NOVEL NEXT Chapter 111
Chapter: 111
Peter Pan.
A story set in the imaginary land of ‘Neverland,’ where a forever immature and vibrant boy lives. This play and fairy tale is truly a dazzlingly charming tale.
The innocence of a child, the naivety of a youth—Peter Pan portrays these in a ridiculously blatant and sparkling manner.
“Did you say Author Homeros has given you a new play? Hold on, let me read it for a moment; can you wait?”
“Yes! Teacher!”
The young witch smiled ‘childishly’ as she handed the manuscript to Howlen.
Anyone witnessing her expression would never believe she was a ‘witch who couldn’t feel emotions’—it was perfect… an innocence so theatrical, so vivid in its clarity.
Howlen, grinning proudly at his pupil’s performance, began to read the Peter Pan manuscript.
The young witch quietly observed him from the side.
Howlen’s expressions varied wildly as he flipped through the pages, and with each turn, his mix of laughter and grimaces gradually smoothed into an almost blank expression—the face of someone utterly absorbed in a story.
“Hoo….”
At times, Howlen would shiver or gasp, visibly impressed. Each time, his expression would soften and his lips would curl into a slight smile, but the young witch still couldn’t replicate such natural expressions. She tried to mimic Howlen’s face, popping her mouth open like a little parrot.
But she didn’t just copy his expressions; she took note of his habits too. Howlen would occasionally pause his reading to tap the paper with his finger, as if jotting notes—tap, tap, a few times—and only then would his gaze drift back to the words.
The young witch actively observed these small habits and expressions.
After some time, Howlen put the manuscript down with a deep sigh.
“Phew… it’s really good, isn’t it? Of course, it’s from Author Homeros… Hmm, we might need a magician’s help for the staging. We could express it using mechanical devices and props, but… did the writer say anything specific when giving this manuscript to you?”
“Hmm… yes! He just said he really liked it!”
“Really? We should discuss this with the theater directors…”
As Howlen pulled a notebook from his pocket, pondering something, he suddenly looked at the young witch with a piercing gaze. After a few moments of hesitation in his speech, he asked a light question.
“Have you read this play?”
“Yes! I read it before giving it to the teacher. Hehe.”
“And what do you think?”
“Hmm?”
“How about you try acting as Peter Pan on stage?”
In that moment, the young witch’s expression froze, unsure how to react. She wore a blank expression, like a canvas without emotion.
Because of this, she could layer any impression she wanted onto her face—just like the ‘witch’s face’ that Howlen always marveled at.
As her face remained blank and she couldn’t respond, the young witch finally nodded after a moment.
“…Yes. I want to try.”
. . .
[“Peter Pan! Who are you, and what do you want?” he shouted with a raspy voice.]
[“I am youth, and I am joy.” Peter replied fearlessly. “I am a little bird that has just hatched from an egg.”]
. . .
“Hmm? So you’ve gotten the role of Peter Pan?”
“Yes!”
“Not Wendy…?”
I was momentarily perplexed before nodding in agreement. It’s not so strange for a woman to play a man’s role or vice versa in theater. Howlen clearly judged that this ‘young witch’ had talent for acting.
Since I’m not exactly an expert on acting, there was no need for me to say much more.
“Well then. Does this mean you’ll be the lead in the first performance?”
“Yep! Hehe.”
“Alright then…”
Having become her guardian, I thought it necessary to support her wherever I could. If it’s a play, I could book a nice performance venue through the Homeros Foundation.
Just the name ‘Homeros’ could attract quite an audience by itself.
“If you need anything, just let me know anytime. I’ll help as much as I can.”
“Yes! I’ll definitely tell you! Thank you!”
“Uh-huh.”
Let’s see… It’d be best to schedule the publication of the novel after a week of the play being staged.
It might be good to create some merchandise based on Peter Pan… And I need to discuss marketing with Mr. Kindersley.
I had plenty to keep me busy.
. . .
Peter Pan’s Neverland symbolizes innocence. Peter Pan is vibrant like a child, stubborn like a child, cruel like a child, and lovable like a child. Closer to the exaggeration of a play than the severity of a cruel fairy tale, this boy named Peter shows what it means to be a ‘child.’
