Sakyo Furuichi/Heart Drenched in the Night Rain

Tales of Chivalry・Epilogue

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Sakyo	Ultimately, our revenue and expenditure work out to... All right, not bad.
	Goods sales have improved quite a bit, too. At this rate, soon we’ll be able to....
Izumi	Ah, Sakyo-san! Here you are!
Sakyo	Director-san. You have business with me?
Izumi	I just sorted through the questionnaire responses for Autumn Troupe’s third performance, and there were lots of lovely responses.
Sakyo	Oh?
Izumi	For example: “I shed tears at Ginji’s manly bond with his follower.”
	“I’m sure Furuichi-san and Nanao-san put on such a moving performance because they too share a similar bond.”
	There were a lot of comments about you two. Taichi-kun’s apprenticeship to Sakoda-san turned out to be a huge success!
Sakyo	You only say that because this doesn’t involve you... They hung around me 24/7, you know. It was a lot of work.
Izumi	But at the very end of the story, Kojima is the only one who follows Ginji.
	Ginji is a wanderer; that’s why I think a loyal follower like Kojima, who will stick with him no matter what, must mean a lot to him.
Sakyo	...Well, that’s one interpretation.
Izumi	I think it would be fun to do a spin-off where Kojima is the protagonist.
	Title: “The Underling’s Flowering Path”!
Sakyo	Don’t. That reeks of comedy.
	A story that focuses on the reconstruction of the Tatsuta family, with Ken as the main character, would be far more serious.
Izumi	True, that would be more Autumn Troupe’s style. Ah, speaking of Ken and the Tatsuta family, here’s another comment....
Sakyo	(...Well, if I said Kojima’s life story didn’t interest me at all, I’d be lying.)
	(He leaves a lot unsaid in the play....)
Kojima	Aniki! Aniki! What’s wrong!?
Sakyo	...Nanao?
Kojima	What’re you saying? I’m Kojima.
	Hehe, aniki, you’re always sharp right when you wake up, so catching you off guard like this is a surprise.
Sakyo	(No matter how you look at him, he’s Nanao... Well, he’s definitely dressed like Kojima. Is he practicing to get into role? But we’ve already wrapped up the final performance....)
Ken	You’ve probably exhausted. Should I have them prepare a bed for you now?
Sakyo	Hyodo...?
Ken	Aah? Who’s that. I’m Tatsuta Ken.
Sakyo	(That name, this Japanese room....)
	(I see. This is a dream.)
Ken	Kazama. You sure you’re all right?
Sakyo	...Oh, no need to worry. I was simply half asleep.
	(Guess I have no choice. I’ll go along with it till I wake up.)

Sakyo	(...I said I would go along with it, but.)
Ken	Hey, Kazama. What am I supposed to do now?
Sakyo	Bou, pull yourself together.
Ken	Hey, Kazama. Can you avenge my father? You’re the only guy I can rely on.
Sakyo	I haven’t forgotten what oyabun-san has done for me. I’ll protect this Tatsuta clan to the end.
Sakyo	(This dream just won’t end. And it’s following the exact same events as the play.)
Motegi	I’m sorry. I wanted to protect oyabun-san’s group, even if it meant it would cost bou’s life....
Ken	Motegi!
Sakyo	Yokota from the Kosei group, huh… How unsightly, taking advantage of a man’s genuine feelings like that.
	(It must be because of all that practice—my lines and gestures come naturally.)
	(I didn’t think I’d get this immersed in my role….)
Kojima	Don’t leave me behind like that, aniki! I’m not a stranger!
Sakyo	Kojima…!
	(If he follows me, he’s going to....)
Kojima	Pant, pant, aniki... is this enough to return what I’ve borrowed…? I guess it’s still not enough....
Sakyo	(If I see him almost die before my eyes—and not as an act—will I, as Ginji, be able to stay calm...?)
	(Dammit, why did I become this attached to a character in a dream? I couldn’t be any more of a fool...)
	...What kind of idiot brings extra baggage when he’s headed off to die?
Kojima	Don’t be so cold.
	Since the moment you saved me, I’d decided to follow you to the very depths of hell to repay you, aniki.
Sakyo	(...His eyes are pure. Just like him....)
	...You’ve already repaid me more than enough. Don’t follow someone like me any longer.
Kojima	I can’t have that! I’m begging you, let me come with you!
Sakyo	...I know what’s going to happen in the future.
Kojima	Eh?
Sakyo	You’re going to get killed shielding me from someone in the Kosei group.
Kojima	I’m going to shield aniki and…?
Sakyo	(What am I saying? There’s no way he’ll believe this nonsense….)
Kojima	...I see. If aniki says so, then that’s probably how things will turn out.
Sakyo	Wha… You believe me?
Kojima	Of course. I’ll believe in anything you say.
	But I’ll still follow you, and I’ll still protect you with my life, aniki.
Sakyo	Why would you go that far…?
Kojima	I’ve said it over and over again. Aniki, I was nothing but a rag, but you picked me up and saved me. I owe you my life.
Kojima	To me, you’re like a god.
Sakoda	Aniki is… I owe him my life. Because he’s like a god to me!
Sakyo	(...Ah, just as I thought. This has to be a dream. There’s no way I could meet an idiot like him twice.)
	...Man, why in the world are you such an idiot?
Kojima	Hehe. That’s a compliment, aniki!
Sakyo	...All right. Let’s go, Kojima. We’re gonna raid the Kosei group.
Kojima	I was waiting for those words!

