Sealed Ecriture [1] #CreativeAward2025 #EntertainmentOriginalWorkCategory

1 The Imperial Night Scented with Culture

In the Taisho night where the shadows of war crept in, the lights of an inappropriate chandelier shimmered. The melody of an elegant waltz filled the venue.

That night, guests from the upper classes, including nobles, dignitaries, and military officers, had gathered in the ballroom of the Imperial Hotel. High-quality suits and glittering dresses crowded together, swaying to the sound.

Sawada-san offered a glass to me.

"The lights are bright, you must be thirsty. Here."

He wore a soft smile. Since it was a somewhat casual occasion today, he was in a suit rather than his usual military uniform. The sharp black outfit was dazzling.

"Lieutenant Sawada, aren't you encouraging her to drink too much?"
A young man peered in suspiciously from behind.

"It's fine. She can hold her liquor better than she looks."
Sawada-san replied.

"What do you intend to do by getting her drunk?"
The young man had a slightly mischievous look on his face.

"Oh my, Sakaki-san, what a thing to say to a Lieutenant."
I took a light sip of the chilled white wine, placed it on the table, and chided him.

"The Lieutenant is a man, after all."
Sakaki-san, the young subordinate who had accompanied Sawada-san, was a Second Lieutenant who had just graduated from the cadet school. However, it seemed he had distinguished himself in the recent military campaign, and Sawada-san had praised him as if it were his own achievement.

"You should have a drink too. You've distinguished yourself, haven't you?"
I pushed the glass toward Sakaki-san.

"Whoa. To think I'd get one from you, my lady. But unfortunately, I can't drink alcohol. That's why I'm just sipping on this so-called orange juice."
Come to think of it, Sakaki-san had been holding an orange-colored glass the whole time.

"What a child. A military man should at least be able to drink."
Sawada-san laughed and finished his red wine.
I also finished my white wine and asked, "What's next?"

"Whoa, you really are going to drink. Don't blame me."

Sharing a drink with someone you know well amidst elegant music was a symbol of joy.

Then, from behind, a sudden wave of suppressed cheers from the crowd surged forward. Wondering what was happening, I looked in that direction and saw a tall figure in a suit, with an aloof but handsome face, weaving through the people who were making way for him as he headed toward us.

Good evening. I was held up with work and am a little late.
The man stopped beside Mr. Sawada.

Captain Orikasa. Thank you for your hard work.
Sawada greeted him respectfully and offered him a glass of champagne.

Ah, Sawada, Sakaki, it seems you are enjoying yourselves.
Is he Mr. Sawada's superior? He had a cool expression without even a hint of a smile. His grayish eyes seemed to be sharply scanning the surroundings.

As I hesitated over whether I should greet him, our eyes met. I hurriedly tapped Mr. Sawada on the shoulder.
Hey, who is that person?
My voice came at the same time as my question.

And who is this young lady?
The man turned his gaze toward me. I gasped, pinned by his sharp, piercing look.

Captain Orikasa, let me introduce you. This is my fiancée, Ritsu.
Introduced loudly by Mr. Sawada, I felt a little embarrassed and looked down.

Oh? Well, what a lovely young lady. I am Orikasa. I am Sawada's superior. He has been doing excellent work for me. I look forward to getting to know you.

The man formed a small smile, and then, before I knew it, he suddenly knelt and took my hand. His long eyelashes lowered, and his lips brushed against my skin.
I flinched and tried to pull my hand away, but he held it firmly in place.

Eh?! Wait...
Mr. Sakaki panicked.

...Ca, Captain?
Mr. Sawada was also standing there with his mouth agape.

Smoothly pulling his lips away from my hand, Mr. Orikasa stood up without even using his hands.

Hmm? Ah, I greeted you in the European style. Was that not appropriate?
He looked completely unfazed.

My heart was beating fast. My face felt hot, too.

N-no... The European style, you say? As expected of you.
Mr. Sawada stammered.

You're mean, Captain. We can't say anything when we're dealing with you, can we?
Mr. Sakaki said in a prickly tone.

Oh? You have quite a lot of spirit to talk back to me, Sakaki.

Mr. Sakaki stared intently at Mr. Orikasa, but Mr. Sawada reached around from behind and forced Mr. Sakaki's head down to bow.
I apologize for my direct subordinate's insolence, Captain.

"Well, it's a free-for-all tonight, isn't it?"
Orikasa-san crossed his arms in front of him, looking down at Sawada-san, who was bowing his head.

"Please introduce us to the Captain's lover, too."
Sakaki-san said with a playful remark, his eyes widening with interest.

