A Date That Stands Out

The boisterous Eve Festival was over.

For once, the members wanted to enjoy an afterparty the way they had after busking, but Tales Tale still had the Finale left to prepare for. Their spot on it had not actually been decided. Votes were always like that—obvious enough on the surface, and never without a wild card.

No harm in being careful, whatever comes.

He was not about to let his guard down. He could have made a fuss to match the members' joy, but Tae-il was a pessimist, as he always had been, and he always assumed the worst.

However proudly Yuma spoke of strong student authority and a respect for freedom, that courtesy was meant for people like Sakuya—those capable enough to have already built a record through outside work. Tales Tale sat in a thoroughly awkward place. Starting with their leader, Tae-il himself was hardly an outstanding student, and neither the teachers nor the other students thought particularly well of him.

A band I put together by scooping up popular kids.

There was more than enough reason for people to write them off: not a band rising on its own skill, but one cashing in on the popularity of the members it had recruited.

But.

Tae-il had told the members to get some real rest, and still he could not loosen the tension in his shoulders. Takahashi, who had stopped by the art room to congratulate them on a wonderful stage, spoke up.

"Even so, there's no harm in preparing ahead, is there?"

"Looking at the faces in your lineup, it would be stranger if you didn't make the Finale."

"Well, drop them and people will scream it was rigged."

Fuyuko agreed with Takahashi at once, certain it would be an absolute uproar.

"I-is it really that serious...?"

"Of course. That's how absolute the influence of your band members is. Didn't you say so yourself?"

That he had gathered nothing but jaw-dropping talents and called the result a band.

"Taichi. Suppose Sakuya got upset over this and refused to enter the spring tournament. What do you think would happen?"

"Wouldn't I end up dead?"

"Haha! That would be entertaining, but first of all, the school would go under."

Sakuya kept close ties with the press. Let her sulk even a little, and the tabloids that had long been itching to bury Yuma would splash it across every front page.

A few athletic teachers and coaches had reportedly blown their tops once they confirmed Sakuya had taken the stage, but even they could not override the will of an athlete as great as she was. And there were teachers like Takahashi who quietly stood behind Tales Tale.

"If you need it, you're welcome to practice in the music room."

"Excuse me, Mr. Takahashi. Our Light Music Club room is this art room."

"Ho ho."

A strange battle of nerves unfolded between Takahashi, the music teacher, and Fuyuko, the advisor. At last Fuyuko sighed, settled into a much easier smile, and roughly ruffled Tae-il's hair.

"In any case, better safe than sorry, isn't it?"

"Understood."

Taking both teachers' advice, Tae-il decided they would enjoy the Cultural Festival together through the morning, as planned, and gather on their own to practice in the afternoon.

Ayane peeked her head in.

"Shin-chan, so tomorrow you're hanging out with Ayane first, right?"

"Of course. I promised."

"Yes!"

A date, for the first time in a while. Ayane, rarely so blatant about it, let her joy show outright.

"Ayane already checked every performance that's good for a date while she was out on patrol!"

"Oh. That's our Ayane. I like how thorough you are."

"Right? Told you she's the ace."

"Even Gloomy Girl gets it done when it counts. You two didn't know?"

In that order—Sakuya, Iris, then Rena—they seized Ayane and plastered on the fakest smiles imaginable.

"Ghk...!"

Ayane's face went stiff as she tried to pry herself free, but there was no chance they would let go. The more she thrashed, the more stickily they burrowed into her arms and tangled themselves around her.

"What time should we meet tomorrow?"

"Are we watching the alumni stage?"

"Do we have to?"

"Then we wander together until lunch..."

"And in the afternoon we just check that one more place..."

"Is that place all right?"

"A friend of mine runs it, and the promo says the reviews are better than you'd think..."

"If we get bored or tired while we're walking around, we can just flee to the art room anyway..."

Before Ayane could wedge in a single reply, the three of them had the schedule neatly sorted. Their teamwork was flawless.

Ayane turned a tearful face on Tae-il and sent up an SOS.

"Sh-Shin-chan...!"

"Haha."

Tae-il smiled and pretended not to see her.

Even I find that a little...

It was always the same. Once the girls caught fire, they were exhausting. He was hardly short on clothes, and yet Yoo Ha-na would drag him out every season insisting he needed something to wear for it, and every shopping trip left him worn thin.

At times like this, staying quiet is best...

Offer even one suggestion, and a problem that would have ended in ten minutes cost him another thirty.

When Tae-il quietly edged away, Ayane wailed.

