Enter the Dragon

by Scarsdale

This story takes place a year after black market turf wars. Two animals, despite almost losing their friendly contact, are returning to Cherryton High simultaneously to re-open the old drama club. But although Director Gon gave them permission, there will be obstacles, struggles, love stories and a new totally weird and unexpected guest. Such as the new menace from the old slums.

9. Chapter 8: The Puppet Theatre

Haru, sitting on a bench not far from the shopping center, was almost dancing with impatience. She had sent the wolf a message in the morning that it would be better to meet at the location, since her parents dragged her to the bakery she once loved as a child instead of having breakfast. A bakery three miles away from home, mind you. Unfortunately, the pastries turned out to be not the same anymore, or perhaps childhood memories had painted too rosy a picture of the taste of fresh, crispy cinnamon rolls, but…

Today she would get a very large gray cinnamon roll that she could dress up however she liked! Of course, knowing Legoshi's modesty, he would resist… perhaps even try to escape.

However, the bunny noticed that lately he had changed a bit. Legoshi began to show much more initiative than before, emerged from his inner world, and timidly began to look around at the external one. Whether it was the school's exception playing a role, or that mysterious dark side of his life she didn't know about — though she suspected — or Louis, who suddenly reappeared in their lives. Or maybe the wolf finally, with great delay, began to show signs of masculinity. Haru didn't know. Moreover, she didn't want to know what exactly caused the mysterious apple bloom of the tree that used to be just green… she wished with all her heart to reap the fruits.

Oh, yes, those fruits too. However menacing they might turn out to be.

Haru giggled, swinging her legs. She turned her head and saw a tall gray wolf emerging from the metro station in the distance. He slowly turned his head, surveying the space with eyes the color of overcast sky, spotted her, smiled… and almost knocked over with his tail a passing elderly small dog. The bunny covered her face with her hands from both endearment and embarrassment at the same time, jumped off the bench, and hurried to meet him.

When Legoshi finally finished apologizing to the lady, he, without waiting for greetings or other formalities, hugged Haru and lifted her up, pressing her against himself and rubbing his nose against her shoulder. He inhaled her delightful scent, to which he had become so accustomed and about which he still dreamed just before each meeting, while Haru affectionately rubbed her cheek against his nose and the corner of his mouth, embracing her wolf by the neck.

"I missed you," she whispered softly into his ear and immediately giggled. "Before you answer, check your back."

"I can't control that," Legoshi complained half-voice and stepped aside to the edge of the sidewalk, waving the fluffy instrument of public vandalism from side to side.

"It's strange that you've learned to control everything except your tail. Or are there parts I don't know about?" she teased slyly and looked into his eyes. Legoshi blushed slightly, although through the grown fur it was not very noticeable.

"Haru, you're embarrassing me again…"

"I get paid for that by secret government services," she laughed, kissing him on the nose. "Otherwise, why would I enjoy dunking you in paint so much?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "You're cruel, Haru-chan."

"Only for delicate flowers like you, Legoshi-kun. Let go. You're doing fine holding me, but I have legs that I intend to use actively today!"

Legoshi released her and gently set her down, looking her up and down. Haru's ears, as usual, fluttered like two long white flags. He loved feeling their soft fur on the outside of his nose, but the bunny usually complained of tickling. Today she was wearing… no, not a dress, but black tights with a loose flowery skirt and a thin dark green shirt with factory paint stains at the bottom. It gave her a slightly informal look, although the "scale-pattern" purse was quite strict and formal.

Oh, and she put on eye makeup. I mean, she lined her eyes. Or rather, Legoshi didn't know what to call it correctly, reddish… shadows under the eyelids? In pursuit of scents, the wolf's vision sometimes completely stopped working.

And his brain too.

"You look beautiful," he said shyly. "And the eyes… this thing suits you very well."

"I have two of those things," she winked first with one eye, then the other. The wolf waved his hands:

"I mean the highlighter! Or how does it called…"

"Thank you, Legoshi. You too today… are unusually stylish."

"I found a not-dark shirt," he smiled.

Legoshi complemented his usual jeans with a rather uncharacteristic light-green shirt with small dark polka dots. It seemed a bit tight on him, and Legoshi — although Haru was sure he did it without any ulterior motive — unbuttoned the top two buttons and rolled up the sleeves to the middle of his arms. His scars on his arms were covered with fur and not as distinct, although his face was still marked by individual scratches from past fights.

But Rex almighty, what a magnificent beast he was. Concealing her embarrassment, Haru stared at the ground. The wolf had no idea how much he had raised his physical appreciacion rating. Or points. Damn, she was definitely thinking about points.

"And it suits you very well too," Haru smiled, finding the strength to lift her head.

"It's a bit tight in the shoulders."

"And in everything else, as far as I can see… the pants aren't too tight?"

Legoshi tried to imagine what Bill would say in such a situation. Or Louis. Unfortunately, his inner Bill left Legoshi at about the stage of speech acquisition, saying that he was boring and not fun to play with, so the wolf simply remained silent now, shaking his head negatively.

"Okay," Haru sighed, pulling him by the hand. "Let's go. It's warm today, isn't it? Do you want ice cream? Oh, and what did you want to buy, please remind me! How much money do you have with you, anyway?"

"Eight thousand yen," Legoshi could only answer the last question, scratching his head. "It's not that much, but it'll be enough for a few items of clothing. I also need some sturdy socks and… maybe, a couple of underwear," he finished, lowering his tone and looking somewhere to the side.

