Itaru Chigasaki/MANKAI Playback

Just the Way You Are

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Izumi	With that being said, happy birthday, Itaru-san!
Sakuya	Happy birthday!
Masumi	Happy birthday.
Citron	Itaru, happy birthday!
Tsuzuru	Happy birthday.
Chikage	Happy birthday, Chigasaki.
Itaru	Thanks.
Izumi	Anyway, I’ve never thought that there would be a kniroun-themed cafe.
Citron	This is a cafe that is managed by End Links company. Game titles from the company will always be featured as the theme of the cafe for a limited period of time.
Itaru	That’s right. This time is kniroun’s turn. By the way, there are also bars and restaurants beside cafe.
Citron	They’re exbranding, huh.
Itaru	You mean, “expanding,” right. In any case, it’s amazing that you get to make reservation in this cafe.
Chikage	Director-san got it when she applied.
Itaru	For real? I didn’t get it even once…
Izumi	I’m glad that I could be some of help to everyone.
Masumi	As expected of my director…
Tsuzuru	She’s not yours.
Sakuya	Is this place really that popular?
Citron	People have been waiting for someone to cancel their reservation since this cafe opened last month.
Itaru	I planned to aim at weekdays and take a paid leave, so I tried rolling for a single seat. But…
Chikage	So it’s a story about Itaru, who wasted his money and time on daily gacha, and his luck.
Tsuzuru	It’s the desire sensor thingy, right?
Masumi	How about setting a goal to ignore the temptation this year?
Itaru	That’s impossible.
Chikage	Now that I think about it, this cafe gives special novelty to whoever celebrating their birthday.
Izumi	It’s written in the reservation e-mail too. Shall we call the waiter, then?
Sakuya	I wonder what he will get.
Citron	I’ll go ebrotional if he gets Excalibur. I want to be reborn in April too!
Chikage	You mean, “emotional,” right. Well, I don’t think there will be any Excalibur, though.
Waiter	Happy birthday! Here are the presents from our shop.
Itaru	This is…
Citron	Oh! It’s a keyholder of the knight of the round table!
Sakuya	It looks cute!
Itaru	–.
Izumi	What’s wrong, Itaru-san?
Itaru	…This one is a keyholder is the first limited bonus of the kniroun IV.
	I liked it back during my high school days, but then I dropped and lost it.
Izumi	It’s great that you got a new one, then!
Masumi	It looks like everyone who is born in April gets one.
Chikage	That means Tsuzuru and I get one.
Tsuzuru	Yeah.
Chikage	I’ll give mine to Chigasaki, then.
Itaru	Huh?
Chikage	I don’t think I will use this keyholder if I keep it, so I think it’ll be better to give it to someone who truly likes it.
Tsuzuru	Take mine too. I feel like it may be useful in the future.
Itaru	I can’t believe you guys just willingly let go of such a rare item like this…
	But well, thanks.
Izumi	Fufu, you sound happy, Itaru-san.
Tsuzuru	I know, right.
Chikage	Good for you, Chigasaki. You got spares.
Itaru	…I won’t lose it again.
Izumi	The cafe was so fun!
Sakuya	Yes! I was surprised to see food that I saw in the game!
Citron	They didn’t have mammoth meat with raspberry sauce, though.
Tsuzuru	That kind of food didn’t appear in the game, you know.
Itaru	No, it appeared.
Chikage	In V?
Masumi	So it did appear.
Izumi	Hm? It looks lively, somehow.
Sakuya	…Ah, it seems like they’re holding a Street ACT there!
Izumi	Many people are gathering there, huh. Shall we take a look?
Chikage	They’re playing a weak boy and his friend, huh.
Citron	So it’s your typical tear jerking story!
Tsuzuru	Your way of saying that is bad!
Itaru	….
Sakuya	It was interesting!
Masumi	I didn’t think it would turn out to be a comedy in the end.
Izumi	Yes. I found myself laughing while seeing that.
Tsuzuru	What should we do after this? I think we should go shopping for dinner.
Izumi	You’re right. Then we’ll go to super…
Itaru	–Then, I’ll part way here. Thanks for today.
Tsuzuru	Where are you going, Itaru-san?
Chikage	Are you going shopping?
Itaru	No, I’ll go to an arcade.
Citron	Let’s go together, then!
Izumi	That’s right. We may as well go there!
Masumi	I’ll go if director goes.
Sakuya	I want to go together too!
Itaru	…Seriously?
Tsuzuru	Today is your birthday, after all. We’ll accompany you.
Chikage	And we’ve already gone there when we wanted to perfect our role in the Quartet play.
Izumi	We won’t push you if you’re fine with being alone, though…
Itaru	….Then, shall we stick together to the very end today?

