Bocchi the School Shooter
*CHAPTER 1*
"Mama, papa, I'm sorry."
Hitori Gotoh laughed. She stood at the gate of Shuka High, trembling with terror. Her pink jacket protected her from the breezy early morning wind. She never wanted things to end like this. She wanted her high school years to be rose-coloured. She wanted friends, she wanted success, she wanted to experience the best years of a person's life. She wanted friends, someone she could go to karaoke with, someone to goof off with after school. But she failed. She couldn't make a single friend. She sat alone, ate lunch alone, went home alone. Always alone.
"I guess I truly lived up to my name."
She wondered where it all went wrong. From a young age she noted a discrepancy, a distance between her and other children. She never knew how to interact, how to talk to people. Maybe it was fear. Maybe some ability which others possessed but she didn't. She preferred being at home. Home, where her family was. Home, which was safe.
Her skirt fluttered lightly in the wind; a flurry of thoughts went through her head. Maybe she should turn back. Maybe there is still time.
"No, I have to do this."
She walked into the school campus. She had a guitar bag on her back. It was lighter than usual. She positioned herself behind a bush, near the entrance to the main building of Shuka High. She pulled the bag off her shoulder and dragged out a long slender apparatus with a round cylindrical end.
"ArmaRite Rifle-15..my father got this as a gift from his friend in the US, civilians aren't supposed to own such weapons. But my father kept it hidden in the attic of our house."
Hitori had found the gun 3 years ago, just when she picked up the guitar. Desperately looking for a dark, damp place where she could practice in peace, she snuck into the attic. It was large but extremely cramped. She noticed the gun lying in a corner, next to a box of unused cutlery. Eventually she decided to practice in the closet of her room. But she did not forget about the gun.
"I will do it, I will have my revenge on the world, the people who wronged me. I did so much, I wanted them to be my friends. I wore merch from popular bands, I bought mainstream CDs just so I could discuss music with my classmates. I brought all kinds of stuff to school, just so someone would talk to me."
Her hands tremored slightly as the trauma of the past 3 years resurfaced in her head.
"I know I can't expect others to take the initiative, but whenever I tried to talk to someone, they would just ignore me. Whenever I said something someone else would interrupt and talk over me. I was marked absent several times because the teacher didn't hear me say 'Present!' even though I was loud enough. It's like I don't have a presence at all. I am a ghost."
But all this would end now. She would enter the building and start shooting at everyone. She will be indiscriminate. No one will be spared. This was her revenge for years of torture and suffering.
With a few quick steps Hitori infiltrated the building. Her hand was on the trigger, fingers ready to kill. Her eyes were moist, her body quivering. She got near the lockers where students would keep their shows before entering the classroom.
To her surprise, there was nobody around. The lockers were deserted, as was the rest of the floor. Thinking back, Hitori realized she hadn't seen any school students while hiding in the bush either. She looked at the time on her phone.
"9.17, everyone should be here by now."
She once again saw the time on her phone, it was unmistakably 9.17 in the morning. She looked at the date next to the time.
"Oh."
She saw the date and day on her phone.
"I see."
"Today is Sunday."
*CHAPTER 2*
Having realized that she had tried to shoot up her school on a Sunday, Hitori felt both relieved and horrified.
Relieved because she hadn't become a mass killer, but also horrified at her own stupidity.
"I'm such an idiot. This whole thing was a mistake, what was I thinking? There is so much to live for. I was going to sacrifice it all for vengeance! Mama, Papa, Futari, even JimiHen who soils my clothes, all of them are very dear to me. Even though I don't have friends, I still cherish my family, and wouldn't want them to suffer because of me. God, I am grateful to you for making me a moron."
"I have my guitar; it may not be much but people on the internet say I'm decent at it. If I keep practicing hard, maybe I'll become a pro."
This was the first time in years that Hitori had left her house on a Sunday. Usually, she would spend all day practicing in her closet. She decided to use this as an opportunity to go to the nearby park.
The sun is out and the sky is blue. It's finally a moment of peace for Hitori. After all the stress of planning for her revenge, this feels like a relief. She lays back on the grass and breathes in the crisp fresh air. Finally, she can just let her mind rest. It's so peaceful here.
