Chapter 40 Yaji, you're still so young... how can you...
The stage lights suddenly went out, and the entire venue fell silent instantly.
The next second, a beam of pale blue spotlight shone down, and Risa's figure appeared in the center of the stage.
She wore a simple white dress and had long, wavy blonde hair; her beauty possessed an irresistible allure. The entire room held its breath, falling silent for a second.
This person is completely different from the one I saw in the preliminary round.
"Hello, judges. I am contestant number 20, Risa Matsuno. Today I will be performing Nina's monologue from 'The Seagull'."
Risa took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, her eyes had completely changed.
Her dark eyes lost their luster, and her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt, as if she had truly become that country girl who dreamed of becoming an actress but was repeatedly thwarted.
"Every time...ever when people say I acted badly..."
"......"
"...I just want to run away right now...and never...never again stand on that stage..."
Her voice trembled violently; she was on the verge of collapse, yet stubbornly refused to let her tears fall.
On the judges' panel, Drama Department advisor, Mr. Takahashi, unconsciously sat up straight.
He had seen no fewer than twenty versions of this monologue, but none of his students had ever been able to control even the rhythm of their breathing like a professional actor.
After the performance ended, there was a three-second silence before thunderous applause erupted.
On the judges' panel, Akito Kurosawa rested his chin on his hand, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the stage, his sharp pupils seeming to suck people in.
As Risa bowed, a bitter smile appeared on her lips.
Strangely enough, even though she had been reincarnated into this world for 17 years, her acting skills from her previous life seemed to be etched into her bones. The moment she opened her eyes, she was no longer Ruan Lisha, nor Matsuno Lisha. She was a character from a story.
As she gracefully straightened up, preparing to leave, her smile froze on her face.
"The last one is our special guest and the reigning champion, Masaharu Niou."
Risa: "...?"
She turned around and saw another "herself" walking onto the stage. The same white dress, the same hairstyle, even... the same smile.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
"What's going on? Why are there two Matsuno students?"
Risa squinted, staring at the "herself" on the stage. "Matsuno Risa" was winking at the male audience members below, and those spirited high school boys all blushed.
Noticing her gaze, "Matsuno Risa" winked at her and mouthed silently:
"Aren't you surprised?"
—Niou Masaharu!!!
Since they were still on stage, Risa didn't want to cause a scene, so she walked gracefully to "herself's" side. In a corner where the audience couldn't see, she grabbed the other person's wig.
"Niou Masaharu! Are you trying to die?!"
"Risa-chan is so fierce~" He rubbed his throbbing scalp, his tone nonchalant despite her appearance, "Pfft~ You've been found out?"
Risa was so angry she gritted her teeth: "Why did you impersonate me?!"
Niou tilted his head, a sly glint in his fox-like eyes: "This is fun~"
"......"
Risa took a deep breath and suddenly revealed a smile that was both sweet and terrifying: "Fine, you want to play, right? Then let's continue playing."
Niou raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You're not planning to expose me?"
“Exposing me? That’s no fun.” Risa crossed her arms. “Let me see who has the last laugh, Mr. Conman. The winner will only be me.”
—How dare a mere con artist challenge the dignity of an actress?
After everyone has finished performing on their assigned topics, the next activity begins with impromptu performances based on randomly drawn topics.
During the draw, Risa was the last one in line.
When it was her turn, she randomly picked a number from the remaining ones in the host's hand. The moment she unfolded the slip of paper, her pupils contracted sharply.
"Matsuno-kun?"
"Matsuno-kun?"
The host's voice seemed to come from a very far place.
Risa blinked, only then realizing that she had lost her composure in front of everyone.
"Are you alright, Matsuno-kun?" the host asked with concern.
She took a deep breath. "It's okay, we can start now."
The audience began to whisper among themselves. Yukimura, sitting in the last row of the auditorium, keenly noticed Risa's sudden stiffness. He looked at the question she had drawn on the big screen, lost in thought.
[Impromptu Performance Based on Given Theme (Performer): Risa Matsuno]
Title: I received a phone call informing me that my most important relative had passed away.
The stage lights dimmed, and the spotlight shone on Risa.
She sat on a lone chair, holding a book in her hands. The spotlight cast a shadow on her profile, making her expression inscrutable.
The noise from the audience gradually subsided, and everyone held their breath, waiting for her performance to begin.
The phone rang.
Risa used her finger as a bookmark and casually answered the phone call.
"......Hello?"
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a deep male voice (voiced by a backstage staff member):
"...We regret to inform you that your family member XX has just passed away."
The entire room fell silent.
Risa's expression froze for a moment.
Risa's fingers trembled slightly, her pupils dilated, and her gaze shifted from bewilderment to shock, then to disbelief. Her breathing became rapid, her lips trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened.
"No...it can't be..." Her voice choked with emotion, her fingers gripping the phone tightly. "You're lying to me..."
Her tears fell silently, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
The audience was completely silent; everyone was drawn into her emotions, as if they were truly witnessing a tragedy.
Risa suddenly stood up. Her voice was broken and tearful: "Why?! She was perfectly fine yesterday!" Her fingers dug deep into her palms, and tears fell to the floor.
"Why?!" Her voice suddenly rose, trembling with broken sobs. "Why?! Everything was fine yesterday!"
Her tears fell to the floor, and she seemed to have all her strength drained away, yet she stubbornly refused to fall.
"You're so young...how could you..." Her voice choked, as if she could no longer bear it, and she finally called out that person's name in a trembling voice—
"Masaharu!"
The entire venue fell silent for a second.
Immediately, thunderous laughter erupted.
The audience erupted in laughter, which nearly lifted the roof off.
