 |
| Shaw | Yes. |
| Yes, you have the right person, but... |
| Huh? |
| Ren is dead? |
| Oh, no, you can handle the process. |
| Please dispose of all his belongings. |
| I don’t mind. Yeah. |
| Yes, understood. |
| So he’s dead, huh. |
| I wasn’t expecting him to go with honor in the first place, but man, it’s just like him to die behind bars. |
| When was the last time I even saw him? …I don’t remember. Ten years ago, maybe. |
| I don’t think I even said anything memorable when we parted. |
| So he’s dead… And so what? Should I care? |
| What a shitty goodbye letter. |
| Ren | You’re the same coldhearted bastard as always, Aniki. |
| Shaw | — |
| Ren | What, did you forget the face of your dear little brother, too? Color me fuckin’ shocked. |
| Shaw | Didn’t think I was invested enough to start hallucinating. |
| Ren | Too bad for you, but I’m not a hallucination. |
| Shaw | So you didn’t die? |
| Ren | Do I seem like I’m alive? |
| Here’s your proof. I don’t even have a reflection in the mirror. |
| Shaw | So you’re a ghost. Whatever, just go home. I don’t have any business with you. |
| Ren | I didn’t wanna see your crusty mug either, but for some reason, I’m forced to follow wherever you go. |
| Shaw | What a pain in the ass. |
| Ren | The feeling’s mutual. |
| Izumi | (There’s not a drop of affection between these brothers, and the air is tense… Shaw’s character is worlds apart from the real Juza.) |
| (Juza said he wanted to play his own foil, and I think he hit the nail on the head with this one.) |
 |
| Kumon | (Oh my god, oh my god, Nii-chan looks so freakin’ cool, oh my god! But this play also makes me want to cry…) |
 |
| Shaw | You’re still here? |
| Ren | Sorry about that~ |
| Shaw | Y’know, I heard you died in a dumpster in the middle of the night. |
| What the hell’s up with that? Most people don’t die from drowning in trash. |
| Ren | Dunno. I don’t remember. |
| Shaw | If we can figure out why you died, we can find out why you became a ghost. |
| Ren | I told you I don’t remember jack shit. All I can remember is little bits and pieces from when I was alive. |
| Shaw | What a waste of space... |
| Ren | Give it up. Let’s get along, Aniki. |
| Shaw | Fuck off, why the hell would I get along with— |
| Member A | Boss? Who are you talking to? |
| Shaw | No one. |
| Tsk, people are gonna think I’m crazy at this rate. |
| Member A | What’s wrong? S’rare to see you like this. |
| Shaw | Hey, why do you think dead people turn into ghosts? |
| Member A | Ghosts!? |
| Boss, do ya really believe in that kinda thing? |
| Shaw | Forget about it. |
| Member A | I heard in a movie once that ghosts exist ‘cause they’ve got unfinished business from when they were alive. |
| Shaw | ...Hey, you said the police got wind of that issue from a while ago, right? |
| Member A | Oh, yeah. |
| But we just gotta find a scapegoat like always and— |
| Shaw | I’ll turn myself in. |
| Member A | Huh!? |
| Izumi | (In order to help his deceased brother rest in peace, Shaw goes to South Hill Prison to find out more about his death and the possibility of any unfinished business.) |
 |
| Ren | Never thought I’d come back here again. |
| South Hill Prison feels like home sweet home. |
| Shaw | Good for you. |
| I’m just here to fix whatever unfinished business you have and get rid of you as soon as I can. |
 |
| Shaw | How much do you remember? |
| Ren | Uh, a little bit? |
| Oh, I remember that guy. His name’s Douglas. We were close. |
| Shaw | Douglas. |
| Douglas | Hm? |
| You new here? |
| Shaw | You know ‘Ren’? |
| Douglas | Ren? |
| Shaw | He was my little brother. |
| Douglas | You’re Ren’s older brother? Now that you mention it, he did say he had a brother. |
| Shaw | I’m Shaw. Nice to meet ya. |
| Douglas | Yeah, likewise. |
| I’m sorry about what happened to Ren. It was so sudden, I was surprised, too. |
| Shaw | Actually, I’m investigating his death right now. Will you cooperate with me? |
| Douglas | Did something happen? |
| Shaw | No, it’s just been bothering me that he died in such a strange way. |
| Douglas | Got it. You can ask me anything. |
