BanG Dream: The Unexpected Part-Timer

The Asahi Bathhouse

It's been a week since Morfonica's live concert, and the buzz around it refuses to die down at school. My classmates can't stop raving about it.

"Did you hear Mashiro's voice? It's like she's singing straight from the heavens!" one of them exclaimed, his eyes shining with admiration.
"Right!? She's like an angel!"
"Mashiro was amazing, but let's give credit to the entire band. They all owned that stage!"

I agree, They are indeed angels.

But amid the excitement, there was another band that kept popping into my mind.

Now that I think about it... I swear there's another band that my classmates were talking about too... What was it again?

"Are you guys serious? Raise a Suillen is way better than Morfonica!"

"Raise a Suillen totally outshines Morfonica!"

"Hey, let's not get into a heated debate. Both bands are incredible in their own right."

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, preventing a potential argument from erupting.

And then it hit me – Raise a Suillen! I haven't seen them perform live on the CirCLE stage yet.

"Hm? What's wrong? You look like you just got hit with a ton of bricks," Soumei said, strolling over to me with a cardboard milk carton in hand.

"It's nothing," I muttered, trying to brush off his concern.

"Really?" He arched an eyebrow, taking a sip from his carton before tossing it into the trash with practiced ease. "Boom~" He grinned mischievously, clearly amused by something.

I eyed him suspiciously. "What's that smirk for?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," he replied, feigning innocence. "Just wondering when you're going to grace us with your guitar skills again. It's been ages since I've heard you play."

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know about that."

"Really? Hmm, well, that might be my fault," he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you mean by that?"

Soumei's grin widened as he leaned in closer. "Well, you know that upcoming festival? I may or may not have signed you up to perform without asking first."

My jaw dropped in disbelief. "You what...?"

"Teehee~" he chuckled, shrugging playfully. "Oops?"

"Soumei...!" I exclaimed, a mixture of frustration and exasperation bubbling within me.

"Hey, hey, don't be mad! It'll be fun, I promise!" he said, attempting to placate me with a charming smile.

Don't you have any idea WHY I stopped playing!?

I sighed heavily, "Fine. But you owe me big time for this."

"Deal!" he chirped, flashing me a thumbs-up before sauntering off, leaving me to grapple with the sudden realization that I was about to perform in front of a crowd, whether I liked it or not.

I gazed up at the ceiling, lost in thought about playing the guitar again.

"I wonder if I still have time to get my guitar repaired," I mused aloud, the words escaping almost unconsciously.

"Hmm? What was that?" Soumei's voice interrupted my reverie.

"Nothing important. Just thinking out loud," I replied dismissively, waving him off.

"Alrighty then. Back to my spot, I go," he chuckled, returning to his seat.

As the school day dragged on, I found myself counting down the minutes until it was finally over. When the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, I let out a sigh of relief and began gathering my belongings.