Toradora! Volume 4

Even just a bit, he hoped he had a place in her mind…
Maybe not even as a ghost but as a fragment of a spirit,
that would be enough.

“…Well, then next time, oh I know….Hey, Takasu-kun. Why
don’t we go looking for UFO’s together some time? Real
ones, not just an artificial satellite.”

Suddenly looking up towards the sky, her eyes narrowed
into a smile.

“After ghosts will be UFO’s…Then after that, Tsuchinoko. Just
like that, if the world steadily changes…if I find the things
I’m searching for…as my world changes, then, just maybe,
someday…”

It was at that moment.

At the edge of his sight, Ryūji saw it shine.

He quickly pointed to the sea.

Turning around, Minori saw what Ryūji was pointing at.

It was a ball of light shooting upwards from the dark horizon.
Then, it burst.

Against the indigo sky, it flowered outwards in a great circle.
A second later, the sight was followed by a deep resounding
boom.

Right over Minori’s head, it looked as if the fragments were
raining down.

With her arms outspread, Minori’s eyes were wide open,
shining more brightly than even the stars. The tip of her
nose was lightly dyed in the light of the fireworks. Then, she
murmured. Maybe she didn’t mean for anyone to hear,
maybe she was just speaking to herself…

“It blew up---The UFO did.”

Kitamura as well looked up at the sky.

Even Taiga and Ami looked up at the sky in the same way.

So then, they were all rendered speechless. It was just so
sudden, the splendor of the flames in the sky.

They continued to shoot upwards, bursting, followed by the
sound of the explosion and falling back towards the earth.
Red, yellow, blue, green, the midsummer fireworks
scattered and glittered throughout the night sky.

“The start of the Milky Way War…is it…?”

Stretching out both arms towards the sky, Minori murmured
as if she still couldn’t believe it. Over and over again, like in
a dream, I saw it, she said.




Beneath the dazzling sky, there was something Ryūji never
noticed.

Taiga’s upraised arms slowly dropped. The fireworks are
awesome, just look at them, stupid dog---Unable to grasp
onto the hem of his t-shirt like she normally would, Taiga’s
hand dropped.

Then, she finally understood. That she hadn’t understood at
all.

I see.

---So it’s like this, is it, she thought.

Only the eyes of Ami nearby gazed at the side of Taiga’s
face. Beneath the sky where the fireworks continued their
performance, rather than look at her with pity, she rolled
her eyes, but not saying a word, she only continued to stay
by her side.




***




“…!”

When she awoke, Taiga didn't know where she was for a
moment. She felt like she had just seen a weird dream, and
still feeling caught up in the dream’s atmosphere, she was
scared, thinking that she'd been abandoned in some
horrible place.

“What are you doing, come on, we’re getting off!”

“…Ah? Eh?”

In front of her was Ryūji. Next to him was Kitamura as he
unloaded Ami’s luggage and handed it over to him.
Completely oblivious, Ami was staring into her Chanel-brand
compact while crying “Ahh, I knew being in this train would
dry me out~!”

“Taiga! We’re going!”

Pulled by her hand, she was pulled out of her seat. Minori
was smiling ear to ear as she got Taiga’s luggage for her.

Oh yeah, the trip’s over, she thought. Before she knew it,
the express train they were on was back at the station they
were all familiar with, where the platform was overflowing
with passengers getting off.

Hurriedly taking her stuff and grabbing onto Minori’s hand,
she started walking down the narrow aisle. Not sure when
she had fallen asleep, her head was in tremendous pain
from oversleeping. Actually, her stomach hurt quite a bit as
well.

“Minorin…I think my stomach hurts…”

“Eh? Really? Umm, will you be okay? Takasu-kun, Taiga says
her stomach hurts!”

What, Ryūji turned around. Kitamura did as well.

“Do you want to take some medicine? We’ll rest for a bit on
one of the platform seats.”

Beyond his glasses, those kind eyes that could evoke tears
just by looking at them were staring gently at Taiga’s face.
However, Taiga shook her head, saying she was fine and
turning to look away.

It’s fine.

It’s fine like this.

In only a few days, summer break will end. Life will be back
the way it usually was.

An unchanging status, an unchanging classroom, and
unchanging days and nights. And maybe, something that
changed just a little.

However, Taiga just thought, that’s fine. After all, there's no
reason for it to not be fine.







At the ticket gate where they met up two days ago,

“A trip’s not over until you’re home! Everyone, make sure
you keep your wits about you so that you’ll arrive home
safely!”

Kitamura gave a slightly embarrassing speech. Completely
ignoring him, Ryūji’s face was full of contemplation,

“Should I stop by the supermarket…Today’s Friday, so the
tuna should be cheap.”

How about it Taiga?, he tried to ask her,

“Be quiet, I’m tired! Always going on like some housewife,
geez.”

And was rejected cruelly.

