Just as expected from a school that used to have music as its major, the atmosphere on the day of the chorus contest was really heated. The school was broadcasting Haydn's oratorios in the morning, while the canopy of the music hall was changed into those specially made for the chorus contest, which has the event's name printed on it… if only they would direct some of the funds used in this event towards the various clubs instead.
It has been an hour since the contest began. Our classmates squeezed themselves in like a pack of sardines on the right side of the stage, pried the curtains slightly apart and peeked at the audience through the gap. The teaching staff seated in the first row were already showing irritated expressions on their faces. They must be tired from listening to Ave verum corpus for almost ten consecutive times already.
"Rossweisse-sensei has already fallen asleep…"
Just as I was done saying that, Weiss whispered into my ears. "Then wake her up with your baton."
I'll do that even without Weiss saying so. I wiped the sweat off my palms on my trousers.
The sequence of performance was decided by random, so Ruby's class will be performing three spots away from ours. That's great for us—we might actually lower their morale after listening to our performance.
"Hey Haruto, you saw the program guide?" Yang asked after returning back from the backstage.
"The one they distributed in the morning? Nope."
"I see… never mind, it's nothing much. It's too late to do anything."
"… What?"
"They are about to end soon."
I was quite concerned about what Yang meant, but the sparse applause and the sounds of the class before us walking off the steps shattered the uneasiness in me. One by one, the students of class 2B began making their way onto the stage under the rays of the spotlights. I will be the last to get on stage.
While holding the baton with my hands, I suddenly thought—Tobirama must have tasted this solitary feeling a few thousand times already, right? Being a conductor is really tough. I never want to conduct ever again. But… it was an exception this time.
The emcee began introducing our class, choice piece, and the names of the conductor and accompaniment. I turned my face to take a look at one of the event committee members, and the thing that he was holding was… my bass.
"We are really sorry for making such requests."
We had gone through great pains to obtain permission from the organizers to use the guitars and drums. Some of the nice people in the event committee knew about our contest with Ruby and helped us in secret.
"I'll be depending on you when the set piece is over."
"Do your best!"
After nodding at each other, I began walking towards the stage that was doused in the lights.
Cheers and loud applause came from my side. Wait, the performance has not even started, so why are they already that excited? The other classes did not receive the same treatment as we do. I could even hear shouts of, "Defeat Ruby!" Just how far has the news of the contest spread to? As I stood at the front of the stage, I opened my hands to quell the noise from the audience.
I took a look at the direction of the piano, and could see Weiss' pale face behind the raised cover of the black piano. She had not taken her seat yet—all she was doing was to stare at the keyboard. This did not look good. It was thanks to the gazes of the audience as well as the cheers that caused Weiss' fingers to be unable to move.
"Haruto." Just then, Yang's voice came from the highest step of the terraced stage amid the gradually receding noise from the audience. She shot a gaze of reproach and plea in the direction of Weiss, as though she was saying to me, "Come up with something!"
She's right. Since I was the one who asked Weiss to play the accompaniment, I have to do something. I walked to the piano. Weiss's shoulders flinched. She then sat down.
"I'm… okay." Weiss mumbled. However, her hands were placed stiffly on the piano.
I blocked Weiss's view and stood next to the piano. There was no need for her to care about the audience. The only one she needs to look at is me.
"Weiss, It will be alright."
I considered my words carefully before converting them into speech. At the same time, I was careful not to let Weiss see me holding the baton tightly.
"This is just a practice. It's the same as how Mozart would warm up before his actual performances. It's not a big deal."
After a while, Weiss raised her head to stare at me. She then looked beyond the curtains to the lateral side of the stage. The Stratocaster on its stand was waiting for the crazy atmosphere that would come later.
Weiss looked at me once more and nodded her head. Her pair of eyes had regained their liveliness—and in them were the reflection of me alone. In the instant when I gently lifted my baton, it felt like everyone in the music hall had their breaths sucked away.
