Translation below, with notes in asterisk!

Cover Page

Even though I thought, I was alone.

Chapter 31.5: *With the Lord/With you/Rest/List

[This chapter title can be interpreted in many different ways because of the kanji.]

Narration

One month after the Auction Raid, December 24th.

Sasaki and the rest are preparing for a Christmas party in the chateau.

Sasaki: Hm hm hm~

Hm hm hm~

The bells are h-hm~

Mutsuki: It has been a long time since a day off, we can finally rest~

Shirazu: Damn, even now the fatigue from the Auction raid still hasn’t worn off…do the CCG not know how to reward its workers…

Saiko is putting up Christmas decorations.

Saiko: Jingle Baby, Jingle Baby~

Maman, is this arrangement good?

Sasaki: The decorations are all clustered at the bottom half, yeah?

Put more at the top too…

Sasaki is preparing a meal with a smile.

Sasaki: Today there will be many different people coming,

so everybody, be on your best behaviour, okay?

Mutsuki is looking at Sasaki.

Mutsuki: He seems to be having fun.

Shirazu: Even though he treats us like kids, isn’t Sassan most like a kid?

Shirazu is grinning.

Sasaki: Mutsuki, lend me a hand! Shirazu, get to work too, get to work!

After hearing Sasaki’s words Mutsuki and Shirazu go to help Sasaki and Saiko respectively.

Saiko: Hey topknot boy,

help support the stepladder, topknot.

Shirazu is holding onto a stepladder.

Shirazu: Climb up then, fatty Saiko.

Saiko: ?! It’s rude for other people to say that!! There are some nights when my belly flesh is extended, that’s all!

Shirazu: Whatever, just put that trotter onto the ladder already.

Saiko: Oink!

Sasaki: Shirazu…that’s rude to a lady…

Mutsuki goes to check the pantry.

Mutsuki: There’s no…wheat flour too…

(It’d be good to go out and buy the ingredients back…)

Mutsuki is about to head back to where Sasaki is.

At that point, he sees Urie, who has just come down the staircase.

Mutsuki: Where are you going?

Urie: Self training.

Urie is dressed in a tracksuit and has earphones plugged in.

He replied Mutsuki in a curt manner.

Mutsuki: You can’t! Teacher said that we’ll all spend time together today…

Urie: (This make-belief of being chummy…)

Not for me.

Mutsuki: U.ri.e!

Go on an errand!

Urie: …hah?

I am not an errand boy.

Mutsuki: Everybody’s helping. It’s unfair if you don’t do anything.

After saying so, Urie is passed a shopping list.

Mutsuki: Even Saiko is helping out properly. If you don’t come back it’ll be troublesome for everyone.

Urie: Tch…

(Imitating Sasaki…

Why do I have to…)

Though he has a sullen look, Urie goes to do the shopping.

Mutsuki takes a quick glance at Urie’s back.

.

At this point, Kuramoto and Takeomi visit.

Sasaki quickly goes to exchange greetings with them.

Kuramoto: Hai~se!

Sasaki: Ah, Kuramoto and Kuroiwa, welcome~

Kuramoto: Two investigators have arrived. Hehh, so this is Sasaki’s house then –

Takeomi gives a polite greeting.

Takeomi: Thank you very much for your invitation.

Sasaki: Ah haha, you don’t have to be so formal. I’ve heard from Shirazu what happened. Kuroiwa, you twisted off a ghoul’s head?

Takeomi: That’s not quite so.

Kuramoto: Haise, that story is exaggerated. How did it become that?

Then Kuramoto says that squad leader Hirako is a bit busy and cannot come for the party.

Sasaki: Is that so…I wanted to get to know him a bit better.

Kuramoto: He’s also not the type to join in activities like this. By the way, I’m the type to join in activities like this.

While they are having this conversation, next to them Shirazu and Saiko continue to decorate the tree.

Saiko is standing on the stepladder.

Saiko: They cannot see me?

Shirazu: Naw, they can probably see something in knitted wool.

Mutsuki and the rest also exchange greetings with Kuramoto and Takeomi.

Takeomi: Is there anything I can help with?

Sasaki: It’s fine, it’s fine! Take a seat.

Kuramoto: That’s right, Bujin, just relax. Saiko, let’s play~

Saiko: Yeah, let’s, Kuramocchan~

Shirazu: Saikoo! We’re not done here!

