Scene 99

* Volume
* Magazine

**Scene 99. Winner** is the ninety ninth chapter of the *Act-Age* manga series.

## Summary

Hanako Yamanoue thinks that she expected the end of the performance to feel the same way as waking up after snowfall on a clear morning day. However she regrets that it is Kei Yonagi who is feeling that way and not herself.

The rest of the audience reflects on the play, they start muttering about how things went and some wonder if Riku Ogami stopping Kei was part of the script or not. They all say that the look on her face at the end was simply beautiful but that the story of the play lacked cohesion. A little girl pouts and asks her father to take her to meet with Princess Iron Fan as Masaki Minamoto and Akane Yushima discuss between themselves how they saw Kei stop acting near the end and see that was why Riku intervened. Nanao Misaka and Kametaro Aota note this as well and say that it was the entire cast who stopped her, deploring how unprofessional it all was as Arata Yoshioka says he was really taken in by the ending and even felt the wind blow as Kei swished the fan. Ryoma Hanai agrees and says he found it to be far more satisfying than a movie but didn't really grasp the ending as he looks to Hina Asahi on her thoughts but is puzzled to see her in tears and standing up. He asks her what the matter is as she says she has to go find Kei.

Chiyoko Momoshiro sits in shock at the performance as her teammates around her say their victory is all but assured. Elsewhere, Shinichi Amachi tells Sumiji Kuroyama not to worry as they will not use the footage for this performance for the online stream of Team A's performance as it will be obvious something went wrong when Team B performs the next day and people see them perform the actual script. Sumiji tells him that Hanako had been staking everything on the day's performance and the cast all rose to the occasion and if he could really nullify all of that. Shinichi rebuffs him telling him to remember the original goal and that they are in the movie business to which Sumiji responds that he is a director first and foremost.

Riku commends Kei for her brilliant performance and says that being able to witness it made the play worth his time. Kei frowns and begins to apologise to everyone but Riku cuts her off by apologising for intervening and says if he is dissatisfied with his co-stars performances then he takes matters into his own hands. He is interrupted however, by Takemitsu bonking him on the back of the head with his elbow. Annoyed, Riku turns back and says he has some nerve to do so but Takemitsu says the feeling is mutual and So Shiraishi backs him up by saying Riku was lucky and if it had been him he would have used his fist instead.

Acknowledging his error, Riku says that every single one of them went all out and did their best, saying that also went for Hanako who had silently been looking on at them. Kei turns around to her and as Hanako begins to apologise she asks the director why she had suffered all alone the whole while and hadn't let them support her to which Hanako can only frown.

Later on, at Mabashi Park, Chiyoko sits on a swing by herself and ponders about the performance. She thinks back to Kei's dead eyed expression when she had momentarily ceased acting and rues the fact that even if her team won she wouldn't be able to beat Kei with her acting. She stops as she notices Sumiji approaching her from the left and says she thought there would be no rehearsal but he respods that things have changed and to come with him. Later, Arisa Hoshi asks Sumiji if he has a death wish as he arrives at a cinema with Chiyoko hung over his shoulder and he says he had no choice as she refused to come with him. Araya Myojin laughs at the sight and says he should finally get a smartphone because cameras were made for moments such as these. Arisa tells him to be quiet as Yukiji Tezuka tells Sumiji he hates it when he acts strange to which Sumiji retorts that is rich coming from the man wearing sunglasses at night.

Yuki Hiiragi arrives with the younger Yonagi siblings in tow and gawks at the scene. Chiyoko asks Sumiji what he brought her there for and he tells her it is a rehearsal. Saying she should review her previous work and that she should consider herself lucky as there were still 18 hours until she had to perform and that they had enough time and talent to prepare to put on a performance si great that their victory would be indisputable as they all walk in for a showing of Death Island.

## Characters in This Chapter

* Hanako Yamanoue
* Kei Yonagi
* Ayumi Arishima
* Akane Yushima
* Masaki Minamoto
* Nanao Sanzaka
* Kametaro Aota
* Arata Yoshioka
* Ryoma Hanai
* Hina Asahi
* Yuki Hiiragi
* Sen Wakatsuki
* Eiji Yamadera
* Ken Watado
* Chiyoko Momoshiro
* Shinichi Amachi
* Sumiji Kuroyama
* Riku Ogami
* Ichiko Asano
* Takemitsu Karasuyama
* So Shiraishi
* Arisa Hoshi
* Yukiji Tezuka