Walk-ON! All Over Again
Chapter 12:
Rock And Roll Dream
Finally, the moment of truth arrived for the masses at Class 3-2 of the Sakuragaoka High School Girls Campus. Outside the building, the track team continued final preparations for the prefectural meet. Summer break was now around the corner and the slate of school days before the break were counting down. It was time for more memories, more fun, and more chances to enjoy to youth of their lifetimes. Because that, in truth, was what summer break was all about. Well, that and getting a good tan.
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Sawako Yamanaka with a smile as wide as the Nile, "Summer break is coming up tomorrow, and I want you all to make the most of your time off from your classes. However, I need to remind you all that as seniors, you will have summer classes, so use your time wisely."
The founder of the school was decked out with an aloha shirt, a sun hat and a lei. "Time for us to have a training camp again," Ui Hirasawa said to the others after class, "just like last time."
Tsumugi Kotobuki, Mio Akiyama and Ritsu Tainaka wondered what Ui was trying to get with that statement. "Huh?"
"Do you folks know what I'm talking about? Training camp! But this time, we do it at my house!"
"I would love to go," Mugi said.
Ritsu wanted in. "Definitely. One more time!"
Naturally, Mio wondered why they were quick to judge. And Azusa Nakano had yet to weigh in, because it was just the four of them. "Hold on a sec!" she interjected, pointing at Ui. "What about studying for-"
Ui called the question. "Who seconds the motion for having camp?"
"I second the motion!" Mugi and Ritsu said, raising their hands with Ui. It was three against one.
Mio had her reservations. They were so fast to get their summer break up and at 'em. "Hey! Did you notice? We have to ask Azusa about this, too..."
Sure enough, Azusa rejoined the rest via SMS and Ui's mobile. Nodoka Manabe gave a thumbs-up and a wink in the background. She anticipated the vote an hour ago via Ui's text message prior to the final period and signaled a yes vote by raising her hand. Even if she voted no, Azusa figured out that the majority was going to win anyway, so it was her duty to make it a formality. Nodoka wasn't scheduled to go to the event because she had to check in with Jun Suzuki about some other important business prior to the break. She wasn't available to vote on the subject of the air conditioner because she chose, by agreement, to do some research. However, that would be the only time that Nodoka ever missed a student council meeting she made it a promise to herself to never miss a meeting again until graduation.
"Four against one," Ritsu said with a smile. "Bing!"
"Arrrrgh!" Mio growled, throwing her hands in the air. "Damn you, Ui!"
"It was her right to know, you know," Ui reiterated.
Ritsu was fired up. "So it's settled! It's back to training camp again this year! Can I get a hell yeah?"
Mugi and Ui had their fists in the air. "HELL YEAH!"
Mio did as well. "H...Hell...Yeah..."
"Hey onee-chan, what are you doing?" Yui Hirasawa asked Ui, who was cleaning the cupboard.
"We have some visitors."
Her eyes perked. "Visitors?"
"Yep. Go get the door."
"Okay!" She opened the door.
"Hello!" It was Tsumugi, Mio, Ritsu and Azusa
"Azunyan, Mio-sempai, Mugi-sempai and Ricchan-sempai, hello!"
"Welcome back, you guys," Ui said, placing some slippers in. "Let's go upstairs. Come on!"
"Take the lead, Ui," Ritsu said, grinning. Yui stayed in the living room, fanning herself while on her back. "Damn, it's so friggin' hot..." She was going to be feeling the heat for the longest time.
"You're playing some 70's music?" Ritsu asked Ui, who was busy downloading some of the slutty stuff on her laptop.
"Ever heard of the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose?"
"There's that one song that goes, 'It's too late to turn back now', I think," Mugi said, stroking her chin. "Is this the one?"
"Nicely identified. Do you want something a bit more upbeat?"
Ritsu had a compelling suggestion. "How about that song from U2's album, 'Boy' that goes, 'dadadadadadadada, duhduhduhduhduhduhduhduh', like that?"
"I got that on this bad boy. Hang on." Opening her iTunes, Ui selected the first track from the album.
"Hey, this is the one, this is the one!" I Will Follow. That was the name of the track. "If you walk away walk away, I'll walk away walk away, I will follow..."
"Anyway, ladies," Ui said, clearing her throat, "I know you guys love to get your game on, and I prepared accordingly. I've got a Wii, an XBox 360 and a PS3 ready to go, along with the freshest from Guitar Hero and Rock Band, so that we can hone our savvy while hanging loose. Your call, because I defer to the majority."
"How the hell were you able to get all this?" Mio said, stunned.
"Ah, I got connections through Granny. See, she got her friends and neighbors to make some purchases and they brought them all here yesterday because they knew you were coming."
"They did?"
"Mio, you should never, ever, underestimate the power of senior citizens who are five steps ahead of the game."
"Steps?" Ritsu had to ask. "Does this mean you also have a DDR pad too?"
"Yeah, we got that here as well."
She shook her head. "Mother fucker...well, I'm gonna go ahead and stick with the PS3. PS3, everybody?"
"I'll take that," Tsumugi said. "It's not very often I've played on a console."
"You'll love it," Ui said. "Yui and I tend to go at it on the PS3. Of course, I get the advantage."
"Hey, onee-chan, you're mean!" Yui said with a pout. "I'm gonna join in too! I'm gonna take you all on! Let's do this!"
"Um, Mio-sempai," Azusa asked, "just what exactly was our meeting supposed to be about?"
"Training camp, and I can't believe they decided to do this instead." Mio decided to set some order. "Guys, we can do the games later. We have some business to take care of."
"Knew this was coming," Ui said, putting the consoles away in due fashion.
"Awwww, that is a drag," Ritsu added. "Mio, I trusted you!"
"Ehhhh, I can't play my games?" Yui asked.
"Good things come to those who wait, Yui-chan," Mugi said. Such sage advice.
Ui poured some iced barley tea for the congregation. Outside, the birds were singing in the summer air. It was a wonderful day, not so hot, but still could desire much in terms of comfort. Yui was busy reading a random football magazine while tuning in to the conversation.
"So," Azusa asked Ui, "can you make training camp this year?"
"Why do you ask that? Of course we are," she replied with a nonchalant sip.
"I mean, you guys are all seniors, and you have classes to take care off..."
"Don't sweat it, Azusa; it's only a short break," Ritsu said, waving the doubts off in typical fashion.
Ui agreed. "That really isn't anything we can't manage, Azunyan. We're seniors. we can take it. Am I right, Ricchan?"
"Yes, you are!" They both high-fived, and they laughed.
Azusa was still worried. "But still, I don't know if it's gonna be that short."
"Well," Ritsu recollected, "we went to Mugi's seaside villa by the beach last year, and the year before that, so maybe we can get us a change of scenery and go to the mountains this year."
"Oooh, an interesting possibility," Ui observed. "But I think we should stick to tradition and wrap it up at her place one final time. It's only proper."
"But if we go to the mountains, we can catch some fish from the streams and grill them on the spot! Wouldn't that be cool?"
"You brought up some very good points, Ricchan, I am impressed."
"So how about it?"
"First, we have to see what the others think."
"Awwwww."
"So you guys just want to play," Azusa said, wishing for a more dedicated work ethic from Ui and Ritsu. They worked hard; they played hard. It was something Azusa Nakano was used to seeing for the past year plus. Why would it be anything different?
"By the way," Mio asked, "where do you want to go, Azusa?"
"Me? Hmmm..." She had to give it some thought. "I want to go the mountains and see the Summer Fest there."
"Ahhhh."
"Summer Fest?" Ui asked.
Mugi's ears perked up. "Summer what?"
