This translation was last found at http://members.nbci.com/elekdaisy/ZB/zbmain.html All translations from the Chinese Tong Li edition, i.e. any Japanese you see I got from the anime. The linguistic equivalent of playing 'telephone', but better than nothing. Zetsuai 1989 by Minami Ozaki, volume 5, side story 1 -------------------------- Translator’s shorthand: (parentheses): smaller text in speech bubbles, flashback warning [brackets]: actions, other pictorial clues and translator’s (extensive) notes //slashes//: voice-over boxes, thoughts *boldface*: sound F/X, emphasis ***: separation between chapters -------------------------- (116) //Nanjo Kouji, a pop idol from an affluent background. His music is excitement, sorrow, songs like primal screams. His explosive charisma knows no bounds...// 3 DAYS [On sign: Three-day concert series] (117) [Kyo in the audience, rapt.] //For him, all my soul and my dreams.// (118) Kyo: *sob* (119) //Too cool for words!// Announcer: Thanks to everyone for attending this event. When you leave... Kyo: *still dazed* Girl A: Wow, he was so cool! Girl B: It was an amazing show! Shibuya: Miss... Kyo-san... Kyo-san! Kyo: Ack! KATSUMI! Shibuya: Why ack? I’m in your class. Kyo: Why are you here? Shibuya: ’Cause I’m Kouji’s biggest fan. Didn’t you know? We’ve been friends for four years, since junior high. (120) Kyo: EH... GET OUT! KOUJI! //That player is a friend of Kouji’s?// Shibuya: (Success on the first day!) //What’s more, his uncle owns Kouji’s label?// Shibuya: (I can’t _not_ have told you.) Kyo: (I don’t believe it!) Kouji: Not even... Kyo: What do you mean? I really think you sang wonderfully. It was so amazing I was crying! (Really!) Shibuya: (She told the truth for once, that one...) Kouji: Who is she? (121) Shibuya: Miss Kyo, the one I told you about, that sharp-tongued flirt of a pervy chiquita. (She’s your fan.) Kyo: Jerk... You weren’t going around shooting your mouth off about me, were you? Kouji: Oh... You mean Kyo-who-plays-at-love? //Kyo: He... he smiled. Kouji, the Kouji I idolize, is standing right in front of me! It’s too much! I can die happy now!// Takasaka: (Nanjo... time to go!) [Kouji slips off his watch and tosses it to her.] Kyo: Eh? //Eh?// Kouji: For you, though it’s kind of broken. //Eh... eh heh...// Kouji: Shibuya’s not a bad fellow. Kyo: Ahhh... this is great! (122) [Great... in a degrading sort of way...-_-;] Shibuya: ...But it really made me freak when I saw you in the audience. Kyo: You talk too much. (Why can’t I be?) Shibuya: Freaked. Didn’t think you were the type of Kouji’s undying fan. You’re not going about with me to get close to him, are you? Kyo: Don’t mix me up with those groupies. I’ve liked him since before he was a singer. //When Kouji was still running about with the local gangs, he was part of a strike unit, so always on the frontlines, but he didn’t seem to like the crazy stuff much. He was an incredible fighter, and good-looking... He was legendary.// (123) //When I went out with friends in [something]nan before, we would often be harassed...// (flshbk) (Stop it, no!) (Kyo!) (Shut up, bitch!) (No! What do you think you’re doing!) [Kouji charges out from nowhere and attacks.] Kyo: Eh? Punk: What... Friend: Kyo! Punk A: What the hell’s your problem! Get him, boys! Punk B: You _idiot!_ That’s Nanjo Kouji from the Zen(?)shu gang! Punk A: What? //At that moment,// Punk: Ugh... Ow! //Kouji was totally, utterly too cool for words!// (124) Kyo: Ah... sir... thank you. Kouji: Ah. //The next time I saw him, he was a star on TV.// Shibuya: So you fell in love at first sight with this hero? Kyo: It’s laughable, isn’t it? Shibuya: No... because you seem serious. Maybe it was a bad idea to introduce you to him. (125) Shibuya: There’s not much to him. No matter how much you love him, you’ll never be requited. *pound* Shibuya: Ow! Kyo: As if I didn’t know that! I wasn’t hoping he would fall for me! Shibuya: (Kyo!) //Of course I know. I think every moment about his voice, his arms, wondering who he sings his songs for... (126) If I could be the one he protects... if it were me... Watching him sing with all his strength and voice, I have the feeling that he would love me in that way, with all his heart and soul. What Shibuya said was too near the mark.