Type: Novel Summary
Title: Back Stage!!
Series: Love Stage!!
Author/Circle: Eiki Eiki, Amano Kazuki
Rating: PG
Language: English
This time: We learn how Rei got involved with the Sena family, going back 10 years to when Rei was 18 years old. (these chapters are kind of long, so I’ll be splitting them up)

Chapter 2

It’s winter, and Rei is in the pits of despair. He’s found himself lying flat on his back on the cold asphalt of a back alley in a shopping district after losing a fight. It’s freezing, and he considers how easy it might be to just let everything go, fall asleep right here and freeze to death.

He can hear voices and laughter coming from the other side of the alley, and knows out there it’s a world of glittering lights and illumination. He remembers idly that oh yeah, it’s Christmas Eve tonight. All thoughts of Christmas and being with loved ones seem far away, and he feels almost like the Little Match Girl. It would be easy enough for him, like that little girl, to drift off without anyone even noticing.

He closes his eyes and everything fades away–the lights, sounds, even the sensation of coldness–and he ponders if this is what dying feels like.

He thinks of his mother who died in an accident only days before. While they hadn’t been close by any means, she had been his only family, as his father had abandoned his mother when he’d found out she was pregnant with Rei.

His mother was a prostitute, so she was hardly ever home, and Rei grew up on his own mostly. Around middle school, he’d started getting into fights, but despite these troubles, he still managed to get good grades even without studying. However, even though his teachers urged him to continue his education, with no money, he couldn’t go to college.

He ultimately realized he was never going to amount to anything, so he mostly gave up on life. He hadn’t been in touch with his mother that often lately, but when he’d received the emergency contact, he had rushed to the hospital, only to find that she was already gone. Sitting there at her bedside, looking on at her white, lifeless face, Rei had felt like a hole had just opened up beneath him to swallow him up.

They hadn’t been close, but she had been his mother, had raised him herself, and he couldn’t do anything for her even after death–he didn’t even have the money to give her a funeral.

No family, no money, no hope. Nothing.

That’s how he finds himself where he is, waiting to die on his back on the cold asphalt–but as the world fades away, he senses another presence in the alley with him. He slowly opens his eyes, giving in to curiosity–and notices there’s a weird foreigner standing over him and staring at him.

In surprise, he scrambles away, and the foreigner starts to speak, “Oh thank goodness! I thought you might be dead…” On second glance, Rei realizes it’s not a foreigner, actually, but he’s definitely got mixed Japanese and Western blood in him. The stranger extends a hand and suggests they go to a hospital, but Rei rebuffs him–he’s got no money, no family, and no intention of moving from this spot.

He turns his back on the stranger and waits for him to leave, wanting to just be left alone–but after a moment, he hears rustling. “All right then. I’ll leave you some money here so you can go to the hospital. And also–” He drapes his coat around Rei’s shoulders. “There’s a ticket in the pocket. Come see my show, if you like.”

When Rei turns around again, the foreigner is gone–and instead Rei is left wearing his very expensive coat…with his entire wallet sitting on the ground beside him.

He feels around in the coat for the ticket the stranger had mentioned and pulls out a ticket to a musical starring Sena Seiya–here, he finally realizes why the stranger seemed familiar: because he’s noticed the guy on TV occasionally. He’s a rich celebrity who just took pity on poor, pathetic Rei.

Cynically, Rei decides that if he’s gonna die, then he may as well do it after he’s spent every last bit of the money he was given. He’s going to do what he wants, buy what he wants, and live the good life he’s never experienced–then after having one last bit of fun, he can die.

But as he walks around, nothing strikes him, he doesn’t feel like doing or buying anything, and instead he’s just enveloped in the Christmas atmosphere around him. Happy couples and parents with their children are walking around everywhere, happy and loved… Rei stops and stares into a store window. “…I guess there’s no point in a person who wants to die even having any money at all…” Maybe it would’ve been better if he’d just died in that alley after all.

At this remembrance, the foreigner’s face rises into his memory, and he recalls the ticket he was given, digging around in his pocket to find it. He distantly recalls the man’s voice–masculine, but somehow soft and warm. He wants to hear it again.

