Homare Arisugawa/MANKAI Encore

Sagishima Tooru

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Izumi	Okay, let’s stop here for today.
Tsumugi	Good work today.
Tasuku	Good work.
Guy	There’s not long until our next rerun.
Tasuku	Right. Let’s give it our all this time, too.
Homare	Everyone, I’d like your attention.
	I figured you all would ask, so I want to tell you where I want to go sightseeing at the location for our next performance.
Hisoka	No one asked.
Tasuku	Sightseeing again…
Azuma	Fufu, that’s a given. Where do you want to go, Homare?
Homare	I was thinking I want to go to the picture book museum, and this café.
Tsumugi	A picture book museum sounds interesting.
Homare	Doesn’t it? I’ve been wanting to go for a while, so I thought this would be a good opportunity.
Izumi	It does seem like a lovely place. I’d like to go, too.
Azuma	This café looks good, too. Having afternoon tea here sounds fun.
Guy	A western-style café... though it looks like a normal café.
Homare	Ah, there was something that had me interested in this place.
Izumi	Something that had you interested?
Homare	Look forward to seeing it when the day comes.
Tasuku	Forget sightseeing and focus on your acting.
Hisoka	... Zzz.
Tasuku	So this is the picture book museum... It's amazing.
Azuma	Huh, you can look at picture books and original drawings from overseas, too, not just from here.
Homare	This is wonderful...! It will make a good reference for when I publish a picture book.
Izumi	You were planning to do that?
Homare	No, not at all.
Tsumugi	You sounded like you were definitely going to publish one...
Hisoka	Arisu and picture books don’t go together at all.
Tasuku	Even if Arisugawa were to make one, it’d probably be outrageous...
Homare	If you mean I could make a picture book that would invariably move readers to tears, outrageous may be the word to use.
Izumi	He’s brimming with confidence, huh...
Tsumugi	Ahaha, now I want to read it.
Azuma	Speaking of which, Director, you read a picture book aloud at the library once, right?
Izumi	I did. I wonder if the picture book on curry from that library is here, too...
Tasuku	Even with picture books, it’s curry.
Guy	... This picture book was written in Zafran.
Tsumugi	Oh, it is. The usage of colors is different from Japanese ones, too.
Guy	Indeed. The way books in different languages all have their own characteristics is intriguing.
Tsumugi	It looks like this goat picture book was based on Norse mythology.
Guy	That it does.
Tasuku	Looking around like this brings back memories, too.
Homare	Someday, I want to put out a work like this and give love and dreams to people all over the world.
Hisoka	Arisu’s picture book would just cause confusion all over the world.
Tasuku	Right.
Homare	Oh, by the way, where has Hisoka gone off to?
Izumi	Huh? Now that you mention it... I haven’t seen him in a while.
Tsumugi	He’s right here.
Hisoka	... Zz... zzz...
Guy	So he was sleeping on the sofa.
Tsumugi	Hisoka-kun, you can’t sleep at a place like this.
Hisoka	Mm...
Azuma	It’s quiet here, so he must have gotten sleepy.
Homare	Hm. So it’s already that time. That said, let’s head to the café.