"Summer Festival, guys," Azusa said, correcting the two of them.
"Ohhhhh." They got the message loud and clear.
"Now I know what that is," Ritsu said. "There is, like, gonna be all these bands performing at these big-ass outdoor stages all over the area. It's the epitome of awesome. With a capital A. If there was ever such a thing as a Rock and Roll Heaven, THAT is the one. And there is gonna be thousands and thousands of people down there."
"Mosh pits included, right?" Ui asked.
"Mosh pits included."
"Ohhh man," said Mio, excited. "I've always wanted to rock on at a Summer Fest!"
"Me too!" Azusa exclaimed, her face bright with glee. "I think hearing professional musicians and seeing what they do on stage will be a good learning experience for us down there."
"Ladies, it is settled," Ritsu said. "We are officially gonna our rock on at the Summer Fest!"
"So this is held in the mountains, huh?" Ui asked Azusa.
"Yep. This one is held on a mountain."
"I can see why they hold it there. The people in the cities might get annoyed by all the noise, so they go rural and bring it to a rather quiet part of the country."
"Exactly."
'I know that there are some places around the world that are known for their rock festivals, like Coachella in America and the occasional concerts at Knebworth in England."
"How do you know all that?"
"I actually have DVDs of some of the shows there."
"No way! You know what, Ui-sempai? You should let me borrow some of them. It's good study material."
"Later on, I will."
"You got DVDs of those shows?" Mio asked Ui.
"Mm-hmmm. Every one of them."
"I gotta borrow some of those as well."
"Later on, later on." Ui flipped her laptop to search for the concert that Azusa was hinting at.
"But how are we gonna get tickets?" Ritsu asked Azusa. "Are any still available? It's probably a sellout by now."
Miss Sawako Yamanaka, who saw the door open as a result of Yui's negligence, walked in. "No worries, my darlings, I'll give you mine's just this once," she said, waiving them lazily.
"Hey, Miss Sawako," Ui said. She turned to her younger sister. "Yui...did you forget to lock the door?"
She blinked. "Eh...what?"
Ui took hers. "This one's mine."
Azusa was captive and grabbed her ticket. "Brilliant!"
"Excellent, Sawa-chan!" said Ritsu, taking her ticket.
"But of course," she said with a chuckle.
The others were taking their tickets when Ritsu realized something."Wait a minute. You little mouse for a teacher; you showed up out of nowhere!"
"Give me some barley tea, please?" Sawako asked Ui.
"No prob, Miss Sawako," Ui replied, pouring her a strong one.
"Mmmm. Now that hits the spot."
As the clouds rolled over the Tokyo skies, Ui flipped the iTunes to the Eagles and the song Hotel California. "I can't believe it," Mio said, hands on her cheeks in bliss. "My first-ever Summer Fest..."
"And it'll be my first outdoor concert, too," Azusa added.
"You bet, it's gonna be a blast."
"You will lose the game if you're too relaxed," Sawako warned.
She blinked. "Lose the game at what?"
"The game of summer! You see, ladies," she said, turning to the group and pointing to the skies, "there is the glaring sun, the festering heat, the summer bugs awaiting their prey and the masses and masses of humanity! Anyone going to Summer Fest will be battling all of those elements! You better be ready, children!"
Mio nodded. "Roger that!"
Ui also nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
The others turned to her with puzzled looks. "Come again?" Ritsu asked.
Azusa was stunned at the dedication of those two. "Oh my God, Mio-sempai and Ui-sempai fired up for this one! They're like two angels ready to go to war! Mercy!" For Mio Akiyama, this was an experience she dreamed of since she was a child. Now she was on the cusp of living it.
The following morning, as the traffic lights blinked and the sun had yet to rise over the Kanto plains, the girls of Hokago Tea Time would take a special bus leaving the city to the Natsu Rock Festival. The excitement was building, and there was magic in the air...and the bands had yet to do the business! But as the swaths of fans began to roll into town from every prefecture, city, town and village, the anticipation was building quietly.
"D-Day is upon us," Ui said, wearing a sun hat and a backpack full of supplies and snacks. "Rock away, you bands and chatter on, you groupies." She chose to wander about, savoring the anticipation from the other fans, deep in their discussions and debates as to which acts were better, which groups had more leverage, and which individuals had superior sex appeal.
Azusa was also among the very first at the shuttle stop, donning a bucket hat and a beige bag. She looked around for the others. "Nobody's here yet..."
Eventually, one of them arrived. "Azusa-chan!" It was Tsumugi, with her trademark sun hat and a bag full of concessions and other trinkets.
"Oh, Mugi-sempai!"
"Good morning." She took the very first morning train leaving the station nearest the combine. "How are you?"
"Fired up. Can hardly wait."
"So you're the first one here?"
"Yep!"
In came the others. "Morning!" Ritsu said gleefully, waving to them. "Hey, hey, hey!"
"I knew it," Mio said. "Only Mugi and Azusa are here on time."
"Ahem?" Out of nowhere popped Ui and her shades, who was walking in to join the party of five, donning her sun hat.
"Hey, there you are."
"I had to tell Yui that there is no ticket for her. Glad the shuttle didn't come here yet, so I decided to mill around for a while."
Azusa noticed something unusual with Mio. "You seem to be a bit bleary-eyed, Mio-sempai. Did you get some sleep?"
"Little Miss Mioblob here was so amped up for the big one that she didn't sleep a wink," Ritsu explained.
"Man, I knew she was ready for this, but not THIS ready!"
"She was thinking about which bands she wanted to see."
"You got that right," Mio replied. "So many bands, so little time!"
"And don't forget, there's a lot of stages to watch the fun," Azusa added.
A long coach with orange, purple and blue livery rolled into the stop. "Ladies," Ui said, "our one-way ticket to heaven awaits us. Let's Go!"
"You know," Ritsu said to the others, "I think Ui got the most sleep out of everyone here."
"Can't deny that," Mugi said. "I think Ui-chan visualizes the atmosphere and what she will be hearing, seeing, and doing before we even get there. She pictures it all in her sleep, and when the time comes, it doesn't surprise her one bit, the atmosphere and the festivities."
"How do you know all this?"
"Intuition." Ritsu raised her eyebrows, impressed.
"Hey guys, what are y'all waiting for? Let's go!" Ui said, calling her troops over to the bus.
"Are you sure Ui got the most sleep among all of us, Ritsu?" Mio asked.
"Maybe I was lying to myself." She reserved her right to doubt.
"Did you get here first?" Azusa asked Ui as they walked towards the coach.
"I was 15 minutes ahead of everyone else. The streets were empty when I made my presence. I did get to talk with some of the others fans. Some have been to this thing since it first began. Could you believe that?"
"I guess we're only missing one more, then," Mio said to Azusa.
Miss Sawako, in a red shirt and grey slacks with a green backpack, walked in. "Heeeey guuuuuys," she said in a deep voice that traumatized Mio and surprised Azusa.
Ui could see her coming several feet away. "Oh, there you are. Hi, Miss Sawako. You seem to be a bit exhausted."
"Shit, I sure am. Getting up this early in the morning is such a bitch, especially after you go to a fucking concert last night and then stay up all fucking night drinking without getting any fucking sleep. Dammit, ugh, this fucking sucks." She hit herself on the head. "Tee hee."
"Mugi, did you bring the Chaser pills?"
"I did," she replied, presenting a blister pack with a smile.
"Give her some."
"Yes ma'am!"
Ui took a closer look at Sawako as Mugi treated her hangover symptoms. "I'm just surprised that you are still able to stand, Miss Sawako."
"Don't be." She took a big gulp of the pills. "Thank you Mugi. That helps a lot."
