Sket Dance 42

1
[insert text: The secrets of Switch's past are about to be revealed...!!]
Masafumi: Morning.
Switch: Finally up, are you, Mr. Lazy Sloth?
Masafumi: No, no... I was just messing around on my computer last night and ended up staying up a little late. // Hey, Switch... / After school, could you maybe take a look at my computer, actually? // I think I might have messed with something I shouldn't have, and it's not working too well.
Switch: Well, I don't mind or anything, but surely you should be able to do that yourself?
Masafumi: Well, I'm not really sure I can handle it...

2
Switch: You're the one who taught me to use computers in the first place, you know, An-chan...
[Text: My brother. Everyone calls him Switch. // Apparently, back in his third year of primary school, people started calling him "Usui-cchi", and the nickname developed from that. // I think it kind of suits his very scientific sort of nature, so I call him that these days, too.]
Switch: Anyway, An-chan, how're you finding Kaimei?
Mother: Get a move on, now, Kazuyoshi, Masafumi... / You'll be late for school.
Masafumi: Kaimei's pretty nice.
Switch: Is it fun there?
Masafumi: Yeah, there are all sorts of people, so it seems pretty cool.
[Text: My brother's a year younger than me, so he's a middle-school third-year.]
Switch: Sounds good... maybe I should go for Kaimei as well.
Masafumi: Oh, I'm sure you could get in somewhere much better...
[Text: Though it pains me to admit it, compared to me... // He's way smarter.]
Switch: Oh, I don't care about any of that.
Brothers: Ittekima~su!

3
Sket Dance
Chapter 42: Switch Off (Part A)
[side text: It's time to look back, to that day, that time...]

4
Masafumi: He~y! Sawa~!
Sawa: Oh - hey there, An-chan.
[Text: Yamauchi Sawa - we've been friends since I was a kid. // Even though she's the same age as me, she calls me "An-chan", just like Switch does.]
Masafumi: Whaddaya mean, "oh"?
Sawa: Heheh... sorry, sorry. You heading home?
[Text: We were in the same kindergarten, primary school, and middle school... but now we've ended up going to different high schools... // ...and she seems kind of beautiful recently, too.]
Sawa: Haven't seen you for a while, huh? / Must've been since, what, graduation?

5
Sawa: Oh - this is my friend, Hirai Yukino-chan. / We've been walking home together recently...
Yukino: It's nice to meet you... // Well, I'll be off, then.
Sawa: Yeah. / Thanks again for doing this.
Masafumi: ? / Doing what?
Sawa: Oh, / well... // Yukino-chan kind of goes a little out of her way to walk all the way home with me.
Masafumi: Huh... why's that, then? // Come to think of it, you do seem a little on edge, too...
Sawa: Uh-huh... // The truth is...

6
Masafumi: A "storper"?! // ...Are you sure you don't mean a "stalker"?!
Sawa: Y - Yes, that sounds right as well. // For the past four or five days, there's been this strange guy following me around the place... // It kind of... creeps me out... // It was Yukino-chan who first noticed him. She was like, "There's a suspicious-looking guy hanging around behind us." // He was there again the following day, so I became a little scared... // That's why I've been having Yukino-chan walk home with me.
Masafumi: Ugh, what's wrong with that guy?!! Is he someone you know?!
Sawa: Oh, no... / I've never seen him before.
Masafumi: You have no idea who he might be?!
Sawa: Not in the slightest...

7
[Text: Ever since middle school, Sawa has always been popular with the guys. // As her long-time friend, I was happy for her, of course... // ...but also a little uncomfortable.]
Switch: Is Sawa-chan here?!
Sawa: Oh, Switch, good to see you!
Masafumi: Jeez, you could at least knock, you know.
Switch: Wow... that uniform really suits you!
Masafumi: Look, we're having a pretty serious conversation here right now...
Switch: A serious conversation?
Sawa: Heheh... / Well, yes... // But forget that - Switch! / Did you ever finish that thing you were working on? That, what was it, voice-sonthesis-synthware...?
Switch: Oh, the voice-synthesis software! / Yeah, I've almost perfected it now! You want to come see?

8
Computer: If you type text in here, I can read it out.
[TN: Obviously, the text on the screen says the same thing :p]
Sawa: Th - The computer spoke...!
Switch: Yup!
Sawa: That's amazing, Switch!! / You should totally get a papent for that! A papent!!
Switch: A patent! / You mean a patent! // It took a huge amount of work to get it to produce natural intonation. / Well, there's still room for improvement, though.
Sawa: No, I'd say it's perfect already, Switch! You really are a genius!!
Masafumi: This really is quite something... / I'm impressed.
[Text: I was the one who first taught Switch how to use a computer. // Ever since we were little, the two of us have always been interested in science and technology. My brother, especially, once he learned how to use a computer, showed a real flair for programming...]

