't an omelet, and it doesn't seem like cooking either!”

Turning off the flame to the gas stove, Jin recovered the eggs from the pot. Taking off his jacket, he put them together on the back of a chair at the study desk., leaving him dressed casually in a short-sleeved shirt.

“Listen up, if you're going to make an omelet, you first have to actually crack the egg.”

Next, Jin took the egg and cracked it along the side of the bowl and put the yoke in. Sierra seated herself on her knees, watching attentively to the cooking lesson.

“You want to mix the white part and the yellow yoke together, but not too much or it will become hard, so mix lightly. Then, add some sugar for taste, heat up the pot, top it off with some oil, and then put in the eggs...”

He had sugar and oil for cooking. If it was just omelets, Jin's skill was pretty good. Impressed, Sierra clapped her hands together as she continued watching.

“Heh, you can do it pretty well.”

“Nah, that taste, you're better at it.”

Pretending he couldn't hear, Jin only whispered it.

“After letting the egg run into the pot, stir it with chopsticks to make sure the air is mixed evenly as well.”

“Why do something like that?”

“If you do it like this, it will come out much better. When it's half done, roll it up as it finishes hardening.”

“I didn't think you were this good.”

“When my parents are away on excavations, I was always left to watch the house, so that's why. I've even learned a lot about doing chores around the house too.”

“Even without a spatula, using just chopsticks you've done really good.”

“If you apply the oil properly, there's no problems. Put in another egg, roll it up again, as much as you like you can do it...”

“They look good.”

“Here, you give it a shot.”

Jin put the omelet he had just finished atop a plate. Cutting the omelet with a utensil she had brought from her home, Sierra ate the piece in one bite. Even though she wasn't wearing lipstick, there was still a noticeable pretty pinkness to her lips as she opened her mouth, and bit into the omelet with white teeth. With just that, Jin felt a throb in his chest.

“Wow, it's really delicious. It's so light and airy...and the layers make the omelet taste like a Millefeuille
and a Baumkuchen cake. And it has just the right texture for chewing.”

“Well, you know. The omelet was the first item I learned to cook, so I've got some confidence.”

Slightly embarrassed from being praised by Sierra, Jin lifted his nose into the air. Sierra carried another bite to her mouth.

“Yep, you're really good at cooking.”

“Though you say that, I think you might be better.”

“If it's just the omelet, then the taste is worthy of letting our chef know about.”

“Th, that so...”

“Really, it was delicious. But, if it had been left on the flame for a little bit longer, it would suit my preferences better.”

“A little longer huh...I got it.”

“Well, next time do your best. I'll be waiting.”

“Thanks.”

“Then, thanks for the meal. You may bow."

“I understand, my master.”

With his head bowed, Jin began cleaning the plates. Stopping suddenly, he turned towards the satisfied looking Sierra, who was busy wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.

“....This isn't right!!!”

“What is it? Is there still desert?”

“That's not it! This is backwards!”

Jin took her arm, forcing her to stand. Sierra knit her eyebrows.

“That huurts! Compensate for a girl when you use your strength, commoner!”

“What are you going to do about my satisfaction! You're the one that keeps going 'I want to raise my Genie level!'”

“Ah, ah that's right. I just, started to act like I normally do...”

“You've got this super 'Master' like aura you know. Actually, it's more like “Genie.” With that, can you really do something for somebody else?”

“Are you saying the word 'impossible' is written in my dictionary?”

“Even if you burn away your pride...”

“I can do it. I decided to do it!”

Angrily Sierra grabbed hold of the front of Jin's shirt, looking up at him. Sierra's chest pulled in closer to Jin's stomach, until they just touched. Hastily he began pulling back, but Sierra followed forward with him, and the distance between the two closed. It seemed she didn't realize what she was doing to Jin.

“Wait, why are you trying to run away! Listen when people are talking to you!”

“I'm not really trying to run away though.”

“You know, it's because you're here that's the problem! Because you're here, are you trying to interfere while I work!?”

“That's just another excuse.”

“Well I've got that trait about when people are next to me. If there's nobody there, then I can do it!”

With her hands grasping Jin's chest, she stared at him with her lips drawn back. Her cheeks were colored light red. Her frustrated expression made Jin realize she was having trouble.

From the previous results of the “Egg Roast,” he was very uneasy about leaving her alone. But, looking at Sierra with her lips trembling from frustration, Jin felt it couldn't be helped.

(Right now she's got to be frustrated not just by the Genie Level thing, but also because she's having trouble doing this...She's someone with a lot of pride who cares a lot about failing.)

Jin let out a sigh admitting his defeat.

“...I got it. It's fine if I just leave then.”

“Yeah, please do.”

With her response to Jin, she puffed herself up and gave the request in an overbearing manner. Jin gave another sigh at her lack of remorse for her attitude.

“So what's the plan then....”

“Give me thirty minutes. You can come back in after thirty minutes. Because I don't want to be in this dirty room for more than that long.”

“Okay okay.”

Sighing one last time, Jin left the room.

Even though he left the room, he didn't have anyplace to go. It was currently dinner time right now, so he didn't think it would happen but, if someone happened to enter the room and see Sierra, he would be chased out of the dorm with no place to go. Since it was going to be thirty minutes and he had nothing else to do, Jin thought about reading the letter from earlier, but when he tried to get it, he realized he had no pocket on his shirt. He had taken it off earlier.

