Chapter 5: Starlight Overture

Two weeks. It had only been two weeks since their small performance, and Aoi's brand new university life utterly imploded. Her academics were still on track, and nothing was happening at home. Everything else was unrecognisable from the status quo in April.

Whether Asuka orchestrated it all, concocting some grand scheme in the recesses of her mind, was impossible to discern. Her feelings, opinions, anything indicating her state of mind after the clash was obscured behind a veil of platitudes. Even Kaori was left blindsided by her actions. The only thing clear was the pieces on the board and the stars in the sky aligned with Asuka's goals. She wanted to play in a concert band, so she would just make her own. Though it seemed like too much effort to be solely for personal gratification. Maybe Haruka would have done something like this at the behest of everyone else, but Asuka did not operate on excessive charity. Although most of their friends were keen on the idea of playing together again after seeing their performance, it was not an overwhelming desire. Without their intervention, the rest would have just continued whatever they had been doing before.

Aoi had become a common fixture at Doshisha in the past week, with plenty to settle before they could enact Asuka's ambitious plan. Why she went along with it was hard to say. There was always a temptation to simply give up on having any hobbies and immerse herself in work. That course of action had worked before, rather successfully. This time, she made the emotional decision, driven by the desire to keep herself fully occupied. She had already discovered more than once that books were unable to achieve that on their own.

Although Aoi never reached the point where she needed someone to come to check on her, at least outwardly, Haruka took no chances. Only today, as they travelled to Doshisha directly from Rokujizo, did she realise how much more convenient it was going by the subway compared to the Keihan Main Line. The amount of effort Haruka took to travel with her for weeks on end was no small gesture.

The other Kitauji alumni at Doshisha were already waiting for them in the monstrosity of a building that housed the Letters Faculty.

"Thank you, Professor," Tori said as she bowed and exited the faculty office.

"You know Aoi," Hiroe said as their group walked across campus. "I can't include your last name when addressing your dad anymore. It's too weird."

Aoi nodded along, not wanting to encourage more questions. She remained outside as they talked to her father for just that reason.

"It feels kind of like a dream," Tori said, almost singing. "But that's Asuka for you, right? Taking some insane plan and pushing everyone to do it."

Shouko gazed intently at the set of keys in her palm. "Even if all the instruments are okay, what are we supposed to do beyond that? We don't have any advisors."

"Let's just go about cleaning up first," Haruka said, her eyes fixed towards their destination. "Professor Saito said the room hasn't been used regularly since the late nineties."

They walked down the main avenue bisecting Doshisha's small campus, going beyond the distinctive spire of Clarke Hall at the end of the road. Adjoined to the nearby Divinity Hall building was a smaller, two-story annexe that used to be research offices. The red-brick building was entirely rectangular except for a small protrusion at its end, creating a shallow L-shape.

Climbing to the second floor, they unlocked the wooden double doors at the end of the hallway. The tiny breeze made by swinging them open was enough to stir up a wave of dust. The floor was caked in a layer of dust powder, forcing them to keep their shoes on. They scanned the room from the doorway in its bottom right corner, but it was too dark to make much out.

"Geeze", Hiroe coughed as they proceeded deeper inside.

They split up to raise the blinds of the Oriel windows on the other end of the room. The high gable roof made the relatively small space feel much larger than it actually was. Aoi struggled to reach the pully of the room's skylight, the rope remaining millimetres from her fingertips. Haruka immediately took over, bumping her aside with her body causing the pair to giggle.

Sunlight flooded into the room from its high windows, revealing the sparse furnishings. The vanish of the parquet floor still gleamed slightly despite its age. There was a collection of large percussion instruments in the far corner, unevenly covered in nylon sheets. Running along the wall beside the door was a series of shelves that were sporadically stocked. The black instrument hard cases looked out of place on the ornate dark wood of the repurposed library bookshelves.

"Hiroe, Don't!" Haruka squeaked.

The other saxophonist excitedly yanked the covers, launching dust skyward. A barrage of coughing followed as Aoi felt her eyes water up. The particles filtered through the air, filling the room with dustlight. No fans. There were only ancient radiators and a single wall air-conditioner unit that was turning yellow.

"Tori-chan, Saki," Shouko wheezed. "the windows."

