Nyamu Yūtenji and Sakiko Togawa

Phew...

Ah, found Sakiko! Nice timing!

Nyamu, what's wrong?

Here we go. Ah... It was heavy.

That's quite a lot of luggage. Clothes... and makeup tools?

I met a makeup artist friend during today's shoot. And she asked me, "You want some spare lipsticks?" and I said yes.

And then the other makeup artists and stylists all started saying, "Take this too! Please take it!"

I see.

Since it's all out of kindness, I thought it'd be rude to refuse, so I just ended up taking everything.

(That's Nyamu's charm, she's so easy to get along with.)

But... didn't you take a little too much?

No problem. They're all so cute. Besides, I'm not planning to keep them all to myself.

*Sigh*...

So, I'll give you some too, Sakiko. Which one do you want?

Huh...? No, I'm good, thank you. Your kindness alone is enough...

Oh, come on, don't say that. I've got many things that would suit you~!

But...

And honestly, I think I've said this before. Wear better clothes, Sakiko.

!

You're in a position where you meet people. They'll look down on you. And that means they'll look down on Ave Mujica too. Do you understand?

...

Well, you have a fair point.

Hehe, there we go! Now then, first things first...

This blouse! Look at these frills, aren't they cute? Here, hold it up... Oh, it totally suits you~!

Is that so?

And to go with that blouse... This skirt! The silhouette is pretty mature♪ So if you pair it with the blouse...

Uh-huh, it's so chic! My fashion sense never fails. This really suits you, Sakiko~!

Oh, you'd look even better with your hair up♪ Sakiko, let me adjust it a bit~

Huh... Oh, okay...

No... Wait!

I'm good, thanks. I'll just take this blouse.

Aww, come on! Don't be shy, just take more~!

No, this one is enough for me.

But, umm... Thank you, Nyamu.

...

Hehe...

What?

No~ It's nothing~!

Anyway, if you're gonna wear that blouse, this lipstick totally matches it, so take this too.

No, I have a meeting to go to. Farewell.

Hey, wait...!

Come on! You could stick around a little longer~!

(This one is very cute...)

(As expected, this doll specialty store is truly reliable. The facial features, the clothes, everything is crafted with such care...)

(Oh my, this was supposed to be a quick break from work. But I got so carried away admiring them.)

Ah, this one...

(It's similar to mother's memento...)

(That doll I left behind at the Togawa house... I wonder if it's alright...)

Whoa, what are these, dolls?

!?

When there are so many dolls lined up, it's kind of overwhelming~

Nyamu... When did you get here?

Huh? Just now. I knocked. Anyway, let me see your screen more closely.

Huh, there's quite a variety of clothes. Oh, they've all got their own character. Pretty stylish.

It's bad manners to peer into other people's computer. Please don't scroll without asking.

Oh, sorry, sorry.

But why are you looking at this? Do you like this stuff?

I was just looking at it as reference for the next play.

Hmm.

Come to think of it, I had a doll too~ It feels kind of nostalgic.

Is that so?

Well, it wasn't as elaborate as these. It was just a Mika-chan doll.

I used to play with it so much, dressing it up and stuff. I even tried out different makeup and hairstyles by myself.

So you had a time like that too...

I wasn't just born like the way I am now, you know.

I also...

I also loved taking care of dolls. Mutsumi and I used to play with them often... We even made up stories together.

Mutsumi's doll was a flower girl, and mine was a baker's daughter. And these two close friends were torn apart by a tragic event... or something like that.

Hehehe...

Why are you laughing?

Ahaha, no, no... It's just...

All the same as Ave Mujica, right?

!

Ah, I see. So that's where Sakiko's roots come from.

You've always loved "doll play," since your childhood. That's kind of cute, you know?

That's going too far.

Ah, sorry. Don't be so angry, Sakiko~

...

Besides, I'm serious too. I've made up my mind to go along with you.

I'm serious about sticking with your "doll play."

...

Keep giving me good roles, okay? If they're boring or you slack off...

I might go wild again♪

Hehe...

Yeah, of course.

Phew~ It's over...

That posture is rather unladylike. Please sit deeper in your seat and close your legs.

Oh, relax. The rehearsal ran long because someone here was so picky about the staging.

It was necessary. Besides, we still have some fine details to adjust.

Huh? We have to do more?

Yes, I've booked time from tomorrow morning. That said, it'll just be me overseeing the final details.

*Sigh*... So you're gonna keep working. And you've been going nonstop since this morning.

Aren't you starving and gonna collapse right now?

Oh dear, are you worried about me?

Well, yeah~ It'd be a problem if you collapsed, right~?

(I'm getting hungry too... I should eat something when I get home. What do I have in the fridge? Eggs, and...)

(Ugh, I'm too tired to remember. And I can't be bothered to cook...)

(I guess I'll just get delivery today.)

(What did I order last time...? Oh right, the rice noodles. That was really good~ But I'm not in the mood for that now, so maybe something else... Huh?)

Salad-Stuffed Chikuwa Tempura

!?

Yes, I'm definitely getting this! And then~

Salad-Stuffed... What's that?

Ah.

It sounded like food.

Ah...

Yeah, from my hometown. Look, it looks like this.

So it's tempura... made of chikuwa. It looks like something is stuffed inside.

Potato salad. When you have leftovers, this is how you jazz it up.

I've never seen it around here at all, so I was just surprised to find it on delivery.

I see... You seemed very excited, did you eat it often?

Well, yeah...

Did you make it by yourself?

No, frying things is such a hassle, you know?

Wait, why are you so curious, Sakiko? You're suddenly asking so many questions.

No, it's just that you don't usually talk about your hometown.

Oh, I see. But everyone has that, right? The taste of home.

Sakiko, you also... Oh wait, I guess for you, it's more like the taste of chefs?

I guess so...

So, there's nothing that feels nostalgic for you. Sorry, my bad.

Don't worry about it. Besides...

To long for something from home... That's just not something that would happen to me.

Once a bird has left the nest, it will never return to it.

I see...

Still, delivery is rather expensive, isn't it? If you use it too often, won't your food costs add up?

If it's tempura, you can actually make it at home if you know the techniques. For example...

Oh, come on. I do cook, you know, it's just today~

But... you actually do take care of yourself. I thought you just relied on Uiko for everything.

Despite how I may appear, I do have a fair bit of knowledge about daily living.

Haha, what the heck? You're hilarious.

Well then, maybe I'll ask you to cook for me when I'm desperate~

Sure. If the chance comes, I'll be happy to cook for you.