Sweet Halloween – sweet home (Chapter 7–11)
Chapter Index
Ch 7 - Ch 8 - Ch 9 - Ch 10 - Ch 11 - Translation Notes
Chapter 7
Location: Dojo (Futons)
Ahhh, I’m exhausted… Having t’prepare everythin’ and practice is justoo much…
Hahaha, you’re slurring your words, Nazuna-san.
Nnnn… I godda concentrate to talk right… Now that we’re done, we don’t hafta focus anymore, so 's fine…
~……♪
Nn— Oh? Chiaki-chin, you’re reading a book? I didn’t ‘spect something like that from you~♪ So you got bad eyesight? The glasses made me think you were someone else…
Yeah, he wears glasses during class, too. You’re in class B, so you didn’t know that, huuuh?
Wow, really… Seeing a whole ‘nother side to someone is part’a what’s so greatabout sleepovers, huh… (yawns) ♪
Heheh, that was a big yawn just now, Nito. You can go ahead and sleep if you’re tired.
Since it isn’t even 10 PM yet, and the rest of us are still awake, you may have to sleep with the lights still on.
Mm, mm~… Yeah, maybe I will… I wanted to stay up and watch over the kids, though…
But… my eyes keep closing all on their own… (yawns) ♪
Do you always sleep around this time, Nito?
Yeah, I got'a habit of sleeping an’ waking up early… My dad always leaves for work real early, so I ended up followin’ along…
An’ like they always say, “sleeping is what helps a kid grow.”
It kind of seems like you’ve finished growing, though… You still look the same as you did in our first year. You’re so small that I sometimes forget you’re my age.
Yep. Standing next to each other, you and I would look like a parent and their kid, Nazuna-san. So c’mooon, go ahead and call me Mama~♪
zzz…zzz…♪
Ohh? He fell asleep… Oh well, I’ll carry him to his futon~♪
His is next to mine, Mikejima-san. Let’s tuck him in and let him sleep.
He probably won’t be able to sleep well with the lights on, so maybe I should turn off the lights on this side of the room and move somewhere else…
Yep! You’re doing a greaaat job, being considerate like that, Chiaki-san! Bravo, bravo~! ♪
You should be more considerate, too. You’re too loud…
Though, we had a pretty rough day today, yet you don’t seem to be tired at all… That’s pretty impressive.
Are you tired? Actually, you don’t seem as energetic as usual in general. You alright?
Yep. You don't need to worry, I’m in perfect shape.
Ahh, in that case, that can only meaaan… Oho, you still can’t stand that, can you?
Don’t worry. If that ever shows up, I’ll beat it to a pulp~♪
…You really are incredible, Mikejima-san. You can even expel spirits?
I know how. I also know how to ward off that.
It’s juuust like the shadow mentioned in psychology.1 It’s an illusion caused by anxiety or fear.
Sooo you should make sure to be in a happy, good mood. C’mooon, don’t read a book; let’s go play a board game with the kids~♪
I’ve made it a habit to read something before I sleep, but… yeah, alright. I can always read some other time.
Let’s try to spend some time with them without disturbing Nito’s sleep. Getting closer to everyone is also another objective of this sleepover party.
My beloved comrades! What are you all doing over in that corner? Let us take part in it, too~♪
Eughhh, here comes the loud one…
Heheh, but it’d be a shame to only be around our yearmates, wouldn’t it?
We should all get along with each other while we have the chance. Please come over here~♪
Mike-chan-senpai, you sit over here! It’s the farthest spot! 'Cuz you’d be in the way if you were in the front!
“In the way” is a mean way to put it… Uhh, sooo what're you all doing? There’s cushions here to sit on… Are you guys gonna start telling stories?
Oh, no. We’re going to be watching horror movies together~♪
Horr—…!? Huh!? Why're you…!? It isn’t the season for ghost stories anymore2, and if you watch horror movies now, you won’t be able to sleep!
Besides, uh, there’s no TV in the dojo! So you can’t watch a movie, right!?
That’s not a problem, I brought over everything we need…
There was an extra monitor in the AV room, right? I got permission from Anzu-san to use it…
Gahhh!? You really are amazing, Takamine…! So kind and strong…!
Oh yeaaah, I haven’t seen Anzu-san around…
I wonder if she’s doing alright… Well, it’s not like we can ask a girl to come and sleep over with us, though.
