Volume 13 Chapter 258-2 Shirogane Aqua, Adults And Children
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ah!” I jumped to my feet, my heart racing. Without thinking, I grabbed Toa’s hand as he extended his arm, his fingers almost brushing the cool air.
”Leave it to me, Toa. I’ll make sure this works. You’ll see.”
Toa’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. A grin that could mean anything. And that, I knew, was dangerous. I braced myself for whatever his next words might be.
”By the way,” he began, his tone casual, though his eyes danced with mischief, “speaking of favors… this counts as one, right? I wonder what I should ask Aqua to do for me next?”
I sighed. Of course, he was plotting something. With Toa, it was always a matter of when, not if. I steadied myself. I knew this was going to be one of those moments that would either lead to something hilarious—or utterly outrageous.
”Just kidding, Hey, Aqua, as a favor to me, how about you buy me something from that Kitchen Car over there tomorrow? That way, I won’t have to break my bones for it.”
I blinked, momentarily stunned.
”Uh, sure. I’ll buy it.”
It seemed easy enough. Just some small favor. After all, the “Kitchen Car” was nothing to scoff at. They sold food that even made the pickiest eaters stop and take a second look. As we walked toward the food stall, I tried to shake the odd feeling in my gut.
The sight of the stall itself was enough to bring a smile to my face—*Daddy Potato*, straight from the States. It was the talk of the festival. A stall like that didn’t pop up every day.
”Excuse me, I’ll have one Daddy Potato,” I said, my voice firm.
The clerk behind the counter, a man with an undeniable aura of mystery, stared at me for a beat too long. His sunglasses—clearly an American style—were almost comically large. I could see his eyes narrowing, but the look on his face betrayed no real emotion.
”Have we met before?”
I asked, tilting my head in curiosity.
”Gah! It’s… it’s just your imagination. Haha,” the man laughed, though his voice faltered. “Everyone from the States looks the same, right?”
I felt a chill run down my spine. Something about him seemed… off. But the feeling passed as quickly as it came, and I shook it off. We weren’t here for him. We were here for food.
I glanced over at Toa, his hand still tightly gripped in mine.
”Toa, everything we’re doing right now is going to lead to something good. I can feel it.”
”Yeah…” he murmured, squeezing my hand in return. “I’m with you, Aqua.”
The slightly wilted potatoes we shared were less than ideal. They didn’t taste bad, but they weren’t fresh, and that alone was a little disappointing. Still, we ate side by side in a quiet moment of shared comfort. It felt like we were on the verge of something big—something that could change everything.
When we finished, we walked toward the Beryl headquarters building. We had to explain everything—how we’d faked injuries and needed cooperation. It wasn’t the most honest approach, but it was the only one that could work.
The next morning, I gathered the Drama Club together during our morning training.
”Listen up, everyone. If you feel uncomfortable at any point or if you don’t like what we’re doing, don’t hesitate to say so. This has to work for everyone. If one of you is uneasy, we’ll find another way. But the drama performance is important. We can’t afford to have anyone pull out last minute.”
I watched as the club members exchanged glances, their expressions serious. No one objected.
”I understand,” said one of the club members, their voice steady. “When Toa followed the Crutch Department Head, it was intense, but that was part of the plan, right?”
There were nods, a few smiles, and some laughter. The tension, the uncertainty, began to melt away.
”Aqua-kun, Toa-kun, if that’s the case, we’re in,” another member said, smiling at me. “We’re here to help.”
”Yeah, Aqua-kun, you’ve been quiet about all this. Did you think we wouldn’t back you up?” one more added.
Doing something like this wouldn’t be fun unless we all enjoyed it. So why not? We were already knee-deep in this thing, and there was no turning back.
”And,” said another, their voice almost teasing, “when Oto-san joins next year, I think we’ll be in good hands with you in charge after graduation, Aqua-kun.”
”Exactly!” a third chimed in. “Let’s make this a success, Aqua-kun, Toa-kun! All the way!”
I smiled, feeling a spark of warmth inside. This wasn’t just my fight. This was all of ours. And with everyone backing us, there was no way we could fail.
I didn’t expect the reaction I got.
Oto-san, who wasn’t even part of the Drama Club, had just been given the lead role—the most important role—and not a single person blinked. I braced for complaints, for at least one passive-aggressive look. But the room stayed calm. Not just calm—supportive.
I stood there, confused and stunned, until Lisa quietly stepped up to me.
”Aqua-sama, aren’t you forgetting something important?”
She asked gently, placing both hands on my cheeks.
”Huh?”
She smiled. Not the smug or scolding kind, but the smile of someone reminding a friend of something they already knew.
”Aqua-sama, we all joined this club because we love theater. That’s all there is to it.”
”…Ah.”
I froze.
Her words were simple, but they hit deeper than any argument could. Around us, the other club members began speaking up—one after another.
”Exactly! Sure, I’m nowhere near Oto-san’s level, but I’m still an actor. And as a fellow performer, I can’t just ignore what’s happening to her!”
”Letting someone like her be crushed by some baseless rumor? No way. If we’re actors, we fight with what we know—our stage.”
”Heh. Well, guess it’s time for your big-sis senpai to shine before retirement, huh?”
”We might be kids, but we’ve got guts. Let’s show those stuck-up adults what passion really looks like!”
”Bring on the gossip mags, bring on social media! You think you can silence a performer? Try me!”
Toa and I looked at each other, fists clenched unconsciously. There was a spark running through the room—no, a fire. A fire made of shared conviction, pride, and love for what we did.
”Thank you… everyone.”
We had the Drama Club behind us now.
The next step was clear: if Oto-san was going to act, she needed a script worthy of her. Something bold. Something powerful. The kind of story that would make people forget the lies they’d read and see her—really see her—for the actress she was.
Normally, we’d reuse one of the club’s classic scripts. But that wouldn’t be enough this time. Not for her.
No. I had to write something new.
”Everyone… would you let me handle the script?” I asked. “I’ll finish it. Three days. No—give me just three.”
They stared at me, wide-eyed. Then one by one, the seniors smiled.
”Sounds like fun.”
”Let’s see what you’ve got, Aqua-kun.”
And just like that, I was in charge of writing a full original script. I’d never done it before. Sure, I’d helped out during the live tour—some suggestions on direction and structure, nothing too serious. But this? This was a whole different game.
Back at Shirogane Kingdom, I sat at my desk, day one slipping through my fingers with no progress. Day two came, and I still had nothing but a half-baked outline.
”What am I even doing?”
I muttered, dragging a pen across an empty page.
”Aqua-sama? What are you working on?”
I flinched. I hadn’t even noticed Emily enter the room.
”Emily…”
She glanced at the paper in front of me, then back at my face. She didn’t ask permission. She just sat down beside me, eyes sharp with curiosity.
I explained everything—the play, the drama club, Oto-san, the rumors, the impossible deadline. I told her why I was stuck, why I couldn’t afford to be stuck. And though I hadn’t planned on it, I was glad she was here.
Somehow, I just knew—if anyone could help me untangle this, it was Emily.
”I see,” she said when I finished. “In that case, this Yukishiro Emily will assist you to the very end.”
She flipped open a notebook like it was a battlefield plan.
”Let’s craft a masterpiece, Aqua-sama. One they’ll never forget.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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