"Fufu, it looks like our performance back then really worked, Yume!"
"I suppose so. Well, if they weren't fired up after that, they wouldn't deserve to call themselves actors."
Since our last gathering, the passion among the actors had intensified. After witnessing a performance from two people in the realm of true talent, it would be stranger if they weren't fired up.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere among the rest of the staff wasn't bad either.
Kindaichi-san even went so far as to say,
"Thanks to you two, this project is looking like it'll turn out to be a good... no, an incredibly great work."
And Raida-san was also extremely pleased.
"Man, casting Yume-kun and Ai-chan really was a stroke of genius!!"
"Anyway, is this already the third day of practice?"
The day after they saw our acting, Ai and I couldn't attend due to other schedules, but I heard the atmosphere was similar then as well.
However, I was told there was a noticeable difference when the catalysts themselves were present, so I figured it was better for us to be here to ensure the practice went well and the mood stayed high.
"Well, our roles are different from theirs anyway."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Hmm... Ai, you've done it before, so you know that the stage is different from the type of acting we usually do, right?"
"Yeah! I did have a short stint with Lalalai after all!"
"Right. That's why stage preparation usually requires about a month of rehearsal. Rehearsal sessions usually start around noon and last for... let's see... maybe 6 to 7 hours? And since everyone has their own schedules, it's not easy for everyone to gather at once."
"Right, right? That's why we missed yesterday!"
"Yeah. We aren't the leads, but... since we're the two most famous people in this room, we definitely have schedules to keep. I'm doing my best to trim them down as much as I can, though. Unfortunately, unlike us, other leads have so much work that they often can't participate in practice, so they frequently use stand-ins, like that person over there."
"Ah~ So that's why there was a middle-aged man I didn't recognize?"
"Yeah. For an ordinary person, that might be enough, but for those who truly love the theater, some even participate in the night sessions."
I heard footsteps in the distance and realized that Himekawa-kun, for whom the stand-in was acting, had arrived.
"I'm late."
"Whoa, you're right! How did you know?!"
"By his footsteps."
"Yume, you're amazing~!!!"
Ai hugged me, ignoring the eyes of everyone around us, and I patted her head, humoring her spoiled behavior. Just then, Himekawa-kun walked up to me.
"Good evening, Senpai."
"Hey. Are you joining the night session today too?"
"Yes. I love it, after all. The theater."
"Is that so? I can certainly feel that love. Himekawa-kun, you're one of the few actors I've actually acknowledged."
"Hahaha... Every time you say that, Yume-senpai, the pressure is..."
"Hahahaha! What does it matter? If the performance Ai and I put on the other day set a fire in your heart, I apologize, okay?"
"Haha... I don't know if I've felt my blood boil like this as an actor in a long time. I'll head over to practice now."
"Go ahead."
Ending our conversation, Himekawa-kun headed straight toward where Kana-chan was. And then...
"Arima, you got a second?"
"What is it?"
"How do you read this?" [防人]
"Sakimori."
He didn't know that?!
"Ah, I thought it was read as 'Boujin.' Arima, you're smart!"
Wow... Is this room just full of idiots?
"Everyone knows that much... No, more importantly, why are there so many stage actors who can't read Kanji? Maybe you should read some books?"
Yes, Kana-chan. I say that to Ai every day, but she never listens. Is it because I spoil her too much...?
"I hate doing things bit by bit like in a book. I only watch videos."
"Ah, me too! I only read manga!"
"You guys, seriously..."
You guys are hopeless...
Putting that aside, after two or three days, natural groups began to form in this rehearsal room... excluding Ai and me.
[Lead Group]
[Lalalai Group]
[Minor Role Group]
And... oh boy, my son is isolated~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Though I say that, his gaze is fixed on Kana-chan.
"Yume, what are you looking at so intently?"
"Hmm... Let's see, maybe Kana-chan?"
"Why Tomato?"
"It's Kana Arima. Let's at least learn her name, okay?"
"Oka~y!"
"Ahem. Anyway, the reason I'm looking at Kana-chan is simple. Aqua probably thinks the same thing. Kana-chan has a habit of acting according to the level of those around her."
"Ah~ She did have a bit of that, didn't she?"
"Well, it can't be helped. In the past, she used to have a very self-assertive acting style, but at some point, she lost her way. This might be the strategy she adopted to survive in this industry."
"Hoo? And then?"
"To be blunt, until now, she was surrounded by mediocre actors and kept delivering mediocre, throwaway performances. But now, it's different. Standing next to Kana-chan is Himekawa-kun, the flagship actor of Lalalai. If she matches his level..."
"Wait a second, Yume. Over in the Lalalai camp, we also have our Aqua's girlfriend, right?"
"Hmm... In my opinion..."
"At this rate, Akane will be completely crushed by Kana-chan."
[Akane... you want to beat Arima, right? At this rate, you're going to lose by a landslide.]
It seems Aqua has the same thought as me.
Ai and I continued to watch the members practice. My conclusion was:
"Ah, this is bad."
"Eh?"
At my mumble, Ai tilted her head curiously.
"From my perspective as someone who read the original work, the character Sayahime that Akane is playing is supposed to be introverted—a kind person who feels conflicted about killing. But in this adaptation for the stage, she's become a character who is aggressive in combat."