Anzu-Anego went home after working for as long as she could for the day.
Trickstar are usually the ones to walk her home, but lately she’s been getting a ride home from her parents.
I see… Sounds like she’s compleeetely focused on her work… I wish she’d join in on the fun, though.
Chapter 8
Anyway, that aside… Why a horror movie? How about we watch something we can aaall enjoy instead, like an action movie?
Y-Yeah! I like that idea! Let’s watch Ganbare Robocon or something! It’s really heart-warming!!
But we’re going to be participating in Halloween Party, right? And Halloween’s all about dressing up as ghosts and monsters.
So we’ll watch horror movies to take note of how to act more monster-like.
Us Ra*bits do stuff like this often so we can take notes on how to do things.
Yeah, yeah! We watch a lotta stuff with animals in it! Not much happens in them, though, so I get sleepy watching them! ♪
Yeah, aren’t you the one who always forces us to watch tokusatsu shows so we can learn how to act more “heroic,” Morisawa-senpai…?
It’s the same as that… What, do you have a problem or something?
N-No? Nope, none at all! Quite the opposite! It’s wonderful how you’re all putting so much work into it!
But you know, no one would scold you if you choose to play around and chat with each other instead! It’s your free time, after all!
Why, Kanata went off to feed the fish in the fish tanks instead of hanging out with us! Y'know, those fish tanks in the Marine Life Club room…! Yeah, those!!
Wawa— Morisawa-senpai, shhh~♪ I think Nii~chan is asleep, so please keep your voice down.
Ah! Yeah! My bad! I-I think I’ve gotten sleepy, too! Can I go ahead and get some rest? Is it okay if I do that!?3
Oh no no… Don’t be like that~ Let’s all watch the movie together…♪
T-Takamine? Your face looks mischievous! Why is that!? Did I do something to make you angry again!?
…? Umm~ What shall we start with?
I brought over the DVDs — I mean, the reference material from the AV room and the library.
There are all kinds of movies in here, including western ones. Perhaps we should pick whichever one looks the best.
But, well… if we watch a few movies every night, we will probably get through all of them.
E-Every night? We’ll be watching horror movies every night? Will we be alright? Won’t we die?
No one’s ever died from watching horror movies…
Ah— But this one says that it’s not a movie for the weak-hearted.
Wah— It really does look scary… I’m kind of okay with gory scenes, but I can’t handle jumpscares.
Shino-kun, do you watch horror movies often…?
Well, not that often~♪ My little brother seems to like them, so he rents a few sometimes.
He likes them, but he’s also scared of them, so he clings to me whenever we’re watching one.
Heheh, my brother has been kind of rebelling against me, but sometimes he acts spoiled around me~♪
A-Alright then! You’re going to need popcorn and drinks for a movie, right! I’ll go get some from the convenience store!
Go ahead and start the movie without me!
Ah! We’ve got all the stuff we need already! Look, we bought all kinds of drinks and snacks!
We’ve got a special spot right here just for you seniors, so just relax and enjoy the movie~♪
Gahhh!? Oh Nagumo…! You’re such a good boy…!!
Mmm… We shouldn’t drink stuff and eat snacks around this hour, y'know? My mom always scolds me about that!
Hahaha, we are idols, so we should avoid eating too many snacks, buuut…
It’s nothing to scold someone over, sooo… I think it’s fine if you all eat as much as you like.
You should give it up, too… Or rather, you should just buckle up and try your best to enjoy yourself, Chiaki-san.
It might be rough, buuut… you may be able to overcome your weaknesses if you can get used to them, y'know?
Weaknesses…? So Morisawa-senpai really is bad with scary stuff…?
O-Of course not! There’s nothing a hero’s afraid of! Ahh, I’m so excited~! We’re going to watch a horror movie~! Come on, let’s get the movie started!
Taichou-dono, your eyes are twitching, you know…?
Okay, I’ll put the DVD in, then. This Halloween-themed movie is just what we need, so we’ll start with it~♪
Eeeek!! I heard a strange noise! Something’s making a scratching sound!!
…? That’s just the sound of the DVD player reading the disc…?
Chapter 9
i am back~♪
…? things are quite [lively] here~ it is [midnight] by now, so you are going to [disturb] the neighborhood, you know?
