#he do be chotto...

[hamstergod]

Are we shipping marzipan and pasqal btw or

[nc-vb]

Showed my ma a clip of Kenjiro Tsuda speaking…………….. she agrees.

[imustbenuts]

nuts reading trigun in japanese 5 - vash is. super good with kids

disclaimer: more triangulation purposes etc etc

so i mentioned before in my part 3 that the japanese language has an inbuilt hierarchy quirk to it. and i kind of noticed this nuance getting somewhat lost in the english translation, either because again i have skill issues with english, or that EN inherently doesnt come with the same quirk.

elaborating a bit more: this hierarchy of position/standing can be determined by age, profession, occupation, and experience. in terms of hard priority, age and profession tends to take precedence over everything else.

this means effectively, vash being over 150 should be top dog and given respect in JP/Asian context (respect your elders! or else!!), but because he 1) looks 24, 2) uses very immature speech with strangers, 3) uses boku, hes effectively keeping his head down and posing as a dumbass schmuck.

ヴァッシュの兄貴　行っちまうのか！？ Big bro Vash, you're leaving?! (兄貴 = aniki = big bro but informal and can be used for no blood relations)

so schmucky that he has no problems handling children. in fact, in the JP version during his departure on the sand steamer, the kids call him Big Bro Vash. twice! so he's earned their adoration in no time flat.

ヴァッシュの兄貴—ッ Big Bro Vash!!

leaving the translation like that ^ wouldnt flow well in english, so rip. also. cute scene.

and yet his meeting with Kaite is chaotically bad to say the least. i mean, he even gets drugged and knocked out. Kaite does not respect the guy who gave him food at all and plans to seemingly feed him 3 meals a day for the entire trip. so how? well.

once Brilliant Dynamites Neon comes in and turns things serious, Vash's starts doing a few interesting things.

skipping forward this and that. after getting almost blown off the sand steamer, vash holds onto kaite and they both cling on for dear life:

もうちょっと登れば通風口があるよ mou chotto noboreba tsuufucou ga aru yo If we can climb a little higher there's a ventilation duct そーか　そーか　今行こうすぐ行こう souka souka ima ikou sugu ikou Okay, okay, let's get going right now!

added romanji and color to highlight how vash is repeating phrases in his line. the そーか　そーか souka souka and 行こう 行こう ikou ikou repeats are there as if to 1) make himself sound immature, and 2) to reassure kaite that things are under control.

only touching on the bottom right panel. another possible reading of that line:

助けて頂いてありがとうございましただろう Situations like these are where you should say "thank you very much for saving my life" instead!

はいそーでした!!!

Now say it!!!

he's chiding kaite and doing the very asian adult thing of teaching the youngin manners in terms of tone. but in a stern funny way no offense taken way bc, as you might have noticed...

vash is deliberately putting himself on the same level as a kid. in tone in standing in speech. hes not being condescending. hes not lording his status as an adult over a child. (something something christ like but in the context of jp... hehe.)

this is ultimately what gets tough nut kaite to trust vash to get down to business to defeat The Neon. even without the words hes visually getting himself to be on the same (eye) level with kaite. i think its so good alsdjfdsa

kaite starts crying after thinking of his dad and regretting what he's done, gets caught in a regret reflection loop, but vash brings him back to reality. like this:

な に を 感 傷に ひ た って る か な こい つ は

another reading of this "What the hell are getting all sentimental for now ya brat?!" line might be "What. Good. Is. It. To. Lose. Your. Grip. On. Yourself. Now. You. Dummy?!"

with this he puts kaite's head back into reality and readjusts both their priority.

so again. vash just. is good with kids. his emotional intelligence is through the fucking roof as proven by all the other moments throughout tristamp and trimax*

idk its warms me bc. the asian confucius hierarchy is so... yuck. im technically of chinese descent so i know how fucked it is. so. vash is really cool with this slightly extra japanese asian hierarchy context.

i think this aspect of vash is something i dont see in english fanworks a lot, and not in the same tone. on the other hand, i do see this a lot in the jp fanworks. so idk exactly what factors or if im looking in the wrong places, but yeah. vash is good with kids. just like wolfwood.

again, studio orange understood the assignment and gave some of that dynamic here to Tonnis.

are they called studio orange bc im meant to squeeze stampede for all its worth or what. stampede is actually incredible to me im in awe.

bonus:

the jp version of the left text says roughly:

"I'm cursed!! I must be! By either the reaper or a god of misfortune and or more!!"

yeah he specifically says Shinigami and Binbougami. i dont think that would translate well in en bc this kinda throws the catholicsm theme into a bit of a tailspin LMAO. (also. the Ore here. note the context.)

[nieves-de-sugui]

Takara's Treasure - Translation notes

I got so exasperated I made one of these. I'm only making comments on some parts of the subs that I find cannot be left alone because of the change in meaning (and also cause I don't have the time to check everything unfortunately)

アクセサリー好きなんですか？ akusesarii suki nandesuka? いや、べつに iya, betsu ni

Gaga subs: -You like fashion accesories? -No

My take: -Do you like (fashion) accessories? -Not really

ダイヤ ?! daiya?! いや、ガラスだろう iya, garasu darou

My take: -Diamonds?! -They're clearly glass

Taishin is generally fascinated by everything and tends to think things are cooler than they are. Takara here is saying this with a bit of a tone that implies something like "are you stupid or what?"

My guess here is that Taishin does not understand Tokyo slang (I do not know it either and I don't quite get what she's saying but she's mainly using expressions that Taishin, being from Fukuoka, has never heard before).

Taishin is just mainly constantly lost.

先輩が好きそうなもの ? senpai ga sukisouna mono? 好きそうな… sukisouna...

My take: -Is there something he seems to like? -Something he seems to like...

買っちゃいました kachaimashita

My take: -I ended up buying them

Here it implies he couldn't help but buying them, so he's being apologetic about it

やっぱちょっときもかったですか？ yappa chotto kimokattadesuka?

My take: Was that a creepy thing to do?

Taishin is asking if buying the earing because Takara told him they would suit him was creepy. In a "did I do another stalkery thing again?" way.

As I said before Taishin is just constantly lost. He doesn't particularly get social cues and is a little naive. Takara is constantly pointing out that out (in a gentle way) and this is all reflected in the way they speak to each other. And it gets on my nerves that sometimes the subs at Gaga completly kill that.

[gothic-thoughts]

Is It A Crime?

(Finallyyy 😩🥵😩🥴)

Nanami Kento x Black Fem Reader Smut

Divorced CoupleAU, DomesticAU, MDNI

CW: afab parts, tame words (not too vulgar), fingering, 😻-eating, implied smashing, feral Nanami (cuz it's a want, a need, and a must omg 😩🥴)

Word Count: 1035 (give or take)

A/n: any Japanese is confirmed via DeepL and written in romaji so you can pronounce it

I should’ve left an hour ago; he asked me to come over for a drink or two and to talk but I didn’t think the night would end with me sat between his legs with his thick fingers curled inside me, grinding against my spot. The other massive hand was wrapped around my neck, pulling my head back to his shoulder so he could place wet kisses on my neck. I know I divorced him about 2 years ago, but I couldn’t help but give in when he hugged me from behind when I was about to leave.

That hug held so much emotion and regret from the man that towered over me that it gave me butterflies. I’m ashamed I let his accent and the seduction in his voice get to me, but without it, I wouldn’t be on his couch with him with my thighs trembling and slowly shutting from the stimulation.

“Did I not say to keep them open?" He whispers in my ear, shoving them back apart, “Why do I have to keep reminding you?”

"I can't, 'm sorry. Jus' can't anymore.”

"I don’t care, you said I could play with her one last time." The middle and ring fingers sink deeper, "So let me."

"But I came so much already~"

"Wakatteiruyo (I'm aware); 3 times, to be exact."

I hate him so much. I have no idea how many times I reached the edge and I didn’t know when he intended to stop. Hell, I don’t even know if he was even planning on stopping. He seemed to never have enough time for anything but his work, and all of a sudden he has time for a drink with me. I watch as his hand slides from out my pants and underwear to his lips right next to my face. I hear soft moans from him.

“I've been keeping track of every single one.” He chuckles, sucking his fingers, “I just don't care.”

“Now you wanna focus on m-me?”

“I rarely saw you because I was focused on you.” He says shoving his fingers back inside.

“Shit.”

“Now I wanna focus on you?” He mocked, speeding up, “I’m always focused on you. I focused on our future together ‘cuz I wanted it to be as safe as possible.”

“Ken~”

“Just like I’m focusing on you now, making sure you’re walking funny when you leave my house. So cum again.”

My head was so fuzzy and light and he knew it, leading him to speak mostly in Japanese to keep me that way. Nanami’s canines grazed my neck with each nibble while his fingers curl and thrust deep, the accuracy on my spot making me arch my back off his chest. I grasped at the armrest of the couch with one hand and the back of his neck with the other as I shook from my 4th orgasm.

He chuckled into my collarbone but didn’t stop his hand, causing me to shiver from the aftershocks as I fell into another orgasm and shrieked from overstimulation. Nanami stood up and picked me up effortlessly before sitting me on his shoulders, leaving my legs to dangle down his back. I look down at his brown eyes as his large hands pressed against my lower back and pulled me to his waiting mouth.

“Fuck, st-stop~”

"I've been playing with my food so long,” he groans, lapping at me slowly, “I almost forgot to taste it.”

I try to push his head away, "Ken, ngh~ why are you--"

He smacks my hand away, "Shizukesa (hush)."

"I s-said you could play with it. N-not- ah~”

"The taste from my fingers wasn't enough. Chotto mattekure. (Just give me a minute)."

I squeal in shock as his tongue begins to flick and caress my sensitive bud, my hips jerking forward every time he grazes it. I feel his plump lips close around it, suckling on it until I begin humping with desperation, chanting his name over and over until he makes me cum another time. I feel him groan against me, slurping every drop of nectar that spread on his tongue.

The amount of pleasure buzzing through my body was dizzying, so I thread my fingers into his messy blonde locks to pull him away from me before he drowns. He doesn’t budge or get the memo, opting to moan at the feeling. My legs shake on his shoulders as I scream and use his head to push myself up and away from his hungry mouth when he slaps my ass firmly.

“Doko he ikunda (where are you going)?" He mumbles, "Hm? Doko he ikummorida (where do you think you are going)?”

“Ken...can’t an'more.”

“Shizukesa.”

He holds me tighter against his face as he pushes his tongue inside my clenching hole, moaning at the full flavor he missed from only licking and sucking. His slurps were louder now and so were my sounds, both of them echoing against his apartment’s walls and ceilings. I shiver over him, moaning as his tongue flicks in and out with loud gulps. I tug at his hair and throw my head back, hitting it lightly against the wall with a soft thud.

“Mmh, make...a...mess.”

"Yes, y-yes just-- hnngh, fuck!"

He grabs both of my hips and slides me across his tongue faster than my brain could process until I scream. I grab his wrist in a last attempt to stop him but, almost in retaliation, Nanami shakes his head from side to side. It wasn’t long until I was choking on moans when he groans again.

He continued until I was jolting and whining from the aftershocks before grabbing my hips and moving my quivering form to his waist. I gasp, grasping his shoulders at the feeling of him stretching my entrance as it pushes inside. He curses in Japanese as he sinks deeper, the sensation making him press my back against the nearest wall.

“Need....break~”

“I know, angel, I’ll break you good. We have to do something with all that sweetness, right? It’d be such a waste if I don't.”

“Where was this eagerness when we were together?”

“Don't remind me; that’s why you’re getting it all tonight.”

“We’re...divorced.”

“Yeah.”

[aheckinmess]

All's Well That Friends Well (Dad Nanami)

(Part 2 of Season of Serendipity.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Dad Nanami, Child Yuji, Original Child Character(s), Ryomen Sukuna, Nanami Kento, Yuji Itadori, Besu Sukuna, Parental Nanami, Dad Sukuna, Soft Sukuna, Protective Sukuna, Canon Divergence - AU, Sukuna Has a Daughter, Yuji is Nanami's Son, I Merged Two of My Series, Because I Thought it Would Be Adorable, Yuji Itadori is a Ray of Sunshine, OC Has Trouble Making Friends, But Yuji Sure Doesn't, Going to Pre-K for the First Time

Word Count: 1,025 words

Summary: Yuji goes to Pre-K for the first time; Nanami worries he'll have trouble adjusting, but Yuji is a little ball of positive energy. Needless to say, he makes friends.

While Yuji was an extroverted child by nature, Nanami still thought he might need time to adjust to preschool. So when Yuji easily waved goodbye as Nanami dropped him off for his first day at Pre-K, it soothed some of the paternal worry.

“Otouchan, how long is school?” Yuji wrapped his arms around Nanami’s neck and squeezed. “Is it very long?”

“You’ll be here for a few hours, Yuji-kun. But I’ll be back. You’ll be having so much fun you won’t even miss me.” He promised, kissing the young boy’s forehead. “If you need anything, just ask the teacher for help, okay? Remember how we practiced and…?”

“Raise my hand!” Yuji smiled.

“That’s my boy.” Nanami ruffled his hair and stood up. “Have a good day, Yuji-kun. And have some fun.”

“Okay!”

. . . . .

Yuji Itadori made having fun his mission. From the moment he stepped foot into the classroom, he curiously trotted around the room asking question…after question…after question.

“What about that? Why do you have that?” He asked Ms. Chotto, pointing at the hundredth object his little eyes had landed on.

“Yuji, honey,” Ms. Chotto laughed. “You’re such a curious little thing, aren’t you? Those are my plants and I keep them on the top shelf so none of my students accidentally eat them. They can hurt your tummy.”

“Then why do you have them?”

“I’m keeping them here for a little bit until I can find a space for them at home.” She explained, turning away to separate two girls from fighting over a doll. “Go find someone else to play with, Yuji, okay? I have to help some of the other children right now.”

Yuji pouted but did as he was told. Pre-K proved to be one of the most fascinating places he’d ever been! He’d already spoken to just about everyone in the classroom, when the door opened to reveal another little girl.

What surprised Yuji wasn’t how tightly she clung to her father, but her hair. Pink! Just like his!

As soon as Ms. Chotto got the pink-haired girl detached from her father, Yuji stood patiently to the side. He watched her hide in Ms. Chotto’s legs until she peeked out at him.

“Hi! I’m Yuji!” He beamed.

Her wide, brown eyes looked up at Ms. Chotto and then back at him.

