Bonus Short Stories
Cinderella’s Wish
Amakawa Haruto was a seventeen-year-old boy attending high school in Japan. September. The new school term had just begun, but despite it being September, it was still just as hot as the summer months.
“Ah, Amakawa-senpai!”
After school, Haruto ran into Minamoto Rikka, who was from the middle school division. They saw each other’s faces from a distance before Rikka waved as she approached.
“Hello, Rikka.”
“Hi, senpai.”
“Are you going home for today?”
“Yes. Do you want to go back together? There’s actually something I wanted to ask you...” Rikka spoke with a friendly smile, but she was watching Haruto’s face for a reaction rather nervously.
“I don’t mind, of course. But me?” Haruto tilted his head, wondering what it could be about. For now, he started walking along with Rikka.
“Did you know the girls’ middle school division is having a school festival at the end of next month?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s been decided that there’ll be a play at the festival.”
“Come to think of it, you’re in the drama club, right?”
“Yes. My friend asked me to join just to fill a spot, so I barely ever attend.”
“So you won’t be in the play?”
“No, it’s actually been decided that I’ll appear in it...” Rikka’s expression fell—she didn’t seem too enthusiastic about it.
“Oh. What’s the play about?”
“It’s Cinderella.”
It was a very famous story—a classic for a school festival.
“And your role?”
“...Cinderella.”
“I see.” Haruto chuckled at the way Rikka looked down in embarrassment.
“I know I don’t suit the role of Cinderella...” Rikka said, even more embarrassed.
“No, I think it suits you very well,” Rio stated firmly.
“Th-Thank you.”
“So what did you want to ask me about?”
“Umm, well...” It seemed to be a difficult topic to approach, as she was struggling to find her words. “A-Amakawa-senpai, will you play the prince?”
Rikka resolutely put her question—or rather, her wish—into words.
“...” Haruto was taken aback. He blinked in silence.
“Our middle school division is all girls, as you know, so we don’t have any boys to play the part. We discussed having a girl play the prince, but no one seemed to fit the role, which was when your name was brought up...” Rikka added falteringly.
“Wouldn’t it be bad for an outsider like me to be in it?” Honestly speaking, Haruto felt averse to the idea. But he found it difficult to say no directly, so he tried to take a different approach through the form of a question.
“I’ve already gotten permission from the club advisor. She teaches in the high school division as well, and she said it’d be fine if it’s you...”
“Which means I should know this teacher, right?”
“It’s Mrs. Suzuki from the arts department.”
“Oh, her.” She was the teacher of his weekly elective class, whom he was rather indebted to.
“If you can’t do it, she said she could find another boy from the high school division to help out, but I’m kind of scared of having an unknown boy play the prince, and I also think it’d be nice if you were the prince, so...”
Will you become my prince? Rikka looked up at Haruto’s face anxiously as though to ask exactly that.
“All right... I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it well, but if it’s your wish.”
There was no way he could shake his head at the adorable sight of his underclassman. Haruto accepted the role of the prince to Rikka’s Cinderella.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login