| Izumi | (I really like what they did with the lighting. It really stands out against the stark blackness of the prison. |
| I can really tell how sensitive Akashi was to Juza’s fears when deciding where to place the lights.) |
| Shaw | Even though you saved up enough money to go to college, you went and became an underling for a good-for-nothing gang. |
| Ren | Big talk for someone with blood on his hands. Hypocrite. |
| Shaw | It’s different with me. You really don’t listen to anyone, do you? |
| Ren | You’re the same as me. |
| Renato | The new guy’s been talking to himself for a while. We got another weird one in here, huh? |
| David | Think he’d be better off in solitary confinement? |
| Douglas | That’s Renato, and that’s David. They’re in charge of us prisoners. Whether it’s goods or information, if you want something, it’s fastest to go through them. |
| Shaw | Huh. |
| Douglas | Well, you’d best keep quiet and avoid standing out. |
| Renato | Miguel. I told you to do the laundry, didn’t I? |
| Miguel | Aah, I’m sorry! |
| David | Migue~l, take care of this too, won’t you~? |
| Miguel | Whoa! |
| Shaw | Who’s that? |
| Douglas | He trades in manual labor for money. |
| Renato | Hey, Miguel. |
| Shaw | That’s enough. |
| David | Huh? |
| Ren | Uh oh. He told you to keep quiet. You really don’t listen to anyone, do you, Aniki? |
| Shaw | Shut up. |
| Renato | What was that? You got a problem, new guy? |
| Shaw | I said that’s enough. |
| David | Okay, Miguel, you wanna stop business? |
| Miguel | N-no, I’m good! |
| Renato | Y’hear that? Stay out of this, newbie. |
| David | If you wanna do well here, follow the rules. |
| Shaw | Eat my ass. |
| Douglas | Phew. |
| Shaw | What’s up? |
| Douglas | Nah, I was just thinkin’ you really do feel like Ren’s older brother. |
 |
| Izumi | (Shaw is quickly surrounded by the other prisoners after clashing with Renato and his gang…) |
| Shaw | You need something? |
| Prisoner A | Nah, just thought I’d show the newbie how we do things around here. |
| Prisoner B | Look, it ain’t good to let your head swell up, yeah? |
| Prisoner C | Yeah, we gotta get along! |
| Shaw | —Ghh. |
| So getting along means violence to you guys, huh. |
| Prisoner A | That’s part of our style here, too! |
| Shaw | —Tsk. |
| Prisoner B | Gh—! |
| Prisoner C | Ugh! |
| Shaw | So you’re lookin’ down on me, too. |
| Prisoner A | Shit— |
| Wha—!? Why’d the glass—Ow! |
| Ren | You always forget to watch your back, Aniki. |
| Shaw | Did you break that glass? |
| Who d’you think’s gonna clean this up? Jeez. |
| Ren | That’s all I get after helping you out? |
 |
| Prisoner D | Heard you went against Renato, newbie? |
| Prisoner E | He’s gathering an opposing force. Let’s both join. |
| Shaw | What’re you talking about? |
| Douglas | Looks like you accidentally became the leader of the resistance against Renato. And on that note, I’ll be your adviser. |
| Shaw | Why is this happening… |
| Well, whatever. Looks like I’m a natural at gathering guys like this under my belt. |
| Douglas | You’re a lot more hot-headed than Ren. |
| Ren | You really are. I’m way cuter, aren’t I? |
| Shaw | Shut it. |
| Douglas | Haha, sorry, sorry. |
| Miguel | Shaw, thank you for earlier! I’m really scared of Renato and David, but I’ll join your team! |
| Shaw | Team… |
| Douglas | You’re a born leader. |
 |
| Izumi | (Shaw ends up creating an opposition group to Renato’s, and before they know it, they’re already planning their counter strike…) |
| Renato | You wanna overthrow your superiors so bad that you’re causing an uproar like this? I’ll send your ass straight to the punishment chamber. |
| Shaw | There’s something I want to know. |
| Renato | You can just ask me about it like a normal person. |
| Shaw | I don’t know what you’ll demand in exchange for it. |
| Renato | I see you’ve got brains to think with. |
| David | But you’re shakin’ the boat, new guy, and these are rocky waters. |
| Prisoner A | Seriously, you’re way too cocky! We’ll show you what you get when you go against Renato! |
| Prisoner D | I’ve been fed up with you guys for ages! You’re so full of yourselves! |
| Douglas | Well, I guess a festival like this is fun every once in a while. |
