Kichijoji.
After waving goodbye to Ichikawa-san, I opened the automatic door of a music store located a bit far from the station. The sound that flowed into my eardrums made me stop in my tracks.
In music stores, you often hear people test-playing instruments they’re thinking of buying. Right now, someone was test-playing a bass. That wasn't unusual at all. That wasn't why I stopped.
The problem was the phrase.
Because it was such a familiar phrase, I almost let it blend into the background for a second, but it felt strange after all.
After all, that phrase was the bass line I played in 'Omamori'.
Who on earth is playing an amane song...?
I looked toward the source of the sound, but there were many basses hanging on a fence between us. Through the gaps, I could only see the swaying skirt of a school uniform from some school.
Could it be Yurisuke...? No, I don't see why Yurisuke would come here cosplaying as a student from a different school. But if so...?
My heart was thumping so hard it was painful.
Even so, I had to check.
Step by step, I approached the source of the sound.
And finally, my eyes caught the player.
I caught her, but...
"...?"
Standing there was a petite girl I didn't know at all.
She wasn't wearing a Musashino International uniform, she wasn't a junior or senior from my middle school days—she was a girl I truly didn't know. On the chest of her black sailor-style uniform was a school badge with the character for 'Middle' written on it.
She had short black hair. This middle schooler seemed incredibly focused; her mouth was puckered like an octopus, and she was playing that phrase with awkward fingers, yet with all her might.
"...Um."
A trembling voice escaped my throat, raspy. It was drowned out by the sound of the bass and didn't reach her in her state of concentration.
...What's wrong with me?
This isn't like me at all.
It feels intense and hot, like fireworks going off in the sky of my heart.
"Excuse me!"
Perhaps the volume knob in my head was broken, because my voice came out much louder than intended. When I called out to her,
"H-Hi!?"
The girl, looking quite flustered, shrank back when she saw me.
"W-w-w-what is it? Did I do something wrong!?"
"Ah, well..."
I guess she would react that way.
I’m aware that I have a look that tends to intimidate people, and if a non-staff member suddenly speaks to someone who's playing an instrument with all their might, this reaction is only natural.
"...What's that song?"
Even in a miracle-like situation like this, I'm the type to tap on a stone bridge before crossing it. My personality, which is the polar opposite of rock, is pathetic.
"A-Ah, well..."
She showed a moment of hesitation, but then, she quickly smiled as if secretly showing off her own personal treasure.
"It's a song called 'Omamori'."
"...!"
...I knew it, it really was.
Someone I didn't know was playing a phrase I had created.
Um... what should I say at a time like this...?
Despite being the one who called out to her, I had lost my words and was being a nuisance, yet she looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
"You have good ears, Big Sister...!"
She made a gesture as if biting down on her excitement, then started talking as if she were exploding.
"It's an amaaaaaazing phrase, right? It's like a main melody! And this isn't even a bass solo, you know? It's like a counter-melody being played behind the vocalist's singing. It's like you can hear a second set of lyrics, yet it doesn't get in the way of the singing at all; instead, it's a bass line that feels like it's snuggling up and harmonizing with the song. Oh, I didn't come up with it myself, of course! Obviously!"
"Oh, yeah..."
"With my skills, I can't even express ten percent of the original's greatness, but it really is a phrase that makes listeners stop in their tracks... Oh, if you don't know it, you should definitely listen to the original! You should be able to hear it on the Seishun Rebellion site... Wait, can you still hear it? Hang on a second..."
"Ah, well..."
I was happy yet embarrassed to be praised so suddenly and couldn't reveal my identity. Unaware of my internal state, she took a smartphone out of her pocket and swiped. And then,
"...Look, you can still hear it! This band called 'amane'... ah!?"
She let out a loud cry, comparing me with the artist photo of amane displayed on her phone screen.
"A-a-a-are you that expressionless, blonde, grumpy-faced, uniform-wearing, Noh-mask-like... Hasu Sako-san!?"
...Hey, don't stack up synonyms for 'expressionless' like that. Why do you know about my surliness when you've only seen that photo?
"...That's me."
"E-eeeeeeeeeeeh!?"
"Hey, you're being too loud..."
"B-But...!"
In contrast to me, who was looking around nervously, she began muttering to herself.
"I see, since Musashino International High School is in Musashisakai, the nearest music store would be in Kichijoji..."
"How do you know my high school?"
"I can tell by the uniform, you know?"
...True.
"But wow, it's the real Hasu Sako-san...! Um, after I heard this song, I decided to practice the bass and absolutely form a band that plays original songs once I enter high school! I'm in my second year of middle school now, so I really should be starting to study for entrance exams, but after hearing something so cool, I just couldn't sit still..."
She was restless, her expression changing rapidly as she desperately tried to convey her feelings to me.
"How did you learn to play that well when you don't even own a bass?"
"Ah, there's a guy who's a childhood friend... or rather, an inseparable nuisance? He has a bass. So I go to his house and have him teach me a bit..."
"Your childhood friend can play the bass?"
"Ah—... that guy can basically do everything when it comes to instruments."