“I’m Besu.” She whispered. In fact, Yuji barely heard her.

“You sure are quiet.” He said bluntly. When she seemed embarrassed by that, Yuji pointed towards a pile of blocks on the rug up front. “You wanna go play blocks?”

Ms. Chotto muttered something into Besu’s ear. Besu whined back at her, but Ms. Chotto delicately coaxed her in Yuji’s direction. Yuji led the way over to the blocks and Besu sat by him silently.

“I like to build castles. What do you wanna build?” Yuji asked as he got to work. A triangular orange block looked perfect to fit on top of his green stack.

Besu shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed a few square pieces to fit together. Yuji gave her time to give it a specific shape, but when he still couldn’t tell what it was by the third row, he spoke up.

“What is that?”

Once again, Besu shrugged. Yuji huffed, feeling disappointed. He’d expected her to be just like him since she’d looked so similar. But she barely even talked! Sensing this, Besu cleared her throat.

“I just like putting them together. But now I’m making a watermelon.” She explained, picking off a few blue pieces and replacing them when red and green.

“My dad put watermelon in my lunchbox! Wanna see?” Yuji stood before she answered.

“I don’t think we’re sposed to do that.” She glanced at Ms. Chotto and then Yuji’s lunchbox. “You could get in trouble.”

“Nuh-uh. It’s my lunchbox!” Yuji said matter-of-factly.

But when he went to grab it, Ms. Chotto put a hand on his shoulder.

“Yuji-san, it’s not time for lunch yet.”

“Can’t I show Besu my lunch?” Yuji frowned.

“Why don’t you show her when it’s lunchtime? That way you can both show each other what you have.” Ms. Chotto offered.

“Okay!” Yuji agreed, before toddling over to Besu. “Hey, Besu! Let’s wait until lunch and then I can see what you packed, too!”

“Father made me stew.”

“Oh, boy! Will you share?”

“...well, okay.”

. . . . .

While Nanami waited outside the classroom as kids shuffled inside, a man with wild pink hair waited with him. He couldn’t help but stare. Just like Yuji’s, and that’s not common. I wonder if he’s of any relation.

“You waiting on your brat, too?” Sukuna quirked a brow and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“I’m waiting for my son, yes.” Nanami answered. “It was his first day.”

“Mine too. You have any trouble dropping him off?”

“I thought I might, but he didn’t seem upset. He’s more outgoing, though, so I wasn’t too surprised.”

“I had to pry my daughter from me.” Sukuna scoffed, shaking his head with a smile.

“Ah, she must be a daddy’s girl, then. Does she have you wrapped around her finger yet?” Nanami normally wasn’t one for small talk, but the conversation helped him remain patient as he watched through the window while the teacher struggled to wrangle a boy into his bookbag.

“Absolutely not!” Sukuna huffed, but he turned his head away. “That is…I don’t give her everything she wants.”

Nanami couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I’m the same with my son. He’s my first.”

“My daughter is my first, too.”

And then the floodgates unleashed. More parents began filing down the sidewalk towards the portable classroom, but Yuji and Besu were the first at the door. Both of them raced and planted themselves directly into their father’s arms.

“Otouchan! You won’t believe it! That girl looks like me!” Yuji turned to Besu to see her the most animated she’d been all day, jabbering on to her father with bright brown eyes. “She’s real quiet though…like Fushi-kun.”

“I see. Did you have fun, then?”

“Yeah! I made a best friend!”

And Nanami smiled when Yuji turned to Besu, waving goodbye as Sukuna carried her away.

Continue Reading -> Chapter 3

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 1 WEAKNESS vs. UMBILICAL

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for WEAKNESS:

"This is definitely more of a personal anecdote. However, I’m neurodivergent (like Haruka) and struggle with knowing it causes quite a bit of disappointment for my mother. I cry about it a lot. But I find that putting on Weakness is soothing for me. Knowing that there’s a character out there with the same issues…. I don’t know. Just my experience."

---

"why weakness should win over umbilical: - THE SINGING THE HIGH NOTES - this song set the tone to what to expect for the trial songs to come (or what we expected) - the part where the song gets all slow paced and then picks up louder at the end it just done beautifully - it's haruka. - the singing sounds like a mix between of course singing and crying. the 'AHahA' sounds like manic laughing until the end when he's crying and it almost feels like he's sobbing while laughing. - the guitar and the drums complement his soft/sad-ish voice perfectly, especially at the beginning - very emotional, even if you didn't see the music video you can tell he's crying and mentally unwell I'm bad a propaganda, but vote for WEAKNESS!!!!"

Propaganda for UMBILICAL:

"hello hello i'm here to send some umbilical propaganda if that's fine!"

umbilical has a very soft and cute instrumental which is very nice and pleasing to listen to!

"i messed up, i found out" is so iconic?? unforgettable even??

yuno's vocals are so good, especially in the "please don't answer" and "please tell me" parts, they sound so satisfying to listen to

her vocals in the beginning are so cute and 🥰🥰🥰

her "fu~ fu~" is so cute too <3

it's so hard to get the chorus out of your head. literally impossible. as i'm typing this i can still hear "futaribocchi chotto ii kanji". and i don't want it to stop

i'm a weakness enjoyer as well but please support our queen yuno kashiki umbilical is so good

[lunexrin]

Sheets and Horror Movies.

Itoshi Rin. (Lovers AU, clingy Itoshi Rin.)

| psstt. part one over here. |

Things.. hadn't gone as planned.

Going from holding hands for the sake of the public's eye to make the relationship look more convincing, to him wrapping his legs around your waist while you were on top of him, with his hands holding you in place.

"You're not going to leave me. No." He mumbled and turned over to his side while you were still in his teddy bear grip. He pulled you even closer, forcing you to snuggle against his chest. You feel your cheeks squashed, and you look up to where there is light, almost begging for the oxygen to keep living. Is he trying to suffocate you or what?

And what the hell happened to one of his rules; 'no touching in private' shit?

"Chotto matte--" You gulped in a deep breath, before wiggling your body that was under his grip. You looked ridiculous, wiggling your body like a worm, but maybe some space and air could do you a lot of favor. "Rin let go-" You let out a grunt when he pulled you closer, hearing the rustling of the sheets as he moved your bodies.

"Shitakunai." He answers simply, leaving no room for further interrogation, not that it existed in the first place. You saw him looking at you with his half-lidded eyes, displaying emotions that you don't know, or at least pretending to not. He pressed your foreheads together, and you could've sworn that you felt his lips brush against yours as he spoke, that's how close he was to you.

"Can't you.. stay a little longer?"

The reality hit you like a truck. Things went the opposite way of what you had planned. It hit you how all this wasn't supposed to happen, and he wasn't supposed to act this way, holding you so close under the warm sheets of his mattress. And you were definitely not supposed to answer him the way you just did.

"Okay, okay. I won't go anywhere, so can you please not suffocate me to my death?" His grip loosens ever so slightly, and he even had a frown on his face, almost as if he didn't want to do so.

Both of your gazes eventually turned to the TV screen once more-- you even forgot that a horror movie was playing, even. Witnessing the dark atmosphere of the scenes and the eerie music made you squash him, pressing your cheek into his chest while barely taking a peek at the screen. You were the one complaining that you were suffocating to the death, yet here you are, squashing your figure further tighter in his grip. He didn't mind, yet he loved it. He knew just how much of a scaredy cat that you are, and he's using one of his favourite things; horror movies, as an advantage and an excuse to hold you in such ways.

The demon popped on the screen, displaying its sharp teeth that were covered in blood, followed by that annoying screech of it that somehow made you terrified, even after hearing it more than a thousand times. You let out a yelp and immediately closed your eyes and clung onto him for dear life.

That brought a small smile on his face, and you felt his chest move up and down as he chuckled at you. He stroked your hair and kissed the crown of your head, the soft smile never leaving his face.

" Adorable."

© 2023 lunexrin, do not copy, translate or repost on any other websites without proper credits.

[rosesinbloom7love]

Modern Au, where Naofumi & Myne are exes, who VEHEMENTLY hate each other

(Myne isn't a lying psycho in this Au. Still a bitch though, just less so than in canon. Also brief implied MotoFumi) -------------------------------- *It's pouring down rain and Naofumi and Myne are forced to take cover over under a concrete structure* Myne: Oh wow, today's weather looks just like you, Naofumi. Myne: Shitty. Naofumi: The forecast did say things were gonna get wet. Naofumi: I'm sure that'll be a first for you. Myne: Oh yes, several inches of rain, I heard. Myne: Can you imagine that? More than one inch? Naofumi: You know? I think i'm having trouble. Naofumi: Maybe if you moved a bit that way into oncoming traffic the entire world and I would have the peace and quiet necessary to envision such a thing. Myne: I would, but then who would take care of our dear Motoyasu? Myne: What would he do with his BEST FRIEND? Myne: He wouldn't have anyone left to talk to, hang out with, or, walk him home during a storm. Myne: Oh how i'd miss the way he'd say "Chotto Matte Kudasai". *Naofumi pushes Myne into the rain* Naofumi: Oh shit, you didn't melt. The wizard of Oz lied to me. Myne: I hate you, Naofumi: I hate you MORE!

[nanabansama]

After-School Hanako-kun Ending Lyrics (Fan-made)

EDIT: Due to the official lyrics coming out, I've decided to update this post to prevent spreading misinformation! This post still contains my fan translation, though, so please be aware of that.

Japanese (Kana/Kanji):

まったりまったりまったりまったり 生きてもいいけど 弾けるような恋をして 濃い人生を送れたら もっともっともっともっと良いのにな 本当に本当に不思議ね恋心 七不思議にお見事仲間入り 今日から八不思議！（八不思議?） なんだかとっても言いづらい 魅惑に魅せられワクワクしちゃった 取り憑かれちゃったドキドキ！ 二進も三進もどうにもいかない 単純明快脳みそグルグル 来い！来い！濃い恋よ！ 狂わせて なんか変だ！変だ！変変変変大変だ！ なんだ？これは？ワンツーワンツー 誤魔化せない これは恋だ！恋だ！ 濃い濃い濃い濃い濃い恋だ 見事に落ちていくあなたに だけど変だ！変だ！ 変態大変変態だ！ なんだちょっと待ってよパンチパンチ！ 届かない！ これが恋か？恋か？ 濃い濃い濃い濃い濃い恋か？ 見事に墜ちていく、あ・な・た に！

Japanese (Romaji):

mattari mattari mattari mattari ikitemo ii kedo hajikeru you na koi wo shite koi jinsei wo okuretara motto motto motto motto ii no ni na hontou ni hontou ni fushigi ne koigokoro nanafushigi ni omigoto nakamairi kyou kara hachifushigi (hachifushigi?) nandaka tottemo iizurai miwaku ni miserare wakuwaku shichatta toritsukarechatta dokidoki! nicchi mo sacchi mo dou ni mo ikanai tanjun meikai noumiso guru guru koi! koi! koi koi yo! kuruwasete nanka hen da! hen da! hen hen hen hen taihen da! nanda? kore wa? wan tsuu wan tsuu gomakasenai kore wa koi da! koi da! koi koi koi koi koi koi da migoto ni ochiteiku anata ni dakedo hen da! hen da! hentai taihen hentai da! nanda chotto matte yo panchi panchi! todokanai! kore ga koi ka? koi ka? koi koi koi koi koi koi ka? migoto ni ochiteiku, a・na・ta ni!

English Translation:

I'm fine with living a quiet, quiet, quiet life! But it would be so so so much better living a life rich with romance... Love is is truly truly mysterious, isn't it? I joined the Seven Mysteries with panache. From today forward, it's the Eight Mysteries! (Eight Mysteries?) Err, it doesn't roll off the tongue very well.... It's so alluring, I'm captivated. I got all excited! He just possessed me--doki doki! Nothing I do can solve it It's elementary. My head is spinning! Now, come! Come to me! Deep love! Drive me crazy Something's off! Off! It's off off off--uh oh, it's off! What? What is this? One-two, one-two I can't hide it This is love! It's love! A deep deep deep deep deep love! I've fallen spectacularly in love with you! But it's strange! Strange! Stranger danger! It's a pervert! Wait, hold on, punch punch! It didn't connect! Is this love? Love? Is this deep deep deep deep deep love? I've fallen spectacularly--in love with you!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to use these if you want. Now excuse me while I practice for karaoke night... *ehem*... mattarimattarimattarimattari--

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

Illusionist - Lyrics + Translation

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

Kanji:

【Sy】 地球中を回って見てどうだい？

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 出来てる？

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 たくさんLOVEをありがと

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 きゅんです

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 Tokimeki と Doki×2を丸ごとにペロリ

【All】 でもでもね　何かこう　ちょっとだけ　まだまださ

遊び足りなくない？

【All】 だからアン・コール・タイム

【Na】 みんなはしゃごう

【All】 コ・コ・に

【Sy】 いるみんなが

【All】ぜ・ん・いん

【Ce】 主人公の

【All】 イリュージョニストさ

【All】 空にワン・ツー・スリー

【Na】 魔法をかけて

【All】 イッ・セー・ノ

【Sy】 願う言葉

【All】 た・び・に

【Ce】 また出かけよう

【Ce】 とびっきりの

【Ce・Sy】 夢を見よう

【All】 一緒にゴーゴゴー！ツアーズしよーよ

Thank you!

【Sy】 地球外なんて想像ももうすぐ

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 リアルさ

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 月からのライブ中継も今から

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 Waku×2

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 現実はどの時代も夢の先にある

【All】 だからほら描こうよ

軌跡から奇蹟にジャンプ！手と手を重ねて

【All】 レッツ　ドリー・ミング・タイム

【Na】 みんな笑顔に

【All】 い・ち・ばん

【Sy】 「幸せ」へと

【All】 ぜ・ん・いん

【Ce】 叶えてこそ

【All】 イリュージョニストさ

【All】 共にワン・ツー・スリー

【Na】 時を数えて

【All】 ラ・ヴ・を

【Sy】 歌いながら

【All】 あ・す・に

【Ce】 希望持って

【Ce】 世界一の

【Ce・Sy】 夢をあげる

【All】 一緒にゴーゴゴー！未来の果てまで

With you!

【All】 だからアン・コール・タイム

【Na】 みんなはしゃごう

【All】 コ・コ・に

【Sy】 いるみんなが

【All】 ぜ・ん・いん

【Ce】 主人公の

【All】 イリュージョニストさ

【All】 空にワン・ツー・スリー

【Na】 魔法をかけて

【All】 イッ・セー・ノ

【Sy】 願う言葉

【All】 た・び・に

【Ce】 また出かけよう

【Ce】 ねぇ最初っから

【Ce・Sy】 繰り返しちゃう？

【All】 何度だって　ツアーズしよーよ

Thank you!

