Translator's Notes: ARGH. That's all I can say. I did 95% of it several months ago, and then LEFT IT ALONE. As a result, the last few sentences have a completely different style and tone to them, because my translation style has changed a bit. (I'm no longer so careful about keeping the literal meanings the same.)
More terms:
Dango - Known as mochi in Hawaii and rice flour dumpling (or something to that extent) everywhere else.
Bento, bentou - boxed lunch.
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Itazura 2
by Shirafuji Yui
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The next morning, Akira made as if he had some business, loitering nearby the kebiishi headquarters. He wanted to hand Hikaru the magatama that he was supposed to have given the day before.
However, before Akira could spot Hikaru, Waya spotted Akira first.
"What're you doing here? Ah, whatever. Konoe's supposed to show up soon so why don't you have some dango with us?"
"Da-dango?"
"Yeah, I just saw this really great shop earlier and--hey, there he is. Heeey, Konoe!"
Hikaru had turned around after hearing his name called, stepped forward, and stopped upon he spotting Akira. Nevertheless, he was unable to just ignore Waya, who was busy pumping his arm to get his attention. He went over with a little jog.
"What is it, Waya? And Kamo."
"Let's go eat some dango, Konoe."
"Dango? I'm in the middle of work, you know."
"I got something important to discuss with you. And I'll pay too."
"Well, if it's that important... I guess I can do it while on work," Hikaru said, obviously changing his mind about being diligent.
"Well, if it's something important, then I'll be on my way," Akira said, trying to extricate himself from the conversation.
"What are you talking about? This concerns you too. Come on, let's go." And Waya began walking without preamble.
"Hey... hey wait! Waya!"
Hikaru scrambled off and Akira felt even more lost. He considered simply leaving then, but realized that he wouldn't be able to give Hikaru his present, and so began to trail after them.
"You know the leaves on the top of the mountain are turning red, right? By next month they should be halfway down the mountain. So I've been talking with Isumi-san about how we should take some bentos and have a party over there. There's that childhood friend of yours... Akari no kimi, right? And we should invite Nase no kimi too," Waya said right after ordering the dango.
"Sure, okay... But don't tell me that this was that was so important that you had to pull me out of work to talk about."
"This is important, isn't it?" Waya said, unconcerned. "You don't have to act so serious about work, Konoe. It's not as if you ever been serious about work, right?"
"W-well I could start now ..." Hikaru said, trying to make up an excuse after glancing at Akira.
"Ahh, relax already. Kamo, what about you? Are you free then?"
"Well, if I schedule it with advance notice it should be fine..."
"Great, so it's settled then. The scenery'll be even better with girls around. I wonder who else is left..."
"What about Akari's friend, Tsuda no kimi?"
"Hey yeah that's great. If you can think of anyone else, tell them for me too, okay?"
After the dango and conversation, Waya left, heading back towards the dairi with a promise that he'd tell them as soon as a date is set.
"Um, sorry about yesterday," Hikaru said in a small voice as they watched Waya leave.
"Eh?"
An apology was the last thing he could have expected. Akira turned to look disbelieving at Hikaru.
"I just kind of... yeah... and then left suddenly like that..." Hikaru mumbled, not looking at Akira.
"Well, that's not what I meant. I did think I did something wrong, not you."
Hikaru cast a surprised look at Akira before averting his eyes again. "Well, Kamo you... thinking about the nonsense stuff I said... I thought that you wouldn't want to do that ever again."
"That" had to the kiss, right? Akira didn't want to imagine what would happen if he was mistaken.
"Well, I don't really mind..." he replied.
"Really?" Hikaru stared at Akira.
"Of course."
Hikaru stared at him even more for that, then suddenly looked away and began walking.
"Konoe?" Akira called, but received no answer. He wasn't walking fast enough to simply mean that he rejected the notion either. Unsure, Akira followed behind him.
After a while, they came upon a nicely deserted area.
"Kamo, you're..."
"Huh?"
"You're nice... so if you don't like it, you should just say so."
It took a bit of time before Akira understood. "You think I'm lying to you just to make you feel better?"
No reply. But Akira could tell that was true by looking at his face.
Akira, after quickly making sure that no one else was around, planted himself in front of Hikaru and put his lips on his. "Do you believe me now?"
Eyes wide, Hikaru nodded.
"Oh, that's right. Before I forget it again, here." Akira took a small package out of the breast pocket of his kariginu and handed it to Hikaru.
"What is it?"
"I was supposed to hand it to you yesterday. I don't know why I thought of you when I saw it, but since I heard that it was your birthday, I decided to give it to you as a present."
"...It's beautiful."
Hikaru said smiling as he held out the magatama. Akira felt instantly relieved at the smile.
"A, arigatou," He said, embarrassed.
"I gotta get back to work. I'll see you later then, Kamo," Hikaru muttered, scampering off into the distance.
