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| -- Training Room (Night, Lights off) -- | |
|---|---|
| Izumi: | (Time for some night patrol. Sakuya had better not be up late practicing again.) |
| Izumi: | ... |
| Izumi: | (Okay, good. Looks like we're in the clear. He must have been exhausted after today anyway.) |
| Izumi: | (I know he's a hard worker, but I think he takes too much on himself as leader. I need to do a better job of drawing the line for his own good.) |
| -- Front Door Lounge (Night) -- | |
| Izumi: | Now then, off to bed for me... |
| Izumi: | Hm? |
| Izumi: | D-Did I just see a figure moving in the courtyard? |
| Izumi: | (There's no way anyone would be out there this late. Unless it's a ghost. Haha, no way. ...Right?) |
| Izumi: | ... |
| Izumi: | (OK, deep breaths. Let's just... take a peek. The last thing we need is someone breaking in at night.) |
| -- Courtyard (Night) -- | |
| ???: | ... |
| Izumi: | Who's there?! |
| Sakuya: | WHOA! |
| Izumi: | Eeeek! |
| Sakuya: | I-Is that you, Izumi? |
| Izumi: | Oh, it's just you, Sakuya. |
| Sakuya: | You scared the daylights out of me. |
| Izumi: | That's my line! What're you doing out so late? |
| Sakuya: | I couldn't sleep. But since I'm not supposed to be practicing, I took a walk instead. |
| Izumi: | Are you still upset about the swordfight? |
| Sakuya: | That's part of it, but I've been doing a lot of thinking. |
| Sakuya: | It makes me scared that maybe I'm not cut out for this too. |
| Izumi: | You're pretty unpolished, that's true. But you're working hard and improving every day. And that's not a small thing. |
| Izumi: | Thing is, we're compressing what should be months of practice into weeks. It's not fair to expect- |
| Sakuya: | No, it's not that, ma'am. |
| Izumi: | What? |
| Sakuya: | I told you I've gone a long time with relatives looking after me, right? |
| Izumi: | You did. |
| Sakuya: | So every time I move in with a new set of relatives, I try so hard. I keep hoping that this time, I can open up and be part of the family for real. |
| Sakuya: | But it never works out. I always end up dumped off with another set of relatives. I think maybe I'm just not good enough for anybody... |
| Izumi: | Sakuya, that's not true at all! You can't take all the blame when things don't work out the way you want. |
| Izumi: | It takes two to tango. One person can't carry a relationship by themselves. So don't beat yourself up over it. |
| Sakuya: | ...Thank you, Izumi. |
| Sakuya: | I was so happy to make it into a troupe and get the Romeo role. It felt like the whole group was accepting me as one of them. |
| Sakuya: | That's why I got super scared when you guys were talking about changing up the roles. |
| Izumi: | (No wonder why he reacted that way...) |
| Izumi: | Sakuya, what made you love theater so much? |
| Sakuya: | I saw this play back in my grade school art club. The actors were so lively, it was like they were real pirates. It totally blew me off my feet. |
| Izumi: | Oh, wow. It sounds like it was a blast. |
| Sakuya: | It was. And there's more. |
| Sakuya: | There was a fire at the building next door to the school. They had to call the play off and evacuate everyone when the fire alarm rang, but you know what one actor said? |
| Sakuya: | "Arr, mateys, the navy's attacking! Retreat, retreat! Do it just like we drilled!" |
| Sakuya: | I remember it clear as day. The students were all about to panic, then the pirate captain started ushering them to the fire exit in character. |
| Sakuya: | It was such a thrill. None of us were afraid of the fire at that point. It was like we were all part of the pirate crew, on a big adventure. |
| Sakuya: | The story kept going even after the actors left the stage. |
| Izumi: | ...The show must go on, huh. |
| Sakuya: | Exactly. I only learned that phrase later, but it inspired me. The show must go on, no matter what happens. No cutting it short. |
| Sakuya: | I wanted a role I could play with perfect confidence, just like that actor did. I wanted a place to belong. |
| Izumi: | Wow, Sakuya... |
| Izumi: | (Maybe when he panicked, it was because he was afraid he might lose his place to belong.) |
| Izumi: | This Romeo is one that only you can play, Sakuya. |
| Izumi: | But I want you to remember that you also have a place even off the stage, and nobody can take that from you anymore. |
| Izumi: | Everyone accepts you as Romeo, and as leader. And you've earned all of that with your own hard work. |
| Sakuya: | Really? So I can keep staying here? |
| Izumi: | Of course you can. We'd be in a real bind if you left. |
| Sakuya: | That's good... |
| Izumi: | Have you sorted out your feelings over the swordfight yet? |
| Sakuya: | Sorry, ma'am. I still want to do it. I can't let it go. |
| Izumi: | Haha, you're pretty stubborn sometimes. |
| Sakuya: | Yes. ma'am. |
| Izumi: | Okay, then keep practicing, but look after yourself. I don't want you getting hurt, all right? |
| Sakuya: | Yes, ma'am! I hope you'll let me get back to it tomorrow! |
| -- | |
| Masumi: | ... |
| Citron: | The walls have ears, the doors have eyes, and the shadows have Citron. |
| Masumi: | It's too crowded here. |
| Citron: | In my land, eavesdropping is punishable with a sentence of 300 tongue-twisters. |
| Masumi: | You'd have the same punishment. |
| Citron: | Ah, you suggest destruction of evidence! We are accomplices in this, Masumi! |
| Masumi: | ...I didn't know anything about Sakuya. |
| Citron: | We all have much to learn of one another. |
| Masumi: | ... |