Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Band Is Formed

Serika summoned us to school on Sunday, so I headed over. It was still early in the morning, but we would be starting band practice today. I reread our RINE chat as I sat on the train. After we’d invited Shinohara-kun yesterday, Serika immediately made a RINE group for our band. Its name was “My Band.”

So this is your band? Okay, well, I guess it is...but didn’t you have anything else, even if this was just a temporary name? Though, this is very Serika behavior.

Hondo Serika: Tomorrow at 9 am, meet in the second music room

Natsuki: Are we practicing?

Hondo Serika: I’ll send the sheet music. Let’s try to play together. Memorize it by tomorrow

Natsuki: You fiend!

Hondo Serika: It’ll work out

Iwano: Did you write this?

Hondo Serika: Yeah. It’s the best one I’ve ever written

Natsuki: Sorry but I can only read guitar tabs

Hondo Serika: ’Kay, I’ll send that too

Shinohara@animefan: Did you already obtain permission to use the second music room on a Sunday?

Hondo Serika: Everyone besides Natsuki is in the light music club so isn’t it fine?

Shinohara@animefan: I’ll check with our adviser just to be safe.

Iwano: Wouldn’t it be quicker if Haibara just joined the club?

Hondo Serika: Good point. We can fill his forms out tomorrow too

Natsuki: I’m fine with that but don’t I need to ask the club prez or something?

Iwano: I’ll get his permission

Hondo Serika: It’d be good if you greeted the other club members later. I’ll introduce you to everyone

Iwano: Do you need to? The light music club basically operates as individual bands so we only interact with other members to schedule who gets to use the clubroom

Hondo Serika: Iwano-senpai, you’re the only one who thinks that, you know? Everyone’s tight besides you

Iwano: I see...

Natsuki: Hey! You need to mince your words more

Shinohara@animefan: It’s okay. No one even remembers I exist.

Natsuki: What’s okay about that...?

I finished scrolling down our little exchange. It’s great that we’re all getting along (I think). It’d suck if the mood were frosty.

I’d done my best yesterday to memorize the chords Serika sent over, but one day wasn’t enough time. I’d more or less nailed down the introduction and the verses, but I was still iffy on the chorus. In all likelihood, she’d intentionally made my part easier. The difficulty level was clearly lower compared to hers. The rhythm part was full of power chords and mostly repeated the same simple riff.

I yawned. I was sleep-deprived because I’d stayed up late last night practicing. This was my first time going to school on a weekend since my do-over—the first time since I’d been in the basketball club during my first round of high school.

I arrived at Maebashi Station and headed down the road. The walk felt unfamiliar and refreshing. Normally the street was filled with students going to school, but it was completely deserted now. The peaceful stillness was pleasant. As I was thinking that, hands suddenly appeared from behind me and covered my eyes, throwing my world into darkness.

“Who is it?” asked a singsong voice.

“The only one who’d do this is you, Serika,” I replied. And I recognized you by your voice. I grabbed her slender arms and moved her hands off my eyes. I turned around—her beautiful face was much closer than I’d anticipated. The aroma of perfume wafted up my nose.

Serika giggled. “You’d better not fall for me. You already have Hikari-chan and Uta to think about.”

“Oh, shut up. I know,” I said. This is why people who are aware of how attractive they are are so damn—

“You don’t seem very enthusiastic. Our story’s about to start, you know,” Serika said as she did something that resembled shadowboxing.

What is she doing? “Well, you’re a ball of energy today.”

“Obviously. I slept a solid ten hours yesterday.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit excessive?”

“A well-slept child grows well too—height and chest. That’s what I believe.”

“You shouldn’t talk about that with guys,” I said after a moment. In the first place, as I recall from our beach trip, Serika’s quite... No, let’s tuck those memories away.

“Really?” Serika tilted her head to the side.

She’s probably someone who speaks before she thinks. I sighed.

Without any warning, she lobbed a preposterous question at me. “Natsuki, are you a big boobs or small boobs kinda guy?”

“What?!” At that moment, Hoshimiya and Uta flashed through my mind. S-Stop, me! Don’t think about anything! If I think about anything now, I’ll be in hot water!

“So, which one?”

“Neither! I’m not into either, okay?!” I frantically shook my head.

