B's-LOG/Outside Work the way back!

Outside Work the way back! was a character Q&A series that ran in B's-LOG magazine, based on Outside Work pairings.

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• Sakuya & Masumi
• Taichi & Omi
• Muku & Misumi
• Tsuzuru & Kazunari
• Tasuku & Azuma
• Itaru & Chikage

Q. When designing flyers for the MANKAI plays, do you ever consult with the playwright himself?
Kazunari	'Course I do! Whenever I put together a rough draft of the flyers, I like to start off by hearing out the writer's own image of the color scheme, the world scenery, and stuff like that.
Tsuzuru	Usually, I just try to convey my rough vision of things off the top of my head, and Miyoshi-san takes notes or comes up with a basic sketch from that. Honestly though, I'm fine with just leaving it all to him... I trust Miyoshi-san's design sense after all.
Kazunari	Hmm... I'm glad to hear that but, y'see. Stageplays don't get trailers like movies do, so ad flyers are kinda like the substitute for that, yeah?
Tsuzuru	Well, yeah.
Kazunari	So the whole purpose of the flyer is to convey the worlds of Tsuzurun's stories as faithfully and enticingly as possible on a single piece of paper, and it's my job to make sure that they do just that. It'd be a total shame if people got turned off from the play or whatever just because of my flyer design. And if someone watched the play and was like "that flyer was completely false advertising", that'd totally suck, right? So Tsuzurun's input is super super suuuper important, okay! Got it?
Tsuzuru	... Miyoshi-san, I never knew that you thought that you had such deep thoughts about the flyer design...
Kazunari	Ohoho, now you see me in a new light, don'tcha? Isn't your senpai such a ultra dope hella fly designer dude? It's okay, you can praise me if you want ♪
Tsuzuru	... You sounded kinda cool for a second, and then you just had to go and ruin it in the same breath.
Kazunari	Hey! Isn't it a bit mean to say I went and ruined it?
Tsuzuru	Okay, okay. You're hella fly, you're hella fly. Happy?
Kazunari	Tsuzurun, you don't sound like you mean it at all!
Q. The scene of your first meeting, when Tsuzuru-kun first helped out Kazunari-kun, leaves quite an impression. Did Kazunari-kun return the favor in any way afterwards?
Tsuzuru	Well, he did give me this huge pile of fancy band-aids and candy.
Kazunari	Yep yep! I secretly left them on Tsuzurun's desk for him to find ♪ Kasajizou style!
Tsuzuru	Kasajizou style, huh... Your band-aid selection was so girly that I got teased for it! Geez, wouldn't it have been so much easier if you'd just handed them to me in person?
Kazunari	Eeh~ But where's the fun in that! If I'm giving you a gift anyways, then why not make it a surprise ♪ Oho, could it be that you got your hopes up, thinking maybe it's from the girl I like or something?
Tsuzuru	I, I did not!
Kazunari	Aww, I'm sorry~ I didn't mean to play with your pure romantic heart, Tsuzurun ♪
Tsuzuru	Don't wink at me with that fake-ass apology.
Kazunari	Those band-aids that I gave you in return, did you ever end up using them?
Tsuzuru	They were so overtly fancy that there's no way I ever could've used them. I don't remember how many you gave me, but I ended up stuffing them in my student handbook...
