One Step (5)
"Yawn."
Asakura let out a short yawn.
A round lozenge candy rolled gently around her mouth to chase away the sleep.
Every time it bumped against her molars, her cheek bulged out.
A sight utterly devoid of any dignity, teacher or no.
Her face gaunt with exhaustion, as if she couldn't be bothered with appearances anymore, she eyed the new club member who'd shown up at the clubroom first thing in the morning.
"So."
It wasn't a look of particular approval.
If anything, it was closer to the glare she'd shoot at someone dragging annoying work her way at the crack of dawn.
"You've got all three members lined up?"
"That's right."
Tae-il nodded with resolute determination.
Asakura spritzed the frog enclosure with a spray bottle while checking the club application form.
"Let's see. President is Sin... well, you anyway. Members: Katsuragi Ayane and Mori Yuuya. And advisor: me, Asakura Fuyuko. That about right?"
"Yes, perfect."
What a bizarre lineup.
She crunched down on the lozenge she'd been rolling with her tongue, splitting it in half. Sticky sugar oozed out from inside.
Chasing away drowsiness with the sugar rush, Asakura rubbed her puffy eyelids.
"Even as a temp fill-in, Yuuya's not exactly combat-ready. No other members?"
Having heard bands usually needed at least three people, Asakura dramatically unfurled the form in the air.
"Not yet. There is someone else I want to ask, but..."
"But?"
Asakura pressed, and Tae-il timidly shrank back.
"I was anxious, so I wanted to submit first and figure it out..."
"Aigoo."
Hearing that cowardly response, Asakura rejected the form again.
"Then go ask them first. Club creation apps are good till tomorrow."
"That's okay?"
"Better than barely scraping together the minimum."
Yuuma High currently had at least five Light Music Clubs.
"Sometimes if there are too many similar clubs, they make you do a test for approval."
"For real?"
Tae-il raised his voice in surprise, as if he'd never heard.
"Hard to believe, but true story. So fill the roster properly when you can."
Minimal procedures. That was Asakura's iron rule.
'Most of all...'
Asakura could already picture the sharp glare from the advisor teacher the moment she submitted this.
'Another Light Music Club?'
Nothing more annoying than a naggy lecture from that unlikeable male teacher.
Asakura roughly scratched her still-unruly morning hair.
"I don't wanna get chewed out either."
"Teaching sounds rough."
"Where's the easy job in this world? Everyone's got their headaches."
Asakura chuckled wryly and shut the humidity-controlled frog enclosure.
"Anyway, weird combo..."
"Weird?"
Asakura pulled out the cream-colored gecko she called "Marie" from the lizard tank and handled it expertly.
Tae-il watched in fascination but edged back cautiously from the reptile-handling teacher.
Noticing, Asakura slyly extended her hand.
"Cute, right? Wanna try?"
"No thanks, that touch is a bit..."
"What kinda guy is scared of everything?"
She giggled at his revulsion, then held her hand—now with Marie aboard—back near the tank.
Spotting home, Marie hopped off without hesitation.
"As you see, the Animal Husbandry Club survives thanks to me and Yuuya."
The club's history was a delicate one from the start.
Without the chairman's favor, it never would've been official.
That it still existed was thanks to Asakura's lifelong reptile experience and Yuuya's award-worthy passion for animal care.
"We didn't start this big."
"Makes sense..."
"It grew when Yuuya joined."
Relatively recent.
"She succeeded in breeding them."
"Breeding?"
"No ordinary effort."
Asakura smiled softly, stroking Marie's head with her index finger.
"Without Yuuya, I'd have quit too."
Breeding success meant selling offspring, easing tight funds.
School support ramped up too.
Asakura had whooped so loud in the staff room upon budget approval she'd forgotten where she was.
"I don't want her club to vanish."
Yuuya poured immense love into the Animal Husbandry Club.
Even dressing embarrassingly to recruit freshmen.
She'd probably visit as an alum forever.
And grieve deeply if it shut down.
Might never return.
"That's why I'm grateful to you. Without you, it'd be disbanded next year for sure. Plenty hate us for creepy reptiles and bugs. Student council's sharpening knives, counting days."
"Strict place for someone you're thankful to."
"Pffft."
Asakura shrugged at Tae-il's sarcasm and closed the tank.
"Whatever. If you're making a club, see it through. That's the Yuuma way. Got it?"
"I get the gist."
"Good. I'll back you fully."
Tae-il seemed physiologically averse to animals.
Yet he'd joined Animal Husbandry for the band club.
Asakura wasn't ungrateful.
She'd teased because he reacted well, but her support was genuine.
"Thanks for the cheer. Not sure it'll work out."
"Fair."
Even his submitted roster looked shaky.