The silence made him wary, and Legoshi looked down. Seeing Haru's broad grin, he coughed, blushing, and shook his head negatively:

"Haru, I'm not going to try them on in the store!" The bunny's wordless smile widened even further as she led him along the sidewalk towards the crosswalk. Finally, the sadist took pity on him and beckoned him with a finger, signaling him to lean down. Whispered in his ear:

"But I have a good imagination, and I'll help you with the thought that someday I'll be honored to see them on your body."

A pleasantly frightening shiver ran through him, and the wolf shook his head, clearing his mind of the mischievous message from the teasing rabbit. The shopping center proudly carried the reputation of a bustling and crowded place, although on weekdays there were far fewer animals here than on weekends. Nevertheless, the stores were already in full swing, and cafes and food courts were hastily serving both visitors from more modest towns and regular office workers rushing for their lunch break. Animals of all sizes and types mingled with each other, although for the smallest ones, the passages and shops were located in a separate wing to avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Legoshi raised his nose slightly, inhaling the wide variety of scents. In one moment, he saw the full spectrum of the bustling place, assessing the food, the smells of clothes, perfumes, and new gadgets. Haru pinched his hand:

"Well? Where do they sell your hoodies?"

"I'm afraid we'd better look at the sign," he smiled apologetically. "My nose doesn't distinguish such details."

"Well, darn it. And I thought you wouldn't lose a single thing at home…"

"If that thing smells like you…"

"Ew, gross! Oh… sorry, Legoshi. I know how important scents are for dogs," she added, seeing his ears flatten. "I don't even use perfume."

"Thank you, Haru," he said sincerely, approaching a vertical display board. "Here, look… 'Textile-Gran,' clothing for animals of all sizes and types."

"Acceptable," Haru nodded importantly.

The odd couple followed along the polished corridor, glass showcases enticingly displaying everything they had — jewelry, woven baskets and furniture, cakes, electronics, outdoor gear… it seemed like you could go around the shopping center and the contents of the showcases would not repeat not only in assortment but also in theme. Although there were clearly more clothing and accessory stores here than anything else. Summer, winter, formal and casual, fashionable and not so much, simple and fancy.

Finally, they arrived at a large store, not as flashy as the fashionable boutiques, but rows of clothing were visible in abundance there.

"Wow… you can get lost here."

"I'll hold your hand!" Haru teased.

"Just not when you're trying on clothes," Haru teased, sticking her tongue out. "You might accidentally stuff me in your pocket… or in your pants, hee-hee. What's got you frozen?"

Legoshi, swallowing, stepped forward decisively. Fortunately, the metal detector didn't start signaling that something was wrong with him even at the entrance.

"I hope no consultant starts helping us choose," Haru muttered, looking around. "Look, there's something similar to sportswear over there. Surely there are hoodies, sweatshirts, and sweatpants nearby."

"They sure do."

"Maybe you should try to wear something without hoods. Or zippers."

"I like hoods."

"Yes. You put it on, and your mug full of scars looks out from there," Haru tilted her ears like a hood and made a scary grimace. "Boo-o-o-o!"

"I like hoods," the wolf stubbornly repeated. She soothingly stroked the back of his hand:

"We won't take anything you don't like. But on one condition — you'll try on what I choose. Deal?"

"Deal," Legoshi relaxed, nodding. They waited until the aisle they needed was vacated by squealing five-year-old tiger cubs and approached the rows of outerwear. There was a huge rack of windbreakers, and right behind it, another one, with folded sweatshirts of different colors and sizes. Due to the necessary variety, many of them were presented in quantities of just one item of each size. Haru pulled out one, a deep green:

"How about this one?"

"The color's nice, but the size isn't mine. Look for one with two X's, like my old one."

"You probably need a slim fit…"

"Why?"

"Because one size's bigger there is a three XL, which could fit even a hippopotamus, and they don't have such a slim figure," Haru explained, pulling out another one, checking the label:

"Here, your favorite dark. Well, navy blue, actually."

"The inscription…"

"'Be wild'? What's bothering you?"

The wolf carefully put the sweatshirt back:

"I want to protect herbivores, not promote lack of self-control."

Haru sighed:

"Okay… I'll get it right the third time."

In Legoshi's opinion, she didn't get it right at all – in the rabbit's hands was a large, bright sweatshirt, the lilac color of the night sky transitioning into the sunset right by the pocket. He took the clothing from her, smiling softly:

"Alright, I'll try this one on."

"And the tail's not wagging…"

"I don't like big stores. It's better to order online, but with clothes, you can't always guess…"

"Maybe this one too?"

On the gray, steel-colored hoodie, there was a complex inscription across the chest, which, even on closer inspection, couldn't be deciphered — a mix of acid-green, white, and black colors.

"I like the color. What does it say here?"

"No idea," Haru shrugged. "I think you'd have to go crazy to read something like that."

Legoshi looked at the price tag:

"Five hundred and fifty. We won't be able to buy anything else…"

"Okay, put this one back. How much was the previous one?"

"Nineteen fifty yen."

"Manageable," Haru nodded. The wolf rummaged on the top shelf and pulled out two simple pullovers — both with a classic neckline, and the neckline, judging by the unbuttoned shirt, suited him very well… but Legoshi didn't know the word "pullover" and went with:

"Look at these sweaters."

"Sweateeeeers," Haru mimicked him, making incomprehensible but clearly mocking gestures with her fingers in the air. "It's a pullover, silly. The left one's good, the blue one is some strange color…"

"Really?" the mentioned piece of clothing turned to himself. He shrugged: "Color is just color."

"…but I'd like to see you in the white one."

"To match the color of your fur. I like it."

"I'd love to see you in a white suit and a black shirt altogether," Haru said thoughtfully, biting her lip. "I think you'll look incredibly good in that color combination."

"It's good that my job doesn't require formal clothing," the wolf smiled. "But I'll remember. So… I don't need pants."

