Legoshi, hunched and squinting from the morning sun, walked down the corridor of the sanctum santorum — the top floor of the administrative building. Additional classes for gifted students were also located here, where lecturers from the university, so-called "honors classes," taught. However, they were a couple of floors below. Jack had studied there when he was still a high school student— now the Labrador prodigy was nearing the end of his first university year in Kansai, of course, with an increased scholarship. Legoshi still corresponded with him, but he felt that they had drifted apart a bit.
He has to visit friend. At least, sometimes.
The gray wolf was heading to a place he would never have dared to go a year or two ago without an invitation or a challenge. But now, the director's office didn't seem like such an unreachable height, although the wolf was already tensing his tail at the thought that they might ask him about the club… or inquire about Sisu… well, they might scold him without any particular reason. Yes, Gon-san was known for his leniency — for a tiger, of course — but Legoshi was definitely not in good standing after two serious incidents. If the director knew about Melon and the turf war, he would have permanently banned Legoshi and Louis from entering the school grounds. The wolf had no doubt about that.
The brown door with a golden plaque seemed to exhale pomposity and beckoned to be knocked on politely, without excessive insistence. Legoshi couldn't imagine someone kicking it with a boot or pounding on it with all their might. He raised his hand and knocked three times. "Come in!" came the voice from inside. The wolf slid inside and closed the door behind him. Unlike the door, the office didn't look as expensive — just a simple desk, office supplies, an ordinary landline phone, and shelves with neatly labeled files in the back. The only things that slightly hinted at luxury were an expensive-looking laptop, possibly even a gaming model judging by its thickness, and a suit made of dark blue solid fabric worn by the office's owner, a Siberian tiger with small rounded lenses in his glasses, looking impeccable.
"Oh, Legoshi. I was just thinking about you. Have you decided what you'll stage?" Gon greeted, tilting his head in a nominally polite bow. Legoshi hesitated.
"Uh… hello, Gon-san. Louis is still considering options, but I think it will be Adler. I came to ask for your help."
"Ask away. I can't promise much; the board of trustees is pressuring me regarding the drama club. Nevertheless, I think they'll quickly forget all complaints when they see the results. Have a seat," the tiger invited, pointing to the chair opposite.
"Thank you," Legoshi said, folding his hands in a gesture of gratitude and then sitting down. "Gon-san, I need access to students' disciplinary records."
The director looked surprised. "What? But why, Legoshi? If you're planning another investigation on your own…"
"No! Of course not. I… have been thinking for a long time and realized that this is the fastest way. We don't have animals who are good at sound. Third years have left, and one…"
"Riz," Gon nodded. "I remember. But how does that relate to disciplinary records?"
Legoshi looked into his eyes — directly, as he usually did when he wanted to grab attention. He said, "For some reason, I thought that those who are good with computers and technology, in general, would surely have a couple of offenses related to such methods. Computer proficiency… many think it elevates them. Above society. Perhaps it will be a carnivore with an unquenchable thirst for hunting or an herbivore wanting to feel stronger…"
Gon looked at him in surprise and said, "No matter how calm and kind he may be, I still expelled a troublemaker with a criminal record from school… when did you become a psychologist, Legoshi?"
"I… thought for a long time, Gon-san. About us and herbivores."
I read the journals of a doctor who dealt with calming psychos on the black market.
"What amazing changes can happen… but what you're asking for is simply impossible. Students' records are confidential even for school staff not involved in the educational process, and you, forgive me, are just a technician servicing the drama club. According to the documents, at least. I know you and Louis are trying to revive this place and make it even better, judging by the bills paid by the conglomerate's subsidiary, but…"
Legoshi pressed his ears to his head and looked away. However, Gon froze, not finishing his sentence— a good idea had entered the tiger's mind.
"I have a proposal. I'll check the records myself now and tell you the names. But you'll have to negotiate with the dormitory prefects all by yourself; you no longer study here, so access may be… problematic."
"I would be very grateful, Gon-san," Legoshi respectfully nodded his head, wagging his tail.
"Alright… Let me check," Gon said, looking at the computer.
"Should I bring you folders?"
