Roadshow
Chapter 16:
Give It Up
He sat in the middle of a relatively empty food court inside the University of Nevada Las Vegas Student Union, sipping his soda impatiently while putting on a grim expression of "oh God, I have been through this before and I don't like it one bit, at all." He felt a burning sensation in his left ear that not only elicited pain, but relative pleasure. While it cause his pants to be slightly saturated, he did not mind it one bit, but it had been going on for about 10, maybe 15 minutes maximum and he was starting to get tired of it.
"Oy, Sora, can you quit nibbling at my ear already?" Haruka Kasugano asked her.
She stopped and looked at him with annoyed bedroom eyes and a pout. "Haru, I am enjoying this moment. Aren't you?" Sora Kasugano asked her. "Come on, the taste of your ear is the reason I'm feeling so good today, with us living in America and all. Can't I nibble it a little bit longer, my dear?"
"Sora, you haven't even touched your burger and fries. Better eat it before it gets cold."
"Mou, Haru!" Sora went back to her seat and munched on her burger, annoyed that she couldn't experience the tingling feeling longer than 15 minutes.
He continued to sip his Coke. "Look, my ear is not a food, okay?"
"But that's why it's so delicious!"
"And stop cracking jokes with a straight face!" Sora smiled mischievously before returning to her lunch.
"Hello, hello, hello, there is a food court on campus," Ritsu Tainaka said with the others as they made their way inside. "So, which one should we go to?"
"I'll pay for the lunch; just let me know what you guys want!" Sawako Yamanaka said gleefully, her hand raised.
"Talk about taking the bait..."
"Hmmmm, I'll go ahead and order some Chinese food," Mio Akiyama said. "Panda Express is the Chinese place, right?"
"Do they serve yakisoba?" Tsumugi Kotobuki asked, eyes gleaming.
"No."
"Awwww."
"I have an idea!" Yui Hirasawa suggested. "Let's have Sawachan order everything from the menu a la carte, including the rice."
"Are you...sure?" Jun Suzuki asked her.
"Mmmm-hmmmm!"
"I'll order a sandwich from Subway instead," Azusa Nakano said, taking off for Subway.
"See you in a bit, Azunyan!"
"I would like Miss Sawako to order everything from Panda Express," Ui Hirasawa suggested.
"I think that would be a good idea," Nodoka Manabe said. "Everyone shares, and everyone gets their fill."
"All right!" Miss Sawako said. "I shall return with the Chinese!" She goose-stepped her way to the restaurant to make her largest take-out order in her life.
"I'll be back to get something to drink at the vending machines," Yui said, leaving the group, who were seated in the middle of the food court.
"See you in a bit, Yui," Ritsu said to her.
"How were you able to finish that quickly?" Haruka asked Sora, amazed.
"All that nibbling made me hungry," she said, licking her fingers suggestively. Haruka's mouth twitched, aware that Sora was getting horny again. This was fifth time that day that Sora was getting stimulated, and Haruka knew it all too well. However, the mood was snapped when Yui walked past them, humming "Fuwa Fuwa Time."
"Hey, isn't that..." Then it hit Haruka. "Holy cow, that's one of the members from Hokago Tea Time! That's Yui!"
"Yui Hirasawa?" Sora asked. "She looks familiar. You like to play their music all time on your iPhone."
"Oy, Yui! Over here!" Haruka called.
That caught Yui's attention. "Eh? Someone calling for me? Super Yui to the rescue!" And she quickly walked over. "Eh? Are these some new fans I stumbled into?"
"My name is Haruka Kasugano, and this is my fiancée, Sora," he said.
"I am Sora Kasugano, a pleasure to meet you," she said, curtsying.
"Yui Hirasawa, guitarist and vocalist for Hokago Tea Time," said Yui. "I can't believe we stumbled upon some new fans again! This is awesome!"
"We love your music, Yui, and Sora likes to hum 'Pure Pure Heart' every now and then," Haruka replied, beaming.
"Did you want to sit with my group over on the table down across? Look, they're waving."
Their response was uniform. And they were a bit too close for Yui's comfort. "Can we?"
"Hey guys," Yui said, waving as she walked back to the group eating the whole menu a la carte from Panda Express, "we got us some fans who wanted to say hello!"
"I'm Haruka Kasugano, and this is my fiancée Sora," he said to the girls.
"Pleasure to meet you," Sora added.
"Let me introduce to you the members of my group," Yui said as the three of them sat down. "Starting with Ricchan."
"Ritsu Tainaka, drums."
"Mio Akiyama, bass."
"Tsumugi Kotobuki, keyboards."
"Azusa Nakano, guitar."
"Sawako Yamanaka, club advisor and band manager."
"Ui Hirasawa, Yui's younger sister."
"Jun Suzuki, friend of Ui and future light music club member."
"Nodoka Manabe, friend of Yui."
"And we are Hokago Tea Time!" the five members said.
"That's wonderful," Sora giggled. "You guys look so cute."
"You're not bad yourself, with your little twintails and all. Just like Azusa," Ritsu said. "Isn't that right, lil' kitty?"
"I am not a cat, Ritsu-sempai!" she shot back with a pout before dining on some orange chicken.
"Anyway, what brings you to America?" Mio asked Sora and Haruka.
"We wanted to move here," Sora said. "We were able to get our green cards days after we moved to here. We're living in this city in California called, what is it...?"
"Irvine. It's a pretty good place. A local artisan who is a friend of our grandparents and his family welcomed us in and expedited the process for us. I'm working a part-time job at the local Starbucks, and the two of us are attending school over at Mater Dei in nearby Santa Ana."
"Living in America has given me newfound strength like never before," Sora said. "I used to feel ill and weak, but now I'm healthy. I can not only walk, I can actually run now."
"Sora likes to jog a few laps at the track, while I'm getting my swim laps in as an elective. And for the first time, I'm actually seeing Sora learn to cook, using real food. At our house, we rarely use instant food, and we actually make things from scratch.
"Orange County's a wonderful place to live and learn, and both I and Haru are benefitting from it."
"That's good to hear," Tsumugi said. "All of us are just here rehearsing for a concert, and we've spent a few days here in Las Vegas. We just on a lunch break from rehearsing."
"Hmmm."
"Are you two learning English by any chance?"
"We're starting to pick it up very quickly. At my job, I need to learn how to speak English, and I've gotten fluent in it. Sora is still taking some time to learn the language, but she can speak it, too."
"What are you doing here in Vegas, though?" Jun asked them.
"We're on summer vacation," Sora explained. "And our new parents-can I say that, Haru?"
"Yeah, you can."
"Our new parents are taking us to Las Vegas to visit some campuses. He's telling us to start thinking about college and where we want to go when we graduate from high school."
"This is our first stop. We're going to also visit UCLA, USC, San Diego State and the University of San Diego. If none of those work, we can always use UC Irvine as something to fall back on."
"Can you afford that, though?" Azusa asked them, finishing her sub.
"Mom and Dad are actually well off and will finance part of the education, but I also need to pitch in with my weekend job at Starbucks, as well as apply for financial aid," Haruka said.
"You mentioned new parents...did your real parents die or something?" Mio asked.
"It's not something we like to talk about, but our real mom and dad died when we were young in an automobile accident. There was a time in which the death affected Sora so much that she was never the same person. She had to depend on me, and she was so reclusive. It pained me to see her like that: lazy and unwilling to open herself up to the world."
"That place we went to, where our grandparents used to live...I want us to never return to that place again," Sora said. "Promise?"
"I promise."
"Our real mom and dad...wait a minute," Ritsu said, putting the pieces together. "Real mom and dad...and Haruka here just said that Sora is his fiancée...that means..."
"We are both brother and sister!" the two of them said.
"WHAAAAAAAT?" exclaimed everyone but Sawako and Nodoka.
"And you're fine with this, I take it?" Nodoka said.
"Yeah, we are," Sora said, nodding.
"No way," Jun exclaimed. "How is that possible? Fraternal twins...a romantic couple? Get out of here..."
"How did you come to this point?" Tsumugi said, shocked.
"I remember, many weeks ago, that there was a lake in the village we resided in, and I saw Sora trying to drown herself," Haruka said. "We both fell in the water, and we both nearly drowned until Nao and a few other local lifeguards rescued us."
"Who's Nao?" Yui asked.
"Nao Yorihime is probably one of the few people who understands our situation and tolerates it. She knows it's wrong, and that the people she is with feel it's taboo, but she understands that we do love each so much that we would make love almost every night. Sora and Nao used to not get along with each other, but now we talk, the three of us, over how we're doing, now that we've moved on."
"Oh."
