Pathway to Japanese Literature

Bunroku (Three Scenes)

Bunroku Kawazu

Wife: Osei
Son: Renta
Daughter: Ochika
Kyosaku Kajimoto

Osono

Other: Deceased, Demons, and many others

Time: Taishō ×××年 January 32nd

Place: The fringes of a metropolis

Scene 1

The stage was the living room adjoining the bakery shop, its entire front covered by a white curtain resembling shoji screens. Near the proscenium, Bunroku and Osei sat facing each other at the kotatsu.
――Extreme anxiety.

No need to place furniture.—It is night.

Bunroku tilts his cup, drinking alone.
He is already quite drunk.

Osei occasionally presses her sleeve to her eyes.

A thud comes from the attic.
The two of them—especially Bunroku—pull in their heads as if splashed with cold water.
The two of them do not laugh, their eyes meeting.

Bunroku: "Where the hell has that Renta gone off to, staying out this late..."

(Silence)

Osei: "Is it really true... that the Earth will be crushed?"

(Silence)

Bunroku (gestures toward the second floor with his chin): "Should we not call Ochika down anymore?"

Osei: "That should be fine."
If this truly were our last night... she should spend every moment by Teacher’s side...

Bunroku: "Whether that’s a good thing or not, I still don’t know."

(From far away, the lively sound of a band grew steadily clearer.)
The voices of the crowd sang and shouted.
Before long, a group of shadowy figures was projected onto the white curtain at the front.
It was a crowd of dancers.
(A scene of men and women mingling together and dancing wildly continued for some time.)

Bunroku (muttering to himself): It's starting again.

Osei (also muttering to herself): What could they be thinking... those people.

(The sound of the band grows distant, and the shadowy figures vanish.)
(A long time.)

Bunroku begins to doze off.

"You'll catch a cold."
"I don't recall doing anything wrong."
"Hey, I don't want to be left all alone."

“Huh...?”
“Now, right now.”

“You... I swear, what a carefree soul you are.”
“Is this really the time for dozing off?”

Bunroku: "Yeah... I've caused you all sorts of trouble."

(From afar, the festive music of shamisen, taiko drums, and flutes could now be heard approaching.
As it gradually approached, shadows appeared on the white curtain—those playing shamisen, others beating taiko drums, those blowing flutes, figures waving fans and dancing—projected now near, now far.)

Osei: “You...”

Bunroku    (does not answer)

(The festival music fades into the distance, the people depart.)

A pause.

Suddenly, two figures appeared.
Both raised their blades and took a defensive stance.
The clock struck eleven.
Osei, startled, moved closer to Bunroku.
(The fight scene began.)

Osei (trembling): “It’s really time now, you...”

Bunroku (does not answer)

(When one shadow seems to touch another, one of them collapses with a thud.
Osei presses her face against Bunroku’s shoulder.
A single shadow runs off.)

(From afar, a voice calls out to someone.)

-- CURTAIN --

ACT II

To the left stood an imposing castle gate. Next to it was a window labeled "Reception".

At the center of the stage stood a row of benches.
A sign reading "Deceased Waiting Area".

Bunroku, in the same clothing as before, appeared from stage right.
After glancing around warily, he approached the reception window and peered inside.

Bunroku: “Excuse me, I have an inquiry to make.”

Female Voice (in an unmistakably bureaucratic tone): “Yes?”

Bunroku: “I am Bunroku Kawazu...”

Female Voice: “Mr. Bunroku Kawazu?”
(to someone nearby) “Hey, you, check the register.”

Another Female Voice: “No such name here.”
“Ask for his posthumous Buddhist name.”

“And your posthumous Buddhist name would be?”

“Posthumous name... When you say posthumous name, well... I’m... Salvation Army...”

“Salvation Army... What’s that?”

“Uh... Christian...”

“Salvation Army Christian lay Buddhist?”

(evasively) “Huh.”

