Act 1, Extra Chapter 5 (Final Extra Chapter): Ray Of Sunshine

Friday, 4:00 PM. The lively hum of Riku Tanaka’s favorite pub in Osaka enveloped the twelve first-year Sakuragawa Light Music Club members. They crowded around a long table, raising glasses of frothy root beer in a mock toast, chugging the fizzy drink with exaggerated gusto, mimicking overworked salarymen drowning their sorrows in lager.

Laughter echoed as they played up the charade, their youth barring them from real alcohol but not from the spirit of celebration.

Hasumi, tasting root beer for the first time, recoiled at the fizziness, setting her glass down with a startled gasp. The group paused, worried if she disliked it, but her eyes lit up with sudden ecstasy.

She grabbed the glass and chugged it empty, a grin spreading across her face. Raised in a strict elite family, she’d never experienced such a carefree drink, and the sensation felt like a small rebellion. The group chuckled, and Sara affectionately patted Hasumi's back, laughing at her audacity. “No need to push yourself, girl!”

Aoi, however, sipped her root beer in a slight and grimaced, the bubbles offending her chuunibyou sensibilities. “This vile elixir from the underworld dares to assault the priestess?!" She dramatically set down the glass, her flair sparking laughter.

Yuna poked her cheek, teasing, “Pipe down, little priestess, it’s just a soda!” Aoi’s mock scowl dissolved into a reluctant grin, her prank knife staying sheathed.

The group settled into lively chatter—school gossip, favorite bands, and dreams of the Sakuragawa Halloween Festival. But Hiroki’s mind drifted, caught in a bittersweet tide. The pub's warm lights and clinking glasses stirred memories of Kaito Yamada's band, Izakaya No Mani, where they shared raucous post-gig hangouts in similar dives, filled with laughter and music.

Kaito’s cocky grin, the band’s laughter, the scent of cheap beer—it all felt so close, yet impossibly distant. The name Shiguri, born from Kaito’s Crimson Shiguri, pulsed in his heart, a promise to carry his brother’s fire forward.

Junichi’s elbow jabbed Hiroki’s waist, snapping him back. “Dude, you know what? I sold my saxophone,” Junichi said, his tone casual but heavy.

Hiroki shot up, his eyes widening in shock. “W-WHAT?!” His shout drew glares from nearby patrons, and Takane hissed, “Pipe down, dude!” The group shushed him, their giggles blending with the ambient chatter.

Hiroki sank back, staring at Junichi. “But why? Didn’t you love playing it?”

Junichi pulled out his phone, showing photos of a shiny new Alesis electric drum set, freshly unboxed and assembled in his bedroom. “That sax was bought with my dad’s gambling money—it cost as much as a new moped. Felt dirty keeping it. So, I sold it, replaced it with this electric drum set on discount price, and donated three-quarters of the cash to charity.”

Hiroki nodded, understanding dawning. Junichi's father, a gambling addict who had left scars, and his mother, battling hereditary cancer, were the driving forces behind his decision to sell his saxophone. Shedding that past, he is also turning tainted money into something good.

“Smart move,” Hiroki said softly, respect in his voice.

Junichi's mood shifted, and a grin spread across his face as he teasingly remarked. "Are you planning to sell that Les Paul?"

“Hell nah!” Hiroki barked, annoyed, clutching the memory of Kaito’s black-gold Les Paul like a lifeline. The group laughed, the tension easing.

The waitress arrived, setting down steaming plates of beef gyudon, edamame, yakitori, and more, the savory aromas filling the air. The first-years dug in, chopsticks clashing as they poked and teased each other.

Mei snatched some edamame from Yuna, who retaliated with a playful snatch. Riku, wearing his gothic cross necklace matching Hasumi’s, raised a skewer like a sword, declaring, “To Hasuriku’s reign!” Hasumi blushed, giggling as the group cheered.

Hiroki chewed his gyudon, his thoughts deepening. The LMC wasn’t just a mere club—it was a family forged in shared pain. Takane’s loss of Kazuki Maeda and her virginity, Riku’s grief for his uncle, Hasumi’s battle to reclaim her will, Junichi’s fractured family, Ren Takahashi’s fight with throat cancer, and more—each carried scars that fueled their music.

Pain birthed creativity, a truth Hiroki felt in his bones. The more they hurt, the brighter they’d burn on stage, their performances a cathartic roar.

But beyond the stage, he saw a larger purpose: to transform Sakuragawa into a place where their pain could blossom into beauty, enriching not only the LMC but the entire school.

A spark of ambition ignited—could he inspire the club, maybe even the whole school, to rise through their struggles like a ray of sunshine?

“Hey, Hiroki, quit daydreaming of your graduating VTuber!” Sara called, tossing a napkin at him. The group laughed, pulling him back to the moment.

He awkwardly grinned, raising his root beer. “To Shiguri, to Hasuriku, and to us!” The glasses clinked, the pub alive with their voices, a family bound by loss and hope.