"What? Ha-ha, no. Why is the young wolf more old-fashioned than the forty-year-old tiger?" Gon laughed, drumming his claws on the table. He pressed a few keys on the laptop, reached for the mouse. "Everything is stored in our network. Thanks to the genius who came up with electronic databases. They save so much paper and time…"
"I'm constantly being called old-fashioned," Legoshi smiled. He remembered how Haru got upset when she saw his old flip phone. She knew he had savings and threatened not to talk to him for a month if he didn't buy a proper phone. Then, when Legoshi figured out messengers and the internet, she kissed him. The wolf felt himself blushing, but he couldn't do anything about it — somewhere deep inside, he remained the same naive little child.
Meanwhile, Gon scrolled through the violators' database, chuckling thoughtfully at each new entry.
"Not this one… hmm, not this one. Ah, here's something similar. Kuro Takashi, a squirrel, dormitory 2, room 210. Are you writing it down?"
"Yes, Gon-san," Legoshi actually took out a small notepad and scribbled the name in it. A regular teenager would have made a note on their phone…
"Next… Ishikawa Shigeru, a maned wolf. Your old dorm, room 702. Did you write it down? Krinov Gadzmir…"
It was an unusual name.
"He's from somewhere in Europe, on an exchange program. A hedgehog. Dormitory 1, room 305."
"Got it."
"Matsumura Se, also a wolf, by the way, room 701, and Yun Nana, a red panda. First dormitory, room 412. I won't tell you what they did… damn them. Sorry," the tiger said, grabbing his phone and staring at the screen as if it were a fierce opponent. Legoshi saw a video where the tiger's upper lip began to twitch slightly, revealing his fangs.
"Gon-san?"
"Sorry, Legoshi, I need to run. An emergency committee meeting for the Beastars. Good luck with your search!"
And he closed the office door, leaving Legoshi wondering what could have so excited the director. But now, the wolf had another task at hand.
Getting past the once-familiar dormitory was easy, despite the intimidating baboon at the entrance. Legoshi greeted her politely, trying not to draw attention to his numerous scars and torn ear. Apparently, somewhere in her memory, his face was imprinted as a legitimate resident. He was interested in the old seventh floor and, more importantly, their old room. All five previous occupants of "Pack 701" were friendly, so encountering a familiar snout wasn't something Legoshi feared. He was more wary of social interactions in general.
Climbing the stairs, Legoshi sniffed the air. The scent of food and some strong disinfectant filled the air. His wolf nose deciphered the smells of crispy tofu, soy cutlets, and vegetable stew. It seemed like they were cooking for a whole room. Reaching the end of the corridor, he delicately knocked on the door of room 701. Footsteps were heard from inside, the door swung open abruptly, revealing a snowy-white wolf slightly shorter than Legoshi, glaring at the unexpected visitor.
"What do you want?"
"I need Matsumura Se. Are you him?" Legoshi clarified before unloading his problems onto the student.
"Well, yeah," the wolf grinned with an unpleasant smirk. "If this is about that newspaper clipping again…"
"No, it's not. I would like to offer you a position as a sound engineer in our theater club…"
"Look," the wolf shouted into the room, "recruiters have lost their minds, going around rooms like they own the place! Get lost, dude. I won't look at how tough and combative you are, and punch your sniffy nose aside."
"I'm not…" Legoshi started but was met with a slammed door. He sighed.
Well, we probably wouldn't have worked out.
One name off the list. Knocking on the next room, the wolf received no response. As a precaution, he decided to check the kitchen, where he found the candidate he was looking for – a tall, slender maned wolf with beautiful reddish highlights, thoughtfully stirring something in a pot. Interestingly, he even wore an apron to match the chef's image.
At the table, three more were seated, drooling and making joking comments – a doberman, a dingo, and a black creature with a stripe around its neck, which Legoshi barely recognized as a tasmanian devil.
"Hello. Enjoy your meal," Legoshi politely greeted. The doberman turned his head sharply and waved in a welcoming gesture.
"Hello. Can you fix a microwave?"
That's probably why they let me in downstairs.
He shrugged, "My name is Legoshi. I came to talk to Isikawa. But I can also take a look at the microwave. What's wrong with it?"
"It doesn't turn on, and it sparks," reported the maned wolf. "We haven't touched it for two weeks, even filed a request to the dorm supervisor, but no one showed up. And what do you need from me, Legoshi-san?"
