Garasu no Kamen Synopses

Tankoubon 10

Training for the selections for Helen Keller.

The candidates for the role of Helen Keller practice in different ways.
Rena Shiratori is full-time trained by a teacher in Kaze Theatre, and so is Akiko Hayakawa at Tenma Theatre.
Emi Kanaya spends a lot of time in the Hitotsuboshi Library, studying carefully anything related to Helen Keller's life. She wants to create the most likely Helen ever! After studying, she asks to be filmed when she practices, and she watches and re-watches her own interpretation, comparing it to a movie about the life of a mute and deaf girl, to correct her mistakes.
Ayumi Himekawa spends her time in the "School of Hope" in Kanagawa. She asked to live at the school like the deaf and mute students and to be considered and treated like one of them. The director accepted, provided that she volunteers assisting deaf and mute children for a while before. Ayumi really acts as if she couldn't see and hear. She's a genius!

Maya starts practicing at the old church as usual, and Tsukikage often leaves the hospital to train her. Masumi Hayami keeps visiting the sensei, and he knows where he can find her if not at the hospital... But Tsukikage's health conditions get worse, and she will have to stay longer at the hospital. Moreover, the old church is going to be demolished to build a modern-styled one. Masumi Hayami is there when the company gets this bad news. The day after, Maya gets some roses from her fan.
How are you? Tokyo must be very sultry. Would you like to spend the summer in my villa in Nagano? I will not use it, so you can comfortably stay there. The weather is a cool and it's a beautiful place. The caretakers will provide everything you need. When you arrive at the station, please call them, they will pick you up and take care of you. Your fan
Maya is overjoyed! At the railways station, Mr. and Mrs. Yamashita, the caretakers of the villa in Nagano, pick her up. They are very kind persons! At the beautiful villa Maya finds other purple roses and an other message:
Here you will be free to practice and relax as long as you want. But there is a condition: please don't ask questions about me. Your fan.
It's difficult to practice in a wonderful villa in the countryside, with lot of beautiful places to see around, with the wonderful summer sun light, the birds singing... Also, it's difficult not to avoid obstacles even if you are performing a blind and deaf person...
Maya decides to train with some clay in her hears and the eyes completely bandaged, so that she cannot really hear nor see anything. She also pulls down all the blinds, so that there is no light inside the villa. When the caretakers come back in the morning, they find the house completely turned upside down. When they find Maya, she explains them what she is doing by writing with her finger on Mr. Yamashita's hand. The two are a little worried, but they let her do. Day by day Maya understands Helen's feelings. She's hungry, she's bored, she never knows what time is it... She hurts herself because she can't see around her.

After getting a phone call from Mr. Yamashita Masumi Hayami goes to his villa in Nagano. He finds Maya on the floor: she has just fallen down the stairs. She tries to stand up, but her ankle hurts and she is falling down again: someone grabs her. Those hands are not Mr. Yamashita's! Maya asks him who he is by writing on his hand. Masumi is upset. He gives her the purple rose which was put on his buttonhole. Maya understands! She embraces him! Masumi is shocked at first, then he hugs her! Maya is not sure of what she has felt... Masumi lifts her and carries her in his arms to the sofa. He's going to leave, but Maya cries at him:
Please wait! Let me know at least your name! I want to thank you! You've always supported me! Thinking of you cheers me up when I'm down!
Masumi answers her by writing on her hand:
I'm waiting to see your Helen!
Even if his plan was to stay in Nagano for a few days, Masumi leaves immediately to Tokyo. He's still confused:
What are you doing, Masumi Hayami? That girl is 10 years younger than you! You are crazy!

Day by day Maya and Ayumi understand Helen's heart more and more.

The selections for Helen Keller starts.

August 20th. The selections for Helen Keller start! The 5 candidates have trained hard to get this role! Ayumi and Utako meet at the selections after one month, and they don't even say 'hi' to each other!
First test: there are some toys on the floor. Each canditate will be required to play as Helen.
Only Ayumi and Maya don't play with them: they cannot know there are some toys on the floor!
Second test: There is a lot of food on the table. Each candidate will have to eat as Helen.
Emi Kanaya's interpretation is very dynamic and the members of the committee are really impressed.
Maya looks like a wild animal... But Utako notices that after all, this is exactly what Helen was before meeting Annie Sullivan!
Ayumi smells the scent of curry: she picks some curry and tastes it, and then she spits it out. Later she will explain:
I didn't expect that curry would be so spicy...
Even Utako is amazed.
The third test will be a performance on stage...

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Original story by Suzue Miuchi. Synopses by Francesca.
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