Thread by @slug_hypmic

FP/M+ chapter 18 released earlier today in Japanese! Summary thread below.
- Very silly adaptation of Gen + Dice's Once Upon a Time in Shibuya drama track
- Mute #hypspoiler to avoid
- Please (PLEASE) avoid posting non-preview images of the chapter to be courteous to JPN fans

More notes:
-The illustrations in this one are phenomenal, so I'm going to do my best to do the goofiness justice.
- A canon scenario. May not take place after FP/M+ 14. It's a side story.
- I'm not going into it w/ a shipping angle, but Gen. is somewhat back on his bullshit

It is a beautiful day in Shibuya, and Dice is strollin' along, feeling good, accompanied by the calico cat in his ARB cards. On a day like this, he tells the cat, he knows he's going to make it big!
Yes, it's a lovely day in the city... and you're a horrible Gentarou.
#hypspoiler

In a maneuver oddly reminiscent of "Buenos dias, Mandy", Gentarou gives Dice a big ol' slap on the back by way of greeting, scaring the living daylights out of Dice (and the cat) in the process. Dice tells Gentarou to stop frightening him, dammit!
#hypspoiler

Gentarou invades Dice's personal space and informs him that he'd NEVER try to frighten Dice. Perish the thought! He's merely reflecting on his good fortune to run into Dice today. (Meanwhile, the cat is playing with Dice's hair dangly thingy.)
#hypspoiler

Dice doesn't believe a word of this. He wants to know what sort of scheme Gentarou's cooking up. Gentarou chuckles a little and then comes clean. Actually, if he doesn't finish his work by the end of the day, he's going to miss a deadline.
#hypspoiler

Dice is incredulous. Deadlines are IMPORTANT, Gentarou! And didn't Mr. Gentarou Yumeno himself once claim that people who miss their deadlines are the scum of the earth? Well, yes. But these things happen, Dice.
Dice thinks Gentarou's fucking with him again.
#hypspoiler

If only! Alas, Gentarou is telling the truth. Furthermore, no matter what he tries to write, he can't come up with anything good. Now he's out on a walk to get inspiration to cure his write's block.
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Copying Dice's earlier outrage, he insists that Dice is a treasure trove of inspiration by sheer value of existing! He doesn't even need to be doing anything in particular! So, to show up in front of Gentarou now is indeed good fortune in Gentarou's book.
#hypspoiler

Reigning himself in, Gentarou switches the subject and comments on Dice's good mood. Oh hell yeah! Dice's been lucky all day, so that's enough to make him happy!
You? Gentarou asks. Lucky? The person who luck has forsaken?
Dice insists that's only when Gen's around.
#hypspoiler

He's a pretty lucky dude by default. (Gentarou's not so sure about that.)
At any rate, Dice found a lucky omen in his first cup of tea for the day. Then, when he went and did some shopping, he got 777 yen back as change! And he's gotten all green lights today!
#hypspoiler

Dice brags (with some creative poses) about how perfect his luck is today. Gentarou concedes that he may be right... but that only means Dice's luck will run out sooner. Wait, say what now?
#hypspoiler

With the help of an illustration of a screaming, falling Dice, Gentarou explains that luck is like a succession of hills and valleys. If one builds the highest mountain, then they have a straight drop into the lowest valley.
#hypspoiler

Oh SHIT! Dice has a huge gambling session tonight, but what if his luck runs out before it?
As he freaks out, Gentarou's phone goes off. Uh-oh, bad news for Dice. Gentarou entered a drawing for rice crackers under Dice's name, and "Dice" just won. There goes the luck.
#hypspoiler

Dice proceeds to lie on the ground and scream. His precious luck! Gentarou's gone and ruined it! He's done for, a goner, finished-
Well, in that case, Gentarou has no other choice but to... issue him a challenge!
#hypspoiler

In order to lose the bad luck after spending his good luck so recklessly, he must prepare to take on harsher trials and tribulations! Dice is like, "Yeah, that makes sense" [it does not] but... how?
So Gentarou leads him to an entry-level employment agency.
#hypspoiler

After all, says Gentarou as he grabs the application forms for Dice, one mustn't be a layabout all day. It's time he did some proper work.
lol wdym, Gentarou, Dice has had part-time jobs before! The dudes at the gambling dens hooked him up.
#hypspoiler

What sort of work is this? All kinds!
We are now treated to a montage of Dice's many exploits.
At one job, Dice works on an assembly line and slaps on stickers at the speed of light.
At another, Dice participates in clinical trials for medication.
#hypspoiler

Here, he asks the nurse for seconds on the hospital meals... well, actually more like eighths, judging by his number of dishes. (The nurse says no.)
He's also worked construction, in that he'd change tatami floor matting on night shifts.
#hypspoiler

My favorite, though, is his job as a transit officer. On some crowded rush-hour trains, station workers may firmly push people to pack closer together so the train can fit as many occupants as possible. That's Dice's job, but he full-on body slams the poor passengers.
#hypspoiler

Meanwhile, while Dice is off being a working man, Gentarou is waiting for him in another montage of images playing off of literary tropes.
In one, the master of the house (Gentarou) treats the tatami floorer (Dice) to a cup of tea and a conversation.
#hypspoiler