They hastily unlatched the windows and lifted them up, letting the spring breeze flow into the room. Aoi wanted to sit down for a moment, but there were no chairs anywhere.

Hiroe shook her head as the rest converged on the percussion instruments. "This doesn't look too good."

Rust had formed over the various instruments, with a pair of crash cymbals having turned entirely green. As Saki gave them a closer inspection, it was a relief when she reported most of them merely appeared to be in bad condition. The chimes just needed some polishing, while most of the rust on the drums were superficial. She searched around for a pair of mallets, only managing to find an odd assortment of individual sticks.

Taking two different sized soft mallets, Saki stood behind two of the timpani. "Can anyone hum the opening of Also Sprach Zarathustra for me?"

There were confused glances before a spark came to Haruka's face. "I know that one."

Despite Haruka's tone-deafness butchering it, the fanfare was immediately recognisable. Even with the wrong tempo, Saki did an excellent roll on the timpani before landing heavier blows. The sound reverberated through the room, wrapping around them like a blanket. It was ironic that a former library would have great acoustic properties.

"All the instruments are in decent shape," Saki said while playing a short melody on the marimba. "Though I can only be sure for the mallet instruments. I would still ask Narai to check the drums."

Hiroe nodded enthusiastically and started to walk towards the windows to close them.

"We might as well start now," Haruka said as she laid down an enormous shoulder bag.

"Huh?" Hiroe's mouth was wide open, her usual prelude to a protest. "Can't we do that another day? This was just supposed to be a quick check."

"Come on," Saki said dully as she grabbed Hiroe's wrist, dragging her towards the mountain of cleaning supplies that Haruka brought. "I know you don't have classes today. We'll have to do it eventually."

"This is Asuka's plan," She was whining now. "We're not the only ones who agreed. They should help too."

"Let's save them some time," Haruka said with a bright smile. She tied a bandana around her head and handed Hiroe a duster.

Hiroe made a cross between a whine and a sigh as she accepted the cleaning implement. Shouko and Tori left to fill a water bucket at the nearby pantry while Hiroe and Haruka started to dust the shelves and small ledges. That left Saki and Aoi to check through the rest of the instruments.

It became clear that this music room was used as a dumping ground by Doshisha's orchestra. They left tags on the cases, marking instruments that were unusable or too costly to repair. Fortunately, many were just a little old and worn out, relegated to the depths of this room after a shiny new replacement had come in.

Most musicians by this point probably had their own instruments if it was affordable. That left the orchestra to spend its budget on larger, niche pieces, leaving them with a treasure trove. Nothing particularly disgusting turned up in their inspection besides some revolting congealed cork grease and a bottle of rancid lever oil.

"Haruka," Aoi called out, "What instruments do need for everyone?"

Haruka handed her mop to Shouko and headed towards the shelves. Although she was looking directly at Aoi, her gaze seemed to pass right through her as she went over the list in her mind. Her bandana was covered in dust and damp with sweat, tiny beads forming on the tip of her small nose. She winced at the grime and tarnish on the older instruments despite Aoi's best efforts to quickly clean them up. There was little doubt she would have gagged if she saw them earlier.

"I'm not sure if Raina and Mikino will be happy with these bassoons," Haruka said as she examined one of the unassembled joints. "But including everyone's personal instruments, we should have everything except an oboe."

"Beggars can't be choosers," Saki said as she tinkered with the timpani, attempting to smooth out the pedal action.

"If it comes down to it, I'm sure the orchestra can lend us some of their instruments." Tori chimed, getting an enthusiastic nod from Haruka.

Maybe they could easily acquire music stands from them. Chairs and other basic pieces of furniture were also a simple matter of asking the university administrators. Instruments though? Sometimes it was difficult to believe Haruka's almost naïve optimism could co-exist with her extreme negativity.

"Great job president!" Asuka said as she stepped into their music room. "Not a single speck of dust anywhere."

"Shoes!" Haruka physically blocked her from stepping off the entrance mat.

The whole building was designed entirely in western style, without any places meant to change to indoor shoes. That did not stop Haruka from creating a small entryway in the music room.

Within the week, their small room that sat at the end of an unassuming L-shaped building had been stuffed full of personal items. Some of it was practical. Haruka spent quite a bit on small things like air freshener, cheap balsa wood shoe racks, and the doormat that Asuka was now stomping over. Knuckles also moved his own drum set into the room, though how he managed it was a mystery.

