Garasu no Kamen Synopses

Unofficial version serialised in "Bessatsu Hana to Yume" between tankoubon 47 (July 2011) and tankoubon 48 (February 2012).

Ayumi's Goddess

Akame and Onodera enter the warehouse where Ayumi is rehearsing with Utako. Ayumi recognizes them from their silhouette and scent. Thanks to the fact that she cannot see, she can imagine that she is in the red plum valley. How ironic, Maya could do that without being blind! Still, Ayumi is confident that she has got her own Kurenai Tannyo and she will conquer the audience's hearts.
Ayumi starts rehearsing. Akame finds her acting very different. He replies to her as Isshin. He is really charmed by Ayumi's mysterious, absent look. Onodera is impressed as well.
Utako challenges her daughter. In the scene where Isshin throws away the chisels, refusing to create the sculpture, she has the light switched off, so that Ayumi has to use her sense of sound to collect the tools and bring them back to Akame - Isshin.
The lights are switched on again. Akame and Onodera praise Ayumi's perfomance, very mystic and convincing.
Finally Utako reveals Ayumi's conditions, explaining that she will not undergo an operation before performing on stage for the trial show. Onodera is worried, but he doesn't have a choice. It's too late to look for another actress for the main role, moreover it would be pointless. He can only ask her to make sure the journalists won't find out about her conditions. Of course they won't find out. After all, she is an actress.

Ayumi, Utako, Akame and Onodera are having dinner in a luxury restaurant. Ayumi managed to sit down without giving away the fact that she cannot see and nonchalantly asks Akame to order the food for her. Onodera is very impressed by Ayumi's acting skills... It's risky, but he has to place his bet on her.

Sakurakoji's Isshin and Maya's Akoya

Sakurakoji is rehearsing with the other actors at Kids Studio even if he's still using crutches.
Kuronuma orders another actor to attack him. Sakurakoji/Isshin defends himself and manages to defeat the other actor.
Kuronuma praises Sakurakoji.
Maya/Akoya approaches him trying to help him but he rejects her.
Maya and Sakurakoji are playing the scene where Isshin visits Akoya and Akoya asks him not to leave anymore.
The other actors are very impressed... The two actors improved so much!
While performing, Maya realises that whatever Isshin Sakurakoji plays, she can get it!

During the break everyone congratulates on Sakurakoji.
Maya is happy for him. Quietly, she goes out to the balcony on the back of the Studio.
She is holding the dolphin-shaped pendant Sakurakoji gave her.
She wants to give it back to him, but this is not the right moment; that will be after the Kurenai Tennyo demonstration.
Then she thinks of Masumi Hayami. It seems that the night on the ship was just a dream...
But it wasn't. She remembers, hears, feels all of it: the rosy sky, the orange sun, the sound of waves...
Akoya's words are her own words...
Hayami-san, purple rose fan, I'll wait for you...

Pensive Sakurakoji is staring at her from a distance.

Diplomatic accident between Hayamis and Takamiyas

Daito HQ. Mizuki is rushing through the corridor, excusing herself by saying that she has an urgent appointment.
She jumps into the car and asks the driver to hurry up.
She remembers Masumi's words about cancelling the meeting with the wedding planner... Even so, she didn't imagine such a thing would happen...

The Takamiyas and the Hayamis are having a meeting at Takamiya mansion.
After Shiori came back from the emergency hospital, after her attempted suicide, she asked a specialist to see her... She hasn't spoken since.
Masumi and Eisuke can only say that they are sorry.
Being asked what he told Shiori to reduce her like that, Masumi answers that he just told her that he couldn't make her happy.
Then why did he engage to her? Her parents explain to him how unhappy she's always been, since she's never had friends because of her poor health conditions...

Shiori's grandfather then invites Masumi to come and see his granddaughter.
Shiori is in her room. She ordered loads of purple roses. She keeps tearing them apart repeating:
Masumi-sama hates me... I hate purple roses... I wish them all withered...

Shiori's grandfather then begs Masumi on his knee. He promises to give all of his properties to Shiori if she marries her.
Masumi is shocked...
Finally Masumi realises that Mizuki is there as well. She was asked by Eisuke to come to help planning the wedding.
Eisuke promises that the wedding will happen.

