Arsène
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This story is not JP proofread. Unproofread translations are under much stricter terms of service. While these translations are as accurate as I can personally make them, I am not comfortable with and do not permit use of the following:
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I would love to get this story properly proofread and posted one day! If you are a translator interested in JP proofreading this story, feel free to DM me at @citrinesea on X.
Ibuki's entrance into AKATSUKI has insensitive parallels to the history between Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, specifically the annexation of Ryukyu into Okinawa from 1872-1879 onward. Click for more information
AKATSUKI is a unit embodied by 和 (wa, lit. harmony, but also a self-designator for Japan). The word 和風 (wafu, Japanese style) comes from 和. During the Meiji Restoration, 和 was central to Japan’s efforts to unify and assimilate new territories under a shared cultural identity. On top of his membership, Ibuki's active pursuit of 本当の和風 (true Japanese-style) being the reason he pursues AKATSUKI is inappropriate, bearing this in mind.
Additionally, the Ryukyu Disposition was driven by military interests, particularly securing Japan's southern borders from other nations. In Okinawan schools, national pride was linked to serving Japan’s military goals. This had devastating consequences, particularly during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. This in mind, having Ibuki join the self-proclaimed "war unit" is also inappropriate.
Read the full-length analysis here: Unpacking Shinsei (新生) AKATSUKI; An Extended Translation Note and Analysis.
Gone Too Soon 1
... Phew.
(It's been a while since I've come home, but no doubt, the scent of tatami and incense really does put my mind at ease.)
(When my body comes apart slow like this, I can really feel all of the tension that has built up.)
(There's been a few large matters I've needed to take on lately, so I've been working nonstop days and nights to get them all done.)
(I'm so busy, there's been days I've completely lost track of what I was doing.)
(Well, I suppose being this busy is a good thing.)
(In order to get AKATSUKI to continue to make large leaps and strides, it's a necessity.)
(That said, I really should've been more mindful about the scheduling.)
(It's not everyday I'm so busy that I have to push myself this hard.)
(Anyways, this is the first time in a long time I've had a moment to unwind.)
(I don't have any dorm supervisor responsibilities I need to worry about, so I'll make myself get proper rest.)
[Yaaawn], [sigh] ...
No, I can't. This may be my family home, but I can't relax too much.
It's only just evening, but I'm so tired...
If I take a nap now, I won't be able to go to bed later...
...
Senpai. Quick— get up, Hasumi-senPAI!
...Mm, mmm?
Forgive me... Five more minutes... Just a little longer...
Do you honestly think I'm going to listen to that run of the mill line so sweetly?
If you don't get up soon, I'll keep dripping water on your forehead, drop by drop.
Don't torture me just because I won't get up... How incorrigible...
...Hm? Wait, why are you here anyways, Sakasaki?
Oh? It looks like you're still half-asleep, hM?
I might need to resort to some serious torture to get you wide awAKE.
Why are you so hung up on the torture...?
Heheh. Even so, you out cold in a dead sleep... Isn't that a little too careless of yoU?
If you're that defenseless, the paparazzi might take some malicious photos, you knOW~?
Maybe a headline like, "The leader of a unit at the top of the world caught slobbish across tatami mats, sleeping like a baBY!" ♪
Your accusations get more and more audacious. If anything, the problem would be with those who are intruding on my personal life.
I'm supposed to be getting away from annoyances like that, anyways.
Ahaha, that's certainly trUE.
Well, like you said, I was truly being too careless.
It may be my family home, but I need to strive for a more disciplined lifestyle, hm?
So then, what are you doing here? Did you have some kind of business with me?
I see. So you still don't remember why I'm herE.
Hm? What do you mean?
Now, I wonder what on earth I could meAN?
Honestly... Don't try to say something cryptic to deceive me, like Eichi or Sakuma would.
If you have something to say, then say it. Things get unnecessarily complicated otherwise.
Putting aside Rei-niisan, it's annoying being compared to that EmpeROR...
Besides, I'm not trying to deceive you.
I don't know why I'm here either, after all.
Huh? What's the matter, Sakasaki? You're even more cryptic and troublesome than usual today.
Heheh. If you feel I'm troublesome, then that's your problem, Hasumi-senPAI.
Well, it seemed like you've been really busy with huge projects lately, so I get why you might forget something so importANT.
Hmm...? What do you mean by that?
I can't say a single word more about iT.
All I'm doing is conveying the sense of danger sleeping in your subconscious, Hasumi-senPAI.
Well then, I wish you good luck and bid you a Good Night ♪
Hold it, don't just prattle on about all kinds of things and try to disappear! Hey— Hey—!
- Hold it, Sakasaki!
Hm? This is... I wonder, have I accidentally fallen back asleep?
If that's the case, then... is right now a dream?
