Walk-ON!

Chapter 8:

Rock & Roll Singer


A few weeks before the 2009-10 school year began, a certain brunette with golden hairclips took time off to look at some entrance exam results. "Hmmm." Scanning through the list, she found her name. Yui Hirasawa, 55th.

She pouted in disappointment. "If only I was a little bit more focused, I would have been in the top 50," she said. The last two weeks consistent of intensive studying and cramming, all at Ui's expense and commitment.

"So," Ui said as she walking over to her little sister, "how did you do?"

"Awww, onee-chan, I failed!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to get into the top 50, just as you wanted. I only finished 55th overall."

"It's all right," she said, hugging a tearful Yui, stroking her slightly disheveled head littered with split ends. "You gave it your best. But at least you still got in."

"Really?"

"The top 200 get in for next April. Congratulations!"

"All right!' She leaped in the air, dancing around. "I got in! I got in!" Soon enough, Ui was left gasping for air as she felt the embrace of her younger sister.

"Yui...I can't breathe," Ui managed to say as Mio took a snapshot of the moment with Ritsu and Tsumugi providing witness to the whole situation.

"How about that," Tsumugi said. "She passed, in spite of her challenges."

"And Ui is getting the wind squeezed out of her," Mio added.

"You just trying to be funny with a straight face again?" wondered Ritsu, turning to her friend with the beige cap and the camera. "But their parents must be partying at the doorstep of the pearly gates right now."

"You mean sisters."

"All of them. It's Hirasawa Heaven, baby!"

"Yes, it is."

Mugi concurred. "We're gonna have us some fun this spring." Yui was still rubbing Ui in some questionable spots. Was this her way of "getting off?" Discreetly scandalous exuberance.

"Congratulations, Yui!" Ritsu said to Yui as the others walked over.

"Thank you, Ricchan," Yui said, bowing. "Everyone, thank you for your support."

Not too far, a student with black pigtails, ruby eyes and a Fender slung around her back was looking at her rank. Donning a dark sailor school uniform, the revelation appeared.

"There it is." She found her score. 50th.


Azusa Nakano was a guitarist with talent. The daughter of a family of jazz musicians and session players, Azusa was a budding mastermind of sound when combined with her trademark red Fender Stratocaster. His father, a skilled saxophonist, was part of a group of session players at his job known as "The Puppet Master Quartet," and was known for providing background melodies to a number of anime shows, from Cowboy Bebop to obscure ones like Abenobashi.

Little did she know that destiny would await her in the form of four sophomores with a vision and a dream.

"We're together again," said one incoming freshman after the orientation. The class listings were out and the new blood with red ties were scrambling to figure out who they will be with.

"So Ms. Akai will be our teacher, huh?" asked another.

"I wonder if I will be in the same class as Yoshiko?" wondered a third.

"And now we're guilt-stricking, sobbing with our heads on the floor," sung a fourth, who was listening to a Verve Pipe classic called "The Freshmen."

"Second year, Class 2-2," Ui said. "Hmph. Sounds like some background is order."

"That's where I am," Ritsu said.

"Same here," Mugi added.

Not so much for Mio, who was consigned to the home room next door for the sophs, Class 2-1. Ritsu and Tsumugi looked the other way, smirking while Ui shrugged her shoulders.

"Bloody heck, that's a drag. Do you want me to file a grievance with the headmaster?" Ui asked.

"No, that's all right. It's better without you idiots giving me that look."

"Are you sure? All right. By the way, I was only kidding."

"Then why the hell did you ask me, you punk!"

"Because that reaction makes you look cute." She was pointing to Mio's pout, which turned into a frown with a blush. "Damn, she is right on the moe-ney," Ui said to herself. "It fits. Christ almighty, it fits!"

"If you feel lonely," a tearful Ritsu added with a reassuring right hand placed on Mio's left shoulder, "just come play with us anytime when it's break or lunch, okay?"

"You are such a grade school freak, you know that?" As suspected, it was a good idea after all. Talk about a blessing in disguise. Drawing back and crossing her arms, she said. "So Ritsu, can you stand being without me? I won't let you copy my notes anymore, you know that right?"

"Oh, I will be fine, dahling. I've got Tsumugi and Ui to bail me out."

"For your information, Ricchan, I am opting out of it," Ui said. "Mugi, try to resist giving your notes too."

"Hey, quit being such an older sister!"

"Aren't I already one?"

Ritsu was drawn into a corner. "That's not the point!" she said, flailing her arms.

"Hey, one-chan!" Yui was waving her arms, jumping up and down. "Morning!" Her golden hairclips, matched with her red ribbon and black pantyhose meshed well with her uniform.

"Morning," said the others.

"Looking sharp, Yui," Ritsu said.

