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Chapter 2 part 4-6

The film showing has ended.\nThe work of Team Kitayama Reformed was ranked “1st Place” by the panel of teachers. When the rankings were announced the applauses were sparse and the people weren’t really into it.

No matter how you look at it, the film that had a stronger impact was the 2nd place work.

“Eh-, Shouldn’t the 1st and 2nd place teams be the other way around?”

“If we base it on the actress isn’t the difference night and day?”\nCandid opinions are leaking out from the students. Everyone was basically on the same page of it.\n“I heard they brought over a kid from the performing arts department”\n“I see, no wonder the acting was superb”\nSuch information came from the back.\nBeing revealed at this point in time doesn’t matter now I suppose.\n“And with this the film showing’s now concluded.”\nThe judging is now over, with Kanou-sensei’s closing remarks the students stood up one after the other. All at once the area was covered in a disorderly atmosphere. It was a sight akin to a festival’s conclusion. “\n“Sensei!”\nNanako quickly rises up from her and set and stand in front of Kanou-sensei who was just about to leave.\n“What's up Kogure, you’re making a scary looking face.”\n“Sensei…. There’s a thing I want to hear from you.”\nAs Nanako steeled herself, she inhaled.\n“Shouldn’t the 1st and 2nd place rankings be the other way around?”\n“That again, what about it?”\nSensei looked over at Nanako in a languid fashion.\n“No matter what angle you look……Wasn’t the other actor’s performance just that amazing…?”\n“Kogure, a film’s worth isn’t decided by any single part. Every element is ….”\nThen the response to Sensei as she tried to explain.\n“It was just a total blow out wasn’t it !!?”\nNanako’s shout drowned out everything on the way. The noise in the area turned quiet in an instant.\n“……..Sorry”\nNanako’s vocalized her apology in a voice that trailed off.\nSensei heaved out a small sigh.\n“Even if I did see the acting in it, I can’t technically grade the acting itself. That oss why whether which one had the better actors between them, I didn’t even consider it in the first place. We are the Film Department after all.

Sensei took a step closer to Nanako and then…\n“And on top of that, why did that work even leave a strong impression on everyone?  It wasn’t the technique, or the acting was it? It’s quite simple really.”\nNanako was frightened in a moment by the firm look in Sensei’s eyes. But even so, Sensei took a step further towards Nanako, and cut off her escape.\n“The other party took it seriously.”\nAt the back Kawasegawa’s sigh could be heard, it seemed pained\n“If that is all”\nSensei turned back to what she was doing and left without looking back.\nAs if the students switches were turned on, the student’s started talking noisily again and eventually left one by one.

However, Nanako and the rest of Team Kitayama Reformed* couldn’t move a single step and was frozen in place for a while.\n 

(It just occurred to me that translating Team Kitayama Kai to Team Kitayama Reformed could have been a bad idea as this could have been a reference to Dragon Ball Z Kai woopsie)

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Around the time the second half of the classes switched into full gear, Geidai’s campus abruptly started getting rowdy.\nOn this day the members of the school festival committee are gathered together at the central square in full force.

“We will begin the schoolwide cleaning of the campus! Please work diligently so that no nook and cranny is left behind.”  

In response to the chairman who is using the megaphone the students answered “Yes!” all at once.\nAs Shinoaki and I were slowly walking in the square we glanced at the people scurrying off to work.\n“It’s about time for the school festival to begin huh~”

“Yeah, after the schoolwide cleaning it looks like the signboards and the decorations will be put up.”\n“I’m looking forward to it. Makes you wonder how much the air will change around here.”\n*fuu* Shinoaki takes a breath.\n“Does Nanako feel a little bit better now?”\nI answered back at Shinoaki’s question\n“Well…for the time being she’s already recovered from the shock from the screening…I think.”\nShinoaki smiles with a sigh of relief.\n“Thank goodness. I wasn’t able to talk with her at-all when we got back, I was really worried.”\n“Yeah……me too”