| Miguel | I-I’ll fight, too! |
| Ren | Aniki! |
| Prisoner A | Ow! The glass again!? |
| Ren | Like I said, you always forget to watch your back. Still, helping you out is pretty refreshing— |
| Shaw | Huh!? Don’t smirk at me like that. Whose fault do you think it is that I’m in this situation? |
| Ren | No matter how I think about it, it’s your own fault. |
| Douglas | The prison guard’s gonna notice us at this rate. |
| Shaw | Let’s settle this quickly. Ren, smash the lights. |
| Ren | Don’t order me around like one of your lackeys! |
| Renato | —Gh. |
| Shaw | Don’t move. |
| Renato | When did— |
| Shaw | Nobody move. I’ve got his head. |
| David | Renato!? |
| Renato | You heard the man. |
| Prison Guard A | What are you up to!? Everybody, line up! |
| Izumi | (Little by little, the atmosphere between Shaw and Ren begins to change. You can really see this in the way Juza and Azami play their characters.) |
 |
| Renato | So? What’d you wanna know? |
| Shaw | I thought you’d be more reluctant. |
| Renato | Well, this isn’t bad every once in a while. It’s a good way to let off some steam. |
| David | Hurry the hell up and state your business. |
| Douglas | Someone’s irritated. Are you frustrated that you lost? |
| Renato | Yeah, this guy hates losing. |
| Shaw | I wanna know about my little brother, Ren. Tell me everything you know. |
| Renato | So you’re Ren’s older brother? |
| David | You ain’t similar at all. |
| Shaw | That’s because we have different fathers. |
| David | We got some supply requests from Ren, but... |
| Renato | You can go ahead and say it. |
| David | He was planning to escape prison. |
| Shaw | Escape? |
| Renato | Douglas, you hear anything about it? |
| Douglas | No, nothing. |
| Renato | He asked us for some unusual stuff. When I asked him about it, he straight up told me his plans. |
| David | That guy had more of a backbone than I thought. He seemed promising, too. |
| Shaw | Were you guys gonna escape, too? |
| David | I wish. My dad’s in the hospital, and it doesn’t seem like he has much time left. |
| Shaw | Breaking out of jail, huh... Go ahead and prep the things Ren asked for. Let’s try to figure out how he was going to escape from here. |
| Douglas | In that case, I might be able to help a little, too. He did say something about wanting to break out before. But if he really was planning it, I wish he’d have talked to me about it. That way, I could’ve— |
| Shaw | You wanted to get out? |
| Douglas | It doesn’t look like I’m getting out of here anytime soon. If I’m gonna die, I wanna die outside these walls. |
| Shaw | Then let’s get out together. |
| Douglas | That’s not a promise to be made lightly. |
| Ren | Aniki’s just that kind of guy. |
| Shaw | Ren, any memories about your jailbreak? |
| Ren | Nothing at all. |
| Shaw | Don’t you at least remember why you wanted to break out? |
| Ren | I don’t. |
| Izumi | (After asking Renato about the details of Ren’s dealings, Shaw finds out that Ren was planning to escape prison…) |
 |
| Shaw | Do you have any idea where Ren tended to spend his time? If he was digging a hole, it should’ve taken him a while. |
| Douglas | Someplace he hung around... Now that you mention it, he used to read some book around the perimeter of the grounds. Somewhere around here. |
| Shaw | ...Here! Found a hole. |
| Douglas | So that guy was digging this all that time... |
| Shaw | Now we just gotta figure out when he was planning to use it. |
| David | It’d be tough to skulk around an experienced night guard, but if you’re up against a newbie, there’s your chance. |
| Douglas | If we’re talking about the guards’ shifts, I might have an idea. |
| Shaw | Why would you— |
| Douglas | Huh? |
| Shaw | No, it’s nothing. |
 |
| Ren | Hey, why do you think I tried to break out of prison? |
| Shaw | You’ll remember once we try to break out tomorrow. |
| Ren | Speaking of which— |
| Shaw | Shut up, I’m trying to sleep. |
| Ren | Sounds like a you problem. I’ve got way too much free time, so. |
| Shaw | You... |
| Ren | Just so you know, you can’t hit a ghost. |
| Shaw | I’ll get rid of you tomorrow, no matter what. |
| Ren | I wonder when the two of us last had a fistfight~ |
