Coming soon (some updates of the translation status)

I have managed to stay in one piece throughout A levels. Somehow.

Life has been a blur after the 5th of December with the release of Pokemon SM (hur) and Final Fantasy XV. Thus I have been slacking off on typing out the novel's translation (guilty as charged).

BUT!

I have translated until pg 56-ish offline and it finally contains NSFW stuff. (Just a quickie, no more no less.)
Although I have been reading yaoi for around 4 years, translating it is an entirely different matter - Most of the time, it's me thinking of 'Okay what word do I use to say dick' 'What is the appropriate sound effect here? This sounds ridiculous in English.' (Trust me there are loads of 啧啧 which is pronounced as ze ze and can mean so many things such as the clicking of one's tongue, murmuring of a crowd, and can even be used in NSFW scenes. Ain't Chinese words versatile?)

I aim to finish translating until pg 60 (where the first NSFW scene ends) before I post this chunk online ;D
The true first experience will probably be up 2-3 weeks after I'm back from my Taiwan trip. (6th January).

So sorry to keep you all waiting ><)

Ps I re-did the blog's design for an easier reading experience! My brother told me that reading black fonts against a slight yellow background is actually good for the readers.

The Royal Fiancé -White Prince- Chapter 1 Part 4

In this long update:

Shiori's talent (I'm not even kidding) and slight angst (if you can detect it, it's kinda obscure for now) regarding Shiori's position in the country.

But let's see how it goes, shall we?

Things to know:

What is the difference between champagnes and wines?

The easy and short answer is that sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France, which is just outside of Paris. Further, champagne can only be made using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. (Copied from Google)

PS I have not confirmed Kurosaki's first name hahahah need to find my bro's kanji dictionary.

Disclaimer:

I DO NOT OWN THIS WORK, ASUMA RISAI (the author) DOES.

PS. Nobody owns Shiori either.

For any re-posts or re-uploads, please credit this blog!

And now, on to the real stuff.

Previously on the Royal Fiance... http://blacksoulz.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-royal-fiance-white-prince-chapter-1.html 

The adjacent room boasted of a wine cellar, along with air-conditioning set at the optimal temperature for wine storage. A table with six wine glasses was already placed in the centre of the room.

It seemed that after the long-winded and selection process by Shiori's subordinates, there were on six candidates whose champagne made the cut this year.

Amongst the several hundreds of vineyards, only seventeen brands which boasted the usage of ingredients of the highest quality in their wine-making process were shortlisted for this prestigious selection process. Another round of selection was made amongst these brands, leaving behind the six champagnes that were aligned neatly on the tabletop.

Which champagne, out of these six champagnes, would have the honour of being branded as the well-sought after title of 'royal champagne'?

Although some champagnes had been shortlisted every year and made it to the final tasting stage carried out by Shiori, some were never approved of and given the royal branding by Shiori. Needless to say, this exemplifies Shiori's stringent standards with regards to the wine's quality and the overall quality control.

Upon Shiori's arrival, his subordinates immediately stepped forward and filled the wineglasses with the with the six short-listed champagnes individually. The brands of these champagnes was kept an absolute secret from Shiori to prevent any sort of bias.

"I wonder what sort of quality these champagnes can offer to its consumers?"

Even though the champagnes' quality might be higher than those selected for the previous year's tasting, it does not necessarily mean that the champagne is qualified to carry the royal branding. With the royal branding being something so elusive and hard-to-get, champagne producers had been clamouring for and relentlessly fighting to produce a champagne that can attain this seal of quality. Shiori sipped the champagnes glass by glass. Most of the champagnes featured a bright yellow coloured body, while a few of them had a slight pinkish tint. A continuous stream of fine and long-lasting bubbles in these champagnes made them look much more luxurious.

"This uses Western Pears as a key ingredient, and places much emphasis on the fruity flavour. The moment it enters one's mouth, its deep and strong warm flavour can be tasted, and it has a pleasant aftertaste that lingers. "

Champagnes that have a fruity emphasis, champagnes that were centered upon roses, violets, or other similar types of flowers, champagnes that adopts a candy-like taste for emphasis. There was a wide variety of champagne in this round of testing, and all of them had rich and complex personalities.

The perfect amount of balance between acidity and its own distinct flavour, a strong yet refreshing and light taste upon the first sip, a sublime appearance... Most people would be satisfied with just a champagne that tastes good.  However, paying attention to the hard work that the wine-makers had put into the wine-making process - from the selection of ingredients to the fermentation was equally important.

