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The evening sun rays hit the windows of Onyx’s training room, dispersing into a rainbow of fragmented specks adorning the floor.
"What got our Jack Ace late today..." Miyoshi sighs exasperatedly as he gazes at the wall clock.
Kaido had asked him and Kyoharu to meet up after class for a first rehearsal of their shared scenes, who will make the emotional core of the fall performance.
"Don’t know." Kyoharu flips through his fresh script for the fifth time, highlighting all his lines diligently. He and Miyoshi are playing a pair of siblings this time, born in an influant Russian family of the 18th century. Kaido will be the lead of course, a piano teacher of nebulous origins who visits the family mansion for a winter.
And they are currently stuck waiting for said lead. Kyoharu checks his messages again but is texts remain unread.
"Maybe he’s being held by Nagayama-sensei…" He says while getting up, "I’ll go check if everything is alright."
"Don’t." Miyoshi stops him. "Kaido will come back when he can, it’ll do us no good for our other lead to go on a goose chase. Let’s just rehearse our lines for now, I’ll take over his—"
The door flows open before he can finish his sentence and a cheerful, familiar voice shakes the walls of the room.
"Sugachi, Miyoshi ! Let us start a successful rehearsal!"
Onyx’s class leader stands in the doorway, his smile somehow even more radiant than Kyoharu thought possible. Miyoshi isn’t as charmed by the sight.
"Say Kaido, what kind of class leader arrives late for practice?"
Kaido blinks, then cast a glance at the wall clock.
"Ah, I must have forgotten the time, my apologies!" He answers without losing his enthusiasm and strides to them, almost skipping with joy.
"Kaido-san, did something happen— Whoa!"
Kyoharu’s attempt to make sense of the situation gets unexpectedly halted when his Jack Ace takes hold of his hands to start an improvised lindy hop dance.
"Indeed, an historical event!" He announces while leading his partner, the latter doing his best to follow this unplanned choreography. "Our next theater festival shall be unforgettable!"
Miyoshi arches a brow at his words. "Historical, really. What makes you think that?"
Kaido stops the dance to take a dramatical pose. "Quartz has chosen a new Jack Ace, and his name is Mutsumi Kai!"
Who?
Kyoharu cast an interrogative look at Miyoshi, who crosses his arms pensively.
"Mutsumi…? Really…" he smirks, "Did you finally resort to bribing Enishi-sensei?"
"Of course not!" He seems to take genuine offense at the jab. "It was Amber’s previous Al Jeanne themselves who assigned him the role! Unsurprising, Neji Kokuto wouldn’t have left such brilliant talent unused!"
Mutsumi… Mutsumi…
Kyoharu’s mind is replaying Quartz’s previous play, struggling to put a face on that name.
"Um, which role did Mutsumi-san play during the summer performance again?"
"None." Miyoshi answers curtly. "He’s always been an ensemble member. One who counts Kaido here as his number one fan."
"Archrival." Kaido corrects him.
"Right."
Kyoharu jaw drops. An ensemble member, their class leader’s rival? It’s sounds bizarre to say the least.
…Then again, maybe he shouldn’t be surprised at all. He too was assigned to the shadows, yet Kaido saw worth where he himself could find none and brought him at the center of the stage. Kyoharu assumed he was a special case, but it seems it’s simply in his partner’s nature to recognize hidden talents. He was never an exception. Somewhere in his chest the boy feels something twisting unpleasantly.
"Anyhow, we should assure our class’s victory rather than discussing Quartz politics." Miyoshi states unbothered. "So I say enough time idling."
"That’s what I wanted to hear!" Their Jack Ace gives an enthusiastic nod. "Sugachi, I’m counting on your strength. We will bring Onyx victory!"
"We will." He says with all the confidence he can muster. I’ll give all of myself to make you shine.
Amber losing its pillar scriptwriter and Al Jeanne, Quartz gaining a Jack ace with no named role to his record, and Rondhonite…
Sugachi’s heartbeat quickens at the realization that in this moment, Onyx may have the most stable structure of all Univeil. The fulfilment of Kaido’s dream could come much sooner than he ever expected. His fists clenches in anticipation. Now is the time to go all out.
——
"And the first place goes to… Amber!"
It would be difficult to say who experienced the biggest disappointed on the evening of the fall performance. Onyx’s Al Jeanne at the knowledge that they fell so short of victory, or his Jack Ace at the sight of Mutsumi Kai diminishing his onstage presence to support the flower of Quartz, only for said Quartz to rank dead last anyway.