“So, that means we’re looking for a bassist, huh~”
As we started walking again, Ichikawa-san looked up with her index finger pressed against her lips, making a humming sound.
“Aren’t there any people in the Rock Club who might do it?”
“Hmm, everyone’s already in a band. Although, there might be someone willing to do some dual-banding.”
“No, I’m talking about a bassist before we talk about a keyboardist...”
When I pointed that out to Ichikawa-san, who had suddenly switched to a different plan, she tilted her head in confusion.
“Eh? No, that’s not it. It’s an abbreviation for ‘dual-banding.’ As in, being in multiple bands at once.”
“Ho...!?”
I was shocked. To think there are people talented enough to handle multiple bands.
The idea hadn’t even crossed my mind. After all, I can’t even manage to form a single one.
While I stood there with my mouth agape, Azuma-san timidly raised her hand.
“I... might actually know one person who can play...” she suggested hesitantly.
“Eh, who, who?”
Ichikawa-san’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in toward Azuma-san.
“Um, it’s a girl named Hasu from the Girls’ Dance Club in Class 4.”
Hearing that name, my shoulders gave a sudden jerk.
“She’s in the same Class 4 as me. The other day, when we were cleaning together, she was moving my bass that I’d left at the back of the classroom and said, ‘Yurisuke, I’m moving the Pre-bass.’”
“Yurisuke? Pre-bass?”
As Ichikawa-san tilted her head in confusion, I explained from the side.
“A Pre-bass is a Precision Bass. It’s a type of bass guitar. I don’t know about ‘Yurisuke’ though. Probably some kind of mascot character?”
“No, no! No matter how you look at it, that’s clearly my nickname! My first name is Yuri!”
Azuma-san placed a hand on her chest and asserted herself.
“...Anyway, that’s not the point! Normally, wouldn’t you just say, ‘I’m moving the bass’? Honestly, it wouldn’t even be weird if someone mistakenly said, ‘I’m moving the guitar!’”
“That’s true...”
Ichikawa-san listened with a solemn expression, nodding.
“So when I said, ‘Sakohasu, you actually know about Pre-basses!’ she got all flustered and just told me to shut up.”
“Sakohasu?”
Ichikawa-san tilted her head again.
“It’s Sako’s nickname. Try to keep up.”
As I spoke with a mix of exasperation, Ichikawa-san tilted her head even further.
“Sako...?”
She was tilting her head so much she could have appeared in the Monogatari series at this point.
“Konuma, you know Sakohasu’s full name...?”
In that moment, I realized I had made a fairly significant blunder.
“Ah, her name is Sako-san! Hasu-san’s first name!”
Ichikawa-san clapped her hands like she’d had a breakthrough.
“Konuma, you’re like the person least likely to have a connection with Sakohasu. Don’t tell me, you’ve been licking Sakohasu’s desk too...?”
“No, I don’t lick desks! And Azuma-san, seriously stop saying that! It’s a false accusation!”
“A false accusation!? So you’ve even licked her clothes until they were soaking wet...?”
“There’s no way! Honestly, Azuma-san, you’re the creepy one for even thinking of that! Every time you say things like that, Ichikawa-san starts distancing herself from you!”
Look, Ichikawa-san is already sidestepping away.
“Sigh...” I let out a deep breath.
“...We just went to the same elementary and middle school.”
I gave up and confessed.
“With Sakohasu?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded quietly.
“Ah— then Sako-san is that person! The one who got mad at us today!”
A lightbulb practically appeared over Ichikawa-san’s head.
“She got mad? Today? Sakohasu did? Why?”
“She told us not to flirt in the storage room of the Multipurpose Room!”
““Hah!?””
Azuma-san and I reacted in unison to Ichikawa-san’s words.
I meant it in the sense of: ‘Why would you phrase it in such a suspicious way?!’
Azuma-san likely meant it in the sense of: ‘Kill Konuma! Kill Konuma brutally!’
“Kill Konuma... Kill Konuma brutally...”
See, I was right.
“No, no! We went to the storage room to check on the mixer, and a pile of cardboard boxes started falling on Ichikawa-san, so I just shielded her!”
“...Really? Does something that much like a manga actually happen?”
“I’m telling you, it’s the truth!”
Yes, something that much like a light novel actually happened!
“Ahaha, what Konuma-kun is saying is true, Yuri. Sorry for startling you. And Konuma-kun, sorry for the weird phrasing.”
“No, please actually reflect on it?”
Big sis Azuma-san gets scary when it comes to you...
“Well, if that’s the case, then this simplifies things.”
Big sis Azuma-san said while crossing her arms.
When you cross your arms like that, your chest stands out a bit, so I think you should probably stop...
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Ichikawa-san asked.
“Konuma should just invite Sakohasu directly.”
“Ah!”
Ichikawa-san clapped her hands happily. However, I replied,
“No... anyone but her is impossible. I’m sorry.”
“Well, I get that you guys seem to belong to completely different social circles, but it’ll be fine. She’s actually a really nice person, despite how she looks. Though I guess you already know that, Konuma.”
...That’s not it.
“...It’s just that, with her specifically, doing music together is truly impossible.”
““...?””
The two of them looked at me wonderingly as I suddenly looked down, my voice trembling.
“Back in middle school,”
I decided to start telling them a story from the past.