Kyou's POV
Before I entered the stage again, I recalled my conversation with Big Sis, months before the founding anniversary of our school. We were sitting outside the coffee shop with Miss Arjera as our main topic.
"Then stay away from her. You wanna protect her, right?"
Yes, I wanted to protect her. However, staying away from her was something I wouldn't like...
Was there any other way for me to stay by her side? I'll try everything... Everything... Everything..?
Wait... If I talk to Uncle Yo, will I succeed..?
I smiled at my reflection in the cup, projecting Miss Arjera on my mind. Risky as it was, I confidently answered my sister.
"I can't do that, Big Sis... Because I've been told to stick with her until the end."
... And so, our conversation ended right there.
I brought out my only pocketbook as we arrived home. I climbed to my room and sat on the bed while still re-reading the novel.
After a few minutes, I glanced at the creak of the door. It was Uncle Yo. Perfect timing.
"Hm... How's your eyesight?" he asked.
I closed the book with both of my hands and answered,
"Still the same."
"You're not overusing your powers, do you?"
"Not anymore. I promised Miss--" I froze, dropping the book on the floor. "Wait... Since when did you..?"
"Ever since you were born."
I was silenced but let out a heavy sigh eventually.
"I even had a hard time hiding this from you."
"Ahahahah! You should've tried asking me! I'm a Zeyern too, you know."
"You also have the ability..?"
"No, no, no!" He shook his head. "Your dad and I were partners in hiding the ability from your mom before. We also tried looking for a solution on how to prevent blindness."
P-perfect timing again!
"However..."
"W-what is it..?" I leaned forward.
"There's only a specific doctor that we sought that time. I don't know if he's still alive..."
"Is he around in Alguna..?"
"Yeah... He's a well-known doctor there. I haven't heard anything from him for ages so... why don't you try looking for him?"
"..."
"Can't leave your Miss Arjera?"
"N-no! It's fine. I planned on leaving too for her to avoid any dangers." Since I just remembered Big Sis saying the LDR thing before.
"Then why the hesitation?"
"... I'm just wondering if this will work..."
He smiled at me and said,
"You'll never know unless you try."
Well... I decided to try everything.
It's fine even if we're far from each other. I'm certain that... our paths will cross again.
★
"Kyou!"
"Ah--" I stepped forward as someone pushed my back. "Miss Arjera!"
"Stop spacing out, Sleepy Dwarf. You're going next."
... I faced the wall beside me and leaned my forehead there. I didn't watch Miss Arjera's scene!
"Perhaps... you're still unwell?"
I straightened my back, faced her, and put a fist on my chest.
"I'm perfectly fine!"
Just imagine an aura around me for being fired up.
"Er... Oh, wait. My mistake. It's still Eris and Zou's part." She scratched her head.
"It's fine. You brought me back to my senses earlier."
"Why, are there any problems?"
"... Nothing much."
I walked behind her and wrapped my arms around her.
"Ah--!" I blurted when she suddenly did karate on my head.
I held my head and she walked slightly far from me.
"So you're still unwell!"
"You're violent today, Miss Arjera."
"W-whose fault do you think is that?!"
Gazing at her face, there's a faint pink on her cheeks. I went near her and squished both sides of her cheeks.
"W-wharf ija worj?" (W-what in the world?)
"You look cute, Miss Arjera."
"..."
"You'll leave me again, my princess! I can't afford to experience that nightmare again!" Our attention got diverted to Zou with his line.
... I forgot to watch again.
"S-shaddap! Let go of me, you Queen's Pet!" Eris kept on pulling her dress where Lev was gripping.
Zou, on the other hand, calmly stated,
"Uhm... That's my pet."
"... BWAHAHAHAHAH!"
I glanced at Miss Arjera when she started speaking,
"Thwi udins-- it, rit gu!" (The audience-- Hey, let go!)
"Oh, I apologize."
"Wah!" she shouted the moment I released her cheeks. "Hm..."
"Y-yes..?" I stepped back as she leaned her face towards mine. This time, she held my cheeks and squeezed them.
"It's soft."
"Hm..?" I should avoid talking since she won't understand even if I do.
"I think it's the same as what I felt when you covered my eyes before."
"..."
She let go of my cheeks and pointed at her forehead.
"Remember, when you bumped something here."
"I can't seem to remember..."
Forehead... I was sick that time and... I trembled when I did something... Something?