“Really?” Serika asked doubtfully.

Yes, really. If I had to say, I like whatever size the girl I love is.

“But don’t you think bigger is better? They’re so soft and squishy.”

Excuse me, but that’s too much information for a virgin boy! It’s so hard to hide how flustered I am whenever I’m talking with Serika. Exhausted, I said, “I dunno about that. Small ones have their own charm.”

For example, it’s cute when girls worry about their small size... It was just supposed to be a made-up example, but a concrete situation came to mind, and I even had a specific person playing the part too. Hey, I said stop it, me!

She hummed dubiously. “Guess that’s life for you.”

“Anyway, decisions aren’t made based on chest size, right?” I remarked. Generally speaking, though, better too big than too small... What I said earlier just went down the drain, didn’t it?

Serika and I chatted about inane things like that as we headed up to the second music room. Suddenly, a meek voice whispered from right behind us.

“U-Um... Good morning...”

I whipped around in surprise. When the hell did Shinohara-kun start walking with us?! “M-Morning... How long have you been here?”

“Maybe ten minutes?”

“You’ve been with us for ten minutes?!”

“I’m sorry. I was hesitant about whether I should say something...”

“For ten whole minutes?!”

“Normally, when people haven’t noticed me and I say something, I surprise them.” A self-deprecating chuckle spilled out of his throat.

Is it just me, or does he look really pale?

“Who woulda thought someone could be so invisible,” Serika said, pulling back a bit.

Hey! I told you to stop launching fireball comments at the poor guy! Though it is true that there aren’t many who could blend into the background as well as Shinohara-kun.

“It’s my only strong point... Not that I need it, though. Ha ha ha...” he said.

Background guys like us do tend to be skilled at erasing our presence...but Shinohara-kun is a whole different beast. I can tell the gap between our talent for the shadows is wide.

“Also, the topic you two were discussing...made it difficult to speak up...”

“For the record, Serika is the one who forced that topic on me, okay?”

“Of course, I understand,” Shinohara-kun said, nodding his head, but then whispered so she couldn’t hear, “Wh-When you’re in front of a girl, that’s the only way you can reply. I get it.”

You didn’t have to understand that part! My mental state was starting to feel shoddy by the time we finally reached the second music room.

“What’re you guys muttering about? You two seem close,” Serika said.

“Oh, no. We’re certainly not like that,” Shinohara-kun replied.

Don’t you think you were too quick to deny, there? As an experienced Negative Nancy, I know he’s thinking something like, “Haibara-kun might get annoyed if people thought he was close to someone like me,” so I’m not hurt... I can read him. Wait, I can read him like a book! I completely understand everything going through Shinohara-kun’s head!

Not that it matters if I do. I have no idea how to respond. No one dealt with me when I acted like this in the past, so I have no one to reference. The old me was too powerful...

Suddenly, the door to the second music room opened, interrupting our jabbering.

“Hurry up and come in and set up. We don’t have much time before the school festival,” Iwano-senpai said. His arms were folded, and as always, his expression reminded me of a massive boulder.

“I-I’m sorry.” Shinohara-kun trembled, about to break out into tears.

***

TUNK, TUNK, TOOM, BAAAM. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. TWANG, JAAAN!

After we’d transformed it into our base, the second music room was filled with the sound of music as we tuned up. It was like having a conversation with our instruments. After I finished, I moved on to adjusting the volume. How loud should I make it? I’ve never played with other people, so I don’t know what to do.

“Natsuki, lower your volume. Shinohara-kun, you’re standing a little too far away,” Serika said.

I followed her instructions and adjusted my amp and effector. This is fairly hard. Serika-sensei is basically doing everything for me. And in my case, I’ve got a lot more to think about than just the guitar.

“Ah, ahhh,” I said into the microphone that Serika had swiped from the light music clubroom. “Is this good?” I was adjusting the mic stand while also checking how my throat felt.

“Okay, sounds good.” Serika made a circle with her thumb and pointer finger.

My throat feels decent. Man, I’ve never used a mic outside of karaoke, so this is a new experience!

Once everyone was done prepping, Serika asked, “Natsuki, can you sing?”

“I think I’ve got the lyrics memorized. Vaguely,” I replied.

