13:45.
We had entered the live house and were waiting for our turn to rehearse.
Including us, it seemed there were six bands performing today.
Looking at the time schedule posted on the wall, Butter was the 4th band, and amane was the 5th. The others were, naturally, bands I didn't know.
Most of them seemed to be college students or bands in their early twenties.
“Well, today is a recording rights battle live. Working adults have money, so they probably aren't interested in this kind of thing,” Jinno-san had said.
14:00.
“Yes.”
While we were waiting, Sako raised her hand as if she had just thought of something.
“Yes, Sakohasu.”
“How is the judging decided for today anyway?”
“Only now!?”
Azuma let out a startled voice.
“Yeah, now that I think about it, I never heard. Is there a panel of judges, or do the customers decide?”
“I see, I guess I hadn't explained it... Today is a judge system. They said if they did customer voting, the people who could call the most friends would just win. There are five judges, and it seems they decide based on their votes and consultation.”
“Hmm, who are the judges?”
“Who knows...?”
Azuma tilted her head at that as well.
“So we're being judged by people we don't even know...”
Sako let out a small sigh, when—
“It doesn't matter who it is!”
The smiling angel stood up and spoke with her chest puffed out.
“The most important judge is yourself!”
“What's that, how annoying...”
“You called me annoying!?”
Ichikawa and Sako began to play around, and somehow the band's tension eased up just the right amount.
14:30.
After that, at our first live house, we wrote our first setlist sheet (a paper where you can write requests for the PA and sound technicians), received our first performer passes (the cloth sticker kind!), and after much rejoicing, had our first rehearsal.
Following that, we spent the time watching other bands rehearse, or occasionally stepping outside to intentionally avoid watching Butter’s rehearsal.
17:00.
The live house opened its doors.
Entering almost at the same time as the opening was a boy with glasses from the Instrumental Club.
“Oh, Yutaka. You came.”
Azuma waved while tilting her head.
“Yeah, since Yuri-chan said she was betting her high school life on this, after all.”
“Ahaha, sorry about that...”
“Not at all. Besides, if Bucho Jinno is performing, I can't miss it. I'm looking forward to it.”
“Thanks. ...Well, I won't be performing, but it doesn't change the fact that it's my band.”
Otomo-kun nodded with a smile and asked, “Where is Bucho Jinno?” then headed in the direction Azuma pointed.
Next, a petite junior and another petite junior arrived.
“Natsumi-chan, thank you!” “Tsubame, thanks for coming.”
Ichikawa and Azuma greeted them respectively.
“The pleasure is mine! I was so moved to see the photo I took on the poster at the entrance! I'm so glad I joined the Photo Club...! Could I possibly have that poster once it's over?”
“Hmm, they probably won't use it after today, so it should be fine? I'll ask the live house staff later.”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
Her beaming smile was dazzling. This girl really always feels like a model student. ...Though she was a bit scary when we were talking about childhood friends.
“Um, um, Master! Konuma-senpai! A live house is, like, like, a scary place! It smells of outlaws! As expected, the Rock Club is truly rock!”
Taira-chan’s eyes were sparkling for some reason.
She started taking deep breaths as if trying to feel every corner of this atmosphere. The air probably isn't that clean, so be careful, okay...?
“Ahaha... well, I wonder if that’s the right definition for the word 'rock'. Anyway, did just the two of you, Osada-chan and Tsubame, come today?” Azuma asked.
“Yes! Oh, but Stellar-chan will come later! And also after this, I think some of Osada-san's friends will be coming! Right, Osada-san!”
“Yes, three more are coming! They said they wanted to come because they were moved by seeing you at the school festival. They should be here by the time it’s amane’s turn... Oh, actually, one of them is Rinko-chan, the current president of the Instrumental Club, so Azuma-senpai should know her, right?”
“Heh, Rinko is coming too! I'm happy.”
It seems Rinko-san is the current president of the Instrumental Club.
“Then, we have to work even harder, right? Konuma?”
“I guess so...”
“...You, what are you grinning about?”
Apparently, I had been smirking without realizing it.
“Nothing.”
It seems she hasn't noticed it herself, but Azuma no longer becomes depressed when she hears about the current Instrumental Club. I'm glad she was able to move past the Instrumental Club Loss...
『I’ve decided to bet everything from now on in my youth on amane.』
I truly feel proud and grateful if the reason she could move past it was amane.
As I was nodding to myself, two hands slithered out from behind Taira-chan.
“Nee-hee-hee, Tsubame-tchii?”
“Hieee!?”
The small-animal-like junior jumped and hid behind me, who was closest, as if escaping those demonic hands.
“Erina.”
From the side, Sako called out the name of the owner of those tentacles. Tentacles. She’s seriously starting to seem like a devil.
The tentacle-person spread her hands with a grin and laughed.
