#don't even know what was worse translating this chapter or editing it

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Fushimi Saruhiko Route Translation

Extreme Tag game

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Saya: Good morning.

Neko: Ah! Gohan is here!

Kukuri: Come here, come here!

Saya: Why are you all gathered here?

Kuroh: Sports festival will probably be soon. Everyone is discussing which events they will participate in.

Kukuri: You have to pick from this list. I'm thinking about entering a bread-eating contest.

Neko: You can't, you can't! That's what Wagahai wants!

Saya: There are so many different kinds of events. 100 meter run, steeplechase, tug of war, extreme tag…

Saya: What is "Extreme tag?"

Kukuri: Fufufu…That's this school's famous competition.

Kukuri: The special clubs use their abilities to unfold a powerful dead-or-alive tag game!

Kuroh: This competition is a special club competition. Me and Shiro are going to compete as the Silver club.

Shiro: I'm very excited now. As I recall, both Yata-kun and Kamamoto-kun will be competing as the Red club, right?

Yata: Of course! Well, it's me who's going to perform. But it's obvious that the Red club is going to win!

Kamamoto: Yata-san! Let's definitely win!

Shiro: Fufu, take it easy on us.

Kamamoto: Who's competing from the Blue club?

Saya: I haven't heard anything yet, but Fushimi-kun might know.

Saya: (Huh? Fushimi-kun is…)

Saya: (Here. He is reading a book at the corner of the classroom, it seems he's not participating in the discussion)

Saya: Fushimi-kun, do you know who from the Blue club is going to participate in Extreme tag game?

Fushimi: Some 3rd graders will perform.

Saya: I see. Have you decided what competition you're going to enter, Fushimi-kun? Why don't you talk about it with the others?

Fushimi: I'll decide later.

Saya: (He's gone…)

Shiro: Hey, have you decided what you are going to enter?

Saya: Ah, Uhm! I'd like to participate in the 100-meter run. Are there still slots available?

Shiro: Roger! I think it'll be fine.

Saya: (I didn't know there was such a thing as inter-club competitions. I'm looking forward to it. I'll cheer for senpais)

Saya: (I guess this is the only competition I'm going to participate in…)

Saya: (Too bad I got second place in the 100 meter run… I was so close)

Munakata: Thanks for your hard work. You are very fast.

Saya: Munakata-senpai, were you watching?

Munakata: Yeah, I try to watch all the Blue club's members compete from the front row.

Saya: (…I was being watched so closely)

Saya: It's a little frustrating because I almost got first place.

Munakata: I think that ambition of yours is wonderful. I have one favor to ask of you.

Saya: Yeah, what do you want me to do?

Munakata: Actually, two members of our club who were supposed to participate in Extreme Tag got injured in the previous contest.

Munakata: There happens to be vacant positions, so I want Fushimi-kun and you to compete in their place.

Saya: Extreme tag is the next contest, I believe.

Munakata: Sorry for the urgency, but please go to the meeting place with Fushimi-kun. The registration of players has already been done.

Saya: (I can't use my ability properly yet, but I wonder if that's okay. But if I'm already registered, I can't refuse, can I…?)

Saya: Understood. I will go to the assembly point to find Fushimi-kun right away!

Munakata: Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation.

Saya: (But I guess Fushimi-kun is not sitting in the classroom…)

Saya: (I wonder where he is…Ah!)

Saya: Fushimi-kun!

Saya: Munakata-senpai contacted me and said he wanted us to participate in Extreme Tag.

Fushimi: Ha? The 3d graders were supposed to perform.

Saya: It seems that those who were supposed to participate got injured in another contest.

Saya: Due to a shortage of players, I and Fushimi-kun were asked to participate in the contest…I heard that the players are already registered!

Fushimi: Why me…Moreover, you're participating too.

Awashima: [Next up is the famous contest of the Super” Ashinaka Junior High School sport festival, “Extreme tag game” between special clubs]

Awashima: [Since you are going to use abilities, please do not get too close to the cheering section]

Saya: Oh, it looks like it's about to start, let's just go to the meeting place right away!

Fushimi: Tsk…

*A few moments later*

Saya: (I'm glad we managed to make it right to the meeting, but Fushimi-kun…he seems to be in a very bad mood)

Saya: Extreme tag is a famous contest at this school, isn't it?

Fushimi: That's stupid. Just because they told us to use the abilities, it's still a game of tag. No way I'm doing this. *kicks a stone*

Saya: It's not safe to kick rocks in such a crowded place like this.

Fushimi: There's no one here who's so dumb they can't dodge a stone.

Totsuka: Hmmm, but I'm not really good at that kind of thing.

Kamamoto: What are you talking about! Since Yata-san was unable to attend due to a stomachache, I need Totsuka-san to do his best too…!

Totsuka: Agh…

Kamamoto: Totsuka-san!?

Kamamoto: Wait, Totsuka-san, are you all right?! Totsuka-san! Totsuka-saaaan!

Mikoto: Oi, are you the one who threw the rock?

Shiro: Eh!? W-what?!

Mikoto: A rock flew from that direction and hit Totsuka. Was it you who did it?

Shiro: You've got it all wrong! It wasn't me!

Kuroh: That's right, no matter how smug this guy is, he would never do such a despicable thing.

Kuroh: If you're talking about the direction the rock flew from, isn't the Blue club suspicious as well?

Akiyama: It's not us. It's a false accusation.

Awashima: So, let's begin the Extreme Tag competition between special clubs! Ready, set…

Kamamoto: All right! For Totsuka-san! And for Yata-san, I'm going to going to fight with all my might!

Shiro: I-I told you it was a misunderstanding!

Kuroh: Just as I thought, the culprit is none other than the Blue club! Tell us the truth!

Munakata: I admit that Totsuka-san's case is a false accusation, but the competition has just started…

Munakata: Blue club, all members battou!

Mikoto: I thought sports festivals like this weren't a way to pass the time. Munakata, if you're here, I can have a little fun.

Munakata: …I won't give you any time to have fun. Because you will lose to me.

Mikoto: You say. …Let's go!!

Munakata: Munakata, battou!

Mikoto: Haa!

Saya: …Somehow, things are going great.

Fushimi: I don't have anyone to fight with, it's just a hassle.

Saya: Whaa! Something just flew by…!

Fushimi: Tsk…Fushimi, battou!

