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Chapter Text

– Saturday, October 27th: Sun –

It was a chilly autumn afternoon in late 2012. School had finally ended for the day, and the hallways of Yasogami High were filled with the hustle and bustle of students on their way to wherever their schedules needed them to be. From afterschool jobs, to recreational clubs, to simply hanging out with friends. No matter what, it seemed like everybody walked the halls with purpose.

Everyone except Yumi Ozawa, who was unfortunately not like most people. She had the esteemed pleasure of spending her afterschool period handing out drama club fliers in the hallway. And as she lingered, trying to gain the attention of her wayward classmates, the ex-actress felt her mind wandering back on everything that got her to where she was now.

When Yumi was little, her father walked out on her mother for another woman, leaving a hole in her life she couldn’t find the strength to fill. And it was because of that hole, in fact, that the young girl found herself drawn to acting in the first place. It was an outlet for her grief and agony, feelings which at the time felt all consuming. However her coping method of choice wasn’t always especially healthy, which often led her to act out during meetings. Her clubmates called her bossy, but she couldn’t disagree more. After all, why shouldn’t she get her way after everything she had been through? Hadn’t she earned a little control over her life? After her father left without a trace and left nothing but a broken family behind?

But then her father came back, and everything only seemed to get worse.

He returned sick and bedridden; terminally ill with a disease Yumi couldn’t begin to name. He would be gone before long, vanishing from her life for good this time; and yet he had the gall to come crawling back to them regardless. Yumi felt her anguish turn to anger. How dare he? How dare he? How dare he come back to them like this? Begging to see them when he threw them away like they were nothing. And to make matters worse? Her mother was driving herself half to death just to take care of him, the man that ruined her life, their lives. The thought boiled her blood, and before long it practically consumed her. She could no longer force herself to go to drama club, nor did she allow herself to spend time with others. She didn't eat, she barely slept; if it didn’t fuel her unstable emotions it wasn’t something she cared to think about. And so, when her mother dared to ask her to spend time with her father while he was still around, she saw it as an opportunity. A chance to finally rid herself of the burden on her heart and tell him everything she thought about him. And so she did visit him, a decision that only seemed to make things worse. Because as it turned out? Her father wasn’t as heartless a monster as she thought.

The man was kind, and remorseful. She blamed him for everything and he apologized in full. She said terrible things to him and he told her she was right. It was as if she was a raging tidal wave, ready to crash violently into the sands, before suddenly being stopped by a subtle change in the waters, forcing her to slowly dissipate back into the sea.

And thus, Yumi found herself at a horrible crossroads. She wouldn’t forgive him, she couldn’t after everything he put them through. All the terrible and lonely nights she spent wishing he was back in her life left her heart calloused in a way she knew would never fully heal. And yet, she knew neither her anguish nor her anger would grant her fulfillment either. Her father wouldn’t be here long, and he had spent the entire time he was back in her life trying to reconcile for his past mistakes. She could tell he loved her, could tell that he was proud of her for being strong without him, and that unconditional love eventually weighed too much on her calloused heart. And so, in his final moments, Yumi did what she never thought she’d be able to do, and let go of the grief that she had let control her.

Her father’s passing forced Yumi to do something she thought she’d never be able to do; reflect on herself. And the person she saw when she did wasn’t exactly someone she liked. She had spent so much of her life trying to fix what she’d deemed broken that she hadn’t realized the burden she had left on others in the process. And so, the young actress decided it was time for a change. Yumi decided it was time to shed her selfish ways, devoting herself to become someone her parents could be proud of, that she could be proud of.

It started with leaving the drama club, which ended up being the absolute hardest part. She had grown to love the arts over her time there, but the ex-actress could recognize that was due in part to her unhealthy attachment to her own self loathing. It was a place in which she could pretend to be something she wasn’t and forget about her own situation. It helped in the moment, but never healed her the way she wanted to. If she really wanted to be better, she had to stop relying on temporary fixes. And so drama had to go, which hurt, badly. But in doing so? She ended up opening herself up to a whole new world of possibilities. She joined local charities and the student council, as well as any other clubs focused on bettering others lives. Any opportunity she could get her hands on, she took; and for the first time in her life, Yumi felt like she was making a real difference.

And yet, here she was, spending her week handing out fliers for the drama club for a production she’d be helming, as if nothing had changed at all.

Looking back on it, the whole thing was pretty much a situation of her own making. Apparently someone in the drama club ended up catching a bad bug after a family trip that ended up spreading like wildfire across the members. Some were still out of classes to recover, and those that were well enough to come back had lost their voices pretty badly. As such, most of the club would be out of commission when it came to the actual acting side of things. There wasn’t much time left before the fall semester’s performance, and cancelling it now could risk the club losing its funding. And so the club was left to scrounge for anybody to fill the positions, which led them to approach her.

At first, Yumi almost wanted to say no. She had really been trying to make an effort to distance herself from unhealthy habits, which acting tended to become in her times of self loathing. However, despite that, she still cared for the club and its members and didn’t want them to suffer because of her own need for a break from the arts. And so she signed on for the project; and considering she was ‘Drama Club Alumni’ now, almost immediately meant she’d be playing a major role.

What she didn’t know going in, was that she’d be doing a lot more than that. The club president was still out of classes, which meant Yumi quickly became the de facto leader in his absence. Was there a problem with the lighting? Ask Yumi. Needed scene directions or prop help? Ask Yumi. Need someone to stand outside all week and hand out fliers?

Well, you get the point.

The ex-actress shifted her glance to the papers in her hand. They were application forms for more temp members, as the drama club was still just barely under the quota of actors they needed to fill all the roles for the performance. She’d really tried her best, but in her entire week of handing out fliers, not a single person had ended up joining. Things were beginning to look bleak. The turnaround for the performance was getting slimmer by the day, and most people who passed pretended she wasn’t even there. At this point Yumi was getting desperate; all she needed was to convince one person, one person to fill the last major spot in the play.

But then, just as all hope seemed lost, from across the hustle and bustle of students migrating through the halls of Yasogami High, Yumi’s eyes locked onto someone else's. Someone who had quite a reputation at the school, someone that was very hard to convince to do anything she didn’t want to. Most people wouldn’t try it, most people wouldn’t even dare, but fortunately for her, Yumi Ozawa was not like most people.

The worst thing she could do was say no, right?

– Saturday, October 27th: Moon –

When class was dismissed for the day, there was always a huge commotion as the students got ready to leave. The clanging of desks and the shuffling of bags echoed through the classroom as everyone slowly departed. Some left in pairs, some in groups, some even stayed behind for a little while to gossip about whatever was going on around school at the time. But eventually, after enough time had passed, everyone left.

Everyone except Ai Ebihara, who sat firmly at her desk playing with her pencil.

When she was young, Ai was often ridiculed by her peers. Her family didn’t come from money, and at the time Ai herself was anything but abrasive. As such, her younger self was subjected to years of bullying and torment that most rational people would find completely inhumane. From being called horrible names, to being constantly mocked and laughed at, to having a boy she had a crush on tell her to her face that he’d ‘catch her germs’ if she got near him. Ebihara’s life often felt like a living nightmare, and it was due to this treatment that, when her dad suddenly struck it big in investments and moved their whole family out to the sleepy little town of Yasoinaba, Ai decided something needed to change. As the chance for a whole new life was something she always wished for, and it wasn’t something she planned to give up.

However, it ended up being a whole new life that, in the third year’s retrospect, was the exact opposite of what she really needed.

For most of her time at Yasogami High, Ai contorted her life into the version of her she always thought she wanted to be. People called her a pig? She’d stop eating what she wanted and would stick to a stricter diet. People called her unattractive? She’d devote herself to keeping on top of all the hottest trends and buying all the designer clothes she could get her hands on. People thought she was a pushover? Ai stopped caring about other people's feelings and taught herself to bite back, hard. In a year and a half at Yaso, Ai went from the person people laughed at, to the person people craved.

And all it took was forgetting herself in the process.

The new Ai was manipulative and shallow. The new Ai treated anyone who didn’t obey her every whim like garbage. The new Ai would skip class to shop because chasing the trends were more important than anything her grades could offer. The new Ai treated love like a game she wanted to win rather than play. She got whatever she wanted, and what she wasn’t given she took anyway. She was greedy, she was selfish, and worst of all she was downright cruel. If the Ai from middle school and the Ai of today stood side by side, it would be hard for most to tell that they were ever the same person. And to make things even worse? She genuinely believed this was an improvement; genuinely believed that being this nasty caricature of the people she used to resent was a better way of living than being ridiculed herself. In trying to rise above her bullies, Ai found herself sinking down further and further to their level. For a year and a half this new her was the template she lived her life by, and Ai was ready to keep using it for the rest of her life. But halfway through her second year, something changed.

Because halfway through her second year, Ai made a real friend.

At first she thought it’d all be the same. She’d toy with him for a while, get him to do stuff for her, then drop him when it started to become too inconvenient. But there was something different about him. He laughed at her jokes, and did what she asked, but he was also concerned about her and her worse habits. He reminded her about who she used to be, as if that long forgotten person was suddenly standing right in front of her. And it made her realize the person she had become in its wake wasn’t someone she liked very much either.

And so, for her third and final year of high school, Ai decided it was time for another change. Not exactly the person she was before, but not the person she had become either. She allowed herself to loosen up on the restrictions she had put on her life, while trying to let what she wanted take precedence. At first it felt good, like letting go of a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. But it became apparent fast that this change was going to be much harder than she thought.

For one, skipping so much school the past few years meant lots of studying and hard work if she wanted to have anything close to decent grades. And as it turned out? Learning new stuff was pretty damn hard when you had missed two thirds of your classes and fell asleep in the others. Every night brought her what felt like mountains of bookwork that needed to be done to even have a chance at getting average scores. But while the catch-up had been rough, there was something else that made the third year’s push for improvement a challenge.

For the first time in a long time, Ai felt lonely again.

Sure she still had friends, Kou and Daisuke hung out with her from time to time, and Narukami always made an effort to at least say hi whenever he’d visit. But when it came to making new friends? Real friends? That was a whole different story. Most people still seemed afraid of her, and those that weren’t didn’t exactly seem like the type of people she wanted to be around anymore. Cruel, vain, showing attention but not real affection, only hanging out with her because she had a ‘reputation’; everything the old her used to thrive in, and the young her despised. She knew from experience those friendships never lasted, and even if they did they were never truly good, so eventually she simply stopped trying.

But after a while, the thing she wanted to avoid came back in full force, as the whispers of ridicule began to start again. The simple act of loosening restrictions to her diet and not conforming to the latest trends threw her out of the ‘it clique’ pretty quickly, as if still wearing floral patterns in 2012 was comparable to murder. And now that she wasn’t cool, she could go back to being a target; and with how many people she’d hurt since she first came to Yaso, she became a pretty common one.

And so, Ai sat in her chair, playing with her pencil without anything better to do, before eventually being asked to leave by one of the club directors who needed to use the class for some debate club or whatever. She didn’t feel like arguing so she just went with it, excusing herself to meander the halls. That was sort of how things had been for her recently; she was like a stone someone chucked into the floodplains, allowing herself to be pushed by the current of the water. And yet, as she flowed through the hallways without a plan in sight, something, or more so somebody caught her eye.

It was a girl that looked kind of familiar to the auburn-haired girl. She was a little shorter than Ai, with short black hair that had been fixed up with a hair clip. She had been frantically waving a paper towards someone, like she was trying to run interference on them as they walked by with pretty little success. After trying for an embarrassingly long amount of time, she watched the girl slump against the wall with a whole body sigh, before glancing down at the paper in her hand. It was something about the drama program, and that little detail made it all click. She was one of those kids in the theater club, the one that did productions every semester. Narukami ended up dragging her to one of them last year, and she remembered spending most of the runtime making sure nobody saw her. She’d seen her in the halls the past few days, handing out those little fliers; but she had always tried to avert her gaze. The last thing she wanted was to be roped into some sob story that ended in her forking over cash to the ‘starving artistes in the theater club’ to spend on god knows what. She couldn’t help but let out a small sigh, she supposed there was nothing down that hall that was particularly interesting anyway. She could just go down the back stairs and-

Ai’s thoughts froze as she suddenly noticed the girl was now looking at her. And not even subtly, either. Full on, owl-eyed, staring at her. The two locked eyes for what felt like a long time, before Ai realized staring back probably wasn’t helping. She quickly turned around, those stairs seemed pretty good right about now.

“Hey!” A voice from behind her called out, followed by a series of approaching footsteps that told the third year this wasn’t going to be something she could walk away from.

This was fine, all she had to do was listen in for a moment, let her finish her sob story, then just say a simple and firm no. No matter how sad it was, she just needed to stay strong. The old her would have called the girl a charity case or a loser; but this was the new Ai taking, and under no circumstances was she going to do that. She turned her head gently, eying the girl steadily approaching, and opened her mouth to speak.

“What do you want, loser?”

…Shit.

The girl glanced at her for a moment, before giving her a smile; and the fact that her reaction was probably the expected outcome made Ai feel a little shittier than she already had. “You’re Ai Ebihara, right?”

Oh, so she knew her. Ai grimaced for a moment, that explained a lot actually. “Yeah? What about it?”

She didn’t mean for that to come off as mean as it probably did, but the girl still smiled regardless, before giving her a short bow. “Yumi Ozawa, third year. We’re actually in the same class this year,” Ozawa seemed to think about that for a moment, before continuing. “And last year, actually. And the year before that, now that I'm thinking about it.”

Ai couldn’t help but frown at that, but Ozawa continued regardless, pulling out a flier in the process, “Anyway, that's not really important. I wanted to ask if you were interested in joining this semester’s drama club performance!”

She gingerly took the paper from Ozawa’s grasp, inspecting it gently. Sure enough, it was really just a sign up form for the drama club. Ai cocked an eyebrow as she glanced over the page. “Shouldn’t you be doing this a little closer to the start of the semester? I thought that was when clubs did new sign ups.”

Ozawa made an expression that told Ai it wasn’t something she wanted to get into. “Yeah… There was a… last minute mishap, so most of the leading members are gonna be out of commission for the majority of the production. But if this performance doesn’t end up happening, the drama club may lose funding.” Ozawa must’ve realized her pitch was beginning to sink, as she quickly began a more positive follow up, “But anyone who joins as a temp can report to Mr. Hosoi for extra credit! And it doesn’t have to be a smash hit, it just needs to happen, so all you need to do is show up! Plus we only need one more member to finish filling out the cast!”

While the actress went on about the perks, Ai weighed the paper in her hands. On one hand it sounded like a lot of extra work, and being on stage felt way too dorky for her tastes. But on the other hand, the extra credit sounded nice, and if she really didn’t have the time, it sounded like she could phone it in and be fine. She was pretty good at acting like something she wasn’t, and at least getting up on stage and being dorky would give people something else to gossip about. It might even help get people to find her less intimidating. At the end of the day, at least it was something to fill her empty social time with. And so, she shrugged at the still rambling girl before nodding, “Yeah… Okay sure.”

Ozawa froze like a deer in headlights, before looking at Ai with wide eyed shock. “...What?” She muttered, collecting her thoughts, “Wait wait wait. Really? Just like that?”

Ai nodded, a little more irritably this time, “Yeah. Why? Is there an issue with that?

“Oh no no no!” Ozawa frantically replied, waving her free hand like her life depended on it, “I just… wasn’t expecting you to just… say yes!” The girl breathed a sigh of relief, wiping sweat off her forehead before continuing, “Oh my gosh, you have no idea how much I appreciate that! Like I could genuinely kiss you right now, you’re that big a lifesaver.”

The actress let out a triumphant little laugh, and Ai suddenly felt very out of her element. But before she could ask questions, Ozawa was already turning to leave with a big wave. “We meet Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after school on the first floor of the practice building! I’ll see you there! Thank you again!”

And just like that, the actress left the scene, a newfound pep in her step as Ai slowly watched her skip down the hallway and out of sight. The auburn-haired third year clutched the paper for a moment, glancing over its contents once or twice, before staring at the empty space Ozawa no longer occupied; a confused expression painted on her face, as a single thought permeated through her mind:

What exactly did she just get herself into?

– Monday, October 29th: Sun –

As the last bell rang for the day, Yumi found herself quick to begin her trek through the Yasogami Halls. Securing Ebihara last week, as risky as it was, had been a huge burden off her shoulders; however relaxing now simply wasn’t in the cards. The production would run the week before finals, which meant the drama club had only nine formal days to meet and practice before then. That turn around would be messy for a professional production, which made the thought of doing it with amateurs incredibly nerve wracking. Still, the actress did her best to keep her head on straight, even if she felt her pace quicken at the prospect.

Yumi wasn’t surprised to find the club room empty upon her arrival. When she was formally part of the club, she was almost always the first to show. Back then it was because drama club seemed to be the only place she could escape the stress of her life. Now it was almost the opposite: a place for her to face it down head on. As she waited for the rest of her troupe to filter in, Yumi took inventory. Most of the props had been done for a while, and the set pieces would soon follow. The lighting and effects were completed, and the costumes were set to be finished now that the cast was cemented. The only part of the performance that still needed work was, admittedly, the performance itself; and as people slowly began to trickle through the door, Yumi could only hope that too would soon be remedied.

Eventually, after a short waiting period, just about everyone had been there and accounted for. At least, everyone except one noticeable exclusion; and as Yumi gave her opening remarks, she couldn’t help her eyes from nervously glancing towards the door for her arrival. At best she was late, and at worst… well, she didn’t really want to think about the ‘at worst.’ A minute passed, then five. The actress’s pep talk eventually wrapped up, and it wasn’t long before each group branched off into their individual teams. Yumi, as usual, sat with the cast, answering questions and concerns while helping give directions to those that still needed them. Some of the cast members were beginning to ask about their ‘surprise new temp actor’, forcing the girl to make as many excuses for the late attendee as she could muster. All the while keeping her gaze vehemently fixed at the club room door. What if Ebihara really had ghosted? What if she was just trying to get rid of her when she said yes? What if it was all just a cruel joke at her expense? What if the actress couldn’t find a replacement and the drama club lost its funding and it was all her-

The door gently swung open, and when Yumi saw Ebihara’s auburn hair slip into the doorframe, the release in pressure in her chest made her feel like she was going to deflate.

