Translator's Notes:
Summarized & HTML'ized by Mandisa Washington. c. 2001, ver. 1.0
Original material by Yohko Kamio, Margaret Comics, Shueisha, 1993.
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Makino Tsukushi was set emotionally adrift after losing her newfound anchor, Hanazawa Rui, to the graceful arms of Toudou Shizuka. However, she regained some of her old vigor when her childhood friend, Aoike Kazuya, transferred into Eitoku Academy. Driven by jealousy and hurt pride, Doumyouji Tsukasa struck out, literally, at the adorably spunky working-class girl. With her friend Kazuya in tow and the student mob in pursuit, Tsukushi runs through the campus like a hunted animal.
Finding Kazuya helpless at the feet of one of their student pursuers, Makino quickly drives off the bully and tries to console her weeping friend. During the brief respite, Makino apologizes to Kazuya for apparently causing his mistreatment. With heartfelt tears, he swears to remain at Eitoku by her side, come what may. The Harpies of Eitoku (Asai et al.) arrive at that point, and mock the friends' noble declarations. Flushed from their hiding place, Kazuya and Makino flee into the part of campus reserved for college students.
Tucked away in a glassed-in corner of paradise known as the college cafeteria, Shizuka and the F4 exchange quiet pleasantries while Doumyouji has his swollen jaw tended to. The growing commotion stirred up by Kazuya's red ticket draws Shizuka's attention, and Soujirou deftly turns the subject to relationship woes. Shizuka casually tells her young friends that a man in Paris called her his 'Femme Fatale', but she turned him away. Playing up the game, she goads the brooding Rui, offering to fix him up with one of her model friends to further his education.
Rui is saved from Shizuka's romantic teasing by the arrival of one of her old classmates, but she still manages to send mixed signals in Rui's direction. Momentarily forgotten, the boys discuss the upcoming summer school vacation to Hawaii, apparently quite a common destination. Also musing over Hawaii, Makino succumbs to the pressure of the chase and pitches a rather loud fit. The noise brings the mob bearing down on them, but the high school student body is reluctant to pursue the outcasts into the forbidden college zone.
Busting into the cafeteria, covered with garbage and food, Makino and Kazuya make a dramatic, smelly entrance. The most dedicated of their pursuers follow them inside, apologizing to their seniors for the rude interruption. Even ever-calm Shizuka comes over to bear witness, carefully keeping her designer shoes clear of debris. Embarassed, cornered, and beaten, Makino and Kazuya fall to the polished floor, gasping and silently wishing for help. Answer to her swallowed prayers, it's Hanazawa Rui to the rescue!
End Chapter 5 -- Return to Contents
Suspended in the strong arms of Hanazawa Rui, Makino can barely believe the strange day's events. Neither, apparently, can Doumyouji, who strides forward to confront Rui on his unacceptable actions. To interfere with a red ticket is to defy the code set down by the F4's leader. In front of the assembled students, Doumyouji accuses Rui of letting his feelings for the 'poor girl' outweigh his good sense. Threatening him with expulsion from the F4 and from school itself, Doumyouji grabs Tsukushi and insists that Rui hand the girl over to him (for further abuse, presumably).
Like a wishbone, Tsukushi is held suspended by arms and feet between Hanazawa Rui and Doumyouji. The boys become more incensed as each refuses to yield, with Tsukushi yelping in pain at each tug. Finally, just short of breaking the girl in two, they drop her to the floor atop poor battered Kazuya. Doumyouji warns Rui to back off and peremptorily summons Soujirou and Akira, stalking out in a huff. Shock follows shock as Shizuka leans over and offers to help Makino get cleaned up.
Alone in the ladies' room, Makino converses with the muse-like Shizuka about Rui's strange behavior. Both girls insist that the moody boy must be in love with the other, but sharing a moment's honesty brings the two ostensible rivals close together. Clean and redressed, Makino decides that she might truly like this wonderful older girl. Spotting Rui in the hall causes Makino to break her silent reverie and ask the question that burns in her mind. When asked why he put himself at odds with his friend, Rui just shrugs off the affair, referring vaguely to his own personal frustrations.
Left to ponder this oddly unsatisfying response, Tsukushi is unprepared for Kazuya's ebullient surprise announcement, "Come to my manor in Atami!"
End Chapter 6 -- Return to Contents
Caught off-guard by Kazuya's generous efforts to cheer her up, Makino does the only sensible thing left. She faints.
At her bedside, Makino's brother and mother comment on her atypical exhaustion. While her mother laments the missing school uniform, Makino wonders how Kazuya is faring on his own. Back at school, Kazuya seems to be doing just fine, staying a step ahead of his marauding classmates. Doumyouji notices none of this as he muses on the absence of his headstrong opponent, Makino Tsukushi. With questionable kindness, he shows up unannounced at Makino's doorstep, bearing her repaired uniform and causing no little disturbance to her protective parents.
At the Makino family flat, Tsukushi treats Doumyouji like a feral dog. She declares to her wary parents that this is the ill-mannered boy who is causing her harm at school, the snotty scion of the Doumyouji family. At mention of the famous name, Tsukushi's parents undergo a complete metamorphosis. Apparently the affliction is contagious, because polite charm magically flows forth from young Mr. Doumyouji. The parents flatter him outrageously and invite him to sup with them, while Tsukushi is berated for not preparing herself properly to receive such a dinner guest.
