MCFW 01

Chapter :01

The high school I go to is an all-boys school, and we don’t really have much contact with the girls’ school across the street.
It’s not like we’re on bad terms or anything—it’s just that we don’t have any reason to interact.

Of course, there are a few guys who are dating girls from that school, but not many.
Our cultural festivals and sports events are held on different schedules, which makes it even harder to interact with them.

As for me, I’ve never really been interested in that sort of thing. People around me even call me “the indifferent guy,” but I’ve never cared.

Today is the day I promised to meet up with Kana-neechan. (That’s my older cousin Kana.)
It’s after school now, and most of the students have already gone home.
The only ones left are probably those who belong to committees or clubs.

I’m part of the Public Morals Committee myself.
After finishing my rounds—our committee’s main job—I went back to my classroom, packed up, and left school.

Even though I have plans with Kana-neechan today, luckily, I don’t have a shift at my part-time job.

When I reached the shoe lockers, a student came walking down the hallway toward me.

“Yo, Suou. You free today?”
“Kazami-kun? What’s up, all of a sudden—?”

Even if he asks if I’m free out of nowhere, I don’t really know how to answer.
His name is Shingo Kazami. You could say we’re friends, but only the kind that talk about small, random stuff.

“Well, actually, today I made plans to meet some girls from the girls’ school.”
“Okay…”
“But we’re short one guy, and I thought maybe you could fill in.”
“So that’s why you’re asking me?”
“Exactly. So, what do you say? If you’re free, wanna come along?”

I don’t really have any other plans with friends…
But—

“Sorry. I’ve got something planned today, so I don’t think I can make it. You should ask someone else.”

“I see… Well, that’s too bad. Maybe next time, then.”
“Yeah.”

Kazami-kun said that and headed back toward the school.
If I didn’t have plans, I probably would’ve gone.
But not today.

Today, I have an appointment with Kana-neechan.
So I’d better hurry to the girls’ school.

She told me it was a band gathering, so I’ll bring my bass along.
By the way, I keep my bass in a paid locker near the station.
Why there, you ask? Because if I brought it to school, the teachers would definitely confiscate it.

If I were in the light music club, it would be fine, but since I’m not, they’d treat it as a personal item.
And if it were confiscated, I’d have to go through a whole lecture just to get it back. That alone could take over an hour.
So it’s just less trouble to keep it in a locker.

If I keep walking straight down this road, I’ll reach the station.
When I got there, I went straight to the paid lockers and unlocked mine.
Inside was my beloved bass guitar.
I slung it over my shoulder and pulled out my phone to check the time.

“Come to think of it, she told me the meeting place, but not the exact time. I wonder if it’s okay to head over now…”

I remembered what happened three days ago and frowned slightly.
Kana-neechan—though she’s an honor student, polite, and stunningly beautiful—can be a little airheaded sometimes.

“Well, no point overthinking it. I’ll just go.”

With a sigh, I started walking toward the girls’ school.

When I arrived at the front gate, four girls were standing together. They were all still in uniform and carrying their bags, so it seemed they hadn’t gone home yet.
One of them was definitely Kana-neechan.

When she noticed me approaching, she called out.

“Ah, you’re late! What took you so long?”
“Sorry. I had to go pick up my instrument, so it took a while…”
“I see. For a moment, I thought you might not come.”
“No way. I made a promise to you, Kana-neechan. I wouldn’t break it.”
“That’s true. Still, you actually went all the way to pick up your instrument?”
“Yeah. You said it was a band meeting, so I figured I should bring it along.”
“Instrument? You mean—you play bass?”

One of the other girls asked with interest. She had short hair and gave off a boyish vibe.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I answered, and she looked at the bass on my back, studying it carefully.

“Hm. I see…” she murmured suspiciously.

…What’s that supposed to mean?

“What’s wrong, Nao-chan?” Kana-neechan asked before I could.
The short-haired girl—Nao—gave me a sharp look.

“It’s nothing. I was just wondering if he has any experience.”
“Well…”
“He’s never been in a band before,” Kana-neechan answered quickly, as if to defend me. “But he’s really good at bass.”

Nao sighed.

“That’s not enough.”
“Nao-chan?”
“Skill alone isn’t enough. If he’s going to be part of a band, he needs to understand what it means to be a band member. Otherwise, we’ll never improve! You understand that, right?”
“I know that. But right now, we’re missing a key member.”
“And that’s him?”
“We don’t have a bassist, remember?”
“Well… yeah, that’s true, but…”
“Then there’s no problem, right?”
“I guess not… but still…”

Nao still looked dissatisfied as she glanced my way.
I think I could understand what she was getting at, somehow.

The two girls beside her tried to calm her down.

“Come on, Nao-chan.”
“Yeah, Kana-chan’s already decided.”

They were clearly part of the same band too.
Looking at all four of them—including Kana-neechan—I noticed something.

Her band didn’t have any male members.

“By the way, little brother,” one of them asked. “You’re off work today?”
“Yes, I don’t have a shift today.”
“Good! Then can we have the band meeting at your place? Is that okay?”
“My house?”
“Is that a problem?”

Kana-neechan asked in a pleading tone.

…Oh boy.

My parents both work, so they won’t be home.
But my older brother—who knows about him.

No point worrying, I guess.

“I think it’s fine…”
“Great! Then let’s head to your place!”
“Yay!”
“Uh… wait a sec—”

How did it turn into this?!
What if my brother is home?

They didn’t seem to care about my concerns, and started walking toward my house.
Kana-neechan, especially—once she decides on something, she never listens.

At this point, all I could do was pray.

Please, God…
Let my brother not be home…

Of course, my bad feeling turned out to be right.
When I got home, my brother was there.

“Kaede, huh? And Kana’s with you too.”
“Hello, Ryuichi-san,” Kana-neechan greeted before I could speak.
The other three girls bowed politely as well.

My brother’s name is Ryuichi Suou—the very person who had a huge influence on Kana-neechan.
He’s also the reason I started practicing bass myself.
He’s in a locally famous band that mostly performs outdoor concerts.

“So, what’s with the crowd?”
“Oh, um, we’ve got a bit of a situation…”
“Well, whatever. I’m heading out soon. Make sure you lock up.”
“Band meeting again?” I asked.

He frowned.

“None of your business. Anyway, don’t bother the neighbors, alright?”
“I know, I won’t—”
“Good. Because no matter how hard someone without talent tries, it’s pointless. You should give up and find another path.”
“…”
“Hey,” Kana-neechan said sharply. “That’s kind of a harsh way to put it.”

“I’m just stating facts. You know that too, don’t you, Kana? Kaede has no talent and no bandmates to rely on. In the end, people like that just get dragged down by others. That’s why, back then, I—”
“Yeah, I remember. But I turned you down. And now, I have my own band.”
“…”

Her words clearly hit him hard.
Well, considering she once rejected his confession, that’s not surprising.

“…Do what you want,” he said finally, leaving the living room.

“Is that okay?” I asked.
“It’s fine. There’s really no better place for our meeting,” Kana-neechan replied.
“Place?”
“Hey, little brother, can we use that room?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Perfect. Let’s go there for our meeting.”
“O-okay…”
“I’m curious what kind of place it is,” one of the girls said. “But if Kana-chan says so…”
“Then follow me,” I said, leaving the living room.

That room has soundproofing—it’s perfect for band practice.
Kana-neechan already knows about it, so she won’t be surprised…
But the other three girls?
They’re definitely going to be amazed.