Chapter Sixteen: Enter Stage Right

Two days after the play was announced.

Laying on her bed, Kanako let out a long sigh. It was nighttime, around 10 o'clock, and she had gotten out of the bath not too long ago. Even with the heat on, her house was still a bit chilly thanks to the cold winter airs of a Hokkaido February. In an effort to keep herself warm, she had put on a pair of fluffy pink pajamas. Although, it felt like keeping her body temperature up was about the only thing that was going right.

At the moment, Kanako was thinking back to Christmas. That fateful night, she had been so sure she'd walk away with Haruna hand in hand. Instead, it had all gone so horribly wrong. "If only things had worked out then…" she mumbled to herself. However, she quickly shook her head. "No, I can't dwell on it! What I need to do is come up with a new plan!" Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. For weeks, Kanako had wracked her brain, trying to think of anything she could that could work for a confession, but nothing quite fit. Most of her issues had to do with the fact that Haruna would probably run away from her.

"If she'd just stop and listen…" Kanako thought. "How can I tell her how I feel when she won't even do that much…?" While she continued to wonder about that, Kanako heard her phone buzz next to her. Rolling over onto her stomach, she checked the device and saw that Chiyo had sent her a message. All it said was "Can u talk?"

Responding with a quick yes, it was only seconds later that Kanako's phone buzzed once more. This time, the gal was calling her. "H-Hello?" Kanako answered. She wasn't doing anything, so it wasn't like Chiyo was bothering her, but considering the time, she did wonder why Chiyo was calling. "Heya Kana-chan!" the gal replied happily. "Glad you're still up." "I'll probably still be awake hours from now at this rate…" Kanako muttered, but it was too quiet for Chiyo to hear. Honestly, she was happy that Chiyo had called. It at least broke up the continuous train of thought on the problem of Haruna.

"S-So what did you want to talk about?" Kanako asked, assuming there was a reason. "Right!" Chiyo said excitedly. "So I was thinkin'-" she began, but then she stopped herself. "...Y'know, it might actually be best to talk about this in person. Ya got time tomorrow?" "T-Tomorrow?" Kanako asked. "After club activities would be fine." "Perfect! That actually works good for me too!" Chiyo said. "Kay, we'll talk then! Night!" And with that, the call ended.

For a moment, Kanako stared at the screen of her phone. "...What's going on?" she finally asked, although no one was around to answer. She knew Chiyo was the kind of person to just come up with ideas and spring them on people. The camping trip they had taken during the summer was a time like that. So, if she had some new idea, then Kanako was admittedly curious to know what it was. As for making guesses, only one thing came to mind. "I wonder if it's about Haruna…?"

If it was, that did bring Kanako some peace of mind. After all, she was currently at a loss. If someone else could give her some help or advice that would move things along, that would be great. With that person apparently being Chiyo, that was even better. The gal was Haruna's best friend. If anyone was suited to give a helping hand, it was her.

But… Kanako couldn't help but think back to Christmas again. The whole set-up had been Chiyo's idea. Of course, it wasn't her fault that the night had ended in failure, but knowing that wasn't enough to prevent Kanako from wondering if using another one of Chiyo's ideas would be the right move. "I know she wants to help, but… what if it's just like before?"

What if nothing changed? Or worse yet, what if Haruna became even further from Kanako? What if this chance that she might get ends up being her last? The more she thought about it, the more concerned she became. Even if she put all of that aside, there was still the question of if any plan would work. Kanako had taken Haruna to a restaurant on Christmas. They both had gotten dressed up. The romantic mood had been obvious. There had been so much impact and so many clues, and it had all still gone wrong. Was it even possible to come up with something better?

"Then again, Chiyo is better at this stuff than me…" Kanako thought. "But there was Christmas… but she knows what she's doing… It wasn't her fault… but it kind of feels like it was a little bit, even though it wasn't…" Back and forth Kanako went, until eventually she threw her hands up in the air. "Ugh!" she exclaimed. "I don't know anymoreeee!"

