Azuma Yukishiro/MANKAI Memory

Childhood Memory: AZUMA

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Azuma	This black tea has a wonderful fragrance.
Asajo	Doesn’t it? I like it too.
	Oh, yes. Come to think of it, your birthday bromide for the troupe is fast approaching, isn’t it?
Azuma	That’s right.
Asajo	I had a look at the other member’s bromides and they all looked absolutely lovely.
	I’m looking forward to seeing how yours will turn out as well.
Azuma	Fufu, I will try my best to meet your expectations.
	(I need to start thinking about the accessory I’ll use for my bromide too…)
	(I suppose I’ll head back to the dorm now.)
	(…A birthday bromide. We’re supposed to prepare one memorable item from before we joined the troupe to use as an accessory for the photoshoot.)
	A memorable item from before I joined the troupe… huh?
	(Honestly, I don’t have much left from that time. What should I do?)
	…Ah, a general store.
	(There are lots of different items out for display in the window.
	…Ahh, there’s a rosary too.)
	(That reminds me, Hisoka told us he bought the rosary he used for his memorable accessory at his part-time job.)
	(They said we can use something that’s close to our memorable item for the accessory, so I might be able to find something in that case.)
	(…I guess I’ll try searching a bit before I head home.)
	I’m back.
Hisoka	Zzz, zzz…
Azuma	(Hm, Hisoka? He came over.)
	(He looks like he’s sleeping comfortably, so I’ll just leave him be.)
	…*Sigh*.
Hisoka	…Good morning, Azuma.
Azuma	Ahh, good morning, Hisoka.
	I’m sorry. Did I wake you?
Hisoka	No, it’s fine.
	I feel like I was sleeping in the courtyard and then Guy carried me over…
Azuma	Oh, I see.
	Maybe Guy went to Journey.
Hisoka	I think he did.
Azuma	Do you have today off, Hisoka?
Hisoka	Yeah.
	…Is something troubling you?
Azuma	Why is that?
Hisoka	I had a feeling from that look on your face.
	If not, that’s okay.
Azuma	I’m not exactly troubled.
	I was thinking about the accessory I’ll use for the birthday bromide.
	See, I don’t have many things in my possession from back then.
	So I tried looking for something that would be close to what I remember… but I couldn't find anything that felt right.
Hisoka	…I see.
Azuma	I’ve only just begun my search, so I think I’ll try looking again another day.
Hisoka	The owner of the shop I worked at for one day told me that the meetings between people and objects are once in a lifetime encounters too.
	So maybe you haven’t encountered anything yet, but I’m sure you will soon.
Azuma	Thank you. That would be great.
Hisoka	…Azuma. If you haven’t been there before, then…
Azuma	?

	*bell on door rings*
Furuta	Wow, hey there.
	You came, huh, Mikage-kun?
Hisoka	Hello.
Nosta	Meooow.
Hisoka	Long time no see, Nosta.
	There, there.
Nosta	Meow~. *Purr, purr*…
Hisoka	Azuma. This is the Furuta-san the shop owner, and Nosta the cat.
Azuma	Hello there.
Furuta	Welcome. Please take your time looking around.
Azuma	This is the place you worked part-time at for just one day, right, Hisoka?
Hisoka	Yeah. This is the shop where I bought the rosary.
Azuma	What a lovely miscellaneous goods store.
Furuta	I appreciate it.
	It’s worth running this shop if you say so.
	Did you come here to look for something?
Azuma	Not really. But if there’s an item that I feel is the one, then I'll buy it without hesitation.
Furuta	Sounds great. I love that way of thinking.
	Alright, I’ll introduce you to the items that just arrived today.
	Here’s a small box, a pen holder, a bookmark…
	And also… this stand mirror.
	I bet someone as beautiful as you enjoys looking in the mirror every day, don’t you?
Azuma	This is…
Hisoka	Azuma?
Azuma	This mirror has caught my eye. Is it alright if I buy it?
Hisoka	You decided quickly, Azuma.
Azuma	To tell you the truth, this looked exactly like a mirror I had back at my family home.
	When the shopkeeper said that someone beautiful like me would enjoy looking in the mirror every day, a memory with my mom came back to me.
Hisoka	Your mother?
Azuma	Yes.
	Will you take a moment to listen to my old story?
Hisoka	…Sure.
	*flashback starts*
Azuma’s classmate A	Yukishiro looks like a girl~.
Azuma’s classmate B	Yeah, yeah! He gets mistaken for one all the time~.
Azuma’s classmate C	You can’t tell he’s a boy!
	Whooo, girl, girl~.
Azuma	(Why do they have to say things like that...
	Or is it my fault for being born with this face?)
	(The kids in my class teased me for looking like a girl again today…)
	(I hate my face.)
	Uuuh… uuh….
Azuma’s mom	Azuma? What’s wrong? Did something bad happen?
Azuma	…There are kids who look at my face and say it looks like a girl’s…
Azuma’s mom	I see…
	Wait here for a second, alright, Azuma?
Azuma	…
Azuma’s mom	Here.
	Take a good look at your face in this mirror.
Azuma	…I hate it. This face of mine…
Azuma’s mom	Come on, don’t say that.
	Look.
Azuma	…
Azuma’s mom	Your face is really beautiful, Azuma.
	With such a beautiful face, who cares if it looks like a boy or girl’s?
	Besides, our faces look really alike, don’t they?
Azuma	…That’s because we’re family.
Azuma's mom	Fufu, exactly.
	If you say you hate your own face that looks like mine, then I’ll be sad. Do you hate mother’s face too, Azuma?
Azuma	No way… there’s no way I hate it!
	I love you, mother!
Azuma’s mom	I’m glad.
	I love you too, Azuma.
	You should be more confident.
	You’re really beautiful, after all.
Azuma	Mother…

