Act 1, Chapter 1: Awakening Of The Frequency

The cherry blossoms bloomed outside Sakuragawa High School, their petals falling like pink snow across the courtyard. Hiroki Yamada straightened his tie, his pulse pounding as he entered the school gates for the first time. A new high school means a fresh start.

No one here knew about his middle school days—the theatrical monologues, the "Dark Lord of Tartarus" character, or that cringe-inducing solo vocal performance of Deftones' Elite with guttural screams that silenced the school festival crowd.

He might be normal today, simply a boy with a guitar and a desire to honor his late brother Kaito's passion for music.

The entrance ceremony stretched on, with remarks praising "youth" and "potential." Hiroki's thoughts turned to Kaito's black-gold custom-made Les Paul, tucked in his bedroom. He could still hear his brother's voice. Let the music scream what you can't scream, Hiroki!

The memories ached, but it drove him ahead. He'd join the Light Music Club, improve his guitar skills, and maybe start singing again. No more theatrics this time; just music.

Class 1-A was a bustle of new faces and nervous chatter. Hiroki slid onto a desk next to the window, hoping to fit in. The homeroom teacher, an enthusiastic woman in glasses, began roll call. He barely listened until a shadow loomed over his desk.

"We have finally met again... Dark Lord of Tartarus."

The voice was quiet, dramatic, and strangely familiar. Hiroki looked up to find a girl on his shoulder with jet-black, shoulder-length, wavy bobbed hair. An eyepatch covered her left turquoise eye, and a bandage encircled her right arm like a gauntlet.

She stood with one hand on her hip and the other grasping a pencil like a blade, her visible eye darkening with rage.

It silenced the class. Everybody's head turned. Hiroki's stomach sank. "Uh…what?" His voice cracked, puzzled.

The girl drew closer, her eyepatch tilting slightly. "Do not move!" she shoved the pencil at him in a dramatic gesture. "Thy crimes shall face the wrath of the Divine Eye, blessed by our gracious Lord and Savior himself!"

Snickers echoed through the classroom. "Is she for real?" The boys in the back whispered. And the girls at the front concealed their giggles.

Hiroki's face burned. Memories poured back: his middle school time, black coat with fake chains, and yelling about "ruling the abyss" at lunch breaks.

He knew this girl. Aoi Mizuno, who declared herself "The Priestess" and challenged him to "duels" in the courtyard since middle school.

Before he could react, Aoi dramatically posed and pushed her pencil's tip into Hiroki's eyes. "Dark Lord of Tartarus, dost thou dare to invade this sanctuary of knowledge with thy vile audacity?" Her snort was bitter. "Thy end is now!"

"Pipe it down, girl!" A joyful voice broke through the turmoil. A girl with a single braided light brown hair and a sparkling smile jumped over. She gripped Aoi's arm and gently lowered the pencil. "It's a first day. Let's not start with... whatever this is."

Aoi blinked, her dramatic aura fading. "The Priestess shall not yield to—"

"Yeah, yeah, super cool magic stuff, got it!" She then winked at Hiroki, unbothered. "You okay, new guy? She's probably just hyped about anime or something."

Hiroki faked a grin; his heart raced. "I'm fine. Just… What the hell is this?"

The homeroom teacher clapped her hands. "Settle down, everyone. Mizuno-san, take your seat."

Aoi huffed, giving Hiroki one last blackened gaze before seating in the front. The class continued its roll call, but Hiroki could feel eyes on him. Great, I'm kinda fucked.

It was only the first day, and a girl with the weird eyepatch already called him out.

***

Lunchtime couldn't arrive soon enough. Hiroki snuck into the vacant stairway, emptying his lunchbox and scrolling through his phone's music library. Muse's Supermassive Black Hole blared through his IEM; the gritty riffs calmed his nerves.

He needed a plan. No more "Dark Lord" bullshit. He'll join the Light Music Club and concentrate on guitar. Full stop!

He strolled through the corridor until a fading banner on a bulletin board drew his attention: "Light Music Club! Join us to rock the globe! Meet us in Room B-12!" The writing was cheery, yet clichéd. The paper crinkled, as if it had been there for years.

Hiroki's pulse accelerated. This was it!

Room B-12 is at the end of a quiet corridor. The door was open, displaying a chaotic interior with small amps, stacked boxes, a drum kit, and posters of classic bands like Nirvana, The Pillows, Ging Nang Boyz, Casiopea, and others on the walls.

