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Sayo sat in morning class trying to focus on studying the fundamentals of composition. But the air conditioning seemed to be out of service that morning, and the warm summer breeze blowing in from the window and rustling her papers only caused her to feel sticky and slightly sleepy, not very motivated to work.
The first half of the morning section was lecture based, and she tried to be attentive and take notes, but Tae sat in front of her, and it was difficult to pay attention when her mind kept lapsing into the previous night, of Tae moving into her personal space, her fingers touching her sweater gently, her voice saying some nonsense about Sayo’s ‘powers in the night’.
The second half of the lesson was easier, as she was actually using her guitar. There was a series of simple composition exercises to complete, and then she was working with the staff on her piece for the performance, looking at the composition style and soliciting advice. Tae came over and took a seat beside her in the main room as the others moved to smaller practice rooms.
Today Tae wore another old T-shirt, along with a pair of cut off denim shorts, but Sayo couldn’t say she was dressed much more formally: it was the end of the week after all. They studied the music in front of them, until Tae missed two cues in a row, something very unusual.
“Tae-san, is everything alright?” Sayo asked.
Tae looked at Sayo, as if snapping out of some daydream. “Yes, let’s do it again.”
“We can take a break if you’d like.” Sayo was grateful the instructor was currently off with another group.
“No, I’m fine. I got distracted watching the way you play. It’s… hard to look away from.”
Sayo bit her lip, trying to keep herself from blushing. On one hand, it was just plain embarrassing that Tae had been watching her so closely, and openly admitted it. On the other hand, a small trill of hope seemed to fill her chest. Was it possible that Tae felt the same as she did? That Tae could feel herself drawn closer to Sayo, inexplicably, in the same way Sayo has been to Tae?
“The way that I play?”
Tae nodded. “I can feel your drive. Like a river flowing through the song.”
“A river…”
They continued, the song markedly improved by lunch time. At lunch, another portion of Tae’s summer homework was completed, and they moved back to the practice room with Kimura. The routine was familiar now, and Sayo liked it. She almost felt a pang of regret that the next day would be the final day of camp.
As they got set up for afternoon practice, she imagined what it would be like: Tae going back to Poppin’ Party, and herself going back to Roselia. The bands were on friendly terms, but there was no need for them to interact more than at school, or at an infrequent combined live. At school, Tae was her kohai, and more than that, Sayo was expected to keep up her role as disciplinary committee chair. She would be a third year now, her focus turned towards university applications. It was irresponsible to think their friendly relationship would stay the same back in Tokyo. Still, it was painful to think that all they had gone through this week would just disappear the moment they stepped off the train back home.
“Sayo-san, are you ready to start?” Tae asked. “You look like Oddie when he starts to daydream.”
Sayo considered asking Tae how on earth she had any idea when her rabbit was daydreaming, but then decided she didn’t care. “I’m ready,” she confirmed.
They reviewed the song again and again, working with Kimura-san on some of the more difficult timing and phrases. True to the previous suggestion, they did add in some of their own changes, both to make the piece a little more difficult, and to accommodate the smaller venue.
By the evening, Sayo was tired, and wished to not look at her guitar for a minimum of another 12 hours. Her fingers stung, and she knew even with the calluses she had built up on her left hand, her right hand wasn’t as used to the unfamiliar motions of finger picking and was feeling the strain. She knew her fingers weren’t injured, but she had better be gentle with them until the performance so she didn’t risk an injury. Luckily, they were feeling confident with their progress.
At the dorm, they both gathered their things to bathe, an awkward glance split between them. Because of the lack of air conditioning, Sayo knew there had been an early rush for the showers and baths after dinner. She and Tae had stayed later to practice and taken their time getting dinner, but now they were sweaty and sticky and wanted to clean off.
“I don’t mind, if you wanted to take a bath together,” Tae said, so matter of factly Sayo almost forgot to be embarrassed.
“No, it’s alright, I can wait,” Sayo said. But really, her shoulders did hurt, her fingers ached, she was sweaty, she wanted Tae to back down to her senpai for once.
“It’s a large bath, you’ve seen it. I promise I won’t… peep,” Tae said, a flash of the wry smile on her face that let Sayo know that she really was more keenly aware than she let on.
Somehow, Sayo’s exhaustion won out, and she followed Tae to the bathrooms. Truthfully, she planned to take a shower, but the showers were taken by other girls, and so she washed her hair quickly, and sunk into the bath in the furthest corner, towel wrapped around her still-wet hair.
