The Video Girl Ai novel was co-authored by Masakazu Katsura and Sukehiro
Tomita. It is subdivided into three shorter stories, each one focusing on a
different video girl. The first story features your favorite video gal Ai-chan, but
the second and third stories introduce new characters! They are Video Girl
Yuu and Video Girl Yume.
The novel is 252 pages long, with the vast majority of those pages being
devoted to text only.
A member of the VGAi mailing-list (see the "internet" page), Takehisa Ikeda,
translated the first part of the novel. You can find it below as it was first
released in the Mailing List.
(C) 1993 by Katsura Masakazu and Tomita Sukehiro, translated by Takehisa
Ikeda. This is an unofficial translation done without the consent of the authors
of the original work. It was done solely for nonprofit purposes.
- Within the text, translation comments are indicated by parentheses.
- Endnote comments are referred to by numbers in parentheses.
- Sound effects are indicated by italics.
- Also, names have been translated in "family name-given name" order, which
is closer to the original's writing and pronounciation.
- You might be interested to know (according to the information on page 259)
that Story 1, "Amano Ai," first appeared in jump novel, vol. 1, on August 21,
1991. Story 2, "Kagetori You," and Story 3, "Kayama Yume," are brand-new
stories.
Outside wrap-around flap: The Video Girls that appear in this world to
comfort lonely men--Ai, You, and Yume...their respective stories of love
begin.... "Ai" returns in a novel!! The bible of young love makes its long-
awaited appearance!!
Cover, front inside flap: It can only be seen by those with pure hearts--the
video rental shop "Gokuraku." And, the Video Girls who are rented from
there...they were made to comfort the males in the real world, but the Girls
are faced with the sad mission to never embrace romantic feelings for them.
Video Girls Ai, You, and Yume--their respective stories begin now.
Cover, back inside flap:
- Katsura Masakazu: Born in 1962, in Fukui prefecture. Debuted in 1981, with "Tenkou-sei Wa
Hensou-sei?!" ("The Transfer Student Is a Disguise Student?!") in Shuukan Shounen Jump.
Successively, he has written many big hits such as "Wingman" and "Denei Shoujo."
? Tomita Sukehiro: Born in 1948, in Saitama prefecture. In 1989, received the top award in the
Japanese Anime Awards, Script Category. He is currently working as an anime script writer for
"Yuu-yuu Hakusho" and "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon."
Profiles:
- Amano Ai: A Video Girl who is revived by Moteuchi Youta. Her words and actions are masculine.
- Moteuchi Youta: The owner of a pure and kind heart. He is called "Motenai Youda," which is a
play on his name (2).
- Hayakawa Moemi: A beautifully tidy girl whom Youta falls for. She has feelings for Niimai
Takashi.
- Niimai Takashi: Youta's close friend since youth. He has organized a band and is very popular
with girls.
- The old man of the video shop: The manager of the video rental shop "Gokuraku".
Novel first story's translation counts 8 parts:
1 The video rental shop on the city corner
2 The piano music within the video static
3 A mid-night phone call
4 The hidden dinner
5 A sweet, pink-colored trap
6 Extinction of the video tape image
7 One-week playback
8 Just the two of them--in the bathing area
1. The video rental shop on the city corner
Evening crept up on the city. There was much confusion on the streets, and
people formed waves that wound about and tangled with each other,
hurrying on their ways home with their shoulders side-by-side. The faces of
everyone, without exception, had tired and fed-up expressions on them,
lacking any warmth or friendliness. With his path being impeded by the
congestion, Youta was feeling the difficulty of trying to live by moving
against the flow of traffic.
Frankly speaking, Youta had just come from having his heart broken. He
was crazy about a girl--Hayakawa Moemi. She was a beautifully tidy girl who
radiated pure youthfulness. She had semi-long hair that bobbed behind her
neck and bangs that always had a blow-dried look. She looked cute with a
ribbon in her hair. She had a smile that would light up a room, cheeks that
were often rosy-red, showing her shy character. and bashfulness, lips that
would get pointy when she got angry, and eyes that sometimes mirrored
sadness and uncertainty. Youta loved everything about Moemi.
However, Moemi liked a certain guy who was not Youta. In addition, the guy
was Youta's close friend from childhood--Niimai Takashi; this latter fact
multiplied the shock that Youta felt. Takashi was the leader of a rock band,
and he was a handsome guy who was very popular with girls.
Compared to that, Youta was often teased by his friends and even called
"Motenai Youda", which was a play on his name, Moteuchi Youta. There
would be no chance for Youta if he were to compete against Takashi, who
was popular throughout the entire school. Besides, Youta didn't feel like
competing, anyway.
However, ignoring Youta's wishes to drop the matter, Takashi had refused
Moemi--he had known that Youta liked Moemi and had turned her down on
purpose. [What Takashi did for me ended up hurting Moemi-chan. I'm totally
at fault....] Thinking this depressed Youta terribly, and he aimlessly
wandered the city streets. He wondered how many blocks he had passed
and how many hundreds of people he had bumped into.
He was alone.
When a person is in the midst of a large crowd, he gets the illusion that he's
the only one in the world who is alone.
Just as he began to wonder whether there was anything that would bury his
pure loneliness, a lone video shop caught his eye. The shop was housed in
a strange and interesting building. When a person is lost on a road in the
middle of a forest in pitch darkness and suddenly finds a house with a light
on, he breathes a sigh of relief. The shop's appearance was one that gave
such a feeling of relief.
Youta entered the shop as if drawn by some unknown force, and when he
came to his senses, he was standing in the idol video section.
"Do you like that girl?" a hoarse voice called suddenly from behind.
"What?" Youta turned around to face an old man wearing a chan-chan-ko
(traditional Japanese sleeveless coat).
A large smile stretched across the old man's wrinkle-covered face as he
looked at Youta. "That girl's a very nice girl. She's a Video Girl that we
received just today. It'll be her first time entering the real world. You've
chosen a very nice girl."
Youta quickly looked at the case of the idol video in his hand. The cute girl in
the picture gazed at Youta as if she were smiling at him.
"This store is called the 'Gokuraku' video rental shop. Do you want to rent
that video?"
"Why did I choose this video...?" Youta was confused by the video in his
hand.
"She's a cute girl, isn't she? Amano Ai. She's kind and gentle.... She's pure,
honest, and a little shy and bashful."
"Amano Ai? I don't know the name."
"That's because she's a newcomer."
On the case were the words "Amano Ai--kind and tidy Ai-chan is a heart-
throbbing 16-year-old."
"You're my first customer in a long time. You're the third one to visit this
shop."
"Only the third? This shop isn't very popular, is it?"
"Only those who are pure-hearted can see this shop. For example, the kind
of person who would think of another and cry for her although he's the one
who's hurting--this rental video shop only rents to those who have that kind
of pure heart. In this day and age, normal, common-sense things aren't so
normal any more. Kindness that used to be given naturally can't be given
naturally any more. It's a sad time."
