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DRT1.1.13: Byakuya-sama is God, section 13
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Danganronpa Togami Volume 1: Multiple Counts of Attempted World Domination
Chapter 1: Byakuya-sama is God
13
You might hold some doubts regarding Hope's Peak's stance in accepting a student because they're an "amazing gyaru". It's frequently misunderstood, but what Hope's Peak is looking for is "first-class talents". Taking that to its logical extreme, you could say that the entrance exam for each student is only focused on a single skill, and whether that one skill is being a Super High School Level Gyaru, or perhaps a Super High School Level Hikikomori, or any other overlooked personality, there's no problem at all (well, I imagine that a Super High School Level Hikikomori would have to be expelled the instant they actually showed up to class, though).
"Oh, hey, senpaaaaiiii~!" It seemed as if Enoshima-san could see me, too. "'Sup? Hey, can you go buy me some pocky?"
"Pocky?"
"I'm like, soooo glad you called. I'm seriously SO relieved right now, I can finally live my life in peace! So like, can I talk to you for a sec, senpai? It's SUPER bad. You totally have to come to the school to save me."
"Enoshima-san, I'll forgive you for not showing the proper respect towards your upperclassman, as long as you listen to me. I'm in the Czech Republic right now."
"...Do they sell pocky there?"
"I dunno, do they?"
"That's in Europe, right?"
"Correct."
"What's the capital of Europe?"
"If I had to answer that question, I guess I'd say Paris. Anyway, that's why I can't come save you. Are there any teachers there? I couldn't get in contact with anyone else; do you know if they're okay? Why are you at the school at this hour?"
"Whooaaaa, hold up, time out. You ask way too many questions."
"That was only three, wasn't it?"
"Only?! Are you saying that three is 'only' to you?"
"I'm a little crunched for time myself."
"I don't think I see any teachers around here. Maybe you couldn't get in touch with anyone else because the signal is jammed? And, we're here in Hope's Peak because we thought it would be safe. Wow, I answered all three of them! Yaaaay! Say hello to the smart and cute Junko-chan!"
"'We'? There's someone else there with you, isn't there? I myself am with Byakuya-sama right now..."
"B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Byakuya-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!" A melancholic face spread across the screen, probably having blown Enoshima-san out of the way.
Round glasses, like the ones Kenzaburou Ooe[1] or John Lennon wore. Unmistakably sickly-colored skin. Long braids stretching out like snakes. The Super High School Level Literary Girl, Touko Fukawa.
"H... Hoooold on, why are you thereee..." Her voice sounded like the condensation of all of the gloom in the world. "Y-You don't have some ulterior motive where you assume you can end up on a rendezvous with Byakuya-sama, do you? I-I'll never forgive you...! I'll never forgive you for living it up in the space between composure and passion!!"
"Calm down, Fukawa-san. I'll forgive you for not showing the proper respect towards your upperclassman, as long as you calm down."
"You homewrecker! Nekomata slut![2] Salacious schoolgirl! Begone, evil spirit!"
"I'm only here with him to write Journey Under the Midnight Sun..."
"D-Did you say Journey Under the Midnight Sunnnn? I hope Kodansha is writing up a lawsuit riiiight now!"
"It is not a ripoff! Anyway, Journey Under the Midnight Sun was published by Shueisha!"[3]
"So it really is a ripoff!"
"Uhhh, Byakuya-sama, could you back me up h..."
Huh?
He'd disappeared.
While I was distracted, Byakuya-sama had moved, chair and all, over to the far corner of the hideout.
"Uhuhuhuhuhuhuhu. No amount of distance between us makes any difference, Byakuya-samaaa!" Fukawa-san's smile filled the screen. "I may be short-sighted in general, but when it comes to searching for Byakuya-sama, I have 18/2 eyesight!"
That's even better than the Maasai people.[4]
"B—?" Fukawa-san opened her snakelike eyes wide. "B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Byakuya-sama! What happened? Why are you wearing those clothes? A tuxedo... Are you rehearsing for our wedding ceremony? That's why you went to Prague? G, ghhh. Ghhhuuu. Ummmmm, Byakuya-sama, how about we practice for the consummation too? Actually, today I'm right around the best spot in my cycle for conceiving..."
