Blue Box — Chapter 3

STARTING TODAY, I'M IN YOUR CARE.

I'M CHINATSU KANO.

...TO THE INOMATA HOUSEHOLD!

WELCOME...

OH, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO!

THAT'S NOT EXACTLY HOW I'D PUT IT!

HERE'S A TOKEN OF MY APPRECI- ATION.

SHE REALLY IS A BEAUTY!

THE SPITTING IMAGE OF YOUR GRANNY WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG.

DIDN'T YOU TWO DIVORCE?

ISN'T THIS GREAT, TAIKI?

NOW HOME'S GOTTEN A LITTLE LIVELIER!

...JUST SEEING CHINATSU SENPAI IN HER WEEKEND CLOTHES!

NOT WHEN I CAN BARELY KEEP IT TOGETHER...

SHE'S WALKING UP MY STAIRS!

STANDING IN THE KITCHEN WITH MY MOM!

AND EATING SUSHI!

...TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS?!

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO GO ON FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS? UNTIL SHE GRADUATES?

BUT LIVING UNDER THE SAME ROOF...

...IS OLYMPIC LEVEL!

JAPAN

AND UNTIL NOW, I'D BEEN THRILLED...

I CARRY ALL OF JAPAN...

...AT ADVANCING TO THE SECOND ROUND.

...ON MY SHOULDERS!

EIMEI

THIS ISN'T GOOD FOR AN ATHLETE! IT'S GONNA GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK!

TAIKI?

THE BATH'S AVAILABLE. YOUR MOM WANTED ME TO LET YOU KNOW.

...FRESH OUT OF THE TUB. AND SHE'S EVEN PRET- TIER...

LOUNGE- WEAR!

I'LL GO AS SOON AS I'M DONE READING THIS.

DON'T TELL ME!

IS THAT THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF JUMP?

I'VE BEEN SO BUSY WITH THE MOVE...

HOLD UP.

...I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT YET.

WAY TOO CLOSE!

YOU DON'T MIND?

BESIDES, I CAN'T HANDLE HER... ...GET- TING ANY CLOSER!

I'LL LEND IT TO YOU IF YOU WANT!

OF COURSE NOT!

WEEKLY JUMP

MM.- I WAS JUST THINKING HOW LUCKY I AM.

WHAT IS IT?

EVEN THOUGH OUR PARENTS ARE GOOD FRIENDS...

...I'VE ONLY REALLY MET YOURS A FEW TIMES.

IT CAN BE NERVE- WRACKING...

THE GUY I SEE AT MORNING PRACTICE... THAT'S WHY HAVING YOU HERE, TAIKI...

...LIVING IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOME.

THE GUY WHO LETS ME BORROW HIS COPY OF JUMP...

I FEEL SO AT EASE.

I'M STILL A GUY.

IS SHE REALLY NOT FAZED...

...BY THE IDEA OF LIVING WITH A BOY?

IF THAT'S THE CASE...

...THEN I'M THE ONLY ONE ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT.

HR- AA- AA- AH!!

WHAT ARE YOU SO ENERGIZED ABOUT?

YESSSS!

SHOULDN'T YOU BE DOWN IN THE DUMPS? IT MAKES NO SENSE.

I CAN BE HAPPY ABOUT THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY.

IS THAT SO?

I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR EXCITEMENT.

JUST MAKE SURE...

...NOBODY FINDS OUT YOU'RE LIVING TOGETHER.

HUH?

JUST LOOK.

DON'T PLAY DUMB.

YEAH. SHE'S SO COOL.

ZOOM OUT. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.

CHINATSU SENPAI'S GOT A LOT OF ADMIRERS. REMEM- BER WHAT I SAID?

DON'T MOVE. YOU'RE THE BASKET.

IF THOSE GUYS FIND OUT THE TRUTH...

TEAM MEMBERS VS. TAIKI

STILL. YOU'RE ONE LUCKY GUY.

EVEN IF IT'S BECAUSE OF HER PARENTS' SITUATION...

MAYBE YOU TWO WILL END UP DATING AND...

NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

...YOU GET TO LIVE WITH YOUR CRUSH.

THAT TAKES A LOT OF DETER- MINATION. SO I CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THAT...

CHINATSU SENPAI STAYED BEHIND IN JAPAN... ...ALL BY HERSELF.

...AND ASK SOMETHING AS SELFISH AS...

..."WILL YOU BE IN A RELATION- SHIP WITH ME?"

I ALSO WANT TO...

THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN THINKING.

...GO TO NATIONALS THIS SUMMER.

YOU'RE SERIOUSLY PLANNING ON GOING TO NATIONALS AS A FIRST- YEAR?

IF I DON'T DO EVEN THAT MUCH... ...I'LL NEVER BE A GOOD MATCH FOR HER.

