Harucchi the Rock (1)

The bell chimed, signaling the end of classes for the day. Haru shoved his books into his bag and quickly got up to leave, until Koichi and Daichi both blocked his way.

“Yo, where have you been going lately? I thought we were part of the ‘going home club’, but you’ve been leaving us out.”

Daichi had a firm grip on Haru’s shoulders, while Koichi lifted Haru’s chin with one hand and a flirtatious grin. They both pressed him for an answer. It was now Haru’s move.

“Just a few places to visit. Didn’t want to drag you guys along to something random.”

A glint flared in Daichi’s eyes. He slipped to Haru’s side and wrapped him up with one arm, flashing him a hearty grin.

“Random is what being a high schooler is all about. I have my soccer in the morning. Koichi rocks out at night. You-, I guess you sleep during those times. But! The afternoon is our time to hang out!”

“Or perhaps…,” Koichi butted in, “you’ve found someone else to share that time with.”

Daichi and Haru turned to Koichi, and then, they followed his side eye across the classroom. Haru panicked at Koichi’s gaze homing on Kasumi and her friends.

“Hey… that’s the girl that chatted us up at the cake place, isn’t it?” Daichi whispered, ending with a chuckle.

“I happened to see the two of them exiting the aquarium together while on a date myself.”

“Woah, seriously?! Let’s gooooo!”

Haru raised his hands in defense quickly before things got out of hand.

“What, no! She just tagged along. I owed her a favor, a plushie from the gift shop.”

“Who drops so much for a ginormous plushie if they aren’t interested?” Koichi drew the size of it in the air with his arms.

Koichi wasn’t taking that for an excuse, and neither was Daichi. Haru hadn’t thought too much about it because he was rich, but 6970 yen was a lot for a ‘friendly gift’.

“Look, I just randomly bumped into her, talked about flowers for a bit, and then, she coerced me into buying her a stuffed animal! Excuse me for being taken advantaged of.”

His two friends fell silent for a moment, gawking at him speechless.

“You like flowers?”

“You like flowers?”

Haru smacked himself. But at least, it seemed like he had diverted the conversation. He only needed one more push in the right direction.

“A-ny-ways! I’m free today. Let’s go somewhere. Hmm. Hmm?”

His two friends nodded, giving up for the moment, as afternoon plans took precedence.

#####

A short walk later, the three friends ended up at the local arcade, each of them positioned at a favorite machine that suited their style.

Daichi was dual wielding plastic light guns, dramatically firing upon hordes of zombies that filled up the screen before invisible bullets sent them flying. The clacking chambers of the fake guns added to the adrenaline rush he was feeling as he became a one-man army traversing the apocalyptic wasteland of The Shooting of the Dead.

Further in, Koichi was a master DJ of his craft, his fingers a blur as he tapped the cascade of notes that dropped down the screen. Given his musical talent, it was hard to tell if he needed the visual aid due to the shades he sported. At the end of the song, a melody of triumph along with ‘SS’ flashed on the screen. Instantly, ‘DJ Kochiming” was at the top of the daily leaderboards of Slapmania DX.

Haru was busy with his own battle. A countdown sounded before a set of six buttons lit up on a giant board. In a single blink, hands converged on them, leading to others lighting up randomly.

Haru rolled his body side to side, jabbing at the buttons with deadly accuracy. It was a whack-a-mole type of game called Speed of Sonic. As the score quickly racked up, Haru was proving himself to ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.’ Before the timer hit the single digits of time remaining, the entire game suddenly flared up in a frenzy; a score of 999 had been achieved, the maximum one could get.

Stepping off the platform, Haru felt like a champion. He bowed at the fanfare and laughed like a maniac on a power trip. Clapping followed up his charade. A few bystanders in the arcade marveled at his prowess.

“Witness my ninja-like reflexes! I am a god before mor- UGH!”

Haru crumpled as a play ball, presumably obtained at the prize counter, slammed into his gut. It bounced back, right into the hands of a cheeky Daichi.

“Some god you are! Can’t even block a Hadouken launched by mortal hands!”

“I shall play your last rites, oh chosen one.” Koichi played along, grabbing a pair of drumsticks off the Taiko machine and delivering a beat worthy of a climactic battle.

Daichi and Haru both looked up dramatically. Of course, that meant only one thing between these friends – an arcade throw down.

Moments later, Haru and Daichi had each swiped a credit for the newly-arrived MoJo pose game. It was only fair that they duked it out through peak masculine body gestures.

However, it soon became clear halfway into the first set that Haru had a big advantage. His body swayed with perfect rhythm into fabulous poses while Daichi’s movements languished behind the indicators on the screen.

Despite being less athletic than Daichi, Haru was used to copying things from Yestube. Whether it was song covers on his guitar or anime dance follow-alongs, Haru shamelessly became a master of body control, practiced in the comfort of his own room. He wouldn’t be beat by a complete amateur!

