It's a common saying that the journey is more important than the destination, but I don't like that idea at all. As far as I'm concerned, that's just a lame excuse to hide your failures under. "We failed, but it's fine because we tried our best." What nonsense. The only way to get anywhere in society is with results.
"I tried my best" isn't a substitute for good grades and a degree when companies look for new hires.
I'm not saying that the process isn't important, I'm just saying that the results heavily outweigh everything you did to get there. Doesn't matter how far you got trying to swim across the ocean. If you drowned before you reached the shore, you were dead, end of.
Results. Results matter most. The drama club's predicament was a perfect example. They put in a ton of effort, but if they didn't win a prize, they would end up disbanded. A prize was the only outcome the school would accept.
The first round of the National Drama Fair was the regionals, followed by the prefecturals for the groups which succeeded. The school agreed that if the drama club could make it to the prefecturals, it would not be disbanded.
That was why they were going to make it through. I could guarantee it. Why? Because the people whose opinions I trusted more than anybody else's had told me their performance was good. The reason I trusted their opinions was because they were a thousand times more talented than I was. Our drama club was strong enough to beat out the competition.
Results were everything, and that was why I picked the helpers from the Alliance (and company) who would get the club those results. With Iroha stepping in as the heroine, the club was back on course to get the prize they needed.
As long as nothing else happened, that was...
***
The day of the performance was upon us. Groups of students in a myriad of uniforms were crowded around outside the arts center. Every drama club in our district was gathered together here, and it was a sight to behold. These young people had dedicated their teenage years to the pursuit of acting.
The sky was unfortunately overcast. It wasn't raining yet, but thunder was rumbling in the distance, ready to unleash the storm. According to the weather forecast, we were due for thunderstorms and heavy winds, but they were supposed to pass on fairly quickly, so the Fair went ahead as planned.
We were meeting at the arts center instead of at our school. The place was around six stations away from the stop closest to the school, and we thought it best to avoid taking the train such a long way with a large group.
I arrived early to help the drama club with their preparations. Ozu's program was set up and ready to go, and we had all the props and items we needed. At this point, there was nothing left for me to do.
"Thank you so much for your help, Ooboshi-san!"
"It was nothing. Do your best, guys."
I returned to the dressing room. Each club was given a room of their own,
complete with a dresser for the actors to get ready for their performances. When I walked in, Iroha was having a staring contest with her reflection in the mirror. She turned around when she spotted me.
"How's my make-up, Senpai? Is it perfect? Do I look so cute that you just wanna sweep me off my feet?"
"I don't know about that, but show me."
I wasn't really in the mood for her antics, but I checked over her face as requested. It looked fine to me. In fact, I wouldn't be able to tell her apart from a real-live Hollywood actress. I didn't realize how good Iroha could look when she actually put the effort in. Although, I already knew she was pretty...but don't you dare tell her I said that.
With a combination of sophistication and a slightly magical touch, Iroha looked like a princess from a fairytale—which was just the look I had in mind for the heroine in the script. Despite how impressed I was, I simply said:
"Looks fine to me."
Iroha's eyes narrowed in a heartbeat. "Right, you lose. That was awful. Is
that reaaally how you're gonna compliment your crush, after she put in so much effort to look good for you? This is why you'll never get laid."
"I didn't realize it was a win-or-lose thing. Also, you're not my crush."
"Maybe, but the part about you never getting laid is still true! I mean, you're gettin' all flustered and turned on just for being here in a room with just the two of us, right? It's not hard to tell." Iroha cackled.
Speaking of "just the two of us," that was the only reason she was behaving like this now. She needed to be more careful too. If I weren't so thick-skinned, that "never getting laid" shtick might really start to hurt.
"You're wrong, Iroha." "Huh?"
"I'm not a virgin." "What?"
The eyeliner pencil in Iroha's hand slipped between her fingers, and I quickly caught it in midair.
"Hey, be careful!"
Iroha was staring at me wide-eyed, her lips quivering.
"Y-You're kidding...right?" she asked hoarsely. "I mean, you're so
stubborn and got this weird efficiency obsession, and you're super dense, and, and... There's no way a loner like you..."
"I hope the competition judges today aren't as harsh as you are."
I didn't get where all these insults were coming from. Was it really that hard to believe I wasn't a virgin?
"I'm not a virgin," I repeated, "if you're using the entomological definition of a female insect that produces eggs without being fertilized."
"The hell?! What kind of stupid nerd joke is that?! Ugh! It's too early for this shit! Forget what I said before, you and your stupid insect jokes are the reason you're never getting laid, you dumbass virgin!"
