"A noble heart now broken. Good night, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
With Hamlet's death, the entire play came to an end. The stage lights dimmed, and the curtains slowly closed once more.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the audience—not a sigh of impatience or boredom, but of emotional release. Everyone had been thoroughly captivated by the performance, as if their hearts had been tightly held by the protagonist. Now, with the final act over, they were slowly returning to reality.
Some couldn't even wait for the cast to take their bows and had already begun to applaud.
The thunderous applause and cheers reached a fever pitch, filling the theater with electric energy.
The curtains reopened. The full cast and even backstage crew lined up to thank the audience.
All eyes were drawn to the person standing front and center: the lead who had just delivered such a stunning performance.
Only now, when seen beside the adult actors, did it become apparent to the audience that the one who had commanded the stage was no more than eleven or twelve years old. With the stage makeup removed, his features still bore the youthful softness of a child.
"Incredible!"
"Can't wait for the next one."
Among those who willingly spent hours at the Central Theater, some were merely playing at sophistication, but most were true enthusiasts of the performing arts. Even though this was just the young actor's debut, many in the audience had already recognized Kitagawa Ryo's potential.
"I'd give it an eight out of ten. His understanding and reinterpretation of the script, his personal style, and the acting itself—remarkable."
Shiina Hiyori heard her mother unconsciously evaluating the performance. She tugged at her mother's hand.
"But I thought it was really amazing! Especially Hamlet!"
Even as she spoke, her eyes stayed fixed on the stage, wide with awe.
"Yes, yes, alright, we'll give it a full score then."
Her mother chuckled softly. She wasn't surprised by her daughter's reaction. Hiyori had read original scripts before, and had even read simplified versions of Shakespeare's works. Hamlet, being a monumental play in theater history, had naturally been on the list.
In other words, Hiyori had watched this performance with full understanding of the story's developments. It made sense that she was so captivated. Starting her theater-going journey with such a stellar performance was a perfect introduction to the magic of stage drama.
Not to mention, the lead actor was just about her age.
"So amazing—"
Still caught up in the moment, Hiyori mumbled in admiration:
"It was like magic."
"Is every play like this? When the main character is on stage, it feels like I can only see him, hear only his voice."
"It didn't even feel like acting. It was like something real."
She spoke quickly, her violet eyes gleaming with light.
"How about we go give him flowers?"
Her mother pointed to a stand at the corner of the stage where staff were selling merch—signed posters, props, toys related to the play, and prepared flower bouquets. Theater troupes could no longer rely solely on ticket sales to survive.
"Yes, let's do it!"
Hiyori nodded excitedly, her silver-white hair brushing her mother's cheek, making her giggle.
Knowing the curtain call wouldn't last long, her mother quickly stood and went to pick out a bouquet. The performance had drawn quite a crowd to the booth. Onstage, the boy was already holding a growing pile of flowers, his castmates laughing beside him.
Once the bouquet was bought, her mother handed it to Hiyori, who ran toward the stage with surprising speed. Her mother smiled and shook her head, amused—it was rare for Hiyori to be so animated. Usually, she stayed tucked away in her study reading books. Her social skills were so limited that it sometimes worried her.
"...Hamlet!"
Reaching the stage, Hiyori suddenly realized she didn't know the actor's real name. She stood there awkwardly, blurting the only name she knew.
The other actors burst into laughter.
"Young lady, Hamlet's long dead," one actor said, winking.
"Shoo, don't scare the kid," a woman chuckled, then gently pulled Hiyori aside and leaned down to speak with her.
"This is our troupe's rising star: Kitagawa Ryo."
Perhaps noticing Hiyori's age, she added with a smile:
"Just call him Ryo. He's a bit picky and doesn't like being called Kitagawa."
"Oh."
Hiyori nodded seriously, then turned back to Ryo.
"Your performance was amazing!"
Remembering the earlier advice, she quickly added:
"Ryo's acting was incredible!"
"Thank you for your praise. I will continue to work hard."
Ryo replied politely, accepting her flowers with the same graceful gesture he had shown every other audience member.
"I'll come see your performances again!"
Not noticing anything unusual, Hiyori nodded, turned, and returned to her mother with quick steps.
Ryo watched her go, thoughtful.
He had suspected something when he first heard the name "Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School" on TV, but seeing Shiina Hiyori in person confirmed it.
This wasn't just a rebirth from an accident—this was a transmigration.
He had entered the world of the game Life Restart Simulator. Yet, his family and life seemed unchanged.
His parents, his sister, his child-actor debut, even Hotaru.