“Good job doing it in a day when it’s full of English.”

“If you know it’s unreasonable, then can you not ask me to memorize a whole song in a day?” I struggled to memorize just the guitar chords, you know!

“It’s my song, so I’ll sing it the first time. You can put your spin on it, but use me as an example.”

“Got it.” I stepped back from the mic stand, and Serika took my place. I got the gist of the melody from the tabs, but I haven’t actually listened to the raw song, so I’m not sure I can sing it the way Serika imagined. Having an example will be helpful.

“Okay, let’s take it from the top. We’ll start on count four,” she said.

Whoops, now isn’t the time to relax. I’m the amateur here, so I need to focus.

One, two, three, four, tapped out the drumsticks, and then the intro began with a fleeting, drowsy arpeggio from Serika. As if to support the leisurely opening, Iwano-senpai beat out a simplistic rhythm. Shinohara-kun nonchalantly joined in—his bass reverberating heavy and low as though it were pounding on the ground—forming a carefree and pleasant melody.

After the first bar ended and the second began, Iwano-senpai loudly hit the hi-hat cymbal. The moment the intensity of the drums suddenly shot up, Serika vigorously thrummed her guitar too. The song’s vibe did a complete one-eighty into a fierce tune, and her strumming cut through the air.

Serika’s guitar solo ends...here! I joined in on the rhythm guitar, mechanically strumming to match the drum’s beat. My part didn’t have any difficult chords, so I wouldn’t mess up as long as I concentrated—at least that’s how it should’ve been. I dropped my gaze to look at my guitar, and before I realized it, it was time for the vocals to join in. Luckily, I wasn’t the singer this time.

Serika’s husky voice melded with the song. The verse repeated a simple riff. Iwano-senpai’s precise rhythm was reliable, and it felt like Shinohara-kun’s deep bass sound was supporting me from the shadows.

No matter how many mistakes I made, the dependable rhythm section never slipped up, which was why Serika could plunge into the chorus with perfect timing. She stepped on the effector pedal and thrummed the guitar; the simple melody was painted gorgeously. She vocalized as though she were screaming, adding excitement to the already flamboyant chorus.

She’s awesome! So this is who Serika is. Even a newbie like me can tell how amazing she is. Iwano-senpai and Shinohara-kun are skilled too, and I can’t compare to them either. But all the sounds that she spins together sparkle on a completely different level. Wow, it’s so easy to understand—I know how to make this song rock.

Serika is this song’s light. Her voice and guitar decide its worth. The three of us are shadows. All we need to do is support her so she can shine even brighter.

We didn’t need to exchange any more words; the three of us shared the same objective. The change in our instruments’ sounds was our answer. Serika’s guitar riff rampaged on top of the foundation of music that we built, like violent sparks scattering in the air. The song unfolded dramatically and entered the final chorus.

Serika’s husky voice was intense but also sorrowful, and she strummed her guitar with fervor. Iwano-senpai bashed the cymbals in tandem with her, signaling the song’s end. When a drop of water trickled down my guitar, I finally realized that I was sweating buckets. That was how deeply I’d been concentrating.

That was a great performance! I made a bunch of mistakes, but that was plenty good for our first time. Plus, I only practiced with the tabs yesterday, so there was a lot about the song I didn’t understand. But I’ll be able to play better now that I have a complete grasp of the whole thing.

“We just played ‘black witch.’ It’s the first song I ever wrote,” Serika said.

“That was super awesome and cool! I can’t believe you wrote this,” I said.

“Yeah. It’s pretty good, right? I like it too.”

It was truly fitting to call her song hard rock. The lead guitar stood out, rivaling the vocals for the star position. The instrumentals were intense and heavy, leaning into the melodic hardcore genre, and the chorus galloped by. If someone told me that a pro had actually written this song, I would’ve believed them without hesitation.

“I’ll be thrilled if everyone else likes this song too.” I looked up from my guitar at Shinohara-kun, whose mouth was curved up in a smile.

“Th-That was a good song! It was wonderful,” he said, excited.

I nodded. “I want to record this and see how it sounds. It’ll definitely sound cool.”

“Oh, yes, we forgot to do that. I’ll record it with my phone next time,” he said.

Iwano-senpai and Serika were calm compared to the two of us.