Agreed.

"One or two T-shirts. Better two, probably."

"I saw T-shirts and tank tops two rows back," she said.

They headed to the indicated place, and there, obedient to Haru's sharp memory, lay the T-shirts. She grabbed one with a death grip:

"You're trying this one on without objections! And this one!"

"Haru, I won't have enough money for all of them…" Legoshi tried to reason with her, only to receive a backlash: "Then I'll buy them myself! How much can a stupid T-shirt cost?!"

In general, the ones she chose were not bad even to his taste. One was chocolate-brown with pale-green uneven vertical stripes of different shades, the other was rich blue, dark, but with a light-blue rhombus pattern from top to bottom. However, Legoshi decided to defend his own tastes a bit and grabbed a plain black one from the top shelf. The rabbit grinned:

"I already see which one you'll be wearing ninety percent of the time until it wears out. Let's go to the fitting room."

The wolf nodded and obediently followed her, propelled forward by the rabbit on reactive thrust. He unloaded all the items onto a small platform and began unbuttoning his shirt. Hung it right there on a hook and put on a blue t-shirt, then layered the sweatshirt with the sun on top. Stepping out, he wagged his tail and looked questioningly at Haru. She shook her head:

"They don't go together at all. Can you take off the sweatshirt?"

"Sure…"

"There! Much better, this t-shirt by itself is impeccable! But not with this… Legoshi, can you wait? I'll bring another one."

"Maybe I'll try on that brown one for now?" the wolf questioned. She nodded her ears in agreement:

"Yeah! I think that one will work here."

Haru rushed off, and Legoshi climbed back into the cabin with the mirror. He unfolded the t-shirt and smiled widely. Against the brown background, it turned out that grass of different shades was depicted, so long that the top blades ended at his right shoulder. And on the shoulder itself sat a firebug, black with red, three times larger than normal, it even protruded slightly above the grass blade — the beetle was sewn separately from a piece of fabric. Legoshi knew for sure that such a size doesn't exist in nature, but he still gently stroked the beetle with his fingers.

Haru didn't see it… or did she?

The curtain twitched:

"Hey, stop admiring yourself in there. I want to as well!" He stepped outside, pointing to his shoulder with his claw:

"Look!"

"I knew, I knew you'd like it!" Haru jumped in place, squealed, then instantly calmed down and handed him a white bundle:

"Now this."

Legoshi unfolded it and felt the pleasant material. It probably sat delicately on the fur and didn't wrinkle it, and a wolf's hands after outerwear always looked ruffled. The hoodie wasn't snowy white — more of a creamy shade, with the pocket, sidelines, and collar edge trimmed with a thin dark brown stripe.

"Looks like dessert," the wolf said thoughtfully, then quickly pulled the hoodie over the t-shirt, exposing his furry belly. Haru smirked, but helped him straighten the hoodie. She stepped back and tilted her head. The wolf looked in the mirror and then at the rabbit. Haru declared with deadly seriousness:

"If anyone suddenly says you look like dessert, I authorize you to bite their face off. Legoshi, these are your colors. Brown, green, and creamy white. Faded jeans also go well with this. Although the sneakers, of course, are old…"

"I can't afford Metal Mouse, sorry."

"I'm just… thinking out loud," she shrugged. "I really like you in this. You're usually good too, but in these clothes… it's like I got to see you from a new angle. Fresh, neat."

"With a battered face, missing an ear…"

"Hey! Since when did you learn to joke?"

"Bad habit. I think I picked it up from Louis."

"I think it's the new hoodie's fault," she playfully tapped her finger under her chin in a pensive gesture. "And it's only two five hundred. Slightly more expensive than the sunset one, but that one's no good. Except maybe with your black t-shirt…"

"To be honest, I didn't really like the sunset one. Too bright."

"And creamy isn't bright?"

"It's more like delicate. Like you," Legoshi smiled. It rarely worked out so smoothly for him. Haru looked at him fondly, then pulled out her phone and aimed it. The wolf raised his hand in defense:

"Hey…"

"Too late," she declared. "Knowing you, you'll hide 'em until the next holiday. At least I'll have a photo."

"Well… I did agree to the selfie at the previous week…"

"You lost the bet! Of course, it was easier to agree to a selfie than to kiss me with tongue, you little innocent wolf…"

With a stone-faced expression, Legoshi lifted her onto his arms and unexpectedly carried her into the fitting room, pressing her against the wall. Haru shivered as she saw him so close, then the wolf kissed her, softly touching her lips and gently parting his mouth, and then unexpectedly and smoothly ran his large tongue along the rabbit's teeth. She squeaked and kicked her legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and trying to respond, but Legoshi interrupted the brief pleasure. Though he continued to scrutinize her from about two inches away, no more. Hoarsely he said:

"Not so little and innocent anymore, huh?"

Haru was about to ask something about how loudly Louis yelled at him, but unexpectedly she felt that the wolf had also stolen her ability to speak. She tilted her head, breathing heavily and feeling her heart pounding, whispered:

"I'll attack you today. Right now. At the exit of the store."

"I'm already scared," he replied just as softly, his tail slowly cutting through the air from side to side.

"Let go. Otherwise, the animals will think something's going on here."

"Yes," he flinched and gently lowered her outside the fitting room. "Sorry, Haru."

"I'll bite you if you apologize again!"

"Don't need to," he smiled sheepishly, returning to his usual self. "I'll change back into my clothes, grab socks and underwear, and let's go to the checkout. And then ice cream. Agreed?"

"A double portion," the rabbit said with a trembling voice. She urgently needed to cool down from the impressions.