"Heh..."
"Oh? Your expression just softened?"
"...Not really."
"Ah, it went back."
For someone I just met, she was quite good at witty banter. She might actually be someone big.
"Um, actually, there's something I really wanted to ask Hasu-san..."
"What?"
"Which bass do you use, Hasu-san? I love your bass sound so much... It's gentle yet strong, cool and stylish...! I came to the music store thinking I'd know if I compared them, but my ears can't tell which one is that bass. This is my tenth test-play."
I'm surprised the clerk didn't get mad at her. When I looked at a nearby clerk, they were looking our way with a warm smile. I see, this girl is also a natural charmer like that woman.
"I played it for that childhood friend too, but even though he knows a lot about music, he said he couldn't tell."
"Ah..."
The sound of a bass changes quite a bit depending on the amp used during recording or the difference in sound engineering, so identifying a bass type just by hearing it is difficult even for me.
"Well, Takuto would be able to distinguish it, though."
"Takuto?"
...Did I say that out loud?
I cleared my throat to cover it up.
"Ahem... You don't necessarily need to match me, but I use a Jazz-be. The one you're holding now is a Pre-be."
"Jazz-be...?"
"Jazz Bass."
"Does that mean it's a bass for playing jazz?"
"It was originally made for jazz, but apparently people started using it for things other than jazz more and more."
I gave her the same explanation I once gave Takuto and Ichikawa-san.
"Whoa... then maybe I'll go with a Jazz-be..."
"I think anything is fine, really. As long as it's a sound you like while playing."
"That's why I'm saying I like your sound."
She said that naturally and moved a few steps to the Jazz Bass section.
"Wow, they're expensive... but then again, all instruments are expensive... If I add up all my New Year's money... maybe...?"
She was muttering about her finances again. It’s not a cheap purchase, so this was only natural.
As I stood next to her, looking along.
"...Um, Hasu-san. Can I ask one more thing? It might be rude to ask this, but..."
She started fidgeting.
"What is it?"
But as if to make sure she asked the question properly, she turned to face me.
"...If you were to start a band from now on, would you choose the bass?"
"...Ah."
I understood the intention behind that question well.
It would be a strange question for other instruments, but for the bass, this question feels perfectly fitting.
In short, she's asking, 'It's an inconspicuous part, but do you regret it?' If you're about to start an instrument, that's something you'd want to ask. It would be unbearable if an instrument you spent a fortune on ended up just being dead wood decorating your room.
"...There have been many times I thought, if only I wasn't playing the bass." "Eh..."
She let out a pained cry, yet she had a look that said, 'It's disappointing, but I guess that's how it is...'
"You're a supporting role, so you lose out more often than not. The female vocalist is a troublesome person who gets angry if the spotlight isn't on her. Even so, you have to support her both publicly and privately so she can perform freely. And... this probably isn't limited to the bass, but there are countless people who are better than you. Every single day, I get disgusted by my own lack of skill. It's so painful my stomach hurts, and I often hate even looking at my instrument. Just listening to a song made by a member or someone else's bass can make me feel like I'm going to die of frustration."
"Is that so..."
To the girl who had slumped, I said the most important thing.
"But... even if I could start over from that time, I would choose the bass. There's no doubt about that."
My mouth firmly voiced words that I probably couldn't have said until yesterday.
"Why is that...?"
"That's because,"
I felt the corners of my mouth naturally turn up.
"Because I was able to meet you."
"...Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Huh..."
I almost burst out laughing.
Well, I guess she wouldn't understand. Such a refreshing and clear feeling is probably something only the person themselves can understand. Otherwise, it wouldn't be rewarding.
Before I knew it, my fingertips were tingling.
My motivation was boiling over, surging, and I couldn't stay here any longer.
"Well then, I should be going soon."
As I turned my back,
"U-Um!"
She called out to stop me.
When I looked back over my shoulder,
"I'll work hard on my band so that one day we can play a joint gig with amane!! S-So!!! When that time comes, please look forward to it!!"
She bowed her head deeply.
One day.
This girl innocently believes in that 'future' and throws it at me without hesitation.
Without knowing that we are going to disband at the end of this month.
It's obvious, but a joint gig can't happen unless both bands still exist.
"Sigh..."
A sigh escaped me.
It would have been fine if I could have just walked away as an unreachable idol to you.
But it can't be helped.
I hate unfulfilled promises.
Irresponsible promises only bind a person, hurt them, and leave nothing behind.
I swore upon those fireworks I saw with him.
That I would never break a promise again for the rest of my life.
That's why I have to do this right. I have to say it properly.
To avoid making a promise I can't keep, I turned back to face her properly and stood before her.
"Yeah, let's definitely play a joint gig together, amane and your band. So... don't quit, no matter what happens."
When I held out my pinky, the girl happily hooked her own pinky around it.
"Yes...!"
We made a promise that we would make sound on the same horizon, not as some unreachable idol.
Putting on a senior's air to drive away the wind of cowardice.
Bluffing, vanity, bravado.
If you make them come true, they turn into determination.
"If you lie, you'll have to swallow a thousand needles."