I Hold Your Voice Alone, Under The Starry Sky-Chapter 2 โ Cultural Festival With Eina
Chapter 2 โ Cultural Festival With Eina
Part 1
โAny other thoughts?โ
The class representative called from in front of the teacherโs desk.
Things like cafe, play, haunted house, and arcade were written on the board. ๐ณ๐ซ๐ฆe๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐๐v๐ฆ๐ญ.๐๐m
The cultural festival was approaching. Once it came to light that our class may not decide in time, this half-hearted meeting was called right after homeroom.
I was quietly watching over the proceedings. Members of humanities clubs at our school werenโt deeply concerned with the classesโ offerings because they were far busier with those of their club.
Some schools would have offerings from sports clubs, but ours didnโt. Inevitably, the classesโ offerings focused on the sports club members and the going home clubโs. Of course, us humanities clubs would help, but the main focus, and thus the students that were busiest were from those two categories.
โIโll take the final vote from these, raise your hand for the one you want to do most.โ
I raised my hand at the cafe, but the class as a whole voted for the play.
โA play, huh?โ
โSeems difficult.โ
โItโll be fun though.โ
โIโll be villager A.โ
My classmates began chattering about the play.
โNext then, weโll decide what play weโre doing.โ
Normally, something would be used for inspiration, like Cinderella, Snow White, or some fairy tale because it made things rather quick to arrange. The students were amateurs and would struggle to memorise the lines too, so I thought a full play would too difficult.
With my mind occupied with various thoughts, I didnโt open my mouth. I would have a minor role in the end, and everyone chose the best ways they could help.
Howeverโ
โItโd be nice to have an original script.โ
At the girlโs suggestion, the classโ focus shifted to an original script. I guess they were all getting excited about the cultural festival because it only happens once a year. But I worried if this would be okay. I thought a completely original script would be difficult. In the first place, what would we do about making the entire story?
But of course, I didnโt say a word. This was an opportunity for everyone to give their opinions, I didnโt want to rain on their parade before we decided anything.
โWhoโll write it though?โ
โIโve never written.โ
โWe have anyone in the drama club?โ
โWe donโt.โ
โWhoโll do it thenโฆโ
Whatโs this?
The students were all looking back. I had a feeling they were looking at meโฆ
โThatโs right, weโve got Yagi-kun!โ
A girl that had spoken to me maybe three times pointed at me.
โMe? I canโt write you know?โ
โWhy, youโre in the literature club right?โ
โBeing in the literature club doesnโt mean I can write.โ
The class started booing at me and Sakai started cackling in a corner because he knew that I couldnโt write stories.
I glanced at the seat next to me and President Minekawa was glaring at me with a frown. What, even she thought I should be writing it.
โItโs something I canโt do.โ
I refused to write it, so we ended the day just having decided to do a play and with the understanding that each of us would think over what kind of story we wanted. It was a rather grim outlook.
๏ผ
Eina: Good evening, Shuu-san. How are things going?
Shuu: Iโm editing.
Eina: Ah, for the cultural festival edition? You managed to get submissions this time.
Shuu: Itโs the third yearsโ last chance, so they always contribute.
Eina: Huh, Shuu-san, you seem down today.
I was taken aback. My feelings were in the writing? Was that a thing?
Shuu: Thereโs just an annoyance. Itโs nothing big though.
I told her about the class meeting after school.
Eina: They booed you for not writing a script? Thatโs awful!
Shuu: I shouldnโt have given them expectations.
Eina: You didnโt do anything wrong.
Shuu: Thanks. I wonder what we should do. If we go with an original and get ideas from everyone, I donโt think weโll make it in timeโฆ
Writing it itself was hard enough, but the problem was after that. The lines would need to be memorised and rehearsed. Weโd have to make props and costumesโฆ
Eina: Shuu-san, this is just a suggestion, butโฆ
Shuu: What?
Eina: Shallโฆ I writeโฆ the script.
Shuu: โฆWould you?
Eina: Yes, Iโll give it a go!
Shuu: You must be busy though, right?
I said that, but I realised then that I knew nothing about her everyday life.
Eina: Iโm not. I donโt go to cram school and Iโm not in a club. Iโm free every day, so I think writing would be much more useful.
Shuu: Really!? Thatโs great!
๏ผ
โEveryone listen.โ
The next day after school, I stood in front of the teacherโs desk.
โOh, Yagi, decided to write the script?โ
One of the boys said to me.
โIโm not, but I know someone who will. Eina, the one that wrote that story for the literature club.โ
When I said that, the classroom filled with noise.
โI read that, it was interesting.โ
โThe person that wrote that should be able to write us something good, right?โ
โOkay then, everyone who approves of having Eina-san write the scriptโฆโ
The class representative took a vote, the majority of the class voting to do so.
โThanks. So, what does everyone want from it? Requirements will make it easier to write, so give me any ideas you have,โ I asked.
โI want romance!โ
โA happy end!โ
โA bit of mystery!โ
I took notes of what everyone was saying.
โI wonder what kind of story itโll be!?โ
โI hope itโs an interesting one!โ
I could tell the class was getting their hopes up. In honesty, so was I.
I would be able to read Einaโs next work. I was looking forward to that on its own, but itโd be made into a play for the class, I couldnโt help but get my hopes up for that.
I guess I am helping the class a lot this year, I thought.
The literature club had more members than me, when they gave me the materials, I could focus on the classโ offerings. The third years were also studying for exams, so all of them would pull together for their classes, it was a mutually beneficial relationship.
And because of that, I had sole discretion over how the literature clubโs preparation was done. The club would need to print the booklet, bind it and place them for distribution. It was okay, I could do the editing at home. I could do the binding after the classwork was done in the clubroom. And if I did my best the day before, I could get the decoration done too.