Which was stronger: her worries about Chiyo's success rate, or her desire to be with Haruna? When put that way, the answer was obvious. "Even if I have my doubts, it's not like I'm coming up with anything," Kanako concluded. So, with that, Kanako decided she would go along with whatever plan Chiyo proposed. After all, it was better than nothing.

*****

When the time came for them to meet up the next day, the two of them ended up at a cafe some distance from the school. "Why did we need to go so far?" Kanako asked after they were seated. "Well like, even I think my idea is kinda crazy, so I didn't wanna risk others hearing it," Chiyo said. "C-Crazy?" Kanako repeated nervously.

"I guess I should just get right to it huh?" Chiyo said, seeing Kanako's worried expression. "So listen. Our class is doing a play, and believe it or not, they chose me to be one of the main roles." "Okay…" Kanako said, tentatively nodding along. "To play the other starring role, they chose Haru-chi," Chiyo said. "...W-What?" Kanako stuttered out from her shock. "Haruna on stage? How did they even get her to agree to that?" "She was pretty much forced into it," Chiyo said with a sigh. "But! This is actually a great opportunity for ya, Kana-chan." "Opportunity?" Kanako repeated, confused. Chiyo gave an excited nod. "The play is more or less a love story. Haru-chi's playin' the male role, and I got put in the female one. But, I started thinkin' maybe we could use this. If Haru-chi has to be on stage thinking about love, and then she sees you, then maybe that'll be enough to get over that last bump!"

"Sees… me?" Kanako said, trying to grasp what Chiyo was getting at. "...W-W-W-Wait a minute Chiyo! A-Are you saying you want me to take your place on stage?!" "That's right!" Chiyo said with a big thumbs-up. "N-No way!" Kanako immediately refused. "I can't do that! Not only do I have no acting skills, but this play is for your class Chiyo! If I suddenly appeared on stage, it would cause a big mess!" "Well, yeah, that's true," Chiyo agreed easily. "Then-" Kanako began to speak, but Chiyo continued. "Guess we'll need help after all."

"H-Help?" Kanako said. "Yeah. I kinda figured we wouldn't be able to pull this off alone. But, the question is who to ask," Chiyo said. "H-Hang on. I haven't even said I'll do it," Kanako protested weakly. In response, she got a serious look from Chiyo. "Kana-chan," she said. "Do you trust me?" Hearing such a question made Kanako freeze. She had just been thinking about that last night. "I-I trust you…" she said quietly. "That didn't sound very convincing…" Chiyo said back.

"I…" Kanako began. "I do trust you Chiyo. Actually, you've become one of my closest friends. I even think of you as a big sister at times. But… I'm scared. Last time, when I tried to tell Haruna how I felt, she ran away. Since then, I haven't had much of a chance to tell her. I know what happened wasn't your fault, but a part of me can't help but associate you with that failure. When I think about how bad it went before, I worry that if I mess up this time, it really will be over."

For a moment, both girls were quiet. "...I get it," Chiyo finally said. "Really, I was wondering if you'd have any concerns. I know I would if I were you." Kanako looked at Chiyo as she went on. "But, I'm also pretty selfish." "Selfish?" Kanako repeated. Chiyo nodded. "Yup. The thing is, I like, really, really, really want you and Haru-chi to get together. And, I tried to help make that happen, but it obviously ended in failure. But, instead of giving up, I wanna keep trying to help."

"Kana-chan," Chiyo said, keeping her full attention trained on the girl sitting across from her. "Will you give me another chance? I promise, this time it'll work." The gal said those words with plenty of belief behind them. Personally, Kanako wasn't sure if she could fully accept it, but when she thought about it, she ended up right back where she had been last night. She had no plan, and the girl in front of her did. At the very least, she could hear her out.

