Author's note: Hello, everyone! I'm coming with the second chapter. Greatest thanks for the first responce I get, I appreciate it a lot.
UPD. Thanks to ImpracticalDemon for beta reading!
Chapter II. The audition
Okita Souji preferred the world of sounds to any other world. He also cherished his dear rotting slums, his car, his friends and his stepfather, but the world of sounds was superior to all. That morning (although all office clerks had already had their lunch, it was still morning for Souji) he prepared coffee and totally forgot about it, trying to pick up a melody on his synth. He was interrupted after an hour of playing music by Hajime, who dropped by to get to the rehearsal studio together.
"Hey, Hajime-kun, come in." He greeted his friend. "I sorta got carried away."
"Trying to compose the "Bridge" thing again?" Hajime entered his room with a small knowing smile.
"Yep, but my titanic efforts are fruitless." Souji hurried to the kitchen to prepare tea. "I keep thinking that we are repeating ourselves."
"Same here. Anyway, we are going to be distracted today." Hajime looked irritated by the prospect of time wasting. He didn't display his feelings much, but he felt rather relaxed around Souji. Their friendship, "a union of ridiculously different people" due to Shinpachi's witty remark, was longtime and strong.
"Well, let's just think of it as a way to develop our concept. Today we may meet the one to help with this damn idea. And maybe a pretty one too." Souji made a wry smile.
"Spare me this whole girl business, please," Hajime frowned. He was still upset over his previous unfortunate affair. "And hurry up, if you don't want Sano and Shinpachi to take advantage of your lady."
Souji joked back but hurried up to pick his clothes.
...
"Is this the place Hijikata-san claimed to be our new luxurious rehearsal base?" Souji groaned. "Why did I actually take a car today? We could use a damn boat here. Hajime-kun, come out, we'll walk."
Yesterday's rain had made the road impassable. The western edge of the Great Slums was the worst part of the legendary district. And, hell knows why, Hijikata had rented an old two-storey mansion here.
"An ancient place," Hajime remarked, inspecting the surroundings.
They noticed a group of fangirls (or maybe applicants) in front of the building and went to the back door according to their manager's instructions from the band's chat. The guts of the ancient building were tainted by time and Souji approved it immediately. They found the band members in a large room on the first floor. The room had obviously been a living room once, but Hijikata had redesigned it conveniently for the audition needs.
"Hey, guys, you are late!" Shinpachi greeted them loudly.
"Composers' duties," muttered Hajime, proceeding to a snug armchair in the corner.
"We took our time looking for a boat to get over this mess." Souji pointed to the window. "Pray tell, why did Hijikata-san settle our rehearsal base in a place like this?"
"Tell me you don't like it," smiled Hijikata. "Okay guys, let's get ready…"
...
The black-haired girl entered the mansion. The traces of urgent renovation could be seen here and there, but the atmosphere seemed to be intense. She heard other participants' excited gossip…
"Try to impress Okita-san, he's the true evil mastermind of the band..."
"To hell with Okita-san, Harada-san is the vocalist and his voice should matter the most..."
"I can't believe that I'll see them all so close..."
"I heard rumors that Okita-san and Saitou-san are against the whole idea..."
"But Saitou-san looks so quiet and broody, I can't imagine him acting rude..."
"Have you seen the manager? He's so damn scary…"
Most of the voices around her agreed that Okita-san should be feared the most, but the girl didn't care much. In fact, she neither considered this audition to be her last opportunity, nor was she a fan of the band. Her motivation was not at its height. Moreover, she didn't know who that devilish Okita-san was. The girl had listened to the band's material thoroughly and taken a glance of their photo, but she hadn't bothered herself with names and personal information. I'm so reckless. Could have checked their names at least. The best way was to consider the awkward situation to be nothing more than a new adventure that should be enjoyed. She surely looked out of place here, surrounded by the girls dressed like "an underground princess", "a dead prostitute" and "a conservatoire lady". Some outfits were pretty cool though. The girl stood hesitating for quite a time, but there was no turning back. Her name was finally announced and she entered the audition room.
For a moment she stopped in confusion but collected herself and moved further, greeting a bunch of men in a quiet voice. There they were - the heroes of girls' imagination. Somehow it was rather hard to imagine them working together.
In the center of the room there was a long table with several chairs. She was met by a black-haired confident man in a suit who introduced everyone in a rapid manner. He was Hijikata-san, the band's manager and a lyrics author, a strange mix of occupations that however suited him well. He looked assertive and energetic, yet rather observant and sharp.