…………
…fwah? i-i am so sorry! i was looking [away] and bumped into you!
Mm~… It’s ok. You’re big, so you didn’t see me sitting.
What do I gotta eat to be that tall? I’m so jealous…
[fish]~ you should eat [fish], nazuna~♪
the reason why you do not grow taller, and why [governments] become [corrupt], and why flowers do not live for [long] — it is all due to not eating [fish].
Mmm? Sorry, I’m still half-asleep so I dunno what you’re sayin’…
Uuu… I was this close to getting a good night’s sleep when I was suddenly woken up… My head feelso heavy…
Ahh, jeez… What’s this whole ruckus 'bout?
hmm~? they are watching a [movie], i think…?
Ahhh!! No, don’t go in there! That door’s bad news!
Run away~!! That room’s filled with zombies!
Gwaah!? Hajime-chan, don’t cling to me! It’ll be okay! Michael got himself a pistol!
Mhm, mhm! I am sure that Michael-dono will not surrender to these zombies! He seems to be a descendant of ninjas, after all!
But he’s already shot the gun a few times now, does it still have enough ammo?
Please run away, Michael-san! Your lover Judy-san is waiting for you in your hometown~!
If you think about it meta-wise, since they were just talking about his past with his lover and all… it feels like he’s probably gonna die soon.
Yeah, I totally know what you mean… That's how you know the character's gonna die…
H-He won’t die, right!? He survived this long! You’re just lying when you say he’s gonna die, right!?
Hahaha, I’ve watched this movie before, so I know what happens. Buuut I’m not gonna ruin the fun! No spoilers allowed~♪
Don’t worry, don’t worry! In fiction, the good guys almost aaalways win!
R-Really? Can I really believe in that?
Ahhh… Uh…Oh no—Eeeeeek!! He really did dieeeeeeeee!!
Ah…! Ahhhh!? Noooooooo!!
H-Hajime-cha… I can’t breathe—It hurts…
Hajime… Mitsuru looks in pain, so if you wanna cling to someone, cling to me.
I-It’s fine if you don’t want to, though…
Huh…? Um…? I-It isn’t that I don’t want to…
Heeey, Morisawa-senpai…?
Come on out from under your blankets~ You’re being rude to the movie makers by missing out on the climax, y'know~? ♪
No! It’s scary! I don’t wanna see any more blood and guts!
You always force us to watch hero stuff when we never even wanted to, though…?
So there’s no reason why you should be the only one to get away with saying that, right…?
U-Uuu! It hurts when you say that!
(whispering) So you really are bad with horror, Morisawa-senpai… That’s why you don’t seem to like Halloween either, right…? Since it has lots of monsters…
Uuu~? No, you’re wrong! I’m fine! Horror movies don’t scare me one bit!
Then why exactly are you tugging on my sleeve and shaking in fear…?
Wait a sec… Didn’t you yell “It’s scary!” just now…?
N-N-No! You misunderstand, Takamine! “Sca-ree” in Swahili means “really interesting”!4
In Swahili…? I can’t wait to see what your next excuse will be…♪
Anyway, there really isn’t anything to be embarrassed about… We all have things we can’t stand…
In a way, it’s more embarrassing and uncool to keep insisting that you like something you actually hate…
It’s natural to have dislikes… Just be true to yourself… Aren’t you the one who’s always telling me stuff like, “I love you no matter what”…?
…? What was that, Takamine? Sorry, I can’t hear you very well from under all the blankets!
Never mind… It wasn’t anything important, so please don’t worry about it…
midori~? that [pufferfish]-looking thing next to you… is that chiaki?
Ah, welcome back, Shinkai-senpai… Don’t walk around outside for too long…
Well, you were only strolling around the school, so I guess nothing bad would have happened to you, anyway…
fufu, i am sorry. did i [worry] you?
Mm~… It’s not really about me… It feels like Morisawa-senpai gets really anxious without you around…
So please don’t just disappear out of nowhere…
fufufu, that is because chiaki is more [spoiled] than you would expect.
but it looks like it will be okay, since it seems like midori is [protecting] him.
or actually, because everyone in ryuseitai is supporting chiaki…
there is not a single scary thing in this whole [world].
Chapter 10
The next day…
zzz…zzz…♪
…………
…Tomoya-kun, it’s morning.
Mmm… zzz…♪
Tomoya-kun! It’s the morning~!! Please wake up!
