Act 1, Chapter 7: A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Lunch break cast a warm glow across Sakuragawa High, with the cherry blossom trees outside swinging gently. Hiroki emptied his bento while sitting in an empty corner of the school's stairway—a hidden area near the old building, away from the commotion of other students.

Aoi sat beside him, the sunshine piercing the glass. She emptied her juice from a stainless steel bottle, her eyepatch glinting in the light.

The week had been a grind. Hiroki excelled in English, arts, and various social sciences. His passion for music was evident in his assignments. But math, biology, physics, and chemistry was like facing the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Scott Ardennes Villeneuve, the math teacher with a golden retriever charm, had brought him aside yesterday, his usual cheer tempered with a firm warning. "Hiroki, focus on mathematics before riffs, okay? Music won't solve quadratic equations." His warning was like a funeral bell for his passion.

But in PE, he had to dodge Aoi's playful sparring with her "Divine Eye" attacks, driving his fury to the limit. But that earns them a reprimand from Nolan Webber Girling, the jocky sports teacher and LMC adviser. "Save the ninja moves for the stage, you two!"

But today is Friday, and the Light Music Club's first meeting in Room B-12. Hiroki's heart turbocharged as he couldn't stop thinking about rocking with Suede after school.

Aoi set her stainless steel bottle aside, her visible eye narrowing in suspicion. "Art thou feeling it, Dark Lord of Tartarus? A resurgence stirring in thy blackened soul?" Her tone was low but dramatic.

Hiroki groaned and rolled his eyes. "Ugh! What resurgence?! Stop calling me with that crap!"

She leaned forward, her glare insistent and theatrical. "Thou cannot dissemble the Divine Eye of the Priestess! I have witnessed such fire in thee, Dark Lord of Tartarus! It could erupt at any time!"

Hiroki's cheeks reddened. She always knew how to get under his skin, as if her "Divine Eye" could read his mind. "Fine, fine!" he snapped, lifting his hands. "Yes! I feel... awake. Like... more than ever..."

"Spit it out!" Aoi pressed, her voice low and firm.

"I can’t wait to play my guitar at the club later," he responded, hoping to dodge her probing.

But Aoi’s eye narrowed further. "You're lying!" Her accusation was sharp.

"What do you mean, lying?!" he shot back, frustration bubbling.

"I witnessed a rush of blood to your head. It could further disrupt the—"

"Quit it!" Hiroki cutting her off abruptly. But remorse swept over him when Aoi's face flashed with pain behind her chuunibyou mask.

He turned aside, sighing in clarification. "Ugh. Fine. I haven't slept enough in the past three days..."

Aoi let out a wry chuckle, pointing her stainless steel bottle like a scepter in a dramatic pose. "Heh! Is it time for the Dark Lord to acknowledge defeat and turn to our Lord and Savior?"

"Hell nah!" Hiroki snapped, his eyes suddenly softening. "It’s my brother’s guitar. I… can’t stop playing it."

Aoi tilted her head, her dramatic act dropping. "What’s wrong with it?"

Hiroki exhaled, his voice quieter. "Last Tuesday night, Junichi DM'ed me a video."

"What video?" Aoi asked, curiosity piqued.

Hiroki took out his phone, launched the YouTube app, and pressed play on Gate—Live at Minerva High Summer Fest 2019.

Tsuyuki Tsumaki's Telecaster blasted through Muse's Dead Star. His stage theatrics, including standing atop the amp cabinet, leaping, and violent strumming, captivated the audience.

Nolan Webber Girling's Sterling bass thundered, while Scott Ardennes Villeneuve's Tama drumming sounded like artillery.

Lastly, the medley outro of Pendulum's Crush ignited an uproar in the gym, and the piercing feedback howl of Tsuyuki's Telecaster at the end chilled Hiroki's spine.

Aoi's eyes widened. "What... is... that?!" Her theatricality wavered, as if witnessing such an apocalypse.

Even the Gate's aura terrified the priestess. Their raw and frenetic energy transformed a mundane school fair into a riotous rock festival complete with mosh pits. Hiroki grinned and was about to respond, but the school bell rang, shrill and demanding.

"Ugh, we have to get to class!" He pocketed his phone. "Let's talk later."

"Fine…" Aoi swiftly adjusted her eyepatch; her mind was still on Gate's performance.

They dashed back to class, weaving between students returning after lunch.

***

Friday afternoon exploded with enthusiasm, the 3 p.m. bell blasting through the hallways. Hiroki sprang out of his chair in Class 1-A, carrying his school bag over one shoulder and the black-gold Les Paul gig bag on his back.

