The Seiso contestants go on a trip to California to experience a different musical way of life: marching band. How will they interact with their host students and what sort of adventure lies ahead for them?
I'm not sure where this story takes place in the general storyline of La Corda d'Oro.
Disclaimer: I do not own La Corda d'Oro; I am just another crazy fan girl of Tsukimori Len!
My parents decided to take the family to visit some relatives far far away at a place with no internet (told me the day before we left) so that's the reason for the delay between chapters!
Stuffing and Copy Machines
"Welcome to Room 116," Jennifer announced, ushering Kahoko into the classroom. "Journalism: this is Kahoko. Kahoko: this is Journalism."
Kahoko was greeted by smiles and waves, and then the students went back to what they had been doing.
"Everyone in class has a computer to use," Jennifer said, explaining the reason for all the computers. She sat down in front of one towards the corner of the room. "This is my workspace," she told Kahoko, and then motioned towards the computer area next to hers. "You can use this one while you're here."
Kahoko dropped her bag and sat down. "I have a friend back at home who is in Seiso's journalism club. I'm going to have to tell her all about yours," she grinned.
"This is actually the first year Del Oro has ever had a class to create a monthly school paper," Jennifer said to Kahoko. "So we're pretty proud of our accomplishments," she smiled. "Do you want to take some copies of previous months we've published? Your friend might like to see them."
"That's a great idea! Yeah, if it's not too much trouble I'd love to take some back for her." Kahoko thought for a moment. "You, her, and Alexis would get along great together."
"Your friend must be pretty awesome then," Jennifer joked, making Kahoko laugh.
"Papers are here!" someone called. "Start stuffing!"
A huge groan just about shook the entire room.
"Stuffing?" Kahoko asked.
"Companies buy space in our paper to print advertisements," Jennifer explained. "But one company paid for a flyer to be put in every paper every month for the whole year instead of actually being printed in the paper." She rolled her eyes. "The money they paid is great, but it sucks having to put each flyer in every paper."
She left and came back with a stack of newspapers and a pile of flyers. "Ready to help me stuff?" she asked wickedly.
"Let's do it," Kahoko said as she rolled up her sleeves.
At first the two girls worked in compatible silence. Open newspaper, stuff a flyer inside, fold newspaper, throw on pile of stuffed newspapers, repeat.
"Silence is boring," Jennifer said suddenly, breaking the quiet of their work. "Talk to me about your Seiso friends."
"Only if you talk to me about your Del Oro trumpets," Kahoko retorted.
"An equivalent exchange," Jennifer mused. "I'm down with that." She folded a newspaper and added it to the growing stack. "I'll go first." She grabbed another newspaper to stuff. "Ian's favorite stuffed animal is his Tickle-Me-Elmo."
"What?" exclaimed Kahoko.
Jennifer shook her head. "No questions, just facts." She stuffed a flyer inside a newspaper.
Kahoko thought for a second. "Ryo is a star soccer player."
"Scott has a dent in his chest he likes to eat cereal out of."
"Azuma comes from a very traditional family."
"Alexis calls everything she doesn't know a thing-thing."
"Keiichi almost got hit by a car because was too busy reading to pay attention to where he was going."
"Alex will randomly wear a pirate costume to school even though he thinks he's a ninja."
"Kazuki has separate stomachs for dinner and dessert."
"Brandon goes crazy if he eats too many M&M candies."
"Shouko is really fun to shop with."
"All the pictures on Jen's phone are of her cat, Jasmine."
"Len works a part-time job as a host for a host club."
Jennifer dropped the newspaper she was stuffing. "Kahoko Hino! I said facts only!"
Kahoko sniggered. "I couldn't resist."
"Speaking of Len," Jennifer said. "Why don't he and Ryo get along? They're both really awesome guys."
"I think that's the first time Len's been described like that," Kahoko commented. "Ryo gets that every now and then, but Len? Nope. He antagonizes people. He does have his share of fan girls, but that's different. As to why they don't get along," she shrugged. "That's just how it's always been." She paused and then her curiousity got the better of her. "Are you and Alexis serious about turning those two into friends?"
