Walk-ON! All Over Again
Chapter 1:
Back In Black
The months of January, February, and March in the year of our Lord 2010 came and went, along with the bitter cold of winter, across the skies of Tokyo and of Japan. With it came the dawn of a new school year, full of promises, potential, and hope. Never before was such a point in time that much critical for the members of Hokago Tea Time, the official band of the Sakuragaoka High School Light Music Club.
The five members—Ui Hirasawa, Mio Akiyama, Ritsu Tainaka, Tsumugi Kotobuki and Azusa Nakano—had been together for one year. It was the idea of Ritsu, who played the drums, to revive a club whose advisor, Miss Sawako Yamanaka, was a former member. At first, Mio, the bassist of the group, thought it to be an idea straight from hell, an idea that simply would not work. But it would.
It took the chance entry of Tsumugi, an expert pianist and keyboarder, to revive the hopes of the club gaining their chartered status once again. She brought to the music room refreshments to energize the souls of the musicians day in, day out. And days would pass before they would finally get their fourth member, Ui. Another year would pass before they finally got their first member, Azusa.
The daughter of jazz session musicians, Azusa was often a lab rat victim to Miss Sawako's cosplay outfits but looked often to Ui and Mio as role models. Those two may not have fulfilled expectations, but there was something about those two that made her happy. Mio was like an older sister. Ui made her feel welcome, like a lost kitty in need of a home. It was this motivation that would make Azusa and Ui a guiding force in unleashing the melody behind the band's songs.
From summer retreats, to gigs, to study sessions, the members of Hokago Tea Time were a team. They were the best of friends and the strongest of soulmates. They were there for each other, in good times and bad, willing even to die for one another. But now April came like the cherry blossoms that fell to the concrete and asphalt of the city streets of the city. Ui, Mio, Ritsu and Tsumugi were set to be seniors. Azusa would only be a sophomore. The future and direction of the light music club hung in the balance, and it would be up to all of them to see where this would go. It was the year of the Tiger, and HTT was set to earn its stripes...all back in black.
Motivated beyond all belied, Ui got up early in the morning to internalize the circumstances that await her. Armed with her trusty weapon, Gitah the Guitar, she passed by boutique shops, supermarkets, the train station, the bridge overlooking the Sumida River, and other points of interest near the school. It was an hour before the orientation for new students, and there weren't a lot of student on campus yet; just a handful.
Walking towards the main building on campus, where the bust of the school founder greeted all passers-by with its stoic and resolute expression, Ui had a wide smile on her face. The sakura trees dotting the school were swaying a little as its petals began to fall to the ground. Springtime had never made feel this upbeat in her life. Ui still wondered how she was able to do join this club two years ago. It originally was meant to be a way to make her younger sister happy. Not long after, it became much more than an act of appeasement. She embraced the fact that she walked into one of the best times of her life as a high school student. And she was wearing her sister's hairdo. Gone was the ribbon. In were the hairclips. It was a new hairstyle that Ui embraced all the same, and she had no plans whatsoever to change it back.
Ui went up the stairs to the music room, plugged her guitar to the amplifier already inside, and pondered something to play while tuning up and finishing a little toast and strawberry jam. "No, that won't work," she said after playing the first few notes of Hawaii Five-O. "Still won't work," she remarked after playing a stanza from Walk-Don't Run. "Gee whiz, I suppose I will go with a little bit of bread and butter to kick this final push for glory off. I've always wanted to integrate a little Pete Townshend windmill to my style of play. Here goes nothing, I guess."
And so she proceeded to play "My Love Is a Stapler," whistling the vocals and integrating the windmill at the end of the chorus and the bridge, as well as the coda. Ui threw in a little ad lib to put some soulfulness into it. "Oh my gosh; I'm up to something here," she remarked. She could sense that the other four members were heading over to the music room. She probably figured out that they knew she was here by now. Some kind of wonderful telekinesis.
"Ah, there you are," Ritsu said to Ui. "Working a little of The Who into your guitar diet?"
"Hmmm..." She pointed at her and then clapped her hands. "Nicely identified. 100 points to Ms. Tainaka on this Monday, April 5!"
"But I have to ask you this, why are you doing it?"
"See, here's the thing: we're slated to perform to the new freshman at the Welcome Concert. I figured that it was time for me to introduce to them a little bit of Pete Townshend's windmill strum."
Ritsu grinned with the others. "Nice idea."
"Ui-sempai," Azusa noticed, "you're early, too."
"I got here as soon as the gates opened," Ui explained. "With the new school year finally here, I thought, okay, I gotta prepare early while I can."
"What about your younger sister?"
"Oh, Yui? She's probably dragging herself to class by now. She'll be fine."
"Did you eat some toast today?" Ritsu asked.
"Another 100 points. I forgot to clean up after myself." She produced a paper napkin. "I apologize." Into the wastebasket it went.
Ritsu waved it off. "Not really needed, Ui. Not really needed." But it was the thought that counted most.
Ui proceeded to give Azusa a heartily sempai-esque glomp. "Azunyan, baby, baby, baby oh!"
She was struggling for air. "Ui-sempai, what's with the Justin Bieber reference?"
"Everything! Congratulations on becoming a sophomore, mah darling!"
"I can't breathe, sempai; I can't breathe! Urgk! And for what? What were you saying?"
Ritsu was one to notice. "Azusa, you're a soph, and you haven't changed much in the past year."
She was shocked to hear the news, and took offense to it. "Ritsu-sempai, you're the last person I want to hear that crap from, you heartless bitch!"
"Hoity-toity..."
"Mou!"
"By the way, I was talking about your height."
"That doesn't matter! I still take offense to that. And you were looking at my boobs, you sick perv!"
Mio and Tsumugi looked at each other and exchanged chuckles of sympathy. "You know something, Mugi?" Mio said to her blonde socialite confidante. "Ritsu hasn't changed one bit, even in her third year."