The classroom emptied as students streamed out with chatter and laughter. But Hiroki fixed his attention on Room B-12, the Light Music Club, where Suede would forge their frequency for the Sakuragawa Halloween Festival.

As he stepped into the corridor, a light tap on his back startled him. He swung around to see Aoi grinning, her eyepatch glinting. "Dark Lord of Tartarus!" Her chuunibyou flair is back in full swing. "The sanctuary of frequency is waiting!"

Hiroki beamed; her excitement infected him. "Yep, me too!"

They fell into pace, each holding guitar gig bags. But Aoi's was smaller, most likely a shorter scale, compared to the hefty Les Paul slung across Hiroki's back.

***

Room B-12 was alive as 10 other first-year LMC members mingled, filling the cramped space with their vibrant laughter and banter.

Surprisingly, the hardcore metalheads of Yakomori—Riku, Daichi, Kenta, and Gojou—were laughing with the easygoing girls of Toriteba—Takane, Mei, Yuna, Hasumi, and Sara—over a shared joke, their typical animosity softened.

Junichi snuggled behind Mika's small Tama drum kit and hammered out a faint rhythm with a sly grin when he noticed Hiroki and Aoi. "Yo, dude! You're here!"

Hiroki noticed the absence of the second-year senpais. "Where's Mika, Sora, and Ren-senpai?" he asked, laying his gig bag down.

Junichi shrugged and casually twirled a drumstick. "Dunno, maybe swamped."

Hiroki grinned and pulled out his phone. "Junichi, I got something to share." He opened BandLab, unveiling a demo track he'd recorded on his Les Paul last Tuesday night.

Junichi's eyes widened in surprise, astonished. "What?! You're recording music?"

Aoi leaned closer, her chuunibyou bursting with astonishment. "Thou forge such vile sorcery? When?!"

Hiroki rubbed his neck sheepishly. "My late brother used to teach me the basics of music production with this beginner-friendly DAW. He ever said to me it's to create a world, rather than just merely playing. I played around with his guitar on Tuesday night after you DM'ed me the Gate's video."

Junichi nodded, almost jumping. "Cool! Let's hear it!"

But the door swung open before Hiroki pushed the play button. Mika, Sora, and Ren entered, carrying files, and seemed overwhelmed.

Mika, the bubbly club president, bowed slightly and announced, "Sorry we're late, guys! We just met with the school council to discuss transferring our clubroom to a larger space and our festival contribution."

The room fell silent as all twelve first-years sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, their eyes on the three second-years.

Sora inspected the group, his gaze warm as he nodded with a smile. "Full attendance? Impressive, kids. Keep it up!"

Mika continued, her tone clear. "Today, we're coaching you on your weaknesses and brainstorming your original songs for the Halloween Festival. We'll divide it... based on our personal tastes, after consulting with our advisor, Girling-sensei."

She sheepishly grinned at Toriteba's circle. "I'm coaching Toriteba! Let's make some nostalgic pop rock songs!" The five girls burst into screeches, overjoyed to have the bubbly club president as their coach. Her upbeat energy complemented their laid-back vibes.

Daichi, the Yakomori lead guitarist, raised his hand. "What about us?"

Sora grinned as he sat in their circle. "You guys with me. Let's crank up that metalcore madness!" The guttural tribal chanting of the Yakomori boys resonated in the room.

But Suede's trio exchanged puzzled glances. Wait, who's coaching us?

Ren, the shy keyboardist, approached Suede's circle with hesitation. She removed her hood to reveal cascading waves of long, wavy, pale blue hair and timid dark pink eyes.

She lifted her hand in a hesitant wave. Junichi's mouth fell in surprise, his eyes wide with disbelief. "R-Ren-senpai?! You're coaching us?"

Ren nodded faintly, her voice barely heard in the room's noise. "Y-yes…"

Mika rose again, briefly clapped her hands. "Attention please! Practice slots are twenty minutes each: Toriteba first, then Yakomori, and lastly Suede. Make it count. If you need extra time, DM Sora—he can set you up in his music studio."

Sora added. "I work part-time as a sound engineer at Studio Boogie. DM me if you're serious."

Mika applauded once more. "Toriteba, you're up. Everyone else, wait outside and brainstorm your songs."

The room emptied, leaving the five Toriteba girls and Mika behind. Yakomori's boys huddled outside, tossing ideas for their thrashing metal song. Whilst Suede huddled in Hiroki's favorite secluded space in the empty staircase near the old building.

For now Hiroki felt a rush of blood to his head.