Chapter 2: The Second Performance
Hatsumi: Does everyone understand? This will be the first performance post lead change. Don't lose focus and get ready.
Everyone: Got it!
Hatsumi: Daikoku. I'll relying on you.
Daikoku: Got it! I will do my best for you, my master.
Hatsumi: I'm looking forward to it.
Nikako: Daa-chan, its finally the real thing. Lets do this together.
Daikoku: Yeah. Even with the sudden changes, we need to keep the quality up, otherwise we won't even be able to face Iruru-san...
Daikoku: WE have to do everything that we can.
Nikako: I see... Yeah that's fair. We need to put on our best performance for Irurun's sake.
Daikoku: I'm trusting you to follow my lead. Although we have a lot of lines together, we are on the opposite side of the stage most of the time, right?
Nikako: Got it!
Nikako: I'm still new so I'm not sure if I can be helpful, I'll do my best to help you out.
Hatsumi: ...
Tetra: Hatsumi.
Hatsumi: What is it? I need to focus right now, so can you leave it until after the perforamnce?
Tetra: No need to be on edge. I was just on the phone with Iruru, she's going to come watch today.
Hatsumi: She is...?
Hatsumi: I see. How are the visitors?
Tetra: Not bad. but there's some unrest amongst fans over the sudden change of date and change of lead.
Tetra: And it's also gotten out that the performance was stopped once already. So it's gathering mroe attention.
Tetra: The rehearsal went well and the tickets are selling well. Daikoku's gotten quite some fans from "The Devil's friend".
Hatsumi: I see. That's good.
Tetra: So I think with that, you can relax. That's all I wanted to say to you.
Hatsumi: Alright. In that case, I'll take my leave.
Tetra: And there she goes.
Tetra: God, what happened to all the usual composure...
Nikako: "The Gods are watching over all of us. HOwever, I cannot forgive this. When will the day come where you will be cursed."
Daikoku: "Cursed..."
Daikoku: "Jokanaan... What do you plan to do with me? How do I get you to forgive me?"
Shigure: Hmmm? Daikoku-senpai knows what she's doing. Even though she was so stiff during rehearsal.
Tetra: It's all thanks to "The Devil's friend". It looks like Nikako has improved as well. But I am a little worried...
Shigure: Is there something with Nikako-senpai?
Tetra: This current state of Eden must be quite a burden on that girl.
Shigure: Ah. This is the first time hearing about this situation.
Shigure: Well if you can't handle it now, then you won't be able to in the future though?
Tetra: That's true. But it looks like she's unaffected. That's a relief.
Hatsumi: That's for coming out today!
Announcer: Today performance is now over. PLease don't forget to check for your belongings--
Iruru: ...
Iruru: Alright.
Iruru: Everyone, it's been a while~.
Nikako: Irurun! YOu came to see us!
Iruru: I received a ticket from Tetra-san. I was just speaking to her just now, she was giving you a ton of praise~.
Nikako: Ehehe... Thats good to hear!
Shigure: It's the "recently been slackng off" Iruru-senpai~. Shigure's acting has been good too hasn't it?
Iruru: Hearing that in person hurts... But her performance as the guard was good. I brought some presents, make sure you eat some.
Shigure: Yay♪, It's been quite a hassle without Iruru-senpai here, this was the least you could do~!
Daikoku: Iruru-san...!
Iruru: Ah, Daikoku.
Daikoku: Um...
Iruru: Good job today. It was a great play.
Iruru: Even with the short rehearsal time, you relaly nailed the lead role. It blew me away.
Daikoku: Really...?
Daikoku: Thats a relief to hear that from your mouth.
Iruru: Yeah, you did really well. Let's keep this up for the rest of the performances.
Hatsumi: That's rigth. Let's keep this pace going. You won't know how well the play will be received until the last performance.
Iruru: Hatsumi...
Hatsumi: Don't worry yourself of the performance, just focus on getting some rest.
Iruru: I'm sorry, it just happened. i stepped out of line.
Hatsumi: ...
Hatsumi: Thanks for the gifts.
Iruru: You're welcome. I got you the flavours you like, so feel free to have some.
Iruru: I'll be heading off.
Shigure: Eh~... Iruru-senpai is going home already. How boring.
Nikako: ...
Hatsumi: Everyone head off once you get changed. There will be no rehearsal today, so get some rest and get ready for tomorrow's performance.
Daikoku: U-understood.
Shigure: We're al leaving already? I was all ready to do some more practice.
Hatsumi: Everyone's busy with the performance, I'm sure everyone's tired as well.
Shigure: It's quite unusual to he Hatsumi-san acting like this~. I thuoght with this play, you would be constantly brushing up on everything.
Nikako: Um, Ren-san...
Hatsumi: I've got some work to do, so I'll be excusing myself now.
Hatsumi: See ya.
Nikako: Ah...
Daikoku: IT looks like there really is something going on... I've never seen them act like that...
Shigure: But Iruru-senpai has been actin like always~. She used her Sense during the performance didn't she?
Shigure: Well, she was using it like usual prior to "Salome", so I don't think it was anythign before that...
Nikako: That's true... I wonder what it could be.
Nikako: ...
Iruru: God.... I'm sick of this!
Iruru: I knew I shouldn't have reached out to you.
Nikako: Irurun...
Iruru: I was an idiot. I didn't know what I was capable of...
Hatsumi: ...
Hatsumi: ...It would've been better if the play had just failed.
Hatsumi: If anything happened, I could've just done something to fix it.
Hatsumi: I wanted to let you do whatever you wanted... And see your full potential.
Nikako: (There was something off about Irurun and Ren-san back then.)
Nikako: (There's something off right now. Eden isn't usually like this)
Nikako: (Irurun says she's fines, but everyones feeling the pressure, can we really put on a good act at this reate?)
Iruru: Could you head back? I'll head back in a bit.
Nikako: (I wonder if I had said something at that time, things could be different)
Nikako: (Tetra-san said that it wasn't my fault... thats not it.)
Nikako: (I was the only one who say them fighting.)
Nikako: ...
Nikako: (No, no. I shuoldn't be thinking like this, my head going to blow up if I overthink this.)
Nikako: (All I know is that she's hurt. Irurun's always smiling and cracking jokes, and always caring for me and Ren-san...)
Nikako: (And even after seeing Shigure-chan and Daa-chan, she's giving them the cold shoulder...)
Nikako: (Is Ren-san not feeling the tension either? She's always been relying on Irurun.)
Nikako: She said that she would do something even if the performance failed. But in the end, she went and benched Irurun...
Nikako: She doesn't intend to keep things this way forever right...? I don't want that...
Nikako: ...
Nikako: Maybe I should just go speak with Ren-san.
Nikako: I need to get things straight....