Work Text: 作品文本：
Mako held up the book she was reading and frowned. This is the third time she had reread the page, but the words didn’t want to make sense in her head. And the creaking of the Dojo’s wooden floor didn’t help either. She put the book down with a sigh:
真子举起她正在看的书，皱起了眉头。这是她第三次重读这一页，但这些话在她的脑海中没有意义。道场木地板的吱吱声也无济于事。她叹了口气，放下了书：
“Ryunosuke, why are you doing this?”
“龙之介，你为什么要这样做？”
ShinkenBlue had arrived at the dojo even before her. But after greeting her, he’d just went back to walking up and down the same corridor over and over and over.
ShinkenBlue甚至在她之前就已经到达了道场。但是在向她打招呼之后，他又回到了一遍又一遍地在同一条走廊上走来走去。
“I’m worried, Mako. What if something happens to them? What if we don’t arrive on time and they-“
“我很担心，真子。万一他们出了什么事怎么办？如果我们没有准时到达，他们——”
“Ryunosuke, Takeru is one of the best samurai alive right now, and Kotoha has improved a lot in a very short time. Believe it or not, it has become harder and harder to keep up with her.”
“龙之介，武是目前最好的武士之一，琴叶在很短的时间内进步了很多。信不信由你，要跟上她的步伐越来越难了。
The truth was that Mako was also worried about her girlfriend. But she trusted Kotoha and knew that on the off chance something happened, she’d be able to handle it. And Takeru was with her. He was incredibly skilled, even without being born directly into a samurai family. It was really impressive.
事实是，真子也担心她的女朋友。但她信任琴叶，知道万一发生什么事，她就能处理好。Takeru和她在一起。即使没有直接出生在武士家庭，他的技能也令人难以置信。这真的令人印象深刻。
Two days ago, all the Shinkenger got a call from the mentor that there had been a report of Sanzu River water in a nearby province. The report was most likely a false alarm, since they had defeated the Gedoshu over a year ago, but it was safer to check just in case. Like Kaoru said: As long as there is a Sanzu River, there will always be Samurai.
前两天，所有新行阁都接到导师的电话，说附近有省有三津河水的报告。这份报告很可能是虚惊一场，因为他们在一年多前就击败了格多舒，但为了以防万一，检查一下更安全。就像薰说的：只要有三足川，就永远有武士。
When they got the call, Takeru was already on his way there and Kotoha, who had been visiting her family, had been the closest out of the remaining five, so it was decided that she would join him. Ryunosuke and Mako were called to the Dojo to wait in case they needed backup, which was extremely unlikely.
当他们接到电话时，Takeru已经在去那里的路上，而正在探望家人的Kotoha是剩下的五个人中最近的一个，所以决定她要和他一起去。龙之介和真子被叫到道场等待，以防他们需要备份，这是极不可能的。
Nonetheless, it wouldn’t stop them from worrying about the people they cared about.
尽管如此，这并不能阻止他们担心他们关心的人。
“You’re right, Mako, walking around won’t help...”
“你说得对，真子，四处走动也无济于事......”
Mako almost breathed a sigh of relief, but she didn’t get the chance, because Ryunosuke had pulled out his sword.
真子几乎松了一口气，但她没有机会，因为龙之介已经拔出了剑。
“We should be training instead. What if our skills have gotten rusty and-“
“我们应该进行训练。如果我们的技能生锈了怎么办，而且——”
ShinkenPink stood up and easily took the sword out of his hand. He wasn’t focused at all.
ShinkenPink站起身来，轻而易举地将剑从他手中夺走。他一点也不专注。
“I know for a fact that you never stopped training, even after we defeated Dokoku. So calm down already. What's with you?”
“我知道一个事实，即使在我们击败Dokoku之后，你也从未停止过训练。所以已经冷静下来了。你怎么了？
If Mako really thought about it, this is how Ryunosuke has always acted, but she felt that this time was different.
如果真子真的想过的话，龙之介一直以来都是这样行事的，但她觉得这次不一样了。
“I’m just so worried, it’s driving me crazy. What if we let our guard down and it’s a trap and I never see Takeru again?!”
“我太担心了，这让我发疯了。如果我们放松警惕，这是一个陷阱，我再也见不到Takeru怎么办？！
“Takeru,” Mako thought to herself. That was new.
“Takeru，”真子心想。这是新的。
“...and Kotoha?”, she added, raising an eyebrow.
“...还有Kotoha？“，她补充道，扬起眉毛。
“And Kotoha, of course!” Ryunosuke added hastily.
