Zerozaki Soushiki’s Human Exam : Question 1

January 29, 2012

(Note: I have not read the original Zaregoto or Ningen novels, nor have I looked to see if there are established translations for the terms. I’m doing this because it was an interesting read and I’m hoping someone more familiar with the series can do a better job on this instead. That being said, in the meantime, enjoy.)

————————–
Page 1
————————–
[1]
“Many choices exist in the world.

[3]
“All of us…
“No —
“All of you possess the right and freedom to choose something.

[4]
“An infinite number of possibilities lay before said choices.

[5]
“Unfortunately, however,

————————–
Page 2 – 3
————————–
[1]
“there certainly exist

[2]
“those who deny,
“those who abandon,
“those who intefere,

[3]
“those who steal, and those who look down and sneer.

[5]
“Yes, this is —

[6]
“a story
“of the bad.”

(…)

————————–
Page 7
————————–
[5]
“Iori.”

————————–
Page 8 – 9
————————–
[1]
“…Oh,

[2]
“Oh my! Kengo Onii-sama…… good… good morning.

[3]
“To continue persevering in her studies, your beloved little sister Iori-chan
“will today proceed to school as well!

[4]
“I’m off!”

[5]
“Hold it.”
“Gweh — ”

[6]
“Stop running away.

[7]
“I heard you’re the only one who hasn’t submitted their career path report.
“You’ve always been like this.
“You never try to choose something by your own will.

[8]
“You’ve been running ever since you were born.
“From me,
“and from yourself.

————————–
Page 10 – 11
————————–
[1]
“If you keep putting these things off like that,
“by the time you realize it, it’d be too late to to do a thing.
“Too late to make a choice.

[2]
“Eventually, you’ll reach the end of the line, and the only thing left for you would be to derail yourself.”

[3]
“It’s,
“it’s not like I want to run away!”

[4]
“That’s what I mean, you’re — ”
“Kengo~?

[5]
“You know where my earrings are?
“Hm?

[8]
“Picking on our little sister again?”

[9]
“……I’m just teaching her what’s right.”

[10]
“……
So y’know where my earrings are?”

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Page 12 – 13
————————–
[3]
“Haa —
“haa……
“haa……

[5]
‘You don’t need to tell me. I know that already.

[6]
‘I have been running for 17 years.

[7]
‘I don’t even know what I’m running away from.
‘Just, something.
‘If, in the end, it manages to catch up with me,

[8]
‘then everything will change.
‘That’s the feeling I get.

[9]
‘And that’s why I had no choice but to run from everything…’
“Nice excuse, huh…

[10]
“Whah — !

————————–
Page 14 – 15
————————–
[1]
“Whoa —
“whoa —
“phew……

[2]
“Excuse me!
“I was just thinking about something…”

[4]
“You are…

[5]
“a member of the Zerozaki Clan, right?”

[6]
“……
?”

————————–
Page 16 – 17
————————–
[1]
“Oh, aha, um…
“Are you sure you have the right person?”
“……”
“I think this is the first time we’ve met…

[2]
“Are you ignoring me?!

[3]
‘I’ve been thinking this for a while now, but…

[4]
‘their eyes look so
‘dead…’

[6]
“…Well, in that case,
“I’ll just take my leave now.

[7]
“?!

[8]
“What’re you — !”

[9]
“Please…!
“Let me go — !”

[10]
‘I have to run.
‘I have to run, now.

[11]
‘If I don’t,

————————–
Page 18 – 19
————————–
[1]
‘something will change me……’

[2]
“Please……”
“……?”

[3]
“Please let go my hand.”

[5]
“Hwa — !
“But not so suddenly!

[7]
“Wha — !”
“Whoa.”

[8]
“?!”

[9]
“Are you quite all right,

————————–
Page 20 – 21
————————–
[1]
“my dear girl?”

(…)

[4]
“For example,

————————–
Page 22 – 23
————————–
[1]
“let us assume that a murderer was here.

[3]
“He kills in compliance with his own raison d’etre.
“He killed, and people died, of course.

[4]
“Why did they die?
“Why did things turn out so badly?
“…..Why, because

[5]
“the murderer who killed them
“was bad, of course.”

