Tsukiuta. Boys’ 5th Season CD 7 – Mabayui Strobe Drama

[nebulancer]

Summary – Kakeru and Rui have been assigned roles in a drama-themed commercial for a certain job-hunting site.

In the drama, Kakeru is in sales, while Rui is a system engineer, and both passionately focus on their work.

Sending their hearts out to those in their same generation, their work, their lives, and their lifestyles, the second round of filming begins.

 

“There’s definitely a place where you can sparkle.”

“You can hear the music that only you can make, right here.”

1. Drama – “I’m Shiwasu, from Sales. I’m Minaduki, from Development.”

 

[The sounds of a busy workplace.]

 

Kakeru: “Good morning!”

 

Coworker: “Good morning.”

 

[Kakeru sits down, and his phone rings.]

 

Kakeru: “Yes? This is Shiwasu from the income and expenditure division. Thank you very much for giving us your time the other day for the presentation.

...Ah! Thank you so much!

I’ll promptly confirm it within the company so that we can produce several of the points that could serve as good contenders.

...I should be saying that. We’re the ones in your care!

Thank you so much for calling!

Excuse me, please.

...

......

ALL RIIIIIGHT~!

...Ack!”

 

Coworker: “Shiwasu-kun...?”

 

Kakeru: “Um...”

 

Coworker: “You’ve done it! ✨”

 

Kakeru: “...! Yes, I have! ✨”

 

Kakeru: “There’s definitely a place where you can sparkle.”

 

-

 

[Someone is typing, and the keyboard is clicking. A phone rings.]

 

Rui: “...Yes? Yes. I’ll finish coding after a bit more.

By tomorrow afternoon. ...Yes. I’ll talk to you later.

...... ✨

...

...

......Phew~. I’m done. ✨”

 

Rui: “You can hear the music that only you can make, right here.”

 

-

 

[Commercial] Rui: “‘I’m done. ✨’

 

Rui: “‘You can hear the music that only you can make, right here.’”

 

[The TV is turned off.]

 

Kakeru: So, with that done! Celebrating the completion of my and Rui’s new commercial~?

 

Kakeru, Rui: Cheers~!

 

Kakeru: PWAUHHHUAAAH~!

 

Rui: That was one magnificent way of drinking.

 

Kakeru: It’s just orange juice, though~. Gonna have to get up early tomorrow, so I’m holding off from alcohol!

 

Rui: I’m always bad at getting up early in the mornings anyway, regardless of whether or not I drink.

 

Kakeru: Ehehe. So, again. Congrats on finishing the commercial! It’s a mini closing party with us two leading actors, isn’t it!

 

[They clap.]

 

Kakeru: That being said, it’s non-alcoholic, and our side dishes are just snacks.

Heheh~. One wouldn’t even begin to think that we played bad boys just recently in Ura-AOHARU.

 

Rui: But I get the feeling that snacking on things like this late at night would be considered a bit of bad-boy behavior too.

 

Kakeru: True.

 

Rui: The commercial turned out nicely, didn’t it?

 

Kakeru: Sure did! I’m excited for the broadcast.

It’s interesting how it’s styled after a drama. I’m in sales, while Rui’s a system engineer.

Let’s leave me aside for now, but it’s rare to see Rui dressed up like a businessperson, so I think the fans will be surprised in a good way.

 

Rui: I put on glasses to look like a capable engineer.

 

Kakeru: *chuckling* So are glasses a necessity for intelligent-looking characters?

You looked good, you know~

During the cut where you were typing, your glasses glinted~! ✨

It was cool. Plus, the way they overlapped the piano and keyboard with each other made me go, “That was such a good idea!”

Like, it was meaningful that they cast you in that position.

 

Rui: Mmhmm. I think so, too. Good job, casting department.

 

Kakeru: Ehehe.

 

Rui: Heh.

...Some time ago, when I went to hang out at Nii-san’s house...

 

Kakeru: Huh? Ah, yeah, huh. You went to Rei-san’s place?

 

Rui: Yeah. After I ate the meal that Nii-san cooked for us, I had fallen asleep right then and there before I’d realized.

