hey there, just wanna clear up some confusion. the source of sunagawa mentioning crying is the september issue of TVLIFE, released just as the series started. the cast were asked what they would like to learn and sngw’s answer was that as an actor he found crying to be a difficult thing to play, that he can’t make tears come out very easily while performing so he wants to be able to draw out sad emotions readily and generally brush up on his skills. so, it could be totally unrelated to 01.
Aaaaaah. Okay. Thank you.
Like I said, I’d never known the source, and my awareness of it was second-hand and through a language barrier, so I had no idea. ^^; I did seem to remember it being earlier in the series, so I wasn’t sure what the situation was.
In between more of the actual story translation, I thought I’d post another one of Miu’s FTEs! This one is... pretty incredible, actually. I’m not quite sure how to summarize it without spoiling the fun, so please just read it if you get a chance.
Thanks to @ne0dym for the transcription as always, and to @shinjiroaragaki for the icons!
This FTE has spoilers for Chapter 1, so please be careful!
Google doc link.
More translated transcripts.
More free time events.
Please enjoy! Miu’s FTEs are honestly really entertaining, so I hope all of you enjoy yourself.
IRUMA: Hya-ha—! Today I’m at the top of my fuckin’ game—!
SAIHARA: ...Looks like it.
IRUMA: Oi, oi, what’s with that look!
Ha-haaa! Anyway, are ya havin’ trouble gettin’ it up?
In that case, maybe I can offer a few “side dishes” to help ya out!* Hya hya hya!
(* Translator’s Note: “おかず” literally mean side dishes with a meal, but in this context the implication is more like “food for thought” to help a person get more aroused.)
SAIHARA (THINKING): Just why is Iruma-san so happy? It almost feels a little creepy...
IRUMA: Come on Saihara, let’s go to my research lab!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Unaware of my doubtful thoughts, Iruma-san said that, then turned and suddenly began walking...
IRUMA: Alright, well, guess we should get started, huh.
SAIHARA: Get started? Start what?
IRUMA: Weren’t you listening, ya damn shithead! I said I was gonna offer some “side dishes,” didn’t I?!
SAIHARA (THINKING): ...It, It can’t be!?
IRUMA: From here on out, I’m gonna show ya all of the new stuff made by the amazing genius inventor, Iruma Miu!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Saying that, what Iruma-san presented to me was…
SAIHARA: A, Are those… sunglasses?
IRUMA: They ain’t any ordinary sunglasses. They have a built-in feature to let ya watch porn vids. Since the videos play on the inside of the lenses, ya can watch porn anytime, anywhere.
And right now as a special service, I included one of my own self-made videos!*
(* T/N: Yes, this means exactly what it sounds like. Yes, she made a porn vid of herself.)
SAIHARA: ……
IRUMA: So next time, you can use these, yeah? They’ll definitely make things way more excitin’ for ya!
SAIHARA: Wh, What, the hell...
IRUMA: Next, this my Panting Voice Sampler!
SAIHARA: ...Huh?
IRUMA: I’ve been makin’ samples outta my voice! So be grateful!
Ordinarily a virgin like you would never get to hear my voice makin’ those sounds, ya know? Hya hya hya!
SAIHARA: …….
SAIHARA (THINKING): She’s a girl, but… I’m pretty sure this still qualifies as her sexually harassing me?
IRUMA: There’s a bunch of other shit too, but it’s a pain to explain every single one of them, so just check ‘em out yourself to find out!
SAIHARA (THINKING): In the box that Iruma-san handed me… every single item… was something you’d use for that kind of thing...
IRUMA: I made all that shit for you, ya know? Be glad!
SAIHARA: ...For me?
IRUMA: Shit like this is necessary for you guys, right? Plus, you’re trapped in this place, and it ain’t like anyone else around here’ll let ya do ‘em, probably!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Whether it’s necessary or not, being suddenly given a bunch of stuff like this is kind of troublesome… But, I guess this is… something Iruma-san did as a favor. Though she did go overboard.
SAIHARA: Umm, well… thanks...
