Act 1, Chapter 15: 1 Week Go To Hell

The stage was set.

The frequency has awakened.

The noise shall deafen the sanctuary.

Yakomori's four boys stood in a power stance, ready to unleash their own melodic metalcore beast. Riku, Daichi, and Kenta all strummed open strings. The high-gain distortion from their multi-effects jump scared the audiences.

Riku grasped the mic. "WE ARE YAKOMORI!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS UP, YOU TWATS?!" His guttural scream shook the walls as he flipped a middle finger.

Yuna covered her ears and groaned, and Sara threw up double devil horns, laughing with her tongue out. Some girls jokingly threw devil horns. However, Suede trio stood quiet.

Daichi grabbed the mic. "FEEL OUR TORTURE DEVICE!!! IT’S 1 WEEK GO TO HELL!!!" His banshee scream pierced the wall, grinning wickedly as he did a thumb-slash across his throat.

Yuna fired back with a mock scream, rolling her eyes. The room buzzed as Gojou slammed the open hi-hat four times with an exaggerated pose.

"Go!" Riku roared.

The song exploded with a big bang. Gojou’s drumming was groovy yet relentless to drive the track. Riku, Daichi, and Kenta’s chugging chords locked in; their downpicking matched the beat.

Gojou then launched a death metal-style fill—snarling snares and thumping double kicks—as the others matched his ferocity, their instruments screaming in unison.

The first verse hit hard. Riku's guttural screams blasted the mic as he fiercely downstroked his Jackson King V. Daichi's layered harmonic chords added complexity to the music; his fry screams added a sinister edge.

Riku, Daichi, and Kenta halted to shout in unison. The groove then returned, accompanied by syncopated headbanging. Junichi slowly tapped his foot, caught the contagious energy, and faintly air-drummed to mimic Gojou's technique.

The second verse ramped up. Gojou’s death metal drumming pushed the tempo to a brutal edge. Riku, Daichi, and Kenta’s downpicking grew fiercer, their screams blending into a chaotic harmony.

Toriteba's girls, who are generally skeptical, started cheering. Some were giggling as the boys struck exaggerated crab stances while chugging down the breakdown part, their frowns more comedic than intimidating.

The chorus arrived with a melodic shift that stunned the audience in place. Gojou slowed to a thumping groove, hammering cymbals and double kicks with precision. Riku’s power chords anchored the melody with an emotional snarl in his singing.

Daichi’s banshee screams wove in with a sinister edge. And Kenta’s distorted bassline thrummed steadily, his gritty, choir-like backing vocals adding depth.

1 Week Go to Hell!
We're just getting on!
Something died inside me, but it’s not just my heart!

1 Week Go to Hell!
We have seen it all!
Something died inside us with no point of return!

Hiroki was awestruck by Yakomori's metalcore inspirations. A blend of Bullet for My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold's demonic element, and Spiritbox's melodic flair. The chorus' emotions weighed him hard, perhaps echoing Riku's earlier anguish over the loss of his late uncle.

Then came a sudden halt. Gojou’s cymbals rang into the silence. Riku flipped his multi-effect to a clean, modulated tone, singing the chorus softly, his voice trembling with vulnerability. Daichi and Kenta slowed their playing, their notes gentle yet haunting.

Toriteba’s girls screamed in delight, the shift catching them off guard. Hiroki’s eyes were wide open, his mind looping the catchy, heart-wrenching chorus, the emotional lyrics resonating with a personal experience, his expression a mix of nostalgia and melancholy.

Gojou struck the hi-hat four times, signaling a return to chaos. The final chorus roared back, full force. Riku’s chords thundered, Daichi’s harmonics screeched, and Kenta’s bass growled. The room vibrated with their energy, sending shivers down the audience's spines with the raw power of their performance.

Riku launched into an epic guitar solo, his Jackson King V wailing, and abused the multi-effects' expression pedal for a searing wah sound—Matthew Tuck’s precision meets James Hetfield’s grit.

Even Daichi joined, his red Schecter unleashing a demonic harmony solo, channeling Zacky Vengeance. Gojou shifted to a punk-rock drum groove, fueling the duel. The room erupted in cheers as Riku and Daichi traded licks, a battle of raw skill.

The song closed with a supernova. Riku, Daichi, and Kenta screamed, "1 Week Go to Hell!" one last time, their gutturals shaking the walls.

Gojou’s drum solo exploded—snarling snares, pounding toms, relentless kicks, and crashing cymbals. Daichi’s outro harmonic solo wailed, Kenta slammed all four bass strings, and Riku let his guitar’s open strings ring.

Gojou’s final cymbal crash echoed as the trio raised their instruments like battle trophies with blood, throwing up devil horns.

Toriteba’s girls leapt to their feet, screaming and clapping. Suede’s trio joined in, Hiroki clapping with a jaw drop, Aoi nodding silently, and Junichi raising his devil horn.

Yakomori’s 1 Week Go to Hell was an infernal, emotional juggernaut, setting a high bar for Suede’s Death Homesick and Toriteba’s unfinished track.

***

Studio room B-6 still reverberated with the aftershocks of Yakomori’s infernal debut of 1 Week Go to Hell. The melodic metalcore anthem had blasted through the wall like a storm, blending raw fury with haunting melancholy.

Yakomori’s four boys stood on the small stage, their instruments still humming, grinning at the unexpected polished performance. Riku, Daichi, Kenta, and Gojou huddled by the mic, laughing among themselves, their brash stage personas dissolving into goofy camaraderie.

"How was it, guys?" Riku asked, chuckling.

The room exploded again. Toriteba's girls and Suede's trio erupted in applause, the atmosphere like a roller coaster—brute rage in the verses, contemplative sorrow in the chorus.

Riku met Hiroki's gaze with astonishment. "Hold on. That chorus—was it about your late uncle?" Hiroki asked.

The room went silent, the air becoming heavy with contemplation. Riku's face darkened, his fingers gripped the guitar's neck like a drowning man clutching a lifeline. He stepped to the mic. "Yeah. He died in the military during the Senkaku Island conflict." His words weighed the air.

A murmur rippled through the group. Riku’s gaze swept the room, his usual bravado replaced by vulnerability. "I think the twelve of us have something in common, right? Losing someone important in our lives."

The gathering gently nodded their heads with a shared understanding. Hiroki's chest clenched. But it wasn't just him. Takane's loss of Kazuki, Riku's uncle, and who knows what else these twelve first-year students were hiding. Their original songs were a reminder of their inner turmoil, allowing each member to face their personal demons in the darkness.

Riku cleared his throat, shaking off the mourning section. "Anyway, who’s next?"

Yuna groaned. "Ugh! We’re not ready yet!"

"Girl! Grow some fucking spines!" Kenta teased.

Riku’s eyes locked onto Suede, a grin spreading. "Suede, are you ready?"

Hiroki stepped forward, his heart racing but his resolve firm. He adjusted his glasses and nodded. "It’s time."

He clasped Riku’s hand in a firm, macho handshake, a silent pact that Suede was ready to take the stage.

In Hiroki's mind, performing felt like facing a video game boss on hard difficulty: one mistake could be fatal, but the thrill was worth it. Aoi adjusted her eyepatch, her Ibanez bass was ready, and Junichi twirled his sticks with determination. Death Homesick was still in development, but it was infused with their personal pain.

"Good luck!" Riku smiled as he stepped back, giving Suede the stage.

The room buzzed with anticipation. Toriteba’s girls settled in; their earlier conflict with Aoi was a distant memory. Yakomori’s boys joined with Toriteba, ready to judge.

Suede's moment had arrived. Their shadows of the past shall blacken the room.