“...Yurisuke.”
“Sakohasu...!”
Seeing Sako’s expression, which was even more serious than usual, Azuma swallowed hard.
“Sako...”
Even though I can’t read minds, I could tell exactly what that look in her eyes meant.
Then, she bowed her head.
“...I want you to teach me the bass.”
“Sako-san...”
I wondered how much resolve was in that bow. How much determination was packed into it.
“...Is it okay if it’s me?”
To Azuma’s question,
“For the sake of the band, I’m willing to undergo training even from a demon club president.”
Sako let the corners of her mouth curl up by a fraction of a millimeter.
Sako probably understood that Azuma’s question didn’t just mean, ‘The practice menu will be tough, is that okay?’
But she ignored that deeper meaning.
She had a look on her face as if answering something so obvious was meaningless.
Azuma, who understood everything including that, gave a firm nod and smiled slightly.
“...I understand. Then, be prepared.”
Sako is really cool...
...No, this is no time to be impressed. If that’s the case, what should I do?
Just as I started thinking about the next step,
“Um, um, I was thinking...!”
Taira-chan timidly raised her hand.
“I don’t think the seniors’ dissatisfaction can be solved just by polishing performance techniques...?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Ichikawa tilted her head at Taira-chan’s solemn suggestion.
“I think the mixing and mastering are still not sufficient.”
“I see...”
Mixing and mastering.
This is a process also called sound adjustment, which basically involves adjusting the volume of each instrument and bringing the recorded sound closer to the ideal sound.
“To use a cooking analogy, this state is just like gathering ingredients, peeling them, and doing the prep work. From here, you have to put it over the fire and add seasonings for the dish to finally be complete. ...Or at least, that’s knowledge I read on the internet...”
My cheeks softened into a smile.
I don’t know if it’s for our sake, but Taira-chan has been properly researching recording as well.
“That said, since it’s a pre-pro, I don’t think we need to do high-precision mixing, but it seems better to try out the production elements at this stage.”
“Production?”
When Ichikawa tilted her head, Taira-chan replied with a “Yes, yes.”
“Like making this guitar sound only on the right side, or making the vocals here sound like they’re coming from a radio...”
“I see, there certainly are things like that. So we should try those in pre-pro too.”
I nodded beside her. If the goal is to shorten the recording time and increase the quality of the final product, then that’s exactly right.
“But if that’s the case, I’ll try doing it. Honestly, I haven’t messed with effects much, so it’ll be a challenge...”
“About that, Konuma-senpai.”
“Hm?”
“If you’d like, could you leave these sound sources to me? Three days... no, two days will be enough.”
Taira-chan timidly raised her hand while making that request.
“I mean, I don't mind...? But why?”
“Um, uh, well...”
“What’s wrong, Tsubame?”
Master Azuma gently questioned Taira-chan, who was fidgeting as if it were hard to say.
After inhaling and exhaling a few times, Taira-chan said,
“...I want to try doing it.”
She declared her simple will with a serious face.
“Listening to this sound source now, I thought that for the first time, maybe I could be of use.”
She continued, speaking her firm determination slowly, one word at a time.
“I was truly moved by the live performance the other day. It really got through to me that Master and Konuma-senpai had overcome their admiration for amane-san and found something that only they could do.”
If that was conveyed, then I suppose we can say it was an important result for us too.
“But at the same time, I realized. I... am just constantly admiring, constantly respecting, and constantly worshiping.”
Taking a breath.
“At this rate, I won’t be able to become the person who carries the Rock Club on my shoulders in half a year.”
She said it clearly.
“Carrying the Rock Club...”
Ichikawa muttered.
Taira-chan did say she wanted to be the club president.
But,
“A school club is just...”
I almost said it, but I shut my mouth.
Sako lightly tapped my trousers.
“This girl’s master is Yurisuke, right?”
“...True.”
I almost said something terrible in front of the former Instrument Club president.
To them, club activities are something they bet ‘all of their youth’ on.
“I’ll work hard at singing and guitar too. I’ll work hard at composing and songwriting too. But first, I want confidence. I want a version of myself that I can rely on.”
Taira-chan continued with a light of determination in her eyes.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s as small as the eye of a needle. I want something I can say ‘I can do this’ with confidence.”
I smiled as I looked into the eyes of my junior, who is becoming more reliable by the day. Though I’m a bit unsure now if I’m the right person to call her a junior.
“Besides, if the seniors can concentrate on practice during that time, nothing would make me happier.”
“...I understand. Can I ask you to do it?”
“...Yes, Konuma-senpai, thank you very much.”
“I should be the one saying thank you.”
I operated my computer to share the data with Taira-chan via email. Taira-chan placed a small finger from the side, saying “The address is...”, but eventually, she seemed to get impatient because my computer operation was slow and started typing with incredible speed herself.
“The transfer is complete! Oh, if it doesn’t arrive, please let me know and I’ll ask you to resend it! Well then, I’ll be taking my leave now!”
“Eh, already?”
Taira-chan, who had stood up, already had her backpack on.
“I just can’t sit still!”
She showed her white teeth in a grin and then dashed out of the studio.
“She’s amazing...”
“That’s my disciple, after all.”
Azuma put her elbow on my shoulder and gave me a smug look. For some reason.
“I have to work hard too...”
Just when the atmosphere had become like a nice page out of a youth story,
“By the way, Takuto and Ichikawa-san.”
Sako, who had apparently plugged headphones into my computer and been listening, looked up at us.
“On this, it sounds like there’s a faint bird chirping sound? Or something like that behind Ichikawa-san’s vocals.”
““Eh?””
She had a mysterious smile on her face.
“It’s not like you recorded this at one of your houses instead of the studio, right?”
We shuddered at Sako’s words with the rising intonation at the end.
Sako-san, your ears are too good...!