Vol 3 Chapter 3 (1/2)
As I emore than a thousand people
The size of the e; and sometimes, bands from toould even use the music hall as a venue for their concerts It was a facility our school was proud of
However, Kagurazaka said this as she sat down in the last row of seats, looking doards with her hands crossed in front of her chest:
”This won't do This venue isn't suitable”
”Why?”
The first-year male student and I asked at the same time He was one of the first-year members of the school festival committee, and had followed us here earlier
”Because we're a rock band!” Chiaki stuck her head out frourazaka-senpai could ”Think back to the chorus contest—the people in the audience couldn't even stand up to enjoy theht?”
I faced the stage and looked at the audience's seats, which were arranged in the shape of a bowl It was just as she said If people in the audience becarossed in the beats of the rock ht careless movement could result in an unfortunate accident, with the audience
”Well, sinceis located in the sports hall, I think it'd much better to hold our performance there”
A month had passed, and the school festival was already drawing close
Because the sports hall and the music hall were both available as venues for the school festival, there wasn't a need to worry about not being able to accoe performances
Well that's only if Senpai and Chiaki don't make any unreasonable requests
”Urm but the sports hall is already booked for the Drama Club's performance and the class performances Moreover, the Karate Club forced themselves onto the schedule just yesterday, as they wanted to do a martial arts performance, so the schedule for that venue is full Can't we just have all the musical performances here?”
The committee member spoke to Senpai in a polite manner, and observed her with a timid look on his face He was probably stuck with the task of following us around till everything was settled, as the festival committee had probably anticipated that the Folk Music Research Club would create soized in ether
”To put it e is the furnace of our passion, and is so I cannot control The audience will definitely jump about in excitee! And if anyone got hurt, it'd be a probleht?”
The coible ”Ah, u-uhh” as Kagurazaka-senpai pressed on She had cleverly turned her selfish request into athe committee ainst certain disaster Senpai's as cunning as ever
”I-I'll discuss it with the rest of the committee”
The co away from us And as I looked at his back, I prayed that he would be luckier in the future
”Oh right, I'll be going to the student council's office for a while,” said Senpai, with her arms crossed in front of her chest
”What for?”
”Obviously to check on the clubs that'll be using the sports hall From here on out, we'll have to be on the lookout for some way to cut into the queue”
Senpai's hair swayed about like the tail feathers of a cuckoo as she ran away I let out a sigh as I watched her disappear She s sloppily, but when she's hatching a ploy or soets serious I wonder what she'll be like when she steps out into society
”Things will be getting busy!”
Said Chiaki in enjoy those busy days, there was no tih the chorus contest had already finished, the sports day was fast approaching, and after that was the school festival Those hectic high school days, filled with all sorts of activities, continued on until November
Chiaki and I were headed to the music preparatory room located at the other end of the corridor There, Mafuyu was looking for pieces that could potentially be used for our perfor hard because of Kagurazaka-senpai's willful words: ”I do not wish to perforroup of interesting people, so I want to try dabbling in classical music”
However, someone at the other end of the corridor spotted Chiaki andtowards us She stopped in front of us and stretched her ar forward The person before us was none other than the music teacher that wore the shortest skirt—Miss Maki
”It's best to leave Mafuyu alone for now”
”Did so happen?”
”Mmm—”
Miss Maki jerked her thumb towards the door of the preparation room There wasn't any need for her to explain any further
Sounds of the piano endlessly flowed from the room
The three of us stood in theto the h the wooden door and swirled around our ears The gentle stae sounded just like the footsteps amid the crowd
” I've heard this piece somewhere”
Chiaki mumbled
”It's <lies>”
It was the twelfth sky's
It was a piano suite that consisted of diverse eles of a deceased friend
Riht about a renaissance of the piece that sti birth to all sorts of different transcriptions of the orchestra pieces I never quite liked that piece, as the original version sounded very crude; and I had never once bought it—however, ed when I heard the sounds of the piano on the other side of the door
But Mafuyu hasn't recorded this piece before I unconsciously walked next to the wooden door and pressed ainst it, to listen attentively to the sounds co froes> typically played by other pianists A slightly depressing atht and skillful tune
It felt as though I could seedown the path in the marketplace
The rapid steps were suddenly interrupted by a thick and heavy chord I was shocked motionless in front of the dark entrance
It was the thirteenth movement—<catacombæ>
The sounds ofreverberated in the cold air
A sense of e sounds of the piano
It was just unbelievable I couldn't believe it, even after hearing it with my own ears
Mafuyu was playing the piano, and she didn't play any single one of the notes wrong
Mafuyu's fingers have really
Not long after, the rays of the setting sun started faintly penetrating through the lingering smell of mildew, bones, death and dust It was
, the fourteenth movement—
Just then, the music from the piano suddenly stopped I pulledof footsteps The door suddenly opened with great force
Mafuyu's face turned red the moment her eyes met mine She said furiously,
”S-Stop listening while you just stand there!”
