Editing Watashi Tachi no Tamura kun:Volume1 Chapter1 (section)

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And just like that, the next day, Matsuzawa went to a faraway town.

When a record-breaking heatwave ended, I sent a letter to Matsuzawa (on that note, Matsuzawa forgot to send me her new address. I annoyed my homeroom teacher to death by asking for her address, she said I was just like a creepy stalker).

“You’re too naive. Don’t think it’s over just like that. Everything will start again after today, so remember it!”—when I told Takaura I wrote a letter like that, he told me it was ‘basically the same thing as a threat letter!’


“M-Matsuzawa…. why are you here?”

“Ah… I couldn’t help but run over here. I wanted to give this to you… this is a Christmas gift.”

Christmas eve.

She was waiting for me as I went home, my exclusive Santa Claus. Idiot! She actually tried to do this...

Wearing that Santa miniskirt outfit, her knees must have been freezing!


“M-Matsuzawa…! Why are you here?”

“Hehe… I couldn’t help but run over here. I wanted to give this to you… a New Year’s greeting card.”

New Years Eve, it was fifteen minutes before the new year.

My very own Benzaiten<ref>’’’Benzaiten’’’: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzaiten</ref> who came to visit me, giving out greetings for the new year. Idiot! She actually tried to do this...

You really should still be in mourning!


“M-Matsuzawa…! Why are you here?”

“Ah… I couldn’t help but run over here. I wanted to give you… this chocolate!”

Valentine’s Day Eve.

This girl who who smiled at a exam candidate like me, she was my personal master chef. Idiot! She actually tried to do this...

Those bandaids you have on your hands show how hard you worked to make these with your own hands.


Those events from above never happened. This is why once time passes, it never flows backwards—
<!--The above is an idiom in chinese. IDK -->

“Ah……”

I gave out an empty smile, and then blew my nose. Dreams are just like a stuffy nose. You give it a blow and it falls out! In a spurt of energy, I wiped under my nose, and threw it out on the plastic bag propped against the open drawer (a convenient place to collect booger tissues).

I gave a glance at the clock, and the hands were pointed at 11:50.”

Only ten minutes remained of today.

In other words, in ten minutes, this year’s Valentine’s Day Eve would be over, and Matsuzawa would lose the opportunity to become my very own master chef.

The high-school entrance exam that was the ‘day-after-tomorrow’ would soon become ‘tomorrow’s exam’,

“T-tomorrow…”

Suddenly, I became apprehensive, and my heart gave out an uncomfortable noise.

Earlier, I had been warned, “if you want to test into a public high school, you better know this problem book inside-out!” But, right now I still had an entire section of the book that I hadn’t studied yet.

I was also warned, “Don’t you dare become sick!” But my nose was giving out these slurpy noises. It was just like a swamp.

I also heard: “The most important thing is to take the exam calmly and steadily!” But right now, my entire body was trembling at the tempo of sixteenth notes. 

In other words, I plainly wasn’t finished with my studying, yet I was like like this!!”

“Tomorrow!”

I was glued tightly to my desk, and my hands holding my mechanical pencil wobbled just like a newborn foal. Just in this quarter hour, I finally met this terrifying reality.

The entrance exam was going to start the day after tomorrow at nine o’clock in the morning. In other words, in 33 hours. This was all the time I had left. In front of me was a sea of incomprehensible English vocabulary and problems like magic spells!!

“Arghhh! I don’t want to want to take this exam! I don’t want to!”

Insane, I recklessly howled and violently kicked the backboard behind my desk.

How did that person in class say: “There isn’t a person in the world who studied for high school entrance exams serious! Don’t people just cram the night before the exam?!” To be completely fair, this was absolutely impossible! At least, I, Tamura Yukisada, am currently in the midst of being completely flustered.

In elementary school, I had a passion for insects, and my nickname was Insect Professor. When I entered middle school, I plunged headfirst into the world of history, subscribed to the magazine 《History Alley》 every year, and lived a plain unadorned life. Without other special interests, average grades, and an unremarkable appearance, I carried on with the unremarkable life of an ordinary person.