With you!

Love you!!

Rōmaji:

【Sy】 Chikyū chū o mawatte mite dōdai?

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 Dekiteru?

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 Takusan LOVE o arigato

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 Kyun desu

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 Tokimeki to Doki×2 o marugoto ni perori

【All】 Demo demo ne nani kakō, chotto dake, madamada sa

Asobi tarinakunai?

【All】 Dakara an-kōru-taimu

【Na】 Min'na hashagō

【All】 Ko-ko-ni

【Sy】 Iru min'na ga

【All】 Ze-n-in

【Ce】 Shujinkō no

【All】 Iryūjonisuto sa

【All】 Sora ni wan-tsū-surī

【Na】 Mahō o kakete

【All】 I-ssē-no

【Sy】 Negau kotoba

【All】 Ta-bi-ni

【Ce】 Mata dekakeyō

【Ce】 Tobikkiri no

【Ce・Sy】 Yume o miyō

【All】 Issho ni gōgogō! Tsuāzu shiyō yo 

Thank you!

【Sy】 Chikyūgai nante sōzō mo mōsugu

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 Riaru sa

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 Tsuki kara no raibu chūkei mo ima kara

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 Wakux2

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 Genjitsu wa dono jidai mo yume no saki ni aru

【All】 Dakara hora egakō yo

Kiseki kara kiseki ni janpu! Te to te o kasanete

【All】 Rettsu dorī-mingu-taimu

【Na】 Min'na egao ni

【All】 Ichiban

【Sy】 “Shiawase'” e to

【All】 Ze-n-in

【Ce】 Kanaete koso

【All】 Iryūjonisuto sa

【All】 Tomoni wan-tsū-surī

【Na】 Toki o kazoete

【All】 Ra-vu-o

【Sy】 Utainagara

【All】 A-su-ni

【Ce】 Kibō motte

【Ce】 Sekaiichi no

【Ce・Sy】 Yume o ageru

【All】 Issho ni gōgogō! Mirai no hate made

With you!

【All】 Dakara an-kōru-taimu

【Na】 Min'na hashagou

【All】 Ko-ko-ni

【Sy】 Iru min'na ga

【All】 Ze-n-in

【Ce】 Shujinkō no

【All】 Iryūjonisuto sa

【All】 Sora ni wan-tsū-surī

【Na】 Mahō o kakete

【All】 I-ssē-no

【Sy】 Negau kotoba

【All】 Ta-bi-ni

【Ce】 Mata dekakeyō

【Ce】 Nē saisho kara

【Ce・Sy】 Kurikaeshichau?

【All】 Nando datte tsuāzu shiyō yo

Thank you!

With you!

Love you!!

Translation:

【Sy】 How did you like sightseeing around the world?

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 Have you done it?

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 Thanks for all the LOVE

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 My heart skips a beat

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 We’ve quickly eaten up all the exciting and heart-racing moments

【All】 But still, you know, there’s still a little bit of 

Fun to be had, don’t you think?

【All】 So, everyone, round up excitedly for 

【Na】 En-co-re time

【All】 All the people

【Sy】 He-re

【All】 We-are-all 

【Ce】 The lead

【All】 Illusionists, so

【All】 One-two-three

【Na】 Cast a spell in the sky

【All】 Ready-set-go

【Sy】 The magical words are

【All】 Let’s go on a

【Ce】 Jour-ney again

【Ce】 Let’s experience the

【Ce・Sy】 Most extraordinary dream

【All】 Let’s go-go-go together! Let’s do Tours!

Thank you!

【Sy】 Soon even thoughts out of this world 

【Na・Ce】 (Enjoy!)

【Sy】 Will become reality

【Na・Ce】 (Happy!)

【Ce】 We’re broadcasting live from the moon right now

【Na・Sy】 (Enjoy!)

【Ce】 Excitedly

【Na・Sy】 (Happy!)

【Na】 Reality always comes after a dream

【All】 So let’s imagine it

Let’s jump from the path we’ve taken to a miracle! Hand in hand

【All】 Let’s dream-ing-time

【Na】 For everyone to smile

【All】 With-the-greatest

【Sy】 “Happiness”

【All】 We-are-all 

【Ce】 Illusionists

【All】 Who’ll make it come true

【All】 Together, one-two-three

【Na】 Counting the hours

【All】 While singing 

【Sy】 Of-lo-ve

【All】 Carrying hope 

【Ce】 For to-mo-rrow 

【Ce】 I’ll show you the best

【Ce・Sy】 Dream in the whole world

【All】 Let’s go-go-go together! Until the end of the future

With you!

【All】 So, everyone, round up excitedly for 

【Na】 En-co-re time

【All】 All the people

【Sy】 He-re

【All】 We-are-all 

【Ce】 The lead

【All】 Illusionists, so

【All】 One-two-three

【Na】 Cast a spell in the sky

【All】 Ready-set-go

【Sy】 The magical words are

【All】 Let’s go on a

【Ce】 Jour-ney again

【Ce】 Hey, why don’t we start again

【Ce・Sy】 From the beginning? 

【All】 Let’s do Tours as many times as we want!

Thank you!

With you!

Love you!!

[apothecaryscript]

Episode 19 : Chance or Something More / 第19話『偶然か必然か(Guzenka Hitsuzenka)』

高順「それから、本日の予定ですが、午後に中祀が行われますので」

Gaoshun “Sorekara, hon-jitsuno yotei desuga, gogoni chushiga okonaware-masu-node.”

Gaoshun “Also, regarding today’s schedule, there will be a medium ceremony in the afternoon.”

壬氏「ああ」

Jinshi “Aa.”

Jinshi “Yeah.”

高順「何をお考えかは大体想像がつきますが、仕事のこともお忘れなく」

Gaoshun “Nanio okangae-kawa daitai sozoga tsuki-masuga, shigotono kotomo owasure-naku.”

Gaoshun “I think I know what’s on your mind. But please, don’t forget about work.”

壬氏「分かっている」

Jinshi “Wakatte-iru.”

Jinshi “I know.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫「李白様…どうしました？」

Maomao “Rihaku-sama… Do shimashita?”

Maomao “Master Lihaku, what’s wrong?”

李白「困ったことが起きた」

Rihaku “Komatta kotoga okita.”

Lihaku “We have a problem.”

猫猫「困ったこと…ですか？」

Maomao “Komatta-koto…desuka?”

Maomao “Trouble, is it?”

李白「前に、倉庫で小火(ぼや)があったろ？」

Rihaku “Maeni, sokode boyaga attaro?”

Lihaku “Remember that fire at the warehouse?”

猫猫「あ…」

Maomao “A…”

Maomao “Ah.”

李白「同じ日に、別の倉庫で盗みがあったみたいなんだ。あの時の騒ぎに乗じたとしか考えられない」

Rihaku “Onaji hini, betsuno sokode nusumiga atta-mitai nanda. Ano tokino sawagini jojita to-shika kangae-rare-nai.”

Lihaku “Apparently, a thief broke in to a different warehouse on the same day. I’m sure they were taking advantage of all the chaos at that time.”

猫猫「火事場泥棒ですか…何が盗まれたんです？…ん？」

Maomao “Kajiba-dorobo desuka… Naniga nusumare-tan-desu? …N?”

Maomao “A looting. What got stolen?”

猫猫（人目を避けた方がいい話題か…ちらっ）

Maomao (Hitomeo saketa-hoga ii wadaika… Chira.)

Maomao (Not something to discuss openly, it seems. Sneak.)

李白「祭具がなくなったんだよ…しかも、一つじゃないらしい」

Rihaku “Saiguga nakunattan-dayo… Shikamo, hitotsuja nai rashii.”

Lihaku “Ceremonial tools. And not just one.”

猫猫「そんなずさんな管理だったんですか？」

Maomao “Sonna zusanna kanri dattan-desuka?”

Maomao “Were they being managed that haphazardly?”

李白「いや、俺も分かんねえんだよ…ちょうど今詳しい管理者がいなくてな。去年亡くなったらしいんだよ」

Rihaku “Iya, oremo wakan-neen-dayo… Chodo ima kuwashii kanrishaga inakutena. Kyonen nakunatta rashiin-dayo.”

Lihaku “Well, I don’t really know. There’s no knowledgeable managers right now. The last one passed away last year.”

猫猫「今の管理者は？基本は把握しているのでしょう？」

Maomao “Imano kanrishawa? Kihonwa haaku shite-iruno-desho?”

Maomao “What about the current manager? He must know the basics, right?”

李白「それが、ちょっと前に食中毒になっちまったらしくて…」

Rihaku “Sorega, chotto maeni shoku-chudokuni nacchimatta rashikute…”

Lihaku “Well, he got food poisoning awhile back.”

猫猫「食中毒？」

Maomao “Shoku-chudoku?”

Maomao “Food poisoning?”

李白「好物の海藻に当たったまんま、意識が戻んなくて、仕事に復帰できねえ状態だから、困っちまったよ」

Rihaku “Kobutsuno kaisoni atatta manma, ishikiga modon-nakute, shigotoni fukki deki-nee jotai dakara, komacchimattayo.”

Lihaku “His favorite seaweed made him sick and he hasn’t woken up. He can’t come back to work. Trouble, right?”

猫猫（…どこかで聞いた話だ）

Maomao (…Dokokade kiita hanashida.)

Maomao (Where have I heard that before?)

猫猫「それってもしかして、珍味好きの官吏の話ですか？」

Maomao “Sorette moshika-shite, chinmi-zukino kanrino hanashi desuka?”

Maomao “Was it that official who likes rare foods?”

李白「なんで知ってるんだ？」

Rihaku “Nande shitterunda?”

Lihaku “How did you know?”

猫猫「いろいろありまして…」

Maomao “Iro-iro ari-mashite…”

Maomao “A lot happened.”

猫猫（小火と同時に起きた窃盗…倉庫の管理者は同じ時期に食中毒で不在…偶然にしては不可解だ）

Maomao (Boyato dojini okita setto… Sokono kanrishawa onaji jikini shoku-chudokude fuzai… Guzenni shitewa fukakaida.)

Maomao (Theft at the time of a fire. The warehouse manager is missing due to food poisoning. It’s a bit too suspicious to be a coincidence.)

猫猫「その、去年亡くなった管理者は、どのような方でしたか？」

Maomao “Sono, kyonen nakunatta kanrishawa dono-yona kata deshitaka?”

Maomao “Who was the manager who passed away last year?”

李白「うーん…堅物で有名なおっさんだったのは覚えてるんだけど…名前が出てこねえ。甘党だったとか、そういうのは覚えてるんだけど…」

Rihaku “Ūn… Katabutsude yumeina ossan datta-nowa oboeterun-dakedo… Namaega dete-konee. Amato datta-toka so-iu-nowa oboeterun-dakedo…”

Lihaku “Hmm. I remember that he was famous for being really by-the-book. I forgot his name. I remember he had a sweet tooth and things like that, but…”

猫猫「もしかして…浩然様ではないでしょうか？」

Maomao “Moshika-shite…Konen-sama-dewa nai-deshoka?”

Maomao “Was it Master Kounen, by chance?”

李白「あっ！それだ、それ！…っておい、なんでお前知ってんだよ」

Rihaku “A! Soreda, sore! …Tte oi, nande omae shitten-dayo.”

Lihaku “Oh, that’s it! Hey, how’d you know?”

猫猫「いろいろありまして…」

Maomao “Iro-iro ari-mashite…”

Maomao “A lot happened.”

猫猫（以前、壬氏様から聞いた甘党の堅物高官、塩の過剰摂取で死んだ男だ。…これが全て偶然の重なり？一つ一つは事故に見えるが、もし何かの目的のために、わざと引き起こされたものだとしたら…）

Maomao (Izen, Jinshi-sama-kara kiita amatono katabutsu-kokan, Shiono kajo-sesshude shinda otokoda. …Korega subete guzenno kasanari? Hitotsu-hitotsuwa jikoni mieruga, moshi nanikano mokutekino tameni, wazato hikioko-sareta-mono dato shitara…)

Maomao (Master Jinshi told me about the tough official with a sweet tooth. The man who died of salt overdose. These are all coincidental? Each incident looks like an accident, but if they were all done in pursuit of some goal…)

猫猫「それで、私に何かご用ですか？」

Maomao “Sorede, watashini nanika goyo desuka?”

Maomao “So, what can I do for you?”

李白「それだ！本題！嬢ちゃんから預かってたこれなんだけどよ」

Rihaku “Soreda! Hondai! Jo-chankara azukatteta kore nanda-kedoyo.”

Lihaku “Right! The main point. Remember this? You gave it to me back then.”

猫猫「ああ、小火の時の」

Maomao “Aa, boyano tokino.”

Maomao “Ah, from the fire.”

李白「返そうとしたら、持ち主に突き返されちまってよ…要らないってさ」

Rihaku “Kaeso-to shitara, mochi-nushini tsukikae-sare-chimatteyo… Iranai-ttesa.”

Lihaku “I tried to give it back, but the owner declined. He doesn’t want it anymore.”

猫猫「上等な品なので大切なものかと思ったのですが…」

Maomao “Jotona shina nanode, taisetsuna monokato omottano-desuga…”

Maomao “It seems very expensive. I assumed it was important.”

李白「なんか、どっかの官女にもらったらしいんだ」

Rihaku “Nanka, dokkano kanjoni moratta rashiinda.”

Lihaku “Apparently, he got it from some court lady.”

猫猫「官女にですか？」

Maomao “Kanjoni desuka?”

Maomao “From a court lady?”

李白「変だと思わないか？なんで倉庫番にわざわざこんなもんをやるんだ？なんでも倉庫番のやつ、暗い中一人で歩いてた官女を城外まで送っていってやったらしいんだよ。このキセルは、そん時に礼でもらったんだと」

Rihaku “Hen-dato omowa-naika? Nande soko-banni waza-waza konna mon’o yarunda? Nandemo soko-banno yatsu, kurai naka hitoride aruiteta kanjo’o jogai-made okutte-itte-yatta rashiin-dayo. Kono kiseruwa, son-tokini reide morattandato.”

Lihaku “Sounds weird, right? Why give this to a random warehouse guard? Apparently, the guard escorted the court lady outside the castle, because she was walking alone in the dark. She gave him this pipe as a token of gratitude.”

