ACT 20

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"Why are you doing this?" Maria asked as she walked arm in arm with Ohgami.

"Huh?" Ohgami looked at her. He tried to think of a reasonable answer but nothing came to him at that moment. He turned to ask himself, 'Why?' Maria could only injure herself more by venturing out of her room before she was fully healed. And there was also the fact that he was just doing this to make her get closer to Sakura.

But…

It was because he loved Maria.

Wasn't it true that when you loved someone you must make her happy? Even if it hurts you?

Ohgami sighed. "I'm doing this for you."

"For me?" Maria felt uncomfortable at his words. Why was he making her feel that way?

That uneasiness.

Maria shifted her gaze to the floor.

Was she attracted to him too?

Maria shook her head. Then was it because of the way he approached her?

'Yes, that may be it. But... that's not all. '

There was something about him.

Yes.

Ohgami reminded her so much of her beloved captain. Maria felt the strong support she needed from a leader. He had even proven to her that he was more than a leader; he was a friend. A close friend.

No.

To the Russian, he was more than that. He was... special.

But special in what way?

When he came into her life, there were so many things she felt she needed to thank him for. He was always there for her when she needed him. Had she ever thanked him for it? Did he even know how much she owed to him?

Maria turned to meet his dark eyes. From the startled look on his face, he clearly didn't expect her to do so.

"You've done enough for me," she said, still keeping eye contact.

"Maria?" Ohgami said almost in whisper.

"Thank you, Taichou," she spoke softly.

Ohgami stopped for a moment. Maria was a little confused at his reaction. She looked at his serious face and studied him closely. "Maria . . .," he started. He looked uneasy with himself. "It pains me."

Maria gave him a questioning look.

"It pains me to see you suffer," he continued as he bowed his head. "I know that so much pain happened in your past. And I can't bear to see you in that state anymore. What I want for you now is to be happy."

Ohgami looked back to her eyes. "And I don't want to be an obstacle to your happiness."

"Is that your reason for helping me?"

Ohgami's stare went to the floor. "My reason?" he whispered to himself. "My only reason is love."

Maria heard him say those words. "Do you think . . .," she started. "That I could give a similar reason to you?"

"You . . .," Ohgami said in a smooth calm voice as he met her eyes again, " . . . don't need to."

"Taichou," Maria didn't know what to say next as those words touched her heart. 'How? How can you bear the pain of not being loved back?'

Oo Oo Oo -

Backstage.

Kohran approached Sakura who looked a little lightheaded. "Sakura-han, are you alright? We are about to start."

"Yes, yes, sumimasen. I'm alright, don't worry," Sakura assured the Chinese with her usual cheery face. Her hair was untied and she wore a fake gold headband.

"Alright then," Kohran tried to assume a smile but it faded with worry about her. "Iris and I will be going first. After our narration you enter with Sumire-han."

"I know that," Sakura said as she gave her smile.

"I'm just reminding you."

"Kohran, trust me. This sensation inside my stomach will go out soon as I entered the stage."

"Okay, just don't see the stage as the latrine… or Sumire-han won't forgive you."

"I'll surely remember that."

Somewhere else backstage.

Sumire was pacing back and forth, unable to calm herself down. Kanna observed her movements and wondered,

'Why is she so damned nervous? This isn't like her at all.'

"Sakura is already here. What are you so anxious about?" redhead asked, finally tired of watching her.

Sumire stopped at her comment and gave her a chilly look. "Dammit. I'm not anxious about anything," she snarled.

"But why are you acting like that?"

Sumire couldn't explain why herself. "I . . .," she murmured then turned roughly to her. "Why do you have to. . . touch me in the dressing room!"

"It wasn't on purpose!" Kanna said in a defensive tone. "By the way, it was your idea! You were the one who told me to assist you."

"It is pretty obvious that you are attracted to me!"

"What!" Kanna was baffled. "What do you mean by that? And why are you suddenly talking about this now?"

Sumire narrowed her eyes . With that look Kanna knew what she 'meant'. The redhead sort of enjoyed the annoyance on her face, though.

"So, do you want a replay after the performance?" Kanna said teasing her.

"Ah, Kanna-san! If you were only a man, " Sumire blurted as she crossed her arms. She closed her eyes for the moment but one could see veins popping out of her forehead.

"Oi, what does that mean?" Kanna continued.

"Ara!" Sumire opened her eyes and gave her another threatening look. "Don't act so innocent, while you dare to take advantage of me!"

"HUH?" Kanna gave her a confused look. "What on earth are you talking about? Don't tell me you have your period today."

"Aaahh! Shut up!"

Oo Oo Oo -

Ohgami felt that Maria was getting heavier and heavier by the moment. He cast a side glance to her with a worried look on his face. "Are you alright? I guess we should take a rest."