Tae followed a few minutes later, sinking into the opposite side of the bath, a pleased smile on her face as she relaxed into the hot water. With the towel pulling most of her hair back, Sayo got a chance to look at her face. Hina was Sayo’s only other bath partner in recent memory, and Tae’s face wasn’t the same as Sayo’s in the same way that staring at Hina’s was, despite having similar green eyes.
Tae’s face was gentler than Sayo’s, her cheeks and lips and subtle pink. She had a natural curiosity in her expression, and though she seemed to be staring at the ceiling, Sayo was certain her mind was whirring.
Sayo was surprised when Tae moved her gaze to her. “What are you staring at?” she asked. “Do I have shampoo on my face still?” She moved an index finger to her forehead, feeling gently for any foam.
“No,” Sayo assured her, surprised Tae even felt her gaze. “I was zoning out,” she lied. She wondered what Tae thought about, besides guitar and rabbits and Poppin’ Party. She wondered a lot of things about Tae.
“It’s hard, being under the Sayo gaze. I feel like I’m about to be in trouble for breaking a school rule.”
“I have no authority here,” Sayo assured her. “I wouldn’t-” She stood up from the bath faster than was advisable. She paused, her blood pressure dropping.
“Sayo?”
“We didn’t tuck!”
“What?”
Rushing to dry herself off, pull on a change of clothes, and scramble back to the dorm, she made it with about 1 minute to spare before the nightly room check. It was just enough time to hide Oddie on Tae’s bed and confirm that they were back in the dorm for the night.
Task completed, she returned to the bathroom to dry her hair. Tae had emerged from the baths, laughing a little at Sayo’s breathlessness. “So it’s fine, in the end,” she confirmed. “Oddie is lucky to have you.”
Sayo removed the towel from her hair, brushing it out as she chose to ignore the praise from Tae. “I’ll dry your hair for you, as a thank you,” Tae said.
Sayo wanted to reject this offer. Tae didn’t have sisters, she wouldn’t know how. Sayo was perfectly capable of drying her own hair, thank you. Tae needn’t do so much just for Sayo’s small effort. But she didn’t say any of this, and accepted the favor. Perhaps it was because of the slight soreness in her fingers. Or perhaps it was just because the moment she felt Tae’s fingertips running through her hair, she wanted to extend that moment.
In the end, Tae did a great job, detangling her hair, combing it out, drying it nicely. She braided it neatly down Sayo’s back, crouching to peek over Sayo’s shoulder and look in the mirror to admire her work.
“Oh lovely. How are you going to dress tomorrow, Sayo-san?”
Sayo hadn’t given it much thought. As long as she wasn’t wearing a paint-splattered tulle puffed outfit, she didn’t much mind what she wore. “I haven’t planned an outfit,” she said, watching Tae through the mirror as she expertly braided her own hair.
“Well, I’m sure we can figure it out,” said Tae with a yawn.
They slept well that night, and woke Saturday morning to a flurry of activity on the floor. Since it was the final day of the camp, girls were crowding the bathroom mirrors, applying makeup, trying to find clothing they had loaned to friends, and practicing feverishly for that evening’s performance. As usual, Sayo got dressed first, making her way to the cafeteria, to get her breakfast, and Oddie’s, receiving confirmation from the staff that two of the workers not present had plans to attend the performance that night.
She brought the banana slice back to the rabbit, feeling embarrassed suddenly, on the last day, as she leaned down to put the bowl on the ground, at the sheer domesticity of the situation. Tae returned from the bathroom a moment later, dressed in a pleated skirt, thigh highs, and a sleeveless button down. She shrugged, indicating this was, once again, a Kasumi pick.
After a morning meeting, they were dismissed to meet with their mentors, have free time in Osaka, or work on whichever lessons they’d like until the performance section began that afternoon. They met with Kimura and discussed some last minute concerns, but Sayo still didn’t bring out her guitar. She felt confident, she didn’t want to risk straining her fingers at the last moments. Once they left Kimura, Tae suggested getting lunch in the city. It was more expensive, but they had only spent money the one day they left campus, and it was a beautiful day out. As they were leaving the gates, someone called out behind them.
“Hanazono-san!”
Tae turned, and Sayo did the same, surprised to see Kaneko Rina chasing after them. She looked out of breath, as if she had tracked them down on her short legs.
“Kaneko-san, good morning,” Tae greeted, bowing her head slightly.
“Ah, um, good morning,” Rina said, perhaps not expecting this polite greeting. “Listen um, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to apologize.”
