Chapter 2: Their Respective “True Selves”

The next morning, I arrived at the academy and opened the classroom door with a faint sense of nervousness.

“Mornin’, Tomonari-kun!”

As I headed to my seat, Asahi-san immediately noticed me and approached.

It’s fine, I’ve simulated this moment countless times. ……After taking a quiet, deep breath to calm myself, I looked at Asahi-san, feigning my usual demeanor.

“M-Morning, Asahi-san.”

“……………………Hm?”

Hearing my unusual tone, Asahi-san belatedly tilted her head in confusion.

“Tomonari-kun, you got student council work today, too?”

“Yeah. It’ll probably continue until the culture festival is over.”

“I see. Well, leave the play to us, we’ll do our best!”

“Thanks, I’m counting on you all.”

I replied to the fired-up Asahi-san with the most refreshing smile I could muster.

However, Asahi-san just stared at my face for a while with her mouth agape,

“……………………Feh.”

With tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, Asahi-san let out a voice that sounded like she was about to burst into tears.

“Asahi-san!?”

“Tomonari-kun…………did you go bad……?”

“No, no!! I’ll explain, so just listen to me!!”

I don’t think my response was something a delinquent would say… but the change in my tone must have been so shocking that such details didn’t matter.

The commotion drew our classmates over, so I explained the situation to everyone, just as I had in the student council room yesterday. I hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of it… but I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I had wanted to avoid confusion, but that didn’t mean I could make a ridiculous declaration like, “Everyone, listen up! I’ve decided to change the way I speak starting today!” I have a sense of shame, you know. I wanted to do it as inconspicuously as possible, but no good ideas came to mind, and in the end, I just entered the classroom with a “whatever happens, happens” attitude.

“Heeh… Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!”

After I explained, Taishou spoke up in a cheerful tone.

“I’m happy, man. Feels like a wall’s come down.”

“…Thanks, Taishou.”

“Oh, so you’re finally gonna drop the honorifics. …Heh heh, kinda makes you feel things, y’know?”

“Sorry, I’ve actually been calling you that in my head this whole time.”

“Seriously?”

Not just since yesterday, but for a long time. Even the great Taishou was stunned into a straight face.

Basically, I call guys by their name without honorifics, and girls with “-san.” It’s a habit from my previous high school.

But now, what Taishou casually said is bothering me.

Feels like a wall’s come down…

The fact that he thought that must mean he felt there was a wall between us before.

It can’t be helped. No matter how much you try to put on a front, I don’t think a person’s true nature can be hidden that easily.

Unless you’re a genius of acting, like Hinako…

(…Somehow, I’ve been accepted pretty easily again.)

I glanced at the other classmates besides Taishou, and they all seemed to have a positive reaction to my change. I didn’t think anyone would be malicious about something so personal, but it was so easy it felt anticlimactic.

“What’s wrong, Tomonari?”

“No, it’s just… I’m so easily accepted that it’s kind of worrying, in a way…”

Everyone was so calm that I was the one who was starting to get confused.

“My biggest fear was being misunderstood, like, ‘He’s getting cocky just ’cause he became vice president’…”

“Nah, nobody’d think that.”

Taishou looked at the surrounding classmates as if to say, Right, guys?

The classmates nodded in agreement.

“We’ve been watchin’ you for half a year, Tomonari. …You probably agonized over it like always before deciding, right?”

“…Well, yeah.”

“We get you, man.”

Taishou patted my shoulder. The other classmates also nodded with a gesture that seemed to say, “Say no more.”

What is this… It’s helpful, but a little complicated.

Do I really seem like I’m always moping and worrying about things? …I can’t deny it, since it’s not entirely wrong.

“I really think it makes you more approachable. You think so too, right, Asahi?”

“Uheh!?”

Called on by Taishou, Asahi-san jumped in surprise.

“Ah, um, yeah. I think so too…?”

She was so obviously hiding her true feelings.

“Asahi-san, did you perhaps prefer the old me?”

“Eh!? N-No, not at all!?”

“But you haven’t made eye contact with me for a while now.”

“Th-That’s…!”

After her gaze darted back and forth, Asahi-san looked straight at me as if she’d thrown caution to the wind.

“M-My heart’s pounding!!”

Asahi-san’s voice echoed through the classroom.