“I’ve heard this one before. You played it with the first band you were in,” Iwano-senpai said.

“Oh yeah, that did happen,” she remarked.

“Hondo. From your perspective, how would you grade this session?”

“Hmm, well...” She thought for a moment. “Considering that this was our first time playing together... Thirty points?”

Her assessment shocked me considerably. “That low?!”

“If a hundred points is my ideal, yeah. You’re all holding back too much.”

“I... I was trying to hold back, though...” Shinohara-kun timidly said, his gaze swimming around the room. “I thought it would be a better song if I matched up with you, Hondo-san.”

“I don’t really like that mindset,” she murmured after a pause. Shinohara-kun’s shoulders jolted and trembled. “Shinohara-kun, you’re good on the bass. I was surprised. So play more seriously.”

“O-Okay... I’ll do my best.”

“Iwano-senpai, that goes for you too. The drums that I fell in love with aren’t that bland.”

“Yeah, I know.” Iwano-senpai nodded solemnly at her sharp words.

She clapped her hands, clearing the dreary mood. “Okay, you guys get the song now, right? Natsuki will sing next. The real performance starts now.”

“Sure...but what about me? Do you have any advice for me?” I asked.

Serika forced a smile in an uncharacteristically pained manner. “Natsuki... Keep it up. Let’s work hard.”

Oh... Does that mean I’m not even at the level where she needs to point anything specific out?! Before I could even sink into depression, Serika moved the mic stand over in front of me.

“The tempo was a little slow in the intro,” she said.

“Got it,” Iwano-senpai responded and then started up another four count.

We should’ve become familiar with the song by now, but the second attempt did not go as smoothly as the first. The problem hit after the vocal part began and I needed to play at the same time as singing. If I focused on singing, then I would miss chords, but if I focused on the guitar, then I couldn’t keep my voice at a steady pitch and volume.

I knew this would be hard...but this is all I can manage? Sweat rolled down my forehead and into my eyes, blurring my vision. I messed up the timing for the chorus, which caused Shinohara-kun to slow down slightly, whereas Iwano-senpai maintained the same perfect rhythm—the bass and drums went out of sync. Because of that, it threw off Serika when she began to play the melody. The clashing rhythms turned a song that should’ve been great into a terrible cacophony.

Suddenly, my fingers couldn’t move.

“Let’s stop for a sec. We’re way too off beat.” Serika raised her arm, and everyone stopped playing.

It’s my fault... I’m holding this band back. Can I really handle being a guitar vocalist—the face of a band—the way I am?

“Shinohara-kun, can you look up more? I want us to communicate through eye contact,” she said.

“Yeah. I want to get our rhythm in sync more,” Iwano-senpai said in agreement.

“Oh,” Shinohara-kun said, bowing repeatedly. “I-I’m sorry.”

Serika turned to me next. What’s it gonna be? I wouldn’t blame her if she told me she regrets inviting me into the band. I’m obviously the one who’s not on the same level as everyone else.

“Natsuki, pretty decent. I really do love your voice.” She smiled and thumped my chest with the back of her fist.

“You liked that? I was in shambles,” I said.

“Really? That was plenty good. Oh, it’s not your fault we fell out of rhythm there.”

“Yes... That was all my fault.” Shinohara-kun staggered, eyes teary.

I-Is he okay?

“It takes time to get used to playing guitar and singing at the same time. There’s no other way out but to practice,” she said.

I hesitated. “It might be too late now, but don’t you think it’d be better if you sang?”

“Well, maybe right now, yeah. But I have high expectations for you.”

Expectations, huh? She’s right. We’ve only just started practicing; it’s way too early for complaining.

“If you don’t sing, then all we’re left with is a mediocre guitarist,” Iwano-senpai said.

“Urk. Yes, you’re very right,” I said.

His words were harsh, but it was merely the truth. If I quit as the vocalist, then there wasn’t much point keeping me in the band. It was more realistic for me to quit my role as the rhythm guitarist and devote myself to singing. Serika would have more to shoulder, but it wouldn’t be an issue thanks to her skills.

“Y-You didn’t have to say that much... He’s far better than someone like me,” Shinohara-kun said.

