Chapter 2: Cultural Festival With Eina (5) |
What do I do?
At that moment, I was alone with the President, walking through the twilight. We couldn’t stay in the school, so we were heading to a nearby park.
We didn’t talk much, since she would only say what she had to.
It was supremely uncomfortable.
I glanced at her. As usual, she was frowning. She really was amazing for managing to look beautiful even with that expression.
But would we actually be able to practice in this atmosphere?
A metaphorical life-ring was thrown out to me as we arrived when my phone vibrated with a message from Eina.
Eina: Evening, how are the cultural festival preparations going?
Shuu: Good timing! Are you free now? Can I call?
Shuu: I’m actually about to practice with the President, but… it’s uncomfortable.
Eina: Uncomfortable? Why?
Shuu: It looks like the President hates me.
Eina: You’re practising together even though she hates you?
Shuu: Yeah. I’m not good at acting, and she was busy with the student council. She’s not the type to mix personal feelings with business.
Eina: She sounds serious.
Shuu: Yeah, but she can’t hide her bad mood, so could you listen to us practice and give some comments. It’d be easier than doing it on our own.
Eina: Got it!
“Literature club, what are you doing?”
“I was talking to the writer, she’ll listen to us practice. Only over the phone though, that okay?”
“It is. I’d like to hear an objective opinion too.”
I called Eina and put the phone on speaker mode.
《Good evening. It’s nice to meet you, President.》
“It’s nice to meet you too, Eina-san. I suppose that works?”
《Yes! I hope we get along!》
I put my things and phone on a bench and faced the President with the script in hand.
“Let’s go from the top then, first is the girl’s appearance…”
Suddenly, her expression changed.
“It’s painful, so painful. Maybe it would be easier if I was dead…”
Her expression changed to one of heartbreak. As if she were about to cry, but was desperately holding back the tears.
She was just looking downcast and haltingly saying her lines, but her sadness and pain really were conveyed.
《It’s your turn, Shuu-san.》
I came back to myself at Eina’s voice from the phone.
“Ah, sorry. ‘Young lady, might I ask of you a simple favour? Would you lend me your hand? My leg has been injured and I cannot stand.’”
We finished the scene and the President looked steadily at me.
“I know what you want to say, I think it was awful too.”
《Not at all! It felt very you, I thought it was good!》
Eina’s kindness actually felt all the more painful.
“Well done. You’ve learnt the lines properly, you’re thinking about the right gestures too. All you need now is to practice and refine the rough edges.”
The President telling me that calmed me down a little.
《You were amazing though, President.》
“Do you have acting experience?” I asked, but she shook her head. “Are you a genius then?”
“…It’s because I practised a lot.”
She looked away.
Did she mean she stayed up all night? She should be awfully busy as the festival approached.
“Let’s go through each scene. I’ll give you an example so use that as a reference too.”
An hour later:
“Let’s take a break,” I suggested, “I’m going to get a drink, do you want anything?”
“A cola,” she murmured in response.
“Okay.”
I left my phone on the bench and walked to a nearby shop. Because it was dinner time, the cashier was crowded and it took longer than I thought to buy the drinks. Once I was done, I ran back to the park.
The President was sat on the bench talking to my phone.
“I know he’s not a bad person. He’s a hard worker and everything, I just get nervous when we talk.”
Rather than her usual dignified air, the President seemed like a normal girl, which was a new experience for me.
《Well then, Shuu-san. I’ll be going now.》
“We’re not going to keep practising?”
《Sorry, something urgent came up! I’m really sorry! Make sure to walk the President home, okay?》
“Eh?”
Wait a minute, go home together? With the President?
Wouldn’t that be really uncomfortable? But Eina had already hung up.
“What are we doing, President? Want to keep going?”
“I need to get home too. I’ve got a curfew.”
“Got it.”
“Are you really going to walk me home?”
“Well, it is late.”
“…Thank you,” she muttered.
We walked off, drinking from our cans.
“What did you talk about with Eina?”
“School and things.”
“I see.”
We both fell into silence.
Damn, this was indeed really uncomfortable.
I didn’t know what to talk about, and as usual, she didn’t seem like she was about to speak to me anytime soon.
Why did Eina say I had to walk her home. We’re not lovers or anything. The next time we spoke ended up being when we arrived at her house.
“Huh, is this…”
I couldn’t help but start to ask.
We had arrived at an orphanage. It was a small building that looked like a small school on the face of it.
“Are you surprised?” She asked.
“A little.”
“Don’t make that face.” What kind of face was I making? “I chose this for myself. I had some problems at home. I much prefer this lifestyle. Well, it’d be a lie to say that there wasn’t anything I dislike about it, but it’s much better than it was before.”
“What will you do about university?”
“I’m planning on taking the exams for the nearby university. If I pass then I can be exempt from tuition fees because of the household income, I should be able to get a scholarship with my results as well. It has dorms, so I should be able to deal with living costs. I’ll work to make up the difference and do my best until I graduate. It will be hard to pay it back, but I really do want to go to university.”
The President looked at the orphanage building as she spoke. Her face was strong, refined, and above all, beautiful.
I really don’t know anything about her.
“Literature club, do your best in the festival,” said the President, with a much gentler face than usual.
“Of course.”
“And… thank you, for walking me home.”
The President disappeared through the door.
Her last words were nearly soundless.
I smiled, thinking I wanted to know more about her.