Walk-ON! All Over Again
Chapter 25:
That's The Way I Wanna Rock And Roll
The twilight of the evening gave way to crickets chirping and birds singing in the distance. In the distance, a young woman with brown hair flowing to her shoulders with bangs parted down the middle was smiling as she carried her guitar home en route to a feast carried out in her name.
She had done it.
Ui Hirasawa had finally done it.
She was officially a graduate of Sakuragaoka High School. Ui pinched herself once, twice, three times. She was not dreaming. The dream was real. Her next goal: to obtain a college degree. But there would be time for her to prepare for life as a college freshman later. Tonight was a night to look back at what was a successful three years at Sakuragaoka.
Passing by the Shinto temple, she made her way home. Her father, Susumu, waited at the door. "There's my wonder eldest daughter! Come over here, you rascal!"
"Dad!" Ui ran to Susumu, who gave her a hug, lifting her a few centimeters before placing her back on her feet.
"It's not very often I get to hug you, especially when I'm doing business outside the country. How are you?"
Ui was in tears, seeing her father for the first time. "I'm so relieved that I got to graduate! I'm so happy!"
"I'm happy for you too. Let's go inside. And don't forget to change into your slippers."
"I know, Dad. I know." Ui giggled. She was like a little girl all over again as she blushed.
Ui's mother, Aki, was still finishing cooking. Yui decided to help her out by folding some clothes and setting the table. "Hey Mom," Ui said to Aki.
"Ui-chan! There you are!" She gave Ui a kiss on the cheek. "Dad and I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"How have you been?"
"Well, I've had a lot of fun doing things by myself without you two around. How's Germany?"
"We're doing very well at our jobs in Berlin. Your Dad loves the beer served there."
"Das Bier in Deutschland ist sehr gut!" Susumu said, the others laughing.
Aki went on. "It's very high-paying, so we are able to send money to your grandmother, who gives it to you."
"Wow. Now I know why I am able to buy all this food."
"We're not gonna let our two wonderful daughters starve like this, right?" Susumu asked Aki.
"No, we won't." They both kissed. "Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes, so go ahead and get changed. You're sweating a bit, Ui. Did you run all the way over here? And you're not wearing your ribbon or clips anymore."
"No, we were playing at a concert on campus to close out graduation," she said. "And since I'm not a graduate, I don't need those things anymore."
"Come to think of it, Yui was tuning in to NHK, and she was hearing somebody that sounded like you and your friends. I wasn't so sure if that was indeed you or it that was somebody else, but you guys are fantastic. Ui, you know how to play and sing. Good job."
"Eheheheh..."
"Aki, my dear, our daughter knows how to rock and roll, just like her old dad!"
"Woo-hoo!" she replied, pumping her fist before continuing to fry some chicken. "Congratulations on graduating, Ui-chan!"
"Thanks, Mom." And she went up the stairs to get changed, taking a bath along the way before donning her yellow sweater and orange pajamas. Returning to her bedroom, she flipped her laptop on and worked on her blog.
"Wow, what a day," she read. "I am no longer a high school student. I am officially a Sakuragaoka High School alumnus. I still can't believe that I finally made it to this day. But I did, and now it's over. I am writing this blog from my own bedroom, pondering the future laid before me. Dinner is being cooked downstairs, and a couple of my friends will be stopping by to eat. Yui, for the first time in a while, is bothering to help out Mom and Dad with some work. And the parents are here for the first time in a while, since they are back from spending time in Germany. They will need to head on a flight back early in the morning.
"I've made it a priority to take my work at Japan Women's University very seriously. I plan to major in Child Studies as well as Household Economics because I like cooking and I like working with kids. It's always fun to determine what you want to major in. Then the real work begins towards building your degree. I think I have to start with the general education portion, and then I go to the courses relevant to my degree. That's how it works.
"Anyway, I wanted to go ahead and take this time to write in my blog some anecdotes about some stuff that happened when I was still a senior at Sakuragaoka, I remember when..."
Rewind to late November. Ui still had her trimmed bangs. And Azusa Nakano was watching a video near the music room promoting the club. The scene: trees were blooming at Sakuragaoka High School Girls' Campus, the petals floating down. The stage was set for a freshman concert that took place. Ui addressed the crowd as Mio Akiyama, Ritsu Tainaka and Tsumugi Kotobuki got their instruments set. A trail of petals could be seen from the auditorium, and it led all the way to the music room.
"Well, freshmen," Ui said to the crowd in their red ties, "congratulations on your new life at your new school, Sakuragaoka. Our club currently has four members and faces the terrible threat of disbandment. Those of you who are interested, please head upstairs to the music room, where there will be cake and tea served."
After the concert, the four of them moved their instruments to the music room and opened the doors.
Ui dressed her guitar, Gitah, with her blazer and blue tie. Same with Mio's bass, Elizabeth and Tsumugi's keyboard, which she placed a cup of tea on, and Ritsu's snare, which she took from her set.
The premise that dressing their instruments with their blazers and ties was going to work seemed dubious at best.
They raised their dressed instruments at the entrance as a form of advertisement as Mio in her nurse's garb hid in the background. "Would you like to create groovy days and funky memories with us in our Light Music Club?" Ui, Tsumugi and Ritsu asked. The instruments parted, revealing Mio. "W...Welcome...to our light music club!" she said with a wink, flustered, trembling, sweating.
If this was an advertisement, it was going to backfire. Big time.
Azusa looked at the video on horror. "Wh...What the fuck is this?"
"A promotional video of the club done two Aprils ago," Miss Sawako Yamanaka said to her with pride.
"This...This is garbage." Well, they had to get members, one way or another.
Back at the music room, Mio looked in horror over an empty tin of cookies. Her screams upset Ritsu's cymbals, causing them to resonate. "Oh my fucking God!"
"What's wrong, Mio?" Ritsu asked.
"Look at this..."
"A cookie tin?" Ui said.
Tsumugi looked inside. "It's empty."
"Hey Ui, did you hog them all?" Ritsu said in her conviction.
"I didn't eat any; I just got back from class."
"It's not that," Mio said to them. "We kept something in here..."
"Whatever do you mean?" Ritsu wondered.
The door opened. It was Azusa. "Is there something wrong?"
Mio gasped. "A-Azusa, that's..."
"Eh?" She was holding a white disc in its case containing the promotional video.
"Oh my God, you did not...!"
"This? It was in a cookie tin at the back of the top shelf."
She slumped over on the table. "You bastard, I sealed that thing away. Why did you open it?"
It all clicked for Mugi. "That has to be..."
"That is the legendary freshman recruit video we made before Azunyan joined us," Ui said.
"What's so legendary about it?" Ritsu deadpanned.
"So, Azusa, did you watch it?" Mio asked in fear.
"Yes, I did. I found it while I was cleaning the room, and I watched it using Miss Sawako's laptop. You call this a recruitment video? It's poorly directed, not well-thought...and is just plain garbage."
Mio cowered to the back of the room, where Mugi was there to comfort her. "It was supposed to be sealed away!"
"Are you all right, Mio-chan?" Mugi asked her.
"I feel as embarrassed as I was in that video," she said. "This sucks."
Ritsu crossed her arms. "Oh man...that brings back memories. We put a lite of time and effort into making that one."
"In a world where there is nothing but never-ending girls love, therein lies a story of blood, sweat, tears, and moe," Ui said, crossing her arms while doing her best Don LaFontaine impersonation. "The Keion-bu. Coming Soon."
"Mmm-hmmm." A couple of nods.