โShuu, come here,โ Sakai whispered into my ear, โIs Eina-san in our class?โ
โWhy do you say that?โ
โI mean, people wouldnโt write a script for another class, right?โ
Sakai puffed up his chest at his insight.
โI wonder about that,โ I dodged the question.
With that kind of questioning, you couldnโt answer with a yes or a no. That itself would give him information. A no would at least let him know that she wasnโt in our class.
โKuh, you wonโt fall for it, huh?โ
โOf course not.โ
Sakai tutted in annoyance.
โYouโre really tight-lipped, Shuu. Too tight-lipped to have your best mate in the newspaper club.โ
โItโd be dangerous to be your friend if I was loose-lipped, youโd be able to write about anything.
โI know what I should and shouldnโt write about.โ
He was glancing my way, but I had no intention of talking about Eina.
Besides, I didnโt know anything about her to tell him.
Suddenly, my heart twinged. Whatโs this feelingโฆ
Part 2
The next day:
Eina: Shuu-san, how did today go?
Shuu: I did the normal editing stuff. I got the illustrations and cover design from Ruka-senpai so Iโm compiling the data.
Eina: Oh! Do your best!
Shuu: What about you? Howโs the script?
Eina: Iโm drawing up a plan!
Shuu: Okay, letโs both do our best!
Three days later:
Eina: Shuu-san, good work.
Shuu: You too.
Eina: What kind of day did you have?
Shuu: I went to school, then did editing afterwards, same as always. Iโll want to help the class before the cultural festival, so I thought Iโd get the literature clubโs work done now.
Eina: Youโre a hard worker, huh?
Shuu: Iโm not, I only work hard at things I like.
Eina: Thatโs still pretty amazing.
Shuu: Thanks, so whatโs the script like?
Eina: Uhh, itโs getting there.
Shuu: Everyoneโs looking forward to it. So am I. Do your best.
One week later:
Normally, Iโd always be getting messages from Eina, but I hadnโt received any in the last three days. Thatโs why I sent a message myself after school that day.
Shuu: Hi, how are you?
There was no response.
What was wrong, I wondered, usually Iโd get a response immediately.
Maybe she was busy with her own schoolโs festival?
At the thought, my phone buzzed.
Eina: Hi, how did your day go?
Shuu: I finally finished with the data for the booklet. Now I just need to buy paper and print it.
Eina: Thatโs really quick!
Shuu: Yeah, now I should be able to help properly with the class. So, about the scriptโฆ
Eina: Umm, ah, ummโฆ Iโm doing my best.
Shuu: When do you think youโll be done.
The replies paused again, and the next message was that evening, before I slept.
Eina: I think itโll take a little longer.
Shuu: I seeโฆ
I guess writing a script and a story really were different. Iโd thought that sheโd be able to write a full book in about a week seeing as sheโd written a short story in a single night, but it might be a little difficult.
However, there were only two weeks left until the festival. If we didnโt start making props and costumes soon, we wouldnโt make it. The actors would need to learn the play tooโฆ
Actually, we needed to decide who had what role.
Shuu: Could you send what youโve done so far? If you do we can make props and costumes and decide whoโs playing who.
Eina: What Iโve done so farโฆ Umm, ummmโฆ Actuallyโฆ
And then, Eina sent a shocking message.
Eina: I still havenโt written a single word.
โWhat!?โ
I shouted in my room.
Not a single word? Why?
No, I donโt have time to find out the reason.
This was serious. I doubted she could write the play within the fortnight remaining, besides, then it would be too late.
My eyes span as my thoughts whirled.
Iโll talk to Ruka-senpai. She might know someone that did a play with their class. If we can borrow the script from them and perform itโฆ Besides, a script would be prepared by the whole classโฆ
Eina: Shuu-san? Shuu-san?
Another message appeared from Eina and I realised I had left it marked as read without replying.
Shuu: Sorry, Eina. I forgot to reply. Okay, then Iโll tell everyone itโs too much and that itโs too hard to write an entire play in time, Iโll find something else.
Eina: Eh!!
Shuu: Itโs okay, theyโll understand. You were a volunteer in the first place.
Vzzzzt, vzzzzt.
My phone gave two long vibrations.
It was a call from Eina.
ใShuu-sanโฆ Iโll do my best, Iโll do my best, soโฆใ
โH-heyโฆโ
Eina was crying. Her voice was shaking, she was sniffling, and weeping over and over again.
I was flustered, maybe I shouldnโt have sent the refusal all of a sudden. She might have thought I was angry.
โEina, Iโm not angry at all, you donโt need to worry. We were the ones that pushed this on to you, so if you just go at your own pace, thatโs fine.โ
ใShuu-san, donโt say thatโฆ Please, let me write the script!ใ
โButโฆโ
ใTalking with you is the only thing I live for. I donโt want to break it off, please donโt break it off, Iโll work harderโฆ!ใ
I frowned. She was misunderstanding something. It was almost likeโฆ
โEina. I donโt speak with you because you write novels or plays you know?โ
ใFueeh?ใ
โObviously, I think itโs wonderful that you do, but it wouldnโt be an issue if you didnโt. I canโt write after all.โ
ใYou wonโt be disappointed.ใ
โWhy would I? Whether you write or not, youโre yourself, my precious-โ
ใPrecious?ใ
My precious what?
I couldnโt find the right word.
โAnyway, you donโt need to push yourself.โ
ใThen why do you speak with me?ใ
โBecause itโs funโฆ I guess.โ
This time I managed to speak. I truly meant it. It was really fun speaking with Eina. That was why I was sad when I didnโt hear from her for the past three days. At some point, chatting with her had become part of my life.
