Walk-ON!
Chapter 1:
Live Wire
The month of April in Japan is an exciting time. As tourists flock to see the cherry blossom petals fall and revelers sing with cups of sake in their hands, the dawn of a new school year beckoned like a ray of light over the Kanto skies. It's a feeling that not only excites, but challenges.
For Ui Hirasawa, the older of the two sisters, it also stimulated. An academic, "pay-attention-to-detail" scholar with an ability to cook and care for her little sister Yui, she was relieve to see all her hard work pay off with her admission to Sakuragaoka High School. She had heard of the many clubs that were there. Among the notable groups were the judo, choir and literature clubs, as well as the sports teams.
At her old junior high school, Ui was athletic. As a member of the track team, she specialized in the pole vault and won a metropolitan championship. She even took ballet lessons and spent some time with the dance club. However, her peers, notably her good friend Jun Suzuki, saw her as being "too perfect."
Ui just did her role so well, that it would be rare for her to make a mistake. Ui was Ui. And that was the hard, cold truth.
The ticks of her alarm clock gave way to the shrill tones of brass clapping against each other in the cool spring air. Waking up with a stretch, she took a look. 5:30 AM. Freshman orientation was two hours and thirty minutes away.
"Right," she said, turning off the alarm and going her morning routine. Make the bed, take a shower, put on her fresh, new uniform and cook some breakfast. Meanwhile, Yui was still sleeping like the drooling, gurgling baby she was.
As she got out of the shower, Ui grabbed a pin and arranged it in her trademark ponytail. Opening the closet, she slowly put on her new uniform. It was a sharp change from the green sailor uniform with the cheery bow. Now it was a white dress shirt with a blue string tie, a blue blazer with gold buttons, and a blue pleated skirt.
Ui smiled. So this is the outfit Sakuragaoka's students wear, she thought. Clean and simple. Just the way I want it.
Today's breakfast was the standard fare: sushi, miso soup, some salad, and leftovers from Sunday's big dinner. At the Hirasawa household, Ui and her friends celebrated her admission to Sakuragaoka with a large hotpot. It was so big that there was room for leftovers.
And of course, the western fare: toast, jam, and omelets.
She took a look at her watch. "6:45," she read. "Looks like I'm gonna have to wake her up again."
"Yui," she said, opening the door. Her little sis was not listening. "If you don't wake up, you're gonna be late." Still not listening. "Yu-"
"Eh!" Yui exclaimed, fumbling her mobile. "Oh crap, 15 to 8? I'm gonna be late!" She quickly darted out for the bath to get going. Ui looked quizzically. She set her cell phone an hour ahead.
Ui opened the door, where her mother was sweeping the pavement, "Ah, Ui-chan," she said. Going up to her, she pinched Ui's cheeks. "How is my eldest daughter doing?"
"Morning. Ahhh, I'm doing fine, mom," she said. "That hurts."
"I'm so happy for you. My eldest daughter is now a high school student. I am so proud of you, Ui-chan!"
"Thanks," she said with a hesitant giggle.
"Behave yourself when you're there, and good luck!"
"All right, see you!" said Ui, waving back as she walked to the start of her new life at Sakuragaoka.
Sakuragaoka High School was not too far from her house. It was about a 15-20 minute walk, which involved crossing a few streets, the Sumida River, the train tracks, and a number of local shops.
Of course, every morning Ui would help an old lady on the crosswalk. With more and more people in Japan getting older, it was uncommon for her not to assist senior citizens get to the other side without being run over by a salary man half his/her age driving recklessly and intoxicated.
It was a safe tactic. And a testament to her civic commitments.
As she walked into the entrance, Ui was impressed by the campus. Palm trees and flowering cherry blossoms dotted the administrative building and the auditorium next to it. It was like a small college. The setting, combined with a faculty that cared for the well-being of its freshman, sophomores and seniors while preparing them for the rigors of postsecondary education, was compelling enough for Ui to take a brave attempt at being admitted.
Ui looked at the clock. 7:50 a.m. Japan Standard Time. Arrived with time to spare. She took a brief stroll around her new surroundings. In the distance, the baseball team prepared for an ambitious run to make it to Nishinomiya's Koshien Stadium. All around her she could see invitations to join all these different clubs.
It was a whole new world for Ui Hirasawa. But first things first: it's time for orientation. She took her seat in the auditorium, listening to the welcome speeches from the headmaster and the senior and sophomore class presidents, and a few of the teachers.
