| Omi | .... |
| ...Yeah, I know what the most memorable thing was for me this past year. |
| (I suffered through the Stranger performance, and faced my past...) |
| (Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to change.) |
| (Thanks to that performance, I could take a good look at my past. I could face Nachi again.) |
| (In the past, I could stay strong because of Nachi and my teammates in Wolf... Everyone here reminded me of that.) |
| |
| Omi | “There’s someone I want to introduce to you today, Nachi.” |
| Izumi | “?” |
| Omi | “I could move forward thanks to this person.” |
| “Because of her, I could chase your dream—which I had carried in your stead—as my own dream.” |
| “It’s not just her. Right now, I have precious teammates, just like I did in “Wolf.”” |
| “As an actor, I’m going to face theater seriously with my teammates and Director so that you won’t be disappointed.” |
| |
| Omi | (Director pushed me forward during our first performance, too.) |
| (She helped me realize that I was no longer just chasing Nachi’s dream in his stead.) |
| (Without that, I probably would’ve kept feeling guilty towards Nachi, and quit acting.) |
| (I wouldn’t have been able to visit Nachi’s grave, either.) |
| (Thank you, Director. And you too, Nachi. Thank you for letting me discover theater.) |
| (I won’t be an actor in your stead; instead, I’ll work hard as an actor who holds your memories close to his heart.) |
| .... |
| (I should attach a photograph, too. What’s a good one...) |
| ...Haha. |
| (This one brings back memories. The Autumn Troupe had just assembled.) |
| (Juza was always frowning; Banri looks grim here, too, and Taichi is a little awkward.) |
| (A lot has really happened since then. Now I know how to take pictures of Juza smiling, and Banri and Taichi’s expressions have grown softer.) |
| Haha, it’s such a huge difference. |
| —Hm, this one is from Summer Troupe’s practice. |
| (I took a shot right when Tenma messed up, and he got mad at me.) |
| (Bad timing, huh. In a sense, it was a pretty dramatic moment, but...) |
| (This photo also brings back memories....) |
| |
| Omi | —Woah, it’s already this late? |
| (I lose track of time when I’m dealing with photos. It’s a bad habit of mine. But it’s hard to choose just one...) |
| Hm? |
| (This is... when I had Director sample some macarons.) |
| What a big smile. |
| (It’s a good picture, if I do say so myself. Director always looks so happy when she’s eating.) |
| (I love that expression.) |
| Guess I’ll print and attach this one. |
| “Director, I’m always open to meal requests from you.” —There we go. |
| Taichi | I’m back! |
| Omi | Welcome back, Taichi. Perfect timing. Here you go; it’s your turn. |
| Taichi | Ah! That thing! |
| Omi | Yeah. I’m done with my page. |
| Taichi | Okay!! Well then, I’ll start with this... |
| Omi | What’s that? |
| Taichi | Heheheh! |
| Colored pens I prepared just for this occasion! We’re all guys, so I bet nobody else thought of using something like this! I’ll stand out! |
| Omi | Ah, I see.... But take a look. Everyone’s pages are pretty flashy. |
| Taichi | Woah!! What the heck is with Masumi-kun’s page!? It’s stands out in a different way!? |
| Plus, Yuki-kun’s page is suuuper cute, and Mucchan and Kazu-kun’s page is unfair! |
| I can’t win against this.... |
| Omi | Well, they’re our professional designer duo, after all. If you put your heart into it, your message will reach Director. |
| Taichi | —You’re right! |
| Alright! Then I’m gonna write a message with all my heart! It’s a battle of sincerity! |
| Omi | That’s the spirit. I’ll be getting ready for dinner, so good luck. |
| Taichi | Thanks~! |
| *Door closes* |
| Taichi | Hmm.... |
| (Memories with Director-sensei, huh... Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the incident during our first performance...) |
| |
| Taichi | “—I really am sorry.” |
| Izumi | “Why did you do it? Is there a reason?” |
| Taichi | “....I was originally part of GOD-za.” |
| “And I was told to sneak into MANKAI company as a spy.....” |
| “I was told that if I ruined this troupe’s performance, I'd be added to the main cast of GOD-za, so I—.” |
| “I'm really sorry....” |
| |