I remember a phone call from an old friend of ours from our old school, Kozue Kuranaga, and she said that even though it's not right in her eyes, there is really isn't any she can do to stop both of them. She told me, 'Go do what you like, there is nothing that can stop you from loving each other. The people you left give you their blessing, and they will miss you.' That was actually the first time I talked with Kozue in a long time, and I was impressed that she would understand and come to terms with the situation. It was nice to hear."
"And then you decided to move to America, huh?"
"After we had sex by the lake, we decided it was time to move to the U.S. and start a new life as Americans," said Sora. "This place has given me back my strength that I did not have when I was in Japan with Haru. I actually want to go climbing on hills for once. I feel really great, knowing that I can now sleep with Haru anytime I want."
"Are you two good in bed?" Ritsu asked fearfully before getting a headbump from Mio.
"Of course we are," Haruka said. "We've always been good in bed ever since we both realized we love each other to be good in bed. Hey Sora...wanna do it?"
"Haru..." she whispered, masturbating a little.
"No, no, no, no, that's all right, that's all right, we are all about modesty," Ritsu said, with a hesitant laugh. "We're all about...oh crap." Haruka was fondling Sora's right breast and Sora was starting to moan as her sounds were stifled by the taste of her lover's sweet kiss. "Mugi, the camera, the camera!"
It was too late. As Tsumugi plugged her nostrils before fainting, she handed the camera to Ritsu, who proceeded to take some interesting shots.
A UNLV security guard walked over to the couple. "Excuse me, but you can't engage in sexual acts in a public place, I'm sorry."
Quickly Sora and Haruka cleaned up after themselves. "We're sorry!" they both said, bowing.
"Thank you." He briskly walked back to his post, sweating.
"Aww jeez, and just when it was about to get real good," Ritsu said.
"I'm still shocked that two siblings can do the dirty deed done dirt cheap in public," Azusa said, her mouth twitching as the others returned to eating their lunch.
"You know, we love trains," Sora said, breaking out her makeup to apply some foundation. "So we wanted you to play a song for us, since I see that guitar next to you."
"How about 'Long Train Running' by the Doobie Brothers?" Yui asked.
"Oh man, I love that song," Haruka said. "Wanna play it for us?"
"Absolutely," she replied, taking Giita out from his case. "This is my guitar, Giita. Say hi to Sora and Haruka, Giita." She waved the neck up and down as it was a waving hand. "You guys ready to sing?"
"Sure," Mio said, finishing her root beer.
"One, too, three!" Naturally, she personalized the song a little bit. Ritsu added a little harmonica as the others exhibited their trademark five-part harmony.
"Down around the corner
A half a mile from here
You can see them long trains run
And you watch them disappear
Without love
Where would you be now?
Without love
You know I saw Miss Sora
Down along the tracks
She lost her home and her family
And she won't be comin' back
Without love
Where would you be right now?
Without love
Well the Illinois Central
And the Southern Central Freight
Gotta keep on pushin' mama
'Cause you know they're runnin' late
Without love
Where would you be now, na-na-now?
Without love
Well the Illinois Central
And the Southern Central Freight
Gotta keep on pushin' mama
'Cause you know they're runnin' late
Without love
Where would you be now?
Without love
Well the pistons keep on churnin'
And the wheels go 'round and 'round
And the steel rails are cold and hard
For the miles that they go down
Without love
Where would you be right now?
Without love
Where would you be now?"
She clapped her hands, Sora did. "That was beautiful. I loved how you personalized it a little bit, because it's true."
"We don't mind adding a little touch to it," Mio said, licking her fingers.
"Oooooh." Sora had to giggle. As she did, a few familiar faces walked into the food court.
"Hang on here, I thought I heard some singing from the legendary HTT," said Ryouhei Nakazato, stroking his stubble.
"Haru-kun, Sora-chan, it's been a while!" said Akira Amatsume, waving while carrying a bag of goods from the bookstore.
"There you are," Nao said, adjusting her glasses.
"I didn't want to see you two, but there was a part of me that wanted to see how you two are doing," Kozue Kuranaga said.
"The couple of great controversy is here in a city full of controversies; only fitting," Kazuha Migawa grinned.
"Viva Las Vegas, I guess," said Motoka Nogisaka.
"Damn right," added Yahiro Ifukube.
"Oh God, more fans?" Ritsu asked the others. "Gee whiz, the welcome wagon is here!"
"We're seeing people from all different walks of life warm up to us," Mio said. "This week keeps getting better and better."
"Why are all of you here?" Haruka asked. "I thought you guys were going to forget about us!"
"You think we would ever forget about somebody who likes the same music we do?" Ryouhei said, giving him a nice nudge. "And look at Mio, so cute, she could be my wife."
"Excuse me, but I have first dibs on Mio," Ritsu said, hugging her ladyfriend like a pillow.
"Oh my, did you want our autographs?" Tsumugi asked them.
"I have a shikishi~~~~!" Akira said, handing it to her. "We'll enshrine it at Hozumi High School as a memento that says we were here on vacation and we saw one of Japan's brightest bands make their U.S. debut!"
"Can everyone sign this? I'll pass it around." One by one, each of the five members and the manager signed the shikishi board. Not a single iota of white space was wasted.
"Cool, thanks a lot."
"We have a lot of time on our hands, so we want to enjoy every second of it, even when we sleep," Ritsu said.
"Who ever thought that Las Vegas would be the place to reconcile lost friendships?" asked Jun to Nodoka. "Look at those guys, and the two lovebirds, they look so well together."
"Are you guys finished with lunch?" asked Sawako to her group. They nodded as Yui put her guitar away. "We're going to go over and visit the campus."
"You guys are taking off?" Sora asked them.
"We only have a few hours to go before we're needed back at the stadium to continue the rehearsal," Mio explained.
"I see. Well, thanks a lot for talking with us, we really appreciate it," Haruka said.
"Good luck the rest of the way," Ryouhei added. "It's an honor to meet the best band in the land, HTT."
"Thank you," the band and roadies said before leaving the food court, Sora and Haruka mending their relationships with those they left behind. They had some catching-up to do.
"So we're going to go on a tour of the university, huh?" Yui asked Miss Sawako as they left the Student Union.
"Yep. Actually, I should let you know that me and my Death Devil mates went on vacation to Las Vegas a few times. We wanted to visit this university, and we got to even check out a class lecture or two along the way."
"Wow," Mio said.
"Now there used to be a small building we passed by as we left the coach. Maud Frazier Hall was named in honor of Maud Frazier, former Principal at Las Vegas High School, Clark County Legislator and early leader in funding of many Clark County School District and UNLV projects."
"Interesting," Nodoka mused.
"That was one of the first campus buildings constructed when UNLV was called Nevada Southern University and part of University of Nevada Reno. Frazier Hall housed student enrollment and telecommunication functions. Now there is an entry mall to the campus and a structure for telecommunications will be built, which is the one you see now."
"What's that building next to it?" Ritsu asked the teacher.
"That's the Flora Dungan Humanities building. Serving as a significant visual point for UNLV, this International Style building house administration, broadcasting, auditorium and classroom facilities. The public has a love/hate (mostly hate) response to the building. Built during height of asbestos use in the U. S., it's expensive to maintain and remodel due to asbestos content. Currently shown in the master plan, this building may be a candidate for replacement in the future."
"So that building might go away down the road, Sawachan?"
"Yeah, it's probably going to be taken down not too far down the road. Now the old student union was built in 1969 when there were just 5000 students. But because of rapidly increasing student population at UNLV called for a construction of new student union, which is the one you see here. First phase was opened in summer 2006 and second phase opened doors for students in summer 2007. Total of 135,000 sq. ft. encourages group interactions and community building of diverse people and student organizations. Most public activity happens in the ground floor, it has retail stores, student seating areas, theater for 300 people. Second floor functions are mostly semipublic with student lounges, computer labs, computing center, meeting spaces, ball room etc. Third floor is accessible to the public only during day because this floor has offices of student government, and other student organizations. Large extended balcony which runs through the length of the building in the second and plaza covered with the tensile canopy makes a beautiful space for various outdoor activities."
"Pretty busy spot, huh?" Tsumugi wondered.
"Yep. That's the hub of the campus apparently. Let's go this way." The group went down to a reddish structure located next to the union. "Ladies, the UNLV bookstore was remodeled and gained a 20,000 square-foot addition. A large plane protrudes from the bookstore and is supported by the wall enclosing the student union courtyard, creating a gateway to both the bookstore and the campus as a whole. The bookstore's sandstone veneer of the east façade, terra cotta-colored elements, and metal signage are similar to that of the Beam Music Center, helping to bridge the southern part of campus to the northern half. The courtyard between the bookstore and student union receives much more use thanks to the redirection of traffic brought upon by better site planning."