As the late arrival shuffled in, Yumi couldn’t help but notice how the cacophony of noise in the drama room slowly fell to a hushed whisper; although she supposed she really should’ve seen that coming. For as long as she’s interacted with Yasogami’s social circles, Yumi had heard horror stories about Ebihara. She was a person who needed no introduction, someone whose reputation preceded her. For a long time it made sense to her, because as far as she had seen, Ebihara was someone who deserved that reputation. She didn’t come to school often, but when she did she made sure that presence was known. She was oftentimes brash and difficult, and above all else? She was just mean. Yumi had seen her make enough people cry to feel like the auburn-haired girl had painted the world a perfectly clear picture of herself. And yet? As she watched Ebihara cautiously shift her feet under the gaze of her peers, Yumi couldn’t help but wonder just how perfect a picture it was.

The Ai talked about in hushed tones and whispers felt like the antithesis of the girl in front of her. The real Ai seemed so small in comparison. Her arms were crossed tightly around her frame, and her gaze was laser focused on the floor in front of her. She seemed so… torn; with a bitten lip and a furrowed brow, the whole vibe she was giving off almost made her look… nervous.

And that’s when it all clicked for Yumi.

She didn’t look nervous. She was.

This wasn’t some elaborate prank or horrible setup to gossip about later. She wasn’t going to berate them about their hobbies or their stressful situation. She wasn’t just here for charity or for credit. Ai Ebihara was here to try.

And if she was here to try, the least Yumi could do was show her the same decency.

The actress quickly came to her feet, shuffling her way over to the auburn-haired girl in front of her, before turning to face the group, “Excuse me, everyone!” she began, loud enough to hopefully stop the whisperings of her peers. “I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to Ebihara-san! As you are all probably very well aware, some of the usual actors are still unable to perform in the show this semester. As such, Ebihara-san has offered to come on board to fill one of the slots, so please be sure to treat her kindly!”

The various cast and crew members each gave a half hearted grunt or a mumbled welcome, and for now that would just have to be enough. Yumi shifted her gaze towards the girl behind her, only to find her staring back. Her expression was hard to read, but mostly just looked confused. Yumi gave her a reassuring smile, and that confusion only seemed to deepen. “Since you’re new, I’ll show you around and introduce you to everything today; then we’ll get into things properly afterwards, sound good?”

The words seemed to shake the auburn-haired girl out of her thoughts, causing a disoriented noise of agreement to escape the girl’s lips. Which as far as the young actress was concerned, was as strong of a confirmation as she could ask for.

And so, Yumi spent the first twenty minutes of the club getting the girl acquainted with just about every facet of the club she could think of. She explained the basic process, what each team did and how, what they’d have to get done and when, and why the three week turn around was a terrible horrible dastardly force to be reckoned with; a point she made sure to hammer home, hard. She even got to introduce her to some of the other club members, to… varying results. Most just treated her with indifference, others gave pleasantries riddled with passive aggression. Yumi couldn’t say she was surprised, per se; but after the third or fourth rough interaction, Ebihara’s face told her that she was pretty much done introducing herself.

“And so, that covers just about everything!” Yumi cheerfully began with a little clap, giving the auburn-haired girl a little ‘ta-da!’ before continuing. “Any questions?”

Ebihara glances around the room for a moment, seemingly recounting everything Yumi covered, before turning back to the actress. “...Uh. What’s the… play about…?”

Yumi blushed, quick to avert her gaze. Right… She knew she was forgetting something! “Oh! Right! Yeah! The play! Haha! Whoops!” She quickly turned away from the girl, rushing to the box that held their extra scripts, before returning with one for Ebihara to keep. “There you go!”

The girl squinted at it for a moment, before reading the title aloud: “‘Knights of the Scarlet Masquerade?’” She let out a small hum before continuing with a shrug, “I’ve never heard of it.”

At that Yumi almost couldn’t help herself. “Oh! It’s a super duper classic theater performance! It’s about these four people at a masquerade ball that all go dressed as the mysterious Scarlet Knight, in an attempt to woo a princess who has a crush on him. But then, the party gets attacked, and the princess gets taken by this evil shadow monster called ‘The Dark King’, so the four knights all have to try to save her!”

As she talks, the actress barely notices the way she begins to act out the scenes like they’re second nature, nor does she notice the way the auburn-haired girl stares at her while she does. “Over the story they all slowly get taken out one by one, because the Dark King sets up these traps to take advantage of the troops' negative traits, until only one of the Scarlet Knights remains! He faces down the Dark King with everything he’d learned and saves the princess! But in the fight his mask is broken and she learns that he's really-”

It's only in that very moment that Yumi realizes she’s actively performing for a significantly confused looking Ebihara, and when the auburn-haired girl matches this realization with a small grin of her own, Yumi can practically feel the sizzling sensation of her face burning up. “Well… I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.”

“It… Uh, sounds… fun!” Ebihara reassures in a way that Yumi can all but confirm is one of pity. Flipping through the book, the girl lands on the cast page; browsing the list with an expression the actress can only hope is one of interest above anything else. “So… uh… who would I play?”

Happy for a way out of her own awkwardness, Yumi jumped at the opportunity to switch subjects. “Well that depends! The only two rolls left to fill are the Princess and the Scarlet Knight. I haven’t chosen mine yet, so you can pick whichever you’d prefer! The princess has way fewer lines, so if you don’t feel comfortable in being the main character I’d recommend playing her!”

Ebihara cocked an eyebrow for a moment, before shifting her gaze back up at Yumi. “But, isn’t the Scarlet Knight like… a dude? Why wouldn’t one of the guys play him?”

Yumi looked at her earnestly. “Well, most of the usual members that are well enough to perform aren’t comfortable playing the lead character, since it can tend to be kind of a big responsibility. And since they definitely weren’t willing to play the princess, we had to outsource. That's why they needed temp members like us in the first place.” She flashed Ebihara a reassuring smile before continuing, “And don’t worry! It's actually pretty common for roles in theater productions to be played by actors that don’t match the character’s gender! Especially in local productions like this one. If a character’s gender isn’t pivotal to their role, why should it be set in stone, right? You can just pretend it’s like our own little Takarazuka Revue!”

Ebihara gave her a questioning look. “Takara… What?”

Yumi couldn’t help but feel a little dorky at that response. Right, she probably didn’t have much theater knowledge, so she’d have to explain. “The Takarazuka Revue! They’re an all women theater association that puts on performances where all the roles regardless of gender are played by women! It was originally kind of meant to be just an attraction, but nowadays it's really seen more as an artform for the empowerment of women.” The actress rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she continued, “Last year, when the drama club was my main passion, I really wanted to be able to join their group one day. The prospect of feeling so independent and strong-willed…” The thought made her smile with an exhausted reverie, “...It felt nice.”

Shaking the thoughts away, Yumi shifted her attention back to Ebihara. “But enough about me! We’re here for you! Think you’d want to play the princess? I promise it's pretty easy!”

Ebihara looked at her for a moment, then down at the cast list, before shifting her gaze back to Yumi with a small smile. “Could I be the knight?”

The proposal took the young actress aback. “Are you sure? You’d be the main character, which means you’d have the most lines of the cast, and probably wouldn’t get many breaks from the stage. That can sometimes be a little… daunting.”

Despite her warning, the auburn-haired girl nodded confidently. “Yeah, I think it’d be kinda fun to try. Plus it'd be very… ‘Takarazuka Revue’ right?”

At that notion, Yumi felt the reassurance wash over her gently, letting out a small laugh as she did. “Yeah! Very ‘Takarazuka Revue!’” She gave a small clap as she smiled at the girl. “It sounds like a plan then! I think you’ll make a great addition to the team Ebihara-san!”

“Ai.” The auburn-haired girl added matter-of-factly.

The notion caught the actress off guard, leading her to give a small look of confusion before Ebihara continued, “You should just… call me Ai, Ebihara is way too… stuffy.”

Yumi looked at her for a moment, before giving a small nod in response. “Alright then! And you can just call me Yumi too! Can’t let me have all the first name fun, right?”

Ai grinned at her sincerely, “Yeah, I guess we can’t.”

“Then it’s settled!” The actress added before shifting her attention towards a small set of tables the rest of the troupe had been setting up. “Now that our roles are established, we’re gonna do a table read, where we just read the script as is. After that, it's rehearsal until we’ve got it down! We’ve only got a few weeks, so we’ll have to work hard to get it right.” She paused for a moment, before giving the auburn-haired girl a playful look, “Think you’re ready for that, Ai?”

Ai stared at her for a moment, before returning the look with a playful expression of her own. “Oh I know I can, Yumi. Question is, can you?”

The pair glanced at each other for a moment, before sharing a small laugh and returning for the table read. And for a moment, just for a moment. Despite the stress and expectations weighing heavy in her hands. Yumi had faith that they couldn’t handle it.

After all, how hard could it be?

– Thursday, November 1st: Moon –

As it turned out, this acting stuff was way easier than Ai had expected.

That wasn’t to say it wasn’t without challenges. It was a lot of stuff to memorize, and trying to remember when to do and say all the things in the script without forgetting any of it sometimes felt impossible. But at the end of the day? It was just reading words from a page. The table read on Monday was fine, and properly acting out the first act of the play on Tuesday was pretty much a cakewalk. All things considered? The actual acting part of the production seemed like it’d be a walk in the park.

No, the hard part was everything else.

Ai could pretend she didn’t hear the whispers; the rumors of those that knew about her past, the venom from those that experienced it firsthand. She knew to a certain extent she deserved it; the whispers and rumors weren’t born from nothing, after all. She could turn away from their glaring eyes, but that didn’t mean they’d stop being there, ready to remind her of the person she was. Maybe it was naïve to think she could avoid it somewhere, naïve to think that her reputation couldn’t possibly be so damaged. But maybe it was most naïve of her to believe that it was just gonna change on its own. If she actually wanted results? If she really wanted it to stop? Maybe it was time for her to do something about it. If she wanted things to change, she couldn’t just stop being mean. For things to change, she would have to be nice.

It started small, mostly out of necessity. If she was too friendly people seemed to think she was messing with them. And so she kept it light, a compliment here, a helping hand there; anything to get her foot in the door. Most of the time it didn’t really go very well; her words would fall on deaf ears, her gestures would go ignored. Ai could see the way they pretended she didn’t exist, but she hoped that if she kept at it? Then maybe, just maybe, someone would be willing to give her a second chance.

Well, someone except Yumi Ozawa, who as far as Ai was concerned, didn’t count.

Yumi was… a puzzle. Not a normal puzzle, that’d be way too easy. More like one of those weird gimmicky ones. The kind that seems fun, but just when you think you’re starting to get it, it adds seven new angles that leave you wondering why you ever thought you were smart enough to solve it in the first place.

She apparently knew about Ai’s reputation, which made a lot more sense when she factored in that apparently the actress had been in her homeroom the past two years. As far as Ai could remember, she wasn’t exactly much nicer to her classmates, and Ozawa probably wasn’t going to be the exception to that. For all intents and purposes? Yumi probably had every right to hate her guts just like everyone else. But for some reason? Some inexplicable reason? She just… didn’t. Not only did she not despise her, she was actively being nice to her. As if she actually wanted to be her friend. It was almost funny, in a way. The exact thing Ai had wanted had fallen into her lap. But now that she had it? She had no idea why.

Yumi was a puzzle that Ai just couldn’t solve. And it was the club meeting on Thursday that really cemented that fact to her.

After the group congregated for the day, they picked up by practicing the second half of the play. The first half ended with Ozawa's character getting kidnapped from the ball, which led Ai’s character and the other three masked knights to go looking for her. From there the rest of the play was pretty simple. The knights would run into a problem, one of the phonies would have a character flaw that prevents them from getting past it, and then her character would learn how to overcome those flaws to get through it. Rinse and repeat that three times to shake off all the imposters and pretty soon she was standing face to face with the monster that kidnapped Ozawa. The Scarlet Knight uses his wit to defeat the Dark King but ends up breaking his mask in the process. Ozawa’s character learns that he’s actually just one of her retainers, but because their love is just so strong she accepts him regardless. They kiss, and then it’s happily ever after as the curtain falls.

As far as Ai was concerned, that all seemed pretty easy. She said what needed to be said, did what she needed to do, and before she knew it, the end was practically in sight. The Dark King had just been defeated, and Ozawa’s character was free at last.

“Oh thank you for saving me, O’ brave knight!” Yumi called out. Her acting was… a lot. Her energy was always a hundred and ten percent; which, as impressive as it was, sometimes left the auburn-haired third year feeling a bit inadequate. “How ever can I repay you for such a feat?”

“Repay it by not sparing me a glance, Yu- milady,” Ai replied. Her voice was monotone and her delivery was choppy, but it wasn’t like she was here to win any awards. Yumi looked at her with a grimace on her face; a look that she chose to ignore, “For the… uh… For the wretched king has broken my mask, and I can’t bear for you to see my true self.”

“But my oh so cherished knight! You have saved me from the mad clutches of the Dark King!” Yumi began again, carrying the acting for the both of them, “What could possibly stand to dissuade me from your kindness? Do not think me so shallow as to be repulsed by your looks.”

“It’s not that, milady. For despite my bravery tonight, I am… I am… um…” Ai found herself tongue tied, how did it go again? She cautiously shifted her gaze to the chairs neatly placed off stage to where the director was sitting. According to Yumi, he was the club’s president, and apparently he usually saved the leading roles for him and his girlfriend; a fact Ozawa still held disdain for, despite no longer being a club member. However, due to the residual effects of the drama club’s flu putting him on sick leave until just yesterday, he had to settle with directing; a fact which he seemed absolutely thrilled about. Ai gave him a sheepish grin. “Um… line?”

The president pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking a hand dismissively. “It’s ‘For despite my bravery tonight, I am not the man you believe me to be!’ For goodness’ sake Ebihara, this is the emotional crux of the play. You’re revealing the fact that your character isn’t actually the Scarlet Knight! It isn’t rocket science!”

“Right! Sorry! I’ve got it now!” Ai gave a small bow, choosing to ignore the way he mumbled under his breath about how ‘it should’ve been him up on that stage’ before turning her attention back to Ozawa, “For despite my bravery tonight, I am not the man you believe me to be.”

Yumi made an effort to exaggerate a look of confusion, placing a hand gracefully on her chest, “Whatever do you mean?”

Ai gave a slumped look of defeat. “I… I am not the man you think I am, milady. I am not the Scarlet Knight. He was… He was one of the others. One of the ones left behind. I’m nothing more than a chamberlain that snuck into the Masquerade. The mask, the outfit, those were what gave me the bravery to be here now, nothing more. I deceived you, milady. And for that I’m sorry.”

Ozawa looked at her for a second, before her expression softened. She gingerly stepped closer, step by step until the pair were standing face to face. It was strange, but in the moment between their characters, Ai really took a good look at the actress for the first time. She never noticed how pretty the color of her eyes was. “Oh… My fair chamberlain. I’m afraid you have it all wrong. I did fall for the Scarlet Knight. With all of his splendor and charm, it was hard to deny its effect on my heart. But in truth? He would have never satisfied me on thrill alone. No, what I wanted was someone that was kind. Someone who would risk it all to help me, someone who wasn’t in it for fame, or power, or wealth.” Ozawa grew even closer, and Ai suddenly remembered she was supposed to put her arm around her. “When I was taken, my heart cried out not for the splendor, or the charm. Nay, it cried out for someone who cared. And if you were the one that heeded its call? Then it was the Scarlet Knight who deceived me, not you.”

Ai couldn’t tell why, but she was suddenly feeling very nervous. Was this stage fright? She wouldn’t have assumed it to be this… sudden. She tried to force her lines out regardless, even if they came out kind of stunted. “M-milady! C-could you really find room in your heart to l-love someone such as I?”

Ozawa gave her a gentle smirk that made Ai’s stage fright feel a million times worse. “O’ brave chamberlain. Can’t you see I already have?”

And then, just like that, it was time for the kiss. Time for the big moment to end off the show. Yumi looked deep within the auburn-haired girl’s eyes, and slowly began to lean in. The world felt like it was moving in slow motion, and yet Ai’s breath only seemed to speed up. In that moment, she began to realize the true culprit of all her nerves. Because despite her many boyfriends and flings throughout her high school years, despite all the dates and compliments and sappy stupid teen romance?

This was going to be Ai’s first kiss.

The realization made her freeze wide eyed, before quickly pulling away from Ozawa and trying desperately to shift her focus anywhere else as she blurted out the only thing that came to mind.

“...Line?”

The club president threw his hand up in frustration. “It’s a kiss, Ebihara! There isn’t a line! Just kiss her and get it over with already!”

Ai’s gaze nervously returned to Yumi, who had an incredibly confused look on her face; a look that very quickly shifted to one of realization. Panicked at the thought of being read, Ai pulled away from her, putting a hand up to block the actress’s view of her reddening face. The president let out a sigh of resignation. “Fine, we’re almost out of time anyway, so let’s just move on. Just go to the narrator’s recap and then we’ll finish up for the day.”

As the narrator began practicing their final line read, the pair of girls awkwardly shuffled off of the stage. And in the moment all Ai could feel was embarrassment. Why had that been so difficult? Why did she freeze up like that? It was just a stupid kiss that didn’t mean anything! So why did thinking about it make her feel so… weird? The thoughts shrouded her mind like a dense fog, leaving her practically motionless as the narrator finished his closing lines. The finale was followed with distant applause, and it wasn’t long before people began trickling out of the clubroom for the day. Ai could process the fact that she should probably be leaving as well, but her body wouldn’t move. Try as she might she might, she found herself stuck in place, trapped in the cage of her own thoughts.

It was a hand on her shoulder that shook her out of it, and she didn’t even need to look to know who it belonged to.

“Everything okay?” Ozawa’s voice coaxed her out of her head, it was gentle. She was gentle. She felt her face getting warm again and took a deep breath. This was dangerous territory, Ebihara.

“Yeah… All good.” Ai replied, shifting her focus around the room. They were the last two left inside its walls. Ai hadn’t moved an inch, and neither had Ozawa.

The girl gave her a searching look, “Are you sure? It’s okay if you aren’t. Really.”

Ai didn’t like how well Yumi could read her, it made her feel vulnerable. Too vulnerable. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’ve just… I’ve never…” She couldn’t finish the thought. Talking to Yumi made her want to be vulnerable, she didn’t know if she liked that either.

“Never kissed a girl before?” Yumi finished for her.

