Bronze ~ Zetsuai since 1989, by Minami Ozaki
Summary by Sumeragi

Manga Number Six

NOTE: this continues from where Awaresa’s translations had left off.

Volume 24

Izumi is awaken by the phone ringing. Getting sorely out of bed and with Kouji’s hair still grasped in his hand, he answers the call. Shibuya’s voice comes over the line, happy to have finally gotten someone. He asks if it’s Izumi or Kouji. After a pause, Izumi asks Shibuya what day it is. While a bit confused, Shibuya tells him that it’s the 26th. Shibuya asks for Kouji, to which Izumi replies that he’s asleep. Shibuya accepts the answer. He goes on to wish Izumi good luck on the soccer tournament and then adds, ‘we are friends, right…?’ Izumi doesn’t reply to the question, but Shibuya continues with his normal lecture type style of explaining the emotions going around Kouji and Izumi.

As Shibuya talks, Izumi wanders the apartment and finds the ring Kouji got for him. Shibuya thinks there is an amazing ‘something’ between them, and asks, ‘Izumi…now…are you happy?’ Izumi thinks back to some time to when Kouji tells him that if he leaves, he’ll have to kill him. It’s fine if it’s Izumi. Back to the present, Izumi tells Shibuya that he’s sorry for worrying him but everything is fine. Izumi has decided to not runaway since he won’t kill Kouji. Shibuya asks if he believes in Kouji. In his typical manner, Izumi says, no, it’s not a case of trust, distrust, or even love. It’s too much for him to understand. Shibuya tells Izumi that once Kouji had met him, Kouji had found his true self. Without ‘Izumi’, ‘Nanjou Kouji’ wouldn’t exist anymore.

‘Do you know why I’m always around him?’ Shibuya asks. It is because of his now dead sister, Madoka, the person Shibuya would do anything for. And she had wanted to hear Kouji sing. After the more complete story, Shibuya realizes he was somewhat rambling, not really knowing why he told the story to Izumi. To this, Izumi says, ‘Shibuya…you are a good guy…’ Shibuya begins to disagree, but Izumi continues to say that he has saved them many times and always worried for them. He is sure Shibuya’s sister truly loved him and was happy. ‘There is no one else like you…I’m glad we became friends. Thank you…’ Izumi hangs up, leaving Shibuya to laugh quietly to himself.

Izumi examines his wounds and kiss marks in the mirror. He looks at his damaged wrists, now bandaged. He then looks at the ring Kouji left, thinking just as Kouji knew he would: ‘I am not a girl.’ Picking up a packet of Kouji’s cigrattes, Izumi lights one and takes a puff, instantly coughing at the smoke. He thinks to himself about Kouji fucking him and his smell still lingering on his body. Leaning against the wall, he cries and calls for Kouji (I'm not sure here, but is he masturbating???). A brief memory of Kouji telling Izumi why he grew out his hair (a wish to meet Izumi again) passing through his mind when he suddenly grasps his left arm in pain. His left side hurts as well.

Shibuya yells to Izumi from outside, telling him to unchain the door (I guess Shibuya has a key to the apartment). He realized that Kouji shouldn’t have been asleep when he called and with other things, he figured something was wrong. Seeing Izumi simply standing just beyond the still chained door with a chunk of hair in his hand doesn’t ease any of Shibuya’s worries. Izumi tells him that he won’t leave. He promised. Shibuya is frantic. He doesn’t know what happened to Izumi in those 24 hours, but he has a strong feeling it’s related with Hirose and Kunihide, which means Kouji could be out with murderous intentions. Trying to convince Izumi to come out and help him stop Kouji, Shibuya doesn’t hear the man in question come up from behind. Kouji calmly tells Izumi to open the door and starts to walk past Shibuya. But the latter notices something wrong with Kouji’s arm and tries to stop him. Kouji continues forward, and just before closing the door, tells Shibuya that he was glad Madoka got to hear his song, stunning Shibuya long enough for him to get locked outside again.

Inside the apartment, Izumi finally lets go of the hair, using the empty hand to slap Kouji: ‘that was your tactic?’ Kouji admits it could have been overly foolish of him. He doesn’t really know the reason for doing it. Izumi seems a bit upset to Kouji at that ‘excuse’. Izumi leaves for the kitchen and returns with a butcher knife. Undoing his robe, he says although their blood types are different, it’ll have to do. ‘I give mine to you.’ And with that, he slices his side through the scar. ‘It had always hurt. But now it doesn’t hurt anymore.’ He calls to Kouji, saying it isn’t finished yet. Holding each other, Izumi tells him that he’ll have to grow out his hair.

Continue to Manga Number 7

***Sorry, I didn’t feel like summarizing the Hirose chapter…it’s basically just him admiring/pondering over Kouji with his genius skill in kendo and absolute lack of care for life.***