Clannad>10. The Girl Genius' Challenge

"I":
What is this light?
I would not know a sight like this.

The girl:
So, tell me. Is that light strange?
And the sky?
And the ground?
Only this light is strange?
I wonder why that's the way it is?

"I":
For this girl who stays here all the time, this light is part of nature.
This is a shadow, I thought. But a shadow is cast.
So, what cast this shadow?

The girl:
Wait a minute!
To think that something is strange means you have knowledge of that which is not strange.

"I":
I will delve deep into my memories.
Sometime long ago, or perhaps way into the future, I was in another world.
That is one sensation I remember.


- OP -


Nagisa:
Well, hi there! How are you today, Okazaki?

Tomoya:
Nagisa, what are you doing here now?
You're gonna be late.

Nagisa:
I caught a glimpse of you and thought that maybe we could walk together.
So I waited for you.
You don't want to?

Tomoya:
Why would I not wanna walk with you to school?
Come on, let's go!

Nagisa:
'Kay!

Tomoya:
No one's been signing up for the club.

Nagisa:
No...

Tomoya:
Maybe I should just go talk to her.

Nagisa:
Who?

Tomoya:
Huh?

Kyou:
Out of the way, Tomoya!

Tomoya:
Argh!

Kyou:
Tomoya!

Nagisa:
Okazaki, are you all right?!
Speak to me! Please get up!

Kyou:
Hey, Tomoya!

Nagisa:
Oh, Okazaki!

Kyou:
He seems all right.
Oh, well...

Tomoya:
You're leaving me behind?!

Kyou:
I'm just joking.

Tomoya:
Nagisa, are you all right?
You're not hurt, are you?

Nagisa:
No, I think I'm all right.

Kyou:
Oh...

Tomoya:
What?

Kyou:
Seems you two've become awfully close.
Calling her by her first name, I see.
Are the two of you dating?
Maybe you've even kissed?

Tomoya:
No, we're friends!

Nagisa:
O..Okazaki is just helping me with reviving the club!
How could you even suggest it?!
Why it's just ludicrous!

Kyou:
Fine. We'll just leave the two of you as friends then.
I'm going on ahead.

Nagisa:
Okazaki, are you sure you're not really hurt?

Tomoya:
Let me ask you something.
Do you remember when I started calling you Nagisa?

Nagisa:
Huh? Oh, well, uh...

Tomoya:
Ah!

Nagisa
Ah!

Tomoya:
I was just about to remember something that happened in our past.

Nagisa:
I was too.
Something so very warm and nostalgic...
And somehow sad...
It's hard to explain.

Tomoya:
Shall we go, Nagisa?

Nagisa:
Yes, let's go to school.


第10回 天才少女の挑戦 (The Girl Genius' Challenge)


Youhei:
Recruit members?

Tomoya:
Yeah, even if you come along, it won't be much fun.

Youhei:
Come on, don't say that.
I wanna do everything I can help Nagisa too.

Tomoya:
Wh-What are you saying? That you really like Nagisa?

Youhei:
Of course!
I've never loved anyone this seriously before Nagisa.

Tomoya:
In the library up ahead, there's a young girl and she's always alone, just sitting there, reading really advanced textbooks.
If you strike up a conversation, she may even treat you to a meal.
She's super cute, pure and smart, and if I'm not mistaken, she's not seeing anyone.

Youhei:
Please introduce me!

Tomoya:
She's probably there now.
Make your move!

Youhei:
All right!

Tomoya:
What is that guy doing in there?

Youhei:
She...
She totally ignored me!

Tomoya:
Wow, that didn't take long.

Youhei:
I approached her and tried to hit on her, but I didn't get a single reaction out of her.
It ticked me off, so I tossed around some books and knocked down a couple of shelves, but she still ignored me.
So, who is this girl, anyway?

Tomoya:
Kotomi Ichinose, you must know her.

Youhei:
Kotomi Ichinose... Oh, you mean the famous genius.
Well, that explains it.
I mean she lives in a totally different world from us.
Sheesh, what a bunch of wasted time that was.

Tomoya:
Lives in a different world, does she?



Tomoya:
Ughh...
Hey, Kotomi.
Kotomi-chan?

Kotomi:
Oh...
Tomoya, nice to see you.

Tomoya, you know we shouldn't leave books lying around in the library like this.

Tomoya:
It's the same thing over and over, isn't it?

Kotomi:
The Drama Club?

Tomoya:
I told you about it before.
We're recruiting members.
Won't you meet with the club leader after class?

Kotomi:
She won't bully me, will she?

Tomoya:
I guarantee she won't, so you have nothing to worry about.

Nagisa:
Hi there...

Tomoya:
I might have found us a potential Drama Club member.
Go on, Kotomi. Say hello, will you?

