Dear Brother Chapter 1 Summary

So I was browsing online to see if I can find any images of the new series since it's been a while since it's been out (18 days to be exact).  And I found the Chinese scans!!

So here's the chapter 1 summary!!!  It's not super detailed as usual (because I read it in Chinese), so I didn't want to translate the dialogue just in case I didn't get the same nuances in Chinese.

Momo is separated from her three older brothers when her father died when she was little.  Her relatives and other close friends took pity on Momo's mother and adopted the 3 boys since she doesn't have the financial power nor is physically well enough to care for all 4 children.  Ever since that time, Momo has not seen her brothers for 15 yearrs.

The chapter opens with Momo praying to her mom.  Her fiance is coming over to meet her today, and for some reason, her brothers have also asked to meet up with her fiance.  She thinks it's a bit weird since they haven't contacted each other for 15 years, but agrees to the meeting.  Momo goes out to the convenience store to pick up so beer, when she bumps into her second eldest brother (but she doesn't recognize him).  They both reach for the 6-pack, and her second eldest brother (sorry I'm not sure about the reading of the name in Japanese since it's in Chinese right now...and you know how there are multiple ways of reading a single name) suddenly decides to play rock-paper-scissors with her to see who gets it.  Her brother wins naturally and tells Momo that she'll lose if she does rock first.  She should have done paper instead.  Momo is frustrated by this stranger spewing nonsense, since she has never asked for his opinion on rock-paper-scissors.

Finished reading

I've never finished a Japanese book so fast in my life.  I admit it's probably because I have nothing else to do while I commute on the train for 2 hrs everyday...but gosh, I'm done!!!  And then I bought another novel called Kafu wo machiwabite by Harada Maha, lol.  (This one is actually a novel novel, not  one based off manga and the writing is supposed to be beautiful and it even won a prize in 2006!)

Anyways, getting off track.  I don't remember much of the details except that they did get happily married.  Chiwa's mother didn't attend the wedding though (I think she had something to do or something...but I can't imagine what's more important than attending your daughter's wedding).  The reason why she didn't wasn't clearly stated either.  Hokuto actually told Chiwa she was beautiful and that he has fallen all over in love with her again as she walked out in the wedding dress, which Chiwa hadn't expected (since in Hokuto's dictionary, "not bad" really means "it looks great").

There were no other naughty scenes in the book to my surprise.  I guess the first one made up for it by being super naughty.  And wow, I'm done!  I know I still have to get through the vacation one sooner or later...but I'm not sure if I want to take up Hapi Mari so soon again.  I'm not a great judge of writing styles in foreign languages...but this book was a bit mediocre.  I'm hoping the first novel is better of course...but I recently  just started a new book called The Dovekeepers...and then my other novel "March" by Geraldine Brooks has arrived.  So for now Hapi Mari will have to sit back on my shelf.

By the way, I still haven't gotten the scans for the new Enjouji Maki series yet.  I did go to the bookstore a few times but I couldn't see Petit anywhere.  Either it's not been shipped to our bookstore yet or everyone has reserved it and it's placed behind the counters...

I'm 2/3 of the way finished with the book!

What can I say...thank goodness!  It turns out the secret of Hokuto's real father isn't that big of a deal to him at all.  The author doesn't give him a name, just a short description of who he was (a coworker of Hokuto's mother).  Hokuto still thinks that Seiji is more of his father than anyone else was.

On the other hand, the issue with Chiwa's mother hasn't been resolved yet.  She still doesn't like the idea of inviting her mother since her mother had ran away so readily when Chiwa's father fell into debt.  She had once told herself that it didn't matter, that she had neither the strength nor time to hate her mother for she thinks of her mother as just another stranger.  But in the end, the hate lingers.  I'm currently at the part where Hokuto is discussing with her about this.  Hokuto says it's really up to Chiwa to invite her or not, since it is their wedding and no one else's.  But he also reminds her that she had told him once that parents are parents, and there's nothing you can do to break the bond.  It was because of Chiwa's words that Hokuto started talking to Seiji again.

But I'm getting ahead of myself!  So before everything comes out in the open, Hokuto is worried about Chiwa's strange behavior (since he doesn't know she felt guilty for reading the envelope nor he did know about the mother issue).  He had called out his senpai one night to a bar to discuss, to which the senpai asked whether Chiwa may be getting cold feet, since most couples do when planning the wedding.  Hokuto thinks that's ridiculous, since they've been husband and wife for so long.  He later bumps into Misaki in the same bar (it turns out that they used to go to this bar all the time in the past when they're still dating).  Reluctantly, he tells her about his problems, hoping to get a more convincing answer than the doctor gave.  She asks him whether it isn't because he's being overbearing, since he did make a snap decision about the wedding.  He's never asked Chiwa about it, and the only reason he even thought about it was because he wanted to see her in a wedding dress.  Plus, the fact that he only gave themselves one month to plan before the ceremony just further reinforces that Hokuto is egotistic and overbearing.  You know, I really think Misaki is a super interesting character now.  She has a lot of potential, a lot of depth.  I wish she could have been developed further in the manga...sigh...

