Scene 102

* Volume
* Magazine

**Scene 102. Goal** is the one hundred and second chapter of the *Act-Age* manga series.

## Summary

Before Team B's performance is about to begin, there is a report on TV about Riku Ogami making Kei Yonagi cry during Team A's showing and it is revealed that Riku lost potential work with some projects due to this occurrence. Kei looks shocked and turns to Riku who is not bothered, saying the performance was all of them working together and the only people they owed apologies to was the audience. Kei thinks to herself that is not just the audience she owes an apology to, remembering what Chiyoko Momoshiro had said to her about seeing who the better actress was.

Meanwhile, Arisa Hoshi speaks with Yukiji Tezuka about this development and says she has known that Riku has always yearned to return to Japan to act, since despite his talent there were a limited number of opportunities in Hollywood for those of his ethnicity. Seeing that the more she wished for Chiyoko's success the worse it would be for Riku, Arisa calls herself naive for believing that both superstars could be happy and successful in the same arena. Yukiji interjects and tells her that Sumiji Kuroyama was working to make that dream a reality, recalling a conversation he had with the director during Team B's practice sessions where he had asked Sumiji why he had chosen to direct a play as he did not work in those often. Sumiji had retorted that he had even done commercials for random corporations in recent times, going on to say that he needed to make Kei famous before he could star her in his dream movie, where he was also planning on having Chiyoko and Riku perform as well. Saying that he needed Princess Iron Fan to succeed or else it would delay his movie by 5 years and that's why he was counting on Chiyoko to perform at her best.

Team B's performance begins and suddenly all the lights go out in the theater and the audience is startled. Hanako Yamanoue begins to get impatient, wondering when power would be rsetored but is shocked as Chiyoko begins her monologue, realizing that this was an intentional move. Kei looks on and says that it is scary, with Riku saying that in modern society people rarely experienced pitch-black darkness and that it had a way of stirring up people's imaginations. Yukiji says that this was a classic Sumiji move and that he really knew how to make people uncomfortable, Arisa asks if this was a compliment and Yukiji replies in the affirmative, saying that he knew how to torment people only because he also knew how to delight them.

Sumiji gives the signal for the next step of the performance and one bright spotlight shines out in the darkness, focused on Chiyoko who is revealed to have her face hidden behind her fan. Chiyoko continues her monologue, slowly easing her way to the stage and Kei asks why she is keeping her face hidden. Riku explains that when people can't see something their curiosity grows and their fear and anticipation mounts, smirking in acknowledgement of Sumiji's tactics and calling him ruthless. Chiyoko suddenly dashes forward to the stage, her face still hidden, thinking of Kei and stewing over how she wasn't angry at Kei being unable to sustain her performance till the end nor at Riku, the star she once aimed to emulate allowing himself to be loathed again. Rather, she was mad that she herself was ready to admit defeat for even a moment and that Kei wasn't thinking of her during her performance. being utterly free of any pressure to outdo Chiyoko. The Angel lowers her fan, revealing a beautiful smile as she continues her monologue and Sumiji says to her to show the world that the difference between an angel and a demon was merely the name they were given.

## Chapter Notes

* Team B's performance begins with some brilliant technical decisions from Sumiji Kuroyama.

## Characters in This Chapter

* So Shiraishi
* Riku Ogami
* Kei Yonagi
* Ichiko Asano
* Takemitsu Karasuyama
* Arisa Hoshi
* Yukiji Tezuka
* Sumiji Kuroyama
* Chiyoko Momoshiro
* Araya Myojin
* Hanako Yamanoue
* Nanao Sanzaka
* Kametaro Aota