The first few days for Ui were not too noteworthy. Just about all the students in Class 1-3 had joined at least one club. Whether it was the abacus club, the tea ceremony club, the sports teams or any of the other organization, everybody but Ui had joined at least one.
And it was a difficult thing for her. Her boundless talent could see her fit in with any club. But once she joins that club, the onus would be on Ui to put her time and effort in making it one of the best.
Sakuragaoka had a reputation of bringing out the best in its students. The fact that Ui fit the mold, yet could not pick on club to join, made her feel defeated and bored.
A form and a pen were in front of her. If they had a soul, they would see this well-endowed freshman in a deep state of thought. Nobody could ever figure out what plans were going to take place. She silently debated for minutes and minutes when her best friend entered.
"Hey Ui, what are you think about today?" asked Jun.
"Oh, it's you, Jun," she replied. "Actually I'm still wondering what club I will join this year."
She couldn't believe the news. "What the hell? You haven't yet? Come on, it's a few weeks into the new school year, and you still haven't found a club to join?"
"You know," Ui said, "I just cannot find one club to pick. I mean, all of them are so good, and if I could split into many people-okay, I would have one join this club, another...that club, and so on. You get what I'm saying?"
"You don't want to be putting yourself into overkill, Ui."
"It's not that I'm going for overkill or anything, it's just, it's just, it's just..." A pause, and then, "...difficult?"
"Man, Ui, at this rate you're going to be a NEET?"
"I like that 'Welcome to the N-H-K!' reference, by the way."
"You watched that show?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "That and a few others."
Jun crossed her arms with a sigh. "Man, that's incredible. You clean your room. You clean your sister's room. You make dinner for your family...and yet you still have time to catch up on your anime. Are you some type of renaissance girl or something?"
"What's that'
Jun put a hand to her forehead. "Forget I even said that."
Ui lazily looked at the trees. "Jun, aren't these sakura trees wonderful?"
Jun joined in watching them in full bloom. "They sure are."
Ritsu Tainaka was born to be a rocker. In her bedroom, she had a number of records from artists on both sides of the Pacific. One of those unusual records Ritsu had was a CD called The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect by Todd Rundgren. It was one of her favorite albums, aside from the classic rock groups that she felt were the essentials: AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Clash, Metallica, Nirvana, the Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen.
Actually, that was a cross-section of what was on her iPod. But the song "Bang on the Drum All Day" fit Ritsu well. At the age of 9, she bargained with the local music store owner to lower the price on a drum set that she still owns to this day.
Ritsu loved drumming. In fact, it was the only thing she was good at. Nothing else. Give her a snare, two tom-toms, a kick bass, cymbals, hi-hats and sticks, and watch the magic.
Her mother had to ask her to tone down the drumming. She had to be strong to have to put up with the skins and brass being hit. But with every passing day, Ritsu improved on her cadence and rhythms. They got faster. They got smoother. They had a clean finish. And she could improvise on the fly.
That was how good Ritsu was as a drummer. With her short, light brown updo and yellow hairband, it was perhaps written by the gods that be of rock and roll that she was up to something
Her best friend, Mio Akiyama, was the opposite. Ritsu and Mio went way back. They knew each other in grade school and junior high. Often she would take advantage of her tendencies to get scared at the drop of a hat and proclaim of her awesomeness.
Mio never liked having the attention she got. But with her long black hair and hime cut combined with those grey eyes, it was unavoidable. Mio also liked playing instruments. But she had a fascination for bass guitars. Not only does an electric bass set the melodical foundation, but also the rhythmic foundation in union with the drums. Mio never liked having to play rhythm or lead guitar. The bass was good enough for her.
That was the thing that united both Mio and Ritsu. Not only were they best friends, but they loved to play. More so, it was Ritsu who appreciated it. Sometimes she would come uninvited to Mio's house to watch live shows, check out videos courtesy of MTV Asia, or simply mooch around and lovingly look at her figure.
The sight of Mio, the scent, even just the simple presence stimulated her soul. Ritsu was a rocker, and a fun-loving tomboy. She followed Mio to Sakuragaoka. They both got it, but Ritsu had to get assistance from a certain someone to pass those exams.