"That's so meeean!"

"Sorry..."

A day passed, and the second morning of the Cultural Festival dawned.

"What a mess."

A place after a festival was bound to be filthy. Not in Japan. Whether they simply could not bear to abandon their image as a people obsessed with neatness, they were remarkably sensitive about cleanliness. But the world, it seemed, contained no absolutes.

"It's filthy."

He had come to school early, and the trash had not yet been fully cleared. The grounds were nothing short of chaotic. He could feel it: yesterday's heat had not burned off.

"Yikes! People are already piling in."

Tae-il, who had been lost in the scenery, hurried out of the schoolyard before the crowd grew any thicker. His destination, as always, was the Husbandry Club.

"Good morning...?"

"Good morning..."

He opened the door and stepped in as usual, then startled at the dark circles packed beneath her eyes.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah..."

"You're not pushing yourself, are you?"

"I'm fine."

Yuuya raised a thumb. The exhaustion on her face made it anything but convincing, but Tae-il chose to respect her stubbornness.

"Ah, I'll feed Toto. Please rest, Senpai."

"Thanks..."

It was just the two of them. Quietly, and yet unmistakably pleased, Yuuya leaned blankly against his shoulder.

"Senpai, how was our stage yesterday?"

"Hm!"

As if even answering took too much effort, Yuuya put up a thumb.

"Haha. That good?"

"Hm-hm!"

One was not enough. She raised a second thumb.

"Haha!"

Tae-il scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

……

Chomp!

Inside the tank, Toto floated with a vacant stare and quietly nipped the finger Tae-il had left dangling in the air.

"Ow—!"

"Ah, Toto...!"

Yuuya passed a piece of meat to Toto, who kept working its mouth open and shut, begging to be fed.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded from outside.

"Huh? A guest at the Husbandry Club?"

A rare thing. Fuyuko or the Tales Tale members would not have knocked.

Tae-il approached slowly and opened the door.

Sparkle. Glittering light leaked through the crack.

Ah. I'm doomed.

Instinct caught the omen, and he tried to slam the wide-open door shut at once.

Thunk!

A white indoor shoe jammed itself into the gap with alarming speed.

"Ugh...!"

Tae-il flinched, and in the same instant the door flew open.

There he was. The utterly bizarre student council president, frozen in a strange pose, aiming a finger-gun this way.

"Yo!"

Behind him a small party popper went off, and fast-tempo jazz burst out with it. It was too much. Before he knew it, Tae-il had a hand pressed to his forehead.

"Have I not been sleeping enough lately...? I keep hearing strange things..."

"It's not a hallucination."

At that sharp voice, thick with exhaustion, Tae-il's gaze drifted of its own accord past Ueno. Lily, a radio in her hand, let out a long sigh as if she were genuinely put upon.

"Um..."

"Ooh! Yes, at last you grant me your gaze!"

Ueno Shin cut in with a bright grin, as if stealing the view, then lounged back and set a bubble-blowing pipe between his lips. Utterly unsuited to him, adorable transparent soap bubbles burbled out of it.

"So. What brings our ever-so-busy student council president to the Husbandry Club...?"

"What else! There can be but one reason the student council president of all the world would come here!"

"No, I'm asking what that reason is."

"Why, to deliver the Eve Festival voting results!"

Ba-dum!

Lily struck a drum that belonged in a marching band.

"Wow..."

Even Yuuya, who almost never let her feelings show, wore an openly fed-up look. Lily's face went red when their eyes met. She seemed embarrassed herself.

Whether she was or not, Ueno took the pipe from his mouth and grinned.

"First, fine work on yesterday's live show, boy! A truly splendid performance, beyond the level of mere students!"

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Had they really surpassed a student level? He couldn't tell. Every time Tae-il watched Ueno's exaggerated words and gestures, he simply could not decide whether they were lies or sincere.

"I shall look forward to your Finale stage, just as I did yesterday."

"Th-thank you..."

On the receiving end of the man's unbearably greasy wink, Tae-il broke into a cold sweat.

"More importantly..."

Spoiled on the Finale results by Ueno, with no room left for feeling or anything else, Tae-il wore a peculiar expression. Misreading it, Ueno put on a knowing smile.

"Hmm? Could it be you're curious about the lineup taking the Finale stage?"

"Ah, yes."

"A nice question, great enough to be called great! Yaaah! This is why a sharp-eyed junior is such a delight!"

Ueno shot a sidelong glance at Lily, who was leaning on the wall behind him and diligently paying attention to anything else.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry the vice president is so hopeless at taking a hint."

