Chapter 79

Looking forward to the drama club's performance. This year, it's "Beauty and the Beast."

I think it takes quite a bit of courage to take on the role of "Beauty." The one playing the heroine is the pink-haired girl, by the way.

I've thought this before, but it's kind of confusing for the heroine to play the heroine.

Apparently, this is a script we received the performance rights for in exchange for the copyright of "The Phantom of the Opera" that the drama club gave to Shakespeareo's Globe Theatre last year. Shakespeareo was in a good mood after the rewritten "The Phantom of the Opera" was well-received and profitable, so they gifted it to the drama club. Before the performance, the drama club president gave a speech to express gratitude.

It seems the original work is a fairy tale written by some woman.

The story starts with a prince living in a castle in the forest, who tries to turn away an old woman seeking shelter for the night, angering her and causing her to transform him into a demon with magic. It turns out the old woman is actually a mischievous sorceress testing human conscience.

"…Why is it a prince? Where's the king? If there's no king, can't the prince just be the king?"

"That's not part of the agreement, Mr. Shin..."

"What about the people? Where are the citizens? How is the tax revenue managed? How does the castle manage its finances?"

"That's also not to be mentioned..."

The theme is that the spell will be broken if the spoiled prince, who grew up without knowing love, changes his heart and learns to love and be loved. The beauty lies in the heart, not the appearance.

If that's the case, the heroine doesn't have to be "Beauty"...

The demon, who was once the prince, is played by the third son of Baron Molt, who played the masked phantom in the opera last year. He continues to give a great performance this year.

He has talent. He shines in monster roles. It's a perfect fit for him.

The heroine, who gets lost in the forest, is captured and imprisoned by the demon. The reason is unclear. What crime did she commit?

The demon prince, who openly asks the village girl (the pink-haired girl) to be his, is rejected. The demon, angered, suffers but can't win her heart. Who would love such an ugly creature? It's heart-wrenching.

Men are all about looks, looks, looks! You're not a person unless you're handsome. It's tough...

When the heroine escapes the castle and is about to be attacked by bandits, the demon prince saves her, and they gradually open their hearts to each other...

"Good for you, Molt. This time, you get to play the lead. This time, you'll definitely receive high praise."

Serea is also happy. Molt had a terrible role last year. The heroine and the lead roles were all taken by Picard, making it a disappointing role.

However! The hero (the president) and his party appear and set out to defeat the demon.

The heroine tries to protect the demon, explaining that he is kind and gentle, but the heroes refuse to listen and try to defeat the demon.

The heroine gives a great performance. Yes, she's very charming. This will be popular. Despite everything, this play has become a culmination of her three years of dedication to the drama club.

Thinking about it, the heroine hasn't done anything wrong or tried to get something easily. She has worked hard to make her school life fulfilling. However, the fact that all her efforts were to become a popular target for the game is the worst, but perhaps we should have looked at her more objectively. I've changed my mind.

After the play, I might send her some flowers.

The demon prince, using his life to cast a spell, defeats the hero and his party but dies from the effort. The heroine, crying over the demon.

"...I love you. My demon..."

Then, what happens! The spell on the demon is broken, and his appearance changes like an illusion!

"It's me! Rince!"

At the end, the original prince, Picard Baljean, appears!

What the heck is this?!

I, and Serea, are speechless! The plot twist is too much!

No, no, no, no, wait, wait, wait, wait!!

What happened to the excellent performance by the third son of Baron Molt?!

Picard took all the best parts in the final scene!

...The audience is booing. Of course, they are. Are they stupid?

At the end, the heroine and Picard perform a romantic dance scene, but the booing and jeering from the audience don't stop.

Many people leave their seats. Female and male fans of the heroine and Picard are watching this scene with jealousy and clenched teeth.

Oh... This is the worst. What do we do?

After the play, there was a curtain call. It only happened once. The applause was sparse, and it seems this play was a big failure. It's a shame because each member of the drama club gave a wonderful performance.

The transformation from an ugly demon to a beautiful prince couldn't be realistically portrayed on a student stage, so this was a desperate measure. Still, I think the direction was terrible. There had to be a better way.

Serea hurriedly brought a bouquet to the third son of Baron Molt, who played the monster this year. She handed it to him directly this time. No one else was willing to give flowers to the frighteningly made-up demon. The prince, Picard, and the hero, the drama club president, were surrounded by female students and the heroine's fan club members, so no one else was going to bring flowers to the demon.

The demon looked happy to receive the flowers from Serea...

