Deeper and Deeper

Chapter 4

ArcLand - Workshop Hall

Veteran Director Icon
Veteran Director

That concludes today’s workshop.

As for what comes next, for those interested…

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Rui

............

(…...Boring, huh.)

Flashback

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Sakaki

You’re smart, and pretty talented, too.

So even if you stay just the way you are, you’ll still get pretty far.

Meeting expectations is a talent too.

But..… I think you’re meant for something a little different

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Rui

Something different.....

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Sakaki

—That said, it’s just my personal take. No need to overthink it.

Flashback Ends

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Rui

(From what I heard of his feedback to the others, he always cuts right to the core...…)

(This isn’t something I should dismiss as “just a personal take”.)

...…It doesn’t seem like aiming to reach a broad audience is wrong in itself.

Then maybe the problem was how I explored the subject?

Did I lean too mainstream and strip out the originality—

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Tsukasa

—Hey, Rui?

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Rui

Tsukasa-kun…...? What are you doing here?

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Emu

We’re here too~!

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Nene

Our workshop’s done too, so we came to get you.

You’re coming to the rehearsal, right?

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Rui

Rehearsal…?

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Tsukasa

What, they didn’t tell you?

It seems that those who wish to can attend the rehearsal for the show at THE CENTER THEATRE as part of the workshop!

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Emu

And guess what— Asahi-san’s playing the lead!

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Rui

Right. Now that you mention it, I remember them talking about what’s next…...

(I must’ve missed it while I was lost in thought)

(I’ll make sure to reflect properly on the critique....… but for now, I need to switch gears.)

—Thanks for coming to get me. Let’s go watch right away

THE CENTER THEATER

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Emu

Whoa~…...! This theatre’s sooo beautiful…!

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Nene

As expected of the country’s top theater...…

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Rui

I remember hearing that only the best of Arcland’s actors ever get to perform at THE CENTER THEATRE…...

The theater itself looks like it was meticulously designed, down to the equipment.

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Stage Staff

From the audience’s perspective, this scene would be hidden behind the set, so the blocking has been adjusted.

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Asahi

Got it.

If it feels off when we try it, I’ll talk it over with you again.

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Stage Staff

Of course. Also, about the lighting timing—

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Tsukasa

That’s Asahi-san.

They’re doing a full run-through today, so is this a pre-rehearsal meeting?

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Rui

Looks like it.

He even pitched in for the directors’ workshop today...…

He’s incredibly hardworking, I’m honestly impressed.

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Stage Staff

That’s all from me.

Is there anything you’d like to check, Asahi-san?

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Asahi

No, I’m good.

…Um, would it be alright if I stepped out for a bit before the rehearsal starts?

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Stage Staff

That’s fine. Just don’t grab food in costume if you’re hungry

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Asahi

Haha, no worries! I’m only stepping out to talk with some friends.

*Sounds of footsteps*

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Asahi

—Hey everyone! So you came to watch!

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Tsukasa

Yes! The organizers invited us as part of our training.

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Asahi

I see. I’d love it if you could share your thoughts afterward.

This show’s pretty special for me in a lot of ways too.

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Rui

Special? How so?

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Asahi

This show was planned and directed by Tom

Most of the details are under wraps, so it hasn’t been announced to the public yet.

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Rui

Is that so…..!

That’s wonderful….. Congratulations.

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Asahi

Thanks. I figured if I stayed an actor, our paths might cross someday…...

When I first got the news, I couldn’t really process it.

It just didn’t feel real to me.

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Rui

…I think I can understand how you feel.

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Stage Staff

Asahi-san! Rehearsal starts in five minutes!

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Asahi

Whoops, I’d better get going.

Enjoy the show, everyone!

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Tsukasa

We’ll be cheering you on from the audience!

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Emu

Do your best!

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Asahi

<Wow, cobwebs everywhere. This place is creepy…...>

<Well, whatever. I’ll just clean it up quick and sell it off.>

<..…Hm? Did something just dart across the hall—?>

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Actor A

<Who goes there…? How dare you sneak into this mansion…?>

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Asahi

Waaah!?

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Rui

(—The show they’re performing is called Goodbye Ghost.)

(Asahi-san plays the protagonist, Luke, an orphan who’s been alone since losing his family as a boy.)

(He’s kind at heart, but struggles to connect with others, can’t hold down a job, and lives recklessly.)

(The story begins when Luke suddenly inherits an old mansion said to be from a distant relative.)

