After thinking on it for a long while, my phone rang, it's Yang's phone number. Should I start the conversation by talking about me wanting to buy a guitar, she will definitely make me join the Folk-whatever club, so I'll just skip that for now.
"Haruto? It's a little too early for you to be home, you coward."
"How's that cowardly? Right, there's… something I'd like your help with."
"A request? What's wrong? I can listen, but the price of me helping you will be joining our club."
"No way. Look, do you know any decent musical instrument stores?"
"Musical instrument store? Why?"
"To buy an instrument, obviously. I want to buy a guitar." I regretted it a little, but I still told her the reason.
As expected, she insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter, "Why, why? Did you dream of someone? Eric Clapton?"
"I'm not you! And also, Clapton's not dead yet!"
"Could it be… the things Weiss said to you?"
I was speechless for a moment.
"Ah! Silence. I'm right."
"… It's not that… "
"Ehh, Haruto and Weiss… "
The both of us swallowed back the words halfway through our sentences at about the same time. A moment of silence followed. I could hear the announcement of the arrival of the train from her side of the phone, she probably made the call at the train station while on her way back or something?
Yang finally said, "Right, since I'm about to head home now, let's go together?"
"You don't have to. Just tell me the place, and I'll go there by myself."
"Ah, it's fine. I am a regular there, so it will be cheaper if we go together."
"Thanks, but… "
"Oh! Here comes the train. See you there at the station."
She hung the phone before I could say what was on my mind. For some reason, her voice sounded strangely hoarse. I felt slightly uneasy, but I still took out fifty thousand yen from the envelope that contained the money for the family expenses and put them in my wallet, before stepping out of the house. Prior to me mounting my bicycle, I placed my hand at the area of my heart, and confirmed it once again… it's still hot. That was not just a moment of impulse.
To get to the musical instrument store which Yang showed me, one will have to exit through the northern entrance of the train station, then head downwards via the bridge till you hit the flight of stairs at the very end. After walking down the stairs, the store is located right at the intersection point of the shopping street and the slightly deserted residential area. It's sandwiched right in the middle of two large buildings that look a little like the spine of a thin book. A signboard with the words 'Thousand Birds Musical Instrument Store' was hangs above its entrance. The shop is rather narrow, and there are guitars that hung by the two walls at the sides from the floors right up to the ceiling that made the shop look quite intimidating. The music played in the store was heavy metal of Northern Europe, which further adds on to the sense of intimidation.
Yang said to me before entering the store, "I am a regular here, so if you try your best to haggle, you'll definitely get a cheap and satisfactory price." I do not have much experience in haggling though, so I was not feeling too confident about it.
"But, why did you decide to play the guitar again? You were still very unmotivated this morning." So she still asked in the end.
"I just feel like playing all of a sudden."
"Do you think I met you only yesterday? You're not the sort of person who does things on a whim, but… whatever. Hello."
Yang grabbed my hand and walked into the store. Even the floors are filled with guitars supported by display stands. I strolled past those guitars and walked inwards. Finally, we found the counter amid the heaps of CDs and scores for some strange reason, a sense of nostalgia hit me.
"Is Kakashi-san around?" As Yang said that, a man walked out from the door located behind the counter. He was a guy with spiky silver hair and he looked quite tall. He should be around thirty, but that tired look of his eye was quite a pitiful sight—it's as though he was a potato that was left on the side for three weeks after it was picked from the fields. And what the hell is the book he read?! Isn't that the newest Icha Icha series? Is it alright reading an ero book in front of customers?
"Oh, it's Yang-chan. Sorry, but I am quite busy here…"
"Well I'm sorry, but please stop reading your porn Kakashi-san! You have a customer here. My friend here wants to get a guitar."
"Yang, is he a friend of yours?"
"Haruto, you don't know him? He's a famous musician!"
"No… I'm sorry. I'm not too familiar with local musicians."
"You don't really have to apologize to me in such a strange manner." Kakashi laughed loudly and continued. "It's fine for you not to know me, since I'm from an underground band."
I was finally able to make heads and tails of things after piecing together the words of the rather emotional Yang. Beside running this music store, Kakashi's also the lead singer in a band named Whitefang. He's also released albums via an indie record label. Also, it seems like he's involved in the behind-the-scenes stuff like song recordings. All in all, it means that he is a professional musician. Then another person appeared at the door behind the counter.
"Kaka nii! The strings in stock do not match up at all, hmm?"
"Eh? Ruby's working today?"
The me in between Yang and the counter was suddenly stunned. Ruby was wearing the black apron of the store with its logo printed on it, and her hand was holding onto the logbook. How? Why is she here?
"Ah, Yang. We are conducting a check on our inventory today, but there was a sudden lack of manpower. Speaking of which, we met yet again, Namikaze. How nice. Make up your mind quickly and join the club, yeah?"
"Umm… ah, no… ugh, why?"
Which reminded me, Yang did indeed mention that girl had worked at a musical instrument store to get her guitar. So she's actually talking about this place? I should have thought of that. Dammit, I've been had! This is a conspiracy!
"Take your time! This is my store, so you don't have to hold back."