"...Okay," Kanako said. "We can try it. But how are we supposed to do this?" "Umm," Chiyo let out. "Well, we definitely can't tell Miss Director…" "Miss Director?" Kanako repeated, but Chiyo was too lost in thought to answer. "We'll need to talk to the Home Ec club, because they'll be making the costumes. Oh, and a few of the people who are gonna work backstage." "What about people on stage?" Kanako asked, but Chiyo just shook her head. "If any of the other actors knew, I have a feeling our secret would get out. Then this would all be pointless. After all, Haru-chi can't know you're in the play."

Hearing the girl's name again, Kanako paused. "...Do you really think this will work?" she asked. "What do you mean? Of course it will," Chiyo said, sure of herself. "B-But what if it just makes Haruna freak out even more? I mean, if I was her, and the person I love suddenly showed up on stage while I was acting, I don't even know if I could finish the show. I'm just worried we might make things worse…"

"Mm, I guess it could," Chiyo said. "But the way Haru-chi's been lookin' lately, I get the feeling that this should do it." "I-I don't think I really understand," Kanako said. "That's fine. It's not like ya need to anyways," Chiyo said casually. "You know how you feel, and you know how Haru-chi feels. With this last little push, I think you'll both finally get what ya want." "Well, when you put it that way…" Kanako said. It wasn't as if her concerns were fully addressed, but Chiyo was certainly right. Both Kanako and Haruna's feelings were the most important part here. If Kanako did what she was supposed to and played the part of a lover on stage, then maybe that really would be enough.

Ultimately, it was Kanako's desire that won out. "I'll… just have to do my best," she finally said. "Great," Chiyo said back with a smile. "Should we go over the script?" "Sure," Kanako said. Sharing the booklet between them, Chiyo began pointing out all of her lines.

"I-It seems like you already know this pretty well," Kanako commented after a bit. "As much as I hate to admit it, the story is good," Chiyo said with a sigh. "And, the woman I play, Sydney Alto, is pretty fun." "She seems a lot like you," Kanako said. "Haha, yeah, a couple of people have said that already," Chiyo said. "But…" Kanako began to say, trailing off. "Hm?" Chiyo let out.

"...This character, Sydney Alto… She's perfect for you Chiyo," Kanako said. "She comes off as confident and, w-well, sexy. She's like a seductress. There's no way I can play someone like that." "Ya think I'm a seductress?" Chiyo teased. "T-That's not the point!" Kanako cried. "I know, I know," Chiyo said with a wave. "But ya won't know until ya try, right? So, how 'bout we go to my house and try a little practice?" "A-Alright..." Kanako agreed.

*****

After practicing for a half hour, Chiyo stared at Kanako. "Mmm… How do I say this? Kana-chan, you've… got like, no sex appeal." "Ugh," Kanako groaned, feeling like she was just hit by a concrete slab. "I mean, it's not like you don't have anything to work with, but I'm just no really feeling it," Chiyo observed. "I told you you were better for this than me…" Kanako said, disheartened.

In the time they had been practicing, Kanako had gone through nearly half of the scenes for Sydney. Naturally, most of them involved saying phrases in a sultry manner or moving in an alluring fashion. Unfortunately for Kanako, those were traits she didn't possess. "This is probably impossible…" she mumbled. "C'mon Kana-chan, cheer up! You'll get it!" Chiyo said, trying to encourage her, but all she got was a glare. "Says the girl who can already do all of this stuff!"

Chiyo went into thought for a moment. "Hey, why don't we try this?" she said. "Instead of trying to be Sydney, just be yourself." "W-What does that mean?" Kanako asked, confused. "You be you, but be the you that wants to seduce Haru-chi," Chiyo explained. "S-seduce?!" Kanako exclaimed. "I just want to tell her my feelings, not get her-" The rest of that sentence would've been, "in bed," but Kanako stopped just short of finishing. After all, she'd be lying if she said the thought had never crossed her mind.