Sakyo	——.
	So I was... asleep.
	(Falling asleep on the couch like this... how careless of me.)
	...Hm? A blanket? Who left this...?
Izumi	“When you wake up, please make sure you head to your bed and get some rest. I’ll leave the questionnaire forms here.”
Sakyo	Geez, how overly considerate. She could’ve just woken me up....
	(But she’s right; I didn’t get enough rest. I guess I’ll listen to her and return to my room.)
Sakoda	Ah, excuse me, Minagi-san!
	Aniki’s sleeping right now, so... Could you keep it down when you pass by him?
Tsuzuru	Ah, really?
	I heard he had the questionnaires, so I wanted to take a look, but....
Sakyo	I’m awake now. No need to be considerate.
Sakoda	Ah, aniki, you’re awake! I’ll go make some coffee to help wake you up!
Sakyo	Hey! Don’t make so much noise stomping around!
Tsuzuru	Sorry. Did I wake you up?
Sakyo	No, I was awake before you passed by. Don’t worry about it.
	The questionnaires are in a pile right there. Feel free to look.
Tsuzuru	Thanks.
	...Just as I thought, there are a lot of positive comments on Ginji and Kojima’s relationship.
Sakyo	Director-san said it might be interesting to do a spin-off with Kojima as the main character.
	I told her no, because it’d end up being a comedy, but.
Tsuzuru	Haha, if I get the chance, I kind of want to give it a shot.
	...You know the scene where Kojima gets wounded protecting Ginji? I considered letting Kojima die, too.
Sakyo	Kojima repays Ginji by protecting him at the cost of his life... It would make for a dramatic scene.
Tsuzuru	But then I thought, these two support one another mutually; it’s not a one-sided relationship where one provides service to repay the other.
	Ginji probably thinks Kojima has done more than enough to repay him, so much so that he now wants to do something for Kojima.
	But Kojima thinks he still hasn’t given back enough.
	When I realized that, I imagined a future where they would continue to support one another.
Sakyo	Oh...?
Tsuzuru	They share such a tight bond—it’d be sad if they had to say bye once all debts between them had been repaid.
Sakyo	Well, you’re right. Yakuza bonds might involve some hierarchy, but in the end, they’re sustained by mutual trust.
	Being able to meet someone you want to keep by your side forever.... He must feel so fortunate.
Tsuzuru	...That’s what Sakoda-san means to you, right, Furuichi-san?
Sakyo	What are you saying? Are you an idiot?
Tsuzuru	Ahaha, so you’re not denying it.
	Truth be told, I built Ginji and Kojima’s relationship off of your relationship with Sakoda-san, Furuichi-san.
Sakyo	...Well, I had a hunch that was the case.
	Sakoda will be a pain if he finds out, so make sure you never tell him.
Tsuzuru	All right. I’ll keep it a secret.
Sakoda	Aniki~! Sorry I took so long!
Sakyo	Don’t run holding coffee! What are you going to do if it spills!
Sakoda	Eeeep! I’m sorry~!
Sakyo	Geez. When will you learn? How many times are you going to make me repeat myself?
Tsuzuru	Ahaha! ...Yup, they really do get along.

Healingbonds