"I told you, I'm not a virgin. Or are you maybe referring to virgin olive oil this time? Well, sorry to disappoint, but I don't go great with salad, and I'm not from the Mediterranean either."
"The joke wasn't funny before and now you're killing it even more! I'm gonna call you a virgin as many times as it takes for you to break! I'll keep count too! Virgin, virgin, virgin, virginvirginvirginvirginvirginvirginvirginvirginvirgin..."
"Oh my God! Shut up or I'm gonna make sure you can never say the word
'virgin' again, virgin!"
"Whoa! Only twelve times! That's a record!"
At this rate, I was going to end up with a headache before lunchtime. In
the first place, I was surprised she didn't seem nervous in the least. She must have nerves of steel, but then I kind of knew that already.
"Hey, Iroha?"
"What is it, Virgin-senpai? Uh, I mean...just Senpai."
I controlled the split-second urge to punch her in the face. What I was
about to ask her was serious, after all.
"Are you really sure about this?"
The shit-eating grin on her face disappeared in an instant. "I'm sure." "And you're okay with Ozu knowing about you now?"
After Iroha revealed herself yesterday, we explained everything to Ozu
and Sumire. Only problem was, Ozu didn't give much of a reaction, which I guess was fair enough. It probably gave him a lot to think about.
"I'm glad he knows."
But if Iroha was happy with her decision, that was all that mattered.
"I knew I'd have to tell him eventually, and..." Iroha broke into a smile. "I
know I can count on you to smooth things over."
I couldn't help but smile in the face of her outspoken trust. "You sure can.
I need you two to be able to keep working with me, after all. Remember, I'm gonna work every last Alliance member down to the bone."
"Careful, or we're gonna have to report you."
"Try it. As long as you guys all love what you do, I'm not worried about that kinda thing at all." I grinned at her.
Just then, there was a commotion outside the door.
"Huh? Is that someone coming to arrest you for breaching labor laws?" "Very funny. I just hope it's nothing bad..."
I stepped out of the room to check, not hopeful in the least.
***
I ran into Sumire right outside the dressing room. She wore the same cool expression she always did in teacher mode, and there was a dark aura rolling off her. If I didn't know her as well as I did, I might not have recognized it as an aura of total despair. She did a good job at hiding it with that face of hers,
though.
"Midori said she's not gonna make it," Sumire said immediately.
"She's what?" I frowned.
Sumire started to explain. Midori had left the house with plenty of time to
make it to the arts center. On the way, though, she ran into a series of pregnant women who were going into labor and they had asked her to call an ambulance for them.
She would have made it even then, if not for lightning striking one of the buildings near the train line and setting it on fire, causing delays. The roads were so packed that she couldn't even hail a taxi. As the rain started to fall in sheets and the wind blew stronger than ever, she started running as fast as she could, but by now, there was no way she would make it for the start of the Fair.
Everything that could have gone wrong did. Those kinds of things—the pregnant women, the rain storm, the lightning strikes—were all things that you saw time and time again in fiction. But this was real life, and for some reason, they were all targeting the same girl.
"I'm sorry, Sumire... I'm sorry, everyone."
Sumire showed me the text from her sister. Even those few words were enough to tell me how disappointed Midori was. She practiced so hard for so long, and she improved so much...
She took this more seriously than anybody else, and there was no way she would ever be late to the actual performance. Even so, a series of stupidly rare coincidences now stood in her way. Bad luck. There was nothing worse than bad luck.
"Midori-san won't make it?" one of the club members asked.
"But the Fair's about to start! What do we do?"
"What can we do? We can't perform without Midori-san! None of us
know the hero's lines!"
Iroha could probably recite them by heart, which would be great if she
wasn't already filling in for the heroine. The same heavy despair as yesterday was descending on the drama club once more. Even the 05th Floor Alliance members (and company) were frowning.
"No... I can't lose...the drama club... I...I hate...tennis..." Sumire's eyes were stretched open wide as she muttered madly under her breath, somehow still keeping her expression cool. Suddenly, a serious glint appeared in those
eyes. "Midori-chan... You worked so hard... This is all so unfair!"
I couldn't blame her for being so distraught. This was her sister we were
talking about. Not only that, but as a Kageishi, Sumire was forced to be a teacher. If her sister was going to suffer the same fate, this might be the last chance she ever got to perform. If the club was disbanded, she would never get to act again. For Sumire, that just made the whole thing even worse.