"I don't want to listen to an old man's lecture."
"Ho, ho, ho (deep, slow chuckle).... Here, take this--it's this shop's special
membership card. If you have this card, you can use this shop whenever
you want."
"What about a membership fee? A rental fee?"
"Ho, ho, ho...." The old man laughed as he disappeared into the back of the
shop.
Dumbfounded, Youta just stood there, holding the video that he had rented.
2. The piano music within the video static
Youta's house was an elegant, two-story building in a quiet residential area
in the suburbs.
In his room on the second floor, Youta was ready to play the video that he
had rented from the strange shop. He thought it was mighty spineless of him
to watch a dirty video on the same day that he had gotten his heart broken;
but, when he looked at the video case, the Video Girl called Amano Ai had
had such a cute face that he couldn't help but rent the video.
[I'm a pitiful guy.] While thinking this, he set the video player to play the tape.
Suddenly, the sound of static was heard.
"This isn't good. Maybe it broke from the shock when I dropped it on the
floor this morning, after all." Youta had seen a weird dream at dawn, gotten
confused, and knocked the brand-new video player that had arrived just the
day before onto the floor. He had bought the video player with his hard-
earned money.
Zyaaa.... (sound of static) Youta stared at the static-filled screen with
anxiety. "I'm begging you--please fix yourself," he mumbled, as if saying a
prayer to no one in particular.
Just then, mixed with the sound of static came the faint tune of a piano. The
melody of the song was similar to that of a piano song he had heard in his
dream that morning.
The dream. A lush, tree-filled area. A green forest. A drifting fog. The sound
of a piano. The image of a young girl slowly appearing. In the back of
Youta's mind, the dream world he had seen at dawn was recreated vividly.
In the dream, there was a strange girl who gazed at Youta. The girl had
clear eyes that seemed to be able to delve into the depths of Youta's heart.
Youta looked at the TV screen and cried out. "Ah?!"
There, on the screen, was the same, mysterious girl who had appeared in
his dream. "Hello."
"Wha-what?!"
"I'm Amano Ai. Pleased to meet you." The young girl in the video flashed a
wide smile.
"This--what's going on?"
"What's the matter...Moteuchi Youta-kun? You don't look very good."
"You're talking directly to m-me?!"
"You've had your heart broken. I'm so sorry. That girl doesn't understand
that there are many good things about you."
"What's going on with this video?"
"Do you think I wouldn't be able to fill the role? Ehe! (cute, feminine chuckle)
But, in my own little way...I'll do my best to comfort you...." She was only a
girl on a TV screen with no substance.
Youta was confused.
"You need me. That's okay. Starting today, I'll always be with you. I'll be
right there--where you are."
"Where I am?" Youta was shocked by the Video Girl who spoke the
incomprehensible words. [Starting now, she's coming to "where I am"?]
Youta looked around his messy room. [She can't mean...she's coming here,
can she?]
That instant, a mysterious electronic sound came from the video deck. The
sound echoed deep into Youta's heart, seemingly playing a gentle lullaby,
and enveloped Youta with a warm embrace. [That feels so good....] Youta
was mesmerized by the melody, and for some time, felt like he was
dreaming.
Bari-bari-bari! (sound of sparks) Suddenly, a shock wave that resembled
lightning pierced Youta's ears, and sparks shot through the room. Within a
brief moment, the sparks and piercing sounds completely filled the small
room.
"What--what is this?"
As Youta shifted a surprised look over to a mysterious image on the TV
screen, there came the scream of a young girl. "Kyaaa!" (high- pitched,
feminine scream)
"Wha-what?!" Flashes of bright white light enveloped the room. "Wha-wha-
what?!"
Youta was stunned. Just now, the Video Girl called Amano Ai had actually
come flying out of the TV screen.
"A girl came out of a vi...vi-vi-vi-video? A real-life girl?!"
Youta was in a state of disarray. But, he tried to return his confused mind to
normal, and he shook the unconscious girl who was collapsed on his bed.
"Hey, wake up! Hey!" Touching the girl's body brought a sense of "realness"
to his hands.
"Uuuuun...." (feminine groaning sound)
come on...get up!!" Youta desperately shook the young girl's body.
The young girl wore a mysterious outfit that looked like a combination of
ballerina leotards and a space battle suit. The outfit, which was made of a
metallic material that sparkled with a silvery color, clearly outlined the girl's
body. Her ample breasts swayed. Her white (3), smooth skin was definitely
not fake. The young girl had a real-life body, and she was unmistakably
human.
"She's cute.... Hair as elegant as silk...eyes as deep, blue, and clear as a
lake...full lips...beautifully white neck...smooth, curvy shoulders...nice, taught
breasts...legs that stretch beautifully like that of a baby deer...a butt that has
elasticity like a rubber ball.... Argh...why can I only think of such ordinary
descriptive words? Let's just say for now that I can use only ordinary words
because she's so cute." He was confused and had no idea what he was
saying.
"But...I'd hate it if she had a bad personality. Ummm...if I remember
correctly, the old man at the video shop said that she has a kind and gentle
character.... She's pure, honest, and a little quiet and bashful.... Things
couldn't be better! She's my ideal type of girl."
As soon as Youta nodded contentedly, the young girl awakened and yelled.
"You dumbaaaaass!!"
"Yikes!!!"
"Don't play my tape with a broken video player!! I thought I was gonna die!!"
"What?!"
As she watched Youta recoil and fall backward, the young girl realized for
the first time that her language was harsh and put on an expression of
confusion. "What?! There's something wrong! My speech is rough and
rude!"
"That l-liar!! 'Gentle character, kind, pure, honest, and a little quiet and shy'
is what he said.... You've got to be kidding me. She's entirely different...."
Youta mumbled with an accusing tone in his voice. The young girl furrowed
her eyebrows and glared at Youta. "Hey, Youta!!"
"'H-hey, Youta'?! Don't 'yobisute' (4) my name." Youta pouted and returned
her glare.
Then, a twinkle appeared in the young girl's eyes as she grinned, apparently
amused. "Let me introduce myself formally. Ore wa Amano Ai (5). Pleased
to meetcha."
"'O-ore'? You're a girl, but you're referring to yourself as 'ore'...."
Ignoring Youta's flabbergasted state, Ai continued, jokingly. "Hey, you're
called 'Motenai Youda,' aren'tcha?"
"It's 'Moteuchi Youta'!!!" Youta retorted, clearly annoyed.
"Ah, that doesn't matter. Let's see...what should we do? I was sent to
comfort you, Youta, so...maybe we should start by making out...." Ai swayed
her sexy body and approached Youta.
"Ack! Don't come over here! Stay away!!"
"Ufu! (cute, feminine chuckle) Our purpose as Video Girls is to serve guys.
