Kimagure Orange College Episode 6 - Foul mouthed fowl [Cut to the hill leading up to Kasuga's boarding house. As the picture slowly zooms closer, we can see Kasamatsu walking up the hill, carrying a box with a cloth drapped over it. As we get closer, we can hear him chuckling to himself...] Kasuga Narration: The whole thing started innocently enough. I remember the day before in class, when Kasamatsu-san asked me to take care of his pet bird, a large exotic parrot, while he and Saito-san left town for the weekend. Seemed like a small enough favor, so I said OK. There was no way I could have foreseen the disasters that were to come next... Kasamatsu: Heh...this is gonna be good! I can't wait to see the look on his face when he gets a load of this guy! [As he gets closer, we hear muffled sounds coming out from the box. Kasamatsu quickly and surreptitiously puts the box down and whispers into the box.] Kasamatsu: [Whispers] Hey, it's OK! We're almost there! [After the sounds die down, he picks up the box and continues until he rounds the corner and sees the boarding house on the side of the road. Walking up the path, he lets himself in and takes off his shoes. As he turns around, he almost bumps into...] Kasamatsu: Miyasato-san! [To both twins] Going somewhere? Yuko: Hai! We're supposed to meet Katsu-san at the Okonomiyaki- Maru after his tennis match with Kasuga-san! Kasamatsu: Ah, yes! Well, have a nice time! [Starts up the stairs] Yoko: Say, whatcha got in the box? Kasamatsu: Well...[sweats] just a package for Kasuga-san. Actually, it's a pet. He promised to take care of it while Saito- san and I are gone for the weekend. Yoko: Hey! No pets! Yuko: Yeah! Kanrinin-san's rules! Kasamatsu: [Looks confused] I thought your kanrinin's only rules were about rent? Yoko: Well [looks a little insincere] actually, Fujimoto-san's the one who doesn't like cleaning up after them. But, since she helps kanrinin-san so much with the upkeep... Yuko: ...what she says usually goes over with him. Kasamatsu: Hey, this is only gonna be here for a weekend! What's the harm if no one knows? Yoko: Well [with an extortionist's look on her face...] I don't know... Yuko: Yeah [returns look to Yoko...] they *do* stink up the place pretty fierce. And since Kasuga's place is right over our... Kasamatsu: [Frustrated] All right! [Digs out his wallet, leafs out several bills and hands them over.] Here! Both Miyasato's in unison: Thank you! [Snatch bills] Yoko: Now we can afford to really party! Yuko: Yeah...and don't worry [To Kasamatsu] we didn't see anything! [Both leave, laughing at Kasamatsu and for their good fortune] Kasamatsu: [Mutters to himself] Little mercenaries! Next time though, [evil grin] it'll be both your turns! [Goes up the stairs with thoughts of creative SD mischief dancing through his head. When he gets to Rm No. 5, he knocks on the door.] Kasuga: [Opens the door] Ah, Kasamatsu-san! Kasamatsu: Ohayo, Kasuga-san! Kasuga: [Goes back into the room] Come on in. Just put him down anywhere... Kasamatsu: [Puts the covered box on a side table, and puts the bird stand on the floor. He pulls out a bag of seed from his pocket and gives it to Kasuga.] Now that should be more than enough for the weekend. The cage is already cleaned, so all you have to worry about is making sure he gets enough water. Kasuga: OK. Say, what did you call this guy? Kasamatsu: Baka. Kasuga: Baka...? That's his name? Kasamatsu: That's right! Kasuga: [To himself] What a stupid name for a parrot...[To Kasamatsu] So when will you be back to pick him up? Kasamatsu: Sunday night right after I get back into town. [Turns to leave] Thanks for doing this for me on such short notice, Kasuga-san! I'm sure everything will turn out just fine between you two! Kasuga: By the way, can he say anything? Kasamatsu: [Stops, turns around and smiles] Oh sure! He can say a lot of stuff! [Proudly] I trained him myself. Kasuga: You mean like "hello"? Kasamatsu: [Is now almost out of the room, leaning his head in. His smile turns...sinister] Heh...not quite! [Closes door. We can hear the sounds of his footsteps as he goes running down the stairs.] [As the sounds of footsteps fade, Kasuga lifts off the sheet covering the cage. The parrot is a tall red bird, with a variety of plumage spreading down to its wings. His beak is a large, fierce-looking one, and along with his beady eyes, gives him an intimidating appearance.] Kasuga: Big one, isn't he...