"This is bad." Ozu had a grim expression.
"You got that right. Who would even imagine Kageishi-san of all people would ever be late to something?"
She was such a perfect student that the thought never even crossed my mind. I had no backup plan this time.
Think!
Could we send a car for her? That wouldn't work. There was too much traffic out there. What about a bicycle? Nope. I left mine at home, and even if we borrowed somebody else's, there was no guarantee she would make it here in time.
Otoi-san was leaning back against the wall, studying me thoughtfully as she loudly rolled a candy around in her mouth.
"Senpai..." Iroha was staring at me pleadingly.
Think. Think. Think!
We needed somebody who knew all of the lines by heart, and who could give a half-decent performance at least. I suddenly thought to see if we could get Makigai Namako-sensei to show up. He wrote it, so surely he was more familiar with the script than anybody. But that was a no-go. He lived too far away. Besides, he wasn't even a student. Bringing in an outsider, especially one who was clearly too old to be in school, might get us disqualified.
Who else was left?
Wait...
"Sensei, can I borrow your phone to speak to Kageishi-san?" I asked. "O-Okay."
Despite her confusion, Sumire started pressing some numbers on her
phone. When it started ringing, she passed it to me. The moment it connected, I heard sobs coming from the other end of the line.
"I'm sorry... After everybody worked so hard, I...I...I've ruined everything!"
"It's me. Do you think you can make it?"
"Ooboshi-kun! I'm...I'm sorry. I...I don't think... I don't think I can..." "All right."
"I'm really sorry, Ooboshi-kun... You taught me so much, and now it's all
gone to waste!"
"Don't beat yourself up. All of this was just bad luck."
"No, it wasn't... This always happens. I always just act on emotion
without thinking anything through properly. It's led me to failure more times than I can count. You understand, don't you? I wish I could just be efficient like you. I mean, remember when you first showed up, and I got so mad that I didn't want to accept your help?"
"Even though I knew right from the start that we needed you. I just couldn't bring myself to say yes. Today too, I saw some people who needed help, and I put them ahead of myself. If only I pretended not to see them... If only I put myself first... That would have been the most efficient course of action, and now we wouldn't be in this mess!" Midori started to sob.
"I think you're mistaken."
"What?"
"You've done nothing wrong. Not as a human being, and not from an
efficiency standpoint either." "But, I—"
"When I talk about efficiency, I basically mean you should take the shortest route to making yourself happy. Think about how hard you'd regret leaving those pregnant mothers behind. It's because you are who you are that the drama club has stuck with you all this time. Be proud of yourself. You did take the most efficient course of action according to how you've chosen to live your life."
"Ooboshi-kun... But what about the rest of the club members who worked so hard? They came to practice every single time, even on weekends, and they carried on practicing at home. I'm supposed to be their leader! And I just threw all their hard work back in their faces! They should hate me for that!"
Results. Results were all that mattered. It didn't matter how hard the club worked. Without their prize, it was useless.
"Listen. Are you willing to do anything to make this performance a success?"
"Of course I am!"
"Even if you can't be here?"
"Yes! Even then!" Midori didn't even hesitate. "I know I worked hard, and it hurts knowing I won't be standing on that stage. But what's worse is that everyone's losing this opportunity because of me!"
"That's just what I wanted to hear. I've got a plan."
"A plan?"
I cleared my throat and spoke clearly so that everyone—Midori, the
drama club, and the 05th Floor Alliance (and company)—would hear what I had to say.
"I'll play the hero."
"What?" The drama club members stared at me.
I expected that reaction. I must have sounded insane. But if we didn't get
the results we needed here, it would make the weeks of practice utterly meaningless. I hated wasting time more than anything else, and I wasn't about to stand back and do nothing.
"But, Ooboshi-san," one of the girls protested. "Do you even know the lines?"
"Every last one."
I was the one who rewrote Makigai Namako-sensei's scenario into a screenplay. I couldn't compare to him when it came to creating a story out of nothing, but transforming a scenario into a collection of spoken lines was something I could manage. Makigai Namako-sensei had his real job to worry about, and so I took on the job of putting the script together.
"But what about your acting ability?" I hear you think (I have good ears).
"I've been watching you guys practice all this time. I was there when you read through the script. At the very least, I understand the basics, though I don't expect my skills will be much more than average, so don't get your hopes up."
"Y'know, I never even thought of you taking the hero's role, but it might actually suit you!"
"Yup. Average means not sucking, at least."
