Is my assumption about 流石に correct?


So, in steins gate 0, when 3 characters are conversing, and two of them just
became a couple, the third one says this before leaving:

> 流石にこれ以上二人の邪魔をしたら私が馬に蹴られちゃうよ

流石 has the following meanings listed in the dictionary:

> １ 予想・期待したことを、事実として納得するさま。また、その事実に改めて感心するさま。なるほど、やはり。「一人暮らしは―に寂しい」「―（は）ベテランだ」

> ２
> あることを認めはするが、特定の条件下では、それと相反する感情を抱くさま。そうは言うものの。それはそうだが、やはり。「味はよいが、これだけ多いと―に飽きる」「非はこちらにあるが、一方的に責められると―に腹が立つ」

> ３ （「さすがの…も」の形で）そのものの価値を認めはするが、特定の条件下では、それを否定するさま。さしもの。「―の名探偵も今度ばかりはお手上げだろう」
> [補説] 【一】1と【二】1は、感動詞的にも用いられる。「―、センスがいいね」

The 2nd and 3rd meanings seem almost the same, and I think that that is the
meaning 流石に holds in this sentence. The only thing is, I can’t really put my
head around how the sentence would differ without 流石に, does 流石に simply just
carry the meaning of a contradiction?

So if I were to translate it and perhaps read between the lines and add an
extra line would it make sense to interpret it as “I would love to stay, but I
would just feel like the third wheel” where 流石に adds the meaning of “I would
love to stay” even though it isn’t mentioned directly in the Japanese text,
but 流石に carries a contradiction so it adds a similar meaning to that.

Is this what 流石に means here?




It says nothing about whether or not the speaker would like to stay.

It’s generally expected that a couple wants to spend time together without
being disturbed by a third person. Whether it’s because of their high
tolerance level or the friendship between you and them, this particular couple
has not minded your presence so far, and you regard it as a valuable or
exceptional thing compared to the general norm (あることを認める). However, if you
stay any longer (特定の条件), you think you will wear out even their long welcome
(相反する感情). You can understand 流石に as expressing this sense of “too much even
for ...”

Think of a rubber band. You can stretch it to a certain point. But if you pull
it further, it breaks.

> それだけ引っ張れば流石に切れる。

If you remove 流石に, the sentence would become a simple statement about cause
and effect. It doesn't say if what is being pulled is even stretchable.

> それだけ引っ張れば切れる。

