Stella Maris – hidden island (Chapter 1–5)
Chapter Index
Ch 1 - Ch 2 - Ch 3 - Ch 4 - Ch 5 - Translation Notes
Chapter 1
Chapter TL Note: The chapter title “hidden island” is written in hiragana only, so I’ve written the title in lowercase letters, similar to how Kanata’s speech quirk (speaks in hiragana only) is written in my translations.
Location: Vocal Room (ES Building)
Alright! Time-out strategy!
okay, i will allow a [time-out].
Sengoku, Takamine, Nagumo, come with me. Let’s discuss what we’ll be doing together from here on.
Ossu. We need to talk this over ASAP.
oh~? am i the only one being [left out]~?
Sorry. We’ll be done shortly, so please bear with it for now.
Morisawa-dono…
Don’t make that face, Sengoku. It’ll be alright. We can’t be the ones in the wrong here.
It sounds like you’re tellin’ that to yourself more than anyone else…?
This is starting to make me think that the concept of changing leaders for every job really is impractical—… It was a tough time when it was my turn, too…1
But your turn was a huge success, wasn’t it, Midori-kun?
Only in terms of the outcome… I honestly never wanna do it again…
However, I feel as though we’ve managed to have excellent success thus far. Although, the agency has remained silent the whole time, which is a little scary—
That’s ‘cuz we’ve been regularly producing results. The agency can’t make complaints over somethin’ like that, right?
And so far, it seems that our fans are accepting how we are right now.
They do seem a little bewildered, though, since we changed courses so suddenly before providing them with a proper explanation.
But even then, as we continue to approach things in a new way, I feel like they’re gradually coming to understand how we operate.
I can sense an increase in the amount of fans gladly looking forward to seeing who’ll be leader next.
Yeah. I’d like to ride that pleasant wave if possible, and correct our trajectory after having fallen down rock bottom for a period of time.
No, in fact— I want to make a huge comeback here from the brink of death.
Ossu. I split from Ryuseitai for a while, even if it was only for an infiltration mission2, so — I know this’ll sound weird comin’ from me, but… We all feel the exact same way.
We should avoid rushing at all costs, though. Let’s regain our radiance, slowly but surely.
We aren’t in a tokusatsu show with a running time of only thirty minutes per episode.
It’s impossible to solve every little thing and reach a happy ending in one single shot, like turning the tables with a new form change or secret weapon.
We have no choice but to chip away at our problem in this reality, steadily and carefully.
It’s through this recent policy to steadily work hard together, that Kanata was tasked with the commander role this time, but—
What do you guys think about it, frankly?
I think it’s pretty freaking bad.
Ah— Shinobu-kun, you thought so, too? I felt the same way, but I just couldn’t get myself to say anything about it when Shinkai-senpai looked like he was having so much fun…!
There’s no need to hold back just because we’re your seniors, y’know? Healthy relationships can only be formed when we can point out each other’s shortcomings without hesitation!
Aight, then I’d like to mention this upfront: Morisawa-senpai, you stink, so please try not to get near me.
That’s so mean!? Eh? Eh!? Takamine keeps criticizing me for stinking of sweat, so I’ve been really careful, though…!?
It’s the amount of deodorant you use — it’s way too much. Everything’s so extreme and excessive with you.
Deodorants are supposed to suppress the smell of sweat, not to numb other people’s senses, ‘kay?
M-Mm! I’ll make sure that I use the right amount!
Fufu. Morisawa-dono, what people say to you weighs on your mind… You are surprisingly delicate, aren’t you?3
I really am! I’m a delicate guy, like a fruit that rots from wherever it’s touched!
……Morisawa Durian Chiaki.
Don’t call me by the name of a stinky fruit in a whisper! That’s bullying! There’s bullying taking place in Ryuseitai…!
Durians are also delicious fruits, y’know… It’s the king of fruits…
Oh! So what you were trying to say is that I may have my weak points, but I have my strong points too, Takamine! You sure are bad at compliments!
Chapter 2
Let’s return to the topic at hand. I only first became aware of it through this job, but — Kanata is extremely bad at leading people from a higher position.
