Chapter 40
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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms
Chapter 40: The Cross-Dressing Boy’s Dark Past Is Exposed By His Father
“Alright, today’s practice is over. That’s all, dismissed.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Th-Thank you very much.”
As the seventh period ended, I bowed my head and thanked Kyoichiro.
Then, I heard a pained voice from beside me.
“I-I can’t… I can’t walk anymore…”
When I turned towards the voice, there was Akane, sitting on the practice room floor, looking utterly exhausted and unable to move another step.
Kyoichiro took out a cigarette and lighter from his chest pocket, lit the cigarette, and spoke as he looked down at the worn-out Akane.
“I told you at the start, I’d be training you hard without mercy. What happened to all that bravado, Tsukishiro?”
“I didn’t expect to be doing things like running and bunny hops in acting practice… Seriously, what’s with this training…?”
“It’s true that the tasks I assign deviate from typical training. But… Fuuma, whom you see as a rival, has been enduring my rigorous training since childhood. In other words, you could say he’s my disciple.”
“!?!?! Fuuma is!? Is that really true!?”
Akane quickly lifted her head, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Kyoichiro.
Kyoichiro smiled, as if finding her reaction amusing.
“Yeah. He used to complain and whine just like you, but he kept up with my training.”
“Fuuma’s mentor is… Professor Yanagisawa!?”
“Well… that kid probably never thought of me as his mentor. He was always eager to surpass me, his eyes gleaming with ambition… A real go-getter. Honestly, he was an infuriating guy.”
“Yes, yes! That’s exactly who Fuuma is! No matter who the famous actor in front of him was, he never compromised. I still remember the time he froze the entire set by telling a legendary actor, ‘Your acting in this scene doesn’t align with the character in the script.’ He wasn’t afraid of anything!”
“Geez, that idiot really said something so audacious!? Just out of curiosity, who was that legendary actor?”
“Murakumo Fujinosuke.”
“….He’s the most important of all the Kabuki actors… What the hell was that kid thinking…?”
“But Murakumo Fujinosuke didn’t get angry at Fuuma at all. On the contrary, he praised him. He said he appreciated Fuuma’s candid opinion.”
“Well, it’s a good thing he’s a broad-minded person… Saying something like that could normally get you blacklisted…”
With that, Kyoichiro wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a big sigh.
For some reason, I found myself suddenly exposed to an embarrassing part of my past by my father, so I also wiped the sweat from my forehead and sighed deeply.
After giving me a puzzled look, Akane turned her gaze back to Kyoichiro and spoke.
“If Fuuma underwent this training… I think I’ll do my best to go through it too, Professor Yanagisawa.”
“Oh. That’s good to hear.”
“My dream is to become a great actress who can stand beside Fuuma. If this is the path he walked… No matter how tough it is, I’ll get through it!”
With those words, Akane’s eyes sparkled.
Seeing her like that, Kyoichiro opened his mouth with a slightly exasperated expression.
“If you like him that much, why don’t you just go see him? You’re here in Sendai, after all.”
“…… I-It’s just… I’m not ready yet. I want him to see me when I’m more beautiful…”
“Hah, that’s not like you at all, talking so modestly. But if you keep stalling, he might have found himself a girlfriend by the time you finally meet him, you know?”
“S-Shut up! When I meet Fuuma is none of your business!!”
Akane shouted as she stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder.
Then, she looked down at me quietly.
“…Kaede Kisaragi. I couldn’t beat you in today’s run… but I won’t lose to you. Just you wait until tomorrow!”
Leaving those words behind, she limped out of the practice room.
As I watched her walk away, Kyoichiro shrugged his shoulders with a sigh.
“Good grief. It’s fine to be competitive, but since Kisaragi is her Romeo and Juliet partner, she could at least try to be a bit friendlier. She doesn’t even crack a smile unless it’s about Fuuma. Does she even have any friends?”
“………”
I think the reason Akane has such a prickly personality is probably because of my past self.
When I was a child actor, I didn’t associate with anyone, always alone, observing things with a detached attitude.
