“What—”

“You greet me when we meet like this, keep me company just enough, worry just enough. And that’s it.”

“Humble.”

“But I shouldn’t feel disappointed. You……”

You, that is, always, every time, me, like that—

Fragments of unfinished words spilled out. Even if gathered and arranged, they wouldn’t form a complete sentence—just the sum of remnants.

After silently listening to the jumble of conjunctions and adverbs, the man suddenly knelt on his left knee. His bare hand, gloves removed, touched the hard toe of her shoe.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Your shoe doesn’t seem to fit right.”

Whether due to the rough material or the slightly large size, her heel was marked with red spots of blood. Just a moment, the callused fingertips slowly traced across the gasping shoe, across the instep. The shoelace is loose, his voice diagnosing the cause was terribly low.

SCENE 10. As Long As You Don’t Just Say ‘I Hate It’

[Dear Yuan

Did you have a good trip to the desert city? You always grumbled about sand pouring out of your shoe soles after returning. Well, “grumbled” might be too strong a word for your dignified complaints.

You said it’s always summer there, right? I wonder what the air is like in a country without four seasons. I could imagine it from books, but experiencing it firsthand is different. Oh, did your skin get tanned? And did the sand winds crack your skin?

I’ll send you a moisturizing cream. Sol recommended it to me—we’ve become casual acquaintances who chat occasionally!—and it’s quite good. The scent isn’t strong either, so apply it regularly. If you already have a product you use…… well, use mine anyway! It’s good to have a spare to carry around, right?

Oh, and good news!

Remember the audition I prepared for a month? I got in! My first big theater production ever! I’m grateful even for a small part, but I got a supporting role! I even play two characters, so I appear in both the first and second acts.

It won’t be easy to portray two different characters simultaneously, but I’m so excited. I’ll keep the exact roles secret. I don’t want to spoil your excitement.

I’m glad I signed with the agency! If you’ve been keeping up with my news, you’d know this is the first time things have connected so smoothly, right? Actually, I wouldn’t even have seen the first audition without joining the agency.

Above all, they provide private practice rooms—they’re on the upper floor and basement of the agency building. I asked for one on the upper floor! There are windows so I can always welcome fresh air—and they connect you with professional instructors if you want.

Plus, it’s not just acting classes! Foreign languages, etiquette—there are separate business and social versions—composition, makeup techniques, even swimming! Oh, and ballet classes too, which I briefly learned during 「Pirouette」.

I plan to focus solely on acting for now, but when I have time, I want to try other classes one by one. Learning anything will help both on and off stage.

And the role I got this time…… oh, I said I’d keep it secret, right?

Practice starts in June! I’m one of the last ones to join. The lead roles were decided during the planning stage, and I heard they decided to fill all the bit parts with actors from a certain theater company.

Opening night is July 2nd. You’ll like it too.

May 24,

Sending hugs, Perry.

P.S. Don’t just keep the cream as decoration—use it for its intended purpose!]

[Dear Perry

I returned safely, thanks to you. The flight was extended due to turbulence, but it was within the expected margin of error. The sand winds were still terrible. I probably couldn’t live in that country even if I traveled the whole world.

I received the cream. I didn’t have any particular product I was using, so please rest assured. I worry that I’ve caused you unnecessary concern, but refusing would be even more impolite.

Wouldn’t it?

Don’t worry, I won’t preserve the cream forever. The jam I received earlier is showing its bottom. I’m using everything “for its intended purpose,” sufficiently. Yes, indeed.

Congratulations on passing the audition. July 2nd opening with dual roles…… that would be Belva and Chaim from 「Parade Night」. A girl who came to the royal capital with nothing but a dream, and a retired jazz singer—I look forward to seeing how you interpret these roles.

However…… isn’t 「Parade Night」 a musical? Have you been taking related classes? Both roles would require a significant amount of dancing and singing.

I’m not doubting your abilities, but it’s an unexpected decision, so I’m asking. Please answer if this question isn’t offensive. I’ll finish discussing July duties with my colleagues.

I await your reply.

May 29,

Yuan.

P.S. I realize I haven’t written about other recent events, so I’ll add a few lines. For dinner, I had tomato caprese, toasted bread, and grilled salmon, with vanilla pudding for dessert. The pudding was extremely sweet, so I took one bite and passed it to a colleague.

P.P.S. How about getting a passport? Perry Humble, who will become a great actor, will eventually perform overseas. Then you’ll experience both the ice-cold air of Diam that I frequently visit and the bone-dry heat of the desert city.]

[Dear Yuan

Vanilla pudding! It’s one of my favorite snacks. Though it’s a constant adventure since surprisingly few bakeries make it well.

The most delicious pudding I’ve had recently was from the restaurant where I worked part-time! It’s just the right sweetness for my taste, though it would be too sweet for you…… Have you tried it too?

Your guess about my next work is correct. Yes, and to think I tried so hard to keep it secret! I’ll have to be more careful next time. I’d like to tell you just before the opening—but that would interfere with your work schedule, wouldn’t it?

I don’t want you to miss my performance, so I’ll let it slide this once. It’s my fault for being careless, so who can I blame?

As for the musical…… I’ve been working hard for the past month. My natural singing ability isn’t bad. Though stage vocals differ somewhat, my years of acting have helped me grasp techniques faster than ordinary people. Oh, and of course this isn’t just my subjective judgment. My teacher, a former vocalist who once received a royal invitation, has acknowledged it.

I didn’t tell you because…… I’d be embarrassed if I failed. Of course, you would thoughtfully consider my position, but still. Please understand this “actor’s” belated desire to appear impressive.

Anyway, since the secret’s out, I should tell you my plans. This month, I’m planning to visit a jazz bar. Though I’m not as thorough in character research as Bria Sol—she’s really amazing. I heard she even analyzes academic papers to dig deep—I should at least get a feel for it.

I’ve heard there are several famous jazz bars in Roju, but I’ve never been to one. Even when other actors talked about them, I just nodded and moved on. Dark places are easy to bump into things and dangerous. Most old buildings don’t have handrails on the walls either. Most are underground too……

But I have to do it! I’ll try to be brave. I can do it, right? I will do it.

Because I’m the amazing actor Yuan Bellium believes in.

June 3,

Sending sincere affection, Perry.

P.S. For lunch today, I had tomato stew, mushroom salad with tomatoes, toasted bread, and grilled mushrooms. I had to quickly use up some tomatoes that were about to go soft. For a snack, I had some grapes and yogurt.

P.P.S. I applied for a passport, yay! I wonder if I’ll really ever fly on a plane, but still. Filling out the application made me strangely nervous—I wonder why? Will there come a day when I board a plane piloted by Yuan? But would a regular passenger ever meet the captain? I guess I’ll find out when I go.

Oh, they said the passport will be ready in a month.]

[To Yuan

Yuan! You might have already read my last letter, might have already replied, but I’m writing urgently. I need your advice.

Wondering what’s suddenly happened?

Today…… I received a date invitation! From Jin, of all people! I won’t add detailed explanations about my date prospect since I’ve mentioned him before.

How did this happen—

He came all the way to the agency today, though he’s never sent a single letter. I was surprised and asked how he knew where to find me, and he said he heard it in front of the restaurant last time.

Goodness! To confess, my memory of that day is patchy. You remember, right? The day I spent two days nursing a hangover. My handwriting was such a mess—though I thought I was writing perfectly—that you had to ask what some sentences meant.