OVER★Hop Across HRCN! - ROCK RABBIT 4

[daze_0907]

Season: Spring

Location: Seisoukan Common Room


<A few days later, at Seisoukan>

Mitsuru: Tomo-chan! I'm back!

Tomoya: Hm? Welcome back, Mitsuru...... Ah, Hajime was with you too?

Hajime: Yes. We bumped into each other after work.

Tomoya-kun. You looked pretty serious just now, so did we intrude on anything, by chance?

Tomoya: Nope, I was just watching a video.

Mitsuru: 'S this the band MV that we were watching with Nii~chan earlier?

Tomoya: Yup, that's right. I was looking through that video again.

We decided to participate in that event, but I'm not sure I grasp the essentials of "rock" yet.

While Nii~chan carries on with the planning, I figured I'd do a little more research.

Hajime: So that's what it was. If you'd told me, I would have helped gather materials.

Mitsuru: I won't let Tomo-chan get a head start all by himself! Let's think about it together!

Tomoya: I mean, it's not like I was trying to get a head start, but......

Honestly, I've listened to this so many times that I'm starting to forget what I thought made it "rock"......

Hajime: I thought the same kind of way when we listened to it together before too, but "rock" has a wide breadth of musicality, right?

That breadth is pretty troubling, huh~. The more I research, the more it seems like anything goes.

Mitsuru: But in all of them, they're performin' with a guitar. And I kinda got the feeling that there's not really any quiet songs.

...... So basically, maybe it's rock if you perform an intense song and use a guitar?

Tomoya: I don't think it's quite that simple, but using a guitar might be a distinctive feature.

Otherwise, maybe using a strong singing voice in an intense performance like this video is the way to go.

But if someone asked if that's the "Ra*bits take" on rock, I still feel like it's a little different somehow.

Hajime: Um~m...... In other words, what really is "rock"?

Tomoya: If we can figure that out, we won't be so worried about it, right~?

Mitsuru: ...... I got it!

Hajime: What's the matter, Mitsuru-kun? You suddenly shouted in such a loud voice......

Mitsuru: I just thought of somethin' good! When you're curious about matcha, the best person to ask is the matcha store staff!

Tomoya: Matcha......? Do you maybe mean to say "leave it to the experts"?*

Mitsuru: Wait just a minute, I'm gonna dash and bring back the matcha store staff~!

Hajime: Ah, Mitsuru-kun! Please be careful and don't fall!

Tomoya: ...... Hajime. Who do you think Mitsuru's gonna go drag into this?

Hajime: It'll be someone well-acquainted with rock, right? If there's anyone who fits that description in Seisoukan...... It's got to be UNDEAD, right?

Tomoya: Yeah, that's true...... I mean, I thought that too, but.

Hajime: If it's Mitsuru-san that's grabbing someone, it's probably Otogari-senpai since they're in the same club, right?

Tomoya: I wonder~. But when I think of a person who knows rock well, the specific person that comes to mind is—

Mitsuru: Tomo-chan, Hajime-chan! I brought a powerful helper!

Koga: I came 'cause this kid dragged me along, but what the heck do ya need from me?

Tomoya: O-Oogami-senpai......

Koga: Hah? The hell's that reaction?

Tomoya: No, nothing all that important......!

Mitsuru: Ko-chan-senpai! Right now we're in a suuuper big fix!

Koga: Big fix? What, d'ya get yerselves inta trouble again?

Jeez, 's not like my schedule's all free. What're ya tryin' ta make me do this time?

Hajime: Um, excuse us. We just have something we'd like to ask, Oogami-senpai.

Koga: Somethin' ya wanna ask?

Mitsuru: We want you to teach us about rock!

Koga: So that's how it is. 'S why ya turned to me specifically for help, huh.

Mitsuru: Yup! Ado-chan-senpai told me to, ya see. He said Ko-chan-senpai knows rock suuuper well!

Tomoya: We tried to research it our own way, but the more we learned, the less we understood......

Oogami-senpai, will you do us a favor and teach us about rock?

Koga: Ha. Never thought the day'd come when y'all would show interest in somethin' like rock. When ya called me over suddenly, I was wonderin' what it was all about, but if it's this, that's a whole different story.

Fine. I'll teach ya bastards what rock'n'roll's all about!