Yes, I had a bit of a “chuunibyou” complex.
The kind where I thought I was some kind of genius, to be exact.
I remember saying something like, “An actor must be solitary”—a cringeworthy line like that—in front of Akane during my chuunibyou days.
And she listened to those words with sparkling eyes, just like when she was talking about me to Kyoichiro earlier.
So, the reason she acts so standoffish to everyone is probably because she was influenced by my chuunibyou phase…
“Anyway, I’m heading home now… Kisaragi, are you staying in the practice room? If so, I’ll give you the key.”
“Oh, no. I’m planning to head home right away too.”
It was already past 6:30 PM, and the other students from the acting department, who were taught by Professor Wagatsuma, had all gone home, leaving only me behind.
Honoka probably went home ahead of me since my practice ran long.
I picked up my bag from the floor, slung it over my shoulder, and bowed to Kyoichiro.
“Well then, I’ll be off. Thank you for today.”
“Yeah. It’s already dark outside. Be careful on your way home.”
Exchanging those words, I left the practice room and started walking towards the entrance.
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When I reached the shoe lockers, I saw Akane standing there, even though she should have left before me.
Her red twin-tails swayed as she opened her shoe locker and stood there with a dark expression.
Wondering what was wrong, I approached her from behind and—was stunned by what I saw.
“This… is terrible…”
Inside Akane’s shoe locker… were broken eggs and garbage, filling it up, along with graffiti everywhere.
[Just quit school already.] [Annoying.] [You only got ahead by sleeping with someone.] [Bitch.]
Her locker was covered in vicious slurs.
I swallowed hard at the sight and called out to Akane.
“This is awful… Are you okay, Tsukishiro-san?”
“……”
“Let’s go to the faculty room right away. We can talk to Professor Maria and and find a solution—”
“It’s fine.”
“What?”
Akane closed the locker door, put her indoor shoes in her bag, and started walking out in just her socks.
I hurriedly changed my shoes and caught up to her, speaking up.
“A-Are you planning to go home like that!? Walking home in just your socks is—”
“I said it’s fine, didn’t I? Stop following me!”
“B-But…”
“I don’t need your help. So just leave me alone!”
She glared at me with sharp eyes, then stared straight ahead.
“I’m not the kind of weak person who’d break down over something like this. I’m… Fuuma’s rival. He wouldn’t be bothered by something like this, so neither will I.”
Leaving those words behind, Akane walked away with tears welling up in her eyes.
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“…I wonder if Akane is alright…”
Having returned home and changed out of my disguise, I was now preparing dinner.
Tonight, I decided to make curry, and as I placed the ingredients like carrots, potatoes, and onions on the cutting board, I began chopping them up with a knife.
When I looked over towards the living room, there was Rurika, sitting with an excited expression, waiting for the meal to be ready.
Smiling at the sight of her, I suddenly heard the sound of the doorbell ring throughout the room.
Hearing it, I softly called out to Rurika, who was sitting on the sofa, playing with her phone.
“Rurika, can you check who’s at the door?”
“Sorry, big brother… I’m still not quite ready…”
She seemed energetic today, so I thought she might be able to handle greeting a guest as part of her rehab, but… I guess it’s still too much for her.
Rurika has been isolated in this house for a long time and has developed a fear of people.
So, she’s not very good at interacting with strangers.
“I see. Alright.”
I wiped my hands with a towel, and with my apron still on, I walked over to the intercom and pressed the talk button.
“Yes, this is Yanagisawa.”
“……”
“Hmm?”
No one appeared on the screen, and there was no response from outside.
Curious, I walked towards the entrance and opened the door to step outside.
But there was… no one there.
“A prank?”
Tilting my head, I was about to head back inside when I noticed someone sitting against the wall next to the door.
When I leaned over to take a closer look, I saw… a girl with red twin-tails sitting there.
“Eh… Akane…?”
“…Fuu…ma…?”
When she looked up, Akane’s eyes were moist, and she wore a pained expression.
For some reason, she was sitting in front of the house, still in her uniform and socks.