 

Kakeru: Mmhmm?

 

Rui: Nii-san let me stay sleeping, and after a while, I heard the sounds of clacking and clicking...

I was listening to it with my hazy consciousness, drifting in between my dreams and reality.

 

Kakeru: Uh huh.

 

Rui: It was the sound of Nii-san working while on his laptop.

Clackity-clackity-clack. Clack. Clack.

I thought it was like music. I told the director about that story during our filming, so I guess he made use of it.

 

Kakeru: “You can hear the music that only you can make... right here...!” Wasn’t it~?

I thought that gave off some intense Rui vibes, so I thought it was great!

Huh~! So that was a direct copy from your own personal experience! No wonder it felt so convincing.

 

Rui: Musicians and artists aren’t the only ones who can play music.

I think that everyone is playing out all sorts of music within the lives that they live.

If possible... you’d like to work in a place where you can play the best sound possible.

 

Kakeru: I’d expect that type of thinking to come from you, Rui.

...A place where you can play the best sound possible, huh? Mm, nice.

 

Rui: Salesman Kakeru plays at a high tempo. Having fun, being lively. Giocoso.

 

Kakeru: Yeah, yeah! Gio... eh—juh... joe...?

 

Rui: Giocoso. It’s music terminology. In Italian, it’s an instruction that means, “delightfully, cheerfully.”

 

Kakeru: ...I just looked it up, and it also says here that it means to play the fool?

 

Rui: Basically, you’re lively.

 

Kakeru: L-live... Ehh. Uh! I’d rather you phrase it as me decisively and hurriedly finishing my work, okay? Yeah, um.

Like, that I seem to be a vigorous, workpilled jobcel or something?

 

Rui: *chuckles* It looks like it has that meaning, too. Even now, you’re still pretty workpilled, aren’t you?

You leave lingering traces of your presence on the programs you guest on and connect them to the regular corners. The staff workers you’ve become good friends with since our debut days even call you over when they’ve become capable of managing their own program segments.

You sure are amazing.

 

Kakeru: ...Ooh...

 

Rui: Oh... Kakeru?

 

Kakeru: Er—Uh! It’s nothing... I just got a little emotional, realizing just how closely you’re watching me.

 

Rui: I sure am. And I bet everyone else is, too.

That side of you is something I can never do, after all.

I always think you’re incredible for managing to do it.

 

Kakeru: *shyly* When you repeat that sorta stuff to me... it makes me feel... embarrassed somehow.

 

Rui: Hehe.

 

Kakeru: Personally, I feel worth in what I’m doing when the things I do feel like they’re not all that bad, or if they look like they’ll turn out well.

But I’m happy when people close to me acknowledge such a thing, saying, “You’re right in perceiving it that way!”

Thank you.

 

Rui: In Procella, our policy is that we get better when people praise us.

For example, as a result of us complimenting You on his nice retorts, his retorting skill keeps growing exponentially and shows no signs of stopping.

 

Kakeru: ...I wonder if You ever wanted to improve such a skill...? Haha...

...Everyone’s the same way, huh?

 

Rui: Huh?

 

Kakeru: Ah, I’m talking about the people who are roughly the same age as us.

Becoming working adults after their time as students... It’s about the time that they’re now capable of working alone to a certain degree.

During their work, they’ve started finding out things that are giving them a good hunch! Like, their specialties or what they like to do!

Around this point in time, they’re gradually learning about what they’re fit or unfit for doing.

One day, a random thought flits through their head, like, “How will things go from now on~?”

“Is it okay for things to stay like this? Isn’t there a place that can better make use of my specialties or my preferences?”

If I were to phrase it in a Rui-like way, it’d be, “Is there a place where I can play my own sound even better?” ...Mm. It’s the age where we’d start thinking about stuff like that.

 

Rui: ...Mmhmm. ...If I had to phrase it in a way that brings you face-to-face with the bleak reality, it’d be... It’s around the age where we start thinking about whether or not our specialties and our likes are the same thing.

