Kuri leaned forward in her seat, resting an elbow on the couch's armrest as she flipped through the script. A few hours had passed since school ended, so it was time for rehearsal to begin. The cast had gathered in a corner of the common area near the dorm entrance, and the set design and costume teams congregated in separate corners. They sat in a rough circle, scattered on the couches and carpet.
"Okay, everyone!" Mina said, clapping her hands together. "Time to start our first script reading session. But first, let's do an in-depth review of each character in The Noble and the Maid (working title)."
"Wait, it's only the working title?" Kuri asked. "I thought we already told the school our title so they could make the schedule."
"We can still put a different name on the playbill if anyone comes up with a good one," Mina shrugged and glanced at the cast. "Keep that in mind, y'all, because something might come to you as we read the script. Tsu, why don't you start by reading your character's description, and we'll go down the list?"
Kuri glanced to her left and caught Tsu's nod.
"I'm playing Kaede, a cool-headed young maid at the Miyamoto estate who looks after her younger sister. She admires the marquess' eldest son and wants to get to know him. She doesn't enjoy being a maid, so she's saving up to travel the world someday," Tsu recited. She nudged Fumikage with her elbow, prompting him to read next.
"I am Yutori, the marquess' first-born son, who would rather become a traveling painter than inherit his father's title," Fumikage said. "He is open to his family about this sentiment and has attempted to run away from home several times. His status isolates him, and he wishes to be seen as a regular individual."
Once Fumikage finished, Kuri cleared her throat and read the short paragraph that described her role. When she wrote the description weeks ago, Kuri hadn't imagined it would be attributed to herself. How the tables had turned…
"I'm Hinako. She's a rough-edged teenage maid at the Miyamoto estate and Kaede's younger sister. She is considered 'improper' and 'disobedient' by the head maid, but actually is determined and capable." As Kuri read, she realized again how unequipped she was for this role. With her typically mellow demeanor, Kuri was far from pulling off a rebellious character. Nevertheless, she had a part to play. "She owes much to her sister, and when Kaede is turned into a frog, Hinako wants to repay her sister's care by looking after her in frog form."
Kuri leaned far forward to look at Katsuki, who was on the opposite side of the couch from her. They likely would've sat together if Tsu and Fumikage hadn't plopped down next to Kuri before Katsuki came downstairs. How unfortunate…
"I'm Anri, the second-born son of the marquess and Yutori's younger brother. He is content as a nobleman's son and has no life aspirations besides preventing his brother from leaving home. His slightly obnoxious personality prevents him from making friends," Katsuki paused abruptly, and Kuri realized that she'd chuckled out loud at that statement. After a second, he continued. "...So he knows if Yutori leaves, he'll be lonely."
Though annoyed that she had to act, Kuri found something to be glad about in this mess her friends had roped her into. She knew that watching Katsuki act like a snobbish, insecure noble would be the sight of her life. She had to hold back more giggles just thinking about it.
The others continued to read off their character descriptions.
Tooru was Natsuka, an immature mage-in-training who wanted to mess with nobles for no other reason than to be annoying.
Yuuga was Zenga, a flashy (he added that adjective) mage-in-training who wanted to outdo Natsuka, his cousin. He preferred not to antagonize nobles since he feared the consequences, but he followed Natsuka to her prank locations to show off his magic and prove he was a better mage.
Tenya was the unnamed mentor mage who looked after Natsuka and Zenga. He was strict and disciplinary—a perfect role for their class rep.
Denki was the marquess and Momo the marchioness. Neither had names nor extremely defining traits, but the marquess seemed a bit reckless while the marchioness was worrisome.
The group spent a few minutes discussing their characters before getting to the script itself. Some wanted an opportunity to understand the mind of their character to better act as them in their first reading session. Kuri had little need to get acquainted with Hinako, considering she wrote the majority of her lines, but she was happy for the opportunity to explain her writing to her friends.
Mina eventually told them there would be more time for questions after they read the script together. Besides, they would learn more about the characters by reading.
The play opened with lines of narration, where Mina introduced the world and the key individuals living in it. She set up the scene wherein mages would come and turn Yutori into a bird. There was some dialogue between several characters before the big magic moment, but soon enough, it was Katsuki's first line.
