Act 1/Episode 23

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Act 1
Episode 23: A Place That Can't Be Taken Away
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Izumi(It's just a thought, but Sakuya-kun won't be up practising late again, will he...?)
....
(Thank goodness. It seems he's taking a rest tonight.)
(I know that he's a hard worker, but I guess he's being too eager as the leader. I have to save him so that he won't overdo himself.)
Well then, I should go to sleep——.
!?
I-I feel like something just moved in the courtyard...
(There should be no one in the courtyard this late at night. Co-could it be a ghost...?)
——.
(O-okay, I have to check it out. It'd be a problem if it's a suspicious person...)
???.....
IzumiWho is it!?
SakuyaWhooaaah!?
IzumiKyaaaa!
SakuyaEh, D-d-d-d-director?
IzumiSa, Sakuya-kun....
SakuyaI was surprised....
IzumiThat should be my line. What are you doing here at this hour?
SakuyaI can't sleep... So I thought I'd take a walk since I can't practice.
IzumiAre you still worried about the sword fighting scene?
Sakuya....That's not the only thing. I've been thinking about a lot of things.
Even if I do my best, it'll never work out and I just end up failing as usual.
When I think that I'm being useless again, I get scared.
IzumiIt's true that Sakuya-kun is awkward, but I'm sure you can do it if you put in the effort.
But our practice period for this performance is just a little bit too short....
SakuyaNo. That's not it.
IzumiEh?
SakuyaI've told you that I've been taken care by my relatives all this time, right?
IzumiYeah.
SakuyaEvery time I move, I always do my best to open up so that we can get along and be like a real family.
But it never works out... and they end up leaving me to another relative's place. It makes me sure that everything I do is useless...
IzumiDon't say that. If it doesn't work out now, it's not only Sakuya-kun's fault.
We can develop human relationships because we have other people. So there's no need for Sakuya-kun to feel responsible.
SakuyaDirector... Thank you.
I'm really happy to get a place where I can play Romeo in this theatre. And I feel like the other members have also accepted me...
That's why I couldn't help but be scared when I think that someone else will take my role.
Izumi(So that's why he lost his composure...)
Sakuya-kun, why do you love theatre so much?
SakuyaIt all started when I watched a play during my elementary school's art appreciation session. The actors were lively and looked like real pirates. I got absorbed.
IzumiI see.
SakuyaAnd that's not all.
During the performance, the facility next to my school caught on fire. The alarm bell was ringing and the performance was interrupted as we had to evacuate, but the actors still continued...
"The navy is attacking us, my lad! We gotta pull up! Do you remember our plans!?"
I still remember those lines even now. And the pirate captain began evacuating all the panicked kids to the emergency exit...
I was thrilled. Nobody was scared of the fire, they looked a real pirate crew. I felt like I was in a dream.
Even though the actors got off the stage, the story didn't end.
Izumi..."The Show must go on." The show is not over.
SakuyaYeah. I learned the phrase after that. I was impressed. The show will not end no matter what happens, we have to keep it going.
Just like those actors I saw, I want a place where I can continue playing my role with confidence.
IzumiI see...
(Maybe that's why he recklessly does his best because he finally found a place for himself. And maybe that's why he was scared that it might be taken by someone else.)
Only Sakuya-kun can play this Romeo.
And aside from the play, there is a place that can't be taken away from Sakuya-kun.
Everyone has acknowledged Sakuya-kun as both Romeo and the leader. This is the result of your hard work.
SakuyaSeriously...? Can I keep staying here?
IzumiOf course. Everyone will be troubled if you're not here.
SakuyaThank goodness...
IzumiWere you able to sort out your feelings towards the sword fighting scene?
Sakuya...Sorry. As I thought, I want to try it.
IzumiHaha, you're quite stubborn, huh.
SakuyaYes.
IzumiFine. You can continue practising, but don't push yourself.
SakuyaYes! I'll do my best again from tomorrow!
Masumi....
CitronMimi on the wall, Mary on the paper sliding door, and Citron is behind.
MasumiToo many people.
CitronIn my country, anyone who is caught eavesdropping will be sentenced to do tongue twister 300 times.
Masumi...You're to blame too.
CitronOoh, you hide the evidence at once. Masumi is also an accomplice.
Masumi....I don't know anything about that person.
CitronYou'll learn lots with time. Both of you.
Masumi....
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nids


