White Album 2 manga online
Volume 4, chapter 1
Character Descriptions page
Top R: Setsuna Ogiso
Houjou University Politics and Economics department, third year. Was an idol-like figure in high school, who won the unofficial “Miss Houjou High” contest three years in a row. Her popularity reached its peak when she performed vocals in the “Legendary Live” at the school festival during her third year, and even now she still catches the attention of those around her.
Top L: Kazusa Touma
Haruki’s former classmate. One of those who stood on stage in the Legendary Live. She added music to the lyrics that Haruki had written in secret, completing the song “Unreaching Love.” After graduating from Houjou High School, she crossed over to Europe in order to follow her path as a pianist.
Middle: Haruki Kitahara
Houjou University Literature department, third year. During high school, he played in the “Legendary Live” that is still spoken of today. At present, he is working diligently at his part-time job with Kaiou, a publishing company, while attending Houjou University. In the course of his work, he was involved in a special feature on the pianist known as Kazusa Touma.
Table of Contents:
SESSION17 Pure Impulse 01
SESSION18 The One I Love Most in the World 31
SESSION19 Three Years’ Worth of Feelings 59
SESSION20 Best Friend For Life 79
SESSION21 At the Beginning, at the End 111
SESSION22 Throwing Everything Away 141
SESSION23 Happiness for One Alone 165
Middle, R-L:
Koharu Sugiura
Houjou High School, third year. Very helpful, relied upon by everyone, and dauntlessly presses people with logical reasoning… A “second-term committee member,” much like Haruki once was.
Chiaki Izumi
Houjou University, third year. Transferred into the literature department and is in the same seminar room as Haruki. Both she herself and others acknowledge her as a slacker, and her problem at present is whether she will advance.
Mari Kazaoka
Magazine editor at Kaiou, the publishing company where Haruki works part-time. She comes off as a bit of a workaholic, but she is also a picture-perfect “working woman.”
Middle header: Characters
Left pair:
Takeya Iizuka
Houjou University, third year. Haruki’s best friend since high school, who worries about Haruki and Setsuna’s relationship.
Io Mizusawa
Houjou University, third year. She and Takeya have had a relationship since middle school, for better or worse. From a standpoint of knowing both Haruki and Setsuna well, she feels concern over how they’re doing.
Middle cluster:
Setsuna’s Family
Father (Susumu) & Mother (Akina)
Younger brother (Takahiro)
Setsuna Ogiso’s younger brother, and a third year at Houjou High School. He is classmates with Koharu Sugiura, and before her, he undertook the duty of “first-term committee member.”
Youko Touma
Kazusa’s mother, a world-class pianist.
Left:
Tomo Yanagihara
Houjou University Commercial Science department, second year. One year behind Haruki and the others, and runner-up for “Miss Houjou High” in high school. Holds an unusually strong interest in Setsuna.
Page 1
1.1
Io: Sheesh, Haruki!
Io: You really do come through when it counts!
Takeya: Man, I’m so jealous!
1.2
Haruki: I thought you two were fighting…
Io: Yeah, considering what he did…
Takeya: Well, I couldn’t just say nothing.
1.3
Io: I didn’t think you were gonna use my phone to confess to her!
Haruki: I thought she might not pick up if she saw it was from me…
Narration: While the bells were ringing on New Year’s Eve, I told Setsuna I still had feelings for her.
Takeya: All right! We’re gonna drink until dawn!
Haruki: I thought you said we were done?
1.4
Haruki: I still… don’t think I’m ever going to forget about Kazusa.
Narration: Even after laying everything bare…
Even now…
Haruki: But… Well, no, that’s why I need to apologize for that the most.
Page 2
2.1
Haruki: I’m sorry, Setsuna.
Haruki: You’re the one I love.
Chapter title: SESSION17
Pure Impulse
Narration: I decided to move forward…
so that I could see that smile again, like I used to see long ago.