IRUMA: Hya hya hya! Well ain’t it nice that you’re bein’ so honest! This doesn’t feel so bad! I’m likin’ ya more and more! If it’s you we’re talkin’ about…
Maybe I can tell ya my secret...
SAIHARA: ...Secret?
>I don’t really want to hear it, though...
SAIHARA: I don’t really want to hear it, though...
IRUMA: Wh-...! This is a secret about the great and amazing me, ya know? Why the hell would ya not wanna hear it!? ...Oh? I know! The amazing Iruma Miu can see right through ya! You’re just sayin’ that ‘cause you actually want me to tell ya. It’s like that, right? Your mouth says no, but your body says yes!*
(* T/N: More literally, “your mouth says no, but your body is honest.”)
SAIHARA (THINKING): ...I guess she’s set on telling me regardless of whether I want to hear it or not.
>Okay, let me hear it.
SAIHARA: Okay, let me hear it.
IRUMA: ...Eh? Really? You’ll hear me out…?
SAIHARA (THINKING): Why does she look so meek all of a sudden… Even though she was the one who brought it up.
IRUMA: Alri—ght! I like that attitude! Yeah, that’s how it should be!
>I’ll hear you out, but I don’t need the inventions.
SAIHARA: I’ll hear you out, but I don’t need the inventions. Is it okay if I give them back?
IRUMA: Y, You don’t need ‘em? And ya still call yourself a guy!? Um, could it be that ya didn’t like ‘em…? In that case, I can make even better ones...
SAIHARA: N, No, you don’t need to make any others! These are fine! I’ll take them!
IRUMA: Well ya should’ve just said so! Stringin’ me along like that was pointless, ya fuckin’ dick!*
(* T/N: She pretty literally calls him a dick here (マラ野郎). No improvisation needed.)
SAIHARA: ……
--
IRUMA: Alright, so I’ll tell ya the details next time!
SAIHARA: Yeah, okay…
SAIHARA (THINKING): I parted ways with Iruma-san, who was still in a good mood, and returned to my room. That aside, though… I wonder what I should do with these inventions she gave me...
Translation is still ongoing, but I’ve decided to go ahead and upload part 1 of Chapter 2! I know a lot of people have been waiting on a full translation of the game and currently @shinjiroaragaki, @ne0dym, and I are working to bring you all one!
A huge thanks to @hajimikimo for helping us out with this project and providing us with the special events! Anyone who hasn’t yet read a full English translation of the prologue and Chapter 1 should check out her translations, which were subtitled with permission by Thelifeliketextube on YouTube. You can watch here.
If any of you could help spread this around, reblog, link to it, etc., that would help a lot! All of us are working very hard to bring you a full translation, and it’s been a really fun undertaking so far.
Anyway, please enjoy! I can’t possibly include the whole chapter here on Tumblr, so it’s Google doc only this time. I won’t discuss spoilers here, but there are (obviously) spoilers for Chapter 1, so read at your own risk!
IRUMA: Huh? Don’t gimme that look, like some pigeon that just got blasted to pieces by a bazooka! I, the beautiful genius inventor Iruma Miu, am plannin’ on spending my time with the likes of you, ya know?
So of course, you better entertain me a whole lot, alright? I wonder if you’ll be able to get my satisfaction level to 100% capacity!
SAIHARA: E, Even if you tell me that...
IRUMA: Huuuuuh!? Did you seriously invite me out with no plans in mind?
SAIHARA: ……
IRUMA: Guess there’s no helpin’ it… After all, I’m such an amazin’ beauty that every man who stands before me gets all rigid and hard.
Well, I’m in a pretty good mood today, so… Alright, I’m gonna show you my inventions! Come on, follow me!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Saying that, Iruma-san suddenly started walking away without even waiting to hear my reply...
IRUMA: Hyaha—! Alright, we’re here! This is the amazing Iruma Miu’s research lab!
SAIHARA (THINKING): I know that already. You’re the one who told me to come here, after all...
IRUMA: Okay then, this is the first invention I wanted to show ya!
SAIHARA: ...What is this? It looks like some kind of… sensor?
IRUMA: So even someone like you can tell that it’s a sensor, huh, Stupidhara!* Okay, so try tellin’ me what kind of sensor it is!
