Muku Sakisaka/Spotlight

Spotlight WEB Version: Muku Sakisaka

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Tasuku	*Pant, pant*.
Muku	*Pant, pant*.
Tasuku	I sped up a bit. Could you keep up?
Muku	Yes, I’m fine!
Tasuku	Alright, let’s head all the way to the park at this pace.
	If it gets tough, just say so.
Muku	You got it!
	*Pant, pant*.
Tasuku	Should we take a quick break?
Muku	Hah, hah… sure.
	I'm really out of breath, huh?
	But it feels great going on a run in the morning!
Tasuku	Yeah, it does.
	*drink falls from vending machine*
	Here, water.
Muku	Thank you very much.
	It’s wonderful that my leg has actually healed completely.
	I’m really glad I’m able to run together with you like this, Tasuku-san!
Tasuku	I see. I like running with you too, Sakisaka. We can run at the best speed and distance.
	There aren’t many guys who can keep up with my pace after all.
Muku	But you’re pretty fast, Tasuku-san. I gotta keep going on long training runs so I don’t get left behind!
Tasuku	I think you’re doing well enough already.
	Or rather, I think the other guys should learn from your attitude.
	…Alright, now that we've rehydrated, let's get going.
	Let’s pick up the pace even more on our way back.
Muku	Got it!
	I’ll do my best to stay behind you!
Izumi	Alright, let’s get down to practice.
	It’s morning, so let’s begin with vocalization work.
	We’ll start off with basic vocalizations.
Summer troupe	A-e-i-u-e-o-a-o, ka-ke-ki-ku-ke-ko-ka-ko…
Kumon	Sa-se-su-se-shi-se-so… ugh, my mouth doesn’t work well after I just woke up~.
Tenma	Try wider movements with your mouth.
Kumon	Like this…? Ta-te-chi-tsu-te-to-ta-to… I can say them!
	Thanks, Tenma-san!
Izumi	Next, we’ll hum. Which song should we do?
Kazunari	Lemme see… AH!
	How ‘bout BloodPink’s LovesickBoy?
Izumi	Huh, that song was…
Yuki	The troupe members have been into it these days.
Kazunari	Yep! Everyone knows it, so it’s totally perf, right!
Muku	I agree!
	It’s a bit difficult, but I’d like to try it.
Izumi	Alright, let’s go with that song then.
Misumi	Gooot it!
Summer troupe	Hm—mm—mmm—m—.
Muku	Mm———.
Troupe members	!
Kazunari	That long note just now was legit!
Izumi	Yeah. That last bit was amazing, Muku-kun!
Tenma	Your abdominal breathing’s in great shape.
Yuki	You've got more lung capacity than before, huh?
Muku	Ehehe, do I?
Kumon	I feel like you've gained more stamina since your leg healed, Muku!
Misumi	It’s ‘cause he runs a lot, right~?
Tenma	It’s like your weakness when you first joined the troupe was a lie.
Muku	I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m glad if everyone says so.
	(The reason my lung capacity has increased so much…
	Is it really because I've been running more than before?)
Izumi	Ah, Muku-kun. There you are.
	Are you perhaps heading out for a run right now?
Muku	No, I was stretching since I just came back from one.
Izumi	That’s great then.
	You see, it’s your turn next for the WEB version’s “Spotlight” interview. So the questionnaire arrived.
	Your interview will round off Summer troupe.
Muku	Is it alright for someone like me to be last for the whole troupe…?
Izumi	Of course. Kasumi-san said he’s looking forward to your interview too.
Muku	I-I’m starting to feel nervous now…
CHOICE 1: Just be your usual self and you’ll be fine! [+] Izumi Just be your usual self and you’ll be fine! Muku My usual self… Izumi I think the fans want to get to know you through the interview. So you don’t need to get all tense or try to say something nice. Muku I see… You have a point! I feel a little less nervous thanks to you, Director-san. Izumi I’m glad. Just say what you're thinking and you'll be fine. Be confident, Muku-kun! Muku Okay!
CHOICE 2: You have time, so think it over slowly. [+] Izumi You have time, so think it over slowly. If you prepare ahead of time, I bet you'll feel a little less nervous too. Muku …You might be right about that. Okay, I'll think about how I'll answer some of the questions! Izumi Ah, but you can just respond with what you think, alright? The most important thing is for everyone who reads the article to get a sense of who you are through the interview. Muku I got it. I’ll think about how I can get myself across to everyone! Izumi Yeah, please do.
	Alright then. Check over the questionnaire later, ok?
Muku	Got it!

Muku	I wonder what kind of questions mine has.
	I’m feeling pretty nervous…
	Let’s see, the question is…
	“What do you do on a daily basis that you can leverage as an actor?”
	I guess that would be shoujo manga…?
	But that might be similar to my answer in the last interview when I was asked if I’m the type of actor who gets absorbed in their role.
	I think I answered then that I'm good at having fun with my fantasies and imagination.
	Umm, I wonder if I have anything else…
	(Oh right, during this morning’s rehearsal…)
	…Okay, I’ll tell that story!
Kasumi	Thanks for coming today, Muku-kun.
Muku	Y-yes. Thank you for having me!
Kasumi	There’s no need to be so nervous.
	You can just act like we’re chatting as usual.
Muku	Right!
Kasumi	Alright, I’ll get the interviewed started now.
	In our previous interview, I asked you about what you usually keep in mind for yourself as an actor.
	This time, I'd like to ask you the opposite. Do you have anything you do on a daily basis that you can leverage as an actor?
Muku	I suppose that would be running.
	When I run, I increase my strength, and I’m able to train my lung capacity. So I think I can make good use of those.
Kasumi	That’s true. Both of those are necessary for actors, aren’t they?
Muku	Yes, especially for Summer troupe. We’re in charge of comedy, and we have many fast-paced plays, so I feel it’s absolutely essential.
Kasumi	Plays with a great tempo are Summer troupe’s strength, right?
	Muku-san, you said that you typically run. Do you enjoy running?
Muku	I really love it!
	These days, I’ve been going on morning runs with Winter troupe’s Tasuku-san.
	And on that topic, since I've been running with Tasuku-san a lot, it seems my lung capacity has increased more than before!
	I sang together with Summer troupe during rehearsal, and I was surprised that I could sing steadier long notes than before…
Kasumi	It's amazing that there was such a clear change.
Muku	Even I wasn’t aware of it, so it really was a surprise.
	But I'm really happy that I’ve had positive changes as an actor, so I'm going to keep running a lot from now on!
Kasumi	After hearing your story, I'm starting to wonder what kind of running Tasuku-kun is doing.
Muku	Ahaha. Please ask Tasuku-san next time.
Kasumi	Fufu, I will then.
	Maybe I’ll ask him when we meet next time.
	I'm sure you’ll become an even better actor in the future, Muku-kun.
	I'm looking forward to watching your growth in more ways than one!
Muku	Oh wow, thank you very much!
	I’ll do my very best from now on so I’m able to become a wonderful actor!

Anna