[Loulou*di S3V4 L 3-16] Hana-Doll 3rd Season THINK OF ME:DEJA VU Translation
Translation below the cut. Google Drive link | Listen to the album on Spotify
(Door opens)
Staff Member A: Good morning.
Toki: (breathing slowly)
Staff Member A: Do you know your own name?
Toki: I’m… Sakurai Toki. Isn’t that right?
Staff Member A: Yes. Seems like you slept well.
Toki: You can tell?
Staff Member A: From the decline in your sleep activity and muscle activity, yes. While you were asleep, did you have any dreams?
Toki: Dreams…?
Staff Member A: It’s alright if you can’t remember in full detail. Bits and pieces of it would be sufficient. When you closed your eyes, did you see anything?
Toki: I saw… a lot of light.
Staff Member A: Light? What was the light like?
Toki: It was… endless and everywhere, like stars. It was like I could stare at it forever. It was a sight I could never look away from. And sometimes… I could hear it. Voices upon voices that saw me for who I am.
Staff Member A: And how did you feel during that experience?
Toki: How I ‘felt’...?
Staff Member A: Please try to put your thoughts into words.
Toki: I thought… that this was where I belonged. The light proved to me my reason to live, my reason to exist. I felt that I had to reach my ideal, to transform into the perfect being.
Staff Member A: What is your ideal?
Toki: In the world called ‘Loulou*di’ that Ageha-san will create, I will live as one of the gears that makes it revolve. I want nothing else.
Staff Member A: A gear? That’s quite reminiscent of a machine.
Toki: I’m not a machine. A person like Doctor wouldn’t get how I feel.
Staff Member A: How you feel…?
Toki: I want… to be with Ageha-san and Rui-san soon, and together we’ll reach the top… For that, I’ll do whatever it takes…!
-
(Door opens)
Staff Member A: Good morning. Do you know your own name?
Rui: Hinagi Rui.
Staff Member A: How about the name of the unit you’re from?
Rui: It’s Loulou*di.
Staff Member A: When you were asleep, did you experience any dreams?
Rui: Considering what you might regard as ‘dreams’, how should I answer?
Staff Member A: What’s the matter?
Rui: I’m asked about my dreams every time, and I’m beginning to think that I’ve been giving the wrong answers.
Staff Member A: I see. It seems like we’ve given off the wrong impression. This is simply standard as part of the examination, so you’ll be fine as long as you answer according to what you think is right.
Rui: Understood. But it seems like I’ve forgotten what dreams I had.
Staff Member A: Then, allow me to change the question.
Rui: Hm?
Staff Member A: Right now, what is the one thing you wish for the most?
Rui: Is that question also standard for the examination?
Staff Member A: That’s for us to handle.
Rui: My wish… is to maintain Loulou*di’s worldview and to reach the peak set by Ageha’s desires.
Staff Member A: Is that truly what you yourself want?
Rui: Why do you ask?
Staff Member A: What I’m asking for is not superficiality, but what’s from the bottom of your heart, your true wish, according to your instincts.
Rui: True…?
Staff Member A: Please think about how your feelings stand as they are now.
Rui: Are you thinking about something that might waver my instincts?
Staff Member A: I don’t know. To us, data is everything. (types in something) I’ll ask once again. What is the one thing you wish for the most, from the bottom of your heart?
-
(A clock chimes)
Ageha: …This is…?
(Door opens)
Staff Member A: Ah, you’re awake.
Ageha: The medical team…?
Staff Member A: Good morning. Are you able to state your own name?
Ageha: … It’s Karasuma Ageha.
Staff Member A: How about the name of the unit–
Ageha: Just why… am I here? I believe the schedule for routine examinations hasn’t been decided yet.
Staff Member A: It’s not out of the question during times of emergency. You were brought here after you collapsed in your dorm.
Ageha: !! I collapsed?
Staff Member A: We’ve prescribed some sleeping pills. Please take them after you return to your dorm.
Ageha: I’ll do without. Are you aware, Doctor, that those don’t even work as placebos?
Staff Member A: For the purpose of maintaining fairness, even the number of prescriptions for medications, be it of any type, are being monitored. You seem particularly more on edge than usual today.
Ageha: An accurate observation. It’d be more strange to not be on edge in this situation. Do you think of me as some emotionless, helpless mouse that’s playing along with your experiments?
Staff Member A: Not reigning in your agitation will affect your flower. We’ll also prepare to prescribe some medication for your mental state. Allow me to collect some data to determine whether that will be necessary.
Ageha: (sighs)
Staff Member A: I’ll carry on with the questions. When you were asleep, did you experience any dreams?
Ageha: No, not at all.
Staff Member A: A rough impression of it will suffice. Do you remember, even just a little?
Ageha: I would have told you if I did. I don’t have a reason to hide from you. My honest cooperation is pivotal to the success of the Hana*Doll Project. I understand that clearly.
Staff Member A: Then, my next question pertains to when you collapsed in the dorm. Do you remember what you were doing before you lost consciousness?
Ageha: … I was checking the music video for the new song.
Staff Member A: Why?
Ageha: Because I was thinking about the perfect performance for the music awards. Is that something so strange?