ใShuu-sanโฆ!!ใ
Eina sounded like she wanted to yell, and burst into tears on the other end of the phone.
โWhatโs wrong!? Did I say something I shouldnโt!?โ
ใYou didnโt. Iโm happy. Itโs beenโฆ so longโฆ since someone said something like that to meโฆใ
โSo long?โ
ใShuu-san, can Iโฆ break the rules? Can I talkโฆ about myself?ใ
The rules, to avoid knowing as much about Eina as I could. So I couldnโt narrow down who she was.
Butโฆ
โYeah,โ I nodded.
I wanted to know about her too.
ใI donโt have a mum or dad. I did, but they died.ใ
My breath caught in my throat.
ใSo now I live with my motherโs sister, with my aunt and uncle, but we donโt get on. Even Onee-chan, my cousin, bullies meโฆ You remember when I suddenly hung up? That was when she came into my room to yell at me for being noisy.ใ
โIs it safe now?โ
ใYes, Iโve got my head under the covers.ใ
I could imagine it, a girl hiding in the covers on the phone.
ใI donโtโฆ have any friends. Iโm cut off and alone at school.ใ
โโฆโ
ใI like being alone. Having to be with everyone all the time at school is difficult, but when I said that, no one would be my friendโฆ Itโs sort of painful being alone at school. Mum and dad would have said I didnโt need to force myself to go to school, but my aunt and uncle say I have to, and get angry if I donโt.ใ
She likes to daydream.
She was different from the people around her, but at school, little differences could be treated as heretical. You could call it bad luck, no one understood Eina at school.
So thatโs how it was.
She was always alone.
The smartphone creaked in my tightening grip.
I wanted to go right over to her and hug her.
But I couldnโt. There were five years separating us.
But at least I could make her understand.
โIโm on your side. Always and forever.โ
ใHic! Thank you!ใ
She burst into renewed tears.
She really did cry a lot.
Butโฆ it might be for the best to let her cry. It was fine to cry when you were happy at least, right?
I remembered her saying โWhat if Iโm dead after five years?โ
Eina understood. Understood that you never knew when your happiness would be destroyed.
Thatโs why you had to treasure the happiness you had.
๏ผ
ใUmm, Shuu-san?ใ
She had stopped crying, and Einaโs voice whispered in my ear.
โYeah?โ
ใAbout the script.ใ
โThatโs right, we were talking about that.โ
ใCan Iโฆ write about you?ใ
โEh?โ
ใI think I can write it now. Obviously, I want to just write it as-is, Iโll take my happiness at what you said, and how nice it feels to talkโฆ and if I use that as my inspiration, I think Iโll be able to write it.ใ
โGot it. Iโll tell everyone to wait a little longer.โ
โDonโt push yourself, alright? If you have any problems, donโt hesitate to talk to me about them.โ
ใI wonโt.ใ
I couldnโt have seen her face.
But still, I felt like I could see her smile.
Part 3
When I woke up that morning, Iโd gotten a message from Eina.
It was the script.
My entire body flushed with heat.
Shuu: Thanks, now we can start preparing for the play. Sorry for rushing you.
Eina: I just couldnโt stop once I started writing!
Shuu: Eina, you really do have a talent for this.
Oddly, I didnโt feel jealous. I was just happy to be able to read what she had written.
Immediately, I transferred the file to my laptop and printed a copy. Reading something in depth really was better on paper. I put the script in my bag and headed to school, sat in my seat, and immediately began to read.
As they arrived, my classmates and friends gave greetings and struck up conversations, but their voices seemed to come from far away.
The script was interesting.
Perhaps because she was conscious it was a play, it was completely in the fantasy genre. You could call it a fairy tale.
The protagonist was a teenage girl, bullied by her mother and elder sister, with no friends, living in despair. At the hopelessness of her own life, she went to end it.
However, a wounded demon suddenly appeared before her. He had been persecuted by humans, and the kind-hearted girl instinctively treated his wounds.
The demon said that he would grant her wish in thanks, and that she must pass three trials.
The first trial was to go alone to a cave in the mountains and retrieve a treasure chest.
The second was to go to her terrifying motherโs room and steal the key.
And the third, the third was to use the dagger in the treasure chest and offer a sacrifice to the gods.
At that point, the demon offered his own life to grant her wish, saying:
โI am on your side. Always and forever.โ
And placing the dagger in her hand. However, the girl refused.
โI canโt think of a life without you. I want to be with you.โ
โThen there is no choice.โ
Using magic, the demon controlled her hand, and made her stab him in the chest.
The grieving girl thought of using the wish to resurrect the demon. If she did that, she would have the same life as before. No, it might even be worse, but even soโฆ the girl resurrected the demon. Upon his resurrection, the demon was transformed into a human.
He was actually a cursed prince, and the girlโs kindness along with the princeโs feelings had caused a miracle, breaking the curse.
The two of them swore to love each other forever, and exchanged a kissโฆ
โโฆYagi.โ
โYes?โ
I raised my head and the English teacher was looking down at me. Iโd not noticed him approach at all.
I could hear the other students laugh, apparently the lesson had started before Iโd noticed.
โItโs good that youโre working for your club, but pay attention to your lessons too.โ
โIโm sorry!โ
I hurriedly took out my textbook. But, what was I supposed to do?
โPage ninety, translate the second line,โ came a voice from my side.
It was the President. She was looking at me in almost a glare, with a frigid expression. I gave a shiver and opened the textbook.
Fortunately, the English wasnโt too hard and I translated it without incident. The teacher moved on to the next student and I returned to Einaโs script. This time with a red pen to correct it.
Finally, I had read over the entire thing at least twice.
โAhem.โ
When I raised my head, I met the eyes of the third periodโs maths teacher.
