Pseudo-Harem Academy: I Can't Stop Acting Around Senpai!
Nanakura Rin has a problem: whenever she's around Eiji-senpai, the boy she likes, her mouth moves on its own—and out comes a flawless tsundere, little-devil, or clingy-girl performance. One girl playing every heroine role? To Eiji, that's comedy gold. To Rin, it's armor. Ever since a middle school play went horribly wrong, she's been terrified of letting anyone see the real her—especially the senpai who calls her "the ultimate harem" without a clue.
But when the drama club announces a romance p
Pseudo-Harem Academy: I Can't Stop Acting Around Senpai! - The stage is a massive bloodbath! A cultural festival of raw confessions and improvised chaos
The wings of the gymnasium were cold and dark. The heat outside felt like a lie—here, the air itself seemed to have stopped.
Nanakura Rin clutched the new script Iwata had given her with trembling fingertips. The paper was damp, sticking to her fingers. The title on the cover—*The Many Faces of Love*—was smudged with her sweat.
On the last page, in Iwata's handwriting:
*"From here on, it's your words."*
She traced it with her finger, over and over. The paper was nearly worn through.
"Big sis!"
Pattering little footsteps. Rin turned to see her little sister Ayaka running toward her with her friend Moe. Both had bright red cheeks and sparkling eyes.
"Big sis, do your best!"
Ayaka grabbed Rin's hand with both of hers and squeezed. Small, warm hands.
"Rin, I'll be watching from the very front row!"
Moe bounced up and down on her toes.
"...Yeah. Thank you."
Rin made a smile. But the muscles in her cheeks wouldn't cooperate.
"Rin-senpai."
This time, Shirasawa Kiri poked her head out. Her chestnut semi-long hair swayed softly. The old digital camera hanging from her neck clicked.
"I'll be watching too. Senpai's coolest moments."
Kiri grinned, her snaggletooth peeking out.
"...Kiri-chan."
Rin stared at Kiri's face.
(This girl is always so direct. No matter what character I'm playing, she sees *me*.)
"Thank you. But I don't know if I can be cool."
Rin said it honestly.
"You'll be fine! You're the drama club's hope, Rin-senpai!"
Kiri said it with all the energy she had.
"Big sis, the hope!"
"Hope! Hope!"
Ayaka and Moe chanted together, hopping in place.
Rin couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"...Yeah. Thank you."
That's when.
"Rin."
A low, gentle voice.
Eiji walked out from behind the set panels. His light brown, messy mop of hair was visible even in the dim wings. The small scar on his left eyebrow. His dark brown eyes that curved into crescent moons when he smiled.
"Senpai..."
Rin's heart gave a thump.
Eiji stood in front of her and looked straight into her eyes.
"You don't have to force it. Just be yourself."
Those words were the same as the message she'd seen on her phone screen last night.
*"Tomorrow, I'm going all out too. Whatever you do, I'll be right beside you."*
"I'll be right beside you today."
Eiji said it and flashed a grin.
(Ah, really...)
Rin felt a warmth spreading deep in her chest.
(This is what I love about him.)
"...Yes."
Rin nodded—small, but certain.
The buzzer for the start of the performance echoed through the gymnasium.
The murmur of the audience hushed all at once.
"...Let's go."
Rin took a step forward.
The stage lights illuminated her.
Dazzling.
The faces in the audience were dark and hard to make out. But she could feel hundreds of gazes piercing her skin.
(It's okay. It's okay.)
Rin repeated it in her mind.
She still clutched the script. But she didn't open it.
(Not the script's lines. My words.)
Eiji was waiting for her at center stage. As Lihit, Lirina's counterpart.
Rin stood before him.
"Lirina."
Eiji called to her in his character's voice.
Rin lifted her face.
Eiji's straight, unwavering eyes.
(Say it. My true feelings.)
Her heart was pounding. Her palms were soaked with sweat. Her throat was bone-dry.
(I'm scared. So scared.)
(But I won't run. I've already decided.)
Rin dropped the script to the floor.
*Flutter.*
The sound echoed absurdly loud in the silent gymnasium.
The audience stirred.
Eiji's eyes went wide.
Rin looked straight into his eyes.
" ...Senpai."
Her voice trembled.
"I'm in love with you."
It was her real voice.
No decoration, no acting, nothing.
