I have some good news and some bad news. Bad news is, the previous translator had only planned on doing the first chapter as a teaser in celebration of the news of the new chu2koi movie. The good (or should I say mixed) news is, that I'll be taking over!
Coincidentally, around the time I started to translate chapter 1, the teaser for it was posted here. Since I've already finished my translation of chapter 1, I might as well post it up as well.
Bit of forewarning: what I'm doing is essentially a heavily edited machine translation with a cross-check afterwards. Progress will be slow. Except chapter 2 in a month or so if the stars align.
Chapter 1: The prologue has been abandoned!
"Um, Rikksan? You seem to be in a great mood so it's hard to ask, but that seems heavy, let me carry it."
"Sure. Also, it's not Rikksan. Rikka."
Takanashi Rikksan's - I mean, Rikka's - happy smile turned into a pout. As usual, her face changes when I call her that.
September 1st. Yesterday was the last day of summer vacation - today's the day of the school's opening ceremony. Since Rikka said she wanted to go to school together today, we're going to school together.
Since the day I confessed, apart from the time where we were late, this is first time that the two of us are going to school together. To get to Rikka's apartment from my house, I have to walk past the school gates.
If I may say so myself, walking past school to go to school together is really stupid, but since it was our first time I ended up agreeing to it.
But, then again, I've always wanted to go to school together!
While having such thoughts, I turned towards Rikka and asked:
"Anyway, what's that?"
Her happy smile instantly returned.
"A present," she happily replied as she stared at what she was embracing.
That - Rikka was carefully embracing a large rabbit doll. I've seen something similar to this blue rabbit somewhere before. It looks like Rikka made it herself.
"I wanted to show it to you first Yuuta. Thoughts?"
"Rikka, you made that, right? Yeah, it's extremely cute!"
"… cute?"
"Yeah? It's cute, isn't it?"
"…this is the first time Yuuta's called me cute."
What an unexpected response! Well, it's true that I usually praise her as the strongest or the coolest. Incidentally, on our first date I did call Rikka cute, although I wasn't able to say it clearly…
Wait, wasn't I talking about the doll!?
But calling the doll cute without being able to call Rikka cute, am I useless!?
"Err, ah… that, wait. Please wait. Certainly, that doll is cute too. That doll is cute, though… Rikka is even cuter!"
This morning has been chaotic.
"Huh!? Yu, Yuuta, what's with you all of a sudden!?"
"N, nothing! Wasn't it really strange that I haven't been calling Rikka cute even though I've called the doll cute!?"
"Well…! It, it's fine! This doll contains my soul so talking about it the same as talking about me!"
"I, I see! Then Rikka's the first I've called cute! I'm glad!"
"Uuu… Devilish Truth Stare · Sealed Form - perfect complete activation!"
And. Being unable to endure it, Rikka hid her blushing face behind the huge rabbit doll which abruptly ended the conversation. Since it was so chaotic, I would have said some more weird stuff, so I'm saved! Thank you!
I really need to change the topic.
"So, err, whose present is that?"
"Eh, Kanzari's."
"Ah, Kanzari-chan. Kanzari-chan, is it her birthday or something?"
"Yeah, it's a prize for winning a tournament - the Monster Rancher tournament championship prize."
"Why did you add that detail to the explanation…"
So that's why the rabbit seemed familiar…
But well, both Rikka and Kanzari-chan really love games. Particularly retro games. They are both quite skilled at them too.
It's not Monster Hunter, it's Monster Rancher. Or perhaps I should say, the Monster Rancher tournament, even though it wasn't really a tournament. How sad…
"But I would have gotten Kanzari's life if I won the tournament… how disappointing."
"Why did Kanzari-chan wager her life!?"
"Don't worry! It was an equivalent exchange!"
"That's really cool, but isn't Kanzari-chan's life being treated too lightly!?"
"But Kanzari's the one who proposed it… she probably was confident that she could beat me."
"Even if it was like that, it still seems…"
"Still, I'm glad I made this. I'll be happy if Kanzari is pleased with this."
True to her word, Rikka looked really happy when she stared at the doll.
The rest of our walk to school was just like that, with Rikka and I having our usual fun conversations, until we finally, when we just arrived at school - at that exact moment. A voice from behind suddenly addressed us. Well, to be precise, it was more of a shout.
"Please wait a minute!"
Surprised by the sudden shout, Rikka and I turned towards the source of the voice at the same time. There was a girl standing imposingly, wearing a very refreshing smile. And, again with a loud voice -
"Heh heh heh, you've arrived, I've caught you!"
Er, who…?
I feel like I've seen her somewhere before, but it might just be just my imagination. Maybe I feel that way since part of her outfit consists of our school's uniform. Since the colour of her uniform's ribbon is different, she must be an upperclassman. Hmmm… apart from the ribbon, various other parts of the uniform were also different… in terms of colour alone.
"…uhhh…?"
I was stumped by various different reasons. It happened so suddenly, her uniform was so different and to top it all off being told to "wait a minute" by a stranger left me completely speechless. Rikka, however, was different.
"Did you come…!"
"Heh heh, I came! Takanashi Rikkchan!"
Wait, what?
Rikka's so unusually shy of strangers that she won't respond to anyone she hasn't met before; is this one of her acquaintances? Her social circle seems to have expanded ever since she started playing with Kanzari-chan.
