The Leap of Faith

Kabuki Training Centre, Classroom, Late Night

Keiji is alone in one of the Kabuki Training Centre’s classrooms. The windows show the outside to be dark. The clock shows around 11:30pm.

Keiji practises alone. His face is covered with sweat. His shirt is also stained with sweat. He is clearly exhausted and has been practising for a long time.

Keiji is holding a script in one hand while practising. He reads off the script and performs the movements at the same time.

Keiji: “Though it is a beautiful night with the clear moon, misty clouds suddenly rise in the middle of the…misty clouds suddenly rise in the…damn it.”

Keiji collapses on the floor, breathing heavily. He is absolutely exhausted. With the back of his hand, he covers his eyes.

Keiji: “God damn it.”

There is a pause while he lies there, alone and tired.

Then, Keiji remembers Jun: his gentle smile, his kind eyes.

Keiji puts his hand off his eyes. He finds a sense of determination deep within and collects himself. He gets up.

Keiji stands again, picks up his script, and continues to practise.

Keiji: “Lord Raiko, I am but a humble travelling monk.”

Title card: Onnagata. Episode 5.

Kabuki Training Centre, Classroom, Early Morning

Darkness.

Jun (Off-panel): “Endo-kun. Endo-kun, it’s time to wake up.”

Keiji’s eyes burst open. He scrambles up, panicked, and looks around at where he is. He comes face to face with Jun, who is crouched down right in front of him.

Keiji: “Gah!”

Keiji blushes. He pushes himself away from Jun in a panic.

Keiji: “Ichikawa-san!”

Jun picks up Keiji’s script from the ground.

Jun: “Wow. How long have you been here?”

Keiji glances up at the clock. It’s 6 am.

Keiji: “Uh, just a little while. Why are you here, Ichikawa-san?”

Jun flicks through some of Keiji’s script.

Jun: “I always come in early to practise by myself. But Endo-kun, you must’ve been here the whole night!”

Jun smiles.

Jun: “It’s okay to push yourself, but you have to remember to rest, okay?”

Jun hands Keiji a can of coffee.

Jun: “Here.”

Keiji takes the coffee. He looks frustrated, as if he is hiding something.

Keiji: “Thanks.”

Keiji looks down at the coffee in his hands. He is thinking about something deeply.

Keiji imagines a fantasy: in his mind, he is pressed close against Jun. Their faces are both just slightly red. There’s a vague sense of erotism. Keiji leans his face close into Jun’s.

A close-up on Keiji and Jun’s faces. Their lips get close. They are on the verge of kissing.

Suddenly, Keiji shakes himself out of his fantasy. He glances over at Jun, but he can’t bear to look him in the eye.

Keiji: “Thanks for the coffee.”

Keiji glances down at his coffee one last time. Then, he hurriedly runs out of the classroom.

Jun is surprised Keiji left so suddenly.

Jun: “Endo-kun?”

Keiji is gone. Jun stands alone in the classroom.

Kabuki Training Centre, Classroom, Morning

Kaoru and the student playing Lord Raiko are rehearsing in the middle of the classroom. Neither of them are using a script. Some of the other students are sitting on the floor watching. Keiji is standing near the side, flipping through the script anxiously. He is waiting for his cue.

Ōemon watches from the front of the classroom.

Kaoru acts with powerful emotion. She embodies Hirai Yasumasa's loyal and resilient strength.

Kaoru: “Lord Raiko, you mustn’t come out in the cold wind. You must conserve your strength!”

Keiji continues to frantically flip through his script book. He mouths his lines silently.

Keiji breathes in deeply. It’s time. He drops the script and steps onto the stage.

Lord Raiko Minamoto and Hirai Yasumasa are sitting on the other side in formal ‘seiza’ poses. They are waiting for the travelling monk, secretly the spider spirit, played by Keiji, to arrive and offer to cure Lord Raiko of his illness.

Keiji steps on stage. For the first time, he actually looks prepared and confident. There’s a sense of hopefulness.

Keiji: “Though it is a beautiful night with the clear moon, misty clouds suddenly rise in the middle of the night and hide the moon.”

All of the students are surprised. Kaoru is especially shocked. Ōemon’s smile widens just slightly.

Keiji seems proud of himself for saying the line correctly. He takes another step forward, extends his hand, and opens his mouth to speak the next line. Suddenly, he pauses. He finds himself unable to speak. His mind is filled with a dark cloud.

He glances over to the students, Kaoru, and Ōemon. They all appear like distorted, malicious shadows with wide, cruel smiles.

Keiji is frozen with fear. His breathing becomes heavy. He keeps trying to speak but he cannot. He is starting to panic.

Ōemon (Off-panel): “Endo-kun?”

Keiji glances over at Ōemon. He appears normal, but a little concerned.

Ōemon: “Are you okay?”