"As the club's advisor, you have my support, Ooboshi Akiteru-kun!" It sounded like Ozu, Otoi-san, and Sumire were all rooting for me. I
turned to Iroha, who had a confident grin on her face.
"I know you can do this, Senpai! As this club's super-special advisor, I
can guarantee you'll do a good job!"
I had Iroha's support too.
The club members looked at each other and nodded. It was clear by now
how much they trusted their mentors.
"The rest of the club are in agreement. What about you?" I asked Midori
down the phone.
As club leader, she had the final say—and I wanted her to know that I
respected that.
"Please, Ooboshi-kun! Help us win a prize!"
***
The opening address was over, and now the other schools were starting to perform. It wouldn't be long before we were due to take the stage.
"How's the size, Senpai?"
We only had one costume for the hero and of course, it was made to fit Midori.
"I won't lie; it's kinda tight around the arms and shoulders."
I managed to slip my arms through carefully, but I was worried I was going to tear through the fabric at any time. If only I didn't work out so much!
"How about the chest?"
"It's...not too bad. I guess Midori bound her chest when she was wearing it."
"Ooh, d'ya think so? I mean, you got pretty big tiddies for a guy, you know."
"The term you're looking for is 'pecs.'"
Well, I was able to get into the costume. The tiny wireless microphone on the chest area was also working perfectly. I replayed the entire script in my head, and was satisfied to find I could remember from start to finish. So far, at least, we were set to go.
"Damn, you really do look different when you're all made up," Iroha said, peering closely at my face.
As I was taking on the leading role, it was only natural that I was subjected to some make-up. The other club members did it for me and it was like everything about my face had changed. It was almost scary, in a way.
"It looks pretty good, actually!"
"You sure?"
"Of course! Hey, maybe you should wear make-up every day from now
on!"
"No thanks. Too much of a time sink."
"Huh? No it's not! Girls do it every single morning, y'know! Though I
guess your skin is so lovely and clear anyway, you don't really need it." "You're up next! Please get ready!" one of the organizers told us.
It was our turn next. The other club members exchanged nervous glances.
We were already waiting behind the curtain. I peered through the gap between them. The audience was packed with people. The snooty faces in the front row with their arms folded were probably the judges. Seeing all these people, it suddenly hit me hard that we were about to perform. I swallowed nervously.
"You don't gotta worry about a thing, Senpai!" Iroha said with a mischievous smile. "I won't let our adorable little hero flail! If you mess up, I'll pick up the slack!"
I could already feel myself relaxing.
"Hey, I'm the hero. I'm the one who's supposed to be looking out for you, even if you're not adorable in the least."
With that, we took our positions. The curtains began to open.
***
A buzzer sounded. I watched the curtains rise from a seat in the corner. The entire place went dark, and the chattering audience fell still and silent. Next, there was the sound of rustling leaves and forest trees. Those sounds grew gradually louder along with the beating of my heart.
This was the story I wrote, and now it was being performed on stage. All the scenarios I wrote for the Alliance's game were performed by a mysterious group of voice actors, but this was the first time anything was being performed in front of my eyes. Not only that, but this scenario was one I wrote in direct response to my feelings towards Aki. This scenario came straight from my heart. I was prouder of it than anything else I'd ever written.
I heard that Iroha-chan had to take over the heroine's role at the last
minute. I thought back to when she switched into delinquent mode to get rid of those bullies at the mall. If that was anything to go by, she could pull this off easily.
I was both impressed and a little curious. Iroha-chan was an ordinary high school girl and, as far as I knew, she never had any acting lessons—yet her performance was nothing short of amazing. It made me realize that I didn't actually know anything about her, apart from the fact that she had a habit of getting on Aki's nerves. Who exactly was she?
"This is the story of a meeting. A heart-wrenching meeting of two lovers who are destined to be torn apart by the cruelty of fate. Oh, if only their days of bliss could last forever!" a girl cried out, heartbreak reverberating in every syllable.
That's Iroha-chan, isn't it?
Wow. If I hadn't already known she'd be in it, I probably wouldn't have recognized her voice. I couldn't even bring myself to believe this was a performance. She had the heroine's voice down perfectly.
The stage lit up ever so slightly. A cityscape appeared on the backdrop, causing the audience to gasp. It was obviously nothing more than a CG image projection, but it almost looked too realistic.
A single girl walked across the city—I mean, the stage. It was Iroha.
"Wow..." I gasped. She was so pretty, I couldn't help but let my voice out.
Hopefully no one heard me...