It is youth, it is adolescence—a gem so precious that once lost, can never be reclaimed.
This theme is also reflected in the writer Barrie’s monologue. If The Little Prince is a tribute to ‘grown-ups who were once children,’ then Peter Pan is a sigh from those ‘adults who can no longer return to being children.’ The theme of ‘eternal youth’ is often more alluring to adults than children, isn’t it?
Thus, the theme of Peter Pan is indeed closer to ‘deficiency.’
Captain Hook, who has no hand, Peter Pan who refuses to grow up, the spiteful and tiny Tinkerbell—every character possesses some form of ‘deficiency,’ depicted in a somewhat pathological and character-driven manner.
And these ‘exaggerated characters’ are the ones that come to life most dramatically in a play.
“Ed, you’re the one who suggested we go see a play. That’s rare.”
“It’s because the child I’m protecting is set to star in this play today.”
“Oh, that girl? Hmm.”
I visited the theater where ‘Peter Pan’ was being performed with my family.
With the name Homeros, we could have easily booked front-row seats, but we opted for some decent seats to enjoy the play.
We received a pamphlet at the entrance detailing the play and names of the actors as we made our way inside.
The seats were already filling up with quite a crowd.
I sat down in the designated seat and opened the pamphlet, catching sight of the young witch’s profile with a small chuckle.
[Peter Pan Role) Name: None]
“Maybe I should’ve come up with an adequate stage name for her…”
Thus began the play ‘Peter Pan.’
. . .
When I heard the young witch was taking on the role of Peter Pan, I expected there might be some awkwardness in that part.
The type of awkwardness that naturally arises when a woman plays a man’s role, like wearing clothes that don’t fit. Surely there would be instances where it wouldn’t feel natural, and if I was aware of that, it might even come off as a bit ridiculous.
However.
That thought vanished entirely the moment the ‘boy’ clad in blue stepped onto the stage.
[“Oh, look how clever I am!”]
[Peter’s pride was one of his most charming traits. To put it brutally honestly, there was no more brazen boy in the world.]
His chest was puffed with confidence, almost ready to burst, and his unruly hair flowed dramatically with every step he took.
The mischievous tilt of his mouth hinted at his caprice, and despite his small size and delicate physique, his movements felt remarkably robust and powerful.
Peter Pan.
A narcissistic boy who always thinks he’s the best and a lonely boy who can’t survive unless he holds that belief.
A mischievous boy who constantly tries to inflate his stature but refuses to grow up.
He was standing there on the stage.
. . .
Peter Pan.
This charming boy was the kind of character the young witch could never truly comprehend.
Though Peter was a boy who whimsically twisted and manipulated others, the young witch, unable to grasp her own emotions, had no choice but to mimic those around her. Aside from the fact that he ‘couldn’t grow up and thus eternally remained a boy,’ the two eternal youths were positioned diametrically opposite each other.
[“Peter, who believed that even the most fake of actions were real, could inflate his belly merely by pretending to eat.”]
And yet, for this reason, the character ‘Peter Pan’ was a delightful role for the young witch.
When it came to learning about emotions, there was no more fascinating character than the capricious Peter. Acting as Peter, who soared through the skies filled with absurd enthusiasm, the young witch learned how to navigate the whirlwinds of feelings.
Through his absurdity and chaos, she gleaned a little more about the human innocence of childhood.
Clutching a fake dagger, she constructed emotions on stage, donning expressions of feigned sentiment.
And then, just as the young witch continued her performance, another ‘fake’ character appeared on stage.
[“His complexion was pale and grimy, and from a distance, he resembled a black candle with the long, curly hair cascading down his dashing face, exuding an eerily threatening presence.”]
[“His eyes, a deep blue that would be unforgettable in a glance, held profound sadness, but when poked with a hook, two fireballs would spark and blaze within. His noble demeanor hinted at gentle manners even when committing acts of murder, making him all the more unsettling…”]
A man with dark, curly hair—
Captain Hook.
It was Howlen.