Hatsukoi Monster (First Love Monster)

It's morning.

No matter how much happens...

...morning will come.

Coming!

Yo!

Want breakfast?

Y-Yes! I do! I'll be right there!

'Kay!

Of course—when we live under the same roof,

we'll see each other right when we wake up.

Just so you know, I'm against you and Kanade dating.

Yeah. No way can I be with someone in primary school.

Good morning! You must be Miss Nikaidou.

Y-Yes, Nikaidou Kaho.

Sorry I've been out. I'm the landlord, Takahashi Shuugo.

Huh?!

Takahashi? So that means...

Might you be Kanade's...

Father, yep!

This guy?

K-K-K-Kanade, be quiet!

Wake up, Kouta!

Sorry he's so loud so early in the morning.

N-Not at all...

He's always been a rambunctious one,

but after his mom died two years back,

he's getting to be a real handful.

C'mon, Shinohara, do something about Kanade!

Cut it out, Kanade! I'm up already, I'm up!

Ah, but just think of him as a little brother

and play with him every now and then.

S-Sure...

L-Little brother? He's my boyfriend!

Not that I can tell him that.

Wh-Who are you?!

You must be Kaho! You're so cute!

So cute, cute, cutey-cute-cute!

Behind you!

B-But you're the cutest in the whole wide world, Chiaki!

What on earth is going on here?

That's Nagasawa Arashi, a grad student and Chiaki's boyfriend.

Why, you...

Boyfriend and girlfriend, huh?

Time to dig in!

Wh-What is it?

Gimme your seaweed.

Oh, uh, here.

Thank you!

Yours, too, Kouta.

I-I already ate it!

Tch!

And Arashi?

You can't have it.

Aw, c'mon, Arashi—

You sit down!

But—

One packet of seaweed per person. Got it?

Yeah...

Kanade bumming his beloved seaweed off people—so cute!

Oh, that's right, Miss Nikaidou...

Yes?

I haven't explained the various ins and outs of Kasumi House yet, have I?

Right.

I can do that later, if you don't mind.

Please do, then!

Th-Thanks in advance.

Taga is so kind...

So, like, what do you do when you're dating?

C'mon, tell me!

Geez, Kanade—not in front of everyone!

And your dad, too!

Where'd that come from?

Well, thing is—

Uh-oh!

Probably from those soap operas he's been watching lately.

Ah, the TV again.

Phew. Wait...

Did Taga's covering for us actually work?

Oh, hey: Arashi, you're dating Chiaki, so you must know.

What do you do?

Hmm... like, call her first thing in the morning?

Call her?!

And call her when you leave the house.

Can't you text her?

But when you're dating, you want to hear her voice!

Huh.

But it looks like Chiaki has me on her reject list these days.

Duh! It's way too creepy to be calling me 90 times a day when we live

in the same building!

But I get three feet from you and already I want to hear your voice!

Five calls, max!

Okay, okay. Five it is.

Five calls...

Kanade, it's plain to see that Arashi is not a role model.

Oh, okay. Then you tell me, Kouta.

Who, me?

Well, uh... you can... hold hands, and, uh...

Kanade, asking Kouta the Virgin is even more useless.

Virgin?

Th-That has nothing to do with this!

But you are a virgin, aren't you?

Hey, Kaho...

What's a virgin?

Hey! That's not something you ask a girl!

Now eat already!

Aw!

Why won't you tell me? Meanie!

Never mind that, Kanade—

weren't you supposed to hang out with Gin and Tomu this morning?

Oh, right!

The landlord usually makes our meals.

Tell him if you're opting out.

Okay.

We have free reign of the kitchen...

...but don't eat anything without permission.

Oh, and if you keep anything in the fridge, put your name on it.

Like pudding and stuff.

Got it.

And the bath.

Here's the timetable; write your name by the bathtime you'd like.

Don't worry: it locks.

Okay.

And that should cover it.

Thanks; that's very kind of you.

It's nothing, really.

Oh, about your welcome party...

Huh? For me?

Of course. How about my room, later today?

Oh, sure, that'll work.

Good! We're all so glad you're here.

Thank you so much.

Okay, see you later.

Uh-huh! Thanks again!

A welcome party? I'm a little nervous, but happy, too.

Oh, could you put any cardboard boxes out by the trash?

Sure thing.

I'm heading out for some shopping.

S-See you later!

lf Kanade's dad found out I was dating his primary-school son...

Indecent?

Criminal?

Perverted?

...Yeah, that would not be good.

Wh-What are you doing?!

What? I like upper arms!

Yeah, but so suddenly?

Can't I?

Well, it's more that, uh...

I mean, you're my girlfriend.

Girlfriend? Oh, geez... I'm blushing...

You can't go around touching girls.

Unless it's your girlfriend.

That's what I've been taught.

By who?

My mom.

Your mom told you that?

Yep!

I still can't believe this guy is in primary school...

Kanade! We're here for some ele-fun!

Oh, Mr. Elephant, your trunk is so long!

And your w**ner, too—

it's sooo long! Boi-oing!

He's in primary school, all right.

Bamboo Primary's jump-rope competition is early next week,

so we're gonna practice!

Oh, are you?

I want to beat the record in criss-cross!

Cr-Criss-cross?

"Criss-cross" is a highly difficult variation on jumping rope,

wherein the jumper must jump through the gap formed

where the rope is crossed.

It's also called "double jump" or "speed jump" depending on the region.

Incidentally, we have confirmed reports

that the sting of a jumprope against one's bare leg as a child

has opened some individuals' eyes to masochism in adulthood.

I'm a criss-cross pro—

I can jump 30 times in a row!

I'll show you, Kaho.

I-I sure would like to see that.

I'm practicing triple-unders!

I'd rather tie stuff up instead!

Aw, but jumping is way more fun!

Good morning, Kaho.

G-Good morning.

Hey, Kaho, come jump rope with us!

Well, uh...

I-I still have a lot of tidying-up to do after my move-in.

Oh, okay. Well, come when you're done!

Y-Yep, I will—when I'm done!

Okay, off we go yodel-oh!

Off we godel-odel-oh!

Yodel-ay-pee-poo!

Byeee!

If you'll excuse us.

Uh, g-goodbye...

Now that was a big sigh.

Um...

Truth is, I go for "pretty girls."

Pardon?

Well, to be precise, I like boys dressed as girls.