.

Then, Suzuya and Hanbee arrive too.

Suzuya: Good evening.

Hanbee: On this holy night, Hanbee makes an appearance.

Sasaki: Juuzou, Hanbee, welcome~

Suzuya: Trick or Treat!

Suzuya holds out both hands.

Sasaki: Oh…?

After that, Hanbee helps out a little.

The rest – Shirazu, Kuramoto, Saiko, and Suzuya – are playing a TV game.

Hanbee: You’ve invited quite a lot of people, Rank One Sasaki.

Sasaki: I thought there might be some who wouldn’t be able to make it, so I invited many people.

Hanbee: I see…ah, I’ll hold that.

Shirazu: Gah, shit!

Kuramoto: Uwooooh, I’ll die, I’ll die!

Video game character: PK fire!

Saiko: Come on then.

Hanbee: Saiko is good at this.

Sasaki: I invited Shimoguchi, but he rejected.

Shimoguchi: I have work to do.

Kuramoto: That’s that, then.

Suzuya: Who else is coming?

Sasaki: There’s –

.

At that point, Arima and Akira arrive too.

Akira: Good evening, everyone.

Arima: Apologies for the intrusion.

Shirazu: Akira and…Arima, really?

Saiko: Arima in the flesh!

.

In the shopping street, Urie is having a difficult time with the errand. He looks at the list.

Urie: Three to five cartons of milk…eggs…as many as possible, as much juice as I can carry…a lot of turkey…

(…that amateur…is this list right…)

Urie looks irritated.

.

At Sasaki’s side

The conversations have already started, and they are all seated around the dining table.

Akira: At present, within the CCG, there is talk of the Quinx’s active contribution. Perhaps because they want to increase the numbers, they will carry out a test to see Quinx compatibility this year as well. The details are not fixed, but if there’re compatible people there are plans to place them in teams which do a lot of combat. This is the result of your efforts. You can look forward to the ceremony.

Shirazu: Ohhh!

Saiko: Higher pay!

Akira: …well, an increase in rank doesn’t just bring about good things, when that happens you will have even more difficult missions. From now on you have to be even more prepared…

Sasaki: Akira, today is…

Akira: …ah, excuse me.

Kuramoto is speaking to Arima.

Kuramoto: Please tell us that story!

Sasaki: That story…?

Kuramoto: The story where Arima used an umbrella instead of IXA to defeat a ghoul!

Mutsuki: What is that?

Sasaki: Eh…even if it’s Arima that’s a bit too…

Shirazu: What the heck…!

Kuramoto: I heard it from Take!

Hanbee: (Delicious…so this is Sasaki’s food…)

Shirazu: Arima defeated a ghoul with an umbrella…?

Shirazu and Mutsuki are paying attention.

Arima: …no, rather than using something instead of IXA…at that time when it was sent for repair a ghoul appeared…and there was an umbrella there, so –

Shirazu: So it’s real…

As Arima speaks, sounding like he is not boasting, Shirazu and the rest have stunned looks.

At this point Urie returns.

*He looks at Arima, who is surrounded by Akira and the rest.

[There seems to be a typo in the names for the raw text.]

Shirazu: Arima really is extreme…it feels weird that you’re sitting at our dining table…

Sasaki: If it’s extreme stories about Arima there’re more than can be counted.

Like one where the moment Arima appears, the ghoul faints, and is locked up in Kokuria.

Or the one where he dozed off in front of an enemy, in the middle of a battle.

Subordinates: Special-class, wake up!

Suzuya: During the whack-a-mole operation, while fighting he slept for a few seconds.

Because he was awake the whole time during the underground mission.

Sasaki: Ahh…that’s true.

Hanbee: There are legends of senior Suzuya sleeping too much in meetings, Rank One Sasaki.

Sasaki: If it’s that, we also have a strong contender.

Suzuya: Ah, the one there –

Beside them Saiko and some others are engrossed in a game again.

Kuramoto: Saiko is good at this.

Saiko: Gah haha! Bujin is out too, so I win!

Takeomi: I have too little experience in this.

Sasaki: Ah, that’s right, I have a present for you guys! Because it’s Christmas!

Sasaki goes to give presents to Shirazu and the rest.

