20th Century Boys Volume 1 : Friend Chapter Four Snot Towel - Page 81 - Maruo: KENJIIIIII!! (wobble) (wobble) Kenji!! Kenji: Did you finally wake up to a diet and start running, Maruo? Maruo: That's not it! Did you see the newspaper?! Kenji: No reading in-store. Buy it first. Maruo: Just shut up and look at this!! Chapter 4 : Snot Towel - Page 82 - [Donkey...] [Had died...] Headlines: INDUSTRIAL HIGH SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR COMMITS SUICIDE Jumps from School Rooftop Chapter 4 : Snot Towel - Page 83 - [Donkey's house was a shanty.] [I still don't know how all those brothers and sisters lived together in that place.] [Donkey's mother was endlessly doing laundry.] [Wash and wash and wash, but she could never catch up.] - Page 84 - [Donkey's towel was a snot towel.] Yanbo: Yaaaaaah!! Mabo: Oh... AND THERE IT IS!! Yanbo's dreadful, explosive 16 Mon Kick!! (mon=old Japanese coin) Can he stand?! Can Donkey stand?! Uh-oh, Yanbo goes ahead with his killer Figure Four Leg Lock!! - Page 85 - Donkey: Owwwwwww!! Aaaaaaaah!! Mabo: Now, can proper pro wrestling truly win a match? Tag team to Mabo!! Yanbo: Goooooo!! Donkey: Waaaaaaah. Aaaaaaah! Waaaaah! Gyaaaaah!! Yanbo: Ah... and this is the end! Mabo's hellish special attack!! The Canadian Back Breaker!! [Donkey was the eternal pro wrestling sparring partner] Donkey: Aaaaaah! [For the most evil twins in history, Yanbo and Mabo.] - Page 86 - [At that time, you were nobody if you didn't have a bike.] Kenji: Let's get some popsicles! Race you to Jijibaba!! Others: You're on!! ["Jijibaba" (Old man, old woman) was a candy store that served as a public meeting place of sorts for us. Nobody knew its real name.] [We called it Jijibaba, but the jiji died years ago, so only the baba was left.] Maruo: Mmmmmmmm! Yeah, Jijibaba has the best popsicles!! Yoshitsune: Even though you never win the "get one free" game. Kenji: Huh? - Page 87 - Boys: Oh no, it's Donkey!! Donkey: Hey. Hey. Kenji: L... let's get outta here!! He's gonna throw his snot towel at us!! Maruo: Mmmmmmph! Donkey: Hey. Kenji: MMMMMmmmghph!! Mmmmmm!! Mwah?! MMMMMMMMM!! - Page 88 - [Donkey's speed was unbelievable when he took his shoes off...] Boys: MMMMMMM!! MMMMMMMM! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!! * Do not go to the gravel pit without adults. [About the same time, in summer vacation, the school sent out this letter.] Letter: Precautions for Summer * Always obey the law. * Don't drink unpurified water. * Don't buy too much candy. * Do not go to the gravel pit without adults [The gravel pit was a leftover gravel mining operation that had filled up with rainwater and turned into a pond...] [It was an extremely dangerous place...] - Page 89 - Kenji: Rrg!! This is the worst place for bicycles. (scrch scrch) Maruo: Hey Yoshitsune! You really saw it, right? Yoshitsune: I didn't see it. Yoshida's friend's friend saw it. He said he saw huge splashes in the gravel pit. Kenji: I knew it was in there! The giant snakefish... - Page 90 - Kenji: Just watch, I'll catch it!! (zdd zdd...) Yoshitsune: A... are you sure, Kenjiiii? Kenji: What are you doing, Yoshitsune? Come on!! Yoshitsune: I... I'll watch from here. Kenji: It's okay. Maruo: Come on, you chicken!! Kenji: It's not comin' at all. Maruo: Is it really in there? Kenji: Everyone says it is. It has to be. We'll be heroes if we catch the snakefish in the gravel pit. Maruo: How big did Yoshida's friend's friend say it was? Yoshitsune: Like, about 2 meters! It could eat you!! - Page 91 - Yoshitsune: W... what do you want? Are you gonna steal our bikes? Maruo: Ah... Kenji: Donkey! Yoshitsune: Go away, Donkey. Kenji: Guard the bikes, Yoshitsune! We'll switch spots with you. Maruo: Whoa!! Wahawawawawa... Kenji: What are you doing? Get up, Maruo!! Maruo: Ah... Awawawa... - Page 92 - Maruo: I... I can't get up... Kenji: Huh? Waaaaaaa!! Both: Aaaaaah!! Yoshitsune: W... What's wrong?! Both: We're getting sucked in! We can't get out!! Yoshitsune: W... then... what am I supposed to do?! Both: Hurry! Someone!! Call someone, quick!! - Page 93 - Yoshitsune: B... but there's nobody... Ah... I'll go over to that shack and get a grown-up!! Gya!! Aaaah!! Owwwwwww!! Boys: What are you doing?! Hurry up!! - Page 94 - Yoshitsune: He's... so fast... Boys: HURRYYYYY!! - Page 95 - Yoshitsune: Why'd you come back alone?! Go call a grown-up!! Donkey: Nobody was there. I brought a rope. Yoshitsune: Grab onto this!! Rope: (fwap) Boys: It's not long enough!! - Page 96 - Rope: (gyu) (fwap) [Donkey's towel was a snot towel.] Boys: Hahh. Hahh. Hahh. - Page 97 - Boys: Hahh. Hahh. Kenji: T... Thanks a bunch, Donkey. Donkey: He... heheh. Kenji: Hahaha! Wipe your nose, Donkey!! Donkey: Hehehe... Boys: Hahahahaha!! [Ever since that day, we stopped riding bikes and decided to run along with Donkey.] Kenji: Mama, I'm goin' to Donkey's wake. - Page 98 - [It was from Donkey himself...] ["It's been quite a while since we've talked, Kenji-kun. How are you?"] ["I am doing fine."] ["Please forgive me for sending you a letter out of the blue like this..."] ["Do you remember this symbol?"] - Chapter 4 Owari -