Tsumugi Tsukioka/MANKAI Shot

Off Shot: TSUMUGI

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Tsumugi	I think that place was a keeper, don't you?
Banri	Barely any posts 'bout the place online either— no reviews, no nothin' — so there was no way of tellin' what we were gettin' into. But, it turned out to be better than we expected.
	A real cafe-retreat kind o' spot.
Tsumugi	It was easy to take our time, too, with how few customers there were.
Banri	We're really lucky that we chanced upon the store when we did.
	Though… It's gonna be a matter of time 'til someone makes a review of the place, and then it'll be swarmed with people before we even get a chance to get in.
Tsumugi	Hmm… You have a point… What if we only tell Homare-san or Azuma-san about it? It should be fine… Right?
Banri	Those two won't be a problem. But if Kazunari gets even a word of it, it's over.
	*LIME NOTIF*
Tsumugi	Oh, that must be mine… It's a message from Tasuku.
Tsumugi	… Ah.
Banri	What's up?
Tsumugi	I… Completely forgot about the birthday project.
Banri	Oh, y'mean the one where the celebrant gets to choose the place and activity he and his troupe members are gonna be doin' for their birthday?
Tsumugi	There's also the part where someone takes candid photos of the celebration for the birthday bromide set, right?
Banri	Yep— and for your set, that person happens to be me. You should probably get to pickin' your place soon, y'know.
	Or else everyone won't stop badgerin' you 'bout it…
Tsumugi	Speaking from experience, I take it? But I do think I should settle on something soon. Where would be a good place…
	Ah, that flower shop—
	Banri-kun, could we take a quick look inside?
Banri	Like I've got any right to say no?
Tsumugi	Haha… My bad.
Towa	WelcoOOO— EEEEEHH—!?!?
	*STUFF GETS TUMBLED AROUND*
Banri	Woah woah woah. You good, dude?
Towa	S-S-Sorry… I was just sorta. Kinda. Not prepared… W-What brings the two of you here, anyway…
Tsumugi	We just happened to be passing by.
	It was your shift the last time I came, so I was wondering if you were in today, too.
Towa	Ohwowow…! I can't believe you remembered…!!!
	—AH! Sorry, you're supposed to be my customers right now!! What sort of flowers are you looking for today? Perhaps an arrangement of backstage flowers…?
Tsumugi	I don't have any particular occasion in mind, but… I do want to buy something since I decided to drop by.
	Oh, right. Guy-san mentioned he wanted to decorate his room with some flowers, so…
Towa	Oh! May I suggest these, then? Although it's the middle of winter right now, if it's placed in a warm room, it won't wilt so easily—...
Tsumugi	— Oh, and Homare-san mentioned that he'd been wanting to get an ornamental houseplant too…
Towa	Ah! We just got some of those this morning, actually.
Tsumugi	Really? May I take a look at them?
Towa	Of course!
Banri	… Must be tough, being dragged 'round by Tsumugi-san like this.
Towa	No no, it's MORE than my pleasure to serve!
Towa	Thank you very much for your patronage~! Please come again!!
	AH— but if you do make a surprise visit again, I think my heart would just explode…!
Banri	Geez. As extra as ever.
Tsumugi	Fufu, thank you for your help, Towa-kun. Everyone's going to love these picks. See you again soon.
Towa	See you!
Banri	Did the lil' trip give you your fill?
Tsumugi	Yeah. Are you sure you're okay with not buying anything, Banri-kun?
Banri	Me? Buy flowers?
Tsumugi	Is the thought that unexpected for you?
Banri	No, well, I don't got the same knowledge on flowers an' stuff as well as you do. 'Sides, our room ain't exactly the kind that suits havin' flowers in it.
Tsumugi	I wouldn't think so, though.
Banri	Well, either way, I can always look at the flowers at the usual place. That's more than 'nough for me.