"Thank you, Ricchan-sempai," Yui replied with a bow.

"Ricchan-sempai...that is such a touching connotation..."

"I need to fix your collar and hair a little," Ui said to Yui as she the cleaning tag while brushing her hair. "I apologize for not buying the shampoo you wanted; those split ends are showing up again."

"I was in a rush. Thanks though, onee-chan," Yui said.

"Wake up a little bit earlier next time. I keep telling you: by 7:00 you should be up, ready to eat breakfast before we go, all right?" Yui pouted.

"I love these sisterly moments," Ritsu said to Mio. "Don't you?"

"All that's missing is the popcorn," Tsumugi said, hands on her cheeks and sparkles in her eyes. Mio joined Ritsu in turning at their friend and her controversial imaginations rearing their unsightly heads once again.

"You..."


Azusa loved to keep a journal of her daily journeys whenever she had the chance. Since the age of four, she updated her journal every week what has going on. At the age of 15, she already was up to her 30th volume of The World According To Azusa. She wrote of tales of her emulating Angus Young's lead guitar role in "Crabsody in Blue," a precise rendition of "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, and a song she placed among her top 10 worth playing at least once: "Bubbly" Colbie Caillat.

It wasn't the highest: that honor belonged to "Hotel California" by the Eagles. Azusa was wondering which part of the duet to play: Don Felder's or Joe Walsh's? She could do the other solos in one fell swoop.

"Okay, everyone, I'll see you later," Yui said to the others, rushing over and almost tripping on her way to Class 1-2.

"We should get going as well," Ritsu said.

"Class 2-2...on the second floor," Ui said. "Brilliant."

"I fell like an upperclassman right now. This is great. Cheers, Ms. Akiyama from Class 2-1 downstairs," Ritsu said as they took off.

Mio was nonplussed. "You dumbass, it's on the same floor as yours, and on top of that, it's next friggin' door too!"

"See you at the break, madame. Hey Ui, you know where it is on the second floor?"

"I know. This way," she said, leading the other two like the tour guide she was.

"Urgh..." Mio wanted to give Ritsu a headbump the size of a bollilo roll. To be true, it was lonely not having that rat around. She knew that Ritsu was feeling the same way. Could she admit as much? But she couldn't forget that act Ui did at the Christmas party a few months ago. She still wondered what the bloody heck that was all about. With a sigh, Mio picked up her bag and made the long trek towards Class 2-1 for the first lessons of the New Year.

Good heavens, it was surprisingly out of place for her. No one wanted to talk to her. No one even cared that she was sitting in the middle of the classroom with a blank expression. It was a whole different universe. Was she on planet Mars? Was she alive? Or was Mio Akiyama a ghost in flesh and bone, her eyes reduced to rings that lost track of time and space? As far as she was concerned, it was all of that...and some. Then again, shouldn't she be glad that no one in the room brought up "The Incident?" It's called "laying low," Mio Akiyama. Perhaps it was a foreign as learning how to speak in Klingon.

Nonetheless, Mio broke out her iPod, playing a song from a band called "thenewno2" called "Choose What You're Watching."

"Hey Mio!" It was Jun. "I'm glad you're here. I got place into a different class other than Ui and I didn't know if I would find anyone I already knew."

Mio was in tears. She was not lonely anyone.

"Let's take good care of...hey!" She found Mio lying on top of her in a compromising position, replete with an embrace that left her gasping for air.

"Yes, we must!" Mio exclaimed.

"Mio...I can't breathe..."


Later that day, the game plan for the light music club was to bring in some new faces to the fold. Already, the other clubs were recruiting new freshmen into their ranks. From team ceremonies, to kendo, to table tennis, scenes of excitement and enthusiasm filled the halls.

"We're gonna be busy today, Mugi," Ui said to her compatriot with the blond hair.

"Indeed we will, and you know something?"

"What?"

"The other clubs have more structure than we do. We're going to be on our toes."

"No kidding," Mio added.

"Hey, don't overlook us just because we are the Light Music Club and you aren't!" proclaimed Ritsu begrudgingly.

"Who's 'you'?" Mio asked.

"The doubters. And the bastards are all handing out leaflets promoting their own clubs! Mio, where's our pamphlets?"

Mio procured a copy. "Well, I made one. Here."

Ritsu's expression of disappointment was predictable. "Typical from you."

"Ugh..." The look of defeat deflated her.

"Seriously, if I was given this, I would not be drawn to join."

"So let me ask you this: what exactly would be the way to attract people to our club?" Tsumugi asked Ritsu.

"Good question. How about this: a promise to grant them as much tea and snacks as they want. You know, just like last year. The Light Music Club: Eat as much as you want; rock on as much as you want. How's that?"

