Chapter 2: Cultural Festival With Eina (3) |
When I woke up that morning, I’d gotten a message from Eina.
It was the script.
My entire body flushed with heat.
Shuu: Thanks, now we can start preparing for the play. Sorry for rushing you.
Eina: I just couldn’t stop once I started writing!
Shuu: Eina, you really do have a talent for this.
Oddly, I didn’t feel jealous. I was just happy to be able to read what she had written.
Immediately, I transferred the file to my laptop and printed a copy. Reading something in depth really was better on paper. I put the script in my bag and headed to school, sat in my seat, and immediately began to read.
As they arrived, my classmates and friends gave greetings and struck up conversations, but their voices seemed to come from far away.
Perhaps because she was conscious it was a play, it was completely in the fantasy genre. You could call it a fairy tale.
The protagonist was a teenage girl, bullied by her mother and elder sister, with no friends, living in despair. At the hopelessness of her own life, she went to end it.
However, a wounded demon suddenly appeared before her. He had been persecuted by humans, and the kind-hearted girl instinctively treated his wounds.
The demon said that he would grant her wish in thanks, and that she must pass three trials.
The first trial was to go alone to a cave in the mountains and retrieve a treasure chest.
The second was to go to her terrifying mother’s room and steal the key.
And the third, the third was to use the dagger in the treasure chest and offer a sacrifice to the gods.
At that point, the demon offered his own life to grant her wish, saying:
“I am on your side. Always and forever.”
And placing the dagger in her hand. However, the girl refused.
“I can’t think of a life without you. I want to be with you.”
“Then there is no choice.”
Using magic, the demon controlled her hand, and made her stab him in the chest.
The grieving girl thought of using the wish to resurrect the demon. If she did that, she would have the same life as before. No, it might even be worse, but even so… the girl resurrected the demon. Upon his resurrection, the demon was transformed into a human.
He was actually a cursed prince, and the girl’s kindness along with the prince’s feelings had caused a miracle, breaking the curse.
The two of them swore to love each other forever, and exchanged a kiss…
“…Yagi.”
“Yes?”
I raised my head and the English teacher was looking down at me. I’d not noticed him approach at all.
I could hear the other students laugh, apparently the lesson had started before I’d noticed.
“It’s good that you’re working for your club, but pay attention to your lessons too.”
“I’m sorry!”
I hurriedly took out my textbook. But, what was I supposed to do?
“Page ninety, translate the second line,” came a voice from my side.
It was the President. She was looking at me in almost a glare, with a frigid expression. I gave a shiver and opened the textbook.
Fortunately, the English wasn’t too hard and I translated it without incident. The teacher moved on to the next student and I returned to Eina’s script. This time with a red pen to correct it.
Finally, I had read over the entire thing at least twice.
“Ahem.”
When I raised my head, I met the eyes of the third period’s maths teacher.
“Yagi, are you finished with your side-job? Then answer this question.”
The class dissolved into gales of laughter.
“Man, you really are the type to ignore your surroundings when you’re into something, huh?”
“I am?” I asked in return.
“Don’t you realise it?” Sakai shrugged. “Didn’t you notice everyone greeting you this morning? They were saying stuff like ‘awesome, the script’s here!’ or ‘we’ll have to thank Eina’. And then you just blanked them all.”
“Wah, really? I’ll need to apologise later…”
“It’s okay, everyone knows you were reading the script seriously.”
While we were talking, the class representative appeared in front of the teacher’s desk and the class meeting had begun. The script had arrived so we were genuinely beginning preparations for the play. I’d printed the script during the lunch break and given everyone a copy.
Today we would be discussing who had what part. That of course referred to the characters, but people would also be assigned to costumes, props, the set, everyone in the class should have something to do. People with nothing to do for a while would probably help with things that weren’t finished, but it was still important to assign responsibilities.
People would put themselves forward and the roles would be decided. The costumes, props, and set were all filled without issue and all the supporting roles had been decided.
I was helping with the set. I wasn’t particularly skilled with that kind of thing, but I figured I could help with the physical work.
All that was left was the lead role and her opposite, the demon prince.
It was probably because the script had a straight up romance between them, so everyone was embarrassed and didn’t want to do it. There was even a kiss scene. Though obviously they wouldn’t do it for real.
Then, I heard a chair move back next to me with a clatter.
The President had stood up straight and then she said.
“If no one else wants to, I’ll play the lead character.”
The class grew noisy.
“The President in the lead role…”
“She fits perfectly, right?”
“That’s great!”
It was unanimous. I thought she worked for the protagonist too, her beauty fit the impression of an ephemeral girl perfectly.
“I have a condition,” she followed, before saying something outrageous, “I nominate the literature club for the prince’s role.”
The class began to clamour.
“Yagi as her opposite?”
“Why?”
“Does he have acting experience?”
Chatter came from all over the room. I realised everyone was looking at me, and I was so surprised I couldn’t say a word.
“He’s the one that talked with the author, so he’s the one in the class that understands the play the best, and so he should have the prince’s role,” said the President, looking down at me with cold eyes. It almost seemed like she was saying it was my duty.
“If she puts it like that, why not?”
“What she’s saying makes sense.”
“Do your best, Yagi-kun!”
The class all started to fall in line with her opinion. I couldn’t refuse in that situation, and I could only nod.