Tasuku Takato/Wondering Ride

Wondering • Ride

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

TV Programme	Team A is doing a splendid job!
Citron	What programme are you guys watching?
Izumi	It’s a quiz show. It apparently seems like there’s quite a number of celebrities gathering together to take part in it.
Yuki	Whenever I change programmes, it always turns out to be stupid programmes like this. I really can’t settle for them.
Tsumugi	But, you’ll still end up watching them in the end anyway.
Kazunari	That’s it~! The famous entertainers of this season are all coming out one after another!
TV Programme	The winner is team A!! And the top prize goes to Team A’s leader! Congratulations!
	The top prize is a high-class foreign luxury car!
Citron	Oh—!? Amazing, you can even win a car!?
Taichi	A foreign car’s really cool!!
Kazunari	Seriously!? Isn’t that something to really go for!?
Citron	But where are they going to use such a big key on? The balance between the key and the car is strange.
Yuki	It’s not like that’s the real key or anything.
Izumi	Ahaha, that’s a gift. It’s not going to be put into practical use or anything, you can say that it’s like a trophy of sorts.
Taichi	Oh! Come to think of it!
Tsumugi	What’s wrong?
Taichi	Tasuku-san got a huge key too, right!? You know, the one from the award!
Tasuku	……
Izumi	Award?
Tasuku	Yeah…God Theater has an event at the end of every year called God Theater Awards.
Taichi	And so, the MVP actor of the year will be given a car or something like that my God Theater’s manager, just like this programme!
Tsumugi	Come to think of it, I recently heard that it seems like they can get big TVs and the latest state-of-the-art home appliances as well.
Yuki	Humph, as expected of God Theater. They’re as extravagant as their sarcasm plays them to be.
Kazunari	So, so, that means you were chosen as the MVP actor of the year and got a luxurious car!?
Tasuku	No…
Taichi	What’s cool is actually what happened afterwards! Tasuku-san was really cool! He coolly declined the luxury car!
Kazunari	Eh—!? No way, what a waste!!
Izumi	Why did you refuse?
Tasuku	Even if I got myself a fancy car, it isn’t in my tastes to get one so it would only be a nuisance.
Kazunari	Hyu—!! You’re really handsome too! So wouldn’t that make girls for head over heels for you!?
Taichi	How should I say, you’re too unfriendly though you’re so handsome...Oh, but there was also that “Queen Bee” incident before then…
Tasuku	Oi, Nanao that’s…
Izumi	(Queen Bee incident?)
Yuki	What?
Tasuku	Nothing. It’s nothing important.
Kazunari	But I’d still fall for a luxury car in the end—! Hey, say, how about we do a MANKAI Award too!?
Tsumugi	Ahaha, sounds interesting.
Yuki	We don’t have budget in our company to hold something that. There’s also no way that money-tight yakuza would give the OK for it.
Citron	Then how about the MVP actor getting a hot hug from me!
Kazunari	Eh~ if it’s going to be a hug then how about one from the director instead…
Taichi	Seriously!? We can get a hot hug from the director-sensei!?
Izumi	I won’t! Don’t just go deciding things on your own!