"It's my store actually… " Kakashi made a feeble protest.
"As your little sister, Kaka nii store is also my store, right? Speaking of which, the numbers for Martin's Extra strings in the inventory do not match up at all. Did you place them somewhere else?"
"Ah, no, about that… "
"Kaka nii, you're totally useless…"
Kakashi looked like he was on the brink of tears.
"There's nothing I can do then. Namikaze, I have some time to spare, so I'll assist you with your shopping. Need anything?"
"Eh? Well, I am not here to buy anything." I wove a lie on the spot.
"He wants to buy a guitar. What do you recommend, Ruby?" Yang interrupted. There was no point in me trying to lie my way through.
"Hmm. What's your budget, Namikaze?"
"Well…"
"Oh, that's quite a huge sum! About fifty thousand yen."
"Don't take my wallet without my permission! And don't look at the contents either!" I snatched my wallet back from Yang's hands.
"Fifty grand, huh… you can only buy the cheap stuff here with the amount of cash you've got, but that would be a total waste of money."
"Don't say that… " Kakashi curled himself up as he said that, I was beginning to pity him already.
"Namikaze, how about this then? We'll play a game of rock-scissors-paper. If you win, I'll sell you a guitar which is still slumbering in the warehouse and worth a hundred grand, at only half its price. If I win, I'll pick a guitar for you that is within your budget. How's that?"
"Hold on a second, Ruby-chan. How can you be so rash?" Kakashi was flustered. "You said half-price, huh… but is that fine?"
"No worries. It's clearly stated in the first chapter of Das Kapital people sell their laboring-power to a buyer, not to satisfy the personal needs of the buyer, but to augment the buyer's capital."
"I don't quite get that… "
"To put it in simple terms, it means that most of the instruments here are sold at an exorbitant price, so they'll still be earning a profit even if I sell it to you at half its price."
"Ruby-chan…" Kakashi was close to tears.
"Kaka nii is too irritating, so let's have our game outside. Namikaze, are you gonna accept my challenge or not?"
Ruby grabbed my hand and pulled me outside of the store. Though it was really pitiful for Kakashi, what Ruby said made sense too. Or rather, it's a little too good to be true, since I stand to lose nothing.
"If the price of selling me the guitar cheaply is me joining the club, then I am heading back."
"There is no need for me to impose any conditions, yeah? Moreover, I don't think I'll ever lose to you."
"Alright, I get it. You'll be selling me a decent guitar regardless of the outcome, right? You won't be giving me defective goods or something?"
"Of course! I swear upon the name and reputation of the store!"
"Well… alright."
"Ready? I'll give you a handicap."
Ruby flashed a smile of satisfaction, and showed something that was pinched in between her index and middle finger. That's… a guitar pick. Eh? Index and middle finger? That means she won't be throwing scissors? No wait… is that a trap? She's misleading me so as to lure me into a trap?
"Rock-Scissors-Paper!" Along with the voice of her, I threw out rock immediately.
Ruby's fingers expanded outwards to show paper, the pick slipped off her hand and fell onto the ground.
"Namikaze, you're quite the honest man." She gently patted my head.
That's too sly! Actually, rather than saying that Ruby was sly, should I be blaming myself for easily falling into that trap of hers? As Ruby put a smile of victory on her face, I could see Kakashi behind Ruby heaving a sigh of relief.
"Well then… I'll be heading to the warehouse to find the best choice that can fit your budget."
I calmed myself down a little, and squatted down on the spot. Yang came to my side and said, "Haruto is really unfortunate huh."
"Shut up… "
"You lost the moment you agreed to the challenge."
I lifted my head, and after seeing Ruby taking a metallic silver guitar out from the warehouse, I finally understood what Yang meant.
"This Aria Pro II costs fifty—four thousand and six hundred yen, including tax. Well, it's exactly fifty grand if I round it down for you."
"But… there's only four strings?"
"Hmm? Don't you know? This is a bass. It has two less strings compared to a normal guitar, and its pitch is an octave lower."
"No, I know that much. But why are you selling me a bass? I'm here to buy a guitar!"
"Bass is part of the guitar family, right?"
"Yeah, well, but… "
Yang placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "Because the Folk Music Research Club lacks a bassist that's how it is. You understand now?"
It took me two seconds to process that, before I realized in shock I had fallen into her trap. That girl's motive all along was to be able to choose the guitar that I will be buying, and thus she gave the promise that I'll be able to get a guitar regardless of the outcome. The idiot who did not see through her ploy was me.
"W-wait… "
"I am not interested in the words of the loser. Need a receipt?" Ruby flashed a smile as she said that. So she actually has a cute side to her as well.
"I never thought of playing the bass…"
"Well, you don't know how to play the guitar in general, right?" My weak protest was quickly rejected by Ruby. "Also, you want to issue a challenge at Weiss Schnee with a guitar, right?" I was speechless for a brief moment. "That girl can play Chopin and Liszt with just a single guitar. Namikaze, based on your current skills, there is absolutely no chance of you beating her with a guitar!"
"It's not really a challenge or anything, just…"
"However, you can win if you use a bass." Ruby shoved the heavy bass into my arms. "I'll make victory yours."