Kouhei Kadono - Boogiepop And Others

SEVEN SEAS COMMITMENT TO

TRANSLATION AUTHENTICITY

JAPANESE NAME ORDER

To ensure maximum authenticity in Seven Seas translation of Boogiepop and Others, all character names have been kept in their original Japanese name order with family name first and given name second.

For copyright reasons, the names of Boogiepop creator Kouhei Kadono and illustrator Kouji Ogata appear in standard English name order.

HONORIFICS

In addition to preserving the original Japanese name order, Seven Seas is committed to ensuring that honorifics-polite speech that indicates a persons status or relationship towards another individual-are retained within this book.

Politeness is an integral facet of Japanese culture and we believe that maintaining

honorifics in our translations helps bring out the same character nuances as seen in the original work.

The following are some of the more common honorifics you may come across while reading this and other books:

-san - The most common of all honorifics, it is an all-purpose suffix that can be used in any situation where politeness is expected. Generally seen as the equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs., etc.

-sama - This suffix is one level higher than "-san" and is used to confer great respect upon an individual.

-dono - Stemming from the word tono, meaning lord," -dono signifies an even higher level than -sama, and confers the utmost respect.

-kun - This suffix is commonly used at the end of boys names to express either familiarity or endearment. It can also be used when addressing someone younger than oneself or of a lower status.

-chan - Another common honoritic. This suffix is mainly used to express endeannent towards girls, but can also be used when referring to little boys or even pets. Couples are also known to use the tenn amongst each other to convey a sense of cuteness and intimacy.

Sempai - This title is used towards ones senior or superior in a particular group or organization. Sempai is most often used in a school setting, where underclassmen refer to upperclassmen as sempai, though it is also commonly said by employees when addressing fellow employees who hold seniority in the workplace.

Kouhai - This is the exact opposite of sempai, and is used to refer to underclassmen in school, junior employees at the workplace, etc.

Sensei - Literally meaning one who has come before, this title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art.

Introduction

Opening the shoji screen, the boy took a step onto the tatami of the darkened tea room.

"........."

Wordlessly, he stared into the center of the room.

Cushions and low tables were scattered everywhere.

Only a small amount of light managed to pierce the decorative screen above the door and enter the room, making it difficult to see anything clearly. But he could see the scene easily enough. In the center of the room was a girl. One look and he knew she was dead.

She was upside-down, thick white cotton socks on slender legs thrust into the air like the arms of a cheerleader at a pep rally. Her shoulders were limp on the floor, her head twisted around so it faced the same direction as her body. There was no blood anywhere.

Her long black hair seemed to flow across the tatami, and her vacant eyes just seemed to stare back at the boy.

"........."

The boy took a slow step backwards.

As he did, something hot slid downwards from above, just grazing the tip of his nose.

Startled, he glanced upward towards the ceiling.

He froze.

You saw me, said the killer hanging from the ceiling. It wore a girls shape, but was a creature of indeterminate gender. Now that you have seen me, I cannot allow you to live. Its voice was somewhere between laughing and singing.

A moment later, the boy felt his body flung aside, as the creature lunged down towards him.

"-Gah!"

For some reason, the boy felt oddly happy.

***

From a distance, they appear to be quite confusing; to have no

clear threads connecting them whatsoever, but the reality is that this is undoubtedly a much more straightforward, commonplace tale.

But from our individual standpoints, none of us were quite able to see the whole picture. All of the people who somehow had a part in this story were unable to see beyond their own unique role.

My name is Niitoki Kei.

I'm in my second year at Shinyo Academy, although I'm so small that I'm often mistaken for a junior high school student, or

worse, some elementary school kid. Despite all this, I'm the president of the student discipline committee.

Kei s like a big sister. She might look like a kid, but there s just something reliable about her, my friends always tell me, half-mockingly.

I dont consider myself to be a particularly serious person, but everyone around me seems to think that I am.

They're always asking me for some type of advice or help, and I've got a major sort of glitch where I can't ever seem to tell them no.

Can you, Kei?

Niitoki, please!

Someone says these words to me and I just cant settle down.

But this has basically nothing to do with me being on the discipline committee.

Our school is only an average, mid-level sort of place, but like many other high schools, it considers guidance to be the teacher s job, and the discipline committee is just there for decoration. It s sad, really. There are a number of students who have run away from home or gone missing this year, but none of the teachers care enough to put forth any effort into finding them, and all the headmaster does is whine about how much of a headache they are, and how poorly they reflect upon the school. Whatever.