Roadshow
Chapter 15:
Doubleback
Ritsu Tainaka was in her corner as all of the members of Class 3-2 entered the SkyVilla unannounced. A large bump could be seen on her forehead, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. "They...they forced me to lead me to where you guys are," she sniffled.
Mio Akiyama wanted none of her misery. "You should have stayed with us. Serves you right."
"Hey Mio-chan," Yui Hirasawa said, "Do you want to go play some poker with Ichigo-chan and the others?" Ichigo Wakaouji, Chika Nojima, Eri Taki, Akane Satou and Youko Sasaki were playing Texas Hold 'Em, with Sawako Yamanaka as the dealer.
"No thanks. Anyway, look at all the people here. You think this is some friggin' slumber party or something."
"Isn't it, though?" asked Tsumugi Kotobuki, who was playing a game of UNO with Mifuyu Matsumoto and Mika Saeki. "It's so much fun to play with the rest of the class."
A butler came in with a basket of snacks. "Room service, did someone ask for a basket of Doritos?" he asked with a French accent.
"I did," Akiyo Miyamoto said. Taking the basket, she distributed some snacks with the others as they did some studying of algebra. One was reading a Shakespeare play. "Hey Toshimi, what are you reading?"
"Romeo and Juliet," Toshimi Shibaya said. "This can be our play for the fall. We just need to ask Miss Yamanaka if we can do this."
"Hmmmm."
"Ritsu, you can come out of your corner," Nobuyo Nakajima said, snacking on a bagel. She was still sniffling when she rejoined the crew. What a pity. "So, how's the trip so far? Did you guys go places?"
"I guess we did," she laughed. "We went to a buffet, watched a show, did a recording, did some interviews, went on a hike, raced some go-karts, went up and down the Strip..."
"I'll take that as a yes. Me a few others were doing some studying back on campus before the headmaster told us we were heading down here. This place is even hotter than Tokyo, man!"
"What did you expect, Nobuyo," Haruko Chikada snarked. "This IS Vegas. It's the desert. Of course it's going to be hot, it always is."
"Oh, it feels great to be in a Jacuzzi," Eri Taki said, floating carelessly in her pink side-tie bikini while Akiyo Miyamoto read her notes.
Akane Satou, donning a blue two-piece, slowly crept up to Eri and fondled her bust. "Surprise!"
"Aaaaah, don't touch me there, Akane, what the hell!" Akane just had to laugh.
"I don't think this place needs to distract me too much, but this city makes me feel so...renewed," Akiyo replied, smiling through her thick frames. She felt a light breeze and had to giggle.
"You know, you guys are so lucky to have been here for quite a while," Fumie Kimura told Ui Hirasawa while they were watching some comedy skits with Jun Suzuki, who was eating another donut.
"This is a very interesting place, but there's too much gambling going on down here," Ui said with a frown. "Onee-chan ended up playing one of the slot machines by accident and ended up winning a lot of money."
"Are you serious? No way!"
"I am serious. She is so courageous, onee-chan is!"
"That's why we can call room service all we want; we have plenty of cash to cover for it," Jun said with her mouth full.
"I have never rested on a rotating bed," Keiko Sano said, lying spread eagle on the mattress, visibly exhausted from the flight. "This is making me dizzy."
"Hey everyone, look at Keiko, she look like she's dead!" Mika Saeki hollered, pointing to her.
"Stop joking around! Ugh, now I'm getting even dizzier."
Across from Keiko, a bunch of students were dancing around in a circle to Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)."
"Oh God, you guys," Mio said. "This is going to be a long night."
To Mio's surprise, she slept relatively well. Too well. By the time morning came, everyone was up except Mio.
"Oy, Mio, wake up!" Ritsu said, trying to wake her. "Mio! Mio!" She was still asleep. "Mio?" She was lost in her dreams, Mio Akiyama was.
This gave Ritsu a nice idea. Knowing that Mio liked being touched in all the intimate places (even though it was a deep, dark secret that no one needed to know), she slowly unbuttoned Mio's nightshirt, revealing a nice, soft belly and shiny blue-and-white striped panties underneath. Lying on top of her, she lowered the panties and did a few tongue flicks of her flower before working on it some more. Mio groaned and sighed as her dreams became more lucid and vivid.
"Oh, Juliet," Mio whispered in a childlike voice. "Touch me more..."
"Juliet?" Ritsu thought. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued to work on her, the taste of her creamy flesh driving her insane, but in a controlled way. She liked to take advantage of Mio when she was asleep.
"Hey Ricchan, what are you doing?" Yui asked, walking in. "Oh, whoops."
"Stop, ah, ooh, aaaaahhhhhh!" Mio gasped, climaxing through her heaves and sighs and sweating frame. A gush of liquid splashed on Ritsu's fulfilled face. Mio blinked as she looked on in horror.
Ritsu licked her lips amid the mess of her lover. "Good morning, Mio." Soon after, a large bump grew on her head as she went to the bathroom to freshen up.
"Ritsu, you pervert, that was a dirty trick you pulled on me!" Mio said, disgusted.
"Are you all right, Mio-chan?" Tsumugi asked, donning her sundress.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she groaned, scratching her head. "I can't believe I slept that long."
"For some people, a beauty sleep lasts longer than others," Nodoka said, walking in.
"And for even other people like Mio-chan, beauty sleeps are X-rated," Yui added. Mio cowered in a corner. "Huh? What did I say?"
"Onee-chan, what happened?" Ui asked. Yui whispered in her ear. "Ah, I see."
"Do you want to go back to the Jacuzzi to get that off your mind?" Tsumugi asked her.
"No, I'll just stick to waiting for Ritsu to finish. We have practice, right?"
"Right."
"Where are the others in our class?"
"Holding private study sessions. They all brought their books and are cramming."
"In their hotel rooms?"