I knew he was trying to defend me, but his self-deprecation didn’t make me happy. His excessive humility only revealed how abnormally low he evaluated himself. Shinohara-kun’s an excellent bassist. I can tell that after playing with him today. He doesn’t need to belittle himself so much.

“Anyway, let’s practice. It’s not time to worry yet,” Serika said—and she was right.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Y-Yes!” stammered Shinohara-kun.

“Right,” Iwano-senpai agreed.

We nodded and started up once more.

***

The sky had turned completely pitch-black. We’d started practicing at nine in the morning, and it was now already seven in the evening. It was so late that I suspected the clock had malfunctioned for a moment. Time had flown by in the blink of an eye, but my hoarse voice was proof of how long we’d been practicing.

“Ah, ahhh. Hmm,” I uttered. “It’s hard to hit the high notes after all that.”

“Make sure you take care of your throat. It’s impressive you held out ’til the end,” Serika said.

Though I’d learned through self-study, I had done vocal training on my own, so I knew how to effectively utilize my throat. I sang from my stomach so that my throat wouldn’t hurt, but I kept it up for too long. Plus, I went all out every time, so of course my voice would get hoarse. Well, it should heal overnight.

“Haaah...” A small sigh inadvertently escaped me.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Serika, who was walking beside me. “It was just the first day. Did you want to be a prodigy?” She bought a bottle of water from the vending machine in front of the club building and tossed it to me.

I opened the cap and quenched my dry throat. Water always tasted the best when I was exhausted. “No...but I feel down that practice isn’t going smoothly.”

“This is refreshing for me. I had the impression that you could do anything perfectly on your first try,” she said.

“That’s...” I paused. “I’m just prepping where people can’t see.”

“Yeah, I realized you’re actually a hard worker after today.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Doesn’t really feel like it...”

Suddenly, a voice piped up from behind us. “H-Haibara-kun, you’re very skilled already. I don’t think you need to be so down on yourself.”

Th-That surprised me...! 

Shinohara-kun appeared out of nowhere, trailing behind us. Even Serika had thrown her hands up in a strange pose due to the shock.

“I almost spat out my tea,” she murmured.

I guess even someone who lives in her own laid-back world like Serika can be surprised.

“I-I’m sorry for surprising you... But I was worried that Haibara-kun was depressed.”

Shinohara-kun... You’re a good guy!

“You might think you’re unskilled because you’re comparing yourself to Hondo-san,” he continued.

“Yeah. Natsuki, you’re pretty good on the guitar. You’ll get even better when you get used to singing at the same time.”

It is true that the timbre of my guitar sounds dull when Serika’s playing so radiantly next to me. I’ve just restarted, so of course I appear that way when compared to someone who’s been practicing every day like her... I know that, but I still want to be better at the guitar. On that day, I admired Serika’s playing and wanted to become like her.

“In the first place, it was bizarre that you could even last through all of practice today when you were told to come here out of the blue... Hondo-san and Iwano-senpai aren’t regular high school musicians. There’s no point in comparing yourself to them.”

“Shinohara-kun, you’re really good too. I can’t believe a bassist at your level was a leftover,” I replied.

“Ha ha ha... No one was even aware of my existence in the light music club to begin with,” he said, his eyes looking like those of a dead fish, his smile hollow. “And I’m not even good, anyway... My rhythm was all over the place today... Is there any point for a bass that can’t keep the beat to even exist? And here I was finally invited into a band too...” he muttered. The murky aura that drifted out of him overwhelmed even Serika.

“W-We don’t have much time, but I’m sure we can put together a great act,” she said.

Serika’s right. I can sense the potential in this band. At the very least, the other three are extremely skilled. That’s why...I want to practice as much as I can, even alone, so I can catch up to them!

“By the way, did I pass the tryouts?” Shinohara-kun asked.

“Of course, with flying colors. I like your bass. It’s easy to play with,” she replied.

True that. I also got the impression that he’s easy to play with today. It felt like he was supporting my guitar from the shadows. Performing with him is comforting.

“But from now on, we’re going to practice very seriously, just like we did today. Are you okay with that?” Serika asked him, her tone dead serious. She was probing him to see if he had the determination to continue. We’d practiced all day from morning to night; she was implying that today was not a one-off session, but our everyday until the school festival. Could he withstand that?