Fushimi: You're not paying attention.

Saya: S-Sorry. Thank you.

Fushimi: Let's go. We're withdrawing.

Fushimi: This far we'll be fine.

Saya: Is it like that every year? It looked like a brawl, I wonder if they are playing Tag game correctly.

Fushimi: …Extreme tag game start with you not knowing which club is "It".

Fushimi: So all the other club members are enemies.

Saya: Ah, I see. So that's why they were jostling like that.

Fushimi: Tsk…Did President try to get you to participate without explanation?

Saya: Fushimi-kun…I wonder if it's okay for us to sneak out on our own.

Fushimi: Who knows.

Fushimi: From the way it looks, you could just go back and pretend to be a winner and they wouldn't notice.

Saya: Even if you say that, isn't it no good…? I'm going back.

Fushimi: If you return to that place alone, with your inexperienced power, you will not only lose but also get hurt.

Saya: (Could it be that he sneaked out because of me?)

Saya: Sorry for getting you into trouble.

Fushimi: It's better than when we were weeding.

Saya: That case…I am really sorry about it.

Fushimi: …The brawl should be over soon. Let's go back, pretending to be running away from “It”.

Saya: Uhm. Got it.

Kuroh: …So that's all who's left by the end.

Saya: (I wonder if it's safe to be in here…We managed to get back in without being noticed)

Mikoto: Hah, that would be easy.

Munakata: No, please wait.

Munakata: Fushimi-kun, Konahana-san. You left in the middle of the competition.

Fushimi: …Yes.

Munakata: Exiting during the course of the event is considered an act of withdrawal.

Saya: Em, Fushumi-kun and I did it because I can't use my ability--

Fushimi: That's got nothing to do with it. You stay out of it.

Munakata: …Do you have any excuses?

Fushimi: No, I don't. Sorry.

Saya: S-Sorry.

Munakata: You both will receive your punishment later. In the meantime, please reflect on what you have done now.

[Prev chapter][Next chapter]

[laugtherhyena]

So fun fact about me and the another series; I found out about it back in 2018 just one or two weeks before Ch3 came out and spend the next 3 or 4 years being hooked onto the game until the fixation died down and only returned to me around August or September of lasy year.

Meaning that through 2/3s of Sdra2 i was able to see the chapters as they were coming out and that's honestly something i wish more people in the current fandom could have experienced because it was so fun seeing the hype around a chapter that's soon to come out spike up with all kinds of theories, predictions and people hoping their favorites won't die (i remember i even had a dream once where chapter 5 released and Teruya murdered Iroha by tying her into a train track and waiting for it to run over her after she came to him and told him about being a void and he was like, trying to get rid of all remaining void by killing Iroha himself and wining the class trial, which would in kill Mikado too. Wild shit, but it's a dream you know?). And of course, whenever a new chapter did release the entire fandom would collectively freak out for the entire day as random instagram accs posted Cgs and bits of roughly translated information through the day alongside the deaths and executions and this hype around the newest chapter would sprout all kinds of art, edits and more theories for the following month or two.

All around awesome experience? Not exactly. Because this also means i got to see Linuj's crazy plot twist as they were being revealed and here's where we get to the actual subject of this long ramble/rant; Kokoro Mitsume and how i really wish i could have spoiled myself of what happens in Ch0 because that would have spared me of so much pain.

And let me tell you, when i say pain, i am by no means exaggerating. You people have no idea how much i cried when Ch0 came out. My little 15 year old head was going through the 5 stages of grief over that plot twist, that shit didn't even feel real to me until one or two days after its release.

One thing you gotta know about me is that before i became the Ayame person™ Kokoro was my absolute favorite character of the another series, and if you know me for even just a little while then you know how insanely attached i am to her despite being a minor character who dies 1/3 of the way through the game.

Like, y'all don't understand, i was so happy when i saw that one Cg of her and Mikado in my timeline, so genuinely ecstatic to see more of her after i thought her character done with since the events of Ch2. Can you magine how i felt after watching the character i adored so so much turn out to be a vile human being? I was genuinely so distraught man, i spent a good while being one of those people that ignored everything about the characters irl selves because that twist hurt me so damn much, but even then i was never able to look at that character the same way again, even now she just makes me feel bad.

And it's s not that i think Kokoro is the worst person to have ever existed, i like antagonist/villain characters who've done much worse than her, hell, I don't even think her character was absolutely ruined or anything. When i think about Mitsume nowadays i genuinely find her an interesting case of a good person with big plans who lacked a proper support system or even friends which led her down a path where she became cold and cruel without a semblance of care for her own family so long as she could work on her project, and seeing the difference between the Kokoro we see as a teen and her adult self just makes all of this even more heartbreaking. I still like her, is just that having my perception of this character be completely shattered when Ch0 came out permanently affected how i view her and as much as i still enjoy her character even now I can't help but simultaneously hate her for how she made me feel ❤️

[bigscaryblueberry]

Aw, don't worry bud. Even if it's only a "first pass" for the translation... That still means that the entire script was completed. From there it'll just be smaller edits, which will be much easier seeing as how Fox knows Japanese himself.

After that? It's just fixing up bugs and the console stuff, which won't take as long as making the chapters themselves. So honestly? I'd say we're 100% guaranteed to get Chapters 3 - 4 next year.

I'm sorry to hear things've been hard for you, OP. But if this is the *worst* year? Then that means that the following years will be better. You can't get worse than worse.

(That makes sense. But I still can't help but worry anyway that it'll end up taking longer than it's expected to... Like with the GameMaker LTS update that's been continuously delayed for months on end. I hope nothing else turns into a huge hurdle like that.)

(If the chapters have to release next year, then I hope it's only January, February, or even March at the latest. It's difficult to imagine myself lasting any longer than that, especially not for the next anniversary.)

(As for my mental health, yeah, I understand what you mean. But the problem with hitting rock bottom is that, even if it can't get worse, it's still difficult to climb out of the pit. Plus, you'll also be afraid of falling back in, that your "escape" is only temporary. You want things to finally truly get better, but you don't know when they will. So in the meantime you're suffering with an unbearable pain that you don't know how to stop... It's horrifying.)

(I guess this is why I've been on a bit of a hiatus... I am still working on the next ask response technically, but it's very "on and off" since I've been spending a lot of days just trying to stay emotionally stable lately. It's hard to focus on art in this mental state. But eventually, I'll get it done... I just don't know when. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.)