Shiori is someone who is able to point out minute discrepancies in the champagnes that even his helpers could not spot - this very talent of Shiori was the value and place that he has in Ecuratol. Although the champagnes in front of him has already been through several rounds of inspections by his subordinates, some champagnes' acidity levels would still leave some consumers unsatisfied, some champagnes tasted too delicate and refined, making them feel dull, while some other champagnes simply tasted too shallow, making them overly refreshing. In particular, the second champagne from the right had a rough aftertaste that would linger on the tip of its consumer's tongue.

After the selection is over, I will give my subordinates a good lecture. How could they even think of allowing this sort of thing to run as a royal champagne candidate? Are they not afraid of shaming the royal family's name?

This champagne simply lacked depth. had a sharp aftertaste, and could only leave a slight hint of a banana's fragrance. Furthermore, the intensity of the champagne upon entering the mouth was too much, making the consumer feel as if one's tongue had gone numb.

Just like a tongue that had been sucked, and willfully being pursued and intertwined with another's tongue.

Just like...what had happened with that man.

Shiori placed that wine glass down, and lifted the wine glass that was beside it.

"Your Highness, are you not feeling well?"

Upon seeing Shiori being in a trance and not moving upon picking up another wine glass, his secretary could not help by crease his eyebrows.  Realising that his secretary had a face plastered with worry, Shiori hurriedly gave a small cough. He placed the wine glass he was holding back onto the table, on the right side of the terrible-tasting champagne instead of its original position. (Which was the left side of the terrible-tasting champagne.)

"My apologies. I was merely deep in thought." Shiori did not like to cause trouble for others when he was working.

"I would like you to paste the 'royal branding' seal onto the champagne that is the third from the right. Following that, do distribute this champagne to the importers in Japan.", ordered Shiori while gesturing to the wine glass he was referring to.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, this evening's work has already be completed. I will be rescheduling the assignments that were originally lined up for the rest of today to another day. Please take a good, short rest."

Although Shiori insisted that he did not need to rest, his secretary remained adamant about Shiori taking a breather. The secretary immediately cancelled Shiori's remaining engagement for the day, and made sure that he returned to his room to get a good rest.

To Shiori, work was a distraction. When he is alone, he could not help but recall the events that day... Shiori shook his head in disdain.

The remnants of the heat simply could not be cooled down. The secretary most likely mistook Shiori's gesture when he was reflecting as an indication that Shiori was running a slight fever.

Shiori reclined on the long sofa and absentmindedly browsed through a book with a warm, thick blanket rested over his legs.

However, nothing went into Shiori's head.

Shiori looked up to take a quick glance at the gold clock nested above a chest of ornate drawers.

It was now six in the evening.

The champagne that would be served at the banquet in Japan should have already been shipped over, hasn't it?

All of a sudden, Shiori heard a disturbance outside of the room that broke the tranquil atmosphere.

"His Highness is not feeling well currently. I do not think it is very appropriate to inform His Highness of the news now......"

"This is a very urgent matter. We are in no position to settle this matter. Only His Highness can make the judgement call."

Shiori abruptly turned his whole body to face the direction where the hushed voices came from.

"I am afraid that, should the report be made at a later time, it would greatly increase the burden on His Highness." The speaker sounded terribly panicked.

Shiori's heart felt uneasy. He stood up from the sofa, and opened the door.

"May I know what is happening?"

" Your Highness......!"

            

Both his secretary and a clerk were standing at the doorway of his room.

"Your condition......" Shiori's secretary was visibly concerned about his health.

"I am fine. I overheard that something urgent has cropped up. May I know what has happened?"

"Er......"

Upon Shiori's inquiry, his secretary looked uncomfortably in all four directions.

Is this about a sensitive matter that should not be accidentally overheard by others?

Shiori allowed his secretary to enter his room and closed the door behind him.

Although it was Shiori's room, his actual bedroom was further in, in a separate room altogether. There was a small sitting area near the entrance of his room, and that was where he usually gives instructions to his subordinates.

Shiori sat at the window-side table while his secretary and clerk remained standing.

"Speak."   

Both the secretary and the clerk swallowed nervously. The secretary took the files from the clerk and produced a document from the file.

"Just this evening, Your Highness, you carried out the selection for this year's royal champagne......"

"Yes."

Shiori even ordered the clerk who was standing beside the secretary to paste the seal of approval onto that champagne's bottle personally. His secretary, who was had a few bottles of champagne on hand, went pale.

