The next day, the sisters followed their classmates into a bright room filled with instruments—pianos against the wall, drums stacked in the corner, shelves of flutes, violins, and recorders. The air smelled faintly of wood and polish.
Mika's eyes widened instantly. "Ooooh! Look at all the toys!"
"They're instruments, not toys," Sayo corrected, though her own ears flicked curiously at the polished piano.
Nari crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Tch. Don't expect me to sing. I'm not making a fool of myself in front of the class."
Yua quietly clutched her bag, her eyes drawn to the rows of violins. She didn't say anything, but her tail flicked nervously.
The music teacher, a cheerful man with glasses, clapped his hands. "Welcome, everyone! Today we'll test your voices and see what instruments you're comfortable with. Music is about expressing yourself—so don't be shy!"
---
The Singing Test
One by one, students were asked to sing a line of a simple song.
Mika stepped up eagerly, grinning. "Watch this!" She belted the line with way too much energy, completely off-key but loud enough to rattle the windows.
The class burst into laughter.
The teacher chuckled. "Enthusiasm, ten out of ten. Pitch… well, we'll work on that."
Nari rolled her eyes. "You call that singing? Let me show you how it's done." She sang the line with a surprisingly smooth voice—sharp and powerful. The class fell quiet, then clapped.
Mika's jaw dropped. "HEY! Since when can you sing like that?!"
"I told you I don't like embarrassing myself," Nari smirked. "Doesn't mean I can't do it."
Sayo's turn came next. Her voice was calm, steady, almost formal, like she was reciting poetry. It wasn't flashy, but it carried grace.
"Very disciplined," the teacher nodded. "A solid foundation."
Finally, Yua's turn. She froze, clutching her skirt. "I-I… I can't…"
"You can," Sayo whispered encouragingly.
"Just try," Mika said with a grin. "Even if it's squeaky, I'll cheer the loudest."
Yua closed her eyes, took a shaky breath… and sang softly. Her voice was quiet, trembling at first, but then it smoothed into something pure and clear, like sunlight filtering through glass. The room went silent, spellbound.
When she finished, the teacher actually clapped. "Beautiful. Truly beautiful."
Yua flushed scarlet and hid behind her hair, but her sisters' proud smiles made her tail swish happily.
---
Instrument Trials
After singing, the students were allowed to explore instruments.
Mika immediately grabbed a pair of drumsticks and started banging on the drums with chaotic energy.
"BOOM! BAM! TATATATA!"
The teacher winced. "Mika, maybe… softer."
"Sorry, I was born to rock!" Mika declared, hair flying as she drummed wildly.
Nari picked up an electric guitar, strumming a few heavy chords with natural confidence. "This suits me better."
Sayo sat at the piano, her fingers pressing deliberate, careful notes. Her playing wasn't flashy, but every sound was clean and precise.
And Yua, hesitating at first, finally lifted a violin from its case. When she drew the bow across the strings, a gentle, trembling melody filled the air. Rough, unpracticed—but delicate and full of promise.
The teacher beamed. "Excellent. Each of you has found something that fits your spirit."
---
When class ended, the sisters walked out together.
Mika was still drumming on her thighs. "I'm gonna start a band! I'll be the wild drummer!"
"You'll break the drums before we get one song out," Nari muttered, though her fingers still twitched like she wanted to play more guitar.
Sayo adjusted her cardigan. "Music requires balance. A band needs order."
"…I liked the violin," Yua whispered. Her sisters turned to look at her. She smiled shyly. "…Maybe we could… all play together?"
For a moment, none of them argued. Their tails swayed in quiet harmony as they imagined it—four sisters, one song.