Author Note: Things are getting a lot more directly connected starting from here. This chapter was kind of a nightmare, please enjoy it.
The library on campus was a great place to do schoolwork, especially since it was easy to work on research there. Lisa often went between classes, so she would have a quiet place to study.
It was a great place to work on group projects as well, which was why Lisa was there today. After midterms, her literature class had given a large group assignment. She was randomly grouped with three others from the class. They had divvied up the work a week ago and were meeting today to put the individual pieces together.
The group sat together at a small table on the second floor. Lisa's other group mates consisted of two guys and one other girl. None of them left much of an impression on her. She had only talked briefly with them when the project was assigned, just long enough to exchange phone numbers and split up the work.
To be honest, Lisa mixed up the names of the two guys in her mind. It was easier to think of them by the portion of the assignment they did. The taller guy summarized the book, while the other analyzed the themes.
As for the last remaining member, Lisa could remember her name. Erica was tackling the symbolism of the text for her part. She stood out only a little bit more than the boys, since Lisa had exchanged at least ten whole words with her. When they first met, she had called Lisa "Imai-san" and Lisa told her that it was fine to use her first name.
Lisa's task was to analyze the use of setting. She'd prepared a few pages of writing on three different settings and how they impacted the themes. That was about as much as the others wrote too, so it was a good length.
The group compiled their pieces into one document, and then each proofread it to make sure it was ready for submission. There were a couple errors that needed fixing, but other than that it was all set.
When they were all satisfied with it, they submitted it to the course drop box. Each one of them had to turn in the same document, so they could all be scored. Lisa was used to navigating the online class space by this point, since it had already been a couple months since she started using it.
Once that was done, they started to disperse. Perhaps they would work together again someday, though they probably wouldn't. Lisa took her time putting her laptop in her bag, making sure to shut it down first. The boys were the first two to go.
"Excuse me, Im… Lisa-san." Erica was still seated at the table, with her school bag placed on it. She had dark brown eyes and long black hair that curled slightly at the tips. Lisa looked up at her as she was addressed, noticing a slight color to Erica's cheeks. "Do you have a minute?"
Lisa didn't need to catch the train until about thirty minutes from now. "Yeah, what's up?" She tried to be friendly towards her classmates.
"Do you, um…" Erica cleared her throat, starting her sentence over. "There's a really good café around the corner, have you been to it?" Her hands were held together on the table, tightly clenched together.
"I haven't." Lisa shook her head, unsure where this was going.
"I was thinking," Erica broke eye contact nervously. "Do you want to go together?" She was clearly blushing now, rushing to get the words out.
Lisa inhaled sharply as she processed the question. It sounded like she was being asked out, but that couldn't be right. "Right now?" She asked.
Erica nodded quickly. "Only if you want to, but…" Her voice trailed off and she swallowed hard. "You're really cute and I want to spend more time with you." Her ears, barely visible under her hair, had started turning bright red as well.
Oh, she really was being asked out on a date. Lisa felt like she was looking at Erica for the first time, despite having been in the same place for the last hour. She seemed so nervous now, so shy; she was the complete opposite of the other person who came to Lisa's mind.
While being asked out by another girl, an image of Yukina still flashed in Lisa's mind. Her best friend, who she'd been harboring feelings for since they were young.
Lisa already felt guilty as she considered Erica in front of her, as she considered saying yes. It felt like a betrayal, but of who? Of herself? No, of Yukina.
Was Lisa going to let herself keep pining over her like that? To give Yukina that power?
She'd already been doing it for years.
Her best friend wasn't interested in her or in looking for a relationship. Lisa knew that, carried it deep in her heart.
Maybe it was time to accept it and move on.
Lisa looked over Erica again; perhaps there was more to her than she assumed. She had to leave campus soon to go to band practice, but she was open to giving her a chance. She couldn't just say she was moving on, she should take action as well.
"I can't today, I have band practice soon." Lisa replied, hoping her pause to think hadn't been too awkward. Erica's face fell at those words, but she perked back up at what Lisa said next. "How about tomorrow?"