At the end of the challenge, Daichi was left sprawled on the ground. Haru walked right up to him and planted his foot on his stomach, parading his victory.

“If-If you’d only… find better use… for those talents…,” Daichi said between gasps.

“Ha! I am Harucchi, jack of all gaming, master of ‘no life’!”

“And so proud of such a pointless title.” Koichi placed a hand on Haru’s shoulder, guiding him off before helping Daichi up. “But seriously, it wouldn’t hurt for you to broaden out a bit. Talents are only useful if they are used.”

Haru was about to fall into his normal routine of waving such things off. But then, Grace came to mind, particularly her lullaby. He wondered if she had an interest in music. There was only one way to find out. He stopped Koichi, who had started to walk away.

“Wait, bring me along today. I’ll jam with you.”

#####

Later that evening, Koichi and Haru stood before a private studio that had been rented for practice. It was a small place, nearby and on the cheap side, but perfect for an amateur band looking to mess around.

Haru went home to grab his guitar before meeting back up with his friend. He knew that Koichi had scrounged up some fellow lovers of rock over the internet to form the unit BUST, but he had never met them in person.

After all, it seemed like ‘being in a band’ was something too social for Haru, too ambitious for his whimsical dabbling of play-by-the-ear music. As Koichi opened the door and beckoned him in, Haru spotted three people waiting inside.

A skinhead with shades idly tapped on the symbols. He was dressed nicely like he had come back from an event. It wouldn’t have been out of place if he had a cigarette in his mouth, but smoking apparently wasn’t allowed. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement at Haru’s arrival.

A teenager with spiked hair and casual clothing was plugging in his keyboard. A metal piercing hung on the corner of his mouth, making him look slightly intimidating. But then, he gave a hearty wave that dispelled any venom.

And then, there was a guy sprawled upon a couch. His face was covered by a hat, as if he had nodded off. Haru grew nervous as he spotted tattoos running down both his arms. But then, he popped up sleepily and shot him a dopey expression. Yet another oddity to the bunch.

Combined with Koichi, this group occasionally played at live houses. Haru’s first impressions started spiraling out of control as he nervously gripped his guitar case. Cold feet were edging him back towards the door.

“Hey guys, I brought along a newbie. Gonna switch it up to bass for the session so we can feel him out.”

As if that was the cue, the others slowly got into position. That casual statement had fastened a lock on the exit. Now, Haru had no choice but to join in as he fumbled around to set up his guitar. Seeing Haru struggle to break the ice, Koichi strummed on his bass guitar to ease the mood.

“Alright, since Harucchi here doesn’t know how we jam, how about we give him something familiar so that he can jump in whenever he’s ready?”

Drumsticks tapped, a hand traced down the keys, and a voice warmed up through the mic. And then, the room erupted into song.

Haru looked between each of the members, trying to process what was going on, but then, he noticed the track they were playing.

“Hey, wait! What the frick? This is an ani-song!”

Koichi looked at him and winked, beckoning him to join in. That was all Haru needed for his pick to move into place and weave his notes into theirs. He closed his eyes, and he was back in the comfort of his room, as if the music was simply coming from his speakers.

One song ended, and the group switched to another one, also familiar. Haru had no time to think as his instincts took over, the muscle memory built up to shred through a guitar solo done many times before. Opening his eyes, the members of BUST were all smiles. And as they ended this song and slipped into another anime tune, Haru realized something.

The air of unfamiliarity had been created by his own bubble. Any intimidation he felt was his own perception. But once the music started, Haru was certain; they were all ‘dorks at heart’. They had to be, given the eclectic tunes that Haru happened to know as well. Or maybe, Koichi had set him up.

He eyed Koichi, who was strumming his bass guitar right next to him, like they were having a duet. His face had an obvious, ‘I told you so,’ shit-eating grin.

Of course, Koichi would know what crowd Haru fit in. They had been friends for ages. All it took was for a little push for Haru to show off what he could really do.

It made him feel welcome. It made him want to show off. To Koichi. To his friends. To Grace.

Haru vibed with the music, losing all track of time as he had a blast. And when he looked up again, a crowd was before him, cheering him on. Their joyous cries echoed across the venue as notes magically shot from his guitar and hovered high above.

A fountain of sparks flew, and spotlights zipped across the stage. And in the audience, Grace sat upon a cloud floating above the mosh pit. She had a curious expression upon her, smiling despite being dropped in such a setting.

Grace… wait, why the hell is Grace here?!

The music abruptly stopped as he panicked. And as he turned around, the flat of a guitar slammed into his face.

Haru opened his eyes to see Koichi over him, somewhat concerned. A lingering pain came from his cheek, the sting of being slapped awake. He was back in the studio, the members of BUST crowded around with strange looks. With his jaw agape, he turned back to Koichi.