I don't own anything but the story line.
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Shinji excitedly bounded into the band room clutching his CD and eagerly anticipating the practice which was about to begin.
"Hey Shinji, certainly took you a while," quipped Kensuke.
"I know, let's get to work, there's not much time as it is. I think I have the perfect song for the talent show. It's by this old band named Jimmy Eat World."
"Hmm, never heard of them," Touji shrugged.
Shinji moved across the room to the band department's stereo system and placed the CD in the player. The opening chords drifted melodically out of the surround sound system. The song played on and seemed to catch the young men in a trance, as no word was spoken until the final notes faded away.
"Well, that's sort of depressing isn't it," chuckled Touji.
"Oh, I don't think so, I think it's emotional, but not necessarily depressing. After all, this is about Shinji's feelings not yours Touji," remarked Kensuke.
Shinji firmly replied, "Well, that's the song I picked, so let's see what we can do. We should be able to use the computer to find out just how to play this song."
Shinji moved across the room to the computer and began looking up basic tablature for the song.
"Ok, got it guys," Shinji printed out the tablature and walked back over to his friends. The boys unloaded the drum set and bass guitar from the back room, and spent the better part of a half hour assembling the set and setting up the amp levels.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted, let's just pack it all back up and start over tomorrow," Touji laughed.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that you're motivated, Touji," said Shinji.
They listened to the song a few more times, as Shinji practiced the new finger picking style he would have to use while playing the electric bass.
Despite Shinji's enthusiasm to learn the new instrument, his patience dwindled, "You know, this isn't as easy as you said it would be, Kensuke."
Kensuke shifted his gaze towards the irritated boy and adjusted his glasses, "Neither is love, Senor Don Juan."
Shinji said nothing and simply continued to pluck away at the strings.
--
Touji was doing fairly well with his tablature, having already played through the song multiple times and seemed to have mastered the chord progressions.
Just then, the door opened and Daisuke stepped into the room, "Well if it isn't the next greatest sensation in school talent show history."
Shinji chuckled, "Well we're trying."
"Let me see what you're working with," Daisuke walked over to the boys and looked over their tablature and observed, "You know, you're missing a musical instrument, right?"
"What's that?"
"Well, a synthesizer of course. It's what provides most of that subtly dark mood that you like so much, Shinji."
"That sucks, I didn't even realize that."
"Nice one," Touji added sarcastically under his breath.
"Haha, well don't fear boys, I actually happen to be quite proficient at all things keyboard, and my schedule just cleared up," Daisuke exclaimed.
"That's very nice of you, but I can't ask you to waste time helping us with a talent show when you obviously have much more important things to do."
"I see no greater calling than that of helping a boy trapped in the snares of unrequited love," Daisuke exclaimed.
Shinji sweat dropped, "Oh God."
"Well, I don't mean to be that dramatic, but you know what I mean."
"Not really, but let's actually start practicing anyway," Shinji returned his attention to his instrument.
A few minutes later.
-"Ok, Daisuke, you set up?" - "Yep, all systems are go."
-"Kensuke, you got the beat?" - "Roger that zero-one." - "Shut-up Kensuke."
-"Touji, amp is on?" - "Aye Cap'n." -"What is with you guys?"
Three…two…one
Touji's hands slid along the frets and the first notes strummed through the amp. After a few seconds Daisuke's fingers keyed the first synthesizer chords and the sound flowed all around. Kensuke dropped the beat almost perfectly given his inexperience and managed to keep up with the rest of the band. Shinji momentarily forgot what he was doing and frantically found where they were on the tablature and joined in, hesitantly at first, but his confidence grew as the measures flew by. His voice chimed in on the beat…
"I-I felt for sure last night
That once we said goodbye
No one else will know these lonely dreams
No one else will know that part of me
I'm still driving away
And I'm sorry every day
I won't always love these selfish things
I won't always live...
Not stopping..."
Shinji stammered at first but gradually his voice rang loud, confident and clear through the microphone. The cymbals clashed and the snare popped in the background as the band played on.
The last notes sounded and the synthesizer faded out.
Daisuke jumped from his seat, moved by the spectacle, "Wow, that was amazing! I've never heard a teenage band sound like that!"
Shinji beamed as he wiped the sweat from his brow, "It worked, it actually worked."
"Yeah, except for the fact that you didn't play more than four measures of bass that entire song, Shinji," Touji grinned.
Shinji in his nervous state had forgotten to play his part for the rest of the song.
"Well, I'll work on that, as for now, I think that's enough for tonight."
Kensuke spoke up, "Yeah, and Shinji great job with the vocals that was really good."
"You were no slouch on the drums either, I just listened to the song a lot, and I guess I sort of memorized the pitches."
The boys packed up the instruments and agreed that the next practice would happen as soon as everyone had a free schedule. Touji even suggested that they visit his sister in the hospital to screen the song before the talent show.
Shinji entered Misato's apartment at close to 12:30 am, as he had been so excited about the performance that he felt he had to get some energy out of his system. He couldn't quite explain the feeling, but he felt that he had to move and when he moved, he couldn't seem to move enough. He sprinted down the streets of Tokyo-3, watching as store windows rushed by his field of vision, laughing and racing his shadow down the well-lit deserted streets. Visions of grandeur and previously unimaginable success danced in his head.
When he advanced further into the apartment, he noticed that a light flickered on and off in the adjacent room, he walked into the room only to find Asuka's scantily clad form lying peacefully on the sofa in front of the television. "She must have fallen asleep watching the news."
The middle-aged news reporter spoke of problems that seemed so far removed from Shinji's current perceptions. Only one thing was on his mind, earning the respect and love of the young woman before him. Shinji stumbled in the dark towards the hall closet and removed a pillow and blanket from the top shelf, delicately placing the pillow behind the redhead's neck, and spreading the blanket over her poorly clothed form, being ever so careful not to wake her and evoke the wrath of the beautiful yet dangerous sleeping dragon. 'She looks so beautiful when she sleeps,' thought Shinji as he moved away towards his room, "And harmless… I tell you I never played house as a kid, but I'm more than making up for it now," he chuckled to himself.
Shinji drifted effortless off to sleep, and when he dreamt, he dreamt only of her.
A/N- Let me know how you think the story is going, I'll update as soon as I can.