Part 2

(…… So far, so good.)

(The flip card act¹ was a great start. I’m glad I got advice from Tao and pulled an all-nighter writing it.)

(And right after that, the song skit using the zombie walk Akuta taught me, and my HAMA-themed original rakugo² both got a pretty solid reaction. )

(The audience’s cheers are warm, too. A desire to deliver even more enjoyable comedy is welling up inside me. Alright, let’s head back on stage—)

Now, it’s time for a traditional manzai routine.

My manzai partner, Shiramitsu Ryui, will now make his entrance.

Huh!?

I-It’s here~! The legendary manzai act I’ve been waiting forever to see! All that chasing has paid off!

Don’t fuck with me, I’m an audience member right now. You’re not getting me outta this seat even with a crowbar.

Ani-sama, plea — mmgh.

I’m begging you, don’t say it, Toi……

Okay. I see you’re trying to shake things up in the comedy sphere with this new heckle-style tsukkomi retort from the audience.

I said I ain’t doing it, didn’t I!?

Mmmff…

(That sharp tsukkomi voice Brother Dearest only ever uses with Nagi-kun… There’s a kind of nourishment in it you can’t get anywhere else…)

Even though they’re just bickering at a distance between the stage and the audience, they manage to put on such a captivating manzai performance. Nagi and my boy have quite the talent.

I dunno about that….. but yeah, I can’t deny they’ve got a good thing goin’.

Nagi-shan ish doing great! But he hash to take a break shoon….

Right. But Renga-kun and Liguang-san are supposed to go next, and they still haven’t shown up…… Ah!

C’mon, hurry up, Liguang! There's less than five minutes until it’s our turn. Showing up late to the venue is totally unacceptable!

Tch, dont touch me. Stop pulling on my clothes.

They’re hereee~! Make way for the bickering manzai duo!!

Phew, sorry to keep you waiting. Now that I'm here, you can rest easy. I’ll show you some amazing celebrity comebacks that are sure to make you laugh out loud!

(Renga-kun is so motivated, but……)

…….

< Horses are considered light vehicles under the Road Traffic Act. That means they're the same as your motorcycle—>

< ……. >

< Hachinoya? >

< Ah, it’s nothing. I just needed to catch my breath. >

(......There he goes again, wearing himself out for others.)

…….

It can’t be helped. I will participate just this once.

Th-thank you, Liguang-san!

Screw this. I’m done with you. Don’t expect me to ever show up to your goddamn manzai show again.

Is that a cue? Or are you just being a tsundere?

Shut the fuck up! Just spit out the closing line already!

Thanks a lot, everyone.

Next up, a dotshuki manzai routine by our shpecial gueshts from R1ze: Nishizono Renga-shan and Lu Liguang-shan!

Dotsuki manzai!? Did you mean “Do-manzai”? How’s that different from regular manzai? ³

That’s not what she meant. Don’t just jump in by yourself, you mutt.

Hah!? What…… wait, who’re you calling mud!?

Oh wow, that opener was spot on…… The audience is roaring with laughter.

Welcome back, Nagi-kun! Come on, sit over here.

Here’s some Yukikaze-brand honey lemon. Rest your voice while you can, and make sure to get some sugar in as well.

Gii, you look exhausted. How about a good ol’ bottle of ‘Yipee! Green Tea’? I have one right here.

Th-thank you.

(I can hear the audience laughing. Even though I can’t see their faces, I can tell what expressions they must have. That’s how bright their voices are.)

Wow, aren’t you glad we came today? Ahh, I’m so happy.

Yeah! I feel like I can really give my all at work again, starting tomorrow.

(Everyone’s happiness, everyone’s smiles. They give me strength…)

Phew….. the day really flew by, huh?

Mhm. Sonia’s monoboke⁴ routine, Yodaka-san’s solo sleep-talking act, Netaro and Toi’s sketch on drama cliches, Buchi-san’s muscle monologue…… They were all incredible.

Everyone lent me their support, so I was able to make it through. I’ll make sure to thank them one by one later, but for now, I’ll start with you.

Thank you so much for your warm support backstage. I’m pretty sure even my slow brain was running about thirty percent faster, thanks to you.

Don’t mention it. Your improvised manzai was amazing. It made me want to try comedy too.

……!

……Um, if I ask you for any more favours, I’m sure I’ll get into trouble with delinquents at least a hundred times before I get home, but—

Hm? Don’t hold back, you can ask me anything.

Actually…… I wanted to try doing manzai with you too, Shunin. I had already written a routine for us.

Huh!?

I thought it might be too much of an inside joke to perform on stage, so I ended up scrapping it… but still, I really want to do it with you—

No, sorry, please forget about it. Making a routine without permission and trying to do manzai together is basically comedy harassment. No matter how kind you are, there’s no reason to drag you into my hobby—

Let’s do it, Nagi-kun!

Oh.

I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it, but I just have to read off a script, right?

Ah, um… yeah. That’s fine.

Th-then, please.

< So, I run a flower shop. But lately, I’ve been having a bit of a problem. >

< For some reason, more and more customers have been coming in to buy scrub brushes instead of flowers. >

< That makes no sense at all! >

……Hehe, nice comeback.

Th-thank you…….

Sorry, my thoughts just slipped out.

< I figured, if it’s scrub brushes people want, then why not grow some loofahs and work with that? So I started stocking up on some loofah plants at the store. >⁵

< Now, believe it or not, customers come in looking for deck brushes instead. So now I’m just starting to study how to make them. Deck brushes, I mean. >

< No way! It’s a flower shop, that’s nyot— >

Ah!

……Haha.

My partner flubbed their line, so we’re closing shop for the day.

< Please look forward to the grand reopening of flower LAUNDRY. >

Ready, set.

< Thank you very much. >

…….

‘Nyot’…

I messed up so badly……. That was embarrassing, please forget about it…….

No, I feel like I got to see an unexpected side of you, Shunin, and that makes me a little happy. Thank you for going all out to respond to my absurd request.

Ahaha, don’t mention it. I think a lot of people were able to smile today thanks to you.

Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, Nagi-kun.

(At this BD event……. it was actually me who received a lot of happiness. …….Mm. Tonight, I’ll prepare an especially large bouquet.)