Their act has ended.
All the acting members came on stage together. Paro, as the Drama Club President, was in the middle of the group that faced the judges.
Harue, Hishimi, Ike, the sound management group and the lighting crew were observing from backstage.
Paro bowed to the judges deeply and the other acting members followed suit. Then she spoke.
"Thank you for watching!"
"""Thank you for watching!""" The others collectively expressed their gratitude.
Now they waited for the judge's decision. One of the 3 three judges, sat in the middle and he started to appraise the performance.
"To begin with, a good story backed up with good acting. There were still some factors that were lacking but overall, personally myself, I enjoyed the act."
All of the actors bowed to his opinion. Inside, their hearts were throbbing from the frustration.
On his left, a lady judge took the rein and stated.
"Like my colleague just said, it was a good act. I could see some potential and I am willing to give you chance to let us witness a performance better than this."
The actors again bowed. They were hiding their regretful faces as they listened to the judge.
Finally, the last one, a male judge who had a strict face on, spoke with a serious tone.
He pointed at two individuals.
"You and that girl." Seita and Rina were picked out respectively, "At the start of the act, was it supposed to go that way?"
Hearing that, Rina clenched her hands, as she knew that she would get rebuked.
"Are you referring to the fall, sir?" Seita took command.
"Precisely."
Seita sighed as he glanced over to Rina. He saw how much guilty she felt so, he did all the talking.
"No sir, it was not intended."
In the end, Seita answered honestly instead of trying to cover it up. Now, what would the use of telling a lie and that too to a judge?
Either way, the judge would have known about it. Otherwise, why would he point it out in the first place?
Seita thought that honesty is the best course here.
He cleared the judge's doubt and waited for his response. His expression stayed serious as he silently observed both Rina and Seita.
After a short moment, he retracted his strict gaze and calmed down his demeanour.
"I think that was a good recovery. In my eyes, you two are quite good at adapting to any situations, especially you boy."
Rina received a compliment but it felt like a consolation, which she felt even worse about herself.
Nevertheless, she expressed her gratitude and bowed.
"Thank you very much." To which Seita followed right after her.
"Well, it is a 'yes' from me." That same judge declared.
"I agree." The other male judged joined.
"It is a 'yes' from me too. Congratulations! You are through to the next round."
The female judge announced the final verdict which soothed the minds of all the Drama Club members of Fujiidera High School.
Again, this time with elated expressions, the acting members bowed enthusiastically and yelled.
"""Thank you very much!"""
Well, except for one person, who is disappointed with the performance.
That was Kagome.
......
All of the Drama Club members were packing their stuff with good positivity lingering amongst them.
The successful selection in their favour was stuck to their minds, coercing them to smile. The mumbling of excitement embroiled the small crowd.
The Drama Club's advisor, the female teacher Ms Yoshida was proud of their displayed performance.
As an art teacher, personally, she felt satisfied.
At the corner, Kagome was silently packing her necessary belongings into her bags. Paro noticed her peculiar behaviour since the start of the performance.
Over the time Paro knew her, she understood that something was blatantly not to her contentment.
She approached Kagome and inquired.
"Kagome-san. Is something wrong?"
Kagome almost finished packing as she veered to Paro.
"Chiziwa-senpai. I am going to ask you something. Can you answer me honestly?"
"...Sure, what is it?"
Kagome stood up and asked a question to Paro. Paro was prepared to answer her depending on her question.
"Chiziwa-senpai, are you satisfied with Konishi Rina's performance?"
Paro now knew what was bugging her mind constantly. Despite the bad opinion she spoke, Paro defended Rina.
"It is Rina-san's first ever involvement in an official stageplay. It is obvious that she will commit some mistakes."
"Mistake that was as grave as that? If it wasn't for Itsuki-kun, the judges would have immediately stopped the act."
Kagome had a fair point. Without Seita, the possibility of being rejected right away was near to 100%.
Paro was now worried about both Kagome and Rina. Their relationship will surely deteriorate because of Kagome's belief.
But Paro did not want that to happen. She still defended Rina.
"Rina-san has potential. Didn't you see how she quickly retaliated after her fall?"
"That may be not the case if Itsuki-kun was not there. It was because he was guiding and leading her meticulously."
Kagome was still clinging on to how Rina was an incompetent actor without Seita.
In Paro's corner of her mind, she also felt like Rina was not up to the level of the competition they were participating in.
"I am not sure if Konishi Rina should be in this club any longer," Kagome added.
Paro was not happy about that conclusion she arrived at. She mustered her voice and ascertained her decision.
"Kagome-san, she will not be evicted from this club. Not until I give the permit. She is a hardworking person and I am willing to bet on her progress."
Seeing how Paro was serious about Rina's future with the club, Kagome picked her bag and warned her.
"That is bold and stupid from you, Chiziwa-senpai. You are making an even bigger mistake than Konishi-san's fall."
The audacity to speak like that to an upperclassman was surreal and rude. Nonetheless, that posed no problem to Kagome.
She knows how important her presence is in the Drama Club. Her value in the club remains big since she first entered.
And Paro knows about it too. Her acting skills is something that she needs to conquer the competition.
It is just Kagome's mindset that keeps creating friction with Paro and her when something doesn't go as planned.