[acmoorereadsandwrites]

Some things that have helped me (so far) on my journey to writing a novel

Caveat that I am not agented and am still writing. I'm just sharing what is helping me in case it might help someone else.

Writing a query after 10k. Nothing sucks more than getting 40k in and realizing that you don't actually have stakes. Or character motivations. Or a throughline. Or worse, all three are missing. If you are a pantster/gardener like me, it really pays to write until you've had a bit of time to get to know the world, plot, and characters and figure out what they are and what they are doing and then write a query. If you struggle to write it, you might need to pivot, especially if you realize all you have is events and characters passively doing things.

Be willing to let projects marinate. I'm not gonna talk about how many WIPs I have because that's a really embarrassing number. The amount of ideas marinating in the back of my head is even longer. When a project is just not working and you cannot force it, set it aside and give it more time. Come back to it when you're ready to tackle it; maybe you'll have new ideas and better ways to handle the subject matter or characters.

Writing short stories can be a great way to try things out. Want to improve your descriptions or combat scenes? Or maybe you really just want to get a better grasp on word choice and sentence variety. Maybe that idea can be developed further or maybe it's only meant to be a short story. Either way, the idea has been exorcised and you have a new project to develop your editing skills on on top of having worked on your other skills.

Do a reverse outline as you go. If you are not a plotter/architect, the idea of the outline can either be really scary or it can be counterproductive. If I write an outline before the work, I feel as if I've written it. The journey matters more to me than the destination and I lose all motivation if I have a finished, developed outline. Instead, I write a chapter and then jot down what the audience learns, what the characters learn/are revealed to have known, and the contents of the chapter. I also keep notes in a spreadsheet on characters, motifs, potential changes, themes, and worldbuilding details.

This is to my fellow pantsters: do not let yourself become too inspired by your New Favorite Thing when it comes to the WIP. Do not do it. Do not let the themes of infertility in the Witcher invade your retelliing of Snow White if you never had plans for it to be there without seriously thinking it over. Make a note, let it sit, and decide later when you are no longer as inspired. Sometimes it really can work and is the right choice. Other times...no. Mermaids do not belong in every project no matter much you love The Little Mermaid. Save yourself the grief of taking hard pivots you have to undo at a later date.

Not keeping everything in my head and writing it down. Things still in your brain are beautiful and perfect and are still so very malleable. You cannot possibly keep track of every aspect of your WIPs if it's only in your head and, worse yet, if you're anything like me, you cannot edit what you cannot physical see on the page. When it's on the page, then you can do the real work of figuring out if it actually works.

Regularly consume media from a variety of cultures, genres, and voices. Netflix has an incredible catalogue of works ranging from a Nigerian legal drama to a South African conspiracy teen drama to an Irish comedy about the Troubles and life under normalized violence to a South Korean historical zombie horror series. For books, there is a growing wealth of translated works from many different cultures and a sharp rise in diverse authors. Australia has it's own literary movements as does Japan and Brazil. There are more and more books by and for Queer and neurodivergent people. Even listening to music can help. It's important to see what groups outside of your own are doing in media and art, how they represent themselves and their identity/culture/history, and the kinds of stories they want to see and make. It might inspire you, but it's also a great chance to learn and help uplift other voices.

Reading. This is tied to number 7, but reading really cannot be understated. Read the age category and genre you want to write in. Read short stories professionally published online. If you do better with audiobooks, listen to audiobooks. Thankfully, more and more authors seem to be getting them.

Resources:

[catsandgoodbooks]

20 Questions for Writers

Tagged by @bleue-flora (I am sorry it took so long it's been like a month I was procrastinating)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22, because my brain hates to stay focused on one idea at a time and I just have to make everything worse. I've got a lot more half-formed ideas and three-paragraph beginnings of fanfiction too <3

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

124,920 - that's...a lot. And it's only been about a year, so yay!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dream SMP. I'm lurking in a couple other fandoms (mostly the Locked Tomb and Dragon Age), but I haven't written anything for those yet.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Off the Planned Course

Not that surprising because it's one of the fics I've been writing the longest, is the longest of my actual stories (so not counting Whumptober stuff), and it also has the most people reading it (I blame including the Syndicate for that). It's probably my favorite too, so the validation is really nice (even if I keep getting writer-blocked by it).

2. Unfortunate Circumstances

Also one of the long ones, so it makes sense that it's on this list. Also, literally the second Dream SMP fic idea I ever had, so it's great that it's still going.

3. Easier Said Than Done

This one I kind of feel bad about - I decided to change a few details a while ago and I'm still not done with editing the old stuff so I can start on new chapters, so I really haven't been writing much for it recently (i.e in the past six months). Maybe this will get me to work on it again but I wouldn't hold out hope. It's not abandoned, but it's still basically on hiatus.

4. Shared Scars

I really like this one, but I didn't really expect anyone would read it because it was just a random AU with no basis in canon about two side characters, y'know? It's just really fun to write.

5. Dive Deep Into The Dark

This one is the one that surprised me, because it's just a collection of Whumptober oneshots that I wrote in like an hour each. But, hey, apparently people liked that, so yay?

5. Do you reply to comments? Why or why not?

Whenever I can, because they're taking the time out of their day to read my stuff and going the extra step of leaving a comment, and because I just like talking about my stories and stuff <3

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Okay, this and the next question are kind of difficult because I am allergic to finishing anything, ever, and that means I have to stick to oneshots, but I'd say either everything I've ever written for a Whumptober prompt (because those are all terrible, basically) or Old Habits Die Hard (Old Reliances Die Harder) because it's an angsty canon-compliant (ish) oneshot where nothing is resolved and everything is just terrible. In my longer fics, I don't really plan for tragic endings, because the ending should be happy even if the journey there wasn't, or else the whole things sad and there's not really any point.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, only oneshots count for this, so I'd probably say burn the scorecards, balance out the scales, because the ending is hopeful and probably the best possible outcome via rivals duo.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not really, which is great. The most I ever get is a confused comment or someone making assumptions, and that's all fine.

9. Do you write smut?

No, and I don't plan to.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, but I have some ideas I might write that involve crossovers and I might write them eventually.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, I have not <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but I would like to in the future.

