Underneath the Moonlight: REBOOT! || Osorō Shidesu x OC

9 - Kizano Sunobu

Week 2

Friday.

Audition day.

The faculty made a special exception to delay cleaning time back one hour for students who wanted to audition for the play, and other club leaders excused members that wanted to try out from that evening's club meeting.

Aso kept inviting me to lunch, so I spent my week eating lunch with Aso, and it was enough to spread gossip around school — that Aso and I might become a couple. Despite Aso being one of the potential love interests on my list that I was attempting to pursue, I thought it was too soon for that kind of gossip to be spreading, so I tried my best to snuff the rumors to no avail.

Osorō continued to avoid me in favor of hanging out with Aru, and as nice as it was to see Aru making friends... it gave me a strange sense of deja vu, knowing that once again, the guy Aru had decided to become closest to was someone whose presence was dangerous for my heart.

I wished he'd talk to me, too, and not just my brother — but at the same time, I couldn't have gossip going around that I was friends with the delinquent leader, or even worse, that he was interested in me — that kind of gossip would certainly reach my father's ears if I got mixed up with delinquents, and considering how he'd reacted the last time I got involved with a troublemaker... well, I didn't want to think about it.

Speaking of avoiding, however... I'd noticed that ever since Thursday morning, Ajia had begun to avoid Taro-senpai. Considering how much she used to hang around and blush around him, I was surprised by the sudden change of heart. It was as if she no longer liked him or something.

When Friday evening finally rolled around, my heart pounded as I headed toward the gymnasium, clutching my copy of the Beauty and the Beast script close to my chest as I tried to calm myself down.

My father's words that morning before I'd gotten into the limo echoed loud and clear in my mind.

You'd better not come home tonight without the role of Belle as yours.

I gulped, opening a door to go outside and walking toward the gymnasium. A familiar voice behind me called out, stopping me in my tracks instantly. "Athena."

I turned.

Osorō.

He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. "Break a leg, or whatever."

I managed to smile; my spirits being lifted by that single sentence. After being ignored and avoided by him for most of the week, it felt really nice to have him cheer me on, knowing about my father's warning to land the lead role. "Thank you, Osorō."

He scoffed. "Yeah, whatever."

I watched as Osorō turned and headed toward the incinerator, the location where, I've noticed, the delinquents tended to hang out at the most. I meant to turn the other way and continue toward the gym, but with no one else in sight, my feet moved on their own and ran after him, my arms hugging him from behind before he could face me again. "Seriously, thank you."

The slight quiver in my arms around his torso must've tipped him off to my true nerves, because he turned and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, smoothing my hair, and hugging me in the same protective manner as when he first discovered my secret. "Don't be nervous. You'll get the role for sure," he whispered, sending a chill down my spine.