Ritsu looked on, lost in her own reflective state. "This was before Azusa joined us...Miss Sawako was checking to see that it was recording, and Mugi said, 'Yes, it is, it's working all right.' And then as Mugi was panning out, Miss Sawako, who had Mio wear the nurse's garb, said to her, 'Stop being embarrassed.' And Mio said, 'I...I don't want to appear like this!' She reassured her, saying 'Quit complaining.' Mio was fidgeting around, going, 'But...Oh Lord, please kill me now!' I went over, and said, 'Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut! Mio, you can't say that in our video.' Tsumugi apologized, and I went bananas on her. 'What club is this supposed to portray?' I asked her. 'It does even resemble Light Music as it's supposed to be portrayed!' Sawako agreed, saying 'That's right, we need to show some more skin.' I whacked Sawa-chan, saying, 'Quit being the sick perv that you are!' Tsumugi was still filming that. Mugi moaned, going 'Ritsu...Ritsu...' I was still mad at Mugi as Sawako was pouting. 'Mugi! Stop filming all la-di-fucking-da!' I said. 'Sorry,' she replied. 'God damn both of you,' I groaned as Mio hugged me like I was her dakimakura. 'I thought making a freshman recruitment video would be a good idea since Sawa-chan suggested it...but this is starting to become a pain.' 'Well, excuse me for trying to help you, Ricchan!' she shot back. 'You're not even helping; this is uncomfortable for us!' 'But I'm always very serious about my work!' she said. 'I was only trying to help.' 'You aren't! And Mio, quit clinging to me, baby! You can do it when we get home!' 'No, I will never let you go!' 'Ohhh boy.' And Tsumugi captured it all on tape. What a shyster. So I turned to Ui, who was still working on her cake. 'Hey Ui.' She was like, 'Yeah?' I asked her, 'What do you think?' She was like, 'Approved!'"
"I see," Azusa said.
Ritsu continued on, "So, Ui was primping herself in the mirror, placing her lip gloss on while Mugi was wearing Mio's nurse cap and looking at herself a little bit more as Mio changed back into her regular uniform. Finally, I was fed up. 'Fucking hell! Get with the program and start playing already you son-of-a-bitch!' I said to her."
"Man, that was harsh," Ui snickered.
"So Ui donned Gitah, tousled her locks, and tuned her strings. A strum, and the place shook. Everyone had to cover their ears. It was loud as heck. Perhaps the birds could hear the noise from beyond the window. 'Is that a C chord?' she asked me. And that, essentially, was how this video was made."
"Memories, memories." Ui took the CD, place it in the cookie tin and sealed it with duct tape. Biscotti and chamomile were on the house again.
"So why the heck did you seal it away?" Azusa asked them.
Ritsu was bored as she rested her head on her left hand like a lazy Leo. "Because Mio told me, 'Never, ever!' And so we sealed it away in the cookie tin you see before you before we ever showed it to anyone on campus."
"Is that so? Little Miss Mioblob indeed."
Similarly bored, Ui plugged her iPod on to the dock and played David Guetta's "Gettin' Over You."
Flip that lightbulb switch on, Tsumugi Kotobuki. The switch was flipped on. "I got an idea."
"What is it?" Ui wanted to know.
"We should made a new freshman recruitment video."
"Another one?" Mio was fearful.
"But this time, we'll make it one that people can watch."
"Hmmm." Ui stroked her chin. "I like where this is going."
Ritsu agreed. "Yeah, we need to make a new one."
"I'm so in on this. Next Spring will be totally awesome for the incoming freshmen."
"I don't mind," said Mio, "but guys, we can't be half-assing these types of things, you know. We must mean BUSINESS when it comes to this."
Azusa wanted to weigh in on the decision. "You guys..."
Enter Miss Sawako. "That is a great idea."
Ritsu was surprised. "Sawa-chan!"
"Hell, Miss Sawako," Ui said. "Have some tea and cookies."
"Sure thing." She took a seat.
"So, what we're going to do is create a new, updated video for the club, and it will be in the hands of the ones to come after us."
"Hmmm." A crunch, and a sip. "I'm gonna let you guys borrow this." She produced her video camera, newly-bought from Akihabara.
"Your camcorder?" Ritsu asked. "Are you sure?"
Mio was equally stunned. "Since when were you...?"
"Just leave everything to me," Sawako said, snacking a bit more, flashing a thumbs up for good measure. She went over to Azusa and placed her cat ears on. "Accessory...ready!"
"Nyan!" Azusa was startled.
Sawako then adjusted Azusa's fists to form that of a cat after she gave the camera to Tsumugi. "Pose...ready! Camera?"
"Ready!"
"All right. Your line and...action!"
Azusa was stunned...but she had to say it while tilting her head to her left. "W...Welcome to the Light Music Club-nyan."
Sawako studied the mechanics. Mio and Ritsu were similarly displeased, but Ui and Mugi were loving it. The teacher pumped her fists. It was a good fit. In the background, David Guetta was on the iPod. "Memories."
"What the hell are you trying to make me do?" Azusa cried, embarrassed beyond consolation. "It can't be like this! Let's make something more serious than this!"
And so a series of meetings for the ad-hoc Planning Committee were set up. Ui hung a sign on the frog at the entrance. Session 1 commenced.
"And thus the question is brought up," Ritsu said, presiding over the Planning Committee. "as we begin the first session of the Planning Committee for the Light Music Club Freshmen Recruitment Video."
Applause. "Here we go, everyone," Ui said to the others.
Her authority never shined any more, as club president. "I'd like to discuss this matter in its entirety so that we do not repeat the same mistakes as last time. Does anyone have any good ideas?"
Sawako raised her hand. "Yes, I do."
"Miss Yamanaka, you have the floor."
"I demand more revealing clothing."
"We are not making anything like that!" Mio rebuked.
Azusa weighed in. "I prefer something that has a bit more impact than that."
"Azunyan has a point," Ui said. "We need something that will make everyone want to join after watching it!"
Cue Miss Sawako with a suggestion. "Okay, what about this? Let's make it like a Hollywood film trailer." Here she goes with her Don LaFontaine impersonation. "Ahem. 'In a world lacking in blissful happiness, and a country drenched in boredom, a shockwave was sent throughout America!' And then Mio's calling Ritsu for where she is. She couldn't hear her, but she could hear an explosion just up the street. Let me go on, ahem." Here she goes again. "'They're back!' And there's Ui doing some martial arts moves in front of some interested fans. 'This spring, they are finally coming to Japan!' Cue the scene of me in Las Vegas dealing cards to people at the World Series of Poker, Ritsu posing with her sticks at somebody as if to challenge them to a drum-off, Azusa feeling safe at home in New York City with Muttan and her pig costume and Tsumugi donning her shades somewhere in Finland, puffing a cigarette by the redwoods."
"I don't smoke, by the way," Mugi said.
More of the impersonation. "Ahem. 'The Light Music Club. Are you ready? Coming soon!' How about that?"
"We resonate, but not to that degree," Ritsu deadpanned. "I wish we did, though."
"And what is with the 'Coming to Japan' part?" Azusa asked. "We've already arrived. We were founded here, you know."
Sawako slumped over. "Crap, I forgot. It should have been something along the lines of 'Coming to America,'" right?
"News flash, Miss Yamanaka," Ritsu said, "we do not have enough money to finance a trip to the States."
"That, too..." She got up. "Fine, then! Then do you want me to make a costume nobody has ever seen? Something that will create shockwaves? I will head to the sewing room to lock myself up!" She ran downstairs.
Mio tried to call her back. "Hey, wait!" Too late now. Her faced turned blue. "God fucking dammit!"
After a brief intermission, Session 2 of the Planning Committee began.
"All right then," Ritsu said to the others, "with that out of the way, does anyone have other, more sensible ideas?"
"We need to think of something," said Tsumugi. "Otherwise, Mio-chan will have to wear a costume that will send a shockwave throughout the U.S. of A." Hokago Tea Time had thousands of supporters stateside, perhaps because of the concerts and music distributed illegally and legally online.
Mio was defiant as ever. "Hell no, I am never going to wear it! Never, never, never!"
"We get the point," Ritsu said to her as Ui popped another cookie in her mouth. "Anyway, ladies, we need to come up with a good idea to replace that."
