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^-^ "Five!" is copyrighted to Yoshihara Nozomi and Shueisha. Signs: (THINKING) [ACTION] ***** = change in time or place Five! Chapter 1 The day I cried, the day I laughed, even the day I got stuck; we were singing every day, with the five of us. Teacher: Here you go Miss Igarashi. Good effort you have the best report card again. Noriko: Thank you. Teacher: Well! You guys are all going to be in high school (Gr.10) from April. I hope you all get the most out of the spring break starting tomorrow. Classmate A: Hey did you see? Igarashi got only As. Classmate B: Really? She is so amazing. She's serious, an honour student. Its like work is the only thing in her mind. Classmate A: I wonder if she even have fun in her life! Classmate B: I think she heard you. Noriko: (I heard you guys loud and clear. This is Aiwa School in Kobe. This school is a mixture of junior high and high school, and its attached to our dormitory. Here at this school with reasons, I pretend to be an honour student but) ***** In Room100 (which is Noriko and Kirio's room) Kirio: Noriko hurry up, the attendance is going to be taken in a minute! Noriko: Right! Teacher: [knocks on door] Are both of you here? I will take attendance now. Akira Kirio? Kirio: Here. Teacher: Noriko Igarashi? Noriko: Here. Teacher: Good. Have a good night. Kirio & Noriko: Good night. [They open the door] Kirio: Is she gone? Noriko: Yes she is. (Here, they take attendance every night at eight, to see if the students are back in their room. And when the attendance is done· Ok, lets go!! [They jump out their window. Kirio lands on the ground while Noriko fall to the ground] awe! Kirio: idiot. Noriko: (Now onward, our time start.) ***** At the live house. Noriko: Good evening! We are the pink papas [Noriko play the guitar and Kirio play the key board] Noriko: (Usually I act as a honour student. But actually, with a mike in one hand, I sing rock!! She's Akira Kirio, a buddy and the only one who knows the real me. We play in a band together.) Speaker: Those were the ladies of the pink papas Now the next members. Noriko: That felt so good. Kirio: Noriko. You messed up melody B in the second song, didn't you? Noriko: You noticed? Kirio: That was the part I've always warned you about! How many practices do you need to get it though your head! Ah, it's already five till ten. Teachers are gonna patrol the dormitory at ten! Noriko: Wha wait up [she hits some thing with her hand ] ah sorry. Kota: Oh my God!!! Noriko: (What!?) Kota: What on earth are you doing? It made a really big sound. What were you gonna do if it got scratched?! Watch were your going you octopus. Noriko: (What? Octopus?) Kirio: Hurry up Noriko! Noriko: (I wonder which band he's in. He didn't seem so nice to me.) ***** At the backyard of the school Noriko: What? Our own live? Kirio: That? right. I had a call from the staff of that live house. He wanted us to do a live of our own. Noriko: Really!? Kirio: Really. Coz lately, the audience seem to like us. So if we succeed our next performance, he said we can have our own live. Noriko: (Oh my god! We're always had a live with other bands and we were done after 2 songs but our OWN live!?) Great! Teacher: What happened? Noriko: Oh look , the flowers of the cherry blossom are starting to bloom. Teacher: Well spring has already come. Noriko: Yes spring has come. Kirio: (Like always. She's so good at this) ***** At the live house Kirio: We're next. Noriko: All right Kirio·chan, let's do this right! Kirio: Right. Speaker: Next we have the ladies of the pink papas. Noriko: (If this performance goes well, we can do our own live. We are gonna do our best!!) Kota Shizumi 15 years old Manabu Shikura 15 years old Atsuro Betshyo 15 years old Audience: Hey isn't that! Audience: Really? Audience: For real? Noriko: (What's going on?) Audience: They're at the back. The members of SPARK! Noriko: (SPARK!? I've heard of them. The best of the amateurs right now.) [Nobody's listening to the song.] Noriko: (This is not good. This performance is really important.) Ah hey [She trips on one of the cords.] ! Kirio: Noriko! [She fell down the stage and everyone including the SPARK members are starring at her.] Noriko: (Uh Oh!) ***** Staff: I'm terribly sorry, but you guys won't be able to do a live of your own. [Noriko is stunned.] Kirio: Don't worry Noriko. There will be another chance. Maybe. Staff: Oh and members of SPARK are here to talk to you guys. Kota: Hi. Noriko: (SPARK· He's the guy I bumped into the other day. I didn't know he was a member of SPARK.) Shikura: Hey um would you guys like to join our band? Noriko: !? Shikura: Just recently, a member left the band and we were looking for new members. I think with the kind of music you guys play, it'll be fine. What do you say? Noriko: (Them and us in the same band?) What are you talking about, after ruining our live!? I don't know how popular you guys are, but you guys should first apologize!! Kota: Why should we apologize? It's not our fault. People with more fame attracts the audience. Maybe you guys aren't popular enough? Noriko: What did you say!!? [Kirio holds her back.] Kota: That't the reality. Don't blame it on us. [Shikura closes his mouth.] Shikura: Sorry for his rudeness. Kota: Let me go. I don't know about you guys but I'm not going with the idea! How can I be in the same band with this uncute girl? Noriko: We don't want to either. Who would wanna be with a monkey like you! [Runs off.] Kirio: Noriko. Atsuro: [laugh] Monkey [Kota glares at him.] ***** April, on the first day of school in the classroom Noriko: What's wrong with him. I get pissed off whenever I remember him. Kirio: But we did do something regrettable. We could've been members of SPARK. Noriko: Kirio, what are you saying? It wouldn't be any good if we went with them. It was right that we refused! Student: Hey! Did you see the new students this year? There are these really cool guys among them!! I just saw them in the hallway. They're so hot! Kirio: Did you hear that? Noriko: Let's see. [They look out the hallway from their window. Ofcourse, the cool guys are the three members of SPARK.] Noriko: Ah! The cherry blossom has started to bloom. A new season is just about to begin.