“Oh, it’s alright, I didn’t want the last chocolate pudding that badly,” she said, smiling softly.
“What? No.” Rina laughed nervously. “The other day, I said some things about you changing bands, and I implied you picked the wrong one. Well, it doesn’t matter what I think. So I’m sorry for sharing my opinion where it wasn’t needed. But, for the record, I went back and I watched more Poppin’ Party, and I think you all are very talented.”
“Oh, thank you, Kaneko-san. Come see us if you’re ever in Shinjuku!”
“Oh, uh, sure. Well, good luck tonight. I better get back to rehearsing!”
Rina ran off, back in the direction of the fine arts buildings, and Sayo and Tae left campus. It was nice, to walk in the sunshine, and to be outside of a classroom for a little while. “That was nice of you, to give her an out with the pudding,” Sayo said, after there was some distance between them.
“I really wanted it, though,” Tae said, making Sayo laugh. “Oh, let’s stop here,” Tae suggested, a few blocks up. It was an accessories shop, boasting color coordinated accessories of all types. “We could get something matching for the show tonight.”
Normally, Sayo would brush this idea off as childish or tacky. If Hina had suggested it, she could imagine herself already pulling Hina along to the next shop without even considering it, but she felt her pulse quicken with the idea. Something matching, something that would link them together. It would be something they would carry with them after this week was over. “What do you have in mind?” she asked, trying to sound disinterested.
Tae shrugged. “They have all sorts. See? Scrunchies, hair clips, necklaces, earrings…” Tae disappeared into the interior of the store, leaving Sayo with no choice but to follow.
Sayo looked around at all the displays, feeling more like a high school girl than perhaps she ever had before. Is this what Lisa did after school? Just as she was about to scoff and tell Tae she would wait outside, she saw them: enamel pins in dozens of various shapes and colors. “Tae-san,” she said, her voice quiet in the near-empty store. “What if we put these on our guitar straps, right in the front where they’ll be visible?”
Tae walked over, peering over Sayo’s shoulder, and she was close, too close, but Sayo was rooted to the spot.
“This one,” Tae said at last, picking out a blue rabbit shape. Sayo nearly laughed at how long Tae took picking, when she could have predicted this result in ten seconds. “And this one for you,” Tae continued. Sayo hadn’t realized Tae had been choosing both of theirs, and was surprised as Tae’s arm brushed against hers as she reached across, picking up a turquoise gem-shaped pin.
“This one?”
“Or the french fries.”
“No, this one is fine.”
To Sayo’s surprise, Tae purchased her own pin and Sayo’s, holding them in a small bag as they found lunch at a local ramen shop. By the time they got back to the campus, it was just a couple hours until the performances.
Tae took some time packing her finished homework assignments away. She wasn’t finished, but she had made a big dent. Sayo packed up her luggage as neatly as she could, trying not to crush the souvenir treats. Then, they spent time reviewing the music, fixing their hair, and getting ready for the show.
When Sayo arrived at the small recital hall, she and Tae found a green room that only had a few people in it and put their guitar cases down, claiming a spot. They checked the order: they were the eleventh group out of 24 solos and duets, and there was a soundproofed room just before going on stage where they could tune properly. But before that, it was organized chaos, with girls playing, singing, tuning, dressing, applying makeup, and running back and forth and they prepared.
Sayo opened her guitar case, surprised to see a blue rabbit pin on her strap. She was about to ask Tae if she applied them wrong, but she saw Tae playing contentedly with her turquoise gem pin, and realized it was intentional. She could hear Ueda-sensei announce the beginning of the show over the PA system, and a round of applause. The show began.
They were able to watch on monitors in the green rooms, and the playing died down as they watched, enraptured at the talent of their program peers. Eriko’s friend Noa started the show, playing a ballad on her acoustic guitar that she sang along to. Sayo was impressed. If there were journalists or talent scouts in the audience, they had better take note of her, she thought.
The girl Kinomoto Reika, who had asked Tae to partner with her, ended up going next, with none other than Kaneko Rina as her partner. They were very talented together, performing an instrumental cover of a popular anisong to loud applause.
Sayo lost track of the next performers, but realized that no one was making mistakes. She and Tae were called backstage as they were the on deck performers, and they watched Sakurai Ami perform with another student whose name Sayo didn’t know. Ami was good, extremely composed, and the other girl could sing very well: Ami got her vocalist in the end. The performance was dynamic, and Sayo remembered something important that she perhaps missed in all the hours of just sitting in classrooms: just standing on stage was not enough. She needed to perform and engage with the audience.