"Time for a few snaps," Mio said, taking some shots.
"To our left is the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies. Remember the building that had the big UNLV logo on it? This is the one. This building is named after Hank Greenspun, who is a visionary, founder and publisher of Las Vegas Sun daily newspaper. 117,000 sq. ft. of the building accommodates classrooms, advanced labs for editing, auditorium for 200 people and various other radio and TV broadcasting facilities. UNLV TV, campus cable station and KUNV campus FM radio station is also housed here. It holds programs like Communications Studies, Criminal Justice, Environmental Studies, Public Administration, Journalism and Media Studies, and Social Work. This building with the Engraved UNLV signage creates an edge to the campus. The central courtyard is approached by the 2 grand landscaped staircases and is covered with photovoltaic panels which meets most of the energy requirements of the building. Building façade consists of tawny brick and red sandstone which represent the desert colors."
"Nice," Jun said. "Maybe we can get on TV this way."
"In your dreams, Jun," Azusa snarked.
"Now this, ladies, is the Paul B. Sogg Architecture Building. This 86,500 sq. ft. building houses the school of architecture and the Architecture Studies Library. Major financial contributors included Paul Sogg (local realtor), J.A. Tiberti (local construction professional), and Johnny Ribeiro (local developer and real estate professional). The original design was selected by competition; but the competition process led to protests concerning entries from local architects who were also faculty; thus creating a scenario of state employees vying for state work. These issues led to a court review of the competition process."
"Is that so?" Tsumugi said, a light desert breeze blowing in.
"Yep. The building includes large studio spaces, multiple computer labs, faculty and administrative offices, gallery space, and a 16,000 square-foot library. The studio windows on the west and east facades are narrow and vertical to reduce solar exposure. Large roof overhangs protect the main entrance and desert landscaping is used throughout the site. The library features extensive natural daylight thanks to large north-facing glazing. A 6,500 sq. ft. addition was designed by Dekker Perich Holmes Sabatini and houses graduate studios and Landscape Architecture offices."
"Student Recreation and Wellness Center," Ui read the text of the next building on the tour.
"This is one of my favorites. The Student Recreation Center opened the doors for students in September 2007. The total area of this building is about 185,000 sq. ft. having facilities more than a recreation center. As old Student Health Center needed up-gradation, in addition to that fitness and health are closely related, its requirements are added to the program of the new recreation center. The fitness facility includes well-equipped gym, indoor multi-purpose courts (for basketball, volley ball or badminton), futsal, 25 yard long natatorium, Jacuzzi, and many more. Health education offices, licensed pharmacy, fitness assessment labs, bio-feedback space, exam rooms counseling suites, conference room and offices etc. are added under wellness category. Considering Las Vegas, building is oriented to have spectacular views of the strip and other surrounding areas from the jogging track. Natural lighting is maximized in the interiors and high performance glass is used to withstand extreme Vegas climate."
"Where do I sign up?" Ritsu asked Miss Sawako, holding her hands.
"Um, we're not students here...we're only visitors."
"Damn. My dream, my dream, all in tatters."
"Stop overdramatizing," Mio deadpanned.
"Whoa, look at this place, this must be pretty popular," Yui said as they reached the Thomas and Mack Center. "Let's all take a photo of us next to this thing."
"The Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion is a +18,000 seat and +4,000 seat, respectively, set of arenas that host NBA games, major concerts National Finals Rodeo, Professional Bull Riding events, conventions and other major events." They all took a group shot after a student decided to help them out. "We're not going to go inside the Thomas and Mack Center, but we will go inside the Cox Pavilion in a bit. In the meantime, follow me."
"Where are we?" asked Nodoka, pointing to a colonnaded canopy.
"This is the Reynolds Student Services Complex. This building acts as the gateway to the second north-south academic mall on the campus for students and visitors entering from the Thomas & Mack parking lot. A skylight that resembles the top of a lighthouse provides natural daylight into the facility. This project won an AIA Nevada Design Award in 1995."
"Whoa," they all said.
"That's pretty awesome," Jun said.
"Now this building is the Academic Success Center. It used to be a 2,840 gross square footage (2,246 useable space) out-patient facility providing health services to UNLV's students. But now it's used for tutoring, studying, counseling, that type of stuff. This building contains examining rooms, a laboratory, a conference room and office facilities."
"Maybe Ritsu here could use a visit inside," Mio sneered.
"Shut up, Mio!" Ritsu snapped, to the laughter of everyone.
"Here is the Carol C. Harter Classroom Building Complex," Sawako said, pointing to another structure with a postmodern feel. "This 168,000 square-foot complex is composed of three buildings referred to as the "A", "B", and "C" buildings. Each building has its own purpose and distinct shape. The round "A" building features multiple lecture halls, the rectangular "B" contains faculty offices for many departments, and the square "C" building houses classrooms. The "B" building is the tallest and screens the campus from Thomas & Mack. Due to a 15-foot slope the "C" building features entrances on both the second and first floors. A courtyard with a grand exterior staircase, benches, and planters for additional seating allow students a nice backdrop to socialize in between classes."
"What's that small batch of shabby-looking bricks?" Yui asked. "Is that an actual prison or boot camp?"
"Yui. Why would you think there would be a boot camp or prison in a university like this? Or any university for that matter?" Ritsu asked. "Quit making bad jokes, you fool."
"I'm sorry, I was only being curious. Sawa-chan, what is that place?"
"That's the Central Desert Complex. This complex of 12 modular buildings, each with 3,600 square-feet of space, was created to house faculty temporarily displaced from their facilities due to campus renovations. In order to make these buildings seem more permanent, they were set into a concrete slab instead of placed on blocks. This strategy also saved the architect from having to provide multiple stairs, ramps, and decks for each building. To help the modular units blend into their surroundings better, exterior elements were taken from neighboring buildings such as galvanized panels (Lied Library) and stucco coloring (residential buildings, the bookstore)."
"So if there are issues regarding their actual office, they can still work, right?" Nodoka asked the teacher.
"Correct."
"Smart."
"Now if you follow me, this big blue baby right here is the Lied Library, where it is said that many relationships blossomed between the stacks. So I've heard."
"Oooooooh," the others said.
"Yes. The massive $55.3 million ($15 million was donated by the Lied Foundation and its trustee C. Hixson), 302,000 square-foot library has become the jewel of the campus as UNLV strives to be recognized as a "premier metropolitan university". Arguably one of the more technologically advanced libraries in the country, the Lied Library features an automated book retrieval system, media distribution system, digital id for library materials, and an Information Commons Area with over 100 computers, a five-story atrium space, and escalators. Lied Library contains 28 miles (153,000 linear ft.) of shelving, a 2 million volume capacity, and 800 hard wire network ports. The masonry veneer gives the building a sense of permanence while the reflective zinc cladding expresses the technological advancement found within. This project won an AIA Nevada Design Award in 1996."
"Futuristic," Mio whispered.
"Are there any Androids in that Library?" Yui asked.
"You can bring one without any problem, if that's what you're asking," the teacher clarified.
"Oh."
"Here's one of the big-time buildings of the campus, the Bigelow Physics Building. This $11 million, 69,000 sq. ft. building used a berming strategy to maintain a low profile frontage along the mall. Its low profile reinforces open space instead of bringing attention to a specific building. Bigelow Physics house research, teaching, demonstration, and astronomy laboratories, as well as offices. Light wells with shading devices provide internal day lighting to public areas of the building. The laboratories are windowless with a specialized air filtration system, isolation of all sources of electrical interference; floor isolated from walls, and carefully controlled room temperatures. These features were incorporated into the design in order to protect sensitive lasers and other equipment from unwanted environmental influences. Several labs are equipped with traveling cranes capable of moving heavy equipment. Teaching and astronomy labs are on the second floor. All research laboratories are on the first floor and staggered along the southern wing to reduce corridor length and to create a semi-enclosed exterior courtyard. The building has an industrial-functional aesthetic with conduits and wires exposed throughout the building. This gives the impression of a work in progress, which is the case."
"Wow," Azusa said. "Lots of stuff here. If only our school can have things like this."
Sawako went on. "As research projects change, communication and power lines can be moved to support new projects without extensively renovating the building. The building's 'V' shape form provides separation of facility's functions. One wing contains mostly offices and lecture halls while the other wing houses laboratories, preparation rooms and shops. Many references to physics and mathematics can be found throughout the building. These references include a "sine curve" wall enclosing the south end of the courtyard, a two story sinusoidal glass wall facing the courtyard, colored banners representing the light spectrum hanging from the ceilings in public areas, and Isaac Newton's apple tree found in the main entry plaza. The building displays a machine-like aesthetic with its purity of form, simple material, and exposed mechanical and electrical systems. Vaulted roofs above laboratories are reminiscent of the Quonset huts used as early research facilities at Los Alamos, New Mexico where the atomic bomb was first tested during World War II. In the courtyard, palm trees placed in mathematical progression represent the expanding university posited by the Big Bang Theory. Concentric-colored concrete circles in the plaza radiate out like ripples from a pebble drop into calm water."
