xxxHOLiC Rou 186 translation

[starlady]

Damn the dream-font. Son of a bitch, I lost my copy of volume 1 in customs.

!!! page 01
There is much mystery in the world, but

No matter how strange,
How bizarre these events,

If people are not present,
If people don't see them,
If people aren't affected by them,

They are merely phenomena,
Just things that pass by.

People,
People,
People.

Of all the living things in this world, people themselves are the most mysterious of all.
--------------------
!!! page 02
FX: Footstep
--------------------
!!! page 03
FX: Bam

FX: Rustle rustle
--------------------
!!! page 04
Maru & Moro: Welcome.

Doumeki: I'm not a customer.

Maru & Moro: Then,
Welcome home.

FX: Snatch

FX: Footsteps
--------------------
!!! page 05
Doumeki: I'm not the master here.

Maru & Moro: But it really is welcome home.

FX: Rumble-slide

--------------------
!!! page 06-07
--------------------
!!! page 08
Mokona: Yo.

Doumeki: Hey.

Watanuki: ...Sleepy...

Doumeki: It's already five.

Maru & Moro FX: Ee! Ee!

Mokona FX: Bounce

Mokona: Watanuki was awake a while ago.

Doumeki: You're sleeping too much,
All the time.

Watanuki: It doesn't matter.

If I sleep whenever customers don't come.

So,
You went out to buy things?
--------------------
!!! page 09
Doumeki: Yeah.

FX: Sudden

Maru: Overflowing--

Moro: To the top--

Watanuki: Yes.

You bought decent things.

You're not bad at picking things out.

Doumeki: Because you'd make a fuss.

Maru & Moro FX: Ee! Ee!

Watanuki: If you're going to eat, aren't things of good nature best?

Doumeki: I'll eat

FX: Soft rattle

Doumeki: Dinner.
--------------------
!!! page 10
Watanuki: Maru, Moro, help me--

FX: Rumble-slide

Maru & Moro: Right!

FX: Rumble-shut

Mokona: Watanuki was the same as always.

Doumeki: ...Really.
--------------------
!!! page 11
Doumeki: Thanks for the food.

Mokona: Thanks for the food.

Watanuki: Yeah--

FX: Burble

FX: Munch munch munch
--------------------
!!! page 12
Watanuki: Now that you mention it,
Why are you making that face?

Doumeki: School.

Watanuki: College?

Doumeki: Yeah.

Watanuki: Speaking of school, are students intentionally wearing suits now?

FX: Soft rattle

FX: Slowly

Doumeki: My professor had a meeting.
I was on the side, showing the visual aids on the laptop.

Watanuki: Oh,
That's right, your professor is bad at computers.
--------------------
!!! page 13
Watanuki: But
You're folklore studies, right.

Doumeki: How many times is that?

Watanuki: I'll say it how many times I like.

You were good at science, weren't you.

FX: Twirling

Watanuki: It's weird that you decided that so suddenly, without thinking.
--------------------
!!! page 14
Doumeki: I said this four years ago.
I have an interest.

Because there are various things Gramps left at my house.

---

Oh Doumeki, just keep growing hotter. Watanuki, on the other hand, needs to lay off the drugs.

I hate these chapters where it's a struggle to make things sound natural.

Comments

[aida-furion.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thanks for the translation... XD

[canon-4-life.livejournal.com]

Watanuki needs to stop using drugs ><
I miss the old Watanuki T_T
on the other hand, they kinda look like husband and wife...
thanks for the translation

[ariadnechan.livejournal.com]

Yey the totally are!!!

[ceitean.livejournal.com]

What's even more interesting to me is that they read as a typically Japanese husband and wife, especially in those first panels when you didn't know why Doumeki was in a suit and that he was still in college. The salaryman image at the beginning was really strong and something that I bet CLAMP did on purpose, though they took that impression away a bit with the student reveal. Like, even though they're not actually a housewife/salaryman pair, that's still the kind of dynamic they wanted to get across? Even the conversation later on, ("How many times do you have to bring this up?" "As many times as I want to, dear") sounds like a very typical 'married' conversation to me.

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

Yanno, I think that's a really good point.

[canon-4-life.livejournal.com]

("How many times do you have to bring this up?" "As many times as I want to, dear")
This line actually caught my attention. I'm a fangirl itself but I can't help but think about this. But if we looked out the whole context... Both guys still care for each other... The reason why Watanuki keeps asking this because he's concern about Doumeki's future, at the same time he wants to reassure that along the way Doumeki will help him. On Doumeki's part, even he didn't admit it, he chose what he wants because he wants to help him, aside from his reason due to his Haruka-jii-sama *bows* passing. Watanuki knows that Doumeki will not give him a direct answer but let's face it, Doumeki is Watanuki's comfort zone. That's my opinion though :P

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

Doumeki is Watanuki's comfort zone.

I think you're right. Also his only link to the outside world for the past four years, with the possible exception of Himawari.

[canon-4-life.livejournal.com]

Based on the last chapter and this recent chapter, my impression is Doumeki is the person whom he can rely on regarding this matter. I mean, after I read almost 200 chappies of HOLiC, even he told some odd things to Himawari and Kohane, until the end Watanuki is still consulting to Doumeki since he's the one can only relate to this after the exchange of eye and blood. It makes me sad that I think Himawari and Kohane might help him but alas both of them are still missing in action. After reading 185 and 186, only Doumeki is link in the outside world.

plus CLAMP again, skipped the egg issue, goddamnit >

[ariadnechan.livejournal.com]

But even if he is more house wife in a sense...he has change a lot in the sense of himself, it is not only his smoking new habit, but his approach to life, watanuki never spend the day sleeping, without cleaning or let all well done around him!

and the confidence in himself is like the Watanuki you can see in the covers!!!

He is concern for Doumeki and Doumeki for him that is clear water!!
But i feel they are disconnected, because maybe the Kimiro's decision to wait an eternity for Yuuko...
and Doumeki tries to be the more close to Kimihiro as he could learning something who could unite them both

Why Doumeki you don't live with him anymore?????
wath about the Egg????

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

Yeah, why Doumeki didn't use the egg then is probably the million-credit question at this point.

ETA: "Rou" means "cage" and I think Watanuki is in one--the shop, maybe.

[ariadnechan.livejournal.com]

And Watanuki in the first scene is using a furisode!!!

and then while he serve the dinner an apron, that is the typical house wife!

[herm-nefer.livejournal.com]

thanks a lot for the translation! I squeed at Doumeki and wanted to smack Watanuki for being so bent sent on becoming Yuuko >.> because that last Watanuki panel had Yuuko all over it

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

because that last Watanuki panel had Yuuko all over it

Yeah, pretty much.

[ariadnechan.livejournal.com]

Now Watanuki is identical at his covers!!!!

Doumeki at last is going were his grandpa went, so hot to be truth!!!!

thanks so much for the translation!!!

[ceitean.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the translations! :D

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I love that icon.

[lodelco.livejournal.com]

If only TRC 231 would hurry up maybe we'd get an idea on Watanuki's behaviour.

I'm wondering though, if they are going to continue HOLiC just how much of a story would we get if Watanuki is confined to the shop? Does this mean Doumeki gets the limelight this time?

[starlady38.livejournal.com]

That's a good question. It seems significant to me that this "Rou" business is starting mid-volume 16, not in its own volume.

[nekocat17.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the translation!

The thing that's really bugging me, is how come Watanuki's personality changed so much? He doesn't seem anything like himself at all. I don't see how Yuuko'd death could have made him so different. :( :(