Kotomi:
If you say so.
Hi, Tomoya.

Tomoya:
Not to me, you goof!
All right. Go on, don't be afraid, tell her your name!

Kotomi:
Okay...
Hi there.
It's Kotomi written in hiragana.
Written as ko-to-mi.

Nagisa:
Nice to meet you.
My name is Nagisa.
My name can be written in one Chinese character.

Kotomi:
Nagisa?

Nagisa:
Yes?

Tomoya:
Don't you have anything else to talk about besides your names?

Kotomi:
My last name is Ichinose.

Nagisa:
Furukawa.

Kotomi:
Class A.

Nagisa:
I'm Class B.

Kotomi:
Type A blood.

Nagisa:
Oh, my gosh!
I am too!

Kotomi:
Pork cutlet sandwich...

Nagisa:
Ampan!

Kotomi:
African elephant.

Nagisa:
Cats.

Tomoya:
Stop right there!
This exchange is totally meaningless and pointless.
She may not look it, but she is so smart the faculty doesn't even make her take college prep courses.
All she does all day is read books, so she has a huge vocabulary.
In other words, I think that she would be a perfect fit for the Drama Clu...
What is she doing over there?

Nagisa:
Are you okay?

Kotomi:
A treasure box...

Tomoya:
No, it's not.
Nagisa, say something to her, will you?

Nagisa:
Um, okay.
Your hair is so shiny, I'm kinda jealous of you.

Tomoya:
No, not that!
Go ahead and invite her to join the Drama Club!

Nagisa:
Oh...

Tomoya:
You and I practiced your big speech, remember?
Recite some play like the line "Let's shed tears of youth together."

Kotomi:
I won't have to shed any tears, will I?

Nagisa:
I think. If the role calls for it, you may have to shed a few tears and maybe cry a little bit.

Kotomi:
But I really don't want to cry.

Nagisa:
Even so, if you have to cry, then you're gonna cry.

Kotomi:
So tell me. Are you a bully?

Nagisa:
No, not me.
I'm not a bully at all.

Kotomi:
Oh. It's the Big Dango Family.

Nagisa:
Oh, don't tell me. You like them?

Kotomi:
Mm-hm. Very much!


Tomoya:
I'm going to walk Kotomi home.

Nagisa:
Okay, see you tomorrow.

Kotomi:
I have to say I was a little scared today.
I have a tendency to be like that when I talk to someone that I've just met for the first time.
But Nagisa was very kind.

Tomoya:
You've always seemed so shy, yet how come you got to talking to me so easily?

Kotomi:
Nagisa is a really nice person,
And she can draw really really well.

Tomoya:
I think we should just leave it at that.

Kotomi:
So, is Nagisa your sweetheart, Tomoya?

Tomoya:
No way!
Good grief you are just like Kyou asking such a stupid question.

Kotomi:
Kyou, who?

Tomoya:
She's the class leader for Class E and tends to be brutal.

Kotomi:
Oh, hey, Tomoya. There's a place I want to stop by on our way home.

Tomoya:
Everything is at your convenience, isn't it?

Kotomi:
What?


Tomoya:
You still love books, don't you?

Kotomi:
I must study lots of things or I won't become a great person.

Tomoya:
Mm, uh-huh, whatever...

Kotomi:
Oh...?

Tomoya:
Hey!
Hey, wait! You can't do that!

Kotomi:
Oh, what's the matter with you, Tomoya?

Tomoya:
Don't "what's the matter" me!
However much you love books, you can't cut out pages from the books at school or the bookstore.
If anything, copy the text while no one's looking or...
I guess you'll get scolded even for that.

Kotomi:
Really?

Tomoya:
Really.
I think you should start socializing more.
And get out of that library and meet people!


C L A N N A D
- クラナド -


Kotomi:
Will she bully me? Will she?

Tomoya:
No, she won't.
She'll just say hello.

Kotomi:
If you say so.
Hi, Tomoya.

Tomoya:
Nice practice run, next is the real McCoy.

Kyou:
And just what am I expected to do exactly?

Tomoya:
Come on, Kotomi!

Kotomi:
Okay...
Hi there.
It's Kotomi written in hiragana.
Written as ko-to-mi.

Kyou:
Ughh...

Kotomi:
Is she a bully?

Kyou:
Oh, so this is the famous girl genius?
I wonder what's she doing with a fat, lazy loser degenerate like you?

Tomoya:
Who are you calling fat, lazy loser?!

Kotomi:
But she's... she'll bully me! She will!

Kyou:
Now, now, don't be afraid of me.

Tomoya:
This is just how she is.
You have lots of friends in school, don't you, Kyou?
I was just thinking that maybe you could be Kotomi's friend as well.

