"No, look, Ichikawa-san. Your guitar rhythm is dragging. At that part, I'm going into the higher register, so you need to keep the rhythm steady and support me. Focus on the lower notes and play firmly. It was in Takuto's notes too, wasn't it?"
"I-I get it...! Oh, I have one thing too. Sako-san, your bass part there is clashing with the melody, so it's making it hard to sing. Can you change it to a slightly lower phrase?"
"...Yes."
"...Are you mad?"
"I'm not mad."
It was Sunday, the middle of what was a three-day weekend for the general public. (Though for us, it's a two-day weekend since we had school on Saturday.)
At the studio in Kichijoji, Ichikawa and Sako had started a discussion—or was it an argument?
Since both of them seemed to be right, I decided to call out to Azuma, who was currently sitting on the floor in a fetal position, tapping away on her smartphone.
"Azuma, do you think you can write the rest of the lyrics?"
"Sorry, not yet! Unlike Amane, I'm actually using my head to write these!"
"Eh, I'm using my head too!?"
Ichikawa, who was supposed to be facing Sako, looked at Azuma with an 'I can't let that slide!' expression.
"You're totally not! You just turned what you were feeling into words, and it became the lyrics for the new song, right?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
When Azuma arrived at the studio today, she had said, 'Listen to what I realized after reading Amane's lyrics!' and carefully explained her interpretation of the new song's lyrics again. Hearing that, Ichikawa said things like, 'I see, so that's how I feel...! Being told that made me realize my true feelings!'
It seems Ichikawa is the type whose emotions turn directly into sound and words without passing through the thought process of 'How should I put this feeling into words?'
Azuma's previous remark was a bit of a sarcastic jab, a dry laugh at the fact that she was being shown 'genius talent' once again.
"Hey, hey, Konuma-kun, I'm being ganged up on here."
"Don't go crying to Takuto."
You're getting shot in the back while trying to run away, Ichikawa.
"Ah, you have my sympathy... Also, I have one thing too. Can you sing with a bit more power? You're still losing to the instruments."
"Ye〜s, I understand〜..."
Having been pointed out by me—her supposed last hope—Ichikawa's eyes went half-lidded. She looked just like Yuzu.
"But, I wonder if this is what being in a band is like...?"
I wondered if I had gone a bit too far with this 'shock therapy' to break out of our shells, but the corners of Ichikawa's mouth were twitching happily despite her pouting expression.
"By the way, Amane, your throat doesn't seem to be in as good a condition as usual. Did you get enough sleep?"
Azuma looked up and tilted her head.
"No! And that's because Konuma-kun called me at two in the morning saying 'The song is done!' yesterday."
"Ah, that... Yeah, that's troublesome. I totally get it..."
"Exactly! ...Wait a second, I don't know why, but I feel some malice in how Yuri sounds like such an expert on this?"
"Speaking of which, Takuto, that reminded me. You didn't ask me in advance if I was free today, did you?"
"I'm sorry..."
Is it my turn now...?
"But, I've warmed up and my throat is finally opening up, so let's try syncing up one more time!"
"Yeah." "Alright." "Good luck!"
The moment we said that.
The lights in the room began to flicker.
"Eh, already!?"
This light flickering was a common specification in studios; it was the way the staff notified customers playing music that their time was almost up.
Which meant...
The door creaked open, and the studio clerk, Jinno-san, poked her head in. This person really is on the shift every single day.
"Customers〜, sorry to interrupt while you're getting fired up, but it's almost time to wrap up〜."
"And we were just about to sync up."
Sako muttered dissatisfactorily, but it wasn't Jinno-san's fault that the time was up.
"Maika-buchou, can we get an extension?"
"Hey, this isn't a karaoke box... Well, this room is empty for the rest of the day, so you can. Is one hour okay?"
Jinno-san responded flexibly to the question from her former junior, Yuribou.
"Yes! Please do!"
Ichikawa replied with a sparkling smile.
And about an hour later.
"Come to think of it, did the lyrics for Ichikawa-san's intense song get finished?"
During a break between sessions, Sako asked the question. (Probably.)
"Yeah, they're pretty much decided!"
