Tsumugi Tsukioka/Nomadic Bartender

A Helping Hand from Tsumugi-sensei

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Tsumugi	“I used to hunt animals and game as a livelihood, but it’s difficult when you’re trying to foster seven kids——”
Tasuku	Huh. You were busy script-reading over here?
Tsumugi	Ah, Tasuku.
Tasuku	… Want me to join you?
Tsumugi	You sure?
Tasuku	Yeah. There was something I wanted to double-check after going through rehearsals today.
Tsumugi	In that case, please do. So I was at this line here——
Tasuku	Let’s wrap it up there for now.
Tsumugi	Right. Thanks for accompanying me, Tasuku.
Tasuku	I should say thanks too.
Tsumugi	After reading through the whole thing again, I can’t help but think about how fascinating this play’s plot is.
	Getting to play the role of a hunter was unexpected— though quite expected enough considering how good Tsuzuru-kun is.
Tasuku	The hunter even has seven kids with him.
Tsumugi	Right?
	However, that does mean I have to do a role study on being a father.
Tasuku	A father, huh… That might be surprisingly tough, yeah.
Tsumugi	But getting to try a role that you’ve never experienced before is—
Tasuku	The true charm of acting, right?
Cafe Clerk	Thank you for coming!
Tsumugi	We ended up staying there until closing time. I hope we didn’t trouble the staff in any way…
Banri	S’all good, they said so. It’s part of their work anyway.
Sakuya	——...
Banri	Huh? Ain’t that Sakuya?
Sakuya	Tsumugi-san! Banri-kun! Good evening to you both!
Tsumugi	You too, Sakuya-kun. Were you heading home from your part-time at the daycare nursery?
Banri	Do you always clock out at this hour?
Sakuya	Well, you see… One of the teachers had fallen ill, so they had to take a temporary leave. But that also meant they didn’t have enough people to get all the work done…
	So that’s why I ended up giving them a hand with all the remaining stuff that was left to do today.
Tsumugi	I see… It must’ve been a lot of work.
Sakuya	The daycare’s principal and all the other staff have been trying to find someone to help them out for the time being, but they haven’t had that much luck…
Banri	I imagine it’d be difficult, considering it’s such short notice.
Sakuya	But until the teacher fully recovers, I’ll be doing my best to help everyone out!
Tsumugi	…..
	——Hey, Sakuya-kun.
Sakuya	??
Sakuya	Everyone, can I ask you all for your attention for a bit?
Child A	Okaaaay!
Child B	What’s wrong, Sakuya-senseiii~?
Sakuya	You see, there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you all.
	… Please come in!
Tsumugi	Nice to meet you, everyone. I’ll be playing together with everyone for a few days from now. My name is Tsukioka Tsumugi.

Tsumugi	Please feel free to call me Tsumugi-sensei. I’m very pleased to meet you all.
Child A	Tsumugi-senseiii—!!
Child B	Nice to meet you!
Sakuya	Now then, everyone let’s have Tsumugi-sensei join in the fun, okay?
Children	Okaaaay!!
Tsumugi	(Helping out in a daycare nursery, huh… I’m a little nervous.)
	— — — — FLASHBACK — — — —
Tsumugi	… Hey, Sakuya-kun.
Sakuya	??
Tsumugi	If you guys are looking for a helper, would it be alright for me to take that spot?
Sakuya	Eh!? You… You’ll help us out, Tsumugi-san?
Tsumugi	I’m doing a character who’s a father of seven kids for our upcoming performance.
	So in exchange for helping out with the little ones in the nursery, I was hoping to be inspired for my acting role…
Banri	I get where this is going.
Tsumugi	Ah. It’s not just for the sake of the role study, of course——
	I’ll be sure to do my part as a helper as well. I genuinely do want to be of help to your workplace, if it’s possible…
	—What do you think, though?
Sakuya	Someone as gentle and reliable as you, Tsumugi-san? I think you’ll be a most welcome candidate!
Banri	He’s got a point. You can rest easy if it’s Tsumugi-san helping out.
Tsumugi	So you mean…
Sakuya	Mhm! I’ll talk with the daycare principal and the others!
	— — — — FLASHBACK END— — — —
Tsumugi	(I better do my best and not trouble the principal or Sakuya-kun.)
Sakura	Tsumugi-sensei, let’s play~!
Kaede	Over here, Tsumugi-sensei! Over here!
Tsubaki	We have so many toys here~!
Tsumugi	(These three kids have “Hinamori” written in their last name… They must be Kasumi-san’s daughters, then.)
Kaede	What should we do today?
Sakura	I wanna do origami!
Tsumugi	Fufu, alright. Let’s fold some together then.
Tsubaki	Uhm, so like this… Then this… And there!
Tsumugi	Wow, that’s amazing! It’s a dog with drooping ears!
Sakura	Sensei, you should fold something too…!
Tsumugi	Alright then. Let me try it out.
	Fold here, then here… There we go.
Tsubaki	What is that, sensei?
Tsumugi	I’ll draw a face and attach some hands and feet to it… And we have a Sankaku-kun!
Tsubaki	So cute~!!
Child A	What’s cute? Where where?
Child B	Oh yeah! It’s so cute!
Child C	Tsumugi-sensei, make one for me too~!
Tsumugi	Sure thing. Let’s fold it here, here… Done! Here you go.
Child C	Thank you!!
Child B	Tsumugi-sensei is so kind~
Child A	I wish my dad was just like Tsumugi-sensei…!
Tsumugi	Ahaha… Thank you, I suppose?
Child A	Goodbye, Tsumugi-sensei!
Tsumugi	See you!
Kasumi	Huh? Is that you, Tsumugi-kun?
Tsumugi	Kasumi-san! Good afternoon.
Kasumi	Hello, may I ask why you’re here too?
Tsumugi	Certain circumstances happened, so now I’m helping out the daycare for a short period in the meantime.
Kasumi	Is that so! I hope my kids weren’t being too much of a bother.
Tsumugi	They weren’t at all— they were such good kids. They’ve even been treating me well right after I was introduced.
	The whole time I was playing with them, I kept thinking how much you must’ve been raising them with such kindness.
Kasumi	Gosh. If you compliment me so honestly like that, I can’t help but feel flushed!
Kaede	(yawn)
Tsubaki	Papa, I told you. Kaede-chan’s sleepy.
Kasumi	Oh yes yes. Let’s hurry home then, alright?
Tsumugi	It was nice seeing you. And thank you as well.
Kasumi	I’m the one who should say thank you!
Tsumugi	Sakura-chan, Kaede-chan, Tsubaki-chan. Goodbye for now.
Sakura	See you! Sakuya-sensei! Tsumugi-sensei!
Sakuya	Bye-bye now!
Tsumugi	……
Sakuya	What’s wrong, Tsumugi-san?
Tsumugi	… It’s nothing.
	Just that... Seeing the silhouette of a real father… He’s truly such a strong figure.
Sakuya	… Indeed, he is!

Dita