To Act With You

“And stay quiet! We already refused five people because you said you were waiting for the right one! Now’s the time we take things into our hands!” the other judge shouted at Yuto, but he didn’t care and simply continued facing the wall.

“What happened here while I was away for a second? Is this some kind of performance too?” she frowned.

“So… the thing is, your friend told us beforehand that she would keep this casting a surprise for you until the last moment… Good friend, I see… but I suppose you weren’t even able to see the text or prepare it?” the judge that yelled at Yuto asked, a bit concerned.

“She told me yesterday about the casting, but it’s true that she never spoke about a script or anything to prepare in advance.”

“Well, we’ll do things differently with you then. It would be a shame for potential talent to be missed for our play,” he said with a wide smile.

The judge held out the text to her. It was no longer than the front of a single sheet of paper, but that wouldn’t have been a problem if it hadn’t been a gigantic monologue.

Sumire’s jaw dropped and, if it could have smashed against the floor, defying human limits, it would have.

“And I’m supposed to…?” she asked doubtfully.

“Memorize everything and know how to play it in under ten minutes before performing in front of us and getting your face smashed in like a total loser who took a tumble without a parachute and crashed to the ground?” the judge spoke quickly, a laugh hiding behind his words.

Sumire was left perplexed.

“Wait… I’m joking, you know?” Her face relaxed. “Just memorize everything you can in ten minutes and come perform. You can keep the text with you since we know you can’t know everything off the top of your head in so little time. But that’s all the time we can offer you since other people have to audition after you. Good luck!”

He gave her a thumbs-up as she left the room.

Leaning against the corridor wall, she held the paper firmly in her hands. Her eyes were opened so wide they could have popped out of their sockets from all the concentration she put into memorizing everything she could.

“It’s over! I thought it was just some kind of interview where they ask questions about our hobbies and make us perform a line or two on the spot, and then they choose from that! I didn’t know it was a whole frigging performance I had to put on!”

She closed her eyes, and in a single breath she tried to recite some of the lines. She shook her head in disappointment before she went back to reading, never knowing enough according to her.

“I’ll just do half of it. But what’s up with all that medieval language? It’s so hard to remember… Ahhhh… My racket technique didn’t work.”

Her stress showed a little as she slightly crumpled the text in her hands, instantly making sure to smooth it back into its normal state.

“And he’ll hear me too! I must not fail this or else he’ll joke about it with his friends… other people will hear about it too… and then they’ll all talk about how I’m not a good performer…”

The door opened and the judge’s head peeked out.

“Yozora. It’s been ten minutes. It’s your turn now.”

She didn’t hear him.

“Ah yeah, Hanamori, can you go get her?”

Sumire lifted her eyes from the paper and looked at the judge, who was smiling evilly.

“So that’s how it is… interesting,” he muttered.

“I have to go now?” Sumire asked.

“Yeah. Didn’t you see the time go by?”

“Too focused on being a maiden,” she replied, showing the text.

“Ah yeah, the maiden monologue. I love it.”

Sumire took a deep breath and entered the room, Yuto still facing the wall. She stared at him briefly, a little concerned by his presence.

“Don’t worry about him, he… can’t intervene right now. So he won’t disturb you,” the other judge said. “By the way, just before you start, I’m Sato, a third-year. And the guy who came to get you in the hallway is Tanaka, also a third-year. Nice to meet you, Yozora. Now it’s up to you. Start whenever you’re ready. We’re listening.”

Sumire raised her arms above her head. As she slowly lowered them to her sides, she exhaled deeply to calm the stress ravaging her.

She took her position, closing in on herself to prepare for the performance.

“I cannot accept these words. I have been deceived by you, by your words which I believed to be true. You did fool me, I admit, but I could not discern the truth in you. Was this person whom I thought I knew so well, in the end, unworthy of my service? I, a mere maiden, failed to know the one I was meant to serve?” Sumire declaimed.

Her arms opened wide in wild gestures, exaggerating her words and opening herself to the world in contrast to when she had been closed in. Her eyes sparkled with the flame of passion.

She glanced furtively at Yuto, who couldn't see her. The glances were brief, lasting only a few seconds before she fully refocused.

“I feel so guilty for describing you like this, but fear is overwhelming me. I simply wanted to be closer to you, but that didn't allow me to shatter your lies. I don’t know… I don’t understand how I shall feel… Can you guide me and provide an answer to my complaints? Or should I retire and make you maidenless? I hereby mark this day as the one which failed us both. I shall quit and leave you as maidenless as you must be.”

She glanced at the judges’ focused face, her uncertainty remaining hidden.

“For a love I thought you didn’t want, for a love that we both understood too late. Was it fate or a conscious decision you made? I can’t comprehend, and my heart aches from a pain I’ve grown to know, from a pain you won’t ever ease. Ah! I’ll suffer for you… until your last memory leaves my mind, leaves me empty with the bittersweet taste of having lost everything. The knowledge of love is a weight too hard to bear.”

She stopped. The judges understood that her performance had ended and began whispering among themselves as they discussed it.

“I did everything I could… I couldn’t memorize more… But it’s strange… some parts of this text were somehow… resonating with me…” she thought, catching her breath and clutching her chest.

She glanced once again at Yuto, but this time their gazes met. His head was turned toward her, his focus sharp, as if he were judging her himself.

“What… since when is he looking at me…? For what…? Oh… maybe I must have been so good that it made the head of this talented guy turn.”

“Soulless,” the judges said in unison.

“For real!?” Sumire replied in shock, eyes wide.

“Well, congrats on not looking at the text and just performing what you memorized. You have an eloquence that is incredibly better than most of our members—that's an undeniable fact. But it lacks emotion, you know? You project your voice, but we don't feel the character's sadness and despair in it. So it's very difficult to judge you because, on the one hand, you seem to be an exceptional speaker, but on the other hand, you lack that fundamental element to embody the character. And you won't achieve that simply by emphasizing certain words or changing the volume of your voice,” Sato explained calmly.

Sumire regained her calm expression and gave nothing away. She glanced once more at Yuto, but only heard a throat-clearing sound that resembled a laugh as his face turned back to the wall.

“Hey! Hanamori! No need to laugh at what they said,” she shouted so she would be clearly heard, though no anger showed.

Yuto turned slowly and removed two earplugs in a swift movement. He looked confused about what Sumire wanted from him.

“What is it? It’s already over? No need to call my name if not,” he said, looking at her. “Well… they’ve been a bit harsh with her… There's potential. Something can be done with her. She can improve quickly and play characters with the appropriate emotions.”

He returned to his seat nonchalantly.

“And so, we think that for what we’re searching, that won’t be–”

“Stop it with that,” Yuto interrupted Tanaka.

“What do you mean, Hanamori? You didn’t even hear her performance, so what?” Tanaka asked, confused.

“Or so you think. I heard what I heard. And I think we can take her. You said I refused too many people, but here is the one I will choose for our play,” he replied calmly, Tanaka and Sato smiling at his words.

“So that’s how it is,” Sato said.

Sato and Tanaka looked at each other and nodded.

“Then you’ll be the one training her and preparing her for the play. Good luck, Hanamori!” Sato said, laughing.

“Eh!? You’re passing the job on to me?” Yuto replied doubtfully, raising an eyebrow.

He turned to Sumire to see her reaction, but her face remained as impenetrable as ever. Yet her words seemed to mock him.

“Glad to work with you. Hope we’ll do great together,” she said.