(It makes a little uneasy, somewhat. I don't really understand what the dream was.)
(It feels strange to complain at Sakasaki inside of a dream, but... what exactly is it that am I forgetting...?)
...? Hm? Is that the sound of a mokugyo?1
I can hear the sound of sutra chanting too. Was there a memorial service scheduled today?
If it's something like that, I would have liked to have been told beforehand...—
♪~♪~♪ [Chanting sutras]
...
Maybe... I'm still asleep....
Gone Too Soon 2
[Ignoring Keito, and continuing to chant sutras]
Hmm. No matter how many times I rub my eyes, this bizarre scene just won't change.
A dream within another dream... This really is like the Butterfly's Dream2, hm?
Well, even if it is a dream, I'd have liked if it were a little more realistic.
If someone was forced to see a scene this ludicrous, they'd have no choice but to think it's a dream.
[Sobbing bitterly] Ou~uououou, ouuu~uouou.
Hey, enough with the crying, Kanzaki. I get how yer feelin', but...
Kiryu-dono...! Kiryu-donooooo! Ouu~uuuu [Sobbing bitterly]
I can't even understand what yer sayin' anymore...
Hey, Taki. Go 'n grab me some tissues.
... Got it~ Kanzaki-san's a real troublesome person, needing so much care, huh~
But, I'm torn up too~ Things were going so well, why'd this have to happen now...?
Don't you start up either, Taki. Figures, there's no way I can take care of the both of ya.
(What on earth is going on here...?)
(Kiryu and the others are here, but so are Mashiro, Narukami, Ran... Hidaka and Tsukinaga too?)
(Hmm. There's a lot of faces from Dramatica, but... Kiryu and them aren't part of that.)
(There's all sorts of loose ends, but for now, I can tell that they're holding some kind of funeral.)
[A deep breath]... It's been so long since I've caught the scent of incense, I suppose I associate it with funerals.
Still, even if this is just a dream, there's one thing that needs to be said.
... What's with the shoddy quality of this funeral?!
First off, the dress code— why the hell are all of you wearing casual clothes at this funeral!
This is a place to pray for the souls of the departed, you know!?
It looks like I'm going to have to open enrollment for a course on etiquette for important ceremonies at Seisoukan soon.
♪~♪~♪
Well, I guess I should ask why he's the one chanting sutras in the first place.
[Sigh] ... There's so much that's giving me cause for worry here.
What kind of dream of mine would make it so that there's a complete lack of etiquette for funerals?
No, first off, if this is my dream, does that mean I'm the one who's undisciplined?
If that's the case, then I've become weak-willed. Maybe I should go to a waterfall tomorrow and undergo training.5
— Hmph. These days, I've found myself at a lot of funerals, how depressing.
Hm? That's Itsuki and Hibiki. Could they have just come in?
Come to think of it, weren't you saying you went to your grandfather's funeral recently?6
I wouldn't call it a funeral as much as I would a strange festivity, though.
Besides, my grandfather is still alive. I don't imagine he'll pass for a good while. He really is such a troublesome old man...
I did hear rumors. The "Funeral Contest" was it?
It was a tragicomedy for young boys and girls(?), with the theme based off of your grandfather's past. I would have liked to appreciate it myself, rather than hear it from word-of-mouth, though.
[Sigh] ... It's true what they say, I suppose. You really cannot put a lid on people's mouths.
I refrained from publicizing it because I was worried about it becoming the subject of rumors, you know?
Oh, please don't worry. When I say word-of-mouth, I don't mean that it was being talked about by the wider public.
When I learned that your grandfather had passed away, it was Anzu-san who had told me.
Nevertheless, your grandfather truly is a cheerful person, isn't he! To think, he would turn his own funeral into an inheritance competition!
It truly is love to want to turn something like a funeral into a place filled with smiles...☆
I want to convey that kind of love to everyone when my final departure arrives.
Why don't we turn this funeral into the same kind of fun event?
Wouldn't the main character of this funeral prefer to be sent off with smiles instead of tears?
Stop mulling over something so strange. Mine was an exceptional case, and it was only permissible because it was my grandfather.
Besides, funerals are supposed to be solemn. Making a fuss is extremely, unnecessarily distasteful.
It's just like Itsuki said. A funeral is a ceremony to send the dead off to the afterlife.
It's outrageous for the sacredity of that prayer to be made into something "funny". How incorrigible...
Fufufu. It's almost like I can hear him say "How incorrigible" when I think about him, hm?
... Hm? No, but I definitely just said that, though.
He was a son of the temple, wasn't he? If so, you should be even more disciplined about your funeral manner.
Perhaps he's among us at this very moment.
Ohh, Mr. Right-Hand Man! How could you have left us!
I wish I was able to say, "I'll give you just one more chance."
But even I don't have the ability to bring the dead back to life.
