And so, we began to walk slowly through the dark, dark woods, illuminating our feet with the flash from my smartphone.
Mist was hanging all around us, making the outlines of the light look strangely sharp. Talk about atmosphere...
"...U-Um, Konuma. I-I have a small favor, t-to ask..."
"Hmm? What is it?"
When I looked back, Azuma-san had a stiff expression on her face.
"L-Leaving aside any r-romantic feelings, c-completely."
"Huh?"
Your voice is trembling way too much, Azuma-san.
"Could you... hold my hand?"
At those words from Azuma-san.
The air froze. My thoughts stopped. My mind went blank.
"............What?"
A few seconds later, I managed to squeeze a question out of my throat.
"Is it... no good...?"
Looking at Azuma-san again, it wasn't just her voice; her whole body was rattling and shaking.
Most likely, once the courage test actually started, the fear hit her even harder than she had braced herself for—or rather, because she had braced herself so much.
Even so, is it really this bad?
The way Azuma-san is trying so hard to protect everyone's youth despite this is too admirable, and I do want to be of help.
I want to, but the nature of the request... is what it is...
When I looked at Azuma-san once more.
"Um, if you don't h-hold my hand, it's impossible, for me..."
Her eyes were watery, and inadvertently, my heart felt a tight squeeze.
I-If it's impossible, then it can't be helped! (Wait, can it not be helped!? Which is it!?)
After hesitating for a moment.
"Um, how about, at least, grabbing onto this instead...?"
I pointed to the hem of my T-shirt.
Erina-san has grabbed this several times, so I feel like it's somehow safe. No, safe for who and from what?
"I guess it can't be helped..."
Azuma-san said, biting her lower lip like someone who completely misunderstood how to use the tsundere trope, and then she gently, tightly, grabbed the hem of my T-shirt.
...Well, if it's the hem, I'm used to it from Erina-san, so I can handle this with ease.
"A-Ah, y-ye-yeah, w-well, s-s-shall we move on?"
I take that back! I wasn't handling it with ease when Erina-san grabbed it either!
I'm sorry!
『Takt-kun is really Takt-kun to the very end, isn't he? Why don't you just join the Cherry Boys?』
The imaginary Erina-san was being noisy. But thanks to her, I regained a bit of my composure. Thank you, Erina-san. When did those guys get a name that sounds like a K-POP idol group?
We continued our walk.
"Konumaaaa..."
"W-What's wrong?"
"You're walking too fast... don't leave me behind..."
"S-Sorry..."
No, no, who is this person... I shook my head vigorously so as not to accidentally enter some weird route. No, I'm really weak to this kind of gap in personality...
By the way, she sounds a bit like Erina-san in her way of speaking, but the way to tell them apart is simple.
Erina-san says "Don't leave me behind!" while Azuma-san (scared ver.) says "Don't leave me behinddd..." The length of the 'd' sound is different.
"Konumaaa, it's scary if you stay silent... Tell me something fun..."
Are you my younger sister...?
Come to think of it, Big Sis Azuma said she had an older brother. So she was originally a younger sister character. Is she the type who gets clingy when she's drunk?
Even if she says that, what should I talk about?
Something fun for Azuma-san...
"Um, you're working really hard in the Instrumental Music Club, Azuma-san."
"The Instrumental Music Club...?"
"Yeah. I think you're doing a great job as the President. Looking at you, I can tell the club must be fun. Well, I didn't even know you were the President until we came to this training camp, though."
"Ah, yeah... if it looks that way to you, then I'm glad..."
Azuma-san said that in a slightly sulky tone.
It was a phrasing that felt a bit off.
"If it looks that way, you're glad?"
When I asked her back.
"If it's Konuma, I guess it's okay..."
She whispered with unusual honesty, and then began to speak.
"It might be obvious, but being President isn't all fun and games. There are 'people who do club activities because they want to do music' and 'people who do music because they want to do club activities.'"
"Is there a difference?"
"It's a huge difference. The goal and the means are different. But as President, I can't lean toward one side. And then, instead of being liked by both, I end up being hated by both."
That... sounds rough.
"It's the same with Stella. A first-year girl even asked me, 'Aren't you going to let her join the ensemble soon?' Do you know what everyone in the Instrumental Music Club calls me?"
"W-What...?"
"The Demon President, apparently."
Ah, that was actually quite normal...
However, precisely because it's simple, that image is easy to convey, share, and spread.
"But I just put on a face like I've never heard such a thing and do things my own way..."
"I see..."
It seems I had been taking Azuma-san's efforts for granted, as if they were nothing special.
I suppose that also means her efforts are bearing fruit, but...
"Sorry, Azuma-san."
Still, it felt like something that even someone not in the club, like me, should have understood.
"For what?"
"For not noticing."
"It's fine, really."
Saying that, Azuma-san finally smiled just a little.
"Ahhh, I went and said it... I intended not to tell anyone, curse you courage test..."
Azuma-san glared resentfully at the concept of the courage test.
"Konuma, keep what I just said a secret, okay?"
"Yeah, I got it."
That's the only thing I can do for her.
"...But, I'd be happy if at least you remembered it, Konuma."
"Sure, but why...?"
"Just knowing that you know makes me feel like I can work a little harder than I am now."
The hem of my T-shirt was gripped even tighter.
"...I understand."
I nodded slowly and quietly.
And then, at that moment.
""Urameshiya!""
A clear, beautiful girl's voice and the voice of a cool blonde girl who was likely being forced to go along with it echoed together.
"Hyauun!!"
Almost simultaneously, s-something s-s-s-soft was pressed firmly against my arm...!
"Oh? Konuma-kun and Yuri? Wait, Yuri, why are you clinging to Konuma-kun's arm like that...? Since when were you two...!?"
"Wait, Yurisuke, who gave you permission to do that... damn it..."
"Impossible impossible impossible impossible..."
There stood a composer-slash-drummer who could do nothing but stand still at the soft sensation of her trembling, a ghost who was a former genius singer-songwriter, a bassist who looked truly resentful for some reason, and a lyricist whose vocabulary had been reduced to only the word 'Impossible'.