Kozuki: I requested you, Susshii (Kotobuki), because… I like you (laughs).
Kotobuki: Kyaa~! (laughs)
Kozuki: You’re very special to me, Susshii (laughs). We met in Music School. I was an upperclassman, you were an underclassman. We were assigned to clean the same place…
Kotobuki: The school’s entrance.
Kozuki: Yeah. Before I met you, I heard that you were from Roppongi, so I wondered what kind of “Big City Girl” would be appearing (laughs).
Kotobuki: (laughs)
Kozuki: Roppongi = metropolis, not a place for children—that’s the image I had (laughs). I wondered if I’d be alright (laughs).
Kotobuki: Really?! (laughs)
Kozuki: Yep (laughs). But the Susshii that appeared was….simple and naive~!! (laughs)
Kotobuki: (laughs)
Kozuki: You’re big physically, but you made such a timid face (laughs). You were unbearably cute~!! (laughs) I thought, “Wow, a meek person can be raised even in a big city~!” ….that’s my memory from our time in Music School (laughs).
Kotobuki: (laughs). Wata-san (Kozuki), you left a message in my locker before you actually met me. “Looking forward to working with you from now on” or something like that.
Kozuki: Huh.
Kotobuki: There was a message and a bottle of chocolate inside the locker… When I saw that, I was really happy. I remember keeping that chocolate forever, since it seemed like a waste to just eat it.
Kozuki: I don’t really remember that (laughs).
Kotobuki: (laughs). Since then, you have been truly wonderful, Wata-san. There were a lot of girls in my class who admired you.
Kozuki: Wasn’t I a country bumpkin..?
Kotobuki: No, no. I was a shy person, so I would always watch you without raising my head (laughs). No matter what, you always taught me things with kindness and politeness… I thought, “I’ve got to clean properly so that I can make Wata-san happy!” (laughs). If I made some kind of horrible blunder, I would get terribly depressed. Like, “Augh, I’m going to make Wata-san sad!” (laughs).
Kozuki: (laughs). I have two older brothers but no little sister, plus I was the youngest member of my class, so I guess you could say it felt good to have someone who adored me. It was like I somehow found a little sister (laughs).
Kotobuki: Back then, you were more important to me than even my parents and siblings (laughs). You were my number one, Wata-san.
Kozuki: That’s how things end up, during that time period (laughs).
Kotobuki: I don’t know if I should mention this, but…
Kozuki: What?
Kotobuki: Wata-san, you became a committee member at the end of your second year, right?
Kozuki: Yeah.
Kotobuki: As a committee member, you had to help prepare for the school festival and whatnot. Junna Risa was a committee member for the underclassmen, so you had to talk with her more and more about things. Inevitably, you started to interact more with Junna than with me. I was overcome with loneliness, as though a member of my family had been taken away from me…
Kozuki: (laughs)
Kotobuki: There was that time when I started bawling in front of you…
Kozuki: (bursts out laughing)
Kotobuki: You were very surprised, Wata-san. Like, “Wh-what’s wrong?!” (laughs). I guess on the inside I was thinking, “Wata-san, my Wata-san!!” (laughs).
Kozuki: (bursts out laughing). See, this is the kind of thing that I find so cute about you (laughs).

Kozuki: What about some memories from the time after we entered the company…
Kotobuki: “Light & Shadow”.
Kozuki: Ah! The Drama City performance?
Kotobuki: Yes. Our Snow Troupe performed it after Star Troupe.
Kozuki: Right! We didn’t perform together, but at rehearsal…
Kotobuki: Yes, we had the Star Troupe people teach us the choreography. I was terribly happy to have the honor to interact with you again.
Kozuki: But I was always hearing things about you anyway, because your younger sister Kotacchan (Tatsu Tsukasa) was in Star Troupe with me.
Kotobuki: Oh, that’s right.
Kozuki: Yeah. After I became friends with Kotacchan, I heard a lot of things about you, Susshii (laughs).
Kotobuki: Come to mention it, I would see you chatting intimately with my sister and think, “Why? What on earth are they talking about in such an irritatingly overfamiliar manner?” (laughs).
Kozuki: (laughs)
Kotobuki: In ’98 Cosmos Troupe was created… Really, our memories are from our time in Cosmos, aren’t they.
Kozuki: Yes! Cosmos Troupe was fresh and new.