猫猫「こんな立派なものをもらったら、すぐに使いたくなるかもしれませんね」

Maomao “Konna rippana mono’o morattara, suguni tsukai-taku-naru kamo shirema-senne.”

Maomao “Receiving such an expensive item might compel him to use it right away.”

猫猫（小火を起こして警備が薄くなった隙に、別の倉庫に忍び込む。初めからそれを狙って、官女が倉庫番にキセルを渡したとしたら…）

Maomao (Boyao okoshite keibiga usuku natta sukini, betsuno sokoni shinobi-komu. Hajime-kara soreo neratte, kanjoga soko-banni kiseruo watashita-to shitara…)

Maomao (Start a fire to divert the guards’ attention, and break into another warehouse. If the court lady gave the guard the pipe for that purpose…)

猫猫「李白様、その官女って…」

Maomao “Rihaku-sama, sono kanjotte…”

Maomao “Master Lihaku, about that court lady…”

李白「ああ、一応詳しく聞いたんだが…襟巻きをして顔が隠れていたらしい」

Rihaku “Aa, ichio kuwashiku kiitan-daga… Eri-makio shite kaoga kakurete-ita rashii.”

Lihaku “Yeah, I tried to get the details about her. But she was wearing a scarf that hid her face, apparently.”

猫猫「もしかすると、あらかじめ顔を隠していたのかもしれませんね」

Maomao “Moshika suruto, arakajime kao’o kakushite itano-kamo shirema-senne.”

Maomao “Maybe she was hiding her face intentionally.”

李白「ああ。ただ、女にしては上背があって、何か、薬の匂いがしたそうだ」

Rihaku “Aa. Tada, onnani shitewa uwazeiga atte, nanika kusurino nioiga shita-soda.”

Lihaku “Yeah. But she was ‘quite tall for a woman, and smelled like medicine.’”

猫猫「あっ…」

Maomao “A…”

李白「身長からして、お前じゃないのは分かってるんだが…心当たりはないか？」

Rihaku “Shincho-kara shite, omaeja nai-nowa wakatterun-daga…kokoro-atariwa naika?”

Lihaku “I know it’s not you, given the height. Can you think of anyone else?���

猫猫（薬の匂い…長身の官女…）

Maomao (Kusurino nioi… Choshinno kanjo…)

Maomao (A tall court lady smelling of medicine…)

羅門「憶測でものを言っちゃいけないよ」

Ruomen “Okusokude mono’o iccha ikenaiyo.”

Luomen “Don’t speak based purely on conjecture.”

猫猫「さっき挙げた事故や事件のほかに、何か不可解なことはなかったでしょうか？」

Maomao “Sakki ageta jikoya jikenno hokani, nanika fukakaina kotowa nakatta-deshoka?”

Maomao “Were there any more strange incidents other than the events we mentioned?”

李白「うーん、そう言われてもなあ…調べたら何かあるってわけか」

Rihaku “Ūn, so iware-temo-naa… Shirabe-tara nanika arutte wakeka.”

Lihaku “Hmm. I can’t say… Do you think there’s something to find out here?”

猫猫「何かあるかもしれません。何もないかもしれません」

Maomao “Nanika aru-kamo shire-masen. Nanimo nai-kamo shire-masen.”

Maomao “There could be. Or there might not.”

李白「どっちだよ」

Rihaku “Which is it?”

猫猫「偶然が2つ重なることはよくあります。３つ重なることもあるでしょう。そうした偶然がいくつも重なって、やがて必然になったとき…ここに、その長身の官女に似た人物がいたら、どうでしょうか？」

Maomao “Guzenga futatsu kasanaru kotowa yoku arimasu. Mittsu kasanaru kotomo aru-desho. So-shita guzenga ikutsumo kasanatte, yagate hitsu-zenni natta-toki… Kokoni, sono choshinno kanjoni nita jinbutsuga itara, do-deshoka?”

Maomao “Two coincidences can often occur simultaneously. Three at once isn’t that rare, either. But when several of them pile up and become clearly intentional… What if a person who fits the description of a tall court lady appeared here?”

李白「ハッ…」

Rihaku “Ha…”

猫猫（これで、翠苓という官女が浮かび上がったところで、関係ない話だ…）

Maomao (Korede, Suirei to-iu kanjoga ukabi-agatta-tokorode, kankei-nai hanashida…)

Maomao (This way, even if Suirei’s name comes up, it has nothing to do with me.)

李白「ハハハハッ、なるほど！お前は見た目によらず賢いな！フフフフフッ」

Rihaku “Hahahaha, naruhodo! Omaewa mitameni yorazu kashikoina! Fufufufufu.”

Lihaku “Wow, you’re a lot smarter than you look!”

猫猫「李白様は見た目通りバカ力なので、もう少し手加減して下さい。ん？」

Maomao “Rihaku-samawa mitame-doori baka-jikara nanode, mo-sukoshi tekagen shite kudasai. N?”

Maomao “Conversely, Master Lihaku, you’re as big a brute as you look, so please go easy on me.”

壬氏「楽しそうだな…」

Jinshi “Tanoshi-so-dana…”

Jinshi “Looks like fun.”

李白「え？うわっ！」

Rihaku “E? Uwa!”

壬氏「楽しそうだな…楽しそうだな…」

Jinshi “Tanoshi-sodana… Tanoshi-sodana…”

Jinshi “Looks like fun.”

猫猫「別に楽しくありませんけど」

Maomao “Betsuni tanoshiku arimasen-kedo.”

Maomao “There’s nothing fun here.”

李白「では！俺はこれで！」

Rihaku “Dewa! Orewa korede!”

Lihaku “I’ll take my leave!”

壬氏「あの武官とは、随分仲が良いようだな？」

Jinshi “Ano bukan-towa, zuibun nakaga yoi-yodana?”

Jinshi “You seem very close to that officer.”

猫猫「そうでしょうか？気になることがあったので、私に話を聞きに来ただけのようです」

Maomao “So-deshoka? Kini naru kotoga atta-node, watashini hanashio kikini kita dakeno-yodesu.”

Maomao “Do I? He just came to talk to me about some concerns he had.”

猫猫（今回の話、壬氏様にも関係がないとは言い切れない…）

Maomao (Konkaino hanashi, Jinshi-sama-nimo kankeiga nai-towa iikire-nai…)

Maomao (I can’t say for certain that this has nothing to do with Master Jinshi.)

壬氏「ん？」

Jinshi “N?”

猫猫「詳しくお話ししてもよろしいでしょうか？」

Maomao “Kuwashiku ohanashi-shitemo yoroshii-deshoka?”

Maomao “May I explain the details to you?”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

壬氏「…妙なつながりがあったものだな…」

Jinshi “…Myona tsunagariga atta mono dana…”

Jinshi “What a strange way they connect.”

猫猫「はい」

Maomao “Hai.”

Maomao “Yes.”

壬氏「それで、何があると思う？」

Jinshi “Sorede, naniga aruto omou?”

Jinshi “So, what do you think is behind them?”

猫猫「分かりません。一つの事件を確実にというより、いくつか罠を仕掛けて、どれかが成功すれば良い…という具合にも見えます」

Maomao “Wakari-masen. Hitotsuno jikan’o kakujitsuni-to iu-yori, ikutsuka wanao shikakete, dorekaga seiko-sureba yoi…to-iu guai-nimo miemasu.”

Maomao “I don’t know. None of those incidents are certainties. It’s more like setting several traps in the hopes that some of them work out.”

壬氏「そうなると、他にも仕掛けてある可能性があると」

Jinshi “So-naruto, hoka-nimo shikakete-aru kanoseiga aruto.”

Jinshi “In that case, do you think there are other traps?”

猫猫「断言はできませんが…どれも事件か事故か判断のつかない案件ばかりです。まだ、偶然が重なっただけの可能性も捨てきれません」

Maomao “Dangenwa deki-masenga… Doremo jikenka jikoka handanno tsukanai anken bakari desu. Mada, guzenga kasanatta-dakeno kanoseimo sute-kire-masen.”

Maomao “I can’t say for certain. It’s hard to determine which are accidents and which were plotted. It’s still possible that these are all just coincidences.”

壬氏「ん？乗り気ではないのか？」

Jinshi “N? Noriki-dewa nai-noka?”

Jinshi “You’re not excited?”

猫猫「乗り気？ハア…私は単なる下女ですので、言われた仕事を行うだけです」

Maomao “Noriki? Haa… Watashiwa tannaru gejo desu-node, iwareta shigoto’o okonau dake-desu.”

Maomao “Excited? I’m just a servant. I only do what I am told.”

壬氏「ふーん…あっ。なら、こういうのはどうだ？先日、交易商人のところを回った時、面白い物が出ていると聞いてな…こういう名だったんだが」

Jinshi “Fūn… A. Nara, ko-iu-nowa doda? Senjitsu, koeki-shoninno tokoro’o mawatta-toki, omoshiroi monoga dete-iruto kiitena… Ko-iu na dattan-daga.”

Jinshi “Hmm. In that case, how about this? The other day, I visited the trader. He told me there’s an interesting item in stock. This is what it was called.”

猫猫（牛黄とは、薬の一種であり、牛の胆石！千いるうちの一頭しかないとされる、薬の最高級品！！）

Maomao (Goo-towa, kusurino isshude ari, ushino tanseki! Sen iru-uchino itto-shika naito sareru, kusurino saikokyu-hin!!)

Maomao (Ox bezoar, a medicinal gallstone from a cow! The most exquisite medicine only found in one in a thousand cows!)

猫猫「もしかして、それをくれるというのか？！本当か？！嘘じゃないだろうな？！ハァ、ハァ、ハァ…」

Maomao “Moshika-shite, soreo kureruto iu-noka?! Hontoka?! Usoja nai-darona?! Haa, haa, haa…”

Maomao “Are you going to give me that?! Really?! You’d better not be lying!”

壬氏「要るか？」

Jinshi “Iruka?”

Jinshi “Do you want it?”

猫猫「要ります！！！」

Maomao “Irimasu!”

Maomao “I do!”

高順「小猫」

Gaoshun “Shaomao.”

Gaoshun “Xiaomao.”

猫猫「ハッ…失礼しました」

Maomao “Ha… Shitsurei shimashita.”

Maomao “Excuse me.”

壬氏「やる気になったようだな」

Jinshi “Yarukini natta-yodana.”

Jinshi “Looks like you’re excited now.”

猫猫「本当に頂けるのでしょうか？」

Maomao “Hontoni itadakeruno-deshoka?”

Maomao “Will you really give me this?”

壬氏「仕事次第だ。情報は逐一やろう」

Jinshi “Shigoto-shidaida. Johowa chiku-ichi yaro.”

Jinshi “Depends on how well you work. I’ll keep you updated.”

猫猫「分かりました！壬氏様の思うままに！」

Maomao “Wakari-mashita! Jinshi-samano omou-mamani!”

Maomao “Understood. As you wish, Master Jinshi!”

壬氏「ということで高順、手配を頼む」

Jinshi “To-iukotode Gaoshun, tehaio tanomu.”

Jinshi “And so, Gaoshun, take care of it!”

猫猫「フフ～ッ！」

Maomao “Fufuuu!”

高順「ハァ…」

Gaoshun “Haa…”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（これは先日の事件だ…食中毒を起こした官は、礼部の者だったのか。礼部とは確か、教育や外交をつかさどる部署だったはずだが…うう…官女の試験勉強を真面目にしていれば…）

Maomao (Korewa senjitsuno jikenda… Shoku-chudoku’o okoshita kanwa, reibuno mono datta-noka. Reibu-towa tashika, kyoikuya gaiko’o tsukasadoru busho datta-hazu-daga… Uu… Kanjono shiken-benkyo’o majimeni shite-ireba…)

Maomao (This is the incident from the other day. The officer who got food poisoning was from the Board of Rites. Which one was the Board of Rites, again? The education and foreign affairs one…? If only I’d studied for the court lady exams properly…)

文官「ここに置いておくぞ」

Bunkan “Kokoni oite-okuzo.”

Civil official “I’ll leave these here.”

猫猫「ん？ありがとうございます」

Maomao “N? Arigato gozai-masu.”

Maomao “Thank you.”

文官「いや、何か分からないことがあれば、いつでも聞いてくれ」

Maomao “Iya, nanika wakara-nai kotoga areba, itsu-demo kiite-kure.”

Civil official “No problem. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions.”

猫猫「あの、これはどんな官職ですか？」

Maomao “Ano, korewa donna kan-shoku desuka?”

Maomao “Um, what does this division do?”

文官「ん？ああ…これは祭事をつかさどっているんだよ」

Bunkan “N? Aa… Korewa saiji’o tsukasa-dotte-irun-dayo.”

Civil official “Hmm? They deal with ceremonies.”

猫猫「祭事ですか…ハッ…何か書き物はありますか？」

Maomao “Saiji desuka… Ha… Nanika kaki-monowa ari-masuka?”

Maomao “Ceremonies? Do you have anything to write with?”

文官「あ…ああ」

Bunkan “A…Aa.”

Civil official “Huh? Y-Yeah.”

猫猫「祭事…祭事…」

Maomao “Saiji…Saiji…”

Maomao “Ceremonies, ceremonies…”

猫猫（食中毒の官も、浩然様も、祭事に関わる官吏だった。そして、あのキセル騒ぎが、より確実に祭具を盗み出すためのものなら…偶然に見せかけられたこれらの事件が重なり合う、必然が起こる場所があるはずだ）

Maomao (Shoku-chudokuno kanmo, Konen-samamo, saijini kakawaru kanri datta. Soshite, ano kiseru-sawagiga, yori kakujitsuni saigu’o nusumi-dasu tameno mono-nara… Guzenni misekake-rareta korerano jikanga kasanari-au, hitsuzenga okoru bashoga aru hazuda.)

Maomao (The food-poisoned official and Master Kounen were both were related to ceremonies. If the incident with the pipe was a way to help steal ceremonial tools… Three events, disguised as coincidences, must line up to form an intentional incident, somewhere.)

猫猫（ここまで手をかけて盗んだ祭具が使われるとすれば、祭事でもそれなりの規模…中祀以上だろう。いつ行われるのか、全て調べた方がいいな）

Maomao (Koko-made teo kakete nusunda saiguga tsuka-wareru-to sureba, saiji-demo sore-narino kibo…chushi-ijo daro. Itsu okona-wareru-noka, subete shirabeta-hoga iina.)

