"WHAT?!"
My voice came out higher than usual.
I spun toward Mei so fast I nearly snapped my own neck.
"M-Mei-san! Why would you say that?!"
My panicked whisper came out at megaphone volume.
She blinked, confused.
The club president reacted instantly.
His eyes lit up.
Literally lit up.
"Could you really do it, Shimizu-san?!"
He slid across the floor toward me.
"You'd be saving our lives!"
"We have less than two weeks until the festival!"
"And Fujimoto is still sick!"
"We've already had to cancel two rehearsals!"
Suddenly there were three people surrounding me.
No.
Cornering me.
"You have incredible stage presence."
"Yeah, totally."
"You look like an actress!"
"Your voice fits perfectly too."
"And you're tall!"
"Also really pretty!"
"That helps a lot visually."
I stepped back in horror.
Cold sweat.
A lot of cold sweat.
"N-No, no, wait. I think there's a misunderstanding. I've never acted. Never. Not once. I'm terrible at talking to people. Sometimes I even practice how to order ramen in my head before walking into a restaurant."
Silence.
Then someone muttered:
"…That last part sounded very real."
BECAUSE IT WAS.
The president clasped his hands together desperately.
"Please, Shimizu-san! Even just to help us rehearse. If we cancel the play, the club is finished."
Finished.
Damn.
That sounded way too dramatic.
I looked around.
Everyone seemed genuinely worried.
And then I saw Mei.
She was watching me with a calm smile.
Not pushy.
Not manipulative.
Just… trusting me.
"I think you could do it well," she said softly.
My socially isolated corporate heart took critical damage.
AAAAAAAAH.
Why are people here so kind?
This is terrifying.
"I… " I swallowed. "I guess I could help a little with rehearsals…"
The room exploded.
"YAAAAAY!!"
"WE'RE SAVED!"
"Thank you, Shimizu-san!"
"You're a hero!"
"I only agreed to help with rehearsals!"
Too late.
The president was practically crying.
"Then let's start right away!"
Right away?
RIGHT AWAY?
"W-Wait, what kind of play is it even?"
Mei picked up a script from a table and held it out to me.
"It's called Letters of Spring."
The cover had cherry blossoms drawn on it.
Ah.
Romantic drama.
I'm done for.
"It's set in the Taisho era," Mei explained. "About a girl from a noble family and the disgraced son of a general."
I grabbed a nearby water bottle and took a sip to calm myself down.
"And what part would I play?"
Mei answered naturally.
"The male lead."
I spat out the water.
"BWOF—! THE WHAT?!"
I choked violently.
Almost died.
Again.
"M-Male?!"
"Yes."
"W-Why that one specifically?!"
The president tilted his head.
"Because you're perfect for the role."
"What part of me screams 'period drama man'?!"
"Well…" he looked away. "You have stage presence."
"I haven't even been on stage!"
"And a very nice voice."
"THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF MASCULINE."
I grabbed my head.
"Also… I'm a girl."
That came out with a rather strange sideways glance, considering I was still mentally Ren Takahashi, corporate male deceased from overwork.
The irony almost killed me.
Again.
Mei smiled a little.
"Don't worry. It happens all the time in school clubs. Sometimes girls play male roles because there aren't enough boys."
Ah.
Okay.
I'd seen that in anime before.
Makes sense.
I guess.
Although probably not with a girl who looked this…
I caught my faint reflection in the window.
Silver hair.
Violet eyes.
Idol face.
A chest that clearly wasn't helping sell the masculine fantasy.
Yeah.
This was definitely weird.
They handed me the script.
I opened it nervously.
Many lines.
Too many lines.
DEAR GOD THERE WERE SO MANY WORDS.
"Just try one simple scene," said Mei. "No pressure."
Lie.
There was enormous pressure.
Everyone was watching me.
Why were they watching me so much?
Where do I put my hands?
What do I do with my face?
Am I breathing weird?
Yes.
I'm breathing weird.
The president clapped his hands.
"Alright! From the garden scene!"