"An interesting idea, but I don't know if that will work," Ui said.

"It won't!" exclaimed Mio.

"Well then, does anyone else in this convocation of clashing heads have any ideas?" Ritsu retorted in indignation. "At this rate we will be nothing more than a mere afterthought if we don't think of something."

Miss Sawako placed her right hand of Ritsu's left shoulder. "If there isn't something, let's make something!"


Animal costumes. Ui was a chicken. Ritsu was a dog. Mugi was a cat. And Mio was...a horse. All hot and sweaty inside. For Mio, it was the worse idea ever conceived.

"We're the Light Music Club!" Mio said to prospective club freshmen.

"We're performing a live gig for new recruits, and we'd love to have you check us out!" said Yui as Ritsu was waving to passers-by.

"Come to our concert-nya!" said Mugi.

"If you want to join, come to the music room upstairs after class," Ritsu said. "We'll be waiting!"

"And we have refreshments at every meeting, too!"

"Hey Mio," asked Ui to her nag-faced friend.

"What is it?"

She whispered. "They're all staring at you."

"The hell they are!"

"I really think this is backfiring on us big-time."

"No shit, you smart-ass chick!" One of the freshmen freaked out and ran for the other side of the campus in deadly fear.

"Whoa, that's mean!"

Meanwhile, Yui was chatting with one of her new classmates. "Have you ever eaten pickled radishes?"

"No, I haven't," she replied.

"Not at all? Aww, that's too bad. I like that and onee-chan's ice cream."

"Your older sister attends this school?"

"Yep, and she is the best at what she does!"

"Awesome. I have a question: what club do you think I should join?"

Yui clasped her friend's hands, with tears in her eyes. "Why do you ask me! I've only been here today and I don't even know which club I want to join!"

"Hey Yui! Yui!" Ui was chasing her little sister. "Please join our club!"

"Onee-chan? OMG!" It was a mad chicken giving chase. Yui fled the scene with her friend faster that you can say LMFAO but not before she chased her into the building.

"Guys. That sucked, and we are heading back," Ui said in disgust, jogging back to the others, who were returning upstairs to the music room.

Azusa looked on with a look of disbelief. "Why is she wearing a chicken costume?" she asked her friend next to her.

"You got me," was the response, replete with a monotonous tone.

Mio offered Azusa a leaflet, but she and her friend were taken back in shock. "We're the Light Music Club. If you want to join us, we'll see you upstairs after school at the music prep room. Here."

"Thanks." She looked it over but couldn't believe what she was seeing. "What is this?"

The leaflet had a threatening undertone. "Music Room Monopoly! Would you like to join a band?" Azusa could have easily sworn that they were out of their minds.

"Hey Ui, you can talk with your younger sister later, all right?" Mio asked her friend in the hen costume.

"Awww, but I wanted to prove to you all that I can run in this hen costume."

"You're only proving to be a bigger idiot than I thought. Now let's head back."

"Man, it's April, and already I feel like a dog in heat," said Ritsu. "Literally."

"You sure?" I'm as cool as a cat," Tsumugi said. "This is fun. It's like a part time job."

"It is?" Ui placed an arm around Mugi's shoulder. "Good for you. Onward!" she exclaimed, pointing to the music room.

Azusa was still studying the flyer. "Hey," her friend said, "you sure this is a good idea?"

"I like their intentions," Azusa replied, "but I have my doubts." The two of them made their way back to class.


"What the hell was that?" Ritsu exclaimed to the others. "We were dying down there!"

"Yeah, we weren't passing a lot of fliers," Ui noticed as Mio was catching her breath.

"Looks like we will have to convince them with our concert tomorrow."

"For sure," Mugi said with a glint in her eye. The others sighed.

"Hey everyone, I also made these costumes as well." Miss Sawako procured a sample maid outfit.

Mio, Ui, and Ritsu were not amused, to say the least. "All right, it's back to class," Ritsu said. Mugi tilted her head in a sign of sympathy.

As class adjourned downstairs, Azusa heard others across her homeroom.

"You heard of the Light Music Club, Nodoka-chan?" asked Yui to her childhood friend, Nodoka Manabe.

"Sure did, it looks pretty cool," Nodoka said. "Wanna check it out?" she asked their friend next to them.

"I'll pass. See you guys tomorrow." She would go on to join the calligraphy club.

"All right, see you. That's too bad. What's up with her?"

"I hope she doesn't commit suicide down the road," Yui said. "She looks like that type of person..."

"What is going on in your head, Yui?"

"Ahhhh, it's nothing, Nodoka-chan." She had to put up with Yui's media-saturated imagination fortified by mental retardation.

"Are you coming with me?"

"Sure, I guess. I've never seen them in public, so I might as well."