And that person was Mio, who walked down the hall, holding a form that indicated what club she wanted to join. Aside from music, Mio had a fascination for the classics, as well as the theatrical productions of Shakespeare. Her goal was to investigate this immediately...
...or so she thought.
"Hey Mio!" shouted Ritsu, who caught up to her. "Let's check out a club!"
She turned. "What club?"
"The light music club! Light music!"
"I already am going to join a club."
"Huh?"
"The literature club." Not impressed, Ritsu grabbed the form and tore it up. "Augh, what the hell are you doing, Ritsu!"
She grabbed Mio's arm. "Hurry up; we're going to the Music room."
"Wait a minute!" For someone who likes drums, Ritsu was not too bad at being fleet of feet. Mio was barely able to catch up.
The news came at her like a bullet train. "It got abolished?"
"Well, it's about to be," said Sawako Yamanaka, Sakuragaoka's chief music instructor. So there was some type of hope. "All the members from last year have graduated. So if the club does not get four members, it will be abolished."
"I see, so that's why the Music Room was empty." And perhaps that was also why Mio had to catch her breath. Ritsu was looked at the room, and not a single person was there.
"Miss Sawako?" said a voice in the distance.
"All right I will be there in a bit," Sawako said. She got up and picked up her handouts for the next lesson. "Excuse me; I have music class to attend to. I wish you the best of luck with the light music club," she said as Ui waited.
"That teacher looks pretty," said Mio. With her eyeglasses and calm demeanor, Sawako was a favorite with her students.
Ritsu snuck a dirty glare to her partner-in-crime. "That's not the problem here," she growled. Obviously.
Ui looked at the two smiling. Ritsu had a scowl on her face, while Mio looked the other way as if to say, "Don't mind us; Little Miss Bulldog just dragged me here when I could have been with the literature club a half-hour ago."
"Go ahead and give these handouts to everyone, all right?" Sawako said to Ui.
"No problem." Taking the papers, she went off.
Ritsu's expression changed a little. "A ponytail, big boobs and a cute face...my god, she is too perfect. How can someone like her be at this school? She is way too perfect! Dammit, if she was in a Saimoe poll round there is no way I will vote for her!" she grumbled to herself.
Mio needed a way out, and fast. She still had time, according to a hunch in the back of her head. "Well then, since this club's gonna go bye-bye, I'm going to join the literature cl-" A hand grabbed her shoulder. "-ub?"
"I see. If no one's around that means, if I join now," schemed Ritsu, "I'll be the club president?" That would be making history. Personal history. "Not bad."
Mio turned and froze. As if the books would recognize something unofficial. And so her journey to become a bookworm for life died in the teacher's office.
As they made their way to the music club, Ui asked, "What was this 'light music club' you were talking about?"
"The light music club?"
"Yeah. What's that?"
"Light music, as if 'not heavy'."
"*That* light music?"
"Exactly. That type," Sawako said, as they entered the room to distribute the handouts.
As the music class adjourned, Ritsu and Mio snuck in. It was empty, the chairs were gone (save for the one the self-proclaimed president was sitting on), and Mio was standing like a prisoner in a confine of a club room.
Mio looked around and turned to Ritsu, saying, "Well, what are we going to do?"
"Duh, we're going to wait for people who want to join!" she said in a defiant tone like General Than Shwe of the Myanmar junta.
Mio blinked. "You'll wait?"
"I'll wait!" she said, shooting back with thunderous resiliency. Seconds, minutes, hours passed. No one came through the door. The day was just about to end. Standing in that same one spot had to hurt Mio's feet. She wanted to just leave for the day. Now she knew a little bit how it felt to be Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.
"I guess I should get going," said Mio, who was ready to leave, when they heard the sound of the door opening.
A tall, blonde girl with blue eyes peeked in. "Um...I'd like to visit..." she said in a hesitant tone. Ritsu jumped out of her set in joy. At last, a new member. Good things do come to those who wait after all.
"Is this for the light music club?" she said in an eager tone.
"No, for the choir," the girl said. It was clear in Mio's head that either the choir was not going to meet today, or they were holding their meeting/rehearsals for incoming freshmen in the auditorium. Perhaps somehow Ritsu knew this as well? Serendipity. Hallelujah.
"Would you like to join the light music club?" Ritsu asked, grabbing her shoulders.
"Um...the choir...?" Unfazed, Ritsu continued to appeal. "But we don't have enough members right now. Please, you are not going to regret it!" she said, star-struck by the presence of the prospect.