[He opens the cage and takes the parrot out of the cage and puts him on the stand.] Hello? [to the parrot] Can you say hello? Baka: BAKA! Kasuga: [Looks momentarily surprised] Huh...it can say it's own name. Pretty loud too. [To Baka with slow emphasis.] Can you say Kasuga? Baka: Kasuga hentai! [Writer's note: Under normal circumstances, I have been footnoting the Japanese Romanization I use. However, in this case, since printing the actual contents of Baka's dialog might violate some people's rules regarding netiquette, I'll make an exception here. If you're not sure what the parrot is saying, just be rest assured that he's not telling Kasuga "what a nice shirt you're wearing..."] Kasuga: [Now looks stunned] Wh-what did you say? Baka: Kasuga no baka! Kasuga bakayaro! [Takes off and starts flying around the room.] Kasuga: WHY YOU LITTLE-! [Rolls up his sleeves and lunges after Baka] Baka: [Flies into one of Kasuga's open boxes and after a brief scuffle with some clothing, comes out with one of Kasuga's underwear drapped around his neck] Kasuga buta! Kasuga: [Picks himself out of the box, now with clothes scattered around the room] That jerk Kasamatsu must be laughing halfway to Kyoto by now! [Turns his attention back to Baka] COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE-! Baka: Kasuga chikan! [Flies into another one of Kasuga's boxes. The box tips over and dumps a pile of miscellaneous items on Kasuga's desk. He then tries to fly out, but his wings are entangled in a coil of rope that falls out of the box.] Kasuga: [Grabs the other end of the entangled rope] GOT YOU NOW! [Looks at the rope more carefully] Ehh...? [Cut to the outside hallway, facing a closed door number 5. From inside, Kasuga's voice is heard.] Kasuga: OH NOOOOO...! [There is silence for several seconds after his shout fades away. The silence is marred only by a scratching and scuffing sound at the door. Then, almost a minute later, Kasuga runs out the door, flapping his arms and running in an awkward fashion.] [Writer's note: To those who do not know the significance of the rope, see "I was a fish; I was a cat" OVA.] [Cut to Ayukawa's apartment. The camera slowly zooms forward, as we watch her copying down some material from a textbook. Her work is interrupted by the sound of the telephone.] Ayukawa: [Picks up the phone] Hello?...Ehh? Who is this? [Starts to look a little confused] Who is this? Is this some kind of joke? [Hangs up. She starts to continue her writing, then stops. She looks at the phone and thinks to herself...] Then again, knowing Kasuga, I guess I shouldn't put anything past him anymore. [She stands up, gets her jacket and heads out the door, muttering to herself...] Kasuga-kun better not be pulling my chain... [Cut to the Kamon'yama public park tennis courts. Katsu is sitting on the bench. He's wearing a white collared tennis shirt and shorts. His court bag, along with his racket, is sitting next to him. As he looks at his watch again, Kasuga can be seen running up the sidewalk, flapping his arms.] Kasuga: [Muttering meaninglessly] bakabakabakabakabaka... Katsu: [Puzzled look on his face] What the heck...? Kasuga-san? [Puts his hand on Kasuga's chest as he comes running up to him, bring him to a stop.] Kasuga: [Confused look on his face.]... Katsu: Where have you been? [Looks and sees that's Kasuga doesn't have any of his tennis equipment and is not even appropriately dressed.] Where's your stuff? Kasuga: [Confused look on his face.]... Katsu: Is something wrong, Kasuga-san? Kasuga: BAKA! Katsu: [Jumps back in surprise at the abruptness of Kasuga's response] What the-? [Cut back to the boarding house. Ayukawa enters the main entrance. Seeing that there's no one to meet her, she takes off her shoes and walks upstairs. After getting to Room 5, she knocks on the door.] Ayukawa: Kasuga-kun! [After getting no response, she opens the door and freezes. She shakes her head as the examines the chaos around the room. Boxes are tipped over, clothes and books are scattered around the room, and the futon is half-rolled on one side of the room. Sitting in the middle of the room, next to a tipped-over telephone is Baka the parrot.] What a mess! Even Kasuga-kun should try and keep this place a little neater than this. Kasuga-kun! Baka: Uhh...Ayukawa, [Bats her ankle with his wing] down here. Ayukawa: [With a look of shock and disbelief] Ka-Ka-Kasuga-kun? Baka: [Puts wing behind his head and laughs] Uhh...ohayo? Ayukawa: [Bends over and picks Baka up] Tell me how this happened...