Chapter 45 Risa's Basic Exercises (Don't 6)
In the dressing room next to the lounge.
Risa, dressed in a boy's uniform with seaweed on it, is putting on colored contact lenses in front of a makeup mirror.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of dark blue eyes in the mirror, long and narrow, like a fox's.
"That guy Niou went too far, locking you up in a place like that," Yuzuki said indignantly as she did Risa's makeup.
Chinatsu sat to the side with her head down: "I'm sorry, senpai, it's all my fault for not recognizing that it was Niou-senpai in disguise..."
“It’s not entirely your fault,” Yuzuki comforted her. “Niou-kun’s disguise skills are indeed very difficult to see through.”
"But I still have to criticize you a little." Risa gently pinched Chinatsu's cheek, "How could you just give your phone to someone else like that?"
Chinatsu whispered in defense, "Because I thought she was my senior at the time..."
"Alright, alright, you're both responsible," Yuzuki smoothed things over. "Chika is too trusting, and Risa was just confused because she was worried."
"I know I was wrong." Chinatsu looked up at Risa. "Are you really going to go on stage in place of Niou-senpai? He was so mean..."
"Of course we should. We've made it to the finals, it would be such a waste if we didn't go on stage."
After putting on the wig, Risa picked up a pink hair tie. She gathered her hands behind her head and tied up the silver wig ends.
Just then, a staff member knocked on the door: "Niou, you're next. Please get ready."
Risa stood up, went to the backstage control panel, and whispered a few words to the person in charge.
"What? Renwang-kun, you're changing programs too?" The person in charge looked at her in surprise.
Nioh grinned mischievously: "Sometimes, giving the audience a little surprise isn't so bad, is it? ~piyo~"
When the host announced, "Please welcome Masaharu Niou, the champion of the 32nd Rikkai University Image Ambassador competition," Niou, dressed in the Rikkai University uniform, shone brightly under the spotlight.
The audience immediately stirred.
"Huh? Why does Niou-kun seem... to have shrunk?"
"It must be because of his hunched back."
"Yes, that's right, after all, he doesn't walk properly normally."
"Puri~" Risa mimicked Niou's signature tone, twirling the end of her silver wig with her fingers, "Today's performance is—"
The music suddenly switched to the prelude to "Swan Lake".
"Wait! This isn't what we agreed on..." came the exclamation from backstage from the real Niou.
The next second, he lay down again.
Oh, it was just a last gasp before death.
On stage, "Nioh" has already tiptoed and begun to dance ballet.
The movements were so precise they were almost unbelievable, like a swan that could only fly spinning and leaping in the air above the stage, especially that perfect whip turn, which drew gasps of amazement from the entire audience.
Yagyu adjusted his glasses on the judges' panel: "I see. That's why you asked me to borrow the props."
Sanada, standing to the side with a dark face, said, "This is too lax! What kind of behavior is this!"
In the audience, Kirihara was dumbfounded: "Risa-nee dressed up as Niou-senpai and danced ballet... That's amazing!"
Liu Lian quickly jotted down notes with her pen: "New data, Matsuno Risa's ballet level is far beyond amateur level."
Yukimura Seiichi smiled broadly: "That's very creative. Let Niou perform for everyone at the next regular election gathering."
As the last note faded, "Nioh" concluded with an elegant arabesque.
After a few seconds of silence, thunderous applause erupted.
Meanwhile, in the backstage dressing room, the real Niou had changed back into his uniform and was slumped on the sofa, his face paler than a ghost.
The effects of that special willow juice had left him dizzy and completely unaware of what was happening on stage.
"Water...give me water..." he weakly reached out.
Asuka, who was responsible for staying behind to look after the "prisoner," checked the video footage: "Hey, Masaharu, is he dead? If he's not dead, could you please bring me my phone?"
Niou, weak and helpless: "Puri... I've been... ambushed..."