Maomao (If someone went through so much trouble to steal ceremonial tools, it has to be a ceremony of some importance. Medium or higher, most likely. I should find out when all of these ceremonies take place.)

猫猫（…そういえば、壬氏様もよく禊(みそ)ぎをしていた…）

Maomao (…So-ieba, Jinshi-samamo yoku misogi’o shite-ita…)

Maomao (Come to think of it, Master Jinshi did purify himself often.)

文官「祭事に興味があるなら、ここにいいものがあるぞ」

Bunkan “Saijini kyomiga aru-nara, kokoni ii monoga aruzo.”

Civil official “If you’re interested in ceremonies, here’s something good.”

猫猫「これは、祭事場の絵ですか？」

Maomao “Korewa, saiji-jono e desuka?”

Maomao “Is this a picture of a ceremonial building?”

文官「ああ、外廷の西の端にある、蒼穹(そうきゅう)檀(だん)って言ってな。なかなか変わった造りだろう？天井に大きな柱をぶら下げているんだ。中央の祭壇の上には、ひれが垂れ下がっていて、毎回柱を下ろして、祝いの言葉を足していくんだ」

Bunkan “Aa, gaiteino nishino hashini aru, So-Kyu-Dantte ittena. Naka-naka kawatta tsukuri daro? Tenjoni ookina hashirao burasagete-irunda. Chuono saidanno ue-niwa, hirega tare-sagatte-ite, mai-kai hashirao oroshite, iwaino kotobao tashite-ikunda.”

Civil official “Yes. It’s at the west end of the outer court, and called the Altar of the Sapphire Sky. Quite an interesting design, don’t you think? There’s a large pillar hanging from the ceiling. There are these banners hanging above the central altar. They lower the pillar to add festive texts every time.”

猫猫「お詳しいのですね」

Maomao “O-kuwashiino-desune.”

Maomao “You’re very knowledgeable.”

文官「ああ、恥ずかしながら、書庫に来る前は、礼部でもっとちゃんとした仕事をしていたのさ。上に余計なこと言ったら、こちらに飛ばされてしまってね、ハハハッ。最初は強度が心配だったんだが、問題ないみたいで安心したよ」

Bunkan “Aa, hazukashi-nagara, shokoni kuru maewa, reibude motto chanto-shita shigoto’o shite-itanosa. Ueni yokeina koto ittara, kochirani toba-sarete shimattene. Hahaha. Saishowa kyodoga shinpai dattan-daga, mondai-nai mitaide anshin shitayo.”

Civil official “Yeah. I’m ashamed to admit it, but before I got assigned to the archives, I was doing more important work at the Board of Rites. I talked back to my superiors once, and got demoted to this role. I used to be worried about the build strength, but I’m glad to know it’s fine.”

猫猫「何のことですか？」

Maomao “Nanno koto desuka?”

Maomao “What are you talking about?”

文官「こんな風に、天井から柱をぶら下げるだろ？それが大きなものだから、もし落ちたらと思うと心配で…強度について進言したら、こんな場所に飛ばされてしまったんだ」

Bunkan “Konna-funi, tenjo-kara hashirao bura-sageru-daro? Sorega ookina mono dakara, moshi ochitara-to omouto shinpaide… Kyodoni tsuite shingen shitara, konna bashoni toba-sarete shimattanda.”

Civil official “You see how the pillar is hanging from the ceiling like this, right? It’s big, so I was worried about it falling down. When I voiced my concerns about the parts’ strength, it got me sent to this place.”

猫猫（確かに恐ろしい話だ…もし柱を固定する金具が壊れて、天井から柱が落ちてきたら…一番危ないのは真下にいる祭事を行う者。やんごとなき方が犠牲になる）

Maomao (Tashikani osoroshii hanashida… Moshi hashirao kotei-suru kanaguga kowarete, tenjo-kara hashiraga ochite-kitara… Ichiban abunai-nowa mashitani iru saiji’o okonau mono. Yangoto-naki kataga giseini naru.)

Maomao (That is indeed scary. If the metal parts fixing the pillar in place broke, and the pillar fell… The person directly underneath performing the ceremony would be at the highest risk. Someone of truly noble birth could be lost.)

猫猫「強度の問題。強度…」

Maomao “Kyodono mondai. Kyodo…”

Maomao “Strength issue… Strength…”

猫猫（しかし、一体どの祭具が盗まれたんだ？こんな重要な祭具がなくなれば、必ず作り直すはず…作り直す…ハッ！）

Maomao (Shikashi, ittai dono saiguga nusu-maretanda? Konna juyona saiguga naku-nareba, kanarazu tsukuri-naosu hazu……Tsukuri-naosu…Ha!)

Maomao (What was the stolen ceremonial tool, anyway? If something so important went missing, surely they’d make a new one. Make a new one…)

猫猫「すみません！この会場で、次に祭事が行われるのはいつですか？」

Maomao “Sumi-masen! Kono kaijode, tsugini saijiga okona-wareru-nowa itsu desuka?”

Maomao “Excuse me! When is the next ceremony taking place at this venue?!”

文官「いつって…ああ、ちょうど今日だな」

Bunkan “Itsutte… Aa, chodo kyo-dana.”

Civil official “When? Well… Oh, today, actually.”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

猫猫（予想が正しければ、これは長い時間をかけて練られた計画のはず。一つ一つは確実じゃない。でも、いくつも仕掛けることで、どれかが重なり合う。そして、ようやくここまで結びついた。…あくまで予想だ。予想に過ぎない。でももし、その予想が的中していたとしたら…）

Maomao (Yosoga Tadashi-kereba, korewa nagai jikan’o kakete nerareta keikakuno hazu. Hitotsu-hitotsuwa kakujitsuja nai. Demo, ikutsumo shikakeru-kotode, dorekaga kasanari-au. Soshite, yoyaku koko-made musubi-tsuita. …Akumade yosoda. Yosoni suginai. Demo moshi, sono yosoga tekichu shite-itato shitara…)

Maomao (If my predictions are correct, this is a plan that was concocted over a long period of time. Not ever piece is likely to work. But by placing numerous traps everywhere, some are bound to work and overlap. And finally, it connected to this. It’s just conjecture on my part. But if I happen to be correct…)

猫猫「ハァ、ハァ、ハァ。あそこか！」

Maomao “Haa, haa, haa. Asoko-ka!

Maomao “There!”

武官「あっ！おい！お前、何をしている！」

Bukan “A! Oi! Omae, nanio shite-iru!”

Military officer “Hey! What are you doing?!”

猫猫「通してください！」

Maomao “Tooshite kudasai!”

Maomao “I need to get inside!”

武官「ダメだ」

Bukan “Dameda.”

Military officer “No.”

猫猫「緊急事態です！」

Maomao “Kinkyu-jitai desu!”

Maomao “This is an emergency!”

武官「お前のような下女が、祭事に口を出す気か？」

Bukan “Omaeno-yona gejoga, saijini kuchio dasu kika?”

Military officer “What right does a servant like you have to interject in this ceremony?”

猫猫（もっともだ。こちらはただの下女で、何の権力も持たない。でも、何か起こったあとでは遅い。取り返しのつかないことは、いつもそうだ…）

Maomao (Mottomoda. Kochirawa Tadano gejode, nanno kenryokumo motanai. Nanika okotta ato-dewa osoi. Tori-kaeshino tsukanai kotowa, itsumo soda…)

Maomao (He’s absolutely right. I’m just a servant with no authority at all. But if something happens, it’ll be too late. That’s always the case with things that can’t be undone.)

猫猫「命の危険があります。祭事を取りやめてください」

Maomao “Inochino kikenga arimasu. Saiji’o tori-yamete kudasai.”

Maomao “There are lives at risk. Please stop the ceremony.”

武官「お前が決めることじゃない。言いたいことがあるなら、投書箱に文を入れるところから始めるのだな」

Bukan “Omaega kimeru kotoja nai. Iitai kotoga aru-nara, tosho-bakoni fumio ireru tokoro-kara hajimeruno-dana.”

Military officer “That’s not a decision for you to make. If you have something to say, put it in the suggestion box.”

猫猫「それでは間に合いません！」

Maomao “Sore-dewa mani ai-masen!”

Maomao “That will take too long!”

武官「ダメだ！」

Bukan “Dameda!”

Military officer “No!”

猫猫「あの祭壇には、致命的な欠陥が見つかりました！誰かが工作した可能性があります！ここで私を中に入れなければ、後悔することになりますよ？！こうして、私が危険を説いているのに、それを拒んだのであれば…あっ、もしかして、そういうことですか？なるほど、あなたは私を邪魔して、事が起こるのを待っているのですね？」

Maomao “Ano saidan-niwa, chimei-tekina kekkanga mitsukari-mashita! Darekaga kosaku shita kanoseiga arimasu! Kokode watashio nakani ire-nakereba, kokai suru-kotoni nari-masuyo?! Ko-shite watashiga kiken’o toite-iru-noni, soreo kobanda-node areba… A, moshika-shite, so-iu koto desuka? Naruhodo, anatawa watashio jama shite, kotoga okoru-no’o matte-iruno-desune?”

Maomao “A fatal defect was discovered in the altar! There is reason to suspect that someone tampered with it! If you don’t let me in now, you’ll regret it! If, after listening to my warnings, you still reject… Oh, I get it, so that’s what it is! I see. You’re obstructing me and waiting for the incident to happen!”

猫猫「つまり、工作した輩と繋がっているとか…」

Maomao “Tsumari, kosaku shita yakarato tsunagatte-iru-toka…”

Maomao “In other words, you’re in league with the ones who tampered with the―”

武官たち「ああっ…」

Bukan-tachi “Aa…”

猫猫（気を失いそうだ…こんな小娘にあんな物言いをされたら、腹が立つだろう…わざとそう仕向けたのだから、しかたない…騒いでもダメか。こんな小さな騒ぎでは、祭事は止まらない…。大したことはない。まだ気を失うわけにはいかない！）

Maomao (Kio ushinai-soda… Konna komusumeni anna mono-ii’o sare-tara, haraga tatsu-daro… Wazato so shimuketano-dakara, shikata nai… Sawaidemo dameka. Konna chiisana sawagi-dewa, saijiwa tomara-nai… Taishita kotowa nai. Mada kio ushinau wake-niwa ikanai!)

Maomao (I’m about to lose consciousness. It’s only natural for him to get upset, hearing a girl talk to him like that. That was intentional, so it’s fine. It’s no use. This isn’t a big enough of a commotion to stop the ceremony. I’m fine. I can’t lose consciousness now.)

猫猫「気は済みましたか？通してください…中にやんごとなき身の方がいらっしゃるのでしょう？何か起きたら、飛ぶのはあなた方の首ではありませんか！」

Maomao “Kiwa sumi-mashitaka? Tooshite kudasai… Nakani yangoto-naki-mino kataga irassharuno-desho? Nanika okitara, tobu-nowa anata-gatano kubi-dewa arima-senka!”

Maomao “Do you feel better now? Please let me through. There is a person of the most noble birth inside, isn’t there? If something happens, you all will be the ones to lose your heads.”

武官「うっ」

Bukan “U.”

猫猫「祭事を中断しろとは言いません。私を見逃してください。偶然ネズミが入ったとでも言って…それなら、飛ぶのは私の首だけで済むでしょう！」

Maomao “Saiji’o chudan shiro-towa ii-masen. Watashio minogashite kudasai. Guzen nezumiga haitta-todemo itte… Sore-nara, tobu-nowa watashino kubi-dakede sumu-desho!”

Maomao “I won’t ask you to cancel the ceremony. Please just let me through. Just say a rat got in accidentally. In that case, the only person getting beheaded will be me!”

武官「お前のような小娘の言葉を信じろと言うのか！」

Bukan “Omaeno-yona komusumeno kotobao shinjiroto iu-noka!”

Military officer “Why should I trust the words of a girl like you?!”

羅漢「では、私の言葉ならどうだい？」

Rakan “Dewa, watashino koboba-nara do-dai?”

Lakan “What about my words, then?”

猫猫「ハッ…」

Maomao “Ha…”

武官「あ…あなた様は…」

Bukan “A…Anata-samawa…”

Military officer “S-Sir, you’re…”

羅漢「それにしても…年若い娘を殴るとは、どういうことだろうね？」

Rakan “Soreni-shitemo… toshi-wakai musumeo naguru-towa, do-iu koto darone?”

Lakan “Now, why would you strike a young girl like that?”

武官「うっ…」

Bukan “U…”

羅漢「ケガをしているじゃないか…」

Rakan “Kegao shite-iruja naika…”

Lakan “She’s hurt.”

武官「ハッ…ハッ…」

Bukan “Ha…Ha…”

羅漢「ともかく、その娘の言うとおりにしてやるってのはどうだい？私が責任を取るよ」

Rakan “Tomokaku, sono musumeno iu-toorini shite-yarutte-nowa do-dai? Watashiga sekinin’o toruyo.”

Lakan “At any rate, why don’t you just go ahead and do as the girl says? I’ll take responsibility.”

猫猫「くっ…」（誰がいるのか見たくもない…こんな謀ったようなタイミングで…いや、今はそんなことを気にしている場合じゃない。声の主が誰かなんて、どうでもいい！）

Maomao “Ku…” (Darega iru-noka mitakumo nai… Konna hakatta-yona taimingude… Iya, imawa sonna koto’o kini shite-iru baaija nai. Koeno nushiga dareka nante, do-demo ii!)

Maomao (I don’t even want to see who’s behind me. It’s perfect timing, as if everything was planned… No, I can’t concern myself with that right now. It doesn’t matter who this voice belongs to.)

猫猫（ひどい格好だろうな…高順様にでも頼んで、全て終わったらゆっくり湯あみをさせてもらおう…その前に、首をはねられないようにしないと…！）

Maomao (Hidoi kakko darona… Gaoshun-samani-demo tanonde, subete owattara yukkuri yuami’o sasete morao… Sono maeni, kubio hane-rare-nai-yoni shinaito…!)

Maomao (I must look terrible. I’ll ask Master Gaoshun after all this is done, and take a nice, long bath. But first, I have to avoid getting beheaded.)

猫猫「ハッ！」

Maomao “Ha!”

猫猫「ああ…間に合った…うっ！…縫わなきゃ…」

Maomao “Aa…Mani atta…U! Nuwa-nakya…”

Maomao “I made it… Gotta stitch that…”

壬氏「おい」

Jinshi “Oi.”

Jinshi “Hey.”