“That’s fine,” Shinohara-kun answered with a nod. Those words were the only time today I’d heard him speak with tenacity. “H-Hondo-san, when you invited me, I decided I would give this band my everything.”

Serika bought a can of coffee from the vending machine and tossed it at him. “Okay. Then this is to celebrate your initiation.”

Flustered, Shinohara-kun waved his hands in the air and somehow managed to catch the can. He sighed in relief, opened it, and brought it to his mouth, but immediately grimaced and stuck his tongue out. Apparently he was not a fan of black coffee. He sure acts funny.

“Are we okay becoming official like this?” I questioned.

“Ha ha ha... Iwano-senpai promptly left after we finished, though,” Shinohara-kun said.

“That’s normal for him. Our band values individuality by policy,” Serika replied.

“I’m glad we pulled a band together, but what about our name?” I asked.

It was a basic question, but Serika hummed in contemplation. “That’s a hard one... I want a cool name...”

“Should we make it short? Long? Should we use English or Japanese?”

“It’s gotta be in English. I mean, English names sound way cooler,” she said.

“R-Really? There are bands with cool Japanese names too. Like Ling Tosite Sigure, for example,” Shinohara-kun said.

“When it comes to Japanese rock band names, I like The Oral Cigarettes,” she replied.

We enthusiastically discussed band name ideas until an energetic voice called out to us. “Huh? Hey, it’s Natsu and Seri!”

I immediately knew who it was by the way the loud sound reverberated throughout the whole club building.

Uta waved to us as she wiped her sweat off with a towel. It looked like she’d just finished club activities. She was still wearing her practice clothes, which she looked kinda cute in. Basketball clothes were usually loose fitting, but they looked especially baggy on Uta. Also, her practice clothes were black, which looked very different from what she usually wore.

It’s a new overall look—adorable. And not gonna lie, but the way she’s wet with sweat is also sorta...nice. No! Stop thinking about creepy things! Calm down, me.

“Were you guys practicing with your band?” she asked, and then nodded at Shinohara-kun. “Nice to meet you.”

I expected no less from her; people with powerful communication skills were built different. On the other hand, Shinohara-kun, being Shinohara-kun, muttered, “She...noticed me?” He was blown away because he’d been too convinced of his weak presence.

“Yeah. We just finished,” Serika said.

“Wow! You guys stayed this late? Sounds like you’re working hard!”

“Same goes for you, Uta. I’m guessing you just finished practicing yourself, right?”

“Yep! We’re practicing on our own now. The third-years retired, so now’s my chance to become a starter. I need to up my game! I can’t lose to Miorin either!” Uta explained, and then shot a glance at me.

I somehow sensed what she wanted me to say. “You got this, Uta. Drag Miori out of the starting lineup,” I joked.

She beamed at me happily, her white teeth peeking out of her mouth, and saluted. “Roger that!” Her smile was dazzling—the brightest in the world.

“Hey now! What nonsense are you guys spouting?” Miori dribbled a basketball as she walked up to us. She wiped the sweat from her neck with her shirt, putting her ivory skin and belly button in full view. Her beautiful waistline was also exposed.

Nah, I’m not thinking about anything in particular. Miori still acts boyish, so it’s very like her. I just think she should consider her age and get rid of those mannerisms!

“It’s unusual for you to be participating in individual training,” I remarked.

“Oh... I just thought I’d work a little harder, is all.” Miori sniffed. She seemed somewhat embarrassed. A lot of time had passed since the feud that had occurred during the rainy season, so her attitude towards the team had likely changed. “Anyway, looks like it’s true that you two started a band.”

“You doubted us?” I asked.

“Well, yeah. You? In a band? I find that hard to believe, but here you two are with guitars on your back.” She giggled quietly. “I’d like to hear you guys play.”

“If you swing by the second music room, we’ll play for you,” Serika said.

“Really? Then I’ll drop by when I’m free.”

“But Iwano-senpai might get angry,” Serika added. “We don’t mind, though.”

“If you’ve got a scary upperclassman, then maybe I won’t...”

The girls’ basketball club’s adviser noticed our lively conversation. “Hey, you kids. It’s dark already, so hurry on home. Your parents will worry.”

“Okaaay,” we all replied.

