Murai in Love (村井の恋)

Hello. Which would you like?

Murai. This is a mask shop?

Yes, that's right. Which do you like?

Which one? I mean...

Oh!

SASUKE No.2! Wow, that takes me back.

Hey, kid. A real man would've taken this back himself.

What're you crying for? Pathetic.

Is it important enough to you to cry about?

It's just a comic book.

SASUKE NO.2 VOLUME 1

Is it that...

Is it that...

This comic was really good. I liked it a lot.

It's a pretty niche series. I'm surprised they have this mask.

One SASUKE No.2 mask, please!

- What? - You got it.

I liked it too.

Now we can walk together safely.

SASUKE No.2 will protect us from social taboos.

Time for my shift! K thanks bye!

Hey. You.

Wait, no. I mean.

Who're you, again?

Yayoi.

Yayoi, do you like Murai?

I don't think we're on a first-name basis yet.

Sorry. So...

-Fukunaga. -Fukunaga.

I don't just "like" him.

I changed myself for Chi-chan.

Ever since that day, long ago,

where he protected me and told me, "It's all right, Yayo-chan,"

Chi-chan has been my Prince Charming.

- Wow. That's dumb. - What?

Your idea of him is a fantasy.

He's not princely at all.

He's always sleepy, he's a pain in the butt, he's an onigiri...

Wait, what am I...

And he's in love with someone.

So what?

What am I saying? There's no reason for me to bash Murai!

Don't gossip about him behind his back like that!

What the hell did you do to me?

I mean, what was that? I felt it in my spinal cord...

Sorry.

Did it hurt?

I tried to go easy on you using my left hand.

Jeez! What is wrong with you, seriously?

What?

What do you mean, "what"?

I'm offering to walk around the festival with you, duh!

I don't like your tone. Zero points.

Excuse me? You're the poor little girl who got left behind by Murai.

I'm offering to be your escort out of pity, you hideous ogre.

Say that again. I'll sock you with my right hand this time.

Oh, come on!

Let me escort you, please.

Three points.

Hey, Hirai. Can I ask you one thing?

Yeah?

Chi-chan said "Sensei" before. Is he in love with his teacher?

Yeah.

He said he wants to marry her.

Well, you still can try.

- - Hey, Murai?

Could you stop laughing at me already?

-Sorry, Sensei. - I'll kill you.

Sorry, it's just, I realized that you look like Kiri with that mask on.

Oh, that's a friend of mine.

And we're actually about to go to see him.

Murai's capable of laughing out loud?

His teeth are so nice and straight. He could totally be my fave.

ON A DATE

Welcome back, Murai. Did you get Tetsuko?

- Wait, that's me. -

What? Murai's laughing uncontrollably.

He's been like that this whole time. I guess he's got the giggles.

Sensei, this is an amazing achievement.

This is a rare sight. I'll get it in 4K!

No, this is all you and SASUKE.

Here you go.

So? What're you gonna do now? Are you continuing your date?

It's not a date. He's just showing me around.

I thought we could continue.

No, I'm going home.

Aww, why? The fireworks are coming up.

I told you. Events...

...for normies...

...aren't my thing.

You don't like them, yet you came to one for a drink? Weird.

Weirdo.

He's right.

Maybe there's another reason?

If you had a strong motive, you might come in spite of your feelings about events.

But a single drink doesn't really make sense.

You...

Oh, no. Despite how I look, I can't resist the words "alcohol" and "free of charge."

Nosy little brat!

Thank you.

This kid has good intuition.

He's trouble. Time to go.

The alcohol in my system might weaken my defenses against his attacks.

It's dangerous to stay. I have to leave as soon as possible.

I'll walk you home.

I forgot he was here.

Too loud. Boom, boom, woosh, woosh. Too loud.

- -I can't hear a thing Murai's saying

with all of this noise.

It's like he's making the firework noises himself.

Boom, boom, boom.

I shouldn't complain since I'm the one who decided to come,

but it's so noisy.

A normal girl would say,

Gosh, how beautiful!

And then...

You're even more beautiful.

- Followed by... - Kiss, kiss, kiss!

That's what's "normal." But me?

How do I feel about fireworks? They're too loud! That's it.

I feel sorry for Murai.

He's stuck watching the fireworks with me and my twisted sense of beauty.

Watching fireworks with a pretty girl like her would...

He's not watching! He's not watching at all!

I've seen this scene before.

If I say, "The fireworks are beautiful!" then...

You're even more beautiful, Sensei.

...would be his reply. Wait, what was that?

Did he actually say it?

I'm sure I didn't say anything. Can he hear my inner monologue?

In any case, if he thinks that I'm more beautiful than these fireworks,

his sense of beauty is way off too.

The fireworks are lighting up and rippling

across your cheeks in a rainbow of colors,

and their reflections are shimmering in your corneas...

What, what, what?

I was giving you a specific description of your beauty.

Don't.

-I'm glad. - What?

I thought you had been ignoring me.

Oh, sorry. I couldn't hear you because of the fireworks.

What were you saying?

I said I wanted to do goldfish scooping.

"I said I wanted to do goldfish scooping"?

What the hell? What the hell is he saying? Goldfish scooping?

A 17-year-old boy wanting to scoop goldfish really makes me swoon!

Why'd he have to say that?!

I want to try scooping a goldfish. Just once will do.

Just once, then.

Yay!

"Yay"? Wait a minute.

-Has he ever expressed joy in front of me? -There it is. Goldfish scooping. Yay!

-No, he hasn't! - Rhetorical question.

I'm sure summer is to blame for this.

Come on, what? He's so excited!

Cute. So cute!

Acceptance.

Sensei, look. There's a huge fish.

It is huge.

Wait, isn't it a bit too big?

Hey, young man. You've got a keen eye.

That's this stall's featured prize. A baby koi fish.

If you keep it in a big pond, it'll grow about this big.

Stop. Just sell goldfish like a regular place.

One whole meter?

Murai, calm down.

No one can actually scoop it, though. It's just for decoration.

Gotta impress people, you know?

If you think you can scoop it, then go right ahead.

I beg you not to encourage him.

See? I knew this would happen. Don't underestimate Murai.

Sensei, look. I caught the koi.

I saw the whole thing. Good for you. Koi are quite expensive.

How did you catch it?

It's a big fish, so I held the base of the net

and put the fish's center of gravity on the frame.

It was easy.

But I can't keep it at my house, so I'll have to let it go.

What are you saying?

You normally can't get a koi for 100 yen! Probably.

But we have Tao, and a suckerfish in the pond at home.

Wait, what?

I just like goldfish scooping.

I'll bid this fish farewell here.

Goodbye, little koi.

Boy, would I appreciate that.

Giving up a koi fish for 100 yen would really hurt business.

Wait, Murai. I'll take care of it.

Am I stupid? Why did I end up keeping the koi fish?

My stinginess is working overtime.

Now this is Murai in Koi. Badum-tish!

Go home.

- What are you going to name it? - Hmm?

The koi fish. Have you decided on a name?

Is "Koi-fishy" a bad name?

I wouldn't say that,

but I think you'd grow more attached if you gave it a proper name.

I see.

Please let me know when you decide.

I will. Oh, this is far enough. Thank you so much.