I believe Shinkai-dono was the president of the Marine Life Club when he was in Yumenosaki, though—
Do you recall any proper achievements the Marine Life Club accomplished as a club?
Now that you mention it, I could never understand what on earth they were doing there… Perhaps that isn’t something to be said by someone from the Ninja Association, though.
Exactly, that’s the problem: We can barely understand what on earth he’s doing.
Everything Kanata says is so vague and floaty, that we can’t at all tell what he actually wants to do.
The only reason we came to know that our job is for a commercial filming is thanks to Sengoku, who ran all over the place and surveyed everyone for information.
Kanata, on the other hand, told us nothing past, “it is a fish job!”.
It feels like he’s expecting us to use our comprehension skills to understand each and every instruction, too… I definitely remember a time in Yumenosaki when Shinkai-senpai guided us as a coach, though…4
Back then, I was the one who set up the fundamentals. Kanata simply just had to compare that with your performances and fill in the lacking areas.
In other words, he excels as an assistant, but the very moment Kanata is the corepoint, it’s impossible to understand what’s going on.
…What are we to do?
Well, I mean… We’ve got no choice but to handle it somehow. It’s pretty nerve-wracking not knowing where we’re headed, though.
After all, we follow the fundamental concept of the reborn Ryuseitai, and that is: The member who takes up the commander role is in charge of everything, and the rest of the members follow his command.
Mm… It’s worrisome, but we can’t go back on our word now. We’ve only just decided to work abiding by this direction.
It also isn’t cool to retract one’s statement right after saying something so brave.
Plus, our job this time is small-scaled; it’s only a single commercial filming. Of course, that doesn’t in any way mean we should cut corners, but—
In the worst case that we cause an accident and make mistakes, we should be able to minimize damages.
And it’s by repeating such mistakes, using them as fuel to learn and grow, that even Kanata will one day become a splendid comma—
okaay, [time-out] is over~♪
unfortunately, it is [time] for us to stop here, so come on everyone, let us [depart]!
D-Depart? What are you talking about?
huh? did i not [explain] this to all of you?
the [commercial filming] is located in [okinawa].
Okinawa!? We did go to Okinawa for the SS qualifying round last year, but—5
yes. it is due to the [relationships] i made during that time that i was able to receive this [job].
Wouldn’t it have been nice to tell us something as important as that much earlier? Don’t you know we have our own planning and mental preparation to do beforehand!?
Uumyu, we’re going to Okinawa…? It was fine durin’ the SS qualifying round and all, but it’s tricky for me to show my face now, when I’ve had connections to Crimson Production before.2
You have to think in the opposite direction, Nagumo! Consider it a chance to sort out all the things you left undone back then!
Ossu. I’m clumsy like Morisawa-senpai, so I’ve got a lotta things I inadvertently left unsettled. I gotta make sure to pay off my debts.
then it is time to [depart]~! let’s go~♪6
Shinkai-senpai’s strangely in high spirits… You let us have so many opportunities up until now, but if you’re acting this way, does it mean you actually wanted to be the leader deep down, after all…?
ah, no~ i do not really [like] to be high and mighty like a [king] or [god].
but this time around, there is something i am [looking forward] to.
………?
Chapter 3
The next morning. In Okinawa…
we have arrived~♪
everyone, mensooore~♪7 welcome to [okinawa]~!
What, are you a local now?
Ahaha. To be fair, all of us have a pretty deep connection to this place at this point.
Uu~ I know Okinawa’s just got that kinda climate, but… it feels like the hottest days of summer here even though it’s still spring… My body’s starting to act up a little…
I know what you mean~… I also tend to feel unwell by the slightest change in environment, so I have to be careful.
Yeah… I brought over-the-counter medicine with me, so let me know if you’re low on anything… Then again, it’s probably not a good idea to share medicine much…
I don’t even think the other three can be thoughtful about this sort of thing, since I bet they can live in any environment just fine, so…
Ah, to one’s surprise, Morisawa-dono is quite sensitive to changes in environment as well, as he was once a sickly child.8
In fact, he has always provided me support every time I was on the verge of falling ill.