(* Translator’s Note: As usual, a pun on names. “アホ” can mean “stupid,” “idiot,” “moron,” etc. I went with “stupid” just because it starts with s, so it works better for Saihara’s name.)
SAIHARA: ...I don’t know.
IRUMA: Yeah, I bet! This is the “Experienced People Sensor”!
SAIHARA: E, Experienced people...
IRUMA: Of course, it can tell if ya ever slept with someone before! Or, ya know, if someone else slept with you?*
(* T/N: Basically, it doesn’t matter whether you were “active” or “passive,” the sensor still works just the same.)
SAIHARA: Uwa!? Don’t point it at me!
IRUMA: Too late—! Let’s see, let’s see〜?
Hya hya hya! Oh, I see—, so that’s how it is, huh—!
SAIHARA (THINKING): How is it, exactly!?
IRUMA: O—kay, next up is this one!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Saying that, Iruma-san took out… a machine that looked like a mechanical arm with a boxing glove attached.
SAIHARA: This is…?
IRUMA: This is the “Machine That’ll Automatically Help You Jack Off Those Cold Privates!”
SAIHARA: That name… Isn’t that a little too much!?
IRUMA: Come on, it’s fine, ain’t it. It’s a pain to think up names for these. And anyway, my invention is just part of your everyday masturbation!
What, do ya think there should be some special name for jacking off with tissues, too?
*THUD!*
IRUMA: Oof!?
SAIHARA: Uwa!?
SAIHARA (THINKING): Iruma-san got punched pretty hard just now… I wonder if she’s okay?
IRUMA: C, Come on… It’s a problem if it goes off so suddenly like that… But still… that was a damn good punch...
SAIHARA (THINKING): ...Looks like she’s just fine.
IRUMA: Hihihihihihi… Looks like I put a damper on things. Next up is this one!
SAIHARA: What is it now…?
SAIHARA (THINKING): The feeling I got by looking at it… it looked like something right out of a sci-fi movie, like one of those futuristic ray guns.
IRUMA: This one’s an instant panty-removal device! I call it, “Now You See ‘Em, Now You Don’t”!*
(* T/N: “はいてない” more literally means “there, but not there,” but it’s specifically used to talk about underwear (or lack thereof). I played with the name to give it the same kind of feeling in English.)
SAIHARA: ...Huh?
IRUMA: If someone gets hit by the light from this thing, you can remove their underwear whenever ya want! How about it! Amazing, right!
SAIHARA: Ehhh!? You can transfer materials using light!?
IRUMA: Not any kind of materials, just underwear!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Just underwear… Even though the technology is incredible, the way it’s being used is way too horrible…!
IRUMA: Hya hya hya! How ‘bout it! Go on, kneel before my talent!
SAIHARA: Haa… Even if you tell me to kneel, I really don’t feel like it at all...*
(* T/N: Hilariously, Saihara uses “微妙” here, a phrase which recently has been used by young people as a much fuzzier/less direct way of saying “no.” He’s being really cold and formal here, basically.)
IRUMA: Wh, What’s with that… You don’t need to… look at me so coldly… E, Even though… I just wanted to show you my inventions...
SAIHARA (THINKING): Oops, maybe I was a little too hard on her?
SAIHARA: Uhhh, no, umm… W, Well they’re pretty unique, so isn’t that good?
IRUMA: ...Really?
SAIHARA: Yeah, I think… it’s good that you’re enjoying yourself with your inventions, you know?
IRUMA: You think? I’m glad. Yeah, my inventions are…
Hya hya hya hya! They’re always the best, even without you sayin’ so! But ya know, geniuses need praise, after all! Looks like ya understand that much pretty well, don’tcha!
Alright, alright! Yeah, I like you! I’m gonna be real affectionate to ya from now on! Be sure to keep an eye out whenever I have some new tech to show ya!
Hya hya hya hya! Hya hya hya hya hya hya hya!
SAIHARA (THINKING): She said she likes me… That doesn’t… mean she’s going to try and do something to me, does it?
