CH 114

–The play is about to begin.

Today, the second day of the festival, which was open to the general public, the first and last play was about to be performed by the second class of the first year.

The play was “Beauty and the Beast. It is the story of a young man who becomes a beast because of an evil witch, but finds true love.

“Phew…”

I take a breath. My hands are shaking, as if I am uncharacteristically nervous.

Thinking back, I wonder if this is the first time I’ve been the center of attention like this.

I remember the time I went up on stage for Shiho during the overnight learning program.

Compared to that time, I might have been better off acting.

(Shiho is probably somewhere around here.)

I wanted to see her face, but I couldn’t find her offstage. She is a props attendant, so I am sure she is watching over us from a place out of the way right now.

But there is a lingering scent of her.

In a part of the stage, in one of the decorated corners, there was an origami ribbon with an uneven … shape. I felt at home when I looked at it, which she must have folded clumsily but with great effort.

This was also the stage the girl wanted to be on.

She said she wanted to see me look cool.

I was able to win this spot because she raised her hand for me.

So now it was my turn to do my best.

Let’s forget about Mary-san’s intentions, Ryuzaki’s recriminations, Kirari’s broken heart, and so on.

For now, it’s just for her.

This performance is not even for the audience to see.

Let’s play the leading role just for Shiho’s sake.

In reality, I’m just a simple, unremarkable person who is nothing more than a mob character.

But I am the “main character” for her alone.

–The bell rings to end the show.

The performers line up on stage and bow to the audience.

At that moment, the audience burst into loud applause.

The performance was uninteresting, so I’ll spare you the details.

This was just a prelude. If you consider my role in the story, it was just a small event that I wanted to make it sound like I pushed Ryuzaki aside and became the star of the show, a relationship that I would have later on.’

The performance was not bad.

If you consider it at the student level, it must have been good.

As proof, the auditorium was crowded after the play was over.

All of the performers, except one, seemed satisfied.

Well, one of them, Ryuzaki, had a pouty face even though he was practicing for the play, so in a sense, it was business as usual.

Yeah, I guess this is how it is.

In the story without Shiho, I was not able to play an outstanding role, nor did I make any memorable mistakes. It was a perfection of being just average.

Well, that play was over.

But it was also the bell signaling the end of the play.

All that was left was the after-party and final event… This is surely where it all really began.

The story that Mary-san loves with all her heart – “Suck-up romantic comedy” – has reached its climax.

From this point on, Ryuzaki’s downfall is only going to get worse and worse.

Betrayed, abandoned, losing everything, and despairing.

Oh, what nonsense.

Defeated by a villain of my caliber…, no, this time he perished even without my touch.

After all, Ryoma Ryuzaki’s romantic comedy is silly

Hey, Ryuzaki…, you want to look back at me, don’t you?

If that’s the case, then try harder.

Please, please, please, at least make the girls I cared about happy.

Even if I prayed …, well, it’s impossible.

Ryuzaki is just a harem protagonist. He is neither more nor less than that.