Romantic Drama at the Masquerade (Part 1)

A Buono! ~From the Carnival to a Dining Table~ Event Side Story

3S_Shizuka_004

Feelings Hidden Behind the Mask

Panda: Hmmmmm…

Shizuka: What’s up? You’ve been glaring at your phone like that for a while now.

Panda: Come and take a look at what Koko-chan and Sassu have been posting. Their publications have a common theme.

Panda: See, Koko-chan and Kathrin are hanging out at an Italian restaurant after going to the theatre. Sassu and Niizumacchi are at the Italian Fair. What do you think?

Shizuka: What do you expect me to say? Kokona and Kathrina probably just decided to go there after seeing Sasuga’s post. It’s not all that surprising.

Panda: But don’t you think that we should join in too?

Panda: We absolutely should take part in that unprecedented Italian boom that’s engulfed Sirius!

Shizuka: There’s not much use in doing that…

Panda: No, we really need to come up with something! What could be our own Italian story? Hmmm--

Kokona: We’re back!~

Yae: We’ve brought you some treats~ ♪

Shizuka: Huh, you’re together? Didn’t you go to different places?

Chisa: We ran into each other on the way home. The girls said they’d tried out some Italian dishes, too.

Kathrina: The family restaurant we dropped by happened to offer Italian cuisine. So we decided we should take the opportunity and enjoy Italy too.

Panda: In other words, Panda’s post can’t be focused on Italian goods or cuisine.

Panda: What else is Italy famous for…? Probably, football?

Shizuka: You don’t have to force it. Why don’t you just let it go?

Panda: No way…! But Panda’s brain needs some sugar to come up with ideas! Since you’ve brought sweets, let’s have tea!

Chisa: What an unusual obsession with Italy. What’s with that?

Shizuka: Ah, don’t mind it… More importantly, did you girls have a good time?

Kokona: Yup! After watching the play, me and Kathrina-chan talked about our impressions. It turned out, we had similar opinions on some things, but completely different on others!

Kathrina: It’s was interesting to discuss what we saw differently, I learned a lot from that. If some of you haven’t seen it yet, I’d love to hear your thoughts too.

Yae: That’s a good idea. I think I’d go watch it. Looking forward to it ♪

Shizuka: Looks like the Italian Fair was fun too? Yae-chan, you look very happy.

Yae: Yes! I enjoyed exploring it together with Sasuga-san very much. She was almost like an audio guide!

Chisa: Hey, ragazzina. Wasn’t there something you wanted the girls to see?

Yae: Right, Sasuga-san gave me the mask as a present!

Yae: Let me put it on… How is it? Does it suit me?

Shizuka: A mask?

Panda: Panda’s made some tea… Huh? Niizumacchi, isn’t that the mask you’re wearing in that photo from our group chat?

Yae: Niizuma…? Huh? Who you might be talking about?

Kokona: Wow! With that mask, your aura changed completely! Yae-chan, you’re so good!

Shizuka: Yeah, I feel like I’ve gotten a glimpse of your overwhelming acting skills. Yet you’re still so cute…

Yae: Thank you ♪ This mask is like those people wear at the Carnival of Venice. Sasuga-san was very kind to buy it for me.

Chisa: It’s a good one. It was made by a famous Italian artisan. Probably.

Kokona: But doesn’t it resemble the Phantom’s mask a little? But The Phantom of the Opera is set in France, not Italy.

Shizuka: It certainly reminds me of the masquerade ball scene… Maybe, the costume department used such masks as a reference?

Chisa: It seems, the origins of masquerade balls are related to the Carnival of Venice. It’s a festival where people parade around wearing glamourous masks and costumes.

Panda: So that’s how it is… If you’re wearing such a costume, no one can tell who you are. So masquerade balls are supposed to provide that kind of unusual experience, huh.

Kathrina: Probably that’s why they were so popular with high society back in the day. Come to think of it, there are many works depicting masquerade balls.

Kokona: So you’d feel excited, because it’s as if you were meeting your dance partner for the first time?

Kathrina: Hmm… Right, Niizuma. Could I borrow your mask for a moment?

Yae: Of course. Here.

Kathrina: …Look. If I hide my face behind the mask like this, no one will know who I am, right?

Kokona: But wouldn’t your voice and your manner of speech give you away? Your silhouette would still be recognisable, too.

Kathrina: That’s because we’ve been together for so long. If you didn’t see the other person as often, you wouldn’t be able to tell. Probably.

Panda: There’s the tension of not knowing who you’re entrusting yourself to. But also it’s because your partner is a stranger, you start to feel a bit hopeful. Hmm…

Kokona: I see. So that uncertainty is what makes it exciting? Whoever came up with that sure was inventive.

Shizuka: You think? Wouldn’t it be better to know who your partner was? It’s kind of scary not knowing what to expect…

Yae: I’m actually thinking it’s somewhat fun? If you can talk while concealing your identity, you have a chance to get to know them better than if you just talked normally.

Chisa: Feels like romance is about to begin.

Panda: Fufufu. Panda finally came up with an idea for her own Italy-themed story.

Panda: It’s an interesting setting, so do you wanna hear it?!

Kokona: We sure do! Right, Shizuka-chan?

Shizuka: When you say something like “setting,” I start to have a bad feeling about it…

Panda: In response to Koko-chan’s enthusiasm, Panda would like to suggest you all to take part in a daring improv! Ahem…

Panda: The story is set in the 17th century. It starts on the night before a masquerade ball. The main character meets up with his beloved childhood friend, and she makes a promise with him.

Panda: “If you find me at the masquerade ball and ask for a dance, I’ll marry you.”

Panda: Then comes the day of the ball. The main character who wants to fulfill that promise no matter what finds his friend among the crowd and asks her for a dance, but--

Kokona: Huh? But wouldn’t that mean that it’s a happy ending…?

Panda: Yes. The main character certainly invites the person whom he thinks to be his friend for a dance, but that’s not all. In truth, his dance partner… turns out to be his friend’s little sister! Imagine how awkward that is!

Kathrina: They could just get married normally… But, uh, I guess that wouldn’t make for an exciting story.

Chisa: Let’s make it so that the main character proposes to their partner when asking them for a dance. That would make it even more awkward.

Kathrina: What would you even do about such an ill-mannered move…

Panda: No, Sassu… Hate to admit it, but that would work! Declining such a daring proposal would be awkward as hell!

Yae: Fufu. Looks like our improv will have a more adult feel to it compared to what we usually do. Since we have a mask we can use as a prop, let’s try that too.

Kokona: Yeah, we are sure to learn a lot from that. Right, Shizuka-chan?

Shizuka: Huh…? No, I’ll pass--

Panda: Alright then, Panda will announce the cast. Koko-chan will play the childhood friend and Niizumacchi will play her younger sister.

Panda: And the scatterbrained main character who accidentally proposes to his friend’s younger sister will be… Oshizu-chan!

Shizuka: What? Why me…?!

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Pub: 09 Jan 2025 23:08 UTC
Edit: 11 Jan 2025 10:55 UTC
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