 It was good timing that I was scheduled for my part-time job the very next day.\nAlthough I found it hard to talk to her , perhaps because she wanted to say her piled up thoughts, Nanako herself was the one who talked to me first.\n“I wasn’t taking it seriously…..”\nShe sighs in front of the cash register as she ekes out a wry smile.\n“That’s how Sensei saw it as after all. So that’s where the difference lies, I wonder if that’s how the audience thought about it as to.”\nUnexpectedly, Nanako looked at her performance in an objective light.\nShe arrived at that conclusion herself, I feel she’s managed to take it quite well.\n“Do you want to stop acting?”\n“I was wondering if I should, But when Sensei talked about my “Seriousness” I didn’t really understand it so I want to give it a try just a little longer.”\nIf that is what she’s decided on then I won’t deny her that.\n“I see, if that’s how you feel about it then I’ll back you up.”\n“Thanks”\nShe laughed bashfully.\nIt looks like Nanako’s former smile has returned.

“….Is how she felt”\n“Hmmm, Ah I got it, How about we throw a cast party, wouldn’t it be a nice change of pace!?”\n“Launch party?”\n“A party for the film’s completion, for Nanako.”\n“I could get by that. Let’s do it. We’ll have to get Tsurayuki and the others on board with it too.”\n“It’ll be loads of fun~”\nWe’re all in this together as a team. That’s why no man should be left behind I say.\nI had no doubts about it.\n 

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“I’m really grateful for all of your hard work! Thanks to everyone on the staff, we were able to properly complete the work”\nA few days later at Shinoaki’s suggestion, I planned the launch party.\nOn top of the table at my favorite karaoke place are a variety of side dishes and drinks that I bought from the supermarket were piled up.\n“It’s good thing that you’re allowed to bring it in at this store~”\n“Not really though, Kyouya had to negotiate it over”*

“Seriously? What a frightening guy…..”\n…….Well I only dared to ask for it because I’m a regular, negotiating over it isn’t something to be amazed about.\n(TN- You guys may not know Karaoke places don’t allow you to bring drinks nor food and I’m not gonna lie the booth itself is cheap enough considering the size of it and the technological marvel of the karaoke itself( at least the few places I’ve been to Joysound the best) but they force you to buy drinks and/or food per person and let me tell you it is not cheap whatsoever (compared to food outside at least). But that is how they make money I suppose and it is a very fun experience overall. PS don't try going to a group booth alone when the singles booth isn't available shouldering the costs of the booth alone plus the drinks won't be good for the heart uwu)\n\n 

“Time to get this show on the road! Cheers!”\n“Cheeers!”

I thought that toasting with a cup of juice would lack the oomph factor, but as time passed proved my concerns to be unfounded.\n“I can’t believe that we’re number one! I absolutely never thought that a team I’m part of would be able to make it that far!”

Hikawa nodded seriously with passion\n“Is it really that unlikely?”\n“Definitely! In my previous team one guy wanted to do an action film while the other who wanted drama film duked it out with each other. We had to divvy the film up into two parts with both genres!”

Well unlikely isn’t impossible…\n“We are talking about the power of my script after all, 1st place is nothing!”\n“Says the guy whose dialogue was mercilessly cut down~”

“Zip it!”

Tsurayuki returns a smile at Nanako’s tsukkomi. He usually says something back”

(TN- As said previously The straight man of a manzai act duo think of Bert and Ernie from sesame street with Bert as the tsukkomi(The straight man) and Ernie as the Boke(as the funny man) but in this case it involves the straight man retorting to the obviously wrong words of funny man)\n 

(“Sorry about this Tsurayuki, and thank you”)\nBefore this meeting I had a little talk with the other members.\nThe gist of it was to not bring up anything that would make her feel depressed.\nIt might be something that we could all look back on and laugh after a little more time passes, but there was a decision to avoid it for now.\nMeanwhile Kawasegawa was the only one with a disinterested face.\nIt can’t be helped I guess, the results weren’t satisfying.

