Original manga volume 1
"Boku-tachi no Kotae"
Chapter One: Boku-tachi no Kotae
This is really, I suppose, the introduction to the Sotsugyou boys in their Seiryuu Academy world. In this chapter the boys meet Takagi Shimon for the first time...he's a transfer student who shows up in a Rolls Royce and right away he and Arai Tougo clash horns. (It later transpires that Takagi is as bright as Nakamoto and is only one mark behind him in the class test listings, in which Nakamoto ranks top).
Arai is a really, really bad boy. He skips out on class, and he takes his phonecalls in class. His grades suck and he's constantly being threatened with failing and not graduating. He also flirts with the female teacher Shimizu-sensei, who is driven to tears over his behaviour. Takagi on the other hand is extremely sophisticated - he doesn't want to do gym because he's "allergic", he's into perfume...and well, yeah. You get the picture.
Mikimaro is really cute. He wants to be friends with everyone and even tries to lure the studious Nakamoto out of his room to join them playing games. Nakamoto has to sneak out to feed his cat friends, however (which seems to be a secret although Arai discovers it and finds it highly amusing). When Arai gets back to school late after a night on the town, and Nakamoto (his roommate) is fast asleep, Takagi surprisingly lets him into his room for the night and they have a vaguely civil conversation. Arai discovers Takagi plays guitar, and is kinda interested by it. Meanwhile Mikimaro has stumbled on Nakamoto playing the piano (note, piano, even though in E.M.U Hayashi-san obviously plays guitar...) Nakamoto is adamant he doesn't want to play for anyone else, and Mikimaro heads off for a meeting with one of the teachers (leaving Nakamoto wishing his social skills were a bit more up to scratch [Scanlation].
However, the teacher (erm) propositions him and Mikimaro is a bit (understatement) panicked. His screams are heard by all of the other four, who come rushing to his rescue (Mikimaro is especially happy that Nakamoto came because Nakamoto is so withdrawn from the rest of them). Arai beats up the teacher and leaves him semi-conscious on the floor. And he and Takagi have another disagreement. Meanwhile Yuusuke has written a love-letter (we presume to Shimizu-sensei) which he wants Nakamoto to proof-read. And Nakamoto does...rather brutally. Mikimaro tries to keep the peace...bless his little heart. At this point there is no "M" exactly. But the basic vibe is there. The chapter ends with the lines to the E.M.U song Boku-tachi no Kotae.
Chapter Two: Burning Generation
This chapter is mostly about Arai and Yuusuke. Yuusuke has a major major crush on their teacher Shimizu-sensei whose younger brother he happens to coach in little league baseball (the brother, Hiroshi, is something of a brat - rather like a mild version of the sheep-boy from Furuba). In any case, Yuusuke drags a (very hungover) Arai out of bed in order to get him to help out (apparently it was a promise...though Arai is none too amused...especially when he finds out Yuusuke wants him to help out on the one day of the week they have off, Sunday. Arai's also having difficulty with a girl that he's involved in - or rather, he's telling the girl to leave him alone and she's a bit ticked off by it. I can't remember her name off the top of my head...if it's even written in the chapter.
The baseball kids are unsure about Arai - and Arai is not pleased at being called the new 'Coach' but the kids (Hiroshi) wind him up to such a degree that he proves he was once a good pitcher and that he knows what he's about. Most of the kids accept him then. Hiroshi doesn't. And then Shimizu-sensei turns up and the true motivation for Yuusuke's interest becomes clear. :)
They all head off to eat, and during this time Arai (in his usual, off-hand kind of way) gives Hiroshi some baseball advice which Hiroshi doesn't take too well. However, when Hiroshi is later practicing at home, he remembers it and tries it out - and it works.
For some random reason, Mikimaro, Takagi and Nakamoto are also invited to the game, which the Seiryuu juniors win thanks to Arai's advice to Hiroshi (who didn't see that coming). However in the middle of the game, Arai is confronted by his girlfriend (can we call her that? Maybe we can) who's a little bit annoyed. He drags her off for a chat - though we don't entirely know what they chatted about, and Arai isn't really sharing the information. Shimizu-sensei invites Arai and Yuusuke back to her house for tea and when they get there, Arai realises Shimizu-sensei has a man involved because there are two cups in the cupboard and an ashtray/the smell of smoke even though Shimizu-sensei doesn't smoke. She asks him about the girl who came and Yuusuke says jokingly that it's Arai's "wife". Arai is not amused. Shimizu-sensei tells him he should take marriage more seriously and understand how a girl feels but Arai tells her he's only 17 and doesn't want to be bothered with that stuff just yet. He also turns the tables on Shimizu-sensei and asks her whether or not she's married. He points out that it's clear she has a lover. Yep, Yuusuke loves this...
From this point, Yuusuke asks Takagi's advice in buying Shimizu-sensei a birthday present (and to the eavesdropping Mikimaro it seems that Yuusuke and Arai have had a fight). Takagi is surprised. Meanwhile Arai confronts Shimizu-sensei in private, and criticises her for playing with Yuusuke's feelings. Shimizu counters it by reminding him of his treatment of "his" girl. When Arai discovers that Yuusuke is planning to take her flowers for her birthday he tries to stop his friend, but to no avail. Shimizu-sensei seems to have plenty to cry out on Yuusuke's shoulder though (much to Hiroshi's dismay!), even as she admits there is a man in her life.
Meanwhile, that girl is still hanging around...and Arai proves he's not really wanting rid of her because when he sees her talking to Takagi he decides to shout - rather loudly - that Takagi is gay. And yep...Takagi and Arai are fighting again ^_^.