“You’re acting more manly than usual, Tomonari-kun, so my heart’s racing and I can’t talk right!!”

“S-Sorry…”

I didn’t know how to react, so I apologized reflexively.

Asahi-san, pressing a hand to her chest, glared at me as if to say the flush on her cheeks and the attention she was getting were all my fault.

Seeing us, Taishou’s expression turned grim.

“Tomonari, don’t tell me you’re… aiming for the ‘gap moe’…!?”

“I’m not.”

I thought you said you understood me!

What have you been looking at for the past six months!?

Letting out a small sigh, I happened to look toward the front and saw Hinako staring at me from her seat. I felt something was off about her and approached her.

“Hi… Konohana-san?”

Whoa, that was close. I almost called her Hinako.

Even if I’ve reverted to my true self, the fact that my relationship with Hinako is a secret hasn’t changed.

“What is it, Tomonari-kun?”

“…No, it’s fine if it’s nothing.”

There’s a subtle sense of wrongness, something only I, who is always with her, would notice.

If I had to guess, could it be something about rehearsals? I feel like Hinako’s been acting strange since I helped her practice last night.

“I’m rooting for you with the rehersals.”

“Thank you very much.”

Hinako bowed her head in a fluid motion. Her long, amber hair swayed softly. The momentary grace that emanated from her refined gestures was befitting of the name ‘perfect ojou-sama.’

But to my eyes, she still seemed off somehow.

◆

After school. As I was walking down the hallway to the student council room, I saw Narika’s back.

“Narika.”

“Hm? …Izuki!”

Even though we were headed to the same place, Narika went out of her way to jog back to me. …Like a loyal dog. Maybe I should prepare a reward or something.

“You heading to the student council room too, Izuki?”

“Yeah. Looks like I can leave our class to everyone else.”

“Same here. Honestly, I’m not sure who’s helping who anymore.”

Narika smiled happily.

I know what she means. Now that I’ve been elected to the student council, I’m trying my best to support the students, but when you get down to it, I feel like they’re the ones supporting me. My classmates have been very considerate of my student council duties. They keep telling me the play is going smoothly, probably to put my mind at ease.

If there’s one thing that’s still bothering me, it’s Hinako’s condition.

If something happened, is it related to the play, or something else entirely…?

“Izuki, what’s wrong?”

As I was lost in thought, Narika peered at my face.

“Konohana-san just seems a bit strange. Timing-wise, I think it has something to do with the culture festival preparations, but…”

Having said that much, I realized.

There was one other recent event.

“…Or maybe it has something to do with me starting to use my real way of speaking.”

Did I somehow make Hinako uncomfortable without realizing it? If so, I feel terrible.

Hearing my speculation, Narika thought about it seriously.

“…Izuki, did you speak to Konohana-san in your usual tone outside the academy?”

“Eh?”

Her sudden, sharp question left me at a loss for words.

Until now, it was something I should have kept secret, but… now that I’m speaking to everyone in my usual tone, it should be fine to say, right? It’s not like she’s a stranger, and Narika already knows I’m living at the Konohana mansion anyway.

Above all, I can trust Narika.

“…I’d appreciate it if you kept this to yourself, but yeah.”

“I knew it. Well, if you’re living in the same house, it’s only natural.”

Though it’s not exactly what you’d call a house…

……I’ll keep the fact that we’re almost always in the same room a secret from Narika, too.

When I think about it calmly, the reason I spoke to Narika in my casual tone was because I used to stay over at her house back in the day. She probably found it easier to accept since it was similar to her own experience.

“This is just my guess, but… maybe Konohana-san is feeling bothered by you talking to everyone in your casual tone.”

Narika asked, looking somewhat awkward.

But I couldn’t accept that, and tilted my head.

“Why would she be bothered by that?”

“Ugh, well, that’s…”

Narika broke into a slight sweat, flustered.

“B-Because I‘m bothered by it!”

“You were?”

“Because! Until now, I was the only one at the academy you spoke to in your casual tone! I was the only special one… but now you’ve become everyone’s Izuki!”

Everyone’s…

It’s a little embarrassing, but I understand what she’s saying. Is it like when a person you think of as your best friend suddenly starts getting along with other people?

…No, in Narika’s case, that might not be it.

Narika… well, she likes me, so she might be particularly sensitive to that sort of thing.

