"Italicized" - Signed
"Regular" - Spoken
DIVIDER--
It was just another normal day. Ako had just finished up school for the day. She rushed to the live house. This was a very common thing for her. She always went there after school to listen to all the performers. Well, kind of. She couldn't listen to the singers, but the ones who played instruments she could.
You see, Ako is deaf. Profoundly deaf. She can't hear anything. But, she still enjoys music. She just can't understand the lyrics to any songs. She can just feel the tempo and beat. Ako was amazed when she first heard her sister play the drums. She wanted to do that as well.
It was tough to do. Being deaf was making it even harder. But, Ako managed and was very proud of her skills. She hoped that one day, she could join a band and show the world just what she was capable of. There was a lot of stigma in the music world about deaf people. The majority didn't like deaf people creating music.
Ako had a few favorites that she liked to listen to at the live house. One of which was none other than Sayo. While Ako was able to feel bass easier, guitar wasn't that hard to feel either. Ako really enjoyed Sayo's playing. Though, the rest of the group she was with was lacking.
Ako had always wanted to talk to her, but that seemed almost impossible. For a lot of reasons. One, she was deaf. Now, she could talk, but she hated doing so. Ako was forced to talk and lipread at home. Her parents were ashamed to have a deaf kid and refused to help her at all. Tomoe wasn't like that, though. She helped Ako first start learning sign language, since their parents wouldn't hire a teacher.
Another reason was that Sayo seemed pretty… intimidating. Ako was nervous to even try. She didn't know if Sayo would just scoff at her because she was younger than her. Ako never approached any of the performers she liked. She was too nervous and afraid. She felt like they'd just call her a freak once they found out the truth. Ako was pretty decent at pretending to be hearing, but it was really hard. She slipped up a lot. Most people thought she had some sort of mental disability because she would just say her brain couldn't process their words very well.
There was another performer Ako liked to watch. It was pretty shocking that she liked her. They sang. They didn't play any instruments. But, Ako just could see how confident and professional she was out there. Who is this person? Yukina.
Ako was excited to see that she was back again. She watched her as always, wishing she was closer to see her lips better. Ako wanted to know what she was saying, but she always hung out in the back. She always wanted a way to escape if something went wrong.
After Yukina had finished, Ako left the live house. She had seen everyone she wanted to. As Ako was leaving, she spotted Yukina and Sayo talking to each other. Ako nervously got closer and watched them. She couldn't make out too much, but she got a general idea of what they were discussing. She could understand that they were talking about creating a band together.
Ako wondered if they might consider her to join. She always wanted to join a band just like Tomoe had. But, every time she tried to recruit people herself, it ended in failure. No one wanted to work with her because she was deaf. Ako didn't know why, but she wanted to try. Even though they both seemed intimidating, she wanted to try and join their group.
"E-excuse me?" Ako nervously called.
They both looked at her. Neither seemed very interested in her. Ako expected that. She was just a kid to them. She knew that very well. Not many people really took her seriously. Her personality made that hard to do.
"I heard you guys are making a band." Ako stated.
"You aren't joining. Why'd we want a kid. This is a professional group. We don't have time to play games." Sayo was the one who responded first, even before Ako could ask.
"I'm not playing around. I'm really good. Please?" Ako pleaded.
"No. Leave us alone." Yukina walked away, Sayo following close behind.
Ako sighed. She knew it would take a lot to join. But, she was determined. This was something she wanted to do. To prove she wasn't just a deaf kid who couldn't do anything. To prove to her parents she could be awesome too.
Ako hesitantly followed after them. She watched as they talked to each other. Ako frowned and started to walk past them. They glanced her way for a moment. Ako was about to leave the place, when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards. Ako knew exactly who it was.
Someone had found out she was deaf. They hated her with a passion because of it. Ako turned around to face the girl who had constantly mocked her. Ako didn't care that much. She was used to the girl yelling at her.
"Why're you here again?" The girl asked.
"Because I like it here." Ako replied as she always did.
"No one would want you here if they knew the truth. Why don't you just leave and never come back?" The girl glared at her, "This place isn't open to deaf people."
"Why does it matter if I'm deaf." Ako asked.
"It just does. Now scram you little brat."
"No. You don't make the rules here." Ako stood her ground.
The girl looked absolutely pissed. Ako started to regret not just leaving. She knew the girl was about to attack now. She had pushed her over the edge.
