| *door opens with a chime* |
| Banri | An adult-like place? You could’ve just said Guy-san's bar. |
| Tsumugi | I'm not wrong, though. This place feels more adult-like than your usual cafe. |
| Guy | Welcome. |
| Tsumugi | Thanks for having us. |
| Banri-kun, do you want to drink sake? |
| Banri | Just a bit, then. |
| Tsumugi | Since you're now of legal drinking age, it's so nice that we can go for a drink together like this. |
| Let me say this again. Happy 20th birthday. Be careful not to drink too much. |
| Banri | I've never drank until I'm drunk. I can't imagine what I'll be like when I do. |
| Tsumugi | I think you better not say that in front of the adults in the dorm. |
| Who knows, Azuma-san may happily invite you to his drinking game, saying something like, "Get to know your limit." |
| Banri | Ah. I think I can hold my liquor though, since my sister is a strong drinker. |
| Well, then again, you're the senior here when it comes to sake. I'll be careful not to drink too much. |
| Tsumugi | You and your sister have a pretty big age gap, right? |
| Banri | Yeah. She's married and doesn’t live with us anymore. |
| Guy | What will you order? |
| Banri | I'll drink what Tsumugi-san, my senior, orders for me. |
| Tsumugi | I'll have Balalaika. For Banri-kun, let's go with Cafe Con Cerveza. |
| Guy | Got it. |
| |
| Tsumugi | Now, cheers. |
| Banri | Cheers. |
| Is this coffee? |
| Tsumugi | Yep. I think it's not too strong. |
| Banri | *gulps* Tasty. What's the name again? |
| Tsumugi | Cafe Con Cerveza. |
| Banri | I'll remember it. |
| Tsumugi | …So, what did you want to ask? |
| Banri | I watched the Hyakka Troupe play the other day. I was blown away by the leading actor's--Kabuto’s--acting. |
| Tsumugi | Oh. I've never watched him act myself, but many magazines have given him high praise for his acting. |
| Banri | So you see, that Kabuto is actually an alumnus of A.U. When I heard he's gonna hold a lecture and workshop at our campus, I decided to participate. |
| He called me a boring actor who only has the skills. He said I don't have a reason to say acting is my only option. |
| I couldn't respond at all at that time. It's been bothering me ever since. |
| Tsumugi | Hahaha. There sure are a lot of people like him in this industry, asking annoying things. |
| Even if I don't have any reasons in particular, I'm happy if I can just live my life by acting… Is that kind of answer good enough? |
| Like a poison, I'm so addicted to acting I can't imagine living a different life. Even if I die on the stage as I am right now, I'm happy. |
| Banri | Tsumugi-san, you sure like saying disturbing things out of nowhere, huh. |
| Tsumugi | Do you think so? I’m only expressing how I really feel, though. |
| Banri | Making up a reason that's easy to explain to other people is easy… |
| Tsumugi | But when it comes to what you consider true, there are times when you can't put together the things you want to say. |
| Banri | In any case, Tsumugi-san, are there any instances that made you decide acting is the only thing for you? |
| Tsumugi | I have lots of small moments for that, but…if I have to choose the one that made me specifically decide to pursue acting, it's the happiness I felt when wrapping up a school play with Tasuku back during grade school. |
| I can never forget that soul-shaking moment. At that time, I said to myself, "I want to experience this again and again." |
| Banri | …So, it's like, your turning point. |
| Tsumugi | But, well… I once ran away from the theater industry. |
| "Can I live a life that has nothing to do with theater?" I had never thought about such a thing before, until I experienced that failure. |
| Surprisingly enough, I could live just fine without acting. But in the end, I couldn't bear it. I was dying to go back on stage. |
| I was aware I could live a stable life if I continued the job I had at that time. |
| I might get hurt again if I walked this path once more. I might not get recognized for my efforts. |
| Despite that, I couldn't control the feelings inside my heart. |
| In the end, I returned to this theater town and took the stage again with our debut show… I keenly realized I couldn't live apart from acting. |
| My feelings for acting is like a one-sided love that will never be reciprocated until the day I die. |
| I'm sure what that person considers to be the right answer is something that your heart feels, not something you think in your head. |
| Maybe one's attachment to theater is not something you can explain inductively. |
| Banri | You totes sound like a tutor now. |
| Tsumugi | Haha. And I had just finished tutoring my student before coming here, too. |
| Banri | What your heart feels, huh… In the end, I've gotta find that myself. |
| I've always thought acting is something I want to do. I never had any doubt about it. |
| But when he asked me, "Does it have to be acting?"... Honestly, I have no idea. |
| Tsumugi | Even if you can't find the answer right away, you can continue acting while looking for it. |
| Right, Guy-san? |
| Guy | …Yes. |
| For me, the time you spend struggling to look for your own answer is also a part of your valuable, once-in-a-lifetime journey. |
| I could finally face the feelings that had been buried within myself after encountering theater. To me, it was a one-of-a-kind experience. |
| I'm sure you will also find your answer somewhere. |
| Banri | Thanks. |
| If possible, I want to find the answer before going on stage for the MANKAI Show. |
| Tsumugi | Feel free to come to me whenever you want to organize your thoughts. |
| Well, talking with others who had been living totally different lives before encountering theater may be fun too. |
| Guy | In that case, there's a lot of people like that in the Winter Troupe. |
| Banri | A totally different life, huh… |
