Greetings. I browsed around the Internet the other day, and found a GB site which includes, among others, the covers for its mangas. I was particularly taken with cover no. 19, which hasn't arrived in my country yet – and this is the result. I'm not really sure the pic was correct (being small as it is), but please enjoy. And I don't own GB.
It seems like a good day for a well-deserved break, Ban decided as he leaned beside a tall wall encircling one of the buildings in the outskirts of Shinjuku – a condominium, to be exact. He felt better now that the Ladybug's tank was full, he had a fresh supply of nicotine, and he had had his customary morning coffee. His hand automatically went into his pocket in search of his usual pack of cigarette as he watched the day's activities unfold around him with his usual cynical look.
"Ban-channnnnnnnnn!!" the loud, all-cheerful call of his partner momentarily halted his search. Masking the involuntary tug of his mouth with a familiar frown, he pushed up his glasses in an exaggerated act of boredom.
"What?" he asked lazily as his wandering fingers found the pack and pulled it out of the pocket. He took out one and put it into his mouth in a fluid, well-practised motion.
Ginji swung his legs carelessly from his precarious perch on top of the wall. "Isn't it such a nice day for a picnic or something, right, Ban-chan?" he said.
Ban's mouth quirked into another smile almost before he could stop himself. Trust this idiot to come up with something like this, he thought, before he schooled his expression into a scowl instead. "Yeah? And what in the world makes you think like that?" He glanced up at his partner's happy face and fished around in the other pocket for the lighter.
Ginji grinned in response. "Just feels like it..." he replied. Hooking both hands at the wall for support, he leaned down to look closely at Ban. "Can't you feel it too?"
Ban smirked lightly, but waited until he lighted the cigarette before answering. "Why should I? We have other things to think about, y'know. Such as—" he pointed to the Ladybug, parked legally for once across the street, "—how to get another job, for instance."
"But Ban-chan..." his partner pouted cutely. Damn. "We've never had a real picnic before... and 'sides, we still got plenty of cash from the last job—" which happened to be yesterday "—and I'm tired and it's such a nice day..."
Truth be told, he was still suffering from the heavy blow he took at his left shoulder when one of the guards got lucky with his swing. Of course, he would never have admitted to anyone – even Ginji – how sore he was, though that idiot would have realized it anyway. He absently rubbed at said shoulder, pretending to think it over for long agonizing moments – to Ginji, that is – before he shrugged indifferently. "'che... whatever. Have it your way then." He pointedly glared to the wide-eyed figure above him. "Just don't complain if you're hungry tomorrow and we got no money left."
He guessed his partner's whoop of happiness more than made up for the fact that he was possibly going to lose every single yen they had left, which was fortunately large enough to accommodate that particular splurge. He shook his head and pushed away from the wall, heard Ginji jumping down to the pavement and half-ran towards him. He braced himself for what he knew was coming.
"Baaan-chaaaaann!" The force of the tackle-hug would have knocked a lesser man into an undignified sprawl on the sidewalk, but Ban held his ground and reached out to roughly ruffle the blonde hair, shining golden in the warm summer sun.
"Idiot," he replied crossly, but Ginji did not miss the tug at the corner of Ban's mouth he was unsuccessfully trying to hide. He laughed, burrowed deeper into Ban's side for another second, then swinging an arm easily over his partner's shoulder – mindful of the still-visible bruise – they made their way to the Bug.