Niou Masaharu, who had been lazily watching the show with his chin propped up, sat bolt upright when he heard his name called, his eyes bulging out at the corners: "...Puri?!"
Everyone was initially affected by Risa's emotions and immersed in a sorrowful atmosphere.
But upon hearing Risa reveal that the deceased was Niou Masaharu—
...Hmm...it's...quite funny.
And Risa on stage—
Amidst everyone's laughter, she instantly wiped away her tears and said expressionlessly into the phone, "Oh, it was a scam call."
Then he hung up abruptly and shrugged at the audience: "These scammers these days are really going too far."
The whole audience burst into laughter again.
At this moment, the judges' panel—
Genichiro Sanada: I actually fell for her trick. Looks like I was too careless!
Yagyu Hiroshi (adjusting his glasses): Excellent acting, but points were deducted for maliciously targeting his competitors. (The actual scoreboard gave him the highest score.)
Drama Club Advisor - Teacher Takahashi: From calmly answering the phone to emotional outburst, from questioning and breaking down to the final comedic reversal, every subtle expression was done perfectly. It was simply a textbook example of improvisation!
Special guest artistic director Akito Kurosawa didn't speak, but his eyes never left the girl on stage.
And the audience seats—
Kirihara laughed so hard he slid off his chair. Yanagi Renji, sitting next to him, broke down, his lips twitching. He silently updated the information on Matsuno Risa in his notebook: "I'll settle my score on the spot."
Marui Bunta put his hands behind his head and said jokingly, "This Matsuno is quite interesting. Niou has finally met his match."
Jackal Kuwabara: ...You say she holds a grudge against Niou? She considers Niou family.
Niou Masaharu sat in the front row, staring intently at the girl on stage: "...Puri, should I buy some insurance beforehand?" (Holding a grudge +1)
-
After the impromptu performance, it's time for the audience to ask for their own performance.
The host, suppressing a laugh, announced, "Now we're moving on to the audience interaction segment! Would any audience member like to add their own performance?"
Audience member A (raising hand and shouting): "Pick me! Pick me!"
Host: "Okay, let's go with the most enthusiastic male student."
Audience member A (happily jumping onto the stage): "I'm the grumpy guy! Matsuno-san, you were crying so hard just now, I thought something really happened to you, now you have to compensate me for my emotional distress!"
Risa raised an eyebrow, instantly getting into character: "Oh? How many do you want?"
Audience member A (hands on hips, deliberately making an exaggerated expression of greed): "At least 2 million yen!"
Risa calmly pulled a "banknote" from her pocket—the same 200,000 yen sticker she used in the preliminary round. She held the "banknote" upright between her fingers, and with a "whoosh," the thin sticker instantly multiplied into ten, unfolding in a fan shape.
The audience burst into laughter and gasps of amazement.
"Here you go," she said, handing a stack of "banknotes" to the other person, her eyes slightly raised. "Keep the change."
Audience A (speechless): "...This works?!"
The whole audience burst into laughter again.
By this time, the area below the stage was already packed with students waiting to go on stage and add their own performances. Before the host could even speak, another bold audience member rushed onto the stage—a girl wearing glasses.
When she saw Risa, she blushed and stammered, "I...I'm smitten with Matsuno-kun! Could you...say something sweet to me?"
Risa couldn't help but laugh when she heard this request.
She walked slowly closer, and when she was a step away from the girl, she suddenly knelt down on one knee, took the girl's hand, and looked up into the girl's eyes.
"Beautiful lady, do you know?"
She lowered her voice, her tone trembling seductively, "I am a witch from another dimension, capable of foreseeing the entire future. But there is one thing I cannot predict—"
His gaze was captivating, full of affection, a single glance that seemed to last a lifetime.
"When I met you, my heart started beating uncontrollably."
The girl blushed instantly from her ears to her neck, staggered back two steps, and almost tripped over her own feet.
Screams erupted from the audience, almost lifting the roof off the auditorium.
"Ah..." The moment she let out a soft exclamation, an even more enthusiastic roar erupted from the audience.
Amidst the screams, a voice pierced the air: "Matsuno-kun, that's a foul!"
Several third-grade boys were already trying to climb onto the stage by supporting themselves on the front row seats, but the disciplinary committee members held them firmly in their seats.
"Dear students, the impromptu segment is now over!" The host's microphone emitted a piercing whistle, but it couldn't drown out the cheers and jeers from the audience.
Amidst the clamor, Yukimura Seiichi remained as silent as a glacier.
He had departmental matters to attend to today and arrived late, sitting in the shade at the back of the auditorium. One hand rested on his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, reflecting the figure on the stage bathed in spotlight.
The girl on stage seemed like a completely different person, both unfamiliar and dazzling.
She stood in the center of the halo, every glance of hers possessing a captivating magic, effortlessly handling each enthusiastic audience member, a perfect smile playing on her lips.
Yet, a thin layer of ice always hovered in those almond-shaped eyes. Like the most exquisite doll in a shop window, she was the center of attention, yet she always maintained a subtle distance from the hustle and bustle, as if she were the outsider.
A perfect performance. A perfect disguise.
"It's really...sparkling," he murmured to himself, then got up and left.
As Risa was leaving, she suddenly looked up as if she had a premonition.
Despite the flickering light and the noisy crowd, she spotted the disappearing figure at the auditorium entrance in an instant.
The deep blue ends of her hair were shrouded in a halo of light in the backlight, and her slender figure seemed to blend into the orange sunset outside the door.
"They're leaving now..."
Are they not even willing to wait for the final curtain call?
The cheers from the audience continued, but she suddenly felt that everything was meaningless.
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