The table was occupied by the "rhythm-and-vocal section". Harada-san, a vocalist, was sitting in its center with a warm casual smile over his face. He had spiky, auburn shoulder-length hair, straight posture and a gentle and cheerful air about him. He wore smart casual clothes. On his left, a boisterous young man was sitting. Well-built and muscled, he had messy brown hair covered with a green bandana. He wore comfortable sporty clothes. "Our famous drummer, Nagakura-san," said Hijikata-san. Nagakura-san winked to her.
On Harada's right there was another cheerful young man, obviously the youngest of the band. He had a small frame and long brown hair. That was Toudou-san, a bassist. He looked like a shaggy, hectic chick, very social and noisy.
The other two band members kept their distance. A slender young man with chest-length indigo hair was sitting in an old armchair by the window. He wore a black shirt and jeans. Saitou-san was a guitarist, although he looked rather impassive and detached for a lead guitar. The nearest window sill was occupied by a tall lad with reddish-brown hair pulled into a topknot. He had a sort of devilish yet irritated vibe around him and she knew he was that infamous Okita-san even before the introduction. He turned out to be a keyboardist. He wore ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. She caught his almost hostile look and frowned slightly. Despite being a composer and a meaningful member of the band he seemed to be willingly isolated from the rest. Having fun being an outcast, huh? She felt a strong prejudice against such behavior.
Quickly finished with the formal part they started the audition itself. The girl attached her electric violin to the amplifier, took a deep breath and… Her performance consisted of an instrumental cover of Emilie Autumn's song and some vibrant gypsy violin pieces. She purposely avoided classical music. She had a significant classic repertoire under her belt, but given the circumstances, that just felt odd. Her CV contained information about her education - that must be enough.
One could feel a natural inspiration coming from the music. She didn't need to make it especially good or to add anything - the music was already vivid itself. The girl stopped with satisfaction. While the last reverberations of sound still echoed through her insides she caught an attentive stare from the infamous evil mastermind or whatever the crowd had called him. He even left his window sill and approached the table. He has green eyes.
...
Hijikata-san was shining with enthusiasm. Things were finally getting somewhere, which meant fewer troubles from his headache department.
"The next applicant is... Yukimura Chizuru," he declared into a crowded hall. The band's glances focused on the entrance. They had already been tired, but still there was no sign of a proper person. Souji was eager to confirm defeat.
A delicate looking girl stepped into the room. She had long, yet not very thick black hair and a petite frame. Her tight-fitting, mid-ankle, asphalt grey dress looked a bit out of line. The face was focused and serious. She greeted them in a quiet voice. The boys perked up a little.
"Not overflowing with confidence, are we?" Souji mumbled to himself.
However, her performance impressed him more than anyone else's. The choice of pieces was close to what they needed and he could see her high skill and passion. She didn't play any refined classical stuff. But their music had nothing to do with lightness and gracefulness anyway...
"Thank you for an excellent performance. One more question: are you possibly capable of singing too? Could you please sing something short?" Hijikata-san stabbed her in the back with a sudden question. What is the douche thinking about? The girl looked pretty shocked but pulled herself together and came up with a short acapella piece. Her voice was a little indistinct but rather pleasant. She sang Storm's "Lokk". Surely, it was no simple job to knock her down.
"May it be that you can also dance?" Souji couldn't avoid adding fuel to the fire. It was rather rude, but he wanted to test the boundaries.
"I am no dancer, Okita-san." The girl looked into his eyes with irritation. He noticed something odd about her glare and stopped in surprise while Hijikata-san continued with apologies and thanks and his usual request to wait for a call.
When she left, Souji turned to the band: "Her eyes have different colors, did you notice? Her left eye is grey, while the right one is brown. She also put on makeup in a special way to highlight it. I think I'll vote for the girl. She's not boring after all."
"And she still may be a dancer, right, Souji? What's wrong with you assaulting her like that?" Sano is acting like Prince-sama again.
"Since Souji's made up his mind, we can finish the damn circus already!" Heisuke stretched his hands with a tired expression.
"Cut this shit off!" snarled Hijikata-san. "We have to listen to all the applicants! Although I liked that girl too. She sorta suits us".
…
To sing. To dance. Or do they look for a girl to cook for them and massage their shoulders? The girl chuckled and turned on her music. The headphones cut all outside sounds away. The evening city twinkled in the bus window with random lights. I keep a world of sounds close so I won't feel all alone.