	*DOOR OPENS*
Tsumugi	I'm back.
Tasuku	Oh, welcome back… So have you thought about what I texted earlier?
Tsumugi	The birthday project, right? Mhm… I was talking about it with Banri-kun, too.
	Autumn Troupe went to all sorts of places, like shops, activity spots, and even just one's family home or going abroad.
Tasuku	There's a roughly set budget too; I'd say you'd better make your decision soon, especially since it'll be on your request.
Tsumugi	I know what you're saying but… I can't just give a half-hearted answer, can I?
Tasuku	That's odd, coming from you. You usually would've already made up your mind by now.
Tsumugi	If it was any regular outing, sure; it'd come to me in a second.
	Honestly, anywhere is fine for me as long as I get to celebrate with everyone in Winter Troupe. But it's precisely because of that that it makes me feel like I have too many options to choose from.
	Like maybe renting out Journey for the occasion… Though I wouldn't want to trouble Guy-san just for that.
Tasuku	I doubt he'd even consider it a bother.
	Besides, you could really just come up with something that you like without thinking too hard on it. It might even help you find some way of connecting the dots.
Tsumugi	Something that I like, huh… Well, that'd be acting— but that applies to everyone, huh?
Tasuku	A theatre wouldn't be a bad choice, though.
Tsumugi	But there's still the candid photoshoot that we'll need for the merch, right? I'd prefer we'd do it in someplace that's a bit more different than the usual… Hrmm…
	Outside of theatre, I do like… Flowers. Eggs. Coffee— Ah!!
Tasuku	??
Homare	And so it led you to choosing this flower cafe for your birthday project location, yes?
Tsumugi	That's right.
	I'll leave the candid photos to you, Banri-kun— our photographer for the day.
Banri	NP.
Hisoka	… There's tons of flowers here.
Homare	How exquisite… The fact that this place allows you to be surrounded by flowers even in the wintertime makes it such a wonderful place indeed.
Azuma	I can understand why Tsumugi chose this shop.
Guy	Still, are you rightly satisfied with this place, Tsukioka?
	Since you've been given the chance, it'd be just as fine for you to pick spots that are far from here, or at least spots that you wouldn't normally go to.
Tsumugi	I've considered other places too… But as I thought, it really is because I love flowers.
	And this cafe has plenty of things that I love in it. And so, the thought of celebrating here, together with the people that I love…
	I can only imagine how much happiness that would bring me.
Homare	Well! I suppose that much is enough, no?
Tasuku	That's Tsumugi for you.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Tsumugi	On top of that, this cafe also has a flower shop—which I also love— attached to the store, so I would always end up watching it from afar.
Guy	I know that feeling well.
	I've naturally learned from overseeing the flowerbeds in the courtyard together with Tsukioka. And now, after all these years, my gaze has become drawn to flowers whenever they appear in sight.
	I had barely known the different kinds of flowers before, but now I'm able to more or less discern between them.
	What time of the year their seeds should be planted in; what period they'll end up blooming in… The thoughts have become natural to me now.
Hisoka	It's a bit of a different case, but… I've also learned that when tulips bloom in the courtyard, then spring has come.
Azuma	Ah, yes. You tell what season it is by the sight of the flowers in the garden.
	It must be thanks to Tsumugi's hard work in changing out the flowers every season.
Homare	I, too, have started to frequently think about what flowers I'd like to decorate my room with, thanks to Tsumugi-kun's influence.
	But fear not! The long pondering has ceased! Hahaha!
Azuma	Oh, I take it you've finally picked something?
Homare	Indeed! For you see, just a few days ago, Tsumugi-kun presented me with flowers that perfectly suit my room!
Guy	I've actually received some flowers from Tsukioka as well.
Azuma	Ohh? So the new flowers in our room were from Tsumugi, then?
Hisoka	Arisu has been yapping non-stop to the plant ever since he got it.
Homare	It was Tsumugi-kun who taught me that it is one method of raising one's greenery!
	I'd recite my poems to it every day and— perhaps call it my imagination— I believe its colors have grown more vivid as a result!
Hisoka	Because it is your imagination.
Homare	Beg pardon!?
Tasuku	Oh right… You do talk to your plants sometimes, don't you.
Tsumugi	They all seem pleased every time I talk to them, after all.
Tasuku	Yeah, I've got no clue what you even mean by that….
Banri	Relatable.
Tsumugi	Ehh? Not you too, Banri-kun…