Act 1
Episode 23: A Place that Cannot be Stolen
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Izumi(Sakuya-kun’s not practicing tonight, right...)
....
(I’m glad. It seems like he’s resting tonight.)
(I get that he’s a hard worker, but maybe he’s putting too much pressure on himself as the leader. I need to keep an eye out so that he doesn’t force himself.)
IzumiI should go to sleep soon—.
*Rustle*
!?
I-I think I just saw a shadow moving in the courtyard...
(There’s no way someone would be out there in the middle of the night; i-is it a ghost...?)
——.
(O-okay, let’s go check it out. It’d be troublesome if it were a trespasser....)
???....
IzumiWho is it!?
SakuyaWoaaaah!?
IzumiEeeek!
SakuyaHuh, D-Director?
IzumiS-Sakuya-kun, it was you...
SakuyaYou surprised me....
IzumiThat’s my line. What were you doing out here so late?
SakuyaI just couldn’t sleep... but I shouldn’t practice, so I was taking a walk.
IzumiAre you worried about the sword fight?
Sakuya...That’s not the only thing I was thinking about.
Even if I try my hardest, nothing goes the way I want it to; I always make so many mistakes.
When I thought, maybe it won’t work out this time either—I just got scared.
IzumiSakuya-kun, you might not be skillful, but you've worked hard—and you've come a long way.
It’s just that this time, we didn’t have enough time...
SakuyaNo. That’s not it.
IzumiEh?
SakuyaI mentioned that I've been staying with relatives, right?
IzumiYes.
SakuyaEvery time I move, I think, this time, I’m going to get along with them; I’ll open up to them and become like part of their real family.
But it never works out, and.... In the end, I'm sent off to another relative. It must be because I'm bad at everything...
IzumiThat’s not true. It can't be just your fault that nothing went well.
Relationships always involve another person, Sakuya-kun. You don’t need to feel responsible.
SakuyaDirector... thank you.
I was really happy when I got the role of Romeo—it felt like a place I belonged. I felt like I’d been recognized as a member of this troupe...
So when I thought that that role might be taken away from me, I was terrified.
Izumi(So that’s why he was so upset....)
Sakuya-kun, how did you come to love acting so much?
SakuyaBecause of a play I watched during an art appreciation event in elementary school. The actors were all so lively; they looked like real pirates, and I was drawn in.
IzumiI see.
SakuyaBut, you know, that's not all.
In the middle of the performance, a fire started in the building next to our school. The alarms went off, and the play was cancelled because we had to evacuate.
"Comrades—the marines are onto us! We need to retreat immediately! You all know the plan, right!?"
I remember those lines even now. The students were all in a mild panic, but thanks to the captain’s words, we all headed towards the emergency exit....
I was thrilled. Nobody was afraid of the fire—I felt like I had really become a member of the pirate crew; I felt like I was in a dream.
Even when the actors walked off the stage, the story didn't end.
Izumi"The show must go on.” The show does not end.
SakuyaYes. I was moved when I learned about that saying later. The show must never end; no matter what happens, it must go on.
Like that actor I saw that day—I wanted a role that I could perform proudly; a place to belong that I could claim as my own.
IzumiI see....
(He might have been working so hard because he was afraid that someone else might take his place.)
This Romeo is a Romeo that only you can perform, Sakuya-kun.
And even off the stage, you have a place that nobody can steal from you.
Everyone recognizes that you’re Romeo—that you’re the leader, Sakuya-kun. That’s because of all your hard work up till now.
SakuyaReally...? Can I stay here forever?
IzumiOf course. If you disappeared, it’d be a problem for all of us.
SakuyaI'm glad....
IzumiHave you sorted out your feelings about the sword fight?
Sakuya....I'm sorry. Not yet. I—I still want to do it.
IzumiHaha, you're pretty stubborn.
SakuyaYes.
IzumiI get it. Then keep practicing—but don't push yourself.
SakuyaYes! Please let me try again tomorrow!
Masumi......
CitronEars on the walls, eyes on the doors, and a Citron behind your back[1].
MasumiThat's a lot of people.
CitronIn my country, the punishment for eavesdropping is 300 tongue twisters.
Masumi....You committed the same crime.
CitronOh, immediately erasing the evidence. Well then, Masumi, we're partners in crime.
Masumi...I didn't know anything about him.
CitronYou’ll learn much more about him from now on. You both will.
Masumi.....
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Notes

  1. “壁に耳あり障子に目あり” literally translates to “the walls have ears and the shouji have eyes,” which essentially means “you never know who's watching”; Citron just added himself to the spying crew


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