14. What‘s your all-time favorite ship?

Drunz, for sure. It's the ship that really got me into the fandom and I've always liked that sort of toxic codependence even though they're terrible for each other.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

All of them? Well, besides that, I'd probably have to say Off the Planned Course, because, although I really love it, I have no idea how to end that thing or when.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Absolutely no idea, maybe internal monologues? It's hard to evaluate your own writing.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. 100% dialogue. I get in my head about if it sounds natural or if anyone would ever say that or if I'm writing a character right and then it turns about clunky because I'm too busy worrying about it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't have a problem with it, but you should provide translations in that situation so the readers have context and know what's going on.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dream SMP

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Probably Off the Planned Course, there are some chapters were I was just having the time of my life writing that thing even if they were immediately followed by two months of struggle.

Not tagging anyone because it's been ages and I'm bad at doing anything quickly so yeah. Also, it's my birthday today and time is really fucking weird <3

[ultramarine-spirit]

I'm sorry, Mari, I know you don't want to talk about it anymore, but why is it so problematic to repost other photos? I feel like one of the biggest reasons people do it is because they don't know why. I understand that you can't publish images of chapters that have to be paid for like webtoon or merch (although I don't know why either) but wmmap has already ended years ago so I don't understand what the problem would be.

Yeah, it's as you've said, firstly, because most of it is paid content. That's why you'll see that manhwa accounts on Twitter almost always post proof of them having purchased the chapters. Secondly, because this fandom has a huge reposting problem in general (art, fics, translations, edits, etc). For "regular" pictures I have less of an issue, but if it's "exclusive" content, I feel like I'm already edging the line of what is respectful to publish/leak. Yes, there are hundreds of illegal uploads of the manhwa, but that's not something I wanna promote. I wanna encourage people to support the author. Spoon has also spoken about this a bunch of times. But I guess some people might disagree with my stance.

Let me put it like this. When I stay up until 5am to watch a Chinese stream and get news about the donghua, and people immediately repost the pictures without keeping my @, it's tiring. When I spend my own money to attent Spoon's art class (at 3am), take notes, work with Japanese and Chinese fans/friends to provide English fans a translation and summary, and people immediately repost it without asking, it makes me wonder why I even bother. The last thing I want is to sound all "oh, woe is me" though, that's why I haven't spoken about this many times (I believe this is the second time in 4 years I bring it up).

For pictures that have translated content (such as what Lithi does), I think it's way worse, because you are basically "stealing" their labor without any credit. Fan translators already operate in a grey area, legally speaking. There has been a lot of drama in the fandom around this subject, and in general, translators hate to see their work reposted. Most of them have deleted their translations because of this (Ever wonder why you can't find fan TLs of the novel very easily anymore? Lithi has also deleted a bunch of her novel posts and I don't blame her). Sure, reposting a single picture/page might not be big deal, but this has happened a million times.

And then there are instances when people straight up copy posts word for word, pic for pic, which is just kinda annoying/comes across as clout-chasing. Not reposting other people's posts is kind of online etiquette.

[agwitow]

I really, really dislike the Tapas ads so much! Not only do they not really do anything to showcase the stories, they don't tell us what the stories are. Even clicking the stupid link doesn't take you to the story being shown! (Today's ad took me to Revolutionary Princess Eve, which sure, it's a good read, but I'm 90% sure none of the comics featured in the ad are RPE?!?? Yesterday's ad took me to Princess in the Rough, which was a great find, but purely coincidental lol)

So, we've got...

I have no clue. It looks familiar, but I don't recognize that scene (and that's like half of how I identify these things).

Then...

Not-Sew-Wicked Stepmother. An amazing isekai Snow White story. Genuinely love this so much I went out and bought the English translation of the novel.

Next is...

No idea. I've seen it in these ads before, or at least a similar art style.

And...

Geez. I know this... it's on the tip of my tongue... gah! I want to say Demon's Darling Daughter, but the girl in that has black hair, not blonde. Um... potentially Becoming the Dark Hero's Daughter, but again, the MC isn't blonde (and the art style is different). Halp please!

*Edit: my sister helped me with this one. It's I Belong to House Castielo. Alternative title is I Am A Child Of This House.*

Then...

Then we have...

I think this is Villianess Turns the Hourglass, but not sure. (Don't recognize the scene)

*edit: Thank you, @lydiacatfish , for identifying this one. Can't believe I didn't recognize Saving My Sweetheart (it's another amazing read, for those interested)

Next up is...

Another one I recognize, but don't remember the name of. I just remember I dropped it when the (non-blood realted) brother and sister romance started.

*edit: decided to re-read as someone pointed out they never really treat each other like siblings, and its still a bit of a sibling romance vibe, plus the lack of communication is genuinely ridiculous, but w/e

Finally, there's...

For Better or For Worse!!! My love! My darling! My precious! Why choose this scene to entice people to read this story? Other than showing off the pretty art (and pretty characters), it doesn't tell you much about the story. (But really, none of these do)

*edit: this story is so amazing, right up until the end. And then it fumbles it badly in the last few chapters. Such a shame. Dylan and Cedric are so precious

Anyway, that's been my rant for the day.

Gah! I literally just read this one! *hurriedly runs off to track down the name* Right! Angel or Villainess! Enjoyable and explores some interesting themes that are often ignored or hand-waved in these kinds of stories.

*edit: whoop, pacing is a bit wonky, but otherwise still recommended

If anyone knows the names of the ones I don't, please let me know. Thanks!

[layzeal]

i said 5 months ago i was gonna share my thoughts on this scene and never did, so it's time to dig this out

what did wei wuxian mean by asking shijie "why would someone like another person" and why i.... don't think he's talking about lan wangji (i know-- i know. just bear with me)

or more accurately: an analysis of chapter 71, wwx's thoughts on love, and how mxtx utilizes parallels between past and present!