"Not a bit."
Ritsu struck a battle post to the team. "All right fellas! Now that we are all here, we're gonna do some practicing!"
"Roger than, Ricchan!" Ui said, raising her left hand skyward in agreeance.
They all got their instruments out, ready to go. Some background in the form of a few tunings of the tom-toms and snares, to go with some pitch checks on the strings of Mio and Azusa, were in order.
"I think the sky is the limit this year, I really do think so," Ui remarked.
"Why do you say that?" Ritsu asked, testing her snare for any consistency issues.
"Ladies, the future is now, and we are the crossroads. Now more than ever, this club must make this year the most successful yet in its long and storied history."
"How do you know this club has a long and storied history?"
"The archives in the music room. This club's history goes way back to 1967, the Summer of Love."
"Wow, I didn't know that. The tradition continues, I guess."
Ui gave a thumbs-up. "Amen, sister!" The band jammed for an hour on their favorites, as well as played a few new songs in the line-up. Among the new numbers included Mio's "Hello Little Girl," a piece by Azusa called "Jajauma Way To Go" and a song written by the Hirasawa sisters called "GO! GO! Maniac."
"That was a good hour of jamming," Ui said to the crew as they made their way downstairs. "Time flies when you're having fun. So I've heard."
"You bet," Ritsu said. "You know, I never ever saw this high a level of enthusiasm from you."
"And you know something?"
"Spill the beans."
A flowery tone came from Ui's lips and clasped hands of wonderment. "We're older than the other classes! This is awesome. So, dearest Ricchan, dearest Mio and dearest Mugi...what should we do as seniors?"
"Taking it a bit easy will work wonders for you. It's only the first day of the new school year, you know that, right?"
"Perhaps."
"I mean, we don't want you to die from overworking yourself."
"Ricchan, I hate you."
"I knew you were kidding."
"I know."
"So what if I did this?" A little hair adjustment with her right bangs aside. "Bam! I now have my clips to the left side of my bangs. I now got the gal look. How's that?"
"I don't think anything will have changed doing that, Ui."
"That looks quite different," Mio said, "but only appearance-wise." She, Mugi and Ritsu shielded their eyes.
"Oh my fucking God," Ritsu said in disbelief. "That is...that is...!" A pause. "...That is too hard to tell."
"Denied," Mio added.
"Aw, fuck you all!" Ui shot back. "Bastards." She reconfigured her do back to the way it was before walking back with the others. "Hmph! I swear, man."
The rest of the seniors squeezed in the change lockers to take a closer look at where they would be assigned. Some were heading to class 3-3, others to class 3-4, some to 3-1 or 3-5. The administration of the school decided to shake things up a little. Azusa would be in another part of the campus to find where she would be among the second-year students. "Hey Ricchan," Ui asked, "you got a prediction as to where we will be assigned?"
"I'm calling for Mio to be assigned to a different class again," Ritsu predicted.
"Ooooh."
"Oh God, please no," Mio said for fear of loneliness.
"Don't worry, Mio-chan, you'll be all right," Tsumugi assured.
The drummer in the rock band with the hairband was up in arms. "Son of a bitch, this is news that would make the headlines overnight!" Ritsu exclaimed. Mio was scared. Was she going to be alone again? "Actually, we bring you a special bulleting regarding that news. That news is old news because to tell you the truth, there is no news. And that is good news."
"Are you sure?" Mio asked.
"It's news. I'm positive of it. The news, that is."
Mio put a palm to her forehead in frustration. "Dammit, I wanna go home...this'll be the death of me."
"Hey Ricchan," Ui said.
"Sup?"
"I'm gonna go check."
"Go ahead, señorita!"
"¡Sí!" And so she did, weaving her way past the other students to the front, bumping into a book bag in the process. Ui got a close look of the list, separated into two columns. Mio Akiyama at the top of the left-hand column, Ritsu Tainaka at the top of the right-hand column. Ui was at inside the right column, and Tsumugi was inside the left. She grinned as a bolt a lighting escaped her brain. "Hallelujah."
She returned to the back, where the other three were waiting. "News flash, Mio and Ritsu: we will all be in the same class!" she said, striking a victory pose and a thumbs-up. "Class 3-2 is the official home of HTT!"
"Holy friggin' crap!" the others exclaimed.
"For real, Ui-chan!" Tsumugi said. This was breaking news worthy of the headlines.
"Yeah! How about that? Excuse me a little bit."
"You're excused," Ritsu said.
"Excused," Mugi added.
Ui went to grab a tissue to address her runny nose. Mio couldn't believe that her loneliness was going to be subsided today.
"Isn't that awesome, Mio?" Ritsu asked. "We'll be in the same class our senior year...huh?" She noticed Mio's bemused expression turn into unadulterated relief.
"Hallelujah; I will never be lonely again!" Mio cried, doing a poor Scarlett O'Hara impersonation.
Ritsu was nonplussed at the spectacle. "Gone With the Wind. Frankly, Mio, I don't give a damn." Mio didn't change one bit regarding her crybaby tendencies, either. Nor did her fear of anything that scared her subside. She didn't make any effort to overcome either. It couldn't be helped. "At least try to act tough, you pathetic crybaby."
"This is something that I learned from somebody who knows somebody who knows something about this," Tsumugi said.
"That's a whole lot of somebodies," Ritsu remarked.
"It's called a network."
"I gotcha."
"Anyway, here's the deal: when you combine scissors and paper with your hands like this, you form a triangle!" She demonstrated.
"Impressive." Really, though, Ritsu was anything but impressed. She had to play along.
"Hey guys,* take a look at this!" Ui exclaimed, dragging her good friend. "Jun is with us too!" Apparently she forgot to look at the bottom of the list, specifically the bottom of the right column, which had Jun Suzuki as the name.
