The ImagiNation, Project Sekai || HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

CHAPTER 3 - An Attempt at Acting

So we watched them rehearse almost every day after school, it wasn't long before they had everything perfected. Tomorrow they were finally going to perform. I felt like I had memorized all of Rui's lines. 

"You all did great! I'm more than sure the real thing will be amazing. Wonderhoy, even!" I cheered.

Everybody walked off stage and started talking with one another. 

I had wandered off backstage out of curiosity. What was it like over there? Perhaps I thought there was another world waiting for me, just like I did when I was six, believing there was another world under the bed. "Hello?" I asked, hoping nobody would answer. I was about to make an attempt to sing, and once doing so, I thought my singing was pretty. A rare occurance.

Little did I know Emu and Rui were watching me the whole time. "WOAH!" Emu's eyes sparkled, she looked shocked. "You sing so pretty! Wait, wait, wait, you could do a show with us!!!" She jumped up and down in excitement. 

"Emu is right, you are very talented." Rui looked serious, he seemed to be thinking hard. "You should do a show with us, Setsuko." 

"I guess... m-maybe that's why I was named Setsuko?" I stuttered, trying to be funny instead of embarrassed.

Rui had that look on his face, he had an idea. "Can Honoka sing too? Her name does mean harmony, after all. Perhaps she could be a part of the show..." He trailed off, obviously distracted by the many ideas in his mind.

"I don't think she would like that, but she did want to be a singer when she was little." I smiled as I remembered a little Honoka singing her lungs out. 

"Oh? She's shy?" Rui asked. He didn't even realize Honoka right behind him, and she didn't very much enjoy being talked about. 

I was looking at Honoka instead of Rui at this point. I knew if I messed up she'd be upset at me. "No-- not that much. She just doesn't like to sing on demand."

Suddenly Tsukasa walked in, "What's happening?" he asked us with a confused expression on his face.

All this time I wanted to tell him his pronunciation was horrible, but that would just make him yell, try again, and miserably fail. "Emu and Rui want to put me and Honoka in a show--"

"They want to put you in a show. Hmmm... can you act?" Tsukasa questioned. 

This caught me off guard. I could definetly sing, no matter how much I thought I couldn't. But act? I wasn't sure. "Uhh, I can pretend to be asleep?" 

Honoka made her presence known by commenting on what I had said. "But Dad always knows you're faking." 

Tsukasa quickly turned his head to Honoka and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Can you act?"

"Honoka can pretend to be sad and force herself to cry. She's so good she can fool our mother." I blurted without thought.

Rui went into directing mode, but in English. "Setsuko! Pretend you're asleep. Almost as if you were to open your eyes the world would explode!!" His eyes widened, which resulted in him doing a face that made him look insane.

"Sir, yes sir!" I saluted him, and immediately dropped to the ground, doing just as he ordered.

Rui stood over me, I could feel his eyes looking at me. "You look stiff. People cannot sleep trying to hold a position."

Once I had relaxed my body like I was asleep, he told me I was doing good, then turned to Honoka. 

"Imagine she's dead. You mourn the loss of your dear sister. Oh, why did it have to be her?! Take me instead!" Rui was getting way too into this. 

Honoka slowly stepped over to me. "S-Setsuko?" There was a long silence, I did not reply. "Please no... she's dead!" I could hear the despair in her voice, and she started sobbing. "God, why do you take away my most precious of things, for what?!" She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around me.

"Tsukasa! You are her husband. Shocked to find her dead on the ground this way, she was your everything! The most beautiful!" Rui sounded so stupidly dramatic giving all of these prompts. 

Tsukasa walked over, and when he looked down at me he almost jumped up. "No! It cannot be! The most beautiful girl to ever live is gone! She was the twinkliest of stars... possibly even twinklier than I." A single tear ran down his cheek. 

"I still don't understand why my beautiful sister married a man who spoke such broken English. She deserved much better!" Honoka said in between sobs. 

Nene was now there as well, she started laughing at Honoka's joke.

 Just then, an idea popped into my little noggin. I sat up with a smirk on my lips. "I hate to admit it... but she's right, dearest." 

"何？！？！" Tsukasa gasped and his face seemed to turn pale. "But you're dead!" 

"What are you talking about? I just laid down to sleep. It was the most lovely nap I've had in... A thousand years." I was trying as hard as I could to contain my laughter.

"No!! Setsuko, you've exposed our secret!" Honoka decided to go along with my tomfoolery. 

I cackled in the most insane way I could. "We're immortal." 

Tsukasa fell over, pretending to faint. 

Emu burst into laughter. "WAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That's so funny!!" It was adorable how happy she sounded.

Rui decided to give us more prompts, each one harder. Just for us to practice, even though we hadn't agreed to anything yet. 

"You all did great!" Rui said with a big grin on his face once we were done.

I blushed a bright pink. "Thank you." His words of approval felt so nice, and I would do anything for more. "Do you really think I sing pretty?" It may seem like I was fishing for compliments, but I actually needed to be reassured. 

"I know you sing very pretty, Setsuko." Rui answered with kindness I could hear.

Tears filled my eyes, and before Rui could notice them I hugged him. For once in my life I believed a compliment I was given. "Thank you..." My speech was muffled, because I had my face buried into his shoulder. 

He hugged me back, "You're welcome." Then pulled himself away.

"Her whole face is red! WOAH!" Emu screamed. 

I blushed even harder, "My face is a liar, don't listen to it, Emu." 

"But faces don't lie! Unless you're acting..." Emu started to stare off into space, that was sure to occupy her for a little while.

My face had a quick recovery, it was back to normal in seconds. "Anyways, Honoka and I should get home. Bye-bye!" I smiled and waved at them. 

We said our goodbyes, and I went home with my sister.