Others were blatantly using the place as a private storage room. Shouko's camera and tripod were a frequent sight, as was a telescope which she assumed belonged to Hitoshi. The presence of cushions and a tea set also indicated Watanabe Tsune had been by at some point. Duplicating so many keys might have been a rash decision, even if it was incredibly convenient. Aoi did not have any issues with this, being tempted to leave some books here herself. It just seemed strange to be getting so comfortable before their first proper meeting. Aoi had not even seen Tsune or many others since graduation.

"So, will you tell us what you have planned now?" Aoi asked as Asuka made herself comfortable at a low table they acquired.

"Saki never mentioned it?"

She and Haruka shook her head.

"I've always liked her," Asuka said. "Never gets caught up in all the drama and gossip in the band."

Before they could press her for more details, she started brewing a cup of green tea using an airpot someone brought from home, ignoring their follow-ups.

The others began to filter in steadily as it neared five in the afternoon. Just coordinating this meeting was already a minor headache for Haruka, piecing together everyone's schedules to find a convenient time.

Aoi's heart leapt up into her throat as she saw Kyouko enter the room. The blond parts of her hair looked more like highlights or elongated frosted tips with how much it had grown. Her expression remained neutral, at least for her standards, as she was introduced to various Kitauji alumni by Mirai. There was no sign of how their abrupt exit from the Kyodai band was affecting her. It was still a shock that she took up the offer to play with them, even if there was nowhere else to go.

"Hey, I haven't seen you much over the last few weeks," Aoi whispered as she made her rounds catching up.

Kyouko turned to her, a brief pause hanging in the air before she replied. "I was busy. Been putting off too much work, so I had to catch up."

Her words were eerily even and at a regular volume. Aoi expected a burst of anger or irritation. This was even more unnerving. As if nothing had happened, she turned back to Hiroe and Momo, resuming their boisterous conversation about past drama in their bands. It was all trivial affairs, unrequited crushes or various love polygons. While it focused on romantic drama, it was astounding how she could remain so animated about a subject so similar to what just happened to them. There was nothing else to do but wait.

With only a minute to spare, Kiriko arrived. Aoi was excited to see the saxophone section back together again, but she had not expected this. She appeared to glide over the floor in her red hakama. The two buns on each side of her head were now tied up with red string. A shrine maiden carrying an alto saxophone case was now the most peculiar thing Aoi had ever seen.

"Kiriko!" Hiroe squealed. "You're so cute in the Miko outfit!"

Kiriko's eyes narrowed before she took in a deep breath, normalising her expression. "I just help sell good luck charms and fortune slips."

"Careful Hiroe," Asuka said with an impish smile. "she'll write a ghost summoning talisman and stick it on you."

Aoi sighed as she saw Haruka shudder at the nonsensical threat. While Asuka was sacrilegious, at least she was not unnerved by this kind of wild superstition. She was even too comfortable with her penchant for playing fortune teller.

"I'm going to pretend you all didn't say that," Kiriko said, her calmness showing obvious cracks.

Despite her part-time work at the shrine, she was no Zen monk. To her credit, it was an impossible feat to achieve with Hiroe around. Undoubtedly, Kyouko and possibly Momo would pour fuel on the fire as the three grew more familiar. Kiriko could have avoided all this by changing into regular clothes after her shift. Then again, this was not just another job that happened to have a cute uniform for her.

With everyone present, Asuka and Haruka took charge without much thought. The Kitauji alumni went along without question as if it were second nature. The rest, seeing they were in an unofficial minority, did not bother raising any questions.

Most of their batch responded to their (primarily Asuka's) offers to start an ensemble. Some of their willingness was obvious. Everyone from Kyodai and Doshisha wanted to continue playing but had no band. Even Yuki decided to make an inconspicuous exit before any attention settled on her. For others, it was more of a social draw, bolstered with some subtle manipulation from Asuka. "If we convince the right people, the rest will come along." She had proclaimed. Aoi initially thought that it meant convincing an influential person from each section. Of course, it was more emotionally charged. "It's simple, really. The boys will come if the girls they like join us." Though the reverse was probably true for Hideri and Mei since she was the more apathetic of the two. With enough people, no one else still in Kyoto wanted to be left out.