She closes her eyes for a moment, relaxing completely and enjoying this precious moment of calm and quiet. This moment has made all her problems seem not so bad. Maybe everything will be okay.
Just then, she hears someone scream.
"Ehhhhhhh, Guitar?!"
"You, the one in the pink jacket, that's a guitar, right?"
"Are you a guitarist? What are you doing here? How long have you been playing? You aren't waiting for someone are you? If it's a boy I'm sorry for interrupting your date!"
The sudden barrage of questions flummoxed Hitori. The person standing in front of her was a young girl with yellow hair and deep vermillion eyes. Her long hair was tied up with a ridiculously large ribbon. A giant triangle stood out on the crown of her head. According to Hitori, this was clearly a dangerous person.
"H-hiow may I h-help yy-you? I d-don't have m-money.", Hitori asked.
"I know this is kind of rushed but I want you to join my band!", the strange girl answered.
"We're supposed to perform today, but our guitarist bailed on us. There's no one else that I can ask. I saw you sitting alone here with a guitar on your back, so I thought why not!"
"This is a breakthrough chance for my band and I don't want to lose it. I know, this must be providence! We were destined to meet! Don't you agree? Right! Let's go and rock the stage."
"But I-uhh have I uhh..."
The girl did not wait for Hitori's reply. She dragged her with the force of a thousand suns and took off towards the clubhouse.
*CHAPTER 3*
"I see, so your name is Hitori-chan! I'm Nijika Ijichi, a second year at Shimokitazawa High. I work as the drummer for the Kessoku Band. I know the name is a bit silly, but it will have to do for now. There's one other girl in our band, she's also a bit of a loner, I think you'll get along with her!"
Hitori couldn't think. She tried to focus her brain on the act of thinking, but she couldn't think. This was the first time in months that someone other than her family had acknowledged her existence. Talking to a complete stranger was a task in itself, but this girl wanted her to perform on stage, at a clubhouse in front of a live audience.
"There's no way! No! No way! I can't."
"What happened, Hitori-chan?"
"Dorito-senpai, I'm sorry, but the truth is, I've never played in front of a live audience. I usually play in my closet, sometimes Jimihen watches me but otherwise it's just me. I can't play with you."
Nijika thought about Hitori. Her excitement over getting a potential member had made her forget about Hitori's guitar skills. There was no point in recruiting a member if she was terrible at playing.
"Why don't you play a bit when we reach the clubhouse? Don't worry, my sister is the manager over there so she won't complain, even if you suck."
"Suck?"
"Uh-I mean, I-I'm sure you are a great guitarist, you just need to get used to the club environment. It will help you overcome your nervousness. Plus we will see how compatible we are as a band."
Nijika didn't have much choice. The band needed a guitarist, and Hitori was the only option she had.
"I'll try my best but the thing is, I actually don't have my guitar with me right now!"
"Then what are you carrying around that case for?"
"It's just, I uh carried something else in it today."
"Huh, I never thought a guitar case could have multiple uses. What did you carry?"
"A gun."
"..."
"..."
"W-WHAT?!"
*CHAPTER 4*
"What exactly are you carrying around a gun for? Are you stupid? Don't you know civilians are heavily restricted from owning firearms?! You think this is a joke, stupid idiot!"
Hitori stared at the ground. Nijika looked around. An old lady across the street was glaring at her. Her rant had gotten the attention of people passing by.
"This isn't good, if she really does have a gun and people notice it, then I'll get caught up with her. They will think I'm her accomplice or something. The court will sentence me to jail, damnit. I wanted to start a rock band not a prison band.", Nijika thought to herself.
"Uhm you see, t-the thing is I uh wanted to, my school.."
"Oh, I get it, it's a water gun! Haha, you got me scared for a moment! You had a water fight competition at your school. The school told you to bring it, that's so cool. Our school only focuses on academics."
"Uh yea right that's exactly what it is..haha.", Hitori said while awkwardly glancing at the old lady across the street.
