Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Hana to Yume
1998 vol. 2, episode no. 33
Translation by Yuki-chan

Tsukasa: {---...Wow, that surprised me---... I've known Ryuji for a long time but that was the first time I'd seen him like that, a smile of relief. ---It's probably because of that that my heart skipped like that. Probably because I saw something so strange and unusual. That's right, like encountering an alien---}

Ryuji: "---So if you use this example..." He leans over her, and points out on her computer screen. She feels a touch.

Tsukasa: {U...} She smells the scent of Ryuji's cologne. {U.} Her eyes go wide in surprise. {UWAAA-----!!!}

Crash!!

All the students in the classroom turn around in surprise.

Ryuji, very pissed: "...... ...Hey... What was that for?"

Ryuji is plastered up against the wall with a bruise on his right cheek. Tsukasa had elbowed him. A piece of the wall falls out.

Tsukasa: "A... {A......} I... I'm sorry, my hand slipped..." {Huh...?}

Ryuji, looking at her with eyes that don't believe her: "...Hmmm... How does your hand slip (and your elbow too) and end up here?" He points at his cheek.

Tsukasa tries to demonstrate. {My body just moved on its own......}

Ryuji: {...You... Are you really trying to study?...}

Tsukasa: "I said I'm sorry!" {I didn't do it on purpose. Why? It's just that I felt Ryuji's scent closer than usual. ---Why.....?}

Asago comes out of nowhere and slips her arm into Ryuji's.

Asago: "Let's leave her. If you miss class then you should be able to catch up by reading the texts. To need someone to teach that again must mean that you're really baka!"

Tsukasa, looking pissed: "What!?"

Asago: "And Ryuji has to come to my father's company right now! He doesn't have time to be bothered with you!"

Tsukasa: "...... Work...?"

Ryuji: "...Aa..."

Tsukasa: "...H~~~m." She turns away and sits down at her desk. "I can get the day off for exams right?"

Ryuji: "...... ...Aa."

Tsukasa, without turning around, waving: "...Bye."

Ryuji: "..." He leaves with Asago, Kamo-san and Bun-san.

Tsukasa: {---What with that---... It's like Asago is always looking for the opportunity to drag Ryuji away from me... Seems like she still doesn't trust me.}

Somewhere on the streets. [Assumed to be Asago's place]

Asago: "Bye Ryuji."

Ryuji gets in the car.

Kamo-san: "...Do you think Tsukasa-san is okay studying alone?

Ryuji: "...If she doesn't understand, she'll ask the teacher. When she's home there's her brothers too. Even if you leave her alone, she'll be okay."

Kamo-san, smiling: "That's true~. Sandaime, you haven't been around Tsukasa-san recently so you wanted to look after her right~~~"

Ryuji, looking silently angry, loads his gun.

Kamo-san, panicking: "What are you doing Shibuya!? Stop your idle talk and let's leave now!"

Bun-san, starting the car: {You're the one who was doing the talking Kamojima-san. When you guess right like that Sandaime always gets silently angry that that.}

Kamo-san: "...... ...Sandaime, you've become generous lately."

Ryuji: "..? About what?"

Kamo-san: "About giving her a break for exams. Even in the same situation, before you would never have let Tsukasa-san leave your side, using the debt as an excuse...... Now that you've made up with her, I wasn't expecting that you'd give her time off........."

Ryuji, seriously: "---I can't neglect Kuryugumi or Asago...... ---I thought that for Kuryugumi if things didn't go as I wanted it couldn't be helped. I thought that I was used to thinking like that--- ...But I couldn't hide my frustration and took it out on her. Even though she was mad about my senseless actions, she understood my position. ...And on top of that, she held her hand out to me---... She's not the same person that was only thinking about escaping from me. {She's begun to walk at my side---...} ---I don't need money to gain her heart. ---That's enough for now." {---I thought that she would no longer see me as a friend. That's what I was thinking. Compared with yesterday---...}

Kamo-san, looking back at Ryuji: {---... now...?}

A motorbike comes stops as Ryuji's car passes by. Ryuji notices the driver of the bike, a young looking guy. The kid glares at Ryuji.

Ryuji: ".....?" {...What's with the kid...}

The kid: "...So that's the famous Shirogami Ryuji......" He makes a snide comment. Suddenly, he hears the sound of a bike approaching him.

Akira: "...Hey, how old are you? A kid shouldn't be riding around without a helmet."

The guy turns around: "!?"

Akira: "Police! Show me your licence!"

After school.

Tsukasa, looking, [very cute for some reason]: "---... So he got away."

Akira, looking a bit embarrassed: "...He had friends, and they managed to get away......"

Toshi/Sho: "Were you really thrown off their tail? "

Akira, with big eyes: "E?"