The stranger silently moved the white metal box away from the wall. He wasn't good with electronics and modern technology, but sometimes he had to keep the lighting in working order. If the problem was simple, he could help.
"I'm from the drama club. We really need a club member who can handle a laptop and sound equipment a bit. Start the music at the right moment, adjust the volume," Legoshi explained, flipping the back panel with his claws. Underneath, there was a black spot – it seemed someone had pulled the device by the cord, and it partially detached, tearing through the insulation. The rest seemed to have been repaired more than once, judging by its appearance. The wolf carefully unwound some tape from the second wire, wrapped the damaged area, and then reattached the protective panel.
"So, how is it?" he asked, shaking off his hands and turning to the chef. Isikawa hesitated.
"Legoshi-san, I can't. I've been in the basketball club since my first year here, though it's true I know a bit about trends and audio recordings."
"Trends?" the gray wolf asked.
"Yeah. I'm a zootuber, run my own channel," Isikawa grinned.
"I see," Legoshi nodded, not understanding much. "Well, sorry to bother you, Isikawa-kun. The microwave should probably work fine now."
"Would you like to eat? Shigeru cooks really well; there's enough for five," offered the dingo, introducing himself and then pointing sequentially to the doberman and the tasmanian devil. "I'm Bart, this is Misima and Eugene."
"Please, help yourself!" the animals politely chimed in unison.
It's so strange. They treat me like an adult, even though they probably see that I'm still young. Maybe the experiences I've been through add years…
Noon slowly approached. Legoshi and Sisu had woken up quite late this morning, actually. Juno had probably gone to her dorm to get a good night's sleep, and Louis left a message saying he had left for business and would be there by the start of the club meeting. Legoshi had considered grabbing a snack at the cafeteria, but the tempting aroma in the air made him think otherwise.
"Yes… thank you," he smiled. "I won't refuse."
The ragout was indeed beautifully prepared. Leisurely enjoying his meal, Legoshi noticed that Bart was looking at him particularly intently, as if wanting to ask something but hesitating. The wolf scratched his neck awkwardly.
"I would be an ungrateful guest if I didn't answer a couple of questions," he said. He was only a year older than them… well, some of them, cause dingo was clearly a third-year, but he had already lived outside and understood that he should now behave like an adult… without really knowing what that meant. However, for the company from room 702, the gray wolf with muscles visible under a thin dark blue jacket, face covered in scars, was already a rather mysterious figure. Bart nervously swallowed, twirling a piece of eggplant on his fork. Then he finally spoke up:
"And you… are you that Legoshi?"
"That Legoshi?" The wolf couldn't imagine what they might be saying about him at school. And in general, how one might refer to him.
"Well, yeah! The one who saved the bunny!"
"Wait, is that him?" Eugene almost choked. Legoshi lowered his gaze.
"I had help. Without friends, I would probably have died… more than once."
"Cool! Can we take a selfie?" Bart asked eagerly, putting down his utensils and pulling out his phone.
"I don't come out well in photos. And what would you tell? The former school hero came, fixed the micro, ate, and left?" Legoshi weakly smiled. He really wanted to thank for the food and escape in panic, but for a moment, it seemed like Louis had lent him his golden tongue.
"Okay," sighed the dingo and resumed eating.
"And what are you doing in the theater club, Legoshi-senpai?" Shigeru asked, biting off a generous portion of the cutlet. "Mainly, we clean and prepare for work. We had rehearsals for the participants yesterday. Maybe by summer, Louis can provide a ready-made play… although I still don't know what they will be playing."
"That Louis?!" Bart gasped. Damn. It seemed he had encountered a distant fan of their… adventures. Legoshi didn't know how many rumors circulated in Cherryton, but he decided to nod silently and continued eating.
"That's interesting…" the maned wolf scratched his mane. "Now I do want to transfer to your club. Just so this dog gasp every time I come from rehearsal and ask for details," he nodded towards Bart with a slight smirk.
"And you'd sell information for money," the laconic Misima said mockingly.
"Bring one of the costumes and make our glory-boy dance," Shigeru chuckled, receiving a sensitive hit on the shoulder from Bart.
"Then choose a female one, it'll be funnier," the tasmanian devil quipped.
