.

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This winter is the very first time in my life when I wrecked my brain over what present I should get for a girl.

It was morning in the practice room of the Folks Music Club. Due to the drum set and the amplifiers, there was barely any space left in the room even though only Chiaki and I were in it. The air outside was chilling to the bones, but it was really warm inside of here.

The other two girls should be here soon, right? I thought to myself as I stared at the bundled short hair swaying between the cymbals. There was no way I could ask Weiss, whom I will be giving the present to, for ideas. Also, I had no intention of consulting Senpai since it would definitely pique her interest. However, when I had finally decided to discuss it with Chiaki, she asked me this question instead, "Haa? Present?" She then threw a punch in my direction.

"What was that for…" I rubbed my head gingerly as I picked up the fallen bass.

"What's the present for? Come on, say it again." Asked Chiaki as she puffed at her fist.

Who would have the guts to answer you? However, I was forced to answer in stutters as Chiaki's gaze was becoming sharper and sharper.

"Well, as I was saying, Weiss's birthday's coming soon…"

Another blow. Just as I had expected.

"Unbelievable! You shouldn't be approaching me for that if there's even an ounce of sensitivity in you!"

"Eh? But… I mean, I do know Chiaki's preferences are vastly different from Weiss's, but I have no idea who else I can approach."

"That's not what I meant!"

The third blow. I was getting dizzy already. Chiaki gave a "hmmph" and began to tune the snare drum. I gave a sigh and plugged my bass into the amplifiers. What was going on here? Did I say something to piss her off?

"Geez! Naruto, stop thinking of all those pointless stuff and begin our practice! Time is precious, you know?"

"I get it…" Guess I'll leave the issue about the present for later. It was rare for Chiaki to come to school together with me early.

I placed the strap on my shoulder and gripped tightly the neck of the bass. The remnants of the heat from back then still lingered on the strings. I could even feel the sweat that flowed out from my fingertips before being absorbed by my palms.

It has been a month since the storm-like school festival. We were in the winter season now, so that made it hard for us to wake up early, but that did not stop me from doing the morning practice. That was because I realized how poor my physical endurance was during the live performance.

I barely made it past the two-hour long non-stop performances that was held for two consecutive days. I had already braced myself for it, but I guess that strange incident made my emotions run high all the time, and my body moved against my own will as though it was under the influence of some strange drug. However, after we were finished with the encore on the second day and my brain was drained of the drug, the student council president Haruno Senpai came barging onto the backstage and said to Senpai.

"Kyouko, there's a whole lot of people outside who wanted to watch your performance but couldn't get in. Can you guys hold another performance during the kouyasai?"

Senpai agreed to it readily. Can you try imagining just how tragic that was when the wax of the candle was all burned up, and all that remained was the candle wick flickering faintly?

"Right, Naruto's back looked really pitiful during the kouyasai."

Seems like Chiaki remembered as well. And as she tuned the bass drum, she continued, "But Senpai was really happy though. She said you sounded like Springsteen."

"Though I changed into Shinichi Mori later on…"

"All the more reason for you to practice!"

Looks like Chiaki was still angry about the issue of the present.

She stepped repeatedly on the pedals of the bass drum, and the bass notes gradually gained rhythm and transformed into a solid sixteen beat tempo as it interwove together with the beats of the floor tom. The door was still opened for air ventilation, you know… oh well, she was restraining herself on the volume anyway.

I sighed to myself silently—it was incredibly difficult to drum continuously while keeping the volume down. She was getting more and more impressive. I had the feeling that I was left behind.

"Naruto's singing sounded a little forced. Perhaps it's because you're playing the bass at the same time. It used to be much more straight-forward."

"That's some memory of yours…" She even remembered how I used to sing?

"How long do you think I've taken music lessons together with you?"

"You're right."

Chiaki and I have been classmates for the past eleven years. Quite unbelievable, come to think of it.

"That's why you have to practice more to get your fingers accustomed to it. Your singing should become more natural once that happens."

I see. Come to think of it, she was actually drumming and chatting at the same time. Was that also because her hands were used to it after repeated practicing?

"Mmm, where should I begin our practice? Which phrase?"

"How should I know? Don't depend on me for things like that!"

She was right. I regretted it the moment I asked her that question.

Chiaki puffed up her cheeks, and all these while her limbs did not stop their tasks of sketching out the tempo.

"Even if it's me, there's no way I'll know every single thing about Naruto."

"Then how much do you know?"

I almost fell forward at the sudden voice from behind my back.

When I turned around, my nose almost came into contact with the snow colored hair—a pair of ice-blue eyes appeared right before me. I froze on the spot as I stared intently at Weiss's face. Her nose and cheeks were slightly red, probably because she was walking to school in the cold winter air of the morning.

When did she reach here? I never noticed her presence because of the continuous beats from the drums. Chiaki did not see her as well as her sight was blocked by my body—she stopped her hands with a surprised expression.

"Geez, give us a greeting if you're here already! Morning, Weiss!" exclaimed Chiaki as she lifted the drum sticks into the air.

"… Morning," Weiss shifted her gaze away from me in embarrassment.

It was the same for me as well—my heart was pounding just from a brief exchange of sight. That was because—it has only been a week since our live performance at the school festival.

"It's not a good habit to eavesdrop," came the voice of Chiaki.

"I was not!" Weiss shook her head hard, her hair dancing about in the air. "… It was by accident!"

"H-How much of our conversation did you hear?" I was panicking. Did she hear about the present as well?

Weiss frowned.

"… Is there something you want to hide from me?"

"Eh? Ah, no, well…"

"I heard you and Chiaki talking about how you two have been attending music lessons together for years."

Thank goodness. So she heard our conversation only from then onwards.

"Why are you heaving a sigh of relief?"

Weiss's question caused my mind to go into panic mode once more. Why was she angry as well?

"Um, what?"

"You're always like this, Naruto. Your thoughts will be reflected clearly on your face," came Chiaki's voice from behind me.

"I-Is that true?"

"You never noticed?"

Weiss dealt me a heavy blow when she said that. Chiaki gave a shrug.

"How can he possibly notice it? He's so dense, he would not even realize it if he is stung by a bee."

"That much I know!"

"Even the amoebas possess more nerves than he does."

"That I know too!" What the hell did I do!?

"Earlier on, he even asked me about Weiss's pre—"

"—Whoaaa!" I stepped over the drums and clamped my hands on Chiaki's mouth. Please don't say that out loud!