"Not get her, what, Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked playfully. "N-Nothing…" Kanako said quietly, averting her eyes. "If it's nothing, then why can't ya look me in the eye when ya say that?" Chiyo asked. "Ummm…" was all Kanako could manage, her face getting hot. In response, Chiyo snickered. "Well whatever. I'll let you keep your lewd fantasies." "T-There not-… that… lewd…" the girl squeaked out. "Kana-chan, if you could see how red your face was right now, you wouldn't believe you," Chiyo said plainly.

"But anyways," the gal continued, "that's actually a good thing that you have those kinds of thoughts." "H-Huh? Why?" Kanako asked. "Because you're playing a sexy character. The word sex is literally in the description," Chiyo pointed out. "If you can be in that mindset about Haru-chi, then the role should come more naturally to you." "You sound like you know a lot about acting," Kanako commented. "Not really," Chiyo said with a shrug. "I just spent all night with this one guy one time, and in between all the banging, he kept telling me about acting because that's what he wanted to do with his life." "A-Ah…" Kanako let out, now wishing she knew one less thing about Chiyo.

With a clap of her hands, Chiyo brought Kanako to attention. "Okay, let's try this line here," she said, pointing down to a sentence in the script. "O-Okay," Kanako said. "Remember, you wanna seduce Haru-chi," Chiyo said. "P-Please stop saying it like that…" Kanako whimpered. "Alright, I'll give you the line before," the gal said.

"So, where will you go tonight? It's pretty cold."

"Well y'know, they say that two people together are warmer than one. You got any spare room in that lonely old apartment of yours Georgie?"

"Whoaaa…" Chiyo said. "That was totally so much better!" "R-Really?" Kanako asked sheepishly. "Yep! Guess my plan worked after all," Chiyo said proudly. "L-Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's still a lot more script to go over," Kanako said. So, the two of them continued to practice. By the time they stopped, it was around 8 at night.

"Oh no!" Kanako exclaimed. "It's already this late?!" "Did ya need to be home by a certain time Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked. "N-No. I just think my parents are probably wondering where I'm at," Kanako said. "You could just ask them to spend the night," Chiyo suggested. "W-What?! I can't do that so last-minute!" Kanako cried. "C'mon, it'll be fun!" Chiyo insisted. "I can't!" Kanako said back. "My parents aren't that strict, but I know they wouldn't let me pull something like that. Besides, I still have homework to do, and I'm sure you do too." "Booo," Chiyo pouted. Seeing her face, Kanako laughed. "We'll do a sleepover some other time. Maybe even with a group of us." "A group?" Chiyo repeated. "Yeah. What about me, you, Haruna and Mi-chan?"

Chiyo thought about that for a moment before a blush crossed her face. "A-A sleepover with Mi-chan…?" she said to herself. "Wouldn't that be nice?" Kanako asked. "That would probably be a bad idea…" Chiyo muttered. "Huh? Why?" Kanako asked. "Because if we did, and I got to spend all day and night around Mi-chan…" Chiyo said. "...I don't think I'd be able to control myself…" "O-Oh," Kanako said. "Right…" It wasn't as if Chiyo's feelings for Michi had slipped Kanako's mind. In fact, it was the opposite. It was really just an idea she had thrown out there, but if the four of them could do something like that, Kanako had hoped it would provide Chiyo an opportunity to make some progress with Michi. However, she hadn't taken into account just how strong Chiyo's feelings were. "I guess that wouldn't work…" Kanako thought.

After talking idly for a few minutes more, they came back to one of their problems. "Is there anybody working backstage that we could trust?" Kanako asked. "Hmm," Chiyo said while in thought. "Oh! Hinami-chan! She's working backstage!" "Hinami-chan is?" Kanako said. "I'll probably eat lunch with her tomorrow, so I can talk to her then and ask her if she'll help us." "Yay!" Chiyo said excitedly. "See? It's all coming together!"

