Reiko’s Manners – She’s Referred To As A Villainess, But Actually She’s Just Penniless - Chapter 27

Every grade in the school did a play or sang in a choir for the cultural festival, but this appeared to be a tradition that continued from the school’s pre-war days. By the way, the academy was an all-boys school before the war. Also, class volunteers and club members would build and operate imitation shops.

“Sara and Sou, are you in any clubs?”
“I’m too busy with my lessons.”
“I don’t have any interest in them.”

The three of us would be participating in the class activities for the cultural festival. Incidentally, scholarship students were fundamentally not allowed to take part in club activities. They must expend all their time and energy on their university entrance exams. The other scholarship students all had to enter within the top ten spots. If they score below the top ten for three consecutive times, they will be dropped out of the academy. Though, it was publicly announced as voluntary. For that reason, scholarship students were in a different position from new students. I was viewed as a rival by the scholarship students, but I didn’t mind since that was only natural.

The top of the hierarchy went from the internal students who were salon members who attended since elementary school, the normal internal students who attended since elementary school, the internal students who attended since middle school, new students who started attending at high school, and finally scholarship students at the bottom.
In other short, I belonged to the lowest level of the hierarchy. Yet, I was friends with Lady Sara and Lord Souju who belonged to the top of the hierarchy. That was why the other students naturally felt jealous of me.
Lord Souju next to me was presently talking to an internal student from Lady Yuria Sakurada’s class.

“Lord Souju! Um, the play will be Romeo and Juliet. So, um, well, will you play the lead for us? O-of course, I will not force you. Only if you can. If you can’t, that’s fine. But, please think about it.”

The female, internal student said, handed over the script, and ran away.

“Fufu, I can’t hold back. Ufufufu, ahahahaha, Souju as Romeo?! Oh, no. It doesn’t match him! That’s too hilarious!”
“It’s true that the cool Lord Souju isn’t like the passionate Romeo. Since Lady Sara and Lord Souju are twins, Twelfth Night—”

The two interrupted me at the same time.

“Saying that just because we’re twins? No way. In the first place, we don’t look alike.”

“I wonder how many times this makes it. I hate having people say that it’s because we’re twins! In that case, I’d rather have Souju play Romeo!”

Did they really hate it that much? I liked Twelfth Night though.

“If the program changes, will you still consider playing the lead role, Lord Souju?”
“I don’t want to. It’s too much of a bother.”

It seemed that he simply didn’t want to be in the play. Romeo and Juliet, huh. Rather than a tragedy, I felt that it was a comedy. I was too much of a rebel. But, I did think that those two characters lacked patience.

“Did a request for you to play Juliet come, Sara?”
“No way. If Souju was asked to play Romeo, a request for me to play Juliet wouldn’t happen, right? We’re twins, after all.”

Even though this would be inside a play, a romance between twins might be considered forbidden.

“Then, who will be playing her?”
“…It’ll probably be Yuria Sakurada. The only salon members in our grade are me and that girl.”

Lady Yuria Sakurada as Juliet, huh…

“Even more reason I don’t want to. I want nothing to do with the play. I’ll lip-sync in the choir.”
“Sou really doesn’t have any motivation.”

“Oh, but since he had skipped out on all the cultural festivals up till now, this is still much better. I’ll also sing, and that’s it.”
“Sara also doesn’t have motivation.”

The two looked like they wanted to say something. Lord Souju slowly opened his mouth.

“…Grandmother is enthusiastic about it. That’s why I don’t want to.”

Oh, my. Wasn’t that a good thing?

“Why don’t you two show her your good side through such a wonderful opportunity? I don’t have anyone who would come to watch me. I’m envious.”

If Lady Mary was still alive… Well, if she was, I wouldn’t be attending school. I would be taking care of her together with Ms. Fuki. And even if I were to attend school, there still wouldn’t be anyone coming to see me. Back when Lady Mary was still healthy, she hadn’t once come to my school. Ms. Fuki also hardly showed up. Well, I also didn’t attend my classes much.

“Rei, I’m sorry.”

Lord Souju looked embarrassed and apologized, and Lady Sara forced a smile.

“Souju, it might be fine to entertain and please Grandmother with the three of us.”

The two looked at me.

“For the choir, Rei will accompany us with the piano.”

“…Sou is a super hacker, right? Then, can you create some EDM?”

I was very interested in EDM. But, I couldn’t make it. I mean, I didn’t own a computer! Though, even if I did have one, I didn’t have the skills.

“Rei, I don’t think that’s related to being a hacker. In the first place, I’m not a super hacker.”

I had forgotten that super hacker was a taboo word to Lord Souju.

“Umm, I’m sorry. I thought that since you were well-versed in computers, you could make EDM.”

Lady Sara couldn’t follow the conversation and asked about EDM, so I explained what Electronic Dance Music was in simple terms for her. And, I showed her Marshmello on my smartphone.

“I don’t think I really understand. I’m sorry.”

I was sure that Lady Sara’s music taste centered around classical music. In that case, Clean Bandit, a mix between Celtic music and EDM would be good! I showed her a video of them. And, her body slightly rocked to the music.

“Rei, you like this kind of music, huh. I took you for someone who only listened to classical music.”
“Ufufu. I love things that are cool and things that are cute. I’m a fangirl!”

Lord Souju looked pensive. I guess that making EDM really was difficult. Lord Souju sensed what I was thinking and opened his mouth.

“I can do it. But, the three of us surely aren’t doing it alone, right?”

“I would hate standing out.”

That was right. Since everyone would be putting on a play or singing in a choir, playing EDM would be conspicuous.

“Everyone will be singing in a choir like all the other previous years, but the accompaniment will be EDM. Although, I don’t think they’ll allow me to be the DJ. But, if possible, I would like to try. If I cover myself with a hood and mask like Alan Walker, people wouldn’t know it’s me. Ah, but I also want to try wearing a wonderful mask like Marshmello!”

I grew excited even though the creation of the EDM hadn’t been finalized yet.

“Rei… Do you really want to do it?”
“You usually don’t make selfish requests, so you must really want to do it. Souju, let’s work together.”
“Yeah, it’s fine, Rei. I’ll do it!”

Just like that, our grade’s choir group grew excited with Lady Sara and Lord Souju at the center. As the two had never participated in these activities until now, this greatly motivated the students in the choir. I continued to accompany the choir on the piano until the EDM was finished editing. I made sure to be discreet when I practiced my role as DJ.

On the other side, the group doing the play appeared to be centered around Lady Yuria Sakurada and Romeo and Juliet. The power of money was truly something. Their costumes, stage props, lighting, and acoustics were prepared by professionals! That was why that group only had to focus on practicing their acting. The one playing Juliet was Ms. Miu Yuuki, and the one playing Romeo would be Lord Ryou Takanashi. I sensed that this pairing was certainly the work of Lady Yuria Sakurada, but it didn’t matter to me.

Three days before the performance, the EDM was completed! It didn’t interfere with anyone’s singing. Rather, it elevated it. Lady Mary had hammered music theory into my head. When I changed the piano accompaniment with EDM during practice, it was largely well-accepted. Even the male students who thought singing in a choir was lame were pleased. But, I didn’t think choir was lame.

And, Lady Sara and Lord Souju had prepared and given me a hoodie, T-shirt, mask, and pants to wear. I was in such high spirits!

The day of the performance had finally arrived.