Chapter Thirty-eight

It's finally the first day of the school festival. Students were buzzing around to set everything up early in the morning. 

Kizano paced back and forth on the stage. He massaged his temples, 'Hopefully nothing goes wrong today…'

Ayoshi patted his shoulder, "You're going to do good."

With a big smile, Kizano hugged Ayoshi close. "Thank you, that means a lot."

"We're going to make our parents proud," Ayoshi said, hugging him back.

Soon, people started to fill the chairs set up in the gym. The curtains were closed and Kizano peaked out to look at the audience. In front sat his parents, both frowning. He sighed, 'At least they came like they promised…'

Yamazaki walked out onto the stage. He gave everyone a smile and a bow. "Welcome! Today you will watch the love story of a serious prince and a mysterious jester. The Drama Club presents: Joking Deception!" Soon the curtains opened.

Unannounced to everyone in the audience, a couple entered late and sat in the back. Ayoshi glanced over to the crowd, searching where no one could see him. 'Where–' His eyes paused, a weight lifting from his heart.

***

Ayoshi stood before Kizano, shackles imprisoning his wrists and ankles. His head hung low, "I'm… sorry…"

Kizano's face went cold and solemn. "When we met, I wanted to push you away, fearing heartbreak. The more you persisted, the more I learned that it's ok to trust and let others inside your heart. However, you also taught me that you can never truly believe in someone." He turned his back to Ayoshi, clenching his fist. "Take–"

"Please!" Kizano paused, allowing Ayoshi a chance. Ayoshi took a deep breath, tears filling his eyes. "I… I know what I did to you is unforgivable. I came here under imperial order from the King, my father, to infiltrate your kingdom and send back information. My entire life, my father filled my mind with information that you and your father were horrible people, mistreating your people for your own gain and pleasure. However, the longer I stayed, the more I learned how much my father lied to me. You and your father are wonderful rulers. When you took me out of the palace, the smiles I saw on your people's faces were something I'd never seen before. The more I learned about what it truly meant to live for your people, the more I learned that my father has never been the man I thought he was. Whatever punishment you choose to give me, even if it's death, I will accept. However, I promise you, I never sent my father any information back."

Silence filled the gym. Ryoba sniffled, wiping away her tears with a tissue. She looked at her husband, who wasn't paying attention, and texted on his phone. With a twitch of her eye, she snatched the phone from his hand. "Pay attention," she whisper-yelled.

Jokichi pursed his lips, sitting up in his chair. "Mm."

The audience anticipated what Kizano would say next and they were not disappointed. "Your father has declared war with us in hopes of stealing our land. If you wish to live, you will tell me everything you know."

Ayoshi opened his mouth before closing it again. They looked into each other's eyes for a few very long seconds. "What will happen to my people?"

"If we win, they will be treated the same as ours. However, those who do not wish to comply will be dealt with."

Ayoshi closed his eyes, tears falling. "I will tell you everything."

***

As the play continued, Ayoshi would always glance out into the crowd and would see the same thing every time: his mother smiling at him and his father looking at him with a cold, disinterested expression. However, this did not discourage him, it just motivated him to try harder, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he would see two smiles the next time he glanced into the crowd.

Kizano held Ayoshi's stomach as they both laid on the floor. His tears rained on Ayoshi's pale face. "Why would you block that attack?"

"Before you found out about my plans, I had wanted to tell you myself. I grew tired of lying. You taught me what it really meant to be a ruler and I knew that if I continued on with my plans, I would only hurt my people further. However, sadly, you found out before I could tell you myself. The way you led this war, I knew that this world couldn't lose you, but it could lose me. I vowed that I would never let harm come to you and I have fulfilled it to my dying breath."

Kizano pressed their foreheads together. "Don't say that! You aren't going to die and we're going back together!"

Ayoshi lifted his bloodstained hand, caressing Kizano's cheek. "I love you… please take care of them in my sted." 

Ayoshi took his last breath, hand slipping, but Kizano caught it in a tight grip. He intertwined their fingers. "I love you too."

The curtains closed one final time as the crowd stood up with deafening applause. Many had tears in their eyes, wiping them away as they wished for an encore.

Kizano walked out with everyone. They held hands and gave one bow together. "I want to thank you all for coming. The Drama Club and I have been working on this play since the beginning of the year. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into this play for this exact moment. We're so happy to see everyone's response. We hope to see you again for future performances."

"Our next performance will begin in thirty minutes. Please spread the word so that others can experience our performance and of course, we also welcome you back," Yamazaki said. After that, everyone rushed backstage to clean and prepare for their next performance.

Kizano took a deep breath, his heart beating faster than it ever had before. 'Whatever they say now, at least I know I did my best…'

"Ano?"

Kizano paused, taking another deep breath before turning around. He bit his lip, shaking as he turned around. "Yes?"

They smiled, dispersing their once-tired aura. His mother stepped forward, cupping his cheek. "We're sorry, Ano. We were wrong."

His father hugged the both of them, "We understand now. You were amazing up there. Your mother and I will support you in your dream every step of the way."

Ayoshi watched Kizano have his sweet moment with his parents. He touched his chest, 'Stuffy…' He walked away, searching for his parents. After a few minutes, he finds them by the entrance, arguing.

Ryoba held onto Jokichi's arm. "We have to go talk to him!"

Jokichi frowned, looking at his watch. "I have to get back to work. We can talk to him after we all get back home."

Ayoshi felt a wet sensation on his face, looking up to see if there was water dripping, but found nothing. He touched his cheek, feeling a constant stream of liquid. "I do not understand…"

Ryoba, hearing his voice, turns around. Her eyes widen and she rushes towards her son. She grabs his face, wiping his tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that…"

Ayoshi shut his eyes, feeling the tears fall. He removed himself from her hold, walking in front of his father. "Do you… not love me?"

Jokichi opened his mouth and then pursed his lips. "I…"

Ryoba steps forward, forcing a smile. "Of course he loves you. He's your father!"

Ayoshi looked into his father's eyes, whispering, "Then why are you so cold to me? Whenever we speak, it feels like you hate me. I want you to come to my events. I want you to be interested in my life. I want you to smile at me and give me hugs. I want you to love me too…"

Jokichi took in his son's puffy eyes as tears continued to flow down his face. "The day you were born, I was the first to hold you. You didn't cry. I was very worried, but when you looked up at me and held my finger in your tiny hand, I knew that you would be the most important thing in my world. Then the fear hit me, the fear that you would become like the women in your mother's family. I was scared to watch you grow up. I was scared to see you become more and more like them. I was so scared that I blocked you out, completely ignoring your pain because of my selfishness. I'm an awful father. I don't deserve you as my son, but I promise you, I will dedicate the rest of my life to making it up to you." He hugged Ayoshi, giving him a kiss on the head.

Ayoshi buried his face into his father's shoulder, hugging him back. "I look forward to it."