The person she likes has gotten close to someone other than her. The frustration that comes with that is probably on a different level than that of a best friend. Probably…

“…Look, just because my speech is the same with everyone now, it doesn’t change the fact that you were the only one I could show my true self to from the start.”

“…………Are you trying to confuse me with big words?”

That’s not it.

I’m saying something embarrassing too, so give me a little more credit…

“To me, Narika, you’re special. That’s why I was able to talk to you honestly from the start. That special relationship itself isn’t going anywhere, you know.”

“Izuki…”

Narika stared at me for a moment.

Then, she suddenly gritted her teeth and looked like she was trying to hold back a wave of intense emotion.

“T-To say things like ‘special’ to me of all people… it sounds like you’re just trying to make me misunderstand, you know…?”

“…Sorry, to be honest, I thought so too just now.”

It was a poor choice of words.

“Hah, hah, hah…………Be careful. I have my limits to my patience, too.”

What was she enduring just now?

For a moment, she glared at me with the eyes of a ferocious carnivore… but I’d better not ask. I have a feeling something terrifying will happen.

I headed to the student council room with Narika, who was still holding back the embers of her passion. I stayed quiet because I felt like I’d be eaten alive in more ways than one if I spoke to her now, and the silence cooled my head.

(Is the reason Hinako’s acting strange really what Narika said…?)

Somehow, I feel like that’s not it.

It’s just a hunch, so I try to find various pieces of evidence to turn it into a certainty, but I can’t find any.

“Oh my, you two have arrived together.”

When we entered the student council room, everyone else was already there.

Looks like everyone’s classes are doing fine.

“Tomonari-san, I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could you please select the guests for the culture festival from this list? I’ll leave the criteria up to you.”

“Understood. …I mean, got it.”

“Fufu, it seems you haven’t gotten used to it yourself yet.”

Being laughed at by Tennouji-san made me feel a little embarrassed.

It seems old habits die hard.

Now, about the work… I see. It seems that every class wants to invite guests this year, but they want to limit the number because it will be difficult to manage if they invite too many.

Considering the Kiou Academy brand, it’s better not to use the budget as a criterion. Maybe I should narrow it down based on things like business rivalries that have led to feuds, or shady backgrounds.

(…Kagen-san asked me to, so I’ll finish my student council work early and go check on our class.)

I want to check on Hinako, too.

Luckily, the workload for today doesn’t seem to be that heavy. If I concentrate, I should be able to make some time to go check on the class.

I slapped both my cheeks, psyching myself up.

“—Alright!!”

“Oh, Tomonari-san’s all fired up today!”

I’m always fired up.

That’s why I’m sitting in this seat.

◆

It’s unclear how much of a difference my resolve made, but I managed to finish my work early and immediately went to check on Class A.

As I was about to casually enter the classroom, I could hear the voices of the actors, probably in the middle of practice. I shouldn’t interrupt. I opened the door as quietly as possible and entered the classroom.

The classroom, like Class C before, had its desks and chairs pushed to the side, and the empty space in the center was being used as a rehearsal space. Two students were practicing their acting in the center. One of them was Hinako. The students around them were watching the two’s acting with intense concentration.

A suitable tension filled the classroom. As expected, this ability to switch gears is typical of Kiou Academy students. I was glad I had read the room and opened the door quietly.

As everyone watched, Hinako spoke to the boy in front of her as Ophelia.

“‘Father. Prince Hamlet has shown me his pure love many times.’”

“‘Pure? Hah, spoken like a naive girl. Do you truly believe in that love?’”

“‘Father, Prince Hamlet swore to the heavens.’”

“‘That vow is nothing more than a momentary passion.’”

This is an exchange from the beginning of the play. The person Ophelia is talking to is her father, Polonius. Ophelia believes that she and Hamlet are in love, but her father, Polonius, thinks it’s just Hamlet’s whim.

Ophelia wants to insist that this love is real, while Polonius insists that it’s just her imagination. Sadly, this conflict between parent and child is never resolved.

Because Polonius is murdered.

“Alright, let’s skip ahead a bit and practice the scene after Polonius dies. The part where Ophelia’s personality changes to become indolent due to her father’s death.”

A male student who was watching the two’s practice instructed them to move on to the next scene.