Just Rin's voice, straight and true.
The gymnasium went dead silent.
Eiji froze.
His dark brown eyes flew wide open.
(Ah. I said it.)
For a moment, Rin didn't even understand what had just happened.
(I just told senpai I love him.)
She heard a small gasp from the audience.
"Big sis... she did it..."
From the wings, Ayaka's small, trembling voice.
"She did it! Big sis said it!"
Ayaka stifled her voice and jumped up and down.
"Rin, amazing! Amazing!"
Moe grabbed Ayaka's hands and bounced with her.
On stage—
Rin couldn't continue with the lines after the confession.
Her mind was completely blank.
(What do I do? The next line. I threw away the script. But I wanted to use my own words...)
Rin stood frozen in place.
Eiji was still frozen too.
Silence.
The air in the gymnasium turned to ice.
That's when.
"—The heroine has now laid bare her true self!"
From the wings, Iwata's calm voice rang out through the microphone.
"She has cast off every mask she has worn until now, and declared her true love to one man alone!"
Iwata improvised a narration.
The audience stirred.
"Whoa..."
"What is this? Isn't this amazing?"
"Ad-lib? That's not in the script?"
Voices spread through the crowd.
Rin snapped back to herself.
(Iwata-kun...)
From the wings, Iwata gave a small thumbs-up.
Rin looked at Eiji's face.
Eiji was still staring at her, eyes wide.
(Senpai. Look at me. Please. Notice me.)
Rin stared back, pouring all her feelings into her gaze.
Eiji's dark brown eyes wavered.
(Huh...? Rin's eyes... something's different from usual.)
Something stirred, small, deep in Eiji's chest.
"Hold on a second—!!"
Suddenly, a loud voice rang through the gymnasium.
Nakayama Motokuni came bursting out from the wings.
A tall man with short black hair parted seven-to-three. His narrow, long eyes were smiling cheerfully. The old wristwatch on his left wrist caught the stage lights and glinted.
"Club president!?"
Rin shouted in her real voice.
"I'm in love with Rin too—!!"
Nakayama stood at center stage, arms spread wide, and shouted.
The audience went silent for a beat.
And then.
"Pffft!!"
"What the—!?"
"Wait, the club president too!?"
Laughter erupted.
"W-wait a minute! President, what are you saying!?"
Rin turned bright red and rounded on Nakayama.
"What do you mean, what am I saying? It's a confession. Whoever pulls off the best ad-lib during the real performance wins—that's drama club tradition, right?"
Nakayama laughed, completely unbothered.
"I've never heard of that tradition!"
Rin raised her voice.
"Well, there is one now. I just made it up."
"Don't make up traditions!"
Rin's retort drew even more laughter from the audience.
"Ahahaha!"
"The president is the worst!"
"But it's hilarious!"
"Me too—!!"
This time, Kiri came dashing onto the stage.
"I'm in love with Eiji-senpai too—!!"
Kiri shouted at Eiji with all her might.
"K-Kiri-chan!?"
Rin's eyes went wide.
"H-huh!? Wait, what are you all doing!?"
Eiji finally unfroze and raised his voice in panic.
"Eiji-senpai! I love you, senpai!"
Kiri thrust her face close to Eiji's.
"O-oh... thanks...?"
Eiji scratched his head, bewildered.
"Hey, Eiji! You're my rival now!"
Nakayama clamped a hand on Eiji's shoulder.
"Huh, me!? Why!?"
Eiji's eyes darted around.
"Isn't it obvious! This is the great love war over Rin!"
Nakayama declared grandly.
"I won't lose either! Not to Rin-senpai, not to Eiji-senpai!"
Kiri clenched both fists, fired up.
"W-wait a minute! Why am I involved!?"
Rin, face bright red, wedged herself between the two.
"Because, Rin-senpai, you think I'm cool too, right?"
Kiri tilted her head and looked up at Rin.
"That's not the point!"
Rin shouted.
The stage was in complete chaos.
Rin bright red. Eiji dumbfounded. Nakayama roaring with laughter. Kiri bouncing around.
The audience was swallowed in a whirlpool of laughter.
"Kyaa! This is amazing!"
In the wings, Ayaka was jumping for joy.
"Big sis is so popular!"
Moe giggled along.
"Wait a minute! This was supposed to be a serious scene!?"