... Hm? Hey, wait, Hibiki. What did you say just now?
It truly is a shame. My lifelong rival, Keito-kun, who has left this earth...
I'm... I'm the one who died?
Gone Too Soon 3
Hey. What do you mean I'm the one that died?
Ituski. Hibiki. Can you explain what you mean in complete detail? Why is everyone saying I'm dead?
...
...
Hey! Are you two even listening to me?
(... Are you kidding? There's no response. It's like they can't even hear me?)
(Come to think of it, even though everyone's been pretty boisterous, not a single person has acknowledged me.)
(Have I turned into a ghost? Is that why no one can see me?)
Kiryu! Kanzaki! Taki! Give me even a few words of response!
[Sobbing] ... Uuu, Kiryu-dono. What on earth are we supposed to do now?
I cannot begin to imagine an AKATSUKI without Hasumi-dono.
I dunno. I really don't. I never coulda thought something like this would happen in a million years.
Damn it...! Why couldn't ya have gone to us for help?!
Piling up all your work like that, we coulda pitched in and helped out...
It's just like you said, Kiryu-san~ I just can't believe Hasumi-san died from overworking...
Wh— I died from overworking...!?
I've certainly been busy these days, but surely not to that extent!?
— No, I'm not going to recognize that I've died or something! I absolutely do not accept dying halfway through my life!
There are still plenty of things left that I want to do with AKATSUKI. If I die here, I'll turn into a vengeful spirit tied to the earth!
... Aha! Maybe, right now that's exactly what I am.
...
No, wait, I shouldn't rush to any conclusions. This is a dream to begin with.
I'm not actually dead... Theoretically.
Before anything else, I'll just think of a way to wake up from this dream.
— Phew. Good work, everyONE.
Ah, Sakasaki-senpai! Good work to you too.
You seem surprisingly exhausted, Sakasaki. I guess that's just how hard you've been putting your focus into acting.
Fufu. Well, there's no fixed script for this particular "performance" so you're constantly having to think about how to acT.
I know right. This is entirely improvised.
I was prepared for it to be difficult, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult.
Considering that, AKATSUKI is giving a surprisingly good performance as guest performers.
For sure. Especially Kanzaki-senpai, I didn't think he'd be that good at cry-acting.
Hm~mn. It feels like he might have gotten sucked into the role a little too much and is crying for real, thOUGH...
I feel like this time Hasumi-senpai's performance has shone the brightest of anyone's.
I know right! I was super impressed by his acting too!
The shocked reaction when he realized he was dead? That was seriously brilliant!
You're right. It's not every day you see such a convincing performance.
I certainly think his acting is amazing, buT...
Hm? What is it, Sakasaki? Are you unsatisfied with Hasumi-senpai's acting?
No, that's not it at all. I just think there's too much being improvised, is aLL.
Huh? But isn't this performance supposed to center around improvisation to begin with?
Still, Hasumi-senPAI's even ignoring the general outline we did decide on, isn't hE?
Wasn't the plan for Hasumi-senPAI to start out already aware he was deAD?
Well, yeah. I don't really know where this story is going to end up either because of that.
Well, it's thanks to Hasumi-senPAI's vigor that the story is unfolding more interestingly, thoUGH.
I think you're worrying too much. You did say we shouldn't be too bound by the script, right?
Well, yes. That's why I'm not that unhappy with iT.
How should I say this... It feels like he's being too sincere, like there's no acting to it at aLL.
Huh? Isn't that good, though?
If you feel like there's no insincerity, then it means he's acting naturally.
Well, that's true, but... Hm~m, maybe I am overthinking iT...
Well, things are going off without a hitch so far, so for now, let's just work off of the scene Hasumi-senPAI's improvising.
Gyahh...!?
Hm? That sounded like a shriek in the hall? That voice, could it be...
Hm? Forgive me, are you alright?
Uuu, Yume is not alright in the slightest! That really huuurt~!
(Weep, weep)... After getting forced to come here, Yume ended up getting hurt too. What a sorry, sorry day.
Sorry. I was so concerned with all the things happening around me, I wasn't watching where I was going.
If you're hurt, I'll go grab the first aid ki-... Hm?
Hold on a second. Did you just level your complaint at me?
Who else would Yume be talking to? Don't tell Yume you're trying to avoid responsiblity?
How outrageous! Yume really shouldn't have come here after all!
That's not it at all! But, I see— So you really can see me right now!?
? Why wouldn't Yume be able to see you?
Yes, finally! I've finally come across a human being who will talk to me!
Thank you. Right now, you seem to be a real light of salvation in the dark of hell, a single spider's thread come down to save me!7
Mnn... Please don't associate Yume with spiders.
It's just a saying. In this case, it would be more accurate to compare you to Buddha rather than a spider.