Polonius is killed. By Hamlet. However, Hamlet didn’t do it on purpose. Hamlet mistakes him for his hated uncle and kills Polonius.

But even if it wasn’t on purpose, losing her father was too painful for Ophelia.

As a result, the chaste and noble Ophelia’s personality is completely reversed.

“‘Ophelia, why do you not come out of your room?’”

After Polonius’s death, there’s a scene where Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, talks to Ophelia. This seems to be that scene.

…So Suminoe-san is playing the queen.

It’s a fitting role. Among our classmates, Suminoe-san has a sense of refinement second only to Hinako.

As long as she keeps her mouth shut…

In front of Suminoe-san was Hinako, who, in a complete change from before, had let all the strength drain from her body, as if she were about to melt away.

“‘It’s no use… I’m tired. I don’t want to go anywhere.’”

I can feel the classmates holding their breath.

There was an overwhelming difference in temperature from her acting just now. Her voice, her movements, her aura—it was as if she were a different person. This tremendous gap would surely captivate the audience’s eyes.

Hinako covered her mouth as she yawned and looked out the window.

“‘Is the right to live lying down reserved only for the old? Then I am an old woman, too. For this heart of mine so desperately wants to sleep. A deep sleep, from which it will never awaken.’”

“‘Ophelia, let’s go outside. There are many things I wish to speak with you about.’”

“‘No… I’m going to sleep now. Rather than standing and walking, I’d be much happier living each day just eating my feed, like a bird in a cage. …Good night. Don’t wake me up~’”

Hinako lay down on the spot and gave a performance of mumbling in her sleep.

Suminoe-san let out a small sigh. The practice seemed to be over.

“Perfect… That was a perfect performance!!”

“She’s the reincarnation of Audrey Hepburn!!”

The classmates were moved by Hinako’s acting.

For now, I clapped along with everyone, but…

(…She’s just reverting to her true self, though.)

Although she’s using lines that fit the world of the play, her attitude is almost the same as Hinako’s when she’s at the mansion. I bet the content of her lines is all from her heart, too.

“We sent the video to the scriptwriter, and they responded immediately, saying it was perfect!”

When Kita, holding a laptop in one hand, said that, cries of joy erupted throughout the classroom.

It seems Kita has taken on a behind-the-scenes role. His family owns an IT company, and he’s well-versed in technology, so he probably chose that role for himself. Hamlet doesn’t have that many characters, so they can afford to have more people working behind the scenes to create a meticulous play.

The classmates were greatly excited by the scriptwriter’s “perfect” seal of approval. However…

“…Perfect.”

Only Hinako, the person in question, had a somewhat complicated expression on her face.

Her practice performance went well. I thought that, for once, Hinako would be genuinely happy, but… it still seemed like something was troubling her.

◆

“Ojou-sama is acting strange, you say?”

“That’s right.”

Squeak, squeak, the floorboards creaked.

I stepped onto the tatami with bare feet and tried to grab Shizune-san by the collar. However, Shizune-san, having read my movements, retreated just out of my arm’s reach to dodge.

“Come to think of it, she did seem to be lost in thought at times when she was with me as well.”

Shizune-san reached for my elbow… but it was a feint. The real target was my other arm, near my waist. As expected, when I dodged the hand aimed at my elbow, Shizune-san simultaneously tried to grab my sash with her other hand.

Since she moved exactly as I’d predicted, I brushed her arm away.

“Since when?”

“Since this morning.”

It was Shizune-san who broke the stalemate.

She closed the distance in a straight line, so I lightly extended both my hands forward to keep her from getting in close. At that moment, Shizune-san grabbed both of my wrists with great force.

It seemed she had baited me into extending my arms, but—

“Heave-ho.”

“Oh my.”

Before Shizune-san could twist my arm and throw me, I moved forward and got close to her. At this distance, both throws and joint locks are impossible.

“I thought I had you there.”

“I was watching out for that move.”

The stalemate looked like it would continue, so we reset.

As we distanced ourselves from each other, I let out a small sigh. It had been a while since Shizune-san invited me to a self-defense lesson. I was worried I might be rusty, but it seems I’m fine.

Part of me wanted to work up a sweat, but more than anything, I accepted the invitation because I wanted to talk to her about Hinako. However, it seems Shizune-san doesn’t have any ideas either.