"She went on a bender?" Ritsu exclaimed. "Are you serious?"
"Yep," Ui replied, "she's serious."
"Son of a bitch...why the hell did you do that if you knew we were leaving for the show today?"
Sawako's rebuttal was as empty as her inhibitions. "You were the one who told us to..."
Mio nodded, her aim true and her intentions clear. This was going to be a show none of the six among thousands would ever forget. And she knew it.
Ui tuned in to "Face Down" by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus as the bus made its way to the venue. It was a two-hour journey to Yuzawa City in Niigata Prefecture up National Route 17. "You guys heard of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus?"
"No, I haven't," Mio said to her.
"They're this band from Orlando. Have a listen."
She did. "Hey, not bad stuff."
Sawako had a hot towel over her eyes. "I feel like a sack of poo right now."
Ui nodded. "We know, we know. Hope those Chaser pills are working for you."
"They are, but...it's a process, you see."
"Got it."
Tsumugi and Azusa looked on in wonderment. "You all right, Miss Sawako?"
"She says it's a process. You know, Azunyan, Yui would not be able to stand this because she gets carsick easily."
"She does?" Azusa asked.
Ui smirked. "Yep."
"That's too bad."
Mio, meanwhile, continued to make out her plans. "I'm gonna see this, and this, and this!"
"Sheesh, Mio," Ritsu said with a bewildered look on her face, "you're gonna see all of them!"
"Precisely, Ritsu."
"But how the hell are you gonna do that? They play at the same time on different stages."
"I wanna split into two people!"
"The fuck?" Ritsu still didn't get it. "You know human cloning is for the well-to-do, right?"
"I can dream, can I?"
She rolled her eyes. "You sure can. With flying colors. Well pick one already, or else split the damn thing!"
Mio pressed the issue. "I want to teleport!"
A bead came down Ritsu's head. "That's not gonna happen, either, sweetheart."
"Mio-sempai is quite a dreamer, isn't she?" Azusa asked Ritsu.
"Dreamer, you know you are a dreamer," Ui sang. "Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no!"
"She's being a bit selfish."
Mugi flagged down one of the bus attendants selling refreshments in her imagination. "Gimme some yakisoba! Yakisoba, right here!"
"And Mugi-sempai's going off the deep end, too!"
"Talk about riding on the coattails of flash delirium," Ui said, flipping her iPod to MGMT. "Silly money, you're my honey!"
Ritsu was beside herself. "Have mercy, Miss Percy." Yes, this was gonna be one fun ride to rock and roll heaven.
As the day broke over the countryside, the coach stopped by a restaurant for breakfast. Miss Sawako stayed behind. "I can't...make it..." she groaned. That left the girls to soak up the venue and get their fill. At least they wouldn't have to deal with Miss Sawako puking all over the floor.
Mio took a look at the schedule of concerts with a deep blush and unwavering euphoria. "Concerts...from dawn to dusk...can it get any better that this?"
"Oh geez, Mio," Ritsu said with a wry look on her face, "you're gonna be on needles and pins, just waiting to explode, man! I know it!"
"Praaaaise the gods of rock and roll!" Ui said, stretching while snacking on some ice cream. "After we get back on the bus, destiny awaits the willing!"
"She's fired up for it too," Ritsu said to herself. "Where'd you get that cone?"
"The cafeteria here's got some awesome snacks and a souvenir shop. We so need to hit that place up, you guys! This service area's got the whole package!"
"The whole package, huh?" Azusa asked.
Ui offered her cone. "Try it."
"But...you touched it."
"Oh, come on. Soft-served ice cream with Highland milk? This is the real deal, Azunyan!"
"Fine, thanks." Azusa gave it a chomp. "Hey, this is good."
"Want me to buy you a cone, sweetheart?"
"Really? Thanks, Ui-sempai!"
"Only a few more minutes to go before we have to get back on the bus," Tsumugi said to the others.
"On second thought," Ui said, "here." She handed Azusa the cone. "All yours."
She was touched. "Ui-sempai..."
"Time waits for no one, so it seems."
"Exactly," Mugi added, pumping her fists with assertion. "We're not eating any yakisoba here."
"There you go again with the yakisoba," Ritsu said, shaking her head. "I think this is going to be on her mind for the rest of the day."
"I think there will be a stall down there that will sell it, Mugi," Ui assured.
"Really?"
"I would think so."
"Oh man! I do hope you're right."
Azusa nodded grimly. "Ritsu-sempai, it is gonna be on her head for the rest of the day, the afternoon, the evening and the morning after. Brace yourselves, everyone." Ritsu responded with a smirk.
The coach continued towards the venue in the mountains, passing by trees, sunshine, more trees, a few clouds, waves of birds greeting, and even more trees. Already there were some coaches and fans on the premises, and so this bus would be rolling in within the hour.
Ui flipped the iPod to a song from an indie band called The Briggs. "This is L.A., our city, our home...hey Mugi, have you ever been to Los Angeles?"
"Once, I think," she said. "It's pretty hot down there, but there are some good beaches, the people are relaxed, and Hollywood is Hollywood. You get to see how movies are made."
"I feel like we are living through a movie right now. It's a movie about us going through our first concert."
"You think so, Ui-chan?"
"I know so." She leaned on the window. "Isn't it surreal? It's as if we're all living through a dream and we still haven't woken up from it yet."
"Ui-chan...please don't lean on the window," Sawako moaned, still sobering up.
"Sorry, sorry." She got back to her seat, tuning in to a downloaded podcast.
Mio's state of mind was beginning to unravel as she shook Ritsu from side to side. "Ritsu, please tell me we will be there for the opening concert! We'll be there, right? Swear on your hands and knees that we will be there!"
"We will, but you don't have to shake me from side to side, Mio," she said. This was one of the few time where, aside from Ui and Azusa, Ritsu was among the even-keeled of the girls coming down to the concerts. Actually, she was the most even-keeled of them all because Ui was a bit out there, rocking on her iPod.
"Hey Azunyan," Ui asked, startling Azusa, "have you ever been to Los Angeles?"
"No, but I know somebody who has."
"You do?"
"Mugi-sempai."
"That's because I told Ui-chan, right Azusa-chan?" Tsumugi asked.
Ui nodded. "That's what she said." Azusa put a palm to her forehead.
Mio clasped her hands, eyes sparking, her face blushing and her mouth wide open. "Two days of sweet music! Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me enter the pearly gates of rock and roll heaven! Let me rock and roll all night and party every day!"
"Kiss reference," Ui said to Ritsu, who shook her head.
"Urrggh, I hate Gene Simmons," Sawako groaned. "The clown..."
"Hey Ui-chan, don't forget the yakisoba," Tsumugi said to her. "Let's eat some yakisoba!"
"We know, we know."
Sawako was still grumbling. "Agggh, Gene Simmons, I hate you..."
"Man, let's just hang loose for crying out loud and let the chips were they may," Ritsu said, cool as a cucumber.
"All or nothing, all or nothing!" Mio said, her fists pumped.
"We're a mixed bag this morning," Azusa noticed as Tsumugi took a closer look at Ui's face. "Wonder why?" That's just the way it was.
"Keep your voices down, ladies," Sawako said. The sobering process was starting to accelerate.
The venue was on a hillside northwest of Tokyo in the mountains, in a quaint village where, for two days, it would be home to one of the country's premier music festivals. At last, the coach made it to the venue, and the band got off. Miss Sawako was still feeling woozy, but would get better as the day progressed. She had to stay on the bus for a little bit longer.