Tsumugi	Well then, I guess we’ll change the standing positions in this scene.
Tasuku	Right. Also, following the accordance of the appearances…
Tsumugi	!
Tasuku	!
Izumi	Haa, haaah……Oh for crying out loud, I wonder what i forgot.
Tasuku	What’s wrong, director? You seem to be in quite the hurry.
Tsumugi	You just went out earlier too. Did you forget something?
Izumi	To think that I’d leave such an important thing behind. Even though that had been my main purpose, I only noticed it half-way.
	Haa, oh, there it is. Oh no, it’s already this late! Then, I’m heading out again!
Tsumugi	A-Are you alright?
Tasuku	Will you make it?
Izumi	Uu, I’ll probably make it if I caught a taxi…I think.
Tsumugi	…! Hey, Tasuku, isn’t this the time for the Queen Bee to shine?
Tasuku	……
Tsumugi	I meant you did get it from the manager after all and I think that she’d make it if it’s the Queen Bee.
Izumi	(The Queen Bee’s named after the luxury car they were talking about back then, right?)
	Um, exactly what’s the Queen Bee?
Tasuku	Haa…It’s the name of a bike.
Tsumugi	I had been interested in what Taichi-kun had been talking about back then so I asked Tasuku about it. That’s when he told me about it.
	At that time during the awards, even though he had refused the MVP’s luxury car, the manager was insistent that he made do with something.
	And so since the car was no good…He was awarded with the bike named “Queen Bee” in the end.
Tasuku	Since I had a wagon and all, I left it back home. Though since Tsumugi had asked to see it, my brother had brought it over here yesterday.
Izumi	I see!
Tsumugi	Haha. I mean it’s the Queen Bee, isn’t it? Of course I’d be interested.
	Your brother seemed to be really elated to see me again after such a long time when he had brought the bike over too.
Tasuku	That’s because my brother had wanted to meet you too.
Tsumugi	Since there are 2 helmets, please send her there.You’d make it if you take a bike, right?
Izumi	Since there are 2 helmets, please send her there.You’d make it if you take a bike, right?
Tasuku	I don’t really mind but don’t complain no matter what.
Izumi	? Okay.
Tasuku	Here. It’s this one.
Izumi	…!! So this is the Queen Bee.
	(It’s too flashy with it’s yellow and black colours! How should I put it, it’s just like God Theater I guess…)
Tasuku	…Do you not want to ride it after all?
Izumi	Not at all! I-I’ll ride it! Please do let me!
Tasuku	Then here’s the helmet. Hang in tight once you get on the back.
Izumi	Okay!
	(I won’t say that it’s luxurious but it seems to be very conspicuous on the road…)

Izumi	Haa, thank god. We’ve somehow managed to make it on time.
	The items were also safely delivered. This is all thanks to you and the Queen Bee.
Tasuku	That’s great.
Izumi	I’m really thankful towards you. I’ll be taking the train back then…
Tasuku	Since I’m already here and all, I don’t mind if you ride back too.
Izumi	What? But I’d feel bad if you do more than this for me.
Tasuku	Especially so since you feel bad for it.
Izumi	What?
Tasuku	Since I’m riding the motorbike after a really long time, it feels really unsatisfactory to ride it just in the town. Let’s make a little stop. Come along with me for a drive.
Izumi	O-Okay!
	Phew…The wind feels really nice and great~!
Tasuku	Right?
Izumi	Actually, it was the first time I rode at the back of a motorcycle. So, it was a little scary at first…
	But I came to enjoy the way my body tilted along with it whenever the bike tilted.
Tasuku	Riding a bike has a totally different sense of unity compared to driving a car.
Izumi	That’s right! I think I’ve come to understand a little of how bike enthusiasts feel.
Tasuku	I see. It’s been a really long time since I last rode like this so I really enjoyed it too.
	……Speaking of which, it’s also the first time I’ve had a girl ride behind me.
Izumi	What? That’s surprising, seeing how I heard that you’re popular.
Tasuku	I mean they can’t ride while wearing a skirt, can they. On that note, you’re okay because you don’t have to take extra care about it or anything.
Izumi	(That means he doesn’t see me as a girl huh……)
	(But I’m kinda happy that he put it that way and that he didn’t mind.)
	Though God Theater is our hated rival, I guess I should thank them only for this Queen Bee.
Tasuku	…Hm, that’s true.
	About the time that I was in God Theaters too…I won’t say that all of it was great and all but it’s somewhat a kind of support for the me right now.
	That’s why I thought that I should ride the bike once again.
	It’s thanks to the Director and everyone in the MANKAI Company.
Izumi	(Tasuku-san…He’s trying to accept and look at his time in God Theater in a positive light)
	You don’t mind me riding it again too?
Tasuku	Yeah. I don’t mind it if you’re alright with the Queen Bee. Didn’t you have fun gazing at the scenery as we ran through the streets?
Izumi	It was honestly a little embarrassing at the beginning but I somehow got used to it somewhere along the middle.
Tasuku	You have it pretty hard there.
Izumi	Right! It’s sudden but how about using it to get to the Curry Fair that’s to be held next week…!
Tasuku	…Wait, aren’t you using it way too much to your convenience?
	Honestly, that’s just like you to do so.

Ran