Track 24

Gravitation by Maki Murakami
Translations by Yuki Machikawa
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I make no solid guarantees as to the accuracy of my translations. I did the best I could do, and I think you will be able to get the jist of the story. If anyone has comments regarding my translations, email me [y.u.k.i._.m.a.c.h.i.k.a.w.a.@yahoo.co.jp]. (( remove the periods between the letters prior to the (@) symbol when emailing. I do this to avoid automated bots getting my email. Thanks.))
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Track 24
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pg 86
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Host: Now then!! "Battle of the Cooking Kings" reaches it's climax!! Just 30 minutes remaining!!
[Would you look at that, he totally screwed up and burnt it black ...]
[Bad Luck has certainlt played the role of the comic entertainment ...]
[Will they remake it? Where are they gonna get the time for that?]

pg 87
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Shuichi: Heh .... I haven't decided on the main dish yet. And I'm not gonna lose! Something burnt black, it's a healthy menu!!
Hiro: We're gonna lose!!!

pg 88
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Shuichi: We can't!! Yuki went to all the trouble to come and support me though!! See? It tastes just fine .. so ...
Hiro: Snap out of it Shuichi! There isn't enough time to remake something! Just give up on cooking!
Shuichi: Time .... STOP!!
Suguru: [... ehh ...]
K: He's a servant of Mikki (Mickey?) too. He's got the prize in mind for sure ...
Host: Well!! How about each team explain their menu?
Hiro: Hell no!!!

pg 89
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Shuichi: Just you wait!! So come get it!
Hiro: Calm down! Can't you just go with the flow? Geez, you idiot! [Dammit!! I hadn't expected him to burn things here!!]
Judge 1: This sudden development at the end of the show is quite the amusement everyone, don't you think, Yamada-san?
Judge 2: For the time being, since the "intermediate examination" is added to the score.
Judge 1: What a mean show, hm? (laughs) If we judged before they were done ...
Host: Well now, here we have Kagamaruko Kent Mascot Team ... Ooo, how beautiful! A perfect crust, only baked a little! And next we have Kuwayama Yuuzou Peri Hayama Team. I'm not sure what it is!!

pg 90
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Host: And finally, Bad Luck Team.
Shuichi: Notice the vivid grean color of the green piece!! Such an amazing color scheme makes your mouth water doesn't it?
Host: Yes!! You did your best to get a little cooked.
[Saved....]
Judge 1: Yamada-san? Quite a commanding perfomance, don't you agree?
Judge 2: Indeed. What good things can we say? Ukai-san?
Tetsuya: ... good point ...

pg 91
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[Tesuya Ukai finally talks!!]
[Noriko-san's husband is a gourmet food enigma ... he grows more and more senile. Wiping his skin or .. !!
Tesuya: The peas look like nipples .. Mmm *heart*

pg 92
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[The old guy hasn't gone senile!!!]
Shuichi: Hiro!! That older judge is great, he likes us!
Hiro: Ehhh ...
Suguru: Such an old man is employed for this show?!
K: ... as expected, it's Ukai ... !!
Suguru: Eh!? Impossible ...
Tatsuha: You fell in love with that weird old man?
Noriko: Had a kid with him too, don't know how ...

pg 93
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Shuichi: Alright! Baking----
Hiro: Yah! Shuichi-kun! [He said he burned it, or was he just his usual stupid self? You ...] Yuki-san hasn't come back yet! What about that? He'd be shocked that you came back home because you couldn't make it. He'd be let down. No, I mean .. then again only this strange running can change your mood ... right? Right? Shu-chan ...

pg 94
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Tatsuha: Now then ... I fulfilled Hiro-kun's request, do I'm going home.
Noriko: Request? You mean .. the Cat's Eye thing awhile back?
Tatsuha: Yeah, to mouth the words. Shuichi got the wrong impression with the words of encouragement thoough ... "Good Luck"
Noriko: Hmm ... So, why not do something for me while you're at it?

pg 95
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Tatsuha: .... Let me guess, you want me to "cheer on Shuichi, for my good-looking brother" right?
Noriko: Something like that.
Tatsuha: What is it with everyone into deceiving that stupid kid anyway?
Noriko: He's always gotta win. But that's Hiro-kun's motive. I just wanna use you for my Darling. He, he likes Shuichi-kun very much. I can understand that.
Tatsuha: what an amazing husband and wife! Love at first sight.
Noriko: That's why Shuichi-kun and his friends have to win, I want to see the look of delight on his face.
Tatsuha: Yeah, I understand. It's Love.

pg 96
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Tatsuha: It's not that simple. This goes way beyond coercive fraud of a religous servant, that's not the plan!
Noriko: And what about your deal with Hiro-kun?
Tatsuha: Just going with the times. The power of money has passed over me. Anyway, it's the lowest of men who are moved by money. A mangy cur ...
Noriko: How about something related to Ryu-chan then?