She needed to think of something. Otherwise, Sawako would disgrace her purity even further. Azusa was also deep in thought, as was Ui while Ton-chan swam in his tank once again. "I got an idea," Mio said.
"Let's hear it."
"How about we narrate it from Ton-chan's perspective, like 'I Am a Cat'?"
"Oh?"
"Start the narration with, 'My name is Ton-chan. I am a pig-nosed turtle swimming in a tank in the music room.'"
"Sounds very sophisticated," Mugi replied. "And unique. I like it."
"I have a question!" Ui asked.
"Miss Hirasawa, go right ahead," Ritsu said, moderating the discussion.
"Do you think Ton-chan talks like he's living in the past? I would think he would talk more like a mischievous little boy."
"I thought Ton-chan was a girl," Azusa replied to her.
"No, I checked the gender before we bought him. He's a guy. But if you want him to change genders, that would be fine by me. Thus, we should make Ton-chan sound like one of the girls here. Wonder who should do the voice-over...Ricchan?
The turtle clawed at the glass. "'Hi! I'm Ton-chan! xoxoxo' Something like that?" She asked her.
"You got it!"
"But who is going to play Ton-chan?" Tsumugi asked. "Anybody got ideas?"
They were too busy paying attention to Ton-chan swaying. Azusa happened to be the most mesmerized by Ton-chan's lazy, fluid motions.
Ritsu stroked her chin. "Since we need to pick someone outside of the club, let's try Jun. Ui, can you go get her?"
"Be right back!" And she was off.
"What did you want me to do?" Jun asked Ui as she was being dragged from the student council room. "I was evaluating the budget for next year when you barged in."
"We're filming a freshmen recruitment video for next year, and we need your help."
"So," Jun asked as she entered the music room, "what do you want me to do?"
"I need you to do the voice-over for Ton-chan, our turtle. He will be our focal point for the video. Can you read these lines?"
Jun looked them over. "Let me try this. Ahem. 'Hi, I'm Ton-chan, a pig-nosed turtle! xoxoxo' How's that?"
Good pitch, good emotion, good character. "Jun-chan is talking like a little girl," Ui said, moved by it all.
Azusa turned to the others as Jun helped herself to some cookies and tea. "But isn't this hard to tell that this video is about the Light Music Club?" she asked the others.
"You've got a point," Ritsu said to her.
Some time off for tea and cookies before Session 3 of the Planning Committee began.
"Time to face the facts," Ritsu said to the members. "We are still looking for an idea for our Light Music Club freshman recruiting video. You know something? I believe it is our duty to show what's good about being in the Light Music Club."
They all nodded.
Ritsu went on. "So, how about something like this? A faculty member interviewing us, but we prefer to have our faces blurred as to avoid having out identities found out. I could go out and say something like 'Right, the benefits were immense. As soon as I joined the Light Music Club, I was accepted to the college of my choice, won the lottery, grew taller, and even my skin looks better now! I've had nothing but good luck. I can't believe how troubled I was before!' And the results would show before and after training. Something like that."
"No way," Azusa deadpanned. "That sounds like a shady infomercial."
"You don't like it?"
"No way!"
Ui offered a suggestion. "How about we do the Electric Slide or the Hustle in our animal costumes, then? Tsumugi can play her maracas while she's at it. And I can do some slam dancing as in my chicken outfit."
"Like Sesame Street?" Ritsu said, cross and disappointed with the idea.
"Not good?"
"Nope."
"Besides," Azusa added, "those costumes will scare people off."
Another suggestion from Ui. "Okay, let's ditch the costumes. Let's do a comedy skit. For example, we can drop a bucket on somebody. Eh? Uh-huh, that looks like a winner, right?"
The others looked at Ui with looks of bewilderment, as if she had lost her mind yet again. "Why the hell do we need to make this a fucking comedy?" Azusa groaned.
More tea, and desserts from Paradiso were shared around as Ui drew some random animals, flowers, smilies and hearts on a sign that indicated that the club was in Session 4 of the Planning Committee. They had been unable to reach an agreement on what to publish, and time was of the essence as the frog watched, guarding the doors outside.
"With those ideas consigned to the shredder," said Ritsu, sipping, "we are starting to run out of alternatives, and this, ladies and gentleturtle, isn't good."
The others were still in deep thought over what to choose as the mental debate went on.
"I'll have some strawberry cake!" Ui said, helping herself to a slice. Dibs.
"You were thinking about that?" Azusa exclaimed, shocked at her ladyfriend's direction of thought. Again, dibs.
"I'll take the Mont Blanc!" Ritsu said, grabbing it.
"That's not fair, Ritsu!" Mio said, furious that she got dibs on the chestnut-laced wonder. "That was going to be mine."
"Correction: WAS going to be yours, Mio. Tee hee."
Now Azusa was setting order in the club. "Guys, guys, we need to quit arguing about desserts and focus on what to present for the video!"
"Do you want one that's on the plate?" Ritsu asked her.
"Fine, I'll have the banana cream tart." She took her plate. Mugi took the custard pie, while it was the chocolate cake for Mio.
But after eating dessert, they still were mentally debating over what to publish. And the afternoon sun never shown any brighter.
it was Mugi's turn to take the floor. "How about we do this?"
"Speak up, Mugi-chan," Ui said to her.
"Let's make it a murder thriller TV drama, like Law & Order, House, CSI and all those shows on TV. The Light Music Club is solving the case. But the murderer actually..."
A bored Ritsu shot it down easily. Bang. "We can't have the culprit standing on a cliff facing the Sea of Japan."
"I see. How about this: it's a dark and stormy night. The Light Music Club is locked in the school gym. They disappear one by one, just like the lyrics for 'Gohan wa Okazu.' How's that?"
The four of them looked at Mugi with the same bemused faces they had been wearing for the past hour or so. "There is now way we can be allowed to re-enact that," Ritsu said. Back to the drawing board, then.
Mugi agreed. "I guess the lyrics weren't like that at all...How about we simplify things?"
"What do you mean?"
"As she meets her maker, Azusa is screaming bloody murder in the music room as a bust of a Roman god falls on the floor. Ricchan hears the message while washing her sweating face outside. Mio was listening to some iPods but could hear the scream from under the trees. I'm in the shoe changing room but I hear the cry for help. Ui is already on her way. We all arrive by the entrance, ready to save this person. With a nod, I open the door. and we all see Azusa lying there in the middle of the room. 'Azusa! Azunyan!' we all shout, in horror. Next to her is a message that says, 'Keion-bu,' written in her own blood. 'What the hell is this?' Ricchan shouts, horrified at the sight. Mio cowers in a corner, while we all look on at the note, taking a closer look. 'The culprit wants us to see the Light Music Club?' Ricchan asks me, Ui and Mio. 'Let's go see the Light Music Club,' I say to the others as we all stand. 'All our questions will be answered there.' How's that?"
"But doesn't that make the Light Music Club the culprit?" Ritsu said sheepishly. Bang! There goes another idea shot down against the afternoon sun.
"And I am the corpse?" Azusa deadpanned, not amused by her becoming a liability with the club.
"You guys don't like it?" Tsumugi asked them.
Ritsu spelled it out for her. "No. We. DON'T." She had another idea. "Let's do a cursed video!" Azusa was not buying into the idea one iota of a bit. "Whoever watches this video will be..."
"That's reserved for our friends from the Occult Club," Azusa said to her.
"But the Occult Club isn't like that at all," Ui countered.
"Huh?" Azusa didn't get it.
"Azusa, listen," Ritsu said, "all you've been saying is 'no' this entire time. Basically, you are the one that has been holding us up from creating any progress here. What exactly do you want from this video?"
She gave it some thought, before coming up with a solution. "All right guys, I will type up a script for you guys and make copies of it for you next week."
They applauded her move with a flourish.