Just then, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the other side of the stage, and the host could be faintly heard saying, "Thank you, Renwang, for your wonderful ballet performance!"
Niou sat up abruptly: "Wait...ballet?!"
Asuka looked at him sympathetically: "Looks like you didn't know... Risa used your identity to dance Swan Lake."
Niou's face instantly turned from white to green, then back to white. He swayed as he stood up, leaning against the wall as he tried to walk towards the front desk: "I have to stop it..."
Unfortunately, after taking only two steps, his legs gave way and he collapsed back onto the sofa.
Asuka patted his shoulder: "Accept your fate, you lost this time." She handed him a bottle of water, "You have to get used to it, this is the consequence of provoking her."
Nioh: "..."
Inside the auditorium
"This...this is simply..." Kurosawa Akito on the judges' panel stood up excitedly, "A perfect fusion of classical ballet and popular elements! Niou, I never knew you had such talent!"
On the stage, "Nioh" bowed slightly, his silver hair gleaming under the lights.
He deliberately lowered his voice: "Thank you for your appreciation. Actually, this is a program that my partner Matsuno and I co-choreographed."
Upon hearing this, Niou, who had just regained consciousness backstage, nearly fainted again: "Pfft... Pfft?!"
The seaweed in the audience tugged at Liu's sleeve in confusion: "Senior Liu! What is Risa-nee saying? It's like a tongue twister."
Liu calmly took notes: "According to the data, the probability that Matsuno is lying is... 100%."
Yukimura smiled and replied, "But only she can have such adaptability."
At this moment, Risa had already returned backstage.
She looked at Niou, who was sprawled on the sofa, squatted down, and poked his cheek: "How is it, Mr. Conman? How does it feel to be backfired by your own tricks?"
Niou weakly opened one eye: "...That's too cruel, Risa-chan."
“Likewise.” Risa stood up and looked down at him. “If you dare to plot against me again, I’ll send the video of you dancing to ‘Gokuraku Jodo’ in women’s clothing to every tennis magazine in the country.”
Niou, with his eyes half-open, looked at her with a grin: "In exchange... shouldn't you teach me the ballet you just did?"
Risa raised an eyebrow: "Want to learn?"
“Of course,” Niou sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “you never know when you might need it~”
"You two..." Sanada appeared at the door with a dark face, "Too lax! You deceived the judges, changed your program at the last minute, and broke the rules. Go run 50 laps around the track! Now!"
"Does that include patients?" Niou asked weakly, raising his hand.
"Especially patients!"
That evening, another post was updated in the Rikkai University super topic: "Shocking! Tennis club fraudster and Matsuno Risa perform a double ballet on the playground, Vice Captain Sanada punishes them with an iron fist on the spot."
In the video, two figures, one in silver and one in black, are frantically fleeing for their lives under the setting sun, with Emperor Sanada chasing them in circles behind them. The scene is so harmonious that it brings tears to one's eyes.
-
During the awards ceremony, all the lights came on.
The host excitedly announced: "After voting by the judges and the audience, the winner of the 33rd Rikkai University Image Ambassador Competition is—"
The host deliberately dragged out his words, building suspense: "Niou Masaharu!"
Niou, backstage, suddenly looked up, his face filled with astonishment. There on the stage, Niou—that is, Risa—was gracefully bowing in thanks, a victorious smile on her face.
"Wait..." Niou struggled to his feet, "This isn't right..."
Sanada grabbed his shoulder: "Quiet! You're too lax!"
Yukimura said with a smile, "What, Niou? Do you have a problem with your victory?"
Niou opened his mouth, but ultimately sat back down helplessly.
He looked at "himself" receiving the award on the stage and suddenly realized a terrible fact: now the entire school's teachers and students thought that it was him, Masaharu Niou, who was dancing ballet on the stage!
On the podium, Risa accepted the envelope containing a large check and the trophy, flashing her signature winning smile under the flashing lights.