"How far is your clubhouse? I really want to practice."
"It's another five minutes away. I know, since you don't have your guitar with you, you can borrow one from our clubhouse. It might not be the one you always use, but at least you'll be able to play."
"My guitar is very lightweight so a heavy guitar would be very uncomfortable for me."
[Nijika internally]"The nerve of this ungrateful girl, first she says she has a gun instead of a guitar, now she wants me to get her a guitar that fits her requirements. This was such a bad idea."
[Nijika externally]"Oh I see, well you said you lived 2 hours away, so getting your own guitar here before the show might not be possible. We will have to make do with what we have."
*CHAPTER 5*
"We're finally here, Hitori-chan! Quick, we need to wake Ryou up and find a guitar for you."
"Ah thank you so much, I really thank you for letting me in here, I've never been in a clubhouse before so this is my first time. Please be gentle with me, I want to make you happy."
"That is the most you have spoken with me so far...wait! You're reading that from your phone?"
"I wanted to t-thank you for giving me this opportunity, so I looked up 'What to say before my first time' on my phone. Did I do something wrong?"
"No it's just, most people feel a bit intimidated when the visit a clubhouse or venue for the first time, I know you must be overwhelmed right now, just try to relax and have fun."
"I-I see. Thank you for the explanation."
This was the third time Hitori had thanked Nijika since they entered the clubhouse. Nijika wanted to make Hitori comfortable but at the same time was wary of Hitori's awkwardness.
She tried to open the door of a storage room. It was locked.
"PA-san, I need to get something from the storeroom, please give me the keys. Hitori-chan, please get the keys from PA-san at the counter."
"Yes, I'll try my best", Hitori replied.
Hitori walked towards the counter. At first, she couldn't see anyone standing there, but when she moved closer, she saw a thin, frail young woman smiling at her. She had long black hair which covered half of her pale face. Her pitch-black eyes looked gently at Hitori. There wasn't a shred of colour on her, as if she had walked out of a Hitchcock film.
"Here are the keys, are you Nijika's friend?"
"I-uh t-thank you so much please don't curse my family!"
Hitori was terrified of PA-san. Nevertheless, she courageously brought the keys back to Nijika.
"Alright, now let's get you a new guitar. I'll open the storeroom in a minute."
The door opened. Nijika's eyes widened.
"W-what happened?"
"It's empty."
The storage room was empty. There wasn't as much as a single pick in the room. The room, which was used to store lighting, sound equipment and instruments had been ransacked by someone. The only thing left was a handful of loose guitar strings.
"Where's all the stuff? I swear there was a guitar here a few months ago."
"Nijika. You came back."
"Ryou, you finally woke up, do you know what happened to all the stuff in this room?"
"Yea."
"Where is it?"
"I sold it."
"WHAT?! You sold all the equipment we had in this room, all the effects pedal, speakers, mics, the harmonium we got from our neighbours, the lighting lamps, even the Gibson that was here, you sold all of that?!"
"Yes."
"Does the manager know?"
"She is the one who told me to do it. She wanted some extra cash."
"When did this happen?"
"Last week."
"You stupid idiot, why would you do that? We had things stored here precisely because that stuff could have been useful in the future. Our new member needs a guitar and she can't play because YOU SOLD THE ONE WE HAD!"
"My bad."
Ryou stared intently at the pink haired girl standing behind Nijika. She, in turn, stared back at her.
"Does she not have a guitar of her own?"
"She doesn't, I mean she does, but it's at her home. She can't travel all the way back, even if she does, she won't make it in time."
The clock struck 3. Two hours until the performance. Kessoku band was supposed to be the opening act. Even if Hitori left now, she couldn't return until 7.
"But...", Ryou said.
"...she has one on her back."
Upon hearing this Nijika realized that Hitori hadn't removed her guitar case. She stood still like a Buddha statue, seemingly deep in thought.
"It's not a guitar, Ryou."
Nijika pulled the zip from Hitori's case. A long slender nozzle popped out. Ryou grabbed the nozzle from Nijika and pulled the rest of the gun out.