[Leans forwards and stares him right in the face to make her point.] and don't leave out the details! Baka: [Tries to laugh weakly...] Would you believe...? [Can plainly see that she's not interested in double- talk] Well, it's sorta like this... [Cut to the side street just outside the boarding house. Ayukawa is walking down the hill. Although she isn't angry, her face plainly shows irritation. On her shoulder is Baka the parrot. Conspicuous to her regular clothing, Ayukawa is also wearing a pair of white gloves and holding a coil of rope.] Ayukawa: Baka...how do you always get yourself into these situations? What did you do, take a calamity class? Baka: I don't know...sometimes I think it's God-given... Ayukawa: Tell me Kasuga-kun, has this ever happened before? Baka: Well, there was the time I was a ca...[Freezes when he remembers what happened *that* time.] Ayukawa: A cat? What happened then? Baka: Err...nothing. Ayukawa: Any other times? Baka: A fish too...[slightly annoyed by the humiliating memories] Look, do we have to go into this? Ayukawa: [Shrugs] Any information might be helpful...[She then covers her mouth to hide her smile, but fails to do so completely.] Baka: [Indignantly as he notices her smiling] Well, I hope *you're* finding this situation amusing! [While arguing, they pass by a couple of men and women sitting on benches, waiting for buses to arrive...] Old Man 1: Did you see that? Old Man 2: You mean that strange, pretty girl talking to her parrot? Old Man 1: She must be a college student...you know young people these days... Old Man 2: [Nods in agreement] Hai... [Cut back to Kamon'yama park. Sitting on one of the park benches is a familiar looking couple.] Umao: Ushiko-san! Ushiko: Umao-san! Umao: Wherefore art thou, Ushiko-san? Ushiko: Wherefore art thou, Umao-san? [Just then, Katsu storms past with an angry look on his face. Seeing space on the other side of the bench, he sits down, ignoring the couple to his left.] Katsu: [Mutters to himself] What a jerk...! Can't believe he'd say stuff like that; doesn't seem like him at all...[Shakes his head] Just isn't my day...[He sits with his head down and stews for a few minutes. Because of this, he doesn't see Ayukawa come walking up to him, until she's almost right in front of him...] Ayukawa: [With Baka sitting on her shoulder.] Ohayo Katsu-san. Katsu: [Lifts his head] Ayukawa-san... Ayukawa: Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Kasuga-kun? Katsu: [Expression darkens.] Sure...ask him what business he has calling me a hentai? Baka: [Small sweat bead forms on his head, as he thinks to himself] Oh no...it's worse than I thought... Ayukawa: I see... Katsu: [Looks frustrated and angry] The nerve...you should see what's under his futon, then ask him what he called me. Ayukawa: Oh really...[Gives Baka a meaningful look...] Baka: [Large sweat bead forms on his head, as he says to himself] Uhh... Katsu: Is he sick or something? Ayukawa: Well, he's...[Bites her lip as she thinks to herself...] Can't tell him the truth...he probably wouldn't believe me if I did...[Notices the test tubes sitting in his tennis bag, then says...] he's...suffering a...relapse of chemically-induced behavior from last week... Katsu: [Nods with an understanding look] Oh shoot, I should have known! [Shakes his head.] It's all my fault! We gotta stop him before it gets any worse! Ayukawa: [To herself] Sorry Katsu-san... [Cut to the Matsuzakaya Department store. As with any weekend, the place is packed with shoppers, visitors and workers. Amid the crowded walkway, Kimura sits by a table on the sidewalk cafe.] Kimura: [Picks up a glass of soda and takes a sip. She looks at her watch, then notices a commotion in the crowd.] Eh? [Setting her drink down, she sees a familiar figure being rudely pushed around by an apparently hostile crowd.] Kyo-chan? [Waves her arms to get his attention.] Over here! Kasuga: [Meaningless look of confusion on his face.] ... Kimura: [Notices his silence and lack of comprehension.] You're early Kyo-chan...how did the tennis match go? Kasuga: BAKA! Kimura: [Shocked] Wh-what's wrong? Are you feeling alright? Kasuga: [Looks in her general direction] Bakayaro! Yariman! Kimura: [Speechless as tears start to trickle down her cheeks.] ... [Cut to the Chojamachi bridge. The Ooka river flows slowly below as Ayukawa and Katsu run across. Both have a sense of urgency on their faces as the come to a halt at a major intersection.] Katsu: Think he went this way? Ayukawa: Pretty sure...[gestures at the squabbling crowd pointing towards the major shopping areas.] Someone must have created a stir coming through here... Katsu: I just hope we can get to him before he gets hurt...