Junior High School
It has to be said that even if Hinata Aoi doesn't admit it, she and Inumaki Satoru have become very good friends... perhaps the "best".
This state of long-winded discussion about the drama is not Gojuan's usual behavior at all. Hinata Aoi can sense what his purpose is.
If someone else had brought up the topic like this, she would have just brushed it off, but since the person in front of her was Goujuan, she answered seriously:
“It’s really good.”
“It’s clear that the whole class is putting a lot of effort into the preparations.”
"The real and fake princess is also very topical. It sounds very exciting and it will really whet people's appetite."
Every word he said received a response, everything went so smoothly, but Goujuan suddenly didn't know how to proceed.
He was the undisputed champion in observing Hinata Aoi. He could tell that the girl had some feelings or associations about a certain part of the play, but that was all.
He came to half of the conclusion, but couldn't write a pertinent analysis to deduce the other half... This time he had to go on despite his difficulties!
With Hinata Aoi's silent connivance, Inumaki Satoru continued to chat according to the drama.
From the plot to the characters, from the historical background to the makeup and styling, he almost strayed off to the behind-the-scenes story that neither of them knew about. Finally, when talking about "maid", he discovered Hinata Aoi's flaw.
As one of the heroines, the maid who finally successfully crossed the class line and lived happily with the prince, this character should have been hotly discussed in the play. But now, looking back, the only selling point left is the cross-dressing selling point and the key lines in the confrontation between the real and fake princesses that drove the plot forward.
The screenwriter's portrayal of this character is too bland.
"It seems like marrying off in place of the real princess is just the princess's wish, right? The maid never expressed her feelings, nor did she use any threats or inducements. She was simply diligently carrying out the Fairy Godmother's instructions."
"That's right."
As they chatted back and forth, Hinata Aoi gradually relaxed. While thinking about the finishing work for the evening, she responded to Inumaki Satoru's words, looking like she was just having a casual chat.
It was this relaxed attitude that caused her true emotions to leak out subtly, and thoughts that she would not normally share were also revealed.
"Maybe because she's the most ordinary maid."
"Of course, I heard backstage that the senior who played the maid seemed to be a childhood friend of the screenwriter. Since he sacrificed his gender to play this role, it's understandable that the screenwriter made his role easier without affecting the narrative."
Isn't the character of "Maid" quite pitiful? ...No.
Goujuan shook his head urgently, throwing away his empathy and continuing to concentrate on asking questions.
The girl's fleeting expression of emotion in the previous sentence was accurately captured by Inumaki Tsuchiya. His concern for Hinata Aoi prompted him to transform himself into a super microscope, and after much effort, he finally found a breakthrough.
After only a few seconds of hesitation, he struck decisively:
"Then is the character's development not fully fleshed out enough? Her motivations aren't strong enough. She's just accepting things as they come. Maybe the maid doesn't really want to be a princess at all?"
Goujuan was a little surprised when he said this. How could a maid not want to be a princess?
...Huh? Why wouldn't any maid want to be a princess?
"Servants are labeled 'obedient'. They can only accept the fate that is imposed on them. Rebellion is extremely rare."
Goujuan asked in confusion, "But aren't all ordinary people like this? Usually only the protagonist has a rebellious spirit, right?"
"...So, everyone is the protagonist of his own life, but not necessarily the protagonist of the world." Hinata Aoi closed her mouth and did not explain any more.
Although this is the reality, it still feels cruel every time it is mentioned.
The arrival of an unexpected event is enough to destroy the life of an ordinary person, but one still has to find ways to survive.
The maid in the play is a very standard maid who can perfectly carry out the fairy godmother's plan without any selfish motives.
It doesn’t matter if the description of her is not detailed enough. The gorgeous transformation from a maid to a princess itself will make the audience feel that they have gained a lot, or even a huge profit, and they will not delve into the maid’s mental journey.
But if you add a touch of realism, the maids are victims in every sense of the word.
At present, the maid has spent her entire life learning the necessary skills for a maid. Suddenly changing her identity is equivalent to starting all over again, and she will inevitably be hindered by her previous habits.
In a short period of time, the nobles have to spend a lot of money to cultivate their temperament and knowledge from the inside out since childhood. Compared with money and status, it is not known whether such mental and learning pressure is worth it.
Of course, this is still a beneficial change, not to mention the other responsibilities she needs to bear at the political level.
So fate is just good at eating free meals. It just moves its fingers and watches humans get confused, entangled, and even collapse, but it doesn't have to pay anything and does nothing, and humans will speak for it instead.
Seeing that the topic was becoming more and more serious, Goujuanji subconsciously stopped, but still wanted to try again by banging his head against the wall.
"Hinata, don't you have anything you want to talk to me about?"
"Ah, ah, no. I just thought, I was afraid you might think I was being too literary, and you might not like it, so is there another topic... or something like that?" That's it. The explanation was even more awkward. Why would I use one awkward statement to explain another awkward statement?