But I appreciate the thought, Midori-kun. It really makes me happy.
You see, I was continuously participating in a harsh show called “2x2” up until recently… And for the whole duration, my troublesome friend made me go through a lot with his whims.9
So a friend simply showing concern for me is enough to move my heart.
Wasn’t that a 2wink show or something… Making our Shinobu-kun miserable is unforgivable…
Ah, no, the show itself was quite fun and fulfilling until the very end.
But as one would expect, it was pretty tough to constantly be invited as a semi-regular participant in a show I hadn’t planned to be in so often…
So it was a little out of my capacity… My stamina has completely dried up thanks to that, and I feel somewhat exhausted.
If you feel worn out, how about Tetora-kun and I take turns carrying you…?
No, no! I’m not a baby, you know~?
Heeey~! What’re you two talkin’ about together~?
We gotta hurry a li’l. It seems like this isn’t our final destination, and we’ll have to get on a ship to make it there—
But if we’re late to board it, we’ll have to wait a whole day for another one to hitch a ride.
What… Where the heck are we going…?
Is it a remote island that rarely has visitors?
Uu~myu… As usual, everythin’ Shinkai-senpai says is too vague and floaty to really know what it is.
While that is one of Shinkai-dono’s charms—… I think about this a lot, but is he truly alright carrying out his daily life activities like this…?
We’ll just have to make sure we support him then — as much as he has for us, at the very least. Ossu.
Yeah… Shinkai-senpai is our mascot character10… We need to protect him at all costs.
…? what is wrong, everyone? are you tired from the [long trip] after all~?
You guys are so half-hearted despite your young age! C’mon now, you’ve got this! Muster all your energy from the depths of your stomach…!
I think ‘bout this a lot too, but — Our seniors are way too energetic.
Ahaha. The fact that there was a time when even our over-energetic seniors lost their energy truly shows how abnormal the situation was for Ryuseitai.
But right now, their energy is starting to return, at least. The goofy atmosphere that Ryuseitai had in the past, too.
Just that alone makes me happy. We should be content with that, I’m sure.
mm~…? mm~…?
…? What have you been looking around for, Kanata? Did you drop something? Would you like to look for it together?
no, erm. we are supposed to have someone [pick us up] from here—
they will lead us to the [place] by [boat]… but i do not [see them] anywhere, even though we are supposed to have met them [by now].
Mm~ I did hear something about Okinawans having a different sense of time from us, as they live in a paradise-like environment.
Apparently, it’s like that in other countries, too. If anything, it’s only Japanese people who’re way too punctual when it comes to time.
Heheh. In that case, with how floaty Shinkai-senpai is about everything, he might actually be the universal standard.
Mm—? Y-You guys…!?
Hweh? What’s the matter all of a sudden, Morisawa-dono?
B-B-Behind you! There’s someone standing right behind you guys!
Eh…?
ahh, hello~♪
ah, no— how do people [greet] each other in [okinawa] again…? Ermm, haitai~?
……!
(Huh!? Wh-What’s with this person…? From how the two’re talking, I think they’re the person Shinkai-senpai was looking for, but—)
(They’re huge! Midori-kun’s pretty tall already, yet they’re two heads taller than him!? It’s like the perspective’s gone wonky all’a sudden!)
(A-A giant…? Are they seriously human like us?)
Oh wow? Some of you seem scared…?
Sorry~. I’m not scary, really~. I won’t eat you up~…♪13
yes, this is the person who will [guide] us to our job’s [location] — ermm, what was your [name] again?
Friends and family call me “Mizusaba”~.14 I’m pretty huge, after all~. Fufufu~♪
Mizusaba…?
it refers to the [whale sharkie]~ [okinawans] call it that.15
That’s Shinkai-senpai for you; he knows so much about fish.
Mhm. Kanata-sama is what you’d call an erudite~. We all respect him~.
Kanata-…“sama”…?16
Ah, wait— We don’t have the time to chat right now… The ship is ready, so let’s hurry to the harbor and hop on board~.