Doing what comes naturally, Doumyouji and Makino argue and call each other names when left alone. Before they can actually come to blows, Mama comes in and bonks her crass daughter over the head, apologizing profusely and announcing dinner. Dinner with Doumyouji is quite a strange affair, as he is completely unfamiliar with working class fare. When asked if his mother has ever cooked such food, Doumyouji rather sadly remarks that they have a chef, and his mother never cooks. Tsukushi snickers at her classmate's alien attitude, which only gets her another bonk from her mum. [Ed. note: Doumyouji's literal mode of speech changes during this visit to the Makino household. Usually at school he refers to himself casually as 'ore', but here he affords his hosts uncommon respect by using 'boku', a more polite personal pronoun.]
Stunned by this never-before-seen grace and politeness, Makino struggles to hold onto the picture of Doumyouji as an uncouth, violent, boorish, evil guy. After dinner, Mama and Papa fawn over Doumyouji a little more, and offer Tsukushi as an escort to the train station. They stifle her protests with stage whispers of untold wealth and fame that would fall to them if she could nab this heir in marriage. Pissed off, Makino questions Doumyouji's motives en route to the train. Arrogant again, the rich boy scoffs at her suggestion that he might have enjoyed his stay in her cramped apartment, eating such common food. Changing the subject abruptly, he asks if she's going to Hawaii for summer school. Flaring up at the possibility that she could afford such a trip, she brushes aside the notion of Hawaii, declaring that she will be having a lovely time in Atami, with Kazuya, and thank you very much for asking.
In school the next day, Makino soothes Kazuya's troubled mind, and accepts his invitation. Doumyouji comes to a decision of his own, announcing to everyone that the hip place to be this summer will be Atami!
End Chapter 7 -- Return to Contents
On the train to Atami at last, Kazuya and Tsukushi chat amicably while her parents make amusingly melodramatic fools of themselves. Attempting to ignore them, Tsukushi's mind wanders to the distant activities of Hanazawa Rui. Kazuya notices her despondence, and assumes that she truly wished to be in Hawaii. Flying in the face of conformity, and squelching her disappointment, Tsukushi declares Hawaii to be terminally unhip and full of snotty, elderly tourists.
Ironically, elderly tourists are what await them in the popular seaside resort town of Atami. Following a tour group, the foursome arrive at a shrine and stop to cast their prayers to the wind. Tsukushi hopes for a speedy stay at Eitoku, Kazuya hopes for Tsukushi to return his fondness for her, Mama hopes for a profitable marriage between her daughter and Doumyouji and tacks on a request for her husband's promotion at work. Papa just hopes for an increased allowance.
Spending the day strolling through town, they finally arrive at the beach itself, which is full of happy sunbathers and swimmers. Relaxation washes over Tsukushi like the very waves of the ocean, and Kazuya beams over the change. Further down the beach, they find a small houseboat moored to the pier, which Kazuya points out as his "manor". Bubbly with joy, everyone anticipates a pleasant evening catching and eating fresh squid, a summertime treat.
Like a thunderhead, a smudge on the horizon resolves itself as a large cruise ship, with a man standing in the bow. Although the ship is distant, something about the proud silhouette of the living masthead tugs at Tsukushi's mind. Even as Kazuya comments that the ship seems improbably headed in their direction, horrific realization strikes both children. The nightmare of Eitoku has followed them into their dream vacation...Doumyouji Tsukasa has arrived!
End Chapter 8 -- Return to Contents
To Tsukushi's horror, the Doumyouji yacht carries the cream of Eitoku. Stepping out onto the deck, Asai and her friends gape in shock and horror, while Soujirou and Akira complain about the rather mundane beachscape. Even Rui and Shizuka appear, and Shizuka has the good manners to invite Tsukushi to attend the evening's yacht party. The mean girls protest cruelly, and Tsukushi tries to back out, but Shizuka's determination wins out. Even Rui seems to agree with the outcome. Later, Akira has to restrain Doumyouji, who is incensed that he was not even consulted on the matter. Of course, he wanted the pleasure of teasing Tsukushi with the coveted invitation.
Back at Kazuya's boathouse, Tsukushi's parents browbeat her into carrying out the evening's plans. They only have eyes for the hordes of money that their daughter would command, with Doumyouji as her husband. With such grim thoughts in mind, Tsukushi arrives early, to prepare with Shizuka's skilled assistance. Lavishing all her pent-up sisterly feeling on a wide-eyed Makino, Shizuka pulls out every trick she learned as a model. Makino can only see herself as Cinderella, undergoing the magical transformation before the great ball. In another part of the floating castle, Doumyouji argues with his hairdresser, trying to achieve the straight-hair look that Makino seems to favor.
Finally, the belle arrives at the ball, and the magician Shizuka presents her work. Makino feels uneasy in a designer dress and high heels, and fears the reaction of her generally hostile classmates, but her beauty leaves them all speechless. The boys, including Soujirou and Akira, can barely contain their astonishment at the transformation, while Asai and the girls gnash their teeth in frustration. Kazuya, in a polo shirt and suit jacket, regales his comrade with spluttering compliments, but even so, Makino scans the crowd for Rui. She spots him lounging at the bar, wearing a festive vest and simple dress shirt. Doumyouji can only watch, eerily speechless, as Makino makes a beeline for the object of her obsession.
Just then, naturally, someone decides that it's time for a kissing game. Off go the lights, and bump go the restless teenagers in the darkened ship. A few shouts for the F4 and the inevitable foot-squashing keep spirits light. Filled with worry that someone might steal a kiss, Tsukushi covers her mouth and tries to walk away from the crowd. But high heels and rocking boats don't mix [Ed. note: Trust me on that one.] and a pitch in the floor sends Tsukushi reeling forward. Arms windmilling, she crashes headlong into someone and oh cruel fate! She's locked lips with some unsuspecting party-goer. Sated at last, the guardian of the light switch reveals the partners with a finger's flick. Horror spreads across Tsukushi's flushed cheeks when she recognizes Doumyouji's startled face before her.
End Chapter 9 -- Return to Contents
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