"Uhhuuhhh!"

"What? Is there something that I must not know?"

When I turned around, Weiss was putting on an expression as if she was interrogating me. Being forced into a corner with nowhere to run, the only thing I could do was to flap my arms about like a dying moth as I tried to come up with something that could satisfy her.

"Morning, my fellow comrades!"

Came a booming voice, and a tall silhouette appeared in the opened door. Kagurazaka Senpai strode leisurely into the practice room as her braided black hair fluttered in the air. She then closed the heavy door. I was saved. She might not know what was happening around here, but I was in a really bad situation.

"Hmm? Young man's about to kiss Comrade Aihara, so Comrade Schnee's trying to stop him?"

"No way!"

"Not at all!"

"Kyouko!"

Senpai removed her guitar case from her shoulder and placed it onto the floor. She then opened the door with a smile.

"In order not to interrupt you three, I'll leave the camcorder running and stay outside for about five minutes. Please continue."

"Hold on, hold on! What the hell are you here for? Let's begin our morning practice! You know, the morning practice!?"

I tried my hardest to make her stay.

"You need to practice kissing in the morning? I never expect you to be such an innocent guy. I see, I am willing to help you out."

"Why is Senpai thinking in that direction!? We are a band, are we not!?"

Senpai turned around, closed the door and lifted her index finger.

"We are no ordinary band, yeah? We are the black birds feketerigó, burning through the night with the flames of love, and ours wings will declare to the world the advent of dawn."

"Okay…" And so?

"If we ever get popular one day, and should someone request us to take part in a movie shoot, wouldn't it be problematic if we can't get the kissing scene right?"

"Why are you worrying about such pointless things?"

"On the side note, Comrade Schnee's pretty impressive when it comes to kissing," Senpai licked her lips.

"Kyouko~!" Weiss shrieked and slammed her fists hard onto the cymbals by her side.

I was surprised by that. W-When did that happen!? Ah, no wait, could she be talking about what happened on the third day of our training camp?

"Geez! Music's our main focus!"

Chiaki poked Senpai with the tip of the drum stick.

"We should direct our attention to holding more live performances in order to get ourselves famous!"

"The reason why I love Comrade Aihara so much is because you'll always say the right things at the most crucial moment!"

"That trick of yours will only work twice a month at most!"

"How about if I throw in a hug and a kiss?"

"Hmm… make it three times then."

What was with that conversation? Senpai walked past me with a smile and opened up the guitar case. The Les Paul was giving off a black luster.

"I am happy to see that everyone's flame is still burning. I thought young man was already burned to a crisp, and it would take you a while before you recover. Looks like you've steeled your heart already."

Senpai flashed a smile as she tightened the strings in a sultry manner.

"You will show me an unknown world in our next performance, and the many ones after that. Right?"

"We've already decided on our next performance?" Asked Weiss as she swung her head around quickly.

That was way beyond what I had expected. It looked like she was getting more and more into the live performances.

"No, not yet. I want to hold one more performance before the end of the year, but I wish to aim further. I have no intention of staying on the same spot."

"An even bigger stage?" asked Chiaki.

"That's right. At a place where we will receive no support from our audience."

Kagurazaka Senpai was someone who would not remain on the same spot forever. She was always aiming further and further. How far has she set her sights on? And can I really keep up to her pace?

"No worries." Smiled Senpai as she took a brief glimpse at the small country which we are in. "Even if we are stuck, we should be able to move forward as long as our hearts continue to beat in rhythm. Just like what young man did for Comrade Schnee back then."

The sound of a clatter came from behind me. I turned around and saw Weiss picking up the fallen chairs and amplifiers. She stole a glance at me, but her face turned even redder instead, so she moved her gaze away instead. I quickly turned my head towards my bass's amplifiers.

I played quite a few notes wrongly during that morning practice, and it was all because I noticed Weiss staring at me hesitantly through the corner of my eyes. Needless to say, my singing did not sound natural at all.

I could not shake off Weiss's gaze away from my mind even during class. Ever since that incident—the distance between us has shrunk. I had no idea how much it was. But I was scared—scared that it was all just my wishful thinking.

After the ending of the kouyasai, Weiss collapsed from exhaustion while she was packing things up, so I carried her to the infirmary. As there was no one around in the infirmary, I was left with no choice but to look after her (though all I did was to sit on the chair next to the bed). That hour was a great opportunity for me, but I screwed it up by chatting with her on music only.

What the hell was I doing?

"That's right. What the hell were you doing, Naruto?"

"You should have made a move on her back then! We thought you two would return hand in hand. What a huge disappointment that was."

Takurou, Isshiki, and all of my male classmates surrounded me and blasted me with their insults. That happened in the changing room after the we were done with physical education, the fourth lesson of the day.

"Sorry…" No wait, why was I apologizing?

"But you should have done something there, right?"

"It's impossible for nothing to happen, right?"

"Umm… ah, right. Weiss hates Italian operas, just like I do."

"Who the hell is asking you that Naruto? Just be a useless guy for the rest of your life!"

"Dammit, is that thing between your legs a dud?"

Why was I scolded by everyone I met today? I really felt like crying.

"Nothing else? Like a date or something?"

"Well…"

My classmates were closing in on me like a pack of hungry wolves ready to pounce on a sheep. I finally revealed to them my intention of celebrating Weiss's birthday with her. In an instant, the eyes of everyone flared up like the pumpkins of Halloween. Whoa!

"What are you getting her, Naruto?"

Why must I answer that question?

"I-I-It should be a ring first, right?"

"That's way too fast, calm down! He should gift her a choker as his first present."

"You should be the one who's calming down!"

"How many months of salary do you have to burn to buy a choker?"

"Not for the Princess, silly. It's for Naruto!"

"That's a good one!"

"No, well… sorry to interrupt while you guys are having such a passionate discussion on the matter… but I have not made up my mind yet."

"Just die already, you indecisive bastard!"

"It better end up in a tragedy!"

I shrunk my body and leaned myself in closely against the lockers. I want to hide somewhere. Please do not talk about this matter anymore. I had no idea why they were lashing out on me—for some reason unknown to me, everyone has assumed that Weiss and I were in that sort of relationship already. When did I ever say that?

"It's less than two weeks before her birthday, isn't that so? You better make up your mind quickly, Naruto."

"Mmm… wait, why do you guys know about her birthday?"

"Are you an idiot!? It's obvious we'll do some checking up on the birthday of a girl who is in the limelight!"

