Chapter 132: Chapter 131 - Prince Aoi and Snow White

Kuro Kurogane came to a decision.

The school drama was a disaster.

Not just any disaster.

No.

A catastrophe.

A catastrophe that should never have happened to humanity.

Unfortunately.

There was no way to change anything.

The preparations continued.

His torment continued.

Today’s rehearsal was focused on emotional scenes.

That wasn’t good.

It was really bad.

Because "emotional scenes" meant that Prince Aoi and Snow White Kuro had to stay on the stage together throughout most of the rehearsal.

The class found the reason.

Immediately.

As soon as Kuro stepped into the auditorium, Akari popped out like a horror movie monster.

"Good morning, Princess."

Ignoring her.

Walking.

"I refuse to acknowledge that."

"Your Highness."

"Nuh-uh."

"Snow White."

"Nah."

"Beautiful Snow White."

"Not happening."

Akari smirked.

Winner

Over at the other side of the auditorium, Aoi was calmly reading her script.

Calmly.

Like always.

Absolutely nothing seemed to affect her.

That was kind of frightening.

Minami applauded.

"Okay."

Cast members took seats.

Scripts opened.

Chaos ensued.

The first scene featured the discussion between Prince Aoi and Snow White about the kingdom.

Well...

About the problems of managing the kingdom.

Namely, because Snow White Rika added about ninety percent more sarcasm compared to original fairy tale.

Aoi performed flawlessly.

"The kingdom requires management."

Snow White responded instantly.

"It survived without spreadsheets."

Aoi nodded.

"Exactly."

Several people chuckled.

Even Minami smiled.

The rehearsal continued.

Aoi continued performing flawlessly.

Snow White continued performing competently.

Classmates continued annoying the actors.

During the half of the scene, Akari bravely raised her hand.

"I have a question."

Minami sighed.

"What is it?"

"Is Prince Aoi and Snow White married in secret?"

The auditorium went wild.

Kuro shut his script.

"I leave."

"No."

Immediately blocked by the teacher.

Failed to leave.

Mina was sitting in the auditorium helping with the narration.

Each time someone teased the actors, she tried to hide it by pretending to read something.

Nobody bought it.

And Rika was even worse.

Worse enough to be actively writing something in her notebook.

"What are you writing?"

Kuro wondered.

Rika looked up from her notebook.

"The results of the audience’s reaction."

"Why?"

"Research."

Why?

Rehearsal resumed.

Next scene.

Next conversation.

Next chance to irritate the actors.

During one of such conversations, when Kuro and Aoi stood center stage preparing for the next lines, Aoi took a look at her script, at Kuro, then at her script again.

"You’ve learned a lot."

Kuro blinked.

"What?"

"About acting."

Pause.

Aoi hardly ever praised anyone.

So her comment was rather effective.

Even Kuro seemed a bit surprised.

Akari noticed that immediately.

"Aoi Just Complimented Him!"

The classroom exploded.

Kuro seriously considered to throw the script at someone.

More than one person deserved that.

Fortunately, Aoi seemed completely unaffected.

As always.

Which was probably her biggest strength.

Nothing seemed to bother her.

Neither mockery.

Nor gossiping.

Nor chaos.

Nothing.

Until that time.

The next rehearsal scene was quiet.

Discussion between the prince and Snow White about their plans for the future.

Quite serious scene.

One of the very few which didn’t turn into a joke because of Rika.

While rehearsing, the noise in the auditorium decreased.

Teasing stopped.

Even Akari shut up for a moment.

Scene ended.

Little pause.

"Good."

Minami smiled.

Aoi put down her script.

Unexpectedly.

She smiled.

Little smile.

But genuine.

Kuro noticed that.

"So..."

Looking at him.

"So?"

"You’re enjoying this." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Role of prince.

Rehearsal.

Festival.

Everything.

Some nearby students took interest.

Including Akari.

Suddenly appearing.

Aoi thought for a moment.

Then replied honestly.

"Yes."

Pause.

Staring at Aoi was unexpected.