Kyou:
You don't become somebody's friend just to do them some favor.
You don't give friendships away like that.
You have to build them.

Tomoya:
At times like this, you say all the right things, don't you?

Kyou:
Besides, what are you looking after Little Miss Intellect for?
What happened about helping Nagisa?

Tomoya:
That's an on-going process.
As you know, I have a reputation for being helpful to others.

Kyou:
Ugh... seems that another rival has appeared on the scene.

Tomoya:
Will you say something?

Kyou:
No way!
See you, I have things to do.
Oh, by the way... I'm Kyou, Fujibayashi.
'Bye!


Tomoya:
I will say this, that was a pretty big hurdle to overcome.
You shouldn't feel too bad.
But all you do is sit here and read books.
You should try talking to people with jokes and retorts.
You understand what I'm saying?

Kotomi:
Jokes and retorts?

Tomoya:
Let's practice a little at a time.
And the goal is one hundred friends!

Kotomi:
One hundred friends?
Tomoya, you're amazing!

Tomoya:
Sorry! Even I don't have that many friends.

Kotomi:
Oh...

Tomoya:
No, don't look so disappointed.
You just need to think of a clever retort.

Kotomi:
A retort, huh? What?
I'm sorry, I can't be doing this with you.
So, farewell, sir.

Tomoya:
The future looks bleak, doesn't it?

Kotomi:
Huh?


Ryou:
She's looking for... for friends?

Tomoya:
Yeah, she's soliciting for a few close friends.

Say hello!

Kotomi:
If you say so.
Hello, Tomoya.

Tomoya:
That line's been overused way too much.

Ryou:
Tell me. How do you and Kotomi know each other, Okazaki?

Tomoya:
You can consider us pals at cutting class together.
Though I'm a slacker and she's a genius.

Ryou:
Oh, listen.
If you don't mind, can I possibly tell your fortune with my cards?

Tomoya:
Hey, now that's a great way to start a conversation with someone!

Ryou:
Here you are.

Kotomi:
Is she a bully?

Tomoya:
To be honest, I have no idea.

Ryou:
This will be your fortune for today.
I would like for you to please pick three cards.

Now show them to me.
I don't think Ichinose will make friends.

Tomoya:
Gah!
Why are you contradicting my efforts like that, you saboteur!
Wait, wait, wait!
Running away won't change a thing!
Confront reality!

Kotomi:
So, tell me. Are you a bully?

Ryou:
No, not really. I mean, I don't think so.

Tomoya:
But you did!
You just told her she can't make friends!
You are a bully!

Ryou:
But you know that sometimes fortune-telling can be inaccurate.
Even if you get a negative reading, depending on how much you and the people around you try, it's possible to change the future.

Kotomi:
So, is that how it works?

Ryou:
Yes!
Well, what I mean to tell you is that I think you're a really fun person, Ichinose.

Tomoya:
Then, are you saying that you're going to be her friend?

Ryou:
Sure! If I'll do the least.
[Sure! If I'll do it, that is.] ??

Tomoya:
Ha...


Tomoya:
Thank goodness, she's different from her rough sister in that way.

Kotomi:
I have to say, Ryou wasn't too scary.

Tomoya:
Anyone else but she would've been taken aback by you.
First is the most basic of basics.
You have to learn how to introduce yourself.

Kotomi:
Hello, how do you do?
I'm Kotomi Ichinose from 3-A.
I love to read.
It would make me so very happy if you and I could be friends.

Tomoya:
That was a great!
We'll practice this during the next break!


Tomoya:
Is there anyone around here?

Kotomi:
Huh?

Tomoya:
What do you think you're doing, Tomoyo?

Kotomi:
A bear...

Tomoya:
You're not on campus police patrol.
So, are you checking out some kind of bear costume?

Go ahead, greet the bear.

Kotomi:
Why, hello there.
Bear, it's so nice to meet you.
Hi there, I'm Kotomi Ichinose from 3-A.
I simply love reading.
And I would be extremely happy if you and I could be friends.
Is that possible?

Kotomi:
Ah!

Tomoya:
I think she actually likes you.

Kotomi:
It's so soft...

Tomoya:
So, I take it that you like stuffed bears and things like that?

Kotomi:
Mm-hm. I love them!

Youhei:
Hey, Okazaki.
I've have been looking all over for you!
Let's you and I go eat lu...
Whoa, you're that stupid bear that kicked me the other day!
Don't move!
I'm gonna come get my revange!

Kotomi:
Revange?

Tomoya:
You could say English isn't his best subject.

Youhei:
Argh...

Tomoya:
As always, an amazing kick.


Woman:
Oh, goodness...
Oh... Oh dear, cutting class with a girl today?