| Shaw | It was when you came back just to borrow some money. |
| Ren | Did that really happen? |
| Shaw | It was when I was aiming for my promotion. |
| Ren | Oh, maybe I was planning a jailbreak to borrow some money from you. |
| Shaw | If you’d done that, I’d have beaten you to death. |
| Ren | Haha, if that’s how it ended, I might not have become a ghost with forgotten regrets. Come to think of it, I haven’t spent this much time around you since we were at the institution. |
| Shaw | Yeah. Back then, you were still a nice, obedient kid. |
| Ren | Hearing you call me obedient feels gross. |
| Shaw | You grew up into a little asshole. |
| Izumi | (Now the atmosphere between the two has started to change. They’re slowly starting to feel like brothers that get along…) |
| (Because they’ve finally grown close, the thought of Ren passing on after they finish their task makes this scene even more heart-wrenching.) |
 |
| Shaw | Let’s go. |
| David | Wait, the guard’s coming. |
| Prison Guard A | Number 187? |
| Ren | That was my number. |
| Prison Guard B | The guy who died the other day. Looked like he was planning to break out of here. He died before exposing himself so we have no idea how far he had gotten with his plan. Just to be safe, keep your eyes out for anything suspicious. |
| Prison Guard A | Understood. |
| Shaw | What did he mean? Does this mean Ren’s plan was leaked to the guards? |
| David | Renato and I didn’t let anything slip. There’d be nothing in it for us, y’know. |
| Shaw | Then is there anyone else who could’ve tipped them off? |
| David | But no one other than us… |
| Shaw | Douglas, how’d you get to know the guards’ shifts? |
| Douglas | Huh? |
| Shaw | That’s not information ordinary prisoners can get their hands on. |
| Douglas | Uh... I just happened to observe their routines while cleaning... |
| David | I didn’t know we had any cleaning spots where you could steal a glance at the guards’ shifts. |
| Shaw | You’re the one who tipped them off about Ren, aren’t you? The guards hired you as a mole to keep track of the other prisoners’ movements. You wouldn’t have been able to say no if they offered you a reduced sentence, would you? |
| Douglas | — *gasp* |
| Prison Guard C | Dammit, this sucks. |
| David | Why is he still here? Tonight’s shift was supposed to be a newbie. Are we fucked? That guy’s coming to the smoking room here. Douglas, you didn’t trick us, did you? |
| Douglas | No way! |
| Prison Guard D | Excuse me! I’m here for my shift! |
| Prison Guard C | You’re late, newbie! |
| Prison Guard D | I’m sorry! |
| Shaw | Looks like that part wasn’t a lie after all. |
| Douglas | ...Sorry. |
| I’m— |
| Shaw | Let’s go. We’ll talk later. |
 |
| Douglas | I was the first person to notice Ren was gone, and I knew he was trying to escape. He spoke to me about his jailbreak plan, after all. But we promised we’d get out of here together, so when I saw him leaving, I thought he’d betrayed me. I thought he’d abandoned me. That’s why I snitched to the guards. I had no idea he’d end up dying. It’s all my fault. I regret everything. |
| Shaw | Ren’s death wasn’t the guards’ fault. They only found him after he died. Otherwise, they would’ve been able to find more traces of his jailbreak. He died on his own. |
| Douglas | Really...? |
| Shaw | Yeah. Let’s clean up after the mess he made. |
| Ren | I tried to break out on my own...? Leaving Douglas behind...? |
 |
| Douglas | The hole opens up at this garbage dump. |
| Shaw | So that’s why Ren died here. |
| David | Hey, what’s that? |
| Douglas | A letter...? |
| It’s addressed to Shaw. |
| David | He could’ve just mailed it. |
| Ren | I didn’t know your address. |
| Shaw | I didn’t even tell him my address after I cut him off. This letter... You were too late, idiot. |
| Ren | I don’t wanna hear that from you. |
| Izumi | (On top of the fence Shaw finds a letter… |
| Finally it is revealed that Ren passed away when trying to retrieve the letter he had written for Shaw. He ended up slipping and falling to his death.) |
| Shaw | What do you two plan to do from now on? |
| David | I’m headed straight to my dad’s hospital. |
