Week 3 ゆびさきと恋々・A Sign of Affection 💕 (Absolute Beginner Book Club)

Welcome to Week 3 of ゆびさきと恋々・A Sign of Affection :two_hearts:

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Week 3 June 21 2025
Start page 22
End page 27
End phrase ゆっくりしてってね
Last week Week 2
Next week Week 4
Home Thread ゆびさきと恋々

Page numbers may differ between digital and physical copies.

Last panel

Vocabulary

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Proper Nouns

Name Reading Image Notes
糸瀬 雪 いとせ ゆき Main character
波岐 逸臣 なぎ いつおみ The other main character
藤白 りん ふじしろ りん Yuki’s friend from university
波岐 京弥 なぎ きょうや Itsuomi’s cousin and manager

Discussion Questions

What interesting language have you come across?

Participation

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6 Likes

かっこいい😎

Funny seeing a だけど after it came up in the BBC Look Back club so much!

vocab:

カフェバー could not figure out this meant “cafe/bar” for ages

緊張 - stress

一面 - one side, one aspect

連絡先 - contact info

お互い - mutual, together

自信 - self confidence

雰囲気 - mood, atmosphere

ゆっくりしてって - please take your time, do it at your leisure

On the many meanings of やばい Yabai! Its Meaning and Versatility in Modern Japanese - Unseen Japan

trying to parse their conversation before going in the cafe:

店長のこと好きになんないでね、雪可愛いから

(the thing the manager likes) is nothing, because Yuki is so cute = The manager won’t even notice me/think I’m cute because you’re so cute - ?

もちろん! あと可愛いのは凛ちゃんだよ

Of course you’re cute too, Rin-chan!

Then I think Rin thinks that they’re wearing the same oufit (変じゃない) but that Yuki looks cuter in it?

5 Likes
page 22

もういちど 会ってみたい
I want to try meeting (him) once again

Grammar points:
~てみるTo try to
~ たい Want to (to express desire)

6 Likes

店長のこと just means “the store manager”, you can ignore the のこと. See: https://www.thejapanesepage.com/using-koto-with-people/

With this you may be able to correct the translation (it’s about someone liking the manager, not the other way around)

Also I think なんない is just a casual contraction of ならない here.

I think she’s just asking for reassurance that her outfit isn’t 変, to which yuki does a thumbs up gesture. Then she says that yuki has nice clothes too.

6 Likes

Oh, it’s just ‘the manager I like’ 店長のこと(が)好き and then ‘won’t happen’ or ‘doesn’t become’? になんないでね because ‘Yuki is cute’
So the same idea of “The manager I like won’t look at me/pay attention to me, because he’ll be looking at how cute Yuki is.”

5 Likes

I think it’s more “please don’t like/fall for the manager, because you’re cute [and I won’t be able to compete]”. It’s one of these sentences where a lot is left implied…

By the way I think you can rule out the manager being the one “liking” in the sentence specifically because of the のこと. 〇のこと has to the the object of the conversation, not the agent. So it’s the thing being liked.

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Makes sense, なんないで would be prohibition “don’t become” “don’t do it”

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That sentence was the most difficult for me this week!
But so far it’s been so cute, my heart is so warm :blush::heart:
It kinda reminds me of Kimi ni Todoke :smiling_face:

6 Likes
page 23

店長と話すのすごい緊張しちゃうの
Talking to the store manager makes me super nervous

Grammar points
の Nominalizer
店長と話すの
Talking to the manager

緊張しちゃう
して is the て-form of する
緊張してしまう “I (completely) get nervous”
~てしまう - to finish completely

連絡先も毎回きけないし。。。
I can’t even ask for their contact info each time…

りんちゃんにそんな一面が!!
Rinchan has that side to her !

自信持って
Have confidence!

一緒ならゆきが次は頑張れる気がする
If (we’re) together, I feel like Yuki will be able to do her best next time.

Happy to find the kanji for 頑張れる in the wild - as I’ve encountered it before in many animes and fitness related brands/products.

9 Likes

Speaking of the だけど on page 22…it’s currently listed in the vocab sheet as “but,” but I think this is one of those cases where Rin is using it as a softening sentence-ender. Do others agree? If so, would anyone mind if I edited the vocab sheet to reflect this? I think leaving it in there as “but” might be confusing.