"Sounds good, then."

Azusa thought, hey, this may be a good idea. "Hey Azusa," said her friend from earlier, "the jazz club's having their meeting upstairs on the second floor. Hurry up."

"All right." And she could have gone this route easily. But she didn't realize that there would be other plans in the works as she made her way up the stairs.


Yui and Nodoka made their way up the stairs to the entrance. "So this is the Music Prep Room, huh?" Yui asked Nodoka. "Scary."

"How is it scary? Your knees are trembling."

"That's why! My knees are trembling!" She opened the door. "Hello?"

Ui welcomed the two of them. "Hello, Yui!"

"Onee-chan!" she said, glomping her in joy. A loud thus could be heard downstairs.

"Yui, you're heavy..."

"Holy friggin' crap, this looks so good on you! It even makes your bust look bigger!" she said, her hands working their way around as Ui let out a squeal.

"Hello, Yui-chan!" Ritsu said.

"Are you here to join the Light Music Club?" asked Tsumugi.

"Ricchan and Mugi-chan as well! Whoa!" Yui felt like she was in heaven. "Maids...I can die happy now!"

"Help me!" cried a screaming Mio Akiyama, who was dragged into her maid costume by Miss Sawako downstairs.

"Come on in, we welcome you," said Ui.

Nodoka brought Yui to a corner. "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

"Can't complain...I guess."

"Don't mind those two," Ui added. "They are only going through a costume change."

"Based on what I knew," Azusa said to her friend, "the jazz club was two doors down from the Occult club."

She saw Miss Sawako continue to drag Mio downstairs. "Nooooooooooooo!" she wailed. Oh, that Mio Akiyama. The reaction brought an unwanted updraft.

Azusa looked upward. "So up these stairs is...?"

"I believe it's the music room," her friend said.

"The music room..." It was all a phase. Back to the jazz club room they went.

"So here is the scoop, my dear sister," Ui said. "Miss Sawako has been into the bad habit of dressing us up into whatever she pleases since Christmas."

"Whoa. For real?" asked Yui.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Nodoka-chan, this is my older sister, Ui."

She introduced herself. "I'm Yui Hirasawa. We will have some tea ready for you. Is it ready, Mugi?"

"Here you go." Tsumugi handed her the tray. With simple precision, she handed Yui and Nodoka their tea.

Ritsu nodded. "Just what you would expect from Ui," she said, a threatening grin creeping across her face.

Yui pulled her over. "Nodoka, I want you to meet Ricchan."

"Hello," Ritsu said. "Club president, Ritsu Tainaka. Pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you," Nodoka replied with a bow, sipping her cup of Earl Grey.

"Hey Ritsu," Jun said, walking in.

"Whoa, she looks cool," Nodoka said, her frames glinting.

"Did you forget to fill in those forms to use the auditorium yet?"

She blinked. "Ooops."

"The concert is tomorrow, and you won't be able to do it because you didn't go through procedures."

"Uh oh." She was about to break down.

"Gee whiz, Miss Ritsu Tainaka, how many friggin times do I have to tell you: complete the damn paperwork!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Ritsu said, bowing up and down violently as if she was going through her own personal whiplash session. Yui looked at Nodoka with a shrug as the both sighed in unison.

Next, she brought in Tsumugi. "Nodoka, this is Tsumugi Kotobuki. Say hi."

"Hello. A pleasure to meet you," she said.

"Whoa," Nodoka said. "I didn't know gaijin go to school here."

Tsumugi blinked, tilting her head. "Eh?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Apologies for the ruckus."

She saw Jun storm over to Ritsu to demand an explanation. "Wait a second," Ritsu said.

"She's a nice girl, isn't she Yui?" asked Nodoka to Yui.

"Definitely."

"And what the hell is this fucking get-up!" Jun roared. "This is not a maid cafe you morons! Bloody hell!"

"What are you talking about; this wasn't our idea, don't ask me!" Ritsu shot back.

"Oh Ricchan, stop it, you," Tsumugi said, placing her fingers to her already reddening complexion.

Yui and Nodoka looked at each other with looks of modest surprise.

"Maybe I was too quick to judge?" Nodoka added.

"Who knows," Yui replied.

"And finally," Yui said, "...huh? I think we are missing someone. Oh, there she is. Mio-chan, get over here!"

She was peering through the door, her dignity smashed like a fine piece of defaced china. "This is Mio Akiyama. She's a bit shy, but she is a great person. One of the best you will ever meet."

"Hey Mio," Ritsu said. "What the hell are you doing over there? Get your ass down here already!"

"No way, you'll laugh at me," Mio shot back.

"Oh come on, that costume fits you really well," Yui said.

"Eh? Really? You think so?" Her confidence restored, she walked in.