"You guys are something else," the good-natured dingo replied with a harmless but embarrassed smirk. "Legoshi-senpai, did Juno join the club? The gray wolf, slightly shorter than me?"
"I think she's the president," the wolf answered honestly. Remembering the previous evening, he added, "And… not available."
"As if that ever stopped Bart from tailing celebrities," the maned wolf laughed. Seeing Legoshi wiping his mouth and getting up, he quickly said, "Thanks for the microwave, Legoshi-san. Sorry I couldn't help."
Legoshi shrugged, "Don't abandon a club where you already have friends and a team. Thank you for the food; it was delicious. And sorry for the trouble."
"Wow," he heard a muffled exclamation as he turned towards the stairs leading down. "He's so modest! And cool!"
Me… cool? Yes, especially when doors slam in my face.
There were two candidates living in the first dormitory, so Legoshi headed there. Young animals passed by, joyful at the opportunity to exchange their dull school uniforms for something more interesting, specially chosen for the weekends. Some took advantage of the opportunity to go home for a couple of days, some disappeared in the city for discos and music concerts, and Cherryton Academy was almost half empty by the beginning of the weekend. Nevertheless, there were still many people.
Porcupines were a rarity among the students, so when Legoshi saw a representative of this species strolling leisurely in front of the dormitory, he almost certainly knew it was Gadzmir. He looked… interesting. Jeans, a tight black jacket made of a material that looked like plastic, under it a very tight Cherryton polo; the long needles on his back were clearly carefully trimmed, but the upper part, on his head, the full length was painted from dark brown to bright yellow. It seemed that this guy was quite musical, but not quite in the theatrical sense.
Interesting… I never thought that processing one's body to prevent harm is not only for carnivores. And cutting the needles off one's back is probably difficult, definitely much harder than filing and trimming claws.
"Good afternoon," the wolf greeted him. The porcupine raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking at the carnivore towering over him, although Legoshi intentionally didn't come too close.
"Afn'n. Do we know each other?"
"No," the wolf shook his head. "My name is Legoshi. We need a computer and sound specialist in the theater club – someone to launch and change recordings, monitor equipment, and so on."
"And why did you think that I'm such a specialist? Gadzmir Krinov, first year."
Legoshi smiled, "I won't hide it; the director gave me a hint."
"First, he scolds me for inappropriate behavior and violating safety measures, and now he wants me to work as a sound engineer?" grumbled the porcupine. The wolf shrugged and waved a paper, "He didn't insist, threaten, or ask me to pass anything along. I have two more names here not your lucky day, Gadzmir-kun. I'll go on and try to persuade the others."
"Let me see," he demanded, snatching the paper from Legoshi's hands. He read it, snorted, "Yun Nana? She barely knows how to turn on a laptop and type in it, even though she always carries it around. As for this, Kuro, I don't know anything. Better go straight to him."
"Got it," sighed Legoshi and took the list back, handed to him by the impulsive porcupine. "Well then…"
"Wait!"
Gadzmir frowned and tilted his head to the side, shaking his yellow needles, "Do you need a sound engineer or not?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"Legoshi-senpai, you won't convince anyone like that. Just say thanks that I have a big and kind heart."
The tail weakly wagged on its own.
"So, you'll come?"
"Yes. When and at what time?"
"We have an impromptu meeting in two hours, at 4:00 PM, but we usually gather around the same time on weekdays. Sometimes a little earlier. At least, that's how it was when I studied here," Legoshi shrugged, trying not to push too hard. "But we probably won't rehearse today; we still need to choose a play. So Louis or Juno will just brief you on the responsibilities."
Gaddmir clearly looked dissatisfied with such a quick meeting, but he raised his head to the sky and theatrically exhaled, "Okay. I signed up myself. Alright, Legoshi-senpai, I'll come."
"Thank you, Gadzmir-kun."
Louis left the car, taking the heavy bag with him, and thanked the driver. The expensive car slowly and almost silently pulled away from the sidewalk. The board of directors' meeting went much better than he expected – at least, the stocks were steadily rising after the sharp fall during the change of Horns' conglomerate head, and divisions across the country were profitable. Horns didn't limit itself to just one thing – starting with the medical industry for herbivores several decades ago, the conglomerate gradually expanded into his own chemical productions, compact medical equipment, transportation, then came the turn of household goods and equipment for construction specialists, and later Oguma acquired several mines in the north of the country… In general, by this year, there was no industry that the conglomerate had not penetrated with its tentacles, more or less.
