Chapter 80: A Beautiful Girl Reads the Script

The second week of September was coming to an end. Mita-kun had already grown almost completely accustomed to the Cooking Club.

Even though we were supposed to present the play’s script to everyone next week, he seemed a little too relaxed. A tiny part of me even thought, Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the script never got finished at all. And that was despite being the one who decided to be in the play.

Since the cast still wasn’t finalized and we didn’t even have a script, there wasn’t much to talk about in class. Compared to the start of the week, things had gotten much quieter. Instead, conversations drifted back to the usual—like yesterday’s TV shows.

That normal, peaceful atmosphere didn’t last. On Friday, the class would once again catch fire.

"Everyone! The script is finished!"

In the drowsy mood of the end-of-day homeroom, Mita-kun lifted a booklet high over his head.

The class was caught off guard, unsure what he meant at first. But the moment they understood, the room exploded.

"Whoa!! Mita, that was way faster than we expected!"

"My creativity kind of exploded. The words just kept coming."

Praised by the class, he gave a slightly proud smile.

"Well, that means your time with Sakura-san is over."

"…Huh?"

At that declaration from our classmates, his face twisted into despair.

His expressions changed so quickly that it was honestly fun to watch. Even though he’d started trailing me into weird places, he wasn’t a bad guy. I didn’t mind him visiting the clubroom every now and then…

"More importantly, let me read the script!"

Moeka-chan bounced up and down, trying to grab the script he was holding high. She looked absolutely adorable like that.

Well… I’d have to bounce like that too if I wanted to reach it!

Despite being a humanities student, Mita-kun was over 170 centimeters tall—really tall.

"Minase-san, wait. I need to make copies first."

"O-oh… right."

Gently scolded, Moeka-chan stopped hopping.

The Cultural Festival Committee members and Mita-kun immediately ran off toward the copy room.

Those of us left in the classroom started happily guessing what the play might be about.

"I wonder what role Ayu-chan will get."

"Hmm… I hope it’s nothing too complicated… and that I don’t have too many lines or scenes."

"That’s a pretty impossible request for the heroine, don’t you think?"

Togo looked exasperated.

But I agreed with him. Even if it was impossible, you still cling to the tiniest bit of hope!

"I wonder how they’re going to decide the roles. The protagonist role will probably be decided by open recruitment, drawing lots, or an all-out brawl."

W–wait! Ryoji, what was that last violent option you slipped in?!

"It’ll be a battle soaked in blood…"

Togo’s face had turned serious.

No, it won’t!! It’s not going to turn into that kind of story!!

"The girls will have a fierce battle of their own, too."

Even Sakurako-chan joined in. But the way she phrased it was weird. There was no world where this would turn into an actual fight…

Everyone was extremely fired up. With this much motivation, we might actually win the award for Best Performance at the festival. They all looked like they couldn’t wait to start working on the play. I’d have to work hard, too.

"Still, I’m surprised. I didn’t know boys all wanted the lead role this badly."

It was just an offhand comment, but the moment I said it, Ryoji, Togo, Moeka-chan, and even Sakurako-chan all stared at my face.

"Wh-what is it?"

"Ayumi-chan, you really have zero self-awareness, don’t you?"

Self-awareness? I tilted my head at Sakurako-chan’s sudden odd remark.

"Ugh—too cute! I mean—everyone wants to act with Ayumi-chan. I told you before, remember?"

Honestly, I’d thought she was joking back then. I figured everyone just wanted the gift certificate that came with being chosen for the Miss Contest.

I mean, I did get a lot of love letters last semester. I never thought I was unattractive, but I didn’t think I was anything special either. Sakurako-chan is gorgeous, and the student council president is stunningly beautiful. Compared to girls like them, I felt plain and inexperienced—like I still had a long way to go as a girl. I wanted to be cuter, more beautiful.

So the idea that I’d been lifted onto some kind of pedestal felt like a misunderstanding. I assumed everyone was just after the prize.

But if everyone really did want to be in the play with me… then I was truly blessed. I’d have to give this my all.

After a little while, stacks of printed pages were brought into the classroom.

With so many students, the number of copies needed was huge. The first committee members who returned asked for help, and more people rushed to assist in the print room.

Pieces of the script were carried in batch after batch. We folded them carefully, then stapled the pages together to bind them. The finished scripts were distributed one by one to the class.

A script was finally placed in my hands. It was thicker than I expected. Flipping through it, I found character introductions and detailed notes for lines and movement.

Mita-kun had really put a lot of care into making it. I hadn’t read the story yet, but the craftsmanship was obvious. He looked like he was just fooling around in the clubroom with Ryoji and the others, but he’d actually been working hard. I couldn’t help but reevaluate him.

"Just—just don’t read it in front of me! Seriously, it’s embarrassing! Read it at home and give me your thoughts and corrections after the weekend! Then we’ll decide the casting!"

As soon as he said that, even though he had just returned from the copy room, Mita-kun grabbed his bag and bolted out of the classroom like a startled rabbit.

He moved so fast that everyone froze in surprise, staring after him. Eventually, the Cultural Festival Committee informed us that we were dismissed for the day, and homeroom ended there.

They had originally expected the script to be finished after the weekend anyway, so there was no need to force the casting decisions today. With Saturday and Sunday ahead of us, it made more sense to read everything carefully and decide next week.

