The three of them entered the club room that they stuffed with the instruments the school provided them with. Akuji, still wearing her wig and on complete disguise, captured everyone's attention the moment she stepped inside because her presence was too remarkable. She was a beauty, and the way she held herself was perfection- a stance of someone who loved the atmosphere of practice rooms.
"W-who are you?" a person who seemed to be a junior high school because of the uniform approached her, but the moment he saw Kuu's hands holding hers, he turned down and left with a sad face.
"Why did you bring me here?" Akuji asked him as she tried to hide behind his back, trembling as she was surrounded with new people.
"I want to introduce you to the band that would audition as well for the Prevail High official members. These are all students who got recommendations from the teachers." Kuu told her and smiled, as Akuji looked at the people.
"P-people who got recommendations? Where is Yelda?" Akuji asked, finding someone missing among the people, because she told Murase to recommend Yelda instead of herself.
"Ah, she hasn't confirmed yet." Camie said and ran towards the microphone that was reserved for her. Kuu held the both of her arms and introduced the band members.
"That person right there is Ash- she's a vocalist. That blue-eyed person right there is Ameh- the violinist. Benedict, the spiky haired one with the weird violet eyes will be playing the guitar, and Cedric there- the one with the neon green weird hair is on the Vocals as well! Ivan- that scary looking punk- don't misunderstand- he's not a delinquent- he's responsible for flute- then- ah! that's David, on bass." Kuu introduced excitedly and the sleeves of his hoodie that overlapped his hands were drawn on his face as he hid his mouth after realizing how obvious his admiration for Akuji was.
"Wait, if there's already a guitarist, what would you play?" Akuji asked, remembering that Kuu was the official guitarist of Prevail High. She looked at him with clueless eyes but the latter was too absorbed in his new band. "K-kota?"
"Ah, sorry. Yes? Could you please repeat what you said?" Kuu said and gave her all his attention.
"What instrument are you playing?" Akuji asked and watched him smile as the other members were looking at them, or at Akuji alone.
"I'm on keyboard. I really wanted drums in the first place but that Josef blackmailed me to not give me anymore photos if I don't agree." Kuu said as he pouted, "Aww!" and Josef appeared behind his back and spanked him.
"Shut up you." Josef said, but he recognized Akuji right away and acknowledged her by nodding to her. "Yo, Akuji-san."
"H-hi." Akuji answered and turned to Kuu and whispered. "What's his name again?" And Josef became down in an instant.
"Josef." Kuu replied and Akuji turned to smile at him in return. Josef reciprocated the smile and left them to invade the drum set. "Want to stay for practice?"
"That- I – ah-"
"Pretty please?"
Kuu's act of being cute caught Akuji helpless. She couldn't resist the creature in front of her at all because of his charms unbeknownst to her. In the end, Akuji agreed with a sigh, and Kuu gave her a seat in the corner of the room. The other members did not mind her being on the room because now they have an audience as beautiful as her that what did that to them was give them the motivation to play their very best. Akuji glanced at the board behind them and pondered the words listed there; and she suddenly gasped as a familiar set of words was written on the board- with Camie's name beside it; meaning that the words there were actual song titles. She was about to ask them what that song was- but Camie just smiled at her as the person who was called David distributed music sheets.
Surge of emotions riled her up that she wanted to throw up and leave the room immediately. That song was bad news- it was a total mess- it was something that Camie would never want to sing- because that song was the one that destroyed her beloved group… that song was…
"My… my composition. Why is it there? Why-"
Akuji's head hurt just remembering how the composition looked like- how it looks like- its colors- and her feelings when she wrote it. That song was supposed to be their debut song that never was released because everyone eventually left.
"Hey- what's this song? It's hard- and I've never heard of it." Ben asked them and they all looked at Camie. He played its introduction in his electric guitar and figured that it was an upbeat EDM and new rave type of music.
"Wah- it's amazing! You should really go with this, Camie! It will surely ensure our victory- and from what I heard- this is just the first test to be a part of the official band- so this will be a great step!" David said and went to his bass. Kuu looked at the music sheet and smiled at himself for he recognized the song right away.
"It's an amazing song after all." Kuu said and immediately played the piece on his keyboard without even looking at the sheet. "I didn't know that this music is a song."