Kaoru (Off-panel): “Did you seriously just learn one line?”

Keiji glances over to Kaoru. She has her arms crossed. She has an annoyed, almost angry, expression.

Kaoru: “Why are you even here?”

Ōemon snaps at Kaoru. He is annoyed.

Ōemon: “Kaoru!”

Keiji runs out of the classroom in a frenzy. He has a panicked and scared expression.

Kabuki Training Centre, Hallway, Morning

Keiji runs through the hallway. As he scrambles around, he recalls the words of everyone who has doubted him.

Kaoru (Narration): “If you’re not serious about Kabuki, you should just leave.”

Ōemon (Narration): “You will not stand here and insult all the men who bled and cried for the things they love.”

Teacher (Narration): “Stick to simpler things, Endo-san. Don’t chase wild dreams.”

Bam! Keiji stumbles. He has bumped into someone in the hallway. He glances up to see Jun, who looks at him with a concerned expression.

Jun: “Endo-kun? Are you okay?”

Keiji pauses for a moment on Jun’s face. Keiji looks as if he is about to say something, but he closes his mouth and runs off.

Jun calls after him, concerned.

Jun: “Endo-kun!”

Keiji climbs up a flight of stairs, crashing out onto the building’s rooftop. It resembles the same rooftop in episode 1, but with railings instead of wire fences. Keiji walks near the edge and grips his head with his hands.

From behind, the door to the rooftop opens. Jun steps through, huffing and puffing. He has a worried expression.

Jun: “Endo-kun!”

Keiji grips himself harder. He has an anguished expression.

Keiji: “I made a mistake. Everything I’ve been doing has been a mistake.”

Jun: “That’s not true.”

Keiji: “I don’t belong here.”

Jun: “You belong here just as much as anyone else.”

Keiji turns around to face Jun. He backs away slowly towards the railings.

Keiji: “Just leave me alone.”

Jun has a hurt expression.

Keiji: “I want to be alone.”

Jun has a determined expression.

Jun: “I won’t let you.”

Keiji is surprised at Jun’s response. Jun takes a step forward.

Jun: “Let me help you.”

Hearing those words, Keiji closes his eyes tight. He looks as if he is recalling bad memories.

Keiji: “Everyone always says that. Everyone always offer to help, because everyone thinks they’re good people, but the truth is, they never are.”

Keiji gets on top of the metal railings. Everything parallels Keiji in episode 1. Jun’s eyes widen.

Keiji: “In the end, all I have is myself.”

Keiji jumps off the railings. He arcs through the air, landing with a roll on a nearby lower rooftop. The horizontal and vertical gaps between the two buildings makes the jump particularly impressive.

Keiji gets up. He has a frustrated expression, as if he is angered by himself. His fists tighten. Then, Keiji glances back. His eyes go wide.

Jun is in the air, mid-jump. The wind is wild in his clothes and hair. The sun is bright behind him, making him glow. His jump is awkward, whereas Keiji’s was skilful. Yet, Jun doesn’t look scared.

Keiji opens his arms wide. His legs move. Time moves slowly.

Jun falls into Keiji’s arms. The momentum sends the two flying back. They roll along the rooftop. Finally, they stop. Keiji is lying on the rooftop. Jun is lying on top of him. They both have scrapes and grazes on their body and faces.

Jun pushes himself up. He is positioned over Keiji.

Keiji lifts his head. He has an angry expression.

Keiji: “What the hell were you thinking?! You could’ve died!”

Jun laughs innocently.

Jun: “You caught me, didn’t you? Just like I knew you would.”

Keiji blushes.

Jun now has a determined and focused look.

Jun: “Come back, Endo-kun.”

Keiji: “I can’t.”

Jun: “There’s a place for you here. There’s a place for everyone here. Aways has been, always will be.”

Keiji: “But what if there isn’t?”

Jun speaks without hesitation. His face has a golden glow to it. He is genuine and speaks with full sincerity.

Jun: “Then I will make a place for you.”

There’s a spark of anger and cruelty in Keiji’s eyes. He grips Jun’s arms and rolls over. Now Jun is on the ground, and Keiji is on top of him. Keiji leans down. His face is close to Jun’s.

There is a harsh glare in Keiji’s eyes. He is hurt. He is scared. He hides his emotions behind a facade of anger.

Keiji: “And what about the people? Do you know the way everyone looks at me? They think I’m stupid. Lazy. Talentless. They think I’ll never be someone worthwhile in the world. That I—”

Jun puts both his hands on Keiji’s cheeks, stopping him in the middle of his words. Jun isn’t deterred by Keiji’s anger. He isn’t scared, and he doesn’t shy away from it. He did not run away, like so many have done.

Keiji’s face goes from angry to looking as if he is about to cry. He lowers his head onto Jun’s chest. The two share a quiet moment.