Hajime: Waah! Thank you very much, Oogami-senpai!

Mitsuru: Ko-chan-senpai turned out to be pretty reliable for this, just like Ado-chan-senpai said!

Koga: Heh. Y'all should rejoice even more, 'cause the one who's teachin' ya directly is none other than me!

Tomoya: Ahaha...... Then, to get straight to the point, what kind of music would you say defines rock?

I also said it just now, but the more we listen to it, the less we understand the answer to that......

Koga: I know, right? Rock's a profound thing. 'S not like ya can listen to it fer a few days and totally understand 'n' appreciate it.

Mitsuru: This is bad! We gotta become a "rock Ra*bits", though......!

Koga: Well, listen. Rock's a "cry of the soul".

Just hearin' the sound's somethin' that'll draw in yer very heart.

So even if ya don't get the words, it'll shake yer heart. Rock's the world's lingua franca, yanno?

Mitsuru: "Lingua franca"? ...... I don't really get it, but it sounds amazing!

Tomoya: No, um. Rather than learning about the sensation of rock, we wanted to learn how to make something fit into the category of rock, I think.

Koga: Ahn!? If yer all confused in yer heart, yer ne~ver gonna be able ta understand the essence of rock!

Rock's somethin' ya understand in yer soul! Shout out the emotions risin' from yer heart! That's rock'n'roll!

Tomoya: (His passion is amazing, but in the end I really don't get what he's saying at all!)

Koga: I got it! Wait a sec, I'll have ya listen ta an album I love.

Tomoya: Eh, no, that much is a bit......

Koga: Don't hold back, now ♪ If ya like, I'll play ya a song right now!

Tomoya: He's not listening to what I'm saying at all......!

Kaoru: — Huh? Isn't this kind of an unusual combination of people?

Tomoya: Hakaze-senpai! Please stop Oogami-senpai!

Kaoru: Stop Koga-kun? ... Hey, I don't really know what's going on, but you shouldn't bother your juniors, you know?

Koga: I'm not botherin' 'em, I said. These guys told me they wanna learn 'bout rock, so I'm teachin' 'em.

(Fade in and out)

Kaoru: ...... Hehh~. I'm not sure I can even imagine a "rock Ra*bits".

Mitsuru: Right! That's why I wanted to call over someone who knows tons about rock and have them teach us all about it!

Kaoru: Ahaha, I see. No wonder you went to ask Koga-kun after deciding that.

I don't think you chose the wrong person. When it comes to rock, Koga-kun's pretty obnoxious, after all~.

Koga: Ahn? Who the hell's obnoxious?

Kaoru: Hm~m. I'm also in UNDEAD, but I'm not particularly familiar with rock, so I don't think I can teach you all that much.

Tomoya: Is that so......

Koga: Oi, don't ya just ignore me!

Kaoru: Hm~m. I do feel like I'd like to help you out, though......

...... Hey, Koga-kun, how about this? Come on, lend me your ear.

Koga: Whaddaya want, don't tickle me...... Huh?

Kaoru: ...... Right? It's not a bad idea, don't you think?

Koga: Ha, not a bad idea for you, Hakaze-senpai.

Mitsuru: You two're being unfair! We wanna know what you're sayin' too!

Kaoru: Alright, alright. Even if I don't tell you, you'll find out soon enough ♪


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Notes:

• as always, my japanese is not native-level and thus is prone to error! please understand that this is a fan translation unaffiliated with happy elements.
• hajime and tomoya are worried about the flexibility of rock because it makes it less simple than just fitting their performance into a mold. they're also concerned about not only fitting into that genre, but also doing so in a way that still stays true to their identity as ra*bits, so adding in this flexibility factor makes them feel more unsure.
• mitsuru's "when you're curious about matcha, the best person to ask is the matcha store staff!" is a misremembering of the japanese saying "餅は餅屋/mochi wa mochiya", which translates more directly to "if it's mochi, ask the mochi store". this saying essentially means "leave it to the experts", which is what tomoya corrects him with. mitsuru says what he does because he mixes up matcha with mochi. when he runs off to "bring back the matcha store owner", he actually says he's "bringing back the mochi store owner" to follow tomoya's correction, but since i went with a more contextual translation for tomoya's dialogue rather than literal, i kept "matcha" to avoid unnecessary confusion. i hope this makes sense!