"Could you let go of my arm?" Jun asked.
"Cool!" Ritsu said.
"I think this class is going to be a little bit rowdy."
"But a really great one at that," Ui added. "Hail, hail, the gang's all here! Except for Azunyan but she's a different story."
"You know, I wonder if the administrators decided to do this on purpose because they were at our concerts at the auditorium," Mio said. "If that's the case, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised."
"Definitely," Tsumugi added, "It's quite a coincidence, and a serendipity-doo-dah!"
"Oh Jesus H. Christ," Ritsu said in her growing suspicion, "could it be..." They turned to Jun. "That you convinced the admins to place us all here as the Student Council President?"
"Absolutely not. I don't know of anyone in our council who would pull that off..."
The door opened. In came Class 3-2's home room teacher, Miss Sawako. "All right class, please take your seats; I'm here to call roll."
Ui, Jun, Mio, Ritsu, and Tsumugi were in awe. It was Miss Sawako that set it all up. "There is a God!" the five of them exclaimed.
"My name is Miss Sawako Yamanaka, I will be your homeroom teacher this year," she said. "It is a pleasure to be working with you in helping you achieve your goals and graduate from this wonderful school. I would like to note that prior to today I was solely the instructor for the music period, but this is the very first time I have been assigned to this class since I first began teaching here, so I might have some trouble remembering everyone. Please bear with me."
"Yes, Miss Yamanaka," said the class, bowing.
"I will note that I do know some of the students in the back." She winked at the five sitting next to each other. They all turned.
"Gee whiz, it's the light music club!" whispered one student.
"We are, like, so lucky to have Miss Yamanaka for homeroom!" whispered another.
"Double-lucky!" said a third.
"She's beautiful and is kind."
"I see."
Ritsu peered over to the three conversing. "Don't be fooled by how she looks. She is trouble. She's actually..."
"Tainaka?" Miss Sawako asked.
"Yes?" She was straight as a stick.
"Please refrain from talking when I am addressing the class. You can talk to your classmates when this period is over and we have our break, okay?" She tilted her head and placed a finger to her lips for emphasis.
Ritsu slunk back into her seat with a defeated expression. "I'm sorry, Master!" They all laughed.
Later on after homeroom, Ritsu saw Miss Sawako heading down the stairs from her music class. "Miss Sawako!"
"What is it?"
"Sawa-chan, a question." Ritsu was with Ui, Jun, Mio and Tsumugi. "Did you do something to pull off this class assignment?"
"Good question. As a matter of fact, I did. I put you all in the same class."
"So you can do those types of things, huh?" The others were in awe. "Isn't that exercising your power a little bit too far?"
"Actually, we are allowed to as per the rules of the school. Shouldn't you at least be thankful?" she asked with a pout.
"Well we are," Mio clarified, "but still...it's unusual for all of us to be in the same class."
"What's also advantageous is that there's five less names for me to learn because I know who each and every one of you are."
"So that's how it's done," Ui inferred. It was a serendipity forged by someone all too familiar. "But that's great! I'm fired up! Thank you, Miss Sawako!"
"My pleasure."
"Easy there, pardner," Ritsu said to Ui, placing an arm around her shoulder. "Again, it's only the first day."
"Are you kidding me? We will all be together during out last year of high school! How can you not be all fired up just thinking about this?"
"Well, being together is important," said Mio, "but taking a look at our career plans is just as important."
They all bowed in shame. "Thanks for spoiling the mood, Mio," Ritsu said in disgust.
"You're most certainly welcome."
"But anyway, we'll be together for the school field trip and the culture festival," Ui noted, "I can tutor you guys and likewise..."
"Like you need any tutoring," Ritsu interjected.
"Can I finish what I was saying?
"Go on, go on."
"...and I can rip off your notes if I forget to replicate my own as a safety net. Note that the latter is what Yui would do, but I brought it to the forefront as an example."
"What was the last one?" Jun, Mio and Tsumugi asked, tilting their heads to the right.
"I am so F-I-R-E-D U-P!" Ui said, doing a disco dance.
Sawako looked at her watch. "The opening ceremony for the freshmen starts soon. Let's head over to the auditorium."
"Yes, Miss Sawako!" the others said.
"See you, Miss Sawako," Ui said.
"Aw jeez, do I really have to go to the ceremony?" Mio groaned.
"Are you kidding me? We're seniors! It's your duty!" Ritsu hollered back, already ahead of the others as they walked to the auditorium. Mio groaned, trundling behind.
"Yes, I'm Back in Black!" Ui said, singing to her iPod.
"Settle down Ui!" Mio shot back, a consternate look complimenting her exasperated mood.
Miss Sawako looked on with a smile on her face. So far, so good. This was going to be an eventful year with the five of them as part of Class 3-2. No one on campus, not even her, would figure that by year's end 3-2 would be the shining star of the third-year classes at Sakuragaoka High. It was a treasure chest waiting to be opened.
The glistening glow of the cherry blossoms welcomed the students of the school who entered the auditorium, not knowing what to expect from the next 12 months that awaited them. Ui noticed a straw cluster of petals lying in the alley that connected the auditorium with the main building. She decided to pick it up and place it in her pocket before rejoining the others. This was her good luck charm. Ui was a believer of superstition and the belief in something bigger than anyone making the plans, calling the shots, putting the pieces together. It was that type of mentality that kept her motivated for the next phase of her life.
Sakuragaoka High School was established in 1923. It was one of the oldest schools in Japan, and the alma mater was a special project of its first-ever senior class. It was written jointly by the nearly 200 men and women who were the first to leave its grounds with a diploma and was dedicated to the students who would came after them then, those who would come now, and those who would come in the future. From the freshmen, to the sophomores, to the seniors, faculty and staff, everyone remembered the lyrics by heart.