Ui continued on her blog entry, drinking a bottle of water. "Now," she said while typing, "we didn't have a clue as to what Azusa was going to write. But she apparently had something in mind during Session 4. Azusa was going to succeed Ricchan as our president, so we figured it had to be something good for us; Otherwise, our video would end up no better than the previous one. We were on pins and needles, crossing our fingers. Something needed to be done. Thank God the love of my life saved our lives that afternoon over tea, cookies and cake."
"Ui-chan!" Aki called out from downstairs, "Dinner's ready!"
"I'll blog some more later," Ui said while typing. "Dinner is being served." She titled the entry as "Graduation Day Anecdotes Part 1," hit the Submit button, closed her laptop and went downstairs.
"Wow," Ui said, seeing a table full of delights. There was sushi, sashimi, katsu, tempura, miso soup, salad, and some KFC: the most expensive item on the menu.
"You like that layout?" Susumu asked her.
"Dad, you are awesome," Ui said, giving him a hug.
Susumu scruffed her hair a little. "Anything for my already-graduated daughter. Help yourself. There's plenty to eat. Oh, and look who's here."
He was pointing to Grandma Tomi Ichimonji, watching some college basketball. "Hello," she said in her gentle, craggy voice.
"Granny, hi," Ui said, giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek. "So glad you could be here."
"Congratulations on graduating, Ui-chan. Are you ready for college?"
"Mmm-hmmm!"
"Good, good. By the way, I had the KFC up the street hand-deliver the sides and the two buckets of fried chicken. I know that a couple others are coming too, so I prepared accordingly."
"Thanks, Granny."
"All right. Ah, this is such a wonderful moment. Ooh, that was a good three-pointer! Defense, Duke, defense!" She turned to the television, watching the NCAA Tournament while eating on some tempura.
"This food is so delicious!" Yui said, munching blissfully on a drumstick. "I could eat the whole bucket!"
"Yui-chan, that's not all for you," Aki reminded her youngest daughter, who pouted.
Before Ui could have a seat, the doorbell rang. "Do you want to go get that?" Susumu asked Ui.
"Yes, Dad." Ui walked over to the door and opened it.
"Excuse our intrusion!" It was Jun and Azusa. Azusa made some more of the chocolate cake that she baked for the club, while Jun had another of those All-Star Packs.
"Hello, hello, hello!" Ui said. Azusa gave her a hug. She was still tearing up a little.
"And who might these two be?" Susumu asked Ui.
"These are my friends, Jun-chan and Azusa."
"Hello, Mr. Hirasawa." Jun was still trembling. She couldn't believe this was HIM. She bowed. "I am...Jun Suzuki. A pleasure to meet you."
"The daughter of a good friend of mine by the same name, huh?"
"H...how did you know?"
"I got connections. I'm Susumu Hirasawa, Yui's and Ui's father, and this is my wife Aki."
"Hello," she said.
"I'm Azusa Nakano," she said, introducing herself with a bow. "I'm Ui's fiancée and a classmate of Jun. A pleasure to meet you."
"The daughter of Teruo-san, huh?" Susumu asked her.
"You know my father?"
"He was with me during my P-Model days before he did his work with the Puppet Master Quartet. I know him very well."
"Susumu-kun knows everybody," Aki said. "When he met with Ricchan's, Mio-chan's, and Mugi-chan's parents, it was as if he was meeting with old friends. Mugi-chan's uncle Hikaru worked with Susumu-kun as a member of P-Model, and so did Mio's father Tatsuhiko. Yasumi, Ricchan's mother, and her father Sadatoshi also worked with Susumu-kun. It was like a P-Model reunion, in a way, down at the graduation."
"As you can see, we're all connected, in one way or another," Ui said to Azusa. "Let's eat."
They all sat down at the table to eat dinner. "So let me also ask you this," Susumu asked Ui, "are you and Azusa lesbians?"
"We are," they both said.
"Hmmm." he gave this thought. "This is the first time I've ever had my two wonderful daughters come out in the open like this. In recent years, I have realized that I have to respect the wishes of people who choose to be gay or lesbian. I have many friends and acquaintances who are LGBT, and I believe that the current law in this country should allow for increased gay rights."
"Is Dad becoming a lawyer all of a sudden?" asked Ui, to which everyone laughed.
"I'm just throwing my philosophy out for you guys to enjoy." He turned to Azusa. "Anyway, the point I am making is this. I believe that as long as Teruo, your father, is fine with you marrying Ui, I will also give my consent. I will also allow you to live here, as a reward for you helping my two daughters out so many times. Congratulations."
Azusa blushed. "Th...Thank you, Mr. Hirasawa."
Susumu smiled and turned away. "Hee hee, and then I can take photos of my daughters fornicating with Azusa-chan in Ui-chan's bedroom and...!"
Aki smacked him with a paper fan, triggering a headbump. "Quit being a perv!" she and the others exclaimed.
"Oh, the woes of being the only man in the house..." And they all laughed.
"Congratulations on getting consent from the 'rents, Azusa, Ui-sempai," Jun said to them, eating a donut.
"Thank you," they both replied.
"Ui, we're gonna be living our lives together when I graduate," Azusa said, leaning closer to Ui, feeling her heartbeat. "I feel so happy!"
"I know."
"Don't forget that you have me to keep you company!" Yui added, pouting in her complaint.
"We won't forget about you either, Yui."
"Oh, and Azunyan will need to buy me ice cream!"
"You go buy your own!" Azusa shot back.
Yui cowered in fear. "Onee-chan, your fiancée is being mean to me!" The others laughed.
"Azunyan, is it?" Susumu said, stroking his chin with a smile.
"We like to call her Azunyan because she looks good in cat ears!"
Azusa blushed madly. "That's true..."
"Do your cat pose, Azunyan! Do it! Do it!"
Reluctantly, she did. "N...Nyan..."
Susumu was mesmerized, and so was Aki. "So cute..." they both said.
After they both cleared the table, Grandma Tomi said goodbye to the others and left for her house. "Tomorrow morning, we'll be leaving for Germany," Susumu said to Ui, Yui, Jun and Azusa. "We'll be spending the night here. Jun, Azusa, are you two also gonna spend the night here?"
"We're sleeping over, yes," Azusa said.
Jun agreed. "Yep."
"Jun-chan, Azunyan, do you want to play some video games in my room?" Yui asked.
"What games do you got?" Jun asked her.
"Some sports and action games. And I got the DDR machine, too!"
"Awesome, let's go! Azusa, do you want to join us?"
"I'll be...with Ui," she replied, embracing her.
"Lovers," she scoffed. "Yui, I challenge you!"
"Okay, you're on!" And off they went to Yui's room to play some video games on the PlayStation3, Wii and Xbox360.
"We'll talk amongst ourselves in the living room," Aki said to Ui and Azusa.
"Okay, Mom," Ui said. "Thanks for the food! Come on Azusa, let's go to my room."
"Yeah!" She brought her pink polka-dotted pillow and other toiletries and followed Ui upstairs.
After she took a bath, Azusa undid her twintails, dressed in nothing but a long white nightshirt with purple cuffs and collar over her white panties.. The pajamas covered all the way down to the middle of her thighs.
"Ui?" she asked, still clutching her pillow.
"There you are," she replied, downing the rest of her water, cracking her knuckles a bit. She was wearing nothing but a buttoned nightshirt over her bra and panties "Knock yourself out."
Azusa smiled as she placed her pillow nest to Ui's, and stared at the ceiling as she lay there, relaxing, her face still blushing. "So what are you doing?"
"I'm recalling some stuff that happened when I was still a student. I remember one time in November where we were producing that freshmen recruitment video that we already did. I'm blogging about it."
"Oh yeah, I remember that stuff from a while back, about how I made up the script for that and all that stuff." She closed her eyes. "Hey, Ui, when you're done, I want you to make love to me some more."
"What we did by the tree was just a taste of what's to come. Just let me finish this."
"Okay, love." Her smile never going away for a bit, Azusa laid on her side and watched Ui continue to blog about the video the club made.
