Chapter 129: Chapter 128 - The Rumor That Wouldn’t Go Away
Mina made a huge mistake.
An absolutely catastrophic mistake.
A mistake that could change the course of history.
Or at least her course at school.
She took a picture.
That’s all.
An absolutely harmless picture.
A perfectly innocent picture.
A picture of the shark toy from the festival.
Unfortunately.
It included one little detail.
Kuro standing in the background.
Very much in the background.
So much in the background.
And since fate clearly hated her, it looked suspicious.
Very suspicious.
What resulted?
Complete disaster.
---
Monday morning.
Mina entered school.
All seemed well.
Students roamed the halls.
Teachers set up lessons.
The world was at peace.
That is until she heard it.
A whisper.
"That’s her."
Another whisper.
"Really?"
Yet another whisper.
"The movie date girl."
Mina stopped dead in her tracks.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Her soul left her body.
"No."
Whisper after whisper echoed around her.
"Look."
"It’s definitely her."
"I heard they went to a movie together."
"Apparently they went to a festival as well."
"And they rode the Ferris wheel."
Mina wished she could become invisible.
Instantly.
---
On the other side of the school.
Kuro casually walked towards school.
Completely oblivious.
Like usual.
Several students watched his progress down the street.
Some nodded knowingly.
Others whispered.
None of which Kuro caught.
Since he had absolutely no romantic radar skills whatsoever.
---
By lunch time, they had all gotten together.
Akari was the first one there.
She slammed both her hands down on the table.
"EXPLAIN."
Mina very nearly dropped her drink.
"Explain what?"
"The movie."
Silence.
Mina’s face turned bright red.
"How do you know about that?"
Akari whipped out her phone.
The evidence spoke volumes.
The photo.
The suspicious photo.
The photo Mina had posted.
The photo that had brought her misery.
Rika adjusted her glasses.
"Interesting."
"No."
"Very interesting."
"No."
"EXTREMELY INTERESTING."
"STOP ANALYZING IT."
Rika ignored her completely.
---
Aoi sipped her tea calmly.
"To be perfectly honest, the photo seems rather suspicious."
Mina looked betrayed.
"You too?"
"I am merely stating the facts."
"Traitor."
Aoi took the compliment quietly.
---
Akari then gestured dramatically to the photo.
"The real question is."
Everyone turned their heads.
Including Kuro.
Akari stared at her with narrowed eyes.
"What happened?"
Mina froze solid.
Everything flashed through her mind.
The train trip.
The hand holding.
The horror movie.
The Ferris wheel.
The butterflies.
Their conversation.
And more.
So many things.
"Nothing happened."
It was the wrong answer, coming far too quickly.
She sounded desperate.
And everyone knew it.
Except for Kuro, who believed her immediately.
"Okay."
The girls stared at him.
Then at Mina.
Then back at him.
And back at Mina.
---
Rika quickly pulled out her notebook.
Bad sign.
Chapter Title: Movie Date Analysis
Mina very nearly screamed.
"WHEN DID YOU WRITE THAT?"
"Three minutes ago."
"Why?"
"Research."
She showed her the actual page, covered in drawings, arrows, charts, percentages and a section titled:
Butterfly Symbolism And Romantic Development
Mina buried her face in her hands.
---
On the other side of the school.
Minami was actually enjoying herself.
For once.
No problems.
No misunderstandings.
No Yui.
Her perfect dream came to an abrupt halt when her phone went off.
Group chat.
Mina had posted a picture.
Minami clicked it open.
Stared at the picture.
Stared at Kuro.
Stared at Mina.
Sigh.
Another one.
She was starting to get used to this routine.
---
Unfortunately for her.
Yui also saw the photo.
And Yui had decided to torture her now.
Especially when she got bored.
A message popped up in the group chat.
Yui: So when’s the wedding?
Mina died instantly.
Back at lunch.
The interrogation went on and on and on.
Akari was relentless.
"So what happened after the movie?"
"Nothing."
"What happened after the festival?"
"Nothing."
"What happened on the Ferris wheel?"
Silence.
