Chapter 18: It Won't Hurt…
"T-Tainaka Ritsu," Ritsu replied, trying to put on a convincing smile. Yuki smiled back, grabbing Ritsu's hands. "Nice to meet you Tainaka-san, I hope you'll teach me lots," Yuki said in a sweet, cheery voice. The sound of Yuki's voice disturbed Ritsu. This was the person that hurt Akira, and now she was expected to give her drum lessons? As Yuki invited the drummer to sit on her bed to get to break the ice, Ritsu told herself to calm down. The drummer sighed deeply, before deciding to make conversation.
"So… Watanabe-san, what sparked your interest in drumming?" Ritsu asked awkwardly. Ritsu could only imagine how amused Mio would look if she was here. Surprisingly, Yuki didn't seem to notice Ritsu's uneasiness. "Actually, it's just that my boyfriend enjoys the sound of the drums," Yuki started, "so I thought, maybe I could learn it for him and play-"
Yuki continued talking about Maeda for the next five minutes, the drummer screaming internally. All Ritsu could do was nod while Yuki went on and on and on. "So, when did you first start drumming?" Yuki asked, smiling at Ritsu. The drummer snapped out of her daze, fumbling with her words.
"Oh, uh, haha! I-it's a long story," Ritsu stuttered as she met Yuki's stare. Yuki shook her head, placing a hand on the drummer's knee. "Now that won't do, Tainaka-san," Yuki said, "You're my teacher now and we'll be seeing each other often, let's try that again, hm?"
Yuki widened her smile, unnerving Ritsu. "Yeah, all right," Ritsu replied, smiling weakly. Yuki's grin widened more, if that was even possible. "All right, now tell me how you got into drumming," Yuki asked, her tone of voice starting to sound slightly demanding. "Damn, is this how Mio felt when I talked to her in kindergarten?" Ritsu thought, finally starting to understand why Mio would get upset whenever she would get too pushy.
"My childhood best friend and I wanted to start a band when we were very young, or well I wanted to anyway, and it all started because of this live performance we saw on TV," Ritsu said, gradually starting to sound more like her usual self, "I started playing the drums and she the bass, and eventually we joined the Light Music Club in High School."
"Oh? Your high school had a Light Music Club too?" Yuki asked, eyes wide opened, "My old high school also had one… but I wasn't interested at the time… oh sorry, please continue!"
"No, it's fine," Ritsu replied, taking a sip from her soda (hoping it wasn't poisoned), "Our band decided to go to University together, so here we are! We even joined this University's Light Music Club."
For a moment, Ritsu could have sworn she saw Yuki's eyes dilate. Yuki drank from her can, humming softly before facing the drummer once more. "You wouldn't happen to know Akira would you?" Yuki asked, her voice taking a noticeable shift in tone. "O-kay, I need to calm down," Ritsu thought to herself, her heart beating faster, "Give smart answers here."
"O-oh! Wada-san! The short haired, punk looking girl? I've seen her and her band in the clubroom sometimes, but my bandmates and I don't really talk to them," Ritsu lied through her teeth. Yuki looked at her lap, humming again, before breaking into smile. "Oh, that's a shame," Yuki said sweetly, "Akira-tan and I go wayy back."
"You do?" Ritsu asked nervously. "Oh yeah," Yuki replied, "We're part of the same record company actually, my boyfriend works at it."
"Are you… friends with her?" Ritsu asked Yuki, who looked offended by the question. "No, no, no," Yuki replied, waving her hand, "I'll let you in on a little secret… I don't really like her that much."
"No secret there," Ritsu thought to herself. Yuki stretched her arms out and took a sip from her can. "Let's not talk about her," Yuki said, "Let's talk about something more happy."
"How long are we going to 'talk' for," Ritsu groaned internally. The two girls continued their conversation for the next half hour, and only after they added each other's number did Yuki finally decide to start the drum lesson Ritsu came for.
Later that day… Campus Cafeteria...
"It's packed," Akira noted, looking around for any empty seats. Yui, Akira and Azusa scanned the area for any possible place to sit, but to no avail. A new store had been added to the cafeteria's line up, causing many students to flock to the cafeteria just to try out the new store's items. "It's that new store," Azusa sighed, "What's so good about western food anyway? It's oily and slimy and really unhealthy."
Yui looked at Azusa in shock.
"Azunyan! How dare you! After all we've been through at Max Burgers?! Have you no pride for our clan?!" Yui cried. Azusa narrowed her eyes, brushing the older girl off. At that moment, out of the corner of her eye, Azusa spotted Ritsu waving at them from a table a few seats away. Azusa directed Akira and Yui towards the drummer's table, the three of them sighing in relief at finally finding a seat.