On Thursday, right after classes, Juno brought a huge comb to the club, and while Sisu diligently worked with Legoshi, she combed the creature's mane. Then, Pina arrived literally five minutes later and took her place, while Juno went downstairs to sort out the club documents, which had taken on a much more streamlined look over the past week. It was unfathomable how many offices in this school needed to be visited to keep the newly opened drama club afloat.

Moreover, she needed a lot of self-control to get a play approval. The director reprimanded her for "extracurricular activities" and "inappropriate appearance," sternly ordering her to focus on the Beastar program, after which the she-wolf completely lost interest in being a school star. However, she still maintained grades at a sufficiently high level and behavior almost perfect, enough to qualify for graduation honors. Seems Gon wasn't his usual self. Maybe, is had something to deal with his utmost desire to produce at least one Beastar student for these few years, but she wasn't sure.

Juno took the sheets with her lines. Role of Eliza fitted like a glove, the florist possessed her character and didn't stumble over a word. Moreover, Yuki and Louis had already cut out many secondary lines and text, respectively, so she would have much less to memorize. The she-wolf thought warmly of the deer. Surely he was somewhere at another meeting now, listening to representatives or fighting competitors, throwing high-profile lawyers at each other wrapped in expensive paper. Louis warned that in an emergency he could be pulled out of rehearsal, but so far there have been no such cases.

So, Juno was ill-prepared for tomorrow's dance rehearsal. She planned to watch the video sent to her by Kobayashi after today's club meeting, and only then start making sketches. Then the weekend would be dedicated to algebra and physics, the subjects that Juno struggled with the most. And she didn't even think about using them in life… it just turned out that way.

Not overly concerned with things beyond the moment, the she-wolf had nurtured a sparkling crystal of a strange dream in her mind over the past year. She wanted to attend college or even choose a university somehow related to aviation.

If there was anything Juno envied, it was beings with an innate ability to fly. Passenger planes might be able to fly much faster from point A to point B, but… the mere possibility of taking flight at any moment fascinated her. And at the same time, it instilled a slight sense of regret. And then there's Sisu-chan appearing out of nowhere and without a shadow of doubt stating that in their world, dragons can fly without any wings. Or, as she described it, "run on rainbow clusters of mist," which didn't clarify the details of the process at all.

Magic, darn it, Rex tear it apart. Grrrr.

But in this world, without knowledge of exact sciences, unfortunately, the ordinary ground animal's path to the sky was closed. She would have to stay grounded. And try with all her might not to topple the tower of responsibilities that had fallen on her lately. After half an hour of reading, Juno sighed heavily and tossed the stack of "Pygmalion" sheets under the table. It's not working. She wanted it to, but it's just not happening, that's all there is to it. Closing the office, she headed back upstairs, double-checking the entrance door just in case. After Pina barged into her mini-office, both she and Louis and even Legoshi became much more cautious.

Upstairs, the female came upon an idyllic scene — all three of them were lying over a book, taking turns poking at it with their fingers. For Sisu's learning, they brought the old classic "The Wizard of Oz," and the dragon girl was very amused by Baum's colorful illustrations. Credit must be given to her, the guest learned to read very quickly.

"Within a short time… she was walking bris-kly toward the," Sisu hesitated, lightly tapping the long word with her claw. Pin whispered, "Emerald."

"…the Emerald City; her Silver Shoes tink-ling merrily on the hard, yellow… roadbed," the clever girl said, and Pin smiled, patting her freshly combed mane. Juno looked at the elephant-sized comb — not a single strand of hair was out of place. She shook her head enviously. Usually, at the end of winter, she would diligently shed her excess fur, and it would take literally hours to take care of it.

"Now it's your turn," Sisu pressed him to the floor with her paw, smiling triumphantly. "You promised to read a couple of monologues from your role!"

"Well, I've been caught red-handed…"

"And caught quite literally," Juno smirked, closing the hatch behind her.

"But if you don't let me go, oh beautiful dragoness, I won't be able to lift a finger."

With a toothy grin, she released the ram. Legoshi said thoughtfully, setting the book aside:

"Sisu has a very… gentle, measured strength. Yes, she monstrously surpasses any carnivore, and I suspect she can move very quickly due to the elastic muscles of her body, simply straightening out during a jump, but she always carefully doses her power."

"I am the monster," Sisu nodded contentedly, wagging her tail a few times in a parody of a wolf. Pina smiled, covering his eyes as he stroked her back.

"You're the most beautiful monster this world has ever seen."

"Monologue!" the impatient monster demanded. Pin tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Perhaps a dialogue instead? Juno, how do you feel about the scene with the shoes after Piggering's departure?"

She pretended to yawn. "I'm darn lazy. Only for Sisu-chan…"

"Yes! Yes-yes-yes, hooray!" Unable to sit still, Sisu shot up and streaked across the attic like a blue lightning bolt. Although it was only about fourteen meters long here, with her being six or even seven meters…

"Juno, please! Pretty please! I won't be able to watch your rehearsals!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," the wolf joked, rising from her comfortable pouf. "Got the text? I haven't reached that part yet…"

"Here, take mine," the ram handed her his lines, clearly brought along on purpose. "I've almost memorized my part."

"You memorized everything up to the third act?!"

"Nah. I learn it in fragments, then later I'll piece them together," he explained. Juno scanned the lines and almost automatically assumed an angrily offended posture. Since the club closed down, she secretly practiced Adler's female variation with herself, keeping the revised text. And now this little acting workshop came in handy more than ever.

"What the devil have I done with my slippers?" Pina emerged from behind the rafters, irritation flickering across his face.

"There are your slippers. And there. Take your slippers and… " Juno squatted down, picked up two clumps of multicolored confetti resting on one of the crates, and threw them at Pina one after the other. "and may you never have a day's luck with them!"