Once she had said her goodbyes, Kanako began making the walk back. It was definitely still cold out, and as she made her way back, she could feel her nose and hands getting colder. "I wonder," she thought. "If Haruna and I were holding hands right now, would I feel warmer?" She was sure at least one of her hands would, maybe even more. Thinking about that, it drove home just how much Kanako wished to have Haruna by her side. "I want to be able to hold her hand again, whenever I want," she thought. Keeping that in mind, Kanako began to unconsciously put more hope into Chiyo's plan than before.

*****

"W-W-W-What???" Hinami sputtered in shock. ""Y-You're going on stage Kana-chan?" "N-Not so loud!" Kanako hushed the bob-haired girl next to her. Sitting in their now usual spot on the stairs, Kanako had told Hinami all about Chiyo's plan to switch places during the show. "B-But," Hinami said. "W-Will that even be possible? A-A lot of people are involved i-in this play. I-If only a few people know, won't you just cause a lot of confusion?" "That's why we're telling a couple of the people working backstage. That way, even if people panic, others will still be able to run the show and get others back on track. A-Actually, I was hoping you could talk to a few of them and get them on board." "M-Me?!? Hinami exclaimed. "I-I can't! T-They wouldn't listen to me!" "Why not?" Kanako asked innocently. "W-Well, um…" Hinami sputtered once more.

The truth was, no one had a problem with Hinami. If she asked, they'd probably agree to help. However, the problem was the girl's confidence. She didn't speak up much, so she was afraid that if she tried to, she'd just be ignored. "Pleeaaase Hinami-chan!" Kanako begged. "I promise it'll be fine! Everybody likes you, so if you ask, they'll listen! I'll even treat you to something after!" "Y-You don't have to go that far…" Hinami said shyly. "B-But… okay. I-I'll have to interact with them anyways, s-so this is a good opportunity!" "That's the spirit!" And with that, the number of people supporting Kanako and Chiyo's plan went up by one.

*****

It was about a week later when Chiyo took Kanako to the Home Ec club room. "I go by here all the time, but I've never actually been inside," Kanako said. "I have once before," Chiyo said. "Although, I can't say I really know anybody in this club." "S-So will they help us?" Kanako asked nervously. "Like, I think so?" Chiyo said with some uncertainty. "They just started making the costumes, so adding in a couple more shouldn't be a problem." "Now I'm a little worried," Kanako said.

Sliding the door open, Chiyo went in first. "Helllooo!" she declared. Inside the room were several tables and racks of outfits and costumes. On a table to the side were piles of different colors of fabric, and seated at a sewing machine apiece were the four members of the Home Ec club.

"You're Wakabayashi-san, right? The one in the class play?" one of them asked, looking up in surprise from her machine. "That's right!" the gal said. "And I've come to ask a favor." "A favor?" another repeated.

"Hey, come in here," Chiyo beckoned behind her. Appearing from behind her back was of course Kanako, which only served to further the club members' confusion. "Aren't you Nakatomi-san?" one of them asked. "Huh? You know me?" Kanako asked. "Yeah. I think we were in the same class last year," the girl answered. Although, when Kanako took a good look at her face, she couldn't really say she remembered the girl.

"So what's this about a favor?" the final girl who hadn't spoken said. Judging by how she spoke, Kanako assumed she was the president. "So like, we were kinda hoping you could make two versions of each of my outfits," Chiyo said. "What?" the president said, baffled by the request. "Why would you need two? Actually, that doesn't even matter. With only four of us, the workload is already high enough. Adding in more would be next to impossible."

Kanako looked around nervously. "This isn't going well," she thought. "And the other members seem to be in complete agreement with their president…" But, despite that, Chiyo pressed on. "I guess I should explain. Oh, but this has to be a total secret, okay?" Hearing that, all of the club members tentatively nodded. "Great. So, here's the thing. I was kinda hoping to use this play to help Kana-chan here finally confess her feelings to Haru-chi."