"My, my, what do we have here? A group of lost little children, don't worry, for Ritsu-sama has found a safe haven for you lot," Ritsu announced proudly as the group of three sat down at her table. "Yes, thank you, Ritsu-senpai," Azusa said to the haughty drummer.
"Sho how wash zhe wesson?" Yui asked Ritsu with food stuffed in her mouth. "What lesson?" Akira asked the drummer while Azusa chided Yui for speaking with food in her mouth.
"Oh, I started giving drum lessons to this girl-" Ritsu said before cutting herself off. As Akira was looking at her, Ritsu could feel the guilt rising internally. "How do I tell Akira I'm being paid to teach someone who assaulted her?" Ritsu thought anxiously.
"And?" Azusa asked curiously. Ritsu squeezed her wallet in her pocket. Then again, Ritsu was being paid 20,000 yen per week, and she does need the money. So, Ritsu gulped and decided not to tell Akira about Yuki. "It won't hurt her not knowing," Ritsu reasoned with herself.
"I'm being paid quite a sum," Ritsu continued, Yui's eyes lighting up in surprise. "Ooh! How much?" Yui asked excitedly, leaning towards Ritsu.
"It's rude to ask someone how much they earn," Ritsu grinned at Yui, who pouted.
"The thought of you being a teacher really is kinda funny," Azusa noted, giggling.
Ritzu pinched the youngest guitarist's cheek. "I'm just a businesswoman, doing business," Ritsu mused as Azusa tried to escape from the drummer's clutches. "What's your student like?" Akira asked Ritsu, who released Azusa from her attack. Ritsu avoided looking at Akira, taking one of Yui's soggy fries. "She's… sociable," Ritsu said, munching on the flimsy fry.
"So I'd assume you two hit it off?" Akira smirked, "Birds of a feather and all that."
"That's… a way to put it," Ritsu replied, clutching her wallet tightly while wearing a grin. Under her smile, Ritsu felt terrible for hiding the truth from Akira like this, but the prospect of earning 20,000 yen weekly was simply an opportunity that was too good to pass up. "It wouldn't hurt to be a little selfish, right?" Ritsu thought to herself.
To avoid the feeling of guilt lingering in her heart, Ritsu decided to move on to another topic of conversation. "So, how's your band holding up with the whole studio thing," Ritsu asked Akira, "They didn't kick you out, did they?"
Akira scoffed. "Of course not!" the guitarist snapped, "In fact, Maeda-senpai is like our new song!"
"You guys made a new song?" Yui asked in confusion, "Why didn't you tell us?"
Akira's face flushed red as she scrunched her nose. "It's really… cringy," Akira muttered, looking at her lap.
"Is the song about stationary?" Ritsu snickered to Akira's dismay. Akira breathed in deeply before whispering, "It's about Miso soup."
Ritsu couldn't hold back her laughter. "SHUT UP," Akira snapped as the drummer howled. "How did your songs go from heartbreak to… soup?" Ritsu wheezed, "I mean, it is an improvem- owwwww!"
Akira pinched and twisted the drummer's cheek, the latter desperately trying to escape from her grip. "Shut up! All I did was follow Mio-chan's notes," Akira defended herself. "But you aren't any good at Literature are you Akira-chan," Yui pointed out innocently, resulting in her cheeks being pinched by Akira as well.
As Ritsu stood in the elevator, all she could feel was the familiar sense of guilt she had felt earlier. There she was, laughing away with Akira, with the money Yuki had paid her sitting in her wallet. It didn't feel good. But it won't hurt if Akira didn't know, right?
Ritsu came into the apartment to find Mio resting on the couch watching the day's news. "Ah, Tainaka-sensei," Mio greeted the drummer, "How was the lesson?"
Ritsu forced a smile. "Not all that bad," Ritsu half-lied. While Yuki had been friendly, and admittedly a pleasant person to teach, Ritsu felt terrible knowing what kind of person she actually was. Then again, the 20, 000…
"If Mio finds out, she will never let me teach Yuki again, which means we will have to start the job search all over again," Ritsu thought, deciding to keep the secret from Mio as well, "After all, it won't hurt not telling her, will it?"
"Ritsu? Ritsu?"
The drummer snapped out of her train of thought, looking up at the curious bassist. "Oh sorry, I kinda zoned out," Ritsu apologised, smiling weakly. Mio looked at the drummer with concern. "She must be tired," Mio concluded.
"You should go to bed," Mio said to the drummer, "You look exhausted."
"Yeah, mentally," Ritsu thought to herself. Ritsu bade her friend goodnight as she jumped into bed, still fretting over the day's events.
The next day, Sunday, 2:55, Yuki's dorm…
"Woah! You've improved a lot compared to yesterday! You're quite a fast learner!" Ritsu complimented Yuki. Though she started only a day before, Yuki had proven herself to be a natural drummer. "Hehe," Yuki giggled, "What can I say? You're a great teacher!"