Toshi, with even bigger eyes: "Because!! Akira-san, you're so nice!!"

Sho, with eyes as big as his brother's: "Didn't you let him go when you could have caught him?" {He was like an elementary school kid right?}

Akira: "E?"

Toshi/Sho: "Like how you let us go though we're working." [Some schools in Japan forbid their students to be working part time, although I have no idea why.]

Akira: "---Unfortunately, right now I don't have my new police badge because I'm up for promotion, so I'm technically unemployed. So even if I do find a bad kid, I can't do anything about it."

Tsukasa: "...Does that mean that you'll let Toshi and Sho off about their jobs!?"

Akira: "No, next month I'll be an official member of the Control Police's GRAVE section, so then I'll definitely drag you in."

Tsukasa, Toshi and Sho look up at him with puppy dog faces: "---..."

Akira, sighing: "...... But... only if I can remember the faces of those bad kids next month." Laughing, he lightly punches each one on the head. "I'm the worst at remembering people's faces..."

Tsukasa: "......"

Toshi: "You did let him go after all!"

Akira: {U~~~n To be honest, they got away from me...}

Toshi and Sho surround Akira and his bike, begging him for a ride, saying it's unfair that Tsukasa always gets to ride.

Tsukasa, watching this, smiles to herself: {---...Liar......}

At the Kozuki residence.

Taku: "...Sorry that you have to come over so often for my brothers."

Akira: "Not at all. Sorry that I'm always over like this. I hope that I'm not in the way..."

Taku and Akira are being really formal in greeting each other, bowing and everything from the living room floor. Taku is dressed ready for work [Recall he's a casino dealer]. Toshi and Sho are watching nearby while studying.

Tsukasa is making tea in the kitchen and is listening to their conversation: "Taku and Akira-san... you only have to bow once..." {How Japanese...} She laughs to herself.

Taku: "Tsukasa! Tsukasa! We're leaving for work."

Tsukasa: "E? I just made some tea. Have some. It's a waste."

Taku smiles, and puts his hands on her shoulders: "Share it with Kise-san."

Tsukasa: "...Taku-nii, you really like Akira-san don't you."

Taku: "......He's 90% perfect. Tsukasa, I won't disapprove if he's your companion." [!!!!??? Akira is 24... Tsukasa is 14...]

Tsukasa, looking confused: "...For what?"

Taku: "For love."

Tsukasa has dots for eyes: "...M... Me and Akira-san!?"

Taku: "Huh? Do you don't like Kise-san?"

Tsukasa: "Of course I like him."

Taku: "See? Then how do you feel when you're with Kise-san?"

Tsukasa: "When I'm with him?" {When I'm with him...} She thinks back of all that she's been through with Akira at New Heaven. "...I feel this warmth---..."

Taku: "...See... Tsukasa. That's what they call love."

Tsukasa: "...E?"

Taku: "I know you've never fallen in love until now so you may not understand, but the feelings you have for Kise-san is the emotion called love." [I can't believe these words are coming from the mouth of a 16 year old.]

Tsukasa: {---...Love---...? ---Love...?}

Taku: "Congratulations Tsukasa, you're now an adult." {As your older brother I'm happy for you.} He starts babbling about what love is [it doesn't translate too well into English]. But Tsukasa is not listening.

Tsukasa: {Love...... Love...... Hmmmmmmm... So that's what they call love---...}

A little while later. Akira is explaining something to Tsukasa, who doesn't seem to be listening.

Akira: "...Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa: "E?"

Akira: "Are you listening?"

Tsukasa: "E? To what?"

Akira, looking exasperated: "...... He~~~~~y. Are you okay? Do you want to repeat a year? Don't tell me that you haven't been listening to what I've been explaining for the last little while..."

Tsukasa, panicking: "It's okay! I won't repeat this year!! I was just..."

Akira, looking at her with eyes that don't trust her: "Just?"

Tsukasa, kind of starts fidgeting: "~~~..."

Akira smiles all of the sudden: "...Are you tired......?"

Tsukasa smiles back, then recalls Taku's words. "---That's what they call love."

Tsukasa looks surprised.

Akira: "...Tsukasa...? Want to take a break.....?"

Tsukasa: "No, it's okay."

Akira: "Are you sure?"

Tsukasa: "Yeah." {---...Like this...?} "Exams are coming up soon so I'll do it!"

Akira: "All right!!"

Tsukasa: {---Is this what it's like...... When Akira-san smiles, then the weight off my shoulders is eased---... Maybe like Taku-nii said... I'm------}

The first day of exams.

The students arrive to see fireworks going off. A huge banner announces the first exams ever at Rokuo.

The students start complaining.