"Your Highness, it seems that you had selected this champagne to be a royal champagne. Before we shipped the stocks to Japan, we sent one bottle of it as a gift to an important client of our country. According to his testimony, the champagne was......hard to stomach."

"What did you say?"

Shiori felt wronged and at the same time, had a very stern expression on his face. He had absolute confidence in his own abilities to select grape wines that has the best quality and taste.

This very quality of Shiori was the only value that Shiori had in this country.

As this very allegation was denying the very reason for Shiori to exist in this country, Shiori simply could not afford to speak up against such slander.

"Was the other party merely being picky in order to gain an upper hand in an agreement with the Royal Family? Or was the other party simply not willing to pay for this champagne?"

"But......Please have a taste of this champagne, Your Highness."

The secretary took a wine glass and poured the golden-bodied champagne...... Shiori had a bad feeling about this.

With the champagne that was just approved by him in the wine glass, he hurriedly raised the wine glass to his lips. Almost instantaneously, a burning sensation that made one's tongue numb and taste a slight burnt flavour spread through his mouth.

"This is......"

Impossible.

Shiori could not believe it - he took another sip.

The flavour remained unchanged.  With the air bubbles being too large, the taste of the champagne comes across as lacking refinement and gentleness.

Shiori rinsed his mouth and drank the champagne that was placed beside the low-quality champagne during the taste test in the evening. This time, a gentle and bright fragrance spread through his mouth. There was nothing to pick on regarding this champagne's appearance and impeccable taste.

"I am very sorry, Your Highness. This is an honest mistake on my part - I misunderstood that this year's royal branding would be awarded to the champagne that was placed the third from the right."

This taste......No.

The champagne that was placed second from the right had the worst quality amongst all the champagnes that evening, and Shiori even remembered that he wanted to admonish his subordinates  for allowing such a champagne to make it into the final round of tasting. The champagne that was the third from the right was indeed, if Shiori remembered correctly, a champagne worthy of attaining the royal branding.

(Ah......!)

A flashback to the obscene incident that had occurred during the banquet dominated Shiori's thoughts when he was doing the wine-tasting. Flustered, Shiori placed the champagne back into the wrong position. That was, to place the good champagne which was originally third from the right......onto the right-hand side of the terrible-tasting champagne.

"The champagne placed third from the right is this year's royal champagne."

The two champagne's position had then been unconsciously switched.

As the champagne needed to be shipped out that afternoon, making time really tight on Shiori's side, the secretary unquestioningly followed his orders.

This mistake was the fault of Shiori's order.

The table clattered loudly as Shiori stood up.

"This is a mistake on my part." Shiori's face was a deathly pale white as he admitted his blunder to his crestfallen secretary. Not many people are able to admit their own mistakes without putting the blame onto others first. That is the reason why Shiori could not betray the trust that his subordinates had put in him.

"The champagne that was placed on the right-hand side of this bottle of champagne was the champagne that I had intended to label as a royal champagne. What is the status of the export to Japan?" Shiori could not afford to sit still with the status of the shipment unknown to him.

The champagnes had already been packaged and air-flown out of the country."

"Is it still possible for us to recall the exports and immediately exchange it with the actual champagne that has the royal branding?" Without hesitation, Shiori offered an alternative.

"Even if this champagne were to be air-flown, it is not possible for it to arrive in time for tomorrow's banquet in Japan."

"I understand. However, it is unbecoming of us to allow such a champagne to be branded as a royal champagne and be distributed to the world. Are there any updates from the champagne's company?", Shiori hurriedly questioned.

His secretary hung his head low and replied, "The other party has told us that.......we had utterly embarrassed him. He has already contacted a Japanese wine importer and ordered a large amount of top-quality French wine to provided for tomorrow's banquet. In total, this has cost the other party several thousands in damages......"

Shiori boarded the limousine driven by his subordinate, and headed to the hotel that the champagne's wine-maker, who was also a major importer of Ecutatean wines, was staying at.

It seems that this exporter makes frequent trips to Ecuratol, and as such, had bought the Presidential Suite in this hotel and converted it into his own personal office.

It was rumoured that the entrepreneur and director of this champagne's company is a young man in his late twenties. Although the company is a relatively new establishment and has been set up amidst a slowing economy, the year-on-year profits that this company earns has been steadily increasing.

Even in the wine industry, this man's ability to make wise and well-informed buiness decisions was well-known.

Oki Kurosaki.

A Japanese.