After Azusa returned home, she wasted no time in concocting the script for the video. Clad in a green and light green shirt over an olive sweater with pink cuffs, she needed some form of inspiration to make this script simple, easy to understand, but most importantly...effective. Azusa was in a state of thought, experimenting with numerous scenarios, mixing and matching with the seconds ticking away into evening.
Suddenly, she slumped on her side, a prisoner of too much thought and nothing to account for. "Dammit, this isn't working," she said to herself. "I can't come up with anything when I try to do it myself." While Azusa wasn't one to lose a battle so easily, something needed to be created.
The next day was Sunday, and Azusa was still working on her script over at the Max Burger, where she was joined by Yui and Nodoka Manabe, the other two succeeding members of the club. Yui worked on her second refill of Coke, while Nodoka worked on her first.
"Thanks for treating us again, Azunyan," Yui said.
"Will you two quit drinking; I'm trying to think here!" Azusa exclaimed.
"Uh oh; she's gone tsundere again."
"You know those types of traits, Yui?" Nodoka asked her.
"Yep! I read about it all the time." She took a fry and treated it as it was a cigarette before eating it.
"Anyway, Azusa, I don't believe it's of your interests to think too much into it."
"Nodoka-chan's got a point. I see onee-chan blogging, and what she does is this: she writes down whatever may come to mind."
"For someone that doesn't blog too much, if ever," Nodoka said to her, "you know quite a lot."
"That's cause onee-chan told me about it a while back."
Azusa was also working on her Max Burger. "Whatever comes to mind, huh?"
Nodoka weighed in. "Here's another tip that I got from a member of the Council who has connections to the Drama Club: use a cool pitch."
"Whoa, that's a good idea, Nodoka-chan!" Yui said, sparks in her eyes.
"You're already buying into her idea that quickly?" Azusa deadpanned, a suspicious young woman.
Now it was Nodoka's turn to be Don LaFontaine. "In a country where rock and roll fuels its commitment to be its best, their concert send a shockwave throughout Sakuragaoka High School Girls Campus, moving more than a thousand strong to tears! Do you want to add your page to the history of a tradition since 1967? Join the Light Music Club and become...a legend!"
"Miss Sawako tried that with us yesterday," Azusa said to her, "and that's not going to work."
Nodoka went on. "And the video should be like those music promo videos. You can play in one of the local hot spots in Shinjuku, Ginza or Shibuya, while filming from above for a dynamic effect. You can even include scenes from past concerts, outtakes, practices, etc."
"Whoa! That sounds like a plan, Nodoka-chan," Yui replied.
"Hmmm..." Azusa pondered the thought. "The dramatic stuff is fine, but I don't think we can afford to go over the top with this one. Besides, I want to have a homemade quality to this film and show the normal-but-good side of the Light Music Club."
"I think going homemade is fine because it fits the club well, but I don't think it should be unpolished and too homemade. I would think that the finished product would at least be professionally done."
"The good side of the Light music Club, huh?" Nodoka wondered, stroking her chin. "Okay, you can talk about how you get to stay overnight at school during the school festival."
Yui was all in. "Oooh, that's a good idea, Nodoka-chan!"
Azusa laughed in embarrassment. "You're always buying into every idea Nodoka gives you, Yui. Anyway, I don't think that should be considered the good side of the club."
"I would think that staying overnight on campus is a fun thing if you're a member," Nodoka said to Yui, "right?"
"True, true."
Nodoka worked on her Coke. "Last week, Jun-sempai told me that the Jazz Club only had a short rehearsal the day before their concert."
"Those guys practice every day, unlike us," Azusa replied. "So while they don't get a lot of breaks, they have the luxury of not panicking at the last minute because they know what to do."
"However—and Jun-sempai is notorious for pointing this out every time she gets the chance—you guys get to have tea, sweets and sweet talk every day after class, unlike the Jazz Club. And you get to go to a vacation home by a beach for summer training camp, unlike the Jazz Club."
"Ehhh, that's mean. Nodoka-chan, you're making them sound lazy," Yui said.
"Don't say lazy!" Azusa shot back.
Nodoka maintained her innocence. "I didn't say this; Jun did."
In the back of her mind, she did admit that they were lazy most of the time, in spite of getting things right when necessary.
But for the first time, Azusa had something to work with. She had a lead. She remembered the concert at the last school festival, when everyone was working so hard to make it the most successful ever. She remembered the sweat that was dripping from the hair, the emotions running through their blood, the crowd cheering, immortalizing their place among the school's finest.
This meant so much to her. This club, and everything it stood for, meant so much to her because this was the club she would take command of in April.
"Yesterday, a few freshmen in the Jazz Club were talking with me in the Student Council Room about you guys," Nodoka said as Yui worked on her fries. "They were telling me that it doesn't look like you guys practice that much, but your performance was still fantastic."
"You know what?" Yui said to her. "Grandma Tomi next door was watching the broadcast and said that they kicked ass that afternoon. It was unbelievable. She said that when onee-chan plays, the whole world stops to listen and enjoy. It was broadcast online, too."
"Ooooh. I thought the fact that this was broadcast all over was via the Web just a rumor. Now I know that it's true."
"You didn't hear, Nodoka-chan? I'm so disappointed in you. You thought it was just broadcast on local TV, huh? This was a global event. The world knows about Azunyan, onee-chan and the others."
The lead got bigger. "I got it."
"What?" The two of them wanted to know. It was big enough for Azusa to write down the lines for what would eventually be the script. Nodoka and Yui took a sneak peek.
"I think we inspired her," Yui said. "High-five, Nodoka-chan?"
"Sure thing." An exchange, and a job well done.
Monday morning came. Clear skies with a few clouds and a cool, blustery wind welcomed the students that day. Azusa went over to the office to make copies of the script, which she reproduced using Microsoft Word. Afterwards, she made the trip up the stairs, where the others awaited her. Outside, the cross-country team was going through their conditioning run across campus and all over the neighborhood. Five laps, jogging pace. Keep the blood flowing, you harriers.
Azusa opened the door. "Hello everyone."
Ui was working on her blog while they were waiting. The usuals were at the table. Ritsu and Mio were chatting about the January football transfer rumor mill. "Ah, there she is," Ui said.
"I have the script here." She provided four copies, freshly stapled from the office. "Take a look."
"Hmmm...I see what you did here," Tsumugi said. "Basically, you decided to structure this whole this around interview questions. I can see how this can be done. Some background music, out pops a question, and then one of us answers this whole thing using the script. Repeat until done. Not bad."
"I like the layout," Ui said.
"Me too," Ritsu added.
"I can manage this," Mio said to the others.
"I'm glad you like the layout," Azusa replied, content on doing something the club could work with. "Essentially, I want to add footage from our concerts and add the input from various people around campus to get their opinions on the club. A good cross-section of the campus will be used for this video, and we place the good ones in the final cut."
"Looks like a plan, Azunyan," Ui said to her. "We're all in on this."
"Don't you think this is a bit too serious, though?" Ritsu asked Azusa.
"Ritsu-sempai, it's either one of two things: we use this route, or the club gets abolished again next year due to lack of members."
"I don't see any problem with it, either," said Mio. "Besides, there is no way we can use Miss Sawako's outfit in this."
"Okay, we'll go with this, then."
"Speaking of Miss Sawako," said Ui, "I won't be if she comes right about...now."
Right on cue. "Guys, I'm done."
"Miss Sawako! We knew you were coming! Well, at least I knew you were coming..."
"Psychic," Mio, Ritsu, Tsumugi and Azusa deadpanned suspiciously.
"Anyway, what the heck do you got for us now?"
"I have created a wonderful costume that will send shockwaves throughout all 50 U.S. states and Puerrrrrrto Rrrrrrico!"
"Did you really have to trill that last one? Seriously? And don't tell us you were cooped up in the sewing room on Sunday, too!"
"I was."
"Damn."
