003-A18
Stray Celluloid
Subtitled Video
Text Transcript
At the Hotel Banquet Hall
“For our esteemed guests staying with us, please proceed to the banquet hall…”
(It’s finally time for the banquet’s live performance…! I hope all goes well. I’m super nervous~!!)
(Honestly, the Evening Group members still lack in the teamwork department, but I’m glad that everyone managed to gather here without anyone going missing for now…)
Ugh… My stomach hurts… I want to run away…
Tao-kun, are you okay…?
I’ll take care of Taotao, so don’t worry, Chief. ♪
Taotao~. Hey, hey, let’s take a breather~! Deep breath in~!
Raito-san, Kuguri-san, are you guys all right? Not too nervous?
All good. ♪ I’m looking forward to our first live.
Nervous? Who do you think you’re talking to, cica1?
(I may be worried about the performance, but these two seem to be just fine. Now to find Kinari-kun.)
(It’s a bit awkward, though. I didn’t expect that his crime would be murder…)
(I wonder how I should approach him? I’m such a jerk— I asked, fully intending to accept the answer no matter what crime it was…)
…
You all still haven’t managed to completely sync up your dance routine. For now, please make it your goal to simply become accustomed to being on stage.
Nayuu-ki, don’t be such a buzzkill right before a show! That’s a red flag as a manager!
Without further ado, let’s welcome the local idol group visiting from HAMA, Ev3ns!
(Do your best, everyone…!)
Good evening, everyone. I’m the leader of Ev3ns, Raito Kitakata. Today you’ll witness our very first performance.
The mood maker is me, Smiling Cutie Chihiro. ♪ Look forward to our song, ‘kay~!
Hey, who the hell are these clowns? No one called for any idols!
This is a banquet hall, y’know. Rather than singing, tell us some jokes!
Haha, I like the sound of that. I know, I know, show us some party tricks!
Tch, what crude guests… Let’s just ignore them and start the music…
Hmm, as idols, shouldn’t we oblige our fans?
(This dumbass…!)
A joke, huh…? The one I performed on the program would work, right? Hey, sir, I’m going to borrow this cup for just a mo’. ♪
Oh, what’s this now?
Cough, cough, cough! Here you go, a cup of ‘cough’-y2~!
Oh, that’s a good one, brother!!
(Hnnghhh… Chii!! As expected…!! Always smiling no matter the situation! Ev3ns’s Smiling Cutie Chihiro is an idol through and through!)
(…? Eh? Did the Head Warden sneak in again…?)
Are the other guys just going to stand there!?
Taotao, how about that card trick…? I think magic will be a hit… Or is it still a sore spot for you?
!
Well… I did promise to show you. Excuse me, can I borrow a deck of cards?
I’m Tao Kinouchi, and I’ll be performing a magic trick for you all today.
Oh, that sounds fun. I have one, so I’ll lend it to you! There you go!
Perhaps I’ll join in with a magic trick of my own design, too. ♪
(Kuguri-san’s going to do one as well…)
Please, pick a card, any card. Good. Now, return it to the deck…
I’m not touching your card in the deck. Now, I’ll guess which card you selected.
It’s the King of Diamonds!
Oh—!! He’s right!!
Taotao, you’re amazing!!
Haha…
(An incredibly simple card trick, yet I somehow managed to keep up the mood…)
Hmm… As for me… I’ll do some card juggling.
Behold, take a good long look with eyes that are sure to be discombobulated. Can you slovenly men tell what’s real versus what’s an illusion?
Woah, what the hell! The cards are marching on their own!
That’s an amazing trick, brother!
Fufu. If anything, it pleases me that you degenerates had a good time.
(Eh… That wasn’t just a magic trick!? I couldn’t see the gimmick. How did those cards move like that…!?)
This has turned completely into a magic act… When are we going to perform the song?
Hmm, I refuse to lose to the others. As for my bit, I shall strip!
R-Raito-san!?
You idiot! What kind of idol strips out of nowhere!
… What a sharp kick you have there, Nayuki! Perfect timing, we shall now duel…!
Ohh!? It’s time for martial arts!?
You’re doing great! Go get ’em!
Since it’s come to this, I’ll give you a thrashing, here and now!
You’ve improved a lot, Nayuki!
It’s all thanks to my wonderful teacher….!
(Oh my… The Kitakata brothers are fighting. This is getting out of hand, Nayuki-kun…!)
… I must take part, as well.
! Kinari-kun, there’s no need to force yourself…
Something like… a magic trick. …I, Kinari Azekawa, will now detach my arm.
Plüss3, as I thought, you’re…
Uwaaaaaaah!?
What’s this!? A horror movie!?