"Colt AR-15, .223 Remington cartridges, 24-inch barrel direct impingement rifle with custom iron sight, wow she really is hardcore."
"Don't point it at her, idiot."
Ryou waved her right hand in front of Hitori's face. Her eyes were open, but she did not react.
"She's even able to sleep with her eyes open. Amazing. I like her."
"Hitori, Hitori-chan, snap out of it!"
Hitori convulsed sharply. She was startled by Nijika's voice.
"Uh I uh...so the guitar isn't there, that's too bad. I really wanted to play...uh, who are you?"
"My name is Yamada Ryou. I am the bassist for Kessoku band."
"Uh hi, m-my name is Gotori Hito, I m-mean Hitori Gotoh. I can play the guitar, but unfortunately I forgot mine at home."
"And you brought a gun instead. You are very interesting Hitori."
"A-actually to tell you the truth, I.."
Hitori's eyes moved towards Nijika's, then towards Ryou's. Should she tell them the truth? Should she tell them that she had given up on her life, and wanted to end things this morning. That she was going to do something so foolish, so ridiculous, the mere thought of which terrifies her now. She wanted to commit a crime; in a moment of weakness she would have tarnished her life. That the only reason she was stopped was because she forgot to check the day on the calendar. Could she tell them all that?
"You see, I.."
"..m-my father, he.."
"..he pranked me!"
Nijika exclaimed in surprise, Ryou was unmoved.
"He put his gun in my guitar case, and I didn't notice it until I was with Nijika-senpai, I assumed that I had my guitar with me, but when we were walking the nozzle poked my neck, that's when I opened it and noticed."
For a moment, everyone was silent. After a while, Ryou proclaimed,
"Your father seems like my type of guy."
"Ryou! Be quiet.", Nijika said.
"Whatever the reason may be, you should know that you could get in a lot of trouble if someone finds out. I'm not sure if such weapons are even legal for civilians."
"They're not.", Ryou said.
"Such weapons are practically impossible to procure, if you wanted to use this you would have to heavily modify it, even then there are restrictions on where you can use it."
"Your father's actions are clearly dangerous and irresponsible!", Nijika said.
"And very funny.", Ryou added.
Deep down, Hitori felt very guilty for blaming her father for this mess. She knew that lying to others was wrong, but figured it was the only thing she could do in this situation. Playing live in front of other people was an excellent chance to gain experience, but the prospect terrified her nonetheless.
"So, what do we do now?", Nijika asked.
"Call it off.", Ryou said.
"What? How could you even think that!"
"We may have a guitarist, but we don't have a guitar. No way we can perform."
Hitori knew she had to do something. This was a once in a lifetime chance. Maybe it was fate, maybe destiny. She knew she had to perform in front of a live audience someday, and that day was today. But how could she perform without a guitar? She looked through the empty store room. Here eyes noticed the loose guitar strings lying at the back of the room. Suddenly, an idea sparked in her head.
"I have a plan."
*CHAPTER 6*
"Eh! Do you really think it will work?"
"This is the only option we have, Nijika-senpai."
"It's worth trying. If it works it will be the most epic thing I have ever seen.", Ryou remarked.
"I don't know, but I really want to perform with you. You showed so much faith in me, even though I act weird all the time, I wanted to join a band in middle school but wasn't able to overcome my fears. Even then, Nijika-senpai trusted me, and Ryou-senpai called me interesting, I will not disappoint you too."
"Amazing, you said all that without looking at your phone, Hitori-chan. Also just call me Nijika."
"Yes, we're not in school, just say Ryou."
"O-Ok, I'll start working now."
Hitori pulled out a bunch of zip ties and rubber bands. She placed the gun on the ground, emptied the cartridge and refitted the cartridge onto the gun. She straightened the guitar strings and placed them next to each other. Nijika got some superglue from her room upstairs. Ryou tried to provide moral support.
"Good work, Gotoh."
"Don't just stand there Ryou, come and help Hitori-chan, here, hold the string straight."
"Ah, my shoulder hurts, I think I slept weird last night, sorry Hitori but I can't help you."