"What on earth!" the ram muttered in astonishment, then approached and hugged her by the shoulders, as if lifting her up. "What's the matter? Get up. Anything wrong?"

Juno glanced at the script. "Nothing's wrong — with YOU! I won your stupid bet, haven't I? Well, great! That's enough for you. I don't matter, I suppose."

"YOU won my bet! You! Presumptuous insect! I won it. What did you throw those slippers at me for?" Pin's voice rang out arrogantly.

"Because I wanted to smash your face," Juno replied almost candidly. Not once or twice she wanted to throw something heavy at Pina when they still attended the old club. "I would've strangled you now, you conceited, thick-skinned animal. Why didn't you leave me where you picked me out of — in the gutter? You thank Rex it's all over… and that now you can throw me back again there, do you?"

"Turns out, this creature IS nervous after all," the "professor" remarked disdainfully, fully embodying the role. Legoshi and Sisu watched the scene, holding their breath. Raw, unpolished, it was already a pinnacle of artistry for them. Yes, the wolf had seen many club performances, but now everything looked different. More fire, more drive, more life and inspiration.

Neither of them ever felt constrained on stage; Juno always conveyed the character's emotions perfectly, and giving Pina the role of the arrogant and rude scientist turned out to be a brilliant idea. Towards the end, they certainly stumbled and peeked at each other more, especially Juno, but the dragoness and the wolf still applauded sincerely.

"Marvelous," Sisu smiled broadly. "And is the entire long play like this?"

"Well… Adler's play was divided into two parts, each about forty minutes long, if I remember correctly," Juno pondered, wagging her tail in response to the praise and slightly out of breath from the lively scene. "Even if Louis shortens 'Pygmalion', it'll still be at least an hour and a half."

Pina intercepted the narrative initiative from her:

"Moreover, there's a concluding narrator part, which we still haven't assigned to anyone. Maybe make Brys do it? Essentially, it's just reading the text, albeit a long one, and Piggering is the only neutral character among the main ones, I think."

"I actually had one thought," Legoshi said, straightening up and looking into space, moving his hands as if adjusting a spotlight. "If the ending requires a considerable voice-over, nobody will do it better than Louis himself. He can sit in a corner of the stage, and we gradually make the light brighter, so the spotlight will slowly emerge from the darkness. And there will be Louis… calmly, methodically finishing the narrative."

"Playing the Shaw himself," Juno chimed in. Pin looked at the wolf in surprise.

"The narrator… usually the play director doesn't participate in the performance, but this…"

"That's a good idea," Juno exclaimed excitedly. "Legoshi, that's very cool."

The wolf glanced down shyly.

"I'm speaking from my position as a lighting technician. Maybe it's nonsense."

"Not nonsense at all!" Pina fervently objected. "Legoshi-senpai, the idea is very bright and timely. If the other students approach the production with the same enthusiasm, we'll blow the stage away!"

"Maybe we shouldn't?" Sisu interjected uncertainly, her purple eyes wide open. The ram reassured her ironically:

"In a figurative sense. I mean, we'll dazzle them — figuratively — so much that their jaws will drop to the floor. Also… figuratively."

"In a figurative sense, don't be yourself," Juno chided him, putting her hands on her hips. "Sisu is a smart girl."

Instead of confirming, the dragon buried her nose in Juno's hand. The she-wolf laughed and gently stroked her along the bridge of her nose:

"You seem to be starting to mimic our dog behavior. Spend more time with Pina and Louis."

"And then will I start headbutting everyone around?" Sisu asked mischievously, winking at Pina.

"Yes. I've been meaning to say this for a while, but we're barely holding back from accidentally bumping into someone with our horns. Especially the Horns conlomerate heir," the ram replied with straitforward and deadly irony, theatrically waving his hands in the air. "And now, be a dear, and butt Juno in the rear."

"Don't touch my rear!" she squealed.

Hatch was raised, and Louis's head appeared from there, roughly at nose level. He leisurely surveyed the room, realizing that no one's rear was in any danger, and with a slight chuckle, he said:

"Interesting place you have here, by the Rex's sake."

"Don't mention it, Rex might butt you," Pina persisted with the theme.

"Legoshi, could you help? I brought a bunch of food, but I can't carry it all upstairs alone…"

"Do we have a calendar?" Juno pretended to frown. Pina was curious:

"Why do you need one?"

"I'll mark the day with a red marker when Louis The Great asks someone for help."

The deer made a grimace, then shook his head, signaling for the wolf to follow, and disappeared into the hatch.

The Friday session significantly differed from the usual. Firstly, today only the dance group was scheduled to practice. Secondly, almost the entire cast still showed up, even Ryu, who only had a couple of minor roles, came. Thirdly, the animals were overflowing with ideas today.

Gadzmir approached Louis with his playlist and persistently recommended several calm songs (performed by rock bands nonetheless) that could liven up some scenes. The hedgehog hadn't finished reading the play yet, but he had his unique vision and a lot of enthusiasm, which Louis didn't want to dampen. He listened thoughtfully to the music and nodded to the sound technician, promising that some of it would be useful.

Then Juno caught up with Eri. The serval was a bit nervous, twitching her tail like a cat she was, but she confessed to the president:

"Juno-senpai… I have some thoughts about the dances."

"Oh? I'm listening."

"It's better if Louis-san also pays attention; he'll be involved as the play director anyway."

Juno was even more surprised, but, picking up a glass of water and quickly finishing it on the go, she licked her lips:

"Let's take a break then. How do you feel about Kobayashi as a partner?"

"He knows a lot and is skilled," Eri nodded, then hesitated. "But it feels like Kobayashi-kun is a bit reserved and… how should I put it? Limited by what he's learned?"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Juno smiled. The cat held her palms forward:

"I'm not blaming him for anything! I just… think we need a little more imagination here."

