| *LIME sound* |
Tasuku Takato Where are you? |
|
Tasuku Takato Please open the door. |
| |
| *ding dong* |
| Azuma | Huh? |
| Don’t tell me... |
| *door opens* |
| Izumi | I’m sorry for dropping by unannounced. |
| Azuma | Tasuku, Director... |
| Asajo | Take care of Azuma-kun. |
| Azuma | Asajo-san? |
| Asajo | Azuma-kun, you shouldn’t make everyone worry so much. |
| Azuma | —— |
| Asajo | I’ll see you later. |
| Tasuku | Thank you very much. |
| Azuma | ...Well, come on in. |
| Tasuku | Thank you for having me. |
| Izumi | Thank you for having me! |
| |
| Azuma | Why are you here? |
| Tasuku | ...It looks like you’ve been going out at night a lot recently, so I was wondering if something’s wrong. |
| Azuma | You’ve said that before. It’s just a bit of a diversion and research for my character. |
| Tasuku | Then I’ll accompany you. |
| Azuma | Huh? |
| Tasuku | I brought the script. |
| Izumi | ——Whoa, it’s all worn-out. |
| (So that’s why he needed another copy...) |
| Azuma | ...Can I take a look? |
| Tasuku | Huh? It’s messy. |
| Azuma | Your written notes and stuff might be good reference. |
| Tasuku | It’s just notes. And jotted down ideas... |
| Izumi | I’d like to take a look too. |
| Azuma | Please? It’ll be good learning. |
| Tasuku | ...I guess it’s fine then. |
| Azuma | ... |
| Izumi | There’s a lot of notes on movement and on dialogues with Azuma-san. |
| Tasuku | I’m still trialling different stuff on how to make things easier for Azuma-san, so it gets messy fast. |
| Azuma | ...You really are a theater nerd. |
| You even went out of your way to come here... Didn’t I tell you that I’ll make the show a success? |
| Tasuku | ...This isn’t about that. |
| Azuma | What do you mean? |
| Tasuku | Sure, the show will probably go well. But what about you? Aren’t you troubled about something? |
| Azuma | —— |
| ...That’s so like you, Tasuku. I didn’t expect to be asked about it so directly. |
| Tasuku | I’m not good with things like this. |
| Azuma | Sorry, sorry. But thank you. I give in. |
| This will get a little long, but I hope that’s okay. Can you call everyone else here? |
| Izumi | Ah, I’ll contact them! |
| |
| Tsumugi | ...Thank you for having me. |
| Homare | Thank you for having me. |
| Azuma | Come on in. |
| Tsumugi | Wow, this place is something else. |
| Izumi | It’s a big difference from the dorm. I know it’s too late, but now I’m worried if you’re fine with that small room... |
| Azuma | That place has a charm of its own and I like it just fine. |
| Homare | This is the place to be if you are to live alone. |
| Hisoka | ...Bourgeois. |
| Azuma | Unlike Homare, my family lived in an ordinary household. |
| ...Now then. Can you listen to me talk about the past for a little bit? |
| |
| My parents were civil servants. The two of them were diligent and reliable people. |
| My older brother and I were a little far apart in age. He was smart, but he was a kind person who’d choose a public school for the sake of his family. |
| My father was quite an impatient character.
Whenever we went out together as a family, he’d always get exasperated with my brother and I, who did things at our own pace like mother. |
| But we were a happy family. |
| When I was in the upper grades of elementary school, my brother got into college and was going to move out.
So we planned to go on a family trip before he moved away. |
| But I got sick the day before our departure. |
| My parents and my brother wanted to cancel the trip,
but I told them that I’d be fine by myself and convinced them to go on the trip as planned. |
| Besides, my fever had already gone down, and the three of them were looking forward to the trip. |
| “Will you really be okay by yourself? I think I’ll stay after all——” |
| “You worry too much. I’ll be fine, so go and have fun.” |
| “We’ll return home as soon as possible.” |
| “I’ll get you souvenirs.” |
| “Okay. Have a safe trip.” |
| “We’re off.” |
| Being home by myself was lonely, but it was only for one night. I thought they’d be back home in no time.
But those three people I sent off never returned home. |