"Miss Sawako's orders."
"I see. Poor guys."
"I went over to them, and they said they are fine with it. Tomorrow, they will be heading out to quickly visit the Strip before coming out to see us perform."
"Good."
"Oy, Mio, I'm done," Ritsu said, coming out of the shower with nothing on, not even a towel. "Mio, your nose is bleeding."
"Ritsu, put some clothes on," she replied, plugging her nostrils as well as Mugi's with tissue.
"What? Am I turning both of you on with my sexiness?" she said, slowly creeping up to Mio on all fours, licking her lips.
"I said quit messing around and put some clothes on!" she shot back, flicking her forehead.
"Yes, dear."
"I hate being lightheaded in the morning, but it's such an awesome feeling," Tsumugi said as Mio got up, tossed aside her nightshirt and went into the bathroom in nothing but her panties. "The way she moves is so amazing!"
"And the way she struts is really sexy," Jun said, looking at the sight through her binoculars. "One-of-a-kind."
"Is it just me, or do we get perverted thoughts when we are in each other's company?" Azusa asked the others, tilting her head to the side.
"We do, don't we? I guess it's a girl's think to enjoy each other's company."
"Well, we sometimes enjoy it a little bit too much. That's the problem."
"But you gotta appreciate it, you know? I mean, who doesn't want to be in the company of other hot-looking women?"
"So you're saying I'm hot?" Azusa deadpanned. "Ahhh!" She was glomped by Yui.
"Azunyan, you're always hot and cute in my eyes," she purred.
"Mou, sempai!" Azusa exclaimed, being licked as if she was a cat and Yui was a dog.
"Rise from the ash and darkness, the phoenix alive, the phoenix alive..." Mio sung in the shower.
"What song is that?" Ritsu asked, donning her getup.
"Monarchy, a British synthpop combo," Nodoka said. "They released that song on iTunes a few weeks ago, 'The Phoenix Alive'."
Yui opened the window, and a light breeze welcomed them. "Holy cow, it's cooler than ever," Yui said. "It's mid-July, and it feels pretty good."
"We could have ourselves a nice practice," Tsumugi exclaimed.
Miss Sawako Yamanaka opened the door. "Ladies, in less than an hour we'll be going through a rehearsal at the stadium. Do you want to go down to the buffet for some breakfast?"
"Well, we have to wait for Mio-sempai to finish showering and dressing up before we get started," Jun explained.
Sawako stroked her chin. "Hmmm. This means that Mio is going to have a wonderful performance on Friday night."
"How can you be so sure?"
"When you sleep really well, and the sleep is really pleasurable, you can kick some ass in rocking and rolling," Sawako replied. "Mio-chan's going to bring the house down, I know it!"
"Oh," Ritsu deadpanned. "So I'm not going to be the one to do it as club president, huh? Heh, that's a load of pressure off of me, eheheheh...eh?" She saw Mio stand behind her. Ritsu turned in fright and found herself under a vengeful Mio, whose eyes were burning.
"Ritsu. Quit touching me in weird places when I am sleeping. Got it?"
"But, eheheheh, weren't you enjoying it?"
"That's not the point. Wait until we get home."
"But we have one night remaining at this SkyVilla!"
"That's right." Sighing, Mio took off her towel and put her clothes on. Tsumugi did her best not to make her head feel lighter, while Ritsu and Sawako stood in awe of her proportions.
"Nice body," Sawako meowed in English.
"Wunderbar!" Ritsu added in German.
"S...Stop staring at me, you perverts!" Mio exclaimed, frightened as she quickly put her clothes on. "Mou, this is so embarrassing!"
"Not as embarrassing as me tasting you in all the right-yeeeooowch!" Another headbump.
"Ritsu, shut up," Mio said in a dark tone, reaching her limit in due time.
"Feisty little lover!" Ritsu said, proceeding to feel Mio's breasts. "I has a feisty little lover that like to turn-me-oooooon!"
"Oh dear," Azusa groaned, smacking her face.
"Ricchan is so brave," Yui said.
"A man in a woman's body," Nodoka added, adjusting her glasses.
Sawako nodded. "I think we are ready to get our fill first. Let's go."
"Hey look, it's the girls from HTT!" Akari Akaza told Yui Funami and Kyouko Toshinou at a table across from the party of nine at the buffet.
"That's the band from Sakuragaoka, right?" Yui F. inferred.
"Awesome," Kyouko squealed. "I love to dance to their music."
"That's Hokago Tea Time?" Chinatsu Yoshikawa asked. "THE Hokago Tea Time?"
"Upon further review," Ayano Sugiura, "That is the band."
Chitose Ikeda took off her glasses. "Oh my, that is the biggest bunch of yuri opportunity I have seen before my eyes. I think they already taken each other's virginity as we speak!" A long trail of blood came down her nose.
"Chitose, need a tissue?" Himawari Furutani asked her, offering her napkin.
"Thank ya."
"I think we should go ahead and meet them," Sakurako Oomuro said.
"Let's do it," Akari said, walking over with the others.
"Hello, hello, hello," Yui H. said, "we have some new fans that want to say hello to us."
"We always seem to find new people that want to say hello," Mio replied.
Ritsu laid a sheepish smile. "More cowbell."
"Hi," Akari said. "My name is Akari Akaza, and these are my friends. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves."
"Yui Funami."
"Chinatsu Yoshikawa."
"Kyouko Toshinou."
"Ayano Sugiura."
"Chitose Ikeda."
"Sakurano Oomuro."
"Himawari Furutani."
"And we all love Hokago Tea Time!" they all exclaimed.
"Beautiful," Tsumugi said. "Well, my name is Tsumugi Kotobuki, and these are the members of my band. I play keyboard, by the way."
"Yui Hirasawa, guitar."
"Azusa Nakano, guitar."