After repeatedly going along with Iruma-san, I got tired and returned to my room.
ne0dym replied to your post: “Since we know Ouma's last name means King horse and that it heavily...”:
Kodaka actually addressed Ouma's name in his commentary. '彼の名前の由来は黒幕然とした、大物っぽい「王馬」という苗字と、いかにも小物な「小吉」という名前の組み合わせからです。キャラクター付けで二面性を重視していることから、名前もそうした性質を反映しました。'
Haha, now this was a fun read.
Translation for those interested:
“The origin of his name came from combining two really big, mastermind-sounding characters (王馬) to make “Ouma” (king horse), and then pairing two really small-sounding characters (小吉) to make “Kokichi” (small luck). We tried to emphasize the dual nature of his character when creating him, so of course his name was also meant to reflect that nature.”
Basically, his name was meant to go along with the whole black-or-white, truth-or-lies theme that’s so central to his character. I get the feeling Kodaka was very sad about not being able to do the heterochromia in the end so he at least wanted to emphasize Ouma’s name like this if nothing else.
Bonus modes in Danganronpa games are always very interesting to check out, as they give the player a chance to hang out with all of the characters and learn more about them. If the player has completed a character’s FTE’s, they can go on a date with them.
There’s a chance that a special event will occur during a date, called ‘Kokoronpa’. It works just like a Nonstop Debate: there are two weak points and two truth bullets (agree/disagree). Each combination of statement and response will result in a different outcome.
Today we’ve brought you Ouma’s Kokoronpa, complete with all four possible outcomes. It provides a pretty clear insight into Ouma’s feelings for Saihara, so if anyone’s looking to dive deeper into the Oumasai abyss, this is a must. I hope everyone enjoys it!
@ouma–kokichis has been talking quite a lot about kokoronpas lately, so @ne0dym and I became curious and looked into providing the specifics for Ouma’s in case anyone was curious!
Since kokoronpas are basically a free look into any character’s “true inner thoughts,” ne0dym and I felt this would be particularly interesting for a character like Ouma, who usually lies all the time. As she already said, these scenes are really illuminating to Ouma’s character, and they deal a lot specifically with his feelings towards lies, and towards Saihara.
There’s a Google doc prepared as well, mostly identical to this post (minus the Japanese text). But I know some people prefer Google docs since they’re easier to navigate!
Google doc link.
More translated transcripts.
I hope you all enjoy, and if you could help spread this around, it’d be great!
OUMA: ……
SAIHARA (THINKING): 珍しい名前…王馬くんが黙り込んでるなんて。
Well, this sure is strange… It’s unusual for Ouma-kun to be so quiet.
OUMA: （うーん…）
(Hmmm…)
SAIHARA (THINKING): え…？今の声って、まさか…王馬くんの心の声、なのか…？
Eh…? The voice I heard just now, could it be…? Was that the sound of Ouma-kun’s inner thoughts…?*
(* Translator’s Note: A play on “心,” of course. “Kokoro” can mean mind or heart in Japanese, so that’s why these scenes usually have a romantic connotation to them while also dealing with the characters’ inner thoughts.)
But still, this bad habit is already a way of life for me… Really though, I should just try to stop lying… No, on the other hand, that really would be…
そうだ…！オレじゃなくて、最原ちゃんに変わってもらえば…！どうにかして…
Wait, I know…! Maybe if Saihara-chan were the one to change somehow instead of me, then…! I wonder how, though…
嘘を大好きになってもらおう！
I should get him to love and appreciate lies!*
(* T/N: The “appreciate” bit is more of an ad lib, but I feel it better captures the feeling here. Ouma isn’t suggesting Saihara love telling lies himself so much as he just wants him to love them in the sense of understanding them.)
—
Option 1:
◎肯定 -> 嘘を大好きになってもらおう！
◎ Agree -> I should get him to love and appreciate lies! (best choice)
SAIHARA: 大好きとまではいかないけど…あまり気にしないように努力してみるよ。
I don’t know that I could ever “love” lies, exactly… But I could at least try not to dislike them so much.*
(* T/N: More literally, “I could try not to mind them.” Pretty big talk, coming from a detective.)