“I’ll keep an eye on ojou-sama as well.”

“Please do.”

I thought maybe she had a problem she found hard to tell me about, but it seems she’s keeping quiet about it to Shizune-san, too.

It’s possible that this is all just a misunderstanding on my part… but still, I can’t shake the feeling that my caretaker’s intuition is telling me something.

“Changing the subject, but how did your classmates react after you reverted to your usual way of speaking?”

Shizune-san asked while straightening the collar of her disheveled dougi.

“There were no problems at all. But I feel like it’s only being overlooked because of my current standing.”

“I’m glad to see it hasn’t gone to your head.”

Shizune-san peeled a strand of hair stuck to her cheek with her finger.

“It is the fate of a caretaker, but as long as you are by ojou-sama’s side, you were bound to stand out in a bad way when you first transferred. Furthermore, your position as the heir to a mid-sized company isn’t particularly special at that academy. It’s safe to say you’ve been acknowledged only because you produced results in the Management Game and the student council election.”

I agreed with Shizune-san.

However, no matter how many times I hear it, I can’t help but laugh. At Kiou Academy, the title of ‘heir to a mid-sized company’ is so common that it actually functions as camouflage.

“Although, if you hadn’t produced results, I suppose there would have been no need to change your way of speaking in the first place.”

“…That’s true.”

“You could have chosen to lie low and spend your days without standing out. Your decision to actively distinguish yourself for ojou-sama’s sake is something for which I cannot thank you enough.”

“You’ve already thanked me more than enough. Thank you.”

Shizune-san is strict when she needs to be, but she also gives praise where it’s due.

And I’ve recently realized that when Shizune-san finds something to praise, she keeps praising it. Not just recent things; she’ll occasionally praise things from the past, too.

At this rate, if I stay with Shizune-san, she might just end up praising me infinitely.

…I’d kind of like to see that.

I’ll do my best not to get fired.

We resumed the match. If we grappled, the difference in strength between a man and a woman would give me the advantage, so Shizune-san kept her distance, watching for my move.

I reached out, and my hand was swatted away.

She reached out, and I swatted her hand away.

This exchange of probing for an opening continued for a while.

“…Are you going to keep that up in front of me?”

“Eh?”

“Your way of speaking.”

My outstretched hand was smacked away.

I sensed she was about to step in, so I moved clockwise to make myself harder to grab.

“I’ve always been myself around you, Shizune-san. I naturally use formal language with my elders and superiors.”

“I don’t think our relationship is so superficial that it can be dismissed with just ‘elder’ or ‘superior’.”

What, what, what?

Why is she suddenly saying something so cute????

Shizune-san tried to grab my belt. Close call, I jumped back just in the nick of time.

“That’s true, but…”

“I believe I spend more time with you than your classmates do.”

That’s also true.

It’s not really something to compete over, though…

“…Could it be that you’re a little lonely?”

“………………No.”

I think I can take that pause as a confirmation.

Shizune-san isn’t the type to let her emotions show, but this was clearly affecting her sparring. Her weight shifting became sloppy. I could easily break her posture now.

“There.”

I grabbed Shizune-san’s shoulder and pulled her forward, and just as she lost her balance, I used the inside of my elbow to push her face and throw her onto her back.

Unable to support herself, Shizune-san took the fall cleanly on the tatami mat.

“…Irimi-nage, was it? Well done.”

“I’m not great at Aikido, but sometimes I can pull it off.”

Judo techniques are easier to land, I thought, and just then, the fallen Shizune-san extended her arm with a sullen look on her face. That expression probably wasn’t because she lost.

I grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled her up.

I guess it can’t be helped… Though I feel a bit intimidated talking to Shizune-san so casually.

“How ’bout that? I’ve gotten stronger, right?”

“—!”

When I spoke to her in the casual tone she ordered, Shizune-san’s face turned beet red.

“F-For someone like you, Izuki-san…”

Shizune-san hurriedly distanced herself from me.

Her eyes glared at me, seemingly frustrated.

“You’re just Izuki-san… and yet you make me feel this way…!”

What was I supposed to do…?

In the end, we decided that I would continue to speak formally with Shizune-san.

It seemed like we wouldn’t be able to get any work done if we both kept doing things we weren’t used to.

