Nami's Note: This translation is for any body that wants to read manga. Don't redistribute this translation for your site, commercial use, or anything I consider inappropriate. If you like this story, you could be supporting the author by buying this manga^-^ "Andante" is copyrighted to Obana Miho and Shueisha. Signs: (THINKING) [ACTION] ***** = change in time or place Andante Chapter 2 Mei: (Just look at them, they made a world of theire own.) [Mei got her sax taken away and Natsu made her go out of the music room.] Natsu: Did you learn any vocal music? Mel: No, nothing at all, but I was always singing. Like the songs the prist taught us at church and I really liked the Japanese songs my mom taught me.... Natsu: Your song is amazing. You're perfectly in tune and you've got the basics. A voice of beauty and wonder. Mel: Really? [Mei asks them if they want tea] Mel: Well thanks again! Mei: It's not thank you yet! It's just for the time being, just tonight! Get it? Mel: Oh, I've got a letter from your dad! To Natsu and Mei So, that's the situation. Natsu & Mei: (What do you mean `that's the situation`!!) I'm sorry about how irresponsible I am. But please, the environment at our house isn't good for her. Eiko(their mom) will be living at a dormitory of where she works. And I will be going to Australia. Mel-something just lost her only mother. I want you two to be as kind as you can be to her. Mei: (That's right, her mother just died......) So thanks a lot. Love, dad Mei: (This sounds like we're gonna have to take her!?) [Natsu rips the letter] Mel: Am I a trouble, being here? Natsu: No, it's not you... It's just that how we have to deal with what our parents do and things, right Mei? Mei: Uh huh. Mel: I'll try to do as much as I can myself.... Natsu: So is that all your stuff? Mel: Yes! There's some clothes, photograph etc. Natsu: Is that a picture of your mom? Mel: Yes! My mom was a dancer. She always worked a lot for me! It's just that she worked too much and......... [Mel crys] Mel: Sorry about the sad story. [Natsu and Mei are crying much more than Mel did.] Natsu: It must've been hard alone. Mel: I'm alright now. Natsu: Me san, when dad comes back, we'll talk again but please stay here for a while. Mel: Thank you so much! Mei: (If my brother allows it...) So how old are you Mel? Mel: Almost fifteen. Natsu: I guess you'd be in Gr. 9. You're a year older than Mei. Mel: Mei san's a year younger? Japanese are young, I thought she was about ten! [Mei does the calming- her-temper-down move] [Natsu's director, Aida, comes to pick up something from Natsu] Mei: I don't like her. Mel: Why? Mei: Because she gives my brother this look. Mel: This look! What kind of a look? Hello! Aida: Oh, she's beautiful! Girlfriend? Natsu: No, a guest. Aida: Is she a model or something? Natsu: No. Aida: I see. Natsu: Aida san, I think you better get going. Aida: Oh right. Good luck with your work Natsu! Mel: Natsu san! Mei san doesn't like her because she gives you this look. Mei: Wha... Don't say that to my brother!! Natsu: This look? I don't think so. Here. [Puts a box of present on Mei's head] Mei: You just treated me like a little kid! Natsu: Why are you that angry about it? [Mel starts laughing] Natsu: And why do you laugh so much!? And a good voice too. Mei: I'm going to sleep. Natsu: Stop there Mei, tell Mel where the bathroom is and stuff. Mei: Why me? Natsu: C'mon, I have work to do. Mei: Got ya. This way Mel. ***** Mei: And this is the room you can use. Mel: Thank you Mei san! I'm happy! Mei: We don't need san either.... Mel: Mei! I'm happy. What a good room! Thank you, thank you. Mei: Don't exaggerate it. (No fair. No one can hate a girl like that.) ***** Mei's at school. She's talking with her friend Teru about Mei's parents, and why Mel was with the saodake person yesterday. ***** Mel's at home having fun watching the TV [Natsu comes out of the music room, looking like a zombi] Mel: Gyaa! Natsu!? Natsu: Oh yah, you were here, I forgot.... Mel: You scared me. You look terrible! Natsu: Don't worry, this happens all the time. Mel: Have you got enough sleep!? Natsu: I slept for a good 30 minutes yesterday... Mel: Only 30 minutes!? Oh, there's something Mei made for breakfast! Natsu: Yah, later... Mel: Are you ok? Is there anything I can do to help? Natsu: Then can you sing this melody..? I can't get any image of the arrangement for this song. I don't know if I can do this. Mel: No problem, I'll sing! Natsu: (How can she let out a voice like this.....) Mel: Natsu, you ok? [Natsu goes into the music room] [A while later, Mel goes over and looks into the music room] Mel: Natsu!? Natsu: Oh, I fell asleep. Mel: I thought you fainted. Natsu: And thanks to you, I've finished a song. Mel: Really? That's great! Natsu: There's a lot more to do though. Mel: Want some tea? Natsu: Sure. Mel: This room is wonderful. A soundproof room? Natsu: Yah, I've made special order for this. Mel: Oh, are those medicines? There's a lot... Natsu: It's nothing bad though. Like vitamins. I can't go on without them. Mel: Even if they're not bad, it might be bad if you