Ai shrugged, “Something like that, yeah.”

Yumi squeezed her shoulder for a second, before bumping it with her own. “That’s totally okay! Stage kisses can be kind of intimidating, especially your first. I get that. If you want, we can totally work around it.”

Ai gave her a puzzled look. “We can?”

The actress responded with a passionate nod. “Absolutely! We can simply make it look like a kiss from the audience’s perspective, or swap it to a peck on the cheek. Or if you really aren’t comfortable we can just take it out entirely!”

Ai felt taken aback by that. “Is that really an option? Like wouldn’t that mess with the story? The prez made it sound like it was pretty crucial.”

Ozawa waved a dismissive hand at the notion. “Oh please, what does he know?” With a sincere smirk she continued, “Besides the script isn’t always set in stone! And it’s way more important to me that you’re comfortable than doing it perfectly accurately, you know?”

The third year couldn’t find the words. Why was she so nice to her? “...Really?”

Yumi nodded again. “Of course! You’ve been a huge help filling in, the least we can do is support you, right?”

It was strange, but for the first time in a long time, Ai really felt seen. “I’ll think about that, yeah. Thanks, Yumi. I appreciate that.”

“Hey, what are friends for, right?” The girl smiled at her. That big beaming smile she always did when they talked. And at that moment? It was hard for the auburn-haired girl to not believe her.

After a moment, Yumi’s attention shifted towards the clock on the wall, before a wave of realization washed over her. “Oh! It’s getting late, I have an internship I have to head to! I’ll see you Monday, Ai!”

“I’ll… see you… Monday.” Ai tried to call out, but by the time she found the words, the actress was already out the door, leaving the third year to her devices.

Things were so… strange, around Yumi. She had never really felt that way around a person before. When Ai used to hang out with lots of guys, it was mainly for the attention they brought her. The idea of being wanted made her feel good, but when things began to get too intimate, she would always pull away. The thought of letting guys be romantic with her just… didn’t sit right with the third year. In the heat of the moment, it was hard for her to not conflate the way she felt about being romantic with guys with the way she felt about kissing Yumi. And yet, as she sat in the empty drama club, rubbing a hand against her still burning cheek, she couldn’t help but wonder if her feelings towards Yumi were something… else. The conflicting thoughts made her head spin, and trying to parse her feelings just made her more confused than she started. Defeated, the girl let out a small sigh.

Yumi might’ve been a puzzle, but Ai was starting to wonder if maybe she was too.

Chapter Text

- Tuesday, November 6th: Sun -

When Yumi returned to the drama club, everything came back to her like clockwork.

“What are you doing, Nagai?”

“I’m making a sandwich!”

Her acting prowess and dramatic flair settled right back into place, as if they’d never left. Her character work came naturally, and her scenes all went smoothly. And since she’d already performed ‘Knights of the Scarlet Masquerade’ her first year at Yasogami High, Yumi found herself spending more time helping others than honing her own skills; a fact she didn’t really mind. After all, not having to learn the material again allowed her to focus her attention on someone else she felt garnered it: that being her new friend Ai.

“What are you doing, Miyazaki?”

“I’m playing basketball!”

Spending time with the auburn-haired girl had become one of Yumi’s favorite parts of coming to drama club. Despite the stress of pulling the last minute performance together, there was something so refreshing about doing it with her newfound companion. Ai was a very grounded individual, and Yumi couldn’t help but be grateful for that. Anytime the actress began to stress out about the performance, Ai had been there to pull her back down to reality. She was an amateur, sure, but that fresh perspective of what theater could be made the whole experience feel refreshing regardless. It was odd to admit, but it was as if Ai’s presence in the club was making the actress fall in love with it all over again. Between filling in for their sick actors and improving Yumi’s morale, it was starting to feel like there was nothing the girl couldn’t do.

“Uh… What are you doing, Yumi?”

“I’m battling in a swordfight!”

Well… Almost nothing. There was, of course, one small hiccup…

“What are you doing, Ebihara?”

“I’m… I’m… Um…”

“...”

“...Can I Pass?”

She wasn’t… exactly the best actor.

There was a shared groan throughout the circle of performers as Ai halted the flow of their third improv game of the afternoon; and while Yumi herself didn’t join in, the concerned grimace plastered on her face probably spoke volumes.

Yumi watched Takehiko Nagai, the club president, pinch the bridge of his nose in silent resignation for what felt like the fiftieth time since he returned from his sick leave just last week. “Ebihara, ‘What are you doing?’ is not that hard a game! All you have to do is ask the question, perform the action given, then make something new up when someone asks the question to you. You can literally say anything. The whole point is just making something up! It isn’t heart surgery!”

Ai twiddled her fingers, her cheeks flushed an embarrassed red as her gaze fell to the floor. “Right… Yeah… That’s my bad…”

In truth, the actress really couldn’t blame the girl for her lacking performance. It wasn’t like Ai had much prior theater experience. And instead of getting the time to learn and train like most new performers did, she was being shoehorned into a production that was practically already finished. Of course her acting was monotone. Of course her movements were stiff. Of course her improvisation skills were little to none when she’d never trained them in the first place. The actress knew the group shouldn't be expecting much, that she shouldn’t be expecting much. When schedules were this tight, it was obvious expectations had to be tempered. But despite that, somewhere in the back of her mind, Yumi wasn’t satisfied. Despite the stiffness and the stumbling, Ai really seemed like she wanted to try. She was like a diamond in the rough, just waiting for a chance to shine. And if Yumi could help be the one to polish her up, she was sure as hell going to try.

With a sigh, Nagai continued, “I supposed this is as good a place as any for a ten minute break. Everyone do what you need too, then we’ll meet back up afterwards for today's rehearsals.”

As the group dissipated, Yumi shuffled over to Ai, who upon making eye contact with the actress, dramatically slumped over against the wall with a drawn out sigh. “Gosh, I just don’t know how you do this so well Ozawa! Why are we even bothering to practice this stuff anyway? All the shit we’re gonna say is already in the script. What’s the point in making stuff up?”

“Well,” Yumi started, slumping against the wall next to her auburn-haired friend, “Sometimes when you’re live on stage, things don’t go the way they’re supposed to. And so instead of just stopping everything to get things right, it’s better to learn ways to act around the mistake, like with improv!”

Ai gave her a resigned look, "That's easy for you to say, you’re like, effortlessly good!”

Yumi couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “I’m sure it looks that way from your point of view, but I was exactly where you were at one point!”

“Oh please, I don’t believe that for a second!” Ai retorted, “Besides, there’s gotta be some external factor. Like how between the two of us you’re a wayyyy bigger drama queen! And you know that’s saying something when it comes from me.”

Choosing to take that as a compliment, Yumi continued, “Believe what you may, but it's true; all you really need is practice! Think of it like this! Let’s say… we’re performing on stage on opening night. But then… right when you’re about to defeat the Dark King, a… a meteor crashes through the roof and onto the set! What would you do? How would you react to that?”

“Um… I… would run?? And… try not to… die??” The auburn-haired girl responded bluntly.

Yumi thought about that for a moment, before nodding solemnly, “Okay touché, I walked into that one. But it usually shouldn’t be that hard. Honestly, after a certain point it’s kind of just lying. That should be easier for you, right? I mean, with how many absences you wracked up the past two years without being expelled you’re probably an expert in the subject.”

Ai gave the actress a disgruntled groan. “You’d think that! But it’s just not the same! Lying to your teachers about absences is easy. Lying to your parents about report cards is easy. But this? It’s like every time I go up there and have to say something that isn’t written in front of me I just… freeze!” Yumi watched her auburn-haired girl drag her hands down her face in surrender, before letting them fall slack to her sides with another drawn out breath, “Ughhhh… You make it look so eeeeaaassssyyyy! What’s your secret? And I’m not gonna accept that you don’t have one because clearly I’m doing something wrong.”

Yumi put a finger to her chin in mock contemplation. “Well… Everyday I make sure to eat a balanced breakfast. And theeeennn…”

The subsequent jab at her side told the actress her stellar advice was unappreciated.

Yumi gave her pouting friend a small smile, “For real though, if I’m being honest? The technique is hard to put into words. Acting is a lot more than just the stuff in the script, it’s… kind of more like the voice you give them?” A confused look told the girl her friend wasn’t following, so the actress continued, “Good acting feels… natural. Like how when you talk, you don’t always think about what you’re going to say. You just sort of… say it. The same principle applies. Even though you know what your character’s next line is, you need to say it like it’s the first time they’re ever thought of it, because for them it is.”

Ai gave Yumi a look as if she was speaking another language, before letting out a heavy breath. “Wow… That seems… rough. I guess I didn’t really realize how much work goes into this…”

“Well,” Yumi continued, “There are some tricks to make that process a little bit easier.”

“Spill.” The auburn-haired girl chimed in bluntly.

Yumi beamed at Ai’s intrigue, “One of the absolute best ways I find myself getting into character is trying to resonate with the emotions they’re feeling in the scene. If you understand the way they feel, you can use your own emotions to help jump start the process!”

Ai cocked an eyebrow at her, “Yeah? How so?”

Yumi paused for a moment, she had an example in mind, but she wasn’t necessarily sure if she wanted to specify with something from her own life. However, she trusted Ai enough to indulge; though that didn’t stop her from sinking against the wall a little as she did so, “Well, when I was little, my dad… walked out on our family. And for a really long time, that made me… really… mad. And so, when I played a character in one of our plays who had a scene where they had to act absolutely enraged, my brain went back to how I felt about my dad, which made that rage come out a lot easier. When you relate a feeling a character feels to something you feel, you’ll find the emotion comes through a lot better.”

When Yumi finished her explanation, there was a palpable silence between them. Yumi didn’t continue, and Ai didn’t either. And so, the two of them just sat there for a moment. A slight anxiety began to ebb into the actress’s mind. For a moment, she was worried she said something wrong, or shared too much. But when she finally mustered the ability to speak up, the other third year beat her to it.

“I’m… I’m so sorry, Yumi.” Ai began, a melancholic expression painted on her face. “I… I had no idea it was so…”

“N-no! It’s okay!” Yumi pivoted, it was all she could do, “It’s in the past now- and I’m over it for the most part! It’s a total non-issue! I promise!”

Yumi watched Ai open her mouth to say more, before quickly closing it, allowing the silence to slowly fade back in. It wasn’t long after that Nagai began drawing people's attention back to the middle of the room. Their break would be over soon. The pair glanced at each other, a reply loaded in each barrel. And once again Ai beat her to the draw.

“Well, I… really appreciate the advice. I’ll try to give that a go next time I practice. So… Thank you for that, Yumi,” The auburn-haired girl had an earnest smile on her face, giving her a gentle elbow bump before continuing, “You’re pretty cool, you know that?”

Yumi couldn’t help but scoff at that. “Pshh. Not really. Honestly you might be the first person to ever say that to me. Usually ‘Dorky’ is most people’s go-to.”

Ai gave her a sly smile, “Hey! Dorky can be cool! You’re livin’ proof of that, yeah?”

Yumi chuckled, a redness in her cheeks she hadn’t noticed before, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

With the mood once again lightened, the pair began prepping for rehearsals. And yet? Despite swapping gears and shifting her focus back to the performance at hand, Yumi’s thoughts lingered on her short time spent leaning against the wall with Ai.

Cool, huh? She could get used to that.

Practice came and went without a hitch, and before long the day had reached its conclusion. Yumi’s shoes fell to the floor with a small THUD as the actress neatly swapped them out for the school shoes she’d been wearing that day; sliding the freshly worn pair back into her cubby. She’d need to hurry if she wanted to be home in time to get all of her after school work done. But as she stood up and headed towards the school’s exit, something just felt… off. Was she missing something?

A quick pat down confirmed to the actress that her school bag was nowhere to be found, a fact that worried her. She wasn’t usually so absentminded as to leave her bag places; plus her homework was in there! Thinking back on the day, Yumi definitely remembered taking it to the drama room, so it was safe to say it was still in the practice building somewhere. She sighed, doubling back for it wasn’t necessarily a task she wanted to take, but she couldn’t just leave her schoolwork behind. And so, she made her way back inside the school, just hoping no one took it home thinking it was theirs.

It was a quick jaunt through the halls before Yumi had arrived at her destination, her pace slowing as she neared the theater room. Although, as she approached, she heard something that made her pace come practically to a halt. There were muffled sounds coming from the drama room, which meant someone was still inside. She couldn’t quite make out who it was, and yet it sounded… familiar. The actress shrugged it off, simply figuring it must have been someone getting some extra practice in. Nothing for her to worry about. She didn’t want to disturb them, so she figured she’d wait for them to finish before she got what she needed.

And yet, as she leaned against the wall and waited, the muffled voice grew louder and louder. It wasn’t long before Yumi’s curiosity got the better of her. Who would be practicing this late? She was usually the last member to leave the clubroom each day, but every once and a while there could tend to be stragglers. But by the time she’d left today the room was all but empty. After all, the only two people left residing there when she’d left had been her and-

And then it hit her. There was only one other person that it could be.

Yumi stifled a gasp as she shuffled on her feet, doubt suddenly pervading her mind. Was it really right for her to snoop around like this? On one hand, this was clearly a private endeavor. It would be rude for her to eavesdrop without her express permission. On the other hand, that familiar muffled voice she was hearing through the wall was starting to sound really good. Would her friend really mind if the actress took a quick peak? It was angel versus devil, and unfortunately one voice had more staying power. Yumi tentatively opened the door, just a crack, barely a sliver, only enough for her to peek inside.

And what she saw was astounding.

“You must underestimate me, o’ Lord of Shadows!” Ai belted out with full bravado, standing on a chair with her prop sword in hand. “Did you really think your meager traps could dissuade the Scarlet Knight? Perhaps it was you who was foolish!”

Yumi couldn’t believe her eyes, her ears, her… anything! Ai’s acting was like a complete 180 to how it had been during practice. She was so confident! So clear! It was everything the actress thought she could do! And while it wasn’t perfect, it was an incredible stride for the girl to take.

“Now! You have two options, lowly one!” Ai continued, her voice full of life, “You may leave the princess you have so wrongfully stolen here and run away with your tail between your legs. Or, you may stand your ground and face. my. MIGHT!”

The actress couldn’t keep the smile off of her face as she watched her friend dance around the club room, dashing and slashing with her sword as she flowed through her one sided fight scene. It was beautiful to watch, even in its incomplete state, and Yumi couldn’t help but feel herself transfixed on the display. It was only after the spectacle had come to an end that she found herself able to pry away from the doorframe, closing it securely shut behind her. She had seen all she had needed to see, and she was incredibly proud of what she had. She slid back against the wall, the muffled sounds from within filling her with pride.

Her bag could wait a few more moments. After all, Yumi’s diamond in the rough was truly starting to shine.

- Thursday, November 15th: Moon -

This was it. After three weeks, the drama club’s production was coming to its home stretch. Today was the final dress rehearsal, in which they went through the whole play without scene breaks. It would be a test, not just of the actors, but of the production team as a whole. A test of everything they had practiced, and everything they had learned. If they succeeded, it was on to a week of live nightly productions. And if they failed, the subsequent lack of funding would mean the end of the drama club as a whole. The stakes were high, and the tension was higher.

So of course, it was today of all days that Ai had found herself in a terrible mood. And the worst part was? It hadn’t even started that way.

Throughout the school day, Ai had a pep in her step. As the performance drew closer, the auburn-haired girl found herself actually beginning to look forward to its arrival. And sure, she still wasn’t all that great at acting, and she certainly still found herself struggling from time to time. (She still couldn’t seem to quite get improv down.) And yet? With a little help from Yumi, Ai had found herself slowly starting to enjoy the process. When it truly began to click, it was actually lots of fun! And the feeling of getting into character was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. It had gotten to a point where she was genuinely trying to show up early, and that fact alone spoke volumes to her.

However, no rose was truly without its thorns, and Ai should’ve expected blood to be drawn eventually. As she confidently trailed through the halls of Yaso High, humming merrily to herself, she couldn’t help but notice a group of five girls engrossed in a conversation walking in front of her. She was quick to recognize them, as they were all in the drama club with her, and for a moment she considered catching up to them to say hello. Maybe today would be the day they were finally willing to open up. Maybe today would be the day they’d give her a chance. However, as she was about to call out to them, she began to overhear the things they’d been saying, and the topic of their discussion quickly made itself very apparent.

“Can you believe her?” One said.

“Yeah, like, what is her deal?” Another replied.

“Does she seriously think she can just waltz into the club like we all forgot about what she did?” A third chimed in.

Oh. They had been talking about her. Usually, Ai was quick to ignore the whispers she’d been hearing, as she knew the rumors and gossip would only usually make her feel worse. And yet? She could feel her curiosity getting the best of her. She felt it lingering from time to time, the vestiges’ of her older self. Desperate for attention and hungry for approval, usually she could force those thoughts back and quell the parts of herself she didn’t like, but sometimes she just couldn’t help herself. The group hadn’t seemed to have noticed her presence yet. And with the things people usually said in whispers when she was clearly in the room? She couldn’t even begin to fathom what they might be saying when they thought she couldn’t hear. And so, she trailed behind, eavesdropping on the conversation with a determined interest.

The first girl chimed in again, “For real! She’s sooo weird! Like genuinely what does she gain coming to practice? It’s not like she’s any good.”

“Yeah, she’s so robotic with it.” The third girl replied, “Like, hellooo? Doesn’t she realize she’s making us all look bad?”

“Oh my gosh, maybe that’s her angle!” The second added, “Like maybe she’s trying to make us look bad so that the club loses funding!”

“Wow,” The first responded, “She’d have to be a huuuge bitch to pull something like that off. Though honestly? I wouldn’t doubt it. After all, being a huge bitch is totally in character for her.”

The group laughed in a shrill and snarky, holier-than-thou tone that made Ai’s ears hurt. Their words stung like they always did, but today she wasn’t going to let them phase her. In fact, she almost felt like laughing with them; because little did they know, she’d been practicing! Everyday for the past week, after class or practice had ended, Ai’d sneak back into the drama room to rehearse. She’d let some improvements shine through in formal practice, but she’d been saving the real best of the best for today. The day when she’d finally show them all what she was really capable of. And she was really going to enjoy seeing the look on their smug little faces when she belted out her lines like a-

“Oh, didn’t you guys hear?” One of the quieter girls in the bunch spoke up, “Someone totally caught her alone in the drama room after school practicing the other day. They took a video and showed it to me. And honestly? It did kinda seem like she was trying.”