"Fukawa, I have two orders for you," Byakuya-sama called out from far in the distance. "First: From today onwards, you are banned entirely from sharing any information on your ovulation with me. Second: As the Super High School Level Literary Girl, you are to explain your current situation to me in a hundred words or less."
"1:00 AM, JST. Riots broke out immediately after the World Domination Proclamation in Prague. Sensing danger, and seeking more information, I sought shelter at Hope's Peak, meeting up with Junko Enoshima. We did not witness any other students or instructors. Traffic regulations were heightened to prevent congestion, and phone service was suspended, and so we used the satellite phone within the school to make contact with you. That is all."
"What riots?"
"I would have loved to have pleasured you with a detailed explanation on that point, Byakuya-sama, if I were able to do so."
"Pleased me, not pleasured. Don't mistake one for the other."
"I would have loved to have pleased you with it, but we ran to the school so quickly that I don't know much about that... M-My deepest apologies! I'm prepared for you to tie me to a urinal or even to a Spanish donkey!"[5]
"Were the riots started by the general populace?"
"Um, I, don't really know that either. However...
I heard the people rioting talking about 'locked rooms'."
Locked rooms? What was that supposed to mean?
"Get out of the way, you filthy nerd!" Enoshima-san punted Fukawa-san out of the way to reappear in the screen image. "Sorry to keep you waiting~ Dear readers, let your emotions be stirred by the reappearance of the pretty Junko-chan☆"
"Wh-What are you doiiiing! That huuuurt..."
"Uh, that's my line. You messed up my hair. Unlike your scruffy braids, my hair is actually killer!"
"Ggggghhhhhhhh. G-Gyaru girls are so annoying... Even though your hairstyle is as fleecy as a spring cloud!"
"Thanks for the compliment, Fukawa."
"I, I-I-I wasn't trying to compliment you!"
"If you say so. I guess your literary prowess just slipped out a little."
"Compliments won't make me happy!"
Oh, I guess they actually get along pretty well. That's a relief.
"Have you finished your stand-up act yet?" Byakuya-sama interjected. "I have something I want to ask you, Enoshima."
"OoooOOOooohhh? The mysteries of my make-up routine are top-secret, though."
"Where is your disappointment of a sister?"
"Don't call my big sister a disappointment! Sure it's true, but you can't call her a disappointment just because she is one! That's just really sad!"
"You're the one who says it the most."
"Oh, huh? Aaaanyway, I probably haven't seen her. Not like I can really tell, 'cuz she's always blending into the back... ground... Oh. Ohhhhh! I just remembered! She left a letter!"
"A letter?"
"She left it on the table. It said, 'I wish to defend this planet.' What a dork, am I right?"
"Did she go back to masquerading as a member of the militia so that she could end some conflict somewhere?"
"She totally loves defending the planet, and virtue, and all that junk. Actually like, Togami, are you worried about us or something? Did you think you could get her to be your bodyguard?"
"Hmph. Say what you like."
Incidentally, Enoshima-san's elder sister is called Mukuro Ikusaba-san, the Super High School Level Disappointment... Wait, no, not that. Super High School Level Soldier. That's the one.
"Actually I heard about it. Your World Domination Proclamation." Enoshima-san smirked. "You're really rockin' it out there, Togami. The teachers, like, probably can't shut up about it, right? When I realized that this tight-ass 78th class had a bad boy like you in it all along, I was so surprised, my jaw just hit the floor! I felt like I finally got to see the real you!"
"Enoshima, are you going to help me with my plan or not?"
"I can totally help! But like, what did you want me to help with?"
"Wait inside the school until the surrounding area is confirmed safe."
"Whaaaat? Waiting is such a pain. I don't even wanna hear about the whole waiting list problem."[6]
"I'm not saying you should stay put in one place. There are two things I want you to do inside the school."
