celestial strings | h.js

four.

"Hey, [Name]! Can you set the stage for us? We are trying to take care of the lights and the sound!"

You looked over at the stage crew member and you nodded in response. Moving over to the side of the stage, you fished out one of the many boxes labeled 'stage props' and, with the help of an enhanced strength spell, picked it up with ease. It was all you had been doing this whole day—picking up heavy boxes and putting them down on another spot.

A mother who worked with you at the convenience store had begged you to take over her shift at a theater studio because her son had gotten sick all of a sudden. She had refused all the alternative solutions you offered, such as taking a sick leave or letting you see him so you could discreetly bring the child back to health. You only reluctantly accepted the job after hearing that you would be compensated; a few extra bucks could never go wrong, and it wasn't like you had anything else to do after work anyway!

The waves rushed your way for the most part until you realized where the studio planned to hold their next public announcement play at. That was when your reluctance to help turned into legitimate disdain as you found yourself, with a cardboard box in hand, that you were standing in front of the gate to Jisung's school.

It had been too late for you to back down from the job at that point. Unfortunately, you were also never one to convincingly fake an emergency. Not that these people would listen to you, anyway! These theatre people liked to take everything as a dramatic fake-out, it seemed! The only option you had were either to teleport away from the spot or to work along in hopes that neither you nor Jisung would notice each otters's presence.

You weren't sure the play was for students his grade, anyway! There was really no need to feel agitated!

After your co-workers realized you have the strength of a literal God, they have deemed you the person to do anything that needs even the tiniest bit of power, like picking up boxes that actually weren't very heavy... disregarding the obvious bias you have when you weren't feeling the full weight of those stage equipments. You chose not to complain, though, because they might have saved you some issues by making you work backstage most of the time.

That meant you wouldn't need to stand in the school assembly hall when the group begin their performance. After actively avoiding Jisung for several days (not that you knew if he was even looking for you), accidentally bumping into him was the last thing you wanted to happen. Not the mention, you knew he would strike up a conversation, and you had no desire to make a quick escape from any.

You have to admit, though, it was a miracle how you once again ended up at his doorsteps. All these coincidences that called for the encounters of you and him had been butchering your plan to a lifetime of loneliness. But you could not say you hate it all that much. Jisung was rather good company whether you like it or not. And amongst all the internal issues of yours, you have to admit you enjoyed his brief presence.

You did not hate being around him too much. Not to a point where you could defy destiny, anyway.

After putting up the folded, extremely wrinkled, heavily decorated cardboard made to serve as a backdrop, you stumbled back a few steps and clapped your hands together to congratulate yourself for finishing the handiwork. The set-up looked fine to your standard, as well as the concept picture your colleagues have shown you. If anything was to be changed, they would just have to call for your help or do it themselves.

Now all you needed to do was to hide behind those red curtains and never see the light of day until the show ends.

"[Name], can you also set up the microphone for the narrator?"

Yeah, alright. So it takes five seconds to adjust the height and plug in the cord. You shall be fine and it shall be fun.

Moving over to the podium, you grabbed one microphone from the row of spare ones and turned it on. A click could be heard through the speakers. You hummed, hitting the top of it with your hand to make sure the volume was enough. The speaker reflected the noise a few times as you did, and you nodded to yourself in approval.