"She's so cute!" Yui and Nodoka said.

Miss Sawako, who had returned from her class, came over to look at Nodoka and Yui's three sizes. It took her several long New York seconds to review.

"Who's she?" Nodoka asked.

"The club's advisor, Miss Sawako," Yui said.

After more visual evaluations and long stares in between, she said, "Both of you..."

"Yes?" they asked.

"Would you like to try this on?"

Nodoka cringed. "No thanks."

"I would like to, but I don't feel like it," Yui added.


"All right, we hope to see you here next meeting," said the president of the jazz club to Azusa and her friend as they adjourned one floor down.

"Thank you," they both said.

"So how was it?" Azusa's friend asked.

"Well, let's see...give me some time to ponder this..." She did. "It definitely deviates from jazz in the conventional sense. I'm not sure that I am sold on to this concept because when it comes to this, I am more conservative in my style."

"Duly noted."

They both passed by the stairs, and Azusa looked up once more. "Is something wrong?" her friend asked.

She procured the flyer Mio gave her. "Speaking of which..." There was something up those stairs that drew her curiosity, something that was different from the jazz club. But what was it? What was up those stairs that captivated her? She needed to find out, right now.

She made up her mind. "We're heading upstairs."

"So this is how we put this on," Ui said to Mio. "You have to loosen your straps a little to accommodate the outfit."

"I see," she said. "Not comfortable, but I suppose I can adjust.

"I'll adjust it for you. Here." She did, loosening the strap. "How's that?"

"That looks nice. Thanks!"

"As for you, Ricchan, I would think you would need to scoot back a little so that you can get some more arm movement when smashing those bad boys. Also, the apron won't get in the way if you scoot."

"I'll take your word for it."

"With that said, I think we need to pick a song for us to play. Mio, there was a song that you wrote a few days ago, what was it called?"

"Oh, you mean the one that goes like this?" Mio played the opening riff.

"That's the one. Are we ready?"

After testing the drums, Ritsu gave a thumbs-up. Mugi responded with two.

"Let's do this. This one is called 'Heart Goes BOOM!'."

Ritsu counted them off. "1, 2, 1-2-3-4!" With Mio's riff kicking off the song, she belted them out.


"A blushing flower, a singing bird

I don't stand out at all,

So, how? I write a song

Finger plucking, Engraving a rhythm

When I'm with my friends it's the best,

Our breaths join as one.

The bass is essential,

No matter what or who it is

Is your earthquake resistance OK?

You'll be shaken up and down,

Side to side.

I'm packing all my feelings into the body of my jazz bass.

Four seasons a year, 24 hours a day,

My roaring heart never stops...

Bo-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom!"


When the number ended, Yui and Nodoka applauded. "You guys were great! This is the Light Music Club I was talking about to Nodoka-chan earlier!" Yui exclaimed.

A few minutes later, they were in their trademark blue jerseys, which were also the official athletic gear of the school. "A track suit is fine too," Mugi deduced.

"You ready?" Ritsu said to Ui, bending over to form a human vault.

"Go for it!"

With a strong running start, Ritsu vaulted over Ui with ease and grace. "Next up is Mugi."

"All right."

No sooner had she gone off to prepare when Mio gave Ritsu a well-deserved headbump. Of course, she would have been able to pull it off...or crash into Ritsu's drum set.

Cantilevering off to her set, she said, "Okay, let's start."

"In those jerseys, huh?" Yui asked.

"What song should we play?" Ritsu said to Yui.

Ui. "F.F.T." Fuwa Fuwa Time. The official anthem of the Light Music Club. This group at least.

"Oh. 1, 2, 1-2-3-4..."

"Hey, weren't those the guys donning those silly animal costumes?" asked Azusa's friend to her.

"I just wanted to take a glimpse." They both did.

"Jerseys?" Well, to their credit they were moving freer in them than those maid outfits Miss Sawako gave them.

"Wait a minute, isn't that Hirasawa from our class?" Azusa was referring to Yui, watching Ui play.

"Looks like she's in a bind."

"I suppose they're not serious about what they do over there. Let's go."

"Right."

"We do apologize if we were a little rusty in our performance and conduct as a band," Ui said to Nodoka.

"We take our roles here in this band very seriously," Mio added.

"Really?"

"YES, WE DO!" Ui knew that even Mio was off in her timing. It wasn't any surprise that the only player that did her part well was her, and that the only ones that didn't do their parts well were everyone else but her. "Come on, get with the program, eh!"

"Other than that, we will be playing four songs at our freshman orientation concert tomorrow," Tsumugi said, "so please come and listen to us."

"We will be honored by you presence, so please, do stop on by," Ritsu added.