I'll do whatever you want." Ai purposely stuck out her ample breasts and
approached Youta.
"W-wait a minute! This is all so sudden!!"
"Am I troubling you?"
Youta hesitated. It was his first time being alone with a girl in such a small
room. On top of that, Ai was showing a lot of skin, her clothing covering only
the most "important" parts of a girl's body. Youta had no idea how to
respond.
"To start out, you wanna try something naughty? Come on, let's do
something naughty!"
"Something 'naughty'?!"
"Mmm, hmmm. That's right." Ai answered so quickly that it made Youta gulp.
"Naughty stuff--you don't mean...doing it, do you?"
"Of course. Is there any other meaning to the words 'doing something
naughty'?"
"N-no, there isn't. When you say 'naughty,' I guess it's when a guy and a girl
do 'it.'" Frankly, Youta had had no previous experience with girls. So, he ran
to his bookshelf in a panicked state.
"Whatcha lookin' for?"
"A book!"
"For what?"
"A 'how to do naughty stuff' book."
"You stupidass!! Don't read a damn book!"
Ai's taunting words caused Youta to make up his mind. And, he timidly
looked into Ai's face. "Uh...ummm...I'm very inexperienced, so...p-please
take it easy on me! Please don't hurt me."
"Pooh! Oh, no, I'm kidding about doing something naughty. Don't take me so
seriously."
"You--you're kidding? Hahaha...I--I knew that."
"Really? But, you had a pretty serious look on your face...."
Youta felt his temper flare when he saw Ai with a smirk on her face, but he
quickly told himself to calm down.
Come to think of it, they'd been having a pretty lewd conversation. Youta
already had a girl called Moemi whom he was crazy about. Despite the fact
that they had been only kidding around, it angered Youta to think that he
had, even for a brief moment, thought about doing something "naughty" with
another girl. "I only have eyes for Moemi-chan."
"What're you mumbling 'bout?"
"L-look. E-explain to me exactly what y-you are!"
"I told you--I'm a Video Girl!! I came out of the video to comfort you, Youta. I
said so in the video, didn't I? Hey--my mouth is so bad.... Youta, it's your
fault that I'm talking like this! It's because you played my tape on a broken
player--gya! (masculine scream) Gya!!" (6)
"What's the matter?"
"My breasts...my breasts have shrunk!"
"What?" Youta looked at her chest. Her breasts, which had looked pretty
large on the TV screen, were now smaller.
"I thought my personality was the only thing that had become masculine, but
my breasts have become small, too...." Ai looked at her shrunken breasts for
a while with a solemn face, but then she yelled a second time. "Kya!
Kyaaa!!"
"What's the matter? Is there something else?!" Youta asked in a panicked
voice.
"What am I going to do? I've grown a penis, too!! Take responsibility for
this!!"
"Ugh! You're kidding!!"
"I'm serious. Here! Feel!!" Ai threw open her curvy legs.
"I--I can't touch you there...."
"It's okay--just feel."
Youta gulped and swallowed the lump in his throat. His palms were soaked,
and his heart was beating wildly. "Moemi-chan, I'm sorry--I'm a really dirty-
minded guy.... Okay, Ai-chan, I now graciously accept your offer to let me
touch you. Rah!"
"You don't need a battle cry for this, y'know."
Youta touched her between her legs with his trembling hand. "Huh? Th-
there's nothing there. There's no penis."
"Ufu--it's actually...a...lie!"
"What?! That's just wrong! I was really worried about you."
"You're a pervert, a peeervert!" Ai seemed to protest as she repeated the
taunting words.
This got Youta insanely angry. "I really, really worried about you!"
"Don't get so bent out of shape."
"But...I was truly worried. That was cruel! What you did was cruel...." Youta
glared at Ai with a sharp stare.
Ai looked back at Youta's eyes for a long time. Then, she flashed a warm
smile and spoke quietly. "Youta...I've...I've...found a good thing about yoo-
oou."
"....."
"Here's a goal!!--to make Youta a cool guy and get him together with Moemi-
chan. See, now I have a purpose for being here!"
Youta couldn't help but get swept up by Ai's enthusiasm. This was how
Youta and the Video Girl called Amano Ai met and how their hearts touched
for the first time.
3. A mid-night phone call
It began to rain in the middle of the night. It was a hard rain-- a rain that
looked as though someone had turned a shower on full-throttle.
Youta sat by the window in his darkened room, and, as he watched the
pouring rain, he thought about Moemi. He didn't think he would dream about
Moemi tonight. Youta had a feeling that he understood why he thought this
was true.
He didn't have the confidence to get Moemi to look his way when she was
crazy about Takashi. Not only that, he was filled with the wish to help Moemi
pursue her feelings of love. It saddened Youta greatly to see Moemi's
unhappy face.
The girl that he liked was drawn toward a different guy. Not only that, this
other guy was his good friend, Takashi; but, for some reason, he felt no
jealousy emerging in his heart. Youta evaluated himself with wonder.
"Am I that much of an overly good-natured person?" As he muttered these
self-torturing words, the phone rang.
"Yes? This is Moteuchi."
"I'm sorry to call so late," Moemi's depressed voice came across the line.
"What? Moemi-chan?"
"Can I ask you a favor? Could you come to my house?"
"What? ...to your room, Moemi-chan?"
"I'm so alone.... This hurts...."
"What's wrong?"
"I can tell you, Moteuchi-kun, because you're so kind...."
Silence filled Moemi's end of the line. Youta understood that she was
sobbing. "Something happened with Takashi, didn't it?"
Moemi remained silent for a while. Then, she began to speak hesitantly. "I
asked Niimai-kun if he would go out with me. To that, he replied with a
serious face, 'You've gotta be kidding!'...."
"What a bastard!"
"No, it's okay--because right now, he's busy writing a new song. He has no
time for a girl."
"Even so, there's no reason for him to say, 'gotta be kidding'!"
"No, no, he's really good person. When I told him that I understood, he said,
'Wait!'"
"What?"
"'Let me think about it a while,' he said.... Then he asked me for my phone
number. He said he'll give me his answer with a phone call later."
"That's good, then!" Youta imagined that Moemi was getting ready to tell him
a happy story about her new boyfriend. But, he was wrong.
"He told me he'd call later; but, he won't call, no matter how long I wait. I've
waited all this time...and I keep waiting.... But, I...couldn't take it any more,
and...before I knew what I was doing, I called you, Moteuchi-kun, because
you always listen to my problems...."
Moemi grew silent once again. Youta thought he could see Moemi's crying
face on the other end of the line.
"Moemi-chan, are you listening? Takashi is a good guy. He's a little stuck-
up, but he's actually a guy with a soft heart who always thinks of his friends.
So, he never says anything on a whim. You're definitely going to get the
answer you want. Don't worry! Just believe in him and wait...."
