H2
	 Volume 29
	  Chapter 2 (280)
	   Yes, Thank You
   
 - Page 23 -

(Ch. 2) Yes, Thank You

 - Page 24 -

Sign: Takamidai Hospital

[Time until my mom gets out of the hospital...]
[...three more days.]

 - Page 25 -

[Sunday.]

Hiro: Let's see,
	where was it?

Mom: (GA HA HA)

Hiro: There.

 - Page 26 -

Hiro: Ahem!

Mrs. Amamiya: Oh,
	welcome.

Mom: Yo!
	How ya doin', Son?

Hiro: I don't need to ask you, I suppose.
	Here's your luggage.

Mom: Thanks a bunch.
	You see how hard it is at home without your Mom?

Hiro: I'll leave it at that.

Mrs. Amamiya: Is Hikari feeding you like she should?

Hiro: Oh,
	yes, thank you.

 - Page 27 -

Hiro: Oh, right,
	Hikari asked me to give these books to you.

Mrs. Amamiya: Oh,
	thanks.
	I thought I would catch up on some reading.
	Being sick is so BORING.

Nurse: Here you are, Amamiya-san.
	Your tests are scheduled to begin.  Please return to your room!

Mrs. Amamiya: Oh,
	right away.
	See you soon.

Hiro: Oh,
	it's heavy, I'll carry it.

Mrs. Amamiya: Oh, thank you.

Mom: Hiro,
	buy me a sweet bun on the way back.

Hiro: Sheesh.

 - Page 28 -

Mrs. Amamiya: At that right up ahead.

Hiro: Got it.

Mrs. Amamiya: You really have grown, Hiro-chan.

 - Page 29 -

Mrs. Amamiya: I always told Hikari,
	Hiro-chan will be so handsome when he grows up.
	She would always laugh at that.
	Until the point you outgrew her.

Hiro: Don't feel like you have to flatter me, Ma'am.
	I'm only carrying books for you.

Mrs. Amamiya: I hope you get the chance to play against Hide-chan
	this year, in the Koshien.

 - Page 30 -

Hiro: So do I.

Mrs. Amamiya: Do you really want to win?
	Do you want to beat him?
	Or would you rather admit you've lost and come clean?
	I suppose not.

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Mrs. Amamiya: Here,
	your reward.

Hiro: Where do they sell food around here?

Mrs. Amamiya: There's a stand in the opposite direction, where we turned.

Hiro: Gotcha.

Mrs. Amamiya: But,
	they're closed on Sundays so you'll have to go outside.

Hiro: (bite)

Mrs. Amamiya: Hiro-chan.
	Good luck.
	Don't tell Hide-chan, but I'm actually rooting for you.

Hiro: You told Hideo the same thing, didn't you?

Mrs. Amamiya: Of course.

 - Page 32 -

 - Page 33 -

 - Page 34 -

Noda: State your business!!

Hideo: Where's Hiro?

Noda: Left early.
	Went to see his mom in the hospital.
	Speaking of which,
	isn't Hikari-chan's mom in the hospital too?

Hideo: Yeah.
	She's been in bad health,
	and they figured they'd run a few tests just to be sure.
	She seemed fine when I visited her yesterday though.

Noda: If you want to talk to Hiro, just go to Hikari-chan's house tonight.

 - Page 35 -

Noda: They've been eating dinner together this whole time...

Hideo: Three of them!
	Her dad's there too!
	So how's his pitching been?

Noda: Heh heh heh,
	it's almost complete.
	The vanishing ball pitch.
	Want to know how it disappears?
	It's a totally new process nobody's ever imagined before.
	Try not to have a heart attack when you hear.
	You apply the eraser to the ball before the inking process.

 - Page 36 -

Noda: So now that you're here,
	why don't you show our new teammates your batting skills?

Hideo: Hell no!
	Why would I start coaching a rival school?

Noda: Don't be a jerk, they're all fans of yours.

Hideo: Let me go!

Haruka: Tachibana-kun.
	What's wrong?

Hideo: Hey.

Noda: He just came to give our new guys some pointers.

Hideo: Shut up!  Leave me alone.

Haruka: WHAT?!
	REALLY?!  THANK YOU!

 - Page 37 -

Hideo: Come on, think about it.
	I'd never do that.

Haruka: Hey everyone, Tachibana Hideo's going to do some coaching!

Hideo: Listen to me.

Guys: Huh?

Girls: Kyaaa!
	It's really him!

Ohtake: Keh!

Shima: Are you gonna just let him show you up, Kine-san?

Kine: You guys need to grow up.
	A real man doesn't harbor a grudge over stuff like that.

Shima: OK, we'll get some pointers then.

 - Page 38 -

Hikari: Oh,
	shoot!
	Dad!
	Call Hiro and tell him to buy some ginger on the way here.

Mr. Amamiya: Ginger?

Hikari: I forgot to buy some for the yakisoba.

 - Page 39 -

Mr. Amamiya: That's not so important.  It's edible without that stuff.

Hikari: No!
	Yakisoba must have ginger!

Mr. Amamiya: Oh, all right.

Ladle: (clang)(clang)(clang)

Mr. Amamiya: Did she always like cooking that much?

Phone: (bip)(bop)(boop)(bap)(bip)

 - Page 40 -

[Three days later, my mom left the hospital,]
[and Hikari's died.]

 - Chapter 2 End -