Volume 13 Chapter 258 Shirogane Aqua, Adults And Children
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The backstage was loud with the sound of applause, the audience’s claps blending into a rhythmic cheer. I stood there, beside Kohina-senpai, both of us still surrounded by the echoes of our performance.
”Kohina-senpai, thank you.”
She snorted, a mischievous gleam in her eye.
”I didn’t do much. Just made sure you didn’t completely flop. No need to thank me. If anyone deserves your thanks, it’s the others who survived my scoldings.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at her usual tsundere response. But inside, I found myself wondering if Kohina-senpai would ever learn to take a compliment. The irony wasn’t lost on me. She was always too embarrassed to accept praise, always deflecting it in her own way.
But then, she surprised me.
”Your acting wasn’t half-bad either. After… well, after everything, you’ve improved. Haven’t you?”
Her words made me pause, and I felt a rush of warmth. “Ah, thank you.” I replied, feeling my cheeks warm.
But, why was she blushing? I caught her averting her gaze, embarrassed at my gratitude. The two of us stood there, uncertain of how to react, a silent tension building between us.
This atmosphere… is awkward. Kohina-senpai, fix it.
She couldn’t stand it anymore. With a huff, she pushed me toward the stage entrance, a familiar gesture.
”Come on, it’s curtain call. No time to stand around. Get moving.”
I nodded reluctantly, trying to shake off the strange mix of emotions, and stepped toward the waiting line where Lisa and Oto-san were.
As I walked, I heard Kohina-senpai mutter under her breath, but the noise of the audience drowned her words out.
”Eh? What did you say?” I turned briefly to ask, but the growing clamor from the crowd made it impossible to hear.
There was no time for anything else, so I just merged into the waiting line.
””””””””””Thank you!!””””””””””
The final curtain call came, and the audience stood in applause, a loud ovation echoing in the theater. Lisa wrapped up her speech, and the stage preparations were complete. As I stepped out to the front, I surveyed the sea of faces before me.
”Everyone, just a little, won’t you listen to my story?”
It had all started two weeks before the cultural festival. I had called Toa, a fellow theater club member, to a quiet park near the school.
”Toa, please. Just… break a bone. One week. That’s all I’m asking.”
Toa stared at me, eyes narrowing in confusion.
”Aqua, you’re terrible at explaining. Break a bone? For one week? What ridiculous plan are you cooking up now?”
I sighed, pulling Toa into the loop. I explained about Oto-san’s situation and how I hoped to help her.
”Ah, I get it now. So, to get Oto-san on stage, you’d need a loophole. The festival’s no-holds-barred, and you want me to pretend to break something so there’s an emergency role opening. That’s why you need me, right?”
Toa quickly pieced it together.
As expected of Toa. He could always break things down into simple terms. He understood instantly. If I had just asked Matsumoto-senpai or even begged Ranko Oba-chan to help, sure, Oto-san could have gotten on TV. But that wasn’t the point.
This wasn’t just about Oto-san. It was bigger. Helping Oto-san wouldn’t be enough if the same rumors and gossip started to tear down other innocent people. I couldn’t let that slide. People like Ayana, who lost her career because of harassment from male actors, or Kohina-senpai, who was rejected by male leads—what happened to them could easily happen again.
That’s when it hit me. I couldn’t just sit by anymore. I had to do something for everyone I care about. Even if it meant risking everything.
I didn’t know for sure if helping Oto-san would actually save her. But I knew one thing for sure. If I saved her, I wasn’t just saving her—I was doing it for the Ayana and Kohina who couldn’t be helped. For all the girls who were suffering the same way, I had to take a stand.
Toa must have sensed the change in my demeanor because he stood up from the bench, his tone growing serious.
”Well, if Aqua wants to do it, I’ll support you,” he said, a hint of something serious behind his casual tone.
”Really, Toa?”
”Aqua,” he said quietly, “Ever since you pulled me out of that place… I’ve made up my mind. Whatever you do, I’ll back you. If you want to help Oto-san, and people like her, then I’m with you. Like you were there for me.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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