For her final issue of GRAPH, in November 2016, Hinami Fuu had an invitation talk feature. She chose to do it with Hokushou Kairi and reminisce about their time as Top Stars together.
Warning: Extreme cuteness ahead.
Farewell Talk: Hinami Fuu and Hokushou Kairi
Hinami: The reason I asked for this talk to be with Michiko-san (Hokushou) is…well, I don’t have a reason! It’s because I like you!!!
Hokushou: Put down that she laughed really nervously (laughs)
Hinami: (laughs). Today, I have so many memories with Michiko-san to talk about… (takes out notebook)
Hokushou: You brought notes!? (laughs)
Hinami: I was like ‘this thing happened…oh, that thing happened too…’ So I made a journal of all my memories!
Hokushou: Alright, go ahead!
Hinami: It all started March 6 of last year, when we did the photoshoot for TAKARAZUKA REVUE 2015!
Hokushou: …Hang on, what’s this? (laughs)
Hinami: (laughs). We had our photoshoot as a couple at the Takarazuka Hotel that day.
Hokushou: Ahh~! You have a good memory, don’t you.
Hinami: It’s a really important memory to me. You were my escort… That was my first time having that kind of experience. And that’s when my days of not knowing how on earth to react to the amazingly kind and cool Michiko-san began!
Hokushou: …And how am I supposed to react to that? (laughs)
Hinami: (laughs)
Hokushou: But since you were in a different troupe I had no idea what kind of girl you were. It was a situation like an arranged marriage, so we kept mutually learning about each other.
Hinami: That’s right. After that, when we did the photoshoot for Great Pirates, I was terribly nervous.
Hokushou: Even though it was only about our second time meeting each other I was already totally fine with it, though.
Hinami: I was supposed to have my picture taken held in Michiko-san’s arm, and, just… When you came out wearing your costume, I remember thinking ‘Whoa! She’s a prince!’
Hokushou: Is that in your journal too? (laughs)
Hinami: It is. I also wrote down the day we became LINE contacts and such, too (laughs).
Hokushou: Wha~t! That’s sca~ry! (laughs)
Hinami: I wrote down everything!! After that, when the rehearsals for Great Pirates started, my journal became really something. My love had commenced!
Hokushou: But we were rehearsing until so late, and starting so early, when did you ever have time to write?
Hinami: After I went home. Even though I was absolutely drained, I would think ‘I have to get these memories down while they’re still fresh…!’
Hokushou: Amazing. But wasn’t the same sort of thing every day?
Hinami: Not a bit~! Honestly, after meeting Michiko-san, the heart-pounding moments never stopped!!!
Hokushou: (laughs)
Hinami: Around that time, Michiko-san had a party at Rena-san’s (Toa Reiya’s) house.
Hokushou: Right, I said ‘let’s all eat together!’
Hinami: Yes. More than 20 people gathered, and Michiko-san was the one working the hardest. You were in the preparation area…
Hokushou: You mean the kitchen (laughs).
Hinami: (laughs). You were in the kitchen, making all this food, and it was so delicious! You didn’t even eat much, but you looked out over everyone and said ‘this is so nice~’… I was so moved by that. Even though Michiko-san is giving so much every day, you’re the kind of person who pays attention to the needs of everyone around you. Even though people tell me I have a lot of ‘power’, I can’t even be compared to you! It was the first time I’d met someone like you, so the first several months, all the entries in the journal are about days where I felt like my life was complete just being able to see you.
Hokushou: (laughs). But I think Fuu-chan (Hinami) is a really amazing person too. Even though I always arrive early, Fuu-chan would already be there rehearsing by yourself.
Hinami: No, no… It always made me so happy when Michiko-san met me at rehearsal in the mornings. I thought ‘Oh, I’m not alone!’ After meeting Michiko-san, thinking ‘whether it’s rehearsals or performing on stage, I’m not alone!’ made me so happy.
Hokushou: I think I’m fairly particular when it comes to the arts. You did a good job to keep up with me, I think.
Hinami: I would do anything to be even a little closer to Michiko-san’s skill level!
Hokushou: While it probably isn’t really apparent when we’re all together, I was like that when we were rehearsing just the two of us. After all, we had the responsibility of carrying the whole troupe. Therefore, I think you really did well keeping up with me.
Hinami: That’s too much…
Hokushou: Well, I was keeping up with you, more like (laughs).
Hinami: What are you saying! (laughs)
Hokushou: You’re so well composed on stage! Even though maybe I was the one pulling you along in rehearsals, once we got on stage I was the type more likely to screw up. I’d sing the wrong lyrics, or blank on the choreography, or break the microphone… (laughs) But no matter what you were right there supporting me! I felt so safe since I could rely on you.
