The Story Of How I, A Gloomy Guy, Ended Up Surrounded By the Top-Tier Beautiful Girls In Class After A Seat Change - Chapter 78-79

Chapter 78: Kuroki-san is Watching

After finishing the final check for their play on stage, the students of Class 2-B gathered in the gymnasium, sitting on folding chairs lined up against the wall, waiting for the previous class’s performance to end.

Wearing an unfamiliar dress skirt, I sat nervously on the folding chair, watching towards the stage.

The gymnasium darkened once.

Then — lights from the stage and from the second floor of the gym illuminated the performers on stage.

The first-year Class A’s play began. The performance was “Rashomon.”

(Finally… it’s started.)

Until our turn came, time seemed to pass slowly. Watching the play from the sidelines only heightened my nerves.

(I thought I was somewhat relaxed, but…)

When it’s someone else’s play, thirty minutes fly by. As the previous play approached its end, we were ushered backstage by the organizers.

Yuria, playing the prince, and Airi, playing the dwarf, seemed unusually calm. But I had no such composure and kept checking my lines repeatedly.

The lead actor (introverted character) mutters his lines like a prayer in the corner of the backstage.

“Sigh… my confidence is disappearing.”

(I’m sure even Shinji before he got on the… train felt like this.)

Just like Shinji reluctantly dressed in a tight suit for a job he didn’t want, I too was being made to play a role I didn’t want, wearing a costume I didn’t want. Maybe I’m practically Shinji.

“Hehe, Ryota-kun, you’re so nervous.”

Suddenly, Kuroki appeared beside me, peering into my face, asking.

Rui Kuroki… the root of all evil.

She looks like a beauty like Rei Ayanami, but inside, she’s completely ruthless.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing. More importantly… even if I fail in the play later, don’t make fun of me.”

“Do I look like someone who would mock someone else’s failure?”

“Well… the real Kuroki is calculating and mean.”

“Come on, I’m not mean! I’m just a perfectionist.”

I know she’s a perfectionist, but sometimes she gets mean in pursuit of that perfection.

“I thought once the play started, it would fly by, but are you still nervous?”

“Of course I am. It’s about me, after all.”

I’m the forever virgin introverted otaku loner.

“Eh? The Ryota-kun I know was more courageous, I think.”

“W-what?! Me?”

“Because you can talk normally with me, Yuria, and Airi.”

That’s true… maybe I do have some courage. But knowing everyone’s secrets changes things… I can’t say that, though.

“Don’t you have any confidence? Then, how about this: if the first play is successful… what do you think about me giving you a real kiss in the second play in the afternoon?”

“Huh…?”

W-wait, Kuroki… a real kiss?

“S-st-stop kidding around! Making fun of me, the introverted otaku loner, at a time like this…”

“Alright, everyone from Class 2-B, please get ready.”

A girl from the cultural festival committee quietly called us.

“I-it’s time already. J-just you wait, Kuroki.”

“Hehe, that earlier was a lie, you know? Just thought it might distract you a bit.”

“W-what…?”

In the end, I was teased by Kuroki right up until the start of the play.

But just a little… j-just a little bit, thanks to Kuroki’s teasing, I felt a little easier.

“… Um, thanks, Kuroki.”

“You’re welcome.”

When I sincerely thanked her, surprisingly, she accepted it sincerely.

Geez, she always throws me off…

As the previous play ended and we were packing up, I went up to the stage.

“Now that we’re here… there’s no turning back.”

Determined, I turned towards the audience… huh?

“Miss, over here for the picture!”

“Oh, right, right.”

In the front row, there were familiar maids and “Big Sister.”

“Kanade and Big Sister…!”

Big Sister had a camera ready, and Kanade in maid uniform held a fan that said “Ryota! Give us fan service!”

“Th-those two…!”

After the play, I’ll definitely… well, I’ll deal with those two first.

“Once upon a time, in a certain kingdom’s castle, there lived a beautiful princess with fair skin named Snow White…”

—

Episode 79: Snow White Harem

“Once upon a time—in a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess named Snow White with fair skin—”

As I step onto the stage, the lights above and from the second floor brighten. A female narrator’s voice fills the air.

Three lights on the second floor suddenly illuminate me as Snow White.

(Well, it’s not just bright, it’s kinda hot.)

“Wow, it’s really a guy playing Snow White.”

“Even though he’s a boy, his skin is so pale. Ambitious.”

My skin’s only pale because I’m a shut-in year-round…

“Wait, isn’t that the guy rumored with Miyama-san?”

Geez… don’t notice that now, spectators.

The audience in their seats, puzzled yet expectant, stare intently at me on stage.