The two former presidents went through each section with Aoi in tow, double-checking their strength and instrument inventory. The clarinets used to be the largest group in their batch. Now, they were reduced to just half their number. Aside from Hitoshi, who was convinced by a combination of his friends and Shouko's presence, only Tanaka Sugami appeared. There were also some more unexpected yet welcomed additions. Juri and Hiro not only decided to turn up but were on time for a change, though it was still clear they were here just for the fun. Another confusing addition was Mihara Kyouko. Even though their names were written with different kanji, there was no way to tell that verbally. It was a minor miracle that she still wanted to play the flute after being reduced to tears by Taki-sensei.

The trio from Ritsumeikan were the most curious additions. Their university had a decent band that was not too demanding, yet none of them joined. Aoi did not know Himegami very well, but it was reasonable to guess that she wanted to be with the rest of the flautist. The same likely applied to Momo. Noriko was much harder to place, possibly just being swept up by her two new friends.

"You sure you can't get anymore percussionist?" Noriko said, sweeping her long fringe to the side. Her face's oval shape was accentuated as she tied up her black hair into a ponytail, looking as though she was prepared to do some physical labour soon.

Asuka shook her head while Haruka gave her an apologetic smile. "There's only Knuckles and Saki," Haruka said.

It was too late in the semester to effectively do a public recruitment drive. Not that Asuka gave that much thought. Aoi had no complaints either, even if it was selfish to keep this confined to their friends. The addition of new members would be next year's problem.

"Guess we'll have to do the percussion dance." Knuckles said with a shrug.

"Percussion dance?" Aoi asked.

"It's his way of saying running back and forth because we don't have enough people," Saki said with an unenthusiastic look.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Haruka said.

"I had to play the tambourine with my foot sometimes," Noriko replied.

There was an almost cocky grin on her face as she reminisced about the frantic running around, juggling different instruments simultaneously. Even Asuka, who had once questioned Knuckles and Saki if they even needed to practice what she called simple mallet mashing, looked impressed.

"Misaka-chan," Saki said. "Do you specialise in any instrument in particular? Narai prefers drums, and I'm normally on the mallet instruments."

"Timpani!" She replied energetically. "This'll work out great."

Noriko and Knuckles descended into an animated conversation about how they would manage the arsenal of instruments. Saki was more reserved, mostly observing as they began to rearrange their little percussion pit at the back of the room to suit them.

Arriving at the saxophone section, everything appeared in order with their instruments and roles, except for an unfortunate missing piece.

"Is Raimu coming?" Kiriko asked.

Hiroe slowly shook her head. "Not unless she is going to transfer from Sophia University."

"Everything went according to plan then," Kirko muttered.

"Well, almost everything," Hiroe said with a cheeky smile. "Her boyfriend lives in Ebisu. Not quite Aoyama, but good enough."

Her plans specific dream was repeated so often that a slight deviation was entertaining to discuss. It was a little concerning that Raimu had jumped into a relationship less than two months into university. With barely any context, they could hardly judge. At least it was not anything far from the ordinary.

The new conversations around Aoi faded into the background as they moved on from Raimu. Pragmatically, her absence did not make much of a difference since there were still two altos. And if she was honest, Raimu was never their strongest player either. Aoi was not even particularly close to her, yet the lack of her presence forced reality to sink in. Things were never going to go back to the way they were. It was already a miracle that so many of them felt the same desire to continue. And even that was still not enough to completely dispel the emptiness of the few missing people.

"Looks like the only thing we're missing is an oboe." Haruka sighed as she and Asuka returned to the front of their ensemble.

Momo's hand shot into the air. "I can change instruments."

"Are you sure?" Haruka asked.

Momo vigorously nodded, flailing her twin tails around. "I can rent one, no problem."

Raina and Mikino looked at her sceptically. "Aren't you a bassoonist? No one really doubles on the oboe." The taller girl said.

"I played the oboe for a bit at Rikka when I was in first year," Her reply was still bubbly. "I'm okay with making the switch."

The two Kitauji members of the double reed section gave each other uneasy looks. Neither of them was willing to change instruments, so why would Momo be? Or perhaps they doubted her ability to play such a difficult instrument. Momo seemed to be oblivious to their near condescending attitude, continuing to answer their questions with a brimming smile.

"Momo can do it," Mirai interjected. "She's a hard worker. Picking it up again won't be a problem for her."