"That will be my responsibility." Paro held her grounds, as always.
However, Kagome still had her disappointed expression on.
"If dragging down this club is what you want, then I cannot say anything."
"That will not happen."
"....."
Kagome took off with a group of the students that were leaving alongside the teacher, Ms Yoshida.
Paro looked at her back as she left.
As she glanced in her direction, she caught Rina and Yuna together.
"Rina-san, your nose is still bleeding."
"E-Eh?"
"Wait a second." Yuna searched in her bag and took out a small pile of tissue paper
"Here."
"Thank you very much!" Rina accepted the tissue paper and proceeded to wipe the oozing blood.
Paro had mixed feelings when she saw that. The part of her that wants to carry out Kagome's request of making Rina leave.
It disgusted her that she could think about that.
Was the conquest for the first place in this competition that tempting that she had to restrict specific student to involve any further.
Paro shook her head and reinstated her own beliefs. She has seen how much of a hard worker Rina was.
Paro was happy with how she behaved. Although she had no unique acting skills or was inexperienced, Rina was not done.
She would listen to her seniors, like Seita and Yuna if she wanted help in acting.
To begin with, she is a timid girl so getting to this point was good enough.
Well, unfortunately, Daisuke was still out of her aid list because she was still afraid to approach Daisuke. All she needs is time
Yes, time is essential, for which they have little for the next round.
......
"Good job, Seita-kun."
"It is the usual for me, Harue-senpai."
"Oho~ Getting confident I see."
Seita was sitting next to Harue on the bus. They struck a conversation jokingly as the others took their place.
"But seriously though, Seita-kun. That was great."
"Thank you, Senpai."
Harue pointed out the recovery at the beginning of the act. He thought that everything went downhill but the hero of the day was no doubt, Seita.
"You became a life saviour, just like Aros."
"Senpai, complimenting me that much will make me blush you know."
"Hahaha, do you want me to stop?"
"I am not sure about that."
Seita scratched his head and both smiled heartily. Then Harue tried to draw back his compliment to make him feel less embarrassed.
"I take it back then. You are not like Aros. At all. In fact, there doesn't exist a person like him in this world."
"Harue-senpai, no need to go that far to demote my reputation."
Harue then smirked and replied, "This is the truth though."
Seita sighed with Harue's direct answer. At that very moment, the teacher, Ms Yoshida was double-checking if everyone has got on the minibus.
"Well, I guess that 'Aros' is a fictional character that was written by Paro-senpai. I guess that you are right Harue-senpai."
"Yes, you are not as naïve as Aros."
Seita raised an eyebrow at how Harue visualise Aros. It was sort of an ambiguous statement so Seita asked exactly what Harue meant.
"Naïve? How so?"
"Huh? I thought you knew already?"
Harue was even more surprised that Seita did not comprehend what he said.
"Is it really that difficult to understand?" Harue asked.
Seita still did not exactly determine what he was talking about. Harue opened his mouth and explained.
"I mean when Aros confronted Mikela's Father, the King near the end."
"Yes?" Seita listened carefully."
"Should he not have just killed the King right there and then?"
".....Eh?"
"...Eh? Am I wrong?"
Seita was baffled. He did not know how to respond to Harue. He wanted to confirm what heard first.
"Did you say 'Aros' was naïve because he did not kill the King?"
"Yes?"
"But why?"
Harue yet again explained his thought.
"I mean, the King has done some horrible things to Aros and even got his sister Ariella killed. I just think that the King should undergo death for his punishment."
"....Senpai?"
"No, I would prefer the King watched the suffering. Like, kill his wife or something like that. Wouldn't that have been a satisfying ending? "
Seita's expression change into fright from the normal-looking Harue. It is the piercing words that came out of his mouth that induces fear in him.
"Why don't you say something Seita?".
Seeing how he was becoming quieter, Harue leaned near his face and asked.
"Am I saying something wrong?"
Seita gulped his saliva and spoke out to Harue's normal yet terrifying stare.
"Harue-senpai, you.....are pretty scary...right now."
"Pffff!!"
The suppressed giggle snapped his scared demeanour back to casual. It came from none other than Harue who was teasing him.
"I can't believe that you acted like that. Hahahaha~"
"...Then, the naïve thing that you were spouting?"
"That was obviously fake. You seriously thought I was like that? Hahaha~"
Seita was relieved but at the same time embarrassed by his senior's joke.
"Harue-senpai! You should not harass someone like that!"
"But it is funny!"
"Senpai!"
......
The computer screen caught on to an interesting live feed that was broadcasted to the entirety of Japan.
Hoga, who was watching all of this, was licking a popsicle.
"Heh. I cannot believe that this is happening. It is a one in a lifetime opportunity for that Yemon bastard."
He was searching for Yemon's number on his phone while the information was displayed.
"As we can see here, the suspect is running through the streets of Akihu. The police are just after her trying to capture this criminal."
Hoga smirked at the fate that unfolded right before his eyes.
"This is becoming like a build-up for something bigger." Hoga excitedly rambled in his mind.
Right after, Yemon answered his calls.
"Yo Yemon. Are you watching the news?"
"No, because I am currently on the way over there."
"So you have seen that live feed."
"Yeah."
Hoga said with an air of confidence.
"That is definitely 'Lumen'."