Mio had enough. She grabbed Ritsu by the shirt collar, dragging her away. "You starting to push it, forcing yourself on her like that!" As her friend whined, she turned to the two, ready to leave. "I'm leaving now."
"MIO!" Ritsu shouted. Her frustrations had boiled over. "That promise you made to me...was that a lie?" It struck a chord with her. "It was going to be me on the drums and you on the bass."You said that both of us would be in a band together, right? You said that would happen! You promised me...didn't you?"
Tsumugi Kotobuki was in awe of the drama that was unfolding. Ritsu's dream was dying at the expense of her best friend, and it tugged at the strings of her heart. She enjoyed seeing the quarrels of two girls who were not only friends...but lovers. The daughter of a wealthy billionaire who owns, among others, the store that Ritsu and Mio bought their instruments from, Mugi not only had the financial leverage, but the academic leverage as well. At her junior high school, she was at the top of her class from the first exam to the last. She was at the top of every high school list, and she was a great singer. That was why she wanted to be in the choir of Sakuragaoka, which was purported to be one of the best in the country.
Of all the schools she could have chosen, Sakuragaoka was her pick. Her parents wanted her to go to an elite all-girls school, or a private academy in Tokyo. They had the funding to pay her tuition. She didn't need that. Sakuragaoka was an easier option. It was more laid-back, not as rigorous, and at the same time it was nowhere near the inferior high school in town. It was right in the middle. Hesitantly, her parents agreed. And that's why she was standing there, watching Ritsu and Mio argue with each other.
Like those two, Mugi could also play. Aside from singing, one of the many curios in her study was a baby grand piano. She had piano lessons at the age of five. She also owned a synthesizer, and both those items were gifts by the company her father owns. She was a cultured individual, Tsumugi was, and she took pride in it.
"When we went to that live convert," continued Ritsu, "on that day, we were drenched in sweat you pinkie-swore that we would be on that stage one day! Was that a lie?"
"That memory was a lie," replied Mio.
Striking a naive pose, "Ritsu responded, "Huh? For real?"
"We were watching that on TV in my bedroom last night. You forced me to join, Ritsu, after watching Mix-des-Mois in concert on the tube."
"But you said let's do it, right?" That was something she could remember.
"True, but..."
Her friend was in her own greedy world. "And then, you know what, if we become pros, I'm getting 70% of the profits, and you get 30%!"
Down came the chop. "Dream on." A large bump the size of a golf ball came on Ritsu head as Mugi laughed.
"You two are fun," said the blonde with a smile. "I can only play the keyboard, though. But you know what? I'll go ahead and join this club."
Ritsu exclaimed. "Thank you!" she said, shaking both hands with boundless exaggeration. "If we get one more member, watch out world..."
"So I've been counted as a member already, huh?" replied Mio with a tone of indifference mixed with contempt.
The new member introduced herself. "My name is Tsumugi Kotobuki."
"Ritsu Tainaka, drums. And this Mio Akiyama, bass. All right, we just need one guitarist."
Ui left the school with Jun at her side. "Ui?" asked her ponytailed friend who looked wistfully at the clouds.
"Jun, I am still in deep thought. I can't believe it. I really want to do something."
"Well, do it then."
"But you know something? I keep getting into this Thinker mode. You know how the U.S. Senate goes out and filibusters every measure, right?"
"But that different from the Diet, Ui."
"Still, it's keeps talking a decision to death."
"You gotta figure something out. Time's starting to tick away."
"Sure is," Ui said as they left the school. The baseball team was still practicing while the cheer squad's youthful spirit resonated with gusto.
"Would you like fries with that?" asked one of the Max Burger cashiers, turning with a spark in her eyes and her head tilted to the right with the one next to her.
"Yes," said Mugi, getting her order. Living the well-to-do life rarely saw her visit any fast food chain. It was historic: this was the very first time she visited a restaurant like this, let alone a Max Burger. She even thought of working here. And this was from someone who, for all intents and purposes, was too classy to be working at a place frequented by working-class customers and students!
Mio and Ritsu were stunned to find that out. "Really?" responded the latter to Mugi. "You gotta be kidding me."