The thread of spider's silk symbolizes the thin sliver of mercy that Buddha bestowed upon Kandata.
That's besides the point. You're... If I remember correctly, your name is Yume, right?
Can you give me a thorough explaination why a funeral is being held for me?
Why does Yume need to explain that to you?
You're the one who this funeral is for in the first place.
... It's for me? What do you mean by that?
[Sigh]... It's troublesome Yume got caught up in something like this. Figures, Yume never wanted to be here in the first place.
And yet, Ra*bits' Leader-san made me come here against my own will, since he said Yume could learn something from it.
Learn something from it...? What on earth is there to learn from my funeral?
And what does Mashiro have to do with this? Ghh... It just gets more and more confusing.
This is bad! Yume's gonna mess up all of the scene-setting Hasumi-senpai's worked hard to build!?
Well, Yume was a spectator from the start. It makes sense he'd just ignore the flow of things.
But, it seems like it'll be hard for Hasumi-senpai to get the story back on track by himself.
Honestly... Every last one of those NEW DI newcomers is a handFUL...
I'll go follow Hasumi-senPAI's lead from here. You two do your best to follow along with the way it gOES.
Gone Too Soon 4
Hey, Yume-kun. Why are you sitting here talking to yoursELF?
Huhh? Yume isn't talking to themselves.
Or what Yume should be saying is— how about you all stop with your terrible play already?
You guys can all see Megane Guy8, too, can't you?
A play?
Hey, Sakasaki. It can't be, are you acting as if you can't see me?
... Hmm.
... [Staring straight at Natsume, glaring.]
Is that what it is? You guys are pretending not to see Megane Guy.
So, this isn't really a funeral, is it!?
— H-Hey, what are you doing so suddenly!? Why did you smack your hand onto Yume's head...?
I thought you were running a fever with all the nonsense you were blathering on about, Yume-kUN.
If that's not the case, then you wouldn't be telling me you can see Hasumi-senPAI. He's passed awAY.
If so, I would hazard a guess that in your fever, you're hallucinating.
Yume wouldn't hallucinate something like that?
And even if Yume was hallucinating, why would Yume hallucinate some Megane Guy?
If Yume were seeing hallucinations... Yume would want the Prince-sama Yume adores to show up the most.
Fufu. Well, when it comes to you, hallucinating Esu would probably be norMAL.
But if that's true, why did you say you saw a hallucination of Hasumi-senPAI?
Damn it! Like I said, there really is a Megane Guy here!
Hmm. Then maybe I should take back everything I've sAID.
Perhaps you have a stronger affinity for the supernatural than most people, Yume-kUN.
... Huh? The supernatural?
I would say so, wouldn't you? Hasumi-senPAI should be dead, but you're able to see hIM.
A singular truth comes forth, then. You, Yume-kun, saw the vengeful spirit of Hasumi-senPAI.
Perhaps he's taken hold of you and possessed yOU.
Th-That's absolutely ridiculous. Why would Megane Guy possess Yume?
Yeah. I don't have a single grudge against this guy either.
I would never get innocent strangers involved, and I wouldn't put some kind of pathetic attachment to this world on display like that.
... No, I'm not a evil spirit to begin with! Don't just decide that on your own, how incorrigible!
Look, you called him an evil spirit, and now Megane Guy is really mad.
It's common for the person not to know they've become an evil spirit in these kinds of storIES.
The very fact that he's clinging to the mortal world, having not found peace, means he's essentially become an evil spirIT.
It may certainly be as you say.
The fact that I'm still here is proof I've got unfinished business..
— Fufu. The evil spirit of Keito? If that were really true, I'd want to see it at least once.
! Eichi— and Sakuma, you two came to this funeral too!?
Rei-niisan aside, I never thought you would show up, EmpeROR.
You must have been really close with him for the Holy Emperor to make time in his busy schedule to show up, hM?
Naturally. Keito is my dearest friend— my irreplaceable right-hand man. Of course I would.
Right now, all I want is to be able to spend this last goodbye with my childhood friend in peace and quiet.
Hm... Of course, I don't intend to get in your way. Even I have manners tOO.
A funeral is a ceremony to say farewell to the deceased. If I were to get in the way of that, I'd deserve getting cursed for iT.
You say that, but isn't it indecent to speak of Hasumi-kun as if he were an evil spirit?
Hmph. What are you telling that Yume too for? How troublesome...
This guy's the one who threatened Yume into it, talking about all kinds of stuff like evil spirits!
I didn't mean to threaten yOU.
Yume-kun said that Hasumi-senPAI was here, when he is supposed to have passed, so all I mentioned was that it was possible Hasumi-senPAI could be an evil spirit.
I see... So that means Hasumi-kun was not able to find peace, and so he remains in this world, lingering.
That's our passionate Hasumi-kun... It's no surprise he'd be bound to this world by lingering attachments.