"Even an airhead like me can keep two things in her brain."
"Your brain is pathetic. I could introduce you to a doctor."
"If you're saying you have a neurologist friend, then I've already got that covered, so I'll pass. So whaddaya want me to do?"
"First: If you encounter any of the instructors, tell them that I am innocent."
"That was easier than I was expecting..."
"Second: Investigate the school."
"Uh, why?" Enoshima-san tilted her head.
I guess I had to be the one to talk about this. "Listen, Enoshima-san, I still can't say for sure, but this incident... There's the possibility that the students from my year are involved."
"Seriously Academy![7] Mm, then, how come you didn't know about it? Are they freezing you out?"
"It's because I'm Byakuya-sama's possession before anything else."
"Ooooohhhh~ That's actually kinda sexy. When you say that I can sense the seductiveness of someone older..." As Enoshima-san squirmed, I could hear Fukawa-san flinging a string of insults from off in the distance.
"A-Anyway, they might be involved," I said quickly. "The evidence is that Sonia-san and Souda-san are here in Prague."
"Seriously Academy 2! No, I don't actually know either of them."
"They both killed people."
"Say what...? Killed? That's, like, super bad." Even under her heavy makeup, I could tell the blood was draining from her face.
But, she did have a point. To use Enoshima-san's words, this was, like, super bad.
This was probably an even more super bad situation than the Parade, the biggest scandal to rock Hope's Peak Academy since its inception and an incident that was already making waves worldwide, and this time, of all things, this super bad situation had gotten Byakuya-sama involved.
"Okay. Gotcha." After a short while, Enoshima-san nodded. "I'll seriously do like, whatever I can. What are you guys gonna do?"
"We're..."
"We'll pick up the gauntlet that they've thrown down. That's all," said Byakuya-sama. "I shall claim victory over my impostor, return to Japan before Monday, and attend classes as normal. I'll stake the Togami name on it."
"Whew. You're so cool!" Enoshima-san applauded.
I was deeply moved by Byakuya-sama's proclamation, and gave thanks to my destiny, that allowed me to write Journey Under the Midnight Sun.
That's right. There's no way he would lose. Absolutely not. Fundamentally. Back then, right now, and from now on, he will win. He will win, and win, and keep winning.
Byakuya-sama is a god.
I noticed the ceiling of the hideout trembling slightly. That's right—the Škoda Auto factory was above us. Were the production lines still going on Saturday? They had a lot of integrity to keep going even after the Proclamation.
Škoda?
I remembered. I ended up remembering.
With Czech surnames—similar to the Japanese name Mitarai basically meaning lavatory, there are a lot of names that have a specific meaning. For example, you might think I'm joking, but Smetana, the composer of Die Moldau, actually means "sour cream".
Škoda is a fairly popular Czech surname, but of course, it means something too.
It means, "a pity".
Translator's Notes
[1] Kenzaburou Ooe - an author. He does have round glasses.
[2] nekomata - a Japanese cat demon.
[3] Kodansha/Shueisha - two of the most major Japanese book publishers.
[4] Maasai - an ethnic group from Kenya and Tanzania, whose traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle has supposedly helped them develop much better eyesight, able to see and identify things 1.5km away. This seems pretty anecdotal though.
[5] Spanish donkey - NSFW: a torture device for women that has been adapted for BDSM purposes.
[6] daycare waiting list problem - the word used for "wait" here is also the beginning of a phrase describing a Japanese societal issue, where daycare slots are limited and waiting lists are extensive.
[7] Seriously Academy - Junko's exclamation here is Majisuka Gakuen, which is the name of a Japanese TV drama. "Majisuka?!" is a slangy term along the lines of "Seriously?!" so, as Junko says it, it's a combination of her reaction along with a media reference.
Stay tuned for the next CHAPTER(!) next Sunday (PST)!
Read the rules before commenting!