Page 3
3.2
Narration: Come to think of it, I haven’t really seen Izumi lately…
Page 4
4.2
FX: Slink
4.3
FX: Dash
Haruki: Setsuna…?
4.4
FX: Huff huff
4.5
FX: Huff huff
4.6
Io: What’s with you? You’re acting like some kinda jumpy middle-schooler.
FX: Jump
Page 5
5.2
FX: Sigh
5.3
Io: So? What’s the deal?
Io: It’s been two weeks, and you still haven’t talked to Haruki?
Not even once?
Setsuna: Yeah…
5.4
Setsuna: If Haruki-kun were running away, I could chase after him.
But, now that he’s the one approaching me, I can’t accept him…
5.5
Io: That’s like the cruelest game of tag ever played…
Setsuna: I’m just so afraid of messing up again, and I freeze up.
Page 6
6.1
Io: You two…
Io: both insist on making things so difficult…
6.2
Setsuna: This might sound weird…
but the fact that Haruki-kun kept avoiding me up to this point was kind of a relief for me.
6.3
Setsuna: Like, if my feelings never got through to him, I wouldn’t have to be hurt any worse.
Setsuna: Just watching him from a distance… It was painful, but the happiness I felt was equal to the pain, so I could take it.
Io: Setsuna…
Setsuna: But, with just that little closure of the distance, I can’t keep myself from wanting to get even closer.
I start having this fantasy… Like, maybe he could just be mine, and no one else’s…
6.4
Setsuna: …Even though Kazusa has never left his mind.
6.5
Io: …So, what are you doing to do?
Setsuna: What should I do…?
Page 7
7.1
Setsuna: Hey, could the four of us be together forever, I wonder?
7.2
Io: …
7.3
Io: Well, if you’re okay with being that wishy-washy about it, what does it matter?
FX: Scoot
7.4
Io: …If you’re so sure that you could see Haruki find a girlfriend, start a family, have children, and just smile and nod at the whole thing…
Setsuna: !
7.5
Io: See? You’re in shock over a simple hypothetical.
Io: You’re lying about all of this, aren’t you? You can’t keep bluffing forever.
7.6
Io: Yes, it’s definitely Haruki’s fault that your outlook is this warped…
Setsuna: …
Io: but if you yourself can’t be honest, none of your feelings will ever be fulfilled.
Page 8
8.1
Io: Give yourself some time to cool down, and then think it over again.
8.2
Setsuna: …I know.
8.3
Setsuna: I know I’m doing all of this wrong…
Setsuna: but I just want some validation from someone…!
8.5
Io: So, there you go!
Io: She refuses to budge!
Takeya: You’re going way too fast, Io.
Page 9
9.1
Io: Hey, Haruki… Have you been in touch with Setsuna at all since then?
Takeya: While the New Year’s Eve bells were ringing, we stood right there and watched you tell her you loved her…
Haruki: You don’t have to get that detailed…
9.2
Haruki: Yeah, that was the end of it. I haven’t had any calls or messages from her since.
Takeya: Why? Couldn’t you just take the initiative yourself?
Haruki: …No, I think you know I can’t.
Io: God, this is such a pain!
9.3
Haruki: Come on, just let it be for now… At least until Setsuna comes to you guys for help.
FX: Hrrrmph
9.4
Takeya: Hey…
Io: Uuugh! Unbelievable!
Page 10
10.1
Takeya: Oh, wow. Haven’t seen that guitar in a while.
10.2
Haruki: Do you still play?
Takeya: I, uh… gave up on it.
10.3
Takeya: I was only ever using it as a tool to pick up girls, anyway…
Going to parties is way more effective nowadays.
Haruki: Yeah, you would…
10.4
FX: Zzzip
Page 11
11.1
FX: Twang
11.2
Takeya: Man… You were bad before, but now you’re like a newbie.
Haruki: Shut up. I just haven’t tuned it yet.
11.4
Narration: Like Takeya said, the guitar was completely out of tune as I strummed it slowly.
Driven by pure impulse, like a boy who just started playing…
I started practicing ten hours a day, so that I could put my feelings across to the girl I loved.
