I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 42

Chapter 42: A Two-Person Script Reading

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《Sora Mukei’s POV》

After school, we were sitting on the usual bench behind the school building. It was a moment just for the two of us.

“Alright, shall we run through the script together?”

“Yes. I’m nervous.”

At first, we read in character. I was the young man, and Anno-san was the ghost. I gave the cue by counting three with my fingers.

“One, two, three.”

The first line. Anno-san’s voice was soft but carried well. I kept my eyes on the script, only looking up when necessary. The pauses were correct.

“This pause here, is it good?”

“Thank you. It’s easier to respond with your timing, Mukei-kun.”

After finishing the first scene, we immediately made notes. I shortened one line of dialogue. I wrote it down, and Anno-san copied it in red for the clean draft.

“Next, scene two. I’ll read Akira’s lines for him.”

“Please.”

When I read the partner’s short quip, Anno-san laughed, then smoothly returned to the ghost role. She could continue without overdoing the laughter. It was a good flow. Together, we shaped the performance.

“Here, let’s cut at the ghost’s ‘thank you.’”

“…Thank you.”

“Yeah, this flows better.”

A five-minute break. I handed her a water bottle, and she took it with both hands, drinking just a sip. A small rabbit keychain swung gently at the edge of the desk.

“My tension’s eased.”

“That’s good. Next, scene three.”

Scene three. The final scene. I gave the cue with “one, two, three” using my fingers. I delivered the young man’s lines calmly. Anno-san’s “I’m glad I met you” came through clearly. The air didn’t falter. We could continue from here on.

“Should we add the nod cue here?”

“Yes. When Mukei-kun nods, I’ll take a step forward.”

We confirmed the plan and tried again. I nodded slightly. Anno-san took a step closer. The distance between us holding the script shortened. We stopped at the planned distance, only making eye contact. Assuming a blackout would follow, we both looked down.

“…That felt good.”

“Yeah. Even with the lights on, the angle seems fine.”

We did a full run-through at this point. The timer showed fifteen minutes, just as planned.

“Next, should we switch roles?”

“Huh? Me as the young man?”

“Just to check the timing. Reading it is enough.”

We switched seats. Anno-san became the young man, and I became the ghost. It felt fresh. She had likely rehearsed her lines in advance, as she read smoothly without hesitation. Her voice was slightly lower, sounding like a calm young man.

“Here, try widening your steps by half a pace.”

“…Like this?”

“Yes. That walk is really good.”

She smiled lightly, embarrassed, and continued with her lines. We practiced the final scene the same way. I took the step closer this time. We adjusted the distance and stopped. I could even see the movement of her eyelashes. On cue, we both looked down.

“Sorry. My heart is racing a bit.”

“Mine too. But the angle and distance are fine as is.”

We did a full run-through from start to finish again. This time there were no stumbles. The finger cues were executed without hesitation. The timer ended at exactly fifteen minutes. We quietly clapped for each other.

“That went well.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow, we’ll show Hino-san and Mizuki-san this tempo.”

“Let’s have a final confirmation. First, we nod and then step, followed by the blackout.”

Anno-san underlined it in red.

“Script reading was fun.”

“Me too. Anno-san, your voice when we switched roles was really good. You were able to deliver your lines more clearly than before.”

“Eh… Thank you. With just the two of us, I feel at ease.”

“Just the two of us?”

We walked to the vending machines to get drinks, talking as we went. I didn’t quite understand Anno-san’s words at first and asked again.

“Is milk tea okay with you?”

“Huh?! I’ll get it myself!”

“No, since you’re with me, let me get this at least.”

Apart from lunch break, it felt like this was our first time spending after school together. I handed her the bottle. The warmth and sweetness were soothing. We verbally checked today’s corrections, making sure nothing was left out.

“…Um, Mukei-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Today, the ‘I’m glad I met you’ part was easy to say.”

“Good. I thought from the start that would be the right timing. You delivered it perfectly. Thanks, I could imagine it clearly.”

She thought for a moment, then lifted her face.

“Tomorrow, I’ll do my best too.”

“Let’s do our best together.”

We walked side by side down the hallway to the entrance, naturally matching our strides. After changing shoes, we faced each other at the exit.

“Thank you for helping me with the script reading.”

“No, thank you for inviting me. It really helped me with the visualization too.”

We bowed slightly. Our breathing matched. The rabbit keychain swayed gently. Just that small thing made my chest feel lighter. Even after leaving the school gate, our steps toward the station stayed perfectly in sync.

I wish my stride with Anno-san could stay this same speed forever.

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