[6]
“This time, let us assume the murderer was captured
“and sentenced to death.
“It hardly needs saying, but this was of course because

[7]
“the murderer’s deeds were bad.

[8]
“But, what if……
“what if it was a false charge? Then what?

————————–
Page 24 – 25
————————–
[1]
“If this murderer really hadn’t killed anyone,
“and was executed simply for being called ‘a murderer’,

[2]
“then it was the legal system,
“or perhaps the minds of the investigator and the judge,
“that was bad.
“Or something to that effect.

[3]
“Let us assume that, afterwards, in a place completely unrelated to this case,
“said investigator was crushed by a meteorite and died.

[4]
“This was, beyond any doubt, —

[5]
“bad luck.

[6]
“You should all know what I’m talking about by now.
“Simply put,

[7]
“The human death is a concept entwined with the bad.
“There is not a single millimeter of space to spare for good will or good sense to enter.

————————–
Page 26 – 27
————————–
[1]
“In a story where people die, no one but bad people appear,
“nor should they.
“No matter how deeply you probe, human death —

[2]
“contains only the bad.”

(…)

[4]
“But…
“this really is an unexpected development.
“I was entirely under the impression that a younger brother would be here…”
“……”

[5]
“Uh……
“Um……”
“Hm?
“What is it?”

————————–
Page 28 – 29
————————–
[1]
“I’d prefer if you could let go of me some time soon…”
“……”

[2]
“Well.
“Please, excuse me.
“I apologize.”

[3]
“Oh… no…”

[4]
“But you really are quite unfortunate, aren’t you?”
“What?”

[5]
“It would appear that they called out, mistaking you for me.”
“Is…
“that so?”

[6]
“How rude!
“How could they mistake this oh-so-charming young lady for the oh-so-wonderful me?”
“Huh… that’s true…”

[7]
“Well now.
“You should hurry to school.
“I wouldn’t want you to be late.”
“Ah, right……
“but……

[9]
“Will you be all right?
“these people…… they seem, well……”
“It’s all right.”

————————–
Page 30 – 31
————————–
[1]
“Leave this to me.”

[3]
“In… in that case, I’ll do as you say and leave now, but, um…
“Please be careful…”
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”

[5]
“……”
「Identity Card – No. 1109
The individual below is a certified student of this school.
Year: 2
Name: Mutoh Iori」
“Iori-chan, huh……

[6]
“You, too…

[7]
“ought to be careful of the world.”

————————–
Page 32 – 33
————————–
[1]
“Now then!
“Sorry for making you wait such a long time.
“Was there something you needed from me?”

[4]
“Are you a member of the Zerozaki Clan?”

[5]
“Oh, yes.
“I am —

[6]
“Zerozaki.”

(…)

————————–
Page 34 – 35
————————–
[1]
“We’ve finally found one.
“A Zerozaki.

[3]
“I wonder what was with that little girl back then?
“Was he hitting on her or something?

[4]
“A Zerozaki doing that, though?
“It’s a bit hard to believe, huh.

[5]
“Ooh,
“maybe that’s just a fake.
“Looks like they got one over us, huh~”

[6]
“……”

[7]
“Hello, big brother~? You listening~?”
“……”

————————–
Page 36 – 37
————————–
[1]
“I know something about that one, with the wiry appearance.
“Considering what happened on the train yesterday,
“and the fact that a real one is nearby,

[2]
“there is no mistake.”

[3]
“In that case, that little girl bothers me even more.
“And it looks like the puppets reacted to her first.

[4]
“……
“What say we egg them on a bit?

[5]
“How about it,
“big brother?”

(…)

[7]
「Career Advisor」

————————–
Page 38 – 39
————————–
[1]
“Have you decided on your career path yet, Mutoh-san?”

[2]
“Even though it’s a called a report, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be set in stone right now.
“You really don’t have to worry so much about it.

[3]
“With your grades, Mutoh-san, you have a clean shot at most universities.
“You can also find what you want to do in the future once you’re there.”

[4]
“What…
“I want to do in the future?”

[5]
“……
“Um, Sensei……

[6]
“why did you choose to become an instructor?”
“Wha —
“Me?!”

