Slow Start ch12

p95
>Tamate-chan.
>Yes?

>Here.
>It's the book I bought before.
>Wow, thank you.
>Also, you can just call me Tama-chan.

>Hey, Tamate-chan.
>Ah.
>You can be more friendly.
>Just call me Tama-chan!

>Tamate-chan.
>No, just call me Tama-cha...

>Ah.

p96
>Hey.
>Could it be
>that you don't like your own name, Tama?
>Ugh.

>You're pretty frank, Eiko-chan.
>Ufufu
>P-
>Please stop, Eiko-chan.

>I'm sure it brings up a hellish memory for her!!!
>No.
>It's not that bad.
>Hellish.

>...Hrm
>Well, y'see.

>My name, Tamate,
>apparently comes from the word "tamatebako" (treasure chest).
>Ah.

>It's fine, isn't it? It's cute and pretty.
>No no no no no no.

>Eh, why not?
>Do you not like it cos it sounds like you'll get turned into an old lady if you open it?
>Ah.
>Now you've given me another reason to hate it.
>That's from Urashima Taro, isn't it?

p97
>Y'see, when you think of "tamatebako"
>It's not "tamate-bako".

>It's "tama-tebako"!!
>Tebako!!!
>Stupid parents!!
>Google this stuff before you name me after it!!!

>I see.
>In other words,

>it's like if you were naming someone after a meatball and just called them "Meatba".
>Gyaaaaaah!!!

>Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
>gasp
>M-Meatba, she says.
>That really tickled your fancy, huh, Eiko-chan.

>Well, it's fine right.
>Be it "Meatba" or "Meat".
>Pfhah
>kuhi
>Well, if I had to pick between the two, they'd both be fine.
>Right?

>Huh? Why are you crying, Hana-chan!?

>Y-You've been bearing such a painful secret, Tama-chan.
>If it were me, I wouldn't be able to take it...
>I've thought this for a while now
>but you're pretty darn weak, Hana-chan.

p98
>Hmm
>But for some reason

>I feel glad to get it our of my system!
>Ehehe.

>Well, from now on, I'm not gonna let the small things
>bother me at all..
>Hey, Tamate-chan.

>Yes?
>Please call me Tama-chan.

>But I can kinda understand
>stuff like that.

>Back in elementary school, they would only let you write the kanji that they taught you, right?
>Ah! Oh yeah!
>Brings back memories.

>In my case, I wasn't taught the middle kanji in "Eiko" until sixth grade.
>>Tokura Eiiko

>Ei-i-ko.
>Eiiko.
>Eiiko?
>For quite a while, I could only spell my own name as "Eiiko".
>It was a real pain.

p99
>Ah.
>The same thing happened tome.

>Until sixth grade, I was only taught the "Ichi" in "Ichinose".
>when writing it horizontally, the "ichi" would just look like a horizontal line.

>I thought it would it would be bad if I didn't write something above it
>so I just wrote "ichi" in hiragana.

>Aha.
>That's cute.
>I guess everyone has their own problems.

>Well, you can't do much about surnames
>but you gotta be really careful in picking out a first name.

>You don't want your child to face hardships, after all!
>Oh.
>That's some wise wisdom.

>From now on I'm gonna thinking reeeeally hard
>about what to name my future kid!
>Oh.
>Wow, cool.
>There's just one problem.

>If you spell the "don" from "Poseidon" in Japanese, it'd look like some kind of rice bowl...
>No, Tama-chan.
>Wait a minute!
>Tama-chan!

p100
>You have but just one name.
>But everyone has so many.
>I might've been called "Kana".

>Ah.

>G-G-G-G-G-Good afternoon.
>Ah, yes.
>Hello.

>Ah.
>Picking up some parcels?
>Uh, yeah.

>Um,
>I caught a glance of your name on the post office, but...
>Hm?

>Are you holding some kind of event, Hannen-san?
>Eh?

>Here.
>It says "Hannen Taikai"... [TN:"taikai" means "tournament"]
>No.
>It's not "Taikai", it's pronounced "Hiroe".
>That's my name...

p101
>I-I
>I'm sorry!
>Awawawa
>Ah, don't be...
>Everyone has trouble reading it.
>Don't worry about it.

>So it's pronounced "Hiroe-san" instead of "Taikai-san".
>Hiroe written as "tournament".
>Tournament...

>Ronin Tournament

>I'm sorry!
>I'm sorry for having a cruel thought just now!
>I'm really sorry!
>E-Eh?
>Wh-What for?
>What's wrong?

>...Erm.

>Y-Yes?
>Ichinose-san,
>you're a high school student, right?
>Ah, yes.
>First year.
>I see...

>I see...
>Yes...

>Huh?
>What do I do about this awkward mood?


p102
>Th-
>There must be something I could talk about.
>But what.

>Anything
>Anything is fine.
>H-
>Hannen-san.

>E-
>Erm...
>M-
>Maybe talk about the weather?

>You sure are nice weather today, don't you think?
>I think something got lost in translation there.

>Aaah.
>It's just gotten even more awkward.
>What do I do...?
>Oh my.
>Going home together today?

>Shion-chan!
>Shion-chan!
>Manager!
>Manager!
>Yay yay
>Oh my
>When did I get so popular?
>Ufufu