Ever since I was little, I loved beautiful things. <br>A bouquet of milk colored, double petaled roses. <br>A ballet costume glittering with Swarovski beads and jewels. <br>Through the stained glass decorating the stairs of the solemn hall, <br>the sea blue light of the evening sun would shine through. <br>My eyes were captivated. <br>As I stared on, someone spoke from behind me. <i>"Yukuri‑chan, you're so tall and slender. <br>You look like you could be an otokoyaku.*"</i> Otokoyaku? <br>At that moment, something deep in my chest stirred strangely. <hr> The first time I saw one <br>was at my grandparents' house, where I stayed with my little sister. <br>It was during summer vacation, <br>when she had been granted temporary leave from the hospital. <hr> <br>Less than 20 minutes by car from home, <br>was a modest and calm getaway. <br>No large fireworks bursting over the sea. <br>No attractions enveloped by loud cheers. <br>No character-themed lunch plates <br>that get you excited just by looking at them... <br>There was none of that." <hr> *An otokoyaku is an actress that plays male roles, specifically in the Takarazuka Revue.