I plucked the bass’s open string once.
I turned the tuning peg so the letter on the connected tuner becomes “E,” then plucked it again.
That, over and over.
“No way, Sumimi is on M-furo1 today! I wanted to watch them~”
“Do you know we have the actual performance tomorrow? We still haven't run through it properly even once.”
“If someone had shown up for practice, we could have done it, though~”
“...I’ll cover the entire studio rental fee.”
“Huh, no, hey, you don't have to go that far!"
Inside RiNG’s studio, Anon-chan’s voice echoed.
Because the issue with the new song’s arrangement kept dragging on, Taki-chan didn’t come to practice. So, Anon-chan and Tomori-chan went to bright her back. Not only Taki-chan, but they also brought Raana-chan back with them. It seems that both Taki-chan and the other one have somehow regained their motivation.
——Honestly, I don’t know if I should be happy about that.
"It doesn't matter, right? It's not like you lost anything."
"No... Seriously, Rikki, did you hit your head when you fell over?"
“…I just thought that, for someone who had accused others of running away, such behaviour was unacceptable.”
"So serious~~~!"
I was really glad Taki-chan had come back.
But after that, Taki-chan’s attitude toward Anon-chan seemed, somehow, just slightly softer.
“Taki-chan, Anon-chan… do you need a bandage…?”
“Eh…!”
Tomori-chan too.
I had thought she was just chasing after Anon-chan who had run away, but before I knew it, they had returned with strengthened resolve.
Knowing how delicate Tomori-chan is, I thought Anon-chan was only as close to her as an ordinary classmate.
However, far from there being any distance between them, I could even sense a closeness between them.
“Thanks~! But I’m okay! She just put one on me earlier.”
“…! I’m glad.”
Taki-chan and Tomori-chan are both CRYCHIC.
And yet, before I realised it, they’d stepped into places I didn’t want them to enter.
“No, I—!?”
A thunderous guitar roar cut off Taki-chan’s words.
“Not yet?”
Raana-chan. I still didn’t understand this girl very well.
“Just wait a little longer.”
“Ah, come to think of it, what ended up happening with the arrangement?”
“Ah—…”
As if she couldn’t wait any longer, Raana-chan beside me striked the guitar again.
What had just been chords gradually shifted into an arrangement.
“So good~”
“...I've decided. The stray cat's guitar should be here after all.'”
“Well, yeah, that’s true~”
I tuned the third string to an A.
When tightening a loose string, it sometimes made a creaking sound.
“I mean either way it’s difficult—”
“You’re still saying that?”
“Heh.”
Raana-chan was also increasing her presence, in a different way from Anon-chan. In her case, it's her overwhelming guitar skill.
At least Taki-chan was already taking Raana-chan into account. The fact that Anon-chan was a beginner, and thus didn't have an instrument that could aim for the melody like Saki-chan, was likely a major factor too.
But — Is this momentarily necessary for now?
“Ah, Anon-chan’s guitar… I want to hear it…!”
“Uu, thank you~”
“……”
“Uh, um…?”
“…Stray cat. You’re staring at Tomori too much. You’re scaring her.”
“What an interesting girl.”
“!?”
“There it is! What’s that supposed to mean?”
“? It means an interesting girl.”
“No, I mean like~…”
For some reason, Raana-chan liked Tomori-chan.
Tomori-chan looked bewildered, but it didn’t seem like she hated it that much.
I finished tuning the second string to D.
Different people, different sounds.
By exposing to those, Taki-chan and Tomori-chan were drifting away from CRYCHIC.
A band with guitar-focused sound, different from CRYCHIC.
Lyrics that think of someone other than CRYCHIC.
The formation. The members.
Surely, even their feelings toward music.
The more you compare, the more you understand how they are different.
"Soyo, does your tuning still take time?"
——But.
“…Yeah, just a little more.”
I turned the peg and tightened the first string.
I didn’t want to blame Taki-chan and Tomori-chan.
Because surely, they’re hurt.
Because on that rainy day, everything had been completely lost.
And a big hole was still left in their hearts.
“Crap, I also haven’t finished yet!”
“Hurry up. … Is Tomori okay?”
“Yeah…!”
“Aren’t we doing the Band thing yet?”
“Sorry, I said I’m sorry~”
Squeak, Squeak.
Trying to fill it with what’s in front of them was unavoidable.
After all, everyone was uneasy without a place to belong.
Because they couldn’t forget CRYCHIC.
That’s why whatever they encountered at this time just looked dazzling to them.
It’s okay, rest assured.
We could make it work. We could put it back the way it had been.
So, we could spend those fun days again.
Squeak, Squeak.
When tomorrow’s live is over, I’ll talk to Anon-chan and Raana-chan.
That we in CRYCHIC had been through a lot, but deep down we’re bound by a strong bond.
That right now, we’re just out of sync.
That we wanted to start over. That everyone desired this.
That, for everyone’s sake, the two of them and the rest of us should walk different paths.
I’m sure they’ll understand.
I didn’t dislike either of them. If anything, I'm grateful.
Thanks to them, we were able to make it back this far.
However, we already had prior commitments, and the timing was not right.
That’s truly all it is.
So, at least, we must make this liveshow a good one for the two of them as well.
One where they’re showered with attention and think it’s fun—something like that.
Since it's the last time for them, that kind of memory is better, right?
Squeak, Squeak.
And when everything has settled down.
Next time, properly, the five of us, all together… We will support each other.
If someone has worries, we’ll talk it out.
If there’s something we can do, we’ll help out.
If someone’s in trouble, this time we’ll reach out.
Tomori-chan's vocals.
Mutsumi-chan's guitar.
Taki-chan's drums.
Saki-chan's keyboard.
A band that cannot be complete if anyone is missing.
Our precious, special, irreplaceable place to belong.
“Sorry for the wait. I'm ready.”
Only that is real, that is the undeniable truth.
That is how we were meant to be.