As well as her answer.

"It’s entertaining."

Statement surprising everyone, including Kuro

Aoi glanced around the auditorium.

Stage.

Props.

Cast.

Scripts.

Chaos.

"It’s interesting."

Pausing for a second.

"And everyone seems enthusiastic."

Simple.

Straightforward.

Really Aoi.

Mina smiled slightly.

Rika nodded approvingly.

Akari even smiled for three seconds.

Then spoiled everything.

"Awww."

Silence.

Akari gestured dramatically.

"The prince makes new friends."

Silent.

Like a tomb.

Aoi sighed.

Rare event.

Rarely.

Minami looked at her schedule.

Then froze.

Oh-oh.

Everybody recognized the expression.

"What?"

Akari asked.

Minami looked down.

"We’ve reached the last scene."

Silent.

Absolutely silent auditorium.

Because everybody knew which scene it meant.

The finale.

The scene when Snow White awakens.

Most famous moment in Snow White.

Kiss scene.

Silent.

Absolutely silent.

Kuro stood up immediately.

"No."

Ignored.

Akari straightened.

Interests.

Greatly interested.

Rika opened another sheet in her notebook.

Dangerous.

Incredibly dangerous.

Mina suddenly grew interested in the ceiling.

Again.

Several classmates moved closer.

Just for the hell of it.

Minami continued explaining.

"We’ll block the kiss scene only during this lesson."

Not helpful.

Kuro pointed at the script.

"Is there a possibility to cancel this?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It’s part of the play."

"But we left Snow White long ago."

Nobody could say anything against that.

Aoi flipped to the last page.

As calmly as she always does.

Which made everything worse.

Minami continued explaining stage directions.

"Snow White will lie here."

Kuro was insulted.

"Prince enters the stage from the right."

Aoi nods.

"The awakening happens in the middle."

All classmates lean forward.

Like predators.

Akari ate popcorn from somewhere.

Nobody knew how.

Kuro looked around.

At classmates waiting for the kiss.

At Rika taking notes.

At Mina avoiding contact.

At Akari having fun.

And realized one thing.

Everything would end in disaster.

Disaster of a magnitude which would probably enter the history.

Probably win some awards.

Absolutely guaranteed.

Minami clapped.

"Okay."

Focused.

Final rehearsal scene was ready to start.

Kiss scene entered production.

Judging by the reactions in the auditorium...

Everyone expected the disaster.

Except Kuro.

Because right now, standing in his Snow White costume at the middle stage, staring at the script that threatens to tear apart what little of his dignity left, only one idea filled his mind.

He wanted to go home.

Unfortunately.

The festival wasn’t done with him yet.

No one left the rehearsal as soon as it ended.

This in itself was quite suspicious.

Very suspicious indeed.

Usually, students left the rehearsal immediately after being dismissed by the teacher.

Today, however, it seemed that everyone planned something.

Something suspicious, but mostly - something.

And all plans, by the way, were made by students watching each other.

Kuro immediately understood the problem.

"What now?"

Akari smiled.

This smile said a lot and absolutely nothing at the same time.

"We need to talk about the ending."

"No."

"We need to talk about it desperately!"

"No."

"We need to talk about it desperately desperately desperately!"

"No."

Productive discussion.

For precisely zero seconds.

Minami also sat down.

Although the festival had not yet begun.

And she looked ten years older.

Rika dramatically rose from her place and raised her notebook.

A bad omen.

"Now we start the work of the Final Scene Committee."

"There is no such committee."

"There is now."

No one knew who created it and why.

However, it simply appeared.

Aoi calmly continued reading the script.

As always.

And Kuro started thinking how he could leave the classroom through the window.

"The situation," Rika declared, "requires discussion of expectations."

"Expectations? I don’t understand the situation."

"And me too."

Which should not really be an agreement.

Several classmates approached.

The discussion immediately got out of control.

Student A raised his hand.

"We could use the camera angle."

Student B nodded.

"A classic method of the stage."

Student C objected.

"The audience will notice."