Page 12
12.3
Narration: It’s almost time to do our graduation theses… What is Izumi up to…?
12.4
Haruki: …
?
12.5
Haruki: Se—
FX: Dash
Page 13
13.1
Haruki: …
13.2
FX: Tmp tmp tmp
Narration: I want to talk to him, but when he’s right there, I can’t move… Now I feel like a stalker!
13.3
FX: Tmp tmp tmp
FX: Whump
13.4
Tomo: Yeek!
FX: Flump
13.5
Tomo: Hey! What are you gonna do if my lunch is all messed up?!
Setsuna: I’m so sorry!
13.6
Tomo: Hang on, are you Setsuna Ogiso?
Setsuna: …Oh, Yanagihara-san…
13.7
Tomo: At least try to hide your disappointment.
Setsuna: No, no, I…
Page 14
14.1
Tomo: See? It’s a mess now.
FX: Wilt
Setsuna: I-I’m sorry… Really, I am…!
14.2
Tomo: You’ll make it up to me, right?
Setsuna: Huh?!
14.4
Setsuna: …
FX: [replace w/ FX font] Munch munch munch munch
14.5
Setsuna: Do you make yourself a box lunch every day?
Tomo: …There something wrong with that?
FX: Slurp
14.6
Tomo: I put a lot of effort into maintaining my figure, you know.
Setsuna: Wow… that’s impressive.
I never even thought about that before…
Tomo: Is that a jab?
Page 15
15.1
FX: Munch munch munch
Tomo: Since you’ve got nothing to do, why don’t you sing something?
FX: Shove
Setsuna: …
15.2
FX: Gulp
15.3
Setsuna: …No. I can’t sing any more.
Tomo: What, you don’t have any songs for the likes of me?!
15.4
Setsuna: That’s not what I mean…
Setsuna: I seriously can’t do it any more.
Tomo: Why the hell not?!
FX: Clench
Page 16
16.1
Setsuna: Because I can never stand in that light again.
Tomo: Y-you…!
FX: Flare
Tomo: Are you really sure you’re Setsuna Ogiso?!
16.2
Tomo: The girl who stood on that stage in that flashy outfit, snaring all the guys’ attention…
Tomo: That infuriating little girl who always stole the show… This is what’s become of her?!
16.3
Setsuna: I apologize for failing to meet your expectations.
Tomo: Don’t give me that!
16.4
Setsuna: Well, I’m going to go and take care of the bill, so enjoy yourself as long as you like.
FX: Bam
Tomo: No, hang on! Wait!
Page 17
17.1
Tomo: Ogiso-san, where are you going?
Tomo: It’s only eight o’clock!
FX: Stmp stmp
17.2
Tomo: If you don’t want to do karaoke, let’s go drinking.
There’s a good place over in Azaitabase.
Setsuna: Please just let me be…
17.4
Tomo: Oh, are you afraid I’ll get mean when I’m drunk?
Setsuna: I didn’t say that…
17.5
Tomo: If you hate me, just say it. I can’t get serious unless you pick a proper fight yourself.
Setsuna: …
17.6
Tomo: Say it. “I hate your guts.”
Setsuna: Wh-what exactly is your grudge against me…?
Guy: Hey, there! Where are you two ladies headed?
Page 18
18.1
Guy: Man, you two are gorgeous. Are you actresses or something? Or models, or…
Tomo: Aw, no way! You really think we look that good?
18.2
Tomo: We were just thinking we’d go get something to eat, maybe, over in Azaitabase… You wanna go together?
FX: Tug tug
Guy: Huh?! Really? Absolutely!
Setsuna: H-hey… No, Yanagihara-san, you shouldn’t just take off with a guy you don’t know like that…
18.3
Guy: Hey, now…
Setsuna: Whoa! Please don’t touch me!
Guy: C’mon, it’s just your arm.
Tomo: Come on, Setsuna, let’s have him drive us.
That’d get us there quicker.