"I've always wanted someone to ask me, 'Would you like fries with that?' you know?" Ritsu still was coming to terms with the news. How does someone spend sixteen years not even passing by, let alone visit, a fast-food restaurant. They were all over Japan. And it was not only McDonald's, but local chains like Max Burger were available for her to peruse. And this new member they picked up was able to every one of them, and in effect misses out on what they fueled on for the past decade and a half. Unbelievable. "My apologies; go right ahead."
Ritsu had the floor. "Okay. Well, I call this ad hoc strategy meeting to order! Our mission is to obtain one more member this month."
"But how are we going to do that?" asked Mugi.
"We're gonna to do some brainstorming right now," she responded, setting her fries on the tray. Grabbing the longest of the bunch as if it were a stick for pointing out the areas of a battlefield, she continued. "I think we need to give a huge bonus for joining our club."
"A bonus?"
"Exactly, like a gift, maybe."
"How about a car or a guest house?" Mugi suggested. Mio looked at the two, questioning her logic. A new car? A new house? Just for joining a high school club? Those are pretty huge incentives. On top of that, Ritsu was getting a lion's share of the fries. Talk about a deep-fried bonus. Woo hoo. "That would be a good idea, but we can't do that."
"How about treating our new member to ice cream, or assistance with their homework?" That was a more reasonable alternative from the president born listening to alternative. Rock, that is.
Still, Mio disagreed. "But even if you give them that, it's not a guarantee they will want to be in the club. Any other club at our school would do the same thing."
"That's a good point. I didn't think of that."
"So what should we do?" asked Tsumugi. All three were in deep thought as Ui and Jun walked by, also planning their next move. Jun was due to be on the student council later that year.
Three quarters of an hour passed. Ritsu laid a drop of her coke on a straw cover in boredom.
"And if YOU'RE bored, how the hell is that gonna help?" exclaimed Mio.
"Then you think of something," she said sheepishly.
Mio sighed. "I want to go home already."
"How about we make fliers?" One could only wonder why they didn't make any of those in the first place when the new blood coming it hadn't made up their minds which parts of the student body club echelon they would flow to.
Nonetheless, the flyers were posted. And nobody came.
"Well guys, there's only one more week until April's over," said Ritsu with a blank look on her face.
"And nobody joined," said Mugi.
"Looks like we'll be abolished without ever forming a band," said Mio, sipping tea prepared by their keyboardist. All three members had brought their instruments to the room.
Nonetheless, Ritsu's dream was dying as it stood. "And I certainly don't want THAT!" she screamed.
Little did they know that they would be saved...from the unlikeliest of people.
As Ui made her way around campus, she turned to look at a flyer on the club bulletin. "The Light Music Club. Do you want to join a band? We need a guitarist!" it said.
Suddenly, she was reminded of her little sister. Yui loved castanets. In kindergarten, she was known from clapping on them loud and hard. But that was Yui. At the same time, she loved her little sister. Sometimes, she would wander around, going so far as to rummage through her clothing, sniffing her pantyhose. It was a tantalizing irony that the one person she cared so much about was also her one single vice. But it was a guilty pleasure that she savored. Yui never found about it, nor did she care. In fact, Yui didn't mind it one bit.
Ui thought about it a little bit more and then made her declaration. "All right! This one's for you, my little sister. I'm joining this club."
"I'm going to join the light music club, Jun," she said at lunch to her friend.
"I see. So what do they do?"
"NO idea."
"You don't have any idea? Then why do you want to join?"
"I think I'm inspired by my little sister."
"Your little sister?" she said with a grossed-out look on her face.
"She likes playing the castanets, and other easy instruments. So I'm going to join this for her."
"That's a dubious rationale, Ui. And I would not think they would play those types of instruments in the club, unless it's run by chimps."
"Really? Hmmm."
"They're forming a band," Jun said, as the two of them took a closer look at the flyer on the bulletin.
"I haven't touched a guitar in my life, though," Ui replied.
"That said...you'd be best to broaden your horizons, right here, right now."
Meanwhile, the other three members were taking a look at some notes, as well as some magazines in the room of new rock bands coming out. Some inspiration was in order when Miss Sawako strolled in. "Everyone, you have yourselves a brand-spanking new applicant," she proudly announced.
"All right!" said Ritsu, taking the application.
"Don't forget to clean up when you're done," Sawako said as she left.
"Yes, ma'am!" replied the other three sitting down in unison before looking at the completed form.
"Hell yeah," Ritsu exclaimed in a game-face tone. "We're not gonna be abolished!" She continued to read the form. "Ui Hirasawa. Hmmm. Not a bad name."