// Kyo: (I was too hard on him.) //I’ll find him tomorrow and apologize.// Kyo: Hey... sorry about last night. (Kat-chan.) Shibuya: I feel utterly piteous... Kyo: Are you going to the stadium again today? (Why don’t we go together?) Shibuya: You’re plotting something. (I smell a rat!) You know they used to call him Ladykiller Nanjo? He’s bad-tempered too. (A complete brute!) Kyo: (What are you saying!) You despicable playboy! Shibuya: (Oy, you’re pushing it!) (127) //Kyo: Kouji’s not like those other men.// [You know, I like the girl but _man_ is she ever setting herself up...] Shibuya: (Kyo-chan...) Kyo: Ah! Hey, how much is this watch worth? Shibuya: Oh, the one from yesterday. Kyo: Kouji’s birthday’s coming up, so I thought... Shibuya: As you like. It’s about a million yen. (Rolex, you know.) //A _million_...// Kyo: Wah... ;; Shibuya: You’ll never make it up with part-time jobs. Kyo: Yeah. Eh... how do you know? Shibuya: I investigate thoroughly when I like a girl. Not figuring out your thing for Kouji was a lapse on my part. Kyo: Why should I run to blab to you? You’d just take me for another groupie! Shibuya: Why would a girl like you work anyhow? Kyo: As if I had a choice! I need money to buy Kouji’s present... ah... (128) Shibuya: Oh ho... how sweet. I like you more by the minute, darling. Kyo: (Slip of the tongue...) Shibuya: Kyo. You’ve had a lot of boyfriends, haven’t you? But I haven’t seen you with anyone lately. Because of Kouji? Kyo: ... //Of course I fall in love, sometimes. But it always ends badly, for one reason or another. The boys I date only care about appearences; they all want the same thing. I would be stupid to take them seriously. So no matter who I go out with, it’s better for me to be Kyo-who-plays-at-love... But it’s not the same with Kouji.// (129) //Wild, passionate, holding me tight. He would love me from the depth of his heart, unto death. Pain without sight of freedom, just like his songs...// Kouji: I’m not singing anymore. Shibuya: (Eh... that moron...) (130) Audience: (No way! Kouji! Why? No!) //What...! He’s only performed one song, and he’s stopping? The stadium is packed, he can’t be serious.// Shibuya: Nanjo! Are you for real? You’re not singing? Kouji: Don’t bother me with questions. Kyo: But don’t you understand? (The fans are going to riot!) //Eh! Is this for real?// Kouji: I don’t care if I sing or not. The fans are none of my business. Kyo: You... What are you saying! They came to your concerts because they love you! (131) Kouji: Then let them show me how much they love me. Shibuya: Kouji, this is your job! (Go on for the money’s sake, if you have to!) Kouji: My job, is it? Audience: (Kouji, Kouji! Come on!) //Kyo: Impossible!// //What Kouji sang that day didn’t have the same feeling his songs always do...// (132) //I bought it.// Clerk: Have a nice day! Kyo: (Though it’s not a Rolex... a whole year’s salary. I’ve really the determination.) //He must have just been in a bad mood yesterday. That must be it. He doesn’t care if he sings, the fans aren’t his business... Kouji wouldn’t say that.// Kyo: Happy birthday, Kouji! Shibuya [irritated, having been tossed out of the room]: Just beautiful... Kouji: ...Thank you. Kyo: Uh... not at all. (That’s all he’s going to say?) //He’s thanking me, what do I do... ah!// Kyo: That’s right, you rescued me once. When you were still a member of Zenshu, and I was being harassed by these punks... (133) I’ve liked you since then. //Wow... still as poker-faced as before.// Kouji: I don’t remember that. Kyo: (Oh... of course.) Kouji: Though I figure I was just in a bad mood and wanted to beat up on someone. I don’t bother to rescue girls. [Loooong silence] //Kyo: Ch... change of subject.// Kyo: You must get a lot of birthday presents. You must be sick of unwrapping them all. (I... I gave you a watch.) Kouji: Not at all. I throw them away without looking at them. //But...