For a moment, the room was silent. Kanako could feel her anxiety rise. "...They probably hate the idea," she thought. "We're already asking them to do extra work which they wouldn't even benefit from, and on top of that, it has to do with my love life. Then there's the biggest issue. Haruna and I are both girls. Will they even be willing to support that? I wouldn't be surprised if at least one or two of them said no…"

However, before Kanako could think any longer, she found herself swarmed.

"Is it true?! Those rumors weren't just rumors?!"

"I can't believe you two aren't actually a couple already!"

"What's Endo-san like in private?!"

"How are you going to confess?!"

"U-Uh, um…" Kanako bumbled, turning to look at the gal behind her. "Chiyo…" Her eyes practically screamed the words "Help me!" "Okay, okay," Chiyo said. "Let the girl breathe." Realizing how rash they had acted, the club members backed off. Turning back to Kanako, Chiyo gave her a smile. "I actually talked to them yesterday about all those rumors about you and Haru-chi, just to get a feel for how they felt about it. Apparently, they're pretty big fans of you two."

"H-Huh? F-Fans?" Kanako said, shocked. "Yes," the club president answered. "We've all been rooting for you two." Hearing that, Kanako stared at them. "...Why?" she finally said. "You don't even know us, and we're both girls… How can you so easily support something like that?"

For a while, it was silent as the club members thought about Kanako's question. Breaking the silence first was the club president. "Back when we were in junior high," she began. "I remember seeing you and Endo-san fight all the time. And, I remember thinking that that was so weird. I saw you two back in elementary school. You were so close. Then, next thing I knew, you two were always yelling at each other. That really made me… sad. I figured you and Endo-san would be friends forever. Before I knew it, I found myself wishing all the time that you would become friends again."

"Then, when this year started, I heard some weird rumors. People started saying you two were going out. At first, I couldn't believe it. Even when I saw you and Endo-san together holding hands, it was pretty obvious you two still weren't getting along. I thought, 'How can people think they're a couple?' But… one day, I noticed something changed. The both of you were walking to school together like you had been, and you were holding hands. However, instead of a glare or an air of annoyance, Endo-san looked genuinely happy to be with you."

"Ever since then, I've kept my eye on you two. And, the longer I watch, the more I see the love you each have for each other grow. Honestly, with most people, Endo-san is pretty rough around the edges. But, when she's with you, Nakatomi-san, it's like she's a completely different person. I didn't even think it was possible for Endo-san to smile that much."

"She's still rough, but ever since she started being with you again, she's gotten softer and easier to deal with. That's thanks to you Nakatomi-san. And, I'm sure you've changed too because of her. Now, I'm not sure where both of you stand romantically, but I do know one thing. Seeing the two of you together, just getting along, makes me happy enough, and it's obvious how much the two of you make each other happy. So, if I can do anything to help with that, then I'm willing to help."

"See Kana-chan?" Chiyo said gently. "You have people here who will support you. You're not alone in this, remember?" But, before she could get a word out, Kanako could feel tears dripping down her face. Honestly, she had expected the worst. Ai, Mayu's mother, had shown a fair amount of disdain toward the idea of two girls dating. The rumors around Kanako and Haruna were certainly not always nice, and to top it all off, Michi, her best friend, was vehemently against the idea. So, it was only natural that Kanako would expect the worst.

What she hadn't expected though, was how touched she'd be. To hear someone express such deep support for her love was something that had been a rarity for Kanako. Sure, Mayu knew about her feelings, but Kanako didn't really know where her friend stood on the issue. There were Jasmine and Chiyo, but they had been there since the beginning. Technically Akio probably counted, but Kanako didn't care what he thought of it all. Lastly, there was Hinami, who showed her support, but it felt more like cheering than anything.