[7]
“Well…… umm~

[8]
“Well, both my parents were instructors as well,
“though really, I didn’t have any skills or merits besides studying.
“……But surprisingly, teaching wasn’t as bad a job as I first thought.
“It would be tough, but I supposed being a civil servant wouldn’t be all that bad……”

[9]
“……”
“……”

[10]
“Sensei, you’re…

[11]
“pretty normal, huh.”

(…)

————————–
Page 40 – 41
————————–
[2]
“Phew…

[3]
“……
“Oh.

[4]
“Jion?”

(…)

[5]
“Normality.

[6]
“– I wonder if you have given thought to this topic.

[7]
“In every generation, all the young people admire the athletes and musicians.
“The important thing is, they dislike the suits and neckties.

[8]
“Why, you ask? Why —

————————–
Page 42 – 43
————————–
[1]
“because it’s the normality filling their everyday lives.

[2]
“It means being the average.
“It means being the same as others.
“It is the fear of lacking individuality, being without a self.

[3]
“It means being normal.
“Even though —

[4]
“nothing could be more wonderful…”

(…)

[6]
“Hey, Jion…
“Have you ever thought how you’d be like as a member of society?

[7]
“Me, I can’t even help feeling strange right now,
“just being a high schooler.

[8]
“I feel like I really shouldn’t be here…
“Like there isn’t a single place I belong to…”

[9]
‘That’s why I’ve always been running.
‘And, without reaching any single place, I……’

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Page 44 – 45
————————–
[2]
“You’re putting too much thought into this, Mutoh.
“Life is supposed to be nice and easy, you know?

[3]
“I’m going to grow up to be a musician! I’ll be the next Jim Morrison!!
“…something like that.”

[4]
“……

[5]
“You’re exactly the type who’ll turn out to be a salaryman when you meet them at a reunion.”
“Huh?!
“No way I’m going for a white-collar desk job!”

[6]
“But still…

[7]
“I feel a bit better now.

[8]
“Thank you, Jion.”

————————–
Page 46 – 47
————————–
[1]
“H-
“Hey…

[2]
“You wanna blow off the rest of the day and go someplace…?”

[3]
“…Mmm~

[4]
“No thanks.”
“Why not?!”

[5]
“Because Iori-chan isn’t a bad girl!”

[6]
“……
“Isn’t it normal to blow off school……?”
“……It’s normal if you don’t, Jion……”

(…)

[7]
“One ought never be a maverick to the norm.

[8]
“In the end, happiness as a human being
“means getting along well with the people around you.

[9]
“Thus, being normal and natural is truly a blessed thing.

[10]
“It has nothing to do with prestige, honor, status or wealth.
“Things like talents and qualities ought to be hidden as much as possible.

[11]
“That’s because

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Page 48 – 49
————————–
[1]
“everyone wants to live as human beings.”

(…)

[4]
‘So sleepy…
‘I really should have blew this off and went with Jion…

[5]
‘……
‘Now that I think it……

[6]
‘That person I met this morning, is he all right……?

[7]
‘Leave this to me.

[8]
‘I can’t believe I trusted him,
‘even though I just met him……
‘it’s almost like……

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Page 50 – 51
————————–
[1]
‘I’ve known him for the longest time –‘

(…)

[5]
“Sigh.
“No date for me, huh.

[7]
“Guess I’ll head to the arcade……
“Huh…?

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Page 52 – 53
————————–
[2]
“……
“?”

[3]
“Are you
“a student of this school?”

[4]
“……
“Uh, yeah?”

[5]
“I see.”

[6]
“In that case,

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Page 54 – 55
————————–
[1]
“You will do fine.”

(…)

————————–
Page 55 – 56
————————–
[1]
“Haa!

[2]
“Uu…
“I fell asleep…

[3]
“……

[4]
“Whah?

[6]
“Ugh……
“There’s nobody here at all…

[7]
“Maybe there’s an assembly in the gymnasium…?

[8]
“Wish someone had woken me up…

[9]
“But still, the air…
“tastes kind of wrong…

————————–
Page 58 – 59
————————–
[1]
“Waah!

[2]
“Ji-
“Jion?

[3]
“You —
“really freaked me out!
“Didn’t you already leave?

[4]
“Well, Iori-chan was thinking about what she’d do, too!