"Oh yeah!" Jennifer cried, pumping her fist high into the air. "Ryo and Len better watch out because Jennifer and Alexis have never lost a challenge!"
"Hey over there! Less talking and more stuffing! I want to see your fingers stained with ink by the time you're done!"
"Slave-driver," Jennifer muttered, resuming her newspaper stuffing.
"Why do you have lunch so early?" Kahoko asked, as she and Jennifer left the Journalism classroom.
"Since the school is so big, there are two lunches. Half the school eats at 11:10am, and the other half eats at 12:45pm. What lunch you get depends on your third block teacher. My third block teacher has the first lunch, so I eat during the first lunch too." Jennifer explained.
"Do you have to eat in the cafeteria?"
Jennifer laughed. "No way. To be honest, in the three years I've been going to this school, I've never eaten lunch inside the cafeteria. It's too crowded and noisy. I eat with all the other band kids who have the same lunch as me over there." She pointed towards a bench underneath a tree.
"Who else has this lunch?"
Jennifer thought for a few seconds. "Um, of the people you really know, just Scott and Len" she said. "There are other band kids, but Scott is the only trumpet player with the same lunch as me."
Kahoko and Jennifer were some of the first ones to arrive at the eating area. They sat on the bench and took out the lunches Jennifer's mom had made for them. Scott and Len showed up and sat next to the girls on the bench.
"I love having a class near our lunch area," Scott sighed blissfully. "I always get to sit on the bench." He pulled out his lunch, and Kahoko noticed Len pull out a similar looking brown paper bag. She giggled. Len having a sack lunch seemed very comical.
"Oh," Scott said suddenly. "Hey Len, since I have an unscheduled fourth block my dad wants me to run some errands for him. You can come with me, or you can go to class with some of your friends."
"Come to my fourth block with Kahoko and me!" Jennifer said excitedly. "You and Scott are in my third block class anyway, so just follow Kahoko and me to my fourth block!"
"We have the next class with them?" Len asked Scott.
"Yup," Scott replied. "It's World Geography. I took the actual class last year, but I liked the teacher so much that I signed up to be his T.A. for this term."
"T.A.?" Kahoko asked.
"Teacher's assistant," Scott explained. "I help him out in the classroom by grading papers and making copies. Stuff like that."
"What is your fourth block?" Len asked Jennifer.
"I'm a T.A. for a chemistry class," Jennifer told him. "It's really cool. Have you guys taken a chemistry class before?"
Len nodded the same time Kahoko shook her head.
"You can hang out with me and watch me make solutions," Jennifer said. "Maybe. I do different stuff everyday. Sometimes I don't even have anything to do so I just hang out in the back and listen to my MP3 player. Come on Len," she continued. "Come with us. It'll be an adventure!"
"That is one word to describe it," Len replied.
Kahoko wondered if Len would give in to Jennifer. They were both stubborn.
"Yeah, he's going to be with us fourth block," Jennifer said to Scott.
"Excuse me," Len interjected.
Jennifer looked at him.
"Fine," he said stiffly.
"Yay! Len's with us!" Jennifer cheered. All of sudden she got a huge grin on her face and started laughing. "Oh man! Where is Alexis? What class is Alexis in right now?" she asked Scott.
Scott thought for a second. "She's in Geometry. Room 600."
Jennifer jumped up. "I have to tell her this! I'll be right back!" She dashed off.
The three remaining students stared at her retreating back.
"What just happened?" Kahoko asked Scott. "And can she just go into Alexis' class and talk to her like that?"
Scott sniggered. "Yes she can. She has this little badge from Journalism called the press pass, so she can claim to be interviewing her for a few minutes outside of class."
Len raised an eyebrow.
"I wonder what she needed to tell Alexis so badly?" Kahoko said.
