Taichi Nanao/Photogenic

24-Hour Director-sensei Documentary

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Taichi	Sigh... girls’ hearts sure are complicated...
Banri	What’s wrong, are you still thinking about it?
Azuma	What’s wrong, doggie-kun. Romantic troubles?
Taichi	That’s not it...
Izumi	Taichi-kun is going to play a girl in our next play.
Taichi	Yeah. But it’s just not going well...
Azuma	Huh. But you’re plenty cute already; there shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Izumi	Well...
Taichi	Oh, oh dear! Me? Cute? I’m so embarrassed, you’ll make me blush!
Izumi	...As you can see.
Azuma	I see... You’re taking me back to shoujo manga from the 80’s.
Taichi	So it’s no good then!?
Izumi	You can act more natural. Taichi-kun, I think you’re too focused on the fact that you’re playing a girl.
Taichi	But, like, girls are totally different from me. They’re delicate and frail and cute and smell good and...
Banri	Keep dreaming.
Azuma	Girls can often act that way, but that’s just one side to them.
Taichi	This is complicated!
Banri	Try living with my sis. She’ll crush your dreams in an instant.
Taichi	Ban-chan, what’s your sis like?
Banri	She’s basically a nudist.
Taichi	You mean she’s naked!? Just imagining it is wild!
Banri	You definitely have the wrong idea. Think of it more as an old man with boobs.
Taichi	!?
Azuma	When you have a sister, you get to see her true self, so it makes this easier to understand.
Izumi	Taichi-kun, don’t you have a little sister too?
Taichi	I do. She’s an angel!
Banri	So that’s why you have the wrong idea...
Azuma	How old is your sister?
Taichi	She hasn’t started elementary school!
Banri	Then of course she’s an angel... Her inner old man hasn’t awakened yet.
Azuma	I see...
Taichi	What should I do...
Azuma	Why don’t you try pulling out some of your inner feminine qualities, doggie-kun?
Izumi	Yeah! Look at Azuma-san--he’s a man, but he has some feminine qualities as well.
Taichi	Please share some of that appeal with me!
Banri	The way you talk already makes it impossible.
Taichi	Total denial...!
Azuma	Hmm... It’s not like I think about it too much, either. What should we do.
	If you can’t observe your sister, why don’t you observe a woman close to you?
Taichi	A woman close to me...? Ah!
Izumi	?
Taichi	Director-sensei, let me do a 24-hour documentary!
Izumi	Eh!? Me!?
Taichi	Please! I wanna learn natural femininity from Director-sensei! And if things go well I’ll become a man who can understand girls’ hearts and become popular!
Banri	That second half is just your self-interest.
Azuma	Did you just outright declare you were going to stalk her? Amazing, doggie-kun.
Banri	Competing with Masumi, huh.
Hisoka	...Will you take a bath with her?
Izumi	Eeh!?
Taichi	W-we’ll keep the bath and toilet separate!
Banri	You sound like a real estate agent.
Taichi	Please! Director-sensei!
Izumi	H-hmm, I don’t know if I’ll be much help, but if it’s for theater, I’ll go along with it!
Taichi	Thanks!
Izumi	Now, for today’s morning practice—.
Taichi	Morning! Director-sensei!
Izumi	Taichi-kun, you’re up early!?
Taichi	Please take care of me today!
Izumi	Oh, that’s right, it’s a 24 hour documentary. Let’s get along!
Taichi	“Morning. A cowlick in Director-sensei’s hair”... There we go.
Izumi	I don’t think you need to take note of that!?
Taichi	I’m going to write everything down in Taichi’s “Super secret doki-doki sweet-and-spicy ultra popular cute power fashion girl’s notebook!”
Izumi	What kind of curse is that...?
Taichi	I tried giving it a name girls would like!
Izumi	(What are we going to do with this deeply-entrenched stereotype....)