"Okay. What's your imagination then?"

"Right now… Louis-san!"

"Yes, Eri?"

"You mentioned that Goro would kind of assert his role in the eyes of the audience by dancing with wealthy ladies at the reception. What if we do a similar thing with the second father figure?"

"Explain," the deer said with interest, nodding toward the nearby chair. Eri sat down and began to explain hesitantly:

"You see… we have a comedy, but it's not as funny as it might seem. There's a lot taken from real life here."

"Well… we already know that," Juno shrugged vaguely.

The cat raised her finger, continuing:

"And Tsu… well, Tsutomu-kun then comes to the Hedgehoggins' house to complain about life. What if we turn his story into a dance, Louis-san! Juno-senpai! It's a bit boring; the audience is probably more interested in Eliza and Pina… I mean, the professor. So, we'll rush onto the stage, and instead of narrating his story, we can either do it through text or through a dance sketch. I… made some sketches in my notebook. Here's a photo."

Juno and Louis leaned over the phone, thoroughly intrigued.

"So… we can show how he's revered in high society. Then together, in the dance, we can stick a few medals made of gold paper on the lapels of his jacket. And it doesn't matter if Tsu dances poorly; it's even funnier that way! He'll awkwardly twirl around, feeling out of place among the aristocrats… and they, with many gestures, will show respect. We can even somehow shine shoes during the dance, to the sound of a harpsichord, but I don't know where… to get a harpsichord…"

Eri finally stumbled and fell silent, nervously flattening her ears. While Louis processed the information that had been thrown at them in a continuous torrent, Juno's smile widened:

"Eri… you're amazing! Louis, let's do this! I don't know about the comedic effect, but the dance will be stunning… you know, like in choreographic ensembles where they use a central immobile figure? That's how Alfred Dallittle will be for us!"

"Now I'm truly honored to be allowed to teach here," Louis responded slightly more formally, rubbing his nose. Initially, the idea seemed like a crude addition to the non-scripted comedy, but if presented appropriately… "Eri… if you have any future ideas regarding dances, I'm open to discussion. Well done."

"Woohoo!" Juno hugged the smaller carnivore and spun her around the room.

"Should we be worried?" Kobayashi jokingly shouted, holding both hands to his towel-wrapped neck. The wolf waved it off, saying, "No, just more work. Tsutomu, come over here, please!"

"Me?" the flying fox, sitting on a bench near the entrance, looked surprised. They, along with the bandicoot Ryu, Tao, and the ubiquitous Goro, seemed to be silently discussing the charms of the female members of the dance group. Surprisingly, Bryson was absent – perhaps working on some project. Although Juno felt he fit in quite well with the company.

"Yes, you. If you happen to know any other Ariyama Tsutomu, you can send him instead of yourself." The winged one cautiously approached them. Today he looked more lively than usual – perhaps he went to bed earlier or drank more caffeine. Tsutomu asked with his remarkably deep voice, "Yes, Juno-senpai?"

"Do you know how to dance?"

"Uh… I'm a terrible dancer. To put it mildly."

"Excellent," she clapped her hands. "All the better for the production. Remember that scene where you come back to the Hedgehoggins' house? You complain about the recommendations, curse about being turned into an important figure?"

"Yeah?"

"Eri suggests turning that scene into a dance. Not the scene itself with the professor – am I right, Eri? – but your story about suddenly gaining social respect."

"That's correct," the serval nodded. Tsutomu frowned in bewilderment.

"But I can't dance."

"Exactly! You're supposed to feel awkward, out of your element. You'll be chaos on stage, while they'll try to touch you, get an autograph, honor you, ask for your opinion – all without words!"

"I'm afraid such a level of genius is beyond me," Tsutomu said guiltily, looking off to the side. "But if you tell me what needs to be done, I'll do it."

"Thank you, Tsutomu-kun," Juno thanked him warmly, and Eri rushed up behind him, hugging the flying fox by the neck and shouting joyfully, "Hooray!"

"Don't shout in my ear!" the unfortunate one cried out, while the guys on the bench just burst out laughing.

"Louis-san."

The deer flinched. Behind them stood the composed Beatrice, with Kibi trailing behind her. Physically, the tiger resembled Bill in some ways and was only a few inches shorter than Legoshi, which made her figure quite intimidating. Not exercising in the hall, her muscles didn't bulge like those of athletes, but her initial physical attributes were already impressive.

"I'm listening, Bea," Louis said.

"I can't sew anything decent out of this crap," the tiger growled. Kibi reprimanded her, saying, "Beatrice, we talked about the language."

"I can hold my tongue. But I can't sew anything out of this crap."

"Bea, Louis-san can't and won't foot the bill every time. If the fabric is poor, we'll just enhance it after sewing – add some shine, a bit of velvet patches…"

"Louis-san," Beatrice said firmly, "what we have here doesn't meet any standards. We can use modern materials for the coats, but what about the suits? And the dresses? They have completely different cuts!"

The deer shrugged. "Okay, but what do you suggest? The school theater doesn't have the funding like the city's, for example."

"I know where to get acceptable tweed… cheaply. And cashmere."

"Shave Pina?" Juno smirked. The ram remained upstairs, barricading the hatch. If they were found after classes sobbing over some movie, it was a sign of impending disaster.

"No. The fabrics are synthetic, though. My cousin will be presenting a new synthetic material machine at the technology expo in Kyoto. I can ask him to get samples at a bargain price. It'll be enough for several dresses or suits."

