#getting to the end and going through all the supplementary material really just [clenches fist] drives that point home

[railsmith]

read through the manga after watching the first episode of dungeon meshi and BOY HOWDY does the nightmare bit hit harder when you're coming around to it the second time, huh

[eralisse]

Brothers Conflict: Season 1 LN - Ch17, Sec2 & Sec3

*_* I have upgraded to being able to translate the light novels [slowly, very slowly] (and am very proud of myself right now).

Continuing on with my quest to translate materials relating to the Iori/Kaname conflict and their characterizations, I bring to you this translation from Volume 5, where Kaname withdraws from the competition for Ema's heart.

This is not the whole chapter, because that would take too much effort, and the other sections touch on the other conflicts. (If you're looking for the whole thing, there might be someone else who's translated all of it before.)

Comments and discussion at the end of this entry.

Brothers Conflict Translations Index

That day, it was late when I left school.

Because of what happened with Azusa-san, I was completely late for class, so much so that, after school, I had to receive supplementary lessons.

(It’s gotten completely dark.)

Even though it was the end of summer, the sun went down at this time. Conversely, the city lights were starting to illuminate the night sky.

From Hinode High School, until the nearest JR train station, Iidabashi Station, there was a small slope down. I began to walk down that street.

Then, right after that, from behind me, I heard a car horn.

???: “… That’s no good. Having a cute girl walking down the street at night all by herself.”

The car pulled up beside me, and a blond man leaned over from the driver’s seat.

Kaname: “It’ll be too late once something happens. Here, I’ll give you a ride.”

Ema: “Kaname-san.”

I gave a small sigh.

Ema: “I think it’s more likely that something will happen when you’re with someone.”

Kaname: “Haha, as always, Imouto-chan has a good sense for clapbacks.”

Ema: “I should think that Kaname-san would have had plenty of experience by now.”

Kaname: “Well, enough of that. Anyway, get on in.”

Ema: “It’s fine, I can walk.”

Kaname: “... Get in.”

(Ehh?!)

That was in a super serious voice.

Kaname: “It’s not my style to be pushy when inviting women. However, my preferences don’t matter right now.”

Ema: “... Kaname-san?”

Kaname: “This is the last thing I’ll ask of you. Please, get in.”

He said, and then came out from the car.

(Kaname-san…)

Kaname-san had an expression I had never seen until now.

Neither angry nor sad, much less his usual easygoing manner… I had never seen such a face before.

(Th-this is…)

What should I say? I held myself back…

At that moment, the word “determined” came to the front of my mind.

Kaname: “… Here.”

Kaname-san opened the door to the passenger’s seat. I gave a small nod, and got into the car.

---Then, Kaname-san turned the car east and started driving.

It was in the complete opposite direction from Kichijouji, where our apartment was in.

Ema: “Kaname-san, where are we going?”

Kaname: “You have time, right?”

Ema: “Eh?”

Kaname: “... It won’t be long, but it’s impossible to be done within an hour. If you have dinner prep or something like that, please ask Kyou-nii.”

Ema: “Ah, no, I’m good for today.”

It happened to be that, when it was clear that I would be at supplementary lessons after school, I called Ukyo-san during lunch, and got it to be that he would make dinner instead.

That’s why I had time this evening.

Ema: “But, what is this conversation about?”

Kaname: “I’ll tell you when we get there.”

Kaname-san said, while continuing to look straight ahead.

Kaname: “I want to go to a place where there’s nobody else. A place where none of our brothers will go… When we get there, we’ll talk.”

Then, Kaname-san glanced over at me for just a second.

Kaname: “Today… Just for now, please trust me.”

Then he looked forward again. After that, Kaname-san continued to drive, and said no more.

---

(......)

Outside the window, Tokyo’s night scenery flowed past.

Eventually, the car began to turn south.

Kaname: “...... Here’s good.”

When Kaname-san opened the passenger seat door, there was the smell of salt and the sound of waves.

Kaname: “Well, come on out.”

Ema: “... Alright.”

Tokyo Bay spread out before me. It appeared to be a place open to the sea, with not much to obstruct the view.

A cool wind that started to blow.

Kaname: “Humans are interesting, aren’t they.”

Kaname-san said, and began walking slowly to the beach.

Kaname: “Even though there are people of all personalities, when it comes to having important conversations, for some reason they will want to go to the ocean. I wonder why that is?”

Ema: “......”

I remained silent, following a little ways behind.

Kaname: “When you look at the ocean, do you feel at ease? Or, do you think that it bestows some special strength?”

Kaname-san stopped and faced me, turning his back to the ocean.

Kaname: “If it has that kind of power, I would really like to have it right now.”

Behind him, I could see the large seawall that protected Tokyo Bay from the waves.

Kaname: “Hikaru came today, you know.”

Ema: “... Yes.”

Kaname: “He said this cheerfully, ‘With this, she’s at 12 wins, 0 losses, and 1 bystander.’”

Ema: “Eh?”

Kaname: “...... Such a terrible thing to say.”

Kaname-san murmured.

Kaname: “However, he’s really perceptive about that sort of thing. He sees through to the most important parts intuitively. That’s why he can be an author, I guess.”

There, Kaname-san smiled bitterly.

Kaname: “However, unfortunately for Hikaru, that score is already outdated. It’s 11 wins, 0 losses, and 1 withdrawal now. And soon, it’ll be 10 wins, 0 losses, and 2 withdrawals.”

Ema: “W-what are you saying?”

Kaname: “Do you love Iori?”

