Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter 1: Coming Back.
Author's Note: There will be a few curse words in this chapter. Please be considerate and not attack me for it, when I've forewarned you.
Chapter 7
Sana stiffened as her thoughts froze over. She couldn't even remember what she was doing. Why was he there? She seemed to remember a conversation she'd had with Fuka earlier that day.
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"So, will Hayama-kun be at the audition?" Sana asked. Not that she cared that much, but it would be nice to know that he would be there. It would mean that he might consider her a friend again. Or he might just want to see if she crashed and burned when it was her turn.
Fuka stared at her dubiously. "You're kiddin', right?" Sana returned Fuka's look and said, "What, is that weird or something?"
Fuka sighed. "It's just– Well, he don't really like to go to events like that, even if it was for a . . . an acquaintance."
"Doushite?"
"After our friend Sana-chan disappeared"–Sana winced–"he don't wanna be around that kinda stuff, 'cause Sana-chan was an actress. I guess they had some kinda bond, and when she left, it made him feel like he failed or somethin'. Like he hadn't tried hard enough to change somethin''bout him; so much that his one–not best friend, that's Tsuyoshi-kun, since they both guys, but somethin' like that, y'know–abandoned him." Sana could almost feel tears rising in the back of her throat. "Ya shoulda seen him when he first heard that Sana-chan had disappeared. He went into a big funk. It took him months to get over it. He didn't cry or anythin', but he was really upset 'bout it, and he lashed out at us 'cause of it. I've never seen him so hurt before. Then again, I hadn't known him that long. I just remembered him from pre-school."
Trying to move onto safer territory, Sana asked innocently, "Pre-school? What do you mean?"
Fuka glanced at her suspiciously. First Sachiko asks why Hayama didn't go to events, and when she, Fuka, answers, the girl changes the topic? Isn't that a bit weird? I mean–
"Fuka-chan?" Fuka jolted and looked over. "Eh? Nani?" she said.
Sighing, Sana started to repeat, "What'd you mean when you said–"
Fuka interrupted, "Hai, hai." She paused and then continued, "Well, me, Aki-kun,"–Sana grinned slightly at the nickname–"an' Tsuyoshi-kun went to the same pre-school. Hikari or somethin' like that. . . . Uh, but I moved away right after to Osaka. Great city!"she finished enthusiastically, obviously proud of her former hometown.
Sana stared at her, a bead of sweat starting to roll down the side of her head. "Ano, okay. . . ."
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"Kitahoshi-san?" Sana snapped out of her reverie to see snickers starting to emerge from the audience, and she realized that Mihara-sensei had been calling her for some time. "Kitahoshi-san, as I said, you may begin now." Sana flushed at the reprimanding look from the teacher.
"Ano . . . ano, hai. Hai." She blushed more at the fact that she was stuttering. Who am I auditioning for again? Ano, ano, Fantine! Hai, Fantine. Ano, what was the monologue? Kami-sama, what was it! she thought frantically.
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"What's wrong with her?" Aya said. "Why isn't she starting?" Tsuyoshi and Fuka shook their heads worriedly.
"Probably because she can't act for shit." The three yelped and turned to watch as Hayama settled himself down next to them, keeping his eyes on the stage. "This is pathetic," he snarled. "If she can't do it, she shouldn't be trying. I mean, come on, if the girl can't handle being– Itai!" He massaged his scalp, where Fuka had slapped him with her notebook. "What the hell was that for!"
Fuka scowled at him. "Don't you dare insult her Aki-kun! I don't see you goin' up there and tryin' out!" Hayama rolled his eyes. As Fuka continued her annoying tirade, he settled his head into his hand. "Don't ignore me, you jerk! Who do you–"
"Shut the fuck up!" Hayama snapped. "Kami-sama, where do you get off? Talking to me like I'm a kid? Why–" he hissed at her.
"People in the back, be quiet!" Mihara-sensei screamed.
"Fuck you, prissy little bitch," Hayama muttered to himself.
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"Now Kitahoshi-san, please begin, or else I'll be forced to bump you from the audition," Mihara-sensei pleaded.
Sana turned scarlet from humiliation. "Of course." She took a deep breath and, struggling slightly, began.
"Ano, Monsieur Javert, I, ano, beseech your mercy. Ano, I assure you I was not in the wrong. If you had seen the beginning, you would have seen." Starting to remember the monologue perfectly, she plowed on confidently. "That gentleman, whom I do not know, put snow down my back. Has any one the right to put snow down our backs when we are but walking along peacefully, doing no harm to any one? I did not speak to him. It was at that moment he put the snow down my back. Monsieur Javert, good Monsieur Inspector!" Sana started to put on the waterworks, make her voice quiver. "Is-is there not some person here wh-who saw it and can tell you that this is quite true?" Sana startled the audience by letting out a small cry before she steadied her voice. "I did wrong to spoil that gentleman's hat." Adding a small note of desperation, she continued, "Do me the favor today, just this once, Monsieur Javert." She paused and gave another little weeping sound. "You know that in prison one can only earn seven sous a day. I must pay a thousand francs or my little girl will be sent to me." Sana turned her expression to a desperate one, and started to let the tears out more and more as her voice shook. She wrung her hands together. "Dear God, I cannot have her with me! Oh my Cosette! What will become of her, poor creature?" She untangled her hands and started to shriek violently, "Do not put me in prison! Have pity on me Monsieur Javert! Mercy! Mercy!" Sana started to bawl. Abruptly, she stopped, wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes, and stood silently on the stage.
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"Whoa." Hayama looked over at Fuka as she said it. She was staring at the stage, where Sachiko had just completed her audition and was awaiting critique. He had to admit, Kitahoshi was pretty good, but she wasn't as good as Kurata. Which was understandable, since no one could match up to her. But apparently, Mihara-sensei was stunned, because she wasn't speaking from what he could tell.
Bored from the crap, Hayama rose and exited the auditorium.
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Sana stood uncertainly on the stage, confused as to why this was taking so long. She hadn't been that bad, had she? Or . . . Was it that she had been too good, showing too much of her acting prowess? Whatever it was, she was starting to feel regretful for doing this.
"Ano, Mihara-sensei?" Her hesitant statement jarred the woman out of her daze. "Eh? Eh? Nani desu ka?" She looked toward the stage. "Ah, Kitahoshi-san, ano, t-take a seat." Sana gratefully stepped off the stage and toward her friends in the back. She could hear Mihara-sensei stutter, "N-next character: Monsieur Thenardier. L-line up, kudasai."
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"Shh, shh, she's coming." Sana watched as everyone parted to make a path to the audition results. Rasing an eyebrow, she walked toward the paper. She skimmed through its contents, mumbling. "Jean Valjean . . . Mizumoto Kai. . . . Javert . . . Furugawa Tatsuo. . . . Fantine . . . . . . Wai! Wai! Wai! Yatta!" She squealed. "I can't believe it!"
From the crowd erupted words of congratulations. "Arigatou!" she yelled to them. I can't believe I'm going to be Fantine! Wai!
Glossary of Translations:
doushite-why?
itai-ow! Or 'ouch!'
wai-woohoo! Rough translation.
yatta-I did it! Also 'We did it!' Shouted when one has accomplished something, such as winning a game, getting a good grade or test grade, et cetera.
Author's Note: It's short, I know. But the next chapter should be longer. In fact, I promise it. A lot of it will be centered around the play and there will the explanation of what happened at the karate tournament.