Chapter 49

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It’s time for the play.

Title: Satou-san on stage.

This is the last school festival of my high school life. In theory, it should be a grand stage to show one’s last breath. But how many of you think so grandiose? I think people just want to enjoy themselves. It’s a handmade play, made by people with no experience in theater, and there’s not even a scene that will move them, so the audience’s reaction is very limited. I hope everyone can have fun, the audience can laugh, and Cinderella is happy by the time the curtain comes down. I think that’s all they can think about.

At least, I am. If I can enjoy it, that’s fine. As long as the wizard catches me as a mouse, turns me into a horse, and carries Cinderella to the castle, that’s all that matters. When I first started practicing the play, I didn’t even want to enjoy it. I thought playing the role of a house mouse was dull, the lines were only three squeaks, and I had to wear tights, which sucked. I didn’t want to be laughed at. I thought I would only be laughed at for this role. That’s when I changed my mind. I didn’t mind being laughed at. Maybe I wouldn’t mind, I thought. — if only she were here.

When the curtain opened, I was ready for the show. The stage of the gymnasium is lined with amateurishly crafted sets. A blackout curtain covering the windows and spotlights illuminating the stage are the only things that give it a theatrical feel. The audience was unexpectedly lined up in the pipe chairs lined up underneath the stage. I went on stage and did my best to play the role of a house mouse. Under the glaring lights, the mice were making their noises with great enthusiasm. The audience loved it. When they laughed at me, the embarrassment was not surprising. At any rate, it gave me a purpose. I must take Cinderella to the castle, no matter what I have to do. I must act as carriage horse and pull the carriage to the castle. There’s plenty of motivation. Cinderella is heartbroken because she won’t be taken to the ball. To save her, the wizard casts a spell on a pumpkin and a mouse. As the child playing the role of the wizard waves his walking stick, I, the mouse, rolls around and steps backstage. Here, I receive my horse’s headdress, and I’m ready to jump out of the stage as a white horse. I rolled from the top of the stage into the offstage area with great vigor. I was rolling so hard my head was dizzy. But then…

“Hello, Yamaguchi-kun.”(S)

The dizziness from the voice on the other end of the line subsided in an instant. It was Satou-san, the owner of the voice. I recognized the voice right away. I looked up, but I couldn’t see her face or her expression in the darker light offstage. I wasn’t expecting her to be there, though, so I was taken aback. At rehearsal, Niijima, who was in charge of the props, should have been waiting for me. But Sato-san was waiting for me. She held out a horse headdress to me. As I knelt down to take it, she said in a whisper,

“Good luck!”(S)

That being said, I can’t not do my best. I put on my horse’s cape and took off on stage again. The crowd laughed at me again. The laughter was rather funny. I’m having fun. I can have fun and take Cinderella to the castle. Cinderella probably goes to the castle to see her prince, but not me. I’m going to the castle to see my Prince Charming. I don’t know if there’s anything else as fun as this.

In the castle, a lady, a gentleman and a prince are waiting for you. The carriage stops in front of the castle and Cinderella jumps down and charges into the ball. The prince, ladies and gentlemen are awestruck by the beautiful young lady’s sudden appearance, and the prince, as well as all the ladies and gentlemen, are in a panic. Cinderella, transformed by her magical powers, is dainty. She has changed so beautifully that her stepmother and sister don’t even notice. After the watery silence, the people present are unanimous in their praise of Cinderella. As if pushed back by the praise, the prince walks up to Cinderella to ask her to be his dance partner. To ask for a dance partner. At that moment, Satou-san in the black dress says

“Well, how beautiful she is!”(S)

Her voice was still flipped back, just as it had been at practice. There was laughter from the audience. But Satou-san seemed to be proud of herself. I wondered if she noticed me looking at her from behind the carriage. I wondered if she knew that I wasn’t laughing. My red lips were smiling a little bit, as if they were embarrassed. Satou-san is beautiful as she basks in the lights on stage. She was dressed in a black dress and stood slenderly. It was a good thing she was in a role that didn’t have much movement. She didn’t have to fall down in the middle of nowhere. She can remain a noblewoman in a corner of the ballroom. Her role is called Lady C. She has no name, and even her lines are an offshoot of her role, with only one line of dialogue. Still, I know she’s beautiful, and I know she’s beautiful. The prince is obsessed with Cinderella. He accepts the invitation to dance and happily takes Cinderella’s hand. He doesn’t look at the other ladies anymore. It’s that kind of story, so it can’t be helped. But I was looking at Satou-san. I was gazing at the lady in the black dress who never caught the prince’s eye. That may not be as good as Cinderella, but she’s beautiful enough to be a lady. I might feel sorry for the prince who can’t notice that. As for me, I don’t want him to notice it.

I hope I’m the only one who thinks she’s beautiful. Everyone should be aware of Satou-san’s helplessly caring nature, her baseless positivity, and her straightforwardness due to her lack of wit. But I hope I’m the only one who likes Satou-san’s face, her figure, her expression, and everything about her, external and internal, all rolled into one. I didn’t want anyone else to find it. I’m not very good at saying what I’m thinking, exactly as I’m thinking it. Especially with Satou-san, it’s hard for me to tell you everything that’s on my mind. I can easily say unnecessary things, but I can’t always say what I really want to say. The same thing happened to me just now. Before the performance, I couldn’t say a single word of praise when I saw Satou-san in all her finery. It was partly because I was in the classroom and everyone was watching me, but. Today, I wanted to say it properly. I wanted to be honest with you. I wanted to tell her before someone else told me. You’re beautiful, Satou-san. Depending on how you look at it. And with some care. She’s not a beautiful woman, so it may take a lot of work and effort to keep her beautiful. But being around the beautiful Satou-san, it’s hard for me, too. So it’s fine if she stays beautiful from time to time. The rest of the time, it’s better to be the usual sober, unrefined, wild-looking Satou-san.

When the twelve o’clock bell rings and I take Cinderella home, my time is up. When the spell is broken, Cinderella turns into a raggedy girl and I turn back into a mouse. Still, I pull back offstage and find Satou-san, whose magic is still not broken. I search frantically with unaccustomed eyes, and stay with her as she watches the stage. I stare at Satou-san’s profile in the back of the stage, where the bright lights glint off the stage. Satou-san is staring at the future of the play. The scene where the prince has the prince find the owner of the glass slipper. I watch intently as Cinderella tries to put on the glass slipper. When Cinderella successfully puts on the slipper, Satou-san pats her chest in relief. I can’t take my eyes off such a figure. It’s not the first time I’ve been unable to take my eyes off of her, though.

Cinderella’s story came to a happy conclusion and the play came to a close without a hitch. When the promised curtain call came, I stood next to Satou-san. She glanced at me. I thought she smiled a little bit, but it was hard to tell because of the bright lights on stage. We received cheers and applause and whistles from the audience. I was more relieved to see it all go off without a hitch than emotional, rather than a sense of accomplishment. I was also happy to finally be free of the tights.

But when I finish playing the role of a mouse, that means it’s also time for Satou-san to finish playing the role of a lady. That’s a bit of a shame, I think as I look at her from the side.

After the curtain fell, Sato-san let out a deep sigh. Then she gave me a lively smile, which is not like a lady.

“I’m glad it’s all over, but I’m still a little sad.”(S)

The whispered words were in total agreement. We seemed unusually on the same page.

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