Thousands and thousands of concertgoers from Japan and around the world were conversing and descending, anticipating one heck of a show. The press was out in full force, and many had their laptops to do live blogging. The Natsu Rock Festival was scheduled to be broadcast on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, and many other social networking outlets and sites. Even MTV Asia was on the scene.
"Well here we are," Ui shouted out loud, donning her flower power shades and sun hat. "Ladies and gentlemen, Hokago Tea Time is here! Who loves ya, baby!"
"That's the spirit," Ritsu said. "Man, this is great."
"I have died and gone to heaven!" Mio cried, still in her self-imposed euphoria. "Take me now, Lord, take me now!"
She scowled at her preaching. "Spare us the Sermon on the Mount, Sister Mio."
"Do you believe? I do!"
"Wow, awesome turnout," Azusa said. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Me neither," Tsumugi said, a hand to her cheek. "So many people."
"You all right, Mio?" Ritsu asked. "They haven't started the show yet."
"This is gonna be fun," Azusa admitted.
"You know," Ui said to the others as she placed her iPod away and broke her camera out to take some random shots, "Yui would think that there are more than 300,000,000 people down here. She would be overwhelmed by all of this."
"That's more than the whole of Japan, you know." More than twice, to be exact. Population of Japan: 127,360,000. It would be refreshing to know that Yui would be surprised at how a small fraction of humanity could fill up a outdoor venue as humble as this.
Eventually, Sawako was sober enough to get off. "All right, everyone!" They all turned to their right and saw her, fresh and ready for action. "It's time to crank things up a notch from here on out!"
"Looks like Miss Sawako's ready to go," Ui said to the others.
"Man, you couldn't crank up anything with your eyes closed from the hangover you had, you wench," Ritsu said contemptuously.
Sawako looked on at the crowd with intentions as cruel as summer. "My old self from yesterday has been cast aside today." She pointed to the sky, and the gate. "There is the entrance! Ladies, beyond that spot is one of the biggest war zones you will ever face in your lives!"
"Has she been watching 'Apocalypse Now' or 'Patton' for days on end before all of this shit?" she asked Mio.
"Hooah, ma'am!" Mio said with a gulp.
Miss Sawako went on. "Ladies. The pink wristbands we exchanged the tickets for earlier when we got on the shuttle is the passport to this music festival. Wear it with pride, and never lose it, or else you cannot re-enter. Do I make myself clear?"
"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Mio replied with a salute.
"Good." She picked up her bags. "Let's head over to the campground before we enter. We need to secure a sleeping spot for tonight."
The group headed over to the campground, and saw tents upon tents of fans that already came ahead of time. "Dammit, we were too late!" Sawako exclaimed. "The flat ground has been taken."
"General Yamanaka," Ui asked, "is there an alternate path for us to take?"
"It can't be helped. We're going to have to use the sloped ground for this one." Obviously, there were few spots taken.
"A change of scenery, that. I hope the blood doesn't rush to our head when we sleep."
"No worries," Ritsu said, nonplussed. "Sleep with your head uphill, and the problem will be solved."
"Well, that's what Yui would think." Mio laughed hesitantly.
The band immediately set up camp. Sawako savored the view. From here they could see the concerts and all of Mother Nature. The hills were green, the skies were blue and the clouds were white as the wings of angels. A flock of birds flew by to greet the fans as they migrated northward to nowhere in particular.
"Hmmm, now this has possibilities," she said as she finished setting up here green and gold tent.
"This seems to be old hat for you, right, Miss Sawako?" Ui asked.
"I've used this tent for about a few years, and it works like a charm. I know how to set it up, how to fold it down, and how to pack it when the concerts are over. Never misses a beat, and never will."
"Fabulous."
"All right, go ahead and put your bags inside." Ui grabbed hers and noticed Mugi crawling in. "I wonder what she's doing?" she asked to herself. "Oh well." She then went over and placed her bag inside.
"Yahoo!" Tsumugi said, savoring the interior. "It's a bit stuffy, but it's awesome! It hurts my back, though." Obviously, Mugi had never been inside a tent before.
"Man, come out of that already," Ritsu said with a snarl.
"What is she doing in there?" Mio asked.
"Who knows," Ui said, coming out.
After the band placed their belongings in, Miss Sawako continued the debriefing. Such was the field general that she was. "All right, everyone got what they need?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Mio replied.
"Did you apply your sunscreen?"
"Y...Yes, ma'am!" Azusa said. The band had it on as they were on the bus from the rest stop.
"Do we have things to drink?"
"Yes, ma'am," said Ui, holding a bottle of water from the case brought in to the tent. "No heatstroke on our watch."
"That will not be enough!" she exclaimed, pointing to the bottle. "You need sports drinks like Gatorade to combat the heat!"
"Then, General Yamanaka, should we leave these here?"
"Take it with you. You can wash your hands with it or sprinkle it on yourself when you get hot. Water is useful. We're going to need to pilfer the Gatorade from another place."
"There's always someone who wants to be the leader," Ritsu said to herself. She did admire Miss Sawako's savvy.
Suddenly, Sawako was in shock at Tsumugi's appearance. "Gyaaaaaaah! Why aren't you wearing sneakers, Kotobuki?"
"Is there a problem, Miss Sawako?" she asked. "I didn't bring any other shoes."
"Your feet are going to hurt like hell after this is over. That is the kiss of death right there!"
"General," Ui said, "do you have a spare pair for Mugi?"
"Unfortunately, no! God dammit, I did not expect someone so refined to be so underprepared."
"Then in that case, I did bring a spare pair of beach sandals for you. I brought them so I can play in the streams."
"What exactly did you come here for?" asked Ritsu, who shared Azusa's and Mio's look of contempt.
"Actually, I was only kidding," Ui said, "because Yui wanted me to bring this with me so that we all could think of her."
"For real, Ui? Are you serious?"
"I am." She was.
"Well done, Yui," Sawako said.
"No problem, Miss Sawako." She slipped the sandals on Mugi.
"One more thing, did you use the bug spray?"
They all turned at her. "Mugi, you got it?"
"Yes I do," she said with a salute. "Bug spray, 12 o'clock!" Mugi gave Ui some insect repellent. "Thanks, Mugi," she replied.
"Here, Mio-chan." Tsumugi gave Mio a spray.
"Excellent, thanks. This reminds me of our field trip I had with Ritsu back in grade school."
"Mugi, do you want me to spray some on you?" Ui asked.
"No, I can do it myself."
"Go ahead, señorita. Ricchan, Azunyan, want to get sprayed."
"Absolutely," Ritsu replied, leaning on Azusa's head..
"I think I can use some too," Azusa said as they both got the repellent applied to them.
"You know," Ui said, "Yui would love to spray all of you guys. She would be fascinated by all of this."
"Such a grade schooler your younger sister is," Mio said, a bead of sweat on her head.
"Hey, how long does it take for you guys to do all of that?" Sawako said to the band, jogging in place.
"Looks like she's ready to do some running," Ui said to Ritsu.
"How the heck did she get out there?"
"Let's go!" The others made the mad dash to the entrance, crossing a bridge over a stream. Ui checked her pink bag with the volunteer staff, decking in their orange shirts and IDs. Everyone in attendance was given lanyards to place their passes to the show, and their wristbands were scanned.
"Here you go," said one of the staff members to Azusa, handing her a trash bag.
"Thanks."
"We're handing our trash bags, so make sure to keep the area clean, everyone!" said another staff member over a megaphone as the masses of fans proceeded inside the venue. "Thanks for your help!" The anticipation was certainly building.
Mio was feeling the love in the air, and a look of enthusiasm crept across her face. This was what she lived for. This is what she died for. All those years of waiting, hoping, praying for the day to come was over. It was here, and it was now. "This is it," she said to herself, looking at the sky. "The Summer Fest is underway. This is going to be epic!"
