Yemon did a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, he had one last objective to achieve.
He needs to make contact with the last member of the team he is trying to gather.
The target was what the media called 'Lumen'.
Yemon still couldn't get out of his head the time when Hoga led him to a doppelganger of Lumen. She had the same facial features as the target.
It must be hard to live such a misunderstood life. Always getting mistaken for a criminal.
Anyway, as foretold, Lumen is a female criminal who has been on the run not long ago.
This time, Lumen had a clear identity, full background details and still, Hoga claimed that she was the most difficult one to find.
Why?
"How am I supposed to find a criminal with the power of invisibility?"
"Don't ask me. I am not an expert in that field." Yemon quickly pushed over all the thinking to Hoga.
It was true though. Yemon seriously has no idea on how to track Lumen. Hoga was a better option as he is adept at this.
"Great. I have been trying to cover all the area in Japan but still, not a single clue about her."
That sounded discouraging from the genius hacker. Her power was making it an impossible task to fulfil. Yemon clung onto a final hope when he said,
"There have to be some limits to her powers."
"Not that I know of. It is futile even if I know about that."
"....Tsk."
Hoga was a genius at tracking but he is not omniscient. That too against the unfair odds of the power of invisibility.
Both were at their wits' end. Yemon hates to admit it but, Lumen was not going to be part of the team.
'I have to go and inform Zaizen-sama about it.'
He could do nothing else. Without one of the targets, it seems like he has to proceed with the plan.
Things do not always go to plans so Yemon accepted that reality.
"What do you want me to do? Should I stop the unnecessary searching?"
"...No. Continue as you are doing."
Hoga sighed this time and became dispirited. He was asked to find an answer that does not exist, for him at least.
In front of his computer screen, Hoga supported his chin with his hand. With no motivation, he returned to doing this boring job.
'It does not hurt to try for some time more.'
Yemon still wanted to believe that Lumen can be found. This genius kid beside him can achieve it.
If not then that is unfortunate. He will proceed with only 7 members.
......
It was in the morning and all the Drama Club members assembled at the parking area of the school premises.
Along with the cars of the teachers and non-teaching staff members, there was an empty minibus that was waiting for a group of students.
Near the minibus was a man and a woman chatting with each other. The woman took a peek at her watch and scanned her surrounding.
'1, 2, 3, 4, 5,...6, 7, 8, 9'
The woman was counting the number of students that gathered in front of her in her mind.
After reaching 28, she stopped and brought a smile on her face.
"Yosh, we are good to go."
The man replied, "Then I assume that I should start the engine."
"Yes."
The man, seemingly the driver of the minibus, got in front of the steering wheels and turned the keys. The sound of the engine drew the attention of the students.
"Alright, kids. Enter the minibus in an orderly manner."
"""Yes Sensei!"""
All of them responded politely and followed her orders with discipline. She watched as everyone got on the bus. Lastly, she entered when she confirmed every student's presence yet again.
"Everyone, we are going to Hiroshima. It is a 4-hour drive so you can enjoy yourselves in the meantime. But be sure to keep it under the limits."
""Yes Sensei!""
She sat at the very front of the bus after receiving their assurance to not cause any trouble.
The minibus started moving. It exited through the main school entrance and started its journey to Hiroshima.
It was noisy but not to the point of annoyance.
Rina and Nami were in the group with the other girls like Yuna and Paro. They have never been interacting without really thinking about club activities.
So the little time they have before arriving at their destination, they may use it to slide closer in the relations of their senior club members.
This was an opportunity for the first-years especially.
Fujita was with the lighting crew, consisting of mostly boys and Daisuke. From how many days they were in the club together, Fujita hasn't been conversing with Daisuke.
Majorly because of his scary appearance, Daisuke was unapproachable for Fujita, Nami and Rina.
The girls still do not dare to approach him but Fujita was curious as they were in the same group on the bus.
Probably because he is sitting next to Daisuke.
