It was said that Kagurazaka Kyouko had been in three different bands before she even reached the age of sixteen.

The first band was formed with her fellow club members during her first year of middle school. The ba.s.sist was a guy who planned to play through songs only strumming a single string, while the drummer couldn't even desynchronize his hands and his feet. To solve that, Kagurazaka Kyouko thought up an ingenious arrangement, asking the girl who was supposed to be the lead singer to help out with the snare drums on the side. However, the girl complained, saying she couldn't sing if she did that. So, Kagurazaka-senpai took over and became the lead singer instead—she practiced really hard on the three Green Day songs they had chosen for the performance. However, the day before the school's anniversary, the girl said she wanted to sing as well, and accused Kyouko of being sly; the girl ended up not coming for the rehearsal. The ba.s.sist and the drummer sided with the girl and blamed Kyouko as well. On the day of the performance, Kagurazaka Kyouko went up on stage with her guitar by herself, and began her solo act with by the Eagles. Even though her performance was very well received, the band was dissolved the very same day.

The second band was formed during the summer of her second year of middle school. It was a disco ensemble that consisted of all girls. Kyouko joined the band because she was intrigued by a recruitment poster they had posted up at the live house she frequented. The band had advertised itself using the phrase "The Michael Jackson of Gospel Rock," and she was attracted by the weird but interesting concept that was written there. So even though she was slightly concerned about the age difference between herself and the rest of the band members, she still applied. Surprisingly, she was extremely popular with the rest of the members, and they immediately decided to hold a live performance. However, during one of the celebration parties, it was revealed that Kagurazaka Kyouko frequented the houses of the various members to spend the night, and had even bathed and slept together with them. With that, the gathering turned into a messy fight that even the fans got involved in. The only person who escaped from all that was the very person in question, who happened to be in a sober state back then. The band was dismissed the very next day as well.

The third band was formed after she had just been promoted to her third year of middle school. She was invited to join the band by the shop a.s.sistant of the music store she frequented. The rest of the three members were all guys, and the average age of the band members was very high—one of them was already married. However, the band performed mostly British hard rock, which she had happened to be obsessed with at the time, so she immediately agreed to join. However, that band was dissolved after three months.

"...... And that means the Folk Music Research Club is your fourth?"

"Wait, hold on a second. Don't just skip the important part and be done with it." Sitting opposite of Senpai, I quickly asked, "Why did the third band dissolve?"

As I had raised my voice unintentionally, everyone at the McDonalds—including Chiaki, who was sitting next to me, as well as Mafuyu, who was diagonally in front of me—stared at me.

"Hmm? I can't tell you about the third band. Oh right, you know about Nagashima's Musical Instrument Store, don't you? The place I'm working at now. The owner of that store was one of the three members of the band, and the incident concerns his reputation."

I couldn't help but feel a chill run through my body. I then thought of Senpai's impossibly expensive guitar. According to Chiaki, Senpai managed to obtain it by discovering the weakness of the owner and threatening him with it. That can't be related to the dissolving of the third band, right?

"I'm more concerned about the second band." Chiaki bit the straw in her cola and said furiously, "Senpai, you've laid your hands on way too many girls already!"

"Mmm, I'm reflecting on that too. Well, I didn't do my homework properly back then, so I never thought that having a lesbian relationship would result in infringing the Immorality Act as well." That has nothing to do with the Immorality Act, yeah!? Man, this person...... why do her conversations always go in that direction?

Because the third years had make-up lessons and exams today, we were unable to hold practice. So, on our way home, the four of us stopped by McDonalds together. Even though Senpai said she would be talking about the live performance, the things we chatted about were all unrelated to that and full of rubbish. That was quite worrying for the members of the newly formed band.

"Anyway, in order to allow the band to steadily make its way towards success, I decided on three things. First, if I am to be in another band, I must definitely start it myself."

And with that, Senpai looked at all of us. This was the first time she had gathered the four members of the band from scratch. Since Senpai's an idealist, I don't think it'd be a good idea for her to join someone else's band anyway.

"Second, the male-to-female ratio of the band. The first was 2:2, the second was 0:4, and the third was 3:1—and they all failed. Since I myself am a girl, the only remaining option left was to form a band with three girls and one guy."

"...... So you invited me to join the band because of a stupid reason like that?"

After hearing me say that with a dumbfounded expression on my face, Senpai c.o.c.ked her eyebrows.

"That's not a stupid reason, and that's not the only reason either. I told you already, right?"

Well, she isn't wrong. This person seems to be serious about just about everything, but is there really any relationship between the male-to-female ratio of a band and the band's survival?

"Lastly, the final person to join the band has to come up with the name of the band."