So the Natsu Rock Festival began in earnest. "Here is a map of the action," Sawako said to the others, producing a guide to the concerts and the venue proper.
"Yes, ma'am," said the girls
Ui took a look at the layout, which looked like that out of a game board. Five stages, a gift shop, a concession area near the campground and a hotel for the traveling bands and press. This site had it all, and was well-prepared for what was to come. "Hmmm, this is some cool stuff."
"The Fire Stage is the main stage, ladies," Sawako said. "This is where many of the headlining acts will take place, with a capacity of 40,000. Since this is on a gradual slope, fans will be able to see the action all the way from the back." She continued on. "The Thunder Stage is the secondary stage. This is where emerging bands that have support from around the world as well as here will perform and debut. The Thunder Stage has a capacity of 10,000."
"So we will be traveling between these two areas for the most part, right?" Mio asked.
"Correct, and they are only 700 meters apart, so you don't have to do much walking."
But for Mio, it was going to be a lot of walking—and running—as her face turned blue. "Shit, it takes 70 seconds between stages even if we run 100 meters in 10 seconds!" She was shaking and sweating.
"Mio, chill out," Ritsu said, trying to keep her ladyfriend in check.
Sawako continued. "And there is an indoor stage for the young bands called the White Garden; the Blue Court, which houses jazz bands and other indie acts; and The Place of Dreaming, a small area where many acoustic bands gather."
Mio pumped her left fist, confirming her suspicions. "Son of a bitch, this truly IS a music festival! The sounds of heaven couldn't get any friggin' sweater, man!"
"And there is food here," Ui said, "and your favorite, Mugi, the yakisoba!"
"Really?" Tsumugi asked. "I want the yakisoba, Ui-chan!" The concession stand, Tororo Heaven, was located not too far from the campsite. And yes, besides pizza, burgers, hot dogs and soft drinks, the usual fare was there...and the yakisoba.
"Sweet heavens, these two are on a different wavelength, you guys," Ritsu said to the others.
"Definitely," Mio replied. "Definitely."
"Anyway, Sawa-chan, I was surprised that you had tickets."
"I get connections from my peeps and Death devil and others," Sawako replied with a smile, "so I'm able come to this festival every year. I used to be able to head to the flat area to pitch my tent, but the bus arrived a bit late, so this is the first time we have to camp out on the slope."
"But why did you have six tickets though?'
"The folks who were supposed to come with me from my band canceled at the last minute. So I thought, hey, maybe I can stop by Ui-chan's house and see if I could hand it to her to have her hand it to you guys. As luck would have it, all you guys were in her bedroom, and in I came, and here we are."
Ritsu tried to be clever. "Hey, are they avoiding you?" she asked with sly eyes and even slyer intentions. The others turned at her in shock.
"Here it comes," Ui said to Azusa.
"No they're not!" Sawako exclaimed.
"That's it? Awwww. I thought she was going to choke Ricchan for that."
Eventually, Sawako confessed. "...I think."
"It was going to be bad luck for them, so it seems," Ritsu said to Azusa.
"Huh..." They all sighed.
"Well, we're the next best thing, Miss Sawako," Ui said, "and we're here, so let's just soak this up!"
The sun was shining down over a clear blue sky. A full house was on hand. at the Fire Stage. Sawako and the girls were at the back. Ui took her binoculars to get a better look before taking some more photos. "This is what it's all about," she said. "This is heaven. Hey Mio," she asked, "you all right?"
Mio had a look of pain on her face. She could not believe she was that far away from the stage. "The real thing is really hot, and there are a lot of people..." A roar of the crowd startled both of them, more so for Mio.
"Here we go!"
"All right! Hello everyone, welcome to the Natsu Rock Festival!" said the local emcee. "Let's get this party started!" The crowd roared in approval, and the first band took the stage. "Are you guys ready?"
"YEAH!" roared the crowd, Miss Sawako and the girls, captive as ever. Mio was still trembling, her eyes mesmerized.
"All right, let's rock this place!" the emcee said. "First up, from Orlando, Florida, USA...The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus! Take it away, guys!"
The place was shaking as the band performed their number.
"Awesome!" Ui said. "This is what it's all about!"
"This is loud as fuck, man!" Azusa added. "Damn!"
Mio saw the fans jumping up and down, enjoying the moment, the music, the musicians, the melody and beat, everything. She just stood there, soaking it all up. Was this is a heaven? Or was this hell disguised as heaven? Or was she about to collapse, about to be overwhelmed by the epicness of it all? What was it going to be for her? The fans were pointing to the sky, their fists punching the air in an upward motion, their pink wristbands ever present.
Mio was on the verge of tears. "This is the Summer Fest..." she said to herself in a whisper. "This is...Summer Fest!"
Tsumugi and Ritsu were soaking it up. So were Sawako, and Ui, and Azusa. Everyone was enraptured by the spectacle of it all. They were in the arms of bliss, without a worry in the world, or a care to think about, and that was fine by them. Eventually, Mio joined in, her eyes opening to the land beyond the pearly gates, that place that those dreamed about, that Rock and Roll Dream.
"HELL FUCKING YEEAAAH!" Mio screamed, leaping high into the air.
"Whoa, she's broken through now!" Ui said. "She is in the moment!"
"You better believe it, yo!" Ritsu exclaimed.
"This band is great!" Mio said to Ritsu, bubbly. "All these bands are great! Take me with you, you stars!"
Hey girl, you know you drive me crazy
One look puts the rhythm in my hand
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down
Cover up with make-up in the mirror
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again
You cry alone and then he
Swears he loves you
Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you, my friend
One day, this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found
A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever you will surely drown
I see what's going down
I see the way you go and say you're right again
Say you're right again
Heed my lecture
Do you feel like a man
When you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you, my friend
One day, this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found-
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I've finally had enough
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I've finally had enough
One day she will tell you that she has had enough
It's coming round again
Do you feel like a man
when you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you, my friend
One day, this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down
a new life she has found-
Do you feel like a man
when you push her around?
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you, my friend
One day, this world's got to end
As your lies crumble down
a new life she has found-
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I've finally had enough!
Ritsu liked seeing Mio like that. She never ever saw Mio this happy in her life. She was used to Mio treating her the wrong way. She was used to Mio giving her headbumps. She was used to initiating the triggers that caused her comeuppance. But she was not used to Mio enjoying her youth this spontaneously. It was a feeling that she hoped would linger on. This was a dimension of her best friend that made her more than just a best friend. Whenever Mio was happy, Ritsu was as well. "I like the singer's voice too," she said, celebrating the moment with her.
"All right guys, let's move on to the next one!" Sawako said to her troop.
Azusa was shocked. "Huh?"
"What, I wanna hear more of this band," Ui complained.
"If we're going to enjoy every part of this festival, we gotta do some touring. Besides, the band I recommend will be performing at the White Garden. It's gonna be far, so we're gonna have to do some running. Let's go!"
"You can go by yourself," Ritsu said, nonplussed by her enthusiasm.
"Really? Then I'll be on my way!" Sawako took off for her early afternoon run.
Mio was starting to complain a little bit. "Ritsu, Ritsu, come on! I'll also head over to the Thunder Stage too!"
"What?"
"Hurry, let's go before they start!"
"We'll be here throughout the day," Ui said to her.
"I'll stay here, too," Tsumugi said.
"All right, I'll be going!"
Ritsu decided to follow Mio to the Thunder Stage. "This is what we're gonna do," Ritsu said. "We'll call each other and rendezvous at some point later today to see how things are. If you got a camera, take plenty of photos."