Scott shrugged. "I suppose we'll find out one of these days. Now that Hurricane Jennifer has gone though, I can finish my lunch in peace." He went back to eating his sandwitch.
Len and Kahoko followed suit.
"Joining us today are two students visiting from Japan," the geography teacher announced from the front of the room. "Please," he said to Kahoko and Len, "stand up and introduce yourselves."
Kahoko stood. "Hello, my name is Kahoko."
"Hi Kahoko!" the class chorused together. Kahoko was a little surprised at the response.
"I play the violin and am staying with Jennifer." She sat down.
Len stood up. "My name is Len and—" he began briskly.
"Hi Len!"
He continued without so much as a blink. "—And I also play the violin. I am staying with Scott." He sat back down.
"Do you have girlfriend?" a girl asked him.
"No," he replied curtly.
The girls seemed shocked.
"Really?" one asked in surprise. "You're not … gay, are you?"
The girls waited breathlessly.
"I am not gay," Len said coldly.
A sigh of relief echoed across the room.
"He had me scared there for a second," a girl said.
"I know," another one agreed. "I mean, aren't the hot guys always gay nowadays?"
A few girls nodded.
"That's how it seems," one said sadly.
They all looked at Len. "Thank your for being straight!" they said happily. "There is still hope in the world for us girls after all!"
Kahoko wasn't sure how much more of this Len could take.
"Alright alright," the teacher called. "Don't frighten our guests back to Japan."
Frighten? Kahoko thought. More like irritate she concluded, looking over at Len.
"Who has the song of the day today?" the teacher asked.
"I do," a girl said. She rummaged around in her back and pulled out a CD and transparency.
"Song of the day?" Kahoko asked Jennifer.
"Everyday someone is responsible for bringing in a song in a language other then English. They also have to bring a transparency of the translated lyrics to put on the overhead projector as we listen to the song. Then the person who presented the song has to explain what it means."
Kahoko nodded, but Len seemed a bit skeptical. She figured he didn't think it was on his level of schooling.
"I'll meet up with you guys at Jennifer's house when I'm done running errands," Scott said as the four of them left the geography class.
"Alright, sounds like a plan," Jennifer said. She glanced at the two Seiso students. "Sound good to you guys?"
Kahoko smiled and Len gave a curt nod. Scott took off to the parking lot while Jennifer, Kahoko, and Len headed of towards the science building.
"What did you tell Alexis during lunch?" Kahoko asked Jennifer.
Jennifer smirked. "You'll see."
When the trio reached the chemistry class, Jennifer opened the door and ushered them in ahead of her. "This is where I sit," she said, walking over to a desk in the back of the room and dropping her stuff down. "This is a full class so there's no empty desks. You guys can use this stools though," she said, moving some stools next to a long counter near her desk. "This counter is divided up into stations for the students to conduct labs, but there's no lab scheduled for today so you guys can sit here."
Kahoko and Len dropped their bags and sat on the stools. Then the door opened and Alex came in, followed by Ryo.
Jennifer grinned and at once Kahoko understood what she had run off to tell Alexis.
"Ryo!" Jennifer waved. "Come join the rest of the gang! Here, I'll pull you up a stool!" She grabbed another stool and put it next to Len. "Have a seat!"
Kahoko was thankful she wasn't sitting between the two guys, but she was a bit worried about what might happen between them.
"Ah, forget the desk," Jennifer said suddenly. "I'm going to sit with you guys." She grabbed another stool. "Scoot over Ryo, I'm going to sit between you and Len." Ryo gratefully moved away from Len, but Kahoko wondered if putting Jennifer between the two guys would improve the situation.
"The teacher's name is Mrs. Matthews," Jennifer said. "She's one of my favorite teachers ever!" She thought for a second. "I guess that's why I signed up to be her T.A."
"With us today we have some Japanese exchange students," Matthews announced. She looked at the Seiso students. "Would you please introduce yourselves?" she continued.
"I'm Ryo," he said with a small wave. "I'm with Alex."
"My name is Len," he said curtly. "At the moment I'm with Jennifer."
