The performance had ended, and Hestia changed back into the clothes she had arrived in, sitting in the dressing room.
A very special emotion lingered in her heart. At first, she had only intended to imitate Senior Luo Fuyu's performance, but as she went on, she gradually became immersed in it. It was the thematic style of the venue, the audience's expectations, her own understanding of the performance, and the atmosphere they collectively created. It was the subtle guidance of emotions and the direction derived from rational analysis, combining to form a somewhat sacred scene.
This unique scene and state of mind gave the girl a gentle impact, making her slowly savor the state she had been in even after the performance had ended.
For most people, performing might make them nervous or happy, but it wouldn’t be so complicated. However, she always noticed subtle changes with great sensitivity.
In fact, she had some resistance to performing. She once thought this resistance was due to shyness and embarrassment, but it wasn’t just that. Deep down, she harbored a slight fear and desire to escape from such behavior.
"Using beauty to serve others is just being an entertainer, a beggar on the internet, a scammer, a street performer..."
This was a kind of prejudice, but it was also the view of many people. Traditional beliefs held that those who engaged in such professions were lowly and disreputable. For a girl to be in such a profession, she would inevitably pick up bad habits and be involved in unsavory things. This was the root of her resistance.
Because of her past timidity and low self-esteem, she was particularly sensitive to such judgments and comments.
But today was different because she wasn’t performing under her real name but as Luo Fuyu. Even if there were various evaluations later, they wouldn’t fall on her, so she didn’t have to carry any burden and could easily immerse herself in the performance itself.
Which side was right? Watching movies and TV shows was a normal form of entertainment for most people, but if someone close to them worked in the industry, they would be seen as improper. And it didn’t stop there—anything unrelated to production and meant for entertainment was seen as frivolous, wasteful, depraved, and deviant.
Playing games, reading leisure books, playing with models, making music.
What’s the point of this? Can it make money? Is it proper? Is it respectable?
Doing this, playing with that, liking this—it only wastes time on studies, wastes time, and doesn’t earn money. Such words seemed to be heard often in life.
It was as if a person’s life should be like a machine, earning money with the goal of rising above others, only then would they be free from criticism and be perfect.
The formation of this mindset was due to an era of scarcity and crisis, where society suppressed entertainment to make way for production and reproduction.
Being constantly busy was a state of pride, and even if one wasn’t that busy, they had to pretend to be, to create that image, to gain psychological comfort. Otherwise, they would feel uneasy or be looked down upon.
"He’s so idle, he’s bound to fail. The reason he hasn’t succeeded, improved in his studies, or made money is definitely because he’s not working hard enough. Look, he still has time to mess around with those trivial things."
At first glance, it seemed to make some sense, which was why many found it hard to refute.
But the question remained: what was the purpose of this hard work, or rather, this day-after-day, year-after-year busyness? Was it just to continue being so hard-pressed and exhausted, without any room for entertainment?
If there was no return, if nothing changed, what was the value and meaning of hard work? Was there an end to becoming superior and making money?
How much money did one need to earn, or what level did one need to reach, to finally take a break and relax a little?
In traditional views, all forms of entertainment were scorned and suppressed. Anything that brought joy was almost always met with criticism. Only toil and pain were worth praising because they could "temper" a person, making them "great." But in reality, overly bitter experiences only became nightmares that many could never forget, making them timid or perpetually anxious.
It could even be said that the formation of this mindset was due to the psychological trauma people suffered during that era. They could never forget the pain, so they were especially anxious about survival and couldn’t stand to see anyone around them idle. If someone wasn’t studying or working, sitting at home playing games was absolutely an unforgivable sin.
Some might say that after becoming an adult and earning money, a little entertainment wouldn’t hurt, but that wasn’t the case. Even after working non-stop for a whole year, taking a rare holiday at home and playing for a bit would still attract such comments.
It was a mental imprint, an inescapable stereotype.
When a problem was vague and hard to refute, it became a psychological burden. But if one could gradually analyze its source and cause, it would no longer be as invincible as before.
After gradually understanding the reasons for her past resistance and avoidance, the furrow in Hestia’s brow relaxed slightly.
It was time to go out. She shook her head, brushed the hair at the side of her eye with her fingers, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her light gray hair gave her a very "soft" impression, like a background character, without the strong, striking presence of black, silver, or other colors.
However, she liked this "soft" feeling, this state of sitting in a corner, unnoticed, unjudged, relaxed, and natural.
It would probably take a long time to truly overcome the psychological barrier of performing on stage, but at least now, she wasn’t as uneasy as before.
Walking out of the dressing room, the rest area seemed particularly lively, with many people discussing the earlier performance.
"I didn’t even realize it wasn’t Senior Luo Fuyu at the time. The aura and charm were just too similar," one girl said enthusiastically to her companion.
"If I hadn’t known in advance, I would’ve thought the same. That girl’s performance was amazing."
"There were still some differences, like the dance steps, but overall it was very natural. Almost no one noticed at the time."
"I wonder what the result will be. Has the teacher and that important guest reached a decision?"
"Ah, Hestia’s out." Everyone’s gaze shifted to Hestia as she walked out.
Because of her hair color, she looked quite different from her stage persona, making it hard to recognize her at first. After comparing the recording and the real person for a while, everyone confirmed that she was indeed the girl from the performance.
Luo Fuyu walked over, took Hestia’s hand, and led her to the front of the crowd.
"Now you can take a good look and compare," she said with a light smile.
After everyone had looked their fill, she let go of Hestia’s hand. "Alright, now that you’re satisfied, stop crowding around. Go do what you need to do."