// (134) Kyo: Why? All the feeling your fans put into the gifts... Kouji: Meaningless. You say you like me? Kyo: *doki* Kouji: I’d prefer the person herself to an object. //Impossible... impossible!// (135) Kouji: You take my meaning, I hope? Miss. //How could...// Shibuya: Kouji! You’re crossing the line! Kouji: I’m just being honest. Shibuya: You’re looking for a fight, aren’t you! Kyo: *doki* You... (136) YOU ASSHOLE! //I hate him! Bastard! How could someone like that exist...!// Shibuya: Shit, you said those things on purpose, didn’t you? Kouji: (Look who’s talking.) Didn’t think Shibuya the playboy could ever find himself at a loss. Isn’t comforting women your talent? Shibuya: Did you get into a fight with _him_ again? (Taking it out on bystanders...) Would you get over it once in a while? He’ll come today, Kouji. It’s the last day, and your birthday. Kouji: ...Don’t mind me. Go after that girl. You’re serious about her, aren’t you? [Call me paranoid, but I think this is Kouji’s way of interfering in _Shibuya’s_ love life.] (137) //You’re serious, aren’t you?// //Kyo: _I’m such an idiot!_// //It’s pathetic! Pathetic! I can’t believe I worshipped a man like that for two whole years! They’re all the same after all!// //He really doesn’t care about anything! His music, his fans...// Shibuya: Kyo! Kyo: Shut up, don’t come after me! Shibuya: Kyo! //And I really was in love with him!// Kyo: Katsumi! I’ll go out with you! Shibuya: !! (138) Shibuya: I don’t care whether or not you’re willing to go out with me, but you have to come to the concert today. Please. //Kyo: What the... what’s he trying to pull! I can’t take this!// Kyo: I only came because you nagged me half to death! Shibuya: Uhuh. Kyo: Kouji utterly disgusts me now! Do you understand? Shibuya: Yes, ma’am, understood, ma’am. (She’s loud...) (139) //Kyo: I don’t want to have anything to do with that heartless, insensitive boor!// Audience: (Kouji! You’re so cool!) //What I believed I heard in Kouji’s songs was all make-believe! He pulled the wool over our eyes!// Shibuya: Kouji has an unredeemable personality, it’s true, but he should still be the man you thought he was. Kyo: Ah... //He’s stopped again!// Kouji: ... //It’s... bizarre. Not the same as the last time... what is he looking at? _Who_ is he looking at?// Kouji: Ah... [pause] For me... (140) There exists someone so important, I wouldn’t care if you all died in your seats for his sake. Kyo: Ah... [Of course I have to write "he." English has something called gendered pronouns. It’s a lot vaguer in Chinese or Japanese.] Kouji: If he’s not listening, my songs lose all meaning and importance. If he would see only me... if he needs me, if he stays by my side... (141) I can abandon my entire being. Audience: No way... look, he’s crying! Kouji, no! //What does this mean?// Kouji: I love you. //How could this be...// Kouji: I don’t ever want to be apart from you. //Kouji’s crying?// Shibuya: He came here today... Kouji’s lover. Sometimes I think he loves him to an inhuman degree. To Kouji, nothing and no one matters besides him. (142) //Nothing matters.// Shibuya: His songs are only for that person, so... //His fans, his music...// //He makes everyone feel...// //It doesn’t matter if others are hurt, if others die, he doesn’t even care what happens to himself...// (143) //That it should be possible to love so deeply...// (144) Kyo: It sucks... He’s terrible. That man... //Kouji...// Kyo: He’s too wicked! I could never go as far as him... (Damn it...) //Kouji’s songs were what moved me the most...// (145) Shibuya: (You asshole! Make’im happy for once, instead of being all talk!) Shibuya: It’s great. You finally understand. Kyo: You idiot... You didn’t have to put on that entire show for me, I would have gone out with you anyway... Shibuya: How could I stage this? Besides, that guy’s my buddy. At first, you know, it was out of amusement, I wanted to see if I could catch Kyo-who-plays-at-love... But by the end, I was serious. (146) Shibuya: Don’t worry, I’m a great guy, you’ll realize it sooner or later, Kyo... Kyo [crying on his shoulder]: You idiot... //That day,// Shibuya: Can do. //Kouji sang the best set for us.// -------------------------- Back