…Mmgaah!? Ah, huh? Huh, what?
W-Why is Hajime…? Morning! Ah— Ohhh, that’s right, we slept at school…
Heheh, you’re still half-asleep.
…Could we talk for a bit?
Uh? Uhhh…? Huh? Where’s everyone else?
Hm, Mitsuru-kun and Mikejima-senpai said they have a daily routine of running in the morning, so they went off to do that.
Morisawa-senpai, Tetora-kun, and some other people joined them, as well.
Nii~chan and the others are making breakfast.
I was helping them out with that, but you still hadn’t woken up, so I came over to see how you were doing.
Ehehe. I didn’t expect you to be such a sleepyhead, Tomoya-kun.
You were rarely ever late to school when we were in middle school, so I didn’t think you were bad with mornings.
Mmm… It’s just ‘cause I didn’t wanna be late, that’s all. I’d stand out if I were late to class.
Idols are all about making money by standing out, but I still can’t get myself to stop feeling like just another ordinary person.
I think it’s fine. That’s just like you… (nibble, nibble) ♪
Hajime? Why're you trying to eat my hair?
Ah— You had some hair sticking out, so I thought I could lick it down.
You seriously act like an animal sometimes… I can fix my hair by myself, and it startles me to suddenly have someone bite at my hair, so could you not do that?
Okay. …If I ever do something you don’t want me to do, please tell me.
Actually, please tell me what’s okay to do, and what isn’t.
I'm sure you already know this, but… I’ve always been unable to do anything properly.
I could never really do things that other people could normally do, like swinging on monkey bars…5
I was always so slow… People would get tired of waiting, and leave me behind…
And I would always try my hardest to catch up to those people.
But Tomoya-kun, you were the only one who waited for me.
Not just that… You even gently took me by the hand and walked with me.
Hajime… No, you’re wrong. I’m not that good of a person.
You couldn’t do anything easily, so I got cocky about how I could help you out. I’ve actually got so little in me.
That’s just fine, though, Tomoya-kun.
I couldn’t do anything to help anyone, so being able to satisfy your heart was ten times better than that.
But when I joined Yumenosaki… what was the norm to me just collapsed. It changed entirely. People would compliment me, enough to surprise me…
Enough to completely baffle me. Even though all I did was sluggishly do things other people could easily do—
They’d praise me with words like, “Nice job,” “You’re amazing,” “Good boy”.
And lately, I even get told I’m cute… Even though, from the way I see it, I haven’t actually changed.
But it made me happy. Everyone used to be fed up of how slow I was, after all.
I kept getting complimented, and people thought good things about me… It made me want it more and more.
That’s why… Ever since my pair lesson with Tori-kun6, I kept thinking about how I wanted to aim to be cute… How I wanted to be even more cute…
About how I wanted to be praised more…
You don’t have to rush yourself so much, y'know?
No, I have to. I’m much slower than everyone else. I’m far behind, so I have to hurry and catch up.
I want to keep working harder and harder… so I can grow to become a strong, great idol.
Strong enough to walk while carrying you… Even when you’ve had to stop from indecision.
That’s my dream right now.
You know, Tomoya-kun… I wasn’t really interested in idols.
I simply just loved you and didn’t want to separate from you, so I followed after you without a second thought.
But it’s different now.
…………
I-I’m sorry that I can’t talk about it properly. I’m making no sense, aren’t I?
Mmm… How many years do you think I’ve been your friend? I can understand what you’re saying no matter what.
Chapter 11
…Yeah. You’re strong now. I don’t need to lead you by the hand anymore.
I don’t know if that’s really true…
But… Tomoya-kun. It’s my turn this time. I’m going to lead you by the hand for all the times you’ve done the same for me.
The future I’m aiming for might be a little different from yours.
After all, you’ve always loved cool idols, not cute ones.
So someday, we may end up walking different paths from each other, but…
I want to believe that that “someday” will be far, far away from now… and that no matter what, I shouldn't stop in my tracks.
If there’s a wall blocking your way, then I’ll lead you to an alternate route. We should be able to build some muscle as we’re walking, and we’ll get to experience new things.
So at the very least, while we’re walking together… Please, hold my hand like you always did.