“当然还有琴叶！”龙之介连忙补充道。
He finally broke out of his fighting stance and started walking towards her.
他终于挣脱了战斗的姿态，开始向她走去。
“Actually, why aren’t you worried about Kotoha more? Isn’t she your girlfriend?”
“其实，你为什么不多担心琴叶呢？她不是你的女朋友吗？
“Who said I’m not worried? I trust her, that’s all. Do you not trust Takeru?”
“谁说我不担心？我相信她，仅此而已。你不相信Takeru吗？
Ryunosuke’s facial expression changed. He looked at Mako like she had just accused him of treason.
龙之介的面部表情变了。他看着真子，就像她刚刚指控他叛国一样。
“OF COURSE I trust our lord.”
“我当然相信我们的主人。”
“Lord?” That’s not how he had referred to him earlier.
“领主？”他之前不是这样称呼他的。
“Our Lord?” Mako asked, grinning slightly.
“我们的主？”真子微微一笑问道。
“Yes, our Lord. That’s what he is, right? What’s so funny?”
“是的，我们的主。他就是这样，对吧？有什么好笑的？
“Is that all Takeru is to you? Your Lord?”
“这就是Takeru对你来说的全部吗？陛下？
Ryunosuke felt his face turn hot. He was probably blushing like an idiot, which was only confirmed by Mako’s grin widening.
龙之介觉得自己的脸变得火辣辣的。他可能脸红得像个白痴，只有真子的笑容扩大了才证实了这一点。
“I… I mean… I just...”
“我......我的意思是。。。我只是......”
Ryunosuke sighed. Let’s try again.
龙之介叹了口气。让我们再试一次。
“Maybe on one day a long time ago he was “just” my Lord. But now, I… I don’t know, Mako.”
“也许在很久以前的某一天，他'只是'我的主。但现在，我......我不知道，真子。
She raised an eyebrow again.
她又挑了挑眉毛。
“To me, it seems like you know really well, actually.”
“在我看来，你似乎很清楚，实际上。
They both went to the bench and sat down.
他们俩都走到长凳上坐下。
“I mean… I know I like him. I like him a lot, actually. But I don’t think it will go anywhere, and it’s killing me a bit. I mean, it makes sense. fire and water don’t go well together.”
“我的意思是......我知道我喜欢他。实际上，我非常喜欢他。但我不认为它会去任何地方，它有点杀死我。我的意思是，这是有道理的。火和水不能很好地结合在一起。
“Why do you say that?”
“为什么这么说？”
“Every time I try and approach him, or get him a small gift, or invite him to one of my Theater performances, he does accept them, but…”
“每次我试图接近他，或者给他送一份小礼物，或者邀请他参加我的剧院演出，他都会接受，但是......”
Ryunosuke was staring holes into the wooden floor of Dojo at this point.
此时，龙之介正盯着道场的木地板上的洞。
“But?” “可是？”
“But he always seems distant the entire time, and I don’t know why! Am I doing something wrong?”
“但他似乎总是很疏远，我不知道为什么！我做错了什么吗？
"Uhm, no?" “嗯，不是吗？”
“Exactly. So the only logical answer is that he doesn’t like me.”
“没错。所以唯一合乎逻辑的答案是他不喜欢我。
“If he didn’t like you, why would he show up, then?”
“如果他不喜欢你，那他为什么要出现呢？”
“I don't know, politeness?”
“我不知道，礼貌？”
“How many times did you invite him, then?”
“那你邀请他多少次了？”
“Eh… well, I kind of invited him to every performance I’ve had in the last year.”
“呃......好吧，我邀请他参加我去年的每一场演出。
There it was again. His head felt like it was about to melt.
它又来了。他的脑袋感觉快要融化了。
“And he came every time?”
“他每次都来吗？”
“Yes, he did. Why?” “是的，他做到了。为什么？
Mako chuckled. “Politeness would only get you so far. One performance, maybe a second, but every time? Yeah, I really don’t think he feels any resentment towards you, Ryunosuke.”
真子笑了起来。“礼貌只会让你走得更远。一场表演，也许是第二场，但每次？是的，我真的不认为他对你有任何怨恨，龙之介。
“Then why is he so distant all the time?”
“那他为什么总是这么疏远？”
This came out louder than Ryunosuke expected. Even the birds on the tree outside now knew how frustrated he was.
这比龙之介预期的要响亮。就连外面树上的鸟儿现在也知道他有多沮丧。
It was silent now. Mako had to think. She really was genuine when she said that she believed Takeru has no resentment towards Ryunosuke, but she wasn’t sure why he was giving him the cold shoulder.
