Character Story 5: Twist, Turn, and Try Again!
Translation notes
[1] The usual saying is 急がば回れ (isogaba maware), which literally means "if you rush, you will spin in circles." She says 急がば舞い上がれ (isogaba maiagare), which literally means "if you rush, you will soar high", and thus could be interpreted as giving the opposite advice.
[2] The proper saying is 千里の道も一歩より (senri no michi mo ippo yori), commonly translated as "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." She says 千里の道も一本背負い (senri no michi mo ipponzeoi), replacing "ippo yori" ("a single step") with "ipponzeoi" ("one-armed shoulder throw", a technique from sumo wrestling).
[3] She says 角角四角四角 (kaku-kaku-shikaku-shikaku, lit. "corner-corner-square-square"), which is a mangling of かくかくしかじか (kakukaku-shikajika), a filler expression equivalent to "blah blah."
Scene: A mountain trail.
Rino
Grrrr...! Pull the bow to the limit, and then... Shoot!
Rino
Ooh... With my arm strength and my bow, I just barely can't reach it. How frustrating! Right when I'd finally found those rare plants! I guess all I can do is give up and go look somewhere else, huh...
Rino
But... I've been looking all over Boriza Valley all day, and I feel like I've finally found them! If I pass this by, I feel like I'm never going to find them ever again!
Rino
The rare plants that can be used as ingredients to make a special dye... They can't be found anywhere outside of Boriza, and they're super expensive in stores.
Rino
Or maybe it's better to say that, because they sell for so much, people just pick all of them in order to sell in stores.
Rino
I feel like all of the places that are easily reachable have already been picked clean.
Rino
There would only be any left on these cliffs and bluffs halfway up the sides, because nobody can reach them.
Rino
Everywhere else that I could think of, I don't think there's anything left.
Rino
If I attached a rope to this arrow, and then I replaced the arrowhead with a hook, and then shot... Then, if I hit something good, I could just yank the plant back over here! That was the plan, anyway, but... I guess that's not physically possible, huh?
Rino
If I missed and I didn't get any plants, that would be the worst. This seems way too hard.
Rino
When I came up with this idea, I was like: "This is it!" That was what I thought, but... Reality is cruel.
Rino
I guess I can't do anything about it. I'll have to give up on these plants for now... Maybe if I shoot some monsters with my bow, and I sell their fur and other materials... Then I can buy a more powerful bow, and also get some practice while I'm at it.
Rino
I'll take my time! Haste makes taste! [1] The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single-armed throw! [2]
Rino
But if I take too long, won't all the plants be gone by then?
Rino
Then, I'll make my last try my best try. Draw the bowstring back as much as I can... Grrrrrrr...! All of my everything is going into this one shot!
Yuuki appears in front of Rino.
Rino
W-Wah! Hey, that's dangerous -- don't just pop up in front of me so suddenly! That was almost a disaster -- you could've been feathered just like that!
Rino
Huh? Big brother! What are you doing here?
Yuuki
1. "I was on a walk."
2. "What were you doing, Rino?"
Option 1.
Rino
Huh? But monsters can come out around this area, so it isn't a very good place for a walk.
Rino
You're not that strong, big brother, so you need to be more careful about your movements. It would be really bad if you got hurt. I'm worried, you know?
Option 2.
Rino
Oh, actually, I was trying to get that thingamacorner... [3] Eh? Did you not understand?
Rino
Um, the thingama... Well, it's something like that, big brother!
End of branch.
Rino
Leaving that aside, big brother... Do you know the weird-looking plant on that cliff? Have you seen any other plants like that anywhere?
Rino
I want to pick some plants like that, because they can be used to make dye.
Rino
I don't have a lot of money, so I need to collect all of the materials for making clothes by myself.
Rino
What I lack in money, I can make up for in labor... That's right, that's right. There's this one, special color that, no matter what, you just can't get without using this plant.
Rino
Someone from my guild -- I guess I should say, a higher-up -- asked me to make some new clothes for her, and I want to do a good job. And even more than that, she's really picky about colors.
Rino
That's why I wanted to get this plant and make the dye. But, with my current strength, I don't think that I can. If I could only reach there with an arrow, maybe there would be a chance.
Rino
Ah, I had an idea! First, let's fasten the bow to the ground...
Rino
Big brother, come over here! Let's have both of us pull on this bowstring with all our strength!
Rino
If we combine our strength, we should be able to shoot an arrow over to those plants! Let me handle aiming -- big brother, just focus on pulling as hard as you can!
Rino
Okay? Thanks, big brother!
Rino
Then, let's use our sibling power to draw this string... Grrrr...! When I say "shoot," please let go! If we sync up our timing, we'll launch the arrow!
Rino
Grrrr...! All right! Three, two, one, SHOOT!
The arrow flies off.
Rino
WHOA!?
Rino
S-Sorry, big brother! The bowstring snapped and knocked you over! You're not hurt, are you?
Rino
Ooh... The plan failed! And I really thought it was a nice idea, didn't you?
Rino
Sigh... Oh -- I'm really sorry, big brother, I'm all curled up against you! It was an accident, an accident!
Rino
......
Rino
Big brother, it used to be that, pretty often, you'd let me go to sleep like this next to you...
Rino
S-Sorry, I know you don't remember, the way you are right now.
Rino
Hee hee. For now, we should pull the arrow back.
Rino
I fastened a wire to the arrow, so all I have to do is pull and the arrow should come back. And, pull, and, pull...
Rino
If I could also just pull big brother's memories back into his head like this, things would be a lot simpler. Reality really can be cruel after all.
Rino
Huh? Wow! The arrow was a direct hit on the plant I wanted, and the plant got pulled along back to me! We accidentally got the dye ingredients!
Rino
I'm so happy! Things like this can also happen, huh? This is super lucky!
Rino
No, it would be better to say, as long as you don't give up, as long as you keep trying... As long as you do that, there's always a chance that you'll be blessed like this!
Rino
Hee hee! Thank you so much, big brother! Just by being around, I feel like you've gotten me a lot of things!