Chapter 7 (1/2)
Coe of the electric bass is that, unless it's plugged into an electrical source, it can barely be heard
I bought the bass under Kagurazaka-senpai's persuasions and brought it to class the very next day My class” Despite everyone urging ave the excuse, ”But this is a bass, so it can't play any sounds!” and escaped That wouldn't have worked if it were a guitar, so it's great that I had gotten ht inplayed at the hands of Senpai
”But why'd you want a bass?”
A guy asked ht to
”Ah, I've been thinking about it for a while Besides, there's no real need for a reason, right?”
”Hey critic, you better explain it in simpler terms”
”Don't call me a critic!” I took the bass back from the hands of my classmate and placed it back in its cover Actually, there was no way to properly explain it to theh words alone, but for the sake of the reputation of all bassists in the world, I had to co
”The few of you, sit over there”
”Yes, Prof Nao”
”Please don't useyour explanation”
Ugh, they had actually thought of everything prior to uys sat in seiza aroundat a tiht about how I should begin my explanation
” Well then, let's start by recalling Retiree's face”
”Why?”
”Don't ask Just do as I say”
A few of the guys closed their eyes, while the others stared at the ceiling As he looked like a carbon copy of Mito Koumon, it was really easy to recall our tutor's face
”Next, try reoatee off his face Done?”
” Right, done”
”Ah, that looks like Enari Kazuki when he was still young” [TLNote: 江成 和己, japanese actor/host/comedian]
”Enari is still young, alright?”
”Right right Next, iine Retiree without hair”
”Prof Nao, is there any ical test or so?”
”You'll know soon enough How is it? Can you guys iine it?”
”I can, but isn't Retiree's hair quite robust?”
”Cooatee, it's still easier to remove his hair”
”And here's the last step Reine what he looks like”
Everyone's face was showing an expression like, ”Eh?”
”What do you mean?”
”I don't understand!”
”What do you mean by contours? The ears and stuff?”
”No, not that It's reine his eyes, nose and ine that”
My classmates moaned sounds of ”Hmm, hers against their temples, while others pulled their hair out
” Can't, it's impossible It's pointless if you remove the contours of his face!”
”No matter how hard I try, that round head of his always appears in my mind”
”Try harder You're always proudly declaring, 'In my mind, I'ravure idols, regardless of who they are!' right?”
Uruys don't have to try that hard, you know?
They struggled for about twoup, and with that, I presented by case,
”Now, interpreting that exercise in a musical context, the bass is like the contours of a face to me Understand now?”
My audience still looked very confused
”It's just like how you guys can iuitars or even without other instruments, but not without the bass Similarly, I can't quite explain why the bass is that important to me”
”I see”
”Strange It feels like I understand what he's trying to say, but, at the same time, I don't”
So do you guys get it or not? Then again, it'd be disturbing if you guys did, because I was just spouting nonsense
”But Prof Nao's really impressive You have the potential to succeed the arts of your father”
”There's no way I'll be inheriting that!” Why must I allow myself to be told that by my classmates?
And with that, the preparatory bell rang At the same time, the backdoor of the class—the door closest to the rear of my desk—opened
Mafuyu stood by the door Her line of sight first landed on uys, then shi+fted to the guitar cover in ed
” Move”
A soft and cold word fro to my nonsense, to move out of her path Oi oi, don't coo back to your seats already!
”Prof Nao” One of the guys brought his face right next to mine and whispered, ”Is that it? Is Ebisawa the reason you picked up the bass?”
”Eh? W-What?” My voice becae
”You've been going to the courtyard frequently these days, right?”
”I see, so he'll be able to get close to her with that bass of his? That's quite smart of you, Prof!”
The guys stole peeks at Mafuyu's face Don't gossip when you guys are that close to her!
Because of Mafuyu's hostile attitude, just two days after she transferred here, nearly all the girls in the class had becouys seemed to mind, and actually continued to worry about her The ones who showed her the e wereto another classroo theuys
The guys always gathering aroundit for the same reason Guys are really stupid
”Oh right, Ebisawa”
One of the brave fellas turned around and spoke to Mafuyu Mafuyu shi+fted her gaze from her textbook to his face and slowly said, ”Please do not call me by my surname”
”Then—Mafuyu”
”Don't call ”
”Mafuyu called uished”
”Don't worry, your face isn't as disgusting as you think”
”Right, ?”
Move so of which, she did mention it on her very first day here, but does she really hate her surnaiven the circumstances of the situation back then But why? Did soive her the nickna? [TLNote: Manzai, traditional style of stand-up comedy in japanese culture (for those who do not read Onii-ai here) Just like Ebi+chiri, Ebimayo's a parody of her name, which means mayonnaise prawns]
”So Ebisawa plays in a band too? Will your piano teacher be uitar?”
As he was talking to her with an unyielding spirit, the side profile of Mafuyu froze
”Then again, you're really good atyour time, since you can practice two different instruments at once”
”She should be practicing at the sauess? Since the pieces are the same”
”How's that possible!”
Mafuyu shi+fted her sight back to the textbook However, I noticed her gaze was slightly blank
”How did you people know?” As she spoke with her head hanging low, the guys gradually quieted down
”Urm Well”
”You've been practicing in the courtyard after school, right? We can hear you all the time”
”Ah, it's really famous! Everyone knows about it”
Mafuyu suddenly stood up Her lips were trereen
”I could be heard this entire time?”
Oh, shi+t She didn't know? As I turned sullen to brace myself for what may transpire, I softly interrupted,
”Well I didn't tell you this, but the soundproofing of that classrooaps around the door”
Mafuyu's face becahostly white in an instant, then turned red Her lips were tre nonstop
I hugged my head and laid it onfist, but all I heard was the sound of footsteps running away fro
An uncomfortable silence shrouded the whole Third Class of First Year
I lifted azes were saying I was responsible for all that
” Nao, what are you waiting for? Chase her!”
The guy who had lost his reason to live because Mafuyu found hi, said that to me coldly
”Why me?”
”Because you're in charge of Mafuyu!” Class-rep Terada said that for soirls around her nodded their heads in unison with a ”Mhe? What's with that?
”Get , before the lessons start! Hurry!”
I had no idea what they were planning, but there's so in this world known as the at that's hard to resist Caught up in it, I stood up from my seat
When I exited the classroo Chiaki as she ran towards me
”What are you doing? I saw Ebisawa not too long ago”
”Where did she go?”