Chapter 3 – A new version of Sleeping Beauty?
By : Sushimii S.S
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"Like I say just now, it is already decided, and nothing you can do to change your role. So, any question?" Shizuru said calmly as she sipped her tea, ignoring all the angry devil looking eyes staring at her as if waiting for the right time to charge toward her and pull her apart… (Seriously, how can she remain so calm at this moment… 0.0?)
"Umm…" Takumi raised his hand and asked, "We got a prince, princess, and three fairy godmother… what exactly is the story of the play? "
"Oh? I didn't tell you all? Well, you are all going to play…" Shizuru smiled slyly as every one of them eyed at her, waiting anxiously for her answer.
"The new version of Sleeping Beauty. Of course, there will be a romantic, hot and steamy kissing scene," Shizuru ended her sentence.
There was a moment of silence in the room. In the next minute, everyone was practically screaming and protesting, especially Mai and Shiho who rather die than to give Tate's virginity away… worse, to a guy…
"Absolutely NO! My Tate's first kiss…" Mai screamed and blushed a little.
"Ooo, that means you and Tate not yet kiss before?" Nao teased the flushing Mai.
"AH! That, that's…, Anyway, the main problem is Tate can't kiss a guy!" Mai tried to defense herself, but too bad, Nao was eyeing her with a teasing smile.
Suddenly Takumi stood up and slam his hand on the table. "I totally agree. Akira can't kiss Tate-san-," Takumi hesitated when he noticed that everyone was looking at him with dilated eyes.
"Umm… I mean Akira-kun and Tate-san will not be comfortable to kiss each other since they are both guy… and then this… and that… um…" he began mumbled as he lower his head down, blushing heavily.
Akira stared at Takumi shocked.
For almost a moment… my heart is beating so fast when Takumi stand up and says things as if we are… What is this feeling? No, no… what am I thinking? We are just friend, I'm sure that's what Takumi thinks of me. I can't betray his feeling. No… no, NO!"NO!" Akira shouted out suddenly. Everyone turned his or her attention to Akira, and even Takumi stop mumbling and turn around to look at Akira shockingly.
Ooohh, shoot, I have think aloud. Oh my God, what should I do now? Thought Akira as he covered his mouth with her hand, flushing.
Thump, thump, thump… my heart pounding like crazy. Oh no, what should I do? Even Takumi is looking at me now…He might think that I'm crazy, or worse, what if he finds out…finds out that I actually… I, I… him…"AHAHAHAH" Akira laughed out, trying to cover up for what he did just now, "I mean, well… I'm a guy. Well, a guy can't kiss a guy, right? HAHAHA…."
Akira sweated.
"Well, actually, if you are not a girl, it won't be a problem, right? A guy kiss a guy is not a big deal anyway," Shizuru exclaimed as she stood up and placed her cup on the table.
"Well, yeah… I guess-"
"Then that's it, it have been decided. I'll got to go now, so please everyone, be at the hall by 10 tomorrow for the practice," Shizuru said as she walked out of the room.
"Ahhh? WHAT? Wait, Shizuru-san! But, but I…" Akira was speechless when Shizuru turn around and looked at him with a sly smile.
"Hmmm?"
"Ahh… nothing…" Akira ended his sentence immediately and looked away.
I can't protest…Shizuru-san looks as if she will know that I, I actually … if I don't do it…I have to defense my identity. It can't be help. Looks like I just have to go along with the play…
"Oh yeah, everyone, please take notice that the festival is just a week away, which means that you all only have like, well, a week to practice. That's all. Good luck," Shizuru waved as she turned around and walked away.
"A, a, a WEEK?" everyone screamed in shock.
"You, you BUBUZUKE ONNA!" Haruka screamed as she tried to rush toward Shizuru with her fang, wanted to tear her into pieces and pieces, but was hold back by Yukino. (Poor Yukino…)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Two girls were giggling and whispering at the back stage. Mai was carrying the costume and was heading their way when she overheard their conversation.
