Tachibanakan Triangle ch36: "Next Door Neighbor"

p1
>Someone is crying.
>The tears streaming down her cheeks are warm
>and cold...

>Iori-chan...?

p2
>The future that the three desire.

p3
>To think I'd be seeing her in my dreams too...

>Iori-chan's all I've been able to think about lately...

>Good morning, Iori-chan. It's 7:30 already.

>Are you still asleep? I'm coming in...

p4
>...!

p5
>Hah...
>Good morning, Hanabi-onee-chan.
>What's wrong?

>Konomi-chan.
>Have you seen Iori-chan anywhere...!?
>Eh?
>I haven't...

>No way. Already...?
>Where are you, Iori-chan...!?

p6
>OOMPH

>Oh my? Was someone there?

>I worked up a sweat after walking Shishou<3
>This is bad, Yori-chan! The lewd girl has...!

>By "bad" you mean this?

p7
>Fwah~
>Sonoa-sa...
>Hm...?
>>I'm going back home. (For a week)
>I found this in the kitchen when I got back from work last night...

>Aah~~~!

>I believe Io-chan said there was an event in Hokkaido being sponsored by the professor she got that business card from
>and that her family were taking part.
>Also she's gonna do some sightseeing while she's there~!
>How nice!!
>Just put on some clothes already.

p8
>I see. Hokkaido...
>Phew...
>Yeah.
>And here I thought...

>? Thought what...?
>N-Nothing!

>I wouldn't like it if she suddenly disappeared either...
>I-I see.

>Did you have a fight with Io-chan?
>Ah... No.
>It's nothing like that...

p9
>It's so lonely without Io-chan~
>She's going with her family? Does that mean her mother's already approved of her going to college...?

>...Wait, that's a good thing, isn't it?
>Why can't I just support her honestly?

>I'm the worst...
>...I hope Iori-chan
>is having fun.
>Mornin'~

p10
>Hrm~
>But it is a shame.
>I wanted to go with Io-chan to the Star Festival wearing yukatas.

>I think there's a flyer for the kimono store around here...
>Geez!
>Tidy up those flyers already...

>Oh?

>A letter from Grandma~!

>I wonder what it is~ Photos from Hawaii perhaps~?<3
>Grandma...
>So she lives in Hawaii apparently...
>I thought she was... no...

p11
>So your gran's alive, huh?
>What did she say?
>Fwah~
>...She's coming home.

>Oh. Granny is, huh...
>Eh?

>What's wrong?

>Actually...

>Eh?

p12
>Tachibanakan is being dissolved!?

>What the heck?
>How can that be!?
>I got a letter three from Grandma three months ago saying she was coming home this weekend...
>She originally promised I could do what I want with this place
>while she was away...

>Don't tell me, all this time,
>it was under this mountain...?
>Huh? Next weekend?
>No, no. That's way too soon.
>Wh-Wh
>What should I do? Go somewhere else for a while?
>Erm, erm.

p13
>I didn't... read it proper...
>ly...
>Waaaaahn!
>Get it together, you hack supervisor!!

>No way...
>At any rate, it's a given that Granny's coming, so this is something we'll have to discuss.

>You should all think about how you'll get to school after this and consider changing residences.

p14
>I should prepare myself, just to be safe...

>...I see.

>I thought I'd be with everyone forever,
>but,
>even without the dissolution, everyone will eventually change.

p15
>Even so,

>from now on too...

p17
>...Iori-chan.

p18
>Huh...? Even though we can still see each other in class...
>I see.
>I finally understand...

>From now on

>I want to be the one
>who can see your smile the closest.

p19
>I'm in love
>with Iori-chan.

>Don't go.

p20
>Don't go.

>Iori-chan...

p21
>Is this house...

p22
>cursed with some illness that'll kill you if you don't hold a party at every opportunity...!?
>I can't help it~

>We can't so back to normal...
>Everyone's gonna fall apart~~

>Geez! Of all the times for the little squirt not to be around!

>Still, though, whatcha gonna do?
>Konomi can just move back in with her family, but what about you, Hana-chan?

>I... asked my mother and she said I could stay with a relative who lives by the railway for the time being...

p23
>I've been ready to move out at any time.
>I've been looking for places near my work.

>Same here.
>What about Iori?
>(Yu)
>(Yori)
>She asked the professor at a nearby student dorm and they said they've got a room free
>if Io-chan's okay with it...

>But... I still want everyone...
>>Etiquette
>We don't know yet!
>Let's just drink for now! And then let it all out in the toilet!
>Don't barf all over the sentiments!!

>Bleeeergh!
>Wah~ Yuriko-saan!!

p24
>Truth be told... I wanted to graduate with everyone...
>Graduate?
>Yeah.

>With Hana-chan and Io-chan... It was my dream that we'd all graduate here together.
>We'd make diplomas, and then, on the day we leave the dorms...

>...

>...The most important thing when saying goodbye is to smile.

p25
>Hana-chan, do you remember...
>the day when you left for Tokyo as a child?

>I was totally unsociable back then.
>When I heard my little sister's friend was moving away, all I thought was "hmmm"...

p26
>Uwaaahn...

>Kono-chan. Hana-chan's lonely too, but it can't be helped~
>Mama will send letters for you.
>Okay?

>Nooo~!!

>Noo~
>I'm sorry, Konomi-chan.
>Hanabi was crying all last night and wouldn't come out of the car...

p27
>Thank you for playing with Hanabi so much.

>Alright, thank you for taking care of us~
>This kinda thing happens when you're a kid. It's hard to show you're gratitude...
>I wonder if those will forget all about each other~ How sad~

>Onee-chan!
>Hanabi-onee-chan!

p29
>The next day,

>and the day after that,
>my little sister waited...

>Yori-chan.
>I've got my hands full, so could you put Kono-chan to bed?
>Okay~

p30
>Come on. Go to sleep.
>Hanabi-onee-cha...

>Hana-chan has moved.
>She won't be coming anymore.
>!

>Nooo!

>She's not coming anymore! Just give it up!

p31
>Nooooo! Onee-chaaan!
>Waaaaaah...
>Today, she waits by herself. Tomorrow, she'll wait by herself...
>Come to think of it, when was the last time someone played with me...?

>I'm sorry...
>I'm supposed to be your Onee-chan, Kono-chan...

p32-33
>I'm sorry...
>I'm sorry...

>On that day, I swore to the little sister in my arms
>that I would be Kono-chan's number one Onee-chan.
>No matter what happened, I would use my smile to bring Kono-chan joy...

>I would give her
>lots and lots of love...

>That's why,
>the next time I'd say goodbye, I didn't want to be sad like on that day...

p34
>I wanted... to say bye-bye...
>with a smile on my face...

>There's no way... we could do that.

>Ah.
>Konomi-cha-

p35
>Could you help me out?

p36
>Mmm.

>...

>Hana-chan...?