Tsumugi Tsukioka/First WINTER

Preparing for the Kickoff Party! ~Tsumugi’s Case~

Backstage Stories

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Izumi	Okay, this should be enough for the budget.
Sakyo	Yeah.
Sakuya	I’m home!
Masumi	Director, I’m home. My “welcome home” kiss...
Yuki	Hey, you’re blocking the way so hurry up.
Muku	I’m home.
Izumi	Everyone, welcome back!
Taichi	I’m ho–me! Wait, isn’t it pretty crowded here!?
Tenma	So it gets this noisy when we return home at the same time...
Banri	Oi, don’t just stand in front of the door. Outta the way.
Juza	Aah?
Yuki	Don’t start fighting in such a crowded place.
Tsumugi	No wonder it’s lively in here; it’s the time when the students return home, huh.
Izumi	Tsumugi-san, you’re home too! Perfect timing. Everyone, listen.
Sakuya	What’s wrong?
Izumi	To start us off as we head towards the second round of performances, we’re holding a kickoff party!
Tsumugi	A kickoff party?
Izumi	To also celebrate gathering enough members for Winter Troupe, I was thinking we should have a party. So I talked to Sakyo-san about it.
Muku	A party...!
Taichi	Parties are all about food! I wanna eat meat! Big thick meat!!
Sakyo	Getting all merry and festive is fine, but you better stay within budget.
	This kickoff party is for strengthening our bonds as a theater troupe. Your motivation towards future performances should be so-and-so, et cetera...
Banri	He’s at it again...
Muku	Umm, if it’s a party, then is it okay if we prepare a cake?
Juza	Cake...
Masumi	I’ll cut up the cake. I’ll cut the wedding cake together with you——
Izumi	I won’t be doing that!
Tsumugi	It’s finally the day of the party.
Homare	Mhm. I must prepare my best tea.
Hisoka	Marshmallows...
Tsumugi	Sakyo-san set up the budget, so I’m thinking of going shopping...
Azuma	Fufu, if that’s the case then leave it to me. I ordered some hors d’oeuvre from my favourite restaurant for today.
Tsumugi	Is that so?
Azuma	Yup. But that restaurant doesn’t do deliveries, so I was thinking of having Tasuku drive there to pick them up.
Tasuku	What? Me?
Homare	Hm, indeed, Tasuku-kun is the only one in this group who can drive properly.
Hisoka	Zzz...
Tsumugi	Ah, then I’ll go with you. There’s probably a lot to carry after all.
Azuma	If Tsumugi is going then I’ll stay here in the dorm to help out the other troupes. Even if a lot of us go, it would be troublesome if everything doesn’t fit in the car.
Homare	I must also prepare the tea. Hisoka-kun, will you come help me?
Hisoka	Zzz...
Tasuku	Geez... I guess I have no choice.
Tasuku	This is the last one, right?
Tsumugi	Yeah. The stuff we just put in the car should be all of it.
Tasuku	There sure is a lot...
Tsumugi	There is... Like Azuma-san said, if we all came then we wouldn’t have been able to fit all of it.
Tasuku	Well, there is a lot of us.
Tsumugi	Everyone will be happy since there’s so much. Everything looks delicious too.
Tasuku	Yeah. Okay, let’s head back to the dorm. I’m starting the car.
Tsumugi	Ah... Sorry, wait just a sec. I actually have a favour to ask...
Tasuku	...Hm?

Tsumugi	Sorry. I ended up making you come with me all the way here.
Tasuku	I did think it was weird that you volunteered to come with me...
	So all this time your goal was to go to the flower shop.
Tsumugi	Ahaha, you found me out.
	I always walk here so I can’t really buy that much. Plus it’s easier to carry home heavy things like soil if I go by car.
Tasuku	*sigh*... The car is already loaded with stuff, so think before you buy.
Tsumugi	I know, I know.
	...Let’s see –– a scoop and some fertilizer, and then...
Tsumugi	Come to think of it –– Tasuku, do you remember? When we were students we went to the flower shop together like this.
Tasuku	Yeah... That takes me back. If I remember correctly, it was for a farewell party for a senpai in our theater circle.
Tsumugi	...That time, even our senpai told us that we’d probably be acting together forever.
	But, halfway through I abandoned my dream, and you and I misunderstood each other...
	There was a period of time when I couldn’t meet you directly, and I think I took the really long way around.
	But I met you again in this troupe, and together we’re walking the continuation of the dream we envisioned that day...
	I’m really happy that we can act together, Taa-chan.
Tasuku	...Yeah, I agree.
	Wait, you called me Taa-chan again.
Tsumugi	Ahaha, sorry. It just slipped since I was reminiscing about old times.
Tasuku	Geez...
	Be careful, Tsumu.
Tsumugi	You too, I told you to stop it with the Tsumu!
Tsumugi	...All right. This should be everything I wanted to buy for now...
Tasuku	“For now”? You... Your arms are full of stuff; can all that fit in the car?
Tsumugi	Hmm... It should be fine even if it doesn’t fit. I’ll put them on my lap.
Tasuku	That’s not the point.
Tsumugi	It’s fine, I’ll do something about it.
	Ah, that’s right. I wanted to buy narcissus too. They were around here earlier... There they are.
Tasuku	That’s...
Tsumugi	Hm? Something wrong?
Tasuku	...I’ve seen those flowers before. Your grandma grew them with care.
Tsumugi	Yeah! I’m surprised you remembered. Apparently they’re still blooming at home even now.
	I received a picture of them along with a picture of Zabi the other day.
Tasuku	Is Zabi doing well?
Tsumugi	Yup. He’s already a grandpa though. They send me pictures of him sometimes.
	...Here. This is the one they sent me the other day.
Tasuku	...He hasn’t changed.
Tsumugi	That reminds me, back in the day didn’t we often draw Zabi and then compete over who drew him better?
Tasuku	I was definitely better.
Tsumugi	I was better!
Tasuku	No, I am.
Tsumugi	I am!
Tasuku	...Okay then, want to have a contest for the first time in a while when we get back to the dorm? Let’s find out who can draw him better.
Tsumugi	Let’s do it. And while we’re at it, we might as well have the Director be the judge.

maria