Of course, stocks changed hands, but Oguma always held the controlling stake and the right of veto in the board of directors – and now it was Louis. He quickly adapted – at least, as quickly as a high school senior from the day before yesterday and yesterday's leader of the black market gang could get used to huge financial flows. However, with the help of extraordinary diligence, an accountant, and a couple of financial consultants, last year the young deer managed to hold on the flames of raising crysis. On the way to the academy, he even had time to think about the play selection… and couldn't come up with anything.
Well, a thought flashed in his mind as he walked through the central wrought-iron gates of the school, we'll improvise.
The club was clearly already open. The deer more comfortably gripped his cane and looked at his watch. 3:14 PM. For sure, Juno had occupied the club president's office and was trying to figure out the paperwork. He entered and instantly noticed the movement of the projector lights – another wolf, apparently, wanted to adjust the equipment before the meeting to not make a bad impression on the newcomers. The rest of the hall sparkled, polished to a shine.
"Hello, Louis!" came from above. Under the bright light of the lamps, the deer couldn't see his friend, so he waved his hand vaguely. "Everything okay?"
"Probably! I don't want to shout about business in public, but I wasn't eaten at the meeting. They just licked me a bit, and very delicately," Louis grinned. Approaching the mirror, he searched for traces of fatigue and uncertainty but remained satisfied. "Is Juno in her office?"
"Yeah," the wolf answered loudly. He finally revealed his location – a gray tail stuck out from one of the metal beams, lazily wagging. Oris, like a gibbon he definitely was, should be flying around there.
Louis headed towards the office, lifting his cane and holding it across. Sometimes he got tired of this crutch – he wanted to move faster even at the cost of a slight pain in his leg. Opening the door, he unexpectedly saw an idyll – leaning back in the chair, Juno was looking at something on the club's laptop, lowering her head onto folded hands. What Louis definitely didn't expect to see here was Sisu, who occupied almost a quarter of the room. The dragoness was partially coiled around the chair, claiming the status of the second spectator in a small cinema, closely watching the screen.
The deer rushed inside and slammed the door behind him, carefully taking off the hefty bag from his shoulder. Juno raised her eyes to him and blushed, twirling her tail:
"Hi… how was the meeting?"
"Good. What's Sisudatu doing here?" he frowned.
"And you have a good day too," grumbled Sisu, waving her tail in greeting. Juno got up from the chair:
"This is the only room that can be properly locked for now. Upstairs will be a Legoshi's studying ground, who knows, maybe he'll need the attic. Or someone might accidentally come in. And no one will enter the closed office."
"Well done," Louis said warmly, as much as he could. He still had to push himself to express emotions, but it was getting easier with Juno. The wolfess pressed her lips to his, as if they hadn't parted ways this morning but a year ago. In a sense, it felt that way.
"Nice idea. Good girl," he scratched her behind the ear and allowed himself to smirk at Juno's tail, which caused a storm of delight.
"Grr… don't overuse it," she said, trying to catch the tail with her hand, but it eluded her.
"All dogs wag their tails, right?" Sisu said, amusedly watching them.
"I haven't seen the exceptions," Louis shrugged. "They say foxes are also dogs, but they don't seem to know how to do it."
Juno thoughtfully said, "In our sociology classes, they told us that wolves didn't know how to do it either. It became part of pack… or social mimicry, I think. I don't remember exactly."
"Did you figure out the re-registration form?" Louis asked.
"Yes, I just need to submit an application to the how-do-they-called department and a list with the club members. Today, I'll rewrite everything and submit it. I don't think there will be any newcomers today – the end of the year and all."
"Yeah, most likely," Louis nodded, settling into a chair. Juno hugged him around the shoulders, affectionately biting his ear and quietly asked, "So, what are we going to play?"
"Adler. Or not Adler," he grinned, playfully flicking his ear.
"Whatever it is, I really want to see it," dreamily said Sisu, rising to her feet and squinting thoughtfully.
"Just wait. Today, we'll only assign roles. We also need to shorten the script, work on costume sketches, have many rehearsals… and only then we can watch the play."