"...Heeeeeeeeeyyyy!!"

"What's this!?"

"A celebration?"

"Hey! Look there!!"

"They re setting up booths!"

"What, are we having a festival or something?" [Many school have festivals, some open to the public, some only for the members of that school. It usually consists of booths/attractions set up by each class.]

"...Hey... I'm getting kind of pissed..."

"Me too. To avoid having to repeat the year, I've shot my nerves, and my health and now this..."

In the classroom.

Tsukasa: "THEY'RE MAKING FOOLS OF US!!" She's sitting on her desk, and looking royally pissed.

Ryuji: "...Don't be angry over something trivial. You'll waste your energy." Ryuji is sitting with his feet up on the desk and is reading a magazine about stocks. "I'm sure you were up late last night too."

Tsukasa: "...How can you tell?"

Ryuji: "With this one week, you look like a woman in her late 20s." Tsukasa freaks out, kind of looking like the guy in Munch's "The Scream". "...Do you think you can get passing grades on 4 subjects?"

Tsukasa: "...Yeah. He teaches well..." {Not like Taku-nii...}

Ryuji starts at her words: "...He......? Who's this He?" He slams down his magazine.

Tsukasa: "E?"

Ryuji: "Weren't you studying with your brothers?

Tsukasa: "......I was..."

Ryuji, leaning over her: "...Then who is He?"

Tsukasa: {U.} She tries to push Ryuji's face away. "...Don't come close to me."

Ryuji: "...Why!"

Tsukasa: "I dunno!" {Sometimes when you're near my heart beats irregularly.}

Ryuji: "I don't know why but don't come near me? Do you think such a reason is supposed to make any sense!?" He tries to pin her down on her desk.

Tsukasa: {AUAAAAAAA} "Just don't come near me--!" She manages to kick at him, sending Ryuji up into the air. Ryuji is momentarily plastered onto the ceiling.

Asago, who just came: "Kyaa Ryuji!"

She turns to Tsukasa: "Hey! How many times are you going to kick Ryuji like that? I'm not going to forgive you anymore!!"

Kamo-san: "Sandaime, are you okay?"

Ryuji: "I'm used to it (having a footprint on my face)."

A little while later.

Shige-chan [the principal]: "Everyone. Take your seats please. The very first midterms at Rokuo are about to begin---" The principal's face is broadcasted onto large screens in the classrooms, while the students prepare to take their exams.

Students: {...Darn you principal... To be smiling like that......}

Shige-chan: "Good luck---"

Teacher: "The questions will be sent to each of your computers---"

The exams begin.

Tsukasa, crying: {Aah! I understand! I get this problem and this one... Aah! Thank you! Thank you Akira-san!!} She's crying and laughing throughout the whole exams.

Several days later, the final exam is over.

The students start coming out of their trances.

"...It's done......"

"It's over... the days of hell..."

"What a... what a..."

"What a sense of freedom---!!!" They all get up and start cheering and hugging each other.

"I don't care about the exam results anymore~~~"

"We did it!! We did our best---"

"Damn it--! I feel like a festival about now---!!!"

The students stop in their steps.

".................."

"...Festival...?"

The huge banner outside the school now congratulates them for surviving exams.

Students: "Banza---i! Banza---i! Banza---i" They start tearing through the school yard. The principal had set up the festival for them it seems.

Tsukasa is standing up against a wall.

Tsukasa: {Shige-chan, you baka...... Even if we have a festival like this, I can't enjoy it like everyone!! ...I can't waste money.} She's pouting.

Voice: "...How about I treat you to something......"

She turns to see Ryuji standing next to her.

Tsukasa, still pouting: "...You'll put it on my debt won't you?"

Ryuji: "...If I'm going to put it on your debt, then I wouldn't say that I'd 'treat you'. If I wanted to do that, then I'll drop money and have you pick it up and then secretly I'll have that put on your bill!"

Tsukasa: "That's right!" {You're the king of deceit!} "Will you really treat me to something?"

Ryuji: "That's what I'm saying." {If you keep asking, I'll change my mind.}

Tsukasa goes into a dog grin, and starts running: "Toshi---! Toshi! Shooooooo! Where are you!? Heeeeeey~ I found a huge wallet! We can join in on the festivities--!!!" {Hurry before the wallet changes its mind!!}

Ryuji, pictured as a coin purse: "...Hey..."

Outside the school, a group of guys watch the festivities.

Voice: "...Hey, you guys. You know what you're doing right?"

Guys: "Yeah, we're ready."

Voice: "...Fine. It doesn't matter from where. Aim carefully. Our goal... Shirogami Ryuji!!"

The voice is that of the guy that was staring at Ryuji as he drove by, the same one that got away from Akira.