Page 40 something-ish

Wewew updates! Took me a damn long time to translate the whole part about Shiori doing wine tasting. But it was worth it heh.

Went into a sudden overdrive in wanting to translate again. Burnt out from studying I guess.

The next update will take really, really long (Although I did do up some offline translation.) All I can say that the next update is finally going to feature some action that Kurosaki (?) has been desperately waiting for ahahah

Till next time

Cheers!

Note: This is just a one person thing, so there's no proof readers or grammar checks and the like. Pardon any errors! Do feel free to point out any mistakes you spot.

Welcome to the Love Bank

Welcome to the Love Bank

We would like to
Make a fixed deposit.
Search for a seat
Take a number for two.

Discuss the rate of returns, say,
To a slip of statement.
Whisper in mild merriment,
And hope to bank on a Sunday.

Mysterious forces will depreciate devalue and denounce our bond,
So let us find the nearest cash machine.
Should the funds dwindle, long gone,
Past transactions can still be seen.

There was little interest despite the investments we sank -
We would like to make a fixed deposit into the Bank.

                                                        LeNut

Trying to escape from school work haah here's a substandard poem that combines my love for econs and banks!

A's = Lack of updates

Hello fellow fujoshis and fudanshis!

Not so good news:
It's my A level year so I'm currently freaking out over the workload (still reading yaoi though), which means that there may be no updates until...

Good news:
After A-levels (which is around December due to H3 Econs ughh) I can chiong the whole book's translation out as I have until August till Uni starts! (Hopefully I can make it into one of the local unis and not do too much internships)  

So sorry about the lack of updates ;A;
To fellow students and muggers: Study hard and continue reading yaoi or enjoy the little things in life yeaaaaa dont burn out!

The Royal Fiancé -White Prince- Chapter 1 Part 3

Disclaimer:
I DO NOT OWN THIS WORK, ASUMA RISAI (the author) DOES.
PS. Nobody owns Shiori either.
For any re-posts or re-uploads, please credit this blog!
And now, on to the real stuff.

Previously on The Royal Fiance...... http://blacksoulz.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-royal-fiance-white-prince-chapter-1.html

Shiori felt as if his lips were still numb.

An extravagant luxurious-looking chandelier, gold sequins in intricate patterns adorning the walls, an age-old desk. These exuded an air of high social standing, as if being the physical representation of the royal family's prestige.

Shiori was being pressured regarding work by the secretary in his office. Even though it was just the day right after the wedding ceremony, Shiori continued to complete his daily work for the royal family's business.

The wedding ceremony.

The place where Shiori tasted humiliation that he never did before.

The touch and rough aftertaste of the grape wine lingered at the tip of Shiori's tongue, twined its way around Shiori's lower body, and slowly ignited that insidious fire within his body......

"Your majesty, are you feeling alright? Did the wedding ceremony take a toll on your body?"

Upon the secretary's attempt to get Shiori's attention, Shiori snapped out of his reverie.

As long as that man is forgotten, all will be well.

It was not as if Shiori would meet that man again.

Although Shiori appeared to be detached and unconcerned on the outside, he spared no effort when attending to his work. That was the reason why when the secretary noticed Shiori being lost in his thoughts, he could not help but be extremely worried and asked out of concern for Shiori.

"I am fine. Is there anything else you would like to report?" Shiori urged his secretary in a calm tone. Seeing that Shiori had returned to his normal collected self, the secretary felt relieved. The secretary's expression, however, was still slightly tense when he replied Shiori.

"There is. Recently, there have been numerous reports regarding aged but of poor quality champagnes that are labelled 'Vintage' being distributed and circulated in the market."

"Champagnes of poor quality?"

After listening to the secretary's report, Shiori lifted his head from the documents.

"Yes. Generally speaking, only champagnes that state and ensure that the year of harvest of the grapes, the usage of top-quality grapes and the maturation period of at least three years are given the title of 'Vintage'. However, as of late, this 'Vintage' label had been found on champagnes of poor quality in the market - the grapes used to make the wine are sub-standard, even the champagne's maturation period does not meet the standard."

"What did you just say?" The expression in Shiori's eyes suddenly became stern. This matter simply cannot be taken lightly. Not only that, this matter could possibly damage the country's reputation.

"Are you implying that some unaged liquor that do not even deserve to be called champagne are actually hiding under the guise of 'aged liquor' and are being sold as such on the market?"

"Affirmative."