(Ch 71 of MDZS web revised edition //// ExR translation)

okay let's get straight to the point that's gonna make y'all want to call me a stupid bitch who can't read: i legitimately do not think wwx was talking about lwj in this scene! here's why:

first and foremost, let's remember what the status of wangxian's relationship was at this point after sunshot ended

first, phoenix mountain: a callback to their teen dynamic. wwx's silly and flirty personality is back, he teases lwj by throwing a peony at him then asking to borrow his ribbon. lwj is frustrated, etc. lwj forcefully kisses wwx then gets angry at himself. wwx finds him and gets worried that something happened to him. they walk together and talk in very friendly manner until the xuanli incident happens. by the end they part on good terms

then, yunmeng teahouse: the first scene of this chapter. wwx is feeling quite upbeat about seeing lwj as they had a nice chat last time they met. he does a lil phoenix mountan callback by throwing a peony at him, then asking him to come upstairs and hang out. lwj does but it.... doesnt end well. he's worried about wwx's worsening temper and fears he's starting to show signs of loss of control, and asks him once again to go to gusu with him. that severely sours wwx's mood, to the point of snapping at lwj when lwj implies that he'll regret it in the future. lwj realizes his mistake and they become polite again, but the atmosphere is significantly strained, and wwx even comments that he was presumptious and shouldn't have invited him over, which lwj dissents. wwx parts with a cordial but distant "thank you", and on... not great terms

what i think really makes the above hurt though is that, when wwx comes back to yunmeng and jc asks who he met. wwx answers this:

worse than jin zixuan.....oof. im so sorry hgj

so, it really is quite tragic. wwx had a nice time with lwj in phoenix mountain, and because of that he wanted to try and wash away their bad blood, ask him to hang out, recall some stories of their youth, maybe mend this relationship that became so strained during the war! what happens instead is that... he gets the harsh reminder of what (in his mind) lwj thinks of his cultivation, thinks he's not in control of it, that it's dangerous and he should be locked up. with that, they're all back to square one :(

the thing is, MDZS is quite known for being non-linear and having a humongous amount of flashbacks, and they're all set and positioned at the time they were for a reason! the thing is, as most read the novel once and then proceed to only revisit scenes separately, naturally forgetting about the grand-picture and the scenes that come before and after, we might misremember how some events play out or the state of the character arcs and relationships, and i believe the popular fanon interpretation that "omggg wwx was asking yanli this bc he likes lwj but can't admit this yet!!!! 🙈" is quite of a great example of this

but!! it's not for any bad reason, after all both the Audio Drama and CQL kinda play up this moment with some beautiful background music. this is, in the end, a romance novel! but let's put a pin on that for a bit and analyze what led to this scene, and why WWX came looking for shijie to ask her this

so as you see, the scene right before was wei wuxian and jiang cheng talking about jin zixuan, with jc asking wwx to not pick fights with him anymore since he's the heir of lanling jin. wwx is baffled because up until that point he and jc were trashtalking buddies when it came to jzx, but there's nothing they can do about it if shijie still likes him

that... makes wwx quite speechless, and he goes searching for her to get an answer. in his mind, jzx is still an awful, undeserving person! so why would shijie like him so much?

why would someone like another person?

of course, he's not as shameless to ask shijie right to her face why she likes someone like jzx, esp since she's already well familiar with his poor opinion of him, so he tries getting an "unbiased" answer by making a vague question, which in turn makes shijie think wwx is in love with someone else

now here's the thing: i feel like fandom tends to flanderize wwx when it comes to his unreliable narration, awareness of his own feelings or lan wangji's. we don't have time to get into that now, but if you've followed me for a while you know my thoughts on this

but here, specifically, i do not think wwx is in "denial about his crush" or "waving off because he doesnt want to get caught". his answer feels genuine, and honestly? really sad once you think about it

"I won't like anyone, at least not too much. Wouldn't it be like putting a rein on my own neck?"

this isn't strange once you consider the types of romantic relationships he grew up observing. other than his own parents', which he's mostly forgotten about, a strong love and attatchment sounds more like tying a rope around your neck. even though wwx is a romantic at heart who flirts easily but had been saving his first kiss for 20 years, he's still never felt this type of love for anyone before, and can't imagine putting himself through it

"So, wait... just because WWX said so you think you should believe it? You're telling me the curtains are just blue? If he's not talking about Lan Wangji, then what's the point of this scene?"

glad you asked!

you see, something that MXTX does quite often with the flashback placement in MDZS is contrast the moments where wangxian's relationship was at its best with moments where it was at its worst. As wwx recall these memories, his pre-conceived notions about lwj get challenged and his actions and words get recontextualized! my favorite example is probably the ending of the flashback of wwx's return, to him waking up in the cloud recesses

no i'll never shut up about this flashback placement. my goddd

so, when looking at the "why would someone like another person" scene, i ask you to not look at it by itself, but as a part of the literary work that mdzs is! because, as the wangxian of the past are stuck in this cordial, but strained relationship, do you remember where the wangxian of the present have currently been left at?

if you ask me, there is something incredibly sweet about leaving these characters at their most tender --- when one is finally beginning to not only understand his own feelings, but to suspect that those feelings are requited, in which he's allowing himself to imagine a calm and happy future with him right as they march inside the lion's den --- and meeting them again when they're younger, and strained, and not fully knowing how to communicate that they care for each other, which in turn only hurts them both.

there is something very sweet about seeing wwx who is slowly realizing that he's in love, testing the waters of that, seeing how much he can take, in what ways he can ask for affection, and then seeing him again as he says "i won't ever like someone, at least not so much. wouldnt it be suffocating? wouldn't it be an impediment? wouldnt it be shackling yourself?" because you, like a cheeky grandma, can look at him and think: you don't know yet, but i've seen you then. you will like someone very much, and it won't be restraining. in fact, you'll never feel more free...

and that is the biggest thing, about revisiting this scene after you're done. because you'll look back this 20-something WWX who genuinely believed loving someone to much is like putting a rein around his own neck... and knowing he'll know a love that not only will not feel like a restrain*, but will be there to catch him whenever something does

*okay, except in bed, but that's only a bonus for wwx

[nonotranslates]

ARB Event Translation: Decisive Battle of a Billionaire: Second Part ~Duelists on the Board~: Chapter 7

Just dumping something that's been sitting around because I don't feel like looking at it anymore. As usual, feel free to let me know if there's any mistakes!

Best enjoyed alongside the game itself, the movements and expressions etc. adds a lot to the story. [Link to Gameplay Video]

====== Translation for Chapter 7 - Increase your assets! ======

Jiro: Huh, seems like there’s a roulette inside the terminal.

Saburo: It's not just that, seems like the cards we get are used through this terminal too.

Jiro: If that's the case, wouldn't it be enough to just play it on a monitor, without needing to make it this grand?

