Kasane [Chapter 77 - In the Midst of a Rainy Night ③]

At the streets, Izana starts running then she hesitates. Then, she starts running again [towards the light that she always longed for since she was young]. Narration: “It is like Izana-san’s feet are attracted towards the theater where she quickly went. *Izana climbs upstairs and goes in the theater’s back door* Actually, even if she snatched away Fuchi Sugeyo’s face, it wasn’t necessary for her to go and substitute for her--”

Izana catches her breath. She is startled when someone calls out that she’s so late. The director says that there are only 15 minutes left. A co-actress tells her to quickly go backstage and she’ll help her dress up. Izana recalls that the guy is director Shiraito Daijirou and the actress is Tama Tomoko.

Since ‘Sugeyo’ isn’t answering, Tomoko calls out to her. Daijirou says that her face looks awful, is she alright? Putting on her best imitation of Sugeyo’s smile, Izana apologizes and says that she has a bit of cold but she can still bear with it so she’s going in now.

After Izana got dressed up in a kimono, she starts to walk onstage. She thinks that it is very dangerous to be so close with the people who are familiar with Sugeyo and besides, even if she usually watched them during practice but as a novice, can she really act well..?

Narration: “The moment she saw the [stage] light, the uneasiness in her heart has completely vanished.” Izana recalls the excitement of ‘being alive’ [/truly exist] when she attained Namino’s beauty for the kagura dance—

“Ah..that’s right. So, I’ve returned to this place. From that stormy night of the 43rd year of the sexagenary cycle [when she was born] as well as the month end’s lightless darkness [/night of the lunar New Year’s eve; not sure what happened here as Izana? was holding a flashlight]...

...*a scene of Izana swimming to reach something [It is the red powder]* Envy, jealousy, longing, from the death’s deep darkness to being born into the world--” A glasses girl as the narrator says, “Ai holds up the candle on her hand to light up and see the person who came. The one standing there for a long time is the merchant’s wife who slightly showed her fair face...

...The wife’s appearance is actually too beautiful. She is obviously extremely beautiful that she makes one feel one’s heart is gently stroked. One cannot help but shudder for a while..” ‘Sugeyo’ leans closer with an alluring look that Tomoko notices something. Daijirou mutters what’s going on.

Narration: “The play seems to be the narrated drama of Muro Saisei’s ‘Moth’.” After a bit of pause, the narrator continues to read, “‘Can I borrow your candle for a while? *‘Sugeyo’ gestures to the other girl* I have lost something very important’.” Narration: “It was said that Sugeyo’s acting is bad that only her lines are being read aloud by the narrator but..”

Somewhat surprised by ‘Sugeyo’, Tama manages to recite her lines, “Ah.. that is quite a headache. Can I ask what you have lost?” ‘Sugeyo’ gestures to the floor as the narrator recites, “It is a small thing that isn’t worth mentioning. It seems that I have dropped it over here.” Tomoko looks aghast and shock by ‘Sugeyo’s acting. Even the director mutters if that is Sugeyo.

“From the movement of that kind of [meaningful] glance to the fingertips are just perfect that even if she doesn’t have lines, she was also able to express out the story’s acting.. What’s going on..?” Soon, the audience applauds.

Then, Izana rushes back to Sugeyo’s house to find her still asleep. Isana heaves out a sigh of relief. Just in time, her face returns to normal. The next day at the theater, someone asks if Sugeyo didn’t remember her performance yesterday!?

Flustered Sugeyo explains that it is because she had a high fever yesterday and she basically couldn’t even open her eyes. “When I woke up, I noticed that it is already night!” Daijirou says that she indeed said yesterday that she has a bit of cold.

A woman wonders out loud if it is because Sugeyo had such a high fever that a miracle happened. Another man says that perhaps, it is just a fluke [/occasionally showing her acting that exceeds the usual]. Daijirou disagrees for if there is no intention, it is impossible to have that kind of acting.

