 |
| Juza | … |
| Bring on the light. |
 |
| Akashi | Got it. Let me know if you want me to turn it off at any point. |
| Slowly, slowly… Gradually, I don’t want to startle Juza. |
 |
| Juza | —Tch. |
| (I can do this… |
| Back then, I remember stumbling around frantically in the dark… |
| My past self… |
| For so long, I’d been drowning in the dark. I needed that light. |
| I’ve always, always yearned for the spotlight, dreaming of the day it’d illuminate the dusty corners of my life. My future was always in that spotlight, and every day I would stumble closer… |
| I needed the light to imagine a future for myself. |
| It’s almost mesmerizing, this blinding glare…) |
| Akashi | U-Umm, how was that? |
| Juza | …It was okay. I felt a little scared at first, but I think I can handle this. Thanks. |
| Akashi | Good to hear it. Alright, then we’ll get started. |
| If anything changes and you feel uncomfortable, please give me a sign. |
| Juza | Will do. |
| If I can perform alone in front of the troupe, maybe this’ll be my first step toward acting normally again. |
| And if I fail… I still have tomorrow, the next day, and any day after that. They said they’d give me plenty of chances, which is a relief. |
| Oh, but then that’d mean I’d have to keep asking you for help. I don’t wanna burden you with my bullshit. |
| Akashi | That… That won’t be a problem at all, so please don’t worry about me! |
| The truth is, I… I like seeing you under the spotlight. |
| Juza | Huh? |
| Akashi | When they first appointed me as Mankai Company’s head of lighting, I had to manage the stage lights for a variety of different shows and actors. |
| Out of everyone I’ve worked with… You stood out to me, Juza. You’re special. |
| There are actors like Banri who can sparkle under the spotlight, and there are actors who can melt beautifully into the shadows. |
| But of all the actors I’ve met, your light is the strongest. You outshine everyone else in terms of pure intensity. |
| At first, I have to admit I was a little anxious. Your aura was so overwhelming I felt intimidated. |
| But I noticed how joyful your movements were under the spotlight, Juza. |
| There aren’t many actors who can appreciate stage lighting like that, so as the head of lighting, I was really happy. |
| I know I can’t really grasp what you’re going through right now, but after you perform your script on stage today, I think I’ll be able to understand you a little more. |
| …So I guess what I want to say is I can tell you’re someone who knows what it feels like to be in the shadows. |
| I think you can utilize your knowledge of the shadows to enhance your powerful light. |
| When I was studying lighting design, not only did I have to learn how light affects the stage, but also how darkness affects it, too. |
| I think you’ll shine even brighter under the spotlight when the time comes because you’ve overcome this darkness. |
| You’re someone who needs to call forth the light and keep shining on stage. |
| Juza | — |
| Akari | O-Ohhh, I’m sorry, I just talked your ear off... |
| Juza | No… Thank you for that. In fact, I feel like I understand lighting design a little more after listening to your wisdom. It’s my honor as an actor to learn from you. |
| I’m lookin’ forward to working with you today. |
| Akashi | N-No problem! |
 |
| Kumon | Hehe, front row seats! |
| Azami | VIP section. |
| Izumi | Everyone, come take your seats. |
 |
| Juza | … |
| Izumi | (There he is, Juza on a dark stage alone… |
| There’s only a thin sliver of light. It seems like it could disappear at any moment.) |
| Juza | — |
| …“Light,” by Juza Hyodo. |
 |
| Juza | “Right now, I stand in darkness. |
| I do not know how long I have been here. |
| |
| It’s been so long, I’ve forgotten. |
| For as long as I can remember, I’ve been squatting in this spot. |
| |
| I can hear everyone’s voices. Far away. |
| The only thing guiding me is a thin sliver of light out of the distance. |
| |
| But where I stand now, |
| Only a whisper of light reaches me. |
| And I cannot move my feet to approach this light. |
| |
| The light in the distance sparkles. |
| Visible from here, even in the darkest corners. |
| Those chosen for the light, |
| They bask in its brilliance, but I too can feel its echoes. |
| |
| Imagining my future… |
| I wonder… I wonder when it will be my turn to bask in the light. |
| |
| If I am someday illuminated, |
| I would like to stand under a stage spotlight, all eyes on me. |
| |
| Someday, I’m sure, |
| I would like to bathe in that wash of light, |
| Bathe in brilliance until I know of nothing else.” |
|
| Juza | … |
 |
| Izumi | (Slowly the tiny ray of light is becoming bigger… It’s enveloping Juza’s whole figure. |
| Even without words, I can sense that Juza’s whole body is tingling with happiness.) |
 |
| Juza | …Thank you, everyone. |
 |
| Izumi | Juza! You did it! |
| Kumon | Nii-chan… T-That’s the Nii-chan I know! |
| Azami | Nice work. |
| Omi | You did great. |
| Banri | Level one, clear. Boooring. |
| Sakyo | I thought it was well done. |
| Taichi | Congrats, Juza! |
|
| Juza | … |
| (T-The light is… But I don’t feel scared. |
| The future my past self was rushing toward… I’m making that future happen, here and now, on this stage. |
| No matter what happens, no matter what obstacles stand in my way, I never want to give up my journey out of darkness. |
| I don’t have to be afraid anymore. The spotlight is where I belong.) |
