There, a cold voice reached my ears. Just that comment alone made it feel like the temperature in the room dropped drastically.
"I can't watch this, it's so cringe, lol." "Right, right. Just do something interesting!"
Some of the boys in the audience continue to throw in harsh comments…I know them. They're Gami's underlings in some other class. I bet she must have told them something. Ordering them that they should ruin our stage play. Probably promised them some reward or whatever.
Their laughter wouldn't stop. And yet, Aotsuki-san tried to continue… "…Shell…Just where are you…"
"You're still not done? Enough already~!"
"Give me my money back! Oh wait, I didn't even pay for such crap, lol."
They continued even further, when even insults came flying our way. The other people present started to grow restless as well.
"…!" I formed a fist, and put strength into it.
Is it really that fun ruining other people's enjoyment? Are you satisfied with this? Insulting us, making yourselves feel like you're above us. Can you only find validation in your worthless lives by looking down on others? How can you laugh like that, not embarrassed at all. Don't you dare laugh about people who are trying their hardest!
"—Shut the fuck up!!"
With a loud roar, everybody's eyes opened, and silence returned. Of course,
this voice didn't come from any of the guys obstructing the play—It came from none other than myself.
"Ahh, these demons out there are loud as shit! I think they're trying to get in my way, but I won't let that happen! Yeah, that's right…"
The audience seemed shocked at my reaction, but I just kept going as if everything I said had been in the script from the very beginning, acting like this was a scripted part. Of course, it's completely ad-lib, and I deep down I'm actually terrified, but…
"—What's wrong with openly saying what I like!?"
I just screamed even more. The other guys stayed silent. They must be confused because I was usually keeping up a calm facade with a cheerful character. Me screaming like that probably was too much of a surprise.
Serves you right, bastards.
"I won't lose. I've decided to not lie to my feelings again!" I raised my voice even more, to the point it was about to break apart, and continued my ad-lib.
"That's right! Like I would lose either!" Aotsuki-san screamed.
How about that, you bastards? You must hate to see people be this passionate, after laughing about their hard work before. In reality, they all grew pale. I bet they were just waiting for us to break down. You thought we were gonna cry? What a shame, I'm not breaking down this easily. No matter who hates me, as long as the girl next to me fully understands me. The rest doesn't matter.
"Hey! We've received reports of people obstructing the play!"
There, the door opened, and the head of student guidance counselling stormed in. Standing behind him was a girl from our class. She's the girl that accidentally splattered water on Aotsuki-san before. It seems like she snuck out of the classroom to report to the teacher. Guess we're lucky that he was nearby.
"Obstructing a class' program is against the rules. Come with me."
Following that, the guys previously causing a ruckus were pulled out of the classroom. I sighed in relief, added a bit of ad-lib, and returned to the original script.
"Little Mermaid, there is something that I could never tell you, but now is the time for me to reveal everything."
"Shell…Even if you were to hate me, I've always…"
The play proceeded. The two who had always missed each other with their feelings finally learned the truth, and did not lose hope until the very end.
Finally…
"I will definitely…definitely find you again…" Aotsuki-san muttered the final line.
Sakana turned off the lights in the room, and played romantic music on his smartphone. That was the signal for the curtains to drop. Right after—a roar of cheers and applause followed.
"That was great!"
"I almost cried!" "Marvelous!"
There, I let out a faint sigh. My heart was racing, my body hot, and this feeling of 'We did it' filled my entire existence, paired with plain exhaustion. At first, I only helped out for Aotsuki-san's sake, but…Now, I'm just genuinely enjoying it. To the point where I was tearing up from hearing all these cheers.
"This is based on a true story—Even now, the magician Shell is searching for the person they love."
And, this is after the play, where Aotsuki-san directly speaks to the audience, like a prayer.
"So, please, if you are amongst us, present in the audience, then please come find us…"
The first show ended, and the audience had left the classroom. Sakana was off flirting with some girls as always, so it was only me and Aotsuki-san in the part of the classroom that was hidden by the curtain.
"Y-Yafune-kun, Yafune-kun…!"
Sadly, the owner of the diary did not appear, but Aotsuki-san seemed excited nonetheless, as she screamed out my name with a strong sparkle in her eyes.
"Haha, calm down, Aotsuki-sa...Huh?" I realized that my own legs were shaking violently.
It's not that I'm feeling sick, or that I'm particularly exhausted…It's just. "…Huh, so now I'm shaking. How lame."
Mid-play, I somehow managed to play along with ad-lib, but…I was terrified. Being showered with insults and ridicule, as well as saying that kind of stuff in front of so many people.
">That's right, you really are lame<." Right after Aotsuki-san said those words, she covered her mouth. "No, that just now was…!"
"Yeah, don't worry. I get it."
That's not true, you were really cool—is probably what she wanted to say there. If I didn't know any better, it'd probably be a knife stab right into the heart, but hearing about her circumstances, I can honestly be happy.