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Anyone should feel free to update the vocab sheet following the guidelines. Though since the entry should be a dictionary definition rather than grammar, I would say the explanation that but/however can be used as a softening sentence-ender would go best in the notes column.

6 Likes

My attempts at the first few pages. As usual, this is me trying to figure it out - I’ll go back and read earlier comments once I’ve finished my own attempts!

Pg22

いとこなんだよいよいつオミさんと
I’m sure Itsuomi is with his cousin
お店はカフェバーなんだけど
But the store is a cafe/bar
近いうち ごはん行かない?
It’s time to eat soon. Shall we go?
行って。。。いいのかな でも
Go… it would be good, but…
もういちど会ってみたい
I would like to meet him once more
あやばい 待って待って
Ah that’s risky. Wait, Wait!

Pg23

店長と話すのすごい緊張しちゃうの
When I speak to the store manager I get terribly nervous
連絡先も毎回聞けないし。。。
Also I cannot tell him my number …
りんちゃんにそんな一面が!!
(Wow) Rin has that kind of side!
りんちゃんはかわいい!! 自信待って
Rin is cute. Hold on to your self-confidence
雪が一緒なら 次は頑張れる気がする。。。
If Yuki went with me I would do my best to feel…

Pg24

ぎゅうう
(Squeezing each other’s hand)
(I can’t read the handwritten things Rin is saying)
私もききたいいつオミの連絡先
I also want to ask Itsuomi for his number

4 Likes

Here’s my attempt for this week. The more I do this, the more it seems like direct translations to English might not always work. I guess it’s interpretation more than translation at times.

"Pg22”

イトコなんだよ。逸臣さんと。お店はカフェバーなんだけど、近いうちご飯行かない?
I’m certain he’s a cousin. He’s with Itsuomi. The shop is a cafe / bar, but would you like to go for food sometime soon?

行って… いいのかな。でも、もういちど会ってみたい。
Go…. I wonder if it’s good. However, I would like to see him one more time.

あ、やばい。待って待って。
Oh, it’s risky! Wait, wait!

"Pg23”

店長と話すのすごい緊張しちゃうの連絡先も毎回きけないし…
Because I get terribly nervous every time I talk with the manager and I can’t get his contact information…

りんちゃんにそんな一面が!!りんちゃんはかわいい!!
Rin has that kind of side to her!! She’s so cute!!

自信持って
Have confidence!

雪が一緒なら次は頑張れる気がする…
Yuki, if you go with me next time I feel like I can persevere…

"Pg24”

私もききたい… 逸臣さんの連絡先。
I would also like to get Itsuomi’s contact info.

"Pg25”

よーし、じゃあ、お互い連絡先きくぞー
Alright, well then, we’ll get each other’s contacts!

雪の一年生最後の最大クエスト!
Yuki’s last and biggest quest as a first year student!

着いたね。
We’re here…

店長のこと好きになんないでね。
雪かわいいから。
Don’t get a crush on the manager, cute Yuki.

もちろん!
あとかわいいのはりんちゃんだよ。
Of course!
Also you’re the cute one, Rin!

今日の服変じゃないよね。
My clothes aren’t weird today are they?

雪もいいよ。その服。
You’re good too, Yuki. Those clothes.

わわー
緊張する
Wahhh, I’m nervous!

"Pg26”

…雰囲気違う
…a different mood

かっこいい…
He’s handsome and cool…

こないだ電車で雪を助けてくれてありがとうー
Thanks for helping Yuki on the train the other day…

"Pg27”

あれ、りんちゃん。また来てくれたの?
Huh, Rin. You came back for me again?

ア…ハイ
OH…YEAH (I assume the katakana here is emphasizing her nervousness lol)

ありがとねー
あ、友達?
Thanks! Oh, a friend?

こんばんは。ゆっくりしてってね。
Good evening. Take your time.

5 Likes
Page 24

I believe it’s: 「痛いくらいだったよ」
And then underneath the 「がばっ!」sound effect

6 Likes

Thanks a lot :blush:

So I would translate that as “That hurts a bit, you know!”