Itaru’s Sister	–Itaru, read this.
Itaru	…Character sheet? Whoah, what a detailed writing.
	His hobbies are watching movies and reading; He has a habit of coughing with downcast eyes… What’s this? Is this your favorite character?
Itaru’s Sister	These are the traits that I set up for you when you enter high school.
Itaru	–Hah?
Itaru’s Sister	All right, your cough just now was unnatural.
Itaru	….*coughs*.
Itaru’s Sister	I told you to do it like this. Do it again.
Itaru	…Yeah.
Itaru’s Sister	“Chigasaki-kun looks like an only child, huh~.”
Itaru	No, I have an aneki.
Itaru’s Sister	It’s o-n-e-e-s-a-n. And fix your tone.
Itaru	…I have an onee-san.
Itaru’s Sister	This much will do for today. Perfect these acts until entrance ceremony.
Itaru	*sigh*… I’m finally free.
Itaru’s Sister	Where are you going?
Itaru	Eh, an arcade.
Itaru’s Sister	Don’t go; you have an appointment at the salon. I’ve already made a reservation with the person in charge.
Itaru	Hah?
Itaru’s Sister	What? You hate that?
Itaru	Hate, you say…
Itaru’s Sister	You won’t look like a beautiful, ill-fated boy if you keep that unfashionable hairstyle.
Itaru	…
Itaru’s Sister	Ah, and stop going to arcade once you enter high school.
Itaru	Hah!?
Itaru’s Sister	If your classmate sees you there by any chance, your character will be ruined, you know.
Itaru	…Roger.
Itaru’s Sister	Roger?
Itaru	…I understand, onee-san.
Citron	Tsuzuru, take the roundabout there!
Tsuzuru	Where is that exactly!?
Masumi	Sakuya, it’s your chance. Shoot.
Sakuya	Ye, yeah! Uhh… the long distance shoot is…
Chikage	Switch the button here.
Itaru	….
Izumi	Itaru-san, you look like you’re having fun…. Or should I say, you look happy.
Itaru	Is that so?
Izumi	Yes. You must really like arcades that you even go here on your birthday.
Itaru	Well, it’s true that I like arcades. But seeing the Street ACT just now reminds me of something in the past.
	I’ve been trained by my sister and took on a beautiful, sickly boy character during high school entrance–.
	My high school life became easy thanks to that, but it was hard for me to go to arcades.
Izumi	(So that’s why he suddenly said he wanted to go to an arcade…)
Itaru	I think it was around the time I started living alone… Rather than getting over the character and moving on, I’ve gotten used to it.
	Because I keep behaving as someone who is completely different from my real self… my character changed once again without me knowing.
Izumi	And that is the eloquent princely character that you’ve been taking on at the company, right?
	(Thinking back again, it’s amazing to know that he could take on various kinds of characters. Itaru-san might actually mean to be an actor…)
Itaru	“I may be weak, but I’ll definitely protect you, only you…”
Izumi	Eh?
Itaru	“Aren’t you tired, director-san? I shall carry you then–princess carry, obviously.”
	…Just kidding. How was it? I tried playing both my beautiful, weal ill-fated boy and princely characters at the same time.
CHOICE 1: My heart just pounded. [+] Izumi I knew it was just an act, but my heart couldn’t help but pound hearing that. Itaru ….I’m not acting if it’s to director-san. Izumi Eh? Itaru –Just kidding. Were you surprised? Izumi Please don’t surprise me!
CHOICE 2: You should do it more! [+] Izumi It was good, you should do it more! Doing an Etude Battle about prince characters with rival groups sounds like fun! Itaru Rival groups, you say… Everyone is too strong, you know. Izumi We won’t lose with your prince power, Itaru-san. Itaru You really are a theater fool, huh, director-san. But well, I’ll try to live up to your expectation if we’re going to do it.
Itaru	Hey, director-san, which side of me do you like best? Is it the the weak, beautiful boy me or the prince me?
Izumi	Hmm…
Itaru	Seeing you having that much of troubles choosing, does that mean you like them both?
Izumi	More like–I like the real Itaru-san better.
Itaru	…I see.
Masumi	….
Itaru	…Hey, it hurts; it hurts! Don’t press that gun controller to me!
Masumi	…That’s because you said things such as, “like” to director. I won’t ever forgive you.
Citron	Oh, Masumi is being serious! You strike a blow on his temple!
Masumi	I wish I could shoot and kill him for real, though.
Tsuzuru	That’s too dangerous!
Sakuya	Calm down, Masumi-kun…!
Chikage	There, there. Let’s settle this peacefully,
	Since we are in an arcade, why don’t we settle this out with a game?
Itaru	Well, I’ll take you on no matter how many times it is if it’s related to games.
Masumi	I’ll certainly win. I won’t hand over director to you.
Chikage	Should I assist you, Masumi?
Citron	I’ll support you too as a snipper! Tsuzuru will be in charge of preparing the bullets next to me.
Tsuzuru	Is there such a plain system in the game!? Sakuya, take turns with me later.
Sakuya	Ye, yes!
Itaru	Today is my birthday, yet I’ve been surrounded by enemies.
Izumi	1 against 5!? Will, will you be all right, Itaru-san…?
Itaru	Rest assured. I’m ready to rout them all in the name of Taruchi.
Izumi	(Itaru-san is getting into his zone…)
Itaru	Well then–Game Start!

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