Back home, Eisuke is celebrating and toasting. This wedding will be even a better deal than it was before!
In another room, in the darkness, Masumi is drinking alone, thinking about what happened.
He is not going to do as Eisuke wishes anymore. He'll get the performing rights for Kurenai Tennyo...
I wanted to be patient until I have it... I was even willing to throw away my Hayami name... But that day has come sooner than I expected...
However. Masumi knows he is fully responsible for what happened to Shiori...
Than he thinks of Maya...
He throws the glass onto the floor and leans on the table with both hands.

In the meantime, Maya is rehearsing alone on the balcony at the back of Kids Studio.
While reciting Akoya's words she is thinking of Hayami san and she is moved to tears.
Kuronuma is observing her from a distance...

Masumi takes responsibility for what he's done

Masumi spent the night drinking and doing some research about Shiori's conditions in the internet.
When it's time to get ready to go to the office, he has a shower and gets changed.
He goes down for breakfast and Eisuke notices he looks serene. Has he decided at last?
Masumi confirms that he made a decision. He also adds that he will take some time off work and he will stay in a hotel in Tokyo for a while.
Mizuki has been given instructions on what to do, so he will be back to the company only when there are important contracts and meetings to attend to.
Eisuke finds it hard to believe... Masumi takes time off work?
But then Masumi explains that he will stay at the Takamiya's until it's necessary.
Eisuke is pleased by Masumi's resolution.

Masumi helps Shiori

Takamiya Mansion.
Masumi rushes inside Shiori's room, even if the maids ask him to let her rest.
He orders to throw all the roses away. Shiori barely recognises him.
She doesn't want to believe her fiancé is being so rude, but Masumi insists that this is the real him: he could do anything for business.
Shiori doesn't want to listen, so Masumi shouts at her to sop shutting herself off from the world.

Hearing the noise, Shiori's grandfather enters the room asking Masumi for an explanation.
Masumi explains that she needs to face the truth. If Shiori becomes like this because of him, he will be the one who has to fix her.
It's the Takamiyas' fault if Shiori was brought up being such a weak woman. They spoilt her because her body was weak, they always overprotected her. Every time something bad happens, nobody tries to help her, they all just pity her.
The old man is outraged. Masumi is really rude!
Masumi agrees. He is rude and violent. That's why he cannot marry his granddaughter.

I'm not like my father. I want neither your properties nor the top seat your Takamiya group... Not to mention this marriage proposal... Knowing all this, do you still think such man like me could make Shiori-san happy?

Shiori's grandfather is dumbfounded.
Masumi forces Shiori to stand up, go outside, look at the sunshine, appreciate the beauty of nature.
Shiori returns herself at last. She looks at Masumi, at the bandages around her own wrists, then she falls down on her knees and cries.

Bringing out Maya's and Sakurakoji's true feelings

Kids studio. Kuronuma gives Sakurakoji an axe. He can barely hold it with one hand, the other hand being uses to hold on to the crutch.
Maya/Akoya has to stand on the top of a stack of wooden boxes and Sakurakoki/Isshin needs to cut the plum tree down...
Kuronuma hopes to bring out their feelings...

Sakurakoji hesitates. What would he do if he were Isshin? Maya is worried... He is about to cut her, the plum tree... The actors think that trying to climb the stack of wooden boxes with a crutch is madness...
Sakurakoji throws away the crutch and starts climbing up. He's struggling and suffering at every move and in the meantime he's looking at Maya. He's always liked her. He has been waiting for her. She surely is aware of his feelings.
Maya notices that he is looking at her in a way she's never seen before... Is he angry? No... His look is full of sadness and pain... Why?

Maya/Akoya orders Sakurakoji/Isshin not to get any closer, or she'll have to kill him. He replies that it's fine with him: he'd rather die than kill her. What happened to the sweet and innocent Akoya, the other half of his soul...? He never thought he could doubt her feelings, he thought she had eyes only for him...
While reciting these words, Sakurakoji winces.
Kuronuma is startles.
Maya realizes then that he understood something.

Sakurakoji/Isshin shouts at Maya/Akoya to move out of his way. He's got a mission: to carve the statue of the goddess to get peace on Earth. Maya/Akoya gets sad and asks if he wants to obey silly men and cut the thousand-year plum tree.