"Thank you, Moteuchi-kun.... I read in a book somewhere...you write the
words 'to love,' and you pronounce them 'to be lonely'.... Maybe people get
sad because there's such a word as 'sad'.... It's something to think about,
isn't it? But, I'm okay now. Thank you so much.... Moteuchi-kun, hearing
your voice helped me calm down. I think I can somehow sleep tonight. I'm
sorry I called you so suddenly."
Hearing that Moemi's voice had regained its usual calmness caused relief to
sweep over Youta, and he hung up the phone.
Nearby, Ai looked at Youta with amazement with her cheek resting on her
palm and her elbow on a table. "Are you stupid?"
"About what?"
"Youta, you should go to Moemi's place right away."
"Why?"
"Just go! Here's your chance. When it comes to girls, they come to rely most
on the person who's with them during lonely times. If you confess your love
for her now, there's no doubt you'll be able to grab her heart. Come on--go
and tell her!!"
"I don't like the thought of taking advantage of someone when she's lonely."
"If you keep quiet, you'll eventually get dumped and only get hurt!"
"That doesn't bother me. What worries me more is Moemi-chan. Takashi
knows that I like Moemi-chan; knowing him, I don't think he'll accept Moemi's
proposal."
"You only worry about other people.... You're so stupid...."
Ai glared at Youta in disgust. But, her face immediately softened.
"But, I've found another good thing about yoo-oou!"
Youta enjoyed the compliment, but he couldn't help but reflect on what had
just happened. He somehow regretted having not gone immediately to
confess his feelings, as Ai had suggested.
"Youta, you wanna take a bath together? Maybe it'll get you in a better
mood." Suddenly, Ai appeared with only a bath towel wrapped around her
naked body. In the dim light of the room, Ai's beautifully white skin was
almost bewitching. Like a slowly flowing stream, an elegant line was drawn
from her shoulders to the top of her breasts. Her breasts, hidden by the
towel, hinted at her beautiful figure.
"Huh? Wh-what's up with what you're wearing?!"
"I just thought I'd take a bath."
"Don't wander around in just a bath towel!"
"Maybe you're the one who shouldn't panic about what I'm wearing!" (7)
"I can't believe this--what kind of personality do you have, anyway?"
"Come on, Youta, cheer up. You've gotta fight for anything you want! If
you're a guy, stop being so shy, gather up your confidence, and attack! I'll
tell you one thing--I can't comfort you forever. There's a time limit."
"A time limit?"
"That's right. There's a limit on how long my tape can play. The end of the
tape signals the end of my life."
"The end?"
"That's right. The end...."
Ai's face clouded over with sadness. But, that disappeared after a brief
moment, and she quickly put a brave look back on her face.
"You know, Youta, my breasts were my favorite part of my body!! But, you
had to go and play my tape on a broken player, and I get masculine, my
breasts shrink, and...it's all your fault!! Give me back my 83-cm breasts
before my tape ends! You got that, Youta?!"
Youta thought her breasts were perfectly fine, considering they'd shrunk, but
he thought twice about telling her that. "O-okay, I got it--so put some clothes
on!! Aren't you embarrassed?"
"Of course I'm embarrassed, stuuupid!!" Ai teased, and she nuzzled up to
Youta and wrapped herself around his body like a cat. Ai's skin was soft but
bouncy like a rubber ball. Her youthful body felt as fresh as the budding of
new leaves that smelled the signs of spring.
"H-hey! Don't come so close. Ack, our skin's touching.... Hey, don't hug
me...I'll get excited!!"
Ai's sparkling skin seemed to move with a rhythm that had been cleansed of
all unnecessary things. "Ufu, you're cute! Youta, you're so shy.... I've found
another good thing about yoo-oou!!"
Youta's heart, which had fallen into darkness, was softened by Ai's playful
words. Thinking that Ai would always comfort him this way made Youta
happy.
Youta would slowly begin to realize that this feeling of joy was turning into
feelings of love.
4. The hidden dinner
Thus, Youta and Ai's "interesting" life together began. On the outside, they
acted like older brother and younger sister, but reality was that the situation
was exactly the opposite--their relationship was that of older sister and
younger brother.
"La-la-la-la...let's do a little taste-test. Kya-ha! (feminine exclamation of joy)
It's good!! The most delicious dinner in the world has been prepared.
Youta's going to cry with happiness when he gets home."
Not used to making dinner, Ai sliced her fingers with a knife a number of
times as she concluded her preparations. The agreement was that they
would take turns every day making meals. It was Youta's turn tonight, but Ai
had done an especially nice thing and made dinner for him. Her injured
fingers were covered with band-aids.
"Heeey, I'm home!" Youta's cheerful voice announced.
"Hey, he's back!!" (running sound) Ai expectantly rushed to the front door.
"Welcome home--I was waiting for you!"
As he opened the front door, Youta smiled timidly and flashed a peace sign
(called a "V-sign" in Japanese, for "victory"). Ai immediately understood that
Youta had brought a visitor home and looked beyond the door to the
outside.
Moemi was standing next to Youta. "Ojama shimasu (8)," Moemi greeted
with a bounce in her voice.
"He-he-he...Moemi-chan says that she'll make us her specialty for dinner!"
"Whaaat?! Moemi-chan is?!"
"I'm always having Youta-kun listen to my boring stories. I wanted to thank
him for that." Moemi had a totally worry-free smile on her face.
Ai panicked. Knowing that Moemi was going to make Youta dinner, she
couldn't tell them that dinner had already been prepared. "Ack! Disaster! The
kitchen's a big mess right now. I'll clean it up right away, so wait upstairs!!"
Ai made a mad dash, returning to the kitchen.
"Really, he could've called me.... But, I guess it's okay--that incredibly shy
Youta's brought Moemi-chan home. I'll sacrifice my dinner." Ai quickly hid
the dinner she'd made in a cupboard and organized the cooking utensils to
make it easier for Moemi to cook.
For the following few hours, Youta was in a very good mood. Moemi's
cooking had been skillful, and dinner had been better than they could've
possibly imagined. [I guess the dinner I made is headed for the trash.] As Ai
ate Moemi's dinner, she jealously stared at the cupboard in which she'd
hidden her dinner. [But, that's okay. This is what a Video Girl's job entails.]
Ai held her fingers that stung from the cuts she'd made with the knife.
[Youta's got some nerve, not noticing even the band-aids on my fingers. He
was dancing around, saying, "Moemi-chan, Moemi-chan!".... Sh-t!! Then, he
says he wants me to accompany Moemi-chan to the train station because
he's so full that he can't move? He's gotta be kidding!! I'm a girl, too, y'know.
Youta doesn't understand girls' feelings...at all!!] Ai muttered to herself,
complaining as she walked with Moemi to the station. She'd gone out of her
way for Youta, but he hadn't even noticed. That was very sad. Ai's small
chest tightened with a painful feeling.