Anyway, Daisuke's way of talking did not sound threatening or alarming as he visualised. Like every entertaining guy, he makes jokes and enlightened the mood.
From time to time though, his coarse voice would startle Fujita but he has the feeling that he would adapt to it.
Kagome was sitting quietly at the front of the bus, near the seat where the teacher in charge of the students was.
Kagome had her earphones plugged in both her ears and closed her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy, making it easier for her to go to rest quickly.
Meanwhile, at the back of the bus, Hishimi, Harue, Seita and a small part of the sound management personnel were having their fun. They have prepared their own games to keep them busy.
The volume in the bus did not alleviate one bit as they travelled closer to their destination.
Today was going to be the start of the Drama competition.
For all the high schools that are located in the southern region of Japan, they are expected to be at a concert hall in Hiroshima.
Around more or less 200 high school Drama Club members will assemble in that location.
Though to say, not even half of the high school Drama Clubs will go through the next round.
The first round would eliminate every contestant without a doubt if they have a single mistake pointed out.
The judges are strict and to be honest, they cannot be blamed for their attitude. Out of 200 candidates, they had to select only 32 to proceed.
The judges have it hard.
Not all 200 candidates will gather today. Only about a half are invited for today and Fujiidera High School was one of them. So to say, this is the first batch.
Tomorrow, the second batch will assemble and compete.
Either way, it surely will take a toll on the judges. A 100 performances to watch and then decide to let them through or not. This was tiring.
The best way to qualify in this elimination round was to catch the judges' attention at the start of the performance.
If not then there will be instances where the judges might stop the performance midway because it was not intriguing. Then they would use the excuse of not wasting their time.
In all, the first moment of the performance was crucial. Anyone who comprehends that and use that info wisely, then success will come closer.
After about 4 hours of driving, their destination was in sight.
It was approaching noon and the minibus drove through the not so busy streets.
The sound of serene music was continuing playing in Kagome's ears. She still was asleep.
Even quietly like this, leaning to the window, she seemed like a gem that is inaccessible to anyone.
Her long blonde hair swayed as the minibus turned a corner. Yuna, who was seated next to her, nudged her shoulder lightly.
"Kagome-san."
She nudged her again but with no response. Yuna then gently removed one side of her earphones and tried again
"Kagome-san."
This time, she responded by twitching her eyebrows. Slowly, she raised her eyelids and revealed her entrancing beautiful hazel eyes.
"We have arrived."
To that, Kagome peered through the window. She stared at the big building that covered a large area in this part of the town.
The minibus was driving tardily as it reached what the driver presumes to be the main entrance.
There was a big name scribbled at the top of the building, showcasing its landmark in capital letters.
'HIROSHIMA BUNKA GAKUEN HALL'
Upon seeing that, the driver led the minibus to the parking area. It stopped and the engine halted its cacophony.
"Alright, kids. We have arrived. I expect good behaviours from you all and most importantly. I want to see a great performance."
The teacher hyped them all up with a grin as they stood up.
"""Yes Sensei!"""
All the students got off. Most took out the necessary baggage from the minibus' storage compartment.
It was all set.
With the female teacher in front leading the group of the Drama Club members. They entered the building together and were in awe with how huge the interior was.
"Wow." Fujita did not hide his excitement.
Nami was secretly admiring as well as Rina was getting nervous by looking at every luxurious item displayed inside.
The rest was pretty calm but some were fascinated by this place.
"Come on. Let's go."
The teacher beckoned everyone to stay together and follow her.
They were led to a door and it unveiled the many people that sat at the multiple seats. Different students with different colours and types of school uniforms were waiting on their turn.
The hall was spacious so it could accommodate the 100 or so high school Drama Club members that came.
The judges were sat in front of all of them and they were all facing a big stage. Some teenagers were putting up an act with a primordial type of attires.
They guessed that they were performing in the era of the earliest stage of human lives or something along that line.
Ignoring that, the teacher again signalled the students to follow her.