โYagi, are you finished with your side-job? Then answer this question.โ
The class dissolved into gales of laughter.
โMan, you really are the type to ignore your surroundings when youโre into something, huh?โ
โI am?โ I asked in return.
โDonโt you realise it?โ Sakai shrugged. โDidnโt you notice everyone greeting you this morning? They were saying stuff like โawesome, the scriptโs here!โ or โweโll have to thank Einaโ. And then you just blanked them all.โ
โWah, really? Iโll need to apologise laterโฆโ
โItโs okay, everyone knows you were reading the script seriously.โ
While we were talking, the class representative appeared in front of the teacherโs desk and the class meeting had begun. The script had arrived so we were genuinely beginning preparations for the play. Iโd printed the script during the lunch break and given everyone a copy.
Today we would be discussing who had what part. That of course referred to the characters, but people would also be assigned to costumes, props, the set, everyone in the class should have something to do. People with nothing to do for a while would probably help with things that werenโt finished, but it was still important to assign responsibilities.
People would put themselves forward and the roles would be decided. The costumes, props, and set were all filled without issue and all the supporting roles had been decided.
I was helping with the set. I wasnโt particularly skilled with that kind of thing, but I figured I could help with the physical work.
All that was left was the lead role and her opposite, the demon prince.
It was probably because the script had a straight up romance between them, so everyone was embarrassed and didnโt want to do it. There was even a kiss scene. Though obviously they wouldnโt do it for real.
Then, I heard a chair move back next to me with a clatter.
The President had stood up straight and then she said.
โIf no one else wants to, Iโll play the lead character.โ
The class grew noisy.
โThe President in the lead roleโฆโ
โShe fits perfectly, right?โ
โThatโs great!โ
It was unanimous. I thought she worked for the protagonist too, her beauty fit the impression of an ephemeral girl perfectly.
โI have a condition,โ she followed, before saying something outrageous, โI nominate the literature club for the princeโs role.โ
The class began to clamour.
โYagi as her opposite?โ
โWhy?โ
โDoes he have acting experience?โ
Chatter came from all over the room. I realised everyone was looking at me, and I was so surprised I couldnโt say a word.
โHeโs the one that talked with the author, so heโs the one in the class that understands the play the best, and so he should have the princeโs role,โ said the President, looking down at me with cold eyes. It almost seemed like she was saying it was my duty.
โIf she puts it like that, why not?โ
โWhat sheโs saying makes sense.โ
โDo your best, Yagi-kun!โ
The class all started to fall in line with her opinion. I couldnโt refuse in that situation, and I could only nod.
Part 4
โโSup, Casanova.โ
Sakai slapped me on my back on our way out of the school gates.
โโฆLay off.โ
Sakai was practically skipping while I trudged along.
โItโs the truth, right? The President nominated you herself, yeah?โ
โWhat on Earth was she thinking?โ
I said, before letting out a weary sigh.
โExactly what she said, sheโs the type to say everything truthfully.โ
โYeah, she always has a fair argument.โ
That itself was why I was worried. Fair arguments werenโt always kind to people.
โIf I had to say, Iโd worry about her using you to get at a jealous guy.โ
โDonโt exaggerate.โ
โIโm not, sheโs the most popular amongst the guys at our school isnโt she?โ
โEh, she is?โ
I did think she was pretty, but I hadnโt thought she was that popular.
โYou didnโt know? Well, youโre not the type to evaluate the girls I guess,โ Sakai gave a sarcastic smile, โSheโs fairly popular just from being the student council President, then thereโs her looks. Itโd be stranger if she wasnโt popular. If we had a beauty contest, sheโd easily take first.โ
โSheโs pretty scary though, right?โ
โOf course, some of the people like my boss and part of the class that have interacted directly with her say that her candidness is scary, but on the whole I think people look at her enviously.โ
I was getting more and more depressed. If I acted too poorly, Iโd be killed sociallyโฆ
โWell, do your best. Iโm cheering for you. Youโve got a thing for her too, right?โ
โBugger off.โ
I wanted to think that my face heating up was my imagination.
When I got home, I messaged Eina about what had happened today. About how her script was received, and about how Iโd come to have the princeโs roleโฆ
Eina: Youโre the prince! Waaah, that fits perfectly!
I could tell from just the text that she was excited, but I didnโt really get what she meant.
Shuu: Iโm just a normal high schooler though?
Eina: Itโs a perfect fit. I mean, I modelled the prince after you, so having the real person play him makes me really happy.
If Einaโs going that far, Iโll do my best, I thought.
I immediately took out the script and read it aloud. Just reading it wouldnโt let me know if I was doing well or not, so I used my phone to record myself.
Once I finished reading through, I checked the recordingโฆ
โThisโฆ is awful.โ
I was so bad you couldnโt have even called me a ham actor.
โIโll go buy a book on acting.โ
I cycled off to a bookstore that was open at that time of night.
After school the next day, we had the initial rehearsal. My study was in vain and my acting was still tragic. Actually, it was about the same level as those in the supporting roles, so it was probably about normal for someone without experience.
But I had a leading role, so this was awful.
โThereโs still time, youโll manage, right?โ Sakai said to me, but it was no consolation.
The President was absent, apparently she had to do some work with the cultural festival as a whole. Disappointed, I headed to the literature clubโs room. The end of the day was approaching, but I wanted to do some preparations for the literature club. We planned to have the room open on the day itself and distribute the book, so I had to decorate the room.
However, I couldnโt move my mind from the acting and didnโt get much done.
And then.
โLiterature club.โ I started in surprise at suddenly being spoken to.
The President was standing in the doorway.
โSorry, Iโm going home now.โ
I apologised reflexively. It was already long past the end of the school day.