She glanced discreetly at Niou sitting backstage, then spoke into the microphone: "Thank you all for your support. Since the theme of the final is 'acting battle'... then acting skills are absolutely essential. Finally, please allow me to take my bow in my real identity."
Under the flashing lights, she suddenly smiled slyly, and with a graceful whip spin, her silver wig disappeared. Her long, black hair cascaded down, gleaming softly in the light.
She winked playfully, removed her voice-changing choker, and her clear female voice resonated throughout the venue through the microphone: "'Niou Masaharu,' that's my performance in the finals. Finally, please remember, the winner of this competition is—"
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Then, the audience erupted in deafening applause and screams: "Matsuno Risa!"
Kirihara jumped up excitedly: "Risa-nee is so cool!"
Liu Lianji's pen frantically scribbled in his notebook.
Even the judges, agents, and talent scouts who came to watch widened their eyes slightly.
Akira Kurosawa adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his sharp gaze fixed on the stage: "What amazing acting skills! Even the professional judges were completely fooled."
Niou sat backstage, dumbfounded, the host's voice echoing in his ears: "Let's congratulate the real champion once again—Matsuno Risa!"
Risa carried the trophy backstage.
As she passed by Niou, she deliberately waved the prize money envelope and smiled with a tilted head: "No need to thank me~ After all, I'm just here to rightfully accept the prize money and the championship title."
Niou Masaharu leaned lazily against the wall, his gaze following the girl's departing figure. He narrowed his fox-like eyes and lightly licked his cheek with the tip of his tongue: "Pfft~ Looks like I've found prey that's more interesting than pranks."
"Enough is enough, Niou." Yagyu appeared like a silent ghost. "Weren't the lessons from those twenty practice matches profound enough? Or... would you like to try Yagyu's special training package?"
Niou toyed with the loose ends of his silvery-white hair, looking completely unconcerned.
"Before the referee blows the whistle~" he said, bowing gracefully as if mimicking a handshake at the net, "every player should have the right to compete fairly, shouldn't they?"
"Besides..." He suddenly leaned closer to Yagyu, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, "Isn't watching the radiant girl get flustered, and seeing Yukimura's face change because of it, much more interesting than teasing Vice-Captain Sanada?"
Yagyu silently took out his phone, his thumb hovering above the send button: "Do you need me to broadcast this brilliant speech to Yukimura in real time?"
"Hey, partner, that's not fair of you~" Niou pretended to grab the phone, but his movements suddenly froze when he caught sight of the corner of the corridor.
At the other end of the corridor, Risa was looking up at Yukimura, saying something. Yukimura's gaze pierced through the noisy crowd, glancing at her gently, his eyes as tender as water.
Niou gave an exaggerated shiver.
How terrifying! He seemed to see countless black lilies blooming in the shadows.
"Oh dear~ Time to collect my runner-up trophy~" Niou turned to slip away.
"Wait a minute." Yagyu pushed up his glasses. "Tonight at seven o'clock, at the Black Bull BBQ restaurant, the tennis club is going to 'properly' celebrate your runner-up finish."
Niou pricked up his ears alertly: "Who are they?"
"Kirihara has taken leave," Yagyu said calmly. "He said he's going to have dinner with Matsuno; his mother is on night shift tonight."
"Puri~" Niou pouted, "You brat who forgot about your seniors now that you have a sister."
Yagyu suddenly changed the subject: "However..."
"But what?"
The lens reflected light again: "It seems Yukimura is planning to invite Matsuno to come along."
Niou paused in his play with the ends of his hair.
"Oh? So you've decided on her? You want to introduce her to everyone?" He narrowed his fox-like eyes. "But partner, are you sure Risa-chan will do you the honor? She's not an easy girl to win over."
"That's none of my business." Liu Sheng put away his phone, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "After all..."
"Didn't someone just say that anyone has a chance until the competition is over?"
Nioh: "6"
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