5 Likes

I feel like I got the gist of the meaning on the first run through of the reading, but I had to go through a couple more times to pick up on little bits of nuance. I feel like I am still missing some implied meanings or connotations, but here is my try at the translation!

Page 23

イトコなんだよ。逸臣さんと。
お店はカフェバーなんだけど。近いうち
ご飯行かない?
He’s Itsuomi’s cousin. The shop is a cafe bar. It’s close to here. Wanna get lunch?
(cafe bar - I assume this is just the Japanese word for a place that sells alcoholic drinks and coffee at the same place? Like a coffee bar/lounge? There was one near my house when I lived in Nagoya which was really fun to go to!)

行って。。。 いいのかな。でも、もう一度会ってみたい
Go? I wonder if that’s ok… but, I want to try to see him once more.

あ やばい 待って待って
Ah, crap, wait, wait!

Page 24

店長と話すと すごい緊張しちゃうの
I get super nervous when I talk to the store manager (しちゃう = negative feelings about this?)
連絡先も毎回きけないし。。。
Every time I don’t give him my contact info.

りんちゃんにそんな一面が
Rin-chan has this side to her?

りんちゃんはかわいい!自信持って
You’re cute! Have confidence!

雪が一生なら、次は頑張れる、気がする。。。
Only if you go with me, next time I’ll be able to persevere, (unsure of 気がする)

Page 25

私もききたい 逸臣さんの連絡先
I also want to ask for Itsuomi’s contact info

よーし じゃあ、お互い連絡先きくぞ
Yea! /Great! Then, we’ll get the contact info together
(Not sure what the ぞ is adding here)

雪の1年生最後の最大クエスト!
It’s the biggest quest of the end of Yuki’s first year!

着いたね。
We’re here

店長のこと好きになんないでね。
雪かわいいから。
Since you’re cute, don’t go liking the store manager, ok?

もちろん!
あとかわいいのはりんちゃんだよ。
Of course (not)! You’re also cute! (Or “You’re the cute one?” unsure of what あと is adding here).

今日の服変じゃないよね?
My clothes today don’t look weird, do they?
雪もいいよその服
You’re outfit is great!
わわー 緊張する
Ahh, I’m nervous

Page 26

雰囲気違う
The atmosphere is different…
かっこいい。。。
Cool
逸臣さんこないだ電車で雪を助けてくれてありがとう
Itsuomi, thanks for helping Yuki on the train the other day.

Page 27

あれ りんちゃん
また来てくれたの?
Huh, Rin-chan? You’ve come to see me again?

ハイ
Yup!

ありがとうねー あ。友達?
Thanks! Oh, a friend?

こんばんはゆっくりしてってね
Enjoy your evening / Spend as long as you want here tonight ?
(This feels like there isn’t a direct translation since ‘ゆっくりして’ gets said a lot to invite people to feel they can take as long as they like to do something unhurriedly.)

On page 25, “よーし じゃあ、お互い連絡先きくぞ”

I think this is the translation

Yea! /Great! Then, we’ll get the contact info together

But I’m not sure what the ぞ is adding here since it seems to just be added to the end of the verb きく

4 Likes

I think it’s just an ending particle like ‘let’s do it!’ ぞ (JLPT N0) | Bunpro

5 Likes

Thanks, that make sense now. Those are the little things I am still learning that add lots of extra nuance when I read and listen to Japanese videos

4 Likes

Since everyone else’s translations and explanations cover most of the sentences well, I figured I’d focus on the little handwritten note on Page 25 (especially since a handwritten sentence was giving me so much trouble last week!)

Page 25 Handwritten dial from Rin-chan

雪の1年生最後の最大クエスト!

“Yuki’s greatest quest at the end of her first year!” (meaning her freshman year of college)

This one was exciting for me because 1) 最後 and 最大 are new vocab for me that seem quite useful, 2) I was able to transcribe it (the letters were clear AND the words were in the spreadsheet), and 3) I knew everything else in the sentence!

I’m actually not 100% sure if it’s “(Yuki’s) greatest quest at the end of (the year)” or "(Yuki’s) last, greatest quest of (the year)" because I feel like those are two different things, right?

Either way it gets the idea across, I’m just curious about the nitty gritty specifics there.

7 Likes

Didn’t have too much trouble this week. Looking forward to next week, when the pace starts to ramp up.

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