A girl walks, a determined look on her face. As she walks, she thinks to herself in those little white boxes. (If you get a chance to read it, try to imagine, if you will, an 11-year-old English girl saying it. The translator seems to have made it easy, at least for me.) It's her first day at her new school. She moved to Japan five years prior (Excuse me while my brain overloads at the thought of a 6-year-old Ana. ahhhhhhhhhsocute There, I'm done. Don't worry, I'm not taking her home with me, except in manga and maybe someday anime form.) because her father's business brought her and her immediate family. She's accustomed to living there and speaks fluent Japanese. She's started to think of it as home, but...
Miu points her out to Chika. "Lookit! A foreigner!"
The girl still intends to live like an English girl. Although she's fluent in Japanese, she doesn't like it, thinking it sounds like "twaddle". Her parents use Japanese all the time, and she's afraid she might be losing her native language. She figures, however, that nobody else has to know she can speak it so well. She's determined not to speak another word of it — she'll be English through and through!
Much to Chika's shock, Miu meets her with a "Guudo mohningu." The girl replies with a cheery "Ah! Konnichiwaaa~!"
Episode 11: Ana
(The background has tiny polka dots that are lighter as you go toward the bottom. A white space image of a strawberry is near the upper left corner. In the middle of the background is a much larger strawberry.
In the middle of the foreground is Ana. She's really the focus of the picture, though all the girls we've come to know in this manga are present. They're each carrying a white bag with a strawberry motif. Matsuri is carrying hers from the bottom. Nobue is holding the straps of hers in one hand; no points for guessing what's in the other. Ana is holding her bag's straps with both hands. Miu's bag is balanced on her head as she walks. Chika is holding her bag's strap with both hands, and swinging it to the side.)
Chika and Miu are looking down. Miu relates that she said "good morning", then collapsed. Indeed, she's on her hands and knees. Chika figures Miu has a lot of guts. Miu relates what happened in more general terms while Ana considers how scary it is what one gets used to doing. She gets up, dusts herself off, and asks what grade they're in; Miu says 6th. Chika asks if she's all right; she says she's fine and tells her not to worry. She walks off, leaving the two confused. She figures that it can still work, as long as they're in a different class.
In 5B, the teacher quiets the class down to introduce a new student. Ana decides that this is where it counts; she's not going to make any more mistakes. The teacher tells her to raito haa neemu on the blackboard; she complies, but "DA!"s at herself when she realizes that she wrote it in hiragana. She erases it. (The eraser has a strap on it so you can slip your hand through. I've never seen that before, but it looks like a good idea.)
"Mai... neemu izu... Ana. I keemu furomu Ingurando." She pauses to recall the English phrase "Hau doo yoo doo? Naisu too meetchu." The class applauds, gauging their own English skills to be higher possibly than they are. Ana doesn't think anyone noticed anything amiss, though the teacher wonders to himself if she's really from England.
In selecting her new seat, the teacher points to the desk to Matsuri's left, alarming her, and tells the students in that aisle to move one back. This puts Ana in front. He explains that since she's new, she may need extra help. (Is that her story, then?) Matsuri starts freaking out. She tries to get the teacher's attention, but he interprets it as offering her seat, and reminds her that she probably needs to stay up front due to her vision.
Ana notices Matsuri straining to pay attention to what's up front. Ana gives her a quiet "Haro", which Matsuri returns nervously, hiding in her book. She tries again, a little louder this time, really freaking her out, though she does return it again. Ana visibly silences as Matsuri collapses in her chair, her nerves giving her a tummyache. Ana considers that maybe she was a little forward, but also gauges Matsuri's reaction as being a bit dramatic.
The clock ticks by. Two hours later, more visible silence.
During morning break, a boy asks where in England she's from. She smiles, but reminds herself not to answer because it was in Japanese.
3rd period.
Lunch break.
During 4th period, Matsuri looks over at her from behind a book, then turns away when Ana looks over.
Ana comes to realize something during clean-up time: as long as she refuses to speak Japanese, she can't talk to others.
Then she notices Matsuri struggling with a door. Ana opens it for her, telling her it opened easily, and asking if she has any muscles. Matsuri thanks her, then just... looks at her. Ana realizes... she just spoke Japanese! She quickly traps Matsuri. She says she has no intention of speaking Japanese at school. Matsuri asks her if she can speak it. Ana points out that she was just speaking it, and says she thought that's what Matsuri was staring at her about. Matsuri says it was because of the piece of rice on her cheek that's been there all day. (It's on the wrong side; how did she keep noticing it? And why didn't that boy or anybody else say anything?) Ana is trying to figure this out. Matsuri didn't notice that she was able to understand Ana until Ana pointed it out? Matsuri can't even remember what Ana said, or if it was Japanese. Plop.
Ana accompanies Matsuri home. She tells her to keep it a secret. Matsuri says she's supposed to meet with some of her friends. Ana waits with her, but tells her that she won't speak Japanese to them, just to her in secret. Matsuri spots them.
Guess who they are. Go on, take a shot in the dark. You won't injure anybody.
If you guessed Miu and Chika, give yourself a hand! If you're alone or in a place where they don't care that you're applauding yourself at the computer, that is. Miu remembers her, "the Japanese-talkin' foreigner from this morning." "Dah!" says Ana.
Ana joins the group going to Chika's house. Nobue greets Chika, asking if she had a good day at school. Chika asks why Nobue is already home. She also introduces Ana, prompting Nobue to turn around enough to get a look. She pretty much stops listening.
"Shimmering locks of bright golden hair...
Crystal blue eyes like deep pools...
Long, slim, shapely legs..."
(GLOMP) "She's MIIINE!!" LESS THAN THREE less than three
"DAH?!"
Chika(?) thinks Nobue's drunk. Miu(?) points out the empty cans. Chika(?) says Nobue "pervs out" when she drinks. Poor Ana is completely freaked out.
Over tea, Nobue apologizes for that. Ana says it's okay, though she's still clearly recovering. Miu pinches Matsuri's face while Chika asks Nobue how much she had to drink; Matsuri slaps Miu's face as Chika asks Ana her full name. Ana tries to dissuade them from wanting to know. Miu notices her Aigle bag, and brings it to Nobue for her to read. Nobue thinks it's pronounced "Coppola". Everybody looks at Ana, and she looks back. Miu decides that that's what they'll call her: Coppola. Ana looks down. She's insecure about her surname.
Episode dividers!
This volume's episode divider series is called "HALLO WORK". Between each episode, two of the girls (or Ana and Sasazuka; you'll meet him later) will illustrate a pair of professions.
First is Nobue as an office lady. She's walking and carrying a tray.
Next is Chika as a florist. She's carrying a pot of flowers.
Next time: Episode 12!
