Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

My First Familiar - 10

Red Data Girl: My First Familiar
By Noriko Ogiwara
A Translation

Translation Notes:

At one point in this week's translation, there's a sentence that has such a strange structure to it that even my friends who are more advanced in Japanese than me couldn't figure it out. I meant to ask one of the teachers about it at work, but I never got around to it. The sentence is marked with an asterisk. I tried my best to make an attempt at translating it, but I think I only managed to capture part of the meaning. If there indeed was more to the sentence, it wasn't any more complimentary than what I managed to translate. Haha.

Red Data Girl: My First Familiar
Chapter 2: Miyuki
Part 3 (1 of 3)

Naturally, as a transfer student coming from Keibun Academy to Awatani Middle School, Miyuki was a huge sensation.

When tall Miyuki entered the classroom with his arm still in its sling, the class was taken aback for a moment, but an instant later they were bursting with excitement. Transfer students were unusual in the school and no one had ever heard of a student transferring from such a prestigious school to one like theirs.

Miyuki became even more fascinating when the class found out that he was the son of the man who had attracted so much attention the with the helicopter days before.

As she gazed at Miyuki who was being introduced by their homeroom teacher in front of the blackboard, Ayumi whispered to Izumiko.

"He looks really smart. Did you know him before?"

"No... Not exactly,"

"He doesn't really look like the helicopter prince. Although that man's the last person who'd look like anyone's father. Still, Miyuki looks older than a third year in middle school. Hey, Kanako's hiding over there,"

While Miyuki was bathed in the class's attention, Ms. Kanako Nakamura watched calmly from the side of the room. Miyuki was acting more adult-like than usual. It was almost like he was standing in front of a classroom full of little first graders as he answered their questions.

However, there were certainly things about himself that he wasn't sharing with the class. When he was asked a question, he answered with just the right amount of information and a smile. Izumiko was sure it would take much longer than a day for the class to get used to having him around. His presence would no doubt keep them occupied for a while.

When it was break time, the students scrambled back around Miyuki to hear more about him. His seat was the last one in the row near the windows, so it was possible for a crowd to gather. Miyuki asked everyone their name and memorized their faces.

The person who spoke the most to Miyuki was Misa Koshikawa, the president of the student council. The other girls in the class stood behind her and she acted as their class representative, conveying their questions to Miyuki. However, she couldn't hide her own personal interest either.

"Why did you leave Keibun Academy and come here?"

"Family matters," Miyuki answered simply. "My father went bankrupt and ran away without paying his debts. We don't know his whereabouts. He's vanished,"

"What? You're kidding."

"Yeah, it's a lie. But it's close to the truth. Keibun Academy's tuition is very expensive."

"Your father's the one who went to Miss Suzuhara's one on one conference, right? And before that he came here in the helicopter."

"Yes. Did he look like a father?"