They all froze.
Including Mina.
"AW HA!"
"NotHING!"
"AW HA!"
"NOTHING HAPPENED!"
"AW HA!"
Absolutely nothing resulted.
Except for Akari feeling victorious.
Afternoon classes went fine.
Sort of.
For the most part.
But Mina was thinking about Friday.
A lot.
All throughout class.
Across the room.
Kuro was perfectly normal.
Taking notes.
Listening to the teacher.
Existing.
Unfathomably normal.
How did he remain so?
After school.
It occurred to Mina.
Kuro wasn’t normal.
He was preoccupied.
Just a tiny bit.
But still preoccupied.
During the cleanup, he gazed outside the window.
For several seconds.
Thinking.
About something or someone.
Curiosity overcame Mina.
Very badly.
---
"What are you thinking about?"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Kuro turned towards her.
"Hm?"
"You looked preoccupied."
"Oh."
Pause.
Then unexpectedly.
"The festival."
Mina froze in shock.
It was a surprise answer.
"Festival?"
"Yes."
He stared outside again.
"It was fun."
Silence fell heavily.
Deadly heavy.
Mina felt her heart beat increase.
By just a little.
Just enough for her to realize it.
---
"The movie wasn’t."
"It really wasn’t."
"The Sharkman terrified us."
"He absolutely did."
Mina laughed.
Kuro joined in.
Very lightly.
Uncommonly.
Honest.
The classroom grew quiet.
Comfortably warm.
Inviting.
---
Fate interfered.
Because fate always does.
With a dramatic explosion.
Quite literally.
After school the classroom door blasted open.
Yui appeared.
Pointing.
"I HAVE RETURNED."
Everyone stared at her.
Including Mina.
Including Kuro.
Including several innocent bystanders.
Yui paid no attention whatsoever.
Her gaze settled directly on Mina.
"You."
Mina immediately knew it wouldn’t end well.
"What?"
Yui gave an evil grin.
Terrifying.
Wonderful.
Horribly dangerous.
The type of grin that caused all of her problems.
"I demand details."
"No."
"Share your story."
"No."
"The movie."
"No."
"The Ferris wheel."
"No."
"The butterflies."
"HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BUTTERFLIES?"
Silence.
Yui gave a knowing smile.
The smile of a predator.
"I knew it."
Mina recognized it as the perfect trap.
---
Ten minutes later.
They were all gathered again in cafe .
Exactly why she didn’t know.
But they were all there.
Yui demanded answers.
Akari demanded answers.
Rika demanded answers.
Aoi quietly observed.
Minami silently wished she had disappeared earlier.
Kuro was completely confused.
---
The questioning session went on for twenty minutes.
Results?
Hardly any at all.
Mina refused to say anything.
While Kuro gave his honest opinion.
Making them form all sorts of false impressions.
"Did you guys have fun?"
"Yes."
Mina dropped dead.
"Were you comfortable around each other?"
"Sure."
Mina died.
"Will you do it again?"
"Probably."
Mina achieved a higher level of death.
---
They all exploded simultaneously.
Akari waved dramatically.
"THAT’S BASICALLY A DATE."
"It was a movie."
"A DATE."
"A movie."
"A DATE."
On and on and on and on.
Meaninglessly.
Uselessly.
Perfectly.
---
As night slowly descended, they all headed home.
As usual.
With arguments.
Laughter.
Insults.
Tears.
Normalcy.
Mina trailed behind them all.
Watching.
Listening.
Smiling.
Despite everything.
The rumors.
The embarrassing pictures.
The questions and interrogations.
She still felt...
Happy.
Because every time she thought about that day...
She would smile slightly.
Up ahead, Kuro turned around slightly.
"You coming?"
Mina blinked.
Smiled.
"Yes."
She hurried up and caught up with the rest.
Into the evening sky.
Totally unaware.
Because some people had already started gossiping.
And Yui privately opened a group chat.
Operation: Figuring Out What Happened On The Ferris Wheel
Of course.
Everything progressed as expected.
It has only taken three days for things to get back to normal after the movie fiasco.