She and Tae were ushered onto the stage, and in the seconds before they began, Sayo could see that the theater held about 300 people. She couldn’t tell who they were: if they were important industry people or just parents, if they were interested or falling asleep, but she realized it didn’t matter. She was here to give her performance, to play her guitar with Tae, and it was time to begin.
Tae’s voice came in and after the first notes, she began her picking, the arpeggios steady and matching the rhythm of Tae’s words. Up and down the strings, up and down the fretboard. She named the notes in her head, realizing that it was simple: that she had spent so much time with the fretboard she just knew them all now. The song sped up, and they both took a step forward, unrehearsed, but towards the people. It was the urge to reach the audience with their song. Their strumming was in sync, their syncopation was perfect. Tae’s voice was never going to be Yukina’s but that was fine: she didn’t want it to be.
Yukina’s voice led her to Roselia, and now Tae’s voice was leading her into a dizzying duet that she didn’t want to stop. But of course, it was five minutes that felt like thirty seconds, over in the blink of an eye. To applause, and a couple of whistles (likely from the kitchen staff), she and Tae descended from the stage.
Once their performance was over, Sayo could sit back and watch the others with more relaxation. She packed up her guitar, fingering the rabbit pin gently as she tucked the strap into the case.
Soon enough, it was all over, and it was time for a final bow. The class received a standing ovation, and they were invited to a reception in a hall in the next building before having free time until curfew.
Sayo and Tae brought their guitars back to the room, Tae petting her rabbit as an apology for no lettuce that evening. “You have hay and kibbles, I promise you will make it,” she said, lifting him up and turning him in the direction of the obviously less appealing food.
They returned to the reception, collecting a plate of food, greedily drinking water, shaking the hands of various people who had come to see them. They complimented some of their favorite performances from the night, and accepted the same from others. It was a jovial way to end a week that had been rather fraught at times.
“Kimura-san, thank you!” Sayo said, finally spying their mentor through the crowd. “When I was on stage, I finally understood what you had been trying to show me all week.”
“You did wonderful. You both did. I’m glad I could help.”
They mingled as long as they could, until they noticed the crowd starting to thin, and Eriko, Noa, and Eri came up to their table. “We’re going to karaoke, want to come?” she asked, clearly addressing them both.
“Yes!” Noa added, “Hanazono-san, please come along, I want to sing a duet!”
Sayo looked at Tae, trying to gauge her interest, and she smiled in that acquiescing way she always did. Sayo almost politely declined, until she felt Tae’s hand slip into hers under the table they were standing at, and had to focus all her energy on not turning read.
“I’d love to, as long as Sayo sings a song too,” Tae announced.
The college girls seemed to love this idea, and they set off, picking up two more girls on their way, though notably Ami and Rina were not present.
The karaoke rooms were nearby, and they signed up for two hours, Eriko starting the night off by ordering a pitcher of some alcoholic cocktail and singing some outdated idol song. She passed the microphone to Noa, who picked a visual kei song that she seemed to know Tae would know. Of course, thought Sayo. She knows every song.
The duet was well sung but comical, and afterwards, the microphone was passed to Sayo. She panicked, flipping through the songbook, but soon enough, a song was chosen for her, again a song to her preference.
“Hanazono-san told me you like this one,” Eriko said.
“Call me Tae,” she corrected, picking up the tambourine to accompany Sayo.
The introduction countdown gone, Sayo had no choice but to sing, alongside the raucous cheering of the college girls and the steady tambourine of Tae.
Soon enough, the song was over, and the others took over again, sipping their drinks, yelling too loudly into the microphone, and dancing around in front of the screen. After an hour (and two more songs she was given the microphone for), Sayo made eye contact with Tae and they said goodbye. She offered to pay their share, but Eriko shot them down again and again, telling Sayo she brought a coupon, and that it was her treat as a senpai.
So they left the karaoke booth, just as the waitress was coming in with another round of drinks. They purchased shaved ice from a booth just outside the karaoke rooms, the cool treat refreshing on Sayo’s throat.
The air in the Osaka night was refreshing, and they walked quietly for a while, past a playground, past the closed down market arcade, onto a bridge over the river. The lights on the bridge were reflecting onto the calm waters, and Sayo stopped near the middle, leaning on the rail. “Sorry for leaving early,” she said. “It started to get a little wild.”
Tae shook her head. “I only went because you went,” she said, making Sayo remember once again the invitation from earlier, and Tae’s hand in hers.
