Practice Room—
"Hitori-chan, here is today's setlist and the sheet music."
"By the way, how is your singing?"
Ijichi Nijika picked up the sheet music that had originally been prepared for Kita Ikuyo, along with the printed setlist, and handed them to Gotou Hitori while posing another crucial question.
Gotou Hitori accepted the papers, her eyes instinctively scanning the notes. Upon hearing Ijichi Nijika's inquiry, she quickly looked up, waving her hands in frantic denial. "I can't… My singing is terrible!"
Just the thought of standing on stage as a guitarist was enough to make her scalp tingle. Adding the role of vocalist into the mix would undoubtedly trigger an immediate spiritual ascension—not to mention her actual singing ability was far from professional, only suitable for private self-entertainment…
"So… we don't have a vocalist now?" Sensing the implications, Gotou Hitori asked softly.
"Mhm. The vocalist was originally supposed to be the guitarist as well."
Ijichi Nijika folded her arms, resting a finger thoughtfully against her fair cheek, her expression tinged with distress. "This is quite troublesome now…"
"If there's no vocalist, then we can only perform as an instrumental band," Yamada Ryo stated calmly from the sidelines. It was difficult to tell whether her internal state was as placid as her tone.
Hearing her words, a certain figure involuntarily surfaced in Gotou Hitori's mind. If he were the vocalist, there would definitely be no problem. However, she was not the type to easily impose on others, so she remained silent.
Ijichi Nijika, by nature a profoundly optimistic person, allowed herself only a few seconds of visible worry before her spirits visibly lifted. She offered a bright, carefree smile. "Well, there's no helping it… Being able to perform at all today is already a stroke of good luck."
"Hitori-chan, please familiarize yourself with the sheet music first. We'll run through it together in a little while." She directed her encouraging gaze toward Gotou Hitori.
"Hai!" Gotou Hitori responded, pushing aside other distracting thoughts and lowering her head to focus intently on the sheet music in her hands.
***
Outside the practice room—
Kasumigaoka Touji and the others had purchased drinks and settled around a small table, their attention fixed on a program list for the evening's event. The list had been obtained from the concession stand.
The upcoming performance featured five bands and a total of twenty-five songs, though one band was slated for only a single song.
"Kessoku Band…"
"The band Gotou-san has joined should be this one, right?"
Kumin Tsuyuri pointed a finger at the name listed as the opening act. This was also the only song credited to Kessoku Band on the list.
"If nothing unexpected happens…"
"Probably so."
After all, compared to more established, mature bands, it was already an accomplishment for a band comprised entirely of high school students to secure a stage slot. The identity of this particular band was rather obvious!
"They're first up."
"Mhm."
"The opening act usually carries the responsibility of warming up the crowd as well."
Kato Megumi offered her observation in a soft voice.
Kumin Tsuyuri glanced at her, blinked, and said, "Then I hope they can manage to warm up the crowd…"
"That might be rather difficult."
Kasumigaoka Touji picked up the thread, speaking from a place of pragmatic assessment. "A good band requires ample practice and time to develop chemistry… Moreover, the current Gotou-san doesn't yet possess the courage to face an audience directly."
"Furthermore—"
"It's still debatable whether this particular song can effectively stir the audience's emotions."
Kasumigaoka Touji's gaze lingered on the program list, fixed specifically on the title of the song Kessoku Band was scheduled to perform. He hadn't heard this song before, so he couldn't judge its quality, but according to Ijichi Nijika's description, it was supposedly a relatively simple rock piece.
However, if it were performed as a purely instrumental track, as in the original timeline, that would definitely not suffice! Moreover, in that original scenario, the trio had made quite a number of mistakes during their performance…
"What if Onii-chan were to join them?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly spoke up, her eyes shifting meaningfully toward Kasumigaoka Touji.
Kasumigaoka Touji was momentarily taken aback. He looked at her, then crossed one arm over his chest, bringing his other hand up to thoughtfully pinch his chin. "That's hard to say…"
"However, if they were to change the song they're performing, then I'm quite confident I could help warm up the crowd!"
