Title: "Just a Little Holiday Blackmail - White Day Edition"
Author: tentsubasa
Summary: The Stella Quintet is back again! Since they were such a smash on Christmas Eve, the boys have agreed, per suggestion by Nami, to put on another concert and distribute the tickets as White Day gifts. And if the Journalism Club happens to use this opportunity to boost their sales, well, that's just a happy coincidence. (pairing: Kahoko x all) - In response to February/March HC -
Genre: Romance/Friendship
Rating: K+
Pairing: Kahoko x All (Primo Passo, Seiso students only)
Hello! Welcome to "Just a Little Holiday Blackmail – White Day Edition"! While this story will still be understandable without reading the prequel "Just a Little Holiday Blackmail," there will be a fair number of references to the previous story, so I would recommend reading it. (^_^) I hope you'll enjoy it.
And now for our first song up, by unanimous vote, we have LMNT's "Juliet": youtube…com/watch?v=qVzXe6kr9rA.
And guess what? I even have a video of the original choreography, that they're going to do (first 3 min and 40 seconds), but the sound quality is really bad, so just watch it for the choreography: youtube…com/watch?v=yWtJY_qPuik.
LittleBottle: See? Your song suggestion in "Just a Little Holiday Blackmail" was helpful! (^_^)
From here on out, song lyrics are in bold, italics within quotes are thoughts, and to see the videos, remove the extra periods.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kiniro no Corda or any affiliates, nor do I own any of the songs used in this story in any way shape or form.
"Hello everyone!" Nami sing-songed as she waltzed into the practice room. "Isn't it a lovely day?"
She was met with looks that ran the gamut of preoccupied and disinterested.
"Peachy," Ryoutaro finally grunted.
"Now, now, don't be like that," she chided with a large smile, but inside her heart sank a little. Everyone looked decidedly tired and distracted. She tried to stay optimistic. Maybe it was just an off day. To be fair, they all had probably had to do some creative juggling at the last minute in order to make it here, and the weather was pretty dreary. But how was she supposed to pull everything together if this was what she had to work with?
She pouted a little bit. It's not like this was her idea. She thought back to the staff meeting earlier that month that had basically decreed that she would have no life apart from the music competition participants. Again! And just when she had been enjoying her newfound free time too.
"I have to hand it to you, Amou-chan," the president of the Journalism Club smiled as she surveyed all their shiny new equipment. "You really pulled it off. If you get elected, I have no qualms about leaving the club in your capable hands."
Nami basked in the praise. "Thank you Miss President."
The room filled with chatter as the other club members filed through the door for their first bi-weekly staff meeting of the year. When everyone had been seated, the third-year stood behind the podium and clapped loudly to shush the room. "This meeting is now in session." She positively beamed. They had had a finished off the year stronger than ever; now they just had to keep it going. "For our first order of business, I'd like updates from each section, starting with Sports."
Without missing a beat, the lanky sports editor launched into an update followed by his peers.
With a smile, she nodded her approval. "Good, good." She cleared her throat. "Now I know it might seem a little early to be thinking about this, but we need a big story to send us out with a bang." She motioned around the room. "Ideas?"
"Well, we've got our annual Valentine's Day issue slated to come out," a black-haired second-year boy stated. "Since there'll be more color pages than usual, we've already started prep work for the layouts."
"Good! That's good, but Valentine's is over a month before Graduation. Ideally, it would be best if we could put out something a little after White Day."
"We could put out a companion issue for White Day," a first-year girl suggested.
The VP rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We could, but guys aren't really going to be as cooperative about the things we're doing for Valentine's Day as the girls."
"Do you know if the participants from the music competition are doing anything Amou-senpai?" another boy asked. "They're always good for publicity."
Nami shook her head. "Not before Graduation. I had heard from Hino-chan that they're all planning to do a piece together for the ceremony, but nothing else has been mentioned."
The treasurer suddenly got a funny look in his eye. "Maybe we could make our own news."
Everyone turned to him in confusion. "What do you mean?" the president asked.
"Well…in addition to drastically increasing our funds, the Christmas Eve concert also led to a lot of spin-off articles. The issue covering it was our most popular to date." He looked around the room as people began to nod. "What if we asked them to do a White Day concert? We could do a series of articles leading up to the event and then some more afterward."
"That's a great idea!" the secretary nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing.
"Can you get them to do it?"
All eyes turned to Nami.
"O-of course," she replied with a confidence she didn't quite feel. Though no one else knew it, she had gotten the boys to do that concert by blackmailing them. Now that she had signed away her blackmail material, how the heck was she supposed to get them to agree?
And at that moment, the light bulb came on. It was a bit daring, but it could work. She'd need to lay the groundwork carefully, and it would take just about the rest of the month, but if it worked, the payoff would be huge. "But I'll need some help."