I think... that’s the difference between being a student and being a working adult.

Liking something doesn’t mean you can keep it up.

Liking something serves as a driving force that helps you in working, but it’s not a good enough reason in getting you money.

What you have as your work, and what you have as your hobby. What you’ve given up on, and what you treasure dearly as you continue living. It’s the age where you start deciding your life.

 

Kakeru: I remember seeing messages like, “I had a career change,” or “I’ve started thinking about changing occupations,” in the friend group chats from my college seminars, too.

Ah. There were people who said they’d gotten married, too.

 

Rui: Marriage... That choice existed too, didn’t it? I can’t help but think that it’s a completely foreign topic to me, like it comes from a different world.

 

Kakeru: *chuckles* Because of our occupation, romance-related topics always end up feeling totally alien to us, huh?

Heh, but luckily, we feel so enriched with our jobs, that we can offer up just as much passion to our work! Heheh.

As someone with work like that, I’ll push the worried backs of those in my same generation. If I manage to help them discover a place where they can play the best sounds they can, then that’s great for me!

 

Rui: Yeah. I agree.

Kakeru, let’s do our best for next week’s second round of filming, too.

 

Kakeru: For sure!

2. Drama – “Letting the Best Sound Play Out, Sparkling”

 

Director: Kakeru-kun, Rui-kun. I look forward to working with you today.

 

Kakeru, Rui: Let’s work well together!

 

Director: I’ve sent the first round’s campaign-related articles to your agency. Have you seen them yet?

 

Kakeru: Yes! Seeing us in our businessman selves felt quite refreshingly new!

 

Rui: The two of us watched them together and talked about how we’re going to do our best.

 

Director: Last time we had Kakeru-kun in sales and Rui-kun in development, both of you being portrayed separately from each other. However, this time depicts an act in which both of you end up working alongside one another.

 

Kakeru: I’m very excited!

 

Rui: Pumped up.

 

Director: This work will be greater in length compared to the last, but when it airs, we’ll be editing it into a shorter version that shows off the highlight scenes. We plan on making it so that the full version can be watched on the official homepage.

 

Staff member: We’ll also have you record narration lines at the jointly established recording booth. After the filming, we’d like you to check over the video, as well as the temporarily edited version that comes out of it.

 

Kakeru: Whoa! It’s incredible that we’ll be able to review it on the same day.

 

Rui: Yeah. I’m looking forward to it.

 

Director: Well, then! This is directed to all our sections. We’re in this for the long haul, but I look forward to working with you.

 

Staff member: Shiwasu-san, Minaduki-san, could we get you to start with your makeup?

 

Kakeru, Rui: All right!

 

-

 

[The phone rings.]

 

Kakeru: “Yes, this is Shiwasu. ...I’ve been in your care! ...Huh? The appointed day of delivery for the app we asked you to handle was... tomorrow, wasn’t it?

Was there some sort of incident regarding the confirmation?

......What? ...Wow...! Your child’s going to be born very soon? Whoa, congratulations!

Er—No, no, don’t worry about it! It’s perfectly fine! Please don’t fret! It’s an important, once-in-a-lifetime situation, after all.

Please go to the hospital! As for the app... if you could send me what you have currently, I’ll be able to handle it some way or another for the remainder. Heh!

...Understood. Please be careful on your way there!”

 

[He turns off the phone.]

 

Kakeru: “Whew~. That surprised me! Gotta hand over a celebratory gift next time I see ‘em.

...Wait, that’s not the issue here! I carelessly said I’d handle it, but...!

Huh...? Er—uh... Urk—I gotta consult the developmental department!

Gh!”

 

[He runs off.]

 

Director: And cut! That was good!

 

Staff member: Up next, we have another set! The scene will feature the developmental department!

 

Director: That was great, Kakeru-kun.

 

Kakeru: *chuckles* Thank you very much!

 

Rui: Good work out there. We’ll finally be acting together, starting with the next scene.

 

Kakeru: For sure! Doesn’t hurt to keep on saying this, so... let’s do our best!

 

-

 

Engineer: “Hrmm...”

