Work Text:
“Band room... Band room...”
The Trailblazers are currently in Penacony, where they recently saved the Penacony Paperfold University College from turning into a place filled with monkeys and bananas.
“Band room...”
March lets out a sigh.
“They already told us in class about some of the clubs available to the students, but even so, I didn’t expect there to be so many that it would be this difficult to find one in particular without a map...”
It is already quite late, and most of the students have left, leaving only those who are finishing up their extracurricular activities. Whether they’re rehearsing plays, filming movies, preparing food, and so on.
“Band room... Oh, I finally found it!”
March slowly opens the door to avoid disturbing anyone and timidly whispers the name of the person she has been looking for.
“Stelle, are you here?”
Although there is no response, she has found the person she was looking for, sitting on a stool facing the wall and fiddling with the strings of a guitar as she tries to come up with a melody.
March slowly approaches and calls out to her again.
“Stelle?”
“Ah!”
Stelle gives a little start.
“Sorry, March. I was focused and didn’t hear you come in.”
“Don’t worry. Are you learning to play the guitar?”
“Something like that...” she gets up and begins putting the guitar away in its case. “It’s so I can do a better job as the band’s manager.”
Although Stelle isn’t actually a student at Penacony Paperfold University College, she is currently helping the school’s band as their manager so they can participate in the musical festival that is about to begin. Her duties include helping with the creation of original songs and trying to keep the band together.
“Oooh, are you going to be the one writing the songs?”
“No, it’ll probably be Rappa. She’s pretty excited about it, and she clearly has much more musical experience than I do. It’s just that...”
She places the guitar, now safely stored in its case, inside a locker.
“I thought it would be a good idea to at least learn the basics so I could understand music theory better and help out as much as possible.”
“Wow. I thought Robin had put you in a tough spot by recommending you as manager, but I see you’ve gotten used to it pretty quickly. You already sound like a proper student here!”
“D-don’t make fun of me.”
March laughs.
“Ah, right. Why did you need me?”
“Because I was worried you were so focused on the club that you hadn’t realized how late it already was.”
Stelle takes out her phone and checks the time.
“Looks like you were right. Although I could actually stay for another couple of hours.”
“I knew you’d say that too. Remember, once the festival officially starts, you’ll probably be swamped with work and end up staying up late.”
March grabs Stelle’s hand.
“Since you have the chance today, you absolutely have to get some rest. Besides, Himeko was worried about you too. Let’s not keep her waiting any longer.”
“Yeah, yeah...”
Just as March was feeling victorious over having convinced Stelle to rest so easily, the clubroom door suddenly bursts open and someone enters.
“I-Is there anyone here who can help us?!”
The person who entered is a student named Gabbana, the Performing Arts Club President.
“Ah! Thank goodness there are still students around... Could you help us, please?”
Stelle and March look at each other, somewhat alarmed by whatever might be happening and by how worried Gabbana looks.
Stelle decides to step forward.
“We’re not exactly students, but tell us what’s happening. I’m sure we can help.”
“I’m the Performing Arts Club President, and tomorrow the club has to put on a play for the rest of the students and the people who are coming to visit the musical festival. I was setting up the stage with a couple of other students and getting everything ready, but there’s been a problem.”
“What problem?”
“One of the girls accidentally spilled a bottle of water that had been left open onto the sound equipment, and it broke the audio mixer. We won’t be able to put on the play without it...”
“If you’re going to ask us to repair it, March and I don’t really know much about that...”
“No, no. We have to buy a new one, but at this hour, an order wouldn’t arrive in time for tomorrow morning. We have to go to the store ourselves and bring the equipment back. The problem is that it’s quite far away, so we’ll lose what’s left of the night, and we’ll need all the available club members to carry everything.”
“Sounds like you’ve already got that part figured out... Oh, do you need someone to finish setting up the stage since you won’t be able to get back into the academy until tomorrow?”
“Exactly!” Gabbana enthusiastically grabs Stelle’s hands. “We won’t be able to return before the academy closes, so we'll take the equipment home, but we need to have the stage ready first thing tomorrow morning. Could you and your friend please help us?”
Stelle glances at March, who nods.
“Alright, I think we can help you.”