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Asahi

<—Okay, got it. My distant relative was a total weirdo who bought and lived in a haunted house.>

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Actor A

<How rude, calling them a “weirdo”...… They were an excellent housemate for us ghosts.>

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Actor B

<Yeah! We have lots of friends here, so it’s super fun~♪>

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Asahi

<…And just how many “friends” are we talking about?>

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Actor C

<If you mean ghosts, there are roughly a hundred of us here.>

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Asahi

<There’s no way that many fit in here!!>

<…...Wait, am I stepping on someone right now!?>

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Nene

Hehe....

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Emu

It’s a ghost story, but it’s not scary at all!

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Tsukasa

Yeah. There are lots of comedic bits too, so it feels safe for everyone, kids and adults alike.

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Rui

………

(The ghosts living in the mansion are all whimsical and free-spirited. If they dislike a tenant, they’ll do whatever it takes to kick them out.)

(Luke’s financially desperate and needs to sell fast..… but if nothing changes, he’ll be forced to sell the mansion for next to nothing.)

(After much thought, Luke comes up with a plan)

(Ghosts stay in this world because of lingering regrets. So, if he helps resolve those regrets, they’ll leave the mansion)

(After much trial and error, Luke listens to each ghost’s regrets and grants their wishes, one by one…...)

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Actor B

<What I want to do?>

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Asahi

<Tell me everything you can think of. I’ll do whatever I can to grant it.>

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Actor B

Hmm. I’ve got lots, but…...

<…...I wanna go out somewhere while holding hands with my mom and dad.>

<I was always sick, so I just stayed in bed the whole time…...>

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Asahi

<……>

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Rui

(To meet a loved one once more. To apologize to a friend you parted with on bad terms)

(Every ghost’s wish is so earnest, yet so simple)

(Even when they seem consumed by grudges, deep down—)

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Actor C

<—Thanks for helping me out, Luke. I feel at peace now.>

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Asahi

I just brought your old lover here to the house, but… are you really okay with that?

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Actor B

<It’s fine. I scared him pretending to be an evil spirit, that should have killed a hundred years of love by now.>

<I'm no different from that anyway...… Watching him cry, unable to forget me, it felt good.>

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Asahi

<……But… is that really such a bad thing?>

<Anyone would feel lonely if someone they loved just forgot them.>

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Actor B

<Yes. But I loved him enough to accept that>

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Nene

……That’s amazing.

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Tsukasa

……Yeah. Not just Asahi-san’s Luke, though—

It’s like you can see the ghosts’ lives, even the parts that's not acted out.

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Rui

(You can’t see the ghosts’ expressions since they’re all masked.)

(It’s a metaphor for the wall between the living and the dead, and by leaving their faces to the audience’s imagination, it draws you in more deeply…...)

(I can break down and grasp the production choices easily enough.)

(But—)

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Asahi

<Guess it’s finally just the two of us now.>

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Actor A

<Yeah… You really cleared away all those ghosts’ regrets.>

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Asahi

<Oh— wait, is this wine my reward? Looked like a really fancy vintage.>

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Actor A

<Nah. I hid it when I was alive and just never got around to drinking it…....>

<Thanks to you, my wish to share a drink with a friend is fulfilled. I’ll leave this mansion tonight, too.>

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Rui

(Surrounded by the ghosts, the once-lonely Luke feels a warmth he’s never known.)

(Yet every farewell makes him see it: the day he’ll be alone once more.)

(And now, this is the final parting, the story’s most crucial moment.)

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Asahi

…...Would you laugh if I said I’m lonely?

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Actor A

<Not at all. To be missed like that..… that’s the sign of a good parting.>

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Asahi

<I see…… Yeah, you’re right.>

<…...Back when I was alone, I never even thought of it as lonely.>

<Feels like something’s stuck in my throat… Hurts so much… I don’t want to cry, but I can’t stop.>

<But… still, I’m glad I met you. And this haunted house too.>

<——Thank you.>

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Sakaki

I’m a fan of family-friendly works myself. They might seem simple, but they can be so layered.

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Rui

(One by one, each ghost disappears, and the once-bustling stage fills with empty spaces...… leaving holes in the audience’s hearts.)

(Yet in the end… the audience sees that faintly lit smile and they realize.)

(That this is a story of meetings and farewells— a story that’s life itself.)

(And that even at the end of every goodbye, there’s still happiness waiting, something they feel deep down in their bones.)

Image
Rui Icon
Rui

(…...The difference in the script and the direction is obvious.)

(No matter how much I’m influenced by his style, no matter how closely I mimic his techniques.)

(The depth of his world, the weight behind every word. And everything...…)

……I’m nowhere near there yet.

(What do I need to do to catch up to that…?)

(I don’t have a clue yet. But even so—)

Translation
Usagi
Proofreading
Usagi
QA