If Hasumi-kun has transformed into an evil spirit left to roam this world, I cannot let this stand as a close buddy.
If there was anything that could bring Hasumi-kun peace...
It would be this. For Hasumi-kun to find solace, I've brought these works to place in his casket ♪
This is... a "Vampire Shogun"9 DVD bOX?
That is right.
Well, DVDs do not fit as burial offerings, so I'm actually going to have them put in things like bonus posters too.
I hope that in cremating them together, he can watch and enjoy Vampire Shogun even in the afterlife.10
And one day, when the time comes for me to cross to the other side, let us laugh and watch Vampire Shogun together, shall we?
...Hmph. Even when you say it like that, it doesn't strike a chord for me at all, you know.
I told you not to treat me like a vengeful spirit in the first place. How incorrigible.
Good grief. So the both of you really do you love Vampire Shogun, hm?
Yes. For Hasumi-kun and I, this work is inseperably bound with us, after all.
Why don't you try watching it, Tenshouin-kun? You might fall victim to its charms too.
Hard pass. There's nothing there for me to like in the first place.
Oh? So you've already seen it?
No, I haven't. I've just heard about all of it from Keito so much that I could care never to hear of it again.
The contents changed drastically as the seasons went on, but I do know that as far as the main outline is concerned, Vampire Shogun is largely about the battle between good and evil, right?
They rearranged things top to bottom in order to keep up with the changing times,11 but the fundamental premise remained the same: the shogun represented justice, and everyone they punished were deemed evil.
In the end, the line is drawn straight down the world between black and white. Heheh, isn't that kind of clearcut delineation stupid?
You bastard! Of all things, do not disparage Vampire Shogun at my funeral!
I won't allow it Eichi! Now I really have become a vengeful spirit to the point where I'd love to curse you to death!
No. That might actually be possible for me right now.
Well then, I'll just show up in your dreams each and every night and whisper the allure of Vampire Shogun Season 1 right into your ear!
... There. Yume, tell Eichi what I said.
Why does Yume have to be a messenger?
Oh? Could Keito have said something to me just now?
... [Sigh]. He says every night, he's going to show up in your dreams and whisper the allure of Vampire Shogun into your ear.
Ahaha. Showing up in my dreams, huh? How scary that sounds...
...
...!? It can't be— Eichi, are you crying?
This is rare. Never would I have thought I'd see the Holy Emperor shed a tEAR.
For even Tenshouin-kun to cry shows how devastating losing a childhood friend can be.
I'm not crying. There was just something in my eye.
Ku-ku-ku. That's what they all say...
... Truthfully, I should've been the first one to appear in his dreams.
Never did I think there would be a change in those plans. You're troublesome to the very end... Keito.
... Eichi.
Heheh, I'm sorry. I've made things a little gloomy, haven't I?
To lighten the mood, I've brought something to be buried with Keito as well.
Hm...? Tenshouin-kun, those books you're holding... They can't be—!
That's right. These were drawn when he was first starting out as a mangaka— that Mizuhanome-sensei's12 catalogue of works ♪
Gone Too Soon 5
Wh— Wh-Wh-Wh-Wha.... Why the hell did you bring those, Eichi!
Those should have been under lock and key...!
Don't tell me you just broke into my room and stole them!?
Is that manga? Hehe, there's something cutesy about the art style ♪
Heheh, his range of styles is somewhat wider now, but they all used to be very soft.
I've brought some of the other Mizuhanome works here as well.
These pieces meant quite a lot to Keito. I had thought it be nice to cremate them together with him, so he could enjoy them in the afterlife...10
Heheh. When it comes to be my turn to see him, I'd like to read Mizuhanome-sensei's works with him once more ♪
I demand you shut your mouth about those things, bastard!
How can you shamelessly run your mouth about the dead!
... Although... If they do cremate them for me, wouldn't that be the best-case scenario?
I would hate it even more if they were excavated without me knowing, so...
(Cough) That's fine, I'll overlook your breaking and entering just this once—
Ahh, well... Of course... It would be quite a shame if they were cremated, and no one were to know the works Keito loved and respected so much!
So, before we cremate them, how about we all read them together?
If we put them out by the reception desk, I'm sure everyone would be happy to take a look.
Eichi, you BASTAAARD! You're really asking to be cursed, aren't you—!? I'll place one on you and your entire family line until the end of time!
Oop...!?
Figures, I never should've expected anything of you. I'll dispose of this book another time—...
Hm...? Wh— What? Why did everyone go silent and stare...?
Hey, Naru, look! Something miraculous is going on!
You've got to be kidding me, how is that book floating all by itself!?
... This is definitely paranormal activity. I never thought the day would come where I would see something like that for real.
... Could... this be a trick Wataru-kun is performing?
Fufufu. Although I can do far more than make books float, you know.
