Kazunari Miyoshi/MANKAI Playback

The Many Memories You Met

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Kazunari	I’m back—.
	*Party crackers*
Summer Troupe	Happy Birthday—!!
Kazunari	Woah!?
	Eh, wait, you’re celebrating in my room!? I expected you guys to do this in the lounge, you totally caught me off guard!
Tenma	So you knew we’d be celebrating.
Kazunari	Well, anyone would get their hopes up after such a super-hyper happy birthday last year~!
	But I didn’t expect a surprise in my own room!
Yuki	Well, we thought you’d predict that much, Kazunari. That’s why we chose to do it here.
Izumi	It was a huge success!
Muku	Okay then, Kazu-kun, please take a seat over here.
Kazunari	Woah~, I’m like, the star of the day!? I’m getting hyper vibes! Thanks, everyone!
Kumon	Ta-da! The cake we prepared for Kazu-san!!
Misumi	Kazu~, happy birthday~!!
Kazunari	The chocolate in the middle looks like a Japanese painting! A hyper-miracle-Inste-worthy choice!
	I have to take tons of pics!!
CHOICE 1: You’re always so good at taking pictures [+] Izumi You’re always so good at taking Inste-grammable pictures. Yuki If he takes this many pictures of course he’s going to get good. Tenma You’re always pretty particular about the angle and the light in the shot. Kazunari Ofc! I’m studying up every day! Muku Kazu-kun’s Inste photos are all really adorable, and the food always looks delicious. Misumi Sometimes he sends me pictures of cats and triangles he found~. Kumon And he teaches me how to take pretty selfies and stuff! I feel like I look more handsome that usual when Kazu-san is the cameraman! Izumi All right then, I’ll take pictures of Kazunari-kun while he’s focused on taking pictures of the cake. Kazunari I’m giving that a like! Send them to me over LINE later!
CHOICE 2: There’s an assortment of candies, too [+] Kazunari Woah~! These are also so colorful and kyute! Muku We went to the store together to choose all sorts of candies. Misumi There are triangles too~! And lots of flavors~! They’re fun to look at and fun to eat~. Yuki But there’s no guarantee that all the candies are familiar flavors. Kazunari Huh? What do you mean? Kumon We mixed in some weird candies too! Like mustard flavor! Or super sour umeboshi flavor! Tenma Have fun finding out the flavors when you eat them. Kazunari Rly!? Oh man! That’s really fun~!
Kazunari	Sigh~, this is seriously the best! I got lots of super-hyper presents and the party is tons of fun, I’m so happy~.
	...I wish I could tell my past self about it~.
Misumi	Past Kazu~?
Yuki	What’s this, out of the blue?
Kazunari	Because if I told him that the future me would be celebrating his birthday with everyone in Summer Troupe and Director-chan—.
	He’d have so much more to look forward to!
Muku	K-Kazu-kun...!
Kumon	Uu, Kazu-sa~n!!
Izumi	The past Kazunari-kun... You said you were completely different, right?
Kazunari	I was super serious! I looked different, too. I had black hair and glasses!
Tenma	I can’t imagine....
Yuki	Are you talking about a different person?
Kazunari	It’s really me. I was a nerd who did nothing but study all day every day~.
	But even that serious version of me felt like cutting class once in a while.
Izumi	Really?
Kazunari	Yup. This kinda brings back memories~. I got bogged down with my studies, and I cut class for the first time in my life....
Kazunari	(Looks like nobody’s here.)
	(This is my first time cutting class... It feels kind of weird.)
	I guess there are no art classes right now. ...Huh?
	A blank white canvas... Paint, too.
	....
	...Can just I paint something?
Kazunari	...Done.
	(A painting of a blue sky....)
	(I usually don’t have trouble coming up with something to paint, but I guess it’s because I’m bogged down with studies.)
	(The only thing I could draw was the view of the sky from this window. What an empty painting....)
	I really have nothing, huh....
	*Footsteps*
	!
	(Someone’s coming this way? I should get out of here before they notice....)