Guy: It’s a minivan, so there’s plenty of room.
Setsuna: No, no, no! I said, I don’t want to!
18.4
Setsuna: Haruki-kun! Help meee!
Page 19
19.1
Tomo: Hmhm…
FX: Tremble tremble
19.2
Tomo: Sorryyy! Guess we’re gonna take the train instead!
Guy: Hey…
Tomo: Bye-bye!
19.4
Setsuna: Ngh…
Setsuna: Terrible! That was terrible!
Setsuna: Ugh…
19.5
Tomo: …God, you’re a drag.
Wanna quit crying, maybe?
FX: Ugh
FX: Hic
FX: Ggh
FX: Ugh
FX: …
Page 20
20.1
Setsuna: Do you really enjoy messing with me that much?
FX: Sob
FX: Sniff
Tomo: Yep! I sure do!
Setsuna: Wh…
20.2
Tomo: Y’knowww, come to think of it, you just yelled for “Haruki-kun.” That’s Kitahara-senpai from the Light Music Club, right?
Tomo: Everyone in my class was talking about how he dropped you three years ago.
20.3
FX: Snap
Setsuna: What do you know…?
20.4
Tomo: That your life has been completely boring the past three years, since you graduated.
Tomo: Just back and forth between school and home, not even a part-time job, and you hardly ever go out, so your little brother laughs and calls you a shut-in…
Tomo: So, now and then, you lie and say you’re going on a date, but you just go to the movies by yourself…
Enduring the boredom, killing time until the middle of the night, drinking alcohol you don’t even want to drink, coming home late, making your family think you’re in some kind of serious relationship!
FX: Mutter
Tomo: …Gross.
Page 21
21.1
Setsuna: Shut up! Yes, I’m gross! I know that!
21.2
Setsuna: Always hung up over one person… And yet, when that person looks my way, I can’t accept it… It’s like I’m schizophrenic or something!
21.3
Tomo: Hmmm… Maybe just a little.
Setsuna: Not that someone like you would ever understand!
Tomo: Well, yeah. How could I?
You’re too creepy.
21.4
Tomo: Wellll, that was interesting to hear. The unknown true nature of Setsuna Ogiso, the former Houjou idol.
Setsuna: So? Why don’t you go spread it around?
Page 22
22.1
Tomo: Who would ever believe that?
I just feel sorry for you. So desperate that you’d tell a lie like that.
22.2
Setsuna: Well, that’s fine.
Since that’s the unknown true nature of Tomo Yanagihara, the current Houjou idol.
22.3
Tomo: So, you finally called me “Tomo,” Setsuna Ogiso.
Setsuna: I hate that you call me “Setsuna Ogiso.”
Tomo: I’m glad to hear that, seeing as I called you that because I wanted you to hate me.
Setsuna: …!
22.4
Tomo: Aaanyway, guess we’d better call a taxi.
Your house is in Suetsugu, right?
Setsuna: What, you know that, too? …You’re like a stalker.
Tomo: Oh? Well, I guess that’s not too far off.
Page 23
23.1
Tomo: Okay! We’ll go out to the main street.
Setsuna: …Don’t tell me what to do.
23.2
FX: Twinge
23.3
FX: Twinge twinge
23.4
Narration: My skin is so weak now…
Will I be able to get back to how I was at my peak this way?
FX: Sigh
23.5
FX: Vrrrt
23.6
Haruki: Yes, hel—
Setsuna: Haruki Kitahara, you’re so stupid!
Page 24
24.1
Haruki: Huh?
FX: Click
24.2
Narration: …Setsuna?
24.3
FX: Rrring
24.4
FX: Ring
Setsuna: Shut up! Don’t call me this late at night!
24.5
Haruki: …Sorry.
Setsuna: I just jumped down your throat! Why are you apologizing?!
24.6
Setsuna: I dumped you, and you came crawling back to me to say you were sorry!
Setsuna: Telling me you still loved me because you can’t just give up already…
FX: Roll
Narration: Setsuna was clearly intoxicated.
