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V3 Chapter 2: “Guitar? I Only Know a Little”
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 12:26:54 +0000 UTCIt was an old guitar. Visibly worn, its surface scratched and weathered by time.
The body had faded, the metal parts dulled and oxidized, the tuning knobs clearly replaced more than once, but even now, it held its tune. Despite its age, it was obvious the owner had treated it with deep care and affection.
This guitar was one of the "rewards" Kazami Haru had received from Chihaya Anon's simulation.
An irreplaceable token of love, strummed by her hands for decades. A vessel of passion from the one who gave it, and of unforgettable memories for the one who received it.
A treasured relic.
"T-That guitar…"
Sitting where she was, Chihaya Anon suddenly felt her breathing grow quick and uneven.
Even with the dream's fragmented memories, she immediately recognized the Fender Stratocaster in Haru's hands. It was the same model, the very first gift he'd ever given her.
"Aha! So Haru-san has his own guitar too? It looks so vintage!"
"Can I touch it?"
While Anon was still lost in her internal spiral, Kita Ikuyo smoothly moved closer, using her interest in the guitar as an excuse to shrink the distance between her and Haru.
A faint trace of her summery fragrance drifted past his nose.
With just a thin short-sleeved blouse on, her collarbones and fair neck were exposed as she leaned in and the soft lines of youth peeked out like a subtle invitation.
"…Go ahead."
Haru averted his gaze slightly, and that tiny movement did not escape Kita's sharp eyes.
Her green-gold irises gleamed with mischievous light as she leaned in just a little more.
She pretended to get a better look at the guitar, and at the moment he said she could touch it, she nearly reached for him instead, only to pull back with a coy smile when she caught his reaction.
A smooth, calculated little combo move, enough to make Bocchi, observing from the side, secretly click her tongue.
"Haru~ What's up with that guitar?"
Anon's voice came out a little too quick, her crystal-gray eyes locked straight on Haru's face.
Hope. Nerves. Expectation…
"It's my grandma's old guitar. Been around for a while, but everything still works just fine."
…Huh?
Anon's mind blanked at his casual response.
But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The "gift" from Haru in the dream had been a brand-new Stratocaster—this one, while the same make and model, was clearly not new.
So then… he gave her a new one modeled after a cherished family heirloom?
Of course, because in his eyes, she was that important!
Anon's cheeks flushed with a gentle pink, joy overflowing from her heart. She curled up like a shy little girl, hugging a soft cushion and rocking forward slightly.
Both Kita and Anon had thoughts racing through their heads.
Only Bocchi was actually here to practice guitar.
As she pulled out her trusty black guitar case, preparing to dive into today's training, Kita suddenly shot her hand up like a student eager to answer a question.
Under the confused gazes of Anon and Bocchi, she chirped, "Umm—"
"I'd really love to hear Haru-san play! Your original song last time was so moving! If I could hear you perform again, I'd definitely be more motivated to practice!"
"Eh? T-That's not fair!"
Anon panicked. Just the thought that Kita had already heard Haru's playing made her twitchy.
Without hesitation, she scooted closer and began shaking Haru's arm.
"Haru↑ Haru↓~ I wanna hear it too! Even Kita-chan got to hear it already!"
"Exactly! For Anon-chan, just a little performance, pretty please!"
The two girls, at odds mere moments ago were now suddenly in perfect sync.
Using their most girlish voices and natural flirting, they turned the full force of their charm on Haru. His scalp tingled just from the sound.
Unable to resist, he rolled his eyes and raised his index finger—
Flick!
"OW! Why only me?!"
Anon yelped, clutching her forehead where she'd just taken a hit. His flick had landed with enough force to sting.
Abuse! she wanted to scream.
Kita had clearly been in on it, too, so why only her?!
Just as she prepared to protest—
Kita took a deep breath.
With a serious look, she adjusted her posture and locked eyes with Haru.
"Not fair! Why didn't you flick me too?"
"…Huh?"
Anon turned slowly, stunned by what she just heard.
