[Scene 1: Project Preparation]
The school's cultural festival was near, and every group was busy preparing their own projects. Aya and Ryu's group had to prepare a small play.
Meko and the other students were happily making plans, but Ryu sat silently.
"Ryu, you should also give some idea." Aya said softly.
Ryu shrugged his shoulders:
"Do whatever you all think is better. I don't care."
Aya felt a slight displeasure, but said nothing.
[Scene 2: Beginning of Argument]
The next day during rehearsal Ryu suddenly said:
"All this is useless. This play holds no meaning for anyone."
All the boys of the class started laughing, and Aya felt as if all the effort had been wasted.
"Why do you say that?" Aya asked in a harsh tone.
Ryu looked at her with cold eyes.
"Because all this is just pretension. You people act out a drama of happiness, as if everything is perfect. But in reality no one is like that."
Aya's heart trembled.
"So you mean to say that even my smile is a drama?"
Ryu said bitterly:
"Yes. You act happy in front of everyone, as if there is no sorrow. But I know that all this is a lie."
[Scene 3: Aya Breaking Down]
The classroom became silent. Aya's eyes filled with moisture.
"You don't have the right to say so much about me, Ryu. You don't even know me!"
With anger and pain, she left the rehearsal and went out.
Meko immediately followed her, but Aya raised her hand and said:
"Leave me alone, Meko."
There was a strange prick in her heart.
"Ryu… you were the one before whom I opened my heart for the first time. And you were the one who called me false in front of everyone."
[Scene 4: Ryu's Silence]
Meanwhile Ryu was sitting in the classroom looking out of the window. There was a slight regret in his eyes, but he remained silent.
"Maybe I said too harshly…" he said to himself.
"But… I did not lie. I only said what I saw."
But somewhere inside his heart there was a pang. For the first time he felt that by hurting Aya, something inside himself had also broken.
[Scene 5: Night of Loneliness]
That night Aya was sitting in her room in front of her diary.
"My smile… is this really all a drama? Is Ryu right?"
Tears flowed from her eyes.
"No… I never lied. I only tried to keep everyone happy. But… why does it feel that he can even see inside me?"
Meanwhile Ryu was sitting in his room with his notebook open. He made a new sketch—
A girl who is smiling, but her tears are hidden.
He wrote under the picture:
"I wish I had not said this to her."
📖 End of Chapter 5.