猫猫「ん？」

Maomao “N?”

壬氏「なんで…こんな状況になっている？」

Jinshi “Nande…konna jokyoni natte-iru?”

Jinshi “What’s going on here?”

猫猫「壬氏様…牛黄をいただけますか…？」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama… Goo’o itadake-masuka?”

Maomao “Master Jinshi… Can I have the ox bezoar now?”

壬氏「それどころじゃないだろう…どうしたんだ…！その顔は…！」

Jinshi “Sore-dokoroja nai-daro… Do-shitanda…! Sono kaowa…!”

Jinshi “This isn’t the time for that. What’s happened with your face?”

猫猫（どうして…壬氏様がここにいるんだろう…なんで、そんな顔をしているのだろう…）

Maomao (Doshite… Jinshi-samaga kokoni irun-daro… Nande, sonna kao’o shite-iruno-daro…)

Maomao (Why is Master Jinshi here…? What’s that look on his face?)

猫猫「うっ、うう…すみません。先に足を縫わせ…」

Maomao “U, uu…Sumi-masen. Sakini ashio nuwase…”

Maomao “Sorry, I need to stitch up my leg first―”

壬氏「お、おい！おい！しっかりしろ！目を覚ませ！おい、しっかりするんだ！おい！おい…」

Jinshi “O, Oi! Oi! Shikkari shiro! Meo samase! Oi, shikkari surunda! Oi! Oi…”

Jinshi “H-Hey! Hey! Wake up! Wake up! Hey! Hey! Stay with me. Hey!”

(Continue to episode 20)

[shoku-and-awe]

Do cuts still work? Tumblr is acting weird

Coming home we ran into one of the drunkest people I've ever seen (which, in Tokyo, is saying a lot). She was having a weird interaction with a man, and then she peeled off and ran into traffic, which was really scary. She just barely avoided getting hit and then ran down the other side of the road.

The guy didn't try to stop her or immediately follow her, and it was hard to tell from what we'd seen if he was a concerned stranger or if they were arguing—and if so, whether she was actually in distress or just angry the way extremely drunk people get.

She was headed in the same direction as us, and she kept whirling around to see if the guy was there. She could barely keep upright and I was concerned for her. Then the guy did start following her, slowly, and it just didn't look right, and she started to run. I sent my husband to the koban and so I could keep eyes on her and he could call and send the police to me if something happened.

I didn't want to run and scare her more, so I kept some distance, and she seemed to be headed for the big bright 7-11 ahead, which is kind of a beacon for drunk people, right? But then I couldn't find her there, and there was no bathroom inside or cover outside for her to hide, and the road split so I thought I'd lost her down one of the side streets.

But THEN she appeared again from behind, so I guess she'd doubled back, maybe hoping to lose him? Still half falling down, and running back and forth across the traffic two or three more times. I texted my husband a description of her outfit and where we were, and I approached her in a side street and tried to ask if she was okay, and she was like,,,,,, clearly not.

Usually when I've tried to help an absolutely obliterated-drunk person here, they get all stuck on "Whaaa are you speaking Japanese right now? How are even you doing that? Are you?? Speaking Japanese??? Now???" and we go round in circles. But she kept literally going around me in circles, like a one-oared canoe, staggering, tilting her head like when your dog hears your voice on the answering machine, and getting reeeeeally really close to peer into my eyes but then pulling away again. She couldn't speak, or wouldn't, but also her eyes wouldn't focus, and no matter what I asked her, she seemed to be at the stage of trying to figure out if I was real? Or if I was there? It was very unsettling.

I was trying to get her to sit down when the guy—her husband, not nice,—showed up and started "apologizing" about what a terrible drunk she was and for all the trouble she was causing. He smacked her once in the head—manzai style, not to really hurt, more a statement, but like!!!! really?—and I was kinda like "Hey, chotto, what are you doing" but also suddenly was very aware that I was alone in an alley with this guy and didn't want to antagonize him and cause things to escalate. And yes, Japan is safe, but that doesn't mean all Japanese people are safe, particularly Japanese men in Tokyo, a lot of whom are like a fingernail's breadth from snapping at any time.

I was like, "Well, the police are coming, maybe they can help you," and he goes, "Where's the guy you were with, what happened to him," and when I say he's on his way too, he starts trying to wrangle his wife into a taxi, but she really doesn't want to go and is trying to squirm out of his grasp and back into the road again. And like.... I've been the drunk person who is irrational and needs to be wrangled, and I've been the wrangler of the irrational drunk person but this just felt terrible. I couldn't help and I couldn't know what the right answer was and I was so worried that he was going to be even worse to her at home because of misdirected embarrassment/anger that I'd caused, and I felt so awful.

Then someone comes zooming up on a bike, yelling "奥さんでうすか ？" (Are you the wife (of the guy who said his wife would be waiting)?) and it was a pretty young lady police officer and her partner, and I was so relieved. I pointed out where the couple had staggered off to, and they thanked me and corralled them in a parking lot.

Then my husband appeared and we took a slightly different route home so the man wouldn't know where we lived (I could hear the man explaining the situation agitatedly and raising his voice as the police tried to calm him down), and yeah, it's still a bunch of mixed feelings. Like, I'm so RELIEVED to live in a country where I don't have to hesitate to ask the police for help—yeah, they can be shitty, but I can trust that they're not going to fucking shoot anyone. I was not in a position to judge or to help so I was glad to bring it to the attention of someone that the guy might actually feel obligated to listen to.

And I'm worried about what happened to her after they got home, but then if he's inclined to take his anger out on her anyway, who's to say that he wouldn't have done so anyway after the scene she'd already made? My family says at least there's probably a report in the system now and maybe it will get her some resources that will help her leave him, if that's what she wants, but I am not so optimistic and so I just kinda hope that the police sat her down and gave her some soup and sobered her up and made him walk around and cool off and he regrets everything. I don't know, I hope I don't see them again, I hope she is all right and that they forget my face. I can't remember if my mask was on my chin or what, but I'm unfortunately recognizable regardless :|

(The funny part is that my husband had a beer and one of the police kept asking him about it. Not because of the alcohol (this is Japan) but because it was in a coozy. He was like "What IS that device??? It keeps your drink cold and your hand warm? Did you get that in gaikoku? What a neato invention!" and my husband was like, "Well yeah, I did, but go help that lady! You can get these in Japan too!" The less funny part is that it's good that I did not have a beer or I might've mouthed off to the guy when he hit her or otherwise made things a lot worse :| Guess I will avoid my favorite Daiso for a while and hope the memory fades.)

[hyeahgaku]

Soy, you're one of the most reliable Sakaday theorists!! It's not a stretch to say that most of the things you have predicted pretty much happened or came true. Maybe some things are not exactly bull's eye but almost! Aaaand you were right in reassuring yourself that only Kashima-san can detonate the bombs in Mafuyu and Tora, thank god! I truuuuuuuuly hope Slur doesn't have a remote detonator! (HOPE HE DOESN'T LET THEIR BOMBS SET OFF TOO!)

Anyhow, do keep up your speculation coming in every week 'cause I absolutely enjoy reading your thoughts on Twitter and the Asks that you answer here 😉 Even if your theories may not be spot on sometimes (I feel you 'cause me with JJK lmao!) personally I feel that your assumptions or theories make sense and they have probability in happening :D Thank you for your contributions to the community, Soy! <33

Btw, lookie look I have a surprise for you! 👀

MOON-SAN IS THAT- 🙇🏻‍♂️ 楽しみだね! Thank you, in advance, for your hard work & constant dedication for doing SakaDays MAD/MMV🙏🙏🙏

Chotto matte kudasai, you have X?! What's your @? Plus thank you so much for your praises! I am just an ordinary manga reader who enjoy making assumptions after the weekly dose of my favourite series -for now Sakadays at the top! 😄 i'm happy there's at least some ppl that enjoy my speculations hahah so w that don't worry i will continue on. And tbh idc if i miss cuz they're just theories itfp so everybody gotta take them w a grain of salt😃 they shouldn't hold me accountable for wrong outcome most importantly lol.

And yes i am hoping that Slur won't sacrifice them, praying so hard for some plot twist🙏🙏

P.S.: Requesting permission in advance to share your MAD on my page; i'll be sure to leave credits 🙇🏻‍♂️

[angstyaches]

2, 11, 53 from Mitsuko

@hold-him-down: 

"That's a bit of a loaded question."

And anon:

Omg could you write something with the 85 of the "Are You Okay?" Prompt list?

I'm so sorry for how long this took me to write! Apparently I’m in the mood to whump a lady approximately once every six months? But whoa, look, a whole fic!! It feels (to me) a bit all over the place, but hey, it’s here, it’s a thing.

I ended up throwing a lot of Japanese words and phrases in here, and instead of explaining/translating them as I go (which would feel unnatural since it’s Mitsuko’s first language), I decided to just make a little key at the end.

I also had Bastian (caretaker) say the “loaded question” bit because no matter how good Mitsuko’s English is, I couldn’t convince myself that she would know that phrase.

Prompt Meme

2."I've been better."

11."No, I kind of feel like I'm going to throw up."

53. "That's a bit of a loaded question."

85. *shakes head, leaned against wall with arms wrapped around aching tummy, eyes closed and tears rolling down cheeks*

CW (please read): eating disorder recovery (DM me if you want me to explain further what actually happens), body dysmorphia, food insecurity, nausea, stomach pain, virus/bug, anxiety, relationship tension.

___

Bastian was grinning like a mad bastard when he opened the door of his apartment. Mitsuko looked stunning – not that she didn’t always. He’d have been equally impressed if she’d shown up in the hoodie and leggings she’d been wearing on stream earlier, but as he’d learned during their phone call afterwards, that wasn’t what a cool girl wore to an underground rock gig.  

Apparently, what the cool girl wore to these things was a black crop top, black-and-grey tartan hot pants that were cuffed at the bottom, and some knee-high boots that looked like they were contorting her feet as she stood there. Her collarbones and hips were decked out with silver chains, too.

“Ready?” she asked in a dull voice, turning to head back the way she’d come.

He hooked his fingers around her slim wrist. When she looked at him, he realised her eyes were glazed over, like her body was here but her mind wasn’t. Something was wrong; she hadn’t even noticed that he wasn’t yet wearing the black shirt she’d gifted him specifically for tonight. 

"I’m not ready yet,” he explained. “Are you okay, mahal?” 

She rolled her eyes and let out a hollow noise that usually meant she wanted to be left alone, but she surely knew by now that there was no use trying to dodge the question. 

“I’ve been better...”

“What’s up?”

“It’s nothing. I had a...” She spun her wrist like she did when an English word was evading her. “Some words that aren’t very nice to say...”

“A fight?”

“Yes. With - with Yumi.” 

“Oh.” Bastian never knew what to say when it came to Mitsuko’s relationship with Yumi, especially since he’d only met the eldest Kurosawa sibling a handful of times and had never known what to make of the vibes she gave him. She was Mitsuko’s sister and had been her legal guardian for many years, sure, but Bastian knew – better than most – that just because you were blood relatives with someone didn’t always mean they had your best intentions at heart. 

He awkwardly rubbed the side of his girlfriend’s arm. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” 

Mitsuko shook her head, bending down to take her boots off in the genkan.

“Are you going to be okay to go to the show…?” 

“Yes,” she practically barked. She lifted her head and blinked rapidly, unable to hide the fact that her eyes were tinged with red. “I want to go. I just – chotto – a moment.” 

Bastian nodded and grimaced in sympathy. He hated seeing her so sad, especially right before something she’d been looking forward to. It was like she’d been about to eat her favourite dish, but someone had over-salted it...

Food! Food usually seemed to cheer her up, and luckily, food was what Bastian provided best. 

“Hey, we’re not in any rush. Are you hungry?” he asked as they went through to his living-bedroom-kitchen. “I have some stuff left over from dinner.” 

A curious look crossed her face just then – curious as in indecipherable, not necessarily indicating that she was curious. “I - I picked up some rib meat on discount, so I made gyudon…” 

“I’m not hungry,” she said, apparently snapping out of whatever had come over her.

He’d been in the process of putting on his shirt, but now Bastian reached out to touch Mitsuko’s arm, one sleeve still hanging down past his waist. “What? Now I know you’re not okay.” 

___ 

Oh, gods. Why had she said that?  

“Refusing my world-famous beef bowl?” Bastian said gently. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and steered her towards the dining table, where one chair was pulled out and ready to be sat on. “You must be dying.” 

“I had a large lunch,” Mitsuko insisted. Her voice came out a little more sharply than she’d hoped, and her gut twisted into an agonising knot.  

Her body always had a way of punishing her when she lied.  

Bastian frowned deeply, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Goosebumps lifted on the back of her neck and down her arms. The closeness was beginning to feel like... too much. She didn't want him to think anything was wrong, but he was acting as though he'd just found her sobbing and screaming and drenched in blood.  

She forced a smile, and a little huff escaped from between her teeth. “Okay?” 

"Alright. As long as you eat something at the after-party.” 

Mitsuko nodded and kissed him, as though it would ease the guilt of watching him believe her lies.  

Not only hadn’t she had a big lunch, she hadn’t had lunch at all. Besides a can of cold coffee, she hadn’t had anything since the rice ball Bastian had dropped off at the studio this morning, before he’d headed to work himself. 

It was a harmless lie on the face of it – she had tried. Truly. She’d gone to the convenience store in the afternoon to buy something for lunch, but the thought of putting anything in her mouth made her sweat, and almost want to retch. 

But she wanted to go to the concert, and knew that Bastian would worry too much if she told him any of this... She wasn't avoiding food for the sake of food itself, but it was far too reminiscent of the lies she used to tell in the past, including the ones she used to tell herself. 

Slipping into old habits was far too easy. 

But this was... different, right? 

"So." Bastian's voice made her lift her head. He'd slipped into the black shirt she'd bought him, leaving it open over the white t-shirt and jeans he'd owned since she'd known him. In fact, besides the new shirt, he might have been in the exact outfit he'd worn on the night they'd first met.

He's so cute, she mused.

"How do I look, cool girl?" He gave a little spin and posed with his hand positioned below his chin, and it mimicked the angle of his jawline - at least until it disappeared into the thickness of his beard.

Mitsuko's stomach fluttered, almost making her forget the sick feeling for a couple of seconds.

"Acceptable," she conceded.

___

How she managed to survive seven stops on a shaky underground railway cart, standing in a silent, fluorescently-lit mosh pit of sweaty, overworked strangers, Mitsuko would never understand. 

