V
It was not the perfect moment for her laptop to start acting up. Even though the recipe was simple enough to follow, as well as easy to memorize, it still would've been helpful to have it for reference. Sayo was trying to get the site to display, but her efforts were in vain. Fortunately, she had printed it earlier in case something like this would happen, in the spirit of being rather safe than sorry.
The cookies were almost done and she had a good grasp on when to take them out, since she made them with Lisa already on various occasions. That Monday, Sayo also tried preparing a chiffon cake with strawberries and cream, which proved to be a little more difficult than anticipated. Even though a basic task for a Japanese, it still had to be attended to with care. She took out the first batch of cookies and quickly closed the oven for the cake to reach the proper texture and height.
In the meantime, she finished decorating the second batch and put the hot ones into the box, almost closing the lid. It was still about fifteen minutes before taking out the cake, so Sayo decided to wait with the rest of the cookies until that time. The whole kitchen was filled with the scent of freshly made sweets and fruits put into the cake.
If someone were to visit the apartment at that time, they would have immediately noticed the baking. The alarm clock on the oven was set up to remind her about getting the cake out, but she decided to do it with a few minutes to spare, not to burn it. Looking at the final result after the finishing touches made Sayo proud of her efforts.
It was not that much about the baking that morning, but the time spent with Lisa on researching recipes on the internet, as well as occasionally asking Tsugumi about some advice. It was the will to get better and better, even when one's abilities are already considered decent. She made sure the cake wouldn't dry out, and then put the second batch of cookies into the oven. At the same time, she started cleaning the kitchen.
The internet connection got back up when she was just about done. Sayo wasn't overly fazed because of that, it allowed her to get even more confidence, after all. She then noticed the message and brought the application up. It was Yukina, which was nothing out of the ordinary. What was, however, was the text about the shift at the music shop.
She got so absorbed in the preparations and then baking itself that by the time she was finished, Yukina was at the place they would usually meet, before going to work. She wrote that she's concerned and for now is going on ahead, but wants to hear back as soon as possible.
Well, of course she would be. I normally wouldn't be late, so something must've happened. I still need to tidy up the second batch, although I have no time at all to do that. I have to simply cover them up and only put them in the box after coming back from work. Yukina will soon be at the place, I'll let her know I will arrive later when I board the train. Hopefully, I can still manage to not be late if I time everything properly.
Sayo immediately covered the recent batch of cookies as best as she could in the time given, and then changed into formal clothes. She took the phone and necessities, and hurried out, planning to fix her hair on the way. Sayo was a bit angry with herself, but knew that it wouldn't change the situation. It was her decision to try to get better at this.
When she got on the train, Sayo saw that it was the last one to get to the shop barely on time. She sighed and picked the phone to reply to Yukina on Line. Guitarist wanted to write something generic, but then realized she was in such a rush that she skipped the usual refreshing after baking. As a result, anyone coming near her could most likely smell sweets.
She made her hair look reasonably well by combing them just in time, as the compartment wasn't crowded. She got off and walked the rest of way very quickly, almost running, to arrive basically on the last second. The manager knew about the situation from Yukina, so he only showed a mildly surprised face and they exchanged greetings. She was safe, just before closing the gates.
"Sayo, hello. I never doubted you will make it on time." Yukina had an unusually mischievous faint smile on her face.
"Naturally I was able to make it, since I timed everything correctly." It was meant as a half-joke and half-serious statement.
"Hopefully you will let me taste some of the cookies you prepared, sacrificing the time in the morning." Sayo was right that she still smelled like a bakery.
There was minor jesting later on too, which Sayo thought was kind of unexpected, coming from the band's vocalist, but she thought something nice could've happened that Yukina was cheery about. Manager then briefed Sayo on customers coming to pick their equipment up that day and other errands, and things were off. It was a relatively high-profile music shop offering instruments, which were mostly different varieties of guitars, drum hats and accessories.
One could also order a repair and pay for customization. Sayo handled the guitar and string instruments section, and had an instrument to fix and tune. Yukina was working in the other part of the shop, handling mics, tuners, headphones and some vocal processors. The drum section was shared. Because of that, the two didn't really have much time to talk at work.
Sayo got the last string attached to the guitar she was repairing, and proceeded to tune it in the back, while her coworker attended to a customer asking about vocoders. The time for the break soon came, and she happened to notice something while passing by Yukina. At work, Roselia's vocalist usually only wore her hair loosely tied in the back with identical plastic hairpin every time.
That day, however, she had a small, metal one attached with a silver, glossy finish and hair tied up more carefully than normal. Sayo didn't know if it was somehow connected to the mood from the morning, she just took note of that. Neat arrangement and color ideally matching the dyed strands, it seemed to her like Minato-san wouldn't get the idea herself, and there certainly was a person around her who would.
When she asked her about it, Yukina admitted it was Lisa right from the get go, so any plans to tease her didn't survive for long. For the rest of the day, the two of them were mostly attending to matters close to their respective areas of expertise, and didn't encounter anyone asking about drums. At those times they normally got together and used what they learned from Ako to handle the situation.
