V2C1 Part3

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Chapter 1 part 3

It was the day after filming was over

Since class started in the evening I was killing time in the art research club room

“Sugimotoー ,are you ready to go?” 

Kakihara-san from the Performing Arts department was dancing while throwing up at the new comers club celebration. He shouted out loud directed to the lower floor.

“I’ll go ahead later, you can go ahead first Kakihara-san, Good luck!.”

Sugimoto responds back in an equally loud voice. He is a senior from the music department who was singing “Donogurai Kokoro” in a transcendently beautiful voice.

“Just hurry it up, If everyone isn’t there they’ll say all kinds of annoying stuff”

*rustle*

He scrapes up the paperwork with his hands.

“Well then captain, I’ll be out for a while.” 

He left running out.

“Everyone seems to be really busy.”

Kiryu then replies to me with a gloomy tone.

“It’s the preparations for the school festival, there’s only 3 months left.”

He answers while a fan set to the highest setting cools him off. It is pretty hot right now.

“Ahh, the school festival huh? So Geidai has one to.”

The fan and him turns to me in unison after my lackluster response

“Where’s your excitement!? Don’t you know about Geidai’s school festival!?”

He suddenly started talking about the history of the school festival that I thought he was howling.

“Our school festival is such a big event that students plan for it for the whole year!”

Its history spans back ever since the opening of the university so it has been done for almost 40 years now. With nearly 8,000 students almost everyone participates voluntarily, from theatrical style dramas and independent films to acrobatic stunts and exhibitions, it is famous for its high level that many visitors from even the large art universities in the Kanto region come from it. From left to right, the wide open concrete buildings of the different departments in Geidai would be surrounded in colorful decorations with the spectacle being strangely reminiscent of Kowloon’s Walled City.

It is especially famous for its food and beverage stalls. Through collaboration with the local vendors, its level is enough where it can proud of to be listed in gourmet magazines. If you put out anything half-assed, your own club’s reputation could fall and it could impact the applicants for it the following year so students treat this festival like as some kind of a “battle”. There is no end to the number of students who devote themselves to research on food and drink management, after all there are many alumni who become professional restauranteers and are involved in the festival even after graduation.

(TN- Here’s a video from Osaka Arts University, which the novel is based on, from the festival just this November of 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMkQmRRPz8s.  I don’t know how this would resemble Kowloon’s walled city but the author could be referring to the arcade in Kawasaki City’s homage to Kowloon city here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHrE13WucOQ&vl=ja ..…. which also doesn’t make sense. Or I could just be overthinking this as I am comparing it with the 2006 and below era.)

Until only a few years ago, alcohol was openly allowed to be sold but it seems to have been banned because of recurring “incidents” every year. However due to that, the underground bar was rejuvenated and now as a tradition, the smell of liquor suddenly wafts in out of nowhere on the evening of the last day.

“There are 30,000 visitors in the span of 3 days. It is said that the economic effect of that cannot be ignored in a district like Minamikawachi where the population is low. So it can’t be helped to join this festival you know?”

“…That’s really amazing, It really makes me feel excited.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in the school festival but that got my attention. It looks like another reason to look forward to come November.

“It’s such a big event that everyone is going all out with the preparations, people have been running around like crazy.”

Depending on the size of the planned project some would even start preparations as early as the first term.

“What will Biken be doing?”\n “Well the thing is…we haven’t thought of anything for this year”\n “Eh? But weren’t Sugimoto and Kakihara preparing for something?”\n “Ah, it’s because those guys are part of the school’s live performance executive committee”

“Live performance?”

“You seriously don’t know? On the final day of the festival there’ll be a huge live event at a special stage at the central square”

“So that’s what I saw in the school’s newspaper”

On the final day of the school festival, a large live performance will serve as the climax.

The number of visitors and excitement will be at its peak.Starting it all off with the light music department, many off-campus bands will perform.

“That’s why people other than the clubs will be coming and going”

“So that’s how it is.”

