The drama room was already buzzing when I walked in.
Desks and chairs had been pushed aside, props scattered across the floor. A makeshift stage had been marked with white tape, spotlights humming above. And standing at the center of it all, arms crossed like a general, was Kana Arima.
"Oh, great. He's finally here," Kana muttered, tapping her foot. "Don't waste our time, newbie. We start sharp, no excuses."
Her sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe like I was a defective prop.
Behind her, Mem-Cho waved with a bright, almost mischievous smile."Relax, Kanaaa. He's cute when he's nervous! Besides, don't we need fresh blood to shake things up?"
"You say that now," Kana shot back, "but when he forgets his lines, don't come crying to me."
Off to the side, Akane Kurokawa sat quietly, flipping through her script. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes flickered toward me once, sharp and evaluating. Just that single glance was enough to make my stomach tighten.
And then there was Alya, standing tall near the backdrop, silver hair gleaming like a spotlight found her.
"You're late," she said coolly, though her lips quirked just slightly. "Try not to humiliate me this time."
Great. No pressure.
We gathered on stage, scripts in hand. Today's scene was a pivotal confrontation, my character torn between loyalties, standing between Alya's heroine and Kana's rival figure
.
The director clapped her hands. "Ready… and action!"
My cue came fast. Too fast.
"I... I cannot... no, I will not choose…!" I stumbled over the words, my tongue tripping. My mind blanked under the weight of every gaze fixed on me.
A laugh rang out from the audience seats where some underclassmen watched. Kana sighed audibly."Pathetic. Even Saika could deliver that line better."
I clenched my fists. This wasn't working. My old mindset, the one where I thought of this like some game I'd been thrown into, was holding me back.
"Focus," Alya whispered sharply, stepping closer during her line. Her eyes locked with mine, icy blue yet burning with intensity. "Look at me, not the crowd. It's only us here."
Something about her presence, commanding, magnetic, snapped me out of the haze.
The director reset the scene. "Again. Action!"
This time, when the words came, they didn't feel like memorized lines. They felt real.
"I will not choose… because the world I seek doesn't force division. If I must stand alone, then so be it!"
The words rang out clearer than I expected. The room quieted. Even Kana's eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
Kana recovered quickly, her grin sharp as a blade. "Not bad. But don't think you can just 'feel' your way through this. Acting isn't about raw emotion, it's about precision."
"Precision's boring," Mem-Cho chimed in, puffing her cheeks. "Audiences want charm! And he's got plenty of that." She winked at me exaggeratedly, making a few onlookers giggle.
Akane finally closed her script, standing smoothly. "Charm and precision are useless if you don't become the character. He's still hesitating. Until he erases himself completely, he won't reach the audience."
The tension between the three of them was so thick it could be cut with a prop sword.
During the short break, I slipped out to catch my breath, only to overhear students whispering outside.
"Did you hear that? He's holding his own against Arima Kana."
"Akane actually spoke to him. That never happens."
"Alya-senpai and him… they looked like a real couple up there."
I pressed my forehead against the wall. Great. Even the rehearsals were becoming fuel for gossip.
When we returned, the atmosphere was different.
The second run was smoother. My lines flowed better, my emotions syncing with the script. Alya met me head-on with her sharp delivery, Kana countered with biting precision, Mem-Cho added playful energy, and Akane… Akane's quiet intensity tied it all together like gravity.
By the final exchange, my chest was tight, not from nerves, but from something deeper.
When the director called "Cut," the room erupted with murmurs. Even the background extras clapped softly.
Alya smirked, flicking her hair."Not bad… partner."
Kana scoffed but didn't deny it. "Tch. Beginner's luck."
Mem-Cho beamed. "See? I told you he'd be fun!"
And Akane, still calm, still unreadable, only said one thing:"…You're not there yet. But you might get there."
The bell had long since rung, but the drama club room stayed alive with chatter and laughter. I slipped out, script tucked under my arm, only to find the corridor buzzing louder than usual.
"…I heard he stood toe-to-toe with Kana Arima."
"Forget Kana! Alya-senpai practically shone with him!"
"No way, Akane actually acknowledged him. Do you know what that means!?"
The whispers followed me down the hall like shadows. Students leaned against lockers, clustered near bulletin boards plastered with festival announcements. My name, already infamous thanks to earlier incidents, was now tied to the Drama Club's centerpiece act.
Everywhere I turned, eyes lingered. Curious. Envious. Excited.
It was suffocating. And yet… a part of me felt a flicker of pride.
I barely had time to sit in the cafeteria before chaos struck.
"Hey, hey!" Nagatoro plopped herself across from me, grinning wickedly. "So I hear you're some bigshot stage actor now, Senpai~. Wanna rehearse your lines with me? I can be your heroine, ehehe."
Before I could answer, Saika appeared timidly at my side, carrying two lunchboxes."U-Um… I made extra today. Would you… maybe eat with me instead?"
And then came the Nakano sisters, like a five-colored storm.
"Ichika wants to know if you'll let her watch rehearsal,"
"Nino says this is ridiculous, but she's here anyway,"
"Miku thinks you should take a break from all the rumors,"
"Yotsuba's cheering you on, of course!"
"And Itsuki insists you shouldn't forget your studies!"
The table was drowning in voices before I even opened my mouth.
"Geez," Nagatoro huffed, glaring at them. "You guys are seriously annoying.""
Excuse me!?" Nino shot back instantly.
"Fufu," Ichika smirked, "isn't this fun though?"
The cafeteria erupted with gawking students.It was less lunch, more battlefield.
After escaping (barely), I found a rare pocket of peace by the windows.
That's when Yui appeared, clutching a half-eaten bread roll.
"You're amazing, you know? Everyone's talking about how cool you looked up there," she said warmly, eyes shining. "Even though you were super nervous before… you pulled through."
Her encouragement was simple, but genuine. It soothed something in me the others couldn't.
Then, almost shyly, she added:"…I'll be watching. At the festival. So don't mess up, okay?"
Peace didn't last.
By the time classes ended, a note slipped into my desk awaited me:
"Council summons. Post-rehearsal evaluation. Don't be late." - President Touya
The Student Council room was tense as ever when I entered. Touya Kenzaki sat at the head like a queen, arms folded. Maria scribbled notes at her side, Alisa clicked her pen impatiently, and Chisaki Sarashina eyed me like I was already guilty.
"You've caused quite the storm," Touya said evenly. "The whispers reach us even before they reach you."
I swallowed. "…That's not my fault."
"Perhaps," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "But whether intentional or not, you're disrupting the school's balance. If your little performance collapses… the blame will fall on us for endorsing you."
The room went still.
"…So don't fail."
Simple. Cold. Yet beneath her words, I caught a flicker of something else. Expectation.
Walking home, script still heavy in my bag, I couldn't shake the weight of it all.
The girls' encouragement, the Council's warnings, the endless rumors swirling like wildfire…
This wasn't just about acting anymore. It was about proving I belonged. To them. To this school. To this world.
As the sun dipped behind the horizon, I clenched my fist.
The festival wasn't just another trial. It was my stage.
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Thanks for reading. You can also give me ideas for the future or pinpoint plot holes that I may have forgotten, if you want.
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