--Do you want to live......
In the incessant silver thread-like rain, the red-eyed girl haughtily questioned Utaya.
Saying, if you answer correctly, I shall present you with an eternal life.
The red, crimson, scarlet eyes that looked down on Utaya were colder than rain.
Emotion unreadable in them, mysteriously alluring--and feeling a hint of nostalgia from them, they were such red eyes--.
The girl held up her thin, ready to snap wrist over Utaya's head.
Fresh blood trickled down it--.
And dyed Utaya's lips--.
--Eternal life for you......
(Stop!)
He tried to shout, but no sound came out.
(Please, stop! I don't want something like eternal life!)
However, the fresh blood overflowed from the girl's wrist, fell in the rain while shining like a ruby and together with a sweet smell continued to wet Utaya's lips.
The girl -- Shizuku, was carefully looking at that happening.
With alluring red, crimson, scarlet eyes--.
◇ ◇ ◇
(Urgh, I saw a bad dream.)
He groaned right after he woke up.
Excited Nitadori was waiting for Utaya who came to school with bitter feelings.
"Harada-kun!! I heard that you were selected as A-ya's opposing role! Of the Saint of the drama club!"
He shouted with bloodshot eyes as he drew closer to Utaya who tried to reach the last seat at the window side.
"Drama club's Saint? Ah, by A-ya, you meant Ayane-san!"
When Utaya said that, the classroom became noisy.
"He said Ayane-san! He called A-ya, Ayane-san!"
"What's with that intimate way of calling! Is it normal to suddenly use "-san" when calling a senior!"
"Ayane-sempai is also calling Harada-kun by "Utaya-kun", right! Is it true that they're also dating in private?"
(Wh, what the! Why's everyone looking here and talking about me!?)
The female student with fluffy hair and doll-like orderly features who sat in the front row at the corridor side was also glaring at Utaya with big eyes with eyelashes closely packed together. Her small lips started to look sour and were full of animosity. I don't remember being ever glared at with such a dreadful face!
Moreover, before he knew, the corridor also became crowded.
"Hey, which one's the mysterious transfer student!"
"Seems that it's the one at the window side with his head sticking out! The one with the kinky hair."
"So he's the mysterious transfer student!"
He heard them whispering so, and so forth.
"He's su~per tall. His face's cool, too."
"What the, it's because he has such height, so it's just for appearances."
"He's to my tastes. Even though his body's like an adult's, his ambiance's like a boy's, so he gives off an innocent feeling, I say, his likability is higher than that of the Queen Nogizaka's Knights. They're more the "fragile host" type."
"I know, right? His amateurishness is refreshing and it makes my heart squeeze. His hair is smooth and fluffy which is cute. He's like a doggy. I want to stroke him!"
"I don't approve! What's with the mysterious transfer student? The Saint has no need of a lover. It's more than good enough for me if A-ya stood alone in the middle of the stage for one and half an hour!"
Straining his ears, his overdeveloped hearing picked up even the weak whispering, and his heartbeat was steadily speeding up.
(Could it be that because I'll be Ayane-san's partner they especially came to see me! Or I mean, why did the term mysterious transfer student spread even to the other classes!)
His head spinning, he thought back upon yesterday's incident.
--Please, Harada-kun.
In the underground room surrounded by concrete walls, the beautiful senior who resembled Virgin Mary, put both hands on her knees and courteously bowed her head.
He finally realized that the "please go out with me" he was told meant "I want you to become my partner in a drama play", and because of his grand misunderstanding he felt like digging a hole and burying himself in it.
With words "Something like a play, I've only ever done a horse's feet at a school art festival, so it's impossible!" he refused, but he was told by Ayane who made a serious face:
<"In the drama club there isn't a male member whose height would match mine. I know that my height shouldn't have shot up, an- and that a huge woman like me is supposed to be a heroine is a miscast, right? But! This is a first time I was given a role with such a big amount of lines. I want to try to do it no matter what!">
Drooping her shoulder and her eyes clouding over, she told him that if he accepted to costar with her, she would be able stand on the stage.
He couldn't refuse if she's making that face, as it made her tear-stained face that he saw in the courtyard flicker up in his mind.
Moreover, from his side:
<"Then, I don't mind if it's limited to this time's performance. Well, it can't be helped if you say that you're dissatisfied with being Ayane's partner even if we pile up one hundred million in front of you.">
Said the feeble and beast-smelling senior in a way that seemed like he was refusing to perform because he had a problem with Ayane, to which he became impatient and ended up shouting "There's no such a thing!" What's more, he did so with all his might.
The next moment, Ayane's face suddenly sparkled.
<"Thank you! Harada-kun!">
She said and grasped his hands again, and her hands were so, so soft that it made him completely lose all means of backing out.
<"First of all, a couple using "Harada-kun, Harushina-sempai" and such doesn't have a shred of charm and it's boring, so you're to call each other "Utaya-kun, Ayane-san" regularly.">
Next to them, Ichiko had dispassionately ordered and nodded.
(They absolutely gathered because of the drama club, huh. There's no other reason for me to become the center of attention, but my appearance has been decided only yesterday after school. It's too soon...)
Besides, is it something to cause uproar about when it's only a high school drama club's public performance? His previous high school had a drama club as well. However, nor public performance, nor the performers did become a hot topic for anyone.
"No way, he's ducking his head, and his eyes are looking around here and there--. That cuteness despite the biiig body tickles my motherly instincts. He's really a doggy. A doggy, I say."
Hearing those words made him flare up to the ears, and when he was falling into labored breathing, Nitadori quietly whispered to him.
"Harada-kun, could it be that you don't understand the situation?"
When Utaya furiously nodded his head, Nitadori embraced him around the shoulder and made him face the window, then for some reason showed him his smartphone's screen.
"This is Kaisei Academy's homepage. The one that is managed not by the school but by the students. Before, I had sent the address to your phone, right?"
"Ah, yeah."
<"It's handy as it's loaded with useful information. This is the place where the academy news are uploaded the fastest."> He had a feeling he had heard something like that.
He became startled when he looked down on the screen and Ichiko's face jumped into his view.
Ichiko sat cross-legged on a pipe chair and was talking with a cool expression.
(This's a video!)
The volume was narrowed down and her voice was small and sounded sluggish, but Utaya's ears could hear it clearly. Also the captions were streamed at the bottom.
<"At the Team Regulus' new top's debut performance, the one to play a part of Ayane's lover is year one class-one's attendance number 35, Harada Utaya. Transferring in this month, he's a mysterious transfer student!">
"Geh!"
A groan escaped from Utaya's mouth.
This video was taken yesterday? And then, it was streamed on the academy's homepage!
<"The Team Regulus' supreme--or no, the tallest couple in the records of Kaisei Academy's drama club will act in the sparking ultimate love story, so by all means, please come to watch it. Their breathing already matches and in private they call each other "Utaya-kun, Ayane-san". You'll regret it till death if you miss the debut stage of this lovey-dovey and fresh lead-actor duo. From the stereotyped Queen who's capable of only putting on the predictable performances--excuse me, I can promise you that you'll get an unpredictable and fresh excitement that you wouldn't get from a veteran actress with a settled style of acting.">
The public performance will be after school on the seventh of July in the great auditorium-- dumbfounded Utaya was looking down at Ichiko as she shamelessly spoke of that.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Kaisei Academy's drama club with a lot of members is flourishing among the culture clubs, and it's divided into four teams."
Break time.
At the furthest seat by the window side Utaya was formally receiving explanation from Nitadori on the Kaisei Academy's drama club's position and it's peculiar form.
The morning disturbance has calmed down once the teacher had arrived, and now there were only students who would peek into the classroom from the corridor, but the other classmates except Nitadori and Hario only surrounded Utaya at a distance. But it's not like they ostracized him, they were just holding back and looked at him with admiration.
"A-ya's partner was chosen from our class!"
"The mysterious transfer student, how incredible! And he calls A-ya "Ayane-san", no? So cool!"
Or so he thought, but the doll-like classmate was still scowling at Utaya. Maybe she's Ayane-san's fan? Because that intense gaze filled with rage was no trivial matter.
Nitadori's speech was continuing.
"In each team, respectively, exist a top girl, and a programme centered on those girls is decided, basically, they're taking the so-called star system.
"In the staged plays are characteristics of each one team. For example Team Altair does love stories full of romance founded on their top who's a beautiful woman in a man's clothing, Deneb does belles-lettres plays founded on their intellectual beauty top who's all about pursuing the arts, and Vega is the idol-type team full of singing and dancing cute girls in pursuit of entertainment.
"And among these, only Regulus, where Harada-kun will perform in, which is a team that was established the following year after Kaisei had started the coeducation, makes it's selling point dramatic love stories due to having a man and woman two-top. Although they overlap with Altair, there's the difference that the other side has luxurious and gorgeous stage based on the cross-dressing beauty while Regulus has purely realistic love scenes between boys and girls."
On the drama club's joint homepage, each public performance has a column for viewers comments with grading function attached, or a graph of attendance number and et cetera, and it is said that the four teams compete about the number of contributors, or score, or mobilization number.