"Excuses, excuses and more excuses! No wonder no one likes bassists."
"It's alright, the instrument is almost done. The truth is, this is the first time I've worked together with someone like this, even during school projects I'd end up without a team, so I'd do the projects with my teacher or all alone."
[Thumps chest proudly]"It's alright Gotoh, you've got us now."
"Wow, I didn't think this would actually work, Hitori-chan you're a genius!"
"This looks so cool; you are truly a rocker chick."
The instrument Hitori had devised was a guitar fashioned out of her gun. A guntar, if you will. She placed the strings onto the lateral length of the gun, then fixed them into place using rubber bands and zip ties. The bridge was made of an old lighter which belonged to Nijika's sister. The hollowed-out cartridge functioned as the air column, and the amp was connected from her phone's headphone jack.
"I couldn't add tuners so the pitch will probably suffer, but other than that this could work."
"Amazing Hitori-chan, now Kessoku band can finally perform. We can just say that the guntar is a prop we used as a gimmick."
"Great, but what if someone in the audience recognizes this as a real gun. Gotoh could be in big trouble.", Ryou warned.
"I know, we'll say that it's a prop and not mention Hitori-chan's real name. That way even if someone thinks it's a real gun they won't be able to do much about it."
"Hitori...bocchi."
"Huh?"
"You said you were all alone during school projects, so your name shall be Bocchi from now on."
"Ryou, that is so rude."
"I love it! Thank you so much Ryou-sama, this is the first time someone has given me a nickname."
"Glad you liked it.", Ryou said.
"..but please don't call me Ryou-sama."
"Alright! Now that Hitori's guitar is ready and she has a new nickname, let's get some practice going before the performance."
"Let's go!"
"Ikuyo!"
"Wait, isn't that the name of the girl who bailed on us?"
"Oh, is it, I don't remember."
*CHAPTER 7*
The practice was a great success. Apart from a few initial hiccups, Hitori 'Bocchi' managed to gel with her fellow bandmates. Ryou tried to put her off track by randomly changing the beat while performing, but stopped after Nijika scolded her. Nijika was initially apprehensive about Bocchi's ability, but realized that she was a capable guitarist (in this case, guntarist). She was surprised at Bocchi's dexterity.
"Good job Bocchi-chan!", Nijika said.
"The notes are quite jarring, but that is to be expected considering the equipment you're using..", Ryou remarked.
"..still, you're clearly skilled."
Bocchi was beaming with pride. She had never thought that she would be able to play in a band, let alone be good at it. But thanks to the help of her friends, Ryou and Nijika, she had finally achieved her dream.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," she said. "We're really going to perform in front of an audience."
"Of course, we are," Ryou said.
"And we're going to be great," Nijika added. "Just remember to have fun."
Bocchi took a deep breath and nodded. "I will," she said.
The clock struck 5 and the moment of truth finally arrived. Bocchi was nervous but excited. She had never been in front of so many people before, but she knew that she could do it. She had her friends by her side, and they would help her through it. She wasn't alone anymore. Even the deepest despair becomes bearable when you have people who love and care about you. Nijika and Ryou were now Bocchi's guides, helping her become a better person.
A total of 13 people had shown up at the venue. Most of them had come here to see the other bands, and some Nijika's friends. The band took the stage, and the small crowd reacted coldly. Bocchi looked out at the sea of disinterested faces, and for a moment, she felt overwhelmed. But then she remembered what Ryou and Nijika had said, and she smiled. This was her time to shine.
The band started to play, and Bocchi lost herself in the music. She forgot about the crowd and just focused on playing her best. The notes flowed through her fingers, and she felt a sense of peace and joy that she had never felt before.
"Playing together with everyone, is so much fun!"
After the performance ended, Bocchi turned to Ryou and Nijika, and they all hugged each other. They had done it together, and they would never forget this moment. Hitori never forgot the day that she first performed in front of an audience. It was the day that she realized her dream, and it was the day that she found her passion.
"Bocchi-chan, you rock! Your improvised guitar will create a new genre of rock!"
"Bocchi's rock.."
"Bocchi the Rock!"
**END**