[5]
“And once I woke up, nobody was in the — ”
“You’re a member of the Zerozaki Clan, right?”
“……

[6]
“Mmn?

[7]
“Didn’t someone ask me the same thing this morning…?

[8]
“What’s it supposed to mean?
“Is it a fad?

————————–
Page 60 – 61
————————–
[1]
“Wh-
“Whoa!

[2]
“Wha —
“Argh!

[3]
“Owww…!

[4]
“God!
“What’s wrong with you, all of a…

[8]
“AAAAH — !

————————–
Page 62 – 63
————————–
[2]
“Wh-
“Wha-
“What’s —

[3]
“What’s going on?!
“What is this?!!

[4]
“Is…
“Is anyone here?!

[6]
“Haa…
“haa…

[7]
“Ah…!

[8]
“Haa…
“haa…”
‘His eyes, they’re…
‘the same as the people earlier…

[9]
‘dead eyes.

————————–
Page 64 – 65
————————–
[1]
‘Is he going to kill me?!
‘Why…?!

[2]
‘But I’ve only lived for 17 years!
‘Is this it?!
‘No, it can’t be!!

[3]
‘It’s just too early!
‘I…

[4]
‘I want to live longer —

[5]
‘Ah —

[6]
‘Live longer? That’s it?
‘Live longer……
‘and do what?

[7]
” —
“Oh… I get it.

[8]
“This is…
“what I owe…

————————–
Page 66 – 67
————————–
[1]
“This is what I get for running away from everything all the time.
“The curtains sure came down fast…

[2]
“It really is…
“just like what Kengo said……

[3]
“Hey, Jion.

[4]
“I know… I’m a bit stupid,
“so I might have made you angry somehow…
“I’m sorry…

[6]
“This is
“my stop.

(…)

————————–
Page 68 – 69
————————–
[1]
“The suicide drive.

[2]
“To the living,
“that is the “evilest” thought of all.

[3]
“The world is already filled with things which can represent evil.

[4]
“Just like how you run into traffic lights, eventually,
“you will encounter evil. Don’t you agree?

[5]
“Everyone dies in the end.
“But that’s no reason to go rushing towards it.

[6]
“Regardless of the destiny you shoulder,

[7]
“the crimes you have committed,
“the living deserve to live.

[8]
“That is my belief.”

(…)

————————–
Page 70 – 71
————————–
[1]
“…..Wait…

[2]
“Why is Jion dead?

————————–
Page 74 – 45
————————–
[1]
“Ha…
“Haha…

[2]
“Maybe I…
“have some sort of talent for killing people……

[3]
“……
“Ha…

[4]
“I need to stop saying stupid things and go before…

[5]
“?!”

[6]
“You just said
“something terribly correct.”

[7]
‘Did he see me do it?!’

[8]
“But allow me to make a correction.”

[9]
‘Huh…? He’s……’

[10]
“You should present it —
“not as a ‘talent’, but a ‘quality’.

————————–
Page 76 – 77
————————–
[1]
“We meet again,
“Iori-chan.

[2]
‘from this morning…
‘Is… is he…

[3]
‘a stalker?!

[4]
‘T-This is bad…
‘And he knows my name too, somehow…’
“But this is quite something.”

[5]
‘And he even has something on me now…’
“It’s amazing you managed to kill this thing in one blow with something like this.

[6]
“And they’re scissors, too…
“I feel quite a sense of affinity.”

————————–
Page 78 – 79
————————–
[1]
“Whoa!
“Whoa!
“What are you doing?!”

[2]
“What, you ask…?
“Hmm~
“Inspecting?”

[3]
“Don’t just play around with it like that!”
“Why not?”
“Wh-What do you mean, why not…?

[4]
“I’m going to explain this to the police, so if anything’s different, then…!”
“Oh, I see. Yes, that would be…
” — wait, the police?!

[5]
“Hey, hey, hey, hey!
“I know I look like an idiot for asking this, but you’re seriously worrying me!
“You’re not actually planning on turning yourself in, are you?!”

[6]
“No, no, no, no!
“I am!
“Of course I will!!”

[7]
“Don’t… don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve killed someone!”
“What do you think?!”
“So it’s not?”
“It is!”

[8]
“All the more reason why you shouldn’t go to the police.”
“?”

