Ry-Ry. That must be her nickname for Sengoku. Sounds like they used to be on good terms, but I wouldn’t put it past Ootsuka to make up cutesy nicknames for her enemies, too.
On the other hand, her use of the names Kikyo and J-Bozu, without any silly nicknames, conveyed a sense of deep respect.
“So, Gakkun, Shi… You mustn’t let Ry-Ry beat you. I don’t want him to have any success until he reflects on himself and his behavior and cuts his ties with the bad guys he hangs out with. I don’t want him to perform on the special stage at the Ryouran Summer Festival.”
Wishing not for your own success but for someone else’s lack of success.
Ootsuka was always so positive; it was a shock to hear her say something so cynical.
But at the same time…it spoke to me.
To be honest, I’ve never been able to connect very well with Ootsuka, since she’s always smiling. It’s like there’s a barrier between us.
But everyone has negative emotions. Beyond Ootsuka’s wall constructed of smiles and positivity, there lurked the darker aspects of the human soul… Knowing that, I thought it made Ootsuka suddenly seem so much more real and genuine.
Perhaps Shiika felt it, too. She gazed at Ootsuka after hearing her confession, her eyes clear.
Ootsuka’s impassioned tone and its color. What did Shiika see through her eyes?
Shiika’s small mouth moved.
“We’ll win.”
Just a simple statement.
A strongly worded affirmation, coming from Shiika, who was usually such a ball of laziness, evasiveness, and shyness.
Knowing Shiika as I do, having spent more time with her than anyone else has…I was still shocked as I looked at her.
Shiika nodded, her face impassive.
“Seeing this club, I understand now. What matters most to you, Tatsu. Your beloved subculture. How you differ from us. I think I get it now.”
“Oh, Shi…”
“In a song, the singer is the main character. They have to construct their image… Their performer’s face. But for dancers, it’s the opposite. It’s important to see the audience’s face. The thing I had to be aware of… It was completely different than what I thought.”
An artist needs to nurture the muse within.
The consumer need only experience the art that has been produced. It’s passive.
For a singer, it’s all on them when it comes to drawing the audience into the song, immersing them in it. That’s what makes an excellent singer.
But dance is different. A dancer is, so to speak, a leader. The audience is led by the dancer, and they, too, begin to dance, creating a sense of excitement that goes both directions.
Captivating the public with dance, bringing the stage to a climax, getting the audience’s bodies moving… That’s what makes an excellent dancer.
Both are connected to the music culture, so it’s easy to conflate the two, but the very roots are fundamentally different. And that small misjudgment was the reason why our Music Department group couldn’t produce a performance worthy of standing out in the dance world.
But Shiika seemed to understand that now.
“The subculture you love, Tatsu. The music I love. I must mix the two elements and make something greater than the sum of its parts.”
“Shi…! Thank you. Really, I just… Thank you…!”
A big smile spread across Ootsuka’s face. It was different, somehow, than her usual one.
It wasn’t a performative smile, intended to make others smile back at any cost.
It was a natural smile, one deep from the heart, born from the pure joy of being understood.
Now that our genius, Shiika, had found the way forward, turning in a quality video for the final exam was all but guaranteed.
If I heard any voices saying, Wait, that still doesn’t make sense! Then to them I’d say, with all sincerity, Pipe down, dumbass!
It’s not my place to be involved in the creative process. If Shiika says she can do it, I’m not going to be a naysayer. After all, I’m just trailing after her like poop from a goldfish’s butt.
Doubting Shiika was never an option.
As for the video, it was out of my hands. From now on, I’d focus all my efforts on my work behind the scenes.
That way, Shiika could demonstrate her talent to the fullest. And that way, we could get some solid results.
In my capacity as a normie, I’d set up some clever, subtle tricks.
Ryan Sengoku had Azusa Harajuku, a first-year student in the Fashion Department, on his side. With her skills, he could dominate the competition using that huge advantage as leverage. It wasn’t his raw ability that he was planning to beat us with.
“So I’d like to have you two cooperate.”
Late night. In my room.
In front of my PC, I spoke into my headset mic.
On-screen, I had the Wizcode group-call app open. A remote meeting was underway.
The other members of the call were Zeke, my gaming buddy, and Mana Akihabara, my school buddy.
“Ah, to think, me, swapping contact info with a high school girl, at my age! B-but do not fear, fair maiden Akihabara! I believe in the philosophy of the ‘YES! Lolita! NO! Touch’ movement…”
“Yes, Lolita? Huh? What is that, some kind of internet slang?”
“Egads! A sudden generation gap!!!”
“Ah-ha-ha. I still don’t really get it, but, mister, you sure are funny.”
It was Zeke and Akihabara’s first time meeting (although not really “meeting,” since this was all online…), but the two seemed to get along surprisingly well. There seemed to be some communication issues, but at least they were getting along.
That was good.
I needed them both to carry out this very important plan, so it was vital that they got along.
“Well then, let me explain—”
Then I told Zeke and Akiba about my strategy for the final exam.
I needed a conspiracy of three to pull off…a certain plan.
“Mwah-ha-ha. An interesting little plot here, Gakuto.”
“Hee-hee-hee. Gaku-Gaku, you sly dog, you.”
Upon hearing the plan, the two of them grinned like villains almost at the same time.
Or at least I assumed they were grinning. This was a voice-only chat. Still, it was clear they were both delighted by my devious plan. With voices like that, they had to be grinning. If not, that would mean they both had formidable poker faces. Only a trained spy could pull it off.
So I broke into an evil grin to match theirs, as well.
“Thank you both for your cooperation. Let us conquer evil with evil. Through our devious doings, we shall ensure their enlightenment…”