Shinobu and Kanao had been wandering the streets for nearly an entire day. Even as night fell and the city lanterns flickered to life, the sisters' enthusiasm showed no signs of waning.
What else could Horitake do? He was resigned to his fate—the loyal companion sacrificing his stamina and, more importantly, the contents of his wallet for the sake of his "betters."
As they strolled through the evening air, they passed the entrance of a grand theater. Horitake and Shinobu had intended to walk right past, but Kanao suddenly came to a halt. She was rooted to the spot, unable to take another step.
When Horitake and Shinobu turned back, they saw Kanao mesmerized, her gaze fixed entirely on a magnificent poster displayed at the theater's entrance.
The poster was an explosion of color and elegance, bearing several large, ornate characters:
Presented by the Takarazuka Revue: The Tale of Genji.
Shinobu looked at the poster with mild curiosity, but Horitake felt a strange, subtle shift in his mood.
'A theater troupe? The Takarazuka Revue?!'
If Horitake remembered correctly from his previous life, this troupe was legendary in Japan—a world-famous all-female musical theater group. However, in his memory, their peak fame—the kind that transcended borders and became a cultural phenomenon—belonged to the modern era. Certainly not now.
We were currently in the Taisho era, a period that felt like ancient history compared to the modern world he once knew.
'Wait...' Horitake suddenly had a realization.
Because he had been interested in their performances in his past life, he had looked up their history. He vaguely recalled that the troupe had been founded quite early on—somewhere around the second or third year of the Taisho era.
Calculated that way, it wasn't actually strange to encounter them now.
Even so, seeing the poster in the flesh gave Horitake a fleeting sense of cognitive dissonance, as if the fabric of time and space had become slightly fragmented.
He and Shinobu walked over to Kanao's side.
At that moment, Kanao's eyes were practically sparkling. She was completely captivated by the flamboyant imagery of the poster, her heart clearly overflowing with yearning. It was a stark departure from her usual "wooden doll" persona.
Horitake and Shinobu exchanged a surprised glance.
Kanao's personality was defined by a profound lack of autonomy; for something to attract her to this degree was an incredibly rare occurrence.
Was it the theater itself? No, of course not. It was the performance—the upcoming opera by this specific troupe.
'I never would have guessed Kanao liked this sort of thing,' Horitake thought.
Even Shinobu, who knew her sister better than anyone, was stunned for a long moment. She hadn't realized Kanao possessed such a deep interest in theatrical performances.
Following Kanao's lead, Shinobu turned her attention to the poster as well.
To be fair, it was hard to look away. The artwork was incredibly lavish. In this era, you rarely saw anything so bold and opulent. It was "flashy" to an extreme—if Uzui Tengen were here, he would surely cry out in joy at having found a kindred spirit.
Girls are naturally drawn to beauty and grandeur, and before long, both sisters were equally enchanted by the poster.
Two pairs of beautiful eyes—one large, one small—turned toward Horitake simultaneously. They were filled with a shimmering, hopeful light so intense it almost made his eyes sting.
'Alright, alright... I get it.'
Horitake knew exactly what this meant. They wanted to go inside. They wanted to see the opera.
Shinobu was one thing, but this was the very first time Kanao had ever expressed a personal desire. Given her psychological barriers, she almost never asked for anything. For the sake of his sister-in-law's rare request, he had to agree.
With a small sigh, Horitake glanced at the poster one more time.
'The Tale of Genji, huh...'
He had a general idea of the story. Since it was harmless enough, he gave a slow nod of approval.
"Very well. Since you both want to see it, let's watch the opera. It looks like tonight's show is about to start. I just wonder if this troupe is popular—I hope there are still tickets left."
With that, Horitake led Shinobu and Kanao into the theater.
The lobby was bustling. Patrons were scurrying toward the main hall, their faces filled with an eager anticipation to see the curtain rise. Horitake hurried his companions toward the ticket booth.
Fortunately, there were still seats available. Even with the performance looming, the show hadn't sold out. It seemed that in this era, while the Takarazuka Revue had already gained some traction, they were nowhere near the juggernaut they would become in the future. If this were the modern day, the tickets would have been gone months in advance, and scalpers would be retiring on the profits.
Horitake purchased three tickets in the front-row section, watching his wallet shrink significantly once again.
Tickets in hand, he led the sisters into the main auditorium.
As they entered, the space opened up into a grand, impressive sight. The most striking feature was the massive stage at the very front, though it was currently hidden behind a heavy red curtain. Behind that fabric, one could imagine the stagehands and logistics crew working in a feverish blur to prepare for the opening.
The seating area was vast, covering a large area. Horitake scanned the room, doing a quick mental calculation. There were at least several hundred seats, perhaps close to a thousand. This was no small-time playhouse.
By now, with the show minutes away, the hall was nearly seventy to eighty percent full. By the time the lights dimmed, there likely wouldn't be an empty seat left. It was clear that even in its infancy, the troupe had a respectable following and a healthy revenue stream.
Because of the crowd, Horitake instinctively took Shinobu's hand to keep from being separated. Feeling a bit shy and overwhelmed by the sea of strangers, Kanao reached out and grasped Shinobu's other hand.
Linked together in a human chain, with Horitake leading the way, they navigated through the aisles toward the front.
Following the numbers on their tickets, they found three contiguous seats in one of the leading rows. They sat down and realized the vantage point was perfect—they would have a crystal-clear view of the stage and be able to experience the beauty of the opera from a close distance.
Being their first time at such a performance, the sisters were visibly excited, leaning toward each other to whisper and share their anticipation.
Kanao, in particular, was the most animated Horitake had ever seen her. Her face was actually flushed with joy.
Again, he found himself amazed. Who would have thought Kanao harbored a hidden passion for musical theater?
The trio sat in their seats for a short while, and just as the last of the audience settled into their places, the lights began to dim. Tonight's performance was officially beginning!
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