Double Planet Final Episode

Double Planet
Final episode: "Until the stars disappear"
Tamaru Luka (Furuta Jun & Kanda Yota / Radio Shonan Personality)

I'm the only one who's okay. I can't be the only one who gets coronavirus. I've had these premonitions ever since I was a child. Looking back, I realize that being overconfident was a bad idea. Things got tough after I was diagnosed. I caused a lot of trouble for my parents, teachers, and the drama club. There was nothing I could do other than cause trouble. As I lived in isolation in my room, time passed by in emptiness as fast as the hands of a sundial. Food was periodically placed in front of my room. It was my food. When I said I wanted bread, my mother bought me "crab bread" for some reason. Even though I don't remember saying I liked it once. Looking up at the ceiling, I wondered if this room alone was cut off from the world, floating in the sky and being sucked into a black hole in the air. That image crossed my mind many times.

It was just around the corner until the online performance of "Sora to Puzzle".
All the pieces were so close to coming together, but then I accidentally flipped the puzzle over.

"It's not Luke's fault."

That's what Natsuki said, but it's my fault after all. If that's what I think, then so be it. I felt like I was within reach of my dream of being able to perform my own work. Every day was fun. No, it was too much fun. I had no idea that creating something with friends I could trust could be so much fun. This is bad. I was blinded by the fun, and I let my guard down. After chatting with Natsuki on LINE, we decided to postpone the live streaming performance ten days later. If I wasn't there, preparations for the performance wouldn't progress. It was a decision that had no choice.

"You don't run away from theatre. If anyone does, it's Luca."

Natsuki's words were as passionate as ever. It seemed he had seen through my weakness as a person, and I was a little irritated. To be honest, somewhere along the line, my heart had already broken. It's easy to say it's postponed. But at this stage, I have no idea when that will be. In the end, I know of many performances that have been postponed, but have in fact been canceled. In two months, I'll be a third-year student, and I'll start studying for entrance exams. Is this really the time for me to be doing theater? Even if I did, would I be able to convince my parents? When I start thinking about things like that, I get more and more disheartened. This was the only opportunity I had, and I had been moving everything towards this. But I missed it. The switch that I had been slowly pushing in for a year felt like it was being pushed back with a strong force.

My smartphone rang.

It was 3am and I had a hard time understanding why he contacted me at this time.
It's completely unreasonable to contact me at this time, especially since I'm sick.
But I was awake, staring up at the ceiling the whole time.
The caller said:

"Sorry for calling at this time of night."

The voice belonged to Satoru Aono. I had heard from Natsuki that I had contracted the coronavirus, but I didn't know how to contact him face to face, so I couldn't contact him individually. He hadn't contacted me either. I too would worry about what to say to Aono if he were to contract the coronavirus. If I could only say the usual things, I might end up keeping my mouth shut.

"I'm sorry it turned out like this."

I spoke in a listless voice while looking up at the ceiling. Then, I heard some kind of rustling noise.
No, it's not a sound. It's a voice.
A woman's voice sounded like she was whispering over the phone.
That voice was a voice I knew.

"...Natsuki?"

Why are Natsuki and Aono together at 3am?
It makes no sense at all.

“No, well, you see… well, you see… Natsuki isn’t here though.”

Aono-kun is completely confused. He must be there. He's there, isn't he?
That's enough, take over.
Yes, as soon as I heard a voice, Natsuki answered the phone.

"Have you been found out?"
"What do you mean? What, are you together?"
"Umm... well, that's how it is. I'm in Aono-kun's room right now."

The two of them are said to be in Aono's room.

"Ah, but we're not the only two. My boyfriend is with me."

It's becoming more and more confusing.
Apparently, the three of them were involved in a love triangle without my knowledge.

"You'll have to say it yourself from here on out."

It was Aono's turn to speak.
I gasped.
What on earth is he trying to do at this time of night?

"Um... from now on... could I have just one hour of your time?"
"eh"
"One hour until the stars disappear"

Suddenly, when I heard the word "stars," I remembered the stars I saw at the beach that day.

Come to think of it, it was just about this time.
I think it was 3am that day when I returned to the beach from the convenience store and looked up at the sky.

So that's why it's this time...?

Then, out of the darkness, a voice came.
The voice was already someone else's from before.
Natsuki's voice had begun reading the script for "Sky and Puzzle."
The lines and stage directions I wrote.
I will read every word carefully.
I tried to say something but remained silent.
Even though I hadn't practiced this much.
It wasn't a story written to be read aloud in the first place.
But Natsuki had made the voice completely her own.
And it already dominates the story of "Sora to Puzzle."
Before I knew it, my ears were racing to catch a single word of the story.

It was a performance just for me, which began over the phone at 3am.
This is what it is.
I became the first customer for my work.
Natsuki's voice can be heard clearly.
Natsuki's boyfriend, who is knowledgeable about streaming, may have prepared the microphone for the reading.

It's dark but warm.
It's pitch black, but it still stings.
Even though it's so dark.
No, maybe it's because it's pitch black.
Stories are amazing.

The final scene was rewritten many times.
My favorite line is coming up soon.
Here it comes, here it comes.
I wonder how Natsuki reads it?

"Looking up at the stars alone is boring. It's better when we're together."

Although they keep their tone low and suppress their emotions, they genuinely consider the other person's feelings.
It was great.
Then, the sound of a guitar sneaks in.
I can't even say I'm good at it.
However, the sense of desperation comes across with intense intensity.
I can see it even though I can't see it.
That was where Aono Satoru's true intentions were apparent.
A faint singing voice begins to run alongside Natsuki's reading.
It was clear that the two had been practicing hard for this day.
There's no way this can be done in a day or two.
For me alone.
Tears flow.
I wonder if I was crying as an audience member.
Or maybe she was crying out of gratitude to Natsuki and Aono-kun.
I don't know which it is. I can't sort out my feelings.
I can't stop crying.
It's the epilogue now.
The story is nearly over.
I know that.
Because I'm the author.
Hey, is it really going to end?
Is it over?
please.
Don't end it.
Don't finish yet.
Keep going like this forever.
No good.
It's over.
It's almost over.
I have to tell you before it's over.
hurry, hurry.
I just have to say this.
I want to say to both of you.
I wonder if I'll make it in time.
in time.

"I won't quit."

"end"

*Back issues can be viewed here .