??? | Phew… |
| *clapping* |
| …? |
Tsuzuru | That was amazing…! |
??? | Oh, you saw all that… how embarrassing… |
Fuyuki | You must be that Yokomizo guy, right? |
Tasuku | You know him, aniki? |
Fuyuki | Yeah. |
| I saw him on TV - he’s the professional ice skater who just made a comeback. |
Yokomizo | Ah… That’s right. |
Tsuzuru | That was amazing skating just now! |
Yokomizo | Haha, thank you very much. …But this isn’t really cutting it… |
Tasuku | …? |
Tsuzuru | What do you mean? That seemed totally flawless to me… |
Yokomizo | Hmm… While the precision of my technique and music choice wasn’t that bad, I’m still not satisfied… |
Fuyuki | Could this be about your personal feelings on the matter then…? |
Yokomizo | … |
Tsuzuru | Uh… If you don’t mind, you could tell us your story? You never know, maybe we could help you out somehow… |
Yokomizo | … |
| Truth is, that I have a childhood friend called Tateyama. We used to skate at our local skating rink ever since we were kids. |
| He was my skating rival and also my best friend. We dreamed of pairing up together someday and winning a gold medal. |
| We didn’t know back then that male pairs weren’t allowed. Haha, we were so naïve. |
Tasuku | … |
Yokomizo | Even then, I felt like I had to produce some results to show to him in case we both participated in the same competition and fought for the same medal, so I started growing anxious. |
| And then I got a serious injury while practising before an important match. Even after I had fully recovered, I couldn’t reach my past records. |
| All the while his form was standing on the podium and shined so brightly… I was just getting frustrated that I couldn’t sparkle like him in the rink… |
| …I couldn’t bear the pain anymore and I left the world of figure skating. |
| No… Actually, it would be more accurate to say that I ran away from everything. I ran away from Tateyama as well as skating. |
Tsuzuru | …I see. |
Yokomizo | Since then, I have been estranged from Tateyama as well. |
| But as time went by, as one would expect, I wanted to start skating again… And that’s when I decided that I should make a comeback as a pro. |
| But.. I was right, I can’t skate as well as I used to. Something is missing… |
Tasuku | … |
| It’s because you’re alone… wouldn’t that explain it? |
Yokomizo | Because I’m alone…? |
Tasuku | I also had a point in my life when I was acting all by myself. …But then I realised that it wasn’t what I wanted. |
| I’m staying with and working for my current theatre company because I now have fun acting with my fellow actors. |
Yokomizo | …The reason why I can’t skate comfortably is because he isn’t here… |
| But… Even if I realised it now, it’s too late. There’s no way Tateyama would forgive me for running away from skating… |
Fuyuki | …Tasuku. Don’t you think that you guys can grant his wish? |
Tasuku | …Eh? |
Fuyuki | The stage is where dreams take shape, isn’t that what they say? Your place’s lead writer happens to be here, too! |
Tasuku | …I get it now. |
| What do you think, Minagi? |
Tsuzuru | Of course I’ll join in on the plan. I actually feel like I’ll be able to write one good script thanks to Yokomizo-san. |
Yokomizo | Um…? |
Tsuzuru | We will be acting here on this skating rink soon. Please come and watch our performance, Yokomizo-san. |
Yokomizo | A-alright… |
Tasuku | You really shouldn’t miss it. …We will make your dream a reality, after all. |