“Ahhh, look at that youth,” she muttered and then left.

What’s with her? I figured we would all split here, but then someone tugged on the hem of my shirt.

“Natsu, Seri, wanna walk home together? I’ll change real quick, so wait for me!” Uta said and then swiftly ran back to her club. Miori shrugged and followed after her.

Serika poked my armpit. “Well, lucky you,” she teased sarcastically.

“Shut up. You don’t need to comment; I already know,” I snapped back.

“Excuse me... I’ll be leaving now,” Shinohara-kun mumbled, trying to make haste and get away while he could. I firmly grabbed his shoulder. “H-Haibara-kun?”

“Don’t say that! Let’s go home together, ’kay?” I said. I’m acting like a jock right now, and it feels so wrong. But if I let Shinohara-kun escape here, then the boy-girl ratio will be preposterous! I’m done being the only guy.

“B-But, I think I’d just be a hindrance if I stayed.”

“Of course not. I enjoy talking to you.”

“Huh? Really? Th-This is the first time in my life anyone’s ever said that to me.” Wrought with emotion, tears welled up in Shinohara-kun’s eyes.

I was consumed by guilt. I mean, I wasn’t lying. I feel sympathy for him because he resembles the old me, and his behavior is funny... “Shinohara-kun, what kind of music do you like?” I asked out of curiosity as we waited for Uta and Miori to return.

“If I had to say, I like alt rock and punk rock. You know, songs that are about how youths are discontent with society. They just—how do I put it? It’s like they’re picking a fight with the world. Like they’re trying to leave scars behind... I like music and rock that’s full of passion.”

“Nicely put, Shinohara-kun,” I said, breaking out into an unwitting smile.

“Oh, um, I’m sorry for rambling too long...”

It’s hard to stop talking when someone asks you about a topic you like. I get it ’cause I’m an otaku too. I’m glad to hear his honest opinions, and maybe this means he feels relaxed around me. I think he views me as someone who’s difficult to interact with, so I worried about whether we could become friends, but look—we’re connecting through music.

“What’s your favorite band?” Serika asked curtly.

With a strange lack of hesitation, Shinohara-kun answered, “Sonic Youth.”

“Hell yeah.” She raised her hand.

He cocked his head to the side, puzzled.

“C’mon,” I said, and then grabbed his wrist and raised it up. Serika slapped his hand, and a crisp SMACK resounded through the air.

Shinohara-kun stared at his palm, wearing the face of someone who’d just experienced his first high five. “I... I touched a girl’s hand!”

“Huh? That’s how you react? Creepy...” she remarked.

“I’m sorry! I really am creepy. I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but still, my deepest apologies...” he said rapidly, without taking any breath between words.

Just then, Uta and Miori returned, now changed into their uniforms.

“All righty! Let’s go home! I’m exhausted!” Uta exclaimed.

“You don’t sound very exhausted to me,” Miori whispered. “You’re just happy you bumped into Natsuki.”

“H-Hey! Miorin?! That’s not true at all!”

Not true at all, huh?

Seeing me deflate in sadness, Uta quickly added, “N-No... Um, it’s not that it’s not not-true...” In a rare occurrence, she became quieter with each word.

The club building was bustling with students finished with their activities, so her voice didn’t carry well. A group of upperclassmen from the badminton club chattered noisily as they passed by. They shot a perplexed look at our group because of the way we all awkwardly looked like we wanted to fly the coop, pronto.

Uta flushed to a deep shade of scarlet. “Ah ha ha...” She forced a smile.

“Die... I’ve been burned by the flames of youth... I’m going to die...” Shinohara-kun muttered, lost in his thoughts. Miori shrugged and Serika played the air guitar.

Why?!

“I’m thinking about performing onstage. This is my daily routine.” Her explanation was incomprehensible, but she vigorously rocked out.

I inadvertently looked at Miori, and she smiled wryly. “She’s always like this. Just let her be,” she said and headed towards the entrance.

In her wake followed a strange mix of people as we all walked home together. This group is too darn quirky.

***

On our way home, because of the width of the road, we spontaneously broke into two rows, one consisting of Serika, Shinohara-kun, and Miori, and one with me and Uta. Sandwiched by two gorgeous girls, Shinohara-kun’s eyes darted around. Do your best, man.