"The high-school's a long period of time. You never know what will happen."

"Though it has all happened to Naruto."

"Damn it, I'm pissed. You should just die, Naruto."

It was not my fault!

"You can't even decide on a gift even with all the girls surrounding you."

"I tried discussing it with Chiaki, but she rejected me."

I could sense the fury in everyone.

"You tried discussing with Aihara!?"

"About Princess' present!?"

"Are you for real!?"

I shivered and nodded. In the next moment, I was beaten onto the floor by everyone.

(◕ω◕✿)

Human beings are creatures who will reflect on what they've done wrong—so on that very night, I spent my time in my room thinking about the reason behind Chiaki and the guys' anger.

We've been hanging around with each other for over eleven years already, but I did not really know her very well. And that was even more true ever since we joined the band. I mean, we do know each other quite well if we were talking about the typical things. Take for example our birthdays.

Hmm. Birthday. Was that it? It was highly possible that she was angry because of that. Right, I'll get a present that is suitable for her then. Will that be okay? I wonder how late I am? I checked the calendar on the desk and counted.

… It was way too late. But I guess it was still better than nothing. Yup. My mind was circling around the same thought for heaven knows how long.

After making up my mind, I walked quietly downstairs. Coming from the living room was Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Dad listening to it in full blast. I sneaked carefully past the corridor and opened up the cabinet to draw out a record that was kept within it. I then wrapped it up with a blue wrapping paper from the department store.

Will she be happy with this? I thought to myself naively. Come to think of it, I was really hopeless back then.

The next day, I saw Chiaki on the platform while I was waiting for the very first train, so I ran over to hand her the present. Chiaki's eyes opened wide when she received the present from me, her gaze wandering to-and-fro me and the present for about four times. She then asked, "What's this?"

"Umm, I'm ten months early, but it's your birthday present."

"Hah?"

"This is the vinyl record of, the UK version. You've been wanting this for a very long time already, isn't that so?"

"Eh? W-W-Why? And typically speaking, shouldn't you say that it's two months late?"

Chiaki's face alternated between red and white; her eyes widened for a brief moment, and then she blinked them repeatedly for a while. What a busy person she was.

"Why? You've never given me any birthday present."

"Were you not angry yesterday because of this?"

Her beet red face froze for a moment. And the next moment— "You moron!" The scenery before my eyes flipped at the very same time I heard her furious roar. A violent impact greeted my back before I could even figure out what was going on. The unbelievably blue winter sky appeared before my eyes, though half of it was covered up by the shelter of the train station. Pain shot through my head, my back was arcing upwards from the spasm. Just as I realized that I was tossed over by Chiaki, she popped her head over me.

"U-Unbelievable! I never expected you to be as stupid as this!"

In response to Chiaki's stomping attacks, I shielded my head with my arms and rolled about on the floor.

"S-Sorry. Umm, I never expect you to be that angry."

It looked like I had made a critical mistake. It took me a great deal of effort to finally get up. Chiaki was hugging the record tightly before her chest, staring at me fiercely as her shoulders heaved up and down to her breaths. Thank the heavens that there was no one else on the platform in the wee hours, or else it would be bad should anyone witness the scene earlier on.

"Moreover, you should know that the gramophone in my house is broken."

Come to think of it, it was just as she had said. I had visited her house several times to play, but I forgot all about it already.

"I'm sorry, I'll take it back…"

"Idiot!" Chiaki slapped my hand away and hid the record behind her. "I'm keeping this since you're giving it to me!"

So do you want it or not? What on earth do you want? Just then, the first train arrived in the station, so I quickly stepped back behind the white line. The back of my head was assaulted by the blaring sirens.

"You should think about my feelings as well!" Yelled Chiaki with a voice comparable to the sound of the train, her face flushed red. The bunch of hair that she had tied up was flapping against her ears due to the wind. I did not step onto the train when the door opened as she was giving off an overbearing aura around her.

"Stupid Naruto, you should just die!" Chiaki's voice was cut off by the closing doors of the train. I could see the silhouette of her body through the windows, and it was getting further and further away from me. But I caught a glimpse of a glitter at the corner of her eyes. Was she crying?

I squatted on the platform and tried my hardest to recall her voice and expressions until the next train arrived. The frequency of the trains was very low. If I missed the first train, I would be twenty minutes late for school.

As the main gates were closed already, I entered the school through a side door instead. It would be awkward when I bump into Chiaki—just as I turned past a corner of the building while thinking of that, I heard a faint drumming sound.

It was the old, low-rise music block, huddled amid the shadows of the tall school buildings. There was a person squatting against the door of the room that was located furthest away between the buildings, her long silver hite hair almost brushing against the ground. It was Weiss. What was she doing there?

"… Morning." Weiss greeted me softly by lifting her eyes to look at me. She hugged the guitar in her bosom.

"Morning…" I stopped at about three steps away from Weiss.

Why was she waiting outside? Wasn't Chiaki in there? We turned our sight away right after we came into eye contact with each another. It has been the case ever since the school festival.

Was there something that you should be telling me?

Feels like Weiss was conveying that message to me from the corner of her eyes, but neither of us could touch upon that matter. It was the same for that morning as well. Instead, what I said to her was an ordinary question, "… Chiaki should be inside, so why are you here?"

Weiss stared at me intently and heaved a deliberate sigh. A stinging sense of guilt and sadness was jammed up in my throat. She lowered her head and allowed her words to fall between her knees.

"Chiaki's angry, so I am waiting for her to cool down."

"S-She's angry? Did she say anything to you?"

Weiss shook her head.

"It's obvious from the sounds. The strength in the upbeats had disappeared. It will turn into this sort of uninteresting tempo whenever Chiaki's angry or anxious."

I was speechless. Can she tell that much just from the sounds of the drums alone?

"You never noticed? You are really dense…"

Weiss was giving off a look of resignation in my direction. Okay, I am dense, but that is another thing altogether, okay?

"Something happened? You were acting strangely yesterday as well." Weiss stood up slowly and pulled her face towards mine.

"No, nothing. Umm…"

Chiaki's anger began when I wanted to discuss with her Weiss's birthday present, so it should be more or less related to Weiss as well, isn't it? But now's not the time for me to say it.

"Explain it to me properly."

"Umm, you see, uhh…"

"Why are you always like this?"

Weiss's voice and gaze stabbed their way deeply and painfully into my heart.

"If you do not say it properly… I… I am…" Weiss's furious voice was getting softer and softer, her gaze was sliding downwards along my body, "… still waiting for you."

