I gave a bit of a
laugh and pulled the paper from the developing fluid.ACT V – In bed before an Angel?
Don doku don doku…!
Back at the Kappaneko village comes the big climax.
In the village, the scars of the battle with the Sailor Tenshi had been left behind, and the midst of the meeting hall had been restored.
On top of that, the ceremonial bed… the scaffold-like bed where Hikaru-chan and I were supposed to do our thing had been grandly raised, really looked strong enough and was magnificent (It was in such bad taste before!)
Around the bed were drawn silk curtains, and felt as if for some sort of holy ceremony. But as the curtains were partially sheer, people in the meeting hall… er… the Kappaneko would be able to see every holy (?) event that took place inside.
“Ah, er, Elder… This is where, the, wedding ceremony will be?”
The Elder led me, and when I arrived along with Hikaru-chan and Madoka before that curtain I was feeling out of sorts.
“Zat’s a right… well, Kyousuke-kun. What do you think? Magnificent, isn’t it?”
“Kyaha! True true, Hikaru is so moved! Right, right, Madoka-san?”
“Uh huh, Kasuga-kun, you’re experienced. Do you think it’s strong enough…”
“H, hey hey, A, Ayukawa…”
“Aaannnn… Yada… Madoka-san… Darling, usually he’s soft (translator’s note: that’s really what she says – she means gentle)… when it’s time… I wonder if he’ll be wild like a god…!”
“A, hey… Hikaru-chan…”
Hikaru-chan had never felt so happy and frolicked around. Off to the side, Madoka was stone silent and gave me a cold stare.
“Okay young humans. Let’s begin… To protect our Holy Trees, let the wedding ceremony commence. A disturbing wind is starting to blow.”
No doubt about it, some kind of disquieting wind had begun in the green-scent forest.
“Bu… but, Elder, by doing this a power that can protect the land will be born?”
“What are you saying Kyousuke-kun. Look at our land’s protective trees.”
“Huh?”
“Just by having the virgin girl and a healthy boy stand before the bed we worked so hard to build the leaves shine brightly and the trunks are more sturdy, aren’t they!”
I didn’t tell him that it didn’t really seem that way to me. But there was no doubt that the trees that had suffered from the Sailor Tenshi’s attack in the meeting hall did seem full of life.
“Kasuga-kun…”
“Yes?”
“After, it’s that. Once it’s done, it’s over. Every possible tree in our land will gain power… Even if the Devil Adeluf attacks we will be able to beat it back.”
“Once it’s… done?”
I must have looked like an idiot right then.
The elder reached out to my stupid face, and put the thumb from one hand into a closed circle made with the fingers of his other hand.
“Pon! That.” He said with significance.
Ah, well… anyway, I got the significance of the Elder’s words. So, once I took Hikaru-chan’s virginity (note: implies penetration)… In other word’s, once it’s done, no doubt the power would be born.
“Here…. We…. Go…. Now get to it!”
Upon the Elder’s words Hikaru-chan and I turned towards the holy bed.
“Ke ke! Kyousuke-niichan… good luck good luck!” Kazuya flashed a peace sign while helping to raise the silk curtains.
Jeez. Why do I have to take this peace sign from a grade-schooler?
I used the power to give Kazuya a thump on the head.
“Jeez. This is all your fault you know. Be serious! Be serious!”
Kazuya gave a small crying moan, which I didn’t mind, and Hikaru-chan went on, passing through the curtains.
…Just then… I took a look towards Madoka.
But at that moment that I stared at Madoka she took a picture of my face with my trusty Canon.
So just then I had no idea what was on her face. While taking the picture of my face, in a crisp voice Ayukawa Madoka said, “Hikaru. Camera angle is perfect.”
Hikaru-chan didn’t answer.
I passed through the curtain and entered, and Hikaru-chan stood by the side of the bed, as if unsure what to do next. She was fumbling with the ornamentations of her pure white wedding dress.