◆

After taking a shower, I headed to my own room to see Hinako. …It’s a bit late to be thinking this, but it’s strange that the first place I go when looking for Hinako is my own room.

The reason I’m looking for her is to check on her, but in any case, as her caretaker, I make it a point to be by her side after finishing my daily tasks. For me, having finished both prep and review, looking for Hinako was no longer a job, but a habit.

On the way to my room, Kagen-san came walking from down the hall. It looked like we were about to pass each other, so I stopped and gave a slight bow.

“Kagen-san, thank you for your hard work.”

“Perfect timing, I was looking for you.”

Me?

I wondered what for… but I guess it’s obvious.

It’s about the cultural festival.

“How are things going with the play?”

“So far, there are no problems.”

I switched my mind to work mode.

Lately, I’ve been getting the hang of switching my mindset, just like everyone else at the academy. It’s probably because I overworked my brain during the Management Game and the student council election back-to-back. My body is starting to remember what it feels like to be focused on work. All I have to do is recall that state, and my mind switches over.

“The student council is also moving forward with preparations for the stage setup. For now, it looks like we can at least maintain the same quality of environment as last year.”

“Can’t you prepare something special for the audience seating?”

“A government minister is coming this year, so we plan to prepare some dedicated seats, but… I’m not sure if we can secure one of those seats just on the basis of you being the head of the Konohana Group.”

“…Kiou Academy really is a den of demons. Normally, being the head of the Konohana Group would get you anything you want.”

I think so, too. But if we did that at Kiou Academy, we’d have to prepare special seats for almost all the guests. Since nearly every guest is a VIP, there’s no end to the special treatment.

“Takuma-san was involved in the creation of the Management Game, right? If we use that as a reason, it might be possible, but—”

“Absolutely not.”

A voice filled with irritation cut me off.

I was surprised by Kagen-san’s sudden change in attitude. He quickly regained his composure and explained, regretting his lack of calm.

“The family head despises Takuma. So much so that he doesn’t even want to hear his name.”

“…I understand.”

When I had just become a caretaker, Shizune-san explained it to me—that there was distrust as to whether Takuma-san was a worthy successor to the Konohana Group. I didn’t quite grasp the full context back then, but seeing Kagen-san now, I finally understood the whole picture.

The one who doesn’t acknowledge Takuma-san as the heir is the head of the family. It’s not so much Kagen-san but the Konohana family members above him who dislike Takuma-san.

“Will there be cafés at the cultural festival?”

“There will be. Cafés are popular, so seven classes are planning to do one. Additionally, the academy’s café will also remain open.”

“I want you to prepare a specific tea at the academy café—a Ceylon Uva blend. It’s a special blend that we usually order from France.”

It must be the family head’s favorite tea.

Takuma-san took out a business card case from his jacket pocket.

“I’ll give you a business card with the contact information. If necessary, use the Konohana Group’s name…”

Takuma-san paused.

“…No, you may use the name Konohana Kagen.”

I silently accepted the proffered business card.

I understood the meaning behind that rephrasing.

And understanding it made my chest grow warm.

Kagen-san trusted me as a person enough to lend me his personal name. The realization of that made me incredibly happy.

“Understood. I’ll use it if necessary.”

Kagen-san showed a faint, satisfied smile and walked down the hallway.

The business card I received was written entirely in French. He said it was a contact, but they seemed to be French as well. External affairs are Narika’s responsibility, but depending on the situation, it might be better to ask someone else.

…Someone like Tennouji-san could probably speak French fluently.

Maybe I should start learning more languages, too.

(Time to go see Hinako.)

Remembering my original purpose, I started walking down the hall in the opposite direction from Kagen-san.

When I opened the door to my room, I found Hinako sleeping spread-eagled on my bed.

“Ngh… Izuki…?”

“You were awake?”

“I was asleep until just now~”

Looks like it… the futon is a mess.

“Izuki, can you help me practice for the play again…?”

“Sure, but… you’ve been really motivated lately.”

Hinako handed me the script that was by her pillow.

Hinako’s true nature is lazy, but that doesn’t mean she likes to cause trouble for others. I’m sure what Hinako truly wants is for everyone to be happy. Including herself in that is likely the most important thing to her.

So I understand that she feels a sense of responsibility for the play’s success, but even so, Hinako today seems even more motivated than usual.