โAm I really that scary,โ the President sighed. She seemed to be a little down, and I felt slightly guilty.
โNo, I just donโt want to risk losing our room again.โ
โI can overlook something like this. I donโt follow the rules to the letter. I know youโve been preparing for both the class and your club.โ
โRight.โ
I might have misunderstood what kind of person she was.
โHey, literature club. Do you have some time now? If you do, would you rehearse a little with me?โ
Part 5
What do I do?
At that moment, I was alone with the President, walking through the twilight. We couldnโt stay in the school, so we were heading to a nearby park.
We didnโt talk much, since she would only say what she had to.
It was supremely uncomfortable.
I glanced at her. As usual, she was frowning. She really was amazing for managing to look beautiful even with that expression.
But would we actually be able to practice in this atmosphere?
A metaphorical life-ring was thrown out to me as we arrived when my phone vibrated with a message from Eina.
Eina: Evening, how are the cultural festival preparations going?
Shuu: Good timing! Are you free now? Can I call?
Eina: You can, but why?
Shuu: Iโm actually about to practice with the President, butโฆ itโs uncomfortable.
Eina: Uncomfortable? Why?
Shuu: It looks like the President hates me.
Eina: Youโre practising together even though she hates you?
Shuu: Yeah. Iโm not good at acting, and she was busy with the student council. Sheโs not the type to mix personal feelings with business.
Eina: She sounds serious.
Shuu: Yeah, but she canโt hide her bad mood, so could you listen to us practice and give some comments. Itโd be easier than doing it on our own.
Eina: Got it!
โLiterature club, what are you doing?โ
โI was talking to the writer, sheโll listen to us practice. Only over the phone though, that okay?โ
โIt is. Iโd like to hear an objective opinion too.โ
I called Eina and put the phone on speaker mode.
ใGood evening. Itโs nice to meet you, President.ใ
โItโs nice to meet you too, Eina-san. I suppose that works?โ
ใYes! I hope we get along!ใ
I put my things and phone on a bench and faced the President with the script in hand.
โLetโs go from the top then, first is the girlโs appearanceโฆโ
Suddenly, her expression changed.
โItโs painful, so painful. Maybe it would be easier if I was deadโฆโ
Her expression changed to one of heartbreak. As if she were about to cry, but was desperately holding back the tears.
She was just looking downcast and haltingly saying her lines, but her sadness and pain really were conveyed.
ใItโs your turn, Shuu-san.ใ
I came back to myself at Einaโs voice from the phone.
โAh, sorry. โYoung lady, might I ask of you a simple favour? Would you lend me your hand? My leg has been injured and I cannot stand.โโ
We finished the scene and the President looked steadily at me.
โI know what you want to say, I think it was awful too.โ
ใNot at all! It felt very you, I thought it was good!ใ
Einaโs kindness actually felt all the more painful.
โWell done. Youโve learnt the lines properly, youโre thinking about the right gestures too. All you need now is to practice and refine the rough edges.โ
The President telling me that calmed me down a little.
ใYou were amazing though, President.ใ
โDo you have acting experience?โ I asked, but she shook her head. โAre you a genius then?โ
โโฆItโs because I practised a lot.โ
She looked away.
Did she mean she stayed up all night? She should be awfully busy as the festival approached.
โLetโs go through each scene. Iโll give you an example so use that as a reference too.โ
An hour later:
โLetโs take a break,โ I suggested, โIโm going to get a drink, do you want anything?โ
โA cola,โ she murmured in response.
โOkay.โ
I left my phone on the bench and walked to a nearby shop. Because it was dinner time, the cashier was crowded and it took longer than I thought to buy the drinks. Once I was done, I ran back to the park.
The President was sat on the bench talking to my phone.
โI know heโs not a bad person. Heโs a hard worker and everything, I just get nervous when we talk.โ
Rather than her usual dignified air, the President seemed like a normal girl, which was a new experience for me.
ใWell then, Shuu-san. Iโll be going now.ใ
โWeโre not going to keep practising?โ
ใSorry, something urgent came up! Iโm really sorry! Make sure to walk the President home, okay?ใ
โEh?โ
Wait a minute, go home together? With the President?
Wouldnโt that be really uncomfortable? But Eina had already hung up.
โWhat are we doing, President? Want to keep going?โ
โI need to get home too. Iโve got a curfew.โ
โGot it.โ
โAre you really going to walk me home?โ
โWell, it is late.โ
โโฆThank you,โ she muttered.
We walked off, drinking from our cans.
โWhat did you talk about with Eina?โ
โSchool and things.โ
โI see.โ
We both fell into silence.
Damn, this was indeed really uncomfortable.
I didnโt know what to talk about, and as usual, she didnโt seem like she was about to speak to me anytime soon.
Why did Eina say I had to walk her home. Weโre not lovers or anything. The next time we spoke ended up being when we arrived at her house.
โHuh, is thisโฆโ
I couldnโt help but start to ask.
We had arrived at an orphanage. It was a small building that looked like a small school on the face of it.
โAre you surprised?โ She asked.
โA little.โ
โDonโt make that face.โ What kind of face was I making? โI chose this for myself. I had some problems at home. I much prefer this lifestyle. Well, itโd be a lie to say that there wasnโt anything I dislike about it, but itโs much better than it was before.โ
โWhat will you do about university?โ
โIโm planning on taking the exams for the nearby university. If I pass then I can be exempt from tuition fees because of the household income, I should be able to get a scholarship with my results as well. It has dorms, so I should be able to deal with living costs. Iโll work to make up the difference and do my best until I graduate. It will be hard to pay it back, but I really do want to go to university.โ
The President looked at the orphanage building as she spoke. Her face was strong, refined, and above all, beautiful.