Katsuki, as Anri, called for his brother with an unexpectedly desperate tone. Kuri sat bolt upright upon hearing his line delivery. Katsuki spoke without a drop of insincerity, even if his embarrassment sometimes caused him to hesitate. Kuri was always amazed by the effort Katsuki put into all he did—whether school, hero work, or this. He refused to half-ass things, unlike Kuri. Even for this silly class play, he tried his best. Kuri loved him for that.
She was happy their friendship was intact again. Their interactions were easygoing and fun—much like before all the crazy stuff happened. Kuri was sure that this time their happiness wouldn't end in an admission of unrequited love. Why was she so positive, you ask? Because he loved her as she loved him—that much was obvious in his letter to her. I mean, "I am irrevocably attached to you, and it may be selfish of me to ask you to wait, but you've made it clear you feel the same way" is a hell of a line to drop and still assume Kuri wouldn't put two and two together. Anyway, they were great friends who'd faced many obstacles together and now flirted regularly. Speaking of which, Kuri was going all out in the flirting department. She didn't know what had possessed her to suddenly be so direct. Katsuki didn't seem to mind her advances, though, occasionally saying something complimentary in return. Which was fine. Friends flirt, I guess. But Kuri couldn't help thinking…
Wouldn't it be better to just date instead?
Scene two began, in which the mages would run into Kaede in the hall and whimsically turn her into a frog for Hinako to find a few moments later. Against her better judgment, Kuri's thoughts distracted her.
Despite her yearning to be perhaps more than Katsuki's friend, Kuri didn't want to ask him about it. In his birthday card to her, Katsuki had requested that she wait for him to say something (definitely his feelings), and Kuri was fine with that. They could date once he confirmed that he shared her feelings. She just wondered how long she'd have to wait until he told her…
"Kuri, it's your line."
"Ack—sorry!" Kuri jolted from her daze and scanned the page. Her character, Hinako, and Tsu's character, Kaede, engaged in a dialogue that culminated in them leaving the estate in search of a cure for Kaede's predicament. After the siblings leave the estate, they coincidentally meet the marquess' sons in the forest, and the story takes off.
Scene three would be Kuri's first onstage interaction with Katsuki. Some of her favorite dialogue was between Hinako and Anri in this scene, as the two bickered like little kids. Kuri couldn't believe those would be their lines now. Funnily enough, it was like reliving the days when Katsuki genuinely disliked her. Well, not exactly. In this case, Hinako didn't like Anri either, but Kuri was the same from the start; she hadn't stopped teasing Katsuki—whether through awkward flirting or playful meanness. It was fun to be flirty friends, but it just wasn't satisfying. She wanted it to be acceptable to hug him whenever. Maybe kiss him again? Okay, that was a bridge too far to cross. Kuri's heart wouldn't recover from such excitement.
Three weeks passed in a blur of endless rehearsals full of spoken lines, blocking, and sometimes assisting the set design and costume teams. They rehearsed their asses off every day, so by the end of each week, Katsuki was exhausted. He was so fucking glad they weren't doing a musical. That would be hell.
Given they already had about twenty days to work, the set pieces and costumes were completed, for the most part. Which meant it was time to begin dress rehearsals: two full run-throughs a day for the next five days. They needed to be ready for the performance in less than a week, so everyone in class was pretty stressed about it—particularly the directors.
Katsuki worried about Kuri's well-being. He'd noticed dark circles under her eyes and asked about it. She said she'd been up late the past few nights going over lines, blocking, and managing the other three directors. Since she wasn't in charge of a single team, Kuri had volunteered to coordinate cast, set design, and costumes by leading her friends. Technically, it wasn't a lot of work, but with the school festival approaching and dress rehearsals beginning tomorrow, Kuri needed to organize a few moving parts to get everyone ready in time. Plus, she still had homework to do! Fuck school.
For what it was worth, Katsuki admired Kuri's passion for the play. She clearly wanted to do whatever it took to make it great, which was why she jeopardized her health (and sanity) to take up the mantle of "director of the directors." He just wished she would look out for herself more. It would be nice to help her out or something. That wouldn't be much of an overstep, Katsuki thought. Any gesture of kindness would likely come off as friendly, even if prompted by his burning love for her.
Every second Katsuki spent with Kuri made him happier. They already chatted during breaks at school and while walking home, but thanks to the rehearsals, they had more time together than ever before. Every waking moment seemed filled with her, and Katsuki was far from complaining. He was the most content he'd ever been in his life. But was he satisfied…?
