Double Planet Episode 4

Double Planet
Episode 4: The animal I thought was a dog was actually a cat
Tamaru Luka (Furuta Jun & Kanda Yota / Radio Shonan Personality)

Who on earth would have expected the new semester to be like this? I wasn't even sure if my second year of high school had started, and the school closed directly from spring break until May 6th. My feelings were hanging in the air, and time just kept moving forward. I was so excited about summer vacation, so I'm not happy about this temporary closure at all. Corona has taken away part of my youth. I didn't really enjoy my youth, but I'm being hit by such a persecution complex. Ah, I'm really pissed off.

Of course, there are no club activities, and only the drama club's group LINE is lively. Everyone is bored. They're doing stupid things. I'm just watching everyone's interactions.

"Hey, I'm bored, do you want to practice online?"

The person who said this was my classmate, Natsuki.
Apparently, recently there have been some online theater productions using Zoom.
If face-to-face meetings are no longer allowed, you should think carefully about what to do.
Even so, Natsuki's antennae are amazing once her acting switch is turned on.
Now, he knows more about the current state of the theater world than anyone else in the club. For example, who from which theater company won an award? The alumni of that high school's theater club have produced many famous actors. He's become so knowledgeable that a senior student even asks him, "Are you a theater writer?"

The two online training sessions that Natsuki advocates are as follows:

・Why don't we all try practicing our voices at the same time in front of the camera?
-Why not decide on a theme and do an etude (improvisational play) online?

I just watched without reacting, but the situation was quickly calmed down by the new third-years, who were not impressed by Natsuki's proposal.
I think Natsuki must have been frustrated. As a friend, maybe she should have given him some cover by saying, "I want to try!" even if it was just a lie.

In fact, there was a small change in me.
I'm not just moping around.
Because I'm alive too.
Since then, I started listening to the radio program "Love & Music" every week, and these feelings began to grow inside me.

"Maybe I should write a story too."

That's what I thought.
I didn't announce it to anyone, it was just something I decided on my own.
As an experiment, I downloaded a memo app onto my smartphone and started typing out story ideas.

I have an abundance of time, so this is the perfect way to kill time.

I would get so engrossed in it that I would suddenly realize it was 2am.
Rather than concentrating on one thing, I just feel like writing whatever comes to mind.
It felt like I was just throwing a ball aimlessly at a target, but it was fun.

What is this fun?
It's like nothing I've ever tasted before.

Of the stories I came up with, this is my favorite:
A comedy about a family raising an animal they thought was a dog, but it turns out to be a cat.

When I thought of it, I laughed.

"What's that?!"

I felt like saying to myself, "What? What are you doing?"
The story is set in a world where the family has never seen a cat and has lived their life under the assumption that all animals of this size are dogs.

I wanted to talk to someone about this idea.

There's only Natsuki.

First, he sends a casual LINE message to Natsuki without letting her know.

"Sleepy"

To be honest, I'm not sleepy at all. In fact, my eyes are wide open. I started jokingly talking about it during a trivial rally.

"I was so bored that I came up with this story (laughs)."

I sent a message saying the dog was a cat etc.
The message remains read, but no matter how long I wait, there is no reply.
I wonder what happened...Natsuki is famous for responding quickly.
I decided to take a bath and when I came back refreshed,
I received a long message that I had never seen before.

Natsuki's thoughts were endlessly written in a roundabout way, along the lines of "I don't think it's good enough at all." I got tired of reading any further in the middle, but I read to the end anyway.
I felt exhausted and heavy.

I thought Natsuki would just say something like her usual "That's funny!"
I was hoping to be praised for the richness of my imagination.

"It just doesn't feel real."

It even came with such plausible words.
Reality. Do we really need reality?
I mean, wouldn't an impossible story be more interesting?
In the empty room, I tried to mutter an objection.

Being criticized like that left me feeling completely disheartened.
The time I spent without using the memo function app increased, and I felt like I had a hole in my time again. Even when I watched anime on Netflix or dramas on TV, I still felt unfulfilled. Time just didn't pile up for me.
I don't know if he's alive or dead.

Still feeling depressed and distressed, I looked at the date. It was Saturday.

I turned on the radio.

Emails from regular listeners are featured.
I thought it was great. I'd like to participate.
Um, who was it again...yes, it's Subtle Blue.
Like Satoru Blue, a high school student listener.

I decided to send my feelings to the radio.

Kanda : "Here's the email. It's from someone with the radio name 'Lucas'.
"Nice to meet you. I'm a girl who is probably in her second year at a high school in the prefecture.
School is closed right now and I'm really bored.
Whether I'm playing games or watching anime, or whatever I do, it's always boring.
Corona is stupid.
The other day, I tried to come up with a story idea on my own.
It was fun and I came up with many ideas.
When I showed one of them that I was most confident about to a friend, he completely rejected it.
That was my current situation report.'

Furuta: "Oh."

Kanda : "Speaking of stories, it's Furuta-kun, right?"

Furuta : When you're young, don't you have an unfounded confidence in what you create?

Kanda : Me too.

Furuta : But when someone with a fair amount of experience comes along and denies it with plausible words, it makes me feel down.

Kanda: "Furuta, are you depressed?"

Furuta : “I felt down at times, but then I quickly gained an even more unfounded confidence and convinced myself that the person who rejected me was the one who was wrong! I was right!” (laughs)

Kanda: "I kind of get it (laughs)."

Furuta : "I don't think there is a right answer when it comes to making things. I think anything that gives the person joy in the process of making is the real deal. When you continue making things and become an adult, there are many moments when that isn't the case. It's admirable to feel that you are simply enjoying making things, and that this is what you think! If you have the desire to express that, I would say don't be shy!"

"to be continued"

*Back issues can be viewed here .