I really donโt know anything about her.
โLiterature club, do your best in the festival,โ said the President, with a much gentler face than usual.
โOf course.โ
โAndโฆ thank you, for walking me home.โ
The President disappeared through the door.
Her last words were nearly soundless.
I smiled, thinking I wanted to know more about her.
Part 6
Night had fallen and I was relaxing in my room after a meal and a bath when a message arrived from Eina.
Eina: Shuu-san, did you know? Fufufuโฆ
Shuu: Know what?
Eina: That the President doesnโt hate you at all?
Shuu: Huh?
Eina: We talked about a lot of things when you went to get the drinks, but it seems that the President treats you harshly because sheโs nervous. Haha, being popular sure is tough!
My face flushed with heat.
Eina: This is a confession event! When youโre going home from the festival or something! Itโs wonderful, isnโt it? Itโs like youโre bound by fate with your co-star.
What is this feelingโฆ
When I was told the President might not actually hate me, and that she might even like me, I was started panicking, confused.
And then I realised. I was panicked that Eina would misunderstand my feelings. Eina thought that I liked the President, and was honestly supporting me in it.
But that seemed too lonely to me.
I was shocked, why did I think that? I hadnโt even seen Einaโs face, and she lived five years in the past, and we couldnโt even meetโฆ
Shuu: I just look up to the President. Sheโs pretty, but I donโt think I exactly like her, so I wonโt confess.
Eina: Eh? I-I seeโฆ thatโs good.
Shuu: Good?
Eina: Ah, nothing.
We both stopped messaging for a while.
Shuu: Letโs go to sleep.
Eina: Letโs, good night.
Shuu: Night.
7
The next fortnight flew by. That morning, I went to school early and we practised for the play.
I was half asleep through class, and after school, we had another rehearsal. While we rehearsed, our classmates were around the room making costumes and props.
Suddenly, a huge crash sounded along with the noise of breaking glass. The sound team were picking out music and sound effects.
There were even people making spotlights with torches and cellophane.
This kind of scene was happening all throughout the school. The entire place was getting into the swing of the cultural festival.
To use a common saying, they were fulfilling days.
But for some reason, I felt dissatisfied.
I didnโt know why. I had an odd lonely feeling, like a small hole had opened up in my heart.
However, there was so much to do that I didnโt even have the time to think about it. I had to spend any free time I had binding the books for the literature club.
And then it was the day before the festival, Friday.
After school, I figured that the class could do without me for a while and headed to the clubroom to decorate it. It was already completely dark outside but for today only, the teachers wouldnโt say anything if we were here late.
When I arrived, Ruka-senpai was already there.
โGood timing! Shuu-kun, can you get this?โ
She was on top of the desk, trying to hang decorations on the blackboard, but she couldnโt quite reach. She was stretching out so far that it looked like she might fall.
โLeave it to me, Senpai.โ
I switched places with her on the desk and hung out the decorations.
โWhere are the other two?โ
โThey already left. Theyโve got prep school. I wish their prep school would read the mood though.โ
โItโs unavoidable, the exams wonโt wait. Will you be okay?โ
โHmm, I actually have prep school soon too.โ
โThen go. Iโll finish the rest.โ
โAre you sure? I can skipโฆโ
โItโs okay, itโs just the decoration left.โ
She didnโt look too happy about it, maybe sheโd been hoping I would give her the excuse to skip.
โYeah. Thanks. Oh yeah, Iโll definitely come watch the play tomorrow! Good luck!โ
โThank you, but what will we do here then?โ
โIโll ask Kobayashi-sensei to cover for us, she is our adviser, so itโs fine! See you!โ
Ruka-senpai left with the flopping of her footsteps.
โNow then, letโs finish up quickly.โ
The others had mostly finished already, I just had to create the venue.
I put several desks together like a bar, lay a cloth over the top of them and arranged the bound books on top of that.
It wasnโt just the books for the festival, we also put out older books too for anyone interested.
I finished and let out a long breath, looking out of the windows.
The school had already fallen quiet, most of the students had probably gone home.
The sky was pitch-black, with stars dotting it.
I wonder if Eina is looking at the same stars, I thought idly.
The Eina I talked to was the Eina from five years in the past, so she couldnโt be looking at these stars. Butโฆ what about the current Eina?
Was she, on the same planet, at the same time, looking up at these stars.
I took out my phone. Iโd not had any messages. I was really busy at the moment and couldnโt reply much, so Eina and I hadnโt talked much recently. Sliding my finger over the touchscreen, I called her.
It rang once and she picked up.
ใHello, this is Eina.ใ
โItโs Shuu.โ
ใGood evening. Itโs the real thing tomorrow, are you already home?ใ
โNo, Iโm still at school.โ
ใWah, thatโs tough.ใ
โWell, Iโm about to go home.โ
ใIt sounds like a fulfilling school life!ใ
Eina was completely right. Recently, my life had been surprisingly fulfilling.
โYeah, it is. Practising for the play and preparing for the literature club is fun, but,โ having heard Einaโs voice, I knew why I felt lonely, โIโm sure itโd be more fun if you were here too.โ
Eina wasnโt here. I didnโt know her face, her name, or even her age, but I still felt that she should be next to me. I wanted to meet her.
But we couldnโt meet.
Because she lived five years in the pastโฆ
If we were just a long distance apart, we could still meet. I could get the train, or even a plane.
But the interval in time was insurmountable.
ใโฆI would want to meet you if we could,ใher clear soprano entered my ears, quiet and lonely, ใI wanted to prepare for the cultural festival with you, and to practice the play with you.ใ
I thought that maybe Eina felt the same as me, and I quietly held her voice in my heart.
