"It's time for the Culture Festival!" Najimi cheered behind stage. "Are you guys all ready to put on our play?" All the students cheered except for Tadano and Komi. Tadano, instead, shook his head. "All right, places everyone!" Tadano walked towards Najimi. "Najimi? Do I have to do this?"

"What are you talking about? Of course you have to! No one else was perfect for the role of the prince!"

"It's not the role I'm worried-"

The audience died down. "Oop, it's time to start, Tadano. We can talk later. You know, since I'm the narrator and director." Najimi strut in front of the curtains. Tadano wiped his hands on a napkin he grabbed from a nearby table. This was going to blow up. He could tell. It's not his fault he was cast for the part of the prince. He has to kiss her. He just has to. But why? Can't they cut out the scene entirely. He never practiced. In fact, he never kissed anyone. Not on the lips anyway. Maybe he could kiss her on the cheek. But she was different. She was special. There was no way this was going to end well.

"And now, for the story of Sleeping Beauty!" Najimi said. The curtains rose to reveal the queen, Komi, and the king. There are a few other students there as well. All are sitting by a prop table the prop crew made. "And now, a toast to our daughter!" All the students raised their cups. "Happy birthday dear!" the king said. The crowd cheered.

The lights dimmed. Laughter arose from the audience. Running through some of the doors near the audience came Nakanaka. She was cast as Maleficent. "Hold on, dear people. It seems my invitation was lost in the mail!" She jumped onstage and stood face to face with the king.

"Funny, I don't recall sending you one," the king said sarcastically.

"There seems to be some misunderstanding. You would invite the whole kingdom to come to your party but me, the most powerful person in all the land?"

"Hmm, it seems I would," the king replied.

"Honey, please don't," the queen said softly.

"Then I will curse your daughter! On her eighteenth birthday, she will be pricked by a spindle, causing her to sleep. Forever!"

"Then we will just remove the spindles from the kingdom!" the king retorted.

"Not if you don't remember my presence!" Nakanaka cried. "The curse is done! I'll be off!"

Nakanaka threw a smoke bomb on the floor and went through a trap door that opened. The crowd rubbed their eyes and continued the party.

After a few more acts, Najimi approached Tadano. "Okay, Tadano. You ready? This is your big scene where you save the princess and marry her."

"Najimi, that's the problem! I'm not sure I'm cut out for this! I mean, does the prince HAVE to kiss her to wake her up? Can't it just be a gentle tap or-"

"Tadano! Snap out of it! You know only a true love's kiss can wake Sleeping Beauty!" Najimi countered.

"Yeah but, I only JUST met her. I need time with her! I need to know the princess before I just straight up KISS HER!"

"Tadano. Really. The princess is asleep! Just calm down! Breathe."

Tadano and Najimi inhaled and exhaled a few times. "Now get out there, and kick some audience butt!"

"But-"

"That's the spirit!" Najimi exclaimed, pushing Tadano onstage.

"The prince sees the sleeping princess. He knows that only a true love's kiss can wake her. In fact, he was hoping it would work as it was true love at first sight for him. He believed her to be the prettiest princess he has ever seen. Let alone, woman he has ever seen," Najimi said.

"This is off script," a student whispered to them.

"I know," Najimi replied smugly. "The prince walked closer to the princess, taking in her beauty that filled the room," Najimi narrated as Tadano slowly approached Komi. Okay, Tadano. You got this. Just pretend that it's NOT Komi and you should be just fine! Tadano thought to himself as Najimi continued to narrate.

"And so, once the prince came near enough to the sleeping beauty, he leaned in for a kiss, with one wish on his mind: that it is true love's kiss."

Tadano stopped in front of the bed Komi is lying on. Tadano wiped his hands on his pants, hoping no one noticed. He leaned in closer. He glanced at Najimi, who motioned him to continue. Why does this have to happen? Tadano held his breath as he leaned in closer to Komi. She's so pretty...

Tadano closed his eyes tight and faked a kiss. He kissed the air above her. I hope that does it, Tadano thought. Najimi stayed silent. Someone nudged them. "And so, the princess awoke with a start, to find the retreating face of the prince."

Tadano jerked back up. Komi opened her eyes and muffled a squeak. Najimi had never told Komi that Tadano was playing the prince, just like they kept it secret that Komi was playing the princess from Tadano. They set this up! That's why they were going off script! This was their plan all along!

"And so, with the princess awake, and the prince's kiss worked, the whole kingdom started awaking." A cardboard horse wheeled onto the stage. "The prince helped the princess onto his horse and they rode away together, into the sunset, to live happily ever after." The horse moved off with Tadano and Komi walking behind it. "And so they lived happily ever after, together, forever," Najimi concluded. The curtains closed and the audience cheered. The curtains rose again, this time revealing all the students who played a part of the play, holding hands, bowing. The audience stood and cheered. Some whistled. They walked backstage. The audience continued to cheer as the stage hands and the orchestra walked onstage.

"Najimi never told me that you were Sleeping Beauty," Tadano said, nervousness in his voice. Komi grew nervous and looked at the floor. "Sorry about earlier. Najimi wasn't helping much." Tadano rubbed the back of his head. They stood in silence for a little bit as the audience began spilling out of the gymnasium. "I, uh...good job today, Komi. You-you did great."

'Same for you.'

"T-thanks. I, uh... one second." Tadano walked into the changing rooms and came back out with his hands behind his back. "I-I got this for you...to, uh, congratulate...you on your-uh-performance. I, uh...I hope you like them-it! I hope you like it!" Tadano looked away from Komi as he held up a bouquet of flowers, each neatly organized inside the colored paper.

Komi grabbed them. "I...I hope you like it," Tadano repeated. "I just thought you would-"

Komi stopped him with her finger. She glanced around the empty stage. She peeked through the curtains. There are still a little members of the audience still present but they didn't notice Komi. She returned to Tadano. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then ran away, throwing a paper at him as she did.

Tadano's face turned a deep red as he watched her run away. Then, he picked up the paper. 'For earlier. Thank you!' Tadano pulled the paper in closer to his chest and stood there long enough that Najimi had to drag him out of the gym.

Author's Note

I wanted a scene where Tadano was awkward with Komi and for Najimi to ship them again, like always. I also wanted a little moment at the end where Komi lightly kissed Tadano and he enters a trance with no release. So that's where this one came from. I was going to originaly do Snow White but Komi doesn't talk so I gave her the role of Sleeping Beauty instead. I hope you enjoyed!