Kazunari	Really? But those were pretty pricey, you know~ They were designer band-aids and all.
Tsuzuru	What!? Designer band-aids are a thing...? Maybe I shouldn't have just left them in my desk drawer back home then...
Kazunari	Wait, you still have them, even after all this time? Why didn't you just give them to your little brothers?
Tsuzuru	Well, they were a gift after all. It didn't seem right to just give them away.
Kazunari	Woah, Tsuzurun, you're taking this way too seriously! But thank you for the thought ♪
Tsuzuru	... Whatever, it's nothing.
Q. So it seems that Tsuzuru-kun was popular as a little brother in Miyoshi-san's grade, but what did Tsuzuru-kun's grade think of Miyoshi-san? Any interesting stories about you two from graduation day?
Kazunari	I'm super duper curious about that! Tell me, what was my reputation like?
Tsuzuru	... I don't remember.
Kazunari	Whaat? Don't you even remember a little bit?
Tsuzuru	Well... Miyoshi-san never cared much about school status and he was easy to talk to, so there were lots of people who wanted to be his friend..
Kazunari	Go on, go on.
Tsuzuru	Girls would say that he was stylish and a nice guy, so I guess he was pretty popular too.
Kazunari	Ooh, I'm flattered~ Come on, anything else?
Tsuzuru	Well, uh.... Ah, when Miyoshi-san was about to graduate, I feel like there were lots of people who said things like, "It'll be lonely at school without Miyoshi-senpai".
Kazunari	Eh, could it be that I was actually... The school star?
Tsuzuru	Not at all.
Kazunari	Shot down so quickly!
Tsuzuru	He wasn't the school star or anything, but there was quite a crowd surrounding him after the graduation ceremony.
Kazunari	We were taking commemorative photos, exchanging contacts, giving gifts, things like that.
Tsuzuru	Come to think of it, the girls in my class made me write messages on the cards and scrapbooks and stuff that they were giving Miyoshi-san.
Kazunari	I remember, "Congratulations on graduating. Thanks for everything," right? It was such a super cliched graduation message~ It was actually so cliched that I laughed.
Tsuzuru	I tried to think of something to write, but in the end, I couldn't really come up with anything good.
Kazunari	Oh well, it captures your personality pretty well, so it's fine, yeah? But you gotta sign your name when writing messages to people, y'know.
Tsuzuru	Wait, I didn't sign? But you were still able to tell that the message was from me, even without the signature.
Tsuzuru	Well~ It's because Tsuzuru's handwriting is really plain, y'see~
Tsuzuru	I'm used to being called plain, but even my handwriting!?
Kazunari	Ahaha, I'm kidding. I couldn't tell who it was, so I asked the girl who gave the yearbook to me.
Tsuzuru	But really, looking back on our high school days like this, it's pretty amazing to think that I'm still chatting with Miyoshi-san even now.
Kazunari	Isn't it? I'm so glad that you remembered me even after graduation, Tsuzurun~ If not, then I never would have met the Director, or everyone at the company!
Tsuzuru	There's no way I'd forget someone with an impact like yours... Well, I'm glad to be working with you from here on out.
Kazunari	Mmhm, me too.

