Chapter 62

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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 62: The Cross-Dressing Boy Overcomes An Obstacle

“O-Onee-sama…!! Are you alright?!”

“Huh…? Honoka-san…?”

When I came to, there was Honoka, staring at me with a worried expression.

I stared blankly at her face for a moment before snapping back to reality and getting up from the folding chair.

“How… how long was I unconscious?! The play—”

“Don’t worry. We’re still in the middle of the interlude. The other extras are covering for you, so don’t worried about it.”

I turned my gaze toward the voice, and there, standing with her arms crossed by the wall, was Akane.

As I looked at her, I couldn’t help but think she reminded me of Vegeta… or something like that, and with that thought, I let out a sigh of relief as I sank back into the chair.

I glanced quickly at the clock on the wall.

It had been roughly six minutes since the end of the dance scene and the start of the intermission.

It seemed I hadn’t been out for too long.

Thankfully, the play hadn’t been canceled because of me, so I could breathe a sigh of relief… for now.

“——Tsukishiro-san! Onee-sama is clearly at her limit! Why won’t you let her rest?!”

Suddenly, a loud, angry voice that didn’t seem to belong to the usually soft-spoken Honoka echoed through the room.

I hurriedly stood up from the chair again and faced Honoka, speaking up.

“Ho-Honoka-san?! What’s wrong… Wait, what…?”

As I called out to her, I suddenly collapsed to my knees.

Looking down at my hands, I could see them trembling slightly.

Honoka rushed over to me, gently rubbing my back as she spoke with concern in her voice.

“A-Are you okay?! Onee-sama!!”

I took a deep breath and then gave her a reassuring smile.

“…I’m alright. It seems I just got a little lightheaded.”

“That’s impossible! Onee-sama, you’re barely able to stand as it is!”

Honoka shouted, turning her gaze sharply toward Akane and glaring at her.

“Tsukishiro-san! Please, let Onee-sama go!”

“…Honoka Hiiragi. You’ve been telling me to release Kaede, but it’s not like I’m holding her captive. You’re completely misunderstanding the situation.”

“Misunderstanding? When I tried to take Onee-sama to the hospital earlier, didn’t you block the door?!”

“Yes, because it would be problematic if she were taken away right now. There’s no understudy for Juliet, and if Kaede leaves, the play will be ruined.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Are you trying to kill Onee-sama?! Can’t you see she’s at her limit, barely holding on to consciousness?!”

“Yes, I’ve noticed her condition worsening. I’ve been aware of it for a while.”

“Then why—?!”

“Didn’t you feel anything watching Kaede’s performance? Can’t you see how desperately she’s fighting, pouring everything she has into this role?”

“Th-That’s…”

“Kaede is battling with herself right now. She’s on stage, shedding blood, struggling with everything she has to make this play a success. Do you have the resolve to stop her?”

“…”

With a pained expression, Honoka lowered her head.

I gently patted her head before standing up.

“Onee-sama…?”

“Thank you for worrying about me, Honoka-san. But… I’m sorry. I must see this play through to the end.”

A stage painted in blood must be closed by the one who spilled that blood.

No matter how unsightly the work may be, no matter how much the audience may be disappointed or repulsed, the creator has a responsibility to bring it to an end once it’s been born into the world.

“Let’s go, Akane-san. It’s almost time.”

“Yes.”

I passed by Honoka and walked toward the stage with Akane.

To overcome the wall, I have no choice but to keep struggling forward, enduring the pain and fear as I push ahead.

There is always pain alongside art. The act of creation inevitably brings suffering.

It’s not the yips that cause the pain.

Performers inherently give birth to illusions on stage by pouring their very souls into their work.

If that’s the case, then I, too… as a fledgling actor, can endure this pain to create something worthwhile.

I won’t try to erase the pain caused by the yips, but rather, I’ll accept it and continue to perform.

Many people say that time heals all wounds… but that’s a lie.

The pain of losing someone you love never truly goes away. If that’s the case, then the only way forward is to accept that pain.

It may sound like mere perseverance, but I believe that the path to overcoming the yips lies there.

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“Now then, Juliet, here is a vial of potion. This potion has the power to control the soul. Can you bring yourself to drink it?”

Honoka, in the role of Father Laurence, took out a small vial and held it before me.

The story was nearing its climax. Juliet, after receiving the potion from the priest and drinking it, would enter a death-like state.

Romeo, mistakenly believing Juliet to be truly dead, would then take his own life.

This was the critical scene that led to the tragic conclusion of their love story.

“If it means I can see Romeo, I’ll do anything!”

“Then you must return home and agree to marry Paris.”

“! I-I can’t do that! The only one I love is Romeo!”

“Listen carefully. Once you drink this potion, your body will grow stiff, and you will take on the mask of death. But after a day, you will awaken as if from a deep sleep.”

“…Such a potion exists in this world…?”

“Drink it at eight o’clock tonight. Your body will soon turn rigid, and by morning, you will appear as a corpse. I will officiate your funeral and place you in the family tomb. Then, when night falls, I will open the tomb and rescue you, and together we will go to the Prince. If this plan fails, you must be prepared for the consequences.”

“My answer is already decided. I will gratefully accept the potion.”

I took the vial.

The young girl was prepared to face death for the one she loved.

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“At last… we’ve met again.”

Romeo was injured all over his body.

On his way to Juliet’s funeral, he had been severely beaten by the Capulet family’s guards.

But finally, he had arrived—at the side of the one he loved.