 

Kakeru: “H-how is it...?”

 

Engineer: “It’s still being developed. At this rate, it won’t be able to make the day of delivery.”

 

Kakeru: “Hh... ...I expected as much...”

 

Engineer: “If possible, I would’ve liked our division to take care of it for you, but we have our items to complete on our own agendas, so we’d be lacking in people to help, especially on such short notice...

We’d be able to do something about it by the day after tomorrow, though.”

 

Kakeru: “That’s reasonable...

*sucks in breath* By the day after tomorrow... Let’s see...

Wouldn’t it be possible to somehow shift the delivery date back by just one day? I’ll go consult—"

 

Rui: “I’ve heard your predicament. ...Whoa!”

 

[Rui slides over and trips, causing things to fall over.]

 

Kakeru: “What?”

 

Rui: “Ow, ouch... Phew. There we... go!”

 

Engineer: “Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Minaduki-kun!? A-are you all right?

Wait, that’s not the issue here. Young man, you just finished another matter this morning. Weren’t you supposed to be resting today?”

 

Rui: “I thought it’d be a pain to go home, so I was napping over there.

My apologies ✨”

 

[Rui begins typing on the keyboard.]

 

Rui: “Hmm~. The rest of this just needs to be completed. I think I’ll be able to do something about it.

I’m free right now, so should I lend you a hand?”

 

Kakeru: “*gasps* ...ARE...”

 

[Kakeru grabs Rui’s shoulders.]

 

Rui: “Are...?”

 

Kakeru: “ARE YOU A GOD!?”

 

-

 

Kakeru: “I bought dinner~”

 

Rui: “Thanks.”

 

Kakeru: “Beef bowls~! Hehe.”

 

Rui: “Whoa... beef bowls. Large size? They’re quite voluminous.”

 

Kakeru: “I felt so bad about having you work overtime after an all-nighter, so at the very least... please bring back your stamina with this, sire...!”

 

Rui: “Indeed. I shall gladly accept.”

 

Kakeru, Rui: “Let’s dig in.”

 

Rui: “I’m fine with doing the rest, so you could’ve gone back home if you wanted.”

 

Kakeru: “No, no, definitely not! I’m the one who’s forcing this request on you, after all.

I can’t program, but the least I could do is stay with you for support!”

 

Rui: “You don’t have to concern yourself with me, though...”

 

Kakeru: “Phew~. Thanks for the meal!”

 

Rui: “Wheh? The beef bowl... disappeared...”

 

Kakeru: “Heheh. I’m going to pour a cup of coffee. Want one?”

 

Rui: “Could I get one with lots of sugar and milk?”

 

Kakeru: “Roger that!”

 

-

 

Kakeru: “Here you are. Thanks for waiting.”

 

Rui: “Thank you.”

 

Kakeru: “You’re welcome.

...Thanks again for helping. I only just had a career change, and it’s the first job I got on my own, so I wanted to make it work somehow...

That’s why I got greedy.”

 

Rui: “I see.

What a coincidence. I also had a job change. That’s why... I understand how you feel.

I want to hurry up... and get acknowledged here.”

 

Kakeru: “Minaduki-san...”

 

Rui: “...Call me Rui.”

 

Kakeru: “Hm?”

 

Rui: “That’s my first name. My name’s Minaduki Rui. You can call me Rui.”

 

Kakeru: “Then, call me Kakeru.”

 

Rui: “Got it, Kakeru.”

 

Kakeru: “Mmhmm!

Again, it’s nice to be working with you!”

 

[He sets down the coffee mug.]

 

Kakeru: “...Still...

*sighs* Haaaghaahh~... I can’t let your kindness keep spoiling me. I’ll need to reflect on my mistake~...”

 

Rui: “Hmm? Reflect on your mistake?”

 

Kakeru: “Yeah... It wasn’t something I could deal with on my own, yet on the spur of the moment, I said, ‘I’ll be able to handle it somehow!’

Because of that, I burdened other people... I burdened you, Rui.

...Sorry about that.”

 

Rui: “Hm. ...When my fingers are getting in the swing, I can’t stop.”