A lively girl with long wavy pink hair was playfully banging on the small red Tama kit, her enthusiasm outweighing the rhythm. A lanky boy with slightly messy brown hair tuned an acoustic guitar while groaning, "crappy strings." And in the corner, a girl in a school hoodie rapidly texted on her phone, concealing her face.

The girl with pink hair noticed him first. "Oh, welcome to the Sakuragawa Light Music Club! You play music, new kid?"

Hiroki hesitated, waved, then nodded, "Y-Yeah. Guitar. And… I sing a bit."

"Sweet!" She hopped off the drum throne. "I'm Mika Sato, a second-year drummer and a current club president. That's Sora Nakamura. Second-year too, and our current vice club president." She pointed to him, who offered a faint wave.

"That's Ren Takahashi, a second-year and a keyboard genius. She is shy and prefers to text instead." She pointed at the girl in the school hoodie.

Ren looked up, her eyes barely visible behind her hood, and said in a TTS voice, "Hi."

Sora peered at Hiroki. "Are you any good? We're kinda desperate. If we don't get more members, this club is toast."

The door flung open with a boom before Hiroki could respond. Aoi burst in, her black eyepatch glistening under the fluorescent lights. She then froze in Hiroki's presence. "You… Dark Lord! I knew you were here!" She dramatically pointed her pencil. "I shall stop your blackened reign before this sanctuary of frequency!"

Mika giggled at Aoi's dramatic entrance. "Welcome to the Light Music Club. Enjoy your stay."

Hiroki sighed, setting his bag down. "Look, Aoi, I’m not the Dark Lord anymore. That was middle school. I just want to play music, ok?"

Aoi's gaze blackened. "Thy deception is pointless!" She barked. "The Dark Lord never fades. Thy spirit is still burning with abyssal fire!" She paused, then smirked at the surroundings. "But... the Divine Eye senses a rhythm in you. Prove thy value."

Sora rolled his eyes. "You guys in or what?!"

Hiroki took in the chaos of the room, Mika's enthusiastic grin, Sora's calm demeanor, Ren's quiet presence, and even Aoi's theatricality. It was chaotic, but alive. Something Kaito would have enjoyed, if he were still alive.

Hiroki nodded. "Yes. I'm in." A spark ignited in his chest.

Mika cheered, Ren typed "Yay," and Sora nodded, lending him a spare acoustic guitar. Aoi crossed her arms and murmured, "Testing the Dark Lord's resolve."

Hiroki strummed the chord and plucked each string with precision. He was losing himself in the frequency synesthesia, shattering the glass of mundanity. Perhaps this room, these weirdos, might be his second home. Like a sanctuary.

Aoi's mumbles rang in his ear. The Dark Lord will never disappear. He tried to dismiss it, but a part of him wondered if his former self might resurface—especially with a guitar in his hands.

He strummed the chord for the last time, and the room erupted in light applauses.

"Hey, not bad, kid." Sora nodded with a smirk.

Mika Sato bounced towards Hiroki. "That was something else!" She enthusiastically clasped his hands. "What's your name, kid?"

Hiroki froze, and doubt persisted. "H-Hiroki Yamada… 1st year of 1-A... n-nice to meet you." He averted his gaze slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Hiroki-kun! Your playing was fantastic!" Her ferocious handshake had taken him aback. "Wanna join our band?" Her plea was passionate and almost enticing.

He glanced down. "Uhh… I'd prefer to think about it..." He turned away from Mika's brightening aura.

But suddenly, the school bell rang throughout the hall, signaling the end of lunch break.

"Uhh... maybe next time..." Hiroki sheepishly scratched his back hair.

He dragged Aoi out of the old LMC room with a mounting fear. It would be concerning if some of the students at this school could recall his Dark Lord LARPing from middle school.

His eyes were thundering with rage at Aoi. "What the hell are you thinking in there?!"

"Why?" Aoi stood firm, crossing her arms. "It's obvious that the Dark Lord in you never fades." She grinned.

"Pipe it down!" Hiroki abruptly karate-chopped Aoi's head. It took her aback as she covered her head from the slight pain.

"Don't you ever bring up that shit again!" His breath was hot with a warning.

But Aoi sulked. "You're a coward." She's thought that Hiroki had degraded into more of a sissy boy than she remembered.

"At least I'm not a dumbass like you." Hiroki poked Aoi's cheek in irritation.

Both were returning to Classroom 1-A. They hoped that the new environment would work decently for them. Perhaps that's what they were thinking.