Taichi Nanao/Cheerful Festival-goer

Handmade Papel Picado

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

	―Veludo Way (Evening)―
Taichi	Today's classes were super tiring...
Tenma	You partied up all night with Kazunari, that's why.
Taichi	I was just consulting with him about the preaparation for the performance we'll do at the festival of the dead!
Tenma	Then I take it you're done preparing for that.
Taichi	Of course! It's all perfect.
Kazunari	Tenten and Taicchan! Otsupiko! Back from school?
Taichi	Oh, speak of the devil! Kazu-kun, you're here~!
Tenma	Are you also back from university?
Kazunari	Yep yep! Btw, what was that about me? Were y'all talking about just how sick and indescribably cool I am?
Tenma	Totally not.
	I was just talking about how you and Taichi were so noisy last night.
Kazunari	Ohh, it sure was a blast~! Should we party again tonight, Taicchan?
Taichi	Sounds good!
Tenma	Stop it! Just go to sleep.
Kazunari	Oh yeah, I was passing by the next town earlier, but it looked super festive with their prep for the festival of the dead~.
	The garland-like they put up were totes adorbs! Apparently they're called "Papel picado".
Taichi	P-puppet... pea car dough...?
Tenma	Was that some kind of spell?
Kazunari	Papel picado! It's the name of the decos for the fest!
	Look, see! They're something like a garland but with skulls drawn on it.
Taichi	Wahh, that looks so cute!
Kazunari	Ikr? I knew you would get it!
Tenma	They're kinda creepy though...
Kazunari	You don't get it, Tenten~! It's the slight creepiness that makes it super cool!
Taichi	Our dorm will look cuter if we decorate it with these skulls!
Kazunari	I super-duper agree with that! It's a lit idea, Taicchan~!
Tenma	Hey! What're you gonna do if we get cursed because of those!
Kazunari	You're such a worrywart, Tenten~. It's gonna be just fine~. Now that we've decided, let's go and buy some materials!
Tenma	Huh? We're going now?!
Kazunari	Well, duh! You gotta put your ideas into creations A.S.A.P! Come one, Tenten~!
Tenma	I-I get it already, so let go of me!
	―Lounge (Night)―
Izumi	I'm home~.
Taichi	Oh! Welcome home, Director-sensei!
Kazunari	Welcome homesies~!
Tenma	...Welcome home.
Izumi	It's kinda lively in here, huh.
Taichi	We're making Papel picado!
Izumi	Pape-what...?
Kazunari	He meant the decos for the festival of the dead~. They're a lil bit spooky and super cute!
Taichi	They're something like this!
Izumi	Hehh... So they're kinda like garlands? They've got many kinds of shapes, huh.
Kazunari	Peeps in our uni's been talking about this festival, y'see!
	Then I thought, "Let's give our dorm a decor and have a party like the fest too!"
Tenma	Isn't the purpose of the festival being to hold a memorial service for the dead? You'll get haunted for saying something like that just now.
Kazunari	Geez, again with that~. Tenten is such a scaredy-cat.
Tenma	I-I'm not scared...!
Taichi	We've bought this many materials, so all of us are gonna do it together!
Kazunari	Seems like it's okay to draw whatever you want~. Director-chan's gonna join us too, right?
Izumi	(Papel picado... Might be nice to experience the feel of the festival.)
	Let me join you as well then.
Kazunari	OMG, this is getting fun! Let's give our dorm a makeup with tons of skulls!
Tenma	Stop that! What're you gonna do if we accidentally summon something weird!?
Taichi	I wonder what I should draw~?

Kazunari	What's that, Tenten~?
Tenma	Hm? It's obviously a skeleton.
Kazunari	EH! How so?! It doesn't look boney at all!
Tenma	Sh-shut up! What about yours then?
Kazunari	Me? This is what mine's look like.
	I tried making it by imitating what I see, so it might be a lil bit different from the real one~.
Tenma	...What's with the completeness.
Izumi	As expected from Kazunari-kun.
Kazunari	Thanksies~!
Taichi	Have you drawn something, Director-sensei?
Izumi	Hmm... Does this look okay?
Taichi	A flower! That's really pretty~!
Izumi	Thanks. What did you draw? ...Is that a circle?
Taichi	Nuh-uh~! It's a senbei!
Tenma	Why senbei out of all things...?
Taichi	Hehe, it's what my late grandpa liked!
	At the festival of the dead, you welcome your deceased ancestors by offering their favourite things, right?
	I thought maybe he's come back if I give him my drawing of senbei!
Tenma	Isn't it better if you just offer the real thing―.
	Hmnf-!?
Kazunari	That might be possible! What's important is your feelings towards the other person, right? Feelings!
Tenma	-BWAH! Don't suddenly close my mouth! I couldn't breathe just now!
Kazunari	Sorry, sorry~.
Izumi	What kind of person was your grandfather?
Taichi	Let's see~...
	He was really strict in disciplining from holding chopsticks to table manners, and he always give me only 500 yen for New Year's gift.
	He often scolded me, saying that I'll get punished if I leave even a single grain of rice in my bowl since there are gods residing in each grain.
	He'll mercilessly smack my head if I play a prank on him. Anyway, he was a really strict grandpa!
Kazunari	Dang, that's crazy!
Tenma	But what he said is not entirely wrong.
Taichi	Yeah... Besides, at the end of the day, he played with me whenever I came back for holiday!
	I was always looking forward to eating the senbeis together with him in the house.
	That's why I loved my grandpa who's strict but also kind so much!
Izumi	I see... Those are some nice memories you got there.
Taichi	But like you said, it's just a circle.
	I guess it's too hard to express nure okaki in a drawing, huh...
Izumi	(It wasn't simply just a senbei, but a nure okaki...!)
Kazunari	You're aiming too high, Taicchan!
Tenma	...Speaking of nure okaki, isn't that what Sakyo-san likes too?
Izumi	Now that you mention it...
Taichi	You're right! Grandpa's strictness is also kinda similar to Sakyo-nii...!
	They're both more or less stubborn old men too!
	*door opens*
Sakyo	...Who are you calling a stubborn old man?
Taichi	!?
Izumi	S-Sakyo-san...!
Kazunari	Yikes! What a timing~!
Taichi	U-um, ah! That was a figure of speech just now!
	I-I love my grandpa, but I also love you too, Sakyo-nii!
Sakyo	......
Kazunari	Damn, you can feel the pressure from Frooch-san~!
Tenma	Just shut your mouth.
Izumi	U-um... Sakyo-san...
Sakyo	...Hahh, don't even try to flatter me.
Taichi	I really meant those words as compliment! And I really DO like you, Sakyo-nii!
Sakyo	I get it already, so let go. You're hugging me too tight.
Taichi	Oh, I know! How about you and I draw nure okaki together? It's pretty hard to draw it differently than senbeis~.
Sakyo	I refuse.
Taichi	Don't say that~! Come on, Sakyo-nii~!
Kazunari	I'm so jelly that Taicchan and Frooch-san are so chummy with each other~!
	Should we mess around like them too~?
Tenma	No way we're gonna do that! Geez...
Izumi	(Everyone sure is having fun. I hope the performance for the festival of the dead will go well at this rate.)

Meena