Hatsukoi Zombie 74

Wrapping up summer now.

74: The place where we belong (temp)
[Side] The very resounding 'Summer trip arc' is finally at its climax!!!
[Bottom] The newest volume 6 is selling very well

"...Kyouko-chan, where are you...?"

"Taro-chan, Kyouko-chan's not here!"
"Huh?"
"Did she actually vanish because she heard about her model Kyouko passing away!?"

"First Love zombies are our 'delusions' as men, so I don't think they'd vanish just because their model passed away..."
"But great grandpa's worried about her"

"I'll look for her!"

"Kyouko-chan!!"

"You were here?"
"This is the cave Taro-chan and the others were at before..."
"Eve-chan"

"You suddenly disappeared so everyone thought you vanished"
"And great grandpa's worried..."
"I remembered"

"About my sudden parting with Shou-san 20 years ago"

"I was waiting for Shou-san here back then"
"Then my body suddenly flashed..."
"Huh?"
"What's this radiance...?"
"And my memories from then suddenly blanked out"

"When I came to, Shou-san couldn't see me anymore"
"Kyouko?"
"Where are you?"

"I didn't know why things ended up that way"
"But I was both sad and in pain"
"And I could only pity Shou-san as he was going through the same pain"

Thanks, user. Figured you would have dropped it last week but looks like you and me both are in this for the long haul.

"But now I hate him!!"
"Why didn't he take Kyouko's hand and run away with her!?"
"I wanted to see him off"
"And disappear while I shined in light..."

"It was a different shine from when Shou-san said 'Stay by my side'"
"I clearly understood that this was what I wanted"

"I was born for this!"

"So when you came, I thought it was my last chance"
"If he could meet Kyouko after 70 years, then there might still be time..."

"...but"
"he woke up a little too late..."

"Kyouko-chan..."

"After great grandpa stopped being able to see you,"
"What exactly happened?"

DUMP DUMP DUMP

Let me guess, nothing will happen.

"...after Shou-san stopped being able to see me,"
"A lot of years passed"

"I just stayed by his side"
"He kept refusing to get married for my sake, despite being unable to see me"

But one day...
"Kyouko"

"Can you hear me?"

"Shou-san, I hear you"
"I'm right..."
"I'm getting married in the next arrangement"

"I'm gonna make a family with her and be happy"
"You're..."
"In pain because I love you a lot, right?"

This hits too close home.

"Thanks, Shou-san..."
"He got married soon after that,"
"And I went to sleep for a long time in the blink of an eye..."

"...Taro-chan might not be able to see me again one day either..."

"If Taro-san loved you and you alone as a woman,"
"Then you won't be the only one in pain, but he will be too"

"We were born 'to love' "
"But"
"But 'to be loved' would be..."

"That's where you're wrong"

"I'm not 'the same' as you, Kyouko-chan"

"Eve, did you find Kyouko..."

"Hm?"

"Ibusuki-kun!?"
"Kurume!"

"What're you running around here for... [small] You stand out so much!]
"Some stuff happened!!"
"People from the local TV station came and they said they wanted to interview me, so I ran!!"
[Small] I don't wanna be seen in this any longer!!

"...then shall we go?"
"Huh...?"

"Wow..."

"So there was a place like this..."
Ah, I can see the bon festival grounds...
"When my great grandpa was still healthy, he'd often take all my siblings here"

"Ahhhh"

"So we couldn't find a way to stop seeing the first love zombies in the end..."
"And I made you waste so much effort too"

"......that isn't true"

"I heard your grumblings in the cave" [TN: Emphasize 'grumblings']
"Ugh"

"...hey"
"You've grown up to be an economical man when I met you again after so long"
"You're so reserved and dry in everything"
"And you look like you're skilled in a lot of things"
"And yet"

"I heard you say the words 'I'm scared' "
"Yeah yeah. If you wanna laugh, go ahead"

"I won't laugh"

"I'm glad I heard how you really felt"

"No no no no..."

"Oh yeah"
"Huh?"

"I didn't reply to your pleas back in the cave"

[Flashback] "Just be by my side"
"A little longer..."
Ah...

"Yeah, you see... I thought you would go overseas and never come back, so..."
"Waghh... I feel like crap now that I recall what happened..."

"Oh! The bon dance began!"
"Wow, the sound of the taiko drum is echoing down the mountains..."

"...you never had to ask"

"Because I like you"

[TN: She's purposely hiding what she says behind the sound of the drum. The SFX isn't there because the mangaka's a troll]

...

"Did you say something?"

"Fine whatever, I'll stay with you!"

"Taro-chaaaaaan!"
"Eve!"

"I love you!"

Eve best girl.

I feel like a battered wife who keeps returning to an abusive husband.

"Wh...where did that come from...!!"
"Because I love you"

"...and I was finally able to say it in a small voice but he couldn't hear it..."
Haah...
"I found Kyouko-chan"
"I see. Wait, you figured out where we were pretty fast"
"Great grandpa said that you'd probably be here!"

"Aghh, the TV guys probably went back by now"
"We're going back to get changed"
"Fine. Fine, just hey... lemme go..."

"Kyouko"

"If you're not by my side next time, I'll die from shock"
"...I'm sorry"

This is how a Tulpa should be.

"I'm not 'the same' as you, Kyouko-chan"
"Because if Taro-chan stops being able to see me"

"I'm super sure that he'll look for a way to see me again"
"And I'll definitely look for one too!"
"I'm gonna be by Taro-chan's side forever"

Manga is only half year long and if you feel this way already then this genre isn't for you.

"Hey Shou-san"
"Hm?"

"We're definitely having that wedding in Hawaii"
"Yeah!"
"We're both gonna make lots of lovey dovey memories there"
"Yeah!!"

The next day

"Thanks for all the care"

"Come back again"
"If you want, then you can be the dragon princess next year..."
"No way"
"Ibusuki-kun, here"

"Here's a resume, just in case. I wrote one for you, just in case" [TN: Emphasize 'just in case]
Send them if you feel like it

"Okay, stay healthy, great grandpa"
"Yup"
"Tarou..."
"Good luck to you too"

"Yup"

He was found dead the next morning with a smile.

Yeah, there better be an ebino arc after this to clean up all the shit taste in my mouth this stupid arc left. I am talking about 10 straight chapters of her to make up for this dreck.

"Eve-chan!"

"We're meeting again next time for sure!"
"I'll be here with Shou-san!" [TN: Emphasize 'be here']

"Yeah!"

"Are you kidding me!!?"

"Ibusuki-kun, your dragon princess costume got spread around via SNS and became internet news..."
" 'Mysterious young man appears in a local festival...' "
Wooow
Waaaghhh
"Why is this happeniiiiing!!!"
[In bubble] V! News [Title is the same as the quoted part]
[Right part side] Aside from the topic of the dragon princess's descent, the 'summer trip arc' comes to a close! Next issue, the entrance ceremony at the end of summer break!!

Wow, amazing. Nothing really did happen. Who could have possibly seen this coming?

And summer break is over, just like that. Anyways, looks like zombies is surviving the 6 series roulette. So we're getting more of this probably for the next year.

See you all next week.

Eve proves that she's best girl here. That's enough for me.

>half year long
Learn to count.

Right, year and half long.