Hisoka	…It sounds just like your mother to say something like that, Azuma.
Azuma	Fufu, even though you’ve never met her before?
Hisoka	I can imagine even if we haven’t met.
	I’m sure she was warm and kind, just like you.
Azuma	…Thank you, Hisoka.
	(I saw plenty of mirrors while I was searching for an accessory by myself. Yet, I didn't recall this memory—)
	(I wonder if that was so I could encounter this mirror which looked exactly like the one at home?)
Tsumugi	Happy birthday, Azuma-san.
	Cheers!
Winter troupe	CHEERS!
Izumi	Cheers!
Tasuku	Happy birthday.
Hisoka	Happy birthday, Azuma.
Izumi	Azuma-san, happy birthday!
Azuma	Fufu. Thank you, everyone.
Tsumugi	Azuma-san, the mirror you chose to use in the bromide photoshoot…
	You bought it at the general store Hisoka-kun worked at for a day, right?
Azuma	Yes, that’s right.
	It looked just like a mirror I had at my family home.
Homare	It has an antique design. I love it.
	Surely, it must have been a delight getting yourself ready in front of such a fine mirror.
Azuma	Mmm… I wasn’t like that back then.
	I wasn’t very confident in my looks when I was a child.
Izumi	Oh, really?
Tasuku	There was a time like that for Azuma-san too?
Guy	That is a tad unexpected.
Azuma	My mom showed my unconfident self my reflection in the mirror and told me I was beautiful.
	From then on, I think I became aware of what beauty was, although I was very young.
	That’s why I’m thankful for my mom who gave me confidence in myself.
Izumi	…She must have been a wonderful mother.
Azuma	Even though she’s my own mother, I think so too.
	Plus, since I started theatre, there were roles that I could pull off because I have these looks.
	I’m looking forward to encountering more roles like that in the future.
Izumi	I’m sure you’ll encounter them.
Hisoka	Yeah.
Tasuku	Right, make no mistake about it.
Azuma	Fufu, that’s right.
CHOICE 1: I’m looking forward to it too. [+] Izumi I’m looking forward to what kind of roles you’ll encounter too, Azuma-san. Azuma Thank you. Naturally, I’ll keeping acting the roles I can do thanks to my looks in a more attractive way—. But I’d like to try out roles with different vibes, new plays… And lots of different things. Please watch over me, alright? Izumi Of course!
CHOICE 2: You’re incredibly beautiful and lovely, Azuma-san. [+] Izumi You’re incredibly beautiful and lovely, Azuma-san. Azuma Thank you. I’m able to love myself more if you say so, Director. You’re very pretty and cute yourself. Izumi T-thank you very much…! Azuma Oh, right. The beauty lotion and beauty mask I’ve started using recently are really effective. I’ll give the same ones to you as a present next time. Izumi Are you sure? Azuma Of course. Fufu. Let’s become more and more beautiful together, shall we?
Homare	By the way, does the general store Hisoka-kun and Azuma-san went to have lots of antiques like this?
Azuma	Yes. They had some pretty peculiar items, so it was interesting.
	It felt just like the entrance to a fairy tale story.
Homare	Oho. Consider my interest piqued!
	Would you please take me along with you next time?
Hisoka	No.
Homare	Why not! Yet, you took Azuma-san there. Aren’t you being cold, Hisoka-kun!
Azuma	Fufu. I was considering dropping by again, so why don’t we all go together next time?

Anna