"Hard work is one thing…" Raina replied. "What instrument did you mainly play at Rikka?"

"I led the colour guard," Momo replied without hesitation.

"You mostly played a flag then," Mikino said, folding her arms.

Momo scrunched up her lips, "Hmph."

"Do either of you want to change to an oboe?" Mirai said, her naturally stern expression intensifying.

Raina immediately shook her head, though Mikino took some time before she reluctantly agreed with her section mate.

"Then it's settled." Mirai continued. "We need an oboe. Momo is willing to change and has the most experience."

"Who let Michi-sensei join the band?" Juri said, getting a snigger from Hiro and the other trombonist.

Haruka clapped her hands, trying to get their attention and advert any further argument. "Okay, that's enough, everyone."

"Okay, mom," Hiro followed up, sending another wave of giggles rippling through the band.

Haruka puffed up her cheeks slightly before Asuka stepped in to change the subject. "I'm sure you all are excited to find out what extravagant locations we have been invited to play at."

There was a barrage of jokes ranging from deprecatingly bland, like being dragged back for Kitauji's school festival, to absurd dreams of playing at the Budokan. It was liberating to not have to maintain any airs since they were all peers. Simultaneously, there was a certain amount of anxiety that they would descend into chaos without any formality remaining.

"You guys can thank Saki," Asuka said, gesturing to her in the back. "she managed to get us a magical debut."

"Does anyone really want to hear us play?" Mei said from the back. "What kind of lies did you feed them, Asuka."

"Absolutely nothing," Asuka replied with a grand flourish of her hands. "I just told them we were a national calibre band with members from esteemed high schools."

Aoi pursed her lips tightly to prevent her jaw from hanging loose at Asuka's reckless statement. It was technically true, with the slight exception of Mamoru and herself. The problem was that it set up impossible expectations. It had taken Kitauji five months of playing the same two pieces to reach that level of polish. The practice did rub off on their other performances, but not nearly enough to meet such an extravagant claim.

"And they just believed that?" Yoriko asked, dumbfounded as well.

"Of course, why wouldn't Saki's parents believe she went to nationals," Asuka said, getting a laugh from most of them.

"They work at Kyoto City Hall," Saki said shyly, attempting to explain herself before Asuka cut her off.

"They need someone to perform for the Tanabata Festival. Guess who landed the job because they couldn't find anyone else to play for free."

"Eh!" Noriko cried from the back. "That's only a month from now. Do we have enough time?"

Asuka wagged her finger at her. "We do things the traditional way in Kyoto. Tanabata is in August, right before Obon. We've got more than enough time."

Noriko sat back down on the stool behind the timpani, relieved that they would perform on the seventh of August instead of July.

"We need to put on thirty minutes of music. I've started working on our selection, but it's not finalised just yet. We're also supposed to wear yukatas for the concert, so it's going to look fantastic."

There was excited chatter around her last statement, probably strategically inserted to distract from the relatively lengthy performance time.

"Does that include the guys?" Hideri asked.

"Of course. You want to wear a suit and look like an idiot?" Asuka shouted back.

Another wave of laugh rippled through the band. Mei's expression lit up, likely with thoughts about how to dress up her boyfriend. No one seemed to realise they were being asked to play more than double the competition's duration and at a similar standard. That meant at least three pieces if not more.

Aoi cleared her throat. "How are we supposed to get enough practice?". She had briefly seen the schedules sent to Haruka, but it was enough to conclude only weekend practices were feasible.

For her troubles, Aoi received a dramatic dismissal from Asuka. "Do you know our juniors are playing Liz and the Blue Bird this year? If they can manage something that difficult, thirty minutes of music should be no problem! I'll also choose some easier pieces if you're that worried."

"Asuka…" Haruka started. "They do get to practice every day. I think we can only fit in practice once a week."

"Nonsense!" Asuka placed her hands on her hips. "We'll have night practices on the weekdays as well. Right everybody?"

There were some groans from the rest of the band. Those from the horns and trombones were especially loud.

Asuka shifted closer to Haruka and elbowed her. "Right, president? We need the extra practice." She said in a faux whisper before turning back to the rest. "It'll be fun. I know you guys liked bumming around the music room before practice in first year."