Looking towards the clear blue sky, we give our thanks to you,
In pursuit of our hopes and our dreams, to mater we'll be true,
All your sons and daughters dear gather round to strive
Under the fragrant cherry blossoms of Sakuragaoka High.
From the peaks of mountains tall who watch upon your name,
The spirit of charity, faith and hope are alma mater's fame.
We live to learn and learn to live, for the future's nigh
Under the watch of alma mater, dear Sakuragaoka High!
Sakuragaoka High was divided into two campuses: a girls' campus and a boys' campus. The boys' campus was located next door to the girls' campus. Both boys' and girls' athletics programs shared the same facilities; however, the all of the facilities were located on the girls' campus by agreement. Those who graduated from Sakuragaoka would have on their resume a note that they graduated from Sakuragaoka Boys High School or Sakuragaoka Girls High School, depending on gender. Ideals-wise, they were one and the same. However, the campuses were separated by gender. Indeed, the first 200 students who graduated comprised of 100 from the girls' high school and 100 from the boys' high school.
Azusa Nakano looked skyward, humming the melody of a hymn stoked by the fires of festival rite. "Life is wonderful. Such is life," she said, Yui Hirasawa and Nodoka Manabe following close behind.
"Hey Azusa, you feel ready to take on the world again," Nodoka noticed. "What's going on?" Yui was snacking on some Pocky.
Pumping her fists, her answer was resolute. "I have never felt this motivated in my life—not just for my school, but for the need to bring in new people to the club."
"Ahh, so that's what's going on," Yui said, still munching.
"Hell yeah!"
"I like it! I love it! I want some more of it!" Nodoka had to laugh at Yui's response.
By the time they returned to 3-2, Ui was pondering what to do with the 30-ish clusters of blossoms she picked up off the ground. Taking a tablet, with nothing to do, she proceeded to draw a diagram of a cherry blossom magnified 10 times from up close. Jun arrived to check on her diagram-drawing partner-in-crime "Hey Ui, just how many blossoms did you grab?" Jun asked.
"30-ish."
She was beside herself. "THAT many!"
"Pretty much."
"What are you going to use them for, may I ask?"
"Hmmmm. Good question. I don't know yet."
Jun put a palm to her forehead. "Good luck figuring that out. Anyway, I'm going to be heading to the student council meeting. You take care, all right?"
"Sure will. I'm going to practice for the Freshmen Welcome Concert before calling it a day."
"I do hope you find some new members."
"I really don't mind stay the way we are now."
"You sure about that?"
"Positive."
"Azusa's gonna be the only one remaining once you graduate, you know."
"That's true."
"You have to keep that in mind, Ui. There will only be one of your guys once the four of you graduate."
"But we'll do our best. Have fun at the meeting!"
"You got it." And Jun was off. Ui had to internalize the new set of circumstances that awaited the four of them.
As she went up the stairs to the music room for afternoon practice with the club, she took a look at some flyers, inspecting the detail, the color, the way everything was constructed. From the volleyball and tennis teams, to the tea ceremony club, every organization had their own scheme of doing things.
"This one's for you Azunyan," Ui said, striking a pose. "Hooyah!"
Back to business inside the music room. "Ladies and...ladies, I guess," Ui said, clearing her throat as the convocation prepared their instruments and Tsumugi got the tea and cakes ready, "it feels good to be back." Cakes, cookies, and caramel flan floating on sweet chamomile against the blossoms were on the house.
"You know," Ritsu said in her latest live anecdote, "I had this urge deep inside my you-know-what..."
"Your you-know-what?" Mio interjected.
"Yes, my you-know-what and—by the way, quit interjecting me—it told me that in spite of spring break, head up here to do some rocking. It kept coming, and coming, and coming."
Tsumugi placed her palms over her cheek, her eyes sparkling. "Did you hear that, Mio-chan? She said 'come'!"
"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter!"
"I also had the urge, too!" Azusa said.
"All right, with that said," Ritsu said, "the first order of business for the new term is..."
"Getting new members?"
"...to eat Mugi's cake!"
Azusa nearly spat out her tea. "What the fuck does that have to do with anything!"
She waved it off. "I kid, I kid. You know how I am."
Azusa knew her too well. "Jesus H. Christ, be a bit more serious about this, will you?"
Ui was deep in thought, her slanted eyebrows pursuing the question. "When we are on our game, we are on our game, and no one is going to stop us. Azunyan's got a point, Ricchan."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ritsu wondered.
"She will be all alone if we don't get any new members."
"Thank you for pointing that out, mistress of the obvious."
"I agree with Azusa regarding the lack of members," Mio inferred while stroking her chin.
"However, Azusa, you'll be the president of the light music club next year." She produced a poster of Azusa donning a "President" sash, with rays of yellow and orange behind her, and a message: "AZUSA NAKANO. YES WE CAN!"
Azusa was not impressed with the attempt of flattery and blinked. "It doesn't matter if I'm the president or not! We just need new members!" But Ritsu and Mio knew that for a fleeting moment, Azusa was coming to terms with the possibility, the inevitability, and the formality of it all. "So, everyone, let's go ahead and recruit new members, okay?" Tsumugi and Ui couldn't believe that she was changing the subject at the drop of a hat.
Something came to Ui's mind. "Ah, that reminds me. I made some new fliers."
"You're kidding!" the others exclaimed, bewildered.
"Have a look." She distributed some test leaflets to the four. "What do you think?"
"These might look good," Ritsu said.
Mio agreed. "Let's give 'em a try!"
It was back to the animal costumes for the light music club. Again, Ritsu was the dog, Tsumugi was the cat, Ui was the chicken, and Mio was the horse. In a rare twist...Azusa donned a pig costume.
"Here you go!" Ui offered a freshman. "We are the light music club." She walked by them instead.
"Um, guys?" Azusa asked. "Why am I in a pig costume?"
