The after-school period after I had almost reconciled with Sako but failed.
Yuri: [Konuma, you seriously can't read the room at all...]
Reading the message I received from Azuma, I tilted my head while activating my stealth mode again today.
Well, rather than activating it, it's more like a basic status now. It's at a level where I can do it without even thinking.
As a result, today as well, I was left alone in the classroom without anyone calling out to me.
...Or so I thought.
"Konuma-kun, how did it go... with Sako-san?"
amane-sama was still here.
Just the two of us in the classroom after school.
"Hmm, well, I don't really get it, but she was super ticked off."
"Oh, I see..."
For some reason, Ichikawa's response was evasive, so I bowed my head to her.
"Sorry. Because of that, I think we'll have to look for another bassist..."
"No, it's probably my fault too..."
"Your fault, Ichikawa? Why?"
"No, it's nothing!"
Ichikawa waved her hands in front of her chest as if in a panic.
I was a bit curious about Ichikawa's behavior, but for now, the focus was the bassist.
I crossed my arms and pondered.
I wonder if there's someone else I could ask...
Then, at that moment.
"Found you. Stupid Takuto, and Ichikawa-san."
A girl's voice with a low temperature came from behind.
"Oh...?"
When I turned around, Sako was standing there.
"I have a bit of business with you two."
"W-With me too...?"
With Ichikawa too? As I tilted my head, Sako turned to face Ichikawa.
"Ichikawa-san, are you planning to start a band with this guy?"
"...Yes, that's what I want to do."
Then, Ichikawa faced her.
...They're giving off an atmosphere like some kind of fated showdown all of a sudden, but they only met for the first time yesterday, right?
"I see. ...But you aren't going to do amane's songs anymore, right?"
At the mention of amane, Ichikawa's shoulders jumped with a twitch.
"...Yeah. I've heard amane's songs before, recommended by this idiot."
"I-I see..."
Ichikawa bit her lower lip and nodded as if she was afraid of something.
Seeing this, Sako frowned slightly and let out a small sigh.
"I'll ask you straight out."
"Yes...?"
Ichikawa timidly waited for Sako's words.
"If you're going to do original songs by Takuto or you, then I'll join the band. If it's covers, I won't."
Sako declared firmly.
At those words, it was my turn to be shaken.
"...!? You said my songs were... gross..."
I managed to force the words out despite stuttering, and Sako bit her lower lip hard.
"...The one who said that was the trash girl from two years ago who was a thousand times more of an idiot than I am now."
Then, she turned toward me and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, Takuto. Since then, I've been regretting it the whole time."
I was lost for words at the sudden apology.
How am I supposed to take this...?
"When Takuto said he wanted to make up today, I was happy. But I was about to make the same mistake again."
"Sako...?"
She looked straight into my bewildered eyes and said,
"Because if you hurt something important due to momentary emotions, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Sako spoke each word as if they were precious to her.
I felt a sensation as if my chest was being tightly squeezed by those words.
"...Um, Sako-san!"
Then, Ichikawa called out to Sako from the side as if she had made up her mind.
"What?"
Sako turned toward Ichikawa.
Ichikawa's voice trembled.
"Um, you see. We are going to do originals, so I think it would make me happy if Sako-san would play with us."
"Ichikawa...!"
Then, Sako nodded firmly.
"...I understand. So, whose songs are you going to play?"
For a moment, I locked eyes with Ichikawa.
I gave a small nod, conveying the meaning that it was okay to tell her.
Ichikawa gave a soft nod back, took a breath, and spoke.
"It's Konuma-kun's songs."
"...I see."
And then, after Sako took a moment to steady her breathing with a sigh,
"In that case, Takuto. ...Could you let me listen to your songs?"
She asked.
"O-Oh, sure."
Answering that, I took my Bluetooth headphones out of my bag.
...But for some reason, the headphones slipped from my hand and fell.
I tried to bend down to pick them up, but I couldn't do it well.
What is this...?
"Konuma-kun, your hands..."
When Ichikawa pointed it out, I looked at my hand reaching for the headphones.
That hand was shaking like crazy.
"Haha..."
How pathetic.
I'm still scared. I am.
I'm incredibly scared of letting Sako listen to my songs.
Thinking that she might give me those cold eyes again.
Thinking that I might be betrayed by the person I thought understood me better than anyone else.
Just how much of a coward am I?
Can someone like me even be in a band?
Wouldn't it be best to just stay shut away alone, making music in my own world without letting anyone hear it?
Even if I let someone hear it, it's nothing but risks and leads to nothing, right?
As I laughed at my own lameness while staring at my trembling right hand...
Someone's hands enveloped that right hand.
"Takuto, I'm really sorry..."
It was Sako's palms as she crouched in front of me.
"Takuto, I'm really sorry. Back then, I really did something stupid out of such petty emotions..."
Sako continued her words like a confession, her face contorted.
"There's no way I could hate the music Takuto makes."
"Even if you say that..."
"At that time, I was sulking about something completely different."
"Sulking? About what...?"
When I asked that, Sako glanced at Ichikawa for a moment and then said,
"...We were supposed to just be listening to music together, but then Takuto started making songs, and it felt like you were getting ahead of me."
"Was that... how it was...?"
"Sako-san... I..."
Ichikawa tried to interject something but shook her head halfway through and stopped herself.
Then she turned toward me,
"Konuma-kun, it'll surely be okay,"
She smiled with a somewhat lonely expression.
Then she picked up the headphones and handed them to me.
"Here, Konuma-kun. Let's have Sako-san listen to it, okay?"
Sako gently let go of my hand.
With my hand still slightly trembling, I somehow managed to take the headphones.
And then, I held them out in front of Sako.
"...Thank you, Takuto."
Saying that, Sako put the headphones over her ears.
I displayed my song on my smartphone and gently pressed the play button.
The song begins.
Sako is listening with her eyes closed.
Ichikawa and I cannot hear the sound.
My hands and feet are still twitching slightly.
My heart is beating loudly against my chest.
Unable to watch any longer, Ichikawa said gently and softly,
"It's okay. Because it's a really great song."
The four minutes that felt so long finally ended, and Sako took off the headphones.
Her lips opened as if in slow motion.
In a state of tension greater than anything I had ever felt before, Sako's voice came down upon me.
"This is amazing, Takuto."
When I looked up, tears were streaming down from both of Sako's eyes.