Tasuku Takato/Night-Out Runner

Lost Time Benefits

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Izumi	Well then, let’s stop here for today.
	Does the lead want to add anything?
Tasuku	I think it’s coming along nicely. Let’s each focus on deepening our roles.
	Playing a dancer means having to dance, so make sure you’re all resting properly.
	That’s all. You’re dismissed.
Izumi	Nice job today.
Tsumugi	Good work.
Azuma	He really should take his own advice.
Hisoka	….Right.
Homare	Is he what you’d call a massive boomerang? I had asked Itaru-kun about that just the other day.
Guy	Takato has always been hard on himself, but he seems to be practicing on his own even more than usual.
Tsumugi	He’s probably trying to make up for all the time during the trouble he went through.
Homare	If that’s the case, I’m also to blame.
Azuma	I’m sure he’s off to practice alone after this.
Hisoka	Sounds like something he’d do.
Azuma	In a situation like this, I think it’s better just to leave him be until he feels better.
Guy	Let’s just keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t overexert himself.
Tsumugi	Agreed.
Izumi	(This strategy of respecting Tasuku-san’s will but still watching over him is typical of Winter Troupe.)
	(For now, I’ll just go see him off.)
Izumi	Tasuku-san, are you going for a run?
Tasuku	It’s part of my daily routine. I’ll feel bad if I don’t go.
Izumi	Just don’t overdo it and hurt yourself.
Tasuku	Alright. I’ll come back after I’ve worked up a bit of a sweat.
Izumi	Take care. Come back safe.
Tasuku	…..
	(If I told her I was going practice my street dancing, she’d worry again.)
	(I can’t do it in the practice room… and the theater doesn’t have a mirror. What’s a good place–)
	–Gh.
Misumi	Whoa~. You startled me~.
Tasuku	Sorry.
Misumi	It’s okay, you didn’t bump into me~.
Tasuku	I’m glad it was you, Ikaruga. Only you could avoid that.
	I was just thinking a little. I got distracted.
Misumi	About your play?
Tasuku	I wanted to practice my street dancing, but I couldn’t think of anywhere where I can.
Misumi	Dance practice… Oh! ‘That’ place would work!

Tasuku	Here?
Misumi	Yep! This glass window is perfect!
Tasuku	Yeah, it’s big enough to where I can see my entire body, and it’s easy to get an image of dancing on a street.
Misumi	Back during Summer Troupe’s dance play, I saw some high schoolers practicing their moves here. I came here a lot for reference!
Tasuku	That’s surprising. You role built like this too?
Misumi	Yep~. Besides, you can find so many nice triangles here, too!
Tasuku	…I see.
	Anyways, this is a big help.
Misumi	Ehehe.
Tasuku	Oh, by the way– don’t tell anyone that I’m practicing here.
Misumi	Got it. Keep it a secret from Winter Troupe.
Tasuku	Thank you.
Misumi	Are you gonna practice now?
Tasuku	–No, I promised Director I’d only run today.
Misumi	Then let’s head home together~.
Tasuku	…..
	(Good, no one else is here.)
	(I’m not really sure about street dance rules, but I imagine the volume shouldn’t be too loud…)
	–. *dancing*
	(1, 2, 3, 4…)
Tasuku	Huff…
	(Unlike theater, I’m an outsider when it comes to this. I don’t even know if I’m improving….)
	(Do I really look like the kind of dancer that Arikawa would be attracted to at first glance?)
	(I should at least have someone look at it objectively so I can get an opinion…)
???	Oh, someone’s here.
Tasuku	?
???	It’s fine if you’re using it, I can go.
Tasuku	Wait, please. Did you come here for dance practice?
???	Yeah, but…
Tasuku	If I let you practice here, can I observe?
???	That’s fine… Dude, are you a dancer or something?
Tasuku	No, I’m an actor.
???	Heh, a celeb? What’s your name?
Tasuku	Takatsu—Ah, no.
	(I accidentally said the name of my role…)
Yuuki	Never heard of you. I’m Yuuki. I should tell you now, I’m not that good of a dancer.
Tasuku	I don’t care.
Yuuki	….Well, okay then.

Yuuki	–There.
Tasuku	…You’re good.
	So this real dancing… I thought Summer Troupe’s in the footage was good, but it’s so much more powerful in person…
	I need to be able to convey this power to the audience…
Yuuki	You’re mumbling a lot. Are you okay, man…
Tasuku	Have you been dancing for a long time?
Yuuki	Huh? Well, I guess? I quit once so there was a blank period.
Tasuku	You quit?
Yuuki	…I got so depressed from the difference in skill between me and my peers, that I ran away. But, I love dancing so much I came back in the end.
	Because of my blank period though, I’m still behind the others. That’s why I sneak out here and practice like this.
Tasuku	…Do you regret it?
Yuuki	Quitting? Or coming back?
Tasuku	Both.
Yuuki	I don’t.
	The more time I had to think about it, the more I realized how much I love dancing, and how much I want to get better at it.
	After all, isn’t it fun to dance with everyone?
Tasuku	…You’re right.
Yuuki	What about you, why are you dancing? Aren’t you an actor?
Tasuku	I’m playing a dancer in my next role, so I’m using this as a form of role building.
Yuuki	I see. So you’re a theater junkie, too. Are all actors like that?
Tasuku	Huh?
Yuuki	My tutor was the one who inspired me to come back to dancing. He’s also a theater junkie.
Tasuku	(Could he mean–)
Yuuki	Since you’re here, I can help you practice. I don’t know anything about acting, but I know a bit about dancing.
Tasuku	Thank you.
Izumi	Tasuku-san, welcome back.
Tasuku	–I’m home.
Izumi	Good work today. There’s some onigiri for you.
Tasuku	Onigiri?
Izumi	Misumi-kun told me.
Tasuku	–.
	*flashback starts*
Misumi	Got it. Keep it a secret from Winter Troupe.
	*flashback ends*
Tasuku	(Now that I think of it, he only said everyone in Winter Troupe. I’m screwed.)
	(Well, even if he didn’t tell Director, she’d still be worried.)
	I’m not overdoing it.
Izumi	Okay.
Tasuku	I wanted to make up for the lost time I caused, but I realize now it wasn’t wasted.
	It’s because of that time I’m able to understand what I was struggling to before.
Izumi	If that’ the case, I’m glad.
	Is that also thanks to your solo practice today?
Tasuku	No–.
Tsumugi	Tasuku, you’re back.
Hisoka	Nice timing.
Azuma	We were think of grabbing drinks at Guy’s bar.
Tasuku	But we’re getting close to the play.
Homare	And a certain someone needs to take the pressure off his shoulders.
Tasuku	–.
Tsumugi	Oh, is that onigiri?
Izumi	Yeah. I thought I should make Tasuku-san some…
Homare	Let’s take it with us to the bar, then.
Guy	Onigiri as a side dish… that’s new.
Tsumugi	Come on, Tasuku, let’s go. If you want, we can do some etudes at the bar to rehearse.
Tasuku	You…
	We can do some after drinking.
Azuma	He actually wants to do them.
Homare	As expected of Tasuku-kun.
Hisoka	….Theater junkie.

BAYLI