"Mio Akiyama, bass."
"Ritsu Tainaka, drums."
"Sawako Yamanaka, band manager and club advisor."
"Ui Hirasawa, sister of Yui."
"Jun Suzuki, future Light Music Club member and a friend of Azusa."
"Nodoka Manabe, friend of Yui."
"Well gosh darn. Funami-san and Hirasawa-san share the same last name," Chitose said. "It's a coincidence. Could they...?" She took off glasses.
"Ohhh, not again," Ayano groaned. "Not again, not again, not again!"
"It's perfetto!" Chitose said, fainting, a bigger trickle of blood coming down.
"Put your glasses back on! Put them on!" Sakurako exclaimed, putting them on.
"Ahhhh, I now feel better already."
"So Ikeda-san gets a nosebleed every time she takes off her glasses and thinks of a perverted moment, huh?" Ui summarized. "A unique disposition."
"Creepy, even," Nodoka added.
"So why are you guys here?" Mio asked, snacking on some French toast.
"We got tickets to the concert, as well as a show over at Caesars' Palace," Himawari explained. "We wanted to see you guys perform, but we wanted to check out the Strip, too."
"Akari-chan really likes Las Vegas," Chinatsu said, stroking her lover's double buns. "She loves the nightlife."
"Not as much as Kyouko. We're actually going with our parents. All of us coincidentally had plans to go to Vegas to try their luck at the slot machines, and they wanted to see some shows as well."
"They're leaving us to head out as a group. We got a lot of freedom!" Kyouko said, adjusting her hair bow.
"That's quite nice," Azusa replied. "So, how's Vegas?"
"We did a lot of shopping," Yui F. said, "and every one of us dropped. Our moms and dads had to carry the spoils back to our rooms."
"It's so hot," said Chitose. "We had to go to the pool several times, and we were still hot."
"Did you guys do it?" Tsumugi asked her, clasping her hands. "Did you guys do it."
"Well, if I said it, my nose is going to erupt!"
"You did, didn't you?"
"Yes, we all made love to each other!" Both their noses erupted, to the disgust of the others.
"Too much fun, I think," Jun snarked to Azusa.
"We're heading off to Stratosphere to go on the rides," Kyouko said.
"Up...there?" Akari said, fearful.
"Oh, we went there already," Yui H. recalled. "Good stuff."
"Quite frankly, we are not worthy, HTT-tachi," Chinatsu said, bowed. "We love your music so much that we sing it when we're in the tea ceremony room."
"It brings a tear to our eyes," Akari said, her empty eyes wet with tears of joy.
"We appreciate it, that's what we want to hear," Yui said. "We love getting more and more fans. You can follow us on Facebook and twitter. We plan to post more photos of our trip when we return to Japan next week."
"Awesome," Ayano exclaimed. "I wanna see those photos."
"Yes, you will see them," assured Ritsu, flexing her muscles. "We're planning to do a rehearsal later today for our performance tomorrow."
"Whoa," the fans said.
"Are we going to see you jump in the air, Yui?" Kyouko, drawing some laughter.
"You'll see some fun stuff from everyone. We can't give away our dirty little secrets, you know," said Yui H., wagging a finger.
"Awww, you're mean! I hate you!"
"I lost a fan," she mumbled, putting her index fingers together. "Woe is me."
"Ahahaha, I was only kidding!"
"Oh, that reminds me," Yui said, her mood changed back to normal. "What's your favorite casino!"
"Planet Hollywood, baby!" Kyouko exclaimed.
"Bellagio," said Sakurako.
"Circus Circus," Chinatsu said.
"Caesar's," said Yui F.
"I'm staying with my parents at the Venetian, so I'll go with that," said Himawari.
"Wynn Las Vegas," Chitose replied.
"Mandalay Bay," Ayano chimed.
"Treasure Island," Akari said.
"As for us, we got the Palms," Mio said to the fans. "And we're staying at this really expensive room called the Hugh Hefner SkyVilla."
"Hugh...Hefner?" Chitose made the criminal mistake of taking off her glasses.
"No, don't take off your glasses!" the others exclaimed.
"Uh oh," Sawako mused. "This is trouble."
"Hugh Hefner...Playboy...porn...so you girls are staying in a whorehouse? As expected of HTT...so bold!" Her napkin that was plugging her nose was so saturated with blood that Akari had to quickly throw away the napkin and plug her nostrils with another one.
"Oy, Kyouko, you better give Chitose something to drink," Yui F. told her.
"Will do!" In due time, she gave Chitose a glass of orange juice to recoup the blood she lost.
"It's not a strip joint or an area of prostitution," Azusa asked. "It's just a hotel room where wealthy celebrities happen to stay in. It's nothing special."
"But I suppose you treat it like it's your house, huh?" Chinatsu asked.
"In a way it is. Our little home away from home."
"A sinful home away from home, and I love it!" Chitose said, putting her glasses back on. "It feels so nice to be in the company of girls who love girls!"
"She likes that so much, doesn't she?" Jun snarked to Ayano.
"Yes, she does. I try to fix her perversion, but I fail so badly. Chitose loves to visualize girls in the kinkiest of situations."
"Just like Mugi, our keyboardist."
"We're going to go back to our table, and we will see you at the show," Yui F. said to the group, who were autographing some shikishi for them. "Thanks a lot for signing our boards."
"See you there," Yui H. said. "Thanks for stopping by and saying hi!"
"Thank you, Hokago Tea Time!" the fans said, bowing before returning to their table.
"It's great to see new faces every time, no?" Ritsu said, putting her arm around Mio while giving her a nice peck on her cheek.
"Sometimes it can be overwhelming, Ritsu."
"Your instruments are in the bus that will be taking us to the stadium," Sawako said to the band. "You guys full?"
"Yes we are, Sawachan," Yui replied.
