(Note: They address each other by their nicknames Sararan and Ahi.)

Tsukifune: Since when have we been such good friends, I wonder? I can’t remember how it started…
Ryouga: Yeah. It’s like before I realized it, you were beside me… Ah! Weren’t our class attendance numbers close together?
T: That’s right! So that’s why..? (laughs)
R: So before we realized it, we were next to each other! (laughs)
T: (laughs). That reminds me, on the way back from the school trip to Hokkaido I went to visit your real home in Nagoya, right?
R: Right, right! We went to “Little World”, an open-air cultural museum that’s located in Nagoya—
T: And we spent a good half-day in there, didn’t we! (laughs)
R: Yeah. We tried on all sorts of traditional clothing from different cultures and took pictures. (laughs) When we were in Music School, you were overflowing with a sense of justice and had a solid character. I relied on you like an older sister.
T: If anything, I’d say that’s because you were a “little sister” type.
R: Yeah. But even though you were reliable in school, if it was a conference just for underclassmen, you’d fall asleep or something. Really funny. (laughs)
T: (laughs) Strangely you’ve always been able to figure me out. Even things that other people didn’t really accept, for some reason you always accepted them.
R: I’m hooked, that’s why. It sounds weird to put it this way, but you have an intense sense of responsibility, so the way look when you get burned out or try your hardest or whatever, that’s really interesting when seen from the outside, for some reason... (laughs)

---

R: Off stage, don’t you think that I’m more the older sister?
T: That’s true. You’re really reliable because you’re calm and collected. Even when we were both assigned to Moon Troupe and I was a clueless frightened first-year student…
R: I’ve never lost my temper, have I?
T: No, never. Even when I’m screaming, you never do anything to incite me further. You let me cool down. You have amazing tolerance.
R: The first year was tough, but thanks to you I was able to have fun too. (laughs)
T: That’s a lie~ How~?! (laughs)
R: For example…in the shinjinkouen, you had a huge variety of different parts, right?
T: No matter what scene, I always had a quick costume change. Despite having gone through a lot of trouble thinking about it in advance, the preparations for the quick change weren’t perfect and so I’d be running off to go get something. (laughs)
R: Those kinds of stories about your utter confusion and things like that were insanely amusing. (laughs) But because you’ve got this passionate sense of justice, when something unreasonable happens, you’re like “Wait a sec!”…
T: You know, I don’t like that about myself (laughs)
R: (laughs) You were quite strong and dependable.
T: A slightly mistaken idea of strength and dependability (laughs)
R: That’s not true!
T: That’s why it was so ridiculous, I think. (laughs)
R: It isn’t ridiculous. I’ll think “Sararan’s doing great” and your determination is oddly amusing. It’s kinda cute. (laughs)
T: (laughs) As for you, the upperclassmen really love you! You’re composed and reliable, but somewhere there’s part of you that can’t leave people alone, either. But that’s not a bad thing. Besides, you always say “There, there” and comfort me. (laughs)
R: (laughs)
T: On top of that, there was that time when I completely flipped out at a dinner party and everyone around me went away. Only you stayed with me until the end. (laughs) Honestly, weren’t you sick of me then, too?
R: Not at all. There were people who started getting mad, but I thought it was interesting. (laughs) The next day, when it felt like everyone was like “Sararan, cut it out!”, I just said “Who cares, it’s fine.”
T: Really, no matter when, you were always an ally~!
R: (laughs)
T: Ahi, you do things like becoming insanely daring all of a sudden. I’m envious of that. That crazy part of you is connected— in a good way—to the stage, I think. That “Who cares, it’s fine!” kind of feeling you have.
R: I’m irresponsible. (laughs)
T: You’re not irresponsible. You just see the big picture. When I end up being really particular about something without realizing that it’s unimportant, I sometimes think of you saying, “Who cares? It’s fine!”

---

R: I cried when I learned you were being transferred from Moon Troupe to Cosmos Troupe!
T: I was surprised, because I thought we’d never be apart…
R: When you had the main role in Cosmos Troupe’s shinjinkouen, rather than being concerned about what was happening on stage, I was more worried about you mentally. “What kind of state of mind is she in? Will she be okay?”
T: You always think about the mental aspect of things for me. When I watch you on stage, I think “She’s doing her best, just as I expected.” That’s because I know there’s a part of you that absolutely will not compromise when it comes to art. There’s a part of you that takes things very seriously and won’t forgive yourself.
R: You know me well, don’t you.
T: Let me tell you. (laughs) Even if we were separated, I understood you perfectly. When I went to Cosmos Troupe, I was uneasy about being away from you. So two years ago when I heard I had to move to Moon Troupe, I thought, “Ahi will be there so that’s great!” (laughs)
R: I thought so too. When I heard I had to transfer to Cosmos Troupe, I was nervous but I thought “Sararan will be there.” (laughs) Not knowing that both of us were changing troupes at the same time. (laughs)
T: When I learned that we were going to be put in different troupes, I was like, “What am I going to do? What am I going to do?” (laughs)
R: We had a secret meeting, didn’t we. (laughs) An emergency conference. (laughs)
T: “How will we go on living from now on?” (laughs)
R: The two of us are dramatic, aren’t we! (laughs)
T: We’ve got drama. (laughs)

---

R: I want to see you in the role of a non-human character.
T: I want to perform that~!
R: You’ll probably get really into it visually too.
T: Since you’re tall and have this coolness about you, there will probably be more and more opportunities for you to perform attractive roles, but actually I’d like to see you in a completely different role. Like a role that brings out your loveliness, that tickles your maternal instincts. It might not be what you expect, but a female role or something.
R: You know, I think I’d be absolutely great in a female role. (laughs)
T: I think so too. (laughs)
R: Usually the response is “Whaaaat?” or something like that, but…
T: You’d be absolutely great! Not in one of those slightly devilish female roles that otokoyaku often play, but as a truly “good woman”. I think you could do it.
R: But lately, I’ve developed tons of muscle…
T: (laughs)

---

R: My worries aside, you’ve really grown up quickly, Sararan.
T: *laughs embarrassedly*
R: In a little while, don’t you think it would be alright to relax? I think that if you try taking a breath of fresh air just once, the pressure will go away, and the even better part of you, the kind of charm only I know you have, will come forth. I’m really looking forward to what you do in the future.
T: Ahi, you’re incredibly kind, so you’re concerned about the people around you. But I worry that before you know it, you won’t be able to confide in someone about your own difficulties. But since you’re nice towards people, it seems like you can go on receiving a lot of love from the people around you. So I want you to try your best, while accepting the kindness of others. And then, it would be good if we could go on being good influences on each other. When you’re tired, just remember that we’re both trying our very best…
R: I’d also like to stand on the same stage together!
T: Me too~.
R: Looking forward to that day…let’s both do our best!
T: Let’s do our best!