Lone Actor

Riko
Hey, Chika-chan. Are you sure it's okay for us to be here...?

Chika
Yeah! Kokona-chan said to come and see her after the show, and the staff let us in, so it should be fine!

Chika
Oh, is this the dressing room? Hello!

Kokona
Chika-chan! Thanks for coming!

Chika
Kokona-chan! Thank you for inviting me too. I couldn't stop crying when Asmodeus said her lines at the end!

Kokona
Really? Did you hear that, Shizuka-chan? I'm glad you enjoyed it. And the girl behind Chika-chan is...

Riko
Nice to meet you, I'm Sakurauchi Riko. I'm a member of Aqours and Chika-chan’s classmate.

Riko
I've never really seen a proper stage performance before, but I was really moved. I never thought it would be like this...

Chika
Yeah, yeah! A normal high school girl meets a demon and becomes friends with her, but then they have to say goodbye...

Chika
The farewell scene was really sad, but Shizuka-chan's expression was so heartbreaking!

Riko
Oh, me too! I almost cried during that scene too. I really felt the desire to protect her one and only friend...

Shizuka
D-Don't praise me so suddenly...

Kokona
Hehe, I’m glad for you, Shizuka-chan! Every time that scene comes around, my heart tightens while I'm acting it out.

Chika
I know, right! I didn't know it the last time we met, but you two are both amazing actors!

Kokona
Hehe, thank you.

Shizuka
...

Chika
Oh, and there was a scene I really liked...

Shizuka
(...Both of you are amazing actors, huh?)

Shizuka
(I'm also an actor who stands on stage. Everyone sees me as 'Shizuka', the actor, not Kokona’s Phantom.)

Shizuka
(Even though I said this 'The Demon’s Friend' was my debut work, I’ve already performed on stage many times. I still can't believe it.)

Riko
And they're both high school students like us, right? I can't believe they're performing every day like that...

Chika
Right! And they're so in sync! It's hard enough for us to get our dance routines right, but to do that in a performance...

Shizuka
(I see. Chika-chan and Riko-chan don't know about my situation. ...I decided to keep it a secret and debut, but...it feels weird.)

Shizuka
(If I told them that I was actually-- they would be surprised, but I didn't make my debut as a normal actor...)

Shizuka
(I've always dreamed of standing on stage next to Kokona... . I wonder if this is really the right thing to do...)

Shizuka
...

Kokona
Shizuka-chan? What's wrong? Are you embarrassed because you've been praised too much?

Shizuka
Eh? Oh, no. I'm just a little moved.

Kokona
That's right. I never thought the day would come when I could be praised like this with you, Shizuka-chan.

Kokona
I'm so happy, Shizuka-chan.

Shizuka
...Yeah. I see... I'm happy too.

Riko
...?

Chika
Oh, that's right! Carrying on from the last time we were talking-

Chika
-you said you wanted to go to the beach together, but what happened to that?

Kokona
Oh, actually, we haven't decided what to do yet... Chika-chan, you said there was a really nice beach in the town where you live, right?

Chika
That's right! There's a beautiful beach in front of my house. Also, my family runs a Japanese-style inn in Numazu, so I thought it might be nice to go on a trip there.

Shizuka
You run a Japanese-style inn at home?

Chika
Yeah. I thought we could stay there if we stayed together! As a way of thanking you for helping us out the other day.

Kokona
Wow, is that okay? Shizuka-chan, what do you think? Wouldn't it be fun to stay at an inn together?

Shizuka
You're already so excited to go. Chika-chan, it's quite sudden, but is it okay if I really ask you?

Chika
Of course! I'll ask my mum too.

Chika
Wait, is it this time already? I have to go home!

Riko
Thank you for inviting us today. I hope we can meet again in Numazu.

Kokona
Yeah! Thanks for coming, see you!

Chika
Wow, the Sirius stage was really amazing. While they were performing, it didn't feel like it was Kokona-chan and Shizuka-chan that we know.

Riko
Yeah, it really felt like Hiyori-chan and Asmodeus-chan were alive and talking right in front of us.

Riko
Oh, look. I did some research and it seems that this is Shizuka-chan's stage debut.

Chika
Really? Then how come she and Kokona-chan were able to act so well together?

Riko
Yeah, I was surprised too. But why was she making that pensive face?

Chika
Pensive face?

Riko
Yeah. At first I thought she was embarrassed, but as we talked I got the feeling it was something else...

Riko
But maybe it was just my imagination. Look, it's getting late, so let's go home.