The more he had heard the more unbelievable story it was. Even if it's a mammoth school, how come that just one school would have four drama clubs and each has its own crazy fans.
"Miss Tohrukawa Ichiko is in charge of Regulus' production and script-writing, and since she took command, Regulus' attendance number, number of contributors of comments and the score got ahead a one whole head, and now Regulus with the shortest history between the four teams is reigning at the top. And because it's that Regulus' new top's debut performance, attention was attracted on the question of who's to become Ayane-sempai's partner. As I said a while ago, Regulus' top has to absolutely be a man-woman pair, but before Ayane-sempai hurriedly rose to the top at a performance one month ago, there was a disturbance--"
"What disturbance?"
Utaya was a complete novice at drama. But, for a new top's important performance that is the debut, that the cast was finally decided one month ago, isn't that too hurried?
Nitadori lowered his voice.
"Until May, the top of Regulus was another girl, and she was supposed to play the heroine in the performance in July. However, she took along all the male members with her and transferred to another team."
"Huh?"
That very moment, a glamorous voice echoed within the classroom.
"Is Mister Mysterious Transfer Student in, I wonder?"
Commotion spread out like a wave.
"It's Karena-sama!"
"It's the Rose Queen!"
"And also Nogizaka Knights' full force!"
Utaya turned around towards the corridor and walking elegantly through the front entrance appeared a beauty with distinctly chiseled face and gorgeously curled hair ends. Her height was just a tad above the average girl's height, but her waistline was in a high position, and because her body and head were placed high, her legs were slim and long.
Following behind her were four boys, as though they were knights accompanying their queen. They were all host-like hunks.
Nitadori quickly whispered into Utaya's ear.
"She's the Regulus' ex-top, and when someone says the "Enchanting Rose Queen" of the third-years' they talk about Nogizaka Karena-sama. She has a lot of pride so be careful."
Calling a high-schooler with the suffix "-sama"!? Well, she certainly leaves an impression of "Karena-sama". However, what's with the "Enchanting Rose Queen"!
"Even though I'm calling for you, you won't answer? Or are you not present?"
The glamorous voice once again echoed. It was not an angry tone but a gently teasing tone.
"I am Harada!"
Utaya raised his hand in panic and stood up.
Karena turned to Utaya and beautifully smiled, but nor did she say another word, nor did she walk up to him. As if saying that it's natural for him to come up and greet her.
(Ueh-, what a troublesome senior-)
Inevitably he went to the front of the platform and from there she even more courteously, but only so she wouldn't lose dignity, smiled sweetly.
"Nice to meet you, Mister Mysterious Transfer Student. I was told that Ayane-san's partner had been decided, and as it has piqued my interest, I've come to take a look at what kind of person you are. It seems that your height matches with Ayane-san."
"Ahh... Uhm, my name's not Mysterious Transfer Student..." He lowered his voice and murmured.
It wasn't that he was no good with girls like he made excuses to Nitadori. However, because he was sports-oriented and only hanged out with boys, that he thought that girls' mood quickly changes and that he doesn't really understand them was true. Moreover, the person now standing before his eyes was a gorgeous beauty and her smell was stronger and more provocative than Ayane's. As though she was scattering rose petals - it was a smell he would likely get drunken on if he kept smelling it.
That she was meaningfully closing her eyes each time and staring up at him made Utaya unable to calm down. If that came out again......
"I'm glad that Ayane-san found a cute partner like you, Harada-kun. I will also be coming to watch the public performance, so convey to Ichiko-san that I wish to be shown a beautiful stage with the blood gushing out all around and with regularly heard screams, please."
"Eh?" Immediately, he displayed a blank expression on his face. "The blood, gushing out......?"
"I'm looking forward to a stage with blades clashing together and severed heads flying in the air."
"Severed heads!"
"And don't forget the half-naked beauty with blood flowing out from her mouth."
"!"
Karena tiptoed to stroke the bangs of the bewildered Utaya and after she said satisfied "Oh my, its feel is really like a dog's fur", she took along the following boys and magnificently left.
As she was leaving the classroom she glimpsed at that doll-like girl sitting in the front row at the corridor side and laughed through her nose.
The doll-like classmate's face mortifyingly flared up and filling up her big eyes with animosity she glared back at Karena. Like that, after Karena left the classroom, seemingly discontent she scowled in Utaya's way, then abruptly looked away.
He felt like he was being criticized for being too pathetic that he had been blown off by Karena's one-sided talk and had just stood still like an idiot.
(What? As if I'm in the wrong!)
Not feeling fully satisfied he fixed his hair and after he returned to his seat, "Thanks for your hard work-" so saying Nitadori welcomed him with bitter smile and Hario with a sullen face.
"I was relieved it ended without anything happening. Seems like today she came only for a greeting, that Karena-sama."
"....That gushing blood, or severed heads, or half-nakedness......what's with that."
After he asked that, Nitadori and Hario exchanged glances. Both of them grimaced, seeming like they were hesitant to answer.
"Well, it's that......"
Nitadori opened his mouth, because Hario looked away as if to say he leaves it to him.
"Miss Tohrukawa is a talented scriptwriter and director but she has tendency of wanting to incorporate grotesque and eroticism in her works......"
Grotesque! Moreover eroticism!
"Per one stage there is a bloodshed scene once, no, two, three, four-times, besides that, the eyeballs get pierced or the brain tissue gets thrown out, the gross scenes are......ah, of course it doesn't mean that a real brain gets scattered around. That's because it's that sort of production."
That's obvious! If your brain scattered out, you'd die!
(Well...... Maybe I wouldn't die......)
He retorted to himself and was becoming gloomy.
"Karena-sama was also made to hemorrhage from the mouth and collapse, or was made to wave around an arm torn to pieces during a fight, right. Moreover, her costume was like a She-Tarzan as she was wreathed with only a super mini piece of cloth with leopard print."
Hario silently nodded.
That queen-like "Enchanting Rose Queen" or something was spitting out blood? And in a She-Tarzan appearance!
The moment he imagined it, his gloomy mood was blown away.
"The Regulus' selling point wasn't a boy-girl pair's love story!? Why a Tarzan and a battle with an arm torn to pieces?"
"To make it into a rich love story with the finishing touches and forcibly involve a maelstrom of deep emotions is Miss Tohrukawa's greatness!"
Nitadori declared and Hario nodded to it again.
(Really?!)
He could only imagine a B grade horror action from what he heard.
"Especially the February's Valentine performance "Doujouji" was superb. That horror-like one where a princess transformed into a snake and chased after a handsome monk she has fallen in love with at first sight, then entwined round and round around the temple bell. At that time I was still in the junior high section, so mixing in with the students of senior high section and buying the ticket was hard, however, it was worth trying my best!"
He wondered if it's truly good to perform a horror story about a stalker-like woman on a Valentine. Nitadori had said something like "I've cried at the end," and Hario while looking terribly reluctant also nodded.
"......That was, just mean," he also made a rare comment. In other words, Hario also cried?
"Although Miss Tohrukawa is an oddball, she certainly has talent. The audience attendance number and the after performance impressions proves it. From the start Miss Tohrukawa had been a person who kept on winning composition and critique contests and Karena-sama has won her over to be an exclusive writer for Team Regulus. However, Miss Tohrukawa, let alone writing a script that Karena-sama wished for, on top of that she made her gush out blood from the mouth. Furthermore, before one knew, rather than the audience that sought Karena-sama, audience that sought Miss Tohrukawa's scripts increased and Regulus seemed to have become Miss Tohrukawa's team, so I think that Karena-sama must have been displeased with that."
And then finally, refraining until one month before the July's public performance, she withdrew from Regulus taking along the handsome club members - the followers called Nogizaka Knights, or so it's said.
"Afterwards, Karena-sama transferred to Team Deneb, but as Deneb's selling point is the serious belles-lettres type, it is quite plain. Karena-sama's compatibility with Deneb is not so good, or, how should I put it, she herself knows it and maybe that's why she's aiming to be reinstated in Regulus."
Nitadori earnestly murmured.
Certainly, the eyes of Karena who smiled at Utaya appeared to be filled with intrigue.
"Considering Karena-sama, she's likely to think that if Ayane-sempai's debut performance failed she'd say "Now look at that" while laughing loudly and she'll be able to return back to Regulus."
Hario also seriously nodded.
"But, Ayane-san is also popular enough to not lose to Karena-sama, right."
When Utaya inquired, Nitadori again grew agitated and answered while pushing up his slipping glasses.
"Of course! From the moment she joined the club Ayane-sempai has had an outstanding talent enough to be called a heroine found once in ten years! Just......That height has become her bottleneck and so far she's had only minor roles with one, two words. And plus, she's only even had that sort of variety roles where she had to have shoe polish smeared on her face, or had to be the person inside stuffed animal costumes."
"Animal costumes! Why such a role! No matter how tall a person is, it doesn't really matter if the there's no need for a partner in a supporting role......"