While talking it out with Kiryu-san, I was still thinking about the events from yesterday.

She said that the secret would be safe but I’m still uneasy about it. After all there was no guarantee that she’ll be keeping that promise.

“Umm, Kiryu”

“Yea?”

I talked to Kiryu, who was still in front of the fan, about the mysterious female senior I encountered yesterday.

“Wahaha it seems that you’re in quite a mess because of that weird upperclassman.”

When Kiryu was detailed in on the whole story he started laughing cheerfully on his knees.

“Well there’s only weird upperclassmen here. My condolences” 

He was able to say that even though he himself was an upperclassman.

“This isn’t a laughing matter though, I wonder what kind of punishment Sensei will serve once she finds out about this.”

*fumu* Kiryu nodded.

“Well won’t that depent on the favor you owe her.”

“Yeah… you got me there.”

But in the end, I don’t know how to pay back what I “owe”.

“Well, it can’t be helped you don’t even know her background.”

When I asked the other seniors nobody no one knew her in detail. 

The only lead was from a representative of the filming crew but the only information that they “Met at a bar”.

That person is still shrouded in mystery.

“Could she perhaps be your acquaintance Kiryu? She stands out quite a lot”

Pink hair, petite, fluffy looking clothes etc. I try to describe her as much as possible.

“Pink hair huh, and is also all sorts of trouble. Is there anything else that stands out?”

“Well that’s about it.”

“Is she similar to an anime character perhaps? It could help me paint a picture.”

“Yeah she’s like Mado….”

I was about to blurt out the name of a certain magical girl who made a contract. Her appearance in this world was still 5 years off.

Talking about references like this makes knowledge from the future quite inconvenient.

“What were you about to say?”

“Ah uhm I mean, Speaking of the pink hair she has a fairly short haircut”

Although my description is a little far off it should still convey what I’m getting at.

“A miss Keiko Tomioka with pink and short hair…..hmm. I wonder if there is such a person from the 3rd and 4th years from the filming department.”

Lining all the facts up again, her known features are causing quite a bit of a roadblock.

“There’s a lot of Nee-chans who dye their hair pink here at Geidai”

“Yeah… It’s hard to narrow it down now that you mention it.”

It may be her most prominent feature but it is Geidai we’re talking about here. There are many boys and girls who dye their hair like that, even the teachers do it. It’s really not that rare of a hair color to have.

The two of us moved our heads in empuzzlement.

“It doesn’t haf’ta be a 3rd or 4th year. I’m an alumnus ya know, I’m already a graduate~”

The door of the club room suddenly opened with the person in question, Keiko Tomioka herself, appearing.

“To-Tomioka…senpai?”

I reflexively stood up from my seat and faced the person who appeared.

“That’s right~. I’ll be bothering ya for a wee bit.”

“Hasshi what kind of lies were you spouting about earlier! I thought that she was some kind of subcultured girl based on your story but isn’t she an insanely cute girl!?”

“B-believe me! I admit that she looks like a cute little girl but underneath that she’s really terrifying.”

Keiko san then said “Let’s have some G-O-O-D f****** s**” in a voice more akin to an old man rather than the aunt-like voice she has as she sat down on the chair.

And as we behold that magnificent sight.

(TN- the line actually said here is “Yokorasekkusu” which is a compound of yorokase and sekkusu which is basically a shout when you do when you perform vulgar actions with your waist so yes she’s basically dry humping the chair the translation however was gotten from the official English translation of a vocaloid song from 2008 with the same name) 

“Hasshi-”

“Yes~?”

“It seems you were right about everything.”

“Isn’t that what I keep telling you!?”

Kiryu has finally started to believe that I wasn’t joking.

“Ah umm…. Why are you here?”

First things first, finding out Keiko’s reason for being here.

“I asked around for ya name and student number. I was hoping I could get to bang someone here?”

…..Well I was sure anyway that information would reach her ears sooner or later.

But I didn’t exactly expect her to come directly to the clubroom.

