Before long, the handover was complete.
Hayama Hayato smiled and waved at Sato.
"Nohara, we've still got things to do, so we'll be going now!"
"Yeah, thanks!"
Sato waved back, feeling a little emotional.
Hayama really was a good guy.
Turning around, Sato said to the members of the Light Music Club,
"Everyone, hurry and get ready. We've already wasted too much time."
"Okay!"
The change at the soccer club naturally drew the attention of those nearby. After all, the soccer club was one of the largest clubs in the Private Mixed High School, both in terms of membership and popularity.
Especially after placing well in last year's prefectural tournament, its popularity had grown even further.
However, the soccer club had certain recruitment standards, and not many people actually qualified. Most of its popularity came from Hayama Hayato's outstanding looks. The combination of athletic talent and a handsome face was popular anywhere.
When the girls who had been watching saw the soccer club replaced by another group, they were initially a little disappointed. But the moment they caught sight of Sato, that disappointment disappeared completely.
As long as the replacement was handsome, it didn't matter!
Besides, this was a combination of music and a handsome guy. That felt even rarer than an athletic handsome guy!
The girls watching all had sparkling eyes as they thought so.
"What club is this?"
"No idea, but it's probably some kind of music club."
"What's that senpai's name? He's seriously handsome! I'd only heard that Hayama-senpai from our school was good-looking before, but this senpai doesn't lose to him at all."
The first-year students chattered among themselves while some upperclassmen nearby answered their questions.
"That's second-year Nohara Sato. He's amazing at playing the guitar!"
"That's right! Nohara-kun is actually super popular too. It's just that he doesn't show up as often as Hayama-kun, so not that many people know him."
"But don't get your hopes up about Nohara-kun. He's even more sought after than Hayama-kun."
That only made the new students even more curious.
"Really?"
Someone nodded solemnly.
"Of course. You all know some of the school's famous figures, right?"
"Mhm!"
"Good. Then you should know third-year Yukinoshita-senpai and Kasumigaoka Utaha-senpai, who has already graduated. Neither of them gives boys the time of day, but they're both on very good terms with Nohara-kun!"
"And most importantly, Nohara-kun is incredibly strong! His kendo skills are amazing. Besides that..."
While the Light Music Club continued preparing, the crowd gathered around them grew larger and larger.
There were both freshmen and upperclassmen, all watching expectantly.
Whether it was the Light Music Club's current outfits or the performance they were about to give, both had piqued everyone's interest.
After all, among the many clubs at the school, the Light Music Club was one of the few performance-based clubs. Performances naturally attracted more attention than clubs that simply handed out flyers or displayed trophies.
Within the packed crowd, a petite girl with twin tails was dragged through the people by her friend, squeezing in from the outside with considerable effort.
She glanced helplessly at her friend before curiously looking at the members of the Light Music Club as they tuned their instruments.
"Light Music Club...?" she murmured while looking toward the stage.
The twin-tailed girl was petite and adorable. She had a childlike figure, a flat chest, long dark purple hair tied into twin tails, and large, cute brown eyes.
"Nakano-san!"
Suddenly, Nakano Azusa heard someone calling her from beside her.
She turned around and hesitated for a moment before recalling the other person's name.
"Hirasawa-san."
Hirasawa Ui, her classmate after entering high school.
They hadn't known each other for very long, but they had spoken a few times. She seemed to be a very gentle girl.
"I didn't expect to see you here too, Nakano-san."
Hirasawa Ui walked over with a pleasantly surprised smile.
Nakano Azusa asked curiously,
"What about you, Hirasawa-san?"
She then looked toward the Light Music Club members preparing on stage.
"Are you interested in the Light Music Club?"
If she remembered correctly, Hirasawa Ui hadn't joined a club yet either.
Hirasawa Ui shook her head and looked toward the stage.
"My older sister's up there, so I came to watch with her."
"Huh? Your sister's a member of the Light Music Club?"
The girl standing beside Nakano Azusa asked in surprise.
"Yep! The girl holding the guitar is my sister!"
"Then do you know the name of that senpai with the guitar?"
Realizing that Hirasawa Ui knew the members of the Light Music Club, the girl excitedly asked.
"Huh?"
Hirasawa Ui paused for a moment before softly replying,
"That's Nohara-senpai."
"His full name?"
"Nohara... Sato."
"Sato... What a nice name!"
The girl immediately clasped her hands to her chest, her eyes sparkling as she gazed toward the stage, looking completely enchanted.
Nakano Azusa sighed helplessly.
"Yao, stop acting lovestruck."
The girl called Yao immediately shot back,
"Why shouldn't I? Isn't Nohara-senpai handsome?"
Nakano Azusa was instantly left speechless.
"Ahem."
By this point, the members of the Light Music Club had all taken their positions.
Ritsu stepped to the front to serve as the host.
After clearing her throat twice, she flashed a bright smile.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Ritsu, the president of the Light Music Club. I'm sure I don't need to explain why we're standing here today, so please sit back and enjoy our performance!"
After saying that, Ritsu returned to her position.
Sato looked back and nodded to her.
Ritsu began counting the beat, her drumsticks clicking sharply against each other.
"One! Two! Three!"
"Dun, dun, dun..."
In an instant, energetic music began to fill the air.
At the front of the crowd, the petite twin-tailed girl gazed at the stage with eyes shining brightly.