After the barbecue feast, everyone returned to the villa.
Homura carried the little one on his head and asked Tsumugi, "How is the progress of the Light Music Club?"
"Yui-chan just got the guitar last weekend, and she also took her exams yesterday, so she didn't have much chance to practice," Tsumugi shook her head and replied.
"Hehe..." Yui scratched the back of her head and chuckled sheepishly.
"What about everyone else's skills?"
Ritsu, Mio, and Tsumugi exchanged glances and then sighed helplessly.
Mio stepped forward to explain, "Yui had quickly mastered the guitar before, but due to the remedial exam, she completely forgot all her guitar skills..."
Everyone: "..."
What kind of logic is this?! Is her brain memory full?!
"But the three of us are still fine," Mio added.
"So, Yui is the only one with the problem..." Homura nodded. "By the way, she can read sheet music, right?"
Mio didn't say anything, but her expression seemed a bit embarrassed.
Homura closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then looked towards Muse.
"Would you like to practice singing?"
""Huh?"" (x9)
Homura asked again, "Since Yui can quickly grasp guitar techniques by watching someone play, even without reading sheet music, it proves that she's a genius, right?"
"Am I... a genius?" Yui blinked innocently, pointed at herself, and repeated, then her eyes sparkled even more. "I'm actually a genius!"
"Yeaahh..." Ritsu remained expressionless. "Yes, as long as you grasp it and don't forget like now, then you're undoubtedly a genius."
"Why..." Yui slumped dejectedly onto the sofa, feeling discouraged once again.
"Yui, you really can't play anything now?"
"Well... let me try!" Yui rubbed her head and took out her beloved guitar, 'Giita.'
"Giita! We can do it!" Yui said with determination.
Homura: "..."
"Giita...?" Kirino asked in confusion, "Who?"
"Giita is Giita!" Yui replied innocently.
Ritsu covered her face, "It's the name Yui gave to her guitar..."
Everyone: "..."
"By the way! Mio-chan's bass is called Elizabeth!" Yui suddenly said.
"No, it's not!" Mio protested angrily.
Tsumugi stopped Mio from getting more worked up, "Yui-chan, let's continue. Let's see if you still remember some techniques."
"Ohh..." Yui tried the sound first and furrowed her brow. She said, "It's off by half of a halftone."
After adjusting it, she tried again, "Yosha! No problem now!"
Maki: "..."
"Perfect pitch?!" Maki exclaimed in disbelief.
Homura smiled at her, "Surprising, isn't it?"
"...No, it was just a momentary surprise..." Maki shook her head, "Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense that she could grasp the guitar quickly if she has musical talent like perfect pitch."
Everyone listened to her words and couldn't help but nod in agreement, filled with surprise. It was indeed quite a contrast to see Yui, who seemed naive and airheaded, possess perfect pitch.
Yui, already in position, took a moment to prepare. Then, scratching her head, she only played a short simple tune...
"It seems like this is the only one I remember..."
Everyone was dumbfounded and collapsed to the floor! They thought there might be more to it after all that preparations.
"Eli-senpai, can I borrow your laptop?" Homura asked.
Eli raised an eyebrow. He used to call her 'Ayase-senpai', so it was a bit unexpected to hear this new address.
However, she didn't say anything and simply handed him her laptop.
"About what I said earlier, does anyone want to practice singing? This is a great place for practice. It's neither too crowded nor too empty, perfect for overcoming nervousness and shyness."
Upon hearing his words, the members of Muse turned their gaze towards Umi and Hanayo. Then, Honoka gave Umi a push...
"Oh! Umi is surprisingly brave this time! Great! I'll play the guitar with Yui and the others, performing 'We Are the Flowers of the Future' and you can try to sing it." Homura said.
Umi: "..."
Of course, Homura noticed that she was pushed forward by Honoka, but it would be no fun if he pointed it out.
Behind Umi, Honoka and Kotori were holding back their laughter, and Nozomi playfully tapped them.
"Um... what song is 'We Are the Flowers of the Future'? I've never heard of it," asked Mio.
"Whether you've heard of it or not doesn't matter. We have the sheet music here. Take a look and see if you can play it. We'll play together once I demonstrate it, and then Yui will play it personally. How about that?"
The three of them exchanged glances and silently nodded, leaning in to look at the sheet music.
Homura pondered for a moment and asked Tsumugi, "Mugi, does the practice room have a projection device?"
"Hmm?" Tsumugi was momentarily stunned, then replied, "Yes, Homura-niisan, there's a simple projector and a projection screen."
"Well, that's perfect. We can project the sheet music for you. We can't expect you to memorize it right away, can we?"
"Homura-shi... Yui-shi can't read sheet music, right? How is she going to play that song?" asked Saori.
Homura glanced at Yui and suddenly smiled, "Why don't we try it and find out?"
"Homura-kun... do you know... something again?" Utaha asked suspiciously about his strange ability.
"Not at all." Homura shook his head, "I just believe in her, that's all."
After all, Yui was always full of surprises!
No... not just Yui, the other three were the same. Each one of them was an improvisational performer. Once they were on stage, their performances were dazzling!
"What a great song!" exclaimed Mio.
"I've never heard of it before! Judging from the sheet music, it should be beautiful," wondered Ritsu.
"Homura-niisan..." Tsumugi looked at Homura, "Could it be... this is an unreleased new song created by you?"
Homura smiled and nodded.
Mio and Ritsu took a deep breath...
"Are you done looking?" Homura stood up. "Let's move to the practice room."
Everyone gathered in the practice room, and Mio suddenly felt a bit nervous.
"Are we really going to perform in front of so many people?"
"What are you talking about, Mio!" Ritsu tilted her head, looking at her incredulously. "We've already formed a band! We'll eventually have to perform, and besides, how many people are there now? It's much better than performing in front of the whole school, right? This is the perfect time to adapt!"
It was hard to imagine that Ritsu, who was usually so mischievous, could say something so reasonable and serious. Mio felt relieved...
Suddenly, she didn't feel nervous anymore!