ひらやすみ • Hirayasumi Book Club Week 3!

ひらやすみ Week 3!

This Week’s Reading:

Chapter 2
Page 45 → Page 77
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Week 3 November 28th? 2025
Start page 45
End page 77
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7 Likes

New week, new notes:

Page 46

美大に入学して一週間ほど経ちました。
About (ほど) one week (一週間) has passed (経ちました) since [Natsumi] entered (入学して) the art college (美大に).

新芽かおる爽やかな4月のお昼。
(It’s) an April afternoon (4月のお昼), delightful (爽やかな) with the fragrance of budding leaves (新芽かおる).

食堂
Cafeteria

なつみちゃんは
As for Natsumi-chan,

Page 47

残念ながら大学生活があまり楽しくありませんでした。
Regrettably (残念ながら), [her] college life (大学生活が) was not (ありませんでした) very (あまり) enjoyable (楽しく).

なぜなら友達ができないからです。
The reason is (なぜなら) because (からです) [she] cannot make (できない) friends (友達が).

Page 48

アレのせいだ
The fault (せい) of that (アレ) is (だ)…

自意識過剰ななつみちゃんは、
The overly self-conscious (自意識過剰な) Natsumi-chan (なつみちゃんは),

Page 49

絵画科オリエンテーションの自己紹介タイムで印象に残ろうとして、
To try to (として) make a lasting impression (印象に残ろう) during (で) the self-introduction time (自己紹介タイム) of the painting department orientation (絵画科オリエンテーションの),

なぜか普段やりもしない輪ゴムマジックを披露し大スベリしたんでした。
I took this sentence as a puzzle and spent way too long on it… So, the verbs in the ます stem are for a formal conjunctive (連用形 (JLPT N3) | Bunpro). It translates to something like:

For some reason (なぜか), even if (も) [she] normally (普段) doesn’t ever do it (やりもしない, where やり is the nominalized version of やる “to do”, + もしない, which I think it’s this grammar point), she performed (披露し) a rubber band magic trick (輪ゴムマジックを) and it was a big flop (大スベリした + んでした which should be the past of んです to add an explanatory tone).

しかも失敗してる。
And yet she failed.

もんちゃん!!
Mon-chan (the cat)

彼女は恥ずかしいことを思い出すと実家で飼ってる猫の名前を発作的に叫んでしまう。
As for her (彼女は), when (と) she remembers (思い出す) embarassing things (恥ずかしいことを), she totally shouts (叫んでしまう) in a fit (発作的に) the name (名前を) of the cat (猫の) that she kept (飼ってる) at her parents’ house (実家で).

And I’m already liking Natsumi-chan more and more.

6 Likes

Poor Natsumi and poor Hiroto, lol, very relatable!

Overall this chapter was kind of melancholy - hard to make friends, hard to keep friends…

I need to see more Mon-chan :grinning_cat:

On p.66 I saw a new grammar thing I hadn’t heard こう (JLPT N3) | Bunpro こう- prefix to indicate “something the speaker thinks is the right or correct way”

I think both Hiroto and Natsumi need better friends!!

5 Likes

Finally got caught up today - I haven’t been reading since week 1 but so glad to see everyone’s been enjoying it so far! I’m enjoying the softness feeling of this volume a lot. Feels very grounded :slight_smile:

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Natsumi’s 美大 is the Musashino Art University (as proof, compare this image to the first panel of page 46). Worked this out from the rather generic 美大 nickname via Google telling me the university was used as a filming location for the drama version1.

Is that Fortnite on page 51?

The place where Hiroto and Hideki go bouldering isn’t identified, but this place is in the area, and seems a fairly plausible match. Page 60, the narration mentions Hideki lives in Koenji, which is the next neighbourhood over from Asagaya. Page 61, 四文屋 appears to be chain of restaurants - there’s several of them in both Asagaya and Koenji, for example this place. The second panel of page 62 is here, so I’d say I’ve found the right place.

By the bottom of page 66, Hiroto is now standing here, I’d say, though it lacks the 阿佐ヶ谷一番街 sign on the other side of the street. On page 68, Natsumi is at Kichijoji Station.

