Yuki Rurikawa/marionnette noire

Good on you

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Izumi	(Work is done, so I guess I’ll have some tea somewhere and then head home.)
	(I spy a store with a lovely-looking ambience over there. But I wonder if it’s a coffee shop?)
	(…Wow, lots of dolls and various other wares are out on display.
	So this was an antique shop, not a coffee shop.)
	(Ah, I wonder if “ANTIQUE” is the name of the store.)
	(Anyways, everything looks adorable…
	Yuki-kun might like stuff like this. I suppose I’ll try inviting him next time.)
	*door bell rings*
	(Ah, a customer came out.)
Mother	Nothing scary is going to happen anymore, alright?
Child	Are you sure~?
Izumi	(Something scary…?)
	*knock, knock*
	Yuki-kun, do you have a minute?
Yuki	Come in.
Muku	Good evening, Director-san.
Izumi	Good evening.
	What are you two doing?
Yuki	We’re in the middle of packing my goods.
	*flashback starts*
	Here, this is what you asked for. Do they work?
Yuu	Woah, they’re so cute! Thanks, Yuki!
Yuki’s mom	Oh my, what lovely western-style clothing. But they’re awfully small, aren’t they?
Yuki	They’re for a doll, after all.
Yuu	I asked him to make some clothes for a doll I’m going to gift to a friend.
	Here you go. The cost of the materials and compensation.
Yuki	Thanks for your business.
Yuu	Doll clothes can cost a pretty penny if you make them elaborate.
	I’m glad I could stay within my budget thanks to Yuki!
Yuki’s mom	Say, why don’t you start selling clothes for dolls?
	You sold your handmade clothes on the internet in the past, didn’t you?
Yuu	Great idea! I’m sure there’s demand.
Yuki	…
	…Well, I had fun making them this time. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.
	*flashback ends*
	…And so, I made some clothes and accessories. And when I listed them on a flea market app, they sold right out.
Muku	They went in the blink of an eye! Yuki-kun really is amazing.
Yuki	I used the scraps that had no use from the costume-making process, plus I felt bad about throwing them away, so it worked out perfectly.
	I’m considering doing this as a part-time job in my free time going forward.
Muku	The hats and backpacks are so small, yet they’re extremely intricate!
Yuki	I’m making a good profit, plus I plan to put some of the money I earn aside in case I go over budget in the future and the money-grubbing yakuza grumbles about it.
Izumi	(Yep, our costume designer is talented, alright.)

Yuki	By the way, Director. Did you need something?
Izumi	Ah, that’s right.
	I came across an antique shop with a lovely ambience today.
	I bet it’ll be great reference for making doll clothes, so why don’t we go there together?
Yuki	Oh, I’m curious. What’s it called?
Izumi	Umm… what was it again? I’ll look it up.
	*notification sound*
Yuki	…It’s from the flea market app.
	Looks like I got a DM.
Muku	Your goods are sold out though. What could this be about?
Yuki	“I am Koshiro from ‘ANTIQUE’”…
	He said he’s the owner of a store that sells antique dolls, so he wonders whether I could wholesale to him.
Izumi	“ANTIQUE” …Ah, that’s it!
	The name of the store I saw today was also called “ANTIQUE”.
	There aren’t that many antique shops around, so maybe it’s the very same one…!
Yuki	Well, that worked out.
	I’d like to hear what he has to say, so come with me.
Izumi	Of course!
Yuki	This doll has three layers of frills. It’s cute.
	The ribbon on this cat doll over here is a different material…
Izumi	(Fufu. Yuki-kun’s eyes are sparkling.)
Koshiro	Welcome, welcome.
	Thank you for coming all the way here today.
Izumi	You have a lovely shop here.
	All the dolls look absolutely adorable.
Koshiro	I’m delighted to hear that.
	Shall I cut to the chase and hold our conversation here?
Yuki	Go ahead.
Koshiro	...And so, I would like to ask you to wholesale a few outfits and accessories per month.
Yuki	I’ll let you know when I’m busy with my plays or school and when I feel like my grades might slip.
Koshiro	Sure, I don’t mind.
Yuki	Can I take a look around the store a little longer?
Koshiro	Be my guest. Please take your time browsing.
Izumi	(There really are a huge number of dolls here…)
	(…Huh? It seems like that doll alone is placed separately from the others…)
	(It has a huge headdress and its dress is fancy and full of frills…)
	(It certainly shows its age though…
	I wonder if it’s some sort of special doll?)
	Excuse me, about this doll…?
Koshiro	Ahh, actually, that one was returned the other day.
Yuki	Returned?
Koshiro	Yes. What’s more, it hasn’t happened once. This time was the third time…
Izumi	The third time…?
Koshiro	It all started when a certain customer claimed bad things kept occurring again and again after they bought this doll.
	Apparently, that customer told their doll-enthusiast circle that it’s “a doll with a shady history”.
	Ever since then, she’s continued to be bought out of curiosity and returned in the same manner.
Izumi	Oh, I see…
Koshiro	The truth is, there’s nothing ominous like that about this doll.
	When something bad happened, everyone simply blamed it on her.
	Just because her clothes are a little older compared to the other dolls…
	It’s a pity that she’s being stigmatized arbitrarily.
Izumi	(Wait a minute, maybe that parent and child I saw in front of the store the other day came to return this doll…)
Yuki	Isn’t that a regular interference with your business?
Koshiro	Well, that doll’s just getting returned so there’s no huge loss.
	But I think I’ll stop selling it and put it away in the back of the store.
Yuki	…
	Hey. Why don’t you allow me to make some clothes for this doll?
Koshiro	Pardon?