 

Kakeru: “Huh?”

 

Rui: “I understand how you feel. Work’s so fun that it goes well. And you can’t stop yourself. You keep wanting more and more... and there are times that you overdo it.

I suppose there are times that sort of thing is bad, business-wise. But personally, I don’t hate people who are that greedy, because that means they’re bursting with passion and emotion for it.”

 

Kakeru: “Rui...”

 

Rui: “*stretches* Well, then! Breaktime’s over. Let’s stand firm for a little while longer.”

 

Kakeru: “I’ll be in your care! I’ll be sending you my feelings and cheering you on from behind you~!

Ngggh~... Hang in there...!!”

 

Rui: “I think... that’d disturb me instead... *laughs wryly*”

 

Kakeru: “...What?”

 

-

 

Rui: “...Hm. ...Phew! With this... I’m done now.”

 

Kakeru: “Ah...! Thanks...! Thank you so, so much for all your hard work!!”

 

[Kakeru’s phone receives a notification.]

 

Kakeru: “Huh? ...*gasps*

Whoa...!”

 

Rui: “Hm? What’s the matter?”

 

Kakeru: “Rui, look at this!”

 

Rui: “Oh... a baby!”

 

Kakeru: “Let’s see here...

‘My deepest apologies for inconveniencing you today. Thanks to your assistance, I managed to get here in sound health. Again, thank you so much!’ It says!”

 

Rui: “Thank goodness.

...The baby sure is cute.”

 

Kakeru: “Mmhmm! Plus... both the father and mother have such brilliant smiles on their faces!”

 

Rui: “This came about as a result of you working hard, Kakeru.”

 

Kakeru: “What?”

 

Rui: “I think... if he hadn’t heard you say, ‘I’ll handle it somehow,’ the father couldn’t be smiling this widely.”

 

Kakeru: “Oh...!”

 

Rui: “Your greed wasn’t meaningless. I think you did a good job.”

 

Kakeru: “Rui...!”

 

Rui: “And me too. I did quite a fine job, if I do say so myself.”

 

Kakeru: “Heh! No doubt about that!”

 

Kakeru, Rui: “*laughing*”

 

Rui: “Kakeru.”

 

Kakeru: “Rui!”

 

Kakeru, Rui: “Thanks for all your hard work!”

 

[They high-five.]

 

Kakeru, Rui: “You have worth here.”

 

-

 

Kakeru, Rui: *sigh* Haah~...

 

Kakeru: I dunno, I get the feeling I just rushed through the product delivery as if I were a real businessman!

 

Rui: Hehe. True.

 

Kakeru: *sighs* Whew, I’m spent~!

 

Rui: Yep. We’re totally spent.

 

Kakeru, Rui: *sigh* Haah~...

 

Kakeru: Whoo! Working in a company felt nice, too!

 

Rui: Mmhmm. Right now, I get the feeling that I might also be able to create some complicated codes as a programmer.

 

Kakeru: Ehehe. Seriously, I think you’d be able to pull it off really well.

 

Rui: Right back at you, Kakeru. I feel like you’d be able to nab a lot of contracts.

 

Kakeru: Neeheehee~ I’ll rush around and around with my proactivity~ Ehe.

But~?

 

Rui: Yeah. But, well... If I’m going to change jobs, I’d definitely become...

 

Kakeru: For sure~

 

Kakeru, Rui: An idol, (obviously!) (of course.)

...*laughing*

 

Rui: Again, good work on the filming. It’s sure interesting to live through all sorts of lives and experience all sorts of lifestyles like this.

I wonder if this would also be considered... being greedy?

 

Kakeru: Who knows? Well, even if it’s us being greedy, I think that’s what makes us perfectly fit to be idols: because we’re greedy!

We can become anything! We can do anything! I’m sure that being at least a bit greedy is the perfect amount!

 

Rui: Hehe... I think you’re right.

 

Kakeru: Well then, well then~? Who knows what kinda work is awaiting us from now on?

I’m excited! Aren’t you?

 

Rui: Yeah...!