I feel like this spread on page 72-73 could help pin down the location of the house, perhaps, but I’m having trouble locating it. It feels like it should be pretty distinctive, but there’s a lot of area to search. When I run it through Google reverse image search, the AI recognises the page as a whole as being a panel from Hirayasumi, but when I confine it to just the mural, it comes up blank. The narration on page 74 identifies it as the 青梅街道, but that doesn’t really help, both because (a) Google Maps doesn’t drop a marker when I do that search, it just centres the map, so I can’t tell what road we’re looking at, and (b) that’s still a lot of road. Perhaps a project for someone else. :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Fun fact, today I learnt there’s a drama version - it’s currently still airing on NHK, having started on November 3rd. They’ve also announced an anime adaptation, co-produced by Viz, start date still unknown

7 Likes

I was gonna roll my eyes at ‘Natsumi’s a gamer, she’s totally off the rails with no friends!’ but then it turned out she’s actually skipping class as well - not so good lol

6 Likes

Took me a while, but here you can find my full notes:

Page 51

勝った!初めて一位とったぞ!!
I won! For the first time I got first place!

Page 52

なっちゃん、焼きそば食う?
Nacchan, wanna eat yakisoba? (lit. “yakisoba to eat?”)

どーした浮かない顔して
Why are you making that unhappy face?

Page 53

便秘か?
Are you constipated?

違うわ!!
That’s not it!

いや便秘なんだろヨーグルト食え
Well, it’s surely constipation. Eat yogurt

だから違うって!
Like I said, it’s not that!

友達できないの…
It’s that I can’t make friends…

Page 54

だから最近大学サボり気味なんか
That is why you’re skipping classes recently, or something like that.

大丈夫だってまだ4月だろ。
But it’s fine, it’s still April, right?

それに高校ではフツーにいただろ?
Besides (それに), during high school (高校では) it was (いた) without issues (フツーに), right? (だろ)

山形のド田舎高校と違うの!
It’s different (違うの) from the Yamagata (山形) high school (高校) in the middle of nowhere (ド田舎)

なんか東京の対学生って、みんなオシャレで大人っぽくて冷めてるっていうか。
Something like that, or perhaps I should say (っていうか) Tokyo college students (東京の対学生って), they all (みんな) dress nicely (オシャレ) and like grown-ups (おとなっぽくて) and look cold (冷めてる).

みんなドコで服買ってんだろう…
Where does everyone buy these clothes…

それに…もんちゃん…
:cat:

Page 55

ヒデキ:今ヒム?これからボルダリングいかない?
Hideki: Do you have time now? I’m going bouldering, wanna come?

今日バイトなし。いいよ
Today I don’t have my part-time job. Sounds good

わりぃ今からヒデキボルダリングしてくれわ。
Sorry (わりぃ as わるい), I’m gonna go bouldering with Hideki

またヒデキ?ホント中いーな…
Again Hideki? You’re so close, right?

えっと なっちゃんもいく?
Eh, Nacchan wanna come too?

いかない
I don’t!

いやマジで、
No, seriously,

Page 56

大丈夫だって。
It’ll be fine

なっちゃんは素直でカワイイんだから。
Because Nacchan, you’re honest and cute.

Page 57

元々は。
At least originally.

なんだよ元々って!!
What do you mean, originally!?

ハハハじゃーな。
Hahahah, see ya.

早くいけ!
Go away quickly!

今日大学の新歓パーテイーだ
Today is the welcoming party for college students.

Page 60

ラックショー
??

野口ヒデキ29歳 高円寺在住 家具店勤務
Noguchi Hideki, 29 years old. He lives in Koenji, and works at a furniture shop.

結婚一年目。
He married one year ago.

ヒロト君とは高校からの友達で、
He is friends with Hiroto-kun since high school,

家が近いからしょっちゅう会って遊んでます。
Since his house is close, they always meet to hang out.

Page 61

生一つで。
One beer for me.

指いて
Ouch my fingers

じゃあオレはマチイーニで。
And for me, a Martini.

ナイデス。
We don’t have it.

あそ、じゃレモンサワーで。
Ah, then a lemon sour.

そして居酒屋で明日には忘れるような話をする。
And so, at a izakaya, they tell stories (話をする) in such a way that they’ll forget (忘れるような) by the next day (明日には).