"......She's here. She's being caught by various men, but...... there she is."

The direction Orikasa-san looked was toward the center of the venue. There, a beautiful Western woman was dancing with a middle-aged man who looked like he held a high rank.
As the woman danced, she noticed our gaze, quickly let go of the man's hand, and headed toward us.

"What's a interesting! Orikasa, Shall we dance with me?"
(How fun! Orikasa, shall we dance?)

The woman spoke to Orikasa-san in fluent English.

"No, let's not. I'm talking about important things. Anyway, I want to indroduce you to them."
(No, I won't dance. I'm talking about something important. Anyway, I want to introduce you to them.)

"Oh, won't you dance? But... Sure! Are they friends?"
(Oh, you won't dance? But... alright! Are they friends?)

The woman asked for a handshake from Sawada-san, and then from Sakaki-san. Sawada-san and Sakaki-san hurriedly responded to her hand.

"She is Charlotte. Nice to meet you."
Orikasa-san said briefly.

Hearing that name, I realized, oh, she's a French woman.
I immediately smiled at her.

"Il fait beau ce soir ? Je suis « Ritsu ». Enchanté."
(It's a beautiful night, isn't it? I am Ritsu. Pleased to meet you.)

After a look of surprise, she immediately smiled brightly, took my hand, and rattled off something in a fast-paced manner.

Orikasa-san stared at me.
"Well. I didn't know you could speak French."

At that, Sawada-san and Sakaki-san, who had been completely left behind, were startled.
"F... French? She's a beauty. As expected of the Captain......"
Sakaki-san, who had asked about the lover, was completely humbled.

"Sakaki, I want to introduce you to that man over there. He's a Captain in the Navy."
Sawada-san pointed with his hand to a stout man holding up a glass of wine at a table over there.

"Um...... and you......"
Sawada-san looked at me as if troubled.

"Please go ahead. I'll be enjoying myself here."
The reason Sawada-san went out of his way to bring Sakaki-san here was for networking and gathering information. I couldn't get in the way of that.

Then, I was hugged from the side by Charlotte. "Let's talk with me!" she whispered in French into my ear.

Mr. Orikasa glanced at me.
"What about English? You can speak it, of course, young lady."

"Oh. Ah, yes."
I answered in a hurry.

"Then, I'm sorry, but could you switch to English and talk with her? I don't understand much French."
He made a bitter face.

"Oh, I apologize for not being considerate."
That's right, the two of them were speaking English when they first started talking earlier. In this day and age, it's more natural to communicate using English as a common language.

Seeing that I seemed to be fitting in, Sawada and Mr. Sakaki left the circle with relieved expressions.

We took some drinks and light snacks, sat on chairs placed against the wall, and enjoyed a pleasant chat in English for a while. The time spent enveloped in classical music and a foreign language was comforting.

* * *

The closing remarks for the party were delivered, and a grand round of applause erupted. Sandwiched between Mr. Sawada and Mr. Sakaki, I also clapped. Mr. Orikasa put his arm around Charlotte's waist and prepared to part ways with us.
Then, Charlotte looked at me, looking a bit troubled.

She then spoke to me in French.
"I dropped one of my earrings. Probably in the powder room. Could you come with me?"

The men looked puzzled. None of them understood our conversation. I told them, "Excuse me, she dropped something, I'll be right back," and tried to take Charlotte's hand to head toward the exit.

"I have been called by a guest. It will only be a short talk. See you again on the battlefield."
Mr. Orikasa said this to us, raised his hand quickly, and disappeared into the wave of people. However, his dignified back was eye-catching.

When I went to the powder room with Charlotte and returned after finding the earring sparkling on the floor, I suddenly spotted his back in the shadows of a different exit.
He seemed to be talking to two men who were neither Japanese nor French. It was an era when the country was opening up and Western culture was flowing in. I didn't think much of it, told her, "It looks like he's over there," and we parted ways.

Thinking about it now, that first night we met was the only peaceful time.
Even the creeping shadows... if only... if only someone had noticed, perhaps they could have been erased.

A word

This is the start of the third entry for the Creative Award 2025! I am conscious of a glamour that captivates the eye. I wonder if there are few period pieces? While thinking that, I want to depict the romance of the Taisho era, one of my longings, and the shadows behind liberalism.
Furthermore, this was already conceived as a stage play within the story of "The Story I Create with My Oshi".

I published a fragment of the climax yesterday, but after I briefly wrote down the theme for each of the five planned episodes, one or two lines each, I had already written the opening (this episode) and the first half (second episode), so I am publishing it tonight!
I will do my best with the historical research as well.

Episodes 2 to 8 (Final Episode)