(searching through the register) “Salvation Army... Christian lay Buddhist...”
“No, nothing like that here.”
“Ask when the funeral was held.”

Bunroku: "There was no funeral or anything... Actually, I believe it was... last night... That whole business with Earth and the comet colliding..."

Female Voice (to another woman): "He’s insane, this one."

Bunroku: "Then... does that mean the notification still hasn't arrived here?"

Female Voice: "Please wait for a while."
"We’ll look into it."

Bunroku (approaches the bench while deep in thought, then turns back to the window as if remembering something): "Um... I’d like to ask—has someone by the name of Kawazu arrived earlier?"
(No response) "She’s my wife... And then, perhaps..." (The window clatters shut.)
Bunroku, dumbfounded, fell silent and sat down on the bench.

(At this moment, a deceased person appears from stage right, deep in thought.)

Deceased Person A smiled briefly at Bunroku. “Should I wait here?”

Bunroku asked, “Excuse me for asking—did you also pass away in last night’s... event?”

“When you say ‘last night’s event’...” Deceased Person A trailed off before clarifying, “No, I died two mornings ago at the hospital.”

“Huh... Something like that...” Bunroku murmured.

“Did something happen last night?” Deceased Person A pressed.

Bunroku leaned forward. “Well... You probably wouldn’t know this—the truth is, it was two evenings ago...”

(At this moment, from stage right appeared Deceased Person B—a white-haired old man in a white robe adorned with a grand cordon of medals, leaning on a cane.) He stomped up to the reception window and muttered something.

Female Voice: "Oh, you've come again?"

Deceased Person B (with a wry smile): "This time, it's finally the real thing."

Another Female Voice (searching through the register): "Let's see... Takashige Kaneyama... January 19th... Yes, here we are."

Deceased Person B: "Won't it be soon?"

Female Voice (to another woman): "Since there are three now, we can notify them."

Another female voice (as if making a call) said, “Ah, hello? Please connect me to the office.”
“The office...?”
“Um, there’s one deceased person whose notification hasn’t come through yet—has he arrived there? His name is Bunroku Kawazu… No, it’s a man—an old gentleman.”
(Bunroku closed his eyes.) “Haven’t you heard yet?”
“As for the posthumous Buddhist name…”
“Oh, then please go ahead and do that.”

Deceased Person B muttered to himself, “Feels good to walk after so long.”
(sitting next to Bunroku) “Well now, everyone—I am Kaneyama, President of the House of Peers.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Bunroku bowed respectfully. “I too once served as a clerk in the House of Peers. That would have been when Your Excellency still held the vice presidency—before the Great Taishō 12 Earthquake.”

Deceased Person B let out a drawn-out “Haaah.” “Oh, was that so?”

“I had read in the papers about your long illness,” Bunroku continued amiably, “though I never did come to pay my respects...”

“Ah, this time I’m quite finished,” Deceased Person B replied. Pressing his stomach, he added, “This thing simply won’t cooperate anymore.”

(At this moment, the castle gates swung open sharply, and Blue Demon in officer’s uniform, Red Demon resembling a sergeant, and Black Demon resembling a private appeared, each gripping weapons.)

Red Demon (to all the deceased): “Everyone, come out here!”

(With Bunroku at the head, Deceased Person A and B line up in orderly fashion)

Blue Demon (to Red Demon): Take roll call.

Red Demon: “Sir!”
(He spread the register) “I’ll check now.”
“Answer loudly!”
“Hisakazu Otowa…”

Deceased Person A: “Yes.”
(He stepped forward)

Red Demon: “What is your posthumous Buddhist name?”

Deceased Person A: “‘Neighborhood Nuisance Wife-Obsessed Layman.’”
(He looked around briefly and fidgeted)

Red Demon: “Occupation during your lifetime.”

Deceased Person A: “Musician.”

Blue Demon (gently): “What was your specialty?”

