Slow Start ch49

p107
>Hiroe-san.
>Good afternoon.

>Oh, Hana-chan!
>This is from Shion-chan.
>It's a package she was looking after for you.
>Ooh, I'm so grateful.

>Ruffled hair
>A/C on full blast
>Hannen Hiroe-san
>Sweats
>Me

>Ah, I was just using my sweats as pajamas!
>Please keep this a secret from Eiko-san!
>You were sleeping...?
>It's already 2pm.

p108
>And here's a souvenir from our trip.
>Erm.
>It's chocolate, though.

>Ooh, thank you!
>It's my favorite!
>Ah, good to hear.
>Mine too.

>Oh yeah, Shion-chan said you should put your package in the fridge as quickly as possible.
>Ah, is tha so?
>What was this again...?

>Choco~
>Lucky Dip Chocolate
>High quality
>Delicious!

>Wah
>Oh...

>I'm sorry. I got you the same thing.
>It's okay.
>I ordered this a few days ago and completely forgot about it.

>Ah, I know.
>Would you like to have some tea with me, Hana-chan?

>Since we have so much, why don't we have a tasting session?
>Eh?
>I-Is that alright?
>Of
>course!

p109
>Chocolate...

>W-
>Well, just for a little bit then.
>Come on in!

>Woah.
>There's even more cardboard boxes.
>Yup.
>I end up ordering a lot when outside
>I just can't resist the alluring power of mail order...
>A/C turned down.

>That aside
>it doesn't look like you've opened any of them.
>Uh
>I think about opening them when I need to use them and end up leaving them as is.

>Ah, but
>I have a good idea of what's in each box!

>This box!
>I'm certain there's stick coffee in here...
>Now we can have tea...

>>Extra Strong Trash Bags

p110
>H-
>Huh?

>I-I totally mixed it up!
>This one!
>This box definitely has the coffee!
>I got it new so I can tell it easily from its heaviness!

>Sweats
>>Unisex

>...

>I-I-I ordered these before I met Eiko-san!
>Please, Hana-chan, don't tell Eiko-san about this!
>>Illusion
>Heh
>Eeeeeek
>I don't think Eiko-chan would be that upset, though...
>Why that far...

>Also
>The stuff you ordered back then should have the order listed on top.
>H-Huh?

>Come to think of it, I toppled that mountain of packages the other day...
>Woah!

>Ooooh!
>A shift in the Earth's crust has occured!
>I messed up~
>...

p111
>Hiroe-san.
>Hm?

>Here.
>Let's open these boxes.
>All of them.
>A-All of them?

>Ah, I know, why don't we open them until we find the coffee?
>No.
>All of them.
>Ugh.

>Y-Yes.
>Understood...
>Let's do our best!

>Haaah...

>Erm.
>Good work...
>Uuh...
>I'm in your debt...

>There's three packs of trash bags.
>Th-
>They just keep piling up...
>We can throw out as much trash as we want!

>And these too.
>Sweats, sweats, sweats, and sweats.
>Oh...
>The sweats that were sealed away have been unleashed all at once.
>It'll be a problem if you keep wearing them in your room...

p112
>Hey, Hiroe-san.
>Why do you hate opening your packages so much?

>Well that's, um...
>I order them thinking that I need them, but life goes on even without me opening them. In other words...

>I wonder about whether everything I've bought was just useless.
>As all these things pile up, it becomes hard to face them...

>Woah.
>What a useless person.

>Um, but now
>we can put that stick coffee to use!
>Right?
>Th-That's right!
>I'm glad I bought it!
>We found some cups too.

>Well then, let's get things back on track
>and have some tea!
>Yeah!

>Wawa~
>There really is a lot here...
>I can see that.
>Eat whatever you'd like.

p113
>Ah~
>I'm gonna have the chocolate you brought back from your trip, Hana-chan!

>Hm

>Mmm
>Oh yeah, it's sweet!
>Delicious, Hana-chan!
>Ah, really?
>Good to hear.

>Erm, well then,
>I'll have some of this then.
>Ah.

>H-Hana-chan, wait a minute!
>That's...
>Eh?

>H-Hih?
>You're okay?
>?
>Is something wrong?

>I-Isn't it bitter?
>The chocolate you just ate was 90% cocoa.
>Ah, yes.
>I'm fine with bitter stuff.

p114
>Ooh...
>I thought you'd be bad with bitter stuff, Hana-chan.
>Ehehe
>I'm actually fine with bitter stuff.