| Douglas | I’m gonna get as far away from here as I can. You? |
| Shaw | I’m gonna visit my Ma’s grave. I guess this is farewell. |
| David | Don’t get caught. |
| Shaw | You too. |
| Douglas | Thanks, Shaw. I’m glad I met you brothers. |
| Shaw | Thanks for being friends with that idiot Ren. |
 |
| Shaw | This is the first time the two of us have come to visit Ma’s grave together, isn’t it? |
| Ren | It is. |
| Shaw | Is this where you planned to put your letter? |
| Ren | Yeah. No matter how coldhearted you are, I knew you’d find it here eventually. |
| Shaw | I should’ve come to see you sooner. I wasted so much time for nothing. |
| Ren | It’s my fault as much as yours. |
| Shaw | I’m sorry, Ren. |
| Ren | That’s the first time you’ve ever apologized to me. |
| Shaw | Don’t be an idiot. I’ve definitely… Wait, Ren, your body’s— |
| Ren | Oh, looks like my time’s come. See you on the other side, Aniki. |
| Shaw | Selfish until the very end. |
| Izumi | (Shaw watches as the sunlight peeks over the horizon, illuminating Ren’s face before he disappears…) |
 |
| Ren | I’m not sure what to write in this letter, but whatever. It’s been a while. |
| Heard you got promoted again, and now you’re the boss? |
| You really are cut out for the mafia. |
| I didn’t fit into that crowd the way you did. |
| I wonder why we’re so different, even though we’re brothers. |
| No, that’s not what I’m writing this for. |
| Here’s what I’m trying to say: thank you. |
| Talking to you face-to-face would’ve ended in another fight, so I’m putting it in a letter. |
| Well, since I don’t know your address, I was wondering how to get this to you. I thought I’d leave it to Ma. |
| Even you visit her grave, right? |
| Honestly, ever since Ma died, I feel like I was nothing but a pain in the ass for you. The only thing I remember is your pissed off face. |
| At the time, I thought my life would be better without you around. |
| But now I understand you thought about me a lot. Guess I’ve grown up too, huh? |
| I mean, before now, I wouldn’t have said this even if someone put a gun to my throat. |
| Maybe the time I’ve spent here has changed me. |
| ‘Cause I have this friend, Douglas. He’s pretty quick-minded, and he’s a good guy. |
| He’s the one who came up with this jailbreak plan, too. |
| I was supposed to escape together with him, but I thought it might be better if I got out for a while to make sure it’s safe first. |
| I’m gonna leave this letter here and go back to South Hill Prison. |
| The next time we meet will be after my prison sentence is over. |
| Only if you’re up for it, though. |
| Well, see you on the other side, Aniki. |
| From: Ren. To: my lovable, piece-of-shit Aniki. |
| Izumi | (As the sun rises, the light around Shaw grows until he’s completely enveloped…) |
| Shaw | — |
| Izumi | (The sun takes its place in the sky above… and Juza’s eyes seem to light up as his whole body begins to glow. He’s finally escaped the darkness, and he can bask in the sun as all his regrets melt away.) |
| (The play ends with Juza’s sparkling eyes as he stands in that shower of light...) |
| (He looks so beautiful standing there under the light.) |
| (Juza wished for a scene where he could bathe in brilliant light, and he got just that. It’s right there in front of me.) |
 |
| Juza | Thank you so much! |
| Azami | Thank you so much. |
 |
| Akashi | I’m glad the play went over without a hitch. |
| Juza looked better than ever in this performance. |
 |
| Kumon | NII-CHAN! |
| Juza | !? |
| Kumon | Nii-chan…. you did so well! |
| Juza | Thanks. You know I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for you. |
| Kumon | No no no, this was all your work! Good luck on your performance tomorrow! |
| Well then, I’ll take my leave now so I don’t cause anymore trouble! |
| Sakyo | He came and went in the blink of an eye. |
| Banri | Wasn’t he in the audience just a second ago? |
| Taichi | He zoom-zoomed! |
| Omi | You know, he was probably so worried he couldn’t contain himself. |
| Azami | I guess you guys have a bond no one could possibly understand. |
| Juza | ...Yeah. That kid’s always been stronger than me. |
