Page 52

(Sugimura)

Page 53

My name's Amasawa.

sfx	goh oh oh oh oh
cards	Seiji Amasawa Kouji Amasawa

Amasawa!

Shizuku

Um . . . ah . . . .

Page 54

Kousaka

Kind of a strange guy . . . .

Could he be the same Amasawa?

Shio	He really likes photography . . . .

Pages 55-56

Kouji Amasawa!

Page 56

(Shio)

Page 57

Kouji	What?
sfx	suri suri
Shizuku	Of course . . . .
Kouji	How do you know my name?
Shizuku	Well . . . um . . . ah . . . .
Cat	Nyah.

Page 58

Shizuku	Because . . . well, in other words . . . um . . . .
	The Mukaihara junior high school library--
	--when I checked out a book called Fairytales, Amasawa was one of the people who checked it out before.
	And along with that --
	--my health teacher, Kousaka Sensei, she . . . um . . . how to put this . . . she said he was kind of a oddball . . . .
	No, wait, that's not right . . . what am I trying to say? I think that's what I mean . . . am I making any sense?
Kouji	I think I got the general idea.
Cat	Nyah.
	Perhaps this "oddball" should pay Kousaka Sensei a visit. (She pretty much hit the nail on the head, though.)
Shizuku	Oh, I didn't mean that . . . .
Kouji	No matter.
	I'd better get going. Come again to the store, any time. Did you like it?
Shizuku	Very much so!

Page 59

Do you know a person named Seiji Amasawa?

Kouji	Later, okay?
Shizuku	Oh, excuse me!
Cat	Nyah nyah.
Shizuku	Um . . . .
Kouji	What?
Shizuku	I mean . . . .
	Oh, it's nothing. Thank you for everything.

Page 60

But what if he did know him . . . ?

It was liking waking up from a dream.

That's what it felt like--

--a really important dream.

Page 61

Shizuku

The airship, it's vanished!

After that, I went back to the Earth Shop.

I didn't see Kouji or Luna.

But Sir Cat was still there.

Page 62

Every time I saw him, I felt something new.

Every time I saw him, he greeted me with a different look, a different expression--

--that made something stir in my heart.

Shizuku	So, who is this Seiji Amasawa?
	I should have asked Kouji when I had the chance.
	No guarantee that he knew him, either, though.
	I mean, I wanted to ask him, but at the same time I didn't want to know the answer.

Being fickle about such things can be fun, but it can be a real pain in the neck, too.

Page 63

(top panel: students returning to school)

After that, the rest of summer vacation--

Shizuku	Good morning!
Yuuko	Hi, Shizuku!
Girl	G'morning!
Girl	Long time no see!
sfx	gyah ha ha

--flew by, along with all that homework that had been piling up.

Teacher	Here's today's problem.
board	September 16th (Saturday)
	monitors: Nagai, Ishii
	Gravity
	Moon : Earth
	1       6
	There's a mistake in what I'm going to say next, so pay attention and tell me what it is.
sfx	boh-- [spaced out]
Teacher	A ball that bounces one meter on the Earth will, if thrown with the same force, will rebound six meters on the surface of the Moon.

Page 64

Teacher	Tsukishima!
Shizuku	Y-yes!
Teacher	What's the mistake in what I just said?
Shizuku	Um . . . you're supposed to use getsumen [moon + surface] to refer to the surface of the moon, not jimen [earth + surface].
Teacher	Correct. Perhaps that one was a bit too easy.
Students	What?
	How was that too easy?
	That was a trick question!
sfx	basha-- [splash]
Shizuku	Yuuko, have you figured out a reply to that love letter?
Yuuko	Not, not yet.
Shizuku	That guy hasn't said anything else to you?
Yuuko	No.

Page 65

Yuuko	But I'd probably turn him down, anyway.
sfx	gata [desks scraping]
Shizuku	You would? Yeah, maybe that'd be best.
sfx	gata
	What about Sugimura? Have you spoken to him?
Yuuko	N-no way! Don't joke about stuff like that!
Shizuku	Heh heh, why not just ask him and see what happens?
Teacher	There you are, Miss Tsukishima!
sfx	bikku [surprised]
	Next time it won't be an easy problem like today's.
	Though it stands to reason you'd have a knack for questions like that--seeing as you're always a bit moonstruck yourself.
Shizuku	Yes, Sensei.

Page 66

Shizuku	Hey, it's Sugimura.
	Yuuko! Slow down a second!
sfx	pyu--
	You mean, the guy Sugimura was just talking to (was the one who handed you the love letter)?
Yuuko	Yeah, Yamazaki Senpai. They're both on the baseball team. But what were they talking about?

Page 67

Boy	I bet that's the one he's going to get, too!
Shizuku	I don't believe it!
	It's that jerk again!
sfx	suu--

Page 68

What's with that attitude?
He didn't even look at me!

Boys	Ha ha ha, ha ha ha.

Could there be a more annoying person alive!?

I can't believe we ended up in the same school!