Asakura quietly mulled over "Katsuragi Ayane" on the list.
"Katsuragi Ayane, first-year Morals Committee, right?"
"Yeah, my childhood friend."
"Childhood? Kid's got more girls than I thought."
Asakura chuckled.
"Don't tease."
"Anyway, she plays instruments?"
"Supposedly. Bass guitar..."
Tae-il's voice grew a touch misty.
Some backstory there.
"Good. Just recruit one more instrument player, to be safe."
Roughly playing one song as three would satisfy the advisor.
"What if recruitment fails?"
"Pray to the gods."
For the advisor to pass it anyway.
Asakura adjusted her glasses, slipped from candy-chewing. Backlight hid her eyes.
"By the way, Yuuya's tone-deaf as hell."
"Huh?"
At his baffled stare, she shook her head pityingly.
"In my book, triangle or castanets is her limit."
"She'd get mad hearing that."
"Let her."
If she's unhappy, don't be tone-deaf.
Asakura was firm.
"Means you need recruits ASAP. So, who're you pitching to? Anyone famous?"
"Arisugawa Iris."
Crack.
Asakura froze mid-opening another lizard tank.
Wondering if she'd misheard, she scratched her ear with her index finger.
"Hey, Taichi. What'd you just say?"
"Uh... Arisugawa."
Asakura froze solid again.
"Teacher?"
Maybe official recognition wasn't the issue after all.
* * *
Sakuya or Iris.
After agonizing at the crossroads, Tae-il chose Iris.
The reason was simpler than expected.
Sakuya was a friend, and he chickened out on her "vibes" right before Interhigh.
No guts to yell, "Hey! Join the band!" casually.
Strings are tough, but guitar's among the hardest.
Major popularity lowers the entry barrier, but mastery demands effort and talent.
Even if Sakuya learned fast innately, Tae-il figured a month minimum for performance-ready.
Iris, meanwhile, already played guitar and vocals.
With Asakura's advice piled on, the scales tipped her way inevitably.
Iris had shown keen interest in his playing anyway.
To Tae-il, recruiting her first felt most rational.
They clicked decently too.
'She formed her own band in the original too.'
So he'd planned to seek her out whenever free.
Today, homeroom teacher covered first four periods.
Asakura extended to tomorrow, so post-homeroom, he'd hit Class 2 where Iris was.
Morning for a light pitch, real talk after school somewhere quiet.
All past tense now because...
"Long time no see, Shin Tae-il! Exams go okay?"
He'd never dreamed she'd come to him.
* * *
Iris's surprise visit.
Mindful of stares, Tae-il hastily dragged her to the rooftop.
He vaguely recalled Sakuya shaking her head.
Even now, it felt like a frantic escape, leaving Tae-il chuckling hollowly.
'Tomorrow's rumors will be weird again.'
Good thing tomorrow was the closing ceremony.
Hands behind back, Iris scanned the rooftop fondly.
"Been a while here too."
"How's it?"
"Zero changes. Filthy as ever."
"Harsh."
Tae-il wiped sweat from his palms on his sleeve.
Honestly, surprised.
"Never thought you'd come find me first."
"Really? I've been obvious about it."
"I was gonna seek you out."
"Oh? Hearts aligned?"
Iris turned with a coy smile.
Wind timed perfectly, flicking long hair back.
That confident poise was pure Iris.
"Meant to yesterday, but family event pulled me home."
"Haha, gotcha..."
Lucky break.
If she'd crashed his alone time with Sakuya yesterday, mega awkward.
Tae-il mentally thanked the Arisugawas.
"So. Know why I'm here?"
"Band stuff?"
Iris nodded.
Straight to it, no beating around.
"I wanna do a band."
Not just any band.
In the original, Iris scorned giggling girlie fun bands.
She craved real music.
"A real band."
"Real band?"
He knew, but played dumb.
Post-last sudden meet, he'd simulated Iris talks dozens of times.
Familiar or not, she was Iris.
Less immunity than daily Ayane or half-year desk-mate Sakuya.
To avoid slips, Tae-il locked eyes, mind sharp.
"You know anime, Shin Tae-il?"
"Which?"
"After-school cuties giggling over tea in Light Music Club."
Plenty like that, but Tae-il nodded calmly.
"Trend spawned fake bands. Basics nil, just 'fun'..."
Iris grumbled like an old-timer.
Bad memory surfaced; dry voice gained edge.
"FYI: My goal's a major-league band."
"Major... league."
Tae-il closed his eyes.
Same here. Aiming major.
Japan had tons of school bands.
Mostly hobby cover bands, but touring Live Houses revealed more originals than expected.
They craft originals, uniqueness.