The girl swung at her. Her fist connected with Ako's face. Ako yelped in pain as she covered her injured cheek. The girl swung at her again. This time, someone caught her fist and shoved her away. Ako looked up at who had saved her. Sayo was standing there.
Ako couldn't see what she was saying to the girl, but she knew it wasn't good things. Ako watched as they argued. After a bit, the girl stormed off.
"Are you alright?" Sayo asked as she faced Ako.
Ako nodded, "I'm fine… thanks for saving me…"
"Why did she attack you?" Sayo questioned.
Ako was confused. Had she not heard anything the girl said to her? Ako guessed that was the case.
"She doesn't like me here…" Ako explained, hoping she didn't have to go farther.
"Why not?" Yukina was now standing beside Sayo.
"U-um… I um… I'm deaf!" Ako ran out of the place at that. She couldn't stand to see how they would react.
She knew her chances of joining their band were ruined now. They wouldn't accept a deaf girl either. Who in their right mind would? Ako ran all the way home. She slammed her door shut and buried herself into her bed. She started crying. All she ever wanted was to fit in and now she had just ruined another chance at that.
Ako felt her bed shift. She looked up to see Tomoe had come in. Ako hadn't realized she was home already.
"What's wrong?" Tomoe asked as she handed Ako a tissue.
"You wouldn't understand." Ako replied as she tried to dry her face.
"Tell me." Tomoe pleaded. She hated seeing Ako get upset.
"Some more people know I'm deaf now…"
"Why is that a problem?" Tomoe asked, "Did they say something to you?"
Ako shook her head, "No. But, they won't ever let me be in their group now. Why would they?"
"Trying to join a band again?" Tomoe guessed.
Ako nodded. She started crying again. Tomoe pulled her into a hug. Ako sobbed into her shirt.
"Did they say that? That you weren't allowed?" Tomoe asked.
"Well, Yeah, But… that was before they found out. I ran away before they could say anything after they knew." Ako admitted.
"So, that doesn't mean you couldn't join." Tomoe pointed out.
"They'd never give me a chance. Don't you get it?" Ako frowned.
"Ask them. You don't know that for sure." Tomoe replied.
"They already said no. Why would I even bother?" Ako asked.
"Maybe if they see how good you are, they'll give you a chance." Tomoe suggested.
"But… but don't most bands have everyone singing?" Ako hesitantly asked.
"Yeah, most do. But, Afterglow doesn't. Do you remember Tsugumi? She's mute." Tomoe signed.
"Really?" Ako's eyes widened.
Tomoe nodded, "Yeah. She doesn't talk so she doesn't sing either. None of us care. I doubt they'd care if one person didn't sing."
"I guess maybe I should at least see how they feel about me being deaf…" Ako eventually agreed.
DIVIDER--
Ako wasn't sure when she'd approach them. She guessed she might just do it whenever she saw them again. However, she was not expecting to run into either of them so soon.
Ako had made her way to find Lisa. Lisa had promised they could go and hang out together for the day. Ako froze as she saw Lisa talking to Yukina. Ako was not prepared to have the talk so soon. She took a deep breath and walked over to them.
"Hey, Ako." Lisa greeted her.
Lisa had only recently started learning sign language. Ako had kept being deaf a secret from her for quite some time.
"Hey." Ako replied, trying not to look at Yukina.
Ako didn't know what Yukina said, but she asked Lisa something. Lisa was talking to her. Ako didn't bother trying to read her lips. She didn't care that much. She just wanted to leave. She was not ready to talk.
Lisa made a motion that Ako understood to mean she was supposed to look at Yukina. Ako nervously looked up at her.
"You're deaf?" Yukina asked.
Lisa interpreted for her just in case she needed it. Ako was grateful that Lisa had stuck around despite learning the truth. Most people left after they learned she was deaf.
Ako nodded to Yukina.
"Have you always been deaf?"
"No. I had some hearing for a while, but when I turned seven, it just all disappeared overnight." Ako signed, unwilling to use her voice. Lisa translated for her, so she didn't have to speak anyway.
"What instrument do you play?" Yukina asked.
"Drums." Ako spoke for once.
"I see. I'll leave you two. I have practice today." Yukina said and then she walked away.
"How come she asked if you play an instrument?" Lisa asked.
"I met her at the live house and… I just mentioned I could play." Ako didn't want to give away too much information.
"Were you considering trying to join her band?" Lisa caught on to her true intent easily.
Ako nervously nodded. Lisa was aware of how much Ako wanted to be in a band.
