Chapter 27
CHAPTER 1 - THE PARIS DIVA
PART 02
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We arrived at Onpu-chan’s hotel room the night before the smiling moon was due to appear.
Spring vacation had just begun, so we asked for permission from our parents to go to Izu City on a 3-day 2-night MAHO-do employee’s trip. In truth, we utilized Magical Stage and teleported to Paris instead.
We were reluctant to lie to our parents, but we had no other choice. We needed to find Hana-chan.
The hotel Onpu-chan was staying at with the rest of the cast was located near the city center, with the famous Seine River flowing just nearby.
The Odeon Theatre, where Onpu-chan’s musical would be staged, was a short walk away, and we could also see the Eiffel Tower from the hotel window.
Onpu-chan was preparing for tonight’s musical when we entered the room. After exchanging greetings, we all sat down to come up with a plan to find Hana-chan.
"Tomorrow night, when the smiling moon appears, is our best chance. Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring you to see all the places where she may appear."
Onpu-chan shared her plan as she pa.s.sed us copies of a memo she’d made, listing all the famous tourist spots in Paris.
Place Charles de Gaulle, the Eiffel Tower, Palais Garnier, Plaza de la Concordia, the Louvre museum, the Notre Dame cathedral, Moulin Rouge, Musée d'Orsay, Montparna.s.se Tower, Shanzelize Street, the Conciergerie, Palais de Chaillot… The list went on and on.
"I don’t know why Hana-chan has become the ‘Paris Diva’, but it’s true that she’s only been appearing in these prominent locations," Onpu-chan shared.
"But it’ll be a tough job even if we split up to search," Hazuki-chan voiced her concerns.
"We should be able to cover all these areas if we take 2-3 locations each," Onpu-chan answered calmly.
"But this is our first time in Paris, and we can’t even speak French. What if we get lost?" I complained.
"That’s why I said I’ll show you the places tomorrow morning."
Onpu-chan replied, a hint of impatience in her voice. A fierce determination burned in her eyes. I frowned in response.
"That wasn’t nice of you, Doremi-chan. Onpu-chan is Hana-chan’s Mama too. She’s just as worried as the rest of us," Momo-chan interjected quickly.
"……I guess you’re right. Sorry, Onpu-chan."
I apologized, bowing my head. Onpu-chan smiled.
"I’m sorry too. I’ve just been worrying about Hana-chan all alone here……"
"Ho ho ho! You girls are really the best Mamas for Hana," Majorika commented.
"It’ll be alright. If we put our minds to it, we’ll definitely find Hana-chan quickly," Lala added.
I felt braver, hearing their words.
"By the way, what should we do
"No problem. I’ve already booked 3 rooms at this hotel under the name Makihatayama Rika," Onpu-chan replied and she turned to Majorika, giving her a wink.
"Two rooms would have been enough," Majorika grumbled.
"We’re doing this for Hana-chan. Let’s not be so stingy this time," Lala giggled.
Majorika finally nodded reluctantly. Just then, there was a knock on the door.
With a snap of Majorika’s fingers, our witch apprentice uniforms disappeared, to be replaced with our casual clothes.
In the next moment, the door opened, and a woman who looked to be about 32 years old peeked into the room.
"It’s time to leave, Onpu-chan. Oh, you have guests?"
"Yes. Please give me a minute, everyone."
With that, Onpu-chan left the room and chatted with the woman in the corridor. After a few moments, she returned.
"I need to head over to the theatre now. I really want everyone to watch the musical, so I reserved some seats…… But the tickets were sold out too quickly, and I could only secure three seats in the staff area."
"So only three of us can watch the show?" Ai-chan asked, crestfallen.
"Just go without me! I want to get a taste of Parisian desserts," Momo-chan offered.
"Oh, then I’ll come along too," Majorika added.
"Doremi, Hazuki-chan, Ai-chan, you girls go along. We’ll go visit the MAHO-do in Paris instead," Lala said.
"That’s right. Maybe we’ll get some new about Hana," Majorika said.
"Is it really ok?" I asked.
"Thank you," Hazuki-chan added.
"Alright, I’ll take you up on the offer then," Ai-chan said with a grin.
And so, thanks to Momo-chan’s generosity, we got to enjoy the ‘Blue Moon’ musical at Paris’ Odeon Theatre.
~~~~~~
After Onpu-chan left, we had a quick meal at the hotel cafe. Then, bidding Momo-chan, Majorika, and Lala goodbye, the three of us headed to the theatre.
We went up to the reception booth and told the staff our names, as per Onpu-chan’s instructions, and soon received our tickets. I was a little worried since the receptionist was French, but thanks to Hazuki-chan’s English, she understood our situation and we got our tickets without any trouble.
I remembered hearing from Tamaki Reika that the people in France only spoke French, but I guess that’s no longer the case.
Hazuki-chan was relieved too, knowing that she was able to communicate in English. Of course, Ai-chan and I left everything to her after that.
Upon entering the theatre, we couldn’t help but gasp in wonder. The main color of the hall was red, but the decorations and highlights were all in gold. A large hive-like illumination hung from the ceiling, surrounded by paintings spread all across the roof.
Aside from the seats on the first floor, there were another four levels of balcony seats, arranged in an U-shape. Spotlights aimed towards the stage were installed all along the third level of seats.
Our seats were on the second level, in the middle of the last row.
There were approximately 1,000 seats in the theatre, all of which were filled up about five minutes before the show. Glancing up to the higher levels, I spotted men in tuxedos and bowties and women in elegant dresses with opera gla.s.ses in hand, waiting for the performance to start.
Soon, the show began!
The venue darkened and descended into silence as the curtains slowly lifted. A single spotlight was s.h.i.+ning in the center of the stage, where Onpu-chan stood. A round of applause swept through the theatre, as the music began and Onpu-chan began to dance and sing.
This show gave off a totally different aura compared to the one in Tokyo. We heard from Onpu-chan later that the London show was different too. The cast had put in efforts to make each show unique to its venue.
Maybe it was the atmosphere of the place which put us into a happy reverie, and we soon forgot our worries.