Holding the script in my hands, I couldn’t wait to sit down and read it properly.

The others didn’t have their roles decided yet, but mine was basically confirmed. That made me even more excited.

Maybe I’ll go to the clubroom and read it there.

Just as I was thinking that, Sakurako-chan made the same suggestion.

"Let’s go read it in the clubroom."

When I nodded, the usual five of us ended up heading there together.

We settled into our usual seats, and I quickly pulled the script from my bag.

The first page listed the cast of characters.

I found the character with my name written beside hers. Curious to understand what kind of person she was, I read through the description.

Let’s see…

"Reticia, a girl born in a remote frontier town, is beautiful enough to make anyone fall in love with her at first sight. Despite that beauty, she remains humble and modest.

Having lost her parents, she lives with the family of her childhood friend. Naturally inclined toward household work, she is loved deeply by his family as well.

She has a weak will and tends to get swept along by the atmosphere around her. By chance, she meets a young nobleman and finds herself drawn into the whirlwind of destiny."

Even if she was just a character, wasn’t that way too beautiful for me to play? If this summary ended up printed in the festival pamphlet, I’d die of embarrassment.

And the part about being easily influenced… was that something he figured out from observing me?

Ugh, I know, okay? I know. But having it written out so plainly still stung a little.

"Ayumi-chan, you might not even need to act. You could just play her as yourself!"

Moeka-chan teased me, poking my cheeks.

"It’s not that easy…"

Besides the heroine, there was the childhood friend, a young nobleman, a few girls around the same age, and a handful of minor roles. Surprisingly, the cast seemed smaller than I had expected.

I decided to start reading through the story slowly.

Phew…

After losing myself in it and reading the entire thing in one go, I let out a long breath.

It was so well written you’d never guess it had been created by someone our age.

It begins with the heroine and her childhood friend spending peaceful, heartwarming days together. But that quiet life doesn’t last long.

Her kingdom begins a war with a neighboring nation. Since her town is close to the border, it’s swallowed by flames almost instantly, and the heroine is taken captive. Just before she is sold as a slave, she catches the eye of a young nobleman from the enemy nation, who rescues her.

At first she shuts herself off completely, but as he treats her gently, she gradually begins to open her heart.

She lives a dazzling life in the royal palace of a foreign kingdom. She realizes that the young nobleman loves her. Part of her is happy—yet she cannot accept him, because he belongs to the nation that destroyed her home.

Her thoughts return to her childhood friend.

Not being able to see him makes her realize that she had loved him all along. But during wartime, she can’t simply return to the enemy nation.

Then her childhood friend infiltrates the palace as a spy and rescues her.

The heroine and her childhood friend manage to return home. She dreams of going back to the days they once shared—but the young man, now a soldier, must depart immediately for the front lines.

He’s been assigned to the harshest battlefield, a mud-choked hell where countless soldiers have died. There is no guarantee he’ll return alive. Even so, he decides to fight for his country.

She begs him not to go, but his resolve does not waver.

The heroine tells him, "I love you," and asks him to come back no matter what.

That was the general outline of the story.

I suppose someone could call it a typical romance. And maybe that was true. Still, reading it moved me more than I expected, and I found myself truly liking the heroine.

There were lots of lines, and so many scenes where I had to show emotions. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off completely, but I wanted to try my best.

The only flaw… yes, the one flaw was that there was a kiss scene in the latter half! That was insane! A kiss! Sure, in a movie romance, kisses pop up all the time, but this was a high school play! A kiss!?

Maybe it was included because someone suggested something like Snow White… and that’s how it slipped in—this kiss scene!

"Surprisingly, it was a good story," Moeka-chan said.

"Yeah, yeah. I’m really looking forward to seeing Ayumi-chan act," added Sakurako-chan.

"Ahaha… if only it didn’t have that kiss scene," I replied with a strained smile under their expectant gazes.

Yes. At the very, very end of the story, when the heroine confesses, there’s a kiss tacked on as a little extra. The script casually notes, “Kiss here” in bold letters.

"Is it really that embarrassing?" Moeka-chan asked.

"It’s… embarrassing!" I admitted.

Even if it was acting… it was still a kiss! I’d never done it before… and now I was supposed to do it on stage?

There was just no way I could manage that. I wanted to do my best with the other parts, but… a kiss wasn’t really a necessary element, right? Maybe I could get them to cut it somehow.

"Wait! Wait! Ayumi-chan, you don’t actually have to do the kiss, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, yeah. No one’s actually going to make you do it, right? That would just be bullying you. There’s no forcing a girl to kiss! Probably!"

The “probably” part was terrifying, but I had to hope our class had at least a little sense. Though… why did that feel scary too?

Feeling someone’s gaze, I looked over at Ryoji and Togo. Ryoji was staring at me intently.

"What’s up?" I asked.

"Oh, uh… nothing," he replied, looking a little awkward.

What’s going on? Ryoji was acting strangely, and it made me curious.

By the start of next week, the casting would be decided. Honestly, I was really going to care about who my scene partner ended up being… Even if it was just practice for the kiss scene, we’d have to get really close, which was… well, embarrassing. Just imagining it made my face heat up.

Ugh… If it turned out I really couldn’t do it, I hoped I could somehow get them to cut the kiss scene.