"But it matters! After all, it's that A-ya! That A-ya who has extreme beauty and holiness and yet has a big chest, and is sexy but also cute - and secondly, she has good academic results, high morals and also has gentle nature - there are rumors that she's omnipotent in housework. That person who's as if perfectly sprinkled over with sugar, what do you think would happen if except the heroine, a person like her stood on the stage? The audience's eyes would chase after A-ya rather than the heroine! There'd be zero persuasiveness if a beauty more beautiful than the beauty who's supposed to play a peerless beautiful woman stood at the side! It'd be a wreck if the maid rather than Cleopatra was more beautiful and stood out more!"
"Uh, okay."
While being taken aback, he nodded.
"A-ya can only play the heroine, she's like a person that exists solely for becoming a heroine. Despite that she couldn't decently go up on the stage because there wasn't any tall boy that could line up with A-ya and look good. Officially, A-ya's height is 172 centimeters but in reality she's taller. Therefore, being recommended by Miss Tohrukawa she became the Regulus' top after Karena-sama transferred, but there were concerns about what would happen if she did not find a partner until the crucial performance."
(So that's why...... It was because of that, that she cared about her height so much......)
He remembered how she had spoken in an earnest tone the words That a huge woman like me is supposed to be a heroine is a miscast, right? which she muttered so sadly, or This is a first time I was given a role with such a big amount of lines. I want to try to do it no matter what! Now that he's learned of the drama club's internal situation, Ayane's words and expressions urged on his heart all the more, making him feel responsibility and anxiety.
When he was doing basketball he was called the "Court's Brawler" because of how strong was his competitive spirit, but now, everything he did, he did it nervously, and not to mention that acting was completely outside his area of expertise.
(I wonder if I was good enough......)
Next to him, Nitadori jealously raised his voice.
"Aagh, if only I was twenty centimeters taller! Even though I'm A-ya's fan-club member number ten."
"There're about ten people other than you in the fan-club, isn't that so," retorted Hario.
"Number one is A-ya!"
Nitadori answered back and with a serious face said to Utaya:
"If it's me, I'm an amicable fan that doesn't wish for more than to see A-ya's shining form on the stage, but A-ya's fan-club one-digit members are the assemble of warriors from the sport clubs, so, be careful Harada-kun."
"B-, be careful you say?"
When he asked back while feeling chills running down his spine, Hario said in a whisper:
"The number one member is our captain, and captain habitually boasts that "I'll make a punching bag of whomever tries to make a move on A-ya.""
Hario is in the boxing club.
(Give me a break!)
At Utaya who was sweating cold sweat, that doll-like girl, "......", was glaring again.
◇ ◇ ◇
During the lunch break peak the sightseers increased once more. He got through it trying not to mind it, but at the end Kaji came with "I'm also a member of A-ya's fan-club" and showed him his membership card and that made him nearly sink down to the floor.
Then,
"Was I no good? Even I am taller than A-ya by five centimeters. Did I need to have five more centimeters? Couldn't that be fixed with platform boots? Or is it my face? Is my face no good? Does it not have enoughrefreshingness?"
Kaji muttered his complaints in the same tone as Nitadori, and with,
"I won't forgive you if you show a shameful sight and ruin A-ya's debut performance,"
threatened him.
Utaya felt a stronger thirst for blood from him than when they were in middle school and during a match he bumped into him with rough play.
And like that it became after school, after being glared at, or envied at from here and there, or becoming flustered when unknown girls suddenly held out a notebook and pen with "Harada-kun, sign please!"
He was already mentally exhausted and it was more intense than a basketball practice before a match.
He has never gotten tired of playing basketball now matter how much he did it and he even had an exhilarating feeling after practice, but he didn't even do anything yet and already nothing but a feeling of exhaustion was accumulating in his body.
(......What am I comparing it with basketball for? I'm an idiot.)
He warned himself with bitter feelings and arrived at the basement club-room.
He re-examined the plate with "Team Regulus" written on it and fired himself up.
"Yo!"
When he raised his voice in sports-oriented style and opened the door, there, in the dusty room surrounded by grey concrete walls, was only Ayane.
For a moment, silence sunk between the two of them and with "Excuse me" Utaya closed the door and almost left. It seems he has read too much into things thinking that Ayane must also find it unpleasant to be alone with a boy in a closed basement room.
However the next moment, on Ayane's face slowly spread a smile that was like a spring's atmosphere which was filling the world.
"Utaya-kun!"
She rushed over to him with a bashful-like gentle expression and looked glad from the bottom of her heart.
(Her hair, it's tied into two!)
Her soft and fluffy shoulder-long black hair, bound left and right with pink gums, spilled down from her slender shoulders and bellow them it was swaying above the two plump mounds.
Furthermore, yesterday she has worn her uniform, but today she wore a T-shirt and trousers from a jersey. The T-shirt was thinner than the uniform's blouse and as it had elasticity it made her breasts' shape and size conspicuous. Unfortunately Utaya noticed that it had deeper neckline than the blouse and it caused mayhem inside him all of a sudden.
(Bad! This is so bad!)
No well, by no means was it a swimsuit or bloomers, it was but an ordinary T-shirt and trousers from a jersey, but when Ayane wore them it was bizarrely erotic.
Her facial features were already pure by nature and her figure had volume all over, but when the bashful expression was added to the mix, the imbalance it created was however emitting almost atrocious eroticism.
The panda print on her T-shirt and her cheeks flushed pink were sexy cute.
And her almond-shaped black eyes with which she delightfully stared up at him, were even more sexy cute.
Her Mary-like kind-looking face, that's in a closer position to him than the face of other girls, was shining, and she had a sweet smell, and so his pulse rate has become odd and inside his head a danger signal was flashing.
"Everyone's not here yet. You're early, Utaya-kun."
"Eh, uh, yea."
Why did he end up undertaking this, Utaya wondered and regretted it. To Utaya, this senior was terribly dangerous!
"I'm glad you've come, Utaya-kun. I was worried that perhaps you wouldn't come, that it would've been better if I went to pick you up."
She whispered in a lovely voice.
Her voice's also dangerous! It was sweet, a bit high and so pleasant that one could melt.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?"
"Ah, yes."
"Well then, could you change your clothes behind that curtain? We're expected to do stretching and vocalization freely. Let's do them together until you get used to it, Utaya-kun."
He moved to the space divided by the curtain while averting his eyes from Ayane, and as his heart pounded he was changing into T-shirt and trousers of a jersey. The danger signal was still flashing.
Ayane was wide-eyed when she saw Utaya after he opened the curtain and came out.
"Utaya-kun, you, look slender in clothing."
"Eh!"
"Like, you chest and back are sturdy. Ah, I don't mean it like you are fat or something! It's like your waist is really slender--......I wonder if it isn't more slender than mine actually."
Just at the final sentence she became down-hearted.
Unintentionally, he compared his own waist with Ayane's. Ayane was not the type that's extremely thin and possibly she has to concede the waistline condition to Karena. Ayane's poise was somewhat round. However, that is because Karena's waist is too tight, so Ayane's waist is slender more than enough!
"No no, there's no way that I'm thinner than you!"
There, he unconsciously emphasize his tone of voice.
"I- I wonder. If yes, that's great. After all, boys hate girls fatter than themselves, right?"
Ayane was fidgety.
"Ayane-san, you are not fat at all. You're the norm, so."
"Eh, the norm."
For some reason, Ayane showed a sadder face than just a moment ago.
It seems like saying she's the norm was not so good. A woman's heart is difficult.
Ayane dropped her shoulders and muttering, said "D-......During the play, there's a scene where, well......you'll have to carry me."
"Eeh!"
Utaya raised his voice in surprise when Ayane deadly serious bowed her head in apology.
"I'm sorry. Until the actual play I'll diet and lose some weight. Three kilos, no, five kilos."
"No, it's a-okay just like you are now! I'm totally good to go with your current weight, you see!"
Of course, it didn't mean that he knew Ayane's weight.
Ayane was saying in a depressed voice "No, even so I hate to diet. I cannot burden Utaya-kun," dead set on it.
Like that, she lifted her head and smiled courageously.
"It's all right. Leave it to me."
What's all right, and to begin with, it really wasn't necessary for Ayane to diet - to Utaya who was thinking in circles how he should convey to her such a thing, Ayane, who completely switched moods, told him cheerfully with a bright face, "Well then, let's begin with stretching."
Then she grasped tightly Utaya's hands with her own hands.
"!"
The same soft feeling as when his hand was grasped yesterday in the courtyard, wrapped up Utaya's hand.
(Uwaaaaaaaa, why, are you grasping my hands--)
To flustered Utaya, she said.
"Here, bend your body sideways well. Don't hold back, pull on me more firmly."
Still holding hands with Utaya, she leaned her own body to the side.
Both their bodies became bow-shaped and Utaya's and Ayane's heads seemed to stick together.
(Like, isn't stretching something that's done alone!)
It's like the Ok, form a two person group! during the P.E.?
Furthermore, it's become a back-to-back exercise, they'll be lifting each other on their backs.
"Er, well, I'm heavy, so it's impossible."
"It's all right. Your weight can't be that different from mine."
"No no, it is different, you see! I'll crush you, you know!"
