Ch. 1.5

Beauty and the Beast

(Kana's Version)

"Ahhahh! So that's how you two started going out." says Kana. She rests her hand on her head and look inquisitively at Chiaki and Makoto. "That story sounds so familiar to me – I wonder why?"

It is exactly a day after Makoto and Chiaki first started dating. Makoto has come to the Minami house to tell Haruka and Kana the news about him and Chiaki. He and Chiaki sit on the edge of the kotatsu facing Kana. Accompanying Makoto for support is Touma, who sits on the edge between Makoto and Kana farthest away from the door sitting across from Haruka.

"I think you're just imagining things again." Touma tells Kana.

"I remember! This is exactly like the story of Beauty and the Beast!"

"How did you make that stretch?" Chiaki asks.

"Hold on a minute!" interrupts an offended Makoto. "Are you calling me ugly? In what way do I resemble a beast!?"

"No, no, no. You're not the beast." Kana corrects. She points her hand towards Chiaki.

"Huh?!" Chiaki screams.

"Well, in the original story, the beast was a prince, right? And you do call yourself princess, princess." Chiaki growls.

"Allow me to retell the story."

"Long ago in a land far, far a way there lived a princess named Chiaki, who lived in a castle." Kana points around the room indicating Chiaki's "castle." Cringing, Chiaki hand palms her face. "One day, a witch came to the Minami household. After unveiling her appearance showing that she is not a girl, but indeed a boy, the princess cast out the witch! But, before the witch left, she put a curse on the princess! If a boy doesn't love the girl without the use of her looks before the last leaf on that tree falls – which it still hasn't and it's driving me crazy! – then she will forever be a flat chested beast!"

"Hold on, hold on, hold on." Chiaki interrupts. "First off, the witch was rejected way before she entered the castle and was only rejected until she revealed her appearance. Second, that conversation between Makoto and I never happened. And third, I'm not a flat chested beast!"

"Well, not anymore because the curse lifted, but nobody likes spoilers, now back to the story!"

"We will now introduce the main character of our story, Makoto, the stupid beauty. Makoto is in love with the town hero, Haruka, but takes no interest in the beauty, because he's too young. The town hero's also often accompanied by her sidekick, Chiaki."

"Wait, wait, wait. This still sounds nothing like Beauty and the Beast." Chiaki interrupts again. "The beauty's supposed be both intelligent and beautiful; and the town hero's supposed to be in love with the beauty and not the beauty in love with the town hero; and how am I both the beast and the sidekick?"

"Um, a smart-beauty? Don't be ridiculous. Also, I'm telling the story, so shut up! Now, back to the story."

"Frustrated by the curse, the followers, who were also affected, kidnapped both the beauty and the beast and forced them to fall in love so their lives can go back to normal and not have to deal with this hyped up tension!"

"That part is a little true." Touma interjects. "We were really irritated when the two of you were fight – wait. Who are you calling a follower?"

"Anyway…"

"And then, the kidnapping actually worked, because there was something there that wasn't there before. I think they call that phenomenon Stockholm Syndrome, but it's probably different with you two, but back to the story.

"Suddenly, Fujioka went missing! The whole castle was in a panic. Everything was flipped upside down. Books all over the floor, the refrigerator was empty –"

Chiaki interrupts again. "Your books are always all over the floor, and the refrigerator was empty because you wanted to experiment in the kitchen and 'level up your cooking skills.'"

"And doesn't Fujioka always go missing?" asks Makoto.

"Yeah. It's not as big of a deal as Kana lets on." Chiaki reassures.

"And then Fujioka was found! And Haurka died."

"Wait, what? No I didn't."

"I said this is LIKE Beauty and the Beast, not that it IS Beauty and the Beast." Kana explains.

"And finally, the beauty and the beast fell in love and the curse was lifted."

"What curse are you talking about?" Chiaki asks. Kana bends over the table leaning in close to Chiaki's ear, speaking at a light whisper so only Chiaki can hear.

"Nee, Chiaki. Weren't you complaining this morning about your bra being too tight on you?" A bright blush instantly spreads across Chiaki's face. "I guess your finally developing, huh?"

"You idiot!" Chiaki punches Kana in the face, and Kana tumbles back down.

Haruka speaks up. "Kana, what's your role in the story?"

"Huh?" Kana's spent too much time and energy forcing Chiaki and Makoto's love story to fit perfectly with Beauty and the Beast that she completely forgot what role she played in it. "Well, um?"

"Because if Chiaki's the beast and my sidekick, Makoto's the beauty, I'm the town hero, and Touma and company are the beast's followers, then what role do you play?"

Kana thought about this hard. She didn't participate in Chiaki and Makoto's kidnapping, so she can't call herself a follower, nor would she want to. Kana's role in life is much too glamorous than that. Where does she fit in this dynamic?

"You know what?" Kana finally says. "I don't think your story really fits that of Beauty and the Beast. It's another story entirely."

"You're only saying that because you're not in it." Chiaki scowls.

"But now that I think of it, there's another more important matter that we forgot entirely!" Kana whips her head towards Chiaki and Makoto. Her eyes glare deep into theirs. Anger and frustration seethe out of her body.