Hinami: What, really?
Hokushou: Yes. We’re a fun couple, aren’t we.
Hokushou: Today, could I ask about how I seemed from Hinami Fuu’s point of view? Since we’ve got the chance, it would be nice to flip the questioning around and ask like ‘What did you think of me at such and such a time?’ or things like that.
Hinami: Do you want to!? Sure…
Hokushou: Like, how did you feel when I was putting the glass slipper on your foot (in LOVE & DREAM)? That sort of thing.
Hinami: (laughs)
Hokushou: I couldn’t see your feet at all under all the fabric of that gown. I’d never imagined putting a glass slipper on a princess’ foot could be so hard.
Hinami: (laughs) That was difficult, wasn’t it. But I was ever so happy. I’d been yearning to have that happen to me since I was a little girl.
Hokushou: Oh, making a sudden time jump here, sorry, but let’s go back to Guys and Dolls for a moment.
Hinami: (laughs) I have so many memories from Guys! First of all, you took me out to dinner.
Hokushou: Right! Around that time, Fuu-chan had been losing a bit of weight, and people were saying maybe you were getting thinner because I was bothering you about it (laughs).
Hinami: (laughs).
Hokushou: So I told you ‘Please don’t try to lose weight!’ And I thought ‘from now on I have to make sure she eats more meat when we go out!’ After that your physique changed so that you looked like a real carnivore (laughs).
Hinami: So much muscle~ (laughs). Also, on the last day of rehearsal, you gave me the soft felt hat you’d been using in the rehearsal space. I’m still treasuring it!
Hokushou: Where is that thing now?
Hinami: It’s decorating the Michiko-san Shrine in my living room!
Hokushou: (laughs)
Hinami: Ah…I’d like to go back and ask you a question now…
Hokushou: Yes, by all means!
Hinami: When we had a photoshoot wrapped up in a blanket together for that GRAPH ‘Match’ feature, it was like my dreams had come true… How did you feel having me running wild like that? (laugh)
Hokushou: Honestly, I just laughed, and it wasn’t an idea I’d ever have myself, so it was fun.
Hinami: (laughs)
Hokushou: I felt, she really longs to be in the world of a shojo manga. I never really had a ‘Takarazuka fan era’ but Fuu-chan was a huge Takarazuka fan, so you have that vision of what makes the audience happy. Therefore, it was really fun and I learned a lot.
Hinami: You learned from that!?
Hokushou: Yes. But even though you were the one who wanted to be wrapped up in the blanket, you ended up so overheated!
Hinami: (laughs)
Hokushou: You would always sweat a lot when we did photoshoots together (laughs).
Hinami: I felt like I would just die (laughs). Michiko-san smells so nice, though!
Hokushou: (bursts out laughing)
Hinami: In that photoshoot it was so fun I was like ‘nothing can ever top this!’ Well, today was fun too but (laughs).
Hokushou: (laughs)
Hinami: In general, I think of myself as being pretty talkative. But when I’m with Michiko-san I really struggle to talk with you…
Hokushou: You really don’t say much! Today you have to keep things going so you’re talking, but in general you don’t talk a lot. With your classmates or the junior actress you’ll chatter away in rapid-fire Kansai dialect, but why not with me, I wonder.
Hinami: That’s a bit of a mystery to me too…it’s my first time to have that happen. I suppose I just lose my words in front of such a wonderful person. When I got home I would always be like ‘Oh no, I wasn’t able to tell her how cool she was today at all~!’ (laughs)
Hokushou: Eh, what!? (laughs)
Hinami: ‘Ahh, even though I was so moved, I wasn’t able to convey that to her at all, why can’t I talk to her properly~’ I would think… Even though I was like that, what did you think of me?
Hokushou: !!! (bursts out laughing) Actually, the less you were able to say, the more I could tell that you were really thinking a lot of different things.
Hinami: Really?
Hokushou: Yes. If you were able to say it right out, I’d assume your emotions weren’t that deep.
Hinami: When I really tried to say things earnestly, I ended up feeling like I would cry (laughs). Also, it was the first time I ended up thinking ‘Hey, you stop that!’…
Hokushou: Hold up, what do you mean by that?
Hinami: But like… (laughs)
Hokushou: Ah, you mean jealousy? (laughs)
Hinami: In the rehearsal room, all the musumeyaku would be like ‘Michiko-san is so cool~! That was so amazing~!’ and as I saw them talking I would think ‘I know all that! I wish I could say it too!’ and stuff like that…
Hokushou: Ahahahaha (laughs).
Hinami: If I was someone else I’d be able to join in and be like, ‘yes, yes’ and agree with everything… I wrote down all that inner conflict in the journal too: ‘Was that really me holding those kind of emotions towards other people!?’ I would ask myself. It’s basically an account of my struggles (laughs).