Kotobuki: Yes, every day was fresh and fun and full of excitement.
Kozuki: Yeah, it was fun, wasn’t it!
Kotobuki: You led everyone with your athletic enthusiasm.
Kozuki: There were many people who liked dancing, weren’t there. You, of course, then others like Tara-chan (Yuuki Kaoru), Juri-chan (Juri Sakiho), Saota (Takashou Mizuki)… There were a lot of scenes where we all danced together…
Kotobuki: Yes.
Kozuki: I felt good dancing with you, Susshii.
Kotobuki: It felt like we did not need any reasons or words.
Kozuki: Yeah. You know, the way you keep your hips steady makes your dancing very manly. Ah, you don’t want to hear that from me? (laughs)
Kotobuki: No, I do not want to hear that coming from you, Wata-san (laughs).
Kozuki: (laughs). I was really spurred on by you in Cosmos Troupe, Susshii.
Kotobuki: No, I was spurred on by you. You had a strong body…
Kozuki: You said it. I looked at you and realized I had to build up my body. You take good care of your health, too, and you did things like attending lessons during Tokyo productions, right?
Kotobuki: Didn’t you go to lessons, too, Wata-san?
Kozuki: Yeah (laughs). You use your time wisely, and even off stage your feelings are always focused on theatre. That’s what I like about you (laughs).
Kotobuki: What should I do? I want to say those exact same words right back at you! Even now that you are a leading otokoyaku, you are still ambitious. Incidentally, didn’t you go to the company lessons just two days ago? Though I expect it must be really hard to squeeze the time for lessons into your busy schedule… The underclassmen are paying attention to that kind of attitude of yours, I think.
Kozuki: Naah.
Kotobuki: When I watch your performances, I can tell that you take in a lot of different things and use them to express yourself. On top of that, your feelings of “I want to do this!” or “I love theatre!” come relentlessly out into the audience. I find that really impressive.
Kozuki: We’re praising each other? (laughs)
Kotobuki: Are we praising each other? (laughs)
Kozuki: (laughs). Hey, that Darren Lee who came to do the choreography for “Copacabana”, wasn’t he sensational?
Kotobuki: Yes, he was!
Kozuki: You say yes, but I think we’re more likely than anyone else to think that way. (laughs)
Kotobuki: (laughs)
Kozuki: Man, I end up thinking “I want to dance like Darren!” (laughs)
Kotobuki: I do, too (laughs). Back when we were together in Cosmos Troupe, we used to study all the teachers and wonder how we might be able to dance like them.
Kozuki: Right! While saying things like, “Wasn’t that part something like this?” You’re rather good at imitating people, Susshii (laughs).
Kotobuki: (laughs). The independent study I did with you was really fun, Wata-san.

Kozuki: You make characters with distinctive personalities quite charming, Susshii. But lately you’ve become very much suited to playing wonderful princes, too (laughs). There are a lot of things I must learn from you.
Kotobuki: How am I supposed to respond to such a compliment? What I find wonderful about you is how you never lose sight of the most valuable part of a character. Not superficial, but deep. That’s what I think you are, Wata-san. Your performances surprise me every time, because you break through any expectations I have for a role.
Kozuki: You’ve said something that makes me happy, you cute, cute Susshii (laughs). Your face came to mind right away when I was thinking about who to have my sayonara talk with. I’d been thinking lately that I wanted to talk to you. I realized again that you’re that kind of person to me.
Kotobuki: Thank you very much. I hope we will be close the rest of our lives, even when we’re old grandmas (laughs).
Kozuki: I’ll come hang out in Roppongi (laughs).
Kotobuki: (laughs). I hope you will grant me the honor of keeping our relationship like this in the future, too. I ask that you treat me kindly, always.
Kozuki: No, I ask the same. Susshii, you actively go out and watch theatre outside of Takarazuka. I feel that you take what you learn there and bring it back to Takarazuka. Of course, you watch Takarazuka as well, and love it… That’s what I like about you (laughs). I am very happy that there is someone like you in Takarazuka. I request that somehow you take care of Takarazuka in the future...
Kotobuki: Waah~!! That’s—no way!
Kozuki: (laughs). I think our friendship will never change. I am happy that I got to talk to you like this in the end. I love you, Susshii (laughs).
Kotobuki: Yes. I also love you, Wata-san.
Kozuki & Kotobuki: Thank you!