get too much of it. It's no good to be up on medicines all the time. Be more natural by using the strength of your body. Natsu: Nothing to worry about. Oh, I've got a fax. [Seems like he's got more work to do] Mel: Natsu, I want to go outside. Let's get some fresh air! Natsu: Sorry, I can't. Mel: Then I'll be fine by myself. Natsu: Wait, I'll give you a key and this. Mel: Isn't that a cell phone!? Is it ok? Natsu: It's a thank you for the song you sang me. Mel: Oh, but... Natsu: And some how, I have seven others. Sorry that I can't come with you. Mel: That's alright! Natsu: Be careful and if something happens, call me. Mel: Ok! Don't worry! ***** At school in band club Matsudaira, music teacher of the band, comes in. With frastration, Mei punches him in the stomach. Matsudaira: Good punch Takahara! So how's it going? [Laughing] Mei: It's not that how we're doing!! You are too irresponsible. At least hear the ensemble yourself instead of making me in charge. Matsudaira: I believe in you! Mei: You think too much of me. Matsudaira: And I've applied for the summer competition, so let's do the best we can! Mei: You're planning for us to be in a competition!? Matsudaira: Uh huh! Mei: That's impossible! Our club band is so bad that we're not even an inch close to be in a competition! Matsudaira: Who cares! And there's 3 month left! Let's happily enter! I'll be going now! Mei: You're not here to hear us play? (Happily enter? Instead, we'll be humiliated!!) Mei gets everyone and starts working with the ensemble. She's getting really terrible sounds. Mei: Stop!! None of you's getting it right. [She's doing the calming-down-her-temper move] The sound is not even let out property. I don't think the abdominal breathing is done right. This is important. Breath from your stomach, not from your throat nor your lungs. Like this! You, lie down. They made me do this too when I was new. People can only do abdominal breathing when they lie down. Everyone, do the same and breath. [Everyone breath] Mei: No, no, no! Change into your gym clothes! Get your mouth piece and get out on the school grounds!! ***** Outside on the school grounds [They are doing 50 sit ups.] Mei: Next, we are going to run!! Run and blow, blow and run. From the stomach! ***** After it's over Mei: We are going to do this every time at our band club. That's all for today. [Everyone seems very tired] According to Teru chan, there are 15% who doesn't like how Mei is doing things 35% who's having fun since it's something new 50% who doesn't think anything of it ***** Mel: Mei. Mei: Mel!? What's up! Mel: I was bored, so I came. Show me around. Mei: Sure! ***** Mei: This is where the foods are good. We'll buy the things we need for dinner. Mel: Can I do it? Can I? [She wants to push the cart] Mei: Alright then. Mel: What's this Mei? Cheese? Mei: That's tofu! Mel: This is? Mei: Chikuwa. Mel: And this? Mei: Kamaboko. Mel: How about this? Mei: Hanpen. Mel: You know a lot! Mei: It's normal. ***** Mel: Mei, What is he doing? Mei: He's giving out kleenex. It's for an advertisement. Is it rare? Mel: Yup! Mei: Why don't you go get one? Mel: I will. ***** Mel: What's that! A small car!! Mei: It's a pizza delivery... (Aren't there things like this in Australia?) Mel: Ah, Mei look!! Mei: What's next? Mel: There's so much birds on the electric wire!! Mei: You're happy looking at anything. Mel: Sure am! It looks like a piece of music! [Sings] Mei: I guess... (I don't think this is something rare of Japan... I wonder what kind of life she had in Australia...) Mel: This is fun. Natsu should be out too! Mei: My brother? He goes out. Mel: Really? Mei: Mostly just to the studio and back home with taxi though. Mel: I'm worried. Mei: What? Mel: I sing happily, but I wonder if Natsu enjoys music. Mei: Well, it is work, so there might not always be enjoyment... Mel: Don't you think Natsu's sound will exhaust? It seems so hard on him. Mei: No need to worry about that! He's a genius! Mel: (But he was saying he couldn't get any image...) Mei likes Natsu! It's nice that you have a kind brother! Mei: Uh huh. Just to tell you, my brother is kind to anyone! Don't take advantage of it! Mel: Got ya! Unexpectedly, we are doing pretty good together. Maybe we're a good match? ***** At home Natsu: Mel, are you in there? Mel: Yes! Natsu: Were you in the soundproof room? [Shows her a small empty bottle] Where's the inside of it? Mel: In the trash... Natsu: Don't do this! Mel: But medicines aren't good for you... Natsu: I told you it's nothing bad, I need them in my life! And don't just come in the room! Mel: Even if they're not bad, medicines aren't good! No, no! Natsu: Mel! I thought you knew without being told but... If you're going to live here, there's some rules to follow! If you intervene more than you need to, I can't have you here!! Mei: I'm home... What's going on..? Natsu: Mei..... Mei: I'm sorry!! [Runs away] Mei: Mel!? Brother? Mel went out... Natsu: It's all because she intervened me..... I thought this was the first time I saw my brother like this. ---------------------------------------- TO BE CONTINUED