"I got mine's ready," Ui said, "and there's plenty of film."
"Good."
"Hurry up already!" Mio said.
"All right, all right," Ritsu said. "Sheesh...later folks!"
"Godspeed, Ricchan," Ui said to her as her headband-rocking compatriot joined the bouncing bassist to the Thunder Stage.
"Are you all right with this?" Azusa asked Ui.
"They should give us a report on how things are down there, so, yeah. Besides, you want to hear more of this band too, right?"
"I guess so. Hey, Mugi-sempai," she asked Tsumugi, "what about you? Are you fine with this?"
"Well, I can't run in sandals, so I got no other choice."
"We are back here at the Thunder Stage," said another emcee keeping watch of the acts there, "and ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you...Kamakiri!"
Mio noticed something different. "Ritsu! Ritsu!"
"What is it?" she asked.
"This band's guitarist is a lefty!"
Ritsu took a closer look. "Oh yeah, he is. Well, isn't that a nice thing?"
"I hope he's still available. We can tour the world together..."
A blinking Ritsu wondered how Mio could have such a surprising, if crude, taste for men with bad haircuts and bad colored haircuts. Besides, she had her right. "I just hope your pants are not getting wet on my watch, Mio."
"Lefties sure look weird!" she replied, shaking Ritsu again. "I know it's weird coming from me, but I can't help it."
"Yes, in terms of going off the deep end, you do it better than he does. Now I know you're excited to see your kind on stage, but can you please quit shaking me? And relax."
"Awwww, just a little bit longer?"
"Jeez..."
Back at the Fire Stage, a new band was showing up. Azusa was soaking up the atmosphere, as always, and so were Ui and Tsumugi. The band was doing a cover of an Ataris classic.
Last night I had a dream that we went to Disneyland,
Went on all the rides, didn't have to wait in line.
I drove you to your house where we stared up at the stars
I listened to your heartbeat as I held you in my arms.
We hung out at the rainbow where we drank til' half past two.
Nothing could go wrong anytime that I'm with you.
Like crashing a hotel room or leading up to that first kiss
Or searching for a high school that you know doesn't exist...
These are the things that make me free
I feel like I'm stuck in "stand by me"
This night was too good to be true.
Today I woke up alone wishing you were here with me,
I wanted us to be something that we'd probably never be.
Today you called me up and said you'd see me at our show,
But now I'm stuck debating if I even wanna go.
Whitney, don't you understand that what I say is true?
I just want you to know I have a major crush on you.
I'd drive you to Las Vegas and do the things you wanna do
I'd even have Wayne Newton dedicate a song to you.
I only wish that this could be
Just dump your boyfriend and go out with me
I swear I'd treat you like a queen.
Azusa noticed that Ui was looking straight at the stage, as if she was entranced by the jumping masses of people, and the musician performing. What was she visualizing?, she wondered. Suddenly, it clicked. She was visualizing how this could apply to her and the band. This was a way for her to be inspired to up her skill level playing Gitah.
"Hey Azunyan, I got a question," she asked.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Do you think it could be us on this stage one of these days?"
"I don't see why not, but these are the best bands in the country. It's gonna take a lot of hard work for all of us to get there."
"Another question. How does bassist's hair stay up?" She was pointing to the musician decked out in dreadlocks and a raised ponytail.
She was in tears. "I think he uses rubber bands to hold it up. I don't know; why do you ask me?"
Tsumugi stroked her chin. "I think it's a natural perm, right?"
"Could be," Ui replied.
"Why the hell are you in Ui-sempai's camp in questioning the hairstyles of rockers, Mugi-sempai?" Azusa exclaimed. "Dammit!"
Lunchtime at Tororo Heaven was going to be a fun one...or so Azusa, Tsumugi and Ui thought. There were kebabs, curry at the Zousan stall, hamburgers, pizza, ramen, hot dogs, yakitori...all the fixings of the East meeting with the West. At Tororo Heaven, it is written that no fan of rock and roll will go hungry, so long as they have the cash.
But it was the yakisoba stall that drew the attention of the group and Tsumugi Kotobuki's fascination. And sure enough, they all went to it. A long queue of fans were there to get their fill.
"Wow, it's so popular," Mugi said.
Ui assured her socialite friend to her left. "Don't worry, we'll get in line with you. How's that?"
"Let's go," Azusa said, committed to helping Mugi out.
"Thanks, you guys," Tsumugi replied.
"Apologies, everyone, but we only have 10 servings left!" said a person overseeing the stall. He was met with boos from the queue.
"Damn you for being underprepared, you little punks!" exclaimed one of the disgruntled fans in line.
The news hit Mugi hard. "Oh God..."
Azusa tried to comfort her. "Mu...Mugi-sempai!"
"Don't lose focus, believe in yourself!" Ui said.
"How is that gonna help?" she shot back.
Mugi got back to her senses. "Right!" She knew it was a lost cause, so it was time for Plan B. "Ui, what do you want to eat? Down here?"
"Hmmm," she thought. "How about some pizza?" They checked the stall there. "Ugh. Son of a bitch, the old geezer in the yakisoba line wasn't crazy when he said these punks came in underprepared. Seriously, did they underestimate the numbers of people who would come down here that badly?"
Mugi was sympathetic. "Ui-chan..."
"At this rate, this is gonna be 1845 in Ireland all over again..."
"No it won't," Azusa said, unimpressed by the doom and gloom.
Ui's phone rang. "Some mail. Let's check this out."
"Talk about a change in mood!"
She opened the message. "It's from Ricchanski."
"Ricchanski?"
"Another nickname for Ricchan. Fire Stage at 2:00 p.m., then Thunder Stage at 3:00 p.m. Hmm. Sounds like a plan. And then it's back to the Fire Stage at 4:00 p.m."
"That's a packed schedule right there," Azusa said.
"I don't mind running," Tsumugi said, pumping her fists. She took off. "See you guys!"
"The fact that she's doing this in Yui sandals is pretty impressive," Ui said to Azusa.
"I think it's dangerous." However, she ended up sending one of her sandals skyward. "Mugi-sempai."
"Mugi, careful down there! Let's help her out!"
"Right!" They went over to help her out.
Tsumugi kept her balance and slowly turned to the others, helpless. "Ahhhhh!"
"Here," Ui said, putting her sandal back on. Soon after, she flagged down a dessert stand that had few people in line. Her eyes sparkled. "Ladies, I think our prayers are answered."
Sawako, meanwhile, was savoring the action at the White Garden. She was nodding her head to the heavy metal. "Awwww, hell yeah, this fucking rocks!" she screamed. "Ahahahahahahaaaah!"
Clouds were beginning to form over the concert venue, and soon after, the rain began to fall over the mountains. In came another typhoon. But the show went on, the fans dressed in their ponchos. The good thing for the girls at the Fire Stage was that they knew that the weather was calling for a 70% chance of showers over the afternoon, and they were all ready for this. They were able to get their ponchos out before the next act. It took some running, but they did what they had to do. Ritsu's was green, Mugi's pink, Ui's was red, Mio's was purple and Azusa's was yellow.
On the stage was Social Distortion, with their song "Reach for the Sky," played under heaven's sweet and salty tears of joy.
When I was young I was invincible
I found myself not thinking twice
I never thought about no future
It's just a roll of the dice
But the day may come when you got something to lose
And just when you think you're done paying dues
You say to yourself "Dear, God What have I Done?"