"You are the Keion-buta, the Light Music Club pig," Ui said.
"The hell I am! This is embarrassing! And I don't get it."
"A pun on Keion-Bu (Light Music Club) and buta (pig). Hence, Keion-buta."
"I see. Whatever, then. Let's just hand these out."
"Dammit, you're no fun."
"Hmph!"
There were a host of students passing bay the quad. The club made its appeal. "Come to the Light Music Club!" they all said.
It was a fruitless venture as they returned to the air-conditioned confines of the music room. "No one's coming," Tsumugi said in disappointment.
"Is it just me, or do I get the feeling that the club will disband after graduation?" Ritsu wondered.
"Azunyan is going to be all alone," Ui added.
The thought of it all scared Mio to the core. She envisioned Azusa in the dark, holding a lantern in her own melancholy, saying, "Sempai...it's so lonely down here..." She gasped and cowered in a corner. "Noooo! Azusa~~~!"
"We're not gonna let this club disband!" Ui said.
Mugi agreed. "Amen."
Ritsu crossed her arms. "Prez!" Ui, Mugi, and Azusa said.
She continued to immerse herself in thought. "You're right...hmmmm. More members will mean a bigger budget."
"Oink, oink!" Ui said, holding her nose for emphasis as to imitate the Keion-buta agreeing with her.
She did her best Jim Carrey impersonation. "All righty then! Let's begin our next plan to grab some new members!"
"Oink, oink!"
"Will you quit doing that!" Azusa complained.
"Sorry, I had to."
Down the hall, a couple of girls were chatting amongst themselves. "So, Mai, there's this one hot guy at the boys' campus that I'm head over heels for."
"No way! What class is he in?"
No sooner had the conversation started that Ritsu fell over. "Are you all right?"
Ritsu's eyes sparkled like flickering lights in the twilight. "Um, hey guys, can you join me at the music room?" They dragged her upstairs.
Mio opened the door. "Hello there."
"It's all right; take it easy," said one of the students helping Ritsu to her seat.
"Th...thank you," Ritsu said. Her mood changed. "And with that...welcome to the Light Music Club." She spun around, and out popped Ui and Tsumugi.
"Sign here, please!" Ui said, holding an application.
"Would you like some tea?" Mugi offered. "We have cookies!"
The two would-be applicants both fled for the hills of the first floor. "You may want to dump that guy when you're done!"
"I will!"
Ritsu made a note of the phase. "Collapsing Passer-By Plan: Failure. Make a note of it."
"Roger that," Ui replied. "Hell, we are gonna be in for a grueling campaign. Too early to throw in the towel, too."
"Derp, excuse muh tah botha yuh," Ui said 15 minutes later outside the room to passersby, "kuhdyuh teller muh wer duh myoosuk rum erse?"
"What the fuck!" Ritsu said. "Why the hell is she speaking like she's an old hag from a trash trailer stuck in the back of Appalachia who hasn't showered in a year!"
"I don't know," Azusa responded, "why do you ask me?"
"Oh great, now they're giving her directions to the place," she observed as the would-be applicants gave Ui directions. "Smooth move, ex-lax."
"Tch...you'd better believe it!" Both of them knew this part of the plan was doomed. "She must have huffed some lead before doing this."
Ui noticed the two of them peering at her with cold stares. "Whoops. Uh bloo muh kuhverr."
An impish grin came out of Ritsu's face with Ui and Azusa looking on in their track outfits. "Next up, team, is the HTT Eavesdropping Plan. It can't fail this time!"
"And during the provisionary period, we'll see how other clubs recruit their members,' Azusa added.
"Let's see what happens," Ui said.
"Greetings all, and welcome to the first meeting of the judo club for this term," the club president said. "In judo, soft techniques often overpower brute force. The goal of judo is to hone the skill and polish the spirit."
"Yes!" the students said.
Ritsu looked on with an interested expression. "I see...so that's how they do it. Speaking to their hearts."
Ui's eyes sparkled like diamonds. So much for that! "Maybe I should join the judo club!" she exclaimed to Ritsu with a squeal. Azusa could not believe the possibility of the club breaking up in the first week was there for the offing. Granted, Ui would make a good judoka and would no doubt be a nice fit, but it seems to the other two that she was taking the judo club's precepts a bit too seriously. They came for the fleece, but Jason and his cheeky Argonauts beat Ritsu and Azunyan to it.
Back at the Goban club, it was all about demonstrations, demonstrations, and demonstrations. The club presidents placed a piece on the board. "'Go' is the universe," she said in a dark narrative. Azusa, Ui and Ritsu were in awe, but that was about it. They left with a knowledge of the game...and a big question on their mind: "Was that a waste of time or what?"
Sakuragaoka High had its own tea house. The three of them ventured to the Tea Ceremony club to find any ideas to jump start their membership.
"Here you go," the president said in her yukata, offering a cup of hot matcha, freshly prepared. "Enjoy."
The three took a sip. "It's a bit bitter, but this is pretty good," Ui said to Ritsu. "Ricchan?"
Ritsu was traumatized from the bitterness of the ingredients. "Have mercy, Miss Percy; I want to die in a ditch." Azusa was able to stomach the contents too, but for her it was a acquired set of dynamics after sending it down the hatch. But they all agreed on one thing: Tsumugi's green tea was far better. Albeit, it was a valiant attempt.
And so it was back to the hall for more practice and scrutinizing. "Not a bad Magical Mystery Tour so far," Ui said, checking the list of remaining destinations. "We got treated to some fine tea, learned the ways of goban and judo, and tried a couple of vain attempts at bringing in new blood to the club. It's not bad."
"Not bad?" Azusa said sheepishly. "That's terrible!"
"That, too..." Ui took notice of a sign. "The Supernatural Club," she read. "How about we take a look at this, Ricchan?"
"Sure, why not."
Ui opened the door. "Excuse our intrusion!"
