Tsuzuru Minagi/Benkei of the Dawn
From A3! Wiki
Respect Deadlock
Backstage Stories| Izumi | (I still have a bit of work left so I wonder if I should brew some tea too…) |
| Homare | Rising Alexander[1]… Tumultuous transfer… |
| Uumu, that’s not it. | |
| Izumi | (Homare-san? I wonder if he’s thinking up a new poem) |
| Homare | Back-and-forth sacoche… |
| Izumi | Or rather, just what kind of poem are you… |
| Homare | Hm? |
| Ah no, I was coming up with a poem dedicated to Tsuzuru-kun. | |
| It seems he has been hard at work with his role-making for Benkei these days, | |
| So I’m putting in my feelings of support, see? | |
| Izumi | I-I see… |
| (I don’t understand which part of that is supposed to be Benkei though…) | |
| Tsuzuru | What was that about me? |
| Izumi | Ah, Tsuzuru-kun. Right now, Homare-san is—. |
| Homare | HA! I’ve got it! |
| A myriad of arrows~, an infinite halo~, | |
| A sharp glitter~ Archangel~… | |
| Izumi | ? |
| Tsuzuru | ??? |
| Homare | How is it? |
| It is a poem inspired by Benkei’s deadlock. | |
| Izumi | O-Oh is that so… |
| Tsuzuru | So that’s why it’s a myriad of arrows… |
| Homare | Because that is Benkei’s famous highlight scene, right?[2] |
| It cannot be removed after all. | |
| Tsuzuru | As for the script this time, I’ve arranged things quite a bit here and there though. |
| I’m thinking I want prepare for my role by properly applying a resolution like Benkei’s who risks his life for his lord. | |
| Well, I’m still in the middle of thinking of what I’ll do specifically though… | |
| Homare | Umu. First of all, why don’t you try getting shot by myriad of arrows? |
| Tsuzuru | Wouldn’t I die!? |
| Izumi | First of all, that’s not role-making he can do… |
| Homare | Then, after all, the two of us shall hold a public reading session and try reciting the poem from earlier together—. |
| Tsuzuru | Ah, I’m ok. |
| Homare | A quick response! |
| Tsuzuru | (Benkei’s resolution, huh…) |
| (The various literature concerning Benkei is full of enigmas, but his loyalty directed towards Yoshitsune doesn't waver…) | |
| (If it was me, getting shot by an arrow in order to protect my master…) | |
| …Hmm. | |
| (In the first place, something like a master-servant relationship in this day in age doesn’t really ring any bells…) | |
| (I feel like my body would probably dodge it right away.) | |
| Masumi | … |
| Tsuzuru | Hey. |
| Masumi | What? |
| Tsuzuru | Just hypothetically, |
| What would you do if countless arrows were flying towards you while Director was behind you? | |
| Masumi | That question’s too stupid. |
| I’d hit or stop them all without missing a single one. | |
| Tsuzuru | That’s right. That’s how you are… |
| (I’d also do as much as possible if it’s in order to protect Director, | |
| But in that time of need, can I stay there without avoiding it…) | |
| (Hmmm… It’s no good. I can’t imagine it.) | |
| Izumi | (The numbers here are correct, so then after is…) |
| Tsuzuru | Director, do you have a moment? |
| Izumi | ? |
| Tsuzuru | I just got a call from Kaoru; my father was sent a large amount of vegetables from his acquaintance so it seems we’re having nabe[3] tomorrow. |
| There’ll be a considerable amount, so if it’s alright, how about Director comes too? | |
| Izumi | Heh—, nabe? |
| Tsuzuru | We have a large family back home, so a farmer acquaintance regularly sends us way too much food to eat. |
| We’re grateful, but it’s difficult to consume and… | |
| I wonder if I should bring some back to the dorm too while I’m going there to eat supper. | |
| Izumi | With that many people, even just cutting the ingredients seems troublesome, huh? |
