The president has told us all about you.

You have come to us because you wish to hone your craft as actors and stage performers, yes?

We all wish to achieve the same.

We are very much looking forward to working with you.

Thank you for joining us!

Thank you for having us!

(So this is Shunmeiza...)

(Nene was right. They do have a more refined feel to them. They all look so disciplined...)

(I wonder if this comes from acting as if someone is always watching them. I should start thinking the same way.)

Now, please allow me to jump right in by explaining what we'll be practicing starting today.

You will all start rehearsing with us for our next play.

Y-Your next play...?

You mean you want us to appear in it? But we're not official members. Are you sure that you want to include us?

I am. I was originally going to have you all analyze a few plays and study a few scenes...

However, since we just happened to be due to start work on our next play from today, and you already have a good deal of experience, I thought that it'd be better to have you all learn by doing.

Yes, I see...

We greatly appreciate the opportunity you're giving us.

(I don't believe it...

We get to be in a Shunmeiza play!)

(This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

I need to learn as much as I possibly can about what it means to perform in this troupe!)

Now, I'll hand out the scripts.

Please check to see if there are any typos or missing pages.

(Let's have a look...

What are we dealing with here...?)

(Shunmeiza plays tend to be modern and emphasize realism. Many depict the daily lives of their characters.)

(We didn't do many productions like that at the Wonder Stage, so this should be a good learning experience for us.)

Hey, this looks like...

Yes, this appears to be a play based on Kiichiro Kajiwara's “The Pomegranate”.

The Pomegranate?

What's that about?

The story takes place in the Showa period.

The protagonist is a failing novelist who is struggling to make any sort of living. Tired of such a life, he has made the decision to take his own life by throwing himself off a building.

However, as he searched for a suitable spot, he reconsiders his decision after speaking with a number of people along the way...

The plot is fairly simple, but the story is a very heartwarming one because of how it explores the human mind.

I see...

(A story that depicts the human experience, without much melodrama... We've never done anything like this before.)

(So, regardless of what role I'm given, I must do my best to adapt and try my hand at a new style of acting...!)

Now then, let's start talking about roles.

The protagonist, Ichiro Kishi, will be played by Naoki Yata.

Thank you!

(Naturally, the lead will be played by a member of this troupe.)

(I would've been more than happy to audition for the role, but it can't be helped...)

(That being said, I'd like to play a character that's intimately involved in the story...)

Next, Kishi's mother will be played by...

Next...

Kishi's editor, Munetsugu Hino, will be played by Reki Bakuno.

Reki Bakuno?

Hm?

Do you know him, Rui?

Yes, but I didn't know he was a member of this troupe. I've seen quite a few of the productions he's been in.

He's a superbly talented actor.

He must be good if you're willing to say that much, Rui. However...

I'm yet to hear anyone respond...

Bakuno...?

Where are you?

Mr. Kato, I just received word that he's going to be a little late.

I see... I'll be sure to talk to him about that later. Would you mind taking his place for now?

Happily!

It sounds like he hasn't arrived yet.

Is he busy with a prior engagement?

I was very much looking forward to seeing him perform...

Next...

The clerk at the used bookstore will be played by Rui Kamishiro.

Oh... Thank you.

Yuriko, the Cafe Printemps waitress, will be played by Nene Kusanagi.

Chiyo, the Cafe Printemps regular, will be played by Emu Otori.

Lastly...

Hino's coworker and fellow editor, Nakayama, will be played by Tsukasa Tenma.

Thank you!

(He'll be playing Hino's coworker...

And Hino himself will be played by Bakuno.)

(In other words...

I get to watch Tsukasa and Bakuno perform alongside each other.)

(Nakayama, eh...?

I flipped through the script rather quickly, but I didn't see his name anywhere.)

(He must be a fairly minor character.)

(But I'm still going to do my absolute best! So, let's check through the script again!)

(Nakayama, Nakayama... Hm?)

“Morning.”

“That novelist giving you trouble again?”

“No choice, I suppose.”

...

(It's normal for a minor character like this to have only a few lines... Still...)

How am I supposed to prepare for a role like this?

(Up until now...)

(I learned how to play my characters by dissecting their lines and finding anything that I had in common with them.)

(But in this case...)

Alright, I'll give you all some time to read through the script. Once you've done that, please start considering how to play your respective roles. You have...thirty minutes.

Starting now.

...!

(I don't have time to worry.

All I can do now is figure something out by familiarizing myself with the story...!)

Hmm...

(Okay, I understand what happens now.

However...)

(I still don't know what Nakayama is actually like. All I learned is how he's the editor for a literary magazine and is good friends with his coworker Hino... Not much more than that.)

(I need more information.

How am I supposed to even imagine this character, let alone grasp his personality and emotional state...?)

I'm sorry for being late!!

Hm?

Is that...?