"I see, I want to hear them! Right, Konuma?"
"Yeah."
I realized that, unlike yesterday, I was now truly happy that the song Ichikawa wrote was progressing. Azuma surely felt the same way.
Sensing that atmosphere, Ichikawa smiled happily too.
"Got it! Then I'll sing!"
The moment Ichikawa swung her hand down with her pick.
Once again, the lights in the room flickered, and the door creaked open.
"It's time... want an extension?"
"""...Yes!"""
More time passed.
"Hey, is this actually heading in a good direction...?"
As we synced up as a band several times for Ichikawa's intense song, something was bothering me.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"No, I just feel like it sounded cooler when Ichikawa was just playing and singing it alone. But the key seems just right..."
I crossed my arms and groaned.
Then, Sako raised her hand slightly.
"Yes, Sakohasu."
Wondering what it was, I listened, and Sako made an incredible suggestion.
"Wouldn't it be better if Ichikawa-san did her intense song alone?"
"""Hoe?"""
Even I ended up tilting my head cutely.
"U-Um, Sako-san? We're all fired up today because we decided to become a 'band' again..."
"That's right, Sako. If you suddenly say 'do it solo,' where does that resolution go?"
As Ichikawa and I gently disagreed with question marks floating over our heads...
"I didn't say 'do it solo.' I just said 'do it alone.'"
""Hmm...?""
Sako wasn't just quiet; she simply lacked enough words to explain.
The Deviance-Score-Big-Sister from the Japanese literature department raised her hand and spoke up, "Could it be..."
"...You mean to 'do not perform'?"
"I guess that's it."
...Yeah, her deviance score is too high for me to understand.
"What does that mean?"
"It's the same as 'Yesterday' by the Beatles. In other words—"
Just as Sako started to explain.
The lights flickered again, and—
"Exten—" "Extension, please!"
Azuma strongly cut off Jinno-san just as she was about to ask.
"Oka〜y."
Well, if the person herself doesn't seem to mind, I guess it's fine, but isn't she technically your senior?
I wonder how many times we repeated that.
I don't know which extension this was, but the lights flickered again, and Jinno-san walked in.
"...Hey there."
"""Extension, please!"""
"Oh, look at you guys, perfectly in sync, hahaha."
After a cheerful laugh, Jinno-san scratched her head.
"Well, I'd like to do that for you, but it's already 10 PM."
She gave a wry smile.
"Eh?"
When I looked up at the clock, it was indeed pointing at 10 at night.
"Wait, is it that late already!?"
Azuma let out a startled cry.
"Unfortunately, since I know you guys are high schoolers, I can't let you use the place any longer than this."
Is this that Youth Protection Ordinance thing...?
"Maika-buchou, you're a high schooler too, right?"
"...I'm eighteen."
Jinno-san quickly averted her eyes.
"But you're a high schooler, right?"
The junior didn't loosen her interrogation.
"...Anyway, please clean up〜."
"Ah, she dodged the question!"
Slam! Jinno-san closed the door and left.
Well, there was nothing we could do, so we started cleaning up.
"I still had a lot of things I wanted to talk about."
Sako said, looking displeased.
"Yeah. Even if we couldn't sing, we were getting some good ideas for the setlist."
"But we can't go to any shops and it's already really late... Should we do a group call after we get home?"
A group call...?
While I was turning into a confused toddler over a term I'd never heard before...
"A-Actually!"
For some reason, Ichikawa spoke up nervously.
"""Hmm?"""
Fidgeting, she began to say something unexpected.
"My father and mother aren't home today... so, if you'd like, why don't you all come to my house?"
""To amane-sama's house... you say...!?""
"Hey, I told you to stop being believers. ...Wait, huh?"
The tone of Sako's voice, which had been exasperated, suddenly rose at the end.
"Wait a minute, Ichikawa-san, wasn't today originally supposed to be just you and Takuto...!?"
"S-Sako-san!"
A blushing Ichikawa was flustered.
Why is Ichikawa blushing...?
Ah, it was originally supposed to be just the two of us...
...Wait, EH!?
"Konuma-kun, you don't need to think about it any further than that, okay!?"