"It's okay, believe me! Besides, my weight is actually quite......er, it's a secret."
While they were quarreling, they were bending to the front, or bending backwards--.
"Utaya-kun, your body is soft, huh--"
She said, this time in a condition where they squatted on the floor and were applying their body weight on their partner, or had it applied on.
Ayane's upper arms tightly entwined with Utaya's upper arms, or her small back precisely sticking to his, the tips of her hair tied in pigtails were tickling Utaya's back, or that clear and sweet smell similar to picked spring flowers that was overwhelming Utaya's nostrils, all of that was leaving Utaya giddy.
(This is totally dangerous! Was stretching always this erotic? The stretching I've done with basketball club's seniors was way more brutal!)
"Then, next is fifty sit-ups. After that thirty push-ups facing downward and thirty facing upward."
She said, and just when he thought that Ayane has finally separated from him, she started doing sit-ups and push-ups together right next to Utaya.
The rustling sound her gently soft black hair was making as it swayed, also the sound her T-shirt made when it rubbed the floor, and also even Ayane's trifling respiration could be heard, so if he glimpsed next to him he could see Ayane, whose glossy cheeks and white nape were flushed pink, doing sit-up exercise while her villainously big breasts shook.
Like this, when it would come to making push-up, her breasts would shake even more, her hair tied into pigtails would fall from her shoulders and as compared to when it's hidden by her let-down hair, her pure white nape of neck would become completely visible, which was greatly coquettish, and even her earlobes looked so soft......
(......I wonder how would they feel if I chewed on them.)
He was taken aback when he became aware of himself calmly thinking like a carnivorous animal with a prey before it.
His spine got instantly completely chilled. The signal light was bright red. If that started here and now--.
The fear penetrated the center of his head, his heart became disarrayed into pieces. There's only Ayane and Utaya, just the two of them in the basement club-room. If, right now, that throat-stinging desire assailed him.
He won't be able to suppress it, again.
He would stop being himself. Disgusting, fearsome-- he'll be replaced by something inhuman!
For an instant, he felt like his field of vision was becoming stained with red, and he covered his face with his hand. Ayane anxiously asked,
"Utaya-kun, are you okay? Are you tired?"
And she came peeking from the side.
It seemed as if nectar from spring flowers was mixed in the sweat falling from her white forehead, such a sweet smell wafted about. He felt nauseated from dread because of that bewitching fragrance.
From between his fingers he saw Ayane who was bending forward and her breasts were drooping and shaking. On the white cleavage peeking from the T-shirt's neckline a drop of sweat was sparkling.
And it slid deep into her cleavage.
(I can't--)
It happened when Ayane bent forward even more and Utaya gulped.
Other members entered the club-room.
"Good morniiiing."
It seems that "Good morning" is the standard greeting. While unanimously saying "Morning!" or "Good morning," the seniors showed up.
"Morning, Ayane! Ah, Utaya-kun has come! Are we, by any chance, intruding?"
"No way, not at all. Right, Utaya-kun?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"Oh. But, you're face is bright red, Utaya-kun."
"That's because Ayane is sexy."
"That's right, she's devilish."
"That's not true, I'm not sexy. And I'm not devilish."
"I- I don't really mind."
The urge that was controlling his heart left like a wave, and that relief assisted in his face suddenly heating up.
(Rather, Ayane-san, being devilish......wasn't she called the Saint of drama club!)
"He's become red again, how pure-"
"Ohh-, everyone, I'm not letting you of if you tease Utaya-kun."
"Ahaha, it's like you're Utaya-kun's older sister, Ayane."
At the time when Karena transferred clubs, she took along with her the male members, Nitadori had said, but, as the ratio of girls was high, only two male members other than Utaya could be seen, one student who was small and timid-looking and other student with a flat face who left little impression. The two boys didn't mix in with the girls' conversation and started stretching by themselves in a corner.
Utaya was teased by the girl members and was becoming red or was sweating.
For now, the thirst in his throat has calmed down. His field of vision was normal.
But when again, he would be assailed by that urge--when he thought what if his field of vision become stained with red, the inside of body shivered.
(As I thought, Ayane-san is dangerous. I have to try not looking at her as much as possible.)
He shouldn't become conscious of her plump lips, white nape and her softly shaking breasts.
However.
"We'll do the vocal exercises, follow my example, okay."
At a distance where a sweet breath would attack Utaya's ears, A, E, I, U, O, A, O, although Ayane raised her voice, he forgot the warning and was dizzy.
"You should produce your voice not from the throat, but from the stomach. It's around the area two fingers lined up below the belly button. Also, open your mouth properly. Look closely at my mouth's movement. "A" is this shape, "E" is this shape."
She said and lightly touched below Utaya's belly button with her slender fingers. She was showing him by slowly opening and closing her juicily wet lips, and yet his face became hot again.
Stretching was erotic, but vocalization was erotic too.
(Why is this person erotic at every single thing-)
Was she an airhead, although it seemed that the person herself wasn't aware of that, but that was actually increasingly bad. With the gaze that was the innocence of the church's Virgin Mary itself, she was doing erotic vocalization.
"Here, draw in your stomach."
She said and suddenly pressed tightly his abdomen with her palm. It made him wish she tried to have the same done to her.
It was also embarrassing to have the other girl members looking and grinning at Utaya and Ayane's exchanges.
The last to appear late was Ichiko who lazily brushed off the hair that fell into her face and with a cool gaze threw a glance at Utaya and said:
"Oh-ho, so you're immediately being done in by Ayane's devilishness, Harada-kun."
"Even Ichiko-san! I, I'm not devilish!"
Ayane's eyebrows lowered, and Utaya also became stiff.
"I don't really mind."
Ichiko sadistically narrowed her eyes she was looking at Utaya with and said in a sharp tone:
"You're not used to girls, isn't that so? There are boys like that, right, hanging out only with guys, they show off that they don't get girls, but in heart are immensely curious lechers who don't seem it."
He got flustered that she boldly guessed right. So he firmly answered,
"I'm not like that!"
"Yeah, you've said too much, Ichiko-san. Utaya-kun is earnest, you know. He wouldn't be thinking about impure things during practice. Right, Utaya-kun?"
"Eh! T- That is, well--"
He couldn't say, that he wouldn't do that at all. When he actually kept thinking impure things--.
The other club members shed pitiful gazes on Utaya who cut his reply short.
"Ayane is devilish, as expected, right."
"Yup. Devilish."
With cold face Ichiko moved behind Ayane, took hold of Ayane's T-shirt' collar with both hands and pulled it down to the shoulders.
"Kyah!"
Upper half part of her breasts was exposed to Utaya's eyes. The two round mounds had a deep, deep valley between them, and their might started to make him faint.
"No way! What are you doing, Ichiko-san! No......, don't lower iiiit-"
Intentionally turning struggling Ayane with flushing cheeks and teary eyes towards Utaya, Ichiko said again in a dull voice:
"It's planned that the costume for the play's premiere will be lowered this much, Harada-kun. You should get used to it too. It won't be much of a play if just from this much you'd feel like bursting out nosebleed and turn sideways."
Utaya who was restraining the lower half of his face with his right hand and averting his eyes, groaned from the sense of defeat. Ayane, more and more teary-eyed, said:
"Tha- That's too lowered. If I bend down, they'll be vi-......visible."
"Almost being visible, but aren't visible. But even so, they're visible, but aren't visible. That dilemma arouses the lust. Showing them to the very limit. But absolutely not showing them. Those huge breasts are your weapon, so if you're gonna be the Regulus' top, go through with your resolution and rather than making effort to not show them, figure out how to show them beautifully, okay?"
"I- I'll try."
Said Ayane courageously after pulling up her T-shirt. And to Utaya she said apologetically with a red face.
"Utaya-kun, m- maybe something you don't want to see will enter your eyes, b- but don't mind it, okay. Think of them as balls or something."
"Y- Yes."
He too answered with a red face.
(This is bad......)
Thinking that, he sprouted sweat again.
(So it'll be lowered that down at the actual performance, that means that the whole time during the play we'll be in such condition. Am I going to be okay, I wonder?)
If by any chance, he'll be dominated by that desire on the stage, it would be THE END.
No, whatever may be, under such tense circumstances, there's no way that will happen......
At any rate, having to show the breasts so to the limit, just what sort of play is Ichiko planning to do? Don't tell me it's She-Tarzan or snake impersonation again!?
Ichiko casually handed to Utaya a college notebook-sized booklet by throwing it. It was just a bit thicker than a notebook.
"That's your script."
In confusion, he caught with both hands the booklet that came flying at him.
Looking at the front cover, his body froze over.
[Dracula ~ Eternal Love]
It was clearly printed in letters with eerie design.
From his feet the chilly shivers crept up, and his face muscles were becoming stiff hard like a rock.
In his head, the silver-colored hair that seemed to absorb the moonlight rustled and swayed.
A long haired--.
The red, crimson, scarlet-eyed--.
Cold--alluring, red-eyed--.
"My role......is."
These words spill from Utaya's lips in a muffled low voice.
Ichiko informed him mercilessly.
"It's Count Dracula."
--Do you want to live......