Sayo turned back to Tae, her focus shifting from the brilliance of lights on the water to the brilliance of Tae’s green eyes. It was only right that she said something about her feelings. "Hanazono-san, I thought I wouldn't get along with you, but it turns out we have quite a lot in common."
For perhaps the first time all week, Tae looked shy when addressing her. "Ah, I'm glad you think so, but why suddenly use my last name?"
"Oh, my apologies, I'm sort of nervous…"
"Nervous?" Tae leaned the couple of centimeters down to look at Sayo, her dark curtain of hair obscuring them both from view. Her gaze was one of concern.
Holding her breath, Sayo leaned in for just a moment and kissed Tae, realizing as she did so that she did not explain her actions beforehand. She pulled away quickly to apologize, looking up to see shock, but not disgust on Tae's face.
"I… I like you, Hanazono-san. I apologize for my rash action, I just…"
Suddenly, the beautiful green eyes and the long dark hair moved closer again, and this time it was Tae kissing Sayo. It lasted a little longer this time, and tasted like the strawberry shaved ice and… Sayo couldn't concentrate, as her heart was exploding.
Finally, Tae broke the kiss, straightening back up into her perfect posture. "I like you too, Sayo-san. You're like a grumpy rabbit who's super sweet once you get to know her."
Sayo wanted to roll her eyes at this comparison, or chastise Tae for taking them out of the moment, but truly, this was the girl she liked, and she had to accept moments like this. She swatted playfully at her arm, rolling her eyes.
They walked back to the campus, Tae’s hand in hers, Sayo laughing as Oddie sat in the corner, refusing Tae’s pets since she had no lettuce to offer him that night. They bathed and completed the nightly room check, the end of camp imminent now.
Just as Sayo was setting an alarm, Tae came over to the side of her bed, firmly in Sayo’s personal space as Sayo’s legs dangled off the side of the bed. Sayo looked at the ‘Circle’ livehouse logo on Tae’s shirt instead of her face, since it was too difficult, she suddenly felt shy.
“Sayo-san. Thank you. I know it’s not always easy to be my friend… Arisa is always telling me not to cause so much trouble for others…”
“What are you saying? I already told you it’s fine,” Sayo said, feeling herself growing warmer from their proximity.
“I’m glad. And well…” Tae sat down on the edge of the bed beside Sayo, dangerously close. “Earlier, you said you like me... I’m afraid… I might feel the same.”
Sayo wondered what Tae was afraid of… of the future of liking each other, of where their futures with their bands might lead them, of what might happen to their relationship tomorrow. These were all concerns she had herself, after all. She remembered the first train ride, of berating Tae of not thinking about the future. How silly she felt now.
“I’m happy to hear your feelings,” Sayo said. “We can figure out the rest tomorrow. For tonight, let’s get some rest.”
Tae nodded, moving to stand. Unexpectedly, Sayo found herself reaching out to grab Tae’s wrist, to keep her close by. She met Sayo’s eyes, nodded, and laid down, Sayo standing to turn the light off and then doing the same. The bed was small for two people, but they lay close, facing each other. Sayo could make out Tae’s face in the moonlight coming in through the window.
“Are you comfortable?” Tae asked, her eyes fixed on Sayo.
Somehow, it was easier to make eye contact in the dim lighting. The thought made her laugh.
“What?” Tae asked.
“Maybe I am more powerful in the dark,” she said. Most of her Roselia performances had taken place after dark, after all. She kissed Tae after dark. Now she was laying in bed right beside her, meeting her gaze and not looking away.
“I told you.”
“How do you know things like that?” Sayo asked, reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind Tae’s ear.
Now it was Tae’s turn to look abashed. “I’ve liked you far longer than you’ve liked me.”
Sunday - Believe Our Future
Sayo woke Sunday morning to her alarm, and was surprised to find her head tucked on Tae’s shoulder. Tae remained asleep on her back, sleeping solidly through Sayo’s alarm, and Sayo negotiated around her as she got out of bed. A strange confusion set in as she walked to the bathroom. Should she have shared a bed? Should she have kissed Tae? Should she even have confessed her feelings? Perhaps all of last night was a big mistake. She pondered this as she brushed her teeth and returned to the room, but her doubts disappeared as she saw Tae, now curled on her side, asleep in Sayo’s bed.
“Wake up,” she shook Tae. “You need to feed the grump otherwise he’ll never forgive you for the train rides you’re about to take him on.”