Waiting for me? Waiting for what? No, of course she was waiting for my words. B-But I was not mentally prepared yet, and neither was I ready with the present, so now was not—"Forget it. I get it." Weiss lifted her lowered head all of the sudden. "I'll ask Chiaki."

"Y-You can't!"

I was surprised even by my own voice. Weiss was shocked as well. She pressed her back against the door.

"I mean, well, umm, I made Chiaki angry… probably. So I'll think of something and apologize to her."

That was right, it had to be me who spoke. It was the same for Weiss's present as well. All in all, asking for Chiaki's assistance was a mistake. It should be me to think about it and decide everything by myself.

And so, I pulled Weiss aside and grabbed onto the handle of the door.

"Naruto! You are so freaking late! I've said this before, it would be faster if you run to school should you miss the first train, didn't I!?" A furious roar came pouncing onto me the moment I opened the door.

Thank goodness, it was the usual Chiaki—I heaved a sigh of relief for some reason. That was really shameful of me.

(◕ω◕✿)

"And so, how are things going on between you and Weiss right now?"

Asto raised his voice in an attempt to make himself heard amid the noise of the crowded livehouse. It was pretty noisy here despite the fact that we were in the middle of a break—the heated discussions among the audience and the tuning of the stereo systems were all contributors to the noise.

"Lots of things happened during the live performance at the school festival, isn't that so?"

Sitting opposite of me was a young girl with pink hair and blue eyes… or not—he was actually a young male violinist. He stretched his body towards me and pulled his face closer to mine. A turtle-neck sweater paired with a matching red short-coat, plus a pair of denim shorts and over-knees socks. Mmm, that attire was perfectly fine for a guy… no wait, that wasn't it, right? I pressed my palm against my forehead and sighed.

I then asked, "Look, why are you here, Asto?"

There was a really interesting performance Sunday afternoon, so I came down to the livehouse Bright by myself. And then I bumped into this guy here.

"Shouldn't you be busy with the recordings and rehearsals? Your performance is coming up soon."

"Do you hate to see me?"

Quit holding onto my hands tightly and looking at me with those tearing eyes of yours when you're asking me that question, okay? It was really attention grabbing. Shit, this will invite misunderstandings.

"H-How can that be? I'm really glad to meet you."

Asto's face brightened up in an instant.

"Thank goodness, I really wanted to see Ruto again as well. Saki mailed me saying there would be Ruto's favorite live performance happening today, so there was a high chance of you showing up here."

Saki and Asto? Since when did they get on such good terms?

"I blame it all on Ruto. You refuse to call me because you and Weiss are doing very well together."

"N-No, e-eh?"

How much does he know?

"I've heard lots of stuff from Weiss, but I'm not telling you what I heard."

Oh right, this guy here will be doing his next album together with Weiss, so he might actually be spending more time with her than I was. Though it was unexpected of Weiss to say all those things to Asto.

"It's not like things are all smooth-sailing."

"But both of you confessed to each other already, did you not?"

"N-No?"

Both of us?

"You never asked Weiss about her feelings?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Asto was rendered speechless for a long while. But that was really the case.

I came into contact with Weiss's heart briefly during the school festival. I had a feeling she was staying by my side with the exact same reasons as I was, but that was all there was to it. We would be tongue-tied whenever we would see each other's face.

"Look, Ruto. I really hope you can understand how painful it is for me whenever I hear Weiss talking about you happily."

"H-Hmm?" Happily? That Weiss?

"I'll steal her away from you if you do not become decisive any time soon, you know?"

Asto rested his elbows on the table and pulled his face even closer towards mine. My head was in a fluster when he said that with that tiny mouth of his at such a close distance away from me, so I backed away subconsciously.

Even if you ask me to be decisive… (come to think of it, what was he referring to?) I have no idea what Weiss's answer would be, so I dared not pop the question. Asto slumped onto the table all of a sudden and began kicking his legs about. He seemed frustrated.

"… What's wrong with you?"

"I'm about to die, all thanks to Ruto's indecisiveness."

So you could kill someone with your indecisiveness—now that was something new. Just as I was thinking that, Asto sat up suddenly and pressed both of his hands on my shoulders.

"Actually, it's really simple. All you have to do is this."

W-What?

"I love you. I want Ruto's everything."

"Who the hell can say that!?"

Wait, did he just say Ruto? Was it just a mistake on my part?

"What are you two doing here?"

A voice came from behind us suddenly. I turned around and saw a stout silhouette with a yellow scarf on her neck and a beaten-up leather coat hanging from her shoulders. It was Saki.

"I never expect Asto-chan and Naruto to be here. You two get along really well."

What was even more surprising was the person who appeared behind Saki. It was a guy wearing a fierce expression, his long blonde hair covered up by a bandanna—the guitarist of Melancholy Wolf Deidara. Both of them were Kagurazaka Senpai's friends, and also regulars of Bright. So they actually knew each other too—what a small world this was.

"Saki!" Asto jumped off from his seat and hugged the female DJ.

"Thank you for the ticket!"

"No biggie, I ask for nothing in return. Well, aside from you spending a night with me."

"So you're here as well." Said Deidara as he sat down next to me and clamped the guitar that was originally on his back between his knees.

"Are you performing later, Deidara?" I asked him.

He was not here as audience, was he? I am really not good with dealing with him. You're asking me to watch the performance together with him? Please spare me from that.

"They asked me to support the six-o'clock performance."

I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard the answer from Deidara.

"Deidara knows Naruto too?" Saki sat next to Asto.

"I told you already, didn't I? I performed with Kyouko's band." Deidara's temper was short, as usual.

"Who's she? Is she replacing you as the bassist?"

Asto tilted his head in response when Deidara pointed at him. Deidara would ask me to quit the role as feketerigó's bassist whenever we would meet.

"That girl looks to be a better player than you are, and she's much more striking visually."

"Do I look like a bassist?" Asto's eyes were glittering.

"It's obvious from your fingers. You should be playing the guitar or the bass, yeah?"

Impressive. He knew just by looking at the fingers. But he did not realize Asto's actual gender, right? Idiot. I retorted in my mind as a tiny sense of superiority crept in me.

"Me taking over Ruto's position? What a good idea. I've never thought of that."

"No no no, what are you talking about?" You'll be busy with your work, won't you?

"If you quit and get her into the band, I'll introduce you guys to a producer," said Deidara.