"Anyway, here it is!" She presented a Las Vegas showgirl-style outfit made with fishnet stocking that triggered a muted reaction from the club. "Eh?"
Mio fainted as her face turned blue. "Sorry, Miss Sawako," said Ui, "but we already have something to work with." The frog at the door ended up wearing it. Sawako sat next to the frog, arms crossed and a dejected pout on her face.
The club continued on with carrying out the script inside. "Hey guys," Ritsu said, "was she seriously going to make Mio wear that?"
"I don't know," Ui replied, "you tell me!"
"Seriously?"
"She's crazy. And she wasted her time, to be honest with you."
"Tch. Typical Sawa-chan."
"I think we should try to fit that costume somewhere in this script," Tsumugi said.
"You're crazy, too!" Mio exclaimed, her face still pale.
"Anyway," Azusa asked Ui, "do you know where the videos from our school festival concerts are?"
"Speaking of which, I don't believe we received this year's copy from Jun-chan yet."
"No, I think we can procure the disc from the Student Council room," Mugi said.
"All righty then; it's field trip time," Ritsu replied with a smile on her face. "To the student council room we go!"
"Yo. Did you guys need something?" Jun asked the five of them entering the room.
"Yeah," Ui said. "We need the tape from the school festival held a few weeks earlier so we can use it for our freshman recruitment video."
"You're in luck; I believe I have it." She took out a DVD and popped it in her laptop. "Have a look." It was coverage from Day 2 of the festival.
"Wow." High-definition video, and it was a solid capture of the concert. "Nice. This is amazing!"
"Like that, eh?" The magic club with their magic show, with a dove on one of the members heads. Clever.
"Stop watching that," Ritsu said, triggering a headbump.
"Awww, but I have I respect for the magic club's show. You killjoy."
"Hey Jun, you know what to do."
"Let me fast forward to your part," she said, reaching over and fast-forwarding the broadcast to the beginning of the concert.
"Our turn was much later," Mio reminded the others.
"Awww, we can't take a look at the Daiquiri sketches from the Comedy Club?"
Ritsu had her reservations. "Ui-chan!"
"Yes dearest Ricchan, I defer to the rest of you."
Azusa, in the style of a cat forged on curiosity, glanced over the numerous archives and anecdotes of a school founded in 1923. "Hey guys, here's the DVD from two years ago."
"Two years...ago?" Mio asked her.
Ritsu remembered. "Oh yeah, in the concert two years ago..."
Tsumugi remembered it well. "Mio-chan rocketed to stardom..."
They both did, sparkling. "With that legendary..."
"Don't say it!" It was The Incident, still fresh in Mio's head. And the rice bowl. That legendary pair of blue and white striped panties that Mio continues to wear today.
Regardless, the band procured all the footage from their past shows and brought it to the music room. Ui used her laptop to extract the scenes from the shows, where she saved them as AVI files.
"With that out of the way," Azusa said to them all, "we can officially move on to filming the daily life of the Light Music Club."
Yui and Nodoka brought in some lights that were borrowed from the Motion Film Club. Yui was holding the camera. "I am so happy that I am filming this thing," she said.
"Don't juggle it while you are at it," Azusa said to her.
"Okay." Her hand was shaking a little, but otherwise it was just fine.
"Are you guys ready?" Nodoka asked them.
"We're good," Mio replied. "But this is pretty serious business."
"The Motion Film Club was more than happy to lend us the equipment for this one. I talked to the club president earlier today, and she said it was all right because she is one of your fans."
"Again," Azusa stressed, "if you want to get people to come out and keep this club alive, this is what we have to do. Besides, this is about our daily life, so there is no script. Total improvisation. We just act the way we normally do." She flipped through a page of her copy. "We'll start with a scene where we take care of Ton-chan."
"Standby, Apple Charlie on 2, mark," Yui said, keeping the camera steady. "And...action!"
The five of them walked over to the turtle, which was on his afternoon swim. Azusa dropped some pellets on to the water, and the turtle snapped it up eagerly.
"We're doing this at the start?" Ritsu asked, bemused. Mio was similarly unwilling. Ui and Mugi were, though.
"Azunyan loves Ton-chan so much that she would do anything to make him happy," was Ui's reply.
"You got a problem with that?" Azusa asked them all, flustered. "Ton-chan is a part of us too."
"Anything...she would do anything..." Ui was still in her blissful state as Azusa went after her for the longest time.
"Cut, and print," Yui said. "Next!"
"Next, we have the tea-time scene," Azusa said, looking at the script. "Again, this is all improvisation." Azusa waved as Yui as a signal that they were ready.
"Standby, Apple Delta on 3, mark," Yui said, keeping the camera steady again. "And...action!"
"Ready, and...I got this one!" the five of them said, pointing to their choice of desserts in the middle of the table. Once again, Mio got another slice of chocolate cake. Azusa got the Mont Blanc and Mugi got the peach-strawberry cheesecake.
"I'll throw rock, you guys," Ritsu replied.
"Then I'll throw paper," said Ui.
"Rock, paper, scissors!" they both said, while the others ate. "Rock, paper, scissors!"
"And...cut!" Yui said. "Good work. On to the next scene."
"So far, so good," Nodoka said to her. By the way, Ui won...again. Ritsu was consigned to the blueberry cake, while Ui helped herself to a slice of the strawberry cake. That was two in a row.
"Next scene we have here is a study session in the club room," Azusa said.
"We're gonna need to be very quiet in this one, Nodoka-chan," Yui said to her.
"You too."
"Ready?"
Azusa flashed a thumbs up.
"Stand by, Apple Foxtrot on 4, mark. And...action!"
Ui was busy doing some note writing on the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. The others were preparing for their admissions exams by looking at their guides. "Hey Mio-chan, you got this one wrong."
"I did?"
"Yeah. Actually, you're supposed to use the formula like this." Ui was indoctrinated in the world of calculus and algebra, and knew what to write.
"Hey, you're actually correct. Sorry."
She wagged her finger. "I keep reminding you, but you always forget. A scenario: suppose variable 'x' went on a shopping trip. Then variable 'y' is left all alone. And thus, y will be eagerly awaiting x's return. It shows how close this x and y are!"
Yui was impressed as she zoomed in. "Onee-chan at her best..." she whispered. Ui couldn't help but smile for the camera.
"We don't need you to fake this whole thing you idiot!" Azusa exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. "The concept is supposed to be the normal life of the Light Music Club."
"I thought this was what normally happens," Ui replied. "In that case, the need to drop a bucket on someone might be useful at this juncture of the filming."
"I said no bucket!"
"And...cut!" Yui said, after cutting to a scene on the whiteboard which showed x3=y3 = bucket. "Well done, onee-chan!" She turned to Nodoka. "I think that idea might be useful; what do you think Nodoka-chan?"
"I think not. We should redo the tea-time scene one more time."
"I agree. Let's do that tea time scene one more time, you guys!" Yui reset the camera.
Tsumugi brought a tray of confections to the table. "All right, this time we'll have some Japanese-style sweets."
"Whoopee! I'm diggin' it," Ui said. "Daifuku!"
"You got it."
"I thought this was sakuramochi," Yui said to Nodoka.
"You thought wrong."
"All right!" Ritsu exclaimed.
Azusa was loving it. "Great!"
"Jun was telling me that these guys don't really practice at all, and I can see why," Nodoka said to a nodding Yui, sweating.
"Mmm-hmmmm."
"Do you guys want me to pour some tea?" Ui asked the four of them.
"I'll do the honors," Mugi said, pouring freshly-brewed matcha into their cups.
"Standby, Apple Charlie Eagle on two, mark," Yui said. "And...action!"
The girls snacked on their daifuku with gusto. The sweetness and richness of the cake meshed with the bitter zing of the green tea, a harmonic balance of yin and yang.
"Cut, cut!" Azusa said. "Guys, it doesn't look like you weren't into this scene. You have to feel like you want to be here because you want to be in reality, right?"
