"Nohara-kun, this is some black tea I brought from home."
After taking a seat in the Light Music Club room, Kotobuki Tsumugi handed Sato a cup of black tea.
A rich, fragrant aroma drifted through the air, the scent of fine tea that could lull the soul.
"Oh, thank you."
Sato paused for a moment, then accepted the delicate teacup.
As he sipped the tea, he felt a bit awkward under the gaze of the three girls sitting across the table.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced around the room. The clubroom was quite spacious, almost to the point of feeling empty.
There wasn't much inside but a few desks and chairs piled in the corners, although what stood out most was an entire cabinet filled with exquisite tea sets.
So… where were the instruments?
Wasn't this the Light Music Club?
Or had it somehow turned into the "Tea Party Club"?
Sato sipped his tea, feeling the warmth through the cup, unable to stop the internal commentary.
"Nohara-kun, here's the club application form."
Suddenly, Tainaka Ritsu handed him a sheet. Some of the basic fields were already filled in.
So it really was the Light Music Club…
Seeing the name already written at the top of the form, Sato glanced around again and asked a little awkwardly, "Uhh… this is the Light Music Club, right? Why don't I see any instruments…?"
Hearing that, Tsumugi blinked, and Mio's cheeks turned red.
Ritsu scratched her head and said, "Ah… well, since our club just got started, we haven't brought any instruments in yet."
Oh, that makes sense…
A look of realization crossed Sato's face.
Wait... shff!
He suddenly turned toward the tea cabinet by the wall, his mouth twitching slightly.
"So, that… was left here from before?"
"Nope! I brought it from home," Tsumugi said cheerfully, raising her soft, pale hand.
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and stood up from her seat.
"Oh, right! I also brought cake!"
She opened the cabinet under the tea set and, under the amused gazes of the others, pulled out a tray of pastries.
Tea… and cake…
Sato looked at the snacks on the table, his expression growing stranger by the second.
Maybe… this club would suit Nishimiya-san better?
…
With the aroma of tea and the taste of delicious cake, time passed by leisurely and pleasantly.
Not only did Sato not feel out of place, he found himself quite relaxed actually.
After all, he'd lived a similarly relaxed life at Asahigaoka, surrounded by girls, taking things slow.
"Wait, our club just got established?"
"Yep! The Light Music Club was entirely my doing. Impressive, right?"
Ritsu patted her chest proudly.
"Then… why the whole disbandment scare?"
"Uh… well, about that…"
Pfft!
Seeing Ritsu's awkward expression, Mio and Tsumugi couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.
Sato glanced at them instinctively.
Tsumugi smiled warmly, nodding politely without any hint of discomfort. Mio, on the other hand, fidgeted with embarrassment.
At this point, Sato had a good sense of the girls' personalities.
Ritsu was the loud, carefree type though almost boyish.
Mio looked mature and elegant but was easily embarrassed.
Tsumugi was kind and gentle, with a charming, ladylike demeanor.
Oh, and… her little pickle-shaped eyebrows were unexpectedly cute.
"Well, in any case, now that we've got four people, there's no way we're disbanding! No way, not in this lifetime!"
Ritsu stood up and shouted energetically, then plopped back down, taking a big bite of cake and gulping a huge sip of tea.
Tsumugi smiled with squinting eyes, gently refilled Ritsu's cup, then rested her chin in her hands, watching her drink with a look of pure satisfaction.
"Phew…"
After a hearty exhale, Ritsu turned to Sato.
"Nohara-kun, what instruments do you play?"
"I can play some guitar… and the flute."
"Guitar?!"
The three girls all cried out in unison, startling Sato.
"W-what? Is that a problem?"
Ritsu suddenly grabbed his hand, and the other two leaned in across the table. Three pairs of shining eyes were now inches from his face.
With the girls' beautiful faces so close, Sato was utterly baffled.
With tears of joy in her eyes, Ritsu declared dramatically,
"You're the savior we've been waiting for!"
The three girls, each with their unique charm, were so close he could feel the brush of their hair on his skin. A faint, unfamiliar fragrance lingered in the air, unsettling his thoughts.
"Ahem!"
Sato coughed lightly, unable to hold it in.
Too close, girls. Too close!
Realizing their mistake, the girls immediately backed off in unison.
Tsumugi, smiling sweetly, showed no change in expression.
Ritsu scratched her head and laughed awkwardly, trying to shake off the tension.
Mio, predictably shy, slumped into her seat. Her face turned beet red again, her eyes unfocused as she ducked under the table like an ostrich hiding from danger.
A brief silence settled in as they quietly sipped their tea.
"Whew… That means our Light Music Club finally has the makings of a real band! What a relief!"
Ritsu sighed contentedly.
Then she stood up and introduced herself to Sato with newfound seriousness.
"I'm Ritsu Tainaka, the drummer. Looking forward to playing with you!"
Tsumugi also stood, her smile never fading.
"I'm Tsumugi Kotobuki, the keyboardist. Please take care of me!"
Finally, they all looked toward the last girl—Mio.
Mio pressed her cherry-pink lips together, gave herself a mental pep talk, and stood up.
She didn't dare look at Sato, so her gaze wandered.
"I'm Mio Akiyama, the bassist. I… I look forward to working with you."
The girl with long black hair bowed deeply, her silky strands falling like a waterfall, swaying gently with her movement.
"So… that makes me the guitarist?"
Sato stood up and declared:
"I'm Sato Nohara, the guitarist. Let's do our best together."
And thus, the Light Music Club took its first steps toward becoming a band.