现在一片寂静。真子不得不思考。当她说她相信 Takeru 对龙之介没有怨恨时，她真的很真诚，但她不确定他为什么要冷眼相待。
And then she thought back on how the conversation started.
然后她回想起谈话是如何开始的。
“Our Lord.” “我们的主。”
“Takeru.” “武。”
And she understood. 她明白了。
“You know, Ryunosuke, before Kotoha and I started dating, she needed to change how she saw me.”
“你知道，龙之介，在琴叶和我开始约会之前，她需要改变她对我的看法。”
Ryunosuke finally looked at her.
龙之介终于看向她。
“What do you mean by that? I thought she always liked you. Even when we had just started being a team properly, I remember Kotoha was infatuated with you. You were perfect in her eyes.”
“你这是什么意思？我以为她一直喜欢你。即使我们刚刚开始成为一个团队，我还记得琴叶对你很迷恋。在她眼里，你是完美的。
“I know… and that was exactly the problem.”
“我知道......而这正是问题所在。
“I don’t understand you at all. How is that a problem?”
“我完全不理解你。这怎么会是个问题？
Ryunosuke remembered when his father had shown him the Mojikara for the first time. He was 3 years old, and it had seemed like so much to learn. He couldn’t imagine ever being able to master it. And yet, this statement seemed more complicated now than learning the symbols felt back then.
龙之介想起了他父亲第一次向他展示Mojikara的时候。他当时3岁，似乎要学很多东西。他无法想象自己能够掌握它。然而，这句话现在似乎比学习当时的符号感觉要复杂得多。
“Kotoha used to see me as an idol. In her eyes, I could do no wrong, and what I said was always the right thing. I guess that just happens when you fall in love, but...”
“琴叶曾经把我当成偶像。在她眼里，我不会做错事，我说的话永远是对的。我想这只发生在你坠入爱河的时候，但是......”
She took a deep breath and then continued.
她深吸了一口气，然后继续说道。
”But it’s no basis for a relationship that’s meant to work.”
“但这不是一种注定要起作用的关系的基础。
“Why not? On paper, it seems ideal, right?”
“为什么不呢？从纸面上看，这似乎很理想，对吧？
“For someone who is egoistic, maybe. But for someone who actually loves their partner and wants the best for them? Absolutely not. Someone who sees their partner as an idol, as someone above them, will never notice any of their flaws. They’ll never realize if they’re being mistreated or neglected. They’re blinded by this perfect image that, more often than not, is very far from reality. That’s not something you wish upon someone you love. When you love someone, you want them to be your equal.You need to let them support you as much as you support them. Do you know what I’m saying?”
“对于一个利己主义的人来说，也许吧。但是对于一个真正爱他们的伴侣并希望给他们最好的人呢？绝对不行。一个将他们的伴侣视为偶像、高于他们的人的人，永远不会注意到他们的任何缺陷。他们永远不会意识到自己是否受到虐待或忽视。他们被这种完美的形象蒙蔽了双眼，而这种形象往往与现实相去甚远。这不是你希望你所爱的人做的事情。当你爱一个人时，你希望他们与你平等。你需要让他们支持你，就像你支持他们一样。你知道我在说什么吗？
“I mean, I guess?” “我是说，我猜？”
Ryunosuke understood some of it, but he wasn’t entirely sure where Mako was going with this.
龙之介明白了其中的一些，但他并不完全确定真子要去哪里。
“And besides, how can you be vulnerable around someone who doesn’t see you as a real person, but as a symbol instead? You would never be able to be honest without shattering the shaky fundament the relationship is already built on.”
“此外，你怎么能在一个不把你看作一个真实的人，而是把你看作一个象征的人身边变得脆弱呢？如果不打破这种关系已经建立的摇摇欲坠的基础，你永远无法诚实。
“I see.” “我明白了。”
It was silent again. Ryunosuke looked out the window. The sun was setting, but Kotoha and Takeru weren’t back yet.
又是一片寂静。龙之介看向窗外。太阳快落山了，但琴叶和武还没有回来。
Takeru… 武...
Ryunosuke did understand what Mako was trying to tell him, but he didn’t think it applied here. At least not anymore.
龙之介确实明白真子想告诉他什么，但他不认为这适用于这里。至少现在不会了。
Then again, he couldn’t fault her for thinking that way. As soon as they had arrived at the Shiba house, he had made his admiration and dedication for their lord pretty clear.
