The second class of the year, to which I belong, is going to put on a âplayâ at the school festival.
âI like the play ~ ⪠We still have time to decide on the program, the main characters, and the script, right~?â
Suzuki-sensei was in high spirits. At her words, Niou-san, the class president who was running the event, nodded his head expressionlessly.
âI see. Then, what shall we do? The famous ones are âRomeo and Julietâ, âThe Little Mermaidâ, âThe Three Little Pigsâ, âLittle Red Riding Hoodâ and so on. We could make a tragedy into a comedy, and vice versa, and it might even be funny.â
â¦.. Hmm?
Niou-san, perhaps she likes fairy tales?
The tone of her speech was smooth and she was very talkative.
âBut I especially recommend âCinderellaâ. I think itâs the most beautiful story in the world. â¦â¦ Oh, itâs just my personal opinion.â
Perhaps after she finished saying it, she realized she was talking too fast. Niou-sanâs face was red.
âIâm sorry, I got a little excited. Now, please think about it a little â¦â¦ and you may consult with the people around you â¦â¦. Iâm going to go wash my face for a bit.â
Seemingly feeling somewhat embarrassed, Niou-san walked out of the classroom like she was trying to escape. After seeing her off with a smiling face, our classmates began discussing what to perform.
âSuyaa â¦â¦ Muuu? Huh? Mom â¦â¦ what do I do now â¦â¦?â
And if you thought Shiho was quiet earlier, she seemed to be sleeping soundly. I wondered if she woke up because of the noise around her.
âIâm not your mom, though.â
âEh? Oh, hey, different â¦â¦!â
Recently, Shiho has been able to talk a little more in the classroom. She is still whispering, but she is able to be loud enough that I can hear her well when she is seated next to me.
The exchange diary is going on because weâre doing it in class, but thanks to â¦â¦ my grades are going down too, so Iâd rather not do that one if possible.
âKohon. Kotaro-kun, what are you doing now? We had lunch and I was just relaxing and before I knew it, I fell asleep. So I donât know anythingâ¦â¦.â
She fell asleep because she got sleepy after eating lunch, just like a toddler.
I thought she was a girl who was always on her guard, but lately sheâs been especially clumsy. Maybe she feels safe because Iâm next to her at school.
Iâm glad to see that, but I donât think itâs a good idea for her to doze off.
âDonât just play games at night, you need to get some sleep, okay?â
âDonât be like my mother. Instead, why donât you tell me what you are doing? Why are there fairy tales on the blackboard? I like the Three Little Pigs the best. Itâs funny because the little piggy gets eaten.â
This girl is very dark to find the fun in that.
âYou know, we have a school festival in a month, right? Weâve decided to put on a play in our class. Weâre in the process of deciding on the theme for the play.â
âA play! Thatâs wonderfulâª! Iâd like to see Kotaro-kun play the role of the eldest pig and be the first one to get eaten. I canât wait to see Kotaro-kun in a panic when his straw house gets blown down.â
ââ¦â¦ I donât think Iâm going to be the one to performâ¦â
âEhâ¦.? I wanted to watch.â
While I was dodging such conversation, Niou-san came back.
Her face, which had been slightly red earlier, was now back to its original expressionless state.
âThank you for your patience. I think the consultation should be over by now, so please be quiet. So, first of all, are there any other plays you would like to try?â
At that time, again, the first to raise her hand was â¦â¦ Mary, after all.
âYes! I want to do âBeauty and the Beastâ.â
I almost gasped when I heard the title.
The story seemed to be the kind of story that â¦â¦ Mary would like.
All I know is the famous Disney version, so maybe itâs a different story in the original. â¦â¦ No, I think itâs probably the famous one that Mary wants to do.
âItâs also hmm â¦â¦ good. Itâs a story that originated in France and has been made into an animated childrenâs movie, so Iâm sure you all know the plot.â
Niou-san was also enthusiastic.
And Maryâs comments had a strong influence. So everyoneâs reaction was positive.
(Iâm pretty sure thereâs a battle for one beautiful girl between a former prince who turned into a beast and a handsome egotistical bastardâ¦â¦.)
Well, Iâm supposed to be behind the scenes, so Iâm not complaining about anything.
But I had a bad feeling about it somehow, and I didnât feel comfortable.
If possible, Iâd be happy if this premonition was unfounded, but â¦â¦.
âI would now like to take a majority vote. â¦â¦ Iâm going to read it out, and you can raise your hand to the one you think is good.â
Then, the list was narrowed down.
In the end, the majority vote went to â¦â¦ âBeauty and the Beastâ.