"Fascinating, Miss Sawako," Jun said. "I never thought that a vacation could actually have an educational element to all of this."
"Well, yeah, it's because we're at a university, Jun," Ui added.
"Gotcha,"
"Now here is the Chemistry building," said Miss Sawako. "This $1.57 million, 47,500 sq. ft. building was partially submerged into the ground to serve as a fallout shelter in case of nuclear attack during the Cold War as well as to address cut and fill site issues with berming. This design was chosen from a competition for its cutting edge design (for its era as well as the western U.S.). The building's bold interior colors were considered unusual for science facilities in the 1970s."
"That makes this a 70's-era building, huh Sawa-chan?" Yui asked.
"It was built in 1971, so you are right." She took a deep breath. "Follow me."
"Oooh, shiny red bars, all twisted and stuff," Tsumugi said, vulcans on her cheeks.
"Don't tell me..." Ritsu snarked.
"It has been a childhood dream of mine's to see twisted shiny red bars on a building."
"What kind of a dream is that, Mugi? Good Lord..."
"This is the Thomas Beam Engineering Complex," Sawako said. "This cast-in-place concrete structure houses the Engineering programs. The airplane hanging in the lobby was donated by the Hughes Corporation. The plane is a model of the H-1 racer built in the 1930s and designed to be the fastest plane for its time. The plane obtained a speed of 352 mph in 1935 and set a transcontinental speed record in 1937 by traversing the U.S. in 7 hrs. 28 min. The plane contained technical innovations like flush rivets and retractable landing gear for reducing air drag on the aircraft. An $82 million, 200,000 sq. ft. expansion designed by Dekker Perich Holmes Sabatini was completed in spring 2007 and is located on the north side of this facility."
"I love you, shiny red bars," Tsumugi giggled.
"Mother," Ritsu muttered.
"This is the Juanita Greer White Hall," said the teacher. "Named after former State Legislator and University Regent Juanita Greer White, White Hall was designed to contain classrooms, offices and teaching laboratories. High enrollment in the biological sciences as well as retrofitting a large number of research laboratories in this building has put significant stress on the electrical and HVAC systems. This building is a candidate for a complete overhaul of its infrastructure and technical systems. White Hall houses the Wesley E. Niles Herbarium."
"Herbarium...is that where all the weed is grown?" Yui asked.
"Yui," they all groaned.
"But Sawa-chan said herbs."
"You dumbass, that's not what an herbarium is," Ritsu shot back, flicking Yui's head.
"Ow."
"In botany, a herbarium (plural: herbaria) – sometimes known by the Anglicized term herbar – is a collection of preserved plant specimens," said Nodoka. "These specimens may be whole plants or plant parts: these will usually be in a dried form, mounted on a sheet, but depending upon the material may also be kept in alcohol or other preservative. The same term is often used in mycology to describe an equivalent collection of preserved fungi. The term can also refer to the building where the specimens are stored, or the scientific institute that not only stores but researches these specimens. The specimens in a herbarium are often used as reference material in describing plant taxa; some specimens may be types. Example: Wesley E. Niles Herbarium."
"Correct. You get extra credit, in the form of a pat on the head," said Sawako, scuffling her a little.
"Th...Thank you, Miss Sawako."
"Now then, onward to the next building. This red and black wonder is the Rod Lee Bigelow Health Sciences Building. Primarily used for health sciences and the nursing school, this building houses nursing and radiological laboratories, as well as offices, classrooms, and physical therapy training spaces."
"So health services got moved here, huh?"
"I'm not sure about that, but I do know that the health classes are held here. And the nursing ones." A rush of preschool children zipped by. "Those kids are heading off to the Lynn Bennett Early Childhood Development Center."
"Wow," Yui said. "I love this place. This is heaven."
"She likes being with children, huh Ui?" Ritsu asked her.
"Yep."
Sawako went on. "This 20,000 sq. ft. "campus style" design located along the northern edge of UNLV's main campus was selected in a design competition for this project. The center houses offices, classrooms, and playgrounds. This school is designed as a "campus within a campus." A central play area surrounded by buildings gives children a safe place to play. The school house design expands on the "One Room School House" concept. The location of private gardens in front of the classrooms serves to blur the lines between "the classroom and outdoor environment. These structures were designed to take advantage of the sun and provide natural light for indoor school activities. This project received the AIA 2001 Honor Award in the unbuilt category."
"What's Yui doing?" Mio asked the others.
"Oh my gosh, she's saying hi and playing with the kids," Tsumugi said.
"It's like she's a kid again," Ritsu said.
"Can't rub it off Yui-sempai," Azusa conceded as Yui carried one of the kids, singing a song she wrote as she said hello to all of the children dancing around her.
"Glorious, perfect weather for a stroll,
Perfect weather to fill your lungs with air
The alarm clock went off an hour early
So there's a little time to go out
Sniffing puppy, fluffy clouds, and the flowers in the pot
I can't stop smiling, I wonder why?
I don't know but... tehehe
I say "Good morning" with a happy smile,
Say "Good morning" to a person I don't know
It's nice to be alive, it's nice to be up early,
Though afternoon naps are nice too
Lala...
One step, two steps, perfect weather for a stroll,
Perfect weather for singing and humming
Even if I don't have plans with someone it's fine,
There's time to go out where ever I like
Sand castles, kick the can, the slide,
Waiting for a turn at the swing
I want to try them, I wonder why?
I don't know after all, tehehe
That puppy from earlier... was he really a puppy?
Maybe he was just a little dog, but a grown-up dog...
Ah~ he sure was cute.
Whether they're an adult or child, a dog is a dog,
A person is a person, and I am me
Fun things are fun, no matter what
I'll always know that... tehehe
Glorious, perfect weather for a stroll,
Perfect weather to fill your lungs with air
The alarm clock went off an hour early
So there's a ton of time to be happy,
Lala..."
"Uh, can we take a photo with you and your friends, miss?" asked one of the kids to Yui. "You all look really beautiful." They all looked at each other, laughing. And one of the students working at the center had a camera.
"Sure. Let's go, guys." The nine of the them took a picture with the children at the center, all cheering, some jumping in the air.
"That was an interesting excursion," Mio chuckled.
"Goddamnit, Yui, always wanting to play with the kids when we really should be working," Ritsu growled before scuffling up Yui's hair a little.
"Awww, but they're so cute, I couldn't help it," she retorted.
"Now here is another of my favorite buildings, the Stan Fulton Building-International Gamings Institute," Sawako said. "This 35,000 square-foot building is located at the northwest corner of the UNLV campus, making it the closest academic building to the Strip."
"So there's a casino inside, Sawa-chan?"
"No, but there are classrooms. A visual and academic link is formed between the gaming industry and the UNLV campus because of the types of classes taught within the Gaming Institute. West-facing balconies and an observation tower allow for panoramic viewings of the Strip. Buttresses located on the west façade provide structural support and shading for the windows. The building's exterior CMU and steel are gray and red to represent UNLV's colors."
"I might want to try my luck at poker in this building," Ritsu mused.
"Let's move right along, Ricchan," Sawako said, dragging her to the next building. "This is one of the newer structures on campus, the Science and Engineering Building. The department of Engineering and science is in demand due to the new growth and economic diversification in Nevada. The new building is approved to meet these requirements and support the collaborative research of various disciplines. This building acts as a platform for the faculty and students to work with companies and other universities to compete with the well-respected universities of the nation and keep the name of UNLV higher. The building houses hi-tech conference rooms, laboratories, teaching spaces, offices, and integrated research areas totaling the gross area to 205,779 sq. ft. The spaces and the research labs in this building are extremely flexible to accommodate research of diverse fields. The versatility of the building even extends to the corridor and other meeting spaces which could be altered temporarily to suite the comfort of the participants. This building is one of the first Green buildings on campus aiming for LEED silver rating. Some of the sustainable features are 20% of energy saving, 40% of water savings, reuse of reverse osmosis water waste and green building material is used in some areas of the building."
"So this is a pretty popular place, huh?" Mugi asked the teacher.