The curtains fell, and inside fell a strange quiet. Once we were alone Hikaru-chan seemed un-worried and her old smile showed.
“Um… darling?”
“Huh?”
“Uh… I thought… the wedding dress… I should take it off?”
“A… yes…”
Hey hey, that was brilliant, Kyousuke.
I turned and could make out Madoka through the curtain. As before, she was taking pictures of my face.
A perfect camera angle she said. Ayukawa Madoka… Ayukawa…
I turned from Madoka to again face Hikaru-chan… The next instant my heart stopped again.
Hikaru-chan had taken off the wedding dress. I could see her skin through the pure white but transparent underwear.
“Hi… Hikaru-chan…”
She seemed to be more like the Hikaru-chan who had been playing at the lake… a bit sensual, like a woman… anyway, that time… like many other times… it was more than enough to… get a rise out of my sexual instincts.
Hikaru-chan said in a quaking voice, “Kya… kyada darling… don’t… please don’t stare at me that way…”
“A… aaa…”
I turned my confused eyes away and began to unbutton my shirt.
I couldn’t look at Ayukawa Madoka again.
This world isn’t the one I live in… for one thing, this was only in the middle Hatta’s Manga… but the 15-year old Madoka and 13 year-old Hikaru-chan had really been brought here by the Kappaneko… anyway.
Even supposing all this, I had no doubt that the life and death of this world was held by people.
Even before Ayukawa Madoka, this thing I was to do… become tied to Hikaru-chan… I had to do it to protect this world.
I’m sorry… 15 year-old, just barely met, Ayukawa.
…I… you… I can’t be with you anymore…
I took off the shirt, and Hikaru-chan lay on her back in the bed.
I pulled my (under)shirt over my shoulders, while in the bed she took off her underwear and quietly dropped them beneath the bed.
“Hi… Hikaru-chan…”
I sat down beside Hikaru-chan. Hikaru-chan murmured “Darling” and closed those big eyes of hers. Then for some reason she sighed.
“…What’s wrong?”
Hikaru-chan’s eyes were still closed, but a small smile came to her lips and she shook her head slightly.
“No… but, unexpectedly, this seems wrong…”
“What is?”
“I’m shaking, and this has happened only once before I think.”
“Once?”
“Y… yes.” Hikaru-chan paused a moment to search her memory. “Ah, yes. When I had just entered grade school… Madoka-san and I…”
“Ayukawa and you?”
“Yes. I was with a friend having fun on my way home, and we got lost on a dark road. A stray dog was following us. We…”
“Uh huh.”
“Madoka-san saved us from certain death by driving the dog away… she saved us.”
“A, aa…”
“Always… It’s always been like this. Me and Madoka-san… Madoka-san, no matter how scared or trembling… so in place of me quaking I always hang in there.”
A, Ayukawa…!
This… it struck me as the same type of situation now as well.
Ayukawa… while Madoka protected scared Hikaru-chan… while taking her protective stance with the camera… but on the other hand… it must have been hard… withstanding all this.
The, Hikaru-chan’s eyes popped open. She had regained her composure. With her mind made up, she looked at me. Then, as before she said slowly and softly, “It’s… all right… I am.”
This girl in one breath had become a woman?
“Hikaru-chan!”
While feeling Madoka’s stare through the curtain I came closer to kiss Hikaru-chan on the forehead.
But… just then… Go… Gong! A ringing like sound came from outside and the bed shook violently.
“What, what the?”
“Da, Darling. Look! The Devil is…”
“Huh?”
I looked in the direction Hikaru-chan was pointing, to see the Devil Adeluf leading his entire army to attack.
At the lead were Akane, Kurumi and Manami Sailor Tenshi, followed by the many types of soldiers. The Devil Adeluf seemed to blanket them, overseeing everything while getting bigger and rapidly closer. Then in a voice like the anime voice actor Shiozawa Kaneto-san (Hatta’s probably a fan) in a nihilistic and overly obsequious manner said, “Ku ku ku… Fools! Against the wishes of Devil Adeluf-sama, it seems you wanted to borrow the power of a human match of a man and woman to give birth to a new power… All right. Adeluf will just drop all of you into the depths of hell myself!”
