Izumi | (Let's see, what was the location of the theatre again? I'm sure there was a map on the flyer.) |
| ...'Mankai Theatre'. |
| (It's at the end of 'Veludo Way', I think. I'll first go look there.) |
| (So this is the holy land of the theatre, Veludo Way... I should have come here when I was little, but I totally don't remember it.) |
| (I had heard of it before, but there really are a lot of theatres here. I'll have to make sure I don't miss the signboard...) |
Man who seems to be hurt | Urgh... |
Izumi | ? |
| (He is crouching. Maybe he is physically hurt.) |
| Excuse me, are you okay? |
Man who seems to be hurt | I-I'm fine... |
Izumi | (He doesn't look fine at all...) |
??? | Did something happen? |
Izumi | Well, this person is crouching, so I called out to him. |
Man who seems to be hurt | I'm really fine, so— |
Young man in a hurry | Tasuku! |
Izumi | ? |
| (Maybe an acquaintance of this person?) |
Tasuku | Haruto... |
Haruto | You know you can't sneak away from the hospital! |
Tasuku | But, if I don't do this, I can never in my life go outside of the hospital again. |
Izumi | (Somehow it seems like a complicated conversation, but it is a bit weird.) |
??? | Err... |
Passerby A | Oh, it's a street act. |
Passerby B | I have seen a theatre play with that boy! |
Izumi | (A street act?) |
| (Oh, that's what it is!) |
??? | What should we do? It seems like it will probably be okay? Maybe? |
Izumi | I think so too. Let's give them some space. |
??? | Eh? But... |
Izumi | If you watch, you will understand. |
??? | ??? |
Tasuku | Tell me the truth! My disease can't be cured anymore, can it? |
Haruto | That's not true! |
Tasuku | Don't lie. I overheard it a while ago. You and the doctor were talking. |
Haruto | What? |
Tasuku | I don't want to die without knowing anything. I want to properly know the state of my disease... |
| Please, Haruto... |
Haruto | Here there are people watching. Let's talk inside the hospital. |
Tasuku | ...All right. |
Izumi | (Is this the end of the first act?) |
Tasuku | Thank you very much for watching. |
Haruto | Thank you! |
Passerby A | The actors of GOD Company are great as always. |
Passerby B | You just get captivated by their acting. |
Izumi | (It's true, I couldn't look away! And I don't feel like that just now was a performance.) |
??? | Eh? Acting? Was that just now a play? |
Izumi | A street act is the performance of a play on the street as advertisement. |
| Members of a theatre group combine earning money and getting advertisement by doing this. |
??? | I see! Something like a improvisation play or a flash mob? |
Izumi | That's right. With a lot of small theaters in this town it is really popular, but the first one really is surprising, isn't it? |
??? | I see... As expected of the town of acting. I should do some more research. |
Tasuku | Sorry for making you guys worry just now. Thanks. |
Haruto | You just started talking to passersby, of course they were surprised. |
Tasuku | You were just too late. |
Haruto | What is that supposed to mean, are you saying I did something bad? |
Izumi | I was a bit surprised, but it was interesting. |
Tasuku | If you would like to, please come see a play of GOD Company sometime. |
??? | Excuse me, is GOD Company now recruiting members? |
Haruto | We are, are you interested in joining? |
??? | I'm still thinking about it. Is there a dormitory? |
Haruto | We don't have that kind of thing. Except for the ones that are living with their parents, everyone is hiring a room nearby. |
| Since there are also a lot of runaways, it's pretty tough. There are always a lot of fellows that are scraping by on an allowance. |
??? | I see... |
Haruto | But as an experienced person with ability that isn't a problem, right? |
??? | I understand. Thank you very much. |
| Well then, I'll be going. |
| (He gives them a coin.) |
Tasuku | Thank you very much. |
Izumi | (So that kid wants to join a theatre company... That kind of takes me back, like I'm looking at my old self.) |
| (I should give them a coin too.) |
| (She gives them a coin.) |
Haruto | Thanks! See ya! |
Izumi | (These children are good looking and their acting is great, so they're probably popular. As to be expected of the center of Veludo Way, the level is high.) |
| (Makes me look forward to the play I'm going to see now.) |
| (This is Mankai Theatre... I think.) |
| (It looks like it has a great history, and like it's very old, and... It's actually almost falling apart!) |
| (There is supposed to be a performance today, but there are no people, so I hope it's all right.) |
| (After coming all the way here, if this letter was only a prank...) |
| Flashback starts |
Izumi | (Mankai Company is the theatre group Dad was in, right?) |
| (As the sender wrote a letter addressing Dad, that person probably knows him, so if I meet him maybe I'll learn something about him.) |
Izumi's Mother | Well then, do as you want. Your mother knows nothing after all. |
Izumi | It has been eight years since dad went missing, right? Aren't you worried? |
Izumi's Mother | That person could be dying by the roadside somewhere. We are not in a relationship anymore, so I don't care. |
| Flashback ends |
Izumi | (Saying those words... Mum, you're really not worried about Dad, are you.) |
| (But I wonder what kind of relationship the sender of this letter, Matsukawa Isuke, has to my father. Maybe an official of Dad's theatre group?) |
??? | Hey you, do you have something to do with this theatre? |
Izumi | — |
| Are you Matsukawa-san? |
Yakuza-looking man | What? |
Izumi | (He can't be. He can't be, right? I hope he isn't!) |
Yakuza-looking man | Are you... No way. |
Izumi | Ah, you're mistaking me for someone else. It's not like I have received a letter or anything, I'm just Passerby A. |
| (No way Dad, I hope you're not in debt to this person, you're not that kind of guy, right?) |
Yakuza-looking man | ...If you have no business here, just leave. You don't want to go through a dangerous situation, do you? |
Izumi | A dangerous situation? |
??? | Eeeeek! |
| There we go!! |
Izumi | !? |
| (What!? What is this noise...) |
| (Wait, a shovel car!?) |