“Thank you so much!” she exclaims while enthusiastically shaking Stelle’s hands. “I’ll give you photos and instructions so you know how—”
Gabbana begins to notice the murderous glare March is directing at her hands. Somewhat frightened, she stops shaking Stelle’s hands and releases them.
“Ahem... As I was saying, I’ll send you instructions and photos of how the props and the rest of the stage should look. Could you give me your phone number?”
Just as Stelle is about to take her phone out of her pocket, she feels March’s hand starting to push it back inside. March takes out her own phone and smiles somewhat ominously.
“Better give me your number, Gabbana.”
“O-oh... S-sure, no problem.”
Once they have exchanged numbers and Gabbana has sent them everything they need, she quickly says goodbye and leaves.
Stelle lets out a sigh of relief.
“From the urgency with which she arrived, I thought the academy had filled up with monkeys again.”
“Well, it’s something pretty important to her. It makes sense that she was so alarmed.” she sighs and looks at Stelle somewhat sadly. “Still...”
“I know. Sorry for dragging you into this when you came to make me rest, but I felt bad about letting them have their play ruined when they seem to have worked so hard on it...”
“Don’t worry, let’s try to finish quickly. I’ll call Himeko on the way and explain that we’ll be late.”
“Alright. I’ll guide you there.”
. . . .
After spending an hour and a half almost without rest setting up all the main props and moving the rest backstage for the scene changes, the stage was ready. March took a photo for Gabbana, who quickly replied that everything looked good.
After a long phone call in which she thanked them repeatedly, the night finally came to an end, and they could return to the Astral Express.
“The stage really is beautiful. It’s a shame we don’t have time to come watch the play because you’ll be so busy with the musical festival.”
“...”
“Stelle?”
Stelle has all her attention focused on a notebook that she seems to have been reading for a while.
“She’s reading the play’s script...”
March notices how focused she seems to be while reading.
“Is it really that interesting?”
She picks up one of the copies of the script lying backstage and starts reading it while standing on the stage.
“Let’s see what it’s about...”
The play tells the story of Princess Selene and her maid, Marah. Throughout the story, the two of them face various difficulties with Selene’s family and at the academy they attend. Even so, they remain together, and little by little their bond begins to become something more than that of mistress and servant.
Near the end of the play, Selene discovers that Marah was an undercover agent sent by the enemy kingdom to spy on her since she was a child. After the truth is revealed, Marah tries to flee, but an enraged Selene pursues her, demanding answers.
The two engage in a duel, and Marah dies at Selene’s hands. Immediately afterward, Selene decides to end her own life and perish beside the person she loved.
“How sad...”
March wipes her eyes a little, despite not quite having cried. When she finishes, she realizes that Stelle is standing beside her on the stage.
“Oh, I was reading the script too and didn’t see you. Do you want us to leave now and—”
Suddenly, a cardboard prop sword wielded by Stelle is held close to March’s neck.
“S-Stelle?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Huh?”
“I said tell me the truth!”
March becomes slightly frightened.
“W-what are you—”
She notices that Stelle is moving the script in her hand from side to side.
“Ah... Could it be...?”
March opens her own copy and starts looking through it. She quickly finds the dialogue Stelle was referring to. Assuming she wants to act out the final scene, she begins getting into character as well.
“W-what truth?”
“Were you really a spy this whole time?”
“...”
“Answer me!”
“Yes. I always was.”
Stelle moves the sword closer to March’s neck while laughing maniacally.
“Hahahaha! So it was true.”
“...”
“Was all the time we spent together just a game to you?”
“...”
“Did you enjoy playing with my feelings all this time, creating false memories for me?!”
March silently grabs a sword as though she had been carrying it at her waist the entire time and forcefully knocks the sword away from her neck.
“So this is your answer. Very well...”
Stelle raises her sword.
“So be it, then.”
The two begin exchanging blows. Since the swords are made of cardboard, they can’t strike each other with their usual strength without breaking them. Even so, they have enough skill to make it look like a real duel.
After a long battle, March’s sword is knocked from her grasp, and she falls to her knees. Stelle pushes her so that she falls onto a mat and climbs on top of her, placing the tip of the sword against her chest.