"Do you know that? Akira-kun is going to be kissed by Tate-sempai in the play," a girl said.
"Oh my god! Is that true? Akira-kun's first kiss is going to be stolen by Tate sempai… sad…" another girl replied.
Mai was so angry when she heard them. She dropped the costume on the floor and showed her fangs at those girls.
"WHAT! IT IS AKIRA WHO IS STEALING MY TATE 'S FIRST KISS!" she is screaming so loud that Tate and the others who were standing on the stage could hear her.
"…" Tate sweated.
The girls were so scared of Mai and run away immediately like little mouse. (Never make a jealous girl angry…)
"Umm… should we go on with the practice?" Aoi asked when Mai stomped on the stage with the costume in hand. No one answered because everyone was very tense now.
"Haha…. Then lets take a break for a while," Aoi said, looking at all the depressed actors and actresses.
Aww, man… I'm exhausted… we have been practicing since morning! Truly, what is that bubuzuke onna up to?" Haruka complained as she sat down on the audience place.
"I am truly misfortune to be stuck up in this entire thing," Nao exclaimed.
Mikoto run to Mai gleefully," Mai, how is the costume?"
"Okay, I guess," Mai replied as she stole a glimpse on Tate.
Akira sat alone on a corner, lost deep in his thought.
Luckily, during these few days of practice, we haven't enter the kissing scene yet… but I cannot avoid it forever… soon, it will happen… What should I do?
Soon the week gone by, and the festival arrived. During the week, everyone was exhausted by the practice, however, fortunate for Akira, they couldn't seem to practice the kissing scene because every time when they reached to that scene, something always come up to stop them. Whether it was Mai who started screaming fire, which turn out to be a false alarm, it would be Shiho who pull Tate away, not letting him to proceed with the practice. Even Takumi had once accidentally spill hot coffee on Tate, giving him a little burnt during the practice so that he cannot kiss Akira… People was wondering how Takumi could get so close to Tate during the practice of the kissing scene since he was not suppose to appear at that scene, and actually accidentally spilled hot coffee on him even though no matter how they looked at it, it don't seem like an accident… truly don't seemed like…
A week indeed is too short for the practice and preparation for the play. They were not able to practice a complete play with their costumes, and they only get to try on their costumes once before the real play.
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During the festival
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"Look! There are so many people outside," Mikoto exclaimed excitedly as she looked at the audience place.
"I don't think that's a good thing…" Mai sighed as Yukino helped her to wear the costume.
"Why, Mai?" Mikoto asked strangely.
"That's because, we didn't get much time to practice the play. I haven't really memorized my dialog yet. I hope we won't embarrassed ourselves on the stage…" Mai replied with another heavy sigh again.
However, Mikoto don't seem to get what Mai mean as she scratched her head.
"Don't worry! I, Suzushiro Haruka am here. I will make sure the play go successfully. Hahahahah! " Haruka laughed evilly showing her fist.
"Done. Phew… I'm glad the costume fit you… I'm so worry it did not fit since you only try it on once," Yukino said.
"The play is going to start soon, anyone see Akira-kun?" Takumi asked as he ran toward them.
"Oh, he is changing his costume. I say I want to help him, but he insists that he can wear it himself… "Yukino explained.
"Umm… I'm done, "Akira called out to them.
Everyone turned around to look at Akira in his costume.
Thump, thump, thump…Oh my god! Akira-kun, Akira-kun… he looks gorgeous… Just like a girl. What? What am I thinking? Akira-kun is a guy! He doesn't look like a girl… He is not a girl… Not at all! But…Stop! Stop thinking nonsense! Takumi, what do you think you are doing? You must remember, Akira-kun is not a girl! He is a guy! And you are also a guy! … Eh… wait… I am a guy has nothing to do with Akira-kun is a guy… What am I thinking? Stupid me!