Deceased Person A: “Violin.”

Blue Demon (as if his point had been validated): “Oh, I see—so you’re the violinist.”
“Actually, I’m quite fond of music myself.”
“I’ve dabbled a bit in the violin myself…”
“Oh, it’s nothing—just a poor imitation.”
“Here, after all, since all the teachers are deceased.”
“When the people I’d heard about over there come here, it just doesn’t work out.”
“As for me, I really don’t feel like playing anything unless it’s from Ravel or Stravinsky onward…”

Deceased Person B: My feet are freezing—can't something be done about this?

Red Demon: "Don't speak."

Blue Demon: "Well, once the verdict is settled, we can talk at leisure."
(signaled to Red Demon to continue)

Red Demon: "Name—Hisakazu Otowa... Posthumous Buddhist name—Neighborhood Nuisance Wife-Obsessed Layman... Occupation..."

Deceased Person A: "Musician."

Red Demon: "Rank and decorations."

Deceased Person A: "Huh?"
"No—I don't have any."

Red Demon (after whispering something to Blue Demon): “Right... Next, Takashige Kaneyama.”

Deceased Person B: “That’s me.”

Black Demon: “What’s this ‘that’s me’?”

Deceased Person B (apparently not hearing clearly): “Ah—are you asking for my posthumous Buddhist name?”

Red Demon (exchanging glances with Blue Demon and laughing): “This is the one—the guy who got sent back.”

Blue Demon (nodding): “Go ahead and check.”

Red Demon: “Posthumous Buddhist name.”

Deceased Person B: “‘Single-Minded Death Hall Resurrection Temple’s Universal Panic Layman.’”

Female clerk (laughing loudly while pulling her face back)

Red Demon: “Occupation during your lifetime.”

Deceased Person B: “President of the House of Peers... Senior First Rank...”

Red Demon: “Keep going.”
“Rank and decorations.”

“Senior First Rank, Grand Cordon of the Order, Duke.”

(At that moment, Female Deceased Person C appeared, dragging her weary feet.)

Blue Demon (to Red Demon): “Another one has come. Process them while you’re at it.”

Red Demon: “Yes, sir! Before that, let’s handle that one.”
(Pointing at Bunroku with his chin) “And you... Name.”

Bunroku: “My name is Bunroku Kawazu.”

“Posthumous Buddhist name.”

Bunroku: “Actually, you see... I belong to Christianity, and while there are various circumstances regarding this matter, to put it briefly—”

Blue Demon: “We’ll hear about that later. Mark ‘no posthumous Buddhist name.’”

Red Demon: “Yes, sir! Occupation during your lifetime.”

Bunroku: “I was a baker. Up until before the Taishō 12 earthquake…”

“Just recent ones will do.”

“Huh.”

“You have no ranks or decorations.”

“I do have that, sir. During the Japan-Germany War, as a secretary of the House of Peers, I received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Eighth Class. Though I regrettably didn’t bring it here”—(glancing sideways at Deceased Person B’s grand cordon)—“it was properly...”

Red Demon: “Alright.”
(beckoning Female Deceased Person C forward) “Let’s see… You’re from Kiga Village’s… right?”

Female Deceased Person C (shyly): “Yes.”

Red Demon: “Posthumous Buddhist name.”

Female Deceased Person C (with affected airs): “Um, I am called the Unmarried Yet Passionate Devotee, you see.”

Red Demon: “Occupation during your lifetime.”

Female Deceased Person C: “Um, I was a woman doctor.”
“I specialized in obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics, but…”

Blue Demon: “The details are unnecessary.”

“Um, if I may inquire... regarding my faith...”

Red Demon: "If you have anything to say, I'll hear it later."
(Muttering to himself) No ranks or decorations.

Blue Demon: "Finished, huh?"

Red Demon: "Yes, sir."
"In that case, shall I take them away, sir?"