Izumi	Wow, this place is really pretty...!
Homare	Indeed, the atmosphere is lovely. It’s very calming.
Employee	Welcome. Here’s our menu.
Izumi	Thank you.
Azuma	They have all sorts of things, huh.
Hisoka	I want the marshmallow milk tea.
Guy	So something like that exists.
Azuma	It’s a good thing they include marshmallows.
Hisoka	Yeah, it looks delicious.
Tsumugi	They have a cake and black tea set, too.
Izumi	Ah, and an afternoon tea set, too. Hmm, I can’t choose at all...
Azuma	In that case, let’s get an afternoon tea set and have it together.
Tsumugi	Good idea.
Homare	You can choose from various types of tea leaves, too.
	I’ll have the Russian tea with rose jam.
Izumi	I think I’ll get the ginger-apple tea.
Azuma	Something to warm up my body would be nice. The fruit tea looks good, too.
Tasuku	I’m fine with anything.
Homare	Then, can I choose for you?
Tasuku	As long as you don’t pick anything weird.
Employee	Thank you for waiting.
Homare	Thank you. Okay, let’s drink.
	...
	Oh, it’s delicious! The smell is delightful, too. They use high-quality tea leaves here.
Hisoka	Mine’s good, too.
Azuma	Fufu, that’s good.
Tasuku	I thought it’d be a bit more astringent, but it wasn’t.
Tsumugi	I’ve heard that good tea leaves have different astringency and bitterness depending on how they’re brewed.
Guy	By the way, Arisugawa said there was something that interested him in this place. Have you found it?
Homare	Oh! You’re right. It was supposed to be on display, but...
	Ah, there it is.
Izumi	... Is it that pocket watch?
Homare	Indeed. That’s it.
Tsumugi	It’s similar to your pocket watch, isn’t it?
Azuma	It really is. It’s a very pretty watch.
Homare	Excuse me, you there.
Employee	Yes, how can I help you?
Homare	I’m sorry, but what is this one’s name?
Tasuku	There’s no way it has a name.
Hisoka	They’re not like you.
Employee	This watch is called Christina.
Homare	Christina!?
	My pocket watch is named Christine...! Ah, this cannot be a coincidence.
	Perhaps these two were long-lost sisters...
Hisoka	No way.
Tasuku	It’s definitely just a coincidence.
Homare	...
Izumi	Homare-san, is something wrong?
Homare	No, it’s just that Christina looks so lovely as she works, but-
	In the end, Christine looks much more charming and endearing to me.
Izumi	Homare-san...
	(It’s definitely because his pocket watch is important to him, since he got it from his grandmother...)
Homare	Oh-!
Hisoka	-Gh.
	Poor Christine. While saying she’s more endearing, you were about to drop her.
Homare	There’s no way I can respond to that. Thank you, Hisoka-kun.
Hisoka	... No need. It’d be bad if she broke or got lost again, after all.
Homare	Yes, you’re right. I’ll keep that in mind.