"Th-Thank you," Nodoka said. She didn't expect this group of musicians to be such a bunch of ass-kissers, but that's what they were.

"All right, we will be on our way. Later, onee-chan!" Yui said, as she left with her frame-donning accomplice.

"Take care, I'll see you later," Ui said.

"So, Nodoka-chan, how was it?" Yui asked.

"It was great, in a lot of ways."

"I see."

There was a long pause in between. "And the cake was really good."

"It was." Another long pause as they headed off to change their shoes.

"Sorry, I have to head to the bathroom," Nodoka said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Yui pondered if the cake was a little bit too rich for her liking. Whatever the case may be, she knew that Nodoka was not going to be a fit for the club. She could see it in her eyes.

"Well, they will need to someone fast."

With a sigh, Yui was about to change her shoes and retire for the day when she saw Azusa down the hall doing the same thing. After catching a brief glimpse, she finished changing and headed off.

Yui tilted her head a little. Could she have seen the meeting earlier this afternoon? Maybe there was hope for this club after all.


"A little stir fry will do the trick here," Ui said, throwing in a dash of Malabar pepper on the wok at the Hirasawa house. It was something easy: a concoction of cabbage, carrots, string beans and peas, some slivers of lean pork and a splashing of rapeseed oil infused with chives. "Says your older sister on an April evening. So, Yui, how was that?"

Yui was staring blindly towards the ceiling to think. "Hmmm...Well, she told me it was great in a lot of ways."

"Is that so? So will she be coming back tomorrow?"

"Maybe."

"Hope for the best, plan to the worst. Hirasawa family precept number 109. You have to admit," Ui continued on, tossing around the contents with chopsticks, "that our club is loads of fun if you put your heart, mind, and soul into it; you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah." Yui was still occupied with looking at the ceiling.

"Are you still looking at the ceiling?"

"Maybe?"

"You are."

"I am?" She sat up. "Now I'm not."

"Good for you." A few second later, though, Yui was stuck looking at the ceiling again.

Later on, Ui was busy tuning the strings on Gitah as her younger sister chowed down the stir-fry. "Stocks continue to take a tumble as the global financial crisis goes on," said the news anchorman on NHK. "More on this at 11-"

Ui sighed as she turned it off. She did not want to hear about something she couldn't control again.

"So onee-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"What is it about the light music club that makes you want to be a part of it?"

She took some time to think about it. "It's the experience of playing the music you like, the learn-by-doing aspect of it. It's really hands-on, and you get to work with musicians who want to make it big one day."

"So you want to be that type of person, huh onee-chan?"

"Put it this way. I feel," Ui said, holding and stroking Gitah, "that this is my calling. This is my destiny. And this is my dream. I want to live it. I want to breathe it. And I will do my best to achieve it, or my name isn't Ui Hirasawa."

"That's...so beautiful," Yui said, fighting back tears and sniffles. "I never knew onee-chan was such a great speaker."

"Thanks. And always remember this: I do whatever I can to make my family, and you, proud."

"Go onee-chan, go!"

"And when we are through, we have our goal in mind: to head off to Budokan to play a concert for our fans."

"You know something?"

"What?"

"We need to have a gospel choir provide cheesy background music. The 'Hallelujah' stuff."

Ui put a palm to her forehead. "Yui, you crack me up."

"Are you cracking eggs for breakfast tomorrow, onee-chan? I want them scrambled."

She rolled her eyes. Although the possibility of gospel choirs performing at Budokan in the past was a possibility, that was the last thing on Ui's head as she continued to tune Gitah and play a few chords from AC/DC's "Rock And Roll Singer."

As Yui went to her room to get some shut-eye, Ui reflected on the younger days she had with Yui. She recalled a moment when she was clamoring for dessert. "Onee-chan...Ice cream!"

"Wait till you're finished with your meal, okay?" she pleaded. She saw Yui rolling on the floor, begging for another few scoopfuls of Vanilla gelato purchased at the FamilyMart.

"Onee-chan?" asked Yui back at her bedroom.

"What?"

"I want some ice cream."

"Wait till you're finished with your meal, okay?"

Yui pouted. So the old saying goes: old habits die hard.


The next day, the incoming freshman class filed into the auditorium for the concert. And not a single seat would be open for this one.

"I hope that this time I don't trip on the wires like the last time," Mio said after peering through the curtains.

"You won't. But aside from that, we gotta entertain the new blood and make them feel proud to don the colors and tradition of Sakuragaoka the way that only we can," Ritsu replied. "No exceptions, no regrets, no worries. Isn't that right, Mugi?"

"That was well said," Tsumugi added. "We know what we are capable of, so all we have to do is go out there and do it."

"B-B-But..." Mio stammered like a hammer, like her life depended on it.