"!? … Why do you hinder us! …by the way, Yuuta, the word for 'hinder' is really cool!"
"Don't just suddenly talk to me after putting on airs!"
It's quite hard to handle when you suddenly turn towards me with sparkling eyes. But well… it certainly is a cool word!
"Ahaha, either way as I expected you're as talented as the rumors say. Yes, very good. I believe you possess a strong power."
"Huh!? How do you know about my powers!"
"I can tell by looking at them if a person has special powers."
"Ooo, amazing!"
"Right, isn't it amazing?", the girl in front of me says while nodding her head in satisfaction. Gazing over at Rikka, just like I thought, she was also satisfied by being told that she had special powers. Hmm.
I'm getting the sense that I'm the only one being left out. However, I wasn't able to join in with their conversation and could only watch as they continued back and forth.
"How's that? Don't you want to become my subordinate?"
"Never! Yuuta and I are already contracted!"
"Damn…rejected! And so quickly too!"
"Of course! The Devilish Truth Stare is the strongest!"
"So, as expected … looks like it can't be helped. There's only that method left…"
…those lines feel like they belong to some battle manga. Or maybe it's just me. Since I was lonely by myself, I was playing the straight man in my mind. While I was thinking that, the girl suddenly turned towards me and asked:
"You, the ordinary-kun over there, are you her boyfriend?"
She was glaring at me so intensely that I could almost hear the glare. Her glare was so intense - it even looked like that there was an aura flowing out of her. It was so overbearing that it made me groan "ugh" as I was forced to took a step back.
But well, the question of whether or not I'm her boyfriend had to be answered properly.
"I'm her boyfriend," I declared.
After hearing my words, the girl's expression turned serious and -
"Please give me your lover!"
Said those words while kneeling on the ground.
"………huh?"
No, that, this is…
Sadly, a situation like this occurred. It seems like I've encountered the greatest crisis of my life. Since entering high school I've already encountered several life crises, but this one is by far the greatest crisis I've ever faced.
I completely forgot that this exchange was being held right in front of the social gates. By the time I noticed, I could feel cold stares directed at me from my surroundings. On top of that, more and more bystanders were beginning to gather.
It seems like with each passing moment, the situation was getting worse and worse.
If I were to briefly explain the current situation, it would that a high-school girl suddenly kneeled before me in front of the school gates, right before my girlfriend - and under these simple circumstances, my mind went completely blank.
Even though it's meaning was unclear, it was a simple situation like that.
But, from a bystander's point of view - a high school girl is being made to prostrate herself by a scumbag in front of the school gates (even in front of his girlfriend, too). What are they going conclude!
Also, that scumbag is me.
Even though I didn't know how things ended up this way, I do know that if this continues my school life will be over. No matter what, I have to destroy the current situation immediately!
Making up my mind, I called out to the girl (temporarily Prostrate-senpai) kneeling in front of me.
"U-umm… for now could you please lift up your head…? While you're at it could you also please stop kneeling…"
I finally managed to say something, but it seemed like Prostrate-senpai missed my point, since she suddenly raised her head and said:
"I can't do that! Not until I can borrow your lover!"
After emphasising her request, she deeply lowered her head once again. She even forcefully planted her foreface on the ground. It was like she was trying to get permission to get married from an obstinate father-in-law, displaying the proper etiquette despite the chance of failing, but…
"Th-this place is kind of…umm, err, I'll definitely listen carefully to what you have to say in a better place."
"There's no need to change it's fine here! Besides, isn't it too normal to talk about this in a place like a café!?"
"No no no! Kneeling down in a place like this just makes other people think you're really strange!"
That also applies with me too!
"That makes me happy!"
"Why does that make you happy!?"
… this was beyond my expectations.
At any rate, I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Compared to before, it seems that there were more strong gazes directed at me and an increase in the number of bystanders. In addition, Rikka was also completely stunned.
… guess it can't be helped.
"Rikka, let's escape!"
"Hm?"
I careful took Rikka's, who was blinking in surprise, hand and ran at full speed into the school to seek refuge. With a grip so light that you couldn't feel its strength, I pulled Rikka along with me. From the surroundings I could hear voices saying stuff like "what's this?", "what's happening" and "isn't that person…", but I wasn't considered by any of that. After passing the school gates, we ran straight to the back of the gym, which was devoid of people, stopping only once we got there.
"… ha, ha whew… tired…"
Since I was part of the going home club, I have never needed to run with all my might before, so I was completely out of breath. Rikka, on the other hand, seemed completely fine.
Damn… being part of the going home club is really uncool…
How.
Just when I started having stupid thoughts.
Next to me, who was catching his breath - Prostrate-senpai only needed one deep "whew" to catch her breath.
She caught up to us as if it were normal. We didn't escape at all!
After Prostrate-senpai took her deep breath, she fixed her hair that got dishevelled from running, then she turned towards me and looked straight at me.
"Gee, there was no need to come to a place that had no people."
With that, she paused the conversation momentarily, and after a short moment a daring smile started to slip out.
"Well, it's still completely fine. Well then, I ask of you once again - please give me your lover!"
And then.
For the second time today. As if she was showing her gratitude in a tea ceremony, her balance and posture was perfect as she prostrated before me.
It seems like the tragic series of events are far from over.