Student D added.

"Then we will use the lighting effects."

Minami actually wrote it all down.

Akari, for some reason, thought differently.

"No tricks."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"No camera angles."

"No lighting."

"No special effects."

Dead silence.

Then Akari dramatically pointed to the stage.

"To make a truly great scene you must be committed."

Kuro immediately opposed her.

"No."

Mina calmly raised her hand.

"Couldn’t we skip the kissing scene?"

Everyone was plunged into thoughts.

Several students nodded.

Not because they agreed.

But in hopes of Akari’s reaction.

She did not disappoint anyone.

Akari slammed both fists on the table.

"No, we will not do it."

"Why?"

"Because it’s amusing."

And, as always, honest.

Rika adjusted her glasses.

"From the point of storytelling..."

Everyone got scared.

When she used the word storytelling, problems were inevitable.

"This scene creates dramatic tension."

"Dramatic tension? What tension?"

Kuro asked.

Rika flipped through her notebook.

"The tension of dignity and shame."

Silence.

"It’s not drama."

"This is comedy."

Regrettably for them.

She was correct.

On the other side of the classroom, Aoi raised her head from the book.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

Everyone stared at her.

Aoi blinked her eyes.

"The scene is only three seconds long."

Silence.

All participants of the discussion immediately remembered what Aoi saw in life.

"It’s not complicated."

She returned to reading.

Discussion over.

At least for her.

The others were still emotionally involved.

Too much emotionally involved.

One student pointed at Kuro.

"He is sweating."

"I’m not."

"Are you."

"No."

Yes, he was.

The mocking began again.

"Princess is nervous."

"Stop calling me a princess."

"Snow White is nervous."

"Stop."

"The beautiful and pure Snow White is nervous."

"STOP PLEASE."

Akari nearly fell back on her chair laughing.

Even Mina did not suppress a smile.

Though quickly hid it seeing Kuro’s expression.

Finally, Minami rose from her chair.

It was time to finish with it.

Perhaps.

"Listen attentively."

Silence reigned in the classroom.

Almost absolute.

"The scene stays."

Several students applauded.

Kuro looked betrayed.

"But."

Silence.

"We will rehearse professionally."

Minami showed her finger pointing in the faces of everyone.

Especially in Akari’s.

"No jokes."

Akari looked innocent.

A dangerous look.

"No interruption."

No one knew where she had heard this.

Especially Rika.

"No sabotage."

Again, everyone turned to look at Akari.

"Why do you think everyone stares at you?"

There was no answer.

Because everyone thought about it.

Finally, the meeting ended.

Students began to pack up their belongings.

The sun set outside.

Orange rays covered the hall with its light.

A peaceful moment.

A rare moment.

Kuro went to the exit.

But then he saw Aoi.

Alone, on the stage, reading the last page of the script.

"What are you doing here?"

Aoi turned and looked at him.

"Practicing."

"Practice? Already?"

"We don’t have much time left."

Logical.

Predictable.

Very Aoi.

Kuro went to the stage.

The vast auditorium opened before them.

Empty.

Quiet.

Aoi looked at him.

And closed the script.

"You see."

"Hm?"

"They mock us."

"Yes."

Aoi nodded.

Then shrugged her shoulders.

"And they will continue doing so."

"Definitely."

A brief silence reigned.

Uncomfortable.

Surprisingly uncomfortable.

Then Aoi smiled.

A tiny smile.

One of those, which only a few could notice.

"But at least our play is fun."

Kuro stared.

Then burst into a soft laugh.

Just once.

"Yeah."

Considering all the trouble.

All the embarrassment.

All the suffering.

She, regrettably, was right.

Unfortunately.

Since from the exit came an unpleasant sound.

"OOOOOH"

Silence.

Followed by laughter echoing in the auditorium.

It seems Akari had entered the auditorium.

And she had seen the whole conversation.

Including Kuro’s comment.

Kuro regretted saying it immediately.

Because the drama was coming.

The final scene was approaching.

And so was the impending catastrophe.