The practice ended really quick. While on my way to the staff room to return the keys of the practice room, I met Rossweisse-sensei at the door.
"Oh, Uzumaki. Come here for a moment."
"Huh? Me?"
Rossweisse-sensei's long black hair was tied up in a bun, and she was dressed in the white pleated blouse and tight miniskirt as usual. Though she may be dressed really formally, she is actually a really violent teacher, which you somehow just can't link to her role as a music teacher. I really do hope she won't drag me around by my ears in the future.
"Sensei, that's the girls's toilet over there!" I tried my hardest to resist after realizing that I was going to be pulled into a really terrible place.
"Ah, that will not do." Rossweisse-sensei then pulled me to a turn at the staircase, where the fourth floor further up from us—it's a corner of the music room where almost no students will pass by once the hours have reached this late in the day.
Rossweisse-sensei forced me against the wall and pressed her heel into my foot. She then began her interrogation.
"Weiss came to the preparatory room just now."
"Eh…?"
I see. So she ran to the preparatory room huh? Rossweisse-sensei used to be Tobirama's student, Weiss' father, back when he was a lecturer in college. It seems like she was close to Weiss since way back.
"I have no idea why, but somehow she seems to be in a pretty depressed state. Did you two have quarrel or something?"
"Nope, nothing much happened… ah! Ouch! Don't shift your body weight onto your heels!"
"I did mention before that you should be prepared for your arms to be broken if you made Weiss cry, right?"
"Since when!" Though she did say she wouldn't let me off easily.
"What happened? Aren't the two of you getting along really well?"
"Do we look like we are on great terms with each other?"
Rossweisse-sensei shrugged.
"So you're really unaware of it… all that girl talks about is you and the Folk Music Club."
"Eh? No, that's just…"
Things won't reach this state if we're on good terms with each other, right?
"She's still in the preparatory room, so go and look for her. Just say that it's me telling her to go home quickly."
"… Understood."
And with that, Rossweisse-sensei walked downstairs.
We used to have music as a core in our school, so the whole of the fourth floor is housing equipment that is related to that. Straight to the left at the end of the stairs, was a door covered with red felt, just like those of a concert hall—that's the music hall that's rarely used. Located along the sides of the corridor that's extending outwards on the right, are storerooms that are used to store all sorts of musical instruments. At the end of the corridor is a metallic door, which belongs to the music room that is used during our typical music lessons.
There was a series of melodies from an electric guitar that wasn't plugged into an amplifier, and it came from diagonally—right in front of the music room—it is the door of the music preparatory room. Its timbre sounded beautifully delicate and gentle.
What song is that… it should be the part of the harpsichord that appears in Brandenburg Concerto No. 5? She actually managed to replicate the rich sounds of the arpeggio clearly with just a single guitar. As I listened carefully to Weiss playing the guitar, I recalled how weak Hotel California sounded when it was played by just the three of us earlier.
After the song was over, I could hear the sound of Weiss tuning her guitar. Despite that, I remained rooted outside the door without moving an inch. What to do? Weiss will probably be angry if I just open the door and walk in like that.
"… Weiss?" In the end, I tried calling out her name softly. The sounds of her tuning suddenly stopped. Those words that I wanted to say but were frozen in my mouth had disappeared completely as well. Because Weiss hasn't said anything to me yet. And I have no idea what to say as well.
"Well, Ruby said that the registration for the live performance… will end tomorrow." I pressed my palms against the wall, and said that out word by word. "Since we have to fill in the names of the members of the band, as well as the name of the band itself… we may actually have to use the name that Yang came up with if we don't decide soon."
I noticed a slight change in Weiss's breaths when I mentioned Yang's name.
"So, well…" I tried desperately to find a suitable word… right, I'll just start from that. I wanted to ask her about it anyway. "About the live performance. Do you have any reason not to go?"
It felt like a long time had passed before I heard her answer.
"Actually… there's no special reason." Weiss's murmurs came from behind the thin door. I was feeling slightly relieved upon being able to speak with Weiss, but then came her next line. "However, there's no real reason for me to go either."
"What…!" That's just too much! What's with that!? "Then what did you join the band for?"
"I don't know," came Weiss' reply. "I really don't know."
She sounded just like a child who's lost. I squatted at the corridor and thought hard for a while.
"If you go, then perhaps you'll know."
I tried answering her with that. Even I myself felt it was quite a silly answer—it sounded like something that an elementary school kid would say. However, there's no withdrawing once I said it out loud.
"Since you're willing to join our club, we wish to participate together with you. Not just to perform, but to play together. And so, well…" I slowly heaved out the air that was jammed in my throat. There's nothing much left for me to say, right? "So, I'll be waiting for you at the practice room tomorrow."
And with that, I waited breathlessly for a moment, but there was no reply from the inside.
Hah. I guess the only thing that I can do is wait.
I silently left the door. While making my way towards the stairs, I actually stopped in my tracks twice to turn around and look. It somehow feels like I could faintly hear the sound of Weiss playing her guitar. Dvořák's music… but that may just be the evening bell which came from faraway towns.