And hope its not too late cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery
But baby right now,
It's just about you and me
You can run you can hide
Just like Bonnie and Clyde
Reach for the sky
ain't never gonna die
And I thank the Lord for the love that I have found
And hold you tight cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
So if you please take this moment
Try if you can to make it last
Don't think about no future
And just forget about the past
And make it last
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
(reach for the sky I ain't never going down)
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
(reach for the sky I ain't never coming down)
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
(reach for the sky I ain't never going down)
Reach for the sky cause tomorrow may never come
The show would proceed, come rain or come shine. Many successful concerts took place in the rain; some even took place in the snow. All Mother Nature wanted was a front row seat to the action, that's all.
"All right, everyone, thanks a lot for coming out today!" said lead singer Mike Ness. "We love you! Good night!" The crowd roared in approval as the Orange County, USA mainstay left the stage. For the girls, it was the culmination of three more hours of going between the Fire and Thunder stages to savor some of the finest music from Japan and the world. That's what it was all about.
The afternoon progressed, and the next act was setting up shop at the Fire Stage. Tents can become very useful, especially when it's raining during the PM hours. So it was not surprise that the Hokago Tea Time was going to be huddled up inside Miss Sawako's tent for the night, protected from the elements. The hope for the consensus of fans at the Natsu was that the rain would dissipate and it would not get so wet that it would be literally uncomfortable.
Their prayers were answered.
"Hey guys," Ui said to the crew, "The rain seems to be stopping for some reason."
Ritsu was busy e-mailing Miss Sawako some news. "Raining out here, but the joint is still jumping," she said. "All right, now it's stopped." She send the message. "We got about 10 minutes before the next band we want to see."
"Hey gang, are you guys hungry?" Ui asked. "We missed lunch."
"But you had a crepe and ice cream, Ui-sempai," Azusa said, unimpressed by the offer.
"It's a buffer, Azunyan."
"Buffer?"
"A buffer is not a meal, my dear. There is a difference." Mugi and Ritsu laughed at the comeback.
"All righty then, I'll go buy dinner for you guys," Mio said, offering her assistance.
"Excellent. I'll go come with you."
"Don't worry about it. Just leave it to me. You can save a space for us if you want."
"You remember the creek around the boardwalk?" Ritsu asked. "We'll be there."
"Got it!" And Mio took off.
The concert venue had a creek where the kids liked to wade around in. There were swaths of low clouds, but there would not be any rain for quite some time.
After grabbing some supplies from their camp and putting their ponchos away, Mio, Tsumugi, Ritsu and Azusa walked to a location by the creek near Tororo Heaven. "I suppose we'll go ahead and set up around here," Ritsu said.
Azusa agreed. "Good idea."
Tsumugi brought out a large blanket for Ritsu and Azusa to spread out. "Incoming!" Ui said, leaping towards the blanket as if it were a trampoline.
"Crap, you're heavy!" Azusa said.
"Does Yui do this too?" Ritsu wondered.
"I was in Yui mode," Ui explained.
Tsumugi blinked. "Oh my."
Mio ran back to the crew with some items that were not meals. "Mio-chan, there you are," Mugi said.
"Welcome back," Ui said. "Thanks, by the way."
"No problem," Mio replied. "They were selling T-shirts of the band with the left-handed guitarist!" It was official. Kamakiri was one of Mio's favorite bands.
Ui blinked. "What did you just buy again?"
Ritsu was beside herself. "The fucking hell, Mio? You were supposed to bring dinner for us, not this crap."
Mio wore her Kamakiri shirt with pride. "Look, I put it on, too!"
"Did you bring the food?" Ui asked.
"Great, I'm hungry, and now you're making me want one of those shirts," Ritsu said.
"You should buy one of them, too!" Mio said.
Mugi was in. "I want one, too!"
"I'm guessing that's a no," Ui concluded. "Let me take a look at that shirt." She took a look, groping her cleavage with both hands as she went along.
"Ahhh, ahhhh," Mio moaned. "Not too hard..."
"Hmmm, this shirt does emphasize your bust nicely. Looks good too. A nice fit."
"This shirt doesn't-aaah!-make me look-ohhh!-fat, does it?"
"I wouldn't think so."
"Nice," said Ritsu with a dirty face. Her cell phone rang. "Wonder who could this be? Ah, this is from Sawa-chan. She bought some takoyaki and will be here in a bit."
"Fabulous!" Mio said, relieved.
"Lesson to be learned, you guys," said Ui, still groping Mio, "never let Mio Akiyama order dinner. Let's leave it to Miss Sawako to bail us out of our hunger in the future, whenever we go out for a show as kick-ass as this."
"Ahhhh, mou!"
Finally the evening came, with the skies cleared and the lights over the valley. The show went on, and in a few stages, there were DJs playing techno music into the night. After they used the hotel's pool to get freshened up—the staff allowed fans to use the pool and showers in the hotel suites for this event as there were no public showers elsewhere—the group went to the gift shop to do some purchasing. Mugi and Ritsu bought their Kamakiri shirts, while Ui placed hers back in her pink bag. This would be a present for Yui. Mio took a look at the schedule of musicians.
No question, the Festival was beginning to die down, and it was time for the band to return to the camp
"That was a blast down at the White Garden," Sawako said, wiping her face with a towel. "Hard rock, alternative, heavy metal, jazz...this Natsu Rock Festival has something for everybody."
"It does, doesn't it?" Ui said. "And the food here is pretty good, too. And we can even take a bath down here. This place really treats its fans well."
"It's great," Mugi said.
"Although, I would have been happy if the staff had been prepared for the lunch rush."
"True, true."
Unfortunately for Azusa, who was in tears, she wasn't enjoying it. In spite of applying the sunscreen, she got sunburned. She probably didn't apply a strong enough sunscreen. "This hurts, huge and thick."
"Oh man, you really got burned again," Mio said sympathetically.
"Either that or she really had too much fun rocking her heart out," Ui added.
"Even putting the sunscreen on didn't work! Am I that cursed or something?" cried Azusa.
She went over to Azusa and hugged her, stroking her hair. "I like girls who have tans," Ui whispered, "so it's okay, Azunyan."
"Ui-sempai..."
As they both shared another long kiss, Ritsu grabbed Mio by the collar. "Hey! You got the friggin camera?"
She took a snap. "Done and done."
"Good."
Tsumugi's hands formed Vulcan V's on her cheeks. "Do you need a tissue, Mugi-chan?" Sawako asked her.
"Please?" She plugged her nostrils. "Thank you."
"All right guys, I'm gonna go ahead and hit the sack here. Anyone else with me?"
"What, already?" Ritsu asked.
"I gotta go catch on some sleep. If you guys want, you can go ahead and go ahead of me. I think I was headbanging too much and my neck hurts."
"Rocking and rolling all night and partying every day, huh? Such is the life of Sawa-chan." She turned at Ritsu with a disgusted look, her glasses glinting. Ritsu flailed. "Aside from teaching!" Sawako sighed and went back to the tent to officially call it a night.
Candles were lit back at Tororo Heaven by hundreds of fans that night. Some were large, some were small, some were in the medium, but all it formed a contrasting blend of pastel greens, oranges, blues and pinks.
The good thing about the second concession area where the country bands played was that the manager there, knowing of the situation at Tororo Heaven, was able to call for reinforcements and restock the stalls with food for its hungry concertgoers. This time, they brought double the usual supply to prepare for the wave, and it worked. Not a single fan left with their belly empty unless they didn't bother to make a purchase. Country music was on the rise in Japan, and a local band from Yuzawa was on hand to serenade its audience.
As Mio, Ritsu and Mugi checked the final acts on the Fire and Thunder Stages while browsing through the action at the White Garden, Ui chose to meditate at the top of the hill. She could see the lights of Yuzawa, the lights of the concert stages, and the stars above. No clouds, no rain, no wind. Just the dancing of the constellations that watched over Japan in their graceful Aquarian waltz.
