Chapter 61: The class monitor has broken down.
Because there were two complete novices on stage who had never rehearsed, and the princess's fall was an accident, the class monitor thought that a slight change in the plot would be fine... What a load of rubbish!!
An adaptation isn't just made up! The assassin likes you, not the princess! Morofushi-kun!!
Now, with three people upstairs, it's difficult for them to leave the stage. The class monitor stands backstage, tightly gripping the microphone, waiting to improvise.
Furuya Rei reacted quickly; given his taciturn killer persona, his final reaction was to try to adjust the script back.
"No, what I like is—" Furuya Rei began, and the class monitor looked at the assassin with hope.
Then the killer stared at his two friends who looked like brothers (although one was dressed as a woman), paused for two seconds in a strange manner, and decisively looked away, saying, "Yes, the one I like is the princess."
Class Monitor: ...Furuya-kun!!!
Morofushi Sora'aki coldly scoffed, "I knew it."
Then the prince pointed his sword at the assassin, and the two fought evenly. Shortly after, the princess's voice rang out: "Stop fighting for me! You are all my wings!!"
This time, everyone, both on and off stage, was shocked.
Morofushi Hiromitsu was so shocked that he covered half of his face, blocking his mouth, which hadn't even made any lip movements.
Morofushi Hiromitsu: Sorry, I don't know your name yet, since everyone just calls you Class Monitor—but Class Monitor! What are you doing, Class Monitor?!
The princess instantly transformed into a pure and innocent girl, wiping away imaginary tears from the corners of her eyes: "Brothers! Don't fight for me! I'm not worth it!!"
Morofushi Hiromitsu: I'm not worthy at all! What are you saying, Class Monitor?!
The script, which inexplicably became melodramatic, attracted the attention of the audience. The support staff member looked at the lines in her script, staring blankly at her friend on the other side: "Um, the lines in the script don't seem to be like this, do they?"
Her friend patted her on the shoulder: "The class monitor... is probably broken."
Before Morofushi Hiromitsu could lose track of the plot, someone finally stopped the class monitor, then kicked Hagiwara Kenji up: "Hagiwara-kun! It's your turn!!"
Hagiwara Kenji, looking at the completely chaotic performance, covered his face and said, "I...I tried?"
The dashing Hania re-entered the stage, exchanged a glance with Morofushi Sora'aki, and then Hagiwara Kenji immediately pointed his weapon at the assassin, declaring righteously, "I was the one who had my eye on the princess first!"
Other classmates: ...Hagiwara-kun?!
Morofushi Hiromitsu: Ah, I'm tired.
Morofushi Sora'aki nodded: "However, I will absolutely not hand my sister over to people like you."
Realizing that Hagiwara Kenji was unreliable and that the stage had devolved into a chaotic free-for-all, the others immediately kicked Matsuda Jinpei, the only one who hadn't yet taken the stage, onto the field.
Matsuda Jinpei, who was suddenly pushed onto the stage, was clearly not in a good mood. He turned around and looked at the classmates backstage who were cheering him on in shock before clearing his throat and saying, "It's really lively here."
"If we're playing a game, how can we not include me?"
The atmosphere finally calmed down a bit the moment Matsuda Jinpei stepped onto the stage. The curly-haired boy exuded a boss-like aura, with a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips, making it clear at a glance that he was the final boss.
However, the big boss changed his position, turned his back to the audience, and looked at Hagiwara Kenji with a pained expression, conveying his meaning with his eyes.
Matsuda Jinpei: What are we going to do with the script from here on out?!
Hagiwara Kenji: ...I don't know either!
Just as the silence was about to turn into an awkward silence, Morofushi Hiromitsu spoke. The boy dressed in women's clothing took a deep breath, while the class monitor was momentarily unsure whether to continue with his lines according to the script or improvise.
Class Monitor: Give me a little hint, Morofushi Hiromitsu-kun!
However, since Morofushi Hiromitsu hadn't given any hints, the class monitor could only improvise: "Brother, elder brother..."
Just as the class monitor's voice acting began, Morofushi Hiromitsu adjusted his headset, and then his clear, magnetic young voice interrupted the monitor's voice acting: "I can't stand it anymore!"
Class Monitor: ...?!
The obvious change in voice shocked both the performers and the audience. Meanwhile, Hagiwara Kenji and others were giving Morofushi Hiromitsu meaningful glances on stage. So, was this considered a stage mishap?
Morofushi Sora'aki glanced at their reactions, blinked, and realized he should react, but he remained calm, unable to show any shock, and said calmly, "My sister."
Morofushi Hiromitsu, lifting her skirt, said in a distinctly male voice, "No, you clearly knew all along that I was a man! Please stop calling me 'little sister,' my older sister!"
Morofushi Sora'aki: ...No, I don't know, I really don't know. Is this part of the script?
Morofushi Sora'aki responded with silence.