Danganronpa Togami Volume 1: Multiple Counts of Attempted World Domination
Chapter 1: Byakuya-sama is God
13
You might hold some doubts regarding Hope's Peak's stance in accepting a student because they're an "amazing gyaru". It's frequently misunderstood, but what Hope's Peak is looking for is "first-class talents". Taking that to its logical extreme, you could say that the entrance exam for each student is only focused on a single skill, and whether that one skill is being a Super High School Level Gyaru, or perhaps a Super High School Level Hikikomori, or any other overlooked personality, there's no problem at all (well, I imagine that a Super High School Level Hikikomori would have to be expelled the instant they actually showed up to class, though).
"Oh, hey, senpaaaaiiii~!" It seemed as if Enoshima-san could see me, too. "'Sup? Hey, can you go buy me some pocky?"
"Pocky?"
"I'm like, soooo glad you called. I'm seriously SO relieved right now, I can finally live my life in peace! So like, can I talk to you for a sec, senpai? It's SUPER bad. You totally have to come to the school to save me."
"Enoshima-san, I'll forgive you for not showing the proper respect towards your upperclassman, as long as you listen to me. I'm in the Czech Republic right now."
"...Do they sell pocky there?"
"I dunno, do they?"
"That's in Europe, right?"
"Correct."
"What's the capital of Europe?"
"If I had to answer that question, I guess I'd say Paris. Anyway, that's why I can't come save you. Are there any teachers there? I couldn't get in contact with anyone else; do you know if they're okay? Why are you at the school at this hour?"
"Whooaaaa, hold up, time out. You ask way too many questions."
"That was only three, wasn't it?"
"Only?! Are you saying that three is 'only' to you?"
"I'm a little crunched for time myself."
"I don't think I see any teachers around here. Maybe you couldn't get in touch with anyone else because the signal is jammed? And, we're here in Hope's Peak because we thought it would be safe. Wow, I answered all three of them! Yaaaay! Say hello to the smart and cute Junko-chan!"
"'We'? There's someone else there with you, isn't there? I myself am with Byakuya-sama right now..."
"B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Byakuya-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!" A melancholic face spread across the screen, probably having blown Enoshima-san out of the way.
Round glasses, like the ones Kenzaburou Ooe[1] or John Lennon wore. Unmistakably sickly-colored skin. Long braids stretching out like snakes. The Super High School Level Literary Girl, Touko Fukawa.
"H... Hoooold on, why are you thereee..." Her voice sounded like the condensation of all of the gloom in the world. "Y-You don't have some ulterior motive where you assume you can end up on a rendezvous with Byakuya-sama, do you? I-I'll never forgive you...! I'll never forgive you for living it up in the space between composure and passion!!"
"Calm down, Fukawa-san. I'll forgive you for not showing the proper respect towards your upperclassman, as long as you calm down."
"You homewrecker! Nekomata slut![2] Salacious schoolgirl! Begone, evil spirit!"
"I'm only here with him to write Journey Under the Midnight Sun..."
"D-Did you say Journey Under the Midnight Sunnnn? I hope Kodansha is writing up a lawsuit riiiight now!"
"It is not a ripoff! Anyway, Journey Under the Midnight Sun was published by Shueisha!"[3]
"So it really is a ripoff!"
"Uhhh, Byakuya-sama, could you back me up h..."
Huh?
He'd disappeared.
While I was distracted, Byakuya-sama had moved, chair and all, over to the far corner of the hideout.
"Uhuhuhuhuhuhuhu. No amount of distance between us makes any difference, Byakuya-samaaa!" Fukawa-san's smile filled the screen. "I may be short-sighted in general, but when it comes to searching for Byakuya-sama, I have 18/2 eyesight!"
That's even better than the Maasai people.[4]
"B—?" Fukawa-san opened her snakelike eyes wide. "B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Byakuya-sama! What happened? Why are you wearing those clothes? A tuxedo... Are you rehearsing for our wedding ceremony? That's why you went to Prague? G, ghhh. Ghhhuuu. Ummmmm, Byakuya-sama, how about we practice for the consummation too? Actually, today I'm right around the best spot in my cycle for conceiving..."
