| Kasumi | –So, the fact that Masumi-kun’s requesting to share love stories, maybe you’re in love with someone? |
| Masumi | I’m always in love with the Director. |
| Kasumi | Eh!? Director you mean, Yukio’s daughter!? |
| Are you serious!? |
| Masumi | Since I saw her doing the street act for the theatre, I've only had eyes for her. |
| The reason I entered the troupe, the reason I started acting, everything was because she’s there. |
| Kasumi | Woah… I see, I see, amazing! You have the will of steel! |
| Masumi | I want her to look at me, long for me, and for that sake, I’ve been doing my best at every performance. |
| Kasumi | I see, I see. Since it’s for the sake of someone you like, you’ll do your best on whatever comes to you! I know that feeling! |
| Masumi | …But, recently, I’m quite lost. |
| If, by chance that she ended up marrying another man… |
| She won’t be looking at me anymore…. And I really don’t know what to do then… |
| I don’t think I can even continue with acting. |
| Kasumi | It’s because that you like her that you’re that worried!! I understand!! |
| Chikage | (The tension here is amazing.) |
| Masumi | I don’t want to imagine that kind of future… No matter what happens, I will continue to love her with all my heart in this lifetime. |
| But, if that future really comes… |
| What should I do with my feelings, with all the love that is meant for her, I really can’t imagine it. |
| I hate myself who is shaken, who is not able to see her eye to eye now. Whatever love is, I don’t understand it anymore. |
| Kasumi | You have been thinking a lot even though you don’t understand it!! I understand!! |
| Chikage | (Do you understand or do you not understand…) |
| Masumi | Last time, Sakuya was telling me about how he admires your family. |
| That’s why, I want to know what you think about love after getting married. |
| I’m pretty sure you know more about love than me. |
| Kasumi | Oh, me!? That’s… I’m getting a little embarrassed here. |
| The story of my love and marriage huh… It’s a bit long if you want to hear about it. |
| |
| This is a story after I left MANKAI company. |
| I was thinking that I wanted to support the theatre troupe in my own way, and through the help of a friend, I entered a publishing company. |
| That is, Nadeshiko Publishing. |
| I was assigned to a theatre related magazine due to my enthusiasm, even though I was still inexperienced. |
| But I didn’t know a lot of stuff about publications despite my age. |
| That me back then, it was the editor-in-chief, my wife, who patiently helped me along the way. |
| Even though she’s younger than me, she has more experience as an editor, more than anything else though… I really liked her handwriting. |
| I was told a lot of tough things, but when I passed her my work for the editing-check, I ended up liking her patient and neat remarks written in all red. |
| I liked my work in publication, I was happy that she was there with me too, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with her. |
| Everything was like a dream, following my personality, I really thought that it was my one and only fated love in this lifetime. |
| To be honest, I’ve had a lot of times when I was depressed due to the work that I wasn’t used to, but I wanted to be acknowledged by her so I did my best and pushed through. |
| I chose this new life, I was feeling guilty for leaving the troupe too, the reason I was able to continue with work was because she was there… |
| Some people might think that it’s an impure motive, but for me, she’s a really important support system for my heart. |
| I was able to overcome my weakness and for me who has given up on theatre, she became a light in this new life of mine. |
| That’s why, I told her my feelings, we got married, and the moment our daughters were born, it was the happiest time of my life. |
| |
| My story might be a bit different from Masumi-kun, but because of our love for that one person our lives have changed. |
| Masumi | …Yeah. |
| Kasumi | When my daughters were born, it was hard to take care of 3 babies at the same time, but I was really happy. |
| But then… I found out that my wife had been carrying an illness. |
| Masumi | – |
| Kasumi | Worse is, what happened afterwards. |
| She passed away, leaving behind her beloved daughters and me on our own. |
| Masumi | … |
| Kasumi | It was so sudden and I was so desperate, to the point that I was thinking of dying myself, but her words ended up stopping me. |
| I am alone right now but, I have to raise our daughters, nurture them with two people’s worth of love. |
| That is, her final wish after all… |
| It can be difficult to balance work and childcare alone, but if it’s for the sake of her and our daughters, I will always have the power to do my best. |
| When I thought about the love I’ve felt towards her in this lifetime, I felt the same as the time when I started working as a publisher and I feel that I’ll be able to do my best on whatever comes to me. |
| Masumi | … I get it. |
| … Do you feel lonely for not being able to see your wife? |
| Kasumi | Hmm… |
| I cried my life’s worth that time, even now, there are times that I can’t help but to feel lonely. |
| To the one person that I love from the bottom of my heart, no matter how much I say “I love you”, it’s sad to think that I’ll never receive an answer anymore… |
| I don’t usually have such times though, since the days I spend with my daughters are fun. |
| Despite that, there’s only one person I love with all my heart and I will continue to love her for the rest of my life. |
| When you find that person in your life, I’m sure your heart will be filled. |
| I can’t see her anymore, but my love for her will never disappear. |
| Masumi | So you’re also a master of love… |
| Kasumi | Eh! It’s weird for you to call me a master of love! |
| I’m just a love otaku… I mean, I love all those romance dramas, shoujo mangas, and the like… |
| Chikage | You ‘also’? |
| Masumi | Itaru’s also a master of love. |
| Chikage | Pfft… |
| Kasumi | …Ah! It’s already this late. |
| Sorry, I have a meeting after this. |
| The two of you can take your time here. |
| Chikage | Sorry to trouble you. |
| Kasumi | Don’t mind it. |
| You don’t need to worry about the cost too. |
| Chikage | Sorry… Thanks for the treat. |
| Masumi | …Thank you. |
| Kasumi | You’re welcome! |
| See you! |
| Chikage | … |
| Masumi | … |
| Chikage | So Kasumi-san’s wife has passed away. |
| Masumi | I didn’t know… |
| Should I have not asked? |
| Chikage | How is it… I think he enjoyed the conversation though. |
| Masumi | Sorry to make you hang around so long. |
| Let’s go back. |
| Chikage | We still have time, why don’t we talk a bit more. |
| Masumi | ? |
| Chikage | I’ve been telling lies here and there so I’m not sure if you can believe me but… |
| I’ve also, lost a very important person to me before. |