话又说回来，他不能责怪她这样想。他们一到柴家，他就已经非常清楚地表达了他对他们主人的钦佩和奉献。
Devotion. That’s what he always has been known for. Even before coming here, even back when he joined the Kabuki Theater, he would spend day and night switching between his samurai training and learning his lines and perfecting the routines.
奉献。这就是他一直以来的名声。甚至在来到这里之前，甚至在他加入歌舞伎剧场的时候，他就会日夜在武士训练和学习台词和完善套路之间切换。
“I didn’t think there could be a ‘too much’ in kabuki Theater, but here we are.”
“我不认为歌舞伎剧院会'太多'，但我们来了。”
He remembered his teacher’s words clearly. Ryunosuke had tried very hard to keep it in moderation, but he couldn’t help himself. He always gave his, all even when people thought it was too much. That’s always what had made Ikenami Ryunosuke special.
他清楚地记得老师的话。龙之介非常努力地保持适度，但他无法控制自己。他总是付出他的一切，即使人们认为这太过分了。这一直是 Ikenami Ryunosuke 的特别之处。
He had given that same devotion to his lord, Shiba Takeru. Because that’s what was expected of him — that’s what he had trained for — and he took his duty seriously.
他也对他的主人柴武（Shiba Takeru）给予了同样的奉献。因为这是对他的期望——这就是他训练的目的——他认真对待自己的职责。
Ryunosuke hadn’t noticed it at first but over time it had evolved into something else. Yes, of course, he was still dedicated to serving his lord, but that’s not all this was. As the days went on, as the seasons changed, as the fights got harder, thoughts about giving up tried to sneak up on him and consume him, as he was forced to lay down, wounded and feverish from one of the many battles with the Gedoshu.
龙之介起初并没有注意到它，但随着时间的推移，它已经演变成别的东西。是的，当然，他仍然致力于为他的主人服务，但这还不是全部。随着时间的流逝，随着季节的变化，随着战斗变得越来越艰难，放弃的念头试图偷偷溜到他身上并吞噬他，因为他被迫躺下，在与格多舒的众多战斗之一中受伤和发烧。
But they never could. Those thoughts could never overwhelm him, never make him despair. Even in his weakest moments, these quiet voices never even managed to become a solid idea.
但他们永远做不到。这些想法永远不会压倒他，永远不会让他绝望。即使在他最虚弱的时刻，这些安静的声音也从未成为一个坚实的想法。
There was a moment when it seemed like they almost would — like the dilemma he was in would be impossible to conquer, like happiness had disappeared completely from the horizon. But even then, there was something stopping them from gaining power. One thought that was louder than any of the tormenting whispers.
有那么一刻，他们似乎几乎要了——就像他所处的困境是无法克服的，就像幸福已经完全从地平线上消失了一样。但即便如此，还是有一些东西阻止了他们获得权力。一个想法比任何折磨人的耳语都响亮。
“Takeru.” “武。”
-
Eventually, Mako decided to go to sleep, but Ryunosuke stayed in the dojo. He wouldn’t be able to sleep, he knew that for sure — but what else was left to do? The sky seemed clear today. If he had gone outside, he would have been able to see a carpet of stars for sure, but he didn’t. He chose to stay inside, alone with his thoughts, for what felt like hours. It didn’t even occur to him to do sword fighting exercises again. Just him, the wood floor, the crickets outside, and..
最终，真子决定去睡觉，但龙之介留在了道场。他睡不着，他肯定知道这一点——但还有什么可做的呢？今天的天空似乎晴朗。如果他走到外面，他肯定能看到星星的地毯，但他没有。他选择呆在屋子里，独自一人思考，感觉像是几个小时。他甚至没有想到要再做剑术练习。只有他，木地板，外面的蟋蟀，还有......
“Ryunosuke?” “龙之介？”
The voice of a woman was saying his name, but it was definitely not Mako.
一个女人的声音在说他的名字，但绝对不是真子。
“Kotoha? Is that you?” “琴叶？是你吗？
“Yes, silly, who else could it be?”
“是啊，傻子，还能是谁？”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” he replied, barely audibly, before jumping up.
“是的，这是有道理的，”他回答说，几乎听不见，然后跳了起来。
“KOTOHA, YOU’RE BACK?” “琴叶，你回来了？”
“Shh, you’ll wake Mako!” “嘘，你会吵醒真子的！”
“Oh... sorry.” “哦......对不起。
Ryunosuke looked around the room and started panicking.