Carpfish

Notes

Q. Please tell us one thing that's different about each other at the dorms to at your company.
Chikage	With Chigasaki, it's everything. He's a different person from start to finish - no, beyond that, even.
Itaru	I won't deny that, but you're different too, senpai.
Chikage	I don't hide my love of spicy food at the company, though.
Itaru	That's your focus, huh. You're a normal person at the company, but a netizen at the dorms, right?
Chikage	I don't recall acting that fulfilled, and I'm not as openly hooked on the internet as you, either.
Itaru	You could stand to be more open at the theatre. You're quite the shrinking violet, aren't you.
Chikage	Shut up. You could stand to know a bit more shame.
Itaru	It's too late for me. Like, by the time I realised it, I'd already exposed a whole bunch of things.
Chikage	A "who cares" attitude, huh.
Itaru	Right. So as someone who's secretly socially awkward, why don't you actively show more of yourself, too?
Chikage	Who are you calling secretly socially awkward. Then, let's reply to say I'll be attending the dinner engagement with that manufacturer next month. I'll answer for you too.
Itaru	We were talking about within the troupe, though? That day there'll be information released about a new title, so if you could please excuse me......
Chikage	Just joking. That dinner didn't fit with the other party's schedule so it's been postponed.
Itaru	......I see. Sigh, I kind of understand how Tsuzuru feels. It's tough dealing with a troublesome adult.
Chikage	So be kinder to Tsuzuru from now on, okay?
Itaru	Coming from you? Tsuzuru aside, you could be kinder to me, too?
Chikage	You mean like helping you with the documents that are still blank even though your meeting is the day after tomorrow?
Itaru	Right, like that. ......Say, why do you know. That really is scary.
Chikage	You were saying, "I haven't finished the documents but well, I'll make do somehow", while gaming. Could it be you didn't realise you were talking to yourself?
Itaru	Yeah yeah, nice lie. Unlike Sakuya, I won't be fooled.
Chikage	............
Itaru	......Seriously.
Chikage	Unfortunately, yes.
Itaru	Here they are, the cons of having a twin room.
Chikage	GG.
Itaru	Were you just imitating me?
Chikage	It was close, right?
Itaru	......It was not...is what I'd like to say, and I'm even more pissed that I can't.
Chikage	Well, if you really are in trouble it's not like I won't help. Between the two of us, we'd easily finish in a day, right?
Itaru	You're bound to say something like, "Well, I'll be taking the appropriate compensation, though?".
Chikage	Were you just imitating me?
Itaru	It was close, right? I even got your mannerisms.
Chikage	I think you're a more charming junior at the company, though.
Itaru	I think you're a kinder senior at the company too.
Chikage	This is exactly the kind of way we're different at the company.
Itaru	That's right.
Q. I'm sure you're busy with work, but what sort of pace do you do your laundry at? Are you the type to send your collared shirts to the cleaners? Or do you wash and iron them yourself?
Itaru	I'm the type to send my collared shirts to the cleaners. You too, right, senpai?
Chikage	Hold on a minute. Are you intending to ignore the question about how often you do your laundry?
Itaru	If you'd like to answer, you go head. I'm not particularly ー.
Chikage	Basically every day, for me. Incidentally, Chigasaki usually leaves it to build up for a week.
Itaru	You didn't have to answer for me too.
Chikage	My tongue slipped.
Itaru	Shameless......
Chikage	If I didn't get fed up and take your share too, how long would you leave it?
Itaru	In terms of the Spring Troupe, you're in the position of my father, right? I figure you might want to look after your son, so I give in and let it build up until you take it.
Chikage	I see. In that case, I've been overprotective as a parent, and from now on I'll wait until you take your laundry out of your own accord.
Itaru	......It develops like this, huh. I dug my own grave. Got it. I too shall become independent.
Chikage	As Chigasaki said, the two of us both send our collared shirts to the cleaners. It's troublesome to iron them.
Itaru	Buy time and service with money.
Chikage	Right. ......Is that something to be said by a gamer?
Itaru	It is. There are lots of things to gain from the time and effort you spend on a game. It's different again from washing and ironing shirts. Though I suppose you wouldn't understand.
Chikage	Time is finite. Every moment counts.
Itaru	That way of thinking might make you slightly suited to being a big whale. Shall I introduce you to games that'd fit you?
Chikage	I'll pass. I don't want to turn into you.
Q. If you could use magic for a day, what would you do?
Itaru	I would, as expected, ー
Chikage	We'll omit the rest.
Itaru	Hold on. I still haven't even said anything.
Chikage	You're just going to say you want to go into a game world or something.
Itaru	How simplistic. Your understanding of me is too shallow. The correct answer was, "I'd want to become Lancelot and go on a journey with Gwen".
Chikage	It's the same thing.
Itaru	You can't just go into a game world. There's no point being a mob character. Becoming Lancelot and going on a journey with Gwen is important.
Chikage	Nerd......In the first place, we're already bringing that to life in the play this time.
Itaru	That's that; this is this. Ah, incidentally 'KniRoun' is an abbreviation for the RPG series "Knights of Round".
Chikage	I think there are a lot of people who know, but the original source for the Spring Troupe's fifth play is this game. It was a lot of work meeting this genuine KniRoun enthusiast's orders.
Itaru	Thanks to them, your Gawain became the ideal Gawain. I appreciate your efforts in preparing for the role.
Chikage	As long as I met our supreme leader's expectations.
Itaru	Well. Let's work hard until the final performance.
Chikage	Yes. You take care to save some strength for the final performance too. No staying up late, and do moderate exercise.
Itaru	Yeah, yeah. Way to be overprotective. ......Ahh, that's right. We hadn't heard your answer, Chikage-san. If you could use magic for a day, what would you want to do?
Chikage	Of course, the legendary spice ー.
Itaru	We'll omit the rest.
Chikage	I thought you'd say so.

Krsh

Notes