“Kyahoo! Kyousuke-niichan! Look, look, it’s him it’s him! Devil Adeluf! Ain’t it cool?”
Kazuya opened the curtain in his excitement.
“Idiot! Even if you are family I’m going to crack your skull!”
But the Elder’s head followed.
“Now now. Hurry up! Be quick, Kyousuke-kun! Adeluf is coming down to the land to end it all.”
“Oh… oh no, even if you say hurry…”
I hadn’t even kissed her yet!
“What are you doing Kasuga-kin!” Madoka ran up with an angry expression on her face.
“A, Ayukawa…!”
“You came to protect this forest, yes!”
“Th… that’s true but…”
Camera carrying Ayukawa Madoka was complete different from earlier and was clearly flustered. Not unreasonable. She knew that the power of the Devil Adeluf and the Sailor Tenshi combined would be stronger than anyone.
Setting aside Hikaru-chan and I having sex (setting aside indeed!) we had to escape from the danger.
However… however!
To escape the danger… have sex with Hikaru-chan in front of Madoka… what a choice!
“Darling! We have to try!” Hikaru-chan said, grabbing my arm with a sudden jerk and pulling me to the bed.
“Hi… Hikaru-chan!”
Madoka made the camera ready. Well, she put the camera on automatic and kashan! Kashan! Kashan!
Just then, Zugaaaaaaaaan! The entire meeting area shook violently. The Devil Adeluf had just arrived.
“Ah!”
Thanks to the vibration, Madoka fell onto the bed with me and Hikaru-chan.
“A, Ayukawa…!”
In the confusion, I fell towards Madoka. Just then the flash on the camera Madoka was carrying went off.
“Uwaaa!”
In spite of myself, I covered my eyes. At the same time, I seemed to spring up into the air.
No, not seemed. I was thrown into the air.
“Kasuga-kun!”
“Darling!”
Madoka and Hikaru-chan said. But my eyes still burned from the flash, and the Kappaneko, the demon army, and everything else seemed to vanish, and sound fled as well.
In this state I fell once again back into the void.
A Slightly Dangerous Epilogue.
“Kyousuke-niichan… Kyousuke-niichan…”
I regained consciousness to Kazuya’s voice.
Not a Kappaneko, but the human Kazuya seemed to be glaring at me. There was something familiar in my hand. I didn’t even have to look. It was my trusty Canon.
“Wha… what happened?” I got up as I said this and realized we were in the midst of the Primeval Forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji near the village of Narusawa in Yamanashi Prefecture. Of course, the lake where I met Hikaru-chan wasn’t there.
“We’ve returned. Thank you, Kyousuke-niichan.”
“I know that… but how did we get back?”
“Ah, well when Madoka-neechan joined you and Hikaru-neechan on the bed there was a flash!”
“Huh? Flash!”
“Come on… you took a picture of the Devil Adeluf!”
“Oh, I see… Oh…!”
Just like the Kappaneko Elder had said. In one snap all the insane bad things had been put back in their correct places through the camera.
In spite of myself I asked Kazuya about the Ayukawa Madoka and Hikaru-chan of that world… but I stopped myself.
The Primeval Forest had already gained an orange tinge.
“Let’s go, Kazuya.”
“Hmm.”
“Never ever do this again.”
“Right right.”
I was going to give Kazuya a nudge on his head… but instead only smacked him on the behind. Then I walked straight towards Fugakufuuketsu.
During that walk I was tempted many times to go back… but I didn’t.
Going back… I had no doubt… no doubt that 15 year-old Ayukawa Madoka and 13 year-old Hikaru-chan were still there.
Then maybe, without this “Ojisan”, once Madoka and I met at the 100 steps… they would go back to being close friends.