Well, shit, he didn't know. Katsuki had never been in love before he met Kuri. Just knowing that she liked him back was enough to make his heart race. He didn't need to date her if she flirted with him all the time anyway. Fuck, just thinking about her teasing made him blush. She called him cute so often these days, and it made his head swim every time. Kuri seemed all too comfortable with skirting the line between friendly compliments and flirting, and Katsuki wondered if it was time to up the ante and just ask her out.
On Kuri's birthday, Katsuki achieved the most important goal of reestablishing good relations. Since then, he felt content. But the question of whether or not Katsuki desired more gnawed at him because he didn't know the answer. He wasn't even sure what dating Kuri would entail. Would it be different from how they were currently? Deep down, he knew his indecisiveness derived from a fear of change because the last time their friendship changed, it was for the worse. Katsuki wanted to avoid disaster at all costs, so he continued to put off telling her his feelings. Being friends was enough.
But the thing was, the more Kuri flirted, the harder he fell and the more he realized that staying friends wasn't enough. Her flirting was stupidly simple and based on shock value, but the stupider thing was that it worked on Katsuki. It was hard to even admit to himself, but he wanted her so badly.
And every time she said a stupid joke about his hotness while doing mundane shit, or pretended to be a doting fan when he did something cool at Endeavor's, or caught him staring while walking home and joked that he wanted to kiss her "so bad," Katsuki had to look away in embarrassment because all of it drove him crazy. And yes, he did want to kiss her.
So, it seemed the answer was that he did desire more. But admitting to himself (and now Deku) that he loved her was already a Herculean task, so how would he manage to convey it to Kuri? As much as he wanted to, Katsuki couldn't find the right moment when his courage and the situation finally meshed.
Inexperienced in the world of romance, Katsuki struggled to find his footing in their friendship turned flirtationship. With their original dynamic abandoned by Kuri's endless teasing, Katsuki had no frame of reference for how to act anymore. Had they continued as regular friends, he would have just recalled their past interactions, but they were currently sailing into uncharted territory, and Katsuki longed for a map. He floundered and floundered and probably would drown if it weren't for Kuri's patience.
Over a month ago, Katsuki asked her to wait for him to tell her his feelings (in a roundabout way, so he didn't expose that he meant to confess) because he was too much of a nervous wreck to tell her yet. Kuri had waited since then, and though she didn't vocalize it, Katsuki could tell she was tired of their current arrangement. He needed to act fast and fulfill his promise before she lost interest in him completely. But first, he had to get over his fears. Somehow…
"Come on, let's hurry up. I have a lot to figure out today."
Kuri stood beside Katsuki's seat, peering down at him and impatiently drumming her fingers against the desk. Katsuki grabbed his bag and stood, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Like what?" he asked. The two rushed out of the room and toward the stairwell as Kuri listed her tasks for the afternoon.
"The cast needs to try on their costumes, and if any alterations are needed, they'll be fixed. After that, I have to ask Ochako if the cast's hair and makeup styles are decided. If so, then the cast will be styled by the costume crew, and Mina and I will approve their looks. We also gotta figure out the blocking for act two, scene three. Then we'll return to regular rehearsal to prepare for run-throughs this week. Oh, shoot! And I need to tell Izuku to move the set pieces to the auditorium. After that, all the directors will approve the set and verify that our current blocking works. Then, I'll do tonight's homework."
Kuri's infodump took them all the way to the first floor of the school building. Katsuki glanced at her face, clocking her stressed expression. Kuri would undoubtedly stay up late again if she tried to do all that.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Katsuki asked as they exited. They were practically flying down the steps due to Kuri's set pace, but she slowed as she processed his question.
"Oh," she said. Kuri looked taken aback as if it hadn't occurred to her that someone could help. "You don't have to."
"I want to help," Katsuki asserted. "Plus, you look exhausted. Take a break." Kuri opened her mouth to protest, but Katsuki continued. "Don't worry, I'm free today. I can manage some of the stuff you need to do, like talking to Mina, Ochako, and… Deku. Just take it easy for the afternoon, and you'll only have to worry about having your makeup done and putting on a costume."
Kuri looked conflicted. Maybe his insistence would be enough to convince her. From the looks of it, Kuri needed rest, but Katsuki also knew she had no intention of neglecting something she cared about or the other people involved.
