"Um, Vice President Ichinose, isn't there a rule that pets aren't allowed on campus?"
The student council member accompanying Ichinose Honami was the first to react, glancing uncertainly at the cat lounging on the table.
"Oh, that? I already submitted a request to the school. You should be able to find the documentation in the student council records," Kitagawa Ryo said, stroking the cat's soft fur.
"Right, I think I remember. Your drama club mentioned needing it for a performance. Wasn't it called Cats?"
Ichinose Honami tried to recall.
"Cats? Isn't that a musical?" Horikita Suzune chimed in. Though she wasn't familiar with theater, she knew that Cats had once been a global phenomenon, holding box office records until it was eventually surpassed in 2006 by another legendary musical—The Phantom of the Opera.
"Exactly. And Cats was adapted from T.S. Eliot's poetry. So a musical adaptation of a literary work isn't unusual," Kitagawa replied, glancing at Horikita with mild surprise.
They hadn't interacted before, though two years ago he had a brief encounter with Horikita Manabu after a performance of Oedipus Rex. During that meeting, Manabu had shown a rare tone of admiration—something Suzune had never received.
Horikita's demeanor was already tinged with a stubbornness. Her words and tone often made interactions uncomfortable. Whether her social shortcomings were a result of her extreme independence, or the cause of it, was unclear.
Noticing Kitagawa's slight change in expression, Horikita frowned and rebutted, "The formats of plays and musicals are vastly different. Attempting a trivial adaptation of something as iconic as Cats is pointless."
Even Ichinose Honami looked displeased now. As vice president of the student council, she knew Horikita was a transfer student, but hadn't expected such hostility from someone who had just arrived.
"Horikita-san, that seems unnecessarily harsh," Ichinose said gently. "If there's anyone here capable of such an adaptation, it's Ryo."
"If he's so talented, why did he quit the drama scene?" Horikita shot back. "Wouldn't it be better to share his work with the entire city?"
Fourteen-year-old Horikita Suzune was far from mature. Driven by a mix of unexplained dissatisfaction and her usual bluntness, her words struck with extra weight.
In truth, she didn't doubt Kitagawa's talent—her brother had confirmed it himself. What bothered her was the news of his retirement from acting. It was like seeing someone discard a treasured gem without hesitation.
Kitagawa began to understand. It wasn't him she disliked—it was the impression he had left on her brother. If he could simulate now, he might have tried to analyze Suzune's childhood and what led her to become so unreasonably fixated.
He sighed.
"You're right," he replied simply, turning back to the student council. "Done checking yet? If you think it violates the rules, go ahead and strip me of my position as club president."
He yawned.
"Honestly, the school gave me the title in name only. I barely show up. I didn't really plan on adapting Cats. I just wanted an excuse to legally keep a cat on campus."
Kitagawa scooped up the cat, cradling it gently, and began to walk off. He even waved one of its front paws in mock farewell.
"Wait!"
Horikita stepped forward, blocking his path. She scrutinized him from head to toe, even comparing their heights with her hand.
Girls usually develop earlier than boys, you know, Kitagawa mused, amused by her childish behavior.
"I want to see your performance of Oedipus Rex," she declared.
"You can probably find a recording online," Ichinose offered.
But Horikita shook her head.
"I want to see it live, from the audience."
She even added, as if to show her sincerity:
"I'm willing to pay for a ticket."
Kitagawa smiled. "Seeing a show and hiring me to perform are very different things."
He named a sum that left Horikita speechless.
Her eyes twitched. She tried to argue, but her lips closed again. She looked away, clicked her tongue softly, and finally took a deep breath before glaring back.
He watched her expression shift with curiosity and amusement.
"Isn't the drama club recruiting? I want to join."
A smart move. If Kitagawa was the president, joining the club could give her more chances to see him perform. Maybe she even had some theatrical talent of her own. If he could do it, why couldn't she? Perhaps she could even do better—just to prove herself to her brother.
"If you want to join, talk to the proper people. I don't handle any of that."
Kitagawa had no interest in clashing with her. He decided to let the drama club itself deal with her. With her personality, she'd likely hit a few walls.
He recalled his conversation with Horikita Manabu two years ago:
"What does the Sphinx's riddle mean?"
"You mean the one about walking on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and one at night?"
"Yes. I know the answer is 'man'."
"The Sphinx is a monster with a lion's body and a woman's face. It represents fear and temptation. But when Oedipus solved its riddle, it threw itself off a cliff."