Senpai took a look at Mafuyu, who was sitting next to her. Up until then, Mafuyu had kept silent the whole time, staring at the dry fries. But when she heard Senpai say that, she lifted her head up in shock.

"...... M-Me?"

"Yes." Senpai grabbed Mafuyu's hand with her own two hands.

"W-Why?"

Mafuyu was confused, and I was too. Why must Mafuyu be the one to come up with the name?

Senpai took the box of fries.

"This is me......" Senpai grabbed a fry and placed it on the tray. "Followed by Comrade Aihrara......" She looked at Chiaki briefly, then picked out another fry, and placed it side by side with the first. "Next is young man......" She grabbed a third, slightly shorter fry. "And finally Comrade Ebisawa." Senpai then chose the longest fry of the lot. After spending some time arranging the first three fries, she used the last fry as a string to tie the three fries together with a knot.

"See, we have gathered together because of Comrade Ebisawa. We can form our band because you joined us. Therefore—if we're to come up with a name, it should be decided by this person here."

Senpai placed the bundle of tied fries before Mafuyu. She then pointed to the three fries plus the long one, and said,

"You have to be the one to name the band. With that, you won't be able to leave. As long as you don't leave, the remaining three people will never break apart and be separated."

Senpai continued to look straight into Mafuyu's eyes. Mafuyu bit her lip and lowered her head to shift her gaze away.

"...... But I—"

"You can come up with whatever name you wish. Just use words you like."

"I'll be very troubled if you say that."

"Why?"

"Because...... I only joined because I followed Naomi."

Chiaki looked at me solemnly, but I could only fix my sight on Mafuyu's pale white lips. What's going on here? Why is Mafuyu so afraid?

"Therefore, I cannot be the one to decide something as important as this."

"It's precisely because it's something very important that I want Comrade Ebisawa to decide."

Senpai brought her face right next to Mafuyu's, and said gently,

"I'm not asking you to decide on a name right now. However, I have to rent the place for our live performance, and also work on the posters and the tickets. So, if possible, give me your answer after tomorrow, or at the latest, before the start of the training camp."

"I haven't decided if I want to attend the training camp."

"You don't want to go? Why?"

Mafuyu interrupted Senpai's words by shaking her maroon-colored hair with force. Chiaki and I exchanged looks for a moment—her expression was one of confusion.

We obtained Ebichiri's approval two days ago, but Mafuyu still hadn't expressed any intention of joining the training camp. Senpai and I had already done all sorts of things to convince Ebichiri, but somehow, it was really difficult for us to broach the topic with Mafuyu; so, we never asked her about her interest in joining the training camp.

so this was the first time we heard Mafuyu tell us she was still undecided on going. I felt slightly depressed. To think we had already achieved that sort of understanding when it came to music, and yet, Mafuyu still didn't blend in with us at all? Even for me, I was deeply touched by Mafuyu's music when we played ......

Just as Senpai was about to speak, Mafuyu loudly pushed her chair away and stood up.

"...... Mafuyu? Wha—"

Ignoring my calls, Mafuyu heaved her guitar case onto her shoulder, and made her way past the tables, disappearing down the stairs in an instant.

That left me—who was halfway standing up—with no choice but to sit back down in my chair.

What the heck, why did things suddenly turn out like this? Did someone say something to make her unhappy?

"...... Well well. This girl is really sensitive."

Senpai murmured. She removed her hair clip to let her long, silky black hair loose, and heaved a sigh.

"I had no intention of reprimanding her, but it seems like she noticed anyway."

Wha—What's this? Did Senpai say something wrong just now? I had no clue what was going on.

"Nao, what are you doing here at a time like this?"

Chiaki's fist was about to fly straight into my face.

"Go chase after her! What are you sitting here in a daze for?"

"Eh? Eh? Me?"

"Just go and chase after her already, idiot! Geez, you're dense!"

Chiaki kicked me hard in my thigh. I immediately got up and quickly made my way towards the stairs.

I caught up to Mafuyu at the entrance of the train station. Amidst the crowd walking downstairs to the platform, I saw a head with maroon-colored hair, and what looked like a guitar case. I quickly pulled out my season ticket and squeezed through the gates.

"Mafuyu!"

She was at the bottom of the flight of stairs, making her way past the benches. Mafuyu turned her head around. There seemed to be tears in the corners of her eyes.

"...... Don't follow me."

"Why are you angry?"

"I am not angry."

The people around us were all looking at me, which made me pretty uncomfortable. My schoolmates were among them as well.

"Urm...... then why did you act like that?"

My voice was drowned out by the announcement alerting us of the incoming train. I continued chasing Mafuyu and boarded the carriage without hesitation.

