| Tenma | What the heck is going on? |
| Yuki | I saw shitty elite glasses and Director walking together yesterday. |
| Muku | They looked like they were getting along, but I didn’t think they’d fly abroad together.... |
| Kazunari | I saw them too! They were pretty close, but Chika-chon isn’t the kinda chara who’d do that to anyone, right? |
| Muku | Maybe they hit it off because one loves curry and the other loves spices... and they fell in love from there...? |
| What if they’re preparing for a wedding abroad while they’re on their business trip... what if they’re looking at wedding halls and dresses right now...? |
| Tenma | A wedding!? |
| Masumi | ...Unforgivable... |
| Yuki | Muku, your imagination is running wild. |
| Tsuzuru | Itaru-san, did Chikage-san tell you anything? |
| Itaru | Nope, nothing. I asked my co-workers, but it seems like they decided on this business trip in a hurry. |
| But the thing is, the details of the trip are pretty unclear. |
| Citron | They’ve been splintered away! |
| Tsuzuru | Do you mean spirited away? |
| Yuki | Director’s LIME message is kind of weird. She didn’t say anything about Spring Troupe’s performance. It doesn’t sound like her. |
| Though they did look like they were getting along. |
| Masumi | She would never toss aside the stage... she would also never get close with anyone except for me. |
| Banri | Dunno about the second half, but I agree with you on the first part. |
| Misumi | Director loves theater! |
| Tenma | You’re right. I can’t imagine that theater nerd would toss aside a performance. |
| Tasuku | Something must’ve happened. |
| Omi | I agree. |
| Banri | It’s weird because they didn't mention anything. |
| Taichi | Maybe they got involved in some kind of incident!? |
| Azuma | Both of them at once? I can’t really imagine that. |
| Sakyo | .... |
| ...Anyhow, what we need to discuss now is what we’re going to do about Spring Troupe’s performance. |
| Sakuya | How can we practice if we’re missing both our director and our lead...? |
| Tsuzuru | Does that mean it’s gonna be cancelled? |
| Itaru | Our only chance is getting a different person to play lead. |
| Sakyo | Will we make it in time? |
| Citron | We have to make it in time! |
| Sakuya | But should we even be holding a performance under these conditions? I think it’s meaningless unless everyone in the new Spring Troupe is here. |
| Tasuku | We’ve already announced the performance and tickets have already gone on sale. If we cancel now, we’ll be betraying the fans who are looking forward to it. |
| Spring Troupe’s fans are the ones buying advance tickets, after all. |
| Kazunari | So should we do Summer Troupe’s performance first? |
| Tenma | That’s even riskier. |
| Manager | ...Let’s wait. |
| Tenma | Hm? |
| Manager | Let’s wait! |
| Sakyo | The hell, Matsukawa. Don’t suddenly start yelling. |
| Manager | Let’s wait! We should wait! Perseverance prevails in times like these! No matter what happens, no matter the circumstances, our only option is to wait! |
| Tsuzuru | His argument is totally unfounded but somehow he’s convincing... |
| Manager | ...Back when Yukio-san disappeared, the same sort of thing happened. |
| Sakyo | .... |
| Manager | He disappeared without a word. |
| A performance was coming up, and everyone panicked. We discussed what to do, just like now. |
| The troupe was split by divided opinions; no one took the lead, and our next performance was a disaster. |
| The divide never disappeared, and the scathing criticism against the troupe added insult to injury. The troupe members left one after another. |
| After that, everything tumbled downhill. Members kept quitting, to the point where we couldn’t even hold a performance... and the troupe came to an end once. |
| Tenma | So what you’re saying is that at this rate, we’re going to repeat the same mistake...? |
| Manager | I never want to watch this troupe fall apart ever again. |
| So let’s believe and wait for now. Spring Troupe should continue practicing as usual until the first day of the performance. |
| Sakyo | And what are you going to do if they don’t come back? |
| If we cancel the performance after everything has been put in place, our losses will be massive. You might even end up in debt again. |
| Tsuzuru | Our management is that tight!? |
| Manager | —I, the manager, will take full responsibility for all debt! |
| Taichi | Woah...! |
| Tsuzuru | This is the manliest I’ve ever seen him.... |
| Sakyo | You don’t even have the resources to afford that. |
| Manager | Worst comes to worst, I’ll use this theater and Kamekichi as collateral—! |
| Kamekichi | Why! |
| Sakyo | Neither belong to you. And Kamekichi isn’t worth a single penny. |
| Kamekichi | Don’t take me lightly! I’m a man who makes a hundred grains of rice a night! |
| Tsuzuru | So birds use grains of rice as currency.... |
| Sakyo | Well, whatever. Well said, Matsukawa. |
