After transferring trains from Shin-Koganai Station, we arrived at the studio.
“How many microphones do you need?” the clerk at the counter asked.
“Ah, just one—”
“Two, please!”
Interrupting my answer, Ichikawa spoke with a smile.
She held up two fingers to signify the number, but since she was talking to him while making a peace sign, she looked a bit silly.
“Wait, I’m not singing, you know?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!”
“Two it is.”
The part-timer, a girl with a ponytail and bright brown hair, placed two microphones and mic shields (which are cables) into a basket and handed them over.
Once we entered the studio, Ichikawa began to stretch.
“Nn-sho, nn-sho...”
What’s with that cute-sounding voice...?
And we’re actually alone in a private room together...
Feeling somewhat out of place, I decided to set up the microphone stand.
Meanwhile, Ichikawa sat down on the floor and began doing split-leg forward bends.
...Wait, what?!
Her thighs peeked out from her skirt, and as she leaned forward, it looked like something might become visible from the neckline of her dress shirt.
“Wait, Ichikawa, that’s...!”
“Nn? What?”
She looked up at me innocently.
“N-No, it’s nothing...”
I just shouldn't look... It's not like I'm actually seeing anything anyway... I’m overthinking this.
Reciting a prayer to myself, I closed my eyes and finished setting up the mic stand.
“Alright!”
I heard the sound of her patting her skirt.
I slowly opened my eyes. Thank goodness, it seemed she had stood up.
“Konuma-kun, thanks for the mic!”
Saying that, she took her acoustic guitar out of its case.
Seeing Ichikawa standing before the microphone with her guitar ready felt somewhat deeply moving.
“What is it? Why are you staring?”
“Ah, no...”
As Ichikawa tilted her head, I waved my hand to say it was nothing.
I was just a little moved.
I had managed to reunite, at such a close distance, with the very situation that served as the starting point of my life as a composer.
“Hmm? Well, whatever. Konuma-kun, teach me the chords!”
“R-Right.”
I gently wrote the chords on a small whiteboard attached to the studio wall.
Once I finished writing, the preparations were complete.
“Okay, then, I’ll try singing.”
Saying that, she held her guitar.
I sat on a round stool and watched her blankly.
“I’m going to sing now...”
“Yeah.”
Ichikawa cleared her throat.
“Mm-hmm, the chords are these, right...”
“Hmm? Yeah.”
“Um, the lyrics are these...”
“That’s right, but...”
“Okay, okay, then, here I go...”
“Yeah.”
“*Inhale*, *Exhale*... gotta steady my breathing...”
“Ichikawa?”
“A-Ah, mm, mm.”
“Ichikawa-san...?”
There was no sign of her starting to sing at all.
“Don’t tell me...”
When I said that, Ichikawa laughed with her eyebrows slanting downwards.
“...I’m a little nervous.”
Ichikawa’s hands were trembling slightly.
“...Are you scared?”
“...I wonder if my voice will come out,” she whispered weakly, her voice melting into the corners of the room.
“But this isn’t your song, right?”
“That’s... true.”
She nodded several times, as if convincing herself.
“That’s true, but... I’m going to sing it as my own song.”
“Ichikawa...”
Then, Ichikawa closed her eyes, exhaled slowly, and took a deep breath in.
This is...
“It’s the same as during the in-store live...”
It was her ritual before starting a song.
“Alright.”
When Ichikawa opened her eyes again, the hesitation was gone from her gaze.
“Since Konuma-kun worked so hard, I have to do my part next, don’t I?”
I stared up blankly at her dignified figure.
Our eyes met as she stole a glance at me. Ichikawa’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“But Konuma-kun, you don’t have to stare so much...”
“Ah, s-sorry.”
I also felt embarrassed and looked down.
What is this strange atmosphere...?
“I’m going to try singing, so please... look over there for a bit...”
“O-Oh...”
I turned around.
Then, I thought I heard the sound of clothes rustling.
In reality, she probably just adjusted her guitar strap, but since it was outside my field of vision, it sounded strangely evocative.
“Mm-sho... Okay, I’m singing, okay?”
Wait, what’s the situation right now? She’s wearing clothes, right?
However, those agonizing thoughts were blown away in an instant immediately after.
Because.
I heard the sound of guitar strings being plucked.
With that acoustic guitar sound of amane, the intro of the song I was supposed to have created began to ring out.
In that moment, my heart was completely captivated by the sense of euphoria.
'Chased by the alarm clock, I left the house'
Those lyrics written by Azuma were softly spun by amane's voice.
Goosebumps erupted across my back.
What the hell is this?
It’s that voice.
It’s that voice I’ve been searching for all this time.
It’s that voice that changed my life that day.
Through a succession of intense and dense moments, four minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and amane finished the final guitar stroke.
I was simply trembling.
“My voice came out... thank goodness...”
Ichikawa let out a sigh of relief.
“Konuma-kun, how was it...?”
“...Isn’t it good?”
I managed to let those words slip from my mouth while keeping my eyes forward.
“I see, thank goodness~...”
Because there was no way I could let her see the expression on my face right then.