“So, what are we practicing at the camp?”
In the prepared room, Sako-san confirmed the goals for this session.
“Hmm, basically, we’ll practice the song we’re performing on the final day, and the songs for the school festival in September.”
“Are we doing ‘Heijitsu’ and ‘Watashi no Uta’?”
It was her typical style of asking a question without raising the intonation at the end.
“Hmm,” Ichikawa-san hummed, placing her index finger against her lip in a thinking pose. “For the final day of the camp, one song per band is fine, but for the school festival, we’re renting a classroom for the whole day to do a live show, so the time slot is quite long. About twenty-five minutes per band.”
“Twenty-five minutes, huh…”
With our current repertoire of only two songs, we could only fill about ten minutes at most.
“If one song is about five minutes, and we bridge five minutes with MC talk, we’ll need to make at least two more songs to make it work.”
“That’s how it's looking…”
Hmm…
“What about covers?” Sako-san suggested (probably).
“True, that’s an option! Does anyone have an artist they want to cover?”
“I don’t really listen to Japanese music, is Western music okay?”
Because Sako-san’s parents stocked a lot of Western music CDs at home—more specifically, blues and country—she listened almost exclusively to Western music.
“I’m not very good at singing in English, so a Japanese artist might be better… What about you, Konuma-kun? Any artists you like?”
Me, huh? Since I also grew up listening to the CDs at Sako-san’s house, I mostly listen to Western music too.
If it’s Japanese music, what would it be… my absolute favorite…
“Hmm, my favorite is probably amane.”
Instantly, Ichikawa-san’s face turned bright red, and she looked down.
“Th-Thank you…”
“Ah, no, it’s not like…”
Ah, it’s the usual pattern…
“Takuto, learn your lesson already…”
Yes, I think so too… Now, Sako-san won’t even hit me anymore.
Ichikawa-san cleared her throat with a small cough.
“U-Um, that… I’m happy to hear that, but it doesn’t solve the problem, so we really have to make two more songs, right?”
“I guess so…”
Actually, wait. Thinking it over, I raised my hand.
“Yes, Konuma-kun.”
I took a deep breath.
“Um… Ichikawa, have you become able to write music or lyrics again?”
“Well…”
At the recent Rock On, Ichikawa-san had supposedly made her comeback regarding singing her own songs.
If that was the case, she might be able to do songwriting and composition again as well.
However, that was likely a delicate issue for Ichikawa-san, who had only just returned.
Thinking I might hurt her, I asked the question timidly, but Ichikawa-san gave an unexpected reaction.
For some reason, her eyes were darting around.
“Well, it’s like I’m trying, or rather, I already tried…”
“Hmm?”
“What’s wrong, Ichikawa-san?”
While giving a sheepish laugh, she said, “Actually,”
Taking a pause, she confessed, “I did it…”
Wait, what? What did you do?
Father hasn’t heard anything about you having a partner like that, though?
“Takuto, no way…!”
Sako-san’s eyes widened. Wait, me!?
“No, no, I’m talking about the song! Obviously! Besides, Sako-san, you’re getting way too into this!?”
Ichikawa-san waved her hands frantically in front of her chest.
But even so.
“You made a song…?”
“…Yeah.”
“I see…”
As expected, Ichikawa-san had truly returned as a singer-songwriter.
“That’s great…”
“…Thank you.”
It seems that what I had wanted all along has finally been realized.
The trigger was clearly that Rock On festival.
Having been there to witness it and help create that situation, this should be a scene where I feel joy and break into tears of gratitude.
If things were normal.
“Then, can we hear it?”
Sako-san spoke up softly. I could feel my own hands trembling.
“Y-Yeah…”
Ichikawa-san glanced toward me and said, “Um, Konuma-kun, look the other way for a bit…”
“Eh, why?”
“Just because!”
What the…
Without understanding why, I turned toward the wall, and Ichikawa-san cleared her throat.
I heard the sound of a guitar being tuned.
The sound of a long exhale. The sound of a deep inhale.
Softly, a light, bright, and refreshing song began.
“Oh…”
A voice leaked out of me involuntarily.
“‘La… La-la-la-la’…”
Ichikawa-san began to sing in a slightly raspy voice.
Since the lyrics weren’t finished yet, she seemed to be singing the whole thing with 'La-la-la'.
The way it started with a bit of hesitation was probably because she hadn't fully completed her rehabilitation for singing her own songs.
The melody was beautiful, sweet, and refreshing, like the scent of citrus or a tailwind in early summer.
As I thought, amane’s songs are incredibly good… I found myself clenching my teeth in admiration.
Eventually, the song ended with a final strum of the acoustic guitar.
“It’s a good song.”
Sako-san praised her with unusual honesty.
“Yeah… it was great.”
I followed suit.
“Ehehe, thank you…”
After laughing bashfully, Ichikawa-san’s expression clouded over.
“But, you see,”
“Hmm?”
“What happened?”
Ichikawa-san took a breath and smiled with a troubled face.
“I can’t write the lyrics.”
“You can’t write the lyrics?”
“Yeah…”
She bit her lower lip.
“By the way, when did you finish that song?” Sako-san asked (probably).
“Hmm, the morning after Rock On, I think.”
“That’s fast… But then, it hasn’t even been two weeks since you made the music. Isn’t it normal not to be able to write lyrics in that amount of time? I don’t really know much about songwriting or composition, though.”
“I see… that’s true. Maybe, but…”
She seemed somewhat indecisive.
“Did you try writing them? The lyrics,” I asked.
“Um… yeah.”
“And you’re just not satisfied with them?”
“Well, something like that…”
Hmm…
“Then, Ichikawa-san, you’ll just have to keep writing until you’re satisfied, right?”
“You’re right… yeah, I’ll try!”
Sako-san was saying unusually positive things.
“Then,” Ichikawa-san tilted her head, “with this song as one, and Konuma-kun making one more, that makes two songs?”
Well, that’s how it would go…
“About that,” I said, as if tossing away something I had been carrying. “Is there any point in me making a song?”
I just blurted it out.
The air froze.
A stunned silence was carelessly dropped into the center of the room.
““……Hah!?””
Eventually, breaking the silence, Ichikawa-san and Sako-san shouted in harmony. They sure get along well.
“Konuma-kun, is your head okay!?”
“What are you talking about, Takuto?”
They were being quite harsh.
“No, I mean, originally I gave you ‘Heijitsu’ so that amane could sing again, right? That goal has been achieved, and if Ichikawa can make her own songs now, isn’t there no reason for me to make them anymore?”
Perhaps those weren’t my true feelings, yet such hopeless words kept spilling out of my mouth one after another.
Ichikawa-san’s face gradually turned redder.
“I told you it was your turn next! I’m going to make it so that Konuma-kun can call Konuma-kun’s songs his own!”
She was saying 'Konuma-kun' a lot.
“And I told you that was fine.”
“It’s not fine! Why is Konuma-kun being such a Konuma-kun!?”
Wait, Ichikawa-san, you’re using my name as an insult.
“…Takuto, do you not want to make them?”
Sako-san stared straight at me with a serious expression.
Looking into those eyes, I froze.
“It’s not about wanting to or not wanting to…”
Interrupting my mumbled words, Sako-san looked at me and said,
“Takuto, are you not going to write anymore?”
Looking into my childhood friend’s eyes—painfully pure, pleading, and accusing—I involuntarily flinched.
Phew…
Well, I’d have to confess sooner or later.
I took a deep breath.
Just like a certain someone before singing an important song.
“Sorry. I think I might have become unable to write songs anymore.”