"I can do tomorrow!" Erica's lips lifted into a smile. "After lit?" That was the class they shared together. Erica's eyes gleamed with excitement. She looked cute like this, like an eager puppy, Lisa thought as she nodded and smiled back at her.
"See you then." Lisa finished putting her laptop away and closed her bag, rising to her feet. They exchanged a brief goodbye, before she left. She shook off the heavy feeling in her gut, maybe this would turn out well.
Now Lisa only had twenty minutes to reach the train. That was plenty of time to think about her upcoming date, so she could set it aside later and focus on rehearsal.
She was exactly on time to practice.
Roselia practice today was unusual, in the fact that all members of the band were able to attend. With midterms having just passed, the work load for each member was slightly less than it had been before.
Rinko especially had less on her plate now, after the concert she performed in. Lisa thought she played beautifully on that stage, showing just how amazing of a pianist she was.
It felt good to play with the whole band again, especially since Lisa had been working to improve her technique. She hadn't practiced as much during testing, but since it ended she made sure to put in extra practice time. She'd learned a new fingering for one of the harder hand positions, which would make it faster and easier to play.
That extra rehearsal paid off as Lisa practiced with the rest of the band. They ran through many of their songs, stopping to refine a few portions. Lisa was able to play her parts better than ever.
Now that she wasn't worrying about her own sound, she noticed something different with the band. The blend of the band, the way they sounded together, had changed since the start of the school year.
It wasn't necessarily a bad sound, but it was certainly a different one. Lisa hadn't noticed it at practices where one member was missing, since she couldn't hear the full band play. Now though, with all members there and her mind clear, she could hear the shift. It carried just a hint of disunity.
They were nowhere near tearing, of course, but Lisa still noticed.
She kept it in mind as they continued to rehearse, listening carefully to her bandmates and adjusting as needed.
Roselia played for the duration of their rented studio time, stopping only when they had run completely out.
"Good work today." Yukina said as they prepared to wrap up. "Make sure to practice Union's Road and Avant-garde History again on Sunday." Ah right, Yukina wouldn't be able to attend their next practice. It always felt strange to play without her, since her voice was the guiding post of the band. At least, it felt that way to Lisa.
"Of course." Sayo replied, her mouth set in a slight frown. The guitar had been part of the issue in those two songs.
Yukina nodded in reply, and then dismissed the band for the day.
Lisa moved to pack up her bass, cleaning the surface with a cloth before putting it in its case. Ako had leapt up from the drums to talk to Rinko, clearly excited about something.
They were talking about NFO again, how some new boss was the mother of one they just fought. They were making plans to fight it later tonight, after Ako did her homework. Rinko finished putting her keyboard away and the two headed out together, their conversation continuing the entire time.
Sayo had unplugged her guitar from the amp, but went right back to playing it. She still looked frustrated. She had her sheet music out and started erasing something on it.
Yukina put her mic stand away and approached Lisa. She had her bag as well as a piece of paper in her hands. They were going to walk home together, for the first time in a while. Usually one of them had to run off, but today they were just going home.
Lisa zipped up the bass case, slinging it over her shoulder. She looked towards Yukina with her usual cheery smile. "Ready to go?"
"In a minute." Yukina offered Lisa the paper, which she could now see was a flyer of some kind. "I picked this up on the way in." Lisa accepted the flyer and lifted it so she could read it. It declared, in large colorful letters, that a few new girl's bands were debuting together at a live. It was scheduled for tomorrow, in the afternoon.
"Are you going?" Lisa asked as she passed the flyer back.
"I plan to." Yukina put the paper in her bag. "Would you like to come? It would be a good chance to see what new bands are doing." Her eyes were down at her bag as she asked it, her tone level as usual with just a hint of excitement. As usual, this would help enhance the band.
"Sounds like fun." Lisa enjoyed seeing bands just as much as Yukina did. There was a problem though. She had already committed to doing something tomorrow afternoon, one coffee date with Erica. "I don't think I can though."
Yukina's lip turned down slightly, which was a significant frown for her. "Alright." She sounded disappointed.
