The Luster of Stars in Moscow
⁇ 12
The time shows at 21:16, when Cheri and Rafael arrive at the MoscovArt Theatre.
None of the members have returned home yet. They huddled in the lobby waiting for Rafael.
Rafael was wide-eyed to find them as soon as he slammed the entrance.
Cheri was also dumbfounded!
Mikail and Demian who were standing closest to the door, immediately rushed towards them.
"Rafael-you two.." Demian hung up his sentence and froze with an anxious face.
"There should be a call from Tsar Dramy," Mikail took over the conversation. "They protested. He said you knocked Vladimir out in public."
Rafael didn't bully him. "Friends" he said, facing the members who were huddled near the stairs. "Marionette's staging will be canceled!" He announced.
Mikail frowned. "We've been ordering the building for a performance since a year ago" he protested.
"I know this will trouble you," Rafael put his hand on Mikail's shoulder. "Overcoming the issue of funds and official news to the public is not an easy matter."
"But, Rafael!" Demian. "We are on the right side. How about we fight our Marionette with their Marionette?"
"Just be free" Rafael said, sighing and turning his face away. "They're very good" he said pessimistically. Then down.
The whole room was silent.
No, thought Cheri. He shouldn't have broken charcoal like this just because they're nicer. However, the original author is still more entitled. He can't back off. "I don't want this to happen!" Cherie ventured to talk.
The whole room turned to Cheri.
Rafael looked at him with a faint twinkle of admiration.
"What about the alternative?" Cheri said doubtfully. He would not, he thought. "Maybe another Marionette-Marionette II…"
All eyes glanced expectantly.
Rafael seemed to think and cuddle. Then smile thinly.
Mikail glanced at him silently, then exchanged glances with Demian.
Sesha bit her lips hiding a smile.
Rafael held out one hand silently and wrapped it around Cheri's waist.
The girl gasped and pounded. He hugged me for the last few hours, he thought. And I hugged him the whole way. Why does this touch feel different?
"Alright," said Rafael slightly softened. "Because the staging schedule is only three weeks away. In exchange for Marionette, we're going to re-show the Beautiful And the Ugly."
The whole room was happy. Some people started to look respectfully at Cheri.
This little girl is indeed not an ordinary beginner as Mikail said, thought some people.
"Cheri will also give you a role!" Rafael announces.
The whole group exclaimed enthusiastically.
"I want to make a show that will surprise the bastard!" Rafael.
Everyone brandished a fist, giving him some spirit.
"So—" Rafael shouted cheerfully. "Follow me!" He turned his body towards the corridor, then rushed into the training room without releasing his embrace from Cheri's waist.
Nobody noticed that. They were too eager to make preparations. So, they just follow it with wide steps.
"It's a very sudden re-staging" Rafael explained after they arrived in the training room. "So, I'm going to play a video recording of the previous performance" he said, setting up the projector device he just took from the property room. "I want you to remember the stage situation" he said.
A girl sneaks up on Rafael's side and pushes Cheri away from Rafael.
Cheri shrieked in surprise and shuffled while turning his head.
Rafael didn't notice!
The girl was twenty-two years older than Cheri. But his face was much smaller and looked like his age. His hair was straight, shiny black and trimmed to the side with bangs covering his eyebrows. His pair of black eyes and nose look up and high jaw bones make him impressed judes.
Nah! He was indeed a real judge, Cheri protested to the Author. He just pushed me!
"While this drama was staged a year ago, I'm sure you can all remember the dialogue and the direction. But.." Rafael spoke again, after the projector was turned on.
Cheri did not pay much attention to his words. His attention was focused on the video that was being aired.
Rafael played the male lead in the drama.
Rafael to be the Ugly? Cheri glanced at Rafael.
The man was tearing half of the manuscript sheet. "This scenario a year ago is already useless."
Some members widened their eyes.
"The figures are also almost all to be updated" Rafael said. "While matching the roles with the players, this scenario will be rewritten. I want you to think of this drama as a new work."
Half of the room sounded groaning.
Cheri looked back at the screen.
"For those of you who get roles, all day long you have to learn each other's roles." Rafael continued. "We don't have time!"
Cheri stunned. He said I would also be given a role, he thought. How'this? I have never played theater. At once Cheri regretted having put forward this idea. But on the other hand, he also did not expect the script thief to feel the upper hand while the original writer slumped and felt defeated.
"Dad of the beauty, Ibrahim Solomonov!" Rafael announces.
Cheri sighed softly. Leave your fate to God, he said in his heart. It has gone so far, he thought. I could not run and stop.
"Sister Spade, played by Lila Blesinskaya. His older brother, Heart, was played by Saul Evanskov. Older sister, Clover, played by Evaline Jhonskova."
Evaline growled while glaring at Cheri.
Cheri frowned.
"Goddess of the Moon, played by Sesha Montrosecova." Thus on, whenever a name was called, everyone looked tense with a look of anxious expectation.
Some are satisfied, some are disappointed. Some seem to wonder if they will get a good role. The director will give you a role.
While the role stayed a little longer, everyone started glancing at Cheri.
Cheri blinked and pretended to focus on the screen.
He hasn't been called yet, everyone thought. Is it possible that Rafael intends to give him the lead role?
"Well, now the lead role." Rafael announces.
The whole room started to stiffen. Their gazes turned more and more on Cheri.
The aura of his hostility was felt once, Cheri thought.
Suddenly, the door of the training room crackled open, followed by the screams of a girl. "Bad Appearance!"
The entire room simultaneously turned towards the door.
Congrats! thought Cheri relieved. Everyone's attention is distracted now.
A golden-haired girl stepped in and approached Rafael. "You are a gentleman. No matter how bad you look, no matter how hairy and scary your figure is, in my eyes you are a kind man."
The whole room clapped.
The girl grinned.
"That's it, Cyzarine Pedrova!" Someone said behind Cheri. "Didn't he stop?"
Was she the beautiful one she used to be? Cherie wondered in her heart. He looked at the girl and glanced at Rafael.
The man kept a flat face as usual. "You're saying the dialogue is too seductive" he said.