OUMA: …最原ちゃんの信念はそんなものだったの？
…Is that how you really feel, Saihara-chan?
SAIHARA: …え？
…Eh?
OUMA: そんな甘ったるい気持ちで今まで嘘を嫌っていただなんて…正直、見損なったよ！
And all this time I thought you hated lies even though your real feelings for them were so sentimental… To be honest, I misjudged you!
Nishishi… Looks like you really do get me, huh Saihara-chan. I’m truly happy that I could meet the person who understands my true self. I might even have been born into this world in order to meet Saihara-chanー.*
(* T/N: I just wanted to point out that I didn’t ad lib this one at all. That’s literally what he says.)
SAIHARA (THINKING): よし、すごく楽しんでもらえたみたいだ。
Alright, it looks like he’s really enjoying himself.
Ahhh… I feel like I just wasted my time… Even though I thought for sure that I’d be able to have fun if I was together with Saihara-chan… I wonder if that was just my misconception… Just kidding! That was a lie! Thanks to Saihara-chan, I had so much fun! So much that even I’m surprised! Okay then, why don’t we head back to the dorms together?
—
Option 2:
○否定 -> 嘘をつくのをやめてみる…
○ Disagree -> I should just try to stop lying…
SAIHARA: 嘘をつかない王馬くんは、逆に気持ち悪いよ。
Actually, an Ouma-kun who didn’t tell lies would just creep me out.*
(* T/N: “気持ち悪い” is really strong language, especially coming from Saihara. It can also be translated as “to gross someone out,” “to just be plain wrong,” etc.)
Huuuh… Well, I kind of thought Saihara-chan would say something along those lines. But I’m a pretty contrary person you know, so if someone tells me not to stop something then that just makes me want to stop altogether! So with that said… I will hereby use this opportunity to graduate from lyiーng! I swear to God up in heaven above that from now on, I will no longer tell any lies, be they good or bad!
Yeah, this really was a nice distraction. It’s really easy to spend time with Saihara-chan because I don’t have to pay attention to anything. Okay then, why don’t we head back together?
—
Option 3:
△肯定 -> 嘘をつくのをやめてみる…
△ Agree -> I should just try to stop lying…
SAIHARA: うん、自分の言葉で話してくれたら…今よりも王馬くんとわかり合えると思う。
Yeah, if you began talking to me openly… I think I’d be able to understand you a lot better than I do now, Ouma-kun.
OUMA: …えー？実はオレ、自分を捨ててまで、仲良くなりたいとはおもってないんだよねー。
…Ehhh? You know, I don’t think I actually want to go as far as throwing away who I really am if that’s what it takes to become better friends.
You must think pretty highly of yourself if you think people should try changing themselves for you.* Could it be, Saihara-chan, that you thought you were important enough that you could change me as a person? If that’s the case, that’s just your own pride talking, so you’d be better off revising that opinion in the future.
(* T/N: Boy, he’s pissed. More literally this means something like “If it’s just Saihara-chan we’re talking about, I can’t find the value in going that far,” and he’s saying it as an expression of disbelief.)
Hmmm… Looks like you need more training, Saihara-chan. What kind of training, you ask? Of course, I’m talking about training for you to entertain me more! Well, I’m going on ahead.
—
Option 4:
×否定 -> 嘘を大好きになってもらおう！
× Disagree -> I should get him to love and appreciate lies!
SAIHARA: 嘘を好きになるなんて、ありえないよ。
It’d be impossible for me to ever like lies.
OUMA: そ、そんな…それって…オレと仲良くなる気がないって事…？
Th, That’s… So does that mean… you’re not interested in getting closer to me at all…?
That’s so mean! Even though all I wanted was to get along with Saihara-chan…! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa! Saihara-chan, you jeeeerrrrrrrk!*
(* T/N: “人でなし” can be translated as a wide variety of terms. Anywhere from “you meanie” to “you bastard” will do, as long as it’s conveyed strongly enough. The intention just has to be that the other person is being heartless or cruel in some way.)