Hey, Asto, why are you putting on such a gleeful expression?

"U-Umm, Deidara, you've got it all wrong. This person here's a violinist, an old friend of Weiss's."

"I know how to play the guitar too! I can practice on the bass too if I want to."

Don't you interrupt, Asto! Things will just get even more confusing!

"And since I'm the one who taught Weiss the guitar, our timbres should match each other really well."

Deidara frowned. "You? Taught that girl?"

Asto nodded lightly as he cowered in his seat in fear. What was wrong, Deidara? That look of yours is really scary.

"Who did you learn the guitar from?"

"No one… umm, I memorized it by watching the videos of Jeff Beck and stuff."

"It's best for you and that girl to re-learn the correct fingering techniques." Said Deidara as he pressed his fingertip against Asto's nose.

Asto was rendered speechless from his shock. Saki and I interrupted Deidara at the same time.

"H-Hey, Deidara, what's wrong?"

"Is there anything wrong with Weiss's fingering techniques?"

"I should have said this before," Deidara shot a fierce glance at me, "There will be no future to her style of playing. She's placing too much stress on her wrist."

Now that he has mentioned it, Deidara did say something along that line after the end of the live concert.

"What d-do you mean by placing too much stress?" I pushed my elbows against the table and stretched my body over the table subconsciously.

Weiss might be able to move her right hand already, but I was still worried.

"She's using her wrists forcibly to strum the strings at high speeds to compensate for the lack of strength in her fingers. It's surprising she managed to play through the whole performance like that."

"Eh? Ah, no, but, her fingers are movable already."

Oh? Deidara lifted his eyebrow.

"Then it's none of my business… it pisses me off whenever I see that silly fingering technique of hers. You should put some effort in learning before you teach others, yeah?" His fierce gaze was shifted from my body to Asto.

Asto flinched and grabbed onto my arm in fear.

"Why don't you teach Asto-chan then?" Joked Saki.

"Do I look like I have the time to do that!?"

"Asto's not in any band, right? How about performing together with me next time? Deidara and my friend's band will perform together for our next live performance, so are you interested in joining us on stage? You can get Deidara to teach you at the studio."

"Hey, Saki, don't go about deciding things on your own for the sake of your desires!"

"But this person here's really talented in guitar. Deidara, you can teach him the correct guitar techniques, while I'll be in charge of teaching him the techniques in bed."

"Oi! Saki!" I gave Saki hard kick beneath the table.

"When's the next performance?" Hey, Asto! You don't have to be that enthusiastic about it!

"Twenty-fourth next week. The event is named Snow Crash. And since that's Christmas eve, we'll be holding it in a spacious place that can accommodate five-thousand people."

"Christmas huh…" Asto knitted his eyebrows. "I will probably be attending a party somewhere, but I'll skip that since I'm not interested."

"The event will start at noon. We'll be left alone at night. You know, making use of the opportunity to get all intimate and stuff."

"Mmm, I see. But I don't think I'll have the time to make it down to the studio. Sorry."

"But of course! Don't take her words for real, man!" Deidara snapped.

"What a pity. I've found a song which will make even Asto-chan burn. It's a Christmas song by a French composer. Umm, forgot his name. Ho-Hon—"

"—Honegger?"

Said Asto and I at the same time. We turned our heads to look at each other.

"Yeah, him."

A Christmas song. Then it was most likely Une Cantate de Noël, the last work of his. It was a very dramatic cantata, but barely known in Japan. I'm surprised he found that.

Asto's legs were swinging about beneath the table. "Wow! I wanna listen!"

Honegger should be a well-known composer outside of Japan because of his music appearing in many movies. It looks like Saki was hooked on classical music ever since I asked her to help me with the editing of the piano concerto and the violin concerto. Playing Honegger's piece on Christmas at a live house—now she got me interested as well.

"So you knew about Honegger as well, Ruto? That's impressive. I was really sad since I never have heard Weiss mentioned him. I thought he was not well known in Japan."

"It can't be helped. Weiss's interest lie in the works from East Germany."

But it was true that Honegger was not too well known in Japan.

"Isn't that nice? I never thought I'll get to listen to Honegger's works live here. I am really interested in listening to how the arrangements will be."

"It shouldn't be a problem for you if you attend the concert as an audience, yeah? I'll give you a ticket."

"Mmm, I'll try to free up my schedule…"

Asto's really lucky, I thought to myself in envy. A music concert on Christmas eve. Isn't that just perfect? No wait. Wouldn't that be too straightforward? I think my intentions would be clear for all to see. No wait, isn't that okay? I mean, that was what I have intended to do all this while, isn't it? What was there to be afraid of at a time like this?

Filtering out the noise from the livehouse, I sank deep into thought. I regained my senses only when I was slapped by someone on the cheeks.

"Ruto? What's wrong?"

Unknown to me, Asto was next to me, his palms and that cute face of his appearing right before my eyes. I almost fell backwards and slipped off my chair. Eh? Strange? Where was Deidara?

"Deidara's about to hit the stage, so he went in," Saki put on an exasperated expression, "It's about time for me to move the instruments as well, so you two enjoy yourselves."

"Ah, h-hold on a second, Saki."

I leapt off my chair and dashed towards the female DJ. The baseball cap turned around.

"About the Christmas concert. Do you guys sell advance tickets? I'd like to buy two."

Saki tilted her head. "We do. Are you coming along with Asto? I'll be charging you for the tickets."

"N-Nah, that's not it."

I could feel the Asto's gaze on my face just as I was about to blurt out my intentions, and that caused me to fluster.

"I'll pay for two tickets. Not with Asto, but with someone else."

"Ahh, I see. Another girl? Naruto's a real flirt."

"I think so too. Naruto should practice some abstinence."

"Asto, you'll not find any happiness if you're together with a guy as useless as him. You should get someone better."

"But you know, encounters are just like traffic accidents. Can't be helped, I have no one but myself to blame for bumping into a dummy like Ruto."

All I wanted to do is to buy two tickets, so why were they speaking about me like this? I felt like crying.

"Who will you invite? Weiss?"

Asto pulled his face next to mine and whispered into my ears. I could not bring myself to look at him straight in the eyes, so I directed my gaze towards the stage and nodded.

I'll give her Honegger's record as her birthday present—I should be able to find one in Mom's collection. And with that, I'll have an excuse to ask her out on Christmas eve. Though I was not sure if she'll agree to it.