龙之介环顾房间，开始惊慌失措。
“Wait, where’s Takeru? Is he hurt?! Did he —”
“等等，Takeru在哪里？他受伤了吗？！难道他——”
Kotoha giggled. “No, silly, he’s just sitting outside looking at the night sky. You know he likes doing that.”
琴叶咯咯地笑了起来。“不，傻瓜，他只是坐在外面看着夜空。你知道他喜欢这样做。
Right, right. Takeru did love sitting under the night sky. He’d always sneak out and admire the dark blue night when he thought everyone else was asleep. Ryunosuke, however was a very light sleeper, and would be woken up by his footsteps. He had debated several times if he should join him, but in the end, he had always decided against it. Today, that would change.
对，对。Takeru确实喜欢坐在夜空下。他总是偷偷溜出去欣赏深蓝色的夜晚，当他以为其他人都睡着了。然而，龙之介睡得很浅，会被他的脚步声吵醒。他曾多次争论是否应该加入他，但最终，他总是决定不这样做。今天，这种情况将会改变。
“Right... he does that.”
Ryunosuke stood up from the bench he had been sitting on for hours now and walked towards the door.
龙之介从他已经坐了几个小时的长凳上站了起来，向门口走去。
“Good night, Kotoha.” “晚安，琴叶。”
“Good night.” “晚安。”
-
The weather outside was something out of a dream. It was warm, but not hot, and every now and then, a cold, gentle breeze would add just the right amount of coldness.
外面的天气简直是梦寐以求。天气很暖和，但并不热，时不时地，一阵冷风会增添恰到好处的寒冷。
Ryunosuke looked up at the sky, and the universe looked back. This was the clearest he had ever seen the night sky. But even then, it didn’t manage to keep his attention for long.
龙之介抬头看了看天空，宇宙回头看了看。这是他见过的最清晰的夜空。但即便如此，它也没能让他的注意力保持太久。
Takeru was sitting on the floor, looking up at the sky. Ryunosuke couldn’t help himself but smile at Takeru’s dreamy facial expression. He seemed lost in another world.
Takeru坐在地板上，仰望着天空。龙之介看着小武梦幻般的面部表情忍不住笑了起来。他似乎迷失在另一个世界。
He took a step forward.
他向前迈出了一步。
“How did the mission go?”
“任务进行得怎么样了？”
Takeru’s facial expression changed. There it was again — the coldness he had shown Ryunosuke before. And like clockwork, a pit had formed in Ryunosuke’s stomach, but he had to fight past it, even if it took all his strength.
Takeru的面部表情变了。又是——他之前对龙之介表现出的冷漠。就像发条一样，龙之介的肚子里已经形成了一个坑，但他必须克服它，即使这需要他所有的力气。
“It was fairly simple.” “这很简单。”
ShinkenRed stood up and started walking towards the door.
ShinkenRed站起身来，开始向门口走去。
“A false alarm, like we expected, but it was still better to check, just in case.”
“就像我们预料的那样，误报，但还是最好检查一下，以防万一。”
“That’s great. I’m glad you’re back safe and sound.”
“那太好了。我很高兴你安然无恙地回来了。
Takeru had reached the door. If Ryunosuke was going to do what he planned when he had walked towards that door, it would have to be now.
Takeru已经到了门口。如果龙之介要按照他走向那扇门时的计划去做，那一定是现在。
“Wait.. can we talk?…Takeru.”
“等等......我们能谈谈吗？。。。武。
The red samurai stopped in his tracks when he heard his name.
红色武士在听到他的名字时停下了脚步。
“Uhm... sure... what do you want to talk about?”
“呃......确定。。。你想谈什么？
Takeru spoke very hesitantly. Rynosuke felt like he couldn’t breathe from the tension.
Takeru很犹豫地说道。Rynosuke觉得自己无法从紧张中呼吸。
“Well.” “嗯。”
He started taking a step outside, making the other guy turn in his direction.
他开始向外迈出一步，让另一个人转向他的方向。
“Why have you been so distant with me lately?”
“你最近怎么跟我这么疏远？”
It was silent again. But it wasn’t like the comfortable silence with Mako earlier. Suddenly, it seemed much colder outside. Ryunosuke almost started shivering. Every second seemed like it lasted a lifetime. And it stayed that way for what felt like years but was probably just half a minute. Ryunosuke started wondering if Takeru didn’t just walk back inside to avoid having this conversation. He had almost convinced himself of this reality before he heard the other guy's voice.