“What kind of joke is this, Marah?”
“...”
“Can you speak instead of staying silent?!” she presses the sword against her, “What kind of attacks were those?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just end my life. You’ve won.”
“Haha. As if I won. We’ve trained together countless times, and I’ve never been able to beat you. You weren’t fighting seriously.”
“...”
“Silent again, huh...”
Tears begin to fall from Stelle’s eyes.
“You know, I... really did love you...”
March freezes for a moment.
“... Stelle?”
“I don’t care if you’re a spy, an assassin, or my greatest enemy.” she wipes away her tears, “I just want to know the truth... Was everything we experienced together a lie?”
Still surprised by Stelle’s acting ability and wondering if there might be something more behind it, March does her best to match her performance.
“You are the person I love most, Lady Selene.”
“...”
Stelle’s eyes remain fixed on March.
“Although it is true that my task was to spy on you, once we began spending so much time together and my feelings for you blossomed, I abandoned my mission. I haven’t sent any relevant information in many years.”
“If that’s true, there was no need for you to run away, Marah...”
“I can no longer stay by your side, Lady Selene. The enemy kingdom realized that I wasn’t fulfilling my role and revealed my identity to your family. No matter where I go, I will die in one kingdom or the other.”
“B-but... We could have thought of something together to solve this. If I talk to my parents, I’m sure—”
March places a hand against Stelle’s cheek.
“Before I fled, I saw that even your family had begun to suspect that you knew and had been hiding my identity from them. The only way to stop them from suspecting you is for you to be the one who ends my life.”
Tears begin to fall from Stelle’s eyes onto March’s face.
“N-no... There has to be another alternative.”
“You know there isn’t, Lady Selene.”
“...”
Stelle throws the sword aside and embraces her.
“E-eh?”
“I refuse to be separated from you.”
What Stelle is doing now isn’t in the script they had been reading until this point. March, clearly confused, starts trying to figure out what is happening.
“H-has she started improvising?”
“Let’s run away together.”
“H-how am I supposed to continue from here?”
March’s thoughts begin to race, leaving her unable to figure out how to proceed.
“I see. So you really don’t want to be with me.”
“Eh... N-no. You’re wrong.”
“Really?”
“Y-yes. Let’s run away together, but... where would we go?”
March regains some of her composure and allows herself to follow the direction Stelle seems to want to take.
“I don’t know. Let’s just run away. As long as we’re together, I feel like everything will work out.”
“You won’t be able to see your family again or enjoy the comforts you’ve had until now. Are you okay with that?”
“It’s no problem. I’ll get used to it. Besides...” she strokes March’s cheek. “You’re more important to me than my family.”
March’s heart starts pounding.
“I-If that is what you wish, my lady, I will follow you to the very end.”
Stelle hugs her again.
“I love you.”
March blushes slightly, forgetting for a moment that this is still just a performance.
“I-I love you too.”
“Then let us seal the pact of our new life together.”
Stelle takes March by the chin, lightly brushes her lip, and slowly begins moving closer to her.
“S-S-S-Stelle?!”
There is no response.
“Is this really happening?”
She begins to notice Stelle’s breathing.
“Calm down. It’s just part of the performance... Yes, that’s all it is...”
Their bodies begin to brush against each other.
“And even if it isn’t...”
March closes her eyes.
“It’s not like it really matters...”
Mwah.
Stelle’s lips touch March’s cheek instead of her lips.
“Huh?”
“Phew, good work.”
“...Huh?”
“I wasn’t satisfied with the ending after reading the script. It felt a little forced, but the important thing is that they’ll stay alive and be happy.”
“...”
“When I saw your face while you were reading it, I figured you felt the same way, so I thought it would be a good idea to rewrite the ending together. Maybe we should talk to Gabbana about changing it.”
Stelle takes out her phone and checks the time.
“It got pretty late. Himeko must be worried, so let’s head home.”
“...”
“March?”
“...”
“Why are you being so quiet? Sorry if you didn’t like the ending, but it’s my first time improvising and—”
March stands up, punches Stelle in the face, and quickly walks away, trying to hide her flushed face.
“M-March?”
“Idiot.”