Just then, Asto stomped hard on my foot.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

"There is no need for you to make the huge revelation right to my face, do you? You should consider my feelings as well!"

"You are the one who wants me to decide as quickly as I can—Oww, it hurts!"

He actually drilled his heel hard onto my foot!

"I did say it, yeah!" Asto was throwing a tantrum like a child, "I never expect you to get a pair of tickets for a concert on Christmas eve! That's so unlike Ruto!"

"Well sorry for that! Then again, I'm not sure if she would be willing to attend it together with me…"

"How could she possibly decline you!?"

"I-Is that so?"

"The live concert will end at five, so you'll be going on a date after that? Are you planning to head down to Disneyland? God damn it, who's the girl? Can't be Kyouko, right?" asked Saki.

"If it's me, I won't be interested in Disneyland. I'll head straight to the hotel instead," said Kagurazaka Senpai.

Wait a second. Ehhhhhhhhhh!?

A tall silhouette appeared behind Saki's body suddenly. She was wearing a miniskirt despite it being the middle of December (although it was a cashmere one), that revealed the curves of her legs generously. Her belly button could be seen faintly between the knitted jacket and the miniskirt. Kagurazaka Senpai did not braid her hair today. Instead, she allowed them to flow naturally behind her back—that made her look even more mature than usual.

"Senpai? Why are you here?"

"Why? I'm here to attend the concert since Deidara and Saki will be performing. What a coincidence. I would have invited you along should I know you'll be attending as well. Then again…"

Kagurazaka Senpai moved in towards me and hooked my arm with a sensual smile on her face. I could not run away despite the shock I was experiencing.

"This coincidence further confirms the invisible bonds we have between us. I'm really happy."

"Eh? H-Haa, no, wait."

Senpai hugged me tightly by my arm

"Hey Kyouko, did you know Naruto said not too long ago that he'll be spending Christmas eve with another girl—"

"Oh right. I hope you can be clear about this," Senpai placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me towards her.

"Umm, well."

Why does she want to know? Senpai burned my eyes with that passionate gaze from her slightly teary eyes. I had no option but to turn my head to seek assistance.

"… Ruto's a real flirt." Muttered Asto as he hid closely behind me.

What the hell!? Why are you saying that as well? Just then, the force that was applied on my shoulders by Senpai's hand disappeared all of a sudden. Senpai snapped her head, her eyes opened wide as her gaze travelled past my shoulders to the area behind me. It seemed like Senpai had just noticed Asto's presence, in no small reason due to the noise of the livehouse as well as Asto's small stature.

"Astolfo Icecolle?"

The name flowed out from Senpai's lips. I was totally suppressed by her aura, so I turned my body aside. After exchanging sights with Senpai, Asto nodded his head in confusion.

One step, two. Senpai moved in towards Asto. I thought she would grab him by his hands, but I never expect her to cup Asto's tiny face with her hands. Hey! I retorted in my mind, but I could not say anything. That was because both of them were enveloped in some sort of weird, strange-colored atmosphere. The noise around us seemed to die down in an instant.

"Mmm. Just one year ago, I thought I would never be attracted to another guy for the rest of my life. I never thought that my second will appear that simply before me."

For some reason, Senpai directed her sight briefly towards me when she said that, but she turned back to Asto quickly.

"And I never expect my third to come so soon."

"Huh?" Asto blinked his large, shiny eyes repeatedly. "I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Meaning to say, this is my declaration of love."

I subconsciously tugged Senpai by the back of her collar. "What do you think you're doing to someone whom you're seeing for the very first time?"

"What's the meaning of that?"

"Umm, but I have two people in my heart already," said Asto.

"That's okay. I had three, though it has just increased to four." Said Senpai gently as she combed her fingers through Asto's silky pink hair.

"Wouldn't it make you look dishonest if the numbers are to keep increasing?"

"I'm not adding them just on a whim. I'll be dishonest to myself should I not admit that I am attracted to you. And a person like that would never be honest to others as well."

What, you guys are actually striking off a conversation just like that? That was unbelievable. Me alone was no longer enough to play the Tsukkomi, so I turned my head around to seek help from Saki, but the female DJ had somehow disappeared. I looked around in a fluster, and when I located her on the stage, she was waving her hands and saying, "Do your best!".

Saki you bastard! She sneaked away and left me alone by myself!

"I think it's better if you direct half of the enthusiasm you have right now to Ruto."

Asto flashed a mischievous smile in the arms of Senpai.

"You're right, I do agree. Young man… ah—"

"—What?"

"I'll be offering half of my enthusiasm to you."

Why could I do nothing else but to allow my jaws to drop agape? I could not say anything despite that thought of mine. It has almost been one year since I met Senpai, and I've learned quite a number of things as well. In response, I grabbed Asto by his shoulders and pulled him away from Senpai.

"Are you jealous, Ruto?"

"Don't you start talking rubbish as well!"

"We should be the ones who are jealous, isn't that so?" Senpai pulled herself behind Asto and whispered.

"That's right. So that means we are enemies."

How did both of them manage to converse normally? I really don't get it. You two might as well go on and on forever.

Just as Asto was turning around to look eye-to-eye with Senpai once more, the spotlights of the livehouse were suddenly extinguished. All that was left were the bluish white spots from the disco ball dancing across the audience.

Before I knew it, my feet were already soaked by the deep and heavy discord played by the synthesized strings, and the water levels were rising higher and higher. My arms, my chest, my neck; my whole body was engulfed by the strings amid the dark livehouse. The stage lasers were flashing on the stage. As the crowd went wild, the guitarist and the vocalist's silhouette were imprinted against the darkness like the shadows of the thunderclouds. But despite the cheers and the crazy drumming, I could hear clearly the words Asto said to Senpai.

"My enemy, may I know your name?"

As well as Senpai's reply.

"Kyouko Kagurazaka. The revolutionary of love."

(◕ω◕✿)

Before returning home, I showed up briefly at the celebration party and casually asked Saki the price of the tickets to the Christmas concert. Four thousand yen each. That was expensive—about the cost of a professional concert.

Saki explained, "Can't be helped, the venue is large. It's a really stylish event, and I've even offered you an eighty-percent discount already."

And Asto, who was next to me, was surprised at how cheap the tickets were. I guess the price of the tickets to a concert of a famous classical musician would be on a totally different league.

Kagurazaka Senpai, who was having a drinking game with Deidara, ran up to me all of a sudden and asked, "What's with all the talk about Christmas and whatever?"