And finally it was time for this meager ordinary person to take entrance exams!

“Agh! So annoying, annoying—! I don’t want to take entrance exams—!”

I’ve probably become insane from being overly nervous!! No! That’s not it! I didn’t hesitate to slap myself on the face. Right now wasn’t the time to become frantic.

After all that struggle to get back to normal, I faintly gave a ‘humph’. I had to study! From now, every second was valuable, so I had to study! 

Right! Now wasn’t the time to worry about Valentine’s Day. Entrance exams, entrance exams! Entrance exams are imminent!

There were 33 hours left.

“Ugu…”

Once I finally realized the heavy reality of how much time was left, my stomach started to burn. I unconsciously reached like a drowning person towards the charm that hung from the my desk lamp. It was a gift to me from someone. The silk fabric surface that I held in my hand was embroidered with golden thread and the name of a famous national shrine.

“M-Matsuzawa…”

It was a cautious and softly reserved sound.

Matsuzawa!! Her name is Komaki.

She was a girl with wandering eyes, a denpa girl, emitting transparent odors. In my fantasies, she was sometimes Santa Claus, sometimes Benzaiten, and sometimes a master chef. She would be madly busy, but in reality, she was an alien (self-proclaimed) who came from the moon. What do you think? Dangerous?

Last summer, I liked my classmate Matsuzawa, and I personally went through a disquieting disturbance. But after Matsuzawa moved away, this disturbance died down. Up until now, our relationship has remained suspended in mid air without progress. Every month, we agreed to send each other one letter to demonstrate ‘we hadn’t forgotten the other’. This was our only interaction. Email? Phone? Matsuzawa and I both weren’t into that kind of thing.

Matsuzawa’s letter arrived this morning. Receiving this sudden present made my heart throb. When I opened it, there wasn’t a single sheet of paper inside. There was only this charm. Even though I wasn’t a firmly religious person, Matsuzawa was the best writer in our entire grade!

I figured there must be some sort of blessing from that thing, so I hung it in a place within sight.

“Matsuzawa-sama… even if it’s just for tomorrow, I hope your blessings with guide me…”

As I continually churned my thoughts of this unconventional thing in my heart, I slowly gave a long sigh. 

Was Matsuzawa also holding a charm right now like this…? I tried letting myself soak up these sweet feelings. But moments later, I brought myself back—no, it’s impossible!

She was always an outstanding and smart girl. High school entrance exams are a piece of cake for that girl. Moreover, if she really wanted to rely on something, she would look up towards the moon in the sky, transmit radio waves, and do stuff like telepathy! Anyways, the moon is her home planet, and her whole family lives there.

As I imagined Matsuzawa’s blank look as she stared up to the sky, I couldn’t help but smile. When I came back to my senses, I my nervously was entirely gone. Perhaps this was an effect of the charm.

Maybe—

“Heh, it’s snowing…”

I suddenly noticed the snowflakes fluttering in the air like dust, snowing since who knows when. In the darkness late at night, illuminated by street lamps, those care-free white flakes danced lightly in the wind.

I prayed the snow would stop before the day after tomorrow as I gazed at the charm in my hand.

No matter what kind of thing it was, as long as Matsuzawa sent it, I’d be happy. That was reality. To be honest, I’ve actually become quite dependent on it. 

But. But. But...

There was one thing I needed to clarify.

This isn’t chocolate!

Even though it’s Valentine’s Day, why is this a charm instead of chocolate? I know I already received something from someone, and I felt stupid for feeling disappointed. But. If someone is going to receive something from the girl they like on February 14th, of course all boys would look forward to chocolate! Even if I give up to that, at least make it a hand-knit scarf. ‘I sent suddenly sent you a hand-made scarf, so I hope it isn’t too serious for you? ...it also isn’t made very well… I’m sorry for sending you this kind of gift…’ ‘Matsuzawa, you’re so silly. If it’s your hand-made scarf, I’d be willing to wrap myself with it.’ ‘Tamura-kun! Let’s wrap both of us! Use that scarf and tightly wrap us together!’

