The Curtain Rises (幕が上がる)

Hurry up!

Wait!

Quick! Quick!

Wait for me, Garuru. You are too fast!

Anyway, what's that?

This? Memories.

Memories!

-Seriously, memories! -Where is Gucchi?

Over there. He is bringing the water.

Help him out.

No, because he'd start blabbering around.

Finally, it's over.

Is it OK? That script.

It's fine...

「Winter Time Machine Blues」 Yesterday, our year ended abruptly.

I...

...don't think...

...that we lost.

You're not the one to say that.

But...

...it can't...

It can't be helped.

There are different opinions...

...on the play.

For the senior students, take this result as...

But...

...we lost. That's the result.

A loss is a loss.

I'm sure that the one who really wanted to cry was Sugita herself.

Thank you for your hard work.

Because she was our leader, we were able to come this far.

-Assemble. -Yes!

Let's pack.

-Let's do better to reach the Nationals. -Yes!

-Thank you for your hard work. -Thank you.

-You may go now. -Yes.

Elite schools are really different, right?

Yes.

Like everyone said: don't worry about it, Nakanishi.

How about Saori?

That's great!

What?

-The next club captain. -Oh...

What?

-I have a part-time job. -I gotta study for an entrance exam.

Everyone is having that exam!

Then, who thinks Saori should be the Captian?

-Me! -What's with that?

-It's decided then. -It's not!

-Hi, club captain! -It's impossible!

Everyone, we've decided on the club captain!

Stop it already...

Captain, we're in your care.

-Congratulations. -It's not decided yet.

Fire isn't allowed.

You can't do that without an advisor.

You're late.

-You left without me. -That's not true.

So who is the new captain?

-It's not decided yet. -It's Takahashi.

Takahashi, do your best as a captain.

-I can't. -"Captain Attack".

That's not allowed.

That's against school regulations.

-Let's decide properly. -Captain, I leave it to you.

Teacher!

-Please take care of us! -I know you can do it.

-"Captain Attack". -That's violating school rules.

You shouldn't do that to a teacher.

Who thinks Takahashi should be captain?

Me!

High school drama plays are harsh.

For example, the baseball team has big competitions

in summer, fall, and spring.

There are many chances to shine.

But for the field of drama, we only have one chance.

We start preparing in summer,

and perform for just one hour, in fall.

It's judged subjectively by some judges we don't know.

If the judges don't like it, that's the end.

Although all participants receive an award called "Honorable-Participant-Award",

I can't stop feeling that it's a "Not-Good-Enough Award".

My name is Takahashi.

I'll be the new captain.

Yay!

Let's start the exercise.

Come on!

Don't you...

Don't you have something more to say?

Something that shows your enthusiasm.

Now that the senior students left,

we have Yukko, Garuru and me, as Seniors.

The junior students are Akemi, Mura, Takada, and Narisa.

It makes seven of us.

-Let's now... -No, wait a moment.

Do you mean that we won't cry like that anymore?

Huh?

"I am... I am..."

"It can't..."

"No..."

"No..."

"Gucchi isn't related to this."

"Isn't that irritating? Although they rank us,"

"he says it's alright, since we did our best."

"Which is it?"

"Seriously, we don't need a 'Honorable-Participant-Award'."

"It's a participation certificate, right?"

"Anyway, I don't want to lose!"

"I wanted to win."

Eh? Is it wrong?

It's not!

Not at all! That's good!

Thanks.

-Then, the exercise. -Yes!

I gotta work.

-Bye. -Work hard.

Garuru works so hard.

Even during Christmas and New Years.

I admire her.

-How about you, Saori? -For the holiday?

No plans at all. How about you, Yukko?

I'm going to Hawaii with my family.

Before, I gotta study really hard for the entrance exam.

You were great today.

Eh, is that so?

I'll do my best.

For one more year, I want to do a lot of acting with you!

Although, I'm okay with either Saori or Garuru,

Saori is the right one, after all.

Captain! I have an excellent eye!

I'll follow you, Captain!

Oh, it's papa!

I still don't know what you think.

Hello.

Yukko is like a princess

since we were elementary school students.

But I love that Yukko.

Because when she stands on the stage,

the world seems brighter.

She has that kind of strange magic.

People think of an actress as someone like Yukko.

Then, I'm...

What am I?

Done! I'm going out!

Have a good day.

-Be careful! -OK.

I'm going.

I'll pass out, just by thinking about next year.

What's this? All of a sudden...

Your course!

What will you do with your course?

You're just lazing around everyday.

Sorry, I'm busy reading comics.

-Do you see what kind of attitude she gives? -I'm going.

Papa, wait.

She must have her own way of thinking.

I'm going.

You should worry more about it!

It's so annoying.

Hello! It's Takahashi.

A photo?

I'll use it for auditions.

Senior, you're going to university, right?

I am, if I pass the test.

This is for after that.

I can't stop acting, after all.

Keep it secret, I didn't tell my parents.

In Tokyo, I'll apply for an audition

to see what I really have, and earn more experience.

My ultimate objective is to create my own troupe.

My goal is to create my own masterpiece.

Because I can't forget that feeling.

...to be able to build my own world,

imagining it, with an audience around me.

It's irresistible, right?

I have to work hard...

I'm sorry, Senior.

I was thinking about something else at that time.

My world is...

When I picture the future,

surprisingly, I get nothing.

My future is...

I wonder what is it?

By the way, are you sure I'm the right person

to take this important picture?

Of course.

Because I think you are the one

who can capture me, for who I really am.

Then, third semester,

the time that we feared, is about to come.

Here is the schedule for this year.

Excuse me.

The first play is at the welcoming festivities, in April.

Recruit a lot of new members!

Teacher, won't you help us think of what play to do?

Oh, that…

Anything that Captain decides.

Do as you will.

Art has no limits!

Damn you, Gucchi.