"Long ago—in the castle of a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess named Snow White, who possessed skin as white as snow—"
As I stepped onto the stage, the overhead stage lights and the second-floor spotlights flared to life, and the voice of the girl in charge of the narration echoed through the gym.
Three spotlights from the balcony converged on me at once, the one playing Snow White.
(It’s not just blinding; it’s actually kind of hot.)
"Whoa, a guy is really playing Snow White."
"His skin is so pale for a boy. He must have a serious skincare routine."
My skin is only this pale because I’m a total shut-in...
"Wait, isn't that... the guy who was rumored to be with Miyama-san?"
Gah... Don't notice stuff like that now, you nosy spectators.
The audience members in the seats stared intently at me, their expressions a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity.
The gazes directed my way were a blur of confusion and expectation.
(Ah, whatever, look all you want... I've come this far prepared for this to be a permanent stain on my reputation.)
My acting was terrible, delivered in my usual flat monotone, and my voice wasn't particularly loud.
But I... I was going to see this through to the end.
(I'll finish this quickly and reclaim my peaceful daily life!!)
Once the chatter from the audience died down, I began to recite my lines.
"O-Oh, every day living in the castle is exactly the same... but maybe one day, I'll finally meet my Prince on a White Horse!"
Having to say lines like that in front of my sister and my best friend was the ultimate form of public humiliation.
However, once the play actually started, I felt surprisingly refreshed, just as Kuroki had predicted.
The anxiety and desperation I had felt before stepping onto the stage vanished instantly, and the lines flowed from my mouth with strange ease.
(Once it starts, I guess I don't really feel nervous...)
After finishing the opening scene where Snow White lived her peaceful life, I exited to the wings during the scene change.
"Ryouta-kun, that wasn't half bad, you know?"
As I stepped off-stage, Kuroki, who was waiting in the wings, called out to me.
"Shut up... But, like you said, Kuroki, I might not be as nervous as I thought."
"Hehe. That's good. Oh, the next scene is starting."
Next was the familiar scene where the Queen, Snow White's stepmother, asked the mirror, "Who is the fairest of them all?"
Hino was playing the Queen, and since Snow White didn't appear in this scene, I could take a breather.
Our class's version of Snow White was roughly divided into six scenes.
The beginning where Snow White lived peacefully and the scene where the stepmother questioned the mirror.
Then the middle section, where the Hunter—ordered by the Queen to assassinate Snow White—let her escape into the forest, followed by the scene where Snow White stumbled into the Dwarf House and began living with the Dwarfs.
And finally, the climax at the end, where the Queen came to the Dwarf House to trick Snow White into eating the Poison Apple, and the curtain closed on the scene where the Prince kissed her.
In other words, there were four major scenes left.
Once I ran into the forest, met the Dwarfs, ate the apple, and died, I could spend the rest of the time sleeping. I would essentially be a NEET.
The play would end with me just waiting to be kissed.
"Come on, Ryouta-kun, it’s almost time."
"O-Oh, right."
After the Queen's scene ended, we moved to the forest scene in the middle.
"The Hunter, ordered by the Queen to kill her, brought Snow White deep into the forest."
As the scene transitioned with the narration, I entered the scene where I was spared by the Hunter.
I was led into the forest on stage, my hand held by a girl from the athletic club who was playing the Hunter.
"Oh, what a truly pitiful Snow White... I shall tell the Queen that you are dead, so please, flee into the forest!"
"Y-Yes..."
After this scene of being let go by the Hunter, the next scene would feature "that person"...
Yes, during rehearsals, there was one person who, while trying her best, was just as bad at acting as I was.
Seven Dwarfs (all girls) appeared from the wings.
Among them, standing proudly in the center, was the Red Dwarf, Airi Miyama.
She wore a red dwarf hat and a white beard around her mouth.
Even during the actual performance, the top button of her red jacket was open as usual, offering a clear glimpse of her busty cleavage.
Even though the roles were gender-swapped, we had managed to keep things wholesome up to this point...
It felt completely out of place, like a gravure idol suddenly appearing on a children's educational program.
"Oh my, oh my? With those beautiful? clothes and that handsome? face, could you be Ryu... no, Snow White!? This is truly a godsend? Since you're here, please make yourself at home in Airi's... I mean, our Dwarf House—"
Airi Miyama, the Busty Dwarf, had memorized her lines, but she tilted her head in confusion every time a difficult phrase came up, and to top it off, she almost called me by my real name.
(The actual performance is a total mess too!!)
Feeling anxious, I glanced toward the audience.
"Wow, Airi-chan's cosplay is so cute!"
"Wait, is that supposed to be... a Dwarf?"
"They're way too big."
"Airi-tan... huff, huff."
Apparently, the audience (the creeps) was satisfied.
Anything goes with these people, doesn't it?
As we transitioned into the scene of Snow White living in the Dwarf House, it became a scene where Snow White sat in a chair and was pampered by the seven Dwarfs.
"Snow White. Dinner is ready. Here, say 'ahh'."
"Snow White? I'll give your shoulders a little rub~"
"Snow White, let me clean your ears too~"
In the original story, Snow White was supposed to be the one doing the housework... but for some reason, the Dwarf House had turned into a harem occupied by seven girls.
I'd felt something was off about this part of the script for a while now... Why did it turn into a harem?
"Wh-What's with that Snow White? I'm so jealous."
"I want Airi-tan to give me a massage too..."
"Don't screw with me, my girlfriend is one of those Dwarfs!?"
The audience buzzed with unrest.
Had there ever been a play where so much animosity was directed at Snow White?
"And so, Snow White enjoyed a life of leisure and comfort in the Dwarf House, but then one day—"
Finally, we reached the scene where Snow White would eat the apple. Hino, playing the Queen, entered the Dwarf House wearing a black hood and handed the Poison Apple to me.
(Alright, let's just eat the apple and go to sleep.)
At that moment—I caught sight of Yuria waiting for her turn in the wings.
With a gaze that was a bit different from her usual cold stare—a strangely sharp, piercing look—Yuria was staring intently at me.
In the eyes of Yuria, who had previously declared she would "do this for real," there was a flicker of something far more intense than usual.