In another, a woman (Gentarou) sits in her poor, falling-to-pieces house and makes paper flowers to sell in order to feed herself and her newborn baby (who looks suspiciously like Dice).
In a third, an ailing man (Gentarou) sits in bed and looks out his window-
#hypspoiler

-at a brick wall and a single leaf on a vine or tree.
In the last, Gentarou is a captain of a sailing ship which carries a lantern on its bow so his family or spouse (presumably) can see when his ship is passing.
#hypspoiler

Okay, that's enough of that silliness for now.
Dice: ? What was that all about?
Gentarou: Fan service. It's no fair if you get to have all the fun.
#hypspoiler

At any rate, Dice goes on a bit more about his tatami job - since they worked on businesses open during the day, he had to work the night shift which paid p. well - and then goes to look at the job board with Gentarou. #hypspoiler

Gentarou finds one that catches his eye, and before Dice can get a good look at it, Gentarou scurries off with it.
And thus Dice's new job starts! As...a street vendor selling cowbells. That's all well and good, but hmm... not an awful lot of cows in Shibuya, huh...
#hypspoiler

Dice thinks this job sucks ass, since who tf is going to buy one? But! Is he not undergoing a TRIAL after having a run of too much good luck?
Oh shit, that's right! So with Gentarou's enthusiastic support (?), Dice goes for what Shibuya does best - trends!
#hypspoiler

Flaunting a cowbell around his neck, he promises the LATEST in Shibuya fashion. Real, genuine, Harajuku cowbells! And this is the number one place to buy! Fashionable! Lucky! Why stop at buying one? Why not buy two or three? Or, dare I say, four?!
#hypspoiler

A random dude who looks suspiciously like Gentarou in cow-patterned "fashion" demands to buy three, and that's all the impetus the crowd needs. Pedestrians descend on Dice's booth like a swarm of locusts, and the bells sell out in no time.
#hypspoiler

Afterwards, Gentarou and Dice gloat over their job well done... until Gentarou sidles in close, a little too innocently, and points out... isn't this more good luck? A little TOO good, hmm? Tsk, tsk, better lose this streak of good luck! Or else!
#hypspoiler

Dice grabs Gentarou by the shoulders and leans in close. Gentarou. He needs you to punch him.
For once, Gentarou is at a loss for words.
But hey, if he punches Dice, then that's pretty damn unlucky for Dice, right? Yet Gentarou can't afford to damage his writing hand!
#hypspoiler

As the two grapple with one another (much to the alarm of nearby pedestrians), the money slips from Dice's hand... aaaaaand lands right in the box of someone collecting donations.
Gentarou, now dressed in a basketball jersey [bare arm alert!] goes, "Nice shot."
#hypspoiler

Nooooo Dice's precious money... hey, but on the bright side, that was pretty unlucky, right? So Dice is in the clear! And on the bright side, now Gentarou has enough ideas for a story and can make his deadline.
All's well that ends well, right?
#hypspoiler

Gentarou looms up behind Dice like a horrifying apparition. Everyone knows that you need money to make money. It's like a lucky charm. But how, pray tell, is Dice going to pull this off without any money?
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Dice cycles through a series of poses, both pleading and handsome (??) before falling to the ground and Gentarou's feet and BEGGGGIINNNNNNGGGGGG for some cash. Lol no, not happening. Gentarou sets off for home, and Dice grabs on to his leg.
#hypspoiler

Looney Tunes antics ensue as Gentarou tries to shake Dice off and/or drag Dice back, still pleading all the way.
A while later, Dice and Gentarou are hanging out at Ramuda's shop [sans Ramuda...]. Dice is munching on a giant stack of rice crackers and reading.
#hypspoiler

The book he's got is one of Gentarou's, titled something to effect of [I believe] Runaway Stars - The Tatami Flooring Brothers.
Dice comments that Ramuda sure is late. Apparently, he's got a lot of work to do to prepare for the DRB prelims.
#hypspoiler

And on another note, did Gentarou really model part of the book after Dice? He's not seeing it.
Gentarou says Dice's adventures certainly inspired him, hence the tatami flooring bit. It's stirred up some buzz in the literary world.
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ANYway (ft. Gen scooting over to Dice's side, once again scaring the daylights of Dice), Gentarou has the sneaking suspicion that someone wants to borrow money from Ramuda. And yet SOMEONE hasn't paid Gentarou back... Curious!
#hypspoiler

Dice cowers before Gentarou as a demon face appears behind him. Well, the thing is, Dice has had a run of bad luck ever since they hung out that time... Oh, well, in that case. Gentarou beams, full of understanding.
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Then he swoops in for the kill. Once Ramuda gets back, Dice had better pay up or else - yanking on Dice's ear threateningly - who knows what might happen? As Dice begs for mercy (they're friends, right? Can't Gentarou help him get another job?), Ramuda walks up.
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The most reasonable person in his office for once, he walks in on Dice on his knees crying and Gentarou going, "No! You can't ask Ramuda either! Because I have plans to go hang out with Ramuda, SO THERE!"
#hypspoiler

Then Gentarou chuckles. Well, Dice is at such a loss that Gentarou supposes he'll bail him out for once. Wait, for real? Of course... of course he's lying, that is. Dice collapses and wails for someone, anyone, to PLEASE lend him some cash!
#hypspoiler

The chapter ends here to be continued next month... but it'll be Hifumi and Doppo's turn! Looks like we're getting their limited edition drama track in manga form too. See you in September!