“Perhaps, she obviously has talent but she just doesn’t know it herself. True gold has to be refined by fire. Next time, you’re going to act a role that has lines.” This made Sugeyo very nervous.

That night, Sugeyo tells Izana how she can she possibly act in a role with lines. “Besides, I obviously told them before that I only makes clothes when they kept on inviting me to join the theatrical troupe~~ What am I to do..” Izana quietly listens while Zunda is being cozy with her. Izana touches her lips then she stands up.

After sitting beside Sugeyo at the bed, Izana says that it is her fault. Sugeyo asks what? Izana says that this is very hard to explain. “Don’t move.” Sugeyo is surprised when Izana suddenly holds her head and kisses her. After the kiss, Sugeyo says, how.. Izana covers Sugeyo’s mouth and tells her not to shout. “Calm down a bit, then listen to what I’ll say.”

Sugeyo looks surprised upon seeing Izana with her face. Just as Izana let go of her, Sugeyo sees on the mirror that she has Izana’s face. Sugeyo suddenly screams out loud. Izana tells her that she said not to shout too loud. Sugeyo says that it is be..because..because her face..

Izana assures her that it is okay and after the time is up, it will change back. Grabbing on to Izana, Sugeyo asks if that is true, but she’s scared since this kind of thing is too.. Izana angrily glares at Sugeyo and tells her not to talk and just listen to what she’ll say. This made Sugeyo scared that she says, okay..

Standing up, Izana explains that it is like this, she can ‘switch’ her own face with another person’s face through a kiss. “That is saying that I kissed you yesterday to substitute for you, who has a fever that you cannot move, to become ‘Fuchi Sugeyo’ and finished the performance. I’m really sorry for suddenly doing this kind of thing..”  

Sugeyo says that is alright and it is because Izana doesn’t want the play to be suspended so she helped her out, right? “..besides, isn’t it really great, Izana-san. *happily smiling* Everyone praised you. They cannot help but praise you! Izana-san definitely has talent!”

Izana says, no..not really besides, after her acting, it will be very difficult for Sugeyo [to act] from now on. “..like that, from here on, we’ll use the power of this ‘switch’..” Sugeyo interrupts by shouting, “That’s right! From today on, if there’s a need to perform [/go onstage], please become ‘Fuchi Sugeyo’. How about it?! *Izana says, ha?*...

...That way, I can only concentrate on making clothes. You can also show your artistic talent as an actress! Right!! *Izana hesitantly says, ah..ya..* Then, it’s already decided! This is great~~” Izana is speechless and surprised by Sugeyo’s reaction.

Comment: And, I wonder how come no one noticed why the ‘Sugeyo’ during that night’s performance has Izana’s hair. ^^; Was it just because it is a Japanese play and thought that Sugeyo made her hair black or it was a wig? ^^;;

Anyway, Izana really has talent to be able to perform well by just looking at someone’s acting. I guess it is a genius talent like memorizing a book just by reading it once. I’ll say that Sugeyo’s acting must be quite bad that they easily notice that this Sugeyo is different from the usual. Hm..perhaps, one has to also factor in stage fright that someone else has to read her lines. So, in the end, she’s the lead of the play just because of her beauty.

Sugeyo is quite naïve that she assumed Izana is doing it all for her. I guess that is her personality that she would think of the positive sides so she thought that the ‘switch’ is advantageous to her. That probably caught Izana off guard.

Perhaps, she is surprised how easy Sugeyo agreed to it or as Kingo was narrating what Izana told him, Sugeyo is probably surprised over how stupid and naïve Sugeyo is. ^^; Still, this is a win-win situation for both. So, what happened later on that Sugeyo has to be locked up? Was it a betrayal or the like, just like what Nogiku did to Kasane? Or was it something else? Scans by RAD汉化组

Quote of the day:

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. ~ Chinese Proverb