I ended the conversation quickly in response to that. Asto seemed to be pretty interested in all the liquor, so I pulled him out of the bar and set foot on our way home.

"Well then, I'll not pray for your success, but I'll still be supporting you anyway. Do your best." Said Asto as he went into the car which came to pick him up.

"What you you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, I'll pray for you to be rejected harshly by Weiss when you ask her out. You'll then run to me in tears, and I will do my best to console you."

As I pondered for an answer with my jaws wide open, the door was shut tight and the car drove away.

When I reached home, I went straight to the garage. Coughing from the all the dust, I tried my hardest to locate the records I wanted . The records of Arthur Honegger's symphony Pacific 231 as well as the ensemble Une Cantate de Noël.

Okay. Now I'm done with the first present. Back in my room, I pondered Asto's words several times as I flipped through the cashbook. There was the possibility of Weiss rejecting my invitation, but Asto did say "How could she possibly decline you!?".

So should I believe him? I'll never know if I do not properly confirm it with Weiss.

However, there were plenty of things for me to do before that. Because of the unreasonable amount of cash that I spent on my date with Naruko, my monthly pocket money was all spent. Now, there was a live concert to attend this month. On top of that, the household finances was running very tight as well.

As I left my room and headed down the stairs, I was greeted by the theme of Rodolfo from La bohème. It was the scene where the broke poet was forced to burn his manuscripts for warmth as he was too poor to afford coal.

I heaved a sigh in front of the door of our living room. Whenever the royalties came in late, Mom would always put the music on full blast .

"Eight thousand~~~!?" That was my Mom, lying down on the sofa in an uncouth manner.

She cocked her eyebrows and said unhappily, "Look, you've got quite the guts to ask for that despite knowing the financial situation of our house. Both of our pocket moneys were reduced by substantial amounts due to our daily expenses, isn't that so? Eight thousand yen is a huge sum of money! Huge!"

"I know, but…" My voice became tinier and tinier. For these past months, Mom has not taken up any jobs due to her lack of motivation.

"Do you know how hard it is to earn eight thousand yen? And you do know how petty the people in my circle is, don't you? Money just disappears in a flash! Just a day ago, the cabaret club I went to was charging eight thousand… Wait wait wait don't flash the knife Naruto! I'm lying I'm lying! I went to no cabaret!"

"You'll be revealed sooner or later anyway, so why are you wasting all the cash in secret?"

"Mommy was thinking: Naruto will not notice it if I top up the cash with what I won from gambling."

"Gambling!? You just said gambling!? Despite the amount you squandered the last time you tried it again!?"

"Whoaaa! No wait! Umm, you heard it wrong—I was talking about the Electricity cash!"

"Enough with those lame lies! I'll told Dad that you wasting money in gambling again"

"W-Wait Naruto-chan! It's mommy's fault! I'll give you the eight thousand yen, s-so please don't tell your dad, Okay."

Nope, it was not my intention to threaten you. But thank goodness—though everything may be for naught, depending on Weiss's answer.

"But Weiss should be under strict curfews, right? Jacques's a worry-wart after all."

"Eh? W-What are you talking about?" I was flustered by Mom's words.

"And isn't eight thousand yen a little too expensive? I do know of cheaper hotels, you know?"

"What the hell are you talking about!?"

It was only until Monday noon that I was able to mention the Christmas event to Weiss.

I actually had planned to touch on it casually during our morning practices. However, I had only received a verbal promise from the editorial side. In order to prevent the embarrassing situation where I had no cash to purchase the tickets after Weiss's agreement, I actually sneaked out of school during lunch break to check the bank account. It was only after I ensured that the royalties were in did I return to school.

"Naruto, where did you go to? The side dishes are finished already!" Chiaki was pointing at me with her chopsticks while her other hand was holding onto a lunch box.

After passing her my bento, she opened the lid immediately and peered at its contents.

"Look look! These may look like fried chicken, but they are actually cabbage! Isn't that impressive?"

Chiaki showcased my bento to Weiss and the other girls who were at the table besides me. No, this was nothing to be proud of, so please don't go around showcasing it.

"Naruto has always been good at doing things like this— like turning tofu into mock burger patties. I've always wanted to eat this again." Said Chiaki as she narrowed her eyes into slits.

As for Weiss, her gaze was going to-and-fro the bento and my face. Nibutani and the rest of the girls came over, and what followed was a series of exclamations like:

"Is this really cabbage?"

"Let's just do a Namikaze Restaurant for next year's school festival," Class-rep Shinka Nibutani's suggestion sent the girls into a frenzy.

"Naruto, can you make chocolate parfait with tofu?"

"How about cakes with cabbage?"

You better pray that I can.

Just then, Weiss mumbled, "… Chiaki has been eating Ruto's dishes all this while?"

"Mmm, Naruto's family always invite me for parties and stuff. Like during Christmas, for example. Each year, Minato Oji-san would always show off the antique guns that he collecting. I couldn't understand a single bit of what he said, but I do know Naruto's cooking is delicious."

Weiss scowled and moved her gaze from Chiaki to me. Umm, what was wrong?

"Do you two celebrate Christmas every year?"

My heart pumped wildly from Weiss's sudden question. I never expected her to touch on the subject of Christmas.

"Yeah, but last year Naruto refused Mom invitation because he went on a date with his sister at Christmas eve."

"I-Is that true Ruto!?"

"N-No! Chiaki, how many time I told you already! At that time I didn't came to your house because I was helping my sister for her novel!"

Suddenly there murderous auras around me, I could tell that the guys in our class was listening to our conversation intently beyond the wall of girls that was surrounding us.

"He actually spends Christmas together with Chiaki every year"

"He went on a date with his model sister at Christmas eve?"

"Go die, Naruto."

"Stuff yourself with cabbage cake."

The combined attack of the words of resentments and Weiss's gaze was more than I could handle. I came up with a random reply and escaped away from the classroom.

I plugged the bass to the amplifiers when I reached the practice room. I waited for my heartbeats to return to their usual pace before sitting down on the round chair with a sigh.

Oi, why are you running away? I thought to myself. Didn't the conversation go unexpectedly towards the topic on Christmas? You should have gone with the flow and asked Weiss! Check if she was free this year! How was she planning to spend her Christmas? Wasn't that easy enough?

Of course not. The whole class was watching us. I would definitely stir up something huge should I pop the question before everyone. But then again, could I really find the opportunity to do just that? I am really useless. If I was able to ask Weiss out, we will be together alone.