"What sum are we talking about?" Louis inquired, getting up to deal with the looming tigeress. Beatrice pondered. After a ten-second pause, she hesitantly replied, "One and a half thousand yen. The samples themselves are free, but he needs to pay for the machine cycles or something like that."

"Juno, do we have anything left from the repair fund?" Louis asked, amazedly shaking his head.

"Yes," the club president nodded enthusiastically. "Shall I give the green light?"

"I approve," Louis consented, shaking his head in astonishment. Could he, as a leader, ignite them so much that literally everyone burned with the idea of the upcoming play… Or could he? He never succeeded in doing such when he pretended to be a hereditary prince. Maybe he should get a little closer to the people…

Meanwhile, the others stayed aside, working on their own tasks – learning ballroom steps. Yuki tried her best, but poor girl wasn't getting it quite right. Louis turned away. With Juno, it came naturally a year ago; she had a calling for both acting and dancing, but here… maybe all the studying was in vain.

Finally, when the class ended (the deer dreaded if someone else would come up with an idea, but they lucked out. Instead, there was one not so pleasant phone call from the secretary), Tsutomu waved to the tired dancers. Juno raised an eyebrow but went to him, followed by the rest. Ryu and Tao played mahjong on the bench, while the panther actively munched on a long cheese and lettuce sandwich, and Goro observed, not participating in either eating or playing. However, his orange eyes were focused somewhere above their heads.

Tsutomu hesitantly bit his lower lip with one of his fangs – despite their omnivorous diet, the teeth of his kind were quite carnivorous by nature – and said, "Well, um… next Tuesday is my birthday. But usually, I'd go home to celebrate, and now my parents are away… and they sent me some money. I thought – maybe we could have a picnic with the whole club on Sunday? By Lake Kieko?"

"You know how to make friends, buddy," Tao approvingly mumbled from the bench. "Kibi, you're going, right?"

Anteater nodded with dignity. Goro, in turn, enthusiastically said, "I'm free and count me in. Didn't know what to do, honestly."

"Yes!" Eri nodded enthusiastically, but among the dancers, three or four didn't seem too thrilled about the news. Ratih grimly said, "I can't, I'm leaving for the weekend. I could bring something back from the village. Fruits?"

"If you want to bring some, and if there are some at this time of the season, we'd be grateful," Juno warmly said, feeling it was her duty to cheer up the rhino female. Although she moved quite well on stage, contrary to stereotypes. Unfortunately, among those who declined was Kobayashi – the jackal said he was helping his brother look after the kids, and from the cast, both Fumiko and Bryson were absent today. The avian hoped they would come tomorrow, on Saturday.

"Bea!" the tiger called out, as she discussed something with the anteater, Tsutomu. "Will you go on the picnic? The lake is near Hogyaka Station, about two kilometers north."

"A picnic? What's there to do?" the tigress asked.

"To relax, you striped amazon," Goro chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. He and the tigeress were about the same size. Beatrice absentmindedly chewed on her whiskers and blurted out something completely wild: "I don't know how."

"We'll teach you," Kibi gently patted her leg.

"So, are you going?" The tigress unexpectedly blushed and silently nodded her head back and forth. It seemed like a "yes." The serval clenched her fist, triumphantly shaking it and shouting something, the animals smiled, and Beatrice, seeing the performance, seemed completely taken aback. Juno expertly hugged her by the shoulders – thanks to Sisu, a week later, each of them could conduct seminars on hugs. She whispered softly, "Don't be afraid. We don't bite."

"And that needs to be confirmed with Louis, whether you bite or not," Kibi winked provocatively. The she-wolf looked at him ironically and then slowly, dramatically turned her head to the black panther, pointing at his friend with just her eyes: "Tao-kun…"

"Hm?"

"Get'im."

Louis snorted in surprise, covering his mouth with his hand, continuing to laugh silently. This inner and very dark joke was clearly aimed at the "oldtimers." And judging by Tao's choking and Kibi pursing his lips disapprovingly – the grim joke was a success.

"Juno-senpai, are you going?" Nora, a Labrador from the dance group, asked.

"No, guys. No bosses this time," Juno declined with laughter, though wagging her tail. "While you'll be relaxing, it's vital for me to get the club working not only externally but also with stupid paperwork."

Of course, she was slightly fibbing… there wouldn't be enough work to occupy the entire Sunday. However, the she-wolf just wanted to relax and take a break from endless rehearsals and studies. To eat something delicious and unhealthy, go to B-Strike and howl at the moon, fall asleep on Louis while watching a movie and drool all over his ridiculously-expensive-looking-as-regular (but a few thousand more expensive) clothes. It sounded like a great plan.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh, they're finished already… I wanted to talk."

Pina stepped away from the narrow, barely cleaned attic window and turned to Louis. The deer shrugged, "Legoshi will be here soon, Juno went to the shower with the girls. Is this a question for a public meeting of our secret society?"

"Not exactly, but…" Sisu said, feeling embarrassed. During the entire time they were in the same room, Louis saw the dragoness and the ram at such a great distance from each other for the first time. But a more precise question could wait. When his friend arrived and, finally, the fluffed-up and funny-looking Juno appeared, they sat in a circle, and Sisu habitually formed the back of this peculiar couch, reclining on most of the cushions. Without raising his blue eyes, Pina said:

"To summarise, she's suffering."

"I'm not suffering! Just…"

"At least from curiosity," he chuckled. "Louis, how hard is it to get permission to bring something big onto school grounds, like a truck?"

"A couple of formalities," Louis cautiously replied. "Do you want to take Sisudatu out of here?"