"Still nervous?" Ritsu asked.

"News flash, crew," Ui said, "It looks like someone placed a 100-yen coin down at the end of the floor to wish us good luck. I'm taking it."

"Are you even nervous at all?" No, Ritsu, she was as loose as a goose. Legend has it that Ui is too perfect to be nervous. It's just not her style.

"So this is the line-up, huh?" said Ritsu to the others. "Fuwa Fuwa Time, Curry After Rice, My Love Is A Stapler and Ink Pen Ballpoint Pen. Four tracks."

"Mio wrote and composed track 1, and both of us co-wrote and composed the other three," explained Ui.

"Sounds like a done deal. So who's John and who's Paul?"

She held her right hand up. "I take the fifth."

"But you got a knack for writing, Mio. Really."

"Thanks," she replied.

"Can I do the vocals with Mio?" Ui asked. "I think we would be sensational if we made this a duet."

"No way! Definitely no!" Mio exclaimed, blushing madly yet again.

"But Mio, the students here gave you your own fan club on our last gig, so this really shouldn't be a problem."

"No way!"

"A slip-up like that won't happen again!"

"No!"

Tsumugi tried to ameliorate the situation. "But, Mio-chan..."

"NO!"

Ui was wondering what was going on. "Mio?"

"NO!"

This gave her an idea. Ui winked to Tsumugi, who knew what she was thinking. "Just the Ramen?"

"NO!"

"Dumplings?" Mugi asked?

"NO!" She was stuck in her own traumatized world. "Uguu..."

Ritsu had a look of disappointment. "She absolutely refuses."

"You know what guys?" said Miss Sawako to the others. "Just let Ui sing the damn lyrics. Bloody hell. It's not like we are going to be mulling around on who will sing what all day, you know? You should have made up our minds before you first started setting up this morning."

"I guess you're right. Guilty as charged!"

"Look," Ui said, embracing Mio. "I need you to sing with me. I want you to sing with me. You must sing with me. We are sophomores. They are freshmen. Let's set an example for those who have chosen to follow our lead. Believe in yourself."

"Ui..." Mio smiled through her shining tears. "So warm..." Tsumugi clasped her hands, tilting her head in sheer delight of the delicious moment of girl love as Ritsu and Sawako grinned at each other.

A voice boomed through the intercom. "Welcome to the auditorium this afternoon. Today, we have a club introduction and performance by the Light Music Club."

"Showtime," Sawako said. "Good luck. One last thing I want to say: you won't believe this, but those uniforms fit you so damn friggin' well."

Mio was not amused. "Man, get off the friggin' stage you cosplay-obsessed wench!"


"Oh, Nodoka-chan, have you already decided?" Yui asked.

"Yes, I will join the student council," she replied. "I eventually want to be elected the Student Council president, but I have to start somewhere. I will look into becoming the Arts Representative and learn from Miss Suzuki on what it takes to be a leader."

"You got some lofty aspirations. Guess it can't be helped, then. I think you will be a nice fit with the Council."

"All right, I'm off, Yui. Take care."

"See you tomorrow, Nodoka-chan." Yui looked at her watch. "Oh, that's right; there is a concert for me to go to." She noticed Azusa walking in her direction for a quick second before turning the other way.

"Hey, hold on," Yui said. They were both going to the concert, which; at this point, was at the second number. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Azusa Nakano."

Ui drew up a fantastic, yet hilarious idea for a music video of this nature. The camera pans to the school cafeteria, which had for the menu "Today's Special: Curry before Rice."

Early on in the video, a few people are eating the dish, and the video is juxtaposed with scenes of the band playing their song. As the number progresses, more students pack the cafeteria and coop to eat curry for lunch.

By the end of the video, there is a long line for curry that stretches for several blocks deep into the heart of the city while the whole school is eating their curry lunch in every hall, in every room, and in every location.

"This is where it is," said Yui to Azusa, opening the door. "A lot of people here, it looks like."

"Whoa." Azusa couldn't believe her eyes. It felt like a real concert. The crowd applauded the number. "Beautiful."

"And onee-chan was on vocals for that song. She's not bad."

"Hello everyone," Ui said. "We are indeed, the light music club, and we are here." Ritsu added a little ba-dump-boosh on her set. "I am Ui Hirasawa, lead guitar. Behind me on synthesizer is Tsumugi Kotobuki, on bass is Mio Akiyama and on the drums is the club president, Ritsu Tainaka. We want to personally congratulate you on making the choice to continue your educational path here at Sakuragaoka High School, in the heart of Tokyo, Japan.