"I was terrified, but…I'm glad I got to say what I wanted. I feel refreshed, and…free, to be honest. I've always wanted to say what I truly felt." I looked at my own quivering palm, and was surprised to find myself not regretting anything.
I was always conscious of what people around me thought, terrified of losing my position, like I was drowning in the masses around me. Just by having Aotsuki-san in front of me, an existence that lets me be who I am, I can breathe this freely.
"Thank you, Aotsuki-san."
"…Why are you the one saying that. That's my phrase…Well, not like I could say it though."
"It's fine. Just the fact that you wanted to say it means the world to me."
"…Sheesh! Once I become able to say it, you better be ready!" Despite sounding angry, her cheeks were flushed, and she showed me a blooming smile.
I was still shaking. But, I didn't care. I knew that she wouldn't ridicule me for that, and it was reassuring to know.
"…But, we can't relax just yet. We have the next performance still. Though, I doubt Gami will get in our way again."
"…So those guys were sent by Mikagami-san?"
"I think so. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry right in front
of the play, but I kind of had a quarrel with Gami." "So that's what happened…"
"Well, we made it through the end. Let's succeed with the rest of our performances as well, so maybe you could just ignore that?"
"Is it…really okay to ignore that?" "Eh?"
Aotsuki-san showed a complicated expression.
"Of course, it annoys me that she just obstructed our play, but…I was the selfish one for wanting to do this in the first place. I guess that she must have felt annoyed that I basically stole you from her by you helping me. Not to mention…"
"…Not to mention?"
"…Shizuku-san said it herself. Because of her family's circumstances, she became unable to trust anybody, so she's not really evil at the root of it all. That's why…" Aotsuki-san spoke, almost as if she saw herself in Gami. "… This is just my imagination, but…right now, Mikagami-san must be all alone right now…"
—I remembered Gami's teary-eyed face when she slapped me. Yeah, I doubt she can just go have fun with her friends after doing this kind of thing to us. Gami is the boss of the class, and treats me like a dog, but she'd still be sad if someone stole her possession, and she never went this far before. This definitely is the first time she's been openly harassing people like that.
If what Shizuku-san said is true, and that Gami isn't necessarily a bad person at all, then I might regret what I did.
In the end, after all the performances, the owner of the diary still didn't show up. Well, I knew it wouldn't be this easy. Though, we still have tomorrow, so it's too early to give up hope.
"That was better than I thought~" "Was fun!"
"Maybe I should have participated as well. Is there anything I can help out with now?"
Even our classmates, who came to watch the play, were giving positive feedback. Judging from that, nobody knows that I had a falling-out with Gami.
"Good work~! That was more fun than I expected~!" Sakana returned from the group of girls surrounding him, slapping me on the back.
I was a bit worried that he'd just skip the performance entirely, but he seems to be the confident type, which is why everything worked out just fine.
"Your ad-lib when those guys interfered was crazy good as well. Like I was watching a drama~"
"…Not really, it's just…" Sakana was grinning, but I still wasn't really over it just yet. "Making fun of something people worked really hard for…is just stupid, I thought."
It might be a bit too late for me to say that—but it's now or never. The things I couldn't say back then, I'll properly throw them at him.
"…B-Before, you saw that guy from the manga research club, and called him…gross, and all that. But…" I tried to sound serious, but I couldn't stop myself from stuttering.
Maybe because some time has passed since, or because it's Sakana of all people, I can't just keep the same momentum that I had on stage. I couldn't help but hesitate, until I realized that Aotsuki-san appeared behind Sakana. It felt like she was pushing my back. And, it gave me courage.
"I actually…like manga, and all that stuff. And, I can't just…laugh at people as they try their hardest to work for something. I mean, I myself am not the same as you all, I'm just trying hard to fit in."
Be it love, or their passion for something, other people have no right to tell you what to like and what not to like.
"I am thankful that you're helping with the play and all, but I was honestly pissed at your attitude from back then."
Revealing my true self is still scary. I was expecting a reaction like 'What are you getting all serious for, lol' in the end. But, that's fine. Even if I deserve that, I wanted to at least once be honest to my own feelings. Being able to say it all until the very end is better than not doing anything, so that alone is a step forward—
"Ohh, so you finally decided to be honest! Congrats!" Sakana clapped his hands together.
"…What?"
"I've always known that you were just putting up an act, Yafune~ I can just tell, you feel me? So, is this your high school debut? You're actually a pretty plain but diligent type, right?"
"You…knew? And you still became friends with me?"
"As long as you're fun to have around now, who cares about your past? To each their own, aye? Ah, I bet I sounded really cool just now!"
Seeing him act like he always would, I could feel the tension vanish from inside of me.
"Don't just go bragging about yourself mid-sentence. If you really felt that way, then why'd you badmouth that otaku before."
"That was in order to make you feel angry." "Huuuuh?"