Ritsu found herself turning slightly red. She wasn't used to compliments just yet. While Ritsu still felt slightly uncomfortable around Yuki, she had to admit the latter was really friendly. "Haha, I guess I am?" Ritsu replied, "Tainaka-sensei's lessons are known to be critically acclaimed."
"By who?" Yuki giggled. Ritsu turned her face upwards, using her thumb to point at herself. "Me!" Ritsu exclaimed in a haughty manner. Yuki laughed, placing her practice pad and drumsticks down.
"You're quite a character Tainaka-san," Yuki said, smiling. "Yeah, I get that a lot," Ritsu grinned, "Well, looks like it's about to be three, best be setting off, have to make dinner for my friend and I."
"Oh, yeah, your roommate? I think it's sweet that friends as close as you two got to move in together. Plus, you're making dinner too! You two are like a couple!" Yuki gushed to Ritsu's great embarrassment. "Oh come now, it's- it's not like that," Ritsu said shyly, "Besides she's such a nag, I would never end up with someone like her!"
Yuki smiled as Ritsu began packing up hastily. "Welp, I'll catch you next week! Enjoy your idol training!" Ritsu said, stepping out of the dorm. "Bye!" Yuki replied, as Ritsu ran off.
An hour later…
"How was your drum lesson Watanabe-sama?" one of Yuki's friends asked. Yuki and her clique of girls were in a cab heading to the studio. "Yes! You haven't told us about the lessons… and what the teacher is like!" another girl piped up. Yuki flashed a smile at her friends.
"Great! She's quite reserved right now, although she is an efficient teacher," Yuki said, "I predict that I'll be able to play quite well for Mae-chan within a month or so…"
The group of girls squealed, clapping their hands at their leader's determination. "You can do it Watanabe-sama!" the group said in unison. The taxi driver couldn't help but roll his eyes. It had been a long day and he wasn't in the mood for loud, high-pitched shrieking noises in his car. As the driver sighed, he swerved off-lane for a bit, to which another car honked loudly, snapping the driver out of his trance. The girls screamed as the driver swerved back into his lane. "WATCH THE ROAD DUMBFUCK," Yuki yelled into the driver's ear.
"I'm not paying! Especially for the shit you pulled earlier!" Yuki shouted at the driver when they arrived at their destination. "Miss, rules are rules, please pay up," the driver said helplessly. Yuki scoffed, swiping out her credit card.
"Uh, we don't accept card payment," the driver told Yuki, whose face got redder. Yuki didn't even reply, taking out a few notes and throwing it at the backseat, walking off without closing the car door. The driver sighed. He didn't need this.
Yuki caught up with her friends, apologising for the delay. The group went up to the practice room where they saw Maeda waiting, donning headphones, listening to something on his phone. "Mae-chan~" Yuki greeted, glomping Maeda. "Ah, Yuki," Maeda greeted, removing his headphones.
"What are you listening to?" Yuki asked her boyfriend, who passed Yuki his headphones. "Some drumming," Maeda said, "I'm starting to have an interest in actually learning it, so I can play for myself whenever I want."
Yuki grinned. "As it happens, I have picked up the drums last week," Yuki said, smiling sweetly. Maeda widened his eyes at his girlfriend. "Really?" Maeda said in surprise, his eyes shining.
"Mmhmm," Yuki said, "Y'know, I'll be able to play for you whenever you want."
Maeda grinned. "That would be lovely," Maeda said, "Can you play something? Practise starts in fifteen minutes, so maybe we can go find a spare drum for you to play?"
"Sure!" Yuki said, pulling Maeda up and exiting the room. "They're so cute~" Yuki's fanclub swooned.
"Ready?" Yuki said as she sat at the drums. "Come to think of it, I never went beyond the practice pad didn't I?" Yuki thought anxiously, "Ah, fuck it, let's do this."
Yuki clacked the drumsticks three times as she began playing the basic drum tabs Ritsu had given her to play earlier. After she was done, Yuki closed her eyes. She played horribly. However, Maeda was applauding enthusiastically. Yuki giggled. "What an idiot," Yuki thought, "He can't tell what's good or not."
"Bravo!" Maeda applauded as Yuki took a bow, "Seriously though! How did you get this good in one week? A good teacher perhaps?"
"He seems to be won over," Yuki thought, smiling as she saw Akira's band walk past the room she and Maeda were in, "I'm sorry Wada, he's mine."
Yuki grinned at Maeda, replying, "Nope, all self-taught."
Sorry for the month-long delay, I caught Covid and had exams so I understandably had little time to update… sorry if this chapter seemed a little rushed- Hopefully my schedule will be back to normal soon…