"Fabulous. I think it's time for us to go. Let's roll, ladies."
"All right!" Ritsu said. "Sam Boyd Stadium, here we come!"
"So, ladies, we're heading down to the home stretch, eh?" Jerry asked the band as they got on board the coach.
"I guess we are," Ui said. "We've enjoyed ourselves here in Las Vegas, but now we need to rehearse for our show tomorrow."
"Let me just fire this thing up, and we'll get you over to Sam Boyd. We have a few people out there setting up the stage, and the banners and signs are already out. Camerapeople, too. They are awaiting your arrival."
"Dang, already?" Ritsu exclaimed.
"Wow," Mio whispered.
"Amazing," Yui squealed. "The royal treatment continues!"
"Are there like a 100 setting up right now?" asked Azusa.
"Something like that," Jerry said.
"Good God."
"It's pretty important that you put on a very good show because I've been hearing plenty of ads about your band, how you are idols in Japan, how the news people there talk about your music..."
"We're only in high school, and there are that many people talking about us at home," Mugi wondered. "Crazy. But in a good way."
The coach slowly left the turnaround on Flamingo Road and made the short trip east towards the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"You kids realize that you're headin' back to school again, right?" Jerry said to the band.
"We are?" Mio blinked.
"The stadium is property of a university in this city, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or UNLV as we like to call it."
"Oh."
The clouds were light, the sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the breeze was kicking.
"Looks like they are refining Caesars Palace a bit," Azusa noticed.
"Sometimes, Vegas need to apply a little makeup to its foundation," Jerry inferred.
"Ribeye and eggs...$5.49," Yui read from a sign at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. "Nah, we already ate breakfast."
"Food is still on your mind, Sempai?" Azusa exclaimed, shocked.
"Eheheheheh..."
"Look at all this construction, it's still going on!" Tsumugi said.
"That explains why we are in a bit of a jam," Mio replied.
"Don't worry you two, this thing will clear up," said Jerry, referring to the traffic that was starting to move down Highway 592, the alternate name for Flamingo Road.
"I love power lines," Mugi said. "This is the first time I saw a power grid up close and personal in Vegas."
"What?" Ritsu wondered, bewildered.
"It has been one of my childhood dreams to see an American-style power grid in Las Vegas."
"What kind of dreams are those?" She was still wondering.
"There's an old venue, Key Largo Casino," said Ui to Jun. "Must be from the 1950's or something."
"If that's the case, it must be very old."
"There's a fence around it. Maybe it closed down."
"Terrible's?" Yui asked Jerry. "What's that?"
"Have you heard of Terrible Herbst? He's a legend around these parts."
"I've never heard of him."
"Here's his story," Jerry said. "Terrible Herbst is a slot route operator based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is sometimes referred to as Terrible Herbst Oil Company, or E.T.T. slots."
"Ooooh."
"Terrible has over 650 locations in Nevada, which includes well over 8,000 slot machines. These can be found in 8 smaller casinos, as well as many grocery stores, convenience stores, bars and taverns."
"So it's everywhere, huh?"
"Yep. The original Terrible Herbst was Ed Herbst, a guy from Chicago. The business got its name because of the turmoil that would arise whenever Herbst moved into a new area. The local competition, afraid of losing business to this crowd-pleasing operation, would warn one another to watch out: 'That no-good Terrible's coming to town.' Not only did Herbst feature low prices, but also free pony rides and bubble gum for the kids, orchids for the ladies and women on roller skates to pump gas and work under the hood. Ed entered the service station industry with an attitude of innovation, well reflected by his creation of the first self-serve gas station."
"So, he really should be called 'Wonderful Herbst.'," said Yui. "Because he is terribly good!"
"You got it!"
"What are you guys talking about?" asked Mio.
"Oh, we were talking about the terrible casino we passed by."
"It's not a terrible...oh wait, I get it. Never mind." They all got a good laugh out of it. Soon afterward, the coach made a right turn on Maryland Parkway.
"This is UNLV," said Jerry.
"Whoa!" the others exclaimed, in awe of the buildings, as well as the large UNLV sign on the KUNV UNLV TV building. The coach then turned left on Tropicana Avenue.
"Nice campus," Sawako said.
Jerry went on. "We're going to go ahead and go down to the Stadium. I just wanted to take you by the University. The stadium is located in an unincorporated part of Clark County called Whitney."
"Whitney? Like Whitney Houston?" Yui asked.
"Yes, something like that."
Some passers-by were taking photos of the coach that was rolling.
"Pretty nice houses," said Nodoka. "Living in Nevada must be pretty nice."
"A lot of retirees live here," Jerry added. As the coach entered Whitney, the coach passed under a bridge into the desert. Making a right turn, Tropicana Avenue became Rebel Road, which became Broadbent Boulevard.
"More nice houses! I want one!" Jun exclaimed, to the laughter of the others. Broadbent became Rebel Road again as the bus wheeled towards Sam Boyd Stadium.
"U...N...L...V," Yui said, reading the letters. "Oh my God, we're here!" She happily skipped off the bus as Jerry opened the compartments. A group of campus staff wheeled Ritsu's drums, leaving Mio, Yui, Azusa and Tsumugi to carry their own instruments inside the stadium.
"Here's your backstage passes," said a staff member, handing the nine of them placards attached to lanyards.
"Thanks," Mio said.
The nine of them walked straight into the center of the stadium, taking stock in the sights and wonderment.
"So this is Sam Boyd Stadium," Ritsu said. "Unbelievable."
"Is this a dream?" Tsumugi said. "Our first true stage outside of Japan?"
"The concert's not until tomorrow, and I am really excited!" Azusa said, fists pumped.
"Amazing venue," Yui said. "We're going to perform in front of so many people. Wow!"
"This is not a dream," Jun whispered. "This isn't a dream at all. Astounding."
