Act 1, Chapter 9: Own Little World

Hiroki was sinking in his own little world, working on Suede's original song. His fingers flew across the frets of his black-gold Les Paul, connected to his Zoom AMS-22.

Aoi and Junichi chatted with Ren, their voices blending in with the muffled chaos of Yakomori's metalcore practice; their guttural screams and high-gain distortion echoed in the corridor.

Ren's text-to-speech broke through. "Our time’s almost here. Shall we wait by the door?" Her synthetic voice was calm but urgent.

"On it, Ren-senpai!" Junichi stood up, packing the borrowed drumsticks with a grin.

The group moved toward Room B-12’s entrance with Hiroki slinging his gig bag over his back.

***

At the club's front door, five Toriteba girls—Takane Yuzuriha, Mei Hashimoto, Yuna Aoki, Hasumi Sakakibara, and Sara Fujimoto—sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor, laughing with their coach senpai, Mika Sato.

Their laid-back vibes are ideal for nostalgic pop rock, complementing Mika's upbeat spirit. But they nonetheless face harsh teaching from the club president to be more serious about music production.

Inside, Yakomori's metal onslaught raged on, with Riku, Daichi, and Kenta's screams layered over Gojou's thundering drumming, guided by Sora's gritty coaching.

Hiroki knew and aimed to bridge worlds—hard-hitting, deep, but still accessible.

As Suede circled around, Takane Yuzuriha skipped over them, her eyes sparkling with bubbly enthusiasm. "Hey, hey! You're Hiroki Yamada, right?"

Her quick appearance astonished him. "Uh, yeah?"

"Sweet! We’re in the same class, you know?" Takane grinned widely, crouching to meet his eyes. "Your guitar playing at the audition? So cool!" She clenched her fists, squealing in ecstasy. "Aaaahhhh~~~! Please teach me, Yamada-sensei~~~!"

Hiroki's cheeks flushed, her enthusiasm overwhelming. "Stop calling me that!" Behind Takane, the other Toriteba girls grinned, their eyes twinkling with mischief. What's their deal?! He wondered.

He glanced at Mika. "Mika-senpai, didn't you teach them DAW basics?" He hoped she'd discipline her juniors.

Mika giggled with a slight desperation and scratched her back hair. "Yeah... they're still figuring it out. Slow learners, but they'll get there."

Hiroki sighed. "What do you want, Yuzuriha-san?"

"Hiroki-kun, are you free after school?" Her eyes shone like a pistol star. "Let's visit the best ramen place nearby!" Her tone was upbeat.

Before he could react, Aoi's eyes furrowed with a flickering frustration. She stood and grasped Takane's hand with a blackened gaze. "Thou cretin, dare to encroach on the Dark Lord's territory? Impressive audacity."

Hiroki grumbled at Aoi's furious reaction. "Aoi, don't—"

Takane tilted her head, confused by Aoi's sudden grasp. "Um... excuse me?"

Aoi’s grip tightened; her chuunibyou was in overdrive. "The Dark Lord of Tartarus is not one to trifle with! He’ll rip thy flesh, spill thy blood, and shatter thy skull to ashes! Thou wilt drown in his very abyss."

Aoi tightened her hold, and her chuunibyou went into overdrive. "The Dark Lord of Tartarus is not to be trifled with! He will shred thy flesh, bleed thee dry, and shatter thy damned skull to ashes! Thou shalt drown in his abyss."

Hiroki crouched and covered his ears. "Aaaagh! Enough, Aoi!" Her theatrics were his humiliation ritual.

But worse, the Toriteba girls' smirks turned into frowns. Takane's eyes welled up, and her lip trembled with agony. "But... I was just being kind... "

Mei pointed at Hiroki sarcastically. "Uh-huh, real classy, making a girl cry."

"You got it wrong!" Hiroki snapped at their accusation. "It’s Aoi’s fault!" He pointed to Aoi.

Sara jabbed a drumstick at him. "What’s ya problem, dude? That’s how you talk to a girl?!" Her gyaru flair darkened with disdain.

Aoi unsheathed her pencil and pointed it at Takane. "Lay your filthy eyes off the Dark Lord, lest thou perish like a fool!"
Hiroki's patience snapped. "That is it!" He karate-chopped Aoi's forehead and grabbed her arm.

"Sorry, girls, Aoi is acting weird. Gotta fix this!" He dragged her to a quiet corner of the corridor, leaving the Toriteba girls to comfort a teary Takane.

***

In the empty corridor, Hiroki repeatedly karate-chopped Aoi's forehead and retorted. "What's the deal?! Takane was just being friendly! But you ruined it with your chuunibyou bullshit!"

Aoi rubbed her forehead, crouching in pain. "Don't be stupid! The priestess... sensed an invasion." She pouted in frustration.

Hiroki groaned and rubbed his temples. "She's not invading. She's just excited. Look, we're a band. We must prioritize teamwork over scaring others. Pipe your ego down, will you?!"
Aoi paused, then nodded quietly. "Fine. I shall restrain my divine wrath... for now."