Urie receives expensive earphones.

Saiko receives games, as usual.

Shirazu receives a bike model.

Urie receives it with a cool look.

Saiko looks a little excited.

Shirazu looks surprised for a short moment but accepts it quietly.

Sasaki: For Mutsuki…I didn’t know what you wanted, so I…bought an eye patch, it’s a leather one I thought looks good…

Mutsuki: Wow…thank you.

Last but not least, Mutsuki accepts the leather eye patch with a smile.

Sasaki: I wanted to place it by your bedsides…but I thought you might find that creepy, so I decided against that.

Shirazu: Yeah, it would be pretty creepy.

Mutsuki: Ah ha ha…

Urie: …

(Spare me.)

Arima: You really are like their parent.

Sasaki: Is that so? Ha ha…

.

Sasaki and Arima are standing a little further away from the rest and talking.

Sasaki passes him a package.

Sasaki: Thank you for always taking care of me!

Arima: It’s a…necktie pin.

Sasaki: Yeah! I gave Akira a hair band.

Arima: Thank you for the present.

Sasaki: You’re welcome…!

Shirazu: Man, that’s an amazing sight. It’s rare to have Arima and Juuzou in a picture together, yeah?

Mutsuki: Right? It’s a rare combination.

Saiko: Arima in the flesh.

It seems like the Christmas party is about to end.

Urie: …excuse me, I’ll take my leave first.

Shirazu: *Don’t be so hasty!

[He’s literally saying “don’t wet the bed”, which I’m not sure about.]

Right then, I’ll go take a shower.

Sasaki: Go ahead.

Saiko: Saiko’s also going to go *lurking.

[On forums]

Sasaki: Su~re……lurking…?

.

In his room Sasaki sits at his table.

Sasaki: (Kaneki Ken. He was…a human who had a ghoul’s body…

Orochi…Yotsume…he had a lot of ghoul friends…

How did he get protected…

He was enemies with the CCG…?

If I know his name it would be easier to research but…

*Kaneki Ken? Kaneki Ken? Kane, Kiken?

[All different kanji for Kaneki Ken.]

Mmm…)

…

(What’s going on…for that person today…maybe…a date…)

.

:re

Uta visits Yomo.

Uta: He

hasn’t changed.

Nishiki: Touka, coffee.

Touka: Make it yourself, shitty Nishiki.

Yomo: …Uta…

What are the Clowns planning?

What do you plan to…do to Ken?

Uta: Who knows…

I also do not know about Boss.

What about you guys?

Are you waiting for Kaneki?

Or…

Touka: Uta, I…

will continue to do as I’ve decided.

Nishiki grins.

Yomo: …

Uta: …yeah.

Thank you for the coffee.

As expected, the coffee by you guys is really the best.

Touka?

Touka: What is it?

Uta: To me, he is –

still a special customer.

.

Sasaki’s side

Shirazu: Sassan, Sassan!

Sasaki: What is it – I’m sleepy –

It seems a present had been placed at the front entrance.

Shirazu passes it to Sasaki.

Sasaki: …a bomb?

When he opens the box, it is…a mask.

Shirazu: What’s that, gums?!

Sasaki: It says… “Merry Christmas, from hysy”.

Shirazu: This seems…in really bad taste.

Mutsuki: It seems to be in some sort of image?

Kaneki in Sasaki’s mind speaks.

Kaneki: It’s an eye patch.

Sasaki: Aaah, he says it’s an eye patch.

Shirazu: …? Sassan…?

Sasaki: Ah…I meant, yeah, who would have played such a prank…ah haha.

Kaneki: …

It seems like nobody else knows about the conversation with Kaneki in his mind.

Mutsuki: Um…teacher, there’s another one.

In the post.

Sasaki: Ehh…? What could it be…?

Santa has brought a lot…

Mutsuki: It’s…a book, right?

There is a piece of paper stuck to the book.

Sasaki: “Happy Birthday”?

Birthday? Whose?

Sasaki flips through the pages.

Sasaki: (Why only now…

The Hanged Man’s McGuffin…)

Then, Sasaki’s hand stops at a page.

That page is signed.

“To Kaneki Ken. Takatsuki Sen.”

Sasaki: (…It’s *Kaneki Ken.)

[Sasaki has confirmed the kanji.]

Next week, time goes by…?