[Shakes his head.] Someone's liable to misinterpret his actions and take offense. Ayukawa: [Nods] Hopefully he doesn't run into someone short- tempered... [Cut to the Okonomiyaki-Maru. The afternoon sun hangs overhead, spilling over the restaurant's shaded coverings. Students and other customers are congregating inside the dining room and the outside patio. Amid the busy crowd, Yoko and Yuko are splitting a pork and shrimp okonomiyaki*.] *A thin flat cake of unsweetened batter with various ingredients like beef, vegetables, seafood, etc. Yoko: ...still don't know what you see in him. [Takes a bite then puts her piece down.] Just because he's smart doesn't mean he's going to be a successful salaryman. Yuko: At least he's going to be a salaryman! Saito-san's a realist; he doesn't have any unrealistic dreams about being a performer...[looks meaningfully at Yoko's direction] unlike some people. Yoko: [Turns her nose up.] Humph! That's cold coming from you...but at least I have dreams. Saito-san's too spineless to even try. Then there's that weird friend of his... Yuko: [Nods in agreement] Kasamatsu? Yea, he is a weirdo...what was he wearing...[stifles a giggle] Black Ninja? Yoko: [Laughs out loud] Red Ninja I think...I wish I was sober enough to remember...the sight of seeing *him* in a ninja suit would have made the whole experience almost...[trails off when she sees who's coming up behind Yuko.] well look who's here...[grins] it's the punch man himself! Yuko: You're being mean...I think it was all Katsu-san's fault. I mean, what business did he have keeping stuff like that in the house? Yoko: [To Kasuga, who's just walking up.] Well what do you think? [Smiles with a mock threat implied...] Who should we clobber for last week's embarrasing party? Kasuga: BAKA! Yuko: [Expression of total shock.] Wh-what did you call me? Yoko: [No longer smiling and with a now-legitimate threat implied.] Are you trying to lose some teeth? Kasuga: Otemba! Yuko: [Stands up, as her teeth begin to grate.] Yoko: [Hackles beginning to raise.] One more word out of you and I'll- Kasuga: Debu... Yuko: [Face white with rage.] WHY...YOU...! [Pulls her arm back with her hand balled into a fist.] Yoko: [By now so angry, she can barely talk...] THAT...DOES...IT! [Speed lines form in the background as she pulls her arm back as well.] [Writer's note: To avoid scaring little kids with the sounds of breaking bones :-), let's take a...] COMMERCIAL BREAK [Camera pan downtown Tokyo, zooming in on an enormous, five-story train station...] Voiceover: Down in a Tokyo suburb, there's a okonomiyaki place with a special flair... [Show a young girl with long black hair. She is wearing a shoulder-to-waist belt, holding several spatulas in place. She flips eight okonomiyakies at once with a giant spatula then skillfully flips the spatula onto her back and, with lightening speed and precision, flips the eight okonomiyakies onto separate plates around the room.] Voiceover: At Ucchans, customers never know what to expect, except the very best food... [Show several fights break out, several kettles of hot water being poured and several glasses of cold water being delibarately splashed on several of the patrons, including a giant panda bear holding up a wooden sign that says "Another order here!"...] Voiceover: ...but if you want to go, bring your appetite and your VISA card... [Show a shrivelled old man running across the dining room, being chased by several angry girls...] Voiceover: Because at Ucchans they don't serve second-best... [Show a red-haired, pony-tailed girl running screaming, chasing after the shrivelled old man...] Voiceover: ...and they don't take...American Express! [Show a girl with short black hair and a giant wooden hammer chasing and screaming at the red-haired girl...] Voiceover: VISA...It's everywhere you want to be! [Writer's note: Standard Disclaimer.] END COMMERCIAL BREAK [Cut back to the Matsuzakaya Department store. As Ayukawa and Katsu come running up, they can see Kimura sits by a table crying...] Kimura: [Head buried in her hands...] ...... Baka: [Sympathetically in shock] Oh no...this is terrible! Ayukawa: [Puts her arm on Kimura's shoulder in comfort.] Keiko- san... Kimura: [Still sobbing.] Madoka-san...[Buries her head in Ayukawa's chest.] Kyo-chan was here calling me such awful things... Katsu: [Gently puts his hands on her cheeks and lifts her head up.] It's not what it looks like! Remember last week when we were all acting...kinda weird? Kimura: [Nods and slowly stops crying.] ... Katsu: Kasuga-san's suffering a relapse...it's affecting his inhibitions. [Trying to reassure Kimura.] He's talking without thinking... Ayukawa: [Muses to herself.] What a switch that would be...