"Hey- do you know this song already?" Ameh asked and figured how her sound would be if her violin will be used for the song.
"I also know who wrote this." Kuu said and winked at Akuji, whose heart was nearing to explosion every moment she spent on the music room. David also gave her the sheet; the moment she looked at it, she realized that Camie did not change anything on the arrangement- and it was a photocopy of that handwritten sheet she made when she was still a trainee.
"Really?" Ivan asked, but they all traced Kuu's gaze onto Akuji- and they saw her name at the edge of the last page. They all looked at her with amazement and tried to interview her, but Kuu leapt to them the moment he sensed that she was uncomfortable.
"We'll play it perfectly!" Cedric said and went to his microphone.
But their practice was a complete mess. The tempo was off, the vocalists were having a hard time singing, and their synchronization was a bit shaky; but Akuji knew that the band was aware of it.
"Hey! That is not how you play that song. You are ruining it."
Everyone flinched as aggravated footsteps entered their room. Little did they know that they were being heard at the entire floor and Mr. Murase decided to go and tell them to stop because that song was precious to him. He doesn't want Akuji to listen to such odd music- especially the one she personally composed- and he entered the room, leaving every person silent.
"I have a midi of that song. Wait a minute." Mr. Murase said and connected his phone to the speaker. He quietly searched for the midi in his songs and played it. The entire band, including Akuji was enthralled as they visualized themselves playing the song that was meant for a girl idol group. "Good choice, Camie- but please, make this work- sound like the best musicians because I don't want the composer to feel bad listening to you. I regard that composer very highly."
However, a coughing broke the silence, and they all pointed out to someone at the corner. Murase didn't particularly cared, but he greeted the person without looking at her- but he turned with a second glance to the straight-haired person and realized who it was.
"A-akuji. How long have you been there?" Murase asked but Akuji just smiled awkwardly, making him turn to the band. "The composer must be very sad listening to that- excuse me."
Murase left their club with red face after not realizing that he said those words out loud in front of his students. He went to the other rooms and checked that all of them were doing great, but he was constantly bugged by the sound he just heard. Apparently, he remembered the freshmen Shiro and Suzuka and imagined the four of them- Akuji and Camie included- in a band, and he smiled at himself. If only Akuji would sing again- but she recommended Yelda- who never wanted to sing or do music at all- but he trusted Akuji that much that he went ahead and recommended someone he doesn't know.
He entered the freshmen band after calming himself down because of what happened a while ago and he was surprised that they already finished their line-up and they all decided to rearrange them to fit for the concert. The battle of the bands, which will be held at the open field at the night of the school festival was the round one of their venture towards becoming the official members of the band. As a challenge, Murase gave each band one song composed by Akuji. He went out of the room as he finished lecturing them and prepared to go to the Senior band.
"Sir, may I have a moment?"
"AHH! Why you-"
"I-I'm sorry sir!"
What surprised Murase was the now disguise-free Akuji who removed her wig as she waited for him to come out of the freshmen band. Akuji looked to nervous to be there because she didn't want to be seen. Murase settled down and sighed.
"You have been shocking me this day." Murase said and told her to walk with him. "Why were you in the club room?"
"Kuu dragged me there that I didn't have the chance to flee because I also wanted to see if Yelda would be there- which she isn't… sadly." Akuji asked as they climbed the stairs towards the third floor. Each group was practicing at separate floors to not interfere with each other's sounds, but they can already hear the senior practicing.
"So, Camie specifically wanted to sing that song." Murase said, trying to suppress his own smile because he wanted Akuji to come back to music, and Camie's decision was spot-on that he knew he needed to praise her later.
"Which you arranged, back then. I know they'll do a great job since they are under your supervision. But can I talk to you about Yelda, sir?" Akuji answered, suddenly bringing up the person Murase recommended.
"Is Yelda really a great singer?" Murase asked and turned to Akuji as they approached the door leading to the seniors. Akuji looked at him with her piercing green eyes and smiled.
"I don't know, but I know she likes music very much. Her speaking voice is so beautiful as well that I can't help but think that her singing voice is excellent. I hope you give her a chance because I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make her dream come true." The image of Yelda suddenly came to her mind and her dream of filling an entire coliseum with people like them echoed in her mind that she smiled at herself, then at Murase, who pondered.
[Ah, now I have one way to convince her to come back.]