Well, it’s true that I think you’re a jerk, Saihara-chan. You must really be narrow-minded if you can’t even appreciate at least the occasional lie.*
(* T/N: More literally, it’d be something like “the mind isn’t so shallow that it can’t put up with at least one or two lies.” Again, Ouma is really, really pissed.)
SAIHARA (THINKING): しまった…雰囲気は最悪だ…
I really messed up… This atmosphere is just the worst…
I already know how disliked I am, but if I keep hearing this sort of thing from Saihara-chan, my self-confidence is going to dry up. After all, I’ve never met anyone in my entire life who was this bad at thinking about others’ feelings… Well, I’m going on ahead.
This was incredibly fun to translate, wow. It’s a rare enough sight to get to hear the “true inner thoughts” of any of the characters, but it’s rarer than ever from someone like Ouma. Knowing that all the words during his actual “kokoronpa” at the beginning can be taken pretty much at face value is a huge help to understanding his character.
As always, Ouma is a mixture of childish and mischievous, petty and genuinely affectionate. His other lines from his regular FTEs and prison mode ending, about telling lies in order to entertain others, ring particularly true here.
It’s clear that the first one is the best option because it’s all about not denying Ouma as a person or something that’s very important to his character. Agreeing to make an effort to “love and appreciate lies,” especially the “gentle lies” that Ouma loves the best, nets the highest amount of points with him (and also has him happy enough that he starts saying stuff like “maybe I was born to meet you,” haha).
Failing to understand why Ouma lies the way he does or assuming that “lying is bad” as a whole just ruins the mood and clearly makes him angry and unhappy. As Ouma implies throughout events in-game and confirms in his prison mode ending, even he doesn’t quite know what’s a lie or what’s true about himself sometimes. So expecting him to completely stop lying altogether is like expecting him to disregard a huge portion of his personality.
Finally, “loving and appreciating” lies is something very, very close to what Saihara actually does in the epilogue. Putting lies on the same level as truth, understanding that when used correctly they can change the world for the better, these are the things Ouma hoped he’d be able to do. Even here in the more lighthearted, bonus mode content, it’s something Ouma wants from him.
Ouma’s desire to be understood while simultaneously making it near-impossible for anyone to understand him is as prevalent as always (and also very Umineko of him). Depending on how well or how little he’s understood in this scene, he reacts accordingly, and it’s really heartwarming in its own way to see how obviously happy he is when Saihara touches on the right answer.
I hope all of you enjoyed this! We’ll be looking to bring more prison mode content from here on out too, so please keep supporting us!
Welp, here’s the last one. It has a pretty serious resolution after all the wacky shounen adventures in the middle.
Thanks to @kaibutsushidousha and @ne0dym for the transcription, and @shinjiroaragaki for the icons! I couldn’t have translated all of these without them!
This FTE has spoilers for Chapter 1 and very mild spoilers for Chapter 2, so be careful!
The Google doc has officially been updated with all of Momota’s FTEs by now, so anyone who wants to read all of them from start to finish can read there if it’s more convenient!
Google doc link.
More translated transcripts.
Thank you all for all the support! I really hope you enjoy! It was a blast translating these FTEs and I can’t wait to bring you all more translations soon! If you enjoyed these, feel free to link them, reblog them, etc.!
MOMOTA: ...Hey, do you have a minute? I have somethin’ kinda serious I wanna talk to you about today.
SAIHARA: S, Sure…
SAIHARA (THINKING): Momota-kun seems like he’s in a bad mood… I wonder if I did something to make him mad?
MOMOTA: I’m just gonna say it straight out! You’re holdin’ something back!*
(* Translator’s Note: “くすぶって” generally means “to smolder,” “to smother,” etc. In this case, he means it as in “you’re letting something smolder under the surface,” so I used “holding back” as a good substitute.)
SAIHARA: ...Eh?
MOMOTA: And see! I don’t really care why you, my assistant, are holdin’ back on me!
SAIHARA (THINKING): I’m… holding back?
MOMOTA: I told you before, right? I said ya shouldn’t hold back if you had anything to tell me. But even though I said that, you still aren’t tellin’ me anything! Am I really that unreliable!? Come on, go ahead and say it! We can’t solve anything if you just keep bottling it up!