Compared with chocolate, this one might actually be a little better, hmm? ...no, that wasn’t the question—

I couldn’t up but think of what Matsuzawa meant to me. 

After my confession, I wasn’t declined. Furthermore, we weren’t going out. When we finally got to that point, we were separated by half of all the islands of Japan.

And if she was thinking about a person like me, this was a time when she’d want to cheer me on with my studies. It simply wasn’t a time to send Valentines chocolates. I guess it must have been like that…?

Generally speaking, girls were like this. On February 14th, they would send chocolates to the boys the like. These activities were a great law determined by nature.

With this logic, you could come to a few possibilities: first, Matsuzawa wasn’t a girl. Second, today is not actually February 14th. Third, maybe Matsuzawa didn’t actually… how should I say this… didn’t actually like m—

I forcefully shook my head so severely that my neck nearly broke. A slight dizziness cut off my train of thought. I took a few deep breaths, and I reached for the English vocabulary that escaped from my brain.

“Now isn’t the time for this kind of thing!

I clutched my mechanical pencil again, and brought my gaze back to my notebook. I nearly got myself caught up in an endless self-questioning loop.

Until I finish my exams, I won’t think about those complicated things. Maybe I even needed to continue using that black roasted coffee-colored drop, sometimes melt it, sometimes freeze it, and play with my strong odor.
<!--Desperately need a TLC on this line.-->

In order to regain my enthusiasm, I wanted to let the draft in. I abruptly stood up from my seat, and after unlocking the window, I pulled it up. When I opened the window, the icy midwinter night-time wind, so cold it hurt, poured inside. In an instant, the air I breathed out froze at the same time—


''“Why won’t you accept it!?”''


That sudden voice made me jump unconsciously.

That shocked me. At this hour? Did something happen? By reflex, I hid behind the shadow of the curtains—it was a girl’s voice, but the sound volume wasn’t soft at all.

''“Sensei! Please, I’m asking you. T-this is something I made after thinking about it a lot! If… if you’re not willing to take it, then I’m not going back!”''

In this quiet neighborhood late at night, that uncontrolled excessive loudness echoed inconsiderately. I was already confused enough already. Now this had to strip away the remaining concentration I had left? By the gods what was this?

Jitteriness replaced my panic, and I tried to look out the window at our house’s front door.

''“I said, Sensei!”''

Standing there was a girl wearing a deep red overcoat with a hood. Without even an umbrella, she stood there with her waist-length hair dusted with snow, shouting non-stop in front of our front door.

And then on the other side of the door—

''“If all I have to do is take it, and be over with it after that, I’d be happy to take it. However, you won’t accept that, right? So I’m sorry, no matter how stubborn you are, I can’t accept your gift. It’s already very late, so you should probably go home. Here, I’ll send you home!”''

This was my 120 pound<ref>About 55kg</ref> older brother—Tamura Nao.

She called him “Sensei”. Was that girl in the red overcoat one of the homeschooled students he tutored? Ohh… in other words, that girl admired her senior private tutor and suddenly showed up at her Sensei’s house on Valentine’s Day. So that was what happened—such a disturbance for the neighbors!

“Who cares if he got chocolate or whatever… he should have just accepted it and let her go home already.”

What’s with saying, ‘Here, I’ll send you home?’

I looked down to watch my pigheaded older brother, and I couldn’t help but feel an urge wanting to give him a thrashing. As things stood, what’s the point of being reserved? 

My older bro came home with two paper bags of chocolates this year. In other words, he was already corrupted! What’s wrong with taking one or two more!?

By the way, my little brother Takayuki is also corrupted. Today, he stuffed the backpack he’s had for six years overflowing with chocolates.