****
Inside the practice room—
After attempting a run-through together, as the final notes faded, both Ijichi Nijika and Yamada Ryo turned to look at Gotou Hitori with expressions that were difficult to describe. They exchanged a brief glance and let out simultaneous sighs.
"She plays terribly!"
"Yeah!"
"…!?"
Their blunt assessment struck Gotou Hitori with critical damage. She was also somewhat incredulous.
'Do I really play that terribly?'
'No way!'
Gotou Hitori felt she had played decently. Sure, there had been mistakes due to nerves, but was it really bad enough to be labeled "terrible"? Her guitar skills had received plenty of praise online, and she had already amassed thirty thousand followers…
"Is this Hitori-chan's first time playing with others?"
"In a band, matching the rhythm and feel of your bandmates is extremely important," Yamada Ryo raised a hand, pinpointing the core issue.
"Exactly, exactly!"
Ijichi Nijika nodded vigorously in agreement from beside her. "A band is a single entity. You can't just play in your own world. You have to coordinate and harmonize with your teammates."
"…"
Hearing their explanations, Gotou Hitori understood. It was true—during the practice, she had indeed been playing in isolation, completely disconnected from her bandmates. It was mainly due to overwhelming nervousness; in her desperate desire to play well, her mind had become singularly focused on the sheet music, and before she knew it, she had retreated entirely into her own musical bubble.
In Gotou Hitori's mind, a personified 'Guitar-kun' materialized, scolding her loudly—
'Someone who doesn't know how to collaborate with others, no matter how skilled they are, is even less significant than a water flea in the context of a band!'
"I… I am plankton Gotou! Even less significant than a water flea…"
The socially and musically isolated Gotou Hitori collapsed directly onto the floor, physically embodying a piece of drifting plankton.
"There it is! That act, just like those unpopular stand-up comedians!"
Ijichi Nijika raised a finger, pointing accusingly at Gotou Hitori's prostrate form and loudly retorting. She immediately regretted it, however, as the humiliated Gotou Hitori, seeking refuge, promptly crawled inside a nearby, thankfully empty, trash can.
"No, don't do that! Hitori-chan, I'm sorry! It's my fault! I shouldn't have said that…"
"After all, it's our first time playing together, so it's only natural we haven't built chemistry yet. We just need to practice more!"
Feeling she had gone too far, Ijichi Nijika quickly rushed over to the trash can to apologize and coax the girl out.
Yamada Ryo, standing with her arms crossed, offered two noncommittal "Hmm-hmm" sounds from the side, indicating her agreement with Nijika's conciliatory words.
"I… I'm sorry… I really can't do it!" The self-isolated girl inside the trash can hugged her knees tightly, curling into a fetal position.
"Don't give up so quickly!"
"We still have some time! Let's just practice more! From now on, as long as we focus on matching each other's rhythm, we'll definitely improve!"
"Even if you say that…"
"Please!"
"Even if you beg me, I still can't do it…!"
Knowing her own limitations all too well, Gotou Hitori was certain she absolutely could not achieve the necessary coordination with them in such a short time. This wasn't arrogance—it was stark self-awareness!
"Wah—! Please, I'm begging you! Just come out first!"
An increasingly anxious Ijichi Nijika began vigorously shaking the trash can.
Gotou Hitori, feeling dizzy from the violent motion, finally popped out like a dazed mole emerging from its hole. Her eyes spun in dizzy circles as she began babbling nonsense: "T-to-today, please… just go home first!"
"This is my home!!" Ijichi Nijika couldn't help but retort for the second time that day, a wave of exasperation washing over her. How much do you like my live house, really?! If you like it that much, then let's work hard together, girl!
"O-oh, right!" As if suddenly struck by a brilliant—or desperate—idea, Gotou Hitori raised a hand, cutting off whatever Ijichi Nijika was about to say next. She spoke rapidly, her words tumbling out in a rush. "How about… how about we find someone else?!"
"I know someone! Someone who can play guitar… and can also be the vocalist…"
Worn down and cornered, Gotou Hitori began to 'sell out' a potential teammate. In her current state, this was the only solution she could muster…