"But… I'll feel bad if I'm relaxing while everyone else does work."
"You deserve rest," Katsuki stressed. "Plus, Deku, Mina, and Ochako are only directing, but you're acting and directing."
After hearing his point, Kuri looked as if she would concede, slowing her pace even further to a regular walk. But then she tilted her head quizzically.
"What about Mina? She's in the cast, too."
"Yeah…" Katsuki said slowly, formulating a comeback. "But she also gets to hold a script disguised as a fairytale book during the play."
"Oh, right," Kuri laughed, the tension in her shoulders seeming to release a bit. "I guess she does have it easier than me in terms of acting, but I still feel like I need to do more."
"C'mon, Bunny…" Katsuki scoffed. "You wrote half of this script, practiced every single day to take up a role you didn't want, and you're managing this entire production. You've done more than enough. Just let yourself have a break for once."
They walked in silence as Katsuki watched Kuri and awaited her response. Had they been in a different conversation, she might've commented about his staring. Instead, Kuri exhaled in a prolonged sigh.
"Fine," she said as they neared the dorm building (damn, they walked fast). "I'll take it easy today. I'll make a list of what you need to do once we get inside."
Katsuki smiled in relief.
"Thanks for letting me help you," he said.
The two walked up to the dorm doorstep, and as Katsuki was about to open the door, Kuri spoke.
"Oh, and Katsuki…?" Kuri said, drawing closer to him. "Thanks for caring about me."
Katsuki stood stunned as Kuri pulled him in for a hug, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing tightly. Katsuki froze momentarily, then stiffly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and patted his hand against her back. Kuri sure was making bold moves these days… Shit, he was blushing again.
After the much-appreciated hug from Kuri, she provided Katsuki a list of to-dos and retired to her room to complete her homework. Katsuki promptly got to work and spent the next few hours running around getting stuff done. Time flew by in a frenzy of information, which Katsuki dutifully recorded for Kuri.
Ochako told him hair and makeup were decided (but yet to be approved), then he enlisted the directors to help the stage crew move set pieces to the auditorium. There, they approved the arrangement, and Katsuki and the directors discussed the blocking for act two, scene three, and formulated a plan. Since Katsuki was helping out of the blue and Kuri was nowhere to be seen, Deku asked him where Kuri was. Katsuki answered curtly that Kuri was taking a break today because she was tired.
"Really?" Ochako asked. "I thought Kuri was trying to tough it out this week. At least, that's what she told me when I told her she could relax a bit."
"Huh. Maybe it was because I insisted that she rest…" Katsuki pondered. "I was worried because she looked super tired."
"Aw, loverboy looking out for his girl?" Mina teased. Katsuki froze, staring blankly at her. How did she know?! Deku better not have told her, or else…
"What… are you talking about…?" Katsuki asked, unintentionally sounding very suspicious. He knew he had zero chance of hiding the truth as soon as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. Ochako snickered upon seeing Katsuki's half-disguised expression of embarrassment.
"Oh, Kacchan, don't worry. Everyone in class knows," Deku beamed.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?!" Katsuki exclaimed. He groaned, hiding his face with one hand. The other three giggled as Katsuki contemplated crawling behind a set piece and hiding there until they left him alone. He peeked at the other three through his fingers. "Am I that obvious?"
"You wear your heart on your sleeve," Ochako replied, nodding.
"Yeah, but it's okay," Mina said with a shrug.
"How the fuck would that be okay?!" Katsuki yelled, throwing his hands up in dismay. His palms crackled as he itched to explode something, but a concerning thought hit him, and he covered his mouth with his hand. Katsuki was hesitant to ask, fearing the implications of a yes, but he needed to find out. "Does Kuri know?"
The other three shared a glance that Katsuki couldn't decipher.
"Nope," Ochako said with a smile. "She's completely oblivious. Now, don't worry about all that, and let's get back to the dorms. We need to get the cast to try on their costumes and have their hair and makeup done."
Katsuki followed behind the three directors, staring down at them with concern.
"You guys aren't gonna tell Kuri, right…?"
"Dude, stop worrying about that stuff," Mina said, waving her hand dismissively. "We're not meddling…" Katsuki heard her whisper "anymore" under her breath. "Besides, it's your job to tell her your feelings. We're just here to pester you about doing it."
"I don't need your help," Katsuki muttered.