The motion made her stomach toss like a wave in the ocean, and at one point, she turned to Bastian and placed her forehead on his chest, just to try and absorb an ounce of his stability. He smelled like honey and seven spice. He didn’t seem to think anything of the cuddle closeness – just chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and whispered that they’d be off the packed train soon.

They held hands, Mitsuko taking up her spot at his left side to avoid the sterling silver band he wore on the middle finger of his right hand. The ones on his left hand were mostly steel, and one titanium, which had never caused her any problems.

The last thing she needed on top of her pre-existing stomach ache and nausea was silver poisoning.

He asked her some questions about the gig as they walked to the venue, and she explained, on auto-pilot, who the main band and supporting acts were, throwing in a few details about which band members had been shuffled around throughout the years. 

He let out a light-hearted chuckle as they arrived at the front of the venue. It was an underground spot – figuratively and literally underground, buried beneath what looked like a tower of Leopalace apartments. Mitsuko didn’t envy the residents.  

“So, are there any old boyfriends I need to keep an eye out for?”

Mitsuko gritted her teeth. Old boyfriends? Her answer should have just been a straight, easy “no”, but she was in such a bad mood and her stomach hurt so much that it actually pissed her off.

“I would have told you already, Bastian,” she murmured, letting go of his hand under the guise of checking on her outfit. She tugged at the waistband of her tartan shorts. They were cutting, ever so slightly, into her lower stomach, and would definitely leave visible red marks along her pale skin if she let them slip downwards at all. 

Oh gods, she thought, have I -? 

“Sorry,” Bastian said. “I didn’t think – I wasn’t accusing you of keeping secrets from me or anything, mahal. I was kidding.”

“Let’s go,” Mitsuko sighed, eager to get away from that hurt look on his face. She descended the steps into the bar, and as the gloominess surrounded her, a little bit of stress seemed to leave her body. She loved bars, especially ones like these, which were decked out with Union Jacks, Guinness posters, and old photos of British rock stars.  

Plus, in the dark, she felt a little more invisible. Like she could dive into a shadow and disappear from sight.

There was no stage, just one end of the venue that was a little more well-lit than the rest. A band of young guys - young enough to fall just outside of Mitsuko’s usual social circle - were in the middle of their sound check, and most of the people in the bar were already crowding around to cheer them on.

“Drink?” Bastian asked next to her ear. His hand was resting on her waist from behind. Her stomach churned, and part of her wanted to pull his hand around and make him press on the sick, twisting ache until it went away.

The other part wanted to step right out of his embrace, and this was the part she indulged.

She led the way towards the bar.  

The bartender tonight was a guy called Kevin - well, his actual name was Kosuke, but he used his alias whenever there were foreigners about. He’d served at so many of these gigs that he had briefly dated a sister of one of the band members, but in the moment, Mitsuko couldn’t for the life of her remember which sister. She forced a smile and waved at him when his eyes recognised her.  

She hung back and let Bastian approach the bar first. She knew in her gut that she should want to be bold, brave, confident, especially in a place like this which was practically her element, but there were times when a girl just wanted to feel taken care of. Let the tall, pretty man hunt and gather, and provide her with beverages. Let him  

Bastian leaned on the bar with one elbow and gestured to Kevin with two fingers.

“Nama?” Kevin asked, though he was looking more pointedly at Mitsuko than at Bastian.

“Yes. Hai. Sou desu. Nama beer,” Bastian agreed. “Onegaishimasu.”

Mitsuko smiled softly to herself. He could never seem to figure out quite how to say yes to something, and Mitsuko thought that maybe she should interject for him, but she couldn’t help but find him extra endearing when he was flustered and babbling.

How, exactly, had she managed to find a man who was movie star hot and cartoon character cute? And even more importantly – how had she convinced a man like that to like her?

“Nihongo jouzu desu ne,” Kosuke/Kevin said, smirking downwardly as he started to pour the two cups of beer.

The beer on tap was Kirin Ichiban. Mitsuko’s eyes settled on the logo, her mind whirring. Kirin Ichiban. Twelve onzes, one hundred and forty five calories –

She pinched the skin on the back of her hand, trying to empty her head as Bastian pulled out his wallet to pay for their beers. Don’t do this, she told herself. This isn’t what a cool girl does. Not anymore.

“Kampai.” Bastian smiled as he picked up his cup and waited for her to do the same. She grabbed it half-heartedly, disliking the weight of it between her fingers and palm. She felt the weight of it in her belly, too, as though she’d already downed the entire thing.

“Kampai,” she murmured, hoping he wouldn’t notice how tiny of a sip she took as he gulped down a few mouthfuls of his. 

The first band was just getting going now, so they gravitated towards the opposite end of the bar, hanging back a little bit from the crowd. Mitsuko was fine with that. She had friends here who had known her for much longer than Bastian had, who might sense something was wrong with her. 

Bastian slipped a hand around her waist. Oh, gods, he was altogether too hot, and no, not in terms of his rugged attractiveness. The barest touch from him felt suffocating. 

It felt like she’d been... inflated, like one of those flailing mascots outside a car insurance building, taking up far too much room in front of Bastian’s hips and shoulders.

She sipped a little more aggressively at her beer, hoping it’d calm her nerves like it usually did. Over the course of the first few songs, she did feel her inhibitions lowering, but the beer that was no longer in her cup had to go somewhere, and...

Her eyes widened as her stomach churned, shivering inside of her and letting out a groan that would have been audible to anyone in a three-metre radiance in any other setting. Mitsuko could have kissed the drummer who was currently giving the whole venue irreversible eardrum damage.

She looked down at where Bastian’s hand was resting. The tips of his fingers were just to the right of her left hip bone, where the pockets of her shorts would have been if she’d shopped in the men’s section.

The angle of his hand was making her stomach look rounder than it should. An unholy shudder ran down Mitsuko’s spine. For a few seconds, she thought she might actually burst into tears from how badly she wanted him to stop, regardless of how irrational her thinking might be. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to look over at them and have attention drawn towards her stomach. With his hand resting there like it was, people might think she was pregnant. 

And why wouldn’t they?! She was – at least, she felt – convincingly bloated. She was certain she must have been imagining that the waistband of her shorts was now cutting even more harshly into her. 

Surely it was all in her head, but it didn’t make the panic and the sickness and the guilt feel any less real. 

Her stomach lurched again, sending a ripple of pressure all the way down through her gut. The worst of the rumbling happened to pinpoint the exact spot where Bastian was resting his hand, and as soon as it happened, Bastian started to make a slow, deliberate circle across her stomach with his thumb.

“Stop it,” she snarled, all but slapping Bastian’s hand away. She realised she was baring her teeth, as though she was about to pounce on an unsuspecting deer and make it her dinner.

“Whoa... what?”

“Don’t hold me like that.”

“Why?” The gentleness in his voice couldn’t mask the hurt.

“It’s not cool.” 

“Oh. God, I’m sorry, cool girl.” He said it with less of a teasing tone this time, as though he were growing tired of having to deal with her. He glanced down at his own arms, as though they were two udon noodles that had just materialised alongside his torso and he had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. “How should I hold you?” 

Don’t, she wanted to snap at him. Don’t hold me, don’t touch me, don’t even look at me. But what kinds of things were those, to say to your boyfriend? Your boyfriend who you loved?  

“Mitch, are you okay tonight?”  

Mitsuko gulped. She wondered if it was possible to pass out from embarrassment and panic. Or maybe vomit. Oh, yeah, vomiting was very much on the cards.

“Sorry,” Bastian frowned. Gods, he was always frowning because of her. He was so much more handsome when he smiled and laughed. “Sorry, I know that’s a bit of a loaded question right now. You and Yumi...”

“It’s not Yumi,” Mitsuko admitted, choking the words out through a mouthful of saliva. She was sick of lying, sick of the way it made her stomach tumble. 

It was a miracle he could hear her over the music. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe the nausea was as visible on her face as it was palpable in her gut. A hiccup seized her waist, accentuating the solid block of pressure that was moving towards her throat.

He didn’t take his eyes off her as he reached out to take her half-full beer cup and place both of them on the end of the bar. His hands reached for her again, this time cupping her elbows.

“What is it?”

“I... I feel like I’m...” Mitsuko’s eyes were watering now. She couldn’t believe her English was failing her, right as she needed his help. “Haki sou.”

“Throw up?” he exclaimed. Apparently that was a Japanese word he knew. Maybe Kosuke/Kevin had Nihongo jouzu-ed him too soon. “You’re going to throw up? Come on, let’s get you outside, mahal.”

___

“How could you not have realised you were sick?”

Mitsuko took a short break from heaving up her insides on the pavement so that she could roll her eyes at her boyfriend. Did he really need to keep asking that, over and over again?

“Your stomach must have felt horrible, Mitch,” he lamented. His voice was sickly-sweet, and a little shaky thanks to the single beer he’d had. “I wish you had said something sooner.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she moved away from the stain she’d left in the road, where so many concert-goers before her had lost their dinner and drinks, and many others after would, too. Her vision was blurry, and her knees were trembling. 

She wanted to.

She wanted to look into his soft, kind, brown eyes and explain everything. How she didn’t always know what signals were being sent by her body, and which were being sent by a false image in her brain. How sometimes, she looked down at her body and its shape warped, taking up much more space than it actually did. How sometimes, taking a single bite of food felt like death itself had come to pay her a visit.

But even if there hadn’t been a patchy language barrier between them, she wasn’t sure how she could have explained it to him without breaking his heart.

“Are you okay, mahal?” His face was distorted, as though her silence was breaking his heart just as much. “Do you feel any better after throwing up?”

Mitsuko shivered and pressed the small of her back against the wall of the Leopalace. She curled her arms around her waist, both in an attempt to make herself feel smaller and to apply some pressure to her belly, which only seemed to ache and gurgle even more after getting rid of some beer and stomach acid. 

She had no hands free to do anything about the tears that her eyelids squeezed out as she blinked harshly before just closing her eyes altogether.

“Mitch?”

She gently shook her head to Bastian’s question. The sobs began to rock her shoulders back and forth. No. No, she did not feel better, and she didn’t have the energy to pretend otherwise. 

The cool girl was officially dead, and she was here instead.

But judging by the way Bastian came and scooped her into a hug, he seemed to like her. 

So maybe, maybe... she was okay.

________________________________

Japanese words and phrases:

Mouchiron – of course

Nama beer - draught beer/beer on tap.

Hai – yes (usually in polite settings).

Sou desu – yes, that’s right.

Onegaishimasu – please.  

Nihongo jouzu desu ne – Your Japanese is good (insincere – a phrase usually offered to foreigners who are clearly struggling with very basic Japanese expressions.)

Kampai – cheers! (Literal meaning is something like “empty cup”)

[aheckinmess]

Don't Lie Over Spilt Milk (Dad Nanami)

(Part 3 of Season of Serendipity.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Dad Nanami, Child Yuji, Child Yuuji, Original Female Character(s), Original Child Character(s), Ryomen Sukuna, Ryoumen Sukuna, Nanami Kento, Yuji Itadori, Yuuji Itadori, Besu Sukuna, Parental Nanami, Dad Sukuna, Soft Sukuna, Protective Sukuna, Canon Divergence - AU, Sukuna Has a Daughter, Yuji is Nanami's Son, I Merged Two of My Series, Yuji Itadori is a Good Friend, OC Gets Picked On, Yuji is Protective and Determined to Help Her Feel Better, Sukuna is a Good Dad, In His Own Way, OC is His Little Princess, Fluff with Angst Sprinkled In, Fluff and Angst

Word Count: 3, 267 words

Summary: Yuji and Besu become fast friends in Pre-K, but when a group of classmates tell Yuji they won't sit with Besu because they think her dad is cursed, Yuji is determined to prove them wrong.

Author's Note: This took so long to write and went on longer than expected, but it was so much fun! I don't really know where this series is going, but it's adorable and I'm not stopping any time soon.

Yuji and Besu were inseparable. For one of the most extroverted kids in class, Yuji could be found almost exclusively by Besu’s side. For one of the quietest kids in class, Besu talked Yuji’s ear off anytime they were together. 

When Ms. Chotto chose their partners instead of letting them pick this morning, Yuji gave Besu a smile and went to find his group, instantly relaxing into a conversation. He didn’t worry about Besu until Kia and Kai both stepped over to his table and sat down.

Which was odd because they were the only other two in Besu’s group.

“Can we sit with you?” Kia wrinkled her face into a frown.

“Yeah. We don’t want to be in her group.” Kai matched her expression.

Yuji looked over to see Besu staring at her table, her coloring page already finished. He tried to see her face, but her pink hair created a veil between them. When he turned back to the twins, Fuyuki and Yuto were already ushering them over with smiles.

“Why don’t you want to be in Bechan’s group?” Yuji interrupted them, feeling fire heating up his chest. “She’s really nice. And she doesn’t copy your work.”

“Don’t you know who her dad is?”

“My mommy told me that he’s really mean.”

“Yeah! I saw him in car line and he’s really scary!”

Yuji stared at his tablemates, dumbfounded. He’d met Mr. Sukuna plenty of times! Often, Otouchan would speak with him to give Yuji more time to play with Besu after school. And if Otouchan was friends with him, there was no way he could be mean!

“There’s nothing wrong with him. Otouchan talks to him all the time.”

The entire table gasped and shoved their chairs away from the table. The commotion led Ms. Chotto over to see what the issue was, and Kai immediately pointed at Yuji.

“Yuji’s dad is cursed!” 

“He speaks with Mr. Sukuna!”

Ms. Chotto sighed and shook her head, kneeling at the table full of children.

“Those are not very nice things to say. People are not cursed just for talking to others.”

“But Kai’s right! My momma said that Mr. Sukuna is a cursed man!” Fuyuki explains. “And he’s got tattoos!”

“Mr. Sukuna has given no one any reason to believe he’s mean or cursed. And that should be no reason for you to leave Besu to do all of her work alone.” Ms. Chotto said sternly. “Now, go over there and apologize. And finish your work!”

. . . . .

Yuji sat by Besu during recess as she filled a yellow bucket with sand. Yuji felt bad for her and decided to be her tunnel digger. He knew she liked mixing together the sand. Besu quietly and methodically filled her shovel and poured it into the bucket. Shovel, pour, mix. Shovel, pour, mix.

“Do you think I’m cursed, Yuji-kun?” Besu broke the silence as she flipped her bucket over, patting the bottom and revealing the beginning of a sandcastle.

