Azusa saw the notice placed on the table of the music room. "Light Music Club closure" It read. It went on too explain an all too familiar scenario encountered by the president of the Light Music Club – 4 members, or face closure. There was another leaf of paper underneath as an application to apply for a club. She filled it out and left it on the table as she sat staring at it blankly. "Club name – Light Music Club, Club President – Nakano Azusa" She smiled to herself as she gazed at the paper which was blank otherwise, thinking of her jubilation on another occasion when Ritsu mentioned she would be president. There was an evening sunset bursting into the room, an orange glow that said that it was getting late, after all, Azusa had dropped by after lessons to take a peek. She loved the room and everything about it, including Ton-chan, who had sat in the corner, he was being fed by Sawako-sensei, as she didn't expect to be going there regularly any time soon. A drum kit sat in the corner of the room, Ritsu had left it as the legacy to the Light Music Club to mark that it was their territory, that and the fact that she didn't have the room to leave it at home when she was at University. "Ritsu's drums look lonely" Azusa thought to herself as her face dropped. She saw the absence of that familiar figure behind them, commandeering them in the usual rushed manner, which was part of her general demeanour, Ritsu's characteristic hyperactivity that seemed to spill out of her. Azusa turned her head and saw the pile of amps that Mio, Yui and herself used back in the days of Ho-kago tea time. She missed them. She placed her hand on her chest and sighed deeply, her voice shaking slightly. Azusa felt her eyes well up and her vision blur.
"Jun-chan, won't you join the Light Music Club?" Azusa asked Jun as they were strolling down the sunlit road with Ui. "Sure, I said I would if you didn't get any members after the initiation ceremony for the juniors didn't I?" "Right, right" Azusa joked back, she turned her attention to Ui. "Ui, I've seen you play the guitar, why don't you come to the Light Music Club? With me, you and Jun, it could be really fun!" Ui stopped walking and entered her own world of thought. "It could be just like the old Light Music Club!" Azusa followed up as she failed to notice Ui fall behind. "Ui?" She turned and saw her with that cute face that Yui usually pulled when she was deep in thought. "Just... like...Onee-chan?" "Yeah!" Azusa smiled enthusiastically. Ui smiled in response to Azusa's cute smile. "I'll definitely think about it" She responded "I think the tea making club will have a thing or two to say about that though" "Wait, wait Azusa" Jun interrupted Ui. "You need a fourth member to continue the club!" Azusa smiled instantly "I've got an idea, there's a certain Junior coming to Sakuragaoka this year that might just be interested in us" She said with some certainty in her voice "And I'm sure that if we will become more approachable as a club now, if you two join, you can help me recruit members, right?"
Ui was sat staring at the club president of the Ceremonial Tea Making Club ready to ask her the question of her opinion on Ui's transfer to the Light Music Club. "Rihoko..." Ui spoke softly, she knew the president was calm of demeanour but had an explosive side – she had seen it when tea was spilt or ceremonies were performed improperly, she didn't want to get on that side of Rihoko. "Yes, Ui-chan?" Rihoko too spoke with a soft tone and smiled lightly as she awaited Ui's response. "I was wondering what you would think if I were too, uh,... switch clubs?" She tried to put as best as she could and in as nice way as possible, she even threw in her best smile to entice her to not be mad. Rihoko's expression changed comically quick, she had manly features under her long brown hair now. "Ui-chan" Rihoko returned in a low tone, clearly annoyed. "Y-y-yes?" She returned with a frightened expression. "GET OUT!" Rihoko boomed as she flipped the table in the air, causing it to do several flips, Ui screamed as she flew backwards out of the room, as she left, she heard Rihoko shouting, "AND NEVER COME BACK!" Ui knew where she wasn't going to show her face any time soon.
Ui poked her head in the door of the Light Music Club to see Azusa and Sawako-sensei having tea. "Excuse my intrusion" She announced in a formal manner as she entered the room. "Oh, Ui" Azusa began, she looked surprised to see her. She was about to leave her seat and greet her before she was interrupted. "Ui-chaaaan!" Sawa-chan instantly changed her demeanour and threw herself at Ui's feet and hugged her bottom half vigorously. "The tea – we can't make it like Mugi-chan or you can – mine tastes icky!" Sawa cried to her. Ui poured some new cups of tea as she saw Sawa-chan's expression change into one of comfort as she slumped into her seat. Ui put the tea pot back in the cupboard that Mugi had left for the Light Music Club, she opened the multiple drawers and saw the amount of tea bags that were left. "It's as if Mugi knew this would happen..." Ui thought to herself as she walked over to the old store room and opened it to see boxes of tea. She was speechless. "Mugi knew Sawako-sensei would be lost without her tea" She laughed to herself. "I guess this means that you're part of the Light Music Club then Ui?" Azusa began after she took a lengthy sip of tea. "Yeah, the Club president didn't take it too well..." Ui replied, laughing nervously towards the end of her sentence. "well either way, I'm still going to be making tea, huh?" Ui laughed again, changing the subject. "Seems that way" Azusa agreed, chuckling with Ui.
Jun was plucking the strings of her bass slowly and deliberately, listening for an inaccuracy in the intonation. "Jun-chan?" The president of the Jazz club spoke to her in her usual manner, Jun could see people behind her looking at Jun, with some degree of expectancy and nervousness. Something was up, Jun knew it. "Yeah?" Jun responded, slightly confused. "Jun, the club is expecting to take on a lot of members this year, as some of the members know of juniors that are ready to join us, and, well, the club is taking on more than they should already, we were just wondering if some of the seniors had other clubs they were available to join if they could to make things easier on us? I know I'm not asking a particularly right or nice thing Jun, and I understand if you want to stay, but do you have any other clubs that you might be interested in?" Jun stared at the president long and hard, she was always nice to Jun and treated the Jazz club like her own child. Jun looked at the head of her bass, it was usually unused in the club, there were seldom chances when Jun was able to successfully play her bass with others, which annoyed her. Her mind instantly jumped to the Light Music Club. Why shouldn't she take this opportunity? "Hmmm..." Jun spoke after her long silence. "Well, there is one place that I could go" She smiled.
"Wh-What?" Azusa spoke with complete astonishment as she leant over the table staring at Jun in complete amazement. Jun was sipping her tea and enjoying it - she wasn't completely ready to have a conversation, and so after she sipped, she took a long pause and breathed out heavily before responding. "I left for the good of the club" Jun spoke deliberately with her eyes firmly shut, and her mug still in her hand. "Really? You sure you just didn't want to join us badly here? Feel you were missing out, Jun?" Azusa joked with Jun. "No, no, They wanted to make room for the juniors and wanted to know how many seniors had other options on, so... I volunteered to leave" She spoke as if she was basking in a sense of self-superiority, she displayed maturity – sacrificing herself for the club, or so she thought. "I see, I see" Ui joined into the conversation as she followed it up with a sip of her steaming tea. "At any rate, the new Light Music Club is formed!" Azusa spoke with a large grin on her face and a feeling of happiness. "Uh,... Azusa..." Sawako-sensei interrupted quickly. "You, uh... need four members..." Azusa's slammed into the desk. "Didn't you have someone in mind though Azusa?" Azusa instantly rose and began laughing cockily "That's right I did!" Azusa was rejuvenated by Jun's intervention. "Then, who is it? c'mon, tell us!" Ui spoke excitedly. "Heh, well..." Azusa began.
"Her name..."
The three were visibly moving towards Azusa as she spoke slowly.
"...Is..."
They grew closer yet.
"Akiyama Natsumi"
"Eh?"