Staff Member A: No. Let’s move on.
Ageha: I, too, have a question for you, Doctor.
Staff Member A: What is it?
Ageha: When I was asleep, did you inject Water into me?
Staff Member A: That’s… Why do you ask?
Ageha: Did you or did you not? It’s a simple question. It’s a drug that stabilizes the influence on the flower, isn’t it? Haven’t you all been utilizing it like a convenience many times, this whole while?
Staff Member A: That’s…
Ageha: It’s injected into Anthos*. But is there a reason why it’s not injected into me?
Staff Member A: … Where did you hear that from?
Ageha: As I thought. That’s how it was.
Staff Member A: !! Don’t move. Your body is still–
Ageha: I couldn’t care less about what happens to them. I will do anything to become perfection itself, to be recognised by President Amagiri. Like a pupa that cannibalizes its own skin to become a beautiful butterfly, like Chihiro, turning into a form befitting of them–it’s what I will do. Then the President surely would acknowledge me, above anyone else. I’ll ask again. When I was unconscious, did you inject Water into me?
Staff Member A: Just why are you so fixated on the Water?
Ageha: It’s nothing like fixation. Please stop saying as though I want it.
Staff Member A: Then are you saying that you don’t need it?
Ageha: Perhaps I should answer that question of yours about dreams, Doctor. I only dreamt of one thing: surpassing order to reach the new heights of idols and scaling to its summit, becoming perfect. It would be possible for me, was what President Amagiri said.
Staff Member A: The existence you hope for aligns with our goals.
Ageha: But we’re not in agreement at all.
Staff Member A: Excuse me?
Ageha: The perfection you aim for is an imitation. Something born from a man-made invention put in a bottle. A defective monster who derides heaven. I will never become something like that. I won’t rely on drugs, but on my own strength, and become a new pioneer. Without fail.
Staff Member A: Please hold on–(something clatters) A-ah! What are you–?!
Ageha: Like I’d let myself be swallowed by some useless flower!
-
Staff Member B: Seems like you had a lot to deal with here.
Staff Member A: I apologize. I’ll clean this up in a bit.
Staff Member B: Did something happen with the Doll?
Staff Member A: Yes. When talking about Water his response is nothing short of deranged, but he takes his obsession with becoming the perfect Doll like it’s a normal thing for him.
Staff Member B: Humans will naturally obsess over things that are beyond their reach. That’s why we don’t give Water to that Doll. Like with plants, there are seeds that are harder to raise, and seeds that can be raised without hassle. The flowers and their hosts, too, have their own natures.
Staff Member A: Are you saying that even without Water, his flower can stabilize on its own?
Staff Member B: Not at all. Whether the Water is injected or not depends on the situation. There’s a high possibility that the flower will start to weaken if we inject more Water at this state.
Staff Member A: If I recall, administration of Water to Kisaragi Kaoru from Anthos* has also been stopped, right? But right now, his flower is stable and seems to be progressing towards full bloom.
Staff Member B: That’s a special case. I’m not sure of the details, but if there’s one thing I know, it’s that he’s completely different from the other Dolls.
Staff Member A: Different as in…?
Staff Member B: Since the seed was implanted in him, the method of blooming and the progress of growth for the flower have all been different. So, there’s not much to talk about if we want to draw comparisons.
Staff Member A: …But, even now, Karasuma Ageha’s condition has been making progress. Just now, and even before he was admitted, his memories are…
Staff Member B: It’s better if you keep your emotions out of your judgments. Beyond assisting in the growth of the Dolls, the slow-release effect of Water enables some quality of life. It might seem like a miracle pill at first glance, but the toll it takes on the Dolls is too much to bear.
Staff Member A: But what if we put stabilizing their condition as our forefront priority? Even if the toll gets raised, it would still be a favorable treatment to them, right? Maybe we could start administration for Anthos*.
Staff Member B: Ah, if you’re talking about the example Doll Shorai Chitose, that was Dr Toudou’s orders. The effect of his mental state on his flower turned out to be greater than expected. Taking into account the other Dolls’ conditions, administering Water seems to be the most optimal treatment.
Staff Member A: But even with a case like that, Karasuma Ageha might still refuse the Water. He might have realized something beyond what we predicted.
Staff Member B: Whether he’s realized something or not, his fate has already been sealed. He can chase those dreams all he wants, but without scientific clinical trials, he can’t escape reality. Well, we should get a move on with cleaning up. The next task is…
Staff Member A: Seems there’s been people talking about us returning Sakurai Toki to the House very soon. If we continue trying to keep things under wraps, it might become a problem for their idol activities and we’ll have to deal with a lot of heat. Besides…
Staff Member B: Besides?
Staff Member A: Even when he seemed entirely desensitized to emotion, he still desperately wanted to be with those two. If we return him to the House now, it would be like a repeat of that case with Anthos*.
Staff Member B: When with a flower that rejects Water, the success rate of the Water will be shared… Whatever action we decide to take next, we need to keep a close eye on the situation.
-
Ageha: I collapsed… and had to be carried over? What I was doing before? Dammit! I’m running out of time, I still have things I absolutely have to finish…
(A notification comes in.)
Ageha: A message?