Blue Demon (nods)

Red Demon: "Attention!"

(Everyone straightens up.)

Red Demon (to Black Demon): “Private First Class—front position.”
(The Black Demon and others line up on the right flank.) “Right, dress!”

(Everyone aligns to the right.)

Red Demon: “Number off!”

(Everyone numbers off.)

Red Demon: “As you are—right face!”

(Everyone turns right.)

Red Demon: “Steady your pace—forward march!”

(Everyone begins marching in step.)

Red Demon: “One, two... One, two... One, two...”

(Bunroku looks back, yet marches in perfect step.)
The procession vanishes through the gate.
(A Hannya’s face peers out from the window.)

—CURTAIN—

ACT III

The living room of Bunroku's house.

The pillar clock pointed to 11:15.

Bunroku and Osei sat facing each other at the kotatsu, exactly as in Act I.
Bunroku looked around with an expression as if he had just awoken.
Osei, in a dazed and bewildered state, looked up at Bunroku’s face.

A long time.

Osei: “Hey... you... What’s wrong?”
“It’s already past eleven o’clock.”

Bunroku (does not answer this，looks at the clock，completely expressionless).

“Was it…a lie?”

(At this moment, Kyosaku and Ochika descend from the second floor together.)

Kyosaku: What happened?

(A long time.)

Osei: "Professor... Is this clock accurate?"

Kyosaku showed the pocket watch in his hand. "It certainly is."

Osei: "Was it a mistake?"

Kyosaku: "Well..."
"It's quiet outside too, isn't it?"

(Kyosaku and Ochika sit facing each other at the long brazier.
Kyosaku takes out a cigarette.
Ochika reaches a hand over the brazier，picks up a coal with the fire tongs，and offers it to Kyosaku.
Kyosaku lights it.)

Kyosaku (to Ochika): “Are you cold?”

Ochika (shakes head)

(At this moment, outside suddenly grew noisy.
Voices shouted "Extra! Extra!"
Kyosaku Kajimoto energetically stood up and rushed outside.
After a while, he returned holding a single extra edition.)

Kyosaku Kajimoto (reading): “Earth’s destruction theory was false—the comet had miraculously changed course—human life was eternal with God.”
“Dr. Mochizuki, Director of the Central Meteorological Observatory, wept and apologized to the public for his transgression.”
“After awaiting research reports from astronomical observatories worldwide, the Doctor was prepared to take responsibility through suicide and scheduled to make an official progress announcement at 1 a.m. tomorrow.”
“Er... Metropolitan Police Department Emergency Notice.”
“1. Citizens shall promptly return to their occupations and resume orderly lives.”
“1. Those who suffered damages due to recent false rumors shall report to their jurisdictional police station within one week.”
“Type and extent of disaster; for cases where perpetrators were identified: their addresses and full names; time when damage was incurred; etc.”
“1. When submitting a report, accompaniment by two or more guarantors shall be required.”

Ochika (snatching the extra edition from Kyosaku’s hand): “That’s enough already. There’s no need to read beyond this.”

Kyosaku (timidly turning toward Bunroku): “What would you say? Given how matters now stand, might I humbly request your permission to... formalize arrangements regarding Miss Ochika?”

Bunroku (silently lowers his face onto the kotatsu)

Kyosaku (to Osei): “Madam—could I ask you to put in a word as well…?”

Osei: “Well... what will become of this?”
“As for me... well... it’s already…”

Outside, shouts, laughter, and sobs could be heard.
When they subsided for a time, the familiar shamisen and flute melodies along with brass bands and drum ensembles began playing.
Amidst this came voices: “Hey! Quiet down!” “Go home and sleep!” “Are you obstructing official duties?”
The crowd roared.
A voice shouted, “The army’s here!”
(All that remained was desolation.)

Osei suddenly took Bunroku’s hand and burst into tears.
Bunroku remained face-down.