SAIHARA: ...Sorry, I really don’t know what this is about. I don’t really have anything to ask for advice about...
MOMOTA: You’ve got some nerve thinkin’ you can just lie to me like that, don’t’cha?
SAIHARA: ......
MOMOTA: There’s no helping it! Fine, then I’ll go ahead and talk instead...
SAIHARA (THINKING): What Momota-kun wanted to talk about… In the end, it was about my talent after all. And so… The case where I first became known as the “Super High School Level Detective”... I explained that case to Momota-kun. Because otherwise… I wouldn’t be able to really talk about my talent.
MOMOTA: ...I see. So ya got chosen after solving just one case, huh.
SAIHARA: Yeah… And on top of that… It was only by chance… that I found some evidence that had been overlooked… I just happened to notice the loophole in the trick that the culprit had used… It was just a coincidence… Just by coincidence, I happened to crush any chance of revenge that the culprit had… Whether revenge is right or wrong… I don’t know, so I can’t really say anything. But still… to that culprit at least, I...
MOMOTA: ...Sheesh. So you were worryin’ over something this stupid.*
(* T/N: “くだらない” can mean a lot of things, ranging from “useless,” “pathetic,” “worthless,” “silly,” etc.)
SAIHARA: ...Stupid?
>Something stupid… What do you mean?
SAIHARA: Something stupid… What do you mean?
MOMOTA: That culprit’s just stupid. So that’s why it’s also stupid for you to be worryin’ over someone like him—!
SAIHARA: Eh…?
>Being a detective really is a stupid job...
SAIHARA: Yeah, being a detective really is a stupid job… It’s the kind of job… where you just try to get money… in exchange for uncovering people’s secrets.
MOMOTA: Huh? The hell are you sayin’. Do ya really take no pride in the kind of work you do? Your job ain’t stupid—! It’s awesome! What I’m talkin’ about is that culprit you mentioned!
>That’s easy for you to say!*
(* T/N: More literally, it’s something like “don’t speak so selfishly.” Basically, an indignant remark like “don’t talk about something one-sidedly.”)
SAIHARA: That’s easy for you to say! You don’t even know anything about how I felt!
MOMOTA: ...Heh! An assistant who snaps back at the person who’s training ‘em, that’s pretty good. Yeah, you’re right, I don’t know. I don’t know how you felt ‘cause I’m not you. And that’s exactly why I can say this!
---
MOMOTA: Listen up, okay? That culprit, he tried to fool everyone by using some trick, right? My point is, he was a piece of shit who wanted to kill another person and get away with it without ever atonin’ for his crimes! If he’d done that, that guy would’ve been crushed by the weight of the sin he committed. He woulda suffered a dozen times more than what he’s suffering right now. You caught him before it came to that, so he should thank you!
SAIHARA: ......
MOMOTA: Don’t worry. Even if that asshole holds a grudge against you…
I’ll support your decision no matter what! I’ll tell him myself that you were right! Nah, I won’t just tell him—! From now on, I’m gonna stand against every single person like him who holds a grudge against you!
So keep followin’ the path that you believe in!
You’re my assistant. So that’s why… you don’t gotta hold back. You can depend on me.
SAIHARA: Momota-kun… Thank you.
SAIHARA (THINKING): ...He really is messed up. To think that he’d give me so much unconditional support… Still, he’s right… In that case, I guess I can’t ever let him down. I definitely don’t ever want to let Momota-kun down after all the trust and support he’s given me. I won’t ever sever the bond between Momota-kun and me…!
SAIHARA: ...I understand. So… I’ll depend on you, without holding back.
MOMOTA: Yeah! You just leave it to me!
SAIHARA (THINKING): Upon seeing Momota-kun’s reassuring smile, I couldn’t help but smile too. ...As long as that bond between us is there, everything is alright. We can keep moving forward, straight ahead. Even now, I still feel as if I’m being pulled along by Momota-kun… but I feel like eventually, I feel like it might be possible to walk with him, side by side. ...Maybe that’s a little audacious, coming from an assistant like me, though.
I parted ways with Momota-kun and returned to my room.
