Kotaro wa Hitorigurashi (Kotaro Lives Alone / Kotaro Lives by Himself / コタローはひとりぐらし)

APARTMENTS FOR RENT.

THIS STORY IS FICTION.

Six minus one is…

five.

There. Exactly five.

Now then…

They say first impressions are important.

Unbelievable!

You were asleep this whole time?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I was waiting!

I've been working on my manga.

I was up until dawn.

I'm so sorry, Hiroko!

My name is Hiromi.

-Oh, right. -You jerk!

Hiromi!

Jerk!

She's got enough energy for both of us.

Maybe she's calmed down.

I have just moved into Room 203, the one next door.

Call me Sato.

I'm pleased to make your acquaintance.

'Tis a small token of my goodwill.

Please accept it.

How polite of you.

-Are you alone? -Yes.

Are your parents at work?

Hang on a second.

I thought kids weren't allowed here?

I have rented the room next door on my own.

Your courtesy is much appreciated.

Wait…

What did he say?

KOTARO SATO

SHIMIZU APARTMENTS

What?

FIND ROOM ✓

GREET NEIGHBORS ✓ CLEAN

SHOGAKUSHA PUBLISHING

Karino?

This is Fukuno from Shogakusha Publishing. I wanted to check in on you.

I bet the prize money you got

for submitting a manga last year is already gone.

I guess.

Isn't it time to get back to work?

I'll look at your drafts next week.

What? Next week?

Hello?

Yes?

My apologies.

What is it?

I have a problem. I see no bathtub.

-We don't have bathtubs here. -You don't?

Residents here have to brave the public baths.

Brave, huh?

Life is a battle!

Very well. Point me to the enemy!

That's not what I meant.

Here. Follow the map.

Many thanks.

Well, I shall return then.

A kid next door is the last thing I need.

Don't give me that crap!

We had a deal.

What? Say that again! I dare you!

We'll settle this in person.

The local shopkeeper's union is pleased

that the shopping district is lively again.

Now for our next story.

A local preschooler has gone missing.

Masaru Saito, age five, was last seen at 4:00 p.m. on the 18th.

He left home to play in a nearby river and never returned.

-His whereabouts unknown… -There's another one.

There are many incidents involving kids.

-Poor thing. -A suspicious man was also seen…

Where were all the adults when this happened?

Police believe a crime may have occurred. A search of the river is underway.

PUBLIC BATHHOUSE

Have you come to battle too, neighbor?

What's gotten into me?

-My good neighbor! -Yes?

My eyes sting.

So much for your shampoo cap.

What are you doing?

You can't do this yourself, right?

I'm more than capable of washing my hair!

Is that so?

Come on, hold still.

No one's washed my hair

in a very long time.

Okay then.

That was excellent. The water felt nice.

I can't wait to go again tomorrow.

If you go every day, you'll go broke, you know.

You need not worry.

I have money.

Say, Sato…

-Are you really renting by yourself? -Yes.

The landlord, Mr. Shimizu, said it's fine as long as I can pay.

He's quite generous.

That landlord is hopeless.

And your age?

How old are you?

Five.

And your parents?

Do you have any?

I did, but not anymore.

I don't know what's going on…

but my parents are gone too.

They died in an accident when I was a kid.

Really?

You must be lonely.

"Lonely"?

What?

Are you…

Never mind.

Can't you walk faster?

That warm bath will have been for nothing.

Don't worry.

You would best go on ahead without me.

That reminds me of something.

Why do you talk like that?

You don't know?

It's how Tonosama speaks.

Tonosama?

From the anime, Tonosaman.

'Tis my favorite right now.

I see.

SHIMIZU

As the landlord, I have to ask.

What?

-Can we really put that kid there? -What do you mean by "put him there"?

He's not a vase. He's our valued tenant.

Is it okay for us to have him be valued then?

Weird sentence alert!

He's depending on us.

Our job is to… Don't touch it!

That's new! Use the old box first!

My sneeze stopped.

Here's the old box.

It's getting cold.

Hello there!

Thank you for the tissue.

I do declare.

'Tis the resident from 201.

Next door?