In the incessant silver thread-like rain, the red-eyed girl haughtily questioned Utaya.
Saying, if you answer correctly, I shall present you with an eternal life.
The red, crimson, scarlet eyes that looked down on Utaya were colder than rain.
Emotion unreadable in them, mysteriously alluring--and feeling a hint of nostalgia from them, they were such red eyes--.
The girl held up her thin, ready to snap wrist over Utaya's head.
Fresh blood trickled down it--.
And dyed Utaya's lips--.
--Eternal life for you......
(Stop!)
He tried to shout, but no sound came out.
(Please, stop! I don't want something like eternal life!)
However, the fresh blood overflowed from the girl's wrist, fell in the rain while shining like a ruby and together with a sweet smell continued to wet Utaya's lips.
The girl -- Shizuku, was carefully looking at that happening.
With alluring red, crimson, scarlet eyes--.
◇ ◇ ◇
(Urgh, I saw a bad dream.)
He groaned right after he woke up.
Excited Nitadori was waiting for Utaya who came to school with bitter feelings.
"Harada-kun!! I heard that you were selected as A-ya's opposing role! Of the Saint of the drama club!"
He shouted with bloodshot eyes as he drew closer to Utaya who tried to reach the last seat at the window side.
"Drama club's Saint? Ah, by A-ya, you meant Ayane-san!"
When Utaya said that, the classroom became noisy.
"He said Ayane-san! He called A-ya, Ayane-san!"
"What's with that intimate way of calling! Is it normal to suddenly use "-san" when calling a senior!"
"Ayane-sempai is also calling Harada-kun by "Utaya-kun", right! Is it true that they're also dating in private?"
(Wh, what the! Why's everyone looking here and talking about me!?)
The female student with fluffy hair and doll-like orderly features who sat in the front row at the corridor side was also glaring at Utaya with big eyes with eyelashes closely packed together. Her small lips started to look sour and were full of animosity. I don't remember being ever glared at with such a dreadful face!
Moreover, before he knew, the corridor also became crowded.
"Hey, which one's the mysterious transfer student!"
"Seems that it's the one at the window side with his head sticking out! The one with the kinky hair."
"So he's the mysterious transfer student!"
He heard them whispering so, and so forth.
"He's su~per tall. His face's cool, too."
"What the, it's because he has such height, so it's just for appearances."
"He's to my tastes. Even though his body's like an adult's, his ambiance's like a boy's, so he gives off an innocent feeling, I say, his likability is higher than that of the Queen Nogizaka's Knights. They're more the "fragile host" type."
"I know, right? His amateurishness is refreshing and it makes my heart squeeze. His hair is smooth and fluffy which is cute. He's like a doggy. I want to stroke him!"
"I don't approve! What's with the mysterious transfer student? The Saint has no need of a lover. It's more than good enough for me if A-ya stood alone in the middle of the stage for one and half an hour!"
Straining his ears, his overdeveloped hearing picked up even the weak whispering, and his heartbeat was steadily speeding up.
(Could it be that because I'll be Ayane-san's partner they especially came to see me! Or I mean, why did the term mysterious transfer student spread even to the other classes!)
His head spinning, he thought back upon yesterday's incident.
--Please, Harada-kun.
In the underground room surrounded by concrete walls, the beautiful senior who resembled Virgin Mary, put both hands on her knees and courteously bowed her head.
He finally realized that the "please go out with me" he was told meant "I want you to become my partner in a drama play", and because of his grand misunderstanding he felt like digging a hole and burying himself in it.
With words "Something like a play, I've only ever done a horse's feet at a school art festival, so it's impossible!" he refused, but he was told by Ayane who made a serious face:
<"In the drama club there isn't a male member whose height would match mine. I know that my height shouldn't have shot up, an- and that a huge woman like me is supposed to be a heroine is a miscast, right? But! This is a first time I was given a role with such a big amount of lines. I want to try to do it no matter what!">
Drooping her shoulder and her eyes clouding over, she told him that if he accepted to costar with her, she would be able stand on the stage.
He couldn't refuse if she's making that face, as it made her tear-stained face that he saw in the courtyard flicker up in his mind.
Moreover, from his side:
<"Then, I don't mind if it's limited to this time's performance. Well, it can't be helped if you say that you're dissatisfied with being Ayane's partner even if we pile up one hundred million in front of you.">
Said the feeble and beast-smelling senior in a way that seemed like he was refusing to perform because he had a problem with Ayane, to which he became impatient and ended up shouting "There's no such a thing!" What's more, he did so with all his might.
The next moment, Ayane's face suddenly sparkled.
<"Thank you! Harada-kun!">
She said and grasped his hands again, and her hands were so, so soft that it made him completely lose all means of backing out.
<"First of all, a couple using "Harada-kun, Harushina-sempai" and such doesn't have a shred of charm and it's boring, so you're to call each other "Utaya-kun, Ayane-san" regularly.">
Next to them, Ichiko had dispassionately ordered and nodded.
(They absolutely gathered because of the drama club, huh. There's no other reason for me to become the center of attention, but my appearance has been decided only yesterday after school. It's too soon...)
Besides, is it something to cause uproar about when it's only a high school drama club's public performance? His previous high school had a drama club as well. However, nor public performance, nor the performers did become a hot topic for anyone.
"No way, he's ducking his head, and his eyes are looking around here and there--. That cuteness despite the biiig body tickles my motherly instincts. He's really a doggy. A doggy, I say."
Hearing those words made him flare up to the ears, and when he was falling into labored breathing, Nitadori quietly whispered to him.
"Harada-kun, could it be that you don't understand the situation?"
When Utaya furiously nodded his head, Nitadori embraced him around the shoulder and made him face the window, then for some reason showed him his smartphone's screen.
"This is Kaisei Academy's homepage. The one that is managed not by the school but by the students. Before, I had sent the address to your phone, right?"
"Ah, yeah."
<"It's handy as it's loaded with useful information. This is the place where the academy news are uploaded the fastest."> He had a feeling he had heard something like that.
He became startled when he looked down on the screen and Ichiko's face jumped into his view.
Ichiko sat cross-legged on a pipe chair and was talking with a cool expression.
(This's a video!)
The volume was narrowed down and her voice was small and sounded sluggish, but Utaya's ears could hear it clearly. Also the captions were streamed at the bottom.
<"At the Team Regulus' new top's debut performance, the one to play a part of Ayane's lover is year one class-one's attendance number 35, Harada Utaya. Transferring in this month, he's a mysterious transfer student!">
"Geh!"
A groan escaped from Utaya's mouth.
This video was taken yesterday? And then, it was streamed on the academy's homepage!
<"The Team Regulus' supreme--or no, the tallest couple in the records of Kaisei Academy's drama club will act in the sparking ultimate love story, so by all means, please come to watch it. Their breathing already matches and in private they call each other "Utaya-kun, Ayane-san". You'll regret it till death if you miss the debut stage of this lovey-dovey and fresh lead-actor duo. From the stereotyped Queen who's capable of only putting on the predictable performances--excuse me, I can promise you that you'll get an unpredictable and fresh excitement that you wouldn't get from a veteran actress with a settled style of acting.">
The public performance will be after school on the seventh of July in the great auditorium-- dumbfounded Utaya was looking down at Ichiko as she shamelessly spoke of that.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Kaisei Academy's drama club with a lot of members is flourishing among the culture clubs, and it's divided into four teams."
Break time.
At the furthest seat by the window side Utaya was formally receiving explanation from Nitadori on the Kaisei Academy's drama club's position and it's peculiar form.
The morning disturbance has calmed down once the teacher had arrived, and now there were only students who would peek into the classroom from the corridor, but the other classmates except Nitadori and Hario only surrounded Utaya at a distance. But it's not like they ostracized him, they were just holding back and looked at him with admiration.
"A-ya's partner was chosen from our class!"
"The mysterious transfer student, how incredible! And he calls A-ya "Ayane-san", no? So cool!"
Or so he thought, but the doll-like classmate was still scowling at Utaya. Maybe she's Ayane-san's fan? Because that intense gaze filled with rage was no trivial matter.
Nitadori's speech was continuing.
"In each team, respectively, exist a top girl, and a programme centered on those girls is decided, basically, they're taking the so-called star system.
"In the staged plays are characteristics of each one team. For example Team Altair does love stories full of romance founded on their top who's a beautiful woman in a man's clothing, Deneb does belles-lettres plays founded on their intellectual beauty top who's all about pursuing the arts, and Vega is the idol-type team full of singing and dancing cute girls in pursuit of entertainment.
"And among these, only Regulus, where Harada-kun will perform in, which is a team that was established the following year after Kaisei had started the coeducation, makes it's selling point dramatic love stories due to having a man and woman two-top. Although they overlap with Altair, there's the difference that the other side has luxurious and gorgeous stage based on the cross-dressing beauty while Regulus has purely realistic love scenes between boys and girls."
On the drama club's joint homepage, each public performance has a column for viewers comments with grading function attached, or a graph of attendance number and et cetera, and it is said that the four teams compete about the number of contributors, or score, or mobilization number.