"Youta-kun's such a nice guy," said Moemi as they parted at the station.
These words tightened the stranglehold on Ai's heart. On the way home, the
pain turned into sadness, and eventually, anger began to build inside her. "I
won't say a word to him for a while!" Ai hoped that looking at the star-filled
nighttime sky would allay her sadness and anger.
However, her feelings hadn't changed by time she got home. "I'm home!!" Ai
pouted as she entered the kitchen. Then, she blinked with surprise. "What?!"
She looked at Youta. He was busy wolfing down the dinner that she had
made.
"That dinner..." Ai said with a tremble in her voice.
Youta kept chewing as his lips formed a large smile. "It's good-- I was really
surprised."
"Youta...."
"It was embarrassing, so I wanted to eat this while you were gone. But, I
couldn't finish eating because of the huge volume...."
"How'd you know I fixed dinner?"
"I saw the band-aids on your fingers."
"You'd noticed...." Ai glanced at her stinging fingers. The pain was
remarkably comfortable as it echoed to her heart.
"Hey--open that bag over there!" Youta let out a large burp as he pointed at
a paper bag sitting on a chair.
"A bag? What is it?" she asked as she looked at the shopping bag on the
chair.
"Just go ahead and open it." Urged on by Youta's blunt tone of voice, Ai
opened the bag.
Inside was a one-piece dress.
"Wow...it's gorgeous! Is it for me?!"
"It's to thank you for watching out for me."
"You've got better taste than I thought, Youta."
"I couldn't figure out what to get, so I just asked for the most expensive
dress in the store. That turned out to be this dress."
"Are you stupid, or what?!" Ai exclaimed, beaming at his thoughtfulness.
Then, she became embarrassed with herself for thinking that Youta hadn't
understood anything and for copping an attitude.
"I'll change right away," she announced, and began to remove her clothes,
purposely hiding any embarrassment.
Youta gulped. [When it comes down to it, girls are pretty bold!] Youta
thought his blood was going to boil as he felt his heart tremble. Adrenaline
burned wildly as it raced through his body.
Ai gradually exposed her bare skin. Her body bounced playfully like that of a
young deer. Her well-toned body looked as though she'd just been born from
a spring. Her breasts, waist, and hips were all peacefully pleasant, and her
curves were not overly conspicuous as they formed a beautifully smooth
line.
Youta's heart beat wildly. Ai acted as if she were oblivious to Youta's
reaction, stripped to her underwear, and slipped into the dress.
"Well...how do I look?" Ai asked suddenly with a hint of embarrassment
coloring her cheeks.
"You look terrific," observed Youta, his eyes open wide. [She's really cute....]
Youta had close to no idea how one would go about winning a girl's heart.
Both Youta and others around him couldn't help but notice that. However, he
had no intention of substituting his ignorance with the word "purity." In some
ways, ignorance indicated laziness. Youta was well aware of that. He also
had no intention of thinking that his lack of contact with women was like a
form of art practiced by vain, Bohemian men. To know everything there is to
know about women, put on a show once in a while, and make a complete
fool out of oneself and still be strong and gentle--this was what a true man
should be.
Youta thought that living with Ai had shown him the essence of what a real
man should be.
"Youta, you wanna take a walk together?"
"What?! This late at night...?"
"Come on--I want to wear this and go outside."
"Isn't tomorrow good enough?"
"I wanna go out now!"
"Okay, okay. You're such a crybaby!"
"Let's go for a waaalk!!"
The two held hands and stepped outside.
Stars sparkled in the nighttime sky. Ai and Youta wandered aimlessly
through the deserted streets, their shoulders side-by-side. Neither spoke a
word as they continued to walk until dawn with their hands held together.
The city, the trees, and the birds awakened form their slumber as night
slowly turned to day.
The morning air felt fresh and good. The two took deep breaths of the
morning air. Then, feeling the embarrassment and hesitation of treading on
uncharted territory, they looked at each other. Their warm breaths brushed
each other's cheeks. The milky-white morning fog dyed their hearts and
bodies a pure white and showed them their own private, secret world.
[A deserted city in the morning...all alone with Youta...and we touch...lips on
lips.] Ai was having a mysterious dream of kissing Youta.
Being a Video Girl, Ai's purpose was not to fall in love with Youta. Her
mission was to bring Youta and Moemi together. [I mustn't intoxicate myself
with a kiss.] When she strongly warned herself of this fact, she woke up.
Looking at the clock, Ai realized that it was already past eight o'clock. Her
head was cloudy, and the walk that had actually occurred and her dream
were jumbled and blended into each other.
"Good morning! This is your lunch." In the dining room, Youta was preparing
breakfast. "...and this one's mine! Okay, I'm going to go get ready for
school."
After watching Youta climb the stairs, Ai secretly loosened the handkerchiefs
wrapped around the two lunchboxes (9). "How are Youta's and my lunches
different?" Ai opened a lunchbox lid and was surprised.
Youta's main dish was a single 'umeboshi (pickled plum).'
"What's this?" At that moment, Ai didn't understand the reason behind
Youta's lunch that consisted of only an 'umeboshi.' "Maybe Youta's on a
diet."
She found out two days later that Youta's budget for the month had been
strained because the dress he'd bought for her had been a pret-a-porter
(expensive French name-brand dress).
5. A sweet, pink-colored trap
The longer Ai stayed with Youta, the more she found nice things about him.
Ai was uneasy; she felt as though an unidentified devil had possessed a
corner of her heart. The devil kept unleashing a sweet trap called "love." Ai
felt her heart sway, but she desperately assessed herself.
"Don't worry. Video Girls are incapable of falling in love with any one man,"
Ai mumbled, hoping to suppress the feelings that she had begun to have for
Youta deep into a corner of her heart.
"Ai-chan, did you just say something?"
"I didn't say a thing!" The feelings for Youta that had emerged deep in her
heart dangled in the air. It was dangerous to clearly express these feelings.
She would forfeit her role as a Video Girl. Ai knew what would be waiting for
her if that were to happen.
Even though she knew this, she couldn't vanquish the thoughts that had
sprouted in her heart. [Why does my heart hurt so much? Something is
settling to the bottom of my heart. It's as if it's settling to the bottom of a
deep, dark ocean.... I can't express what it is in words. I feel so impatient....
What is this impatience? Something's starting to go wrong...something that
has to do with my existence as a Video Girl.... It's a trap. This is probably a
trap that's been set up by somebody. When I'm alone...gradually, I...fall
further into the illusion that I'm falling into this sweet, yet painful trap.... I'm
scared.... I have to return to the Video Girl I once was...because... I'm a
Video Girl who was sent to comfort Youta.]
