Sakyo Furuichi/Between Yin and Yang

A Brand New Goshuincho

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Citron	Let's go, shikigami !
	“Kyun kyun meow meow meowーー”
Kumon	Yes ! Master !
	Perish, evil spirits! Haa !
Citron	Behold, my secret technique!
Sakyo	Shut your mugs! That's enough!
Azami	Haa, they're on it again.
Sakyo	Geez...How long are you planning to keep on making a ruckus? Yin Yang Midnight's run is long done already.
Kumon	But, but you see ! Sakyo-san's onmyoji is crazy cool !
	The way you cast a spell is so dashing ! Haa~ I'm amazed beyond words ~....!
Sakyo	.....
Chikage	Haha. As expected, even Sakyo-san is rendered powerless when you look at him with sparkling eyes.
Sakyo	Tch....
Citron	The performance is over but Yin Yang boom hasn't fried.
Azuma	You mean, hasn't died?
Citron	That's it. I want to collect various Japanese-style items ~.
	I'm particularly interested in 50-inch cho.
Kumon	50-inch cho?
Azami	It's obviously wrong....
Azuma	Hmm.... 50-inch....I wonder what is it.
Sakyo	Maybe he's talking about goshuincho?
Citron	OH-! That's it! I want to collect red temple seals !
Azami	Isn't that a mere old men's stamp rally?
Citron	No no no ! Even young girls are collecting it now !
Chikage	Certainly, it seems like collecting red temple seals are popular among young people these days.
Citron	The red temple seal is profound and has a long history.
	The design of the seal differs for different shrines and temples.
Azuma	Goshuincho has various designs too.
Azami	Ah, so goshuincho itself has various colors and patterns.
Kumon	I've seen it on TV too ! They're writing something with a brush before they put temple seals on it. It's so cool !
Sakyo	It's not just the stamp, the name of temple and shrines, names of gods and Buddha. In some places, they even write the date of your visit.
Citron	Getting a temple seal is extremely important when making a shrine visit. You'll be punished if you take parsley!
Azami	parsely? Why in the world would you take parsley?
Kumon	Parsley...? Maybe he means barley.....?
Chikage	You mean, 'take it lightly'?
Citron	You're right!
Kumon	I see! You're amazing Chikage-san. That’s the power of being multilingual.
Azami	It has nothing to do with being multilingual..... No, maybe there's such a thing as Citron-lingual?
Sakyo	Geez....
	However, getting punished ....?

Izumi	Yosh! We've bought all the stuff we need.
	Thank you for accompanying me today.
Sakyo	It's fine, I've got a lot of time today and I've been swamped with work lately. It's been a while since I last went out to shop.
	But one thing, It is possible to save a little more on the food and supplies.
Izumi	Is that so? I'm sure I checked the flyers once...
Sakyo	Listen, you have to check flyers on daily basis to make sure you won't miss time sales and special items, yadda yadda yadda---
	Make sure you check the information diligently-- blah blah blah
Izumi	(Sakyo-san's frugality is undisputed as ever)
Sakyo	..... Oi, give me those bags.
Izumi	No, it's fine. You're already carrying most of the heavy items.
Sakyo	What's the point of coming with you if you won't let me carry them? Hurry and hand it over.
Izumi	I'm sorry. I'll take your kind offer then. Thank you very much.
	(He's carrying most of the stuff even while nagging about this and that. He's a huge help. I can always count on him)
Sakyo	Is there anywhere else you need to go?
Izumi	I'm good. How about you, Sakyo-san?
Sakyo	There is---
	Nothing. I just remembered something I need to do.
Izumi	Something you need to do?
Sakyo	Yeah, you can go home first.
Izumi	I don't have other plans after this. I can go with you if you don't mind.
	Where do you want to go?
Sakyo	.....It's a shrine near Veludo Town. I've been there with you before.
Izumi	Ah, it's the shrine we visited together on New Year's Day, isn't it?
Sakyo	Yeah. To tell you the truth, I went there to pray for success before the release of the mixed play.
	Usually, I only pay visits on New Year's Day but---
	I went on my way this time to pray for my role and the performance.
Izumi	I see.
	(That's how eager he is to make the mixed play successful.)
	( While doing his best and waiting for fate to be on his side, he went on his way to pray for it.)
Sakyo	We were able to conclude the mixed play without any troubles and it was a success. I thought I'd offer prayers gratitude for it.
Izumi	If that's the case, as the theater's general director, I should definitely go with you!
	Please allow me to accompany you!
Sakyo	Pff.... Well, I don't mind if you do. Let's go together then.

Izumi	.....
	All right. Eh? Where is Sakyo-san?
Sakyo	I'm here.
	Geez, so you're just here praying all this time. I was already thinking of leaving you.
Izumi	I'm sorry. I prayed for the success of our next play.
Sakyo	You've got some nerve to ask for something when we're supposed to be here to offer gratitude...
Izumi	But paying shrine visits has a reinvigorating effect.
Sakyo	Well, you're right.
Izumi	...Oh? There are shops lined up over there...
	Wow, it's goshuincho! They're selling various types of it!
Sakyo	Speaking of, Citron and others were talking about it last time.
Izumi	This design is akin to ink paintings. This one has a character on it. This one is super cute! This one is nice too.
Sakyo	I'll buy it for you as a thank you for coming here with me.
Izumi	Eh !? No, no, you don't have to !
	I was the one who insisted to come along with you and you helped me with shopping earlier so it's fine.
	If anything, I should be the one giving you a present to commend your hard work as the play's lead.
Sakyo	The hell is that? You're the one who has been running round to prepare the location for the play.
	Plus, you've done a lot for me during the play. No more ifs or buts. Just take it.
Izumi	But....
	Ah, got it! Why don't we buy one for each other?
Sakyo	For each other?
Izumi	Yup! I'll choose a goshuincho for you and you will choose one for me. How about that?
Sakyo	Good grief... If you insist.
Sakyo	Here, director-san.
Izumi	Thank you very much.
	Wow, it's so pretty....
	(It looks expensive, plus, the goshuincho's design is so elaborate. It's really nice. )
	Sakyo-san, for you.
Sakyo	Ah.
	So it's a Japanese-pattern goshuincho. You have a pretty unique taste, rather, isn't this a little bit too flashy?
Izumi	I don't think so.
	Doesn't it match the image of the mixed play?
Sakyo	Now that you mentioned it, the ambiance is indeed a little similar.
	I will gladly accept it.
	Thank you, director-san.
Izumi	Same here. I will treasure the goshuincho you gave me. Since we're already here, why don't we get our first temple seal now?
	Speaking of which, if I had bought a goshuincho earlier, I would have been able to collect temple seals from Kyoto during the play's run.
	There's a lot of places I want to visit. If I have another chance, I want to go to Kyoto again.
Sakyo	If you organize more regional plays, you can go to many places as much as you want.
Izumi	Regional plays..... Ah, that's right !
	Wouldn't it be fun to collect temple seals from each regional play?
	We can visit various shrines and temples but more than that---
	Every time I'll see the seals, it will remind me of the plays as well as the smile of the audience who have watched the play.
Sakyo	I see. That's for sure.
Izumi	Right? I will take this with me during regional plays from now on!
	Please don't forget to bring yours too whenever you are performing in other regions!
Sakyo	Yeah.
	.... It might be nice to fill up the pages little by little.... if I am with you.
Izumi	? What is it?
Sakyo	It's nothing.
	( From now on, the memory of plays I will perform on will be engraved on the fresh pages of this brand new goshuincho. )
	( With the person who is standing by my side now.... and the memories I will have with those guys )
	(....I suppose, it's not that bad..)

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