| Homare | Azuma-san, can I borrow that colour? |
| Azuma | Here you go. |
| Tasuku | Director, what are we doing for practice tomorrow? |
| Izumi | Let’s do a meeting. We need to start preparing for the third play soon. |
| Tsumugi | About that, is Azuma-san going to…? |
| Izumi | Yes, I need to ask about that as well. |
| Azuma | What’s this about? |
| Izumi | It’s about the next play. In our meeting the other day, we were talking about asking you if you’d like to take up the lead role… |
| Azuma | …Me, as the lead role? |
| Izumi | You’re the only one who hasn’t done the lead role or the second lead. |
| So I talked with Tsumugi-san, and we thought it would be good experience for you to have a big role this time around. |
| Azuma | Hmm… It’s an honour, but would you be all right with me? |
| Tsumugi | We’ll have Tasuku be the second lead; if you receive his support you may feel more at ease. |
| Azuma | I see… |
| Izumi | You have a unique aura to you even when you’re just standing, Azuma-san. So Tsuzuru-kun and I have always wanted to have a play that makes the best out of that. |
| But of course, in the end this is just what we want; everything is still for you and Tasuku-san to decide. |
| Homare | How wonderful. It’s a special opportunity, so why not give it a try? |
| Tasuku | I’m fine with that. I’ll give my all to act out any role I’m given. |
| Izumi | (What about Azuma-san…?) |
| You don’t have to decide right away. Give it some thought, and— |
| Azuma | …Hehe. There’s no way I can refuse such a cute request from the Director. |
| Izumi | Huh!? Really!? |
| Azuma | Yup. I’ll do my best. |
| Tsumugi | I’m glad. I’m looking forward to it. |
| Izumi | I’ll have Tsuzuru-kun advance the plot right away! |
| |
| Tsumugi | Director, about the meeting tomorrow— |
| Izumi | Hmm, I want to start reading out the script as soon as it’s done, but… |
| Masumi | Here. |
| Izumi | Masumi-kun? |
| Masumi | I thought you’d say that, so I stole this from Tsuzuru. |
| Izumi | What!? |
| Masumi | …I lied. Tsuzuru was dead, so I brought it in his place. |
| Izumi | Oh, you scared me… |
| So Tsuzuru-kun finished the script. Thank you, Masumi-kun. |
| Masumi | …Praise me more. |
| Izumi | Can you help me make copies then? |
| Masumi | Got it. |
| Tsumugi | You’re really good at dealing with Masumi-kun. |
| Izumi | Tsumugi-san, can you call the Winter Troupe members here? Let’s read the script right away! |
| Tsumugi | Understood. |
| |
| Izumi | … |
| (It’s a modern play this time. It’s a slightly dark and sad story about an ordinary salaryman called Kouta and a lonesome vampire called Reo…) |
| (The plot has an atmosphere that’s befitting of the Winter Troupe.) |
| Tasuku | …Not bad. |
| Homare | Mhm. It evokes a gloomy, depressing winter scene. |
| Tsumugi | It’s perfect for the Winter Troupe. |
| Hisoka | …It’s interesting. |
| Azuma | … |
| Izumi | Now then, we’ll start reading out the script tomorrow, so please read it thoroughly before practice. |
| Tsumugi | Yes. |
| Tasuku | Got it. |
| Azuma | … |
| Izumi | (? Azuma-san looked a little down. I wonder what’s wrong…) |
| |
| Azuma | “Good night… Sweet dreams,” huh. |
| That’s such a harsh concluding line for me… |
| Hm? |
| [Tasuku: Want to go for a drive?][1] |
| Azuma | …It’s unusual for Tasuku to send an invitation. |
| —Ohh, it’s probably for that. |
| [Azuma: Sure. I’ll leave the destination to you.]
[Tasuku: Understood. I’ll see you at the entryway in 10 minutes then.] |
| |
| Azuma | … |
| Tasuku | … |
| Azuma | This kind of brings back memories. |
| Tasuku | Huh? |
| Azuma | Back when the Winter Troupe had just formed, we all went here, remember? |
| Tasuku | Ah, come to think of it. |
| Azuma | Back then, I didn’t think it would get to the point where the two of us would go for a drive together like this. |
| Tasuku | Well, likewise. |
| Azuma | Lots of things happened back then. |
| Tasuku | …Yeah. |
| Azuma | …I wonder if we were able to change since then. |
| Tasuku | ―― |
| Azuma | Why did you invite me for a drive? |
| Tasuku | I wanted to talk with you about acting. |
| Azuma | I came here with the intention of enjoying a trip though… |
| Well, I don’t mind. |
| Tasuku | You brought your script? |
| Azuma | For some reason I had a feeling that I would need it. |
| Whenever we start practicing for a performance, it seems like practice is all you ever think about after all. |
| Tasuku | …I’m sorry. |
| Azuma | Hehe, it’s nothing to be sorry for. So, what do you want to do? |
| Tasuku | Why don’t we do a simple read-through? |
| |
| Azuma | “I was in your care for a long time. I didn’t mean to overstay, but it just felt so comfortable to be here.” |
| Tasuku | “You don’t have to be in such a hurry to leave. You helped me out too, after all.” |
| Around this part, I was thinking we should make the changes in Reo and Kouta’s relationship more obvious. |
| Azuma | Yeah, that sounds good. |
| Tasuku | Making it feel as if Kouta is steadily opening up first – what do you think? |
| Azuma | I’ll leave it to you. |
| Tasuku | Leave it to me, you say… This isn’t the destination of a drive, you know. |
| Azuma | We just got the script so I haven’t decided on a plan yet. How about we decide as we keep on practicing? |
| Tasuku | …Understood. |
| Azuma | Sorry. |
| Tasuku | No, I’m sorry too. Whenever I get the script, I just end up thinking ahead about all sorts of things on my own. |
| Azuma | That’s just like you. |
| Tasuku | I can’t deny that practicing for a performance is all I ever think about whenever it starts. |
| Azuma | …Say, Tasuku, why are you in this theater company? |
| Tasuku | Huh? |
| Azuma | You said before that you couldn’t join other theater companies because of God Seat putting pressure on them. But it should be fine now, right? |
| Didn’t you have any theater companies you wanted to join? |
| Tasuku | Well, there were theater companies that I had an eye on… |
| Azuma | Is it because Tsumugi is here after all? |
| Tasuku | Right now I like the acting that I’m doing here, and I feel indebted to this company for taking me in. It’s an important theater company to me. |
| Even if I think of transferring to another theater company in the future, I think that it would be after I’ve done everything I could in this theater company. |
| That’s why, I want to make this play a good one too. |
| Azuma | …I see. |
| Tasuku | Azuma-san, why— |
| Azuma | Oh, that’s right – how about we drive here with the rest of the Winter Troupe members again? |
| Tasuku | With everyone? |
| Azuma | Things will probably feel a little different from the last time we were all here. |
| Tasuku | Sounds like it’ll be a noisy trip. |