“Oh my gosh are you serious?” The second girl asked, getting a small nod from the fourth in response. “No way! That is soo funny! Who took it? You have got to show it to me!”

“Honestly? That’s kind of even more pathetic.” The third girl added with a grin, “Like what, does she seriously think we’re all just gonna forgive her cause she learned some lines? Either she thinks we’re all idiots, or she’s way stupider than I thought.”

Ai felt like the wind had been knocked out of her sails as she was forced to watch her ace in the hole crumble before her very eyes. In the moment? She did feel stupid. Did she seriously think that would work? It was hard to believe for a second that she’d gotten her hopes up. Her head was a flurry of emotions, fueled by her own ravenous insecurities. Sadness, desperation, frustration; all stirred from the depths of her mind. But above all else? She was angry, and the auburn-haired girl’s anger tended to bubble to the surface when it went unchecked. She could feel her pace quickening, feel the ebbing of old habits slowly creeping into the forefront of her mind. Fine then, if they really thought so little of her? It was only fair she return the favor and give them all a little piece of her-

“And have you seen the way Ozawa clings to her? What a loser.”

The comment stopped her plans of assault dead in their tracks. Ai couldn’t tell which one of them said it, and honestly she hadn’t really cared. She didn’t even know what to do next. In a single moment she found herself completely blindsided by the sheer audacity of the claim. How was she even meant to respond?

Fortunately, or perhaps the complete opposite, she didn’t have to, as the leader of the pack, a student councilwoman from the club whose name Ai never bothered to learn, decided it was her turn to contribute to the fire.

“Oh please” She began, rolling her eyes, “It’s hardly Ozawa’s fault. Of course, I made sure she was informed of Ebihara’s reputation when she first added her to the roster, but her choice to ignore my warnings isn’t really a fault of her own. She’s just naïve like that. And with how her father abandoned her so young you can hardly blame her for being a little… clingy.” The girl shrugged, like the things she said meant nothing, “But she made her choice. And when Ebihara drags her down to her level, chews her up and spits her out, she’ll see the error of her ways and come to her senses."

“But… what if Ai doesn’t hurt her?” The fourth questioned, “What if Ozawa’s right?”

The councilwoman met that claim with a dismissive hand and a belligerent scoff. “Oh please. Trust me, it’s bound to happen eventually. We all have a part to play in life, and Ebihara has made certain hers was perfectly clear. After all…” She paused her thought for a moment as the group turned a corner into the practice building. And as they did? For a moment, just for a moment, Ai was almost certain their eyes met.

“...It’s just in her nature, isn’t it?”

Ai wanted to follow. To chase after them and prove them wrong. But despite her best efforts, her feet wouldn’t move. She was glued in place, but her legs wouldn’t stop shaking. Just in her nature, huh? Just in her nature? The words echoed through her mind; they made her feel sick to her stomach. At first, she didn’t understand why those words hit her so hard. It was nothing she hadn’t heard before, and something she was bound to hear again. And yet, as she took the time to mull them over, she realized the true extent of what they meant.

Nothing was going to change for her. Was it?

The feeling of hopelessness hit her hard and fast. This was really all there was for her. She had made bad choices, learned the wrong lessons, and now that was all she’d ever be to them. The production had started and her role had been cast, there was nothing more to be done than play it out to curtain call. She was just the bully that ruins anything and everything she touches. And if that was all she was, she might as well play it right. And so, she did the only thing she could think to do.

Ai Ebihara gave up.

What was the point of being better if nothing was bound to change? Why try when every decision, every perception you’d ever garnered had already been made? For yourself? For some kind of meaningless self improvement? If being mean was easy, and being nice got her nowhere, then what was the point of diverging at all? She could leave right now, turn tail, pretend this never happened. The perfect little angels in the theater club could lose their funding, and Ebihara would lose nothing for it. If she walked away now, she could make them feel as terrible as she did, and she could smile knowing it was her doing. All she needed to do was take that first step.

But unfortunately, as always these past few weeks, it was Yumi that gave her pause.

She had made a promise she couldn’t break, a promise to the one kind person in the world who still seemed to care. To leave now would be betraying the only person who’d given her a chance in the first place. And so, she was stuck. Stay in the club, and face ridicule, or leave now, and lose someone that mattered to her. The old her would’ve made the choice easily, but now it gave her pause. She was between a rock and a hard place, and as much as she hated to admit it, she knew the choice she had to make. And so, with a furrowed brow and a clenched fist, she trudged her way to the drama room.

The bare minimum, she would only do the bare minimum. She’d say her lines, play her part, and help the drama club for Yumi’s sake. And then? Then she’d never have to pretend to care again. She could slip through high school and do anything else than spend her time here.

Yumi would understand. Ai could only hope she would.

And so, with malicious compliance as the name of her game, Ai arrived to drama club five minutes late. She wasn’t surprised to see no one had noticed, save for Ozawa, who always seemed relieved to see her walk through the door. And yet despite that, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at the sight of her. Yumi always seemed to believe in her, and Ai could never understand why. The worst parts of her said it was because she filled the quota. She was a replacement cog in a machine that could easily function just as well with any other like her; as expendable as she was a convenience. The better parts of her tried to silence the notion, but that didn’t stop them all from getting a say.

After the warm ups were done and over with, a task the auburn-haired girl barely found herself participating in, it was time for the final dress rehearsal. The group shuffled to put on their costumes for the first time, before beginning the arduous process of hauling the props and set materials to the auditorium for their official practice. Ai, of course, decided to contribute to this as little as she could.

Throughout the three weeks of practice, Ai caught glimpses of the outfit she’d be wearing for the play. At first, she couldn’t help but find it tacky. It was flashy and ornate, with a big hat and fancy mask that both curved to help cover the frame of her face. It wasn’t something she’d be caught dead wearing before she came on board. And yet, as her passion for acting grew, so did her ability to get into character and appreciate the work that went into its design.

But now? As she hobbled down the school corridors in her heroic crimson garb, she couldn’t help but realize all the ways it just didn’t fit.

As the group paraded up and down the halls to bring all the pieces to their destination, The scarlet-clad girl couldn’t help but find herself feeling lost in the repetition. She could contribute, of course. She could move some boxes or help lug set pieces, but would that really change anything? She felt stupid being here, surrounded by people who’d hate her no matter what she did. And as she wallowed in her own self doubt, she couldn’t help but wonder why she thought this was a good idea.

That was, until a soft shoulder bump reminded her of exactly why she was here.

“Everything okay, O’ brave knight?” Yumi’s teasing voice shook her out of her headspace. She was also in costume, lugging a box of props through the halls. Although unlike Ai’s outfit, hers seemed to fit her to a tee. The way her silky dress flowed gracefully over her frame made the auburn-haired girl quickly feel underdressed. The actress looked at her with a worried glance, and Ai felt guilty all over again.

“Yeah, everything is cool.” Ai put it bluntly with a shrug, hoping the mask on her face would hide her feelings as well as the one around her heart.

There was a long pause before that answer seemed to satisfy Yumi, who nodded solemnly before changing the subject, “I can’t believe we’re almost done! When this whole thing started I felt like a bundle of nerves. But recently… I dunno. I just feel like we could take on anything now!”

The genuine smile plastered on Ozawa’s face was going to break Ai’s heart if she stared at it too long. Instead, she opted for the floor as she continued. “Yeah… I get that.”

There was a silence between them. Not an awkward one, but not the kind Ai was used to. It just felt… dissonant. She didn’t like it, and she got the feeling Yumi didn’t either as she pressed on, “Y’know, I’ve… been thinking about something. Something I… I wanted your opinion on.” Ai looked back at her suspiciously, but didn’t object. Ozawa met her gaze, searching in her eyes for something the auburn-haired girl couldn’t begin to fathom. When Ebihara didn’t butt in, she continued. “Last year, I… quit the drama club, for what I assumed to be for good.” The actress had a somber look in her eye, “I had been using it as an outlet for my grief, about my dad. When that grief sort of… subsided, I just… didn’t feel like I had a reason to be here anymore. So… I quit.”

Ai felt a pang of something she couldn’t find the words to describe as anything other than a bad feeling.

“When I came back, I kind of did it out of obligation more than anything. They were struggling, and I had experience. I still really like the arts, obviously, but without the emotional weight I’d attached to my enjoyment of it, it just didn’t… have the same draw.” Yumi continued, and Ai felt a lump in her throat, “But recently, I’ve begun to feel that spark coming back! It’s like every meeting goes by and each time without fail I fall deeper in love with it all over again! For a while, I couldn’t begin to understand why, but last week, something completely dawned on me.”

And then, all at once, the realization clicked in the auburn-haired girl’s brain. She knew what this was. She knew exactly what she’d say next. And the sheer thought made her stop dead in her tracks.

“It’s you, Ai!”

Oh no…

“It’s like… just by having you by my side, I’ve been enjoying theater again!”

Not now…

“And so… I thought, why should it end here? Why stop a good thing, yeah?”

Please don’t…

“So… since we’ve only got one semester until we graduate…”

I won’t be able to say no to you…

“I was wondering…”

You have to know I won’t be able to say no to you…

“If you… maybe… wanted to do another semester with the drama club? A… A real one this time! With… me?”

She knew it was coming, she saw it from a mile away, and yet the confirmation still felt like she’d been hit by a freight train. Three more months? Of this? She could barely handle three weeks! How many more times would she be ridiculed? How many more times would her efforts go ignored? The old Ai would’ve said no in a heartbeat, but now? Now she couldn’t muster a word. She felt pathetic. Could she really call this person she had become an improvement? Always too naïve to realize she’s being bullied. Always too mean to have any meaningful connections. Always too passive to say no to someone that doesn’t know the lengths of what they’re suggesting. Always, always, always. Ai wasn’t a puzzle, she was a mismatched pile of pieces. No picture they made was perfect, no connection they made was secured. She was nothing more than a cacophony of parts that was always reforming itself but never quite a whole; destined to fall apart in the end.

A gloved hand on her shoulder stopped her from spiraling. “...Ai? Are you okay?”

Yumi’s voice rang through the jumbled thoughts ebbing at the auburn-haired girl’s mind. She was breathing heavily. When did she start breathing so heavily? The actress had set the box she was carrying down, concern creeping onto her face. She cared, she always did. She wanted to say no. If Ai said no, Yumi would drop it. They’d spent enough time together that Ai could recognize that simple fact. And yet? As she opened her mouth to object, not a single sound came out. It was a question she couldn’t answer, at least, not in the way she wanted to. And when she finally found her voice, it was singing a different tune.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Ai began, taking a deep breath, a smile on her face like it wasn’t killing her, “And… Sure.”

The royally-dressed girl looked at her for a moment, before replying, “Really? You… You mean that?”

“Of course I do,” She lied, “Why stop a good thing, right?”

Yumi practically squealed with glee at the notion, a smile so big plastered on her face it almost made the measure worth it. “Ahhhh!! Ai! Oh my gosh, that’s great! You’re gonna kill it! I know you will! Oooh thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s gonna be so much fun!”

Ai gave her a small and weary nod of acknowledgement as the pair continued their trek to the auditorium. The weight of her actions slowly washing over her with each step she took. Three more months, in a betrayal of her own desires she had devoted herself to three more months. Months that could get better, maybe, or maybe months that could get much, much, worse. She let go of the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, shifting her gaze to the back of Yumi’s head as the girl slowly gained a lead on her, the distance between them growing. The actress had no clue what she’d just done, and Ai couldn’t have expected her to. She was just… naïve like that. She saw beauty in places it didn’t exist. She saw excitement in things that wouldn’t be. She saw good in people that just… didn’t have it. The worst parts of Ai wanted her friend to wake up, to see things as they were, to stop making the auburn-haired girl feel ill at the notion of denying her. The best parts of her wanted to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, but unfortunately, the good parts were losing seats at that table. She swallowed the thought, and with it went the debate entirely. She had just wanted to help. And when Yumi turned back to smile at her, Ai believed it.

All she had to do was brave it a little longer. The worst it could do was kill her.

Once every box had been moved and every scene had been set, the group finally began their dress rehearsal. And as much as she hated to admit it, it was nice to see everything come together. Most of the previous rehearsals took place on empty stages, so seeing the fully constructed set in front of her was a sight to behold. But then she thought about how she’d be ruining that hard work with her performance, and buried the thought before it could consume her.

It wasn’t long after that the club prez called places, and the actors were shepherded backstage. Since Ai was playing the main character, a decision she was really beginning to regret now, she would only really spend these first few minutes in the back. Checking a nearby clock on the wall, that only meant five or so minutes of prep, not that she’d be needing it. Considering she couldn’t really get comfortable, the girl instead opted to sit and watch Yumi. The finely dressed actress was stationed on the other side of the crossover, doing stretches and making sounds Ai could only hope were vocal exercises. In all honesty? The girl would really rather just sit in the back and watch Yumi perform, but she knew, of course, that wasn’t going to be an option. And so, she settled for getting to watch her now, and hoped that would be enough. However, like all good things recently, it of course had to come to an end, as the auburn-haired knight quickly found herself occupied by something a little less pleasant.

“Ooooh Aiiii-chaaaan!~” An obnoxiously familiar voice called out from the edges of her view. Upon turning her attention to it, Ai found herself face to face with two of the girls from the gossip group she spied on earlier. If she remembered correctly, they were both members of the production team handling the show’s lights and effects, although frankly if she was wrong she couldn’t have cared less. She knew very well what these two thought of her, enough so that she really didn’t want to give them the time of day. However, with only a few minutes left till performances and nowhere to turn, it wouldn’t be a matter she had a choice in. As the girls made their way to her, Ai crossed her arms with an angsty expression, “What do you two want?”

The pair responded with mock expressions of hurt feelings painted on their faces. “What’s the matter Ai-chan?” The one on the auburn-haired girl’s left began, “We just wanted to say hi!”

“Yeah! We’re really looking forward to your performance!” The one on the right enunciated with venomous undertones. For being in the drama club, they were terrible liars. “We just wanted to let you know we hope you break a leg!”

Ai cocked an increasingly annoyed eyebrow at the two, her patience with them growing increasingly thin. “Is that meant to be a threat?”

The leftmost girl gave her a pitying look, tutting like the error was obvious. If it was, It certainly didn’t feel that way to Ai. “Oh Ai-chan, it’s just a theater expression! It means ‘good luck!’” The pair shared a demeaning look, before pressing on. “Oh, It’s our fault really, sometimes we forget you’re such an amateur!”

The scarlet-clad girl grinded her teeth together, biting back some… choice words she didn’t want to slip out in such a crowded room. “Do you two need something from me?”

“Oh no! Nothing in particular!” The rightmost girl chimed in, “We’re just looking forward to your performance! We’re sure you’ll blow us all away.”

The emphasis she added to the word ‘blow’ confused Ai, what was she getting at? Clearly the other girl got it, as she began snickering maliciously. “Oh yeah! We’ll be cheering you on! We are your biggest fans after all!”

It was on that perplexing note that the pair left the girl to her devices, giggling to themselves like that was the funniest thing in the world. Ai couldn’t help but sigh. They must’ve been seriously growing tired of insulting her to her face if they were inventing inside jokes about her just to keep up the fun of it. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. At the very least, it was one less slight to have to think about. Regardless, now that they were gone, she could focus back on the one thing in the room she actually cared about. However, as the girl’s eyes scanned the room, Yumi was nowhere to be found. Looking back at the clock on the wall, four minutes had passed. It was almost time for her to be on stage, and Yumi usually went on before she did. The auburn-haired girl sighed, a frustration brewing in her thoughts as she realized those two idiots took up the entirety of her prep time. With only herself left to blame, Ai rose to her feet, doing a small stretch or two before heading to the wings. Like it or not, it was showtime. And at this point? All she could hope was that it would go by quickly. That, and believe in the slowly fleeting hope that nothing would go wrong.

Unfortunately for Ai, however, wrong could be used to pretty aptly sum up a majority of the rehearsal.

For one, the second Ai came on stage with her half-assed performance, she could feel the judgement emanating off the other club members. No matter where she looked, from the prez in his director’s chair, to the other actors on stage, to the members working the lights and music; everyone seemed to be giving her looks. Annoyance, disapproval, disappointment, every face had something to say. Even Yumi began to look concerned by the end of the first act, an expression that gave her pause every time she stopped to think about it.

But the real issue came around act two, when the lengths of what those girls had been talking about suddenly became very apparent.

Unlike act one, which mostly took place in the castle, the setting of act two was almost entirely outside. This change allowed the production team to flex their muscles when it came to environmental effects. From projectors creating stars across the stage, to fans billowing gently from the sideline to give the effect of a windy night. It was impressive, sure, but it wasn’t long before Ai learned this was a set of tools they planned to use fervently.

About halfway through one of her character’s monologues, one of the off stage fans suddenly went full blast. On its own, this shouldn’t have been an issue, as it was only on for a moment. However, in doing so, it highlighted a frustrating problem with the girl’s costume. While Ai had some qualms with her outfit, the only portion of it she’d really call a design flaw was its hat. Since her character was meant to be a man, she had to hide her hair by tucking it under its inner lining, an action which took considerably longer when the auburn-haired girl realized the distinct and convenient lack of hair ties located within the supplies. So while the gust of wind only blew for a moment, it was just long enough for Ai’s hat to go tumbling off her head and halfway across the stage, causing a groan from the audience as she had to run after it and reaffix it to her head.

The first time it happened, Ai could ignore it. It had probably been an honest mistake, and while the need to tuck her hair back under the hat proved to be slightly obnoxious, it was nothing she couldn’t handle. The second time it happened proved to be a little more frustrating, but it was only by the third that it started to get to her. She jerked her head across the wings, hoping to catch a glimpse of who had been manning the fans and put a face to her fury. And at this point? When she saw the sneering face of one of the girls she talked to earlier peeking out from behind the mechanism? She couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. Ai felt her anger bubbling to the surface, ready to be unleashed.

And yet? Right as she was about to snap? She saw another face peaking out from the wings. It was Yumi’s. Her character was absent for most of act two, so she’d been backstage while she waited for the rest of her time to shine. The actress flashed her a small smile as she waved at her, and Ai felt her will to lash out begin to simmer. She needed to breathe. She was fine, she could take it. It was just another thing to ignore.

She really tried her best to ignore it.

