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, got room for 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！
Hey, Riku! Good to see you! 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. Oh, is it okay to put our bags 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 can I get you to start with?
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! 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 drafts 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！
I'll have a draft too, then. Boss, four drafts, 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. But seriously, what kind of meat is this anyway?
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, 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 thinking it's not chicken, but actually some rare cut of duck.
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 vote for duck too. No matter how many times we ask, the boss just grins and evades the question, so I'm really 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？
What? I can't hear you over the train! 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 that 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！
Oh, that place! The walls were crazy high, and my arms were so sore 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, 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. Are you supposed to pull it off the skewer to eat it?
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。
Nah, don't worry about that, just eat it straight off the skewer. It's also great with some seven-spice.
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, so just dig right in. 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 lectures.
また部長の愚痴？今度は何されたの？
Complaining about your director again? What did he do 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 I'm supposed to leave, he dumps a thick stack of papers on my desk and says, 'Have this done by tomorrow.'
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 drafts over here! And some 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！
You got it, two drafts! Meatballs and grilled rice balls with sauce! I'm grilling them now, so hang 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 every day, and 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！
No time to sleep! But seeing everyone enjoying the food like this completely wakes me up!
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。
A true professional. 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 has crazy stamina. Anyway, when the meatballs get here, let's compare them to that mystery meat.
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 what part it is!
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。
Man, I'm stuffed. Shall we wrap things up soon? We have an early class tomorrow.
そうだね。すみませーん、お会計お願いできますか？
Yeah. 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! Just a second, let me write that up.
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. What cut of meat was that mystery skewer after all?
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 of those cuts on a 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！
What, sorires?! The name sounds like French food, but it was just chicken! You totally got us!
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 muscle 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 of the chicken. 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 four ways, 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！
What? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the train! 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 all put in three thousand, it's the exact amount!
了解、はい三千円。小銭が出なくて助かるわ。
Got it, here's three thousand. Nice not having to deal with 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。
Here's my share. Master, thank you for the meal! 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, guys! Come back 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! See you guys at university tomorrow. Take care!