Contains shout-outs to Tsumugi [Young Playboy] SR backstage and Kiteretsu Poemer.

===

With a plastic container, a notepad, and a pen in her hands, Izumi sat on a chair in the rehearsal room and yawned. Being the director of a theater company was never easy, but she had to do it. Not only it belonged to her disappeared father, but also she had grown to love the troupe members so much, even if most of them had a few screws loose.

"You look tired, Director," Tsumugi began, giving Izumi a concerned look. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Izumi put down the notepad and the pen on her lap. "I guess I just worked too hard yesterday."

Azuma smirked. "I wouldn't mind if you come to my room and sleep with me. I can give you a relaxing massage too."

Flustered, Izumi responded, "No, thank you!" Well, at least she wasn't so sleepy anymore.

"Hmm..." Homare closed his eyes, with a bag of marshmallows in his hands and a sleeping Hisoka leaning against his side. Then his eyes snapped open. "Tired Director, sleeping with a professional cuddler, snuggling up to each other... Ah, how voluptuous!"

"Pipe down, Arisugawa!" Tasuku yelled.

Hisoka opened his eyes. "So noisy..." Then he dozed off again.

Tsumugi frowned. "Please keep it down, guys."

"Anyway, let's get started!" Izumi called out.

"Hisoka, here." Homare fished a marshmallow from the bag and flung the fluffy confection at Hisoka.

In a flash, Hisoka snatched it with his mouth. "Morning."

"Okay, listen up," Izumi said. "Yesterday, Tsumugi thought of an idea for today's practice. You guys will act as another Winter Troupe member."

"It's a bit silly," Tsumugi added, "but it'll show both our skills and how much we know each other."

"I get you," Tasuku commented. "Some roles can be annoying, but as long as this improves our acting skills, I'm down."

Azuma raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'annoying roles?'"

Tasuku glared at Homare and Hisoka.

Tsumugi snickered. "Don't jinx it, Tasuku. We're deciding it with a draw."

"Hey!"

"In case you get your own name," Tsumugi told the rest of the troupe, "switch, preferably with someone whose personality is far different from yours."

Izumi opened the container, revealing five pieces of folded paper. "Pick one. Once you've seen your role, return the paper here."

The draw began from Tsumugi, then Tasuku, Homare, Hisoka, and lastly Azuma. Sitting still, Izumi giggled at everyone's reactions as they walked away and unfolded the paper.

"Arisugawa, huh?" Tasuku sighed.

Tsumugi laughed. "Told you not to jinx it."

Tasuku gave Tsumugi an annoyed look. "I hope you're Mikage."

"I'm Azuma."

Tasuku's eyes widened, as if saying, "Oh, no."

Tsumugi scratched his cheek with a finger. "I'm not sure if I can pull it off, though. Azuma has a unique charm."

"Well, you're not cut out to be that kind of guy. You can't even wink."

"Tasuku!"

"Heh." Tasuku looked around. "By the way, who got Mikage?"

"It's me." Azuma walked towards Tasuku and stopped just a few centimeters away from him. With a sultry smile, he told Tasuku, "I can't wait to lean on you and sleep."

Tasuku hissed. "Don't give me that look!"

"How delightful!" Homare shouted as he approached Tasuku, unaware that he'd caused Hisoka to tumble. "I am Tsumugi!"

"Shut up, Arisu." With his eyes half-open, Hisoka regained his balance and shuffled towards Homare like a zombie.

"I shall leave my marshmallow-serving duty to you, Tasuku." Homare handed the bag of marshmallows to Tasuku, at which Hisoka gasped with widened eyes.

"My marshmallows..." Hisoka's face sagged.

Smiling gently, Tsumugi patted Hisoka's back. "It's okay, Hisoka. If you do well today, we'll buy you two bags in return."

Hisoka stood upright, fully awake. "Fine."

"Don't forget to return the paper here. We might need them again later," Izumi reminded. Once everybody had put the paper in the container, she continued, "For the theme, how about we go with 'morning routine?'"

"As in, how we start a practice every day?" Tasuku asked, walking towards the center of the rehearsal room with the rest of the troupe.