"As for the performance, Hestia and I have done our part. Whether it leads to anything is out of our hands," she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
After that, the crowd dispersed, laughing and chatting, with only a few occasionally sneaking glances at the two sitting on the sofa.
After sitting back down, Luo Fuyu turned her head and carefully looked at Hestia, then nodded slightly.
"Although your hair isn’t black, I have to say, your aura and facial features are a perfect match."
"Maybe it’s because of my mother. People unconsciously imitate adults when they’re young," Hestia explained, feeling a bit embarrassed under the scrutiny.
"You must have some similar training at home. Your steps were steady, and your body was very coordinated. It didn’t seem like you had no experience," Luo Fuyu continued.
"I won’t pry into the details, though. That would be impolite, hehe."
"Thank you so much, Hestia, for stepping in. Let me think... I’ll ask the school teacher to prepare a gift for you."
"Today is probably going to be quite busy, so it’s hard to properly entertain you. If you’re free next time—let’s see, the holiday is coming up soon—let’s set a date for you to visit Red Lotus Porcelain Academy."
"Don’t refuse, okay? I rarely invite people, and it would be rude not to properly thank you," Luo Fuyu said, extending a finger from her sleeve to lightly press her chin.
"Alright, I’ll visit during the holiday," Hestia nodded.
"Good. We’ll also inform Swallow Garden Academy in advance, so don’t worry about that."
"That’s it for today. You came to the venue to enjoy the Frozen Verdant Festival, right? I won’t keep you here any longer. Sitting around would be boring."
"Not at all. I’ve actually learned a lot from Senior Luo," Hestia replied.
After that, Hestia and Mel got up and, led by Luo Fuyu, gradually made their way out of the venue. Before leaving, Luo Fuyu gave them each a pendant.
"I wanted to give you better porcelain, but it’s too bulky and hard to carry. I’ll send it to your academy later."
"Come back soon~" she waved, then waited until they were far away before returning to the venue.
After leaving, Mel was still immersed in the amazement of the girl’s earlier performance, constantly looking at the photos she had taken of Hestia, as if trying to find the similarities between the two.
This continued until they met another girl at the station, and the mood lightened.
"Hestia~ I’m over here." Miss Irene was wearing a tea-colored top today, with a black pleated skirt and long cotton socks, along with sunglasses. Her chestnut-gold hair was now curled into waves at the ends, giving her a fashionable look.
As she approached, she took off her sunglasses, revealing light golden eyes. When she took Hestia’s hand, her face lit up with a smile.
"It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Hestia. So much has happened in just half a year."
"Is this Mel? Hello, I’m Irene, Hestia’s good friend and childhood playmate." Compared to Mel’s timid demeanor, she was as outgoing as ever.
After the three of them met up, they continued their tour. Along the way, Irene also talked about her experiences after starting high school.
"Before I went, I thought it would be a leisurely school life, but the academy’s schedule is, well, not exactly packed, but it keeps you busy all the time. I ended up getting immersed in various flower cultivation courses and didn’t have time for anything else."
"Luckily, the exams are over now, and things have calmed down. I’ve been catching up on the latest fashion trends, getting my hair permed, buying new clothes, and so on."
"There are only about 100 people in the whole grade, so we all know each other. Everyone has their own flower field, and sometimes I walk past others’ fields to see how they’re doing."
"When I first applied, I just wanted to make flower cultivation a personal hobby, since I have the family business to inherit. But recently, I’ve been liking it more and more. Maybe I’ll open a flower shop in the future? But it feels like there’s so much to do."
"Like managing the family business and company, taking care of the small company Hestia and I started together, opening a flower shop, visiting botanical gardens around the world, learning about fashion, designing clothes in the future, and so on." Irene’s words flowed endlessly, as if she had so many new ideas she wanted to share with Hestia.
Hestia listened patiently and attentively, occasionally smiling and responding. With this childhood friend, Irene always had endless things to say and boundless enthusiasm.
Afterward, the three of them visited the academy dedicated to martial arts, sampled the delicious dishes at the Mountain Delicacy Bamboo Academy, entered the temple of Returning Dragon Temple to pray and burn incense, and finally arrived at the venue of Rozen Eye Academy as evening approached.
The venue was divided into several layers, separated from each other. The outermost layer was a series of glass display cases, each containing exquisitely crafted puppets. Their hair and eye colors varied, and they sat quietly on soft cushions inside the cases, with keyholes on their backs for winding keys.
Although the old-fashioned spring mechanisms were no longer used for power, this ancient ritual and style were still preserved.
After entering the inner layer, they found a small performance room that could only seat 80 people. Surrounded by black curtains, the stage inside featured several cute and gorgeous puppets being manipulated by strings to perform various actions, enacting a famous opera. Students from the academy controlled the puppets from above the stage, with others providing voiceovers.
"Today, we are performing the story of the seven ancient heroes," a rabbit puppet on the stage bowed.
"Long, long ago, to resist a cruel tyranny and avenge his sister, a young man ventured alone into a remote forest..."
"He walked a long, long way, so far that he forgot the direction he was heading and how to survive."
"Finally, he collapsed in the cold night, deep in the silent forest."
"Perhaps, he thought, he would be eaten by wild beasts." The young man puppet lay flat on the stage, a drop of dew falling from above and sliding down his cheek.
"However, fate did not abandon him at this moment."
A silver-haired, white-dressed girl puppet descended, her fingertips dropping dew and fruit.
"Thanks to this girl’s rescue, the young man survived, and his legend began."
(T/N: Preach girl! Preach!!! I feel more at ease in slacking off now (:3」∠) Also, the puppet play story is about the 1st volume of “She is Not a Witch.” Give that book a try too!)