"I think you guys should tune your instruments and test the equipment," Ui said, pointing to the speakers on stage. The staff had finished moving the drums, while another staffer was finishing up preparing the microphones.
"Hey Giita, are you ready to have some fun?" Yui asked her guitar. "I knew you were."
"Once more into the breach," Ritsu said, stretching while breaking out her drumstick, testing the acoustics of the skins and cymbals. "Solid. No weird noises."
"Music is a weird noise in itself, by the way," Nodoka added.
"Quit being smart, you smart-ass mofo!" she shot back, crashing her cymbals in anger.
Mio was tuning Elizabeth, testing the pitch, checking if the strings were off a step or two. "Good condition, given that we had to carry these things across town," she said.
Azusa strummed a little, then tested the flange capabilities. "Oooh, Azunyan is getting funky with it!" Yui grinned.
"Mou, quit teasing me, Sempai!" she retorted, blushing.
"I see you blushing, and I'm lovin' it."
Tsumugi tested her keyboard, playing a little blues along the way. "Nice. These speakers are very loud when we play our music."
Yui noticed that the video screen was on, and it was fixated on her as she was plugging her guitar to the speakers. "Hello World! My name is Yui! We are Hokago Tea Time! Yeeeaaah!"
"Are we done tuning up?" Mio asked the others. They nodded. "Let's see, what should we play? Let's warm-up our vocal cords with a different song. Have you heard of the song 'Los Angeles' by Sugarcult?"
"I've heard of it from a few years ago," Ritsu said.
"Let's use it to warm-up our voices. Los Angeles by Sugarcult!"
"One, two, one, two, three!" Ritsu's drumming led to Mio's bass, and everyone else joining in. Mio was on lead vocals, with everyone backing her up.
"I want a girl, girl that won't talk back
And a job, job that gives me slack
And a car, car that won't break down
In the heat of Los Angeles
Want to go, go without a map
Far away, away, I won't get trapped
By the sound, a town, the sun beats down
In the heat of Los Angeles
One more holiday
I will not celebrate
I'm almost desperate
Cause I'm down, I'm down, I'm so beat down
This city's killing me
I want, I want, I want everything
This city's killing me
In the heat of Los Angeles
I want a love, love that won't hit back
Want sex, sex without a catch
Want a face, to trust, to feel, to lust
In the heat of Los Angeles
Want to FUCK, FUCK, FUCK this up
Gonna feel, feel, feel you up
Had enough, enough, enough's enough
In the heat of Los Angeles
This city's killing me
I want, I want, I want everything
This city's killing me
In the heat of Los Angeles
What has become of me?
I want, I want, I want everything
This city's killing me
(I want everything)
Come on, come on
It's alive and breathing
Come on, come on
Come alive today
Come on, come on
It's a heartless beating
The sun is burning down Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
I want a girl, girl that won't talk back
And a job, job that gives me slack
And a car, car that won't break down
In the heat of Los Angeles
Come on, come on
It's alive and breathing
Come on, come on
Come alive today
Come on, come on
It's a heartless beating
The sun is burning down
(This city's killing me)
Come on, come on
It's alive and breathing
Come on, come on
Come alive today
(This city's killing me)
Come on, come on
It's a heartless beating
The sun is burning down Los Angeles (one more holiday)
The sun is burning down Los Angeles (I will not celebrate)
The sun is burning down Los Angeles (one more holiday)
The sun is burning down Los Angeles (I will not celebrate)..."
"Sounds pretty good," Sawako said, clapping her hands. "Beautiful warm-up. I could hear every one of you crystal clear."
"I want to start the rehearsal with Fude Pen," Yui suggested. "Shall we?"
"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Mio replied.
"Let's do it!" Azusa added.
Ritsu counted down. "One, two, three!"
The video cameramen also tested the different angles and transitions they would use in the live performance tomorrow. Mio and Yui were on lead vocals.
"My calligraphy pen, FUFU
Is trembling, FUFU
As I'm writing my first ever GREETING CARD to you
My throbbing PASSION
And overflowing ACTION
Might just spurt out
I imagine your smile
And I want to show you my good points
I grasp my passion
I gotta make you notice me!
All right, I'm gonna write smoothly with all my love
So that me and you can be connected by happiness when you've received it
I'm showing you my dreams as my characters dance around
Hang in there, calligraphy pen, you've made it this far
I'm totally serious
To my calligraphy pen, FUFU
I might be being overdoing it, FUFU
It seems I might be crushing it, but
My handwriting's on a MISSION
Red-hot TENSION
Normal print is so boring
At the point where I close, the point where I stop
This heart-throbbing is most definitely love
"Please treat me well from here on out"
I add that single phrase
My cheerful lettering is so shiny, look how well polished it is
It'd be wonderful if they could go straight into your heart
The running lines shine until they dry
You'll have to wait, calligraphy pen, sorry, ballpoint pen
You'll have to rest
I'm totally serious
I imagine your smile
And I want to show you my good points
I grasp my passion
I gotta make you notice me!
All right, I'm gonna write smoothly with all my love
So that me and you can be connected by happiness when you've received it
I'm showing you my dreams as my characters dance around
Hang in there, calligraphy pen, you've made it this far
I'm totally serious!"
"Is that a coyote that just entered the stadium?" Azusa asked, seeing a stray coyote wander into the stadium.
"I'm not good with those things," Mio said, slowly backtracking as Tsumugi broke a possible fall in fear. "I don't want him to eat me..."
"How did this animal sneak inside?"
"Don't worry, Mio-chan, he won't bite," Yui said as the coyote went over and licked her face after she crouched down to pet it. "So cute! Nice doggie...hey, stop, that tickles!"
"We should get back to practice, Sempai," Azusa said with a laugh as a bead of sweat went down her face.
A couple of people from Clark County Animal Control fell in and took the coyote and placed him in a cage. "Sorry about that, ladies," said one of them as they carried him away.