The dress rehearsal was almost over now, she only had to deal with this a little longer. Well… a little longer followed by the three more months she promised Yumi, but thinking about that made her stomach churn, so she didn’t. The knights had dwindled down until only she was left, leaving her face to face with the Dark King: a large monster-like creature made with cardboard props manned by hidden performers. One of its large hands gently wrapped around Ozawa, who was doing her best to make a scene of being kidnapped. It almost seemed like she was doing it for Ai’s amusement, but the auburn-haired girl was far too in her own head to give her much consideration at all. She was frustrated, and tired, and just wanted to be doing anything else. But she couldn’t stop now. She was so close, just a few more scenes, a few more lines and she was free from the looks and the whispers for at least the day, a break that at this point she desperately needed.

Another gust of wind blew her hat away, and Ai felt validated in her misery.

“Who dares to enter my domain!?” The Dark King’s actor bellowed once Ai’s hair had been tucked and the scene could resume. “To come as far as you have is a fool's errand and nothing more! I have claimed my prize, and any who object are as good as dead! So tell me? Who is the fool that dares show their face here!?”

“You underestimate me… O’ Dark King.” Ai mumbled her lines like she had been all day, her tone flat and her expression dull. “Did you really think your meager traps could dissuade the Scarlet Knight? Perhaps it was you who was foolish…” Another set of annoyed groans and disapproving looks flashed across the team, but at this point Ai could hardly care. “Now, you have two options… lowly one. You can leave the princess you’ve so wrongfully stolen here and run away with your tail between your legs. Or you can stand your ground and face my might.”

Her performance was… less than stellar, but she wasn’t here for any awards. The fight was next, then the scene with… the kiss, and then the last monologue before the curtain call. The end was in sight, they were in the homestretch, and soon it would all be-

“Wait!”

A small solemn plea shook Ai out of her headspace as Yumi’s voice cut through her thoughts. She looked over at the girl confused, before staring down at the prez, who seemed to share her perplexity as he mustered up the words, “What is it, Ozawa?”

For someone who just stopped a dress rehearsal dead in its tracks, Ai was kind of amazed that Yumi had the audacity to seem bashful about it now that the attention was on her. “I… I was just wondering if… if we could… maybe… run that part again?”

The prez looked at Yumi for a second, before shrugging haphazardly. “I… suppose so? Though we should really be getting on with it. Ebihara, can you just… take it from the top? I guess?”

Ai couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed at her friend for making her run her line back, it was beginning to feel like adding insult to injury. She wanted to object, but the auburn-haired girl got the impression it didn’t really matter what she wanted, so she restarted regardless.

“Now. You have two options, O' Lowly One.” Ai repeated, the same forced quality coming through in her voice, though now with added hints of her annoyance shining through as well. “You can leave the princess you’ve so wrongfully stolen here and run away with your tail between your legs. Or you can stand your ground and face my might.” Shifting her attention back to the club president, she continued, “Is that fine? Can we keep going now?”

The prez, in turn, shifted his focus to Yumi, who’s face said it all before she even opened her mouth, “Just… Just one more time? Please?”

For the first time today, the club shared a groan that Ai got to participate in.

The prez put her hand over his face. “Is this really necessary Yumi?” When she gave a small but firm nod, he continued, “Fine, Ebihara, go from the top one more time. But after that we’re getting on with it, understood?”

Ai was seriously starting to lose her patience. What did Yumi want from her? Why was she being so adamant about this? What was the point? She didn’t get it, and she probably never would. But getting stuck in her head about it wasn’t going to get it over with. And so, with an acquiescent sigh, she started her line for the third time. “Now, you have two-”

A gust of wind blew her hat away, and something in Ai snapped.

“Are you being fucking serious right now!?” She practically barked at the girl operating the fan, her carefully woven tranquility quickly unraveling under the continued prodding.

“It was just a mistake, Ebihara, let it go and get on with it.” The prez replied with a dismissive shake of his hand.

“Oh like hell it was!” Ai retorted angrily, “She’s been doing it on purpose this whole fucking time!”

“Oh my gosh! I have nooo idea what you’re talking about Ai-chan!” The girl behind the fan called back, the smug look on her face hidden within the shadows of the wing, “It was like, totally an accident!”

The auburn-haired actress felt a vein popping out of her head, “Oh I’ll show you an accident you two-faced little-”

“Ebihara!” The club president called out furiously, silencing the room in the process, “Just forget the hat! Read the lines so we can all get this over with!”

Ai was seeing red. She could feel her blood boiling as the club acted like nothing happened. No one respected her here, and yet they expected her to put in the work while they made a mockery of her. Her fists were clenched so tight they were starting to hurt. She wanted to lash out, to scream and shout and make her anger everyone else’s problem. She didn’t give a shit what these people thought, in the end it wouldn’t matter anyway. They’d treat her like dirt until they didn’t have to pretend they needed her. So fine, if they wanted the line, they could have it. Yumi did say good acting comes from emotions, after all.

“Now, you have two damn options!” Ai began, her voice full of the rage she wanted to get out, needed to get out, “Drop the fucking princess and leave, or stay and taste my rage!” She turned to the club president, to anyone who would listen. “Is that good enough for you? Do you need another eight takes? Maybe I can put my stupid little hat back on so the dipshit behind the fan can blow it off again! Would that be good? Would that make things better? Is that what you fucking want!?”

“AI!”

Yumi’s voice cut through her rage-induced flurry like a knife. The actress began to pry herself from the large cardboard hard she’d been indirectly directing from, before making her way over to the scarlet-clad girl. Ai tried to meet her gaze, but she couldn’t look her in the eyes. “What is up with you? You’ve been acting weird all day!”

Ai scoffed, her eyes fixed on the floor, “It’s nothing. Lets just… keep going and get this over with.”

On most occasions her word seemed to be enough for the actress, unfortunately, this didn’t seem like one of those times. “No! I’m not just gonna let you sit here and pretend something isn’t wrong! First you barely try in your performance all rehearsal, and now you're lashing out at people? I know you're better than this, so why won’t you just tell me what the problem is?”

She finally found the rage she needed to look Yumi in the eyes, she was starting to get pretty tired of people thinking they knew her. “Why are you making this so difficult!? What does it matter!? I’m just not an actor! That's it! I’m sooo sorry we can’t all be like perfect little Yumi!”

Yumi looked insulted by that, and a part of Ai reveled in the way that made her feel vindicated. “I’m not asking you to be perfect! I’m asking you to be reasonable! I’ve seen the way you practice after school when no one’s around and I know it’s better than what you’ve been doing! This? This isn’t like you!”

That comment struck a nerve with the auburn-haired girl. She’s seen her practice? One of those girls mentioned someone recorded one of those afterschool attempts. That wasn’t her, right? It didn’t make sense to have been her, she knew that much, but the thought wouldn’t leave her head. Instead it was fueling the fire, soaking her flaming emotional state in gasoline. “You have no idea what I’m like! What the hell do you know!?”

She wanted Yumi to shut up, to just drop it and leave her alone. She wanted her to do something to calm her down and make things okay like she always did when Ai started to lose her cool. Instead the actress did the one thing she’d never seen her do. She bit back. “I’ve known you long enough to know you’re better than this! I’ve known you long enough to know that maybe people wouldn’t hate you if they saw you putting in the effort!”

The words stabbed deep through her hollow heart, cutting into every sore spot and insecurity with potent efficiency. Yumi was her guiding light, the one person that kept her going despite all the bullshit she’d put up with. And yet it was like suddenly that light was gone, leaving nothing behind. How could she say something like that? Was she really that clueless to the way people treated her? Or did she seriously think it didn’t matter? It felt like she was talking to a stranger, and that thought made her feel sick. Nobody truly understood what she was going through. The one person that had been the angel on her shoulder didn’t have a clue. Yumi was the only reason she had left to give a damn. She never could’ve expected her to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. It wasn’t fair. None of this felt fair. If the one person she had left turned her back on her, then where did that leave her? Her mind was made a jumbled mess of her worst impulses, and it wasn’t long before one rose to the forefront.

It was just in her nature.

The words the student councilwoman had said about her rang through her mind, winning the race to the center of her focus. If that was really all they thought, what was the point of denying it? She was angry, and tired, and upset, and above all else she was hurt. She felt like a wounded animal in a cage, ready to snap at whoever went in for the finishing blow. Because at the end of the day, her fangs were all she really knew.

It was just in her nature.

It came back to her like clockwork, and now that the angel on her shoulder was gone? It was only fair the devil got a turn. Her emotions were white hot, and for the first time in a while, nothing was going to stop their incineration. Ozawa hurt her, made her feel worthless when she trusted her most. Shouldn’t she be allowed to do the same? Yumi knew what made her tick, but she wasn’t the only one. She knew she wasn’t thinking straight, if she was she could’ve stopped herself. But in the end all she could see was red. Nothing was going to stop this. Not anymore.

It was just in her nature, after all.

“Well maybe if you were such a bossy little bitch, your dad would still be around! God, did you ever consider that maybe it was your fault!? He was probably better off without someone so annoying, anyway! Did you ever consider that!? Did you… ever… consider…”

…

The words had left her mouth before she realized she was saying them. And once they were out? There was no going back. Everything was silent for a moment. There wasn’t even a whisper from the onlookers. This whole time she’d wanted nothing more than to give someone a piece of her mind. But now? She just wanted to take it all back. She covered her mouth with her hand, but the damage had been done. The venom she’d been building all day made its way out on the worst person it could’ve chosen. And now that it was gone? Now that she could finally think? The only thing she could see was Yumi. And the look on her face in that moment would haunt her the rest of her life.

She looked… broken, her eyes were wide and hurt, her brow furrowed with betrayal. Her lip quivered, and her body shook as her arms fell lifelessly to the sides. The only reason she could tell there was someone still in there was the stream of tears that fell unceremoniously on her face. She couldn’t tell if Yumi noticed them, but they were all the auburn-haired girl could see.

This was what she did to people, this was what happened to people who got involved with her. She could ignore it, pretend it wasn’t there, try to rectify it, but she would never be able to change the fact that it was all she was.

It was just in her nature.

“I… I’m sorry… I- Yumi… I didn’t mean to…” She couldn’t finish a thought she knew wasn’t true. She did mean too. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to hurt her with her words, it was undeniable. But that didn’t stop her from feeling absolutely horrible about it.

The actress sniffled, as if she had just come to terms with the situation. Her breath was shaky, and her eyes unfocused. She took a step backwards, then another. “I… I need to go… somewhere else…”

And before Ai could reach out? Before she could do anything, Yumi turned, pushed herself down off the stage, and ran out of the Auditorium.

It was just in her nature.

“Yumi!! Wait!! Please!!” The auburn-haired girl shouted across the room towards the door that no one would return through. Her words were bound to fall on deaf ears, but the thought of not even trying made her feel so much worse. “Don’t go… please… I’m- I’m sorry…”

She waited, hoping and praying that she’d be wrong, that Yumi would walk back in, that this was all a nightmare she would wake up from soon. But it wasn’t, was it? In trying to be better, she’d only become worse. And it wasn’t long before the others in the room seemed to agree.

“Well there’s the real Ebihara.”

“Poor Yumi…”

“She really should’ve seen that coming.”

“What a bitch…”

“I guess you were right about her.”

“Why is she even still here?”

The words, though mostly shared in whispers, hit Ebihara’s ears like a horrible cacophony. She wanted to fight back, to get upset and stand her ground. But she couldn’t. The fight had left her, it was all used up on the only person she’d cared about. And in her worst moment? She couldn’t help but agree with them. Yumi didn’t deserve that. Yumi deserved so much better than her. She just… couldn’t give it to her. If she wanted to make things better, she should just go home.

And yet, despite her best efforts, despite her intentions to run away? Her legs wouldn’t move. This wasn’t right, and she knew it wasn’t right. The old her would’ve run away. She’d do something wrong, then leave before she let it hurt her. There were twenty times today where she would’ve done the same, but it was Yumi who kept her going. It was Yumi who made her want to try. Even if she was rotten, even if hurting people was just her nature, Yumi gave her a chance. She couldn’t leave it like this. Even in her darkest moment she knew she couldn’t leave it like this. It was Yumi who kept her going. And now? As she stood center stage in her Scarlet Knight attire? It was her turn to do the same. No more running away. If she couldn’t be better, the least she could do was stop things from being worse. The old her had taken Yumi away, it was time for the new her to do something about it. And with that? Her feet began to move again as she made her way to the door.

Yasogami High wasn’t that big, but finding one girl in its halls might’ve proved a challenge. However, Ai was determined to make it through. She searched every room, every hall, every last corner she could find. And with her determination in mind, it wasn’t long before the auburn-haired girl heard a familiar sniffling from the girls bathroom. Stepping gingerly inside, she found her way to one of the stalls, before gently knocking on its door.

“Yumi?” She began, causing the crying to quickly stop. At least she knew she had her attention. “It’s me, Ai. I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear right now. But I can’t leave it like this. I just want to say something, and then I’ll… I’ll just leave. Okay?”

There was no response. Not a yes, not a no; just silence. It broke Ai’s heart, but she took that as a chance to continue. She took a deep breath, and began, “The truth is… You’re right Yumi. You’ve always been right. I liked acting with you. I was never the best at it; god I know I was never the best at it. But doing it with you… it made me want to try.”

The silence continued, so Ai did as well, “But today… I heard some of the other members talking about me, about us. They said that I just wanted to ruin things, that I’d chew you up and spit you out. They said that ruining things was just in my nature, and I hated that because I… I believed them. I knew they were right and that destroyed me. I let the stuff they’d said get to me, and so I stopped trying to be something I thought I wasn’t. But you were right. I wanted to be better, I wanted to try, but in the end… I… I just let you down.” The confession made the auburn-haired girl feel her knees give way as she fell to the ground. The words beginning to fall out like the teardrops on her face. Teardrops she hadn’t even noticed were there at all. “I let you down and I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. They were right. You were right. I’m… I’m a terrible person! And you shouldn’t have to put up with that! And I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to ruin this for you! I- I never wanted to ruin this for you! But that’s just who I am… That's all I am. And I’m sorry. I’m so, so-”

“Stop it!”

The sudden objection stopped Ai in her tracks. She looked up from the patch of flooring she’d been drilling holes into to stare at the bathroom stall that suddenly found itself flying open. Yumi stood in its frame, her hands firmly planted on the door. And despite the tears streaking down her face? It had been the angriest the auburn-haired girl had ever seen her.

“You aren’t a terrible person! You’re not!” She continued through her tears, “Stop saying that about yourself!”

Ai sat on the floor dumbfounded. She’d expected a lot of reactions, but she never could’ve expected that. “But… But I am! Look at what I did to you today! Look at how I made you feel! Aren’t you mad!?”

“Of course I’m mad!” She retorted, and Ai felt her stomach drop, “I’m upset. I’m really, really upset! I told you about my dad in confidence because I trusted you, and you used that against me. It… made me feel stupid, and it hurt! But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person!” Yumi sniffled again, giving herself a moment to breathe. “You were upset, and you took it out on me. But that doesn’t make you a monster! You just made a mistake! And… frankly… I did too.” The actress held out a hand, and after a moment, Ai took it as Yumi raised her to her feet. “I was so clueless. I knew what they were saying, I knew that they didn’t like you. But I didn’t even realize how much it was hurting you. You just always seemed so… untouchable. I thought you could handle anything, so I didn’t even try to be there for you. I let you get hurt, and then I hurt you too. And… I’m really really sorry, Ai.”

Ai couldn’t believe her ears. She had no idea what to even say. Nothing made sense to her anymore. Everything felt awkward, and topsy-turvy. And as the pair sat in the school bathroom, fully clad in medieval costumes, Yumi’s hand still clasped on her as she stopped the auburn-haired girl’s apology with one of her own, Ai did the only thing that made sense to her anymore.

She started laughing.

It started small, but it wasn’t long before she was howling, tears still streaming in her eyes. All the while Yumi stared at her in abject terror as she continued to awkwardly laugh at something only she seemed to find funny. “What? What is it?” Yumi began, her tone almost a little panicked. “What’s so funny?”

It took a moment before the auburn-haired could find a response. “I… I came in here to apologize to you! You’re… you aren’t supposed to be apologizing back!”

Yumi almost looked offended at the notion, a nervous smile plastered on her face now, “Well…! You deserve it!”

“You deserve it!” Ai fired back. Now the both of them were laughing at something they apparently both found insanely funny.

It was almost strange, for the entirety of the day Ai had been a whirlwind of horrible emotions. Everything seemed so big, so daunting, so completely overwhelming. Most of the time she hadn’t thought she’d be able to see the end of it. And yet? Here they were now, laughing their asses off in the bathroom like total idiots. And in the moment? It didn’t really feel that impossible at all.

Eventually, the laughter and tears began to die down. When it did, Yumi chimed back in, an emotional exhaustion present in her voice. “So what? If we’re both apologizing, does that make us both bad people then?”

Ai gave her a playful scoff through her ragged breathing. “You? Never. I might be, but you are way too nice to be a bad person. Sorry, it’s a really exclusive club.”

“Oh really?” Yumi added with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face. “Well I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character, so since I’m friends with you? I guess that means we’re both pretty alright.”

Ai couldn’t help but smile back. When she put it that way, it really was that simple, wasn’t it?

“You… wanna get out of here?” She eventually asked. Despite her feelings about the members of the drama club, they probably didn’t want their costumes touching everything in here. Yumi gave her a small nod in response, and together, they ventured out of the bathroom.

Once they left, she found herself stumped for a second time. Where would they go next? She shifted her focus down the hallway towards the auditorium, then twisted it back the other way towards the exit. Yumi squeezed the hand Ai had forgotten she’d been holding, and the auburn-haired girl’s focus turned back towards the nervous looking actress, “Do you… wanna just leave? We totally could if you wanted too. They… probably didn’t take that very well. And honestly? With how they’ve been treating you? I don’t really care if they lose their funding anymore.”

Ai thought about that for a moment. Leaving would certainly be easy. She definitely had her resentment towards the members of the drama club, and she didn’t really want to hear the brand new set of whispers that what happened today was destined to cause. But that also meant running. Running from something she didn’t want to run from anymore. She thought about what the old her would do, before shelving the thought entirely. She was done comparing herself to someone she didn’t want to be anymore. She was Ai Ebihara, and it was her damn choice to make.