Izumi	It’s finally opening day.
Tsumugi	Yup. We have Guy with us this time, so I’m excited for it.
Azuma	I’m glad he’s playing my butler.
Guy	I’m honored as well.
Hisoka	Guy’s costume looks cool, too.
Homare	Indeed, the butler outfit suits him nicely.
Tasuku	He has a good physique, so his conduct suits being a butler, too.
Hisoka	Totally different from Arisu.
Homare	Hmph, what are you talking about? My conduct is just as splendid.
Tsumugi	There definitely are things about Homare-san’s conduct as a butler that are fascinating.
Homare	That’s right, there aren’t any butlers as magnificent as me, right? Hisoka-kun, you can be honest and praise me.
Hisoka	No other butlers are this noisy.
Homare	You really can’t be honest at all.
Izumi	Everyone, it’s almost time.
Homare	In that case, let’s have a group huddle. I thought hard about what to do this time, too.
Guy	A group huddle from Arisugawa, huh. I wonder what you have in mind.
Hisoka	You don’t have to do it.
Azuma	Homare’s huddle ideas are always difficult.
Tasuku	They are.
Tsumugi	Ahaha... Let’s do our best.
Izumi	(Shiki, the heir to the Tojo conglomerate, picks up a handkerchief from the roadside one day. Despite Sagishima’s suggestion, they go to the Kusanagi residence to find the owner-)
Kusanagi Butler	“Thank you for taking the time to do this. Please, come in.”
	“I believe the lady is in the garden at this time.”
	“!? M- My lady-”
Shiki	“That person on the ground… is that Miss Kusanagi?”
Sagishima	“Shiki-sama, please stay back.”
Shiki	“Call for a doctor at once-”
Kusanagi Butler	“Y- Yes!”
Sagishima	“It’s too late.”
Shiki	“What?”
Sagishima	“She’s dead.”
Izumi	(As the first people to discover the body, they’re interrogated...)
Kusanagi Butler	“Right this way.”
Nakatsu	“I’m the person in charge of this case, Nakatsu Keiji.”
Shiki	“Detective Nakatsu?”
Sagishima	“My lord, detectives do not usually introduce themselves as Detective such-and such.”
Nakatsu	“Keiji is my name.”
Shiki	“So you’re Detective Nakatsu Keiji. It’s like you were born to be a detective.”
Nakatsu	“I get that a lot.”
Izumi	(Soon, ominous things start to happen around Shiki.)
	(Despite Sagishima’s opposition, he tries to lay a trap for the sender of the threat letter...)
Shiki	“You fell right into my trap. Was it you who wrote the threat letter, Soma Keiichi?”
Keiichi	“Gh...”
Sagishima	“Why would Miss Kusanagi’s fiancé threaten Shiki-sama?”
Shiki	“That much is obvious. It’s because he’s the one who killed Miss Kusanagi.”
Keiichi	“You’re wrong! I didn’t kill her!”
Izumi	(Just as he said, it becomes clear that Keiichi isn’t the culprit.)
Sagishima	“That’s an unusual book you’re reading.”
Shiki	“Kusanagi-kun lent it to me. An interesting guy, that one.”
Sagishima	“I’m glad you’ve found a friend to get along with. Shall we cease our search for the culprit?”
Shiki	“Why would we? Of course not.”
Sagishima	“I see.”
Izumi	(Shiki gets closer to Shizuma, Miss Kusanagi’s older brother. Meanwhile, there’s only possible culprit remaining-)
Shiki	“You’re kidding... Then, Miss Kusanagi’s killer is...”
Sagishima	“Why are you so surprised? If Soma Keiichi wasn’t the culprit, there is only one suspect remaining.”
Shiki	“But...”
Sagishima	“This is why I asked if you would like to cease our search for the culprit. You’re more dim-witted than a dog, Shiki-sama.”
Shiki	“What was that?”
Sagishima	“*cough*. Well, what do you intend to do?”
Shiki	“I’m going to ascertain things myself, of course.”
Sagishima	“I see. Well, I’m sure the person in question is hoping for the same.”
Izumi	(Shiki calls on Shizuma to hear the truth.)
Shiki	“So it was you... the one who killed Miss Kusanagi.”
Shizuma	“...”
	“Your involvement in this was my only miscalculation, Shiki-san.”
Shiki	“How unfortunate. I thought we could become good friends.”
Izumi	(With the case successfully resolved, it’s time for the final scene-)
Shiki	“... What a windy day.”
Sagishima	“Shiki-sama, your gloves are going to get blown away.”
Shiki	“That day was just as windy as today. Perhaps I was unexpectedly summoned by Miss Kusanagi then.”
Sagishima	“You will catch a cold. Let’s move indoors.”
Izumi	(The atmosphere around Shiki and Sagishima feels much more relaxed than at their first performance. It’s probably because they have more experience and their bonds run deeper...)
Audience A	That was amazing...!
Audience B	The story was really great.
Audience C	It was so exciting I couldn’t look away!
Winter Troupe	Thank you very much!
Izumi	Good work out there!
Hisoka	Good work.
Azuma	I feel like the performance got even more interesting now that Guy is with us.
Guy	I’m glad.
Izumi	Your presence was spot on, too.
Homare	Quiet, everyone...!
Winter Troupe	?
Homare	Yes, I’ve got it!
	A luscious trick, emotions like a pendulum, hop, step, checkmate...!
Tasuku	I don’t get it.
Tsumugi	Um... I’m glad Homare-san seems like he had fun.
Azuma	Yup, he’s in perfect form today, too.
Guy	As long as he’s doing well, that’s what’s important.
Izumi	Ahaha, that’s true.
Homare	Alright, everyone, let’s keep up the hard work from tomorrow on!
Hisoka	... No matter how much time passes, Arisu is just as noisy.

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