Chapter 1

School bell rings…

“Ok everyone! It’s going to be weekends. Do your homework ok? Or else, there will be punishment for those who don’t.” Miura sensei warned his class before they get the chance to leave the room. “EEH??” Class II-B, the class assigned to him, protested when they’ve heard the word punishment. Miura-sensei is very well-known for having the students who didn’t do their assignment to stay on Saturdays in school to help in some paper or duty works. This became a very effective method since almost none of the students, even those called troublemakers, dare to defy him. Who would want to spend their precious Saturday in the school? Despite that, he’s a kind and approachable teacher that everyone’s respect.

“Now, Stand! Bow! Have a nice weekend guys.” Miura-sensei then left the room. The students started packing their bags and leave one by one. “Mami! Faster! Haruna and Rina are waiting in the club room!” Tomomi squealed at Mami. “Hai!” Mami’s already doing her best in packing her things but she just can’t beat Tomomi’s hyperness. After all, Haruna’s back from their excursion. They haven’t seen each other for 3 days, and this is how hyper Tomomi is. Rina visits them during break but for only a brief moment since Rina is the class representative of I-A and she was busy doing errands.

“Mami! Come on! Run!” Tomomi is dragging Mami out of the room as she swung her bag to her arms and into the clubroom.

“Wait or I’ll trip! Geez, it was only 3 days since we last seen Haruna.” Mami said to the eager Tomomi but she’s not listening.

They’ve run the whole length of the hallway and up to the stairs, Mami tried to apologies to the people they’ve bumped into or disturbed as they passed along. At long last, they’ve reached the clubroom. Standing in front of the door, gasping, they’ve looked to each other and agreed to open it together. With one quick motion, they’ve pushed the door and saw Haruna and Rina, already there. Waiting for them.

 “Haruna! I miss you!” Tomomi launched herself to Haruna before she could even reply to her.

“Genki as always, Tomomi. And I miss you too. Although we’ve always texted when I was gone.” Haruna said to Tomomi as she tried to break Tomomi’s hold of her but with no luck.

“Eeh, but seeing and texting is different!” Tomomi protested. “Hey, stop that already, let Haruna breath first.” Mami placed her bag to the long chair together with the bags of Haruna and Rina. .“Hai” Seeing this motion, Tomomi finally let go of Haruna and placed her bag too besides Mami’s.

“Rina, how are you? Is your duty in your class done?” Asked by Mami as she let herself sit beside the drummer.

“Yes. Luckily, sensei doesn’t have any much duty for me today so I hurried up here.” Rina smiled sweetly to the other three.

“AAH, as expected of our baby!” Tomomi was about to bear hugged her too but Rina was quicker than her. She grabbed Tomomi’s head and held the girl back at arm’s length.

“I think I’m not the baby here. You are Tomomi-senpai.” Rina said this as a matter-of-factly. Tomo dropped her flailing arms as she tries to give Rina a crushing hug and pouted at the young drummer’s statement. She looked at the other two but she could see that they both agreed to what Rina said.

“Mo! Let’s practice already! The school festival’s just around the corner!” Tomomi grabbed her bass from its stand and started tuning it.

The other girls agreed and followed her. After tuning their guitars and plugging them on the amplifier, they’ve played 3 songs which are in their set list for the school festival. It was still for another two months but they’ve decided to practice already since this will be the last school festival Haruna will have. She will be graduating from Caless Gakuen this year and they want all of their activities together to be perfect.

After about two hours, the band practice is over and they all went home together.

“Hey! Since I’m back, let’s go out tomorrow neh?” Haruna said cheerfully.

“Yes! That will be nice. I’ll go.” Rina said.

“Me too! Let’s go to the arcade!” Mami suggested which, to her delight, Haruna and Rina agreed.

“Uhm I can’t go. Maybe next time.” The ever-so-cheerful Tomomi, now a bit down, said.

“What? You always don’t go when we go out on Saturdays.” Mami crossed her arms and frowned at Tomomi’s lack of participation during weekend activity with them. Then a thought came that made her face light up and smiled widely. “You’re seeing someone, don’t you?” She exclaimed, more of pointing the truth than asking.

“That might be the only reason why she’s not coming with us!” Rina clapped her hand together as her eyes twinkled with what Mami said. “Although you act like a kid most of the time, there’s no arguing that you’re still cute. I’ve also heard someone confessed to you during your freshman year. And according to the rumor, he’s a senior!”  Getting excited with the sudden topic, Rina slid her arm to Tomo’s and pressed her on telling the truth.

Tomomi blushed on what Rina said, she looked at her with her face generally embarrassed. “Where did you get that information?” Tomomi asked her kohai with a nervous smile.

“I’m a class representative. Knowing is my business.” Her angelic smile was so bright but scary that the other three backed up. Somehow, in her statement, something sinister is going on. Like she knew something about them that they don’t know. “Uhm, no. I’m not seeing anyone. I just can’t go. Gomene.” Tomomi apologetically said to the three.

“Guys stop that. Remember what Tomomi said before? It is a family matter so stop teasing her. But Tomomi, if someday, you have weekends off, just call us huh? We’re going to hang out.” Haruna saved Tomomi from Rina’s further interrogation. Looking at Haruna, she gave her a deep appreciative look as Rina backed off. Haruna only smiled at her and proceeded on walking.

“Of course! Thank you very much! Well then, I’ll be going this way. Ja ne!” Tomomi bows and waved goodbye to her friends. The other three too did and they’ve separated ways.

While walking, she remembered what Rina said to her. She said that she is cute. This made Tomomi smile since of the three of her friends, she considered Rina as her lovely kohai. And she’s the one who held her arm first! Usually, Rina fend Tomomi off every time she tries to hug or grab her. “AAH! My lovely Rina finally noticed me!” Tomomi dreamily uttered as she relived the thought.

She was skipping happily when her daydreaming suddenly cut off as she remembered something else too. Her smile faded, she slowed her pace down and thinks deeply. “Tomorrow again huh? Better rest early then.” She said with a small smile and went straight home.