Murase hid his smile and nodded at Akuji. "I'll wait for her then. Good luck at your attempt to convince her. Do you want to go with me inside?" Murase asked, gesturing her the door.
"I need to go to Yelda, sir, I'll have to pass. Ah- she's still at our clubroom at this hour. I must go now. Goodbye sir. See you later!"
Murase waved at her as she ran away to meet with Yelda and he proceeded to the door to roast his students.
________________________
"I wonder who's the main vocal of the seniors." Shiro from the first floor asked her bandmates as Murase left their room. "There's Naza, Yume, and another powerhouse who refused to participate last year- Dierdre."
"They'll probably adopt the same strategy as we are or Yume might single-handedly sing, leaving everybody on the back-ups." Ash said and looked at her instrument as she wiped it clean. "Yume's voice is one beautiful music box and her voice can soar as high as the sky it terrifies me."
"You are acquainted with Nazarene, right? No one ever heard her sing a solo before, she didn't even audition. I wonder why she's the leader of the officials." Gene wondered and looked at his feet as he talked to them.
"She's probably the one who arranges their songs because she's the best in that field. Their junior high school band also got into nationals before because of her composition but they were defeated by this school in the semi-finals. I guess she was recruited then and there." Shiro said and looked at Suzuka who also agreed.
"Speaking of arrangements, this acoustic song is difficult to arrange to become rock because it's serene." Suzuka commented as she looked at the piece directly. "Final Blow- it's a sad song. I wonder why this song was written. The person who composed it must have her passion killed- how sad… and dark."
_
_
🎶
"How come I'm so passionate but I'm not good at all?🎶
How come I just try so hard but in the end, I fail?🎶
I know that my heart and soul just want to keep me trying...🎶
But I know deep inside me that my passion is now breaking…🎶
That's it that's the final blow, I'm not doing it again.🎶
That's it I've tried so hard… I'm not doing it again…🎶
So condolence my heart and soul for depriving you of music..🎶
There's nothing more painful for a person than… killing your own dream…"🎶
_
_
_
Clara, one of their vocals, sang the refrain and chorus of the song, and everybody became too silent because of the darkness of the lyrics. Whoever wrote that song must have had her dreams assailed- the person must have suffered greatly.
"We can turn this into metal, because of the intensity of the lyrics. You vocalists can shout your hearts out here." Faye said and encircled one part of the sheet. "Should we transform the start of the song into a sad tune then have everyone hum 'I tried so hard' as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass- with different speed- then have the bass enter for the metal- then the main vocal starts to shout- it doesn't have to be metal growl."
"Wah! You are amazing! That's a great idea! We can approach it in a choir-like manner- then have them sing metal!" Gene said, approving of Faye's idea, and immediately played his guitar. "You should have a violin solo at the start- then after the humming- let's do it in decrescendo and one by one, let the instruments play."
"Let's do that." Bom said and approved as she looked at everyone who looked happy. They have finished practicing all four of the songs that they have chosen- and all that was left was the one Murase gave them. "Final Blow is too intense."
"I don't do well in metal and sad songs… Clara, can you sing it in that intensity?" Shiro asked Clara, who also looked troubled as she looked at the score.
"We'll arrange the choir part." Suzuka said and looked at Clara as well.
"My song- the first one requires a lot because it's too high, and I don't do well in Metal as well." Clara replied, as all the other band members looked down in an instant, having heard the three vocalists. "I-I'll try. Don't worry."
"Really? Thank you!" Gene said, and the club's enthusiasm arose highly.
"Suzuka, what do you think?" Shiro approached her and asked as the instrumentalists prepared for practice. Clara as well went to them and listened.
"It's such a shame that we only have three main vocalists for five songs." Suzuka replied as Clara agreed to them.
"I wish we'd be joined with one more. I'll welcome him or her with open arms." Clara whispered and went back to her microphone for practice. Shiro and Suzuka looked at each other and figured out what to do through other's gazes. All of the recommended students were placed in a band headed by Kuu and Josef, the two powerhouse and it already posed a threat to their band because everyone expects highly of the recommended. They looked back at their band and saw that they were all set- then tried doing what they just discussed.
However, their lack of a leading voice confused them and their sound was unclean, pushing them to stop on the intro.