Saburo: They did write ‘experiential style’ on the pamphlet, didn’t they? So most likely, they will have some gimmicks for the players to use.

Jiro: Then, let’s just look forward to it!

Saburo: Oi, do you even understand? We aren’t here to play, we’re here to help Ichi-nii.

Saburo: We have to win, and deliver the limited edition board game to the client.

Jiro: That goes without saying! We’ll absolutely win!

Jiro: …..what’s the victory conditions again, though?

Saburo: Haa…….. After 50 turns, the team with the most assets win. Meaning, we’ll have to multiply the 1 million yen that they gave to us at the start.

Jiro: Then, let’s get earning!

Moderator: ‘Next is team [Odd Jobs Yamada]’s turn’

Jiro: Yeah! Let’s spin the roulette!

Jiro: It’s a seven.

Saburo: What’s this……. “Use 1 million yen to buy stocks”

Moderator: ‘Turn over!’

Saburo: …….our cash is all gone in the blink of an eye.

Jiro: I don’t really get it but, stocks can be used to make money, right?

Saburo: Although you stand a chance to earn a profit, you may also lose a large sum…….

Jiro: Well, there’s nothing we can do even if we fret over it anyway. Let’s wait for the next turn!

Moderator: ‘The company owned by team [The Moon of Creations and Reunions] saw a drastic improvement in their performance. As the shareholder, team [Odd Jobs Yamada] earns 10 million yen.'

Jiro: Ooh! It increased 10-fold in a flash!

Saburo: …...it’s just a stroke of good luck, by chance, that’s all. It most certainly is. Putting this aside…...

Jiro: ?

Saburo: The team name [The Moon of Creation and Reunion] sure is cool. (blushes)

Jiro: ……..

*Scene change to Orange/Purple*

Jyushi: Mr Rosho! Our performance went up, so we got 50 million yen!

Rosho: A-ah…… That’s good but, the name [The Moon of Creation and Reunion] is…… (blushes)

Jyushi: Isn’t it super cool!? Even though it’s something I came up with it on the fly, I’m pretty fond of it!

Rosho: I-Is that so. If you like it then…. that’s fine…..

Jyushi: Hehehe!

Moderator: 'Team [Yumeno and the one who is the embodiment of "worse than human scum"] used “Spreading Rumours”'

Moderator: Share prices crashed. Team [Odd Jobs Yamada] and [The Moon of Creation and Reunion] are now in debt of one hundred million yen.

Jyushi: W-we ended up becoming negative one hundred million! W-What should we do, Mr. Rosho!!

Rosho: Calm down. It’s a game so there'd be such things too, isn’t it.

Jyushi: B-but……

Rosho: It’ll be fine if we just climb back up from now on.

Jyushi: T-That’s right!

*Scene change to Yellow and Pink*

Gentaro: Hm. Its power sure is something that matches up to its downside of having to rest one turn huh, this card here.

Dice: Gentaro, you bastard! The hell is this team name?!!

Gentaro: Oh ho? Didn’t you say that you’re leaving the naming to me? So, you don’t get to complain.

Dice: And that's why it had to be [Yumeno and the one who is the embodiment of "worse than human scum"]?!

Dice: But still, that name, [Yumeno and the one who is the embodiment of "worse than human scum"]...

Dice: …that whole [the one who is the embodiment of "worse than human scum"], 'the hell is that?!

Gentaro: Well? It’s just what it means though?

Dice: ……..I get it now, how you think of me.

Gentaro: Don’t tell me, did you actually think that you’re perceived as a respectable person? (i.e. proper, decent human being)

Dice: Don’t you think calling your good friend "worse than human scum" is way too cruel?!

Gentaro: It’s not like I think that way just because I feel like it. The money that you borrowed from me, if you pay me back in full then naturally my opinion of you will change.

Dice: Gh……. I-I don’t have any retort for that…….

Gentaro: Now then, since it’s a rest turn for us, let’s take a look at the moves of the other teams.

======

Link to Chapter 8 (not yet available)

Link to Masterlist

======

hi literal 14 y/o saburo being such a chuuni is always A++

[lackadaisycats]

I don't know if this a bit of an inappropriate question, but how do you deal with procrastination in terms of art. I'm an artist myself but I often draw things months apart and I wanna make myself draw more. Any advice?

It’s not inappropriate. It’s a good question.  Different things work for different people, and I’m not sure my thoughts about it will be helpful, but here they are. (Pardon the excessive verbiage. I didn’t edit…because I should be working >_>)-Break the work into pieces.  Staring down a sizable comic chapter or complex illustration like you have to charge at it wholesale can be daunting. Even if you’re excited about it initially, reality eventually sets in and whatever reservations and anxieties you have stored at the back of your mind quickly become tactics for negotiating yourself out of doing the work. Sometimes even a smaller project can have that effect if you’re thinking of it in terms of how many total hours you’re bound to spend poking at it.  So, parcel it into whatever bits make it manageable, whether it’s looking at the writing, layout, penciling, color flats and final polish as separate tasks or deconstructing it into time segments like ‘however much painting I can get done during the 2 hour duration of this podcast I’m listening to’, then break and strategize your next move.

-Take breaks and reward yourself.  Sometimes I’m really in the zone and I’ll happily work a 10-14 hour shift on something without distraction. More commonly, though distractions do arise, the cat keeps trying to sit on me, my neck hurts, I’m not firing on all cylinders on a given day or I’m not feeling too enthused about the work.  That’s when it helps to use breaks like mini-rewards for each completed task. Stop and watch a half hour of Netflix, play a game, take a walk, stretch, have a snack.  Reward progress. 

-Do stuff you love and are interested in.  Mix as much of the “want to” into the “have to” and “ought to” work as you can. Granted, if you’re doing art for a living, it’s not always an option to focus on your personal interests, but if you’re trying to do your own creative projects, working on a school assignment in which you have some license to choose your subject matter, or if you’re able to be a bit selective with your freelance gigs, pick things that genuinely interest you, or add some of your pet topics to the mix - whatever will heighten your emotional/intellectual investment. I find I’m far more eager to do the work when there’s something about it that I can really glom onto, be it a favorite character, an animal I like to draw, a certain mood I want to translate, a historical setting or costume, a color palette or motif I want to toy around with, etc.