I wonder if something happened to boost her motivation while I was working in the student council room.

Hinako became Ophelia right before my eyes.

This time, it was a scene after her personality has been reversed… where she’s playing the girl who has become lazy.

“‘Everyone, why don’t you laze around like me? Eat some sweets, lie down in bed, and if you relax your body, just like this… …zzzz.’”

As she recited her lines, Hinako sat in a chair, and at the end, she draped herself over the desk.

She looked like she had completely fallen asleep.

Curious, I approached her, and Hinako’s eyes snapped open.

“…How was it?”

“Whoa, you scared me. I thought you really fell asleep.”

“The trick is to go right up to the point of falling asleep…”

Hinako had a proud look on her face.

Isn’t that risky…?

What if Hinako ends up actually sleeping soundly on stage during the real performance…?

“Izuki.”

As I was imagining a major incident happening on stage, Hinako stared at me intently.

“My acting… was it perfect?”

“…? Yeah, I think it was perfect.”

To me, Hinako’s acting was perfect. Just as perfect as the ‘perfect ojou-sama’ act she usually puts on.

But Hinako was lost in thought.

“Hinako, are you sure nothing’s bothering you?”

“Nn… it’s just, a little complicated… Don’t worry about it.”

She confirmed that something was bothering her. Narika said it might be because of my way of speaking, but for her to be worried at this time, it’s almost certainly related to her acting in the play.

Perhaps she hasn’t been able to analyze the problem enough herself to explain it to someone else. I’ve been in that situation many times, so maybe I should just leave her be for now.

I’ll let her sleep on it, and if she still seems the same tomorrow, I’ll ask again.

After helping her practice a few more times, I helped Hinako with her bath and finally walked her to her room.

◇

After returning to her room, Hinako immediately flopped onto her bed.

The cool sensation of the futon was pleasant against her flushed, post-bath body. She had already finished the assignments from her father, and thanks to Izuki, she had practiced plenty for the play. No one would complain if she went to sleep now, but Hinako didn’t close her eyes, instead staring blankly at the ceiling.

(…Izuki’s true self was accepted by everyone.)

She recalled the scene she had witnessed at the academy.

Izuki had shown his true way of speaking to everyone. It was one of the things he had hidden for six months.

Izuki’s credibility wouldn’t crumble just because his speech became a little more casual. Hinako, who had watched him build up that trust from the very beginning, could easily imagine that much.

But seeing her classmates actually accept Izuki with her own eyes, Hinako couldn’t suppress the question welling up in her chest.

(…What would happen if it were me?)

If I showed my true self, would everyone accept me?

The time she’s been hiding it is nothing compared to Izuki’s. Long before she enrolled in the academy, Hinako had been playing the part of a perfect ojou-sama. By now, that mask had become so solid not just to others but to herself that she couldn’t even imagine a future where she would cast it aside.

And yet, recently, an opportunity to cast that mask aside has presented itself.

It’s when she’s acting as Ophelia.

(I’ve always thought I had to be a perfect ojou-sama, and I’ve been acting that way… But now, my usual self is being called perfect…)

She remembered practicing for the play in the classroom after school today.

In response to Hinako playing a lazy Ophelia, her classmates praised her, calling it “perfect.” The professional scriptwriter, who was connected via video call, also praised her as “perfect.”

I just showed my true self, and yet…

Perfect. How hard had she worked until now to receive those two words?

She had played the part of an ojou-sama so desperately that she’d given herself a fever. She thought of perfection as her reward. But now, even when she’s being her true self, perfection comes to her effortlessly. It just falls into her lap.

What was it I was supposed to be doing again?

(Ugh… I’m so confused now…)

She was bewildered. That the mask she’d been told so insistently she must never take off, had changed nothing when she finally did.

Had she been hoping for something to happen? Not really. It should have been a reassuring situation, yet her heart was in turmoil.

(To everyone, the ‘perfect ojou-sama’ is… which one?)

Where does my perfection lie?

She felt as if she were lost.

Just then, the smartphone on the bedside table announced an incoming call. It was rare to get a call at this hour. Surprised, she answered.

The screen showed the name of a friend.

“Hirano-san?”

“Ah, you picked up. Is now a good time?”

“It is, but…”

What could she want at this hour?