“So y’all from the Art Research Club eh. Is Hiroe-chan still here?”

“You’re looking for Hiroe-senpai? He already graduated 2 years ago though….” 

“For real? That little Hiroe-chan is already that old? That’s crazy!”

She’s treating someone who graduated 2 years ago as a junior.

(Even if I estimate her age my youngest guess would be at least 25 years old)

However at a glance the girl in front of me looks far younger than the both of us.

Leaving aside the way she acts, her height and facial features makes her youngness stand out.

“Uh, Tomioka-senpai.”

“Hey hey, call me Keiko-chan . Well I guess using “-chan” isn’t really a good idea to use on someone older, I’ll just have to yield with being called as Keiko-san then, how about it?”

“Then Keiko-san. You see I’m just a penniless student, right now I’m only working part-time 4 times a week.”

“Ah I see, don’t you work at the Dawson’s Tokiwamachi store? Together with the girl with the extremely large boobs.

She even knows up to that extent!?

“That’s right, and with that said I really don’t have any money. I really can’t pay no matter how much you threaten me.”

I relentlessly appealed to her that I had no money.

“Why d’ya keep saying that? You don’t need ta worry bout giving your money away

As if in amazement however, Keiko-san denied my appeal with money.

“Ahh, I get it now~ you were talking about the thing you “owe” me from yesterday. I see, I see.”

She patted her knees in laughter.

“If you were talking about that don’t worry too much, ya won’t be needing money for that”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

“Even though she said that I didn’t need any money, there are other things in a healthy human body or even my possessions that can be turned over for money.

Back when I was at the eroge game company there was a person who did such a dangerous thing like getting money in exchange exchanging money for things like their corneas, organs, and even the title of their home.

“What I actually want are your arms.”

“My…arms?”

Being told that, she stared at my arms, which aren’t particularly appealing as it was neither fatty nor muscular. Was there perhaps a way for her to transplant my arms and traffic it at the black market?

“Are you perhaps mistaking it for something hard to return again? Far from it, What I want ’cha to do is for you to pay me back with your skills in “production”.

(TN- the kanji for arms and skills(e.g ability to do something) are the same) 

“Did you say production?”

“Right-o, What I actually meant by it was to use your expertise for me”

That was unexpected.

I thought she was gonna say something a young person could do like manual labor, or working on a tuna fishing boat to pay off the debt, or working as her driver to film sites.

But what she wants is from me is my brain in other words, my knowledge.

(TN- Warning long read =You might be confused why there are talks of body parts and such but let me explain. From chapter 1 part 2 the literal translation of what she said is She’ll be giving him a “Loan” instead of “Return me the favor” (Which was a liberal translation since it won’t make sense in English)  

Which I believe is an allusion to , correct me if I’m wrong, King of Minami which is the nickname of the name character Manda Ginjiro who owns the Manda Financing which is a company that loans out money, The protagonist of the story is a loan shark who is associated with yakuza gangs in Osaka and long story short he stops at nothing and will do anything and I mean anything to get back what he is owed so you may see where I’m going with this. Now I’m not saying that Manda Ginjiro takes organs or something as I haven’t read nor watched anything related to it but what I do know is that yakuzas are (whether true or not) associated with organ trades and since she was “Loaning” something and the protagonist thought about King of Minami so that’s my two cents on it. Now I don’t know if people want a very westernized liberal translation of everything and would rather just read the story without being bogged down by translation notes like this one here so just say it in the comments if you want things to be just translated more westernized for the references that wouldn’t make much sense to the non-japanese world or I keep it as is and try to make sense of the many references in this particular novel as notes and just keep the liberal translations to small grammatical incongruencies and figures of speech (Trust me there are a lot since this manga was obviously made for the Japanese nostalgia trip ). Once again sorry for the long read as I am a very very inexperienced at translating so thanks if you actually made it this far~.)

What the heck did she mean by that. Before I could think things through, she started talking again.

“I’m actually a game developer.”

………………………………..