Yuuko	Shizuku, what was that all about?
Shizuku	Grrrr.
sfx	munyu
Yuuko	What's with that face?
Shizuku	It's that guy I was talking about before.
Yuuko	Oh. What guy was that?

Page 69

Shizuku	I got it!
Yuuko	And now what are you all cheered up about?
Shizuku	I going to get The Gardens of Babylon before Seiji Amasawa does!
	Yeah, I'm through with being the one who checks out all the good books after he does!
Yuuko	Shizuku, about this business with Sugimura . . . .
Shizuku	Hey, I'll give you a call later, okay?
sfx	run run

That's right, if I check out the books first, he's bound to notice my name.

Yuuko	O-okay.
	Sheesh, Shizuku can sure be an idiot sometimes.

Page 70

Shizuku	Bye bye, Kinu-chan
Girl	Bye, Shizuku.
Sugimura	Hey, Tsukishima.
	D-do you--
Shizuku	Sorry, Sugimura, I'm in a real hurry!
sfx	ta ta ta ta ta
Girl	Bye, bye.
Girl	See you Monday.
Sugimura	Tsukishima?
	Boy, that was gutless of me.
Girl	Bye, Yuuko.
Yuuko	Yeah, later.

Page 71

sfx	kya ha ha ha ha
sfx	You're kidding!
sfx	Oh, gross!
Sugimura	Yuuko.
Yuuko	S-Sugimura.
Sugimura	Um, do you have a minute?
Yuuko	I-I guess.

Page 72

[top panel: Kouji with book and umbrella)

Girl	What? On a day like today?
Girl	kusu-kusu [giggle]
Shio	Been waiting long?
sfx	pon
Kouji	Well, another thirty seconds and I would have figured out who the murderer was.
Shio	Sorry I was late.
	What are you doing with that umbrella?
	People do say he's a bit odd.
	I can't believe it's going to rain.

Page 73

Kouji	A little hint I got from an airship operator.
Shio	Well, I hope it doesn't.
	So, what's on your mind?
	A day like today and he's having hot tea?
Kouji	Oh, yeah, speaking of airships . . . .
	An unusual girl came to the shop the other day.
Shio	You mean, the Earth Shop. Your grandfather's store, right?
Kouji	She was wearing a straw hat. She had a round face, short hair, kind of cute.
	A different expression every second, big curious eyes.

Page 74

Kouji	Then my granddad must have startled her and she took off like a shot--
sfx	kusu kusu kusu [giggle]
Shio	It sounds just like my sister!
sfx	pyuuu
sfx	pyuuu
Kouji	--and forgot her change.
	It's--
Shio	Shizuku!
Kouji	that girl!
	You saw her, too?
Shio	Yeah, it's my kid sister.

Page 75

(top panel: library windows, exterior)

Shizuku	Eh--
title	Babylon
	--it's here!
card	[blank card]
Shizuku	Heh heh heh. I win, Seiji Amasawa!
sfx	para para

Page 76

sign	History	New releases
	Biography	Recommended

Boy	Hey, it's not in. I thought they'd have it this week.
Shizuku	Excuse me.
sfx	gari gari
Boy	Well, this one will do.
title	The Magic Forest
insert	Public Reading Room

I was in a good mood.

It was a nice opportunity to take another look through the world of my Earth Shop glasses.

Page 78

Ah, that's the book I was going to read next.

sfx	gata
title	The Magic Forest
sfx	gatan
Shizuku	You!

Page 79

sfx	sa-sa--
Shizuku	Too late, already saw it.
Boy	Saw w-what?
title	The Gardens of Babylon
Shizuku	Hmm, so fairies are for losers, but magic is cool, huh?
Boy	Exactly!
	Wizards are much more scientific. It's completely different from this fairy business.
Shizuku	Grrrr.

Page 80

Shizuku	But, you have to admit, the same way there are all kinds of different animals in the world, there have got be creatures like fairies, too!
Boy	No, there aren't.
Shizuku	By that reasoning there aren't any wizards, either.
Boy	Sheez, enough already.
Shizuku	The fact is, I bet you've got a thing for fairies!
Boy	D-don't be stupid! I do not!
Patrons	Shhhh.
Boy	And what are you wearing those granny glasses for, anyway?
sfx	kachin [score!]

Page 81

Shizuku	Keep your OPINIONS to YOURSELF!
Patrons	Shhhh.
Shizuku	Yeah, and don't forget it either.
Boy	Forget what?
sign	Public reading room
Father	Was it just my imagination, or was that my daughter yelling at somebody?
sfx	poh-tsu
sfx	zaaah

Page 82

(top panel: people running for cover from the rain)

sfx	basha basah basha
sfx	bah--tsu
Kouji	Here you go, Tsuki-san.
Shio	In your case, pretty cool that it started to rain.

