Kimi ni Todoke Manga Chapter 000

Chapter Info
Release Date	11 August 2005
Manga Volume	Volume 01
Related Episode(s)	Episode 01
Chronology
Previous N/A	Next Chapter 01

"You were always there, looking all bright and shining... I was always watching you..."

Prologue (プロローグ Purorōgu) is Chapter 0 of Kimi ni Todoke. It was first published in the September 2005 issue of Bessatsu Margaret.

Summary

A girl with long black hair and pale skin approaches a pair of girls in an effort to return something one of them had dropped, but they run away at the sight of her unnerving smile and tell her to keep it. The black-haired girl is Sawako Kuronama, 15-years-old, nicknamed: Sadako, like the vengeful ghost from the horror movie The Ring. Sawako continues to try to interact with other students throughout the morning, but again and again they all run from her. And then the person who she wants to be like, someone who doesn't scare people, enters the classroom: Shota Kazehaya.

Kazehaya cheerfully says good morning to Sawako, just as he did with everyone else, which gives Sawako great joy, but before she can return the morning greeting another student pulls Kazehaya aside and warns him about her "abilities." Kazehaya dismisses that student's warnings and changes the subject. He suggests that they should invite the whole class to the haunted trail event they had been planning. Sawako gazes at Kazehaya as he mingles with the other students, and thinks to herself about how Kazehaya is her opposite.

Sawako remembers her first meeting with Kazehaya on the first day of high school. She had noticed he seemed lost, and provided directions. Kazehaya thanked Sawako with a bright smile, much to Sawako's surprise - she was not used to being on the receiving end of a "thank you". Since then, Sawako has looked at the friendly and popular Kazehaya as her idol.

Back in the present, Kazehaya announces the haunted trail event to the class: it will be held the day before the end of the term. He places a sign-up sheet for those who intend to come. There will be prizes and a penalty game the next day too. Sawako wonders if she can go as well. As she approaches the sign-up sheet, she notices a stray hair on a classmate's shoulder and offers to remove it. However, her classmate scurries away in fear. Sawako then overhears the other students discuss that if she attends the event, then a real ghost might appear. Instead of being insulted, Sawako worries about disappointing her classmates' expectations because she doesn't have such abilities.

Sawako announces that she will collect the class notebooks, but her weak voice goes unheard by everyone, so she walks around the class. People hurriedly run to place their notebooks on the teacher's desk to avoid handing it to her directly. As Sawako walks away with the stack of notebooks, she wonders how she could attract ghosts, but her thoughts are interrupted by someone handing her a notebook - it's Kazehaya. Sawako internally cheers at the fact that someone brought their notebook to her. Then to her utter shock, Kazehaya says he admires her. She asks why, but Kazehaya hesitates and looks away. Sawako, believing he was concerned about getting hit by bad luck from looking at her, runs away and apologizes.

Later, the teacher asks for a volunteer to help him over summer vacation, but most of the students complain. Just as Sawako raises her hand to volunteer, Kazehaya speaks up and points out that Sawako is always doing such things, and volunteers himself. Sawako stands up and insists on being the one to help because she has time and lives close by. The teacher hesitantly agrees. Regardless, Sawako feels happy about how considerate Kazehaya was for his classmates and how he even noticed what she had been doing.

While Sawako waters the plants, a childhood friend approaches her. She asks Sawako if she's made friends yet, and laments how they're no longer in the same class. Sawako begins to tell her about Kazehaya and says he's made out of niceness, but then Sawako notices that her friend is looking at something behind her. She turns to see Kazehaya standing by the open window next to the planters. He asks what she meant by that, but she reassures him that it was a compliment, which causes Kazehaya to laugh. He comments that he's never had the chance to talk to Sawako, and heads outside. Sawako's friend leaves, saying that according to Kazehaya's middle school classmates, that he isn't the type to ignore people who don't fit in. Sawako's admiration for his niceness grows upon hearing those words.

Kazehaya, panting because he ran to her, expresses relief because he thought Sawako hated him. Sawako questions why he would think that, and tells him that she's always trying to become more like him. Kazehaya insists he's an average guy, but Sawako counters that even his name is pleasant, but Kazehaya answers that her name - her given name, Sawako - is the pleasant one. Hearing her real name spoken aloud by a classmate for the first time takes Sawako's breath away, and she realizes she's never felt this way before. Kazehaya then personally invites her to the haunted trail.

The day of the event arrives and everyone greets each other. Kazehaya encourages his classmates to greet Sawako too.

Prior to the event, Sawako went back to the classroom to sign-up and overheard a pair of girls talking about wanting Sawako to play a ghost at the haunted trail. To their surprise, Sawako approaches them and asks to play the part. Sawako insists that she wants to do this because she wants to be of use, and even tells the girls that she recently bought a white dress that she hasn't had the chance to use yet. However, she still feels guilty about being unable to attract ghosts. One of the girls bursts into laughter because they weren't expecting Sawako to be able to do such a thing, but the other girl tears up because she has a weakness for innocents like Sawako. They eventually agree that Sawako will play the ghost and that they'll keep her role a secret.

