Very soon, one club president or upperclassman after another arrived to take their members away.
Facing these deserters, Suzuki Yuu demanded that these presidents deal with them strictly.
However, even though a large group was taken away, a few still remained.
For these few, Suzuki Yuu’s gaze fell on Hasegawa Aoi.
After making a rejecting gesture, the club president slipped back into the club room.
It was obvious she didn’t want any new members in the club; even if they had to add some, that would be something to trick the next batch with.
So, Suzuki Yuu began using every method possible to “dissuade” them.
“Sorry, our club has very strict requirements. You must practice at least fifteen hours a day, and master three instruments at the same time, and…”
He listed out every condition he could think of, and clearly, these new students who had even a little hope for music quickly lost their courage.
But in the end, one person remained—a woman with glasses. Unlike the others, she wasn’t holding an instrument, but rather, paper and pen.
“Uh, hello? Are you also here to join the Music Club?” Suzuki Yuu asked.
“Oh, I’m not. I’m Morikawa, the head of the Student Council’s Publicity Department. I came to ask you some things.”
Realizing she wasn’t here to join them, Suzuki Yuu’s expression relaxed. He smiled and greeted her.
“Hello, Minister Morikawa. What would you like to know?”
The Student Council’s Publicity Department was a very important organization, but this was Suzuki Yuu’s first time meeting their head.
“I’d like to ask about the Music Club’s daily life, for some promotional activities.”
“Daily life…” Suzuki Yuu thought for a moment, but realized there was nothing worth mentioning.
Normally, the club only had two people. The others were just names on a roster, so there really wasn’t any daily routine to promote.
He certainly couldn’t mention that the president spent her days reading muscleman magazines and playing games.
Come to think of it, why had such a simple club activity caused such a big fuss?
“Minister Morikawa, I don’t think there’s much to share about that. As you just saw, we’re actually not very welcoming to newcomers. The performance is just another club activity, nothing more.”
“Hm? Aren’t you going to participate in the school’s Chamber Music Competition?”
Hearing this, Suzuki Yuu was momentarily stunned. Then, a sudden commotion behind him was followed by a girl’s wail.
He turned around and quickly saw Hasegawa Aoi emerge, rubbing her forehead, which now bore a red mark.
“We’re not participating!”
She rushed out and said to Morikawa, her tone firm and brooking no argument.
Seeing such an elegant violinist on stage now being so flustered, Morikawa was a little surprised.
“But, President Jinguu told me…”
“I don’t care what Jinguu says, I’m not participating!”
Hasegawa Aoi’s stubbornness on this matter even surpassed her fear of Jinguu Amane.
This surprised Suzuki Yuu somewhat.
To avoid the atmosphere turning extremely awkward, Suzuki Yuu turned to Morikawa and said:
“Sorry, our club president doesn’t want to participate in any activities lately. I’ll talk to President Jinguu about it.”
“Well… alright then.” Seeing Suzuki Yuu say so, Morikawa could only shrug and leave.
After she had walked away, Hasegawa Aoi finally let down her guard.
“It’s rare to see you so angry.”
“Hmph, I can’t just let the Student Council have its way all the time. Otherwise, we’ll be busy to death.”
As she spoke, Hasegawa Aoi was already sitting on the sofa, picking up a light novel, while Suzuki Yuu closed the door.
“This performance has caused me a ton of trouble. I still have so many books to read.”
“There’ll probably be more people coming.”
“So annoying—” Hasegawa Aoi deliberately drew out her words, then glanced at Suzuki Yuu. “Junior~ When are you going to become the club president, so I can slack off here without worries?”
Such treasonous words—she was practically pushing him into the fire.
“That’s something best left to your imagination. I can’t do it now, and I don’t want to be president anyway.” Suzuki Yuu gave a helpless laugh, and then continued:
“By the way, about that Chamber Music Competition—why are you so against it, senpai? Wouldn’t it be fine to participate just once?”
“Ugh… are you trying to awaken my painful memories?”
“Maybe I’m awakening your king’s power instead?”
Suzuki Yuu joked half-heartedly. After this time together, he felt he could probe a little into her past.
“I was humiliated once in a competition like that because of Jinguu. Junior, do you want me to be humiliated again?”
“Are you still that afraid of President Jinguu? Besides, she might not even participate this time, right?”
“No, I’m sure of it. As long as I participate, she’ll definitely show up.” Hasegawa Aoi said with absolute certainty.
“It really does seem that way.”
Thinking of Jinguu Amane’s principles, Suzuki Yuu felt it was inexplicable.
Still, Jinguu always acted within the rules, and she was truly skilled—there was nothing to fault her for there.
“So you lost that competition back then? That’s pretty unexpected.”
“Losing is perfectly normal, okay? I’ve never thought I was the best. I just play music because I love it.”
“Is that so? Then why did you give up because of her?”
“What do you mean, ‘gave up because of her’? That never happened! Although losing to her did hit my confidence pretty hard.”
“Why? President Jinguu is strong too, right? Losing to her isn’t shameful.” Suzuki Yuu recalled Jinguu Amane’s claim that she had been practicing since childhood.
“Because that competition was really important. The judge was my favorite world-renowned music master. If I’d won, I could have gone to the school where he teaches and studied under him.”
As Hasegawa Aoi spoke, her eyes dimmed, and her tone lost some spirit:
“But I lost. And not only did I lose, that master scolded me. What’s worse, while scolding me, he kept praising Jinguu.”
It was as if she had been transported back to that moment, deeply wounded.
“Wow, what a character, that master. What did he say to you?”
“He called me an idiot who only distorts the composer’s intent.” Hasegawa Aoi shrugged, looking wronged. “I’d always been praised before, so being scolded so suddenly, and compared like that—how could my confidence not take a hit?”
Suzuki Yuu thought of her eccentric playing during their duets.
“Oh, I get it. That’s an issue of musical philosophy—arguing about that never goes anywhere. So, senpai, is that why you became a recluse who spends her high school days reading adult magazines and gaming in the clubroom?”
As soon as Suzuki Yuu finished, Hasegawa Aoi’s face flushed red:
“What do you mean ‘adult trash’ and ‘recluse’? Suzuki Yuu, are you trying to make me angry on purpose?”
“Just kidding, just kidding! You looked so down, I was trying to cheer you up.”
Seeing the girl glare at him, Suzuki Yuu quickly changed to a consoling tone—he really didn’t want to be bitten again.
“You really are asking for it.” Hasegawa Aoi puffed out her cheeks, picked up her controller, and started up her game. “I already said, losing a competition is normal. It’s not that that upsets me. What really hurts is what happened afterward…”
Halfway through, Hasegawa Aoi trailed off.
“Forget it, I’d rather just play games. I really don’t want to remember. Whenever I think about it, I get nightmares at night.”
Watching the girl lose herself in her game, Suzuki Yuu decided not to pry any further.
Still, keeping something bottled up in your heart isn’t the best way to resolve it.
Maybe in the future, looking back, she’d find it was no big deal. But for now, the knot in her heart was very real.
Suzuki Yuu suddenly thought that if he could get her to participate in the Chamber Music Competition, maybe things would start to change.
And when they played together in the concert hall, he really did improve a lot.
He began to seriously consider getting her to join the competition.
But as for how to actually do it, that was something that would take careful planning…