The more he had heard the more unbelievable story it was. Even if it's a mammoth school, how come that just one school would have four drama clubs and each has its own crazy fans.
"Miss Tohrukawa Ichiko is in charge of Regulus' production and script-writing, and since she took command, Regulus' attendance number, number of contributors of comments and the score got ahead a one whole head, and now Regulus with the shortest history between the four teams is reigning at the top. And because it's that Regulus' new top's debut performance, attention was attracted on the question of who's to become Ayane-sempai's partner. As I said a while ago, Regulus' top has to absolutely be a man-woman pair, but before Ayane-sempai hurriedly rose to the top at a performance one month ago, there was a disturbance--"
"What disturbance?"
Utaya was a complete novice at drama. But, for a new top's important performance that is the debut, that the cast was finally decided one month ago, isn't that too hurried?
Nitadori lowered his voice.
"Until May, the top of Regulus was another girl, and she was supposed to play the heroine in the performance in July. However, she took along all the male members with her and transferred to another team."
"Huh?"
That very moment, a glamorous voice echoed within the classroom.
"Is Mister Mysterious Transfer Student in, I wonder?"
Commotion spread out like a wave.
"It's Karena-sama!"
"It's the Rose Queen!"
"And also Nogizaka Knights' full force!"
Utaya turned around towards the corridor and walking elegantly through the front entrance appeared a beauty with distinctly chiseled face and gorgeously curled hair ends. Her height was just a tad above the average girl's height, but her waistline was in a high position, and because her body and head were placed high, her legs were slim and long.
Following behind her were four boys, as though they were knights accompanying their queen. They were all host-like hunks.
Nitadori quickly whispered into Utaya's ear.
"She's the Regulus' ex-top, and when someone says the "Enchanting Rose Queen" of the third-years' they talk about Nogizaka Karena-sama. She has a lot of pride so be careful."
Calling a high-schooler with the suffix "-sama"!? Well, she certainly leaves an impression of "Karena-sama". However, what's with the "Enchanting Rose Queen"!
"Even though I'm calling for you, you won't answer? Or are you not present?"
The glamorous voice once again echoed. It was not an angry tone but a gently teasing tone.
"I am Harada!"
Utaya raised his hand in panic and stood up.
Karena turned to Utaya and beautifully smiled, but nor did she say another word, nor did she walk up to him. As if saying that it's natural for him to come up and greet her.
(Ueh-, what a troublesome senior-)
Inevitably he went to the front of the platform and from there she even more courteously, but only so she wouldn't lose dignity, smiled sweetly.
"Nice to meet you, Mister Mysterious Transfer Student. I was told that Ayane-san's partner had been decided, and as it has piqued my interest, I've come to take a look at what kind of person you are. It seems that your height matches with Ayane-san."
"Ahh... Uhm, my name's not Mysterious Transfer Student..." He lowered his voice and murmured.
It wasn't that he was no good with girls like he made excuses to Nitadori. However, because he was sports-oriented and only hanged out with boys, that he thought that girls' mood quickly changes and that he doesn't really understand them was true. Moreover, the person now standing before his eyes was a gorgeous beauty and her smell was stronger and more provocative than Ayane's. As though she was scattering rose petals - it was a smell he would likely get drunken on if he kept smelling it.
That she was meaningfully closing her eyes each time and staring up at him made Utaya unable to calm down. If that came out again......
"I'm glad that Ayane-san found a cute partner like you, Harada-kun. I will also be coming to watch the public performance, so convey to Ichiko-san that I wish to be shown a beautiful stage with the blood gushing out all around and with regularly heard screams, please."
"Eh?" Immediately, he displayed a blank expression on his face. "The blood, gushing out......?"
"I'm looking forward to a stage with blades clashing together and severed heads flying in the air."
"Severed heads!"
"And don't forget the half-naked beauty with blood flowing out from her mouth."
"!"
Karena tiptoed to stroke the bangs of the bewildered Utaya and after she said satisfied "Oh my, its feel is really like a dog's fur", she took along the following boys and magnificently left.
As she was leaving the classroom she glimpsed at that doll-like girl sitting in the front row at the corridor side and laughed through her nose.
The doll-like classmate's face mortifyingly flared up and filling up her big eyes with animosity she glared back at Karena. Like that, after Karena left the classroom, seemingly discontent she scowled in Utaya's way, then abruptly looked away.
He felt like he was being criticized for being too pathetic that he had been blown off by Karena's one-sided talk and had just stood still like an idiot.
(What? As if I'm in the wrong!)
Not feeling fully satisfied he fixed his hair and after he returned to his seat, "Thanks for your hard work-" so saying Nitadori welcomed him with bitter smile and Hario with a sullen face.
"I was relieved it ended without anything happening. Seems like today she came only for a greeting, that Karena-sama."
"....That gushing blood, or severed heads, or half-nakedness......what's with that."
After he asked that, Nitadori and Hario exchanged glances. Both of them grimaced, seeming like they were hesitant to answer.
"Well, it's that......"
Nitadori opened his mouth, because Hario looked away as if to say he leaves it to him.
"Miss Tohrukawa is a talented scriptwriter and director but she has tendency of wanting to incorporate grotesque and eroticism in her works......"
Grotesque! Moreover eroticism!
"Per one stage there is a bloodshed scene once, no, two, three, four-times, besides that, the eyeballs get pierced or the brain tissue gets thrown out, the gross scenes are......ah, of course it doesn't mean that a real brain gets scattered around. That's because it's that sort of production."
That's obvious! If your brain scattered out, you'd die!
(Well...... Maybe I wouldn't die......)
He retorted to himself and was becoming gloomy.
"Karena-sama was also made to hemorrhage from the mouth and collapse, or was made to wave around an arm torn to pieces during a fight, right. Moreover, her costume was like a She-Tarzan as she was wreathed with only a super mini piece of cloth with leopard print."
Hario silently nodded.
That queen-like "Enchanting Rose Queen" or something was spitting out blood? And in a She-Tarzan appearance!
The moment he imagined it, his gloomy mood was blown away.
"The Regulus' selling point wasn't a boy-girl pair's love story!? Why a Tarzan and a battle with an arm torn to pieces?"
"To make it into a rich love story with the finishing touches and forcibly involve a maelstrom of deep emotions is Miss Tohrukawa's greatness!"
Nitadori declared and Hario nodded to it again.
(Really?!)
He could only imagine a B grade horror action from what he heard.
"Especially the February's Valentine performance "Doujouji" was superb. That horror-like one where a princess transformed into a snake and chased after a handsome monk she has fallen in love with at first sight, then entwined round and round around the temple bell. At that time I was still in the junior high section, so mixing in with the students of senior high section and buying the ticket was hard, however, it was worth trying my best!"
He wondered if it's truly good to perform a horror story about a stalker-like woman on a Valentine. Nitadori had said something like "I've cried at the end," and Hario while looking terribly reluctant also nodded.
"......That was, just mean," he also made a rare comment. In other words, Hario also cried?
"Although Miss Tohrukawa is an oddball, she certainly has talent. The audience attendance number and the after performance impressions proves it. From the start Miss Tohrukawa had been a person who kept on winning composition and critique contests and Karena-sama has won her over to be an exclusive writer for Team Regulus. However, Miss Tohrukawa, let alone writing a script that Karena-sama wished for, on top of that she made her gush out blood from the mouth. Furthermore, before one knew, rather than the audience that sought Karena-sama, audience that sought Miss Tohrukawa's scripts increased and Regulus seemed to have become Miss Tohrukawa's team, so I think that Karena-sama must have been displeased with that."
And then finally, refraining until one month before the July's public performance, she withdrew from Regulus taking along the handsome club members - the followers called Nogizaka Knights, or so it's said.
"Afterwards, Karena-sama transferred to Team Deneb, but as Deneb's selling point is the serious belles-lettres type, it is quite plain. Karena-sama's compatibility with Deneb is not so good, or, how should I put it, she herself knows it and maybe that's why she's aiming to be reinstated in Regulus."
Nitadori earnestly murmured.
Certainly, the eyes of Karena who smiled at Utaya appeared to be filled with intrigue.
"Considering Karena-sama, she's likely to think that if Ayane-sempai's debut performance failed she'd say "Now look at that" while laughing loudly and she'll be able to return back to Regulus."
Hario also seriously nodded.
"But, Ayane-san is also popular enough to not lose to Karena-sama, right."
When Utaya inquired, Nitadori again grew agitated and answered while pushing up his slipping glasses.
"Of course! From the moment she joined the club Ayane-sempai has had an outstanding talent enough to be called a heroine found once in ten years! Just......That height has become her bottleneck and so far she's had only minor roles with one, two words. And plus, she's only even had that sort of variety roles where she had to have shoe polish smeared on her face, or had to be the person inside stuffed animal costumes."
"Animal costumes! Why such a role! No matter how tall a person is, it doesn't really matter if the there's no need for a partner in a supporting role......"
