Double Planet Episode 6

Double Planet
Episode 6: "From my own story to the story of me and Natsuki"
Ruka Tamaru (Furuta Jun & Kanda Yota / Radio Shonan personalities)

"I've been well," we exchanged greetings like that countless times in the classroom. Meeting classmates I'd been keeping in touch with on social media made me realize how much fun it was to talk face-to-face, feeling each other's body heat. The comfort of having no time lag in communication and the person directly in front of you. It's something so ordinary, but now I'm realizing its value. The coronavirus has taken so many things from us, and it's really, really infuriating, but at the same time, it might have made us realize something important. When I told Natsuki from the drama club about this, she answered me in seconds.

"That's what theater is all about."

Natsuki has a tendency to connect everything to theater. But this time, I had to agree. It's true that the appeal of theater lies in the direct interaction between people, the clash of emotions, the creation of drama, and the development of stories. And the audience experiences that directly. That's the charm of live performances, isn't it?

"But it seems like it will be difficult to participate in club activities for a while."

I thought so too. Classes might gradually return through stages like staggered attendance, shifted school hours, and shortened classes, but the resumption of club activities is another matter entirely. I still wasn't sure what form the drama club would take when it resumed.

"The summer tournament might be canceled too..."

After saying that, Natsuki fell silent.
I understood Natsuki's feelings all too well. Natsuki, who practiced harder than any of the third-year students, had said that she would definitely participate in the competition as a cast member. Moreover, if given the chance, she wanted to try for the lead role. She wanted to feel the weight of pressure that only the lead role can bear, and Natsuki's ambition was always high.

Actually, my own determination was not lacking either.

During this school closure, I managed to write a theatrical piece without being asked by anyone.
The bizarre story I had in mind when I sent an email to the radio program "Love & Music" about "raising an animal that I thought was a dog but was actually a cat" was shelved for the time being. What kind of work do I really want to create now? From there, I confronted myself and started brainstorming ideas again. Then keywords like "friends" and "future" came to mind. I didn't want to create a world that was pretentious or something that was beyond my reach, but something that was true to life. I wanted to create a story with characters that were true to life. I didn't really know how to write, but I looked up formats online and somehow managed to write by trial and error. I made sure to wake up at a set time every day, write at a set time, and go to bed at a set time. This was because I was influenced by reading an essay by Haruki Murakami. I felt like a great writer. I continued like that for a little over a week. I had completed a work of about 30 pages.

The title is "The Sky and the Puzzle"

The feeling of accomplishment after finishing writing was overshadowed by the anxiety of "Is this really interesting?" To be honest, I wasn't confident. That's why I hadn't told anyone yet. It wasn't that I was trying to be secretive; I was simply embarrassed to talk about it. But I decided to tell someone anyway. No matter how I looked at it, now was the only time to tell them.

"I... I wrote a play script."

My voice was very weak and quiet, but Natsuki didn't miss it.

"What? You wrote it? The one with the dogs and cats?"
"No, it's not. I wrote it with a new idea. If you'd like...please read it sometime."

Natsuki's face, which had been downcast, suddenly brightened up.

"I'll read it! I'll definitely read it, so send it to me!"

I was surprised because I had a feeling Natsuki would reject it again somewhere along the line. I never imagined she would be so enthusiastic about reading it. Someone is cheered up by something I created. Sometimes, even before they touch the work, the mere fact that it exists has the power to change people. That reality made my heart race. The coronavirus took so many things away from us, but because I had more time to stay at home, I was able to write a story. On my way home from high school, my steps were so light I felt like I could dance.

The following day, Saturday. I read the script one more time before sending it to Natsuki. I did a final check for typos and grammatical errors, then attached the Word document to the email. All that was left was to press the send button. Once I pressed it, my story would change from just my own to a story about me and Natsuki. My fingers trembled. All I had to do was press the button. It had been a long time since I'd felt this nervous.

At that time, an email was featured on "Love & Music."

"hello!
This is Satoru Blue.
This is the first time I've written lyrics for "Kiseki no Kotoba" (Words of Miracles), and I've tried various things as an amateur, but I'm completely lost when it comes to composing. I can come up with melodies, but I can't connect them, and I end up back at zero again...it's a never-ending cycle.
So, I thought, maybe I could ask my mentor, Mr. Kanda, for help, and decided to ask him, even though I didn't expect much.
Would you be willing to help me compose "Kiseki no Kotoba"?!

"The email has been sent."

Our story has begun.

"to be continued"

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