"Y-You're red! Did you do something embarrassing after all?!"
"N-No, I didn't!" I denied.
I remember it just now. Her forehead!
"Kyou Zeyern, it's your turn now." Lev tapped my shoulder.
"O-oh, right. Thanks."
I took a deep breath to maintain focus. Since I didn't watch the scenes, I relied on what I had remembered from our rehearsals.
First, after Miss Arjera destroyed the dwarves' house, she went out to the forest and found me sleeping. The moment I woke up, I instantly ran away.
However, Big Sis changed the scene and had me stay in the house so the queen and the sleepy dwarf had more interactions.
Instead of running away, I left Miss Arjera on the stage and said that I should look for my fellow dwarves. I kissed the back of her hand with a smirk, promising that we would meet again.
Next, in our rehearsals, the queen met Prince Zou and scolded him for letting Snow Blue escape. She was about to kill him but the prince begged for a second chance. Then, she allowed it.
For the third scene, the path of the prince and Snow Blue had crossed again. It was when Eris dragged her dress along with Lev.
The horse, Lev, got pushed away by Snow Blue so he exited the stage. Then, he signaled my entrance.
Walking to the stage, I stared at Eris and Zou.
Uhm... who's side am I?
I, Sleepy the Dwarf, like Queen Arjera in play and real life. However, in the original script, I should side with Snow Blue.
Still..! Wasn't that counted as cheating to the Queen?! I hate that idea.
I'm getting ahead of myself. It's not cheating, it's more of betrayal. Although it's the same.
I purposely glanced at Big Sis, asking for support. Finally, she took the mic and spoke up.
"Sleepy the Dwarf accidentally encountered Snow Blue with her prince charming. However, with a certain goal on his mind, he chose to ignore them and look for his precious dwarf friends."
... Why did I even step on this stage?
"Snow Blue followed him so the prince did too." She let us exit the stage.
Big Sis looked at me, pointing at her eyes, so I tried to remove my glasses.
'Remember the original script but I'll narrate from time to time so just follow my lead,' she said in her thoughts.
I nodded then turned to Miss Arjera.
"Miss Arjera, please bear with my sister again," I whispered.
"Er... Again?"
"After a few moments, Sleepy the Dwarf finally found the other dwarfs."
Ms. Anna, Kein, and Claus entered... the three of us as well again.
"S-sleepy!" called Ms. Anna. "You're finally awake!"
Let's see... My line in the script was...
"Awake or not, you need to hurry. The queen is on her way here!"
... My role was not to side with her after all.
Kein and Claus gasped then they shouted at the same time,
"We need to run! Snow Blue, thou shalt come with us!"
"You little dwarves are too suspicious! I will not let you take my princess away! Defy me if you want, but I swear to protect Snow Blue this time!"
Eris covered her mouth with her right hand. She acted like being moved by Prince Zou's word that's why there was a glint of a tear in her eyes.
"Shall I consider this as an act of betrayal, My Prince?" a voice with forceful weight interrupted.
All of our attention was on her as she finally went back to the stage.
"Also, how harsh of you, Snow Blue. Throwing my precious gift away." She pulled out an apple from her robe.
"I-I..."
"As their intense conversation continued, the queen noticed the dwarves behind Snow Blue and her prince-- especially Sleepy the Dwarf." Our narrator began to change the scene.
Originally, Sleepy had less presence to the queen. However, this sister of mine had the wildest imagination to form a ship between a dwarf and an evil queen. I wonder how will this end?
"It pains her to imagine that another one would betray her. So now, she had to do a confirmation..."
I glanced at Miss Arjera and caught her biting her lower lip. Maybe nervous or thinking of some dialogues... or part of her acting?
I hoped that she won't get injured. I heard from Zou before that she pinched herself just to act in front of Carsel Rinsel.
History repeats itself they say, but I'm here in front of her... I won't let it happen again.
"Don't bite it..." I held her chin then her lips with my thumb.
She frowned, shoving my hand away.
"I heard you before. Are you also gonna betray me?"
"Sleepy the Dwarf notified them before that the queen was approaching. Little did they know, he only did that to save the queen from them because he's fully aware of their precautions. He didn't want their paths to cross..."
... I was on Queen's side after all!
I glanced at our narrator again and I just got a wink from her. Meaning, it's up to us now.