"Is that not allowed?"
"Of course not. From the viewpoint of fans who cherish the original work, it wouldn't be strange if the current Sayahime got a ton of backlash. My judgment is that the role Akane is playing now is just a crazy woman who loves slaughter."
"Ooooh... As expected of Yume!!"
Sigh... I suppose some changes are inevitable when adapting a manga into the medium of theater, but this has been changed far too much for the convenience of the scriptwriter. At this rate, it won't be long before there's a huge fight with the original author.
"Hm?"
After humoring the sulking Ai and returning, I saw GOA-san had arrived. If he's here, it means the original author is coming soon...
"Ha... I hope this doesn't turn into a bloodbath for nothing."
Not for me, of course, but for the other kids.
While I was thinking these idle thoughts, Aqua and Akane spoke for a bit, and then Aqua walked straight up to GOA.
"Excuse me. It seems Kurokawa has some questions about the script?"
"Man... I don't know whose son he is, but his initiative is top-notch."
Of course, I thought, 'Ah... oh, it's mine?'
"I'd like to hear the opinion of Kindaichi-san, the director, as well."
"Wait, Aqua!?"
"We just have to ask them both at the same time, right?"
"Well, that's true..."
Well, Aqua is certainly good at that kind of thing. That guy GOA, though... from my position, it's hard to look at him favorably.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Go ahead, Kurokawa."
"Um... it's about the character of 'Sayahime.' How should I put it... just looking at the script, I can't really understand the character... her intent, I mean."
"Ah, she's certainly much more belligerent than in the original work."
"Exactly! In the original, there's more conflict...!"
If we followed the original, there should definitely be conflict, but this is a play... since the scriptwriter's opinion is involved, it might not be possible to be perfect.
"That's true... I struggled with that part quite a bit myself. However, while it's not impossible to convey that conflict in the medium of a stage play, it eats up a lot of runtime. To convey the emotions on stage that a manga can show with the expression in one large panel, we need a significant amount of time."
GOA-san's opinion is definitely correct on that point. This isn't a manga; it's a play.
"Even without that, to cram a multifaceted drama with many characters and overlapping intentions into a two-hour runtime, we need to simplify it to some extent. Otherwise, every scene becomes distracting, the message won't reach the audience, and it becomes a work that's hard to understand. If we were going to do everything exactly like the original, there would be no need for the profession of a scriptwriter. We have to choose which parts to make interesting and select the elements to achieve that."
Every word is the truth. I suppose it can't be helped.
"I'm a fan of the original as well, so I'd rather not touch it if possible. But I consider being the one to take the heat as part of my job. Well, despite me saying all that, Kurokawa-san is the one performing, so if there's anything really bothering you, I can fix it even now?"
"Don't cater to every whim of the actors. I've read at least several volumes of the original work, and adding Sayahime's internal conflict here would undoubtedly create noise. Instead, making her an active character simplifies the conflict structure and makes the parts we want to show easier to understand. Dramatically speaking, this judgment is not wrong. That's why I approved it."
As expected, Kindaichi-san's opinion from the directing side is accurate too. He's very reliable in these matters.
"In this play, your role isn't to show the depth of the character. Isn't it your job to have the persuasiveness to act as a stage device to clearly manifest the conflict between the characters?"
He says that, but... Akane-san probably finds it hard to accept.
"Phew... shall I head in now?"
Eavesdropping outside the door forever would be rude.
[Normally, it would be impossible to eavesdrop.]
"Everyone! We have a special guest today!"
"Hm? Ah... the original author must have arrived."
More importantly, Ai said she was tired and is currently sleeping in my car... well, that shouldn't matter. For Ai or me, we could perfect our acting in a week if we really tried—no, I could do it perfectly in a single day—so practicing itself is a bit of a waste of time. Even so, the reason I'm out here showing my face... isn't particularly important. I just want to see Aqua's acting.
"Am I a bit late?"
Stopping my wallowing in thought, I walked in just as greetings were being exchanged.
"Yu... Yuuuuummme-sama!!!"
"Ah, Abiko-sensei. Long time no see."
Thankfully, she treated me with more familiarity than the other actors—if you can call it that. She did say she was a fan of mine, after all...
"Well, please take your time observing."
"Thank you~ Now, let's go, let's go~"
"Yu... Yume-samaaaaa!!!"
"Hahaha..."
I could only watch with a laugh as Abiko-sensei was dragged away by the scruff of her neck by Kyorozuji-san.
While watching Abiko-sensei observe the practice, I was about to step forward to show my own acting when...
"Everyone is such a good actor... I think this will be a great stage."
Wait a minute, this atmosphere...!?
"Of course, Lalalai only has top-tier actors! Plus, we have Yume-kun and Ai-chan!!!"
"Everyone must have practiced so much... It's amazing. I couldn't do it. That's why... I have to say it, don't I?"
"Phew..."
I let out a sigh and smacked my forehead as I predicted the next words.
"About the script, is it too late to modify it?"
"Urk?! Of course not... but which part..."
"Which part... well... all of it?"
I knew this would happen...
"Sigh..."
It seemed I couldn't stop sighing today.