Hinami: We were able to go to so many different places together, weren’t we!
Hokushou: Like an aquarium.
Hinami: And Disneyland!
Hokushou: Right, right, we went to Disneyland in the middle of a blizzard, and to Universal Studios Japan in the middle of a rainstorm (laughs).
Hinami: (laughs). Well, we only have a little bit of time left, so where should we go?
Hokushou: Ahahahaha! (bursts out laughing) Surely there’s no time for that~?
Hinami: No wa~y!
Hokushou: Where do you want to go?
Hinami: I don’t care as long as I’m with Michiko-san…
Hokushou: We already did amusement parks, right?
Hinami: Yes. You really can’t stand roller coasters, can you Michiko-san (laughs).
Hokushou: Nope (laughs).
Hinami: Well, you definitely won’t want to do this, I think, but I’d like to go to the ocean!!
Hokushou: …… (makes ‘nope’ face)
Hinami: Ahaha (laughs)
Hokushou: I’m sorry, that’s just… I know we have the ‘HinaMI’ and ‘KAIri’ connection1, but I can’t swim at a~ll.
Hinami: Alright, I’ll give up on the ocean… In the end, I think I’d like to go to an amusement park one more time. How about Fuji-Q Highland2!
Hokushou: Oh… (sighs)
Hinami: (laughs)
Hokushou: I don’t want you running off to ride roller coasters all by yourself any more!
Hinami: I won’t, I won’t! We’ll go on rides together! They have things besides roller coasters!
Hokushou: If you want an amusement park I think Disney Sea would be better…
Hinami: Oh! Then let’s go to Disney Sea then! Yes!
Hokushou: …Did I actually have to say that (laughs). I’m sure everyone else will come too, though.
Hinami: That would be nice. It would be a shame to monopolize Michiko-san for the whole day. Therefore, I won’t ask for a whole day. Let’s go out to eat again as a couple… (laughs)
Hokushou: You keep casually piling on the requests (laughs). Okay!
Hinami: Let’s go then!
Hokushou: You would make me boxed lunches or things to use in the dressing room all the time. It was really impressive, since you weren’t naturally a cook and weren’t that skilled at sewing…
Hinami: Since I couldn’t talk to you, I had to express my feelings to you like I would have in prehistoric times, I thought. (laughs) But how was the result? I make you all sorts of things, did that get across to you?
Hokushou: Yes. Somehow, I feel that when people have strong emotions it makes them take on new challenges. ‘Even though she struggles with cooking and sewing, she still makes all these things for me’ I thought. It really conveyed your determination, so that made me happy.
Hinami: Really! I do plan to improve more, though (laughs).
Hokushou: But it’s really impressive to improve so much in only a little over a year, I think.
Hinami: It’s because Michiko-san accepted even things that someone else might not have liked since they weren’t done very well.
Hokushou: It doesn’t matter if they look good, since you put so much time and effort into them along with your feelings, so I’d never reject it!
Hinami: Thank you…I’m so happy…
Hokushou: I think it’s because I received so much love from you even offstage that we were able to come so far in this year and a half. Right now, we’re in the rehearsals for our final performance, but we’re doing everything as usual. We’re not doing anything special do try and make memories. That’s because it’s not as if our bond is going to end with this. Don’t you think? I feel like I’d still want to talk with you even once we’re both little old ladies.
Hinami: …That’s so great. But I think since I won’t be able to be together with this amazing person constantly any more after this, I’d like to be together as much as we can in the time we have left!
Hokushou: (laughs)
Hinami: Today, although I basically forced you into it, we wore matching clothes.
Hokushou: Fuu-chan made these! Blue for Star Troupe, and H for Hinami and Hokushou, as well as the garden eels from our memorable aquarium visit. Oh, look here, they’re already coming off a bit (laughs).
Hinami: If you would actually do me the honor of wearing it again I’ll fix it for you!
Hokushou: Sure (laughs). And what do you want to do with the back?
Hinami: I thought it would be nice to get you to sign it… (laughs)
Hokushou: I thought you might (laughs)
Hinami: Thank you for accepting everything I do so generously and making so many of my dreams come true!
Hokushou: It’s nothing.
Hinami: Um… Um, I, I like you!!!!
Hokushou: (bursts out laughing) Thank you so much, really. Let’s keep working together until the end!
Hinami: Yes! I’m looking forward to it!
1 – The ‘mi’ in Hinami and the ‘kai’ in Kairi are the same kanji, ‘海’ which means ‘ocean’
2 – This is an amusement park in Japan that’s famous for having extreme roller coasters including some of the tallest and fastest in the world.