"My name's Kahoko. I'm staying with Jennifer."
"It's nice to meet you and I hope you all enjoy your time here at Del Oro," Matthews said warmly. She walked over to Jennifer and handed her a piece of paper. "Could you go make thirty copies of this? And then on your way back could you check my box and bring me a bulletin?"
"Sure," Jennifer said easily. "You guys come with me," she said to Kahoko, Len, and Ryo.
The group got up and followed her.
"You have such a beautiful school campus," Kahoko commented. "The lawns are so nice and green."
Ryo nodded. "Alex showed me the soccer fields. Both the girls' field and the guys' field are gorgeous. I'd love to play on grass like that."
"Isn't this the same building the band room is in?" Kahoko asked as the group made their way inside.
"Yes," Jennifer answered. "The band room is located on this side of the building," she said, motioning towards the hallway on the right. "The rooms we need to go to at the moment are located off the left hallway." She led them down the hallway. All of a sudden she pushed the paper into Len's hand. "You and Ryo go inside that room and use the copy machine closest to the door to make the thirty copies. Kahoko and I will go inside this room to check Matthews' box and find a bulletin." Without waiting for a reply she pushed the two guys inside the copy room and pulled Kahoko into the other room with her.
Jennifer checked Matthews' box. "Nothing today." She noticed Kahoko staring at all the boxes lining the wall.
"Does each teacher have a box?" she asked.
"Yup."
Kahoko continued to stare at the wall. "That is a lot of teachers."
Jennifer grabbed a bulletin out of box hanging near the door. "This is the bulletin," she said, showing Kahoko. "It pretty much talks about various upcoming events. Kinda like a short daily newspaper," she added. "Now let's get the real fun going," she sniggered, pulling Kahoko towards an open door near the back of the room. "This door goes into the copy room. How much you want to bet Ryo and Len haven't figured out how to use the copy machine?"
Kahoko giggled and both girls peeked around the corner of the door.
Both guys were staring at the machine.
"So, uh, I guess we put the paper here?" Ryo guessed, opening the top and setting the paper down on the glass. He frowned. "Which way does the paper go?"
Len scowled. "I would imagine you put the paper in upside down otherwise it won't be able to scan it to make the copies."
"Well excuse me," Ryo said, crossing his arms. "I'm sorry I'm not a copy machine expert, but at least I can tell the difference between a microwave and an oven."
Len glared. "Just hurry up and make the copies."
Ryo smirked and then glanced down at the buttons. "Thirty copies so I guess I punch in a three and a zero." He hit the huge green button marked START. The machine began to make some noise, and then it emitted a loud BEEP and stopped.
Len glanced at the paper tray. "You didn't put in any paper," he said coldly. "How are you supposed to print things if you don't have any paper?" He grabbed some paper off the counter, stuck it in the tray, and hit the START button again.
In a few seconds thirty copies were resting neatly in the out-put tray. Ryo pulled them out. "Alright, we're done. Let's go wait out in the hallway for the girls."
Len stared at the papers Ryo was holding.
"You're holding a stack of blank paper," he said frigidly. He opened the top of the copy machine to reveal the original paper with its writing side face up.
Jennifer and Kahoko burst out laughing.
Thanks for reading! I'm not sure if I liked this chapter as much as the others …but it's all good … In the next chapter I'm going to finish up the school day and some after school activities. I think it's going to continue to focus on Kahoko, Len, and Ryo (with more fun at Ryo and Len's expense), but by chapter 6 the other Seiso students will be back for more group fun!
I realized I never really clarified the English speaking skills of the group in my story. Azuma, Ryo, and Len seem like the type who would know English fairly well. Shouko might too, but she'd be the type too shy to be confident in her English skills. Keiichi would know enough to get by (since, you know, he's such a chatterbox). I could imagine Kazuki and Kahoko struggling a bit ;)
Foe the purpose of my story, I have them all speaking English quite well. Other then that, who knows how well their English really is …
Until next time!