[Snaps back to the situation at hand.] Do you understand what we're saying? He can't help himself, so we've got to find him and keep him from doing anything else he'll regret later. Kimura: [Now starting to return to herself, she nods as she dries her tears.] Hai... [Cut to the Chojamachi intersection near the Ishikawacho district. Fujimoto and her son Eiji are walking on the sidewalk window shopping. Behind them, a school campus rings its bell, signalling the start of the next class period.] Eiji: Okaasan*...can we get some food now? I'm hungry. *Mother Fujimoto: [Still window shopping.] Just a minute...[Takes a closer look at some of the kitchen appliances and winces at the prices.] Sigh...it's so tough to get by these days... Eiji: [Jumps up and down.] OKAASAN!!!! Fujimoto: [Digs through her purse.] Oh very well...[Gives Eiji a small handful of coins and smiles.] Come right back! Eiji: Hai! [Leaves with a smile of satisfaction on his face.] [Fujimoto continues looking for several minutes, unaware that Kasuga is walking up behind her...] Kasuga: [Bumps into Fujimoto with a blank expression on his face.] ... Fujimoto: [Surprised, but smiles nonetheless.] Kasuga-san! Well, fancy meeting you here! Kasuga: BAKA! Fujimoto: [In shock] Ka-Kasuga-san? What are you saying? Kasuga: [Mindlessly] Bakayaro! Eiji: [Just coming back from the snack stand, holding two ice cream cones in his hands and an astonished look on his face.] Wow... Fujimoto: [Firmly as she tries to cover Eiji's ears in vain.] I don't know what's gotten into you, but I'm going to have to ask you to watch your language around my son! Kasuga: Damare-yo! Fujimoto: [Angrily] Kasuga-san! Kasuga: [Apparently afraid of Fujimoto's unexpected outburst, he goes running off, while mindlessly muttering strange things to himself.] bakabakabakabaka... Fujimoto: [With a concerned look on her face.] What's wrong with him? Eiji: Wow...[As Kasuga goes running off] he's talking just like Teruhiko-oniichan's parrot! [Cut back to the Okonomiyaki-Maru. There has been some commotion on the patio as Yuko and Yoko are dusting themselves off and smiling with satisfaction. Just as they finish bragging about their exploits to some other witnesses, Ayukawa, Kimura, and Katsu come running up.] Yuko: [To one of the student bystanders.] ...then I let him have it in the gut! Yoko: [Nods and continues.] Right! Then when he bent over, I finished him off! Ayukawa: [Taps Yoko on the shoulder.] Miyasato-san, are you talking about Kasuga-kun? Katsu: We're looking for him; have you seen him? Yoko: Sure [With a satisfied look on her face] we saw him! Yuko: He was saying the most obnoxious things, but we took care of him! [Holds her fingers in a "V for Victory" sign.] Yoko: Right! [With an even more satisfied look on her face, as she cracks her knuckles.] He'll be lucky if he ever walks again! Baka: [With a really terrified look on his face.] Oh...shoot! What did they do to my body? Ayukawa: I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. Kasuga-kun is...not himself today. Katsu: [Nods] Right. He suffering from a relapse of chemically induced behavior from last week. Yuko: [Looks at Yoko and puts her hand behind her head.] Uh- oh...! Yoko: [Look of embarrassment] Err...[Sheepishly hands Ayukawa two teeth.] then could you give these to him when you see him? We'd do it ourselves, but I don't think he's gonna want to see us for a while... Baka: I...I don't believe this...[Falls off Ayukawa's shoulder unconscious.] Kimura: [Picks up Baka's limp form] Oh my...your parrot just fainted, Madoka-san. Ayukawa: [Puts her hand on her face as she says to herself...] This isn't happening...[To Yoko] Did you see which way he went? Yoko: Well, he couldn't have gotten far. When he left here, he was hobbling on one... Yuko: [Puts her hand on Yoko's mouth, then whispers...] Don't tell them about that! They'll blame us! [To Ayukawa as she points to a sign.] He was heading to that complex of buildings. [Ayukawa, Kimura, and Katsu turn around. Behind them is a sign marked, "Yokohama Fighting Girls High School". Scrawled underneath in someone's handwriting is, "Hentais will be severely punished!"] Ayukawa: [Takes Baka from Kimura, then sarcastically to herself...] Well that's a switch...more bad news... Katsu: [Sees the figurative and literal handwriting on the wall...] Well, it looks like I'm gonna be more of a liability than an asset here. I'll meet you girls back at the boarding house. I should have an antidote for Kasuga by the time you get back. Bye! [Leaves] [Cut to the high school gymnasium. Ayukawa and Kimura are looking around then see several girls congregating around a small group, whispering among themselves.] Kimura: [Taps one of them on the shoulder.] Say, have you seen a brown-haired guy in a light-gray sweatshirt running around with a limp? High school girl 1: You mean the weirdo? Kimura: [Indignantly] Hey! That's not ni- Ayukawa: [Cutting Kimura off] Then he came by here? High school girl 2: Sure, he went in there...