Bokurano Ikki #3, 2008 Chapter 50 Kana Ushiro (3) - Page 1 - Chapter 50 - Kana Ushiro (3) The girl who bore her brother all her life must now bear the fate of the world. - Page 2 - [Right after the end of Kanji's battle,] [Machi went missing.] Dad: They say she might be dead! They say she's missing! God damn it all!! Sniff... - Page 3 - Dad: Yoko! Yoko! I'm all out of sake!! Mom: Well, if you'd just stop DRINKING for a little while... Dad: Hey! You there!! Tate: Yes sir!! Dad: Buy me some more!! Tate: Yes sir!! Dad: Yokoooo! - Page 4 - [After Anko's battle,] [Kanji's father, Machi's father and my father were brought together,] DB: It's nice and cruel, And nice and optimistic. [and told what happens to Zearth's pilots.] [At the time, they didn't know whether Machi or my brother would be the remaining pilot,] Sasami: Not all of the battles have finished. [But it seemed they wanted to make sure the rest of their time was used to the fullest.] Sasami: But because of that, we don't know when it will all be over. Now that we have the cooperation of the media outlets, it's only right that we should explain the situation to those involved. I'm also going to explain the truth to the families of the children who are already dead. - Page 5 - Sasami: I realize that it will be no consolation to them. But what else can I do? DB: Are you panicking, because the little shrimp's the pilot now? Sasami: I think I might run out of time. It's a bad spot I'm in. It's embarrassing to have to be in a rush like this. It's embarrassing to have to put everything in the hands of kids my grandchildrens' age. DB: So you can't leave this up to the little girl. Sasami: No, I'm afraid I can't. Could you? Knowing that a person who could possibly lose has been chosen as pilot. - Pages 6 & 7 - - Page 8 - Kana: Dad? Father: Hmm? Kana: You don't need to worry. Every two seconds, somewhere in the world, a child dies of starvation. That means every two seconds, there is a story where the main character dies. That's a lot of horrible stories. So if my death looks like a sad story to someone else, I hope those people will use their imagination to think of all the children who don't get special deaths. - Page 9 - Kana: Dad, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. Father: I'm sorry. I'm sure you're busy. Tanaka: Don't let it bother you. - Page 10 - Tanaka: Can we talk as we're driving? Father: Yes. I'll be straight. I have a request, as Kana's father. I want you to grant her wish. I want you to tell Jun that you are his mother. Tanaka: How did Kana know that Jun was adopted? - Page 11 - Father: I had to tell her. Kana's always thought that she killed her mother. That she stole her from me and Jun. But ignoring my side of it, Jun's real mother is somewhere else. You see? I had to tell her. I had to save Kana from her pain. Of course, because of that, she's now carrying a different burden, but that's MY fault. Tanaka: Mr. Ushiro... I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I just can't do that. Father: Why not? What's the reason? - Page 12 - Tanaka: Because I'm ALSO in the contract. After Kana's battle, I will die, too. Father: But, no... Tanaka: I'm contracted. The truth is, Jun was NEVER in the contract. - Page 13 - Tanaka: To him, it's going to look like his sister, Kana, and now his mother were both contracted in his place. I still haven't been able to come up with a calm decision for this problem. What will Jun do if he finds out? How will he live after this? Will he be able to cope? Will he step up and claim the last remaining spot in Zearth's roster? Any of those choices would be cruel and painful to Jun. So you see, I cannot tell him. - Page 14 - Father: Does your... family know about this? Tanaka: No. But they'll be able to cope, after my time comes. They know what happens to soldiers. Father: Oh dear... Tanaka: Sir... It still comes in handy, for me. That lecture you gave about death. - Page 15 - Tanaka: You told us to imagine we died today. And we had to write about how we imagined our family and friends would feel, over time. That day, the next day, a week later, a month, a year, ten years. It was a fascinating lesson. Father: It wasn't to PREPARE you for death, though. It was a lesson built on the presumption that you wouldn't be dying soon. Plus, I haven't done that one in years. Parents complained to the school. The principal scolded me. Most students have never thought about their own death. Or else it's too frightening for them to face. But... - Page 16 - Father: If they don't think about death, they don't think about life. If you keep in mind that you might die tomorrow, it will change the way you act today, won't it? But now that I'm faced with the prospect of my own child dying soon, it's like a sick joke. Don't tell me you just jumped right into... Tanaka: Think of it as if I didn't have a choice. - Page 17 - Father: Normally I'd think it best to tell Jun the truth, and let him think about it on his own... Tanaka: It reminded me of your favorite thing to say. "Think about it." [It is the greatest luxury that mankind has been given.] - Page 18 - [And it's especially important to those of middle school age.] [In your entire life,] [there is no better time to enjoy the greatest pleasures of thinking.] [In developed countries such as Japan, at least,] [It's a time when you don't need to use your mind to think about how to put food on the table.] [From the perspective of animal survival, this is a very rare phenomenon.] [Most living creatures use their minds entirely for the purpose of obtaining food.] - Page 19 - [In fact, most human adults are the exact same way.] [They're only thinking about how to get by. How to earn the day's meal.] [Exactly the same things all other animals think about.] [Adult thought processes are analogous to those of animals.] [But not during the childhood years.] [A time when you're free to worry about things that have nothing to do with survival.] [A time for stupid things.] - Page 20 - [Naive thoughts and worries that most adults would answer by saying they have little to do with reality or working society.] [But that's not a real answer.] [It's just an excuse as to why they have abandoned the ability to think.] [These slightly righteous cares and worries that children hold] [are actually very important.] [Because they're not tied down to making it through the day,] [these thoughts are free, and full of possibility.] - Page 21 - Tanaka: {The chance to think. Should I be giving Jun that burden?} - Page 22 - Father: Don't you have to go to school? It's open again, isn't it? Kana: Yeah. But it'll be hard to explain everything. I wrote a letter to my friend. What about you? Should YOU be at school? Father: Yes. - Page 23 - Father: Are you sure there isn't any place you'd like to go? Kana: Yeah. I just want to stay with the family. Father: Okay. Kana: Daddy? Father: Mm? - Page 24 - Kana: You got a lot of calls from your students, didn't you? Father: Yes. Kana: You shouldn't take too much time off and make them worried. Father: No. I'll be cooking the dinner tonight. Do you have a request? Kana: Curry. That's Jun's favorite. Father: Mild, then? Kana: Yes, mild. - Page 25 - Kana: Daddy, I'm sorry. I don't think I can eat dinner tonight. - Page 26 - Kana: Thank you, Daddy. - Page 27 - - Pages 28 & 29 - - Page 30 - DB: Look at this damn thing they brought in here. Kana: Mrs. Tanaka...? Umm... Tanaka: We'll move it when the battle starts. Just hang on until then. DB: Good thing this one's an away battle. It means we won't have to let this little trick go to waste. - Page 31 - DB: If you have any comments for her, send them through me. I DO have to stick up for my dear little sister. Both: Sister? - Page 32 - DB: All right. Let's get going. - Chapter 50 End -