Second Serenade: Chapter 02

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When Aketo pushed open the faculty room door, he found it mostly deserted. It was already past five, so most of the teachers had either gone home or were out supervising clubs in the gym or on the athletic fields. Only a few remained, and among them was Sunahara.

Sunahara was speaking with a female student. From Aketo's vantage point, the girl had her back to him. Her long, straight hair, reaching down to the middle of her back, swayed with a gentle, silken ripple each time she shifted her weight. Her graceful, feminine figure captured his attention.

Noticing Aketo over the girl's shoulder, Sunahara raised a hand in greeting. The girl turned, her hair fanning out gracefully as she glanced back at him. Aketo's heart gave an involuntary lurch. Any guy in his place would have felt the same.

It was Minako Otomo, the undisputed beauty of Tozai High. She looked directly at Aketo, offering him a soft, radiant smile. He managed an awkward, slightly stiff smile in return, but the moment was fleeting. Sunahara said something, and she turned back to him, exchanging a few more words before heading out of the faculty room. She chose the door on the opposite side from where Aketo stood, vanishing without so much as a second glance in his direction.

"Aketo."

Hearing his name, he snapped back to reality. Man, I wish I could've looked at her a little longer, he thought, dragging his feet over to where Sunahara stood.

When he reported that the class had settled on making a film, Sunahara's expression lit up, a reaction so genuine it was impossible to miss.

"A film, huh? That's great! I think you guys can pull it off. Have you decided on a script yet?"

"Not yet... we're still working on it," Aketo replied, mildly put off by how thrilled Sunahara seemed over a class project he had no personal stake in.

Come on, man. I just want to get out of here, he thought, casting exaggerated glances at the clock, hoping the hint would get through. Thankfully, Sunahara took the bait.

"Alright! The vice principal should still be around, so I'll go talk to him right away. You can head home. Oh, and if you ever need advice on the film, just come to me. I made a few movies back when I was a student myself. I can at least give you some tips. After all, I am the faculty advisor for the film club."

Ugh, the last thing I want is your help.

Aketo forced a polite smile, masking his irritation as he backed out of the room.

"Thank you."

After saying this, Aketo casually tried to slip in a question, doing his best to sound nonchalant.

"So, what did Otomo want? Sorry if I interrupted something..."

Sunahara tilted his head slightly, a crease forming between his brows as if he had to think it over. Aketo felt a sudden prickling sweat break out in his palms. Why's he acting like this is some complicated matter?

"Otomo? Who's that?"

...Aketo mentally punched Sunahara in the face. With all his might.

"The girl you were just talking to," he clarified.

"Oh, her!" Sunahara clapped his hands together.

"She brought me the survey results. Oh, right, she did say her name was Otomo or something."

He nodded to himself, then leaned in to peer up at Aketo's face.

"She's quite a beauty, isn't she, Aketo?"

Aketo stiffened, looking down at the shorter man. Sunahara had a faint, knowing smile on his lips. If I blush now, I'll be playing right into his hands. Aketo forced himself to smile back. Perhaps deciding there was no spark of interest there, Sunahara didn't push the topic any further.

"She mentioned she likes old movies. Stuff like Roman Holiday and It Happened One Night. I think that's a pretty solid taste."

Aketo made a mental note of the titles. He'd heard of Roman Holiday before, but It Happened One Night was a new one. Might as well rent them today. If they're her favorites, they've got to be good.

"Alright then, I'll take my leave," he said, giving a brief nod before stepping out of the faculty room.

He muttered the film titles to himself as he made his way down the humid hallway, the heat still clinging to the air despite the sun having set. When he reached the dimly lit entrance, he slipped his feet into his shoes, glancing up as he did so.

Beyond the front entrance, near the edge of the athletic field, he spotted Otomo. She was looking up at the sky, her long hair swaying slightly in the evening breeze. Aketo hurried out the door, his gaze instinctively following hers.

He found himself staring back at the faculty room. Sunahara was leaning far out of one of the windows, scanning the field.

What the hell is he looking for?

Their eyes met, and Sunahara grinned, raising a hand to wave.

"Aketo! It's a go! The vice principal gave the green light!" he called out, his voice echoing across the grounds.

Aketo gave a brisk nod, then made a break for it, cutting across the field as quickly as he could, his face burning with embarrassment. He rushed past Otomo, catching a glimpse of her as he did. She gave a small, amused smile, the corners of her beautiful lips turning up ever so slightly.

Damn you, Sunahara, you idiot! Of all times, why'd you have to yell my name right in front of Otomo?!