pg 97
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Tatsuha: ... no way. Cell number .. Noo! Such an idiott! I'm going home!!
Noriko: *Naga/Megumi laugh* Wait a sec ther, Mr Shy Guy. So you don't wanna know Ryu-chan's HOME number?

pg 98
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Example 1:
Tatsuha: Uhm, hello? Excuse me, but is this Ryuichi Sakuma's house?
Mom: Yes, Ryuichi is my son.
Tatsuha: Oh, his mother? Pleased to meet you. I'm Tatsuha Uesugi.
Mom: Oh my, I've heard of you from my son. He says you're good and kind.
Tatsuha: Aww .. ha ha ha. I'm actually quite shy.
Mom: Don't be so modest, please come visit anytime. I would very much like to meet you. what am I saying?
Tatsuha: Aww, Mom ... ha ha ha

Example 2:
Tatsuha: Uhm, hello? It's Tatsuha Uesugi.
Mom: Oh my, Tatsu-chan? Just in time. Ryuichi's house is in a nice town isn't it? Some moderatly nice people right? I think so.
Tatsuha: ?Uhm yeah I guess so.
Mom: My husband and I fell safe because of you. We think you'd make a great bride for
Ryuichi. What do you think?
Tatsuha: No!! Of course!! That's perfect!! Call me "son", please.!!
Mom: Oh my, so it's decided. *Megumi laugh*

Tatsuha: Please call me your dog, Madam ...
Noriko: Hehehe .. I wonder if you understand that there's more than power of money in the times?

pg 99
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Hiro: Shuichi!! Yuki-san went home, and you have an obligation to finish this match, are you a man or not!! You wanna got to Disneyland!? Then do your best!!
Shuichi: ... ah .. no way ... Yeah, that's it. Yuki went to such great lengths to teach me cooking, I gotta do my best!
Hiro: Good. From now on, we cook seriously right?
Shuichi: Right.
Hiro: [That was close!! I can't call Tatsuha kun.]
Shuichi: But this .. what're we gonna do?
Hiro: Good point. There's no extra time, but if we change the menu, we should be okay. It'll be okay. [How am I gonna get Tatsuha-kun back in here!!]

pg 100
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*tapping sound*
Shuichi: Hm? What's that sound under our feet?
Hiro: Hm? It's real, the noise?

pg 102
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Tatsuha: Hold on My Honey.
Shuichi: Yuki!?
Hiro: Uhm .. actually Shuichi .. that's guy's not Yuki ...
Shuichi: [Why did Yuki come through the floor!?]

pg 103
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Audience: Amazing artistic production. Cool! Who is he?
Cameraman: What the? That foreigner ...
Audience: Hey .. that's Eiri Yuki!!
Tatsuha: It's been tough and you've been hurt, but hang in there, Shuichi! It's for Micky!!
Shuichi: Yu .. Yuki?
Tatsuha: I came back so you can relax!! See? And I brought fresh seaford for you!! You can use these to make my delicous meal!!
Shuichi: Th-thank you Yuki.

pg 104
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Camera 1: Did you hear that!? You know?! Turn around, turn!!
Crowd: Hey! That's Eiri Yuki ... lucky!! Aah! This is sure to be the scoop of the week!!
Tatsuha: Alright!! Let's show them all our love Shuichi!!
Shuichi: Agreed!

pg 105
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Tatsuha: Cue background music. One, two, three, four ..
["Olive Neclace"]
Tatsuha: Good evening everyone!! It's time for "Dance Cooking Class"! Now then, ladies, in front of the TV! Let's dance together!!
Tatsuha: First of all, clean the fish, wash it good and boil the insides, La-la-la
Shuichi: Then what, then what do we do?
Tatsuha: Lu-lu-lu, no need to worry Senorita.

pg 106
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Tatsuha: Boil it down for about 30 minutes, because there's no more time, 3 seconds ... la-la-la
Shuichi: Oh, but, but what do we do next?
Tatsuha: Look, like this, like this, do it like this ...
Shuichi: Lu-lu-lu, do it like this, do it like this, how about like this?
Tatsuha: See? We amazed you. Yuki's amazing vegetyable stuffed sea bass in Sherry sauce.
Shuichi: La-la-la, Sorceror Sherry ....
Ukai: Lu-lu-lu, that being said, it's a Sari right?

pg 107
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Ukai: Ha ha ha ha ha
Judge 2: Um .. Ukai-san ...?
Ukai: Yaya uke
K: Ha ha ha!! This is too much. Yuki-san came back to Japan for this!! It should be interesting for Shuichi!!
Suguru: Eiri-san ... from bed .. out ... I'm sorry ... I take back my comment I made a bit ago, but ...
K: Don't cry Suguru! Look, Because of Yuki-san, he's able to cook!