As everyone nodded eagerly, she felt a little more confident. That's right. Just take things as they come, one step at a time.
Back in the present, the five boys in front of her were giving her weird looks, Len even going so far as to snap his fingers in front of her face to try and bring her to attention. "Amou-san." He was getting seriously irritated. They needed to get this show on the road; he was giving up precious practice time to be here. "Amou-san."
"H-huh?" She blinked in surprise. "Oh, sorry, just thinking about something."
"Perhaps it would be best to cancel for today?" Azuma suggested in a smooth tone. "Everyone seems a bit-"
"No!" she protested with a quick shake of her head. "We don't have much time as it is."
"That's…true…" Keiichi murmured. "We…need…to put…forward…our best…face…."
"Exactly," Nami nodded with a grateful smile. Good old Shimizu-kun. Maybe this practice wouldn't be such a drag after all. Pulling sheet music out of her bag, she passed the various stacks to the four boys. "Here's the music for your individual numbers. The copy machine broke, so I'll have to give copies to the rest of you tomorrow-"
"Why isn't Hihara-senpai getting anything?" Ryoutaro asked with raised eyebrows.
"Because he's special," she smirked.
"Special…?" Keiichi cocked his head.
"Unlike the rest of you," Nami smiled widely at the trumpeter, "Hihara-senpai took some initiative and chose his own song."
"Gain an appreciation for boy bands Hihara?" Azuma asked in amusement.
Kazuki turned beet-red. "I-it's not like I like them—I mean, that would be kind of weird, right?" he laughed nervously. "But they have some good songs."
"Including this group number Hihara-senpai picked out for our opener," Nami beamed, flashing a new stack of paper.
The others gave Kazuki withering looks of varying degrees.
"It's not that bad!" he defended. "It's got a good beat and it's pretty manly."
"Fine," Ryoutaro rolled his eyes, "let's see it."
Nami quickly passed sheet music around the room and let the other four boys peruse the score.
"It is significantly better than many things we sang for Christmas," Len finally acquiesced.
"If it's…a…group…number…then we all…take…a solo…correct…?"
"That's right," Nami nodded.
"I get dibs on solo 2," Ryoutaro quickly staked his claim.
"Wha-?"
"And I would like solo 4," Azuma added.
"H-hey! Wait-!"
"Solo 5," Keiichi said, immediately followed by Len who tersely stated, "One."
"W-w-wait!" Kazuki protested. "Why do I have to take solo 3?! I wanted one of the short ones!"
"You snooze, you lose," Ryoutaro quipped.
"Senpai's voice…is higher…so he…should take…a higher…solo…" Keiichi pointed out.
Len sniffed. "And I had to sing 'Last Christmas,' so it's your turn to beg for a girl to pay attention to you."
"That wasn't anywhere near as embarrassing as what I had to do in 'You Are My Christmas Angel'!" he whined.
For a moment, Len was silent. Then he shrugged with a bored look. "Tough luck."
As Kazuki hung his head dejectedly, Azuma gently patted his shoulder. "Looks like you've been completely routed Hihara," he chuckled.
~ (^o^) ~
Deafening screams crackled through the air as the music blasted on, colored lights dancing along the dark stage in time with the beat.
Through the dark, five voices sang out in four-part harmony, "Hey Juliet!" They stood in a staggered line organized out-to-in by age as the lights flooded the stage. "Hey Juliet!"
Punch down, kick across, swing out, snap back. Punch in-out-over, stumble down and back with a lash. Lean side, shoulder jerks up straight, head nod. Swing down, and kick and kick.
As they slid together, Len spun forward so he was front and center. Moving with the others, his thoughts dwelled on a certain violinist and the new emotions she'd been evoking in him.
Hey I've been watching you
Every little thing you do
Every time I see you pass
In my homeroom class
Makes my heart beat fast
Step side and out. "I've tried to page you twice / But I see you roll your eyes." Body roll, and out, and out, and out. "Wish I could make it real / But your lips are sealed / That ain't no big deal"
Ryoutaro strode forward with a confident smirk Nami claimed was sexy. "Cause I know you really want me"
"Yeah," the others called back.
"I hear your friends talk about me." Judging from the volume of the fans, she had been right.
"Yeah"
"So why you trying to do without me," he shrugged as they bunched up in the middle. "When you got me / Where you want me"
"Hey Juliet!" they all leapt back with a shout. "I think you're fine." Pull forward with a criss-cross down. "You really blow my mind," they circled their fingers by their heads. "Maybe," side glide, "Someday," turn around. "You and me can run away." Leg back. "I just want you to know / I wanna be your Romeo." They leaned their bodies into circles. "Hey Juliet / Hey Juliet!" They punched down and burst out, roaming the stage as they pleased. "H-h-h-hey Juliet!"
They flanked Kazuki on either side as he stood center stage.