Morofushi Hiromitsu pressed his hand to his chest, overcome with grief: "Because I was younger than my elder brother, a prince was needed to wield power at the time, so you had to lie about your gender at birth and become the prince in everyone's eyes! When Father passed away, I was still a fetus in Mother's womb—"
"When I was born, the country had finally stabilized, but the two princes were not conducive to this peace. So I had no choice but to conceal my gender, just like you, and become a princess who would never hold power in this country!"
"But I can't bear it any longer!" Morofushi Sora'aki said emotionally, "My brother, no, my sister, I have turned Lord Hania and the assassin against me—they have promised to fight for me tomorrow! To cut off Lord Black's head for you! To seize his military power!"
Matsuda Jinpei 'Lord Black': Should I not have been there?
Melodramatic plots never go out of style: a younger brother disguised as a woman and a older sister disguised as a man, their tangled love triangle and power struggle. What was initially thought to be a simple fairy tale took an unexpected turn when the plot twisted to this extent, captivating the audience.
As for the logical issues, nobody cares anymore.
Morofushi Hiromitsu looked at the assassin Furuya Rei: "Would you be willing to fight for me, Lord Assassin!"
Furuya Rei: ...Can I still refuse?
Furuya Rei stood behind Morofushi Hiromitsu, cleared his mind, and demonstrated his stance by pointing his sword at Matsuda Jinpei.
Hagiwara Kenji also took a deep breath, casting aside the original script in his mind: "No, my dear princess—I love the princess who is like a rose, not the imposter..."
Morofushi Hiromitsu decisively interrupted him: "Of course you don't love me! Because you love my sister!!"
Everyone: ?!
"Because my sister and I are very similar, after my brother had been playing the role of a man for a long time, my advice led her to put on a beautiful long dress."
"So, the first encounter you had with me—was actually with my older sister!" Morofushi Hiromitsu said with dramatic emphasis, "In order to avoid revealing the prince's identity, my sister had no choice but to impersonate me!"
"You've only fallen in love with me, your substitute!"
Audience: So that's how it is!
Classmates: ...What the hell?!
The script gradually became clear, and the subsequent plot was very easy to follow.
Hagiwara 'Hania', a second-year student, is torn between love and loyalty—a difficult choice.
However, in real life I often find myself in such a chaotic situation, so why is it the same on stage?! Why are the characters always caught between a rocky, chaotic situation?!
Hagiwara Kenji chose to commit suicide.
He snatched the assassin's sword, his voice filled with sorrow: "No, I can't make a choice—perhaps the love at first sight was a misunderstanding, but in our time together, I truly fell in love with you, even though you were dressed as a woman!"
"I cannot betray my loyalty, nor can I betray my love, but I have one more choice!"
Hagiwara Kenji decisively committed suicide, collapsing on the stage floor.
And before he died, he firmly uttered his last words: "At this point, Lord Black, tell me your true feelings! You have long since fallen in love with..."
The audience below the stage groaned, while the characters on stage glared fiercely at Hagiwara Kenji, who was now lying flat on the ground.
In the end, even the big boss couldn't defeat three people alone. The leverage he held was the prince's female identity, but it turns out that the princess is actually a man, so this leverage was exposed.
"Perhaps the fact that your identity wasn't exposed in the first place already proves something..." Matsuda Jinpei gave a bitter smile, but the smile sounded more like a threat.
The subsequent battles showed absolutely no acting skills; the emotions were incredibly genuine.
Then, when the time was almost up, Matsuda Jinpei, over!
Whether he did it on purpose or not, he deliberately found someone to fall on top of him, and fell onto Hagiwara Kenji. Hagiwara Kenji let out a soft sound, which he bravely did not let out through his earpiece.
Hagiwara Kenji: ...You absolutely did this on purpose!!
Then, without hesitation, Morofushi Sora'aki stabbed Furuya Rei with his sword, and said righteously, "My brother, he would betray his employer for a moment of love. Who knows if he will betray you for something in the future? So he absolutely cannot be allowed to live!"
Furuya Rei over!
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "...I understand."
Furuya Rei: But seriously, aren't you just taking this opportunity to get revenge? Besides, I'm Hiro's childhood friend!
Morofushi Sora'aki: "Don't be sad for him. Our revenge is over. The future of this country is in our own hands."
"When I Fall in Love and Discover Men Are All (Beep—), I Might as Well Take the Throne and Become the Queen Myself." The background narration continues: "And then, the prince and queen lived happily ever after—"
As for who is the prince and who is the queen? That's up to you!
The play ended there, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
After all, it's unprecedented for a high school class to write and produce a play that's so melodramatic and chaotic.
A group of people stood in a line on the stage, bowing to the audience, looking very serious, as if that was how the original script was written.
The host was still announcing: "Let's thank Class 2A for their performance of the play 'When I Fall in Love and Discover Men Are All (Beep—), I Might as Well Take the Throne and Become the Queen Myself', what a concise and meaningful title that truly stays true to its original purpose!"
The two injured female protagonists, who had finally managed to rush back, were shocked by the chaotic scene backstage. They stared in disbelief at what seemed like a soul spitting out of the class monitor's mouth and exclaimed in panic, "Class monitor, class monitor... has broken down!"