After a long stretch of work, the clubroom was finally spotless. A clean environment always brought a sense of comfort.
"Phew…"
Everyone sat down in their seats and let out a long breath. Kotobuki Tsumugi brought over freshly brewed tea and placed it in front of everyone.
"Please enjoy."
"Thank you!"
The elegant white porcelain cups were filled with bright red tea. Wisps of fragrance drifted through the air, rich and soothing, enough to make one relax.
The summer sunlight streamed into the clubroom, its bright, scorching rays shining onto the floor. The reflected light filled the room with warmth.
"Mmm, this feels great!"
Yuigahama Yui suddenly stretched, her face showing a look of comfort and satisfaction.
As she raised her arms to greet the sunlight, her chest naturally became more pronounced. The fullness was especially eye-catching, almost making one worry that the tight buttons might pop open.
"Ahem."
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at Yuigahama Yui, then cleared her throat and shot a glare at a certain two boys who had been sneaking glances.
Her expression didn't look too good, her gaze repeatedly drifting toward Yui's chest.
That girl… at least show a little restraint.
"Hm? Yukinon, what's wrong? Does your throat hurt?"
Yuigahama Yui turned her head and looked at her innocently. That confused yet concerned gaze made it impossible for Yukinoshita Yukino to get angry.
"N-no, it's nothing…"
Yukinoshita Yukino calmed herself and replied calmly, though there was a hint of helplessness.
"It kind of feels like things are back to normal."
Ritsu held her cup, blowing gently across the surface to disperse the faint steam before taking a sip.
Feeling the warmth of the tea and its sweet aroma, she smacked her lips in satisfaction.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Kotobuki Tsumugi smiled gently as she refilled Ritsu's cup.
Leisurely, carefree, without worries… this kind of life was truly enviable.
The girls of the Light Music Club all wore faint smiles, holding their tea as they enjoyed their pleasant afternoon.
Sato looked at the scene, opening his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he closed it again without speaking.
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at him, then suddenly spoke, "If I remember correctly…"
Everyone turned to look at her, including Hikigaya Hachiman, who was sitting far away.
He was alone in the corner, refusing to come closer no matter what, as if he were afraid of some terrifying beast.
There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong people. It could only be said that Hikigaya Hachiman truly lived up to the nickname "antisocial guy" given to him by Yuigahama Yui.
Yukinoshita Yukino paused, then looked at the Light Music Club members and said slowly, "The Light Music Club is supposed to perform at the upcoming school festival, right? Judging from how things look now, you should already be fully prepared, correct?"
As her words fell, the room became eerily silent.
The girls of the Light Music Club blinked at her, and the atmosphere in the room instantly turned strange.
"What's wrong?"
Yukinoshita Yukino blinked as well, sensing that something was off. This didn't seem to match what she had expected.
Clatter!
(K-on) Yui's teacup suddenly fell onto the table, warm tea spilling everywhere.
But she seemed completely unaware, staring blankly as she muttered, "How… do I play the guitar again?"
Mio, sitting beside her, hurriedly tried to clean up the mess. Hearing her words, her headache only worsened, and she exclaimed, "Yui! Are you serious?!"
"I-is everything okay?!"
Yuigahama Yui quickly went to help.
"Yui, don't tell me you've just been playing around since the training camp and forgot to practice?!"
Ritsu jumped to her feet and shouted at Yui, her face full of disbelief.
If that was true… how much did Yui even remember now?!
In an instant, the previously calm situation descended into chaos.
Seeing this, Sato covered his face.
What is this even supposed to be…
No, rather, this was actually within expectations.
…
A few minutes later, the chaos was cleaned up.
In the instrument area, the members of the Light Music Club stood in their positions with their instruments. As the lead vocalist, Yui stood at the front, with Sato and Mio behind her.
"Yui, are you okay?"
"No problem! I've remembered a lot already!"
Yui gave Sato a thumbs-up, raising her brows with a confident expression that said, just trust me!
Is this really… okay?
Hearing her assurance, both Sato and the others felt uneasy. Yui was usually airheaded and was the group's beloved mascot, but the word reliable had nothing to do with her.
Even Ritsu was far more dependable than her.
Huh?
Ritsu suddenly looked up at the others, feeling a bit uneasy. For some reason, she felt like a wave of mArisu had just come her way.
Sometimes, a girl's intuition was surprisingly accurate.
Yukinoshita Yukino stood in front of the Light Music Club members with her arms crossed, examining them. Her gaze sharpened in an instant.
With her composed and commanding presence, one could almost believe she was a music director overseeing a recording.
Yukinoshita Yukino was always reliable.
This was practically a shared understanding among everyone.
"Is everyone ready?"
Sato slung his guitar over his shoulder and turned to ask. After everyone nodded, he took a deep breath and gave a nod to Ritsu.
"Fuwa Fuwa Time" started with Ritsu setting the rhythm, so the signal naturally came from her.
"One! Two!"
Ritsu struck her drumsticks as she called out.
Clash! Clash!
As the brisk rhythm began, Sato quickly strummed his guitar, following her tempo.
Yui was a bit slower, but she managed to catch up.
However, judging by her flustered expression while her hands moved on their own, Sato suspected this was mostly muscle memory at work.
Still, at least she hadn't completely forgotten…
Just as he let out a sigh of relief, he and the others quickly noticed something was off.
Soon, the music came to an abrupt stop. Everyone lowered their instruments and looked at Yui.
She scratched her head awkwardly, looking a bit silly as she cautiously glanced at everyone and said hesitantly,
"I… forgot how to sing."
Everyone: "…"