"Yeah. A lot of great stuff happens here. People from as far as Harvard and MIT stop by this place. It's great. Now if you follow me, this place here is the Foundation Building. This 20,000 square-foot, Pasadena style building located in the northeast corner of campus houses the nonprofit organization that raises private funds for UNLV. One side of the building contains office space while the other has event rooms. The two main masses are separated by a courtyard that functions as public space. Even though the facility features a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, the building stands out on campus because of its traditional, low-key styling and appearance. Many large campus events are held in the Foundation Blascoe Events wing."
"So this is where all the money gets raised, huh? Sort of like a treasury?" asked Mio.
"This is the money-maker right here," Sawako replied.
"Cool."
"Now this place you will love. This is the Beam Music Center. The 35,000 square-foot, $7.3 million Beam Music Center has established itself as the northeast gateway to the campus with its striking 52-foot-tall sandstone veneer wall creating a strong presence. The building's lobby cuts perpendicularly through the building, allowing passing pedestrian and vehicular traffic to catch a glimpse of the goings on within. The building's program includes a 300- seat recital hall, two large rehearsal spaces, studios and practice rooms, recording studio, and a music library. This facility holds the largest pipe organ in Nevada. This project won AIA Nevada Design Awards in 2002 and 1997."
"Maybe we should have done our recordings here," Yui asked them.
"Palms is a bit more convenient," Azusa replied. "I'd rather take the elevator down to work than take the bus."
"Right, right..."
"Here is the Holber H. Hendrix Education Auditorium and William D. Carlson Education Building," Sawako said to the group. "This +100,000 sq. ft. building houses the College of Education with spaces for general use auditoriums, classrooms, offices and laboratories for education programs. The Carlson Education building also houses the Curriculum Materials Library serving students majoring in Curriculum and Instruction. This cast-in-place concrete building has stood up well in terms of overall structure but is difficult and costly to renovate. Cast-in-place concrete was commonly used in campus building construction in the 1960's and 1970's. The Carlson Education building is considered the best historic example of a cast-in-place concrete in southern Nevada."
"And the fact of the matter is that it still stands," Jun added.
"It withstands the winds of change, yes. Now here is the William S. Boyd School of Law. Originally called the James Dickinson Library, the cylindrical form and first floor of the complex were built in 1961. The law school moved to this facility in 2002 and the building was renamed the William S. Boyd School of Law. The north wing houses the Rogers Center for Administration and Justice containing several departments with additional space to expand as needed. Within 2 years of accreditation, the Law School has become ranked as a top 100 Law School nationally."
"I guess they can handle the truth there," Yui wondered.
"And there quite a few good men," Ritsu added.
"And women," Tsumugi offered.
Mio was not amused. "You guys..."
"And here is the last building of the tour, John S. Wright Hall," Sawako proclaimed. "Wright Hall, named in 1976 in honor of John S. Wright, founding faculty member and history professor at UNLV, contains classrooms, an auditorium and offices for Anthropology, History, Business and other Liberal Arts departments. Wright Hall was one of the first building on campus to go wireless. With the recently completed $19.7 million renovation and addition, this building now serves approximately 5,000 Liberal Arts students. The building incorporates sandstone cues, which are becoming a more prominent material in UNLV campus design."
"This was an awesome tour. You should work as a guide on the side," Jun said.
"Nah, I earn enough with the job I have teaching you folks in the classroom," Sawako shrugged. "Let's go over to the Cox Pavilion, shall we?"
"Yes, let's," Yui said, punching the air. Ritsu put a palm to her forehead as the others laughed.
He clapped his hands together, his players going through an intense shootaround, a moving machine of feminine youth. "Come on guys, let's move, let's move, let's move!" the coach implored, "Up the pace!"
"Hey Subaru," asked Aoi Ogiyama to Subaru Hasegawa. "Maho seems to be in a zone, but look at Hinata. She is struggling to get her shots in. She looks tired. Don't you think you should give them a break? They've been going through drills and the shootaround for fifteen minutes already."
Subaru looked at his watch, then nodded. "Fifteen it is." He blew his whistle. "All right ladies, time to take a break before we run the triangle for tomorrow."
"Oh my, I am so tired," Hinata Hakamada said, slumping on her seat, drying herself with a towel. "So this is what it feels to prepare for a tournament, huh?"
"I wanted to go for a few more minutes," Maho Misaka added, sipping a cup of Gatorade.
"You don't want to tire yourself out, Maho-chan," Tomoka said. "We're just here to have fun, first and foremost."
"I just hope we don't go into the pool at the hotel when we come back," Airi Kashii said.
"You still scared of taking a dip?" asked Saki Nagatsuka to Airi.
"I told you, I'm aquaphobic. I still can't float without flailing."
"You can't float if you flail, though."
"Easy for you to say."
"That's what Miss Giant here said," Maho snarked.
"Ohhhh, heavens, I need something to drink now," Airi protested, quickly juicing down a cup.
"Now they've gotten bigger."
"Ugggggghhh..."
"So this is the Cox Pavilion," Yui said to the others as they walked inside the Arena. "Quite a big gymnasium. And there's only a few people taking a break."
"This is a nice Arena," Mio said.
"Very nice," Nodoka agreed.
Hinata's ears perked. "Hey, isn't that...isn't that..."
"Coach, Coach!" Maho said to Subaru. "It's the girls from Hokago Tea Time!"
"Hokago Tea Time?" Aoi wondered. "Is that the band that is going to play tomorrow at the stadium?"
"Yep, it's them," Subaru said. "Hey you guys. Didn't expect you to come here!"
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Hokago Tea Time is here, Hokago Tea Time is here," Tomoka said, flustered as she rummaged through her bag for an autograph board and a pen. "I knew I was going to find somebody famous, but somebody famous found me! Oh my God, oh my God, just calm yourself down Tomoka-chan, just calm down..."
A threatening hand rested on her shoulder. "Are you all right?" the voice asked.
Tomoka turned around. It was Yui. And she fainted.
"Oh no, Tomoka! Are you all right?" Subaru asked as he and Aoi rushed to her aid, along with the other members of the team.
"You guys," she said, the tears of joy falling down, "I felt the hand of Jesus touch me. Am I dead?"
"No, you've just shown everybody why you love the band's music, Tomoka," Saki assured. "You're all right."
"Ohh, thank God."
"So you guys were practicing, huh?" Mio asked the coach.
"Yep, this is my team. By the way, I should introduce myself. I'm Subaru Hasegawa, the coach of Keishin Academy's girls' basketball team. Guys, do you want to introduce yourselves as well?"
"With pleasure," Aoi said. "Aoi Ogiyama, assistant coach."
"Tomoka Minato, team captain."
"Maho Misawa."
"Airi Kashii."
"Hinata Hakamada."
"Saki Nagatsuka, vice-captain."
Tomoka got back up. "I know who all you guys are. Yui, Mio, Mugi, Ritsu, and Azunyan. Am I right?"
Yui whipped out her sheet of stickers. "You get a seal of approval!" She placed the sticker on Tomoka's left cheek.
"Thank you, Yui-hime-sama."
"Yui-hime-sama?" Ritsu asked her. "What are you now, royalty?"
"Better than royalty. We're rock stars."
"Nice."
"Anyway, why are you guys here?" Ui asked them. "Should you be over at school or something?"
"Actually, we got invited to a special international girls' basketball summit here on campus, and there's a tournament that goes with it," Subaru explained. "There are teams from all over the world, and we happen to represent Japan."
"Whoa, that's no small task, man," Ritsu said. "That's great."
"So we're training real hard, running some drills and the triangle so that we can do well at this tournament, cause it starts tomorrow."
"What are these things?" Azusa asked both Subaru and Aoi, pointing to a couple of plush bunnies.
"Those are Hinata's dolls," Subaru said. "Apparently she insisted on bringing them on the plane, and inside the arena to boost her self-esteem."
"Awww, that looks so cute," Yui said.
"Do you wanna play with it a bit?" Hinata asked her.
"Yeah, let's take a photo with it. Do you have a camera?"
"Yep!" Hinata brought out her camera, which she handed to Yui.
"Mio-chan, can you take a photo of the two of us holding Hinata-chan's bunny?"
"So I'm the one doing this, huh? All right," she said. Yui flashed a peace sign, hugging Hinata, who was hugging her bunny.
"A memory that will last a lifetime," Yui said.
"I'm so happy! Thanks a lot, Miss Yui!" Hinata said, belated.
"You can just call me Yui. I'm fine with that."
"Seriously, you should be able to represent our country well," Jun told Subaru.
"I was only the head coach for a few months. I didn't originally want this job, but our team captain here didn't want the team to fold, so I had to do it. My aunt is the club advisor. She's not here right now, but she is on campus at a workshop related to this summit."
"Well, tell your aunt we said hello."
"I'll pass it along."