pg 108
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Suguru: R... really ... it's true huh? Thank goodness ... because it's just in time ... surely he can cook something to make Ukai-san groan.
K: But he won't win.
Suguru: What are you up to this time?
K: About 3 years ago, at Tohma's wedding, I was accompanying Ryuichi as his bodyguard ...
**FLASBACK**
K: Oh! Noriko's husband! You're a gourmet food critic right?
Ukai: Oh, now now ... Ryuichi-kun ... no, no. Hmm .. gourmet huh? It's nothing like that. I'm just a university professor.
K: Oh, I see! Japanese people are so modest.
Ukai: No, no ... really, I'm different. Once ... for work, I wrote a column called "1 Minute Cooking", since then I sort of ended up with the title of "Food Critic" ...
K: Well, that's intersting, so I'll leave you be.

pg 109
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Ukai: Namely the suitable assessment! It has nothing to do with being able to cook!! Reviving the laws of cooking this time, I thought were dead!! Eloquence wanders the ancient battlefield called life!! Surely I am a conversationalist of the Heisei!!
**END FLASHBACK**
K: He said that and then up and left ...
Suguru: ... he makes light of humanity ...
K: I think it's something like that. Namely, how lucky, even making some delicous meal, the reason is meaningless.
Suguru: Definitely nonsense.

pg 110
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Noriko: Hm, not like you could say anything to me about it.
K: Oh! Noriko!!
Noriko: In this business, it's dumb luck he's accumulated more friends than numbers. Honestly, I underestimated him.

pg 111
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Host: Now then!!! Not much time remaining folks!! In about two minutes, the judges will give their decisions! Whichi team will the goddess of victory smile down upon!? will it be Maruko Kaga & Mascot? Will it be Yuuzou Kuwayama & Perry Hayama? Or will it be Dancing Bad Luck and novelist Eiri Yuki?

pg 112
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Lady Judge: Who knows Yamada-san. By the looks of their completion, it just might be enough for Bad Luck.
Man Judge: Yeah but it's been an amusing 10 minutes. (laugh)
Ukai: You've certainly hung in there, Shuichi Shindou.
Tatsuha: ...alright!! Now for dessert, Shuichi!!
Shuichi: But Yuki, we're out of time ...
Yuki: Don't give up you fool!! It's okay, we can do it!! They'll give the championship to us with this!!
Shuichi: [Yuki ... you're so intense today ..!] Yu .. Yuki ... *heart*
Tatsuha: This is for Ryuichi's home phone number ....

pg 113
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Shuichi: You ... impossible ... Tatsuha ...
Host: One minute remaining!! A last all or nothing effort by each team ...

pg 115
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Cameraman: ............... Mr Producer .....
Producer: Now we have to cut it all.
Ukai: You two are gay? Your office is okay with this?

pg 116
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Cameraman: .......... Mr Producer ...
Producer: For now, cut out that scene ...

pg 117
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Cameraman: ... will do.

pg 118
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Tohma: I was pretty sure you used to live around here, looks like I was right. ... he was always very punctual with you wasn't he? How does it feel? 6 years ago, New York ...
Yuki: No comment ... same with Tokyo, I hate the congestion.

pg 119
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Tohma: You should be extremely pleased with the way things are going. You always said you wouldn't return to Japan.
Yuki: ... aah, well... I guess I did.
Tohma: Why do I doubt that? You were right to come though.
Yuki: Oh shuttup! I'm not the kid I was then, a lost kid who didn't know where to go. I remember it. Perfectly. That's why I specifically came to pay my respects to his grave.
Tohma: ... I see. I'm sure he appreciates it too.

pg 120
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Yuki: I wonder about that. How can the dead appreciate their killer visiting their grave? ... he probably holds a grudge against me.
Tohma: Well .. I don't know if he holds a grudge or not. There is no way I could know.

pg 121
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Yuki: ... Tohma ... san ...
Tohma: Yes? What is it? Eiri-kun ..
Yuki: Yuki holds a grudge against me. Because I'm the one that killed him.

pg 122
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Yuki: Because I was very important to Yuki. But I Yuki was more important to me than his thoughts ... That's why this is my retribution. Yuki betrayed me ... but I don't get a second chance to see him .. so this is his retribution.
Tohma: Eiri-kun ... you and Yuki were a case of opposites attracting. Magnet poles seem the same right? No matter how close they get, they won't attract .... It's okay though. You've already had a chance encounter. It's not fate. It's gravity.

pg 123
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Tohma: It was okay to disappear. Eiri-kun.
** FLASHBACK **
-- You're always reading a book huh? Is reading your hobby?
-- Yes! But I really like writing too. I want to become a writer.
** END FLASHBACK **

--- End Track 24 ---