We can talk all we like once we’re settled~…♪
Chapter 4
Nearly an hour later. Onboard the ship to the location…
Hm, hm.
So to summarize — Mizusaba-san is a worshipper of Shinkai-senpai’s uh, religion…? The same one he mentioned before, right?
Ah~, I’m not, actually~? We’re pretty influential in Okinawa’s main island, so we act as mediators17 — the bridge between the local worshippers and Kanata-sama~…♪
The worshippers don’t get involved with other people much, after all~. Without a point of contact, the conversation won’t get anywhere~, such a bother, right~…♪
(Mm~… Mizusaba-san may look intimidating, but they’re actually a pretty calm, kind person, huh?)
(But they’re just so huge that my instincts acted up as soon as they were in close range.)
(Heheh. I kinda recall feeling somethin’ similar with Shinkai-senpai when I first talked to him. He’s pretty big, and his voice has a peculiar frequency when he speaks, so I didn’t think he was a human being like me.)
(He seemed more like a strange, mysterious monster at first.)18
(That just sounds funny to think back on now, though — ‘Cuz Shinkai-senpai is actually harmless. I’d actually say he’s even kinder than ordinary people.)
Hm. Speaking of which, Kanata made contact with those worshippers during the SS qualifying round, didn’t he?5
yes. if we are to consider my household as the [client] fish, like a [giant moray eel], then the [okinawans] would be the [cleaner fish], like a [bluestreak cleaner wrasse].
Main house, primary line. Branch house, supporting line.19
Thank you for the translation.
If I’m not mistaken, the worshippers that split into their own branch a very long time ago advanced a religion of their own in Okinawa, right?
But even then, those from the supporting line consider Kanata as their god as well, so—
yes. though i am no longer a [god], of course.
but even so, there is no way i can abandon [those] who adore and worship me as [one]—
so after the qualifying round was over, i have been staying in [contact] with those [worshippers] every now and then.
after all, i had [promised] them that i would [help] them if they are ever in trouble.
During the qualifying round, the reason we managed to achieve victory in the ruthless battlefield here in Okinawa was also thanks to the cooperation and support of the locals.5
We ought to repay that favor, at the very least.
Ossu. Though, thanks to that, I ended up getting dispatched as a spy after they concluded Ryuseitai likely has a lotta influence ‘round Okinawa.2
That’s because it’s impossible for everything to have a 100% positive influence.
There’s no such thing as the 100% perfect right answer. What’s important is looking at the outcome of your choice, then making full use of the positive effects that it brought, while recovering from the negative effects as fast as possible.
That’s why it’s always important to change strategies when necessary, and be flexible with your approaches.
Those are the fundamentals of basketball.
You were talking about basketball?
He’s talking about “overhaul” through “basketball”.20
That was a good one! Sengoku, you win one million zabuton cushions!
If you were to stack that many cushions on top of each other, it would exceed the Earth’s atmosphere.
And that’s how we’ll become stars! Fuhahahaha…!! ☆
ermm, may i get back on [topic]?
Please, by all means. There’ll be no end in sight if an idiot’s nonsense is encouraged.
fufufu~ i like this sort of thing too, though~♪
but yes, so. since ss, i have been occasionally performing some [activities] with the [okinawan] people.
I heard the gist of that before.
I’ve basically been managing everyone’s schedule in Ryuseitai, as nobody tries to do it themselves, so that is how I know.
Mhm! Letting Sengoku take care of everything will guarantee us no problems!
I would rather you don’t rely on me so much for that~… I’m quite feeble, so I will eventually collapse.
In any case, after having performed various activities, Shinkai-dono has gained a reputation within Okinawa.
Perhaps this is not the best expression, but it seems like at this point, he is almost treated as a god here.
That again…? I thought he stopped behaving as if he’s a god?
ahh, well~ it is a force of [habit], you see~
Force of habit…?
Well, either way, I’m starting to see the picture.
That’s why Kanata once again received a request from the Okinawan people— or rather, from the worshippers who believe in him, right?
