Tsukiuta. Boys’ 5th Season CD 11 – Wagamama Drama (2)

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2. Drama – “strength and weakness”

 

[Rui is running and panting.]

 

Rui: Haah, haah... Hah...

 

[Iku clicks the timer.]

 

Rui: Haah... aah...

 

Iku: Rui! Good work out there.

 

Rui: *sighs* How’s... my time...?

 

Iku: Hrmm. Five minutes, forty seconds. Just a little more to go!

You’re so close.

 

Rui: That “little more to go”... is an insurmountable wall...!

 

Iku: It sure is.

 

Rui: *panting*

 

Iku: Are you okay?

 

Rui: I’m fine... I’ll do some more running, and then...

 

Iku: ...Wait, Rui.

 

Rui: Haah... ...what...?

 

Iku: You’ve run more than enough today. Let’s cool down for a bit before going back home.

 

Rui: But...

 

Iku: It’s important to hang in there, but if you sustain an injury by overtraining yourself and can’t challenge the actual task, then it’ll all be for naught.

 

Rui: Mm. That’s true.

 

Iku: I really understand how stressed you are, and how much you want to rush yourself. But let’s take it step by step, all right?

That being said, I’m also... See? My piano-playing...

 

Rui: Still needs one more step to go, huh?

 

Iku: Exactly~

 

Rui, Iku: *sigh*

 

Rui: ...All right!

 

Iku: Hm?

 

Rui: It’s at times like this that we should eat sweet stuff.

 

Iku: Whuh? Sweet? Hmm?

 

Rui: We should eat some desserts before going home. We worked very hard today. This is why we need to reward ourselves with some nice treats, right?

 

Iku: I get it. A change of pace, huh?

Ahh! In that case, I think I’ve got the perfect place in mind!

 

Rui: Hoho~?

 

Iku: I’ve got some delectable information about pudding that I think you’d like to hear.

 

Rui: Now that is some information I can get onboard with.

 

Iku: Ahaha! Then that’s settled.

 

-

 

Rui: Wooow~!!! ✨✨✨

 

Iku: Is it to your liking?

 

Rui: A combination platter... from a specialty pudding shop...! Am I in heaven~?

 

Iku: *chuckling* You’re exaggerating.

 

Rui: Okay, then. I’m digging in.

Mmph. ...Mm~! It’s so good!

 

Iku: I’m glad you’re enjoying it. When we get back home, it’s my turn to do lessons. I’m counting on your excellent instruction and guidance, Instructor Rui!

 

Rui: *muffled* Mmhmm.

 

Iku: Ahaha!

 

Rui: This pudding... it makes sense that it comes from a specialty shop. It’s incredibly delicious.

 

Iku: That’s good to hear. I spotted it while I was on the move, and I thought that I definitely had to visit this place with you!

 

Rui: ‘Twas a fine decision ☆

 

Iku: *chuckles* Thank you for the praise.

 

Rui: Yoru’s homemade pudding is part of my personal Pudding Hall of Fame, but this one’s putting up an equally good fight.

 

Iku: That sounds right.

 

Rui: But...

 

Iku: Hm?

 

Rui: Remember the other day, when Yoru taught you to make pudding? That one was tasty, too.

 

Iku: The other day...? Ah, you mean the one from last week.

 

Rui: Yep. That late-night pudding party.

 

Iku: That day, I was in quite the bad-boy mood~ Aha! I suddenly had cravings for desserts, and I was filled with the irresistible urge to stand in the kitchen.

 

Rui: Personally, I’d like you to keep regularly activating that urge, if possible.

That pudding was good enough to have one foot in my personal Hall of Fame.

 

Iku: That’s... one unique way of putting it. And here I thought that you’re only able to have one foot in a grave.

But, heh! That’s a glorious honor.

 

Rui: Hehe. It’s not just a compliment, nor am I being biased with what I remember. It really was delicious.

I wonder what was so special about it? How’d you make it?

 

Iku: Huh? With normal ingredients, and with the normal procedure... Though I made it with Yoru-san giving me advice in the meanwhile. Since I was making twelve people’s worth of pudding, I shared half the ingredients with Yoru-san.

While Yoru-san was making it, I was right beside him as I mimicked his actions... ...!

 

[Iku’s spoon clatters.]

 

Rui: Hm? Ikkun?

 

Iku: ...This is it...!

 

Rui: Huh?

 

Iku: Rui...! It’s this! It was this all along!! Aagh, why didn’t I realize something this simple sooner!?

Wasn’t it the exact same way with our dance practice?

 

Rui: Ikkun, what’s the matter?

 

Iku: It’s about our challenge!! Until now, we’d been giving each other verbal advice, but how about we show each other our own examples as we do it together? Basically...

 

Rui: I’ll play piano with you...

 

Iku: And I’ll run with you!

 

Rui: This is... to check out each other’s examples, right?

 

Iku: Yes! Even if we listen to the other’s verbal advice, we’re both completely out of our elements. Though we understand in our heads, our bodies can’t keep up.