[Points to a door on one corner of the gym. Ayukawa and Kimura's expressions freeze. Mounted on the door is a sign that says "Locker Room".] Ayukawa and Kimura in unison: Oh...boy...! Ayukawa: [To Kimura] Can you meet us by the exit? I'll try and see if I can get him without any fuss. Kimura: [Nods and smiles.] Um! [Leaves.] [Cut back to the boarding house. Katsu comes running up the hill and enters through the front door. Right after his shoes come off, he turns around and see Fujimoto.] Katsu: Konnichiwa Fujimoto-san! [Bows, then starts to go upstairs.] Fujimoto: [Notices his hurry.] What's wrong? [Thinks for a moment.] It has something to do with Kasuga-san, doesn't it? Katsu: [Stops] You've seen him? Fujimoto: [Nods] He was using the most disgraceful language but...[Tries to remember] I got the feeling he wasn't himself. Katsu: [Nods] He's suffering a relapse of chemically-induced behavior. I'm going upstairs to make an extra strong antidote to make sure this time. Ayukawa-san and Kimura-san are out looking for him. I'm just hoping they can keep him out of trouble until then. Fujimoto: [Smiles] Don't worry. Ayukawa-san is such a sure- handed person. I'm sure she has him right where she wants him. [Cut to the girls' gym locker room. The girls here are apparently finishing up their class period and are changing back to their school clothes. Lining the walls are rows of lockers and benches laid out parallel to each other as the showers fill the air with moisture. The smell of perspiration is heavy; as are the sounds of gossip.] High school girl 3: [Brushing her hair.]...and he said, "I don't want to be seen with a girl like you!" High school girl 4: [Putting on her blouse.] Really? I can't believe he'd have the nerve! Lead girl: [Finishes tying her hair and closes her locker.] Never let boys say that to you! [Judging from the attention her words command, it's apparent she's a person of some repute in this crowd.] If you do, they'll walk all over you! If a boy ever comes up to me with that kind of attitude, I'll teach him a lesson he'll never...! [Voice trails off as the face of the girl in front of her goes white.] High school girl 5: [Pointing at Kasuga, who has just stumbled into the shower area.] H-H-HENTAI! Lead girl: [Turns around, then with a demanding tone...] CREEP! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE? [Irritated by Kasuga's confused silence.] WELL? YOU'D BETTER HAVE A GOOD ANSWER! Kasuga: BUSU...! ...DRAMATIC PAUSE... [For the next several seconds, the locker room is deadly silent,. Kasuga stares blankly at the rapidly growing hostile crowd. Having just entered the room, Ayukawa stands in silence behind Kasuga. She was observing the exchange, and knows what's about to happen next as the sound of a glass bottle falling and shattering on the tile breaks the silence...] Lead girl: [White-faced with fury, she turns to the rest of the girls in the room as speed lines form in the background.] RIP... HIS... ... OFF!!!! Baka: [Paralyzed with fear on Ayukawa's shoulder] ... Ayukawa: [Mutters to herself] So much for doing this quietly...[With one smooth motion, she vaults forward over the bench into the lead girl, sending her crashing into the crowd behind her, gaining valuable seconds. Ayukawa then grabs Kasuga by the arm and starts running...] Sorry! Lead girl: [Maniacal expression on her face as she turns to the others.] GET HIM! GET THEM BOTH! [The crowd explodes forwards as one, screaming for blood. Ayukawa manages to gain some distance because of her pursuers' negotiation of lockers and benches. As she re-enters the open gymnasium, it is apparent that the crowd's numbers, along with Kasuga's lack of cooperation is going to make their escape next to impossible. Ayukawa manages to exit the building, dragging Kasuga behind her but she knows she only has a few seconds. Then she spies Kimura waiting at the corner next to one of the campus buildings.] Ayukawa: Kimura! [Dragging Kasuga with her in one hand, holding the rope in the other, and Baka on her shoulder struggling to stay on.] See if you can slow them down! [Disappears around the corner.] Kimura: [Nods sharply.] Um! [Kimura