"But as a token of gratitude for your patience, we can hug you for now, and then bring some treats," Juno laughed, seeing how this news saddened the dragoness. She instantly smiled and embraced both of them in a circle of arms, now much more careful than before. The wolfess buried her nose in the blue mane, and hugged Sisu's neck as much as she could, while Louis gently stroked her. Whether it was related to some magic or just an innate property, the deer had never encountered animals with such soft fur.
"This… is a worthy reward," Sisu smiled, rubbing her nose against Juno's neck. "You're so warm and soft."
"Who would say that!" Louis rolled his eyes. Juno lightly poked him in the shoulder, "Shorten the text, huh? Did you find something new already?"
"Shush. Soon, you'll find out yourself," Louis wriggled out of both the embrace and Juno's questioning grip.
"Well, tell me-e-e," Juno chased after him. Ignoring the pleas, the deer approached the bag and opened it, revealing its contents. First, he pulled out a brand new laptop of a decent size – not very expensive, one of those called "for study" – but modern enough. Handed it to the wolfess, saying, "This is for Sisudatu. She's constantly deprived of the only source of entertainment, and next week, we'll need the club laptop very often. Even if we don't find a sound engineer…"
"Oh, Legoshi said he found one," Juno remembered, gently taking the device. Louis was pleasantly surprised, "Really? How determined can our quiet guy be, you tell me."
After Juno turned around and handed the laptop to Sisu, the dragoness's eyes widened in amazement, "Is this… for me?"
"Well, you heard Louis – this one is already yours. Take care of it and don't puncture the keys with your claws."
"But I don't really have claws… and the computer costs a lot of your money?!"
"Not much. So you don't have to thank me," Louis waved it off. "We already keep you locked up; it's the least I can do. And for the next present, I hope to get at least an enthusiastic expression on your face, because our family chef prepared this…"
With these words, he pulled out a plastic container containing none other than a whole cake, in diameter exceeding even a not-so-small laptop. Juno critically surveyed the bag, suspecting that the stubborn deer didn't call anyone for help to carry the load. Males…
Sisu sniffed, but the plastic stubbornly refused to let the smells through. Placing the precious cargo on the table, Louis removed the lid and revealed to the world a wonder previously not very distinguishable because of the murky white container. Fancy sugar flowers intertwined with candied fruits, more fruits, and a load of fancy placed white chocolate. The cake looked both light and adding about five or even ten pounds to the taster with one bite.
"Shall we cut it?" impatiently asked Sisu, licking her lips. Louis shook his head, "I'll pass. You can give Juno a piece."
She crossed her arms in front of her and said, "I need to watch my waist! Have you gone mad?"
"I can keep an eye on it," the deer replied with an impassive expression, and she glanced at him, snorting angrily.
"This is… divine," Sisu declared, barely swallowing the first bite. She was already smeared with cream, holding the cake as if it were a hamburger, and Juno immediately went to look for any napkins. Cleaning a dragon from cream was undoubtedly quite a task. "I've never tasted anything so delicious in my life!"
"Cherryton Kumandra one-nil," Louis smirked. Sisu frowned playfully, but a few moments later, she closed her eyes again, savoring the culinary bliss.
"M-m-mfhere!" she extended a piece to Juno with two fingers. Juno looked thoughtfully at the "slice" the size of her fist and swallowed saliva. She grumbled, "I wouldn't take it for anything, but you're eating it so deliciously…" Louis watched with a smirk as the cake was being devoured. After finishing and licking her fingers, Juno shook her head.
"Louie, this is exquisite!"
"Olaf earns some crazy money," Louis grinned. "But, in return, he performs real miracles. Juno, it's time for us to shine. People are probably gathering already. Sisu, the laptop opens and turns on just like the old one. I installed the same set of programs to make it easy for you. In the right folder, there are funny movies and plays, in the left dramatic and scary ones."
"Thank you," she nodded. Juno pointed to the side door, "Wash your paws first… otherwise, the keys will stick from the cream."
"I hardly use them anyway… and I don't understand what's written," Sisu complained.
"Legoshi promised to teach you… and he's free all day tomorrow."
"Sooner, the better!" she replied from the bathroom. Well, it was fortunate that there was a small sink in addition to the main plumbing, and it was good that the president's office had its own bathroom, although the dragoness could hardly fit in the tiny space. Unless she folded herself three times.