"Betray? You're asking that but you haven't told me if you truly trust me, My Queen. Moreover, you just called that mongrel over there 'My Prince' so I'm quite jealous right now."
"... Not my problem," she answered then pointed at Eris. "My goal is that woman over there! No one should dare to stop me!"
"I'm stopping you for your safety. You're forgetting that the prince there is armed."
"E-even so--"
"Or you won't believe me?"
"... You, tiny dwarf, have successfully seduced me." She averted her gaze... with a red face.
Calm down, Kyou, that's an act.
"S-so what if I trust and believe you? Will you help me get rid of that woman?!"
Good question. I was willing to do anything for Miss Arjera-- I mean, for My Queen-- even if she asked me to eat dirt. Still, I care for her. I won't let her conscience stack up and overload.
Like I've said before, I decided to always support her. But to do that, I can't always agree with her. That's what I feel in real life. Should I apply it in our play?
"What good will it do? In my eyes, you're already the fairest of them all. It's not yet too late to change..."
I offered my hand, hoping that she would hold it.
"Only in your eyes... But I guess it's not that bad," she said then smiled. "I thought you would leave me..."
Her teary eyes felt too real to consider as an act. My decision to go back to my hometown wavered...
"I apologize, Prince and Snow Blue." She bowed to them.
"The queen asked for their forgiveness. As for her compensation, she decided... to take the apple instead."
Miss Arjera's eyes widened upon hearing that. She glanced at Big Sis but she just got a smile.
"K-Kyou... Is this what you're talking about?" she hissed, but I also just smiled at her.
Go, Miss Arjera, I shall support you.
"I... hope that you'll forgive me." She finally bit the apple. "Sleepy, I want to interact with you more but I doubt that it will happen anymore."
"After eating the poisonous apple made by herself.., she passed out."
Miss Arjera looked at her again then the narration was reiterated, adding more weight to her voice...
"She passed out."
... with a cunning smile again.
I stretched my arms behind her to support her passing out acting.
"M-my Queen..?"
My tears accidentally fell, thinking about the possibility of the same scene being real...
I froze, hearing a certain breath. I leaned my ears near her then she whispered,
"Drop me and I'll kick you..."
"... Pfft." I wiped my tears then smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."
I bridal carried Miss Arjera and walked to the coffin props. I left her there, following my sister's lead again.
"Snow Blue lived a happy life with her prince charming."
Eris held Zou's hand. They hugged each other but I could somehow sense their hidden disgust.
"The dwarves would often visit them except for Sleepy. He stayed loyal to his queen while the others had a conscience that they sometimes felt."
Uhm... By the way, Me and Miss Arjera were not the main characters.
"The next day, they decided to follow Sleepy and visit the queen's funeral. Snow Blue wanted to talk to the queen again so she told Sleepy a secret."
What is she plotting this time..?
"Her mother is the queen. Their bloodlines have the power to be revived when given a true love kiss."
I glanced at Miss Arjera and caught her widening her eyes. She was already revived by the narrator!
But she closed it immediately. That reflex was crazy.
"A true love kiss." She repeated it!
Now... what should I do..?
"Go ahead, Sleepy... Please save my mother..." Eris must wipe that smirk off her face.
I didn't particularly hate the idea but... I wonder how Miss Arjera felt?
"... I will save My Queen whatever method it takes." I stepped closer to her... then gulped.
I hope she won't kick me after this.
"Go, Kyou!" The dwarves cheered with their soft voices.
Looking at Miss Arjera, she also whispered,
"Just make it fast."
... Should I?
"Hurry up..!" she hissed with a blush.
Gently holding her face, I leaned mine towards hers. I approached her lips... but I mustn't after all. Staring at her face, I went straight to her forehead.
I kissed her longer though... as compensation.
She opened her eyes. I hugged her as she get up from her bed coffin. Her face was not red anymore. Instead, she looked petrified...
"They're all complete once again! The queen and the sleepy dwarf's path to love were not blocked anymore. They celebrated the former evil queen's revival and live happily ever after..."
The audiences clapped from satisfaction. Some of them cried while others laughed.
It's a bit rushed but... my concern right now is Miss Arjera. She's not even moving from her place.
Based on her reaction, she must've already noticed. The feeling of something pushing her forehead before and what I just did at the end of the play... were the same.
Rather than caring about her reaction, I was more concerned if my feelings would reach her...