Eh!? Your arm’s detached! Are you okay!?
(This is bad! I need to end the show now!)
To our valued guests, that will conclude Ev3ns’s performance! Thank you tremendously for your time—!! Everyone, retreat! Show’s over!
A Short While Later
The food’s delish~. ♪
I guess we’re lucky to get food even though they’re not paying us…
… Collecting data for taste bud response… Ingredients, umami, saltiness…
Kinyari~. What are you mumbling about~? Come on, Chii will feed you~. ♪ Say, “Ahh~.”
…? Ahh?
There you go. It’s a Beppu specialty, y’know~. Yummy, right?
(chewing noises)
Kinyari, your cheeks are all plump and chubby when you eat. So cute~! Can I snap a pic? I want to make it my wallpaper~.
(mumbling while chewing) If Master grants permission.
You’re the one who made his cheeks look like a hamster’s by shoving a bunch of food into his mouth, Chihiro.
Sigh… What a monumental failure… To think Ev3ns’s debut performance would turn out in such a fashion…
I truly botched this. I’m sorry, Chief. I’ll assume responsibility…
There’s nothing we can do about it now… Besides, it’s not entirely your fault.
It was a wonderful opportunity… I truly apologize.
Nayuki, what’s done is done. There’s no use in crying over spilled milk. It was unexpectedly entertaining.
… Sigh.
(That’s because everything is “entertaining” to you.)
Oh yeah, is Kinyari all right? Your arm all back to normal? What even was that?
… I didn’t expect that this would get exposed so soon.
There’s no way to keep it hidden, so I’ll fill you in. It’s highly confidential, so please keep it between the Evening Group and Chief only.
Eh…? Is this about Kinari-kun?
…
The President gave me this prior to leaving on the study trip. It’s the instruction manual for Azekawa-kun.
An an… droid? Kinari-kun? Wait, but he was in human prison, wasn’t he?
First and foremost, Kinari-kun’s identity as an android is top secret government information. So everyone, please remember not to share this with anyone else.
Top secret government info…!? Eh, what does that mean? Kinyari is a robot?
Azekawa-kun is an unregistered, illegal android.
There’s legislation that requires the country to regulate product numbers of androids. Isn’t it possible to easily determine a product number from the individual’s face and structure?
Azekawa-kun is a completely original product, modeled after the developer’s own deceased son. Furthermore, that developer has since passed away…
!
(Wait a minute. Is that why they look identical…!?)
Deceased… Then that means his son’s already dead, huh…
So he’s the only unique android of his kind in the world!? How exciting!
Sigh… As an android, his battery level must be managed… I’ve been keeping up on it, but as everyone here now knows, I’ll ask you to take over.
Let me do it. ♪ You’re fine with it, right, Kinari?
Approval is subject to Master’s permission.
(I see, so authenticating me as his master back at the airport was a coincidence. That’s why he suddenly became obedient towards me…)
I finally comprehend the true essence of those vibrations radiating from you, Plüss.
I… I feel sympathy, in regards to your arms.
Ah, Nayuki-kun, hold on…
Shifting to a Private Conversation
Yesterday, Kinari-kun spoke to me directly about his crime… He mentioned that he killed someone…
…
Is that… true?
…Yes. Azekawa-kun killed his developer.
!
To be precise, he switched off the life support equipment of his developer, who happened to be dying from a terminal illness.
… That’s different from murder.
Truthfully, that’s a debatable topic depending on who you ask. Either way, the fact remains that he is the first android in the world who intentionally caused the death of a human being.
If this fact becomes public knowledge, it could lead to an anti-android movement. That’s why the government is keeping it confidential.
Is the government not going to retrieve him…? Because he’s a stray android…?
Honestly, the higher-ups just don’t want to get involved. If handled incorrectly, this could spark conflict. I think the plan is to feign ignorance. This is merely speculation on my part, though.
He believes you to be his Master. I suppose that’s our saving grace for now.
My apologies, Chief, but please take care of Azekawa-kun.
…
(An android who killed his own developer and parental figure… Kinari-kun, what caused you do such a thing…?)
Footnotes
- Hungarian for “kitten.” ↩︎
- In the original text, Chihiro juggles spoons and goes “Ho-, Ho-, Ho-“. 本(hon) is the number counter for spoons, so he jokes that it’s 5 spoon (hon) juggling. The ‘n’ is not enunciated. ↩︎
- Hungarian for “plush (toy).” ↩︎
- Mackerel and horse mackerel. Famous for their firm flesh, it’s colored with a slight golden tinge and contains rich levels of fish oil. ↩︎
- Toriten is Japanese-style tempura-style fried chicken. ↩︎
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