This seemed to rouse Tae, and she slipped on the same white skirt she arrived in with a different oversized black T-shirt, and dashed off to the cafeteria to get Oddie’s breakfast and presumably say goodbye to the kitchen staff. Sayo followed soon after, picking up her own breakfast and saying goodbye to the acquaintances she’d made during the week. Eriko and her friends looked rather hungover at their breakfast table, but still insisted on taking a photo with Sayo and getting her number for future meetups and to see a Roselia show.
Back at the dorm, Tae had everything packed away. The final banana slice was wrapped in a napkin so as to not leave any dishes away from the kitchen, and Oddie himself was corralled back into the wicker carrier/handbag. The guitars were safely put in their cases, and Sayo and Tae made their way to the local station.
In many ways, going home was a reversal of their arrival. Local train, shinkansen, local train. In many ways, it was not. Tae sat beside her this time, instead of across. They shared the earbuds, one in each ear, as they listened to Sayo’s playlist. Tae slipped her hand into Sayo’s, where it stayed for much of the ride.
When they got back, Kasumi and Arisa were waiting on the platform, Kasumi chattering about some television program she watched last night and Arisa pretending not to be listening. Both of them swarmed Tae, Kasumi asking dozens of questions.
“Did she cause you any trouble?” Arisa asked, turning to Sayo. They were both on the student council, and there was a degree of familiarity between them, but it seemed that Arisa doubted Tae’s social skills away from Poppin’ Party.
“We were fine!” Tae assured Arisa. “We only kidnapped one important parliamentary candidate.”
Arisa glanced at Sayo as if trying to grasp the meaning of this phrase. “It’s true,” said Sayo. “The plan was to kidnap three, the ransom was better.”
“Oh my gosh, Sayo’s been Hanazono-fied.” Arisa looked exhausted, while Kasumi was pestering Tae for questions about the kidnapping, to which Tae was filling her in with great detail.
“Anyways,” Arisa said, as if she wanted to move on from this as soon as possible. “We’re having a welcome home Tae concert on Friday, if you want to come. It’s small, just some friends.”
“Sure, send me the details, I’ll be there.”
“The rest of Roselia is invited too, of course.”
Soon after, Sayo said goodbye and made her way home. It was quiet, with Hina on tour, a notable contrast to the way that Arisa and Kasumi bantered with Tae from the moment she stepped off the train. But Sayo liked the quiet, she liked having time to herself. She had been counting down the days until Hina would leave, hadn’t she?
But after a week of nearly 24/7 Tae, it was an abrupt change. She realized she had to remember she could pick up her feet again, because she was so used to shuffling around their room so she wouldn’t step on a rabbit. She didn’t have to think about the timing of her meals or her baths or checking over anyone else’s homework. She could practice when she liked.
Roselia practice did resume, and that was a welcome change, as for 2-3 hours per day she could see Yukina, Lisa, Rinko, and Ako, and have some semblance of the hours upon hours of intensive practice she had been having until recently. Or at least she thought it was a blessing, until they turned on her during a break.
“So, Sayo, what happened with Tae-chan, in the end?” asked Lisa, sipping from her water bottle after she asked the question, as if it was the most casual conversation topic in the world.
Ako perked up as well. “Yes! Did the demon forces of young love… blossom?” she asked, in faltering verse.
Yukina looked between the other four, obviously behind on the developments. “Is there something happening between Sayo-san and Hanazono-san?” she asked.
Rinko nodded. “Yes. They performed a duet together at the camp Sayo-san was at, and it’s widely speculated that Sayo-san has feelings for Hanazono-san.”
Sayo was ready to bolt from the room at this point, and perhaps Lisa sensed this, as she laughed lightly to calm the mood. “Well, we don’t know exactly. We all want to support Sayo however we can, so we want to see what she’s feeling, yeah?”
Unable to snap at Lisa, Sayo calmed down some. She felt that for all her bandmates' interest, they really did want to support her. “We… do have feelings for each other,” she confirmed. “It’s just difficult to know where to go next. We’re all invited to the Poppin’ Party show on Friday.”
Roselia spent a few minutes talking about the show, and making plans to attend that Friday. “But if you do have feelings, I think it’ll be clear what to do when the time comes,” Yukina said.
Sayo was surprised, she didn’t expect Yukina of everyone to be giving her romantic advice. But no one disagreed.
They returned to practice, and Sayo focused on her guitar, garnering several remarks from her bandmates on her improved skills. She could feel it, she could easily see how she had improved, and it felt good.
