You needed someone to talk to...?

Wait...

What does people-watching have to do with wanting to talk with someone?

Oh, umm...

It's actually a very long story...

I don't care! I'm willing to listen!

Then, I'll try to give you the short version.

Like I said just now, I started people-watching back when I was in elementary school...

Back then, I was a little lonely...

Lonely?

Yes. My parents didn't get along well...

They also both worked, and I found myself at home alone most of the time.

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty introverted, which led to me having no friends...

I almost never talked to anyone.

So...

In order to remedy my loneliness, I started making up people for me to talk to.

Making up...people...?

Yes.

I first thought it'd be good to talk to characters from stories, so I started with books...

From Sindbad to Alice, I talked to so many people...and even to some characters who weren't people.

They were all just a part of my imagination...

But I had fun talking to them...

A lot of fun.

Before I knew it, I began thinking about the people passing me by on the street...

Then, I started writing in my notebook about people's lives and how they might be interesting.

And so, that's why...

I need this in order to talk to other people.

(I never would've guessed...)

(Bakuno's desire to talk to someone led to him spending years and years coming up with stories about the lives of countless others—regardless of whether or not they were true.)

(That sort of imagination is what allows him to make his characters feel so real...)

(However, does that mean...)

(There is no quick solution to this problem of mine?)

(If I came up with a story for my character the way Bakuno has for his, then I might be able to gain a better understanding.)

(However, Bakuno's imagination is the product of the difficulties he's faced since his childhood.)

(With my imagination, I may not be able to come up with much of a backstory for Nakayama...)

Oh, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to talk for so long...!

No, um...! That's not what I was thinking!

It's just... I see how this notebook allows you to play such convincing characters.

This is why you're able to put on such incredible performances. This is how you make all the characters you play shine.

I make them shine...?

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Huh?

Oh, so...

I've...always identified with supporting characters...

Any play or show with more than one character must have supporting roles. Even so, the audience will focus their attention on the protagonist and other main characters instead of them...

There's nothing anyone can do about that, but I always see myself in them whenever I think about them...

No one pays attention to them...

Like my childhood self.

Bakuno...

They make me want to shine a light on them through my acting.

My desire to have others see that supporting characters are also people with their own rich lives had led to me only playing them.

...!

And that's why for this play, you're playing...

Exactly.

But I've been receiving more and more offers to play leading characters, including for movies and such...

Wait, you've been asked to play the lead in movies?! That's incredible...!

Yes.

But, as happy as I am about receiving such offers...

I can't take my mind off “them”.

Which is why I've been turning down those offers.

I see...

(As an actor, I can't help but envy him, and I wish I could see him in a lead role on the big screen... But there's nothing that can be done if those are his wishes...)

We're getting a little sidetracked.

Anyway, I hope what I said helped...

Oh, yes!

Very much.

Thank you very much, Bakuno.

(I've tried thinking about this a thousand different ways.)

(If I'm going to get even a step closer to Bakuno's level... I just don't have the imagination.)

(I may be an actor, but I've never really imagined someone else's life before.)

(Or rather...)

I only thought about making those around me smile.

That was my original motivation, and nothing can change that.

But I should have trained myself to be more imaginative to have any hope of becoming a star.

However, what's important is where I go from here. I'll start reading more books, people-watching and improving my imagination to become more like Bakuno in due time.

(However... I still don't have a solution to my current problem.)

(If I can figure out a “story” for my character the way Bakuno has for his, then I might be able to gain a somewhat better understanding.)

(That being said, with my poor imagination, I won't be able to get very far with Nakayama... At least, that's how I feel at the moment.)

Now now, I can't just give up before even trying.

Oh, I know. At times like this, I should...

No matter what time I visit, this place is still beautiful.

So beautiful that I'm already starting to feel much better!

Still, it is pretty late.

I don't see Miku and the others anywhere. They may be aslee—

Hm? What's that?

It sounds like a car...

Tsukasa! You came at a good time!

That voice... Wahhh!!!!!!

M-MEIKO, what in the world is that thing?!

This? It's a three-wheel truck, silly.

I'm sure you're aware that there were many of these zooming around during the Showa period.

No, that's not what I'm asking...!

Tsukasa!

Good evening!

Oh, you're also here!

I couldn't see you in her shadow.

This three-wheel truck's so much fun!

You should join us, Tsukasa!

I'll pass...

But where did this thing even come from?

The play you're preparing for takes place during the Showa period, yes?

We decided to also do a show that takes place during that time in the hopes that we'd get a better understanding of what things were like back then.

So, we took some spare parts that were lying around to build what we needed!

Y-You built this...?! How...?!

To be fair, this SEKAI has a flying train in it, so I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility.

But in any case, I'm glad you're all enjoying yourselves. Seeing that me feel better.

Hm? Wait, Tsukasa.

Does that mean you weren't feeling well?

I wasn't unwell or anything...

But I've been having trouble dealing with this and that.

Tsukasa...

Then, we should do a show together!

H-Huh?!

Why now all of a sudden?!

Because you look a little down...

Remember how you came up with those shows for us? They were called “Bunny's Big Adventures”.

Bunny's...

Ah, yes. I do remember.

“Bunny's Big Adventures”?

Yeah!

He came up with a load of stories with me as the star! I was so happy!

Really?! You were the star?!

Can you tell me more about those stories?

Heh heh heh!

They were tales full of action and excitement!

Our heroes sail across the sea, weigh anchor at an island inhabited by monsters, find treasure—

Treasure...

Is something wrong, Tsukasa?

Yes...

(I came up with those stories on the spot with our friend here as the protagonist.)

(They pale in comparison to Bakuno's stories in both quality and quantity...)

(But I came up with it in a manner similar to how he people-watches.)

(And I was able to do that because... Because I was thinking about the bunny's life... About the bunny as the star of the story...)

That's it!

I just have to think about him as if he's the star!

Huh?

I was so focused on making my character fit the plot and the time period.

But that alone wasn't enough to get him to feel like a real human being.

I've been seeing Nakayama as an insignificant character, like a simple plot device or part of the scenery.

But I see my folly now.

Side characters are people in their own right with lives of their own. Nakayama is the star of his own story.

That changes everything, even when he says, “Morning.” That word is but a small excerpt from the tale of Nakayama.

Which means I just need to come up with a story where he's the star!

Instead of just a supporting character with only three lines, I should be thinking of him as the protagonist of a separate tale...

Then, I may be able to flesh him out in fine detail the way Bakuno does...! I'm going to get started on this right away!!

Umm... I'm not entirely sure what's going on...

Did I help?