On our way home from the livehouse, we will be strolling together on streets beneath the night sky, surrounded by the Christmas jingles. Wham!, Yamashita Tatsuro, or the B'z… wait a second, why were they all songs about unrequited love? I shook my head hard in an attempt to shake the melodies away from my mind. That was really inauspicious.

I gripped the neck of the bass as I tried thinking about typical Christmas songs. Perhaps that will grant me courage to ask Weiss out.

Fumbling the strings with my fingers, a slow melody began to flow. What was surprising was the fact that I managed to remember the complete Latin lyrics of Ave Maria, composed by Gounod. The accompaniment to Ave Maria was written to be superimposed over Book I of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier. That was the first piece Weiss played for me, back on a certain day. She played it at the junkyard located at the end of the world, so that I could locate this bass.

When did I fall in love with Weiss? I recalled every day that I spent together with her while humming to the tune of the hymn. The spring when we met; the Autum when we brushed by each other; the winter when we were separated.

We were always linked by music.

Perhaps it should not be so. I had no intention of blaming the god of music, but the current me do not even know what Weiss has in mind. Songs were always the media used to convey my feelings that I could not put into words.

The door behind me creaked open suddenly, causing me to swallow the melody back into my throat in surprise. My fingers remained frozen on the strings. I turned around, and in the opening of the door was a pair of ice-blue eyes and hair colored snow.

"Ah. S-Sorry." Why was I apologizing?

"It's okay to come in."

We are to gather at the practice room after we were done with our lunch during the break. I couldn't possibly hog the room by myself just because I was dwelling on some negative thoughts. Weiss slid timidly into the room. She then closed the door after a quick peek outside the room.

"Ah—"

"Umm—"

Our voice overlapped each other's. We exchanged looks, but we turned our gazes to the floor immediately after that. Neither of us said anything.

After a brief silence, I worked up the courage to lift my head as I prepared myself to speak, but Weiss did the exact same thing as well, so we turned our gaze away once again.

What the hell were we doing?

Weiss took a seat on the round chair. Since I did not lift my head, the only thing I could see was her feet. An awkward silence permeated the cold and dense air of the practice room. Crap, I have to say something. I mean, it was the rare opportunity that both of us were together alone. And yet I could not come up with anything.

Just as we were about to be worn down by time like two wax statues, a blurry sound came suddenly from the direction of the sun. It was a duet between a horn and a trombone—it probably came from the band practice; the melody played was the all too familiar tune, Joy to the World. They were repeating the same phrase again and again, but the speed was getting faster and faster… wait a second?

Hey! Why is the tune changing to the main theme of Lupin III? I nearly fell off my feet. At the same time, Weiss stood up angrily and was about to turn around. We crossed sight. This time around, we couldn't help but to let out laughs. Weiss swayed her long sliver-white hair and returned back to her seat.

"It looks like it's a standing tradition for the band to come up with some sort of prank during their yearly performance."

"I did something like that before."

That was surprising. I never thought Weiss as someone that fools around. That was quite unimaginable.

"During my performance of Book 2 of The Well-Tempered Clavier, I slipped Santa Claus is Coming to Town into its fugue. Back then, I was thinking to myself: Why was I forced to hold a Christmas concert? But I was even more depressed when no one noticed my prank."

"Ah…" I was speechless.

Weiss 's expression darkened as she lifted her legs onto the chair and hugged her knees. I see. So she had to work on Christmas Eve as well. But what about last year? She should have dropped the piano then already.

"Last year, I spent the whole day together with Klein in my house."

Klein… oh, that was Mr. Sieben. He was the butler of the Schnee household.

"What about your father? He's probably not in Japan at that time, isn't it?"

"Papa was performing Beethoven's Ninth."

I see. So the reason Jacques came back only at the end of the year was because he forced the performance of Beethoven's Ninth into his schedule huh? Umm, well then… I took a deep breath.

"… What… about this year then?"

Weiss's hair shook for a moment. I could almost feel her flinching despite our distance.

I said it. I actually asked. When I regained my senses, my gaze had landed on the floor once more. I have to look at her in the face. Weiss and I looked into each other's eyes. The blue eyes of hers were filled with unease.

"Umm, well, d-do you have… any… plans for this… Christmas?"

I was struck by a sudden pang of nervousness. As I tried to squeeze the words out of me, my eyes landed on the area near Weiss's lips.

Weiss shook her head slowly. "I think… it will probably be the same as last year."

An inconceivable and warm sensation came flowing upwards from my stomach into area beneath my lungs. It was thumping wildly. Now was not the time for me to be happy just yet. The crucial thing was what happens next. Come on, say it out.

"Well, then… together…" I was so nervous, I had even forgotten how to speak.

"Together?" Weiss tilted her head in response to that word.

Just then, the door to the practice room flung open suddenly. The main theme of Lupin III came rushing into the room, and Weiss's hair soared to the gush of air. Next to the surprised Weiss was a long, slender silhouette. I swallowed the words that were in my mouth.

"Kyouko…?"

There was a tremble in Weiss's murmurs. It was actually due to this interruption that I realized I could even feel the thumping of my heart through my ears.

"Nice timing. So you two were here as well."

With her hand resting against the door, Senpai flashed a clear smile.

"Geez, Senpai! That's just too pushy of you!"

A voice came from the back of Senpai—Chiaki popped her head out. Her eyes came into brief contact with mine, before alternating between Weiss and I. Her cheeks were all puffed up. What was going on around here?

"The next live performance has been decided." Said Senpai as she grabbed Chiaki by her hands and walked into the room.

"Eh…" Why the sudden decision… actually, that was just the way she was.

Weiss was actually retreating towards the wall due to her shock. Senpai fished out a piece of photocopy paper from her chest and spread it out on the amplifiers.

"Or more specifically, we're not guaranteed a spot on the stage. It's going to be a huge event with the participation of professional bands, so whether we can get on stage will depend on the audition results. Just the thing for our next performance, yeah?"

"Eh, ah, yeah…"

I shifted my gaze onto the piece of paper and froze on the spot. The event was named Snow Crash. I think I heard it somewhere before—yeah, Saki did mention it at the livehouse back then…

"… A-And it will be held on?"

I already knew the answer—it was even written clearly on the piece of paper. But I still could not help but to ask that incredibly stupid question. Kagurazaka Senpai flashed what was probably the brightest smile I had ever seen from her yet, and replied.

"24th December. Christmas Eve."

.

.

.