"Bye, bye, doggie," Yui said. "We'll keep you in our prayers."
"On to the next song," Ritsu said. "My Love Is A Stapler, then?"
"Absolutely, Ricchan," Mugi said.
A little flourish and the number began as the two Animal Control worked continued to carry the coyote out of the stadium. The coyote would eventually be kept as a house pet and guard dog by a wealthy family in Henderson.
"I wonder why it is
On this worryful night
I'm writing on paper
These feelings to you
Could it be that
I'm just being whimsical?
But the sheets will only
Keep on increasing
An equation to calculate the chances of love
It'd be nice if I had one
My sparkling, shining wishes
Have slopped in with my worries
That's right, let's just staple them together
My mood was only simple at the start
But it got hot inside without me knowing
And somehow the staples no longer go through
Lala, see you tomorrow
I wonder what I should do
Rereading it is embarrassing
Even though all these feelings
Keep being written down
Somehow if these feelings
Get tossed into the trash
My heart would in pain
So I wonder if I should keep them
Now my feelings will be revealed
Searching for words without a dictionary
This plan makes me excited
Expanding it makes me too tired
Let's just staple everything together
Recalling the things I did today
Always makes my chest tighten
I ran out of staples, need to buy some more
Lala, see you tomorrow
My sparkling, shining wishes
Have slopped in with my worries
That's right, let's just staple them together
My mood was only simple at the start
But it got hot inside without me knowing
And somehow the staples no longer go through
Lala, see you tomorrow..."
"I see a bunch of birds flying around, are those buzzards?" Yui asked the others, pointing to a group of birds circling outside Russell Road.
"No, I think though are just regular birds in flight school, learning how to hover," Mio said. "We see something new every day."
"Well, we're in the desert, and I guess if you need to learn to adjust to the wind, this is your best option," Azusa said.
A staff member handed the band some commemorative baseball caps. There were red, had the bands initials in white at the front, and a steaming teacup in the back.
"These look nice," Azusa said.
"We even got some too, Azusa!" Jun exclaimed.
"I kind of feel bad for the other members of the class, having to study in their hotel rooms," said Ritsu. "We are having so much fun here!"
"All right, what number should we play next?" Mugi asked.
"Samidare," Mio said plainly.
"Go for it, Ricchan!" Yui said.
"One, two, three!" As always, Mio took the lead vocal for this piece.
"Raindrops begin to fall; how pretty they are!
They look like drops of sparkling soda, stopping the town's yawning
I count three drops and catch the big ones on my forehead
The rain speaks to me
The fifth drop is surely a little bird's mini tiara
That's right, the seventh drop is the power line's pendant and chain
Eight drops on my eyelashes; the ninth dances on the leaves
I may have fallen in love; the tenth drop intrudes and I still don't know
Twenty, love
Though it's still faint
This dream is a watercolor painting
The brush that paints the rainbow
Is right here in my heart
Teardrops, don't fall; nobody has an umbrella
The rain gently washes away the footprints from a second before
Very soon, eighteen drops become polka dots, like jewels
With the twentieth drop, I wonder if I'll know if my love will continue
In a sudden flash
I want to give light
To this dream of mine
So the hands that will break up the rainclouds
Will come from my pockets
Twenty, love
Though it's still faint
This dream is a watercolor painting
The brush that paints the rainbow
Is right here in my heart
In a sudden flash
I want to give light
To this dream of mine
So the hands that will break up the rainclouds
Will come from my pockets..."
A few car honks could be heard from passersby, along with a few whoops and hollers. "Rock on, y'all!" said a tourist in a Texas accent.
The girls were amazed at some of the reactions, even though this was a rehearsal.
"I guess with those car honks, that's a good thing, right?" Tsumugi asked the others.
"In America, when someone is feeling good and they are driving, they will honk their horns," Sawako explained.
"I think that's a good sign, then," Mio added. "We're never used to that sort of stuff over in Japan."
"Never used to it, huh?"
"Generally, they're only honking if someone is holding up traffic."
"Well, that's also common as well here."
"Universal?" Nodoka asked Sawako, who nodded. "Ahhhh."
"Genius? time!" Yui said. "Let's play that song!"
"One, two, three!" Yui and Azusa's riffs paved the way for the number, with Yui taking lead vocals, Tsumugi and Ritsu providing the backing.
"I tie my tie tight and now depart
While my heart is tied tight, too
A stage that's shown only to us
Let's go gathering our power
However many times I depart, it feels like the first time
Deciding one song is exciting and tense
But when we exchange looks, that easily
Changes mystery into happiness
We bask in the spotlight, light from around the world
We're just about gathered, almost radiating
Because we're not incomplete, our motto is fun
Because we're serious
That riff just now was cool, it felt pro
Oh no, I'm already in high spirits
Could it be that we're geniuses...?
Nobody says so, but...we must be...!
There aren't any flashy accessories
Our sparkling sweat substitutes for jewels
We don't have makeup, either, just unpainted faces
But to that extent, we're honest
Our smiles in full bloom, people around the world
If we can make them smile, it's amazing, touching
Because we want to sing, the atmosphere is love and peace
Because our dreams are huge
This harmony is perfect, knack instead of pitch
Oh no, I'm already nervous
We don't sit down, our feet on the ground
Making good use of the fluffiness, soaring, happy
We encountered it, we found it
The supreme bliss of playing, a sense of unity
Before knowing it, we won't go back to being lucky
So we're going to go forward, tea time is our energy
Because we love everybody
Extending the loop, an awesome outro, tension doesn't have a ceiling
Then let's go, let's go more
Come on, because we're not incomplete, our motto is fun
Because we're serious
That riff just now was cool, it felt pro
Oh no, I'm already in high spirits
Could it be that we're geniuses...?