"Imai-san, you really should try to make it." Sayo cut in from where she was still playing her guitar. "It's always good to study new bands; I wish I could go."
"I agree with that, but I already have plans tomorrow." Lisa's smile felt strained at the second half of her sentence. It wasn't a lie, but as the words left her lips it felt like one. Sayo just scowled in response, turning back to her guitar.
"Do you want company?" Lisa didn't think Yukina realized what she was asking, as she offered to abandon the concert.
Lisa's face felt hot at the question. "I uh…" She searched for the right way to phrase it, a heavy feeling growing in her stomach at the very idea of telling Yukina the truth. "I'm actually meeting with someone." She hoped she wasn't blushing. On the other side of the studio, Sayo rolled her eyes.
"Oh." Yukina's expression dropped to blank, her tone flat and emotionless. She seemed to have understood what Lisa was trying to hide. She turned towards the studio door, so Lisa could no longer see her face. "Let's go."
Lisa's stomach churned; Yukina definitely knew what she meant. She had always been a surprisingly clingy friend, Lisa knew that. This reaction shouldn't have been a surprise.
She lifted one hand slightly, to reach towards her, to pull her back and say this had all been a misunderstanding, but she didn't follow through. Hadn't she decided to let go, to move on? Instead, she watched as Yukina took a few steps away and opened the studio door.
With a sigh, Lisa moved to follow her.
"Don't stay too long." Lisa called over to Sayo as she followed Yukina. "The next band will be here soon."
"I know, I know." Sayo grumbled, while writing something in her music. She looked up after to watch the pair leave.
Lisa shut the studio door behind her. She followed a few steps behind Yukina as they exited the building and started walking towards home.
It was starting to get hot outside, as the summer approached. Lisa felt a familiar twinge of guilt as she watched Yukina's back.
They barely talked as they walked, with the weight of their last exchange hanging over them.
This was not how Lisa wanted to spend her limited time with Yukina.
Literature class was always a long one. They often took time to read passages during class, and then to analyze and argue about the meanings. Today, the professor took a few extra minutes to berate groups that hadn't turned their project in yet.
Luckily for Lisa hers was already done, but she still had to sit through the lecture.
She sat near the back of the room, in one of the last few rows. Lisa could see Erica from here, diligently taking notes in the middle of the classroom.
After this, they would go on their date.
Lisa would've been lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She didn't have a lot of experience with dating; actually she had none.
She was excited though, to get to know Erica better.
When class ended, Lisa met her at the door. Erica was waiting for her there, arms wrapped tight around her bag. Her eyes met Lisa's as she approached. They lit up as she smiled.
"Ready to go?" Erica asked, holding the door open for Lisa to pass through. She thanked her quietly, a little flustered by the gesture. Lisa pushed aside her own shadow from yesterday, saying those same words to Yukina.
They left the lecture hall and walked across campus towards the café.
The mood of this walk was much lighter than the one Lisa went on the day before. The two walked side by side, with Lisa's right hand less than half a meter from Erica's left. She didn't really think about it.
Erica exuded energy with each step, beaming from ear to ear. She hadn't been anything like this while they worked on the project, or perhaps Lisa hadn't been paying attention.
"Are you from the area?" Erica asked, her eyes locked solidly on Lisa's.
Lisa nodded, gesturing over one shoulder towards where she caught the train. "Yeah, I've lived in Tokyo my whole life. You?"
"Me too!" Erica pointed in a completely different direction, towards a different part of the city. "My whole family is here."
They continued to share information as they walked, talking about siblings, high schools, and hobbies. The walk felt like it passed quickly, and they were soon at the café.
They went inside and snagged a small table for two, right near the window.
Sitting across from Erica like this, Lisa could see her even more clearly. Erica cradled her coffee with both hands, despite the warmth of the café. She made consistent eye contact and carried her emotions visibly. Lisa hadn't spent any time learning her mannerisms, but she already felt she could read her easily.
"You play bass in a band, right?" Erica asked between sips of her coffee.
Lisa hadn't expected her to know that, despite the popularity of Roselia. "That's right, I've been in the band for three years now."