Hikaru-chan’s brightness would hold onto Madoka’s solitary way… Madoka would take Hikaru-chan’s youth under her wing… they… they would be great together again.
Goodbye, 15 year-old Ayukawa Madoka.
Goodbye, 13 year-old Hikaru-chan.
P.S.
Once I got back home I went and sealed myself into the bathroom I use as a darkroom and developed the pictures I took in the Kappaneko land.
But while I was doing that…
“Oniichan! Madoka-san’s here,” came Manami’s voice from the living room.
“Hmm? Oh, oh no!”
In the developing fluid on the film paper the images of the Devil Adeluf, the Kappaneko version of Kazuya, the Sailor Tenshi versions of my sisters were beginning to appear.
And and, naturally pictures of Hikaru-chan and I in be.
“Wa! Wa... wait a moment!”
Whenever I was developing film, Madoka would usually turn out the lights in the hall outside and then come in. So she said, “It’s all right. It’s dark out here, so I’m coming in.” 22 year-old Madoka gave a wry smile and came in.
“How was it? Your expedition to the Primeval Forest?”
“Huh? Ah, er, well…”
I didn’t have time to hide the pictures, and Madoka suddenly took a peek into the developing fluid.
Jeezus! This would be the end!
…But as I resigned myself to it…
“Yada… nothing came out!” Madoka said in a thoroughly disappointed voice.
“Eh?”
…Surprisingly, sure enough, on the film paper nothing showed… no, not nothing showed… but without my noticing it the images had vanished.
Everything that happened in the Kappaneko world… that world… in other words, in my world even the images burned into the film paper… were no longer necessary.
“A ha, er, well, a complete failure…”
“Is that okay? I mean this was on Hatta-kun’s request, after all.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. He owes me more for this than he knows.”
“Huh?”
I gave a bit of a
laugh and pulled the paper from the developing fluid.
“H… hold one… Kyousuke, what’s this?”
“Eh?”
It was one of the disappearing things. A single sailor-suited girl had appeared. Partially adult, partly as if crafted of glass and easy to wound… a lovely girl.
15 year-old… Ayukawa Madoka.
“Eh? Oh no! Isn’t this me?”
“E? A, er, um… funny, isn’t it…? Just kidding.” I laughed a bit deceivingly, without ease.
22 year-old Madoka gave me a look that told me she doubted me completely and said, “Okay. Superman Kasuga Kyousuke-kun. I seems you have a long, long story. It’s time for dinner. I suppose I’ll have to listen very carefully.”
“A, Ayukawa…”
“But only of course… if it’s your treat.” Ayukawa Madoka, upon saying that, showed an exceptional smile……………
END
Postscript by Matsumoto Izumi
Hello, Matsumoto Izumi here. Before I’d even been aware of it I’d written 3 Kimargure Orange Road novels.
This time, I had help from Tereda Kenji with illustrations by Takayuki Goto, whom I thank for their work and putting up with it all, for which I apologize. We had a schedule to keep.
Come to think of it, as the first novel was turned into an Anime movie, the Anime stretched on for about 8 years. I was invited to a private screening. It is a great movie, and if you haven’t seen Kimagure Orange Road yet by all means do so. I strongly advise it. Tereda-san’s plot is very precise, Goto-san’s character designs are cool, and Touyama-san (the Director) skillfully infused the play with adult drama. Fututani-san, Tazu-san and Gan-san once again did great voice work, the piano compositions of (sorry, can’t read this one) were wonderful, and I think it’s the best Kimagure Orange Road anime ever done. And there’s no doubt that the novel for “New Kimagure Orange Road” is fun too.