Azusa walked over to Ui. "Sempai?"
She smiled. "Azunyan."
"What are you doing up here?"
"Reflection, meditation, remembering what it feels like to be here. It's a wonderful feeling. And I wanted to hear the music from a distance while hearing the music of nature. It's an eclectic mix. This is going to go deep into the night after all." Azusa just stood there, wondering if Ui was crazy enough to do this, or if she was crazier to follow Ui up the hill. "Have a seat, have a seat!"
"Um, all right," she said, taking a seat next to her. "Don't the bugs eat you alive if you sit here?"
"We still have our repellent on our wristbands and our arms and legs, so they won't bother the two of us."
"Oh. Good."
"Want an extra?" Ui handed her one.
"Thanks." Azusa looked at the wristband she just wore. "Sempai?"
"Sup?"
"You think we are going to be back here one day?"
"If Miss Sawako gives us tickets."
"I don't mean that. I mean...you think we are going to be back here one day as performers on stage?"
Ui leaned closer to Azusa. "Azunyan...I think anything is possible if you believe it. For me, I think we can be there again, and if we believe we can, we will. Imagine: 40,000 chanting out initials: 'H-T-T! H-T-T!' over and over and over again. And we're playing our music. They'll love us, because they believe we can be successful as a band."
"Sempai..." Azusa whispered.
"Today we are just fans watching them. The next time...it could be the fans watching us on the Fire Stage or the Thunder Stage or wherever they want to put us. We can do it. We just need to keep doing what we're doing." Azusa puckered her lips. "Huh? Did I say something weird, Azunyan?"
Her puckering became more pronounced. "Mmm-mmm! Mmm! Mmm!"
Ui chuckled. "Oh. That." Ui's and Azusa's lips met each other, and they passionately kissed each other in a long deep embrace, lying on the grass. Their tongues were dancing, and Ui worked her hands around Azusa's tanned and untanned skin, caressing her cleavage, stroking her curves and making her kouhai moan and smile with pleasure as it touched the sensitive spots on her body. "Azunyan...whenever I touch you, and kiss you, and hold you like this...I feel like I'm being taken higher, as if nothing else matters other than you being with me."
"Sempai...this feel so good...I don't know why, but I want you to do it to me more because it feels so good!"
"I like hearing that from you." It didn't matter if her shorts got drenched with the odor of consummation. What mattered was that it was because of the sempai she loved the most. For Azusa, no one could love her better than Ui. No one.
They went on like this for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes...all the way to a half hour until Mio, Tsumugi and Ritsu came up the hill to meet them.
"Mio-chan, do you have a tissue?" Mugi asked Mio.
"Here." She plugged her nostrils.
"That's better." Her hands formed V's on her cheeks. "Such a heavenly pair..."
"There you are," Ritsu said. "Lovebirds."
"We are not!" Azusa exclaimed. "In love..."
"Ohhhh? We'll just keep it a secret. No one's gonna find out or care. OUCH!" She ended up getting a headbump from Mio.
"Now you know better than to get involved into something that doesn't involve you," she said sternly.
"Anyway," Ui said. "you guys should go ahead and sit down here too. Let's listen to the music from up here. We're done hav-er, talking about being back here one day as performers."
"Mmm, talk about aspirations."
The five of them looked at the stars watching down on those sleeping, on those still celebrating the confluence of sound, and those who fell in love for the first time at the Natsu Rock Festival.
"This feels...like a dream," Mio said, looking at the fireflies of the cosmos.
"Yeah, it's a feeling unlike any other," Azusa replied.
Ui agreed. "It's one of the biggest places to hold a concert, and music is being performed all day and night. As if you never want this thing to end, you know?"
"And all the bands we saw today were great," Ritsu added. "Awesome to the infinite power."
"Especially Kamakiri, right?" Mio asked.
"Yeah, especially Kamakiri."
Tsumugi was mesmerized. "The power of it all...no, the force of the sound was just amazing. I can see why this is the best summer in Japan to go to. You can never be bored from watching and listening to something as amazing as this."
Ui then decided to bring it up again. "But you know what? I think our performance is even better."
"Why do you say that?" Ritsu said, shocked as ever with the others. "How can you compare us to the pros?"
"I can, and I think that we have the skills to not only bring something that 40,000—no, 50,000 or more will enjoy, but remember. We can do this, Ricchan. We just have to keep working at it, because that's what they did before they made it big. I think we are on pace to open up a lot of eyes and a lot of ears when we get on a big stage like what we just saw. I really believe it, and I'm not crazy either."
"You have to perfect playing your guitar a little bit better before you can say that, though."
"Still," Ui said, getting up and turning to the others, "we're better. You know the bands that are big today and you hear on the radio? They were unpolished back then, too. You see, you have to understand that it's a growing process. Maturation and all that crap. And with improvement as a band, we will reach that level sooner than you think. One day, we're gonna be the ones entertaining the fans, not be among the fans being entertained. It's in our aura, you know. It's our destiny. When we believe in ourselves, we can make the impossible possible."
"Those are some pretty big words. If you are, for some hare-brained reason, right...you can give me a headbump when we get on the Fire Stage."
"I don't deliver headbumps, Ritsu Tainaka. I only deliver rock and roll music."
"We know, Ui Hirasawa. We know. That, too."
Mio got up. "She's right, you know. Hokago Tea Time is an awesome band in its own right!"
"Mio?" Now Ritsu had to wonder if Mio was also losing it a bit.
"Right, Ui?"
"See, Ricchan?" Ui said. "She understands what I'm trying to tell you here. You could learn something from your next-door neighbor who has a crush on a left-handed guitarist from Kamakiri."
Tsumugi loved the enthusiasm and Azusa was amazed by Ui's enthusiasm. "Definitely. We are as good as the pros!" Azusa exclaimed, fists pumped.
Ritsu was wondering why she was the only one staying humble today. "You as well? Oh, dear God!"
"We will make a promise to ourselves," Mio said as Mugi got up. "The next time we come to the Summer Fest, we are coming here not as members of the audience, but as performers. If Miss Sawako wants to give us some tickets, we will have to decline her request and ask her to give it to the other people in her class because we don't want it."
"Holy cow," Ritsu said. "You and Ui are really on the same wavelength here! Jesus!"
Mugi agreed. "Yeah, we will be there on stage!" Four against one.
"Yeah!" Ui and Azusa said, raising their right fists in the air.
"I guess there's no helping it if we want to raise the bar for ourselves," Ritsu replied with a smile, consigning herself to the reality that awaited her. "It would be so cool if we could play here. All right, then. When we return to the Natsu Rock Festival, Hokago Tea Time is going to take this place by storm, and there will be NO turning back! I repeat, there will be NO turning back!"
"Amen, Ricchan!" Ui said. "She believes. We all do! Can I get a Hell Yeah?"
"HELL YEAH!" they all said, their fists raised in the air. The five of them—Mugi, Azusa, Ui, Ritsu and Mio—looked toward the lights with a new dream in mind, and another goal to accomplish for the long term.
Ui Hirasawa smiled, knowing that this dream would happen not too long from now. "I wish we can stay as a band for a long time. We have the same vision, the same ambition, and our friendship never wavers and gets stronger."
"Definitely," said Ritsu.
"You know it," Tsumugi said with a nod.
"So do I," Azusa said, content as ever.
"We will," Mio said. "We will. For a long, long time."
The band got some rest and departed for Tokyo the following morning, their dream fulfilled, a new dream ready to be planned, and precious memories to treasure from a weekend at the Natsu Rock Festival. All in all, summer was off to a flying start.
END CHAPTER 12