Azuma	The coffee and desserts here are really good, aren't they?
Hisoka	This cake is as fluffy as marshmallows…
Homare	When Tsumugi-kun mentioned the drinks being to his taste, I had already assumed that their coffee would be delicious, but their tea is quite delightful as well.
Guy	I agree.
Azuma	Speaking of coffee… Homare and I actually went to the cafe that you recommended to us last time, Tsumugi.
Tsumugi	That was fast! … What did you think of it?
Homare	Not only was the coffee wonderful, but the relaxing atmosphere it had was very much to our fancy.
Azuma	It was the kind of cafe that you wouldn't think to go to by chance; rather, I'd think it was worth more as a place you'd pick as a destination.
Tsumugi	I'm so glad to know that you two liked it so much.
Guy	I can't help but be curious after hearing such a positive review.
Hisoka	Does the place have marshmallow drinks too?
Tsumugi	I think they do have it for their winter menu.
Hisoka	I have to go.
Homare	In that case, let us make another trip with all of Winter Troupe next time!
Tasuku	So I'm forced to come too?
Tsumugi	Why not? You never know— you might end up really liking it.
Banri	(...That cafe's gonna be known to the whole world waaaay sooner than I'd be hopin', if this keeps up.)
Tasuku	Good grief… Whatever, let's save that conversation for later. We should probably get to handingthat over now.
Azuma	That's a good point.
Hisoka	Tasuku's been so fidgety 'cause he wants to give it as soon as possible.
Tasuku	Can you quit it? And I haven't been fidgety.
	… Tsumugi.
Tsumugi	Hm?
Homare	From all of us— from Winter Troupe—
Azuma	To our beloved leader.
Hisoka	Our gift to you.
Guy	Please accept it.
Tasuku	Happy birthday.
Troupe Members	Happy birthday!
Tsumugi	Waahh…!! What a really gorgeous bouquet… Thank you all so much.
Homare	The five of us were at a loss with the present we wanted to give…
	We had heard from Tasuku-kun that you chose this cafe because it's a place that is associated with both of the things you love so much— flowers, and coffee.
Guy	And that's when we realized there was no other present we could give.
Azuma	Although, I wouldn't be surprised if you end up getting even more flowers from other people on the day of your birthday, too.
Hisoka	But this is this, and that is that.
Tsumugi	Fufu… I'm still so happy, you guys. And I'm sure each one of these flowers was picked out by one of you. Right?
Homare	My! What a sharp guess!
Tsumugi	I can tell, you know. For example… This rose is from you, isn't it, Homare-san?
Homare	Indeed! I suppose roses are very much my image, no?
Tsumugi	Yes. Moreover… I'm certain there's a reason you chose an orange rose, too.
Homare	I did. You would know the reason, wouldn't you, Tsumugi-kun?
Tsumugi	The hyacinth was surely chosen by Hisoka-kun, wasn't it?
Hisoka	Yeah. I learned about them after watching you raise some before.
Tsumugi	Next… The amaryllis must've been Azuma-san's choice. Am I right?
Azuma	Fufu. How did you figure out it was mine?
Tsumugi	I wonder… But it just came to me, so I guess it was intuition?
	Then we have… The cineraria would be Guy-san's… And the poinsettia are from Tasuku?
Guy	Correct. You know us well.
Tsumugi	I would hope I do.
Tasuku	Did you guess mine by process of elimination?
Tsumugi	Of course not. It's more like… Well, when I saw it, I could just tell it was yours?
	Even though you only had to choose a single type of flower, you'd seem like you'd pick out one that had the biggest presence among all the other flowers when put in a bouquet.
Homare	Truly, our troupe leader knows us like the back of his hand.
Tsumugi	Well… I suppose it's because of all the time all of us have spent together, isn't it?
	It's the result of all of us exchanging our feelings— the parts we can see, and the parts we can't see— by acting on stage together.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Azuma	I agree.
	*CAMERA CLICK*
Banri	……
Tsumugi	Ah, have you gotten some pictures, Banri-kun?
Banri	Yeah, more or less.
Tsumugi	Is it okay if I could take a look?
Banri	Here ya go.
Tsumugi	Thank you.
Banri	… Y'know, it's crazy just how different the vibes are with Winter Troupe.
Guy	Compared to Autumn Troupe?
Banri	Yeah. I mean, with different guys in it, that's kinda given. But all of you just feel different, even though we've all been in the same space together before.
Tasuku	I guess it's never been something we were that self-aware of, but if Settsu says so, then it must be true.
Homare	HAHAHA! And the reason is that we are people who share the same destiny!!
Hisoka	There he goes again.
Banri	O-Okay…?
Azuma	I'm sure we'll be saying the same thing if we saw how you act around Autumn Troupe, Banri.
Banri	Can't deny that.
Tsumugi	Banri-kun, here. Thanks for letting me see the photos.
	You've taken so many incredible shots already. I'm excited to see which one of them will be picked.
Homare	Tsumugi-kun mentioned there being a flower shop that’s set up along with this cafe, yes? Since we're here, why don't you try making a bouquet as well, Banri-kun?
Banri	Nah… I said the same thing to Tsumugi-san before, but I really ain't that familiar with flowers at all.
Hisoka	You don't need to know much. It's the thought that counts.
Banri	I'm all good, really. It ain't in my character, anyway. I'll just prepare somethin' else for Tsumugi-san.
Tsumugi	In that case, I'll make a bouquet for you, Banri-kun.
Banri	Ha? N-Nah, you don't have to… Why am I the one getting a bouquet 'nyway?
Tsumugi	It's thanks for all the work you've done as today's photographer! Fufu, I wonder which flowers I should pick…
Azuma	My my, it sounds to me Tsumugi had also wanted to pick an arrangement from the start.
Guy	He must've been itching to do so the whole time.
Hisoka	Seems just like him.
Homare	I cannot wait to see what kind of bouquet he comes up with.
Tasuku	… Sorry about all this, Settsu. Once Tsumugi starts, he can't be stopped.
Banri	Yeah, I know.

Dita