Lily shrugged, and Ueno laughed.

"Hahaha! Quite all right. That isn't what I expect from my vice president."

"No. Before that, the Finale lineup, quickly..."

"Ah, right, right!"

Ueno drew a thoroughly crumpled sheet from inside his coat and held it out.

"This is...?"

"Explaining it myself would hardly be stylish. Read it with your own eyes. The glorious Finale lineup!"

At Ueno's suggestive little gesture, Tae-il unfolded the creased paper. He did not even need to lower his gaze. At the very top of the page—

Tae-il's hand twitched as he read the number written beside the name Tales Tale.

"Tales Tale, first place with 501 votes..."

"Yaaah~! Truly overwhelming! Even I never imagined the margin would be this decisive!"

"The dance club, second with 324 votes..."

The dance club. Between its members and its flashy performances, it was bound to be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠popular anywhere. They entered outside competitions often enough and brought awards home, so the school thought well of them too. He had assumed they would naturally sit above the more niche wind ensemble, but even Tae-il had not expected them to manage no better than second.

"Huh? But, President, if you look at this footnote..."

"Mm-hm! Quick on the uptake, boy!"

The instant Tae-il ran his index finger along the print, Ueno's grin spread.

"Regrettably, it is exactly as written there!"

"Then the dance club...?"

"Ah."

Ueno set the pipe between his lips again.

"Regrettably. The dance club has a competition next week, and so they will not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠take part in the Finale."

But a band had gone up in their place, he said, and he urged Tae-il to keep reading. Of course it would be difficult. An outdoor stage that had not been properly prepared could easily turn into an accident. Even so, privately sorry he would not get to see their stage at the Finale, Tae-il checked the list again.

"They're all bands?"

The wind ensemble and the cheerleading club were on it too, but their ranks sat below the bands.

A pile-on?

For a Yuma student, voting for a rare band club might well have been more appealing than a club stage they could see any day.

"Haha! It just happened to turn out that way!"

"Don't laugh."

"Even so, I declare there was not a shred of tampering."

The will of the student body. At Ueno's assertion, Tae-il ran his eyes down the list once more.

"Tales Tale, Hawaiian, Unlogic Band, and..."

For whatever reason, one blank had not yet been filled. The moment he was about to ask, Iris's voice came from down the hall.

"Ah, there! Shin Tae-il! Of course you were he— huh? The student council president?"

"Yo! It's been a while, Miss Arisugawa."

"Ah, hello..."

Having returned the greeting, she tilted her head.

"Shin Tae-il? Why is the student council president here...?"

"Haha! Nothing of consequence! More to the point, I have duties welcoming guests in the schoolyard, same as yesterday, so I shall be—"

"Ah, wait! I have something I need to consult you about!"

"Ghk!?"

Iris caught the departing Ueno by the scruff of the neck.

"M-Miss Arisugawa...?"

"Shin Tae-il!"

"Huh? Uh, yeah. What is it, Iris?"

"Come straight to the art room later, not the classroom. Everyone's waiting. Don't even think about running!"

"I'm not running..."

"Hmm. Well, anyway, President! Let's have a serious talk, just the two of us!"

"Eeehhh!?"

Iris dragged Ueno off.

"L-Lily! Help me! Lily! This woman is strange!?"

"Haa. That reckless brat, honestly..."

Lily pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead, muttering about stress, then bowed her head to Tae-il.

"Pardon the intrusion. I'll be going as well."

"Ah, yes. Take care."

Lily went after Ueno, who was being hauled along by Iris. Truly loyal. Watching the vice president go to his aid even while she was openly irritated, that was what Tae-il thought.

"Keep it down! I'm the one getting embarrassed just listening!"

Thwack!

The drumstick she had been playing with cracked across the back of Ueno's head.

"Gack!"

The heavy blow was followed by Ueno's scream.

"Mm..."

Tae-il pretended he had not seen a thing and returned to the Husbandry Club.

"Senpai, would you like to walk around with us today?"

"Y-yeah...!"

Yuuya brightened at the offer. It had been a while since he had seen her so plainly happy, and a strange ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠satisfaction settled over him.

Forget everything I just saw. Today, we enjoy ourselves.

After yesterday's stage, Tales Tale had earned at least that much.

"Owowow. I'm dying..."

"Hmph."

Ueno rubbed the fist-sized lump rising on the back of his head and looked at Iris.

"So. Why did you drag me all the way to the student council room?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

Iris nodded with resolve.