“Say, Kawasegawa about Nanako”\n“You don’t need to tell me. I’ll make no mention of the matter.”\nAs she says that she gets a cola and drinks it down.\n“But is that girl really alright with it? She looks fine on the surface but…”\n“Yeah, but she’s behaving like that so we should match it.”\n“That doesn’t solve the root of the problem. Not like I care though.”\n*crunch crunch*\nKawasegawa chewed ice as she voiced her unchanging dissatisfaction\n“Just enjoy things for now….”

At least until things calm down.

The party proceeded on in excitement, and being the place that is was singing at the Karaoke began.

“I’m pumped up! Nanako, would you like to sing?”\nHikawa hankers on Nanako with the mic.\n“Eh? I-I’m good, really.”\n“Come on and do it! Sing and have fun.”\n“Would anyone come to karaoke and not sing? That’s unlike you.”\nFollowing Hikawa, Tsurayuki jeers her on.\n“What should I do….Kyouya?”\n“Even if you tell me that……”\nAmong the members of Team Kitayama I’m the only one she’s ever sang in front of.

Needless to say, she’s concerned about her tone deafness and didn’t want to expose it to others if possible. In order to be able to sing in front of everyone else, she needs to sing here in front of the others though……

(Honestly though, I have a premonition this won’t go well)

“Isn’t it fine to just sing? We’ll probably go to karaoke with the others again sooner or later.”\nNanako is still somewhat embarrassed.\n“O-ok….then. I’ll warn you though I’m really tone deaf so forgive me ok!”

She picked up the microphone, with practiced hands she picks out her usual song\n 

“Wew……”\nAnd after Nanako finishes her usual song.\n“Ah, I’m really sorry! Pardon my tone deafness!”\n“You have a pretty wide range Nanako~”\nShinoaki is really impressed.

“I think so too, wasn’t that a folk song?”\nTsurayuki also looking interested voiced out his thoughts.\n“What a powerful voice Nanako! I’m no match for it.”\nHikawa and the others were acquiescently moved. The quality was decided based on the pitch of the voice.\n“Ahaha, I don’t know how to feel about that…..”\nNanako is being bashful as usual.\nHer face looking softer than before. It was the right call to let her sing.. 

“Alright who wants to go next….”

As Nanako was passing around the microphone a hand reached out to it.\n“Eh!?”\nAn unexpected person grabbed the mic.\n“Ka-Kawasegawa you’re going to sing?”\nIt was Kawasegawa who got the microphone. With all eyes on her she wordlessly carried the microphone to her mouth. And after that she stood before Nanako.\n“I see it now, I thought it was strange.”\nShe said so in a stern tone.\n“……What do you mean strange?”

“You don’t take acting seriously right?”                   ( **** Tn-note)

Nanako’s eyes widen.\nEveryone was dumbfounded as they watched on at the both of them.\n“Why… do you say that?”\nNanako squeezed out a voice shaded in a color of anger and fear.\nKawasegawa on the other hand continued speaking with a clear voice.\n“It was weird no matter how I looked at it. Certainly that skit you acted out was good. But whatever you wanted to do I could not see any drive at all. No matter where you are it’s all just for appearances sake. I completely get it now, no wonder there’s this sense of artificialness I can’t get rid of.”\nKawasegawa also leaked out “Artificial” on the day of the film showing.\nSo that was intended for Nanako.\n“………………”

Nanako averted her eyes, her eyes half closed.\n“You didn’t take acting seriously. You only say you do, but you really are just a wolf in sheep’s clothing”

*hrmph*

Kawasegawa snorted.\n “Just being able to do it in a confident voice to that extent means that you’ve been doing it since you were younger am I wrong? Despite it being such an important thing, why’d you even think of being an actor?”\n“Shut….up….”\n“You’re frightened of taking it seriously right? If you put in your all and it ends up not panning out you would feel like you’ve been denied it all. *When your sauntered acting was pulled out in front of the 2nd team, you were scared of knowing the results*. In front of amateurs you would even have been seen as good.” (TN note at end)\n

Nanako closed her eyes and looked down. However Kawasegawa showed no signs of letting up.