She was searching for seats alas, those that were available were a bit far from the stage.
Well at least, they got seats. You could still figure out what they are performing.
Many performances kept going and most of them got rejected quickly due to subtle mistakes or amateurish actions.
Some even got stopped in the first 10 seconds of a play. The judges were not having it because they instantly knew that their performance would be average.
Only about 4 schools were able to gain the judges' go ahead.
That fact made the first years' confidence crumble pieces by pieces every time a school play was stopped.
Rina was quietly getting nervous. Her hands shivered and pondered on the consequence of a bad performance. She visualised herself prone to errors and getting scolded.
That clouded her mind, making her more frightened to act. She does not want to step on that stage.
Fujita also felt agitated by the situation. Seita noticed him and called out to him.
"Are you nervous, Fujita-kun?"
"No!..... I mean.....yes..."
"That is totally fine. You know, I was like you the first time I put a foot on a big stage like this."
The assertion Seita spouted was hard to believe. He was acknowledged as one of the pivotal acting members by the first years themselves.
Even Nami was in awe when Seita displayed his skills. He was on a different level.
"You? Seita-senpai? Was nervous? I thought you were a genius that knows no such emotion."
"Am I a robot?"
Seita pouted at Fujita's perspective. Fujita immediately apologized for his somewhat hurtful opinion but Seita shrugged it off with laughter.
"Hahaha... You don't believe it right? What changed me was determination and courage."
Was it only Fujita that saw Seita shrouded with angelic light?
"C-Cool..."
"Eh?"
"Cool!"
"No, I heard you the first time."
Seita could not handle this easily persuaded junior of his.
Nami from a seat a bit away from Fujita, detected him ignoring his anxiousness.
"How can he be influenced like that so easily."
Well saying that, she was showing jealousy. She wanted to fall into that state devoid of any nervousness. It is her first time so she cannot be blamed.
Yuna who was beside her acted like Seita to try and calm her down.
"It is okay Nami-san. You should not be nervous at all. Just be usual and do as usual. Okay?"
It is always good to have someone support the first years. Their morales will be boosted. About Nami though, she was the least uneasy amongst the first years.
"Um. Which school are you from?"
A young man with a card attached to his chest pocket approached the Drama Club members. It was the authorities in charge of the management of this Drama competition.
The teacher replied to him, "Fujiidera High School."
He checked on a sheet before telling them a piece of information.
"You better get ready for your performance. You are going to go second after that school's act finish."
"Okay, thank you, sir."
All of the members heard it. Rina was still worried about herself. They stood up and were led to the backstage of the hall.
"Alright everyone, prepare yourselves."
"""Yes Sensei!!"""
The teacher announced and the Drama Club members got to work. The time slowly depleted as the judges were evaluating rapidly.
Harue and Hishimi were aiding everyone to put on their respective clothes as fast as possible.
After a few minutes, everyone was prepared. They gathered around the teacher. She was happy with everyone as most of them had a serious face on.
"Do your best."
"""Yes!"""
They all stood behind curtains and waited for the judges' order. Ike with the lighting crew and the sound management group was all in place. It was all silent.
A few seconds and they all heard.
"Next!"
To that the lights shut off and only the darkness was present.
The start of the act would showcase the protagonist Aros and his sister Ariella's lifestyle. So the first people to come on stage were Seita and Rina.
There was one spotlight that lit up on which Ike was operating.
This was the signal that Rina, 'Ariella' should make her first appearance. She was wearing ragged clothes that matched her poor background.
Behind the curtains, Rina, with all her courage built, clenched her hands.
Seita was behind her, patted her shoulder gently and encouraged her with a smile.
"Go ahead. I am coming with you."
Rina felt at ease with his soothing comment. She relaxed her hands and mind. She took a breath slowly then started walking.
Suddenly, she tripped on her own feet and felt her heart sank.
*Thump!"
"Gah!?"
What appeared on that spotlight was a fallen girl that face planted on the stage.