又是一片寂静。但这不像之前和真子的舒适沉默。突然间，外面似乎冷多了。龙之介几乎开始发抖。每一秒似乎都持续了一辈子。它保持了好几年，但可能只有半分钟。龙之介开始怀疑Takeru是否只是为了避免进行这种对话而走回屋内。在他听到另一个人的声音之前，他几乎已经说服了自己这个现实。
“Wh... what exactly do you mean by that? I come to all your performances, don’t I?”
“咦......你这话到底是什么意思？我来参加你所有的表演，不是吗？
Ryunosuke had to think carefully before replying.
龙之介在回答之前必须仔细考虑。
“Yes, and I’m very grateful for that, but... every time I try talking to you otherwise, you give me the shortest answers possible. Or when I tried asking you if you wanted to eat something after my performance. You just gave me the cold shoulder. Why?”
“是的，我对此非常感激，但是......每次我尝试以其他方式与你交谈时，你都会给我尽可能短的答案。或者当我试着问你在我的表演后是否想吃点东西时。你只是给了我冷漠的肩膀。为什么？
“Your performances end very late. It was better for both of us to go home, and —”
“你的表演结束得很晚。我们俩都回家比较好，而且——”
Ryunosuke turned around, and for the first time, both men were facing each other.
龙之介转过身来，两个人第一次面对面。
“My latest performance ends at 11 pm. It’s 2 am right now, and we are both still awake. Actually, I know for a matter of fact that you sneak out at night to watch the stars, so I don’t think time is the issue here.”
“我最近的演出在晚上11点结束。现在是凌晨2点，我们俩都还醒着。事实上，我知道你晚上偷偷溜出去看星星，所以我认为时间不是问题。
He didn’t intend to shout. He didn’t intend to sound so frustrated.
他不打算大喊大叫。他不想听起来如此沮丧。
“I —” “我——”
“JUST BE HONEST WITH ME, TAKERU! DO YOU HATE ME? AM I TOO MUCH FOR YOU?”
“对我说实话，TAKERU！你恨我吗？我对你来说太过分了吗？
Tears had started to gather in Ryunosuke’s eyes, but in this moment, he didn’t care.
泪水开始在龙之介的眼眶里聚集，但在这一刻，他不在乎。
“What? NO YOU — why would I hate you?”
“什么？不，你——我为什么要恨你？
At least it wasn’t just Ryunosuke who seemed to be frustrated at their predicament.
至少似乎对他们的困境感到沮丧的不仅仅是龙之介。
“Then what’s the matter with you?”
“那你怎么了？”
“I just... I just don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”
“我只是......我只是不想给你错误的想法。
“The wrong idea about what? That you might like me? That you enjoy being around me?”
“什么想法错了？你可能会喜欢我吗？你喜欢和我在一起吗？
“No I — I don’t — You know what? You want me to be honest, right?”
“不，我——我不——你知道吗？你要我说实话，对吧？
Takeru took a deep breath and tried to control his shaking voice.
Takeru深吸了一口气，试图控制自己颤抖的声音。
“I… I... It’s not that I don’t like you Ryunosuke. In fact, I like you a lot. But you will never see me the same.”
“我......我。。。不是我不喜欢你龙之介。其实，我很喜欢你。但你永远不会看到我一样。
And now Ryunosuke, was confused again.
而现在龙之介，又糊涂了。
“What? I thought I was pretty obvious with the fact that I like you as… as more than a friend.”
“什么？我以为我很明显，我喜欢你......不仅仅是一个朋友。
“Oh no! You are very obvious in that matter. You’ve never been able to be discreet. At this point, even Kotoha’s sister knows your full dedication to your lord.”
“噢，不！你在这件事上非常明显。你从来都无法保持谨慎。在这一点上，即使是琴叶的妹妹也知道你对你的主人的全心全意。
“Your lord.” The word seemed to echo forever inside Ryunosuke’s head.
“大人。”这个词似乎永远在龙之介的脑海中回荡。
“My lord?” “大人？”
“That’s what I am to you, right? That’s why you’re so upset, right? Because you feel like your lord isn’t satisfied with you.”
“我对你来说就是这样，对吧？这就是你如此沮丧的原因，对吧？因为你觉得你的主人对你不满意。
Silence again. But this time, it didn’t last long.
再次沉默。但这一次，好景不长。
“You’re an idiot, Takeru.”
“你是个白痴，Takeru。”
A chuckle escaped Ryunosuke’s mouth.
龙之介的嘴里发出了一声轻笑。
“What?” “什么？”
Takeru was shocked more than anything.
Takeru 比什么都震惊。
“And I thought I was the oblivious one.”
“我以为我是那个忘乎所以的人。”
“I don’t get it.” “我不明白。”
“So Mako was right after all.”
