Chapter 292 – Interlude 4 – Kaori, The Actress, Part 9

Note: In case you’re wondering how long this interlude will be, we’ve only got a few more parts left. Don’t worry, this isn’t some 30 part volume or whatever.

—

Kaori felt strangely excited. Walking alongside the half-demon, ignoring the curious eyes of the locals around them, she tried to put everything Keiko-related behind her, and focus on the here and now. 

The “here and now” in question was the stunning Savior next to her, who was asking more questions than even Kaori had so far. 

“Is there any place you want to go to specifically?” Ash asked. 

“I’d appreciate it if you showed me where I can put up some fliers. Just stuff for people to pass by and look at.” 

“Why?” 

“To promote the play! We have to get butts in seats somehow,” Kaori shrugged. 

“Hm… What’s a flier?” 

“A piece of paper with some info on it and, sometimes, a pretty little drawing.” 

“I don’t see any paper on you, though. Where are they?” 

“They are non-existent. We’re gonna make the drawings later,” Kaori chuckled. “I just wanna know, ahead of time, where we can put them.” 

“Hm…” After Ash’s short barrage of inquiries, she seemed satisfied and her body noticeably eased up. Kaori wondered why she looked so relieved. She hoped, however, that it would help make this morning they’d be spending together a little more fun. 

Of course, if she could contribute a little to that on her own, there was no reason not to. Still, one thing needed to be known before Kaori did anything… risky. That situation with Keiko served as a reminder for it. So, she asked: 

“So… Is any place around here special?” Kaori asked, with an innocent smile. “Is there someplace you like taking your boyfriend or girlfriend to or whatever?”

As she made that question, Ash stopped in her tracks and just gawked at her for a couple of seconds. 

Um… Was I too obvious? 

Then, as Kaori raised a brow back at her, the Savior burst out laughing. It was a boisterous, loud sound, much larger than any Kaori had heard from her before. She kept that laugh going for a few more seconds before eventually, she shook her head and said: 

“Yeah, right.” 

She packed so much sarcasm into those two words, that Kaori almost recoiled. 

“Huh?” 

“Anyway,” the half-demon deflected, in a way that caught Kaori off-guard, “if you want people to see your fliers, you can just put them up on the front of these stores over here. The owners will probably take them down, though. Or not, maybe they don’t care. Who knows?” Ash shrugged. 

“Got it,” Kaori replied. “Thanks.” 

“No problem,” Ash replied. “So… You’re just hoping people see those things and go?” 

As the Savior asked that, the two of them reached a point where there was a massive tree in the middle of the area and a bunch of grass and benches laid out around it. It reminded Kaori of Jade’s Spirit Garden District. 

“Kinda,” Kaori replied. 

“Oh. So, what if no one shows up?” 

“Then, it’ll be just like all the other times no one showed up,” Kaori shrugged, chuckling a little. “We’ll use the time for practice, hug each other for a while, tell each other that there will be more people next time, and keep going.”

Kaori’s response didn’t come from nowhere. This had, in fact, happened many, many times. Especially when they all first started and not a soul in Jade knew who they were. However, one play after another, slowly, but surely, some people in the city grew curious. Then, a handful of viewers turned into ten, those ten turned into fifty, and now, at Jade, they could normally get around eighty people to come and spectate them on a good day. 

Having come to a different city where no one knew anything about them, the group had figured no one would show up anyway. But, after tasting success at Jade, they understood that they shouldn’t lose heart. 

As she glanced back at her Savior companion, she smiled a little. 

“But, even if no one else comes, at least I’ll have one guaranteed viewer, won’t I?” 

“Really? Who?” Ash asked, completely clueless. 

“You!” Kaori replied, walking up and wrapping her hands around Ash’s right arm. The sheer confusion that appeared on her portrait was so sweet to see. And, well, the muscles she got to feel (and subtly squeeze) were nice too.

“What?” 

“Aw, you’re telling me you aren’t going to go see your cute new friend’s special play?” Kaori asked, putting on a silly voice as she drew closer to her. “And, here I was so excited to see you there!” 