They’re using him for their own convenience, aren’t they… I think it’s fine to refuse to do anything you don’t wanna do, y’know?
oh, no, no~ it is not like i do not want to [do] it~?
it makes me very [happy] to be [useful] to others.
it is possible that my [senses] are [different] from all of yours, but…
the [worshippers] also simply believe in an [uncommon religion], that is all.
they do not cause any [harm], nor do they bear any [sins].
Of course. Hate the sin, not the sinner. If they aren’t doing any harm, then they’re also citizens with human rights, who deserve to be protected.
In fact, I hope that our— or rather, Kanata’s activities, can clear off the prejudices and misunderstandings those kinds of people face, even if only a little.
yes. [mikejima] might have a different [opinion] here, but… i have [high hopes] for something like that.
Chapter 5
That being said, I’m a little confused about the details again.
Our job this time is filming for a commercial, right? Why did the Okinawan worshippers, of what I’ll tentatively call the Kanata Religion, request for that?
ahh… to be more precise, the [commercial filming] is one of the [strategic steps] i will be taking to reach the [final destination].
in other words, it is how i [assume] we will reach the final point—
……?
mm. the [worshippers’ request] is to perform a [restoration] of their land.
Restoration of their land? As in, to rejuvenate the area?
In that case, that’s exactly an idol’s area of expertise, which means, quite a typical job for an idol! We’re always working hard to liven up the unenergetic land and its people!
Actually, if it needs restoration, does that mean it’s in decline right now?
hm, rather than decline… well, i think it will be very [obvious] when we arrive [there].
you see, the [land] those [worshippers] live in was actually a [confined area] for a very long time.5
in particular, they disliked the thought of [idols] getting involved.
…? Why were they against that?
the reason is [unknown]. it seems as though something happened in the [olden days].
but. it appears that as the [generations] have changed, even that [land] became accepting of [idol culture].
so they want to match the times, and [allow] access to their [closed land] from now on. then, they want to make the [land] be reborn as a place where everyone can live with [smiles] on their faces.
that was their request.
I-It’s a much more large-scaled request than I expected. It’s exactly what you’d call “rejuvenating the land”, huh.
I really thought we were just doing a commercial filming, though…?
we will also film a [commercial], yes~ if we [advertise] the [land] and let people know “it’s not scary, it’s actually fun~”, there will be more [residents], yes?
gathering [people] and [things] is bound to lead to the [restoration].
That’s true… A restoration is out of the question if you don’t even have the human resources and materials for it. It would be an unreasonable request to make only one person to rehabilitate a land — It’s simply impossible for an individual to manage it alone.
that is exactly why the [worshippers] are having trouble. they want to do something for the land, but they do not know what to do.
that is why they asked for my [help].
and i have been trying to do [whatever] i [can] up until now. like performing [ceremonies] and cleansing the [land].
Ahh, yes. Apparently, a cleansing ceremony to prepare for construction was performed. I heard something like that at the end of the previous fiscal year.21
Huh, so that’s how that story links to our current situation…
I recall hearing that Tori-kun’s unit plan to create an ES branch in a land that had been untouchable up until then.
yes. and to match with that, we will be livening up the [land] around that branch.
Ah, something like, “we’re making a new shinkansen train station, so let’s draw a lot of people to the market street around the station”.
yes, something like that~♪
I finally understand the full story… Shinkai-senpai seriously talks in such a floaty way, that I couldn’t tell at all what he wanted to do.
i am sorry~ when i was young, i only ever fulfilled my [role], and never really did anything that i [wanted] to do.
so i do not know how to explain what i [want] to do properly.
in the end, i simply want to make everyone [happy]. and the reason for that is because everyone made me [happy].
in other words, i am [repaying] the [kind favor].22 fufufu~♪
How admirable! Those feelings are what matter most! The good you do for others is good you do yourself!
yes. that is exactly what [ryuseitai] is about — i will always believe in that.
Have you all sorted out everything~…?
Because we’re about to arrive, so… start preparing your belongings to make sure you don’t forget anything, okay~?
Oh— We’re already there? That was faster than I thought.