I hope this is a source of comfort for him, who had his leading role taken away until the very end of his three years in the drama club.

Following the play, the music club, which provided the BGM, gave a performance, and then the Miss and Mr. School announcements.

This year's Miss School is the heroine, and Mr. School is Picard.

I'll skip this part; it's not important.

There is no Best Couple award this year. I convinced the organizing committee to stop it.

What if it was us? The committee president agreed, saying, "That's right."

Considering last year's incident where the heroine was left out and became a loner, the committee president thought it would be cruel to repeat it this year.

The two are demonstrating a dance on stage.

The atmosphere in the audience is awkward because both have many female and male fans... I wonder how the male targets, especially the brainy ones, will react to this. Can the heroine follow up after this?

Maybe the heroine's target is already decided to be Picard. I remember the character with the highest affection for the heroine becomes Mr. School. But considering last year, the game's forced nature seems to have disappeared.

Picard also said he was out of the hero race, but maybe they reconciled.

Well, if it's Picard, even if he ends up with the heroine, he won't condemn Serea at the graduation party or anything. We're friends, after all.

I'm glad I avoided being Mr. School this year, which I had planned to push Picard into.

Later, he said with a smug look, "It seems I won this year! Too bad, Shin-kun!" I don't care.

If I had been so lovey-dovey with Serea every day, of course, no girls would vote for me. You should understand that much.

Back in the classroom, the maid and butler café sold out, achieving the highest sales ever. It's the last year for us seniors, so one of the cultural festival highlights will be gone. It's a shame.

"The sales were the highest, but the costs were high, so we can't say we made a profit," Patricia said.

Yes, it's also a place to learn such things, Patricia. I hope it was a good experience. As students, it's fine not to focus on profit.

Now, it's the annual cultural festival after-party in the main hall.

We, dressed as butlers and maids, help with the preparations. This party is organized by the student council.

During the dance time, after dancing one song with Serea, this year, the third son of Baron Molt formally asked Serea to dance, still in his demon makeup! What a bold move. Or maybe he didn't have the courage to do it without the makeup.

Serea responded with a smile. Everyone was surprised.

Serea is fine with scary faces. She's been around Schrigan for a long time, like me. Maybe she learned some tips from Bell.

Serea looked happy dancing with the demon. She was beautiful... My wife is the best!

I dance with the student council treasurer, Meitis, and the girls who worked hard on the cultural festival committee. I dance to thank everyone for their efforts.

Outside, a campfire is burning. Everyone is captivated by the red flames. This is a new addition this year.

We all sat in a circle around the fire, perhaps feeling sentimental about our last cultural festival.

When I was alone and tired, the heroine came over.

She was still in her village girl costume.

"President, good job."

"Thank you, Ryonpa."

"My name is getting more casual."

"Is it?"

"...I lost to the prince."

She sat next to me.

I wonder what she lost. I'll pretend I don't know.

"I'm not allowed to fall in love..."

"That's strange. Who you fall in love with is completely free. Just falling in love, that is."

"No matter who I fall in love with, the social status is too different..."

"I've never been in a love story with a social status difference, so I can't help you there."

I can answer honestly on this point. It's not a lie.

"I'm not suited for love advice. I have no experience with love."

"But you and Serea are always lovey-dovey."

"That's why. I've never had a crush, been rejected, or experienced heartbreak. I don't remember ever confessing or being confessed to, and I've never cultivated love with a woman. If you ask me for love advice, it's like asking someone who got married to a partner chosen by their parents. I can't give you a proper answer. Try someone else."

Serea and I got married right after we met. We didn't have time for dating.

If you want advice on proposing or nurturing marital love, I can talk for hours.

"Really, you're such a simpleton!"

"I hear that a lot."

"You won't be popular like that."

"I've never wanted to be popular."

"Ugh, you're so strong—!"

The heroine smiled wryly and stood up.

"...Thank you for always helping me when I was being bullied. I thought I should properly thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

Self-inflicted, a confirmed criminal. It's almost like a confession. To the heroine, I must be the most obstructive presence. It feels like a direct challenge.

"Please dance with me properly once."

"There are over a hundred girls in this school who haven't danced with me yet."

"Are you going to dance with all of them!"

"Yes. Equally for all guests. That's what a prince does."

"Ha... I can't win."

The heroine is exasperated.

"See you later!"

She left the hall, saying that.

I should also head back to the hall.

I need to help with the cleanup and take Serea home.

Next: "79. Third Term"