Tasuku Takato/Fire Kingdom

What I see now

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Tasuku	―― Huff, huff.
	(I’m feeling better than usual today. Let’s try going a little farther....)
	―Hm.
	(I haven’t been on stage at GOD Theater since the act-off....)
	(I haven’t put on a play with the members of the GOD Theater company since I left the troupe. I wonder what kind of plays I can put on with them now....)
Guy	Takato, good morning.
Tasuku	Guy-san, good morning. Are you on your way home from work?
Guy	Mhm.
Tasuku	Good work today then.
Guy	You were looking at the theater of GOD company with such a serious expression on your face.
Tasuku	Eh?
Guy	Your eyebrows made your wrinkles more known than usual.
Tasuku	Wrinkles...?
	Ah.... I was just imagining the type of plays I could do now with the guys from GOD troupe.
Guy	I’m sure there is more to it than that.
Tasuku	..... You’re right actually.
	I also got a feeling that GOD troupe is starting to change. But all I have are memories of being forced into plays here....
	It’s been such a long time since I’ve done a play with the GOD troupe members, and I’m wondering whether or not I can deliver a good, convincing performance with them this time around.
Guy	You’ll be able to understand each other the more you practice together.
	I can tell through our plays that you’re still serious about theater even after you’ve left GOD troupe.
	As long as you keep up your usual passion and dedication to the play, I do not doubt that the communication between you all will come naturally.
	That’s how we’ve been guided after all.
Tasuku	―― I get what you’re trying to say.
	Thanks a lot.
Fuyuki	Morning!
Tasuku	――Big bro?
Fuyuki	Oh, Guy-san too, it’s been a while.
Guy	You seem to be doing well.
Tasuku	What’s my big brother doing here?
Fuyuki	Here it is, the DVDs you’ve been asking for.
Tasuku	Ah... from my GOD Troupe era.
	You could’ve just had it sent to me without having to show up in person y’know.
Fuyuki	Nothing wrong with wanting to see my brother’s face after a long while.
Guy	Since you’ve come all this way, why not have some tea instead of just standing here?
Fuyuki	I’d like to, but I work a night shift later. I need to sleep to save energy back at home.
Tasuku	Then you shouldn’t have bothered delivering it here.
Fuyuki	Just cause a cold little brother like you doesn’t come home often.
	Well, I’m glad to see you doing well. Good luck with your performance.
Tasuku	Thanks for the DVDs, by the way.
Guy	Take care.
Fuyuki	Ah, right, Guy-san――
Guy	?

Announcement	“To the beautiful ladies and gentlemen with us, thank you for joining us today.”
Muku	Wow, even the announcements are very GOD Troupe-like!
Sakuya	That’s right. The stage set is also gorgeous~
On-screen Tasuku	“My name is Faust. He who peers into the abyss of darkness..."
Muku	Eh!? Tasuku-san!?
Kumon	His vibe here is totally different!
Azami	The makeup’s so thick.
Tenma	Even the play is completely different.
Tasuku	The style’s special to GOD Troupe.
Misumi	That looks like fun! Everyone’s so shiny and sparkly~
Yuki	Too many sequins. The cost of one costume could make our budget cry.
Tenma	I was surprised to see Tasuku-san at first, but he’s still a good actor through and through...
Sakuya	The story and direction sure are interesting.
Kazunari	The makeup, costume, and set are all consistent with GOD Troupe’s aesthetic~
Citron	I’ll switch to the GOD Troupe vibe as well! My new name will be FanFan.....
Chikage	You’d sound like a panda.
Izumi	What’s next?"
Muku	Oh! “Sleeping Beauty”! The cover jacket looks very romantic.
Tasuku	Stop right there.
Banri	Aight, how about “Gigolo”?
Citron	The cover jacket looks kind of erotic~
Tasuku	You two can stop right there too.
Yuki	They’re all no good.
Guy	There’s one more thing I want to watch.
Izumi	?
Announcement	“The 24th GOD Theater Fan Meeting!”
Tasuku	――Ah.
Kumon	Fan Meeting!?
Itaru	Oh, I definitely wanna see this.
Tasuku	Wait a minute――"
On-screen Tasuku	“Good evening, I’m in a good mood tonight――”
Tenma	Fuuu.....
Itaru	This is so OOC.
Chikage	This is very not allowed.
Tasuku	....... Can’t be helped since it’s a policy we have. Why is there even a DVD like this in here...?
Guy	It was a recommendation by Takato’s older brother. He said we should definitely watch this one.
Tasuku	My brother.... I’m not gonna ask for his help with this stuff anymore.
Taichi	Well, it’s valuable footage! Anyone would want to see it!
Banri	It’s treasure alright, we’ve struck gold, feels like I’ll go blind if I look too much.
Itaru	I think I’d rather work overtime than see this.
Tasuku	Well, aren’t you all so amused....
GOD Troupe Member A	“Haruto is actually such a crybaby, y’know~ He cries at animal videos a lot.”
Haruto	“You got drunk the other day and cried to me too!”
GOD Troupe Member B	“When this guy gets drunk, he starts crying, saying he doesn’t want to play the egghead again.”
Audience	“Ahahaha!”
Yuki	GOD Troupe gets along surprisingly well.
Tasuku	It’s all an act.
Izumi	Eh!?
Tasuku	We have to act like we’re close so that the fans will like it.
	It’s like we’re playing the roles of actors of GOD Troupe.
Kumon	Eeh!? For real?
Tenma	It doesn’t even feel off.
Juza	It felt so natural, I couldn’t even tell it was acting.
Sakyo	Maybe that’s just how good they are at acting.
Yuki	Their stage acting even extends to a fan meeting.
Muku	We’re not like that, are we!?
Kazunari	Mukkun, you worry too much!
Tasuku	123, 124.......
Tsumugi	Good evening, I’m in a good mood tonight――
Tasuku	Oi.
Tsumugi	Sorry, sorry, it amused me.
	But I still think it’s an iconic line.
	“Though my body may be torn asunder, my vow will never perish. I will live within you forever, and when your body is laid to rest, you will bring me to your grave.”
Tasuku	That’s nostalgic. But that line had more stifled emotions, like ――
Tsumugi	Ah, this is the nervous Tasuku version.
Tasuku	That reenactment is too specific. You’re too good at that kind of thing.
Tsumugi	By the way, do you still have the script for that performance? I wanna read it sometime.
Tasuku	It wasn’t with the scripts that were sent to me before. I think it’s still at my parents' place, so I’ll get it soon.

