Under the arches
This is the plain transcript. Open the interactive version → furigana, audio, word-by-word gloss, grammar notes, and take over a role by typing.Inside a smoky, narrow yakitori shop under the train tracks. The deafening roar of a passing train has just faded.
大将、４人いける？ちょっと詰めてもらえば入りそうだけど！
Hey Boss, can we fit four? Looks like we could squeeze in if they slide over!
おう、りくちゃん！毎度！奥の三人組さん、ちょっと右寄ってもらえる？ごめんね！
Oh, Riku! Always a pleasure! You three in the back, mind sliding to the right a bit? Sorry about that!
The customers at the counter obligingly squeeze together, leaving a tight gap for the group.
すいません、ありがとうございます。あ、荷物って足元に置いちゃって大丈夫ですか？
Excuse me, thank you so much. Ah, is it okay to put our bags down by our feet?
そこにカゴあるから使って！狭くて悪いね。とりあえず飲み物何にする？
There are baskets right there, use those! Sorry it's so cramped. What are we starting with for drinks?
俺は生ビールで！あ、みんなもとりあえず生でいい？
Draft beer for me! Ah, is everyone else good with draft to start?
生ビール４つでいいんじゃない？あ、俺はメガジョッキでもいいけど。
Four draft beers is fine, right? Though I wouldn't mind a mega mug.
じゃあ、僕も生ビールにします。大将、生ビール４つお願いします！
Then I'll have a draft beer too. Boss, four draft beers, please!
はいよ、生４つね！すぐ出すから待ってて！
Alright, four drafts! Coming right up, hang on a second!
The master slides a plate of piping hot yakitori across the counter, sending up a delicious wave of steam.
はいよ、皮と砂肝！それから、メニューにないお前らの『いつものあれ』、焼き上がったよ！
Here you go, skin and gizzard! And your off-menu ‘usual’ is fresh off the grill!
お、来た来た！冷めないうちに食おうぜ。それにしても、これ、結局何の肉なんだ？
Oh, here it comes! Let's eat while it's hot. Even so, what on earth is this meat in the end?
これ、すごくジューシーで美味しそうですけど、ハツやレバーとは形が違いますよね。
This looks really juicy and delicious, but the shape is different from heart or liver, isn't it?
だろ？俺は鶏じゃなくて、実は合鴨か何かの珍しい部位じゃないかとにらんでるんだ。
Right? I'm suspecting it's not chicken, but actually a rare cut of crossbred duck or something.
俺も鴨系に一票。大将、何回聞いてもニヤニヤしてはぐらかすから、気になるんだよな。
I also vote for the duck family. The boss just grins and evades us no matter how many times we ask, so I'm curious.
Suddenly, a train thunders overhead on the tracks directly above, shaking the glasses on the counter.
そういえばリク、先週言ってた新しいボルダリングのジム、どうだった？
By the way Riku, how was that new bouldering gym you were talking about last week?
え？電車の音で全然聞こえねえ！何だって？
Eh? I can't hear you at all with the train sound! What did you say?
先週行ったボルダリングのジム、どうだったかって聞いたんだよ！
I asked how the bouldering gym you went to last week was!
ああ！あそこな！壁がめちゃくちゃ高くて、翌日まで腕がパンパンで動かなかったわ！
Ah! That place! The walls were crazy high, and my arms were so swollen and stiff I couldn't move them the next day!
The noise subsides as the train passes. The master sets down another steaming plate.
はいよ、お待たせ！コリコリのなんこつ、塩で焼き上がったよ！
Here you go, sorry for the wait! Crunchy cartilage, freshly grilled with salt!
あ、なんこつですね。これって、やっぱり串から直接外して食べるのが普通ですか？
Ah, cartilage. Is it normal to pull this directly off the skewer to eat, after all?
いや、そんなの気にせず串のままガブッといっちゃっていいよ。七味振るのもおすすめ。
No, don't worry about that kind of thing, you can just go at it straight from the skewer. Shaking some seven-spice on it is also recommended.
なるほど、豪快にいくのが正解ですね。いただきます。…うん、歯ごたえが最高です！
I see, eating it heartily is the right way. Thank you for the food... Mmm, the texture is fantastic!
だろ？うちのクソ部長の説教より、こっちのなんこつのほうがよっぽど噛みごたえあるわ。
Right? This cartilage has way more chew to it than my shitty director's preaching.
また部長の愚痴？今度は何されたの？
Complaining about your director again? What did he do to you this time?