Kazuki made his way to his knees as the others grooved down and up. "Girl you got me on my knees / Beggin' please, baby please." Well, that part was right, but it was the wrong girl. "Got my best DJ on the radio waves sayin'"
Ryoutaro slid over as he popped up. "'Hey Juliet, why do you do him this way?'"
They all crossed to the opposite side of the stage and spun as Kazuki picked it up again. "Too far to turn around"
"Turn around," everyone echoed.
"So I'm gonna stand my ground"
"Stand my ground"
The look he wore was so stirring, every girl felt for him. "Gimme just a little bit of hope / With a smile or a glance / Give me one more chance"
Azuma moved forward with a come-hither smile. "Cause I know you really want me"
"Yeah," the audience shouted along with the other four.
"I hear your friends talk about me"
"Yeah!"
He went down on one knee and beseeched the middle section, "So why you trying to do without me?" The shrieks of adoration completely overwhelmed the imagination as he flashed his most charming smile. "When you got me / Where you want me"
And back to the chorus.
"Hey Juliet!" Shoulder back. "I think," pull forward, "you're fine / You really blow my mind"
"Maybe," Len and Kazuki sang.
"Maybe"
"Someday"
"Someday," the basses echoed.
"You and me can run away," they came back together. Nodding up, they stepped out and swung their bodies low, "I just want you to know," they swung their arms into a cowboy step, "I wanna be your Romeo." And out into a pyramid with the third-years on the bottom and Keiichi at the point.
"Hey Juliet," Ryoutaro, Azuma, and Keiichi called out.
"Hey hey Juliet"
"Hey Juliet"
Kick, bend to running position, up and pivot, slight body wave. "H-h-h-hey hey Juliet," they all belted. Kick, hop back, kick back, and body roll up.
Keiichi strode down the middle oozing that boyish charm that made all the girls go wild. "I know you really want me / I hear your friends talk about me." He smiled and reached out into the dark. "So why you tryin' to do without me / When you got me / Where you want me"
As they grapevined, Azuma crooned, "You don't have to say forever."
"For us to hang together," Ryoutaro finished as they all backed up into a straight line.
They dropped down one-by-one across the line.
Kazuki. "So"
Len. "Hear"
Keiichi. "Me"
Azuma. "When I"
Ryoutaro. "Say"
And popped back up in tenor-bass pairs by height.
Point out. "Hey"
Front. "Hey"
Up. "Hey"
"Hey Juliet," they called out as they rocked. "Hey Juliet / Hey Juliet"
They moved into a diagonal across the stage and sang alternating bass and tenor.
Step out, body down. "I think"
"I think"
Back together and up. "You're fine"
"You're fine"
Other foot. "You really blow my mind"
"Blow my mind." Back up.
Repeat. "Maybe"
"Maybe"
"Someday"
"Someday"
They all spun into a new formation. "You and me can run away"
"Run away"
"I just want you to know." Swinging cowboy step again. "I wanna be your Romeo / Hey Juliet"
"Hey hey Juliet"
"Hey Juliet"
They kept up the alternating pattern as they launched into the chorus choreography.
"I think you're fine / You really blow my mind"
"Blow my mind"
"Maybe." Side glide and rock.
"Maybe"
"Someday." Turn around.
"Someday"
"You and me can run away." Step back.
"Run away"
"I just want you to know"
"Want you to know"
"I wanna be your Romeo"
They all began to roam, grooving and smiling at the cheering crowd.
"Hey Juliet"
"Hey hey Juliet," Len and Kazuki chanted as they punched the air.
"Hey Juliet / Hey Juliet"
"Hey hey Juliet"
"Hey Juliet"
They all slowly made their way back to their original formation.
"Hey Juliet," Azuma, Keiichi, and Ryoutaro harmonized as they grooved.
"Hey hey Juliet"
"Hey Juliet"
Back in their staggered line, they came back together and raised their hands high. "Hey Juliet!"
And the lights blinked out.
Sorry this first chapter didn't have much romance in it (for those who are reading it because of the Facebook Holiday Challenge). I'm thinking I'll structure it so the majority of the romance happens in the individual songs and the friendship between them all will shine a bit more in the group numbers. So you can look forward to more romance starting in the next chapter. (^_^)
In order to get as much of this out in the month of March as possible (to make sure I hit all the points needed for the Holiday Challenge), I'm going to try my hardest to stick to a pretty rigorous updating schedule of once every three to four days. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it. (x . x)
3/16/2013 edit: Oh right. A couple people made "La Corda d'Oro" videos with this song. You can watch them here: youtube…com/watch?v=aBFPE0SESWA and here: youtube…com/watch?v=2yf53c84aMI. I would've used one of them as the video at the beginning of the chapter, but they either cut out parts of the song or had bad sound quality.