"I can talk to her and see if she'd let you try out."Lisa offered.
"Would she want me, though?" Ako didn't have much hope, even if Yukina seemed to be nice about her being deaf. She wasn't sure if Sayo felt the same way.
Lisa shrugged, "I don't know. But, she'd give you a fair chance. As long as you have skill, she'd let you join."
"I don't want to do it alone, though." Ako admitted.
Lisa started thinking. She wasn't sure what she could do to help. She couldn't think of anything.
"Well, would you like me to watch you perform for her?" Lisa offered, unsure what else to suggest.
Ako shrugged. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't know if having Lisa there would help her or just make her even more nervous.
"Either way, you're coming with me. I might need you to interpret for me." Ako eventually signed.
"Okay. Just let me know if there's anything else I can do for you. Now, why don't we head out?" Lisa smiled.
DIVIDER--
A day later, Ako got a text from Lisa. Yukina was going to give her a chance to prove herself. Ako couldn't believe it. But, a while later, Lisa texted again and said Sayo wasn't very happy about it. Ako was kind of expecting that. She hoped she could prove her worth.
Ako had been doing her best to learn to play a song of theirs. She wanted to impress them, so she felt playing one of their songs would help her case a lot. Ako hadn't told anyone else yet. She didn't want to get anyone's hopes up. She would tell if she made it in. Otherwise, she wasn't going to tell.
The audition was scheduled for two days later. Ako really worked hard to learn the song she chose. She really wanted to join the band. It was all she wanted. To finally show that she wasn't helpless.
So, when the day came, Ako was more than ready. She was also extremely nervous. Lisa hadn't said anything else about the audition since then. Ako guessed that Sayo still wasn't that welcoming of her.
Ako made her way to the location she was told to go to. Lisa was already with Yukina and Sayo. Ako nervously walked up to them. She glanced at Sayo, trying to see if she could tell anything from her expression. Unfortunately, Sayo's face was unreadable. Ako couldn't tell how she felt at all.
"Ready to start?" Yukina asked.
Ako nodded. She put on a determined face. This was it. She could do it. She just needed to focus.
They went inside the building to the practice room they had rented. Ako nervously walked over to the drum kit. The other three girls were watching her. Ako gulped slightly as she sat down.
"Start by just playing a few beats." Lisa translated for her.
Ako nodded and just tested out the kit. She wanted to get a feel for it anyway. This wasn't a normal kit she used. After a little bit, she looked back at them.
They were talking to each other. Ako couldn't make out anything they were saying. She just waited as they discussed something. After a little, Lisa turned to her.
"They said it sounds too weird with just the drums. So, um, I'm going to join you. Playing the bass." Lisa told her.
"You play the bass?" Ako was surprised. She hasn't known that, after all.
Lisa nodded, "Yeah. I stopped after a while, but I think I can still manage it."
With that, she left the room to go grab a bass. It was awkward with the three of them. Sayo was starting to show a bit of displeasure on her face now. Ako was nervous about her. How would she react if Yukina said she passed? Ako didn't think Sayo would want her even if she was a good drummer.
Ako also didn't want to ask why she had a problem with her. She was intimidating. Lisa soon came back. She nodded to Ako and then spoke to Yukina again. After a little bit, Lisa said they could start.
Ako took a deep breath and started. She tried her best to focus on her own drumming, but she also started to focus on Lisa's bass. Bass was very easy to feel, especially the heavier it was. The song Ako chose had somewhat of a heavy bass part.
The song concluded. Ako nervously got off the drum kit and walked over to Yukina and Sayo. Lisa stood off to the side. Ako didn't know what to think. She had no clue if she had been good enough. It was hard to tell if she was off beat.
"Yukina said you were really good." Lisa interpreted.
Ako looked at Sayo briefly. Sayo was still giving her a hard gaze. Ako looked back at Lisa.
"You made it." Lisa smiled at Ako.
Lisa had a slightly startled look on her face moments later. It appeared as though the others were all talking about something. Ako couldn't help but worry it was about her. Though, from the way Lisa was acting, it didn't seem like it. It seemed like it was about Lisa.
After a bit of discussion, they stopped. After that, they all were told to clean up. Ako wanted to ask Lisa about what that had been, but she decided to wait.
Eventually, she found out Lisa had been asked to join as well.
DIVIDER--
It was a tough time for them all. They had a show scheduled for soon, but yet, they were still not ready. They needed someone for the keyboard. Everyone could feel just how wrong their songs felt without that accompaniment. But, no one had any luck finding someone to play.