最近おきたことや観た映画その他グチなど。
Stuff like (や) things that happened recently (最近おきたこと), movies seen (観た映画), in addition to idle complaints (その他グチな) and the like (など).

でも今日は少し重大発表がありました。
But today, a somewhat important announcement has been made.

Page 62

オレ子どもできたわ。
I had a child.

スゲーおめでとう!
Incredible, congratulations!

マジ!? いつ生まれんの?
When will they be born?

8月末
At the end of August.

安定期入ったからさ。
We entered the stable stage of pregnancy (12th week onwards).

家族以外に言うの、ヒロトが初めてだわ。
Besides family, Hiroto you are the first one I told this, you know.

いや~ヒデキについに子どもか
No… Hideki finally will have a child?

Page 63

ゴメンちょっと士事メール
Sorry, I just got a mail from work.

ホイ送信。
Hoy, sent.

ちゃんとした仕事して結婚して、子どももできて。
You do a proper job, you are married, and you’ll also be a father.

何言ってんだよ。
What are you saying, geez.

Page 64

オレはヒロトが少しうらやましいぜ。
I can tell you (ぜ), as for me, I’m a bit envious of you, Hiroto.

なんも縛られてなくて自由じゃん?
You’re free, and nothing ties you down.

結婚したらわかるさ
When you’re married, you will know.

Page 65

ヒデキーこんな遅くまで飲んでいいんかー?
Hideki, drinking late like this, is it fine?

妻には言ってある。
I have told my wife.

最後のうたげってな
[I told her] That this was my last party

これからは前より会えなくなると思う。
From now on, I think (と思う) we won’t be able to meet (会えなくなる) like before (前より).

ヒマな時呼んで。
When you’re free, call me.

オレも誘うから!
I too will still invite you.

Page 66

ココで普通の人ならこう思ったりする。
At this point, if you are a normal person, you would think something like this.

結婚ねぇと。
Marriage, he said.

しかし、ヒロト君は違います
But, Hiroto-kun is different.

元気な赤ちゃん、生まれるといいな。
I hope the baby will be born healthy.

ただ友達の幸せを願うだけなのでした。
But [Hiroto] only desired the happiness of his friend.

Page 67

もしもしーゴメーンなっちゃんもう帰るよ
Hello, sorry Nacchan, I’ll be returning soon.

助けてヒロ兄
Help me Hiro-ni

どしたなっちゃん!大丈夫!?
What happened, Nacchan, are you ok?

キモチわるい
I don’t feel well

Page 68

クソだ アイツらは友達じゃない
It’s terrible. Those guys are not my friends

何があったの?
What happened?

大学の新歓パーティー行って、
I went to the college students welcoming party and…

イケてるグループ話しかけてきて、
A cool-looking group went and approached me, and against my better judgement I drank alcohol.

そいつらと帰ったんだけど
I was returning with those guys, but…

誰も助けてくれなかった
Nobody helped me.

Page 69

未成年が飲んでんじゃねーよ。
Underage people shouldn’t drink, you know.

今ドコ?
Where are you now?

吉祥寺駅
Kichijoji station

3駅か。
3 train stops, huh.

動けない?
Can you move?

待ってろ迎え行く。
Wait for me, I’ll go and reach you.

Page 70-71

よかったらコレ
If you’d like, [take] this…

終電ねーな。
The last train, right?

歩いて帰っか
Let’s walk home.

タクシーがいい。
A taxi would be nice.

ンな金ねーわ!
I don’t have that sort of money!

Page 74

2人は深夜の青梅街道をトロトロ歩いた
Two people, late at night, walked sluggishly the Oumekaido.

明日には忘れるような話をしながら。
While telling stories they will forget by tomorrow.

モウムリ おんぶって
I can’t take it anymore… please carry me

アホ!オメーが悪心いんだろ!
Stupid! You are nauseus!

春の夜の匂いコンビニの灯り遠くからきこえる救急車のサイレン。
The smell (匂い) of a short spring night (春の夜), the lights of a convenience store (コンビニの灯り), the siren of an ambulance (救急車のサイレン) heard from afar (遠くからきこえる)

Page 75

なつみちゃんは、きっとこの夜のことは忘れないだろうと思った。
Natsumi-chan thought (と思った) that she surely (きっと) wouldn’t ever forget (忘れないだろう) of that night (この夜のこと).