You may be aware that now I produce the digital CD ROM comic “Comic On”. Digital comics are ones you view on your computer. Our pace of publishing one CD ROM every 3 months keeps me very busy. Tozai EMI has been publishing them since last February, and we’re now on volume 4. Of course it’s not just new work by me, but also work by young Manga artists like (he names 5 names here, and I don’t get the Kanji for any of them – Name Kanji can be very tough). It’s in full color, with sound, with a portion animated as well. If you don’t have access to a computer, you won’t be able to use the interactive features woven into exciting Manga. Starting May 28th when volume 4 goes on sale, my new S.F. Comic “EE” will begin serial publication. The first challenge in SF was that I wanted this idea brewing in my head for six years to be presented digitally.
Every issue has a new music version of Kimagure Orange Road. Take a look, please. You can find it worldwide at any P.C. store.
Oh, my new Internet site is http://www.ask.or.jp/~comicon/.
But you may think, “We can’t collect the work of Matsumoto Izumi because lately it’s all digital? How sad.” Worry not. I’m thinking up a new project, so please be patient a bit longer.
Not much of a postscript, is it.
Well, later…
March 1997 Matsumoto Izumi
Postscript from Tereda Kenji
Last fall, when Toei unveiled “New Kimagure Orange Road, Summer’s Beginning” Matsumoto-san and I were very happy (and now that the Laser Disc is out…)
Of course, the origin was the first volume from Jump J Books, but I boldly changed some of the things I wrote… I replace certain scenes, and you noticed didn’t you?
There seemed to be something hidden (not really hidden) in the scene where Madoka and Hikaru once again meet.
To those not in the know, in the first volume Madoka and Hikaru don’t meet. Whenever Kyousuke was with one or the other, Madoka and Hikaru never see each other.
For the novel this didn’t seem unnatural. But for the making of the movie it seemed to be a good idea for them to meet… so we thought up a scene.
Above all else, having them speak directly to each other, the deep ties Madoka and Hikaru had, he feeling each had for the man called Kyousuke (tied to each heart), we had a specific range of feelings to cover, as the girls had grown up together
The following is an excerpt:
Poolside: A happy Madoka and Hikaru have once again met. Kyousuke has been left alone.
Madoka: Hikaru…
Hikaru: E?
M: You’ve really grown up, haven’t you.
Hikaru gives a childish laugh and shakes her head vigorously.
H: No… not yet. I, I’m not there yet… that’s why, even now… I couldn’t contact Madoka-san. When I men Madoka-san… more…I wanted to be further along.
M: I see…
H: Right… still… not there yet.
M: (small laugh) Your standards… are pretty high.
H: Not high… just important.
M: …?
Madoka and Hikaru look hard at each other. Pause.
H: Madoka-san…
They both laugh and giggle.
Next they drop Kyousuke in the pool and frolic together. So, that summer, in this way these three still could have good times…..
Matsumoto-san always said, “The connection between Madoka and Hikaru, through the embodiment of the man called Kyousuke, can’t really be broken.”
Well, now there are three “New Kimagure….”
These people, connected by pure hearts, have through this time through great obstacles have grown into adults, and we are certain we’ve done this to the best of our ability.
I suppose that you’ve been able to perceive each of the three’s individual earnestness?
-Tereda Kenji`
Note from the translator:
It’s now early 2002 and some things have changed. “Comic On” folded after issue number 5, which is why it isn't an active hyperlink. If you can find it grab it, they’re impossible to find now. The website above is also gone.
But worry not, Matsumoto-san has a new website, at http://www.comic-on.co.jp. On it he announces that “New Kimagure Orange Road 2002” was published December 21, 2001. As of this date (January 11, 2002) I have my copy on order. I foresee a new translation project for myself.
In addition, the long awaited project he alluded to above is coming soon! The first book is supposed to be out in March of 2002, called Bakumatsu Men'you Ko Joushi, which sort of translates as "History of feelings of the Sheep Girls in the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate". I like the Japanese title better myself . There are a few preview pages up at his website.
I had planned for a Manga called "Speed Boat Race Girl" to be my next project, but we’ll see how then next KOR novel is... he… he… he…
Thanks for reading my work! Tanoshimi ni natta ne!
-Chris Reed, January 2002.