"I mean, it felt like you were really forcing yourself. But, since you're the guy with low self-esteem, you can't really voice your opinion, aye? So, I
wanted to create a trigger where you'd lash out on me and showed your true feelings, but you actually held back. You're a solid mask maker, huh." Seeing Sakan laugh loudly made me only more furious.
"…I get your intention, but let me punch you at least once."
"Don't be like that~ Also, don't you think I have plenty of a right to be angry as well? I really thought we were friends, but you just played along while keeping your emotional distance from me, right? Isn't that pretty rude?"
"Ugh…You're not wrong, but…"
"Not to mention, I'm kind of your cupid, right? The reason you and Aotsuki- san started to get along like that is 'cause of me, isn't it. I'm like the friend character who helps the protagonist and the heroine get closer!"
"You know about that character trope?!"
"I like manga and anime quite a bit, you know? Though, I definitely prefer 3D girls~" There, some girls a bit further away called out to him with a 'Sakana-kuuun~', to which he waved his hand at them. "Well, I did feel bad about that before! I don't actually feel that way…Not to mention that guy didn't even hear me, which is why I purposefully did it…so forgive me~?"
"You're trying to make up excuses after confessing!?"
"Ahahaha! Anyway, the play was fun as hell, so let's give it our best tomorrow as well~!" He waved his hand at us, and joined the ring of girls.
…Ahh, I'm tired. Let me just head to the toilet, and freshen up… "…Hm?"
On the way back to the classroom, I spotted Gami looking outside the hallway window. It's rare to see the absolute queen that she is all alone like that…Now that I think about it, isn't this pretty much the same like back on the day of the entrance ceremony? Back then, she seemed oddly lonely, which is why I called out to her. Should I…do the same now?
I hesitated, when Aotsuki-san suddenly appeared from the classroom, and stood next to her…Eh, what? Is she planning on talking with her? I wondered if I should go over there as well, but I instead decided to watch over them from the shadows.
"…During the play, some boys from another class were throwing insults at us. Was that your doing?"
"—What if it was? You gonna complain?" Gami glared at Aotsuki-san.
However, she didn't back down at all, and just opened her palm in front of Gami.
"You and I…aren't so different. That's why I can't make fun of you. Not to mention that we won't be getting anywhere at this rate. So, can't you just accept my hard work, and leave it at that?"
"S-So annoying! Like hell I could just accept this! I want to end my day with a refreshed feeling!"
"Refreshed feeling? What kind of self-important satisfaction is that?" "Better than being selfish and egoistic."
"Huh!? Who are you talking about!?"
"Who could I be talking about except the person screaming at me!"
In the end, the both were just screaming at each other instead. I guess they were fighting, but…I wonder, it doesn't feel turbulent. They are being upfront with each other, saying whatever they want, so maybe that's why.
"Shut up, shut up, moron!"
"Huuuuh!? The one calling others a moron is the bigger moron!"
Now they sound like grade schoolers…I feel like I can see their tails standing on edge like cats hissing at each other.
"Ahh, this is frustrating! I feel like an idiot!" Gami ruffled her fingers through her beautiful hair, and let out a sigh—only to give Aotsuki-san a low-five. "…I don't want to exhaust myself even more with this, so I'll let you off the hook today."
Huh? The atmosphere suddenly changed? It's like true friendship had been born after a fierce fist fight next to the river…Well, there was no violence to begin with.
"But, that doesn't mean I've accepted you, okay! Don't think you've won!" Gami turned around as her skirt fluttered, and walked away.
What, you're suddenly a tsundere? Well, at least everything got resolved without me needing to break between the two.
"…You're pretty amazing, Aotsuki-san."
When I called out to her, Aotsuki-san gave me a dubious gaze.
"Ah, were you watching? I don't think it was anything special though." "No, that was hella cool."
"It really wasn't. It's just…seeing you be that honest towards Sakana-kun, it felt like I needed to take a step forward myself. Not to mention…that I understand how complicated family matters can be. I was the same, troubling the people around me because of my own selfish reasons. If I was in her position, and nobody came to help me, I probably would have ended up even worse off a person. The reason I didn't is…Well, anymore than this, and it'd end up like the opposite of what I meant, so take the hint."
If nobody was there to save her…So basically, because someone—I was there for her, she ended up like this?
"…I don't mind if your words end up twisted, I still want to hear it from your own mouth, Aotsuki-san."
Listening to my words, Aotsuki-san showed an embarrassed reaction, her cheeks slightly reddened, but she continued after a short break.
"…If I was all alone, I definitely wouldn't have come this far. I wouldn't have thought of doing a stage play like this. I would have probably been all alone sitting somewhere in the corner of the culture festival, wishing that this festival would just fail…But, because you were with me, next to me, that didn't happen. That's why…" Aotsuki-san showed a gentle smile.
It was like the faint and comfortable sunlight shining on a comfortable spring morning.
"
There's no way I would have mistaken the true meaning of her words. "I'm also glad that I got to meet you, Aotsuki-san."