3 bar menu

Chapter 84 – Spring Bullet Tour (6)

That afternoon, after leaving Kawanishi, we headed to Takarazuka.

If I said it was simply because I wanted to do some normal sightseeing, that would be the end of it—but the truth is, my soul from my previous life was craving some form of entertainment to escape from reality.

After all, the only sound or visual entertainment readily available at home is the phonograph, and at best, radio. Television is said to have started in some parts of America, but even there it’s far from widespread.

The music I can listen to on the phonograph is mostly classical. I had to beg quite a bit just to get a little jazz, and even that jazz is still in its infancy.

It’s easy to understand just how healing it is to hear Koshirou-kun sing after our study sessions.

Even outside, movies are still in black and white. And while “talkies”—films with sound—have already begun in America, they haven’t reached Japan yet. Most films here are still historical period dramas.

Well, it’s not like I dislike period dramas, and some of them are even based on stories I know, but there’s a limit. Modern-day dramas are only just starting to appear, but they don’t suit my tastes and are still very few.

And of course, there’s no anime yet. Disney has already started its activities overseas, but in Japan it’s not yet viewable, and the kinds of works I want to watch still won’t be made for quite some time.

As for manga, the kind of manga I know won’t appear until 1931 with Norakuro. Right now, four-panel comics are about as much as you get.

Other than that, there’s plenty of adult-oriented Japanese-style entertainment in all its colorful variety. In Western-style entertainment, there’s theater and opera. There are plenty of stage performances: plays, kabuki, noh, and kyogen. Even orchestras are active—NHK has its own giving performances, and others are slowly starting to sprout. But for me, the lack of entertainment is overwhelming.

Actually, the bigger problem is that I’m too rich to casually go out and see a movie.

Please sympathize with me—I’m starving for it.

More than anything, I want to meet handsome men from the two-dimensional world.

The one thing that can even slightly fill the emptiness of this soul is the Takarazuka Revue.

Well, not just Takarazuka—tomorrow I also plan to visit the Shochikuza Theater in Dotonbori, Osaka. But since the Osaka troupe is a sister group to Tokyo’s Shochiku Revue, it’s of slightly lower priority to me. Above all, it’s all about Takarazuka.

Of course, I haven’t forgotten to consider my attendants either.

Since dragging along Torasaburou while I indulge in my escapism would be unfair, he’s taking a break in Arima. I hadn’t expected the bodyguard guys to still be an issue, so I figured it’d be fine for them to stay with Torasaburou—but Wan-san ended up coming along with me.

“I’ve always dreamed of seeing this one day. I don’t even know how to properly thank you for giving me such an opportunity, Princess!”

When I gave him permission to accompany me, he expressed his gratitude with streaming tears and practically went into full dogeza mode. Honestly, it was a bit much.

He probably also had the excuse of being my bodyguard and not being allowed to leave my side, but I don’t think this man even knows the word ‘acting’, so this must be completely genuine.

Still, having a kindred spirit is encouraging. No matter how passionately I explain things to Shizu, she just doesn’t show any interest in Takarazuka.

But that can’t be helped.

After all, while we can see a Takarazuka revue in this era, it’s only spring of 1929, meaning the revues have only been around for a year and a half—it’s still a brand-new trend.

Even so, she’ll understand once she sees it.

“Ahhh! It’s even more wonderful than I’d heard! My heart was captured in an instant!”

“Right? Takarazuka revues really are the best!”

“Indeed! I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life!”

“Oh come on, don’t say it like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You should go again! Next summer, they’re supposed to perform something even more amazing.”

“What?! Even more amazing than that? I can’t even imagine it! I shall move heaven and earth to secure time off and tickets!”

“That’s the spirit, that’s the spirit. If I can make time, I’ll go see it too. And if I can make time, I’ll call you in as my guard. That way, you won’t have to go out of your way to take a day off!”

“Ohh! Nothing would please me more. If that time comes, please do!”

After getting along famously with a muscle-bound giant nearly twice my height, I left the theater. Shizu, meanwhile, admitted the acting and staging were interesting, but her overall impression remained lukewarm.
・
・
・
“What are you doing?”

“Obviously, guarding the Princess. A man of my size staying that close to her—no one on the street would dare try anything. Besides, I’ve stationed my subordinates somewhere she won’t notice.”

Two hulking men dressed in dark, hard-to-spot clothing conversed quietly in the cover of night.

It was Yagami and Wan.

“…I see, so that’s your plan. I hadn’t thought of that approach. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Well, I did enjoy Takarazuka to the fullest. Next summer, I’m taking vacation.”

The darker-skinned giant narrowed his eyes at the even bigger man standing before him. It was a pointed look, as if to say: Give me back the respect I just had for you.

But it lasted only a moment, and he quickly switched to his ‘work face.’

“…Well, do what you want. So?”

“We were being watched. But according to Miss Shizu, it’s been the same since the Princess got on the Tokaido Line.”

“Hmph. No doubt they’re watching for a chance to make a move.”

“They were the same at the inn in Hiroshima. Think they’ll try something?”

“Hard to say. By now, someone on their side might’ve found their comrades floating in Hiroshima Bay. That might make them panic.”

“Yeah… Should we make a move ourselves?”

Yagami gave a carnivorous smile, and Wan returned a fierce grin of his own—more like a bull ready to charge.

“That would be best. We made our message clear in Hiroshima, and yet they still haven’t given up—what a pack of fools. I’m just about at the end of my rope.”

“Whether you are or not doesn’t matter. It’s not just silent pressure on Ootori—they’re clearly after an abduction.”

“Or maybe they only want it to look that way. So, where are they?”

“Confirmed. Four people. We’ve got four men tailing them. Another two are stationed at the Princess’s inn. No one else.”

“Seems a bit few for targeting two of Ootori’s people out of their territory. Maybe this whole crew is just delivering a message from the one pulling the strings?”

“Most likely. We can crush them. They probably don’t know anything.”

“Still, this operation doesn’t feel like something run by mainlanders.”

“True. It reeks of the West. Though no Westerners have shown themselves yet.”

“Then let’s go see whether we can sniff out any Western stink. I want to finish this quickly and get back to the hot spring.”

“You’re going in again?”

“Of course. I can’t show up in front of the Princess tomorrow morning still reeking of blood like last time.”

“True enough. That Princess may be soft when it comes to violence, but she’s strangely sharp in some ways.”

“Precisely why she is one chosen by divine will.”

“Hah, not that I care either way. Come on, let’s get to work.”

“Understood.”

With those final words, the two vanished into the darkness of the night.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Takarazuka Revue
Japan Opera Company (OSK)
Shochiku Revue Company
The three major all-female musical troupes of Japan. No further explanation needed.
The Tokyo-based Shochiku Revue Company has already disappeared. The Japan

The Opera Company was also temporarily dissolved in the early 21st century.