9
[Text: ...to the point where I can't even hope to match up to him any more.]
Sawa: I've always thought you were something special, but I never thought you could pull off something like this! // He's totally got you beat, huh, An-chan!
[Text: I'm incredibly proud of my brother.]
Masafumi: Yeah. // He sure has.
Sawa: Maybe I really should have you marry me, huh, Switch~? // [aside]eheheh...♡[/aside]
Switch: Hey... stop that already!
[Text: Incredibly...]
Sawa: I'm kidding! / Kidding!
[Text: ...proud...]
Mother: Sawa-chan, will you be eating dinner with us before you go?
Sawa: Oh - you wouldn't mind? // Sure, I'd love to~!

10
Masafumi: Well, take care.
Sawa: I'll be fine! / I only live next door, you know?
Masafumi: Sawa... / About that guy we were talking about...
Sawa: Yeah... / I think we should wait a little longer. He might just go away in the end. // Sorry to worry you with all that! // Well, see you!
Switch: Ah... // Has Sawa-chan left?
Masafumi: Yeah...

11
Switch: Oh, yeah... you were saying this morning you wanted me to look at your computer? / Shall I take a look?
Masafumi: No... that's okay. // I'll see what I can do by myself.
[Text: It was the following day that it happened.]

12
[Note: Yamauchi Sawa... I'm going to kill you!!!!!]
Sawa: It was in the mail this morning... // What should I do...?
Masafumi: There's only one thing to do, surely?! Report this to the police! // This isn't the sort of thing you can just brush off as a prank!!
Switch: No... I don't know how much use the police are likely to be as long as the guy hasn't caused any actual harm. // We have to do what we can to defend her ourselves.
Masafumi: Defend her...... but how?
Switch: Well, for a start, Sawa-chan should make sure she always walks home with a friend. / And if possible, we should try and get any information we can on the culprit.

13
Switch: The best solution would be to actually catch him, but that might be pretty dangerous at this point...
Masafumi: Ah... / I know! // There's a new shop in the alley down behind the station that sells self-protection equipment. / I'm sure you could get something useful there!
Sawa: Oh, good idea! I could get a spun-gun!
Masafumi: It's "stun-gun"!
Sawa: An-chan, will you come with me?
Masafumi: Sure! // Let's go right now!
Switch: About stun-guns... // They're all very well if you want to stop someone in their tracks for a moment, but they don't have the potency to actually knock anyone out. // They're more about intimidating your opponent than actually obstructing them. // Besides which, even if she did have a weapon of that sort, would Sawa-chan really be able to use it on the enemy when the time comes? // Against a stalker, I'd say perhaps a personal alarm, one of those deterrents that emits a loud noise, would be more effective. You can get personal alarms designed to look like harmless dolls, so you can keep them to hand in your bag. How about that?

14
Sawa: ............ // Good idea... // Your'e amazing, Switch!! / "Nice Advance"!
Switch: You mean "Advice".
Sawa: You're always so much help!!
Switch: You should ask the shopkeeper what he thinks would be best, as well.
Sawa: Yes, of course! / Ahh... somehow I feel better already!
Masafumi: (It's no good... // A guy like me could never protect her...)
Sawa: All right! Let's go, then, An-chan!
Masafumi: No... / I have something to take care of today. // Switch, why don't you go with her instead.
Switch/Sawa: .........

15
Sawa: Wh - What's with that?!! Didn't you just say you'd come with me...
Masafumi: Like I said! You'll be fine with Switch, won't you?!
Switch: What's got into you, An-chan? Sawa-chan's in trouble here...
Masafumi: (What's wrong with me...?) // Oh, shut up...
[Text: Give it up! // Stupid little... // Just stop it!]
Masafumi: I'm sure Switch will be more use than me anyway... // I'm saying I think you're the better man for the job!! // So just get going already!!
Switch: ............ // Okay. / Come on, Sawa-chan.
Sawa: An-chan...

16
Masafumi: I'd like you to stop calling me that. // I'm... I'm not your "An-chan".
Sawa: ...I guess I misjudged you... // Even though... / I'm always relying on you... // ...I don't like you like this, An-chan.
Masafumi: (Neither do I...)

17
Flashback!Masafumi: Hey, Sawa-chan, which one of us would you rather marry?
Flashback!Sawa: That's amazing, Switch! // Maybe I really should have you marry me, huh, Switch~?
Masafumi: Hm? // Isn't that... // Sawa's friend...?

18
Yukino: I was in the area, so I thought I'd drop by... / Since Sawa-chan doesn't have a mobile or anything. / But I guess she's not home...
Masafumi: Well, Sawa's actually out shopping right now. / Did you want her for something?
Yukino: Yes... / Well, kind of... // It's about the stalker who's been following her. I found out a few things, so I thought I should let her know.
Masafumi: You found something?! / What is it?
Yukino: His name is Mikami Shinji. Apparently he injured a classmate with a knife back when he was in middle school. // In the end, it was all covered up and there wasn't a big fuss made about it... but all his old classmates are convinced that he's a really dangerous individual.
Masafumi: He stabbed someone... / ...with a knife...?!
Yukino: If you believe the rumours, he supposedly still carries a knife with him wherever he goes. / So I thought I really ought to let Sawa-chan know, right away...

19
Yukino: I wonder if she's all right...
Masafumi: (Sawa...!!)
[insert text: The elder brother... the younger brother... the childhood friend... As the bonds between them begin to tatter and fray, a menacing shadow looms overhead!!]