"Anybody he~~~~re?" Ritsu said. "Said my old friend Abraham."
"Will you quit it with the Dion puns?" Azusa said with a nonplussed face. All they could see were flying saucers and hanging planet mockup mobiles in a dark, dark room. No one was in the vicinity. The club had adjourned for day the before they could get there.
Back at the music room, it was back to checking out the flyers for all the others clubs available. In fact, they had picked the whole place clean. Already this would be a starter kit for a scrapbook of the different organization that would be chartered that term.
"Talk about getting in the spirit of things, eh?" Ritsu said to Azusa, inspecting the detail of the Dance Dance Revolution.
"Too right," she replied, taking a look of the rugby club's flyer.
Ui concurred with the consensus opinion as she looked at the text of the basketball club's flyer. "Absolutely!" She proceeded to grab a package of Pocky on the table and munch idly. Just one way to ease her stomach's woes.
"I realized that one gives out extra swag."
Ritsu nodded. "Hmmm."
The door opened. "Welcome!" Azusa, Ui and Ritsu chorused. It was Mio and Tsumugi. 0 for 1.
"Ah drats, it's you two animals," Ritsu said in a bored tone. "A lame horse and a stray cat."
Holding her paws for emphasis, Mugi in her cat outfit said, "Guess what? We handed out more of these!"
"More of those?" She meant the hugs.
"Yep!"
"So how'd you guys do?" Mio asked.
"Bah, we came up well short of the mark. This was go~~~nna be a dra~~~~g, misery," Ritsu sang. "But why the hell are you guys in those get-ups again?"
"That takes guts, man," Azusa added. "Major guts."
The door opened again. "Welcome!" they all said in chorus.
It was Miss Sawako. "Oh, it's just Sawa-chan," Ritsu said. 0 for 2.
"Is there a problem?" Sawako asked.
"None, really."
"All right. Well, what are you girls planning to wear for the Freshmen Welcome Concert?"
The choice was a no-brainer. "We'll wear our school uniforms!" they all said.
Naturally, Sawako had other ideas. She presented one of them. "How about a frilly maid uniform with a miniskirt?"
Mio was adamant in the club's decision, telling it right to her face. "We said we'll use our school uniforms!"
"You guys are too shy. Come on, it'll look real cute on you."
The door opened again. "Welcome!" they chorused.
It was Jun. "Oh jeez, it's only Jun," Ritsu said. 0 for 3.
"What's up, guys?"
"Hi," they said with a tired tone that spoke of bemusement.
"Are you trying on your concert outfits?"
"No, we actually made our decision to go with the school uniforms," Mio said.
"I see. All right then. Now, about tomorrow's Freshmen Welcome Concert...here are some details we have to go over. You guys will be performing last because several alums and yours truly will be giving speeches."
"Cool."
"We can only allow you two perform four songs at the concert because of time constraints. Have you guys decided what to play?"
"Yes, we have."
Jun took a look. "That looks good." She proceeded to give the club some extra information regarding the plans for the concert before tomorrow came like an autumn wildfire over the West Hills of California.
"Holy Daughters of El Kabong, we are at it again," Mio said, looking at the order of music she had presented to Jun. "This looks like a song order that we should be able to handle." Mio presented the order to Ritsu and Tsumugi, who didn't get a chance to take a look because she handed the original to Jun. This was a copy.
"We have ourselves a fresh new song off the four walls of the music room," Ritsu said. The song was "I Can't Stop the Strawberry Parfait," written and composed by all of the members.
"First up is 'Stapler,' then 'Fude Pen', then 'Parfait', and the traditional closer 'Fuwa Fuwa Time,'" Tsumugi said, reading. "Not a difficult set to do. This will be the first time we turn the third number in this lineup loose. Can't wait."
"Mugi," Mio asked, "for this song, 'Parfait,' I need you to emphasize the keyboards and your pitch because you will essentially be the lead vocal in this number."
Azusa peered in to check on the conversation as Ui listened to the fifth track off the seventh album from AC/DC. "Oooh, oooh, Mio-sempai, can I have the lead guitar part for that song?"
"Azusa, Ui already knows that you want this number, so, yes."
"Awesome!" That was the intention of Azusa Nakano: to join the Light Music Club after the Freshman Welcome Concert last year. Now she got her chance to welcome the new blood entering the girls' campus. The hope for Ui was that someone would follow in all of their footsteps and keep the tradition of the club alive before it became dormant again. Ui nodded and smiled, acknowledging her beloved kouhai's commitment to doing her role in the club right and well. At the same time, she saw the chance of the club gaining new members to be 50-50. Everything was going to weigh next year on Azusa and perhaps the commitment of her younger sister to try this club. Yui, at the most, would be part of it for one year. It would be a transitional phase. The club really needed freshmen to secure its future for the long haul.
"Hey, what are you doing, Ui?" Ritsu said.
"Ladies of the light music club, I chose to delve myself into deep thought about the sustainability and continuity of this esteemed student organization while listening to 'Back In Black' by the Melbournian rock band AC/DC."
"Ohhhh," the others replied.
Azusa looked at her watch. "Hey guys, time to head to the auditorium, the concert is about to begin!"
"Got it!" Ritsu said. "Our future lies on this performance!"
"Yeah!" echoed the others.
And so it was business as usual inside the club's stomping grounds...the Sakuragaoka Girls' High School Auditorium, where, on occasions, groups from the boys' campus also performed. "Mike check, one, two, three," Ui said, testing the microphone with a few taps before giving a thumbs up to Jun. "It works." She turned to the audience. "Freshmen of Sakuragaoka High, we welcome you to our humble home. We are the light music club and we are honored to perform for you this afternoon."
The new students applauded. Miss Sawako, standing in the back, pouted in defeat. She still couldn't believe that they chose not to consider her maid outfits, which would have been a total hit with the freshies. In fact, some of them would have broken their cameras out just to get a better view.