“所以真子毕竟是对的。”
“What does she have to do with this?”
“她和这有什么关系？”
The shock was slowly turning into confusion.
震惊慢慢变成了混乱。
“Sit down, Takeru.” “坐下，Takeru。”
Ryunosuke sat down on the floor of the outdoor training area and gestured for Takeru to follow him, which he did hesitantly.
龙之介在户外训练区的地板上坐下，示意武跟着他，他犹豫了一下。
“Just to make sure I understand you correctly — You think all I have done for you in the last year or so was because you are my lord, and no other reason.”
“只是为了确保我正确地理解你——你认为我在过去一年左右为你所做的一切都是因为你是我的主人，没有其他原因。
“Yes, Ryunosuke. And that’s why I tried to keep my distance. I… All my life... all I have trained for was to be Lord Shiba. Or at least play the role. Now... now that everything is over, I don’t know..”
“是的，龙之介。这就是为什么我试图保持距离。我。。。我的一生...我所训练的只是成为柴犬勋爵。或者至少扮演这个角色。现在。。。现在一切都结束了，我不知道......”
“I...I don’t know who I am, because I was never meant to be a person. Just a shadow. Just an act, for the rest of my life — that was what was supposed to happen. But against all odds, we defeated them. They’re gone. In a way, all I lived for is gone. All I thought my life would be has already happened. I have served Lord Shiba’s purpose, and now what? What am I? Who am I? I don’t even know where to start looking for answers and... and on top of all else, I can’t be around someone who keeps chained to ‘Lord Shiba’.”
“我......我不知道我是谁，因为我从来都不是一个人。只是一个影子。只是一个行为，在我的余生中——这就是应该发生的事情。但尽管困难重重，我们还是打败了他们。他们走了。在某种程度上，我活着的一切都消失了。我以为我的生活已经发生了。我已经达到了柴老爷的目的，现在呢？我是什么？我是谁？我什至不知道从哪里开始寻找答案......最重要的是，我不能和一个一直被'柴大人'束缚的人在一起。
Maybe it was the moonlight reflecting off his eyes, but Ryunosuke could swear there were tears welling up in Takeru’s eyes.
也许是月光从他的眼睛上反射出来，但龙之介可以发誓，Takeru的眼睛里涌出了泪水。
“Do you understand now? Why I can’t be around you, even if I want to? I can never find out who I am or what I want if I stay tied to this act.”
“你现在明白了吗？为什么我不能在你身边，即使我想？如果我被这种行为束缚住，我永远无法找到我是谁或我想要什么。
This time, it was very clear. From his shaking voice to the way he spoke the words, Ryunosuke could tell that Takeru was crying. That’s not something any of them had expected, but it was the situation they found themselves in.
这一次，非常清楚。从他颤抖的声音到他说话的方式，龙之介可以看出武在哭泣。这不是他们任何人预料到的，但这是他们发现自己所处的情况。
It made sense. It made sense why Takeru had tried his best to avoid him. Yes, Mako was right, in a way. It did look like he loved the concept, like he was doing it out of devotion to an idea. To the lord. While that was far from reality, he understood why this assumption —and it was a very fair assumption —hurt him as much as it did.
这是有道理的。Takeru尽力避开他是有道理的。是的，在某种程度上，真子是对的。看起来他确实喜欢这个概念，就像他这样做是出于对一个想法的热爱。献给主。虽然这与现实相去甚远，但他明白为什么这个假设——这是一个非常公平的假设——对他的伤害和它造成的伤害一样大。
Ryunosuke moved closer and pulled Takeru into his arms, who surprisingly didn’t resist this gesture of affection.
龙之介走近了，把武拉进了怀里，出乎意料的是，他竟然没有抗拒这种爱意。
“Well let’s start with that. You’re an idiot, Takeru.”
“好吧，让我们从这个开始吧。你是个白痴，Takeru。
He chuckled, still holding the other man in his embrace. Neither of them showing signs of letting go.
他咯咯地笑了起来，仍然把另一个人抱在怀里。他们都没有表现出放手的迹象。
“You know... last year, when you ran off to fight Juzo on your own, which, by the way, further confirms that you’re an idiot, I had to make a choice. And you know? I think it was the hardest choice of my life. I had to choose between my duty as a samurai and something else, something unexpected.”
“你知道......去年，当你独自跑去和 Juzo 战斗时，顺便说一句，这进一步证实了你是个白痴，我不得不做出选择。你知道吗？我认为这是我一生中最艰难的选择。我不得不在我作为武士的职责和其他事情之间做出选择，一些意想不到的事情。
Takeru pulled out of his embrace slightly only to look at him. He looked lost.
