"Guitar?"
Satoru clocked it instantly, raising an eyebrow. "What's this nonsense?"
"Nonsense?!" Anji Seiji huffed, plopping the guitar case on Satoru's desk and opening it to reveal a shiny new acoustic guitar. "Bought it yesterday!" he bragged. "From now on, call me Musician Lord Anji!"
White Hill High had a music club, but such skill-heavy groups were small. Satoru's class had none, so Anji's giant guitar drew every classmate's attention.
"Whoa, Anji, what's this? Debuting as an idol?"
"Not bad, Anji, you play guitar?"
"Don't just pose. If you're trying to pick up girls with an artsy vibe, just carry the case—guitar's useless."
Classmates teased.
Anji waved dismissively. "Tch, I'm joining the light music club! Mastering music! Future musical genius!"
He shot Satoru a brow-wiggle, like "Be proud, bro!" Satoru replied flatly, "Start practicing in a closet first."
"C-Closet?"
"Builds lonely vibes." Satoru ran a hand over the guitar's smooth wood. "Not cheap, huh?"
"Damn right, sixty thousand yen! Drained my savings!" Anji winced, then puffed up. "But for a stellar musician, it's a must!"
Satoru looked at him like he was an idiot. "…Beginners start with a ten-thousand-yen one."
"Good horses need good saddles, heroes need fine swords! A future music star can't use cheap junk!" Anji declared, channeling a J-rock pioneer.
"Guitars are about progression," Satoru said, exasperated. "Even masters keep beginner guitars for tuning. Buying a high-end one right off? Amateur move."
"…" Anji was speechless, then blinked. "Kobayashi, you know guitars?"
"I was in college—"
"College?"
"Er, no…"
Shit, almost slipped. Satoru, a high schooler in this life, had no college days. He pivoted, "I had a friend who bought an expensive guitar to follow a trend. Gave up after two days. I borrowed it to mess around."
"That friend… was you, wasn't it?" Anji probed.
Satoru rolled his eyes, letting Anji stew. He lifted the guitar, propped one leg on the desk, and sat on the windowsill, plucking a string lightly.
A sound, neither beautiful nor harsh, rang out, drawing more eyes.
"Hey, Kobayashi, don't break it…" Anji fretted. Sixty thousand yen! Took me ages to save!
"Not tuned yet?"
"T-Tuned?"
"…You really know nothing." Satoru sighed. Pure passion, zero prep—just bought a pricey toy. He smirked, reminded of an old college roommate. Wonder what she's up to…
Pressing the guitar, Satoru plucked the thinnest string, listening, then tweaked it twice before moving to the second. He pressed the fifth fret, aligning its pitch with the first string's open note.
"What's he doing?" a classmate whispered.
"Shh…" A girl pressed a finger to her lips. "Saw it on TV. It's 'tuning'… New guitars need it."
"My music club friend mentioned this," another said. "But don't you need a tuner?"
"If you trust your ear, you don't," the girl said, eyes shining at the silent, focused Satoru. "Didn't know Kobayashi had this skill…"
"Big deal, right? If Kobayashi can do it…" a guy scoffed. That gloomy, average Kobayashi.
"Not quite. My music club friend can't even do that…"
Fearing they'd disturb him, classmates hushed to whispers.
Satoru tuned all six strings. Though rusty, his basics held, and he nailed it easily. "Done."
He strummed, and under deliberate play, the guitar sang, far sweeter than before.
"S-Sounds way better," Anji mumbled.
"Amazing…" The girl clasped her hands, awestruck.
"Not about sounding good—pitch accuracy," Satoru said with a smile, fingers dancing on the strings, producing a wistful melody.
Beautiful, but no one recognized it.
"Been a while," Satoru murmured. The vibrating strings stirred college memories. Might as well play a bit.
His fingers leaped, weaving a tender, confessional tune.
Then, he sang softly:
Quietly leaving,
With loneliness trailing.
Crowded memories,
Time wipes them clean.
"What's this song?"
"Never heard it…"
"So good…"
"How many heartbreaks does it take to sing like that?!"
Satoru's voice captivated Class F.
Unnoticed, Kurashiki Rena and Hisagi Arisa passed the door, pausing. Rena caught Satoru on the windowsill, guitar in hand, singing soulfully. Her emerald eyes blinked in shock. This guy… can sing like that?
Satoru inhaled, hitting the climax with raw emotion:
"In Guangdong, I've gambled 'til I'm lost~~ Missing those classic poses of the past~~ On the bed, we were one, I miss you~ Paid sister, so willful, do I dare return?~~ Only when I'm broke, she lets me go~~"
…
…