Rin appealed to the audience.
"The more serious the scene, the more people laugh. That's theater, isn't it?"
Nakayama said cheerfully.
"President, that is absolutely not true!"
Rin shot back.
"Rin, you're today's lead, aren't you? Come on, have some dignity."
Nakayama patted her on the back.
"How am I supposed to have dignity in the middle of this mess!?"
Rin shouted, half in tears.
"A mess is the flower of theater!"
"It's not a flower!"
The well-timed back-and-forth between Rin and Nakayama sent the audience into even more hysterics.
"Ahahahaha!"
"The best!"
"The drama club is hilarious!"
Applause and cheers filled the gymnasium.
Rin, surrounded by laughter, thought:
(It's a total mess. The script, the lines, everything.)
(But somehow... it's fun.)
(I'm on stage right now, and I'm laughing.)
Rin looked at Eiji's face.
Eiji was laughing too.
A troubled laugh, but a happy one.
(Ah, thank goodness.)
Rin felt the tightness in her chest loosen with relief.
(Senpai is smiling.)
Somehow, the play managed to come together after that.
Nakayama forcibly brought the story to a conclusion.
Kiri sang with all her energy.
And at the end, Eiji took Rin's hand.
"Lirina. I want to see all of you."
Eiji's line, in character.
Rin squeezed his hand back.
"...Yes."
Rin answered in her real voice.
The curtain fell.
The gymnasium erupted in thunderous applause.
"Bravo!"
"That was amazing!"
"Best cultural festival ever!"
Rin staggered back into the wings and collapsed.
"Big sis!"
Ayaka ran over and threw her arms around Rin.
"Big sis, you were so cool! So, so cool!"
Ayaka clung tightly to Rin's neck.
"Rin, I was so moved!"
Moe hugged Rin from behind.
"...Thank you. Both of you, for watching."
Rin gently patted their heads.
"Rin-senpai!"
Kiri came running over with a towel.
"Rin-senpai, great work! You were amazing! I got goosebumps!"
Kiri, visibly excited, held out the towel.
"Thanks, Kiri-chan. You were amazing too."
Rin took the towel and wiped her sweat.
"I confessed to Eiji-senpai again! Ehehe."
Kiri gave a bashful laugh.
"...Yeah. I heard."
Rin smiled wryly.
"Rin-san."
Iwata quietly approached.
"Good work. You were wonderful."
Iwata spoke in his usual flat tone.
"Iwata-kun... thank you. If you hadn't added that narration, I would've just stood there frozen."
Rin bowed deeply.
"No. That was your strength. You showed Eiji your true self. That alone made the stage complete."
Iwata's lips curved, just slightly.
"I just helped a little."
"...Thank you."
Rin said it again.
The first day of the cultural festival ended.
The after-party was held at the shopping district's café, Poem.
A retro Showa-style coffee shop. Old wooden tables and red velvet chairs. Faded posters on the walls.
The drama club members had claimed the six-seat table in the back.
"Man, this year's cultural festival was the best!"
Nakayama said cheerfully, a cola bottle in one hand.
"President, that was way too much."
Rin glared at Nakayama while sipping her orange juice.
"What are you talking about? It was because of that mess that the audience went wild."
Nakayama said smugly.
"Well, I suppose in the end, maybe..."
Rin trailed off.
"Fufu. I never thought you'd go that far."
Iwata laughed, sipping his iced coffee.
"Iwata, your narration was the best too! That was completely off-script, wasn't it!"
Eiji clapped Iwata on the shoulder while stuffing his face with neapolitan.
"The script is just a starting point. No one knows what will happen in the real performance. That's what makes theater fun."
Iwata said it casually.
"You say some amazing things sometimes."
Eiji nodded, impressed.
"Eiji-senpai, did you hear my confession?"
Kiri looked up at Eiji from beside him, sipping her cream soda.
"Y-yeah. I heard it. Thanks."
Eiji scratched his head, embarrassed.
"I meant it, you know!"
Kiri said with a serious face.
"O-oh..."
Eiji laughed awkwardly.
Rin watched the exchange in silence.
(Kiri-chan really is so direct.)
(If only I could convey my feelings that honestly.)
"Rin."
Eiji peered into Rin's face.
"Y-yes!"
Rin flinched.
"Your confession today was seriously convincing. Was that really jus
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