“No,” She began, looking at Yumi with a renewed sense of purpose. “I want to see it through. I want to show them what I can do. I… I want you to see what I can do. What the real me is capable of.”

Yumi looked at her with an almost flustered expression, before nodding solemnly. “Okay then. I trust you.”

And with that? The pair began their trek down the halls of Yasogami High, hands still entwined the entire way. Ai could feel her nerves building as she got closer to the auditorium. And yet, with Yumi by her side, she really did feel unstoppable.

She had a part to play, after all, and it was about time she played it right.

Chapter Text

- Monday, November 19th: Sun -

Opening night. It was the moment they’d all been waiting for, the culmination of their efforts. A make or break performance in which failure was no longer cushioned by a safety net. When Yumi was a resident member of the drama club, openings were the days she dreaded most. She had always feared finality, ever since the day her dad walked out on her life, and so the knowledge that it was almost time to stop pretending always left her feeling bitter. And yet, now? As she peered from behind the curtain at the slowly amassing crowd of spectators, fully clad in her royal garbs, the only feeling that washed over her was a bittersweet resignation. The show was almost over, but something new would surely take its place eventually. Instead of wallowing in finality, the girl felt something else, something she couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it wasn’t familiar to her either. It was something new, something unpredictable, and the thought terrified her.

Yumi snickered nervously to herself, she supposed she had Ai to thank for that.

It was shockingly hard to imagine just how different the past three weeks would’ve been had Yumi not bumped into the auburn-haired girl in the hallway. It felt like they’d banded together years ago, and yet their time together was both quick and fleeting. And while the pair had their hiccups, Yumi cherished that time a great deal. Ai had left her feeling empowered, and the actress could only hope she’d done the same for her.

And yet? As the actress closed the curtain, shifting her gaze back into the crossover behind her. Her scarlet-clad knight was nowhere to be found.

Yumi couldn’t help but worry a little. Ai had certainly been present in their dress rehearsal earlier that evening, and yet once the practice had ended and a break was called she’d gone off to the bathroom. Had she ever returned? How could she not notice? A twinge of guilt shot down her spine at the thought. Yumi had already failed to recognize when Ai was hurting once before, too stuck in her own delusions of grandeur to see her friend had needed her, was she sincerely going to allow that to happen again?

The answer was obvious to the actress the moment she thought to ask.

Without a lead of her own, Yumi walked up to Nagai, who’d been relegated to backstage prep now that his role as director was over. He’d been discussing something with a girl from the costume team, one she recognized as Sachie Miyazaki; though the actress mainly knew her from student council meetings. Miyazaki was also the one that had originally come to her with concerns about Ai’s inclusion, a belief she used to think was a valid yet uninformed concern to share. Miyazaki had always seemed reasonable when it came to judgement calls, although now she found it hard to believe there was ever good will behind the act in the first place. Regardless, if they knew where her friend was, the least she could do was ask.

“Ebihara?” Nagai answered after finally pulling away from his discussion, “I haven’t seen her since we finished rehearsals.”

“Yeah, well she clearly isn’t here anymore.” Yumi chastised, her patience for the way people treated her friend running increasingly thin. “So shouldn’t we be looking for her? Considering she’s the main character and all?”

Nagai looked at her with an exhausted expression, before relenting. “Well… I suppose it’d probably be best to-”

“Oh please,” Miyazaki butted in with a dismissive wave of her hand, “I’m all for the camaraderie of our little troop, but let’s be honest with ourselves and call it like it is, Ozawa. She probably left because she stopped having fun looking down on us.” The student councilwoman gave her a pitying once over, “Honestly, you of all people should understand that, what with your little spat last Thursday. Frankly, I’m surprised you even want to see her after her… choice words.”

“But… But she apologized!” Yumi retorted, frustration creeping through at the notion she shouldn’t know better. “She made a mistake and we talked about it! She might have a short fuse sometimes, but she’s never once looked down on anyone in here who didn’t already give her a reason too!”

Miyazaki scoffed at the notion. “I suppose that’s where our experiences differ then, as I can think of quite a few times in the past few years Ebihara has very much looked down on me.” Yumi opened her mouth to interject, but the councilwoman continued before she had the chance. “Regardless, it’s not like Ebihara ghosting matters much anymore. We do have a backup plan, after all. Isn’t that right, Takehiko?”

The actress’s disbelieving gaze shifted towards Nagai, who met it with a dismissive shrug. “After what happened Thursday we realized we might be out of our lead, so since I usually act in these productions anyway Sachie thought I could fill in. I learned the lines over the weekend and she made me an extra Knight’s outfit. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ebihara doesn’t show up, but now we can easily just replace her if we need to. The show must go on and all, so it's not really an issue anymore.”

Yumi couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Their group was far too small to usually do understudies, but the fact that they had so little faith in Ai that they made an exception gave her serious pause. The fact that they cared so little, they weren’t even going to try to look for the auburn-haired girl just stood to fill the actress with rage. “Fine then.” She began, clenching her fist gently, “If you two don’t want to help I guess I’ll go look for her. Not like you would’ve helped much anyway.”

Nagai sighed as she passed him. “Fine, but try to be back in time for the show. We don’t exactly have the luxury to replace two missing actors.”

Yumi stopped in her tracks. Without turning around, the girl took a deep breath as she chose her words carefully. “I know that, and so does Ai. We know more than anyone here who you find replaceable.” The actress turned her head to the pair, a scowl plastered on her face. “But let it be known? After Ai lashed out because of the way we allowed her to be treated? I told her we were better off just leaving; the both of us. But she was the one that decided to stay and help. I didn’t care about whether the club lost funding or not, but she did. So when I find her? I expect you to be very grateful.”

The pair started up with objections, but the actress didn’t stick around to hear them. She had a friend to find.

Yumi searched the school from top to bottom. Most classrooms had been closed for the night, and most of the bathrooms she’d checked had been empty. And while the hallways were partially filled with the hustle and bustle of the folks from Inaba that came to see the show, none had that familiar auburn hair the girl had been looking for. Yumi refused to believe that her friend had flaked, not after everything they’d gone through together. Which meant Ai had to be somewhere in the school, and after seriously considering braving the men's bathrooms in search of her companion, it dawned on her that there was still one place she hadn't checked. And so, without further dallying, Yumi headed up the stairs towards the roof.

After a hurried rush up a lot more stairs than she would’ve liked, Yumi slowly slid open the door to the top of the school, breathing a long sigh of relief when she spotted her auburn-haired knight leaning against the chain-link fence encasing it. Ai seemed lost in thought, and for a moment the actress considered leaving her to it. But despite that, she was worried. Worried about her friend’s sudden disappearance. Worried about why she may be lost in thought in the first place. And if there was any way she could help, Yumi was damn sure she’d try. She wordlessly slid up beside her friend, before gently leaning against the chain-link fence with a small rattle.

“Everything okay?” She began, startling poor Ai out of her own head.

“Yumi!” Ai half-shouted at her, surprised by her presence. “What the heck are you doing up here?”

The actress shrugged, a small smile on her face, “Looking for you mostly. You didn’t come back after you went to the restroom, and I was almost starting to worry you fell in.”

The auburn-haired girl gave a small laugh at the actress’s attempt at humor, and Yumi was happy she could dissuade the tension. “No… no… Luckily not. Just… came up here to think a little bit. Are we starting soon? Did they need us back?”

Yumi shook her head, shuffling her body to face her friend better. “We’re on in twenty minutes, so you’ve got plenty of time. What were you thinking about?”

Ai scoffed, not so much to Yumi as it seemed she was to herself. “What wasn’t I thinking about?”

There was a comfortable silence between the two. Yumi shifted again, focusing her attention on the starry night sky above them. “Are you nervous?”

She could hear Ai shifting as well, her gaze plastered on the stars, “Terrified.”

Yumi hummed at that, concern creeping its way into her voice, “Of the show?”

Ai’s gaze didn’t falter, but her voice quieted, “Of everything.”

Yumi gently shifted closer to her, until the pair were shoulder to shoulder, and gently leaned her head into the crux of Ai’s neck. “Of me?”

The auburn-haired girl rested her head on Yumi’s. “…Not anymore.”

The pair returned to their comfortable silence for a moment, before Ai began again, “I’m sorry… about what happened Thursday.”

Yumi didn’t even let the sentence simmer before she replied, “It’s okay. It’s nothing to be sorry about.”

The actress felt Ai’s head leaving hers, and lifted hers in turn, gazing into her eyes as the auburn-haired girl continued, “You like making it hard for me to hate myself, huh?”

Yumi smiled smugly in turn, “It’s what friends are for, yeah?”

Ai returned her smile, before turning to face the chain-link fence behind them. A serious expression plastered on her face. “Yumi? Can I ask you a question?”

The actress gave her an earnest look before nodding, “Always.”

The auburn-haired girl took a deep breath, before looking Yumi sheepishly in the eye. “Why’d you leave the drama club?”

Yumi felt herself grow nervous, but she didn’t know why. “I… I told you, remember? I stopped doing drama cause I… I didn’t have that same connection I used to. Without the anger towards my dad, I just… didn’t feel the same desire to act anymore. The spark was gone, so I didn’t see any reason to continue.”

Ai gave her a once over, before bluntly replying, “I don’t believe you.”

Yumi couldn’t help the defensive look that plastered itself on her face. “P-pardon!?”

Her friend looked back towards the sky, before continuing. “You left, sure. But you fell right back into your role instantly. You jumped at the opportunity to help the drama club again. You seem way too knowledgeable about every single thing there is to know about theater, and you thrive when you’re doing it.” Ai shrugged like breaking down her walls took the girl no effort. “You might’ve convinced yourself otherwise, but I just don’t believe you weren’t hurting yourself by dropping it. The sparks obviously still there, but it’s like you’re trying to snuff it out. I just don’t really know why.”

Yumi opened her mouth, then closed it. The words seemed to fail her the one time she needed them not too, and so she said nothing at all. Ai gave her a concerned look, as though she’d said something she shouldn’t have and not everything she should’ve. “If… If it’s not something you wanna talk about right now we don’t-”

“No,” The actress replied, her hands gently wrapped around her frame, “That’s… You’re right.” The words didn’t want to come out, but she knew they needed to regardless, “I… I didn’t do it because I wanted to. I did it because… ‘cause I needed to.” Ai gave her a searching look, and Yumi continued, “I… I never wanted to stop doing theater, but the desire to do it began to feel… selfish. When I used to act… I was bossy, and mean. Theater used to feel like the one place to vent my emotions, but that made my relationship to it… unhealthy. It took my dad… passing away to snap me out of that headspace. And when it did, I realized what I had become in its wake.”

“So you… left?” Ai responded tentatively.

Yumi responded with a nod. “I decided I didn’t want to risk being someone like that again. I wanted to help people, to make sure others didn’t lose themselves like I did, so I shifted my focus.”

The auburn-haired girl gave her a scornful look, and Yumi wasn’t sure she liked it. “So that’s just it then? Something that mattered to you started to become unhealthy, and when you realized that you just… threw it away?”

The actress could only shrug dejectedly, “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“Of course it’s a bad thing, you massive hypocrite!” Ai responded admonishingly, “It’s something you love! But you didn’t even try to work with it? What the heck's wrong with you!?”

Yumi was so dumbfounded she couldn’t even find the words. “I… I… I don’t know…”

“Well you should!” Ai repeated back, concern showing on her face. “You should know! A bad thing doesn’t stay bad forever! Especially when you work on it! You taught me that! And if anyone can make something better it's you, Yumi!”

It was only then that it began to click for the actress, that Ai wasn’t simply talking about theater. She felt stupid for not realizing it sooner as she sank against the chain-link. “I’m… I’m sorry, Ai”

Ai, in turn, gave her a small sigh. “Don’t apologize, dummy. I just… I don't want to see you give up something you love because… you don’t think you deserve it. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

The girl gave her a smile, her cheeks flushed from what Yumi could only assume to be the cold winter air. Yumi's cheeks were red too, but in her case she knew that wasn’t the reason.

Yumi was in love, and it was becoming increasingly hard to deny.

It was almost funny. She had always used to dream about falling in love with another actress when she’d made it big in the Takarazuka Revue. She had long since given up on that dream, as her feelings towards the arts became muddled. But unbeknownst to her, it seemed she was very ahead of schedule.

That, or maybe she was just lucky.

Regardless, the actress smiled back. “Thank you, Ai. That… means a lot to me.”

“Of course.” The auburn-haired girl replied with a shoulder bump, a thoughtful expression on her face. “In fact, now that I know how much this whole biz means to you, I guess we’ll both have to do it next semester, yeah? Just to make sure you’re sticking to it.”

Yumi found it hard to hide the surprise on her face as she looked at her friend. She had been soundly under the understanding that Yasogami's drama club was the last place Ai wanted to be. “Wait… Really? If you’re doing it for my sake you sincerely don’t have to. Honestly I’m not even sure if I want to do this again next semester, much less drag you through the rumor mill again.”

The auburn-haired girl hummed at that, “Okay, I guess that's fair. I’m not exactly jazzed at the idea of hanging out with the drama club much either. But I like performing, and I know you do too. And I’m not just gonna sit here and let those pricks stop us from doing that.” A thought must’ve crossed the girl’s mind, as her expression shifted to a much more enthusiastic one. “Okay, how about this? We finish this performance, wow everyone involved with our incredible acting skills, then decide if we want to do it again. If we do, we do, and if we don’t, then nothing’ll be lost. I’m fine either way, I’ll find ways to bug you regardless. But I’m not letting you give up on yourself if I can’t help it. Deal?”

Yumi responded with a wide smile, and when Ai offered a hand to shake, the actress did so with confidence. “Deal.”

The two shook on it, cementing their promise, before devolving into a fit of laughter. After a moment, Yumi looked towards the sky, it was starting to get late. “Speaking of the performance, we should probably head back now.”

“Oh right, yeah… the performance.” Ai responded with a nod, gazing at the stairwell next to them. “We should head down and… do… that…” The girl's feet didn’t move, and Yumi gave her a knowing look.

“Stage fright?” She guessed.

The auburn-haired girl responded with a nervous smile, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

The actress squeezed Ai’s hand gently, before giving her a loving shoulder bump, “Why don’t we walk down together, and I’ll do my best to stay by your side till we start. Would that help?”

Ai deflated in her grasp at the notion, before parroting herself “Like you wouldn’t believe…”

With a reassuring smile, the pair made their way back to the auditorium. All the while Yumi thoughts lingered on how she'd felt earlier, on that strange feeling she couldn’t describe. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t familiar either. Instead, the girl felt something new, something she never used to feel, something she never believed she deserved to feel.

For the first time? As the ending drew near? Yumi felt proud.

- Monday, November 19th: Moon -

With each step towards the auditorium, a new sensation was added to the whirlwind of emotions in Ai’s head.

At first, it was fear. She’d never felt stage fright before, and the thought of having to act with the pit in her stomach was making her weary. Next was annoyance, as she really hadn’t been looking forward to dealing with the drama club, who Yumi had informed her on the trek back was fully intending to replace her should the need arise. Then there was a desperation, the want to do good in her role and perform it well, not for them, but for herself. That was followed by the relief of knowing Yumi would be there, hand in hand, to keep her going no matter what. Then strangely there was some confusion. Her brain really wanted her to think of how nice her hand felt in Ozawa’s; that and how the actress had put her head on her shoulder as they gazed up at the stars. She decided to keep telling herself she had no idea what that meant as her brain finally landed on acceptance. The acceptance that things were messy and that she was, in turn, kind of a mess herself.

And yet despite it all, she couldn’t stop thinking about Yumi. She and Ozawa had been through thick and thin throughout the past three weeks. At first the girl just stood to confuse her. The actress was like a misaligned part in a machine working perfectly against her. And yet? As time went on the answer she’d been looking for made itself exceptionally clear. There wasn’t something wrong with Yumi. Yumi had just been the only thing that was right. And in a strange way, in trying to make sense of Yumi, Ai had made sense of herself. She couldn’t help but feel grateful for that. And so, with her sense of self worth finally set in stone, and her relationship with Yumi stronger than ever, it seemed the only hurdle left for her to jump was the daunting performance ahead of her.

However, while there was only one more task that Ai needed to complete, there was also one more thing she wanted to complete. A burden on her shoulders that she wanted to remedy, regardless of the outcome. And as the pair reached the auditorium, her chance to do so made itself very clear.

The pair slipped through the darkened auditorium and made their way inside the crossover, where the whole drama club was gathered for a pre-show pep talk from the prez, who Ai couldn’t help but notice was wearing an exact replica of her costume. Upon noticing the pair enter, the talking ceased as the attention was drawn their way. “Ah, cool you found her.” The prez noted bluntly, “In that case, I suppose we’ll just continue as-”

“Now hold on a moment,” A voice rang out from the crowd. It was the councilwoman Ai had overheard in the hallway, she seemed to lead the pack almost as much as the prez did, although her style was certainly much more commanding.

After pulling the group’s attention, she continued, “We already have Nagai in costume. And considering he’s back to full health, shouldn’t we just… swap him in? I’m sure we’ve all seen how Ebihara performs. Instead of having her be our lead, wouldn’t someone more… competent in their acting be a better choice?”

The audacity of the claim was certainly blunt, but Ai could hardly call herself surprised. People seemed to agree, and that surprised her even less. Honestly? The auburn-haired girl was most shocked that they hadn't tried this sooner. But despite that? Despite the inevitability of this course of action? She would be damned if she sat down and took it.

However, before she even got the chance, someone else spoke up instead.

“Oh bullshit!” Ai couldn’t help but gawk at the actress beside her as Yumi began, a furious expression burnt into her face as the girl’s grasp on her hand tightened with rage. “She’s been working her ass off in this role! I doubt that Nagai remembers half of the lines as well as she does!”

“I’m sure she’s… passable in the role.” The councilwoman dismissed with a wave of her hand. “But Nagai is simply a better actor, and need I remind you an actual member of the drama club. It’s just that he has more right to be here. I assure you it’s nothing personal.”

“Do you seriously think we’re dumb enough to believe that?” Yumi retorted “As if you haven’t been against her being here since day one? You warned me about her like she’d killed people! Don’t you dare act like you're making this decision out of anything but your own personal bias!”