Kyosaku (gripped Ochika’s hand, laughed with overwhelming emotion.
Ochika, entranced, pressed the hand to her cheek.)

(Suddenly, the front door opened.
Renta came rushing in.
He looked around at their faces.
He fidgeted for a moment.)

“Oh—!” Osei exclaimed.

Bunroku (scrutinizes Renta’s face intently)

Renta: “Dad... That’s good.”

“You—where had you been?”
“Shinmachi Park...”
“What were you doing there?”

“What was I doing…”

“It’s cold,” Osei said. “Oh, do close the shoji.”

Renta glanced briefly outside the shoji, appearing hesitant to speak up as he turned to Bunroku. “Dad… I brought this pitiful person here. They were collapsed in the park’s forest.” He paused. “It’s a woman…” His voice trailed off before continuing: “I took care of her and finally managed to bring her here. What should I do?” When Bunroku didn’t respond, he added uncertainly: “I guess it’s all right to let her into the house.”

Osei: “If she’s sick, you should let her in quickly.”
“It’s cold outside.”

Renta (apparently emboldened by these words, briskly went to the shopfront): “Come on in.”

Following behind Renta appeared a woman in her early twenties, dressed in horribly gaudy attire yet utterly clumsy in appearance. Placing her hands on the threshold, she bowed to the assembled household.

Osei: "Come now, over here—closer to the fire."
"You're unwell, I hear."

(The woman muttered under her breath) "Oh no, I'm quite recovered now, thanks to you..." (with a brazenly ingratiating look)

Renta laughed with equal parts awkwardness and pride: "Ochika, any tea?"

“There’s no tea.”

Kyosaku: “That’s right—we need to get the fire going too.”
(He went to fetch charcoal himself from the kitchen)

Osei stood up: “I’ll take care of it.”
(She tried following him to the kitchen but was too late) “Oh dear, I’m sorry.”
(Taking the charcoal container and adding to the brazier) “Did your stomach hurt or something?”

The woman first glared at Renta: “Well, no...”

Renta cut in: “This person here got caught up with some bad people and had a terrible time.”
“If I’d gone into that forest, this person would’ve been lying there collapsed.”
“When I got startled and helped her up, it turned out to be this person.”
“And then I...”

“When was that?”

“Last night.”

Bunroku silently looked at Renta’s face.

Ochika (to Osei): “Oh, no use in him making up such stories.”
(Ochika occasionally cast resentful glances in Renta’s direction.)

Renta (defensively): "This person couldn't walk yesterday..."
"It should be all right to let her stay at the house for a while."
"...'cause she says she's got nowhere to go..."

Osei: "Where is your home?"

"It's... quite far out in the countryside..."

Osei: "And you came to Tokyo...?"

"I was working at a shop, but since I've already left there..."

Renta: "You know, the family Western restaurant in front of the terminal..."

Osei: “As you can see, our house is rather cramped.”
“I’d dearly love to let you stay, but...”

Renta: “Mom.”

Osei: “You know perfectly well what the house is like...”

Renta: “But Mom... (glancing around self-consciously) I...”

“Oh no, I don’t mind in the slightest.”
“This isn’t some strange place to me anyway, and if I’m being a bother, I can leave right away...”

“You know, Mom... I... I promised this person,” Renta said. “That we’d get married...”

“I don’t mind either way...” Osono murmured to Renta before turning to Osei with an ingratiating look. “But since he insists on seeing it through...”

Osei shifted uncomfortably. “If this weren’t such an extraordinary situation... It’s just that...” Her eyes sought Bunroku’s shadowed face across the kotatsu. “Papa... What should we do?”

Bunroku kept his silence entrenched like winter frost.

“Papa, you’ll say yes?” Renta pressed. His fingers whitened against the table’s edge. “If you don’t agree—I...”

Bunroku (suddenly raising his head): “What are you saying we should do?”

