In a Baby Blue Cadillac¹

I… Isotake.

*pant, pant…* My lips… Huh? What’s up?

H… Here…!

Hm? WOAHHHH?! What’s this?! “Mascot character design ideas”?!

A…sticky note…you…put up…fell…down…

You wrote…“mascot character” on…it…so I…tried to…draw…one…

(I’m…still scared that he’ll hate me, but…getting rejected by Isotake doesn’t hurt…that much.)

(I think it’s…because even if he has criticism, I can tell that…he just wants to see improvement.)

Excellent work, as always. It’s a very cute mascot character that resembles a yokai painted on a picture scroll.

Since the main target of our tour is middle schoolers, I feel we can grab their attention if we incorporate this character in our event.

Yeah, totally!

I always get super hyped when I see recognizable dudes like this in movies! It really makes me wanna buy their merch!

(This is good. We might be able to use Kinugawa’s idea as a springboard.)

And the…ears… I kinda…wanted to…give it…horns… So…I made…another…version…

Dude, that rocks! Let’s use it!

If we made its mouth larger, like the ones on the lion costumes you see in Chinatown…

Hmmm… Nah, that’s not it.

It can…be more…colorful…

I think it’s already pretty crazy-lookin’. But I wanna see it look more colorful too!

Could we possibly build a larger setting using this character?

Like, using it as a base?! We could!

Lots of…mascot characters…

Yeah, that sounds really cool! I love stuff like that!

I’m starting to see something.

Mm…

See what?!

I feel like this is revealing the outline of who you are as a person, Isotake.

…Mm…

My outline…?

I can get a sense of your likes and dislikes, as well as your taste and your thought process.

I think your outline should be visible to yourself as well, Isotake.

It is what you keep within you.

Your wishes.

……

Looks like you guys are having fun.

We’re back, everyone!

Huh?! Nanaki?! Teach!

Uu-chan, you’re here too.

Why am I the afterthought here?

Nanaki-kun isn’t going to quit anymore! Ushio-kun helped convince him⁠—

I didn’t do anything. Nanaki just finally came to his senses.

Gosh, you can never be honest with your feelings…

Welcome…back…

Thanks.

So now I’m counting on you to write the lyrics to our song too. And keep that energy when you’re doing it.

Ah… Dang straight, I will! We’re finally all here… Noon Team, assemble!

(This is so great to see… Now we can finally⁠—)

I’m here as well.

Huh?! Ga-Gannosuke-san?!

Hello. Excuse my intrusion.

Haha, Akuta-kun, I noticed you were very worn out. Rest assured, I’m not laughing at you.

I’m laughing because you’ve become quite the little artist yourself. I mean no ill will.

I didn’t think you were bein’ mean! These hollow cheeks make me look like a chiseled Hollywood actor, so I think they’re kinda cool.

(I think you’re imagining that, Akuta-kun…)

But that aside, Gannosuke-san, what made you come all the way here? Is it something important…?

Yes, well, I could have just told you through the phone, but…I have three reasons for being here. Firstly, I had the sudden desire to see your faces.

The second reason is related to my nephew, Yumenosuke.

Huh?!

Yumenosuke… The student council prez?!

Ne…phew…?

You two look so similar that I’m more surprised we didn’t connect the dots earlier…

He has become quite furious after hearing that his proposal was rejected. I wanted to let all of you know that.

So you hid your true identity from us this whole time, huh? Impressive.

No, that wasn’t my intention…

G-Guys, these sweets he gave us look kinda sus! They’re probably spiked to give you the runs!

It’s nothing of the sort. They’re just normal sweets⁠—

He… He’s…an ene…my…

Someone get me some salt!

I have some olive salt I got from Shodoshima.

Everyone, please! I implore you to recall the time we spent together in Shodoshima…!

I’m so sorry, they’re all really on edge… Everyone, calm down!

If Gannosuke-san was our enemy, he wouldn’t have come all this way to talk to us.

Oh, yeah, you’re right!

…Right…

……

(I’m so glad those two are easy to convince… But Ushio-kun still looks like he suspects something…)

It’s alright, as long as they understand now.

What is the last reason you came to visit?

I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help. I wanted to thank you for your work in Shodoshima.

I heard that you haven’t decided on a concept yet. I would be glad to lend a hand.

Sounds great. Right, Akuta?

We are trying to figure out Isotake’s needs in order to create a unique tour plan, but Isotake himself does not seem to be clear on that yet.

I thought that we had made excellent progress, but…

I see… It is true that your desires reside solely within yourself. But if I had to say one thing…

All things in existence are the same in essence.

Hm… Hmm? Hmmmmm? Hmm…

Your favorite color, your favorite shape, your favorite flavor, your favorite scent… Your preference between orthodox or counterculture, your taste in movies, cuisine, and music… All of the things you are drawn to share a commonality.

Man, I don’t get it and my mind’s totally blanking. Maybe you just suck at explaining things, old man.

H-How dare you…!

(Akuta-kun, you can’t be so blunt…!)

Y-Yes, you’re right! Branching off of that, I feel like putting together a tour plan has a few similarities to what you do with your art, Gannosuke-san.

There are so many other islands you could have chosen, so why did you choose to move to Shodoshima to make art?

Well, let’s see… I felt that the island allowed me to rediscover my true self under all the noise I had been covered in.

True self…under the noise…

Rediscover…

*gasp*

PEN!

Get a pen!

P-Pen…! Sticky…notes…!

…!

Ah, yes! I see! This is…!

Let’s go back upstairs, everyone!

Yes, sir!

Yeah, yeah, I’m goin’.

W-What happened…?

I’m not sure myself, but by their expressions…

I think something struck them. That feeling welling up from within you is an artist’s greatest reward.

These two can connect!

Yeah, totally! So maybe we can do this…

Then we can do this too, right?

Yeah! Dude, you’re awesome!

And…at the…end…it looks like…this…

That’s it!

Geniuses! We’re all geniuses!

The concept is…

“Become your own main character and take back your confidence”!!