It isn’t that far from the main island, actually~. But its existence was ignored for such a long time, that it can’t even be found on a map~♪
Hm. If it isn’t that far from Okinawa, then transportation will be easily accessible. It would genuinely be possible to liven up the place, exactly like a market street around a train station.
We should be able to make something similar to local shops that Okinawa visitors can frequently come by and see.
Mhm. That would be ideal, but it might still be a little difficult at this point~…?
What do you mean?
You’ll understand when you see it yourselves, but… Our destination, or rather, the island that you will be restoring—23
That star island, “Hoshijima”, is in immeasurable ruins.
Translation Notes
- ↑ Referring to Tropical, the story about Midori’s Ryuseitai.
- ↑ This is referring to Supervillain, when Tetora was tasked to act as a spy in an agency that was also a criminal organization. The story happens in Okinawa.
- ↑ The word for “delicate” is sensai, and it can also mean “sensitive”. It was also mentioned in Epilogue 1 of Submarine (Translated as “sensitive” in that story).
- ↑ Referring to Supernova, a story that happens during their Yumenosaki Academy days together.
- ↑ Referring to Ryuseitai and Akatsuki’s SS story, Submarine. Submarine covers various aspects mentioned in this story.
- ↑ Kanata says “let’s go” as you would in English, but written in hiragana in the text, as that’s how Kanata speaks.
- ↑ This is how Okinawans say “Welcome”.
- ↑ Chiaki has mentioned this before to Kuro in Submarine, Ruthless Battlefield 8.
- ↑ Referring to 2wink’s Climax Event, 2x2. Wiki link here.
- ↑ Midori literally says “mascot character” in Japanese here. This is a different term from Midori’s favorite type of mascots, known as yuruchara (which are known to have odd but cute designs, unlike the typical mascot characters).
- ↑ “Haitai” is how Okinawan women say “hello”, whereas “haisai” is how Okinawan men say it. “Haitai” sounds softer between the two.
- ↑ Okinawa is a prefecture in Japan, but it’s also its own island far away from the rest of Japan, so Okinawans refer to the rest of Japan as “mainland” (In this case, mainland’s language is referring to standard Japanese). Okinawans also have their own history and culture separate from the Japan mainland. Read more here.
- ↑ Mizusaba uses the 吾 (wa~) first-person pronoun. It’s a slightly old-fashioned, formal pronoun to refer to oneself. They also speak with a lot of tildes (~), and usually ends their sentences with sa~ (an Okinawan dialect).
- ↑ Mizusaba has no character model in the story. Since their name originates from a shark, I’ve decided to use a shark icon in the translation, so that they’re identifiable. The icon used is this.
- ↑ The whale shark is extremely large, see here.
- ↑ Mizusaba calling Kanata with “sama” indicates a deep respect for him. In addition, as general knowledge, the sama honorific is also used to refer to superior beings, like gods, deities, etc.
- ↑ Okinawa prefecture consists of a huge island and many small islands surrounding it. The huge island is referred to as “(Okinawa) main island”.
- ↑ The word for “monster” here is kaibutsu (怪物), usually referring to an ominous, strong-looking creature.
- ↑ In Japanese, Kanata says the words “main house, primary line, branch house, supporting line” all in hiragana, since Kanata always speaks in hiragana. However, this can be confusing to comprehend due to the lack of kanji to differentiate the words from each other. Shinobu then repeats the same 4 words, but in kanji this time. I decided to add an English equivalent to simulate a similar feeling the original line had. Thank you to my proofreader ryuseipuka for the localization!
- ↑ Originally, the wordplay is basuke (Basketball) with risuke (Reschedule). I tried to make an English equivalent of that.
- ↑ The cleansing ceremony was mentioned in the epilogues of fine’s Climax event. Specifically, this sort of ceremony is to ask permission from the god of the land to do construction in the area, and to pray everything goes well with the construction. Read more here.
- ↑ This expression was also mentioned in the chapter that Ryuseitai appeared in Parallel World (Ra*bits’ Climax event).
- ↑ Mizusaba says 汝 (na~) when saying “you”, which is an old-fashioned second-person pronoun.