I answered thinking it might be urgent, but her tone of voice didn’t sound like it.

“I just wanted to ask what manga I should lend you next. I’ve been giving you the same genre lately, right? I figured you might want to read something else for a change.”

It was just some idle chatter.

Come to think of it, it’s still too early to be going to bed, and normal people probably have these kinds of pointless conversations over the phone.

Is this phone call fitting for a perfect ojou-sama? She thought out of habit. But right now, the value of that habit was wavering within her. The sun had set, she had cleansed her body, and at this time when she should be healing in serene tranquility, getting excited over a phone call with a friend might not be very perfect-ojou-sama-like. But right now, that sense of ojou-sama values felt distant.

“A manga I want… let’s see…”

It’s true that lately she has been borrowing several manga of the same genre.

Originally, the reason she was borrowing manga was to get the attention of her dense caretaker and to confront her own feelings for said dense caretaker.

For the sake of her research, she wanted to continue reading shoujo manga, but right now, she had other emotions to deal with besides romance. She wanted to know more about this acting business that had her so confused.

“Do you have any manga related to acting?”

“Acting? I’ve got a couple.. but that’s a sudden, oddly specific request.”

“Actually, I’m practicing for a play we’re doing at the cultural festival. I thought it would be a good reference.”

“Ooh! You’re in a play, Konohana-san!”

Not just in it, but the lead, though she hesitated to say so herself.

“The cultural festival sounds more and more exciting.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing you there.”

“I’ll bring the manga when I come to your house. I’ll text you the titles, so if you want to use them as a reference for the play right away, you should check out the online previews.”

After the call ended, Yuri immediately sent a list of the manga she planned to lend via text. She could feel the kindness in Hinako’s request to help with the play practice, a desire to be of even a little help. Hard workers respect the efforts of others. That was something she understood well from watching Izuki.

That aside…

(Online previews…?)

It was a word she had never heard before. Sitting down in front of her desk, she looked up “online preview” on her laptop. Understanding the meaning, Hinako searched for the titles of the manga she was going to borrow and browsed the official pages.

It seemed she could proceed to a purchase page from here… but she had a friend who was kind enough to lend them to her. Sometimes, accepting a kind offer is also a form of etiquette. Not as an ojou-sama, but as a friend.

She immediately tried the preview.

As Hinako had hoped, the manga was about theater. The protagonist was a girl who aspired to be an actress. She had an outstanding talent for acting, and the first chapter concluded with a scene where she showed off that talent to a director. From here on, this girl would likely compete with rivals and climb the ladder to become an actress.

She looked away from the monitor and took a breath. She felt like she had obtained the knowledge she was looking for.

There is value in acting.

Acting is not a bad thing at all.

That might be why her father demanded that Hinako act.

Because it would be of value to the Konohana family.

(…Huh? But right now, at the academy, I’m being asked not to act…)

Her father has condoned that as well. Because the success of the play is the top priority.

Is my current-self worthless?

…No, that’s wrong. Her father wouldn’t allow that.

What I’m showing everyone at the academy right now is the act of not acting.

Until now, I’ve always been acting at the academy, but now, only during rehearsals, I’m acting as my true self…

For everyone’s sake, I’m currently acting as Ophelia with my non-acting act…

(………………?????????)

I’m getting confused.

That’s it, I’m going to bed.

She got into bed. Sleep solves everything. She could just roll up her tangled thoughts and toss them into the abyss of oblivion.

As she closed her eyes, drowsiness immediately enveloped her body. She liked this constitution of hers that allowed her to fall asleep easily.

However, her mind, which usually sinks into a deep sleep right away, had a dream today. It must have been because she had been thinking about complicated things right before.

In her dream, Hinako was attending the academy.

She oversleeps in the morning and sleeps through all her classes. Hinako was showing her lazy side at the academy. But all her classmates were accepting, saying, “I feel less of a wall between us this way,” and “It’s perfect!!”

When she returned to the mansion, Hinako went straight to her room and silently worked on the assignments her father had given her. Her table manners were a perfect 100. Her father and Shizune praised her, saying, “As expected,” and “Perfect.”

At the academy, she can be lazy, and at the mansion, she has to be prim and proper…

…Wait? Was that right?

Which one is the real me again?

…Oh well.

I don’t want to think about difficult things, not even in my dreams.