Garasu no Kamen Synopses

Tankoubon 2

Lessons at Tsukikage School start.

Maya looks rather clumsy and the teachers often scold her: many students wonder why she won the scholarship.
Tsukikage gets a pack by mail from Haru Kitajima. The poor woman is sorry for what she did and she will let Maya do what she wants; the pack contains some clothes and a letter asking to be informed about her daughter. Tsukikage sensei gives everything to fire: Maya has just started climbing a mountain, she must have no shelter to go back to when things get too difficult!
Maya will attend the Seijo Institute, and Tsukikage will pay the expenses. There is no time for a part time job, but Maya finds a job she can do only on Sundays, working as a waitress in a vending stand in Ai Park.
One Sunday Sakurakoji comes to that park with his friends so the two meet again: he acts very kindly to Maya, and he promises he will come back. Maya blushes...

The first test.

Tsukikage sensei smiles at the students who don't understand why Maya was selected to attend that school. A text will be held on the following week: they have to learn by heart the following lines:
Yes.
No.
Thanks.
Sorry.
Maya understands that excercise: the words themselves don't make all the meaning of a dialogue! The tone of voice, the accent make the difference! There are words which can have different meanings in accordance with the way they are pronounced.
Sayaka observes Maya and she starts worrying. She realizes that the students didn't understand Maya's instinct for acting. She is not a common girl!

Sakurakoji goes to the park again to meet Maya. He belongs to the same company as Ayumi, so he can watch the rehearsals of "The Lady of White Roses". Maya would love to go see Ayumi, so they are going together at Daito Art Production the following day.
While entering the Daito building, Maya collides into Masumi Hayami, who recognize both. Hayami jr. should go join his father at Akasaka Hotel for a movie preview, but after seeing the two he decides to take some time to watch the reharsals...
Maya is really involved by Ayumi's performance.
When Ayumi finishes, she notices Maya and talks to her. Everyone can hear that Maya has joined the Tsukikage company: Masumi Hayami is upset; Ayumi laughs: So maybe you're a candidate to play "Kurenai Tennyo"!
This is the first time Maya has heard of such a play. The reporters who were there for Ayumi are very interested and they start asking questions to Maya. Masumi Hayami protects Maya and Yuu by saying they can't watch the rehearsals and escorting them away.

At Tsukikage school it's test time! The excercise is more difficult than what students expected. There is an actor asking several questions, and the students can say only those four words: Yes, no, thanks, sorry. The most fail, because they can't help using other words. Suddendly Ayumi visits the class! She wants to be the one who tests the students by asking questions. Tsukikage accepts, but only with one student: Maya Kitajima!
The other students think she will be a shame for the school but... Unexpectedly Maya resists for more than one hour, in spite of all Ayumi's little tricky trials! Maya's fellows support her more and more and make many compliments to her.
Maya feels so happy! She is appreciated and loved for the first time in her life!
Ayumi is upset: it's the first time someone has held her own for such a long time!
Maya Kitajima... Maybe one day we will be rival on the stage...

"The Lady of White Roses".

It's Summer. The 14 year-old Ayumi Himekawa is having a big success with The Lady of White Roses. Sakurakoji gets two ticket so that he can go to the theatre with Maya; the young actor is having a crush on this enthusiastic and sincere girl...
During the show, Maya's handbag falls down. Sakurakoji picks it up and tries to give it to Maya, but the girl is completely involved in the play! To get her attention, Yuu has to wait until the break! Then Sakurakoji goes buy two ice creams, and meets Masumi.
The young Hayami can't help thinking that Maya ran away from home to do what she wanted to do, while he himself was not allowed to do that.
Sakurakoji gets back to Maya when the second part of the play has already started: he has to give the ice cream to a child sitting behind them...

"Little Women".

The first play by Tsukikage Company will be put on stage in Autumn. It's Little Women! The roles will be surely performed by the students of higher classes... Rei will perform Joe, Mina will be Meg... And... Maya will be Beth! Is this possible? A student from the beginners class! Sayaka is envious: she wanted to play Beth very much!
Maya, Mina, Rei, Sayaka practice together in their bedroom. They move pieces of furniture to make the scene and they wear nightdresses with large belts as costumes. Sayaka is underlining Beth's words, though she is peforming an other character...
In the meantime Masumi Hayami pays a visit to Tsukikage sensei. He found out that it's Soichiro Aoyagi who finances Tsukikage. Masumi Hayami wants Tsukikage company to separate from Aoyagi Art Production, or he will do anything to destroy it. Chigusa Tsukikage shouts at him to go away... In the same moment, they hear some noise from upstairs! They found that Maya stumbled and fell down... Masumi laughs and wish her to make a good performance. When he goes away, he thinks of Maya's happy face and he wonders what happiness is.
The four girls go on practicing all night long with Tsukikage sensei.

Maya can't understand Beth's role. The teacher, Mr. Tashiro, always scolds her, and Sayaka is always ready to show all that the role is perfect for her. Tsukikage tells Maya that she will have a special traning, dressing like Beth, living like Beth: if she cannot get Beth in a week, she will not perform that character. So Maya is not going to school because Beth is too shy, but she spends all the time at home, doing the housework, knittening, and taking care of a kitten which Genzo gives her. In the meantime Sayaka plays Beth at the rehearsals with the other students... Sayaka is a little worried, and so the other friends: Maya spends the day playing, washing the dishes, cleaning the house... She never even looks at the play script! Actually, Maya is slowly understanding Beth's feelings. Rei is the first one who understands what's happening.
When the test day arrives, the candidates (included Maya and Sayaka) are asked to sit on a chair like Beth. They just sit and relax; time passes and the girls start getting either nervous or bored, and they wonder how long it will last. Only Maya behaves like Beth: she yawns and she pantomimes knittening. Beth's role is hers!

Sakurakoji teaches Maya to play the piano at his home, since Maya needs it to perform Beth. Yuu's family seems very kind and warm...Yuu is so sweet!
It would be wonderful one day to play together on the stage...

Maya cannot play the ill Beth. Chigusa Tsukikage is very angry. In only 3 days the play will be put on stage!

It's raining. Maya is going to Sakurakoji's house to give him back a book. Yuu's mother says that he is not at home. Maya is leaving, but she sees him through a window. He is mad at his mother, because she sent Maya away without saying anything to him. Both his mother and sister don't want him to date such a girl: she has no father, she's from a poor family, she's not as beautiful as Ayumi... Maya hears everything. She leaves the book in front of the door and runs away. Then she stops in a park and spends the night in the rain. To understand Beth's pain, she has to suffer as Beth did...
When her school mates find her, she has already a high temperature.

"Little Women" by Tsukikage Company, first show at Art Theatre. Ayumi and Utako Himekawa are there to see the show! And there are even Hajime Onodera and Masumi Hayami, who invited very harsh critics to the theatre. Masumi's goal is to suppress the brand-new company with terrible comments by reporters. Sakurakoji goes backstage to bring some flowers to Maya, and he hears that Maya is acting with high temperature! When he's back to his seat, he tells this to Ayumi, and Masumi Hayami hears it. The man is upset: Maya looks fine on stage! Suddendly, Maya lets a milk jug slip off her hands...

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Attention!

Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
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