"Says the guy who still hasn't confessed," Ochako said.
"Fuck off. I'm working on it…"
Once they made their way back to the dorms, the directors rounded up the cast and costume crew to try on their outfits and make any necessary alterations. Katsuki scanned the common room for Kuri but found no sign of her. When Katsuki asked some of his classmates, they said she hadn't left her room all afternoon, so he went to fetch her. Mina said she would tag along so she could retrieve her script and notes from her room.
Katsuki stood alone in front of Kuri's room as Mina entered her own. He knocked on the door but received no response. He knocked twice more, and still, Kuri was silent. Katsuki called out her name and knocked again, but still nothing. Hearing the commotion, Mina opened her door slightly and popped her head out.
"What's taking her so long?" she asked.
"Don't know, but she's not answering. Can you go check on her?"
Mina agreed, and Katsuki stepped aside. He faced the windows as Mina entered Kuri's room, arms crossed over his chest. A second later, he heard Mina's laugh spilling into the hallway. Katsuki glanced at the doorway but didn't lean over enough to look inside.
"What is it?"
"Take a look for yourself," Mina beckoned from within. Katsuki peeked through the open door and smiled fondly at the sight of Kuri. She had fallen asleep at her desk, using her notebook as a pillow, pencil still in hand. "Kuri, wake up! It's rehearsal time."
Mina placed a hand on Kuri's shoulder and nudged her gently. Kuri slowly stirred from her slumber. She sat up gradually and muttered an apology.
"I guess I fell asleep while doing homework," Kuri said groggily, rubbing her eyes with her fists. She glanced up at Mina, then her gaze darted to where Katsuki stood by the doorway. He waved awkwardly, and she smiled softly in return.
"Don't worry about it," Mina said. "Katsuki told me you're taking it easy today. Now, let's get you two outfitted!"
The costumes were on a long rack downstairs, displaying everything from maid outfits to knights' armor. As they walked over, a classmate from the costume team handed Kuri the former, while Katsuki was given a three-piece suit to try on.
"Wow, I have no clue what era we're going for," Kuri said, holding her dress up next to Katsuki's costume.
"But you wrote this thing."
"We never really figured out world-building."
Ochako urged them to try on their clothes already instead of just talking, so the two rushed to the bathroom to change. Katsuki returned outside a few minutes later, and coincidentally Kuri emerged simultaneously.
Their eyes met, and Katsuki paused for a moment. His eyes swept over Kuri's figure, clothed in a long, black dress with a white apron tied around her waist. She even wore a ruffly white headband. Clearly an attempt at a traditional French maid outfit. Kuri grinned at him.
Cute…
"Well, you look handsome," Kuri remarked, stepping forward and peering at his suit. A smile tugged at the corner of Katsuki's lips, but he tried to remain impassive. He adjusted his tie, hoping a bit of movement would dispel his nervous energy. "I think this is the first time I've seen you in formal wear."
"And this is the second time I've seen you in a maid outfit," Katsuki said. Kuri looked puzzled, and she tilted her head. "Remember? Hayami's dreamscape."
"Oh, yeah!" Kuri exclaimed. She extended an arm and smoothed out her sleeve. "I couldn't fully appreciate it last time, but this is a fun outfit to wear. And it's pretty good quality." Kuri twisted back and forth, causing her skirt to swish around her ankles, then peered up at Katsuki through her eyelashes. "So, how do I look?"
Katsuki blinked at her in surprise. For some reason, he hadn't expected her to ask his opinion. Katsuki gave her outfit a once-over, his gaze landing back on her face. She smiled at him expectantly, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. He could never get tired of looking at her, even if he knew she was probably planning to tease him again.
"I think you look cu—cool," Katsuki managed to say. Fuck. I'm so obvious.
"Were you going to say something else?" Kuri asked with a laugh, raising an eyebrow.
"No…"
Kuri giggled again at his blatant lie.
"I think you're cute, too," she said before turning to go find Ochako. She tossed her head over her shoulder to glance at him. "Don't be afraid to say it back!"
"Shut up, Bunny…" Katsuki was again made a fool in the face of Kuri's flirting. He was too weak to pretend her comments didn't get to him. Maybe he did need to step it up…
As he followed Kuri to where the costume crew was gathered, Katsuki had one thought in mind: Next time, I'll be the one to sweep her off her feet.
Let the battle of love begin.