Their eyes hold a mix of confusion and anticipation.

(Oh well, stare all you want… I’ve endured this embarrassment for so long with my dark past.)

My acting is terrible as usual, and my voice isn’t loud either.

But I… will see this through.

(Let’s finish this quickly and get back to peaceful days!!)

When the audience noise fades, I deliver my lines.

“Ah, living in the castle every day is so mundane… But someday, I want to meet my prince charming on a white horse.”

Having to say these lines in front of my sister and best friend is quite embarrassing.

But once the play starts, surprisingly, as Kuroki told me, my feelings are oddly clear.

All the anxiety and impatience I felt before stepping onto the stage vanishes, and the lines mysteriously flow from my mouth.

(Once it starts, I’m not nervous at all…)

After finishing the opening scene where Snow White lives peacefully, I step offstage during the scene change.

“Ryota-kun, not bad, huh?”

As I come offstage, Kuroki speaks to me from the wings.

“So noisy… but as Kuroki said, maybe I’m not that nervous.”

“Hehe, good for you. Oh, the next scene is starting.”

Next is the familiar scene where the queen, played by Hino, asks the mirror, “Who is the fairest one of all?”

Since Snow White isn’t in this scene, I can relax for a moment.

My class’s Snow White consists of six major scenes.

Early scenes where Snow White lives peacefully and the queen asks the mirror.

Then the middle scenes where the huntsman, ordered by the queen to assassinate Snow White, takes her into the forest, and Snow White sneaks into the dwarfs’ house in the forest to live with them.

In the climax, there’s the scene where the queen visits the dwarfs’ house and gives Snow White a poisoned apple, followed by the prince kissing scene to close the curtains.

So, four big scenes left.

Escape to the forest, meet the dwarfs, eat the apple and die, then essentially become a recluse.

Just waiting to be kissed and it’s over.

“Alright, Ryota-kun, it’s almost time.”

“Ah, yeah…”

After the queen’s scene, we move to the middle scene in the forest.

“The huntsman, ordered by the queen to kill her, led Snow White into the forest.”

As the narration shifts scenes, I enter the scene led into the forest by a female athlete playing the huntsman.

“Oh, poor Snow White… I’ll tell the queen you’ve died, so please flee to the forest.”

“Yes…”

As this scene where the huntsman lets her go ends, next comes “her” scene… Yeah, despite their efforts since practice, there’s one person who’s about as bad as I am.

Seven dwarfs appear from the wings (all girls).

Among them, Airi Miyama stands out as the center, proudly flaunting her bright red dwarf persona.

With a bright red hat and a white beard on her mouth.

Even in the actual performance, her top button is still open, revealing a valley of busty cleavage.

Roles are reversed, but I’ve been handling this smoothly until now…

Feels out of place suddenly having gravure idols on an educational program.

“Oh my, what a lovely face in that beautiful dress? Ryota… no, Snow White, isn’t it!? This is truly fortunate! Since we’re here, please relax at our dwarf house, not just Airi…”

I remember the lines, but every time a difficult phrase comes up, I tilt my head and almost end up saying the wrong name for Airi Miyama, also known as the well-endowed big person.

(Even in the actual performance, it’s a mess!!)

Nervously, I glance at the audience.

“Wow, Ai-chan looks cute in that cosplay!”

“Oh, is that supposed to be a dwarf…?”

“That’s way too big.”

“Airi-tan… huff, huff.”

Seems like the audience (perverts) are quite satisfied.

They’re just okay with anything now.

As Snow White moves into living with the dwarfs’ scene, seated Snow White is pampered by the seven dwarfs.

“Snow White, dinner’s ready. Here, aaah~”

“Snow White? Let’s massage your shoulders.”

“Snow White, shall we clean your ears?”

In the original, Snow White was supposed to do chores… but somehow, the dwarf house has turned into a harem with the seven dwarfs (girls).

I always felt something was off about this script… why did it turn into a harem?

“What’s with that Snow White, too jealous.”

“I want Airi-tan to give me a massage too.”

“Seriously, one of the dwarfs is my girlfriend!?”

Restless murmurs in the audience.

Has there ever been such hate towards Snow White on stage before?

“And so, Snow White enjoyed a comfortable life in the dwarf’s house. However, one day—”

Finally, Snow White eats the apple, and Hino as the queen with a black hood enters the dwarf house, handing Snow White a poisoned apple.

(Now, let’s eat the apple and sleep.)

Then—suddenly, Yuria, waiting on the side of the stage for her turn, appears.

Her usually cold gaze is different this time, with a sharply focused look fixed on me.

In Yuria’s eyes, who previously said she was “serious,” there was something different than usual.