| Taichi | (I committed a crime that could never be undone. Director-sensei could have scorned me and chased me out of the troupe.) |
| (What I did deserved that sort of punishment.) |
| (But Director-sensei didn’t chase me out. She and everyone else forgave me and accepted me.) |
| (I’ll never forget my gratitude for as long as I live.) |
| .... |
| (Now that I think about it, our second performance was also full of trouble. I didn’t expect to play a girl...) |
| (Back then, I followed Director-sensei around for a whole day, and... I came to love her even more and more.) |
| How many of these traffic light stickers have I used...? I’ve used a lot~. |
| Well, that just means I’ve had that much fun. |
| (Thanks to these stickers, Omi-kun and I came to understand each other even more.) |
| (We could both walk forward into the future.) |
| (We could accept more than just our past regrets—we could accept everything, from sad moments to happy moments—and live in the present.) |
| (Director-sensei is amazing; these were just ordinary stickers. She gives us all sorts of opportunities.) |
| ...That’s right! I’ll draw the traffic light character that Director-sensei likes. This is something that only I know—what a good idea! |
| |
| Taichi | Sakyo-nii, I’m coming in! |
| Sakyo | Yeah. |
| Taichi | Here you go, it’s Sakyo-nii’s turn! |
| Sakyo | Oh, right, the message book. I’ll write it when I take a break from this job, so just leave it there. |
| Taichi | You’ve got such a scary expression. What are you doing? |
| Sakyo | Calculating our expenses. Want me to tell you the details? |
| Taichi | That sounds as scary as a ghost story, so I’ll pass! |
| *Door closes* |
| Sakyo | Hmph. God, she’s using money on all these unnecessary things. |
| .... |
| ....Phew. |
| (A message for her, huh... Once in a while, I should write things I can’t say when I see her face to face.) |
| (No, but the other troupe members might see it as well.) |
| (...What did they write?) |
| ——. |
| Usui’s page looks like a curse; what’s going on here.... |
| Sigh. |
| (I’m always strict towards her; she’s our leader. That’s why I thought I should praise her once in a while, but...) |
| (After looking at this, I take that back. They all had too much freedom with their messages.) |
| (But it’s amazing how she managed to keep this messy bunch of guys together.) |
| (Well, she was the one who gathered everyone, so I guess she knew what she was getting herself into, but...) |
| (The same goes for me. I should be nothing but a thorn in her side; why did she choose to take me in?) |
| |
| Izumi | “Please come to the audition. Please.” |
| Sakyo | “...You look like a pretty competent general director now.” |
| Izumi | “....” |
| Sakyo | “...Let me tell you this: I still remember you and think of you as a tiny kid.” |
| Izumi | “Eh!?” |
| Sakyo | “...I’ll consider this. See you.” |
| |
| Sakyo | (I’m also personally attached to this troupe. That’s why I can’t compromise, and I demand a lot from her. Sometimes I think I’ve said too much.) |
| (But for some reason, she’s never discouraged. She accepts everything I say, and moves forward.) |
| (Even I’m surprised by how far this troupe has come this past year.) |
| (It was my goal to bring back this liveliness of the past, but I didn’t think we’d really continue holding performance after performance like this...) |
| ...It’s a miracle. |
| (It’s a miracle that her hard work and determination created.) |
| (We were in danger over and over again, and there’s still lots of work to do. But even so, the series of miracles that she created built this troupe we have today.) |
| .... |
| (It’s a milestone; I guess I can treat her just this once. Honestly, one page won’t be enough, but...) |
| (It’s fine if the other guys poke fun at me. Just once in a while.) |
| .... |
| “You’ve worked hard this past year, but there’s still much work left to be done. In order to attract even more guests—.” |
| .... |
| “I’ve said this before, but these points need improving—” |
| ...This is the same as usual. |
| Tch, now there’s no more space... Oh well. |
| “I’m grateful that you invited me to this troupe. I said this earlier, but you’ve been working really hard.” |
| .... |
| “But don’t push yourself too hard.” |
| ...Now. |
| Next is the Winter Troupe. |