(A long silence)

The woman (restlessly): “I’ll take my leave now.”

Renta (clutching the woman): “That’s not true!”

The woman: “You say it’s not true, but how could I possibly stay in a place like this?”

Renta: “That’s why I’ll settle it now. Papa! Is it good or bad? Which one is it?”
(His voice grew louder.)
(both pleading and threatening)

Bunroku (looking up resentfully at Renta’s face): “You really came back after all?”

(A long silence)

Kyosaku: "Have you been at the park since yesterday?"

Renta: "Yeah."

Kyosaku (glancing between their faces): "What did you do about food?"

Renta (cheerfully): "This person went out somewhere and got us some bread."
"We drank water from the fountain."
(As if retracing memories) "When I left home, I went straight to Reverend Maruo's place at the church."
"The door was shut tight and wouldn't open."
"Even when I called out, there was no response."

Kyosaku: “And then?”

Renta: “So I thought about coming back home, but since the park was so lively, I decided to go take a look.”
“Every patch of tree shade, every bench was filled with people.”
“But wherever I looked, there weren’t any elderly people or children.”
“Everywhere I looked, people were huddled together in pairs.”
“It was exactly like rows of Hina dolls on display.”

Kyosaku: “I see.”

Renta (his tone gradually shifting into oratory): “I felt lonely.”
“Being all alone made me feel lonely.”
“Trudging along the pond’s edge, I made my way toward that forest.”
“The day had grown dark.”
The gas lamps remained unlit.
Then from between the clouds emerged the moon.
“A perfect circle.”
“From here and there came voices—‘Oh!’ or ‘Ah!’—faint yet clear, reaching my ears like the earth itself sighing.”
Somewhere, people sang in hushed tones.

Kyosaku: "Hmph."

Renta: "The moon—no sooner had it appeared than it would hide away again.
While the moon was hidden, everyone remained silent."

Kyosaku: "I see..."

Renta: "I entered the forest."
"Strangely enough, there were no people there."
"Probably because it was too dark."
"(Pause) Then suddenly, I heard a woman's crying voice."

Kyosaku (nodding deeply): Understood.

(During this time, Bunroku alternately closed and opened his eyes, scratched his ears, picked his nose; at times tilted his head as if listening more intently to someone else’s chatter elsewhere than to Renta’s words, squinted his eyes and twisted his lips.)

Renta: We forgot death!
“Hey, Osono-chan.”

(Osono nods lightly.)

Kyosaku: We are too.
“Miss Ochika.”

(Ochika nods deeply.)

Bunroku (nodded): One... Two... One... Two...

Kyosaku: So you finally spent the night in the park’s forest?

Renta: “And that’s when things got interesting! Before we knew it, the sky cleared completely, and a spring-like warm breeze began blowing softly. At first, the singing could be heard here and there—one spot, two spots, three spots, four spots—but gradually, the number of voices multiplied, the locations spread out, until finally, the entire park had become like a grand choir. Then, the silhouettes that had remained dark and low, motionless like a solid mass until now, all rose up at once and began dancing in unison with the chorus.”

(From this point, he begins gesticulating with hand gestures and body movements, slipping into a state of self-abandonment) “Now, just try to imagine it! On the lawns, by the pond, in the playgrounds, at the bridgeheads, under the rows of trees—there lay an earthly paradise unlike anything we had ever witnessed.” A pair spun around. Each time they whirled past, men’s and women’s faces flashed bright in alternation. Sleeves fluttering in the wind, half-undone stoles—they glimmered like leaves. “We too burst out from the forest and danced together.”

(During this time, Osei seemed concerned about Bunroku’s condition and tried to speak up, but unable to seize the opportunity, she fidgeted nervously.
Ochika gradually became engrossed in Renta’s story, turned fully toward him, and leaned forward.
Osono smiled and nodded at each of Renta’s words, then glanced around at the others as if to say “Right?”)