Ai cursed her immature self. If she were a good Video Girl, she would
suppress and kill her own feelings in order to comfort a lonely guy and
complete her mission. And, after this brief encounter, she would exist in
order to comfort a new, different guy. [But...I don't think I can do the job with
such cold feelings. When I'm with Youta... one by one...I discover nice things
about him.... And, the longer I'm with him...I find more and more good things
about him....]
Ai was confused. The inside of her head was like a chart of random
numbers, and her heart hurt. Her body became hot, and she began to run a
fever. A chill invaded from the soles of her feet, and she became dizzy.
Ai's field of vision blurred, and her surroundings were stained a bright, red
color. Her nerves became paralyzed; consciousness began to leave her.
As her consciousness grew thin, she had a hallucination. She saw the
shadow of a man who emerged from what seemed to be a mysterious world
of life and death. The shadowy figure wore a coat.
Ai inadvertently shouted in surprise. "What?! You?!"
As Ai began to fall, the man in the coat lifted Ai into his arms, his face
expressionless. "Ai, you are a Video Girl. You know what your mission is, do
you not?"
"Yes...."
"You were made to comfort the males in the real world. Therefore, you are
not to hold special feelings for any male in that world. If you break this law of
the Video World, you will be recalled immediately--is that understood?"
"Yes, but--"
"What?!"
"But..." Ai tried to argue. That instant, the inside of her body erupted with the
pain of being burned by a crimson flame. "What?! W- what?! What's going
on?! My heart hurts.... Help.... Somebody... help...me.... Youta...You-ta...."
Ai lost consciousness as she felt a spiritual change come over her body.
6. Extinction of the video tape image
Ai had disappeared. She had suddenly disappeared from Youta's life. Youta
became confused and was quickly overcome by feelings of uncertainty.
"Ai-chan, where are yoo-oou?!" he tried shouting, but all that remained was
the empty spinning of the tape player. But, that brought a glimmer of hope.
"The video's still moving. That means Ai-chan's still somewhere...."
Youta panicked and pounded on the video player. "Sh-t! It's not like she'll
come out of there if I hit the player. Hey--the old man of the video shop was
saying that as long as I have the membership card, I can use the shop
whenever I want. Maybe I'll find something if I go there!!"
Youta ran. He ran around desperately, searching for the video rental shop
"Gokuraku" that he had visited before. In the back of Youta's mind, scenes
from his brief life with Ai were recalled, one after another.
In the time that they had spent together, there had been many unexpected
happenings. Accompanying these events had been much happiness and
sadness. Living with Ai had taught Youta many lessons.
However, he was astonished to realize that while he had constantly been
given things, he had given nothing to Ai in return. Deceit, betrayal,
ignorance, stubbornness, falsehood, distrust, and dishonesty...weren't these
all crimes he had unconsciously committed against Ai?
In losing Ai, Youta felt the fear that something very valuable was being
ripped away from him, and he desperately searched for "Gokuraku."
But, no matter whom he asked in the city, there was no one who knew of
"Gokuraku."
Youta felt an emptiness that threatened to cause the bones in his body to
crumble. He felt as though an empty darkness in which he could feel nothing
had unveiled itself in front of his eyes. Youta wandered aimlessly in the
darkness. Fatigue collected in his body like trash in the sewers.
Still not having had enough, Youta continued his search for the next few
days, hardly eating a bite.
7. One-week playback
A purple haze covered the area. It was a mysterious world. Many
mechanical objects with a silvery shine jostled and wriggled against each
other. This was a spiritual world that constructed all things known to man. It
was an eternal area transcending time and space that humans couldn't
enter--an incredibly mysterious area made of infinite lines that tied together
the past, present, and future.
In a corner of the vast expanse stood a man wearing a coat and an old man
wearing a chan-chan-ko.
"So, you're saying that you'll recall Ai from the real world?" the old man
asked the man in the coat.
"Yes...." nodded the man in the coat, his face like stone.
"But, time still hasn't expired. If you take the girl from Moteuchi Youta now,
it's way too...." The old man spoke, gazing at Ai's figure being held in the
arms of the man in the coat.
"There is nothing else to do. Ai is a defective product. Even if I were to allow
Ai to stay with him, she would not be of any use," the man in the coat
responded in a flat voice. It was an empty voice void of all happiness,
sadness, anger, and hatred.
"That's not true. Youta actually needs Ai right now."
"I will decide what to do. I am the one who made Ai."
"But...before you recall Ai, ask her once what her own feelings are." "Ask Ai
about her own feelings? There is no need for that!" The man in the coat laid
Ai's unconscious form gently into the purple haze.
Then, Ai slowly opened her eyes.
"It looks like you are finally awake, Ai."
"This place...."
"This is where you were born," finished the man in the coat quietly.
"Please...return me to Youta!"
"Ai, what is your duty?"
"It's...."
"What is it?" The man in the coat spoke with a flat tone. But, his voice was
full of dignity.
"To...comfort guys...."
As Ai answered, the man in the coat slowly nodded. "That is correct--all you
should think about is to comfort. Becoming jealous, wanting attention, being
lonely, becoming angry, and falling in love...these are all human feelings that
you must not entertain.
Video Girls cannot be normal girls. They must be angels to their men. If you
become a normal girl, you lose your reason for existence."
"But--"
"Since there is a limit on your playing time, you cannot live like a normal
girl."
"....." Ai hung her head in sadness.
"You cannot fulfill a Video Girl's duty. In addition, abnormalities have
surfaced in your body. These circumstances are more than enough reason
to recall you."
"But--" Ai turned her eyes toward him in protest.
However, as if showing no concern, the man in the coat turned to the old
man. "I will leave the rest to you."
"I understand."
"Hey--wait!!" Ai called after the man in the coat, trying to stop him. But, the
man in the coat disappeared into the purple haze with the wind.
"Old man, please...secretly return me to Youta!"
"I can't do that."
"What'll happen to Youta?"
"Just forget about him."
"He's looking for me, for sure!"
"No, he's probably not searching for you any more."
"Why?"
"To tell you the truth, during the few minutes we've been talking here, one
week has passed in the real world."
"What?"
"That's right--one week. Youta's given up on you by now. Besides, your life
will soon come to an end."
"Come...to an end?"
"In other words, your video tape's being...fast-forwarded."
Ai stared in astonishment. "You're kidding, right?"
"You'll soon be recalled. That's why we're fast-forwarding your tape. Only a
small amount of your playing time is left now."
"But...come on, old man.... At least show me what Youta's doing right now!"
Ai jumped at the old man and grabbed his collar.
"I...I can't breathe! Let go!!"
"Show me a video screen, so we can see if he's given up on me!! Please!
Please!!" Tears filled Ai's eyes as she pleaded her case.
Apparently touched by Ai's desperate pleas, the old man softened his
wrinkle-covered face. "Okay, okay.... I understand, so let go." As Ai
loosened her grip, the old man sighed deeply. "Such a violent girl."
"Hurry. Show me...."