Tomoya:
I've cut class, but this girl's really and truly smart, so she gets excused from class.

Kotomi:
Why, hello there. Nice to meet you.
My name is Kotomi Ichinose from 3-A.

Woman:
Oh...

Kotomi:
I simply love reading.
And I would be extremely happy if you and I could be friends.
Is that possible?

Woman:
Well then, so you must be the Ichinoses' daughter, Kotomi.

Tomoya:
You know her?

Woman:
You live in town and you get to know a great many people.
And besides, her parents are fine scholars.

Tomoya:
Scholars?

Kotomi:
Hmm...

Tomoya:
Are your parents college professors or something?

Kotomi:
Well, yes.

Tomoya:
I see, so the difference between us starts with our parents.

Kotomi:
Hmm...

Kyou:
Oh, found you!
See, I won't bully you. Nice girl!

Tomoya:
I thought you told me you don't become friends as a favor to someone?

Kyou:
Yes, I did. That's why I approached from my side.
But you and I still don't know very much about each other, now do we?
No matter.
I'm sure that if we go out together, I'm sure we'll get to understand each other.
Don't you think it's a chance to show how dependable you are?

Tomoya:
What are you trying to get me into?

Kyou:
I'm gonna go call Ryou, so you make sure to take us somewhere fun later!


Kyou:
So you think this is a fun place?

Tomoya:
Isn't it nice here?

Kyou:
Hey! I was expecting to go to karaoke, or the game center or a restaurant!

Ryou:
But I do hope that it's not a terrible imposition that we all came to this place.

Nagisa:
Oh no, I'm very happy.
It hardly ever gets lively in here.
I think it's very lively!

Kyou:
Look, I created this opportunity for you, little sister.
Take advantage of it!
You need to step it up here.

Ryou:
What...?

Kotomi:
Here goes.
Why, hello there. It's so nice to meet you.
I'm Kotomi Ichinose from class 3-A.
I simply love reading.
And I would be extremely happy if you and I could be friends.
Is that possible?

Nagisa:
Hello, I'm Nagisa Furukawa from 3-B.
I just love to perform.
If you and I could be friends, that would be such a wonderful thing for me.

Ryou:
My name is Ryou Fujibayashi from 3-D.
My favorite hobby is... it's reading people's fortunes!
I would be very happy if we could be friends.

Kyou:
I'm Kyou Fujibayashi from 3-E.

Tomoya:
Her hobby is tormenting the weak.

Kyou:
I would be so very happy if we could all be very close friends.
Ya!

Tomoya:
Argh!

Kyou:
My hobby is what?

Nagisa:
Okazaki, you okay?!

Tomoya:
Did you see that, Kotomi?
That's called a retort.
Learn that timing.

Kotomi:
Oh... Tomoyo (sic)...
I have to say that I'm very strong, so please you shouldn't be mean to me!

Tomoya:
I can't keep this up with you.

Ryou, Nagisa:
Wow...

Kyou:
This isn't what I expected from today.

Tomoya:
You should all join the Drama Club.
You'll have more than enough members to get it sanctioned by the school council.

Kyou:
I'm sorry for the club leader, but I'll pass.
Neither my sister nor I are interested in drama.

Nagisa:
Oh, but I would just love it if you would stop by now and then.
I just know we could all learn a lot about timing from you.

Kotomi:
I promise that I'm going to practice lots and lots.
And then one day, I will be really good at making witty retorts.

Nagisa:
That's wonderful, Kotomi.
I'll be there to support you, so please do your best!

Ryou:
Oh, please, I would so much like to support you too.

Nagisa:
Let's all do our best - the three of us!

Ryou:
Okay.

Kyou:
What a strange little group this is.

Tomoya:
And you're a vital, integral part of it.

Kyou:
Oh well, whatever.
She seems to be enjoying it.

Nagisa:
Okazaki is really strict about making clever retorts.
Why, sometimes even...
Oh, is there something the matter, Kotomi?

Tomoya:
Hey, Kotomi!


Rie:
Yes? What do you want?

Tomoya:
Hey, Kotomi!

Kyou:
What's wrong with you?

Rie:
I'm sorry, was I bothering you?

Kyou:
Oh no, no. Really, it's not anything like that.

Rie:
What's the matter with you?

Kotomi:
A violin...

Rie:
Ha!
Would you... would you like to play it for a while, maybe?

Kotomi:
May I?

Rie:
Sure!

Kyou:
Kotomi, you can play the violin?

Everyone
Argh...!

Rie:
Kotomi, you're putting too much pressure on the strings!
Relax your hold!

Kotomi:
It's divine!

Kyou:
Tomoya, what is with her?

Tomoya:
Don't ask me!