"That's a guitarist name right there," added Mio.
"I like what I see," Mugi chimed.
"Amazing! We got ourselves an awesome member!" said Ritsu, her arms raised in a V for victory.
Ui made her way to the music room upstairs, thinking about what this "light music club phenomenon" was all about. Music notes? Moeblobs? Wait a minute, what's a moeblob? I have no idea; you must be reading in one too many forums, Ui. Just head up the stairs, and open the door.
She stood at the entrance but walked aside, stroking a chin as to ponder if she did make the right decision. Yes, ma'am! No, ma'am. Yes, ma'am! No, ma'am. You made up your mind once, stick to it, you.
A hand touched Ui's shoulder. She turned. "Oh, hello there."
Ritsu stood silent and paused. "Oh gosh, it's all-too-perfect girl. What are you doing here?"
"Eh?"
"Could it be that you are Ui Hirasawa?"
"Yes."
"The one that wants to join our club!"
"Yes!"
A wide smile crept across the drummer's face. "My apologies for misjudging you! You really know how to play that guitar, don't you? I've been waiting for you!" she said, laughing along the way.
"She's going way too over the top with this," Ui thought.
Ritsu opened the door. "Guys! We got the new member!" she hollered to Mio and Mugi.
"For real!" asked Mio.
Mugi clasped her hands. "Cool!"
"Welcome to the Light Music Club."
"We are delighted to see you."
"All righty then, Mugi, let's give this new recruit the first-class treatment pronto with some tea!" Ritsu directed with a sweep of her hand.
"Okay!"
A slice of cake and chamomile awaited Ui. It was a light three-layer pound with whipped cream and berries, custom-made by the chefs of the Kotobuki household and hand-delivered by Tsumugi. "This is some treatment," she thought.
"Bon appétit. Enjoy," said the courteous blonde hostess, with Mio to her left and Ritsu to her right.
Ui took a sip. "Whoa, this is delicious." But it was the cake that delivered a knockout, as all three stooped over to watch. "Really delicious!" She never tasted something like this before. The cream, the berries, and the layers itself all melted in her mouth like sweet heaven dancing on her tongue. She blissfully took her time eating the slice. "I think I made the right move," she thought.
"Ms. Hirasawa, what types of music or bands do you like?" asked Ritsu.
"I like J-Pop artists like Ayumi Hamasaki and Hikaru Utada. I'm not too much into rock music. I'm a pop artist type of person. But I guess I have listened to a little Jeff Beck somewhere down the road."
"Jeff Beck!" exclaimed Mio. "You know what; there are two types of guitarists. There's Jeff Beck, and there's everyone else. You got a knack for finding good musicians, and Jeff Beck is all about finding new ways to play the guitar while raising his own bar that he sets."
"So that's who Jeff Beck is?" asked Tsumugi. She herself was more into classical/choir music.
"I see," said Ritsu. "You are awesome, Ms. Hirasawa!"
"You mentioned raising the bar," said Ui to Tsumugi. "I also used to compete as a pole vaulter. Get it?"
"Ahhhh. Good one," she replied.
"So you're an athlete too?" asked Ritsu. "Why didn't you join the track team?"
"I've done it once; I don't need to do it again."
Mio looked at application once more. "I see that you wanted to join our club because of your little sister."
"Oh yes. Yui likes playing the castanets, and I wanted to join for her. However, I haven't had experience play-"
"Well I'm relieved you joined our club," interrupted Ritsu.
Mugi added, "If no one joined, we would have been abolished next week."
"So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!" was Ritsu exclamation as she clasped her hands.
Ui finished her statement. "But as I was saying, I haven't had experience playing any instruments yet."
Ritsu blinked. "Huh?"
"I haven't even touched a guitar in my life."
Mio pursued the question. "But you said you wanted to join our club, which means you have an interest in music, right?"
And so did Mugi. "Are there any other clubs you wanted to join?"
"No, not really," was the answer.
"We're not gonna let this sucker off the hook," Ritsu said to the other two using her mind and a scowl.
Mio nodded. "For the sake of not letting this club get abolished on our watch!" she added telepathically.
Mugi joined in. "We must keep Ms. Hirasawa here!"
Ui was about to wander out. "I apologize. So guess I will have to..."
"Wait!" halted Ritsu.