-Step away if it’s not coming together.  Struggling with a frustrating piece of art can be a lot like having a heated argument with someone.  Eventually it devolves into irrational appeals, antagonism and hurt feelings and any chance of productive discourse leaves the scene. Instead of sticking around and making it worse, turning the project into miserable drudgery, set it aside and come back to it later with your composure and sense of perspective intact. That’s not to say all projects must be or should be followed through on, and not all projects will be a continuous bowl of cherries to bring to completion, but it might not be as hopeless or unappealing as it seemed upon returning to it.

-Mindspace and workspace matter.  Find things that help you get into the rhythm of your work. Listening to podcasts, audiobooks and music helps keep me focused when I’m in the midst of the long-haul on comic pages - doing all of the value and toning work that takes hours.  Being in the right place with a comfortable seat, in a comfortable (but not so comfortable you fall asleep) position, with minimal distractions, tools within reach and good lighting is important too.

-Collect inspirations.  Keep things on hand that you can look at for ideas or simply for that motivation to keep on trucking. Personally, I have a lot of art books around, a lot of historical material like 20th century fashion books, books about old cars, books about flappers, comics with great art, funny collections of syndicated strips, character sketches hanging on my walls, and many gigabytes of inspirational and reference images collected off the internet. Sometimes just browsing through one of those folders sparks ideas and makes me want to pick up my stylus.

-Sleep right and eat right.  I have had a deep seated, lifelong terrible relationship with sleep. I’m still working on that part. If you’ve got a pretty consistent sleep schedule, though, you’re probably off to a good start.As for food - it seems perfunctory to say that it matters what you eat. On some level, we all know that, but, yeah, it really truly absolutely does matter..a lot.  When I was 20, I could live on ramen noodles, goldfish crackers, microwave ravioli and energy drinks. I could pull all-nighters on top of that and still keep chugging merrily along.  Boy, the years run like rabbits, though, and eating like a deranged dumpster goat catches up to you sooner than you might think.  I eventually found myself struggling with perpetual malaise, brain fog and a sour mood that made it hard to do anything or to enjoy doing anything. I’m ashamed to admit to how long it took me to realize - after blaming it alternatingly on allergies, anemia, depression - that my apathetic diet was not conducive to basic life functions, let alone fueling creative fires. I started putting some effort into food selections and it has made the difference between fumbling through life in a semi-conscious state and feeling bright and motivated and - in spite of myself - even happy.(And, contrary to the way society romanticizes connections between depression and artistic impulse, most people work better when they feel better.)

-Practice self-discipline.  Here’s the thing no one likes to hear.  Sometimes, no matter how many devices you have in place to make work fun and comfy and something you look forward to, you just won’t feel like it. You will have to be an adult about it. You will have to simply muster the willpower. You can be that “creative” person who has lots of ideas but never anything to show for them because a million vectors for instant gratification circle around you constantly like distracting little red-devil imps. Or you can be a self-starter building toward something, playing the long game with goals in mind; you can dig your heels in, grit your teeth, take a swig of coffee and get down to work, dammit.

[tchaikovskygay]

6, 10, 16!!

6. what's the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Finishing. Even the idea that I have to eventually finish makes the actual writing part harder. I have plenty of ideas, I can suck up editing, but finishing a story? Impossible.

Not strictly the end of the story either, just the last thing that comes out of me and goes down on paper is agony. When I post a fic as I go, it's even harder since I'm stuck with it every chapter. I wish I could just leave it 90% done

10. how has writing positively impacted your mental health or overall mood?

This is such a hard one because it just does? This is my creative outlet. This is how I process. If I didn't write, I'd have a thousand thoughts and ideas rattling around up there with the thousands of others, but they'd be yelling. I write, I journal, I put pen to paper, I get the words out. I think in vibes, not words, so this is my translation process. 

Plus, it's fun. I've met my best friends through writing. I get a little thrill with ao3 emails, especially when they come from older stories. It's just been part of my life for so long that the most I can say is I know I'd be worse off without it, but I don't know how exactly it makes my life better.

16. do you re-read old fics? is there a time in your writing when you won't go back to?

Pal, I started RPing and light fic writing when I was 12. I hold a lot of affection for my old work, but there is a lot of words out there I will never voluntarily look at again.

That said, there are a few pieces I re-read. A couple of my more recent fics have reached the point where they no longer feel like mine. Those are the ones I like to reread. I've been trying to get better about that not... mortifying me to my core

[ybyg]

久しぶりでしょうね？ Let's catch up.

I haven't been diligently studying Japanese due to... just life. Some unavoidable things happened and I had to live through the nightmare. It's all right now. I think. I'm here to update you about how miserable it's been trying to catch up with what I've missed and maybe talk about the time I spoke to JO1's Sho who can speak English and I wanted to make an effort to speak to him in Japanese but failed (without sounding like a twat who's showing off).

Continue reading under the cut.

Note: I barely edited it, so if it sounds out of place, or my Japanese sounds awkward... tough luck, I'm probably not going to edit it.

1. Wanikani update

レベル１０に入ってでした。正直は、まだレベル9ですね。This thing levels up as soon as you learn everything there is on the level you formerly in, without taking into account if you have complete at least a round of revision on the last thing that you've learned (they call it 'review' on WK).

The SRS thing is proven to be the best method to recall phrases and kanji. I'm paying for Wanikani (okay, the thing is good. I like it) and have Anki installed and haven't reviewed anything since I created my decks. But it works alright. I may have the worst memory/information-retaining brain and it might've taken me forever to recall what 予 is (it's beforehand, apparently), but I can still remember the ones I've learned the longest; basically from levels 1-4. (I'm learning 予 in the latest level, that is level 9. I'm still suffering turbulence here.)

I haven't seen my stats. Let's have a look, shall we?

I live by the words 'it could've been worse.'

My percentages used to be at least in the 90% across the board, but I just jumped straight into reviewing and clearing over 900 radicals, kanji, and vocabulary without revising, hence why I've done terribly and now it's bringing my stats down.

Radicals I can't believe I fucked up my radicals. They were supposed to be the easiest. I have no words.

If you need a single tip to start learning kanji, you can start by learning its components, and that is the radicals. It'd be easier for you to create stories for mnemonics. Other than that, try Heisig's Remembering the Kanji.

