Sakuya Sakuma/Leader of the Procession

New Version • The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Izumi	(I wonder if this is enough for today's shopping?)
Sakuya	Director! Good work!
Izumi	Ah, Sakuya-kun. You, too.
Sakuya	Are you out shopping?
Izumi	Yeah. Did you go out somewhere, Sakuya-kun?
Sakuya	Yes! I went to the library to borrow this picture book.
Izumi	The Pied Piper of Hamelin?
Sakuya	Yes, actually--
	I'm back!
Citron	Welcome back~! Is it a part-time job at the daycare today?
Sakuya	Yes! It was so much fun! We'll have a reading session this time, too!
Citron	Reading cession?
Sakuya	Reading session. It's where we read picture books to children!
Citron	I see~! That sounds like fun!
Sakuya	I have to choose the book I like and bring it with me, but I wondered what would be good.
Citron	Ooh! In that case, how about The Pied Piper of Hamelin?
Sakuya	The Pied Piper of Hamelin?
	I've heard of it, but what is it about...?
Citron	It is a story about a flute player named Hamelin who raises the level of children in the city using the power of his flute!
	All the children became muscular and helped those in need, one after another!
Sakuya	It's that kind of story?! ...But it does sound interesting!
	I'm sure the children will be happy when they hear it! I'll go to the library and borrow the picture book!
Citron	Sakuya, don't you need to practice if you want to read it to the children? I will help you, too!
Sakuya	Is that okay? Thank you very much!
	--And that's why I borrowed it!
Izumi	(Is that really how the story goes...?)
Sakuya	I'm going to practice reading with Citron-san when I get home, so would you listen to it as well?
Izumi	Of course.
Sakuya	Thank you!
	I'm going to start right away!
Izumi	Hm? It's not only Citron-kun here.
Citron	I called out to everyone from Spring Troupe for Sakuya's big moment!
Masumi	I'll be here if you're here.
Tsuzuru	But you were complaining about it earlier.
Itaru	He changes his gear so quickly as usual.
Chikage	But for what it's worth, he's always honest.
Masumi	...Shut up.
Sakuya	I'll start reading it now! Once upon a time--
	--With that, the children who followed the sound of the Pied Piper did not return to the city.
Members	......
Izumi	I-it's quite a creepy story...
Masumi	That's not comforting at all.
Chikage	There seems to be a theory that the story is based on a true story.
Tsuzuru	Stop making it even creepier!
Itaru	I feel like this story isn't suitable for the reading session, will everything be okay?
Sakuya	Y-you're right. It might be hard to do...
Citron	Oh, this is my mistake! So very sorry~!
Itaru	What kind of story did you tell Sakuya? How careless, lol.
Tsuzuru	Citron-san's the same as ever...
Izumi	Will you change the picture book for the reading session? It seems difficult to read to the children as it is...
Sakuya	That's true...
Chikage	Why don't you ask Muku and Kazunari?
Sakuya	Good idea! I'll ask if there is any other good picture book!
	Citron-san recommended it to me, so I'll do a reading of The Pied Piper of Hamelin when I have another chance.
Citron	Ha! That's it! I thought of something good!
	Tsuzuru should write a surprise story based on The Pied Piper of Hamelin!
Sakuya	Huh?

Sakuya	Tsuzuru writing a surprise story?
Masumi	I don't get it.
Citron	Write a new story and let the children read it~!
	As an actor and screenwriter, Tsuzuru's skill to think of a story is also important!
Tsuzuru	You're saying something careless again...
Itaru	A new version of The Pied Piper of Hamelin? That kinda sounds interesting.
Chikage	It might be better to think about whether you really want to perform that story.
	It's fine if you want to read something else at the reading.
Sakuya	That's true! But since we're all here, it's going to be fun to come up with new stories!
Izumi	Then, I'll help you with that.
Masumi	If the director says so, I'll help too.
Tsuzuru	I've got no choice, do I... I'll help out, too.
Citron	Let's all think of a new The Pied Piper of Hamelin that will make the children happy~!
Sakuya	I'll read it again from the beginning, then.
	Once upon a time, in the city of Hamelin, there was an outbreak of many rats--
Citron	The rats are already scary! We should change this part here!
Izumi	Umm, how about we change it to another animal?
Masumi	Something like a cat?
Itaru	Rabbits or mosquitoes are fine too, right?
Sakuya	How cute! That sounds fine!
Citron	It is no longer scary!
Sakuya	--With that, the children who followed the sound of the Pied Piper did not return to the city.
Itaru	We've changed a lot of things, but isn't it this line that makes it creepy in the first place?
Izumi	You're right. The impression of the ending is important.
Citron	True! Let us think of a non-scary ending!
Tsuzuru	A happy end, huh.
Chikage	How about we make it so the children aren't taken away?
Sakuya	Right, shouldn't it be better for everyone in the city to get along with the children and animals?
Masumi	It's safer that way.
Citron	It's boring to just get along! If it's The Pied Piper of Hamelin, the punch line should be unique!
Sakuya	If it's The Pied Piper of Hamelin...?
Members	Umm...
CHOICE 1: Should they hold a concert? [+] Izumi What if the children and animals have a concert with flutes and other instruments? Sakuya Good idea! A concert with everyone in the city sounds fun! Tsuzuru I see... It can go that way. It's like one big grand finale, I like it. Sakuya I wonder what kind of music they'll play? I'm kind of curious!
CHOICE 2: They should run away! [+] Izumi Maybe they should run away and have a happy end before they're taken far away? Sakuya Why don't we give the children earplugs so they can't hear the flute! Izumi Then the animals too... But a cat and rabbit earplugs sound a bit tricky? Sakuya I see... They can't plug their ears if they don't know how... Tsuzuru THAT'S your problem?!
Citron	Ha, I came up with something!
	The Pied Piper's flute actually has a special power that gives everyone who hears it a pleasant illusion!
	The people and animals of the city, made happy by its power, all lived happily and happily dancing with each other together forever!
Itaru	Who would've thought that the Pied Piper's flute was a magic item.
Masumi	I have no idea what that means.
Chikage	That's the big twist. In short, it was all an illusion.
Sakuya	If it's all an illusion, then there's no problem!
Citron	Yes! Now, I am happy and satisfied, the new Pied Piper of Hamelin has a happy ending~!
Tsuzuru	No, it's the opposite of a happy ending!

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