"Oh, right… headphones. Where are your ears, anyway?"
"Here… I guess?" Sisu pointed uncertainly to the side of her head, returning. Louis connected the appropriate-sized pair with huge ear cushions to the slot and opened the laptop, saying, "That's it. With this. You put the headphones on your head like this and, for the sake of Rex, Sisu, please sit quietly."
"Okay," she nodded, smiling. "I understand. And thank you so much for the cake, it's delicious."
"You're welcome," Louis said with a reciprocal smile. He picked up the club laptop and went out the door, not opening it too wide. Juno followed him, surveying the hall and locking the door.
"I would never have thought that you'd be spoiled with cakes," she whispered in his ear. Louis shook his head.
"Once a year, on my birthday. Father didn't like what he called, unnecessary entertainment. Sweets, computer games, outdoor games, even B-strike."
Juno sighed heavily. Near the far wall and at the entrance, students were already crowding old and selected ones from yesterday, although not everyone had arrived yet. Legoshi had left his homeland and was quietly explaining something to Oris, a lanky gibbon with beige and not particularly well-groomed fur. The latter nodded thoughtfully and silently. Seeing the two of them, Tao grinned widely and raised both thumbs up. Juno flared up. Let them think what they want, the main thing is to stay away from the door. And… not that she was against such thoughts herself.
All the main participants were already here Louis counted not only the "oldies" but also those who seemed to him the most promising Tsutomu, Bryson, Fumiko. Ryu, a small bandicoot, Akihito, and Phillip were not visible yet, but Goro was already present, stroking his mane. Glancing over the crowd, the budding teacher noticed a gloomy porcupine with dyed quills on his head, who was not at the audition. Perhaps the promised sound specialist.
The deer looked at the clock again. Four o'clock sharp. Maybe someone went home for the weekend, but this meeting was spontaneous enough to forgive such negligence for the first time.
The rehearsals were only yesterday, he reminded himself. Then he stepped forward.
"Greetings!"
"Hello, Louis-senpai!" the club members responded out of sync.
"As you know, I gathered you today to announce the upcoming play and distribute…"
The door slammed.
"I'm not late, Louis-senpai?" Pina asked cutely, entering and adjusting his woolen curls. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, the deer smiled.
"No, Pina. Just in time – right in the middle of the sentence you've interrupted. Basically… to distribute roles, yes. But first, I must clarify: most likely, all of you are familiar with the play 'Adler, Reaper of Death'?"
"Yes," ram nodded with deadly seriousness.
"Of course," Juno rolled her eyes, standing in a semi-circle of students. Right now, Louis needed a bit of space and respect for the instructor's figure, but it seemed she wasn't in a hurry to mass-produce those.
"I saw it, back in the year before last!" Akihito, who had just arrived, raised his wing. A third-year… what was he doing here for three, even almost two months before graduation? Understandable, judging by Juno's criteria, but still…
Now almost everyone was there; even Phillip, the beaver, and Ayako, the nine-belt rhinoceros from the costume designers, arrived, and the only actor missing was the bandicoot.
"Then those who have seen it will probably not be saddened by a vague sense of deep loss," Louis raised his hand over his head, squeezing an imaginary volume and made a light gesture with his wrist, as if throwing it away, "because this spring, we won't be staging Adler."
Pina chuckled ironically, "What a disappointment."
"Instead, I want to offer something that will liven up the club and give stability. I've been choosing between drama and something lighter for a long time…"
The last ten minutes. But it still sounds like a good idea… at least in my head.
"…and I realized that the laws of the theater are much more forgiving to newcomers in the field of things that make the audience smile. We will stage 'Pygmalion.'"
"What? That ancient legend?" Tao protested, thinking he had figured out the sensei.
"No," came a slightly hoarse voice from the front rows. Juno looked surprised in that direction, while Pina coughed spasmodically and fixed his sky-blue eyes on the red deer.
"A new, refined humorous play about the difference in social classes, language, and the very soul. Louis… Louis-senpai, tell me we will stage Bearnard Shaw. Don't play so cruelly with me."
"We will stage 'Pygmalion' by Bearnard Shaw," the deer grinned predatorily. "And we can expect either a complete failure or absolute success."