Night falls and the haunted trail tournament begins, but some of the students notice Sawako's absence. Throughout the event, Sawako successfully scares the living daylights out of people, which leaves Sawako feeling satisfied. Eventually it's Kazehaya's turn, and unlike everyone else, he recognizes her. He admonishes her for not telling him, but Sawako answers that it's because she wanted it to be exciting for him too. He asks if she's scared to be out there alone, but Sawako says she enjoys summer nights. Kazehaya admires the scenery and agrees with her, then asks if he can stay with her.

A moment later, the girls who Sawako arranged this plan with, Ayane Yano and Chizuru Yoshida, come by and give Sawako a drink. They compliment Sawako's performance as a ghost, and tease Kazehaya. The pair leave, and Kazehaya comments to Sawako that they look like they're opening up to her. Sawako credits Kazehaya for that since it was because of him that she was able to say what she was thinking. Kazehaya compliments her on being cheerful and positive, which shocks Sawako because it's the first time someone's described her that way. Kazehaya turns away from her, and Sawako, still under the belief that he thinks her stare will curse him, apologizes. Kazehaya corrects her and admits she's making him blush. Everyone eventually reaches the end of the trail, but they notice that Kazehaya is gone. It's also revealed to the rest of the students that Sawako played the ghost.

The next day, just as Sawako opens the classroom door, Kazehaya comes up behind her so that both of them say good morning to the class at the same time. Eventually, the school day ends and Kazehaya announces the results of the haunted trail. He has to do the penalty game due to missing every checkpoint. A boy pushes Sawako forward saying that because Kazehaya came in last that he gets to date Sawako. Other students start teasing them as a couple, but Kazehaya tells them that they're being rude to Sawako when they treat the idea of dating her to be a punishment. Everyone begins to wonder if Kazehaya has feelings for her, but Sawako, who is concerned about Kazehaya's reputation, speaks up and clarifies the situation and in the process admits she's attracted to his positive traits. She excuses herself and heads home.

The following day, Sawako goes to school to help out the teacher. The previous day's events play out in her mind, and Sawako begins to cry. She feels lonely and thinks Kazehaya won't want anything to do with her anymore. When she looks up, she sees Kazehaya waiting for her. He hands her a gift for being the MVP of the haunted trail, and tells her that everyone is sorry. Sawako cries in gratitude and thanks Kazehaya for everything he's done for her so far. When Sawako says she understands how he feels, Kazehaya tells her that she doesn't, but rather than elaborating, he asks if he can look forward to seeing her during summer vacation.

It turns out that after Sawako gave him directions that day, that Kazehaya asked another student about her. "I wonder what she's like." But now isn't the time to tell Sawako about that...

Characters in Order of Appearance:

• Sawako Kuronuma*
• Shota Kazehaya*
• Yoshiyuki Arai*
• Shino*
• Ayane Yano*
• Chizuru Yoshida*
• Soichi Jonouchi*
• Mr. Kuronuma*
• Mrs. Kuronuma*

*indicates this character's first appearance

Quotes

• まぶしい君が、いつもいた...。 まぶしい君を、ずっと見ていた...。 Mabushii kimi ga, itsumo ita... Mabushii kimi o, zutto miteita... — editor's note on the chapter cover^{(center blue text)}
  • "You were always there, looking all bright and shining... I was always watching you..." [fan translation A]
  • "You, who is so bright, were always there... You, who is so bright, I've always watched..." [fan translation B]

• いつも なぜかあやまられてばかりの私に笑って「ありがとう」と言ってくれた あの日から風早くんは私の憧れです Itsumo nazeka ayamararete bakari no watashi ni waratte "arigatou" to ittekureta Ano hi kara Kazehaya-kun wa watashi no akogare desu
  • "For some reason, people always apologize to me... but he smiled and said, "Thank you." Since that day... I've admired him so much." — Sawako about Kazehaya [official translation]

Notes

• In the original magazine publication in Bessatsu Margaret, cover pages will come with editor's notes or taglines about the chapter, as well as announcements and advertisements. These notes, taglines, and ads are removed when the chapters are compiled into and released as volumes.
  • Upper left corner, green text: "the long-awaited full-length one-shot"
  • Lower left corner, green text under the title: 夏色の空の下で (Natsuiro no sora no shita de) meaning "under the summer-colored sky"
  • Lower right corner: in blue is Karuho Shiina's name; under that, in green, is an advertisement about volumes 1-5 of Shiina's previous series Crazy For You (the sixth and last volume had not been released yet)

• Timeline: near the end of the chapter, the chalkboard shows that the date of the closing ceremony for the first term is July 19th

Trivia

• Shino had not been named yet at this time. She would be named years later by the anime staff.

Navigation

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