They finally have decided playing Cinderella Boy. In this chapter, you will see their preparation before the d-day...


CHAPTER 3

Rehearsing and Rehearsing!

The next day, they started rehearsing at professor's house. Some of them, especially Genta, still could not memorize the scripted dialog well which made the rehearsal did not go smoothly. Haibara scolded him so many times, but he was so thick-headed and frequently misspelled the dialog.

"Kojima-kun, you stay there until you memorize the dialog well." Haibara asked him to move at separated place and pointed the red sofa to go to.

The rehearsal from Haibara was very strict. She showed her mature side making her looked older than she should no one but Conan surely had no idea that she was actually eighteen. Mitsuhiko practiced eagerly and with full spirit. He even did not mind at all when Haibara criticized whenever he did mistakes. Ayumi fully appreciated her role as a princess and could not prevent her heart beating whenever she got near Conan.

Conan was also getting carried away when seeing the others looked so enthusiastic in playing their roles even he initially did it unwillingly. He did not find it hard to act as a main character. Maybe his acting skill highly improved since he acted as Edogawa Conan in the daily life in front of everyone. Haibara was unquestionably awesome when roleplaying as despicable mother. The others saw her acting skill in amazement without knowing the fact that she also was acting all the time as Haibara Ai.

"Oh, we forget to decide who should be a fairy..." Ayumi patted her forehead.

"You're right... but we need more person to do that." Mitsuhiko said helplessly.

"Can't we ask someone from the another group to play this role?" Genta walked to them, bringing the script with his right hand.

"We can't." Mitsuhiko clarified. "The main characters must from our group, except for the dance party. We can ask some people to be minor actor and actress a while."

"But the fairy has no major role, doesn't?" Genta persisted.

"No, Genta. Even it has minor role, but it's still one of our main characters." Conan asserted. "The only way left to choose is between Ayumi-chan and Haibara should play double. Fairy is supposed to be a girl, isn't?"

They were glaring each other until Ayumi said the words, "Ayumi will not mind role as double."

"No, Yoshida-san. The princess should be untouchable until the scene she has to perform. Let me do this." Haibara made a resolve.

"Eh, interesting, isn't? Haibara-san will play two opposites roles! Being an evil woman and a kindhearted fairy. Just like black and white!" Mitsuhiko said excitedly.

"Black and white, huh? Yeah, of course it suits me since I used to live in black and white as an evil and kind-hearted person at the same time." she murmured softly but they still could clearly hear her speaking and question her in perplexity.

"Oi, oi..." Conan warned her not to say such weird things in front of these children, but she just responded it ignorantly.

"Eh? What do you mean, Ai-chan?" Ayumi asked perplexedly.

"Nothing. Don't mind me," she passed her coldly and walked to the fridge to get some water. "Let's take a break a while."

They were rehearsing and rehearsing almost everyday. Roleplaying their roles earnestly except for the last scene, the kissing between the princess and Cinderella boy. Conan and Ayumi had made an agreement, they would do it spontaneously when performing on the stage. Genta sometimes still forgot the dialog but he's getting better and better than before. A week before the performance took place, Ran, Sonoko, and Sera helped them out. Ran sewed clothes for their costumes, Sonoko and Sera helped Subaru Okiya making decorations and properties they would use, such a castle made from Styrofoam and cartoon papers, a horse for Conan's ride which was made from Ayumi's big horse doll with little modification, setting place for Cinderella's house with its fireplace and another things, and so on. Subaru was indeed very capable of doing this sort of thing, as if it'd been her profession since so long ago. As had been stated before, Haibara preferred not to get near Subaru when he was around.

XXX

A night before the performance took place...

They were gathering, still at professor's house to do the last rehearsal before the performance tomorrow. It was raining outside but fortunately rain fell down after they arrived there. Ran and the others could not accompany them rehearsing. She had a club activity, Sonoko should attend the party held by Suzuki company, while Sera also had to attend Jeet kune Do practice at the doujo. Subaru Okiya also had to attend a certain occasion at his college. Now only five children and Professor Agasa were in the room.

The preparation had all completed. Subaru did his job very amazingly. The decoration looked so real. Ran was also very good at making costumes. Ayumi now cheerfully wore her dreaming gown and showed it off in front of the others.

"Cute!" Mitsuhiko cried happily, his face was reddened when seeing her looking so beautiful.

"Beautiful!" Genta added.

"It suits you well, Ayumi-kun." Hakase commented.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to put some make up on her and she'll look more beautiful." Haibara smiled. "You're cute, Yoshida-san."

"Thank you." Ayumi blushed and she wished she got a compliment from Conan. "How's your opinion, Conan-kun?"

"Perfect."

Conan's answered made her felt like she was in the air. She was blushed even more. If she were in fairy tale, she might be already flying high to the moon.

Genta and Mitsuhiko wore their costumes as well. A tuxedo and another accessories. Haibara helped them out since they would probably mess it because the costume was somewhat complicated to use.

