Act II

Fufu, Mitsuru-chin got hurt at Wisteria Festival the other day, so he wasn’t able to go all out with his work.

He was super excited to have this opportunity to make up for that.

I’ve gotta say, I was worried about his acting skills and all.

But Mitsuru-chin’s and idol, so it can’t hurt for him to pick up some skills in that area.

Actually, I was pretty surprised—He’s pulling it off a lot better than I thought he would~ ♪

Ahaha, Hidaka-kun told me that Tenma-kun couldn’t remember the script at all…

So instead he just has to keep a few things that are off-limits in mind. And then it looks like he just adlibs however he wants based on what Mashiro-kun says.

Really… So everything Mitsuru-chin said just now was adlib? That’s pretty cool, actually. I think it’d be easier to memorize a script.

He probably knows the plot to some extent…

And my guess is he’s still trying to keep in character so the audience can immerse themselves in the story.

It’s kinda meta, but that’s just how the role is.

Like, him calling out Mashiro-kun’s name or something would suck everyone back into reality, right? It’d ruin their fun.

Oh yeah, now that you mention it he hasn’t said “Tomo-chan” even once. Wow~ He’s really sticking to his guns…

I didn’t expect him to remember everything he was told and actually follow through with it.

You two. I’d prefer to not have to warn you over and over again, but if you could keep your mouths shut for just a moment.

You’ve become quite the talker, Nito. Have you finally removed the threads you’d used to sew your lips shut?

You’re talking just as much as we are…

Oh—Huh?

Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?

Oh, Otogari-kun, good to see you ♪

Fufu, they really just threw you up on stage ‘cause they didn’t have enough extras, huh?

Oh yes, I was surprised to hear that, too. Apparently, one of the extras got sick…

And because I had the right size and shape for the role, I was asked to fill in.

The play would still be fine with or without the role, but because it’s for a big fight scene, it’s important to make it exciting.

I accepted the role thinking it would be a good experience for me.

I was told that I only need to stand there quietly and handle the sword well enough.

But despite that, I ended up getting so nervous I broke out into a sweat… I’ve realized that performing in a play is much different from performing in a live.

Fufu, I saw. It was a pretty flashy action scene, wasn’t it? Were you scared?

I’ve gotten used to being around swords thanks to Kanzaki. The swords we used on stage were just props, too, so as long as we didn’t aim for anyone’s eyes, there was no problem.

Although I was nervous that my sword would hit someone and they would get hurt.

After all, there’s no point in fighting; I’d rather resolve a conflit with words, not violence.

Ahaha, but if you didn’t do the fight scene, Romeo and Juliet could never start.

You did great! And you’ve gotta be thirsty after working so hard, so here, take this ♪

Thank you. You’re still so small, Nito…sepai. Let me protect you.

Oh, c’mon! Don’ call me small! I’m older than you!

Hm… You pulled off some grandiose moves up there.

Were there any frays or tears in the garment? I did make an effort to make it more durable just in case, even though I had to compromise on the aesthetics somewhat.

I had no problems with it.

You already know this, but they had the costumes pre-made so that they would tear and spill out blood…

Other than that, though, there were no unexpected damages to the costumes.

Hmph. Even if the plot necessitates it, it’s always painful to watch a garment tear like that.

I’ll mend them after the play is over though, and you should be able to use them for each performance, from this first one to the last.

Honestly… It would have been just fine to skip past all that sword fighting nonsense, but Wataru was so insistent on wasting his time on it.

It’s Romeo and Juliet—It should have been fine to so depict the love story on its own.

Hmm, I really don’t know all that much about Romeo and Juliet, so I didn’t expect there to be battle scenes in it or anything.

That scene just now, right? Where the servants of the feuding Montague and Capulet houses face off against each other?

It’s a bloody, violent battle that causes the rift between the two households to get even bigger.

I’d say It’s pretty important to highlight that these guys hate each other so much they’re willing to kill over it.

If you just tell us they’ve got issues, it doesn’t really sell it.

I’d say it depends how you show it… But this is exactly to Wataru’s tastes, after all. He loves to show off.

Of course, once this scene ends, the rest of the story is nothing more than your classic romance.

I can watch it without worry; actually, I’d even go so far as to say I’m looking forward to it.

Ahaha, you’re not even interested in romance, though.

I resent that remark. I simply have higher standards than those philistines of the world when it comes to the concept of romance.

All those people are doing is dressing up their sexual desires in pretty words… I do have quite a lot to say on this matter, you know.

Then zip it. Actually, we’ve been talking way too much about a whole lot of nothing.