"Yes."

Faced with a serious Iris, Ueno wiped the smile from his face and perched on the desk.

"Very well. I shall hear you out. It isn't something that violates social norms or morality, or some unreasonable request I would struggle to grant, I trust?"

"Of course not."

Iris shot him a glare, as if to ask what he took her for.

"Anyway, after this Cultural Festival ends, it looks like we'll need to miss a few days of school."

"Hm? Miss school...?"

"Yes. Other clubs can file an absence form and skip class when they have outside events, right?"

"That is true, but..."

Ueno was puzzled. If the band called Tales Tale were taking part in an outside event, they had only to file the absence form through the proper procedure and be done. A few teachers disliked the outside activities of Sakuya and Rena and would not be pleased to find them in the band, but those teachers had no right to refuse. The fact that Iris was asking him, the student council president, separately like this meant Tales Tale was not attending an official outside event.

"Honestly, even I know it's a stretch. But a Finale stage counts as an achievement, doesn't it? In its own way."

"Hold on. Did I tell you as well?"

Ueno stopped her. At present, only a handful of people involved knew that Tales Tale would be taking the Finale stage. Of course, most of those who had seen the performance already believed the band was guaranteed a slot. At his point, Iris smiled faintly.

"Because it's obvious."

"Obvious?"

"Yes. The only reason the student council president would seek out Shin Tae-il is that, isn't it?"

"Hmm. That friend of yours is on the executive committee, though."

"If you were meeting him on committee business, you would have done it in the committee room, not in front of the Husbandry Club. Am I wrong?"

"Heh. That is also true."

Ueno bit down on his pipe and jerked his chin. Go on. State your business.

"All right. My business, as I just said, is getting our absence forms approved. For every member of Tales Tale."

"For ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how long?"

"Five days, at minimum."

"Good heavens. A newborn band means to skip a full week of classes outright. The reason?"

"Recording an album."

Ueno's eyes went wide.

An album. Not something else—an album, she said. Ambitious. Gray eyes stared straight into Iris's red ones, which had gone slightly stiff with tension.

"A single?"

"Nominally it'll come out as a mini, but the amount of material isn't much different from a full album."

"...Are you confident?"

"If I weren't, I wouldn't be forcing a move like this."

Seeing that confidence, the corner of Ueno's mouth lifted. Bubbles burst hard and fast from the pipe.

"Hmm..."

A brief deliberation. Inside Ueno—the student council president who represented the students as far as he was able—the scales tipped, stalled, and tipped again.

Bands, and music. Arts and athletics dominated Yuma, and Ueno did not particularly welcome that. Even here they were a mere handful: the ones who climbed onto that great stage called professional and actually shone. Among the graduates, those who made a notable mark and established themselves as star athletes numbered only a few every five years, if that. People who sparkled briefly in their youth-league days and then promptly fell apart were common in this world, scattered everywhere you looked. There were also those who achieved something real in their youth, only to settle, once grown, for a company team rather than glory.

He knew. The world beyond the well was not so forgiving. Yuma, triumphant across the nation, was not the whole of it. To its graduates, Yuma was merely one somewhat larger well. And yet strikingly few current students realized as much. They were busy believing themselves truly great, wielding power, and getting drunk on it—some of them even to the point of looking down on the college-prep track.

The atmosphere had to be shaken up. It had to change.

Ueno recalled once more the Tales Tale stage he had witnessed yesterday. It had been remarkable. He had no great expertise in music, and yet, listening without quite meaning to, he had caught himself imagining it.

Budokan...

These ones might actually be capable of it. Tales Tale. A band with no fewer than two members from the college-prep track. And one of them was the vocalist.

……

If they turned professional while still enrolled, the change he was scheming might become a little easier.

"President..."

"Very well."

The moment he heard the worry in Lily's voice, Ueno nodded hard.

If it works, good. If it doesn't, so be it.

Whether he helped Tales Tale or not, the student council president had nothing to lose from the start. Ueno snapped his fingers.

"Very well. Processing a few absence forms is help I can give as much as you like."

"Really?"

"In exchange, my price is a physical album bearing the handwritten signatures of every Tales Tale member! That will be acceptable, I trust?"

"Heh. That much is nothing!"

"Ah! And last of all, do not forget to place Special Thank to Ueno in the credits!"

"Uh... I'll ask, at least."

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Ueno bent backward at the waist and laughed with a clown's satisfaction.

"Sigh. There he goes again..."

Watching Ueno show off once more with no sense of his place, Lily shook her head.