"Our band is known here as 'Hokago Tea Time', or HTT for short. We have cake, tea, and snacks during our meetings, as well as practices and jam sessions. Now, I didn't mean strawberry jam, I meant music jam sessions." Ritsu gave a little tap of the skins and brass as the crowd laughed. "Most of all, we really have a lot of fun playing our music together, so we hope that after class in the Music Room, you stop on by and say hi." Azusa nodded. "And if you have a talent for playing guitar, bass, keyboard or drums, we hope you give it a try and join the Light Music Club! Let's show you what we can do with our first number, 'My Love Is A Stapler.' Ready?" she asked the members, who nodded as if to say, "Yes, ma'am." The audience applauded.
The cadence gave way to the trademark riffs, and the proceedings began in earnest.
"Nodoka-chan, let's go!" Yui Hirasawa said 30 minutes later, dragging Nodoka Manabe to the auditorium.
"Damn! They already started! I hope we can make it on time," she replied, her glasses glinting in the sun above the Tokyo skyline.
Yui saw Ui do the Pete Townshend windmill routine the closing number as the fans gave a standing ovation. "Now that is awesome. Rock on, onee-chan!"
Nodoka was slightly bemused. "Well I'll be darned. Your older sister just made fools out of all us once again."
Later that day, Ritsu downed a bottle of water like it was ice-cold Budweiser. "Now that hit the spot. That was a great show you guys!"
"Most definitely," Tsumugi said.
"The combination of Azusa and Ui on the interplay was just what we expected," Mio added.
Azusa was overjoyed by the news. "For real! Man, that's great!"
"Ui's already calling it a day," Tsumugi added "so she's reduced to a gray moeblob in the corner down there."
As for Ui, she was feeling rather gray. "Oh. My. Fucking. God. I am out of gas, and I feel like I got no job, got no spouse, got no friends, am living life on the lam, haven't showered in a year...I might as well be a malediction's delight right now."
Mio had a more definite description for Ui's state. "You feel like you can use some sleep. And some food and water."
"And a 5 Hour Energy Shot!" Ritsu chimed. Up came a headbump. "The hell! What was that for?"
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Captain Obvious!" Mio shouted.
"Oh come on, Mio, I'm not the captain, I'm the president and my name is Ritsu! R-I-T-S-U!"
Ui continued to sing the blues her tongue sticking out like a dead dog in hot heat. "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, glory hallelujah..." It's a good thing Yui knew how to order delivery for food using the landline at home.
"Hey, don't just sit there and sing cheesy American spirituals, Ui-sempai!" Azusa said.
"It couldn't be helped, Azunyan. It couldn't be helped."
"Let's go hand out the fliers now!" she said, dragging her out of the room.
Ui's stomach growled. "I'm so hungry..." Yui was likely going to have to order a little bit extra on the delivery later that night.
The next day after class, it was back to the usual agenda at the light music club, with cake and tea and all the fixings courtesy of one Ms. Tsumugi Kotobuki.
Azusa pondered like a bored cat on the fact that they failed to get any new members to join the club. No one likes to see their efforts die in vain, but this was the case for the group as they lounged like lonely kittens in a cold, dark office. "Nobody's coming," she said to the others.
"So much for that!" Ui said with a sigh, reclining back on to her seat.
"Well, we still have some time to bring in new members," Mio replied, keeping her optimistic outlook intact.
"I suppose you're right," Azusa said, getting up.
"Are you passing out more fliers?" Mugi asked, getting up as well.
"No, just to the restroom," she said.
Ritsu looked on with a troubled look on her face. Something else was up. But she decided to nip it in the bud for now. "Should we try these flyers again?" she asked Ui, Mio and Mugi.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt, but why isn't anyone coming?" Ui wondered, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling and the fans hanging from it. "I even made the door as welcoming as possible and gave it some signs so that others will be attracted to it. Makes you wonder, huh?"
The four of them nodded silently when the door opened. Azusa was breathing heavily. She was holding a winking and waving frog that was part of the entrance, with lipstick and makeup and its tongue sticking out. "Ui-sempai! Put this piece of shit away!" The frog was wearing a necklace that had a fish swallowing up a fat lady that was chasing her stick-thin husband.
"Huh? But that is a piece of artwork that you see from bands like Veltpunch! And the frog panders to the fans of Mikoto Misaka too!"
"For Christ's sakes, we're not Veltpunch; we're Hokago Tea Time dammit! We're more refined than this! And Misaka-san has nothing to do with this either!"
Ui placed the frog in a corner of the room, next to the piano, pouting. "You're a party pooper, Azunyan. I hate you."
"So now it's back to square one," Ritsu said to the others inside the music room.
"Quite a drag."
Lunchtime at Class 2-1 saw Yui dine on her favorite combo: nori-wrapped sushi, omelettes, ham with olives, salad, deli sandwiches from the co-op and a few slices of takuan for added crunch. Outside of the sandwiches, Ui made it for her.
Azusa fell in with Yui and Nodoka inside the classroom. "There she is," Nodoka said to Azusa and she took her seat. "Welcome back."
"Hi, Azusa-chan," Yui said.
"Yo," she said to the other two.
"So," Nodoka asked, "how are things?" Azusa sighed before drinking some of her juice. "I take it they haven't looked as good as you thought they would be." She nodded. "No new members, huh?"
"Nope. Is it just me, or is light music really that unpopular here on campus?"
Nodoka thought about it. "Hmmm. Good question."
"No way!" Yui said. "Who told you that?"
Azusa turned to her fired-up peer to her left. "Huh?"
"The Welcome Concert was awesome," Jun said. "You guys did great."
"Me and Nodoka-chan talked to some of the freshmen after the concert because we had missed most of the show," Yui explained, "and they said that they loved it."