Kazunari	Sensei. Can I use this room today too?
Art Teacher	Hm? Oh, Miyoshi.
	Go ahead. But once you get focused, you’re glued to the canvas, so don’t stay around for too long.
	You’re going to graduate soon. I recommend hanging out with your classmates once in a while.
Kazunari	Ahaha....
Art Teacher	...I’ll be headed to the faculty office, so bring the key to me later.
Kazunari	Yes.
	I’m going to graduate soon, huh....
	(For now I need to finish my last art class assignment.)
	(Make “the memories from your three years in middle school” into a piece of art... I can’t think of anything at all.)
	(Oh, didn’t I sneak into the art room and paint a picture the first time I cut class?)
	Now then....
Kazunari	(In the end, I couldn’t think of anything, so I painted another bright blue sky.)
	(This is no different from before....)
	(...Oh. I’ll—.)
Kazunari	Done!
	(A big rainbow across the open sky.)
	(Right now, I can’t come up with a single memory. I have nothing. But....)
	(One day I hope I can meet something that makes me think, this is my important memory.)
Kazunari	So yeah~. That sort of thing happened to me too~.
	Hehe, it was a little embarrassing telling you guys, but you gave me such an awesome celebration that I kinda felt like spilling.
Misumi	Kazu....
Yuki	This is the first time I’ve heard you talk about this, Kazunari.
Muku	Me too.... But I’m happy I got to learn about the old Kazu-kun.
Kumon	Me too! I want to learn more and more about Kazu-san and everyone else here.
Tenma	If you meet your past self, be sure to tell him that you have some amazing teammates.
Yuki	Ew, you’re saying that yourself? Embarrassing.
Tenma	Shut up!
Kazunari	Ahaha! Thanks, everyone.
	...You know, in middle school, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to draw when someone told me “make your memories into art.”
	But the current me is different.
	Thanks to you guys, I have tons of memories I want to make into paintings!
Izumi	Kazunari-kun....
Muku	Ehehe, just as I thought, I like the current Kazu-kun more.
Kumon	Me too, me too! Positive Kazu-san is so cool~!
Kazunari	Hehehe, thanks~!!
Kazunari	Now then, all that’s left is to submit this report, and....
Art teacher	...Miyoshi?
Kazunari	Eh? Ah!? Sensei!?
Art teacher	So you are Miyoshi. It’s been a while.
Kazunari	Woah, it’s seriously been a while! The last time I saw you was middle school graduation, right!?
Art teacher	Yes. Haha, you’ve changed quite a bit; I thought I got the wrong person.
Kazunari	I get that a lot~! Sensei, you’re amazing, recognizing me like that!
	Ahh, this brings back so many memories~! Did you have something to do at Amabi today?
Art teacher	Yes. So you’re attending Amabi, Miyoshi.
Kazunari	Yup! I’m in the Japanese painting program!
Art teacher	Ah, you were always good at art.
	You know, your painting from back then is still on display at school.
Kazunari	Back then... Eh!? You mean my very last art assignment!?
Art teacher	Yes. That’s not all. The painting by a certain someone who used a canvas left in the art room without permission is also on display.
Kazunari	...!? Sensei, you knew I was the one who made that...!?
	And it’s on display....
Art teacher	Haha, you know, Miyoshi, I actually saw you sneaking out of the art room.
Kazunari	(So those footsteps were sensei’s...!)
Art teacher	You should visit and take a look at your paintings. You’re welcome any time.
Kazunari	Woah! Yeah, I’ll go, I’ll go! I wanna see, it’s been a while!
	Ah, that’s right, sensei. Can I take some friends along when I visit?
Art teacher	Of course. I’m relieved to hear you talk about “friends.”
Kazunari	Ahahaha!
	(I wonder what everyone in Summer Troupe will say when they see my old paintings~.)
	They’re my suuuper special teammates, so look forward to it!

Healingbonds