Everyone took their positions.
And suddenly…
The atmosphere shifted.
The relaxed energy vanished.
One girl started acting.
And another responded.
Their voices changed.
Their expressions changed.
It was like watching completely different people.
My throat went dry.
Ah.
They're not playing around.
This is real theater.
I swallowed.
They pointed me to a mark on the floor.
"Here, Shimizu-san."
I walked over stiffly.
I moved like a malfunctioning robot.
Mei was in front of me now.
She no longer looked like Mei.
Her posture was elegant.
Her voice soft.
Even her gaze felt different.
"'Even if everyone abandons you… I want to understand you,'" she said, in character.
…Ah.
That was my line.
I looked at the script.
Then at Mei.
Then the script again.
My brain stopped working.
"'I…'" I stumbled immediately. "'I-I've told you… that…'"
Uncomfortable silence.
GOD.
KILL ME.
I felt heat rise all the way to my ears.
"S-Sorry. I'm sorry. Again. Hold on. My brain just disconnected."
Someone let out a small laugh.
I wanted to die.
Mei spoke quickly to save me.
"It's okay. Nobody's born knowing how to act."
Too kind.
That made everything worse.
"Just try to relax," she said with a smile. "Imagine how the character feels."
I took a deep breath.
Okay.
The character.
I looked at the script again.
'The general's useless son.'
'A man who can't live up to expectations.'
'Always compared to others.'
'A failure.'
…
…
Ah.
How fun.
My smile wavered slightly.
That felt way too familiar.
I worked seven years until my body broke down.
I was never enough.
Never fast enough.
Never good enough.
Never successful enough.
Just another replaceable employee waiting to die in front of a screen.
"…I see."
I heard Mei's voice again.
"'Even if everyone abandons you… I want to understand you.'"
Silence.
And then I responded.
Automatically.
Without thinking.
"'…I've told you not to say things like that.'"
My voice came out low.
Tired.
Pained.
"Because I end up believing them."
The room went completely silent.
…Huh?
I blinked.
Why wasn't anyone talking?
Mei was staring at me.
So was the president.
Everyone.
A girl at the back slowly opened her mouth.
"…That was incredible."
"Huh?"
"Shimizu-senpai, that was AMAZING!"
Someone patted my shoulder excitedly.
"It sounded so natural!"
"I got chills!"
"The emotion was perfect!"
"And the chemistry with Mei was incredible!"
WHAT?
I stepped back, confused.
"N-No, wait. I didn't do anything."
Cold sweat.
A lot of cold sweat.
I just talked.
That was all.
I didn't act.
I just…
I just…
…
…
Ah.
Because that character really was like me.
Or rather.
Like Ren.
PIIING.
A purple window appeared in front of my eyes.
[Skill Unlocked.]
[Acting Affinity Lv1]
[Effect: Increases emotional understanding of characters and stage adaptability.]
…
What kind of absurdly specific skill is that?
We rehearsed for another thirty minutes and I managed to get through it without embarrassing myself too badly.
"Shimizu-san."
I looked up.
The president was in front of me again.
This time much more serious.
"You did really well, I appreciate it…"
"I-It was nothing," I said, raising a hand to brush it off.
I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
"S-So… would you help us with the play?"
Everyone was looking at me expectantly.
Even Mei.
She was holding the script against her chest, smiling softly.
"I really think you could do this very well."
My brain tried to refuse.
Fast.
Forcefully.
"No, impossible, I can't—"
PIIING.
[Mission Unlocked.]
[Special Mission: Participate in the school festival play.]
[Special reward available.]
…
…
I looked at the window.
Then at the club members.
Then at Mei.
Then at the window again.
"…How did I end up getting myself into more trouble?"
The system didn't respond.
Because it clearly enjoyed watching me suffer.
I let out a long, defeated sigh.
And slowly raised my hand.
"…I guess I'll do it."
Two seconds of silence.
And then—
"YEEEEESSS!!!"
The club erupted in celebration.
Someone even started crying.
Was it normal for school clubs to be this intense?