"That being the case, these inferior quality liquors surely do not follow the proper methods for brewing and fermentation. This should be the handiwork of a scoundrel out to make a handsome profit by lowering his production costs as much as possible."

In general, only ingredients from chosen and reputed areas can be used to make such champagnes. However, in Ecuratol, long before the enforcement of the AOC law (a set of indicators regarding the origin, quality an style of wine), there exists a set of unique standards that have been known globally. This set of standards stipulate ways for the fermentation process in a very detailed manner. Only grape wines that meet such stringent standards can be crowned as 'Vintage'.

In Ecuratol, grape wines of the lowest quality are those that only require 15 months to mature, and those that are 'Non-Vintage' (wines without a date on the label). Following that, wines that have matured for at least three years are considered as 'Vintage' wines (Wines labelled with the harvest year of the grapes which were used to make the wine). And at the top of it all, the wine of the highest quality was labelled as the 'Royal Vintage'.

"Amongst the substandard wines that had the 'Vintage' labels, some of them had the 'Royal Vintage' labels pasted on them." The secretary continued, sounding as if he had been seized by fear.

"......", Shiori could not help but let out a gasp.

That very act of wrongfully labeling the champagnes was to blemish Shiori's reputation.

Champagnes that are allowed to be labelled as 'Royal Vintage' not only required the use of grapes that have been harvested from vineyards that that have been proven to be of high quality, it also required Shiori's approval.

Only champagnes that have been tasted and approved by Shiori can then be crowned as 'Royal Vintage'.

Champagnes that are labelled as 'Royal Vintage' in the market are few and far between - its exceptionally good and distinctive character and flavour made people compare such champagnes to Shiori - a flower that is hard to reach; almost unattainable, and it has been very well-received by critics and fans alike.

While it has been mentioned that dateless 'Non-Vintage' champagnes are the lowest quality out of all the champagnes, such judgement is only limited within Ecuratol.

In reality, champagnes that use a combination of grapes that have been harvested during the years with bad harvest (due to unfavourable weather circumstances, few grapes grow and hence, can be harvested) and grapes that are harvested on years that are known to have produced good quality grapes are actually much more distinctive flavour-wise, despite being 'Non-Vintage'.

Regardless of the time it was sold, a 'Non-Vintage' champagne that promises a distinctive and pleasing flavour - the person who can make such a blend is Shiori, as he is someone who has an exceptionally good  sense of taste. Due to Shiori's assurance regarding the quality, Ecuratol's grape wines were able to become world-renowned and receive the trust of everyone.

The country's entire wine industry is sustained and backed by this very prestige and recognition of their wines.

As it was wine that had been created by Shiori himself, as it was wint that had been approved by Shiori himself, it was definitely good to savour...... but the poor tasting wines have betrayed this trust that people have towards Shiori's seal of approval.

"What leads are there?"

"The subordinates are currently checking, however, as of now, they are unable to find out the reason for such bad quality wines to be labelled as 'Vintage' and 'Royal Vintage'. ", the secretary replied with a reluctant expression.

"Continue the investigation.", ordered Shiori. Since the investigation was already well underway, before the truth of the matter is uncovered, the only thing Shiori could do was to wait.

"This matter aside, I will have to select the champagne that will be distributed and sold for use in the banquet organised by the Japanese diplomat, am I correct"

Even though Shiori was unwilling, he had a pile of work waiting for him

"Yes, the dealer would like to purchase champagne of the greatest quality for this event. This large-scale banquet will be a grand occasion at which ambassadors from several different countries and continents will gather. As such, the Japanese dealer who will be overseeing this banquet mentioned that the costs would not be an issue. Instead, he stressed that using wine which the people trust is of the utmost importance and concern."

"I am well aware of that fact even if he did not mention it."

The ambassadors have likely been posted to countless of countries before, and at the country of their posting, ate the best cuisine that the country has to offer.

As the distributor has chosen to use Ecuratol's champagne, its aim was likely to raise its reputation. Furthermore, the dealer specifically designated for 'Royal Vintage' champagnes to be used at the large-scale banquet.  The sum of money needed to import such a large amount of 'Royal Vintages' would be considerably large.

This very intention showed that the amount of value the dealer places in Ecuratol's champagne.

Wines that are able to meet the conditions and hence be labelled as a 'Royal Vintage' were too little, too few.

Everyone in the world wanted to get their hands on such rare champagnes.

However, if one were to search and purchase all of such champagnes' existing stock......