Taichi	“Director-sensei’s lunch is last night’s curry”...
Masumi	....
Taichi	Woah!? Wh-what is it, Masumi-kun?
Masumi	...Nothing.
Taichi	I can’t see Director-sensei if you stand there!
Izumi	Masumi-kun, Taichi-kun is observing me to prepare for our next performance; you shouldn’t get in his way.
Masumi	...I’m not getting in his way. I’m just watching him.
Taichi	You’re making this difficult!
Sakyo	Oi, Nanao.
Taichi	Yeah?
Sakyo	I get that you’re doing this for theater, but you’re too close. Keep a three-meter radius.
Taichi	That’s even further than usual!
Izumi	By the way, I’m going to head over to help at my acquaintances’ troupe for the afternoon, but do you want to come along, Taichi-kun?
Taichi	I do!
Izumi	But it’s going to be busy, so you might get in the way—.
	No, nevermind. I’ll have you help out, Taichi-kun.
Taichi	Roger!
Izumi	Hello~. I’m here to help out with the backstage preparations—.
Troupe member A	Oh, great. Come this way!
Izumi	Hello.
Troupe member B	Sorry for asking on such short notice. You’re really helping us out.
Izumi	I brought someone with me today.
Troupe member A	Someone... this boy?
Taichi	——.
Izumi	He’s an actor from the troupe I’m in charge of.
	He’s going to play a woman in our upcoming performance, so he’s trying to learn more about them. Please teach him all sorts of things while he helps out.
Troupe member A	Huh~! You’re going to play a female role?
Troupe member B	Cute~! How old are you?
Taichi	I-I’m in high school!
Troupe member A	You’re so young!
Taichi	U-um, please feel free to push me around! I’ll work hard!
Troupe member B	You’re a good kid! It’s great to have you!
Taichi	Y-yes!
Izumi	Are you nervous?
Taichi	I’ve never been to a troupe with so many women, so I’m kinda surprised.
Izumi	This troupe is the exact opposite of ours: all of its members are women. Male roles are played by women, too. Isn’t it the perfect place to learn?
Taichi	Male roles are played by women...?
Troupe member A	Taichi-kun, could you help me out over here~!?
Taichi	Y-yes!
Troupe member A	Having a guy around sure helps~. I can be a man on stage, but I just don’t have as much muscle.
Taichi	Do you play a man on stage?
Troupe member A	Yes. I’m like this on stage.
	I puff out my chest, spread out my legs, put my hands in my pockets, and—“...Haha, you’re cute, Missy.”
Taichi	——.
	You’re so cool!
Troupe member A	Thanks.
Taichi	How do you become someone of the opposite gender like that?
Troupe member A	You’re making it hard for yourself by thinking of it that way. Any human is bound to have different faces.
	Why don’t you look within yourself for traits that seem more feminine?
Taichi	I see....
Troupe member A	This goes for your Director as well. She’s a grown-up, so I’m sure she has a~ll sorts of faces that you don’t know of.
Taichi	Eeeh!? Are adult women all like that!?
Troupe member A	Ahaha! You’re bright red! So cu~te!
Taichi	!!
Izumi	(It looks like she’s really playing around with him. Is he learning...?)

Taichi	Sigh... My body’s all stiff.
Izumi	Good job. Did you learn anything from your studies today?
Taichi	I learned so much that my head feels like it’s going to explode.
Izumi	You should take it in slowly, and reflect it in your acting.
Taichi	You’re right....
Izumi	Then I’ll see you tomorrow at practice—.
Taichi	Ah! The documentary’s not over yet!
Izumi	Eh? Really?
Taichi	I want to end it with an interview with Director-sensei. And hopefully learn about a~ll sorts of faces—.
Izumi	All sorts of faces?
Taichi	I-it’s nothing! Just, I’d like to conduct an interview!
Izumi	Really? Then let’s sit down for tea somewhere. I wanted to thank you for helping me out today anyway.
Taichi	I came up with a hundred questions yesterday night!
Izumi	One hundred!?
Taichi	First: which sock do you put on first?
Izumi	That’s the first question!?
	Um, usually the right....
Taichi	I see, I see....
	Next, please tell me what your class job was in elementary school!
Izumi	Um, I think I was in charge of the animals....
	(I wonder if this will really help him...?)
Taichi	Next, what kinds of sweets do you like?
Izumi	Hmm... curry, I guess?
Taichi	Does curry count as sweets!?
Izumi	Fruity curries are a thing now.
Taichi	Amazing!
Izumi	Ah, but this is just me! It’s not what all girls think!
Taichi	Next, please tell me how you spend your days off!
Izumi	My days off... I watch over everyone’s personal training, or go watch performances by other troupes in hopes that I learn something new.
Taichi	I see, I see.... Next, what’s your ideal type?
Izumi	Hmm... Someone who understands how important troupe activities are for me. Even if I dated someone, I could still only spend so much time with them.
Taichi	Then here’s the last question! Work or romance! If you could only pick one, which would you choose?
Izumi	Eh? That’s... I’d choose the troupe.
	I might fall in love again, but if the troupe falls apart, that’s something that cannot be undone. And it would cause everyone else trouble too....
	What’s most important to me now is the troupe and the troupe members.
	...I wonder if this is where a normal girl would say romance? My answers might not be very useful...
Taichi	Nn, it’s true, it might be a little different from the popular image of girls?
Izumi	Yeah....
Taichi	But your answer just now made one thing crystal clear!
Izumi	What is it?
Taichi	It’s a secret!
Izumi	Eh~?
Taichi	Ah, it’s almost time for dinner. Thanks for the interview!
Izumi	You’re welcome. I’ll handle the check, so you should head outside first.
Taichi	Thanks!
Taichi	Ah, that’s right, I need to write it down...
Notebook	Today’s Summary: Director-sensei really is a wonderful person!
Taichi	Hehe, and now I’m set!

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