”Eh, oh, sorry Does that o in and listen?”
” N-No!”
So we can't go in, and we can't stay outside? What do you want us to do then? Mafuyu sla back into the room We then heard the door lock Eh? Hey!
”Why are you locking yourself in the roorab all sorts of musical scores from in there!”
”You can't!”
Why? Does Mafuyu have to get that angry just because someone heard her play the piano? Just as I was about to yell at the door, someone suddenly pulled the back of my collar
”Guee!” I unintentionally let out a strange noise
”You are not to cause a ruckus here Just leave her alone for now”
With that said, Miss Maki began walking towards the stairs, draggingabout wildly, as I was about to asphyxiate Chiaki stared bitterly at the door of the preparatory room for a while, then followed after us
”Actually, Mafuyu has been practicing on the piano in the preparatory room for a few days already, and has always acted the same as she did just now She see at various scores And before I knew it, she was already playing the piano, co my presence next to her”
Miss Maki said that in a low voice at the corner of the stairs Chiaki and I exchanged looks
”Have her fingers really recovered? Is that true?” asked Chiaki
”You two have heard about it already?”
I nodded htly What a perfect perforet to hear Mafuyu's piano again, so I was very surprised when I heard the news froreater when I listened to her performance earlier
”So her iical issues I guess? Because of that, I feel it's still too early to be happy about the recovery of her fingers But in any case, it looks like that girl is planning to return to the embrace of the piano However, because Maestro Ebisaould probably kick up a fuss out of happiness if she were to practice at ho at school for now”
That's because there are still some knots in the relationshi+p between Mafuyu and Ebi+chiri; and irl
Then again, I never thought she would recover to such a state
”Since this is quite a pickle, please do not disturb her for now”
”W-When did Mafuyu start practicing the piano again?”
”Hmm? Last month, I think?”
So it's true she only started practicing after she reunited with Julien, huh? Everything made sense if that was the cause
Even the doctors said we could only wait—and Julien was the one aiting for
Before walking down the stairs, Miss Maki sternly instructed us to not get close to the preparatory roo from inside Then, she left Chiaki and I at the corner I leaned against the stairs
”Mafuyu that's just great”
Chiaki er hearfrom above us
”Are you not happy about it, Nao? Mafuyu can play the piano again, you know?”
”No, I'h I'm happy”
”Speak your mind Come on?”
Chiaki grabbed me by the collar and rattled s
”It's frustrating Even I find e idiot”
”What do you mean?”
All of today, I've just been pulled around by the scruff of my neck When Chiaki questionedin ed because of her reunion with Julien, and about how I couldn't do anything
When I finished telling her everything, Chiaki released me and stared in the direction of the
” Is that so?”
Her restless voice landed at her feet
”So Nao's feeling frustrated because he couldn't do anything for Mafuyu?”
”Mmm yeah”
What's wrong with Chiaki? Her back looked very small
It felt as though she would cry the moment I touched her hands
”That's right—it's painful precisely because the person's right next to us”
It seeht about what she said for a while, and just when I was about to say so back to her, she quickly turned her head around
”Well then, ould you have done back then?”
Chiaki's usual deterreeted my stomach with a solid punch, which landed squarely with a thud Ouch! I staggered back a few steps as I pressed ainst my stomach
” I would've gone back ho=””> beneath my blanket”
”You idiot Listen to it yourself”
This time around, she rewarded my head with a slap What do you want me to do then?
”Do I even have to say it? Practice”
The terinally started out as a jazz ter the combination of the piano, the bass, and the drums These instruments didn't need to perform solo, and instead, only had to ensure that the te went on without a hitch For our band, this was Chiaki and me
The general opinion was that the quality of a band wasn't deteruitarists, but by the rigor of its rhythm section One of the most notable examples would be a band like Green Day