"After you are done selecting the champagne, we will need to paste the labels on the bottles. In the evening, the chosen champagnes will be shipped out. The dealer expressed his wish for the champagnes to be air flown into Japan in order for them to arrive on time for tomorrow's banquet."

"This matter is very rushed."

"Such urgency indicates that the banquet is of utmost importance. Also, this year is the year which the ban on Japan is lifted. Thus, this action will also be used to create a topic of interest at the banquet."

"So the champagne will simply be something for the attendees to chatter about?" 

The dealer was very shrewd. If the atmosphere amongst the attendees was lively, warm and intimate, they would naturally have a good impression of the banquet. The dealer had even accurately calculated the sort if impression that the attendees would have of the banquet after it ends.

"The champagnes from several different dealers have been prepared in the next room for your tasting."

"Understood. I will head over immediately."

Next part: http://blacksoulz.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-royal-fiance-white-prince-chapter-1.html 

Page 24 - page 30 of the novel. Enjoy! ^^

Felt like I have learnt much more about wine and all after translating these few pages. The importance of Shiori is often overlooked and I feel that it's parts like these that really build on the fact that Shiori is dedicated and is actually someone who should be more appreciated ;w; 

While the smex scenes will still take awhile to come, these scenes really provide insight on Shiori's character! So I hope you will like them :3

I WANT TO GO TO ONE OK ROCK'S CONCERT UGHHHHHH THEY ARE COMING TO SG

Mood: Wide awake despite it being 1.07am 

Note: This is just a one person thing, so there's no proof readers or grammar checks and the like. Pardon any errors! Do feel free to point out any mistakes you spot.

Happy 2016! Spent the New Year on the plane.

Just back from my Kaoshiung, Taiwan trip! Although it was a 6D5N trip, I would say the manga haul is not bad. (For a 40kg weight limit for 5 people...which means only 8kg for one person ;A;)
 
Before the trip, I was excited about visiting the local bookstore chains such as 成品 and other chains such as Kinokuniya <3 However, the true treasure troves were their 2nd hand bookstores and their manga rental stores! (Some manga rental stores sell mangas quite cheaply)

The lady boss of the hotel we stayed in suggested really nice places to do book hunting - "茉莉" and "MLD台鋁生活商場".

'Mo Li' is a relatively large 2nd hand bookstore chain. The arrangement inside the store made it seem as if it was NOT a store selling second hand books, but rather, a store that sells brand new books. Although the yaoi selection there is limited, I managed to find a few shounen ai mangas neatly and well-wrapped in plastic. The prices there are quite low - 168nt (Around SGD$7.40) for 4 new looking and in good condition mangas <33

'MLD台鋁生活商場' is a really, really classy looking place -  http://mld.com.tw/about/ 
Photo ops, new book + fresh woody smells abound. Unfortunately, they do not stock ANY mangas at all (I assume that mangas do not sit well with their retro-classy theme). They stock English books, lots of cooking and arts related books. However, they have beautiful sitting areas where you can enjoy a nice chat with your friends or to simply enjoy your new books. I highly recommend this place to cinema-goers, book-lovers, or anyone who loves the comfort of a resting area surrounded by the refreshing scent of new books.

I lodged near 六合夜市 and a store that stocks a lot of old books and mangas! It's called 'BooksNet'. While the prices for the mangas are not significantly lower than the new books price, they do stock quite a few hidden gems - such as old CJ Michalski mangas and out-of-print mamgas :3

One of the most important takeaway from this trip is that KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED WHEN WALKING. No matter where you walk - the back alley, the main street, OPEN YOUR EYES. Not to be wary of muggers but to be wary of MANGA RENTAL STORES that slap 'selling mangas!' at their store front.

The manga rental store I found in a separate island from Kaoshiung -西子湾 was the store that made my day. ONE MANGA FOR 40NT (Arond SGD$1.70). Although the condition of the mangas aren't great, I would say that feeling of satisfaction walking out of a manga store 8 mangas richer and $15 poorer cannot be beat. The old man (I think he is in his late 50s or early 60s) is the best - I engaged in a chat with him regarding BL mangas hahahahah!

The only regret I have after this trip - I still cannot find the novels for 花花游龙 :')

My end haul: 40 something yaoi, 1 yuri, 4 shounen ai, 1 shoujo manga

My nose is currently falling off and a whole pile of yaoi mangas are waiting. School is too. Hope I can recover fast enough ugh.

Will try to find time to do the translations!

P.S. They have LOTS of adorable cat stores and dogs <333