The councilwoman flinched, and Ai could tell that Yumi had struck a nerve. “My… My personal feelings have nothing to do with this! Besides, I’d hardly call them unjustified! Let's not pretend she hasn’t ruined people with her actions! Friendships ended for the fun of it, boys manipulated to do whatever she wants! I understand you may be oblivious, but I know most people here have the common sense to remember all the terrible things she's done! That doesn’t all just go away because she wants it to! Where is the comeuppance? Where is the justice?”

“She doesn’t owe you anything!” Yumi began again. She had been so quick to come to the auburn-haired girl’s aid, and Ai couldn’t help but feel lucky to have her by her side. “She didn’t always choose to do the right thing, but she’s trying to do better! The least you could do is-”

Ai squeezed the actress’s hand gently, causing the girl to stop and look back at her in confusion. She was incredibly grateful to have Yumi as a friend, but there were some things that the auburn-haired girl had to do alone. And so with a solemn expression she began, “Yumi, I appreciate what you’re saying. But… she’s right.”

“What?” The actress asked nervously, her voice barely a whisper. “Ai you really don’t have to…”

“I need to. I want to.” She whispered back, giving the girl a nod, a gesture the actress returned before allowing the auburn-haired girl’s hand to slip from her grasp. Without her lifeline, Ai took a few steps forward, pressing deeper into the lion’s den.

“Look,” She began, all eyes fully transfixed on her. “I think it’s incredibly clear I haven't been a good person. There are a lot of people in this room I hurt. Lots of people I probably enjoyed hurting. Maybe some I’m still hurting now. I had always said it was because I was a victim of bullying myself. That now that I was the popular girl, I had the right to do whatever I wanted. But, in all honesty? That was stupid of me. My trauma doesn’t allow me to hurt others, and what I did wasn’t justifiable. And so, I’m sorry for anyone I hurt. I can’t say I didn’t mean to at the time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t regret it now. And if possible, I would very much like to make things right in any way I can.”

As she finished, Ai gave the group a prolonged bow. It wasn’t long before people took to discussing what she’d said in hushed tones. But Ai didn’t focus on the whispers. Instead, after a single moment that had felt like forever, she rose higher than she’d been before, a determination clear and shining on her face. “Now, with that being said, I have two more things to say. Number one, I have given you an apology, and will continue to help with the play, as I have been for the last three weeks. But that might not be enough for people. Some people might think I should be punished. I’m not gonna say they’re wrong to think that; I’m not that big of a hypocrite. And I’m not gonna blame you for not liking me or whatever. But let it be known? Now that I’ve apologized? I hardly give a damn about what any of you think of me anymore.”

There was a more hostile burst of whispering from the crowd, however Ai’s focus had shifted. She stared at the councilwoman, then at the prez, before glancing back at Yumi. The first part might’ve been for the group, but this next part only mattered to them. “And as for number two, let me be very clear. I’m getting on that fucking stage tonight. I’ve worked way too hard to hone my performance, and I’m not letting myself be removed from it now just because you find me inconvenient. You can try to stop me, but it won’t do much. Because I’m pretty damn willing to fight for this chance. My names on the cast list, my outfit is tailored to me, and that’s my damn princess to save. So if you want to stop me, I suggest you be my guest.”

And at that, the room was silent for a moment. The group, which had once been full of objections and resignations, had gone silent at her challenge. Most eyes turned to the councilwoman, hers furiously darted toward the prez, and his stared almost dumbfounded at Ai. She could feel sweat trickling down her neck. It was an ultimatum they could very easily refuse. They could simply have her escorted out before the show began and all would go smoothly like nothing was ever wrong at all. She bit her bottom lip nervously. If it was convincing the group? She’d be dead in the water. But Ai knew, at the end of the day? She only needed to convince one person.

And as he cleared his throat, the auburn-haired girl prepared for the worst.

“Um… Wow… Okay.” The prez replied, taking inventory of the situation as he shifted his gaze around the room. “I’m honestly kind of surprised, Ebihara. You really give a shit, huh?”

Ai nodded rigidly, and he continued with a shrug. “Well… I know most of my lines, but my voice still isn’t quite up to acting level. That plan was definitely more of a worst case scenario in case you had dipped out on us. But if you’re here, and you really want to? I really don’t see why not.”

The councilwoman started to interject with something, but Ai could hardly register anything beyond what she’d just heard. The prez had… sided with her? Actually genuinely sided with her? She’d… really get to act? She couldn’t believe it. She honestly couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t until Yumi had rammed into her side with a hug that the sudden dull pain made it all very believable.

“Ai!! Ai!! That's my Scarlet Knight!!” Yumi shouted with a glee in her voice that Ai wished she could hear forever, and the auburn-haired girl let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. A sizable burden had been lifted off of her shoulders, one she’d been carrying for so long she’d forgotten it was there in the first place. Someone that used to hate her was going to give her a second chance. And if she could convince the prez of all people? She could convince anybody.

After a moment of bickering, the councilwoman stormed off in a huff, leaving the prez to pick up his pep talk. And as she stood in the circle of her club members, with Yumi by her side? Ai felt like a part of the group for the first time.

With everything decided, the performance was soon set to begin. And with a few minutes left on the clock, AI followed Yumi to do some warm up stretches.

“I hope you know I could’ve never done this without you.” She began, looking down at her royally-clad friend as she touched her toes.

“Honestly? I kind of doubt that.” Yumi replied, and before the auburn-haired girl even had a chance to interject she continued, “It might’ve been harder, sure. But I’m sure you’d have been able to assert yourself to them otherwise. You’re honestly a lot better at that than you might think.”

Ai couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, “Well, maybe. But… that’s not really what I meant. I never would’ve acted if you hadn’t asked me to join. And… I never would’ve gotten to meet you, either. You pushed me to try harder. You made me want to try harder. And I can’t begin to describe how much that means to me. So… Thank you for that, Yumi.”

Yumi lifted herself up from her stretch, gazing at Ai with a smirk that made it all worth it. “Oh? Well in that case I take full credit!” It was what the auburn-haired girl had wanted to hear, however, that didn’t stop the actress from continuing with a newfound softness in her gaze. “But, in all honesty? I… kind of feel the same. I love acting, I’m sure I’ve made that pretty apparent, but I probably would’ve never wanted to come back to it if not for you. So really, I should be thanking you!”

Ai chuckled at that, giving the girl a playful look, “Never gonna let me one up you, huh? I see how it is Miss Drama Queen.”

“What can I say?” The actress replied in turn, “I wear my title with pride.”

As the two shared a laugh, Ai could hear music coming from the stage. She recognized the song; it was the one they used to designate the start of the play. Which meant they didn’t have time left in the back.

“Ah! There’s my queue!” Yumi excitedly exclaimed, “I’ll see you out there soon, yeah?”

“Right!” Ai nodded, before an idea crossed her mind. What did those two girls say the other day? The saying that meant good luck? The auburn-haired girl wasn’t sure she remembered it right, but her chance to say it was fleeting. “Oh! Yumi! I… Um… I hope you break your legs!”

Yumi smiled at her like she was holding in a really bad laugh, and Ai got the notion she hadn't said the saying right. Still, the actress did her best to reply, “Yeah! Of course! You too!”

And with that, the girl slipped behind the curtain to begin her monologue, leaving Ai backstage to think. The auburn-haired girl took a deep breath. She remembered all her lines, knew when to pull out her sword, and had a pretty solid understanding of what she’d do if a meteor crashed into the school. All in all, she was as ready as she’d ever been, and as her short time in the crossover came to a close, she knew that would have to be good enough.

After all, her cue was soon to be called. And when it was? Ai knew it was finally showtime.

- Monday, November 19th: Sun -

“Long ago, in a land of knights and castles, there lived a princess most fair.”

There was a building sense of familiarity as Yumi took to the stage. She had done this song and dance time after time, so to say she was prepared was an understatement. There was a confident air of regality in her gait as she revealed herself to the audience, her flowing gown sparkling under the spotlights. She used to practice similar strides in the mirror, sometimes trying to perfect the guises she would take in her roles, while other times simply trying to make herself seem more composed. Seeming put together on the outside had been a wonderful way to hide her own problematic upbringing, which often left the act feeling like a crutch she’d needed to walk. But now that her anxieties had been put to bed, the very things that used to keep her from breaking down were now simply a flourish she added to her performance, a fact she took great pride in.

“The princess lived a wonderful life. Basking in the glory of her kingdom, she found herself surrounded by the citizens she had devoted her reign to.” As the narration continued, Yumi sat on a small set dedicated to her chambers, a large vanity in front of her as she mimed the act of putting on makeup, getting ready for her royal duties while the voice lingered on. “But despite the splendor of her upbringing, there was something she lacked. Something that she longed to have. For a princess’s life can be dull and dutiful, which often left the girl yearning for one thing: excitement. And it was in her search for excitement that led the princess to someone that would change her life forever. For in her search for excitement, the princess met the Scarlet Knight.”

Ai triumphantly made her way out from behind the curtains, a sword in her hand and a smirk painted on her face. She was certainly a sight to behold, a far cry from the awkward and stunted performances she demonstrated during her first few days of practice. The two locked eyes, and Yumi gave the auburn-haired girl a small nod. It felt good to recognize the progress they’d made together, not just as actors, but friends as well. And despite being masked, Yumi was truly looking forward to getting to see Ai’s face every night.

After a small monologue from her co-star, the bulk of act one began. The stage lit up under the spotlights, unveiling the ballroom set in its fullest glory. It was surely a sight to behold during afternoon practice, but seeing the way it sparkled now was breathtaking. Yumi watched as background actors in suits and gowns began to filter in from the crossover, bringing the scene to life with their presence. As much as she had wanted to rag on the club members, it was very hard to deny the lengths they were capable of when it came to theater.

As the actors took their places, Yumi watched the rest of those clad in scarlet attire make their way to the stage. Ai slowly made her way towards the other three knights, slipping betwixt them like cards in a deck and rendering the quartet indistinguishable from one another in the crowded scene. Although to the actress it was fairly obvious which was her auburn-haired friend, given the way one of the knights continued to make glances at her with a sheepish grin. She couldn’t help but smile back, knowing full well that if she truly had been the princess that night? The choice would’ve already been obvious.

For the most part, Yumi kept distant. Most of the scenes at the ball focused more on the Scarlet Knights and the argument of which of them held the most legitimacy to the title. The arguments were simple at first, but slowly built in intensity as the knights made claims of their many feats of bravery. Eventually, the group decided on a challenge that would determine the validity of their claims. Each knight would share a dance with the princess, and the one that successfully ‘wooed’ her truly owned the title they all sought to claim; allowing the actress to reenter the fray.

As the actress began to dance with the knights, she could feel herself growing ever so slightly impatient. She certainly liked to believe herself a professional of the arts, she was poised and focused when she needed to be, and always approached her acting with care. But even for someone of her level, waiting for a chance to dance with Ai felt like it dragged on forever. Each knight candidate would come up, put on ‘the charm’, and reveal their flaws to the audience. The first was greedy, making a point to direct attention to the wealth he hoped to inherit more than anything. The second was sleezy, talking to her more like a conquest to be won than a love to be shared. The third was pretentious, charming and ‘exciting’, sure, but using it more to boost his own ego than anything. He was meant to be the real Scarlet Knight; the man that donned the mask before the masquerade, and the one that Ai’s character would have to stand up to in order to make her way to Yumi's aid, thus proving that she’s the better knight in the end. Although frankly, in her opinion? As she danced with the supposed ‘true knight’ it was almost hard to believe that the princess in the story ever fell in love with someone like him in the first place.

Eventually, Ai made her way to Yumi, outstretching a hand as she swooped in to relieve the actress from the others. The princess took it in kind, cocking a curious eyebrow as she examined the auburn-haired knight like it was the first time she’d seen her. “Oh? Another one?” She asked playfully, “Tell me then, are you also supposed to be the Scarlet Knight?”

“That’s correct, milady.” Ai responded with a smirk, pulling the actress in for a dance, “Though I’d surely hope you would recognize me after all this time, considering how often we’ve already met.”

“Is that so?” Yumi questioned, giving her a smirk of her own, “How funny, I’ve heard the very same from three other knights just this evening. And I suppose you also expect me to believe you, rather than them?”

The auburn-haired knight shook her head, her confidence never faltering, “I don’t see myself in a position to expect anything, milady. For I am a knight, a man whose purpose is to serve the one that serves her kingdom. To expect you to serve me in turn would be a mockery of the craft in which I’ve devoted myself to.” Yumi watched Ai wink at her from behind the mask, a gesture meant only for her, before continuing to follow the script, “Rather, I believe you should listen to your heart, and allow its song to guide you instead of my own.”

The actress looked her knight up and down, mock surprise painted on her face. Her words may have been recited from a page, but that didn’t stop them from feeling impactful. “I see. It’s a curious notion that you’ve proposed, but I shan't deny its intrigue.” Yumi then took a… slight creative liberty, leaning in closer as the pair danced, “Tell me then, O’ Scarlet Knight, what kind of song does your heart sing?”

Ai stared at her, a redness in her cheeks peeking out from behind the mask, “...It… it simply sings of my desire to dance with you, milady.”

At that, Yumi smiled earnestly. “Very well then. If that is all it asks, then it is my honor to indulge. For who am I to deny the hymns of the heart?”

It was on that note that the scene shifted, as while every knight got a chance to dance, Ai’s character was afforded the longest; a fact that made Yumi incredibly grateful. The lights dimmed, and the background characters drifted to its sides, leaving a large space in the middle of the stage for the two to dance. It was a simple set of moves, something easy to choreograph on short notice, while still remaining a visual treat for the audience to behold. And although it was the longest dance by far, the thought of potentially getting to drift through the ballroom in Ai’s arms for the rest of the night made it seem far too short in comparison.

In the interim of dialogue, Yumi gave the girl a small smile, whispering under her breath, “How do you feel?”

The auburn-haired girl, seemingly surprised by the interjection, took a moment before responding in her own hushed tones, “Good. Nervous as hell, but good.” The actress nodded with a gaze of understanding, and with that solidarity Ai continued, “How am I doing so far?”

“Good. Super good.” Yumi whispered back sincerely, “Hard to believe it’s your first time doing this.”

Ai gave her a small smirk, “What can I say? I had a dang good teacher.”

The princess smiled, stifling a laugh at her companion’s charming remark. What had she done to deserve someone like Ai Ebihara? She allowed herself to fall back into the flow of their dance as she pondered the thought, letting the auburn-haired knight’s hands guide her through the night. It was funny to admit to herself, but as she danced, it was hard for the girl to imagine a single place she’d rather be.

However, as much as she wanted the moment to last, the show had to go on, a fact that made itself very apparent as the ballroom began to rumble. It started low at first, allowing the two dancers to part as the lights around them lit back up. Soon it was all encompassing, drawing gasps from the other attendants of the masquerade as a hulking shape entered the scene.

“HOW DARE YOU!” A booming voice erupted from off stage, powerful and all encapsulating, it rocked the stage with its presence. Large shadowed hands were brought into view as the form of the Dark King made itself apparent. Its massive form made imposing even despite its cardboard craftsmanship, its dark featureless maw hidden behind a large imposing mask. Its voice rang out again, shaking the stage as it did, “What is this farce before me? Humans dawning the forms of shadows? Insolent fools dancing in darkness behind masks? The mask is MY chosen mark, for it hides the soul from the light! You’ve made a mockery of my kingdom with your little party, a mockery of the Lord of Shadows! The darkness is MY domain! As such, it seems only fair for me to claim this darkened land under MY rule! Starting with you.”

In a single stroke, a shadowed hand pushed itself onto center stage, wrapping itself around Yumi’s waist, before pulling back towards the larger form of its body. As the actress allowed herself to move with the prop, she let out a shrill scream of terror, reaching out towards Ai. “Help me, O’ Scarlet Knight! Help me!”

Ai and the other knights brandished their swords, eliciting a sinister laugh from the Dark King, “Oh? And what is this supposed to be?”

“Let go of her, fiend!” One knight began.

“How dare you steal her majesty!” Another continued.

“She does not belong to you, whelp!” The third chimed.

Instead of addressing the monster before them, Ai instead turned to Yumi with reassurance, “We’ll save you, milady!”

The monster’s laugh grew uproariously. “What a foolish band of servants you possess, princess! A noble effort, but a worthless one all the same. For I am the darkness that swallows even light, and without the light, you are nothing.” The beast’s head careened to look towards Yumi, “You belong to me now. Just as your people do, and just as your kingdom does. Look upon your new king and despair! An age of darkness is upon you now, and soon all will hail me as its lord!”

And with that, the large form of the Dark King pulled itself offstage, laughing maniacally as it took its leave. Yumi was trapped securely in tow, calling for her knight until the audience couldn’t make her out anymore. As the pair made their way backstage, the actress gently pulled herself out of the rig’s tight embrace. She glanced towards the clock. She didn’t appear again until close to the second act’s end, giving the girl ample time to watch her knight from the crossover.

Despite her love of performing, it was actually quite fun watching Ai act from the sidelines. The girl had a certain bravado about her that was hard to ignore. Even if her lines came out choppy, or there were times she couldn’t remember them, her flair for the dramatic made her performance stand out regardless. And that in and of itself was a talent to be proud of.

As the four knights began their quest, each one was slowly bested. The first two knights fell under the temptations of their desires. Promises to satiate their greed and lust led them both astray, leading Ai’s character to improve on what she needed to proceed. As the auburn-haired girl and her remaining competition approached the tower, the last knight decided she’d gone far enough. Proclaiming himself as the true Scarlet Knight, he challenged her character to a duel, not taking Ai’s protests as an answer. It was a battle of both strength and mind, swords and spirit; but whether by determination or sheer luck, the auburn-haired knight came out on top. And now, with nothing left in her way, the knight made her way into the Dark King’s domain.

As the scene faded to darkness, Yumi helped the production team with their last bit of set up, swapping their generic forest background for a more sinister one. In doing so, she caught a glimpse of Ai in the darkness, practicing swinging her sword. A small smile crept on her face as she watched the auburn-haired girl train her moves. It filled her with a deep sense of happiness to know her friend cared as much as she did. Despite the hardships and strife, the girl sincerely wanted nothing more than to do her best. And for that Yumi wanted to give her the world.

Eventually, the lights faded back in, the dark environments highlighted in a sinister glow. Ai stood valiantly in the midst of it, hat billowing in the winds as though she could take on the world, and as the actress was ushered back into the monstrous grasp of her captor, she believed in that valiance fully.

“WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN!?” The Dark King’s voice rang out once more, echoing throughout the packed auditorium. “I am a darkness that cannot be stopped, a force that cannot be controlled! To come as far as you have is a fool's errand and nothing more! I have claimed my prize, and any who object are dead men walking!” The beast was rolled on stage, its larger than life gaze fixated on the auburn-haired knight in front of him “So tell me? Who is the fool that dares show their face here!?”

Ai cocked her head up to face the lord of shadows, a determined smirk plastered on her face. “You underestimate me, O’ Lord of Shadows! Did you really think your meager traps could dissuade the Scarlet Knight? Perhaps it was you who was foolish!”

The monster let out a ferocious roar. “YOU DARE TO MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME?”

“I dare to be honest, wretch!” Ai retorted, drawing her gleaming sword and pointing it directly down his line of sight. “As far as I see it, you have two options, lowly one! You can leave the princess you’ve so wrongfully stolen here and run away with your tail between your legs. Or you can stand your ground and face. my. might.”

With a mighty roar, the two foes engaged in combat. Ai spent most of the fight in motion, dodging and weaving through the beast’s attacks, looking for her angle to strike, all while the king sent flurry after flurry of attacks to bring her down. The motions were fluid and well rehearsed, with each dodge carefully crafted and each blow intentional. But as the fight went on, the Scarlet Knight’s movements grew weaker, and eventually the beast got a good hit in, eliciting a gasp from the crowd as it landed. In a single blow Ai crumpled to the ground, her mask falling away, hitting the ground with a resounding CRACK! The girl was weakened, breathing heavily as she leaned on her sword for support, looking up as the beast stood over her, roaring with a mocking laugh.

“Is that really the best you can do?” He chided victoriously, clutching Yumi close as though to denote she had been won. “This is The Scarlet Knight? The man your Princess has been calling for? The praises she sung of you were high, child. And yet this is the best you humans have to offer? How pathetic. I would’ve liberated your lands ages ago if I’d known you all to be so weak.”

Ai tried to stand, but couldn’t, gaining yet another laugh from the beast. “You are bested little one, run away now while I still believe mercy to be a fair fate to grant you. You have shown me all you are capable of, and I have seen all I need to believe it.”

For a moment Ai seemed resigned, looking towards the audience with a sorrowful expression. The girl made her way to her feet, and slowly stepped back, her hands shaking as she clutched her sword. Her knight was going to run, she knew deep down the worst parts of her knight wanted the auburn-haired girl to believe his words were true. They told her she was better as she had been, and not as she was trying to be. But the princess wouldn’t let that stand. Yumi clawed from within the monster’s grasp, lurching over his hand to call out to her companion, “Don’t give up O’ brave knight! I believe in you!”

At the sound of her voice, Ai seemed to pause, before her gaze steeled, “Do not worry milady. You have nothing to fear.” The girl turned to the hulking shadow, a newfound strength in her eyes, “For you are wrong, O’ lowly one. Do you hear me? You’re wrong.”

If the prop-formed beast had been capable of cocking an eyebrow, Yumi was sure it would have, “Oh? And just how am I wrong, child?”

The auburn-haired girl clenched her teeth, holding her sword in front of her with a renewed vigor, her determination no longer hidden behind the guise of her mask. “You may have been right. I may not be The Scarlet Knight, I may not be the perfect hero I strived to be. But that won’t stop me from being the best I can be.” The girl paused, glaring at the monster intensely, “But I will not stop until I’ve saved the Princess, and you have no idea what I’m capable of.”

And with that, Ai sprung back into action, the Dark King sent a flurry of swings her way, but nothing could dissuade her now. When offense didn’t help him, the king backed up, throwing a blow in front of him to keep the knight away. Instead, however, the auburn-haired knight leapt from the ground, jumping on to the defending hand, or more accurately a small step built in behind it, before plunging her sword into a spot in his cardboard body that was meant to be shredded. The monster roared in agony, flailing as best he could to stop the pain. But it was far too late, as the beast had drawn its final breath, collapsing backwards to be taken backstage. The audience erupted in cheers, giving both Ai and Yumi a moment to share a deep breath. The princess had slipped away from the monster's grasp, and stood to look at her knight. The auburn-haired knight, in turn, turned away from the actress, for she still had her own secrets to hide.

“Oh thank you for saving me, O’ brave knight!” Yumi called out, her hands clasped together in front of her, “How ever can I repay you for such bravery?”

“Repay it by not sparing me a glance, milady!” Ai replied, a hand cautiously placed in front of her face. “For the wretched beast has broken my mask, and I can not bear for you to see my true self.”

Yumi cocked her head, a pleading tone in her voice, “But my oh so cherished knight! It was you who saved me from the mad clutches of the Dark King! There is nary a thing that could dissuade me from repaying your kindness.” A scolding look plastered itself on her face as she continued, “Do not think me so shallow as to be repulsed by your appearance.”

The auburn-haired knight let out a tired chuckle, “No milady, I assure you it’s nothing of the sort. For despite my bravery tonight, I am… I am not the man you believe me to be.”

The actress gaze searchingly at the scarlet-clad girl, before placing a hand tentatively on her chest. “Whatever do you mean?”

Ai looked at her, and for a moment their eyes met, “I am not the man you think I am, milady. I am not the Scarlet Knight. He was… one of those left behind. I am nothing more than-”

Before the girl could finish her line, Yumi felt the wind behind her picking up. One of the fans, that were meant to lay dormant after the Dark King’s defeat, had suddenly sprung to life. It was only for a moment, and at first, Yumi believed it to simply be an error. But as she turned her attention backstage to see what had happened, she found one of the girls on the production team staring back with a malicious grin. Was this some kind of prank? Why now? What was the point?

A sudden gasp from the audience brought her attention back to the stage, and it was only then that Yumi found her answer.

Ai’s hat, once perfectly situated on her head, had been blown off the stage, the simple act allowing the girl’s auburn locks to spill down the sides of her face, leaving them visible for all to see. Something had gone wrong, something had gone unaccounted for. And when all had been said and done? Ai froze. The poor girl didn’t know what to do. And as the actress assessed the situation, she worried that she didn’t either. The scarlet-clad girl looked down at her feet, sneaking a glance at the crowd in front of her, before returning it to the ground. Yumi swallowed, she couldn’t expect her friend to be ready for this. She was hoping things would go smoothly enough that this wouldn’t have been an issue. The auburn-haired girl simply wasn’t up to this task. If they wanted to get out of this in a satisfying way, the actress was going to have to take the reins. Yumi opened her mouth to speak, to make excuses, to do anything to get them back on course.

But despite her efforts, someone else beat her to it.

“I didn’t want you to find out like this, Milady” Ai had spoken up, quietly and cautiously, a look in her eyes that Yumi couldn’t even begin to decipher. “I never wanted you to see me this way.”

The actress was at a loss. Was Ai just… going to move on like it hadn’t happened? In all honesty, that was probably for the best. It was in their best interest that she’d played along. “...Whatever do you mean, O’ brave knight? See you in what way?”

“Like this!” The auburn-haired girl cried out, clutching her sides tenderly, as she fell to her knees, “I’m not the Scarlet Knight! I’m not a knight at all! I’m not even a man. I’m… I’m nothing more than a handmaid that thought she could play pretend. A handmaid that… that thought she could earn your respect. Earn… earn you affection. But it was just that: pretend. I’m not strong, or charming, or courageous like the others. I’m… I’m just lucky. I’m… I’m sorry. I’m nothing like what you want.”

Yumi was taken completely aback. Any logic she’d tried to fall back on had completely failed her, leaving nothing but white noise in their wake. None of that was in the script. None of that had been rehearsed. The fact that Ai had been cast in a man’s role was never meant to be integrated into the plot. This was something entirely new, and that meant only one thing:

Ai Ebihara was improvising.

Shaking the surprise from her mind, the actress pivoted. If Ai was going off script, she wasn’t going to let her venture out alone, “You’re wrong.” She replied bluntly, catching the auburn-haired girl off guard herself.

“W-What?” The girl replied, just as taken aback as Yumi had been.

The actress took a few steps forward, before reaching a hand out to the girl in front of her. “You say you're not strong, or courageous, or charming, but that simply is not true. If you weren’t strong, you never could’ve saved me from the Dark King. If you weren’t courageous, you would never have gotten this far in the first place. And if you weren’t charming…” The princess averted her gaze, a blush painted on her cheeks, “You wouldn’t have won my heart when you danced with me tonight.”

“B-but…” Ai began to stammer, a redness present on her face as well, “But I’m not exciting like he is. The Scarlet Knight goes on adventures and helps people. But I… I just clean the bedsheets… I’m nobody.”

“I don’t want someone exciting. I want somebody kind.” She continued to outstretch a hand to the girl, waiting for her to take it, “I believed the Scarlet Knight to be kind to me because he told me what I wanted to hear. But he was never truly there for me. When my life was in danger, he didn’t save me, but you did.” The actress gave the girl a sincere smile, “I’ve heard the hymns of your heart, and it’s a beautiful song. So if you really are the one that came to my aid, then I was wrong about him, not you.

After a moment of careful consideration, Yumi watched as Ai took her hand, allowing the scarlet-clad girl to rise to her feet. The girl looked the actress longingly in the eyes for a moment, before quickly turning away. “I’m not what you want…”

Yumi gently put her hand to the girl’s face, gently titling it so that they were looking each other in the eyes. A very certain expression burnt into the red on her face. Ai looked at her abashedly, but didn’t interject, allowing the princess to speak the truth of her heart.

“You are everything I want.”

Yumi leaned in, feeling the auburn-haired girl’s breath as it passed against her face. The pair had discussed during practice that a small peck on the cheek would be more than enough for the stage kiss. And yet, when Ai’s lips met hers, the actress didn’t try to course correct.

It was a single moment, yet it was a million moments at the same time. It was as though time had stopped for everyone but them. It was everything she’d wanted it to be all at once. The feeling struck her heart like the crackle of fireworks, building and building until it reached its dazzling crescendo. And just as soon as it had begun, the moment passed. As their lips parted. Yumi couldn’t help but stare into Ai’s gaze, the flushness in her cheeks practically matching the scarlet color of her clothes. The pair were locked in an unspoken staring contest for what felt like forever, and Yumi couldn’t help but worry she’d done something wrong. But after a moment, the auburn-haired girl smiled at her. Not a half smile or a smirk, a full on smile. It was as sweet as it was sincere, and the actress couldn’t help but fall in love all over again.

Eventually, the curtains began to close as the final narrations played out. It was a simple conclusion; the princess and the knight got together, and they lived happily ever after. And yet, as its script was read out, albeit slightly altered to match the… last minute additions, Yumi hardly found the attention to pay it any mind.

After all, her happily ever after was standing right in front of her.

- Saturday, November 24th: Moon -

Applause echoed throughout the auditorium as the curtains were drawn, the pair’s final performance of ‘Knights Of The Scarlet Masquerade’ coming to a close. It was hard to believe how quickly the week had gone by. She had started it so nervous, ready for it all to be over. And yet now? Now all Ai wanted to do was do it all again. For a second it was hard to parse where the change might’ve occurred. But when the girl thought about it in hindsight? The source of her admiration became increasingly obvious.

As the red velvet curtains veiled the pair from the crowd, the auburn-haired girl slowly pulled away from her co-star, gazing into her eyes with a newfound curiosity. When Ai had inadvertently changed the story on opening night with her improvisations, she’d assumed they’d be a temporary addition. But when the prez overheard that the audience had actually preferred the twist, it became a normal part of the rest of their shows; meaning the auburn-haired girl’s additions were there to stay.

It also meant that she’d been kissing Yumi on the lips for the past six nights, but thinking about that only stood to leave her dizzy.

As the pair pulled away from each other for curtain call, Ai couldn’t help but keep her gaze fixed on the actress, a gentle blush on the girl’s cheeks as she looked back. And then she had the audacity to wink at her, which left the scarlet-clad girl feeling dizzy all over again.

Eventually, the pair met up with the group to take a bow, garnering one last round of applause before the club members retreated backstage for the night. Their duties all but completed, most of the club members began to say their goodbyes, before heading out the backdoor to meet up with their parents. Ai’s family had come to see the show a few days earlier, so she was simply going to walk home when she was ready. Thus, with nothing left to direct her, and no script left to follow, the girl slumped against the backstage walls of the auditoriums with an exhausted sigh. What was beginning to feel like the longest month of her life was coming to a close, and yet it was hard to fathom what her life would’ve been like without it, just as it was hard to fathom what her life would be like now that it was over. The auburn-haired girl wasn’t sure if she was ready for things to go back to how they'd been before. Where would she even go from here?

A familiar shape slumped next to her on the wall, offering an elongated sigh of her own, and the answer began to seem more than obvious.

“Wow, I can’t believe we’re already done!” Yumi offered, turning to Ai with a smile she knew all too well. “I feel like I could go another week if they wanted us to, y’know?”

Ai offered a small laugh in return, “Honestly? Yeah, I feel the same way.” She gazed up at the auditorium’s roof, watching the starry sky pass through its windows, “I… I liked this. A lot.”

“Me too.” Yumi replied, shuffling ever so slightly closer to the auburn-haired girl as she continued, “It’s hard to believe it’s only been a month. It’s… hard to believe it’s over.”

Ai rested her head on the nook of the actress’s neck, causing the girl to suck in a small yet sharp breath at the advance. “It doesn’t have to be over.” The scarlet-clad girl muttered to her friend, closing her eyes as she rested.

Yumi, in turn, rested her head on Ai’s, letting out a small exhale to match. “I don’t think I want it to be over…”

The pair sat in silence for what felt like forever. Ai let herself drift in the flow of the actress’s breathing, eventually matching it with her own. She breathed in, and thought of all that led her to this moment. She breathed out, and let it all fall away. If she was frozen here next to Yumi for the rest of her life, she’d pass on wishing for just a moment longer. A thought entered her mind, a single question passing through the gates of her mind, her focus wandering just long enough to allow it center stage.

Was this what love was meant to feel like?

The auburn-haired girl felt her lips curl into a smile, she knew she already had her answer.

As the moment slowly began to pass, Ai allowed her eyes to slowly slip open, a gentle grin on her face, “So, have given our deal any thought? Think you wanna rejoin the club next semester? Make it all a little more… official?”

The auburn-haired girl felt her friend lift her head from its perch, taking the opportunity to do the same so that she could look the girl in the eyes. Yumi chuckled at what she could only assume to be the realization Ai had even remembered that, before speaking up herself, “You really sure you want to?”

Ai gave her a sincere smirk, “Absolutely. Though frankly, if I’m with you? I bet I could do anything.”

Yumi smiled back, a small laugh escaping her lips, “Alright then, You know what? What the heck! Why not! Let's do it! Let’s keep acting!”

Ai gave her a gentle shoulder bump at that, excitement clear on her “Attagirl!”

It was then that a gentle ringing filled the room, Ai wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from, but the way Yumi suddenly perked up made it clear she did. With a small, “Oh!” the girl shuffled over to where the club members had kept their school bags, dutifully shuffling through hers until she pulled out a small cell phone. She fiddled with it for a moment, examining the caller ID, before turning to face the auburn-haired girl again, “Oh, It’s my mom. Would you gimme two seconds to take this?”

Ai gave the girl a small nod, and the actress flipped the screen up to answer, “Hey mom! …Yeah. …It went well! …Uh huh. …Oh okay! …Yeah I’ll be there in a few! …Okay! …I love you too! …Bye!”

Flipping the phone shut, Yumi turned back towards the auburn-haired girl to explain, “She’s picking me up soon. We’re gonna go to Aiya’s to celebrate the last show of the semester!” The notion seemed to embarrass her friend, as the actress averted her gaze before she continued, “It’s… something we used to do back when I was a formal member. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised she remembered.”

“Oh… That’s fun!” Ai replied, gently rubbing her arm as the actress took the opportunity to go change. The thought of her departing soon made her realize just how final everything felt. Sure they’d see each other during drama club next semester, but that wouldn’t officially start up until after winter break ended in January, meaning it’d be a while until the pair would get to see each other again. Even though they’d reunite soon, the thought of having to wait just didn’t sit right with the auburn-haired girl. She’d worked hard to make a friend, and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to work hard to keep her. That train of thought caused another to cross her mind, causing the girl to spring into action. She rummaged through her own bag, before eventually finding the object she’d been looking for. And when Yumi eventually made her way back, she put her plan into motion.

“Hey, so… I um… don’t really know if this is weird or not to ask…” Ai stuttered timidly, looking down at the floor as her nerves suddenly took over in full force, her hand shaking gently as she held out her own phone, “But um… do you… maybe… want my number? J-just in case! If you… have any spare time before the club starts back up in January, or if you wanna do something during winter break! I’m pretty much always available if… if you want to… I don’t know. Go out… sometime? With… meeee…..?”

Ai couldn’t help but count the thousands of ways that could’ve gone better, gently sneaking a glance towards her friend, who seemed like she was doing everything in her power to keep herself from smiling. Eventually, Yumi gave her a small nod, and Ai felt her nerves deflate like balloons, “Okay! It’ll be a date, then!”

A date with Yumi… Ai couldn’t even begin to pretend she didn’t like the sound of that.

Numbers were quickly exchanged, and as her phone was returned to her, the auburn-haired girl couldn’t help but feel like she was holding solid gold. She clutched it tighter on instinct, as if dropping it would make it disappear from her life forever, “So… I… guess I’ll call you sometime then?”

Yumi looked at her with a playful smirk plastered on her face, “You can call me tonight if you want.”

Ai nodded vigorously in response, tonight sounded good to her.

“Okay then! Um… I guess I’ll talk to you then!” Yumi began, a timid look replacing her smug one as a pink blush spread across her cheeks. Before Ai could even begin to decipher its meaning, the girl rushed to her side, planting a quick kiss on her cheek, before grasping her bag and sprinting out the door.

Despite the intense burning sensation on her cheeks, Ai was frozen in place. She tenderly rubbed the spot on her cheek that the actress had kissed; it felt the same, and yet so, so different at the same time. In a single moment it had all made sense to the girl. She was wrong to assume things would simply go back to how they’d been before. So much was different now. So much had changed. She had changed. And for the first time in a long time, she truly felt like they’d changed for the better.

Because if this was the part Ai got to play? Then she must've been the luckiest actress in the performance.