"That's amazing." Erica's eyes practically gleamed. "I used to play the trombone in high school, in the brass band."
Lisa wasn't too familiar with brass instruments. "Is that the one that slides?" She mimed the motion of a trombone slide in front of her face.
"Yup!" Erica put her coffee down and leaned forward, reaching across the table. She put one hand on Lisa's, which was still raised to mimic the trombone. "A little higher though." She lifted Lisa's hand gently, to what must've been the proper trombone playing height. Her face was closer too, as she was leaning across the table.
Lisa's heart trilled oddly at the initial contact, but settled as she watched Erica move her hand. She remembered the choreography from Yakusoku, where Yukina leaned into her personal space like this, and her heart started beating faster.
Then, as if suddenly realizing that she was far inside Lisa's personal space bubble, Erica recoiled back. Her cheeks grew red, and she spluttered. "S-sorry, didn't mean to get that close." She picked her coffee back up to hide behind drinking it, coughing a moment later as she choked on it.
"It's alright." Lisa gave her best smile back, trying to shelve that intrusive thought about Yukina. She pushed the conversation topic forward. "I've never played a brass instrument; it seems so different from the bass."
"You build a lot of lung strength playing them." Erica tapped one fist against her chest, where her lungs were.
"Bass is all about the fingers." Lisa placed the back of her hand flat on the table, showing the calluses she'd built while playing. Erica looked at them with wide eyes. "Can't paint my nails either, it chips too easily." Lisa flipped her hand over to show her short nails.
"They look good to me." Erica put her coffee down again and reached forward slowly, carefully taking Lisa's hand into hers. She had her eyes locked down on Lisa's hand as their fingers intertwined together.
Lisa looked down at their joined hands, then back up at Erica's face. It wasn't bad, she didn't hate holding hands like this.
But she was pretty sure that wasn't how this was supposed to feel.
Something was missing here, she didn't feel any sort of spark, any attraction. Sure, she was having a great time talking to Erica and getting to know her, but Lisa wasn't sure if this was working romantically.
They held hands for a few minutes as the continued to talk, but after a while Lisa pulled back to hold her coffee with both hands.
Erica's face had fallen when she did so, but she didn't comment on it. The conversation turned to their class and their groupmates from the last project. When there was a lull, Lisa wondered if Yukina was enjoying the band event right now, if she had even gone by herself. Knowing Yukina and just how stubborn she was, she probably had.
At the end of the date, when both cups of coffee were long empty, they agreed to just be friends. Lisa tried to put into words how she felt, but Erica shook her head and stopped her.
"Your heart's not in it." She said, with a small smile and sad eyes. "I get it."
"I'm sorry." Lisa knew it wasn't really in her control, but she apologized anyway. She didn't like not meeting other's expectations. "See you in class?"
"For sure."
They parted ways shortly after.
Lisa hadn't really been sure what she was looking for today, but she had learned more about Erica and hopefully about herself as well.
Yukina's light was on across the way. Lisa could see it from her bedroom, illuminated through the curtains. She tried not to think about it.
Lisa was working on homework for her math class, which always seemed to have mountains of the stuff. There were always more numbers to crunch and more problems to solve.
Her phone buzzed, the sign of an incoming text.
It was Yukina. "How was your meeting today?"
For a minute, Lisa left her on read. She needed to think about why Yukina was asking that question and how she should respond to it. What were the right words to use? She knew that Yukina had understood yesterday, that she knew Lisa was going on a date.
"It went fine," Lisa typed slowly. She took a deep breath, "we agreed to just be friends."
The pause while waiting for Yukina's response was even longer than the one Lisa just took.
"I see." Just two words, with no indicator of emotion. That was so Yukina, Lisa almost wanted to throw her window open just to see how she really felt. Maybe if she could see her, then she would understand.
Lisa didn't do that. Instead, she did what she did best and pivoted the conversation. "How were the new bands today?"
Yukina started typing back immediately. "Amateurs, all of them." She continued to go into detail on the common mistakes they made, and what they needed to do to correct them.
That too, was just like Yukina.
End Note: This chapter marks the halfway point on my outline.