Said that, Maya/Akoya transforms into the goddess with a blast of wind. Tha other actors and especially Sakurakoji are very impressed by Maya's skills in creating the illusion of wind. Finally Sakurakoji realizes that he doesn't want to lose to her as an actor and on stage he will live like Ishhin.

Kuronuma observes him and hopes that he will manage to find his Isshin and accept the challenge with Maya

Will Ayumi manage to keep the secret?

Ayumi, who thanks to some injection no longer suffers with nausea and headache, insists not to have her eyes cured. He sight is worse and worse, but the doctor doesn't manage to convince her.

Ayumi is going to rehearse again with Ondine company. Everybody is excited at the big news!
While walking in the corridor Ayumi is afraid that someone might notice something is wrong with her sight.
Suddenly someone calls her... She turns toward this person, and she understand it's Hamil. In that moment he tooks a photo of her.
Ayumi is annoyed and goes away quickly. Hamil looks at the photo and notices something...
All the journalists who would like to see the rehearsals are sent away and they are pretty annoyed about this. It's the first time it has happened!
Onodera urges Akame to keep the secret about Ayumi's sight.

The rehearsals start. Everybody is quite shocked at Ayumi's new Goddess. She barely moves, while she used to dance so graciously before! Her face now is almost expressionless! At the same time, the new goddess is solemn, mystical, charming. Akame is really impressed. Not only she doesn't reveal her eyes condition, but she also uses it to improve her performance! She is a genius!

Hamil stares at her from a distance.

Suddenly Ayumi's sight gets blurry again. She can only use the sounds around her as a guide.
Everybody is impressed by Ayumi's expression and Onodera is happy with her performance, much deeper than before!

Hamil is still not convinced.

Akame/Isshin faces Ayumi holding an axe in his hand. Ayumi cannot see him.
Akame is petrified. Onodera and Hamil are startled. The audience is puzzled.
Journalists outside start spreading the rumour that Ayumi was at the hospital...
Ayumi, trembling, is standing in front of the axe.

Later, when Hamil checks the photos he took he is sure that Ayumi is losing her sight.

Hamil's committment to Ayumi

Hamil goes to a party. A woman tells him that it is strange to see a playboy like him on his own. She also asks why he keeps taking photos of Ayumi... After all there are a lot fo beautiful actresses in Japan. Hamil replies there there is something special about Ayumi that nobody else has. But he cannot explain what it is.

Hamil goes back to see Ayumi at the rehearsals; he brings some photos with him. He tells her they are her photos and she thanks him. But they weren't her photos! He finally has the proof that Ayumi cannot see. How can she act out the Crimson Goddess without seeing? Ayumi replies that she relies on her hearing rather than on her sight. Hamil is still not convinced and asks her to become Akoya and walk towards him (Isshin) with the lights turned off. Hamil cannot see in the darkness, so he needs to turn on his lighter. He is very surprised when he realises that Ayumi is walking towards him while reciting Akoya's word.

Hamil is back at his hotel, talking on the telephone. It seems like in spite of the fact that there is work for him to do in Paris and New York. But he wants to stay in Japan to see Ayumi perform the Crimson Goddess.

Now I know the reason why I came here to Japan, it was to meet you, Ayumi.

... To be continued.

Attention! This is the summary of the pages published in the items of Bessatsu Hana to Yume, the monthly manga magazine, published by Hakusensha from July 26th 2011, after volume 47 was published in Japan.
Some of the scenes might not be the same in volume 48. The author may decide to change them again for the tankoubon, partly or completely, as she did when previous volumes were published. Please enjoy this story and don't be mad at me if it is modified in the future :)

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Attention!

Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
I never read "Hana to Yume" in original language because I cannot speak Japanese, unfortunately.
In order to create this summary I was helped with original Japanese comics pages and translations by my friends Enju, Ale-chan, Simply_Me and Doodoofan.
I worked very hard to create this website. When other people collaborated I gave them credits. I do not own the copyrights for the original work. Please if you intend to use some content for your website, ask me for permission first and give me credits. In any case, please do not direct link images and do not use anything for commercial purposes. Please, respect other people's work!