Chapter 5 - Now's the TimeーLet's Get Ready!

Alright, scripts have been handed out.

Ooooh, fancy! They’re all properly bound.....!

Now it really feels like we’re putting on a show.

Sorry, you two.

I know you’re already busy fixing up the costumes, and now I’m asking you to perform too…..

Nah, don’t even worry about it!

I’m just happy I get to do another show with you, Senpai. The Chocolate Factory one was a blast too!

Oh, right. Was it okay for Momoi-san to join us? With her idol group and all…..

No worries. Once I told everyone about Inuyama-san, everyone was really understanding.

They knew how important this was, so they told me to go for it.

Oh, I see...… That’s a relief.

Now, let’s review the plot!

This is the one Inuyama-san gave us the rundown on, right?

Something about a cat hero protecting an amusement park?¹

Exactly. The setting is an amusement park, known for its giant Ferris wheel—

A heroic saga of Nyantaro, the park’s guardian cat, and his fierce battle against two troublemaking sister cats!

"Fierce battle".....? Was it really that dramatic?

—One day, a pair of mischievous sister cats showed up at an amusement park.

Before long, they started playing pranks on the guests every time they came around.

Nyantaro tried to keep the mischievous sisters in check, but no matter what he did, they just wouldn’t stop…....

And then, one fateful day..… the sisters pulled off their biggest prank yet!

If I remember right…... they shut down the Ferris wheel, didn’t they?

That’s right. The Ferris wheel was the park’s main attraction, so a lot of guests were upset.

Determined to bring back the guests’ smiles, Nyantaro set off after the sisters, who had run off with the switch…....

The sisters were fast, dodging and weaving as Nyantaro chased them.

But in the end, he caught them and got the Ferris wheel running again.

In the end, the sisters saw the error of their ways, and the amusement park was filled with smiles once more!

And that is the story!

Maaan, that climax is seriously an exciting one!

I can’t wait to see how the chase between Nyantaro and the sisters plays out!

Indeed.

By the way, I hear Inuyama-san played the lead role during the park’s grand opening.

Wait, really?!

Hold on..… so the Nyantaro in the play..... is based on the real Nyantaro?

No, this show was first performed over twenty years ago.

…...Which means the cat Nyantaro actually got his name from the show.

I see...… So that’s how memories get passed down through time.

Inuyama must’ve really loved this show…...

Exactly. Knowing that just makes me even more determined to put on a great show!

Totally! We’ve gotta make this the best show ever!

Alright, let’s give it our all! Tenma-kun, what’s the next step?

Let’s assign the roles.

Our first order of business: Nyantaro—

Now then, let’s go over the cast one more time.

First up, the lead role—Nyantaro! And who better to take on the part than...… Yours Truly, Tsukasa Tenma!

And for our prankster cat siblings, we’ve got Airi-chan as the older sister and Kusanagi-san as the younger one.

Looking forward to working with you, Kusanagi-san!

It’d be great if you could give me some acting tips like you did back at the Shibuya school fes!

O-Oh, yes! Likewise...…!

Akiyama will be playing a theme park guest.

Though..… having just one guest does feel a bit lonely.......

Mmm, yeah, I get what you mean…...

I’ll do my best to sell the "Wow, this is so fun!" vibe, but...… I might have my limits here.

It’d be nice if we could at least have one more person…...

True.

But it looks like Rui and Emu aren’t available that day, so if we’re thinking of someone else…...

…In that case, I might know someone.

I can go ask her.

Huh?

When I brought it up to the others, Minori was super interested!

She was like, "A show with everyone sounds so fun!"

She said she’d like to help out however she could, so I figured we could have her join as a performer too.

Oh! Hanasato, you say?

Why, she’s practically a disciple of mine. I taught her dance once upon a time!

If she’s willing to join us, then I couldn’t ask for better!

Oh, if Minori-chan’s in, that’s a huge relief! I mean, performing with my oshi?

More like, I should be the one begging her to join.....!

Hehe, alright then. I’ll go ahead and invite her.

Ehehe, can’t wait~♪

Looks like that solves our casting problem.

Now, what else do we need to check..…?

By the way, how’s the costumes coming along?

I've been fixing up some of the accessories little by little…...

I’ve been working on the hero costume!

It was pretty beat up, but nothing I can’t handle!

For the sisters’ costumes, all we had left were some cat ears and accessories, so I'll have to use your group's casual outfits as a base…..

But don’t worry! I’ll make them extra cute with ribbons on the ears and everything, so just wait and see~

Hehe, I can’t wait! Let’s meet up somewhere later and finish fixing the rest together!

Very well! With that settled, all that’s left is for everyone to get ready on their own!

Yeah. Only about a week left until the big day…..

Now that we’re entering the final stretch, I propose a toast! A bit of celebration to set the mood!

…..Wait, why are we toasting?

Naturally! It will fire us up and boost our morale, obviously!!

We’ve already drinking, but.… I guess it’s a nice way to to bring us all together.

Ooh, yeah! Let’s do it~♪

Alright! Raise your glasses, all of you!

Even if it’s a short show, and our rehearsal time is limited…..

This won’t be easy since we’re stepping out of our comfort zones, but let’s make this a show that leaves both Inuyama-san and the audience smiling!

Cheers!

Cheers!