"I suppose we could also practice on Tuesday and Thursday nights to compensate." Haruka mused. "—Hey! Who said I was in charge?"

"Of course you are! Any objections?" Asuka immediately responded.

It was astounding that Haruka had been doing all this on autopilot. It was far too late to go back now. As expected, no one wanted it any other way. The many playful words of support from "We love you Haruka" to "Four more years" made her blush. There was some unease on her face, but she bashfully bowed, accepting their unanimous request.

"I suppose you're going to be vice-president?" Aoi said to Asuka.

"I never wanted to be in charge." She said, shaking her head. "I'm just here to play my euphonium."

"Even after you arranged everything and are choosing our music for us?" Aoi said, folding her arms.

"Hmm," Asuka wore a smug smile while rubbing her chin. "You guys have always been bad with our money. We're broke now, so I guess I can be the treasurer."

Kaori's approval sealed the decision. She was likely too busy with her course to manage an administrative role again.

The discussion delved into the band's organisation. There were only thirty-three of them, all peers, and extremely familiar with each other for the most part. Having section leaders was also mostly irrelevant at this point since no section exceeded four people. It was even more absurd for the horns, who were just a duo. Without any juniors or teachers around, expecting either Juri or Hiro to take charge of the other was a forlorn hope.

"How about we have one section leader for all the brass instruments and one for all the woodwinds," Aoi suggested.

It was more parts a formality and for ease of passing around instructions. The individual instrument sections could likely practice without anyone explicitly being in charge. Though not everyone could be trusted to operate entirely on autopilot.

"What about percussion?" Knuckles shouted from the back.

"You guys handle your own things," Asuka said, waving him off.

It was possible to let people naturally slide into leadership roles over time. Even without any official position, Kaori's latest request proved everyone still listened to her, and Asuka would always exert a disproportionate amount of control over things. Turning towards Haruka, she could see the beginnings of a distressed expression as their discussion dragged on.

Aoi quietly made her way past the smaller groups to the back of the room. "Mirai," She whispered. "How about you be vice-president."

The taller girl flinched at the prospect, giving no reply.

"People listen when you talk." Aoi continued. "I know you don't know Haruka that well yet, but she really needs help with being assertive."

Mirai furled her eyebrows. "It's not my place. I'm not from Kitauji."

"Who says you need to be from our high school? We've moved on from that." Aoi said, scrunching up her face.

There was a long pause as Mirai formulated her reply. "I don't think you guys will revolt against me or something crazy. From what I can see, it's for the best if someone familiar is in charge, and that means someone from Kitauji."

"All because we're the majority?"

"You've seen the Kyodai band," Mirai said softly. Kyouko was only a few seats away. "The largest groups were from the big three high school bands in Osaka. Their leadership, music choice, everything reflected it. It's like that for a reason."

"You don't think we're going to marginalise everyone else, right?" Aoi folded her arms.

"I'm saying we don't need more points of conflict. People like what's familiar. Especially given the circumstances." Mirai replied. "I'll do my part. But I'm not in the mood for more problems."

"How about you be the brass section leader then?" Aoi countered. "Asuka already has a role. It's also not prominent enough to start anything."

"Your awfully pushy for someone who's not volunteering for a position themselves."

"I'm just trying to help Haruka get the support she needs," Aoi mumbled.

"Then shouldn't you be doing that directly?" Mirai said, cocking her left eyebrow.

When in doubt, their batch had a habit of reverting to a vote. While an honest attempt at democracy, its main flaw was that they voted in front of everyone else. No one wanted to be the one to go against the group, especially if it was an unpopular or difficult choice.

Asuka stood in front of the ensemble on a makeshift conductor's podium. "Is anyone in favour of having section leaders?"

Aoi scanned the room, but no one raised their hands. Not even Mirai. It was almost inevitable that all the planning and administrative burden would fall squarely on Haruka alone without section leaders. Asuka and Kaori might step in from time to time, but she always refused extra help unless forced upon her.

Aoi's hand shot up.

"Any seconds?" Asuka asked.

There were a few murmurs before Mirai raised hers. Momo's immediately followed along with all the non-Kitauji students. Eventually, the flutes, clarinets and the rest of the double-reeds joined in, giving them a majority.

"Okay, any volunteers?"