"Sorry, we're just too bored with filming all this," Ritsu said to her.
"Mou! Let's try this again."
"Standby, Apple Charlie Bravo on three, mark," Yui said. "And...action!"
As Ui was eating her daifuku, she felt a twitch, causing her face to turn red.
"Cut!" Azusa exclaimed. "Ui-sempai, why did you want to hold your breath?"
"Actually, I was about to choke on one of the pieces."
"Be careful, Ui-sempai! Let's try this one more time."
"Standby, Apple Delta Foxtrot on four, mark," Yui said, keeping the camera steady. "Boy, this is hard work. And...action!"
"If I cut this into smaller pieces," Ui said while breaking her daifuku down, "I shouldn't choke this time around." Ritsu looked on with a suspicious look.
"Cut! Cut! Ui-sempai, seriously, you are very hard to work with!" said Azusa. "Act normally, will
"What is your sister doing, Yui?" Nodoka asked her with grave suspicion.
"I don't know; maybe Azunyan is expecting too much out of onee-chan and the others."
"I hope she's not doing this on purpose."
"She might be, she might not be. You never know, Nodoka-chan."
"If she is, I bet you she's doing this so that she could eat more of the daifuku."
"Really? I didn't know that." Rumors were just that, though: rumors.
"Shall we do it one more time?" Ui asked.
"For you, we might as well," Ritsu deadpanned, "since you are holding us up."
They went through cutting that scene one more time, which was a print, and did three more takes of the studying scene, the final one a go.
"And that does it!" Yui said. "Take a breather everyone; we are done with filming here." Applause from the congregation of seven. "Where to next?"
"Let's go to the roof," Azusa said to them all. "Follow me."
The afternoon skies formed a wonderful backdrop for filming this scene.
"We can see the many different wards within our metropolis," Ui said as Tsumugi, she, Azusa, Mio and Ritsu set their instruments down. "Over there: Shibuya. That cluster of buildings: Shinjuku. That needle sticking out: Tokyo Tower. And we can see the Palace, the Diet building, and all the other skyscrapers that grace its 23 wonderful wards."
Miss Sawako walked over to the five of them. "So you're playing here?" she asked Azusa.
"No, we're sending a message to the incoming freshmen with our instruments as the backdrop," she replied with a smile.
"Hey Azunyan," Yui asked, "after this, we have the interviews to do, right?"
"Correct."
"All right guys, I leave it to you to take it from here," Sawako said. "When you're done, bring the footage to me so I can edit it. I'll see you later." She was off.
"You got it, Miss Sawako. Thanks." Azusa turned to the others. "Are you guys ready?"
"We are!" Ritsu said from the other side of the roof.
"Good. You know your lines?"
"Yes, ma'am!"'
"Good."
"Everything is set and ready to go," Nodoka added.
"Well done. Yui?"
"Apple Charlie Bravo on 3, mark," Yui droned as Azusa took her place. This time, the filming for the message was completed in one take as the birds sung their afternoon song on campus. "And...action!"
"Ready, and...come join us!" the band said in unison to the background of "Gohan Wa Okazu."
"Welcome!" Ui added.
"Rice is awesome!" Ritsu chimed, just for camaraderie purposes.
"Cut and print!" Yui said. "Good work." Now it was time for the interviews.
The consensus opinion of the light music club, which was, naturally, positive, came from all corners of the campus.
"Wait, the Light Music Club?" asked one senior.
"I think they're on the third floor," her friend said.
"Miss Hirayama's guitar in that concert? Wait, was that Hirakawa? Oh, it's Hirasawa! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Anyway, I think it was awesome!" said another senior.
"What?" her friend asked.
"Third floor?" replied another senior.
"But I don't hear them practicing," replied her friend.
"Donaiyanen!" a few sophomores said, pumping their fists in the air. They were at the nationally televised concert.
"Yes," Miss Sawako added, "I'm a proud Light Music Club alumnus. The style has changed quite a bit from my days, but I think it's still a wonderful group. And I think their faculty advisor is just so awesome! Wait a minute, that's me. Sorry."
"The Light Music Club?" Ichigo Wakaouji asked back at Room 3-2. "Personally, I'm not involved with them because I'm with the gymnastics team, but...why not?" A voice of solidarity.
Nobuyo Nakajima and Ushio Oota also weighed in on the subject. "A true story," Nobuyo said. "My dad recently bought a new car."
"A light truck," Ushio corrected her.
"Ouch."
Akiyo Miyamoto gave her thoughts back at the library. "Um...they're fun people."
A humble response.
Mika Saeki, Eri Taki, Akane Sato, Keiko Sano and Toshimi Nakanishi also gave their thoughts. "The Light Music Club is pretty good, but check out the Volleyball Club, too!" Prefecture champions and national semifinalists. Not bad.
"Join us!" Eri Taki added.
"Ready? Here it comes!" A pantomime game of volleyball on the stairs, with Mika serving as the libero. "Akane!"
"I got it!" That went on for a while.
Autumn's flowers were in full bloom in the gardens within the Girls Campus.
A sophomore saxophonist in the Jazz Club was interviewed. "They're a club with a solid, sweet sound. And they're doing a good job despite having only a handful. They are a class act."
They were an honest crew of hard workers, Jun Suzuki's Jazz Club were.
"The Light Music Club is the out-of-place artifact of Sakuragaoka High Campus for Young Women," said one member of the Occult Club.
"Like the stone spheres of Costa Rica?" her partner replied.
"In a way, that is one interpretation."
"Kitsune udon?" asked one of the co-op workers. "It comes with eggs for a limited time at your Sakuragaoka Girls Campus Co-op!"
"I believe they're asking about the Light Music Club," said one of her co-workers.
"They are? Oh, I'm sorry; I stand corrected. Well, they are a wonderful group. A lovely bunch."
"Onee-chan always tells me that every day is a blast in the Light Music Club," Yui said at the stairs, "and that's why I'm planning to join next April. I hope you will do the same and join us. I wonder if they will have tea and snacks...?" She pondered the question for the longest time.
"Well," Nodoka said, "I heard about this club from some connections of mine, and I heard that they hold their summer training camp at beach-side vacation homes replete with music studios. That's why aside from my role with the Council, I plan to join the club in the Spring."
She pointed at the camera, issuing the challenge as it zoomed in. "Are you?"
"They are a club that I know very well and that I am bit jealous of because of the luxuries they have," Jun said at the Student Council room. "And it is a club you will enjoy. I hope that once you become a proud member, you will submit your paperwork early so that you can get chartered by my guys on the Council and also be on your way to using our campus auditorium and the many classrooms we have available for you to use."
Ton-chan swims in his tank. But if he were to say something, it would be, "The light music club brought me here. When you become a member, you get to be in my company and I get to watch you raise the roof. You will enjoy it. I know I am. And don't forget to feed me, all right? Welcome, freshmen!"
Ritsu gave her thoughts while keeping part of her face off camera and speaking in a high-pitched voice. "Right, as soon as I joined the Light Music Club, I was accepted to the college of my choice, won the lottery, and grew taller, and even my skin looks better now! I've had nothing but good luck." She moved from side to side, blissful. "I can't believe how troubled I felt before!"
Remove that from the final cut, Miss Sawa-chan, will you? The frog dressed in Vegas drag testified to the truth.
A couple of freshmen were also interviewed. They were members of the Mio Fan Club. "The concert during the school festival was totally awesome!" said one.
"Miss Mio is the best!" her friend replied, captive.
Grandma Tomi was even interviewed while feeding her dog. This was requested by Ui. "I hope that in the future, you will make it your duty to perform at the shopping district's talent show next year. We would love to see you entertain us," she said. "Please give it a try."
All of these scenes, along with the concert footage, the queues of people lining up for the concert and fans, and practice footage were added in the final cut, which was created with Windows Live Movie Maker and encoded as a Blu-Ray quality WMV file.