"Shall we practice the other four today? We'll arrange it for the choir then we will send it to you later."Shiro said, volunteering for the work with Suzuka as former choir members.
"Yeah, please do." Clyde said and started playing for their practice to commence.
______________________________
"Ahhh! That's one nice practice!" Bom said as she yawned and placed her bass on its bag while the other did the same to their instruments. Shiro, Clara, and Suzuka cleaned their room and made sure that the chairs were in an orderly fashion because they have classes the next day.
"You can go home after cleaning." Murase said as he looked at them from the window and they all bowed to him as he said goodbye. For some reasons, he seemed to be in a hurry.
___________________
Murase went ahead and left the glee club to meet with the person he recommended. He did not expect anything but deep inside him, he knew that she was someone Akuji, his best student recognized, making him too curious whether he could use her to bring Akuji back. He opened the door of the old music room on the fourth floor and there he found someone standing in front of the huge window of the room.
"Yelda, hello- I'm Murase, the club adviser of Glee. Do you have a minute?"
What looked back to him was a blonde orange-eyed girl nearly as tall as him- but her face was surprisingly pale and her lips almost lacked color. She was skinny and white- but the look in her eyes was too sad Murase suddenly backed down.
"Hello sir, Yes. I also have something I have to tell you." She replied and smiled feebly at him a she made way to get a chair towards the side of the window, and Murase took another and sat at the other end of the window.
"You told Camie you don't want to join." Murase said as he looked outside the window where his club members were already leaving as the sun began to set. He gazed back at Yelda, whose skin was illuminated by the setting sun, and realized that her pale skin wasn't normal.
"I can't sing anymore. I'm afraid." Yelda said, assuming that Murase knew that by looking at her. "I'm sorry to have failed you sir, but I am also the president of my club and I have responsibility over them. They need me- they need guidance."
"Of course, yes. I'm here to talk about one of your club members- that- Akuji." Murase said, making Yelda look at him in an instant. "You know how Akuji loves music, right?"
"Y-yes." Yelda reluctantly asked. "Are you by any chance associated with her? Do you know her music endeavors?"
Murase cleared his throat and smiled at her. "My sister is the owner of WM agency and I used to work there as instructor of the trainees. Akuji was one of my students and she excelled in everything we taught her."
"S-she was a trainee in that agency? Woah- they rejected me back then." Yelda said enthusiastically, remembering how tough the audition there was when she entered.
"Yep. She was supposed to debut with three other individuals until she disappeared and never came back again." Murase said and looked down. "She was mistreated, but I didn't knew that at first- until the management decided to disband them."
"Why was she mistreated?" Yelda asked, remembering how Akuji told her that she can't sing happy songs, and how sad she looked when she talked and looked at the piano.
"As human beings, it is our very nature to hate those above us, or those who made us fade into the background. She was a brilliant student who shined so brightly- that her light made everyone dim into the background. She was the ace of the company, and that was why I am determined to get her back because she never looked happy the moment she parted ways with music." Murase explained as Yelda pondered and bit her lip. "Yelda, I am begging you. Please help me make her happy again. Please help me bring her back to where she rightfully belongs."
An image of a person, curly-haired, green-eyed went into the corner of her mind. The person's eyes- which was the only feature she spared from her hair looked happy as earphones were plugged in her ears. Yelda gasped in amazement because the girl was so beautiful that she could almost see the colors emerging from her as she walked, not minding anyone. She approached the girl without thinking and realized it sooner after she looked at her. Because of panic, she tried not to show her that and she introduced herself to her- however, the girl removed her earphones and the life from her eyes instantly left her that she looked empty inside.
"What do you want me to do?" Yelda asked him and with a determined face that Murase smiled.
"She told me that she'd do anything just to make your dream come true- that is- I still doesn't know. But my number one student recognized you as a musician so I don't see why I should have second thoughts in recommending you. Your dream must be amazing. I know she will try convincing you again, so please tell her that you won't sing if she won't." Murase suggested and looked at her eye-to-eye. Yelda tried reading him and saw regret, pain, and happiness altogether in him.
"I'll try, but I'm not guaranteeing it." Yelda said and looked at the setting sun. She was will to do everything for Akuji's sake, to make her happy again- even if it meant performing again.
"Thank you." Murase said and bowed to her, then left the music room, hoping everything would be just fine.