Grasping Juliet’s hand, Romeo whispered softly into her ear.

“…Hey, Juliet, you promised we’d always be together. But now, your once-warm body is so cold… Please, open your eyes one more time! Call my name in that gentle voice of yours…!”

With tears streaming down his face, Romeo gripped Juliet’s hand tightly.

“We promised we’d go anywhere together. We met on that bridge for the first time, reunited at the ball by fate, and when you called my name, my heart raced with joy. We made our vows and heard the church bells together. We didn’t do anything wrong, so why… why is reality so cruel?”

Romeo—no, Akane—leaned in as if to kiss me.

“Juliet, let’s be happy in heaven together. From now on, we’ll be together forever. Now… I’m coming to join you. Goodnight… sleep well.”

Then, he plunged the sword he held into his throat, taking his own life.

――The pain of losing someone you love is unbearable.

On the day I lost my mother, I felt like my world had gone dark.

There was no longer anyone who would love me unconditionally. No one would ever acknowledge me again.

The thought made my heart ache, and I was consumed by a deep loneliness.

I even thought about ending my own life. My mother had been the only parental figure in my life.

Now, Juliet and I, in that moment, were probably the same.

The grief of losing a loved one, the despair so profound that it makes you wish for death.

If I’m to truly express that, I must dig deep into my past.

Deliberately resurrecting trauma… It might cause me to faint right there, or perhaps, shamefully, I might even break down.

But… that pain, in this moment, will transform into Juliet’s despair.

I will use these yips, this pain, to my advantage.

I will color this stage with blood until the very end.

“Good morning, Romeo. I felt your lips warm just now. Was I dreaming?”

I raised my body and looked around. But… all I could see was darkness.

Juliet tilted her head in confusion as she tried to piece together the situation.

“It’s so dark, I can’t see clearly. Ah… that’s right! I drank the priest’s potion and was buried! It was so frightening… I thought I’d never wake up again, but I did. Oh, all I have to do now is wait for Father Laurence, and once we’re both before the Prince, I can finally be with Romeo. I can’t wait any longer! I’ll go find the priest right now!”

Juliet stood up. At that moment, she stumbled over something and fell.

“What… what was that…? …!? Is someone lying down!? Could it be the priest!?”

The hidden moonlight (Spotlight) streamed in, revealing Romeo’s corpse in broad daylight.

Seeing this scene, I… tears streamed down my face as I dropped to my knees on the ground with a thud.

“No, no! Romeo, Romeo!”

Cradling Romeo’s lifeless body, I let my tears fall onto his pale face.

“Why… please wake up, Romeo. There’s so much blood… why did this have to happen…? Romeo, Romeo!!”

Juliet shook Romeo’s body, but naturally, he did not wake up.

To transform the fiction into reality, I deliberately recalled the death of my mother as I faced the death and despair before me.

My heart was pounding so painfully it felt like it might burst. I felt nauseous. I could feel my body screaming at me to stop acting.

But that was just fine. Here, in this moment, that suffering, that pain, synchronized with Juliet’s grief, turning into something that enhanced the realism of the performance.

This stage was a cursed one, created by carving away at my flesh and blood.

I would let the fear of death and despair explode on this stage without holding anything back.

“We had just managed to deceive everyone so well…!!! Why, why are you leaving me behind!!!! Wake up, Romeo!!!! You promised we’d go anywhere together, that we’d live together forever!!!! Don’t leave me behind without even saying goodbye!!!! Don’t… leave me… alone!!!! Idiot!!!!”

[―――――I’m sorry, Fuuma. I don’t think I have much longer.]

“I even took a potion that made me appear dead just to see you… I fell asleep believing that happiness would be waiting when I woke up…!! Why, why is everything falling apart so horribly…!!”

[…Fuuma, from now on, becomes an actor who can make not just me but others happy. You have the power to uplift countless unseen people. Isn’t that an amazing thing? So many people are waiting on the other side of the screen, looking forward to your performance. So, do your best.]

“God, did I do something wrong!? If it weren’t for this cruel fate, we could have held each other close!! I don’t need this world anymore!! I want a more beautiful world!! Romeo, please don’t leave me behind!!”

[Fuuma. It’s okay. Even if I pass away, it just means I won’t be visible anymore.]

“I’ll go with you!! I’ll go with you!! Up in the clear sky where there’s no conflict, we’ll walk together forever!! Romeo, Romeo!!”

[Even if I die and turn to ashes, I’m not in the grave or before the altar. I’m always by your side, Fuuma. I’m always watching over you. So… so, become an actor who surpasses your father. You can do it. As your number one fan, I guarantee it. Show me your brilliant future, Fuuma.]

I took the sword Romeo had held and… plunged it into my abdomen.

“It hurts… it hurts so much!!!! But now I can see you again. Even if everything disappears and never returns, I’ll always be by your side. I’ll always be smiling next to you. Good… night… Good night, Romeo…”

[Goodbye, Fuuma.]

As I embraced Romeo, tears streaming down my face, I slowly closed my eyes.

I thought I heard my mother somewhere, whispering her farewell to me… but perhaps it was just a hallucination.

Well, either way, it doesn’t matter… I’m so tired…

This was the most painful performance I had ever experienced, but in a way, it felt good.

I don’t know why, but I feel a sense of clarity.

“…Good… bye… Ro… meo…”

The hateful voices that had been echoing behind me were gone.

In their place… I heard the roaring cheers from the audience before me.