Kaname-san said suddenly.

Ema: “Eh…”

Kaname: “I’ll ask one more time. Do you love Iori?”

Ema: “Uh, um…”

Kaname-san smiled faintly. It was a sad and pained smile.

Kaname: “I want to know if I should apologize or not for what happened at the summer festival.”

Ema: “... Ah.”

I remembered what had happened in that tree grove back then.

Iori-san’s body heat as he touched my cheek. The feeling on my lips. And finally, Kaname-san’s face.

Kaname: “I was the one who invited you there. However, as a result, at the time, at that place, that happened. That’s why I was thinking I had to ask you--”

Kaname-san cut himself off.

The surge of a rather large wave could be heard.

Kaname: “Ask you if you loved Iori, and if that kiss was a lover’s kiss, for instance.”

Ema: “Um, that’s…”

Kaname: “Answer me.”

Kaname-san stared at me intently.

The wave earlier hit the seawall, and a crumbling sound was heard.

Ema: “... I don’t know.”

I answered.

Ema: “That was… It happened so suddenly… And afterwards, I haven’t had a chance to speak with Iori-san properly.”

Kaname: “In other words, it was a one-sided action on Iori’s part?

Ema: “...”

I nodded.

I didn’t feel like I could only deny Kaname-san’s words.

Kaname: “In that case, I’ll say this.”

Kaname-san’s voice got even lower. It was a low, yet distinct… and sad voice.

Kaname: “If you don’t love Iori, stay away from him.”

Kaname-san clenched his fist tightly before his chest.

Kaname: “Iori has not yet returned to being human.”

(Eh!?)

My eyes widened in surprise.

(Hasn’t returned… to being human?)

Kaname: “Iori is… still, unable to love another person. He hasn’t returned back to that stage yet.”

Kaname-san’s each word echoed deeply to my heart.

Kaname: “Iori is struggling desperately right now. To use a metaphor, he is like a drowning man. That’s why, if you heedlessly go to save him, you will be dragged in… and will drown together.”

Then Kaname-san looked straight at me.

Kaname: “I don’t want that to happen to you.”

Kaname-san’s face looked extremely pained.

Kaname: “Loving someone means-”

Kaname-san turned away from me, and looked out at the ocean.

Kaname: “-to understand your partner, recognize them, and then, to accept them. It is not to make you understand, recognize, and accept yourself. …Such a thing cannot be called love.”

Another wave came in. Then the sound of it crashing into the seawall could be heard.

Kaname: “I think you are a very kind and attentive woman. And you won’t be too picky at your partner. I think that’s wonderful. … However.”

Kaname-san turned toward me.

Kaname: “You can’t be that for Iori right now. If you do anything like that with compassion or sympathy, let alone simply good intentions, you will get pulled in and drown.”

A slightly larger wave than before came in. The sound it made crashing was just as loud.

Kaname: “Even so, my job is to listen to people’s souls.”

Kaname-san lowered his gaze slightly.

Kaname: “Since that incident in middle school, I have always watched over Iori. And, protected him. In the hopes that he can become a person who can love another once more.”

Falling silent there, Kaname-san then slowly raised his head, and spoke in a clear voice.

Kaname: “Because… love is mightier than the sword or the pen, mightier than anything else, and is the single most important thing.”

Kaname-san stepped forward. The distance between us narrowed.

Kaname: “However, I need a little more time. It is still too early right now.”

Kaname-san put his hands on my shoulders.

Kaname: “Please leave Iori to me. And, give your kind heart to someone else. That is my wish for you.”

Ema: “Kaname-san…”

Weight and warmth came from the hands on my shoulders.

It felt as if they reached the center of my body.

Kaname: “Iori is my precious little brother. That’s why, I want to protect him. And, you are my precious little sister.… That’s why, I will protect you.”

Kaname-san’s arms dropped from my shoulders, and wrapped around my back and waist.

I felt Kaname-san’s warmth and the strength of his embrace through my whole body.

Kaname: “... With all that I have.”

The loud crashing of waves echoed all around us.

At Kaname-san’s back, I saw the seawall blocking the large waves that rushed from the open sea.

---

Comments:

1. As a novice translator, there's a running metaphor going through this section that I got super excited to notice. Did anyone else see it? Either in the actual text (if you have the light novels) or in a previous translation elsewhere? Anyone? Okay. It's the seawall and the waves. The waves and the sound of the waves change as Kaname speaks, with the loudest impact being at the end. And at the end, Ema is relating Kaname to the seawall, protecting her from waves coming in from all over. In terms of literary analysis, it's a little obvious because there is no description of anything else, but still. I hope I got it translated properly.

2. There are a few lines where I scrapped the literal Japanese wording and rewrote it because the dictionary definition I got didn't make sense at all. I used context to guess at what was meant. This applies to the line Ema says about Kaname's experience with clapbacks, and the sentence Kaname says about being picky at partners.

3. Story-wise, if I'm not mistaken, this is the only time Kaname tells Ema exactly WHY she needs to stay away from Iori. Before, in Vol3, he only tells her she has to stay away. And to anyone who's ever had to ask anyone to do anything, if you don't say why, you run a high risk of your words being ignored because you didn't convey the urgency.

4. If anyone's read the light novels, and would like to correct any of the above, please do so. It's difficult for me to read the text without spending a lot of time with the dictionary, so it's very possible for me to miss something. (In other words, I haven't read every section in the LNs thoroughly yet.)

5. Gahhh, I love Kaname so much.