————————–
Page 80 – 81
————————–
[1]
“Try not to discuss this with your family, friends or teachers, either.

[2]
“For you are now

[3]
“one who can think of nothing but killing when meeting others.
“No doubt about it —

[4]
“you are a psycho.”

[5]
“Well,
“you’re just freshly baked, of course.”
“…Wh-

[6]
“Why are you saying these baseless things? You just came out of nowhere and…!”

[7]
“Baseless….
“Baseless, you say?

[8]
“You of all people should have already realized it.
“How you have just stabbed another person,

————————–
Page 82 – 83
————————–
[1]
“and yet feel no guilt whatsoever.”

[2]
“Oh…”

[3]
“Still,
“there’s really no need to fret about this.”
“?!”
“After all, the fault was with him.”

[4]
“Were… were you already watching when Jion — ”
“Hold on.

[5]
“I’d prefer it if you do not misunderstand the situation.
“I did not come to save you,
“much less appear to allow your so-called
“talent for killing to blossom.”

[6]
“After all, I didn’t call out to you until you turned to face me, did I?”

[7]
“The thought that someone would come to lend you a hand at the turning point of your life
“is truly comical.

[8]
“No one can guide you any more.
“Nor will you ever reach a stop.
“You —

————————–
Page 82 – 83
————————–
[1]
“have already been derailed.”

[2]
“……

[3]
“Yes…
“of course…

[4]
“Since I killed Jion, I’m the bad one here……”

[5]
“No.
“I will say it one more time.

[6]
“Even now — ”

[7]
“?!”

[8]
“You are not bad.

————————–
Page 86 – 87
————————–
[1]
“Behold!
“That which, despite having suffered a fatal injury in the neck,
“now stands up again to kill its target! The notion of it!

[2]
“What can we call this if not evil?!

[3]
“It’s the same as the ones in the train or from this morning.
“They have my sympathy,

[4]
“but not my mercy.

(…)

[5]
“Well then.
“That’s all for the lecture on what is bad.

[6]
“I’m sure you’re all getting tired of waiting,

[7]
“So let us begin the test.

————————–
Page 88 – 89
————————–
[5]
“Now,

————————–
Page 90 – 91
————————–
[1]
“Let us begin…
“Oh, my bad.

[2]
“That’s the wrong pair.

[3]
“Let me start over.

[5]
“Let us begin —

[7]
“the Zerozaki.”

————————–
Page 92 – 93
————————–
[1]
“Jion-kun, was it?

[2]
“If we were to meet under different circumstances, the possibilities for you might be different.
“but how very unfortunate you are.

[8]
“Jion-kun —

————————–
Page 94 – 95
————————–
[1]
“you fail.

[4]
“Iori-chan.
“I know I said some cold things back there, but I’m not a demon.
“……Well,
“maybe I am, in a way.

[5]
“As you are a newborn,
“allow me present to you a proposal.

[6]
“I am Zerozaki Soushiki.”

[7]
‘Ah… I see…
‘He’s not a stalker…’
“Hey, Iori-chan…

————————–
Page 96 – 97
————————–
[1]
“won’t you be my little sister?”

[3]
‘He’s just a pervert…’

(…)

[5]
“Wow…
“So those giant scissors of his became his own second name.
“‘Suicide Drive‘ – the Mainlaender, huh.

[6]
“So he really is a true Zerozaki!
“And a huge one, just like you said, big brother!

[7]
“It seems like that little girl is involved as well.
“What should we do?”

[8]
“Opposing the ‘evilest‘ by ourselves may be beyond us.
“I will —

————————–
Page 96 – 97
————————–
[1]
“visit her once more.”

[2]
“The ‘evilest’, huh…

[3]
“You’re as cautious as always.

[4]
“But I know nothing about this ‘evilest’,
“so I’m just going to go ahead and make a move.

[6]
“Besides, Tokinomiya-san is here for once.
“Would you help me with my little play?”

[7]
“Oh, I do not mind.
“As long… as I get what want.”

[8]
” — so she says. How about it,
“big brother?”

[9]
“……”
“Very well.

————————–
Page 98
————————–
[1]
“You may act freely.”

Written by CanonRap Posted in Ningen Tagged with Mutoh Iori, Zerozaki Soushiki