Setsuna: You’re really ticking me off right now, Haruki-kun!
Narration: I guess so…
Page 25
25.1
Setsuna: And when I’m in trouble you never do anything…
You’re so useless!
Narration: If this phone call were happening right after we met, Setsuna would have been three times as stubborn as usual.
25.2
Haruki: Did something happen? Do you want to talk about it?
Setsuna: Why didn’t you come and save me…?
25.3
Setsuna: I called you… I called for you over and over…
Setsuna: Because of you, some other man touched me!
Setsuna: My hair was standing on end!
Haruki: …
FX: Jolt
25.4
Setsuna: …Are you feeling regretful now?
Haruki: Yeah.
Setsuna: Are you jealous of the other man?
Haruki: Yeah…
25.5
Setsuna: Liar!
FX: Wipe
Setsuna: You sound so indifferent… It’s so obvious that you don’t care! I’m gonna cry again…!
25.6
Haruki: Sorry…
Narration: It’s not a lie.
I’m actually surprised by how jealous I am. I feel like I might crush my phone any second.
Page 26
26.1
Setsuna: You’re just hopeless at everything, Haruki-kun!
Setsuna: Because you keep letting me be this fickle! “Oh, don’t run away from me! But wait, don’t get too close to me, either!”
26.2
Setsuna: It’s all your fault… Got it?
Narration: It’s been over three years since Setsuna tore into me like this.
26.3
Setsuna: I haven’t done anything wrong at all.
Haruki: Yeah.
Narration: The pure words that I once took away from her.
Setsuna: Being betrayed by you… jerked around by you…
Narration: The true Setsuna, that I erased.
Setsuna: It just turned me into a gloomy, creepy little girl!
26.4
Narration: I missed it so much that I nearly cried.
I realized that I wanted to meet this Setsuna again some day, without alcohol being involved. Under more normal circumstances.
Setsuna: Will you… say something already? Scold me! Yell at me…
26.5
Haruki: Actually, can I call you back in a second?
Setsuna: What?! Why?!
Page 27
27.1
Setsuna: You’re not ever actually gonna call me back, are you?
Setsuna: You don’t ever wanna talk to me again!
Haruki: I will, I swear.
27.2
Setsuna: After all the times you betrayed me before?!
Haruki: Just this once, trust me, okay? I’m going to call you back.
Setsuna: Wait! Haruki-kun, wai—
FX: Bip
27.3
Setsuna: How am I supposed to survive this…?
27.4
FX: Rrring
Setsuna: Haruki-kun?!
27.5
Setsuna: Ah…
27.6
Haruki: Sorry about that. I had to use the landline so I could go hands-free.
Setsuna: …The guitar…
Page 28
28.1
Haruki: I just started up again last week…
so I’m still pretty terrible at it…
Setsuna: Yeah… Really terrible.
Haruki: But, maybe this song…
28.3
Setsuna: What are you doing, Haruki-kun? Don’t you have exams coming up?
Haruki: Yeah, I do.
FX: Strum
Setsuna: You’re so dumb. There’s no point.
Haruki: Yep.
28.4
FX: Nod nod
Setsuna: Hey, Haruki-kun…
Haruki: Hm?
28.5
Setsuna: I love you.
Setsuna: But I hate you, too.
FX: Hug
28.6
Haruki: Well, I love you.
Haruki: And that’s all.
FX: Strum
Page 29
29.1
Setsuna: I knew that already.
Haruki: I know…
29.2
Setsuna: Because…
Setsuna: I know everything about you, Haruki-kun…
29.3
Haruki: Listen, Setsuna…
FX: Sigh
Haruki: …Setsuna?
Narration: From the speaker on the receiver…
I heard her breathing calmly as she slept…
completely different from the miserable, anxious, emotional breathing I had just heard.
Haruki: Good night…
Setsuna.
Narration: And I kept playing—softly, quietly, so that I wouldn’t disturb that sleeping breath, but I kept on.
Page 30
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