"It means that once a person understands humanity, they can overcome fear and temptation."
Kitagawa smiled.
"It's one of the famous Delphic maxims: 'Know thyself.' Ancient Greek plays loved to glorify human greatness."
"I wish my sister could see your Oedipus Rex."
He had shaken Kitagawa's hand with a knowing look.
Just like Oedipus, born under a prophecy of patricide and incest, Horikita Suzune carried the weight of being "Horikita Manabu's sister"—a title that was both laughable and crushing.
Kitagawa understood that shadow well. Maybe that's why Manabu chose to distance himself. He didn't want his talented sister to be sacrificed to his legacy. But his absence had only idealized his image in her mind, making him unreachable.
What Manabu hoped was for Suzune to truly "know herself"—to defeat the Sphinx of fear and desire he had once represented.
To prove her worth and confront the fear that she might never surpass him.
Even now, Horikita Suzune remained frozen before that Sphinx, unable to take the next step.
-------------------------------------
Azabu Middle School, Drama Club.
"Great work today, Kushida. We got an unusually high number of new applicants this year."
An upperclassman girl placed the documents in her hand on the desk and couldn't help but ruffle the hair of the girl in front of her.
It wasn't just her. The entire Drama Club adored this girl. With her good looks, grades, athletic ability, cheerful personality, and caring nature, she was the kind of student everyone naturally favored.
"It's no big deal, senpai. It's probably because of the rumors about President Kitagawa this year that so many people applied."
Kushida Kikyou quickly waved her hands, insisting she hadn't worked that hard.
"Speaking of that Kitagawa, seriously... He's only shown up to the club twice, and just because he's a famous actor, the school let him be club president."
"And this year's recruitment has been a mess. I've gotten a bunch of complaints from the new students."
Hearing Kitagawa's name, the senpai grumbled irritably.
Anyone would be frustrated having to deal with a completely hands-off, nominal club president.
Well, everyone except for this little angel.
"I think President Kitagawa must have his own struggles. He's a professional actor, after all. That must be exhausting. It's understandable he doesn't have the time or energy to be here."
As expected, Kushida Kikyou immediately came to the defense of Kitagawa Ryo, whom she'd only met twice.
"Ahh, Kushida, you're just too kind."
Kushida smiled sweetly, feigning modesty while secretly chuckling to herself.
After all, if you wanted everyone's respect and trust, a little acting was essential.
The real reason she joined the Drama Club in the first place had been to connect with the school's most talked-about student, Kitagawa Ryo. As someone with exceptional social skills, Kushida understood well that gaining his friendship or even favor would instantly skyrocket her popularity. It was a golden shortcut.
But she hadn't expected Kitagawa to be a purely nominal president. In the whole year, they had barely exchanged two greetings. He probably didn't even remember her name.
Just as Kushida had been considering quitting the Drama Club out of frustration, she stumbled upon another unexpected benefit:
It was a great way to relieve stress.
As someone who had built friendships with almost everyone in class—and even throughout the school—Kushida absorbed immense pressure alongside the nourishment of "trust."
She used to vent anonymously on blogs, but after joining the Drama Club, she was thrilled to discover that acting provided a similar release.
Since it was all fake anyway, she could pour her emotions into it however she liked. Even if someone witnessed an odd behavior, a simple excuse like "I was preparing for a role" or "Trying to get into character" would clear it up easily.
Before she realized it, she had been with the club for an entire year.
Kushida let out a quiet breath. After saying goodbye to her senpai, she returned to organizing the application materials for the new recruits.
She thoroughly enjoyed the act of digging into others' private lives. Kushida got a shiver of delight—like electricity tracing her skin—whenever she uncovered a secret.
[Horikita Suzune, second-year middle schooler, transferred in this semester.]
Naturally, she had heard some rumors about this unique transfer student. But she hadn't expected her to choose the Drama Club.
Even though it was just an ID photo, she could still tell the girl was beautiful.
Kushida licked her lips.
The more perfect someone appeared, the more she wanted to uncover their secrets.
It was like the time she discovered the most popular boy in class had a crush on a plain, unimpressive girl. That kind of contrast thrilled her.
Now, flipping through Horikita's application, her bloodlusted curiosity surged.
If only she could turn into a tiny bug and crawl through Horikita Suzune's veins, she would've done it in a heartbeat to uncover what lay deep, dark, and hidden.
[Preliminary Review: PASSED]
She stamped the form decisively.
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