The next morning.
I headed to Ichika-cho Station with a night's worth of luggage. Once I passed through the ticket gate, I saw two familiar bassists standing side by side.
“Put the target in the center and pull the switch, put the target in the center and pull the switch...”
“Sakohasu, that’s from the wrong thing.”
“Hah...”
The blonde girl was muttering under her breath while staring intently at a single point, while the brunette was retorting with an exasperated look in her eyes.
“Did you watch Eva after that yesterday?”
“Ah, Konuma.”
When I called out to them, Azuma’s face brightened for a moment, but then,
“...Wait, what about your greeting?”
She chided me with judging eyes. It had been a while since I was scolded by the President of the Greeting Club.
“Good morning.”
“Yes, good morning.”
When I greeted her honestly, she returned it properly. Is that an echo? No, it’s Azuma.
“Put the target in the center and pull the switch...”
“Hey, Sako? Good morning.”
“Put Takuto into the ‘good morning’ and pull the switch...”
“What are you saying...?”
I greeted my childhood friend whose eyes were out of focus, but I was nearly sniped.
“So, why is Sako like this?”
“She was practicing to the metronome all night long.”
“Ah, I see...”
Indeed, I could understand how one might end up like this after several hours of stoically practicing to match a metronome.
“Listen, Takuto. If you play after hearing the metronome sound, it’s already too late. You’ll be off by a fraction of a millisecond. You have to play with the awareness that the click sound is coming from your own bass. That is what it means to have ‘just timing.’”
“I guess so...”
No, what’s with that tone of voice?
“Did Takuto know that?”
“Well, yeah...”
The sensation Sako just described is something that’s easier for a drummer to pick up than a bassist.
The first reason is that drums are rhythm instruments to begin with, so they have to be more strict with timing than any other part.
And the second reason is that the initial movement to produce the sound starts earlier than with other instruments.
For example, if you try to hit your thigh from a position where your hand is raised high at the timing of the ‘go’ in ‘ready-set-go,’ you should have already started moving your hand during the ‘set’ part.
In that regard, with a bass, your fingers are already on the strings before you play, so even if you move your fingers while saying ‘go,’ no major deviation occurs.
Because of that, it’s hard to develop that awareness.
However, that small deviation is still a deviation. Unless done intentionally, it often has a negative effect on the music.
“So, you were doing that practice the whole time...?”
“Yeah. Well, I did get some sleep, obviously? Sleepiness is the enemy of concentration.”
“...But thanks to that, I’ve mostly got the hang of it.”
Sako opened and closed her hand while looking satisfied, the corners of her mouth rising by a fraction of a millimeter.
Seeing her like that made me feel somewhat warm inside.
“Well, Sako always had a really good intuition for the key points.”
“That’s true. Sakohasu always slots the sound right into that indescribably good spot.”
“Why the sudden pun...?”
“Hmm...? Ah, it was subconscious. This is bad.”
Azuma is tired too, huh...
“Good work, Azuma. Thank you.”
“Ah, yeah... Huh!? What was that all of a sudden!?”
Azuma started chirping with a red face. No, why?
“So, why were you guys hanging around inside the ticket gate?”
“Yurisuke said she wanted to try going to school together as a group. What was it... something about a ‘childhood friend experience.’”
“That’s right!”
Azuma’s eyes sparkled.
“What is that...?”
“No, seriously, there’s no ulterior motive for once. I’ve been in private school since middle school, so I’ve never done the thing where you meet up with friends at the local station and head to school. I’ve always longed for it...”
“I see...”
Well, I suppose that’s just how it is for Azuma.
“Ah, Takuto, here.”
As we went down to the platform, Sako handed me a paper bag.
“What’s this?”
“A sleeping bag and an air mat.”
“Huh... why?”
“Because you’re pulling an all-nighter today, right? You might want to come to school early tomorrow and sleep or something.”
“Ah, I see... Thanks.”
When I looked inside, there was gear like you’d use for camping.
I didn’t know what an air mat was, but apparently, it’s a simple bed (though not that big) that you can use by blowing air into it.
“Is this yours, Sako?”
“Yeah.”
“Eh, Sakohasu, do you go camping?”
“Yeah.”
In the past, I’d been invited and went along with them.
Since that hadn’t happened recently, I had arbitrarily assumed Sako wasn't going much either. Yeah, thinking she wasn't going just because I wasn't invited... Konuma-kun, you're way too self-conscious.
Still, having a blonde girl like her come along for camping—no wonder Papa Hasu dotes on his daughter.
“Thanks, Sako.”
“Mm. Ah, that’s the type of air mat you inflate with your mouth.”
“Ah, okay.”
...Wait, what!?
Even though we’d met at the station, I couldn’t talk to Azuma much as we were shaken by the crowded train. Soon, we arrived at Shin-Koganei Station.
“Good morning!”
Then, standing outside the ticket gate, was our band’s guitar-vocalist.
“You look like you're having fun, don’t you? Konuma-kun?”
“It's not that I'm having fun, but...”
“Heeh~?”
Behind Ichikawa, who was tilting her head with a pasted-on smile,
“Ah, she’s quite triggered...”
Azuma muttered in an exasperated voice.
“Hey, Ichikawa-san.”
“Hmm?”
“If you play after hearing the metronome sound, it’s already too late. You’ll be off by a fraction of a millisecond. You have to play with the awareness that the click sound is coming from your own bass. That is what it means to have ‘just timing.’”
“Heeh~ that might be true?”
“Fufun.”
...You actually said ‘fufun’ out loud, Sako-chan.
While listening to Sako announce the results of her practice, we arrived at school.
“Hmm...?”
There was a crowd gathered in front of Class 2-6.
“What’s going on? Did a celebrity transfer into Class 6?”
“Maybe Erina?”
“Now of all times?”
Being somewhat curious myself, I stood at the back of the crowd, stood on my tiptoes, and peered into the classroom.
“Hah...?”
A blonde, short-haired first-year was sitting in my seat.
“That girl, I met her at the cafeteria the other day...”
“Ah, Konuma-senpai...! You finally, finally came...!!”
Then, Taira-chan, who was standing nearby, found me with teary eyes and spoke with a trembling voice.
“Taira-chan...?”
The blonde first-year glanced at me, then looked at Taira-chan as if to confirm, “This person?” After seeing Taira-chan nod, she stood up and walked toward me with clicking footsteps.
The crowd parted as she approached me.
There was a large audience around us.
What is this situation...?
“Are you Konuma Takuto-san?”
“Y-Yes, that's right...?”
“I am Airi Hirosue.”
“H-Hello...”
What, am I about to get a confession? Just as that stupid thought crossed my mind, I remembered hearing that voice last night.
“Wait, could it be...!”
“Hey, Takuto-san.”
In the school hallway where the morning sun was streaming in.
Blonde hair cut straight around the middle of her cheeks, eyes that felt intense, and small lips.
She had a very well-featured face.
To me, who was desperately trying to understand the situation through my confused mind, Airi Hirosue spoke.
“Takuto-san, won't you join IRIA?”
“............Huh?”