WHAT?

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, ONLY A FEW HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.

TO BE HONEST...

...EVEN I DON'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES AT MY CURRENT LEVEL.

THAT MIGHT BE SO, BUT...

...I'M STILL FREE TO STRIVE FOR IT.

TAKING BREAKS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF PRACTICE TOO.

NOW WHADDAYA SAY TO ONE MORE MATCH?

WHA- AAT?

HUH? HE'S PLAYING WITH SOMEBODY DIFFERENT NOW.

SURE THING! HEY, TAIKI. WANNA PLAY SINGLES?

HASN'T HE BEEN PLAYING NONSTOP THIS WHOLE TIME?

ONCE HE DECIDES ON A GOAL... ...HE MAKES A BEELINE FOR IT.

HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO THIS YEAR'S NATIONALS.

GOAL? AND... YOU THINK HE'S GOT A SHOT AT IT?

HA HA!

HE REALLY LIKES PUSHING HIMSELF BEYOND HIS LIMITS. DOESNT HE?

LIKE BACK IN THE FIRST YEAR OF JUNIOR HIGH.

WELL, I GOTTA ADMIT.

...ARE THE TOUGHEST KIND.

GUYS WHO ARE TRUE TO THEM- SELVES...

NO MATTER WHAT THEY'RE GOING AFTER.

47!

48! 49! WORKOUT SCHEDULE SQUATS X100 PLANKS 2 MINS OF X SIDE-PLANKS 2 MINS OF X TWO-POINT PLANKS 2 AB WHEEL 10- X100

F I T Y Y Y Y Y Y !

THIS IS TOUGH.

BUT...

...I'VE GOT TO WORK HARDER.

WITH MY CURRENT SKILL LEVEL, GETTING INTO NATIONALS...

...IS JUST A PIE IN THE SKY!

CHINATSU SENPAI!

WHAT WERE YOU WATCHING?

N-NOTHING IMPORTANT!

I HAD SOMEONE RECORD MY PLAYING.

SO I WAS JUST CHECK- ING...

C'MON, WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? NO WAY! IT'S TOO EMBAR- RASSING!

I WANNA SEE IT!

WHAT?!

I'M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU IN THE GYM.

JUST KNOWING THAT IS... WOW.

SHE WATCHES ME?

AND I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE.

AWESOME! JUST LOOK AT THE WAY YOU REACT TO SUCH A FAST SHUTTLECOCK...

...AND FLY AROUND THE COURT.

NAH.

I'M STILL REALLY SLOW.

IF I DON'T GET OUT OF MY READY POSITION FASTER... ...THEN THE ACCURACY OF MY SHOTS SUFFERS.

I CAN'T JUST BARELY HIT IT BACK. I NEED TO HIT IT WITH TIME TO SPARE.

AT THIS RATE, NATIONALS WON'T EVEN BE—

ER, NOTHING!

FORGET WHAT I JUST SAID!

I DIDN'T PLAN ON TELLING HER...

NATIONALS?

...UNTIL I'D MADE SOME IMPROVEMENT.

YOU JUST SAID IT, DIDN'T YOU?

...TO NATION- ALS! YOU HAVE TO GO..!

OH? SO YOU'RE NOT GOING?

HUH?

YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO NATIONALS.

EVEN AFTER YOU INSISTED THAT I GO?

THAT'S NOT WHAT I—

I AM.

WHY IS IT THAT IN FRONT OF HER... OH, GREAT.

I AM GOING!

WAIT HERE A SECOND.

...I ALWAYS LOOK SO LAME?

I WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS.

A WISH RIBBON?

I THOUGHT I SHOULD PUT MY RESOLVE IN PHYSICAL FORM. WHEN IT FALLS OFF ON IT'S OWN, THAT MEANS YOUR WISH IS COMING TRUE.

IT'S A REMINDER FOR ME TO MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE.

I MADE IT WHEN I DECIDED TO STAY IN JAPAN.

OF COURSE, IF IT'S NOT REALLY YOUR THING...

I'LL GLADLY TAKE IT!

A PRESENT FROM HER! AND IT'S HANDMADE! I'LL TREASURE IT FOREVER!

S Q U E E E Z E

YOU'LL CUT OFF YOUR CIRCULATION THAT WAY.

PLEASE MAKE IT...

...TO NATIONALS TOO, TAIKI.

THERE. ALL DONE.

NOW WE MATCH.

GOOD NIGHT.

DON'T TAKE TOO GOOD CARE OF IT.

I'LL WORK SO HARD... ...THAT THIS WILL BREAK RIGHT OFF.

THOUGH THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

GUUUUH!

NOW I LIKE HER...

...EVEN MORE.

EVERY TIME I GET DISTRACTED...

...I SHOULD DO 30 MORE CRUNCHES. ONE... TWO...