Kita looked completely sincere.
Anon swallowed hard.
You're going that far?!
A strange expression flashed across her silver-gray eyes as she subtly leaned away from the red-haired menace.
"Weren't you two supposed to be here for guitar practice?"
"Especially you, Kita. Your band's first live show is coming up, you've still got a long way to go."
Haru's deadpan statement left both girls hanging their heads.
He wasn't wrong.
Kita still wasn't stage-ready. She could barely manage her chords. If she didn't keep pushing forward, she'd end up just holding a guitar on stage and lip-syncing.
His words, though stern, weren't harsh.
And yet, the pout on Anon's face screamed unfair. She looked like a sulky child denied a new toy, cheeks puffed and eyes glinting with frustration.
These two were bundles of hyper sunshine energy, "normie" extroverts through and through.
Now together, their power levels were off the charts. Even Bocchi looked like she might melt into a slug if they kept radiating this much positive energy.
"…Sigh."
Watching the two reluctantly pull out their guitars, Haru let out a small sigh.
He couldn't stay mad.
"Fine. I'll play one song. But after that, we're practicing. Got it?"
Their faces lit up instantly, clouds of gloom replaced by glowing skies.
"Yay!!"
Kita's eyes sparkled as she dove into a hug.
"Haru-san, I love you!"
"Kita-chan~!"
That sudden declaration made Anon freeze, her smile twitching.
With visible irritation, she reached out and yanked Kita away from Haru.
You dirty redhead! Confessing in the chaos?!
"Enough! Sit down, both of you."
Haru's stern tone brought them back to earth.
Kita immediately sat upright, hands on her knees, her bright eyes sparkling like she was watching her idol live in concert.
Anon, still sulking, managed a smug little smile. Her pout melting into her usual, peppy self.
She even felt a bit good about herself.
Hmph~ I knew it. Haru's just being a tsundere.
He says no, but he always gives in.
Kita didn't seem to mind. She leaned in excitedly. "Same as last time? That beautiful original piece?"
Haru hesitated, then said quietly, "I don't actually know many songs."
"Compared to piano… I really only know a little guitar."
His pick gently brushed against the old Fender's strings. The guitar might have looked ancient, but the strings gleamed silver and new.
At his touch, the steel strings vibrated gently, clear and resonant.
He'd played Wisteria Bird before at STARRY, a song with soft, flowing melodies perfect for less experienced players.
His guitar skill was just Level 2—so technically, nothing too difficult should be possible.
But as he gripped this guitar, something strange happened.
A warm, steady power seemed to pulse up through the strings and into him, relaxing every muscle in his body.
"…What is this?"
He stared at the instrument in surprise. Light danced on the polished strings.
It wants to be played.
And so, drawn in by that force, Haru began to strum.
His pianist fingers struck the frets with precision. His right hand swept in clean, rapid strokes. The rhythm pounded forward like a blizzard through cold wind, intense and unstoppable.
His guitar didn't just produce music.
It sang his soul.
The pace picked up—fast, layered, complex.
Even the intro alone seized the listener's heart, syncing their breath and heartbeat to its rhythm.
Cold. Proud. Unrelenting.
This old guitar's tone had subtly changed—warmer, richer, deeper.
Its sound now carried clarity, power, and emotional weight that filled the room.
The guitar aged by time, now at its peak
The years had only made this guitar better. Its aged wood, worn frets, and softened tones gave it a voice like no other.
Then suddenly, the melody shifted.
A single tail-free slide transformed the entire emotional arc. What had begun as a bold, icy storm now flowed into something warmer, more tender. The fierce energy melted into passionate, winding phrases.
Before their eyes, a vision began to take shape.
Warm winds brushing over snow-white fields. Only by enduring winter's chill could one be reborn into the bliss of spring—so gentle, so liberating.
Droplets from melting frost fell onto deep blue flowers. Just like a snow-covered rooftop above a house glowing with warmth, where fire crackled beneath kindling logs…
When the final note faded—
Kita Ikuyo sat frozen, her hands gripping her thighs in stunned silence.
