Sena: When I heard I was to be partnered with Mihoko (Ayano), I though, "Oh, that's good." I felt relieved because there was a part of me that had been thinking, "It would be nice if it's with Mihoko." That's because it was a period in my life when many major events—the role of Elisabeth, the troupe transfer, the decision that I was going to be the next lead performer—were happening to me all at once. When it was decided that I would play Elisabeth, you were the only person who was simply happy for me and looking forward to it, saying, "That's terrific. That's great, isn't it!" There were many people who were kindly worrying about me, saying, "Will you be okay?" and "That's rough, isn't it!" But the people who believed in me and gave me courage, like you, Mihoko, were really important to me. I thought I would try my best for the sake of the people who so kindly believed in me. That's why I think of you as a precious person, not just as a partner or underclassman, but also as a friend.

Ayano: I was convinced that your performance of Elisabeth would definitely become a marvelous thing, because I know you are the kind of person who carries things out to the very end when you play a role, regardless of whether it is a male or female character… I said exactly what I felt in my heart, because I believed you had the power to do things that had not been done before. When I saw you on stage, I was so moved that I ended up crying.

Sena: (laughs) I was informed earlier than you that we would be paired up. I was told that I would receive a greeting from Ayano-san. I wondered what kind of greeting it would be, thinking it might be something completely different from the usual, something with a solemn feeling… (laughs). I shouldn't be amused but… (laughs)

Ayano: (laughs). The first time I heard about it my feelings were all mixed up. I wondered, "Am I really right for this?" But I felt joyful, and also nervous because I shouldn't be feeling only happiness about this. After they talked about my changing troupes, they said, "You will be transferred as leading musumeyaku" and "Sena-san will be your partner". I had felt unsure about the troupe change at first, but the moment I heard that you were going to be there, I felt relieved…

Sena: Because we had that time together in Flower Troupe. But until we were paired up for "Manon", we had never even… When I say this you get mad at me, Mihoko, but… (laughs)

Ayano: In interviews you often laugh and say, "Until 'Manon' Mihoko and I had never even spoken to each other~!" But that is not true! (laughs) I have many memories of you speaking to me.

Sena: (laughs) Saying it was the "first time" might be exaggerating but "Manon" was the first time we really talked!

Ayano: That is true. That was the first time that we talked to each other about our roles, or that I spoke to you about what I thought.

Sena: See! (laughs)

Ayano: But even our trifling conversations were very important to me, so I remember them! (laughs)

Sena: The first time we actually spoke was the shinjinkouen for "Speakeasy." You gave a vigorous, powerful performance, didn't you? (laughs)

Ayano: I was not aware of my surroundings (laughs).

Sena: But that's fine, you were a second-year (laughs). There was that kind of role, too. It was decided by drawing straws that the troupe trip for that performance was going to be managed by my class and your class, so all of us went on a preview trip (laughs).

Ayano: It was so much fun!

Sena: It was fun, wasn't it! You took the initiative and took on a lot of work, but you had too much to handle and ended up overwhelmed… (laughs)

Ayano: Even now I am like that. (laughs)

Sena: You have a strong sense of responsibility.

Ayano: I wonder… (laughs)

Sena: When we were partnered for "Manon", I felt that you are very delicate. Sometimes your only flaw is that you get too determined and lose sight of everything else (laughs), but I can sympathize with that determination… During "Manon", the producer told me, "I want you to take care of Ayano." I was going to tell you about that, but…

Ayano: I only found out about it recently.

Sena: Your actual capabilities are outstanding, so I figured I was supposed to take care of you mentally. Everyone has troubles, but you and I get troubled about completely different things, so I thought if it was that kind of mental thing, you might be able to help me too… You had been promoted continually until then, so I wondered what you yourself wanted to do…

Ayano: I did not know what I wanted anymore.

Sena: There was a period when you weren't at ease. I had no idea if I could do anything for you, but I wanted to dispel even a little of that unease since we were going to perform together.