Once he reached a point where neither Otomo nor Sunahara were in view, Aketo finally let out a deep breath. Otomo's smile replayed in his mind, over and over — her elegant profile as she gazed up at the sky, that fleeting smile directed his way. It looped in his thoughts, refusing to let go.

She was looking at the sky... at the faculty room... at Sunahara...

Just then, Kakegawa's earlier words came crashing back to him.

"There's a rumor that Otomo likes Sunahara-sensei."

Aketo's mind conjured an image of Sunahara's face — plain, definitely on the lower end of average. There's no way.

No way someone as stunning as Otomo would go for a short, scrawny guy like that.

Yeah, there's no way I'd lose to someone like him.

Aketo snorted to himself, amused at his own pettiness for letting a silly rumor get under his skin.

◇:-:◆:-:◇

Kakegawa wrote the screenplay for the movie. There wasn't anyone else available for the job, and with his sharp mind, Aketo figured he could handle it, so he pushed the task onto him without much consideration. While Kakegawa was writing, Aketo bombarded him with countless requests, making sure the final product was filled with his own romantic aspirations. The result was a cliché, syrupy love story that felt like a blender mix of every popular drama trope.

Naturally, Aketo had planned to cast himself and Minako Otomo as the leads, but that idea was quietly blocked by a few of Otomo's fans in their class. In the end, Aketo had to settle for the role of cameraman. To avoid any internal class conflict, they decided to ask their homeroom teacher to take on the lead male role. Though it left a bitter taste in his mouth, Aketo couldn't exactly insist on his own way, given his position as class president. He swallowed his disappointment and consoled himself with the thought that, as the cameraman, he'd at least get to watch Otomo's close-ups through the lens all day.

The director role went to Hayashida, the only member of the film club in their class. With the cast and props coming together, it was finally time for Aketo and Hayashida, the president and the director, to approach Minako Otomo about taking the lead role.

However, a major obstacle stood in their way.

Otomo refused.

During lunch break, standing in front of the 2-F classroom, she repeatedly murmured, "I'm sorry," her face turning a deep shade of red as she looked down at the floor.

"I'm in a different class... and I've never acted before, so I just don't have the confidence..."

The two boys were at a loss. Tozai High School had only gone co-ed about three years ago, having been an all-boys school before that. Despite the change, it still had a reputation as a boys' school, and the number of female students remained small. If Otomo turned them down, they'd have to find an actress from the limited pool of girls in their own class, which would inevitably affect class morale. And for Aketo, if Otomo refused, it would all feel pointless.

As the minutes ticked by, Hayashida started to lose hope, but Aketo remained determined. If I let this chance slip by, I might never get another one. But Otomo stubbornly refused to budge, her lovely face showing not a hint of wavering. Aketo felt his nerves fraying.

Kakegawa's words echoed in his mind.

"I heard Otomo has a thing for Sunahara-sensei..."

Should he try it? Should he take that gamble? No, I don't want to play that card.

Aketo agonized. If he dropped Sunahara's name and it actually worked, it would mean that Kakegawa's rumor was true.

He crushed the doubt in his mind. Why should I care about Sunahara? There's no way someone like Otomo would like a guy like him.

Even so, he decided to take the risk.

"Kakegawa, the one who wrote the screenplay, said Otomo-san would be perfect for the lead. And Sunahara-sensei said the casting is critical — that we can't compromise on it..."

Otomo's head shot up, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Sunahara-sensei... is involved in this?"

Her voice was small, but there was a definite response. He'd felt her iron resolve crack, just a bit. For a moment, Aketo's heart twisted with conflicting emotions, but he couldn't let the opportunity slip away. He doubled down, deliberately emphasizing Sunahara's name.

"Yeah, he's the film club advisor, so we're hoping to get a lot of guidance from him during the shoot. Right, Hayashida?"

Caught off guard by the sudden mention, Hayashida's eyes darted around nervously.

"Oh, uh, yeah... something like that..."

Otomo's gaze flickered between Aketo and the floor, clearly wavering. Seeing this, Aketo took a step back, deliberately letting his shoulders sag as if giving up.

"But... we don't want to pressure you into it, Otomo-san. It wouldn't be fair."

The act worked. Otomo's eyes wavered even more. She was visibly struggling. Just one word — Sunahara — had her on the ropes. Aketo gave Hayashida a gentle push, guiding him to turn away as if they were about to give up for real.

Hayashida cast one last, longing glance at Otomo.

Then, as their retreating backs reached the edge of earshot, a tiny voice called after them.

"Um, if... if you really think I'd be alright for it..."

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