Page 83

sfx	zaaah
Shizuku	It's pouring cats and dogs.
Boy	Gee, look what I've got!
Shizuku	Hey, that's cheating, you having an umbrella!
sfx	basa basa
Boy	How is having my own umbrella cheating?
Shizuku	You brought it with you? Must be quite the weather forecaster.
	You're going to share it with me, right?
Boy	No way!
Shizuku	Share it, share it, share it, share it!
Boy	Is this the way you normally ask people for favors?
Shizuku	Oh, I am so sorry. Please share your umbrella with me.

Page 84

Boy	Forget it! I've got places to go, things to do.
Shizuku	LOSER!
Boy	Bye-bye.
sfx	giri giri [grinding teeth]
Shizuku	The LOWEST form of LIFE on the PLANET!
Boy	Hey--
	As far the station, okay?

Page 85

Boy	You could at least say thank you.
Shizuku	Thank you.
Boy	That didn't sound very sincere.
Shizuku	Too bad.
Boy	You won't mind getting all wet, then.
	Give me back my umbrella!
Boy	Here we are.
Shizuku	Um . . . .

Page 86

Shizuku	I mean--thanks for walking me to the station.
Boy	One more thing, just a tip--if I cared at all about what people thought of me, I'd think twice about wearing those granny glasses again.

And STILL a jerk! To think I was ready to believe he was a decent person!

Page 87

sfx	goh-ton . . . goh-ton . . .

Luna isn't taking the train today. I wonder what she's up to about now?
Come to think of it, I didn't even get that guy's name.

name	Amasawa Seiji
sfx	puru puru

It can't be!

Though if he were Kouji's younger brother--
After all, they do kind of look alike.
And to make matters worse--
       they go to the same junior high and
       they go to the same library and
       they both like fantasy novels!

Page 88

Equals SEIJI AMASAWA.

Shizuku	What a disaster! This is turning out worst than I ever expected! Though you would think you could find people named Amasawa all over the place . . . .
	Except that nobody else I knew was named Amasawa.
Boy	That's right! I am Seiji Amasawa!
sfx	ha ha ha ha
sfx	goh-ton . . . goh-ton . . .
Shizuku	I've got to stop thinking about this.
	It's like crawling into a cave looking for hidden treasure and ending up being buried alive.
sfx	goh-ton . . . goh-ton . . .

I decided that the next day I would treat myself and go back to the Earth Shop.

Page 89

Shizuku	Yuuko! What's going on? You look awful!
Yuuko	Yeah, so you noticed.
	It's all because . . . it's all because you took off before I could talk to you yesterday!
Shizuku	Well, I'm asking now, aren't I?
sfx	bi--ehh--
Yuuko	Sugimura--he wanted to ask me why I hadn't answered Yamazaki Senpai's letter yet.
Shizuku	Oh no.
Yuuko	So I told Sugimura:

Page 90

Yuuko	What are YOU asking me something like THAT for?
Sugimura	Hey!
Yuuko	Shizuku.
sfx	gusu
Shizuku	What a mess. But that still doesn't mean Sugimura knows how you feel about him.
Yuuko	He knows . . . he's got to know now . . . .
	I should apologize to him, anyway.
	I'm not coming to school tomorrow, Shizuku. There's no way I can show up like this.

Page 91

Shizuku	Yuuko's sure fallen for Sugimura bad.
sfx	zusshiri [the weight of the world]
	What a bummer.
	All right, then!
	On to the Earth Shop!

I'm sure that seeing Sir Cat again will cheer me up.

I'd never taken the train from this station, either.

Page 92

sfx	puuuuu
Shizuku	Hey, a radio-controlled airplane.
	That's neat.
sfx	ki-ra-ri
Shizuku	They must be flying it from over there.

Page 93

sfx	gasa [rustle]
Shizuku	Luna? That you?
sfx	bikuu [suprised]
sfx	ta ta ta ta ta
Shizuku	Hey, Luna, wait up!
sfx	kyu-ru-ru-ru
Shizuku	Luna?

Page 94

Cat	Nyah.
Boy	What's up, Moon?
sfx	kaah kaah
Boy	What are you doing here, Shizuku Tsukishima?
Shizuku	Hey, don't go using my full name when I don't even know yours!

Page 95

Boy	Oh, I guess I haven't told you.
Shizuku	Wait, don't tell me, DON'T TELL ME!
	I--I've got a bad feeling about this!
Kouji	Hey, Seiji!

ARRGH!

Page 96

So this is Luna.

Luna

Nyah.

And that is Moon.

And this is Kouji Amasawa.
And that is Seiji Amasawa.

And the sound I'm hearing right now is all my hopes and dreams crumbling to dust!

sfx	gara gara gara gara

Page 97

Seiji Amasawa.

Seiji

Here, Moon.

AHHHH.

Moon	Nyah.
sfx	ozu ozu
Kouji	Moon's a tom.
	But when there are strangers around, Seiji's the only one he's friendly with.
	That's right, Shizuku-chan, you and Seiji attend the same junior high.
sfx	boh--
sfx	boh--
Kouji	Hello . . . Shizuku-chan?