ヒロド君も今度ヒデキに会った時のために覚えておこうと思った。
Also Hiroto-kun at this time was thinking to (と思った) memorize in advance (覚えておこう) for the sake of (ために) [telling] Hideki the [next] time they meet (ヒデキに会った時).

Page 76

そして夜が明ける少し前にやっと家に着いたのでした。
And so, a bit before the dawn (夜が明ける少し前に), they finally (やっと) arrived home (家に着いた).

Page 77

もう8時だよ 大学いいの
It’s already 8! Are you fine for uni?

オレもうバイト行っちゃうよ
I’m already going to my part-time job

朝ゴハンテーブルにあるからね
Breakfast is on the table

7 Likes

Yeah, I threw my hands up at that one too. I figure it’s “luck show”, and it’s Hideki trying to sound cool, but whether it’s something he came up with while trying to sound cool, or whether it’s some obscure wasei eigo, I haven’t the foggiest idea.

That’s the next chapter. :stuck_out_tongue:

6 Likes

I think this is more like ‘Marriage, huh’ or ‘That’s marriage for you,’ ねぇ seems to indicate some kind of “musing to oneself.”

5 Likes

Just checked in the Italian version of the manga I have, and that bit is translated as “child’s play”. So Hideki is definitely trying to sound cool there.

Whoops
taiho-shichau-zo-teehee

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I believe ラックショー is 楽勝, with a glottal stop for emphasis.

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Oh yeah. I completely forgot to even consider removing the ッ…

5 Likes

Week… 4? ひらやすみ • Hirayasumi Book Club Week 4

3 Likes

I had a couple of small comments on your notes. Hope you don’t mind!

Page 54

いた here stands for 友達が居た

And besides, in high school you had friends just fine, right?

“it was normal/without issues” would be something like「高校で普通だった」

Page 60

More literally, it’s “in the first year of marriage”, less than 1 full year ago. Could be 4 months, could be 11.9.
Although in English I feel “one year ago” is quite flexible and can also include time span of less that one year if it’s pretty close.

Page 61

“in such a way that they’ll forget” would be 「忘れるよう」.
「よう」 describes the stories. “(trivial) conversation they’d forget by tomorrow”.

Page 74

I think handwriting here is very unbalanced (kanji too tall for its width), but it’s

オメーが悪いんだろ!
It your own fault!

6 Likes

Also some of my notes on handwritten signs:

Page 53

On the back of Nacchan’s jersey you can read:

3年1組
小林

Yes, young miss Kobayashi is skipping uni in the classical attire of all isekai’d neets: her high school PE uniform.

Page 58

Posters on walls:

骨格研究会

整理整頓

新1年生
絵画科へようこそ

Also lockers, directions to classrooms.. I wonder who’s going to clean up this royal mess on campus and make it 整理整頓

Page 60

ぼてふりの四文屋

Izakaya chain’s name went over my head. Does 四文屋 mean anything?

串煮込み

Mmmm makes me hungry just looking at it.

海鮮
生ビール
サワー
全官?? - not sure what this is
営業中

Page 62

Poster on the left with fish:

豊?直送 - direct shipment from (somewhere)

My only guess is that it’s 豊川 Toyogawa, but it doesn’t look exactly like 川, and doesn’t Tokyo have its own fresh seafood anyway?

新鮮な刺身あります‼

Mmm also tasty.

Page 70

うまい水

Yeah why would anyone buy non-tasty water /s

Sign above platform:

Do they put these signs up after the last train? I don’t think I’ve ever been on a platform that late.

4 Likes

Unclear. The place’s own website doesn’t seem to say.

Based on this photo, it’s 金宮梅割. 金宮 is a brand name, or possibly a trademark of a larger brand, given the Google results I’m getting, and 梅割 appears to be a mixture of shochu and plum syrup.

Yeah. From the famous fish markets. The ones at 豊洲. :stuck_out_tongue:

No, I’m pretty sure it’s a permanent fixture, though I’m having trouble finding an image of one to prove it. No idea what it means, though. Abbreviation for something, probably.

3 Likes