So there comes all of this brooding and worrying and having petty fights.  He even calls off the wedding in one scene (which of course doesn't succeed because Chiwa has stronger guts than to let him push her around all the time).  Oh, btw, all of this was told from Hokuto's point of view!  I was pretty surprised by it actually, since it was about 70 pages as compared to the super short 5-10 pages in the last novel (not that I've finished reading or anything so there may still be a switch somewhere in there.)

Anyways, I'm almost done~ yayay.  As for the comments from the previous post...I really doubt I have the time to translate the novel.  Work is unkind, and now that I'm not in school anymore, things such as winter and spring and summer break don't exist.  That, and I'm studying for the JLPT test...

So I've got the second book...

Without finishing reading the first one naturally...but I swear I'll get to that one!  Unfortunately I don't have the time anymore to translate page by page (or else I would have), and I'm mainly reading it in my super long commute to work.  Good thing no one understands Japanese here...or at least most people don't...because if they saw the text of that super steamy sex scene....

I would be so embarrassed!  I would never read it in public transport in Japan, lol.  Anyways, the story so far for this second novel...Hokuto and Chiwa are planning their wedding, and the first few pages detail their trip to try on wedding dresses.  They eventually end up with one that Hokuto picks because they have virtually no time (one month until the ceremony to be exact) although Chiwa wants to try on more.  Chiwa was hesitant about the one Hokuto picked at first because she would look fat in it, and while Hokuto tells her she doesn't need to lose weight, he would help her if it meant so much to her.

Chiwa proceeds to stuff herself at dinner that night regardless, to which Hokuto asks her, "Is this supposed to be the action of one who wanted to lose weight?"  He makes her exercise despite the fact that she has already showered.  Chiwa doesn't want to, though she reluctantly agrees after not knowing what was in store...

And well....ummm...then comes the sex scene!  God I was so red in the face when reading it...they basically have to be quiet when they do it because they live in Chiwa's house now (with her father).  And he was teasing her the whole time, being rough and naughty and making the bed shake and...and...well, you know what happens.

Anyways, I'm now at the part where Chiwa comes back late from work one night dead tired.  She notices that Hokuto is in the shower, and while going to the vanity desk to remove her make-up with some wipes, she sees a big envelope in the bin.  Hokuto had always told her to properly dispose of personal mail by shredding it, but he doesn't ever do it himself.  So Chiwa decides to take care of it when she spies the name of the sender.  It turns out to be an investigative report (what's with all these investigative reports dammnit!) and she reads it naturally.

Inside are contents about Hokuto's real father...which is when Hokuto comes out of the bathroom.  He doesn't catch her reading it though.  Hokuto tells her that grandpa and Souma brought it for him, but he had zero interest in it and disposed of it without even opening the envelope.  Chiwa then feels guilty about reading it...and lies to Hokuto when he asks if she read it.  

The next morning, Chiwa's father comes up to her as she's preparing breakfast and asks if he can invite Chiwa's mother to the wedding...to which Chiwa adamantly says no.

And that's it for now!  Until I've read more...that is!

OMG There's another one??!

There's another novel!  And I'm still not done with the first one...not that I know when or how I can now ever since I started work.  But gosh, I need this one.  Even if I don't have time to read it, I need to have it on my bookshelf first!!!  And belatedly, on the right is the last volume of the series~  I hope there are special shorts at the end of the volume!

Wah, it's out!!!

I didn't remember that this month's issue already came out!  Well, then again, that's because I haven't received scans for it or anything...and then I didn't get my usual monthly email where Petit informs me that a new issue has just been released.

Anyways, click here if you want the wallpaper too!  The only thing I'm picky about with Enjouji Maki's works is that...there's ALWAYS a Hokuto-looking like character inside.  Actually, I'm not sure I want to call it Hokuto-looking, since he appears in virtually all of her previous works too.  I know she can draw, and draw well at that!  Can't she please draw us a new character?  Hokuto looks handsome, sure, but...iono, it would be more refreshing.

Edit: Just read on bxsmanga that Minchi needs help with the Petit subscription.  Apparently the shipping is really expensive and she has only been able to raise money that's equivalent to 20% of the total cost.  So if anyone can help out, or if anyone already subscribes to the magazine, please contact her on bxsmanga.  Technically I don't subscribe and the issue comes out the about one month after where I live (so October issue comes out in October and not in September), so I'm not of much help...