As promised, here's the next chapter! Sorry it's getting a little behind schedule, but at this rate, chapter 9 won't be posted any later than the end of the first week of July! So please enjoy ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own POT
Note: This fanfiction was inspired by 9cats: The Musical Academy Seishun. However, I assure everyone that I have not copied of entirely from the author, except for certain plot elements in the first few chapters. Also, there might have some elements in the fanfiction that have inspired by other POT fanfic writers.
Beta-d by: 9CatLives and Plush, who has been a great help in polishing my fanfics since chapter 5! ^^
Note: The italics words represent Ryoma's thoughts. (name):'italics' refers to the fives' (tomoka, ryuuzaki, kachiro, katsuo and horio) conversation via the note.
"Ding… Dong!" The school bell chimed, signaling the end of school.
"Let's go!" Tomoka-san shouted cheerfully.
"Go? Go where?" Ryoma asked, confused.
"Echizen… you know, you should really listen sometimes…" Horio-kun sweat dropped, as he stared at Ryoma speechlessly.
"Well," Tomoka-san started, pushing Horio out of the way, diverting Ryoma's attention towards her. "Where should I start from… Ah Sakuno, where's that piece of paper?"
"Umm…" Ryuuzaki-san frantically dug around her pockets for a while, before successfully pulling out a slip of paper. "Found it! Here, Ryoma-kun!"
Still confused, Ryoma took the paper from Ryuuzaki-san and scanned its contents.
Horio: 'Ne, the Shounen 2 are holding auditions today! You guys wanna go together?'
Tomoka: 'Shounen 2? Who are they?'
Horio: 'Eh you don't know? They're like a junior group of Shounen Rockers. The band was formed from the admiration all the members had for Shounen Rockers and both male and female applicants can be accepted. There's a high rate of…'
Ryoma hastily scanned to the next part, by now perfectly aware of how long-winded Horio could get.
Kato: 'Honto? Why don't we all go! It sounds fun.'
Ryuuzaki: 'Ok. How are we going to tell Ryoma-kun? He's sleeping.'
Katsuo: 'We can let him know later, when he wakes up.'
Tomoka: 'He's sleeping? Kyah his sleeping face is so cute. I want-'
Before Ryoma could read any further, Tomoka-san snatched the paper out of Ryoma's hands; her face flushed a deep red. Upon seeing how red Tomoka-san's face was, Ryoma felt grateful that she had not continued reading.
Mentally sighing, Ryoma followed after the group of five as they made their way towards the audition hall. To be honest, she wasn't the least bit keen on the idea of auditioning, especially if it wasn't the best band in the school.
But since auditioning would mean at least a few minutes of playing the guitar, I guess it's fine. Just this once.
By the time they got to the auditioning venue, armed with the instruments they had borrowed from the A.D., a long line of auditionees had already formed. The line seemed to go on endlessly, with what seemed like everyone in the school auditioning.
Five out of six of their jaws dropped. Ryoma, being Ryoma, was slightly more in control of her facial muscles, although she could not help but stare incredulously at the line, which had grown even longer during whilst they gaped. It sure was going to be a long day.
After what seemed like an eternity's worth and more of waiting, the line had only moved an inch. Horio decided to take it upon himself to entertain the others with his favorite hobby, bragging.
"I, Horio-sama, with 2 years worth of experience playing the piano, will display my prowess. I'm sure when Shounen 2 sees my talent, they'll be begging me to join them-"
"Anyways, Ryoma-sama," Tomoka-san cut-off Horio mid-speech, worn-out from having listened to the loud-mouth's ceaseless bragging since the entrance ceremony. "Since when did you start playing the guitar?" Tomoka-san inquired eagerly, pointing to the guitar in Ryoma's hands, which she had borrowed from the A.D..
"Four years old." Ryoma answered simply.
"Sugoi!(1)" Kachiro said with unbridled admiration. "That would mean…" Kachiro trained his eyes on his fingers, as he slowly tried to work out the number of years since Ryoma had taken up the guitar.
"9 years! Suteki(2)! As expected of Ryoma-sama!" Almost as if a switch within her had been flicked 'on', Tomoka-san radiated her Ryoma-fanclub-president aura, lavishing Ryoma with compliments.
Although, Ryoma was unbothered, since she, being Ryoma, was too focused on the guitar in her hands to take note of her surroundings. With ease, Ryoma expertly strummed once, then twice.
Hmm. Ryoma's lips curved into a slight smile. Not bad. It's in tune, the strings are of good quality, and the guitar's sounds come out well.
"Hmmph!" Horio, who had been curiously leaning in on their conversation, triumphantly continued. "Even if you have 9 years of experience, it is not enough against the great Horio. Because after I'm accepted into Shounen 2, it'll only be a matter of time before the members of Shounen Rock see how talented I am. By then, they'll be begging me to join them-"
Horio's words were cut off by a senpai, who violently grabbed Horio by his collar. Apparently, that senpai had been walking by when he overheard Horio's bragging, and was evidently enraged. Sensing the killing intent emanating from the tanned, lanky senpai, Horio instinctively clamped his mouth and lifted his hands, in a futile attempt to provide a temporary barrier between him and the anonymous senpai.
"What did you say?" The senpai roared in his face. Spittle emerged from the confines of his mouth, and made their new home on Horio's face. Normally, the raucous teen would have twisted his face in disgust, but the current Horio was too worried for his life to even consider such minor details. All the students nearby were evidently scared, mindfully forming a meter radius from the angry senpai.
"N-Nothing," Horio squeaked, still trembling from fright. If he had been hoping his answer would get him the luxury of being released from the iron grip of the infuriated senpai, he was mistaken. Horio's words obviously did not register in the senpai's brain, as the senpai gripped Horio's collar even tighter.
"Do you think of your Arts Department senpai-tachi as jokes? All of us have worked hard all our lives and we're still not at their level of skill yet, and you, some pesky brat from the General Department, think your measly 2 years worth of skill is enough to get you into the Shounen Rockers? How stupid! Don't make me laugh!"
"I'm sorry!" By this moment, Horio was already bawling loudly. Tears, mixed with the mucus he had been too afraid to even lift his hands to rub away, flowed freely and endlessly along the contours of his face. "Someone please save me!"
Ryoma, who had been standing at the sidelines watching the entire scene unfolding before her, sighed.
Really. This guy got into way to much trouble.
On normal occasions, Ryoma would have simply walked off, choosing not to meddle in others' troublesome affairs. But since this was a friend, whether she liked it or not, she figured she might as well be the good Samaritan just this once.
I'm becoming too nice. Ryoma shook her head disapprovingly.
"Hey you! Freshman! What are you shaking your head at?" That senpai, who had noticed the shaking movement of Ryoma's head, angrily burst out.
"Nothing. Just that for someone who has worked hard all his life, isn't it too pathetic if your level of skill is only this much. The Shounen 2 aren't much after all-"
"What?" The senpai forgot about the pile of withering flesh in his hands as he turned his attention onto the cocky freshman. Gripping Ryoma's collar, he repeated his words in the form of a shout. "Damn you, I dare you to repeat what you just said."
"You can't just get all physical, no you can't."Unbeknownst to the auditionees and auditioners of Shounen 2, a group of eight lazed under the canopy of the cherry blossoms a distance away, taking in the scene before them.
(1) Sugoi: awesome
(2) Suteki: wonderful, amazing, great, etc.