Huh? Is it only me?

I really am the only pure one! My chocolate count—zero. Ever since my birth, zero.

The eldest son is a 《popular》genius. The youngest is a 《popular》 athletic all-rounder. The middle son, me, is absolutely unremarkable. We are the three brothers from the Tamura family. What? It’s pitiful, isn’t it?

''“Don’t look at me so pitiably!”''<ref>This is the girl speaking.</ref>

No, I am a pitiful person.

''“I already said it, I don’t want any sympathy! I want to go out with Sensei! Why won’t Sensei consider it at all…? What part of me is no good?!”''

It’s because you’re too noisy!

''“Sensei, you idiot!”''

Her voice, which raised an octave, was even less considerate of the noise and louder. It smashed the serenity of the night. I covered my ears, “Ugh”, and shook my head. It’s more than I could bear!

I wanted to shout, ‘If you’re going to fight, go somewhere else to fight!’ or ‘I’m going to report you to the police!’ While I considered hollering that back, I learned forward out the window and—

“Huh…?”

Because this time I was able to catch a glimpse of the girl wearing the red overcoat.

I couldn’t help but sucking in a breath of air.

She was quite a beautiful girl. Her good looks nearly froze the annoyance I had building in momentum. 

In the midst of the snow, on her seemingly pure white little face, there was a little bit of flushed redness on her cheeks and nose, visible right there. Under those eyes like a chaotic sea, her almond shaped eyes glimmered like stars. Her tender curves emphasized her delicate chin and smooth forehead. No matter where you looked, she had exceedingly good looks.

In other words, if you compared her with ordinary people, her outer appearance was overwhelmingly out of their league. Look at my own ordinary face! We’re the same species. Was it really fair for others to be so much worse that her? If she’d always have those kinds of looks, she could rely on that face to earn money for the rest of her life?

I actually ended up forgetting about shouting back, and entered a mode of admiration. Did that kind of girl really live around here?

But it looked like my older bro was about to dump ‘that kind of girl’, and he repeated once again, “please go home”. After that, he closed his mouth and didn’t speak anymore. Under the neverending snow, the silence continued for a while—

''“Whatever… really… really whatever!”''

The person who gave up first was the girl wearing the red overcoat.

After she finished shouting those last things, she turned around and ran away. No matter how you looked at it, she was clearly heartbroken.

My older brother watched her gradually fading figure for a while, gave a sigh of white fog not after long, and disappeared from my sight. When I heard the door close, I knew he had come back inside.

Ahh, ahh! I shook my head and gave a sigh. My brother had become quite incredible to actually dump a beautiful girl like her.

Compared to me… what was me?

An exam candidate!

“Honest…… Now isn’t the time for this kind of thing!”

I finally woke up to reality, and hurriedly shut the window. Of course I was an exam candidate. As a matter of fact, I was an exam candidate approaching a crisis.

My room regained its tranquility, and only the softly revolving sounds of the air conditioner could be her. I rubbed my frozen hands and walked back towards my desk.

What kind of fate was this? I actually witnessed the entire dialogue between two lovers. Of course, it’s admittedly fortunate that I managed to see such a beautiful girl, but what was I doing on the eve before my exam. I stretched out and deeply reflected on how much I lost from this time. Then, I opened my notebook, and with great difficulty returned to studying mode.

I read a half-answered problem, and I muttered to myself, “Okay, so next…” And then I continued—

“If that person was Matsuzawa, it would be great!”

I completed the other half of the sentence.

I didn’t mean anything deep by that. I was just thinking, if Matsuzawa came to visit me like that, I would have been so happy. Actually, the response was supposed to be like, “really want to eat steak!”, “really want an electric blanket!”, “really want to touch a sumo wrestler!”. However, I just spoke out loud with the desires I had on my mind. After I stopped myself, my brain started answering the questions seriously.

Though—my silly soliloquies probably annoyed the God of Studying. He’s probably set his mind on the useless me who’s been procrastinating with studying for so long. He probably pushed the punishment button.