…………………………….What?

“Have you never played a game perhaps? No way right….. you know, things like Z*lda or Mar*o there’s no way that’s the case right?”

No, that’s not the reason I hesitated to reply.

Once I was really into games, perhaps even too involved with it so I took it upon myself to distance myself from it. 

Moreover, ever since entering Geidai, I deliberately avoided having anything to do with games. There are mountains of other things that I want to study but more than that though, my past traumas games haven’t healed with time just yet.

“It’s not that I don’t know about it but….I’m not really in to it is what I’m trying to say.”

That’s why I will resolve myself in keeping distance with it here as well.

“No probs don’t worry about it It’s ok even if you just have passing knowledge about it. What I’m creating a Doujin Game, It’s a PC based game burned into a CD-ROM and sold at exhibition events and shops.”

I should know. I’ve both bought and helped create them.

”Our circle is called Hallucigenia* Soft. It’s a fairly big circle”

(TN- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucigenia)

Hallucigenia Soft… Where have I heard that before.

“Eh!?”

Kiryu, who was watching from behind us, stood up.

“Hallucigenia Soft!? That company has become a shutter circle* several times now.”

(TN- https://www.otashift-tokyo.com/comiket95/ tldr the popular circles are divided into two types. The kabe-circles are popular enough that they are put near the walls (kabe) as to not disturb the traffic. The shutter circles on the other hand are the most popular and are placed near the entrances of the halls as the lines get insanely long.”

“Oh-?, If you kids know about it then its easier to explain. You’re right about that one~”

Kiryu’s words made me remember clearly.

Hallucigenia Soft or more commonly known as Hallugenia. As their specialty they are mainly known for their Action Games based on other works. They take works from other genre’s such as adventure games, and creating them into popular fighting games or shooter games and has won them a wildly enthusiastic following of fans.

They were already inactive by the time I entered the game industry though. The identity of their staff was also shrouded in mystery. The creators’ names who were part of that famous manufacturer were said to be hidden.”

It’s unbelievable, Keiko-san is a person from that place. One of them is right here.

“B-but why would someone from such an amazing circle would want to have anything to do with me.”

“I saw the way you moved on-site and your astuteness in securing your equipment. I was thinking that I could use something like that. That’s why I asked your friends for information on you and I came scouting for you to take hold of your weakness.”

She felt proud having revealed the truth about the coercion.

“We don’t really have a fixed director. It’s done as to properly get fresh blood into the team.”

Keiko looks at me with a serious expression.

“So? You want to give it a shot?”

She invites me again.

I have been a game director all the way up until I came here.

Of course I would know how to do it. In fact I’m confident of it.

Although.

“I apologize…. Helping you with that is a little bit too much right now”

“Can you tell me why? I’ll properly pay you your talent fee and it’s only to the extent where it won’t affect your classes. Wouldn’t that be fine for you?

Her expression was a little tense.

I would immediately give a yes and help her if it wasn’t about a game.

Whether it was video production on-site or even setting the stage for a theater company. I can’t deal with games right now, It wasn’t something that I like to suddenly get back into.

“I sort of have my own circumstances. You have to excuse me, I can make up for it with anything else. Games are a little…”

There was a tense silence inside the club room.

After a while, Keiko-senpai loosens her expression.

“…….I see, If you’re that adamant about it. Well, if you ever feel like it just contact me anytime. I’ll just have you pay me back when that time comes”

She says in a mysteriously soft tone.

“Here. It’s my business card. I’ll give it to you to keep in touch.”

She then places a neat business card with the circle’s logo on it, says “Ciao…” and leaves.

After the storm has passed, Kiryu and I looked at each other then sat down in our chairs at the same time.

“Somehow, I’m a bit tired after that… She looks and sounds cute though”

“I agree…..She looks and sounds cute though”

Contrary to her appearance, she was someone who emits an insane amount of power.

Although, even if it was the world of games I backed out of once before.

It was a strange feeling that I was able to make a connection again.