Which is a new record.
That is until on the fourth day.
When disaster struck.
---
The lunch bell rang.
Students crowded the cafeteria.
Kuro sat with his regular gang.
Akari was bickering with Mina.
Rika was sketching storyboards.
Aoi was engrossed in her book.
Minami was relishing the rare quiet.
Mina had apparently stolen dessert from another student.
Typical.
Very typical.
Then, the homeroom teacher walked in.
Which was frightening enough as it was.
---
"Kuro."
"Yes?"
"We need volunteers."
The most threatening statement in the education world.
Immediately, Kuro averted his eyes.
Too late.
For the teacher had locked onto him.
---
"The student council has elected your class to stage the main drama."
Immediately, the cafeteria erupted into chaos.
Students began chatting enthusiastically.
This was big.
Very big.
There would be parents present.
Teachers would attend.
The whole student body would be there.
To see who fails spectacularly.
And who succeeds spectacularly.
---
"What drama?"
someone asked.
With a dangerous smile on her face, the teacher responded,
"The committee decided on a fairy tale adaptation."
Nodding approvingly, some students agreed.
Very reasonable.
Quite simple.
Totally safe.
Or so it seems.
Until the teacher continued.
"Snow White."
There was an uncomfortable silence.
Looking at each other, the girls turned to look at Kuro.
Only to glance at each other again.
Kuro instantly grew apprehensive.
Sighing, Minami responded,
"No."
Mina laughed.
"Oh yes."
Excited, Akari looked around.
Far too excited.
Mina almost choked on her drink.
Closing her book silently, Aoi leaned forward.
Opening a new notebook, Rika looked eager.
When Rika opens a new notebook, something bad happens.
"The casting procedure will take place next week," the teacher went on.
"Students may sign up for roles."
Immediately, the girls ignored the conversation.
For they were thinking the same thing.
Prince Charming.
Spotting Mina ’s grin, Kuro instantly realized.
Terrifying, the expression she gave said,
"Interesting."
Recognizing the look, Minami knew,
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
Kuro did not understand a single word.
"What is your plan?" Minami asked.
"Nothing."
A lie.
A very obvious lie.
A dangerous lie.
A lie that causes major trouble.
Crossing her arms, Akari declared,
"If our drama is going to be Snow White..."
Avoiding eye contact, Mina stared ahead.
Adjusting her glasses, Aoi smirked.
Writing furiously in her notebook, Rika kept smiling.
Competition.
Hidden.
Silent.
Extremely dangerous.
At this time.
Eating lunch, Kuro remained oblivious.
Always.
"What role would you take up?" Mina demanded.
Looking up, Kuro answered,
"I do not care."
Bad choice.
Immediately, the girls gained interest.
Very much interest.
"What?"
"No."
"Suppose you are chosen to be the Prince..."
Unfazed, Kuro shrugged.
"In that case, I’ll do it."
Stunned, a few students fell silent.
Delighted, Mina laughed.
Determined, Akari glared.
Nervous, Rika gulped.
Thoughtful, Aoi looked down.
Rika wrote emphatically in her notebook.
Underlining it three times.
Exhausted, Minami rubbed her forehead.
Casting wasn’t even happening yet.
Later that day.
Rumors ran rampant in the campus.
The school drama was a hot topic now.
Who plays Snow White?
Who gets the Prince role?
Who gets the romantic scene?
Who gets the ending?
They spread far and wide.
That night.
Notifications began appearing in the group chats.
Yui: Festival arc begins.
Akari: I am winning.
Mina: Winning in what?
Akari: You’ll see.
Rika: Chance of class wide chaos: 97%
Aoi: Accurate estimate.
Minami: I already have a headache.
Kuro: What are you guys talking about?
Nobody replied.
Because nobody could explain the situation anyway.
Meanwhile.
Final preparations were made.
The stage was booked.
The budget approved.
The play selected.
All ready to go.
Except for the part where...
They did not expect the casting to be the battleground.
The heart of which...
Was one boy with absolutely no idea of what he was in for.
The School Drama is about to begin.