-
"Oh great... this is bad, I'm so screwed..." Hikaru groaned.
"You mean this?" Akira said, placing a white stone down.
"Aaaaahhh!" Hikaru fell backwards and rolled on the floor in frustration.
After learning Go during the Youkai Taiji [youkai extermination], Hikaru had improved rapidly under Sai's instruction. However, Hikaru was still no match for Akira.
They usually played under a handicap, but because Hikaru demanded to play an even match every once in a while, Akira would respond in kind.
"Man, even without the handicap you don't show any mercy."
"Oh, so you want me to show you mercy?"
"No! It's no fun if I win when you're not even trying."
"That's what I thought. But even though you can't beat me right now, every single time we do this without a handicap you've been getting better. You've been getting less defensive and more offensive when we switch back to the other way."
"I guess... but I still make mistakes like this..."
"That's true. You still play too cautiously in some areas and needlessly defend, and sometimes you attack when you still have to defend certain points. But it all becomes experience in the end and you'll learn."
And so they continued to play for a while, until Hikaru stood and announced his departure.
This time, Akira didn't bother to see him out the door. He tried that the night that he gave him the magatama but Hikaru stopped him and said, "You may not mind now but you'd better tell me if you do one day." Then he gave him a kiss, and beat a hasty retreat.
After that, it had become a custom to see him off with a kiss.
"Later then." And again, Hikaru left after a kiss.
Akira's thoughts were jumbled as he watched him go.
It was unmistakable that Hikaru really wanted to kiss him. He pressed his point enough that Hikaru didn't want to coerce him for Akira to figure that out.
However, it was no spectacular or wild kiss like the first time. It was simply a touch on the lips for a second or two.
What that kind of kiss could mean, Akira had no idea. When he thought of Sai doing the same kind of kiss to Hikaru, his heart did little flip-flops.
He guessed that there wouldn't be any kiss like that because he was just too inexperienced for that sort of thing. Or maybe he realized he couldn't do that with anyone else other than Sai. But if that were the case, why does would he want to do that to him?
Well, the several times Hikaru had tried to avoid it, but after that, it seemed as if he got used to it. Akira couldn't help the strange look Hikaru gave him; it was as if he wanted more.
At times like that, it was all he could do to control himself. He wanted to take him in his arms and kiss him just like the first time.
But Hikaru would probably never speak to him again if that happened. He let it go once, but because he had no idea what was going through the kebiishi's head, he had to make sure.
Akira was about to hit his limit from frustration at his own caution and Hikaru's incomprehensible actions.
More terms:
Dango - Known as mochi in Hawaii and rice flour dumpling (or something to that extent) everywhere else.
Bento, bentou - boxed lunch.
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Itazura 2
by Shirafuji Yui
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The next morning, Akira made as if he had some business, loitering nearby the kebiishi headquarters. He wanted to hand Hikaru the magatama that he was supposed to have given the day before.
However, before Akira could spot Hikaru, Waya spotted Akira first.
"What're you doing here? Ah, whatever. Konoe's supposed to show up soon so why don't you have some dango with us?"
"Da-dango?"
"Yeah, I just saw this really great shop earlier and--hey, there he is. Heeey, Konoe!"
Hikaru had turned around after hearing his name called, stepped forward, and stopped upon he spotting Akira. Nevertheless, he was unable to just ignore Waya, who was busy pumping his arm to get his attention. He went over with a little jog.
"What is it, Waya? And Kamo."
"Let's go eat some dango, Konoe."
"Dango? I'm in the middle of work, you know."
"I got something important to discuss with you. And I'll pay too."
"Well, if it's that important... I guess I can do it while on work," Hikaru said, obviously changing his mind about being diligent.
"Well, if it's something important, then I'll be on my way," Akira said, trying to extricate himself from the conversation.
"What are you talking about? This concerns you too. Come on, let's go." And Waya began walking without preamble.
"Hey... hey wait! Waya!"
Hikaru scrambled off and Akira felt even more lost. He considered simply leaving then, but realized that he wouldn't be able to give Hikaru his present, and so began to trail after them.
"You know the leaves on the top of the mountain are turning red, right? By next month they should be halfway down the mountain. So I've been talking with Isumi-san about how we should take some bentos and have a party over there. There's that childhood friend of yours... Akari no kimi, right? And we should invite Nase no kimi too," Waya said right after ordering the dango.
"Sure, okay... But don't tell me that this was that was so important that you had to pull me out of work to talk about."
"This is important, isn't it?" Waya said, unconcerned. "You don't have to act so serious about work, Konoe. It's not as if you ever been serious about work, right?"
"W-well I could start now ..." Hikaru said, trying to make up an excuse after glancing at Akira.
"Ahh, relax already. Kamo, what about you? Are you free then?"
"Well, if I schedule it with advance notice it should be fine..."