Mirai instantly raised her hand and was met with no opposition. The woodwinds were more hesitant, all the former section leaders eyeing each other without making any moves. For some of them, this was already their second circle. Taking on more responsibilities would stretch them too far.

Maybe she should volunteer since she pushed for this. Before the turmoil of their second year, everyone thought Aoi would be the saxophone section leader. It was never a question of if she was capable enough. Or at least she liked to think that. Aoi was not as close as she once was to most of them. But it was nothing that could not be overcome. Any leadership position was an opportunity to integrate herself again.

The cost of this would likely be her studies. Even now, there were weeks where she was barely on top of her work. Exams were the biggest concern. They were still far off at the end of July, but the practice sessions alone were poised to make studying for them a challenge. Looking at Haruka, there was some relief on her face seeing that there was so sort of structure forming. It was still far from happy, her eyes narrow, barely concealing her despondence.

"I'll do it," Himegami said.

Aoi's mouth hung open, beaten to the punch. The flash of a smile from Haruka untangled the knot forming within her throughout the discussion. She felt the tension in her chest slowly sagging away, turning into relief that the choice did not come down to her. Though there was a tinge of guilt mixed in.

There were a few ancillary positions left to fill. Mamoru offered to be the instrument manager, used to working with an essentially scrap metal inventory at Ryuusei. The nascent band did not have much of a library to manage, so Yoriko decided her role was better described as a secretary, managing the inevitable mountains of forms and sheet music. The only role there was any contest for was for the photographer. Though it was easily settled by having two people in the position. As Momo showcased her 'portfolio' of mostly selfies and purikura like group shots, it became clear that she and Shouko would produce entirely different types of photos anyway. There were probably some roles they were missing, but they decided to create and fill them as they came up.

All that was left was the vice-president. Since they were using Doshisha's facilities and stores, it made sense that another Doshisha student fill the role. Aoi shuddered when imagining what the reign of vice-president Hiroe might look like, leaving Tori-chan and Saki as candidates. Both were responsible enough, but Tori seemed like the obvious choice since she had been a section leader.

Asuka stepped onto the podium again, ready to finish their final administrative matter for the day. There were some calls for her to take up the role herself, which she blatantly refused, insisting that she never wanted to be vice-president in the first place.

"I, for one, think we should choose our original candidate." She said with a sly smile.

She raised her index finger into the sky before dramatically lowering it into the middle of the ensemble. "Saitou Aoi!"

Aoi jerked back in her chair, creating an awful screech that silenced the room further. There was no way they would agree to this, right?

She had rejected the idea of being Asuka's vice president even before the other girl said she did not want the role. She was part of the reason Haruka was left with no choice, force to volunteer as president. Most of all, she had quit on them.

"I second that," Mirai said.

Even with the air conditioner running, sweat was starting to form on her forehead and arms. There was a little more murmuring as Aoi frantically scanned the room to get a read from anyone. Most people appeared to be locked in thought with neutral expressions. A few of them, Tori, Sana and Shouko, gave her encouraging smiles. Turning to the rest of the saxophone section, all Kiriko had for her was an ambivalent shrug while Hiroe was grinning at the prospect.

She wanted to protest, but the only thing that came to mind was trying to excuse herself with Kyodai's insane workload. Even though Asuka was the mastermind behind this, Aoi was one of the names she attached to the messages sent out. No doubt it would look like she was weaselling her way out of responsibility. Those less satisfied with the universities they ended up in would probably not take kindly to her only excuse either.

Then there was Haruka. This was the best position possible to help her. If she really valued her friends, she should give up some of her studying time, right? It was not as if she was in danger of failing.

The murmuring died down as Kaori stood up, transfixing everyone's attention. She stood next to the tall window, bathed in the light of the setting sun. "I think she'll be perfect." She said with a warm smile. Kaori's influence quelled any doubts.

"It's settled then!" Asuka said, moving to swiftly pry Aoi from her seat.

As she was dragged to Haruka's side, Aoi struggled to maintain an amicable expression. She was almost certain that Asuka and Kaori colluded to engineer this. Possibly even with Mirai's help.

"All hail Lady Aoi," Asuka said, making a dramatic bow. Her pompousness only made things worse. "After a year of wandering far and wide through many cram schools, the princess has returned to her kingdom to claim her crown."

Above the general giggling of the band soared Kyouko's cackling laughter.

There was nothing she could do.