A Single Footprint in the Snow (11)
TEN
ELEVEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 17 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 17
"We're done with distributing most of the parts. We just need someone to play the lion."
"Give it to Nino. The lion have no lines anyway."
"But Nino's not here."
"That's why give it to him. He can't say no."
Nino hears about his role in his class's "Deserted Island" school play for the cultural festival a week after returning to school. He accepts with indifference and naturally eases into his character. Aiba will not stop by for his class's play anyway and except for his ex-best friend, he doesn't care who sees him act like a fool on stage.
At the costume fitting he does not expect the girls measuring him for his outfit to make such a fuss and gossip away about it. By the time of last rehearsals in their completed costumes, every time he just slinks by on stage he hears muffled squeals, a lot of giggling, and a few snorts of laughter.
"I look ridiculous," he mutters darkly to his casual male friends from the same class.
"You're alright," they assure him although they cannot stop laughing. "Like a baby cub."
Nino retorts, "At least I'm not wearing tights pretending to save a princess on some island." He pities their class's designated prince charming whose outfit he thinks is worse than his.
On the actual festival day, Nino walks around in the early afternoon in his furry lion costume distributing flyers for his class play. He catches sight of Aiba with a group of friends in the distance and changes his path, running headlong into Asano instead.
"Nino, what are you wearing?" she asks. "Are you a kitten?"
"A what?" Nino cannot quite understand where she got such a wrong impression. He has a fucking mane. "I'm a lion."
"Well, it's cute, but you're not going to be wearing it all day, are you?" she asks. "You promised to accompany me around today."
"I did?" he asks.
She rolls her eyes and latches onto his arm. "We haven't even gone on a date yet. I thought today I would finally get to spend time with you. You don't answer my calls at all, Nino. Even though we're dating."
Nino swallows and turns his head. His eyes fall on Aiba who has moved closer and is blatantly looking at them. He flushes and pulls his arm away from Asano. Guilt and shame washes over him and Nino runs from his girlfriend and his ex-best friend.
I deserve this, he tells himself. It's all my fault.
Later, he crawls across the stage in his furry costume again, tuning out loud giggles from the audience, and attacks the prince. Once he dies and the set changes, he quickly moves away. As he makes his way backstage to finally change out of his costume, he glances out into the audience for the first time and catches sight of Aiba in the front row. Nino panics. He had expected Aiba to not come. His heart hammers against his chest.
Nino hides backstage for the remainder of the play.
* *
TWELVE
ELEVEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 17 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 17
"We're done with distributing most of the parts. We just need someone to play the lion."
"Give it to Nino. The lion have no lines anyway."
"But Nino's not here."
"That's why give it to him. He can't say no."
Nino hears about his role in his class's "Deserted Island" school play for the cultural festival a week after returning to school. He accepts with indifference and naturally eases into his character. Aiba will not stop by for his class's play anyway and except for his ex-best friend, he doesn't care who sees him act like a fool on stage.
At the costume fitting he does not expect the girls measuring him for his outfit to make such a fuss and gossip away about it. By the time of last rehearsals in their completed costumes, every time he just slinks by on stage he hears muffled squeals, a lot of giggling, and a few snorts of laughter.
"I look ridiculous," he mutters darkly to his casual male friends from the same class.
"You're alright," they assure him although they cannot stop laughing. "Like a baby cub."
Nino retorts, "At least I'm not wearing tights pretending to save a princess on some island." He pities their class's designated prince charming whose outfit he thinks is worse than his.
On the actual festival day, Nino walks around in the early afternoon in his furry lion costume distributing flyers for his class play. He catches sight of Aiba with a group of friends in the distance and changes his path, running headlong into Asano instead.
"Nino, what are you wearing?" she asks. "Are you a kitten?"
"A what?" Nino cannot quite understand where she got such a wrong impression. He has a fucking mane. "I'm a lion."
"Well, it's cute, but you're not going to be wearing it all day, are you?" she asks. "You promised to accompany me around today."
"I did?" he asks.
She rolls her eyes and latches onto his arm. "We haven't even gone on a date yet. I thought today I would finally get to spend time with you. You don't answer my calls at all, Nino. Even though we're dating."
Nino swallows and turns his head. His eyes fall on Aiba who has moved closer and is blatantly looking at them. He flushes and pulls his arm away from Asano. Guilt and shame washes over him and Nino runs from his girlfriend and his ex-best friend.
I deserve this, he tells himself. It's all my fault.
Later, he crawls across the stage in his furry costume again, tuning out loud giggles from the audience, and attacks the prince. Once he dies and the set changes, he quickly moves away. As he makes his way backstage to finally change out of his costume, he glances out into the audience for the first time and catches sight of Aiba in the front row. Nino panics. He had expected Aiba to not come. His heart hammers against his chest.
Nino hides backstage for the remainder of the play.
* *
TWELVE