"How's Las Vegas?" Ritsu asked Saki.
"It's all right. It's a pretty big city, it's quite hot, and there's too much naughty things going on, but it's actually all right. The people are very nice too, especially at our hotel."
"Where are you staying?"
"Excalibur. I think a couple of days ago, Tomoka was telling me, I think I just saw HTT pass by. I asked her, who are they? And then she tells me, they're this band from Japan that is really, really awesome, and they rock! I listened to your music, and it's pretty good. I like it."
"We always try to perfect our sound, because it's very harmonic, and it just feels nice. We're performing tomorrow across town and the concert is a sellout."
"Wow. That's pretty cool."
"You know, Las Vegas is pretty hot in the summertime, so how do you guys cool off?" Mugi asked Airi.
"I just go to the shower, that's all," she replied. "I can't stand the pool."
"Why?"
"I'm aquaphobic. One time I fell off a boat on a lake and I nearly drowned. I can't swim. It sucks."
"Sometimes you have to get over those types of things. You'll be all right."
"And people talk about how tall I am, and I don't like being told that I'm too tall or my boobs are big. I don't like it."
"Personally, I don't worry about that," Mugi said. "You're fine the way you are. You play center on the team, right?"
"Yes."
"Playing center has its advantages. You're the go-to player in the post. How many points do you get a game?
"Uh, I think maybe eighteen or nineteen points."
"And you're telling me being too tall is a bad thing. You're awesome the way you are."
"Thanks, Mugi-sempai."
"All right."
"You know, Mugi, you should be a motivational speaker or something," Ritsu said. "You can tell these girls to win one for the Gipper." A headbump. "Ow!"
"That's Notre Dame, you idiot!" Mio shot back.
"There's one thing I'm not good at," Maho said. "I'm not good with the dark."
"Me...neither..." Mio trembled.
"We have something in common!" they both said, embracing each other through teams.
"Quit the dramatics, you guys," Ritsu deadpanned.
"These girls like being in your company, though," Aoi said. "Saki plays point guard on our team, and Tomoka is our power forward. Maho's our shooting guard, and our small forward is Hinata."
"Duly noted."
"But I was shocked that not only would this team here represent Japan at the summit, but I would be called on to be an assistant coach to Subaru. They lost a really good game a few weeks ago, and they get an announcement the next day to head over here to improve on their skills."
"You still have feelings for him? Subaru."
"I did, but now we're just friends. I guess I was a little bit too violent for his own tastes, and I have no one to blame but myself."
"Guy's got standards. But do you have any regrets?"
"Subaru told me to not regret anything. Just keep pushing on. I may have lost to the team captain, but I support his decision. He's still a cool guy, and we talk often. He's still my mate, and I stand by him."
"You're just like Mio."
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just being naive, or I'm just like that or something. But Mio, who plays bass for our band, likes to kick my ass every time I screw around. Just like you do to Subaru on a daily basis." Aoi giggled. "It's not fun, but I can see where you're coming from. You share a lot in common with Mio in terms of giving people their just desserts. You're a warrior."
"Thanks, Ritsu-san."
"Just call me Ritsu. Everybody does."
"Not everybody, Ricchan!" Sawako and Yui said.
"With exceptions."
"Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you all," Tomoka said. "I got to meet with the goddesses of rock and roll, Hokago Tea Time. Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming, and I won't be able to wake up until summer vacation is over."
"I hope you people do well at the concert," Maho said. "We're still going to be playing, but we're not going to be at the show. We're sorry."
"No worries, you're here with us in spirit," Azusa said.
"And before I forget," Yui added, "here." She handed Tomoka her freshly-autographed shikishi board, her pen, and a disc.
"What's this disc?"
"It's an album of all of the music we're performed together. Keep it. Put in on your iPod and use it before the game to improve your performance. That one-game losing streak is gonna be toast."
"Th...thank you, Yui," said Tomoka, the tears falling down with a sniffle. "I will treasure this for the rest of my life."
"I think we should go back to practice," Saki said. "I wanna run some triangle."
"Do you want us to sing a song for you while you practice?" Yui asked. "Some background music or something? I have my guitar here."
"Please! All right you guys, let's practice!" Tomoko said to the others.
"Yeah!" they all replied, going back to the court for another shootaround.
"Did you want me to play as well?" Azusa asked Yui.
"You are a few steps ahead of me, Azunyan. Let's play that song by Los Lonely Boys. Vamonos," she said, strumming a few chords. Azusa joined in, and Mio broke out her vocals, with the others doing background.
"Save me from this prison
Lord help me get away
Cause only you can save me now
From this misery
I've been lost in my own place
And I'm gettin' weary
How far is heaven
And I know that I need to change
My ways of livin'
How far is heaven,
Lord can you tell me
I've been locked up way too long
In this crazy world,
How far is heaven
And I just keep on prayin' Lord
And just keep on livin',
How far is heaven
Yeah, Lord can you tell me,
How far is heaven
I just gotta know how far is,
How far is heaven
Yeah, Lord can you tell me
Tu que estas en alto cielo,
Echame tu bendiciòn...
I know there's a better place
Than this place I'm livin',
How far is heaven
And I just got to have some faith
And just keep on givin',
How far is heaven
Yeah, Lord can you tell me,
How far is heaven
I just gotta know how far is,
How far is heaven,
Yeah, Lord can you tell me,
How far is heaven,
I just gotta know how far,
I just wanna know how far..."
"Hey, we gotta take off, all right, girls?" Yui said as the nine of them got ready to leave. "You'll go unbeaten, trust me. You will not lose another game again, so long as I say so."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement," Subaru said to her, shaking Yui's hand.
"It's a pleasure watching your team work hard. They'll be all right," Miss Sawako said to Aoi.
"I agree, I agree."
"Good luck with the concert!" said Tomoka, Maho, Airi, Hinata and Saki, waving goodbye before they returned to practice. Truth be told, they went unbeaten at the tournament and in the championship match, Saki drove home the game-winning three-pointer. Aoi gave Subaru a few roundhouse kicks to the gut in celebration. Some things never changed.
"And with that, it's back to the coach, and back to our practice at Sam Boyd," Ritsu said. "You guys wanna race? I'll beat you to it!"
"Ritsu, this is not a race!" Mio said. "Good Lord!"
"That's not fair, Ricchan!" Yui exclaimed. "Getting a head start ahead of everybody? Cheater! I wanna get there ahead of you!"
"You'll have to beat me first, Yui!" Ritsu taunted, sticking her tongue out.
"I love running in the desert, it's been my dream to do so!" Tsumugi said to Azusa.
"Really?"
"Would it be better doing it with nothing on?"
"Oh! I say!"
"Why are we running again?" Jun asked Ui.
"No idea, but it feels like fun! Let's go!"
"Oh boy..."
"Gotta burn off more of those calories, I guess," said Nodoka, jogging along.
"You guys, don't run down the campus, we have plenty of time to get over there!" Sawako hollered. "Guys...oh, if I must, I must." It was pretty uncomfortable jogging in high heels, but that's what Sawako Yamanaka was forced to do for the next few minutes.
"Damn, last place, and even the teacher finished ahead of me," Ritsu said, feeling the headbump soon after as the coach made its way down Tropicana. "Have I gotten that tired all of a sudden?"
"Maybe it's because of all the orange chicken you gorged down at the Union, who knows?" Jun snickered.
"What are the odds of that happening?"
"Even money."
"Damn."
"Hey, Sawa-chan," Yui asked her, "what did you and friends do when you were in Vegas?"
"Well, we played a few gigs on campus. We were just foreign exchange students visiting the campus. They really liked our show. It was intense. I could see a few of the guys swooning, gasping for air, the rooms all sweaty and stuff..."
Everybody else just froze, except for Jerry, who was driving.
"But anyway, yeah, we had an awesome time in Las Vegas."
"I'm sure you did, Miss Sawako," Mio said.
"You know something? I have a question to ask you guys. Have you folks considered a job aside from being a musician."
"I want to be an executive," Tsumugi said.
"Corporate executive?"
"Yeah. It's because Dad works as one at his job."
"I think being a preschool teacher would be one I would try out," Yui said.
"I want to get a Ph.D. and work in a college as a professor," said Nodoka.
"Waitress for me, and then after that, an owner of a doughnut shop," Jun said.
"A chef or a foodservice operator," Ui said.
"Maybe doing some songwriting will do," Azusa inferred. "I've never thought too much about a career, but knowing what a musical hook is, I think, could be something I'll take a shot at."
"I'm with Ui on this. I want to operate my own restaurant, where there's plenty of salad, fish, chicken, steak and hamburger to go around," Ritsu suggested.