Kaori was, of course, just messing around, but the look on Ash’s face didn’t seem like she understood that.  It worried Kaori for a little bit before the woman looked away and said: 

“… Fine.” 

“Huh?” Kaori tilted her head. 

“I’ll go.” 

“U-Um, Ash, I was just kidding, you know, you don’t have to-” 

“Nah, I’ll do it,” the half-demon looked back at her. “I’m curious anyway.” When she saw Kaori’s sudden anxiety, she smirked. “What? Am I not invited anymore?” 

When Kaori heard that, she shook her head. 

“No, you’re still invited.” 

“Good. I’ll see you there, then.” 

—

A few hours later, Kaori and the half-demon had parted ways. Now, Kaori was with her group, at the theatre in which they were going to perform. Yumi, who had taken Vermia along with her just to make the negotiations a little easier, had settled things with the owner and secured them a spot just two days from now. 

Sinneah had bought the props, and Kaori had scouted out the different spots for the fliers. In addition, the owners of the theatre decided to help with the promotion, so they would be making those fliers themselves, which was nice. With all of that out of the way, right now, they were mapping out the different scenes they’d be doing, figuring out how best to make things flow. 

However, Kaori just couldn’t focus. Instead, every time she closed her eyes, she swore she could see a beautiful pair of violet eyes looking back at her. She found herself thinking about her often, now, the Savior she’d befriended.

What’s she doing?  Kaori asked herself, as she sat next to Sinneah, hoping she looked like she was going through her lines.  Is she training? What’s Savior training like? Or, maybe she’s in the palace or something. Saviors are important people, after all. 

“…ri.” 

Her lips looked… thin, but still kinda soft,  Kaori thought, smiling to herself.  I wonder what it would be like to-

“Kaori,” she heard Yumi call out, and, blinking multiple times, she looked up. 

“Y-Yeah?” 

“I was asking if you wanted to rehearse. Are you ready?” Yumi asked. 

“Yeah! Yeah, hold on, let me just…” 

“Don’t interrupt her, Yumi, couldn’t you see she was busy?” Vermia said. 

“Busy with what?” Yumi asked. 

“With that little smile on her lips, those half-closed eyes, that little giggle every now and then, what else could it be? Someone has snatched our dear Kaori’s heart.” 

“I was just thinking about the script,” Kaori quickly interrupted her. “Stop it. Come on, let’s go over the scene.” 

Vermia shrugged. 

Yumi cleared her throat. 

“Um, alright then. Let’s begin.” 

—

Ash

The sun had descended past the horizon a while ago. The twin moons were now in the air and the night had come. Ash was spending this night with Kasumi’s family, as always, doing what they normally did when they all came back from a fight, or a mission, or whatever. 

They were playing board games. 

“And, there! Pay up!” Kasumi said, with a grin. 

“This game is stupid,” Ash told her, as she handed over a few fake crowns as Kasumi moved her little ship piece over a spot that said “bank”. 

“Ah, that’s what every loser says,” Kasumi told her. Behind her, Kasumi’s maid was reading a story to Nozomi, on the couch. “Until they start winning. That’s when the game gets addicting.” 

As the two of them continued to play, Ash’s mind did what it had been doing for the past several hours. Looking down at the board, it was like if she closed her eyes, she could still feel Kaori’s warm hands wrapped around her arm. 

Not once in Ash’s life had a girl really shown much interest in her, before. She, of course, was fine with that. Between having to care for her little sister and, now, figuring out life as a Savior, she had enough to focus on to where she never thought about it much. 

But, that moment, unfortunately, let her know just how touch-starved she was. 

“By the way,” Ash spoke up. “I… I told Kaori I was going to watch that play of hers. Is that okay?” 

“Hm? Of course,” Kasumi replied. “Actually, maybe I can go with you.”

“What? Really?”

“I don’t see why not. As long as nothing is too explicit, I could take Nozomi too, maybe. Oh, sorry,” Kasumi smirked warmly at her. “Were you hoping you could go alone, for some reason?” 

At that, Ash looked away. 

“Let’s just get back to the game.” 

“Sure. Where was I? Oh, right, kicking your ass.”