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'll be fine. There's no way I'll be the only one to catch coronavirus. Ever since I was a child, I've had these premonitions that have never been wrong. Looking back, I realize that being overconfident was a mistake. Things got tough after I was diagnosed. I caused a lot of trouble for my parents, teachers, and drama club members. There was nothing I could do but cause trouble. As I spent my time in isolation in my room, time in emptiness passed by as quickly as the hands of a sundial. Food was periodically placed in front of my room. My food. When I said I wanted bread, my mother bought me crab bread for some reason. Even though I don't remember ever saying I liked it. Looking up at the ceiling, I imagined that this room alone would be cut off from the rest of 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 live streaming performance of "Sora to Puzzle."
It seemed like all the pieces were almost in place, but then I upset the puzzle.

"It's not Luke's fault."

That's what Natsuki said, but it's really my fault. 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 trusted colleagues could be so much fun. It was bad. I was blinded by the fun and let my guard down. After exchanging messages with Natsuki on LINE, we decided to postpone the live stream performance ten days later. If I wasn't there, preparations for the performance wouldn't progress. It was an unavoidable decision.

"Theatre doesn't run away. If anyone does, it's Luca."

Natsuki's words were as passionate as ever. It was as if he'd seen through my weakness as a person, and it irritated me a little. To be honest, I was already broken somewhere. It would be easy to say it was postponed. But at this stage, I had no idea when that would happen. In the end, I knew of many performances that were effectively canceled in the name of postponement. In two months, I'd be in my third year, and I'd start studying for entrance exams. I wondered if I really had time to be doing theater. Even if I did, would I be able to convince my parents? When I started thinking about things like that, I became more and more discouraged. This was the only chance I had, and I had set everything in motion toward this. But I had missed it. The switch that I had slowly been pushing in over the course of a year felt like it was being pushed back with great force.

My smartphone rang.

It was 3am and I couldn't understand why he had 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..."

The voice belonged to Aono Satoru. I had heard that Natsuki had informed me 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 I would say to Aono if he were to contract the coronavirus. If all I could say was the same old thing, I might just keep quiet.

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

I spoke in a listless voice, still looking up at the ceiling. Then, I heard some rustling noises.
No, not a sound. A voice.
A woman's voice sounded like she was whispering over the phone.
The voice was one I knew.

"...Natsuki?"

Why are Natsuki and Aono together at 3am?
I have no idea what this means.

"No, um... well, you see... Natsuki isn't here though."

Aono-kun is completely confused. He must be there. He's there, right?
That's enough, take over.
Yes, just as I heard a voice, Natsuki answered the phone.

"Did you get found out?"
"What do you mean? What, are you together?"
"Um... well, that's it. I'm in Aono's room right now."

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

"Oh, but it's not just the two of us. My boyfriend is with me too."

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... could I have just one hour from now?"
"Huh?"
"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 around 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, a voice came from the darkness.
The voice was already a different person from before.
Natsuki's voice began 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 fell 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 "Sky and Puzzle."
Before I knew it, my ears were focused on not missing a single word of the story that was flowing into my ears.

A performance just for me that began over the phone at 3am.
That's what it is.
I became the first customer for my work.
Natsuki's voice comes through 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 pierces me.
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.
It's coming, it's coming.
I wonder how Natsuki reads it.

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

While keeping his tone low and suppressing his emotions, he considers the other person's feelings from the bottom of his heart.
It was great.
Then the sound of a guitar sneaks in.
I can't even say I'm good at it.
However, the desperation is what 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 evident.
A faint singing voice begins to run alongside Natsuki's reading.
It's clear that the two of them have been practicing hard for this day.
There's no way something like 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's 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 already the epilogue.
The story is almost over.
I know that.
Because I'm the author.
Hey, is it really over?
Is it over?
Please.
Don't let it end.
Don't finish yet.
Keep going like this forever.
No.
It's over.
It's almost over.
I have to say it before it's over.
Hurry, hurry.
I just have to say this.
I want to say to both of them.
I wonder if I'll make it in time.
Just in time.

"I won't quit."

《The End》

*Back issues can be viewed here .