Konto ga Hajimaru (Life's Punchline / Tale Begins / コントが始まる)

Life's Punchline (Skit Begins) Episode #2 Translations: neet21 tsunaideiku

The skit is titled Rooftop, please enjoy.

Look at it, Mt. Fuji.

This is the best view ever.

It's a dream come true to be able to live in such a lovely apartment.

Let's set up a table and have a glass of champagne.

Why not? It's a housewarming gift, though.

Hey, hey! Hey, hey!

What are you doing?

- Suicide? - Don't be hasty!

It's none of your business!

- It is. - What? Eh!? Do you know each other?

- That's not what I meant. - Stop screwing around!

We just moved here and we've got 35 years left on loan.

Think about how we'll feel if we have to watch you

jump on the first day since we moved in.

Then don't watch it, just go inside!

Call the police.

Should we call the police?

Calm down!

Mr. Kusunoki.

Haruto from Macbeth is here.

- Tell him to wait in Conference Room 2. - Okay.

Macbeth is disbanding, right?

How do you know?

What was the blonde guy's name again?

Shunta?

Shun-chan is a regular at my shop.

You don't even remember his name, don't refer to him so affectionately!

I do it because he asked me to.

Oh, he came to the shop?

He seems to like my boss.

- What do you mean? - You want to know?

Thanks for the meal.

I'm a little worried about him.

Then why don't we go to the yakitori shop he works at next time?

I can treat you, once in a while.

You don't have to treat me, just pay half the rent.

Gosh! Too hot!

Well, to be honest, I feel so sad.

You suddenly announced you're disbanding at a live show without consulting me.

I had no information until I contacted you.

I'm so sorry to inform you about it only after the fact.

Well, I don't know what you guys are thinking.

But for me, I thought I'd been working together with Macbeth as a team, in a three-legged race.

Since there are four of us, I guess it's a six-legged race.

No, it's five, a five-legged race.

What?

- Four people would make a five-legged race. - Why?

- It's four people, right? - Oh, I see.

A five-legged race, like this, right?

- I'm the only one who's left out, right? - Yes.

This is not a laughing matter.

Sorry.

I've always believed in Macbeth's potential the most.

That's why I was forced to arrange an independent show for your group.

I went to the TV station and bowed desperately, I begged them to let you guys do an audition.

I've done all that.

I can't thank you enough for all you've done for us.

So, let's retract from disbanding,

and try again together from the start.

But I already said we were going to disband at the live show.

Did that become a hot topic on social media?

Do you think you guys have fans who will complain if you cancel your disbandment?

I mean, do you really have enough fans to make a fuss, to begin with?

No, I mean ...

10 years have passed, yet we remain unknown,

do you think it's possible for us?

It won't be a problem, right?

People who are successful right now all, without exception,

are people who held out at a time where they reached their limit.

So, this is the point where you guys have to be patient.

As I told you on the phone,

Junpei and I made a promise to our parents when we formed the group.

If it doesn't work out in ten years time ...

Don't place the blame on your parents.

It's whether you guys want to continue or not.

If you say your parents are the biggest reason ...

I'll go with you and get down on my knees, anything.

Alright?

At the very least, you three should talk it over again.

Okay?

You're drinking at a fast pace today.

It's too late to cancel our disbanding now.

But well, isn't it all up to you?

But even if I'm happy to continue, Junpei isn't.

I wonder if he's planning to take over his family's liquor store.

He told us it was because of his parents,

but the main reason he's quitting is Natsumi, right?

Oh yeah, by the way, he said he planned to meet Nacchan today.

Yeah.

Excuse me.

Thanks for watching our show the other day.

Did Haruto come to say hi? I told him to.

Yes, I spoke a bit with him.

Did he say anything?

He seemed to be feeling responsible for your disbandment.

Why? It's not like it's his fault.

He said it was because he was the one who asked the two of you to join in.

Welcome!

I'll come by when you have decided on your order.

Haruto was the one who suggested we form Macbeth, but

I was the one who first suggested we perform a skit for the school festival.

Let's perform a skit!