“But when your acting was brought up against the real thing it was tattered to shreds. Deep inside you, you think that it can’t be helped that you were completely defeated, just accepting to make it go away. Bringing up the song from now, you couldn’t even say “How was it~”. That’s why just by saying I want to continue being an actor, didn’t you do it to rely on Hashiba to get it by all means necessary.“  ＊

“You’re so noisy! Shut up already!”

Nanako who was patient until now finally exploded.

“What do you even know about me!? I’ve been surrounded by songs since I was young, I like songs. Even if I’m still tone deaf…… I’ll manage one way or another, I’ve decided on it long ago!”\n“Then why didn’t you do it?”\n“Eh…”

With the words being lightly returned Nanako was once again flustered.\n“Then why did you join the Film Department? You hesitated to join the Music Department didn’t you?  Even if you couldn’t fix your voice back at your hometown, if you went to a decent school couldn’t you have improved? I’ll ask you this then, why did you run away from it when it mattered the most?”

“That’s….because….”\n“N-Nanako’s been practicing with me many times actually!”\nI couldn’t help but interject.

“So did you conduct proper lessons? Do you even have the proper knowledge for it?”\n“N-no…”\n“Then don’t call it practice. It’s just a sham you’re only incessantly and uselessly doing things over and over.” 

I was ruthlessly cut down.\n“Don’t run away, stand up to it. If you have something that you want to do seriously, what would you do if you can’t even fight using your weapon? Even if you like doing it just by getting a little praise don’t think that anybody will get moved by such half assed acting!!”

“…………!!”\nNanako approached infront of Kawasegawa and raised her right hand.

“Nanako!”

I cut in between the two to stop it.\n“Hit me then. It can’t be helped right?\nKawasegawa unflinchingly faced Nanako.\nAnd then. Nanako’s hands stopped while raised up.

”Uuuu………”\nEventually her hands were dropped down in resignment, overlapping with it she turned her face downwards with an audible groan. She desperately tried to hold herself crying, enduring it till the last second. And then\n“……I’m going back”\nNanako opened the door and ran.\n“Nanako!”

“Don’t follow me!”

I tried to chase her but she refused. My feet stopped, and Nanako’s figure vanished deep into the hallway. The door was half opened as silence ruled over the booth.\n“I didn’t keep my promise”

Kawasegawa spoke in a quiet indifferent voice.\n“I’ll be going back. If that girl wants to I’ll leave the team too. I’m sorry for the trouble.”\nShe takes out money from her wallet and dutifully placed it on the table and left the room without saying anything.\n“……………”

No one dared to say anything

**** (TN- what she says is literally translated as "Your seriousness(using japanese particle の　between あなたand本気). It's not acting it's this(singing)" changed for the sake of flow. Eh jk the real reason this part was changed because it was only made apparent in the manga with the kanji for song (歌) is furigana'd with これ　while in the book it was written as (anata no honki. yakusha janakute kore de shou" which is the same meaning but "Kore"これ was the word directly instead of utau=歌 being furigana'd by kore...   Long story short. I thought author made a typo...(not really though this was an important scene I didn't think it would be possible for Kio Nachi-san to make a major mistake there) so really I just had a brain fart but I stand by my translation 

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 (TN-Heavily Localized part between the asterisks but this should be close enough to what she wants to convey What I can surmise from the sentence is it has something to do with Japanese's basketball's major minor league substitutions or something of the sort 二軍 where she implicitly states that showing her acting to basically (the film department being of lesser knowledge than the acting department in regards to acting)2nd rates (though the Japanese use 二の町...... nevermind as you can see by  me struggling to explain it I chose to use something different.)