"Fukawa, I have two orders for you," Byakuya-sama called out from far in the distance. "First: From today onwards, you are banned entirely from sharing any information on your ovulation with me. Second: As the Super High School Level Literary Girl, you are to explain your current situation to me in a hundred words or less."
"1:00 AM, JST. Riots broke out immediately after the World Domination Proclamation in Prague. Sensing danger, and seeking more information, I sought shelter at Hope's Peak, meeting up with Junko Enoshima. We did not witness any other students or instructors. Traffic regulations were heightened to prevent congestion, and phone service was suspended, and so we used the satellite phone within the school to make contact with you. That is all."
"What riots?"
"I would have loved to have pleasured you with a detailed explanation on that point, Byakuya-sama, if I were able to do so."
"Pleased me, not pleasured. Don't mistake one for the other."
"I would have loved to have pleased you with it, but we ran to the school so quickly that I don't know much about that... M-My deepest apologies! I'm prepared for you to tie me to a urinal or even to a Spanish donkey!"[5]
"Were the riots started by the general populace?"
"Um, I, don't really know that either. However...
I heard the people rioting talking about 'locked rooms'."
Locked rooms? What was that supposed to mean?
"Get out of the way, you filthy nerd!" Enoshima-san punted Fukawa-san out of the way to reappear in the screen image. "Sorry to keep you waiting~ Dear readers, let your emotions be stirred by the reappearance of the pretty Junko-chan☆"
"Wh-What are you doiiiing! That huuuurt..."
"Uh, that's my line. You messed up my hair. Unlike your scruffy braids, my hair is actually killer!"
"Ggggghhhhhhhh. G-Gyaru girls are so annoying... Even though your hairstyle is as fleecy as a spring cloud!"
"Thanks for the compliment, Fukawa."
"I, I-I-I wasn't trying to compliment you!"
"If you say so. I guess your literary prowess just slipped out a little."
"Compliments won't make me happy!"
Oh, I guess they actually get along pretty well. That's a relief.
"Have you finished your stand-up act yet?" Byakuya-sama interjected. "I have something I want to ask you, Enoshima."
"OoooOOOooohhh? The mysteries of my make-up routine are top-secret, though."
"Where is your disappointment of a sister?"
"Don't call my big sister a disappointment! Sure it's true, but you can't call her a disappointment just because she is one! That's just really sad!"
"You're the one who says it the most."
"Oh, huh? Aaaanyway, I probably haven't seen her. Not like I can really tell, 'cuz she's always blending into the back... ground... Oh. Ohhhhh! I just remembered! She left a letter!"
"A letter?"
"She left it on the table. It said, 'I wish to defend this planet.' What a dork, am I right?"
"Did she go back to masquerading as a member of the militia so that she could end some conflict somewhere?"
"She totally loves defending the planet, and virtue, and all that junk. Actually like, Togami, are you worried about us or something? Did you think you could get her to be your bodyguard?"
"Hmph. Say what you like."
Incidentally, Enoshima-san's elder sister is called Mukuro Ikusaba-san, the Super High School Level Disappointment... Wait, no, not that. Super High School Level Soldier. That's the one.
"Actually I heard about it. Your World Domination Proclamation." Enoshima-san smirked. "You're really rockin' it out there, Togami. The teachers, like, probably can't shut up about it, right? When I realized that this tight-ass 78th class had a bad boy like you in it all along, I was so surprised, my jaw just hit the floor! I felt like I finally got to see the real you!"
"Enoshima, are you going to help me with my plan or not?"
"I can totally help! But like, what did you want me to help with?"
"Wait inside the school until the surrounding area is confirmed safe."
"Whaaaat? Waiting is such a pain. I don't even wanna hear about the whole waiting list problem."[6]
"I'm not saying you should stay put in one place. There are two things I want you to do inside the school."
"Even an airhead like me can keep two things in her brain."
"Your brain is pathetic. I could introduce you to a doctor."
"If you're saying you have a neurologist friend, then I've already got that covered, so I'll pass. So whaddaya want me to do?"
"First: If you encounter any of the instructors, tell them that I am innocent."