"There's no doubt Youta's forgotten about you. You'll see that directly. That's
okay, Ai? It'll only make things harder." The old man repeated this as he
turned on the power.
Za-za-za-za-za-za! (sound of static) Static filled the screen, after which the
noise ended and scenery from the city was displayed. There, on the screen,
was an image of Youta, running desperately.
"Oh, Youta!!"
In the picture, Youta was emaciated and bony. Struggling to stay on his feet,
he would only ask around earnestly for the whereabouts of the video shop
"Gokuraku" and any information about Ai. The image induced painful
feelings of pity.
"He looks so worn out...continuing to search for me...for a whole week...." A
burning feeling welled up in Ai's heart.
The old man, too, was surprised, and he stared at Youta's image. "I thought
for sure that he wouldn't be looking for you any more. I don't know if this is
worth praise...or should be called stubborn...or is just plain stupid...."
"I have to go! I have to go to him, right now!!"
"I understand how you feel, but--"
"Old man, please. If I'm not qualified to be a Video Girl, change me into a
normal human. Make me into a normal girl!!"
"That--"
"You people are thought of as being gods, right? It should be simple!!"
"Don't be unreasonable.... Your recall has already been decided.
I can't go against his wishes." The old man remembered the sharp stare of
the man in the coat and shuddered.
"Please...old man...I beg you..." Ai desperately implored. Tears welled up in
her eyes and threatened to overflow. The old man's feelings were moved
slightly by Ai's wholeheartedness.
Just then, the man in the coat appeared, as if he had seen through the old
man's heart.
"Ai, if you desire it that much, I can return you to Youta," said the man in the
coat, gazing at Ai.
"What?! Really?!"
"But, there is a condition."
"A condition?"
"To you, having fallen in love with Youta, the condition will be as painful as
death...."
Ai felt uncertainty and fear.
"You were sent to comfort Youta. However, you failed to comfort him.
Therefore, I will give you a new assignment. You will help along the
relationship between Youta and Moemi. Not to comfort, but to strongly
encourage the love between the two of them--this is the duty that will be
given to you."
"To strongly encourage their love...." Ai hesitated. She wondered whether
she could play the role of cupid, now that she'd fallen in love with Youta.
She imagined it would be much easier to remain in this world, be freshly
rewound, and work to comfort a totally different guy.
"There will be no limit on your playing time until you complete your mission.
However, if you ever neglect your mission or disobey me, you will be
immediately erased. Is that understood...?"
"....." Unable to respond immediately to the words spoken by the man in the
coat, Ai remained silent.
"Is that understood?!!" the man in the coat stressed his point with a
commanding voice.
"I understand. If I can be with Youta...and...if that means Youta will become
happy...I'll do anything!!" Ai had made up her mind. Love, hatred, laughter,
tears, jealousy, or desire--everything she might feel toward Youta, she
would have to totally control and continue living. That would cause pain
close to total despair.
But, once something was decided, it always had to be carried out. That was
her fate as a Video Girl.
"If I purposely give Youta the cold shoulder...and he hates me for it...that's
okay.... Words like 'I like' or 'I love'...can never be used.... Until Youta grabs
Moemi-chan's heart...I have to be Youta's angel of love.... I'm a Video Girl....
All I need is to be with Youta.... To be at his side...is all I need to be
happy...."
To obtain just one piece of happiness, Ai had chosen a rough ordeal. In
order to obtain happiness, she would have to forget about her own feelings
and wish for another's happiness. That was the only thing she could do as a
Video Girl.
"Many Video Girls have suppressed their loneliness by living lives of
solitude. While the video tapes play and their images appear, Video Girls
comfort lonely men. That constitutes only a brief moment of contact. After
that, an empty parting awaits. Then, eventually, the Video Girls are
forgotten.
"But, Ai was different. She learned about feelings of loving someone and of
loneliness and solitude. In doing so, she deepened the hearts of both her
and Youta and tied a strong bond between them. Perhaps...Video Girls like
Ai will be the ones to carry out missions to come.... Maybe that depends on
Ai's new way of life...." The old man felt a sense of hope for the future. In the
grand scheme of things, the old man didn't know if he could exactly call it
"hope," but....
However, the man in the coat himself seemed to be trying to acknowledge
the seed of possibility that had been planted. "Ai is a Video Girl who has lost
her balance. She is a dangerous Video Girl. The path to follow to find the
truth--that, Ai will have to construct herself. It will be very interesting to see
what Ai will look for, what she will find, and what she will learn...." For the
first time, the man in the coat expressed an emotion-filled smile.
Then, he slowly and quietly disappeared into the purple, smoke- like haze
with a confident attitude.
8. Just the two of them--in the bathing area (10)
A new time had begun. Ai, almost having been erased, was now reborn.
She wondered if she could see Youta again and figure out "the true way two
hearts should touch." Ai didn't know if she could.
Just then, Youta felt "the new beginning." Having searched for Ai's
whereabouts and run through the nighttime city, he was deathly tired; but,
he heard in his heart the sound of a bell that faintly echoed the beginning of
a new existence.
"What--what is this mysterious excitement in my heart?! Just maybe...."
Hot blood rushing through his body, Youta began to run. He ran as if
dancing to the tune of the hope building in his heart. "Maybe Ai- chan's
come back home!" For some reason, Youta couldn't help but think this with
certainty.
Hope is a light that shines against adversity.
Youta ran. He ignored everything else and ran.
Then, in the darkness of the night, he found a small source of light. "A
light...there's a light on in my house!!"
Leaping into his house, Youta lacked the patience to even take his shoes off
(11).
"Ai-chan?!" He threw open a door. "Ai-chan?! Where are you?!"
Youta searched. He thought that Ai might be playing around and hiding, so
he searched the porch, hallways, dining room, living room, first floor, every
room on the second floor, closets, and even the restroom. But, Ai was
nowhere to be found.
"She's not here.... Ai-chan's been taken from me, after all...."
Despair invaded every corner of his body from the hair on his head down to
the tips of his toenails. He felt a powerlessness that suddenly drained every
bit of vitality that had been left in his body. Thinking that from now on, he
would have to spend his days lonely and with an empty feeling, he felt a fear
that made the blood in his body freeze over.
Then, from somewhere came the barely audible sound of running water.
The sound had warmth that seemed to melt his frozen blood.
"It's the sound of the shower. The shower room! In the shower room!!" Youta
expectantly ran to the shower room and opened the door.
There, in front of his eyes, stood a girl. There was no mistaking that the
totally nude girl taking a shower was Ai.
"Ai-chan?!" Youta let loose a delighted shout.
"Kya! Pervert! Get out! There's a naked girl in here, taking a shower,
y'know!!" Ai yelled with a threatening voice.
"I'm glad...I'm glad you're safe." Hearing her lively yelling, Youta felt the
strength drain from his body and almost sank to the floor. "You came back to
me, Ai-chan."
