Tsuzuru Minagi/Hidden Four Strings

The Mixer ☆ Returns

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Kazunari	Tsuzuroon! Hey, hey, you’re playing a guy who’s like a total player in the next play, right!?
Tsuzuru	No, he’s not really a “player”--
Kazunari	No waaay, to think my time has come again~!
Tsuzuru	Huh?
Kazunari	Well like, because I heard that Tsuzuroon was gonna be playing a player! I set up a mixer to help with your role study!
Tsuzuru	HUH!? You WHAT!?
Kazunari	Tsumutsumu asked me for help with his role study when he played a playboy in the Winter Troupe’s second show, so the three of us went to a mixer, didn’t we?
	So I like, thought you might come to me for help the same way Tsumutsumu did~!
Tsuzuru	Hold on, you can’t just...
Kazunari	After all, your role’s like someone who’s not really interested in anything but messing around, right?
Tsuzuru	Roughly speaking, yeah, but it's the “skipping practice to go play games at an arcade” kind of messing around.
Kazunari	Eh!? Seriously? ...did I get the wrong idea?
Tsuzuru	Sigh
Kazunari	Crap~. Sorry~.
	But that puts me in a bind. 'Cause I kinda already set it up... (peek)
Tsuzuru	Please stop sneaking glances directly at me.
	(But even if Miyoshi-san misunderstood, he DID kindly set this up for me...)
	...I get it... just this once.
Kazunari	Woohoo! The mixer returns!
	By the way, I made it 3 and 3 like how it was when we went with Tsumutsumu before.
Tsuzuru	What are you going to do about the last person?
Kazunari	Right~ I’ll invite Tsumutsumu again~?
Tsumugi	Misumi-kun, thanks for helping me with the gardening.
Misumi	You’re welcome~ I had fun too~!
Kazunari	Ohh~! Tsumutsumu and Sumi! Hyper nice timing!
	Hey, hey, Tsumutsumu, there’s another mixer, wanna go together?
Tsumugi	Eh? A mixer?
Kazunari	Yeah! By the way, the schedule is~...
Tsumugi	Ah, I’m sorry... I have a tutoring job on that day...
Kazunari	Ah, oh, really?
Tsuzuru	You’re kidding...
Tsumugi	Kazu-kun, Tsuzuru-kun, are you participating this time too?
Tsuzuru	That’s right. Apparently Miyoshi-san set it up to help with my role study.
	But if Tsukioka-san can’t come, what now?
Kazunari	Then~ Sumi! How about it?
Misumi	Me~? No problem!
Kazunari	Yaaay!
Tsuzuru	...I hope the other people can keep up with Ikaruga-san’s energy...
Tsumugi	H-Hang in there, Tsuzuru-kun.
Tsuzuru	Tsukioka-san, why are you only completely booked when I need you...?
Kazunari	I’m super excited~! Let’s get hyped together!
Misumi	Yaaay, tri-tri-triangle~!
Tsuzuru	Sigh...
Izumi	Tsuzuru-kun? You’re sighing; what’s wrong?
Tsuzuru	It’s... apparently Miyoshi-san misunderstood my role this time around as a player character.
	So now we’re going to a mixer together to help with role study for that...
Izumi	Huh, a mixer?
Itaru	Ahh, so that’s why he suddenly got so excited while we were talking, Kazunari.
Tsuzuru	Huh?
Itaru	Oh, Kazunari asked me about the Spring Troupe’s play the other day. I said that Tsuzuru’s role is someone who messes around and seems to not have too much motivation.
Izumi	I see... so Kazunari-kun misunderstood that.
Tsuzuru	It’s YOUR fault!?
Itaru	Haha, sorry, sorry.
CHOICE 1: Tsuzuru-kun, you seem like you’d be popular at a mixer. [+] Izumi But Tsuzuru-kun, you seem like you’d be popular at a mixer. Tsuzuru Eh? Izumi You’re calm and kind, you’re good at taking care of people since you’re an older brother, you’ve got plenty of knowledge and experience from working all sorts of part-time jobs... And chatting with you is always really fun, Tsuzuru-kun. Tsuzuru Oh, um... th-thank you very much. Izumi ?
CHOICE 2: It could become material for a script [+] Izumi B-But hey! It could become material for a later script, so...! Tsuzuru That, well... I guess it could. Izumi Yeah, since Tsuzuru-kun, you’ve said that your various jobs have been references too. This is part of that too. Tsuzuru You’re right. I’ll keep your words in mind and power through this mixer.
Itaru	Who else is going to the mixer?
Tsuzuru	It looks like Tsukioka-san couldn’t come this time, so it was decided that Ikaruga-san would be going with us.
Izumi	Misumi-kun... I feel a little nervous...
Itaru	The trickster feeling is strong there.
Izumi	(Even if I say I’m worried, those three are adults, so I wonder if it’ll be alright...)