"But it matters! After all, it's that A-ya! That A-ya who has extreme beauty and holiness and yet has a big chest, and is sexy but also cute - and secondly, she has good academic results, high morals and also has gentle nature - there are rumors that she's omnipotent in housework. That person who's as if perfectly sprinkled over with sugar, what do you think would happen if except the heroine, a person like her stood on the stage? The audience's eyes would chase after A-ya rather than the heroine! There'd be zero persuasiveness if a beauty more beautiful than the beauty who's supposed to play a peerless beautiful woman stood at the side! It'd be a wreck if the maid rather than Cleopatra was more beautiful and stood out more!"
"Uh, okay."
While being taken aback, he nodded.
"A-ya can only play the heroine, she's like a person that exists solely for becoming a heroine. Despite that she couldn't decently go up on the stage because there wasn't any tall boy that could line up with A-ya and look good. Officially, A-ya's height is 172 centimeters but in reality she's taller. Therefore, being recommended by Miss Tohrukawa she became the Regulus' top after Karena-sama transferred, but there were concerns about what would happen if she did not find a partner until the crucial performance."
(So that's why...... It was because of that, that she cared about her height so much......)
He remembered how she had spoken in an earnest tone the words That a huge woman like me is supposed to be a heroine is a miscast, right? which she muttered so sadly, or This is a first time I was given a role with such a big amount of lines. I want to try to do it no matter what! Now that he's learned of the drama club's internal situation, Ayane's words and expressions urged on his heart all the more, making him feel responsibility and anxiety.
When he was doing basketball he was called the "Court's Brawler" because of how strong was his competitive spirit, but now, everything he did, he did it nervously, and not to mention that acting was completely outside his area of expertise.
(I wonder if I was good enough......)
Next to him, Nitadori jealously raised his voice.
"Aagh, if only I was twenty centimeters taller! Even though I'm A-ya's fan-club member number ten."
"There're about ten people other than you in the fan-club, isn't that so," retorted Hario.
"Number one is A-ya!"
Nitadori answered back and with a serious face said to Utaya:
"If it's me, I'm an amicable fan that doesn't wish for more than to see A-ya's shining form on the stage, but A-ya's fan-club one-digit members are the assemble of warriors from the sport clubs, so, be careful Harada-kun."
"B-, be careful you say?"
When he asked back while feeling chills running down his spine, Hario said in a whisper:
"The number one member is our captain, and captain habitually boasts that "I'll make a punching bag of whomever tries to make a move on A-ya.""
Hario is in the boxing club.
(Give me a break!)
At Utaya who was sweating cold sweat, that doll-like girl, "......", was glaring again.
◇ ◇ ◇
During the lunch break peak the sightseers increased once more. He got through it trying not to mind it, but at the end Kaji came with "I'm also a member of A-ya's fan-club" and showed him his membership card and that made him nearly sink down to the floor.
Then,
"Was I no good? Even I am taller than A-ya by five centimeters. Did I need to have five more centimeters? Couldn't that be fixed with platform boots? Or is it my face? Is my face no good? Does it not have enoughrefreshingness?"
Kaji muttered his complaints in the same tone as Nitadori, and with,
"I won't forgive you if you show a shameful sight and ruin A-ya's debut performance,"
threatened him.
Utaya felt a stronger thirst for blood from him than when they were in middle school and during a match he bumped into him with rough play.
And like that it became after school, after being glared at, or envied at from here and there, or becoming flustered when unknown girls suddenly held out a notebook and pen with "Harada-kun, sign please!"
He was already mentally exhausted and it was more intense than a basketball practice before a match.
He has never gotten tired of playing basketball now matter how much he did it and he even had an exhilarating feeling after practice, but he didn't even do anything yet and already nothing but a feeling of exhaustion was accumulating in his body.
(......What am I comparing it with basketball for? I'm an idiot.)
He warned himself with bitter feelings and arrived at the basement club-room.
He re-examined the plate with "Team Regulus" written on it and fired himself up.
"Yo!"
When he raised his voice in sports-oriented style and opened the door, there, in the dusty room surrounded by grey concrete walls, was only Ayane.
For a moment, silence sunk between the two of them and with "Excuse me" Utaya closed the door and almost left. It seems he has read too much into things thinking that Ayane must also find it unpleasant to be alone with a boy in a closed basement room.
However the next moment, on Ayane's face slowly spread a smile that was like a spring's atmosphere which was filling the world.
"Utaya-kun!"
She rushed over to him with a bashful-like gentle expression and looked glad from the bottom of her heart.
(Her hair, it's tied into two!)
Her soft and fluffy shoulder-long black hair, bound left and right with pink gums, spilled down from her slender shoulders and bellow them it was swaying above the two plump mounds.
Furthermore, yesterday she has worn her uniform, but today she wore a T-shirt and trousers from a jersey. The T-shirt was thinner than the uniform's blouse and as it had elasticity it made her breasts' shape and size conspicuous. Unfortunately Utaya noticed that it had deeper neckline than the blouse and it caused mayhem inside him all of a sudden.
(Bad! This is so bad!)
No well, by no means was it a swimsuit or bloomers, it was but an ordinary T-shirt and trousers from a jersey, but when Ayane wore them it was bizarrely erotic.
Her facial features were already pure by nature and her figure had volume all over, but when the bashful expression was added to the mix, the imbalance it created was however emitting almost atrocious eroticism.
The panda print on her T-shirt and her cheeks flushed pink were sexy cute.
And her almond-shaped black eyes with which she delightfully stared up at him, were even more sexy cute.
Her Mary-like kind-looking face, that's in a closer position to him than the face of other girls, was shining, and she had a sweet smell, and so his pulse rate has become odd and inside his head a danger signal was flashing.
"Everyone's not here yet. You're early, Utaya-kun."
"Eh, uh, yea."
Why did he end up undertaking this, Utaya wondered and regretted it. To Utaya, this senior was terribly dangerous!
"I'm glad you've come, Utaya-kun. I was worried that perhaps you wouldn't come, that it would've been better if I went to pick you up."
She whispered in a lovely voice.
Her voice's also dangerous! It was sweet, a bit high and so pleasant that one could melt.
"Did you bring a change of clothes?"
"Ah, yes."
"Well then, could you change your clothes behind that curtain? We're expected to do stretching and vocalization freely. Let's do them together until you get used to it, Utaya-kun."
He moved to the space divided by the curtain while averting his eyes from Ayane, and as his heart pounded he was changing into T-shirt and trousers of a jersey. The danger signal was still flashing.
Ayane was wide-eyed when she saw Utaya after he opened the curtain and came out.
"Utaya-kun, you, look slender in clothing."
"Eh!"
"Like, you chest and back are sturdy. Ah, I don't mean it like you are fat or something! It's like your waist is really slender--......I wonder if it isn't more slender than mine actually."
Just at the final sentence she became down-hearted.
Unintentionally, he compared his own waist with Ayane's. Ayane was not the type that's extremely thin and possibly she has to concede the waistline condition to Karena. Ayane's poise was somewhat round. However, that is because Karena's waist is too tight, so Ayane's waist is slender more than enough!
"No no, there's no way that I'm thinner than you!"
There, he unconsciously emphasize his tone of voice.
"I- I wonder. If yes, that's great. After all, boys hate girls fatter than themselves, right?"
Ayane was fidgety.
"Ayane-san, you are not fat at all. You're the norm, so."
"Eh, the norm."
For some reason, Ayane showed a sadder face than just a moment ago.
It seems like saying she's the norm was not so good. A woman's heart is difficult.
Ayane dropped her shoulders and muttering, said "D-......During the play, there's a scene where, well......you'll have to carry me."
"Eeh!"
Utaya raised his voice in surprise when Ayane deadly serious bowed her head in apology.
"I'm sorry. Until the actual play I'll diet and lose some weight. Three kilos, no, five kilos."
"No, it's a-okay just like you are now! I'm totally good to go with your current weight, you see!"
Of course, it didn't mean that he knew Ayane's weight.
Ayane was saying in a depressed voice "No, even so I hate to diet. I cannot burden Utaya-kun," dead set on it.
Like that, she lifted her head and smiled courageously.
"It's all right. Leave it to me."
What's all right, and to begin with, it really wasn't necessary for Ayane to diet - to Utaya who was thinking in circles how he should convey to her such a thing, Ayane, who completely switched moods, told him cheerfully with a bright face, "Well then, let's begin with stretching."
Then she grasped tightly Utaya's hands with her own hands.
"!"
The same soft feeling as when his hand was grasped yesterday in the courtyard, wrapped up Utaya's hand.
(Uwaaaaaaaa, why, are you grasping my hands--)
To flustered Utaya, she said.
"Here, bend your body sideways well. Don't hold back, pull on me more firmly."
Still holding hands with Utaya, she leaned her own body to the side.
Both their bodies became bow-shaped and Utaya's and Ayane's heads seemed to stick together.
(Like, isn't stretching something that's done alone!)
It's like the Ok, form a two person group! during the P.E.?
Furthermore, it's become a back-to-back exercise, they'll be lifting each other on their backs.
"Er, well, I'm heavy, so it's impossible."
"It's all right. Your weight can't be that different from mine."
"No no, it is different, you see! I'll crush you, you know!"