I don’t want to separate from you… I can’t do anything without you… I won’t know what to do anymore, and I’ll start crying in panic… (sobs)
…C’mon, don’t cry, Hajime.
Okay. If I ever do something wrong again, please scold me like you did just now.
Please, just be close enough that I can hear you say it… It doesn’t matter which of our hands is doing the pulling, as long as it’s your hand in mine.
Please, I’m begging you, Tomoya-kun… I love you.
…………
…? Why're you staring at me? Is my hair messed up?
…Nah. I was just thinking how nice it would’ve been if you were a girl.
Huh!? Am I not good enough as a boy?
No, it’s fine that you are… But if you were a girl, then even though it’s not what you meant, I could’ve mistaken what you said as something else…
Mistaken what I…?
Ah—! Uu~ When I said I love you, I meant it as friends!!
Yep. Well, anyway, I just wanna make sure of something real quick. You say you want to be cuter… But that doesn’t necessarily mean you wanna cross-dress, right?
I mean, the thing that started our whole fight was the idea of taking up jobs that would require crossdressing.
It was all 'cause I said I didn’t wanna do it.
Ahh… Hm, Anzu-san does usually want to dress me in feminine clothing, yes.
If that’s what I have to do, then I will. After all, it’s a lot easier to simply make use of the feminine culture that already exists.
But to be honest, it doesn’t make me feel good… I do want to be cute, but that doesn’t mean I want to be a girl.
You don’t like crossdressing either, right?
I just got something against it a bit, like any guy normally would… But I’m part of the Drama Club, so I’m supposed to take on any role without complaining.
Still… whenever I get pushed into doing something I don’t wanna do, it makes me feel like I'm being told that I'm worthless… I don’t like it.
But eh, I know I’m just being a typical teenager by acting like this.
Heheh, we are high school students, after all. We can’t keep wearing the clothes our parents chose for us.
The expert we take reference from is completely fine with crossdressing, but…
I’m not sure if just copying everything he does is the best choice.
And, like I learned in my pair lesson with Tori-kun, there are a lot of different ways to be cute.
I think we should aim for our very own kind of cute. The cute that suits us.
But for now, we have to focus on the Halloween Party.
We need to decide on a design for a monster costume soon.
We’ll talk it over with each other and find something cute. A “cute” that completely suits us Ra*bits.
Something that’s cute but scary; scary but cute…♪
What’s that supposed to mean? …But you’re right, that is what Ra*bits is all about.
We’re lacking in everything, but that’s exactly why we work as hard as we can together, and continue to grow.
We’re not some unit that just does whatever to be cute… No, we’re a unit of hard work. And I’m a part of that unit, as well.
That’s right, Tomoya-kun. Ra*bits grew this big because of everyone working so hard together.
Tomoya-kun, I don’t like to be tense around you, and I hate the thought of separating from each other…
So if there’s ever something that’s stopping you in your tracks, please feel free to talk to me about it.
I’ll also do my best to speak my own mind.
I couldn’t really make up my mind on what I should’ve done about our problem this time around… Then things kept getting worse between us, and our time was wasted away just like that…
I really can’t stand how slow I am… I want to properly fight you the next time around.
I don’t even wanna fight… I seriously didn’t know what I’d do if you hated me… I mean, there’d be no point to living if you did!
Oh gosh, what are you talking about? You shouldn't relax just yet, anyway, Tomoya-kun. We haven’t actually solved everything.
We’re going to keep having moments of frustration. We’ll collide somehow, and may lose our way…
But, I’d like to believe that we can get through each of those moments together.
That’s why… Ehehe, I hope we can keep getting along with each other.
What’re you being so formal for? Well, whatever. Same here. Handshake~♪
Handshake~…♪ Ehehe, Tomoya-kun, you really are so warm!
Translation Notes
- ↑ The shadow Madara talks about is Jungian psychology . It's a pretty interesting topic relevant to this story and the characters involved.
- ↑ In Japan, the season for ghost stories is typically in summer.
- ↑ He unusually asks for permission with dame kana.
- ↑ Fun fact, Swahili has similar pronunciation to Japanese, hence why Chiaki chose it as his excuse.
- ↑ Originally, Hajime says that he can’t do this (that other people can normally do), as it's common for Japanese kids to do it. But since that’s not really common in western culture, I changed it to swinging on monkey bars to make it easier to visualize.
- ↑ Referring to Crash Course.