"No, she refused. But… damn it, we have a city by the sea! An hour and a half max, and you're on any of the wild natural beaches, where there's no living soul! Maybe she wants…"

"I can speak for myself, Pina," the blue dragoness said with a slight tone of displeasure. "I would… like to escape from here, even if just for a short time. Yes, it's interesting with you all, and the laptop helps a lot, especially now that I've started to understand the text little by little, but I need freedom sometimes… and water."

"My father owns a furniture company. Delivery service too. I could borrow one of the vans with a large cargo hold and take her out on Sunday night."

"At night?" Legoshi asked. Pina grimaced and sarcastically said, "Yes, yes, I'm an herbivore and won't see anything if there's no light on the beach. But there's this wonderful invention called a flashlight. Besides, Monday or Tuesday is a full moon, and the weather promises to be quite clear on the weekend." Sisu confidently added, "I can see pretty well at night myself. And if necessary, I can protect Pina from… well, anything."

"You're not armored like mythical dragons," Louis gently patted her side. "You can't protect against bullets."

"When did any of you even get a gunshot wound?" Juno snapped, biting Louis by the horn. He tilted his head discontentedly and pointed his finger at Legoshi, "This one, a year ago. Although he was trying to catch a criminal… but noble intent doesn't justify the danger."

"Another one?" Pina raised his eyebrows in surprise. Legoshi nodded grimly. Even if you don't count Gouhin's patients, who had no criminal records, he unfortunately often encountered the criminal world of Cherryton. Only after the night of riots in the black market, the wolf's turbulent life became more like calm waters, but even then…

"And yet," Legoshi said, "I'm with Pina. Just better not on Sunday, but on Saturday late evening. Who knows what might happen, and Monday is still a school day."

"I also think the risk of getting shot on a deserted beach is exaggerated. Maybe we should all go together? Legoshi, you'll invite Haru…"

"I might need to go to South University. I don't know how long I'll be," the wolf shook his head.

"You want to see Jack?"

"Yes, Louis. I haven't called him in a long time. I'm a bad friend."

"Absolutely terrible friend," Louis confirmed enthusiastically. Juno slapped his knee, "Louis!"

"What? He was constantly getting me into trouble… I'm not serious, Legoshi, relax. I couldn't wish for a better friend," said the deer, lowering his head. Legoshi's tail wagged a couple of times. Juno shook Louis's shoulder demandingly, "What about Sisu and the beach?"

"On one hand, I don't want to let Pina go alone. But both Saturday and Sunday, and even tonight, are so busy for me that I might have to sleep in the Horns office. Workers on weekends, and the top management and I are neck-deep in it. Funny, huh?"

"What's going on there?" Juno asked suspiciously, feeling part of her evening plans crumbling.

"We're undergoing a tax audit from the government," Louis sighed, rubbing his fingers together in the universal money gesture. "It's related to a lawsuit from one persistent client who owns a private clinic near Tokyo. And the scheme isn't exactly clean; I still don't know how a product with a production cost of only eight hundred thousand yen could have a market price of seven hundred and fifty thousand. We didn't use any bulk purchases or offers…"

"Alright, that's enough," Juno covered her ears with hands. "I get it, you can't stay."

"I could have sent a couple of guards, but I don't want to reveal Sisu's secret."

"Oh please," she smiled, waving her tail. Louis asked the wolf, "Don't you need to prepare for exams, study subjects, and do about a thousand other things?"

"That's the thing… I wanted to, but only if you went."

"Then let's do it like this. I see that everyone, except me, voted 'pro'… so I'll call Gon tomorrow – lately I don't feel like seeing him in person – and ask him to have a truck come by for the disposal of old props from the attic. Pina, do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes, Louis-senpai," the Dall's ram nodded solemnly, trying to hide his joy. "My father is hoping I'll help the company from one side to the other, advancing from a courier to a director. I had to get all categories of necessary licenses at sixteen. But Sunday would be more convenient for me. We'll try to be back by one in the morning if it's that important."

"Then let's do it," Louis nodded. Then he hesitated and reached behind his back, pulling out a small pistol with shining blued barrel. He extended it handle-first.

"Louis!" Legoshi exclaimed in shock, Juno gasped, but the deer raised his palm, calling for silence. Reluctantly, he said, "I've seen… the dark side of this world. Let it be with you, Pina. So that, in case of anything, not only Sisudatu can protect you, but you can protect her too."

"Maybe I… better pick it up tomorrow, Louis," Pina said cautiously, momentarily forgetting his politely assertive communication style. The deer smirked ironically, tilting his head back onto the living "couch" and closing his eyes.

"What were you listening with, sheep's head? I won't be around tomorrow or the day after at school. It's good if I can get out on Monday… but it's not certain."

Pina picked up the gun with two fingers and carefully placed it on the floor in front of him, examining its unfriendly edges. Louis, watching the confusion, sighed again, reaching out his hands, "Before shooting, lower the safety catch on the left down. Hold it like this, support the magazine with your other hand for stability and recoil reduction. Better not to draw it within city limits."

"Is it… 'clean'?" ram snorted, "This sounds like something from a crime series…"

But the deer remained serious. He looked the ram straight in the eyes, "Are you sure you want to know the details, Pina?"

"U-uh… no," he declined, carefully picking up the gun, no longer with just two fingers. "Especially while you're scaring us like that, Adler in deer's skin."

"Then it's settled."

"Are we going? Or not?" Sisudat demanded, not sensing the drama in their conversation. Pina turned to her with a smile, barely touching her, stroked her cheek, "We're going. What the hell of water dragon is without any water?"

At that moment, a storm erupted in the attic of the Cheriton Academy's theater club. Fortunately, the storm consisted not of dagger-sharp winds or sand, but of a light blue furry dragoness, who managed to circle around in the cramped space for fractions of a second, hug everyone in sight, and emit incomprehensible, but undoubtedly joyful sounds.