![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/shall-we-talk-touko-and-mari-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHanafusa:<\/em> By this point, me and Touko (Aran) have shown all our good and bad points to each other. We don\u2019t have anything to hide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Yeah. If I\u2019m worried about something I\u2019ll go to Hana (Hanafusa) for advice right away, and Hana will ask me first too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> It\u2019s really reassuring to feel that you\u2019ll definitely tell me the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> We can both trust each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> While now we\u2019re really close like this, and we can share anything with each other, we weren\u2019t always like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> It\u2019s not like we didn\u2019t get on, we just didn\u2019t interact much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa: <\/em>When we were in music school, the friend groups we were in were different, so we didn\u2019t talk that much. So it feels a little odd to be like this now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran: <\/em>It must have started when you transferred into Snow Troupe, Hana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Right. We became close really suddenly. There\u2019s a reason for that, of course, but that\u2019s a secret between us (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran: <\/em>Yes (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> But I really feel thankful with all my heart that Touko was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Really?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> It\u2019s like you understand without my having to say anything, you can figure out what my mental state is just by looking at me. If something good happened you\u2019ll figure it out right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran: <\/em>I\u2019ll even call you with perfect timing (laughs). I\u2019ve often called you about something totally unrelated and then say \u2018Oh, was this good timing?\u2019, right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Right. I\u2019ll think, ‘Wow, you really knew the right time to call\u2019 (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I wonder if we have some connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I always want to tell Hana things I\u2019m ashamed of since I want you to know them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> You don\u2019t like having things you can\u2019t talk about. I\u2019m honestly jealous of you sometimes, Touko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I\u2019m jealous of you sometimes too Hana! Your personality!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> (laughs) I\u2019m jealous of your personality too, Touko. You\u2019re so pure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran: <\/em>No, no, let me turn that right back on you (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> I know I trend towards being pure but if I was going to put it stylishly you\u2019re ‘pure as the driven snow\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Your heart is clear. So if you get something right you can acknowledge it, but if you get something wrong, you can ask directly why it\u2019s wrong. You don\u2019t like doubting people, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Yeah, you\u2019re right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> You can come right out with that. You\u2019ll say \u201cI don\u2019t like being suspicious of someone over a thing like that,\u201d without any ill meaning at all. I\u2019m jealous of that side of your personality. But then you\u2019re also such a funny person, Touko (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I\u2019ve loved making people laugh since I was little (laughs). When I started going to school, I\u2019d practice while watching TV the night before so I could make people laugh more (laughs). I\u2019d often think things like ‘this material will make everyone laugh!\u2019 But lately I\u2019ve calmed down a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran: <\/em>The part of Hanafusa\u2019s personality I\u2019m jealous of is how you\u2019re able to completely concentrate when you\u2019re set on something. It seems like it might be a little dangerous at times (laughs), but it\u2019s an aspect I don\u2019t have, so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> It seems like when I feel in my heart ‘This is what I want to do!\u2019, I\u2019ll keep that feeling no matter who disagrees with me. Although of course I\u2019ll consult with someone about it (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Right, right. But I feel like I just can\u2019t stick with my own conclusions that way. In my case, if someone says something to me I\u2019ll think ‘oh, that could be right\u2019, so I\u2019ll keep changing what I think over and over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa: It does seem like once I think something in my heart, I can\u2019t really change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I don\u2019t think I have that. It\u2019s not like I\u2019ve seen all of your growth, Hana, but thinking of when you first came to Snow Troupe, you\u2019ve really grown a lot since then. And it\u2019s all achievements that you\u2019ve gained through your own persistence, climbing over mountains in your way, I think. It makes me proud to be your classmate to see you accomplish all this, Hana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> You\u2019re really growing as an otokoyaku too, Touko, so I don\u2019t have any worries about you. I keep thinking how nice it would be to watch a Bow Hall show starring Touko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> It would be nice if I could do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> I\u2019ll come see the dress rehearsals, promise. No matter where I am I\u2019ll come flying in (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Heck yeah! (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> If it\u2019s for Touko I\u2019ll row my way there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em>\u00a0(laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> About Takarazuka, naturally I want to have a fully fulfilled life in Takarazuka, and I also want Touko to always be able to smile. I hate seeing Touko sad or hurt. So I hope you can always enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I think you\u2019re already approaching the point of completely mastering your craft as a Takarazuka musumeyaku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> I still have so far to go! I\u2019m always worrying about it so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> But I think it\u2019s good to worry about things; I can tell that you\u2019ve grown because of how much you worry about things, Hana. I might say ‘what if you stopped worrying\u2019 but watching you chasing after things and ussing that as your motivation for growth makes me think how much I can rely on you. When I think of the charismatic actress you\u2019re going to become it makes me excited to see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> (laughs) This is changing the subject a bit, but remember how a while back Ichiro-san (Ichiro Maki) told us \u201cwhen I see Hana and Touko together it\u2019s like watching my past self with Yacchan (Kanna Miho)\u201d? That made me really happy so it stayed in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I remember! I\u2019m totally different from Ichiro-san so I said \u201cWhat, really?\u201d but she didn\u2019t mean it that way, I guess the relationship between us right now resembles theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa: <\/em>Somehow those words left a big impression with me. But I\u2019m sure you will do fine, Touko. I hope you\u2019ll still let me be with you all the time even when you leave Takarazuka one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> I really want you to be happy, Touko. If you can have a happy life that\u2019s enough for me (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> We both want that, right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> I hope we can stick with our decisions and be happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> I\u2019m sure that knowing you, Touko, even when you\u2019re a little old lady you\u2019ll want to talk and laugh about our younger days together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> Definitely. I\u2019ll be sitting on the porch saying \u201cwell, back then\u2026\u201d (laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hanafusa:<\/em> Right, you\u2019ll be just like that (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aran:<\/em> One day, probably (laughs).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This cute talk feature between classmates Hanafusa Mari and Aran Kei was published in the February 1997 issue of GRAPH. At the time, Hanafusa Mari was Top Musumeyaku of Snow Troupe, and Aran Kei was still an up-and-coming otokoyaku (her … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/zukalations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/shall-we-talk-touko-and-mari-2.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n