It felt like there was someone descending from the sky, walking on the transparent stairs with her light steps—how did she manage to play that sort of sound with the piano? I had no idea. I began making my way to the stand by walking backwards, which resulted in Weiss being further and further away from me. The ensemble came into my view gradually. All I did was to pinch the baton and guide them gently-their voices began to flow and gush out of the overflowing fountain.
There should be some who noticed, right? Weiss' piano ended off with the weakest of tones, before gradually fading away—as though it was sending off the exalted voices. Who else noticed that aside from Weiss and I? That was the agreement we made back when Weiss and I were alone.
Ave verum corpus was originally composed for the ensemble, strings and the organ, so a piano will destroy the penetrative melody of the piece. Therefore, our decision was to make the piano fade away during the actual contest without anyone noticing it. All Weiss had to do was to play the opening for us—that was what I asked Weiss to do. There were no longer any sounds from the piano.
Other than the singing voices, all that was remaining were the sounds of the illusory strings instruments. Can everyone hear those sounds as well?
Right after my fingertips sucked away the harmony that was dragged on till the very last moment, a loud roar of applause erupted from behind my back. The hallucinatory sounds of the strings had disappeared, and what replaced them was the heated sweat that was coming out from my back.
I turned around to look at the flushed faces of my classmates—everyone was putting on an expression of disbelief. I counted the steps of the event committee members who were running towards us, while enjoying the applause coming from behind me.
Ruby said this before—the pleasure of experiencing the applause that was coming from behind one's back is a privilege that is exclusive only to the conductors. I remember she was using the words of Tobirama? I see, it may be just as he said.
Right now… I am experiencing the pleasure for myself, but… tossing away the baton, I took my bass from the hands of the committee member. I then turned myself to face the audience. In the direction where the spotlights were shining towards me, I could see that the applause was slowly turning into uproar. Seems like everyone was surprised.
I am indeed a rocker at heart.
I still prefer to stand in the direction of the audience. At the corner of my eyes was Weiss, who had unknowingly gotten off from her seat. She picked up her guitar and began strumming it with her pick. Next, was the cheap and blaring sounds of Yang's electronic drums rolling along to the melody—Somebody to Love.
Right after I strummed my bass, I felt a vibration throughout my body. The nostalgic bass assaulted my stomach, and my singing voice began to flow out of my throat naturally. The rich chorus of over thirty people came rushing from behind my back. It's an incredibly indulgent piece of rock music. The thoughts about winning the contest were already thrown way out of my head. But it was a shame… we are lacking the sounds of Ruby's guitar.
Can anybody find me somebody to love
Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
(Take a look at yourself) Take a look in the mirror and cry (and cry)
Lord what you're doing to me (yeah yeah)
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Somebody (somebody) ooh somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
I work hard (he works hard) every day of my life
I work till I ache in my bones
At the end (at the end of the day)
I take home my hard earned pay all on my own
I get down (down) on my knees (knees)
And I start to pray
Till the tears run down from my eyes
Lord somebody (somebody), ooh somebody
(Please) can anybody find me somebody to love?
Everyday (everyday) I try and I try and I try
But everybody wants to put me down
They say I'm going crazy
They say I got a lot of water in my brain
Ah, got no common sense
I got nobody left to believe in
Oh Lord
Ooh somebody, ooh somebody
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
(Can anybody find me someone to love)
Got no feel, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat (you just keep losing and losing)
I'm OK, I'm alright (he's alright, he's alright)
I ain't gonna face no defeat (yeah yeah)
I just gotta get out of this prison cell
One day (someday) I'm gonna be free, Lord!
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love love love
Find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love
Somebody find me
Somebody find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me somebody, somebody (find me somebody to love) somebody, somebody to love
Find me, find me, find me, find me, find me
Ooh, somebody to love (Find me somebody to love)
Ooh (find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me, find me somebody to love (find me somebody to love)
Anybody, anywhere, anybody find me somebody to love love love!
Somebody find me, find me love