Renta (completely indifferent): “We too flew out from the forest and danced together.”
“And we danced on until morning.”

Kyosaku: “So... what happened...?”

Renta: “Then we got hungry.
Everyone got hungry.
The man went to search for food.
The woman began scooping fish from the pond as a precaution.”

Ochika: “By hand.”

Renta: “Nah,” (laughing while looking at Osono)

Renta: “I thought about going home to get some bread.”
“But if I were found out，it would be awkward，so I had this person come instead.”
“At the storefront，there was apparently still a box full of bread loaves remaining.”

“There wasn’t even a single loaf.”

Kyosaku: “When you’re starving enough, anything becomes delicious.”

Renta (voice rising with fervor): “Then last night’s exhaustion caught up to us—we all grew drowsy. Everyone grew drowsy.
“We built a bonfire in the woods and slept beside it.
“That’s what everyone else seemed to be doing too.
“Some people had even hauled in thick silk bedding from somewhere.
“We slept like logs.
“When we woke and looked around, night had already fallen.
“‘Tonight’s the night at last!’
“The words slipped from people’s lips—no one knew who started it.
“Everyone tilted their heads back to stare at the sky.
“Every last star hung motionless, shining just like always.
“Shining even more solemnly than usual.
“‘Which one’s the comet?’
“Someone yelled.
“You know how you always spot a shooting star or two when you stare at the sky like that?
“Our hearts leapt.
“‘There—that’s it!’—At that cry, we swept our gaze from star to star.
“‘That’s it!’
“‘There it is!’—they all shouted together.
“‘To the left of the Big Dipper—five, six shaku away—not so much a star as a whirlpool of light, a wheel of fire swelling larger by the second. Can’t you see it clear as day now?’”

The sky was still somehow quiet.
No—it was quiet.
The other stars—just—were holding their breath, gazing at this single mad star.
The ground was quiet too.
The trees, the houses, the water, the grass, and the people—all were holding their breath.
Then, abruptly, someone shouted, “Let’s all dance!”
It was a woman’s voice.
What a dignified voice that must have been.
Song and dance began simultaneously.
What must be considered here is this one thing: in the world, there do exist dances that everyone can dance together—they undeniably exist.
And yet, there are no songs that everyone can sing together.
Especially, there are no songs that can be sung while dancing.

Kyosaku: “I see.”

Renta: “Everyone was singing their own songs—that became clear tonight.”
“I got fed up.”
“This person also said she got fed up.”
“We just slipped back into that forest again—the two of us.”
“Though watching from afar was pleasant enough.”
“What I thought was moonlight turned out to be that swirling vortex.”
“The way it shone—not quite solar brilliance—but scaly shafts pierced through even those woods with glaring force.”

Bunroku: One, two... One, two...

(Everyone looks uneasily at Bunroku.)
Renta also falls silent, looking suspiciously.)

Osei: “What’s wrong with you?”

Bunroku (shakes his head irritably)

Renta (pleading): “Please, Dad…”

(A long silence)

Kyosaku: “It may seem odd coming from me, but won’t you grant this one wish of Renta’s? All humanity has just been reborn. People unburdened by past histories now strive to build new lives. At that very moment—in that same place, likely beneath those same trees and by that same pond—this lady too found fresh hope for the future, I believe. To put it plainly—Ochika and I are no different. We’ve been freed from all bonds, all constraints, all memories. We’ve learned love’s power surpasses all else. It’s love’s force that compels Renta to speak this way. Love’s force alone.” His voice tightened. “What drives me to say these words… You’re a parent. A father.” He gestured to where Renta and Ochika knelt behind him. “Your son and daughter kneel before you now, begging for lifelong happiness. And simultaneously…”

Bunroku (suddenly buries his face in the kotatsu again, tearfully) I don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know! Don't know...

(Everyone, dumbfounded, stares at Bunroku.)

Curtain falls suddenly.