โThank you, Eina.โ
ใItโs okay.ใ
We were silent for a while, utterly wordless. But my heart was at ease, maybe because I knew I was connected to her through my phone.
She wasnโt beside me, but I didnโt feel alone in the slightest.
โSay.โ
ใUmmโฆใ we spoke together before falling into silence waiting for the other to continue.
โGo ahead.โ
ใUhh, When is your birthday?ใ
โSaturday next week.โ
ใEh, itโs that soon!? What do I doโฆ?ใ
โWhat do you do?โ
ใUh, ah, I was talking to myself. Ah, thatโs right, then why donโt we go out together next Saturday?ใ
โGo out together?โ
I didnโt understand what she meant.
ใOf course, we wonโt be able to meet. But if we go to the same place, itโs sort of like weโve gone out together.ใ
โAh, letโs do that.โ
I checked my watch.
I really did have to head home soon.
โIโm hanging up then, I have to go home.โ
ใRight.ใ
โโฆโ
ใโฆUm, arenโt you hanging up.ใ
โI was waiting for you to.โ
We both laughed.
ใThen on three?ใ
โOn three.โ
ใOne.ใ
โTwo.โ
ใโThree.โใ
Our voices mixed with the electronic tone as we hung up. Even after hanging up, my gaze lingered on my phone for a while.
Part 8
It was the day of the festival. I did some preparations for the club and then headed to the classroom.
The classroom was a tumult of noise as people bustled about doing makeup, preparing costumes, and coordinating lighting equipment.
I searched for the President, wanting to go over things one more time, but I couldnโt find her.
โIs the President still with the student council?โ I asked Sakai.
He made an unusually serious face as he answered.
โShe still hasnโt come to school. I asked the student council too, but they havenโt seen her either.โ
I made a mixed noise of shock and doubt.
โHasnโt she contacted you?โ He asked me.
โNah, I donโt have her numberโฆโ
I slumped.
And then:
โPresident! Youโre a bit late!โ
A girl cried out from the door. I looked to see the President slowly entering the room. But she only gave the girl a glance and didnโt answer.
No, she did, her mouth moved.
However, her voice didnโt reach me. I had a bad feeling about this.
โPresident, are you okay?โ
โIโm okay.โ
She approached and I could faintly hear her voice.
But it wasnโt her usual clear soprano, her voice was hoarse, and if I hadnโt seen her speak, I wouldnโt have known whose voice it was.
Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were flushed. She obviously had a fever. Even the way she walked looked more like she was being dragged along.
โYouโre obviously not.โ
โSorry, I didnโt sleep last night and Iโm tired. It looks like I caught a cold as well,โ she confessed.
โYou didnโt sleep, why?โ
โI got nervous when I was thinking about the performance today.โ
โSo you get nervous tooโฆโ
โDid you think I was a robot or something?โ
She frowned in displeasure, puffing out her cheeks,
โNo, just because youโre always so at ease addressing everyone during assemblies and such.โ
โThatโs because Iโm always trying my best,โ she managed to get out, before breaking into a hacking cough.
What should I do? It didnโt seem like she couldnโt speak, but acting with that voice would be quite difficult.
โWeโll have to use a substitute. Is there anyoneโฆโ the moment I began to speak, the girls all looked away, โOi, this is an emergency.โ
โObviously none of us want to,โ one of the girls stepped forward as a representative, โone of us stand in for the President? Everyoneโs coming to see her, arenโt they? If one of us went out theyโd go like โwhatโs with this hamโ or something like that, no way.โ
โThatโs right! Theyโd shout at us for wasting their time if some other girl came out!โ
Sakai added.
Immediately afterwards, he was dragged away by the girls.
โThen weโll have to have you do it, but itโs too tough with that voice.โ
โHey, literature club, can you contact Eina-san?โ The President asked hoarsely.
โTodayโs a Saturday, so I should be able to.โ
โWould you?โ
I called Eina, just as she asked.
ใHello, Eina here.ใ
โEina-san?โ
ใโฆWho is it?ใ
โItโs the President,โ I told her.
ใEhh!?ใ She let out a confused noise. ใWhat happened to your voice!?ใ
โI caught a cold. And so, I have a requestโฆโ
ใIf I can do anything to help, let me know!ใ
The Presidentโs expression seemed to ease as if Einaโs words put her at ease.
And then:
โThank you. Then would you do the voice for the lead role?โ
She said with a calm expression.
ใEhh?ใ
โHuh?โ
We said in unison.
โWait a minute, when you say just the voice, you mean have her do it by phone?โ
โThatโs what I mean.โ
โWonโt she obviously get found out?โ
โThatโs fine. What about, the protagonist was injured, and mute, so the demon uses magic so we can hear her?โ
ใI donโt think it would seem unnatural that wayโฆใ
If the original author said so, then that would work within the fiction.
โThank you. Then weโll have the narrator say that later.โ
ใRight, wait, thatโs not the problem! I canโt act!ใ
โI told you when we were in the park with literature club, didnโt I? โYou try practising too.โโ
ใYou did, but Iโm no good at allโฆใ
โNo, you can do it. Or more accurately, no one but you can do it. The protagonist is you, right? You donโt need to act, just say the words.โ
ใButโฆ I might end up speaking in a monotoneโฆใ
โThatโs fine. Sheโs lacking in feelings and suffering. I know that you can do it,โ the President said, before she started to choke.
โEina, you can hear how she is, will you do it?โ
ใOkay, Iโll do my best!ใ
โAnd weโre ready. Right, you look cool, Yagi-kun.โ
The girl in charge of costumes and makeup slapped my shoulder.
โโฆThanks.โ
โAre you nervous?โ
โI seriously am.โ
โGeez, use the President as an example.โ
I took a sidelong glance at her.