"That was easier than I was expecting..."
"Second: Investigate the school."
"Uh, why?" Enoshima-san tilted her head.
I guess I had to be the one to talk about this. "Listen, Enoshima-san, I still can't say for sure, but this incident... There's the possibility that the students from my year are involved."
"Seriously Academy![7] Mm, then, how come you didn't know about it? Are they freezing you out?"
"It's because I'm Byakuya-sama's possession before anything else."
"Ooooohhhh~ That's actually kinda sexy. When you say that I can sense the seductiveness of someone older..." As Enoshima-san squirmed, I could hear Fukawa-san flinging a string of insults from off in the distance.
"A-Anyway, they might be involved," I said quickly. "The evidence is that Sonia-san and Souda-san are here in Prague."
"Seriously Academy 2! No, I don't actually know either of them."
"They both killed people."
"Say what...? Killed? That's, like, super bad." Even under her heavy makeup, I could tell the blood was draining from her face.
But, she did have a point. To use Enoshima-san's words, this was, like, super bad.
This was probably an even more super bad situation than the Parade, the biggest scandal to rock Hope's Peak Academy since its inception and an incident that was already making waves worldwide, and this time, of all things, this super bad situation had gotten Byakuya-sama involved.
"Okay. Gotcha." After a short while, Enoshima-san nodded. "I'll seriously do like, whatever I can. What are you guys gonna do?"
"We're..."
"We'll pick up the gauntlet that they've thrown down. That's all," said Byakuya-sama. "I shall claim victory over my impostor, return to Japan before Monday, and attend classes as normal. I'll stake the Togami name on it."
"Whew. You're so cool!" Enoshima-san applauded.
I was deeply moved by Byakuya-sama's proclamation, and gave thanks to my destiny, that allowed me to write Journey Under the Midnight Sun.
That's right. There's no way he would lose. Absolutely not. Fundamentally. Back then, right now, and from now on, he will win. He will win, and win, and keep winning.
Byakuya-sama is a god.
I noticed the ceiling of the hideout trembling slightly. That's right—the Škoda Auto factory was above us. Were the production lines still going on Saturday? They had a lot of integrity to keep going even after the Proclamation.
Škoda?
I remembered. I ended up remembering.
With Czech surnames—similar to the Japanese name Mitarai basically meaning lavatory, there are a lot of names that have a specific meaning. For example, you might think I'm joking, but Smetana, the composer of Die Moldau, actually means "sour cream".
Škoda is a fairly popular Czech surname, but of course, it means something too.
It means, "a pity".
Translator's Notes
[1] Kenzaburou Ooe - an author. He does have round glasses.
[2] nekomata - a Japanese cat demon.
[3] Kodansha/Shueisha - two of the most major Japanese book publishers.
[4] Maasai - an ethnic group from Kenya and Tanzania, whose traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle has supposedly helped them develop much better eyesight, able to see and identify things 1.5km away. This seems pretty anecdotal though.
[5] Spanish donkey - NSFW: a torture device for women that has been adapted for BDSM purposes.
[6] daycare waiting list problem - the word used for "wait" here is also the beginning of a phrase describing a Japanese societal issue, where daycare slots are limited and waiting lists are extensive.
[7] Seriously Academy - Junko's exclamation here is Majisuka Gakuen, which is the name of a Japanese TV drama. "Majisuka?!" is a slangy term along the lines of "Seriously?!" so, as Junko says it, it's a combination of her reaction along with a media reference.
Stay tuned for the next CHAPTER(!) next Sunday (PST)!
Read the rules before commenting!
no subject
(Anonymous) 2016-02-29 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)DR always surprises me with the detailed violence. The games may be violent, but AE and the novels take it to another level. :P
Junko's Neurologist Friend
(Anonymous) 2016-06-19 01:52 am (UTC)(link)Re: Junko's Neurologist Friend
(Anonymous) 2017-06-27 03:42 pm (UTC)(link)Re: Junko's Neurologist Friend
(Anonymous) 2024-08-01 11:56 am (UTC)(link)