Kanji I am aware I could've done better at this, but kanji itself is just confusing. It's sometimes easy to predict some of the words, like ち that's used for earth or soil (地) and pond (池)--and not to mention the difference is just the radicals soil and tsunami--but I deduced that some aspects of nature fall under the ち umbrella.

And then there are devils like 他 and 地. Ugh. I'm going to leave it here.

Vocabulary

I know what the word 交じる stands for, and then you have 交わる which is thrown into the mix just to confuse me, and that just pisses me off every damn time.

I honestly know the meaning better than the pronunciation... which is dumb because if I were to speak in Japanese, I'm supposed to say the words majiru or majiwaru, not to be mixed or to intersect.

One thing about WK: you might understand the meaning differently. For example, they may offer the word substitution, but I would think of another word, replacement. Unless you input the word 'replacement' into the system, it would still be wrong in your reviews, and you're expected to remember substitution instead. And as an ESL, well, sometimes I'm just expected to drill the word substitution into my brain. I barely use the word daily anyway. So, you're expected to do extra work in order to learn, which is not a bad thing, but it can be annoying sometimes.

To recap, I don't do terribly despite not doing WK for a few months, but I could've done better. It's still in the okay territory, but I'll do my best to improve my reading skills and expand my lexicon.

What's next? I still have to clear up 92 lessons which include the level 9 that I've yet to cover and the entirety of level 10. On top of that, the tens and hundreds of reviews need to be cleared out daily... it's still going to be a rigorous routine when it comes to this one.

2. Grammar (and Reading)

In order not to spend my own money on learning materials, I persuaded my mum to get me みんなの日本語 (MNN); both workbook and notes for Level 1, and I chipped in with my Kinokuniya discount card. Yes, I am 26, but my finances haven't been the greatest as of late, so if anyone needs to hire a writer/social media manager, please send me a DM.

I digressed. Anyway, I've reached the 4th chapter, and it's been great so far! The workbook is completely in Japanese, and as someone who can read hiragana, and to some extent, katakana, it's definitely a great book that helps me improve my reading skills. I wish WK and MNN were at least streamlined because the kanji on WK has the tendency to be more scattered due to the complexity of certain kanji despite them being N5-N4 kanji.

[I edited out a paragraph on Kanji levels and complexities but would like to highlight the inconsistencies in the kanji levels that's shared on the Internet, including in WK. I suppose you will never find the one true answer as to which level does 傘 (umbrella) belongs to: is it N5 per stated in Jisho, or is it N1 as stated in WK? I guess you will never know...)

I prefer MNN over Genki as Genki explains points in English and annotates translation/furigana as bright as day underneath the Japanese texts. As a high-functioning English/romaji reader, my brain isn't doing the hard word; it's just reading the English and romaji. MNN forces me to read in Japanese and makes me translate the sentences on my own, so I am actively learning from the activity. Whilst it has a separate book that explains the chapters in English, I find it very helpful for me to immerse myself in Japanese then flip through the English version of the book just to see how well I understand the lesson. I would suggest Genki for absolute beginners and MNN for those who are in the lower-intermediate level.

I've been reading JO1's mails and articles related to them with varying degree of successes. The shorter ones are simpler and more manageable, but reading longer ones make me quit halfway. I should be reading more so it'd be easier for me to recognise the ones I've yet to learn and strengthening those I've learned.

3. Active learning (Speaking, Listening and Writing)

I've tried to speak in Japanese to myself, and it's mostly え、なんだろ��今。。。、ヤッバ、マジ？、いいですね！、ほんまに？ and the latter being 'really?' in Kansai dialect (関西弁), thanks to half of the members of JO1. Since I'm learning 'textbook', formal Japanese, I'm still finding it extremely difficult to communicate in vernacular/colloquial Japanese. Not that I'm familiar with 敬語 (keigo/honorific language) either, just trying to fit the よ, ね, です, します, ません et cetera have racked my brain and I'm at the precipice of trying not to lose my mind. Perhaps, if I tried harder, I'd be able to use it comfortably. But for now, please let me suffer from my stupidity.

Since I wanted to 'try harder', I'm currently going through Making Out in Japanese (it sounds crude, but so far it's been very mild and helpful)

I haven't been writing in Japanese, which is horrible, because what's the use of reading when you can't write. I tried making my own flashcards which ended up taking too much time so I turned to digitalised SRS instead, which can be both annoying and unhelpful sometimes. I'm not a fan of learning through the screen as it takes too much space on the table and plays a part as my focus destroyer. But I can't complain as these devices do make things infinite times easier for me.

For the past couple of weeks, I've interacted with more Japanese JAMs (that's what JO1 decided to christen their fans) and have made the effort to type in Japanese, albeit broken Japanese. I employed my brain, Jisho and the untrusting Papago and Google Translate (the translation sites merely help me check if my sentences make any sense). I bet they're reading my tweets and messages thinking, 'What the fuck is this person on about?' Well, I don't know either.

And here comes the horrible part.

I won yonton (용통 in Korean, basically a video call) and had the chance to speak to the JO1's leader. Which is awesome, yes? I had a week to prepare and that particular week leading up to the event had given me multiple heart attacks. Some dramas happened, an interview happened... and I had only a few days left to prepare. Towards the end of the week, I decided I was going to do 自己紹介 (self-introduction) in Japanese. I know enough to say *キラです。クアラルンプール出身です。マレーシアJAM です, though that sounds super awkward. What I did on the day was the exact opposite.

Well, it's a known fact that the leader speaks English. Heck, it's an open secret that we know he went to a school that had an English department, whatever that means. As the owner of this brain who've spent approximately weeks and hundreds of hours on Japanese, I think know enough to say those words. But what did I do?

I spoke to him in English.

Of course, like everything, it takes a while to set in. That evening, it occurred to me that not only I had spoken to him in English, I also didn't let him speak. I didn't let him finish his sentence.

To be fair, it was only for 30 seconds. I don't need him to speak, and I wanted to, for once, assert my dominance. (The running joke here is that he plays the character of a freaking flirt, and as a lesbian whose compulsory heterosexual crush is him, I have the inclination to get the man to sit down and shut up for once. I guess I did?)

It's not me if there's no faux pas. Anyways...

Today's the 290th day since I started using WK, basically the beginning of my journey to relearn Japanese. Will I be able to communicate at least on a conversational level by the time I'm 30? We will see.

If you're reading this and needs recommendations on resources that are free, hit me up!

またね。