Takeru微微从他的怀抱中抽出，只是看着他。他看起来很迷茫。
“As you’ve made clear, you know how much of a dedicated subordinate I am, and you know I am loyal to that lord until the end but… but I realized something. There are exceptions. And this was one of them. You are an exception, Takeru. My love for you was an exception. We fought side by side, back to back, trained together. For the longest time, I didn’t realize that... that my love for you had changed. Trust me, it wasn’t easy. It felt like I was going against everything I dedicated my life to being. But in that moment, I realized just how big that change was and... I made my choice. And that was you.”
“正如你已经说得很清楚的，你知道我是一个多么敬业的下属，你知道我对那个领主忠心耿耿，直到最后，但是......但我意识到了一些事情。但也有例外。这是其中之一。你是个例外，Takeru。我对你的爱是个例外。我们并肩作战，背靠背，一起训练。在很长一段时间里，我都没有意识到......我对你的爱已经改变了。相信我，这并不容易。感觉就像我违背了我毕生所奉献的一切。但在那一刻，我意识到这种变化有多大，而且......我做出了选择。那就是你。
Takeru opened his mouth to speak, but the other was still not done.
Takeru张了张嘴想说话，但对方还是没有说完。
“Now if you remember, at the time, you weren’t the lord anymore. It was Kaoru. So by your logic, I should have stayed with her, but no. I choose you. Not Lord Shiba, not the red samurai. I choose you, Takeru.”
“现在，如果你还记得，当时你已经不是领主了。是薰。所以按照你的逻辑，我应该和她在一起，但没有。我选择你。不是柴老爷，不是红色武士。我选择你，Takeru。
It was silent again, but this time, it didn’t feel tense. The weather returned to its original warmth. The stars seemed brighter than they were before.
又是一片寂静，但这一次，它并不紧张。天气又恢复了原来的温暖。星星似乎比以前更亮了。
And then Takeru kissed him, just pulled him closer and kissed him, just like that. Ryunosuke was so taken aback he couldn’t think— his mind couldn’t form any coherent thought or course of action, and returning the kiss just felt natural, like a reflex that had its own mind.
然后Takeru吻了他，只是把他拉近了，吻了他，就这样。龙之介大吃一惊，他无法思考——他的头脑无法形成任何连贯的想法或行动方案，而回吻只是感觉很自然，就像一种有自己思想的反射。
All the frustration, all the confusion of the last year, were gone in a heartbeat. Now it was just him, and Takeru, with the stars as their witness.
去年所有的挫折，所有的困惑，都在心跳中消失了。现在只有他和Takeru，星星作为他们的见证。
For all either of them cared, they could stay like this forever, for this lifetime and every lifetime to come, and even after pulling away, they couldn’t help but look at each other lovingly.
不管他们俩在乎什么，他们都可以永远这样下去，这一生，来世，甚至分开后，他们也忍不住深情地看着对方。
“I’m sorry I…” “对不起，我......”
Takeru’s voice was an almost whisper.
Takeru的声音几乎是耳语。
Ryunosuke smiled gently. He pulled his arm, which had stayed around Takeru’s neck, back, and caressed his cheek softly. It was still wet with tears, which he tried to wipe away gently with his thumb.
龙之介温柔地笑了笑。他把一直搂在Takeru脖子上的胳膊往后拉，轻轻地抚摸着他的脸颊。它仍然被泪水打湿，他试图用拇指轻轻擦去。
“I… I understand. I mean, I understand why from the outside, it looked like nothing had changed. But please know that I am genuine.”
“我......我理解。我的意思是，我明白为什么从外面看，它看起来什么都没有改变。但请知道我是真诚的。
Takeru returned the gentle smile.
Takeru回以温柔的笑容。
“I know... you always are, in everything you do.”
“我知道......你总是这样，在你所做的每一件事上。
Takeru rested his head on Ryunosuke’s shoulder, and they both looked up at the sky.
Takeru将头靠在Ryunosuke的肩膀上，他们都抬头看了看天空。
“You know... finding out who you are, that’s not an easy journey, but...”
“你知道......找出你是谁，这不是一段轻松的旅程，但是......”
He nuzzled closer. 他依偎得更近了。
“I’m glad I don’t have to make it alone. I’m glad to have you by my side, Ryunosuke.”
“我很高兴我不必独自一人。我很高兴有你在我身边，龙之介。