Girl A	Welco~me! I’m Kazucchi’s college friend~!
Girl B	Are you two members of Kazuchii’s theater company!?
Kazunari	Yuppers! This is Tsuzuroon and Sumi!
Girl C	Lit! Actors are so cool~! What sort of plays do you put on~?
Misumi	We put on triangular plays~! Tri-tri-triangle~!
Girl B	Ahahaha, you’re so funny! How cute~ triangle~!
Tsuzuru	(Like I thought, they’re all at Miyoshi-san levels of enthusiasm...)
Kazunari	Hold on, hold on~! Tsuzuroon, aren’t you looking a little down? Liven up more~!
Girl A	Let’s turn it up!
Tsuzuru	T-Turn it up?
Girl C	Then to get Tsuzuroon’s vibes up, should we play a game or something?
Kazunari	Ooh yeah! Ah, I know! Y’all know the Mozzarella Cheese Game?
Girl B	Of course!
Misumi	I don’t know it~ what kinda game is it~?
Tsuzuru	I don’t know it either.
Kazunari	It’s super simple! You just say “mozzarella cheese” around the circle!
	But, the rule is you gotta say it with higher energy than the person before you!
GIrl A	It’s so fun, you’ll get it if you give it a try! Let’s do it, let's do it~!
Kazunari	Ok then, we’ll start with Sumi! Tsuzuroon will go last~.
Tsuzuru	I’m last!?
Misumi	Here I go, then~ Mozzarella triangle~!
Tsuzuru	Wh-, the word changed right from the start!
Girl C	Ahahaha, that’s great, you’re so funny Sumi~! Then I’ll go neeext!
Girl B	Mozzare~lla~!! Tria~ngleee~!!!
Everyone	Ahahahahaha!!
Kazunari	So funny!! It’s too hype!
Misumi	Ahaha, tria~ngleee~!
Girl C	Alright, last up is Tsuzuroon! The floor’s yours~!
Tsuzuru	Th-The last one in this, huh...
Kazunari	You’ll be fiiiiine! Give it a go!
Tsuzuru	...(deep breath)...
	MOZZARE~LLAAAA~! TRI-AN-G--(COUGH COUGH)
Kazunari	Whoa whoa, Tsuzuroon!? Did you get too into it to completely flub it!?
Girl A	It’s like instead of Tsuzuroon, we should call you Flubberoon!
Tsuzuru	F-Flubberoon...
Kazunari	Now, now! Wouldn’t you say that’s Tsuzuroon’s charm?
Tsuzuru	I can’t keep up with you guys!
Misumi	Tsuzuru~ there there~
Tsuzuru	Sigh...
Chikage	–so? How did the mixer go?
Tsuzuru	...
Itaru	With that face I have a guess.
Citron	Ohh, he does not say anything...
Izumi	G-Good work today...!
Tsuzuru	The quality and encouragement of that guess is just what I need right now...
Kazunari	But but~! It wasn’t ALL bad, right?
Tsuzuru	Huh?
Kazunari	You got a new nickname, didn’t you!
Tsuzuru	...! Don’t tell them about th–
Misumi	Flubberoon~!
Tsuzuru	AaaaAAAH...!!
Chikage	Flubberoon, huh? It’s not a bad nickname, Tsuzuru. Ah, I mean Flubberoon.
Citron	A cute nickname~! Flu~bberoon!
Itaru	Feel like this is gonna take off, Flubberoon.
Tsuzuru	Don’t say it on purpose! I mean, I’d like for it to NOT take off!
Chikage	Haha, we’re joking.
Tsuzuru	Ugh, geez...
Izumi	Ts-Tsuzuru-kun. Should I pour you some tea? Or some sweets, are you hungry?
Tsuzuru	Director...
	...in the end, talking with you is the most calming.
Izumi	Huh?
Tsuzuru	...! No, that...! I meant that I can talk to you without worrying because I’m used to it...!
Kazunari	Booold, Tsuzuroon!
Itaru	Good thing Masumi isn’t here.
Tsuzuru	Aaah geez... please give me a break...!

Noodle