"Very impressive decisions," Sawako said. "And that's good. You see, being a professional musician is something that can only last so long. You have to look good, you have to sound right, you have to play right, and it can get really tough if you fall out of favor with your fans. Some careers have ended short only because they looked and sounded great, but one bad PR move ended their career. It's really tough, and that's why having something to fall back on is very important."
"I would imagine so, Miss Sawako," Nodoka said.
"Look at me, I decided to become a high school teacher after me and my band mates decided to break up. All four of us are now working other jobs. One of them is still a musician, but the other two have moved on to other things. They had something to fall back on. I have something to fall back on. You have elected to have something to fall back on, and I commend you for it. And this is why you have to appreciate the time you spend here in Las Vegas, because you never know if you will have another shot to perform in a place like this. It may never happen at all. Keep that in mind."
Soon enough, the coach parked where it was the last time. When the girls returned to the field, they notices some devices around the stage, which was now complete and set up for the concert.
"Whoa, what are these?" Yui said. Then suddenly, it moved around, flashing a beam of light. The other devices also moved around. "This is great. I think we are ready to practice some more, how about it, you guys?"
"I'm ready," Mio said, donning Elizabeth.
"Muttan's present," Azusa said.
Ritsu did a few cadences. "All systems go."
Tsumugi played a few keys. "Let's start with something exciting."
"Something exciting? How about Cagayake Girls?"
"Good idea," Ritsu said.
"Onee-chan, rock on!" Ui said to Yui, flashing a vulcan. Yui exchanged the vulcan.
Ritsu counted down. "1, 2, 1, 2, 3!"
"Chatting Now
With grace we have a noisy and Never Ending Girls' Talk
We can't wait for the final bell!
Although we're late, skipping school is a No no no!
With all our might, we'll Study After School
My excitement wont' stop! Thoughts go at Full Throttle!
Wrap hope, desires, and passion with a ribbon!
Gather all the materials and immerse yourself in the New Type Version!
The book prohibited from the guys are our diary of Love!
If we shorten our skirts by 2cm, we can fly
further than yesterday, higher than the day before yesterday's Octave!
Jumping Now
With grace we have a wonderful Never Ending Girls' Life!
We must be serious every day or our Live will be now or never!
Although you wake up early, sleeping early is a No No No!
With all our might we're shouting Wasshoi!
With grace we have a wonderful and Never Ending Girls' Song!
Bring on afternoon Tea Time!
Even with unrequited love, with honorable defeat Here We Go!
If we sing we'll be Shining After School
Are we living too relaxed? We have trouble every day!
Differential and Integral Calculus are supplementary, so no love for now…
I sing for two hours, my stomach is a fourth dimension.
Oh no! Suddenly I'm limited…"wait" was written in my secret book.
I cut 3mm from my hair bangs and saw it,
although my test paper is completely white, it's ok if my future is Rose colored right?
Chatting Now
With grace we have a noisy and Never Ending Girls' Talk
We can't wait for the final bell!
Although we're late, skipping school is a No no no!
With all our might we Study to Enjoy!
With grace we have a wonderful and Never Ending Girls' Song!
Bring on afternoon Tea Time!
With an unusual Chord Here We Go!
If we sing we'll be Shining After School
We'll infinitely loop it!
Size down up down up,
but our mood is always
up up up & up!
Gathering just for smiles,
and singing only for happiness
…it fairly echoes tenderness to the world!
Jumping Now
With grace we have a wonderful Never Ending Girls' Life!
We must be serious every day or our Live will be now or never!
Although you wake up early, sleeping early is a No No No!
With all our might we're shouting Wasshoi!
With grace we have a wonderful and Never Ending Girls' Song!
Bring on afternoon Tea Time!
Even with unrequited love, with honorable defeat Here We Go!
If we sing we'll be Shining After School
So
Shining Shinier Shiniest
Girls be ambitious & shine..."
"Fantastic!" Sawako said. "I can see the floodlights moving along to the music, even flashing. This is going to be great."
"How about a little Don't Say Lazy?" Mio asked the band.
"A little, Mio? How about a lot?" Ritsu asked her.
"Yeah, that will work as well."
"1, 2, 3, 4!" A few taps of the hi-hat led to Mio's golden voice.
"Please don't' say "You are lazy"
because I'm actually crazy!
The swans, that's right
what you can't see is that they thrash about when swimming!
I'm obedient and loyal to my instincts, I'll even accept being made fun of!
A bright future is offered to me…
that's why I take a break once in a while.
With these eyes I'll confirm
my destination and Mark it on my map!
If there's a shortcut, that would be easier,
if there's are wings to make it even shorter, it would be great!
Damn! I broke a nail, so I fixed it with glue.
With that I somehow I got a feeling of achievement.
The important thing is to love oneself,
if you don't love yourself, you won't love other people.
Please don't say "You are lazy"
because I'm actually crazy!
Skilled hawks, that's right,
they hide their talons!
I try hard to imagine it, but reality drives me up into a corner…
I'm midway to development…
that's why I suddenly go out of pitch.
It won't be projected in my eyes because
my Motivation breaks the Meter…
I always dream with all my power,
but in return, I sleep with all my power.
I lost a bit of weight…in my excitement, I ate…
Why did that happen? I feel defeated…
Without any delay, I lower my own objectives.
I'm flexible enough to adapt…my Kabuki dance will win!
Please don't say "You are lazy"
because I'm actually crazy!
The peacocks, that's right,
they say "This is it!" when they are enchanted by beauty!
I struggle and push for my whole body to lose weight…to be a beauty,
though, there are lots of temptations…
that's why I desperately break my will.
Damn! Don't tell me…a Red Point! No, barely cleared it!
With that I feel omnipotent!
The important thing is to accept oneself,
if you don't forgive yourself, you won't be able to forgive other people!
Please don't' say "You are lazy"
because I'm actually crazy!
The swans, that's right
what you can't see is that they thrash about when swimming!
I'm obedient and loyal to my instincts, I'll even accept being made fun of!
A bright future is offered to me…
that's why I take a break once in a while."
"Give 'em enough rope," Yui snarked to the others. "Could you hear us back there?" she hollered to the sound crew across from the band on the other side of the pitch.
"We can, good job!" he said.
"Go Go Maniac, then?"
"Let's keep our energy going," Mio said. "A tribute to all the people we've met."
Ritsu counted it down. "1, 2, 1, 2, 3!" It was Yui's turn to roll the dice.
"Oh no, I can't stop, I won't stop
During day, during night, during morning, I'm singing so loud
I'm just doing the things I love, Girls Go Maniac
I want to go search for
A melody like that, lyrics like these, more and more
Together with everyone, Chance Chance, let's show
Jump Jump, our wishes
Fun Fun, and say, Shout Shout, how we feel
If we mess up, then we'll rehearse one more time!
Everyone has a microcosm known as a heart
It's tightly packed with a gamut of emotions and love
I'm busy feeling down and getting excited
Let's turn the days loaded with chaos into songs
Let's confess frankly to each other
Even during class, I unconsciously research musicianship
Doing it in air is OK, the atmosphere is what's important, we suddenly shred out a rhythm
Our beats and minds communicate to each other, and we freely enjoy it
We win if we had fun
Sorry, I can't let it go, I won't let it go
Down and across and diagonally, I'm swinging around
I'm just making the sound I love, Girls Go Maniac
I want to go try
A groove like that, a reverb like this, forever and ever
Make us in tune with each other, Chase Chase, let's dream
Break Break, of tomorrow
Faith Faith, and swell up, Shake Shake, with strength
If we get showered in cheers, we won't be able to forget about it, right?
Truly, reality is really stranger than fiction
No matter how much I space out, I bump into encounters
It's funny feeling my heart throbbing and leaping
What? Is this destiny? Well then, let's lose ourselves
Let's satisfy ourselves the best we can
Before a test, as always, I can't tear apart our friendship
Even though we didn't promise so, we unintentionally get together after school
No matter where the place the members are gathered is, it's instantly our stage
You can hear it, right? The count
Of course, I smile with a smile
In spring, in summer, in fall, I'm stepping out, now
I'm just with my friends who I love, Girls Go Maniac
I want you to take
Drumming like that, cutting like this, please oh please
Make our eyes meet, Tune Tune, let's synch
Amuse Amuse, our hearts, too
Loose Loose, and improve our technique, Shoot Shoot, comfortably
We should still be able to go on, right? Actually!
Adults say so, they say we'll fail
Doing only the things we love, but is that true? What will we do?
Hey, the moment when I become absorbed in what I love doing
It feels like I'm alive…I'm happy…so it's okay.
So it means we won't fail.