Ayano: "Manon" in particular was a time when I couldn't help but enjoy going to rehearsal. Now I feel that was thanks to you, Asako-san. Without my knowing it, you were watching over the whole company and you made it so that we could go on enjoying ourselves. When I concentrate on one thing, my antenna that picks up on other things goes away, but you had a lot of antennas come out…

Sena: A few months before "Manon", I was allowed to have my first dinner show, and that was when I learned the importance of keeping your antenna up. I had just become conscious of it, thinking, "I don't want to let this slip away" or "I want to feel a variety of things, even just a little," so at that time I might have been particularly aware of things. Now I don't think that far, maybe.

Ayano: Being together with you in the rehearsals for "Ernest in Love" after all this time, I can see that you have countless antennas!

Sena: I wonder when that became second nature to me. I guess it's important to work towards your goal when you want to be a certain way. When you wish and exert yourself, things naturally come to you… I think that all the things you have worked hard for have naturally become a part of you, too, Mihoko. Performing with you again after so much time has passed feels very fresh. I also think we were privileged to have the chance to see each other objectively when we were in different troupes.

Ayano: Being able to be with you again after such a long time, I had many different feelings inside me… I was happy to see that you had not changed on a fundamental level. But you had still changed a lot, so I was uncertain if I could keep pace with you. But I also figured that I could not just keep saying that kind of negative thing to myself, so I had to try my best. You have an image as a charismatic otokoyaku. Being allowed to stand beside you makes me feel insecure, but I will try my best not to fall behind. You advance quickly…

Sena: I'm not quick at all~.

Ayano: To me it looks like you take ten steps forward for every one that I take. In my case, I wonder if I will be incompetent even if I really want to do it.

Sena: You start by thinking in your head.

Ayano: That's right. I'm also obstinate…

Sena: Yeah! (laughs) You're obstinate! (laughs) You can say it's a bad thing, but you can also say it's a good thing because it means you have your own thoughts and policies while you're doing something. I want you to value your convictions in the future, too.

Ayano: You have flexibility, so you can suddenly transform into something else. When I see you doing that in the rehearsal hall, I feel I have been left behind. I tell myself I shall not lag even one step behind, but even with that intention I cannot change right away…

Sena: It's not about whether you are skillful or not—it's whether or not you can change your approach. But part of me is jealous that you have your own policy set. I think I need to have more faith in myself…

Ayano: I believe you have a lot…

Sena: No, I don't think it's enough. Sometimes my flexibility is a good thing, sometimes it's a bad thing. Sometimes the way you carry your convictions is a good thing and sometimes it's bad, Mihoko. But precisely because we understand each other's flaws, we can turn them into something positive. That's the kind of relationship I want to have. What I think now as we rehearse for "Ernest in Love" is that I don't want to ruin your goodness. Spurred on by you, I think, "I'm also going to try to sing better!" Right now I can't help but enjoy singing. When I was in Flower Troupe I heard Haruno-san's singing. I can learn things just by listening to a talented singer, so now I'm learning by singing with you and Kiriyan (Kiriya) and the others. As we go on working together, I would like us to bring out each other's good points and compensate for each other's bad or weak areas. In that sense, I want us to be equals, to be comrades-in-arms.

Ayano: I am truly grateful that you think of me in that manner. I feel that you are someone who values the goodness of each and every member of the troupe.

Sena: I was uneasy when my transfer to Moon Troupe was decided. But I exposed my incapable, unattractive self in the process of creating "Elisabeth", and because of that I blended into the troupe naturally before I knew it. To be honest, I hadn't thought I would come to love the girls in the troupe so much in less than a year. But now I feel in my heart that if there is anything I can do for them, I will do it. I want to do my best, aiming for the kind of performance achieved by the synergy of everyone's power. I want to create the kind of environment where everyone can do their best. In order to do that, I want to be my unabashed self for the troupe members… I think everyone wants to bring to life the new Moon Troupe, so I want to believe in that and give it my all.

Ayano: I think that if everyone moves in the same direction, we will naturally create something good. As all of Moon Troupe comes together to perform, I hope we quickly catch on to each other's good points and deepen our bonds to each other. It is our mission to bring the audience a wonderful performance. I want to renew our promise to do that.

Sena: Because we know each other's good and bad sides, we can face each other honestly. I hope the two of us will have a good influence on the rest of the troupe. Our goal is to have the audience enjoy our performances to their heart's content. Let's all do our best!

Ayano: Yes! Please treat us kindly!