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Ep. 8: The Drama Club
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"Tari! Today's the audition." Soujiro said greeting him as he came in the classroom.
"Audition for what?" he asked with a mouthful of corn flakes, suddenly he wanted to bite his own tongue as he saw Soujiro's face fell.
"The play." He said disappointed.
"Oh" he had been so occupied with varsity practice that it had completely slipped his mind. "Yeah I'll be there." He answered, in truth he never really considered going but the look on Soujiro's face would have made him agree to chop his right arm off if just to make him smile again.
He smiled instantly.
Kamatari looked at his friend. He never really could understand why he looked so childlike. No matter what he did he would always look like a child, just as he would always look like a girl. A good looking girl he corrected himself.
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1700
"Ok we're going to have the auditions for Cupid first." Soujiro said looking at the script. He looked back up and caught Kamatari enter the room. He smiled at his friend and continued. "I'll give you guys a few minutes to rehearse your lines."
"Hey Tari!" he said coming closer.
"Hey." He smiled eyeing the boys that were suddenly uncomfortable. "Oh don't give me that! Of all people I thought you theatre guys would understand me the most!"
"Hey what are you insinuating!" the boys suddenly shouted defensively, trying but failing to put on a macho pose.
"If that's the best acting they can do then your club's in big trouble." He whispered to Soujiro who just smiled at him. "Listen I don't know what I am doing here I should just go."
"Nonsense! Here's your script what role would you like audition for?" he asked.
"Er the guy one?" he said unsure.
"Haha no offense Tari but I think you would do a better job playing Psyche." He said.
"But"
"Come on lets face it, you're prettier than most of the girls here." He winked before going to the front once more.
Kamatari looked at the script he was holding.
Psyche = the most beautiful girl on the face of the earth, making even Venus the goddess of beauty jealous
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"Er Mister Himura?" a knock came from the door.
"Yes?" he asked looking at the direction of the voice. Tomoe Yukishiro entered the room smiling at him. "Ms. Yukishirohow can I help you?"
"I just wanted to know if you would help us out." She said going over to the table. "We need to raise funds for the Christmas party."
"Oh yeah principal Saito already informed me." He gave a pained smile. "What is it going to be? A bake sale?"
"Principal Saito and I have already discussed it, it isn't official yet but he has approved it." she said evading the question.
"Great? So it's a bake sale?" he said already picking a recipe he wanted to do.
"Not exactly." She said handing him a piece of paper. "We'll just send the rest of the details later." She said leaving the room at once.
Kenshin watched her leave, confused at her actions. He scanned the paper, it was just a project proposal, outlining the purpose of the fund raiser, the resources needed
"A DATE?"
Tomoe smiled as she turned the corner.
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"Oh but to behold such beauty. My heart bleeds knowing that dost end my hands should bring."
Kamatari watched as Soujiro began his lines. He could not understand why he had to audition. It was obvious he was going to get the part.
Tari sighed, he really didn't want to be here. The things I do for friends! And for family for that matter! What the hell am I doing? I'm not mother Theresa maybe I can still get out of this.
"Tari we're auditioning Psyche next, are you ready?" Soujiro asked bringing him out of his reverie.
"Um hey I don't think I can do this." He said his nervousness appearing once more.
"Don't be silly of course you can. I'll help you through it if you want."
"Yeah that would be great."
"Next for Psyche?" the panel asked the people gathered. "Kamatari are you next?"
"But Kamatari's a guy." One of the girls protested.
"Doesn't look like it."
"Hey lets just give him a chance. It could be like the No Theater where all the girls are boys." Soujiro said in his defense.
"Ok so let him audition already." The same girl taunted.
"I'll read with him." Soujiro said jumping over the table and sitting across Tari.
"Hey maybe I shouldn't"
"Oh don't let Omasu get to you. She hates anyone that might get the female lead aside from her." He said leaning closer. "To tell you the truth she's as talented as a doornail." Kamatari laughed then.
"Could I at least go last?" he asked and Soujiro smiled.
"Don't be nervous ok." One last tip.
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"Can you not see I love you."
"But you did not heed my warning."
"I was wrong. I let my heart be poisoned by jealous words and forget just how happy I was with you. You are my happiness beloved I cannot imagine living this life without you." he whispered looking him in the eyes. Suddenly the entire room burst in applause.
"Looks like we got our leads." One of the officers smiled as he congratulated both of them. Kamatari's face suddenly turned red, the realization that he would be onstage in a dress panicking him.
"Wait" he whispered weakly.
"No way! Kamatari Sagara can't be Psyche! He's a guy for crying out loud! Do you want the entire school to be scandalized?" Omasu butt in.
"Yeah I don't want you guys to get in trouble." Tari said.
"We can do it like Soujiro suggested, in the tradition of the No theater."
"But then all the actors would be guys." She contradicted.
"So? There are only two female parts in this play there won't be enough parts for all our female members."
"What? We'll be the laughing stock of the entire school! Having a freak for a lead!" she said outraged.
"Omasu." Soujiro who had been keeping quiet the entire conversation suddenly spoke out, a tone of warning in his voice. "Everyone got a chance to read for Psyche and Tari was just the best."
"Oh really? And does him being your friend not help him?" she said crossing her arms.
"I did not choose the part for him, the panel did." He said standing before Kamatari shielding him from Omasu. "If you have any complains about the drama clubs' panel of judges I suggest you take it up with them." Tari stuck his tongue out at her.
"This is stupid." She said storming out.
"Seta?" he said coming closer to his friend. "Listen I just came here as a favor to you, I never really wanted to get a part."