Nobody says so, but...it's true...!"
"That is a song that could use a little cowbell," Sawako snarked. "Okay, make that more cowbell."
"More cowbell, Sawachan?" Ritsu asked, breaking out a toy cowbell and striking it with a stick. "The captain asked for more cowbell!" Ting, ting, ting. "How's that?"
"Where did you get that?" Mio asked her.
"Before I went back up to the SkyVilla after we were done with the Biscotti interview, I bought a toy cowbell downstairs at the Palms for 10 bucks. 10 bucks! And it sounds beautiful."
Mio grabbed the cowbell. "You know you can shake it too." She shook it a little before proceeding to deliver a headbump on Ritsu's head with it. "Baka Ritsu."
"That was mean, my dear! Mou!"
"Comedy. Pure gold," Jun said to Ui.
"Next song, next song! What's next?" Yui asked.
"Honey Sweet Tea Time?" Tsumugi suggested.
A point. "Ricchan, count!"
"One, two, three!"
Tsumugi took the lead vocals while Yui and Mio provided the backup vocals.
"The honey colored afternoon passes by
A honey sweet tea time
The honey colored afternoon passes by
A honey sweet tea time
A macaroon airship
The clock is a langues du chat
Let's go to a place where my heart tightens
Under the sky where smiles bloom
Curiosity overflows
In maxi singles
Tied with a ribbon the color of the equator
The earth is a box of sweets
And it's packed with dreams
How does the honey colored afternoon taste?
A honey sweet tea time
How does the honey colored afternoon taste?
A honey sweet tea time
A galette parking lot
A stray cat sachertorte
Today, let's start doing the things we've always wanted to do
In the town where I spilled the paint of light
Everything reflected in my eyes
Is part of the recipe of the future
Wrapped in paper the color of the blue sky
The world is a present
Is it okay to open it?
If you should lose your way
Let's have some tea
Wishes go on the caddy spoon
Pain goes in the teapot
Mix up these feelings, stir left and right
May all your troubles clear up tomorrow
Under the sky where smiles bloom
Curiosity overflows
In maxi singles
Tied with a ribbon the color of the equator
The earth is a box of sweets
Let's eat
In the town where I spilled the paint of light
Everything reflected in my eyes
Is part of the recipe of the future
Wrapped in paper the color of the blue sky
The world is a present
It's okay to open it!"
"I like to go ahead and give you guys a joke," Sawako said to the band as they took some time to sip some water. "What do you get when you cross a brown chicken with a brown cow?"
"We have no idea, except for it being something brown," Ritsu deadpanned.
"No, what you get is...wait for it, wait for it...BrownChickenBrownCoooooooow!" Crickets could be heard in the distance.
"We didn't get the joke. We're sorry."
"Whatever. I didn't expect you to get the joke anyway. All bad joking aside, you guys can rehearse four more numbers and then we're going to go ahead and take a break to visit UNLV before returning here for the evening rehearsal."
"Four more numbers, huh? All right. Well, we should probably make them all light numbers then. How about we do 'Ichigo Parfait' next?"
"Ichigo Parfait on the house. And they don't stop, chop chop!" Yui said to the band members.
"Go ahead and count it, Ritsu-sempai!" Azusa said.
"One, two, three!"
"A hug between vanilla and strawberry -
They're a pair that fits better than anyone.
Lovely, happy!
Whipped cream like pure white lace,
So sweet that it puts me in trance…
Soft and wavy!
I have to hurry before it melts.
I have to give nourishment to my heart.
The taste of today's dream is perfect.
It flows through my body, that Sweet Sweet Berry Sauce.
It's the force that drives our hot Girl's Talk.
More to come! Joy! Joy!
I tried my best, so I'll give myself a reward.
Let's try hard again!
The strawberry parfaits just don't stop!
Pressed hard against the glass bowl,
The sparkling and heart throbbing are packed in.
A marbled pattern!
Cornflakes, don't get in the way!
The coolness of the brain freeze
Feels nice.
It's a seasonal food.
Don't worry about calories.
With the speed of a flicker of light, lick, lick!
I only respond to delicious things.
I have an antenna – hey, I'm a girl!
More, more! Taste! Taste!
There's another stomach for dessert! It's not a puzzle.
It's a complete black hole, you know.
I, I, I just can't stop myself!
It flows through my body, that Sweet Sweet Berry Sauce.
It's the force that drives our hot Girl's Talk.
More to come! Joy! Joy!
I tried my best, so I'll give myself a reward.
Let's try hard again!
The strawberry parfaits just don't stop!"
"Need to hear you a bit more, Azusa-chan," Sawako said. "Yui, Tsumugi and Mio are the only ones I can hear clearly, so you need to also make a better effort, Ricchan. Otherwise, good."
"Good! She said 'Good!'" Ritsu hollered to the band with a boom and a crash.
"She wasn't complementing you, by the way," Mio added.
"It doesn't matter! We're all good here in Las Vegas. Isn't that right, Yui?"
"Oh yeah."
"We're HTT, baby! It's all good! So, uh, what's the next number?"
"A change in mood just like that?" Azusa wondered, shocked.
"Curry Nochi Rice, I think," Mugi suggested.
"Yeah, let's use these types of songs to whet our appetites for lunch. Curry! One, two, one, two, three, four!"
The campus event staff continued to fix some of the decorations and banners outside as the rehearsal progressed.
"I might be irresistibly in love with you, Bubbly Wobbly
This hungry feeling won't stop, Dizzy Giddy
Please!
A piping hot plate of curry
Give me a stimulating spoonful of spices
Instead of sweet, today will be medium-spicy
For a mature flavor
Meat, vegetables and a secret special seasoning
A growing child's greed awakening love
I love you!
Simmering well-made curry
Let's try two spoonfuls of spices
But keep it limited; It's no good if it's too spicy
Tingly, Fiery, Spicy
Oh… No no no no no no…!