Izumi placed the container on her lap and readied her notepad and pen. "Yeah."

"Let's do it, guys." Tsumugi looked at Homare and smiled. "We are in your care, leader."

Izumi scribbled on her notepad. "Tsumugi not only got into Azuma's character ASAP, but also made that delicate, sensual smile that only Azuma could pull off. His soft, smooth voice is a plus." Then she felt blood rushing into her cheeks. The rather timid Tsumugi acting as the seductive Azuma just seemed oddly enthralling.

Izumi shifted her gaze to Azuma. What an easy role. All Azuma had to do was dozing against Tasuku until Tasuku gave him a marshmallow.

"Ah." Homare rubbed the back of his neck. "Morning!"

Izumi nodded. "Homare captured Tsumugi's character well, but his grandiose nature kinda clashed with Tsumugi's quietness. He was pretty loud too."

"Good morning, everyone!" Tasuku declared with a broad smile. "Allow me to present my newest masterpiece!"

"By working his bold acting into this role, Tasuku could leave the same impression as Homare. Amazing how he could pull it off without letting his annoyance towards Homare slip into his acting." Izumi wondered if he could come up with a poem, though; according to Homare, Tasuku knew nothing about poetry.

Tasuku cleared his throat. "A montage of words... A decantage pouring forth..."

"Stop singing, Arisugawa!" Hisoka snapped.

Izumi smiled. "Hisoka, often annoyed by Homare's poems, could show Tasuku's annoyance very well. He can be surprisingly loud."

Tasuku scoffed. "Hmph. A commoner will never understand the mind of a genius."

Hisoka shrugged. "Whatever." He looked at Homare. "Hey, Tsumugi, what's for today's practice?"

Homare stroked his chin. "Hmm, let's see... Maybe we can do improvs with unusual themes."

"Hisoka, wake up." Tasuku picked up a marshmallow from the bag and held it in front of Azuma's face.

Azuma slowly moved his head to eat the marshmallow off Tasuku's hand. Then he opened his eyes and stood upright. "Good morning."

Izumi nodded. "Azuma is soft and quiet like Hisoka, but his reaction towards the marshmallow could use more energy."

"Morning, Hisoka," Tsumugi said. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Azuma scowled. "Arisu was so noisy."

"Well, I don't mind if you sleep in my room." Tsumugi smirked. "I can guarantee you a great night."

Azuma smiled. "I'll think about it. You always smell so nice."

Tsumugi is surprisingly good with this kind of thing... Also, why does everything from Azuma always sound like something else? Izumi looked at the five men. "All right! That was pretty good."

"My marshmallows." Like a bolt of lightning, Hisoka dashed and nabbed the bag of marshmallows off Tasuku's hands. Then he stared at Tsumugi. "Keep your promise."

Tsumugi nodded with his usual gentle smile. "After the practice, okay?"

Tasuku glared at Hisoka, who curled up at the corner of the rehearsal room and fell asleep with the bag of marshmallows in his embrace. "Geez, this guy..."

"Ah, Tasuku." Homare placed a hand on Tasuku's shoulder. "You captured my magnificence quite well. You did understand the beauty of art, did you not?"

"Nope."

"Mind you, lies would never go unnoticed by a genius like me."

"Why would I lie?"

"Tsumugi," Azuma began, "you were fantastic. Have you ever considered working as a sleeping partner?"

Giving Azuma a death glare, Tasuku growled. "Don't drag Tsumugi into that, Yukishiro."

Azuma smirked. "Oh? Don't you want him to cuddle with you every night?"

"Tsumugi and Tasuku cuddling?" Homare asked. "How inspiring!"

Tsumugi blushed. "Uh, um, I know Tasuku and I are r-roommates, but I swear there's n-nothing weird going on!" Then he shifted his gaze to Izumi, as if asking for help to deal with the laughing Homare and Azuma.

"Keep it down, everyone!" Izumi shouted, but Homare kept laughing.

"Overflowing passion, synchronized emotion, between two childhood friends..." Homare rambled. "Oh, such a beautiful devotion!"

"Arisugawa!" Tasuku's face flushed; either anger, embarrassment, or both, Izumi didn't know. "Shut the hell up!"