“Yahoo! Erina is here!”
“Uuu...!”
Taira-chan was clinging tightly to me with a red face.
“Tsubame-chan, what's wrong? Also, could you please step away from Konuma-kun?”
Ichikawa worriedly pulled Taira-chan away from me. (Is she really worried?)
Taira-chan, for her part, didn't seem to care who she clung to as long as she was safe; she left me smoothly without a hint of regret, grabbed Ichikawa’s arm with both hands, and huddled close to her.
“E-Erina-senpai is a terrifying person...! If you let your guard down for even a second, you'll be caught in her poisonous fangs...!”
“Ah...”
She did have that suggestive interaction with her recently. I see, it’s become a trauma...
“Tsubame-tchii, why are you avoiding Erina~?”
“Because my virtue is in danger!”
Taira-chan squeezed Ichikawa's arm harder, while Erina-san edged closer. That's an unexpected side of Erina-san.
As I was thinking that idly—
“Hey, Erina, leave it at that.”
An unusually refreshing and handsome voice echoed.
“...Kenji.”
Seeing him, Sako widened her eyes by 0.something millimeters and muttered.
“You came.”
“Well, yeah...”
“Did you come with Erina?”
Erina-san cut in on Sakosh's question.
“That's right! We left school together, ate lunch together, ate ice cream together, and then came here! Right, Kenji?”
“O-Oh...!”
Seeing Maejima scratch his cheek bashfully,
“I see...!”
Sako smiled, clearly lifting the corners of her mouth. It looked like there were some tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
...No, wait a minute, are you serious?
I beckoned Erina-san over.
“What is it? Takuto-kun, a secret consultation?”
She came over. Your voice is too loud for a secret.
Turning our backs to Maejima and the others along with Erina-san, I asked in a low voice.
“...When did your relationship with Maejima get repaired that much?”
“Because, since it's already been found out anyway, there's no point in holding back, right? Now, I just have to push and push and push!”
“That might be true, but...”
“So, I decided not to hold back anymore!”
Erina-san smiled brightly.
“Seriously...!”
While saying that, I caught a glimpse of Maejima, and he seemed to be glancing over at the distance between Erina-san and me with a look of displeasure.
“See, it’s super effective, right?”
Erina-san grinned like a little devil.
“I guess so...”
I let out a laugh.
Just as I thought that I might not even need to gift her a song anymore, Erina-san softly brought her lips to my ear.
“It's thanks to you, Takuto-kun. I love you.”
“Hey...”
D-Don't use those kinds of words so lightly... As I looked at her with exasperated eyes,
“Well, I'm going to go push some more, okay?”
Leaving behind a sweet scent, Erina-san returned to Maejima's side.
In any case, I'm really glad that devil-like smile has returned...
“Hey, hey, Konuma-kun.”
As I was feeling sentimental, someone tugged on my sleeve.
“Could you pay a little more attention to this side too?”
There stood Ichikawa Amane, pouting her lips.
17:20.
A little later, two adult women arrived.
“Ariga-san!”
Catching sight of her, Ichikawa happily ran over.
“Amane-san! I'm looking forward to today.”
“Yes!”
Ichikawa and Ariga-san, responding with beaming smiles, were just like sisters.
Ariga-san then approached us along with Ichikawa.
“Konuma-kun, Azuma-san. ...Did you find your answer?”
““...Yes.””
Azuma and I nodded in unison.
“I see. If I can see those faces, then you should be fine. I'm looking forward to today.”
“How cool!”
Suddenly, Daikoku Tsukiko slung her arm around Ariga-san's shoulder.
“That just felt like an exchange between a master and their disciples.”
“Be quiet, Tsukiko... Don't be so familiar...”
Ariga-san rejected her with a flushed face.
I guess this is also a thing... (What is?)
Anyway.
“I've been wondering for a while, isn't today a day off for both of you?”
When I asked, Daikoku-san laughed cheerfully.
“It's fine, it's fine. I'm working on my day off. What about Ariga?”
“I... didn't come here as work, so I intend for it to be a normal day off.”
“Hmm? Just make it work. If you just said 'I'll be a judge,' you could make today a working holiday.”
“...Since I wouldn't be able to take a substitute day off anyway, it doesn't change anything, does it?”
“That's not what I'm talking about~”
Daikoku-san muttered softly with a wry smile, then said—
“Well, in any case, I'll be watching closely today! Good luck!”
She cheered us on energetically.
“Yes!”
Just as Ichikawa answered energetically, the floor lights suddenly went out.
17:30.
The first band took the stage.
Along with scattered applause, their performance began.
The second band finished, and the third band finished.
“Alright, shall we go then?”
Jinno-san and the others headed toward the wings of the stage while stretching their wrists with sticks in hand.
19:30.
Finally, Butter’s live performance began.