As if someone had deliberately set things up to let him amend his regrets.
Ryo closed his eyes. Instinctively, a familiar game menu appeared in his mind—identical to what he had seen in his past life.
[Solidified Talents: Persistence (Gold), Grand Master (Gold), Trickster (Gold), Super Detective (Gold), Drama King (Gold)...]
What was once virtual was now branded onto his very being.
[Drama King (Gold): You possess astonishing talent on the theatrical stage. Your every movement and sigh captivates your audience.]
Ryo focused on that talent.
In his previous life, his debut had been a disaster. He had forgotten his lines and fled the stage in disgrace.
But with this talent activated...
The bouquet in his arms was too full to hold. His fellow actors were treating him kindly.
He steadied his emotions and looked toward Hiyori and her mother, now leaving the theater, chatting and smiling.
Because he had truly arrived in this world, Ryo had been worried at first. Were the simulations he'd experienced also real? Did the girls remember them?
But from today's interaction with Hiyori, it was clear she had no memory of him.
A weight lifted.
After all, in his final simulation, he had tricked her badly and even unlocked the [Heartbreaker] achievement.
If she remembered none of it, that was a relief.
"Ryo! Your performance was amazing today!"
While Ryo was deep in thought, another voice burst into his field of view.
He looked up to see honey-colored hair bouncing and a dazzlingly bright smile.
Karuizawa Kei.
To think he'd meet both Hiyori and Kei in one day.
But since she also seemed to have no memory, Ryo felt no pressure. To her, he was just a stranger she happened to recognize.
"Thank you for your praise. I'll keep working hard."
He offered the same polite response.
Kei, starry-eyed, looked like a devoted fan.
Ryo recalled that Kei's bullying arc began about six months after she entered middle school.
Initially, he had wanted to avoid getting involved with her and focus on his own matters. But seeing her now, he wavered.
Thinking of her future, he finally spoke to the audience:
"Thank you all for coming. Our next production will be Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus Rex."
"The Oracle of Delphi speaks in it: γνά θι σεαυτόν—Know thyself."
The other actors applauded, assuming he was promoting the troupe.
Some audience members nodded. Many child actors came and went, but a humble prodigy who used "Know Thyself" as his motto?
That was rare.
Ryo hadn't meant much by it. He just remembered that Kei's bullying began with a conflict due to her prideful nature. If she could change, maybe it could be avoided.
Whether she got the message, though, was another question.
Ryo realized that in all his simulations, he had only known Kei after she had already been bullied. This Kei was someone he hardly recognized.
"Mhm!"
Kei nodded earnestly, seemingly touched, though who knows what she truly understood.
"I want to become an actor like you, Ryo!"
"Huh?"
Ryo was momentarily stunned, staring at her shining pupils.
"When I heard you say 'know thyself,' I realized how much I love drama."
"Hey, troupe leader! Do you accept apprentices?"
Watching Kei sprint off to the troupe leader, Ryo scratched his head.
In his past simulations, he barely knew Kei as a person. Hiyori he understood better.
He couldn't claim to know everything about Kei's likes and dislikes. Her interest in theater wasn't unthinkable.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
Seeing the caller ID, a smile bloomed on his lips.
"Hotaru? School's out? Mm-hmm, I just finished here too."
"Of course your big brother nailed it. Thunderous applause!"
"I'm not bragging! Okay maybe a little. Blehh."
He made a face, even though she couldn't see.
"Staying out late again? It's cold, might snow. Come home early."
"Café with classmates? The one with the pink bunny sign?"
"Of course it's a bunny. Who confuses that with a kangaroo?"
"Alright, I'll come get you soon. Bye!"
After hanging up, Ryo was still smiling.
"Heh, must've been your sister," said the actor who played Claudius, teasing.
"..."
"Wow, a real-life siscon, huh. Tsk tsk."
"..."
"Maybe she should play Ophelia next time?"
Ryo instantly reverted to his Hamlet persona, drawing a prop sword from his belt and stepping forward:
"Villain! Treacherous cur with no king and no father!"
"Whoa there, he's in character now!"
"Guards! Help! Save me!"
The actor dashed around the stage in mock terror, while the others watched and laughed.
When Ryo had auditioned, it was his portrayal of Hamlet's sorrow and rage that won them over.
But offstage, they preferred to see this twelve-year-old boy laugh like a normal kid.
Kei, watching from afar, forgot all about her apprenticeship request.
She could only stare at Ryo.
His figure filled her eyes.
Finally, she had seen him again.
And he was smiling.
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