“So, was your loving wife’s bento delicious?”
Kanno-san, who seemed to have finished her shift at 10:00 PM, was standing tall by the table where I was sitting in the lobby, asking me with a grumpy look on her face.
“Ah, yes, well, it was...!”
“What’s with that half-hearted attitude? I’m hungry too, so if you’re going to be like that, just give it to me.”
As she spoke, she sat down heavily in the seat opposite me.
“No, I already ate it.”
“Then vomit it up.”
“That’s just ridiculous...!”
I mean, would she actually eat it if I threw it up? ...No, I shouldn’t have imagined that.
Just as I was regretting my thoughts—
“Oh. It’s ‘Youth is a Lie.’”
From the monitor mounted on the lobby wall, the voice that had dragged us around all day began to play.
Actually, wait, did I just meet Hirosue for the first time this morning? I feel like an eternity has passed since then...
“Kanno-san, you know about this song too?”
“Well, when you work at a studio, popular songs reach your ears whether you like it or not. Besides...”
Saying that, Kanno-san leaned forward and brought her face close to mine.
“Hey, Takuto, listen and be amazed.”
“Yes?”
Seriously, she looks like some kind of underground information broker right now.
“...The person who recorded this is going to handle your recording session.”
“Yes, I got a call today.”
The moment I answered, a dull pain shot through my forehead.
“Ow...! Why did you flick my forehead?”
“Because I said ‘listen and be amazed’ but you didn't look surprised at all.”
“That’s so unreasonable...!!”
“Have you learned the strength of a drummer’s finger-flick yet?”
“The direction you're flicking is wrong... wait, no, you shouldn't be flicking people in the first place.”
I protested while holding my forehead. Yuri-neesan had flicked my forehead before, and we had a similar exchange back then. They really are alike, as usual.
“Anyway, when Hichika-san went out of her way to call you, did she say, ‘I recorded Youth is a Lie’? I didn't think she was the type to be such a trend-follower or brag about her own work... That’s a bit disappointing.”
“Ah, no, it wasn't her. It was the younger sister. IRIA herself told me.”
I hurriedly denied it for the sake of Hirosue Hichika-san’s honor. Hearing that, Kanno-san frowned and tilted her head.
“...What do you mean by that?”
“No, I mean, IRIA is a first-year at Musashino International.”
“............Whaaaaaaat!!!???”
My reflexes made me cover my ears at Kanno-san’s loud shout.
“Y-You! You should say ‘listen and be amazed’ before telling me something like that!”
“Your loud voice is much more surprising, Kanno-san!”
I then explained the various things that happened today between IRIA and ‘amane’ to Kanno-san.
“I see... So, she’s pressing you to join IRIA?”
“Well, something like that.”
“Why are you worrying? Even if you can appear in multiple bands, only one can win in the end, right? You’d end up slacking off on one of them.”
“I guess that’s the main point...”
I decided to talk bit by bit about things that had somewhat settled in my mind, even if I hadn't fully organized them myself yet.
“...The reason I want to appear in Seishun Rebellion is because I want to debut as the band ‘amane.’”
“I see.”
“If that's the case, I feel like gaining more recognition wouldn't be a bad thing. But on the other hand, a part of me feels like, ‘Wait, who do I think I am, trying to do both at once?’...”
“Hmph.”
...She just gave me a disinterested ‘hmph.’
“And also, Ichikawa... Amane probably wants to ‘win’ Seishun Rebellion. I’m starting to lose sight of where my primary goal is...”
As I explained flusteredly, Kanno-san narrowed her eyes.
“Ugh, you’re kind of annoying.”
“A-Annoying...!”
“Well, do whatever you want. ...As long as you can still think the same way tomorrow morning.”
Kanno-san stood up with a burst of energy.
“I’m sorry. Even though you’re going out of your way to teach me. If the songs increase or change, the things you have to teach will change too, right?”
“Don't get ahead of yourself, Takuto. I’m saying you lack the absolute basics of the basics that are required for any song.”
“Eh...?”
When I looked up, she raised one eyebrow and gave a cool smile.
“I’m going to beat it into you thoroughly. Come on, let’s get in the studio.”
“...Yes.”
I felt like the sound of me swallowing hard echoed throughout the studio lobby.