Just a tiny bit of curry and a lot of rice
When you're not here it's lonely at the table
Someday we'll be on good terms with you on my silver spoon
Sorry!
Curry without roux;
Girls like sweet curry
I long for you but mildly-spicy is too much
I love you!
Simmering well-made curry
Let's try two spoonfuls of spices
But keep it limited; It's no good if it's too spicy
Tingly, Fiery, Spicy
Oh… No no no no no no…!
Just a tiny bit of curry and a lot of rice!"
"This brings up an interesting question, Miss Sawako," Jun asked. "Are the people at the university going to be serving what they are singing?"
"I'll keep that a secret," Sawako replied, a finger to her lips. "To be honest with you, I don't know the answer. Seriously."
"That would be the coincidence of the trip," Nodoka said. "Every dish that is mentioned by the band is served at lunch on campus. Strawberry parfaits, curry, all the desserts in the Honey Sweet Tea Time song, and a little..."
"Tokimeki Sugar!" Yui shouting, punching the air while jumping real high.
"Tokimeki Sugar...wait a minute, is that's what you're singing next?"
"Precisely, Nodoka-chan."
"If that's the case, we could be seeing a lot of caramel and manuka honey in the desserts, Miss Sawako."
Ritsu counted down. "One, two, three, four!"
Mio's bass led the way as she provided the main vocals.
"Caramel sauce for you, dearest
Granulated sugar, brown sugar
Caramel sauce for you, dearest
Maple, honey, fine-grain sugar
Caramel sauce just for you
My heart is also caramel sauce
Even if it gets a little burned
Your flame will make it delicious
I'm a pastry chef of love
For you, who's moderately sweet
I'll make a homemade sauce
Even though I've been watching you all along
Why haven't you noticed?
If you want a taste, just say so, okay?
You've got some on your cheek!
My true feelings are custard pudding
The secret hidden flavor is throbbing sugar
My true feelings are custard pudding
Brown sugar syrup, thin sugar, manuka honey
Why has this caramel sauce become bittersweet?
I'll just fix it with some more sugar
Since I don't have a measuring spoon
I'll season it myself and make it delicious
I'm a pastry chef with a sweet tooth
Just thinking about you
Saturates my heart
But, you see, where I am right now
I don't plan to use my voice
If I dream an extremely sweet dream
I'll be happy tonight
I've got everything sweet inside the cupboard
It can't be beat once I boil it down
Heartbeat bittersweet
Fantasy eternity
Dizzy dizzy sympathy, I'm feeling it!
Just 'cause...
I'm a pastry chef of love
For you, who's moderately sweet
I'll make a homemade sauce
Even though I've been watching you all along
Why haven't you noticed?
If you want a taste, just say so!
I'm a pastry chef of love
Just thinking about you
Saturates my heart
Someday we'll meet eye to eye
And at that time, my concoction will be ready
It'll be the most delicious thing ever
You've got some on your cheek!"
"I think we have room for one more piece, you guys," said Azusa.
"And more room for dessert, Azunyan!" Yui added.
"Oh Sempai, can't you wait for one moment, please?"
"Ehhh, but I thought you were already used to this?"
"Well, yeah, I'll give you that, Sempai."
"Meanwhile, here in the desert, we're searching for one more song to do our rehearsing before a little break," Ritsu said lazily, swirling a drumstick.
"Fuwa Fuwa Time?" Yui suggested.
"That's it! We got it. Let's just use our trademark song to close the morning portion of this rehearsal. Ready, guys?"
"Yeah!" they all said.
"One, two, three!"
Yui's riff led the way to everyone jumping in and Mio taking the lead vocals for the first time in a while.
"When I'm looking at you, my heart is always going B-BMP B-BMP
My wavering feelings are fluffy fluffy like marshmallows
The view of your face from the side, always working so hard-
Even if I'm looking at it all the time, you don't notice me
Even though the distance between us can be shrunken if we're in a dream
Ah, dear God, do me a favor
Please give us our own Dream Time
Hugging my favorite bunny, I say good night, too, tonight
Fluffy fluffy time, fluffy fluffy time, fluffy fluffy time
My heart goes THUMP THUMP at your unexpected gesture today
I read too deeply into your nonchalant smile and over heat!
Your serious face that I saw on some other day-
Even if I close my eyes, it appears
Because it's okay if it's a dream, I want our own Sweet time
Ah, dear God, why?
Is the Dream night as painful as I fall in love?
I took out my treasured teddy bear; will I be all right tonight?
If I muster a little more courage
And talk naturally
Will something change?
That's how I feel, but…
(But that's the hardest thing
What to do about a chance to chat?
Heck, it's totally not natural to be thinking about a plan at that point in time
Ah, enough already, I'm gonna sleep, I'm gonna sleep, I'm gonna sleep!)
Ah, dear God, do me a favor
Please give me a Miracle Time for just once!
If I can easily talk to you, then afterwards…I'll somehow do it
Fluffy fluffy time, fluffy fluffy time, fluffy fluffy time..."
"Sooo ladies, shall we go ahead and take a break?" asked Sawako to the band.
"I think we should," said Ritsu. The staff continued to prepare the decorations and adjust some of the lighting configurations. A truck containing some lasers was just rolling in.
"I think we should bring our instruments," Tsumugi said, packing up her keyboard.
"Leaving them in the heat will damage the strings, so we might as well carry it with them," Azusa said.
"Good idea," Mio added.
"It's time for a little back-to-school, Giita, you ready?" Yui asked her six-stringed sidekick.
"She is, sempai," Azusa said.
"I knew she was!"
The nine of them left the stadium and got on the bus, taking off for the University, where another interesting meeting awaited them before returning to the rehearsal in Whitney.
END CHAPTER 15