"Youta, you stink. Have you been...bathing?"
"Whose fault do you think it is that I haven't been taking baths...you idiot?!"
Youta glared. But, his eyes were filled with a sparkle of relief and a warm
glow.
Ai learned for the first time exactly how much Youta had worried about her.
"Youta...you're so...." The blood in her body was hot as it swirled around,
and Ai instinctively felt the need to jump into Youta's arms.
But, she couldn't do it. She wasn't allowed to do it. It wasn't permitted for
Video Girl Ai to express humanlike emotions toward Youta. Ai shrank back
in despair. Ai cursed the circumstances that prevented her from jumping into
Youta's arms.
However, the same wasn't true for Youta. He was able to freely throw his
warm feelings at Ai. "Ai...I...I...." Youta was at a loss for words--in earnest,
he simply hugged Ai's body tightly.
Ai let Youta hold her and closed her eyes. She felt Youta's gentle warmth.
She made sure she absorbed it with both her heart and body.
[I can tell that Youta's body is as skinny as a rail as he holds me tightly. To
think he hardly ate anything this whole week.... He's so stupid.... But,
things'll be different from now on. I'll always be with you...and I'll help along
the love between you and Moemi-chan... because that's the mission that's
been given to me.... So...I can't say my 'sunao' (12) feelings...my true
feelings...because...I'm a Video Girl...but...I'll be by your side forever,
Youta.... To be with you... is all I need...to be happy....] Ai shivered, shaking
her small breasts, and made up her mind to complete the mission that had
been assigned to her.
[But, just for now....] Ai killed and suppressed her feelings for Youta and
closed her eyes.
And, as she let him hold her, Ai wished that that moment--in which she could
feel Youta's kind warmth--would last forever.
(1) To give you an idea of what Ai-chan's name means--the kanji for "ama"
means "heaven"; that for "no" means "field"; and "ai," of course, means "love."
(2) "Motenai youda" means "seems to be unpopular with girls." The kanji for
"uchi" can also be pronounced "nai"; that for "ta" can be pronounced "da."
Thus, "Moteuchi Youta" becomes "Motenai Youda."
(3) In the Japanese culture, beautiful skin is said to be "white." The purity and
cleanliness of the color white is often used to describe beautiful skin. It doesn't
have the "pasty and ghastly" connotation it has when it's used to describe skin
in English.
(4) To "yobisute" a person's name is to say the name with no honorific ending
(i.e., -san, -kun, -chan, or -sama). Use and non-use of the honorifics depends
on the age, personality, social status, and relationship between the speaker
and the person being spoken to. Notice how the Ai-chan on the TV screen at
the beginning of the story addresses Youta as "Youta-kun." This is a very
appropriate way for a girl to address a guy whom she's just met. Then, after Ai-
chan pops out of the screen, she addresses him as simply "Youta." This is a
pretty rude thing to do. Youta obviously agrees.
(5) "Ore wa Amano Ai" means "I am Amano Ai." The key here is that she uses
the word "ore" to refer to herself. Generally, only stuck-up males use the word
"ore." Girls usually refer to themselves as "watashi" or "atashi." Consequently,
the Ai-chan on the TV screen does refer to herself as "watashi" in the original
Japanese dialog.
(6) The original Japanese for Ai-chan's dialog is as follows:
"Denei shoujo datte ba!! Youta o nagusameru tame ni dete kitano. Video no
naka demo soo itta ro. A, hidee, ranbou na kuchi, oi, Youta, ore ga konna
kuchou ni natta no wa omae no sei dazo! Kowareta deck de saisei shita
karada. Gya, gya!" A "normal" girl would say:
"Denei shoujo datte!! Youta o nagusameru tame ni dete kitano. Video no naka
demo soo itta desho. A, hidoi, ranbou na kuchi, nee, Youta, watashi ga konna
kuchou ni natta no wa kimi no sei yo! Kowareta deck de saisei shita kara. Kya,
kya!". Anyway...certain words that can't be directly translated into English were
tacked on and other words were taken out or changed to make Ai-chan's way
of speaking unmistakably masculine. I could've added a "damn" or "sh-t" here
and there to try to simulate this in the translation, but...I didn't think that would
do the authors justice.
(7) There's a pun here. Youta says, "Bath towel ichimai de uro-uro suru na!"
"Uro-uro" is the "sound" someone makes when he wanders around. Ai-chan
replies, "Youta no hou koso, konna kakko mite oro-oro suru na." "Oro-oro" is
the sound someone makes when he panics. Ai-chan laugh at Youta by using
the term "oro-oro," which rhymes with "uro-uro."
(8) "Ojama shimasu" means "Sorry to intrude." It's a traditional greeting a
guest gives a host as he's entering the host's home.
(9) Traditionally, lunchboxes, or "obentou-bako," are wrapped in large
handkerchiefs. The original Japanese literally says that Ai-chan "untied the
wrapping of the lunchboxes." I assumed the lunchboxes were wrapped in
handkerchiefs and subsequently translated it as such to make the English
sound better.
(10) I used the term "bathing area" instead of "bathroom" because I didn't want
you guys to imagine Youta and Ai-chan having a tender moment in a regular
bathroom. A Japanese bathing room is a large, tiled room that consists of only
a bathtub and a "showering area." Traditionally, a Japanese person takes
showers and baths at night. The person soaps up and washes himself in the
showering area and then goes to sit in the bathtub.
The bathtub itself is square and is deeper than American tubs. The tub is used
only to warm up and relax; consequently, it's filled with hot water before the
first person to take a bath for the night enters the room and is drained only
after the last person to take a bath is finished. Beyond sliding glass doors and
adjoining the bathing room is a large room that consists of a large sink and
mirror. Here, a person washes his face, brushes his teeth, or does whatever
else he needs to do. This is also where the person undresses and dresses
before and after bathing. The room often also has a washing machine. This
room, together with the bathing room, are what I've referred to as the "bathing
area." In case you're wondering where the toilet is--it's always in a "restroom"
that consists of only a toilet and a small sink.
(11) For a Japanese person not to take his shoes off immediately after
entering a house is practically a sin. The fact that Youta didn't take his shoes
off emphasizes how truly excited he was.
(12) "Sunao" is a word that refers to a person being true to his feelings,
speaking candidly about what's on his mind, not putting up a front, and being
straightforward, pure, and genuine, with no decorations. The Japanese put a
lot of emphasis on being "sunao"--it's often used to describe a good person's
character and actions.
I didn't substitute "sunao" with an English word in the translation because it's a
"philosophy" that can't be described by just one word. Being "sunao" was
always an underlying theme in the Ai-chan manga--the word appeared many
times in the story as Youta struggled to find his true feelings for Ai-chan.
Takehisa Ikeda
ikeda.2@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu
May 23, 1997 (
geocities.com/zubkavich)