"It's okay, believe me! Besides, my weight is actually quite......er, it's a secret."
While they were quarreling, they were bending to the front, or bending backwards--.
"Utaya-kun, your body is soft, huh--"
She said, this time in a condition where they squatted on the floor and were applying their body weight on their partner, or had it applied on.
Ayane's upper arms tightly entwined with Utaya's upper arms, or her small back precisely sticking to his, the tips of her hair tied in pigtails were tickling Utaya's back, or that clear and sweet smell similar to picked spring flowers that was overwhelming Utaya's nostrils, all of that was leaving Utaya giddy.
(This is totally dangerous! Was stretching always this erotic? The stretching I've done with basketball club's seniors was way more brutal!)
"Then, next is fifty sit-ups. After that thirty push-ups facing downward and thirty facing upward."
She said, and just when he thought that Ayane has finally separated from him, she started doing sit-ups and push-ups together right next to Utaya.
The rustling sound her gently soft black hair was making as it swayed, also the sound her T-shirt made when it rubbed the floor, and also even Ayane's trifling respiration could be heard, so if he glimpsed next to him he could see Ayane, whose glossy cheeks and white nape were flushed pink, doing sit-up exercise while her villainously big breasts shook.
Like this, when it would come to making push-up, her breasts would shake even more, her hair tied into pigtails would fall from her shoulders and as compared to when it's hidden by her let-down hair, her pure white nape of neck would become completely visible, which was greatly coquettish, and even her earlobes looked so soft......
(......I wonder how would they feel if I chewed on them.)
He was taken aback when he became aware of himself calmly thinking like a carnivorous animal with a prey before it.
His spine got instantly completely chilled. The signal light was bright red. If that started here and now--.
The fear penetrated the center of his head, his heart became disarrayed into pieces. There's only Ayane and Utaya, just the two of them in the basement club-room. If, right now, that throat-stinging desire assailed him.
He won't be able to suppress it, again.
He would stop being himself. Disgusting, fearsome-- he'll be replaced by something inhuman!
For an instant, he felt like his field of vision was becoming stained with red, and he covered his face with his hand. Ayane anxiously asked,
"Utaya-kun, are you okay? Are you tired?"
And she came peeking from the side.
It seemed as if nectar from spring flowers was mixed in the sweat falling from her white forehead, such a sweet smell wafted about. He felt nauseated from dread because of that bewitching fragrance.
From between his fingers he saw Ayane who was bending forward and her breasts were drooping and shaking. On the white cleavage peeking from the T-shirt's neckline a drop of sweat was sparkling.
And it slid deep into her cleavage.
(I can't--)
It happened when Ayane bent forward even more and Utaya gulped.
Other members entered the club-room.
"Good morniiiing."
It seems that "Good morning" is the standard greeting. While unanimously saying "Morning!" or "Good morning," the seniors showed up.
"Morning, Ayane! Ah, Utaya-kun has come! Are we, by any chance, intruding?"
"No way, not at all. Right, Utaya-kun?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"Oh. But, you're face is bright red, Utaya-kun."
"That's because Ayane is sexy."
"That's right, she's devilish."
"That's not true, I'm not sexy. And I'm not devilish."
"I- I don't really mind."
The urge that was controlling his heart left like a wave, and that relief assisted in his face suddenly heating up.
(Rather, Ayane-san, being devilish......wasn't she called the Saint of drama club!)
"He's become red again, how pure-"
"Ohh-, everyone, I'm not letting you of if you tease Utaya-kun."
"Ahaha, it's like you're Utaya-kun's older sister, Ayane."
At the time when Karena transferred clubs, she took along with her the male members, Nitadori had said, but, as the ratio of girls was high, only two male members other than Utaya could be seen, one student who was small and timid-looking and other student with a flat face who left little impression. The two boys didn't mix in with the girls' conversation and started stretching by themselves in a corner.
Utaya was teased by the girl members and was becoming red or was sweating.
For now, the thirst in his throat has calmed down. His field of vision was normal.
But when again, he would be assailed by that urge--when he thought what if his field of vision become stained with red, the inside of body shivered.
(As I thought, Ayane-san is dangerous. I have to try not looking at her as much as possible.)
He shouldn't become conscious of her plump lips, white nape and her softly shaking breasts.
However.
"We'll do the vocal exercises, follow my example, okay."
At a distance where a sweet breath would attack Utaya's ears, A, E, I, U, O, A, O, although Ayane raised her voice, he forgot the warning and was dizzy.
"You should produce your voice not from the throat, but from the stomach. It's around the area two fingers lined up below the belly button. Also, open your mouth properly. Look closely at my mouth's movement. "A" is this shape, "E" is this shape."
She said and lightly touched below Utaya's belly button with her slender fingers. She was showing him by slowly opening and closing her juicily wet lips, and yet his face became hot again.
Stretching was erotic, but vocalization was erotic too.
(Why is this person erotic at every single thing-)
Was she an airhead, although it seemed that the person herself wasn't aware of that, but that was actually increasingly bad. With the gaze that was the innocence of the church's Virgin Mary itself, she was doing erotic vocalization.
"Here, draw in your stomach."
She said and suddenly pressed tightly his abdomen with her palm. It made him wish she tried to have the same done to her.
It was also embarrassing to have the other girl members looking and grinning at Utaya and Ayane's exchanges.
The last to appear late was Ichiko who lazily brushed off the hair that fell into her face and with a cool gaze threw a glance at Utaya and said:
"Oh-ho, so you're immediately being done in by Ayane's devilishness, Harada-kun."
"Even Ichiko-san! I, I'm not devilish!"
Ayane's eyebrows lowered, and Utaya also became stiff.
"I don't really mind."
Ichiko sadistically narrowed her eyes she was looking at Utaya with and said in a sharp tone:
"You're not used to girls, isn't that so? There are boys like that, right, hanging out only with guys, they show off that they don't get girls, but in heart are immensely curious lechers who don't seem it."
He got flustered that she boldly guessed right. So he firmly answered,
"I'm not like that!"
"Yeah, you've said too much, Ichiko-san. Utaya-kun is earnest, you know. He wouldn't be thinking about impure things during practice. Right, Utaya-kun?"
"Eh! T- That is, well--"
He couldn't say, that he wouldn't do that at all. When he actually kept thinking impure things--.
The other club members shed pitiful gazes on Utaya who cut his reply short.
"Ayane is devilish, as expected, right."
"Yup. Devilish."
With cold face Ichiko moved behind Ayane, took hold of Ayane's T-shirt' collar with both hands and pulled it down to the shoulders.
"Kyah!"
Upper half part of her breasts was exposed to Utaya's eyes. The two round mounds had a deep, deep valley between them, and their might started to make him faint.
"No way! What are you doing, Ichiko-san! No......, don't lower iiiit-"
Intentionally turning struggling Ayane with flushing cheeks and teary eyes towards Utaya, Ichiko said again in a dull voice:
"It's planned that the costume for the play's premiere will be lowered this much, Harada-kun. You should get used to it too. It won't be much of a play if just from this much you'd feel like bursting out nosebleed and turn sideways."
Utaya who was restraining the lower half of his face with his right hand and averting his eyes, groaned from the sense of defeat. Ayane, more and more teary-eyed, said:
"Tha- That's too lowered. If I bend down, they'll be vi-......visible."
"Almost being visible, but aren't visible. But even so, they're visible, but aren't visible. That dilemma arouses the lust. Showing them to the very limit. But absolutely not showing them. Those huge breasts are your weapon, so if you're gonna be the Regulus' top, go through with your resolution and rather than making effort to not show them, figure out how to show them beautifully, okay?"
"I- I'll try."
Said Ayane courageously after pulling up her T-shirt. And to Utaya she said apologetically with a red face.
"Utaya-kun, m- maybe something you don't want to see will enter your eyes, b- but don't mind it, okay. Think of them as balls or something."
"Y- Yes."
He too answered with a red face.
(This is bad......)
Thinking that, he sprouted sweat again.
(So it'll be lowered that down at the actual performance, that means that the whole time during the play we'll be in such condition. Am I going to be okay, I wonder?)
If by any chance, he'll be dominated by that desire on the stage, it would be THE END.
No, whatever may be, under such tense circumstances, there's no way that will happen......
At any rate, having to show the breasts so to the limit, just what sort of play is Ichiko planning to do? Don't tell me it's She-Tarzan or snake impersonation again!?
Ichiko casually handed to Utaya a college notebook-sized booklet by throwing it. It was just a bit thicker than a notebook.
"That's your script."
In confusion, he caught with both hands the booklet that came flying at him.
Looking at the front cover, his body froze over.
[Dracula ~ Eternal Love]
It was clearly printed in letters with eerie design.
From his feet the chilly shivers crept up, and his face muscles were becoming stiff hard like a rock.
In his head, the silver-colored hair that seemed to absorb the moonlight rustled and swayed.
A long haired--.
The red, crimson, scarlet-eyed--.
Cold--alluring, red-eyed--.
"My role......is."
These words spill from Utaya's lips in a muffled low voice.
Ichiko informed him mercilessly.
"It's Count Dracula."