She was already dressed up as a shabby girl and looked ephemeral, as if she might disappear at any moment.
Even dressed up in such torn up clothes, she was still charming.
She was there quietly, with her eyes on the script, going over her last checks.
โEina, itโs almost time, are you ready?โ
I spoke to my phone where it had been placed by the sound system.
ใI am! Leave it to me!ใ
She returned energetically with a voice containing no hint of nervousness.
I canโt be the only one nervous.
I let out a long sigh and straightened myself.
โRight, weโre starting!โ Came the class representativeโs yell as the President ran on stage from the wings.
A cheer greeted her onto the stage.
Einaโs line echoed throughout the hall.
ใItโs painful, so painful. Maybe it would be easier if I was deadโฆใ
Even though her voice was going through a sound system, it was still beautiful.
It was a perfectly clear, lovely soprano that was nice on the ears.
And then I headed onto the stage.
The classroom had been remodelled into a hall and was filled to capacity and I was overwhelmed by the greater number of spectators than I had expected.
โYoung lady, might I ask of you a simple favour? Would you lend me your hand? My leg has been injured and I cannot stand.โ
I was then on the stage for the rest of the play.
Throughout the first and second trials, the President and I, along with Eina, played our partsโฆ with no major mistakes.
And then, finally, it was the third trial.
โI am on your side. Always and forever.โ
As I spoke my line, I handed over the dagger prop to the girl, to the President.
The Presidentโs mouth opened.
However, I couldnโt hear Einaโs voice.
Silence fell over the hall.
I glanced into the wings, and our classmates were panicking.
The audience didnโt seem to have realised anything was wrong yet.
Whatโs wrong, Eina? Why arenโt you saying anythingโฆ?
I went to speak but suddenly gave up. I shouldnโt think of Einaโs feelings, I should think of the character on the stageโs feelings.
What would the girl be thinking?
Sheโd be happy wouldnโt she? At feeling his love.
And then it came together. She was so happy she couldnโt get her feelings out.
Soโฆ
โIโฆ am on your side.โ
No sooner had I repeated the line, tears welled from the Presidentโs eyes. Those tears might have been an illusion I was under. It was as if Eina was in front of me, standing with me on the stage.
I felt sorry for the President saying it like that, but I saw the President as Eina.
ใI canโt think of a life without you. I want to be with you.ใ Eina gave her line in response to mine.
Now we were heading straight for the happy end.
โMan, that was brilliant.โ
Once the play had ended, Sakai came bounding in from the wings.
โReally?โ
โYeah, the audience were really into it. Also here, the recording.โ
Sakai handed over an SD card.
โThanks, youโre a saviour.โ
Sakai had recorded the play on his phone. He was a reporter for the newspaper club, so he had to watch it himself, so I had him record it at the same time.
โOh yeah, whyโd you not get Eina-chan to come? It would have been better in person, wouldnโt it?โ Sakai asked. He was probably asking such a leading question because he wanted to know who she was.
โWho knows.โ
โAs tight-lipped as ever, huh. Youโre not going to let anything slip.โ
โOf course not.โ
Even if I would, I donโt know anything about her.
โIโm going to the literature club for a while,โ I said and left Sakai behind.
I rushed towards the clubroom to shake off the heart-rending loneliness.
On the way, I sent the recording to Eina.
After a while, I got a reply.
Eina: That was amazing, Iโm so impressed! Itโs incredible to see something I wrote on stage! Iโm a bit embarrassed my voice is in there too thoughโฆ
Shuu: Was it not how you imagined?
Eina: It was exactly like I imagined it! No, it was even better! Sinceโฆ
Shuu: Since?
Eina: I saw your face like this.
Thatโs right, this was the first time sheโd seen my face.
Shuu: Did I ruin your impression?
Eina: Not at all! It was sort ofโฆ exactly like I thoughtโฆ It was just like you!
At that Eina-like comment, I felt my heart warm.
๏ผ
It was the last day of the festival.
Our school had an after-festival, limited to current students. They used a stage in the gym, had a volunteer band and a pro-wrestling show in the hall.
I wasnโt the type to go and party, so I was sipping a drink in the corner of the hall, absently watching the festivities. There were many others doing the same, so I didnโt feel alienated.
โLiterature club.โ Someone clapped me on the shoulder, it was the President.
โIs this okay, arenโt the student council managing this?โ
โItโs not like I do all of the work,โ she replied as loudly as she could. The band was booming through the hall, so I felt kind of sorry for her.
I gestured outside with a glance and she nodded. We left the gym and went behind the hall.
The night wind was pleasant.
โIโm really sorry,โ the President started as we walked, โI should have paid better attention to my health.โ
โDonโt worry about it, you were busy. Besides, you managed to do the play even in that condition, youโre amazing.โ
The President had ended up performing twice, the morning before and that afternoon. On the second time, her voice had gotten much better so she had spoken her lines herself.
โI-I amโฆ?โ
โYeah. You didnโt bother anyone, and even Eina seemed like she had fun.โ
It was unfair to the President, but I was glad to be able to participate in the cultural festival with Eina, and she was happy for it too. It was a lucky break for us. Of course, I wouldnโt say that to the President, I couldnโt tell her that her getting a cold she had to struggle through was a โgoodโ thing, and it would have been rude to her acting too. But I really did want to let her know that she hadnโt caused any trouble.
โThank you for your amazing acting, you really did well,โ I said, and she looked away, her face slightly red.
โThat goes from me too. Will you give my thanks to Eina too? Iโll be going now!โ
The President ran off as if hiding her face.
She is cute sometimes, I thought.
I didnโt go back into the hall and instead stood in the night wind for a while.