| Sakyo | ...So what’s going on with Usui. |
| Izumi | Well... |
| They really did go through with the school transfer, and the home where Masumi-kun was living alone was also sold off. |
| The bank account that Masumi-kun received living expenses from was in his mother’s name, so that was frozen too…. |
| Sakyo | So even if he manages to run away from that Suga guy, it’ll be impossible for Usui to keep living in Japan… |
| Izumi | This is too cruel. They didn’t even ask Masumi-kun…. |
| Sakyo | What’s Usui doing? |
| Izumi | He locked himself up in his room. He refuses to have a proper conversation with anyone. |
| What should we do? I can’t let Masumi-kun leave when he’s like that. |
| Sakyo | The most important thing is to figure out what Usui himself wants to do. This is Usui’s issue. |
| Izumi | ...Yes. |
| (I need to talk to Masumi-kun. We’ll figure out what we can do after that.) |
| |
| Masumi | …. |
| Izumi | Masumi-kun, you came. |
| Masumi | …. |
| Izumi | (He’s really different from the usual Masumi-kun… I’ve never seen him make such a dark expression.) |
| (How should I break the ice…) |
| Masumi-kun, can I ask you about your parents? |
| Masumi | …. |
| ...They’ve been flying abroad here and there since I was little. I rarely got to see their faces. |
| If they came home, they’d stay for maybe one or two nights, and then they’d head out again. |
| Even when they were home, they’d spend all their time talking to people for work. They were never interested in me. |
| But I thought, maybe if I work hard and do well in sports or studies, they’ll be pleased, so I tried my best, but…. |
| In the end, nothing changed. |
| Izumi | I see… Do any memories come to mind…? |
| Masumi | Back in elementary school, just once, I asked them to come visit on parent’s day. |
| We were supposed to read our essays about our parents on that day. My teacher praised my essay, so I wanted them to hear it. |
| But he told me no, because he had a meeting that day. I asked him over and over again, but… this was all he said: |
| “Listen to your parents. That is the only thing we ask of you.” |
| Izumi | ——. |
| Masumi | Since then I’ve never once gone against his wishes. Because I thought that was my role as his child. |
| Up till now, I did as I pleased, because I was told I could live however I wanted to in Japan. But now I can’t even do that. |
| Izumi | Masumi-kun… What do you want to do, Masumi-kun? |
| Masumi | …. |
| Izumi | You don’t really want to go abroad, right? |
| Masumi | That’s—. |
| ...I could live like this because he allowed me to. I don’t want to admit it, but I can’t win against him. Because I can’t live alone just yet…. |
| Izumi | …. |
| (Masumi-kun is avoiding talking about what he wants to do. Even though he looks like he’s in so much pain…) |
| Masumi | It’s all right. Even if we’re apart, I’ll be thinking of you, and I’ll definitely return so we can be together. |
| ...I don’t know how many years it’ll take, but I’ll become an even better man and win your heart. So… |
| Izumi | ...You’re lying when you say “it’s all right,” aren’t you? |
| It’s not just about me. I’m sure you want to be with everyone else in the troupe as well. You want to stand on stage with everyone here—. |
| Masumi | ——. |
| Izumi | You’re not okay with leaving this place—right? |
| Masumi | —Of course I’m not! Of course I don’t want to leave! |
| I want to be here together… with you… with everyone else. I want to keep performing with everyone. |
| But… I don’t know what I can do. I can’t make any more trouble for you. |
| Izumi | You’re not making trouble—. |
| Masumi | I don’t know what he’ll do. |
| When I was a kid, I got injured because one of my classmates was messing around with me at school. |
| My teacher and I both agreed that he was just being a silly kid. But he took the case to court—he even got the other kid’s parents involved, and drove them into a corner. |
| In the end, my classmate was forced to transfer schools, and my teacher was held liable and also changed schools. |
| After that, both my classmates and teachers treated me like a sore spot. |
| That man is extreme. He’ll do anything if he thinks he’s in the right. |
| If I defy him, he might cause this troupe trouble. I don’t want that to happen no matter what. |
| Izumi | Masumi-kun... |
| Masumi | It’s fine. Please, just don’t do anything. |
| Izumi | ——. |
| (There’s no way he’s really fine with that…) |
| |
| Suga | I understand that you feel sad saying goodbye to your troupemate. But your relationship is nothing compared to blood ties. |
| |
| Izumi | (Our relationship doesn’t count for anything because we’re not related by blood… Is there nothing we can do…) |
| |
| Izumi | …. |
| (What should I do. I can’t just let Masumi-kun leave like this, but I don’t know what to do.) |
| (We can’t force Masumi-kun to stay—we’re not related; we have no right.) |
| (If Masumi-kun has given up, there’s nothing more we can…) |
| Tsumugi | Director. |
| Izumi | ? |
| Tsumugi | —I have something to tell you about Masumi-kun’s family. |