When Hinata Aoi gave him an ambiguous look, Goujuan lost his composure.
Admiring the boy who was panicking alone, Hinata Aoi raised her arm and poked Inujuan's smooth forehead with her index finger.
“Literature and art are not a bad thing that needs to be apologized for.”
“You won’t be intrusive if you find someone who’s willing to listen.”
After talking for so long, Hinata Aoi wasn't sure whether Gojuan got what he wanted, and she didn't want to think about it too much.
This time she just treated it as a casual chat that came to her mind on a whim, and she deliberately forgot about Goujuan's abnormality.
Theoretically, one can tell a person's character from their words and actions, and their attitude is hidden in their words. So after experiencing pain, her first step was to hide it.
The only medium she had for expressing her thoughts now was through homework and exams. Her reading reflections were filled with words she could express, but she couldn't trust anyone with the truth, and she didn't dare expect anyone to truly understand.
The chat ended just right here. Hinata Aoi reminded Gojuan, who was still confused, that it was time to go back to class.
The campus festival hadn't ended yet, so they couldn't stay outside for too long without going back to help.
What she didn't know was that Goujuan had already saved this conversation on his phone. After returning home, he copied it word for word in a notebook and would analyze the meaning of it over and over again with more seriousness than doing reading comprehension.
…
Inside the gymnasium, Sato Daichi looked around. It seemed his volleyball-obsessed senior was still missing.
Suddenly he thought of the part at last year's campus festival where people said that Kageyama Tobio was popular, and he couldn't help but slap himself on the mouth.
Could it be that he had poison on his lips? Less than half a year had passed since then, and it wasn't just about popularity. The accumulated conflicts suddenly erupted on the field, where unity should be the most important. Kageyama hasn't come to the gym to train since then.
The other team members pretended nothing happened, but the atmosphere in the club was not right.
Something wasn't right when Kageyama Tobio yelled at his teammates and accused them of not working hard enough, something wasn't right when Gouda Takeo jumped around and caused a mess...something wasn't right with Hinata Aoi either.
It looks no different than before, but it makes people afraid to get close.
"Senior, I've finished cleaning up here. I'll be leaving now."
"Oh, oh, okay."
Yes, it feels very gloomy, as if there is no highlight in my eyes! And why did you leave so early today?
Sato had questions in his mind, but he didn't dare to ask.
Hinata Aoi, who left early, did not go to the locker room to change into her school uniform as usual, but went straight back to the classroom. A boy with a sports backpack was standing at the door waiting for her for a long time.
"Even though this may be very troublesome for you, I still want to say this - please help me with my studies, Hinata!"
Kageyama Tobio, with his eyes closed and his back bent, looked as if he had done something unforgivable, bowing so respectfully to his junior.
Hinata Aoi instinctively dodged to the side, and looked at Kageyama's eyelashes trembling with strain in a distracted manner.
It wasn't until Kageyama, unable to wait any longer, half-opened his eyes helplessly that she realized what Kageyama was saying.
"But I'm a first-year student, senpai."
"Oh, no problem."
The word "senpai" did not awaken Kageyama's sense of shame, but only made him realize that he was being stupid - if he closed his eyes, he would not be able to see Hinata Aoi's reply on the phone.
"We are the same age, right?" he overheard.
"I heard that you have already taught yourself all the knowledge for the third year of junior high school. Please, help me!" He couldn't find anyone more suitable than Hinata Aoi.
Because of some problems with his teammates, no one received the ball he threw on the court. Then the coach said a few words to him that he couldn't understand, and sighed and told him that he didn't need to go to the club training recently, and his recommendation qualification was likely to be revoked.
He only understood the last part. When a coach said "very likely," it was a done deal.
Therefore, he could not become the so-called special admission student among the special admission students that everyone envied, who could enter college without going through the pain of exams, which means he could not go directly to Aoba Castle West High School.
If that’s the case…it seems like Shiratorizawa can give it a try?
In the past, because he had the recommendation qualification, he thought his life trajectory was already determined. Now that he has lost the recommendation qualification, he has more choices.
In fact, it is more difficult to get into Shiratorizawa than Aoba Johsai, but it doesn't matter. Even if the gap is bigger, he still has a chance before the entrance examination, right?
He is not so optimistic as to have no awareness of his own learning ability. He knows that he has a huge room for improvement, and he also believes that he has the possibility of achieving his goals.
I originally wanted to learn on my own, but I can be patient and work harder to become a better volleyball player. As the tough guy bravely struggled through the puddle of homework, he didn't forget to remind him:
"If I can continue to be tutored by Hinata-san like this, I feel like I'll be able to get into Yanxi High School with almost no doubt..."
Yanxi High School is a public school in Tokyo famous for its high deviation value. It is much more difficult to apply for than Shiratorizawa.
"No, I can't." Kageyama said seriously.
"Shiratorizawa's volleyball team is better and more suitable for me. I will still choose Shiratorizawa."
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