The president of the Home Ec club was the first stranger Kanako had met that not only said she supported Kanako's love, but that she wanted to help. Her words held conviction and meaning, and they had made their way all the way to Kanako's heart. "Maybe Chiyo's right…" she thought. "Maybe there are more people out there that support us than I thought."

"The president said it best."

"We love seeing you two together! You look so cute!"

"I still can't believe you're not actually dating yet."

"T-Thank you," Kanako said with a sniffle. "It means a lot to hear you say that." "So, like, that means you'll help us, yeah?" Chiyo asked. "Yes," the club president said. "Although, I'm curious to know the rest of your plan." "It's pretty simple," Chiyo said. "Me and Kana-chan are just gonna switch on stage."

"…" "…" "…" "…"

All four club members went silent. "That's…" the club president said. "...rather ambitious. You do realize you'll cause quite the commotion." "Yeah, but it'll be fine," Chiyo said breezily. "It's not like they'll stop the play right in the middle. Kana-chan will come out in character, so other than the two of us looking different physically, it'll still be Sydney Alto." "Ah, so that's why you need doubles of some of your outfits," the club president said, nodding with understanding.

Turning to address her fellow members, the president spoke. "It looks like we've got even more work to do. But, it's for a cause we all believe in! I hope there aren't any complaints?" When asked, a resounding no rang out. So, with the Home Ec club now on board, the support for Kanako and Chiyo's plan grew.

*****

"Okay Kana-chan, let's do it one more time!" Chiyo announced. It was now only a few days until the day of the show, and the two girls were at the Wakabayashi house going through the script yet again. "Ugh…" Kanako groaned. "Chiyooo, we've gone through it three time today already!" "Practice makes perfect!" Chiyo said proudly. "This 'practice' is taking over my mind. I'm pretty sure the script was even in my dreams last night…" Kanako muttered. "C'mon, just one more time," Chiyo insisted. With a great sigh, Kanako lifted herself up off the couch and began again.

"Where's Mr. Holden?"

"He's just over here."

"Oh! There you are! Have you heard? It's-"

And so the practice went on. By this point, Kanako was feeling fairly confident in her acting abilities. Whether or not she made a convincing Sydney Alto, she wasn't sure, but at the very least, she felt like she was portraying someone much more mature than she was. And, with how many times she had gone through the script now, Kanako was sure she wouldn't forget a line. "All that's left is the performance."

*****

And so the day of the show came. When Kanako got up that day, she quickly got ready and made her way to the school. After all, there was a lot to do in a hurry. Not only did she have to get her stuff in order, but she also had to do it all in secret so that the other play members wouldn't find out about her switching places with Chiyo.

Once that was taken care of, it wasn't much longer until it was time for Kanako's make-up to be done. Luckily, one of the Home Ec girls was skilled enough to do it, so she handled that task. Kanako also got her dress on, then got messied up a little to give the appearance of being in a rush. When she looked in the mirror, she hardly recognized herself.

"So this is Sydney Alto…" she mumbled to herself. It truly was like seeing another person, even with the disheveled state she was in. Taking one last look, Kanako turned to face the door leading out of the club room she was in. While she had been getting the final touches put on, the play had started. Now, the time had come for her to join the stage.

With a wish of good luck, Kanako was sent off toward the gymnasium. Quietly, she snuck into the back, weaving through people in the dark wings of the stage until she found Hinami. Once she did, they both exchanged a small nod. This was it. It would now fall to Hinami and her partners-in-crime to keep the backstage in order.

The final step now loomed. As the scene played out on the stage, Kanako stared on. "Here we go," she thought as her cue came. Marching up through the wing, several people finally took notice of her, but before they could stop her, Chiyo and another girl Kanako didn't recognize got in their way. Her path was clear, and Kanako went out onto the stage, coming in from the right side.

Under those bright lights, she took on the persona of the character she had learned, while Haruna stood across from her, dumbstruck.

End of Chapter Sixteen.