The band looked at it from Sawako's disc, which was placed in Ui's laptop, brought the following day.
"How's that?" Miss Sawako asked the others watching.
"Well done, Miss Sawako," Ui said.
"That was awesome," Ritsu said.
"Nice video," Mio added.
"The interviews and the concerts meshed together made this a winner," said Tsumugi.
"Thanks, everybody," Sawako replied. "But you can thank Microsoft for their useful tool as well."
"I'm sure this was a lot better than the last time," said Azusa. "Aren't you glad I'm here to help you guys?"
"Azunyan and Miss Sawako," said Ui. "Time will tell if I am right, but as of right now, my opinion is that you two may have saved the light music club from abolishment."
"We'll see, Ui-sempai. We'll see."
"I hope you're right," Sawako added. "If this doesn't get this club new members next Spring, guys...nothing will."
"Total satisfaction, right here!" Mugi added as Sawako was intoxicated in the praise she was getting from her students.
The video closed with the key chains of the five members of Hokago Tea Time, spelling KEION-BU. The Light Music Club. And it transitioned to the message by the members.
"Come join us!" they said.
"I can't believe that it was done better than I expected," Azusa replied, captivated. "I echo Miss Sawako's opinion. If this doesn't get us any new members, nothing will."
Just for the sake of adding home-style originality to it, Miss Sawako added the scene of Azusa in the cat pose. "W...Welcome to the Light Music Club-nyan," she said.
"Couldn't leave that scene out, sorry," Miss Sawako explained, firm in her convictions before striking a pose.
The response was muted. "Cut out that last scene, will you?" Azusa asked her monotonously.
"Awwww, you guys are no fine. Fine. I will."
As Sawako pouted next to the frog in drag, a defeated figure, it was a good thing she didn't throw away the master project file on her own laptop. She would have the disc ready later that day, where it would be available for the club's use.
"I would like to open the tin," Azusa said, opening the cookie tin. "We're going to seal off this version," she said, placing the disc in.
"Are you sure?" Ui asked as Azusa went along her business.
"That's gonna be costly," Ritsu said to her. "You won't have your solo scene if we cut that out."
"Azunyan, she's got a point."
Mio weighed in on the matter. "I think, guys, we need to have a scene that features Azusa after having all those interviews with different people. You are going to be the president next Spring, so it's all right to market yourself that way."
Tsumugi still had Miss Sawako's camera. "Should we film one now then?"
"What?" The camera was rolling. "Wait a minute, I'm not ready!" She turned away, embarrassed. "This is all so sudden." Ui was anticipating something magical. Tsumugi was looking forward to the special announcement from the president-elect. "W...Well..." She had to swallow her pride and do what she did anyway. Azusa was not only Azusa. She was also Azunyan. And that's what mattered. "W...Welcome to the Light Music Club-nyan!" she said, striking a cat pose. The others were captive. "Cut that scene out!" she pleaded.
But the others liked it. It was four against one. And that would be in the final cut and Ui donned a set of cat ears on the Vegas frog in drag...which lost a feather.
"After the video was finally made available for viewing," Ui said while typing in her blog, "I still wondered whether or not it would be effective in getting new blood into the club. Only three members will be in for next year, and two more are needed to make it a chartered club. Regardless of the circumstances, we had a fun time producing this video, and we gave it all we had as the march towards our exams and graduation drew near. That's all the blogging I will do tonight. Wish me well at JWU. Yours, Ui Hirasawa."
She hit the Submit button after naming the post "Graduation Day Anecdotes Part 2." After turning off her laptop, she flipped the lights off while turning the heater on and closing the door. Yui and Jun were sleeping after playing on the PS3 for so long, with Yui opportunistically fondling Jun's bust in a blatant attempt to increase the size. And the parents were sleeping soundly in their own room.
Azusa began to stir. "Uggghhh...how did it get so hot in here?" Sitting up, she slowly took off her nightshirt, revealing her pink panties against glistening skin."
"Azusa...you look like the angel I always wanted to be with," Ui whispered, undoing her nightshirt and tossing it aside, revealing a simple white bra and panties. Her skin was also glistening with sweat, perhaps triggered by Azusa's presence.
Azusa's breathing became hitched as she studied Ui's figure, which crawled onto her bed and was lying next to her. A wave of euphoria resonated into her petite frame, and Azusa placed herself on top of Ui, stripping off her bra and tossing it aside, wrapping her arms her neck and letting her fingers waltz around her soft, pillowy shoulders and back as she drowned herself in Ui's rich, sweet, velvety kiss. Their tongues tangoed as one as each craved more from the other, as if their appetite for orgasms were never satisfied.
As Ui found herself on top of Azusa, she went down into her core as she wrapped her legs and thighs around Ui's torso as if to say, "I want you to pop my cherry so bad. It's here, and it's waiting for you. Come get it."
No sooner had Azusa bit her finger that she let out a deep, rich moan as Ui went to work on her core. Aside from strawberries, which she always bought for herself and for Yui, Ui always liked cherries. BOTH FORMS OF THEM. She craved it, and she savored it because she knew how to do it right. Azusa's moans and heaves got more pronounced as she caressed Ui's round ass. She could not believe that it was as soft as the pillows she slept with. So light to the touch. Smooth as a baby. And too irresistible to not have two hands full of. Ui moaned as Azusa nibbled at her ear, leaving teeth marks on her collarbone. Now it was her turn to pop the cherry. With a few flicks, a rub and a chomp, the damage was done. If someone had to deflower Ui and Azusa, it was Azusa and Ui, it their own consummation. The blood stained the bed sheets, but that could all be fixed the next day by tossing them in the wash and replacing Ui's bed with clean ones..
With a meow and a purr, Azusa fondled Ui's breasts, tweaking and sucking its nipples to the point that she was drinking them. She remembered, if only for a few seconds, not too long ago when she was a little baby and she was breastfed by her mother. Azusa was like a little baby kitty feeding off the teats of its mother. In this case, the mother was her wife -to-be, her fiancée. And tasted so good; it was almost like drinking soy milk from a carton and letting it dribble all over her. "Maybe they'll get bigger if I do this," she thought to herself. Tousling her hair aside, she massaged Ui's breasts a bit, and suddenly her own were also being fondled. "Is it working? Oh my God, it is!" she thought to herself while heaving. Azusa's bust grew two cup sizes.
Content, and with the waves of euphoria, Ui and Azusa went all out in laying their love on each other. Their panties were so saturated that they were tossed aside, leaving only their naked bodies to stimulate each other in the moonlight that shone upon them. Azusa was on top of Ui as their cores rubbed on each other, and they moaned and meowed amid their heaving breathing and increased body heat and sweat. It was so good, it was as if they were floating in the sky, their tears of ecstasy raining down on the city below.
"Ui...oh, how I love you so much!" Azusa cried. "Don't let go of me! I'm going to...I'm going to come!"
Ui herself could not stop the blissful episode she was enjoying with her lover. "Azusa...Azusa...I must be riding on the wings of an angel...is it true? Is it true...?"
"It is, Ui. I am your angel. Your only angel! Swear that you love me! Don't let go! Ohh! Ohhhhh!"
"Azusa...I'm...I'm going to...I'm going to come!"
"Let's come together!"
"Azusa!"
"Ui!"
And it came. "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" they both cried in tears, having reached the point of orgasm before they gave out. They embraced each other as their love saturated the sheets and the comforter and left Ui's room with a beyond-provocative scent, the result of their collective sex. They lay on the bed, two angels with no clothes and no worries in the world.
"I think we're going to be sleeping tonight and some, koneko-chan," Ui whispered in the ear of an embracing, smiling Azusa.
"I think so too, Ui," she whispered, fingering the curves of Ui's hips and mound of Venus before finally closing her eyes. "I think so too."
The moonlight illuminated their embrace as Ui and Azusa entered a peaceful slumber to end Graduation Day.
END CHAPTER 25