While listening to Hirosue's story, the additional recording finished, and Ichikawa and Taira-chan came out of the booth.
The gist of the story was basically as Azuma-san had pointed out.
Hirosue, who grew up watching Japanese anime abroad, longed for a youth like the ones in anime and moved back as a September student when she was about to become a high school freshman.
It seemed that when her family moved abroad, her older sister had just secured a job and was living alone, so Airi was now staying at her sister's house.
The moment Hirosue felt she had failed was shortly after she enrolled.
A September student is almost synonymous with a transfer student.
Based on the knowledge Hirosue gained from anime, if a blonde transfer student came from overseas, the boys and girls in the class would flock to her and bombard her with questions.
"So, you're saying no one came to ask you anything..."
"Yes, no one came... Rather, they just watched me from a distance as if they were afraid... What on earth was that about..."
"Um, that is...?"
I shot a glance at Taira-chan as if to ask, "How was it really?" but she just shook her head with a face that said, "I don't really know..." Why don't you know?
"That's obviously a problem with your appearance, no matter how you look at it."
From the side, the blonde senior, Hasu-Sako-san, threw out those words with 0.1 millimeters of exasperation and 0.1 millimeters of pity on her face.
"On top of being blonde, if you're always making a face like you're glaring at everyone, you're basically saying 'don't talk to me,' right?"
"That's a self-introduction..."
"It's a self-introduction, isn't it..."
"...Did you say something?"
""It was nothing!""
As the black-haired sisters muttered, Sako glared at them. That's exactly what she was talking about.
"But you wanted friends, didn't you? Why did you take that kind of attitude?"
The brown-haired girl asked gently. This person really is the most reliable one here...
"Because, I didn't know what else to do..."
Hirosue, pouting her lips in a sulky manner, looked her age.
"Besides, it's annoying as hell if people look down on you..."
...Well, I guess this part of her is also age-appropriate in its own way.
For now, after hearing everything, what I was thinking was...
"I mean, that's seriously amazing..."
My impression was one of pure admiration.
"What is?"
"No, just that..."
...Saying "just that" was clearly a slip of the tongue.
"...You made a song like that based only on that experience, right?"
"Are you making fun of me?"
"I'm not making fun of you at all."
"I-Is that so...?"
Leaving Hirosue blinking her eyes in surprise, I reflected on it once more.
In the end.
Saying things like "I haven't lived a dramatic life," or "I was born into an ordinary family," or "I haven't had experiences that I can sublimate into a work"—those are all just excuses.
Our daily lives might not seem like much to others, but for the person involved, they are made up of a series of major events. I was reminded once again that it's all about how much you can focus your scope on that and expand your expression.
An experience as simple as "I was so excited to transfer schools but no one talked to me" was enough material to produce such a hit song.
"Humans really do keep making excuses for themselves without realizing it, no matter how far they go..."
"W-What are you talking about...?"
"No, nothing."
It felt a bit irritating to just heap praise on her, so I cut the conversation short.
"Hmm, well, anime, manga, and light novels are ultimately fiction after all."
Azuma-san gave a wry smile.
"..."
She probably hates that way of thinking. That sentiment was even included in her lyrics.
Hirosue fell silent and stared intently at Azuma-san.
...And there was no way Azuma-san was making such a statement without understanding the parts that even I could read.
"But, youth really exists in reality. There is a youth in this school that is even more amazing than fiction."
Azuma-san grinned.
"Is that so...?"
"If you move, it's always there. It won't come to you if you just wait. That's why you have to go out and meet it—youth!"
Azuma-san's passionate speech was impressive. ...She appealed with a straightforwardness that made me blush just listening to it.
"But you are moving! IRIA-san!"
Ichikawa, who had been listening up to that point, looked into Hirosue's eyes with sparkling eyes.
"W-What..."
"IRIA-san, because of that, you talked to Taira-chan and came to Konuma-kun, right? That means you're moving!"
"I-Is that so...?"
Oh, is IRIA-san actually quite easy to handle?
"Yeah! I think that kind of thing is really cool!"
"O-Oh, is that so...?"
Looking at Ichikawa, who was smiling and holding both of Hirosue's hands, I was reminded of her back in June.
'Really, I think that's so cool! Do your best! I'll definitely go to your concert!'
In the end, she hasn't changed at her core... Thinking that, I suddenly had a thought and whispered to Taira-chan.
"Speaking of which, wasn't there someone named Osada-san in your class?"
"There is, there is!"
"Didn't that girl talk to Hirosue? It seems like she would sense that kind of thing and talk to her."
Aside from her abnormal reaction to the word 'childhood friend,' there probably wasn't anyone as considerate as her.
"No, no, because Airi-san is in a different class from me and Natsumi-san. She's in the class next door."
"Eh, really...!?"
"Yes, yes. I only knew her because we were in the same math class. That's why I thought it was amazing when she came into another class's room while I was mixing."
"Whoa..."
Just as I was thinking that Hirosue had actually been moving quite proactively, my smartphone vibrated in my pocket.
"Hmm...? Whoa, it's an unknown number..."
Feeling a bit nervous and scared, I picked up the phone.
'Nice to meet you, is this Takuto Konuma-san? I am Hirosue Hichika, and I will be the engineer in charge of the next recording!'