Tasuku	(It’s been a while since I’ve looked through a script from my GOD Troupe days, it’s definitely gonna be a fresh feeling.)
	(I want to read a bit....)
Tsumugi's Grandmother	Oh, Taachan. Are you returning home?
Tasuku	Hello, long time no see.
Zabi	Woof woof!
Tsumugi's Grandmother	C'mon, Zabi, I told you we can’t go for a walk yet.
	You know I have some shopping to do――
Zabi	*whine*....
Tasuku	I was just about to go to the riverbank, do you want me to take Zabi with me?
Tsumugi's Grandmother	Would that be alright? Thank you.
Zabi	Woof!
Tasuku	Okay, let’s go.
Zabi	Woof woof!
Tasuku	Alright, alright. This is as far as we can go. Time to head back.
Zabi	Woof!
Tasuku	.........
	(Should I do a script read-through here....)
Zabi	Arf arf!
???	Well, aren’t you a cutie~
Tasuku	(This voice...)
	Haruto?
Haruto	Huh. Of course Tasuku of all people would carry a script while walking a dog.
Tasuku	No, it just sort of happened...
Haruto	Is that the script of the first GOD Troupe performance you starred in?
Tasuku	Yeah. I’ve been looking back at old performance DVDs and scripts lately. The next performance will be a collaboration, but it’s been a while since I’ve performed on the GOD Theater stage.
	There’ll be elements of MANKAI Company, but we still have to keep the style of GOD Troupe in mind.
Haruto	You’re still as batshit serious as ever with theater.
	Well, it’s my turn to be the lead this time, and I need you to do what you can as the co-lead.
Tasuku	Got it.
Haruto	Don’t get nervous and drag your feet like you did with your first leading role, got that?
Tasuku	――You noticed?
	(I thought the only people who noticed my nervousness on that stage were the Winter Troupe members who came to see the performance on tape...)
	(I thought none of my co-actors noticed it.)
Haruto	Haa? ‘Course I did.
	I always observe new Top actors during rehearsals, so I knew right away your performance would be a mess.
	I was gonna tear you a new one after the opening night, but I let it slide once I saw you were busy rehearsing on your own in the theater.
Tasuku	You knew I was practicing on my own?
Haruto	I was just sitting in the audience seats and you didn’t notice me at all. You were totally sucked into that role.
Tasuku	....... Ah, I didn’t know you were watching me.
Haruto	Anyway, if you mess it up like last time again, as the lead actor, I’m not gonna tolerate it. You’d better study GOD Troupe and blend your old style back in.
Zabi	Arf arf!
Haruto	Alright. I’ll see you.
Tasuku	――.
	Fuu...
	(No way, didn’t think Haruto would see right through me...)
	(Maybe that was something I couldn’t see back then.)
Tasuku	(It’s later than I thought. Can I make it in time for dinner...?)
Tasuku	――.
	(I feel like I can face the GOD Theater with a more positive attitude than before.)
Izumi	Ah, Tasuku-san. Are you going somewhere?
Tasuku	I just got back from my parents’ place to get a script.
Izumi	I didn’t know that was the case, welcome back.
	.........
Tasuku	What is it?
Izumi	Tasuku-san, are you in a good mood?
	The wrinkles between your eyebrows are thinner than usual.
Tasuku	You talk as if they’re always there.
Izumi	Fufu, I was just kidding. But you did have a soft expression earlier, did something good happen to you?
Tasuku	Nothing in particular... I just had a feeling that I could put on a good play here, or something like that.
Izumi	I see, let’s put on a good performance then.
Tasuku	Yeah. That’s the plan.

Adriemori