"How about another cup of tea?" Mugi asked. "We also have cookies and madeleines too!"
Ritsu nodded. "They got her!" thought Mio.
Ui savored them again. Madeleines. She thought the only place one could find madeleines was France. Not when Tsumugi has the connections...and the pastry chefs to back the sweet stuff up. "Yummy...oh wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to mooch around here."
"No problem," said Ritsu, reclining with relief.
"Let's make this a tradition to have tea and cakes at our meetings," Mugi declared.
Mio was wondering why they got off-focus. "I think we were supposed to-ah!" She felt Ritsu kicking her chair, striking her sensitive parts like it felt so good. "Ritsu, you naughty little bitch!" she thought as she screamed.
"What else do you like to do, Ms. Hirasawa?"
"I like to cook and host for guests."
"What a nice girl," they thought.
Ritsu brought on the next question. "What do you do on the weekends?"
"I shop for groceries and I also tutor my little sister at home."
"What a really nice girl," the three thought.
"Is there anything you like?" asked Mugi.
"Playing with my sister and going out on picnics with my friends and family."
"And dislikes?" asked Mio.
"Not being able to make my family happy?"
"What a really, really, real nice girl," the three thought. "Too nice, even. Perfectly nice!" thought Mio to Ritsu.
"Bloody heck, what are we gonna do with her?' Ritsu asked mentally to Mugi.
The response was dire. "It's unfortunately her call. She's just too perfect." Her frown told the message. The white flag had been raised.
Ui decided again that she had enough. "Well, I'm going to..."
"Please, I beg you, don't leave!" pleaded Ritsu. "You can stay here and mooch all you want!"
"And we'll bring you some more tasty snacks!" added Mugi.
"If you want to leave, at least let us play for you before you go."
"Huh? You'll play for me?" asked Ui.
"You got it!" The cake was too rich for Ui to finish. Besides, she wanted to drop a few pounds. That would have to wait.
Ritsu's outfits for their demo were actually borrowed from the gymnasium, so the tale goes. It wasn't the best of get-ups, but it had to do. For the oomph effect. The wow effect, as it is also known in some other areas where the only business is show business.
A few tune-ups and a few chords of a popular Evangelion song, specially arranged by Mio and Ritsu, was played. The song was Tsubasa wo Kudasai, or "I Want Wings To Fly." The pleasure of being able to go anywhere without a care in the world was a fascination forged in the visions of her dreams. No planes were needed; no one could dare shoot you down. With one jump into an earthly ocean of air where the clouds beckoned with open arms, the wish of being able to float and see what the world offers at no cost was the inspiration behind "Tsubasa."
Soon enough, the trio was done. "How's that?" Ritsu asked Ui, clapping her hands.
It was a thorough critique, "Hearing it, I was not able to hear a bit of the bass. The backbeat was too uncommitted, and I felt like the keyboarding was manufactured. It was bland."
They had blank expressions. Little did they know; Ui made up her mind.
"But you know something? I find your demo similar to a main dish that is still being cooked. You have all the ingredients set up and put in, but there is that one little exception that has not been added. That ingredient, when placed, will the make the dish the life of the party. I think I will be able to give you something that will make this band strong and full of flavor and kick. With that said, I will join your club."
They could not believe it. Ritsu pinched the cheek of Mio, who pinched back. This was no dream. They were able to get it done. Ritsu let out a huge "Banzai!" and went forward to create the first photo of the reformed Light Music Club with Mio's camera.
"You said you weren't able to obtain a guitar yet, right?" Mugi asked Ui.
"Yes."
"We're going to go ahead and fix that."
"Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. You know, I've never played one, but at my old school, my little sister tells me I am a fast learner. Actually, everyone at my old school told me I was a fast learner."
"She is gonna be a good fit," Ritsu chortled with a smirk to Mio.
"Too good'
"We'll make sure it's just right."
Jun was surprised of the news the next day. "You actually joined a club?"
"Yep. they told me I had to do it because I had potential," Ui said in between eating a sandwich from the co-op downstairs.
"So you are the manager?"
"Not really. I'm an actual member, and they're going to provide me a guitar so I can get started. Do you think I can borrow one of yours for the time being?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, I don't have a guitar, either."
"I see. Well, can I buy one for 5,000 yen? Um...Jun?" She simply looked at her lunch, wondering if her new club had completely lost their minds.
END CHAPTER 1