"Great, so it's settled then. The scenery'll be even better with girls around. I wonder who else is left..."
"What about Akari's friend, Tsuda no kimi?"
"Hey yeah that's great. If you can think of anyone else, tell them for me too, okay?"
After the dango and conversation, Waya left, heading back towards the dairi with a promise that he'd tell them as soon as a date is set.
"Um, sorry about yesterday," Hikaru said in a small voice as they watched Waya leave.
"Eh?"
An apology was the last thing he could have expected. Akira turned to look disbelieving at Hikaru.
"I just kind of... yeah... and then left suddenly like that..." Hikaru mumbled, not looking at Akira.
"Well, that's not what I meant. I did think I did something wrong, not you."
Hikaru cast a surprised look at Akira before averting his eyes again. "Well, Kamo you... thinking about the nonsense stuff I said... I thought that you wouldn't want to do that ever again."
"That" had to the kiss, right? Akira didn't want to imagine what would happen if he was mistaken.
"Well, I don't really mind..." he replied.
"Really?" Hikaru stared at Akira.
"Of course."
Hikaru stared at him even more for that, then suddenly looked away and began walking.
"Konoe?" Akira called, but received no answer. He wasn't walking fast enough to simply mean that he rejected the notion either. Unsure, Akira followed behind him.
After a while, they came upon a nicely deserted area.
"Kamo, you're..."
"Huh?"
"You're nice... so if you don't like it, you should just say so."
It took a bit of time before Akira understood. "You think I'm lying to you just to make you feel better?"
No reply. But Akira could tell that was true by looking at his face.
Akira, after quickly making sure that no one else was around, planted himself in front of Hikaru and put his lips on his. "Do you believe me now?"
Eyes wide, Hikaru nodded.
"Oh, that's right. Before I forget it again, here." Akira took a small package out of the breast pocket of his kariginu and handed it to Hikaru.
"What is it?"
"I was supposed to hand it to you yesterday. I don't know why I thought of you when I saw it, but since I heard that it was your birthday, I decided to give it to you as a present."
"...It's beautiful."
Hikaru said smiling as he held out the magatama. Akira felt instantly relieved at the smile.
"A, arigatou," He said, embarrassed.
"I gotta get back to work. I'll see you later then, Kamo," Hikaru muttered, scampering off into the distance.
-
"Oh great... this is bad, I'm so screwed..." Hikaru groaned.
"You mean this?" Akira said, placing a white stone down.
"Aaaaahhh!" Hikaru fell backwards and rolled on the floor in frustration.
After learning Go during the Youkai Taiji [youkai extermination], Hikaru had improved rapidly under Sai's instruction. However, Hikaru was still no match for Akira.
They usually played under a handicap, but because Hikaru demanded to play an even match every once in a while, Akira would respond in kind.
"Man, even without the handicap you don't show any mercy."
"Oh, so you want me to show you mercy?"
"No! It's no fun if I win when you're not even trying."
"That's what I thought. But even though you can't beat me right now, every single time we do this without a handicap you've been getting better. You've been getting less defensive and more offensive when we switch back to the other way."
"I guess... but I still make mistakes like this..."
"That's true. You still play too cautiously in some areas and needlessly defend, and sometimes you attack when you still have to defend certain points. But it all becomes experience in the end and you'll learn."
And so they continued to play for a while, until Hikaru stood and announced his departure.
This time, Akira didn't bother to see him out the door. He tried that the night that he gave him the magatama but Hikaru stopped him and said, "You may not mind now but you'd better tell me if you do one day." Then he gave him a kiss, and beat a hasty retreat.
After that, it had become a custom to see him off with a kiss.
"Later then." And again, Hikaru left after a kiss.
Akira's thoughts were jumbled as he watched him go.
It was unmistakable that Hikaru really wanted to kiss him. He pressed his point enough that Hikaru didn't want to coerce him for Akira to figure that out.
However, it was no spectacular or wild kiss like the first time. It was simply a touch on the lips for a second or two.
What that kind of kiss could mean, Akira had no idea. When he thought of Sai doing the same kind of kiss to Hikaru, his heart did little flip-flops.
He guessed that there wouldn't be any kiss like that because he was just too inexperienced for that sort of thing. Or maybe he realized he couldn't do that with anyone else other than Sai. But if that were the case, why does would he want to do that to him?
Well, the several times Hikaru had tried to avoid it, but after that, it seemed as if he got used to it. Akira couldn't help the strange look Hikaru gave him; it was as if he wanted more.
At times like that, it was all he could do to control himself. He wanted to take him in his arms and kiss him just like the first time.
But Hikaru would probably never speak to him again if that happened. He let it go once, but because he had no idea what was going through the kebiishi's head, he had to make sure.
Akira was about to hit his limit from frustration at his own caution and Hikaru's incomprehensible actions.