“So, what’s up? Why come all the way to the studio?”
Azuma-san tilted her head at me and Erina-san. (By the way, the first-years had left reluctantly after Azuma-san told them, “Sorry, I’m a bit shy when being watched.”)
“Takuto-kun seemed to have business with Sakosh, and Erina just wanted to be with Takuto-kun~”
Erina-san’s casual words made my heart skip a beat, but Azuma-san just laughed as if exasperated.
“Man, Erina, you’re so honest it’s hard to feel any ulterior motives...”
“But I don’t have any motives. Also, because Yuri is popular, I wanted to try acting like ‘Erina is an insider~’!”
“Wait, you have a huge ulterior motive right there...”
Hearing her true feelings, Azuma-san looked truly exasperated this time.
“So, Takuto, what do you want with me?”
“Ah... sorry for interrupting your practice. I’ll keep it short.”
I took a single breath before speaking.
“I’ve decided to turn down Hirosue’s invitation.”
“...Why?”
“Because right now, I don’t want to be anything other than amane’s drummer.”
“...I see.”
Sako furrowed her brows slightly, as if lost in thought.
“Are you still hesitating, Sako?”
When I asked, her face clouded over, just like when she was on the train with Azuma-san.
“...I’ve never been wanted before, until now.”
“...I see.”
That must be the complex at her core.
“But, Sako.”
I said, feeling a bit bitter, but knowing I was the only one who could say it.
“I don’t think being wanted by Hirosue is much of an honor.”
“...What do you mean?”
Hiding a wry smile, I replied bluntly.
“I think Hirosue thinks we’re featureless.”
“...I see.”
Sako seemed to have an idea of what I meant.
‘I thought this drummer and bassist were perfect.’ ‘Yes. They don’t get in the way of the song and don’t make unnecessary claims. I thought they were just the right accompaniment.’
Yesterday morning, she had said that—that we were still just ‘accompaniment.’
‘Bringing out the best in a song’ and ‘not getting in the way of a song’ seem similar, but they are completely different.
‘Supporting the foundation’ and ‘not making unnecessary claims’ seem similar, but they are completely different.
Just like how Sako’s ‘expressionless’ and ‘emotionless’ are completely different.
“Her song is certainly unique. And even more than that, she has a strong ego. That’s why she...”
I searched for the words for a moment.
“...She was looking for a drummer and bassist she could subjugate.”
“I see...”
Azuma-san sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Erina-san, seemingly no longer interested, was spinning a drumstick that had been lying around on the floor like a roulette wheel from the Game of Life.
“I don’t think that’s right.”
I realized I’d become quite blunt myself. But...
“It was just as you said, Sako.”
“Me...?”
The words Sako muttered on the train to Ichika-cho.
‘But Ichikawa-san’s song can only be sung by Ichikawa-san.’ ‘I don’t have enough individuality to call it my own bass.’
“That’s exactly what she thinks. And as long as we don’t believe in our own sound, we can’t even argue against it.”
That’s why.
“We have to make a sound that only we can make. At the very least, we have to be able to play a sound that we can believe in ourselves.”
I looked Sako in the eye.
“Let’s practice. Let’s get better. We don’t get better just for the sake of getting better. When you get better, you become able to do what you want to do and play the sound you want to make.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
Sako, whose expression had finally softened, nodded firmly.
This expression... right, it was the same face she made long ago when we were playing tag in a park with a small hill, and I told her the plan to pincer the ‘it’ person from the right and left.
“Then, I’m going to see Hirosue. Can I speak for you too, Sako?”
I stood up. Erina-san stood up too, acting as if she was thinking, ‘Oh, the talk is over?’
“Yeah... I feel a bit bad for her, though.”
“Well, it’s not a matter of liking or disliking her. It would be different if you were saying this because you hated Airi. If you talk to her properly, she’ll understand.”
Azuma-san followed up.
“Wait, is she even there?”
“Who knows.”
Well, she said she’d ‘always be there,’ so I have no choice but to go to Class 1-5.