But soon enough it was Friday, and Lisa was over, helping her pick an outfit to go to the show in. Lisa picked out dark skinny jeans, a silver tank, and her cropped leather jacket. It was midsummer, but it was a relatively cool night, so she wasn’t sweating in this outfit. Poppin’ Party had rented a small livehouse, and only about fifty people were inside. Sayo recognized about half of them: family members, classmates, fellow girls band members, members’ coworkers, and so on. It really was a friends and family show.
Poppin’ Party emerged in color coded outfits, but luckily, not the dreaded paint-splattered monstrosities. These had star patterns on them, and Sayo couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them, after she herself had finally understood the star beat. Nearby, Asahi Rokka cheered loudly, and she smiled, appreciating Poppin’ Party’s dedicated fans.
“Good evening!” Kasumi said, nearly shouting into her mic. “Thank you all for attending! This is our Midsummer Fun show, welcoming O-Tae back from guitar training camp, and welcoming me back from the end of summer sessions at school!” There was a fair bit of laughter at this. “So listen closely to the guitars tonight, because O-Tae is even better than before, and I’m… well I definitely passed year two math midterms on my second attempt! Heh..”
Saaya counted them in, and the song began. And Sayo wondered if she had ever really watched a Poppin Party show before. Like Kaneko Rina, she perhaps sorted it in her mind as ‘amateur’ or ‘silly’, but it was neither of those things. In the beginning, Poppin’ Party needed a lot of work, and had to grow to their current level. But currently, as they played Sayo was blown away.
What will be left when it’s all over?
Where have my days of youth gone?
On these kinds of nights, I want to
Hear your voice
She looked at Kasumi, singing these unexpectedly serious words. She watched Rimi, working hard as she moved her hands deftly on her bass, almost as if it was an extension of her body. She watched Saaya, keeping the beat, drumming steadily along to Kasumi’s voice, and Arisa, providing a sweet melody to match the bittersweet lyrics. They were all so different from their counterparts in Roselia, perhaps less ‘professional’, but no less of a ‘real’ band. No, the weight of emotion that seemed to fill Sayo as she watched proved that much.
She looked over at her own ‘counterpart’ as the next song began. She saw the turquoise gemstone pin on her guitar strap. The song was a duet with Kasumi, but she felt it: the moment Tae’s eyes caught hers.
These bonds that connect our hearts together――
How did they come to be?
You worried about those days
Where all we did was argue, but
Through the times we met, I hope you have come to understand
That people can get stronger through their dreams
She was breathless, caught in a whirlwind of the lyrics and the guitar and the voice and the girl on stage tying it all together. She knew that song wasn’t written for her. But at that moment, it was sung for her, and that was enough. If ‘believe our future’ was the message, she would take it.
After the show, she met up with the rest of Roselia who didn’t choose to watch right in front of the stage. They were approached by Poppin’ Party a few minutes later, still in their stage costumes, and still a little out of breath. It was something Roselia would never do, and she liked it. More and more, she liked the things that set them apart.
“You came!” Kasumi said, excited to greet them.
“Of course, we’re happy to come,” Lisa said. “It was a great show!”
“It’s good to be back all together again,” Kasumi said, throwing her arms around Arisa, who groaned, and then trying to capture the rest of the band in the hug. “Arisa was so lonelyyyyyyyy.”
“I was not,” Arisa huffed.
“I’m glad so many people could make it,” Tae said, looking out at the groups of people mingling around.
“I should say hi to my siblings,” Saaya said. “Excuse me!”
“Yes, let me see if my grandma is still here,” Arisa said, dashing off as well.
“Did you like it?” Tae said, asking a very personal question to Sayo in front of all of her bandmates and two members of her own band.
“I did. I think tonight is when I became a Poppin’ Party fan,” she said, truthfully.
“Took you long enough,” Ako said, giving her a soft chop to the back of the head. “Come on RinRin, I want a soda.”
Somehow, their friends took the hint and left them alone, and Tae sat on the stairs to the stage, Sayo beside her. “A real Popipa fan?” she said, cocking her head wryly. “That’s a big development.”
“I have a soft spot for the guitarist,” Sayo said, sitting up straighter, turning her head away.
“Yes, Kasumi is quite kira kira do-”
“Not Kasumi, you- …oh, you’re just teasing me.”
“I’m just teasing you.” Tae leaned her head on Sayo’s shoulder, the two of them watching the small crowd start to clear out. Sayo was sure they would be spotted by their bandmates, but she didn’t mind, not really. She slipped her hand into Tae’s.
“You really are great.”
“Of course I am.”