Ako wanted to help them, but she couldn't help scout. It was too hard for her. So, while they tried that, she was at home. Ako logged into a chat with a friend of hers. Rinko.
They did face cam since Ako needed that. They talked about how things had been going for a bit. Then, Ako brought up the band.
"We're still looking to find someone to play the keyboard. It's really tough. No one's taken up our offer to even audition yet." Ako complained.
"Oh." Rinko seemed like she was holding back signing something.
Ako continued to rant about it, until Rinko got her attention.
"Um… I can… I can play the piano." Rinko admitted nervously.
"Really!? How come you never told me?" Ako pouted.
Rinko shrugged. She wasn't sure what to say to that. She knew if she told Ako she had been too embarrassed about her skills to tell her, it wouldn't go in her favor. Ako would start going on about how good she actually was.
"You should try out for Roselia!" Ako stated.
"I don't know. That's a lot." Rinko worried.
"Come on. I'm sure you'll be fine! They're really nice. Well, Sayo isn't that nice, but she doesn't do anything so it's fine." Ako signed, "Please?"
"I guess I could try." Rinko eventually agreed.
Ako smiled, "I can send you a song to practice."
DIVIDER--
A day later, they held the audition. They didn't have time to waste. Rinko and Ako were making their way to the room. Rinko was sticking very close to Ako. She didn't like how many people were around. It was too much.
Ako did her best to find the fastest and emptiest way inside. It wasn't long before they found the rest of the group. As expected, Sayo started staring Rinko down. Rinko was shaking a little.
"Let's go. We don't have time to waste." Yukina stated.
The five of them went to their rented room. They all were going to play together to see how it sounded. Ako gave Rinko a smile and then took her seat. Rinko gulped as she stood by the keyboard. She had never played in front of other people before. Especially not ones that were going to be judging her a lot.
They played one song together. Yukina and Sayo exchanged glances. They nodded to each other. Ako gave a thumbs up to Rinko. It seemed like she was going to be in the band.
They gathered in a circle. They were all talking. Ako felt left out. She was having trouble following along. Even if she could lip read, she couldn't follow along well enough when everyone was talking so fast. Ako just awkwardly stood there and waited for them to finish.
"So, there's five of us now. We can do it."
"Can I say something?" Ako asked.
Lisa nodded. Everyone was looking at her.
"Well… if you want me to stay in this band, you better learn sign language." Ako told them.
The message was directed toward Yukina and Sayo. Those two were the only ones with no knowledge about sign language.
"How would they learn it?" Lisa asked, translating for them.
"There's online resources. And, I guess I could do a little teaching here and there if I have to." Ako replied.
"Very well." Yukina nodded.
Sayo nodded as well, though she said nothing. Ako wanted to smile. She was finally being included in something. And, people were making an effort to communicate with her.
Ako left practice that day feeling happier than she had in a long time. She finally had done something she had always dreamed of. Her dreams weren't a reach anymore. She could reach them easily. That gave her the confidence to do so.
Ako came home. Tomoe was already home. She was in the living room flipping through the channels.
"Someone's very happy." Tomoe commented.
"Yep. The band is complete now and they said they'd learn sign language!" Ako nodded and smiled.
"That's nice." Tomoe smiled as well.
"I honestly never thought I'd ever actually get in a band… it's really amazing to know I did. And such a professional band too. They're aiming really high."
"Don't let it get to your head. You better practice a lot to keep up." Tomoe teased.
Ako pouted, "Meanie!"
They both started laughing. Ako sat down beside Tomoe. They discussed what was on and found something to watch. It was tough. Closed captions weren't on all the channels. Finding a channel that Ako could follow along with was a hard task.
They didn't spend much time watching TV, though. Ako was more interested in talking about Roselia. She'd occasionally ask Tomoe about Afterglow as well. They continued to talk until it was later. They made dinner together as their parents wouldn't be home until late.
Ako was happy. Even if her parents weren't accepting of her deafness, she had friends who were. That would make up for their neglect enough. Though, it still hurt to know they didn't care about her.
Ako pushed those thoughts aside and focused on happier ones. She finally achieved her major goal in life. Now, all she had to do was keep it going. She didn't doubt Roselia would stick around for quite some time. Their end goal was a very big one. It would take a lot to get to.
Though, Ako was more than ready to accompany them on this journey.