But if we look at each other’s movements, memorize them, and recreate them? How about it?

We’ve been repeating that same action these past ten years, haven’t we?

 

Rui: Oh... ...Ahh! Like for our dance practice, you mean?

 

Iku: You hit the nail on the head!

When we first learn our dances to the best of our capabilities, we start by imitating each other.

 

Rui: Hmm...! Mm! I think that’s a great idea...!

 

Iku: I know, right!? Aw man, I’m finally seeing a clue to how to solve it all!

 

Rui: Fufu.

 

Iku: Huh? Rui?

 

Rui: We’ve always been doing the exact same thing as this. I just thought about how much we’ve been challenging ourselves with all sorts of things.

It’s never changed.

 

Iku: Aahaha, yeah. That’s true.

Every time the two of us run into a wall just as we did now, we worry about it together.

 

Rui: And we find a solution together.

 

Iku: That’s how the two of us have challenged ourselves until now!

 

Rui, Iku: Ahaha...!

 

Iku: All right~! When we’re home, let’s not waste any time and do piano lessons right away.

 

Rui: Mmhmm. Let’s do our best.

 

Rui, Iku: Let’s go!!

 

-

 

[Iku finishes playing his piece.]

 

Iku: Phew... Rui?

 

Rui: Mm.

 

Iku: Just now... I played the whole piece without a single mistake, didn’t I?

 

Rui: Mhmm. *clapping* Very well done.

 

Iku: I DID IIIT~!!

 

Rui: Mmhmm. You really did do it.

 

Iku: And just now, you managed to reach your target time. So don’t you think we’ll be able to actually pull through for tomorrow’s take!?

 

Rui: Yeah, true. All that’s left is for us to try our best so we can manage the same thing... No, perform even better for the real deal.

 

Iku: Yeah!! Aah, for a second there, I seriously worried about what would happen. But man, I’m so, so glad that we might just make it!

 

Rui: Heh. I’m glad too.

 

Rui, Iku: Phew...

 

Rui: ......So even you were anxious about it?

 

Iku: Mm... I can only say this because we’re here now. If I gave into my worries, I thought it’d bring down the mood. Which is why I tried my best to not express just how uneasy I was...

But if we’re being honest, I was pretty flustered.

 

Rui: Me too.

 

Iku: Heh, I know, right?

 

Rui: Though we’re saying this, we still have to go through with the actual performance.

 

Iku: For sure. But... mmhmm! Going off of how successful I was today, I think we’ll be able to handle it!

 

Rui: Yeah. I think so, too.

 

Iku: Then we’ll definitely be fine! I’m sure of it.

 

Rui: You’re suddenly acting like a total Pollyanna.

 

Iku: Since we’ve done all we could, all that’s left is to look at things with a slightly optimistic mindset! That’s the perfect balance.

I learned that during my time in Procella ☆

 

Rui: For sure.

 

Iku: ...Hey, you know...

 

Rui: Hm?

 

Iku: Through playing piano, I think I understand better than before… about just how amazing you truly are.

Rui: ...You think?

 

Iku: Yeah. Thinking about it again, it’s a real mystery. You know how pianos work. If you press one key, this particular sound plays. It’s a very simple setup, isn’t it?

Yet, even though I do the same movements as when you’re playing, and we play the same melody, the sound quality... I guess I could call it “depth”?

Our sounds are completely different.

 

Rui: Yeah.

 

Iku: That must be the difference between a professional pianist and a regular person’s playing, huh?

It feels like you’re standing atop a transparent staircase that I don’t know how to climb.

 

Rui: Fufu. I feel the same way with you.

 

Iku: Huh?

 

Rui: Ever since we debuted, I’ve been feeling the same way with you, Ikkun.

“He’s amazing. How can he move so much?” I’m always thinking about that. Even now, see?

 

Iku: Oh, I... get it...

 

Rui: Mmhmm. Our bodies’ structures are fundamentally the same, though... When we do the same activity, you’re pulling off those movements so nonchalantly, yet it takes me everything to just keep up. When I look up, thinking, “He’s incredible. He’s shining so brightly”...

 

Iku: ...When you look up...?

 

Rui: You’ve always been waiting for me atop that transparent staircase.

 

Iku: Hehe...! I see now.

 

Rui: Hey, you know, Ikkun? I don’t think we’re walking up different staircases.

I’m sure we’re both walking on one huge set of stairs, but we’re just walking a good distance off from each other.

Stair by stair. Step by step. We’re heading up together.

 

Iku: While we think of each other as being incredible and amazing?

 

Rui: Yes, of course. Don’t you think so?

 

Iku: Yeah. That might be right!

 

Rui, Iku: Fufu...!

 

Iku: Rui. Let’s keep going stair by stair together, shall we?

 

Rui: Yeah. We’ll keep going step by step. We’ll get up there, smiling all the while.

 

Iku: Definitely!

 

Rui: Mm.

 

[They high-five.]

 

Rui, Iku: Fufufu... / Ahaha!

-

(part 1)