I get through the school day mostly unharmed. The majority of the class doesn’t seem to care much for what's going on between the other students, or at least some of the other students.  It's strange; I've gotten the impression that Yamaku has a tightly knitted student body, so naturally someone practically going out would interest them
Then again it feels like I am standing outside them and looking in, I barely know the names of any of my classmates, and if they know mine it's only because of my introduction the first day. I think the same applies to Ritsu, as she seemingly spends all possible time with me, at the music room or a combination of the two.
Sometimes I wonder what she even did before I came here, a plausible explanation is that she has only been here a few weeks longer than me, but I've never gotten it confirmed. Maybe I'll ask her sometime.
 
When we arrive at the music room, Ken is already sitting in one of the chairs with a guitar that he lazily clampers on laid over his thigh. Seated next to him is a girl with long brown hair that I've seen him walking with before, but never actually talked to.
R: 'morning
K: A little late?
R: Who's that, your girlfriend?
The brown haired girl is giving her feet an intense inspection, a stark red blush plastered across her face.
K: No, she’s not
The tone of his voice reveals that he is very used to this question. He looks almost irritated that someone would even consider such a thing.
His friend however, is looking even more flustered than before, her gaze sinking deeper and deeper.
R: Oh well, sorry for asking.
Ritsu is apologetically raising her open hands to head level, as if that will somehow rid her of all guilt.
K: You should be.
the crooked grin he punctuates his sentence with tells me he's only halfway serious.
Still, that's a whole half telling her to shut up.
R: Why is she here then?
K: She didn't have anything better to do; do you mind a little audience?
R: Oh, not at all.
R: I'm Ritsu!
she hold out her right hand as an invitation for it to be shaken, and it's awkwardly grabbed by the other girl's left hand.
that's when I notice that she lacks a right arm, the thing that shocks me the most is that I didn't notice earlier, considering the retarded amount of attention I've paid to my fellow students' disabilities earlier.
That’s a sign that I’ve gotten better, right?
 
M: …Hirasawa Mio
Ritsu freezes for a split second before continuing the handshake.
Does she know her from somewhere already? If that’s the case, why didn’t she just say so?
I have to stop my brain before it makes up some conspiracy theory about their secret relation, as by now it’s my turn to introduce myself.
R: This is Hisao.
It seems I spaced out for too long anyway.
Oh well, then I could at least have made the start of some backstory.
H: I think I’m capable to introduce myself.
R: then you should have done so instead of staring into the air.
H: fair point, well anyway, as she said, I’m Hisao Nakai, nice to meet you.
I have a short internal struggle on whether I should greet her with my right or my left hand, I opt for the latter.
That’s the most tactful option, right?
M: …Nice to meet you too.
The way she talks is really weird, as if she has to gasp for air before diving into her sentences.
I’m not sure if she’s just nervous or if it’s somehow tied to her disability, although I can’t really see how a missing arm would impair her speech.
Maybe she has two disabilities, that must be bitter, that someone gets nothing and others gets a double dosage.
Hell, I think it’s unfair enough that anyone is just born broken in the first place.
My rather depressing train of thought is luckily broken as the door swings open, and in comes Lilly with Hanako following right behind her.
Lilly have been accompanying Hanako at an irregular basis to the practices, it’s nice to have her here, as Hanako seems a bit less scared of opening her mouth with her in the room.
Before Lilly gets a chance to greet us, Ken raises his voice.
K: Ok, now that we’re everybody, I’ve got some big news.
The dramatic way he’s saying it makes all the eyes in the room focus on him, with the possible exception of Lilly, even if she tends to try to “look” on whoever she’s talking to.
K: We’ve got a gig at a “live house” next week.
R: “Live house”?! Are you insane? You know we’d actually have to get people coming to not be forced to pay to play a gig!?
K: Hey, chill there’s a reasonably popular band playing after us, there’ll be people.
K: And it’s not like you to worry that much, you’re supposed to be the one that says we can definitely do it.
R: it’s different when there’s money at stake.
R: But if we’re just support then there’s no worries, how did you land it?
K: I know people, contacts are more important than skills anyway, and I told them we have a very tight drummer.
R: really? That’s unexpectedly nice of you!
I can see Mio sending Ritsu a death stare; I can imagine that mine looks sort of alike.
I feel almost powerless whenever Ritsu talks to Ken, like they’re working at another level.
At least I don’t make my jealousy as apparent as Mio’s is, I don’t even think Ritsu and Ken like each other.
Or at least I hope so, I’m fairly confident that Ritsu likes me.
Most of the time at least.
Fuck, what if she likes Ken and I’m just misinterpreting her signals?
She wouldn’t deliberately lead me one, would she?
 
By the time I’m done with my silent conversation with myself, the conversational topic has changed, if only slightly.
R: So when is it? Like, what date?
K: July 10th, next Tuesday
I notice Hanako reacting when the date is mentioned.
Maybe she already has plans for that day? I don’t say anything though, I don’t want to repeat the events of our first lunch together.
Hanako will speak up if she has too.
Instead she just looks worryingly at Lilly, who whispers something in her ear that seems to calm her down.
R: Well, let’s practice then, this time with a goal!
 
Ritsu runs over to her drum kit, and pops a few of her pills before picking up the sticks, eager to begin playing.
Hanako, Ken and I make our way over to the stage as well, a few minutes are spent rigging to the rhythms provided by Ritsu, but it doesn’t take long before Ritsu begins her ever so cute countdown.
R: “One, Two, One two three four!”