Maria groaned as she tried to force her feet to keep moving. "No, Taichou. Keep on going!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure."

"But-"

Maria was perspiring and Ohgami could see that she could fall any minute now.

"Maria, you are-" Ohgami felt the increasing pressure of her arm around his neck, "- choking me..."

"Oh, sorry."

Ohgami locked his eyes onto hers again. "I'm worried. I think we should go back now."

'We are already near. Why would you want to go back?' Maria growled inwardly. She just gave Ohgami an intimidating look.

Ohgami sighed to himself. 'If something happens. I'll never forgive myself for doing this.'

Oo Oo Oo -

Stage.

Two figures were already set as the curtains went up.

"Pyramus was the handsomest youth, and Thisbe the fairest maiden, in all Babylonia," Iris started. She was on the upper right of the stage doing her role as Moonshine. Several lighting effects supported her as she glowed in the background.

"Their parents occupied adjoining houses; and neighborhood brought the young people together, and acquaintance ripened into love. They would gladly have married, but their parents forbade it. One thing, however, they could not forbid: that love should glow like the Moonshine." She pointed to herself. "They conversed with signs and glances and the fire burned more intensely for being covered up. Their only division was the Wall in which there was a crack, caused by some fault of structure."

Now the spotlight aimed at the center of the stage.

Kohran slowly opened her eyes as she was in the center in her Wall costume. "No one had remarked on the crack before, but the lovers discovered it." She moved a little to show the part of her costume that was the 'crack' in the wall. "What will not love discover! It afforded a passage to the voice; and tender messages used to pass backwards and forwarda through the gap. Pyramus on this side." Kohran pointed left. "Thisbe on that." She pointed right. "Their breaths would mingle."

The lighting changed as the music started up. Kohran and Iris started their duet.

Oo Oo Oo Oo

Backstage.

Sumire and Sakura were at the opposite sides of the stage. They would come next, after the Wall's and Moonshine's

Duet. Sakura nodded to Sumire as the lights switched to accommodate for their scene. The brown-haired lady seemed distracted when Sakura motioned that it was time for them to go out.

Kanna began to worry about Sumire's lack of concentration. "There is something wrong with her. I hope I'm not responsible for it," the redhead whispered to herself.

The lights went down for while.

Sumire stepped onto the stage as the spotlight was aimed at her. Iris and Kohran, in their sleeping positions, looked as though they were lifeless. The brown-haired woman looked around and feigned a sad face as she started her dialogue. "O grim –looked night! O night with hue so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night! O night! Alack, alack, alack! I fear my Thisbe's promise is forgot."

There were several whispers regarding Sumire's appearance.

"Is that Sumire Kanzaki?" a fan asked another.

"I think she is. Look at her mole."

"But doesn't Maria always have the male roles?" asked another.

Somebody nodded.

"I think they decided to switch roles for a change."

"U-huh? Next time, I wanna see Iris being paired up with Kanna."

"Shut up, will you? You're distracting everyone else," an old man complained.

Ayame, who was standing not far from the talking audiences, heard it and silently chuckled.

Sumire went closer to Kohran. "And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely Wall, that stand'st between her father's ground and mine, Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and Lovely Wall, show me thy chink to blink through with my eyes. Thanks, courteous wall. But what I see? No Thisbe do I see." She kneeled and touched the edge of Kohran's costume. "O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss, Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!" She bowed down and the spotlight slowly faded.

As the light become alive again one can see that another figure was standing at the other side of Kohran. It was Sakura.

"O Wall, full often hast thou heard my moans for parting my fair Pyramus and me. My cherry lips have often kissed thy stones, thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee," Sakura stated dramatically.

Sumire as Pyramus was surprised as he heard Thisbe. "I perceived a voice! Now will I to the chink to spy and I can see my Thisbe's face." She leaned closer to Kohran.

Kohran felt something. It tickled but she didn't move.

"Thisbe?" Sumire called out.

"My love!" Sakura answered. "Thou art my love, I think."

"Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace . . . " Sumire stopped for a while, forgetting her next line.

Sakura waited.

Kohran slowly opened an eye. 'Oh, no. Sumire-han forgot her line.'

"Pssst... 'O kiss me...'," Kanna whispered. She was watching from backstage. "Sumire, it's 'O kiss me...'" The big woman placed her hands on her forehead. "Oh, dear."

Sumire looked at the audience and back to Kohran. She stood up slowly in a ladylike manner. "O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall."

Kohran sighed, as did Kanna.

"O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall," Sakura answered back.

"I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all."

Kanna went back inside as she scratched her head. "That was close…. Huh?" She was surprised when she saw two figures entering. "T-taichou? …. And Maria?"

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