Chapter 1

.........

.......It's still not enough......

….More….... It has to be more……

Something more captivating… something that will make the audience smile......

I need..... that kind of direction—

That’s why... you’ve gotta give it lots and lots of thought!

For the sake of the current you, and the future you too!

Otherwise..... you won’t be able to find your smile again!¹

........!

(......What... was I doing...?)

(Huh...? This is... my directing note?)

...........

I see... I thought I heard a voice earlier, but——

I must’ve dozed off again while jotting down ideas.

(I’ve learned a lot since joining THE CENTER THEATRE..... but I’m still far from being a real director.)

(——I shouldn’t be napping in a place like this.)

(What was the last note I wrote...? Oh—here it is.)

(.....Right. I was working on a scene using movement beneath the stage.)

(This is where the protagonist faces the king... and chooses to betray his own nation. In that case—)

(A well-timed lighting trick at the entrance might really captivate the audience.....)

Since it’s a tragedy, I'll add moments where the lighting hides the actors' faces and let the shadows speak instead.....

If I sync the lighting changes with the flow of the dialogue, it’ll spark more imagination in the audience—

—Rui.

There you are.

.....Still working on your staging ideas?

Asahi-san...?

Didn’t you already leave for the day—?

I knew it—you forgot again.

We were told there’s a party after rehearsal today, remember?

A party.....?

—Ah.

Alright, now that the stars of the show have finally arrived—

Here’s to Asahi and Kamishiro-kun’s big move to America......

Cheers!

Cheers!

Man, who would've thought both of our stars would show up late?

I'm sorry.

I ended up getting completely absorbed in working on revisions for the direction.....

Seriously, Kamishiro-kun's always backstage thinking about direction any time he gets a moment of downtime.

Exactly! Once he gets wrapped up in staging, he starts neglecting eating and sleeping.

But—

It’s exactly because he gives it his all that this America offer came through.

...You think so?

To be honest, it hasn’t really sunk in for me...

I keep wondering if I’m really the right person for this.

Hehe, I mean, it’s only been a few months since you came to THE CENTER THEATRE.

Still, Kamishiro-kun’s direction was super well-received at THE CENTER THEATRE, so I’m not surprised they reached out.

Sounds like the joint performance with the Arcland team from America was the deciding factor.

Using real water and suspending the whole cast mid-air with that giant waterfall effect really drew in the attention, so no wonder.

Oh yeah! That whole setup was wild.

At first I was like, "Can we even do that?"

But honestly, it was so much fun to perform!

Fufu... That means a lot to me.

That show was like the culmination of everything I’ve done up to now, it had all I’d ever put into my work.

A culmination, huh?

Yeah, it did feel that exciting!

Can’t wait to see what kind of shows you’ll create from here on.

Alright! Time for our bouquet presentation—ta-da!

Bouquet.......?

Thank you very much. I never imagined I’d be celebrated this grandly…..

C'mon, don’t be so modest.

Your talent's been recognized, this is the least we could do.

Ahaha! That’s such a nice thing to say!

Hey, you two! The staff over here wants a word!

Looks like you’re being summoned. Better get going!

…You alright?

Huh?

You’ve been looking pretty tense.

Like you've been on edge all day.

Maybe it’s just me, but... if you’re pushing yourself too hard—

Oh, no, it’s nothing.

I’m sorry I made you worry.

I’ll be alright. I’m just a little wound up.

I heard that Brillia Stage, which we'll be part of over there, scouts talented young actors and directors.

So I wonder just how much my skills as a director will stand up over there.

Even so—

With a cast like that, I can’t wait to see the kind of show we’ll put on together.

Then with us joining, that theater troupe's about to get even better!

If I’m with you, Rui, I know we can create the greatest show ever, no matter where we are.

So—

Let’s give it our all in America too, Rui!

Asahi-san......

That's right.

Brillia Stage is known for world-class performances..... and plenty of people have high hopes for what’s to be shown there.

Just like how we brought smiles to many at the CENTER THEATRE—

Let’s give them a great performance in America together.

(There are Arcland theaters across the globe, but the ones back home still stand out as the very best...…)

(There’s no telling if my abilities will be enough. But still—)

(If I want to create a show that transcends all boundaries... I have to keep moving forward.)

(For the sake of everyone who sent me off back then——)