There's one secret I keep from Haruto.

Before I approached and persuaded Haruto to do the skit, I had already asked two students.

I really can't do it.

It's gonna be so interesting. Please, you're the only one who can do it.

In other words, if either of those two had agreed to do it,

I wouldn't have gone to Haruto to ask him doing it,

and Macbeth definitely would never have existed.

I had my eye on you ever since I saw your play at the school festival.

You definitely have a talent for comedy.

I can't, I'm going to be absent from the school festival.

Why absent?

I mean, Haruto wrote the script for the play, right?

You should do it with him instead.

Rather than standing on stage, Haruto's more of

a person who likes to direct from behind the scenes, right?

Even if I ask him to, he'll never come on stage.

Really? But, I'm sure he'd say yes if you asked him.

- You think he would? - Yeah.

It's Haruto then ...

I thought from the start that he'd say no, so I removed him completely.

Why did you suddenly decide you wanted to do a skit?

Of course, it's because ...

I wanna make everyone in the school laugh.

There was only one person I wanted to make laugh ...

that was Natsumi.

Kobayashi, who Natsumi was dating at the time, was the ace of the basketball team,

and was an excellent athlete as well as an excellent student. He was impeccable.

Even so, I couldn't give up my feelings for Natsumi.

Junpei said he wants you to come to see the show.

Whoa, he's gonna perform a skit?

I was forced to do it too since he bothered me over it.

Wow~ Sounds interesting.

- See you there. - Okay.

She said she would probably come to watch.

Oh? She's not coming at all.

What kind of face is that, after begging me to ask her?

Eat this!

- Smells like shit! - You dumbass!

Haruto was upset that there were so few people in the audience, but ...

I felt like I was living my dream.

Sir ...

I could clearly see Natsumi's beaming smile in the audience.

So for me, the skit was

just a way to compete with her boyfriend, Kobayashi.

And the best thing I could do to win Natsumi over,

was to make her laugh more than anyone else.

That's why I didn't expect Haruto to suggest we focus on doing comedy.

I never even dreamed of it.

Maybe it was an offer I should have turned down, with more composure.

I want to focus on doing comedy.

Huh?

It was so fun when we made up material for our skit together.

Even though there were only a few audience members,

it made me feel so satisfied, like, “Ah, this is it.”

It was Natsumi's presence that stole my composure.

Email from Kishikura Natsumi. It was the most interesting skit I've ever watched! I've never seen you look so cool before! - I know that you can make it. - Don't say that when you didn't watch it.

Email from Kishikura Natsumi. It was the most interesting skit I've ever watched! I've never seen you look so cool before! I didn't, but I somehow just know.

I didn't, but I somehow just know.

This must because Makabe was raving about it.

Makabe was the head of the rakugo club when he was a university student.

- He was the vice head. - It doesn't make any difference!

Junpei.

Will you join me?

I'm serious.

You're the only partner I can think of.

I will join.

Let's both take the world by storm.

Ten years ago

I started doing skits because I wanted Natsumi to pay attention to me.

Now, I'm trying to quit for her sake.

Natsumi works in the PR department of a major pharmaceutical company.

She's a world away from me, a mere comedian

Is that his girlfriend?

Huh? Yes, I guess she is.

Huh~ That's unexpected.

Rina, go clean table 3.

Okay.

That guy works part-time at a mahjong parlor in front of the station.

And he's a really good cook.

What? You've been there before?

- I go there five times a week. - Five times a week?

You see, I'm aiming to become a pro mahjong player.

Oh, I see.

I heard you guys are disbanding.

You aren't even 30 yet.

Still so young, it's such a waste.

Which is it?

What? Which what?

I heard you asked Shunta if he wanted to work here.

Haruto!

Aren't your actions are the exact opposite of what you're saying?

On the surface, you're telling us that you support us,

but really, you're just waiting for Shunta to quit Macbeth, right?

I never said anything about quitting as a comedian to work for me here.

I just said he was always welcome here.

I just told him to put his mind at ease and devote himself to his work, until he felt satisfied.