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The Day Before the Test: Shichiya Household

“I’ve never been this confident before!” Kiyohit-kun exclaimed, full of self-assurance at the study session the day before the test.

“Hah, your confidence is always questionable, Kiyohito. Didn’t you say the same thing at the end of the second year and end up failing?” Honjo-san teased.

“That was just because I answered in the wrong sections!”

Watching their banter, I caught Aoi’s-kun eye. He gave me a slightly awkward smile before returning to his usual friendly grin. He was always so kind, and that kindness stung a little today.

“So, how about you, Aoi? How confident are you this time?”

“Pretty much the same. I’m usually in the middle of the pack, so I’m hoping for similar results.”

“Hmm. And you, Umi-chan? Are you aiming to beat Angel-sama this time?”

“No way! I’m not even close…”

“But you were pretty close last time, weren’t you? Ange-sama always gets perfect scores, but you were almost there too. It’s really impressive. By the way, why did you and Angel-sama come to our high school? I heard Angel-sama chose it because it’s close to home, but your place isn’t that near.”

“Well, um… because of the school’s atmosphere…”

“Seriously? Who picks a school for that?” Honjo-san bursted out laughing.

“Actually, our school’s atmosphere is pretty good. Even though we don’t have a dress code, there’s a lot of freedom, and the curriculum is unique compared to other schools,” Aoi-kun said, stepping in to cover for me.

“Whoa, Aoi sounds like a teacher all of a sudden!”

Aoi’s kindness shone through, stepping in when I stumbled over my words. He was so… gentle. But that very gentleness was a bit painful for me today.

“After summer break, we have the school trip and then the school festival in October. Then it’s winter break and entrance exams… Man, these three years of high school went by so fast,” Kiyohito-kun said wistfully.

“We haven’t even reached summer break yet. Can you stop talking like it’s the end of graduation?” Honjo-san teased.

“What’s the harm? Anyway, I wonder what our class will do for the school festival.”

“In my first year, we had a food stall, and in the second year, we did a classroom presentation,” Honjo-san recalled.

“We did classroom presentations for both years,” (Aoi)

“I had food stalls both times.” (Umi)

“So, none of us have done a stage performance before. We should go all out and have a fun stage performance for our final year!” (Kiyohito)

“A stage performance, huh? Like dancing?” (Honjo)

“I can’t dance!” (Kiyohito)

“Then what should we do? A play, maybe?” (Honjo suggested with a laugh)

“A play, huh… That might not be a bad idea. What do you think, Aoi?” (Kiyohito)

“…Yeah, that could work.” (Aoi)

As we were discussing, the room door suddenly swung open.

“Stop!”

“Dad!?”

Following him, my little sisters entered, echoing, “Stop!” in unison.

“What the… Dad, what are you doing!?”

“Wow, they’re so cute! Who are those little ones?” Honjo-san said, pointing at my younger siblings.

“If you’re doing a play, I have the perfect suggestion!” Dad said enthusiastically, handing over a DVD.

The DVD was a work by Kōzō Andō, the director of Aoi’s debut film.

“It’s a school-themed story and relatively short. I think it would be perfect for the school festival. And Aoi, I think it would suit you very well,” Dad continued, addressing Aoi with fervor.

“Uh, I’m not really up for playing the lead again…” Aoi started, looking uncomfortable.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, Dad, but we can’t decide this on our own…”

“Oh! It’s Onee-chan’s boyfriend again!” my sisters suddenly swarmed around Kiyohito-kun.

“Hey there! Good to see you all again! How’s everyone doing?” Kiyohito-kun replied, clearly enjoying the attention.

“Oh, they’re so cute! I could just eat them up!” Honjo-san said, rubbing her cheek against one of my sisters.

The situation had become completely chaotic, leaving me sighing in exasperation.

◇ Aoi’s Perspective

“A play?”

“Yeah, Honjo-san and Kiyohito started talking about wanting to do a play for the school festival,” 

“Really? That sounds great! Let’s do it!” 

“If Marin-chan is up for it, then I guess we can manage it,” 

We started watching the DVD that Shichiya-san’s father had recommended. The story was about a high school student seeking revenge.

The protagonist’s wealthy family had lost everything in a tragic incident years ago. The culprit was never caught, and the police had long since given up the investigation. However, the protagonist, the eldest son of the family, continued to pursue the truth alone.

Eventually, he discovered that a classmate was deeply connected to the incident. He approached her, trying to uncover the truth, but a few days later, she died under suspicious circumstances.

The story concluded with a final letter from the girl, revealing all the secrets of the incident.

“That was a good movie,” Marin-chan murmured.

“…….yeah, I guess.” 

“So, Aoi-kun, you’ll be playing the lead role, right?” 

“…I don’t know if I can…”

“You can’t run away from this. Show your mom what you’ve become at 18. She’d be so proud.”

“……….”

I did want to take on the role. But I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I wasn’t the pure-hearted kid I once was. I felt stained by my past and my mistakes.

Yet, maybe that made me perfect for this role. 

My own flaws and experiences could bring authenticity to the character. 

Perhaps, despite my reservations, this was something I was meant to do.