steps behind the building wall as Ayukawa passes her. She then reaches for her blouse collar and judiciously starts to rip a section down the middle.] [Cut back to the Yokohama girls. Having momentarily lost sight, the lead girl signals for the crowd to stop.] Lead girl: Kuso...where did he go? [Gesture to the crowd.] Spread out! If anyone sees him... Kimura: [From behind one of the alleyways.] WHAAAAAAA...! Lead girl: Eh? [She walks into the alley along with half of the girls present. When she notices the torn blouse, she arrived at the natural conclusion. She grabs Kimura by the arms and demands...] Where did the pervert go? Kimura: [Tearfully] H-he ran off down that alley...[points towards a group of decrepit-looking buildings across the street.] He s-said he had more girls waiting for him...! High school girl 4: WHY THAT-! Lead girl: LET'S GET HIM! [Crowd of girls go running off to administer "divine retribution". Kimura continues to whimper, until the crowd is clearly out of sight and earshot. Satisfied, she stops crying, then freezes. She turns slowly and looks directly at the viewer. Her nose turns red with embarrassment...] Kimura: [Draws her torn blouse together and waves at the viewer.] [Cut to the boarding house. As Kimura, Yoko and Yuko walk up the front lawn path, all three start to hold their noses.] Yoko: [Look of disgust.] What in the world...? Yuko: [Tries to wave the smell away from her nose.] Katsu must be busy again! [As they open the front door, Fujimoto comes out of Room 3, wearing a paper fume protector over her nose and mouth.] Fujimoto: Katsu promises he's almost finished...but he says he's going to need help to administer the dosage. Kimura: [Somewhat confused as she holds her nose.] Ehh...what kind of help? Fujimoto: [With a smile visible even through the mask.] Well...this *is* an oral compound... [Cut to an alleyway adjacent to the road leading up to Kasuga's boarding house. It's dusk as we see Ayukawa standing watch while Baka is standing on one side of the alleyway. Unfortunately, Kasuga is not proving cooperative.] Baka: [Holding one end of the rope with his talon.] Come on! Grab the rope you stupid parrot! Kasuga: [With a blank expression on his face.] BAKA! Baka: WHY YOU...! Ayukawa: [Exasperated by the scene of futility.] Gimme that! [Grabs the other end of the rope; fortunately, she's wearing gloves. However, as she walks over towards Kasuga, he starts edging away.] Hold that pose...! [Winds back and throws the end of the rope towards Kasuga, who catches it by reflex. The rope crackles with energy, then both Baka and Kasuga collapse. Ayukawa waits for several seconds, then walks over towards Kasuga and tries to rouse him.] Are you alright? Kasuga: [Tries to sit up and finds he barely has the strength.] Well...I'm bruised all over, my stomach feels like it's been punched, and I think I'm missing a couple of teeth...but otherwise...I'm just fine...[Collapses to a prone position.] Ayukawa: [Sighs] Finally... [Ayukawa helps Kasuga up as they leave the alleyway and make their way up the road back to the boarding house. Ayukawa is still holding Baka, as Kasuga rubs his jaw and walks with a noticable limp.] Ayukawa: Oh by the way, before I forget...[She tosses the coil of rope to Kasuga.] Kasuga: [Catches the rope and takes a good long look at it as he says to himself...] It seems that everytime I touch this, bad things happen to me...[He tosses the rope back to Ayukawa.] You keep it...maybe you'll have better luck with it...[Continues walking up the path, leaving Ayukawa standing alone with a surprised look on her face.] Ayukawa: Are you sure Kasuga-kun? Who knows...[Holds the rope up.] maybe you'll find some use for this someday. Kasuga: [Still dejected.] Maybe...but I don't want to be there to find out... Ayukawa: [Smiles as he continues to walk.] Have it your way...Jingoro... Kasuga: ... [They continue to walk up in silence, but as the boarding house comes into view, they come to a stop. Strew across the front lawn is Kasuga's futon, boxes and other belongings...] Kasuga: [Realization slowly dawns on him.] Oh shoot...today's the first of the month...and rent is past due... [Cut to Egami's office. He is writing an entry into his ledger as Kasuga stamps his hanko* onto a receipt.] *Seal/stamp used after a person's name on legally binding documents Egami: ...and that should do it. [Looks at Kasuga and smiles with evil satisfaction] You may now move your stuff back in! Kasuga: [To himself] What a day...thank goodness it's over with... Egami: [Before Kasuga leaves] Oh Kasuga-san! Do you