The rest of the day goes on as normal, we have English after lunch, and as usual, I don’t understand much, then it’s time for band practice again.
If we can even be called a band, we are only two people so far.
I remember Ritsu saying something about us having to be at least four members to be accepted as an official club.
I’m about to bring it up when there is suddenly a loud knocking on the door.
I open the door, and I’m a little surprised when I see Misha and Shizune standing on the other side of the threshold.
I don’t know who I else I’d expect though.
M: Hello Hicchan, Tainaka.
M: So we heard you were starting up a club!
It’s easy to see that she is translating for Shizune, as she is hurryingly throwing glances over at Shizune’s rapidly moving hands.
I doubt that Shizune would call me Hicchan though.
M: But!  ~Don’t you know that you can’t be a club with only two people? Then you are just two friends hanging out, wahahaha!
M: We would advise you to get at least two more members before the student council meeting about student clubs next week, or else we can’t give you funding and such, and we don’t want that to happen, no?
I kinda want to argue with them, seeing as the student council is also as far as I know only two people, but if my impression of Shizune this far is correct, she is the kind of person that thinks everyone should follow the rules, expect herself.
And we could really need some more members, playing pure drum and base can’t really go anywhere.
A vocalist and a guitarist would be nice.
R:  What about yourself, aren’t the student council only you two?
M: That’s different, you can’t run a school without a student council, wahaha!
M: Also, we have been trying to get people to join, but some people seem to be very much against it!
At the “some people”, Shizune shoots an irritated glare in my direction, I almost feel guilty.
Almost. I’m not obligated to join them just because they were nice to me for one day.
I decide to end this the easy way.
H: Relax, we’ll get the members, okay?
M: I’m counting on you Hicchan!
And with that they leave the room.
The way they work together almost like a machine is more than a little creepy.
I guess it’s necessary for someone like Shizune to be able to hold a conversation, but I find it a bit weird that Misha is willing to put so much effort into it.
 
R: Why did you give in?
H: We really need new members; you can’t play in a band with only drum and bass.
R: I know, but…
R: I don’t like doing things because I have to.
We finish practice before going back to the dorms, I forget to go shopping in town before it’s too late, and I end up wasting away the afternoon on nothing at all.
 
Tomorrow becomes today, and another day of school is standing before me.
I end up a little late for class, so there’s not time to talk about how we’ll find members before teacher arrives.
When lunchtime comes around however, I’m quick to cling to Ritsu.
H: How exactly are we going to find members?
R: my brain’s a little empty right now; can we talk about it over lunch or something? I brought double.
H: “misreading” the recipe again?
R: I’ll go with that.
We decide to eat in the music room to avoid the noise of the cafeteria. It also has proper chairs, unlike the school grounds.
It’s weird, even though we’ve been just a little more than week, this room feel like it’s ours.
It’s nice to have a place that you can call your own. The dorm room still feels like a sterile hospital bed.
H: So, any plans?
R: You know, I think the best way would be to just ask people, because even if they don’t play themselves, they might know someone.
H: that’s probably right, would our class be a good place to start or do you think anyone that could have been interested already knows?
R: It doesn’t hurt to try.
H: We could go check if there are anyone in the class room now, since we wont be free to go around for a few hours after lunch, and students would begin walking home before we’d really get started anyway.
R: sure, I’ll just finish this dish first.
H: Isn’t dish an extravagant word when we’re just eating plain rice?
R: Rice is a dish, and my favorite one at that.
H: I kinda figured, well whatever. Just finish up and we’ll be going.
Ritsu finishes up her “dish” at a frightening pace, I wonder if I’ll ever be able to move chopsticks that fast, it’d probably be dangerous for my heart.
That would almost be funny if I was joking.
I have to remind myself that I’m supposed to stop being such a downer before I continue that train of thought.
By the time Ritsu is finished, I have roughly half my lunch remaining.
At least I can avoid the awful cafeteria food for dinner today.
We get up and walk over to the class room. At first glance it seems empty, but when I look over one more time I can see the purple-haired girl I scared of last week sitting by her desk reading.
Her name was Hanako, right?
It’s a little weird that someone seemingly as afraid of attention as her would dye their hair.
I’m tempted to leave the classroom, Hanako can’t possibly be the type of person to play in a band.
Ritsu however, is faster than me, and is already standing leaned over Hanako’s desk.
Hanako looks frozen in panic.
R: Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be playing an instrument or sing would you?
Ha: I-I can
She mumbles something that can’t possibly be meant to be heard by others than herself.
R: A little louder, I can’t hear you.
Ha: I-I-ISINGALITTLE!
She almost shouts it, as if she had to force it out of her mouth.
She immediately brings her hands up to cover up her rapidly reddening face, and raise her legs up into a fetal position.
R: That’s fantastic! Do you want to join the light music club?
Ha: Y-yes please…
Her body language gives a completely different answer, but Ritsu is seemingly ignoring it.
R: Great, we have meeting in the music room every day after school.
I’m about to protest, as Hanako looks deathly frightened at the thought of having to socialize, when the door is opened and a figure appears in the doorway.
It’s the blonde girl who had a fight with Shizune last week, she is probably the tallest girl I’ve ever seen, especially compared to Ritsu, who is barely five feet tall at best.
L: Hanako?
Her blue eyes aren’t looking at anything in particular, the way they are all iris and no pupil makes me believe that she is blind.
Ha: Lilly!
Hanako quickly gets up and sprints towards the door to cling on to Lilly’s arm.
R: We’ll see you after school then!
Ritsu shouts after Hanako as she leaves the class room, surprisingly, she is returning the gesture with a small wave and a barely audible goodbye.
The sound of Lilly and Hanako’s steps is quickly fading.
H: Do you really think that was such a good idea? She looked terrified!
R: Don’t worry, I know that type. It’s better to force them out of their shell than to let them build it into a castle.