“Don’t listen to Kia and Kai, Bechan. You’re not cursed, and your dad is great! He gives you the best snacks.” 

She nodded, but Yuji didn’t think she really believed him. The burning fire in his stomach returned, but this time he felt sick, too. Frowns didn’t look right on Besu’s face.

“We’ll show them. I’ll ask Otouchan if I can go over to your house! And then they’ll see that there’s nothing scary about your dad!” Yuji said, pausing to pick out a tiny pebble caked under his nail.

Besu lifted her head minutely, seeming unsure, but when she heard her father’s voice across the playground she waved to Yuji and rushed over to crawl up into his arms. She buried her face in his neck and squeezed him tight without sparing another glance to Yuji.

Yuji watched her go, and when his dad came into view he shot over to him like a rocket.

“Otouchan, can I go to Bechan’s house this weekend?” He asked, grabbing Nanami’s hand as he looked up at him.

“Mm?” Nanami quirked a brow. “I guess we’d have to ask her father first, Yuji-kun. We don’t have any plans. Are you sure you don’t want to invite her over to our house?”

“No! It has to be her house!”

That got Nanami to raise a brow.

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Fuyuki’s mom said Mr. Sukuna is a cursed man. And I’m gonna go over there so they know he’s not!” Yuji stated matter-of-factly as Nanami walked him down the street.

“I see.” Nanami squeezed Yuji’s hand and led him home. “I’ll see what I can do, Yuji-kun.”

. . . . .

When Nanami drove Yuji over to Besu’s house that weekend, Yuji readied himself with all the essentials. He stashed his detective hat in his overnight bag, along with a flashlight for late night searching. A magnifying glass and a toy laser shooter joined their company. 

Nanami even let him bring a disposable camera! He was ready to prove to those kids that there was nothing wrong with Besu or Mr. Sukuna!

“Now, you know what number to call if you need me, Yuji-kun?” 

“Yep!”

“And if you can’t remember it, do you know where to find it?”

“On the tag in my bookbag!” Yuji patted his bag and unclipped the belt to his car seat in seconds. “Come on, Otocuhan!”

“Wait, Yuji-kun,” Nanami chuckled and a moment later he helped him out of the car. 

Yuji saw Mr. Sukuna at the end of the long driveway with a hand in his pocket. Besu hid beside him hugging his other arm.

“Hi, Bechan!” Yuji’s pace doubled as he pulled Nanami along with him. “Guess what? I brought my magnifying glass and my hat so we can play Detective!”

“I have a hat I can use too!” Besu brightened and Yuji smiled.

“Come on! Let’s go–”

“Yuji-kun, aren’t you going to say goodbye?” Nanami called from the doorway.

“Oh!” Yuji giggled and rushed back over to him. He barreled into Nanami and squeezed him tight. “I love you, Otouchan! See you tomorrow!”

“Be good, Yuji. Try not to cause much trouble.”

“Okay!” Yuji grinned, bumping into Mr. Sukuna as he stepped back. “Sorry, ‘scuse me!”

He flew around the large man back to Besu as Nanami shook his head with amusement, making a few final comments to Sukuna about bedtime and dietary needs. 

“Just make sure he doesn’t have any sugar before bed. I’m sure you can see, he fires on all cylinders without sugar as it is.” Nanami chuckled.

“Otouchaaann!” Yuji whined, pouting as he turned around.

“Okay, okay.” Nanami turned with a wave. “Have fun, Yuji-kun.”

“Let’s play Detective, Bechan!” Yuji had his bookbag open in seconds, shuffling through clothes and toys before a large hand settled over his.

“I’m glad to see you’re excited to play, Yuji. But why don’t you let Besu show you where you’re staying so you can keep your stuff in one place?” Sukuna suggested, raising an eyebrow.

“Okay!” Yuji nodded, turning back to Besu, who giggled and tugged his arm.

“I told Daddy that we’ll stay in the upstairs! There’s a window where you can see all the stars, and I made us a blanket fort!” Besu rattled on, hiking up the stairs two at a time in her excitement. “And he’s making us sushi for dinner! Oops, wait…I wasn’t supposed to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise. Um…pretend we’re having meatballs!” 

Yuji liked this Besu much better. Ever since Kia and Kai said Mr. Sukuna was cursed, she’d lost her smile. Yuji could feel bright light flooding his chest as he watched the corners of her mouth reach her ears.

“Meatballs, got it!” He agreed easily, and then his mouth hung open as he set his bag at the door. “Woooww. Is this your room?!” 

“Mhmm!” She beamed. “And look! Daddy had Mr. Mokuzai build a shelf in my wall. Now I can keep all my books here!” She hopped onto her bed and started pointing out all of the pretty colors. “And there’s a big window! That’s where we’ll sleep so we can see the stars. See? I told you I made a fort!” She pulled him inside and Yuji laid on his back and stared at the sunset through her large picture window.

“Wow!” Yuji gaped again, eyes twinkling with the reflection of sunlight before he remembered his bag. “Oh, yeah! Come on, Bechan, let’s play Detective!”

While Yuji loved playing with Besu in general, he was determined during this sleepover to get plenty of evidence that Mr. Sukuna was not cursed! He took her exploring through the house with his magnifying glass, looking for proof of Mr. Sukuna’s not cursed-ness. 

“Why is Daddy’s dreamcatcher going to help show Kia and Kai that he’s not cursed?” Besu whispered as she stood guard at her father’s door. 

“It catches his dreams so he can’t have cursed dreams!” Yuji said.

“Oh! What about this, then?” She pointed up at some green pieces of glass hanging from strings against Mr. Sukuna’s door. 

“Won’t that hurt us? It looks like glass.”

“It’s seaglass. Daddy says it helps him see ghosts so he can make sure they don’t hurt me!” 

“Ooo, yeah! Grab that too!”

By the time they’d compiled a large group of items meant to serve as proof, a knock sounded at Besu’s door.

“Besu? Yuji?” Sukuna called, and chuckled when the two of them poked their heads out of the fort. “Dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, boy!” Yuji exclaimed, before remembering he wasn’t supposed to know what dinner was. “Are we having meatballs?” He covered quickly.

Sukuna smirked and Yuji thought he’d been discovered, but he merely waved for them to follow down the stairs.

“No. But Besu wanted dinner to be a surprise, so why don’t you come see what we’re having?” He offered.

Yuji flushed at Besu, who giggled and raced him down the stairs to the dining table. Once both were set, they wiggled eagerly in their seats. Sukuna placed their plates down and Yuji beamed as sushi served with sides of ohitashi and edamame made him salivate.

“What would you two like to drink?” 

“Milk!” 

“Me too!”

“Okay, but you both have to drink your green tea afterwards.” Sukuna warned.

As both children hastily agreed, the room grew quiet as Yuji stuffed his mouth with food and the only sound between the three of them for a good ten minutes was the clink of silverware.

“So, Bechan, I see you and Yuji have been going through the things in my room.” Sukuna hummed as he reclined. “What’s all that about?”

“We’re gonna show Kia and Kai–” Yuji began, but Besu cut him off.

“We were playing detective and those were our clues.” Besu said, her eyes focused on her plate.

Yuji tilted his head at her curiously. Sukuna made a low rumbling noise in his throat.

“Is that so?” He said. The way he said it made Yuji frown into his sushi, stuffing a big piece in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to say anything. “So what was all of that about cursed dreams then?”

Besu didn’t say anything, but Yuji was practically combusting from the need to explain the situation. He wanted her to look at him so he could figure out why she wasn’t telling her dad about Kia and Kai, but her hair hid her face from view as she continued staring at her plate.

“We were talking about your dreamcatcher.” Her voice was soft and scared, like the first day Yuji met her. “It keeps you from having cursed dreams.”

“Besu, what aren’t you telling me?” 

Yuji couldn’t help himself.

“Mr. Sukuna, it was–” But as Yuji reached out his hand, it sent his milk glass tumbling over. “Oh! I’m sorry!”

Sukuna’s reflexes were quick as he ran over to a roll of napkins and he soaked up Yuji’s drink. By the time they cleaned it up, Besu’s lip quivered and tears ran down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Sukuna. I didn’t mean to.” Yuji apologized.

“You’re not in trouble, Yuji.” A pause settled between the three of them. “And neither are you, Besu. But I want to know what you’re so scared to tell me.” 

“Do you want me to tell him, Bechan?” Yuji asked.

“I appreciate your attempt at honesty, Yuji, but this is something I need to hear from Besu.” 

Yuji watched Besu sniffle in silence for a minute or two before she wiped her eyes and looked up at her father.

“Some kids at school said that you were cursed, so Yuji-kun and I were trying to play detective so we could find stuff to prove you weren’t.” She whispered.

“It was Kia and Kai!” Yuji adds, feeling a pressure off his chest now that he could talk about it. “They wouldn’t sit with Bechan because they said you’re mean and cursed! Fuyuki and Yuto thought so too! But I told them that you can’t be cursed because Otouchan talks with you all the time, and Otouchan says you’re a good man. But Fuyuki said her mom thinks you’re cursed because you have tattoos and so we were getting stuff and taking pictures so we can show them you’re not!”

“Besu, is that true?”

She nodded, and Yuji shoved one more piece of sushi in his mouth while the two spoke. His hands clenched into fists at his sides when he heard her sniff. Yuji watched Mr. Sukuna set his chopsticks aside and glided over to kneel by her chair. He moved her pink hair out of her face, and Yuji thought he looked a lot like Otouchan did when he tried to help Yuji during a crying fit.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Princess?” He cooed.

“I-I didn’t…” She choked on her words for a few minutes, and he pulled her into a pair of strong arms. Yuji couldn’t help himself. He toddled over to them and threw his arms around Besu. “I didn’t want you…to be sad…be-because they said you were bad.”

A beat of quiet got interrupted as Sukuna suddenly burst into laughter and squeezed Yuji and Besu together.

“Oh, my little princess, you’re too sweet for your own good. Too sweet to be mine.” He sighed and smiled, before ruffling Yuji’s hair. “But you’re good at picking friends. You’re a good kid, Yuji.”

 Yuji beamed and then asked if there was any more sushi.

. . . . .

For the rest of the evening, Yuji and Besu continued their trek through their house with Sukuna’s blessing. Besu also swore he’d left extra items out for them when they circled back to the living room to find an old gold piece hiding under a magazine.

“We might have just missed it the first time.” Yuji reminded her.

“No. Daddy definitely put it there.” Besu giggled.

By the time they’d amassed enough evidence of Mr. Sukuna’s non-cursedness, it was time for bed.

“Besu! Yuji! Time to get ready for bed!” Sukuna called up the stairs. “Be ready in ten or I’ll pick off all your toes and eat them for breakfast!”

Yuji’s eyes widened at Besu, who only laughed as she grabbed her clothes.

“He just means he’ll tickle us if we don’t get ready fast.” She explained, and ducked into the bathroom to change. 

Both of them were ready well within the ten minute range, but that didn’t stop Sukuna from coming in and pulling Besu into his arms to tickle and torment her with raspberries against her cheek. Yuji rocked onto his back with a boyish giggle before the moment ended and Sukuna tucked them into their sleeping bags under the blanket fort.

“Now, you’re sure you don’t want to sleep on your bed, Princess?”

“I’m sure. I’m gonna show Yuji the stars!”

“Okay. Well, you sleep well. If you stay up late behind my back, make sure you’re asleep before dawn.” He pinched her cheek.

“Okay.” She smiled.

“And you sleep well, too, Yuji.” Sukuna said, ruffling his hair.

Yuji grinned, but chewed at his lips when a question came to mind. 

“Mr. Sukuna, why do you think Kia and Kai think you’re cursed?”

“Hmm,” Sukuna rumbled, looking between the two of them before sighing and resituating his long legs. “I have a theory, but it’s a bit of a long story.”

“Will you tell us? Please?” Besu sat up, eyes sparkling in the evening light. 

“Yeah! If you tell us then we can definitely prove Kia and Kai are wrong!” Yuji agreed.

“Very well.” Sukuna shook his head as they both turned their attention to him. “Besu, when you were just a girl, your mother grew very ill and died. I’ve told you the story, yes?” When Besu nodded, he continued. “Well, before your mother died, and you were still a baby, we moved into this house. At the time, and even still, it was rumored to be haunted.”

“Haunted? But we’ve never seen any ghosts!” Besu gasped. 

“That’s because it’s not actually haunted.” Sukuna chuckled and patted her head. “But because it hadn’t been lived in and was abandoned for a while, people thought it was. Some men who weren’t very nice stopped your mother while I was paying for groceries one afternoon and when I walked out, they were crowding around her, threatening her for staying in the old Juju house and calling her a…well, some not nice words.” When he paused, Yuji watched him put a hand over his mouth for a moment before his hand settled into a fist on his knee. “Well, I couldn’t let them hurt you or your mother. I beat the bastards…shit, that’s a curse word. Damn!” He facepalmed and Yuji giggled. “Anyway, I beat them up for messing with the two of you and was put in prison for it. The neighborhood we stay in is bad about gossip, so the whole neighborhood knew that I’d been in prison and they stayed away from us and told your mother to leave me or she’d be cursed.”

“Why didn’t you tell them about the bad men?” Yuji asked.

“Her mother tried, but sometimes adults can be very closed-minded.” He pulled Besu into his side to kiss the top of her head. “Like I was, before I met your mother.”

“Then what happened, Daddy?” 

“Well, your mother didn’t leave me. She was pure of heart, much like you, so she stayed by my side until the very end. Unfortunately, it was shortly after that that she became sick, and only a little while after that she died. That seemed to solidify to everyone that she was cursed, and by extension, me.”

“So, if we show them what we found, maybe they’ll see that you’re not cursed!” Besu said, hugging her father’s arm. “Right?”

“Well, Princess,” Mr. Sukuna sighed. “People don’t always work that way. Sometimes when they’ve made up their mind, they’re set on it.”

“But we can still try, right?” She pressed, face determined.

“Yeah! Since we played detective, we can show them you’re not cursed!” Yuji added.

“Heh,” Sukuna looked between the two of them and tickled both of their necks before he stood. “Maybe you’re right, kiddos. Sweet dreams, then.”

When he left the room, Besu suddenly tackled Yuji into a tight hug.

“Thank you for helping me, Yuji-kun.”

Yuji could only squeeze her back before they relaxed on their sleeping bags on the floor. And Besu told Yuji all about the stars and their stories, just as her father had told her growing up.

Their eyes closed just before the sun began to rise.