Her golden-green eyes stared, unfocused, toward Kazami Haru. The emotional impact of the song had struck too hard, and she hadn't yet recovered.
Even Anon, who moments before had worn a bright smile, had fallen completely quiet.
Music is a language of its own.
Without saying a word, Haru had told a story. A high and noble one. Before such a song, even the most restless heart could be stilled.
No matter what they were thinking, Haru was satisfied.
In that moment, he thought he might finally understand how Ryo felt.
To pour all your emotion and skill into a song, and then unleash it with everything you had, it was exhilarating. It left behind a sense of pure accomplishment.
He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but stopped.
Because suddenly, a system notification echoed in his mind:
[Guitar LV2 → LV3]
…What?
His eyes widened as he looked down at the old guitar in his hands.
From the moment he'd touched it, that mysterious energy had surged through him. He'd poured everything he had into the performance and somehow, it had leveled up his guitar skill.
The simulator had described this particular Fender as "a guitar with the power to move hearts."
It drew out the emotions of its player without them even realizing it and in doing so, it had pushed him over the edge into a new level of ability.
Wait… Am I a genius?
Not only had he played his heart out, he'd come out of it stronger.
"…Haru-san, that was amazing."
Even Bocchi, quietly in awe, couldn't hold back her praise. Her eyes held a spark of newfound admiration.
The fingerstyle, the rhythm. Haru had only used basic chords and some intermediate techniques, but combining them so flawlessly? That was something else.
Hammer-ons, pull-offs, barre chords—they were all simple on their own.
But to weave them together into something so powerful?
That was a different story.
Bocchi herself could use advanced techniques easily. But playing emotionally expressive pieces required more than skill. She struggled with consistency and more than that, she struggled to feel the way Haru just had.
"…But now my lyrics…"
The weight returned to her shoulders.
If the composer's skill was rising that fast, then the pressure on the lyricist was crushing. Bocchi was already imagining herself diving headfirst into Tokyo Bay.
"Haru! You—ugh! You tricked me!!"
"You acted like a beginner before, what was that?!"
Anon puffed out her cheeks and grabbed Haru's face, pinching it hard.
But her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes gave her away, she might've been mad, but she was also incredibly proud.
As expected of her little boyfriend. So cool!
"I just… got into it. Normally, I can't play that well."
"Liar, liar! What, are you secretly some kind of guitar genius?!"
She still wasn't buying it.
Even someone like her, constantly told she had "natural talent", couldn't level up that fast. And Haru also had to practice piano! When did he even have time for this?
I'm the one busting my butt every day…
If it really was just a "sudden inspiration," that'd be kind of demoralizing.
"Ugh, whatever. Don't believe me, then."
Haru rolled his eyes and pushed the pink-haired girl away.
She was leaning way too close. He hated to admit it, but even she was undeniably beautiful. No way he was that immune.
Anon peeked at Kita, still dazed, still in the music's grasp.
Heh. Advantage, score~ she thought smugly.
But then—
"Haru-san! Was that another original song?"
"What's it called? I want to know!"
Of course Kita would ask.
"I blended part of it into the Wisteria Bird piece I played before," Haru explained. "This time I just… played the full version."
"As for a name… I haven't really decided."
He hesitated.
He could've said it.
The song was called "Calling the Blue Plumbago".
The plumbago flower carried meanings like melancholy, detachment, but also freedom, bravery, and transformation.
It had been, in the simulation, a "love letter" from his past self, written for Ryo-san.
Even the flower's symbolism had been tailored to her: distant, beautiful, and changing.
And it even had his name hidden in kanji. Anyone who looked too closely would see it.
If they pressed him for details, he'd have no excuse.
"This song… sounds like something Ryo-san would write."
Bocchi's quiet voice pierced the moment and killed the mood instantly.
Comments
Kloud Paradizo
Lol
Kloud Paradizo
Bochchi!! You!!!