Write songs, MVs, promo, gigs, rock fests.
Few succeed.
Even famous ones barely scrape by; money-makers countable on fingers.
Tae-il saw similar in Korea.
World-famous indies? Whatever.
Win big contests? Prize money zilch.
Barely covers travel.
Award cash won't recoup gear investment. Half-fame just hurts more.
Even success breeds clashes—musical, emotional—leading to breakups.
Why so many abandon grand pure dreams for hobby.
Music's pain.
The serious-er, the tighter it chokes.
Not as romantic as thought.
Yet Iris boldly declared major aim.
"So you want..."
"No messing around. I want instant-impact bandmates."
"No covers?"
"Obviously."
Her ironclad no-covers resolve; Tae-il scratched his brow.
Goals match.
Paths to it? Worlds apart.
"Thus, need at least one composer."
"BARD started as covers."
"I know."
Still immovable. Iris placed hand on chest.
"Admire BARD, but won't copy their path exactly."
She'd blaze her own.
Needing elite followers for that.
"BARD was complete from start. Proof: no lineup changes from school band to major debut, despite bumps."
They were forged perfect.
Just needed hammering tougher.
Tae-il realized her standards sky-high.
"So I meet your picky bar?"
"Shin Tae-il passes!"
Iris beamed.
Bassists so rare, joke goes "show up, you're in"—no vid needed.
Same in Korea, Japan.
Most "bassists" guitarists who settled; population tiny.
Even world-famous ones? Ex-guitarists. Shocking roll call: "Et tu, Brute?"
"And those who do? Hard rock wannabes..."
"Ah, I get it."
Tease "four-string guitar," risk bloodbath. Prideful bass subset.
Idols from rock's heyday.
Rock symbolized rebellion then—rough vibe.
"Thus, you pass! Self-tuning to your music? Irresistible!"
"F-Fell for it...?"
Eyes gem-sparkling, Iris grabbed his shoulders.
"No school band exp? Most can't tune or maintain!"
"Th-That's common..."
"Necks warping from shit care! Believe it!?"
Guitar, bass: wood base. Dry well for tone.
Proper humidity fine; excess harmful.
Japan way damper than Korea. Maintenance harder.
"You don't know those pigs! Fancy sig guitars bought 'cause house rich, then ruined!"
Pearls before swine fits none better.
Recalling horrors, Iris hugged arms, shuddering.
Faint fury laced ragged breaths.
"Absolute worst!"
"Yeah, sounds like."
Tae-il affirmed; Iris tilted head.
"You know? How?"
"Red Riding Hood. Or RRH?"
Not mangled Japanese English—native crisp. Iris flushed.
Not from his accent.
Rather, crashing shame-wave.
"Y-You don't..."
Red Riding Hood.
Middle school school-band name.
Her life's blackest history.
"Where'd you hear?"
Iris growled like grilling Yahiro.
Tae-il stayed cool. Her anger anticipated.
"Coincidence. YouTube."
"Ugh, someone left vids."
Iris mussed hair wildly.
Resigned quick; anger eased, resentment lingered.
"Why that one..."
"Haha, sorry. Hunting vocalists, stumbled on it..."
Excuse airtight.
"Whatever. No need sorry."
Iris swept face with hands.
Thinking he'd seen that trainwreck stage mortified her; wanted to flee rooftop.
But Tae-il pressed.
"That time."
Situation meh, but he had to ask.
"What happened to the highlight?"
Genuinely curious.
Iris fanned face with swept hand.
"Dunno?"
"Vid cut off before highlight."
Teased curiosity, lopped highlight.
'Phew, safe.'
Iris inwardly sighed. Sneakily distanced.
"Gotta say?"
"No...?"
But dying to see.
Tae-il pleaded earnestly.
"Any way?"
"No. Nope. Won't tell. Never!"
Iris X-ed arms firmly.
Finale: crossed arms, hmph, head-turn. Perfect.
Not expecting such hate, Tae-il wry-smiled.
"Fine, if you hate it."
"What, threaten no band?"
He had leverage.
Iris'd tough it out but cave eventually.
Her band zeal matched his.
To fretting Iris, Tae-il shook head.
"Me? Nah."
"R-Really?"
Her odd relief; Tae-il smiled softly, approached.
"Wh-Why closer?"
"This."
Tae-il pulled neatly folded paper from gakuran.
"What's that?"
"What else."
Unfolded, handed to Iris.
"Club app roster."
First: pupils contracted.
Next: lips parted.
Speechless Iris gawked goldfish-mouthed at the paper.
Tae-il covered mouth with fist, chuckling.
"Told you."
A hint playful.
"Highlight. Really wanna see."
No blackmail ever crossed mind.
Band together? All'd come out anyway.