If anything, aren't you unsatisfied with just this much? If I'm to provide you love and surprise, the performance needs to be even more spectacular!
Non! As true as that may be, do not start throwing around flower petals out of nowhere!
So it isn't Wataru? Could it be the work of space aliens cloaked with invisibility technology, then?!
That's great~ All sorts of inspiration is welling and welling up inside me...☆
Hold on, Leo-kun! Please don't just randomly start composing a song about the situation!
Ahaha. I never would've thought the manga would move by itself.
Yume-kun, could this perhaps be the work of Keito's vengeful spirit?
Yume would like for each and every one of you to stop asking.
But Megane Guy definitely said he'd "curse you to death" all angry.
Everyone, this is not the time to take this so lightLY.
The fact Hasumi-senPAI is mad means he's a vengeful spirit!
Good grief... I don't recall Keito ever having something he resented me for, though...?
I could recount each and every one of your sins like a sutra, Eichi!
But, I see... Everyone else is seeing the item I'm holding as floating on its own, hm?
I never would've thought Hasumi-senPAI would turn into a vengeful ghost who can manipulate things in real lifE.
Yume-kun, do you know what Hasumi-senPAI is specifically angry about?
Enough already. Like Yume said, stop asking Yume to be a messenger...
This truly is troublesome, so this is the last time Yume will tell you anything.
He said, "I could recount each and every one of your sins like a sutra~!" all angry.
Hm. Each and every one of our sins, hM...?
Could it be that Hasumi-senPAI resents someone in this room? Or maybe he resents everyone gathered here...?
Wait, no- you're misunderstanding! I don't resent the people in this room by any means.
Uuwhoa! The floating book just started shaking all of a sudden!
Hm. If Hasumi-senpai's vengeful ghost is being violent like this, maybe it's like Sakasaki said.
I was trying to disagree with what was being—... Hey, Yume—
Hmph. Yume will help you no longer.
Yume is tired so Yume will be going home. If you want help, ask someone else to do it for you, 'kay?
H-Hey! Damn it, he really did leave. How am I supposed to undo this misunderstanding now?
... No, I don't need to undo any misunderstanding in the first place, right? It's just a dream, so I just need to wait until I wake up.
Sakasaki-dono! What on earth can we do to bring Hasumi-dono's soul peace!?
I... I don't want to see Hasumi-dono's suffering any longer!
There's just one way to quell Hasumi-senPAI's raging spiRIT.
We need to give Hasumi-senPAI no more reason to stay attached to this world. That is to say, we'll remove the source of his anger.
Be that as it may, we still need to figure out what on earth Hasumi-senPAI could be angry abOUT.
Heheh. Keito is quite high-strung, so he might get angry over the unexpectedly smallest things.
Bastard, you really can see me, can't you? You're just not saying it.
If I had to guess, shouldn't we just apologize for anything we can think of?
Hmm. Do you mean something like a confession?
Yes. I think that would be the best thing for us to do.
This is a place for Hasumi-kun's final farewell. We should confess to him our past sins and reflect on them properly.
Wait, I don't resent people to that extent. Besides Eichi, I don't resent any of you others.
Well then, I'll go first since I was the one to suggest it.
The truth is, once, I threw away something in the trash without checking if I should recycle it.
I mistakenly threw it away. At the time, I was really irritated about something, so I was just like, "Whatever, it's fine," and just left it in there. For that, I'm really, really sorry!
Ooh, so that's what we're going for? Then, I wrote my compositions all over the walls!
Keito told me time and time again not to, but I still did it every now and again. I'm really, really sorry!
Uhhh, well, I'll go too. I really, really needed batteries for something, so I went to the common room and took some out of the TV remote without asking...
After I put them back, I thought it was fine, but... looking back on it now, those were public property for the dorms, so it was actually bad... I'm really, really sorry!
You guys all sat there and didn't say anything to me?
I should be giving you a lecture about now, but it seems you all have reflected on it... Besides, I'm not so pious as to resent things like that.
Well then, I'll go next. The truth is, one time I tried smashing in all the windows in Seisoukan.13
Why the hell would you do that?! That's basically property damage!
... Then, I too thought I would try to make a secret hideout for Eden somewhere in Seisoukan.
Oh, well I've tried to make a special space in Seisoukan countless times for my coffin, you know.
Thanks to Tenshouin-kun's rules against bringing your own things in, I couldn't.
You can't just make spaces as you please. The Seisoukan property doesn't belong to you!
I mean, you guys are just coming out with your confessions willy-nilly now!
That's right, this is the time. Tell me your wrongdoings, and I'll punish you accordingly!
Fufu. I suppose this might be the a better time than any to come out with it, hm?
...? What do you mean by "better time than aNY," Wataru-niisan?