Iroha-chan was wearing a pure-white dress that was at odds with the city backdrop. She looked like a fairytale princess, naive and innocent, but weak. A girl who needed hand-holding to get anywhere.
The heroine was the exact opposite of Iroha. Of course she was; she was modeled after me. But Iroha took on that role so well, you would think she was the main character of my story all along.
"Dammit! I'm late!"
"Huh?"
I accidentally let my voice out again. This time though, I really couldn't
help it. I mean...
What is Aki doing up there?
I thought the drama club president was supposed to be playing the hero. That's what I heard, at least. Did something happen to her? Something that meant Aki needed to take over?
Thinking about it, though, I didn't mind too much. I could already feel my cheeks going red. Everything I had went into this story. All the hero's lines were written with my beloved Aki in mind, and in his voice. Right now, he was turning that idealistic image I had of him into reality. Even if his partner was Iroha-chan instead of me.
The play went better than I expected. The hero and heroine bumped into each other in the middle of the city. They then got closer step by step, at first teasing each other and getting into arguments, but eventually their bond became something irreplaceable. It was cliché and overly sappy, but that was just the kind of thing high school girls loved. The story I wrote was adapted by somebody else, and now I was watching it from a more objective perspective. That was when I noticed something.
Isn't this...really cringey?
It was like the characters' heads were filled with fluff. Too many of the lines were coated with extra thick layers of syrup. No matter how much the actors, the stage directors, and the sound directors worked to cover it up, the script was total trash.
Did I really write this? Now that I thought about it, Aki rejected it when I first showed him, didn't he? I was thinking it might be cringey now because it was adapted for stage, but...what if it was my scenario that was bad in the first place?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HHHHH!
My face was burning. This embarrassment was unbearable!
Why did I write this?! Why?! I can't believe I sent it to Aki! And he read it!
If I wasn't in public, I would've launched myself onto the floor and curled up into a ball of cringe by now.
Ugh. I guess I should leave the freaking out for later.
I turned my focus back to the play. Let's disregard the script for a moment. The play was impressive on many levels, but the acting was especially good. Aki was always talking about how average he was, and right now, he was playing the most average of average protagonists perfectly.
Objectively speaking, I had no complaints. The way he spoke with Iroha- chan made it seem like I was witnessing a real conversation and not a play.
What was it about those two? Their chemistry was more than just them
being in-character or acting well. It was like they were born to act in this play and portray these characters. Like they were partners who had practiced together for years.
"Thank you for finding the real me. Thank you for freeing me from the darkness of my cage."
I gasped.
That look on Iroha-chan's face when she delivered that line. Any girl would know it. Or maybe I just recognized it because I was in love with him too. I always believed Aki and Iroha-chan when they told me there was nothing between them. I was just overthinking things. As usual. Right?
"Please, stay with me forever. It's because you're always by my side that I can be myself." Iroha's voice was thick with tears as she looked Aki right in the eye. "Hold on to me, so that I don't lose sight of my heart again...Senpai."
Image Here
Were these Iroha-chan's acting skills? Or was it real?
Iroha-chan? Is that the heroine speaking? Or you?
I felt my chest tighten. Iroha-chan was the first friend I made when I transferred schools. Aki was the man I loved so much that I declared I wouldn't give up on him, even though he turned me down. I didn't know how he felt. Even during the play, I couldn't catch a glimpse of how he really felt about Iroha-chan.
The happiness in Iroha-chan's tone right now was a dead giveaway for how she felt. She was filled with bliss at the thought of having a happily- ever-after with Aki. She was my friend. If she was happy, I was happy. At the same time, the thought that Aki was the source of that happiness almost made me feel sick.
Am I supposed to be happy for her...or sad for myself?
The play came to an end. Iroha-chan and Aki held hands and gave a bow to a standing ovation. The cheers and the applause were clamorous, but I couldn't hear them.
***
OZ: They were great out there, right? I never knew Iroha was so talented!
Otoi: Yeah, it was okay.
OZ: You knew about her acting skills, right? You sure did a good job of keeping your mouth shut.
Otoi: You mad?
OZ: No, I'm grateful. You brought Aki and Iroha closer together.
Otoi: k.
OZ: You could see on Iroha's face how much she likes him. Well, I could,
but I bet you Aki didn't notice.
Otoi: Aki wouldn't notice if she ran him over in a truck.
OZ: Maybe we should lock them in a room and tell them they're not
allowed out till they kiss. Otoi: lol
OZ: Might be hard in real life. But maybe I could develop some kind of program...