"Wow, that's great! You look handsome, Genta-kun and Mitsuhiko-kun!" Ayumi complimented them which made their face turned to crimson. "Conan-kun and Ai-chan, why don't you try your costume as well?"

"No need. I'll do it tomorrow when the performance is about to start." Haibara replied coldly but still set her smiling face.

"Yeah, me too." Conan implied.

Professor Agasa who once suddenly vanished to the kitchen, returned with tray on hands. He brought orange juices for them. "Let's cheer for tomorrow! Do your best, everyone!"

"Yeaaaah!"

In an hour, they already started rehearsing very seriously and wholeheartedly. Even it was the first time for Mitsuhiko being a leader, but he could do his job well such keeping things in order. Haibara still became the main commander due to her strictness and advanced acting skills. She also taught Ayumi how to dance since that little girl knew nothing about it. But Ayumi still could not do it well and she sometimes got slipped.

"Look at me, Yoshida-san. I'll show you how to dance," she held Conan's hand and asked him, "You're not bad at dancing, do you?"

She asked Conan with mocking face. He responded her with ridicule. Conan gripped her hand and put it on his waist, just like she did.

"Please turn on the music, Hakase," she requested.

Professor Agasa played the classical music from the disc. Haibara started to count with 'one-two-three-one-two-three' taps as she stepped to the right and then to the left along the rhythm. Conan balanced her movement nimbly, keeping the music on and keep moving. Yeah, he was good enough at dancing since her mother always forced him to do so.

She put her right foot on him and moved her hips to the right. She then twisted her body slightly to add more movement. He moved to the left and she adjusted with moving to the right, putting her right shoulder forward a little and left shoulder back.

He threw his hand in the air and loose it without releasing her hand. She swiveled awesomely and again put her hand on his waist and started to count again. They moved their body naturally to the rhythm and lost to it.

Their incredible movement and an advance skill of dance amazed the others. The children and Professor Agasa gave applause, they still looked at those two in awe and barely even believed that they're only first graders. All of their movements just like being choreographed.

"Not bad, Kudou-kun." she whispered on his ear. "It's unbelievable how a detective like you could dance that good."

"Oh, shut up."

They finally stopped the dance with him kissing her backhand politely. Everyone who stared at them surely could be envious. They were really perfect match for dancing.

"Incredible!" Mitsuhiko yelled.

"Magnificent!" Professor Agasa implied.

"Fabulous!" Genta added.

"Awesome!" Ayumi cried in astonishment. "I wonder where and when did you learn it while you're only first graders..."

Haibara tried to think a plausible answer. "In America, we should start to learn how to dance since a child."

"A child? But you're only seven now, aren't you?" Genta asked perplexedly.

"Uh, yes. But I've been learning it since I was five."

"Superb!" Mitsuhiko cried. He wished he were Conan who could dance very awesomely with Haibara. He kept wondering why he could never win over Conan in anything.

"And Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked.

"Hmm... same with her. I spent six hours in New York with my parents before returning to Japan." Conan made an excuse. Of course he was lying.

"Oh, so it was like that..." Ayumi and the others murmured while Professor Agasa only smiled witnessing their attempts to hide the truth from the children.

"So how, Yoshida-san? Will you try it again?" Haibara asked her. She knew it was not even fair, dancing was not such an easy thing to do especially for a child.

"Eh, me?" her fiery eyes suddenly looked so gloomy. She could not do that, Haibara was way too awesome for her. "I wish we could change our roles, Ai-chan. I don't think I can do that."

Haibara pulled her arm gently and gave it to Conan. Ayumi's cheeks was blushing when he held her hand. "You don't need to do it as complicated as mine. You just need to dance, expressing what's inside your heart. The key is focusing your mind on the music and enjoying the rhythm."

Haibara helped Ayumi starting the movement. She put Ayumi's hand on Conan's waist that made her face even reddened. "Don't make her slip her step, Edogawa-kun. Make her as comfortable as possible. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah." he said. "Ayumi-chan, just do as you can. Don't force yourself, okay? You don't need to be like her."

Haibara played the music and they started to dance. Ayumi was still too clumsy. Conan tried hard to adjust her movement and make her as comfortable as possible. He could not do the same movement as he did with Haibara, so he just did a simple movement, such stepping on the right and left and helping her swiveling.

The dance practice took quite some time. Haibara and Conan never stopped helping and giving motivation to Ayumi until she could enjoy the dance, even it's still far than she was expected to be. But they could not force her beyond her capability nevertheless. Genta and Mitsuhiko practiced their roles with Professor Agasa. They finally seemed to enjoy their own roles and really wanted to win the prize. As for Conan and Haibara who firstly did not seem to enthusiast, they finally found it really amusing and exciting. It was not about how they managed to win the title, but there were more important things they got, which were togetherness, sincerity, hard work, and friendship. They could not wait when everyone gave an applause when the performance ended.

To be continued...