At the end of the shift, they had a meeting with two boys working in the back of the shop with deliveries and repair scheduling, and soon after that it was time to clock off. She felt a sense of accomplishment, as the manager accepting the guitar for repair didn't give any guarantees about the look. Concerning the sound, he only said the shop will try to do everything to make it sound like before.
The performance after tuning was more than okay for Sayo and she hoped whoever left the instrument in her hands is going to be just as pleased with the result. She asked Yukina if she wants to stop by some coffee shop, at which point the vocalist looked somewhat alarmed and turned the offer down, saying that she ate during her break and earlier at the apartment.
Sayo thought her reply was sudden, but didn't bother with teasing this time, as she expected the same kind of quick and unfazed retort as earlier. Walking down the street, taller of the two noticed a poster hanging on the wall near the record shop, with a name of the popular rock band, promoting their live at the Makuhari Messe. She knew that Yukina recently struggled to come up with an idea about Roselia's direction, and that image brought it again from subconsciousness.
"Minato-san, do you recognize these performers?" she asked, slowing down and turning towards the poster.
"I do, naturally. I haven't fallen out of the loop yet, so I know they're gaining recognition and their style is also similar to our own." The reply was rather emotionless.
"Yes, precisely. I happened to attend a demo performance the two of them gave at a guitar school the other day, and I thought about something just then." Sayo sounded cryptic.
"I realize that you seek new ideas for Roselia. I wonder, however, how would you feel about a new idea, that is also an old one?" Guitarist was being vague on purpose to try to pique Yukina's interest.
"A new idea that is also an old one? It certainly makes me want to hear what you came up with." Judging by Yukina's intrigued tone, she did succeed.
"They were playing two songs without their usual, notoriously strong stage backing, which highlighted the strong points of the composition itself," Sayo started describing the performance.
"I could see us going back to the drawing board for a moment, and putting together a song that feels impactful, even without all the scenic noise," guitarist concluded with confidence, recalling the music she heard.
"I can see where you're coming from. Such return to basics is often a way to re-establish your resolve." Yukina stopped walking at this point.
"What I also would want us to do, is to later push these new tracks to the extreme." Yukina suddenly appeared fervent and vividly engaged in the conversation.
"Is that the case? I was under the impression that you wanted us to explore new styles and would be against my idea, at least initially," she admitted, although glad they were on the same page.
"Yes, and it's not like I abandoned that plan. Creating an even more powerful, uncompromised sound can translate to quite a radical change under the right circumstances." Vocalist seemed to fit her plans into Sayo's idea.
"It could be an opportunity for us to grow as a band, by composing, and then performing metal tracks," Yukina elaborated.
"Akin to our initial songs, but one that carries even more strength, and leaves stronger impressions." As Yukina spoke, Sayo stopped paying any attention to their surroundings, and thought of the moment when she first realized they can succeed together.
"The base, however, has to be impeccable, just as you said. First, let's write and polish it as if it was meant to be unplugged," singer continued.
"Then, we move to amplified sound, and add a dense rhythm section. We progress from there, adding more low end and more raw strength." Band leader's eyes glistened with determination as she built on the idea.
"I agree. I like the general trend and the approach from the ground-up. It will be something new and demanding for us, too, since we haven't had a track that is close to the extreme." Sayo's voice mirrored the resolve in Yukina's.
"All that being said, I haven't forgotten about how quickly people are getting used to things, so it doesn't solve the whole problem," she said with some reluctance, "but it is a start," Sayo finished her sentence.
"It is. We should begin working on it whenever we have free time. I'll have a word with Lisa, since it likely will be hardest on her." Yukina seemed relieved to have settled on a plan.
"New songs will require radically stronger, and more active bass line than before," vocalist highlighted.
"Definitely. We should let everyone know quickly. It's almost the middle of August, and the new compositions are going to impact their schedules as well," guitarist concurred.
When the two of them were talking in the middle of the walkway, Sayo felt the connection that musicians starting a new project share. It was the feeling of thoughts flowing from one to the other, and the anticipation of having them take concrete shape in the near future, will to create a powerful performance together, for many others to hear.
Earlier on, she was concerned about the change in Roselia's path, which Yukina seemed to have had on her mind. Perhaps it was still there, but they were in unison regarding stronger sound they wanted, so even if they were to still venture to try a different style later on, Sayo was calm now.
She saw this as a chance to further her technique and expressiveness. It was still unclear to her as to how exactly all of them are going to find enough time to master new songs, but the basic idea was there.
Once they parted ways, coming back to mundane needs, she started wondering whether she should buy some cooking supplies for tomorrow. She definitely wanted to avoid being late for work, so any baking in the morning was out of the question. In the end, Sayo just got the ingredients for dinner and not much else, leaving the training in her secret-but-found-out hobby for the next visit at Tsugumi's.