Yuki	…I know I said that, but I can’t come up with any good ideas.
	I drafted a lot of different designs, but none of them seem to fit.
CHOICE 1: I think all of them are cute though [+] Izumi I think all of them are cute though. Yuki That’s natural, since I’m the one who came up with them. Izumi You’re not wrong. Yuki If it’s a dressy, antique dress, then I can’t really see how I can improve on it. It’s not that the designs don’t suit her… But I haven’t felt like, “this is it!” Would it be better if I just reconsider it from scratch…? Izumi (It looks like he’s having fun worrying and going through trial and error like this though.) (He sure doesn’t cut corners even when the subject’s a doll.) Yuki …Why are you grinning? Izumi Fufu. I was just thinking I can’t wait to see how the clothes turn out.
CHOICE 2: Why don’t you try a kimono? [+] Izumi Why don’t you try a kimono? Yuki Then she’d be like a traditional Japanese doll. That might scare everyone even more. Izumi I can’t deny that… Yuki But it might be possible to take a step away from an antique dress and think of a different pattern. What kind of dress can give that doll a fresh start… Hmm…
Izumi	Sorry I couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
Yuki	I didn’t expect any, so it’s fine.
	However, discussing it together was a nice change of pace. Thanks.
Izumi	Fufu. I’m glad I could help, even a little.
	*footsteps walk in*
	Ah, it sounds like Tenma-kun’s home.
Yuki	…Crap.
Izumi	Eh?
Tenma	GYAHHH!!
Izumi	That scream just now…
Yuki	…*Sigh*, called it.
Izumi	Called what…?
Yuki	I left the doll in our room.
Izumi	Ahh… say no more...
Yuki	What’re you freaking out for?
Tenma	I-I’m not! I was a little surprised, that’s all!
Yuki	Oh right. On that topic.
	Hey, what part of her is scary? Look.
Tenma	D-don’t bring it near me!
Yuki	Whatever, take a proper look.
Tenma	…
	…Now that I have a closer look, she has a cute face.
Yuki	Right?
Tenma	How do I put it… her clothes are too ostentatious.
	Err, like I said, it’s not that scary or anything!
Yuki	…I see. That’s what it is, huh?
Tenma	…? What? What’s it?
Yuki	What you said.
	Your scaredy pants come in handy once in a while, huh?
Tenma	HAH!?
Koshiro	I… wondered whose doll that was.
Yuki	For her new dress, I went with a lovely design that utilizes a combination of floral patterns and slender ribbons.
	I also switched her headdress for a lace and cameo hair ornament.
	Her fancy dress was nice, but these sweet, feminine clothes suit her better and shows off her cute face.
	I think she looks better in this outfit…
	But did it change too much from the original?
Koshiro	Wow, I can hardly recognize her.
	This is much cuter. And more importantly, her face looks happy.
Yuki	That’s true.
	Alright, we’ll get back at all those who said she’s a shady doll.

Anna