“Ah...It's still in the pocket.”

He was really impatient to start reading the next part. But if he entered the room again at this point, he'd get the third degree from Sierra.

“Well, whatever. It's just thirty minutes...thirty minutes...”

Jin sat down in the corridor, and began waiting restlessly.

During that interval, he heard screams and sounds like BANG! SLAM! And CLANG! Worried yet helpless to do anything about what was going on in his room, while wanting to storm in, he could only close his eyes and ears to the ruckus.

PuiPui

2009-04-13T22:58:18Z

Seaghyn16: /* Updates */

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.
*April 14, 2009 - News: Sorry for the delay guys, I'm just about finished with Chapter 3, just need a little bit more time.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 34%
::*Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence
::*Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume2_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume3_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== PuiPui! Manga Text ===
====Volume 01====
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052

PuiPui

2009-02-11T15:07:09Z

Seaghyn16: update for title names

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 34%
::*Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence
::*Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Dark Night, Beguiling Innocence, and I
::*Chapter 2 - Clash! Maid Coffee Shop and the Butler Cafe
::*Chapter 3 - Fight! Athletic Meet's Union
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - It's a Date at the Japanese Onsen?
::*Chapter 2 - Chasing After Chasing After
::*Chapter 3 - Playoff to Decide the Destruction King of Home Economics
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Girl of the Lake
::*Chapter 2 - We, the Sucharaka Band
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Aah! Chance Encounter of Love!!
::*Chapter 2 - Dokin! The Date's Epic War
::*Chapter 3 - Babubabu! Why do I have to be the Mother
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 - Beguiling Innocence of the Picture Book Country
::*Chapter 2 - The Summer Pool Opening
::*Chapter 3 - Intrusion of Pajamas! Let's go to Zadou's!
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1 -
::*Chapter 2 -
::*Chapter 3 -
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== PuiPui! Manga Text ===
====Volume 01====
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052

PuiPui

2009-02-11T05:42:57Z

Seaghyn16: /* Volume 1 */ sorry, forgot to log in on the text update, so it's an ip not my B-T name

[[Image:Puipui6_003.jpg|200px|thumb|Volume 06 illustration.]]
PuiPui (ぷいぷい) Project Page. Everyone is welcome.

== Story Synopsis ==

Living in the high school student dormitories is first year Araki Jin, who's archeologist parents have sent him a mysterious lamp that, once polished, causes the academy's idol Zadou Sierra to abruptly appear! What's more, she is dressed in a maid outfit! After appearing, her father arrives and explains that Sierra is a descendent of a lamp genie, and that a genie needs to grant their master’s wishes in order to grow up. However, as a novice genie, Sierra cannot use her magical powers in any strong ways, and so she lives with the weak-bodied Jin making alot of tumultuous noise. Thus begins the fantastic story of Sierra, the Ojou-sama turned novice genie, and her master Jin.

=== Teaser ===

In case you want a teaser before you jump in, here it is. [[PuiPui:teaser|PuiPui Teaser]]

Also, Shadow has done a translation of the teaser section above for the manga, and you can find it in the spoiler tags, edited and typeset by Vaelis, [http://baka-tsuki.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2311&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p41392 Here].

== Translation ==

=== [[PuiPui:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[PuiPui:Registration Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Puipui:guidelines|PuiPui Format/Style Guideline]]

==Updates==
*September 25, 2008 - Project Page Creation Process Started.
*October 11, 2008 - Volume 1, Chapter 1 completed.
*January 12, 2009 - Volume 1, Chapter 2 completed.

==The ''PuiPui'' series by [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/夏緑 Natsu Midori]==

=== Volume 1 ===
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1 - To Become A Master]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Solomon's Treasure]] - 100%
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Letter From The Desert]] - 34%
::*Chapter 4 - The Day of Sierra's Absence
::*Chapter 5 - Majnun of Lunacy
::*Author's Notes
::*[[PuiPui:Volume1_Translator's_Notes|Translator's Notes and References]]

=== Volume 2 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 3 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 4 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 5 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 6 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 7 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 8 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== Volume 9 ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*Chapter 1
::*Chapter 2
::*Chapter 3
::*Author's Note

=== PuiPui! Manga Text ===
====Volume 01====
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter2|Chapter 2]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter4|Chapter 4]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter5|Chapter 5]]
::*[[PuiPui:Manga_Volume1_Chapter6|Chapter 6]]

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Onizuka-gto|Onizuka-gto]]

===Translators===
:*[[user:Seaghyn16|Krikit]]

===Editors===

:*[[user:Akirasav|Akira]]

All editors that speak English proficiently are welcomed.

== Series Overview ==
*Puipui! ''May 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1539-7
*PuiPui2! ''August 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1594-X
*PuiPui3! ''October 25, 2006'' ISBN 4-8401-1725-X
*PuiPui4! ''January 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1788-3
*PuiPui5! ''April 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1841-5
*PuiPui6! ''August 24, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-1899-6
*PuiPui7! ''December 25, 2007'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2114-9
*PuiPui8! ''April 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2305-1
*PuiPui9! ''August 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4-8401-2403-4
*PuiPui10! ''December 25, 2008'' ISBN 978-4840126052