*SCHOOL IDOL CLUBROOM - NIJIGASAKI HIGH SCHOOL - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
KASUMI: "Operation Hand-Out Flyers went really well! The girls from my class said they wanted to go see her the other day, too."
RINA: "The girls from my class said they went yesterday, but she wasn't here."
SHIORIKO: "I guess she must have been taking the day off? Oh, by the way, where's Shizuku? I haven't seen her since training."
AKI: "I've got a bad feeling about this..."
But I know where Shizuku likes to go when she's upset. If I find her there, then something is wrong...
...
*ROOFTOP - NIJIGASAKI HIGH SCHOOL - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
AKI: "Shizuku!"
SHIZUKU: "?!"
AKI: "There you are. I came looking for you since you didn't show up for Club activities. What's wrong?"
SHIZUKU: "Oh... I think I've really gone and done it now. I don't want Midori, or the Theater Club to see me..."
AKI: "Huh? Why?"
SHIZUKU: "Thanks to our flyers, so many people came to see President Midori's monodrama. There really were so many people there..."
AKI: "That's a good thing, right-?"
SHIZUKU: "But then she quit doing her monodrama!"
AKI: "What?!"
SHIZUKU: "I... I should've just minded my own business! And since I asked you all to help me, you're all my accomplices!
I dragged you all into this and it's all my fault!
How can I ever look anyone in the eyes again?"
AKI: "Look at me. Shizuku."
SHIZUKU: "...I can't. I don't deserve to. I ruined everything... Just like I always do."
AKI: "Shizuku..."
SHIZUKU: "I always let my guard down for a split second and it costs me dearly!
I wish I'd never done such a stupid thing..."
AKI: "Don't say that. You meant well! The Shizuku I know-"
SHIZUKU: "YOU DON'T KNOW ME!"
AKI: "?!"
SHIZUKU: "You don't know me... You don't know me..."
AKI: "What...do you mean?"
SHIZUKU: "The Shizuku Osaka you know, is a fake. Everything I've said, everything I've done, everything is an act... A lie."
AKI: "Wh-What?!"
SHIZUKU: "The good girl that everyone likes. The happy-go-lucky school idol is all a fake. Because I can't express my true self!"
AKI: "..."
SHIZUKU: "Every time I take off the mask and show my true self, I get hurt. People hate me."
AKI: "That's not true! We love you, Shizuku!"
SHIZUKU: "NO!"
AKI: "?!"
SHIZUKU: "Because the second I dropped the act, and said what was true within my heart, YOU BROKE IT!"
AKI: *GASP* "I-I..."
SHIZUKU: "The feelings I had for Valentin were true. It's how I felt, but I was stupid enough to express them!
When I revealed my true self to you... You hated me."
AKI: "Shizuku, please! I-"
SHIZUKU: "STAY BACK!"
AKI: "......"
SHIZUKU: "I'm so sorry that I had to ruin everything... Showing you my true self only hurt you."
AKI: "What are you saying? True self?! Please, Shizuku... Please explain to me what's going on!"
SHIZUKU: "I... Everything about me is a lie..."
AKI: "Please stop being cryptic. Tell me..."
SHIZUKU: "The fake Shizuku Osaka already told you... But..."
AKI: "I remember. It was a while back, but you told me all about how you enjoyed to play 'house'."
SHIZUKU: "You...remember?"
AKI: "Of course I do."
...
*LAST JULY*
AKI: "Say... Shizuku, you always get so excited when you talk about acting."
SHIZUKU: "I know! But then I end up talking everyone's ear off. I should really be more self-aware."
AKI: "What turned you onto plays in the first place? Did you see one and fall in love?"
SHIZUKU: "Like I said, one particular piece made me pursue an acting career. But I think I've always been susceptible to imaginary lands.
I don't really make up stories, but I do imagine lots of backgrounds and fool around with them."
AKI: "Backgrounds?"
SHIZUKU: "Yeah, I'll give a stuffed animal a name and make them my friend to play with me."
Wow, looks like me and Ayu aren't the only one's who've done that. I remember how she always favored her giant snake plushie Sasuke.
AKI: "Oh, I get it. I've done that before. Backgrounds like, they came from planet stuffed animal. Did you ever do that?"
SHIZUKU: "Yes, exactly. I gave made up backgrounds to lots of things, including myself."
AKI: "You did? I bet you got really into playing house."
SHIZUKU: "Yes, I always made up something new when I played house.
Some things I've imagined are that the father is a foreign ambassador, the mom is a spokesperson, they have a kid too. And a family next door."
AKI: "...?!"
SHIZUKU: "The father always goes overseas for work and even when he comes back, he has to stay in the office and barely ever comes home.
The mother misses her husband but works hard to provide for her child before the monthly payments come from overseas.
The child spends most of their time alone studying for their future. When they're not studying they spend time with the neighbour's daughter next door.
When their father comes home they have a big party, and they all revel and rejoice to make up for lost time."
AKI: "I wish it was that easy..."
SHIZUKU: "Sorry, I didn't catch that."
AKI: "Oh, uh I wish that getting ideas for playing house was that easy."
SHIZUKU: "I wouldn't call it easy, but I have imagined other scenarios overseas, or fantasy stories where a kid suddenly realizes their magical powers and tries to hide them."
AKI: "That's a lot of scenarios, what did the other children think?"
SHIZUKU: "The other kids I played with liked it at first, but eventually they told me it was all too much to remember.
After a while I lost all my friends, and no one wanted to play with me."
AKI: "You poor little angel... That's incredible, though. You've always had a knack for acting, huh?"
SHIZUKU: "I-I suppose so."
AKI: "Yeah, I think so. I wish we could have played together when we were kids. Playing house as a family to a foreign ambassador sounds like..."
SHIZUKU: "...?"
AKI: "...fun."
SHIZUKU: "Then! Would you like to play house like that right now?!"
AKI: "What?! Right now?!"
SHIZUKU: "Yes! I think you would do a wonderful job! Is there any particular role you want to play? The father? The mother?"
...
AKI: "How you loved to give different things different backgrounds, how you love characterization..."
SHIZUKU: "Even back then. When I told you, I could see you were zoning out of it. I was boring you."
AKI: "No you weren't. Just...your story hit a little close to home."
SHIZUKU: "Huh?"
AKI: "The foreign ambassador father being away from home? Yeah, that's my Dad.
The mother who works hard to provide while she waits for the monthly payments?
My mother.
The child spends most of their time alone studying for their future.
That was me."
SHIZUKU: "You remember my story?"
AKI: "Except we don't have a huge party when Dad gets home. He yells at me for failing to live up to his expectations.
When I saw him in New York, he beat me!"
SHIZUKU: "What?!"
AKI: "But I kept that hidden. Because all I ever do is tell people what they want to hear. It's what I was raised to do!"
SHIZUKU: "Senpai..."
AKI: "So if think that I don't know the real Shizuku Osaka, then you don't know the real Akihiko Suzuki."
SHIZUKU: "Then...let me tell you."
AKI: "About your true self?"
SHIZUKU: "Yes."