Now, now, allow me to confess my crime to Mr. Right-Hand Man too!
! If it's something Hibiki feels the need to come out with and say, it must be fairly serious.
That is right, exactly! Because it was I who invited you, the completely oblivious Mr. Right-Hand Man, to this stage of chaos...☆
Gone Too Soon 6
... Hm? What on earth do you mean by that, Hibiki?
Honestly... Are you giving the secret away already, Wataru?
Yes. It would be well and good to keep things going, but...
This has all become too much of an inside-joke, so I think now is the time to do it.
Hey, hold it. And what do you mean by "giving the secret away"?
Oh? You still haven't noticed Mr. Right-Hand Man? You're not very astute, are you~
Well, actually. That just goes to show how amazing the acting was from everyone else, that nothing seemed out of place.
Amazing! As expected of everyone in Dramatica. Your acting abilities have polished even more...☆
Now then, ladies and gentlemen, may I have one more round of applause...♪
Hey, bastard. What are you dancing around?
Err... You still don't really understand what's been happening up to this point...?
... I see. I get why Hasumi-senPAI's been acting weirdLY now.
Hm? Could it be that all of you could already see me?
Yes. We could all see you from the very beginning, Hasumi-senPAI.
We were just pretend that we couldn't until now. That was the "stage" he was talking about.
Huh? What do you mean when you say "stage"?
You really don't understand, Hasumi-senpai? This is a rehearsal for an immersive theatre expereince.
... Immersive theatre?
You mean, I wasn't really dead? And this wasn't really a dream?
That's right. I'll explain from the very beginning, so please calm down, oKAY?
First, this stage was an attempt at developing a new Dramatica project.
Hm. And that was the immersive theatre you guys were just talking about?
Yeah. It's a hands-on kind of performance where the audience gets to play a part as one of the characters.
It's a format that seems to be getting real popular lately, so we talked about giving it a try as Dramatica.
I'd thought there was a lot of Dramatica members here, but no wonder, then...
Still, what about the guys who came that aren't apart of Dramatica?
Well, this is our first try at it, so as you can imagine, we were a little worried about whether we'd actually be able to do it with a real audience, yeah?
Therefore, we talked about holding a trial performance with friends and family first.
That is right. That is why we were invited to this event.
Hmm... I can understand the reason why outsiders like Sakuma and the others are participating... but still, I have more questions.
Why didn't you share that information with me? I'm a member of Dramatica too.
Wait, there's no way you didn't know about it. We told you about it tOO.
... What are you talking about? I don't remember anything about it.
It might be because you didn't take part for any of the meetings we had for thIS?
... I didn't take part?
That's right. You said you would be involved for the planning stage, but you would be too busy for a while to set aside time for meetings or the scrIPT.
Well, you said you would advise on the script, so I took on writing it.
... I'm sorry. I don't remember any of that.
Wait. Hold on...— I vaguely recall discussing it with you.
That's because I consulted you for the script a lot. It was your suggestion to make the setting of the story to be a funeral, by the wAY.
You also suggested using your family's temple as the venue for the trial act.
... Is... that so?
Well, you said you were busy, so we handled the discussions about using the venue on our owN.
... I'm starting to worry about myself if I've forgotten that much.
Well, Danna, you've had your schedule damn packed, even for us, for quite a while lately.
Meetings 'n times were so wedged into all the margins 'n lines in your planner, we couldn't even read half of what was on there...
That is right. You were so busy, we had said to you that you should take a brief respite.
But, all you had to say was, "I'm fine. I just need to do a little more, and then I can rest, so it's no problem," — In one ear and out the other, y'know~
Like he said. And now this whole situation was in one ear and out the other too, now wasn't it?
... So what does that mean? My negligence was the entire reason I didn't know anything that was happening today?
Ahh, I see. So that's what Sakasaki was talking about in my dream yesterday.
? I was in your dream? What do you mean by thAT?
You were saying something about me forgetting something important, and nonsense like that you were the manifestation of my worries.
That must have been my subconscious warning me that, "You've forgotten about the Dramatica schedule,"...
Ahaha. That's a surprisingly stupid blunder, even for you Keito.
Now, now, I think we've raked him over the coals enough. It's good to work hard, but not if you're going to overdo it.
Khh... I have nothing to say back to that.
Well. The riddle of why Hasumi-senPAI was improvising so much is solveD.
Yeah. I'd thought Hasumi-senpai's acting was really amazing, but I guess it wasn't really acting after all.
I'm sorry for that, causing such trouble so reckless and clumsily...
Well, we didn't really notice anything was off the entire time either, so it can't be helped.
I don't think this can just be let go with a "it can't be helped"...
Fufufu. Even so, I think this became a good experience to be had, even for Mr. Right-Hand Man, wasn't it?
...? What do you mean by that?
A lot of people were impressed by your compelling acting in this performance.
