Utsukushii Kare/ My Beautiful Man [ENGLISH TRANSLATION]

Chapter-3; PART-2: Sweet and Bitter

                                    Translator: White Lotus

                        

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"There're more dialogues?"

After the rehearsals of the stage play, the director handed Kiyoi a new script. Originally, the lines in this script were meant to be for another actor, but that actor got a polyp in his throat. He had to have an operation at the end of the year, and in order to avoid straining his throat too much before the surgery, his lines were divided among the other actors.

"This can't be considered the amount of dialogue for a guest appearance anymore; is it okay?"

"Well ...... If it's just this amount of lines, then yes."

Kiyoi flipped through the script roughly.

"I'm afraid that your agency will ask me to pay for the performance fee afterwards."

"If that's the case, then please pay generously."

"Poor theater companies like us don't have enough money for that. Ah, the chorus ladies are here."

The ladies from the chorus club bustled into the room, and the members of the theatrical troupe hurriedly packed their belongings and left the community center*. While waiting for the train on the station platform, Kiyoi flipped through the script again. The lines that were assigned to him were marked with red lines. Although he just said it was fine, given the number of lines, it would definitely require more practice.

(T/N: *市民教室 is a Japanese term that means "community center" in English. It refers to a facility that is used for educational, cultural, recreational, and social activities for the local community in Japan.)

The problem was the practice place. Since the stage play didn't even go through an agency, they were unable to arrange a place for their own rehearsals. The rehearsal space of the theater company was a cheap place that was rented hourly. Condominiums were impossible to rent, and since beaches and parks were never completely vacant and had previously been on the verge of being reported, they were unable to even utilize them. Karaoke might therefore be the last resort.

                  ——I'll have it prepared for you beforehand, so please feel free to contact me whenever you need to utilize it.

Hira's words crossed Kiyoi's mind, but he brushed them off with a snort. Even though he said that he would borrow his uncle's house, a month had passed since they had parted ways at the station that day at dawn, and he hadn't heard from Hira. Kiyoi definitely didn't want to call him either. Having been cut off from contact by Hira once, Kiyoi would never take the initiative to call Hira again on his own.

Besides, he had decided not to get involved with Hira again. Yet, day after day, he found himself feeling disappointed by the fact that Hira did not contact him. At random moments in the midst of his daily life, he couldn't help but think of Hira.

He wondered if Hira and Koyama's younger brother were progressing very well.

He also wondered if he looked at such a plain guy with the same passionate eyes that he used to look at Kiyoi with.