4town DDLC Au Rewrite | Some changes DISCONTINUED

Part 17 Act 1

"Okay, everyone! We're all done reading each other's poems, right? I have something extra planned today so if everyone could come sit at the front of the room..." "Is this about the festival?" "Well, sort of~" "Ugh. Do we really have to do something for the festival? It's not like we can put together anything good in just a few days. We'll just end up embarrassing ourselves instead of getting any new members." "That's a concern of mine as well. I don't really do well with last-minute preparations..." "Don't worry so much! We're going to keep it simple, okay? We won't need much more than a few decorations. Aaron has been working on posters, and I've designed some pamphlets we can give out during the event." "Okay, that's great and all... But that doesn't tell us what we're actually going to be doing for the event." "Ah, sorry! I thought you heard about it already. We're going to be performing!" "Performing?" Tae had a more scared face. "P... Um, Jesse..." "Yeah! We're going to be having a poetry performance. Each of us are going to choose a poem to recite during the event. But the cool part is, we're also going to let anyone else come up and recite poems too! Aaron's putting it on all the posters in case anyone wants tk prepare ahead of time." "Ehehe~" Aaron, who's been colouring a poster, holds it up for us to see. "Are you kidding me, Jesse? You didn't...you didn't already start putting those posters up, did you?" "Eh? Well, I did... Do you really think it's that bad of an idea...?" "Well, no. It's not a bad idea. But I didn't sign up for this, you know! There is no way I'm going to be performing in front of a group of people like that!" Tae still trembling speaks up. "I...I agree with Z! I could never...in my life...do something like that..." Imagining it, Tae shakes his head in fear. "Guys..." "No, Aaron... I understand where they're coming from. Remember that Z and Tae never shared their poems with anyone untill just a couple days ago... It's a lot to ask them to recite their poems out loud to a whole room full of people. I guess I kind of overlooked that. So, I'm sorry." "..." Z is still grumpy at Jesse. "...But! I still think we should give it our best! We're the only ones responsible for the fate of this club. If we start the event and ecah put on a good performance... The it will inspire others to do the same! And the more people who perform, the better we'll be able to show everyone what literature is all about!" "Yeah! It's all about expressing your feelings... Being intimate with yourself... Finding new horizons... And having fun!" Aaron seems to agree with Jesse. The other two... Well not so much. "That's right! And it's those reasons we're all in this club today. Don't you want to share that with others? To inspire them to find the same feeling that brought you here in the first place? I know you do. I know we all do. And if all it takes is standing in front of the room for two minutes and reciting a poem... ...Then I know you can do it!" "..." "..." Z and Tae remain silent. Aaron looks worried. I guess that leaves me no choice... "I agree... I don't think it's too much to ask. I think Aaron and Jesse have been trying really hard to get new members. The least we can do is help them out a little bit." "Well...maybe, but... ..." It looks like Z doesn't have any arguments left. "Uu... ...Okay, fine! I guess I'll just have to get it over with." Aaron's face lights up with joy. "Alright~!" "Phew... Thanks, Z. What about you, Tae...?" "..." Tae dejectedly glances around at everyone else's expectant faces. "Sigh... I-I guess I don't really have a choice..." "Ahaha! That's everyone! You're the best, Tae~" Tae's grip tightens on his shirt. "This club is seriously going to be the death of me..." "Oh gosh... You'll be fine, Tae. But, anyway... Let's move onto the main event!" Jesse ends up changing the subject.

"I want each of you to choose a poem of yours. We're going to practice reciting them infront of each other." "N-N-No way!!" "Jesse...! This is too sudden...!" "Well, if you can't recite your poem in front of the club, how do you expect to do it in front of strangers?" "Oh no..." Tae hides his face from embarrassment. "Don't worry. I'll start off to help everyone feel a little more comfortable." "Can I go next??" Aaron asks with an odd amount of excitement. "Ahaha. Of course. Now, let's see..." Jesse flips through his notebook tk the specific poem he has in mind for himself. He then stand behind the podium. "The title of this poem is The Way They Fly." He clears his throught out before continuing. "Ahem..." Jesse begins reciting his poem. His clear, confident voice fills the room. More than that, his inflection is pristine. He knows exactly how to apply emotion behind each line he recites, bringing the words to life. Is this something he's done before, or is he simply a natural? I glance around me. Everyone has their eyes on Jesse. Aaron looks amazed. Tae has an intense expression in his face that I don't understand. Finally, Jesse finishes the recitation. The four of us applaud. Jesse takes a breath and smiles. "That...that was good, Jesse!" "Ahaha, thank you very much, Aaron. I was hoping to set a good example. Are you ready to go next, Aaron?" "I...I'll go next!!" "Uwah! Tae's fired up all of a sudden!" Aaron ahs a bewildered expression after hearing the words Tae had spoken. Tae clutches a sheet of paper between his hands and stand up. Keeping his head down, he walks quickly over to the podium. "This poem is called—!" Tae anxiously glances at each of us. "You can do it, Tae..." I heard Aaron say. "It...it's called...Afterimage of a Crimson Eye." Tae's voice shakes as he starts reading the poem. Just a moment ago, he practically refused to do this. Why is he suddenly putting in so much effort? As Tae gets past the first couple of lines, his voice changes. It's almost like what happens when Gae gets absorbed into his books. His quivering words transform into the sharp syllables of a fierce and confident man. The poem is full of twist and turns in its structure that he enunciates with perfect timing. This must be a rare glimpse into the whirling fire Tae keeps concealed inside his head...! Suddenly, he's finished. Everyone is stunned. Tae snaps back into reality and glances around him, as if he bewildered even himself. "I..." ...It's up to me to save this situation. I'm the first to start applauding. Everyone joins me afterward, and we give Tae the recognition he deserves. It's not that we didn't want to applaud for him. But er were caught so off-gaurd that we must have forgotten. As we applaud, Tae holds the poem to his chest and rushes back into his seat. "Tae, that was really good. Thank you for sharing." "..." Looks like Tae is down for the count... "Okaay~ I guess I'm next, then!" Aaron hops out of his chair and cheerfully walks to the podium. "This one's called...My Meadow." He then pauses. "...Ah ...Ahaha! Sorry, I giggled.. Ehehe..." "Aaron..." "It's a lot harder than I thought! How did you guys do it so easily?" "Ah... Try not to think of it like you're reciting to other people. Imagine you're reciting it to yourself, like in front of a mirror, or in your own head. It's your poem, so it'll come out the best way." "I see, I see... Okay, then..."