know what time it is? Kasuga: [Notes that it's 8:32pm] What about it? Egami: [Smiles even more] Well, it's after 6:00pm...and you owe me another 2000 yen! Kasuga: [His hanko slips out of his fingers as he stares at the door with a depressed look on his face] ... [Cut to Kasuga's room. It's late at night and Kasuga is laying down on his futon, in an attempt to put the day behind him and out of his memory. His rest is interrupted by a knock at the door...] Kasuga: Ehh? [Gets up and opens the door] Katsu-san! Fujimoto- san! Miyasato-san! Kimura-san! What are you all doing here? Katsu: Well, Kasuga-san, we were still concerned that your chemical imbalance might still be lingering. [Holds up a vile- smelling beaker of yellow fluid.] So I whipped up an oral antidote for the behavioral-changing ch... Kasuga: [Holds his nose and waves him off.] Hey I'm OK now! Really! Katsu: Come on Kasuga! [His face, along with the others are now showing signs of sterness.] You can never be sure when lingering after effects might come up, so it's better to be safe than sorry! Kasuga: [Steps back into his room to put some distance from him and the foul-smelling concoction.] But... Katsu: [Sighs] I was afraid you were going to say that. [Turns to the others.] Grab him! Yoko: [Charges into the room.] It's for you're own good, Kasuga- san! [Grabs his left arm and locks it behind his shoulder.] Yuko: [Charges into the room.] That's right, Kasuga-san! You'll thank us in the morning! [Grabs his right arm and locks it behind his other shoulder.] Kimura: [Charges into the room.] Remember we're only doing this because we care about you! [Grabs his legs and takes them out from under Kasuga, sending all four to the ground.] We'll nurse you back to health, Kyo-chan! [Smiles at him as she pins his ankles together.] Fujimoto : [Calmly steps into the room, holding a tray of hot cookies with a pair of baker gloves.] I know how difficult it is to take bad tasting medicine, [smiles at Kasuga] so I prepared some fresh cookies. They'll help the bad taste go away! Eiji: OH BOY! [Charges into the room.] TIME TO BEAT UP KYOSUKE- ONIICHAN! [Grabs Kasuga's head and holds it steady.] Kasuga: AAAAIIIIEEEE!!!! GET OFFA ME! I'M OK! I PROMISE! Katsu: DON'T FIGHT KASUGA! I KNOW IT SMELLS BAD, [Struggles, then starts pouring down Kasuga's throat.] AND TASTES WORSE, [Holds Kasuga's mouth shut and pinches his nose as the others hold him down.] BUT IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD! Kasuga's Narration: It's nice to have friends. It's nice to know they care about me and will do whatever it takes to make sure I'm OK... Kasuga: AAAAIIIIEEEEYYYY!!!! Kasuga's Narration: ...but I sure could use that cookie right now! [Slowly pull back from the frozen scene. In the black background, the viewer sees a photo of everyone piled on top of a struggling Kasuga as Katsu is pouring the unnecessary antidote down his throat. To the side, Fujimoto-san smiles and waits as she hold a tray of warm cookies.] END CREDITS New Characters Designer/Writer Stephen Tsai Co-writer/plotter Andy Combs Pre-readers Ravi Konchigeri Derek Work Christian Gadeken Chung-Mau Cheng Robert Carragher George Yim Very special thanks to Hitoshi Doi A tip of the hat and a deep bow to Matsumoto Izumi for starting the whole thing. For the new readers: I'll be doing character profiles, major location descriptions, and situation updates on a rotating basis for each episode. If there is a particular character, place or event that you would like to know more about, and it is not being covered, don't hesistate to email me and I will send you either a note or a copy of the episode it is introduced. Focus on Kasamatsu Teruhiko[Introduced in Episode 2]: One of Kyosuke's mathematics classmates, Kasamatsu is a freshman engineering major. Although not quite as sharp as Saito, he is still a student to be reckoned. Having little of a social life in high school, he turned to practical jokes to gain the attention of his classmates. Unfortunately for Kasuga, the habit has stuck. While in high school, he was a good friend to Saito Kenichi; who has often corroborates with him on his more elaborate schemes. He has a nasty sense of humor and plays practical jokes on a whim. When the mood strikes, and he gets the modivation, he has been known to execute some truly convoluted and elaborate pranks. Visual Description: An overweight guy with uncombed brown hair. He wears thick glasses, and usually has a shifty expression on his face. Close anime comparisons include (but are not limited to) Hanson from Nadia, Tanaka from Otaku No Video.