Ami was lost in her own thoughts as well. Seemingly worried
over her slightly sunburnt nose,

“Maybe I’ll go and visit my parents’ estate today~…”

She announced grandly. Tugging forcibly at the disorganized
group, “Hey hey hey! Get over here! Come on!” Minori
spoke seriously.

“Ehh, ending this trip without any accidents is most
important! Ah well, anyway, see you everyone! Until the
new semester! Let’s meet up again at school!”

---We have club activities tomorrow though, Kitamura’s
blunt words were left behind as they waved goodbye. So
then, heading towards the bike storage at the north
entrance, Minori turned away from everyone. However,
turning back around and calling Ryūji’s name, “I’ll bring a
towel next time, you know! What color would you like?” she
said. “Um, blue!” “Eh? Hot pink?” “I said blue!” “Eh? You
want one made from gold and silver?” “B.L.U.E!” “Oh, I see,
khaki!” Minori continued understandingly with an ever-
increasing smile. “Ah, o, okay then…Khaki it is…” he said.

What idiots, Taiga said with a cold look while sitting. Looking
for only a moment at Taiga with a slight laugh, Ami called
out “see ya!” as she hit Ryūji’s back, donning her
sunglasses. Her face turning from a highschooler on
summer vacation back to that of a model, she walked off to
the ticket gate for a transfer to get back to her parents’
house. Kitamura gave Taiga some medicine before waving,
“I left my bike over there too!” he exclaimed before setting
off to join Minori.

And just like that, Ryūji Takasu’s summer as a second-year
high schooler ended.

Author's Notes

Something incredible has happened, my trouser button has
just flown off.

I didn't want to believe it, but it was the truth... Hello
everybody, this is Takemiya. Though it's not really
important, I don't think anyone in Japan calls them
"trousers" (ズボン) for women's pants anymore, right? I'm
really sorry about that. I think they now just use the term
"pants" (パンツ) to refer to those, right? And then there's
another term for women's black tights... or are those
panties... no, it's "spats" (スパッツ)! Now they don't even
use that, instead they call them "leggings" (レギンス), no?
I'm not sure how it's spelt, that's because I don't use it
often. Let's see... l-e-g-g-i-n-g (I can't believe I have to figure
out how to spell such a word at this age)... or was it l-a-g-
g...... (nope, I dunno).




Anyway, what's most important is...

Thank you all you readers for reading the first edition of
Toradora! volume 4 in 2007! I am most grateful.

Phrases that used to naturally come off my tongue has now
become "cliches", I'm still amazed at how time flies by
quickly. Many times I had tried to put in "lame jokes" (I think
they're also called something else now... they're called
"gags" are they...?) whenever I thought of one, they get shot

down by the editor, saying they were hardly funny. I wonder
if readers are satisfied that this book finally got published
after many such incidents. As long as my work could allow
readers to relax and enjoy themselves, I'll be satisfied! This
story will continue, so please continue to give your support
for the next volume, as well as the one after that, thank
you!



Today I will give my readers a little magical present, so
please do accept it. This is a spell that would allow even
those with small appetites to take in two bowls of rice:

1. Take a cod, slice it and remove its skin

2. According to your preferences, cut up some spring onions.

Though if you add too much, the taste

would go bland.

3. Mix up the cod with egg yolk and spring onions. (You could

also add the egg yolk into the

miso soup.)

4. Eat it with rice.


...... By the time you noticed, your rice cooker will be devoid
of two bowls worth of rice. If you're eating spaghetti instead,
then you'll consume at least 200g! (Exclamation mark not
an exaggeration.)

As long as you adhere to this method, then you'll be able to
join me as another villager. Villager of what, you ask? You'll
find out when you become one. Now come! Join us!
Calories? We'll worry about that afterwards, so just come!
There's no need to be scared... since it's tasty! Come on!




But seriously, this spell (or rather this dish) really is
amazing. A cod that could breed tens of thousands of
codlings, an egg that could grow into a chicken, and the

thousands of rice that could grow into millions and millions
of crops, and I've swallowed them all... Rather than the
amazing amount of cholesterol they contain, I'm more
amazed by the possibilities that the ingredients could turn
into, which is endless. Could it be that I like eating that
because of these possibilities? Speaking of which, I also like
salmon egg rice. (Possibility of hundreds of salmons being
spawned x Possibility of hundreds of rice seeds x 1000)
Ahem, of course, I like salmon as well.

That is to say, as I indulge myself in all these possibilities,
I'm also ruthlessly abandoning my possibilities as a
"woman". Oh my gosh! My fingers are bleeding from typing
too hard!!!




...




Finally! I'm really, really thankful to you for actually reading
this nonsense all the way to the end. I hope you would
continue to support my works as I continue to try my best!
Give me the energy I need to go on! To Yasu-sensei and the
editor, I ought to be giving just as many thanks to you guys
as well. Let this be our little secret, and let us continue to
march on till the end as the accursed romantic story trio of
author, illustrator and editor!

Takemiya Yuyuko Forward to Volume
5











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