>...
>It's not like I like them, but...

>When I was a ronin last year
>whenever I was cooked up in the apartment
>I'd eat nothing but this kind of chocolate.

>...It's bitter.

>This coffee without any sugar in it
>is also really bitter.

>But for some reason
>I'm okay with that.

>Back then
>my feelings were way more bitter.
>No chocolate could surpass those feelings no matter how bitter it was.
>I thought it would be fine even if it was more bitter.

p115
>As I kept doing that, I gradually got used to it
>and I'm not I'm pretty much fine with any kind of bitter thing.

>Ehehe.
>I'm weird, aren't I...?

>Hana-chan!
>Yes?

>Would you try eating some of this?
>Eh?
>But that's the chocolate from my trip, isn't it?
>Just do it.
>Go on.

>A-
>Alright then.

>~~~~
>Mwawa
>It's sweet!
>Yeah.
>It's sweet, right?

p116
>Uwawawa
>I think this might be a bit too sweet.
>I'm sorry...

>No no, Hana-chan.
>Right now
>this level of sweetness
>is just perfect, right?
>Sweet. Sweet.
>Chocolate that's nothing but sweet.

>Like the difference between my everyday life
>and the way I was last year
>it's sweet.

>...Yes.
>You're right.
>It's a bit too sweet, but
>right now it makes me really happy.

>By the way, if you'd like, you can take one of these sweats home with you.
>Ah.
>I don't need that.

p117
>Ah, Sensei.

>Oh.
>Hey.
>Want some candy?

>This is pretty delicious.
>Ah, I know.
>They're delicious.

>Alright then
>here you go.
>Yeah, thanks.

>Enami-sensei!
>Get in here at once!

>Uwah...
>Aha, did you get told off?
>Shut it.

p118
>Hm.

>Hey.
>Hold onto this for me.
>Mmph

>Could you wait there for a moment?

>...She wants me
>to hold onto it?

>In other words...


>...
>...

>...
>...sweet.

p119
>Hey, Tokura.
>Sensei.
>Look over there.
>Hm?

>A vapor trail.
>It's really long.
>Yeah.
>You're right.

>...
>...

>Where's my candy?
>It kinda disappeared.

>The hell?
>It's cos you took so long getting back.
>I couldn't help it. The head teacher's sermon took forever.

>Aha
>So you really were told off.
>Shut it.

p120
>You don't have anymore?
>Of that candy?

>Nope.
>That was the last one.
>Seriously? Crap.

>...But
>there's
>still some flavor remaining, y'know?

>What are you saying, moron?
>Ow!

>That hurt!
>I hit you in a way that wouldn't hurt.
>Well yeah, it didn't hurt.
>That's good then.

>Go home already.


p121
>Mm.
>Ah

>...It's sweet.
>But...

>It's not as sweet as I expected.
>...Just kidding.

>Just kidding.
>....

>So you had one left after all!!!
>Tamate forcibly swallowed down her retort before it could escape her throat.

>(remaining text omitted)

p124
(left side)
>Anime confirmed!
>The anime's confirmed, Hana-chan!
>Eh?
>*at the time of publishing, a TV anime adaptation was announced

>I hope we elite four can sing some character songs!
>Eh? Eh?

>We need a group name!
>Eh? Eh? Eh?

>Slow Starters.
>Ah, that's good!

>Ichinose Hana and the Slow Starters!
>Wah, what's that?
>Sounds like it came from the Showa era.

>Um, but
>you guys didn't really have a slow start...
>Hmm, in that case...

>Momochi Tamate, Tokura Eiko, Sengoku Kamuri and the Slow Starters!
>I'm the only one!?
>Even with the "s" on the end!!

>Ichinose Hana, Momochi Tamate, Tokura Eiko, Sengoku Kamuri and the Slow Starters!
>Who!?
>Who are the Slow Starters!?

(right side))

>Getting back on topic
>it seems Hana-chan is hiding some kind of secret.

>Secret?
>Hmm, what could it be?

>Maybe she's actually a magical girl!

>Or maybe an alien?

>She's actually
>a princess from a foreign country.

>She's actually a time traveller!
>She's secretly an idol!
>She's actually an oil baron!

>My secret
>is actually pretty plain...