I knew it, I can't stop, I won't stop
During day, during night, during morning, I'm singing so loud
I'm just doing the things I love, Girls Go Maniac
I want to go search for
A melody like that, lyrics like these, more and more
Together with everyone, Chance Chance, let's show
Jump Jump, our wishes
Fun Fun, and say, Shout Shout more
Chance Chance, let's show, Jump Jump, our wishes
Fun Fun, and say, Shout Shout, how we feel
Because it feels good, Yeah, encore, one more time!
Oh My God! No No music, No smile
Oh My God! No No friends, No life
All Right! No No No stop going our way
We have a fabulous BODY, SOUL & LOVE
No No music, No smile
Oh My God! No No friends, No life
All Right! No No No stop going our way
We have a fabulous BODY, SOUL & LOVE
No No music, No smile
Oh My God! No No friends, No life
All Right! No No No stop going our way
We have a fabulous BODY, SOUL & LOVE
No No music, No smile
Oh My God! No No friends, No life
All Right! No No No stop going our way
We have a fabulous BODY, SOUL & LOVE!"
"I'm going to go ahead and do something unusual," Yui said to the girls. "I will turn my hat around. Now I look a Philadelphia Phillies fan!"
"You look stupid, sempai," Azusa snarked.
"Ehhhh, how mean! Azunyan, I trusted you!"
"I'm only kidding."
"Azunyan, I love you babe!" Yui said, glomping her incessantly.
"Let's go ahead with that song I sung earlier this week called Listen!," Mio suggested.
"All right, here we go!" Ritsu said. A little flourish, a dash of Mugi's synthesizers, and Mio's voice led the charge.
"It's deep deep, deep in my heart
In the sanctuary where nothing echoed
heat heat, it caught on fire, so I can't return
It's shock shock, a shock that I send you
Saying, "Hey, let's go everywhere together"
rock rock, the storm and tsunami of sound lure each other
A dropped pick, a broken stick
Aren't problems at all
We're within the same sound, and that's actually a miracle
We'll sing, we'll sing as long as we feel like it
No matter how quiet it is, it's our single song in the world
I want to live with all my might
So much that I won't regret it even if I die today
Release, passionate
This is a PRECIOUS Heart Beat of ours
We'll sing
Non sweet, sweet, your true nature is more comfortable
Than sweet words, right? Touch of mind, yeah
wit wit, it'd be fun to tell me, always and forever
Non stop stop, because my newborn feelings
Are hurrying faster than light
rock rock, I've got to catch them with sound and tell them to you
A running rhythm, a crazed tuning
Are all within my assumption
I'm choosing the same dream, and that's the power for tomorrow
We'll shout, we'll shout even if we're on an away stage
Because no matter how scared we are, we're not alone
Even if it's unfinished, I don't mind
I really want to play it
Reach, truthfulness
We were finally able to meet, this is our TREASURE Heart Beat
We want to know…to live…to love
The countless prayers-
Make them heard, make them into wings, Can Fly High
We'll sing, we'll sing as long as we feel like it
No matter how quiet it is, it's our single song in the world
I want to live with all my might
So much that I won't regret it even if I die today
Release, passionate
This is a PRECIOUS Heart Beat of ours
We'll sing, TREASURE Heart Beat
Listen!"
"I think you were off on the rhythm by a half-step," Mio said to Ritsu.
"Maybe it's still the orange chicken's aftereffects, I have no idea," she retorted.
"Let's go another song that sempai wrote," Azusa said.
"Ooooh, which one will you choose, which one will you choose?" Yui asked.
"Utauyo Miracle."
"Perfect!"
"It's nice to see the band open with some energy," Jun said to Nodoka.
"Very nice."
"I love you all!
It's our never-ending lu-la-la Miracle Sing Time
I'll sing, I'll sing, it's the absolute best way to express my love!
Even if the composition is clumsy or the lyrics are iffy
I want to convey my soul with all I have!
What can we do, we can't follow this time table
That's been decided for us automatically
Billowing waves of us infinite dreamers dash out and assemble in the hallway
Sorry if my manners are bad! But don't mind how I look
I'm totally addicted to playing; a sparkle, maybe this is what youth is
ever ever... Forever shine
I really love you!
It's a tension-rising lu-la-la Powerful Gig Time
My heart is, my heart is, an excitement-seeking genius
Even if I say "Huh!" or start racking up misses
I want to set free my boiling bravery
On with the tremolo, followed by flam
Ain't it awesome, ain't it awesome, ain't it awesome to feel so good
I'm always so happy, it's the way "now" feels
Live on, fair maidens, with your bare instincts
No matter what, there's subjects more important than homework
It's our after school tea, chatting and practice
I get so much humor, feeling natural and dazzling smiles it makes my stomach hurt
Our breathing was excellent! But there were some riffs that weren't so good
Will you give me some special training? It's just about my curfew, but I don't wanna go home
Never never... Can't Say Good-bye
I love you so much!
It's a totally awesome lu-la-la Wonderful Show Time
Music is, music is, already so us!
Even without standing ovations, prizes or an audience
We wanna play this moment for real
Yesterday's regrets, tomorrow's concerns
Frankly, frankly, what good do they do? Who do they do good for?
I'm always so lucky, it's something I've grasped "now"
Be desirous, fair maidens, if it's not given to you, say farewell
It's not written in any book or taught even a bit in class
But in my whole life I'll never forget
The miracle I never thought existed in this world: when we sing together
I can believe, I can be strong!
I love you all!
It's our never-ending lu-la-la Miracle Sing Time
I'll sing, I'll sing, it's the absolute best way to express my love!
Even if the composition is clumsy or the lyrics are iffy
I want to convey my soul and larger-than-life life with all I have!
Does today seem like yesterday? Tomorrow like today?
It's fine, it's fine, as long as you're having fun it's a huge success!
I'm always a rocker, "now" is my rebellious stage
Onward, fair maidens, embrace your hopes!
I love you, I love you, thanks for loving me too
I'll sing, I'll sing, I'll sing again today with all my heart
I love you, I love you, thanks for loving me too
I'll sing, I'll sing, forever I'll sing with all my love!"
"Is it just me, or has day turned to night all of a sudden?" Mio asked the band. They could see the lights of the streets of Henderson, Paradise, Whitney, and other towns in the valley. Above them were the numerous constellations and the aura of the cosmos.
"We're going to be performing in the evening, hence this rehearsal at night so you can get used to the lighting and the production work," Sawako said.
"Very good touch."
"No Thank You!" Ritsu said, holding a hand to her face.
"What, you don't like the setting here, it's brilliant!"
"No Thank You!"
"What? Oh, I know what you want us to play next. No Thank You!."
Ritsu gave a thumbs-up and a smile. Mugi?
Tsumugi played a few notes on her keyboard. Azusa then joined in, and so did everyone else, leading to Mio's lead vocals.
"We jostle each other around the whiteboard
Making graffiti of our free wishes
Even if the after school chime echoes in the setting sun
You can't diss the power to dream, unfortunately
Let's sing with a louder, louder, louder voice
Carry hope on your lips
Every time when you release words, they turn into light
They're our pieces
I don't need memories
Because I firmly and deeply love "now"
Getting immersed in my memories is a sweet, adult-like luxury
But not yet…I want to hold back from it
Drawing wildly with a marker in the notebook of my heart
It only has points about how I feel like crying when I get pushed
When I'm with everyone, pain and joy
Stick in me with an infinite reverb, how strange
Let's fly always, always, always to the yonder
Our ambition can't wait for the countdown in the tailwind
Every time when I mark the beats, they turn platinum
They're our wings
I don't need promises
Because no one can live besides "now"
Desiring promises is an innocent, child-like frailty
I've already long since…graduated from it
Forever, at any place, I'll certainly keep listening
Even though I don't even need eternity, why can't I seem to lose it?
Our Splendid Songs
Let's sing more, more, more, even if our voices grow hoarse
Praise this moment with your lips
Having maps with the same routes, we were able to encounter each other
It's our bond
NO, Thank You! I don't need memories
Because I firmly and deeply love "now"
Getting immersed in my memories is a sweet, adult-like luxury
But not yet…I want to hold back from it."
"Time for a break, ladies," Sawako said. A member of campus staff provided the girls some PowerAde.
"Swell," Ritsu said, juicing the whole bottle down. "I feel better already."
"You're a quick drinker, Ritsu," said Mio, shaking her head.
"How fast did you guzzle that down? Did you even taste it?" Azusa wondered, jaw dropped.
"10 seconds, all sugar, water, and a flavor supposed to resemble berry," Ritsu offered.
"If this practice doesn't get any more interesting," Nodoka said to an embarrassed Ui and an amused Sawako, "simply put, we wasted our time here."
END CHAPTER 16