“I heard from Seri. You guys are gonna play in the school festival concert, right?” Uta asked.

“Hopefully. That’s what we’re practicing for,” I replied.

“I can’t wait. I’ll wave from the front row!”

“That’d be great. It’ll be hard to perform if the audience is lifeless.” That’s my greatest fear about the concert. If this goes poorly, it might be another entry in my long and dark history of past shame. Ugh, that’s scary... I don’t think I could hype anyone up for the life of me. “Maybe I should practice MCing.”

“Ah ha ha! Good point! You are the vocalist, after all.”

“Ahhh. Ahhh. Hello, I’m the singer, Haibara,” I said, pretending to speak into a microphone. “Please listen to our first song.”

“That was boring! You need to sound more cocky!” Uta grinned widely and smacked me on the back, which led me to smile as well. Whenever I was with her, even the mundane was fun. “So? How’s the band doing?”

“Today was only our first practice with all the members, but everyone was super good. Shinohara-kun over there is the bassist, Iwano-senpai plays the drums, and as you already know, there’s Serika on the guitar—it feels like a miracle that people as skilled as them will play with a newbie like me,” I said. I can’t believe they’re leftovers in the light music club. Skillwise, surely they stand out compared to the other club members? Though they have extremely distinct quirks in return.

“Wow!” Uta said in an upbeat tone, but she noticed my low energy and questioned my glum expression. “That’s...good, right?”

“Yeah. I’m super pumped, but right now...I’m holding them all back.”

“Whaaat? Even though you’re such a great singer?”

“It’s different from karaoke, and I have to play the guitar at the same time. My brain just can’t keep up,” I said. “I need to practice more after I get home.”

Uta regarded me with curiosity. “Natsu... Why’re you working so hard?”

“Why?” I thought for a moment. “Because I really want to put on a great performance?”

“I see,” she said with a nod. She raised a pointer finger and asked, “Hey, you joined the band because Seri invited you, right? I never heard anything about you playing in a band before that.”

“Yeah, if Serika hadn’t invited me, then I probably would’ve never formed a band in my life.”

“Well, y’know... I don’t really see the driving force or, um, what’s motivating you? Of course I can tell you love being in one, though!”

“My driving force, huh?” I murmured. I’ve got plenty of reasons. I admire the timbre of Serika’s guitar, and I’ve always wanted to be in a band. It’s my second opportunity to live out my youth—I don’t want to regret the past anymore. There’s other stuff...but I can’t talk about it here. I definitely don’t have the guts to say it with pride.

Why am I this serious about the band? The answer suddenly came from deep inside my heart. “I want to show people my cool side,” I said. There are people who love me, and I want to become someone worthy of their feelings.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” Uta said in a gentle tone.

“Huh? Oh... Yeah, I’ll be careful.”

“If you go too ham, then you’ll tire yourself out. I’m a little worried because all you’ve been thinking about is the band lately.”

After a beat, I said, “You’re right. I always have tunnel vision whenever I get hooked on something.”

“Y’know, I think you’re plenty cool the way you are right now.”

Her compliment made me genuinely happy; it felt like she was affirming my current self. But, somehow, her consideration felt unlike her. I didn’t have time to decipher why it felt off, though; we had reached an intersection.

“Okay, my home’s this way!” Uta exclaimed loudly, catching the attention of the three in front of us.

“Oh, right. Uta doesn’t take the train,” Serika remarked.

“Yep! Bye, guys! See you tomorrow!” Uta ran off while waving her hands wildly in the air. I watched her go, my eyes drawn to the way she used her small body to seem larger than life.

“She’s a bold one,” Serika said.

Miori nodded. “Yeah.”

“Doesn’t Uta normally ride her bike home?” Serika asked.

Not even I needed it to be spelled out for me why Uta had walked home with us: she’d left her bike at school because she’d wanted to go home with me.

“You really are popular, Haibara-kun,” Shinohara-kun said, staring at me with eyes full of respect. “I... I wish I could be like you too...” He let out an eerie chuckle, which caused Serika and Miori to take a step away from him.

“It’s easier to like someone else than be liked,” I blurted out in a hushed tone. The autumn wind swept my words away, and they disappeared along with the fallen leaves.