8:00.
Saturday, the day of the live performance.
As I walked with my head down after exiting the ticket gate of Shin-Koganei Station, my shoulder was hit hard from behind after I had only gone a short distance.
“Morning, Konuma.”
“Azuma...”
To me, who was half in a daze,
“Goo-ood mor-ning!”
She repeated forcefully.
“Oh, good morning...!”
Greetings are important at any time. Especially if the other person is Azuma.
“What? Are you nervous already? What are you going to do if you're like that, seriously? I won't forgive you if you don't perform properly today, okay?”
“...I know.”
“Then pull yourself together!”
Bash! My shoulder was hit again, quite hard this time.
...That's right, I have to do this properly.
“Sorry! I'll pull myself together!”
I shook my head, slapped my cheeks, and looked forward.
“Ahaha, your voice is suddenly so loud. But well, that's the spirit. As long as you do it right during the performance, that's all that matters. Okay?”
Looking at her, Azuma was smiling gently.
“Yeah.”
I'm sure Azuma timed her arrival with mine just to give me this pep talk.
I can't keep being a burden over and over again. I straightened my back once more.
8:20.
“Oh, Konuma-kun, Yuri. Good morning!”
“Takuto, Yurisuke. Morning.”
When I arrived at school, Ichikawa and Sako were talking about something right near the entrance of the school building.
“That's a rare combination... Having a meeting?”
“Mm, about today's live performance. I mean, we are technically band members.”
“That's right, it's not rare, is it?”
“True...”
When she put it that way, she was absolutely right.
“...If anything, I wonder why Konuma-kun and Yuri came together?”
Ichikawa's eyes suddenly glowed red.
““N-No, it was just a coincidence...””
As the two of us flustered about,
“Just kidding! It's a joke, a joke!”
Ichikawa laughed.
“Haa...! Geez, stop with the jokes that are bad for my heart, Amane!”
As she said that, Azuma hit my shoulder like a tsukkomi.
“Ow. Hey, why are you hitting me?”
“B-Because, I can't hit amane-sama, can I...?”
““Hey, you believer...””
When Sako and I looked at her with exasperated eyes,
“Uu...!”
Azuma recoiled with teary eyes.
“Ahaha, I'd prefer it if it didn't hurt.”
Ichikawa was saying something, though I couldn't tell if she was really listening or not.
12:10.
“Ichikawa.”
“............”
Homeroom ended, and I called out to our band's vocalist who was sitting by the window with her eyes closed, but there was no response.
Looking closely, it seemed she was wearing earphones.
She must be listening to the audio of the songs we're performing today.
The four of us were planning to head to the live house, but Azuma and Sako's classes might not have finished homeroom yet, so I sat quietly sideways in the seat in front of her to wait.
From this window seat, I could look across the classroom.
Suddenly, in my own seat, I felt like I could see Azuma and myself from that day during summer vacation.
‘Hey, Konuma. You have to think for yourself. You have to choose for yourself.’
‘The “truth” is scary. The “truth” is painful. To be honest... I wish things could stay like this. Because the “truth” is your bare, exposed self. But,’
‘Show me a will that can be admired. Show me Takuto Konuma's “truth”.’
I looked at those words once more.
Then.
“Konuma-kun?”
“Yes!?”
My shoulders jumped at the sudden voice.
Looking to the side, Ichikawa was staring intently at me.
“Ichikawa, I thought you were listening to the track...?”
“Yeah, I was.”
Ichikawa nodded firmly.
“Because we can't afford to make any mistakes.”
“Ichikawa, could it be...”
Just then.
“Heeey, you two?”
“Takuto, Ichikawa-san, let's go.”
Azuma and Sako called out from outside the classroom.
“Alright, let's go, Konuma-kun!”
Smiling, Ichikawa stood up.
“Wait, I mean, I was the one who came to call you in the first place.”
13:30.
After eating at the Kichijoji Mac, we arrived at the live house ‘Wakuseikei’ near Disk Union.
As we walked down the dark and suspicious stairs to the basement, Ichikawa was in high spirits.
“Wow, this is my first time performing at a live house.”
“Oh, did Ichikawa-pro not do them during her professional days?”
“What's with the Ichikawa-pro...? Yeah, I only did things like instore lives at Tower Records, because I... well, I retired soon after.”
“I see...”
In an indescribable atmosphere, we reached the basement, where there was a door so sturdy it looked like a wall.
I've seen things like this in scary movies with delinquents or yakuza...!
“Hey Yuri, this is the right place, right...?”
“Y-Yeah, I think so...”
“Isn't it a bit dark?”
“Is it okay to open this? This...?”
As the four of us gulped...
“What are you guys doing?”
““““Waaah!””””
The four of us jumped at the sudden words from behind.
Turning around, the three members of Butter were standing there.
“Your voices are so loud...” “It felt like we were the ones being surprised.”
Eriguchi-san and Shaku-san were smiling wryly.
“Geez, please don't scare us like that, Maika-bucho...!”
Azuma glared resentfully at Jinno-san while holding her chest.
“No, it's scarier to just be standing around in a place like this. Aren't you going in?”
“Is it okay to open this?”
“Hah? You're performing today, aren't you? ...Ah, first time at a live house. Fine, I'll go in with you. Yuribou is such a cute kouhai as always.”
“It's just that Maika-bucho is a cool senpai as always...”
Seriously, that tsundere act isn't working as a tsundere at all...
With a grin, Jinno-san opened the door, and the sound of a mic check could be heard from inside.