Takumi blushed. His face was as red as an apple now.
"What? What is it? Is it very bad? Why you keep staring at me, Takumi?" Akira asked nervously. He is also blushing heavily.
"Ah, ah…" Takumi seemed to lose his word. He did not know what to say.
"Everyone please get ready! The play is starting!"
Everyone else quickly ran to prepare to go on stage, leaving Akira and Takumi alone.
Takumi looked at Akira. Suddenly his eyes met Akira's eyes. Both of them quickly looked away.
"You, you look beautiful…" Takumi said at last.
I couldn't breathe. My heart feels as if it is going to burst. What is this feeling? No words seem to come out from my mouth… My mind is so blank…I feel so hot…Akira-kun, he just looks so great… "Um, thank you…" Akira mumbled with his eyes looking on the floor.Takumi says I look beautiful…Why am I so happy? Because someone says I look beautiful? Or is it because it is Takumi who says I look beautiful…
"Akira-kun, what are you doing there? Faster come over here! The play is starting!"
"Ah, yes!" Akira called out immediately.
He quickly ran to get ready, but because he was not used to wear skirt, he tripped himself and fell down. Takumi immediate went to hold him.
"Are you alright?" asked Takumi concerned.
"Um, yeah… Thanks," Akira replied, blushing," I go first…"
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The play starts…
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"A long, long time ago, there lived a king who married a lovely queen and they were blessed with a baby girl."
Haruka walked out proudly, carrying a fake baby doll in her hand, followed by Natsuki.
"Are they sure she is a lovely queen?" a student sitting on the audience seat said.
Unfortunately for him, Haruka seem to be able to hear it. She showed her fang at student and started shouting at him, "What did you say!"
Natsuki try to hold her back from charging toward the poor student.
"BAKA!" Natsuki shouted. They screamed and clawed each other before they realized that everyone was looking at them shockingly.
"Ooops…"
Both of them immediately stopped and acted like a lovely couple again…
"Ara, ara… Looks like this play will be going to be very interesting," Shizuru said, smiling evilly to herself. She was sitting at the audience seat right in front of the stage.
"…When Princess Cinderella was born, she was blessed by three fairy godmothers."
Aoi, Chie, followed by Nao walked out.
"I will bless her with supreme beauty that all men see her will fall in love with her…" Aoi chanted, pretending to be casting some spell on the fake doll held by Haruka.
"I will bless her with intelligent, so that she grows up to be a clever princess who learns fast and knowledgeable…" Chie chanted.
"MUAHAHAHAHA…," An evil laugh could be heard.
Shiho walked out of the stage laughing evilly, as she walked toward them.
"You foolish king who did not invite me to attend your party. Now you will have to pay the price for making me angry! I'll curse the princess that when she reached 16, she will get poked by knitting needle and die slowly and painfully,"
All the audience clapped as they watch Shiho impressive acting. Shiho bowed proudly to the audience, feeling proud before disappeared back to the backstage.
"No!" Haruka cried out sadly…
There is a moment of silence before Natsuki, Haruka, Aoi and Chie glared at Nao who do not seem to be paying attention to the play.
"It's your turn! Say something!" Haruka hissed at Nao.
"Oh, is it?" Nao replied monotone.
"Do not fear, my pitiful queen. I have not blessed the princess yet. Now I will bless the princess so that…" Nao stopped.
Everyone looked anxiously at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Eh, so that she will died before she reach 16 years old and got poke by a stupid knitting needle in order not to suffer unnecessary pain unless she get a kiss from her true love before that happens,"
Everyone frozen right at the moment upon hearing what Nao said.
"Hahaha, you do not need to be grateful to me. It is just my duty as a good and kind-hearted fairy godmother," Nao laughed wickedly as she walked away back to the backstage.
"Eh, what are we going to do now?" Takumi asked his sister who stood beside him, stunned.
End