| I’m going to help out. | |
| Tsuzuru | No, there’s no way we can have our guest help—. |
| Izumi | Well well, the little kids will also be there so you’ll need manpower, right? |
| Don’t worry about it. | |
| Tsuzuru | Thanks. |
| Izumi | I haven’t met everyone since the “Run around the field” show, right? |
| It’s been a while, so I’m looking forward to it. | |
| Tsuzuru | Ah, that’s right, there was a message from Kaoru. |
| Izumi | Message? |
| Tsuzuru | I don’t really understand it, but it seems there’s a weird toy that’s popular between the little ones right now, so be careful or something. |
| Izumi | A toy? What could it be? |
| Tsuzuru | Who knows...? |
| Izumi | What kind of nabe will we have? |
| Tsuzuru | I’m thinking maybe plain boiling water and soy milk nabe, and tomato nabe, |
| But is there anything else? | |
| Izumi | I also brought the ingredients for curry nabe. |
| Tsuzuru | As expected, you don’t waver, huh? |
| Izumi | Honestly, I wanted to start from the spice preparation, |
| But there’s no way I can do that much in someone else’s kitchen, huh… | |
| Tsuzuru | Haha. |
| I’m home—. | |
| Kaoru | Welcome home. |
| And welcome to Director-san too. | |
| Izumi | Kaoru-kun, it’s been a while. |
| Tsuzuru | Our home is messy, but come in. |
| Izumi | Sorry for intruding. |
| Kaoru | Mom and dad haven’t come home yet but—. |
| Takeru | Woooo—. |
| Kaoru | !! Onii-chan, watch out! |
| Tsuzuru | !? |
| Takeru | Fire! |
| Yuzuru | Hiyah—! |
| Tsuzuru | Uohh!? |
| (A bow and arrow!?) | |
| Izumi | —uh. |
| Tsuzuru | (No good, if I dodge, it’ll hit Director. |
| I gotta protect—) | |
| —. | |
| (At a moment like this, if it’s Benkei, then he’d definitely—) | |
| *shoots and hits* | |
| Takeru | I hit him—! |
| Yuzuru | Yay! |
| Kaoru | Hey, now! Even though Director-san came too…! |
| Takeru | Soooorry! |
| Izumi | So the toy was this, huh… |
| Tsuzuru | That’s true, we do need to watch out… |
| Kaoru | I’m sorry. |
| I’ve told them to stop many times, but. | |
| Takeru | But Tsuzuru nii-chan looked cool! |
| Yuzuru | What’s this pose!? |
| Tsuzuru | Ah, no, t-this was for Benkei’s role-making… |
| Yuzuru | Benkei? |
| Tsuzuru | Basically, Benkei is, his lord… You won’t understand that, huh. Legend has it that he got shot by arrows while standing tall, in order to protect his special person—. |
| Kaoru | Special person!? |
| O-onii-chan, could it be, you and Director-san are already… | |
| Tsuzuru | No, that’s not what I meant! |
| Izumi | Ahaha. It’s hard to explain a “lord”, right? |
| Tsuzuru | Somehow, sorry about that… |
| Izumi | It’s fine. The fact you were able to turn into Benkei right away, |
| It looks like you’ve been able to properly prepare for your role, huh? | |
| Tsuzuru | If so, I'm glad. |
Anna
Notes
- ↑ In the original Homare says "Alexandra" but I changed it every so slightly to rhyme in English
- ↑ OK very quick summary of this famous scene for those who don't know the story: so near the end of the original tale, Benkei was defending a bridge from an army of soldiers so his master, Yoshitsune, could commmit seppuku in his castle on the other side. Apparently Benkei was able to kill ~300 trained soldiers who dared try crossing the bridge, so the army ended up firing countless arrows at him until eventually his arrow-riddled body appeared to come to a standstill. At first, the army couldn't even tell if he was dead or alive and when they finally went to check, he had died standing up (his death itself is also famous and coined "弁慶の立往生" [Benkei no tachi oujou: the standing death of Benkei])
- ↑ Japanese-style hot pot