That was probably the case.

When I heard the sound of glass breaking, I literally jumped up from my spot.

It was a huge noise like being hit directly by lightning. Unable to cry out, I knocked over my chair, and looked in the direction where the noise came from.

And then, my eyes beheld it—

“Huuuhhhh?”


This scene of tragedy made me stop breathing.


The window beside me was completely shattered, and sharp pieces were spread completely all over the floor.

“Wha…. Wha… what…?”

The freezing wind carried in the ice and snow, dispersing my trembling voice in reaction to this sudden incident. 

On the carpet, in the middle of the pile of glass fragments was a fist-sized piece of—rock.

In other words, apparently someone threw this piece of rock and broke my window. But why? If I was hit, I’d die, right? Of course not? Don’t tell me the sniper from 《Golgo 13》<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golgo_13</ref> was out to get me?

Since I was a bit stunned, I stood up with great difficulty. Just when I was about to to check the broken window, an even worse piece of misfortune descended on me.

“Wuaaa?”

My head suffered a direct hit from something that definitely shouldn’t be thrown at people, causing my vision to burst into sparks. When I came back to my senses, I was sitting with my butt on the ground. 

Some crazy dude through the brick-like thing through the open window, and hit me directly on the face. Or to be more precise, it was the bridge of my nose.

As I sat on the ground, the murder weapon rolled to my side like dice.

It was an absolutely beautiful package in the form of a exquisite wooden box. I took it in my hands for a look, and found a note fixed to the top that said: “For Tamura Sensei”. I smelled a sweet fragrance, and without a doubt, it was the scent of chocolate.

“Wha…. what…?”

I groaned, and was left speechless.

After understanding how the chain of events had come to place, I could only be left speechless.

Some crazy person smashed my window with a rock, and threw chocolate into my room.

I staggered slightly on my feet and stood up. I was inside my house, but subzero degree wind was assailing my body. The vast expanse of white snow outside my window—the person who was running away definitely wasn’t the God of Studying or Golgo 13—it was that girl wearing a red overcoat with a hood that should have gone home a while ago. The red figure didn’t stay, and it was sprinting away at full speed from the scene.

Why??

Hey, why’d you do something like this?

I stared at the scene so much I forgot to be angry, and I rubbed the spot on my nose that hurt with my hand. It had this kind of sticky and warm sensation. What was it? I looked at my own hand—

“AHHHHHHHHHH!”

Blood. It’s blood! It’s a nosebleed! A nosebleed!?

Aren’t I an exam candidate?

Snow continued to burst in through the broken window, and in a blink of an eye, it covered the shards of glass and the carpet with snow white.

I glanced at the clock.

Just past midnight.

My entrance exam was tomorrow.

It’s tomorrow! Tomorrow is my entrance exam!

But I continued to have a bloody nose, ravaged by the winter wind and snow from the huge whole in the glass. The carpet was covered with snow, and I had a feeling I was going to get a cold. I still wasn’t finished with my workbook, and Matsuzawa never gave me chocolate. Tomorrow was the entrance exam, and then…. if I flunk, what do I do?

What do I do? If I ended up like that... no, it’s terrible, terrible!

Insane. I think I was going insane.

“Ah-arhghghhhh….”

I’m deranged!

Is that okay?

Aauwhuahhhhhhhhhh!

Awhahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Awhumewboowhimperwuahhhhwhimperwahhhhh!

“Whimper!!!”



Right, once time passes, it never flows backwards—

“Sincerely, me. Matszuawa, what’s been going on? Don’t play dumb with me. Ask me what’s been going on!”

I didn’t know how many nights passed, but in the end it’s always that same morning.

“Over at your place, honestly they should have announced the student roster already.”

That nightmarish day memory was already long ago. Before I realized it, spring was already here.

“What’s going on? Tell me which school you tested into!”

And then—

“Also, I wanted to tell you, I…”

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