Hiroki slightly smiled. "Good. Let's prepare for our slot."

***

Hiroki's heart raced as he returned to the LMC room's front door after his stressful exchange with Aoi. Her chuunibyou outburst had caused a scene, and he couldn't let it continue.

He saw Toriteba's girls still comforting a tearful Takane; he took a deep breath and bowed low, forcing her to follow. "We truly apologize for our tomfoolery," his voice earnest.

The girls from Toriteba glared, their arms crossed. Sara snapped. "What do you want, huh? Lookin' for trouble?" Her gyaru flair darkened.

Hiroki straightened, clearing his throat. "Yuzuriha-san, you asked me to hang out after school, right?" The girls nodded in unison, still wary.

Hiroki exhaled. "I’ll do it."

Takane's tears abruptly dried up as relief washed over her; her face broke into its usual brightness. She surged forward and clasped his hands. "Aaaaahhh, thank you, Yamada-sensei! Thank you soooooo much!" She fiercely shook his hands, her excitement overwhelming.

Hiroki turned away, annoyed. "Stop calling me that!"

Before things got out of hand, Sora flung open the door to Room B-12. "Suede! You're up!" Yakomori's members, Riku Tanaka, Daichi Sato, Kenta Mori, and Gojou Komaki, walked out with laughter about their practice, gig bags draped over their shoulders.

Sora raised his voice. "But don't go home yet, everyone. After Suede's session, gather in B-12 for a surprise. Stay put!"

All first-years nodded, filled with curiosity. Suede's trio and Ren-senpai entered the clubroom with eagerness.

***

Room B-12 seemed renovated and spacious. The area shone with new paint and organized gear, a far cry from its former state of dusty chaos, like a newly polished gem.

Junichi eagerly nestled behind Mika's small Tama kit, the crisp sound of the snare, resonant toms, shimmering cymbals, and booming kicks filling the room with each quick, precise smack. Hiroki unzipped his black-gold Les Paul, while Aoi set her 3/4 Yamaha nylon gig bag on the couch.

He plugged it into the club's practice amp, attached his trusty G1X Four, and set up his signature high-gain JCM 800 patch, inspired by Muse's Matthew Bellamy. A test strum vibrated his body with blaring and crisp distortion that resonated in the room.

Junichi and Hiroki were ready, but Aoi frowned as she scanned the room. "Shame, there's no bass here. How can I shake the very abyss?!" She dramatically clenched her fist.

Ren's text-to-speech responded. "Sorry, Aoki-san's still practicing with the club's bass."

Aoi's shoulders dropped, and her chuunibyou flair faded. "Feels like entering a battlefield unarmed..."

Sora barged in, cutting through Aoi's disappointment. "Aoi, you’re a bassist, right?"

She nodded, her voice falling flat. "Yeah… feels naked without an axe."

"Hold on." Sora dashed to the storage room, returning with a dusty gig bag. "Here."

Hiroki’s eyes widened at the size. A guitar gig bag? But she needs a bass! But as Aoi unzipped it, the gig bag revealed a weathered black Ibanez GSRM20B short-scale bass, a stark contrast to Sora’s walnut brown one.

Her jaw's dropped. "Wait… this…"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Same model as my brown GSRM20B, but it's my unused backup. Small, lightweight, but supermassive tone! Perfect for you." He pointed at her.

Aoi lifted the bass, its featherlight build ideal for her petite frame. Before she could process it, Sora added, "It’s yours."

Aoi froze, eyes wide open. "W-what?!"

Sora pointed at the bass. "I’m giving it to you. You need it." He then pulled out a red Zoom B1X Four multi-effect pedal from the gig bag. "And also, use this. It's my old one, before I replaced it with my B3n. It’ll make your bass growl like mine." His smile was earnest.

Aoi’s eyes flicked to the surroundings, uncertainty lingering. "B-but… the priestess does not accept such bribery!"

Ren patted her shoulder, her TTS reassuring. "It's alright, Aoi. It’s a game-changer."

Junichi interjected, his enthusiasm growing. "Dude, you’re lucky! If he says so, then take it!"

Ren’s text-to-speech agreed and added. "Don’t be shy. It’s for your own good. You want to play a bass, right?"

Aoi's uncertainty suddenly dissipated; everyone was supporting her. She shook Sora’s hand, her voice soft with gratitude and disbelief. "Thanks… Sora Nakamura-senpai."

Sora plugged the old B1X Four into a practice bass amp and handed Aoi the GSRM20B. She strapped it up, plucking a string. A thunderous, fuzzy tone erupted, echoing Muse's Christopher Wolstenholme.

Her eyes lit up, and she bobbed her head along with the bass intro of Hysteria. Hiroki joined in, riffing the song on his Les Paul. And Junichi pounded the Tama kit to match the rhythm.

Sora stepped toward the door. "If there's no objections, I’ll see you in twenty minutes."

The trio locked in, and their instruments came alive. Hiroki's guitar blared, Aoi's bass growled, and Junichi's drums drove the beat. Lost in their own little world, their passion resonated in the air.