He checks the ticket and realizes it’s for that very evening at 6 PM–and when he checks the nearest clock and sees it’s 5:50, he takes off running for the theater at full speed.

---

He makes it to the theater just in time, and as he sits down, the curtain goes up. He’s never seen a musical before–nor a movie, nor a play or anything like that–but he’d always thought they were rather stupid, full of fake people going about their fake lives for the entertainment of others.

But as the show ends, he sits there in his chair, unmoving, and just weeps, sobbing hot tears. He hasn’t cried like this in a long time. He was completely moved by the protagonist who didn’t give up on humanity, who kept facing forward despite losing all he knew and loved. It was the complete opposite of Rei.

He had never imagined that a single ticket inside a coat could change him so drastically. Absolutely nothing has changed as far as his circumstances since before the show–but he doesn’t want to die anymore. He wants to start thinking about how to really live–and it’s all thanks to that foreigner, Sena Seiya.

Rei desperately wants to thank him–and to give him back his coat and wallet–and he manages to be allowed backstage to see him. Seiya thanks him for coming, but is confused–did he not go to the hospital? Rei hands him back his wallet and coat, explaining that he can’t take it. Seiya says he gave it to Rei because Rei had none–he gave it to Rei so that he could go to the hospital.

Rei reflects that Seiya really is just a nice, pure person, with only the best of intentions. He continues to refuse it, and Seiya’s face lights up with an idea. “Then–in place of the money, come be my attendant.” Rei is shocked into silence, but Seiya’s already taken that as acceptance and starts going on about how he’s actually been looking for an attendant.

It takes Rei a few moments to realize that Seiya is indeed 100% serious and wants Rei to stay on with him. Rei has never met someone so pure and angelic as Seiya, and he can’t comprehend why the guy would want someone like Rei to be around him.

In addition to employment, Seiya also invites Rei to come live with him as well–he knows that Rei lives all alone, so he may as well come live with Seiya, as it’ll be easier for Rei to be his attendant if they’re under the same roof.

Rei finally snaps and asks why he’s doing all this for a total stranger. They’d just met that day, and he wants Rei to live with him as his attendant? What if he turned out to be a violent criminal?

Seiya reflects that he knows that can’t be true–because the tears he saw Rei shedding all the way from the stage were beautiful, which told him Rei’s heart must be beautiful as well.

Rei is shocked–not that Seiya noticed him from the stage, but at being told he was beautiful by the most beautiful person he’s ever met, and something wells up within him.

Seiya asks again if he’ll become his attendant, and Rei reflects that just now…there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for Seiya, and he nods his acceptance.

---

Rei is taken to his new home a few daya later. Seiya takes care of everything–ending the contract on his apartment, changing his residency, even paying for a memorial service for Rei’s mother. Every time Seiya smiles at him, his heart warms, and he thinks, Starting today, I’m going to live only for this person.

As he walks inside, though, he hears a voice: “I can’t believe you picked up a human being this time!” He turns to see a beautiful woman–and recognizes her as Seiya’s wife, Nagisa. While he knows Seiya had permission from his family to bring Rei home, her reaction makes it seem as if she isn’t too happy about this. He intends to make a good impression on her and eventually win her over, though, by doing his job the best he can.

Seiya formally introduces them, and Rei gives his name and bows, but as he does so, Nagisa moves in very close to look him over. He’s extremely uncomfortable with the closeness and wants to flee, but after a moment she pulls back, seemingly satisfied. “He’s quite the looker! I could get used to him!”

Rei is confused, but Seiya seems relieved. “See? I knew you’d like him!” Nagisa and Seiya then discuss that perhaps Rei might actually be more suited to being a performer, and on suggesting so, Rei returns that there’s no way he could be such a thing–he simply wants to be Seiya’s attendant. Seiya laughs and agrees that that’s that.

There’s a noise from behind, and in wanders a small boy obviously in elementary school–which turns out to be Sena Izumi, Seiya’s son. Rei’s a bit shocked at first–he’s so cute and small, Rei had assumed this was a daughter. Seiya notes that Izumi’s shy and lonely because his older brother is studying overseas right now, and urges them to get along.

And thus begins Rei’s life living with the Sena family.

To be continued…

• summary