定時５分前に『これ明日までにやっといて』って、あの分厚い資料の山を押しつけてくるんだぜ？
Five minutes before clocking-out time, he dumps a thick pile of documents on me saying, 'Have this done by tomorrow,' you know?
Riku holds up his empty glass and signals to the master through the grill smoke.
大将、こっち生ビール追加で２つ！あと、つくねと焼きおにぎりもタレでお願い！
Boss, two more draft beers over here! Also, meatballs and grilled rice balls with sauce, please!
あいよ、生２丁！つくねと焼きおにぎり、タレね！今から焼くからちょっと待ってて！
Right on, two drafts! Meatballs and grilled rice balls, sauce! I'm grilling them now so hold on a bit!
大将って年中無休みたいですけど、昼も仕込みがあるのに、一体いつ寝てるんですか？
Boss, you seem to be open all year round, but with prep during the day too, when on earth do you sleep?
寝る間なんてねえよ！でもな、こうやってみんなが旨そうに食うの見たら眠気も吹き飛ぶよ！
There's no time to sleep! But you know, when I see everyone eating so happily like this, my sleepiness just blows away!
さすがプロだなあ。俺らなんて、ちょっと実験が長引いただけで次の日使い物にならないのに。
As expected of a pro. Meanwhile, if our experiments run just a little long, we're completely useless the next day.
まあ、大将の体力は異常だからな。それより、つくねが来たらさっきの謎の肉と食べ比べようぜ。
Well, the boss's stamina is abnormal. More importantly, when the meatballs arrive, let's compare them with that mystery meat from earlier.
お前、まだあの謎の肉にこだわってんのかよ！旨けりゃ部位なんてどこでもいいだろ！
Are you still obsessing over that mystery meat! As long as it tastes good, who cares where the cut is from!
The plates are empty, and the final beers are drained. A train rumbles faintly in the distance as Tsubasa looks at his watch.
ふう、食った食った。そろそろお開きにする？明日も一限からだしさ。
Phew, I ate and ate. Shall we wrap things up soon? We have a first-period class tomorrow too, you know.
そうだね。すみませーん、お会計お願いできますか？
True. Excuse me, can we get the bill, please?
はーい、お会計ね！ちょっと待ってね、今計算するから。
Sure thing, the bill! Just a moment, I'll calculate it now.
大将、お会計の前に教えてよ。さっきのあの謎の串、結局どこの肉だったの？
Master, tell us before we pay. That mystery skewer from earlier, what cut of meat was it in the end?
お、気付いちゃった？あれはね、鶏の『ソリレス』。一羽に二つしかない部位だよ！
Oh, you noticed? That was chicken ‘sorires’ — there are only two on the whole bird!
ええー、ソリレス！？名前はフランス料理みたいだけど、結局鶏かよ！完全に騙されたわ！
Whaat, sorires!? The name sounds like French cuisine, but it was chicken all along! Completely fooled!
あ、腰の骨のくぼみにある、よく動かす部分ですね！だからあんなにジューシーだったんだ。
Ah, the well-worked part in the hollow of the hip bone! That's why it was so juicy.
そうそう、そこが一番柔らかいんだよ。はい、全部で一万二千円ね！
Exactly — that's the tenderest part on the bird. Alright, that's twelve thousand yen total!
オッケー、じゃあ割り勘で一人三千円ずつな！
Okay, so split evenly, that's three thousand yen each!
Just as Riku says the amount, a massive train roars overhead, completely drowning out his voice.
え？ごめん、電車の音で聞こえなかった！もう一回言って！
Eh? Sorry, I couldn't hear over the train noise! Say that again!
一人三千円！三千円ずつ出し合えばぴったりだから！
Three thousand yen each! If we each put in three thousand, it's exact!
了解、はい三千円。小銭が出なくて助かるわ。
Got it, here's three thousand. Glad we don't have to deal with small change.
They pool the cash on the counter and stand up, grabbing their jackets from the wall hooks.
じゃあこれ、僕の分。大将、ごちそうさまでした！美味しかったです。
Then here's my share. Master, thank you for the feast! It was delicious.
毎度あり！またいつでも寄ってってね。気をつけて帰るんだよ！
Thanks for your business! Drop by again anytime. Get home safe!
ごちそうさま！じゃあみんな、また明日大学でな。お疲れ！
Thanks for the food! Well, see you guys at university tomorrow. Good work!