In reality, it wasn't acting at all, but at the very least, you gained the best experience you could, and it will serve as valuable material for your acting.
Don't you think the fact you gained that experience makes this performance worthwhile by itself?
Ahaha, I can still picture Keito's shocked reaction clearly, when he was all, "Am I dead!?"
Don't make fun of me, how incorrigible...
Fufu. Still, I think doing this performance was good for us.
Thanks to Hasumi-senPAI's improvisation, I realized even more interesting developments could ocCUR.
Well, if you guys all think it was worth it, then I guess that's a good thing.
Well then, if you're going to rewrite the script, please allow me to help.
You told me I'd been giving you advice on the script, but clearly I was absent-minded at the time.
I promise I'll approach things more focused from here on out.
Be that as it may, there's still one thing I can't understand...
Oh me, oh my? That's no good. What ever could it be, Mr. Right-Hand Man?
...Why was I thrown into this performance without any preparation?
Ah, yeah! Hasumi-senpai'd completely forgotten about the rehearsal in the first place, right?
And Hibiki. You said that you were the one who invited me to this "stage of chaos" earlier.
Bastard. You knew from the very start I didn't know what was happening, and left me to flounder, didn't you?
Now, now. That's it for this evening, it is time for the curtains to fall! Everyone, may we meet again at our next performance. Farewell...☆
Hey—! Hold it right there, Hibiki! There's no "farewell" to be had here!
I won't let you go until I've had my apology from you, BASTAAARD....!
Translation Notes
- ↑ Mokugyo (木魚) are woodblocks carved to look like fish, used in Buddhist rituals like sutra or mantra recitations.
- ↑ The Butterfly's Dream is a story where a man dreams about being a fluttering butterfly, wakes up, and wonders the following: did he dream of the butterfly, or did the butterfly dream of him. It touches on the fact that reality is not one perceived point of view, but shared realities between all things.
- ↑ The Heart Sutra is one of the most recited sutras in Buddhism. From the best of my understanding, the essence of it is that things that "exist" to us are just concepts or ideas in the grand scheme of things, defined by arbitrary definitions and boundaries. What is a table? Is it the entire table? Its legs or surface? Is it the tree it was carved from, or the carpenters that made it? Everything is a table, and thus nothing is a table. Everything is the product of the perception, experiences, the items that comprised it or the items that helped come to make it be. Thus nothing is truly real.
- ↑ The Lotus Sutra is another one of the most recited sutras in Buddhism. From the best of my understanding, the essence of it is that anything and anyone can attain Buddhahood just as they are by following the bodhisattva path; the pursuit of giving compassion to others.
- ↑ Takigyo (滝行; waterfall training) is also known as waterfall meditation, where one stands underneath a rushing waterfall and bolsters their minds. This was common for samurai, Buddhists and Shintoists. Souma has undergone takigyo in Decorate. Unrelated, but this same Taki (滝; waterfall) is Ibuki's last name.
- ↑ This happens in Raison d'être, Valkyrie's climax event.
- ↑ In the story of the Spider's Thread, Buddha peers down from paradise and sees a sinner named Kandata sitting in the depths of Hell. The one act of goodness he had was that he chose not to kill a spider he was about to step on. Touched, Buddha takes a thread of spider web and lowers it down to hell. Unlike here with Keito and Yume, the story has a bittersweet ending; as Kandata starts climbing up the silk thread, others in Hell climb it beneath him. The thread starts to stretch, and fearing the others will break the thread, he yells at them to let go. The thread then breaks; Kandata's decision to look out for himself rather than others was what breaks it.
- ↑ Yume calls Keito 眼鏡のひと (megane no hito), or the guy with the glasses. I've translated this as Megane Guy (proper name).
- ↑ Vampire Shogun is an episodic period-drama produced by a film studio associated with Rhythm Link. Keito and Rei bonded deeply over watching this show as kids. The UNDEAD/AKATSUKI tour story Learning from the Past (Succession Match) goes into the show and Keito and Rei's relationship with it in detail. In the story, Keito buys a DVD boxset of Vampire Shogun to support the series, so this could be that same boxset.
- ↑ Rei calls this 極楽浄土 (gokurakujoudo; a yojijukugo; lit. Land of Utmost Happiness and Purity), and Eichi calls this 極楽 (gokuraku). This is the Paradise someone ascends to in Buddhism. Also known as Sukhavati.
- ↑ In Learning from the Past (Succession Match), Keito mentions that the middle seasons of Vampire Shogun jumped the shark in genres in order to stay relevant.
- ↑ Keito draws manga and doujinshi in his free time, and secretly goes under the pen name Mizuhanome-sensei.
- ↑ Referencing Chill Yellow, where Hokuto, Tsukasa and Keito try to get into the role of bad guy for a film audition.