“Do you want to… spend some time together next weekend?”
Tae lifted her head up, looking at Sayo properly. “Are you asking me to kidnap an important political figure?”
“We can certainly find time. Perhaps… ice cream first?”
“I’ll have to check with Oddie, but I think I can fit it in.” She squeezed Sayo’s hand, only separating when Kasumi called for her to come get some pizza.
Ako and Lisa rushed over as soon as she was out of sight. “So??” Ako asked, breathless.
“We have a date. Next weekend.”
“Yes!”
The next weekend, Sayo walked to the station where she agreed to meet Tae for their date. She was nervous, both because she’d never been on a date, and because she hadn’t had any confirmation of their arrangement since the show. She wanted to text Tae about their plans, and even did once, but got no response, rather typical from what she had seen of Tae’s limited cell phone usage. In the meantime, she followed her usual routine, practicing with Roselia, keeping up with her studies, practicing guitar on her own. Roselia practice was the worst, with her bandmates constantly giving her advice or asking her questions about her plans. She hoped to perhaps cross paths with Poppin’ Party, but as usual, they seemed to prefer the warehouse as a practice space, and didn’t venture to Circle.
So, she walked to the station with high tension - it would be the first time she was alone with Tae since the camp, and the first time on an official ‘date’. As she left home, her cell phone rang, and Sayo reached into her bag quickly, anxious that perhaps this was Tae, calling to cancel last minute. She didn’t even glance at the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Onee-chan!”
“Hina?”
“Yes! You picked up! Boppin!✰”
“Do you need something?”
“Oh, are you busy? I’m on the tour bus and thought of you! We were on this local news program, and this professional archer was on also, and she was just zappin✰! And after, we tried these local fried purple sweet potatoes, you would have loved it!”
“Hina… I’m kind of in the middle of something…”
“Oh, is it time for your date with Tae-chan?”
Sayo almost choked. “H-how did you know that?”
“Oh, Lisa-chi told me! We were texting after the Popipa show last week! ♪”
“Yes well, it’s true. I’m going to meet her now.” Sayo figured there was no point hiding the truth if Hina had found out straight from Roselia.
“Alright onee, let’s both do our best! Remember to turn on the TV tonight! The national station said they were going to rerun a clip from our last show, and I did the one move you taught me with my guitar!”
“Ok, I’ll turn it on.”
“Yayyy! Bye, oneee✰!”
Sayo hung up the phone, realizing that she’d arrived on the train platform without having paid much attention to her walk. It was dusk, so in Tae-lore, Sayo was starting to come into her own, to gain her more powerful semblance, at night. Tae had not yet arrived so Sayo spent some time straightening her outfit of any wrinkles. She wore a high-collared light blue sleeveless dress, and held a small leather handbag.
She was annoyed that just as she finished her arranging, a train pulled into the station, the wind blowing her dress and hair askew again. But as the train pulled away, standing there, on the opposite side of the platform, was Tae, in the same flowing white sundress she wore the day Sayo visited her in the infirmary.
Tae had not taken the train in: the train doors had opened on Sayo’s side, not Tae’s, so her appearance on the platform was sudden and mysterious, but Sayo did not question it. Tae had said she was coming to their date, and she came. She crossed to the opposite side of the tracks over the pedestrian bridge, looking somewhat strange without her guitar case slung over her shoulder.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, approaching Sayo. “Kasumi was helping me get ready.” Perhaps this explained why she came from the opposite platform as well.
“I thought you would have sworn off her help, especially with getting dressed,” Sayo said, mentally reviewing some of the sillier outfits of the camp rotation.
Tae smiled. “Her outfits helped me get this date,” she reasoned. Sayo spent a moment mentally debating if the outfits had anything to do with them going out at this moment, but decided not to question it. She certainly liked the current outfit, so Kasumi had some clear winners and clear losers. “Were you holding out for Tonton-chan?” Tae asked, “Because I’m sad to say he is deceased.”
“This is fine,” Sayo said, realizing as she said it what an understatement that was. The wind picked up again as the opposite train pulled in and the dress flowed around Tae, her hair contrasting with the white fabric and green eyes standing out against it all.
Tae looked at her expectantly, as if wondering where they were going to start this afternoon. Without guitars, what kind of day would they have?
Sayo refocused. She thought of walking around Osaka, where she avoided letting Tae do as she pleased. She thought of the university campus, where she denied, and then realized her feelings. She thought of this train platform, where they stood as near strangers just a few weeks ago. “What would you like to do today?” she asked.