"I want to share with you a little story. When I first heard of this club that you see here on the stage with me, I thought we were going to play light music as you would know it, you know, the one with the castanets and all that crap. And I was thinking, O-M-friggin-G-to the infinity max, I got stood up. Dammit, this is rock music we're playing. I'm feelin' this!" They broke apart in complete laughter.

Ritsu had a smug expression. "Oh, that Ui," she thought. "As an MC, she is loose as a goose. Actually, she is looser than any goose I will ever see in my life."

"I never thought that I would end up playing this type of music as a club activity. And that's the message I say to you all: expand your horizons. Get involved. It will look good on your resume and on your portfolio. I mean, who the hell will hire someone whose main extracurricular activities involve the 'Go-Home Club' even though he or she has 6's across the board?

"One more thing, we should also thank our advisor, Miss Sawako, our music teacher. She helped us get started..."

"Next song, please," Ritsu said, out of indignation.

"All right, all right, hold your horsinos. Without further ado—and I know you guys need to get back to class after we're done rocking this joint—our next number is 'My Love Is A Stapler,' and our bass player Mio will also sing with me on this one. One, two!"

The number began, and the combination of Ui and Mio was put to work.


"I wonder why I

Can't fall asleep at night

I struggle to say

What I feel when you are in my sight

I toss and turn all night.

So maybe, I'm just

A little bit confused, afraid, naïve

But thoughts of you keep creeping in my brain

I might just go insane

Something tells me you don't know

How feelings go

But deep down don't you see?

I love you

Do you love me?

Wishes, Wishes

Do come true

In a blink of an eye

Worries, Worries

Just go

Far away

Watch them fly

So long as my heart won't forget

Watch it go on

Falling, Falling

For you was

Something I didn't expect

Before I knew it my heart grew boundless strength

The staples can't pierce through my heart

This must be a sign,

La La, that you are mine..."


As Yui was clapping her hands, Azusa internalized the potential that could be had from this club, even though she had to stand on her tip-toes just to get a good view.

Overall, the concert was a rousing success, with the freshmen giving a standing ovation for five minutes while Miss Sawako nodded in approval, flashing a thumbs-up.

Outside, the sakura trees lining the avenues of the campus beamed with pride as Sakuragaoka's finest sound graced the grounds once more.

It could be heard in the libraries, the athletic fields, the campus quad and fountain, in the offices and academic halls, and in the skies above the prefecture. It was smooth as silk, and rich like cream. It was more refreshing than pure water, and an enduring legacy of the school's traditions and history that was in the making.

However, at that point they still failed to get a new member. That was the frustrating part about the whole ordeal. But little did they know that they would get one more person on the team.

"Ladies, if you're going to keep staring like that," Tsumugi said to Mio and Ritsu, "it's not going to help things and people won't join." Ui was busy doing more tuning to Gitah while reading a random soccer magazine lying on the table.

"At least we put on a good show," Ui said, playing a few notes with the 100-yen coin she picked up. "I just pulled off a Billy Gibbons with this one."

"Billy Gibbons? Who's he?"

"He's the main guitarist from ZZ Top, who uses a coin for a guitar pick."

"But with no one coming after our concert...what are the odds of that happening?" Ritsu asked the others. "Is this school full of go-homers!"

"Pretty much."

"Hell!"

"This would be a drag if we have this few members," said Mio with a deflated look. They all sighed.

"Tea's ready," Mugi said. Mochi and green. A little antioxidant shot to sooth the vocal chords would do the trick.

"I think we need to catch Yui and see if she is interested," Ritsu said with her mouth full.

"She not a fly," Mio said. "And we're not the swatter."

"Be nice..." warned Ui to the two of them. The door opened. It was Azusa. "Um...hello?"

"Yes?"

"I would like to join the club."

They were shocked. Now what were the odds of THAT happening? "Say that again for us, please?"

"I would like to join the club."

The others across the room erupted in celebrations.

"Hallelujah!" Ui exclaimed, high-fiving Mugi.

"This is the best day of our lives!" she responded.

"It's a miracle," Mio sighed.

Ritsu came over to glomp Azusa. "We accept you!"

"Oh god, save me!" Azusa exclaimed as she was pounced on and kissed by Ritsu. Mio quickly went over and gave her a series of headbumps.

"What the hell are you doing!" Mio shouted.

"But...but...she's got a little bit more room to grow but it felt good to squeeze...her otherwise deliciously flat chest!"

"You lesbian perv, damn you!" And the headbumps came.

"You know something?" Ui said to Tsumugi. "This may be the start of a new day for the light music club."

She smiled. "The future is bright, the future is now, and we are at the crossroads."

Yui looked on from upstairs. She did her part to get a new member in. It was the least she could do.


END CHAPTER 8


A/N: Lyric transliteration is courtesy of xMagicTricksx and xBelleDancerx of YouTube.