| I get it. If the worst happens, I’ll take care of it. |
| Taichi | As expected of Sakyo-nii! |
| Sakyo | I’ll take care of it—by coming up with a debt repayment plan that’ll make you all work like mules. |
| Banri | That’s what you meant!? |
| Juza | Bring it on. |
| Taichi | U-uu, I’ll do my best! |
| Masumi | I’ll wait... I’m the one who believes in her most. |
| Tsuzuru | Then it’s decided. |
| Sakuya | Let’s keep practicing so we can put on a perfect performance when they both come back! |
| Citron | Let’s do our best, hurrah! |
| Tsumugi | Let’s choose standbys[1] for the lead from the other troupes. |
| Tenma | I’ll represent Summer Troupe. |
| Yuki | You’re useful in times like these. |
| Tenma | What do you mean, “in times like these”! |
| Misumi, you too. |
| Misumi | Okay~! |
| Tsumugi | Tasuku, you can perform too, right? You have experience as a standby. |
| Tasuku | Let’s hurry and get the scripts ready. |
| Homare | We should get Yuzo-san to watch over practice. |
| Manager | I’ll get in touch and check our schedules immediately! |
| Sakyo | When that old guy can’t oversee practice, the other troupe members will have to help out. |
| Sakuya | Everyone, please help us out! |
| |
| Izumi | (My second day in custody... I wonder how everyone is doing. I wish I could get in touch, but...) |
| (He took away any means of communication, and I don’t even know where we are.) |
| (But I have access to food. I can bathe, and he provided me with a change of clothes, too. I’m living comfortably.) |
| (Plus, I get curry for three meals a day—I’m actually grateful for that.) |
| (That being said, I can’t just wait around for the troupe to fall apart....) |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | Chikage-san, what are you doing at your computer all day long? |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | You should move around. You’re going to get out of shape. |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | (No use... He won’t even respond to small talk.) |
| (Does Chikage-san not care about the performance at all? Even though he practiced so much....) |
| (Doesn’t he want to act again at all...?) |
| “Who are you, sir?” |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | Chikage-san, I’ll play every role other than Oz, so please practice with me. |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | (So the only reason he joined the troupe was to get his revenge... Is he not interested in theater at all...?) |
| “Sir Oz... The great wizard Oz!” |
| (Sakuya-kun’s expression here was really good. He was always rich in his emotions, but he’s gotten even better at expressing them.) |
| “Wizard of the North. I am the Great Wizard Oz.” |
| “Oz? Are you a new wizard? Greetings.” |
| “My citizens asked me to depart on a journey to defeat the wizards of the east and the west. I would like to ask you for your help.” |
| “My, how brave of you. I will do the little I can to assist you. Lend me your hand.” |
| (Citron-kun dramatically improved at delivering lines after playing second lead.) |
| (Though it’s a mystery as to why his day-to-day language hasn’t changed...) |
| “Wizard of the South. I am the Great Wizard of Oz.” |
| “You have business with me?” |
| “I’m on a journey to defeat the wizards of the east and the west. I’d like to ask you for your help.” |
| “It’s got nothing to do with me.” |
| (Masumi-kun is really developing his unique style as an actor.) |
| “Wizard of the East. My name is Oz.” |
| “What? Who are you.” |
| “I moved into the central city a little while ago. I came to deliver you a warning.” |
| “The Wizard of the West has been acting suspiciously lately. It seems he’s plotting to steal the land of the Wizard of the East.” |
| “I don’t believe it. There’s no way he would betray me.” |
| (Tsuzuru-kun has improved at both scriptwriting and acting; now they work in synergy.) |
| “Wizard of the West. My name is Oz. The Wizard of the East seems to be plotting an attack on this land.” |
| “What?” |
| “...He does seem to be strengthening his defenses.” |
| “You can tell?” |
| “I only have one eye, but as a trade-off, it can see everything.” |
| (Itaru-san’s technique has improved. He’s also gotten better at portraying subtle changes in emotion.) |
| Chikage | ...You’re an unbelievably daikon actor. |
| Izumi | Then please give me a better example. |
| Chikage | ...I refuse. |
| Izumi | “The wizards of the east and west have promised me their loyalty. From here on out, the Emerald City will be peaceful for eternity.” |
| (Chikage-san really is perfect for the charlatan Oswald.) |
| (If he tried to play Oswald now, he would be better than he’s ever been.) |
| “I’m not a wizard. My transforming appearance was all a fake. See—I was simply moving this head—” |
| Chikage | ...A “lie.” |
| Izumi | Oh, is that right? I’m surprised you remembered. |
| Chikage | .... |
| Izumi | We practiced every day, after all. |
| Chikage | Tch.... |
