Stage Fright
Intrepid Morning

Sakon awoke the next morning to the sunlight beating through the window to his room as well as his alarm clock going off. His violet eyes turned to look at the box near his futon, frowning before carefully pushing the sheets back. He proceeded to dress in his usual outfit before opening up the box to pull out Ukon. "You heard the conversation between Zenkichi and me the other day?"

The wooden puppet folded his arms across his chest. "If I had my way I would have told him it wasn't a good idea. I mean, seriously... you having to face those students from your elementary school days? That can't possibly end well if the wrong punk happens to be there. Well, even if the wrong punk is there I don't think you'll have issues talking with me there."

The puppet moved his hands behind his head. "I'll be fine unless she's there."

"She?" Ukon frowned as he looked at the teenaged boy.

Sakon paused in his speech. "Don't worry. She moved away."

"Uh... huh. Why would she be a problem if she shows up?"

"I don't know. I guess out of all the people from my elementary school days she would be the last person I would want to face." Sakon stood up and headed to the breakfast table. His hand still felt stiff as he tried to maneuver Ukon's body.

"Looks like you need your strings adjusted buddy." Ukon piped up, causing Sakon's aunt to look up from her own food.

"Sakon... do you have to be so morbid?"

The boy ignored her and simply went to digging into his own breakfast. Near when he finished a knock came on the screen at the eating room entrance. Sakon looked up to see Zenkichi looking into the room. "You ready to go?"

"The dress rehearsal is this early in the morning?"

"They've got a couple. Once this morning and once tonight. The actual production is going to start tomorrow night."

Kaoruko frowned. "What exactly do you two have planned? I'm not sure Sakon should be doing much since he's just been released after that crazy doctor tried to kill him."

"I'm taking photographs of a school play. I invited Sakon to tag along." Zenkichi smiled at the woman.

"Yes. The problem is where ever Sakon goes a case ends up showing up."

Ukon piped up. "You know, I would say that these kind of things tend to follow him around as well. Here's the thing though. That shouldn't prevent him from going places. What do you want to do, have him shut himself inside all the time? Do you really want him to be another one of those shut ins?"

Kaoruko looked down at her own food. "All right, all right. I hope that I'm not called in to solve a case."

Sakon placed Ukon into his carrying case and lifted it up onto his shoulders. He stood up and followed his friend to the bus stop near the Taichibana household. Sakon's demeanor of course changed while he didn't have the puppet on his hand. "So... what kind of play is it?"

"It's a murder mystery one of the students wrote." Zenkichi sat with his legs crossed while he got his camera out to fiddle with it. "That's why I wanted you to come. That's also why I wanted to do this particular job. I don't know how good the mystery is going to be though. I can't promise you as it was written by a middle school student. You're the expert."

The puppeteer held up his hand. "I'm not sure if you could call me an expert."

"Come on. You've solved at least a half dozen mysteries on your own. You're mind is like the keen edge of a knife Sakon. It's to bad our classmates never got to see that side of you."

"I don't really care if they saw it or not. They're not really people I want to make friends with."

"No. I never really made friends with the people who bullied you either. They're wrong about you though."

"In some ways they aren't."

Zenkichi knew not to push the subject as Sakon was looking away in an attempt to avoid eye contact as well as any further discussion of said subject. When the bus got to their stop he tugged on the boy's sleeve and they got off, heading to the middle school which was a couple blocks away. The school was quiet as it was still early in the morning and the rehearsal was before school started. "The schools auditorium is over this way."

Sakon pulled on the box's strap so that it was on his shoulder and walked behind his friend to the large building. Zenkichi waved at the teacher who was waiting at the door. The woman smiled at them and she reached out and grabbed Sakon's hand. "Hello. It is nice to meet someone of the local Tachibana Bunraku troupe. This is a really minor school drama club though, so it likely isn't up to the caliber your used to."

"I'm actually still learning." Sakon's nervousness was apparent, but the teacher instead brushed it off and instead motioned for them to go inside the auditorium. When they got into the room they saw some of the members of the drama club making final adjustments on the stage. One of the males paused seeing Sakon there and turned to whisper to his friend, both laughing. Sakon closed his eyes realizing that one of the guys was the ringleader who had always bullied him as a child.

His hands reached up to take off the box from his back and swung it down onto one of the seats. The teacher blinked a couple of times. "You brought a puppet?"

"That's Ukon. Sakon's gone everywhere with him since he was little. He also practices "mawashi" on top of Banraku."

"That's pretty amazing." The woman looked up. "My leads here with the programs for the show."

Sakon turned his head, his eyes widening upon seeing the person. "Aenka-chan?"

The girl blinked a couple of times. "Sakon?"