"...... You should be taking the train in the other direction, right?"

"Eh? Well, you're not wrong......"

Come to think of it, my bag and ba.s.s were still at McDonalds. What should I do? Do I have to make a trip back? Will the two of them wait for my return?

The train left the platform. Mafuyu sat in an empty seat at the edge, and placed her guitar on her knees, to not let anyone see her face. I stood right by her side and leaned next to the door.

"Why did you follow me?"

"No idea. I suddenly had the urge to take a train to a place I haven't been before, and take a stroll around there."

"Idiot."

And with that, Mafuyu said nothing more. In order to ease the tense atmosphere, I began to tell lots of lame jokes—to be honest, I think it'd be better if I fixed that bad habit of mine as soon as possible.

As the shaking of the train began to make its way up my upper body, I began recalling the conversation between Ebichiri and me. We can only wait till Mafuyu feels like talking. The one who said that was—Ah, that's right...... it wasn't me, it was Tetsurou.

That wasn't what I had in mind though. At that point, I could wait no longer. I really felt like pushing away the guitar Mafuyu was hugging so tightly, and shoving my face in front of hers to ask her what exactly was she thinking.

And there was a time that I did say this to her: if anything's troubling you, just voice it all out.

So in the end, she didn't take my words to heart?

As the train was making one of its many stops at some station, Mafuyu suddenly stood up. I was almost left behind on the train as she dashed out of the carriage right after the bell—which signaled that the train was about to depart—rang.

It was a small remote station; hardly any pa.s.sengers disembarked the train. There was almost no shelter at the platform, and the strong rays of the sun, coming from the west, were shining hard on the asphalt.

I could see messy patches of small farmlands on the other side of the fence, a road paved by gravel, and spa.r.s.ely scattered houses.

Eh? Back when I asked Mafuyu about the place she lived—

"Mafuyu, is your house nearby?"

Mafuyu carried her guitar on her shoulder, with her back facing me. She then turned her head around and said,

"...... I just suddenly felt like dropping off at an unknown station."

After murmuring that, she began to make her way towards the wicket. Come to think of it, she's actually a repeat offender when it comes to running away from home, yeah? Is this how she usually carries out her disappearing act? I could already begin to understand why Ebichiri was overprotective of his daughter.

Since I had to get a replacement ticket, I almost lost sight of Mafuyu, who had quickly run out of the wicket. I finally caught up to her at the gravel road, which was situated between two corn fields. However, I couldn't bring myself to yell out her name, so I did what I was used to doing—walking quietly behind her at a distance of about five meters.

We walked on for quite some time before Mafuyu finally stopped in her tracks. She stood in the middle of a bridge that stretched across a nearly dried stream. She stopped because of a lonely, rusty-sounding electronic tune that came from faraway. It was a broadcast—played in various public places at five—to remind children it was time for them to head home. The melody was played through the speakers at a few specific places in town. Seemed like the tune was the same for all the cities in j.a.pan. It was the second movement of Dvořák's .

The same melody was also played by another speaker even further away. It gently blended in with the initial melody, which had already started to ring some time ago, forming a blurry canon.

Mafuyu grabbed onto the railing at the side of the bridge, and allowed her sight to wander all around in the air, to explore the melody around us.

She mumbled as I caught up to her,

"...... Why must j.a.pan broadcast such a lonely tune every day in the evening? I had traveled all over j.a.pan because of my concerts, but everywhere I went, I always heard the same tune."

I tilted my head. That's strange.

"This song is actually played during funerals in America and other countries," she said as she stared at the stream.

Is that so? It's probably a cultural difference, I guess?

"Well, this tune was later rewritten into and , because it gives people the feeling that it's evening and that it's time to return home...... for us j.a.panese anyway."

"Really?" With that, Mafuyu closed her eyes and tilted her ears to listen to the rumbling tune as it was sucked into the air.

There were probably not that many people who knew that tune was written by Dvořák. And even fewer probably knew this piece was actually a subst.i.tute for a letter to be mailed back to his motherland Czech from the new world America, and that it was filled with deep longings for his homeland.

"...... Why?"

As the sounds around us changed back to the cries of cicadas and the rumbling of a faraway train, Mafuyu asked me softly.

"Why...... did you invite me to join the band?"

"...... Eh?"

"Forget it. It's nothing."

Mafuyu removed the guitar from her shoulders and leaned it against the railing.

After saying a bunch of things I was completely clueless about, Chiaki made her way through the window and out of my room. Coincidentally, the fugue part played by Keith Emerson just so happened to end exactly at that moment as well; the tune was about to head into part two of .