"For real!" Azusa exclaimed.
"I think of it this way," Nodoka said, unleashing her inner Socrates. "The five of you look so tight-knit that it really looks tough to join. You guys have been performing so long together that it would have to take a new group of students to carry on the club's tradition. If any freshmen tried to join the club, their thought is that they would be rejected immediately because of the elitist mindset that they perceive is going on. Now this is just my opinion, but some of the freshmen I personally talked to had that impression that this was going to be a great show, but a tough sell."
Azusa's legs and feet got wound up in their own personal state of nervousness. "You...think so?"
"You guys look like you are having fun down there, onee-chan too," Yui said.
Her fists clenched a little tighter in quantified nervousness. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Or another possibility is this, Azusa," Nodoka said. "Everyone—from the freshmen to the sophomores to the seniors—already figured out that this club is doing its own thing off the deep end."
Azusa was scared by that possibility. "Ehhh?"
"Nodoka-chan, that's mean of you!" Yui said, pointing at her.
"I was just messing around. You know how I am."
"You're just like Ritsu-sempai in a way," Azusa noted.
"And you're the first to actually tell me that. Oh, Yui, the omelet your sister makes is out of this world! Thanks for sharing!"
Yui giggled in triumph. "Eheheheh...want some more?"
"Please! Thank you!"
"Eheheheheh."
As for Azusa, she internalized the possible rationales behind the lack of interest to heart. The fact of the matter was this: they weren't getting any new members, and it was deep into April. They should have at least garnered one new member by this point. If the explanations were true, the dynamics of the club and the way it does its business needed to be overhauled.
Or maybe Nodoka was just kidding regarding the negative vibes. It didn't take long for her to go that route instead and smile with a blush as Nodoka feasted on some of Ui's specially make omelettes.
"So we still have no members, huh?" Mio asked the club back at the music room, this time with Miss Sawako lounging over tea with flan, reading "The Sun Also Rises."
"I know, man," Ritsu said, her head bowed down on the table.. "That sucks, doesn't it?"
"It sure does," Ui added.
"But why?" Mio pondered.
"You think we scared the little boogers off somehow?" Ritsu asked. "What do you think?"
"You gotta be kidding me!" Mio said. "No way!"
Now it was Tsumugi who was the optimist. "I'm sure things will work out, though. Okay?"
"I hope so," Mio said, smiling. Ui looked at the sign that had her illustrations and the words "Welcome!" etched out.
Ritsu piggybacked on the optimism. "All right, let's think about our next plan to bring in new people! How about the 'Bug-Catcher In The Fry' plan!"
"What kind of plan is that!"
"We use a bug catcher to catch new freshmen, and we offer them fried chicken as a bribe!"
Tsumugi weighed in. "The hell is that gonna work? We're not gonna get anybody that way!"
Ui smiled, looking at the instruments. She knew that it couldn't be helped, and that in reality, the club had 12 months to bring in new members, rather than just 12 days. "Hey guys, I have decided that I don't mind us staying like this for a little while longer." The others were stunned of Ui's answer as Azusa slowly trundled up the stairs to the music room. "We can stay as we are for now. I can bet you that this club is going to soldier on without us, without our need to recruit." Even Azusa was shocked to hear the answer. She didn't want to come in, and opted instead to hear was Ui had to say. "You see, when we gather here like this—I should note that Azunyan isn't here yet, but she will be—we have tea together, we practice together and perform together. Every one of us. We did all we could, guys. There is nothing more we can do. Let's just leave it to the Fates to do the recruiting for us. I bet you, they can do this a million times better than we could ever do in our lives."
"Well said, Ui," Mio replied.
"I guess we're just going to have to accept that we won't get any new members this year," Ritsu added.
"You know something, guys?" Sawako said.
"What is it, Sawachan?"
"12 months isn't a lot of time. Trust me."
"You sure about that, Miss Sawako?" Ui asked. "There's 365 days, though. Well, take a few days now. Oh, by the way Mugi, what's today's snack?"
"Ah, I'm glad you asked," she replied. "Chocolate, orange, strawberry, banana, hazelnut, and vanilla buttercream cupcakes, custom-made by my house's pastry chefs. Enjoy."
Azusa had a smile on her face. Even she knew that recruiting was going to be a lost cause for now in spite of the brave attempts.
"Cool!" Ui exclaimed. "So guys, take your pick."
"I'll grab this one," Ritsu said, grabbing one laced with orange slices.
"I think Azunyan's going to want the one with the bananas. The shit is. She ain't no hollaback girl, ain't no hollaback girl!"
"Gwen Stefani reference?"
"A-ha! Nicely identified." Azusa clutched her bag. Ui read her mind.
"I got dibs on the hazelnu~~~ts!" Sawako said.
"I'll get the chocolate one."
"Vanilla for me!" Tsumugi said.
"I'll have the strawberry one," Mio said in her shy tone.
They were all digging in now. "Man, this is scrump-diddly-umptious!" Ui said as Azusa entered, stunning her and Ritsu. Ui tried to save face. "Sorry we forgot about you! Let's hand out some fliers!"
"Mugi-sempai, can I have some milk tea?" Ui was stunned to realize that her mood had changed. "And the banana cake. I also side with Ui in the band staying as it is this year."
"Azunyan..." The others were impressed by her change in her mood. The club morale had been restored to a healthy level.
Just before she was about to get glomped, Azusa turned to Ui. "Ui-sempai, I'll be stricter this year."
"You will?"
"Yes. Get your guitar out." Now there's a way to take the initiative.
Ui turned to an invisible camera in the corner and winked. "You know something, ladies? I think the future of this club is safe." She screamed to the heavens. "There is a God!"
END CHAPTER 1
A/N: This was a transliteration of the lyrics from the first episode that I did myself. I did add some extra stuff to it to make it flow with the melody.