Soujiro looked back at him. "Do you really mean that?" he said suddenly sad. "Because I think you're perfect."
Tari blushed at the unintended compliment.
"But"
"Please Tari?" he said taking his hand.
"I might regret this for the rest of my life, but what the hell I'll do it." he breathed.
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Misao looked over at Shiro. He was slouching in the back as usual, as if nothing was the matter. She wanted to go over to him and ask him if he wanted to talk about it. But then again it wasn't any of her business. But he looked so sadactually he didn't, he looked like he always did. But she knew something was wrong
She stood up, gathered enough courage to go over to him. And just as she was about to take a step closer
"Freeze scumbag!" Sano whispered in her ear poking two fingers at her back to simulate a gun. He grabbed her shirt collar and dragged her out to the corridor and into the broom closet.
Oh my god! He's going to take advantage of me! I saved myself for my darling Soujiro! No! No!
"You may take my body! But you'll never take my heart!" she said dramatically.
"Has your brain completely dissolved?" Sano hissed. "I know what you're trying to do Makimachi and I'm telling you don't."
"What?"
"He doesn't really need this right now." Sano finished.
She looked at his profile; she could just make out his features in the dim light. She knew he was talking about Tanada. Why was he forbidding her to go near him? What was it really between the two of them?
She looked away and realized there was something else she had wanted to know. And this might be less invasive than asking why Tanada and he were acting like a couple.
"Hey Sagara?" she asked tentatively. He raised his eyebrow at her.
"There were these men that picked him up the other day. They were in a black car"
"His bodyguards."
"WHAT?" she almost choked on her own words.
"Shiro is the heir to the Toriyama group of companies. His mother is Ayu Toriyama."
"The millionaire?"
"The billionaire. As of right now his net worth is two billion dollars."
"Wow. Is that why his parents are breaking up?"
"Shiro's dad was Ataru Tanada, the basketball player."
Misao's mind raced to the time she and her father had watched this tall handsome man play on the television. He suddenly quit after two years which was a shame since he was really good.
"Wasn't he injured or something."
"No. He was forced off the court."
"What? Why? Who?" Sano looked at her. He wanted to tell her more but it wasn't his place. Already he told her too much and kicked himself for it.
"Listen Makimachi. Don't try to help him, you'll only make it worse." He warned opening the door and walking out.
Misao looked around the corridor cautiously and stepped out. Two girls stopped dead in their tracks. Did they just witness Sanosuke Sagara step out of the broom closet with Makimachi?
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"Oh wow half the basketball team is here." Soujiro whistled as the tallied results of the survey were returned.
"You're on it too." Tomoe pointed it out. "As well as Mr. Himura and Coach Makoto."
"This is gonna be some night." Soujiro said smiling.
"Hey this isn't fair shouldn't we be auctioning off the girls too?" Aoshi muttered seeing his name on the top of the list.
"No. That would be degrading for the women." Tomoe answered smiling.
"And it isn't for the men???" Aoshi said raising his eyebrow.
"No." she said matter of fact.
"Guess I can't buy myself out of this one huh?" he said resigning himself to his fate.
"Nope. You'd probably be the biggest draw." Soujiro laughed.
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"Ok so its gonna be held next week in the auditorium. The HE club will make the dinner, the art club will decorate the stage. What should our starting bid be?" Soujiro asked taking note. "And where is Ms. Komagata?"
"Uhm let's just continue." Tomoe said looking over the plans.
"Sorry I'm late." Kenshin emerged looking sheepish. "Practice took longer since most of the guys are distracted."
"Yeah they're probably nervous about the auction." Soujiro laughed. "So the team's available?"
"I told coach Makoto about it. He's not too thrilled about being sold off as a piece of meat either."
"Hey Tomoe?" Soujiro looked over at her with an apologetic look on his face. "I really have to go over lines with Kamatari"
"Oh yeah the play!" she suddenly remembered. They had learned of their friend's new project that morning in the cafeteria, Chou wouldn't stop laughing. She wanted to laugh too but she saw that Soujiro was really excited about it as well.
"Ok you! Go run off and play." She smiled. "Me and Mr. Himura will finish this up."
"Thanks boss!" he waved sprinting out of the room.
"I thought there would be more of us." Kenshin thought out loud seeing as only the two of them were left in the room. The words SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF MINOR flashing through his mind.
"We already discussed this with the student council. This meeting was just to inform the teachers." Tomoe said scanning the papers on the desk.
"Guess Ms. Komagata didn't show huh?" he said sighing.
"Oh my I think I left the contracts in my desk. I better go get them so you could go over them before we give them to the auctionees." Tomoe said getting up.
She went up to the third floor and entered their classroom. She was about to leave when something moved in the teacher's desk.
"Coach Makoto!" she started. The Coach was draped on the table stroking lovingly the blackboard eraser. He was oblivious to the student now shaking her head. "Poor man."
She made her way back down to the student council's office and entered she was about to tell Mr. Himura about the coach when she saw him bent over the table, drool tricking our of his mouth.
Poor Mr. Himura. Principal Saito must really be working him to the bone.
She went over to her bag and took out her jacket draping it over the older man's shoulders. She looked at him sleeping quietly. From where she stood Kenshin looked no older than she was. She smiled; she too remembered when he used to play for Kainan.
She remembered watching him on the court, she was in junior high back then. Kenshin was her first crush, her first love actually although he never knew she existed. How odd it seemed that after all her girlish fantasies she would end up five inches away from the man that had first made her blush.
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Aoshi stared into the rectangular glass window.
He went up there right after practice to see if Tomoe was ready to go.
He rested his forehead on the door. He hated this.
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